Expecting

Written by Ann Lewis Hamilton

Mom, dad(s), and baby make—four?

Laurie and Alan are thrilled to find out that they'll finally be having a baby, until they discover the unthinkable: the doctor has impregnated Laurie with the wrong man's sperm. Alan is reeling, torn about the new child that's not his and suddenly unsure about any of his commitments. His shock is almost as great as that of Jack, a college junior who suddenly finds out he's a father, and whose identity is discovered as he is juggling finals, his fraternity, a fund shortage, and two girlfriends. Frank, funny, and forthright, Expecting is the fascinating story of three people bound together by a fateful mistake, and a thoughtful exploration of what it really means to be a parent.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Jul 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781480559011

Ann Lewis Hamilton

Ann Lewis Hamilton has been a TV and screenwriter for many years. Some of her credits include shows like Grey's Anatomy, One Tree Hill, Providence, Party of Five, and thirtysomething.

Reviews for Expecting

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Expecting by Ann Lewis Hamilton is an interesting novel about one couple's struggle with infertility. After Laurie's two pregnancies end in early miscarriages, she and her husband Alan undergo intrauterine insemination to improve their chances at pregnancy. They are thrilled when the procedure works but they are stunned to learn Laurie was impregnated with another man's sperm.

Expecting is written in third person from the alternating perspectives of the three main characters: Laurie, Alan and Jack, the biological father of Laurie's baby. Each of the shift changes are clearly marked so it is easy to keep up with which character is currently narrating the story.

Laurie and Alan have a solid marriage and while they are both devastated by the miscarriages, they do not give up on their dream of having a baby. Laurie is more open to adoption while Alan is a little more hesitant. So it really does not come as a huge surprise that Alan has a more difficult time with the news about the mix-up at the fertility clinic. Instead of discussing his doubts with Laurie, he becomes very introspective as he tries to come to terms with his uncertainties and eventually makes a decision that puts their marriage at risk.

Laurie is pragmatic about the news and while she is not happy that Alan is not the baby's father, she never considers ending her pregnancy. She is compelled to learn as much as she can about the sperm donor, and when she inadvertently discovers his identity, she does not hesitate to contact him. Laurie tries to pressure Alan into meeting Jack and her continued involvement with Jack contributes to the growing distance between her and Alan.

In the beginning of Expecting, Jack is immature and rather directionless. A typical frat boy, he is more interested in drinking and getting laid than graduating from college. Once Laurie tracks him down, they quickly become friends and Jack's life finally gets on track, but his role (if any) in the baby's life remains uncertain.

While Expecting is a well-written character driven novel, some of the passages are rambling with the characters dreaming up ridiculous "what if" scenarios that really have no bearing on the unfolding story. The pacing is a bit slow and uneven but after the first quarter, it becomes a little faster paced.

Entertaining and engrossing, Ann Lewis Hamilton's Expecting is refreshingly unique novel with strong character development and an unpredictable storyline that keeps readers guessing the story's final outcome.

[ennie_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Received from NetGalley) There was a bit of a mixup with NetGalley. They originally rejected my request to read this book, and then wrote asking if I was interested in various publicity events. Um, you rejected me, I replied. They then made the galley available, and all is well. A much more serious mixup occurred in the book (spoiler - but it's near the beginning and all the reviews mention it. Stop reading NOW if you want to be surprised). Laurie and Alan are happily married and have suffered 2 miscarriages, so decide to try a fertility treatment using Alan's own sperm. Laurie is thrilled when the pregnancy takes, only to learn that there was a mixup at the clinic, and she is carrying the baby of Donor 296 - Jack, an Asian-Indian UCLA student. They track Jack down, and he becomes part of their lives. We hear the story from all three points of view. Possibly a far-fetched premise, but it makes for interesting reading.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After two early term miscarriages, happily married couple Laurie and Alan seek fertility advice and agree to try Intrauterine Insemination (IUI). They are delighted, if somewhat wary, when they discover Laurie is expecting but as the pregnancy progresses past the point of their earlier losses, they allow themselves to dream of their future as a family. Until a phone call from the fertility clinic changes everything.Told from the third person perspectives of Laurie, the expectant mother, Alan, her husband, and college student Jack, also known as Donor #296, Expecting, by Ann Hamilton, explores an unique situation where Laurie learns that the father of her baby is not her husband but instead Donor #296, thanks to the actions of a disgruntled clinic employee.I felt for each of the protagonists in this story. As Alan struggles to accept the shocking news, Laurie has already formed a connection with the child growing within her, and feels compelled to find out more about Donor #296, leading her to contact Jack, whom she discovers is a college student of Asian Indian heritage.For the most part I believed in the motivations and thoughts of the characters caught in such a complicated situation and I liked the way in which the author considered the issues from multiple perspectives.I understood Laurie's refusal to consider a termination and her curiosity about the donor. I too would want to meet him, though I would probably be far more reluctant to embrace him in the way Laurie does. In several ways I think it is admirable, especially as it means 'Buddy' will be able to have a relationship with his/her biological parent and family, but Laurie doesn't really consider the impact on her husband, even though she professes too.I was surprised at how much I sympathised with Alan's feelings of jealousy, anxiety and anger and his concerns about his ability to love a child, especially one that won't look like him, that is not his. His reaction, to distract himself with the fantasy of a relationship with his ex girlfriend, may have been inappropriate, but is somewhat understandable.Jack is a fairly typical college student confronted by a decidedly atypical situation. Laid back and easy going he is just as indecisive about deciding what role he will play in the baby's life as he is in choosing a major, or a girlfriend.Hamilton's tone is deceptively lighthearted, finding humour amongst the angst of the situation. The story is well paced with the shifts between perspectives, and short chapters, making it a quick and easy read.I enjoyed Expecting, I found it to be both an entertaining and surprisingly thought provoking novel with an interesting perspective on an unusual issue. Ann Lewis Hamilton is a debut author with promise.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The author has managed to find a way to throw three perfectly nice people into an impossible situation and that makes for a good story.