Although this is the second in the Lisa Blake series, this is the first one I've read, and I can confirm that this can be read as a standalone. Whilst there are references to events covered in the previous book, there is enough detail given for the reader follow the action.

The story is told in the third person, from the perspective of Lisa, a pet sitter, currently enjoying her renewed relationship with Nathan, a hunky fireman.

Lisa's best friend, Felicity, is a busy mother of four who has just discovered running as a way of getting some time to herself. Her husband, Pete, supports this new venture, and looks after their children so that she can run regularly.

The story is told around the everyday lives of these two life-long friends. There are some ripples to rock the boat, but the girls deal with them, with the support of their menfolk and their friends.

Maybe Baby is well-written, and although quite light and breezy, there is reference to a tragedy in Lisa's recent past, with which she continues to struggle. Lisa has to find the courage to tell Nathan about this, and explain how this is still affecting her.

I thought that all of the characters were completely believable. Of the secondary characters, I took an immediate dislike to Samantha. She comes across as a woman determined to have her own way, without a care for anyone, including her own family. The minx seems to have designs on Nathan, and at every opportunity, she implies to Lisa that she has a close relationship with him. Lisa immediately jumps to the wrong conclusions - or at least, the ones Samantha wants her to reach. Fortunately, Lisa does not react to Samantha's baiting, but it does cause her a fair bit of angst.

I found this to be an enjoyable, happy-ending story of friendship and love, with lots of pets, a bit of humour, a dash or two of jealousy, and a pregnancy.

My thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for the invitation to join the blog tour for Maybe Baby, and to author Carol Thomas for a free digital copy of this book to review. ( )

Maybe Baby by Carol Thomas is a 2019 Ruby Fiction publication.
Cute story of friendship and new beginnings-
Felicity and Lisa are BFF’s, but their personal lives are at different stages. Felicity is a busy mom, and Lisa is still working through a few snags in her rekindled romance with Nathan, such as an old friend of his showing up, who seems intent on causing trouble between Lisa and Nathan. Meanwhile, Felicity’s hope of moving on into the next phase of her life may be in jeopardy.

This is a sequel to 'The Purr-fect Pet -Sitter', however, it can easily be read as a stand- alone. Felicity and Lisa offer alternate views of their personal lives while being there for one another as they face life changes and new challenges. Adding another layer of charm to the story, is the inclusion of pets, which, of course, always gets a nod of approval from me.
The story is zany, with a little screwball comedy, and a quirky cast of characters. Naturally, this creates a lighter tone, but the story does touch upon some darker topics firmly in Lisa’s past. This allusion to the past only makes the current situation, heartwarming and uplifting, if a little bittersweet.

Overall, this is a delightful and fun story anyone can enjoy!
4 stars ( )