Review: Love Is… by Katharine M. Sweet

A refreshingly realistic and down-to-earth romance novel about a complicated pregnancy, Katharine M. Sweet’s debut book Love Is… is the compelling first title in an anticipated series about the Goodroe brothers.

Mat Goodroe is used to putting up with a lot from his ex-wife Natalie, but her most recent antics really take the cake. After an inappropriate one-night stand, Natalie attempts to get pregnant with Mat’s donation to a fertility clinic without his permission. Unfortunately, a frustrating mix-up at the clinic means that another woman is inseminated and pregnant with Mat’s baby – and not just any woman: Kassarah “Kass” Shatan, a 19-year-old college student at a conservative religious university, who wants to carry a couple’s baby to help pay for her schooling.

Kass expected to help two people have a child and cover for her lost scholarship, but instead she’s sucked into the messy convoluted life of Mat and his family. Mat is a former convict who’s trying to get out of the game and live on the straight and narrow, but it’s not always easy to leave that life behind. When Mat’s brother and uncle realize what’s happening with Kass, they decide to take her into their home. As Kass becomes a close confidant and member of the Goodroe clan, her relationship with Mat begins to develop into something deeper than just a begrudging association over an unfortunate accident.

Unlike a lot of contemporary romance novels about the more easygoing lives of the rich and beautiful, Love Is… is a wonderfully messy tale of average everyday people who are trying hard to work through the consequences of their past mistakes. Mat is attempting to change, but current hardships remaining from his prison time cause him to regularly lash out in anger. Kass’ mother passed away at a young age, making her family life with her difficult father knotty and strained. The other characters all have similar well-rounded backstories, and these identities are stylishly revealed gradually throughout the course of the novel, sometimes in real time and sometimes through strategic flashback sequences.

Not only do the characters in Love Is… seem like genuine human beings, but the dialogue is also unique and hilarious. Sweet has a real knack for nailing down the speech patterns of a working-class family – the quick retorts, the inside jokes, and the loving putdowns that constitute a kind of gallows sense of humor. The Goodroe family frequently physically fights and argues over life tensions and stresses, but they always make up because they truly love one another, making them a relatable and endearing clan. Mat and Kass have been through a lot, so they’re particularly prepared to make the best out of a bad situation, and the reader is compelled to root for them. Instead of seeming too easy or predictable, Mat and Kass’ budding intimate relationship seems completely likely, as their feelings develop slowly over the course of a shared firsthand experience.

More than a lot of escapist novels about a perfect romantic partnership, Love Is… completely nails the varied reality of love and pregnancy, resulting in an impactful, meaningful, and memorable read.