021. Secret Baby in Romance with Kini Allen

Short Description

Minisode! Kini Allen and I talk about the secret baby trope in romance novels, I share all the ones I forgot I had read, and then she shares some favorites. Then, listeners weigh in on the trope and I make the case for representing other reproductive choices in romance.

This episode may not be for everyone.

Content Warning: We talk about unintended pregnancy in the course of this episode, and in the outro I talk about contraception, abortion, and miscarriage in romance novels.

Show Notes

Shelf Love:

Guest Host: Kini Allen (Smexy Books)

Instagram: @1KiniLei
Twitter: @kinilei1

Listen to: Episode 5 with Kini Allen, where we discuss Time Served by Julianna Keyes

Books/Media

The Cad and the Co-Ed by Penny Reid and LH Cosway (Rugby player and...co-ed)
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34273458-the-cad-and-the-co-ed?from_search=true&qid=VLxIEd8dAE&rank=1
What A Girl Wants (2003)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_a_Girl_Wants_(film)
Bountiful by Sarina Bowen (hockey player and bartender)
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34099086-bountiful
Nobody’s Baby But Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips (football player and astrophysicist)
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/73080.Nobody_s_Baby_But_Mine?from_search=true&qid=7YmoY4JybA&rank=1
Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16119079-forever-my-girl?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=iWi0uTU2Em&rank=1
Never Enough #4 from The Brown Family Series by Lauren Dane
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9273113-never-enough?from_search=true&qid=abky6xMeIi&rank=4
Hold on Tight by Serena Bell
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43835264-hold-on-tight?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=grzhyNVFEh&rank=5
Willing Victim by Cara McKenna changed the way Kini was reading romance (but no secret baby)
- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30901481-willing-victim?from_search=true&qid=z2p8yIL8Fo&rank=1

Listener recommendations:

Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson (@a_huszka)
@HannahHeartsRomance begrudgingly admitted to liking Scoring the Player’s Baby by Naima Simone despite not liking this trope.
@Phoenixindacity and @b.andherbooks seconded Kini’s recommendation for Bountiful by Sarina Bowen, and Phoenix also seconded The Cad and the Co-Ed.
@MarisaElaineGettas loves Fumbled by Alexa Martin.

Notes:

Guttmacher Institute Study about abortion: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2017/abortion-common-experience-us-women-despite-dramatic-declines-rates

Transcript

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Guests