Elle Rivers, the woman you are.
What would I give to join your arc team or even have a conversation with you?
I have loved Elles' books for a while because they just know how to hit me in the feels but in the best kind of way.
This book really had it all; it felt as though it had been made for me!
As an autistic person, I just felt seen by not one but TWO of these characters. They also had a flipping cat y'all.... that's literally me right there.
I love the secret baby/second chance intertwined trope books, even though I hold a grudge and am a lesbian. This was one of the best renditions of the trope I have ever read!

It was so cute, and the groveling was SO GOOD!! Tom was able to pick up on so many little things that just made him the perfect.... zaddy.
Y'all... he begged... ON HIS KNEES!!! (again, I am a lesbian)

It was easy to connect to their son, and I felt so seen, so thank you, Elle.
5/5 Stars

First of all, I would like to thank Elle for allowing me to read this ahead of its release in exchange for an honest review.

Now, let's start.

One thing about Elle River is that her writing can transport you to movies in your mind. She has a way of handling characters sensitively, and she did the same with this novel.

I enjoyed reading this novel. It's heartfelt and pure in all the best ways possible.

This book was really good and honestly needs more attention!
I don’t usually reach for the pregnancy trope type of books but although this is one it’s not too bad as we fast forward 12 years after the FMC had their baby.

I really loved the story we got to see with the MMC and his struggle these last 12 years and how he is actively working to better himself and I am absolutely so grateful that this book didn’t make him relapse. From the moment we found out about his addiction I was terrified the author was going to undo his progress so i’m extremely glad that didn’t happen.
I also loved how no one really persecuted or held anything he did in the past against him, that every character saw and understood his struggle, that even though they were hurt or upset by him they could see him taking steps to change and actively tried to help him and give him advice.

One thing I didn’t like though is how minimal relationship building there is with the FMC and MMC.
The MMC is now helping both the FMC and his son out, now that he knows about them but it really only extends to the son.
His actions toward their son only help the FMC fall in love with him not necessarily anything he is doing for her.
The MMC didn’t even really start trying to pursue her seriously until the end of the book and then everything just goes by very fast.
They also don’t even put a label on their relationship either it’s kinda just assumed between the two of them that they want to try acting how they did when they first met.

On top of their relationship not having a clear label I felt like everything in this book didn’t really have a definitive ending either.
We don’t actually see what happens to their dad who based off this book we know not only lied to the MMC about his son, committed fraud multiple times and has claims of harassment against women who he paid into secrecy
The whole scene is this huge ordeal where they threaten him and all that but nothing actually happens even legally apart from the MMC getting the company and that’s where the book ends?! He gets CEO, his colleagues throw him a party and that’s it.

Even in the epilogue it isn’t even about the THEM it’s about his BROTHER in a sort of segway into the authors next book, this huge vital information they try sharing with the brother isn’t even shared, like WE know what it is but it literally ends with the MMC and his sister going to tell him and Lila showing up saying they need to sign an NDA for seeing her, which kinda sucked because not only did we not see his reaction to this seemingly HUGE piece of information, we don’t get any sort of closure with our main couple, we don’t see how their relationship progress what happens to them etc etc
I look forward to seeing everything tied up and complete in the epilogue not some sneak peek into the next book when a “What’s next page” promo for the brothers book is right under it.

Overall this was a good book well written book, I just wish we got a more definitive ending.