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Verdict: A gentle, very slow-burn romance across a nine-month pregnancy: teacher and choir soloist Rosie is having a baby on her own, and Amber, one year sober, joins the choir on impulse after meeting her outside an AA meeting. Readers praise the realistic characters and handling of recovery; many found it too slow to hold them.
Best for: Readers who like quiet, character-driven romance about real-life struggles.
Heat level: Low
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.4/5 — a 3.76 Goodreads average across 179 ratings, 3.85 on StoryGraph from 38 reviews, and 4.1 stars across 74 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Slow burn, opposites attract, friends to lovers, single mother by choice, age gap, secrets.
Sing for My Baby is Jenn Matthews’s 2021 contemporary lesbian romance from Ylva, about 94,000 words. Primary school teacher and singer Rosie Tanner, 36, has stopped waiting for someone to have a baby with — she is going it alone, and keeping her pregnancy secret for now.
It holds a 3.76 average across 179 Goodreads ratings, with 60% of them four or five stars, 3.85 on StoryGraph from 38 reviews, and 4.1 stars across 74 Amazon ratings.
What Is Sing for My Baby About?
Amber Kingsley has just earned her one-year sobriety chip, and her only goal is to stay sober and safe. When she bumps into Rosie on her way out of an AA meeting, she says she’s there for the choir that rehearses in the same building — and suddenly she’s in a community choir with no musical talent.
Rosie hasn’t told Amber about the baby; Amber hasn’t told Rosie about AA. Their friendship grows around those secrets.
What Works in This Book
- Real women: Readers call it an unconventional romance about ordinary people with real pasts.
- Recovery: Readers appreciate a positive, strong character in recovery.
- Communication: Readers liked that the leads resolve most issues by talking.
- The pregnancy: One reader had never read a romance set across a nine-month pregnancy and thought it was very well done.
Book Synopsis
A pregnant teacher and a woman in recovery meet through a choir.
Both have secrets — and a lot to lose.
My Review
This is a thoughtful, low-drama romance that treats alcoholism and pregnancy loss with care. Readers describe it as sweet, realistic and hopeful.
Pace is the main complaint. Several readers found it too slow, with a lot of introspection and day-to-day detail that made it drag, and a few said it simply didn’t grab them. One reader was confused by the backstories in the first chapters, and one wanted more on Amber’s addiction.
My honest note: Patient readers will find a quietly moving story.
| Element | In Sing for My Baby |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Rosie Tanner (teacher and choir soloist) & Amber Kingsley (in recovery) |
| Core tropes | Slow burn, opposites attract, single mother by choice |
| Setting | A community choir and everyday life across a pregnancy |
| Heat level | Low |
| Length | About 94,000 words (283 pages) |
| Series | Standalone, same universe as Hooked on You |
| Content notes | Alcoholism and recovery, past miscarriage, pregnancy by insemination |
How Spicy Is Sing for My Baby?
Low; the focus is intimacy and trust rather than sex scenes.
Readers mention alcoholism and recovery and a past miscarriage.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want a slow, grown-up romance with real stakes. It is on our low-angst lesbian romance list.
You may want to skip it if: you need a brisk plot.
In short: Slow, sincere, hopeful.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
On Goodreads the split is 22% five stars, 38% four, 32% three, 3% two and 2% one — a lot of middling ratings.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): Real women first. Second, the recovery arc. Third, communication. Fourth, the pregnancy timeline.
What readers argue about and complain about: The slow pace, above everything. Second, too much introspection. Third, a confusing start.
The comparison worth making first: Not for a Moment, another low-angst romance built around parenthood.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sing for My Baby related to Hooked on You?
Yes. One reader notes it is set in the same universe as Jenn Matthews’s first novel, Hooked on You, though it reads as a standalone.
How is addiction handled?
Readers praise a positive portrayal of recovery: Amber is the strong, dependable one, and one reader says the book neither overdramatises nor downplays alcoholism.
How spicy is Sing for My Baby?
Low. One reader says the romance focuses more on intimacy and trust than on hot sex scenes.
Is it very slow?
Yes. Most reviewers call it a slow burn, and several say the pace dragged.
Is Sing for My Baby on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, when we checked.
If You Loved Sing for My Baby, Read These Next
Try Not for a Moment, or browse our low-angst list and the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Sing for My Baby sets out to be a slow, honest romance about starting over, and its characters feel real. What holds it back is a pace many found too slow. For patient readers. Check Sing for My Baby on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Sing for My Baby ranks as a fair quiet romance — sincere, slow.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★☆☆ 3.4/5
- ✓ 3.76 average across 179 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 60% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ 3.85 on StoryGraph from 38 reviews
- ✓ 4.1 stars across 74 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Very slow burn
- ✓ Secrets
- ✓ Communication
- ✓ Didn’t grab some
Characters ★★★★☆ 3.7/5
- ✓ Real women
- ✓ Strong Amber
- ✓ Supportive friends
- ✓ Rosie a favourite for one
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ Introspective
- ✓ Drags
- ✓ Confusing start for one
- ✓ Careful
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Recovery
- ✓ Pregnancy loss
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Low angst
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 1.5/5
- ✓ Low
- ✓ Intimacy over sex
- ✓ Tender
- ✓ Not the focus
Ending ★★★★☆ 3.6/5
- ✓ Positive
- ✓ Hopeful
- ✓ Earned
- ✓ Quiet
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ 94,000 words
- ✓ Slow
- ✓ Niche
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