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The Anetakis Tycoons #1
The Mistress
A LOVE TO REMEMBER
Mistress. It sounded so sordid, so impersonal, so far removed from the kind of relationship Marley Jameson had with Greek hotel magnate Chrysander Anetakis. What she thought she had. Until he abruptly broke things off between them and told her to leave his luxurious apartment.
Three months later, Marley awakens in the hospital, with no memory of what happened before she got there. She can't remember her past, Chrysander…or the baby she carries. All she knows is that when Chrysander sweeps her away to his private Greek island, being with him feels like home. Even though he never speaks of love, surely his protectiveness and his desire for her prove how much she means to him.
Until she remembers the truth….
Mistress. It sounded so sordid, so impersonal, so far removed from the kind of relationship Marley Jameson had with Greek hotel magnate Chrysander Anetakis. What she thought she had. Until he abruptly broke things off between them and told her to leave his luxurious apartment.
Three months later, Marley awakens in the hospital, with no memory of what happened before she got there. She can't remember her past, Chrysander…or the baby she carries. All she knows is that when Chrysander sweeps her away to his private Greek island, being with him feels like home. Even though he never speaks of love, surely his protectiveness and his desire for her prove how much she means to him.
Until she remembers the truth….
166 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2008
838 people are currently reading
3224 people want to read
About the author
Maya Banks
242 books21.5k followersMaya Banks is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today and international bestselling author of over 50 novels. A wife and mother of three, she lives in Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 470 reviews
April 10, 2010
If pregnancy + amnesia = Pregnesia (according to the Harlequin/Silhouette title generator), then what is pregnancy + amnesia + kidnapping? Pregnesiapping? Pregnappinesia? The heroine in this one finds out she's pregnant, has sex, encounters nasty Other Woman, gets falsely accused of stealing, gets thrown out by rich Greek lover, and gets kidnapped, all in chapter 1. And I thought I was having a bad hair day.
I admit to not being a fan of Maya Banks' writing. I don't care for her erotica and I was plenty amazed to discover last year that she is now writing Sihouettes. I picked one up out of sheer curiosity, wondering how her writing would hold up without menage sex scenes to hide behind. Maybe because my expectations were low, I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. The writing is effective and emotional (within the contraints of a melodramatic Silhouette plot of course). Marley is a good heroine without TSTL moments, and she gropes convincingly for clues to what her life and her relationship with the hero were like before she lost her memory. The hero is plenty conflicted, veering between solicitous care (and burning desire) for Marley on one hand, and coldness and anger at her betrayal on the other. At times he's almost schizophrenic and this does nothing to help Marley figure out their relationship or help her settle in. Apart from the intial accusation and throwing out though, he's not a harsh hero by Harlequin/Silhouette standards. To his credit also, he's almost totally forgiven Marley for her supposed betrayal before her memory returns and the truth comes out. Between the angst, there are some nice scenes of them being happy on their Greek island. I like when a romance actually shows the couple interacting in a happy or playful manner. When the heroine recovers her memory, it's back to angst though and these scenes are some of the most effective in the story.
As for what I didn't like, the whole kidnapping plot seemed thrown in as a device to give the heroine amnesia and give the hero a reason to spirit her off to his island to protect her. Even worse, it was left totally unresolved. We never learn who kidnapped Marley or why. It's inexcusable to leave such a plot element dangling. And can I say that it's just laughable to demand a piddling 1/2 million dollars from a megarich multimillionaire who owns his own island? I mean I know there's a recession and all but really!
I admit to not being a fan of Maya Banks' writing. I don't care for her erotica and I was plenty amazed to discover last year that she is now writing Sihouettes. I picked one up out of sheer curiosity, wondering how her writing would hold up without menage sex scenes to hide behind. Maybe because my expectations were low, I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. The writing is effective and emotional (within the contraints of a melodramatic Silhouette plot of course). Marley is a good heroine without TSTL moments, and she gropes convincingly for clues to what her life and her relationship with the hero were like before she lost her memory. The hero is plenty conflicted, veering between solicitous care (and burning desire) for Marley on one hand, and coldness and anger at her betrayal on the other. At times he's almost schizophrenic and this does nothing to help Marley figure out their relationship or help her settle in. Apart from the intial accusation and throwing out though, he's not a harsh hero by Harlequin/Silhouette standards. To his credit also, he's almost totally forgiven Marley for her supposed betrayal before her memory returns and the truth comes out. Between the angst, there are some nice scenes of them being happy on their Greek island. I like when a romance actually shows the couple interacting in a happy or playful manner. When the heroine recovers her memory, it's back to angst though and these scenes are some of the most effective in the story.
As for what I didn't like, the whole kidnapping plot seemed thrown in as a device to give the heroine amnesia and give the hero a reason to spirit her off to his island to protect her. Even worse, it was left totally unresolved. We never learn who kidnapped Marley or why. It's inexcusable to leave such a plot element dangling. And can I say that it's just laughable to demand a piddling 1/2 million dollars from a megarich multimillionaire who owns his own island? I mean I know there's a recession and all but really!
March 21, 2017
-hero tells his live in girlfriend that she's someone he pays to have sex because , wait for it "he was scared she wants more out of the relationship" yet claims he loves her SOOOOOOOOOO much! I call it bullshit!
-since he's such a macho man that he got scared by hints of commitment he conveniently jumps at the first excuse of throwing heroine out, and does it without any solid proof, or listening to her!
-his idiocy almost gets the heroine killed!
-his brother implied that she's his whore
-he uses her sexually AGAIN when she's vulnerable, which kinda sorta is abuse!
So where is the grovelling and redemption for this?
-he gets pale and feels sick
-he has to fire a secretary who has sold business secret to rival! (Oh! How traumatising!)
-he had to say "I love you" (how damaging to his reputation)
-he had to admit he was an asshole and beg her to marry him without knowing she loves him (don't feel too sorry for him, he gets a full on wedding night and undying declaration of love the next morning).
So do tell me, where was the grovelling and redemption? Even if we forgive him for believing the worst of the heroine, where is the redemption for calling her a whore simply because HE was unable to deal with adult life and was a failure? The above were NOT enough. He called her whore to cover the fact that he is a miserable louse and failure and was scared shit, when she had no contribution to it. Did he even apologise profusely? Nope.
Sorry, nope, not redeemed, you can go die you crazy manwhore. We'll find a better hero for the heroine! Even another heroine for the heroine sounds better. I volunteer myself!
-since he's such a macho man that he got scared by hints of commitment he conveniently jumps at the first excuse of throwing heroine out, and does it without any solid proof, or listening to her!
-his idiocy almost gets the heroine killed!
-his brother implied that she's his whore
-he uses her sexually AGAIN when she's vulnerable, which kinda sorta is abuse!
So where is the grovelling and redemption for this?
-he gets pale and feels sick
-he has to fire a secretary who has sold business secret to rival! (Oh! How traumatising!)
-he had to say "I love you" (how damaging to his reputation)
-he had to admit he was an asshole and beg her to marry him without knowing she loves him (don't feel too sorry for him, he gets a full on wedding night and undying declaration of love the next morning).
So do tell me, where was the grovelling and redemption? Even if we forgive him for believing the worst of the heroine, where is the redemption for calling her a whore simply because HE was unable to deal with adult life and was a failure? The above were NOT enough. He called her whore to cover the fact that he is a miserable louse and failure and was scared shit, when she had no contribution to it. Did he even apologise profusely? Nope.
Sorry, nope, not redeemed, you can go die you crazy manwhore. We'll find a better hero for the heroine! Even another heroine for the heroine sounds better. I volunteer myself!
July 2, 2016
3.5 Stars
As far as fulfilling my need for a macho, arrogant asshole prone to jumping to conclusions about his "mistress" (never a girlfriend, always a mistress doncha know!) as only a harlequin can deliver, The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress more than fit the bill.
Still, I have a couple of questions regarding this book and Harlys in general. Stay with me, people.
Why are these women always falling asleep at the first sign of emotional distress?
I mean seriously! This chick fell asleep at the drop of a hat. Or at the very least, everytime she found herself being carried. You know, 'cause of the aforementioned distress. I kept wondering if narcolepsy might be an issue.
I'll move on, but I seriously think this woman needed to see someone about that.
Second question: what the hell is a Tycoon?
If those of you that read more HPs than I do could help me out, I'd be much obliged.
As far as fulfilling my need for a macho, arrogant asshole prone to jumping to conclusions about his "mistress" (never a girlfriend, always a mistress doncha know!) as only a harlequin can deliver, The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress more than fit the bill.
Still, I have a couple of questions regarding this book and Harlys in general. Stay with me, people.
Why are these women always falling asleep at the first sign of emotional distress?
I mean seriously! This chick fell asleep at the drop of a hat. Or at the very least, everytime she found herself being carried. You know, 'cause of the aforementioned distress. I kept wondering if narcolepsy might be an issue.
I'll move on, but I seriously think this woman needed to see someone about that.
Second question: what the hell is a Tycoon?
If those of you that read more HPs than I do could help me out, I'd be much obliged.
July 8, 2017
Good heavens almighty, why do I like this book so much?
How do I love thee? Let's me count the ways..
Greek alpha hero
I'm a mistress but didn't know it
Amnesia
Pregnant
Suspicion/revenge
Disapproving relatives
Conniving AND evil OW
Magic penis... see Greek alpha hero above..
Groveling
Marley is pregnant, and asks the somewhat natural question of her uber handsome, alpha Greek lover, Chrysander. "What about us?" He goes into tycoon lockdown with the knee-jerk comment that she is just a mistress. A few minutes later he kicks her out of the high-rise and, yep, she becomes the Kidnapped Pregnant Greek Tycoon's Mistress.
Turns out he found the fake hotel plans he and his brothers had created in order to find out who the corporate spy was sticking out of her purse. Yep, there they were in his mistress' purse for all the world to see. So glad he didn't stop and think about how easily they were found, check her bank balance to see if she had a big deposit, or anything like that. Much better to drop the boom. Marley leaves in shock.
Three months later, and Chrysander sees on the news that his ex-mistress was rescued from a den of kidnappers. She has amnesia plus a little something extra. She's about five months pregnant.
The rest of the story shows us Chrysander struggling with his lust for the mother of his child, and the poor h trying to figure out why the H blows so hot and then so cold. Hey, he may think she's a money-grubbing, corporate spy, but he has the hots for her.
The climax occurs when she overhears him discussing the situation with his brothers and the uber-skinny PA she can't stand. Marley's memory returns full bore, and now it's the suspicious ass-hat hero and his condescending brothers on the defensive block.
For some reason, this book tickles my fancy. When Maya Banks is on, she is ON! The scene where Marley remembers everything really gets to me. To the heart.
The H is a jackass for the beginning and the middle, but when he realizes what a Grade A idiot he was he does grovel, gets pale and interesting. High marks from me.
Re-read
Holes so big an 18 wheeler could plow through, but so much fun.
OTT idiocy from the Greek tycoon who lobs the h smack into the anachronistic mistress role after her fateful question, his idiocy in never checking to see if she really is guilty, the stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb evil woman who is, big tip-off, skinny, the doctors and/or police who never question why the Greek tycoon didn't report his pregnant fiancee missing for three months, the absent kidnappers that treated her with kid gloves, and so forth and so on and on...
How do I love thee? Let's me count the ways..
Greek alpha hero
I'm a mistress but didn't know it
Amnesia
Pregnant
Suspicion/revenge
Disapproving relatives
Conniving AND evil OW
Magic penis... see Greek alpha hero above..
Groveling
Marley is pregnant, and asks the somewhat natural question of her uber handsome, alpha Greek lover, Chrysander. "What about us?" He goes into tycoon lockdown with the knee-jerk comment that she is just a mistress. A few minutes later he kicks her out of the high-rise and, yep, she becomes the Kidnapped Pregnant Greek Tycoon's Mistress.
Turns out he found the fake hotel plans he and his brothers had created in order to find out who the corporate spy was sticking out of her purse. Yep, there they were in his mistress' purse for all the world to see. So glad he didn't stop and think about how easily they were found, check her bank balance to see if she had a big deposit, or anything like that. Much better to drop the boom. Marley leaves in shock.
Three months later, and Chrysander sees on the news that his ex-mistress was rescued from a den of kidnappers. She has amnesia plus a little something extra. She's about five months pregnant.
The rest of the story shows us Chrysander struggling with his lust for the mother of his child, and the poor h trying to figure out why the H blows so hot and then so cold. Hey, he may think she's a money-grubbing, corporate spy, but he has the hots for her.
The climax occurs when she overhears him discussing the situation with his brothers and the uber-skinny PA she can't stand. Marley's memory returns full bore, and now it's the suspicious ass-hat hero and his condescending brothers on the defensive block.
For some reason, this book tickles my fancy. When Maya Banks is on, she is ON! The scene where Marley remembers everything really gets to me. To the heart.
The H is a jackass for the beginning and the middle, but when he realizes what a Grade A idiot he was he does grovel, gets pale and interesting. High marks from me.
Re-read
Holes so big an 18 wheeler could plow through, but so much fun.
OTT idiocy from the Greek tycoon who lobs the h smack into the anachronistic mistress role after her fateful question, his idiocy in never checking to see if she really is guilty, the stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb evil woman who is, big tip-off, skinny, the doctors and/or police who never question why the Greek tycoon didn't report his pregnant fiancee missing for three months, the absent kidnappers that treated her with kid gloves, and so forth and so on and on...
January 13, 2025
11/23/23
Another reread of another one of my favorite books! I love the angst, the evil OW and the revelation of what happened. It still makes me cry. Such a great book.
11/6/22
Just read again. No good books out there and I definitely love this one so much.
11/2/18
I just read this for the 6th time at least and i still have a serious love hate relationship with it. Why? Because it is awesome!!! I hate the hero, his freaking psycho assistant, his brothers, his face! I mean everything! I hated Chrysander!! Why? Because I couldn't believe his love and then bam I did! I almost hate myself for it too. He never never never ever looks for her for three months and he only finds her because he sees it on the news!! What a loser! And what was he doing those three months??? Never said!!! But when she asks him in the opening scene where they are headed in the relationship, he says and thinks you are just my mistress. Nothing more! But then in the book he says he always loved her. Liar!!!! I hated him. Then she is kidnapped. The criminals are never found. The biatch assistant is so evil and never tells him but that is so dumb!!! I wanted to see her downfall so bad but no and her confession was such a Stupid scene. She says oh yeah I did that and confesses but in real life there is no way someone would be that stupid. Plus The Hero was an idiot not to know what she was doing. It was so obvious! So why five stars?? The heroine was the bomb!! And the scene where she gets her memories back was epic!! I have cried every time I read it. It is so touching. And the hero and his brothers are so mad at themselves and I just loved how sorry and pathetic they were. Great story. One of my all time favorites. And believe me I will read It again. And cry!! Again!
Another reread of another one of my favorite books! I love the angst, the evil OW and the revelation of what happened. It still makes me cry. Such a great book.
11/6/22
Just read again. No good books out there and I definitely love this one so much.
11/2/18
I just read this for the 6th time at least and i still have a serious love hate relationship with it. Why? Because it is awesome!!! I hate the hero, his freaking psycho assistant, his brothers, his face! I mean everything! I hated Chrysander!! Why? Because I couldn't believe his love and then bam I did! I almost hate myself for it too. He never never never ever looks for her for three months and he only finds her because he sees it on the news!! What a loser! And what was he doing those three months??? Never said!!! But when she asks him in the opening scene where they are headed in the relationship, he says and thinks you are just my mistress. Nothing more! But then in the book he says he always loved her. Liar!!!! I hated him. Then she is kidnapped. The criminals are never found. The biatch assistant is so evil and never tells him but that is so dumb!!! I wanted to see her downfall so bad but no and her confession was such a Stupid scene. She says oh yeah I did that and confesses but in real life there is no way someone would be that stupid. Plus The Hero was an idiot not to know what she was doing. It was so obvious! So why five stars?? The heroine was the bomb!! And the scene where she gets her memories back was epic!! I have cried every time I read it. It is so touching. And the hero and his brothers are so mad at themselves and I just loved how sorry and pathetic they were. Great story. One of my all time favorites. And believe me I will read It again. And cry!! Again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2021
Re-read April 2020. Still enjoyable - I should probably increase my rating to four stars for all the times I've read it - but I still wish the author had milked the angst more.
Re-read. Such a good story idea, and I enjoyed it more since I've read so many boring stories lately.
Still 3 stars, though.
Read this again because I was duped by the new title and packaging. I remembered it right away (always a good sign) and I stand by my rating.
I still think knowing hero's point of view weakened the angst. And I still dislike the brothers. But I still enjoyed this.
Disclaimer: I’m not a Maya Banks fan. I find her world-building flimsy and her dialogue a little wooden. Still, she has a flair for plot dramatics and pacing. I think this is the best story in the “Tycoon” series, and yet it only merits a weak 3 stars from me because I never could sink into the story.
One of the problems, I think, is that we have both the H/h points of view. If the author had stuck with just the heroine’s point of view, we could have experienced her trauma, confusion and sense of betrayal. The h had experienced a kidnapping – that’s high drama stuff – but it’s given only a glancing reference. Seeing the H through her eyes would probably be more complimentary – since knowing his inner thoughts did not endear him to me.
That the hero felt betrayed is no biggie, because he kicked her out and got on with his life. He had no emotional stakes in this story – even when the heroine was back in his life with amnesia. He got lots of sex and then when the truth came out – he got more sex and easy forgiveness.
I really hated the H’s brother as well. (The tycoons of the next two books) They are sexist pigs who judge first and ask questions later. When one of the brothers tracks down the heroine after her memory returns and she relives the H’s betrayal all over again – he says he cares because she’s carrying “my nephew.” Who talks like that? Why is he staking possession of the h’s child in her womb when he thinks she is a corporate spy? That phrase “my nephew” reduces the h to incubator status for a male’s possession. Gross.
The kicked-out pregnant mistress who is then kidnapped and has amnesia is an awesome idea for a story - I just wish MB had fleshed out this story more.
Re-read. Such a good story idea, and I enjoyed it more since I've read so many boring stories lately.
Still 3 stars, though.
Read this again because I was duped by the new title and packaging. I remembered it right away (always a good sign) and I stand by my rating.
I still think knowing hero's point of view weakened the angst. And I still dislike the brothers. But I still enjoyed this.
Disclaimer: I’m not a Maya Banks fan. I find her world-building flimsy and her dialogue a little wooden. Still, she has a flair for plot dramatics and pacing. I think this is the best story in the “Tycoon” series, and yet it only merits a weak 3 stars from me because I never could sink into the story.
One of the problems, I think, is that we have both the H/h points of view. If the author had stuck with just the heroine’s point of view, we could have experienced her trauma, confusion and sense of betrayal. The h had experienced a kidnapping – that’s high drama stuff – but it’s given only a glancing reference. Seeing the H through her eyes would probably be more complimentary – since knowing his inner thoughts did not endear him to me.
That the hero felt betrayed is no biggie, because he kicked her out and got on with his life. He had no emotional stakes in this story – even when the heroine was back in his life with amnesia. He got lots of sex and then when the truth came out – he got more sex and easy forgiveness.
I really hated the H’s brother as well. (The tycoons of the next two books) They are sexist pigs who judge first and ask questions later. When one of the brothers tracks down the heroine after her memory returns and she relives the H’s betrayal all over again – he says he cares because she’s carrying “my nephew.” Who talks like that? Why is he staking possession of the h’s child in her womb when he thinks she is a corporate spy? That phrase “my nephew” reduces the h to incubator status for a male’s possession. Gross.
The kicked-out pregnant mistress who is then kidnapped and has amnesia is an awesome idea for a story - I just wish MB had fleshed out this story more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 31, 2022
***4.50 Stars***
This book grew on me. At first I only rated it three-stars, but something niggled at me to read it again a year and a half later. It may have been my mood the first time through because the second time I grasped onto each page, devouring every written word, and thought it was very good, bordering on great. In fact, I'm placing this on my 'Yearly Reread List' with other books I liked so much that once was not enough.
Marley Jameson was Chrysander Anetakis's mistress until the night he found planted company secrets sticking out of her purse. He immediately jumps to the conclusion that she's selling his top secret plans to his rival.
Marley loves Anetakis and has just found out she's pregnant and is ready to tell him until he walks into their bedroom furious and gives her a matter of minutes to leave. The woman has no job and no place to live and he throws her out into the street like garbage. This is NOT a man of honor, but seems stereotypical of the extremely wealthy, gorgeous world of the Greeks as portrayed in many books. As soon as she leaves his apartment she's kidnapped and held for three months. The jerk of a man never once checks on her after throwing her away. One evening he's watching the news and sees a report about a woman who was kidnapped three months prior and is five months pregnant. To his shock he sees that it's Marley. She now has amnesia and he goes to the hospital and tells them she's his fiance and whisks her off to his island until the baby is born.
I must say that when things finally came to a head the man, Chrysander, sure stepped up to the plate. I usually fuss and am annoyed because many authors simply let the hero off too easily when not near enough groveling has taken place. In other words, the hero is usually under-redeemed in most instances but not this one. Even though his actions caused such brokenness and devastation, the author did a great job in bringing this hero full circle so that in the end, I was in love him, too.
I definitely recommend this book as well as the series.
This book grew on me. At first I only rated it three-stars, but something niggled at me to read it again a year and a half later. It may have been my mood the first time through because the second time I grasped onto each page, devouring every written word, and thought it was very good, bordering on great. In fact, I'm placing this on my 'Yearly Reread List' with other books I liked so much that once was not enough.
Marley Jameson was Chrysander Anetakis's mistress until the night he found planted company secrets sticking out of her purse. He immediately jumps to the conclusion that she's selling his top secret plans to his rival.
Marley loves Anetakis and has just found out she's pregnant and is ready to tell him until he walks into their bedroom furious and gives her a matter of minutes to leave. The woman has no job and no place to live and he throws her out into the street like garbage. This is NOT a man of honor, but seems stereotypical of the extremely wealthy, gorgeous world of the Greeks as portrayed in many books. As soon as she leaves his apartment she's kidnapped and held for three months. The jerk of a man never once checks on her after throwing her away. One evening he's watching the news and sees a report about a woman who was kidnapped three months prior and is five months pregnant. To his shock he sees that it's Marley. She now has amnesia and he goes to the hospital and tells them she's his fiance and whisks her off to his island until the baby is born.
I must say that when things finally came to a head the man, Chrysander, sure stepped up to the plate. I usually fuss and am annoyed because many authors simply let the hero off too easily when not near enough groveling has taken place. In other words, the hero is usually under-redeemed in most instances but not this one. Even though his actions caused such brokenness and devastation, the author did a great job in bringing this hero full circle so that in the end, I was in love him, too.
I definitely recommend this book as well as the series.
August 17, 2014
In this book's acknowledgments, Banks writes about how much she loves category romance. Perhaps that's why she decided to write The Category. It has everything you'd expect: the overbearing Greek hero constantly spouting Greek endearments, the pregnant, vulnerable, doormat heroine, the evil other woman, the big betrayal (twice!) and amnesia! (Really seems like it should have been a Harlequin Presents rather than a Silhouette Desire, but I guess there's some overlap.)
I like all the elements, why didn't I like the book more? The enormous plotholes and implausibilities are pretty much par for the course with these sorts of categories, but they bugged me quite a lot. The concerned father-to-be hero got very irritating, practically not letting the heroine go to the bathroom by herself. And the heroine's efforts to stand up for herself just come off as feeble and childish.
There's an interesting plot twist and some major drama, so it did hold my interest, but sadly, it wasn't the keeper it had the potential to be.
ETA: I'm going to up my rating of this to 3 1/2 stars, because I did keep it, and enjoy picking it up to reread some sections now and then.
I like all the elements, why didn't I like the book more? The enormous plotholes and implausibilities are pretty much par for the course with these sorts of categories, but they bugged me quite a lot. The concerned father-to-be hero got very irritating, practically not letting the heroine go to the bathroom by herself. And the heroine's efforts to stand up for herself just come off as feeble and childish.
There's an interesting plot twist and some major drama, so it did hold my interest, but sadly, it wasn't the keeper it had the potential to be.
ETA: I'm going to up my rating of this to 3 1/2 stars, because I did keep it, and enjoy picking it up to reread some sections now and then.
July 29, 2025
A story with hurt/comfort and overheard tropes? Sign me in. I wasn't disappointed. I liked it very much and finished it in one day. The flow of the story was that smooth. What I didn't like? I'm Greek and the Author should have made her research more extensive. Paedaki mou isn't a sweet endearment (it translates as my little child and not my little one) but something we use mostly to scold someone, definitely not to our other half during sweet moments. Unless they don't take the trash out or haven't loaded the dishwasher as we asked them several times. So it was quite cringe reading all over it and though I tried to dismiss it, it was constantly there!
December 13, 2018
This one goes to 11.
A rip-roaring angst-fest with so much drama and unnecessary suffering that I should be embarrassed for enjoying it.
But I don't regret it. I regret NOTHING.
A rip-roaring angst-fest with so much drama and unnecessary suffering that I should be embarrassed for enjoying it.
But I don't regret it. I regret NOTHING.
July 30, 2017
***TWO STARS***
I've decided that I'm not really a fan of the amnesia theme, and it just didn't really work for me in this story. And I'm still left wondering who kidnapped her, and why? That should have been a huge part of the story, but after Marley was released, it was just kind of forgotten about. Chrysander was this huge tycoon. One would think it would take some serious brains to become so rich and powerful, but he couldn't really savvy that his assistant was a conniving, manipulator and maybe she could have had something to do with the plans being stolen (especially since she was in the apartment at the same time as Marley, so maybe some investigation should have been done before throwing poor Marley out on her ass without a second thought. Or at the very least, maybe hire an investigator to figure out where Marley was stashing all that money she supposedly collected from the competitors. And what is with the abrupt change of heart, from Chrysander hating Marley's guts to babying the fuck out of her and not allowing her to even wipe her nose by herself just because he found out she's now pregnant? I dunno, this one was just a little too unbelievable to me.
I've decided that I'm not really a fan of the amnesia theme, and it just didn't really work for me in this story. And I'm still left wondering who kidnapped her, and why? That should have been a huge part of the story, but after Marley was released, it was just kind of forgotten about. Chrysander was this huge tycoon. One would think it would take some serious brains to become so rich and powerful, but he couldn't really savvy that his assistant was a conniving, manipulator and maybe she could have had something to do with the plans being stolen (especially since she was in the apartment at the same time as Marley, so maybe some investigation should have been done before throwing poor Marley out on her ass without a second thought. Or at the very least, maybe hire an investigator to figure out where Marley was stashing all that money she supposedly collected from the competitors. And what is with the abrupt change of heart, from Chrysander hating Marley's guts to babying the fuck out of her and not allowing her to even wipe her nose by herself just because he found out she's now pregnant? I dunno, this one was just a little too unbelievable to me.
December 23, 2015
“THE MISTRESS” by Maya Banks
(Opening Theme Music to “The Hills” Starts Playing)
STARRING:
Spencer Pratt As Chrysander
Lauren Conrad As Marley
AND
Heidi Montag As Chrysander’s Evil Assistant
(Theme Music Stops Playing)
PREVIOUSLY, ON “THE MISTRESS”:
Chrysander told Marley that she’s not the “Marrying” kind, she’s more the “It’s 2 a.m., I drank a bottle of Tequila, and didn’t eat dinner, booty calling” kind.
THEN
Chrysander’s Evil Assistant planted papers in Marley’s bag making it look like she betrayed Chrysander.
THEN
Crysander found the papers and threw Marley out.
THEN, 3 MONTHS LATER
Chrysander sees Marley on the news.
AND
SHE'S GOT AMNESIA!
AND
SHE'S PREGNANT!
(Chevelle’s “Wonder What’s Next” Starts Playing)
SO MANY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED:
What will Chrysander do? Will he help Marley? Will Marley even let him? What about the Evil Assistant? What will she do?
You’ll have to read “The Mistress” to find out.
FINAL RATING: "The Mistress" - 3.5 Mo Drama Den Da Hills Stars
(Opening Theme Music to “The Hills” Starts Playing)
STARRING:
Spencer Pratt As Chrysander
Lauren Conrad As Marley
AND
Heidi Montag As Chrysander’s Evil Assistant
(Theme Music Stops Playing)
PREVIOUSLY, ON “THE MISTRESS”:
Chrysander told Marley that she’s not the “Marrying” kind, she’s more the “It’s 2 a.m., I drank a bottle of Tequila, and didn’t eat dinner, booty calling” kind.
THEN
Chrysander’s Evil Assistant planted papers in Marley’s bag making it look like she betrayed Chrysander.
THEN
Crysander found the papers and threw Marley out.
THEN, 3 MONTHS LATER
Chrysander sees Marley on the news.
AND
SHE'S GOT AMNESIA!
AND
SHE'S PREGNANT!
(Chevelle’s “Wonder What’s Next” Starts Playing)
SO MANY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED:
What will Chrysander do? Will he help Marley? Will Marley even let him? What about the Evil Assistant? What will she do?
You’ll have to read “The Mistress” to find out.
FINAL RATING: "The Mistress" - 3.5 Mo Drama Den Da Hills Stars
May 21, 2016
Read this long ago, loved the series as a whole. This one is about Chrysander and Marley. She was just his mistress to him but she was pregnant and in love with him. When he thinks she has done the worse, he abandons her. Only for her to wind up kidnapped. When he finally realizes the truth, it may just be too late because Marley seems to be broken beyond repair.
March 1, 2016
I loved the angst but poor heroine she suffered too much! my heart broke for her. it was obvious the thief was his evil bitchy secretary. how could he blame poor Marley? glad we got an epilogue with the birth of their baby boy!
Read
May 1, 2025This is why Harlequin Romance doesn't work for me. Nothing makes my blood pressure skyrocket faster than the angst in these stories. 😭🤣 I need to be in the mood for something like this. But even if I were, I'd still be frustrated and annoyed, that I definitely know. But maybe there would be a bit of enjoyment if I were really looking for some angst. Unfortunately, I wasn't atm but I was drawn in by the blurb, so…
Anyway, there's angst because of the dumbass and oblivious MMC. There's also a wannabe OW, though I assume this is quite a norm for these books. And the last recipe is the besotted FMC, who looks at the MMC as if he hung the stars and the moon for her.
I read this without checking out any reviews. So finding out she got her memories back at the 79% mark had me gritting my teeth throughout the book. I expected she would regain them maybe around the halfway mark or a bit past it, but nope, it had to be before the last 20%. Whyyyyy?
While I know groveling isn't extensive in some stories, I still want a semblance of that, especially when the guy colossally messed up. Did I get that? Maybe a bit, like this 🤏. He felt remorse for what he did and apologized for treating her like sh*t. He also showered her with affection for several days after finding out she's innocent. Oh, let's not forget he finally told her ILY, awesome right? So I guess that should magically fix everything. 🤷♀️
Did she hold her ground? She tried, but we all know how this will go. Although it didn't come as a surprise, it still had me fuming when she finally relented to his not-so-great efforts of "winning" her back. I needed him to do more! If I were a cartoon character, I could easily picture myself with smoke coming out of my ears and nostrils. Because, guuuurl!!!! One ILY and she's done—as in another puddle of goo at his feet all over again. 😩
Ugh, I should really kill my curiosity about these books because they're clearly not for me. If I'm being honest, these stories have the potential to drive me to an early grave. 😂 Gaaawd, my heart wouldn't be able to handle the stress! So much stress. 😂
I still have a lot of books to read and I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. Sooo, I won't ever do this again. 🤣
Anyway, there's angst because of the dumbass and oblivious MMC. There's also a wannabe OW, though I assume this is quite a norm for these books. And the last recipe is the besotted FMC, who looks at the MMC as if he hung the stars and the moon for her.
I read this without checking out any reviews. So finding out she got her memories back at the 79% mark had me gritting my teeth throughout the book. I expected she would regain them maybe around the halfway mark or a bit past it, but nope, it had to be before the last 20%. Whyyyyy?
While I know groveling isn't extensive in some stories, I still want a semblance of that, especially when the guy colossally messed up. Did I get that? Maybe a bit, like this 🤏. He felt remorse for what he did and apologized for treating her like sh*t. He also showered her with affection for several days after finding out she's innocent. Oh, let's not forget he finally told her ILY, awesome right? So I guess that should magically fix everything. 🤷♀️
Did she hold her ground? She tried, but we all know how this will go. Although it didn't come as a surprise, it still had me fuming when she finally relented to his not-so-great efforts of "winning" her back. I needed him to do more! If I were a cartoon character, I could easily picture myself with smoke coming out of my ears and nostrils. Because, guuuurl!!!! One ILY and she's done—as in another puddle of goo at his feet all over again. 😩
Ugh, I should really kill my curiosity about these books because they're clearly not for me. If I'm being honest, these stories have the potential to drive me to an early grave. 😂 Gaaawd, my heart wouldn't be able to handle the stress! So much stress. 😂
I still have a lot of books to read and I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. Sooo, I won't ever do this again. 🤣
April 15, 2010
This review includes all three of the "tycoon" books by Maya Banks....
What exactly is a "tycoon" and why is it so damned popular in certain romance novels? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a tycoon is "a businessman of exceptional wealth and power: magnate." So, basically a tycoon is a really rich, powerful guy. Okay, I sort of get why that would be sexy. And, the tycoons in Maya Banks trio of books--The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress, The Tycoon's Rebel Bride, and The Tycoon's Secret Affair-- are all hot Greek guys. I'm getting the whole tall, dark and handsome thing, with the added benefit of them speaking Greek, which is sexy.
Here's the deal with these books, and the shocking (and embarrassing) conclusion I reached:
Tycoons are big a-holes. There's arrogant, and then there's I'm-going-to-strangle-you-if-you-tell-me-one-more-time-to-be-careful-walking-on-the-stairs. (Seriously, I think 50% of the dialogue of The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress is Chrysander telling Marley to be careful walking on the stairs!). These guys are ridiculous!
The characters in these books are pretty unlikable and not very well developed. The women are whiny, manipulative, submissive, wishy-washy....Jiminy Cricket! I especially didn't like Jewel, the heroine of The Tycoon's Secret Affair. She jumps into bed with a total stranger, then gets pissed off when she's fired because she unwittingly slept with her new boss. She screams "You can tell Mr. Anetakis that he is the lowest form of pond scum...He's a gutless piece of chicken shit, and I hope he chokes on his damn cowardice." Nice manners, babe.
The TSTL moments are unbelievable. You're a pregnant woman with amnesia, and you allow a total stranger to take you to a secluded island and then jump into the sack with him at the first opportunity? You've been warned about potential kidnappings, but insist on escaping your security team so you can sub in for your friend at her stripper club, even though you've never danced before? (Hee hee....I love that one!). You find yourself pregnant after a one night stand and call the "chicken shit" up to insist he cares for you during your high risk pregnancy, even though you have a best friend who could do the job, who you are conveniently ignoring. Uh.....okay.
The purple prose is incredible. Here is an actual line from one of the books.... "She raced up a mountain slope and hurtled into a free fall of ecstasy." Also, "turgid manhood" was mentioned in the last book. ;)
Have you ever read a book and gotten the distinct impression that the author was intending to do something with a specific plot point, and then later changed her mind and just decided to wrap it up with a couple of dorky sentences? There is a kidnapping in book one, and the criminals are never apprehended. The threat of potential kidnappings for the heroines in books 2 and 3 is brought up repeatedly, and they both have a team of big, beefy security guys yapping at their heels. I was waiting for the kidnappers to strike again, get caught in a dramatic way, find out that they were actually 2nd cousins of the Greek family, something. Anything. It was like dangling a piece of unresolved plot in front of the reader's face. However, after waiting patiently throughout the third book for a bad guy to jump out of the bushes or something, Banks casually mentions that the kidnappers were caught in NYC. We never find out who they were or why. What the hell is that all about? Okay, end of rant.
Now for the embarrassing conclusion. In spite of the unlikable characters, bad purple prose, bizarre TSTL moments, and plot lines left dangling with no where to go, I still found myself addicted to these books. And, if Maya Banks suddenly decided to find a long-lost Greek brother in the family who wants his own tycoon book, I would probably read the damned thing. Why?
Well, I guess it all comes down to one simple thing....entertainment. These books entertained the hell out of me. I laughed my ass off at the purple prose. I gasped at the stupidity of the heroines. I shook my head at the "black moments" and their obvious conclusions. Maya Banks knows how to get a reader addicted to her storyline, and that is a very good thing.
Honestly, it was worth inhaling the whole trio just to say I've read a book with the title The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress.
Happy reading,
Penelope
What exactly is a "tycoon" and why is it so damned popular in certain romance novels? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a tycoon is "a businessman of exceptional wealth and power: magnate." So, basically a tycoon is a really rich, powerful guy. Okay, I sort of get why that would be sexy. And, the tycoons in Maya Banks trio of books--The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress, The Tycoon's Rebel Bride, and The Tycoon's Secret Affair-- are all hot Greek guys. I'm getting the whole tall, dark and handsome thing, with the added benefit of them speaking Greek, which is sexy.
Here's the deal with these books, and the shocking (and embarrassing) conclusion I reached:
Tycoons are big a-holes. There's arrogant, and then there's I'm-going-to-strangle-you-if-you-tell-me-one-more-time-to-be-careful-walking-on-the-stairs. (Seriously, I think 50% of the dialogue of The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress is Chrysander telling Marley to be careful walking on the stairs!). These guys are ridiculous!
The characters in these books are pretty unlikable and not very well developed. The women are whiny, manipulative, submissive, wishy-washy....Jiminy Cricket! I especially didn't like Jewel, the heroine of The Tycoon's Secret Affair. She jumps into bed with a total stranger, then gets pissed off when she's fired because she unwittingly slept with her new boss. She screams "You can tell Mr. Anetakis that he is the lowest form of pond scum...He's a gutless piece of chicken shit, and I hope he chokes on his damn cowardice." Nice manners, babe.
The TSTL moments are unbelievable. You're a pregnant woman with amnesia, and you allow a total stranger to take you to a secluded island and then jump into the sack with him at the first opportunity? You've been warned about potential kidnappings, but insist on escaping your security team so you can sub in for your friend at her stripper club, even though you've never danced before? (Hee hee....I love that one!). You find yourself pregnant after a one night stand and call the "chicken shit" up to insist he cares for you during your high risk pregnancy, even though you have a best friend who could do the job, who you are conveniently ignoring. Uh.....okay.
The purple prose is incredible. Here is an actual line from one of the books.... "She raced up a mountain slope and hurtled into a free fall of ecstasy." Also, "turgid manhood" was mentioned in the last book. ;)
Have you ever read a book and gotten the distinct impression that the author was intending to do something with a specific plot point, and then later changed her mind and just decided to wrap it up with a couple of dorky sentences? There is a kidnapping in book one, and the criminals are never apprehended. The threat of potential kidnappings for the heroines in books 2 and 3 is brought up repeatedly, and they both have a team of big, beefy security guys yapping at their heels. I was waiting for the kidnappers to strike again, get caught in a dramatic way, find out that they were actually 2nd cousins of the Greek family, something. Anything. It was like dangling a piece of unresolved plot in front of the reader's face. However, after waiting patiently throughout the third book for a bad guy to jump out of the bushes or something, Banks casually mentions that the kidnappers were caught in NYC. We never find out who they were or why. What the hell is that all about? Okay, end of rant.
Now for the embarrassing conclusion. In spite of the unlikable characters, bad purple prose, bizarre TSTL moments, and plot lines left dangling with no where to go, I still found myself addicted to these books. And, if Maya Banks suddenly decided to find a long-lost Greek brother in the family who wants his own tycoon book, I would probably read the damned thing. Why?
Well, I guess it all comes down to one simple thing....entertainment. These books entertained the hell out of me. I laughed my ass off at the purple prose. I gasped at the stupidity of the heroines. I shook my head at the "black moments" and their obvious conclusions. Maya Banks knows how to get a reader addicted to her storyline, and that is a very good thing.
Honestly, it was worth inhaling the whole trio just to say I've read a book with the title The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress.
Happy reading,
Penelope
January 24, 2009
What can I say except that when I find an author I enjoy, any time I see the name the next thing I know the book is in my cart! Yes, Maya Banks is writing a trilogy for Silhouette Desire. The good news is, the heat is still there. The bad news is, it's still 'formula' romance. The rest of the good news is, I still enjoyed it and it was a steamy, quick read!
Marley was heartbroken when Chrysander called her his mistress and then accused her of selling his company secrets! She quickly grabs her coat and runs...right into the arms of a kidnapper!
Three months later Chrysander is still dealing with the fallout of Marley's betrayal when he hears her name on the TV. He can't believe it! She'd been abducted and held for three months...and she's five months pregnant. Chrysander didn't get to be a gazillionaire by not being able to count...that baby is HIS.
Yes it's a formulaic romance, but it still managed to bring a tear to my eye. And yes I knew who the 'bad guy' was almost from the first, and felt like smashing Chrysander's Greek head against the wall...but I still found myself turning the pages as fast as I could read to see Marley vindicate herself and watch to see if Chrysander would crawl!! As a side note, having lived in Greece for almost five years means I don't necessarily find Greek heroes immediately sexy...and Chrysander was no different. Now if he'd been Australian?
Anyway, fans of Banks will enjoy this book for what it is. And I can't lie...I'll pick up the upcoming books about the brothers as soon as they hit the shelves!!
Marley was heartbroken when Chrysander called her his mistress and then accused her of selling his company secrets! She quickly grabs her coat and runs...right into the arms of a kidnapper!
Three months later Chrysander is still dealing with the fallout of Marley's betrayal when he hears her name on the TV. He can't believe it! She'd been abducted and held for three months...and she's five months pregnant. Chrysander didn't get to be a gazillionaire by not being able to count...that baby is HIS.
Yes it's a formulaic romance, but it still managed to bring a tear to my eye. And yes I knew who the 'bad guy' was almost from the first, and felt like smashing Chrysander's Greek head against the wall...but I still found myself turning the pages as fast as I could read to see Marley vindicate herself and watch to see if Chrysander would crawl!! As a side note, having lived in Greece for almost five years means I don't necessarily find Greek heroes immediately sexy...and Chrysander was no different. Now if he'd been Australian?
Anyway, fans of Banks will enjoy this book for what it is. And I can't lie...I'll pick up the upcoming books about the brothers as soon as they hit the shelves!!
December 14, 2025
The drama~~~
So much drama; asshole hero, truly evil OW, kidnapping, amnesia, pregnancy, conveniently inconvenient eavesdropping (side note: don't you think the English language missed an opportunity there to make it 'earsdropping'? no? just me and my weird brain then...) and angst~~~ so much precisely aimed and sharply landed angst~
P.S. I chose this not knowing the Kindle version was shortened to "The Mistress"...
╭── ⋅ ⋅ ──────────────── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮
. .┊𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆
. .┊➛ 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆: 97
. .┊➛ 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆: Title starts with T
. .┊➛ 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔: 89/100
╰── ⋅ ⋅ ──────────────── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
So much drama; asshole hero, truly evil OW, kidnapping, amnesia, pregnancy, conveniently inconvenient eavesdropping (side note: don't you think the English language missed an opportunity there to make it 'earsdropping'? no? just me and my weird brain then...) and angst~~~ so much precisely aimed and sharply landed angst~
P.S. I chose this not knowing the Kindle version was shortened to "The Mistress"...
╭── ⋅ ⋅ ──────────────── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮
. .┊𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒆
. .┊➛ 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒆: 97
. .┊➛ 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆: Title starts with T
. .┊➛ 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔: 89/100
╰── ⋅ ⋅ ──────────────── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
April 17, 2022
A romance novel with soap-opera-level drama AND amnesia?!?!
I ❤ soap operas. I grew up watching them, which was probably wildly inappropriate given the crazy-ass content, but whatev. 🤷♀️ I ate up the drama between Erica Kane and her 9 husbands on All My Children, I was tad frightened of Victoria’s multiple personalities on One Live to Live and I always rooted for Brenda and Sonny on General Hospital. Unfortunately, sometime in the 2000's, soap operas were cancelled one by one, replaced by D+ type daytime talk shows. And while most of the soaps are no longer in operation, they will always hold a special place in the nostalgic part of my brain.
Since my favorite soaps aren't around anymore, I’m always, I repeat ALWAYS up for reading books with soap-opera type plots, especially ones involving amnesia. Amnesia storylines may be redundant and an easy out to explain away plot holes, but I DO. NOT. CARE.
Give me ALLLLL the amnesia romances.
As for The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress (yes, that is the actual title), it was just okay.
It had all the makings to be great:
Billionaire Hero ✓
Pregnant Heroine with amnesia ✓
Kidnapping ✓
Helicopter trips to private islands ✓
Conspiracies and distrust in spades ✓
Buuuuut….. the execution was only so-so. The plot and character relationships were underdeveloped. We barely get any backstory or character development before the story dives right in to OTT drama. I like the drama but without proper character and plot development, the actions made by the hero and heroine made very little sense. Also, the heroine iskinda really dumb.
I give it 2.5 stars and while that’s not great, it did get me interested in finding another amnesia romance to read. If you know any good ones, please advise!
I ❤ soap operas. I grew up watching them, which was probably wildly inappropriate given the crazy-ass content, but whatev. 🤷♀️ I ate up the drama between Erica Kane and her 9 husbands on All My Children, I was tad frightened of Victoria’s multiple personalities on One Live to Live and I always rooted for Brenda and Sonny on General Hospital. Unfortunately, sometime in the 2000's, soap operas were cancelled one by one, replaced by D+ type daytime talk shows. And while most of the soaps are no longer in operation, they will always hold a special place in the nostalgic part of my brain.
Since my favorite soaps aren't around anymore, I’m always, I repeat ALWAYS up for reading books with soap-opera type plots, especially ones involving amnesia. Amnesia storylines may be redundant and an easy out to explain away plot holes, but I DO. NOT. CARE.
Give me ALLLLL the amnesia romances.
As for The Tycoon’s Pregnant Mistress (yes, that is the actual title), it was just okay.
It had all the makings to be great:
Billionaire Hero ✓
Pregnant Heroine with amnesia ✓
Kidnapping ✓
Helicopter trips to private islands ✓
Conspiracies and distrust in spades ✓
Buuuuut….. the execution was only so-so. The plot and character relationships were underdeveloped. We barely get any backstory or character development before the story dives right in to OTT drama. I like the drama but without proper character and plot development, the actions made by the hero and heroine made very little sense. Also, the heroine is
I give it 2.5 stars and while that’s not great, it did get me interested in finding another amnesia romance to read. If you know any good ones, please advise!
August 28, 2016
This book had potential. Unfortunately, it was ruined by not only occasional bad grammar and typos but by contrived and choppy writing, passive TSTL heroine and TSTL hero.
I am a fan of amnesia stories but this one didn't make sense. The hero is supposed to be a stranger since she is amnesic and she allows him to do with her what he wants? A bit of caution and restraint would have been in order.
One of heroine's TSTL moments:
Heroine: "Chrysander, why do you have so many security people?"
She poses this question to the hero after finding out that he is one of the richest people in the world (she did an Internet search on him).
I am a fan of amnesia stories but this one didn't make sense. The hero is supposed to be a stranger since she is amnesic and she allows him to do with her what he wants? A bit of caution and restraint would have been in order.
One of heroine's TSTL moments:
Heroine: "Chrysander, why do you have so many security people?"
She poses this question to the hero after finding out that he is one of the richest people in the world (she did an Internet search on him).
February 17, 2014
Definitely one of the better vengeful Greek tycoon, pregnant mistress stories.
He thinks she committed espionage and kicks her out. He doesn't realize she's pregnant at the time. She is kidnapped and when she turns up 3 months later, she has amnesia. H takes advantage of the situation for "revenge" and to gain control of the child.
He thinks she committed espionage and kicks her out. He doesn't realize she's pregnant at the time. She is kidnapped and when she turns up 3 months later, she has amnesia. H takes advantage of the situation for "revenge" and to gain control of the child.
March 21, 2022
3.5 stars 🌟
February 12, 2022
Another Maya Banks reread! Why?? I don’t know, I have hundreds of books on my TBR and I’m rereading Maya Banks.
Should this be a wallbanger?? Why does it completely work for me?? So much over the top angst and drama. Such an evil wannabe OW. Brothers with guilt by association.
I thoroughly enjoy every over the top word of this one.
Off to reread the next in the series!
Should this be a wallbanger?? Why does it completely work for me?? So much over the top angst and drama. Such an evil wannabe OW. Brothers with guilt by association.
I thoroughly enjoy every over the top word of this one.
Off to reread the next in the series!
January 31, 2015
Marley has been Chrysander’s live-in mistress for a little while and it’s going ok. Except that now she’s pregnant, and she’s not sure how he’ll react. Before she has a chance to find out, Chrysander’s sexy evil assistant has planted the Secret Hotel Plans in her bag, Chrysander’s found them, accused her of betraying him, and thrown her out of his life.
Marley runs down the street, blinded by her tears of love and loss, and then she’s bundled into a car and taken away by kidnappers.
Three months later Chrysander’s watching the news and there’s Marley. She’s just been rescued from the kidnappers who have escaped, she has amnesia, and she’s heavily pregnant. Chrysander shows up claiming to be her fiancé and takes her home with him.
No one explains to Marley that she was kidnapped, because of trauma with her amnesia maybe causing her brain to explode, which would be no good for the baby? Or something, it’s never quite explained. Maybe she has that ‘Memento’ style thing going as well, where they kept trying to tell her and she’d immediately forget? And then the police are happy to go along with anything a billionaire suggests for Marley, without asking awkward questions like ‘why didn’t you ever report your fiancée missing?’ and, ‘we think it’s kind of unusual that you didn’t receive a ransom note?’
Marley wakes up, nice and pregnant, and there’s this guy saying, ‘hi I’m you’re fiancé, and we’re going to Greece,’ and she just goes along with it. She notices, but goes along with the fact she has no maternity clothes, that it looks like she slept in a different bedroom. He seems nice? And then why do his brothers, when they meet her for the first time, seem to hate her? What’s with Chrysander’s assistant getting naked all the time? Marley’s a remarkably relaxed, go with the flow sort of person. Marley’s background is that she went to work as Chrysander’s second assistant for a while, until he offered her a transfer to the bedroom. She doesn’t seem to have a background before she turned up at Chrysander’s office.
Chrysander’s got two brothers, and he calls them regularly so they can be outraged that he’s taken the betrayer who stole the Secret Hotel Plans back into his life. He wants the baby, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it! Fine, why doesn’t he just set her up in a nice flat and wait for her to pop? They ask. He has his reasons, be quiet you guys! He’s the oldest and the boss of you. He knows he’s got all of this nicely worked out, and while he thinks she’s a vile betrayer, she’s still cute and what with the amnesia, she’s pretty easy to convince that they should be sleeping together.
Chrysander likes control. He’s got this thing where if Marley starts asking awkward questions he sends her to bed or makes her eat something, or brings out a medical expert to check on her, or orders her not to walk up and down the stairs in his Greek island mansion without supervision. Those stairs were very foreboding, every time Marley went anywhere I wondered if she was about to fall down them. Or get pushed down them, by Chrysander’s evil assistant. That assistant was so evil. She was always showing up in a bikini with papers that Chrysander had to sign, just as he was about to get cuddly with Marley. It took quite some time for Chrysander to decide this was all slightly inappropriate.
Marley and Chrysander play this game, where Chrysander tells Marley what to do and she smiles sweetly and then does something cutely disobedient. This might look like she’s standing up to Chrysander for being such a control freak, but it’s not. There’s a point later in the book where Chrysander and Marely are in a limo together and Marely says something like ‘you treat me like I’m your pet,’ and yes, exactly: that’s their relationship. He disciplines, she adores, and is occasionally adorably naughty so that he can do something about it.
The whole plot is breathtakingly implausible. It’s adorably crazy. There is no way anything that happens in this book can be taken seriously, and I loved it.
Marley runs down the street, blinded by her tears of love and loss, and then she’s bundled into a car and taken away by kidnappers.
Three months later Chrysander’s watching the news and there’s Marley. She’s just been rescued from the kidnappers who have escaped, she has amnesia, and she’s heavily pregnant. Chrysander shows up claiming to be her fiancé and takes her home with him.
No one explains to Marley that she was kidnapped, because of trauma with her amnesia maybe causing her brain to explode, which would be no good for the baby? Or something, it’s never quite explained. Maybe she has that ‘Memento’ style thing going as well, where they kept trying to tell her and she’d immediately forget? And then the police are happy to go along with anything a billionaire suggests for Marley, without asking awkward questions like ‘why didn’t you ever report your fiancée missing?’ and, ‘we think it’s kind of unusual that you didn’t receive a ransom note?’
Marley wakes up, nice and pregnant, and there’s this guy saying, ‘hi I’m you’re fiancé, and we’re going to Greece,’ and she just goes along with it. She notices, but goes along with the fact she has no maternity clothes, that it looks like she slept in a different bedroom. He seems nice? And then why do his brothers, when they meet her for the first time, seem to hate her? What’s with Chrysander’s assistant getting naked all the time? Marley’s a remarkably relaxed, go with the flow sort of person. Marley’s background is that she went to work as Chrysander’s second assistant for a while, until he offered her a transfer to the bedroom. She doesn’t seem to have a background before she turned up at Chrysander’s office.
Chrysander’s got two brothers, and he calls them regularly so they can be outraged that he’s taken the betrayer who stole the Secret Hotel Plans back into his life. He wants the baby, and he’ll stop at nothing to get it! Fine, why doesn’t he just set her up in a nice flat and wait for her to pop? They ask. He has his reasons, be quiet you guys! He’s the oldest and the boss of you. He knows he’s got all of this nicely worked out, and while he thinks she’s a vile betrayer, she’s still cute and what with the amnesia, she’s pretty easy to convince that they should be sleeping together.
Chrysander likes control. He’s got this thing where if Marley starts asking awkward questions he sends her to bed or makes her eat something, or brings out a medical expert to check on her, or orders her not to walk up and down the stairs in his Greek island mansion without supervision. Those stairs were very foreboding, every time Marley went anywhere I wondered if she was about to fall down them. Or get pushed down them, by Chrysander’s evil assistant. That assistant was so evil. She was always showing up in a bikini with papers that Chrysander had to sign, just as he was about to get cuddly with Marley. It took quite some time for Chrysander to decide this was all slightly inappropriate.
Marley and Chrysander play this game, where Chrysander tells Marley what to do and she smiles sweetly and then does something cutely disobedient. This might look like she’s standing up to Chrysander for being such a control freak, but it’s not. There’s a point later in the book where Chrysander and Marely are in a limo together and Marely says something like ‘you treat me like I’m your pet,’ and yes, exactly: that’s their relationship. He disciplines, she adores, and is occasionally adorably naughty so that he can do something about it.
The whole plot is breathtakingly implausible. It’s adorably crazy. There is no way anything that happens in this book can be taken seriously, and I loved it.
June 13, 2012
ok...so this was a fascinating book, but really went down hill and fell flat in the last 30 pages. I have never read a Maya Banks book, but for some reason, I expected better from her.
I actually could get past the implausibility of the kidnapping and the fact that the kidnapping wasn't resolved in the end. I could get past the fact that even though she had major reservations about Chrysander (she could see his hatred for her in his eyes) she was still willing to hop off to his secluded Greek Island. I could even buy the fact that she thought they had a loving relationship, even though he only slotted her in for appointments, made sure that he kept his distance, never went to his other homes, and never met his family.(even though they were engaged). BUT, what I didn't understand is how she could just roll over and forgive everything and agree to marry him. She should have been running for her life!
It could have been so much better if:
1) There was a more plausible way to hang the offense on the PA rather than her willingly confessing in just nanoseconds. I mean come on...the woman was a genius to have been able to pin all that on Marley in the first place. She would not be that stupid to confess all.
2) Marley should have had more backbone...All that swooning, and fainting and numbness got to be a bit ridiculous. Granted, I don't know anything about amnesia, but ....PLEASE no wonder the poor man wouldn't let her walk up the stairs. It was a wonder she could feed or dress herself.
Seriously, the real issue wasn't that the PA set her up. The real issue was his ability to compartmentalize her as his mistress and throw her out in the street over some very flimsy circumstantial evidence. Furthermore, in all the time she was gone, he never wondered where she was, why she didn't come back to get her things. The fact that he didn't get the ransom note, didn't exonerate him from being responsible for what happened to her. If he had cared even a little bit, he would have known that she totally disappeared without a trace and alarm bells should have gone off. He was indifferent to her, except for the baby. She was more interested in the sex, than in his love....So I just couldn't buy into the Happy Ending.
I actually could get past the implausibility of the kidnapping and the fact that the kidnapping wasn't resolved in the end. I could get past the fact that even though she had major reservations about Chrysander (she could see his hatred for her in his eyes) she was still willing to hop off to his secluded Greek Island. I could even buy the fact that she thought they had a loving relationship, even though he only slotted her in for appointments, made sure that he kept his distance, never went to his other homes, and never met his family.(even though they were engaged). BUT, what I didn't understand is how she could just roll over and forgive everything and agree to marry him. She should have been running for her life!
It could have been so much better if:
1) There was a more plausible way to hang the offense on the PA rather than her willingly confessing in just nanoseconds. I mean come on...the woman was a genius to have been able to pin all that on Marley in the first place. She would not be that stupid to confess all.
2) Marley should have had more backbone...All that swooning, and fainting and numbness got to be a bit ridiculous. Granted, I don't know anything about amnesia, but ....PLEASE no wonder the poor man wouldn't let her walk up the stairs. It was a wonder she could feed or dress herself.
Seriously, the real issue wasn't that the PA set her up. The real issue was his ability to compartmentalize her as his mistress and throw her out in the street over some very flimsy circumstantial evidence. Furthermore, in all the time she was gone, he never wondered where she was, why she didn't come back to get her things. The fact that he didn't get the ransom note, didn't exonerate him from being responsible for what happened to her. If he had cared even a little bit, he would have known that she totally disappeared without a trace and alarm bells should have gone off. He was indifferent to her, except for the baby. She was more interested in the sex, than in his love....So I just couldn't buy into the Happy Ending.
December 12, 2019
3.5 Stars
2012 Review
The Mistress is a Harlequin romance that I just cannot get enough of. Even with Greek tycoon Chrsyander often being an asshole I cannot get enough of this story. There is enough drama and emotions to satisfy me for a month. I loved the storyline and have probably read this about five times now. It's easy to connect with Marley and watch her struggle with regaining her former self. The Mistress is definitely a Harlequin go-to read when looking for something quick and easy but with a scorching romance and little baby thrown in.
****Review Dec. 12th 2019****
This os another series from Maya Banks that’s sort of a guilty pleasure for me. The Anetakis men are for the most part a$$holes. Chrysander believes he’s betrayed by the heroine Marley and rather than even stop to ask or have her explain herself he condemns her. I literally can’t believe how emotionally messed up this man is. Once he believed her guilty his horns come out and he tells her that he doesn’t love her, she’s only his mistress and that he will have security escort her out... of the place she’s living mind you. If Marley didn’t get amnesia after the horrible kidnapping debacle I really can’t see them working as a couple. It was still hard to read because at times he’s so cold to her and the poor thing has no idea why as she can’t remember anything, she settles and accepts it not knowing why. Chrysander is a rich spoiled Greek tycoon who like many a men is terrified of love. The time they have together with her unaware does allow them to reconnect as a couple. Yet his mood swings and dishonesty aren’t exactly doing him any favors and I think the heroine gave in too easily. I would have made him suffer a little more lol. Frustrating-emotionally charged quick read !
2012 Review
The Mistress is a Harlequin romance that I just cannot get enough of. Even with Greek tycoon Chrsyander often being an asshole I cannot get enough of this story. There is enough drama and emotions to satisfy me for a month. I loved the storyline and have probably read this about five times now. It's easy to connect with Marley and watch her struggle with regaining her former self. The Mistress is definitely a Harlequin go-to read when looking for something quick and easy but with a scorching romance and little baby thrown in.
****Review Dec. 12th 2019****
This os another series from Maya Banks that’s sort of a guilty pleasure for me. The Anetakis men are for the most part a$$holes. Chrysander believes he’s betrayed by the heroine Marley and rather than even stop to ask or have her explain herself he condemns her. I literally can’t believe how emotionally messed up this man is. Once he believed her guilty his horns come out and he tells her that he doesn’t love her, she’s only his mistress and that he will have security escort her out... of the place she’s living mind you. If Marley didn’t get amnesia after the horrible kidnapping debacle I really can’t see them working as a couple. It was still hard to read because at times he’s so cold to her and the poor thing has no idea why as she can’t remember anything, she settles and accepts it not knowing why. Chrysander is a rich spoiled Greek tycoon who like many a men is terrified of love. The time they have together with her unaware does allow them to reconnect as a couple. Yet his mood swings and dishonesty aren’t exactly doing him any favors and I think the heroine gave in too easily. I would have made him suffer a little more lol. Frustrating-emotionally charged quick read !
February 14, 2022
Feb. 2022-reread ... listened to the audio... leaving the review/rating as is... audiobook narrator does a good job.
This is a re-read from last year The Mistress / Wanted: Mistress and Mother which was a re-read of The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. I originally picked this up, because I’m a sucker for amnesia storylines, but it OTT ridonkulous, drama-llama. Chrysander Anetakis cruelly throws his mistress Marley from his penthouse (he thinks she stole company secrets) unbeknownst to him, she’s preggers. Marley, having the worst day EVER, finds herself kidnapped… FF a few months and Chrysander sees a pregnant Marley on the news being rescued. Now he’s responsible for caring for them both… throw in family drama, Marley’s amnesia, an evil OW, stolen company blueprints, kidnappers on the run, and you’ve got the recipe for soapy-smut awesomeness.
This is a re-read from last year The Mistress / Wanted: Mistress and Mother which was a re-read of The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. I originally picked this up, because I’m a sucker for amnesia storylines, but it OTT ridonkulous, drama-llama. Chrysander Anetakis cruelly throws his mistress Marley from his penthouse (he thinks she stole company secrets) unbeknownst to him, she’s preggers. Marley, having the worst day EVER, finds herself kidnapped… FF a few months and Chrysander sees a pregnant Marley on the news being rescued. Now he’s responsible for caring for them both… throw in family drama, Marley’s amnesia, an evil OW, stolen company blueprints, kidnappers on the run, and you’ve got the recipe for soapy-smut awesomeness.
August 17, 2019
I got about two pages into this book and realized I'd already read it. I kept going and enjoyed it just as much the second time. I copied and pasted my review from the other edition to this one.
**Original review**
Although my TBR like is a mile long, this book came up on my feed and I just had to read it. And I'm glad I did. It has all the angsty deliciousness you expect from a Harlequin without pushing it too far. The H was a stubborn jerk, but still loved the h, even during the Big Misunderstanding. The h was sweet with a backbone. I really liked these two together. When the H realised he was wrong, he had deep regret and he grovels. The h holds his feet to the fire and makes him earn it. I loved these two! There were a few plot points I wish had been further fleshed out but it was a mostly satisfying read.
The villain was easy to guess from the start and I'm glad they got a comeuppance. Overall, this was a win.
Safety
**Original review**
Although my TBR like is a mile long, this book came up on my feed and I just had to read it. And I'm glad I did. It has all the angsty deliciousness you expect from a Harlequin without pushing it too far. The H was a stubborn jerk, but still loved the h, even during the Big Misunderstanding. The h was sweet with a backbone. I really liked these two together. When the H realised he was wrong, he had deep regret and he grovels. The h holds his feet to the fire and makes him earn it. I loved these two! There were a few plot points I wish had been further fleshed out but it was a mostly satisfying read.
The villain was easy to guess from the start and I'm glad they got a comeuppance. Overall, this was a win.
Safety
April 8, 2022
Amnesia story full of angst.
The heroine is the usual Jeez-I-didn't-know-I-was-a-mistress, who is the usual dumb&dumber greek tycoon's mistress.
She gives having a bad day another meaning, because in the same day:
- she finds out she's pregnant
-she asks the hero about their relationship and she finds out he only considers her his paid mistress
-someone hides hero's secret documents in her bag and the hero thinks she's betrayed him so he throws her out of his house and life.
-she's kidnapped
Talking about bad days, next time you feel low, remember the heroine's day.
After three months the hero sees her face on the news and finds out she was kidnapped, is pregnant and has amnesia.
He takes her home and tells her he's fiance and she had a bad accident.
Ow/pa is always around, trying to catch the hero's attention.
Thank god, MB heroes are usually too much besotted with their heroines so to be even attracted to ow.
Sadly they are also very very dumb, bordering on intellectual impairment, in a hard and close competition with Lynne Graham ones and Lucy Monroe's ones.
I could open a contest with those heroes. It would be hard to make up my mind.
So Dummy hero now feels responsible for her and his child and plans to marry her because, yeah sex is great and she's very fertile too, so he's ready to forgive her betrayal.
She basically would have stolen some company projects for hotels that the hero wanted to buy and sold them to his competitors, and he actually lost them.
It should have been very easy, since the heroine claimed she was innocent, to check with some investigators her bank accounts.
Even I, that am not a great tycoon, can get there with my humble not-business-oriented brain.
Wake up hero!
So, since he and his brothers, all great hunk tycoons contestant for greatest dumbass of the hp world, believing her guilty, treats her with wariness and sometime also contempt, the poor heroine is confused and starts having doubts about her situation.
Thank god the hero is not evil and doesn't want revenge and is not trying to exploit her weak state of mind, he is thinking that he will forgive and forget the past and he will marry her and have a family with her. Unfortunately he doesn't tell her the truth either, and eventually the poor woman hears the truth eavesdropping a conversation where she's metaphorically cut into pieces by his brothers and PA.
Suddenly her memory comes back, together with the pain and hurt for being, accused, found guilty, thrown out and most of all, left to the kidnappers mercy without answering to their ransom's request of poor 500.000 dollars.
And this is what finally opens the hero's eyes.
If there was a ransom request, why didn't he receive it?
...
...
...
Of course you all have understood who was behing all these evil machinations.
But his PA of course.
So he faces evil woman and makes her confess all her sins delivering her to the police.
And then he grovels, and grovels and grovels and grovels.
Because if there's something that MB heroes are very good about, beside sex, is groveling.
They feel guilty, they cry, they make amend, they pine, really, truly, completely.
And they admit their mental impairment, so the heroine is warned that she doesn't have to expect too much.
She will have a besotted hero, who is filthy rich, hunk, very hot in bed but not very smart.
But since all heroines' mothers taught them that in life you can't have everything, they will be happy and contented with what they have.
Most women weren's so lucky.
And I liked this book, with a very high level angst and many big misunderstandings and some very hot sex if you like that.
The heroine is the usual Jeez-I-didn't-know-I-was-a-mistress, who is the usual dumb&dumber greek tycoon's mistress.
She gives having a bad day another meaning, because in the same day:
- she finds out she's pregnant
-she asks the hero about their relationship and she finds out he only considers her his paid mistress
-someone hides hero's secret documents in her bag and the hero thinks she's betrayed him so he throws her out of his house and life.
-she's kidnapped
Talking about bad days, next time you feel low, remember the heroine's day.
After three months the hero sees her face on the news and finds out she was kidnapped, is pregnant and has amnesia.
He takes her home and tells her he's fiance and she had a bad accident.
Ow/pa is always around, trying to catch the hero's attention.
Thank god, MB heroes are usually too much besotted with their heroines so to be even attracted to ow.
Sadly they are also very very dumb, bordering on intellectual impairment, in a hard and close competition with Lynne Graham ones and Lucy Monroe's ones.
I could open a contest with those heroes. It would be hard to make up my mind.
So Dummy hero now feels responsible for her and his child and plans to marry her because, yeah sex is great and she's very fertile too, so he's ready to forgive her betrayal.
She basically would have stolen some company projects for hotels that the hero wanted to buy and sold them to his competitors, and he actually lost them.
It should have been very easy, since the heroine claimed she was innocent, to check with some investigators her bank accounts.
Even I, that am not a great tycoon, can get there with my humble not-business-oriented brain.
Wake up hero!
So, since he and his brothers, all great hunk tycoons contestant for greatest dumbass of the hp world, believing her guilty, treats her with wariness and sometime also contempt, the poor heroine is confused and starts having doubts about her situation.
Thank god the hero is not evil and doesn't want revenge and is not trying to exploit her weak state of mind, he is thinking that he will forgive and forget the past and he will marry her and have a family with her. Unfortunately he doesn't tell her the truth either, and eventually the poor woman hears the truth eavesdropping a conversation where she's metaphorically cut into pieces by his brothers and PA.
Suddenly her memory comes back, together with the pain and hurt for being, accused, found guilty, thrown out and most of all, left to the kidnappers mercy without answering to their ransom's request of poor 500.000 dollars.
And this is what finally opens the hero's eyes.
If there was a ransom request, why didn't he receive it?
...
...
...
Of course you all have understood who was behing all these evil machinations.
But his PA of course.
So he faces evil woman and makes her confess all her sins delivering her to the police.
And then he grovels, and grovels and grovels and grovels.
Because if there's something that MB heroes are very good about, beside sex, is groveling.
They feel guilty, they cry, they make amend, they pine, really, truly, completely.
And they admit their mental impairment, so the heroine is warned that she doesn't have to expect too much.
She will have a besotted hero, who is filthy rich, hunk, very hot in bed but not very smart.
But since all heroines' mothers taught them that in life you can't have everything, they will be happy and contented with what they have.
Most women weren's so lucky.
And I liked this book, with a very high level angst and many big misunderstandings and some very hot sex if you like that.
September 14, 2020
This is a re-read from last year The Mistress / Wanted: Mistress and Mother which was a re-read of The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. I originally picked this up, because I’m a sucker for amnesia storylines, but it OTT ridonkulous, drama-llama. Chrysander Anetakis cruelly throws his mistress Marley from his penthouse (he thinks she stole company secrets) unbeknownst to him, she’s preggers. Marley, having the worst day EVER, finds herself kidnapped… FF a few months and Chrysander sees a pregnant Marley on the news being rescued. Now he’s responsible for caring for them both… throw in family drama, Marley’s amnesia, an evil OW, stolen company blueprints, kidnappers on the run, and you’ve got the recipe for soapy-smut awesomeness.
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