Debut author Angela Lawrence explores a woman's desire for motherhood in The Rules of Conception. Rachel Richards is in her mid thirties, single (again), financially secure and wanting to be a mother. Worried time is running out, she makes the choice to go it alone. Rachel begins to investigate her options, eventually choosing a 'known donor' but the conception of her plan turns out to be much easier than it's execution.

I was intrigued by the premise of The Rules of Conception, primarily because I have a friend currently considering her options. Like Rachel, none of her relationships have worked out and as she approaches forty her biological clock is ticking ever louder. There are so many factors for her to consider and I hoped that Lawrence would provide some insight into the journey.

I found the viability of the varied options Rachel explores really interesting, from co parenting arrangements to the purchase of anonymous donor sperm from abroad. They each have their pro's and con's, raising issues I hadn't given much thought to.
Eventually Rachel determines that a 'known donor' is the right choice for her and her search leads her to Digby, a man who wants to father a child but not raise one. Armed with a list of questions and a legal contract Rachel is sensible about the process in an attempt to control the situation, but her narrow focus doesn't allow much room for variations of her circumstances.

What I do think the story lacked was emotion, Rachel is focused on her plans but there is no real sense of excitement or apprehension from her about the pregnancy, birth or her general circumstances until very near the end. She never seems to daydream about her baby's future, muse about what he/she will look like or debate baby names neither does she seem concerned about the baby's health or worry much about Digby's honesty, even when he disappears. Most everyone is supportive of her decision and I think the story could have benefited by having a character to really challenge Rachel.

Most of the angst in the story involves Rachel's relationship with her horrific boss, a situation that definitely evokes sympathy and which her pregnancy threatens to exacerbate, yet even that fizzles out to a bland truce.

The Rules of Conception is interesting, entertaining and I thought Lawrence wrote sensitively about the practical issues involved in the process of choosing single parenthood. It is a thought provoking story and as such I will be passing it on to my friend. ( )

The Rules of Conception is a really interesting book that is also unique, as it covers something I’ve never really thought about before. Rachel has hit the big 3-5 and wants a baby. The problem is, her current boyfriend is work preoccupied and trekking obsessed – he’s not even Mr Right for Now. The other men she knows are a bit meh. So what’s a girl to do? Look into having a baby on her own.

I have honestly never realised that there are so many choices involved in getting the Y chromosome – and nor does Rachel. She’s a clever girl, and she does her research into anonymous donors, known donors, co-parenting, Australian donors, overseas donors, gay friends, DIY versus IVF…it’s a minefield. But then Rachel chooses Digby, a man who wants children, but not the messy family entanglement. An agreement is reached (the scenes where Rachel looks for a solicitor are particularly amusing) and Rachel becomes pregnant.

Despite envisaging a pregnancy that is tranquil and blooming, real life doesn’t go that way for Rachel. There’s morning sickness, a truly evil boss, a married friend coming on a bit strong and Digby going AWOL to deal with. Plus there are the reactions to Rachel’s choice to be a single parent for her to contend with. It seems life is much more complicated than ever!

You may think that a novel essentially about conception and pregnancy could be boring, but this isn’t. This book fascinated me as Rachel went through the options to get pregnant – it appears that it’s an opinionated area with many facets to consider, like: what do you tell the child? What, if any, role does the father play? How much access should the father have? Is a sperm donor a father? I can’t promise you that you’ll walk away with definite answers to these questions, but they are dealt with in a caring and unbiased way.

Lawrence’s strength in her characters also makes this novel a winner. She has created what is probably the most heinous boss ever (yes, more so than Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada) in Lyndall, Rachel’s boss. Lyndall is revolting in her bullying actions towards Rachel and I felt physically sick at times when reading her dialogue. Happily, there are lovelier characters in Annabelle, Rachel’s friend/colleague with a penchant for gossip and Digby, her donor – handsome, Canadian and talented. Rachel is also a clever construction in that you can see her growing (not just with baby bump!) from chapter to chapter. She’s the kind of friend you’d love to have.

I thought I knew where this novel was going from the start. You probably do too after you’ve read this description. But let we tell you that there are unexpected events unfolding in the latter part of this book which make it very original and a stand out novel. You’ll laugh, cry and fume with Rachel as she goes down her path to a baby. Kudos to Lawrence for tackling a number of difficult topics in this book with grace and sensitivity – this is a fine book and I eagerly await more from her.

Thank you to Harlequin Australia for providing me with an ARC of this book.

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