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Secret Heirs of Billionaires #10
Carrying the Spaniard's Child
There can be no resistance…only surrender!
Waitress Belle Langtry's night of no regrets with ruthless playboy Santiago Velazquez was never meant to be more than a sinfully sweet memory. Until fate has other plans, and Belle finds herself carrying the baby she never thought possible!
Santiago has long rejected all notions of fatherhood, so Belle's news is shocking. He might refuse to trust her, but Santiago won't let Belle escape his claim—to her or their child! His plan? To bind Belle with his ring, and keep her in thrall to him with his touch!
210 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2023
127 people are currently reading
293 people want to read
About the author
Jennie Lucas
559 books331 followersJennie Lucas had a tragic beginning for any would-be writer: a very happy childhood. Her parents owned a bookstore, and she grew up surrounded by books, dreaming about faraway lands. Her mother read aloud to her in French when she was little; when she was ten, her father secretly paid her a dollar for every classic novel (Jane Eyre, War and Peace) that she read. As a chubby teenager, Jennie covered her bedroom with travel posters and always had her nose in a book.
At fifteen, she went to a Connecticut boarding school on scholarship. She took her first solo trip to Europe at sixteen, then put off college and traveled around the U.S., supporting herself with jobs as diverse as gas station cashier and newspaper advertising assistant.
At 22, she met the man who would be her husband. For the first time in her life, she wanted to stay in one place, as long as she could be with him. After their marriage, she graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English, and started writing books a year later.
Jennie was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 2003 and won the award in 2005. A fellow 2003 finalist, Australian author Trish Morey, read Jennie’s writing and told her that she should write for Harlequin Presents. It seemed like too big a dream, but Jennie took a deep breath and went for it. A year later, after seven years of writing and eight finished manuscripts, Jennie got the magical call from London that turned her into a published author.
Since then, life has been hectic, juggling a writing career, a sexy husband and two young children, but Jennie loves her crazy, chaotic life. Who needs a clean house? Every day, Jennie gets swept into drama, glamour and passion. Now if she can only figure out how to pack up her family and live in all the places she’s writing about!
At fifteen, she went to a Connecticut boarding school on scholarship. She took her first solo trip to Europe at sixteen, then put off college and traveled around the U.S., supporting herself with jobs as diverse as gas station cashier and newspaper advertising assistant.
At 22, she met the man who would be her husband. For the first time in her life, she wanted to stay in one place, as long as she could be with him. After their marriage, she graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English, and started writing books a year later.
Jennie was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 2003 and won the award in 2005. A fellow 2003 finalist, Australian author Trish Morey, read Jennie’s writing and told her that she should write for Harlequin Presents. It seemed like too big a dream, but Jennie took a deep breath and went for it. A year later, after seven years of writing and eight finished manuscripts, Jennie got the magical call from London that turned her into a published author.
Since then, life has been hectic, juggling a writing career, a sexy husband and two young children, but Jennie loves her crazy, chaotic life. Who needs a clean house? Every day, Jennie gets swept into drama, glamour and passion. Now if she can only figure out how to pack up her family and live in all the places she’s writing about!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
April 5, 2019
For someone who doesn't have (and doesn't want) children, I tell ya, I am drawn to these HP "omg lovechild" books like a fly is drawn to shit.
It's ridiculous.
It's hilarious.
It's inexplicable, really.
Like a cliched middle-aged homemaker of the 1980's, I just gobble up these Greek/Italian/Spanish/whatever billionaire baby books like they're dolla dolla bills, yo.
I have and need no defense.
They are like Bons-Bons.
And I am but their slave.
This one is one of my most favorite recent reads of this...pedigree.
The H was a total and complete dick, as you might expect.
And the h was your typical, guileless HP female with no backbone.
In short, if you love thistrash epic-style novel, you might like this one too.
It's ridiculous.
It's hilarious.
It's inexplicable, really.
Like a cliched middle-aged homemaker of the 1980's, I just gobble up these Greek/Italian/Spanish/whatever billionaire baby books like they're dolla dolla bills, yo.
I have and need no defense.
They are like Bons-Bons.
And I am but their slave.
This one is one of my most favorite recent reads of this...pedigree.
The H was a total and complete dick, as you might expect.
And the h was your typical, guileless HP female with no backbone.
In short, if you love this
March 2, 2024
SPOILERS
Thirtyfive year old Santiago was a famous New York billionaire and playboy who was known to be cynical and what some might say, heartless.
Belle was an ordinary New York waitress from Texas.
The two met at a high society wedding and had a one-night stand. Belle was a virgin.
By the time Belle woke up the next morning, Santiago was already gone.
Belle soon discovered she was pregnant and had tried multiple times to reach Santiago but he never returned her calls. He was avoiding her.
At six months gestation Belle taking advantage of a society party he was holding at his mansion, finally confronted him.
He accused her of getting pregnant on purpose for financial gain and told her to leave. Belle decided that her child did not need a father like this.
A few days later he had a change of heart and suggested that they marry. From that point on he was nice and caring to her.
Santiago told Belle that his father was a Duke in Spain. His mother was a maid working in his father's palace when she got pregnant by him. He was already married and his wife was pregnant.
His father threw his mother out.
Santiago's mother went on to marry five times. Each husband was worse than the last. One night she took too many sleeping pills and died.
Santiago was fourteen at the time.
As his father already had a son and heir, did not care to recognise him. Santiago was sent to an orphanage.
He never met his father or brother.
That's why Santiago wanted to take full responsibility for his daughter and give the baby a better childhood than he had.
Santiago met Nadia his first night at the orphanage in Madrid. She was a year older and exceptionally beautiful. She was street smart and brave.
They both shared big dreams about the future. Santiago was immediately infatuated.
When he told her he was the illegitimate son of a Duke, she'd been awed. He told her he'd become rich and marry her. She said she'll marry him if he could make her a duchess and live in his father's palace.
They run away from the orphanage and been together for many years.
Nadia went on to become a famous actress. She had the title of the most beautiful woman in the world.
Santiago made his first billion by the age of thirty and finally proposed to Nadia but she said it was too late. "I just agreed to marry your brother. I am going to live in the Palacio and be a duchess one day."
Since then, 5 years ago, Santiago stopped believing in love and became a cynic.
As time went by, Santiago started to feel something for Belle, something more than desire.
As the wedding date approached, he grew increasingly tense.
The day of their wedding, three weeks from the birth of their daughter, Belle was so in love with Santiago. She now knew that he did know how to love. He'd ones loved a woman so much, he'd spent years trying to win her but her betrayal turned his heart to Stone.
Would he ever be able to love Belle?
Santiago received a phone call. His brother was dead. He was leaving for Spain. The wedding must be put off. Nadia asked him to go for his father's sake. He had no one else. His wife died years ago and his son and Nadia never had any children.
The Duke was now willing to recognise him as his son.
Belle insisted on going with Santiago, even in her very pregnant state. They'd arrived in time for the funeral.
Santiago saw his father in a wheelchair and standing next to him was Nadia as beautiful as she'd always been.
Belle was shocked. Santiago's ex was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, beautiful, powerful, everything Belle was not.
Even though Santiago introduced Belle as his fiancee, the other two did not acknowledge her existence.
The Duke expected Santiago to stay in Spain as his heir. He said he was dying and Santiago had to take over. Nadia, he said, had been a good daughter in law to him, now Santiago must marry her and accept his birthright as his son and heir and the future Duke.
He said, Santiago should give up this girl, Belle, she would never be accepted in the elite circles.
It would be cruel to force her into a place she would never fit in. She would be unhappy.
"So you expect me to abandon her as you did my mother?"
"Sometimes difficult choices must be made. Let her go and the child ".
His father was offering him everything he'd ever dreamed of as a boy. A vindication of his worth.
But that wasn't the only reason he was tempted. He was growing strong feelings for Belle and he did not want to need anyone. Belle held power over him and he did not want to get hurt again.
Nadia, for all her beauty, repelled him. A mercenary, gold-digging snake, but at least Nadia would never tempt him into risking his heart.
When he got the call about his brother's death, he felt relief for it gave him the perfect excuse to cancel the wedding.
Both Nadia and his father thought that Santiago would become an obedient son to the father who'd abandoned him, a husband to Nadia, a woman who'd betrayed him.
Belle told Santiago that she loved him and begged him to choose her. He told her he was sending her back to New York. She deserved to be with someone who loved her. He was staying.
Belle had to leave Spain that very night.
Two days later Santiago found out that Belle was in labour and the doctors were concerned.
He related this information to his father and Nadia.
Nadia said "Maybe things will go badly. Otherwise you're on the hook for the next eighteen years. If you're lucky they'll both conveniently die".
Santiago told her that she was a snake and she disgusted him.
Since he was a boy, everytime he loved someone, they'd stabbed him in the back, but not Belle.
Belle really, truly loved him. Love didn't mean a lifetime of ignoring someone until you found a use for him, as his father had done. It didn't mean abandoning someone when you had a better offer, as Nadia had.
Love meant acceptance, protection, a lifetime of loyalty through good times and bad.
Santiago told Nadia he was leaving.
"But you're supposed to be the heir. You're supposed to make me a duchess".
"Tell my father that if he wants an heir, l recommend he marry you himself ".
Thirtyfive year old Santiago was a famous New York billionaire and playboy who was known to be cynical and what some might say, heartless.
Belle was an ordinary New York waitress from Texas.
The two met at a high society wedding and had a one-night stand. Belle was a virgin.
By the time Belle woke up the next morning, Santiago was already gone.
Belle soon discovered she was pregnant and had tried multiple times to reach Santiago but he never returned her calls. He was avoiding her.
At six months gestation Belle taking advantage of a society party he was holding at his mansion, finally confronted him.
He accused her of getting pregnant on purpose for financial gain and told her to leave. Belle decided that her child did not need a father like this.
A few days later he had a change of heart and suggested that they marry. From that point on he was nice and caring to her.
Santiago told Belle that his father was a Duke in Spain. His mother was a maid working in his father's palace when she got pregnant by him. He was already married and his wife was pregnant.
His father threw his mother out.
Santiago's mother went on to marry five times. Each husband was worse than the last. One night she took too many sleeping pills and died.
Santiago was fourteen at the time.
As his father already had a son and heir, did not care to recognise him. Santiago was sent to an orphanage.
He never met his father or brother.
That's why Santiago wanted to take full responsibility for his daughter and give the baby a better childhood than he had.
Santiago met Nadia his first night at the orphanage in Madrid. She was a year older and exceptionally beautiful. She was street smart and brave.
They both shared big dreams about the future. Santiago was immediately infatuated.
When he told her he was the illegitimate son of a Duke, she'd been awed. He told her he'd become rich and marry her. She said she'll marry him if he could make her a duchess and live in his father's palace.
They run away from the orphanage and been together for many years.
Nadia went on to become a famous actress. She had the title of the most beautiful woman in the world.
Santiago made his first billion by the age of thirty and finally proposed to Nadia but she said it was too late. "I just agreed to marry your brother. I am going to live in the Palacio and be a duchess one day."
Since then, 5 years ago, Santiago stopped believing in love and became a cynic.
As time went by, Santiago started to feel something for Belle, something more than desire.
As the wedding date approached, he grew increasingly tense.
The day of their wedding, three weeks from the birth of their daughter, Belle was so in love with Santiago. She now knew that he did know how to love. He'd ones loved a woman so much, he'd spent years trying to win her but her betrayal turned his heart to Stone.
Would he ever be able to love Belle?
Santiago received a phone call. His brother was dead. He was leaving for Spain. The wedding must be put off. Nadia asked him to go for his father's sake. He had no one else. His wife died years ago and his son and Nadia never had any children.
The Duke was now willing to recognise him as his son.
Belle insisted on going with Santiago, even in her very pregnant state. They'd arrived in time for the funeral.
Santiago saw his father in a wheelchair and standing next to him was Nadia as beautiful as she'd always been.
Belle was shocked. Santiago's ex was one of the biggest movie stars in the world, beautiful, powerful, everything Belle was not.
Even though Santiago introduced Belle as his fiancee, the other two did not acknowledge her existence.
The Duke expected Santiago to stay in Spain as his heir. He said he was dying and Santiago had to take over. Nadia, he said, had been a good daughter in law to him, now Santiago must marry her and accept his birthright as his son and heir and the future Duke.
He said, Santiago should give up this girl, Belle, she would never be accepted in the elite circles.
It would be cruel to force her into a place she would never fit in. She would be unhappy.
"So you expect me to abandon her as you did my mother?"
"Sometimes difficult choices must be made. Let her go and the child ".
His father was offering him everything he'd ever dreamed of as a boy. A vindication of his worth.
But that wasn't the only reason he was tempted. He was growing strong feelings for Belle and he did not want to need anyone. Belle held power over him and he did not want to get hurt again.
Nadia, for all her beauty, repelled him. A mercenary, gold-digging snake, but at least Nadia would never tempt him into risking his heart.
When he got the call about his brother's death, he felt relief for it gave him the perfect excuse to cancel the wedding.
Both Nadia and his father thought that Santiago would become an obedient son to the father who'd abandoned him, a husband to Nadia, a woman who'd betrayed him.
Belle told Santiago that she loved him and begged him to choose her. He told her he was sending her back to New York. She deserved to be with someone who loved her. He was staying.
Belle had to leave Spain that very night.
Two days later Santiago found out that Belle was in labour and the doctors were concerned.
He related this information to his father and Nadia.
Nadia said "Maybe things will go badly. Otherwise you're on the hook for the next eighteen years. If you're lucky they'll both conveniently die".
Santiago told her that she was a snake and she disgusted him.
Since he was a boy, everytime he loved someone, they'd stabbed him in the back, but not Belle.
Belle really, truly loved him. Love didn't mean a lifetime of ignoring someone until you found a use for him, as his father had done. It didn't mean abandoning someone when you had a better offer, as Nadia had.
Love meant acceptance, protection, a lifetime of loyalty through good times and bad.
Santiago told Nadia he was leaving.
"But you're supposed to be the heir. You're supposed to make me a duchess".
"Tell my father that if he wants an heir, l recommend he marry you himself ".
January 3, 2018
Carrying the Spaniard’s Child – (A Cinderella Story) A Play in Five Acts
Act I – Cinderella has a One Night Stand
Cinderella Martyr (CM)– I hate you!
JackAss Hero (JAH) – I don’t hate you. I am emotionally numb after the snake of an OW married my legitimate half-brother so she could be a Duchess.
CM – I wish I could have a baby.
JAH – Romance is dead, blah, blah, blah. What a minute? You can’t get pregnant? Let’s have sex.
CM – I’m a 28 year-old virgin
JAH - *Metaphorically bites off his own leg to escape the coyote trap. Leaves before the sun comes up in a snow storm*
Act II – More Evidence the hero is a Jackass
CM – I’m pregnant. I’ve been trying to tell you for seven months.
JAH – Golddigger, liar, argle-bargle, you’ll get no money from me.
CM - *drives from New York to Texas in a 1978 pickup with $10 in her pocket* (Reviewer’s note: snort)
JAH - *steps out from a helicopter on her dusty Texas ranch* Time for a paternity test!
CM – I won’t marry you.
JAH - *shows her the ring he bought for the OW five years before* (Reviewer’s note: snort)
CM – I’ll marry you
Act III Cinderella goes to New York
CM – the butler and servants are talking behind my back. I’m wearing a t-shirt from high school(?) over my 8 month pregnant body. The wedding planner wants me to carry a cactus. The stylist is stuffing my 8 month pregnant feet into stilettos.
JAH – What? Okay – let’s fire everybody.
CM – Just the butler. The mice and birds have helped me make a dress the cook and maid are going to be my friends.
JAH – You clinched a deal for me at our engagement party. I guess you can plan your own wedding!
CM – Goody! My evil stepsisters ungrateful half brothers can attend!
Act IV Cinderella goes to Spain
Bonus Critique Group:
*all close mouths as the music ends*
Facilitator: Well –
Fat Reviewer Guy - The one star hero is *consistently* a jerk. Bravo Jennie Lucas for going there.
Bald Reviewer Guy - Exactly. He gets cold feet before his wedding. He’s even tempted by his father’s offer very late in the story. This is a guy you will love to hate.
Romance Reviewer- What? I guess he was *compelling.* I couldn’t stop watching to see what dumbass, jerky thing he was going to do next.
Facilitator – Language, RR! Now what about the heroine?
Fat Guy – A five star Cinderella doormat heroine. I haven’t encountered someone this self-sacrificing in years.
Bald Guy – But is that realistic? She is beyond doormat – she had her tubes tied for her first love a just-divorced man who never wanted children!
Fat Guy - Who dumped her when he had sex with his ex and got her pregnant. She gave up college so she could raise her half-brothers who were ungrateful.
Bald Guy – And yet she remained sweet and loving.
Fat Guy – It’s every jerky male’s fantasy. She did everything for the hero – even
Romance Reviewer - I don’t know what planet she beamed in from, but she was not human in any of her reactions. However, I couldn’t stop watching to see what fresh insult she was going to meekly swallow.
Facilitator – so the rating?
Fat Guy – One star hero. Five star heroine. That’s an average of three.
Bald Guy – Two star hero. Four star heroine. That’s an average of three for me.
Romance Reviewer - *flexes skillet arm* They both needed to have some sense knocked into them. But for sheer entertainment value, I’ll give it a three.
Facilitator: *sighs in relief* We have a consensus. Three stars!
Romance Reviewer. Can I make a prediction? I think their daughter will be an evil spawn and will star as an OW in a future HP. Her mother will shamelessly indulge her and will never see what a monster she has raised. Daddy jerk will have lost all of his mojo because he has had a personality transplant and now has to be loving. He’ll spend his days rearranging his art collection and not notice his daughter is a monster and that his wife sings to the birds and mice each morning.
Fat Guy and Bald Guy *titter nervously* You romance reviewers are brutal.
Act I – Cinderella has a One Night Stand
Cinderella Martyr (CM)– I hate you!
JackAss Hero (JAH) – I don’t hate you. I am emotionally numb after the snake of an OW married my legitimate half-brother so she could be a Duchess.
CM – I wish I could have a baby.
JAH – Romance is dead, blah, blah, blah. What a minute? You can’t get pregnant? Let’s have sex.
CM – I’m a 28 year-old virgin
JAH - *Metaphorically bites off his own leg to escape the coyote trap. Leaves before the sun comes up in a snow storm*
Act II – More Evidence the hero is a Jackass
CM – I’m pregnant. I’ve been trying to tell you for seven months.
JAH – Golddigger, liar, argle-bargle, you’ll get no money from me.
CM - *drives from New York to Texas in a 1978 pickup with $10 in her pocket* (Reviewer’s note: snort)
JAH - *steps out from a helicopter on her dusty Texas ranch* Time for a paternity test!
CM – I won’t marry you.
JAH - *shows her the ring he bought for the OW five years before* (Reviewer’s note: snort)
CM – I’ll marry you
Act III Cinderella goes to New York
CM – the butler and servants are talking behind my back. I’m wearing a t-shirt from high school(?) over my 8 month pregnant body. The wedding planner wants me to carry a cactus. The stylist is stuffing my 8 month pregnant feet into stilettos.
JAH – What? Okay – let’s fire everybody.
CM – Just the butler. The
JAH – You clinched a deal for me at our engagement party. I guess you can plan your own wedding!
CM – Goody! My
Act IV Cinderella goes to Spain
Bonus Critique Group:
*all close mouths as the music ends*
Facilitator: Well –
Fat Reviewer Guy - The one star hero is *consistently* a jerk. Bravo Jennie Lucas for going there.
Bald Reviewer Guy - Exactly. He gets cold feet before his wedding. He’s even tempted by his father’s offer very late in the story. This is a guy you will love to hate.
Romance Reviewer- What? I guess he was *compelling.* I couldn’t stop watching to see what dumbass, jerky thing he was going to do next.
Facilitator – Language, RR! Now what about the heroine?
Fat Guy – A five star Cinderella doormat heroine. I haven’t encountered someone this self-sacrificing in years.
Bald Guy – But is that realistic? She is beyond doormat – she had her tubes tied for her first love a just-divorced man who never wanted children!
Fat Guy - Who dumped her when he had sex with his ex and got her pregnant. She gave up college so she could raise her half-brothers who were ungrateful.
Bald Guy – And yet she remained sweet and loving.
Fat Guy – It’s every jerky male’s fantasy. She did everything for the hero – even
Romance Reviewer - I don’t know what planet she beamed in from, but she was not human in any of her reactions. However, I couldn’t stop watching to see what fresh insult she was going to meekly swallow.
Facilitator – so the rating?
Fat Guy – One star hero. Five star heroine. That’s an average of three.
Bald Guy – Two star hero. Four star heroine. That’s an average of three for me.
Romance Reviewer - *flexes skillet arm* They both needed to have some sense knocked into them. But for sheer entertainment value, I’ll give it a three.
Facilitator: *sighs in relief* We have a consensus. Three stars!
Romance Reviewer. Can I make a prediction? I think their daughter will be an evil spawn and will star as an OW in a future HP. Her mother will shamelessly indulge her and will never see what a monster she has raised. Daddy jerk will have lost all of his mojo because he has had a personality transplant and now has to be loving. He’ll spend his days rearranging his art collection and not notice his daughter is a monster and that his wife sings to the birds and mice each morning.
Fat Guy and Bald Guy *titter nervously* You romance reviewers are brutal.
October 28, 2017
2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars.
There is No Detail Review of Others So I decided to take the Matters in my own hand. By others, I mean Boogenhagen, kiki, StMargarets, Naksed, and Vintage. It's surprising, you ladies are always several steps ahead of me.
*** Spoilers
A one night stand between Belle & Santiago and it creates a baby that’s the foundation of the story. Until Belle was six months pregnant, she didn’t tell Santiago about the baby. Well, she tried, but she can’t reach Santiago because he wasn’t receiving the phone blah, blah, blah. She then went to his mansion and confronts about it and left for her hometown. Santiago followed her and demand paternity test which came positive. He decided to marry her like Typical HP. Then she moved into his mansion and tried to fit herself into his world. But she was having a really hard time to adjust. In the meantime, Santiago was having the second thought about the wedding if he was doing the right thing or not. Two days before their wedding Santiago received a call from his ex and there started the EVIL OW drama.
Before we processed, let’s talk about some Santiago’s backstory. Santiago is a bastard of some royalty and his father never acknowledged him. The father was perfectly happy with his legitimate son until the son died. In the days of Santiago foster care, he was obsessed with a girl named Nadia, the evil other women. OW, the gold digger agreed to marry the 16-year-old Santiago if he achieved success and money. OW, the gold digger agreed to marry the 16-year-old Santiago if he achieved success and money. Later, Santiago became successful and proposed the OW. But Nadia refused him because of Santiago’s brother. Santiago’s brother, the legitimate son already proposed her and she accepted it because she will be a Duchess someday.
Now back to the phone call. Santiago received the phone from OW that his brother died and his father needed him. He postponed the wedding and rushed to his father. Belle insisted so, she went to Santiago too. Now the moment Santiago steps his foot there OW and the father ignores Belle and started to behave badly. Santiago tried to prevent it but didn’t try harder. Then the father suggests that he should forget about Belle and marry the OW because they needed an heir. Santiago, who was already confused about Belle thought it would be best for Belle because he couldn’t give her love and she left.
Later he realized that he can’t do it and tried to contact Belle who was already in labor. He rushed back to Belle said sorry and I Love you. They were married in the hospital before the baby was born. In the epilogue we saw, they were celebrating with their cute baby girl. And don’t forget about the evil OW. She married the father (I mean her father-in-law) and creates a huge scandal in the Europe.
A typical HP. Santiago was hard, cold and asshole. I have a problem with Belle. The women who survive her step-father abasement and raised her step-brothers single-handedly didn’t show any backbone. Santiago demanded and she accepted. And Santiago, he truly was a bastard. He promised Belle that he will be with her no matter what happens, but he left her when she was most needed. He left a nine-month pregnant woman who was about to deliver his baby any moment. So, yeah a sorry was not groveling. She did everything for him and he did nothing.
There is No Detail Review of Others So I decided to take the Matters in my own hand. By others, I mean Boogenhagen, kiki, StMargarets, Naksed, and Vintage. It's surprising, you ladies are always several steps ahead of me.
*** Spoilers
A one night stand between Belle & Santiago and it creates a baby that’s the foundation of the story. Until Belle was six months pregnant, she didn’t tell Santiago about the baby. Well, she tried, but she can’t reach Santiago because he wasn’t receiving the phone blah, blah, blah. She then went to his mansion and confronts about it and left for her hometown. Santiago followed her and demand paternity test which came positive. He decided to marry her like Typical HP. Then she moved into his mansion and tried to fit herself into his world. But she was having a really hard time to adjust. In the meantime, Santiago was having the second thought about the wedding if he was doing the right thing or not. Two days before their wedding Santiago received a call from his ex and there started the EVIL OW drama.
Before we processed, let’s talk about some Santiago’s backstory. Santiago is a bastard of some royalty and his father never acknowledged him. The father was perfectly happy with his legitimate son until the son died. In the days of Santiago foster care, he was obsessed with a girl named Nadia, the evil other women. OW, the gold digger agreed to marry the 16-year-old Santiago if he achieved success and money. OW, the gold digger agreed to marry the 16-year-old Santiago if he achieved success and money. Later, Santiago became successful and proposed the OW. But Nadia refused him because of Santiago’s brother. Santiago’s brother, the legitimate son already proposed her and she accepted it because she will be a Duchess someday.
Now back to the phone call. Santiago received the phone from OW that his brother died and his father needed him. He postponed the wedding and rushed to his father. Belle insisted so, she went to Santiago too. Now the moment Santiago steps his foot there OW and the father ignores Belle and started to behave badly. Santiago tried to prevent it but didn’t try harder. Then the father suggests that he should forget about Belle and marry the OW because they needed an heir. Santiago, who was already confused about Belle thought it would be best for Belle because he couldn’t give her love and she left.
Later he realized that he can’t do it and tried to contact Belle who was already in labor. He rushed back to Belle said sorry and I Love you. They were married in the hospital before the baby was born. In the epilogue we saw, they were celebrating with their cute baby girl. And don’t forget about the evil OW. She married the father (I mean her father-in-law) and creates a huge scandal in the Europe.
A typical HP. Santiago was hard, cold and asshole. I have a problem with Belle. The women who survive her step-father abasement and raised her step-brothers single-handedly didn’t show any backbone. Santiago demanded and she accepted. And Santiago, he truly was a bastard. He promised Belle that he will be with her no matter what happens, but he left her when she was most needed. He left a nine-month pregnant woman who was about to deliver his baby any moment. So, yeah a sorry was not groveling. She did everything for him and he did nothing.
January 5, 2018
A better title would be Carrying the Asshole's Child.
I was warned. I read the reviews.
Thoughts as I was reading…
What the ever loving hell is wrong with me? My GR friends warned me, THEY WARNED ALL OF US.
1. He gives the h an engagement ring he bought for ANOTHER WOMAN.
2. Despite being a virgin when they had sex, he just KNOWS she had her eye on the prize and is a gold-digger and is very, very mean. He lets her drive from New York to Texas when she’s seven months pregnant. That is approximately 1500 miles. In other words, it’s a haul!
Guess which one bothers me more?
3. A call from the Spanish Duke regarding his unknown brother, the father that would never acknowledge him and he hated, and he’s off for his despite the fact it is his wedding day.
4. Evil ex smarms around practically on her ex’s coffin and puts the h in the attic because the Duke who impregnates servants does not approve if children out of wedlock. I can’t say I blame the evil woman for trying, but I do blame the h for accepting it.
5. Evil woman aka ex-GF warns h off and points out that the h is wearing HER engagement ring. OUCH.
5. Poor pitiful H action wherein he sends the h away to New York because, sniffle, he’s not worthy. Asshole.
6. The h starts to have baby without the H wherein he grows a brain and spine and suggests to the evil OW that she simply marry his father which she does later.
HEA.
MY effin epilogue:
The hero realizes there is little that he can d to make it up to the h especially regarding the re-fucking-gifted ring and misc. so he grovels, and grovels and…
I was warned. I read the reviews.
Thoughts as I was reading…
What the ever loving hell is wrong with me? My GR friends warned me, THEY WARNED ALL OF US.
1. He gives the h an engagement ring he bought for ANOTHER WOMAN.
2. Despite being a virgin when they had sex, he just KNOWS she had her eye on the prize and is a gold-digger and is very, very mean. He lets her drive from New York to Texas when she’s seven months pregnant. That is approximately 1500 miles. In other words, it’s a haul!
Guess which one bothers me more?
3. A call from the Spanish Duke regarding his unknown brother, the father that would never acknowledge him and he hated, and he’s off for his despite the fact it is his wedding day.
4. Evil ex smarms around practically on her ex’s coffin and puts the h in the attic because the Duke who impregnates servants does not approve if children out of wedlock. I can’t say I blame the evil woman for trying, but I do blame the h for accepting it.
5. Evil woman aka ex-GF warns h off and points out that the h is wearing HER engagement ring. OUCH.
5. Poor pitiful H action wherein he sends the h away to New York because, sniffle, he’s not worthy. Asshole.
6. The h starts to have baby without the H wherein he grows a brain and spine and suggests to the evil OW that she simply marry his father which she does later.
HEA.
MY effin epilogue:
The hero realizes there is little that he can d to make it up to the h especially regarding the re-fucking-gifted ring and misc. so he grovels, and grovels and…
January 1, 2018
My first read of 2018 and I decided to read an HP by one of my favorite HP authors.Jennie Lucas rarely let's me down in this line and I love the feel of her books.There is almost a simplistic fairytale read to them which I enjoy.This is a girl whose first taste of romance was in the form of a picture book about Snow White,and then on to the Grimm brothers tales which I stayed up late reading under the covers with a flaslight.It's no wonder I love the hp line so much ,they are modern day fairy tales where true love conquers all in the shape of a Mediterranean ,billionaire,extraordinaire.
The hero in this romance is from Spain,the land of my very own husband.The hero's mother was a maid in the household of the hero's father,and aristocratic Duque who was very much married and had a son,his true heir.The Duque would take the hero's mother into the let's say the broom closet and they would have sex.The mother becomes pregnant and the mean Duque threw them out,not acknowledging his illegitimate son.The mother went on to marry several men,each ending in divorce untill the mother dies and the 14 year old hero is put into an orphanage.There he meets up with a blond beauty,one year older than him and he feels a connection to her.They make plans to escape and they go to his father's castle and he is thrown off the property.The Blondie sees all this and vows to herself that she will be a Duchess to this castle.(fyi,Blondie is not the heroine).
Years pass,the hero is now a world famous billionaire and he is all set to marry Blondie,he goes on bended knee and proposes to her but she rejects him,seems that she has sets he sight high and landed herself a Duque to be....the hero's very own half brother! Completely destroyed over this,he vows no love,after all ,look what love did to his mother and what Blondie did to him.
Hero is also best pals to the Greek hero of prior book in this series.The heroine is best pals with the heroine of prior book.Anyways,these two kids meet up at that couples wedding and the hate sparks fly,and fly!
They meet up again at the christening of said prior couples baby boy.The hero sees the heroine crying in the snow covered arbor and asks her what's wrong,she is sad,tells him she wants a bundle of joy,but can't have children.Why he asks,she tells him the sad tale of her young love when she was 21 who stood her up at the altar and told her that he can't bear the loss of another child ,so our very dear stupid heroine has a bilateral tubal ligation in the hopes that it will make him happy.Seems that the fiancee was seeing his ex wife and she is pregnant again.Now,7 years later,he is remarried with 5 kids,and our heroine has none.So now,these two feel the heat of passion and off they go on to have unprotected sex and he finds out the heroine's virginity which is no more.Of course ,he has some remorse,but not enough,and off he slinks back on his private jet to rich man's land.
Well,guess what?our heroine was visited by the stork.It is now 7 months later and she goes to the hero's ultra rich Brownstone to inform him of the news.He of course does not take it well and he gives her her walking papers.
By this time I have throughly and I mean throughly gated this hero.He did not redeem himself to me till the end of the book.He did some really lowdown ,mean and stupid things that he really need the "skillet" 10 times over!!!!The heroine was no better ,at times she was tstl,needy,and begging him to stay with her.The Blondie makes an appearance later on along with the evil Duque, horrible people.
This was a book that you really have to hate the hero and tell the heroine to "buck up girl",for all her weakness,she was strong.Apart from the stupidity of the hero,his later action was sweet.I do so love a hero that cry!
Very sweet epilogue that shows him a dotting husband and father.Four stars because I got mad at both characters,but this book kept me very entertained.
The hero in this romance is from Spain,the land of my very own husband.The hero's mother was a maid in the household of the hero's father,and aristocratic Duque who was very much married and had a son,his true heir.The Duque would take the hero's mother into the let's say the broom closet and they would have sex.The mother becomes pregnant and the mean Duque threw them out,not acknowledging his illegitimate son.The mother went on to marry several men,each ending in divorce untill the mother dies and the 14 year old hero is put into an orphanage.There he meets up with a blond beauty,one year older than him and he feels a connection to her.They make plans to escape and they go to his father's castle and he is thrown off the property.The Blondie sees all this and vows to herself that she will be a Duchess to this castle.(fyi,Blondie is not the heroine).
Years pass,the hero is now a world famous billionaire and he is all set to marry Blondie,he goes on bended knee and proposes to her but she rejects him,seems that she has sets he sight high and landed herself a Duque to be....the hero's very own half brother! Completely destroyed over this,he vows no love,after all ,look what love did to his mother and what Blondie did to him.
Hero is also best pals to the Greek hero of prior book in this series.The heroine is best pals with the heroine of prior book.Anyways,these two kids meet up at that couples wedding and the hate sparks fly,and fly!
They meet up again at the christening of said prior couples baby boy.The hero sees the heroine crying in the snow covered arbor and asks her what's wrong,she is sad,tells him she wants a bundle of joy,but can't have children.Why he asks,she tells him the sad tale of her young love when she was 21 who stood her up at the altar and told her that he can't bear the loss of another child ,so our very dear stupid heroine has a bilateral tubal ligation in the hopes that it will make him happy.Seems that the fiancee was seeing his ex wife and she is pregnant again.Now,7 years later,he is remarried with 5 kids,and our heroine has none.So now,these two feel the heat of passion and off they go on to have unprotected sex and he finds out the heroine's virginity which is no more.Of course ,he has some remorse,but not enough,and off he slinks back on his private jet to rich man's land.
Well,guess what?our heroine was visited by the stork.It is now 7 months later and she goes to the hero's ultra rich Brownstone to inform him of the news.He of course does not take it well and he gives her her walking papers.
By this time I have throughly and I mean throughly gated this hero.He did not redeem himself to me till the end of the book.He did some really lowdown ,mean and stupid things that he really need the "skillet" 10 times over!!!!The heroine was no better ,at times she was tstl,needy,and begging him to stay with her.The Blondie makes an appearance later on along with the evil Duque, horrible people.
This was a book that you really have to hate the hero and tell the heroine to "buck up girl",for all her weakness,she was strong.Apart from the stupidity of the hero,his later action was sweet.I do so love a hero that cry!
Very sweet epilogue that shows him a dotting husband and father.Four stars because I got mad at both characters,but this book kept me very entertained.
January 5, 2018
So I did it, I read this - I was being supportive of my friends and trying to share their pain. I dunno, maybe I am just not cut out to share an empathy moment cause dang, this H was just soooo dweeby it was sad, he needed some serious therapy retreat time and some calcium supplements to grow a backbone.
Are we sure this wasn't an elaborate ruse to disguise the real romance between the h and her BFF? I mean those two were a GREAT couple and they even have a baby now, so I am choosing to believe that the h tolerated all this sheer idiocy from the H because she just did not care.
She loves her BFF and they had childbirth together and they are there for each other and the H is just an extra appendage with money and y chromosomes and the BFF totally kicked his hiney too. So I am saying give that woman the H status, cause she totally wouldn't go for the recycled ring option.
It makes a waaaay better story that way.
Are we sure this wasn't an elaborate ruse to disguise the real romance between the h and her BFF? I mean those two were a GREAT couple and they even have a baby now, so I am choosing to believe that the h tolerated all this sheer idiocy from the H because she just did not care.
She loves her BFF and they had childbirth together and they are there for each other and the H is just an extra appendage with money and y chromosomes and the BFF totally kicked his hiney too. So I am saying give that woman the H status, cause she totally wouldn't go for the recycled ring option.
It makes a waaaay better story that way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2017
Wow! I loved this. I love asshole heroes. Hero was heartless, cruel and cold. Until he fell in love with the heroine that is. But he doesn't realize his feelings until the last few chapters. Heroine was your typical Jennie Lucas heroine. Sweet, loving and adorable. The ending was perfect full of angst and drama. My heart broke for Belle and the way Santiago rejected her. His ex girlfriend was such a bitch I loved it when he called her a snake lol I like my epilogues filled with lots of babies so I wasn't happy with this epilogue but still it was a great read! :)
March 27, 2019
Oh my hell! This story was so rage inducing. I'm clearly in the minority on this one, but I loved it. Santiago was a cold hearted asshole who refused to let himself ever feel love again after being burned by his first love. He gutted Belle so many times in this story. Of course I thrived on all this gutting angst.
Believe me, I ask myself this all the time. I'm sick, but I cannot get enough of these asshole heroes. And poor Belle. She was a bit of a doormat, but it was because she was so self serving to everyone around her, and she truly didn't believe she deserved better in life. There were plenty of evil secondary characters in this story, willing to kick what little confidence Belle had left to the curb, and making sure she knew her place was not among the upper crust. All it took was a simple "I love you" from Belle, and Santiago was more than willing to cut her out of his life and send her packing. Sealing her belief she'd never been good enough for him. There was more than my fair share of heartbreaking angst in this story and I enjoyed Santiago's grovel in the ending. Good stuff!
May 19, 2022
These soap opera-esque books are like crack to me. Loved this one. The H was absolutely horrible. The h was a moral paragon. Her poor treatment by the H and nasty OW was hilariously OTT.
Just wish there had been more grovel to follow the angst. The h was way too forgiving and accommodating.
Just wish there had been more grovel to follow the angst. The h was way too forgiving and accommodating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2017
Wow that was heartbreaking
Words elude me right now. I haven't cried this hard in forever. I mean I was openly weeping and sobbing. My husband was like what is going on? This was too much almost. When he tells her to leave I almost died. My Husband was driving the car and he actually looked for exits to pull over. I will do a review but right now I need to grieve!!
Words elude me right now. I haven't cried this hard in forever. I mean I was openly weeping and sobbing. My husband was like what is going on? This was too much almost. When he tells her to leave I almost died. My Husband was driving the car and he actually looked for exits to pull over. I will do a review but right now I need to grieve!!
July 5, 2022
This one was fun in an OTT trainwrecky sort away. A lot of readers hate it, and you really need to be in the right mood to enjoy it. It kinda reminded me of the old-school, whacktastic, soap opera-esque HP’s I used to steal from my mom back in the day… with smut. (Mom’s never said his huge, thick shaft) 😆
Belle and Santiago hook up during a visit for her BFF’s something event after having a long talk about her inability to get pregnant and his inability to love. He can only offer her one night… blah blah blah… but she's game. A night of life altering sex leaves Santiago unsettled that he might be catching feelings, so he sneaks out in the middle of the night. FFW seven months later with Belle tracking him down with a surprise.
What we’ve Got….
✅ 28-yr old virgin h
✅ jackass, emotionally unavailable H
✅ secret baby
✅ regifted engagement ring
✅ venomous ex that puts the heavily pregnant h in the attic
What’s we’ve Not…
❌romance
❌h with spine
❌ groveling
Bottom Line- This is not for readers that don’t love jerky H’s or like h’s that stand up for themselves. This is like the opposite version of Cinderella where she’s mistreated by everyone and gets the frog.
Belle and Santiago hook up during a visit for her BFF’s something event after having a long talk about her inability to get pregnant and his inability to love. He can only offer her one night… blah blah blah… but she's game. A night of life altering sex leaves Santiago unsettled that he might be catching feelings, so he sneaks out in the middle of the night. FFW seven months later with Belle tracking him down with a surprise.
What we’ve Got….
✅ 28-yr old virgin h
✅ jackass, emotionally unavailable H
✅ secret baby
✅ regifted engagement ring
✅ venomous ex that puts the heavily pregnant h in the attic
What’s we’ve Not…
❌romance
❌h with spine
❌ groveling
Bottom Line- This is not for readers that don’t love jerky H’s or like h’s that stand up for themselves. This is like the opposite version of Cinderella where she’s mistreated by everyone and gets the frog.
July 4, 2018
Omg. Carrying the Spaniard's Child was an exhausting read. A dramatic train wreck caused by the hero.
In this hp, the hero went from a possessive alpha hero to a wimp with daddy issues!
I kept reading because I liked the heroine.
The book was going great till after the halfpoint. Then the daddy issues appeared & the ex girlfriend. The hero let the heroine be treated like garbage by them. Totally unnecessary drama since drama already happened earlier.
The hero was willing to abandon the heroine for the daddy who abandoned him. And that happened toward the very last chapters. Totally unnecessary. It made the hero weak & foolish. It came out of nowhere. It almost made me stop reading.
The heroine totally saved this book. It's rare that happens. So I give it 4 stars for that and the quasi epilogue
In this hp, the hero went from a possessive alpha hero to a wimp with daddy issues!
I kept reading because I liked the heroine.
The book was going great till after the halfpoint. Then the daddy issues appeared & the ex girlfriend. The hero let the heroine be treated like garbage by them. Totally unnecessary drama since drama already happened earlier.
The hero was willing to abandon the heroine for the daddy who abandoned him. And that happened toward the very last chapters. Totally unnecessary. It made the hero weak & foolish. It came out of nowhere. It almost made me stop reading.
The heroine totally saved this book. It's rare that happens. So I give it 4 stars for that and the quasi epilogue
March 11, 2018
A friend of mine led me to this book and I was all set to love it as she did...and I'm sorry to say I didn't.
The blame for my dislike was the hero. He was one of the worst, meanest, cruelest, viper-like heroes that I have read about in an HP. He took the proverbial cake. I am finding out since I decided to give HP a go, that it tends to be a component of Harlequin Presents Heroes in varying degrees.
I will say that the hero turned around in the last pages of the book but it simply wasn't enough, in my eyes, to redeem him. His behavior when finding out the heroine was pregnant was incomprehensible and unbelievable.
With regret, I cannot recommend this book. But maybe you should give it a try since there are others who seem to have really enjoyed it.
The blame for my dislike was the hero. He was one of the worst, meanest, cruelest, viper-like heroes that I have read about in an HP. He took the proverbial cake. I am finding out since I decided to give HP a go, that it tends to be a component of Harlequin Presents Heroes in varying degrees.
I will say that the hero turned around in the last pages of the book but it simply wasn't enough, in my eyes, to redeem him. His behavior when finding out the heroine was pregnant was incomprehensible and unbelievable.
With regret, I cannot recommend this book. But maybe you should give it a try since there are others who seem to have really enjoyed it.
November 11, 2017
I couldn’t forget or forgive that hero send the heroine away when she was heavily pregnant. And lets not forget about the the OW.
March 10, 2024
As you know I love mean jerks when they haven’t cheated but I must agree this H was OTT !
November 22, 2017
The H of this book, Santiago Velazquez is a bastard! Literally and figuratively. I wanted Belle to haul off and puch his face in, but Jennie Lucas created a better personality than mine.
Her seduces virgin Belle, and then is vile to her when she turns up to let him know that she is six months pregnant with his child. Then the bastard forces her to agree to marry him, even though he has made it crystal clear that he will never love her, and does not want her love.
Then, the bastard takes her to Spain to the funeral of his brother, and to meet the father who refused to acknowledge his existance. There she learns the his brother's widow is the woman that Santiago has been in love with since he was a teenager. The woman who married his brother because he was the better option at the time. Now the witch wants him back so she is nasty as hell to Belle.
I hated everyone in this book, including the butler, except Belle. I even got pissed at Belle for being such a damn doormat. How do you allow people to stick your pregnant self in the rickety room in the attic?! It was just too much for me.
Even with all the anger and feels, I LOVED this book. It kept me engrossed. I fell asleep with it in my hands and woke up and finished it before i left my bed. The uber grovel by Santiago at the end was sooo worth it! On you knees, bully boy! Ha! Read this one. It is a winner. :)
Her seduces virgin Belle, and then is vile to her when she turns up to let him know that she is six months pregnant with his child. Then the bastard forces her to agree to marry him, even though he has made it crystal clear that he will never love her, and does not want her love.
Then, the bastard takes her to Spain to the funeral of his brother, and to meet the father who refused to acknowledge his existance. There she learns the his brother's widow is the woman that Santiago has been in love with since he was a teenager. The woman who married his brother because he was the better option at the time. Now the witch wants him back so she is nasty as hell to Belle.
I hated everyone in this book, including the butler, except Belle. I even got pissed at Belle for being such a damn doormat. How do you allow people to stick your pregnant self in the rickety room in the attic?! It was just too much for me.
Even with all the anger and feels, I LOVED this book. It kept me engrossed. I fell asleep with it in my hands and woke up and finished it before i left my bed. The uber grovel by Santiago at the end was sooo worth it! On you knees, bully boy! Ha! Read this one. It is a winner. :)
May 22, 2019
I may have thrown up a little reading this spineless cock womble H spineless doormat h.
The H was no h he was bloody awful and that's all I have to say about this one. Others say it far more eloquently than I.
AVOID!
The H was no h he was bloody awful and that's all I have to say about this one. Others say it far more eloquently than I.
AVOID!
May 2, 2019
I think I pulled a muscle while reading this, what with all the eye rolling I was doing. The troll prince and the pathetic princess.
December 19, 2017
Jennie Lucas normally gets at least 4 Stars from me however, the one reason this book doesn't is because the "hero" let's his negligent father and the evil OW talk crap about the heroine at the dinner table after she returned to New York and says nothing at all. You know what, make it two reasons now that I think about it. The "hero" gives the heroine an engagement ring he bought for the evil OW who turned him down 5 years prior. I can't even get mad at the OW for pointing this out. This was not one of my favorite heros.
Outside of those two above listed incidences, this was a good read and what I've come to expect from Jennie Lucas. I do feel the author went a little overboard with the "I'm just a down-home Texas girl loving everyone" theme. There's angst, hot sex scenes and of course a baby at the end. I LOVED seeing one of my favorite heros, Kassius Black, make an appearance at the end. I wished Jennie Lucas showed Lainey and their baby son too.
Outside of those two above listed incidences, this was a good read and what I've come to expect from Jennie Lucas. I do feel the author went a little overboard with the "I'm just a down-home Texas girl loving everyone" theme. There's angst, hot sex scenes and of course a baby at the end. I LOVED seeing one of my favorite heros, Kassius Black, make an appearance at the end. I wished Jennie Lucas showed Lainey and their baby son too.
July 9, 2017
Wasn't really happy with this novel. I don't think the hero really redeemed himself in the end. The heroine was kind of crazy for wanting love so much. Overall it worked out but it was definitely a 2.5 stars book IMO.
December 17, 2019
3.75 Stars
March 3, 2024
A little uneven, and I had trouble liking Santiago until the big realization about his true feelings for Belle and he flew to be with her.
Some of the "knife-to-the-heart" passages:
“I love you,” she repeated joyfully, searching his dark gaze. “Could you ever love me?” But when he looked down at her, his handsome face was suddenly cold. “I never asked for your love, Belle. I never wanted it.” She sucked in her breath, annihilated by pain. How could he kiss her so desperately one moment, then push her away so coldly the next? Then suddenly it all made sense. The coldness. The distance. It had all started weeks ago. He wasn’t a fool. He must have realized she was falling in love with him, probably before she even realized it herself. So he’d started pulling away, acting cold. He must have started regretting his decision to propose. When he’d first heard the news of his brother’s death—that was why he’d seemed almost relieved to have the excuse to cancel their wedding. He didn’t want her love.
and again:
“But she’s like you. You’ve known her half your life. I can see why you love her.” “Love her?” He sounded shocked. “Don’t be ridiculous. She’s my brother’s widow. He’s not even cold in his grave.” Why was he trying to deny what was so plain, even to her? “And now she’s free. The only woman you ever loved. The woman you spent years trying to deserve, like a knight on a charger, determined to slay dragons for her. Just like in a fairy tale.” She looked up. “And now you’ll be duke and duchess. You’ll live in a castle in Spain.” She looked up at the moonlit castle in wonder, then down at herself as she stood in the garden, heavily pregnant and with ill-fitting, wrinkled clothes, and whispered, “I’m no man’s prize.”
and one more:
“I know I can’t compete with Nadia,” she choked out, “not in a million years. I’m not beautiful like her. I can’t offer you the dukedom you’ve craved all your life. There’s only one thing I can give you better than anyone else. My love. Love that will last for the rest of my life.” She looked up at him through her tears. “Choose me, Santiago,” she whispered. “Love me.”
I know others have looked at Belle as a "doormat", but in the end, she stood up for herself because she *knew* she deserved better and wouldn't settle for less, unlike many HQP heroines.
Some of the "knife-to-the-heart" passages:
“I love you,” she repeated joyfully, searching his dark gaze. “Could you ever love me?” But when he looked down at her, his handsome face was suddenly cold. “I never asked for your love, Belle. I never wanted it.” She sucked in her breath, annihilated by pain. How could he kiss her so desperately one moment, then push her away so coldly the next? Then suddenly it all made sense. The coldness. The distance. It had all started weeks ago. He wasn’t a fool. He must have realized she was falling in love with him, probably before she even realized it herself. So he’d started pulling away, acting cold. He must have started regretting his decision to propose. When he’d first heard the news of his brother’s death—that was why he’d seemed almost relieved to have the excuse to cancel their wedding. He didn’t want her love.
and again:
“But she’s like you. You’ve known her half your life. I can see why you love her.” “Love her?” He sounded shocked. “Don’t be ridiculous. She’s my brother’s widow. He’s not even cold in his grave.” Why was he trying to deny what was so plain, even to her? “And now she’s free. The only woman you ever loved. The woman you spent years trying to deserve, like a knight on a charger, determined to slay dragons for her. Just like in a fairy tale.” She looked up. “And now you’ll be duke and duchess. You’ll live in a castle in Spain.” She looked up at the moonlit castle in wonder, then down at herself as she stood in the garden, heavily pregnant and with ill-fitting, wrinkled clothes, and whispered, “I’m no man’s prize.”
and one more:
“I know I can’t compete with Nadia,” she choked out, “not in a million years. I’m not beautiful like her. I can’t offer you the dukedom you’ve craved all your life. There’s only one thing I can give you better than anyone else. My love. Love that will last for the rest of my life.” She looked up at him through her tears. “Choose me, Santiago,” she whispered. “Love me.”
I know others have looked at Belle as a "doormat", but in the end, she stood up for herself because she *knew* she deserved better and wouldn't settle for less, unlike many HQP heroines.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2018
Plot: 3/5
Characterisation: 3.5/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I enjoyed it: 3/5
Rating are rough estimation. Read this in December 2017 but didn't remember much.
Characterisation: 3.5/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I enjoyed it: 3/5
Rating are rough estimation. Read this in December 2017 but didn't remember much.
September 29, 2017
4.75 -5 stars
Another winner from Jennie Lucas, I never seem to go wrong with her. She just knows how to pull on the emotional heartstrings and make me tear up and I hurt along with the characters, usually the heroine and just gets me every time. That's why I love her as an author.
In this particular story told the emotional love story between Santiago and Belle. They had sparks flying as soon as the book began. They kind of had that love/hate relationship that hide their sexual attraction to one another. This sexual attraction had been building for the past four months so by the time the book started they were ready to go at it. And the heat ignited and they had that sexy encounter pretty early on in the story. Usually it bothers me when love scenes happen in a book, but in this story it worked for one because they weren't strangers and two it could feel all that nice tension between them that had been built upon month after month so there was there tension there and made it believable that they would fall into bed early on in the story. So I didn't mind it.
After they had that little steamy love scene that lead to her loosing her virginity, he acted, in a true Jennie Lucas hero, like a jerk and left the Belle heartbroken. Because what they shared in that bed was truly an emotional and physical connection where intimacy occurred, and it hurt her to know that he could dismiss that so easily and leave her behind. She gave a piece of herself to him in that scene and he just threw it away.
Of coarse that wasn't the last time Santiago was a jerk or hurt poor sweet Belle, and he was a cad when he learned she was pregnant. He was cruel and cold, and it was easily to see him break her more and more and made me feel so bad for her. Again another typical trait of a Jennie Lucas hero.
He blackmailed her into marriage though by that point he did realize his misconceptions about her wrong. I really liked that he found out the truth about Belle early on instead of near the end, and it softened him towards her. He tried to woo her and it was a beautiful romantic scene. Yes, he had ulterior motives with the marriage thing then wound up blackmailing her, but it was a sweet scene that lead to a passionate sexy one.
What I was impressed with Santiago was that he did seem to genuinely care about her and it wasn't just about the passion. He was sweet and caring and acted very loving without saying the words and even fighting them for quite awhile. But I could see him getting deeper and deeper as the book progressed. I actually saw him fall in love and that was beautiful. That's rare to see a hero fall that deeply in love and actually feel it. I loved that.
I loved Belle so much. She was so sweet. So full of love and all she wanted in her life was love nothing else mattered. She had sacrificed so much in order to take care of those around her that she loved. And some of the sacrifices that she made was huge and it hurt her. It was a pain in her heart. And it was heartbreaking. It really struck me. So when she finally got her miracle, it filled her with joy and I was so happy for her, but at the same time her journey wasn't easy especially with Santiago. He delivered quite a few more emotional blows to her. It hurt, and it made me tear up. It got really real when they go to Spain and just more heartbreak ensued. Oh my goodness. It was hard to read but the pain was worth it in the end.
It was really intense, emotionally and the were a lot of ups and downs in their romantic journey. I loved all the lows and the highs. I loved the journey that I went on with them. They had this connection that was deep and meaningful and even though they didn't always admit and acknowledge it, bit it was always there. I felt their need for one another as well as their loved. It was a love story I was rooting for. I knew they belonged together.
There was a whole Cinderella vibe to the story, though at first it bothered me that Santiago was kind of forcing her in high society, knowing she was uncomfortable with the circumstances, I did like that when she was discomforted by it he stood up for her and with her, and that was really beautiful. Their time in New York was really romantic and tender and I loved how their life was shaping up until circumstances arose and his fear got in the way.
I loved how selfless they both were that showed how much they loved each other especially Santiago. He really thought he was doing best for her and just wanted her to be happy and was the reason he did what he did even though it seemed cruel at the time. It was and though he partly did it out of his fear of his feelings for her, he did it for her too. I didn't hate what he did but at the same time I wanted him to hold on Belle and her love for him.
The pace was really good and flowed very nice. It showed the growth of their love and the growth of their relationship. It was always more than lust between them. There was an emotional connection between them from the beginning. It was nice to see that grow and intensified as the book progressed. It was a very natural and beautiful progression and I loved it.
This was a book where I truly felt the love. I had all the feels associated with a great romance. There were high and lows that I went on in this books and I loved that. I teared up a couple times because of what Belle went through and the pain inflicted on her. It made me want to give her a huge. I rooted for her and him all the way. It was gut wrenching at the time but it was all worth it in the end. I wish there was a scene where when she finally woke up and he was finally with her that they had an emotional intimate moment where they held each other because up to that point he always left her in bed and made her feel very much alone. I think that would have been a real poignant moment between them. They had other important moments but that would had been satisfying to me and spoke to me. But other that I don't have any other than that. I loved the ride and the journey I went on with these too characters that I wanted to get their HEA with each other. So sweet and tender and loving and passionate story. I throughly enjoyed it.
Another winner from Jennie Lucas, I never seem to go wrong with her. She just knows how to pull on the emotional heartstrings and make me tear up and I hurt along with the characters, usually the heroine and just gets me every time. That's why I love her as an author.
In this particular story told the emotional love story between Santiago and Belle. They had sparks flying as soon as the book began. They kind of had that love/hate relationship that hide their sexual attraction to one another. This sexual attraction had been building for the past four months so by the time the book started they were ready to go at it. And the heat ignited and they had that sexy encounter pretty early on in the story. Usually it bothers me when love scenes happen in a book, but in this story it worked for one because they weren't strangers and two it could feel all that nice tension between them that had been built upon month after month so there was there tension there and made it believable that they would fall into bed early on in the story. So I didn't mind it.
After they had that little steamy love scene that lead to her loosing her virginity, he acted, in a true Jennie Lucas hero, like a jerk and left the Belle heartbroken. Because what they shared in that bed was truly an emotional and physical connection where intimacy occurred, and it hurt her to know that he could dismiss that so easily and leave her behind. She gave a piece of herself to him in that scene and he just threw it away.
Of coarse that wasn't the last time Santiago was a jerk or hurt poor sweet Belle, and he was a cad when he learned she was pregnant. He was cruel and cold, and it was easily to see him break her more and more and made me feel so bad for her. Again another typical trait of a Jennie Lucas hero.
He blackmailed her into marriage though by that point he did realize his misconceptions about her wrong. I really liked that he found out the truth about Belle early on instead of near the end, and it softened him towards her. He tried to woo her and it was a beautiful romantic scene. Yes, he had ulterior motives with the marriage thing then wound up blackmailing her, but it was a sweet scene that lead to a passionate sexy one.
What I was impressed with Santiago was that he did seem to genuinely care about her and it wasn't just about the passion. He was sweet and caring and acted very loving without saying the words and even fighting them for quite awhile. But I could see him getting deeper and deeper as the book progressed. I actually saw him fall in love and that was beautiful. That's rare to see a hero fall that deeply in love and actually feel it. I loved that.
I loved Belle so much. She was so sweet. So full of love and all she wanted in her life was love nothing else mattered. She had sacrificed so much in order to take care of those around her that she loved. And some of the sacrifices that she made was huge and it hurt her. It was a pain in her heart. And it was heartbreaking. It really struck me. So when she finally got her miracle, it filled her with joy and I was so happy for her, but at the same time her journey wasn't easy especially with Santiago. He delivered quite a few more emotional blows to her. It hurt, and it made me tear up. It got really real when they go to Spain and just more heartbreak ensued. Oh my goodness. It was hard to read but the pain was worth it in the end.
It was really intense, emotionally and the were a lot of ups and downs in their romantic journey. I loved all the lows and the highs. I loved the journey that I went on with them. They had this connection that was deep and meaningful and even though they didn't always admit and acknowledge it, bit it was always there. I felt their need for one another as well as their loved. It was a love story I was rooting for. I knew they belonged together.
There was a whole Cinderella vibe to the story, though at first it bothered me that Santiago was kind of forcing her in high society, knowing she was uncomfortable with the circumstances, I did like that when she was discomforted by it he stood up for her and with her, and that was really beautiful. Their time in New York was really romantic and tender and I loved how their life was shaping up until circumstances arose and his fear got in the way.
I loved how selfless they both were that showed how much they loved each other especially Santiago. He really thought he was doing best for her and just wanted her to be happy and was the reason he did what he did even though it seemed cruel at the time. It was and though he partly did it out of his fear of his feelings for her, he did it for her too. I didn't hate what he did but at the same time I wanted him to hold on Belle and her love for him.
The pace was really good and flowed very nice. It showed the growth of their love and the growth of their relationship. It was always more than lust between them. There was an emotional connection between them from the beginning. It was nice to see that grow and intensified as the book progressed. It was a very natural and beautiful progression and I loved it.
This was a book where I truly felt the love. I had all the feels associated with a great romance. There were high and lows that I went on in this books and I loved that. I teared up a couple times because of what Belle went through and the pain inflicted on her. It made me want to give her a huge. I rooted for her and him all the way. It was gut wrenching at the time but it was all worth it in the end. I wish there was a scene where when she finally woke up and he was finally with her that they had an emotional intimate moment where they held each other because up to that point he always left her in bed and made her feel very much alone. I think that would have been a real poignant moment between them. They had other important moments but that would had been satisfying to me and spoke to me. But other that I don't have any other than that. I loved the ride and the journey I went on with these too characters that I wanted to get their HEA with each other. So sweet and tender and loving and passionate story. I throughly enjoyed it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2018
Santiago was enchanted.
As was I. What a delightful book this was, so humorous, so sweet. Although he treated Belle callously at first. Further, the treatment meted out by his father, the Duke's family, to Belle inspite of Santiago's presence was horrible.
I was worried with most of the reveals being there in the beginning itself, wondering what was left in the story then. But was it a great bunch of big surprises all throughout! It was horrible, the treatment they received from their respective parents. And then there was the betrayal of his past love. I loved the way, slowly, how she creeped into his heart.
The story was so gripping that while Santiago was in Spain, as a reader, I too was constantly thinking about whether he would take up the dukedom offered to him after his step brother's death. Will he, won't he? There is this suspense maintained throughout that episode.
There was so much of heartbreak before everything became okay.
After reading the Kindle version, I loved it so much that I went ahead and ordered a paperback, coz this one's for keeps! Jennie Lucas
June 10, 2021
There can be no resistance...only surrender!
Waitress Belle Langtry's night of no regrets with ruthless playboy Santiago Velazquez was never meant to be more than a sinfully sweet memory. Until fate has other plans, and Belle finds herself carrying the baby she never thought possible!
Santiago has long rejected all notions of fatherhood, so Belle's news is shocking. He might refuse to trust her, but Santiago won't let Belle escape his claim--to her or their child! His plan? To bind Belle with his ring, and keep her in thrall to him with his touch! (
Waitress Belle Langtry's night of no regrets with ruthless playboy Santiago Velazquez was never meant to be more than a sinfully sweet memory. Until fate has other plans, and Belle finds herself carrying the baby she never thought possible!
Santiago has long rejected all notions of fatherhood, so Belle's news is shocking. He might refuse to trust her, but Santiago won't let Belle escape his claim--to her or their child! His plan? To bind Belle with his ring, and keep her in thrall to him with his touch! (
March 16, 2024
This book made me laugh, cry, swoon and scream in anger! (Not literally but I was close) I loved the characters, the plot, the display of emotions, the beautiful manipulation of my own emotions that I crave from every book I read. It was magic~ Absolute magic and I'm utterly bewitched!
April 16, 2018
The story starts out with Belle crying in a snow-covered garden. Belle had attended her best friend’s father funeral. She hates ruthless playboy Santiago Velazquez. It just had to be him that found her. They ended up sharing one night together, that lead to pregnancy. Belle has always been there to take care of those around her. When her mother died, she stepped in to raise her brothers. I loved Belle. She was kind hearted, and brave.
Santiago Velazquez grew up with his mother. His father came from royalty but had nothing to do with his son. When his mother died Santiago tried to speak to his father. His father set his dogs out on Santiago. His child hood best friend Nadia was there with him that day. They both lived in the same foster home. Her response after seeing his father’s palace, was one day I want to live there. Santiago had child hood dreams of being accepted by his father and being married to Nadia.
He called Belle a gold digger, and an accomplished liar when she came to tell him she was pregnant. She left in tears. Days latter he demanded marriage. She stood her ground for a little while. The two grew closer throughout the book. She got to see a softer side to Santiago. He romanced her and tried to win her over. He was a very rich man. Women were always hoping to get into his bed, wallet, or both. Not Belle. She was different from the others. She drew him like a flame in the darkness. He was slowly falling in love and it scared him. Years ago Nadia broke his heart when she ended up marrying his brother that he had never met.
The day that Belle and Santiago were suppose to marry, he finds out his brother had passed away. He was asked to come to Spain right away. Belle understood when he cancelled the wedding. 3 weeks away from her due date she flew with him. That’s when you know it’s a book, because no pregnant lady is going to fly over night anywhere. Santiago was faced with his childhood dreams. He was finally accepted by his father. Nadia always wanted him back. I really did hate her and hated the way she treated Belle.
You’ll have to read to see how the story plays out. It was a decent book.
Santiago Velazquez grew up with his mother. His father came from royalty but had nothing to do with his son. When his mother died Santiago tried to speak to his father. His father set his dogs out on Santiago. His child hood best friend Nadia was there with him that day. They both lived in the same foster home. Her response after seeing his father’s palace, was one day I want to live there. Santiago had child hood dreams of being accepted by his father and being married to Nadia.
He called Belle a gold digger, and an accomplished liar when she came to tell him she was pregnant. She left in tears. Days latter he demanded marriage. She stood her ground for a little while. The two grew closer throughout the book. She got to see a softer side to Santiago. He romanced her and tried to win her over. He was a very rich man. Women were always hoping to get into his bed, wallet, or both. Not Belle. She was different from the others. She drew him like a flame in the darkness. He was slowly falling in love and it scared him. Years ago Nadia broke his heart when she ended up marrying his brother that he had never met.
The day that Belle and Santiago were suppose to marry, he finds out his brother had passed away. He was asked to come to Spain right away. Belle understood when he cancelled the wedding. 3 weeks away from her due date she flew with him. That’s when you know it’s a book, because no pregnant lady is going to fly over night anywhere. Santiago was faced with his childhood dreams. He was finally accepted by his father. Nadia always wanted him back. I really did hate her and hated the way she treated Belle.
You’ll have to read to see how the story plays out. It was a decent book.
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