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Pregnancy & Passion #2

Wanted by Her Lost Love

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Despite his fiancée's chilling betrayal, developer Ryan Beardsley provided for Kelly Christian when he sent her packing. So he's livid to find her working in a dingy Houston diner, desperate and pregnant. Regardless of whether the baby is his—or his brother's—Ryan demands that Kelly return to New York with him. Now. For the baby's sake. Or maybe because the woman's as irresistible as ever…

189 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

585 people are currently reading
3918 people want to read

About the author

Maya Banks

242 books21.5k followers
Maya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
Profile Image for  A. .
1,166 reviews5,125 followers
August 4, 2020
2.5 Stars

I didn’t enjoy this as much as I hoped.



My biggest issue? The beginning. It didn’t work for me. We are just thrown in the middle of the story. We missed the best part. And despite the fact that I got all the details later, it didn't help.

Also, you know I Iove me some assholes. But this one? He crossed the line. Not nearly enough groveling in my opinion. Not even sure what he had to do to redeem himself. Lose a limb maybe?

However, the writing is very good. I actually felt hate emanating from the characters. The problem is, there was too much hate, too much yelling, too much antagonism… She forgave him too easily. If they had split up for any other reason, I would have loved this story. But they didn’t so…



QUICK REVIEW:
Enjoyment: 2.5/5
Writing style: 4/5
Storyline: 3/5
Hero: 2/5
Heroine: 3/5
Secondary characters: 3/5
Hotness/steam: 3.5/5
Romance: 2/5
Angst: 4/5
Darkness level: 1/5
Humor: 1/5
Depth of the book: 3/5
POV: dual, 3rd person
Triggers:

Profile Image for atomickitten.
997 reviews161 followers
October 8, 2021
2.5 stars

It was decent. Ish.

But I had two major issues here.




Kelly and Ryan are the main characters.
He's a rich fella and she is a waitress with high school education.
Apparently that was that reason why his evil mother couldn't accept her.
But I'll get back to that in a sec.

Sooo...

ISSUE NO. 1.

Ryan's brother forces himself on Kelly and tries to rape her. When she threatens to tell everything to Ryan, he says he will make sure that he's never gonna believe her.

And that's exactly what happens. When she comes to Ryan and tells him his brother tried to rape her, Ryan chooses to believe his brother's cooked up story which he told him over the phone. That they slept together and when his brother said it was a mistake, Kelly got mad and threatened to tell Ryan that he tried to rape her.
And what's best is that, Kelly begs him on her knees (!!!)to believe her. But Ryan isn't having any of it and so he throws her a check and tells her to get the hell out.

Where's the trust, may you ask? We still don't know.

Oh, did I mention they were engaged and about to get married soon? Yeah.

Apparently trust in a relationship is sth highly overrated.



ISSUE NO. 2

When Ryan finds Kelly 6 months later and discovers she is preggers, he decides he's gonna take care of her and the baby. Even if the baby is his brother's.(!!!) And Kelly, despite all the hurt and resentment, agrees to come back with him to NY.

What's better, she decides to give them another shot. You know, despite the fact he has zero trust in her and believes she is a cheap hoe who slept with his brother.
But the best thing here is that they decide to NEVER TALK ABOUT THE PAST, never address the elephant in the room. Oh, and he tells her that he forgives her for what she's done!!!



May I add that he forgave his brother for sleeping with his fiancee right on the spot?

And our dumb sis, instead of leaving his sorry ass and telling him to go straight to hell, decides to keep her mouth shut. Why, would you ask again? Because she still loves him. And he pampers her and they have all the great sex and everything. And because a thing called self-respect is something our sis wouldn’t recognise even if it hit her in the face.

In the end, our hero finally gets his head out of his ass and opens his eyes and finally learns the truth that it was all his mother's idea. The rape, the assault, their break-up. And so he cuts her and his brother out of his life and grovels. And the grovelling was pretty good.
And they do have their HEA.

But the question is still here: can you actually redeem yourself after such a nasty thing?



At least not in my eyes. Apparently, Kelly thinks otherwise.
But that's not my problem.


All in all, it was a weird book.
Did I enjoy it?
Well, it was all so ridonculous that I kinda did.
Plus, it was super fast, and it's a harlequin so I didn't expect much depth. And I like Maya Banks so I'm rounding it up to 3.

But read at your own risk, lol.
Profile Image for StMargarets.
3,204 reviews630 followers
March 30, 2021
*re-read* I'm not sure if I like this one the best of the series since I re-read Tempted By Her Innocent Kiss I really liked that angst in that one.

This story has a great betrayal story line. The hero thinks the heroine cheated on him. The heroine knows she is innocent and feels betrayed by the hero's lack of trust. Once the hero discovers the truth, he has to face the family members who betrayed him (Over and over. This was planned and was still continuing months later.) I also liked that hero sought out the heroine.

Original review:

I liked this one the best of the series. Hero tells off his family in the best possible way. Next to a good grovel, there's nothing more satisfying than a bit of justice and home truths delivered to the right people.
Profile Image for Chantal ❤️.
1,361 reviews912 followers
June 1, 2016
It took me a while to find my copy of this ebook. It was amazing!!! Omg the grovel was just right for all that he put her through. He was so loving even thinking what he thought about the heroine. That mother and his brother what a piece of work they both are. I would have liked the brother to have been up on charges however so that she would be vindicated of all wrong doings. I enjoyed this book way more then I thought I would. A keeper and I will reread this one many times I am sure.
Note safe no cheating, some other woman drama by his mom sending a woman to mess with their relationship but he has never slept with her or any other woman in this book. She is pregnant through out the book.
Profile Image for Booklover.
645 reviews1 follower
November 13, 2011
KNOCKED OUT! i am Speeceless,this story covers each and every emotion so perfectly may it be love,pain,anger,confusion,fear,heartache,humiliation.I cried for Kelly so much pain and hurt especially at the moment where Ryan says "I forgive you",she went through so much but did'nt break,Way she analised her relationship with Ryan,what n how went wrong and her loneliness really made me cry

even Ryan he was deceived by his own brother whom he raised like a son and mother whom he respects and loves,then he understands truth and he falls in his own eyes cause he failed Kelly when she needed him the most,he made his choice which destroyed Kelly's trust,love and life

What really stole my heart was "Kelly not compromising on her self-respect",her outburst at Ryan in the end was thunderous moment,really liked Kelly always made her stand clear,did'nt jump in bed immediately,she was moved ahead now with caution and the questions she asked Ryan nailed it

Must say Maya Banks does wonderful work with intense emotional stories,i remember "The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress" which was another wonderful book.

its a keeper for me
Terrific read
Recommend it
Profile Image for boogenhagen.
1,993 reviews883 followers
December 16, 2017
Another truly POS H, the h was good but she should have filed police charges and then sued the POS for child support. Again good writing, but the H was pretty nonredeemable IMO, so I am pretty much giving up on MB category cause it only irks me. I haven't read one that I actually like the H in.
Profile Image for Kiki.
1,217 reviews680 followers
February 6, 2018
Somebody just slap the hero! Please!
Or cut his balls off.
Actually there wasn’t enough suffering for him.
He REALLY needed to suffer and beg on his knees just like heroine did, and she should have still walked away.
Why would she show the courtesy of forgiveness when he didn’t even listen to her?
He chose his brother over her.
She will forever be the second best.
He failed to protect her or even provide justice for her.
He didn’t deserve anything!
Profile Image for Miki’s⚠️ Safety Reviews & Rants⚠️.
736 reviews938 followers
March 18, 2024
🌟Brief Summary:
He thinks his fiancé slept with his brother so he kicked her out, wrote her a check and broke up with her.

She wants nothing to do with him EVER AGAIN. Not after his betrayal. Not after he didn’t believe her. Not after he broke her heart.

Now she pregnant and living her life far away from him she might be struggling but she is doing the best she can.

He’s never been able to get her off his mind he just can’t completely let her go. But she has disappeared so he hires a PI to find her. He wants to know why she never cashed his check.
When he finally finds her 6 mo after their break up he can’t believe she is pregnant and that it could be his or his brothers baby🤭

‼️Harlequin
‼️Betrayal -on all sides
‼️Perceived Betrayal
‼️Celibate Hero
‼️Surprise Pregnancy
‼️Forgiveness
‼️Redemption Arc
‼️Grovel
‼️He works so hard to win her back even though he thinks she cheated he still loves/wants her regardless of the baby ❤️
‼️Angst and Drama

🥀 Hero:
Ryan- rich powerful Idiot 🤭
He was very swoon but I also wanted to slap him upside his head.
But I loved him. He really worked hard to win her back and take care of the h even though he thought she cheated. He was willing to push it all aside and start over cause he loved her. The baby was a bonus.
Yes his treatment of her was bad but after the dust settled he still wanted her.
I mean🤔…. It was his brother who he raised and loved… I can see why he would trust his brother. It was a hard situation.
But he was still and idiot at times 🤭
Once he finds out the truth and the devastation he feels is delicious…so juicy and good💯

🦋 Heroine:
Kelly- She was betrayed and hurt and it was hard for her to get over it. She held her ground and times and others she gave in. I liked her. I think she was realistic.

💭 POV:
3rd person duel

🔥 Burn Rate:
Medium

😡/😍 Angst level:
Medium high

❤️‍🔥 Sexy times & Descriptive sex:
Yes nice sexy times with list of steam and chemistry 🔥

🌓 Push/Pull:
Yes from both at different times but once the H finds her again he is the main pursuer of the relationship

☠️ OW/OM Drama:
Mild OWD -from a woman he doesn’t want and has never been with but his mom is pushing in him.

🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None

🤬 Cheating:
None

👰🏼‍♀️ Virgins:
None
No history for either

⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup:
They are separated in the beginning
6mo BOTH CELIBATE during their break up 🥳

Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
Pregnancy problems
Betrayal
Perceived cheating
Family drama
Mild OWD

🌈Epilogue:
No

🥂HEA:
HFN

My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you
Profile Image for Nikki ღ Navareus.
1,082 reviews52 followers
October 24, 2019

***FIVE STARS***
***Reread 10/22/2019
I loved every second of this emotional angsty read. There is nothing more delicious than evil family members desperately trying to break up a couple who are totally in love. I loved every word of this baby the entire second read through!

***Original Review:
This was totally my type of story! A hero who wrongly accuses his fiancée, of sleeping with his brother, who then kicks her ass right out, not realizing she's carrying his baby. Coming across his ex-fiancée months later and discovering he's a daddy. This story had perfect angst with all the turmoil and emotions Kelly went through, and perfect drama with Ryan's manipulative family. Ryan and Kelly were super sweet together. I adored every second of this little gem.
Profile Image for Saly.
3,437 reviews578 followers
October 2, 2011
I've been wanting to read this book ever since we saw Ryan in the previous one searching for his ex-fiancee Kelly for some reason even if he believes she cheated on him with his brother.

He finds her pregnant and pissed at him and he doesn't understand why. Of course the reason is obvious, Kelly was setup by his family who hated her and instead of trust and support from a man who professed to love her, she got kicked out and a cheque.

What ensues is drama galore. They try to get along since the pregnancy is not going well. Kelly is still angry while Ryan even believing the worst is sweet and willing to try again.

I actually feel Maya Banks is an awesome Harlequin writer, she has all the right contents, drama, passion and best grovelling.
Profile Image for Carvanz.
2,379 reviews896 followers
April 19, 2019
Audiobook: Narrator – Harry Berkeley

I enjoyed this narrator and one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was because he didn’t over do the female character. Actually, it felt like he wasn’t really trying to do a female voice at all and yet there was enough distinction to know when each character was speaking. It was pretty nice to not cringe as I usually do when a male narrator effects a female voice.


This is a rather short read, much like the old Harlequins, filled with misunderstandings, lack of communication and plenty of angst. There were times I wanted to smack every single one of the characters upside the head and yet I was enjoying it all along the way. Why? Because I knew exactly what I was going to get before I started and this was exactly what I was wanting. I loved when the hero finally sees what was right there all along and then there is some big, as in huge, groveling going on. The blurb pretty much lays it all out there for you and there really are no surprises.

Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Profile Image for Splage.
631 reviews395 followers
January 19, 2012
I picked this up because I liked the first book in the series and the whole pregnancy story line. This one was just not believable, as well as, most of the characters were jerks. The conflict was just too big for me and unforgivable. I wouldn't have ever talked to the hero again if I was the heroine. I would have taken every penny I could squeeze out of him and said later sucker.
Profile Image for LNMB.
140 reviews2 followers
June 27, 2018
If you're looking for a story about a manipulative, abusive Dude Bro intent on strong-arming a woman into a relationship after she was sexually assaulted by his own brother, have I got the book for you! Oh, wait, did I forget to mention that, instead of believing his fiancee when she told him his brother tried to rape her, he believed his brother's story that she just regretted sleeping with him and was making up the whole rape thing. Because, of course! Everyone knows women lie about being raped all the time (says no stat anywhere)! So he's pissed at her for being "unfaithful" and sends her packing HOURS after she was nearly raped.

Have I mentioned when he decides he wants her back, he actually "forgives" her for "cheating" on him? To her face. Yeah.

To my everlasting shame, I succumbed to the lure of the train wreck when I should have looked away. This book is not worth a minute of your time. Authors, take note - guys like Dude Bro are NOT the hero. They're the villain, and even a meek, spineless girl deserves better than a steaming pile of shit like Dude Bro.

UPDATE: A day later to process, and I'm even more angry than yesterday. Seriously, why didn't this woman have any friends? She'd been in college, living... somewhere, and waitressing in the city only two months before they got engaged. How did she have no friends to turn to? Is it because of Dude Bro, whose every action in this book is literally on the list of warning signs for domestic violence? Did he isolate her from her friends? We get one tiny non conversation with her mother, and that's supposed to explain why this supposedly awesome person doesn't have friends?

Bonus: Some charming thoughts/moves from Dude Bro to hone your gag reflex:

- He doesn't know why she'd want to go back to college when he can be her everything, but, you know, he's totally supportive and shit.

- He breaks into her home after hiring a PI to find her (not stalkery or creepy AT ALL) and ignores the twenty-five times she says no. Because obviously she doesn't know what's good for her. Parallels to rape-y times, anyone?

- She'd tried to make up this story about his brother, but clearly she was lying, so he's gotta find out why she cheated. It's super important for him so they can "move forward."

- Thirty-something man and he's literally just now figuring out his mom is willing to incite criminal activity to get her way. (She's not even sly about it - he's just THAT dense)

- Every other thought is about taking control of her. She shouldn't have to even think for herself because he's gonna do it for her, damnit!

Here, I'll fix the story: Woman nearly gets raped by Dude Bro's brother. Dude Bro doesn't believe her but writes her a big damn check to get rid of her (yes, this happens in the original story). So she goes to cops and presses charges against the brother for the assault (including them taking a ton of photos of those bruises she apparently had). She proceeds to cash the big damn check and hires herself the best attorney money can buy. Everything come out in court, brother goes to jail, and Dude Bro finally sees he was wrong. She laughs in his face when he comes to get her back, calls the cops on him when he breaks in to her apartment, and her lawyer (who is her new and awesome boyfriend now), gets a restraining order and ensures Dude Bro never has an ounce of paternity rights. She finishes college and gets a good job, raising her baby with her lawyer boyfriend/husband. She makes tons of friends, which her BF/hubs encourages, and they live HEA.

FIXED IT.
Profile Image for Jen ♥.
1,745 reviews961 followers
Read
July 14, 2025
Ugh. This was frustrating AF. The heartburn is so not worth it. 🤣😭

Anyway, I would've enjoyed it had these two talked about their issues early on and not at a later part of the book. They ignored their problems and lived in denial and fantasy land for the most part, and it frustrated the crap out of me.

They finally blew up at 81%, and man, it's a little late for me. I went in here blindly hoping Ryan would make an effort to compensate for his stupidity, but I didn't get enough. This is a harlequin, so I don't expect much of a grovel, but ugh, I do expect an apology for the same amount of pain he freaking caused. Unfortunately, I didn't get any satisfaction because everything happened in the final 10%. Sure, he made an effort, but it was far too late.

I had no hope for the FMC either. I mean, I haven’t come across any heroines in these kinds of books that actually have a spine. Kelly is a pathetic coward who's willing to settle for less because of her deep love for Ryan. It hurt my heart reading how she was on her knees, beginning him to believe her. But instead of being supported by the man she loves, she was called a liar, written a check, and was told to get out of his life. 😤😭

While some may say that Ryan also begged on his knees for forgiveness, I'm going to say it was never the same. Kelly was scared shitless; she was just assaulted, and she felt completely alone with no one to turn to. He was her last hope, but instead of believing her, he just made everything worse, adding more pain and ruin to what she was already feeling.

He, on the other hand, didn’t even need to try that hard with that begging-on-his-knee shit, because we all know it's already a done deal and Kelly will, of-fucking-course, forgive him. He may be afraid of what her reaction will be, but it's not the same level of fear she felt when she ran to him when she needed him the most. 😑

It really frustrates me that in most romance stories, once the men have made a decision about something, there's no way in hell the FMC can change their minds. While it's entirely a different case for women. One word or one lame act of gesture and they're fucking swooning, forgetting all the pain and the hurt these men put them through. I just can't wrap my head around it, and I don't think I ever will. Why do women are easily swayed while men can stand their ground and hold onto their pride? I hate it, I'm petty so..

Anyway, I like the writing style. It brings out a lot of emotions in me, especially frustration and anger. 🤣😤 I could see myself reading this again if I'm in the mood to get a little fired up.
Profile Image for Wendys Wycked Words.
1,590 reviews3,953 followers
April 3, 2017
I love a book were the hero fucks up real bad and spends a long long time groveling to make things right. That's not what happend here though....

The heroine went back to him even before he admitted that he was wrong and the groveling didn't start until the very end...

She went back to him, thinking she would just put the past behind them and eventhough she was still upset, she didn't do or say a fucking thing until the end and when his groveling began...she forgave him way too fast.

This was an oke read, but I'm not impressed....I would have cut the assholes balls off !!
Profile Image for MelissaB.
725 reviews346 followers
November 3, 2011
Really good Harly! Though this should have been a Harlequin Presents with all the emotion in it. I really enjoyed the story and was glad when the hero finally figured things out and ditched his family, though I am sorry the heroine went through so much while pregnant. Wish we would have seen an epilogue with the baby so we could see if it was a girl!
December 16, 2025
Hero wasn't intense enough

I feel like the hero's reaction wasn't strong enough for what the heroine had to endure.

The middle is also pretty boring. We're just waiting for the hero to find out the truth about what made them break up.

The story had good elements, it just needed to crank up the intensity of the feelings.



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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
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Profile Image for Vintage.
2,714 reviews718 followers
April 8, 2016
I read this a long time ago, but I have read it many times (hang my head), but it's such a trooper, angsty book.

I am not going to rehash the plot, but if you like an angsty read then all three books in this particular series are pretty good. My personal two favorites are this one as well Tempted.

What Kelly goes through is pretty terrible, accused by her lover. It just gets better and leads up to a pretty good grovel by the hero. I am all about the grovel!
Profile Image for Jac K.
2,517 reviews486 followers
March 5, 2022
Another reread. I listened to the audio this time. (on scribd) I still enjoy it, but still feel like we needed more at the end. It feels like it just drops off.

Re-Read Mar. 2022
Re-Read Nov. 2020
Re-Read Feb. 2020
Read Sept. 2018

4.5 Stars
This is the second book in the Pregnancy & Passion series which follows four friends and business partners: Rafael, Ryan, Devon, and Cameron who knock up girls, and then act like assholes. 🤣 Wanted is Ryan Beardsley and Kelly Christian’s story. We learned in Enticed by His Forgotten Lover that Kelly (Ryan’s fiancée) had slept with his brother (allegedly) and he had kicked her to the curb, but had hired a PI to locate her. The book starts with the guys hanging at Rafe’s wedding when the PI calls with Kelly’s location. Ryan rushes over and gets the shock of his life when he finds Kelly quite pregnant. (I tagged as kicked to the curb preggers because she was, but he didn’t know)

What follows is an angstfest of drama-llama with betrayal, evil family members, a meddling ow, a high-risk pregnancy, and a bit of groveling. The last 20% had me GLUED to my kindle riding the emotional waves. Ryan isn’t too bad compared to the standard HP asshole H’s. It takes him a minute to get his head out, but he’s quite considerate to her even when he still believes she betrayed him. He is a clueless dum-dum though. I loved how he stood up for Kelly (after reuniting) to his friends, family and the wannabe OW. I really liked Kelly; she’s my fav h out of the bunch by far. It takes her a while to get her feet, but when she does… it’s pretty epic.

That was her problem. She was living in a fantasy world, avoiding reality. And reality sucked. Her reality was sitting here at a dinner table while five other people judged her. Her reality was living with a man—a man she intended to marry—who felt he needed to forgive her for sins she hadn’t committed. At what point in her life had she decided she didn’t deserve better than this? It was a startling discovery. The blinders had come off.

Bottom Line- This is my favorite book of the series. (so I'm rounding up) Their hiccups made sense and were believable. My only complaint is that the original conflict took place off page. We get walked through it a bit towards the end, but it would have been even more heart wrenching in real time. I did LOVE that Kelly didn’t push Ryan to make up with the family at the end like I’ve read before in HP’s.
Profile Image for Dee.
1,501 reviews173 followers
February 4, 2012
I love Ms Banks and once again she has delivered a well written piece of work.

I will admit and say that I read Harlequins Presents & Desire collections because I like the angst that they provide - the more angst the better. This book didn't disappoint as there was plenty of it and did exactly what it was meant to do and made me very emotional. I felt sadness & anger and it even had me crying at one point! Ryan was very lucky that Kelly forgave him in the end and yes although it was inevitable I was really pleased when Kelly got her HEA.

I am looking forward to catching up with them and seeing how Rafe & Briony (Enticed by His Forgotten Lover ) are doing. Also looking forward to reading about Devon & Cam.

The only down side is that I have to wait until March for the next installment :(

Profile Image for Raffaella.
1,947 reviews297 followers
June 21, 2021
This is an eulogy of stupidity . Hero's brother calls and tell him that he had sex with his gf and that she's pissed and she's going to pretend he was going to rape her to justify herself. Hero whose IQ is lower than a bug’s, obviously believes his brother and sends heroine away with a bank draft without even giving her a chance to explain. She even begs him on her knees. She never cashes this draft so he tries to find her to see how she's . He finds her months later and she's pregnant, working all day so her health is seriously compromised. She's weak and has high blood pressure. He takes care of her, because he understands that even if she cheated on him he wants her back. She accepts, mostly because she's destitute and really tired and worried for her child. Things doesn't work so well because all his friends and family doesn't accepts her thinking she betrayed the hero. During a dinner where she's scorned by everybody and his brother is present she walks away. This scene is memorable, she really stands up for herself and hero is disgusted with his family's behaviour. Heroine has a seizure and ends in hospital, he believes her now when she says his brother tried to rape her, and breaks up with all his family to stay by her side. HEA. Those two peolpe are the most stupid I have read of in a long time. He refuses to believe her in the beginning and instead choses his brother's word over hers. This is unforgivable. She was his girlfriend, the woman he chose to live with, his loyalty belonged to her. Afterwards he believes her (why??? This is not explained. Why believe her later and not in the beginning? Looks like he was trying to find an excuse to be free of her) She was almost raped, she was hurt and had bruises for weeks. She shouldn't have gone to the hero's office, but straight to the police and to the hospital. She was a victim of a crime and evil brother would have raped her for sure! Why didn’t she??? The whole accident was planned by his mother and his brother. Hero's brother deserved to be in jail not free. How stupid are both. Eventually he grovels even if I think she forgave him too easily. Anyway I liked the book. Glad for his celibacy during their separation, even though he believed her guilty.
Profile Image for Margo.
2,112 reviews130 followers
March 17, 2019
Wow, Maya Banks, you really know how to write mesmerizingly preposterous books. You will hate the H, hate his friends, hate his acquaintances, hate his family, and disdain the h for not doing what she should have, which was to walk away with anything she could get, and then gut the H like a fish when he returned. Or she could have poisoned him, his family and his friends at a fancy dinner. Or she could have hired a good lawyer, gone to the media, and watch the consequences just roll in. Or, of course, there is good ole scaphism. Any form of historic or Biblical vengeance would have worked -- I'm not picky.

Why is this the third time I have read this book? WHY?
Profile Image for Jacqueline J.
3,565 reviews371 followers
February 3, 2022
Quite the angst fest. Both the hero and the heroine were well written. The story held together but I felt that it really needed to be a bit longer to really do justice to the story. There was a lot there and there was a lot of betrayal and bad decisions etc., that really just needed to be filled out more. High level of emotion all around. The hero did feel horrible about how he treated the heroine and we were in his head for that but I still think that he needed to actually grovel more before the heroine forgave him.

Looking forward to Dev and Cameron's stories.
Profile Image for Nσҽɱí.
468 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2018
He tenido que volver a puntuar y añadir a leídos este libro, por que GR no me lo ha contado aún y fue de los primeros que leí este 2018.
Lo dicho, este me gusto más que el primero. Espero que los que me quedan por leer de esta serie, vayan a mejor!!!
Profile Image for Rebecca.
464 reviews55 followers
March 7, 2012
The hero Ryan finds the heroine Kelly working at a run down diner, after searching for her for a while, and is surprised to see she is heavily pregnant. His initial anger towards her is replaced with concern when he sees that she is obviously not well. Kelly doesn't know what to think about Ryan turning up and pretending to be concerned about her, she has never forgotten her hurt and heartbreak when he refused to believe her against his brother's lies. But she knows that she has reached the end of her rope and needs to stay healthy for her baby so she takes the help Ryan offers her. Ryan doesn't want to forgive Kelly for her supposed betrayal. but he can't deny that he needs her as much as she needs his help. He takes her away, in order to help her relax and regain her strength, and they both promise to try and put the past between them. But Ryan's lack of faith in her slowly eats away at Kelly and she soon realises that as much as she loves him she simply can't live the rest of her life knowing that he thinks the worst of her.

I can't say how much I enjoyed this book, it was firing on all cylinders right from the start. The book follows on nicely from the first book in this mini-series (Enticed by His Forgotten Lover) but it stands along fine. What I liked about this is that it had an altogether different mood from the first book. There is a lot of angst and genuinely tear-jerking moments in this book, as well as plenty of passion and a believable love between the hero and heroine. The heroine really is the star of the show here; she goes through so much - her health problems (which, by the way, are very nicely handled by the author) and her heartbreak - yet she is able to grow as the story progresses and eventually realise that she deserves more than the way she has been treated. Simply fabulous!
My only teeny moan about this book is that I feel everything was tied up and forgiven a little too neatly.

A beautifully written story, very compelling, and almost Presents worthy in it's emotion and angst levels! I loved it.

Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
Profile Image for Leona.
1,771 reviews18 followers
November 8, 2012
Maya Banks definitely wins most riveting read of the year with this book!!! Ryan and Kelly make a wonderful couple. Kelly was strong, even though she was betrayed by the one person she should have been able to trust. In spite of the bitterness and challenges she moved forward to make a life for herself. I respected the hero Ryan for his ability to look past all the pain, hurt and betrayal. I was gripped from the first page to the very last page...hoping that these two would gain back what they had lost.

My only regret to the story (which is why I gave it 4 rather than 5 stars) is that I think things were just too conveniently wrapped up in the end. Kelly had gone through way too much pain to so easily forgive him. Sometimes love isn't enough, and it would have added an extra dimension for the author to recognize that and work with it more. I also didn't care that forgiveness was connected in the scene where he gave her the house. It somehow lessened the impact of her decision and her love. (Call me a cynic, but if a billionaire gave me a waterfront mansion in the same breadth that he asked me to forgive him....well what can I say).

I also think the dynamics between Kelly and his friends and the repercussions of the way they treated her, were brushed off too easily. I would have liked to see more of that dynamic played out. I agree with other reviews, that an epilogue would have tied up some loose ends. However, I suspect, the author really would prefer that I just read the next installment. : 0 )

Profile Image for Srishti Ahirwar.
10 reviews
February 15, 2014
Finally a Maya Banks book I did not like. The female protagonist was so stupid and naive I wanted to slap her so bad..The hero was an ignorant dick. If he was my boyfriend I would have punched him till he had a broken jaw, bloodied lip and a black eye! The emotional scenes were quite nice at first,but then there was so much drama that I did not feel bad for either of them..I just wanted to bodily harm both of them! Inspite of being of 21st century,the heroine lacked common sense.I mean who LEAVES SCHOOL TO BE A NICE GIRLFRIEND!!!!STUPID MUCH? Then the hero throws her out of his life because he refuses to believe her over his brother,he treats her like a whore by throwing a check on her face and sends her away..then after 6 months comes finds her and forces her to go with him..and she goes..just like that..first she doesn't cashes the check the hero gave her because of self respect and then goes back with him after 6 months..where did her self respect go then?BOO.
I read this book because of the fantastic reviews by the readers here.But this was simply not of my taste.
Profile Image for MBR.
1,381 reviews365 followers
November 9, 2011
My first paperback read after AGES turned out to be a great one. Wanted by Her Lost Love by Maya Banks is a great romance to lose yourself in if you have got about 2 hours to spare. In the midst of the intense and lengthy reads that I have been indulging in, not to mention the stress of the last couple of days, Wanted by Her Lost Love delivered exactly what I wanted right from the very minute I turned the first page.

Ryan Beardsley is looking for Kelly Christian, his ex-fiance, whom he believes betrayed him in the worst possible way ever. But something about the way she left, and the fact that she had never cashed in the check that he threw her way upon their bitter break-up tugs at Ryan until he hires a private investigator to find her.

When Ryan does find Kelly, she is 7 months pregnant and working at a restaurant in Houston, looking almost done in with the stress and heavy work load. Though Ryan cannot be sure of the fact whether the child could be his, that doesn’t stop him from bulldozing his way into Kelly’s life and swooping in to take care of her.

When Kelly sights Ryan sitting in the cafe she works at, she seethes with anger and reels from the fresh sting of betrayal she feels at the sight of him. What his family and Ryan himself had subjected her to, she would never forgive and forget but what she doesn’t contemplate on is just how far Ryan is willing to go to prove to her just how much she means to him. But Kelly wonders all along; would the truth about what happened that fateful day drive them apart once again or would it cement the love between them for all eternity?

Maya Banks provides the reader with a story heavy on angst, with likeable characters and of course the baddies who just make your skin crawl with the vileness of their thoughts and deeds. I rooted for Kelly right from the very start, going as far as to actively cheer her on when she laid it out to Ryan. I wanted Ryan to really go through Hell for not believing in Kelly when she had needed his trust and love the most and I was not disappointed.

Ryan certainly redeems himself well and through before the story is done, those sweet little gifts that he leaves for Kelly that just tugged at my heartstrings as it must have for Kelly. And the way he takes care of Kelly, always putting her needs first, that was the ultimate winning point with Ryan’s character.

Let me not forget Cameron Hollingsworth who has got that reclusive brooding thing down to a fine art, whose story I am most definitely going to be on the lookout for.

With likeable characters and a story that plunges you into a sweet and satisfying romance, Wanted by Her Lost Love comes highly recommended from the sunny side of life!

Rating=4/5

Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
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