Padres inesperados

by Tessa Radley, Julia María Vidal Verdia (Translator)

La traición de una hermana

Cuando su excéntrica hermana se echó repentinamente atrás en el acuerdo que tenían para que diera a luz a su bebé, Elsa McLeod se vio con una recién nacida que no estaba en posición de cuidar. Tendría que entregarla en adopción. Entonces se presentó Yevgeny Volkovoy, el multimillonario y metomentodo cuñado de su hermana.
Yevgeny no permitiría que una Volkovoy fuera criada por unos desconocidos. ¿Cómo podía ser Elsa tan fría y negarle la custodia? Y lo que era peor todavía, ¿por qué le llegaba aquella mujer al corazón?

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin Desire, Contemporary

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

USA Today Bestselling author Tessa Radley considers herself a reader at heart and discovered books at an early age. Growing up in a world surrounded by Nancy Drew, Ken and Flicka, Cherry Ames, Anne of Green Gables, Bilbo Baggins and the ponies of the Pullein-Thompson sisters, she eventually moved on to reading everything she could lay her hands on.

Tessa loves writing books with a little edge and a lot of emotion—the kind she loves to read. Her favourite kind of characters are those caught in seemingly insurmountable circumstances and Tessa wrestles all day long with how to get them in and out of those impossible situations.

Sign up and get updates about Tessa's next book here.
Read excerpts of (most of!) Tessa's books here.

Reviews

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

To think there are women out here in the real world that act like the heroine. It ticked me off to be honest. She was a hypocrite as well. She offered her clients counseling but never took a session herself? The heroine was one fucked up lady!

[Lynne · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author must not have done a bit of research about having a baby! You're not supposed to have sex for six weeks after having a baby. She had sex after 12 days. Really? And it was a glorious experience that she repeated several times that night? It just went along with all the other yuck that was this book.

[AvidReader · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐️
Heroine agrees to become surrogate for her sister and husband but just before her delivery they changes their mind. Heroine is very career minded and doesn’t know one thing about babies.
Inorder to keep her distance from the baby she tries everything from not looking at the baby,not naming initially,hiring nanny etc thus she is portrayed as an icicle as hero fondly calls her.
I know some women aren’t maternal and here heroine was a surrogate so caring for the baby would’ve been disaster for her and she is almost a victim but I couldn’t swallow that. Later it was explained why she behaved like that in the beginning but for me the explanation came a little late.I felt bad for the baby just like hero. In contrast He was very caring and loving towards the baby. I also didn’t like how she contributed on that one scene with hero and his then girlfriend. It was refreshing that OW was a nice supermodel who knew how to care for a baby and who broke up with hero in quite dignity.
The secondary characters were stupid. Especially hero’s brother and heroine’s sister. I wanted to whack them several times. I also didn’t know it was ok to be intimate just after 2 weeks of delivery. Like really?! I have so much things to say regarding that matter but wisely keeping my mouth close.
Overall it was an entertaining book.
Recommended.

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible. There are no other words for this book other than horrible.

[Sometime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this one up from the library and sadly, it was a dud.

The MCs spend the majority of the book arguing over what to do with "the baby". The h offered to be an egg donor and surrogate to her flaky little sister who changed her mind just before the due date. She doesn't want a baby, just can't have a baby because of secret dramatic reasons that we don't learn about until the near end. The H is a bossy, domineering bully who only shows up to the h's hospital room or house to harangue her more about letting him adopt the baby while she wants it to go to a 2 parent home. Just what every new mother needs, her own bedside insult squad. The reason he's so insistent, is that *gasp* he's actually the donor, not, as the h was led to believe, his sterile younger brother

These two fight and bicker and willfully misunderstand each other for the majority of the book. They don't even begin to get romantic feelings until around 65%. Ugh, enough already.

Then there were the icky squicky parts.

*The H is a gorgeous Russian playboy who dates supermodels. He has a current gf who is actually a very nice, decent person. But we have to hear about how he is in their hotel room sitting on the bed where he will soon have her screaming in ecstasy. Nothing happens on page, but thanks for the mental picture. Then when he tries to trick her into marrying him so he can get the baby, she dumps his hiney.

*After the H and h decide they can't resist each other, they go to his fabulous apartment and have sex in his bed. The whole time my brain was screaming "He's had so much random sex on that bed it should have it's own condom!" thus taking my brain out of the sexy romantic scene. Which brings me to:

* The h only gave birth a few weeks ago so naturally, she's up for an all night sex-a-thon. Seriously?!? 2 weeks post partum, there's nothing sexy happening down there.

Anyway, this book didn't do it for me. It was safe as far as no cheating or evil OW.

[Anna Lukyanova · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do I even start with this book?

I felt terrible for the main character. Not only did she sacrifice her body, time, and health so that her sister could have a baby, but when the sister backs out, literally at the last minute, everyone acts like Ella a horrible person for not wanting to raise a baby she never intended to raise. I don't know what made me more angry: that the flaky, immature, selfish sister basically got away without so much as a slap on the wrist (take her ass to court!), or the misogynistic crap that no one even suggested that the biological father (the sister's husband) take care of the baby (or have any responsibility at all), or the emotional manipulation and high-handed nonsense the love interest pulled.

Don't even get me started on the love interest (I hesitate to call him a "hero"). Ella has made the decision not to raise the baby, given the circumstances, I'd say that's reasonable and she's well within her rights to do so. In order to minimize the emotional pain she's going to go through (and to make it easier on the baby by not forming attachments to someone she's only going to be with for a handful of days) Ella tries to keep her distance, but frickin Yevgeny belittles her choices, manipulates her, and pushes the baby on her at every turn. He is psychologically and emotionally manipulative and abusive. Fuck him. I wanted to scream every time he referred to Ella as an "icicle" or "the Ice Queen" in his head. Fuck you, buddy, you don't get a say and you don't get to judge. Why don't you track down your irresponsible brother and his selfish wife and give them grief instead of emotionally terrorizing a woman who has quite suddenly found herself a single-mother?

Beyond all of this, I felt like the author could have done a lot more research on the effects of pregnancy on the body. Sex after 12 days?! Her lady parts are probably still bleeding, not to mention sore and ripped open from giving birth.

This book had a great premise but it did not deliver. 1.5 stars, because I actually managed to finish it.

[Lilah Chavez · Rating 1 out of 5]

ok not much romance till the last 50-75 pages and even then very lukewarm. the synopsis sounded great but was a definite letdown.

[Christine (KizzieReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute. Some parts, like trying to convince someone to change their mind because you feel like you are right and they are wrong was a bit annoying. Probably because he felt like he was right no matter what Ella thought it felt. But it's true that babies can melt anyone's heart.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. I liked both Ella and Yevgeny, though Ella was a little hard to warm up to at first. She had agreed to be the surrogate for her sister who couldn't have kids. But when her sister changed her mind, Ella was left holding the baby. She'd had no intention of ever having children and felt completely unable to care for a baby. So she decided to give the baby up for adoption. When Yevgeny showed up he stated his intention of raising the baby, she was surprised - and not happy about it. She considered him a bad bet for a parent because of his workaholic ways and lack of a wife. She didn't expect to see him fall in love with the baby and be willing to make major changes in his life because of it. As they spent time together taking care of the baby, she began to see that there was more to him than she thought. She still seemed to be intent on giving the baby up, though that thought was getting harder to accept. She had tried to stay emotionally distant, but the baby managed to find her way into Ella's heart - as did Yevgeny. He had come running as soon as he heard about the plans for the baby. He had no desire to let his niece be raised by strangers. He also couldn't understand how Ella could be so coldly distant around the baby. All he wanted was to be able to take his niece home with him and Ella kept throwing up roadblocks. When he was able to spend time with her and the baby he saw a different side of her start to come out. I loved the way that the two of them had of dealing with each other. The ending was terrific with a surprise twist.

[Dancer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ella McLeod agrees to carry her sister Keira's baby, but before the child can arrive, Keira and her husband Dimitri decide they no longer want the child. They plan to go to Africa instead. Dimitri's brother Yevgeny Volkovoy arrives at the hospital when Ella goes into labor. She plans to place the child up for adoption, but Yevgeny is determined to have the child with him. He says he will adopt the child, but when Ella says she has already chosen a couple for the child, Yevgeny decides the only way to say "his family" is to marry Ella. (Spoiler Alert: The baby is Yevgeny's because his sperm was used for the child.)

It was hard to make a connection to either character. This book is part of Harlequin's Billionaires and Babies series. I read lots of these books, but this one misses the mark. Neither Yevgeny or Ella are sympathetic characters, and it takes a long time for the reader to "get lost" in the story.

[Melissa Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book though to me is was so predictable. Ella was to be her sister's surrogate but less than a week before the birth her sisters says she has changed her mind so now Ella has to deal with the child. Ella never wanted the child because of a painful past so she plans to find the little girl a proper home. In comes her brother in law, Yevgeny, to take the child, but Ella wants holly to go to a home with to parents who will love and cherish her. Yevgeny is a single type A personality like her and she feels he will not be able to fully care for the child. Over the course of the book both Ella and Yevgeny see that the other is not who they once thought they were and begin to fall in love. Secrets are revealed and characters from the past try to change their happiness.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen reviews and seen that they say they didn't like Ella. Being an adopted child, I understand that world a bit more than most. I think she was beside herself with worry and hurt and pain. I think this turned out to be a great story. The odds are way up there for it being "his" but I'll take it! These are romantic fiction stories after all!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an AWESOME book. Love the storyline. I have to say though at the beginning I really didn't like the heroine.

[Anja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Few things have made me as angry as the opening chapters of this book.
The only good thing I can say about this book is that the “other woman” Nadiya at the beginning was actually fantastic I loved her moment that she had to put Yevgeny in his place. Now onto my lengthy list of reasons that this book was disgusting.

1. This author’s political beliefs are just atrocious- gender roles, beauty standards, communism, Christianity, anti abortion

2. The MMC is a sexist pig who is actually the worst. “What about the father’s rights?” “What if the woman lies” GIRL RESOLVE THAT TRAUMA AND STOP BEING A MISOGYNISTIC DICK!! He needs to go to therapy for his mommy issues and stop taking it out on women by calling them icicles

3. He told her she had lovely eyes but the glasses do nothing to show them off WTF?? She can’t see without them??? You asshole

4. Why is the conclusion actually that her career isn’t important and being a mom is most important thing. This book is so regressive and conservative

5. There were times he realized he has been too critical and unfair to her but never enough. He needed to grovel and then jump off a bridge

6. THE PLOT TWISTTTTTTT OH MY GOD ITS HIS BABY
I’d never forgive him for his lies and his cruelty towards her. He is just unable to consider how she might be feeling in the position she’s in. At that realization I’d absolutely do everything in my power to prevent him from adopting the baby, he’s clearly a psychotic narcissist

7. OF FUCKING COURSE THE USELESS SIBLINGS COME BACK and then they got back to a friendly relationship WAYYY too quickly. Kiera and her husband idek his name were actually some of the real villains. To go through surrogacy with your sister and then last minute decide they don’t want the baby and leave all the responsibility and fallout to her?? That’s actually evil, I’d never speak to them again and in fact I might actually ruin their lives. How much I hated them was the only thing fueling any good feelings for Yevgeny, bc at least he ended up loving Ella and always loved Holly and was willing to take responsibility

8. I don’t even want to address the fact that all this is happening in the two weeks after Ella gives birth. Sex??? And everything is fine?? She is perfectly healthy and great?? What the fuck it’s so prolife women’s roles-y that it’s tipped into completely disgustingly cartoonishly unrealistic

“Did no one see how painful these decisions were for her?” I swear this could be the tagline of the entire story!!!! Ella really gets no credit from anyone, not even treated like a human being with feelings and thoughts and goals. She deserved better.

[Shatarupa Dhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, this is what I call an emotionally explosive book.
I loved Yevgeny (cool name, Russian hero) and Ella’s dinner banter, it was teasing, and playful, and for which I waited a long time, since starting the book. There are grey undertones to Ella’s not accepting the baby, which have been beautifully brought out by the author. Then, the picnic the three of them had, it was so cute. What was revealed at last about the baby’s parentage, I suspected something to that effect from the beginning. It was surprising to read how the characters of Yevgeny and Ella gradually developed, matured, to the level that they were agreeing to their not so stellar performances of being overprotective of their brother and sister, respectively. Keira is such a heel, she never realises how she hurts her sister by her actions. The disclosures that come in the end, finally lets the readers know what makes Ella tick. What a heartfelt story! The way Yevgeny and Ella come together warms my heart. But an epilogue would have been nice, a glimpse into their future.

[Francesco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Non che mi aspettassi chissà quale capolavoro letterario (è pur sempre un Harmony), ma sicuramente non un tale ammasso di incongruenze e di "plot holes" come questo.
Sembra tutto buttato lì a caso: il Natale, la gravidanza di Elle, il cambio di idee della sorella, il magnate russo che è sempre oberato di lavoro ma misteriosamente per Elle e la piccola è sempre libero, lo studio di Elle, l'assistente sociale...
Mah

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

La storia è carina, ma la trama poteva essere gestita meglio.
Gli elementi per un buon romance c'erano tutti però l'autrice non ha saputo dosarli e li ha buttati lì nella mischia, dopo averli shakerati. Risultato: diversi buchi temporali e cambiamenti caratteriali un po' troppo repentini.
3 stelle tirate per i capelli, perché alla fine la lettura è scivolata via in totale relax, nonostante tutto.

[Helen Moulden · Rating 3 out of 5]

A record in the YUCK stakes. Having sex less than 2 weeks after the baby is born. Can't get my head around that really. I have had three babies and that bit of the story was unacceptable. Such an unbelievable story. "He" is gorgeous. She is awful. The brother and sister.....don't really know what to say about these two spoilt brats. 3 stars are for Yevgeny. (And Holly).

[Sheron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the graphic novel version.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always love a happy ending...

[Oky Septya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sebenernya ceritanya lumayan manis. Mulai dari gimana awal kedua karakter ini saling ga suka. Ga suka pake banget. Sampe akhirnya fall in love. Bahkan saya salut sama penokohannya, terutama penokohan adek2 mereka berdua yg super egois dan nyusahin kakaknya, bahkan sampe akhir pun masih nyusahin. Ckck.. beneran ada lho manusia kayak mereka di dunia ini. Keterlaluan. Bahkan pesan moralnya pun bagus. Jangan terlalu manjain anak sampe anaknya ga punya rasa tanggung jawab dan cuma ngandelin org lain. Jadinya kebiasaan dan malah ngerepotin di masa depan.

Anyway, ceritanya lumayan ketebak sih. Tapi overall, it's sweet :D
Lumayan buat bacaan sekali duduk :D

[Sydney M Neblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding the perfect mother

This is one of those books that moved me. On the surface the main characters are hard hearted, and their siblings are not much better. But once they start to connect you can see the armor for what it is, and by the end I was crying tears of joy at their HEA. The decisions they thought they needed to make and the ones they actually made created a story I couldn’t have put down if I wanted to. There was no better way to get in the holiday spirit than watching a family be born.

[Wendy Kalthoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was very hard to get into. The characters were very predictable and self- centered at first.I warmed up to them near the end of the book. I found it interesting what had happened to the main character in the past especially the heroine. I could not stand the main characters sister and brother though. The fact that she had lost a baby explained why she did not want to bond with holly and wanted an open adoption. The social worker Jo was intersting.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Billionaires and Babies

[Angy · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome story n really unusual name YEVGENY....

[Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Even with the Ice queen Lol

[Ker ᥫ᭡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho. Y ¡AL FIN! Encontré a una heroína que use lentes hasta para ir a las galas. Esta autora nos entiende a las que usamos este invento del demonio realmente necesario para algunas.

[Mimo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does not not know anything about a love life " or lack thereof" after giving birth.
But the story itself is not bad.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. What a twist of events. Loved the happily ever after.

[Verónica · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fue muy corto. Odie a los hermanos de los protagonistas que personas mas egoistas