Baby & Bump (This & That #1) by Brooke Moss {Review + Author Interview}

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publication Date: June 26th 2013

Author: Brooke Moss

Series: This & That

Format: PDF provided by author for review

At thirty years old, caterer Lexie Baump has a lot on her plate. With a business to run, she doesn’t have time for any added distractions. But one momentary indiscretion adds a little hiccup to Lexie’s plans. She’s pregnant. With no relationship prospects. But if Lexie thought fighting morning sickness while running a catering business was hard, enter Dr. Fletcher Haybee. Their connection is instant, and their love of vintage rock tee shirts and Elvis music is enough to bond them for life. There are just two minor problems. One: he’s dating her oversexed best friend. Two: he’s also her obstetrician. With events to cater, awkward OB appointments to endure, and her ever-growing baby bump making it impossible to close her jeans, Lexie has to find a way to curb her undeniable attraction toward Fletcher and focus on her new role as a working mother. But it certainly isn’t easy when its clear Fletcher himself feels the same magnetic pull toward Lexie. Can Lexie leave the gorgeous Fletcher for her best friend to chew up and spit out, or will she cave to her feelings and find love in the stirrups? Life is about to get messy, and we're not just talking about crumbs in the car seat.

My Take:

I was really excited to take this book for review not only because I love Brooke Moss' books but because it sounded like the movie Waitress that came out a few years ago and I really enjoyed that movie. Baby & Bump had everything I wanted it to have. A little drama, a little humor and a lot of heart!

This was such a great story that I enjoyed so much! Lexie was a great character. Even though she made a huge mistake and ended up pregnant she chose to keep the baby despite the fact that she had just opened up her own  business and didn't really have the means to provide for another mouth to feed. I love that she was determined to raise the baby without the help of a man, especially when the baby's father decided he didn't want to be involved. Lexie didn't let his attitude distract her from the joy she started experiencing once it sunk in that she was going to be a mother. She dreads telling her family about the pregnancy with her mother being the main one she fears telling the most. Lexie keeps the father's identity to herself and that irritates her friends who keep trying to guess with no luck. When her friend Candace sends her to her baby doctor instead of the one her mother sent her to, Lexie's world gets a bit of a shake up because the doctor turns out to be hot! 

Dr. Fletcher Haybee was one of the most amazing guys and I loved the chemistry between him and Lexie. When they first meet the attraction is instant but with Lexie being a new mother she feels like she needs to focus on the baby and not her growing feelings for her doctor. It's not until her best friend Marisol comes with her to an appointment that she realizes she should have made her move because that one visit leads to Marisol and Fletcher dating. She had the opportunity to speak up and tell her friend she liked him but she kept quiet and that pissed me off a little. I was hoping Lexie would have stood up for herself and gone after what she wanted but at the same time she didn't think it was fair to get Fletcher tangled in her drama. As Marisol and Fletcher get closer, Lexie stresses herself over their relationship because Marisol is a little quick to bed her new boyfriends. I was anxious right along with Lexie hoping that Fletcher wouldn't consummate his relationship with Marisol. Thankfully I didn't have to worry for long because the more time Lexie spent with Fletcher and his daughter Martha, the more the attraction between them grew.

Fletcher was a great guy and a great father. After his wife left him and their daughter he stepped up and raised her by himself. He was very sweet to Lexie and helped her out when she had questions about her pregnancy. I hated that he kept dating Marisol even though he knew how he felt about Lexie and the baby. I did love the friendship between Fletcher and Lexie as they saw more of each other though. I wouldn't say their relationship was a love triangle with Marisol involved because it never felt that way to me because you just knew that Fletcher and Lexie belonged together. The way it was written you felt like Marisol was the intruder and wanted her out of the way the entire time. Fletcher was such a gentleman in the way he treated Marisol by not rushing their physical relationship despite her advances. I did feel a little bad for Marisol but not enough to want her with Fletcher. 

On top of her impending motherhood Lexie also had to deal with her mother's disappointment and constant interfering when she tries to set Lexie up with different guys who were less than savory. Even though it was annoying for her mother to set her up it added some really funny moments especially when Lexie's hormones were going bonkers and she couldn't hold in her opinion anymore. The supporting characters in this book were amazing and I hope to get a glimpse of them all in the future books. Her brother Darren was hilarious the way way he kept bringing odd named strippers to meet his family. Her mother was completely Coo Coo for Cocoa Puffs by collecting cabbage patch dolls and wearing freaky sweaters. Her mother was a little harsh on her and they had some issues to resolve but once they cleared the air it was very touching to see her finally have her mother supporting her. As if Lexie didn't endure enough drama between her family and her pregnancy she faced a little more when the time came to deliver. 

I was really happy with how this book wrapped up. As usual Brooke Moss wraps up her stories with an epilogue in the guys point of view and I love that in her books. Although I felt that this epilogue wasn't as strong as her others, I did love how everything worked out for all the characters in the end. Baby & Bump was emotional, heart warming, hilarious and amazing. It was everything I come to expect and love in a Brooke Moss book. If you love stories with heart and humor mixed with a little drama then Baby & Bump is is what you need to read next.

Quotes:

“Oh, yeah.” Candace grimaced. “I guess she will be a little disappointed in you, won’t she?” “Disappointed?” I snorted, and some cracker crumbs flew. “When she found out I lost my virginity in college she cried for a solid week and sent me three copies of The Scarlet Letter.” PDF Page 7

The good doctor not only brought new babies into the world, but he was also raising one on his own? Fletcher Haybee was becoming more attractive by the second. Now, if there was only some way I could get his shirt off him, to check for a six-pack… PDF Page 51

Pastor Irm scooted his hand farther away from hers on the tabletop. “I, uh, think it’s time to say grace. We forgot to bless the meal.” “Hold it, Jesus freak. I’m talking to my mother!” Pregnancy hormones flooded my body like a dam had burst somewhere between my uterus and my brain. PDF Page 167

"I've never felt like this before. It's like I've known you my whole life." His eyes danced, and the end of his nose tickled my own. "You're amazing, Lexie Baump. And funny. And sexy. I cannot imagine wanting another woman ever, ever again." PDF Page 311

Author Interview:

Joining me on the blog today is Brooke Moss, author of the fabulous novel Keeping Secrets in Seattle. Welcome to our blog today Brooke, thank you for joining us!

Yay! Thank you for having me! 

First off, tell us a little bit about yourself and your upcoming new release Baby and Bump...

I am a wife and mother of five, an avid autism spectrum disorder and foster parenting advocate, and an author of a handful of silly books. :) My latest release, Baby & Bump, is about a 30 year old caterer, Lexie, who finds herself single and pregnant. When she meets her way-to-hot-to-be normal obstetrician, Fletcher, sparks fly...the only problem? He's dating her friend and business partner, Marisol. 

How did you become and author?

Honestly? I read the Twilight series, then I saw the first movie, and decided....well, those weren't even all that good. If SHE can do it, so can I. And the rest is history.

Out of all your books which one is your absolute favorite?

I don't think I could pick a favorite! Probably The What If Guy, only because it's my first published book. But I always tend to like my most current book the most. So I guess Baby & Bump is my favorite right now...

If you could trade places with any of your characters, which character would you choose and why?

Oh, hands down...Violet Murphy. She gets to go to bed with Gabe Parker every night. Hello!

Where did the inspiration for your newest novel Baby and Bump come from and what is the main thing you want readers to know about the book?

A friend of mine was talking on Facebook about how awkward it would be to feel attracted to your obstetrician. I started thinking about it, and it just snowballed from there. The main thing I wanted people to gain from this book is that love can blossom at any time in a person's life. Whether they're young or old or pregnant or a single mom or jobless or homeless or hairless...it doesn't matter. Love blooms when it blooms.

If you could pick any book out there to RE-WRITE what book would you choose and what would you change/remove?

Oh man...that's a loaded question. I guess I would choose Silas Marner. Such a somber, serious book that could be really fun to modernize. Maybe someday...

When you are writing a new story, how much of what you include is made of personal experience and how much is made up?

I would say it's about 50/50. But I'm not admitting what parts of my book are true and what parts are made up!

If you could become any cartoon character for just 24 hours which character would you choose to be?

Jessica Rabbit. For obvious reasons.

If you could pen a novel about your favorite celebrity, who would it be and what kind of story would you give them?

Gerard Butler, and it would be A NAKED STORY.

Given just ONE do-over on life what would yours be? and Why?

My first marriage. I got two wonderful children out of the deal, but boy oh boy...what a mess.

Thank you so much Brooke for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us on the blog today come back anytime!

Thanks for having me. You're the best, 'Hootie'. <3

About The Author:

 Brooke Moss lives in beautiful eastern Washington with her handsome nerd and five darling, wicked children. When she isn't spinning tales, she spends her time collecting tacky owl décor, changing the color of her hair, and watching too much reality television.

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