Baby Be Mine

4 ⭐️s

My first Jill Westwood experience was an enjoyable one. The standout element in this third book in her Better Than Ever series is definitely the characters and their interactions. From the jump, Westwood puts the MCs on the page in a way that gives the reader a clear view of their initially antagonistic attraction, which really worked to immediately pull me into the pacing of the story. And while one of the central tropes initially gave me pause, the MCs, especially, Bridget, kept me invested.

The fine character work continued as Westwood established the connections to secondary characters - Bridget’s core friends and their fellas, her and Connor’s neighbors - and each interaction was a strong as that between the MCs. The friend characters, who had obviously been the leads in past books, were showcased in a way that didn’t make me feel I missed out by not starting the series in order, which can be a downside to picking up a later book in a series. However, I wasn’t lost or distracted by past plots in any way, and the inclusions made me interested to pick up those previous stories. All the characters were just so appealing, right down to the dogs!

Any flaws in this book were confined to some points of the individual character development and they were minor. Setting Connor and Bridget’s character arcs side by side, I felt that Bridget’s was more layered. Connor’s baggage was a bit cliché and undercooked by comparison. He was still a lovable, sexy, silver fox hero, but I was much more compelled by Bridget’s journey throughout the story. Despite this, I loved them together. They had great chemistry (both in and out of the bedroom); and , as mentioned above, while I’m not the biggest fan of the oops baby trope, Westwood’s handling of Bridget’s history made it work for me in a way that I initially didn’t think would. It’s great when an author can pleasantly surprise you!

All in all, this was a fun romcom and I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy love stories between mature MCs and heartfelt depictions of dynamic friend groups.

I received an ARC copy via Book Sirens. All opinions are my own.

I loved the characters in this next door enemies to lovers. strong later in life characters and their thought process are realistic and understandable. There is undeniable chemistry between next door neighbors and they navigate the after affects if a one night stand. I was fortunate to have been given an advanced reader copy via BookSirens. I found a new must read author Jill Westwood!

I was cautiously optimistic going into this book as it isn’t my preferred trope (accidental pregnancy), but I wanted to give it a shot! It was cute, but I felt it hopped around in time a little confusingly. Also the hero in the story was going through a time determining if he was meant to be a father and be with the heroine, he just felt so flighty and she just felt too forgiving for me. Not a bad read, just not my favorite. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.