What do you think?
Rate this book
Baby Under the Mistletoe
Having a baby isn't exactly in Soleil Freeman's plans. Being single and pregnant? Even further off her to-do list. Still, she can make this work… if she can figure out how to handle the father.
West Morgan is absolutely perfect summer distraction material. But building a life with a guy who's all about picket fences and tradition is not her deal. Funny thing happens when she drops the "Merry Christmas, you're gonna be a dad" news, though. That delicious attraction that fueled their affair is alive and well. And when West embarks on a campaign to be a family, she's more open to the idea than she thought!
West Morgan is absolutely perfect summer distraction material. But building a life with a guy who's all about picket fences and tradition is not her deal. Funny thing happens when she drops the "Merry Christmas, you're gonna be a dad" news, though. That delicious attraction that fueled their affair is alive and well. And when West embarks on a campaign to be a family, she's more open to the idea than she thought!
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Jamie Sobrato
62 books22 followersJamie Sobrato has dreamed of being a writer ever since composing her first bad poetry at the age of 8. Now that she’s seen 18 of her novels published in the US and around the world, she’s grateful for those grade school teachers who had the grace not to cringe at her early efforts. Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Jamie now lives in Northern California, where she is at work on her next book. When she’s not writing, she is usually reading, hiking, or hanging out with her two kids.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 4, 2010
I'm a left-leaning organic farming peacenik, and you're a dedicated member of the military-industrial complex.
Soleil Freeman and West Morgan had a brief affair five months ago. Although they heated up the sheets, their short lived liaison was more notable for the fighting. Now, months later, Soleil is noticeably pregnant and still in semi denial. A child had never been in her game plan. Added to that, she is struggling with exactly how to (whether to) tell West. He is a Special Forces officer in the Air Force and has been back at his base in Colorado since their last and, as it turns out, most consequential encounter.
But surprise! West has come back to town to take care of his father who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and he runs into a Soleil who has some explaining to do.
After I read this book I was both very impressed and profoundly disappointed. I think my disappointment comes from the fact that this was a nice read, but there was a great read struggling to get out. There was so much here that the reader could sink their teeth into and, unfortunately, none of it got the treatment it deserved.
This book touched on the following: political identity & idealism, divorce, single parenthood v. marriage, how children view their parents and vice/versa, the ways in which children internalize parental expectations, and how love works with all of these.
I think the cover of the book is so incredibly misleading. It is not some bubbly tale of a secret baby. Soleil's pregnancy and her reconnection with West is the main story, but the subplots and secondary characters are very vital and interesting in the story and are much deeper than the cover implies. And therein lies my biggest problem. I was incredibly engrossed in West's struggle with dealing with the twin blows of impending fatherhood and the fact that his larger than life father was going through terrifying bouts of dementia. I was equally drawn in by Julia's, West's mother's, re-entry into the dating world (she and West's father have been divorced for many years) and the wonderful new guy she meets. And I was incredibly intrigued by the very prickly, yet fascinating relationship Soilel has with her famous, idiosyncratic mother. BTW, I loved Soleil's background -- her hippie, down with the establishment middle class white-bread mother becomes a radical and hooks up with a Black Panther who himself later becomes establishment thereby dooming that relationship. Lol. Soleil's mother is a One woman character play waiting to happen.
SO when the book ends with only West and Soleil's relationship sewn up, I felt like I was cut adrift. Even the resolution of West and Soleil's relationship wasn't completely satisfactory. It seemed so incredibly rushed. The two of them were coming from fundamentally different places. I never felt the two of them came together adequately for each other. Sure they pledge their love, but it is a Harlequin, you expect that. I didn't completely feel it. Don't get me wrong, the author creates a great connect between the two but she really needed more pages to explore it more.
And that is the crux of the issue for me. I think this book needed a good 100 to 200 more pages to really satisfy me. The writing here was very good and the characters were excellent. I simply needed more time with them.
Soleil Freeman and West Morgan had a brief affair five months ago. Although they heated up the sheets, their short lived liaison was more notable for the fighting. Now, months later, Soleil is noticeably pregnant and still in semi denial. A child had never been in her game plan. Added to that, she is struggling with exactly how to (whether to) tell West. He is a Special Forces officer in the Air Force and has been back at his base in Colorado since their last and, as it turns out, most consequential encounter.
But surprise! West has come back to town to take care of his father who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's and he runs into a Soleil who has some explaining to do.
After I read this book I was both very impressed and profoundly disappointed. I think my disappointment comes from the fact that this was a nice read, but there was a great read struggling to get out. There was so much here that the reader could sink their teeth into and, unfortunately, none of it got the treatment it deserved.
This book touched on the following: political identity & idealism, divorce, single parenthood v. marriage, how children view their parents and vice/versa, the ways in which children internalize parental expectations, and how love works with all of these.
I think the cover of the book is so incredibly misleading. It is not some bubbly tale of a secret baby. Soleil's pregnancy and her reconnection with West is the main story, but the subplots and secondary characters are very vital and interesting in the story and are much deeper than the cover implies. And therein lies my biggest problem. I was incredibly engrossed in West's struggle with dealing with the twin blows of impending fatherhood and the fact that his larger than life father was going through terrifying bouts of dementia. I was equally drawn in by Julia's, West's mother's, re-entry into the dating world (she and West's father have been divorced for many years) and the wonderful new guy she meets. And I was incredibly intrigued by the very prickly, yet fascinating relationship Soilel has with her famous, idiosyncratic mother. BTW, I loved Soleil's background -- her hippie, down with the establishment middle class white-bread mother becomes a radical and hooks up with a Black Panther who himself later becomes establishment thereby dooming that relationship. Lol. Soleil's mother is a One woman character play waiting to happen.
SO when the book ends with only West and Soleil's relationship sewn up, I felt like I was cut adrift. Even the resolution of West and Soleil's relationship wasn't completely satisfactory. It seemed so incredibly rushed. The two of them were coming from fundamentally different places. I never felt the two of them came together adequately for each other. Sure they pledge their love, but it is a Harlequin, you expect that. I didn't completely feel it. Don't get me wrong, the author creates a great connect between the two but she really needed more pages to explore it more.
And that is the crux of the issue for me. I think this book needed a good 100 to 200 more pages to really satisfy me. The writing here was very good and the characters were excellent. I simply needed more time with them.
January 3, 2010
2 1/2
Baby Under the Mistletoe is a SuperRomance with three stories: The "main" couple free spirit Soleil Freeman and military man West Morgan, who had a fling one summer and ended up with Soliel pregnant months later, West's mom Julia finding love again after a few decades long divorce with his father "The General" who consists of the final end of the story as he battles Alzheimer's disease.
The book seemed interesting because rarely does Harlequin deal with interracial romances and it was interesting seeing the couple featured in a Superromance of all places (if I see one on the cover of an Harlequin American Romance, I'll probably keel over on the spot). Unfortunately, the couple didn't live up to the interesting blurb. Soleil and and West barely know each other as we're introduced to them in the prologue and both delight in pushing the other's buttons. The chemistry is there and I was hoping it would continue on as the book pans out. Sadly, they grew tiring as they were reunited, Soliel more so in her insistence to keep her pregnancy from West since he didn't fit the ideal partner she had in mind. West, on the other hand, has wanted to settle down with Soleil and have a family with her from the get go but Miss Independence wouldn't have it and still wouldn't have all the way through the pregnancy. In an age of constant reports of men leaving their children behind once they found out they were going to be father's, I found it hard to believe Soleil would be so selfish and short sighted to push the father of the kid away especially when he wants to be apart of hers and the child's life. Even though she grew up with dire conditions, it would seem like she would want to give her child the best situation and one she never had a chance to have.
This is contrasted with the developing relationship of Julia Morgan and her love interest, Frank who she met on an internet dating site. If stories like this consisted of the now defunct Harlequin Next line, I have to wonder who was the boob that canned it. I loved reading about Julia's and Frank's sweet romance as they began to fall in love with each other. There were first date jitters, small talk as they got to know each other and developing chemistry that was sweet and identifiable to watch. There was one instance in the middle where Julia finds out that The General was sick and has to cancel a date with Frank because she still wants to make sure The General was okay. It was a selfless act still touched with a love they shared for so long. Even though The General was a harsh and rather ornery man who bossed any and everyone around (and apparently sexually harassed a few of his cartakers as well) Julia knew how to care for him and the moment he saw her again in his life, he calms down. It's a memorable moment that shows the maturity of life and love especially between two people who have known each other for so long and have gone through so much. Julia's story engaged me much more than the main couples which basically earned an extra star on its own.
Sometimes I wondered why West was into Soleil. In a few scenes he's attracted to the way she looks and he likes pushing her buttons because he knows she has a short temper but other than that, I couldn't see much attraction there even to the end. There were a few moments of chemistry but they were mainly tied into love scenes which quickly went cold until afterward. Soleil was insistent on having everything done her way or else. The reader is given a few instances of this as she never budged about compromising to suit her baby's and West's needs. Another instance is evidenced by one scene where she forces one of her young interns to swallow his fear of dogs by confronting hers. It was an interesting insight into the machinations of her character. At times I felt like Soleil's strength was at the expense of West's pushover weakness in trampling over everything he and everyone else wanted. Strangely enough she ends up giving Julia advice on leaving her husband which could have been a sweet scene for me but it felt like another one of Soleil's butting in moments. I did find that Soleil had a lot in common with The General which strangely enough mirrored West having shades of his mother in him. Perhaps the parallel was on purpose to show how opposites can attract and work through their differences but considering how West's parent's ended up a few years down the road (after staying together for the kids), I'm not sure that's such a good thing.
All in all, Baby Under the Mistletoe was interesting and definitely worth the read for the mature couple. I would love to see them get a spin-off book of their own.
Baby Under the Mistletoe is a SuperRomance with three stories: The "main" couple free spirit Soleil Freeman and military man West Morgan, who had a fling one summer and ended up with Soliel pregnant months later, West's mom Julia finding love again after a few decades long divorce with his father "The General" who consists of the final end of the story as he battles Alzheimer's disease.
The book seemed interesting because rarely does Harlequin deal with interracial romances and it was interesting seeing the couple featured in a Superromance of all places (if I see one on the cover of an Harlequin American Romance, I'll probably keel over on the spot). Unfortunately, the couple didn't live up to the interesting blurb. Soleil and and West barely know each other as we're introduced to them in the prologue and both delight in pushing the other's buttons. The chemistry is there and I was hoping it would continue on as the book pans out. Sadly, they grew tiring as they were reunited, Soliel more so in her insistence to keep her pregnancy from West since he didn't fit the ideal partner she had in mind. West, on the other hand, has wanted to settle down with Soleil and have a family with her from the get go but Miss Independence wouldn't have it and still wouldn't have all the way through the pregnancy. In an age of constant reports of men leaving their children behind once they found out they were going to be father's, I found it hard to believe Soleil would be so selfish and short sighted to push the father of the kid away especially when he wants to be apart of hers and the child's life. Even though she grew up with dire conditions, it would seem like she would want to give her child the best situation and one she never had a chance to have.
This is contrasted with the developing relationship of Julia Morgan and her love interest, Frank who she met on an internet dating site. If stories like this consisted of the now defunct Harlequin Next line, I have to wonder who was the boob that canned it. I loved reading about Julia's and Frank's sweet romance as they began to fall in love with each other. There were first date jitters, small talk as they got to know each other and developing chemistry that was sweet and identifiable to watch. There was one instance in the middle where Julia finds out that The General was sick and has to cancel a date with Frank because she still wants to make sure The General was okay. It was a selfless act still touched with a love they shared for so long. Even though The General was a harsh and rather ornery man who bossed any and everyone around (and apparently sexually harassed a few of his cartakers as well) Julia knew how to care for him and the moment he saw her again in his life, he calms down. It's a memorable moment that shows the maturity of life and love especially between two people who have known each other for so long and have gone through so much. Julia's story engaged me much more than the main couples which basically earned an extra star on its own.
Sometimes I wondered why West was into Soleil. In a few scenes he's attracted to the way she looks and he likes pushing her buttons because he knows she has a short temper but other than that, I couldn't see much attraction there even to the end. There were a few moments of chemistry but they were mainly tied into love scenes which quickly went cold until afterward. Soleil was insistent on having everything done her way or else. The reader is given a few instances of this as she never budged about compromising to suit her baby's and West's needs. Another instance is evidenced by one scene where she forces one of her young interns to swallow his fear of dogs by confronting hers. It was an interesting insight into the machinations of her character. At times I felt like Soleil's strength was at the expense of West's pushover weakness in trampling over everything he and everyone else wanted. Strangely enough she ends up giving Julia advice on leaving her husband which could have been a sweet scene for me but it felt like another one of Soleil's butting in moments. I did find that Soleil had a lot in common with The General which strangely enough mirrored West having shades of his mother in him. Perhaps the parallel was on purpose to show how opposites can attract and work through their differences but considering how West's parent's ended up a few years down the road (after staying together for the kids), I'm not sure that's such a good thing.
All in all, Baby Under the Mistletoe was interesting and definitely worth the read for the mature couple. I would love to see them get a spin-off book of their own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2016
I consider myself a traditional woman (married young, stay-at-home mother), and I found all the "I don't need a man," "I don't care if he is the baby's father, I'm doing this without him", "marriage is an oppression of women" rhertoric from the heroine (and the heroine's mother) really, REALLY annoying. I've got nothing wrong with independent women, but the heroine nearly turned it into being a man-hater.
I was far more interested in the stories of the hero's divorced parents, but the author never wrapped that plot thread up. And the ending was really rushed. How are the hero and heroine going to deal with such fundamentally opposing views about family? How do I know the heroine isn't going to regret marrying him after all?
I was far more interested in the stories of the hero's divorced parents, but the author never wrapped that plot thread up. And the ending was really rushed. How are the hero and heroine going to deal with such fundamentally opposing views about family? How do I know the heroine isn't going to regret marrying him after all?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2012
The end was just thrown together at the last minute with no wrap up in the story line.
Very disappointed with this story.
Very disappointed with this story.
March 1, 2016
Normally I read these types of books very quickly. This one took me ages. Purely because I couldn't get into the story. Found the heroine Soleil difficult to warm too.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews