I’m a sucker for romances and women’s fiction the feature animal lovers, so when I saw that Erin, the heroine in Seize the Day, worked at a zoo, and that the main  man in her life was a sloth (“the animal kind, not the lazy kind”) named Barry, I knew I wanted to read further.

I wasn’t familiar with BRCA (a strong genetic predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer) until I came across this book, but I love the idea of a book series starring women who live with this condition. In Erin’s case, it means that if she ever wants to have a baby, she must make it happen soon. Enter co-worker Xander Barnes, and a potential solution to Erin’s desire for a baby.

I haven’t read the book myself, so I can’t post a full review, but I am definitely intrigued by the premise. The book sounds lighthearted, hilarious and fun, and I like that it also explores a challenge some women face. And while I’m curious about Xander as a character, I must admit being even more excited to meet Barry the sloth, whom I hope plays a big part in the story. (I’ve read a lot of romances featuring dogs, but never one with the sloth, yet.)

Excerpt

“It’s not like you’re getting any younger, you know.”

Mackenzie laughs, flattening her voice to sound like our mother’s. If Mom’s said this once, she’s said it to me a thousand times. Mackenzie nails the impression. I know she’s trying to be funny, but I don’t need my sister to point this out to me.

I know.

Every single day, I know.

Most women my age probably hear a faint tick every once in a while. My biological clock clangs like Big Ben every fifteen minutes.

The moment you receive the news that you are BRCA-1 positive, that clock speeds up. Yah for the likelihood of developing cancer that attacks my reproductive organs!

Clang.

“I’m aware,” I mutter.

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” Even though she now sounds like she’s in a wind tunnel, I can hear the change to her tone. Gone is the jesting. Concern fills her voice.  

As an aside, I hate when she uses speakerphone. It takes a minute for the background noise to settle down. I’d rather text than talk, but my sister is usually multitasking more than a circus juggler. I’m appreciative that she’s able to carve out any time at all for me, even if it means we have to talk. To each other.

Like in the olden days.

In the meantime, I stretch out on the couch.

“Nothing today.” I stifle a yawn. “I was at work until three a.m.” The late night has ruined all hopes of a productive day off.

“Everything okay there?”

“Another day in paradise at the Pittsfalls Zoo. Talbert, one of my spider monkeys, had to have emergency dental surgery. I wanted to stay until he was awake and moving around again.”

As such, my only plans today call for tacos and a nap. Maybe cruising the internet a little.

And when I say cruising the internet, I mean spending a few hours creating the perfect life on Pinterest.

I pinned the most adorable baby zoo animal collage today. It’ll go perfect with the giraffe mural I pinned last week.

Basically, the perfect day.

“Carpe diem, sis. You can’t keep putting this off,” Mackenzie says.

Even if my biological clock wasn’t going off like gangbusters, I’ve got Good Ole Kenzie to remind me that time is not on my side and encouraging me to seize the day.

She’s always good for a pep talk, whether I want to listen or not. Most of the time I feel lucky to have such support.

Most of the time.

“Oh, but I can and I will.” I cross my arms defiantly, even though my sister can’t see my pout.

It’s not as if a solution has magically presented itself to me. Nothing has changed since last month, last week, and yesterday, when we had the same conversation.

In other words, I haven’t found a husband. 

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Thank you to the author for the excerpt.