this one started out very slow for me and i was having a hard time connecting with the characters. in the end, i found myself very appreciative of the storyline, the relationships, the pains of jumping into parenthood, and the reality of parenthood as a teen. the love interest aspect felt a bit random and the book could’ve done without, but i’m not bothered by it. i love love loved ben’s mom and how supportive she was. sometimes even book mom’s can heal my childhood!!!

overall, it was quite a refreshing story and i’d probably recommend to YA readers!

A tough decision making type of book, where you're intrigued as to the decisions that the characters will make and why they will make them. It was just missing a little bit of a connection to the reader, so it didn't get that fifth star for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m normally not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope but this book took that trope and made it enjoyable! This book was so emotional and beautiful and sent me through all of the emotions! I loved the found family aspect of it all and just really enjoyed this one!

A thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!
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It’s practically unheard of to have a teen pregnancy story told from the perspective of the father, let alone when said teen boy has recently come out as gay. Yet, that is actually what Bailey has set up for us at the beginning of Unexpecting. Ben’s mother and stepfather are understandably surprised when he reveals that in a science experiment he got his best friend pregnant at Summer camp, but even more so when he wants to keep the baby. Mix in a “maybe this could be something” romance with Gio, robotics club, a new job, the pressure of being a soon-to-be parent in high school, and Ben’s emotions are running wild.
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Ben was a highly unreliable narrator and his motivations for keeping the baby weren’t always the most clear, but his journey and character growth made sense given his young age. The romance took a back seat to the relationships Ben has with his mom and stepdad, his best friends (including Maxie, his childhood best friend now carrying his child), Maxie’s parents, his peers, boss, and even himself. This is a fast-paced and worth it read.

I liked this book! The pacing was good and it felt like a very important story that this age group could learn from. It's very difficult to make such grown-up decisions so young, and the support and care given to this story was very easy to see and understand,

Y’all I am extremely picky when it comes to books about unexpected pregnancies and the choice of adoption.

UNEXPECTED delivers. It is told from the perspective of Ben, who knows he is gay but was curious if it was for sure and has sex one time with his best friend Maxie.

This is Ben’s story of deciding on whether or not to parent, defining family, figuring out friendships in times of deep personal change, and making hard choices for an unknown future.

A very fun read. I really liked the characters and the character development. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this book, it was a captivating story, that not only endeared you to characters but helped you truly understand them and the hard decisions we make as people.

This book made me cry and gave me undeniably good hopeful feelings at the end. If you are looking for a book that gets you in the feels this is the one for you. I felt all the feelings while reading it (in a good way). I loved the way we got to see all the characters grow and how they all approached the same situations differently and similarly.

Watching Ben’s growth throughout the story is at times frustrating but overall rewarding. You get to see him look past his need for order and concrete things, and really explore his emotional side. You get to see him understand what Maxie is going through and even learn how to trust that a father figure is going to be there for him.

Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story. Every character was well developed and multilayered. The story was poignant and beautiful while being accessible and relatable. I’d highly recommend giving this a read!

Ben is such a good character that I chose to overlook the fact that I normally don't like storylines like this. I have teenage sons so it's so difficult to read about boys deciding to isolate themselves instead of relying on parents or friends. It's compelling, though, and you'll find yourself both rooting him on and frustrated with his teenage decision making (oh, Ben, let people in!).

This narrative delves into themes of family dynamics, fatherhood, companionship, and affection.

Approaching this coming-of-age tale without many preconceptions, I found Jen Bailey's portrayal of a character distinct from those typically found in teen pregnancy novels to be refreshing. Ben's mother stood out to me for her consistently wise counsel, always knowing just what to say.

I admired her unwavering support for Maxie and her encouragement of Ben to consider his friend's emotions.

The conclusion of the book didn't catch me off guard; I anticipated it as soon as certain characters were introduced. Nonetheless, I continued reading, thoroughly enjoying the journey the story took me on.

This is a book where there is little surprise to how it ends. All of the elements of the final scenes are present pretty early on in the plot. But I'm not sure that it's a problem. This is less about the plot than about character development which is solid. It asks some valid questions about teen pregnancy and the roles of the people involved but mostly it's not trying to be deep.

I have tried to read this one through several times now. Each time I don't get very far and I end up putting it down. Which, I am bummed about because I was really intrigued by the premise and the representation this book should provide. However, I find that the writing itself feels very, unfinished. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly, but something about it feels unedited, and not just in a "this is a proof copy" way. It feels like a first draft, a first pass at this story and characters. And that may just be me. And that's okay. I was rally hopeful I was just reading it at the wrong time, but several tries to read over the last few months haven't changed that for me.

This is a bit of a different unplanned pregnancy story. While trying to work through some questions about his sexuality, he and his best friend Maxie decide to do an "experiment" which backfires in a big way. Maxie becomes pregnant, and Ben makes the unlikely decision that he wants to raise the child, even though Maxie wants something else.

This book does get to the heart and heartbreak of unexpected teen pregnancy. While Ben makes a decision to keep the baby, he doesn't really have the experience to know what that really means. This books takes the reader through that journey. I thought his struggles with Maxie's new place in his life were emotional and interesting. He's committed to his decision, but his devotion may not be enough for him to make it through this difficult struggle. And in the midst of all of this, he develops feelings for someone else and also lets his friends in the robotics club down, which complicates things further for Ben.

I liked Ben and his commitment to what he wants, and I liked his mother and others who looked out for him.I liked that realism of this story, And while I could see the ending coming, I liked how this wrapped up too.

I really enjoyed reading author Jen Bailey debut novel Unexpecting. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and rated it 5 stars. What attracted me to the book was the plot. The book is about a teen father who is gay getting his best friend pregnant. This definitely caught my attention and I had to know how, why and what happens. It turns out that Ben and his friend Maxie decide to conduct an experiment at science camp during the Summer. The experiement was to help determine if Ben was really gay. He confirmed that he was in fact gay and after coming out to his parents he also finds out that he is going to be a father. This book tells the story of how Ben goes through the ups and downs of navigate teen pregnancy and becoming a father. He discovers what it means to be a parents and the sacrifices it takes. Ben finds out that sometimes the right thing to do can also be the hardest thing. He faces many difficult decisions along the way but with the help of a great support system Ben navigates through this unexpecting journey. I highly recommend reading this book as it's a great coming of age story and gives perspective from the eyes of a teenage father.

This book did great with keeping my attention. I really liked the characters and the real feelings here, as long as good parental figures for the main character. It is a coming of age about learning to be a responsible person for the people around you and for taking initiative. It was an interesting story that really followed through.

Thanks for the advanced copy for review.

This one was way heavier than I was expecting. I loved the premise of the story and I know it's something that happens more often than people think. I loved the resolution and the journey the author took to get there.

This story is a unique little drama dealing with topics of LGBTQ+ lives, teen sex, family support, and life stress. If you have a reader who likes realistic fiction and family drama, then this is a great title! The teens are written in a clear and realistic emotional way. Tough decisions are analyzed in a way unique to their characters. Definitely an enjoyable and emotional story. You might laugh, you might cry, but you will spend your time well.

Rating: 3;serious, heavy, coming of age: Unexpecting was an easy, yet heavy read that I still have mixed feelings about.
Ben is a junior in high school and soon to be a father. The novel follows Ben through his experiences preparing for fatherhood, and what sacrifices he must make to be a single father. He must get a job, fight for custody of the child, show up for his robotics club, keep his grades up, and navigate the social challenges of being a teen father…all before the baby is ever born.
I think this book would be great for someone who is really into serious, real life teen drama; I’m just not that person. I was so sad reading the entire book (which might be the purpose?), but I just can’t say I fully enjoyed it. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a teen pregnancy plot line (can’t say I do personally) or likes reading teenage coming of age novels. I will say the characters were all done really well, the plot just wasn’t as engaging to me personally, hence the 3 star rating.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Jen Bailey did a great job on taking an unexpected story line of teen pregnancy and really pulling you in. You follow Ben who has recently come out to his parents as gay but also has a baby on the way. His mom steps in to help him. You follow the struggle of parenthood at such a young age and the hard choices that sometimes need to be made. Overall a very sweet story.

Such a beautiful and different story. I appreciate a story told from different perspectives and I think this is a perspective that isn’t looked at quite often. Throw in the gay romance and I’m sold. However, at the heart of this story was a really fascinating depiction of family and friendship and I loved every minute of it.