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Reckless Night in Rio
"All you need to do is… pretend to love me."
The task should be easy for Laura Parker— after all, Gabriel Santos is outrageously good-looking, it's for one night only and he is offering her a million dollars.…
There are just three things to consider, however:
1. They've already had one steamy, unforgettable night together in Rio.
2. Laura's been in love with Gabriel ever since.
3. Gabriel's never wanted children, but he's not aware he's the father of Laura's baby.…
The task should be easy for Laura Parker— after all, Gabriel Santos is outrageously good-looking, it's for one night only and he is offering her a million dollars.…
There are just three things to consider, however:
1. They've already had one steamy, unforgettable night together in Rio.
2. Laura's been in love with Gabriel ever since.
3. Gabriel's never wanted children, but he's not aware he's the father of Laura's baby.…
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
27 people are currently reading
511 people want to read
About the author
Jennie Lucas
559 books331 followersJennie Lucas had a tragic beginning for any would-be writer: a very happy childhood. Her parents owned a bookstore, and she grew up surrounded by books, dreaming about faraway lands. Her mother read aloud to her in French when she was little; when she was ten, her father secretly paid her a dollar for every classic novel (Jane Eyre, War and Peace) that she read. As a chubby teenager, Jennie covered her bedroom with travel posters and always had her nose in a book.
At fifteen, she went to a Connecticut boarding school on scholarship. She took her first solo trip to Europe at sixteen, then put off college and traveled around the U.S., supporting herself with jobs as diverse as gas station cashier and newspaper advertising assistant.
At 22, she met the man who would be her husband. For the first time in her life, she wanted to stay in one place, as long as she could be with him. After their marriage, she graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English, and started writing books a year later.
Jennie was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 2003 and won the award in 2005. A fellow 2003 finalist, Australian author Trish Morey, read Jennie’s writing and told her that she should write for Harlequin Presents. It seemed like too big a dream, but Jennie took a deep breath and went for it. A year later, after seven years of writing and eight finished manuscripts, Jennie got the magical call from London that turned her into a published author.
Since then, life has been hectic, juggling a writing career, a sexy husband and two young children, but Jennie loves her crazy, chaotic life. Who needs a clean house? Every day, Jennie gets swept into drama, glamour and passion. Now if she can only figure out how to pack up her family and live in all the places she’s writing about!
At fifteen, she went to a Connecticut boarding school on scholarship. She took her first solo trip to Europe at sixteen, then put off college and traveled around the U.S., supporting herself with jobs as diverse as gas station cashier and newspaper advertising assistant.
At 22, she met the man who would be her husband. For the first time in her life, she wanted to stay in one place, as long as she could be with him. After their marriage, she graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English, and started writing books a year later.
Jennie was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 2003 and won the award in 2005. A fellow 2003 finalist, Australian author Trish Morey, read Jennie’s writing and told her that she should write for Harlequin Presents. It seemed like too big a dream, but Jennie took a deep breath and went for it. A year later, after seven years of writing and eight finished manuscripts, Jennie got the magical call from London that turned her into a published author.
Since then, life has been hectic, juggling a writing career, a sexy husband and two young children, but Jennie loves her crazy, chaotic life. Who needs a clean house? Every day, Jennie gets swept into drama, glamour and passion. Now if she can only figure out how to pack up her family and live in all the places she’s writing about!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
November 20, 2016
Something was missing here. Apart from the H’s brains and logic, of course. (And his eyesight, too perhaps.)
I rarely like boss-secretary stories as the h usually comes out looking cringingly pathetic. And this one was no different.
Only thankfully the more cringe-worthy stuff happened in the (thankfully) not-flashbacked past. Like mooning over her unattainable boss for 5 years. Like watching him go from woman to woman and still idolize him. Like being a 24/7 slave. Yes, she even lived at his apartment to ease his professional and personal life. Like keeping his suits iron-ready for him when he swans in after a night out with his lover. Like letting his mistress tell her to get him whiskey, as he likes having it post sex. Etc. Etc.
When the story begins, She is a doormat with a newly grown spine. And so she had not yet learnt to apply it. She's really a sweet and agreeable person not used to saying no to a boss she had slaved and obsessed over for 5 years, and then given her virginity to, on his desk. Only to run away the next morning with the (to come later) seekrit baby.
But, still nothing excuses accepting a man’s proposal without telling him that he’s the father of your child. It’s not if but when, disaster will strike the flimsy foundations of that marriage. Thankfully, she saw sense in time. But telling him when both were dressed in wedding finery is cutting it too close but yes, it adds to the drama and the climax.
And all his flip flopping words and thoughts only added to the confusion. He had zero clarity in his thoughts, emotions and actions.
And yes, he slept with countless woman pre and post having sex with her. All the ‘I missed you in my office and bed’ did not convince me of the sustainability of his intentions- honorable or otherwise. But yes, the epilogue did do that. Convinced me with its sweetness, thoughtfulness and commitment.
I rarely like boss-secretary stories as the h usually comes out looking cringingly pathetic. And this one was no different.
Only thankfully the more cringe-worthy stuff happened in the (thankfully) not-flashbacked past. Like mooning over her unattainable boss for 5 years. Like watching him go from woman to woman and still idolize him. Like being a 24/7 slave. Yes, she even lived at his apartment to ease his professional and personal life. Like keeping his suits iron-ready for him when he swans in after a night out with his lover. Like letting his mistress tell her to get him whiskey, as he likes having it post sex. Etc. Etc.
When the story begins, She is a doormat with a newly grown spine. And so she had not yet learnt to apply it. She's really a sweet and agreeable person not used to saying no to a boss she had slaved and obsessed over for 5 years, and then given her virginity to, on his desk. Only to run away the next morning with the (to come later) seekrit baby.
But, still nothing excuses accepting a man’s proposal without telling him that he’s the father of your child. It’s not if but when, disaster will strike the flimsy foundations of that marriage. Thankfully, she saw sense in time. But telling him when both were dressed in wedding finery is cutting it too close but yes, it adds to the drama and the climax.
And all his flip flopping words and thoughts only added to the confusion. He had zero clarity in his thoughts, emotions and actions.
And yes, he slept with countless woman pre and post having sex with her. All the ‘I missed you in my office and bed’ did not convince me of the sustainability of his intentions- honorable or otherwise. But yes, the epilogue did do that. Convinced me with its sweetness, thoughtfulness and commitment.
July 19, 2018
This was a sweet story, don't get me wrong. H/h were obviously meant to be together - they were together for five years as boss/secretary until they had a one night stand.
But the heroine lied and lied and lied some more about her baby's father. She lied to her family. She lied to the hero. She lied to herself that she was the moral one in this situation. Uh. No.
Just because the hero says he can't love doesn't mean he deserves to be lied to. He deserved the chance to make a choice and heroine deprived him of that.
The other weird part of this story was the tycoon the hero was trying to buy his family's company from. He changed his mind more than the hero and that's saying something.
Still, this was an entertaining story. I just have a thing about characters lying and then lying some more. It really takes me out of the story.
But the heroine lied and lied and lied some more about her baby's father. She lied to her family. She lied to the hero. She lied to herself that she was the moral one in this situation. Uh. No.
Just because the hero says he can't love doesn't mean he deserves to be lied to. He deserved the chance to make a choice and heroine deprived him of that.
The other weird part of this story was the tycoon the hero was trying to buy his family's company from. He changed his mind more than the hero and that's saying something.
Still, this was an entertaining story. I just have a thing about characters lying and then lying some more. It really takes me out of the story.
February 24, 2019
Short, it was an ok read. I haven’t been in the mood for anything too intense, this fit the bill.
January 8, 2013
Once again I wasn't disappointed AT ALL. I loved this book from start to finish, very sexy, passionate, sad and romantic all in once! The way Gabriel and Laura come to their relationship so damaged and then through their connection, each change for the better was beautiful! Gabriel had to fight a lot of demons. He was so lost and empty my heart ached for him. The way Laura's love and his son saved him was such a pleasure to read.
The HEA here is great. All Jeannie Lucas books have a brilliant and beautiful epilogue and this book is not an exception. It made me swoon and say aww! I have a soft spot for epilogues with babies/family :)
The HEA here is great. All Jeannie Lucas books have a brilliant and beautiful epilogue and this book is not an exception. It made me swoon and say aww! I have a soft spot for epilogues with babies/family :)
October 27, 2016
Review Reckless Night in Rio by Jennie Lucas
Laura’s sister Becky takes a moment out of her low-budget wedding to demand that Laura reveal the identity of Laura’s baby-daddy. Shut up Becky. Laura worked all night on your wedding cake, and the crepe paper craft project to make the wedding reception in your family home festive, and you made her wear unflattering pink shoes and pink lipstick. She’s suffered enough without you being all 19 and entitled.
Laura accepts the blows from her sister in the spirit of all suffering Lucas small-town girl heroines and we’re only a few pages in and I already find her insufferable.
I’m just not very good with Lucas’s ‘family values, my hymen is my gift to my one true love, making sacrifices for your family is the most important thing in the world’ heroines. Laura has further outraged me by being poor, and by refusing to tell her ex-boss that they made a baby together. The being poor thing seems particular to a Jennie Lucas heroine too – it’s presented as a moral choice and it drives me crazy. Being poor isn’t a choice, dammit. And it isn’t automatically more moral than being rich. Dammit, Lucas, I refuse to think this much about your set up.
The whole family set up Lucas likes to use drives me crazy. On the one hand, I should be pleased that these women come from stable, loving homes with parents and siblings who care about them, but on the other: they are hellishly smug about it. There’s always at least one conversation about how much more decent everything is on Planet Heroine, with the implication that this is exactly the way that the world should run. But Planet Heroine bears an uncanny resemblance to Planet ‘Seething Morass of Bigotry and Abuse’ in that they look superficially the same. And if fiction has taught me anything, it’s that when something looks superficially the same, it’s the same. Something terrible is happening on Planet Heroine, and even more terribly: it’s unacknowledged. Someone is going to need A Lot of therapy. Maybe me.
Anyway, Lucas doesn’t bother much with making anything make sense, so: SPROING! Here is Gabriel, Laura’s ex-boss. He has shown up in the middle of Becky’s wedding to ask for Laura’s help.
The set-up works this way. Laura was Gabriel’s live in (HELLO!) personal assistant. They worked together for 5 years, first in New York, and then in Rio. 16 months ago Gabriel broke Laura’s hymen up against his desk, and then took her to bed for a night of tender loving. Prophylactics were employed.
Laura bid Gabriel a tearful goodbye the next morning, because their working relationship was over, as far as she was concerned. Gabriel was all ‘fine, see ya’ which Laura found very hurtful. In a snit, she didn’t tell him when she discovered she was preggers. Now baby Robby is 6 months old, and Laura doesn’t want Gabriel anywhere near him, because Gabriel’s awful. Maybe. They had what sounded like a very co-dependent working relationship, and the whole byplay between them in the book is fun and a little feisty. It didn’t sit well with Laura viewing Gabriel is a soulless monster who didn’t deserve to know he had a child.
Gabriel wants Laura back to convince an ex-girlfriend and her new fiancé that the ex-girlfriend has no chance with Gabriel because he and Laura are in love. The new fiancé is this crusty old guy and he owns Gabriel’s family company, and Gabriel wants to buy it back as a legacy, because his family is dead. And he has Issues about that. Bigtime issues. The ex-girlfriend has implied that Gabriel will pursue her and she may not be able to resist, or it will be awkward or something, and surprisingly: this is Gabriel’s fault.
The rule is that all women are to blame when men want them, unless the woman is the Other Woman, in which case, the hero better do some explaining.
Laura doesn’t want to. She hasn’t returned to her pre-pregnancy weight, and Gabriel’s plan involves her in a bikini, and the OW was a bikini model. And she wants nothing to do with Gabriel, and she can’t be bought, and she must conceal her son from him.
And, Laura for some reason thinks that she’s ugly. I never really got the origin story, since there’s no hideous high school prom experience offered up as an explanation. Anyway, blonde, gorgeous Laura considers herself a hideous troll, because that’s also how things work on Planet Heroine, where good girls don’t know they’re own beauty.
And at this point, Gabriel offers her a million dollars, and Laura’s mom comes up with Robby and is all ‘hi Laura’s boss, this is Laura’s son, we don’t know who the father is, gee it’s nice to see you again.’ Refreshingly, Gabriel does not take one look at the baby and grimly whisper ‘My Son!’ See, he used condoms, and he knows how to use a condom, and therefore the baby isn’t his.
Gabriel, buddy. I am totally with you in not falling for the ‘condoms are only 97% effective’ line. Statistics around condom effectiveness are also where I draw the line. I will cheerfully accept that Romancelandia has a million dukes, a million vampire kings and a million billionaires, but I am not buying that there are also a million faulty condoms. However: I take exception to Gabriel’s ‘I know how to put it on right’ line. Somehow, Gabriel and Laura’s combined activities contaminated the drop zone, and a zygote happened.
Laura’s all ‘phew, I dodged that cranky bullet, now on to the dreaded bikini outing.’
She needn't have worried. Laura’s knockers, by the way, are HUGE. Because I am an awful person, I spent time debating with myself whether she was still lactating. I kept an eye out for drinking activity, and any subtle hints of breastfeeding, but I don’t think there was any. She walks into the pool party in her bikini, and everyone stops and stares, and the OW is jealous, and the crusty fiancé is mostly convinced that she is the love of Gabriel’s life. Not a hundred percent, for there are more hoops to jump through.
Gabriel takes Laura down to splash in the ocean, and avoids doing anything as tacky as trying to get his end in while their bits are covered up by seawater, but it’s a marginal thing.
By that point I’d completely gotten over my snit about how Laura and Gabriel are appalling people, and I just enjoyed them. There’s more swanking around, and sexy-times, and a little drama-angst, and now it’s suddenly fine to have money. Sure, it’s annoying that Laura wins without really putting in any effort. I guess she’s done the hard yards, and the baby has to be her first priority anyway. I ended up thinking that Gabriel was rather sweet. Dumb as tin, but sweet.
If Romancelandia must include sanctimonious secretaries concealing secret babies from their cranky dumb commitment-phobic bosses, then at least Lucas is reliable in that she makes it fun.
Laura’s sister Becky takes a moment out of her low-budget wedding to demand that Laura reveal the identity of Laura’s baby-daddy. Shut up Becky. Laura worked all night on your wedding cake, and the crepe paper craft project to make the wedding reception in your family home festive, and you made her wear unflattering pink shoes and pink lipstick. She’s suffered enough without you being all 19 and entitled.
Laura accepts the blows from her sister in the spirit of all suffering Lucas small-town girl heroines and we’re only a few pages in and I already find her insufferable.
I’m just not very good with Lucas’s ‘family values, my hymen is my gift to my one true love, making sacrifices for your family is the most important thing in the world’ heroines. Laura has further outraged me by being poor, and by refusing to tell her ex-boss that they made a baby together. The being poor thing seems particular to a Jennie Lucas heroine too – it’s presented as a moral choice and it drives me crazy. Being poor isn’t a choice, dammit. And it isn’t automatically more moral than being rich. Dammit, Lucas, I refuse to think this much about your set up.
The whole family set up Lucas likes to use drives me crazy. On the one hand, I should be pleased that these women come from stable, loving homes with parents and siblings who care about them, but on the other: they are hellishly smug about it. There’s always at least one conversation about how much more decent everything is on Planet Heroine, with the implication that this is exactly the way that the world should run. But Planet Heroine bears an uncanny resemblance to Planet ‘Seething Morass of Bigotry and Abuse’ in that they look superficially the same. And if fiction has taught me anything, it’s that when something looks superficially the same, it’s the same. Something terrible is happening on Planet Heroine, and even more terribly: it’s unacknowledged. Someone is going to need A Lot of therapy. Maybe me.
Anyway, Lucas doesn’t bother much with making anything make sense, so: SPROING! Here is Gabriel, Laura’s ex-boss. He has shown up in the middle of Becky’s wedding to ask for Laura’s help.
The set-up works this way. Laura was Gabriel’s live in (HELLO!) personal assistant. They worked together for 5 years, first in New York, and then in Rio. 16 months ago Gabriel broke Laura’s hymen up against his desk, and then took her to bed for a night of tender loving. Prophylactics were employed.
Laura bid Gabriel a tearful goodbye the next morning, because their working relationship was over, as far as she was concerned. Gabriel was all ‘fine, see ya’ which Laura found very hurtful. In a snit, she didn’t tell him when she discovered she was preggers. Now baby Robby is 6 months old, and Laura doesn’t want Gabriel anywhere near him, because Gabriel’s awful. Maybe. They had what sounded like a very co-dependent working relationship, and the whole byplay between them in the book is fun and a little feisty. It didn’t sit well with Laura viewing Gabriel is a soulless monster who didn’t deserve to know he had a child.
Gabriel wants Laura back to convince an ex-girlfriend and her new fiancé that the ex-girlfriend has no chance with Gabriel because he and Laura are in love. The new fiancé is this crusty old guy and he owns Gabriel’s family company, and Gabriel wants to buy it back as a legacy, because his family is dead. And he has Issues about that. Bigtime issues. The ex-girlfriend has implied that Gabriel will pursue her and she may not be able to resist, or it will be awkward or something, and surprisingly: this is Gabriel’s fault.
The rule is that all women are to blame when men want them, unless the woman is the Other Woman, in which case, the hero better do some explaining.
Laura doesn’t want to. She hasn’t returned to her pre-pregnancy weight, and Gabriel’s plan involves her in a bikini, and the OW was a bikini model. And she wants nothing to do with Gabriel, and she can’t be bought, and she must conceal her son from him.
And, Laura for some reason thinks that she’s ugly. I never really got the origin story, since there’s no hideous high school prom experience offered up as an explanation. Anyway, blonde, gorgeous Laura considers herself a hideous troll, because that’s also how things work on Planet Heroine, where good girls don’t know they’re own beauty.
And at this point, Gabriel offers her a million dollars, and Laura’s mom comes up with Robby and is all ‘hi Laura’s boss, this is Laura’s son, we don’t know who the father is, gee it’s nice to see you again.’ Refreshingly, Gabriel does not take one look at the baby and grimly whisper ‘My Son!’ See, he used condoms, and he knows how to use a condom, and therefore the baby isn’t his.
Gabriel, buddy. I am totally with you in not falling for the ‘condoms are only 97% effective’ line. Statistics around condom effectiveness are also where I draw the line. I will cheerfully accept that Romancelandia has a million dukes, a million vampire kings and a million billionaires, but I am not buying that there are also a million faulty condoms. However: I take exception to Gabriel’s ‘I know how to put it on right’ line. Somehow, Gabriel and Laura’s combined activities contaminated the drop zone, and a zygote happened.
Laura’s all ‘phew, I dodged that cranky bullet, now on to the dreaded bikini outing.’
She needn't have worried. Laura’s knockers, by the way, are HUGE. Because I am an awful person, I spent time debating with myself whether she was still lactating. I kept an eye out for drinking activity, and any subtle hints of breastfeeding, but I don’t think there was any. She walks into the pool party in her bikini, and everyone stops and stares, and the OW is jealous, and the crusty fiancé is mostly convinced that she is the love of Gabriel’s life. Not a hundred percent, for there are more hoops to jump through.
Gabriel takes Laura down to splash in the ocean, and avoids doing anything as tacky as trying to get his end in while their bits are covered up by seawater, but it’s a marginal thing.
By that point I’d completely gotten over my snit about how Laura and Gabriel are appalling people, and I just enjoyed them. There’s more swanking around, and sexy-times, and a little drama-angst, and now it’s suddenly fine to have money. Sure, it’s annoying that Laura wins without really putting in any effort. I guess she’s done the hard yards, and the baby has to be her first priority anyway. I ended up thinking that Gabriel was rather sweet. Dumb as tin, but sweet.
If Romancelandia must include sanctimonious secretaries concealing secret babies from their cranky dumb commitment-phobic bosses, then at least Lucas is reliable in that she makes it fun.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2018
I've been in the worst book slump ever. I couldn't find anything that sucked me in, that is, until I cracked this story open. This story ticked off every element I love in these Mills & Boon stories.
I read this baby in one sitting and adored every second of it. So happy to have my book slump behind me finally.
January 1, 2019
A big NO.
Ya de por sí, los protagonistas brasileños no me gustan... El tipo estaba dispuesto a cualquier cosa con tal de recuperar la empresa de la familia, incluido fingir un compromiso con la secretaria. Y ella es tan, tan felpudo que duele. Fue una secretaria-esclava que hasta le llevaba whisky a la amante de turno y planchaba trajes durante cinco años y justo en la noche que concretan queda embarazada de este bueno para nada. Al otro día ella le dice que se va y él le contesta que bueno, que se cuide (?) y ahí te ves.
Ya de por sí, los protagonistas brasileños no me gustan... El tipo estaba dispuesto a cualquier cosa con tal de recuperar la empresa de la familia, incluido fingir un compromiso con la secretaria. Y ella es tan, tan felpudo que duele. Fue una secretaria-esclava que hasta le llevaba whisky a la amante de turno y planchaba trajes durante cinco años y justo en la noche que concretan queda embarazada de este bueno para nada. Al otro día ella le dice que se va y él le contesta que bueno, que se cuide (?) y ahí te ves.
June 4, 2011
Reckless Night in Rio was a good HP. Laura the heroine had loved her boss for 5 years, they spent a night together and Laura left and gave birth to their child. It has been 15 months when Gabriel walks back into her life. He needs her for a deal, she agrees since she needs the money. Pretty dramatic and the characters were good though I had hoped Laura had told him the truth earlier. Gabriel was not bad, just too driven because of the past and the mistakes he made when he was a teenager. Good book.
November 23, 2020
3.5-4-ish fluffy-soapy Stars
I enjoyed it, but found the plot was pretty outrageous, and heavy on the soapy drama. We’ve got a mama talking 6-mth old; a voluptuous dingy doormat, a clueless; confusing, guilt ridden H; a farmhouse chucked full of family members; lie detector kisses; a gold-digging crazy ex , and the most unprofessional tycoon ever.
Laura Parker (27) worked for Gabriel Santos (38) for several years loving him from afar while watching him snog his way through NYC. After an ONS in Rio she quits and leaves for New Hampshire because she knows he doesn’t do relationships. Soon after she realizes she’s preggers, and starts her game of liar, liar pants on fire. I guess I get why she lied to Gabriel, (although I didn’t understand her reasoning that he would steal little Robby when he didn’t want kids) but I didn’t understand why she lied to her family.
Regardless, Gabriel tracks her down to hire her to play pretend GF for one night in Rio, so he can seal a business deal…because the business dude is engaged to G’s ex, and convinced if he sells him the company, G will stay in Rio and steal his fiancé. And if that’s not crazy enough… he’s gonna pay her 1 million dollars for the day.
Bottom Line- I did enjoy this as I would enjoy a Days of Our Lives episode or a Lifetime movie. For the most part, both mc’s were pretty likeable. They were just a little confusing at times because their emotions were all over the place and flip-flopped. There’s a short epilogue that several months later.
I enjoyed it, but found the plot was pretty outrageous, and heavy on the soapy drama. We’ve got a mama talking 6-mth old; a voluptuous dingy doormat, a clueless; confusing, guilt ridden H; a farmhouse chucked full of family members; lie detector kisses; a gold-digging crazy ex , and the most unprofessional tycoon ever.
Laura Parker (27) worked for Gabriel Santos (38) for several years loving him from afar while watching him snog his way through NYC. After an ONS in Rio she quits and leaves for New Hampshire because she knows he doesn’t do relationships. Soon after she realizes she’s preggers, and starts her game of liar, liar pants on fire. I guess I get why she lied to Gabriel, (although I didn’t understand her reasoning that he would steal little Robby when he didn’t want kids) but I didn’t understand why she lied to her family.
Regardless, Gabriel tracks her down to hire her to play pretend GF for one night in Rio, so he can seal a business deal…because the business dude is engaged to G’s ex, and convinced if he sells him the company, G will stay in Rio and steal his fiancé. And if that’s not crazy enough… he’s gonna pay her 1 million dollars for the day.
Bottom Line- I did enjoy this as I would enjoy a Days of Our Lives episode or a Lifetime movie. For the most part, both mc’s were pretty likeable. They were just a little confusing at times because their emotions were all over the place and flip-flopped. There’s a short epilogue that several months later.
July 16, 2011
The heroine Laura is shocked when her former boss Gabriel, the hero, turns up at her sisters wedding. They parted company nearly two years ago after they spent the night together. Laura had been in love with Gabriel for 5 years and was devastated when he shunned her the next day, and went back home never telling Gabriel she had his baby. Gabriel let Laura go as he felt she deserved more than he could ever give her but he hasn't been able to stop thinking about her. Now, Gabriel is in the middle of a very important business deal that is being threatened by a clingy ex-lover. He asks that Laura comes back to Rio with him to pretend to be fiancée for a short time in order to stop the advances from the ex-lover so that the business deal goes through. He offers Laura a large sum of money and she reluctantly agrees, her fears over what Gabriel will do when he finds out about the baby seem unnecessary when Gabriel doesn't realise it's his. Once in Rio, Laura tries to ignore the desire between, while Gabriel realised that he doesn't want to ever let Laura go, but he can never truly love her.
This is, once again, a brilliant book from Jennie Lucas. I do think this one is less 'dark' than her usual style but it still had some very deep emotional moments. I liked that it had a different spin on the secret baby plot, with Gabriel not realising it was his baby, this certainly kept me interested.
The pace of this book is just right, and the honesty with which the characters are written really helps the developing relationship feel very real.
A great book.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
This is, once again, a brilliant book from Jennie Lucas. I do think this one is less 'dark' than her usual style but it still had some very deep emotional moments. I liked that it had a different spin on the secret baby plot, with Gabriel not realising it was his baby, this certainly kept me interested.
The pace of this book is just right, and the honesty with which the characters are written really helps the developing relationship feel very real.
A great book.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
July 14, 2011
This was a good read,Gabrielle-Laura are both great characters,Laura is a sweet warm selfless strong woman,she taught Gabriel to love,forgive and believe in miracles,I was really glad before getting married Laura told the truth and Gabrielle is so determined to do justice and has convinced himself he does'nt deserve a family that he does'nt even allows himself to think he might have fathered Robby,but then Laura's determination to make Gabrielle believe in love and miracles that her love wins, everything is cleared and we have the HEA
Good read
Good read
April 19, 2012
This was a fast, light, entertaining read. It lacked the emotional depth and treacherous angst that could have made the story more powerful and kicked it up to a five star read. Some of what happened really wasn't credible..like leaving immediately for Rio or her Mother casually breaking the "baby news" to Rio. The epilogue was good and helped to save it. I think this author has written some better books....
June 21, 2017
I love love love secret baby plots
December 27, 2017
Another nice read by Jennie Lucas. I loved the fact the hero didn’t automatically assume that the heroine’s baby was his. However, given what the hero knew about the heroine and her character he should have at least questioned the baby’s paternity. I hated that the hero wasn’t able to get his family company back however, I’m happy at the choices he made at the end. The sex scenes were steamy!!! Jennie Lucas never disappoints. 4 Stars well deserved.
December 27, 2017
I am very torn on this book. I hated the hero for most of the book but the ending was very very sweet. I hate manwhores and he truly was one and he was not celibate while they were apart. Hell she waited on him and his mistresses for five years basically working as his secretary and living in his apartment so he was never celibate even after meeting the h. That was before the book started luckily and just came out in the course of the book but it still disgusted me. I hated his double standards and just wished the baby had been from another lover but he wasn't. She loved him forever and even when trying to be strong, she wasn't. He used her and he didn't care if he lied to get his way. It wasn't until the end, and I mean the last two chapters, I even cared about their relationship. I am glad it had an HEA but I am a little sorry it was with him. Lust is a powerful motivator I guess. He did come back and the ending and epilogue were sweet but the first 96% was pure HP hell on earth. It even made me cry at one point. Why do I keep reading these?? I really wish I had drank the koolaid before I read it. Okay I need to go beat up on my husband. Hopefully that will make me feel better. Just kidding... Kind of. :}
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2021
قرأتها بعنوان ليلة حافلة في ريو
روايه ممتعه لم استطع التوقف عن القراءة حتى انهيتها
روايه ممتعه لم استطع التوقف عن القراءة حتى انهيتها
December 22, 2020
I know Mills and Boon is all about suspension of disbelief and acceptance of fairy story tropes, but there has to be a degree of credibility in a story which enables you to immerse yourself in that world and engage with the characters. Sadly I just couldn’t do it with this story.
Laura works for Gabriel for 5 years putting up with his rotten women who treat her like dirt and allowing Gabriel to rub her nose in his affairs. One night of passion with a man who doesn’t do love and does not want children leaves her pregnant. She tells no one (including her massive family) because she thinks Gabriel might try to take her baby away ( seriously? this man who doesn’t want children?) Then Gabriel turns up and offers her the most ridiculous proposition- pretend to be his girlfriend so he can complete a deal) - in exchange for £1 million for one night! and he never for one moment suspects that the child might be his.
Even when she admits to it later on, he thinks she’s doing it to help him win his deal!! No this was just the last straw in a story that pushed me to the edge of hysteria over this over the top, melodramatic rubbish. The whole, ‘finally admitting the truth on the wedding day’ melodrama was simply the final straw.
Laura lied and lied and lied and there was no reason for her to do so - except as a plot device of course!
I feel bad being so negative but I really dislike the dishonesty in this story. Any man has the right to be told he’s a father (with certain rare exceptions which Gabriel was not), and I hate it when the heroine decides she has a right to keep it secret. In this instance, there was absolutely no excuse in my eyes. Just as it was impossible to believe that Gabriel would fail to suspect he was the father right from the beginning and all the way though.
As for the tycoon and Gabriel’s ex lover - that aspect of the story had me chortling into my Sauvignon Blanc. Utterly ludicrous and incredible. Btw - why do most heroes seem to have such execrable taste in women before meeting the heroine?
Despite all this, JL can write and I did read it all the way through and enjoyed a lot of it. That’s why this story is a real disappointment.
Laura works for Gabriel for 5 years putting up with his rotten women who treat her like dirt and allowing Gabriel to rub her nose in his affairs. One night of passion with a man who doesn’t do love and does not want children leaves her pregnant. She tells no one (including her massive family) because she thinks Gabriel might try to take her baby away ( seriously? this man who doesn’t want children?) Then Gabriel turns up and offers her the most ridiculous proposition- pretend to be his girlfriend so he can complete a deal) - in exchange for £1 million for one night! and he never for one moment suspects that the child might be his.
Even when she admits to it later on, he thinks she’s doing it to help him win his deal!! No this was just the last straw in a story that pushed me to the edge of hysteria over this over the top, melodramatic rubbish. The whole, ‘finally admitting the truth on the wedding day’ melodrama was simply the final straw.
Laura lied and lied and lied and there was no reason for her to do so - except as a plot device of course!
I feel bad being so negative but I really dislike the dishonesty in this story. Any man has the right to be told he’s a father (with certain rare exceptions which Gabriel was not), and I hate it when the heroine decides she has a right to keep it secret. In this instance, there was absolutely no excuse in my eyes. Just as it was impossible to believe that Gabriel would fail to suspect he was the father right from the beginning and all the way though.
As for the tycoon and Gabriel’s ex lover - that aspect of the story had me chortling into my Sauvignon Blanc. Utterly ludicrous and incredible. Btw - why do most heroes seem to have such execrable taste in women before meeting the heroine?
Despite all this, JL can write and I did read it all the way through and enjoyed a lot of it. That’s why this story is a real disappointment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2011
this book....where do i begin? first of all, it had the dreaded secret baby theme. second of all, the "hero" shows up and whisks the heoine off to rio; she takes the time to pack for the baby but wears her pink bridesmaid dress on the plane? and how in the world is a 6 month old baby even traveling? since she is so poor and in the u.s., is she supposed to have shelled out good money for a child's passport when she had no job? and i don't think even a billionaire can get a passport at a day's notice. i could be wrong there, but....
i really like reading romancs, but it has to be believable for me, and this book has a dearth of logic and reason; so many things just don't make sense.
i seem to be wasting a lot of money lately on these hp's--and the price has gone up at wal-mart and k-mart to boot!
i really like reading romancs, but it has to be believable for me, and this book has a dearth of logic and reason; so many things just don't make sense.
i seem to be wasting a lot of money lately on these hp's--and the price has gone up at wal-mart and k-mart to boot!
April 14, 2012
Ummm...wow! I don't really know why I gave this book three stars-there were some inconsistencies especially with regard to the heroine's appearance, but whatever. Also, how could he NOT know that kid was his?? I know. I know. River in Egypt and all that, but whatever.
He did fight the good fight, but you could tell he simply LOVED the heroine from the moment he approached her at her sister's wedding. You just knew.
He did fight the good fight, but you could tell he simply LOVED the heroine from the moment he approached her at her sister's wedding. You just knew.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2011
Suprisingly, I did not enjoy this Jennie Lucas as much as I normally do. I'm not sure why. Perhaps the overall story seemed ridiculous. However, I did like the book and the characters. At least there wasn't a big blow up about the secret child. For Gabriel, he never wanted kids because he didn't think he deserved them so he was more concerned about hurting his child.
The ending was very cute.
The ending was very cute.
July 27, 2011
Laura is caught out by her former boss, and one-time, one time lover, Gabriel. He wants to hire her for a day to pose as his mistress. Finding out she now has an infant son, he is willing to accept her, but wants nothing to do with the baby. Never does he realize, that baby is his OWN son.
Very sweet and sexy.
Very sweet and sexy.
November 6, 2013
A new spin on a secret baby story and well worth reading! Gabriel actually had to be convinced multiple times that Robby was his. And maybe what I loved best is Laura standing up for herself and her son and refusing to marry because Gabriel felt it was his duty. She wanted love for her son and herself and nothing less would do.
April 23, 2018
The first HP book with a baby where Gabriel (the H), just after setting sights on the b, doesn't say, 'The b's mine, and she's mine! Laura (the h)'
At least, that was my initial reaction, but reading the entire book, I realized the conviction behind that thought came from somewhere deep, and that is when I said that this book is sweet, oh so sweet.
At least, that was my initial reaction, but reading the entire book, I realized the conviction behind that thought came from somewhere deep, and that is when I said that this book is sweet, oh so sweet.
November 30, 2014
the book lost 2 stars as i wished gabriel was not so emotionally crippled! but dat made for an intense read. the sex was above the charts! gabriel was very obviously head over heels over laura, it took some time but he got there.
November 18, 2011
I really like the author's style of writing. Will definitely check out her other books ;)
September 30, 2015
Too cheesy.
October 19, 2013
3.5 stars, nearly 4 stars!
This was another Jennie Lucas story with a similar set up with her other books with the heroine, Laura worked for Gabriel for five years as his assistant, tending to his every need possible and being invaluable to him. She fell made in love with him and had been ever since they met and kept on hoping that he would fall in love with her too. One night, they make love, finally, with Laura giving her virginity to him, which at the time he didn't know, and have a passionate one night together. Even though it was the most incredible, magical, memorable night of her life, she came to the realization that Gabriel will never love her like she loved him so she had to leave right away not being able to be around him all the time, loving him like she did while knowing that he would never feel the same about her. Gabriel didn't stop or protest when she told him that she was leaving, which confirmed to Laura that he had no feelings for her. She was depressed when she came home and missing him like crazy and was shocked to learn that she was pregnant with Gabriel's child, but she decided not to tell because he was clear that he never wanted a wife and children ever in his life so she figured he wouldn't want to child and if he did it would only so he could do his duty, and she didn't want that for her child.
So, the setup was similar to other Jennie Lucas's books where the heroine didn't tell the hero that she was pregnant and the book kind of having this suspenseful plot of when, where, why, how, and his reaction to the news that he was in fact a father, which was very different in this book than others I have read in her other books. Though really in all her books, its different of how the revelation of the child came about in the book, which is what makes the book different and not the same or boring.
In this one, fifteen months had gone by since Gabriel and Laura had seen each other after their one night together. Laura was determined to be an independent single mother that would raise her child on her own never expecting Gabriel to be apart of her or her child, Robby's life ever. But of coarse Gabriel showed up at her sister's wedding, claiming to need in order to close a business deal, which was to get control of his family's business, which Gabriel gave away when he was 19 due to grief after he lost his parents and brother in car crash, he didn't want to reminder.
He didn't give any of his feelings away from her just claiming to need her because she was the perfect PA for him and they had massive passion together and knew she was the only one to help. He had to convince the guy who was selling the family company that Gabriel was committed and had fall in love with Laura, which was unluckily since he was this supposed playboy who never did commitment or want a family ever. So, he needed Laura to pretend to be in love with him, convincing this guy that he was in fact committed to him so the deal could have been done. Which the reason it wasn't done was because the guy's fiancée used to date Gabriel and he was convinced that Gabriel and his fiancée would get back together once the deal was done, playing him for a sucker in the process. And though the ex may want to get back together, Gabriel did not, finding her annoying and wanted nothing to do with her, but the ex didn't believe it and neither did the businessman. So, Gabriel needed Laura to run interference and knew that the ex would only believe that he would fall for and commit to Laura, figuring there was something between them because she saw it when she was dating him.
This premise was a little silly to me, and kind of didn't make sense, but in a way it did. I just felt like the businessman could have cut the ex loose a lot sooner than he did then all this could have been avoided, but then again there would be no story. It just didn't was little off, I would have felt better if the businessman wanted to sell to a committed, family man like many Harlequin Presents book do, but that wasn't the case, and I just felt it the reasoning why they have to pretend to be a couple was a bit weak for me.
But it was what was and that was the set up for getting them back together again. At first she told him, no, fearing that he would figure out that Robby was his son and would then want to take Robby away for her and bring him into an unloving environment. But instead of figuring out that he was the father of Robby, he was angry with her for supposedly being with someone else shortly there after they were together and he was pissed about it because he thought she wanted more than a physical relationship, which he could have given her since that was all he could give, instead of letting her go like he did so she could find a loving husband and have a loving family. And he was so angry at her when he had no right to be, for one because she wasn't with some else and had only be with him, but he didn't even think about that nor did he ever believe Robby was or even consider it. I understand that they used protection that night, but for it never to cross him mind and the fact that Robby looked just like him and he still didn't think about it. Come on. He was an intelligent guy. He had to no that the use of protection is never a hundred percent, but apparently he did, which was why he discounted Robby as being his son, which I didn't get, he could had a little question in his mind, but there was none. Another reason he shouldn't have been mad at her if she was with someone else was because they weren't together. And he was the one on the no commitment thing so he had no right to demand fidelity from her especially when he had been with other women the entire fifteen months apart. So, how fair as that? C'mon, that's not right on so many levels, and it shows the bias between men and women and what's acceptable and not acceptable.
So, they do this little charade with Robby in tow in hopes to fool the businessman and his fiancée of their committed relationship. And it was very hard for Laura, knowing that she couldn't compete with the ex who was a bikini model and absolutely gorgeous. Laura, never having felt beautiful in life more content with being the smart girl, was nervous that no one would believe that Gabriel would commit to her and the ruse would be immediately spotted. And though Gabriel found her very beautiful and always had (for five years in fact. He wanted her since he first met her) and always would and told her so, but he wanted to give her a little makeover in order for it to be believable for one, but I think the bigger reason was to give her some self confidence as well, but the makeover was a part of the charade too.
So, they go to this party and the charade began with the ex and the businessman both being suspicious of Gabriel and Laura's relationship so Gabriel pulled out all the stops and went for it, pretending to high heaven or was he. Though that was what Laura believed of Gabriel's actions, even though the reader could tell that he wanted her and was not really playing as much as Laura believed. So, it was difficult for her especially since she still feelings for him and she was keeping the secret of her son a secret from him. So, she was going through the emotion ringer plus denying that they still had all this chemistry together.
The passion between them was hot though, and the sexual tension was definitely there throughout the book practically steaming up the pages. Just they had the chemistry between them from the moment they met. And some of those scenes were fan worthy. Hot! Hot1 Hot! And though there was plenty of passion, there were a lot of emotions going on too during these encounters especially for Laura, whose feelings for Gabriel had never really gone away and she loved him just as deeply as the day she first slept with him. And it was really intense for her, and didn't want to succumb, but she couldn't help herself, neither could he, with her missing him and loving him so much but not being able to express that and just show what had been denied for months, and feeling that closeness with him. And the passion was definitely mutual.
Gabriel did get the deal from the businessman, partly because he faked proposed to Laura right in front of him, convincing him of Gabriel's commitment to Laura, but even that the businessman didn't quite believe so Laura pulled out all the stops so Gabriel would get the precious deal by revealing that Gabriel was the father of her child, which sealed the deal. Laura felt it was a relief to get that off her chest and also the fact that Gabriel didn't freak out about the news and might even accept the fact that he was now a father and could possibly love not only his child, but her as well. So, she believed their relationship was becoming something real and deeper than it had been.
But she soon learned that Gabriel still didn't believe Robby was his son and thought she only said it (lied about it) so he would get the deal, and was really grateful to the lie that she provided him, knowing that it would soon spread in all social circles about his new role as dad and he could give Robby his name since it would be believed that he would be Robby's father, which he really was, but he didn't know it yet.
So, that was another emotional blow to her and she couldn't believe that he couldn't believe that he was the father of her child, and it was devastating to her, and knew that he would never change and she needed to leave him. But once he found this out, he begged her to marry him, for real, because he couldn't live without her, and surprisingly she agreed, but before she could walk down the aisle she knew she had to tell him the truth.
He couldn't believe it, and told her that he would never love or Robby ever. He was angry and upset, and revealed he didn't deserve to have a family since he caused the accident that took his family's life and blamed himself ever since and vowed to never love again including her or Robbie, so she refused to marry him if he couldn't at least love Robby as well as herself so he left.
But he soon came back when she was making the announcement to her family that they weren't getting married, and immediately declared his love for her (He had some big epiphany in his plane that his company wasn't important, but love was and that was his family's true legacy) and for his son, which was just too unbelievable for me. It was too quick and rushed for my taste because one minute he said he would never love her and then all of a sudden he was declaring his love for her and only her, and it was this deep, intense love for her. Which was great for Laura, but pretty unbelievable for the readers because it was just too, too quick and not realistic at all. It would have been better if they had been apart for longer and he came to the realization that he loved her and then came to find her and win her back, but that didn't happen in this book. He just got hit in the head with the knowledge that he loved her and all of a sudden he was there and deeply in love with her all of a sudden. I wasn't even sure if he was quite there in the love department yet, though I knew he had deep feelings for I wasn't sure he was quite there yet, but he was getting there. It was just too quick like I said and a little bit rushed to tie up the story and giving them their happily ever after. I just needed a little time in between to show the passage of time and his realization at a more realistic pace.
Also, I would have liked to see more development of a relationship between Robby and Gabriel, showing them forming this deep bond with one another and have Gabriel soften towards him even maybe, and then maybe have some flickers of feelings towards his son or even having something chirp in the back of his mind that he felt a connection to his son and just be more father like. And there was that scene of the beach, but he still held back and felt like Robby was just Laura's child instead of theirs together. And since there wasn't that development it made it hard to believe that he suddenly developed feelings for his son all of a sudden because there was no evidence of that in the book at all in fact he kept Robby at a distance and kind of regulated to the back of his mind and said he would tolerate Robby because of Laura and that was the only reason he let a baby into his house in the first place. Otherwise he could just brush him off, and I didn't like that at all. I wanted more, and didn't get it, and again it made the ending really unbelievable too.
I wished the ending was a little bit more and more believable, but it made the story no less enjoyable to read and follow on this passionate journey. I liked Laura, and how selfless she was and how she wanted to protect her child, but she also wanted Gabriel's love too because she passionately love him and that was who she wanted and connected with. And I was hurting for her during the entire book because she had to deal with her emotions for him while feeling turmoil over keeping Robby a secret from Gabriel. So, she was wreck yet holding it together as best as she could and I give her props for that as well as standing up for herself in the end.
I liked Gabriel too, but there were a few things I didn't like about him, which I mention above like his quick realization of his love for her and his son, which seemed to come out the blue for him and made it at the last second pretty much. Plus his sharp judgment of her and their child, and never looking to close the distance between them until the last minute. Also he manipulated her through their chemistry to convince her to do some things that she was trying not to do, mainly their physical relationship, just for his own selfish needs and to get what he wanted like the business deal and them making love. So that didn't really soften his image because he knew what exactly he was doing and he wasn't considering her feelings at all just his own. In fact he barely thought about her feelings or did anything for her to show that he did in fact care about her, okay maybe physically, but nothing of substance. I think he could have done a little bit more and showed that she was more than a body to him because I know she didn't feel that and just thought that he just wanted a body and nothing else. So, I wasn't overly thrilled with him, but I didn't hate him either so I was fifty-fifty with him.
I enjoyed this book, and I will continue to read Jennie Lucas's books in the future even if they have predictable set ups to them, yet with their own variations to them, which makes them fun to read, and I look forward to it. Definitely worth the read.
This was another Jennie Lucas story with a similar set up with her other books with the heroine, Laura worked for Gabriel for five years as his assistant, tending to his every need possible and being invaluable to him. She fell made in love with him and had been ever since they met and kept on hoping that he would fall in love with her too. One night, they make love, finally, with Laura giving her virginity to him, which at the time he didn't know, and have a passionate one night together. Even though it was the most incredible, magical, memorable night of her life, she came to the realization that Gabriel will never love her like she loved him so she had to leave right away not being able to be around him all the time, loving him like she did while knowing that he would never feel the same about her. Gabriel didn't stop or protest when she told him that she was leaving, which confirmed to Laura that he had no feelings for her. She was depressed when she came home and missing him like crazy and was shocked to learn that she was pregnant with Gabriel's child, but she decided not to tell because he was clear that he never wanted a wife and children ever in his life so she figured he wouldn't want to child and if he did it would only so he could do his duty, and she didn't want that for her child.
So, the setup was similar to other Jennie Lucas's books where the heroine didn't tell the hero that she was pregnant and the book kind of having this suspenseful plot of when, where, why, how, and his reaction to the news that he was in fact a father, which was very different in this book than others I have read in her other books. Though really in all her books, its different of how the revelation of the child came about in the book, which is what makes the book different and not the same or boring.
In this one, fifteen months had gone by since Gabriel and Laura had seen each other after their one night together. Laura was determined to be an independent single mother that would raise her child on her own never expecting Gabriel to be apart of her or her child, Robby's life ever. But of coarse Gabriel showed up at her sister's wedding, claiming to need in order to close a business deal, which was to get control of his family's business, which Gabriel gave away when he was 19 due to grief after he lost his parents and brother in car crash, he didn't want to reminder.
He didn't give any of his feelings away from her just claiming to need her because she was the perfect PA for him and they had massive passion together and knew she was the only one to help. He had to convince the guy who was selling the family company that Gabriel was committed and had fall in love with Laura, which was unluckily since he was this supposed playboy who never did commitment or want a family ever. So, he needed Laura to pretend to be in love with him, convincing this guy that he was in fact committed to him so the deal could have been done. Which the reason it wasn't done was because the guy's fiancée used to date Gabriel and he was convinced that Gabriel and his fiancée would get back together once the deal was done, playing him for a sucker in the process. And though the ex may want to get back together, Gabriel did not, finding her annoying and wanted nothing to do with her, but the ex didn't believe it and neither did the businessman. So, Gabriel needed Laura to run interference and knew that the ex would only believe that he would fall for and commit to Laura, figuring there was something between them because she saw it when she was dating him.
This premise was a little silly to me, and kind of didn't make sense, but in a way it did. I just felt like the businessman could have cut the ex loose a lot sooner than he did then all this could have been avoided, but then again there would be no story. It just didn't was little off, I would have felt better if the businessman wanted to sell to a committed, family man like many Harlequin Presents book do, but that wasn't the case, and I just felt it the reasoning why they have to pretend to be a couple was a bit weak for me.
But it was what was and that was the set up for getting them back together again. At first she told him, no, fearing that he would figure out that Robby was his son and would then want to take Robby away for her and bring him into an unloving environment. But instead of figuring out that he was the father of Robby, he was angry with her for supposedly being with someone else shortly there after they were together and he was pissed about it because he thought she wanted more than a physical relationship, which he could have given her since that was all he could give, instead of letting her go like he did so she could find a loving husband and have a loving family. And he was so angry at her when he had no right to be, for one because she wasn't with some else and had only be with him, but he didn't even think about that nor did he ever believe Robby was or even consider it. I understand that they used protection that night, but for it never to cross him mind and the fact that Robby looked just like him and he still didn't think about it. Come on. He was an intelligent guy. He had to no that the use of protection is never a hundred percent, but apparently he did, which was why he discounted Robby as being his son, which I didn't get, he could had a little question in his mind, but there was none. Another reason he shouldn't have been mad at her if she was with someone else was because they weren't together. And he was the one on the no commitment thing so he had no right to demand fidelity from her especially when he had been with other women the entire fifteen months apart. So, how fair as that? C'mon, that's not right on so many levels, and it shows the bias between men and women and what's acceptable and not acceptable.
So, they do this little charade with Robby in tow in hopes to fool the businessman and his fiancée of their committed relationship. And it was very hard for Laura, knowing that she couldn't compete with the ex who was a bikini model and absolutely gorgeous. Laura, never having felt beautiful in life more content with being the smart girl, was nervous that no one would believe that Gabriel would commit to her and the ruse would be immediately spotted. And though Gabriel found her very beautiful and always had (for five years in fact. He wanted her since he first met her) and always would and told her so, but he wanted to give her a little makeover in order for it to be believable for one, but I think the bigger reason was to give her some self confidence as well, but the makeover was a part of the charade too.
So, they go to this party and the charade began with the ex and the businessman both being suspicious of Gabriel and Laura's relationship so Gabriel pulled out all the stops and went for it, pretending to high heaven or was he. Though that was what Laura believed of Gabriel's actions, even though the reader could tell that he wanted her and was not really playing as much as Laura believed. So, it was difficult for her especially since she still feelings for him and she was keeping the secret of her son a secret from him. So, she was going through the emotion ringer plus denying that they still had all this chemistry together.
The passion between them was hot though, and the sexual tension was definitely there throughout the book practically steaming up the pages. Just they had the chemistry between them from the moment they met. And some of those scenes were fan worthy. Hot! Hot1 Hot! And though there was plenty of passion, there were a lot of emotions going on too during these encounters especially for Laura, whose feelings for Gabriel had never really gone away and she loved him just as deeply as the day she first slept with him. And it was really intense for her, and didn't want to succumb, but she couldn't help herself, neither could he, with her missing him and loving him so much but not being able to express that and just show what had been denied for months, and feeling that closeness with him. And the passion was definitely mutual.
Gabriel did get the deal from the businessman, partly because he faked proposed to Laura right in front of him, convincing him of Gabriel's commitment to Laura, but even that the businessman didn't quite believe so Laura pulled out all the stops so Gabriel would get the precious deal by revealing that Gabriel was the father of her child, which sealed the deal. Laura felt it was a relief to get that off her chest and also the fact that Gabriel didn't freak out about the news and might even accept the fact that he was now a father and could possibly love not only his child, but her as well. So, she believed their relationship was becoming something real and deeper than it had been.
But she soon learned that Gabriel still didn't believe Robby was his son and thought she only said it (lied about it) so he would get the deal, and was really grateful to the lie that she provided him, knowing that it would soon spread in all social circles about his new role as dad and he could give Robby his name since it would be believed that he would be Robby's father, which he really was, but he didn't know it yet.
So, that was another emotional blow to her and she couldn't believe that he couldn't believe that he was the father of her child, and it was devastating to her, and knew that he would never change and she needed to leave him. But once he found this out, he begged her to marry him, for real, because he couldn't live without her, and surprisingly she agreed, but before she could walk down the aisle she knew she had to tell him the truth.
He couldn't believe it, and told her that he would never love or Robby ever. He was angry and upset, and revealed he didn't deserve to have a family since he caused the accident that took his family's life and blamed himself ever since and vowed to never love again including her or Robbie, so she refused to marry him if he couldn't at least love Robby as well as herself so he left.
But he soon came back when she was making the announcement to her family that they weren't getting married, and immediately declared his love for her (He had some big epiphany in his plane that his company wasn't important, but love was and that was his family's true legacy) and for his son, which was just too unbelievable for me. It was too quick and rushed for my taste because one minute he said he would never love her and then all of a sudden he was declaring his love for her and only her, and it was this deep, intense love for her. Which was great for Laura, but pretty unbelievable for the readers because it was just too, too quick and not realistic at all. It would have been better if they had been apart for longer and he came to the realization that he loved her and then came to find her and win her back, but that didn't happen in this book. He just got hit in the head with the knowledge that he loved her and all of a sudden he was there and deeply in love with her all of a sudden. I wasn't even sure if he was quite there in the love department yet, though I knew he had deep feelings for I wasn't sure he was quite there yet, but he was getting there. It was just too quick like I said and a little bit rushed to tie up the story and giving them their happily ever after. I just needed a little time in between to show the passage of time and his realization at a more realistic pace.
Also, I would have liked to see more development of a relationship between Robby and Gabriel, showing them forming this deep bond with one another and have Gabriel soften towards him even maybe, and then maybe have some flickers of feelings towards his son or even having something chirp in the back of his mind that he felt a connection to his son and just be more father like. And there was that scene of the beach, but he still held back and felt like Robby was just Laura's child instead of theirs together. And since there wasn't that development it made it hard to believe that he suddenly developed feelings for his son all of a sudden because there was no evidence of that in the book at all in fact he kept Robby at a distance and kind of regulated to the back of his mind and said he would tolerate Robby because of Laura and that was the only reason he let a baby into his house in the first place. Otherwise he could just brush him off, and I didn't like that at all. I wanted more, and didn't get it, and again it made the ending really unbelievable too.
I wished the ending was a little bit more and more believable, but it made the story no less enjoyable to read and follow on this passionate journey. I liked Laura, and how selfless she was and how she wanted to protect her child, but she also wanted Gabriel's love too because she passionately love him and that was who she wanted and connected with. And I was hurting for her during the entire book because she had to deal with her emotions for him while feeling turmoil over keeping Robby a secret from Gabriel. So, she was wreck yet holding it together as best as she could and I give her props for that as well as standing up for herself in the end.
I liked Gabriel too, but there were a few things I didn't like about him, which I mention above like his quick realization of his love for her and his son, which seemed to come out the blue for him and made it at the last second pretty much. Plus his sharp judgment of her and their child, and never looking to close the distance between them until the last minute. Also he manipulated her through their chemistry to convince her to do some things that she was trying not to do, mainly their physical relationship, just for his own selfish needs and to get what he wanted like the business deal and them making love. So that didn't really soften his image because he knew what exactly he was doing and he wasn't considering her feelings at all just his own. In fact he barely thought about her feelings or did anything for her to show that he did in fact care about her, okay maybe physically, but nothing of substance. I think he could have done a little bit more and showed that she was more than a body to him because I know she didn't feel that and just thought that he just wanted a body and nothing else. So, I wasn't overly thrilled with him, but I didn't hate him either so I was fifty-fifty with him.
I enjoyed this book, and I will continue to read Jennie Lucas's books in the future even if they have predictable set ups to them, yet with their own variations to them, which makes them fun to read, and I look forward to it. Definitely worth the read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 5, 2020
Sold 3 star jaunt from Jennie - another story of passionate one night stand with secretly adored boss resulting in melting condom and seekrit baby. It could happen...
Anyway, heroine gets persuaded back to Brazil by ex-boss to pretend to be engaged in order to complete a business deal. Her post-partum body in a bikini stops the party filled with Brazilian babes and bored billionaires. It could happen...
I'm being mean. If you enjoy JL's books and their sweet heroines and their alpha males brought to their knees by unexpected passion and true love conquering past heartbreak, and I do, then this is a fine way to spend a few hours, but it's not her best.
Notable for the appearance of Theo St Raphael, whose story continues in The Count's Secret Child, which is available as a free ebook or included in The Secret Baby Scandal: The Count's Secret Child / The Sandoval Baby. He appears in a few JL stories and he's great fun.
Anyway, heroine gets persuaded back to Brazil by ex-boss to pretend to be engaged in order to complete a business deal. Her post-partum body in a bikini stops the party filled with Brazilian babes and bored billionaires. It could happen...
I'm being mean. If you enjoy JL's books and their sweet heroines and their alpha males brought to their knees by unexpected passion and true love conquering past heartbreak, and I do, then this is a fine way to spend a few hours, but it's not her best.
Notable for the appearance of Theo St Raphael, whose story continues in The Count's Secret Child, which is available as a free ebook or included in The Secret Baby Scandal: The Count's Secret Child / The Sandoval Baby. He appears in a few JL stories and he's great fun.
January 9, 2019
Many aspects of this book appealed to my inner cliche, melodrama loving monster. The passion, the writing, the characters, etc.
The only thing that falls flat for me is that the guy is a hypocrite and serial commitment-phobe. I am starting to get a little tired of all the modern d-bags...I mean Harlequin heroes...and their pseudo-physiological commitment issues that magically resolve in an epiphany moment within 3 final pages. (In the real world, I give these types of relationships 6 months before they really revert back to their original MO's).
I'm soap-boxing a bit, but bring back aspects of the old-school Harlequins. These books are supposed to be pure fantasy, where the hero sweeps the heroine off her feet and actually wants to commit--maybe just hold back the old-school tropes of the stalker, verging on domestic violence parts! I don't have fantasies of commitment-phobe, overgrown boys with daddy/mommy issues.
The only thing that falls flat for me is that the guy is a hypocrite and serial commitment-phobe. I am starting to get a little tired of all the modern d-bags...I mean Harlequin heroes...and their pseudo-physiological commitment issues that magically resolve in an epiphany moment within 3 final pages. (In the real world, I give these types of relationships 6 months before they really revert back to their original MO's).
I'm soap-boxing a bit, but bring back aspects of the old-school Harlequins. These books are supposed to be pure fantasy, where the hero sweeps the heroine off her feet and actually wants to commit--maybe just hold back the old-school tropes of the stalker, verging on domestic violence parts! I don't have fantasies of commitment-phobe, overgrown boys with daddy/mommy issues.
March 3, 2018
Actually, I'm tired of books like this where the main female character is an insecure person who doesn't know her worth but ends up married anyway with the extremely hot millionaire guy. I found this book in a corner of my office while cleaning old papers and stuff and I should have left it there. Women are more than this, we are more than pretty girls who don't know they are pretty but have plenty of luck finding the one and men are more than this, too, more than guys with tons of money who wouldn't hesitate to use it to "save" girls who say they don't want to be saved but at the end they do.
If you're looking for a light, shallow book that reminds you there are better things in life, then you could read this one.
If you're looking for a light, shallow book that reminds you there are better things in life, then you could read this one.
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