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Passion Becomes You
He Wanted Nothing More Than Her Love…
From their first meeting, Jemma had known that forever wasn't in Leon Staphanades's vocabulary. She was inexperienced, but the passion between them was so powerful that she cast her doubts aside and agreed to Leon's demand of a no-strings affair. Soon Jemma was head over heels in love, and couldn't imagine that she'd ever be the one to end the idyll…. Until she found that her love for Leon was to have a lasting price—and it meant having to let him go….
From their first meeting, Jemma had known that forever wasn't in Leon Staphanades's vocabulary. She was inexperienced, but the passion between them was so powerful that she cast her doubts aside and agreed to Leon's demand of a no-strings affair. Soon Jemma was head over heels in love, and couldn't imagine that she'd ever be the one to end the idyll…. Until she found that her love for Leon was to have a lasting price—and it meant having to let him go….
192 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 9, 1994
103 people are currently reading
410 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Reid
388 books637 followersHi, my name is Michelle Reid and I’ve been writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon for the last twenty years, and the crazy part about it is that I only realised it had been twenty years while updating this page!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
December 9, 2021
This be-my-mistress/secret baby story has two great set pieces that begin and end the story.
The first occurs when the H/h are witness to the heroine’s boss berating his mistress for getting pregnant and trapping him. The virgin heroine is horrified the mistress used pregnancy as a weapon and that her boss is so unfeeling. The hero is not surprised by their behavior.
This sets the sense of unease that permeates the rest of the story as the heroine succumbs to the hero’s seduction, resists his efforts to make her his live-in mistress, hides her pregnancy and then finally agrees to marry him after a bout of sickness leaves her unable to work.
The last set piece is the hero’s father’s birthday party where the hero drops his bombshell on his family. He has a wife and a son on the way. According to the rules of succession in the family business he has won out over his half brother.
Heroine faints at this revelation (and betrayal in her mind). Now she thinks he only married her to secure his place in the family business. Hero then spends the last chapter preventing her from leaving Greece and groveling.
It’s grade-A prime angst as only Michele Reid can write. And I love that cover.
The first occurs when the H/h are witness to the heroine’s boss berating his mistress for getting pregnant and trapping him. The virgin heroine is horrified the mistress used pregnancy as a weapon and that her boss is so unfeeling. The hero is not surprised by their behavior.
This sets the sense of unease that permeates the rest of the story as the heroine succumbs to the hero’s seduction, resists his efforts to make her his live-in mistress, hides her pregnancy and then finally agrees to marry him after a bout of sickness leaves her unable to work.
The last set piece is the hero’s father’s birthday party where the hero drops his bombshell on his family. He has a wife and a son on the way. According to the rules of succession in the family business he has won out over his half brother.
Heroine faints at this revelation (and betrayal in her mind). Now she thinks he only married her to secure his place in the family business. Hero then spends the last chapter preventing her from leaving Greece and groveling.
It’s grade-A prime angst as only Michele Reid can write. And I love that cover.
July 27, 2018
Re Passion Becomes You - Michelle Reid brings us the tropiest of the tropiest with this little HP exploration of HPlandia rule # 2 - All virgin HP heroines will become pregnant upon first contact with the hero's Mighty Club of Love.
It doesn't matter if the H has been impotent with a negative motilator count for the last 20 years or if the h had certain reproductive organs irreversibly damaged and is on three varieties of birth control - if the h is a virgin and the H is a true HP H, there will be a stork visit nine months later.
In fact, this rule is so unbreakable and so well understood that fully half of all HP marriages are made just on the suggestion that the h might be looking under leaves in cabbage patches in about 40 weeks - even if there is no proof that the H's motilators have scored.
(Of course most H's take it as a given that they have hit the bull's eye first time out, their massive egos couldn't settle for anything less. So marriage isn't an option, it is mandatory, cause all their H manly mojo motilators are the tiny equivalent of a thousand marauding Genghis Khans and they WILL collect their spoils.)
Michelle Reid demonstrates that she understands the HP rule book very well and has our sweet secretary unicorn petting h swept off her feet when she meets the very attractive billionaire Greek H that is doing business with her boss.
But MR provides a wry little twist to the standard HP day at the office fare of h meets H, h and H have bonking mega blast explosions, h gets preggers and H demands marriage. She very descriptively reminds us that in HPlandia, only the unicorn grooming h is worthy of the big diamond ring and a lux life with the uber manly H.
MR has a secondary romance of the h's womanizing boss and his girlfriend go from the initial stages of love - when the boss wants the girlfriend and the girlfriend vows it will all end in marriage- to the bitter depths of the worst kind of adult relationship hell when the girlfriend deliberately gets herself up the duff and the womanizing boss has a MAJOR meltdown.
The h is an innocent bystander as it all ends in mutual hatred and pregnancy termination horror and neither the girlfriend nor the boss come out of in one piece or very happy. This very vivid example of HP treatment of non-h's is played out in the h's own actions too.
This h doesn't realize she is an h, so she believes that the H and she are just a fling and that her unexpected preggerness will result in the same sort of soul destroying choices she just witnessed between her boss and his former girlfriend. So she refuses the H's offer of being his live in mistress when he will be out of the country for several months and she doesn't mention that his seeds of love will soon bear fruit.
It is left up to the h's harridan of a flatmate to let the H know the very ill h is preggers and her own slime snot of a boyfriend wants to marry her, but she doesn't feel good about dumping her friend on her own recognizance.
The H has reasons of his own that make the h baking his bun a highly desirable opportunity. So we are soon swept up in a quickie wedding and a lovely cruise around the Greek Islands on the H's yacht.
Then the inevitable Thunderbolt of Doom occurs as the h is introduced to the H's father and his second wife and half brother. The H uses the h's pregnancy to wrest control of the family firm away from his slime gulping half brother and greedy stepmother - the H's father made it a contest between the two men and who ever got a wife and son first wins.
The H is irked about that, cause his gold digging father got that business from his mother and then proceeded to cheat on her with his mistress who is now wife. It was a highly dramatic meet the parents moment and the h feels used and betrayed and even more furious that the H deliberately found out the sex of the baby when she had dictated that it was supposed to be a surprise.
In the best traditions of wronged HP h's everywhere, the h plots her escape from the utterly callous and using H who exploits his own child to secure a business. She fails, mainly cause the Greek island they are on is small and it takes a few days to get a flight out and the H sails the yacht into the open ocean so the h can't leave him.
We get a really decent H is' sorry to be a jerk and loves her madly' speech which leaves the h throwing herself into his arms and declaring her own love back. We never do learn the sex of the baby, but we are all very assured that the two of them are sailing off to a supremely happy HEA filled with love and devotion for a very satisfying HPlandia outing.
This is a very well done story. It is almost ludicrously simple in plot, yet MR manages to infuse each scene with tension and some interesting hints of angst. None of the male characters are very likable in regards to their treatment of the ladies. But if you ever wanted a brilliant example of how HPlandia treats it's heroines as opposed to other women, you can't do better than to hunt down a copy of this.
It doesn't matter if the H has been impotent with a negative motilator count for the last 20 years or if the h had certain reproductive organs irreversibly damaged and is on three varieties of birth control - if the h is a virgin and the H is a true HP H, there will be a stork visit nine months later.
In fact, this rule is so unbreakable and so well understood that fully half of all HP marriages are made just on the suggestion that the h might be looking under leaves in cabbage patches in about 40 weeks - even if there is no proof that the H's motilators have scored.
(Of course most H's take it as a given that they have hit the bull's eye first time out, their massive egos couldn't settle for anything less. So marriage isn't an option, it is mandatory, cause all their H manly mojo motilators are the tiny equivalent of a thousand marauding Genghis Khans and they WILL collect their spoils.)
Michelle Reid demonstrates that she understands the HP rule book very well and has our sweet secretary unicorn petting h swept off her feet when she meets the very attractive billionaire Greek H that is doing business with her boss.
But MR provides a wry little twist to the standard HP day at the office fare of h meets H, h and H have bonking mega blast explosions, h gets preggers and H demands marriage. She very descriptively reminds us that in HPlandia, only the unicorn grooming h is worthy of the big diamond ring and a lux life with the uber manly H.
MR has a secondary romance of the h's womanizing boss and his girlfriend go from the initial stages of love - when the boss wants the girlfriend and the girlfriend vows it will all end in marriage- to the bitter depths of the worst kind of adult relationship hell when the girlfriend deliberately gets herself up the duff and the womanizing boss has a MAJOR meltdown.
The h is an innocent bystander as it all ends in mutual hatred and pregnancy termination horror and neither the girlfriend nor the boss come out of in one piece or very happy. This very vivid example of HP treatment of non-h's is played out in the h's own actions too.
This h doesn't realize she is an h, so she believes that the H and she are just a fling and that her unexpected preggerness will result in the same sort of soul destroying choices she just witnessed between her boss and his former girlfriend. So she refuses the H's offer of being his live in mistress when he will be out of the country for several months and she doesn't mention that his seeds of love will soon bear fruit.
It is left up to the h's harridan of a flatmate to let the H know the very ill h is preggers and her own slime snot of a boyfriend wants to marry her, but she doesn't feel good about dumping her friend on her own recognizance.
The H has reasons of his own that make the h baking his bun a highly desirable opportunity. So we are soon swept up in a quickie wedding and a lovely cruise around the Greek Islands on the H's yacht.
Then the inevitable Thunderbolt of Doom occurs as the h is introduced to the H's father and his second wife and half brother. The H uses the h's pregnancy to wrest control of the family firm away from his slime gulping half brother and greedy stepmother - the H's father made it a contest between the two men and who ever got a wife and son first wins.
The H is irked about that, cause his gold digging father got that business from his mother and then proceeded to cheat on her with his mistress who is now wife. It was a highly dramatic meet the parents moment and the h feels used and betrayed and even more furious that the H deliberately found out the sex of the baby when she had dictated that it was supposed to be a surprise.
In the best traditions of wronged HP h's everywhere, the h plots her escape from the utterly callous and using H who exploits his own child to secure a business. She fails, mainly cause the Greek island they are on is small and it takes a few days to get a flight out and the H sails the yacht into the open ocean so the h can't leave him.
We get a really decent H is' sorry to be a jerk and loves her madly' speech which leaves the h throwing herself into his arms and declaring her own love back. We never do learn the sex of the baby, but we are all very assured that the two of them are sailing off to a supremely happy HEA filled with love and devotion for a very satisfying HPlandia outing.
This is a very well done story. It is almost ludicrously simple in plot, yet MR manages to infuse each scene with tension and some interesting hints of angst. None of the male characters are very likable in regards to their treatment of the ladies. But if you ever wanted a brilliant example of how HPlandia treats it's heroines as opposed to other women, you can't do better than to hunt down a copy of this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2019
A few short points here....
I really liked the development of the relationship between the MC.
Both hero and heroines involvement in the relationship was adult like and good communication as well (not always the case in HP land).
Loved the portion of the story of them on the yacht together, very romantic.
Hero did a good job of winning the heroine in the end.
The character of the hero was very attractive in mannerism and action. I liked him best. 😊😊
I really liked the development of the relationship between the MC.
Both hero and heroines involvement in the relationship was adult like and good communication as well (not always the case in HP land).
Loved the portion of the story of them on the yacht together, very romantic.
Hero did a good job of winning the heroine in the end.
The character of the hero was very attractive in mannerism and action. I liked him best. 😊😊
July 31, 2020
Actually it is a re-read and still because of the besotted H even though manipulative I liked it very much.
November 25, 2016
Disappointing and dry early Harley that explores the consequences of personal responsibility, birth control, and abortion tossed with half-brother/evil stepmother/inheritance daddy issue tropes.
Jemma the up to now ever-cool virgin meets Leon the overwhelming Greek lover, and is overwhelmed with all requisite lady parts going into hyper drive. She’s held fast against her charming but sleazy boss named josh so succumbing to the alpha romero charms of Leon is a surprise especially when she’s warned off of any real emotion. He offers her an open ended affair if she’ll move to New York so they can ride the romance rail until it ends. Thanks, but no thanks. The heroine has a spine thank you very much. The hero's persuasive response is roughly, “Well, don’t expect to manipulate me into marriage.”
(Leon is a hard name for me to take seriously as a hero as college friend had a date with a Leon. When he came to pick her up my then big ass-hat jerk of a boyfriend kept calling him Noel. After that, none of us could ever remember whether his name was Leon or Noel. Relationship nipped in the bud. Perhaps for the best as his hair was suspiciously blonde, and there was a suggestion of a gold necklace. This was circa ’83. Heck, his name may have even been Noel and, well never mind. Names are important.)
Paralleling the H and h’s sucky love affair is the precautionary tale of Josh the boss and Cassie, the woman he is having a sleazy affair with. Cassie admits she wants to get married and gets pregnant to trap him. The men all decry foul, and it is an underhanded trick, but it takes two to tango Senor. The consequences of this plot point are ugly, unpleasant and far too real-life for this reader.
The H comes back from his business trip, and it is the end of the relationship. The h goes into a decline and is ultimately ratted out to the H by her long-suffering flatmate.
A quickie marriage and they end up on his yacht. We never see or hear about the marriage which is always disappointing to me. Insert the half-brother/evil stepmother/inheritance-at-risk trope and you can toss one more misunderstanding onto the trope pile.
The romance was not charming, angsty with fireworks, but merely sad, drab and a little tawdry.
No silk shirts that I noticed, but more than one toweling robe
Jemma the up to now ever-cool virgin meets Leon the overwhelming Greek lover, and is overwhelmed with all requisite lady parts going into hyper drive. She’s held fast against her charming but sleazy boss named josh so succumbing to the alpha romero charms of Leon is a surprise especially when she’s warned off of any real emotion. He offers her an open ended affair if she’ll move to New York so they can ride the romance rail until it ends. Thanks, but no thanks. The heroine has a spine thank you very much. The hero's persuasive response is roughly, “Well, don’t expect to manipulate me into marriage.”
(Leon is a hard name for me to take seriously as a hero as college friend had a date with a Leon. When he came to pick her up my then big ass-hat jerk of a boyfriend kept calling him Noel. After that, none of us could ever remember whether his name was Leon or Noel. Relationship nipped in the bud. Perhaps for the best as his hair was suspiciously blonde, and there was a suggestion of a gold necklace. This was circa ’83. Heck, his name may have even been Noel and, well never mind. Names are important.)
Paralleling the H and h’s sucky love affair is the precautionary tale of Josh the boss and Cassie, the woman he is having a sleazy affair with. Cassie admits she wants to get married and gets pregnant to trap him. The men all decry foul, and it is an underhanded trick, but it takes two to tango Senor. The consequences of this plot point are ugly, unpleasant and far too real-life for this reader.
The H comes back from his business trip, and it is the end of the relationship. The h goes into a decline and is ultimately ratted out to the H by her long-suffering flatmate.
A quickie marriage and they end up on his yacht. We never see or hear about the marriage which is always disappointing to me. Insert the half-brother/evil stepmother/inheritance-at-risk trope and you can toss one more misunderstanding onto the trope pile.
The romance was not charming, angsty with fireworks, but merely sad, drab and a little tawdry.
No silk shirts that I noticed, but more than one toweling robe
April 25, 2014
I loved this book. Great passionate story. Basically the hero and heroine have been dating for a few months but it is a a no-strings affair. Jemma gets pregnant but knowing Leon is against children and marriage she ends their affair. 3 months later Leon finds out about the baby, he comes back and proposes marriage. Jemma accepts cause she is now jobless and has a tough pregnancy but their marriage is fragile and not build on trust so angst ensues.
MR is an excellent writer. The hero was passionate, alpha, and strong. He adored Jemma and I could feel his love for her. Heroine was lovable as well. She loved Leon deeply and when she discovered his deception and almost left Greece and his side I was still believing in her love for him which is something I can't tell for other HP heroines.
I liked Leon's reaction when he found out she is about to leave him. I liked that he withheld her passport, her ticket and then groveled and confessed his feelings. Their HEA was well deserved!
MR is an excellent writer. The hero was passionate, alpha, and strong. He adored Jemma and I could feel his love for her. Heroine was lovable as well. She loved Leon deeply and when she discovered his deception and almost left Greece and his side I was still believing in her love for him which is something I can't tell for other HP heroines.
I liked Leon's reaction when he found out she is about to leave him. I liked that he withheld her passport, her ticket and then groveled and confessed his feelings. Their HEA was well deserved!
July 16, 2020
Good but not memorable or exciting.
I could feel the passion simmering between Jemma and Leon so the title didn't lie. It was clear as day that Leon had fallen in love with Jemma by the way he treated her. Their happy ending seemed totally assured, and I think that's why I can't rate this higher. The path to their HEA lacked much-needed dramatic tension and conflict.
I could feel the passion simmering between Jemma and Leon so the title didn't lie. It was clear as day that Leon had fallen in love with Jemma by the way he treated her. Their happy ending seemed totally assured, and I think that's why I can't rate this higher. The path to their HEA lacked much-needed dramatic tension and conflict.
May 10, 2020
3.5 stars but decided to round up to 4 on the re-read.
July 21, 2012
I really enjoyed this older HP. It had all the traditional angst that I have come to expect, without the alpha asshat type behavior. Leon and Jemma meet and it is LUST at first sight so they head straight into a passionate affair. However, Leon isn't looking for marriage or HEA's and Jemma is relationship damaged having watched her parents have one affair after the other. So both decide to take it one day at a time, with no promises. There is a secondary relationship in the story with Jemma's boss, Josh, and his girlfriend that gives Leon the opportunity to rant about women who trap men into marriage by getting pregnant. So when Jemma finds herself pregnant, she has no recourse other than to let Leon go and refuses to tell him about the baby.
Fast forward 5 months later, when Leon suddenly reappears in her life and discovers that she is pregnant with his child. He is one very unhappy man and demands they marry for the sake of the baby. From there it is all about how they reconnect, learn to forgive and have their HEA. Though Leon is the typical macho male, he is also very smitten and I found his possessive, yet tender attitude towards Jemma very sweet.
My only disappointment in the story, was the Josh/Cassie issue needed to be better resolved for the reader. There was great potential that just got dropped. It lessened the story and the impact.
Fast forward 5 months later, when Leon suddenly reappears in her life and discovers that she is pregnant with his child. He is one very unhappy man and demands they marry for the sake of the baby. From there it is all about how they reconnect, learn to forgive and have their HEA. Though Leon is the typical macho male, he is also very smitten and I found his possessive, yet tender attitude towards Jemma very sweet.
My only disappointment in the story, was the Josh/Cassie issue needed to be better resolved for the reader. There was great potential that just got dropped. It lessened the story and the impact.
December 16, 2025
Lust at first sight
While the steam is not overly descriptive, that fall into combusting lust at first sight was on par with
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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While the steam is not overly descriptive, that fall into combusting lust at first sight was on par with
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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April 12, 2017
2.5 stars
Very meh! Needed more grovelling!
Very meh! Needed more grovelling!
March 30, 2018
"Passion Becomes You" is the story of Leon and Jemma.
When Jemma, a secretary suddenly finds herself courted by her boss's Greek friend Leon, she tries to resist him- but the temptation is too strong and the overwhelming lust leads her to give in to him.
Soon they embark on a passionate affair, but Leon has his own set of ideals, and when Jemma discovers she has a tiny bun, she decides to push Leon away. But fate, and a best friend have other ideas..
Engaging read with strong h and H, lot of passion, some angst and drama followed by a HEA. This had minimal push/pull as well as OM/OW drama- something which is rare in old HQNs, and an obsessed hero (albiet with a motive) is always good to read.
This one really needed an epilogue, but even without that a great read.
Safe/SWME
4.5/5
When Jemma, a secretary suddenly finds herself courted by her boss's Greek friend Leon, she tries to resist him- but the temptation is too strong and the overwhelming lust leads her to give in to him.
Soon they embark on a passionate affair, but Leon has his own set of ideals, and when Jemma discovers she has a tiny bun, she decides to push Leon away. But fate, and a best friend have other ideas..
Engaging read with strong h and H, lot of passion, some angst and drama followed by a HEA. This had minimal push/pull as well as OM/OW drama- something which is rare in old HQNs, and an obsessed hero (albiet with a motive) is always good to read.
This one really needed an epilogue, but even without that a great read.
Safe/SWME
4.5/5
July 3, 2011
Passion Becomes You by Michelle Reid is an okay read, that somehow didn't live up to my expectations. I wanted this novel to captivate me, the hero to dazzle me and of course wanted all my emotions in a tangle because of the hero and somehow I 'think' that I just expected too much from this Harlequin.
24 year old Jemma Davis bears the scars of living with two promiscous parents whose lifelong passion it had been to goad one another by sleeping with the next available piece of human flesh of the opposite sex. A determination that she would never let herself become embroiled in passion that could make her vulnerable, Jemma doesn't know what it is that hits her when Greek tycoon Leon Stephanades strolls into her life and turns it completely upside down.
Jemma says yes to her very first affair with eyes wide open, fully knowing what it is that Leon is offering and just how vulnerable her emotions are when it comes to Leon. Though Leon tries to show otherwise, he is as much besotted with how she makes him feel and throughout their two month long affair during which Jemma keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her fragile happiness to come crashing down in front of her.
When Jemma realizes the consequence of her first night of reckless abandonment with Leon, and knowing that Leon wouldn't take the news of impending fatherhood lightly, Jemma hides the fact from him until a turn of events once again brings Leon back into her life; this time a determined Leon who wants her in his life once and for all.
What I expected to find from this short story and what I actually did find were two entirely different things. I wanted a ruthless and passionate hero whose desire to possess the woman who ignites him unlike any other woman make him lose his iron-clad control and of course I wanted the angst that would go with a story that includes such a strong hero. But Leon though is a passionate hero, I didn't find myself overly fascinated with him and neither with the heroine though Jemma is not the type to get on one's nerves. The story lost its appeal halfway through and I found myself skimming through the bits and pieces to reach the end.
Recommended for fans of Michelle Reid.
Rating=2.75/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
24 year old Jemma Davis bears the scars of living with two promiscous parents whose lifelong passion it had been to goad one another by sleeping with the next available piece of human flesh of the opposite sex. A determination that she would never let herself become embroiled in passion that could make her vulnerable, Jemma doesn't know what it is that hits her when Greek tycoon Leon Stephanades strolls into her life and turns it completely upside down.
Jemma says yes to her very first affair with eyes wide open, fully knowing what it is that Leon is offering and just how vulnerable her emotions are when it comes to Leon. Though Leon tries to show otherwise, he is as much besotted with how she makes him feel and throughout their two month long affair during which Jemma keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for her fragile happiness to come crashing down in front of her.
When Jemma realizes the consequence of her first night of reckless abandonment with Leon, and knowing that Leon wouldn't take the news of impending fatherhood lightly, Jemma hides the fact from him until a turn of events once again brings Leon back into her life; this time a determined Leon who wants her in his life once and for all.
What I expected to find from this short story and what I actually did find were two entirely different things. I wanted a ruthless and passionate hero whose desire to possess the woman who ignites him unlike any other woman make him lose his iron-clad control and of course I wanted the angst that would go with a story that includes such a strong hero. But Leon though is a passionate hero, I didn't find myself overly fascinated with him and neither with the heroine though Jemma is not the type to get on one's nerves. The story lost its appeal halfway through and I found myself skimming through the bits and pieces to reach the end.
Recommended for fans of Michelle Reid.
Rating=2.75/5
Original review posted on MBR's Realm of Romance
August 22, 2011
Absolutely terrific read,enjoyed it so so much,Leon-Jemma are such strong honest caring adorable wonderful characters.They meet get so attracted to each other Leon then n there asks her out cause he knows she is as attracted to him as she is,Jemma avoids it at first but Leon keeps giving her gifts which again she ignores but the say she goes on date with another man hell break loose Leon comes takes her and they both end up sleeping together and from there their no strings affair starts
Jemma thinks their relation is of only attraction from Leon's side but she is falling for him deeply as day goes by but its much more deeper then that,then Jemma gets pregnant knowing his views on children and marriage she breaks it off and after 3 months Leon comes back he comes to know of pregnancy and from there they embark on their marriage and journey to find their happiness and love and after many hurdles they do find their HEA
I thoroughly enjoyed this book only one thing disappointed me Josh-Cassie they never got back together and Josh is one idiot jerk he had his happiness in front of his eyes but he blew it up.the secondary characters were also great and the plot of Leon and his father was also good to read
Great read
Jemma thinks their relation is of only attraction from Leon's side but she is falling for him deeply as day goes by but its much more deeper then that,then Jemma gets pregnant knowing his views on children and marriage she breaks it off and after 3 months Leon comes back he comes to know of pregnancy and from there they embark on their marriage and journey to find their happiness and love and after many hurdles they do find their HEA
I thoroughly enjoyed this book only one thing disappointed me Josh-Cassie they never got back together and Josh is one idiot jerk he had his happiness in front of his eyes but he blew it up.the secondary characters were also great and the plot of Leon and his father was also good to read
Great read
August 16, 2022
Well, while I was reading this I realized I had actually read it before years ago. There were things in the book that I remembered for my first read.
I know many people don't like secret baby stories. It doesn't bother me all that much. The one time I had an issue with it was that the heroine was a complete bitch to the hero and I hated her. But that wasn't the case with this book. I liked both the hero and the heroine.
It was lust at first sight for both of them. They started a relationship and then of course, the h gets pregnant. She has reasons for hiding the truth from the hero. There are things that happen in the beginning of the book that make her believe she needs to hide her pregnancy. This leads to a heart-breaking scene when she ends things with them.
The hero finds out and it leads to a marriage which leads to some sweet scenes as they honeymoon on his big freaking yacht because of course he has one. Then a secret comes out and things blow up until love is revealed.
It was an entertaining book but probably one I won't keep on my keeper shelf. There might've been a time when I would have but my tastes have changed over the years.
I'm trying to read shorter books because I am far behind in my book count so there may be some other harlequins or other series romances showing up in my books read this year.
I know many people don't like secret baby stories. It doesn't bother me all that much. The one time I had an issue with it was that the heroine was a complete bitch to the hero and I hated her. But that wasn't the case with this book. I liked both the hero and the heroine.
It was lust at first sight for both of them. They started a relationship and then of course, the h gets pregnant. She has reasons for hiding the truth from the hero. There are things that happen in the beginning of the book that make her believe she needs to hide her pregnancy. This leads to a heart-breaking scene when she ends things with them.
The hero finds out and it leads to a marriage which leads to some sweet scenes as they honeymoon on his big freaking yacht because of course he has one. Then a secret comes out and things blow up until love is revealed.
It was an entertaining book but probably one I won't keep on my keeper shelf. There might've been a time when I would have but my tastes have changed over the years.
I'm trying to read shorter books because I am far behind in my book count so there may be some other harlequins or other series romances showing up in my books read this year.
April 8, 2016
Wow!
Such hot amazing chemistry between Leon and Jemma..it really blazes!
Jemma maybe down to earth, caring, and nice but she also can spot a womanizer a foot away and resist the charming net they cast. She has no use or respect for that type of man...what a tough cookie!
Leon is one sexy gift to woman, charming, and tough but he also has a caring side and is afraid to love.....that he actually hides from his feelings for Jemma.
When they first meet....BAM! What a meeting.....the chemistry alone from that meeting is enough to make you feel weak with longing and envious of such passion.
This really is a well written hot read.
Such hot amazing chemistry between Leon and Jemma..it really blazes!
Jemma maybe down to earth, caring, and nice but she also can spot a womanizer a foot away and resist the charming net they cast. She has no use or respect for that type of man...what a tough cookie!
Leon is one sexy gift to woman, charming, and tough but he also has a caring side and is afraid to love.....that he actually hides from his feelings for Jemma.
When they first meet....BAM! What a meeting.....the chemistry alone from that meeting is enough to make you feel weak with longing and envious of such passion.
This really is a well written hot read.
November 17, 2010
Wow! Sexy, angsty, and good as heck! THIS was a very good read. I didn't care for some of the ways the hero addressed the women in the book, but it seems to be part and parcel of the genre during this time peroid.
December 7, 2016
Good story. He is wealthy and meets h at her secretarial job. They have a delicious affair -h is a virgin- with all the standard warnings about trying to trap H.
When the obvious happens, h cuts off all communications with H and decides that she can do this on her own. Buuut...she is constantly sick, isn't working and depends on her friend and roommate. Her friend believes thatH should be there for h and tells him the truth. H shows up and takes over and h's insecurities ALL come out to play!
Absolutely enjoyed this book. The story was typical HP but the characters were quirky enough to keep me interested. Will probably read this one again.
When the obvious happens, h cuts off all communications with H and decides that she can do this on her own. Buuut...she is constantly sick, isn't working and depends on her friend and roommate. Her friend believes thatH should be there for h and tells him the truth. H shows up and takes over and h's insecurities ALL come out to play!
Absolutely enjoyed this book. The story was typical HP but the characters were quirky enough to keep me interested. Will probably read this one again.
June 21, 2025
I re-read this today after seeing a review someone wrote.
I tempered the story but not well. I am so glad I read-read this. I think I enjoyed 100% more the second time and I did like it the first time.
It’s a romance but also about growth, two damaged people coming together and through their love healing each other.
Need an epilogue to find out about the baby!!!
I tempered the story but not well. I am so glad I read-read this. I think I enjoyed 100% more the second time and I did like it the first time.
It’s a romance but also about growth, two damaged people coming together and through their love healing each other.
Need an epilogue to find out about the baby!!!
misc-romance
June 6, 2025No rating because it was honestly pretty boring up until the end.
Secretary heroine starts seeing Greek businessman hero. An unexpected complication arises after they’ve broken up. Some lies are exposed near the end but all is forgiven.
Cute enough. This is the 6th Harlequin I’ve read in 4 days so maybe I’m just getting a little jaded.
Secretary heroine starts seeing Greek businessman hero. An unexpected complication arises after they’ve broken up. Some lies are exposed near the end but all is forgiven.
Cute enough. This is the 6th Harlequin I’ve read in 4 days so maybe I’m just getting a little jaded.
Read
May 6, 2025One of the things that's so interesting about a typical Harlequin Presents storyline is how intense everyone's emotions are. Love possesses them and drags them unwillingly into absurdity. And then they can be stripped of independent thought and wind up happily, and dangerously, dependent on an extremely dubious prospect. As dubious prospects go, Leon (and Jemma) could be a lot worse...but the ending is still more troubling than satisfying. (Reinforced with the last page's callback to a side plot about secondary characters' failed relationship.)
May 17, 2019
I have so much love for this author. Adore her angsty and touching plots with unforgettable couples. Lovely book.
December 30, 2011
From the first moment that Jemma and Leon met there were sparks. They felt the immediate desire to be w/ one another. Only Leon wasn’t interested in forever. Jemma picks up ideas from what Leon says, which is understandable but apparently doesn’t always apply to their situation. It was more of situations in general, but not them. Jemma begins to pull back w/ their r/s not wanting to push for more and Leon doesn’tF seem to understand why, but since he wasn’t enlisting in forever he allows her to and goes off on a business deal. However, he misses her and sees an opportunity taking shape because of some childish actions of another. When he discovers the predicament of course he forces more, and Jemma sees no alternative.
Leon had good reasons for what he did and I totally believed him and went w/ the flow on this one. It wasn’t always the words that came from his mouth, but the actions that he made as well. He was vulnerable when he thought he had ruined it all. I could picture him looking that way and I gave in. I wanted the HEA because there was so much build up and foundation placing of their love in the beginning that w/ his opportunistic action and explanation . . . I forgave him. I would have liked to ask him why he showed such loyalty to his cheating father though. I also wondered why his mother’s family didn’t have something better to protect their interest. At some points I felt like Jemma was a bit off w/ some of her arguments but is was chalked up to her situation IMHO and that rang true for me then.
I have to say I wouldn’t mind reading a story w/ the secondary characters to see if that boss regrets what he was so cheerful about.
Leon had good reasons for what he did and I totally believed him and went w/ the flow on this one. It wasn’t always the words that came from his mouth, but the actions that he made as well. He was vulnerable when he thought he had ruined it all. I could picture him looking that way and I gave in. I wanted the HEA because there was so much build up and foundation placing of their love in the beginning that w/ his opportunistic action and explanation . . . I forgave him. I would have liked to ask him why he showed such loyalty to his cheating father though. I also wondered why his mother’s family didn’t have something better to protect their interest. At some points I felt like Jemma was a bit off w/ some of her arguments but is was chalked up to her situation IMHO and that rang true for me then.
I have to say I wouldn’t mind reading a story w/ the secondary characters to see if that boss regrets what he was so cheerful about.
July 8, 2014
the plot was too common for me though the hero was a big change! he did not take prize for biggest asshole of the year! neway so the plot: hero lusts after heroine, has an affair wid her. ofc she’s a virgin and they did not use any contraceptive precautions the 1st time! she gets pregnant and they get married. later, she finds out he intended to marry her before knowing of her pregnancy but not bcoz he love her. so misunderstandings ensured. i found it irritating how much jemma was involved in josh and cassie’s relationship! it even made her paranoid! she was clearly very affected by the situation bet these 2 and this was unhealthy for her. she also let this influence her attitude towards her own relationship wid leon. leon was not the ass she treated him like. her own insecurities made her see things which were simply not der. u must give time to a relationship. not every relationship comes to marriage! it was obvious leon wanted more than sex from her, he wanted a relationship, companionship. in brief, he wanted her in his life! but she chose to believe otherwise bcoz marriage was not on the cards.
August 8, 2015
I am in love with this book. Michelle Reid is my favorite romance writer, she just knows how to touch the heart and gives you goosebumps. Pure old fashioned love and lust that cannot be rivaled by any other romance writer, and I love love that I know what is happening in the heads of her complex Alpha to die for heroes. This book is everything I need in a romance and I am so bummed that Ms Reid hasn’t written anything new for a while. I hope she comes back to her fans with a new book soon.
May 10, 2019
First I've read from Michelle Reid that was slightly dreadful to finish reading by the end. The pace was dull and so was the plot. I also found the h to be snappy and ungrateful (for her good fortune IMO).
I couldn't warm up to Leon either. He seemed calculating to me and Jemma wasn't fair to point fingers at him for anything at all. There really was no conflict and Leon wasn't even such a tough shell to crack!
I couldn't warm up to Leon either. He seemed calculating to me and Jemma wasn't fair to point fingers at him for anything at all. There really was no conflict and Leon wasn't even such a tough shell to crack!
February 13, 2014
Wow, this was definitely a powerful read. However I was disappointed by the fact that we never got to find out the sex of the baby or the for real outcome, only that he loved her. I guess that's all that matters, right? Great novel!
September 12, 2016
review to come
May 5, 2022
Passion Becomes You was about Jemma Davis, the personal assistant to the business tycoon Joshua Tanner, and Leonadis “Leon” Stephanades, a Greek business tycoon. Side Note: Like most "old-school" Harlequin Presents books, this one only had the POV of the main female character, so we never got to see what was running through the thoughts of the main male character...sadly.
When they first met, Leon propositioned Jemma, then started to barrage her with gifts, each one accompanied by a note letting her know he expected her to have sex with him when they next saw each other. That wasn’t Jemma’s plan. She had grown up with parents who constantly cheated on each other, so she didn't want to be with anyone like them. However, when he returned to London and learned she had dated another man, he was furious and called her flat until she answered, at which time, he demanded she meet him or he would come to get her. He took her to his home, only to question her about the date she had just been on, then told her all he knew about her date, and also what he knew of her flatmate, and what he knew about her, too...all which angered her because it was so invasive. Jemma tried to leave multiple times, but their emotions were so high they agreed to have sex in order to work out their feelings with "no strings attached...No other lovers...No other commitment other than a pledge of loyalty while this thing lasts"..sex. Thus began their affair, though she refused to move in with him.
Two months into the relationship, Jemma started getting ill...at the same time that Leon asked her to move to New York to live with him. She told him she needed time to think about it. He wasn't happy but gave her a week. That week, she argued with her boss, quit her job...and learned she was pregnant. Thinking Leon would believe she was trying to trap him into marriage, she began to distance herself from him and didn't tell him about the baby. When she told him the affair was at an end, he informed her she would be disappointed if she thought he would marry her because he had no intention of ever getting married. She told him that she never considered marriage as an option...neither would she be any man’s mistress. She said that they had a relationship where she had a job, her own home, and a level of independence which allowed her to keep her pride and self-respect. She believed the word “mistress” was an ugly one, and that was what he would be if she agreed were to live with you him. He finally gave in and they said goodbye.
Five months into her pregnancy, Jemma was still sick and had even lost weight. Surprisingly, she received a letter from Leon through which he informed her he was in London and wanted to see her, giving her a day and a time when he would arrive. Her roommate said she should tell him about the baby and allow him to help her. Instead, she asked Trina to deliver a message to Leon, one that stated she was involved with another man...though that was a lie.
On the day he had wanted to meet, she decided to get out of the apartment, only to find Leon at her door. When he asked her if she was ever going to tell him about the baby, making her realize that HE knew she was pregnant...and then the baby kicked where his hands were touching her belly, and he melted.
Jemma asked him why he was there, at the same time telling him she would never abort the baby...he was horrified at the thought of such a thing. He told her they would be getting married, letting her know that it was only for the sake of the baby...not for any other reason. He ended the conversation with, " ‘We will not speak of this again...The deed is done, our futures set.’" Then he threw the news at her that they would be getting married in two days. He also told her they would take a cruise around the Greek Islands for a "honeymoon" so that she could have a few weeks to get the rest the doctor ordered her to have.
For several weeks they were on his yacht traveling the Greek Isles, allowing her time to regain her health, only going ashore when Leon said it was okay to do so. For a while, she was happy. But one day when she was relaxing, she got news from her friend telling her that she was now married and that their old flat was gone. Jemma suddenly realized she was completely dependent on Leon.
Ironically, they had not been intimate since Leon had forced her to move in and marry him...Ironic because theirs, "...was a ‘no sex’ marriage...when before it had been a ‘no marriage’ sexual relationship...Because Leon had not shown any inclination that he still wanted her physically."
Leon noticed the letter from her friend had upset Jemma and he asked her about it. She tried telling him how losing her friend and the flat was like losing her stability. She tried to explain that, when her parents were alive, she was never in one place for very long, never stable, and that, when they (her parents) died and she moved to London to work she saw an ad in the paper of someone seeking a roommate, leading her to the meeting up with Trina. Between her friend and the flat, Jemma got the first taste of real stability. Thus for four years, she felt as though she had belonged to someone and somewhere. But with her friend marrying and letting the flat go all that was gone again. But Leon asked if she doubted that he could give her that for a much longer period of time. She said she didn’t know the answer to that because they had married because of the baby and not because it was what either of them necessarily wanted to...therefore, not the best way to build a stable relationship. And yet, that was not the point she was trying to make. She had tried to explain why the flat and her friend had been so important and why she suddenly felt their loss. But still not understanding, he told her that they hadn’t been taken from her, but that they had just been replaced. But Jemma had to ask herself...what had replaced them.
When Leon took her ashore the next day to do some shopping, things were different between them. He showed her more attention, holding her hand for most of the day...and then after returning to the yacht, they shared the same bed for the first time since they had married. But things changed yet again the following morning...just as Jemma was starting to think that maybe Leon might feel more than a mere affection for her, that he could even be falling in love, a helicopter arrived. Whoever it was, Leon was not happy...and unable to look Jemma in the eye.
When Jemma asked who it was, he said he didn't know...yet. But then he ordered her to stay in the cabin and not to venture out until he "got rid of—whoever it is.’" After the visitor left, he said they had been invited to a birthday party. When she asked whose, he told her..."‘My father’s...’"
She was shocked...and then asked if her father knew about her and the baby. He said, "‘No...he doesn’t know about you—or the child...So you will both come as a—pleasant surprise to him tonight, won’t you?’" And she thought to herself, "Will we?" She said she didn't want to go. But he got cold towards her and stated, "‘You are my wife now, Jemma...And as my wife, you will accompany me to my father’s house tonight and be presented to him as such.’" She asked him about the other woman his father had chosen for him, and he confessed, "‘All right...So, it is not going to be a—pleasant evening. But whatever happens there tonight, agape mou, none of it is going to change a single thing for us.’" Jemma asked, "‘You’re sure about that?...What if your father throws you out on your ear for marrying yourself to the likes of me?’" to which, "Leon actually laughed at that, albeit harshly. ‘I can positively assure you, my darling, that on meeting you, throwing me out will be the last thing on my father’s mind!’" The other shoe was about to drop. Though she was nervous about meeting his father, Leon asked her to trust him not to let anything bad happen to her. Before leaving, Leon asked her to wear his late mother's (gaudy) necklace, something that would piss off his father, yet would be expected for his wife to wear. As they were disembarking, Leon started to say something...but stopped.
Upon arriving at his father's home, Jemma realized they were very late, but Leon's unsettling remark was, "‘It looks as though we have timed it just right.’" When they were finally noticed though, all heads turned in their direction. Silence descended and Jemma felt heavy with dread. Ignoring Jemma, Leon’s stepmother demanded him to allow his father to make his planned announcement but Leon stopped her and said that he needed to do so first...and proceeded to introduce Jemma to his father as his wife...which brought about another stunned silence to the crowd...and then Leon, either by accident or design, caused her shawl to fall to the ground, causing all eyes to be swiftly drawn to her very pregnant belly, creating multiple reactions.
Whispering, Leon ordered his father to ‘take her hand...welcome your new daughter into the family.' His dad, who was definitely shocked, said something hoarsely in Greek. Leon nodded. “‘Most definitely mine! My child. My son! I have seen him living and moving with my own eyes!’"
Something in his statement caused a great shock for Jemma. A son. Leon knew the gender of their baby. Jemma’s mind thought back to when they had visited the doctor. Leon had spoken to him privately while Jemma dressed. The doctor had asked whether they wished to know its sex, and Jemma had said no because she wanted to enjoy the element of surprise. However Leon had just spoiled that element of surprise, and he did it in front of witnesses. He had used her as a weapon that was causing a chain reaction among the crowd, and he had permanently obliterated her trust in him. She had been betrayed.
But Leon reminded his father that he had an announcement to make. He encouraged him to make it, saying they would talk later. His father agreed, turned to the crowd, and made his announcement...and then the other shoe finally dropped for Jemma. Leon's father stated that several weeks before he had drawn up a legal document which stated that either son could replace him as CEO of the family business, but that it involved several rules that had to be met before he would relinquish it to their care, the most important of these being the provision of an heir. So their father made a proviso...The first of them to produce a grandson would succeed him as chairman of the Leonadis Corporation. Since that would have been his announcement, he had to point out that Leon had anticipated him. So, because of Leon’s announcement of his marriage and child on the way, he asked the crowd to raise a toast to Leon Jemma, and grandson...and that Leon would be his immediate successor. The announcement was followed by a very stunned silence...and Jemma fainting.
Jemma regained consciousness in time to hear Leon's stepmother disparaging her and questioning the parentage of the baby. Leon was angry and asked her if she was calling him a fool.
As she came fully to her senses and sat up, Leon was beside her in an instant to check on her and tell her he had called the doctor. Jemma couldn't resist a quick jab, "‘Safeguarding your interests, Leon?’" He wasn't happy with her reaction, "but he did not retaliate, studying her frowningly instead, calculating the extent of her physical distress, the emotional one already self-evident."
Another woman handed her a glass of water, assisting her since her hands were still too shaky to hold it still. The doctor ordered rest for a few days. Leon returned and she requested to leave the party. The fight that ensued once aboard the yacht was not pretty. Jemma accused him of using her and the baby, and he admitted to everything. She asked him to leave her alone, and he reluctantly agreed. The next morning, he told her he would be gone for most of the day and that she was to rest while he was gone, that they would talk when he got back...but she didn't do what he said. She planned to leave him.
This book had so many twists and turns I didn't know if I was coming or going at times. The angst and drama were way off the charts and quite out of proportion (but I loved how she reacted to her boss' glee when he told her what his former mistress had finally done). There really wasn't a great deal of romance between Jemma and Leon. It was more about the sex than the relationship. There was not enough humor to ease the tension, and even the passion was subdued. The feelings of fear, inadequacy, and distrust were the most prevalent of all the emotions that appeared in the book.
Of the two main characters, Jemma was definitely the more mature, but she was a bit of a doormat, letting Leon bully her throughout the entirety of their relationship. She even let her roommate push her around. Leon was a bit of a dullard. For him to have allowed his father to play mind games with him all his life was a bit juvenile, and then there was his extreme arrogance that was definitely OTT and out of control.
I have to be honest and say Leon’s confession would have held more sincerity and truth if he had made it BEFORE signing any papers his father set before him to take over the company. It would have proven Jemma was more important to him than any business or contract. However, since he waited until those papers were “signed, sealed, and delivered” before confessing, I tended to not believe him to have been honest with Jemma. It just didn’t ring as a truthful confession. He could even have asked his father to tell her the truth about the situation. I think I would have believed it even more. But instead, he waited until he got exactly what he wanted before attempting to secure his relationship with Jemma. He's saying that she had been uppermost in his thoughts when he saw how sick she was, that the deal had taken a back burner to her needs, but just did not come across as factual. As to whether or not he already knew the gender of the baby, I didn't believe he didn't find out from the doctor beforehand, even though he had been saying, "boy" from the moment he learned of the pregnancy. It was too easy for him to deny the prior knowledge. He wanted his mother's company badly enough he would have done anything to get it, even hurt Jemma in the process...which he definitely did. But, I also believe Jemma forgave him way too fast. For all the emotional trauma he caused her, she should have walked away...even if only for a short time. He didn't deserve her immediate forgiveness. The main point is...how could she ever trust Leon to tell the truth again? How could she ever believe anything he said from that point on?
While this was a good story, it wasn't worthy of a five-star rating. There were too many things that just didn't warrant it...especially the actions of Jemma's boss...and even some of the actions of Leon kept this from being worthy of higher than a three-star rating.
When they first met, Leon propositioned Jemma, then started to barrage her with gifts, each one accompanied by a note letting her know he expected her to have sex with him when they next saw each other. That wasn’t Jemma’s plan. She had grown up with parents who constantly cheated on each other, so she didn't want to be with anyone like them. However, when he returned to London and learned she had dated another man, he was furious and called her flat until she answered, at which time, he demanded she meet him or he would come to get her. He took her to his home, only to question her about the date she had just been on, then told her all he knew about her date, and also what he knew of her flatmate, and what he knew about her, too...all which angered her because it was so invasive. Jemma tried to leave multiple times, but their emotions were so high they agreed to have sex in order to work out their feelings with "no strings attached...No other lovers...No other commitment other than a pledge of loyalty while this thing lasts"..sex. Thus began their affair, though she refused to move in with him.
Two months into the relationship, Jemma started getting ill...at the same time that Leon asked her to move to New York to live with him. She told him she needed time to think about it. He wasn't happy but gave her a week. That week, she argued with her boss, quit her job...and learned she was pregnant. Thinking Leon would believe she was trying to trap him into marriage, she began to distance herself from him and didn't tell him about the baby. When she told him the affair was at an end, he informed her she would be disappointed if she thought he would marry her because he had no intention of ever getting married. She told him that she never considered marriage as an option...neither would she be any man’s mistress. She said that they had a relationship where she had a job, her own home, and a level of independence which allowed her to keep her pride and self-respect. She believed the word “mistress” was an ugly one, and that was what he would be if she agreed were to live with you him. He finally gave in and they said goodbye.
Five months into her pregnancy, Jemma was still sick and had even lost weight. Surprisingly, she received a letter from Leon through which he informed her he was in London and wanted to see her, giving her a day and a time when he would arrive. Her roommate said she should tell him about the baby and allow him to help her. Instead, she asked Trina to deliver a message to Leon, one that stated she was involved with another man...though that was a lie.
On the day he had wanted to meet, she decided to get out of the apartment, only to find Leon at her door. When he asked her if she was ever going to tell him about the baby, making her realize that HE knew she was pregnant...and then the baby kicked where his hands were touching her belly, and he melted.
Jemma asked him why he was there, at the same time telling him she would never abort the baby...he was horrified at the thought of such a thing. He told her they would be getting married, letting her know that it was only for the sake of the baby...not for any other reason. He ended the conversation with, " ‘We will not speak of this again...The deed is done, our futures set.’" Then he threw the news at her that they would be getting married in two days. He also told her they would take a cruise around the Greek Islands for a "honeymoon" so that she could have a few weeks to get the rest the doctor ordered her to have.
For several weeks they were on his yacht traveling the Greek Isles, allowing her time to regain her health, only going ashore when Leon said it was okay to do so. For a while, she was happy. But one day when she was relaxing, she got news from her friend telling her that she was now married and that their old flat was gone. Jemma suddenly realized she was completely dependent on Leon.
Ironically, they had not been intimate since Leon had forced her to move in and marry him...Ironic because theirs, "...was a ‘no sex’ marriage...when before it had been a ‘no marriage’ sexual relationship...Because Leon had not shown any inclination that he still wanted her physically."
Leon noticed the letter from her friend had upset Jemma and he asked her about it. She tried telling him how losing her friend and the flat was like losing her stability. She tried to explain that, when her parents were alive, she was never in one place for very long, never stable, and that, when they (her parents) died and she moved to London to work she saw an ad in the paper of someone seeking a roommate, leading her to the meeting up with Trina. Between her friend and the flat, Jemma got the first taste of real stability. Thus for four years, she felt as though she had belonged to someone and somewhere. But with her friend marrying and letting the flat go all that was gone again. But Leon asked if she doubted that he could give her that for a much longer period of time. She said she didn’t know the answer to that because they had married because of the baby and not because it was what either of them necessarily wanted to...therefore, not the best way to build a stable relationship. And yet, that was not the point she was trying to make. She had tried to explain why the flat and her friend had been so important and why she suddenly felt their loss. But still not understanding, he told her that they hadn’t been taken from her, but that they had just been replaced. But Jemma had to ask herself...what had replaced them.
When Leon took her ashore the next day to do some shopping, things were different between them. He showed her more attention, holding her hand for most of the day...and then after returning to the yacht, they shared the same bed for the first time since they had married. But things changed yet again the following morning...just as Jemma was starting to think that maybe Leon might feel more than a mere affection for her, that he could even be falling in love, a helicopter arrived. Whoever it was, Leon was not happy...and unable to look Jemma in the eye.
When Jemma asked who it was, he said he didn't know...yet. But then he ordered her to stay in the cabin and not to venture out until he "got rid of—whoever it is.’" After the visitor left, he said they had been invited to a birthday party. When she asked whose, he told her..."‘My father’s...’"
She was shocked...and then asked if her father knew about her and the baby. He said, "‘No...he doesn’t know about you—or the child...So you will both come as a—pleasant surprise to him tonight, won’t you?’" And she thought to herself, "Will we?" She said she didn't want to go. But he got cold towards her and stated, "‘You are my wife now, Jemma...And as my wife, you will accompany me to my father’s house tonight and be presented to him as such.’" She asked him about the other woman his father had chosen for him, and he confessed, "‘All right...So, it is not going to be a—pleasant evening. But whatever happens there tonight, agape mou, none of it is going to change a single thing for us.’" Jemma asked, "‘You’re sure about that?...What if your father throws you out on your ear for marrying yourself to the likes of me?’" to which, "Leon actually laughed at that, albeit harshly. ‘I can positively assure you, my darling, that on meeting you, throwing me out will be the last thing on my father’s mind!’" The other shoe was about to drop. Though she was nervous about meeting his father, Leon asked her to trust him not to let anything bad happen to her. Before leaving, Leon asked her to wear his late mother's (gaudy) necklace, something that would piss off his father, yet would be expected for his wife to wear. As they were disembarking, Leon started to say something...but stopped.
Upon arriving at his father's home, Jemma realized they were very late, but Leon's unsettling remark was, "‘It looks as though we have timed it just right.’" When they were finally noticed though, all heads turned in their direction. Silence descended and Jemma felt heavy with dread. Ignoring Jemma, Leon’s stepmother demanded him to allow his father to make his planned announcement but Leon stopped her and said that he needed to do so first...and proceeded to introduce Jemma to his father as his wife...which brought about another stunned silence to the crowd...and then Leon, either by accident or design, caused her shawl to fall to the ground, causing all eyes to be swiftly drawn to her very pregnant belly, creating multiple reactions.
Whispering, Leon ordered his father to ‘take her hand...welcome your new daughter into the family.' His dad, who was definitely shocked, said something hoarsely in Greek. Leon nodded. “‘Most definitely mine! My child. My son! I have seen him living and moving with my own eyes!’"
Something in his statement caused a great shock for Jemma. A son. Leon knew the gender of their baby. Jemma’s mind thought back to when they had visited the doctor. Leon had spoken to him privately while Jemma dressed. The doctor had asked whether they wished to know its sex, and Jemma had said no because she wanted to enjoy the element of surprise. However Leon had just spoiled that element of surprise, and he did it in front of witnesses. He had used her as a weapon that was causing a chain reaction among the crowd, and he had permanently obliterated her trust in him. She had been betrayed.
But Leon reminded his father that he had an announcement to make. He encouraged him to make it, saying they would talk later. His father agreed, turned to the crowd, and made his announcement...and then the other shoe finally dropped for Jemma. Leon's father stated that several weeks before he had drawn up a legal document which stated that either son could replace him as CEO of the family business, but that it involved several rules that had to be met before he would relinquish it to their care, the most important of these being the provision of an heir. So their father made a proviso...The first of them to produce a grandson would succeed him as chairman of the Leonadis Corporation. Since that would have been his announcement, he had to point out that Leon had anticipated him. So, because of Leon’s announcement of his marriage and child on the way, he asked the crowd to raise a toast to Leon Jemma, and grandson...and that Leon would be his immediate successor. The announcement was followed by a very stunned silence...and Jemma fainting.
Jemma regained consciousness in time to hear Leon's stepmother disparaging her and questioning the parentage of the baby. Leon was angry and asked her if she was calling him a fool.
As she came fully to her senses and sat up, Leon was beside her in an instant to check on her and tell her he had called the doctor. Jemma couldn't resist a quick jab, "‘Safeguarding your interests, Leon?’" He wasn't happy with her reaction, "but he did not retaliate, studying her frowningly instead, calculating the extent of her physical distress, the emotional one already self-evident."
Another woman handed her a glass of water, assisting her since her hands were still too shaky to hold it still. The doctor ordered rest for a few days. Leon returned and she requested to leave the party. The fight that ensued once aboard the yacht was not pretty. Jemma accused him of using her and the baby, and he admitted to everything. She asked him to leave her alone, and he reluctantly agreed. The next morning, he told her he would be gone for most of the day and that she was to rest while he was gone, that they would talk when he got back...but she didn't do what he said. She planned to leave him.
This book had so many twists and turns I didn't know if I was coming or going at times. The angst and drama were way off the charts and quite out of proportion (but I loved how she reacted to her boss' glee when he told her what his former mistress had finally done). There really wasn't a great deal of romance between Jemma and Leon. It was more about the sex than the relationship. There was not enough humor to ease the tension, and even the passion was subdued. The feelings of fear, inadequacy, and distrust were the most prevalent of all the emotions that appeared in the book.
Of the two main characters, Jemma was definitely the more mature, but she was a bit of a doormat, letting Leon bully her throughout the entirety of their relationship. She even let her roommate push her around. Leon was a bit of a dullard. For him to have allowed his father to play mind games with him all his life was a bit juvenile, and then there was his extreme arrogance that was definitely OTT and out of control.
I have to be honest and say Leon’s confession would have held more sincerity and truth if he had made it BEFORE signing any papers his father set before him to take over the company. It would have proven Jemma was more important to him than any business or contract. However, since he waited until those papers were “signed, sealed, and delivered” before confessing, I tended to not believe him to have been honest with Jemma. It just didn’t ring as a truthful confession. He could even have asked his father to tell her the truth about the situation. I think I would have believed it even more. But instead, he waited until he got exactly what he wanted before attempting to secure his relationship with Jemma. He's saying that she had been uppermost in his thoughts when he saw how sick she was, that the deal had taken a back burner to her needs, but just did not come across as factual. As to whether or not he already knew the gender of the baby, I didn't believe he didn't find out from the doctor beforehand, even though he had been saying, "boy" from the moment he learned of the pregnancy. It was too easy for him to deny the prior knowledge. He wanted his mother's company badly enough he would have done anything to get it, even hurt Jemma in the process...which he definitely did. But, I also believe Jemma forgave him way too fast. For all the emotional trauma he caused her, she should have walked away...even if only for a short time. He didn't deserve her immediate forgiveness. The main point is...how could she ever trust Leon to tell the truth again? How could she ever believe anything he said from that point on?
While this was a good story, it wasn't worthy of a five-star rating. There were too many things that just didn't warrant it...especially the actions of Jemma's boss...and even some of the actions of Leon kept this from being worthy of higher than a three-star rating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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