Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell

Happy Book Birthday to Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Carina Adores Blog Tour celebrating the release of this sweet f/f romance with the perfect mix of quirky and angst! 

The story follows twenty-two years old college drop-out, bisexual and overweight Poppy, who is faced with an unexpected pregnancy after a drunk booty call with her stoner ex-boyfriend. Already heavily criticized by her horrible mother for her far-from-perfect life, Poppy feels strongly that she should have an abortion, but eventually decides to keep the baby nevertheless. In search for encouragement, she decides to join a knitting group, where she not only finds a new hobby and new friends, but the love of her life, Rhiannon. Not really the perfect timing to find your dream partner at the same time as you find out that you are pregnant…

I loved the fun and witty way in which the story was told, with the amazing dynamics in the knitting club and their banter, positivity and friendship. Generally, all dialogues in the book were great; realistic as well as so fun that I laughed out loud at times!

I really appreciated the open discussions about abortion and how any choice is right as long as it’s the woman’s own decision, and about being proud of yourself even though you don’t live up to the unfair expectations by other. There was also some very positive bisexual representation that warmed my heart, and I truly enjoyed the way Poppy was confident in her own body, and the overall feel-good vibes. 

There were two things I had problems with though. The first was that it all felt too rushed at times, both the love story and the relationship with the members of the knitting club. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Poppy and Rhiannon, and even though Rhiannon made it clear from the very start that she didn’t want to be a parent of Poppy’s baby, it felt like the story was pushed there anyway. The relationship with the knitting club also went from acquaintances to best friends in a very rushed manner. My other problem was that I didn’t fully root for Poppy. I enjoyed her inner monologues and her sarcasm and wit, and the way she grew character-wise throughout the story, but she still came across as a little too selfish, bitchy and immature, and I didn’t like the way she treated her friends from the knitting club, or her sister, at times. There was also a special moment/twist in the story and the way both Poppy and Rhiannon acted that made it really hard to stay rooted and cheer for any of them. I understand that this conflict was needed for the dramaturgy, but it was executed in an unnecessarily appalling way.

But all in all, this was a really fun, heartwarming, quirky and fast-paced f/f romance story with a fresh and original plot line, and the important message to not accept other people’s expectations of you. 

Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this cute book! All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Rating:
3.5 quirky stars rounding up to 4

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Author info:
Hettie Bell grew up in small towns in New Brunswick and British Columbia, and now lives outside Edmonton Alberta with her family. She first fell for Highland historicals as a preteen, and that love deepened as the romance genre grew more diverse and queer. A proud bisexual woman, she’s honored to write all the happy endings she never thought she’d get to read. When she’s not writing, she's knitting one of the at least three projects she has on her needles at any given time.

Connect with Hettie Bell:
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