Enjoyable, easy read. Great for a lighthearted quick read although I did feel the characters lacked some depth. I read lots of pregnancy themed books when I was pregnant and would have enjoyed reading this one too.

Let me start by saying I absolutely loved this book!!! I was attracted to the cover and the title even before reading the description. All the characters except Sam you will adore as you can relate to them easily.

I cheered for Zoe and her journey to self discovery while pregnant! Everyone needs a friend like Nina and Jude is the kinda guy every girl needs!

Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me the privilege of reading this book for my review. I gave this book 4 ⭐

This book has a little bit of everything! A super slow burn romance, a woman finding her own path, degrees of motherhood from all angles and stages...overall, a decent read. I really enjoyed this slice of life style novel with the main focus being on the pregnancy journey. I felt the pacing lulled here and there, but overall I liked being a part a Zoe's pregnancy and the new life she was building. Solid 3 star.

Zoe is a 38 year old living a digital nomad lifestyle, traveling the world with her partner of over 11 years. When Zoe finds out she's pregnant, her boyfriend decides he isn't ready to be a dad. After 11 years together, Zoe must do what's best for her and for her future child - she leaves. She turns her life upside down and goes back to her hometown and starts the journey to single motherhood.

She creates a pregnancy bucket list at the start of the novel and I wish we saw more of that being completed! That was a fun aspect that I felt was sometimes forgotten about.

ARC through NetGalley - thank you!

I loved this so much! I’ve never read women’s fiction like that that centred so heavily on pregnancy, but I thought it was done so well.

I was a bit slow starting, struggling to get into the flow and worried it would centre entirely on whether Sam would come to his senses and be less awful. The last 55% was read in one sitting though. There is a light HEA, but I think this is really about the friendships (I love Nina, I think everyone needs a Nina).

5 stars, rounded up from 4.5.

Thank you netgalley for the ARC

I can't particularly say I'm in love with the book, because there are TMI's and I just had to skip those parts and that made it impossible for me to be totally invested in it. But I do like the storyline and characters, except for Steph and Jerome, those cheating couple and their excuse of love.

I love how the book portrayed that you shouldn't be in a relationship because of pity or shyness as that'll only subject you and your partner to grief that can be avoided.

If you're looking for something light to pass your time, then you should definitely read it.

Really enjoy this book, It was light hearted easy to read and just going though the emotions of unplanned pregnancy and the joys plus scary times of motherhood.

It brought back memories, beautifully written and really enjoy

A brilliantly fun , immersive read that I really enjoyed .

•lots of relationship drama
• believable relationships that build over time .
• thought provoking
• funny
• no spice (some like it some don’t)
• main character evolvement which I loved and was so cute !

I loved every minute of this book , really difficult to put down . I can’t wait to read more from this author .

I was really unsure of this based on the first few chapters working out Zoe is pregnant and navigating her long-term partner’s feelings. For being together eleven years it did not seem like a healthy relationship so once we moved along and headed to London.

Zoe has a killer support system, between her mom and best friend Nina, this baby is set! The characters are all lovable (minus Sam- I couldn’t stand him or really Zoe while flashing back to her relationship with him). The banter, the adventures, the relatable anxiety and troubles all led up to a happy ending. With just a hint of romance and finding/creating your own family, this was definitely a feel good story. I only go into pregnancy tropes when it’s up front and expected such as this and I recommend if you’re looking for a quick read.

Unplanned by Natalie K. Martin is a story everyone should read. It sheds light on the trials and tribulations that women endure before, during, and after pregnancy. In fact, I would go so far as to say this should be required reading!!!

Zoe is a woman in a committed relationship of over a decade. However, finding out she was pregnant was the last thing she ever expected. Sadly, while she sees this as a blessing, her significant other, Sam, does not. This leads to the dissolution of their relationship and her moving back home to England. With the support of longtime- friends, family, and other expecting mothers, Zoe tackles her pregnancy head on.

Zoe, is a relatable protagonist. She willingly lays her insecurities, failures, and fears out for the reader. She makes no qualms about the fact that she has dimmed her own light to meet the needs of others. Her desire to please men in particular, has lead to her own unhappiness time and time again. If she had been firm in her wants and needs, a lot of the events in her life may not have happened.

The authentic portrayal of pregnancy, birth, and motherhood is excellent. Martin does not try to glamorize or skip through the hardships Zoe endures. Quite frankly, reading this book opened my eyes to some of the realities all women must face when bringing life into this world.

I loved the message that family is not always hereditary, it can be created. Zoe has a wonderful support system in place before the birth of her child and long after. Nina and Jude were two standouts for me! Every single mother needs friends like them to have their back.

This is a true four star read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing. It was a beautiful look at single- motherhood, friendship, and family!

Special thanks to NetGalley.com and Amazon Publishing UK for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

Zoe and Sam have been together and living abroad for 11 years and have decided not to have children when Zoe finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. Sam chooses not to be involved, and Zoe surprises herself with how much she wants to have the baby. She moves home where her mother and best friend Nina become the village that help her throughout her pregnancy. Nina challenges Zoe to say yes to more things, which leads Zoe to create a pregnancy bucket list that includes tasks like make a belly mold and go to a festival.

The concept of this story is so unique. I’ve read books before where a character makes a bucket list, but never in relation to pregnancy. Zoe’s pregnancy is written very well, with all of the emotions and body changes that occur during those 40 weeks. Zoe is an interesting character who changes from a woman afraid to say what she wants to a strong woman who goes after what she wants. I adored her village; everyone deserves a friend like Nina in their life, and all of the secondary characters were well developed. I would rate this one as 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of Unplanned in exchange for my unbiased review.

Travelling the world for eleven years, Zoe and Sam have been living the dream—Sam’s dream. But when Zoe discovers she is pregnant, she decides it is time to find a new dream, even if Sam isn’t a part of it.

Back in London and sleeping in her childhood bedroom, Zoe’s new life at first seems nothing more than her old single life, but with a bump. But then her best friend, Nina, challenges Zoe to take the next nine months to complete a pre-baby bucket list.

Now forced to look at her life through a new lens, Zoe has to decide what she wants, and whether that includes a man or not. But after a decade of being part of a ‘we’, is nine months enough time for Zoe to find out who she is as a ‘me’?

I don't normally gravitate towards pregnancy as a theme in a book but I have to say this really captivated me. It did take me a while to get into it and this isn't something that I really relate to but it was interesting and unique and I enjoyed it. I liked Zoe as a character. I thought the writing was good and I really did find myself relating to Zoe even though her story is very different from mine. I also enjoyed the flashbacks and the context it gave and that doesn't always work for me. The story did slow down a bit at some points but I thought the ending was really sweet. 4/5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my free digital copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "Unplanned", written by Natalie K. Martin. It is slated to release on September 20th, 2022!

Overall, I rated this novel a 4/5 stars!

Thia book follows Zoe and Sam, who have been traveling around the world together for the past 11 years. This is something that Sam especially enjoys. Zoe ends up having to create a new dream for herself once she finds herself pregnant and Sam finds himself not wanting to be a father.

A lot of this novel centers on Zoe's friend Nina encouraging her to take the next 9 months to focus on herself and do things she's always dreamed of before parenthood sets in. Self-discovery is so important, and Zoe's was definitely fun to read about!

Zoe appears to be living the dream, travelling the world with her partner of 11 years, Sam. But what if this isn’t Zoe’s dream and she’s actually just playing a part in Sam’s ideal life? Upon finding out she’s pregnant, Zoe takes the opportunity to rediscover what her own dreams are, even if Sam isn’t part of them. With the help of her friend Nina, Zoe decides now is as good a time as any to say “yes” more, and do the things that she wants to do before the new adventure of parenthood begins. This story follows Zoe on a journey of self discovering, as she realises what got her to this moment in life and what she wants going forward.

I thought the concept of this story was really unique and found the book such a cosy read. It look me a little while to get into the plot and, although I do realise that it isn’t the most important part of the story, I wished there was more exploration of Zoe and Sam’s relationship before the pregnancy. There were elements of the story that felt slightly unnecessary and the pacing felt a bit odd in parts, but the overall experience of reading this was thoroughly enjoyable.

It was really interesting seeing some flashbacks to Zoe’s past that all make sense as to how she ended up where she is in her life today. The cast of characters in this were great and I can imagine so many readers falling in love with them (particularly Jude). I think Natalie K. Martin did a brilliant job of writing a story that depicts the struggles of being a new expectant mother, and in particular a single one, as well as promoting empowerment and self discovering, no matter what life throws at you!

I was not ready for how much I would love this book. I was sucked in right from the beginning. It was amazing to be on this whole journey along side the MC as she rediscovered her own strength and ability to love her self while growing a human being. I would 100% recommend this for anyone looking for something sweet and wholesome.

Let me just preface this by saying I may have a bit of a bias as I was a minority single mom for a while. That being said, I truly don't think that my possible bias is the only reason I loved this book as much as I did. The prose was beautiful and descriptive, pulling you into every scene and making you feel like you're truly with Zoe on this life-changing journey. She is such a strong character, but also REAL and you have full insight to all the ups-and-downs she feels through the 9+ months of pregnancy. I was honestly hesitant to read this as so many books from a prospective mother's POV gloss over everything, especially if they're no longer with the co-creator, but I felt my own experience was well-reflected in her storyline. Sometime's it doesn't always end the way you want it to, but there's always the epilogue (as life does go on) to make up for it! The support system in this cast is just lovely and human and everyone was fully fleshed out where they needed to be. I kept waiting for there to be something to break the hold on me, but couldn't fault a thing. Maybe just that she was able to sit outside on a sunny day whilst 7 months along? Oh, there's my bias stepping in...(being outdoors was the bane of my existence)

TLDR: Do yourself a favor and pick up this book on pub day!

Thanks Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The beginning of this story captures the thoughts and emotions of new pregnancy perfectly. Planned or unplanned the thoughts that Zoe has are so like what most of us feel at the beginning of a pregnancy that it makes the story entirely relatable.

I like the way Zoe's character and personal strength develops throughout the book. The storyline of this type has been done before but the author does a great job of keeping it fresh.

The writing style is easy going and it's a laid back and enjoyable read - perfect for on holiday or a lazy rainy afternoon!

I received this copy via netgallery in return for my review.

Zoe and Sam have been together for 11 years, and Sam has been set against having children for as long as he can remember. So it is certainly a shock to the system when Zoe falls pregnant. She soon finds herself back living with her mum in London. Zoe decides to create a pre-baby bucket list as a challenge from her best friend Nina.

I decided to read this book after the title, and the description intrigued me. Bucket lists are something that I enjoy writing, so I was interested to read about a pre-baby one. I was definitely not disappointed, this book had a great storyline. I loved the character development that took place, I didn't want the book to end! I also thought that the ending really tied the story together. One thing that I didn't like as much as a few of the flashbacks which tied up loose ends in the story, but also seemed a bit out of place. But overall, a book I recommend!

Thank you #Netgalley for the ARC,

I loved this story and I loved Zoe.

As the title tells and the cover shows, Zoe had not plans to get pregnant. None what so ever, and is it really a surprise that her boyfriend Sam has zero desire to be a father. So Zoe must go at it alone.

Its a cute story about realizing what matters most in life!!

Such a unique concept, I was hooked just on the description it self@! For me I related to this tory about becoming a young single mom and having to do it on my own ! I loved the writing each character was beautfuly written!

Thanks to Net Galley I was able to read this book.

Brief Summary of the Storyline: Zoe and Sam never wanted kids. So when Zoe find out she is pregnant, it throws a wrench into things. Sam doesn’t want the baby, Zoe can’t give it up. Now Zoe has to try to navigate her life in a way she never planned.

Tropes:
-Age Gap (kinda)
-Pregnancy
-Traveling

The Good: Very cute book. Loved the kind of community aspect and the character building. Found it to be a very heartwarming read.

The Not-So-Good: I felt like the flashbacks could have been handled a bit better? They personally didn’t add much to me and we probably could have gone without them. I also felt like her ending her 11 year relationship (first chapter) was very abrupt, and didn’t affect her as much in the beginning as I thought it should have.

Overall: This book drew me in with its intriguing concept. How often have you heard of a “pre-baby bucket list”? The book itself was of refreshing and real. I also really appreciated the diversity in it and how the culture really was just part of her life. The writing was really well done and you can really see how Zoe, and other characters, develop through out the book.

Pace: Even pacing. Slow-Medium.

Triggers:
-Age Gap (Kinda)
-Cheating
-Mentions of Abortions
-Minor Sexism

Diversity: Yes. Main Character is Jamaican and her culture is shown in the book. Side characters are also Jamaican.