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When You Least Expect It: A Novel (2010)

by Whitney Gaskell(Favorite Author)

3.7 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0553386271 (ISBN13: 9780553386271)

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Bantam

review 1: I picked this book up on a whim from a Quick Picks display at my library (meaning you can only take it out for 7 days.) That was ok because I was looking for a quick, light read.When You Least Expect It is about an infertile couple who want very much to be parents but are having a great deal of trouble conceiving despite all of today’s medical and technological assistance. The wannabe mother India and her husband Jeremy decide it’s time to explore adoption options instead. They are matched up with a young woman named Lainey who is pretty early on in her pregnancy. Everyone meets and thinks it’s a good fit so Lainey agrees to give up baby for adoption. The three of them began sharing the journey of bringing the baby full-term.I quite liked the locale of the story... more set in a remodelled cottage in West Palm Beach. The descriptions of the weather, beaches life casual lifestyle quite appealed to me and I thought it added an extra dimension and pleasant touch to the book. I was not a big fan of Lainey. Yes she’d had a lot of difficulty in her life and I thought the author did a good job of developing her character. At times she seemed young, vulnerable and likeable and my heart went out to her. Most times however she seemed selfish and very much taking advantage of the situation. I’m not sure what India and Jeremy were thinking when they asked Lainey to come to live with them or when India kept buying clothes and other items for Lainey. I did get the sense much of it was due to India’s wanting a baby so much and wanting the baby to be born as healthy and happy as possible. Lainey’s boyfriend was portrayed as someone easy to dislike. Thrown into the mix were some marital issues that India and Jeremy were sorting out. My sense was that India is sometimes too kind and accepting and not willing to stand up for herself. Overall, Whitney Gaskell created and described a good ensemble cast of characters facing the joys and problems of every day living.It turns out that the closer to term the baby became, not surprisingly, the more anxious and invested everyone became. The story certainly opens up one’s eyes to surrogacy - the pitfalls and the right and wrong ways to do things. Similarly, I felt the angst and longing of couples who want children but aren’t able to conceive one of their own and got a sense of the pressure this could put on a relationship.This book was a quick and easy read which was just what I was looking for when I picked it up. I can’t say that it was a fun read but it did engage me. I learned a bit about infertility and surrogacy and the author achieved getting me to connect and empathize with the characters. When You Least Expect It is not a deep or sophisticated read and definitely falls into the genre of Chick Lit. It’s 3 stars for an average Chick Lit book.
review 2: From the outside looking in, India and Jeremy appear to have it all. Jeremy gave up the corporate world to pursue his dream of becoming a science fiction writer. India is self-employed as a photographer. They have a good, solid marriage and are completely head-over-heels in love with each other. The one thing…one person that would make their lives complete is a baby.Lainey is headed to L.A. She has big dreams of becoming a reality TV star. Her plans are set in motion and money has been saved. There’s just one problem: she’s pregnant. This is SO not part of her plan. Especially because Trav is the father. He certainly isn’t “daddy material”. To Lainey, her pregnancy is just a minor setback. She can give up the baby for adoption and still pursue her dream of moving to L.A.When Lainey meets Jeremy and India, things immediately are awkward followed by complicated. As Lainey’s baby bump grows, her relationship with the couple takes an interesting turn. less

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