SURPRISE!
Welcome to today’s baby shower!
We don’t have too many embarrassing games to play–though I have always thought the melted candy in diapers was fun (you have to guess what candy bar each is.) I couldn’t quite figure out how to do that on a blog post though.
So instead, I thought I’d introduce you to the parents.
Holly Bell has been working for the social media arm of Robinson Enterprises since she graduated from college. This is a good thing, since she ended up leaving school with her degree…and a baby.
Aaron Powell has no idea he’s a dad.
Oh, ha ha. SURPRISE!
Or maybe it’s a little less of a surprise, since he didn’t exactly spend his college years living for Jesus. If you asked him to make a list of all the women he’d been with during that time? He couldn’t.
He’s not proud of it.
In fact, Jesus has taken hold of his heart in big ways since those days and made him into a new creation. One who struggles, a lot, to remember that the shame he feels for his past isn’t what God wants for him.
So when he bumps into Holly–the woman from work he’s paired up with in Joe Robinson’s crazy “Who wants to be a billionaire” competition–at the grocery store, Aaron isn’t quite sure what to do with the fact that her son is the spitting image of him as a child.
Here’s a little glimpse of Holly and Aaron (and Luca) in action:
“Holly?”
She turned. Her stomach sank when she spotted Aaron. Why was he at the grocery store on a Friday night? Shouldn’t he be out partying or on a date? “Aaron. Hi.”
“Looks like you know how to live it up the same as I do.” He chuckled and reached for a variety pack of Greek yogurt.
“So it seems.” Her gaze darted to Luca as he came back into view with an enormous bag of chips in his arms. Everything in her tensed. “I guess I’m surprised.”
His eyebrows lifted. “A guy’s gotta eat.”
“True.” Why were her hands sweating? She wiped them on her jeans and slung an arm around Luca as he dropped the bag of chips in the cart.
“You got the yogurt, Mom?” Luca peered into the cart before drawing a line through an item on the list. “Next is eggs.”
Holly offered Aaron a tight smile. “Enjoy your evening.”
“You, too.”
She caught a glimpse of Aaron standing still, his little handbasket looped over his arm, staring after them. Well, let him stare. She wasn’t the only single mother in the world. For all Aaron knew, she was married and just didn’t wear a ring. There was a reason she kept her private life private. She fought the urge to glance back and see if he was still watching.
Since we’re sharing secrets today, I’ll let you in on one of mine: I love secret baby stories.
I realize that’s an unpopular thing–and I do understand the objections to them. But, I also really think they can be fun, provided the reason the dad doesn’t know about the baby makes sense. In today’s world, it’s harder to come up with a good reason. Most of the time, you ought to at least be able to send a text, right?
No matter how you twist it though, you do have to acknowledge that neither mom nor dad were living for Jesus the way the Bible asks us to. And I do understand that that’s sometimes a deal breaker for readers of Christian fiction who just want to escape into their books and not deal with the struggles that we really face today.
But I’ve always loved messy characters. And maybe that’s why I enjoy secret baby stories so much, too.
So You Have My Secret Baby is book 4 in the So You Want to be a Billionaire series and it’ll release on August 10th. Normally, I’d say my books (even in series) stand alone. And these stories do as well, mostly. I do feel like you get a better handle on what’s going on if you’re reading them in order though. Especially since Books 2, 3, and 4 all take place over the same timeframe in story time.
Books 1 and 3 are out (and available in Kindle Unlimited). Book 2 is available in the Love’s Treasure Collection box set (which is also in Kindle Unlimited) and will be out as a solo in November. You can find the whole series here.
I’d love to gift a copy of any of the books in the So You Want to be a Billionaire series to a commenter. Let me know what you think about secret baby stories — what are you deal breakers for them? Or maybe, like me, you love them! Tell me about that! Or, if you’d rather not talk secret babies, what’s your favorite baby shower game and why?
I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday, so comment before midnight on Monday, August 2nd, if you want to enter.
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
Wow, didn’t see this post coming. One of the most powerful stories I’ve read deals with a secret baby in that the biological father as a young teen raped a girl whilst he was drunk. It dealt with how her struggles to cope and create a life for herself and her child. It covered the time her fiancee discovered who the biological father was and how they create a loving family despite that, wish I could remember the name. I usually send a present and skip the baby shower :(
Oh wow. There’s a lot of scope for redemption in a story like that. And heartache.
I’ll admit that I’m often in send a gift but don’t go camp as well. But I always enjoy myself when I do go.
I love a secret baby.
Yay! I started to say we should have a club but that sounds weird. So I will just nod and smile when we see each other in the secret baby story aisle.
I went through a time where it seemed every book I either had to read to review or picked up was secret baby and I was over them at that time. I remember a LIS that had a secret baby and it was a wife who left the husband due to danger. He didn’t know about the baby or the fact she left because his life would be in danger if they stayed together. When they accidently meet up again the danger follows. It worked well.
I agree you need a good reason for the father not to know some reasons could be an abusive relationship and would be interesting to see how the man changed. Or in the above case due to danger.
So while it’s not my favourite trope I will read it.
When ANY trope keeps coming one after the next I feel like it can get old. Don’t blame you for that at all.
And yes! Suspense writers have a little more leeway for good reasons to keep the baby secret.
Do you remember the title of that book?! Sounds interesting!
I think it was In the Deep by Virginia Smith has scuba diving in it.
Not sure they were married now.
Thank you! I’ll check it out!
Hi Elizabeth! While I am NOT fond of Billionaire romances, YOU have me hooked with the intriguing premise to this series – Matchmaking cloaked as an Office Competition; because the emphasis is not on the money, but the competition and the troupe (Book 4 – Secret Baby). As an avid reader of both historical and contemporary romances, I have read quite a few secret baby stories. I think in CCR it is more difficult to have a sound reason for a secret baby that works within Biblical / Christian principles – whether falling from grace and faith or pre-conversion life. As a retiree, I haven’t been to a baby shower in five years. Best wishes. Enjoy your weekend. (No need to include me in Give Away.)
Yay! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the series!
It’s actually been a while since I’ve been to a shower as well. I was just invited to one for my friend’s first grandbaby, because that’s apparently the stage of life in hitting :)
Secret Baby is not an overwhelming favorite for me, but I don’t mind it either. If you can’t have redemption in Christian fiction, where can you? Carol Moncado’s “Discovering Home” is an interesting twist on Marriage of Convenience and Secret Baby that I really enjoyed (on many different levels).
As a guy, I don’t usually get invited to showers. I have been to a couple for the groom, though. My gift is always a plunger. I tell the groom, “So the white knight can become the white tornado…and because someone gave me one when I got married.” Turnabout and all that.
Looking forward to reading the new book baby!
Loved that book by Carol!
And yes for sure, if there’s not redemption in Christian fiction, then where is it?
Plungers are great gifts – so necessary.
I enjoy secret baby stories and realize characters can have messy pasts
Yay!
I enjoy secret baby stories but have read very few with that content. Thank you for sharing.
They’re harder to find in CCR it seems. And I do understand that – sort of – but I’m glad there are some out there.
I think secret baby stories can be fun – yours certainly sounds fun! At baby showers I like to give either a baby diaper cake or a hooded towel that I’ve made by sewing a regular towel to a washcloth.
Thanks! Diaper cakes are the best! As are hooded towels. I love useful, practical gifts like that.
I’m not too sure about the whole billionaire romance thing, guess I haven’t read any of them. But I don’t mind a secret baby story. I can often understand why mother wouldn’t tell the father, especially if it was a one night stand. But then you know there’s always that chance that you might run into that person again…
That’s a great setup for sure.
Secret baby isn’t my favorite trope but I will read them. Your book sounds like an intersting take on the trope.
I’ve read some I didn’t love for sure. So it’s definitely one that can be tricky. I hope you give it a shot!
I have to admit, I wasn’t crazy about the secret baby trope until I read some as ARC’s! Now, I have to admit I kinda like them, though it depends on how it’s handled. I have to say, yours sounds really good!! Karen Kingsbury has done a couple, while not labeled “secret” they really kinda were. I’ve read book in this series, and I really want the others!
Woohoo! You can join our secret baby club ;) I’ll have to look for those Kingsbury books.
Hi, Secret Baby is my favorite trope! I love everything about them and it is nothing to be ashamed of, things happen in life and this is one of those things. Your book sounds so very intriguing and I will definitely be adding it to my TBR list. I love your book cover. Have a great weekend and stay safe. God Bless you and your family. Thank you so much for sharing about your book.
Oh yay! Another club member ;) and thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
I enjoy reading secret baby stories as well, and yours sounds awesome!
Oh yay! Who knew the club would get so big? :) I’m excited to see so many who enjoy secret babies!
I enjoy the secret baby trope. I am intrigued as to how the story line will work out. The last baby shower I attended was for my triplet great nieces. They will be turning 3 in two months. The requested gifts were practical gifts such as diapers etc. I went to Sam’s and bought a case of diapers and a case of wipes. I also threw in a few matching outfits. The triplets are identical girls. I haven’t seen them much due to the pandemic. I am enjoying your billionaire series. I need to finish book 3 so that I will be ready for book 4!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it!
And triplets! Wow! Fun and also lots of work for mom and dad!
Creative post, Elizabeth. I enjoyed it and the book sounds great. I like secret baby stories too.
Thanks Shannon! Apparently there are more of us who enjoy the trope than I realized! That’s a good thing. :)
Creative post, Elizabeth. I enjoyed it and the book sounds great. I like secret baby stories too.
I enjoy them, and as Christians, redemption should be part of our understanding, so I can accept them in CF.
This is so true!
I enjoy the secret baby troupe. There are many reasons why the paternity may not be made known. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.
There are definitely a lot of options!
I don’t generally care for secret baby/child stories. Though I have read a few & the author made the reason valid & make sense as to why the child/baby was kept secret.
I haven’t been part of a baby shower for many years, so I wouldn’t know what games are played anymore. But I have watched gender reveal videos on YouTube and some people are so creative! I love watching them :-)
Gender reveals can be fun to watch! Some are so elaborate I kind of shake my head but that’s also part of the fun.
I enjoy the trope secret babies but I feel like they have to be handled carefully. However I am really excited for your book to release
Yay! I hope you love it – just about 10 days to go!
I love secret baby stories by different authors & some are from real life like teenagers getting video taped during there pregnancy. I love how they do tell the person there with that they are pregnant too. I love to play Bingo & also not to cross your legs in anyway or you loose your pin & can’t win that prize for that game. I played these through my pregnancy.
The not crossing legs one seems so easy but it isn’t! It’s like not saying baby or the gender if that’s known. You think you’re safe, then you slip without realizing. :)
I like secret babies, seeing how the father realizes that he has a child and learns to be a father is beautiful.
I am new to Christian fiction so I haven’t read much but would love to read a contemporary secret baby Christian romance where the reason the baby was unknown to the father is that when the mother got involved with him, the man was interacting with dangerous people / criminals or he himself was part of that world.
Maybe then he became a christian in jail? It would be interesting.
Ooh, that’s a great idea for a secret baby plot!
Looking forward to Holly’s story!! In the secret baby trope, most of the ones I’ve read have been good. The very first one I can remember reading is Kimberly Rae Jordan’s “This Time With Love”, although the child was older than a baby!! Recently there’s been quite a few.
I love Kimberly’s books. That one is no exception. And in my book, Luca is 9, so he definitely doesn’t qualify as a baby anymore.
I enjoy secret babies stories too, I find them as fun as marriage of convenience stories. I think one of the only ways they can work well in CF though is if the characters either didn’t know Jesus or had fallen away from Him, and their redemption story throughout the book points people to Jesus. We all make mistakes and do things we know are wrong, but we shouldn’t glorify those wrongs either. As long as the books don’t do that, I can enjoy them.
Oh for sure! We never want to glorify sin!
I enjoy secret baby stories ❤️
“All have sinned …” but God’s mercy is MORE!
Baby shower game – one of my favorites, writing a message for mom on a diaper-silly or encouraging doesn’t matter. My sister in love said she would be laughing sometimes out loud during the night while changing a diaper and reading them 😁
That’s a fabulous game/idea for new moms. Not one I’ve run into but I’m going to pop it in the back of my mind for later.
I agree, if it is written well the secret baby can make a very interesting story. Your book sounds really good. Thank you for putting it in KU!