Lauren Sams

I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. It sounds like chick-lit with a serious storyline when Georgie agrees to be a surrogate for her best friend Nina, but it has a hilarious twist in the tale. I laughed so much that I felt as if I'd had an intense tummy workout. She's Having Her Baby is the best kind of exercise for those out of shape tummy muscles.

Georgie is a brilliant character; I absolutely loved her. As a career woman with an aversion to babies, she somehow manages to be both selfish and selfless when she offers to carry a baby for her best friend. Georgie's complete denial when she finds out that she is pregnant is so funny, it's only when she practically bursts out of her bra that it really hits home for her. I almost choked with laughter when Georgie got fitted fitted for an F-cup and said that the F stands for 'fark me, your tits are massive'.

Being friends from school, I loved the history that Georgie and Nina have. Their school reunion is hilarious when Nina tells Kelly, the school bully, what everyone really thought of her. Never mind rapturous applause from the people in the book, I was punching the air and applauding too. It's funny how people remember the past differently and I wanted to smack Kelly in the face when she was being all sickly nice to Georgie and Nina but Nina saved me by giving her a well-deserved and well-overdue tongue lashing!

Georgie's job as editor of Jolie magazine reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada with all the minions running around while Meg The Big Boss swishes in and out issuing instructions. Georgie might thinks she's friends with Meg but I've always said that you don't have friends at work and Georgie finds this out the hard way. I enjoyed the trips to Georgie's office, as it gave us a little insight into the world of magazine publishing.

With her inimitable Aussie humour, Lauren Sams writes like an Australian Marian Keyes, as she manages to put an amusing slant on everyday observations. The unbreakable, but often tested, thread of friendship is woven throughout the book so I knew that Georgie would 'get by with a little help from her friends'. See what I did there? Lauren Sams adds a few song references now and again and I bet I didn't even spot all of them but it was good fun seeing how she slipped them in there.

Both witty and heart-warming, She's Having Her Baby is as fresh as it is funny. I loved every single page of it; fans of Lauren Weisberger, Marian Keyes and Helen Fielding should definitely not miss this one!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.… (mer)

She’s Having Her Baby is a funny and bittersweet debut chick lit novel from Lauren Sams.

“This is it. She’s going to ask me to be her surrogate. No, she won’t. Surely she won’t. That only happens in Katherine Heigl movies, Jesus f** Christ, what if she asks? What am I going to say? There’s only one answer, right? Jesus f**”

Thirty something magazine editor, Georgie Henderson, has never wanted kids but her best friend, Nina Doherty, wants nothing more than to be a mother and when her latest IVF attempt fails, she asks Georgie for the ultimate favour. Reluctantly Georgie agrees to become Nina’s surrogate, willing to help Nina’s dream come true, but Georgie is wholly unprepared for what comes next…

Life doesn’t always go to plan and in She’s Having Her Baby the plot doesn’t quite develop as the reader may expect. Sharply observed, the author explores the themes of infertility, surrogacy, motherhood and friendship in a manner that is funny, poignant and compassionate.

I found Georgie to be an interesting character, she definitely has her flaws, being somewhat inflexible and self absorbed, but she is amusing, feisty and loyal in her own way. I admired Georgia for deciding to help Nina, though I think choosing not to have children for whatever reason is a perfectly valid decision, and though Georgia doesn’t cope particularly well when things don’t work out as expected, including with her relationship and career, she eventually pulls it together.

I’ve witnessed the toll infertility can take on the soul, and relationships, and I really felt for Nina, her desperation is authentic and moving. I laughed out loud at the passages describing the parenting styles of Ellie and the mothers at the playground. Those type of ‘helicopter’, holier than thou parents drove me crazy when my children were babies so I agreed . It’s not like I let mine play with knives or fed them a steady diet of McDonalds but they watched ABC Kids, ate jarred baby foods and wore disposable nappies, and let me assure you they are all bright, healthy and happy children.

The writing is of a good standard, the dialogue is natural, and humour is used to good effect, without undermining the more serious issues. The pacing works well with some surprises in the plot and a conclusion that is satisfying but not too neat.

I enjoyed She’s Having Her Baby, I found it to be both an entertaining and touching novel tackling issues relevant to the modern woman. Lauren Sams is a debut author with promise.… (mer)