This was such an interesting take on the accidental pregnancy trope and I raced through it. Whitney and Myles had such fun banter and also didn't shy away from the harder conversations and really took the time to have those as well. I thought it was really well paced and an overall really good read.

Following directly on from Kendall's debut, "Token" which had a Black woman and her White friend setting up a PR agency which covers, among other things, diversity disasters, and introduced Sahara / Whitney, the central character here, an actor / singer / business owner who has frozen her eggs because her fertility is threatened by her endometriosis (or she doesn't have time to have a baby right now; this was a bit confused and her endo doesn't seem to be any kind of an issue in the end, which is a bit disappointing as I was excited by that being represented in a light romcom read).

We find out early that there's been a mix-up at the IVF clinic and an embryo made from her egg has been implanted in a surrogate (keeping up here) for a White couple, leading to all sorts of upset but also to Whitney meeting the "father of her baby" and them, well, erm, "bonding".

I liked the details around Whitney's business and her friends' ongoing stories, and Myles' worries around racing a biracial daughter and making sure he's doing the right thing while pushing back against being involved with a megastar with mega-money (he's a top lawyer so we have a power couple anyway). It's a good holiday read as we work out how it's all going to work out, with some good plot surprises along the way.

Blog review coming 19 June 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/06/19/book-reviews-lisa-smith-jamaica-road-and-beverley-kendall-one-in-a-million/

⭐️ 3.5 stars

This was a chill, cosy read that was easy to get into and makes you think.

Whitney, also known as Sahara, is a successful singer, actress and businesswoman who froze her eggs because of endometriosis. Then she gets a call saying there’s been a mix-up and now she has a 6 month old daughter carried by a surrogate for a married couple. Like, what would you even do?

Myles is the baby’s father and CEO of a law firm. He’s been raising the baby and his situation with his wife is complicated. The wife is honestly a nasty piece of work and gets worse as the story goes on.

I didn’t like Myles at first because it felt like he judged Whitney for being a celebrity. But as I read more I understood him. His fear of losing his daughter made him put up walls.

Thrown into a situation neither wanted, Myles and Whitney have to find a way to come together, co-parent and do what’s best for their baby. Watching that unfold was real.

I also liked the conversation around race. Whitney is Black and the couple involved are white. The story touches on how important it is for the child to connect with that side of her identity something Myles could not fully provide.

This is an enemies to lovers romance which I enjoyed. The tension, back and forth and slow build kept me hooked.

A few things I didn’t love. I wish there was more about Whitney’s journey with endometriosis since it’s such a big reason for what happens but is barely mentioned after the start. Endometriosis isn’t something many people know about so it would have been a good chance to raise awareness. Also there were so many side characters I kept getting confused about who was who.

Overall, it was a solid, easy read with a romance that grows on you.

This book was fast paced, fun, messy has some Hollywood glamour my only critique is that while I do loved that it was fast paced I wish that the romance was a little bit less insta lovey I wished we got at least 10-15 more pages of banter tension between Myles and Whitney. Overall this book is so good I could definitely see this getting adapted into a movie.

My Review: It was another lovely read from Beverley, I’d previously enjoyed token and One In A Million is another fully engaging and enjoyable read. It was also great to see some familiar faces and some new ones.

The medical Mix Up brings us to Whitney’s story whose fertility plan is thrown into chaos when she discovers her eggs have been used on someone else and she is now a mother to baby Haylee. Myles and his wife Holly are going through their own issues, whilst navigating parenthood. Holly uses the result of the DNA test to her advantage, which fuels for more drama. Will the unlucky in love find love? A recommended fun read.

This was the perfect book to read after finishing Bloodmarked!!

I wanted the romance, the laughs, and it delivered! It touched on a sensitive topic with fertility but I like the way the author went about it. It was unique and a twist to how this trope is usually done.

The writing was good, and I thought the characters development was good too.

The only thing I didn’t like was Whitneys need to “prove” herself to Myles. The emphasis on it turned me off some but otherwise I loved the book!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this ARC via NetGalley!

an intriguing and different kind of plot this one. we have a woman who got the high powered career. has it all you might say. and has it all her way. just the way she wants it. so what happens when her carefully curated world is hit with a bombshell. and not just any bombshell but one that would change everything. because after a mix up after a fertility egg clinic she is now a mother. to a man that isnt happy to share. or more like hes clearly wary and wants to protect his daughter!
i felt for all characters involved here. and it mingled and mixed and varied. i felt i could understand all the rage and upset from our main character. and also a bit of her almost foot stomping toddler behavior from what has just happened to her. but she failed at time to try and see the other side of this too. his side. but then the pair of them have just had their lies upended and i get it. this was major.
as the story carries on and the initial what the f* settles down the relationships are fun and a little bit more intriguing to read.

2-2.5
For a short second I thought this was going to be an age gap romance with a black 30yo woman and an almost 60yo white man, and I was worried. Thankfully it was not. The plot was intriguing; a Jane the Virgin meets the Clooney's mash up, and held a lot of promise.

Unfortunately, the format of the book left much to be desired. It's written in third person but had issues with voice, clarity, and

There were issues with the format and writing in the book, mostly around clarity and voice distinction, that made it difficult to gauge who the subject was at some points, as well as inconsistent passages of time. This, combined with the lack of anything but attraction between the two main characters, made their relationship development feel rushed and unnatural.

The smut also felt disjointed at times, and I think the story would've been better as a closed door/fade to black romance. (Not something I say often)

As for the characters themselves, they didn't make me feel much of anything. I love a boss bitch, but I felt like there were different Sahara's depending on what was good for the plot, instead of a fully rounded character. And the MMC was just DAD tm, though I did think he acted more understandably than she did, even though neither were quite rational.

Could she really not understand why a father would want to protect his daughter from someone he doesn't know? I felt his reservations about her being involved were all very valid. He had raised her from birth, had been there by himself for everything. Had been dealing with a wife who ignored their child, that he believed was theirs, and was going through a divorce. Add to that a stranger who has a very busy life, is in the press constantly, and has never met his daughter, it's not strange to be believe he wouldn't want her involved. Especially since he never thought he'd have to fight for his daughter after his wife left. Being scared is totally understandable.

I understand her opinions too, and she was most definitely wronged by the IVG clinic, but her reactions just seem disproportionate and focused on him. She seems to want everything to go her away, after already pushing limits that were agreed to. I'm unsure if this was written purposely because she's used to being catered to or because she's is also going through a lot emotionally.

A recurring theme in this book, that grated me more and more as it went on, was a child "needing a mom", "needing both parents", etc.. emphasizing the need for a nuclear study and even stating that research backed it up. It doesn't. Also, again this is just a trigger for me, but having biological offspring does not entitle you to their lives, nor does it automically make you a mother/father.

I have other feelings towards this book, but they were better phrased by Chelsea and Lauren's reviews.

Thank-you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for allowing me to read this ARC.

The plot for this immediately caught my attention, as it follows superstar Whitney in a reverse surprise baby storyline after the fertility clinic where her eggs are stored has a mix up. It's a pretty out there plot and I had to suspend my disbelief somewhat but overall it was unique. The pacing is also really slow and the writing itself felt a bit stilted and clunky.

The relationship dynamic between Whitney and Myles was an interesting one. Initially Myles is incredibly hostile to Whitney and makes immediate assumptions about her character and lifestyle, which I thought was pretty rich given her only knows the public persona she presents. This animosity soon shifts however after not too much convincing, and becomes kind of awkward and a bit clingy lust. I wasn't that taken with it at all.

Some interesting concepts, great diversity, but overall I just didn't really care of the romance or writing style.

This was a fun, quick read, a bit more emotional than I had expected. A lot of the focus was on the romantic relationship between the two leads but the author never let you forget about the baby or their high powered jobs! I did want to read more baby & mom interactions though. Cute story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-galley in exchange for an honest review.