3.5⭐️ | 2🌶️

The second I read the blurb for this book, I was instantly intrigued, and honestly, I’m really glad I picked it up.

The characters were so interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before.

I loved how independent and strong the FMC was. She’s a successful woman, and even after her whole world changes, she continues to be that same person.

The MMC? Easily one of the best dads I’ve ever read, and that was really attractive.

That said, the book wasn’t perfect.

Listen, I’m not usually a fan of third-person POV, but I’m starting to get more into it. However, in this book, it wasn’t executed well. It was really hard to keep up with locations and characters, especially when the main two main characters weren’t together. The transitions between scenes weren’t smooth, and I found myself lost more than once.

This book has so much potential—I just wish it had flowed a little better.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Hive for the ARC and ALC!

I thought this book was an okay time. The concept of the book being a surprise baby trope but mix in the idea of the fertility clinic is what really grabbed my attention. It was kind of similar to Jane the Virigin, which I can appreciate.

I loved Whitney and simply seeing her character development. Going from being really famous and having your entire life planned out... to having a six-month-old baby was surely a big lifestyle change. I think she took it on with grace and I enjoyed seeing her fall in love with being a mother.

Myles, on the other hand, took too long to come around for my liking. I feel like he despised his wife so much for not wanting to be a part of his daughters' life and genuinely was upset. Because of that, I didn't understand why he was so hesitant for Whitney to be there. She was willing to be there in every aspect, but he was consistently pushing her away.

I also don't think their romance was as believable as I would have hoped. I kind of just wish they agreed to simply co-parent and the book be more focused on that journey. It seemed a little too forced to me.

I will say, the concept is really cool, and I did enjoy the twist of the fertility clinic. I also did an immersive read and while I do prefer dual narration, I think the narrator did a good job of keeping me engaged.

I received an ARC (digital) of this book thanks to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing.
I had read the plot summary and thought this would be a fun spicy read. Sadly, it didn't all pull together for me. I felt like I didn't believe the characters would behave in ways that they did. I also didn't fully buy into their lifestyles and don't feel like the baby plot worked entirely.
I think that the book had the bones for a solid read but it wasn't quite what I had hoped. I will say that I enjoyed BIPOC representation with the FMC and her daughter and I enjoyed the bit of diversity to the book.

3/5

Title: One in a Million-standalone

Author: Beverley Kendall-new to me author

Publication date: 3-18-25 | Read 3-14-25

Format: eBook 304 pgs.

Genre:
*Rom-Com
*Multicultural Interests
*Women's Fic

Tropes:
*surprise baby
*celebrity romance
*interracial relationship
*enemies to lovers

POV: 3rd person, dual Whitney and Myles

TW: fertility issues/endometriosis, divorce, surrogacy

Setting: Hollywood, CA

Summary: Whitney has her billionaire business and personal life planned out-career success then marriage and children. She has frozen her eggs due to a medical condition, but the fertility clinic mistakenly uses her egg for a married couple-Myles and Holly. When the clinic admits it's blunder, Whitney wants to meet her daughter, six-month-old Haylee. Myles is not thrilled with Whitney being a part of his daughter's life, but he agrees to meet Whitney and come to an agreement they can both live with for Haylee's sake.

Heroine: Whitney "Sahara" Richarson-30, a famous actress and musician.

Hero: Myles Redmond-36, a lawyer, President of CA Bar Association

Other Characters:
*Haylee-their daughter
*Holly-Myles's wife
*April-Whitney's co-owner of Oasis-their fashion company
*Cheyenne-Whitney's cousin, a family lawyer
*Natalie-Myles's twin sister

My Thoughts: Even though the plot was a little far-fetched I loved it. Whitney and Myles had a rocky start while being attracted to each other. I loved that Whitney had an all-female crew and was so down to earth considering her success. I have to go back and read [book: Token|61155411] which features Whitney's other BFF Kennedy's story.

Rating: 5/5
Spice level 5/5

Thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing |Graydon House and Beverley Kendall for this ARC❤️️! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

This was such a fun read overall, I enjoyed the characters and felt that the story kept my interest.

The main characters had major chemistry, I really enjoyed the friend group. However the prose just wasn't for me I just wasn't a fan of it and that threw me off. Other than that there was plenty of action, and drama.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own

3.25/5 stars - I love books with a celebrity/Hollywood romance trope, so I was immediately drawn to read this. The premise is very interesting and isn't similar to anything I have previously read. I liked seeing how Whitney juggled being a pop icon, movie star, and fashion mogul while also trying to be an involved parent. I appreciated how Whitney and Myles addressed the realities of raising a biracial daughter in today's society. The plot twist was also reminded me of a soap opera, but it was still entertaining to read!

Whitney and Myles are likeable characters, but I didn't buy into their romance. There were also many secondary characters introduced, and the author provided us with a lot of details on their backstory, which ultimately wasn't necessary to move the story forward. Overall, this was a unique spin on the pregnancy trope! Read if you enjoy:

-Accidental baby tropes
-Forced proximity
-Celebrity/Hollywood romances
-Interracial romances (Black FMC/White MMC)
-Third person POV

ONE IN A MILLION – Beverley Kendall
Graydon House
ISBN: 978-1525830327
March 18, 2025
Contemporary Romance

Los Angeles, California – Present Day

Whitney “Sahara” Richardson is a multitalented singer and actress who is known all over the world. A few years ago after a diagnosis of endometritis, she put her eggs into storage at a fertility clinic in case she decides to have children. One day, she gets an urgent call from the clinic. Whitney’s eggs were inadvertently used in an IVF procedure, and she is now the biological mother of a six-month-old child. The father is the biological father and he is married. Oh, and as Whitney is Black and the father is white, the child is biracial. She is stunned, to say the least, to learn she has a child and asks if she could at least see the child before she signs off on relinquishing parental rights.

Attorney Myles Redmond thought he was building a family with his wife, Holly. She is unable to carry a baby, so they paid for a surrogate using his sperm and Holly’s egg. But something happened because Haylee is clearly biracial. They learn from the fertility clinic that there was an unexplained mix-up. Myles is Haylee’s father, but another woman is the mother. The news has destroyed his marriage because Holly isn’t happy having a biracial child. Now Myles learns that the real mother wants to meet Haylee as part of the conditions to sign away her rights. They meet, and Myles is stunned to learn that Haylee’s mother is the legendary Sahara (Whitney’s stage name). While things are tense at first, they click and then become friends. Will Whitney sign away her rights, or become Haylee’s mother in reality?

Oh, yeah… ONE IN A MILLION is a bit of a different tale and readers will end up finding it intriguing. Whitney might be rich and famous, but she is also down to earth. Myles is understandably protective of Haylee, which is why he is wary of letting Whitney into their lives. Will she attempt to lay claim to his daughter? He soon learns that all she wants is a chance to know Haylee and is okay with Myles being the custodial parent. The little family of three gets along and hopes to keep their connection secret so that the press doesn’t get wind of it. Will something happen that exposes the truth? Will Myles and Whitney end up falling in love?

Whitney and Myles are a good couple together. Both care about people and want to protect Haylee. She must hide her relationship with her daughter but manages to spend time with Myles and Haylee. A few inside their inner circles know the truth. Is that going to be a problem? Myles’s ex-wife, Holly, hangs around on the fringe, especially when she learns who Haylee’s mother is. Will she cause problems? There is no longer any love lost between the former couple and Holly is derisive about Haylee. As it turns out, Myles and Whitney spend a lot of time together and they enjoy it because they’ve come to like each other. Readers will be rooting for them to find love. You will have to read this tale to find out if that comes true.

An enjoyable tale for readers who like a secret baby tale and a couple who are sizzling together. Don’t miss ONE IN A MILLION.

Patti Fischer
Romance Reviews Today

I really wanted to like this book, I really did. It just seemed too far fetched in some ways, a bit scary how easily something like the "mix-up at the fertility clinic" could happen, how terrible the villains of the story were, and how wishy-washy I found the MMC to be (he had his reasons, but still). While this was almost a do-not-finish book, the end did redeem it a bit for me. Three stars.

One in a Million has an intriguing premise of a woman who accidentally becomes a mother due to a slip up at the fertility clinic where she froze her eggs. I was invested from the beginning to see how the story would play out considering I haven’t read a story like this before. I really enjoyed Whitney’s character as she was headstrong, confident, fun, and determined. If she said she was going to do something, she’d do it. My main gripes with the story ultimately stemmed from Myles’ character but your feelings may vary depending on what you as the reader are expecting to get from this story. If you simply want to follow the plot of this ‘one in a million’ circumstance, you may really enjoy it. If you are primarily in it for the romance, this may not be your most favorite love story read this year.

This was a unique take on a pregnancy/single dad trope! While I wanted to love this, it just fell kind of flat for me. It was an Ok read but I don’t have strong feelings about it either way. I think the main issues for me were the number of characters in this book. There were way too many and I found them hard to keep up with. Perhaps this will be part of an interconnected series? The number of side characters I felt distracted from the plot. My second issue was overall not feeling the connection between Myles and Whitney. It was insta-love for sure. Outside of a few meetings together to discuss Haley’, I didn’t really see any connection to warrant the direction things went in. It seemed more of a physical/sexual connection. Maybe more of a slow burn- them operating in their roles as parents then falling in love then the sexual connection might have been a better flow, for me as a reader. I don’t feel Whitney got much time alone to bond with Haley. Also, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Myles. He initially came off as very rude and entitled and by the end of the book I still wasn’t convinced of his connection to Whitney. Also, I feel the whole premise of her being a celebrity ended up taking a backseat. She honestly didn’t seem that busy, and all the initial concerns of her career and celebrity status we really didn’t end up seeing.

Thank you to The Hive, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Netgalley for the ARCin exchange for my honest review

When I tell you I was kicking my feet and living for Beverley Kendall’s new book One in a Million. Whew!

What a gem.

This is my first read from Beverley and it was so enjoyable. Not only is the story very Jane the Virgin (one of my favorite TV shows) coded but we got this unique twist on a surprise pregnancy.

Whitney is a singer and actress having a breakthrough moment in her career. Everything she’s worked for is finally firing on all cylinders until she gets notice that there has been a *teeny tiny* mix up at the fertility clinic.

Enter Myles Redmond. A handsome lawyer she now has the fortune of dealing with to sort all of this out.

I loved the rivals to lovers dynamics of this story. The tension building while they bonded over their daughter Haylee and learning more about each other. The story was filled out even more with a great supporting cast of characters between Myles twin sister, and Whitney’s cousin and best friends.

This was such a fun romance! I also liked that this story explored not just family dynamics but also those of identity and what that would mean for how Haylee experienced the world as she grew up.

Overall would highly reccomend this book for someone who enjoys contemporary romance and romcoms.

Thank you so much for the ARC Graydon House and NetGalley for the ARC.

Baby when I tell you I was glued to this book ! I was stuck!!!! I read and listened to the audio of this and was hooked from beginning to end.

Whitney/Sahara gets a phone call from the fertility clinic that they accidentally used her eggs for another couple. Whitney now has to decide if she’s going to agree for the couple or in this case Myles to have full custody or potentially fight for custody but after meeting the new born baby Whitney falls in love with her daughter. Her and Myles whose the biological father have to figure out an arrangement since he is reluctant to share her.

This book was fast paced, fun, messy has some Hollywood glamour my only critique is that while I do loved that it was fast paced I wish that the romance was a little bit less insta lovey I wished we got at least 10-15 more pages of banter tension between Myles and Whitney. Overall this book is so good I could definitely see this getting adapted into a movie.
Also the narrator is so good need to listen to more books by her.
Tropes:
Accidental baby
Pop star
Forced proximity
Hollywood

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing for this arc

Myles is on the brink of divorce and his estranged wife insists on dna testing for their baby. The fertility clinic “oops baby”ed Whitney by accidentally using her eggs for Myles and his wife’s surrogate.

This story was really cute! I loved Jane the Virgin back when it was on and this had a similarly wild premise. I enjoyed watching Myles run the gamut of feelings for Whitney, while Whitney was the unwavering, strong one. Their little family moments were really sweet! And I so appreciate that, while she was still a perfect novel baby, she interrupted their sexy time more than once. Relatable.

There seemed to be a lot of side characters with more than necessary information about them. It didn’t detract from the main couples story, just felt unnecessary.

Overall I enjoyed this one! It kept me interested seeing how it would all play out.

✨ARC Review✨

3.5 ⭐️’s
2 🌶️’s

I got this book as an arc from NetGalley and I really enjoyed! While this isn’t the complete full edited copy, I could look past the grammatical errors.

The plot of this book is very different almost Jane the Virgin but in reverse. You have a woman who finds out she has a child because there was a mix up in the fertility clinic and someone was accidentally implanted with her egg. So, she has a child with a man she doesn’t even know. Then to top it all off she is a celebrity and has to hide it from the public. I thought that aspect of it was really good! I also love that Whitney and Myles were able to fall in love and make the best out of an awkward situation.

But I do feel like something was missing, I’m just not sure what.

From the title of the book I was hoping to enjoy this story and I’m happy I chose to give it a chance. The complexity of the love story is what kept me in invested. The whole time I continued to wonder how I would handle this situation if my eggs were mixed up the same way it happened to Whitney; I’m not even sure if I would have been as level headed as she was. I truly enjoyed how great of a father Myles was to Haylee, it was special to see how much he loved his daughter. Nonetheless I definitely see me reading more of the authors stories due to how much fun I had with this one.

I was absolutely blown away by One in a Million!

The cover is what originally piqued my interest but I quickly fell in love with Beverley Kendall's writing style. I thought this was such a unique twist on the single parent trope & the plot really had me flying through this book to figure out what happened next. I seriously had so much fun reading this book & haven't binge read a contemporary romance that fast in a long time. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more books from this author!

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, NetGalley, and Beverley Kendall for the early copy!

This was a very amazing sexy, romcom romance, I loved the Hollywood vibes on this one. A fun one to read.

Thanks to netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest feedback.

this was really disappointing. it felt more lusty than romantic. I couldn’t really pick up or any chemistry or see how a love connection was supposed to be made between the two main characters.

"One in a Million" was a fun read. The plot was basically a fertility clinic nightmare mixed with a pinch of scandals and romance. Watching two perfect strangers navigate parenthood together was definitely interesting. I didn't connect with the characters on a personal level, but I think they were decent enough to be likeable. I would say though, to make these characters appear dimensional additional descriptions of their family backgrounds and culture would've been a great touch. If you are wanting something quick & entertaining, you might enjoy this book.