Review: “Pursuing Liam”
I chose this from an ARC program because I liked the synopsis and was in the mood for a light-hearted romance.
The Premise
Taryn is hitting the ripe old age of mid-thirties and decides she needs a baby ASAP since no man is forthcoming, so she decides to adopt and raise a baby as a single mother. She meets Liam, fireman and artist extraordinaire, when she hires him to paint a mural for the baby’s room. Though there is immediate attraction on both parts, he sniffs her impending baggage a mile away, knowing he should steer clear because he values his freedom.
When the adoption inevitably falls through, the two have the idea to use Liam in sperm-donor fashion — they’ll be friends with benefits, plus a baby that Taryn will raise on her own. But she soon realises that she wants the whole nine yards — if only she can convince Liam that he wants it too.
The Pros
This was an amusing, quick romance read. The characters came alive with the dialogue, even the naughty dogs! One of the best scenes is when Liam’s brothers push all his buttons by pretending that his brother Colin will serve as a shoo-in for the role Liam is too dumb to accept. I also loved Taryn’s friend Angelica, who was hilarious and supportive to the point of wanting to physically harm anyone who dared to hurt her friend. The sexy scenes are also tasteful without being too overdone, and I actually appreciated that some were even skimmed/skipped to reduce unnecessary details. The focus was on the humour, even when her neighbours and others in the community enjoyed their views (literally) and insight into the couple.
The Cons
While I enjoyed the book overall and read it through quickly, there were a few areas where I was wondering why they were included at all — e.g. despite a life-or-death emergency, there was a mother trying to play matchmaker, and an amiable discussion about the hazards of parking. Beyond those questionable choices, I also had some major concerns with parts of the plot.
The sperm-donor-friends-with-benefits agreement was far too much of a quick sell for two intelligent adults — which Liam clearly was not, but I was hoping at least that Taryn was! Far too much mention was made of Liam being a clunkhead, to the point where I genuinely believed (as his brothers often teased) that he had brain damage. I also thought it was a bit questionable that she was even “pursuing” Liam and seemingly “tricking” him into realising he loved her. Luckily he actually did, but her actions could have been interpreted a lot differently: she convinced a man to impregnate her (no strings attached), and then a moment later he’s on the hook for child support and visitation?
Overall, they both behaved like much younger people — early 20s, rather than mid-30s — and even if the original adoption had gone as planned, I couldn’t imagine the kind of life Taryn had planned for a newborn baby. She was eager to get cracking on baby-making with little preamble, and beyond that she was wrapped up in her job, so apart from the actual baby room there didn’t seem to be enough forethought for the gravity of what she was embarking upon. At one point I thought, she deserves so much better than Liam, and then I eventually decided: y’know, these two clunkheads deserve each other.
Conclusion
Despite my personal qualms about the plot, and wishful thinking about having more intelligent, mature characters, this was still an enjoyable and funny read. The writer’s talent at comedy really shines through, and I really appreciated the fully-fleshed, relatable, and hilarious side characters (even though the main ones left me wanting). I would recommend it to other readers, but perhaps younger women. Still, I really enjoyed the writer’s style and wit, and I am looking forward to reading other books in the series or anything else she has written. I just hope the main characters aren’t quite so infuriating the next time around!
