Staircase Wit: The Baby Plan (Book Review)

Title: The Baby Plan
Author: Kate Rorick
Publication: William Morrow, paperback, 2018
Genre: Fiction/Chick Lit

Taking a quick break from blogging about my trip to England with my mother to review a book that fits into the chick lit genre, despite being about three women who become pregnant. . .

Plot: Meet three appealing mothers-to-be!

Nathalie Kneller: Nathalie's plan: to announce her pregnancy now that she's finally made it past twelve weeks! But just as she's about to deliver (so to speak) the big news to her family, her scene-stealing sister barfs all over the Thanksgiving centerpiece. Yup, Lyndi's pregnant too, swiping the spotlight once more…

Lyndi Kneller: Lyndi's plan: finally get her life together! She's got a new apartment, new promotion, new boyfriend. What she didn't count on-a new baby! She can barely afford her rent, much less a state-of-the-art stroller…

Sophia Nunez: Sophia's plan: Once she gets her daughter Maisey off to college, she'll finally be able to enjoy life as make-up artist to one of Hollywood's biggest stars, and girlfriend to one of rock's hottest musicians. But after 18 years she discovers the stork is once again on its way…
Now these women are about to jump headlong into the world of modern day pregnancy. It's a world of over the top gender reveal parties (with tacky cakes and fireworks); where every morsel you eat is scrutinized and discussed; where baby names are crowd-sourced and sonograms are Facebook-shared. And where nothing goes as planned…

Audience: I was reminded of Watermelon by Marian Keyes and books by Sophie Kinsella. In fact, I was sometimes startled to realize the book was set in Southern California and not London!

The Gerbera Daisies Lyndi likes to arrange

My Impressions: This was a fun and pleasant airplane read for me about three appealing women. While most of my friends have finished their pregnancy adventures, I have certainly lived through it vicariously, with the baby-shower-giving scars to show for it! I certainly understood Nathalie's angst at waiting so long to be pregnant and getting upstaged by her careless sister, even if I wanted her to soften her attitude to disorganized and confused Lyndi. I also enjoyed how the author wove the third pregnant woman, Sophia, and her daughter Maisey into the narrative by creating relationships for them with other characters. All of the men in the story were flawed - or should we say human - with the possible exception of Nathalie's father (and while he saddled her with a stepmother, Kathy was annoying but not at all evil) but each of the women characters was depicted with sensitivity, and even Nathalie's over the top decorating obsession seemed sympathetically portrayed.

I was eager to read this book when I heard it was by the author of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which several friends had recommended to me and which has been on my mental TBR for ages. I definitely think it would be a fun shower gift for a pregnant friend!

Purchase Links: IndieBound * Barnes & Noble * Amazon * Harper Collins

Source: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and TLC Book Tours for review purposes. You can visit other stops on the tour below and read other reviews as well:

Tuesday, March 20th: A Chick Who Reads

Wednesday, March 21st: Novel Gossip

Thursday, March 22nd: West Metro Mommy

Thursday, March 22nd: Tina Says…

Friday, March 23rd: Time 2 Read

Monday, March 26th: No More Grumpy Bookseller

Tuesday, March 27th: Instagram: @Novelmombooks

Thursday, March 29th: A Bookish Way of Life

Tuesday, April 3rd: Ms. Nose in a Book

Wednesday, April 4th: Stranded in Chaos

Thursday, April 5th: Instagram: @jackiereadsbooks

Wednesday, April 11th: Sweet Southern Home