The Baby Plan

April 16, 2018
Women’s lit fans in search of highly relatable characters need look no further than Rorick’s contemporary about three pregnancies that intersect in often uproarious ways. Hyper-organized Los Angeles high school English teacher Nathalie Kneller is finally pregnant at age 33 after years of trying. She and her husband, David, are getting everything pulled together to make the big announcement at Thanksgiving dinner. Her dad, stepmother, kid sister Lyndi, and Lyndi’s roommate will all be there. It will be perfect. But moments before Nathalie can break the exciting news, Lyndi broadcasts her unplanned pregnancy by suddenly spewing her breakfast into the holiday centerpiece. Amid the ensuing chaos, Nathalie can only meekly utter, “Um, I am too.” As the sisters’ already complicated relationship takes on new dimensions, they meet Sophia Nunez, the mom of one of Nathalie’s students, who’s also unexpectedly expecting and at a crossroads in her life. Rorick takes full tragicomic advantage of life’s little—and big—ironies as these women deal with the magnitude and the minutia of bringing new life into the world. Agent: Annalise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

February 15, 2018

Nathalie Kneller, her half-sister Lyndi, and makeup artist to the stars Sophia Nunez all get pregnant around the same time. Nathalie and David had meticulously planned for their pregnancy, which took a long time. Meanwhile, Lyndi basically tripped over her bisexual roommate Marcus's shoes and got pregnant; Sophia, who's older and already the mother of a teenager, had been dating rock singer Sebastian and ended up pregnant on a whim. Their paths to parenthood vary, but what to expect when you're expecting is new territory no matter who you are. Rorick takes a break from writing historical romance (as Kate Noble) to pen this laugh-out-loud, over-the-top foray into motherhood. From placenta cupcakes to a pregnancy announcement made by barfing in the Thanksgiving cornucopia to high-methane pregnancy farts, readers will roar with laughter. Funny business aside, Rorick addresses issues of Nathalie's deceased mother and how that affects her own pregnancy, in addition to her relationships with Lyndi and her stepmother, Kathy. VERDICT A hoot for women looking for something to brighten their day.--Erin Holt, Williamson Cty. P.L., Franklin, TN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2018
Three pregnant LA women mingle in this debut adult novel from an Emmy-winning TV writer and co-author of The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet (2014), etc.Nathalie, a 33-year-old English teacher, is the de facto protagonist of this novel. At least, she's the only one with a planned pregnancy, following years of trying and an early-stage but traumatic pregnancy loss. So it galls her that her 24-year-old half sister, Lyndi, who only just got a real job, is pregnant, too, by her newish roommate (but maybe also boyfriend). Nathalie's own mother died when she was young, but her stepmom--Lyndi's biological mom--goes gaga over the girls in ways seemingly designed to make Nathalie feel aggravated and isolated. Lyndi experiences uncertainty, growing a baby as well as a career, and for the first time can't connect with her sister about it. Meanwhile, Nathalie finds comfort in Sophia, a TV makeup artist and mother to 17-year-old Maisey, Nathalie's student, whom Sophia had when she herself was 19. Now, Sophia is pregnant again by her rock star boyfriend, who is initially thrilled by the news and subsequently absent. The three women are buffeted by the wilds of pregnancy, both physical and emotional, described with arch humor and a loving attention to detail seldom found in fictional depictions. They are also experiencing the disappointing shifts in relationships with their peers and partners, told with a realism that is less funny but culturally astute. Throughout, readers get the thrill of living four distinct but compelling lives, as Maisey gets her own wonderful subplot. Sophia's career provides a juicy touch of LA drama, but the real story is the astonishing experience of growing a new person.Top-notch women's fiction.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.