The Would-Be Mommy is a contemporary romance by Jacqueline Diamond. This is a fairly quick read, perfect for those with limited reading time. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this book because the title is...just a tad corny. I should have had more faith in this author, I have read other books by her and enjoyed them. This book didn't disappoint. Ian is a reporter assigned to do some human interest bits. Jennifer is the PR director of Safe Harbor Medical and ends up becoming a weekend mom when someone turns their baby over at the hospital, insisting the Jennifer takes her. Ian and Jennifer's story is packed with drama, humor, spice and just a touch of suspense. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from Jacqueline Diamond in the future. The Would-Be Mommy is book 1 of the Safe Harbor Medical Series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.

I read a print copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

It was actually pretty good - if you ignored that the H is actually the h's stepson. That's a little hard to ignore, particularly since you were constantly being reminded of it - or that the kids were variously her stepkids or her grandkids (H convinced her to marry him on a temporary basis). I mean; I guess it's good that the elephant in the room is noticed, but it seems more like a passing joke than a topic for a real discussion.

Of course, the book was about half serious so I guess it goes with the territory. Still...

The main plot of the book is that the h, widowed 7 years prior when the H's dad keeled over abruptly, entrusted - without actually reading anything, mind you - her finances and well, everything, to a lawyer who dreamed of hitting it big in hollywood, and a PA who hid everything from her. The end result - he embezzled every last cent, and because dummy didn't read anything she signed, thus granted him power of attorney, mortgaged the houses. End result, she discovers via reporter that she's broke and her house is in foreclosure. She calls the PA (who knew what was going on, and ran), who pretends to be gone... In the meantime, the H is kidnapping her...

The next several weeks involve them living in the same apartment, trying to figure out where the lawyer has vanished, and her running into his decidedly immature "Imma do this my way even if it kills someone" attitude when she tries to help. So she finds a lead and rather than tell him (because he's being a jackass again), takes off after the guy. Kids have neighbor call him to tell him, so he shows up in time to play hero after a fashion.

There is a HEA - the money is for the most part, long gone, but she knows someone in film so gets the film in the pipeline, and well, he unbends enough to accept aid.

Eric Darcy is an obstetrician who inherited his deceased father's patients. He met with one of the older ones, Malerie Abernathy. She had delivered triplets years before and had seen a woman on the street who looked exactly like of one of them - Dee Marie - who had died recently and might have been murdered. So she told Eric that she thought she had actually delivered quadruplets and one was taken from her. When Eric went home to check his father’s medical records on Malerie to see what was written, he discovered his house had been broken into. The records and some of his late wife, Lydia's, jewelry was gone. The next day Malerie was found dead in her swimming pool. Accidental drowning or murder?

This is a wonderfully written mystery with lots of twists and turns that kept me glued to the book. I loved that I had no idea who the murderer was throughout the story and was totally surprised when I found out. The characters are very easy to like. Eric is a very nice man who opened his house to his father-in-law and sister-in-law; letting them live there with him. I thought it was odd that a doctor would be trying to solve the murders but I realized that he thought he had a responsibility to the town and his patients to figure it out.

I have always loved Jacqueline Diamond's books so I was glad to be given a copy of her new mystery to review. If you like mysteries, you'll love this book.

I loved this book! It starts out with little 5 year old Spike walking into a doctor's office saying his tonsils fell out. Yes, fell out. He knew he could get ice cream if he lost his tonsils so having then fall out seemed like a good idea to him. The doctor was Pediatrician Chad Markham who didn't fall for the boy's plan and took him home. There he met the boy's Aunt Jill who was in the process of adopting Spike. Sparks flew between this pair but not good sparks at first.

This is a well written fun story with some sad parts in it too. It was sad that Spike lost his parents but there were so many funny parts that made it easy to enjoy. Like the Mall Santas, fun animal scenes and Spike himself was so funny and cute as most 5 year olds are.

I was so glad I won this book in a Harlequin Junkie giveaway because I've always loved Jacqueline Diamond's books.