Baby, One More Time By Camilla Isley

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Driven and smart, Marissa Mayer has worked her way to COO at a major Fintech startup as well as launching her own successful app on the side. Now what she wants more than anything is a baby. And having given up on love after her heart was broken by the boy next door, she’s prepared to do it alone.

Recently returning to New York from LA, Dr John Raikes is an expert in his field of neonatal medicine. But when John introduces himself as Marissa’s doctor, sparks fly, and not in a good way. Because Dr John Raikes is no he’s her teenage sweetheart all grown up.

Marissa knows she should keep John at arm’s length, lest she have her heart broken again... But there’s something about a man in a white coat. And with John determined to show Marissa he’s changed, can she keep saying no when her heart is saying yes?

My Opinion

I have read (and enjoyed) so many books by Camilla Isley that I have stopped looking at what they are about before I agree to read them. This was a pleasant and entertaining surprise. Please note that whilst this book is part of a series, it is very much possible to read this as a standalone - however I would recommend reading the first one, just because I love the writing style.

In a contrast to what I normally read, this one features a single dad desperate to do the right thing. I had high expectations for this book and whilst it was slow in places in certainly lived up to my expectations.

Rating 4/5

I really liked the story of Marissa and John, I am a fan of second chances in books and the New York vibes of the story have also been to my liking. Thank you Camilla for writing about IVF, it is a topic that is rarely talked about and it has been beautiful to read it in a romance book. I also liked that Marissa is the CEO of an app and COO of a fintech and that she is a strong, leader woman. The reunion of Marissa and John was incredible and how her story developed and the fact that he is still in love with her made it one of my favorite MMC so far.

I’m really torn about this. I’m usually a major hater of single parents and pregnancy tropes but I’m a sucker for a doctor MC so wanted to give it a chance.

I actually enjoyed the premise of the story more than I expected but I think there was just one drama too many for me. One or even two of the obstacles our characters face could have been removed and the story would still have been compelling enough.

I also didn’t really buy into the relationship as much as I’d have liked. It had been a LONG time. I mean talk about holding a grudge and long lost love.

I’m glad I gave it a go and lovers of the tropes might really enjoy it but it just wasn’t for me.

Thanks netgalley and the author for this ARC.

Baby, One More Time, is book 2 in the 'True Love' series. While I didn't love it as much as the first book, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Second chance romance is one of my all-time favourite tripes, so I think that was what really sold the story for me - Marissa and John definitely deserved another shot at love and I'm so glad their story turned out the way it did. Oh! and I absolutely adored seeing more of Blake and Gabriel!!

Note: This is book two in the True Love series.

After the cruelest of betrayals finds Marissa Mayer heartbroken, she vows to never give her heart away again. But when a one-in-a-million medical mistake leaves her pregnant and shaken, it's just her luck that Dr. John Raikes, the very man who broke her heart, has to attend to her needs.

Tropes: Second chance romance, "accidental" pregnancy, single dad, highschool sweethearts/neighbors

Marissa has real trust issues for fair reasons, which makes her a sympathetic if not relatable main character. John is devoted, groveling, and a walking green flag this time around. The maturing is obvious and refreshing. I liked them together as a couple, but it was still interesting to watch them get back to this place. The book is endearing, sweet and maddening. I laughed, I sighed, I banged my head into the wall. At the end of the day, I liked that the author showed growth as a continual action. Of note, this is a clean romance, no spice.

"Baby, One More Time" solidifies Camilla Isley's reign as the queen of romcom novels in my book. Her brilliant storytelling shines through in this engaging and light-hearted addition to her growing collection of romcoms.

Despite the complexity of the main characters' situations, Isley's narrative is remarkably easy to follow. Her storytelling prowess, a trademark of her works, makes it not only entertaining but also a delightful escape for those seeking fun and light reads. It's the perfect remedy for anyone looking to rediscover the joy of reading or break free from the clutches of a reading slump.

Marissa and John's story, with its twists and turns, is a captivating journey. Isley effortlessly brings out the charm of Blake and Gabriel, this time through Marissa's perspective. The novel also offers a sneak peek into what's to come in Thomas' story, adding to the anticipation.

Marissa and John, as a couple, are both heartwarming and, at times, painfully relatable. The author skillfully navigates the complexities of their past, creating a satisfying and believable rekindling of their romance. Other supporting characters, like Leslie and Nora, add depth to the narrative, bringing humor and sweetness in equal measure.

The Thanksgiving scene evoking Taylor Swift's "You Belong with Me" music video is a brilliant touch that had me laughing out loud. As "Baby, One More Time" grew on me, I found the combination of the storyline and the Swifty reference to be a perfect match.

If you're wondering whether to grab a copy when it's released on January 20th, wonder no more. This wholesome romantic comedy promises the kind of fluttery excitement reminiscent of a first crush. Its easy readability is an added bonus, making it a perfect choice for those stuck in a reading slump.

In summary, "Baby, One More Time" comes highly recommended. Mark January 20th on your calendar, get a copy, and while you're at it, grab the first one in the series, "Not in a Billion Years." You can thank me later.

Problematic....

We get the basics. Johnny left Marissa on prom night sixteen years ago. Ghosted her.
Fast forward. She's successful and wants to have a baby through IVF. She was far, far better off without John (see, he's all grown up, as he lost the "y").

There were so many things I had a huge problem with. Your ex boyfriend is your IVF doctor/sperm donor. What?!? The minute John is back in the picture, Marissa is no longer a smart, independent woman. Nope, she is weak, needs help with everything and John knows it all. No. Just no.
It was a miss for me.

I have two trains of thought when reviewing this book.

1) what a cute, second chance romance story. John and Marissa end up back in each others lives and its fate. He is set on making her know he wants her back and won’t mess things up this time, and she’s afraid he will leave her just like before. He as a little too persistent for my liking at the start, not taking her no for an answer, and being a true cocky man he’ll bent on getting what he wants regardless of what the girl wants. But he eventually grows on you, as he grows on Marissa.

2) what a mess! If anything like this happened at a clinic, there would be hell to pay. I also hated that Marissa makes this huge decision to be a parent on her own through IVF, but the second she finds out that the sperm donor may have been someone she knows she now wants a family and needs help with this child. She wanted to do this own her own, but now that the father isn’t some nameless sperm she changes her mind. I absolutely hated that.

Either way, I doubt Isley has ever met a 6 year old before, because the character reads like at least a preteen. She’s well beyond “wise beyond her years”, talks incredibly well and grown up, and seems educated beyond her years. Make the character older, or be able to write young children as young.

Overall it was fine, just better if I only focus on the second chance love and not the other stuff. Quick and easy chapters. Likeable enough characters.

Baby, One More Time is a delightful romcom of second chances and enemies to lovers!

Having been ghosted y her high school sweetheart the night of senior prom, Marissa has spent all of her adult life avoiding relationships. The hurt and broken trust had a devastating affect.
Now 34, she is single and successful, yet the one thing she wants still is a child. She decides IVF with a sperm donor is the way to go.
Little did she know the doctor she was about to see is her ex from high school!

I loved every single character in the book. Smart successful FMC, sexy, single dad MMC, amazing friendships and colorful families.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this early release in return for my honest opinion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Pub date: 20 Jan 2024

Baby One More Time, by Camilla Isley, is an enemies to lovers second chance gem. This novel shares some characters and timeline with Ms. Isley’s Not in a Billion Years, although they are both standalones. However, knowing both tales will enrich the reading experience.

To the outside view, Marissa Mayer has it all going for her. A very young COO at Fintech as well as having her own specialty app and the company to support it, Marissa is admired and envied. But on the inside, Marissa is still broken from what happened on prom night. Head over heels in love with the boy next door, the couple had planned a hotel rendezvous after prom. Marissa was left alone and broken as she watched Johnny Raikes drive out of her life without a word, just a one line note.

Now, at 34, Marissa has decided the way toward a fulfilling future is to grant her own wish to become a mother. She has entered into this plan with a top notch fertility clinic , Clinlada. After weeks of daily injections, Marissa arrives at her appointment to examine her readiness for egg harvesting. She expected an invasive exam, what she didn’t expect was to come face to face with Dr. John Raikes. And what was expected even less is what came next!!

I have read most of Ms. Isley’s books and have loved them all! This story is told with heart, humor, and many human touches. Really like the interplay of Marissa’s and John’s perspectives. Filled with wonderful characters and modern day dilemmas, this is a darn good read! I very much enjoyed this book and I do recommend it!!

Does Marissa want another chance with John?

Marissa Mayer has made it to the top of her profession and the only thing she wants now is a baby after getting her heart broken when she was in high school by her next door neighbor Johnny Raikes. She knows she will going at it alone by having a sperm donor at a fertility clinic. But her plans change when the only doctor available for her exam is Dr. John Raikes, her former high school boyfriend!

Dr. John Raikes had moved back to New York City after his divorce to be closer to his family for his daughter Nora but he never expected a patient to be his ex-girlfriend Mari.

Baby, One More Time is a huge second chance romance where Marissa and John get a second chance by accident when her visit to the fertility clinic goes awry.

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

Thank you for giving me early access to read this book. Unfortunately this book was not for me. I found the writing to be a little immature, calling a women's vagina a "doo-dah" was very odd to me. I just couldn't connect with the Fmc at all, she irritated me quite alot as did the Mmc.
It all just fell abit short for me.

I read and loved Not In A Billion Years so I was very excited for the next book in the series. You don't need to have read NIABY first but I'd recommend it to get familiar with the characters. Blake, the female main character (FMC) is best friends with Marissa, the FMC in Baby One More Time.

Marissa Mayers is almost 34 and has been chronically single since she was ghosted by her high school boyfriend on their prom night. Sixteen years later, she still has trust issues so has never allowed herself to get close to anyone. I usually don't enjoy this in a book. I am very much a "it's been years, get over it!" type of person but I overlooked it here because I liked the plot.

Marissa decides to go it alone and have a baby via IVF. She gets to the clinic and in place of her regular doctor who is at a conference, a new doctor will be treating her. Dr. John Raikes, Marissa's ex-boyfriend who has recently divorced his wife and moved back to the city with his daughter Nora.

I don't usually enjoy a pregnancy trope but this had a bit of a twist. Isley writes beautiful characters and I always find it hard to put her books down!

If you like the single dad or second chance romance tropes, this is for you. Can't wait for the next in the series!

Another great one by Camilla! I really enjoyed the plot line of this book. High school sweethearts get a second chance. I found the characters enjoyable and their history intriguing.

4.5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the E-ARC. When I say I devoured this book I totally mean it. I started yesterday late in the afternoon and stayed up till midnight to finish. I was laughing out loud by like 7 percent in the book. My son even asked me a few times mom whats so funny. Marissa was a hoot sometimes totally overdramatic and I was here for all of it. John was the sweetest but lets just say Nora stole the whole show. I cant wait for Thomas story.

Such an easy to read romcom - Camilla Isley has done a fab job here with a funny premise, grownup characters, a cute six year old and a charming happily ever after.

Both in their mid thirties, John and Marissa had been high school sweethearts. John did the dirty and Marissa has never forgiven him, to the extent that it has distorted her own feelings of self-worth and her ability to stay in a relationship. She has a fabulous job, a secret second business, great friends, all the things in her New York, life but no love or children of her own. She meets up again with Dr John at an IVF clinic. And so it begins. John is delicious, a single dad, newly divorced, I adored him - maybe I wondered why he was so hung up on Marissa. She's amazing, but sooooooooo insecure. It's hard to read at times.

This is funny, clever, completely unrealistic, but not in a bad way, and a great reflection on the New York hustle. I'm not sure how Marissa will feed a baby when she can't feed herself, but anyway.....

Recommended for an easy light and funny afternoon's read. It's dual POV, fade to black and so deftly written. Enjoy!

Rounded up to four stars. Thank you thank you NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Oh my goodness. I have laughed so much reading this book. This book intertwined my two favorite genres in one plot line - second chance love and enemies to lovers.

Marissa Myer has a wildly successful career and plenty of cash flow. She has given up on love. A young man broke her heart one night after her high school prom, and she has never fully recovered from the heartbreak. She decides she does not need a man to have a baby, which she is when she starts IVF treatments.

Dr. John Raikes is the boy, now a man, who broke her heart 16 years ago. He is a neonatal doctor and the best in his field. These two are about to meet in an extremely uncomfortable setting. It does not get much more awkward than this meeting. John and Marissa go on a wild ride together with many bumps and bruises along with a complete bombshell about a third of the way through the story that will leave your jaw on the floor.

There are some serious scenes and a lot of vile words spewed by Marissa, but I had to feel for her when I found out what happened 16 years ago. They have a past and some wounds that may or may not be healed, but it was blatantly obvious that these two had fireball chemistry. One of my favorite scenes involved a fall, a pair of white pants and a brownie. I could barely catch my breath from laughing so hard. If you enjoy a romantic comedy, you will love this one. This one tickled my funny bone and was romantic as well.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this ARC. I a leaving this review voluntarily.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story about a failed teenage romance, that stained Marissa’s love life so much that she’d decided to have a baby alone by ivf, not knowing that her teenage ex was back in town and working in the clinic she was being treated at!!! John, her sexy ex, has grown sexier over time, unfortunately for Marissa!! She wants to be cross with him but can’t help appreciating his beautiful face and body! Poor girl!!!.
John is back with his little girl, after his marriage broke down. He’s happy to be home, to bring his daughter up in a great place. Then he sees Marissa and his heart melts. So much so that he apologises for how their romance ended all those years ago. She is not about to forgive him, but he still loves her……
This story is written so well that the characters become friends and I laughed so much at the things that happened!!!
Camilla Isley always writes so well and I always look forward to reading the next book!!
Many thanks to Boldwood Books for the chance to read this arc copy via Netgalley.
#Netgalley, #bookandttonic, #camillaisley.

This was a fun, fast read. I really enjoyed this - it's a light rom com read, but the characters are well-drawn and believable. Slightly disappointing that it was all very sweet - could have done with more on-page heat!

Marissa is a successful woman, we could call her a workhaolic, she can't find love so at 34 years old she has decided to have a child through IVF treatments, unfortunately at the fertility clinic she met her high school sweetheart in the most embarrassing way. John is a OB gyn, and he will end helping Marissa much more than needed.

Baby, One More Time was a great read, I was caught up in Marissa's life from first to last page.
Marissa is a strong woman, but she hides a more sensitive side that makes her irresistible. I understand her fear to let John get into her life again, but his personal growth is undeniable, and his kindness makes it difficult to keep hating him. I wished for them to rekindle their relationship, because they deserve a second chance and a happily ever after.

Camilla Isley wrote a very enjoyable story, her characters and writing are humorous and compelling. Her description of the IFV procedure is told in a delicate but relatable way for the women that go through this treatment.

I recommend this novel to the readers who like their contemporary romance with some good laughs. This is the second book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone, even if the characters from the first one appear in it.