The Nine Month Plan (Mass Market Paperback)

by Wendy Markham (Author) "Next year at this time, I'll be on the French Riviera,"" Nina announces, tapping her bare foot in the time with the pulsating beat of..." (more)
Key Phrases: burly guy, Aunt Carm, Aunt Theresa, Father Tom (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"Nine months." He grins. "See? You definitely have time to have a baby for me." "You're serious about that, aren't you?" she says unexpectedly. "You really, really want to become a father." "I do." "Why?" He ponders that. "I don't really know," he says at last. "It just seems like something's missing from my life. I'm ready for the next phase, just like you are." "Yeah," she says softly. "Only my next phase and your next phase mean the opposite thing. Yours is about putting down roots, and mine is about pulling them up." For the first time, he thinks he hears a hint of reservation in her voice when she talks about leaving. "You know...you don't have to go, Nina..." "I want to go, Joey," she cuts in firmly. "It's all I've ever wanted." And he's always believed that...until now. Falling in love isn't part of the deal. WHAT'S A GIRL TO DO? Nina Chickalini has a plan: Get out of Queens. But something keeps stopping her. Maybe it's the four siblings she raised almost single-handedly. Or the family pizzeria she's running so Pop can take it easy. Or maybe it's her best friend, Joe Materi, who's just made an incredible request: Have his baby! Nina doesn't need another reason to feel tied down, but how can she refuse the man who's always been there for her? Getting in the family way turns out to be easy, and suddenly she's seeing Joe in a whole new light-his muscular arms cradling a baby, his sexy voice crooning a lullaby... With the entire neighborhood meddling to get them to tie the knot-and Joe looking like he wants them to tie the knot-Nina might have to stop dreaming of grand adventures and settle for something even better: love.

About the Author
"Wendy Markham" is a psedonym for New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub, who has several awards, including RWA's "Rita," and published more than sixty novels under her own name and various pseudonyms. A happily married mother of two, she lives in an old house in a picturesque New York City suburb.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Forever (August 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446611751
• ISBN-13: 978-0446611756
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #425,487 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute story..., August 31, 2004

By	Annie "bookwishes4" (United States) - See all my reviews

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A sweet story..., August 19, 2003

By	Purl Gurl (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First in the Chickalini series, January 8, 2007

By	Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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."