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krisi616's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lauren_soderberg's review
3.0
3.5 stars
Laura Brown’s About That Night is inclusive and heartfelt. It’s a great story if you’re a fan of baby tropes in romance, but is probably best skipped if you don’t.
When Izzy Fineburg meets a handsome man at an ASL conference, the last thing she expects from their one night stand is a baby. Nolan Holtzman never planned on having kids, but when Izzy reenters his life, he’s determined to step up. Throw in the fact that he’s now Izzy’s superior at work and there is an explicit ban against inter-office dating? Things are about to get infinitely more complicated.
I really appreciated this story for what it taught me about the Deaf community and the nuances of ASL as an independent language. And I loved how Nolan’s deafness is normalized and not tokenized. The connection between Izzy and Nolan is palpable, and I wish the author would have spent more time exploring their connection separate from their child.
I’ll say up front that secret baby/babies in romance isn’t my personal favorite, especially when so much time is spent on the difficulties of parenthood and less time is spent on romantic chemistry. However, that’s solely a personal preference on my end, and not a criticism of the story itself. It just might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The bulk of the novel explores the challenges of parenthood in all its forms, and I applaud the author for not shying away from all of the realities. I just wanted it to be a little more balanced.
In all, this is a sweet story that will definitely tick all the boxes for readers who love it when babies are included in romantic storylines.
Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Laura Brown’s About That Night is inclusive and heartfelt. It’s a great story if you’re a fan of baby tropes in romance, but is probably best skipped if you don’t.
When Izzy Fineburg meets a handsome man at an ASL conference, the last thing she expects from their one night stand is a baby. Nolan Holtzman never planned on having kids, but when Izzy reenters his life, he’s determined to step up. Throw in the fact that he’s now Izzy’s superior at work and there is an explicit ban against inter-office dating? Things are about to get infinitely more complicated.
I really appreciated this story for what it taught me about the Deaf community and the nuances of ASL as an independent language. And I loved how Nolan’s deafness is normalized and not tokenized. The connection between Izzy and Nolan is palpable, and I wish the author would have spent more time exploring their connection separate from their child.
I’ll say up front that secret baby/babies in romance isn’t my personal favorite, especially when so much time is spent on the difficulties of parenthood and less time is spent on romantic chemistry. However, that’s solely a personal preference on my end, and not a criticism of the story itself. It just might not be everyone’s cup of tea. The bulk of the novel explores the challenges of parenthood in all its forms, and I applaud the author for not shying away from all of the realities. I just wanted it to be a little more balanced.
In all, this is a sweet story that will definitely tick all the boxes for readers who love it when babies are included in romantic storylines.
Thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
books_and_more_books_byt's review against another edition
4.0
About That Night is the second book in the Matzah Ball Surprise series, but it was fine as a stand-alone. It was well written with a storyline that was developed. The characters were genuine and interesting. It was a short book but a sweet romance.
Izzy Fineberg found herself pregnant after spending one night with a hot Deaf man. She did not catch the man’s entire name since she was still learning ASL. Now she is starting a new job at a Deaf agency and finds out her new boss is the father of Archie, her son, and the agency has a strict “no dating coworkers” policy.
Nolan Holtzman had never expected Izzy to show up at the agency he just started working at. Learning he was a father was a huge shock, but he was determined to be there for his son. He volunteered for Archie and Izzy to stay with him when she needed a place to stay. Both needed their jobs, so they had to keep their relationship a secret.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Izzy Fineberg found herself pregnant after spending one night with a hot Deaf man. She did not catch the man’s entire name since she was still learning ASL. Now she is starting a new job at a Deaf agency and finds out her new boss is the father of Archie, her son, and the agency has a strict “no dating coworkers” policy.
Nolan Holtzman had never expected Izzy to show up at the agency he just started working at. Learning he was a father was a huge shock, but he was determined to be there for his son. He volunteered for Archie and Izzy to stay with him when she needed a place to stay. Both needed their jobs, so they had to keep their relationship a secret.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
smalltownbookmom's review against another edition
4.0
A one night stand with a deaf man results in a baby and no way to contact the father in this single mom, dual POV romance. I've had this one on my TBR for a while now and it did not disappoint. Written from an #ownvoices HofH author, the Deaf rep felt really authentic and I enjoyed watching the two MCs navigate the extra challenges with communication and co-parenting. Good on audio too!
jrv45's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nikkihrose's review against another edition
4.0
I fell in love with this book simply from the description on NetGalley and the my love for it only grew as I continued to read.
While a romance at heart, this novel captures the challenges of unplanned pregnancies, one-night “flings”, how to overcome your deepest fears, and how to have faith in yourself. Additionally, one of the main characters is Deaf, and I just have so much love and respect for the Deaf community –– this book is impossible to not love!
My rating of 4.5⭐️ instead of 5 is simply because I could predict a lot of what was going to happen. And that’s okay! I just feel that for me, personally, that extra “zing” for a 5⭐️ read is one that knocks me off of my feet while reading. But even still, this book is sweet, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. I love Izzy and Nolan – and baby Archie!! – so much, and I just know that you will too.
While a romance at heart, this novel captures the challenges of unplanned pregnancies, one-night “flings”, how to overcome your deepest fears, and how to have faith in yourself. Additionally, one of the main characters is Deaf, and I just have so much love and respect for the Deaf community –– this book is impossible to not love!
My rating of 4.5⭐️ instead of 5 is simply because I could predict a lot of what was going to happen. And that’s okay! I just feel that for me, personally, that extra “zing” for a 5⭐️ read is one that knocks me off of my feet while reading. But even still, this book is sweet, heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. I love Izzy and Nolan – and baby Archie!! – so much, and I just know that you will too.
angelsbookstaloves's review
3.0
Two adorable books in a row? How about YES. This was so cute! I really love the representation for the deaf community!
The child was absolutely adorable. (If ya didnt know, I love children! They are soooooo cute
The child was absolutely adorable. (If ya didnt know, I love children! They are soooooo cute
ammalek's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
kb33's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The two main themes of this book are the baby, Archie, and “we can’t be together because work has rules.” Repeat until you’re bored. The number of times Archie clapped nearly made me fall asleep from boredom.
The conflict was obnoxious - Nolan thinks he’s a screwup because of a mishap from when he was a kid that actually sounds kinda funny since no one got hurt, and he desperately needs therapy because he can’t get over it already. He lets it affect every area of his life from personal relationships to work, and this book continues the harmful stereotype that people can magically get over their trauma that has affected them for a decade just by falling in insta-love.
I liked Izzy, I liked Nolan even though he had serious issues, I liked the workplace interactions, I loved reading a book with a deaf main character - romance is a genre that needs more representation for all abilities, races, and religions, and I enjoy reading them. I also liked that Nolan’s deafness wasn’t his sole characteristic - people are so much more than their abilities, and he’s a well rounded character with hobbies, friends, and a job in social media.
The conflict was obnoxious - Nolan thinks he’s a screwup because of a mishap from when he was a kid that actually sounds kinda funny since no one got hurt, and he desperately needs therapy because he can’t get over it already. He lets it affect every area of his life from personal relationships to work, and this book continues the harmful stereotype that people can magically get over their trauma that has affected them for a decade just by falling in insta-love.
I liked Izzy, I liked Nolan even though he had serious issues, I liked the workplace interactions, I loved reading a book with a deaf main character - romance is a genre that needs more representation for all abilities, races, and religions, and I enjoy reading them. I also liked that Nolan’s deafness wasn’t his sole characteristic - people are so much more than their abilities, and he’s a well rounded character with hobbies, friends, and a job in social media.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Abandonment and Pregnancy
aliciasplendeur's review
4.0
All it took was one night and Izzy Fineberg found herself pregnant but she never got the handsome man's name. She stayed in the area hoping to run into him again but no luck. Luckily her sister and her fiance, have helped Izzy navigate the last few months of being a single parent.
Nolan Holtzman thought he'd never see Izzy again, often thinking of their short time together. Now here she is the recent hire and they'll be working together. The no dating policy means he'll have to keep his distance from her. Nothing can prepare him for the news Izzy delivers about the results of their one night together.
When Izzy and their son need a place to stay, Nolan invites them to his home. And all this time together is not helping calm down their attraction.
I really enjoyed this sweet little romance. That our main characters had met before was interesting because they still had an attraction to one another, and both wanted to keep their dream job helping the Deaf community. This is a good palate cleanser between books. Definitely worth a shot.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC copy to review.
working on review
Nolan Holtzman thought he'd never see Izzy again, often thinking of their short time together. Now here she is the recent hire and they'll be working together. The no dating policy means he'll have to keep his distance from her. Nothing can prepare him for the news Izzy delivers about the results of their one night together.
When Izzy and their son need a place to stay, Nolan invites them to his home. And all this time together is not helping calm down their attraction.
I really enjoyed this sweet little romance. That our main characters had met before was interesting because they still had an attraction to one another, and both wanted to keep their dream job helping the Deaf community. This is a good palate cleanser between books. Definitely worth a shot.
Thanks to Entangled Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for this ARC copy to review.
working on review