Having come out to his mother a couple of months previously, Benjamin never imagined that he would be sitting her down and telling her that he got someone pregnant. Even more so, he never thought he would tell her that the girl was his best friend, Maxie, or that he slept with Maxie to ensure he was gay while away at science camp. Having grown up with a revolving door of stepfathers, Benjamin wants to ensure that his child never experiences that, so he decides to raise the baby as a single father. But Benjamin doesn’t expect how hard it is and the sacrifices he will have to make. As complications arise with the pregnancy, school, and friendships, Benjamin realizes that something has to give. Will Benjamin do the right thing?

When I read the blurb for Unexpecting, it got my attention. The more I thought about it, the more interested I got. Since Unexpecting was a Read Now from St. Martin’s Press, I downloaded it. I am glad that I read it because it was a good book. It’s not great because of things I will review, but it’s good.

Unexpecting is a medium to fast-paced book set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The pacing went well with the storyline. The author sped up or slowed down the speed when it needed it. I also did not have to go back and reread chapters/previous paragraphs, which was a big thing for me.

The main storyline in Unexpecting centers around Benjamin, the pregnancy, and its fallout. The storyline was well-written, and the characters were true to life. But, and I stress, there were some things that I wished were in it. As weird as this sounds, I wish it was a dual POV. I would have loved to have read Maxie’s perspective on the pregnancy and Ben’s demands. I also wish that the author was more explicit about Ben being neurodivergent. As the parent of two neurodivergent teenagers, I picked up on Ben’s mannerisms right from the beginning. But other people might not, which could lead to readers needing clarification about his actions and reactions.

The storyline with Ben, Maxie, and the pregnancy brought back some memories. Why? My best friend got pregnant at 16 and had the baby at 17. The ridicule and name-calling hinted at in the book were in full force with her. So, I sympathized with Maxie. I also sympathized with Ben. How the parents reacted were opposite ends of the spectrum (Maxie’s parents were extreme, and Ben’s wasn’t), but again, it was realistic. How this storyline ended up was very real, as well.

Ben was a hot mess for almost the whole book. As I stated above, he was neurodivergent (he shares many similarities with my high-functioning son). That was one of the reasons he was so focused on raising the baby alone and why he didn’t even think to ask how Maxie felt about it until halfway through the book. I did like how I could see the change in his thinking as the pregnancy progressed. I figured out what would happen during a specific scene in Grecos. But it was still heartwarming to read that scene and the ending scene.

I felt awful for Maxie. No one asked what she wanted. Instead, her parents shamed and punished her, and then she was forced to watch Ben battle her parents. I can’t even begin to understand the stress she was under. I do think it factored into her pre-eclampsia. I got teary-eyed at the end when she and Ben had that conversation.

The romance angle of the book was very subtle. While I say it coming from a mile away, I am glad the author didn’t go overboard. Instead, she made Gio more of a support person for Ben than a would-be boyfriend. I enjoyed that and watching their relationship morph into something more.

I want to complain about Ben’s mother and Maxie’s parents briefly. I firmly believe that Ben’s mother was cheating on her husband with her ex-husband, but she stopped when confronted. I also find it problematic that she didn’t know Ben’s emotional issues because of having no father. As a guidance counselor, she is trained for that. As for Maxie’s parents, they had every right to be angry with Ben. But I wouldn’t say I liked how they treated Maxie. All I could think of when reading how they treated her was the scene in GoT where Ceresi walked through the streets of Kings Landing with the nun in front of her yelling, “Shame, Shame.” It is a little extreme, but still. Also, I didn’t particularly appreciate how they did their best to keep Ben out of the loop. From her father having words with a sixteen-year-old (real man there) to her mother just being nasty to him, it was sad.

The end of Unexpecting was bittersweet. I liked that Ben did the right thing but wondered what could have happened.

I would recommend Unexpecting to anyone over 16. There are no sexual situations, mild violence, or language. There is bigotry and implied slut shaming at various points in the book.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Jen Bailey for allowing me to read and review Unexpecting. All opinions stated in this book are mine.

Not your typical coming of age story but one I enjoyed for it's differences. Trying to figure out who you are and what you will become is one of the most difficult parts of being a teenager. Throw in confusion about your sexuality and things definitely become murkier. Maxie and Ben have been friends forever and when curiosity rears it's ugly head, the two decide to experiment in order to come to each their own conclusions. Ben realizes he is, in fact, gay and Maxie rids herself of that pesky social construct. However, there are consequences that neither of them are ready to handle. Of all the teenage characters, I loved Gio the best because he is the one that finally shows Ben what he needs to do, what Maxie may be feeling (because let's face it, no one else seems to be putting her first) and how the most important thing is the love between a parent and child, even when you have to do the difficult things.
"Orientation. I hate that word. It makes me feel like a compass or map or something that can be twisted or turned to point in the right direction. Like I’m something that needs to be altered to follow the right path." - this quote really resonated with me.

Unexpecting is the unexpected little charmer of a book! A delightful beach read, Jen Bailey warmed my heart and soul with this coming of age story. She gives us a truly great guy in Ben Morrison and the wonderful way he handles the surprising result of an experiment with his best friend, Maxie, gone terribly wrong. The two science geeks are faced with impending parenthood after their one night together at camp and I was impressed with how mature Ben became, wanting to keep this baby and not allow he/she to be without a father like he was. There is a ton of history that unfolds as to the whys of Ben's determined stance and I really did feel for him as he changes his life practically overnight just to become his baby's caretaker.

Bailey doesn't diminish Ben's reasons nor does she sugarcoat all he'll have to give up as she uses his mother as the voice of reason and reality as to what his life will be like once the baby is born. I was wildly proud of Ben, as he juggles school, his future at the college of his choice and all that he planned on before he and Maxie set out to prove a theory about one's virginity. Ben never backed down especially in the face of Maxie's stubborn parents nor did he ever shirk his duties, including his new job at step-father number two's restaurant. That was a whole other intriguing tangent as Ben's longtime crush is also the guy who will be training Ben as a busboy. So basically, between all that Ben has to contend with as his life is clearly never going to be the same, he's still hopelessly in love with his former step-brother, a guy who becomes a really dear friend with the promise of oh, so much more.

I think the reason this book captivated me as I devoured every word poolside one lazy Sunday afternoon, is again, how Jen Bailey gave her characters that burgeoning maturity we all felt as we turned 17 and the world was still our oyster. She didn't minimize all that Ben had to endure, nor did she diminish any of the growing pains Ben, Maxie and the other member of this tight trio, Mo, had to come to grips with as their lives seemed to change on a dime with each passing day.

The entire storyline was well thoughtout and easy to read. The characters are engaging and you could sense that they really did care about one another even when they might not have always seen eye to eye on every aspect of this pregnancy. But they were there when it counted and a few, like Roger, really stepped up when necessary and the warmth that surrounded Ben was beautiful to witness. Ben may not have always had the quintessential family he thought he needed but what he ultimately had was his own kind of perfect.

Highly recommended for a great pick-me-up on a cloudy day, Unexpecting will most definitely make you smile and honestly, you can't get much better than that.

4 big stars!

Unexpecting was pretty much what I expected (see what I did there) it to be, but I still really enjoyed it. From very early on, I think you could tell what conclusion the story was headed towards, but it was still entertaining watching Ben stumble and struggle all the way too it. Ben was at times frustrating, achingly innocent, and absolutely in over his head, but he never gave up, always strived to do better, and, ultimately, made what he felt was the best decision for him and his child. I think there could be potential for more of the story. Such as Ben and Maxie working on their friendship, Ben and Gio's romance, Ben's mom and her husband Roger (I'd love to see more of them) and how all of them come out of the other end of all this.

All-in-all, Unexpecting was an enjoyable l, coming-of-age story. With a queer MC who, despite being practically a genius 'just wanted to be sure' and sleeps with his [female] best friend to prove it, and all the chaos that ensues due to it. I enjoyed all the characters and the story was fast passed. A great YA read for any fan of the genre!
*3.5 rounded up

I love the premise of the book but it began to really feel like a slog around the 60% mark- just repetitive narration about the protagonist's struggles without any real progress or communication in a way that I wanted to see. I got bored and ended up skimming the rest- just not for me in the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Jen Bailey and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ben is about to start his junior year of high school. He's excited for robotics club and being with his two best friends. That is until an experiment at science camp goes wrong.
Ben finds out he is going to be a father. This is shocking to his mom and stepdad after he came out as gay. What's even more shocking to them is that Ben wants parental rights and raise the baby on his own even though the birth mother does not want to.

With each passing moment, the decision ways heavier and heavier on Ben. Is it the absence of his father that's causing him to make this decision? What choice will Ben ultimately make?

A thought provoking YA read. It was interesting to read a teen pregnancy book from the view of the father and nothing like I've ever read before. I will recommend this book to others!

This book should be required reading for teenagers or anyone that doesn't really understand what it is like to have and raise a child. Benjamin goes through an important journey of growth throughout the course of the story that is portrayed quite believably. Maxie's journey as an expectant mother, although not as detailed as the story is mainly about Benjamin, is also portrayed quite believably.

There is a little bit of romance in the book, but not really that much so if you are looking for that, you may be disappointed. On the whole, it is mostly a book about family and what makes up a family and accordingly, there is lots of found family in the story so if you like that you will probably enjoy it. Although you can see where the story is heading fairly early on in the book, the ending still packs an emotional punch.

This book publishes tomorrow - thanks so much to Wednesday Books @stmartinspress for a gifted ARC as well as a digital version via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Unexpecting was a different story than any I’ve previously read: an accidental teenage pregnancy from the perspective of the father. In addition, science nerd Ben (or Benny but preferably not Benji anymore) identifies as gay, and this pregnancy is the result of his best friend Maxie’s social experiment re: virginity. The story follows some of the financial, social, educational, and emotional parts of pregnancy.
I enjoyed the characters and I thought they were portrayed realistically - Maxie’s inability to deal and Ben’s strong desire to stick around, unlike his father (or past step-fathers). The plot was a bit predictable, but it was still enjoyable, reading about the importance of family and friendship throughout all the ups and downs of the emotional time. I will be recommending this to my high school students when school starts back up in a few weeks (ahhhhh I’m not ready).

4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thankyou to Netgalley for this eARC, for an honest review!

**""Look at what we did, Maxie. Look at their family." I nod toward Lisa and Monica. "It may have been the result of questionable decisions, and it was hard, but look at what we did. We created that life, Maxie, but that baby isn't ours. I don't think she ever has been. Look how happy they are, how perfect. That's thanks to you.""

Ugh 😭

What a GOOD book!

I am feeling all the feelings.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect going into this book .. I guess you could say I was "unexpecting" 😂 ... I know bad joke! BUT it's true, I had no idea how I was going to feel about this book. After reading it, I am so happy that I did.

This was truly a coming of age book. You have a sixteen year old boy who ends up losing his virginity to his bestfriend as a sort of experiment to understand for him, if he is truly gay and for her, a way to not make a big deal out of it with someone she trusts. Welp, now there's a baby on the way. Since the MMC struggled with father figures his whole life, he is set on raising this child, while the FMC is barely getting along with her parents and wanting to turn back time.

I had a feeling of who was going to end up adopting the baby ... but that changed NOTHING when it came to all of the emotions I was feeling about it.

I have now said enough. Please pick this book up. It's a must read!

Unexpecting is an earnest novel, following a gay boy’s unplanned journey into teenage fatherhood. Through Ben’s own estranged father, mother’s constant marriages and divorces, and having a baby with a friend—whose parents don’t support the situation—there’s complex familial feelings abound.
There’s a large gap in my TBR for books revolving around queer parenthood, so I was excited to see a young adult book tackling this subject, with further nuances about the complication of family.
Admittedly, this book took some time to get into. Though their parents are no longer married, and they share no DNA, I was put off by the love interest being the main character’s ex-step brother.

Unexpected?

Sometimes the fun of the story isn't the end but the journey. Author Jen Bailey pretty clearly telegraphs the ending of Unexpecting about mid-way through the novel. But that doesn't diminish the value of the book, as Ben's mental state is of far more import. Instead of waiting to be surprised, the reader waits for Ben to reach the inevitable conclusion. 

Ben is a lot. But, hey! He's about to be a teen dad. His fluctuations between grief, excitement and "Oh, sh*t!" feel excruciatingly honest. You totally root for him to figure it all out. (If I had any quibble about the plot, it'd be that the romance in this story was unnecessary, bloating it, perhaps shallowing Ben's motivations.)

Father Figure

What is a dad? That's one of the questions Jen Bailey asks in Unexpecting. I love that she dedicated the book to her stepfather. That love shines through this novel. Stepfamily can be rough, but reading an example of it working is excellent. Sure, there are plenty of bad stepparents in the world. But for every Evil Stepmother, there's at least one Roger (Ben's stepdad). 

Roger does a great job of being patient with Ben. He's there for the kid when he needs him. It clearly hurts Roger that Ben doesn't see him as someone to rely on, but he never pushes him too hard. That is A+ stepparenting. Prospective stepparents could definitely take some cues from this character. 

Should You Read It?

Unexpecting is a quirky little book. A gay kid impregnates his best friend, whom he had sex with "to make sure"? An absurd premise, but the book is sweeter than that. A novel such as this could have easily gone cynical or sappy, but Jen Bailey takes neither route. Unexpecting is unexpectedly poignant. 

Unexpecting is out on August 22, 2023. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. 📚🫃

While away at science can’t been in Maxi do a little science project of their own Maxie wants to research what’s the big deal about losing your virginity and how it affects her socially Ben just wants to make sure he’s gay but when Maxie tells Ben she’s pregnant and that hey here’s some papers we’re putting the baby up for adoption he is totally taken aback. After contemplating signing the papers for a few days then decides he wants to keep the baby at the role he grew up without a dad and doesn’t want the same thing for his child. When he tells his mom and her new husband Roger this they make a plan and she will support him if keeping the baby is what he wants but there are certain steps he’s going to have to do to prepare for raising a child. Maxis parents are not happy about been wanting to keep the baby but essentially they go ahead with planning for the adoption and interviewing wanna be adoptive parents. They’re not prepared for Ben showing up for everything from doctor‘s appointments to interviewing said potential parents and are not happy with it and while all this is going on been tries to manage his crush on Gio. Ben suffers from High anxiety and social awkwardness so he doesn’t always pick up on clothes that others drop all he wants to do is the right thing but is the right thing keeping this little baby when he gets excepted into a highly regarded science engineering summer program he is super excited but when his mom reminds him they don’t allow babies to go to summer camp he is angry but still determined to keep the baby or at least if he changes his mind it would not be because of selfish reasons. There is so much more to this book and there’s a lot of funny parts to the book I mean lol laugh out loud funniness but there’s also seriousness and serious topics unfortunately I’m not only guess the ending but knew how it was going to end before I even got to the middle when you write a book about any marginalized people and make everyone who’s not from that group evil it’s not hard to figure out how the story will go but having said that this is still a funny book and one I thoroughly enjoyed it even though I didn’t do it justice with this brief summary because there is way more to it I still highly recommend it. It was a lot of fun and although I knew the ending, I laughed most of the way there. I want to thank Net Galley and Saint martins press for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

An unexpected joy of a read. The author was able to make me connect with the characters and truly feel their emotions. The relational quality of the story was well plotted and seemed very real.

The ending was a bit underwhelming which is why this is a 4 star read for me.

This is an example of ‘great idea, poor execution.’ I found the whole story very mediocre, given the really interesting subject matter. The majority just dragged on and on for me, and while I’m very aware that Ben is a teenage boy, his lack of self awareness and disregard of his friends and family, made this hard to read.

Ben, I think, is very clearly neurodivergent in some way and I would have loved for that to be touched on more. Anyone aware of his panic attacks or mood swings, never appears to worry about what it means or why it happens and that was odd to me. I just couldn’t find myself liking any of them, really except Maxie. Which isn’t saying too much considering she isn’t given nearly as much development in the book as she deserved.

My connection to these characters only really hit in the last ten percent of the story, when everything was wrapping up. Everything came to a very sweet conclusion but for all the turmoil, it seemed as though it all came together too perfectly. They spent almost the entries pregnancy at odds or fighting, only for it to all be completely fine and perfect with one single decision. It didn’t seem realistic to me. Also, the relationship with Gio could have easily been omitted since it never amounted to much.

I do think the message behind this story is important though and teenage pregnancy is a heavy topic that should be discuss in all its variables. It can be thoughtful at times and I did appreciate the conversations Ben was having with others. It simply missed the mark for me, in particular.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3/5 Stars - I will say before this review I am not 100% sure I am the best fit to actually read this book (I think that's the first i've ever said that!)

General Description: Ben sat his mom and stepdad down two months ago to tell them he's gay. Present day: Ben sat his mom and stepdad down to tell them he got his best friend, Maxie, pregnant and that he wants to keep the baby. Ben has to figure out his feelings for his friend Gio, his relationship with his best friend Mo, and of course, try to handle the situation of wanting to keep the baby while Maxie may have a different idea of what she wants to happen with the baby. How will Ben's year work out?

The good:
- The love interest was like the savior of this book. He was the voice of reason and I really enjoyed him.
- The mother was fantastic in my opinion, I really enjoyed seeing that support for a main character in this book.
- The subplot with the stepdad made my entire heart swell.

The loss of 2 stars:
- Ben as a whole I did not find very likeable. He was inconsistent (he seemed extremely smart and had a social circle, but that was not always portrayed in the book) and even after being told how to address a situation, he'd forget and make it worse? He shows some growth suddenly at the end, but it was not steady progress that made sense to me.
- Slower paced book as well

Overall: I think this could be a really impactful book for some out there and it has a unique take on teen pregnancy, but it was not the book for me.

I recently finished reading "Unexpecting" by Jen Bailey. While the book had its moments, a few aspects left me somewhat torn. The protagonist, Benjamin Morrison, embarked on an intriguing and frustrating journey. His choices often perplexed me, and his likeability varied throughout the story. It's not uncommon for characters to have flaws, but Benjamin's decisions sometimes felt more bewildering than relatable.

One area I wish the book had delved into more deeply was the development of the supporting characters, particularly Maxie. She held the potential for a richer storyline, yet her presence remained underexplored. Greater insight into her perspective and growth could have added a layer of complexity to the narrative.

One notable strength of the book was its pacing. The pacing was well-structured, maintaining my interest and keeping me turning the pages. The challenges Benjamin faced, especially concerning his unexpected impending fatherhood, were presented in a way that kept the story moving forward.

However, I must admit that the ending left me somewhat underwhelmed. The plot's trajectory inevitably led to a conclusion that was not particularly surprising. The predictability of the end diminished the impact of the emotional journey that the protagonist had undertaken.

Despite its shortcomings, "Unexpecting" had its merits. The story's pacing was a standout feature and effectively kept me engaged. While the main character's decisions were occasionally frustrating, they added a layer of complexity to the narrative. With more attention to character development and a less predictable ending, the book could have been a more well-rounded reading experience.

Interesting story that kept me hooked from beginning to end. The author did a good job of making you feel all the emotions the characters were feeling from frustration to sadness to happiness.

Two months ago, Benjamin Morrison sat his mother and stepfather down and came out as gay, which it why it comes as a huge surprise when he sits them down again to tell them that he is going to be a father after an experiment with his best friend Maxie at summer camp. What surprises them even more is that he wants to fight to keep the baby and raise them as a single parent. To prove his commitment to being a father, Ben works hard to balance school, robotics club, a new job, and parenting classes, but it proves much harder than he anticipated and his schoolwork and relationships with his friends start to suffer. Despite his passionate reasons for wanting to raise the baby, Ben starts to have doubts with every challenge he faces and every sacrifice he stares down. When an unexpected complication arises, he starts to realize that being a parent means making the hard choices, even if they aren’t the ones you want to make.

I knew from just reading the description of this story that it would break me - and I was right. I sobbed like a baby, so hard in fact that my eight year old daughter walked in and asked if she needed to bring me tissues because “I can see your boogers.” For reasons I’d rather not get into, a lot of this story resonated with me and hit me deeply.

This story is pitched as Juno meets HEARTSTOPPER and, while I can’t speak to the second part (I may be one of the only people right now who hasn’t read or seen it), it definitely gave a lot of the same vibes from Juno. The story is told strictly from Ben’s POV and it definitely is the POV that provides the biggest gut punch when it comes to the emotional aspect of the story. He is determined to do what he believes is right, but he is also a teenager who had grand plans for his future. His complicated relationship with his stepfather (and father figures in general) plays a big part in his motivations and it allows the reader to really understand how much it means to him.

There are a lot of big feelings in this book, not just from Ben, but the supporting cast around him as well. Bailey treats each character with such respect and gives them their own moment to have the big feelings that Ben doesn’t realize that they are having. I’m not sure if it is intentional, but it felt to me like Ben is neurodiverse (or at least coded as such) and that nuance to his character made a big impact on how he interacted with those he loved, which added even more depth to the story.

One of the biggest takeaways from this story is the concept of family and what it means to be a parent. Ben goes on a huge journey that teaches him (and reminds us) that family does not always just mean blood. This story is one that will leave you battling all the emotions as Ben goes through all the ups and downs that come with growing up and with parenthood, especially those that happen prior to birth.

While it may be obvious from reading the description of the story, I’d also like to give some trigger warnings because I feel like they are some pretty big ones. This story contains depictions of teenage pregnancy, pregnancy complications, and bits of homophobia and bigotry.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Unexpecting is not the typical YA contemporary, and I think the early polarizing response shows that. But I respect that this book exists, and doesn’t tell the typical story, even where the trope of teen pregnancy is concerned.
Ben is an interesting person to focus the narrative on, as he’s a gay teenage boy, and were it not for him questioning it and choosing to experiment sexually, he would not have ended up in this situation. While the prospect of having a child does upend his life, I respect how willing he is to take on the responsibility, such a contrast to many narratives where the once-tender boyfriend dumps their pregnant girlfriend. He’s even prepared to take on primary custody, with consideration for what the baby’s mother, Maxie, would sacrifice, if she were to raise the child.
However, while Maxie is a supporting role in the narrative, the impact on her is not neglected. From discussing how her reputation was impacted, with people accusing her of “turning” Ben gay, to how she’s not really being given as much of a say in this, despite being the one carrying the baby. Her parents in particular are rather overbearing in making their desires known, and Ben is fighting against that, but Ben does try to consider how Maxie feels, even if others don’t.
There’s a romance subplot, but I don’t know that it merits the Heartstopper comparisons, as it’s hardly central. I did like Ben and Gio together, but it’s not mind-blowing, nor is it the best part of the book.
This is a wonderfully original take on a common archetype, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a compassionate, nuanced depiction of queer identity and teen pregnancy.

When I first read the synopsis I was really interested in this book because I haven't seen a lot of books about teen pregnancy in the father's perspective. Also the cover is stunning!

I will admit there were some times where I thought the book dragged a little and it was a bit predictable, but all in all it was a powerful coming of age story. If I could, I would give it a 3.5!