What do you think?
Rate this book
Duarte's Child
Only days before she was about to give birth, Emily left her husband, Duarte de Monteiro. She'd heard from a friend that he wanted to keep their baby—but not his wife....
Now Duarte has traced Emily and his baby son and brought them back to Portugal. He's proud; he wants to keep his wife—especially as he can still possess her with the slightest touch....
Emily still loves Duarte, but has he brought her back because he loves her—or because he loves his son?
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2000
61 people are currently reading
398 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,777 books1,451 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
June 15, 2025
Reread on the last night of 2020. I needed a sure thing. :)
Still five stars.
I've had a string of bad reads in a row, so I decided to re-read a LG I gave 5 stars. This is still a dramatic angst-fest. (Love the opening with heroine running away and the bee sting) And the OW and OM in cahoots is still a nice mystery to solve, but I think LG missed a few opportunities:
she shouldn't have killed off the hero's dog (off page).
she basically dropped the kid with the nanny and there was no family time depicted.
she needed more hero-defending-the-heroine-scenes - especially with her own family.
But those are quibbles. If you like a cruel hero and heroine who eventually finds her voice, you'll like this one.
*Original review*
This is a marriage in trouble story with the Portuguese business tycoon hero finally tracking down his shy, English Rose wife and six month-old son. Heroine has been living in a caravan and making her living giving riding lessons. The opening is both angsty and turns a bit comical as the hero has to explain himself after the stable owner calls the police. The heroine is thwarted from her runaway by a bee sting and the hero has to take her to the emergency room. It's a good way for the reader to see that he really cares about the heroine because for the next few chapters he gives her a hard time for her "cheating" and for depriving him of his child for the first six months of his life.
The heroine does feel guilty - not because she cheated - but because she didn't push the artist OM fast enough or stand up for herself when the hero discovered them. She also feels bad about leaving, but she was terrified he would take her baby once he was born because the hero's PA (the wanna be OW) gave her a heads up that he was consulting his lawyer in how to get rid of the heroine and keep the baby.
The heroine is bundled back to Portugal and their points of contention are resolved one by one:
I liked the Cinderella heroine - she did grow and change in this story - as did the hero. The hero was no smooth-talking seducer. He really was clueless about what was going on in his own house. The OW was truly evil, the H/h had enough good moments in the middle of their drama that the reader is convinced they will have a happy marriage now that the misunderstandings are cleared up.
Justice was done and the OW's misdeeds were rubbed in her face. I loved it.
Still five stars.
I've had a string of bad reads in a row, so I decided to re-read a LG I gave 5 stars. This is still a dramatic angst-fest. (Love the opening with heroine running away and the bee sting) And the OW and OM in cahoots is still a nice mystery to solve, but I think LG missed a few opportunities:
she shouldn't have killed off the hero's dog (off page).
she basically dropped the kid with the nanny and there was no family time depicted.
she needed more hero-defending-the-heroine-scenes - especially with her own family.
But those are quibbles. If you like a cruel hero and heroine who eventually finds her voice, you'll like this one.
*Original review*
This is a marriage in trouble story with the Portuguese business tycoon hero finally tracking down his shy, English Rose wife and six month-old son. Heroine has been living in a caravan and making her living giving riding lessons. The opening is both angsty and turns a bit comical as the hero has to explain himself after the stable owner calls the police. The heroine is thwarted from her runaway by a bee sting and the hero has to take her to the emergency room. It's a good way for the reader to see that he really cares about the heroine because for the next few chapters he gives her a hard time for her "cheating" and for depriving him of his child for the first six months of his life.
The heroine does feel guilty - not because she cheated - but because she didn't push the artist OM fast enough or stand up for herself when the hero discovered them. She also feels bad about leaving, but she was terrified he would take her baby once he was born because the hero's PA (the wanna be OW) gave her a heads up that he was consulting his lawyer in how to get rid of the heroine and keep the baby.
The heroine is bundled back to Portugal and their points of contention are resolved one by one:
I liked the Cinderella heroine - she did grow and change in this story - as did the hero. The hero was no smooth-talking seducer. He really was clueless about what was going on in his own house. The OW was truly evil, the H/h had enough good moments in the middle of their drama that the reader is convinced they will have a happy marriage now that the misunderstandings are cleared up.
Justice was done and the OW's misdeeds were rubbed in her face. I loved it.
January 30, 2016
Not only is this story written by one of my fav fav Mills & Boon authors but the story is set in PORTUGAL (where I was born!!!) and the hero is PORTUGUESE!!!!!!!!! Duarte de Monteiro
Finally, a Portuguese hero…after loads of Greeks, French, Italian, South American…...I am, naturally
Okay, stopping my jumping up and down right now and getting down to what this really fabulous tale is all about!!!
Emily is a rather mousy English girl, whose family treats her really SHABBILY. She meets the fabulously rich and gorgeous Duarte, when working in his English stately home’s stables. She can’t believe it….but he asks her to marry him (wow…within a few days of him meeting her….me…I would have been a bit suspicious….!!)….and even when he tells her he does not love her…WHAT DOES SHE DO???? YES….she agrees to his proposal…after all, she loves him…really she does…and she believes he will eventually fall in love with her…..RIGHT!!!!! Of course it happens, doesn’t it????
Anyway, Duarte takes her away from her rather drab and dreary life to his fabulous mansion in Sintra, Portugal……..let me faint here, right now!!! Sintra, a beautiful place just outside Lisbon…what more can a girl ask for????? Never mind that it comes with some baggage…….huge fotos hanging all over of his beyond beautiful but now dead ex-wife…but with the ex-wife’s mother, who runs the mansion…..talk about Mrs Danvers (remember her from Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier????...what, you haven’t read that book!!!! Get it now, and read it…..you just have to…it’s one of those TO BE READ ones!!!) lookalike
Then there’s Duarte’s sexy PA…what a conniving bitch….and how stupid was Emily in believing anything she did and told her!!!! Is it possible for anyone to be that daft????? But yes, Emily was!!! And before she knows it…things go horribly wrong…yes, Duarte has still not fallen in love with her, even though Emily is pregnant with his heir….wow…we know how much these alphas love having heirs!!!!
So, Emily runs back to England…six months pregs and all……because????? She’s been told that once the heir is born, Duarte will discard her and keep the babe!!!!!! Now, wouldn’t any woman do what she does???? No, not me!!!! But hey, I’m not Emily.
Her family is not interested in helping her……..geez…..are there people out there like that?????
Anyway, Emily is on the run from Duarte, because she knows how rich and powerful he is….and all the time I am sharing all her troubles …..I kept thinking…..
You gave up living in a place like
to living like THIS?????
But Emily can’t hide from Duarte forever….he eventually tracks her down – there’s a really funny scene when he discovers where she’s been working….I knew all along he would find her…after all, he’s got lots and lots of money and power!!!
I loved the chase scene……here’s Duarte in his super, duper car
chasing Emily and the baby heir, in her wreck pulling her caravan home….not forgetting his bodyguards chasing her as well…
There’s no escape for Emily.
Soon, she and baby heir and Duarte and the bodyguards are winging their way, on Duarte’s private jet, back to Portugal!!!!
Now, I was dreading the idea of Emily continuing being the downtrodden and ignored wife….I had this idea of strangling her if she did not take a stand. And wow……before long, Emily takes charge!!! No more the quiet and mousy woman……….she finally WAKES UP!!!! And starts kicking some ass…..
. I did like that she wasn’t mean about it though….she still retained her soft heart…but did I love seeing Duarte groveling….yes, he did a lot of that
By the end….I was like
Finally…..together, Duarte & Emily and little baby heir having their HEA….of course, that’s no spoiler because we all know………THERE’S ALWAYS A HAPPY ENDING!!!!
I so enjoyed reading this…..and if you love HEA’s….get this book and start reading!!!
June 24, 2013
This is an original book because it is the heroine who cheated on the hero. She feels neglected by her husband and when a charming painter takes an interest in her she is dazzled and excited. Her husband sees them kissing and the heroine who is also pregnant is afraid her husband will take the baby away from her so she flees. Of course the hero never had such an intention but the evil OW made the heroine believe the hero was out for revenge.
I have issues with cheating even if it is mostly emotional thus I couldn't enjoy this book. Plus the heroine was so self centered and immature I couldn't care about her plight.
I have issues with cheating even if it is mostly emotional thus I couldn't enjoy this book. Plus the heroine was so self centered and immature I couldn't care about her plight.
December 28, 2015
I am little surprised at the number of highly starred reviews.
I love Lynne Graham's heroines usually. They are usually soft-hearted and romantic, but can still have the alpha romero heroes running in circles trying to catch up to the fact that they love their duck out of water heroines. Ellen almost falls under this category, but just misses by being the biggest doormat ever. She was probably born with "Welcome" stamped on her behind.
Who doesn't she let stomp all over her? The hero? No, he's mean and abusive even though he has a magic penis. Don't they all. Her awful mother and father? Nope. She runs home and they pretty much kick her out. Her evil and condescending sisters. Nope, not them either. Her husband's ex-MIL who tells tall tales and has a plethora of pictures of her dead daughter, the H's apparently gorgeous and perfect first wife? Nah. The evil OW. Heck no. She got the ball rolling not too mention encourages her to dress like a fluorescent carrot. The scene where she picks out a new outfit is pretty funny. About the only character that doesn't push her around his her infant son, and Ellen can see that he is just like the H so guess where that's going when he hits puberty.
Ellen eventually gets a grip and lays down the line to her H, and , but I seriously wanted to see more of smackdown with some of these characters. I don't know what it is about romances or perhaps Harlequins specifically, but these little lower case h's never really get mad or tell anyone off. WHY NOT?
Anyhoo, the hero, oh yeah, Duarte finally finds out the truth and feels appropriately horrible. For whatever reason, I did not feel the romance. Perhaps too much to overcome.
I love Lynne Graham's heroines usually. They are usually soft-hearted and romantic, but can still have the alpha romero heroes running in circles trying to catch up to the fact that they love their duck out of water heroines. Ellen almost falls under this category, but just misses by being the biggest doormat ever. She was probably born with "Welcome" stamped on her behind.
Who doesn't she let stomp all over her? The hero? No, he's mean and abusive even though he has a magic penis. Don't they all. Her awful mother and father? Nope. She runs home and they pretty much kick her out. Her evil and condescending sisters. Nope, not them either. Her husband's ex-MIL who tells tall tales and has a plethora of pictures of her dead daughter, the H's apparently gorgeous and perfect first wife? Nah. The evil OW. Heck no. She got the ball rolling not too mention encourages her to dress like a fluorescent carrot. The scene where she picks out a new outfit is pretty funny. About the only character that doesn't push her around his her infant son, and Ellen can see that he is just like the H so guess where that's going when he hits puberty.
Ellen eventually gets a grip and lays down the line to her H, and , but I seriously wanted to see more of smackdown with some of these characters. I don't know what it is about romances or perhaps Harlequins specifically, but these little lower case h's never really get mad or tell anyone off. WHY NOT?
Anyhoo, the hero, oh yeah, Duarte finally finds out the truth and feels appropriately horrible. For whatever reason, I did not feel the romance. Perhaps too much to overcome.
February 25, 2019
3,5 stars
July 8, 2021
2.75 stars
I can see how it ticked so many boxes for people-angst, second chance, marriage reconciliation, a wronged hero who realises eventually that his heroine was innocent, evil OW etc however, it was just too soap opera ie for me. The h was too doormattie.
I did like that the h had growth towards the end though.
I can see how it ticked so many boxes for people-angst, second chance, marriage reconciliation, a wronged hero who realises eventually that his heroine was innocent, evil OW etc however, it was just too soap opera ie for me. The h was too doormattie.
I did like that the h had growth towards the end though.
June 4, 2017
I thought the RV/Caravan - Limo chase scene was comical - the visual in my head made me laugh. Easy and fast read. Glad the h finally communicated her thoughts and insecurities. H kind of clueless (a little hard for me to understand why.) 3.5 stars.
August 3, 2020
3.5 stars actually. Good Old Fashioned Lynne Graham from when her formula wasn't as set in stone as it is these days. You have the destitute, caravan-residing, not a single talent to speak of h falling in love with the sexy, banker alpha H after a whirlwind romance that involved a dog (his, not hers for a change).
Emily and Duarte part over a misunderstanding (reminiscent of the Veranchetti Marriage which was incidentally much better written than this one) and reunite after 11 months of separation during which the h gives birth to their child Jaimie. They then set about trying to repair their marriage but not without some strange interference in the form of an off-balance PA called Bliss, whose side profession is to dream up scenarios in which she's in a relationship with her boss. Any boss. To help her in her nefarious schemes, she enlists the help of her hapless cousin to seduce the Boss H's wife - who instead, finds himself falling in love with his target.
Nonetheless, even with all these issues, the h and H find their happily ever after with a decent amount of passion and persuasion. The H was your typical M&B alpha and I had no issues with him. The h though, as with most of LG's female protagonists' was more of a doormat who couldn't stand up to anybody (not even to declare her own innocence) than a poor innocent with a heart of gold. Too much of a ditz in my own opinion. And yes, she made very questionable fashion choices - an issue that doesn't get resolved within the story.
So why the 3.5 stars? possibly because this was one of the last books where LG actually presented a plot line with dialogues and situations that didn't feel like it was dialled in. phew!
Emily and Duarte part over a misunderstanding (reminiscent of the Veranchetti Marriage which was incidentally much better written than this one) and reunite after 11 months of separation during which the h gives birth to their child Jaimie. They then set about trying to repair their marriage but not without some strange interference in the form of an off-balance PA called Bliss, whose side profession is to dream up scenarios in which she's in a relationship with her boss. Any boss. To help her in her nefarious schemes, she enlists the help of her hapless cousin to seduce the Boss H's wife - who instead, finds himself falling in love with his target.
Nonetheless, even with all these issues, the h and H find their happily ever after with a decent amount of passion and persuasion. The H was your typical M&B alpha and I had no issues with him. The h though, as with most of LG's female protagonists' was more of a doormat who couldn't stand up to anybody (not even to declare her own innocence) than a poor innocent with a heart of gold. Too much of a ditz in my own opinion. And yes, she made very questionable fashion choices - an issue that doesn't get resolved within the story.
So why the 3.5 stars? possibly because this was one of the last books where LG actually presented a plot line with dialogues and situations that didn't feel like it was dialled in. phew!
August 3, 2020
A plot-heavy, Cinderella romance featuring a heroine who manages to win the man of her choice while also growing a backbone. Hallelujah! There's also enough angst, betrayal, drama and misunderstandings to make the ride to the HEA a bumpy one.
Emily was a sympathetic heroine who was sweet, shy, and clueless about fashion. She also cracked me up with how much she mooned over Duarte's hotness! LOL Anyway, Emily was so sweet that it made her suspectible to the vile machinations of others. She did eventually snap out of it, and once that shift happened events rapidly progressed in Emily's favor.
Duarte was initially clueless about his feelings for Emily and only realized the truth after she left. Here's a clue to the nature of these feelings. Like Emily, Duarte was also manipulated . Thank god the viper was finally outed at the end, forcing Duarte to realize Emily had been innocent of the crime he'd accused her of.
Emily was a sympathetic heroine who was sweet, shy, and clueless about fashion. She also cracked me up with how much she mooned over Duarte's hotness! LOL Anyway, Emily was so sweet that it made her suspectible to the vile machinations of others. She did eventually snap out of it, and once that shift happened events rapidly progressed in Emily's favor.
Duarte was initially clueless about his feelings for Emily and only realized the truth after she left. Here's a clue to the nature of these feelings. Like Emily, Duarte was also manipulated . Thank god the viper was finally outed at the end, forcing Duarte to realize Emily had been innocent of the crime he'd accused her of.
November 30, 2016
I loved the fact that the heroine gave as good as she got.
She has been accused of cheating, her pride was hurt and he has called her names and truthfully abused her emotionally in my opinion.
Of course not in HPland where they melt at the slightest touch even when their husband calls them whore. Been there, done that. Seriously? NOT a turn on.
But when the table turned she gave him the exact logic that he gave her. Asked him to prove his fidelity, which is quite frankly, impossible, as you can't prove something you didn't do, and when the hero told her that and demanded she trust him and take his word for it, she very confidently reminded him that he never did the courtesy of trusting her.
That's what I liked about the book, not the sex or the chemistry, the fact that the hero was actually a decent human being, no blackmail nonsense and he accepted his fault and redeemed it.
She has been accused of cheating, her pride was hurt and he has called her names and truthfully abused her emotionally in my opinion.
Of course not in HPland where they melt at the slightest touch even when their husband calls them whore. Been there, done that. Seriously? NOT a turn on.
But when the table turned she gave him the exact logic that he gave her. Asked him to prove his fidelity, which is quite frankly, impossible, as you can't prove something you didn't do, and when the hero told her that and demanded she trust him and take his word for it, she very confidently reminded him that he never did the courtesy of trusting her.
That's what I liked about the book, not the sex or the chemistry, the fact that the hero was actually a decent human being, no blackmail nonsense and he accepted his fault and redeemed it.
May 17, 2019
The lack of communication and the doormat heroine was the major drawback of the book. The heroine just taking the blame for everything and feeling guilty all of the time. It's downright irritating. I guess expecting from a very young heroine to be mature is a lot to ask. But after the separation time, the heroine got a grip on her and started to fight for herself. And the hero was a typical Alpha HP male. I can understand his behaviour towards heroine cause he saw the heroine was kissing another man and then later heroine was apologizing for her deed. But his cold behaviour and negligence towards heroine were just as bad as other HP heroes. Giving 3 stars cause the hero was celibate the time of their separation. The plot was engaging and full of drama.
The book was safe. The book was full of OM/OW drama.
The book was safe. The book was full of OM/OW drama.
May 4, 2024
Reread 4/30/2024.
The title for this book should be “The Doormat Finds her Backbone”!
Well done story. When accused of cheating, pregnant wife has had enough of being ignored and isolated, she runs away. Home to England, where she does not want to be found. Of course, 2 years later she’s found, and she and the baby are dragged back to Portugal. Once home in Portugal, the accusing husband starts to realize that all was not what it appeared to be 2 years ago. He was not an attentive husband and other people contrived to make their lives even more difficult, culminating in him finding her in a compromising situation. But obviously, all is not how it appears and when the tables are turned and he’s is found in a compromising situation, he realizes that he was wrong and needs to fix what he broke.
Lynn Graham is an HP rockstar, she pulls this off beautifully.
The title for this book should be “The Doormat Finds her Backbone”!
Well done story. When accused of cheating, pregnant wife has had enough of being ignored and isolated, she runs away. Home to England, where she does not want to be found. Of course, 2 years later she’s found, and she and the baby are dragged back to Portugal. Once home in Portugal, the accusing husband starts to realize that all was not what it appeared to be 2 years ago. He was not an attentive husband and other people contrived to make their lives even more difficult, culminating in him finding her in a compromising situation. But obviously, all is not how it appears and when the tables are turned and he’s is found in a compromising situation, he realizes that he was wrong and needs to fix what he broke.
Lynn Graham is an HP rockstar, she pulls this off beautifully.
July 3, 2011
I really really liked this one,a pregnant Emily left her husband, Duarte de Monteiro back in Portugal. The reason was because "a friend" told her that after she gives birth to her child, Duarte would take the child away from her. But now Duarte has found Emily and he doesn't plan to let go either his wife nor his son, Jamie and yet he's still angry at her for leaving him. Other factors also play into the problem of their marriage. There was also that "friend" who secretly added poison into their marriage, before their separation. But besides the friend, their relationship have never been the best Emily was weak and never stood for herself and believes everything this friend cum OW tells her and runs away
like all hero's of LG's book Duarte is one great character but also dumb,he trust this OW then his wife and taunts her and hurts her,this friend cum OW keeps telling everyone around office she is his mistress and they are gonna get married but he is too busy to notice that this friend wants him for herself,through almost half the book Duarte only trust this OW and keeps telling Emily to grow up n stop being jealous but then after 2 years she is not weak anymore she stands for herself and makes hubby see what is saying is true and now she understands how she manupalated but big hurdle is proving it to Duarte finally after many hurdles and fights she is successful and Duarte tries make up for all the mistakes he had done
when she gives the details of apartment Duarte realises she is saying the truth and everything falls in place, this OW is fired and all is fine and these two talk and realise how cause of their weak trust towards each other this third person was successful in adding more problems in their marriage and we have HEA
Duarte-Emily were one cute couple,was really really happy cause Duarte respected his marriage vows and there was no cheating he was celibate for 2 years ,was happy when they got their much deserved HEA
Great read,keeper for me
Recommend it
like all hero's of LG's book Duarte is one great character but also dumb,he trust this OW then his wife and taunts her and hurts her,this friend cum OW keeps telling everyone around office she is his mistress and they are gonna get married but he is too busy to notice that this friend wants him for herself,through almost half the book Duarte only trust this OW and keeps telling Emily to grow up n stop being jealous but then after 2 years she is not weak anymore she stands for herself and makes hubby see what is saying is true and now she understands how she manupalated but big hurdle is proving it to Duarte finally after many hurdles and fights she is successful and Duarte tries make up for all the mistakes he had done
when she gives the details of apartment Duarte realises she is saying the truth and everything falls in place, this OW is fired and all is fine and these two talk and realise how cause of their weak trust towards each other this third person was successful in adding more problems in their marriage and we have HEA
Duarte-Emily were one cute couple,was really really happy cause Duarte respected his marriage vows and there was no cheating he was celibate for 2 years ,was happy when they got their much deserved HEA
Great read,keeper for me
Recommend it
March 16, 2017
And this is why Lynne Graham used to be an autobuy for me. A reunion between an alpha male gorgeous hero and his little English wife who believes she is so unattractive. Graham can pull this unlikely pairing off like no one else.
Emily is on the run from Duarte after her besty warned her he planned to keep the baby and ditch her once she'd delivered the heir he wanted. It might sound a little silly but Emily and Duarte were on the out and out since he caught his PA's cousin snogging Emily and declaring love to her and Emily, in shock at this unexpected declaration, didn't fight him off. Making her a bad wife and a trollop.
PA is stunningly attractive and so of course Emily takes advice from her about everything, including clothes, trusting that the woman is wanting to help, and not sabotaging everything she does as she tries to be a good wife to the hot and tasty Duarte.
Too Stupid to Live? I don't think so. Emily is quite young and has been the Cinderella in her family for her whole life so she kind of expects to be laughed at and humiliated and NOT LOVED despite the hopes she keeps hidden in her soft heart.
Six months of parenthood has matured Emily by the time Duarte turns up, so we see her reacting differently to the slings and arrows chucked at her. Except of course the painful treatment from Duarte interspersed with hot flushes.
I really enjoyed this story. It has some humorous moments, lots of lovely angst and the prerequisite grovel from the hero. Who incidentally did not take advantage of what was on offer from the OW.
Emily is on the run from Duarte after her besty warned her he planned to keep the baby and ditch her once she'd delivered the heir he wanted. It might sound a little silly but Emily and Duarte were on the out and out since he caught his PA's cousin snogging Emily and declaring love to her and Emily, in shock at this unexpected declaration, didn't fight him off. Making her a bad wife and a trollop.
PA is stunningly attractive and so of course Emily takes advice from her about everything, including clothes, trusting that the woman is wanting to help, and not sabotaging everything she does as she tries to be a good wife to the hot and tasty Duarte.
Too Stupid to Live? I don't think so. Emily is quite young and has been the Cinderella in her family for her whole life so she kind of expects to be laughed at and humiliated and NOT LOVED despite the hopes she keeps hidden in her soft heart.
Six months of parenthood has matured Emily by the time Duarte turns up, so we see her reacting differently to the slings and arrows chucked at her. Except of course the painful treatment from Duarte interspersed with hot flushes.
I really enjoyed this story. It has some humorous moments, lots of lovely angst and the prerequisite grovel from the hero. Who incidentally did not take advantage of what was on offer from the OW.
July 1, 2022
The beginning of this was so freaking intense. I honestly didn’t know if I was going to be able to make it though and I love angst. The author really tortured the h in this one. I was taking some offense to how much the author was trying to murder me here. Honesty, I was dying. I loved loved loved it though. I loved seeing the H acknowledge how he got things so wrong. I loved how strong and stable their relationship ended up becoming. LG is so good at making all that torment beneficial and worth it. The hs character development was fabulous! It was just delicious vindication to see how all of this difficulty and discomfort helped her to get the best HEA!
September 13, 2021
Finally, after reading so much about Greeks, Italians, and French for the past days, a Portuguese hero. When I learned that the hero was Portuguese, I immediately went to Google to check Portuguese men. Haha! And I was like "Oh my! They were hot!"
Anyways, the blurb already gave us an idea of what happened. Duarte caught Emily in the arms of another man. He accused her of having an affair without letting her explain. So when her 'evil' friend, her husband's secretary, told her that Duarte's planning to divorce her and get custody of their son, she left. Later on, she realized that she was set up by the evil friend/secretary to have her out of the picture to have her husband. However, months later, Duarte found her and the baby and brought them home without the intention of giving her a divorce but to make their marriage work.
Can they manage to move on from the suspicions and trust one another, so they take a shot at love and have a real marriage?
I've already read books with this kind of storyline. The only thing that made this different from other books was the "other woman" befriended our heroine and gained her trust before working her claws. And because of Emily being so naive, trusting, and stupid/daft, she believed the other woman, and everything went horribly wrong. Well, I can say that Emily is also at fault here. I mean, why didn't she confront Duarte instead of running away? Why let him treat her like that?
And as for Duarte, heroes tend to believe other women first rather than believe their wives/girlfriends. Although Duarte was a bit overbearing and sometimes acted like a jerk, I still liked that he confronted the other woman soon after upsetting Emily. Another of Duarte's shining moments was when he showed up unannounced after Emily went to her mother. He still went to support her even though she told him no. And I loved that he encouraged Emily to stand for herself and speak up.
Overall, Duarte's Child was a good read with some angst, an interesting twist and backstory, a good resolution and my favorite part - epilogue !
January 1, 2019
Esta es una novelita con muchos malentendidos.
El protagonista no le cree nada a la heroína y ella se hace mucho la pobrecita. Hay malentendidos cuando la ve besándose con otro, con la secretaria bruja que tiene, con la ex-suegra... En fin. Justo conseguí la novelita en físico para la colección así que fue relectura obligada.
El protagonista no le cree nada a la heroína y ella se hace mucho la pobrecita. Hay malentendidos cuando la ve besándose con otro, con la secretaria bruja que tiene, con la ex-suegra... En fin. Justo conseguí la novelita en físico para la colección así que fue relectura obligada.
February 25, 2025
I have liked when h was starting to find her backbone despite of TBS attacks. 🤪
September 17, 2025
Thrillingly melodramatic, classic romance from 2000, with an Evil OW and a runaway, pregnant wife
At the age of 28, Duarte Avila de Monteiro, a billionaire Portuguese banker, used pure, unemotional logic to choose safe, quiet, humble, virginal, 20-year-old, English Emily as an ideal wife and future mother of his children. He had had plenty of time to observe her, over the course of about nine months, in her position as a live-in groom helping to care for the superb horses at Duarte’s English country house. It didn’t matter to Duarte that Emily was socioeconomically far beneath him. Even dressed in a faded work shirt, worn-out jeans, and scuffed boots, with zero makeup or attention to styling her hair, her beauty was incandescent. She was also loyal, hardworking, unfailingly polite and considerate to others, and as easy to read as an open book—which showed Duarte unmistakably that she worshipped the very ground he walked on. Best of all, Emily had a heart of gold. She was outstanding with his horses, and she risked her own life to save the life of the huge, rowdy, ugly mutt he had inherited from his deceased sister when the unfortunate dog was trapped inside a burning barn on Duarte’s estate.
Emily entered her marriage to Duarte starry-eyed and madly in love. Though she knew he didn’t return her love, and the fabulous lifestyle he offered her on his fancy estate in Portugal meant very little to her, Duarte was a fabulous lover, and he treated her with unfailing kindness and generosity outside the bedroom. Up until eleven months ago, when a tragic misunderstanding took place, and Duarte accused her of having an affair while she was pregnant with his child. Emily was too intimidated and tongue-tied to defend herself, even if Duarte would have been willing to stop berating her and listen to her side of the story. He kicked her out of their shared home and exiled her to another one of his properties in Portugal. After three long, lonely, winter months in this isolated purgatory, Duarte’s personal assistant, Bliss, whom Emily trusted as a kind friend with her best interests at heart, secretly warned Emily that Duarte planned to take away her baby and dump her as soon as the baby was born. As a result, though she was seven months pregnant, Emily fled back to England in the dark of the night in order to escape Duarte.
The infant in question, Jamie, is currently six months old, and his father has yet to meet him. Emily has been living in a worn-out camper trailer hitched to an equally dilapidated car, both of which she purchased using the proceeds from selling her engagement ring. She has been supporting herself and her child with temporary positions as a groom and riding instructor at various stables all over England. She has never stayed in one place for very long, fearing that Duarte would find her and take away her son.
As the story opens, one of the many investigators that Duarte has hired to track down Emily has managed to locate her. Jamie is strapped into his car seat, and Emily is hitching the trailer to her car to leave the latest horse farm where she has been working for the past few months when Duarte’s chief of security shows up and Duarte’s familiar silver limousine blocks her exit. As she leaps into her car to attempt to make a getaway, she slaps her palm onto the steering wheel and feels a sudden sting on her palm. It’s a bee! Emily has a deadly allergy to bee stings, but has been too poor to replace her EpiPen®. She stumbles out of the car, her airways already dangerously swelling, and falls into Duarte’s arms, who rushes her to the nearest hospital.
I have read this book many times. I love that opening scene with the bee-sting emergency especially. It masterfully provides an opportunity for the reader to see that Duarte isn’t as horrible as he comes off in the flashbacks later in the story, which LG employs to show, on-stage, why Emily fled from him. Duarte is clearly desperately afraid for his wife’s life, but he runs into trouble with the police when the woman, who is Emily’s current, very concerned employer, calls the police on both his security chief and Duarte, because she fears that Emily is an endangered wife, fleeing from an abusive husband.
Though I don’t typically like aggressive, Alpha heroes paired with gentle, conflict-averse heroines, both Duarte and Emily have well-motivated and enjoyable growth arcs, which allow them to meet in the middle and achieve a well-motivated HEA. I also appreciate the fact that Duarte did not cheat while they were separated and, of course, as you would expect with an LG heroine, Emily did not ever actually cheat on Duarte.
At the age of 28, Duarte Avila de Monteiro, a billionaire Portuguese banker, used pure, unemotional logic to choose safe, quiet, humble, virginal, 20-year-old, English Emily as an ideal wife and future mother of his children. He had had plenty of time to observe her, over the course of about nine months, in her position as a live-in groom helping to care for the superb horses at Duarte’s English country house. It didn’t matter to Duarte that Emily was socioeconomically far beneath him. Even dressed in a faded work shirt, worn-out jeans, and scuffed boots, with zero makeup or attention to styling her hair, her beauty was incandescent. She was also loyal, hardworking, unfailingly polite and considerate to others, and as easy to read as an open book—which showed Duarte unmistakably that she worshipped the very ground he walked on. Best of all, Emily had a heart of gold. She was outstanding with his horses, and she risked her own life to save the life of the huge, rowdy, ugly mutt he had inherited from his deceased sister when the unfortunate dog was trapped inside a burning barn on Duarte’s estate.
Emily entered her marriage to Duarte starry-eyed and madly in love. Though she knew he didn’t return her love, and the fabulous lifestyle he offered her on his fancy estate in Portugal meant very little to her, Duarte was a fabulous lover, and he treated her with unfailing kindness and generosity outside the bedroom. Up until eleven months ago, when a tragic misunderstanding took place, and Duarte accused her of having an affair while she was pregnant with his child. Emily was too intimidated and tongue-tied to defend herself, even if Duarte would have been willing to stop berating her and listen to her side of the story. He kicked her out of their shared home and exiled her to another one of his properties in Portugal. After three long, lonely, winter months in this isolated purgatory, Duarte’s personal assistant, Bliss, whom Emily trusted as a kind friend with her best interests at heart, secretly warned Emily that Duarte planned to take away her baby and dump her as soon as the baby was born. As a result, though she was seven months pregnant, Emily fled back to England in the dark of the night in order to escape Duarte.
The infant in question, Jamie, is currently six months old, and his father has yet to meet him. Emily has been living in a worn-out camper trailer hitched to an equally dilapidated car, both of which she purchased using the proceeds from selling her engagement ring. She has been supporting herself and her child with temporary positions as a groom and riding instructor at various stables all over England. She has never stayed in one place for very long, fearing that Duarte would find her and take away her son.
As the story opens, one of the many investigators that Duarte has hired to track down Emily has managed to locate her. Jamie is strapped into his car seat, and Emily is hitching the trailer to her car to leave the latest horse farm where she has been working for the past few months when Duarte’s chief of security shows up and Duarte’s familiar silver limousine blocks her exit. As she leaps into her car to attempt to make a getaway, she slaps her palm onto the steering wheel and feels a sudden sting on her palm. It’s a bee! Emily has a deadly allergy to bee stings, but has been too poor to replace her EpiPen®. She stumbles out of the car, her airways already dangerously swelling, and falls into Duarte’s arms, who rushes her to the nearest hospital.
I have read this book many times. I love that opening scene with the bee-sting emergency especially. It masterfully provides an opportunity for the reader to see that Duarte isn’t as horrible as he comes off in the flashbacks later in the story, which LG employs to show, on-stage, why Emily fled from him. Duarte is clearly desperately afraid for his wife’s life, but he runs into trouble with the police when the woman, who is Emily’s current, very concerned employer, calls the police on both his security chief and Duarte, because she fears that Emily is an endangered wife, fleeing from an abusive husband.
Though I don’t typically like aggressive, Alpha heroes paired with gentle, conflict-averse heroines, both Duarte and Emily have well-motivated and enjoyable growth arcs, which allow them to meet in the middle and achieve a well-motivated HEA. I also appreciate the fact that Duarte did not cheat while they were separated and, of course, as you would expect with an LG heroine, Emily did not ever actually cheat on Duarte.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2016
Another angsty LG read. So that was fun. Hero was super assy to the heroine when he finds her again after she ran off.
September 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book more than I expected to.
It's a reunion story with the H being a typical, clueless, Latin, macho alpha.
He marries a quiet, shy, virgin and expects to fit into his high profile life, makes no concessions for her, and gets angry when things go awry. Then there's the ex-mother-in-law still living in the house you bring the new wife to - wth was that all about? And the shrine to the deceased wife. The H was a "bit" on the insensitive side.
The h let's the H walk all over her and allows herself to be scammed by the wannabe OW. She makes the immature decision to go on the run while heavily pregnant. She then spends almost a year moving from place to place and living hand to mouth out of a beat up caravan with a newborn. Thanks God that kid was healthy and didn't need any emergency care!
I reveled in all the drama and angst! I relished in reading an over the top HP once again. It's been a while, for me and damn it was good! 😂
It's a reunion story with the H being a typical, clueless, Latin, macho alpha.
He marries a quiet, shy, virgin and expects to fit into his high profile life, makes no concessions for her, and gets angry when things go awry. Then there's the ex-mother-in-law still living in the house you bring the new wife to - wth was that all about? And the shrine to the deceased wife. The H was a "bit" on the insensitive side.
The h let's the H walk all over her and allows herself to be scammed by the wannabe OW. She makes the immature decision to go on the run while heavily pregnant. She then spends almost a year moving from place to place and living hand to mouth out of a beat up caravan with a newborn. Thanks God that kid was healthy and didn't need any emergency care!
I reveled in all the drama and angst! I relished in reading an over the top HP once again. It's been a while, for me and damn it was good! 😂
April 9, 2020
This is really not my type of book. It wasn't bad but there was so much angst, so much heartache.
This will have to marinate a day or so. The Major Alpha was probably the meanest hero I have run across. There were a few times when she said 'no' that I thought he was going to force himself on her. Instead he won't stop but just keeps fooling around until he gets her to respond after multiples 'nos.' He is not only mean but he is cruel to the point of verbal and emotional abuse in my opinion. He just constantly beat her down with his words and would refuse to let her talk because he though he knew everything. He was constantly hushing her and if she ask him something that he didn't like he would leave the room and the bedroom and sex too for a good bit. Once it was five days.
The parts when the verbal attacks were very bad as he raised his voice he called her a whore and it was a bit past what I am okay with. There were also other derogatory names he called her as well and the poor girl's heart was always broken anew almost daily.
This will have to marinate a day or so. The Major Alpha was probably the meanest hero I have run across. There were a few times when she said 'no' that I thought he was going to force himself on her. Instead he won't stop but just keeps fooling around until he gets her to respond after multiples 'nos.' He is not only mean but he is cruel to the point of verbal and emotional abuse in my opinion. He just constantly beat her down with his words and would refuse to let her talk because he though he knew everything. He was constantly hushing her and if she ask him something that he didn't like he would leave the room and the bedroom and sex too for a good bit. Once it was five days.
The parts when the verbal attacks were very bad as he raised his voice he called her a whore and it was a bit past what I am okay with. There were also other derogatory names he called her as well and the poor girl's heart was always broken anew almost daily.
December 3, 2015
A sweet read.
You can really feel the love that Emily and Duarte share, but of course they aren't telling each other. Lots of tension and agnst between them......and red hot passion.
Lots of trust issues between them complicated by lies they have both been told. I got to admit that the liar really is an amazing piece of work....telling each of them different sets of lies and no one catches on....one nasty villian.
Duarte really loves his wife and son but just is so hurt and upset that he doesn't know what to do. Emily was very naive in the beginning but being a single mom has helped her mature so she is no longer as afraid to speak her mind.....and she lets out the hurt she feels.....which helps them solve their issues.
A nice sweet read....well written with nicely fleshed out characters. Their little son is a really cutie.
You can really feel the love that Emily and Duarte share, but of course they aren't telling each other. Lots of tension and agnst between them......and red hot passion.
Lots of trust issues between them complicated by lies they have both been told. I got to admit that the liar really is an amazing piece of work....telling each of them different sets of lies and no one catches on....one nasty villian.
Duarte really loves his wife and son but just is so hurt and upset that he doesn't know what to do. Emily was very naive in the beginning but being a single mom has helped her mature so she is no longer as afraid to speak her mind.....and she lets out the hurt she feels.....which helps them solve their issues.
A nice sweet read....well written with nicely fleshed out characters. Their little son is a really cutie.
December 24, 2018
Edited to note that this is a perfectly done novel on a certain theme: special snowflake h done terribly, terribly wrong; H behaving cruelly yet always inadvertently conveying his true emotions; no bad behavior that can't be walked back from or groveled about. The only reason why this isn't 4.5 stars is because there is a brief bit of Of course it backfires on him terribly and he has to do subject-specific groveling and he sells it convincingly. Still , so points must be removed.
March 2, 2023
3.5 Stars
Went downhill 😒 I got tired of the endless bickering. I loved that the hero was such an alpha asshole and the passion during the sexy times was so incredibly palpable, but they just went in circles for far too long. The angst lost its appeal. Crashed and burned. The heroine was frustrating. If you’re going to stand up for yourself, don’t do it in half-assed measures--constantly. Even the hero got frustrated by that LOL
No actual cheating in this book. Appearances are deceiving.
Went downhill 😒 I got tired of the endless bickering. I loved that the hero was such an alpha asshole and the passion during the sexy times was so incredibly palpable, but they just went in circles for far too long. The angst lost its appeal. Crashed and burned. The heroine was frustrating. If you’re going to stand up for yourself, don’t do it in half-assed measures--constantly. Even the hero got frustrated by that LOL
No actual cheating in this book. Appearances are deceiving.
May 11, 2018
the heroine is so pathetic. I can't stand her, she can't even defend herself.
August 20, 2022
This gave me a healthy dose of the OW drama I was craving. I loved how the h turned the tables on him towards the end with her whole "prove it to me" scene. The H was not only dumbfounded but scrambling trying to get her to believe him. Solid 4 stars
August 25, 2011
What a terrible and terrifying book.
I hated the heroine so so so so much in the first half of this book.
Okay, this is how awful she is.
The hero marries her because he wants the quiet, mousy type as his wife. He tells her after he asks her to marry him that he doesn't love her. She's still okay with it as long as she can be with him and take whatever he'll give her.
The heroine then befriends the hero's PA, a woman, in secret because the PA convinces her that the hero will fire her if he finds out she's making nice with his wife. The heroine agrees to the secret friendship. The hero basically ignores her and treats her like crap through most of the marriage. She is taken to his house where his now dead wife's mother also lives. There are no less than 5 large paintings of his dead wife hanging in pride of place throughout the house.
Super low self esteem heroine is now no self esteem. She's pregnant, gets caught being kissed by another man and shipped out to a country estate to live and right before she's going to give birth, the friend calls her and tells her she'd just overheard the hero talking to his lawyer about getting full custody of his son as soon as the heroine gives birth. Or, in other words, the hero was discussing with his lawyer ditching the heroine and keeping the baby just as soon as she gave birth.
So she does a runner.
Enter a few years later and the hero finds her via a PI. Heroine wants to run but she's also been thinking lately that she's done a bad thing. Blah blah blah and she's blackmailed back to the hero.
The hero now is super close with his PA, calling her by her first name when he's never done that before.
PA is still pretending to be a secret friend but now claims that she's on the hero's side for the horrible thing that the heroine did. And the hero claims that he knows the heroine cheated because a friend told him the truth. And this friend wouldn't lie.
And then the book turns completely around.
This horrible brain dead, used and liked it heroine, who's spent most of the book going off about how great her friend who doesn't want to be her friend in public, her family that always talks trash about her, and the hero are. How she should have just been thankful for what little she did have with the hero instead of asking for/wanting more. Suddenly she starts telling the hero just how much he sucks. She sees the light about the other woman before anyone else. She even tells her family to kiss her a...well close enough anyway.
The only thing I didn't like was that this I don't love you I don't even care about you hero just takes it all and mends his ways. That wasn't very believable to me.
But this book is worth it.
It's worth it because the hero walked in on the heroine being kissed by another man and immediately yells at her and goes off and calls her a slut and a whore. For years he's positive that she cheated and he refuses to believe her when she says she didn't.
And then the heroine walks outside after a party and finds the hero's claimed friend PA/heroine's friend who wouldn't acknowledge her, locked in a kiss with the hero. The heroine immediately calls him out for a cheating bastard.
The other woman then says, no no no, that wasn't what happened. The heroine doesn't believe her either. And then the heroine gets a clue and realizes how it's all a set up by the other woman.
And what does she do? She tells the hero she doesn't believe him, and when he tells her he didn't cheat she tells him to prove it. And he says, I can't. The heroine completely turns her situation right around on the hero and he's successfully caught in the same treatment that he gave her.
Retribution is what makes this book so awesome. And coming from the weak heroine, it's doubly great.
So from hating this book, I loved it.
I did think some issues weren't tied off, and the change in the hero wasn't totally believable, but otherwise just an awesome book.
I hated the heroine so so so so much in the first half of this book.
Okay, this is how awful she is.
The hero marries her because he wants the quiet, mousy type as his wife. He tells her after he asks her to marry him that he doesn't love her. She's still okay with it as long as she can be with him and take whatever he'll give her.
The heroine then befriends the hero's PA, a woman, in secret because the PA convinces her that the hero will fire her if he finds out she's making nice with his wife. The heroine agrees to the secret friendship. The hero basically ignores her and treats her like crap through most of the marriage. She is taken to his house where his now dead wife's mother also lives. There are no less than 5 large paintings of his dead wife hanging in pride of place throughout the house.
Super low self esteem heroine is now no self esteem. She's pregnant, gets caught being kissed by another man and shipped out to a country estate to live and right before she's going to give birth, the friend calls her and tells her she'd just overheard the hero talking to his lawyer about getting full custody of his son as soon as the heroine gives birth. Or, in other words, the hero was discussing with his lawyer ditching the heroine and keeping the baby just as soon as she gave birth.
So she does a runner.
Enter a few years later and the hero finds her via a PI. Heroine wants to run but she's also been thinking lately that she's done a bad thing. Blah blah blah and she's blackmailed back to the hero.
The hero now is super close with his PA, calling her by her first name when he's never done that before.
PA is still pretending to be a secret friend but now claims that she's on the hero's side for the horrible thing that the heroine did. And the hero claims that he knows the heroine cheated because a friend told him the truth. And this friend wouldn't lie.
And then the book turns completely around.
This horrible brain dead, used and liked it heroine, who's spent most of the book going off about how great her friend who doesn't want to be her friend in public, her family that always talks trash about her, and the hero are. How she should have just been thankful for what little she did have with the hero instead of asking for/wanting more. Suddenly she starts telling the hero just how much he sucks. She sees the light about the other woman before anyone else. She even tells her family to kiss her a...well close enough anyway.
The only thing I didn't like was that this I don't love you I don't even care about you hero just takes it all and mends his ways. That wasn't very believable to me.
But this book is worth it.
It's worth it because the hero walked in on the heroine being kissed by another man and immediately yells at her and goes off and calls her a slut and a whore. For years he's positive that she cheated and he refuses to believe her when she says she didn't.
And then the heroine walks outside after a party and finds the hero's claimed friend PA/heroine's friend who wouldn't acknowledge her, locked in a kiss with the hero. The heroine immediately calls him out for a cheating bastard.
The other woman then says, no no no, that wasn't what happened. The heroine doesn't believe her either. And then the heroine gets a clue and realizes how it's all a set up by the other woman.
And what does she do? She tells the hero she doesn't believe him, and when he tells her he didn't cheat she tells him to prove it. And he says, I can't. The heroine completely turns her situation right around on the hero and he's successfully caught in the same treatment that he gave her.
Retribution is what makes this book so awesome. And coming from the weak heroine, it's doubly great.
So from hating this book, I loved it.
I did think some issues weren't tied off, and the change in the hero wasn't totally believable, but otherwise just an awesome book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2011
Emily and Duarte are estranged as she believes that he wants to take their baby from her after she gives birth and kick her to the curb (all because of the helpful advice and secrets of a concerned “friend”). Duarte finally tracks Emily down and is appalled at the living conditions that she has subjected their son too. He can’t believe that his cheating wife had run away from him and he still can’t trust her after catching her w/ her lover.
I liked this story overall. Yes Duarte was a bit overbearing and sometimes a jerk, but he believed what he had seen long ago. Emily was unable to explain the situation to Duarte satisfactory and so that further made her story look doubtful. Once Emily returns she soon puts the pieces together and figures out who was at work to destroy their marriage from the beginning. However, she has her work cut out for her when she tries to convince Duarte of the same.
@@SPOILERS@@ My all-time favorite scene is when Emily comes upon Duarte and OW in a compromising situation and she tells him to prove to her that nothing had been going on b/w he and the OW! He soon realizes that he can’t prove it to her that she must trust him as he must trust her when she says she didn’t have an affair all those months ago. He does eventually listen and he seems very contrite after realizing some things. I also thought it was very romantic and observant of him when he showed up in the limo after her confrontation w/ her POW mother! I felt like he was there to catch her when she fell after discovering the truth of her origins. @@END SPOILERS@@
There were misunderstandings, meddlers, and miscommunications thrown in the mix as well, but some good conversations were had and the HEA was believable. He did tell her that if she returns w/ him she can have the dress, the honeymoon and the moon as well! Boy did he deliver. It took time but he stuck to his word. He even admitted that in the beginning of their marriage he was only looking out for what pleased him and she was just along for the ride. Emily changed through the book and did stand up for herself a bit more although she does try to revert some, but Duarte encourages her to speak up and confront him too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2020
HP troubled marriage is usually my fav, add in a dead ex-wife and I should have been over the moon, but I found this one frustrating AF. Duarte and Emily were separated (he walked in on her sucking face with Toby and assumes she’s screwing him) fearing that Duarte will take sole custody… Emily escapes to England and hides the baby from him. We begin the book with D tracking her down with his 6-month son. Duarte is grumpy, and pretty shitty for the first part of the book. He thinks Emily is a cheating slut that robbed him of the first part of his son’s life. For her part, Emily doesn’t do herself any favors. She makes terrible dum-dum decisions, and allows everyone to manipulate her.
I’ll preface this that I’ve been out in the sun all day, so maybe I’m just grumpy, but Emily drove me CRAZY. It could also be that this is the second book in a row that I’ve read where the wimpy h blindly inhales everything the wannabe OW says as gospel, and my patience is spent with this plot device. Forget that she believes Bliss’s every word over her hubs, but she does have a brain and mirror so there’s no excuse to wear bright orange with your red hair… because Bliss said it looks good. Use your eyeballs girl… you look hideous. Bliss said this… Bliss said that… GRRRR!!! 🤬
Duarte takes his role as broody, bitter alpha-hole VERY seriously, because he’s a jackass for much of the book. We also get a meddling wannabe OW/OM combo, and even the nasty mother of the dead ex-wife. So there’s plenty of drama-llama to keep you entertained.
Bottom Line- This one was ok, Emily eventually finds her voice, and the couple get their HEA.
I’ll preface this that I’ve been out in the sun all day, so maybe I’m just grumpy, but Emily drove me CRAZY. It could also be that this is the second book in a row that I’ve read where the wimpy h blindly inhales everything the wannabe OW says as gospel, and my patience is spent with this plot device. Forget that she believes Bliss’s every word over her hubs, but she does have a brain and mirror so there’s no excuse to wear bright orange with your red hair… because Bliss said it looks good. Use your eyeballs girl… you look hideous. Bliss said this… Bliss said that… GRRRR!!! 🤬
Duarte takes his role as broody, bitter alpha-hole VERY seriously, because he’s a jackass for much of the book. We also get a meddling wannabe OW/OM combo, and even the nasty mother of the dead ex-wife. So there’s plenty of drama-llama to keep you entertained.
Bottom Line- This one was ok, Emily eventually finds her voice, and the couple get their HEA.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews