A Bumpy Year

I started off this book in a bit of a slump but thankfully it gripped me almost straight away. The pacing was quick and nothing dragged, just a lot of giggling about pregnancy and men. I want to start of my review by providing a trigger warning for the book. This book does contain references to birth and mental health. I know in my case at least, I was surprised by how much I related to the main character Trish and her journey to motherhood.

‘A Bumpy Year’ starts off strong and I find the characters really enjoyable. I was sort of reminded of books like ‘The Love Hypothesis’ and ‘The Hating Game’ in its style and pacing. However Trish is a little older than the characters from those books and I found this story only relevant to me (I’m only 25 y’all) because I have two children and I’ve been through similar situations. If you haven’t been pregnant or single with a child, you might not really relate to the story. Just a warning.

What I will say about the plot, of course with no spoilers… is that I wouldn’t really consider this a romance. Just my personal opinion but Trish goes through self discovery, healing from trauma and journeying into motherhood. I was under the impression that this book would at least have spice and some sexual tension… but again, without spoilers I can safely say that it has zero. I actually really wish Scott had a lot more scenes and dialogue too. Maybe I’m just a bit perv but really for me there was just not nearly enough romance in this book. More like a sprinkle.

I guess it comes down to would I recommend this book and the answer is yes I would, especially to mothers and anyone over 30 who has a better chance of relating. There was some very funny dialogue and some cute scenes that make it well worth the lack of spice. I definitely will be looking out for this author again.

Romance novels are the author’s fantasy, although I suppose all books are like that. It is just that romances typically have everything work out in the end.

This romance is a subgenre where the pregnant woman is single, and not necessarily looking, but a nice guy steps in. In this one, the woman slept with two men that she doesn’t really care for, but figures she should let them know she is having their baby, if they pass the DNA test. And in the meantime, she has met someone while on a business trip, that makes her heart pound, but she can’t be falling in love while she’s pregnant, she thinks. Must be the hormones.

This is a cute romp, as ron-coms go, with missed connections, and a squad of girlfriends to give Trish perspective.

There is even an underlying issue of Trish having a mental illness that she has been fighting her whole life, by being the one in control, and keeping her emotions bottled up.

I liked how they treated the mental illness, and the mental abuse her own father subjected her too, which gave the typical romance a little bit of weight, which some romance books would rather just skip over..

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making tis book available for an honest review.</em>

I really enjoyed this book! It hooked me from the first chapter and kept me glued to my seat to find out what happened next!

This novel was a great quick read. It deals with many topics including friendship, mental health, and family issues. It highlights the idea that in everyone’s life there are huge parts that we may not let others see. Trish has wonderful friends, but keeps them in the dark about her childhood and bouts of depression until she needs to face them head on. In some of the lighter parts, the story was greatly enjoyable with the idea of finding love in unexpected places. Great novel. Would highly recommend.

A beautiful story of impending motherhood and childbirth. Olivia tactfully navigates family trauma, depression, the doubts throughout pregnancy and PND (post natal depression).
The author has put a lot of time and effort into crafting a perfect friendship group with a blend of strengths that Trish (MC) is able to reply upon. There is a light humour throughout, and the author regulates this during the difficult issues within Trish's life.
I would recommend this to my friends and family - especially those who have children, there's a little bit of Trish in all of us mothers.

I loved this book! It sucked me in and I read it within the day… it was a very lighthearted read but I loved seeing the growth in the character throughout so many changes. I also enjoyed the honesty in this book about pregnancy and mental health. Only thing is that I wish there would have been a bit more romance throughout.

Trish Kirkpatrick never expected to find herself unmarried, pregnant... and not entirely sure who the baby's father is.
With her ex, Pete, and her colleague, Elliot, in line for daddy duty while waiting on the DNA results, Trish finds her complicated world getting even more chaotic when a meet-cute on a plane to Tokyo with gorgeous architect Scott sparks a new flame.
Now, as her bump grows so do Trish's troubles. Between family issues reappearing on her doorstep and the delivery date fast approaching, Trish will need to make up her mind not only on who she wants to be but who she wants to become.
Characters are very well written, and I raced through this book.

* 3.5 stars *

Something I really enjoyed about this book was how easy it was to read: the story was very fluid, with something always happening and the characters were all very well-built and, I would dare even say, quite relatable (especially if you've ever been pregnant).

Trish's group of friends is quite an amazing one and it was very entertaining to read about them (there's actually a previous book to this one with the same group of friends - "A Way Back to Happy" -, but it's perfectly fine to read this one as a standalone).

The book also mentions some quite important topics (TW: postnatal depression, mental health) and I really enjoyed the way those topics were mentioned and how they were part and gave "texture" to the story.

What caught me off-guard and made me not enjoy the book as much is the fact that this is not really a romance book, but rather a book about friendship, its power, and self-discovery. Was it my fault that I was expecting some spice, some sexual tension, and more romance scenes? Probably, but a girl can dream ahahahaha. I felt that the "love interest" of the main character didn't have enough scenes and dialogue and I felt that there was so much more that could have been done with its character (*spoiler* I mean the guy even KNITS!!)

I would definitely still recommend reading this book, as it's a light read with some funny dialogues that approaches some important topics and it can definitely be interesting (especially, like I said if you've been pregnant), however, if you're expecting this to be a romance book with all the ingredients it usually brings, this is definitely not that book.

I absolutely loved this! It was such an enjoyable read. The author wove in heavier topics of mental health that really transformed the book. I found myself heavily invested in this love square (?) of elliot, pete, scott & trish.

Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the ARC!

*3.5 stars*

Ok I enjoyed this story, just not the ending. I think it was too much of a cut-off ending, and I wish we got an epilogue or even a bit more of the story that shows us Scott and Trish’s life together.

I love the short chapters, they kept me really engaged, but I don’t think this book should be labelled as a romance book. Yes, there was ‘romance’ between characters, but the main focus of the book was about Trish’s pregnancy and not the romance between the characters.

This was an entirely cute contemporary novel. I would say this this story is mostly womens fiction with romance tied into it. I completely enjoyed this book. The friend group was fun and made me chuckle at their absurdity. I definitely want to go back and read the first book. This book was so easy to read and approached tough subjects with such honesty. A great read!

Trish is a no-nonsense career focused woman who is not going to let anything get in her way. Their is however one dilemma. She is pregnant and who the father is remains to be seen. What happens next is a great novel filled with life, laughter, and maybe even eventual love.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

📚BOOK REVIEW📚

A Bumpy Year

Genre: Romance
Format: ebook
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub date: June 16, 2022

Thank you to Netgallery for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Favorite Quote from the Book:

"What did you think was growing in her belly for the past few months?" asks Lily. "A bloody tapeworm?"

Synopsis One Liner

A pregnancy, 2 potential dads, and a romance on the way!

Thoughts

A Bumpy Year is one of the most heartfelt and funny romances I have read this year. Not so much a full fledged romance but more so a story of friendship, change, family even if it isn't blood, and a sprinkle of romance.

Olivia Spooner, author of A Way Bank to Happy, writes a fluffy, lighthearted book about Trish and her 3 friends, Emma, Lilly, and Mags as they journey through Trish's pregnancy with 2 potential father's and a romance kindling at a Japanese Wedding. Mrs. Spooner's characters are so loveable yet compelling at the same time. The banter is so funny to read and my husband gave me 4 eyes when I was laughing at my kindle. As a reader, you get so investing into all of their stories even though the book focuses on Trish's story. *Please write books for Lilly and Mags!*

The love interest between Scott and Trish was really believable and I appreciated that it wasn't the entirety of the book because we experience Trish's journey through pregnancy. I was very excited that the book touched on post partum depression and depression in general as part of the storyline. It was nice for me to relate with Trish in that way because I deal with depression and anxiety everyday.


Everyone needs to read this book for another smile to their day and pip in their step! Can't wait to read more from Mrs. Spooner! Also, would love to see this as a movie!

@alexlivesathousandlives on Instagram for more book reviews!

This was a cute rom-com read, with less romance than I expected. I definitely liked it, but I feel like there are a few things that could be altered to make this a 5 star read. I really debated between rating this 3 or 4 stars, but because of the aspect of friendship, I decided on 4.

Things I enjoyed:
Trish has a really amazing support system. I loved reading about her friendships. The plot is truly interesting. I was drawn to this book based on the unique plot. The plot helped me read this fairly quickly because I was excited to see where it would lead us. The approach to the male characters is different than others that are popular right now.

Things I didn't enjoy:
I felt really lost at times. I felt like there were parts that could have been explained better with more details. I feel like Trish's character was really hard (borderline too hard) on herself and her body image, and that could potentially be triggering. The ending was a bit of a letdown, too.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I was expecting a cute and funny rom-com but what I got was an emotional story that captured my attention. From the cover to the blurb this book had the potential to be an entertaining romantic comedy. But the romance let me down. Instead, I found a book about overcoming trauma and the importance of relationships. I went back and forth between 3 and 4. I settled on 3.5. It was a strong book, well-paced, and one that I easily read without ever getting bored. I did feel like the ending was a little to rushed.

At first, I wasn't sure I'd like Trish. She came across as selfish, and too focused on disliking her large breasts. I soon realized that there was more to her and I began to connect with her.

Let's talk about the friend group, they were the absolute best. I was excited to discover that her friend Emma has her own book, A Way Back to Happy….I loved the characters so much that I can't wait to read.

So there was an attempt at romance. During a work trip to Tokyo, Trish meets Scott. Let's just say that he was total book boyfriend material. I honestly, got a little frustrated that this wasn't played out more. They did kiss a few times, but no real spice. Oh yeah, there were the two potentially baby daddies….the jerk and I'm not even sure about the co-worker. I have no words to describe him….I think Trish felt the same way. He was just blah!

I feel like I'm being harsh because I did enjoy this book. I would recommend it to those who like character-driven stories about self-discovery. The book also addresses mental health and the ups and downs that come along with a possible diagnosis. I do recommend it, but don't expect a rom-com.

Trisha is pregnant and has narrowed down the father to 2 choices. She doesn’t really want either of them to be the father and k planning to raise the baby on her own, having come from a family with major issues, she is ready to be the best mom she can be. She has a phenomenal group of friends to support her and somewhere along the way she might even meet Mr, Right,

I really enjoyed this little romance, it was a cute, quick read. The characters were fun and entertaining!

A Bump Year was such a fun read!!! Reminded me a lot of my recent pregnancy.

I fell in love with the main character Trish and the stranger she met on the plane named Scott.

Trish friends are the best friends ever. Supportive and fun. They always have your back. Everyone needs friends like hers.

If your looking for a fast paced witty romcom this is the book for you!! I didn’t realize there is a book before A Bump Year that follows Trish friend Emma. I bought it this morning and can’t wait for it to arrive. Olivia Spooner is my new auto buy Author!!

Follow me @heathersbookaddiction to see my full review on pub day June 16!!

I absolutely loved this! The storyline was exciting, and I just loved the friendship group. I didn’t realise this was a 2nd book and haven’t read the first. You don’t need to have read the first to enjoy this one!

This novel was more about four wonderfully close friends than a romance novel. Tricia is pregnant and there are two possible fathers, neither of whom seems like any great prize. But her three girlfriends are helping her and are ready to drop everything any time she needs them. She has also met Scott, a great too-goood-to-be-true guy, on a plane who just happens to live close by and who pops up to be wonderfully supportive. Tricia has problems with depression and dealing with a cold, loveless childhood taking care of her manic-depressive mother. She’s prickly and doesn’t let people in or let them help her. She has a lot going on which makes it hard to believe that her friends love her so much and that Scott would instantly fall for her, but it’s a romance novel so we just have to accept this. I ended up really enjoying the book. It wasn’t what I was expecting from the cover and description. I expected a lot more drama about which guy was the father, but that turned out to be rather minor compared to Tricia having to come to terms with who she is and learning to open up.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

I actually really enjoyed this book
Surprisingly it made me cry don’t know why there was just some things I related to that made my heart ache for Trish and her childhood
It like them confront books you find yourself lost it
The love story is truly wholesome and mainly focuses on Trish reconnecting with her family and trying to heal herself mentally to be better for her new born.
I would definitely recommend it if your looking for a cute romance with major character development

I loved this heartwarming and funny novel which I read on Netgalley I can totally relate to the main character about what it feels like being pregnant even though my son is nearly 16 now. I liked all the characters in the book and the tangle of complex relationships between family and friends and so on.
I also loved the locations namely Japan and New Zealand and the more serious topics of depression, mental health and the struggles of moving from an independent career woman to being a mum. It was a great book to read, and I’d recommend it to any mums to be. Think the main reader group will be ladies as most men will probably shy away from this book when they realise what A bumpy year means.
It’s the first book I’ve read by this author but I’d like to read more in the future. I liked this book & I’m giving this novel 4 stars.

A great wee read, plenty of characters. Very easy to read. Throughly enjoyed this book. Will definitely read more from this author.

this was such an amazing book! i can't wait to read more from this author in the future! and once again, thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "A Bumpy Year" by Olivia Spooner.

Trisha is pregnant and she doesn't know who the father is. On a trip to Tokyo for work she meets Scott, first on the plane and then again at her hotel, who she immediately dislikes, however, when he invites her to be his pretend date for a wedding he is attending where they start to hit it off. Getting back home Trisha thinks she can go back to work like nothing is happening and forget about Scott. Trying to get permission for DNA tests from the possible baby daddy's and just survive being pregnant Trisha is supported by her friends.

Going into this book like it is a regular romance was not the right way to attempt to read this book. This book definitely deals with some heavy topics. This book was more of a contemporary with a romance side plot. Really the romance between Trisha and Scott was definitely more of a backburner. Trisha's family life and her friends are the real story here.

Overall I thought this was a well written and thought out book. It was a bit silly with all the back and forth on baby daddies and the antenatal clinic scenes but the end of this story really got to me and I was touched by it. Spooner also dealt with really heavy topics well such as her gentle handle of depression, I also thought Trisha's reactions were very real.

4 stars.

This was a first time read for me by Ms. Spooner, so I didn't know what to expect when I started reading. It was a fun and wholesome story and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. While a cute romantic comedy, a little more weight and seriousness and reality was added to the story by including an underlying issue of mental illness that Trish deals with. Trish is a single, pregnant woman not quite sure who the father is, as there are two possible candidates. While awaiting DNA results, Trish's life becomes more complicated as she meets someone while on a business trip who she really seems to connect with. I do try not to judge a book by its cover (I'm never successful at that), but the cover is a bit deceiving in it gave the impression of a love triangle. The story wasn't really heavy on romance, but played more on Trish's other relationships, her journey of self-discovery, and overcoming trauma. I was a little disappointed in that aspect (was looking forward to a romance), but the story was still very enjoyable. The book had a number of cute scenes and fun and witty dialogue. All in all, it was an entertaining story and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
I received a complimentary copy from Netagalley and am voluntarily leaving my reveiw.

3 1/2 stars

A trend I'm starting to see with more and more books is what I would consider a misclassification. When readers dive into a book expecting it to be something it isn't, then the author is set up for potential criticism of what very well might be a well-written book. Personally, I found this book to somewhat be that way.. It's classified as a romance, yet it reads more like women's fiction to me. I didn't feel like the romance part of the book is all that fleshed out so calling it a romance is a bit misleading. What I did find it to be was a journey for Trish in "finding" herself. As the book progresses, it does touch on Trish's battle with depression. While it doesn't go into depth, I respect that there was mention of it. Letting characters have real life issues is important and makes them relatable. Also, depression is so prevalent in our society and needs more mention.

It might just be me, but I felt as if the author was trying to do multiple things with this book and everything got a little jumbled up. Regardless, I will still read more from her in the future. Her writing ability is definitely evident. I think the struggle here was just in figuring out a true identity for this book and sticking to it...in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

I haven’t read books from this author, I will definitely look for others!
It’s so wonderful to follow a strong female friendship group with all their ups and downs. Tricia is pregnant, isn’t sure who the father is and struggles to sort out her career and family dynamics.
Tricia is so comfortable with her three special girlfriends, accepting her past is emotional and learning to trust in love is terribly frightening.
The storyline was very real, the topics of pregnancy, depression and family were dealt with compassionately and honestly. When Scott comes into Tricia’s life, it takes time for their relationship to develop, at times Tricia can’t believe all that is in front of her. A sensitive caring book with a lot of friendship vibes!

Thanks so much to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this wonderful book.

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

Patricia (Trish) Kirkpatrick lives in New Zealand and is five months pregnant. Problem is she doesn’t know who the father is as it could be one of two men.

Her best friends, Emma, Mags, and Lily are supporting her as she decides whether she should ask both possible fathers to take a DNA test.

When she has to take a business trip to Tokyo, she sits by a nice man on the flight who introduces himself as Scott. Chatting to her, he says something that makes her cry. Turns out they are staying at the same hotel and after sharing breakfast, he asks her to attend a wedding he is in town for. She agrees. His Japanese ex-wife is also attending with her boyfriend.

Trish had a strict upbringing by her military father and her distant mother. She has not seen or spoken to her two brothers in years.

This book has a touch of humor but is mostly based on the life of a successful woman who has had bouts of depression. To me, she comes across as a loner. Yes, she has girlfriends and has had boyfriends, but her upbringing seems to be her real problem. The pregnancy and childbirth are pretty much spot-on and if you’re a bit squeamish, you might want to zip past some of those pages. All in all, a pretty good read. I’ve enjoyed reading others’ reviews.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was such a wholesome read! In the beginning, you meet Trish, who is single and newly pregnant. She is a complete workaholic and is struggling to balance her work life and her new reality of impending motherhood. She is also not sure who the father of her child is. You get to follow along as Trish gets ready for motherhood, finds support from her found family, meets a cute guy, deals with past traumas and finds herself and her new path in life. I absolutely adored reading this and thought the entire book was just so wholesome. I cannot wait for this to hit the shelves shortly!