Book Review: Don’t You Want Me, Baby? by Rachel Dove

Rachel Dove’s Don’t You Want Me, Baby? is a heartwarming and hilarious romcom that masterfully blends humor, romance, and personal growth. With its engaging storyline, relatable characters, and undeniable charm, it’s sure to captivate readers who love a good friends-to-lovers tale.

Amber Fitzpatrick is approaching thirty and feeling like she’s missed the mark. Her dreams of owning a business are far from realized, her boyfriend has just dumped her, and her biological clock is ticking louder by the day. Faced with these challenges, Amber makes a bold decision—she’ll have a baby on her own. But there’s one problem: her grumpy best friend, Tyler Williams, who thinks Amber’s plans are nothing short of crazy. As Amber stubbornly tries to navigate this new phase of her life, Tyler sets out to prove that maybe, just maybe, he’s the one who can give her everything she wants—if she’s brave enough to take a chance on him.

What makes Don’t You Want Me, Baby? so enjoyable is its perfect balance of humor and heart. Amber is an endearing, relatable character who’s struggling with both societal expectations and her own desires. Tyler, on the other hand, is the grumpy, protective best friend who secretly harbors deeper feelings for Amber but is too afraid to reveal them. Their chemistry is undeniable, and their banter is often hilarious, making their journey from friends to something more a truly engaging read.

Dove does a fantastic job of exploring themes of independence, self-discovery, and the complexities of modern relationships. While Amber is determined to go it alone, she slowly begins to realize that maybe she doesn’t have to choose between independence and love. The romance builds gradually, offering plenty of swoon-worthy moments while also addressing Amber’s personal journey and the support she gets from her close-knit friendship with Tyler.

Fans of grumpy-sunshine romances will find a lot to love here, as Tyler’s brooding personality perfectly complements Amber’s sunny, optimistic nature. The chemistry between them is palpable, and the slow-burn romance is both satisfying and heartwarming.

Don’t You Want Me, Baby? is the perfect read for fans of Portia MacIntosh, Laura Carter, and Phoebe MacLeod, with its witty writing, endearing characters, and a romance that feels both real and aspirational. Rachel Dove once again proves why she’s a beloved voice in the romantic comedy genre, delivering a book that will make you laugh, swoon, and reflect on the idea of finding love when you least expect it.

Rating: 4.5/5
This delightful, feel-good romcom is a must-read for anyone in the mood for a fun, heartwarming story with lovable characters and a romance that will leave you smiling long after the last page.

A quick and enjoyable read. Amber and Tyler’s story, best friends to eventual lovers with plenty of miscommunication thrown in as well making an interesting read
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Rachel Dove for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Don’t You Want Me, Baby? by Rachel Dove has an intriguing premise, exploring friendship, ambition, and unconventional paths to motherhood. However, the story leans too heavily on tired miscommunication tropes, making the protagonists’ choices frustrating rather than compelling. While there are moments of humor and heart, the execution lacks the depth needed to make the characters truly resonate.

Friends to Lovers, quick and easy read.

Amber is turning 30, and she can't stop obsessing over the idea that her biological clock is ticking, constantly stressing about how her eggs will soon be "dried up," and so on. Her fixation on having a baby is all-consuming, to the point where it feels like it’s the only topic she ever discusses. Personally, I think the plot would have felt more believable if she were turning 40—or even 35! Her reproductive panic at 30 seems a little overblown and premature.

In this new rom-com novel from Rachel Dove, readers meet Amber Fitzpatrick, nearly thirty and dissatisfied with her life and career choices because her dream of owning her own business seems out of reach. Thinking that she, as an independent woman, can have and raise a child on her own, Amber starts making plans that her handsome and incredibly annoying best friend Tyler Williams thinks are crazy for a multitude of reasons. Intent on proving Amber wrong in a couple key ways, readers meet Tyler and Amber at a critical and volatile point in their relationship that might just change everything. With two totally opposite characters with a long history together, Dove does a masterful job in creating the characters’ relationship and history in vibrant detail that convinces readers of their long friendship. Besides the two excellent main characters, the atmosphere and conflict of the novel are also incredibly written and add excellent tension and stakes to this otherwise tropey and enjoyable spicy romance. The antagonizing characters are brilliantly unlikeable and add an excellent contrast to Amber and Tyler throughout this escapist new book, which romance readers of all kinds will love for the tropes, the tension, and the drama.

A decent read with a good storyline. I did enjoy this read and the romance element however I felt the miscommunication trope was overused and it was frustrating at times

My Thoughts: this book was utter perfection! – as much as I’d love to leave my review there because nothing I say will do it justice, I can’t so I’ll give it my best shot.

We’re following Amber, she’s almost 30 & she’s starting to realise that her life isn’t going as planned, she’s just been dumped, so she starts spiralling.. she wants to run the pub that belonged to her gran, but doesn’t yet have the funds to make it happen yet, she wants a baby but now doesn’t have the boyfriend.. but there are ways around that!

I love how organised she was, lists for everything and bookmarks on her browsers, she was a girl after my own heart ❤️

Then there’s Tyler, he’s grumpy but protective & it comes across instantly to the reader that he is absolutely besotted with Amber, but he’s kept his feelings to himself, after all he’s just the best friend and he doesn’t want to risk losing that..

The slow burn in this book was everything, now I normally hate slow burn, I just want them to realise the inevitable and then we can enjoy the rest of the book with them in their happy little bubble… this book changed that for me, I was here for it.

The will they won’t they, the tension, the angst it all almost had me holding my breath & when they finally get together believe me it’s worth it 🥵🌶️

I need more Amber and Tyler, I wasn’t ready to leave them behind.

I personally didn’t think the cover fitted the book, but only because I assume it’s Tyler on the cover and he didn’t fit how I pictured him in my head 😂 (don’t get me wrong the cover is eye catching!)

You absolutely need to add this one to your TBR, you will not be disappointed.

🐧🩷

This was okay. I do like a friends to lovers slow burn, but I'm really frustrated by the lack of communication and martyrdom. Both characters are guilty of it. Tyler was pretty great, but needed to man up and talk to her. Amber was strong, then a bit annoying and then the martyrdom kicked in. It was nice to see Bradley take a punch, but everyone got where they needed to be

This book was very cute. The main characters, Amber and Tyler, have some great banter throughout the book. I did find some conversations quite repetitive during the book but overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read. I found this to be a very quick read and was a very cute story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC.

It is a cute friends to lovers book with pregnancy done extremely well! The book is extremely well written and I thoroughly enjoyed it 😁

A fun rom-com with some self discovery thrown in the mix! The main character, Amber, was very likeable and easy to relate to for me. Amber has a freakout about turning 30 (didn't we all?), and realizes that she needs to make some hard decisions to get her where she wants to be. She realizes she can create her own happiness and creates meaningful relationships along the way. The book was filled with humor and heart making it hard to put down at times.

ARC Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I went into Rachel Dove’s Don’t You Want Me Baby? fully expecting to eat this book up. The friends to lovers trope is my absolute favorite. Unfortunately, this book just wasn’t a fit for me. However, that does not exclude it from being the ideal read for someone else.

I recommend reading it if you are a fan of the friends to lovers, long slow burns (and I mean the long) and spicy scenes.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books, and Rachel Dove for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This was a little disappointing. I had a hard time with the plot. Amber is turning 30 and goes on and on and on and on about how her biological clock is ticking and her eggs will be all dried up, etc. She is obsessed with having a baby (which is fine) but I think the plot would’ve worked better if she was turning 40 (or even 35!). Her reproductive freak-out at 30 seems a bit premature.

Amber and Tyler go around and around with the same arguments for the entirety of the book. It got kind of repetitive.

Tyler is very much a “cave man” type of love interest. He is very protective. Readers who like this type of male lead will probably enjoy this book more than I did. It just wasn’t for me.

I really enjoy this book. It feels like a Hallmark movie
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the book

A light hearted love story with all the classic ingredients to please the aficionados of the genre.
I like the characters and the storyline which makes this novel a lovely easy read that works for a cold winter night or summer entertainment

A very enjoyable story which kept me interested all the way through. Light-hearted and the perfect book to snuggle into on a winter's day. I read this so quickly and wanted to keep reading until the end. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Here is a book about the dilemmas faced by the modern woman in the twenty-first century. Can we really have it all and, if so, how do we do that? Times they are a-changin’ and the old way isn’t the only way to live any more. We have choices, but sometimes that makes things more difficult. How do we know what is the right choice?

These are the conundrums that the protagonist of this book is grappling with. Amber is a girl with plans. She knows what she wants – to buy and restore her gran’s old pub and to have a baby – which seem simple but, when she splits up with her boyfriend just before her thirtieth birthday, those plans seem to be slipping away from her, unless she decides she doesn’t need a man to bring her plans to fruition. Or, is there another man right under her nose that might be an alternative solution.

I love to see a modern romance that is grappling with a storyline that isn’t as straightforward as ‘boy meets girl and that solves all her problems.’ Women have choices and it is good to acknowledge that. Amber’s life is complicated, she doesn’t have any close family and has made friends her family, so it is important that she doesn’t mess that up with love complications. People’s lives are multi-layered in the modern world, and families come in all shapes and sizes and I loved the fact that this book reflects that.

I have to say, I was not one hundred percent convinced about the strength of Amber’s rejection of Tyler as a boyfriend, given their magnetic attraction, just because she thought she knew what was best for him. In life people are not generally that selfless. However, I should caveat this with the acknowledgment that I am a jaded 52-year-old divorced other-of-two whose dewy-eyed days are long behind her. If you are young and starry-eyed still, you will probably love this story and fully buy in to the story.

I loved both Amber and Tyler as characters, and Sharon too, and there was plenty of heat between the protagonists to spice up the story. Despite my middle-aged cynicism, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Don’t You Want Me, Baby? and would not hesitate to recommend it to lovers of romance who are on the look out for a modern take on the genre.

I normally don't read a lot of friends to lovers book because personally for me it's a 50-50 or I have it or I love it.. In this case I actually like it so I'm happy that I did gave a chance
Amber and Tyler are very unlikely best friends and i did liked their interaction but it was very clear who had fallen first here

Amber Fitzpatrick is about to hit thirty and has achieved none of the things she hoped to have done by now. Her dreams of owning her own business seem out of reach. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and now her biological clock is clanging in her head.

But maybe Amber doesn’t need a man for the next stage of her life? Maybe as an independent woman she can have a baby all by herself?

There’s only one problem. Handsome but excruciatingly annoying best friend Tyler Williams. Tyler thinks Amber’s motherhood plans are plain crazy! She just needs to wait for Mr. Right to come along…and maybe he’s closer than she thinks?

But with Amber hellbent on doing it alone, Tyler sets out to prove to her that being her best friend could also come with excellent benefits…if only she's brave enough to take the chance.

Love it. Will recommend to others.

This one was fun. I adored Amber and liked Tyler. But in classic slow burn fashion, it was frustrating to watch them dance around each other. Our background cast were fun too and I enjoyed my time with this book