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The Baby Secret
When wedding night passion leads to fiasco, a husband will do anything to find his missing bride—and discover her shocking secret—in this romance novel.Zac and Victoria had a dream wedding—followed by an unforgettable wedding night. Then Victoria discovers that her new husband, the man she adores, has betrayed her—after only one day of marriage! She wastes no time packing her bags and leaving. But Zac won’t let go of Victoria so easily . . . He only wanted to protect his innocent wife from the harsh realities of the world, but Zac knows it was wrong to keep secrets from her. Now he’s determined to find her and bring her home. Only when he does, he discovers that Victoria has been keeping a secret of her their wedding night had resulted in a baby!
153 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1998
86 people are currently reading
299 people want to read
About the author
Helen Brooks
404 books119 followersRita Bradshaw was born on 1949 in Northampton, England, where she was educated as a good Christian. She met Clive, her husband, at the age of 16 andnow the magic is still there. They have three lovely children, Cara, Faye, and Benjamin, and have always had a menagerie of animals in the house, which at the present is confined to two endearing and very comical dogs who would make a great double act on TV! The children, friends, and pets all keep the house buzzing and the food cupboards empty but Helen wouldn't have it any other way. She still lives today in Northampton with her family. Although having enjoyed some wonderful holidays abroad she has never been tempted to live anywhere else, although she rather likes the idea of a holiday home close to the sea one day.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming, and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in the sun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking of course!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as she approached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babies and hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latter an unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of pure joy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own but she loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth is stranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
Being a committed Christian and fervent animal lover she finds spare time is always at a premium, but long walks in the countryside with her husband and dogs, meals out followed by the cinema or theatre, reading, swimming, and having friends over for dinner are all fitted in somehow. She also enjoys sitting in her wonderfully therapeutic, rambling old garden in the sun with a glass of red wine, (under the guise of resting while thinking of course!)
For years, she was a secretary. She began writing in 1990 as she approached that milestone of a birthday 40! She realized her two teenage ambitions (writing a novel and learning to drive) had been lost amid babies and hectic family life, so set about resurrecting them.
Her first novel was for Mills and Boon and was accepted after one rewrite in 1992 as Helen Brooks, and she passed her driving test (the former was a joy and the latter an unmitigated nightmare!) She has written 50 novels as well as several sagas as Rita Bradshaw.
Since becoming a full-time writer she has found her occupation one of pure joy and often surprised when her characters develop a mind of their own but she loves exploring what makes people tick and finds the old adage "truth is stranger than fiction" to be absolutely true. She would love to hear from any readers care of Mills & Boon.
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April 5, 2019
Re The Baby Secret - Helen Brooks gives us a not so seekrit baby story in this HP outing which is also the first book of the multi-year HP Expecting series.
The tagline for this series is EXPECTING: She's sexy, she's successful... and she's PREGNANT!
This one starts with the bridal h hiding out after walking out on her H the morning after her wedding. She is a sweet, former unicorn groomer raised by indifferent, wealthy parents and her biggest adventure to date is helping little kids in a Romanian Orphanage.
The H and h met at a party and married a short time later after a whirlwind courtship. The h is MASSIVELY in love with her H. But her world fell apart when, after a wonderful Night of Bliss, her H got a phone call and had to leave her still in bed in the honeymoon suite. He claimed it was a last minute glitch in business.
The h and H were supposed to fly to Jamaica, but the h's mother intercepted the h as she was waiting and informed the h that her romantic marriage was really a business deal to allow the merger of her deceased father's company with the H's and that the H went to the aid of his mistress, who overdosed on the H's wedding night and then called him to save her.
The h is shocked, hurt and feeling really betrayed. Her own father had a mistress for years before she died and the h was horrified to learn that a woman she called "auntie" was her father's bit on the side.
The h's mother, who was only in it for the money and family pressure anyways, did not really care. The mother is a miserly narcissist and has no problem conniving or manipulating to get her own way. The h finally lets loose on the pathetic, slime gulping woman and tells her she is a horrible person.
So right away we know this h is young and was a bit naive, but she has a solid backbone and isn't afraid to use it.
There is a confrontation with the H and he confirms that what her mother told her is true. His supposedly former mistress, who is also a distant cousin that he recently bought a very pricey apartment for, did try to commit suicide and called him in the bridal suite.
There is also a big merger going on with his and the h's family company. The H claims he did not lie because the h never asked for the truth. The h smartly counters with the response that she did not know enough to ask, because the H took one look at her and saw a well bred broodmare and rushed her off her feet.
The h is not down for a life of misery with a snot snarfing nematode slime pustule who cheats, so she packs up her little carry on bag, slips out through the back of the hotel and finds her BFF William - a dashing reporter who is her other BFF's brother.
William, who has been in love with the h for ages, but knows she only thinks of him as a brother, whisks the h off to his holiday cottage in Tunisia, which is where the H finds her a few weeks later.
In a non-coincidence according to the rules of HPlandia, the h finds out she is preggers with the H's baby the same day the H manages to track her down. The H threatens and bullies, but the h is adamant and more stubborn about getting her way - she and the H are finished and he will just have to live with that.
The H is determined to get his girl back, but he figures he has time to work on things. The h returns to England and gets herself into a nice little flat. (HB lady h's almost never live in poverty unless they are helping out those in need.) She also gets a job as a florist and then the H finds out about the baby.
At first the H thinks that the baby is William's and the h is tempted to leave it like that, but our h is honest and an upright person, so she clues the H in on the baby's paternity.
The H gets even more bullying and the h doesn't listen. He is a liar by omission if not in commission and she isn't tying herself for life to a man like that.
So the H has to suffer and since HB gives us H POV, it is a lot of fun to see him realize that his sweet little former unicorn groomer has a spine and a will made of solid steel. Things are at an impasse, the h isn't returning to the H and he is finally learning to respect her wishes.
Then the h slips at work and the H seizes the day in a Carpe Diem kinda way. He tells the h that she and the baby need looking after, the h hurt her back and is bed bound for a few days. The H takes the opportunity to slip in a sneaky seduction moment when the h's aching limbs have sufficiently healed.
The h has no problem admitting she loves the H and when he explains that his relationship with his ex was over long before he met the h and that she was diagnosed with a serious illness and that was why she attempted to end things, the h does believe him.
(I believed him for the most part too, tho I did question why the woman would take an overdose and then call him on his wedding night morning, but this is HPlandia and drama is built into the bedrock, so I just rolled with it.)
The H also admits that he bought the woman an apartment at the behest of his family, he is the richest of all of them and they frequently tap into his generosity for things like flat and house deeds.
He adds that the h's mother was the one who pushed the merger, it made her a whole lot of money and the H could care less, he doesn't need the h's family company. But the H thought it would keep the mother from manipulating things if he bought her out and she would be out of their lives after that.
The h thinks about all of this and realizes that the problem isn't him, it is actually her - since her childhood was a barren wasteland of emotion and harmony, the h just can't bring herself to trust anybody. Tho she is sure she loves her baby and will give her little bean all the love and devotion it could ever need.
So she tells the H that they still have to part, she can't be committed to him because she must not really love him as she can't bring herself to trust him. But she adds that he can have regular access to see the baby and play the full daddy part.
The H kinda cooks his own goose a bit when he lies and tells her there has never been a divorce in his family, but we get his thoughts and inside, this H is totally panicking.
Things trundle along for a bit and the h is really trying to grow up. She knows that the flat she originally rented was actually purchased for her by the H, who wanted her to be safe, but her internal mental self-inventory leads her to question a few things. So she goes and looks her father's mistress up.
The father's mistress is a really nice lady and she explains that her father and mother were in an family forced arranged marriage and that the father met the mistress a few weeks too late, he had already married the h's mother.
He fell massively in love and wanted to leave the h's mother - but the slime swilling preying mantis made so much trouble and did so many manipulations that it was impossible for the father to leave without hurting the family company, losing his daughter and impoverishing his other relatives.
Then the h's mother made sure to keep the h estranged and sent her away to boarding school to get her out of the way. The father was going to explains things to the h when she was old enough to understand and he had hoped that he could repair the familial bond then -but then he died and never got to have a say.
The mistress explains that the h's father and she were truly in love and were faithful to each other. Once they met they never looked at anyone else and that sometimes it just happens that way. So when the h's mother told her that her father was an indifferent womanizer, it was just the mother manipulating once again to get her own way.
The h realizes that the H is her 'sometimes it happens that way', she is never going to love anyone else and by now we are assured by his thoughts that neither is he, so the h goes back to the H to reunite. Except there is a really big snowstorm and the H is panicked again.
The h isn't where anyone can find her and the H even enlisted William to call all of the h's friends. The H and William have decided to be kinda friends and as the h arrives home and starts having labor pains, she makes her big acceptance and her love of the H declaration.
The H is torn between joy that his love is finally reflected back and serious panic that the h is going to have the baby before he can get the snow off his car. After some winter snow storm in London traffic drama, the h and H make it to hospital.
There is a really cute and sweet delivery and labor scene and the h and H have a baby boy. The H is overwhelmed with happiness and the h is learning that even tho she is tiny and the baby is ten pounds, the h is a natural at having kids.
So reunited at last and wrapped up in love with a bouncing baby boy, the H and h are ready to set off for their own corner of HPlandia HEA Together Forverness, after a bracing cup of tea.
This one is cute and the h is very nice, but pretty feisty. Her growth and maturation were done very believably. There is a little angst and the H almost loses out on reader approval with his initial stupidity. But he soon sees the error of his ways and as his respect for his h grows, so does his appeal.
I am not saying he couldn't have used a skillet smack to the head or two, but overall he comes along nicely and this was a nice 3.5 star rounded up to 4 trip on HB's HPlandia outing.
The tagline for this series is EXPECTING: She's sexy, she's successful... and she's PREGNANT!
This one starts with the bridal h hiding out after walking out on her H the morning after her wedding. She is a sweet, former unicorn groomer raised by indifferent, wealthy parents and her biggest adventure to date is helping little kids in a Romanian Orphanage.
The H and h met at a party and married a short time later after a whirlwind courtship. The h is MASSIVELY in love with her H. But her world fell apart when, after a wonderful Night of Bliss, her H got a phone call and had to leave her still in bed in the honeymoon suite. He claimed it was a last minute glitch in business.
The h and H were supposed to fly to Jamaica, but the h's mother intercepted the h as she was waiting and informed the h that her romantic marriage was really a business deal to allow the merger of her deceased father's company with the H's and that the H went to the aid of his mistress, who overdosed on the H's wedding night and then called him to save her.
The h is shocked, hurt and feeling really betrayed. Her own father had a mistress for years before she died and the h was horrified to learn that a woman she called "auntie" was her father's bit on the side.
The h's mother, who was only in it for the money and family pressure anyways, did not really care. The mother is a miserly narcissist and has no problem conniving or manipulating to get her own way. The h finally lets loose on the pathetic, slime gulping woman and tells her she is a horrible person.
So right away we know this h is young and was a bit naive, but she has a solid backbone and isn't afraid to use it.
There is a confrontation with the H and he confirms that what her mother told her is true. His supposedly former mistress, who is also a distant cousin that he recently bought a very pricey apartment for, did try to commit suicide and called him in the bridal suite.
There is also a big merger going on with his and the h's family company. The H claims he did not lie because the h never asked for the truth. The h smartly counters with the response that she did not know enough to ask, because the H took one look at her and saw a well bred broodmare and rushed her off her feet.
The h is not down for a life of misery with a snot snarfing nematode slime pustule who cheats, so she packs up her little carry on bag, slips out through the back of the hotel and finds her BFF William - a dashing reporter who is her other BFF's brother.
William, who has been in love with the h for ages, but knows she only thinks of him as a brother, whisks the h off to his holiday cottage in Tunisia, which is where the H finds her a few weeks later.
In a non-coincidence according to the rules of HPlandia, the h finds out she is preggers with the H's baby the same day the H manages to track her down. The H threatens and bullies, but the h is adamant and more stubborn about getting her way - she and the H are finished and he will just have to live with that.
The H is determined to get his girl back, but he figures he has time to work on things. The h returns to England and gets herself into a nice little flat. (HB lady h's almost never live in poverty unless they are helping out those in need.) She also gets a job as a florist and then the H finds out about the baby.
At first the H thinks that the baby is William's and the h is tempted to leave it like that, but our h is honest and an upright person, so she clues the H in on the baby's paternity.
The H gets even more bullying and the h doesn't listen. He is a liar by omission if not in commission and she isn't tying herself for life to a man like that.
So the H has to suffer and since HB gives us H POV, it is a lot of fun to see him realize that his sweet little former unicorn groomer has a spine and a will made of solid steel. Things are at an impasse, the h isn't returning to the H and he is finally learning to respect her wishes.
Then the h slips at work and the H seizes the day in a Carpe Diem kinda way. He tells the h that she and the baby need looking after, the h hurt her back and is bed bound for a few days. The H takes the opportunity to slip in a sneaky seduction moment when the h's aching limbs have sufficiently healed.
The h has no problem admitting she loves the H and when he explains that his relationship with his ex was over long before he met the h and that she was diagnosed with a serious illness and that was why she attempted to end things, the h does believe him.
(I believed him for the most part too, tho I did question why the woman would take an overdose and then call him on his wedding night morning, but this is HPlandia and drama is built into the bedrock, so I just rolled with it.)
The H also admits that he bought the woman an apartment at the behest of his family, he is the richest of all of them and they frequently tap into his generosity for things like flat and house deeds.
He adds that the h's mother was the one who pushed the merger, it made her a whole lot of money and the H could care less, he doesn't need the h's family company. But the H thought it would keep the mother from manipulating things if he bought her out and she would be out of their lives after that.
The h thinks about all of this and realizes that the problem isn't him, it is actually her - since her childhood was a barren wasteland of emotion and harmony, the h just can't bring herself to trust anybody. Tho she is sure she loves her baby and will give her little bean all the love and devotion it could ever need.
So she tells the H that they still have to part, she can't be committed to him because she must not really love him as she can't bring herself to trust him. But she adds that he can have regular access to see the baby and play the full daddy part.
The H kinda cooks his own goose a bit when he lies and tells her there has never been a divorce in his family, but we get his thoughts and inside, this H is totally panicking.
Things trundle along for a bit and the h is really trying to grow up. She knows that the flat she originally rented was actually purchased for her by the H, who wanted her to be safe, but her internal mental self-inventory leads her to question a few things. So she goes and looks her father's mistress up.
The father's mistress is a really nice lady and she explains that her father and mother were in an family forced arranged marriage and that the father met the mistress a few weeks too late, he had already married the h's mother.
He fell massively in love and wanted to leave the h's mother - but the slime swilling preying mantis made so much trouble and did so many manipulations that it was impossible for the father to leave without hurting the family company, losing his daughter and impoverishing his other relatives.
Then the h's mother made sure to keep the h estranged and sent her away to boarding school to get her out of the way. The father was going to explains things to the h when she was old enough to understand and he had hoped that he could repair the familial bond then -but then he died and never got to have a say.
The mistress explains that the h's father and she were truly in love and were faithful to each other. Once they met they never looked at anyone else and that sometimes it just happens that way. So when the h's mother told her that her father was an indifferent womanizer, it was just the mother manipulating once again to get her own way.
The h realizes that the H is her 'sometimes it happens that way', she is never going to love anyone else and by now we are assured by his thoughts that neither is he, so the h goes back to the H to reunite. Except there is a really big snowstorm and the H is panicked again.
The h isn't where anyone can find her and the H even enlisted William to call all of the h's friends. The H and William have decided to be kinda friends and as the h arrives home and starts having labor pains, she makes her big acceptance and her love of the H declaration.
The H is torn between joy that his love is finally reflected back and serious panic that the h is going to have the baby before he can get the snow off his car. After some winter snow storm in London traffic drama, the h and H make it to hospital.
There is a really cute and sweet delivery and labor scene and the h and H have a baby boy. The H is overwhelmed with happiness and the h is learning that even tho she is tiny and the baby is ten pounds, the h is a natural at having kids.
So reunited at last and wrapped up in love with a bouncing baby boy, the H and h are ready to set off for their own corner of HPlandia HEA Together Forverness, after a bracing cup of tea.
This one is cute and the h is very nice, but pretty feisty. Her growth and maturation were done very believably. There is a little angst and the H almost loses out on reader approval with his initial stupidity. But he soon sees the error of his ways and as his respect for his h grows, so does his appeal.
I am not saying he couldn't have used a skillet smack to the head or two, but overall he comes along nicely and this was a nice 3.5 star rounded up to 4 trip on HB's HPlandia outing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2016
Cry my a river! Zac couldn't be stupid enough to believe he could leave his wife's bed on their first night of marriage and disappear to his mistress room for hours after lying to his wife about who he was going to see and expect her to be nonchalant about it, could he? Of course he did! Zac couldn't believe his bride would be interested to hear about the deals he was making behind her back with her mother, could he? Of course not! Zac couldn't be stupid enough to believe his wife would have no problem with him buying his mistress an apartment few days before their wedding or supporting her financially throughout the book , or taking his mistress along on most occasions when seeing Grace before they were married or taking her to parties after his wife ran a way, could he? Of course he did! Zac couldn't believe his bride whom he "deflowered" on the few hours he actually cared to spent in her wedding bed would have run to the arms of another man and have sex with him for two weeks and then hide in Tunisia for three more months just so he could take the occasional short flight from London to north Africa to visit her to have more sex instead of his wife spending her time in his apartment in London, which by the way she was never interested in him beyond a true friendship and he was a decent guy, could he? Of course he did! Zac couldn't believe his wife was pregnant by his baby after having a few hours of unprotected sex but instead by her childhood friend who helped her out when she ran away from the hotel, could he? Of course he did! Zac couldn't say once he was sorry for what he did, could he? Of course not!
Grace did have some mommy and daddy issues but Zac believed he has done nothing wrong and hasn't caused any reason for Grace to mistrust him or feeling abandoned!
Grace did have some mommy and daddy issues but Zac believed he has done nothing wrong and hasn't caused any reason for Grace to mistrust him or feeling abandoned!
October 5, 2015
Another story where the heroine got in the way of a good book. I did like the initial conflict. Going to your ex-mistresses room on the first night of your honeymoon, is rather stupid. What woman in her right mind would say.. "oh honey, no problem". There was no one else in the world that could help her other than the hero? In my opinion, OW and OW's mother were out to make trouble and the hero fell for it, hook line and sinker.
This started off 5 stars, but the heroine just dragged it down. It was just the same thrashing over and over again. I couldn't wait for it to finish. 2 stars because of the great start, otherwise it would be just 1 star.
This started off 5 stars, but the heroine just dragged it down. It was just the same thrashing over and over again. I couldn't wait for it to finish. 2 stars because of the great start, otherwise it would be just 1 star.
May 4, 2021
Both H/h are ridiculous, but heroine is 20 and inclined to be a bit dramatic and OTT. -Hero has no excuse for leaving the heroine on their wedding night to attend to his suicidal cousin/former OW. What did he expect?
Heroine leaves him then and there after her mother drops poison in her ear about hero will be the kind of husband that always has mistresses.
Heroine goes to her friend's older brother with her tale of woe, which increases the hero's jealousy. There are many scenes that make both of them look bad, so by the time HB runs out of pages, I was sick of both of them.
But - HB keeps a lively pace and I stayed interested, so three stars.
Boogenhagen has all the details in her excellent review.
Heroine leaves him then and there after her mother drops poison in her ear about hero will be the kind of husband that always has mistresses.
Heroine goes to her friend's older brother with her tale of woe, which increases the hero's jealousy. There are many scenes that make both of them look bad, so by the time HB runs out of pages, I was sick of both of them.
But - HB keeps a lively pace and I stayed interested, so three stars.
Boogenhagen has all the details in her excellent review.
October 14, 2013
OMG! I wanted to bitch-slap this annoying heroine. She was hateful, insecure, mean, bitchy, I can't even describe how awful she was. She even physically abused the hero. Stay away from this book!
August 13, 2017
This was just okay. The baby "secret" ceases to be a secret within the first couple of chapters. The OW/OM drama is just a red herring. The real issue between them is lack of communication and lack of trust, which the author does a nice job of slowly and organically resolving between them over the course of their post-wedding courtship. If they had done all that before getting married, like, you know, getting to know and trust each other, none of this would have happened. Illustrates that old adage of marrying in haste, repenting at leisure. Luckily for them, the reconciliation was heartfelt and tied up with a neat bow at the end.
September 22, 2021
This one has a kinky side.
The heroine is our usual naive, innocent and young woman who meets more experienced hero. He marries her and, after their wedding night, he goes to his ex mistress/ cousin. The heroine's mother, that is also the mother of all bitches, reveals this fact to her and tells her she must be lenient because her husband will always have such affairs, and that the hero bought an apartment for his ex before marrying her.
The heroine asks the hero if it's true that he went to his cousin/mistress soon after they had sex the wedding night and he admits he did but refuses to give explanations.
The heroine leaves.
Of course the hero finds her but she asks for divorce. He thinks she has an affair with the owner of the house she's living in, who is one of her friends' brother.
The misunderstanding goes on when, some time later, the hero finds out she's pregnant and thinks the baby is om.
The heroine doesn't deny it, because she wants him out of her life.
Meanwhile the heroine is living and working by herself, refusing everything from the hero, but he eventually finds out the baby is his.
The heroine won't surrender immediately, and eventually the hero will confess about ow.
She's been his lover years before, but no more. Since she's also his cousin, and she's ill and destitute, the hero, as her relative, had to provide for her. The night of their wedding she had just found out she was severely ill so she attepted suicide and of course he went to her.
- The book was good, I think that the heroine was right to expect to be told more about her husband's life, especially important things like his cousin's attempted suicide.
He paid dearly for his mistake, I appreciated it.
-The cousin/mistress was really kinky, and I wonder why a man has to have a mistress who is also his cousin, aren't there enough attractive women who are not relative?? This incestuous part was really icky. The author chose to make it because it was the only way to justify his behaviour afterwards. You cannot NOT invite a relative to your marriage and NOT provide for relatives if you are a good person and they need help, both financial and emotional. His only great mistake (besides chosing his cousin for mistress) was not to tell the heroine everything (as he eventually admits).
I think HB heroes are very good ones, they are never willingly cruel or hurtful, they love their heroines and are completely faithful.
NB: This book reminds me of a Lynne Graham book where the hero went to his cousin because she attempted suicide during his wedding night, and it was even kinkier because the heroine thought she was his half-sister. Yuck!!
The heroine is our usual naive, innocent and young woman who meets more experienced hero. He marries her and, after their wedding night, he goes to his ex mistress/ cousin. The heroine's mother, that is also the mother of all bitches, reveals this fact to her and tells her she must be lenient because her husband will always have such affairs, and that the hero bought an apartment for his ex before marrying her.
The heroine asks the hero if it's true that he went to his cousin/mistress soon after they had sex the wedding night and he admits he did but refuses to give explanations.
The heroine leaves.
Of course the hero finds her but she asks for divorce. He thinks she has an affair with the owner of the house she's living in, who is one of her friends' brother.
The misunderstanding goes on when, some time later, the hero finds out she's pregnant and thinks the baby is om.
The heroine doesn't deny it, because she wants him out of her life.
Meanwhile the heroine is living and working by herself, refusing everything from the hero, but he eventually finds out the baby is his.
The heroine won't surrender immediately, and eventually the hero will confess about ow.
She's been his lover years before, but no more. Since she's also his cousin, and she's ill and destitute, the hero, as her relative, had to provide for her. The night of their wedding she had just found out she was severely ill so she attepted suicide and of course he went to her.
- The book was good, I think that the heroine was right to expect to be told more about her husband's life, especially important things like his cousin's attempted suicide.
He paid dearly for his mistake, I appreciated it.
-The cousin/mistress was really kinky, and I wonder why a man has to have a mistress who is also his cousin, aren't there enough attractive women who are not relative?? This incestuous part was really icky. The author chose to make it because it was the only way to justify his behaviour afterwards. You cannot NOT invite a relative to your marriage and NOT provide for relatives if you are a good person and they need help, both financial and emotional. His only great mistake (besides chosing his cousin for mistress) was not to tell the heroine everything (as he eventually admits).
I think HB heroes are very good ones, they are never willingly cruel or hurtful, they love their heroines and are completely faithful.
NB: This book reminds me of a Lynne Graham book where the hero went to his cousin because she attempted suicide during his wedding night, and it was even kinkier because the heroine thought she was his half-sister. Yuck!!
January 13, 2021
Little bit angsty tale of growing and being mature enough to survive marriage! Lol
September 29, 2011
Zac and Victoria Harding were recently wed, when Zac claimed he needed to handle a business crisis w/in hours of their nuptials. The following morning Victoria’s helpful mother advised her that Zac went to another woman’s room and spent the remainder of the night there. Her mother also let her know about a business deal w/ Zac that took place, making it appear that Zac had other reasons for marrying Victoria. Zac claims that he has never lied to Victoria and business and the OW would have been brought to light if Victoria had asked. Distraught and feeling betrayed Victoria did a runner and soon after discovered that she happens to be pregnant w/ her estranged husband’s child. When Zac locates her again and is made aware of her pregnancy he immediately deduces that she slept w/ the man she had run too.
Oh what a mess this book appeared to be. But it all worked in the end. Yes, Zac made an excellent point of how it looked w/ Victoria and the OM, but it didn’t appear that he correlated it w/ the way he and the OW appeared to Victoria. Later, of course, he admits that he should have enlightened his wife, but he really was just protecting and sheltering her innocence from the hardships of life - something that wasn’t done for him. Zac had some issues too and it goes a long way to explain why he didn’t confide in his wife, IMHO. Victoria had issues that were manifested more so when she believed her husband of only hours was quite capable of keeping a woman on the side. One of her issues is still in her life too – her mother!
But you could tell that Zac loved Victoria despite the issues and he really was trying his hardest to break through her shell. He seemed like a man that didn’t like to explain himself and would walk away from any other woman that he believed had betrayed him. Yet Zac continued to try to support Victoria when he believed she carried OM’s child. He went out of his way sometimes to be there for her. He would even sneak some of his support, but dragon lady would inadvertently – okay on purpose – let the cat out of the bag. Zac needed to learn to share things w/ others instead of keeping everything in as he tried to deal w/ it all on his own; Victoria needed to deal w/ and discover answers to issues from her past so that she could put it down and pick up her present and future w/ Zac. At the end of the story, I believed in the HEA.
Oh what a mess this book appeared to be. But it all worked in the end. Yes, Zac made an excellent point of how it looked w/ Victoria and the OM, but it didn’t appear that he correlated it w/ the way he and the OW appeared to Victoria. Later, of course, he admits that he should have enlightened his wife, but he really was just protecting and sheltering her innocence from the hardships of life - something that wasn’t done for him. Zac had some issues too and it goes a long way to explain why he didn’t confide in his wife, IMHO. Victoria had issues that were manifested more so when she believed her husband of only hours was quite capable of keeping a woman on the side. One of her issues is still in her life too – her mother!
But you could tell that Zac loved Victoria despite the issues and he really was trying his hardest to break through her shell. He seemed like a man that didn’t like to explain himself and would walk away from any other woman that he believed had betrayed him. Yet Zac continued to try to support Victoria when he believed she carried OM’s child. He went out of his way sometimes to be there for her. He would even sneak some of his support, but dragon lady would inadvertently – okay on purpose – let the cat out of the bag. Zac needed to learn to share things w/ others instead of keeping everything in as he tried to deal w/ it all on his own; Victoria needed to deal w/ and discover answers to issues from her past so that she could put it down and pick up her present and future w/ Zac. At the end of the story, I believed in the HEA.
dnf
October 26, 2022Things that made me laugh out loud:
"Spare me a list of his virtues, Victoria, please," Zac - grated with hateful sarcasm. "I’m amazed this paragon hasn’t got wings already. And whilst we’re talking about suspicious minds, might I remind you you are in no position to cast the first stone?"
"You're saying I've got a suspicious mind?!" 🤣
Cue Elvis' Suspicious Mind
Couldn't get it out of my head.
'She just hoped the article she had read a day or so ago in one of the mother magazines she had bought, which stated that the unborn child picked up its mother’s thoughts and brain patterns, was wrong. Otherwise she’d be giving birth to a miniature Rambo with psychopathic tendencies.'
*loooool*
"You knew exactly what would happen when you turned up on his doorstep like a maiden in distress. It’s the classic come-on."
"I was a maiden in distress!" 😂
I couldn't take her seriously anymore.
This one started out delicious but lost steam way before the second half of the book. The heroine was annoying. I was rooting for the hero.
Marked as DNF
Read on Open Library
April 19, 2019
Book One of Harlequin's Expecting! Series, this one is about Victoria Brown. She is in Tunisia (read for the first time, a Harlequin book set in this country), and is at a doctor's appointment where she finds out she's almost three months pregnant. She fled England, from her husband Zac Harding, and the other woman, Gina Rossellini. She's twenty to his thirty-five, her marriage conveniently arranged by her socialite mother, Coral Chigley-Brown, who considered Victoria only an intrusion, and who is a vicious, heartless mother.
She took refuge in her childhood friend's brother, William Howard's home in Tunisia the same night she had to leave for honeymoon after getting to know about Zac's betrayal. And now Zac thinks she betrayed him with William.
This is one weird read! He doesn't trust her, she doesn't trust him. They both mistake the other's silences for more betrayal. And the cycle never stops, leading them to miss out on her pregnancy. Though they do bump into each other, deliberately from time to time, especially now that they are both back in England.
When Zac opened up about his past to Tory, yes - that's his nickname for her, only his - it was such a beautiful scene. And I completely sympathise with Victoria too, how parental love, or the lack thereof, can drive one insane from within.
The book picks up steam from mid-way. And it had a beautiful ending, which included the birth of their baby boy, James Zachary.
P.S. Zac's trademark phrase is: for crying out loud.
She took refuge in her childhood friend's brother, William Howard's home in Tunisia the same night she had to leave for honeymoon after getting to know about Zac's betrayal. And now Zac thinks she betrayed him with William.
This is one weird read! He doesn't trust her, she doesn't trust him. They both mistake the other's silences for more betrayal. And the cycle never stops, leading them to miss out on her pregnancy. Though they do bump into each other, deliberately from time to time, especially now that they are both back in England.
When Zac opened up about his past to Tory, yes - that's his nickname for her, only his - it was such a beautiful scene. And I completely sympathise with Victoria too, how parental love, or the lack thereof, can drive one insane from within.
The book picks up steam from mid-way. And it had a beautiful ending, which included the birth of their baby boy, James Zachary.
P.S. Zac's trademark phrase is: for crying out loud.
August 26, 2017
"The Baby Secret" is the story of Zac and Victoria, and was a great read!
Victoria runs away after her wedding night, having heard about her husband being with his ex/cousin- a rumor that is fueled by her bitch of a mother.. only to find out three months later there is bun in the oven!
What I liked in this book was
-As the timeline of the pregnancy progresses, both characters grow
-Both have their faults and misconceptions- but it is addressed and you end up liking them
-The H is utterly devoted from the start (even though he has his ego at times)- and confesses his love early on. Even when the h pushes him away he keeps caring for her.
-The h's love for the baby
-Her addressing her source of mistrust
-Super sweet ending
Overall, was a pleasurable read!
Safe
4.25/5
Victoria runs away after her wedding night, having heard about her husband being with his ex/cousin- a rumor that is fueled by her bitch of a mother.. only to find out three months later there is bun in the oven!
What I liked in this book was
-As the timeline of the pregnancy progresses, both characters grow
-Both have their faults and misconceptions- but it is addressed and you end up liking them
-The H is utterly devoted from the start (even though he has his ego at times)- and confesses his love early on. Even when the h pushes him away he keeps caring for her.
-The h's love for the baby
-Her addressing her source of mistrust
-Super sweet ending
Overall, was a pleasurable read!
Safe
4.25/5
June 17, 2017
A sweet story of a couple working through lots of misunderstandings that separated them on the day after their wedding.
Although the name is somewhat of a tease because the baby in question was no real secret. The h walked out on her husband after one night together because her witch of a mother told her her husband had another woman. This led to a separation and lots of misunderstandings between H and h.
I have to hand it to the H though, he worked his butt off to fix his marriage. The h's childhood issues and wicked witch of a mother was the reason that she could not trust the H.
I also loved William, the h's bff. He was in love with her but understood she loved him like a brother. So he was there for her but never tried to make a move on her. He only wanted to see her happy and was there with excellent advice when she needed a friend.
It took the h a loooong time to come to the realization that she had a good thing, but I blame that on her witch of a mother and the horrible way the witch raised her.
Overall, an absolutely enjoyable read, even if the h was steeped in insecurities and annoying at times.
Although the name is somewhat of a tease because the baby in question was no real secret. The h walked out on her husband after one night together because her witch of a mother told her her husband had another woman. This led to a separation and lots of misunderstandings between H and h.
I have to hand it to the H though, he worked his butt off to fix his marriage. The h's childhood issues and wicked witch of a mother was the reason that she could not trust the H.
I also loved William, the h's bff. He was in love with her but understood she loved him like a brother. So he was there for her but never tried to make a move on her. He only wanted to see her happy and was there with excellent advice when she needed a friend.
It took the h a loooong time to come to the realization that she had a good thing, but I blame that on her witch of a mother and the horrible way the witch raised her.
Overall, an absolutely enjoyable read, even if the h was steeped in insecurities and annoying at times.
July 15, 2014
A really sweet read that starts with a whirwind romance; a handsome intense sexy man; one innocent naive young woman and one baby. Throw in one social climbing mother; an ex-mistress; and a undeclared love and you have a very interesting read.
June 17, 2019
A story that begins when the two main characters are already married albeit that the wife Tory left him the morning after their wedding. As her mother explained to her that he had lied to her the evening before as to why he’d left her on their wedding night. He’d had an urgent phone call from his mistress whom he Zac claims is his ex mistress, and she’s a mistress that the heroine knew nothing about. Who had even been at their wedding and was staying in the same hotel, then she discovers that Zac had bought the mistress an apartment. He claimed she was a cousin and he was merely helping out a family member.
Then the story is a constant round of him attempting to get her back while she refuses. This lasts more or less throughout the whole book. The fact that the heroine is pregnant from the wedding night or the part of it that Zac actually spent with her, as she was a virgin just was an added incentive for Zac to want her back.
This was an odd story inasmuch the author kept the stalemate situation going for too long, that made this boring to some extent and the characters unsympathetic, and left the author with nowhere to go with the plot. I think she missed a trick here where she could have made more of the mistress situation IMO. As she never appears in the story except her off the page part in this at the beginning. The heroine’s upbringing also added to her past experience with her fathers unfaithfulness. Why the author had the heroine visit her late father’s mistress, as that added nothing to this story. Some reviews I read claim the hero Zac was still escorting the mistress about town and paying her bills. I must have read a different book or a revised edition as that wasn’t in the story I read. Overall this had potential but the discord between the two main characters went on for too long. Overall the main couple seemed unsuited she was too young and inexperienced at 20 for the hero who was 15 years her senior.
Then the story is a constant round of him attempting to get her back while she refuses. This lasts more or less throughout the whole book. The fact that the heroine is pregnant from the wedding night or the part of it that Zac actually spent with her, as she was a virgin just was an added incentive for Zac to want her back.
This was an odd story inasmuch the author kept the stalemate situation going for too long, that made this boring to some extent and the characters unsympathetic, and left the author with nowhere to go with the plot. I think she missed a trick here where she could have made more of the mistress situation IMO. As she never appears in the story except her off the page part in this at the beginning. The heroine’s upbringing also added to her past experience with her fathers unfaithfulness. Why the author had the heroine visit her late father’s mistress, as that added nothing to this story. Some reviews I read claim the hero Zac was still escorting the mistress about town and paying her bills. I must have read a different book or a revised edition as that wasn’t in the story I read. Overall this had potential but the discord between the two main characters went on for too long. Overall the main couple seemed unsuited she was too young and inexperienced at 20 for the hero who was 15 years her senior.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2024
This was recommended by a friend and I’m so glad I listened. It’s got that old Mills and Boon vibe where the men are TSTL which was just what I needed. Great angsty/outrageous storytelling
March 31, 2020
The writing was good, but the conflict and assumptions on both sides went on way too long
June 24, 2018
I read this a long time ago and unlike the other reviewers, I did like this one.
This was a hilarious book, I couldn’t stop laughing. The heroine is an epic idiot, but she manages to put the Hero through the wringer big time.
The characters were both functioning under major misunderstandings. Though the story is an angst filled one, I found their interactions quite amusing in several parts.
I think the hero was a bit misjudged by the other reviewers. He did have a whole slew of bad judgement calls that came back to bite him in the a**, but considering the torment the heroine put him through, he did pay for it.
I think he really loved the heroine very much but since she was so much younger than him, he attempted to shelter her. Bad Idea!!
SPOILERS:
First bad idea. He had an ex who he was related to (a cousin) I think. He never told the heroine about her. Now I dont care to know about all my partners' ex girlfriends but if one is a relation it stands to reason that I'd run into this one, and i would rather know about it.
He had already finished with the ex long before he even met the heroine, which is reasonable. Which is also why the ex, since she is a cousin, was at the wedding and engagement party as the relatives were all invited. But he never told the heroine of this relationship and it made it seem underhand and suspicious when she (h) eventually found out about it.
Second bad idea. The ex is not portrayed as an evil OW. At this point she was just a relative who fell on hard times, and the hero, more to ease the mind of his aunt (mother of ex) agrees to buy her an apartment and help out financially. Another perfectly reasonable explanation that anyone in his position, he is extremely wealthy, could possibly do for their close relatives. Still, he does not clear this with his fiancée, as the heroine was at the time.
Worst idea. The ex, as a guest at the wedding, is staying in the same hotel as the newly weds along with other guests.She (ex) has been diagnosed with an incurable illness and in a fit of depression takes a drug overdose. Also a bad idea on whoever called the H out of his suite that morning to help out with her, some other relative could have done it. Anyway, he leaves the bed of his new wife to help her out!
Later, the same morning when wifey finds out ALL these details, sh*t hits the fan and she freaks and walks out on him. I did like that she put him through hell for this.
Don't get me wrong, my review now seems like the ex played a major role in the book. Actually she was just a footnote and catalyst in the start to separate the couple. All the details i mentioned above came out in the end of the book when the H finally got to explain it to the heroine. I really got the sense that they (the H and his ex) were more just cousins / friends now.
Since it was as innocent as he described, he really should have just told his wife from the start, it would have saved her a lot of pain and humiliation. The H did see how his actions could have been misinterpreted by his wife and others, in the end, and he admitted that he should have handled it differently.
The heroine was a bit of a ninny but then she is very young so its forgivable.
The best part of the book for me was reading about the hell she put him through, and the hoops she made him jump over. She didn't give an inch, but after all those bad ideas of his, he did deserve it.
This was a hilarious book, I couldn’t stop laughing. The heroine is an epic idiot, but she manages to put the Hero through the wringer big time.
The characters were both functioning under major misunderstandings. Though the story is an angst filled one, I found their interactions quite amusing in several parts.
I think the hero was a bit misjudged by the other reviewers. He did have a whole slew of bad judgement calls that came back to bite him in the a**, but considering the torment the heroine put him through, he did pay for it.
I think he really loved the heroine very much but since she was so much younger than him, he attempted to shelter her. Bad Idea!!
SPOILERS:
First bad idea. He had an ex who he was related to (a cousin) I think. He never told the heroine about her. Now I dont care to know about all my partners' ex girlfriends but if one is a relation it stands to reason that I'd run into this one, and i would rather know about it.
He had already finished with the ex long before he even met the heroine, which is reasonable. Which is also why the ex, since she is a cousin, was at the wedding and engagement party as the relatives were all invited. But he never told the heroine of this relationship and it made it seem underhand and suspicious when she (h) eventually found out about it.
Second bad idea. The ex is not portrayed as an evil OW. At this point she was just a relative who fell on hard times, and the hero, more to ease the mind of his aunt (mother of ex) agrees to buy her an apartment and help out financially. Another perfectly reasonable explanation that anyone in his position, he is extremely wealthy, could possibly do for their close relatives. Still, he does not clear this with his fiancée, as the heroine was at the time.
Worst idea. The ex, as a guest at the wedding, is staying in the same hotel as the newly weds along with other guests.She (ex) has been diagnosed with an incurable illness and in a fit of depression takes a drug overdose. Also a bad idea on whoever called the H out of his suite that morning to help out with her, some other relative could have done it. Anyway, he leaves the bed of his new wife to help her out!
Later, the same morning when wifey finds out ALL these details, sh*t hits the fan and she freaks and walks out on him. I did like that she put him through hell for this.
Don't get me wrong, my review now seems like the ex played a major role in the book. Actually she was just a footnote and catalyst in the start to separate the couple. All the details i mentioned above came out in the end of the book when the H finally got to explain it to the heroine. I really got the sense that they (the H and his ex) were more just cousins / friends now.
Since it was as innocent as he described, he really should have just told his wife from the start, it would have saved her a lot of pain and humiliation. The H did see how his actions could have been misinterpreted by his wife and others, in the end, and he admitted that he should have handled it differently.
The heroine was a bit of a ninny but then she is very young so its forgivable.
The best part of the book for me was reading about the hell she put him through, and the hoops she made him jump over. She didn't give an inch, but after all those bad ideas of his, he did deserve it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2021
Full of drama, angst, misunderstandings, with an added dash of a secret baby. I loved the melodrama of it all. But I wanted more grovel. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, hence the 3 stars.
November 22, 2021
I remember reading this and liking this, because it was obvious he was in love with her.
September 17, 2024
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Lots of miss understanding in this one. Geez. Lol. If they let the other talk they could have saved themselves lots of grief. Oh but it was fun to read. Great book.
Lots of miss understanding in this one. Geez. Lol. If they let the other talk they could have saved themselves lots of grief. Oh but it was fun to read. Great book.
July 31, 2014
~ ~ ~ ~ Beware Spoilers! ~ ~ ~ ~
This book is one of my all time favourites. The only thing I don't like about it is a title (face it, it's pretty lame!) Other than that it's lovely and I highly recommend if you're looking for something gentle, happy and guaranteed to end cheerfully. (Gosh that last sentence sounded like a dodgy 'massage' parlour ad :S but you know what I meant.)
I really fell for Zac and although I read this years ago he remains one of my favourite heroes due to his gentleness and integrity. Victoria is a sweet and kind protagonist whom I felt was real and likeable. I loved the jealousy William sparked in Zac it was perfectly done and illustrated how strongly he felt about her.
I've read this book so many times now, it's a real old favourite I come to when I'm in a reading slump or if I don't want anything heavy when I'm stressed etc...
Perfectly executed secret baby/reconciliation story and a dear favourite.
This book is one of my all time favourites. The only thing I don't like about it is a title (face it, it's pretty lame!) Other than that it's lovely and I highly recommend if you're looking for something gentle, happy and guaranteed to end cheerfully. (Gosh that last sentence sounded like a dodgy 'massage' parlour ad :S but you know what I meant.)
I really fell for Zac and although I read this years ago he remains one of my favourite heroes due to his gentleness and integrity. Victoria is a sweet and kind protagonist whom I felt was real and likeable. I loved the jealousy William sparked in Zac it was perfectly done and illustrated how strongly he felt about her.
I've read this book so many times now, it's a real old favourite I come to when I'm in a reading slump or if I don't want anything heavy when I'm stressed etc...
Perfectly executed secret baby/reconciliation story and a dear favourite.
January 8, 2025
I read this a few years ago and really liked but did not remember the whole story. Rereading it, I realized that it was as captivating the second time. While communication between the couple was lacking and better communication would have alleviated a lot of their issues. But it was trust in others and themselves that was the greatest stumbling block. Watching the transformation as they realized their problem and grew as people do as they worked their way to their HEA was actually quite realistic. Because a huge part of loving someone is to trust that as they hold your heart, they won't do anything to hurt it or abuse your love and its huge to give that trust, just as it's huge to deserve it. This was actually quite steamy as well.
August 19, 2012
The hero married the heroine when she was young, on their wedding night the hero disappeared to help his ex-mistress. Being insecure and barely and adult as it is, the heroine left her husband, the hero, thinking he was having an affair. After only being married for twenty-four hours, she took off to her friends Williams place, meanwhile the hero wouldn't stop searching for her. Fast forward three months and the heroine is a little over three months pregnant with her husbands baby but the hero doesn't believe the baby really is his, he is sure in for a reality check!
February 29, 2012
I really liked this book and I am not sure why. I like that it is pretty clear the the H really does love the h, but I was very frustrated about how silly the misunderstanding is. He really was wrong, no matter how you look at it. Sigh, this one still manages to come out really good. I loved the interaction wibetween the H and the h's male friend maybe there is a book for him...and I thought it was touching how the the H just kept coming back for her.
June 8, 2021
Wedding night baby! It had been a dream wedding--followed by a night of unforgettable passion. Then Victoria discovered that her new husband, the man she adored, had betrayed her--after only one day of marriage! She packed her bags and left...Zac Harding wouldn't let Victoria go. He was determined to find his missing bride and bring her home. Only, when he did, he was shocked to find that Victoria had a secret she was desperate to keep: their wedding night had resulted in a baby
December 16, 2019
Zac meets Victoria and falls in love with her. But she's very young and he decides not to share with her details that he deems unimportant. Well, that sure comes back to bite him in the a$$ quite spectacularly and it's many, many months before Victoria learns to trust him again.
I would have given the story a 4 star review, but their lack of communication dragged for soooo long, I got bored towards the end.
I would have given the story a 4 star review, but their lack of communication dragged for soooo long, I got bored towards the end.
November 24, 2012
Most of it was spent in endless high volume bickering, which got tiresome, but the end is pretty good when the hero wizens up and just indulges her. It had a true feel to it, especially as she was pregnant and a fair bit younger, so the hormones would have justified some of her behavior.
April 4, 2016
Liked how devoted the H was of the h. He was very possessive and jealous. I liked that he couldn't stay away from here. This h really made him work for it, which was great. Its nice to see the H doing all the work.
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