Friday, November 29, 2013

Review & Giveaway ~ BABY BY DESIGN, a Contemporary Romance by Elley Arden

http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/10/now-booking-tasty-virtual-book-tour-for_11.html 

Blurb:

Trish DeVign knows what she needs to be single, successful and satisfied. She needs a baby. With recent relationships falling short of her expectations, she’s single by choice. With a thriving interior design company, she’s got successful covered. It’s the satisfied part that eludes her, and that’s her mother’s fault-not her adopted mother, but the mother who gave her away, sentencing her to a privileged life with two good people who don’t share with her a single drop of DNA. Refusing to grow old bitter, Trish decides a baby will calm the restlessness and lead her to true happiness. Instead, it leads straight to her best friend’s brother.

Tony Corcarelli has spent his adult life as the black sheep of his large Italian-American family. The nickname became permanent when he took a buyout from his sister rather than run the family carpentry company after his father’s death. Now, Tony’s grandmother has cancer, and he’s expected to join the family in making her wishes come true. Unfortunately, the two things Nonna wants most for Tony, are two things he can’t fathom-a wife and kids or the priesthood. There has to be another way.

When Trish asks Tony to escort her to a wedding, a night of fun and flirtation turns serious, with Trish confessing she wants a baby-Tony’s baby. Could a calculated conception be the answer he’s looking for? Thrown together by a carefully constructed yet cockamamie plan, Trish and Tony struggle to define terms they didn’t expect to become so complicated. But what if neither disapproving family members nor Nonna’s rapidly declining health is their biggest complication? What if it’s love?


 
Title: Baby By Design

Author: Elley Arden

Purchase Links: 

Amazon * iTunes 


 


Author Info

Elley Arden is a born and bred Pennsylvanian who has lived as far west as Utah and as far north as Wisconsin. She drinks wine like it’s water (a slight exaggeration), prefers a night at the ballpark to a night on the town, and believes almond English toffee is the key to happiness.

Website / Facebook / Twitter






My Thoughts:

Sweet! I love big Italian families and Baby By Design has one in it. :-)

I don't want to give everything away but the heroine was adopted and while she loves her parents and is loved, she longs to have a blood connection with someone. She hasn't been able to make a love match with anyone despite dating many eligible men. She's not getting younger and she wants a baby so badly that she is willing to overlook the love aspect.

Tony is a live and let live, fly by the seat of his pants type of man. He loves his big family but he likes his freedom too. When a family member takes ill, everyone prepares grand gestures to make the sick person feel better. Tony can't decide on anything. Other than getting married or becoming a priest there isn't a gesture grand enough to offer. He could never be a priest and he really doesn't want to settle down.

Trish and Tony hit it off when he takes her to a wedding as a favor and she decides to ask him to impregnate her. This might just fix both of their problems. Or will it complicate things more?

This book had lots of chemistry between Trish and Tony. ;-) I loved the family element. The characters were great and the interaction between the relatives made for a few laughs.

There was some doubts, romance, snark, a big Italian family, and a baby?

I especially liked the ending. Tony was too cute!

I received an ecopy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. It was sweet and heart wrenching, fun and flirty, romantic and realistic. I'd recommend it and would definitely read more from this author. :D  



If you like the sound of this book or want a chance to win another book, leave a comment and enter it in the Comment Incentive Giveaway Rafflecopter. The link can be found at the top of the page!

21 comments:

  1. aww a cute romance and a chance to win a giftcard! this is a great night

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  2. I'm really tempted by this one and something tell me his nana knew things all along ^^ ( sometimes they have the knack to look clueless ;) )

    i guess i did a white lie for my grand mother when she was dying too... i didn't want to leave her with resentment but those are always risky so i do prefer honesty as a rule

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  3. I'm sure I have but can't remember when it was.

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  4. yes I have told a white lie many times to family to keep the peace lol

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  5. Um, maybe, but mostly I just refrain from mentioning things that will make them unhappy. I'm nice that way.

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  6. If put on the spot and it won't hurt anyone, yes, I have told 'white lies'. Thank you for the giveaway!!
    Bonnie Hilligoss - bonnie at bonnieanddave dot com

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  7. Yes when it comes to relationships I had too!

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  8. Absolutely. Mostly to my mother.

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  9. I used to but then worked out in the long run the truth always seems to be simpler because they have many years to find out the truth

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  10. I'm sure I have, sometimes it's hard not to

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  11. Being honest with family and friends is much easier than telling a lie. Since I am a terrible liar, they would quickly know I wasn't telling the truth.

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  12. This sounds like a very fun sweet read. I'm generally really honest with my family but I'm sure I have.

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  13. Q: Have you ever told a "White Lie" to make a Family Member HAPPY?

    A: Of course I have! But am not telling ;)

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  14. I try to tell the truth so I don't have to remember what I said. Great Contest.

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  15. I tell whit lies if it necessary to comfort someone other then that i always tell the truth

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  16. Sounds like a cute story, I love mixed heritage/international stories! Yes I have told a white lie to keep a family member happy!

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  17. Yep! Usually saying that I'm ok or doing well at the times when I'm not, just to save them worrying.

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  18. Yes, I have told white lies.

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