3.5 stars

The (Secret) Baby by Leddy Harper was a cute and fun read. Kelsey Peterson is about to throw a bachelorette party for her best friend, who can no longer attend. So, what is a girl to do? Pretend to be the bride and enjoy the party of course! When the stripper does not show up, somehow Dr. Aaron Baucus finds himself playing the role. This leads to a one-night stand with long lasting consequences. Imagine their surprise when they realize they are both in the same wedding party? So, Kelsey and Aaron find themselves dancing around each other with fun moments, miscommunications and lots chemistry.

So you're having a baby!?! Lol. This comedy of errors, assumptioms, and plain miscommunication makes for a highly entertaining read. The (Secret) Baby is a sexy mess of epic proportions. Sexy mess of epic proportions was not a misnomer. This crazy one night stand with some seriously wild assumptions is is sexy. The role play was hot. The relationship is hot. The doctor is hot! I think my biggest turn on though is the chemistry and their friendship, before all Hell breaks loose.

This secret will either kill them or make them stronger...right!?! Well based on the size of my scary, slightly "Joker " grin I would say syronger. Don't take my word for it though because this crazy needs to be read. You wouldn't believe me if I tried to explain it otherwise! 😆

This is Kelsey and Aaron‘s book, Kelsey is the maid of honor and she is very disappointed when the bride to be bails on her bachelorette party especially since Kelsey already ordered the stripper! Desperate for a break from her romantic troubles Kelsey goes through with the party, why not why let it good stripper go to waste? LOL Dr. Aaron is definitely not a stripper! He’s a legitimate doctor with a PhD in Nuro psychology! But when his friend calls him over to a bar to meet up with a bunch of tipsy flirtatious bridesmaids they assume otherwise! After all their stripper was supposed to be dressed like a doctor. Aaron isn’t much in to pretending but with this hot girl in this party he’s willing to be whatever she wants him to be at least for just a night! This book was OK it wasn’t one of my favorite I just couldn’t get into it usually is right up my alley but this one just wasn’t my favorite. It’s definitely worth reading but like I said not my top favorite. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!

Kelsey has a secret!

Kelsey Peterson is having problems. The bride bailed on her bachelorette party and the stripper didn’t show up. Dr. Aaron Baucus had a call from a friend asking him to come by her bar and she asked him to replace the stripper because they didn’t show up. Kelsey decided to put on the bride’s sash and have the stripper dance for her and he spent the night at her house without giving their names. Kelsey and Aaron actually find out each other’s name when they were attendants at a wedding. So when Aaron needs a place to stay temporary, their friends suggest Kelsey’s place.

Kelsey finding out she is pregnant and originally thinks she is pregnant by a stripper but he’s a friend of her cousin. The (Secret) Baby has put Kelsey and Aaron in a situation that they really need to talk to each other which is an interesting part of the book.

The (Secret) Baby is related to The (Half) Truth which is about Jason and Tatum. I’ve enjoyed The (Secret) Baby because Kelsey is scared and has to take time to figure out what she needs to do about Aaron and the baby.

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

4-Dr's-Gone-Wild-Stars

I actually really enjoyed this book by Leddy Harper. I did read The (Half) Truth, which features Tatum and Jason - Kelsey's best friend and cousin. The (Secret) Baby can be read as a total standalone without reading The (Half) Truth - the characters do cross-over but you shouldn't have any issues following along.

Kelsey and Aaron's story started off really strong and didn't really slow down. Kelsey decides to take her best friend's place at her bachelorette party and makes a decision she's going to hook up with the stripper. Our heroine has sworn off relationships and is known to be quite the man-hater since her ex did a number on her - which I don't blame her.

Aaron gets a call from one of his friends to come to the bar she works at - and to bring his white coat. Aaron show's up and agrees to help his friend out and strip for the bachelorette party - even though he is absolutely terrible at it.

Our hero was definitely a beta-hero, which I'm usually not a fan of but I liked it for this story. When Aaron walks into the VIP room and sees the gorgeous women wearing the "bride" sash - he's instantly attracted to her but that's a line he won't cross. I think at that part of the story, I was in fictional lust with the hero and respected his character a lot. Once he finds out that she is actually single and not the woman to be married - all bets are off and they have a one-night-stand. My biggest complaint about this book was the fade-to-black sex scenes. It didn't fit the story for me, especially after the first hook up and how the hero talked about how "good" it was - I would have loved to be the judge of that.

I liked the characters, the storyline and how it all unfolded - an accidental pregnancy was a huge added bonus for me.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

I love Leddy Harper's work.. I haven't read one book by her that i didn't like. The Secret Baby is no different.

Read this book, you won't be disappointed.

Sure a fun book! I had so many laugh-out-loud moments. The characters were quirky, amusing, witty and lovable.

When Kelsey hooks up with a "stripper" during her best friend's bachelorette party, the last thing she ever expected was to end up pregnant. And when the "stripper", Aaron, ends up being the best friend to her cousin...and he's not really a stripper but a real-life doctor, who happens to be the guy who is moving in with her as her new roommate. Things just got a lot awkward. The chemistry between Aaron and Kelsey was burning hot. And so she decides to keep the baby a secret for now. But how long will she be able to keep everything under wraps and how will Aaron react when he finally finds out?

I loved Aaron from the start. He was sweet and cute and I loved the first scene with Kelsey and him at the club. I was crying laughing.

Super entertaining book and loved every minute of it!

I loved this book, Kelsey is a strong character that has had her heart broken. I didn’t love parts of Aaron, every one gets judged man. Move on with your life. I did love their interactions together, and I loved how the book wrapped up.

This was a cute refreshing rom com I really enjoyed it .it kept me hooked .I loved he wasn't a manwhore which are very present in today's cr books but over all I would really recommend

3 Assumptions Need to Go Stars
* * *
This was my first read with Ms. Harper. She has an extensive cataloge and many fans. It seems this particular book came out of a grouping of related books. Our gal's best friend and her brother are in The (Half) Truth which came out in February 2019. These characters play supporting roles to our main ones, Kelsey and Aaron. I was able to follow along without reading the first book without any issues.

The main theme of this book has to do with assumptions and trust. Both main characters have been hurt by others due to others either lying to them or having an assumption and then being disappointed when their concepts were not the case.

We have a very sharp-witted, strong businesswoman. She has been hurt by an ex so severely, she has sworn off men forever. No, she means forever. So when her bestie discovers she is pregnant before the planned bachelorette party, she convinces Kelsey to "be the Bride" in her place, enjoy the booze, fun, and stripper. After all, Kelsey knows this is the only time she will have a chance to experience it.

Aaron just received an emergency text from his friend Cheryl. She owns a club and said she needed him to come right away. When he arrives, Cheryl seems to be just fine so what is the big urgent need...Well, after some hemming, it turns out the stripper who was scheduled for the bachelorette party Cheryl had in the VIP wing didn't show and she needed Aaron to take his place...why... Because they requested a doctor. Aaron is a Ph.D. Dr. and although he did work at times at the hospital, he wasn't the type of Dr. everyone assumes him to be.

Cheryl at this point just wanted Aaron to get his cute buns upstairs in his white lab coat and start dancing. The incentive was all the woman up there he could finally break his dry spell. It seems Aaron has horrific luck in dating. With Cheryl asking him pretty please, Aaron agreed to do it. There was only a couple of problems...

Aaron couldn't dance to save his life...
And now that he has seen the Bride to Be...
He is really annoyed because she is the only one he would be interested in...
If she wasn't about to be married...

Aaron somehow gets crazy 90's music together, starts to give the woman a dance and when she really starts to take this lap dance a little too seriously...He steps away. He was turned on and wanted her...but was not about to do anything with someone who is meant for another.

When the night is over and Aaron is coming out of the club, he sees Kelsey all alone. He walks up to her and asks what is the matter. With all the drinking Kelsey did earlier and her emotions high, she shares the secret of her not being the bride at all and she will never have this experience. Never enjoy the feeling of having a honeymoon and her fella telling her she is everything to him...

Aaron felt the chemistry with Kelsey and he also felt her pain...He suggests they enjoy the moment and pretend...
Pretend they have just gotten married and are on their honeymoon...
Pretend to be together for just this night and Kelsey adds, no names, no looking for the other after, no anything more. This adds something very special to this one night stand...

Total Freedom to be their Real Selves...

So as you can guess from the Title of the book, Kelsey is pregnant from this one night stand with the "Stripper". The plot becomes complicated with Kelsey and Aaron as they are connected through friendship and relations. Kelsey's best friend is marrying Aaron's best friend. Which means they are both part of the wedding party which happens about 3 weeks after the hookup. And Kelsey has no clue who Aaron is until the rehearsal dinner when they both meet again.

This story has many missed exchanges, miss-communications, and assumptions. Both characters are burdened with them. Each has their reasons and when revealed we care about them. For me, this had many parts to the tale...and sometimes juggling and believing it all took a little effort.

Overall, the lesson is to not make snap judgments, trust in the other to share your fears and Do Not Keep Secrets.


A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

I quite liked this book.
Bits frustrated me to no end but it didn't really take away from the story.
I loved that we see Tatum and Jason again. I always liked Tatum and Kelsey's friendship the banter they have between them was hilarious.
Kelsey and Aaron's relationship started out on the wrong foot and it kinda flows-ish from there.
It was a easy read, easy to pick and up and keep you entertained.
Like i said bits frustrated me, i won't go in to loads of details i didn't always like how things was handled but thats personal preference i guess.
Either way it was a good book and if you want to see more From Tatum and Jason from The Half Truth then grab this one!

❤

I liked this story but I didn't really love it. IT started out silly, which I kind of loved because we all need a little bit of silly now again. And the coincidental meetings were super cute. I was on board with The (Secret) Baby and it was moving along a fast-ish clip that kept me engaged.
But then it slowed down. Way down. Combine that with the fact that I think it took way too long for Kelsey to talk about her pregnancy with the father, and that's where my mild enjoyment of this story comes from. I just felt like there was a lot more that could have happened if she'd said something sooner. A lot of missed opportunities but the story was fairly engaging.

This was a fun read. I had many laughs with this book and found it charming. Kelsey and Aaron were cute and I like the idea of how they met. Only a couple of things kind of bugged me. I wasn’t much of a fan of how long it took Kelsey to tell Aaron she was pregnant. I also thought it was kinda awkwardly put in how they "met" again as potential roommates and both part of Kelsey’s friends wedding party. Also, how Aaron handled finding out about when Kelsey found out she was pregnant and didn’t say anything. I felt all of that should have came out way earlier in the book because it just made the book really predictable. The miscommunications kind of took away from the cuteness of the story for me. Bedsides some of the placement of events and how certain situations were handled, I really enjoyed this and thought it to be funny and cute. I recommend if you want a lighthearted fun romance. 3.5 stars (rounded up for star rating). ******arc copy provide by publisher in exchange for an honest review*******

Kelsey has planned the most spectacular bachelorette party for her best friend. She has everything planned out, including the stripper, when her best friend (who is marrying Kelsey’s cousin) cancels on the party. Kelsey is going through a rough patch so she decides the party must go on. The party goes so well she spends the night with the stripper and she ends up with more than she bargained for.

Aaron is the best man in his friends wedding. He is getting kicked out of his house and is going temporarily stay with the grooms cousin until he finds a place. Kelsey is nothing like what he expected and he is shocked to realize they have a past. Does Aaron have real feelings for Kelsey? Can Kelsey keep her baby a secret?

I liked the characters but I was not always a fan of how Aaron acted or how Kelsey blames all men for her crappy ex. It was a quick read.

The (Secret) Baby was a cute, easy read by Leddy Harper- very different than the other book that I've read by her (My Biggest Mistake), but I enjoyed this book very much. It starts out with Kelsey as the bridesmaid hiring a stripper for her friend's bachelorette party. Aaron, a real doctor, shows up and really puts on a show. That was just the start of their interactions and the comedy that entails.

If you're looking for a good romantic comedy, I definitely recommend The (Secret) Baby!

This is my first book by author Leddy Harper and while I did enjoy it, I didn't love it. I felt like the story was similar to ones I have read before.

This is a very clean romance that doesn't get into specifics, but I didn't feel like it needed all those "dirty" details and worked better without them.
Overall I liked this book and will read others by Leddy.

My full review can be viewed at: https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTANXIgfl8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

I was given ARC of The Secret Baby (written by Leddy Harper) by Netgalley in exchange for an impartial review, and I need to tell you: I hate not finishing a book to the end. However, I have tried several times to get into this novel, but it just isn't happening.

The synopsis sounded like a fun read, and the editing seems polished (up to the point I finally gave up), however this novel really isn't for me.

The story starts with the female lead being target hired to stage a house and discovering it belongs to the man that broke her heart, by way of a 'happy couple' picture she discovers in the home.

Moving on to chapter one, a doctor has been called by his bar owning friend, asking him to come to the bar, from work, and help them out with a favour.

When the Dr arrives, his friend sends him up to the private VIP room where our female lead is at a hen-do/stagette. Why might you ask? Well, as the doctor themed stripper they hired has not show up, the bar owner decided his Dr friend would be a perfect substitute. Unlikely as it seems, up the Dr goes and, next thing you know, he starts stripping for them, without even telling them he isn't the stripper they hired!

As I said at the beginning, I did end up giving up before completing the novel, so I can not speak for the outcome. However, basing my review on what I did read, I wouldn't recommend this book as the plot is way too far fetched (given the genre) and I failed to connect with any of the characters.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The (Secret) Baby is about a one night stand that turns into so much more. Kelsey and Aaron meet at a bachelorette party and Aaron is the entertainment. He has been asked by a friend to fill in and has no idea what he's agreed to. Kelsey and Aaron agree to a one night stand with no strings and no personal information exchanged. But fate has a funny way of messing that right up. Turns out they are the maid of honor and best man at the same wedding. After their one night stand, Kelsey is pregnant with Aaron's baby and she has no idea how to tell him. He no longer wants to pretend and try for the real deal, but does she want the same thing?

I absolutely loved this book! This was my first book by Leddy Harper and I'll be sure to read others by her as well! This story flowed so easily and I loved all the characters. It was certainly and cute and easy to read rom com! I would absolutely purchase this and also recommend it to a friend!

A one-night stand with a stranger. No names, no personal info, nothing but a night of sex. Until a few weeks later when Kelsey realizes her mystery man left a package behind.

Aaron’s tired of being the nice guy who never gets the girl. Although his friends think otherwise. As far as they know, Aaron’s bedroom has a revolving door which couldn’t be further from the truth. All Aaron wants is to meet a nice woman, settle down and start a family. One night with a stranger where he can pretend he’s with the love of his life gives more than what he bargained for.

When this book started I was immediately into it. The banter seemed to be just what I liked, and Kelsey’s sarcasm was delightful. Unfortunately, as the story went on, it lost some of its momentum and things dragged out a bit. For me, Kelsey sarcasm turned to cynicism which made it a little hard to like her.

Kelsey and Aaron meet again and realize that they are best man and bridesmaids at Kelsey’s cousin’s wedding. They also realize that they knew each other years ago. The majority of the story is Kelsey trying to tell Aaron that the one night they spend together resulted in a baby. I loved the idea of this story, but it played out a little longer than it needed to me. I found myself having to stop it then come back. I really wanted to love this story but unfortunately it was just okay for me.

This is the first book I’ve read by Leddy Harper, but it will not be the last! I’m so glad I accepted the chance to read and review The Secret Baby when I received an invitation from the publisher, via Net-Galley. My opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way.
The Secret Baby grabbed my attention right away. The characters pulled me in, and the plot kept me engaged until the end. I always love happy endings, and this book has a fantastic one. I enjoyed Leddy Harper’s writing style. Her dialogue flows easily and is very realistic.

Kelsey Peterson’s character is funny with a delightfully quirky twist. Part of her is brazen, yet underneath, she has a vulnerable side. Her insecurities drew me in, and as the book progressed my admiration for her character grew.

Aaron Baucus is definitely a beta hero, and one that I enjoyed a great deal. Not every man can be an alpha. I loved his genuine, caring attitude, his child-like enthusiasm at the thought of being a parent. His easy acceptance of Kelsey, and his desire for her touched me. I felt his pain when he learns her secret.

The romance between Kelsey and Aaron is light-hearted and carefree. While the chemistry is undeniable, their bond as friends is as appealing. I truly wanted them to work through their issues and find their forever after.

If you enjoy romantic comedies with engaging characters, yet with real emotion under the laughter, then you will love The Secret Baby. I’ll admit, I laughed out loud on more than one occasion and shed a few tears during the emotionally-charged moments. I look forward to reading other books by the talented Ms. Harper. Happy reading!