It’s been a while since the last Golden Chapter feature, so we wanted something fun. Jena is presenting a delicious contemporary romance novel by Carol Thomas. This is a light-hearted holiday read. A reviewer deemed Maybe Baby to be ‘as frothy and delicious as a cappuccino’. Unable to resist a delicious read, Jena took a sip the first chapter.
What an adorable book cover for Maybe Baby. I like the cute and confident young woman posing in the pretty countryside. And, did you spot the cat?
The strapline for this book is: Full of love, true friendship and humour.
Well, let’s take a look at this second book in the Lisa Blake series. Here’s the start of the book blurb.
Best friends Lisa and Felicity think – maybe, just maybe – they finally have everything sorted out in their lives.
Lisa is in a happy relationship with her old flame, and busy mum Felicity has managed to reignite the passion with her husband, Pete, after a romantic getaway.
But when Lisa walks in on…?
And Felicity is left reeling…”
Now for my review. I cut off the blurb before it got to the “but when” part, as I only read the first chapter, and the “but when” begins a few chapters later. Let’s look at Chapter One.
We meet Lisa and Felicity, out for an early morning run along the promenade. As many of us know, it’s one thing to get psyched and plan to exercise more, it’s another thing to do it on a chilly morning. But having a friend helps. Felicity has called this “getting fit over thirty” and Lisa is game, even though she ends up with a blister.
“It’s good isn’t?” encourages Felicity. “The state we’re in now, that’s not good, but the fact that we’re out of the house, taking on a challenge and trying something new.”
Lisa agrees, although she’d rather stop for a fry-up. As they head to their car after the run, Lisa lets it slip that she might be a teeny bit concerned about the new women who is renting the vacant flat in her boyfriend Nathan’s property..
And so, the “But when” begins…
Chapter One is only about nine pages on my iPad, but the author has given us a fun and meaningful entrée in to the story. I liked Lisa and Felicity right from the start. They are presented in the third-person. Although this is the second book in the series, the bits of backstory are easily woven in.
We are treated to plenty of “show”, and little “tell”. I was right there, panting and stumbling on the promenade with Lisa and Felicity as they ran. I also wanted the fry-up, even though Felicity wanted a healthier choice. And I began to get those butterflies in my stomach, too, when Lisa worried about the text from Nathan.
I especially liked the part where Lisa thought about why she had gone on the early morning run with Felicity. Lisa decided that she wanted to step up and be a good friend to Felicity once again.
What a pleasant start to a contemporary romance- two good friends, trying to be their best, and then comes the boyfriend news and as the first chapter concludes it seems we are getting to the “but when”…
What will it be I wondered- “but when Lisa finds Nathan with…?” Or “but when Lisa realizes that it’s going to be harder than she thought to help Felicity?…”
I’m ready to run with Lisa and Felicity and find out more. (and at some point, will there be a “maybe baby”?)
Readers, if you have read this book, please let us know what you thought or share your review in the comments section. If you haven’t read the book yet, let’s chat about the first chapter of Maybe Baby in the comments. Here’s what I’d like to start with.
- Do you like Contemporary romances?
- Do you like to read a book series?
- What about the title? “Maybe Baby” -are we talking about a real baby?
Many thanks to author Carol Thomas for sending me the first chapter. And as always, applause and best wishes to Jessie Cahalin for featuring these Golden Chapter Reviews as part of her Handbag Gallery and for her continued support and friendship of book lovers!
More about Carol Thomas
Carol writes for both adults and children: Her contemporary romance novels, have relatable heroines whose stories are layered with emotion, sprinkled with laughter and topped with irresistible male leads; while her children’s books have irresistibly cute, generally furry characters young children can relate to.
Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children and lively young Labrador. She was a kindergarten supervisor and elementary school teacher for over fifteen years, prior to dedicating more of her time to writing. Carol is a regular volunteer at her local Cancer Research UK shop. She has a passion for reading, writing and people watching and can often be found loitering in local cafes working on her next book.
Jena C Henry, April, 2019
It is always a pleasure to present Jena’s fabulous Golden Chapters. When you are packing for your holiday, don’t forget to grab Maybe Baby and enjoy a fun read.
Please see all the Golden Chapters and also my website and blog at JessieCahalin.com.
A copy of my novel is available here.
