The Baby Proposition

A Pregnancy Bargain Romance (Anything for Love)

By: Kim Loraine

Narrated by: J.F. Harding, Stella Hunter

Length: 6 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Clara Barnes wants a baby, and I’m going to give her one.

I wanted Clara the first time I saw her, but as soon as I figured out she was the local vet and would be working on my ranch, I knew I had to let her go. I put myself in the friend-zone until the night she told me she wanted to get knocked up.

There wasn’t a chance I’d let another guy get her pregnant, even if he was an anonymous donor. Not when she had me, Maverick Wilde - grade A certified Montana cowboy - right in front of her. The arrangement was perfect. I make my donation, she gets her baby, we go back to being friends. No strings. No messy heartbreak.

Except everything changes when we decide it’ll be a lot more fun to make a direct deposit and do things the old-fashioned way. That spark between us? Now it’s a blazing fire I have no desire to extinguish. Our baby proposition just got a lot more complicated.

Featuring duet narration from J.F. Harding and Stella Hunter.

©2022 Kim Loraine (P)2022 Kim Loraine

Kim has done it again!

Another fantastic listen written by Kim Loraine. I couldn’t imagine anyone else narrating the female roles better than Stella Hunter. Honestly, I wasn’t sure that I could imagine anyone other than Aaron playing the male role but JF Harding was amazing! He actually sounded a lot like Aaron when he played the roles of the Ryker men in this story. He was fantastic. I couldn’t wait to listen to this book and I didn’t stop once I started…. Definitely a binge listen… and no regrets. Can’t wait for Big Deck Energy!

Sexxxxxyyyyy Story!

I went into The Baby Proposition without reading or listening to the other books in the Wilde clan. While I can say I wish I had listened to them because I want to after meeting the previous characters. It doesn’t take away from this book if you haven’t read the others. You will totally understand everything that is happening. Clara and Maverick seem to be doing a little dance around each other. They both secretly want the other but won’t risk their friendship. Until Clara decides she’s nearing 40 and she’s ready for a baby. Who better to help than the stud Maverick?!?!

Maverick quickly knows what he wants and goes after it. JF Harding could not have been a better choice. He has a hint of twang, and he goes full on with Mav’s attitude. He’s fun and carefree. However, the man knows what he wants and he’s all about getting it. Once he gets on his horse, the man is ready to ride! Stella Hunter was amazing as Clara. She had a full-on country accent and I totally appreciated it. Clara is strong and fiercely independent. She doesn’t need a man for anything even having a baby. Harding and Hunter are a fantastic duo. Together they light up the earbuds.

I love Mav!!

Maverick and Clara have been friends for years. She works as a vet for the surrounding ranches, including Mav’s. They both are attracted to each other, but neither will admit it to the other. Although single, Clara wants to have a child. She doesn’t want to waste time waiting for Mr. Right. When she lets Maverick in on her plan, he decides to offer his services.

Maverick is kind of a loner; never staying in the same place for long. He has his brothers, but they have their own families, and although he doesn’t feel like the odd man out, he has no plans to settle down. Clara also has no desire to get married. But when he and Clara start working on a baby, he begins rethinking his stance on relationships. Even though they’ve been friends for years, Mav and Clara start seeing each other in a new light. Maybe, just maybe…

I loved the flirty banter between Mav and Clara. Their chemistry was obvious, but it got even stronger once they started trying to get pregnant. Their friendship evolved into a much stronger bond, and the heat between these two was off the charts. I loved getting an update on characters I’ve read and meeting some new ones in the world of Kim Loraine’s cowboys.

Kim creates some amazing cowboys and I love their stories. J.F. Harding and Stella Hunter give a wonderful narrating performance.

Toe-curling awesomeness!

It’s official ~ Kim Loraine is trying to kill us with sexy cowboys! Just when I think I have my favorite cowboy from Kim’s world locked in she gives us the sexiness personified that is Maverick Wilde! I’ve been waiting for his story, to know him better, to get his back story and understand his damage and his motivation. Checkmate - Kim! Maverick and Clara are the perfect fit for each other, but that doesn’t mean they have nothing to overcome, both personally and as a couple. They are in the friendship/denial zone and she has made plans to have a baby on her own based on those zoning rules. There will be assumptions, misunderstandings, and mistakes, but this love is greater than any obstacle and you will be swooning when Mav turns on the romance with Clara firmly in his sights. Consider yourself warned - He reads romance novels and LEARNS! Clara has the golden ticket and we are all along for the ride.

Definitely not safe for work - Have your spare earbuds charged and ready to go. JF Harding was already on my radar as a talented narrator, but this book has him saying things that required me to reorganize my #faveylist to accommodate for the awesomeness that is JF in duet with Stella Hunter! Duet is a definite favorite, and Audibly Addicted has this down to a science - so I KNEW it would be good. Stella and JF in duet are magic! The way he says “Baby” is absolutely noteworthy…let alone “Get naked. We’re going to do some romance novel shit!” from chapter 14. Get this - Listen to it - Repeat! If JF Harding is not already on your list of auto-clicks he will be after this one - Holy toe-curling ways he says “Baby”!

No stud fee required!!

The Baby Proposition by Kim Loraine is a friends-to-lovers, pregnancy-bargain romance set in the Sunrise, Montana world where the Ryker/Wilde Ranch series take place. Maverick “Mav” Wilde has always been attracted to the beautiful Clara Barnes, but has resisted her since Clara worked on his ranch as the vet. Mav is a confident, but broken cowboy that doesn’t feel like he belongs in Sunrise running the ranch with his brothers. Clara, nearing 40 years old, has decided that she doesn’t need a man to get to what she wants out of life… a successful career and a baby. She sets out to have a baby by choosing a donor, but Mav won’t let it happen and decides to make her a proposition. Mav and Clara are long-time friends, but will everything change when Mav offers to become Clara’s “stud”, no fee required? And then he ups the stakes even more by offering to make it a “direct deposit” (wink, wink).
The Baby Proposition is a duet narration with J.F. Harding as Mav and Stella Hunter as Clara. They are a great match for this book. Their performances evoke so much emotion and take the listener on a stunning adventure of friendship, heartbreak, love, and finding your place in the world. I felt the words deep in my soul throughout their performance.
The Baby Proposition is a stand-alone novel and is the first book in the Anything for Love series. Since it has several characters that are mentioned in the Ryker/Wilde Ranch series, your reading experience will be enhanced by reading those first. Plus, disappearing into the Sunrise, Montana world of swoon-worthy cowboys is always an enjoyable experience.
I absolutely loved everything about the book… the story, Stella Hunter, J.F. Harding and the way he says “baby” and “darlin’.” I laughed, I cried, I bawled during the voicemail, and I swooned when they finally found their happily ever after!

Sexy and sassy friends to lovers

I love a good friends to lovers book-and this isn't a good one, it's a great one. The Baby Proposition is fun, sweet and sexy as all get out. I highly recommend diving into this fabulous world that Kim Loraine created.

This book is a standalone, but if you're like me and you love Kim Loraine then you've been introduced to Maverick and Clara before. I was positively giddy to find out how their story was going to unfold-and I was NOT disappointed.

I love Clara. I love her because she's so strong and so willing to go after what she wants. She's honest, smart, sassy and sexy. She is the kind of woman you want at your side when things are tough. I would 100% be friends with her in real life.

Maverick. Oh, holy swoon Maverick. I was NOT expecting him to stake the claim in my heart that he did. Did I know I would love him? Yes. But I LOVE him. Like to the point of saying he's one of my top 3 Kim Loraine book boyfriends (yes, I have a list. Don't judge :) ) This man is at a crossroads and watching him figure out how to handle his life, and Clara, just drew me in. I adore him.

These two together are smoking hot. Their friendship is always there but when things get kicked up...they don't get kicked up a notch, it's more like 100 notches. But it works for them and it worked for me as a reader. I believed in them.

The supporting characters here had me smiling. They don't overpower at all, just enhance. But this world that's created in this book? I could happily live there. This book just flows from start to finish and it's one I HAD to read in one sitting because I enjoyed it so much.

Can we talk narrators for a minute? The world knows I love Stella Hunter. Like LOVE. She's incredible and gives such perfect voice to Clara. She truly brought her to life for me. J.F. Harding?? Where has this man been hiding?! His voice was just perfect for Maverick. Hearing him say a certain term of endearment gave me goosebumps and only one other narrator has done that. These two were just incredible together and I hope they are paired together again!!

This book will leave you smiling-I guarantee it. I absolutely loved it from start to finish...and can't wait to read it again. I highly recommend this book!!

Cute story

The story was cute although I didn’t believe the cowboy when he was confessing his love. He was going to leave her. Not my favorite, but it was so funny.

Exceptional!!

5 stars! Another amazing book from Kim Loraine. As always excellent narration as well.

Absolutely swoonilicious

Kim Loraine really knows how to write good swoon as here comes Maverick Wilde melting our hearts into a puddle. I, for one, am in love! This friends to lovers’ story is all you could wish for, a beautiful friendship that turns into sweet steamy lovin´ mixed with tantalising longing and a little drama to get our heart aching just a smidge.

Maverick and Clara have been friends for a long time, both secretly burning for one another but not acting on those hidden feelings because of their working relations and friendship. Although when Mav finds out Clara wants to have a baby on her own, he gallantly offers to be her "Baby-Daddy" because he can’t imagine anyone else filling that role. Mav & Clara have such sparkling chemistry and I was enthralled following them through their story to a blissful HEA, needless to say with a few complications on the way. It was also wonderful to see familiar characters make an appearance as you can never have enough cowboys around and Mama Ryker is just a gem.

Seriously, every time, I read one of Kim´s cowboy romances, I think this is it, this is the one who stole my heart but then I am surprised once more by the next swoony charming stud that comes along claiming my heart. This story is no different and I can always count on Kim to give me what my heart desires, the perfect love story with an even swoonier cowboy! She is also a genius in finding the best narrators to portray these characters. We are treated to duet narration by Stella Hunter and J.F.Harding, and HOLY WOW, have you listened to J.F. Harding!?!? He is my new narrator crush, and I was fangirl-dying listening to him say, DARLING, BABY and all the things in this southern drawl! His voice should probably come with a warning “Caution! Be swooned, sweet-talked and have your earbuds melted at your own risk” Ahhhh and Stella Hunter gave me all the feels with her passion for animals, her sweet sassy demeanour and fervent determination as Clara. She just is fantabulous!

Swoony perfection!

Every time I pick up a Kim Loraine book I know there will swoony moments, a great story with great characters and all the steam. Clara and Maverick have been friends for a long time and both have feelings for each other but never pursued them. Clara knows she wants and that’s to have a baby and once Maverick finds out he wants to help her. There is lots of chemistry between these two and I loved watching their journey to love. At times I wanted to knock Maverick upside his head but I loved that Clara never gave up on him.
Stella Hunter and J.F. Harding narrate this book in duet and they were amazing. J.F. brought all the swoons as Maverick and Stella does an incredible job capturing all of Clara’s emotions. Both of these narrators brought this book to life and I enjoyed every moment. Another fantastic read/listen from Kim.