Book review : She's Having Her Baby - Lauren Sams

If there's one thing that 30-something magazine editor Georgie Henderson knows, it's that she doesn't want kids. Ever. Her best friend Nina, on the other hand, has been trying in vain for a baby for as long as she can remember. On a boozy night out, she asks Georgie for the ultimate favour : will she carry a baby for her? Despite her reservations, Georgie agrees and embarks on the rollercoaster ride of pregnancy hormones.

There is a twist in the tale however. Undergoing a battery of tests to check that she is a suitable candidate, Georgie is totally floored to discover that she is actually already pregnant with her own totally unplanned baby. The book follows the emotional fall-out : Georgie's own constant existential questioning on whether she wants to and is capable of being a mum, as well as the wreckage of her friendship with Nina.

It's an enjoyable and often utterly hilarious read - there are some great one-liners and the humour really reminded me of another great Aussie writer, Kathy Lette. All women-of-a-certain-age will be able to relate to and recognise themselves at least in part in one of the characters : Nina, going through the heartbreak of infertility, Georgie, convinced she doesn't want kids, or Ellie, the completely over-the-top Earth mother whose son is her entire world. I did think it was a shame that the surrogacy angle got sidelined though, as I think that had great potential to make the book completely original and really stand out from other similar chicklit that I've read in the past.

star rating : 4/5

RRP : £8.99

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Legend Press (12 July 2018)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1787198774
• ISBN-13: 978-1787198777
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.