Customer Reviews

The Nine Month Plan

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Nina was just a little girl when her mother passed away and she took over the responsibility of raising her siblings. Now, her youngest brother is finally getting ready to head off to college in just a matter of months. When that happens, Nina can finally escape and travel the world like she always dreamed about.

Joey is Ninas best friend since childhood. They were always there for each other no matter what happened. Nina was there for him the night his fiancé changed her mind about getting married and decided to become a nun and Joey was there for Nina when her father was ill.

Joey does not see if life going the way he expected and now wants nothing more than to be a father. He goes to Nina and asks her if she would have his child for him with no strings attached. At first, Nina said no. She did not want to have anything to do with bearing a child and was afraid she would be tied down. After some convincing and thought, Nina changes her mind and goes for it. She told Joey that she would have his baby for him.

Nina would be leaving within a few months, so they did not have time to go the red tape of clinical insemination, they needed to create this baby the old fashioned way by sleeping together. That act dredges up strong feelings that Joey or Nina don't want to admit to themselves or each other.

The Nine Month Plan was a cute story but the biggest complaint I would have is that as you are reading a conversation, you also have to read about what they are really thinking, not just saying.

Nina Chickalini has been caring for her family since her mother died of eclampsia while giving birth to Nina's younger brother, Ralphie. Nina's dreams of moving out of her neighborhood in Queens and seeing the world has been put on hold until Ralphie graduates from high school and her familial obligations have been met. Joe Materi, her next-door neighbor & best friend is a workaholic. He longs to be a father and begins to half-jokingly suggest that she be the surrogate mother. Nina considers this and agrees one day. The story continues with the pregnancy, the both family's assumption they will marry, and Nina's goal of reaching "Independence Day" which is conflicting with her feelings for Joe and the baby. At the same time, Joe is slowly beginning to realize that he also has feelings, may have always had feelings, for Nina.

I have to agree with the reader below that pointed out that fact that this book was written in present tense. I am not sure what the goal was to write in present tense, perhaps to draw the reader more into the story, but quite frankly, it threw off the rhythm and flow of the scenes, especially the serious and intense ones. In addition, the reasons behind Nina's consent to have Joe's baby are a little off. She seems like an intelligent woman, but the fact that her main reasons to have Joe's baby is that she feels indebted to him for his kindness to her family over the years mixed in with the feeling that this is her only chance to know what it would like to be pregnant seems a bit odd. However, the scenes between Joe and Nina are tender and sweet. The main and secondary characters are likable, as well.

Overall, "The Nine Month Plan" is a sweet story between two best friends who are selfless to a fault and do not realize that they are truly meant for each other. It's an enjoyable and entertaining read, if you can bypass the present tense in which it is written and the reasons for which Nina decides to have Joe's baby. I hope that "Once Upon a Blind Date", the Chickalini continuation to "The Nine Month Plan", with Nina's brother, Dominic, in the title role, will fare better.

Nina Chickalini dreams of one day leaving behind her job at the family pizzeria and the responsibilities of raising her four siblings. She has saved for the day she can travel and see the world. Nina has even set a date... Independence Day. So when her best friend, Joe Materi, asks her to have his baby, she is torn. Having been burdened with responsibilities her entire life, can she accept one more? Even for her best friend, the man that has always been there for her?

Soon Nina is experiencing a different side of Joe: the muscular, sexy side. Imagining Joe as a father increases Joe's attractiveness to an even higher level. When Nina becomes pregnant, everyone is soon pushing for Joe and Nina to marry. Does Nina love Joe? And, can Nina find happiness without realizing her long held dreams?

When reading the blurb, I thought The Nine Month Plan sounded like a really fun read. The whole best friend turned lover fantasy is a favorite of mine. And add a baby into the mix? I expected to be in reader-bliss. And don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the story. I liked the characters. The plot was engaging. And this book had all the elements to push my buttons. Only, I couldn't let myself sink into the story because this book is written in present tense. I found it a startling and obtrusive distraction in an otherwise well-written and likeable story. If you can overlook that the book is written in the present tense, I think you'll enjoy The Nine Month Plan.


Annabelle
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

All her adult life, Nina Chickalini has planned to leave her Queens neighborhood and travel. When her mother died in childbirth, 19 year old Nina had to step up to the plate to be mother to her four siblings. All she wants is to worry about just herself for a change. Joe Materi is a rich and successful businessman who has seen both his attempts at the altar end miserably. What he really wants is a child. When he asks Nina to be a surrogate for him, at first she declines. Then she remembers all the things that Joe has done for her family. And after all, they are best friends.

So with no intention of marrying or raising the child together, the two set about making a baby the old fashioned way. The only problem is that they really enjoy themselves, and are both starting to fall for each other, but pride keeps them from admitting their feelings. When they tell their families that they are having a child, the whole neighborhood can't wait for their wedding. When it comes time to deliver the baby, will Nina be able to give it away? Will she ever confess her true feelings to Joe? Will she really be able to leave the family?

Markham's first in the Chickalini series is a mesmerizing and romantic tale about two best friends discovering that all along, the neighborhood was right - they are perfect for each other! Markham captures the hilarity of large eccentric families, and has created an engaging story that even jaded readers will enjoy. Followed by "Once Upon a Blind Date" and "Bride Needs Groom."

There is one huge unbelievable factor. And it's what the entire books stems from: Nina's pregnancy. This couple knows next to nothing about pregnancy (eg: some of the very obvious questions they have for the doctor), yet somehow readers are suppose to believe that Nina knew she was ovulating on the exact day she agreed to have Joe's baby. Huh? Not only that, but she gives him one night (that night) to conceive. To top it off, she's 36-years-old! Hello??? Most twenty-somethings have trouble conceiving the first month, let alone from one night!

I know this is fiction, but seriously, that one line "It has to be tonight" makes the rest of the book (well-written as it is) a little hard to swallow.

The Nine Month Plan by Wendy Markham (aka Wendy Corsi Staub) is fun Queens New York romance story. Nina Chickalini has a plan to get out Queens by the 4th of July 4th. She has helped raise her four siblings almost single-handedly after her mother died. She decided that before she leaves on her big adventure give her best friend the gift he really wants ....a baby. It was fun book with some unexpected turns and fun twists. I am off to read the second book of the series Once upon a blind date. If you enjoy this genre, I would also suggest `Body Check' by Deirdre Martin , `Drive me Crazy' by Kate Angell ,`She's got the look' by Leslie Kelly and Almost Perfect by Julie Ortolon.

from description of the book, i thought it would be rather stupid and the main character, Nina, sounded kind of shallow. but i thought what the heck, and gave it a shot. boy was i wrong sbout this book! although the story was a bit far fetched it was really cute. Nina, age 36, still lives at home, taking care of her family since her early 20s when her mother died, her one lasting dream has been freedom, to leave her home in Queens and travel the world. her best friend Joey has been living in his work ever since his fiancee left him at the alter, he finds theres something missing in his life and realizes that he want to be a father. Jokingly he asks Nina if she'll have his baby. she thinks about it more than she thinks she should. she comes to the conclusion that she really wants the experience of being pregnant and giving birth since she already knows what it's like to raise a child from raising her 4 siblings. so she decides to go through with it but she will give the baby over to Joey and leave. but when the time comes to leave she finds that her and Joey have more than friendship and that she not sure she wants to go! overall it's a great book with wonderful characters and fun all along the way! well i hope u enjoy this book as much as i did. have loads of fun!

What made this story so great for me is that I love the books where best friends fall in love. They're always my favorites. This book is about two friends that want to go somewhere different in life but both want the experince of having a baby..for different reasons. Nina has already had the experince of being a mother by raising her three younger siblings after her mother died. She's done with it and as soon as her youngest brother graduates high school she plans on getting out of queens and seeing the world. But she keeps wondering what it would feel like to be pregnant, to experince the miracle of making a child... but without the actual raising part. Her best friend Joey wants a child, a family so much it's all he can think about. With no romance prospects on the horizon he figures, why no be a single father. He believes he has all the love and stability that any child could need. But who give up their baby. He couldn't believe nina would be willing to give him such a gift. Nina asures him that she loves him enough to do this for him...and for her. But is the love that joey didin't think he'd find been right in front of him all these years? And does Nina really need to leave home to truley live her life? This story sets the bar for good romance.
Sexual Content: Moderate/Mild

Not Wendy Markham's best writing. I couldn't stand the Nina character. It takes too long to get to the good parts of the book and by that time you want to put it down. Skip this and read Once Upon a Blind Date, also by Markham.

I just finished this book and it was the perfect beach and poolside book. I loved the glimpses into Nina and Joey's minds and sharing their fears, hopes and senses of humor. It was one of those books that you are dying to know the ending and when you reach the end, you just want to keep reading about the people in it. Really enjoyed it!