“When she held him in her arms, it felt like he belonged there. If someone had asked her why, she wasn’t sure she could have explained it, but there was something so achingly familiar about it, especially when she gazed down at him. Maybe it was because she’d imagined it so often that it felt like she’d held him countless times before—as if she already had thousands of memories of the little boy she’d only just meet.”
Fans of the Cornish Midwife series will not be disappointed with the latest installment in the series.
Midwife Jess knows she’ll never have a baby of her own, but she’s determined to still be a mum. So Jess decides to foster, providing love and support for children who desperately need it – something Jess never had as a child when she was in foster care.
Jess loves caring for the precious babies who come into her life, but letting them go again breaks her heart every time – can she really be a mum after all?
But then Jess finds a surprise on her doorstep – a newborn baby! As the search for the missing mum begins, Jess cares for the precious babe day and night. She desperately wants to reunite mum and baby, but knows that when the day comes, her own heart will shatter.
I loved, loved, loved this book even though it did break my heart at times. Be sure to have a box of tissues nearby; you will definitely need it. I was so excited to read this book because I adore Jess and could wait to watch as she started her journey as a foster mom. Jo has done an excellent job with this series. Each book is fresh and heartfelt, and even after four books, I still feel engaged with the characters and plot, and I’m just so excited to see what will happen next.
This book starts with Jess anxiously waiting for her first assignment as a foster mom while avoiding calls and texts from her ex-husband and Dexter (her love interest in this book). Thank goodness she has her job as a midwife and her friends to help keep her grounded. Jess’s life takes an expected turn when she opens her front door to find a newborn baby on her doorstep. Everyone agrees that Jess should look after the baby until the mom can be found. But the longer Jess cares for the baby, the more she realizes letting little Teddy go will break her heart. If life wasn’t complicated enough for Jess, she has an ex-husband that doesn’t understand the meaning of no, her job is SUPER busy, her estranged father is trying to reconnect with her, and she can’t figure out where she stands with Dexter (are they friends, lovers, or just acquaintances).
A lot is going on in this book, as you probably could tell from my brief synopsis above. I have to say that Jo does a fantastic job at ensuring that her readers can follow along with the story (and the side stories) without getting lost or feeling overwhelmed. I never once felt like I couldn’t keep up with all that was going on, and there were plenty of times that I found myself on the edge of my seat and wanted to know what would happen next. This book does have it all; it has mystery, love, friendship, action, and heartbreak. I lost count of the number of times I found myself saying “no way” while reading this book.
Once again, I found myself loving the midwifery parts of this book. I just found it so fascinating, and I was in awe at what these women and men do. The amount of compassion, cool-headedness, and bravery that these midwives demonstrate is just amazing. The midwife scenes are just so real and raw and I loved being there with them.
The relationship between Jess and Dexter has a friends-to-lover trope feel to it. These two characters met in the previous book. Dexter was the social worker who oversaw assessing and helping Jess get ready to be a foster mom. It was easy to see that these two had that instant connection. But they are reluctant to act upon those feelings because they both have a lot going on in their lives, both personally and professionally. I liked how Jo didn’t rush these two into a romantic relationship, their time as friends really helped build up that chemistry and that anticipation of whether they will get together or won’t they.
Fans of the series will love seeing what the other characters have been up to. Anna and Toni are expecting, Ella is busy planning her wedding, and old friends return to Port Agnes. So get ready to laugh, cry, and fall in love with this wonderful cast of characters.
Spring Surprise for the Cornish Midwife is a beautiful heartfelt read that you won’t be able to put down.
Thank you, Boldwood Books and Rachel Random Resources, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
