Rules of Conception

Title: The Rules of Conception
Author: Angela Lawrence
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises Australia
Publication Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 9781743560365
Pages: 320
How I got it: Net Galley

In recent years terms such as artificial insemination, surrogacy, and IVF have become mainstream.  Angela Lawrences' Rules of Conception integrates these terms and additional jargon regarding non-traditional conception.  Rachel Richards is 35 years old and rising in her career. Her dating life is not on quite the same trajectory so she decides to not wait around for Mr Right.  Having saved enough to take a year off work, she decides to have a child on her own. After some online research and a not-quite-what-she's-looking-for support group, she finds a "known donor" website, which leads her to Digby Howarth.  

This novel is refreshing in that the traditional route of marriage then children is not what many people subscribe to any longer.  I admire Rachel's determination to control her own future.  I especially liked the Australian setting in that it lent an interesting view to the parental leave option and the alternate legal aspects of sperm donation to the United States. 

The storyline alternates between Rachel's struggles in the workplace and her quest to find a donor and get pregnant.  It read a bit uneven in places and the ending felt rushed. I would have enjoyed more about the pregnancy itself. I liked the powerful message of intentionally choosing to be a single mother, but I would have liked more about the challenges.  

This is a great addition to the "mommy genre" books in that I currently can't think of anything comparable. With the growing number of non-traditional pregnancies, this novel may be at the forefront of an upcoming literary trend. 

Read here why author Angela Lawrence HAD to write this book

**I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review**