Why I Gave My Heroine the Most Challenging Pregnancy Story

From the moment I started developing the Vargas Ranch series in 2022, I knew exactly what I wanted for Renata Vargas: I wanted her to find her perfect match while she was pregnant. Not because it would be easy to write, but because it would be beautifully complicated.

You see, the pregnant heroine trope usually follows familiar paths. She's a widow carrying her late husband's child, or she's dealing with the aftermath of a one-night stand, or—most commonly—she's been abandoned by a man who refused to take responsibility. These are all valid, heart-wrenching stories that deserve to be told.

But what if the pregnancy came from the most selfless place possible?

As I developed Renata's character throughout the earlier books in the series, one trait kept surfacing: she was the family problem-solver, the one who sacrificed her own needs for everyone else's happiness. She managed the resort, smoothed over conflicts, and put her dreams on hold whenever someone needed her. This pattern of self-sacrifice had been building through six books, and I knew her ultimate test would push that tendency to its breaking point.

That's when surrogacy entered the picture.

What could be more sacrificial than carrying a child for family members who couldn't conceive? What could be more emotionally complex than falling in love with a baby you've agreed to give up? And what could create more internal conflict than questioning whether you heard God's voice correctly when the path He called you to is breaking your heart?

I'll be honest, I knew some readers might find surrogacy a controversial topic. But I wasn't interested in exploring the political or ethical debates around it. Instead, I wanted to dive deep into the spiritual and emotional journey of a woman whose obedience to God leads her through refining fire before it leads to restoration.

Renata's pregnancy isn't the result of poor choices or tragic circumstances beyond her control. It's the result of a prayerful decision to help her family, made with the best of intentions and the purest of hearts. The fact that it becomes emotionally devastating doesn't mean she heard God wrong. It means God's plan sometimes includes seasons that break us before they remake us.

Then enters Gabe...

When gruff Montana rancher Gabe Braxton enters her story, he sees past the pregnancy to the woman beneath. He doesn't try to rescue her from her circumstances or judge her for choices he doesn't understand. Instead, he offers her something she's never had: a love that doesn't require her to sacrifice herself to earn it.

Writing their story taught me that the most interesting romance conflicts come from internal struggles, not external circumstances. Renata's challenge isn't finding a man who will accept her pregnancy. It's learning to trust that she deserves love during her most vulnerable season. Gabe's challenge isn't competing with another man. It's proving that real love sees past surface complications to the heart underneath.

The result is a love story unlike any I've written before

The result is a love story unlike any I've written before: tender, complex, and rooted in the kind of faith that trusts God even when His path leads through darkness. It's about finding love when you're not looking for it and discovering that sometimes the most beautiful relationships bloom in the most unexpected soil.

What unconventional story elements have surprised you in your favorite books? I'd love to hear what draws you to romances that dare to be different!

Falling for a Pregnant Cowgirl is now available at all retailers. This is a story about faith that endures through darkness, love that sees past our deepest wounds, and the courage to believe that God's plan is always better than our own—even when it breaks us before it heals us.