The Opposite of Maybe by Maddie Dawson.....or a 44 Year Old Pregnancy, aka, My Nightmare

What They Say......Jonathan and Rosie have been together so long they finish each other’s sentences—so when he (finally) proposes and asks her to move across the country with him, everyone is happily surprised.

 But when things suddenly unravel, Rosie sends Jonathan packing and moves back home with Soapie, the irascible, opinionated grandmother who raised her. Only now she has to figure out how to fire Soapie’s very unsuitable caregiver, a gardener named Tony who lets her drink martinis, smoke, and cheat at Scrabble.
It’s a temporary break, of course—until Rosie realizes she’s accidentally pregnant at 44, completely unequipped for motherhood, and worse, may be falling in love with the sentimental, troubled Tony, whose life is even more muddled than hers. 
It’s not until Rosie learns the truth about her mother’s tragic story that she wonders if sometimes you have to let go of your fears, trusting that the big-hearted, messy life that awaits you may just be the one you were meant to live.

What I Say......I really, really liked this book.  Actually, more than I expected to.  When the condom breaks in the first chapter, you know where the ride is going.  But in this book, the ride still felt new and like it had some unexpected twists.

Rosie doesn't have a dream family, just her grandmother, Soapie.  And this isn't one of those irascible grandmothers who say the wrong thing at the wrong time.  She just says the wrong things.  But they are the honest things, the feelings she refuses to sugarcoat.  Towards the end of the book, you find out why she refused to indulge in reminiscing, so even though you sometimes feel angry with how she treats Rosie, in the end you feel sympathy towards her for living her whole life with such sadness and deep seated anger.

One of the things I liked about the book is that no one was portrayed as a cartoon villain.  Everyone had their flaws, and their shortcomings, but everyone's strengths were also pointed out.  From her uncommitted boyfriend, to the man hating stepmother, they were written as humans.  Flawed, but still worthy and trying to do the right thing, as they saw the right thing to be.

I loved Nick, but I also loved that it wasn't the happy ending culminating in the birth of the baby.  Babies don't make everything better, and sometimes they make a not so great situation worse than it was before.

Excellent story, I found myself thinking about it and wanting to get away to finish reading it.

Strong 4 star showing.  I will look for this author again.