This was a comedic easy read.
I think it had a lot more potential in terms of the writing style but overall it was a pleasant read.

Mae Miller is not in a good space. One of her two best clients, child actor Raphael Cooper, is undergoing dialysis and is out of work. Her other best client, best friend Billy Mac, is being poached by big talent agent Matthias Bloom, her mother is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and she has no money for her care. When Mae discovers that she is pregnant as a result of a one-night stand (it’s a cryptic pregnancy and she is 37 weeks along), it seems like nothing could possibly get worse.

Hoping to earn some money and get her child adopted, Mae contacts reality TV show, The Baby Exchange. At first, all she cares about is the money. But over the next few days, the baby becomes increasingly real to her. Will Mae exchange her baby for money?


As an idea, the premise was novel. But the execution left me feeling dissatisfied.

The book was plagued with excessive description. The book even began with unnecessary description before introducing the Main Character and then giving us irrelevant details about her day so far. Thereafter, it persisted with giving us long descriptions of nearly every character and location, even going to the extent of describing TV sets and the outfits of minor characters.

I did warm up to Mae in time, once I realized that she was only 24, still young and not quite capable of handling the problems she was faced with. But the extended and unnecessary introduction to her life didn’t work for me. Also, her refusal to answer the calls of Raphael’s mother Adele, despite knowing that Rafa was seriously ill, made her appear inhuman. On the other hand, characters like Elsa, Mae’s mother, Israel, her caregiver, and the women at the reality show, Aphrodite, Tamara, Scarlett etc. are flat, each a replica of the other.

I liked the bond between Mae and Billy Mac. Billy had some potential but the plot didn’t give him much of an opportunity to shine. As an antagonist, Bloom was weak. The presence of Padma Rao, Indian-American, helped to check the diversity box.

The author makes the setting, Hollywood, come alive, not so much physically but as a presence throughout the story. She refers to Hollywood as a “tawdry city with its tinsel surface and anorexic underbelly.”

I also appreciated her similes:

She hurled the words at him like they were dinner plates.

His voice was as empty as the desert at dawn before the wind rose.

The humour is subtle. We see one example of it when the nurse tells Mae to breathe and the 3rd person narrator tells us that Mae “wasn’t aware that she had stopped”.

As a light-hearted read about a young girl who finds that being an adult is financially quite draining, it was fun. But there were many issues that needed to be resolved.

As late as the 10 percent mark, we were still getting background information about Mae’s childhood in a foster home, her mother’s institutionalization, her work as a casting agent and her mother's Alzheimer's Disease. The plot of the book doesn’t start till the 11 percent mark when Mae learns that she is pregnant.

The names Mae and Billy Mac were just too similar. There is a child actor called Raphael, affectionately called Rafa, and a nurse called Raya. They don’t have any scenes together but why in a world of a billion names, must their names sound so alike?

Joe, Mae’s neighbour, brings her a crumpled piece of paper that, he says, fell out of her handbag. The narrator tells us that the paper came from a fortune-teller machine at the beach. But Mae never went to any such machine. Where did the paper come from then?

It was odd that the doctor didn’t call her in for regular checkups, didn’t give her a list of things she could or couldn’t do, didn’t schedule any blood or diagnostic tests or sonograms.

I was disappointed with the resolution.

When I first started reading this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I'm glad that I kept reading it. This book has it all. It takes you on a roller coaster ride that makes you laugh, smile and even cry. I highly recommend The Baby Exchange by Hannah Parry.

Whilst the idea of the storyline made me want to like this book, I struggled with the writing style and sadly found that it didn't suck me in.

I historically have always made myself finish a book but in a world where there are millions of books I want to read, and sadly not enough years in my life, I have to accept when it's not for me and DNF'd at 25%.

I have previously enjoyed this author though and have had book friends shout about it being laugh out loud so don't let my review put you off and pleaser give it a try yourself.

Thank-you NetGalley and Hannah Parry for an ARC!

I picked this up after hearing a review from another reader. She raved about how funny and entertaining it was, and her enthusiasm made me excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, after reading a few chapters, I quickly realized this book just wasn’t for me.

While I can see why others might enjoy it, I found the language and behaviors of the characters off-putting. The writing style also didn’t resonate with me, making it difficult to stay engaged. Because of this, I decided not to continue reading.

That being said, I can understand why some readers find it entertaining. It just didn’t align with my personal taste. Thank you, NetGalley, Hannah Perry, and first for the opportunity to read and review this advanced copy.

In the beginning I wasn't sure about this book but I very quickly became invested in the author's writing style which is light, funny and unique. The book is totally different to anything I have read before. The author has come up with a new concept that I loved. I would highly recommend this story and I need more like it.

I really enjoyed this book. A quick book with lots of twist that make you want to read more and hooks you in.

Really good book that i will recommend to others.

Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

This was such an enjoyable story! It was fun, lighthearted and endearing. It was a relatable and tender hearted story that included a reality tv storyline. They’re not usually my favorite trope in books but I loved this.

This book was slow to hook me. That said it was worth sticking with as once I got about half way through I then finished it in one day as the storyline took off properly. A worthy read

This is a whacky premise that the author pulls off with style. The idea of a game show based on surrogacy is more and more credible nowadays and seeing the characters navigate it was sometimes funny and sometimes kind of heart breaking. I enjoyed the writing style and found the dialogue particularly engaging, wishing I had a bit more time with some of the quirky side characters,

The baby exchange is the name of a TV show about surrogacy. We see 3 surrogates and their prospective parents on their journeys.

Mae finds out at 37 weeks that she is pregnant, she does not want this baby and is in desperate need for money so decides to join the show.

And that is pretty much it, unfortunately this book wasn't for me. There was no depth to the plot or the characters if anything I found them highly annoying and I just wasn't invested in what happens here.

This was a bizarre and funny story, it certainly was entertaining and I really admired her bravery amidst the chaos she found her life in. Billy was sweet and some of the other mums in the show were very funny too. It was a nice, light hearted read.

The Baby Exchange is a quick, but cute read. It had a few funny parts. I had a hard time getting in to the book, but really enjoyed the ending.

What a book! It’s heartbreaking that it’s even something we have to deal with in society but it is a very real thing and this book really makes you think and gets the cog in the wheels turning. I didn’t know what to think when I finished. It is a book that stays with you for sure

DNF @20% The premise of the book was intriguing, but I personally don’t like how it was executed. The book has some funny moments, I’ll give it that. I don’t think that this book is my cup of tea, so unfortunately I don’t believe that I will be finishing it. I just find that the story drags on with not alot of payoff. The writing was also hard to understand for me, I felt confused more than I should have. It just never managed to fully suck me in, and I was left feeling underwhelmed.

I really liked the premise of this book but in the end I just felt underwhelmed. At 200 pages everything was being quite rushed and you don't get a chance to understand things in depth or to connect. But a cute read nonetheless

Review also on goodreads and storygraph

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!

I just finished “The Baby Exchange” by Hannah Parry and what a cute book! It’s about an LA talent agent named Mae Miller who finds herself in an unwanted cryptic pregnancy, a mother with dementia, and a mountain of debt.

She goes on a reality show to give her baby up for adoption and earn enough fees to cover her mother’s expenses all while trying to promote her best friend’s, Billy Mac’s, acting career.

The story has a great cast of characters and who doesn’t love crazy reality tv, right? Sign me up! Haha. You find yourself really rooting for Mae! Such a sweet story! Solid 4 stars from me!

very wholesome and heartwarming. would recommend to family and friends. the author had an amazing idea to put and executed very nicely.