Hannah decided she wanted a baby and went to the sperm bank and then she became pregnant. She didn’t need a man in her life to have a child. Hannah’s best friend was Emma and she was also pregnant. The traditional way to have a child was a dream, but it wasn’t always reality. At least not for Hannah. Hannah’s mother had went through several men. When Hannah was six her mother ran off with a man to go to Vegas, and left Hannah alone. Her mother nor the man never returned, something to do with a drug deal gone wrong. Hannah was moved to foster car, where she was bounced from foster home to foster home. Eventually there was a nice family who wanted to adopt Hannah. But before the adoption could go through something went wrong and Hannah was shot back into the system. Than she met Emma who had similar troubles. Both of the girls had dreamed of one day finding someone who loved them like they deserved. Emma got lucky and was married to Travis. But Hannah wasn’t so lucky. All of Hannah’s and Emma’s friends had babies or little kids of their own. Except wes who was a workaholic and confirmed bachelor. Hannah hadn’t seen wes in several months. Hannah was waiting for Emma to come out of the bathroom when she heard wes’s voice. Her heart stumbled , that was new whenever she saw Wes and she didn’t know why. Hannah was a pediatric nurse. Than Hannah talked to the little girl with Wes. Wes introduced his three year old niece Everly to Hannah and Emma. Everly’s parents had died in an accident five months ago and Wes now was Everly’s guardian. Emma is also secretly Dr. Lovejoy who writes a now popular sex and relationship column for a local paper. Hannah had been attracted to Hanah and still was since the first time he met her two years ago. Everly was struggling with were never coming back. The therapist they were seeing was trying to help Everly distinguish between reality and her version of reality. Hannah said she loved Christmas as she didn’t have much of it growing up, so she made up for lost time. Everly was the only close family Wes had now and Wes was adopting Everly . Hannah had always liked Wes as a casual friend, but for the first time she was seeing a different side of him. Wes never intended to get married or end up in a permanent relationship with a woman. Every since wes became Everly’s guardian he’d cut down on his work hours while he struggled to figure out how to parent a three year old, his brother had made it look so easy. He still had no idea what he was doing. Wes asked Hannah to dinner with him and Everly and she said yes, when she got home her apartment was flooded . She stayed with Emma and Travis at first but being alone and they were very loving toward each other… She didn’t have anyone to love on. Than Wes offered for her to come stay with him and Everly until she found a new place. So hannah took him up on his offer.
I loved this book. It was such a touching read. I loved Wes and hannah together. I love dhow Wes grew to love Little Bean and Hannah. My heart broke for Everly and Hannah’s sad childhood hannah had endured. I loved Hannah’s and Emma’s relationship as well as the other women and men in her life. I loved the relationships wes had with his friends also. Everly added a lot to this book. I didn’t want to put this book down. I love the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend it.

Yet another win for the By the Bay series!
Though their relationship didn’t start out in the traditional sense and Hannah doing her best to sabotage it at every turn, Hannah and Wes’s story is one not to be missed!! It was hard not to read cover to cover in one sitting.
5 stars!!

3.75-4 stars. This was a good book! Decidedly By Chance is Wes and Hannah's story. They are in the same friend group and have been attracted to each other, but are mainly friends. Wes just inherited his three year old niece when his brother and sister in law passed away. A former workaholic, now he is busy trying to learn how to be a parent and has no time for women. Hannah has decided to become a parent herself via artificial insemination and a sperm donor. It isn't the right time for either of them to start a relationship. But, when Hannah's apartment floods and is badly damaged, Wes offers to let her stay with him for a few months. Hannah fits right in with Wes and his niece, Everly. They all fall in love with each other while spending lots of time together. They end up making the perfect little family.

This was a really cute and sweet story. Wes and Hannah's emotions were so real. I did think it took a little while to feel their chemistry, but I did, eventually, and I really liked the book. I loved the unconventional way they both became parents and how well they all fit together. There was little angst or pushing away. I did think the story was a little lacking in humor, but still, this was just a sweet read.

Overall, I really enjoyed Hannah and Wes's story. Now, I need to go back and read the few books in the series I have missed. This has been a fun, entertaining series!

A pleasant feel-good read. Although I liked all the characters, even the dragon Mrs Hitchcock, and their interactions with each other, I found Hannah’s continuous self doubt tedious. And some of the pregnancy details seemed extraneous. Some laugh out loud quips. Mild steam. Told in dual POV with some direct comments to the reader which is novel for me.

<b> 5 stars </b>

This was the first book I've read by this author and although it's book 5 in the By the Bay series, it can be read as a stand-alone.

I loved this book. I was instantly pulled in the story and couldn't stop reading. Needless to say, I was sad when I reached the end, I kind of wanted more of Wes, Hannah, and Everly.

The story was cute and sexy, emotional at times, although a bit predictable, but I didn't mind it in this case. I love the whole friends to lovers and single parents trope. The characters were great, I loved the side characters, their friendships, and relationships. Everly was seriously my favorite, she made the book even more special.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, romantic book that can't be put down easily. This may be the first book I've read by this author, but surely won't be my last. Can't wait to read the stories of the other characters in this book.

~ I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book that I have read from this author and I really enjoyed it. This is book 5 of the series but they can be read as standalones. This is a friends to lovers/single parent romance. Hannah and Wes have been friends for some time and circumstances have happened which required Hannah to look for another place to live for a while. Wes offers to let Hannah stay with him. She won’t be coming alone since she was pregnant due to being artificial inseminated. She was tired of relationships not working so she took steps to have the family she wanted. Wes is also raising a family now that he is taking care of his niece. Hannah and Wes were such a great couple. The chemistry and dynamics between the characters was wonderful. This was a nice read and now I want to visit the other couple who are By the Bay.

Wes and Emma have been friends for a few years, and it works because neither of them has attempted to take it further. But when Wes offers to let Emma stay with him while her apartment is being repaired, the two are forced to look more closely at their feelings.

I really liked this book and love a good friends to lovers trope! I thought the relationship between Wes and Emma progressed naturally, and although it was easy to get the timeframe confused at times, I'm glad it was stretched out over a longer period of time rather than being a quick progression.

The only thing I didn't love was how quickly Emma accepted her feelings for Wes at the end. I think for as much as she was fighting it the rest of the book, it would have been nice to see more into her thought process as to why she so suddenly agreed that all was well. I'm not saying I didn't love the ending, just that I wish there had been a bit more into her decision. Aside from that one little thing, though, I loved the book and can't wait to read more in the series!

DNF @ 25%. I didn't like Hannah. At all. If she thinks it too awkward to tell people she's pregnant through artificial insemination, she's too immature to be a parent. And "girls like us" who have been in foster care go two ways? Actually some go to therapy and are happy and healthy. This book just rubbed me the wrong way.

I finally had a chance to read one of the author’s books as I have her on my TBR list for a while now.
This story is the fifth in the series but I think it can be easily read as a stand-alone.
I loved the idea of a single mother by choice and how she found love in an unexpected way. All the ups and downs that a couple are going through when these situations are coming in their way, are very real and it made for a great story.
Looking forward to more books by the author.

I did'n't even finish reading this book.. when i read the description it make me want to read it but after a few page it become really boring. I try really hard to finish it but i can.

***I received this book from NetGalley***

Hannah and Wes' story was wonderful. Wes showed Hannah that everyone does deserve a happily ever after!!

DNF

Wes was a great character but Hannah was so mixed up that I tired of her not seeing Wes. About 2/3 in I gave up caring. There were also so many characters to keep track that maybe supported series but muddied this single focus story. I felt bored. Sorry because author has written many that I loved

3 1/2 Stars

Hannah grew up in the foster system after her mother died when Hannah was five, but that didn’t stop Hannah from wanting to be a mother. She didn’t have any luck in the love department, so she used an anonymous sperm donor. Wes made it big in the tech industry and his company was his life. That is until his brother and his wife were killed in a car accident and Wes was left in charge of their three year old daughter. After Hannah’s apartment is flooded, she temporarily moves in with Wes and Everly. Will their friends with benefits arrangement turn into a forever family?

This is a cute friends to lovers romance with lots of steam. I thought that Hannah and Wes were perfect for each other. I love books with kids in them, and although Everly seemed like a little cutie, I thought her phrasing wasn’t what you would expect from a three year old.

I received an early copy courtesy of the author through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

This fifth book in the series give satisfying glimpses of previous couples, but the pair at the center of the book felt flat. We're told that Hannah was in foster care, but the repercussions of that in her life are one-dimensional. Wes, too, is surprisingly emotionally unscathed by the loss of his brother, and he says that he's had to make adjustments to take care of his niece, but it's hard to feel his struggle.

The story of Hannah and Wes.

After growing up in foster care Hannah has issues with relationships, so she decides to become a mum on her own terms. After a disaster at her apartment she ends up staying with Will - they are friends but not close, but now she is seeing a different side to him as he is guardian for his 3 year old niece.

They start a fling, but can it be anything more when they both have so much going on in their lives. He is determined to get her to give him a chance, but will she let him in?

I love every book in the series!

Nurse Hannah Morrell was ready to be a parent after being raised in foster care even though there was no guy currently in her life so she went through the scientific route to get pregnant. Hannah didn’t expect to be attracted to guys after getting pregnant but she was attracted to game designer Wes Chiasson who was going the single parent route trying to raise his niece Everly after the death of her parents. Wes volunteered his spare room to Hannah after a leak flooded her apartment but living in the same apartment with made Hannah’s hormones go into overdrive.

Hannah had some serious walls after being raised in foster care but Wes realized that Hannah was the one for him especially how she loves Everly but Wes takes his time to show Hannah how much he loves her.

Decidedly By Chance by Stina Lindenblatt shows that people don’t just have the family that they are born in but also the family that they make with close friends.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

With some sweetness, a touch of angst and so much humor, Decidedly by Chance has a little of everything. It’s a charming and well written book about a family that is made in a very unconventional way - but winds up being a perfect fit. Though part of a series, this can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. I loved the hero in this story, and his steadfast determination to win over his heroine at her pace. Wes absolutely made this book - he could not have been a better guy.

The story follows Hannah, a former foster child who has seen that there’s no such thing as a fairy tale ending - at least for her. Every time she’s grown attached to someone, they’ve left her, so she has given up on finding a serious relationship and has decided to move forward on her own. Artificially inseminated a few months ago, Hannah is on a path to becoming a single mother on her own terms. When she finds out that a casual friend, Wes, has taken over guardianship of his niece after the death of his brother, they begin spending more time together. Wes has always been a workaholic, and he’s kept his relationships casual because of it, though he’s been attracted to Hannah since they met. As Wes begins to learn more about Hannah on a deeper level, he realizes he isn’t as opposed to starting a family as he once was - especially since he’s well on his way now that he’s adopting his niece. He knows Hannah is skittish about the idea of having a serious relationship, but he’s patient enough to give her the time she needs to come around to the idea.

I have zero complaints about Wes. He is so patient, loving, and determined to make things work. The fact that Hannah is pregnant with another man’s baby doesn’t scare him, and he’s willing to do whatever he needs to make her see that he wants her. Hannah was a little more difficult to warm up to. I understand where she’s coming from, and that she’s been hurt in the past, but I’m not as patient as Wes and her refusal to see what’s in front of her grated after a while. That’s really the only thing that holds this back from being a 5-star book in my eyes. She has a great guy standing in front of her - whom she’s known for a few years - and she’s still not willing to accept that he might seriously want her. Other than my frustrations with Hannah, the book is great. I loved how unconventional their family is while still being perfect. Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. I am voluntarily leaving a review of this sweet and romantic book.

I totally loved this story. Stina the author had me from the get-go. With the humorous banter especially. The couple are friends before their relationship. For two years Hannah and Wes have known each other. Him the billionaire owner of a gaming company. She a peds nurse and soon to be a black belt.
Their friends were a tight-knit group of thirty-somethings. All highly successful in their own rights. There is a hockey player, adult store owner, security protection firm with ex-retired SEALs, a teacher, etc.… you get the picture. No matter what they were there for each other.
Hannah and Emma came from foster care. Loving and being loved can sometimes be hard, in this case, much more so for Hannah in that she was abandoned. For the sake of this story that is what we are dealing with.
She was abandoning numerous times. So, she was never sure about men, never giving her dates a chance. Therefore, turkey baster sounded like the safest bet for her heart to become pregnant and less complicated for sure.
That is unless you do something stupid and fall in love. Wes, on the other hand, is your gamer and I don’t mean in the sense of being a player with the ladies. Although, he had his fair share of those too. But no! He is a Billionaire who made with a computer software gaming company. Plus, he does programing of other software too. A real work-a-holic.
That is until his brother and sister in law were killed in a car accident along with his niece, Everly who survived. A sweet sugary three-year-old. Now he was in the process of adopting her.
When Hannah’s water pipes burst Wes offers his penthouse in San Fran with a view. They all seem to interact as a family. Until it becomes too real. And friends ask Hannah too many questions.
I love this because she writes it as if the characters are talking to the reader and letting them in on secrets and what not it is so cute. I give this: 5++++ stars. Provided by netgalley.com.
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This was my first book by this author and It was just ok. This was a standalone in a series, but I did feel like I should have read the others. If only for more background info. Wes and Everly were adorable. It was Hannah that I had a hard time connecting with. I understood her reasoning for her emotional walls. What I didn't get was how she wanted to find a real love and family and when it was right in front of her, she kept saying it wasn't real. She really needed therapy.

I have not read any of the others in the series but this reads as a stand-alone. Hannah had not had the best of upbringings and erected walls that only her best friend Emma got under. She had known Wes a while and after circumstances force her to find somewhere else to live, she moves in to his guest room. There is a connection but she refuses to lower her walls. Wes perseveres and eventually but not until right at then end - Hannah admits her feelings, we get a lovely epilogue and a HEA.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.