Secret Bump

Marrying the Boss

by Chloe Maine

I had a workday hook-up with my older, serious, and very off-limits boss three months ago… and now I’m hiding a secret bump!

Mack Emerson is a single-minded business titan who has no time for relationships, especially with a much younger innocent woman. I tried to hide my immediate attraction to the hefty dark-haired giant of a man, but I’ve never been able to lie, and it doesn’t take long for the inconvenient chemistry between us to combust.

We have an unforgettable turn past third base on his desk, but it’s a one-time only mistake…that has a shocking and unexpected consequence. And now I’m doing my best to hide my secret pregnancy under flowing dresses and behind file folders.

I’m so worried that he’ll fire me when he finds out that I don’t consider an even worse that Mr. Emerson might demand I be his wife. Can I marry a man who sees me as a responsibility, and not the love of his life?

Secret Bump is a spicy instalove age gap romance with a grumpy, obsessive hero and his willful virgin bride.

Genres: Novella, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Smut, Audiobook, M F Romance

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2024

About the author

Chloe Maine has written other books before, but none of them as purely id-driven as Before He Was Her Headmaster. She delights in the fantasy of bending big men to the craven desires of supposedly innocent women. When she’s not writing, she’s probably reading. She lives in Canada with her own big man, raising the babies they made together.

Reviews

[🐝 Shaz 🐝 · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you want to read a story, forget it. If you want to read about sex, then this is for you.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was s🧁w🍭e🍯e🍰t🍫
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[Sally Jask-eh · Rating 4 out of 5]

pretty smutty and a little weird

edited to add: there was a very normal endearing part towards the end when Isabelle gives birth and Mack is super loving and supportive. she breastfeeds her son and the time they spend with their newborn is so wonderfully written. I almost forgot how she remained a technical virgin after being impregnated by a distance shot. Then how she sulked around the office in baggy dresses to conceal her 3 mo bump. Then finally the rotten panties she had to walk around in before finally finding a moment to wash them in the bathroom sink at her boyfriend’s place. brain bleach 🤢🫴🤖

[E-Reader Addict · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. This author has written some really sweet stories that were also off-the-charts steamy and I really liked them, but these last couple haven’t worked for me. This one - which is only 118 pages long - took me three nights to read. I just didn’t feel the chemistry in this one, at all.

Edit: I just finished the audiobook. While I enjoyed the dual narration, the story was even cringier to listen to. 😩
I may have to be done with this author’s books. Too much of a good thing can no longer be a good thing, and that’s where I’m at.

[Sabrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't even really know what to say about this one. It wasn't all bad but the characters just seemed odd to me. The insta-whatever it was went way too fast and there was a good part of their story where they weren't even together but they were pining for each other the whole time apparently. Maybe if we saw them at least communicate while they were apart it would have been different but as it was I was just bored with their story.

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It felt like finally seeing the sun rise in the sky."

Chloe Maine, Evie Rose, and Cassie Mint simultaneously deciding to drop 3 novellas together healed something in me.

I'll never not love anything written by CM and this was no exception- it was so good. The ending and epilogue were genuinely soso sweet. The amount of quotes that made me swoon was crazy.

Onto the next one 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️.

[Dar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza, that had some serious heat! Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot emotions being kicked around, and some grade A grovelling too. Is there anything better than an instalove, oops baby, sorry I messed up now please marry me, romance? No, there really isn’t, and this checks all the boxes and more 😊

[CrazyGal609 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely amused and addicted 😂😂 + 🔥🔥💋
I like her innocent feistiness too, he should be be proving his apologies to her, which he really, really did!! Bonus points for the bookstore 📖📚📖
🩵💛🤍What an incredible love story🤍💛🩵
DO the sign-up Bonus if you want more 🔥🔥🔥 Oh man, do I love his dirty talk🥵❤️💋

[riley ☠︎︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars✨
Girl, what the fuck. Was she stupid on purpose? AM I STUPID? To be fair, I read this in the middle of the night while I was half asleep but like. This was too OTT for me I guess :/ too fast and then I’m just lost on why the FMC is the way she is.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a former job hunter, this is something that even my self-grandeur and delusional self couldn't imagine would ever happen. Oh my god. I should tag this book in a fantasy genre. This is as possible as having werewolves and vampires fighting over you in real life.

Anyway, it was fun though.

[Maria11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short little read. Lots of sexiness, but both characters were a tad immature. Even the “mature” older male character gave me an eye roll.

Quick, easy, and down and dirty

[Fiatgal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun and steamy novella.

[Page Passion · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and sexy fun read. Very over the top situations and dialogue but I’m just happy I finished something after those election results. My concentration has been shot.

[Leah Eugenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mack is gruff, rumbly and stoic on the outside.

The world around him fears his anger. NO ONE wants to piss him off.

Then Isabelle shows up for an interview as his researcher... Mack homes in on her as if her very existence is his inner beacon. His whole way of looking at life changes in that instant.

But he fears it... Fears reaching out and scaring her away. Fears having his touch make her recoil. Fears that he is way to old for her... Knows... That she is too young for him.

The one time he loses control and has her on his desk, he leaves her behind thinking it is best for HER. Months later, he gives in to his desperate need to see her...

Neither of them know how to handle his return. Not Isabelle and her bitterness over him disappearing, leaving her to deal with the aftermath alone. And not Mack, who has no real idea of how she feels about him. But he does try to reach out, having no idea how... Good story.

[Mandy Reads Indie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quickie review: I had been looking forward to Secret Bump ever since I first saw it mentioned by the author. I love her age gap romances and I must say, this one did not disappoint. I inhaled the story quickly and loved every single second I spent immersed in it. The romance was incredibly hot and perfectly written. Not to mention, Isabelle makes Mr. Emerson work for her affection, which he is all too happy to do. All in all, a fantastic, quick read! 5 stars!

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabelle & Mack

This was SO GOOD! Age gap, insta-lust, groveling, pregnancy…lots of my favorite tropes!
And I adored these characters. Granted, Mack was a bit dense just up and leaving, but he came to his senses! Lovely HEA, as well.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

well written romance

Mack and Isabella are great together. But she’s his employee and after a one day stand he leaves for 3 months. When he returns Isabella isn’t so sure she wants anything to do with him even though she’s pregnant with his child. Well written sweet and steamy read and I loved it.

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Isabelle Bright turns up for a job interview at Emerson Industries, it is Mack Emerson who interviews her personally and immediately employs her. She should be off limits! She’s young enough to be his daughter except he’s never had time for the distraction of having a family. It’s instalove for him, his head is swimming full of innocent girl fantasies and that’s exactly what Isabelle is, innocent. Well she’s innocent until he rails her in the office! There’s a secret pregnancy which surprises them both and which is an absolute delight to Mack because he then demands that Isabelle becomes his wife!

Chloe Maine once again nails the instalove genre as well as the dynamics of an older, possessive man and a much younger, innocent woman.

[Jess (scijessreads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can “buying her a bookstore” be the new form of groveling for everything?

[Kait · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent but not really my fav work from this author.

[Van · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked her, a lot,
Not 5 stars because I’d have liked a better and longer grovel but I love them as a couple
Very safe
A little too fiction 🙄, the pregnancy is very curious
As always the sex scenes are the best with this author
Romantic
HEA
Age gap,

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow burn

[✨ Just Another Bookwyrm ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ✨

[WhippedStitchReads (J.A.Y) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating 3⭐
Spice 🚼.5

no plot all 🌽, but the narrators were good so the rating gets to be higher

[T Rojo · Rating 2 out of 5]

So dumb

[jeslyn valentine · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you like:
-insta love/obsession
-age gaps
-br33d!ng kinks
-taboo/forbidden
-accidental pregnancy

this book is for you!

[Chelsey Readsbooks_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will LOVE this book if you are a fan of any of these tropes:

🖤 age gap
🖤 taboo
🖤 accidental pregnancy (MCs were not trying to get pregnant, got caught up in the throes of passion)
🖤 surprise pregnancy (MMC is not aware of this pregnancy as early as FMC)
🖤 size difference
🖤 workplace romance
🖤 instalove

I would NEVER have said I was a fan of accidental or surprise pregnancy but Chloe NAILED it here. Not even like “oh it didn’t bother me”, Like… I liked it.

Chloe said she was marketing this book with the term “consequences” and if you liked that maybe you’d like the book. Well, ok lemme add “consequences” to my trope list I guess 🫠

Thanks for the chance to read this book early, Chloe! 5 stars as usual, for our age gap queen.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

[Readie read · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dual virgin, maybe.
(He mentions that he has never done this before, but in another scene h asks him why he is not carrying a condom, which was weird. I felt that was the moment he could have clarified that he had never been with anyone. Anyway I am considering it a dual virgin)

No ow/om drama. No cheating.

Older H/young h couple.

Separation of 3 months.
(also the reason for giving 4 stars. I didn't understand H's behaviour about leaving and then coming back and pretending the way he did. He left for 3 months just after they were intimate.)

I loved the h. She was the best part of this book. I wish the story could have been better. There were so many parts where I felt it was incomplete or the matter was left unresolved.

This is a safe book. I would recommend this book.

[Jesi Blanco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y'all, this book was M. E. S. S. Y. Mack is your typical grump of a CEO. He has built his empire and is proudly standing above it. He has everything he could ever want until the young Isabelle walks into his life. Temptation becomes too much for the both of them until fear takes over. Mack leaves for 3 months only to come back before. Things have changed. Isabelle has changed. Though her virtue is well intact, what they did months prior brought fruits. Isabelle is pregnant... from just the t. i. p. Now, both must navigate to figure out what they want.

⭑⭑⭑ 𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐒 ⭑⭑⭑
- accidental/surprise/secret baby, age gap, alpha male, boss x employee, forbidden romance, grumpy x sunshine, insta-lust, mutual pining, workplace romance, one night stand-ish, opposites attract
- consent, innocent/inexperienced fmc, "just the tip"

[Puna · Rating 3 out of 5]

They named their kid Tower. At least it wasn’t spelled weird just to ‘be different’. *eye roll*