The Dark Elf's Surprise Baby

Secret Babies for Prothekan Dark Elves #2

by Celeste King

The dark elf will not harm my baby!

I was so in love with the dark elf general.
But then he went to war and died - leaving me to fend for myself.
His enemies were circling and I needed to flee.
To protect myself...

And the baby growing inside of me.

But his enemies lied. He never died.
He came back. And was told that I had fled.
Heartbreak tore his soul and made him cruel.
He vowed to find me and make me pay.

Four years later, he did.

I see the rage in his eyes. What will he do to me? More importantly...

What will he do to his daughter?

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Monster Romance, Elves

214 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 17, 2023

About the author

Celeste King is the author behind the Worlds of Protheka, a collection of interconnected series that promise dark fantasy, intense romance, and washboard abs. When it comes to her stories, there are sure to brooding alphas, sassy humans, and plenty of spice to look forward to.

With the ever growing fantasy worlds, the 'what ifs' are endless, and that is what excites her the most. Even she doesn't know just how far these characters will go, but she's gladly along for the ride.

You can always find her fearlessly diving into an adventure (in this world or another), typically with her husband, and partner in crime, at her side.

She helps keep the excitement alive for the rest us with each of her Prothekan works, where there are no heroes coming to save you and being kidnapped...isn't so bad when your captor is this hot.

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't like the secret baby trope in the first book, but I liked the writing and since the premise of this book is that she thought he was dead I figured I'd go for it. I'm sorry I bothered. There were a lot of weird character inconstancies and editing issues (the timeline was wonky, etc), but the worst part was the part where he physically and emotionally assaulted her but it was okay because "he didn't mean it and he was drunk.". Er...RED FLAG>RED FLAG>RED FLAG.

I won't be reading any other books in the series.

[Grey's Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Good - Terrible

A fantasy romance set in a world with a class system that humans are at the bottom of where the hero and heroine become separated for years before they manage to find their HEA. The heroine, Harper Powell, is an orphan who fell in love with her kind owner, the hero. The hero, Demethys Herahi, is a soldier.

This one just fell apart in so many places. The characters weren't believable and / or were made to look downright stupid (e.g. should've seen the bad guys before - obvious). Things like the heroine vowing never to take him back only to take him back 5 seconds later were just annoying. The timeline of the book wasn't consistent. For example is the start of the book Kerym & Layla's mating ceremony or their anniversary? I think the book says both in different places. There were a few places in the book where the narrative seemed to move in time without telling the reader (e.g. in chapter after mating ceremony heroine describes herself as engaged not married). Once again the synopsis was inaccurate - the bad guys are not his enemies. Some things are never explained (e.g. why can't it be known her daughter is half elf?). It's a short fantasy romance, so I'm not expecting a lot of depth or character or realism, but this once fails to meet the lower bar of keeping me interested in the characters or story. I will probably not read more of this author.





*****Spoiler Alert*****
This Book Includes
Violence. Soldiers ambushed by orcs and short battle follows with some death, heroine grabbed hard enough to leave bruise, heroine attacked slapped hair pulled & such by other women, near-strangling.
Sex. MF sex.

Things That Bothered Me
Domestic Abuse
I didn't like the whole rationalizing of him hurting her once. It sounded dangerously close to how some women slide from one incident into domestic abuse.

Her Running
At the end after the heroine is attacked she seems to believe the lies the servants tell her even though she now KNOWS they lied to her before about the hero being dead. I have a hard time rooting for their love story if at the word of a known liar she ceases believing in the hero. It makes her look stupid for falling for it and it makes their relationship look like nothing instead of a grand love story.

[Karen Nastasio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and it’s my favorite so far and the characters had me cheering for them and hoping they can work it all out. Harper is a human slave on Protheka who was brought by General Demethys who treats her better than anybody has and she starts to fall in love with but they must keep there relationship a secret because it is frowned upon to have a human as a mate. When he tells her he must leave but promises to return she is worried and scared for him until he is back home. General Demethys is a Dark Elf and a warrior that has brought a human female that temps him like no other and they start a relationship that’s hot and steamy but they keep it a secret because it’s not allowed in the Dark elves world on Protheka. When he doesn’t return she is told he died in battle and knowing she want be safe anymore without his protection she decides to run to save her life and their unborn child she is carrying. When the General returns home he finds that his female has ran away but he owns her and will start a search for her because he has the money but it takes nearly 4yrs to find her and he is shocked that she has a child to someone else just makes him that much more furious because of his feelings for Harper and she is shocked to see the man she loved alive looking right at her with rage and hatred. How can she explain what happened when he didn’t return and why she ran and that the child is his daughter and not someone else’s but will Demethys believe her and forgive her in the end. Great book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tracy's Place · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 out of 5

[Sonia Nainwani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Erotic, Romantic, Slave cum maid cum lover

I just can't believe how she can repeat her mistake by trusting wrong person 😒

Entertaining 💃

[Giorgia Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Yarrow · Rating 2 out of 5]

That's two for two books with horrible timeline issues.
How does Addie go from being older to being younger?! How does being gone for 4 years mean a 4 year old?! She wasn't that far along in her pregnancy before she left 🤦🏻‍♀️
Also, you have these hardcore military elves just bursting into tears.... frequently. While I love a male who is in touch with their feelings, this just seemed sooooo out of character.
I'm officially done with this series. It's just an inconsistent, unpolished mess.

[Rebecca Grove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper was a human woman who worked as a slave to a cruel and demanding master. One day she meets Demethys a dark elf who is angry at how she is being treated. With her permission, he buys her from her owner and she becomes a maid at his house. He never expected anything in return for his kindness. Harper started to fall in love with Demethys and they became lovers. However is job as general tears them apart frequently. On this new campaign, news comes that he was killed in battle. Harper is broken hearted and has just learned that she is carrying his child. A fellow maid tells her that all the slaves are going to be sold off by Demthys heirs so Harper runs away to protect her child. She hides her child's dark elf's heritage. Five years later she is at the mating celebration of her best friend and her dark elf mate. Harper is shocked to see Demethys alive and well.

Demethys is a dark elf warrior general. He has fallen for his human servant Harper and wants nothing more than a life together with her. He is called away to war and ends up almost mortally wounded. When he recovers and returns home, he is shocked to find Harper gone. He searches for her and can't find her for five years. When he is at an old friend's mating celebration, he is shocked to see Harper there with a child by her side. When everyone tells him about her and her human child, he believes that she betrayed him. When they meet again, he accuses her of horrible things. When he finds out the truth he is broken hearted, how can she ever forgive him?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Laura Moylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper worked for a dark elf shop owner when Master Demethys saw her and offered to buy her. He did and they were drawn to each other. He is a miou, one of the soldier caste so he is frequently called away. In the six months she was with him,they were with each other for three. One of the dark elves that work for Demethys is Bryrion who is Harper’s bestie. Demethys has beautiful navy eyes and dimples. I’ve been waiting for this book and it did not disappoint. Since the orcs are causing more trouble, Demethys is called away again. Ivrir is the butler to Demethys but Harper mostly runs the household, because Ivrir sleeps a lot since he is so old.

Harper finds out she is pregnant and tells Bryrion. Bryrion brings Harper news that Demethys is dead and that everything (including the servants) are to be sold so she (Harper)runs. She meets a woman she is friendly with who works at Harper’s fave shop and she buys her a ticket. From the previous book we know what happens somewhat from there. (previous book is one of my faves a must read so read that if you haven’t already before reading this one as they are intertwined). Finding out what happened between Demethys and Harper and all the misunderstandings from lies from others was great. This book is an emotional roller coaster, thus making it awesome! Another must read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper and Demethys' Story . . .

The story of Demethys and Harper describes their strong love for each other. But both of them listen to lies that turn them into enemies. Demethys is one of the best strategists in his unit so he was commanded to go to war against the orcs. But Harper is told by a servant that Demethys died in battle and that she would be sold into slavery. So when the enemies were closing in on her, she was forced to run. She is pregnant and was trying to keep her daughter Addie safe. She knew she would be raising her child on her own.

It turned out that Demethys was not killed and has returned. But he is told that Harper chose not to wait for him, so he is angry, jealous, and betrayed. His entire attitude turned cruel. He was determined to find her to make her pay for abandoning him like that. When he catches up to her after 4 years and is told she had a child, will he listen to the lies she had been told and believe why she had to run? Will she be able to convince him the child is his and not from another dark elf he believes she must have run off with? Will accepting their daughter who has his eyes be the reason he might love her again? Or is it already too late for them after his painful accusations?

[Elziabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my favorite

I don't enjoy books where the supposed hero is says such terrible things to the heroine that she should never forgive him. Being drunk is not an excuse. And then of course she forgives him too quickly and he lets her down again. Also there was a major glitch in the plot where the hero fires his servants for even being remotely involved in the misunderstanding that had the heroine fleeing his home and then after the reunion, those same servants magically reappear in the household, meddle again, and are fired again. The butler was Portrayed as a kind but elderly being, but he gets fired too. The hero wavers between being a sobbing mess and being a big jerk who flies into irrational rages much too quickly And the book was very repetitive, mentioning the same ideas many times in a way that didn't move the plot forward. Lastly the author suddenly switches from past to present tense at the end of the book. That was just weird

[Cierra McCauley (Cierra's Corner) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a sucker for this!

3.5 stars! This book was Harper’s story and I have to say I liked it! I’m a sucker for the secret baby trope! Harper is led to believe that her lover had been killed in war, so she fled after being told that she won’t be safe anymore as a human with a mixed baby. Turns out his “maids” were jealous of her and wanted their master. They lead him to believe that she left him and then one night they happen to stumble upon each other. Their run after 4 years does not go well he’s drunk and that gets the best of him her hurts her and then realizes his mistake and pleads for forgiveness. I loved it, at about 68% everything was going so well but then he takes her back home and those skanks try to separate these two again. It was a good read! Short, Sweet and Steamy! Is it predictable yes but in that go ahead and give it to me way! The third book looks interesting as well!

[Laura Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

uneven power to start followed by betrayal

Demethys was a soldier who rescued a human slave from a cruel master. They fell in love but the power was uneven. He was master she slave. He went to war and she was told he died. He was not told what happened to her only that she left. The story continues 4 years later. It’s unclear who caused the lie. They’re older wizened, she still is naive and gullible. He’s distraught but tries to regain her trust. Theirs is a complicated relationship undercut by devious people. It’s engaging story with a quick read. The hero is endearing. Harper shows tremendous growth from the beginning of the story, growing from enamored child to self sufficient adult. Although she still gullible which was a tat annoying. I would have liked a slightly different response from her during the climatic scene. Still an interesting read.

[Erin OBrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Harper and Demethys’s story. Demethys is Harper’s master. She works in his house but is also his lover. We read a little bit about Harper in book one so we know that she eventually has to strike out on her own with her daughter. Here, we get to find out how she became separated from Demethys.
There quite a few times near the beginning with way too much inner dialogue. Little to no actual conversation is off-putting. I found that I could skim over or completely skip pages at a time of Demethys’s conflict in his head. It obviously added little value to the story because I could follow along just fine without feeling like I missed any important details. This is why I gave it 4 stars.

[Nina Diab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved the initial relationship between Demethys and Harper. They were so sweet together. When Harper receives word that Demethys was killed and battle and she was to be sold off like property, she flees to protect their unborn child. But Demethys survives and four years later by chance they find each other again. I was half afraid of unnecessary drama, or a cold heroine like in the first book- whom I couldn't stand. Yeah there was some irrational behavior based on assumptions rather than a conversation or asking a simple question, but I was so happy it wasn't unnecessarily dragged out, so we get a rational, believable reconciliation. 5 stars.

[Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger: for anyone who has known an alcoholic

Celeste King is a very good writer. For that 5 stars alone. The story only receives the 4 stars. There is quite a big scene in which the drinking of elf wine is abused. I became sad, angry and then downright annoyed. It reminded me of a very hard time in my life. I still feel a bit sore but only because I cannot talk to them or hug them. Dad has been gone for over 20 years, mom 3 years ago.

The main characters: Demethys and Harper remind me much of my parents; especially Demethys of my dad.

Enough whinging there; the story is a good one and it is worth reading for the descriptions alone. The children are my most favorite characters for their innocence and joy in having a full family.

[Trixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first MMC I read who is clearly devastated with the loss of his beloved. He was miserable when you compared to the way he was before when he has his loved in his arms and when he lost her.

I commend the FMC for surviving and raising a good child on her own for four years but I don't understand why she trusted the words of her enemies more than the words of her love when it was her enemies lies that was the cause of their miseries. Good thing the MMC is willing to do everything for her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[SiriRainbow · Rating 3 out of 5]

On je voják s povinnostmi. Ona služebná, co zbožňuje svého mistra.
Na intimnosti dojde dvakrat. Anotace je opět přepálená a zveličuje. Obelhaná služka uteče a pak jednu opileckou epizodku, po letitém shledání, považuje za celoživotní křivdění její osobě. On se jí snaží získat zpátky, a i přes neustálý přísun důkazů mu není schopna věřit ani natolik, aby prohlédla lži ostatních, které už ji jednou odehnaly. Hlavně jak o sobě tvrdí, jak z-emancipovala.
Ubrečené, starostlivé, zbožňující, frustrující čtení.

[kymagirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Demethys (H), a dark elf soldier, takes Harper (h) into his home as a maid and the two quickly finds themselves falling for one another, but there time is cut short when Harper is informed that he died on the battlefield. Alone and pregnant, she flees to make a life for herself and her dark elf-human hybrid daughter, a life that’s interrupted when Demethys show up very much alive. The pair face a bit of relationship drama and dark elf prejudice before they can reach their HEA. A sweet dark elf romance with a side of heat.

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging story that's about Demethys a miou warrior and Harper a human. This story is the second in this series and is touchily enjoyable. Harper was bought by Master Demethys and they became lovers. Then Demethys is sent away to fight, and Harper is told that Demethys died, and all his servants are being sold. Pregnant with Demethys child, Harper fearful for her child's future leaves. When Harper meets Demethys at her friend's wedding, what happens between them is an enjoyable story that I received a copy and that I volunteer to read and review.

[Gladys Rodríguez Pitre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent storyline but missing something

Overall good story. I like the concept. But, the writing is a bit too simplistic for me.

The characters don't have a lot of depth. And they are saccharine sweet. I prefer more complexity.

Even the smut scenes I kinda skimmed through. It didn't interest me.

But, if you want an ideal husband... The male main lead is your guy. He is virtually perfect.

Since I like this dark elf universe... I am still gonna try another one of the author's books. Fingers crossed.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh!

This story started off so good but why is the FMC so annoying. Her actions got me so annoyed I almost didn’t want to read it to the end. The story was cliche and I feel the author was trying to extend it as much as possible when some stuff could have just been omitted. The FMC is just a weak character that is so easily swayed by what others say and in my opinion doesn’t trust the MMC at all. Nonetheless, it is what it is, if it weren’t for Adelaide this story would be a two stars.

[Sydnee Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great second book. The first was vastly different than this one. Harper is told her love is dead and she and her child are in danger. She does four years very well then goes back to her town for her best friends wedding. None other than her love is there and he’s friends with her best friends mate. The lies they need to unwind are hurtful. To get to there happy ending they need to find the truth and stick to it.

[Vera · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s really bad. There are a lot of spelling mistakes also a lot of plot mistakes. The plot is barely there and has so many holes. The writing is cringe at best. The characters just don’t make sense and are so bland. The first book was definitely way better and that one got 3 Stars from me so if that isn’t telling enough then I don’t know what is. I would say if you like trashy books then by any means go for it and read it but otherwise stay clear or you are going to lose braincells. #sorrynotsorry🤷🏻‍♀️

[Sara Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

the dark elf’s surprise baby

Being a human in this series equals either being a slave or a worker employed by the dark elves.

Having a kind hearted boss who didn’t whip her for a small mistake was what made Harper put the moves on her boss.

Yet behind closed doors even the boss can’t be sure who’s friend or foe.

Grab you copy today and happy reading!

[Patricia McCormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love book two!!!!

I love to see the other side of the black elves.. not all of them are cruel and angry all the time. I like this other side Ms. King. I can’t wait to see what will happen with Charmaine and her dark elf.

[Ann Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story!

Another amazing journey to the world of Prothekan and the Dark elves and humans who live together . The author continues to create these fantastic characters and compelling stories where love and inspiring adventure takes place.

[Christine Mulgrave-King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring and little depth

If you want sweet, predictable, and little character development then this is your book. I skimmed so many pages it was ridiculous. These characters were not interesting.

[Sonia Peebler · Rating 3 out of 5]

not a bad read

I don’t really know why dark elves are considered to be cruel in the book when they are crying all the time? It would real better if they were a bit harder and not so many crying fits.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark Elf's Surprise Baby. #2

I just knew this was going to be a great series. The second book and I'm already hooked. MS King is doing another great series, and for someone who didn't try to read anything on Dark Elf's or any Elfs, she has made a devoted fan. Amazing series!