Ο πιο Δυνατός Πόθος

Bound to a Billionaire #2

by Michelle Smart

Μια νύχτα…
Μόλις ο Ματέο βλέπει τη Νατάσα Πελεγκρίνι στην κηδεία του άντρα της, ξυπνούν μέσα του αναμνήσεις από μια άλλη εποχή, προτού εκείνη τον προδώσει. Κυριευμένοι και οι δυο από ανάμεικτα συναισθήματα, παραδίνονται στο εκρηκτικό πάθος τους…

Ένα μυστικό…
Η Νατάσα δεν τολμά να αποκαλύψει σε κανέναν την αλήθεια για τον ψυχρό γάμο της. Είναι παρθένα μέχρι τη στιγμή που ο Ματέο την κάνει δική του.

Ένα μωρό…
Όταν μαθαίνει πως η Νατάσα είναι έγκυος, ο Ματέο συνειδητοποιεί ότι πρέπει να αντιμετωπίσουν την κατάσταση μαζί. Μπορεί να μην την εμπιστεύεται, αλλά έχει κάθε πρόθεση να διεκδικήσει το παιδί του. Δεν έχει υπολογίσει, ωστόσο, πόσο απόλυτα θα τους ενώσει ο ακόρεστος πόθος τους!

Genres: Harlequin Presents, Harlequin, Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Enemies To Lovers, Doctors, Second Chance

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2017

About the author

Michelle Smart is a Publishers Weekly bestselling romance author with a slight-to-severe coffee addiction. With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Michelle is now embracing the indie book world to write the passionate romance books she knows her readers love whilst continuing to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She is also the author of Butterflies, a standalone romantic and humorous time travel novel set in the 1990s.

A bookworm since birth, Michelle can usually be found hiding behind a paperback, or if it’s an author she really loves, a hardback.

Michelle loves hearing from readers and can be contacted directly via her website.

Reviews

[Vintage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of manufactured angst and BS, and this one has so much I felt like I was reading a landfill of plastic tropes. Need pitchfork.

The doormat aka heroine was forced into a MOC with her now Dead Husband, head of muckety muck Italian household. She agrees to a MOC while spurning the love of her life because her pathetic parents guilted her into it. No debts, no business deals hanging, no dying sibling that needs a brain transplant, just general parental manipulation and disapproval driving her to abandoning the love of her life and into a loveless marriage where she can't even redecorate the villa. The doormat and Dead Husband are engaged for six freaking years before they marry. Married a year when, thank you God, he's killed.

Honestly, there is so much convoluted bullshit I don't even know where to go with this.

The H is a member of Dead Husband's family. That part of the family adopted him when his parents rejected him because they feel he is responsible for their other son's burn damage and subsequent death. Subsequent death happened 20 years after the fire so WTF? The H is a plastic surgeon/tycoon, of course and has changed his last name to spite HIS difficult father.

The H and h have sex the night of Dead Husband's funeral. She's a virgin which the H suspects, kind of. By Harlequin standards she must have an iffy hymen as it's not as obvious as it should be. No more gymnastics for you missy!!!!!

The H hates her, of course, because she married the Dead Husband, but takes her away when he finds out that the baby is his. More angst.

It all comes to a head when she confesses why she married Dead Husband. He was gay. Yeah, Whoop de do. Maybe that's why he wouldn't let her decorate as let's wallow in stereotypes. He had to marry to inherit the whatever, and has lied to her and everyone else about his sexuality. When the H finds out the h withheld this info, it makes the H furious, even more furious than her rejecting him in the first place. Really?

When the rest of the family find out she's pregnant, she and the H are shunned. The are shunned separately of course because he won't have anything to do with her, and she won't have anything to do with him as she HAS HAD IT AND WILL NEVER HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH HIM AGAIN. SO THERE! She has been spurned by him for the last time. Yeah, sure you spineless wuss.

The truth comes out. Dead husband's lover admits they were gay together. Insta-forgiveness. The H visits her. and it's all okay. So much for never forgiving you and your heartless treatment. Sweetheart, this is why secret babies are made. At least run away and make him work a little.

The epilogue has her charging down the aisle as her parents watch. Yippee. They have found a new source of financing. Honestly, it's right there. Thank goodness, the H is a plastic surgeon to the stars so he has relatively bottomless pockets to fund her pathetic parents.

I would have given it a negative ten stars if possible for such idiotic and pathetic characters, but I know there are readers who love angst. Effing angst.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin for an honest review.


Natasha Pellegrini and Matteo Manaserro fell in love when Natasha was eighteen and I believe Matteo was 28. But shockingly Natasha ended up marrying his cousin. Natasha doesn't see Matteo again until her husbands funeral. So much pain and hurt on both sides, secrets and lies encompassed Natasha's life that couldn't ever be revealed.

Both have so much animosity towards each other. Matteo felt betrayed when she married his cousin, he had loved her and had hopes for their future together. He believed that Natasha married his cousin for his wealth and family prestige. He came from a poor upbringing but was in college studying to become a doctor those less fortunate. But after her betrayel he went for the money and became the best plastic surgeon to the wealthy and famous and even created a best selling wrinkle cream.

After the funeral Matteo was asked to look in on Natasha who had gone home as her family was concerned. What transpires from the visit was a passionate, sexual and intense encounter (and a surprise that Matteo found hard to believe or grasp). Both deal with regret and guilt afterwards. Still so much anger between the two and both decide to forget the encounter and go their separate ways. They will need to continue to interact occasionally as the family will continue Natasha's husbands charitable work/project and everyone is involved, including Matteo.

A shocking surprise for both Matteo and Natasha, she's pregnant. As the story progresses the two learn some shocking truths, delve into some deep, ugly and purging emotions. There is a lot of anger that the two wrestle with as well as passion. It's not pretty at times and I found at times I didn't really care for their mannerism or treatment of each other. But it was an intense and riveting story.

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ Gripping, passionate, secrets and lies

Claiming his One-Night Baby is the second book in the series.
I wasn't fortunate enough to have read the first book. Although it was a little confusing at first. I soon settled into the story.

Claiming His One-Night Baby is about broken relationships, secrets, betrayal, lies, passion, chemistry, lust, anger, new beginnings, learning to trust and love again, becoming a Mother and family.

Natasha and Matteo are reunited at Natasha's husband, Pieta's funeral. In which he passed away in a tragic helicopter accident.

There is an underlying tension between the two, due to them being a secret couple a long time ago,only for Natasha to marry Matteo's cousin Pieta.

Natasha left Matteo heartbroken, betrayed and angry.
Natasha left him for money and wealth over love, happiness and passion.
Seeing her again is stirring up all the feelings and passion between then.

So when Matteo's cousin Francesca asks Matteo to keep an eye on her, he can't refuse incase the family suspect.

He debates whether to go see Natasha.

But the anger and engulfing passion steers he's heart towards her house.

When she opens the door. Emotions overwhelm them both and they are frantically ripping at each other's clothes, searching and exploring each other's bodies like they had never been apart.

They both know it is wrong of them and Matteo is aware that Natasha and Pieta were trying for a family so she was probably not using protection.
But he was so caught up in the passion and heat of the moment he didn't care.

What I was most annoyed about was the fact he could of used protection.
After all it is a man's responsibility just as it is a women's.
 The second thing was although Matteo was bitter and angry and overcome with grief. He discarded Natasha after he had his wicked way with her. Leaving her confused.

It was hardly surprising when Natasha ends up pregnant!

Both Natasha and Matteo are very lonely and crave the self approval of their families.
Matteo comes across as a pig at times and to be honest I didn't really like him too much.
Ok he was willing to support Natasha and I know she hurt him but he just didn't seem to want to give her a break.

Natasha grew in strength when she became a mother. I enjoyed watching her mature into an independent young mother.
Natasha didn't have it easy and it appears her marriage wasn't a match made in heaven either!

I think because Matteo see how strong and independent Natasha had become it only fuelled his desires to want her more.
There is no denying there is some serious chemistry between the two of them.

But can they work out there differences or will they go their separate ways?
I guess you will just have to read to discover the answers!

Although this book has passionate encounters, there is also lots of secrets and truths to be uncovered. I wouldn't say this book has lots of romance. It's more chemistry, lust and anger sexual encounters.

I would recommend this book.
But in my opinion this one isn't a standalone book.
So definitely read book 1 first.
I missed out on the character building and story. Which I believe would of made this book a 5☆ review if i had of done.

Recommended for readers who enjoy love/hate relationships, passionate encounters, uncovering secrets and lies.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mills and Boon Insider for giving me the chance to read this beautiful book and review voluntarily.

You can also find my review on my blog:
http://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2017/09...

[Vashti · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5stars
In this trip to Harleyville, we have lies,betrayal, mistrust,unrequited love,angst,ons baby,and last but not least,sex!Sounds good right?I have to say that I had such "feels" with this romance.If ever there was a couple that needed to be with each other,it was this pair.
This is book #2 of this series and it focuses on Natasha and Matteo.Natasha is the widow of the sainted Pieta,or is he?Matteo (love his name)is the cousin to the now deceased Pieta and a world famous surgeon who is a billionare thanks to a revolutionary skin care product he made for his now deceased brother who had horrible scarring from a fire when they were both young.Matteo has had deep issues with this which led to his estrangement from his parents and the changing of his last name.
Anyways,these two meet when they are 18/28and quickly form a bond,but due to her young age and his very intense medical school rotations ,plus the fact that he is in Florida and she in England,they rely on phone calls,texts,etc to communicate.On the night he was going to ask her to proclaim their relationship,dear old everybody loves Pieta asks her to marry him in front of a crowd and she says yes.Matteo leaves and cuts her out of his life completely ,while Natasha goes on to a loveless and controlling marriage to the paragon that is Pieta,or is he!
They meet up again 8 years later at the funeral for the dearly departed Pieta,and later on that night,he goes to her home ,and before you know it,they are hitting the sheets,but soon after he leaves in disgust at what they did and he is feeling massive guilt and what he just did to his best friend's/dead cousin's wife who at one time was his one tru love.
Well,the stork came knocking and of course Matteo did not believe the baby was his,could it have been Pieta's,or some other man's he asks.Nope,baby is his and the jet of to Miami in his private plane.The dilemma for them is how is this going to affect the family that had essentially made them their own by this betrayal of the sainted Pietra.When the reveal of why Pieta never had sex with Natasha came to light,well that just put the nail in the coffin for these two,and the trust and lie issues rear it's ugly head and they part ways with each other and the family parts ways with them as they are still in the dark about Pieta's sexual orientation,they just think that Matteo and Natasha betrayed their beloved son and brother.
I was really engrossed in this tale and really had a few teary moments with the confessions.The hero had an epic on your knee "forgive me " grovel speech which was perfect.These two kids deserved their happiness for sure.
I am so glad I took chance with this author again after I read her first book,subsequent books have been winners for me.

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't mean to, but I'm reading this series in reverse order. I find it interesting that the hero is a plastic surgeon who has ditched the reconstructive side of the profession to chase $ in providing rich people with enhancing their appearance. The heroine has wasted eight years of her life helping her now dead husband keep up appearances. So appearances vs. healing would have been interesting theme to explore.

Instead, the author worked with another great theme - the truth will set you free.

So trope: heroine is a virgin widow. Hero is the man she loved since she was 18 and had to give up because her parents forced her into marriage with a rich man who needed to be married to inherit his family estate and fortune. The hero is the dead man's cousin and he has resented the heroine (not the cousin) for throwing him over for the richer relative.

Why is the heroine a virgin widow, you ask? Her husband was gay and didn't want anyone to know. He even lied to the heroine about his sexuality while they were engaged for six years.

The H/h come together the night of his cousin's funeral and the heroine falls pregnant.

So it's complicated and the author chose to have the H/h be shunned by the rest of the family because they didn't know the whole story of the h's disastrous marriage. And guess what? The H didn't know the whole story, either because the h never told him. When he does finally hear it he turns on her. For the black moment. He's angry she lied by omission.

But when he has to tell the truth to the dead man's sister and brother, he realizes what the heroine was trying to protect him from. Then and only then does he realize what the heroine had gone through all of these years.

He does a good grovel and HEA

Why the author gives the dead man a pass *for two books* for being a truly awful manipulative person, is beyond me. Same with the heroine making up with her horrible parents.

Recommended if you like the angst of a martyred heroine or are in the mood for a doormat.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some issues with this author but lately her Harlequins amaze me. This story was kind of old fashioned and it reminded me of my favorite vintage Harlequins. Hero and heroine fall in love when they are young but she marries his rich cousin instead. Years later her (secretly gay) husband dies and a night of passion leads to pregnancy. I loved both characters. Natasha was initially weak but as a mother she was strong and determined. Hero was alpha but not super cruel. Great chemistry and I would have liked a more detailed epilogue!

[Melody Cox · Rating 1 out of 5]

Did not care for. Deleted from my collection.

[AvidReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initially I thought of starring this book with 3 stars after I finished there was a warm feeling so uped by 1 more.
Claiming his one night baby was a book full of angst. I confess after some time I couldn’t take it. So flipped some pages and read some paragraphs in advance. Thats when my heart started beating normal again. The book is wonderfully written with an excellent story. I really liked Natasha our heroine. At first I was totally confused about her decisions.
Matteo was strong alpha , he was very affected and bitter about what happened between them 7 years back. My problem with the book was eventhough Matteo was clearly in love with Natasha he didn’t fight or try hard for her. And also from his own admission he moved on pretty fast and ‘had a steady string of women’. I didn’t like this. He hurt her badly the second time and she forgave him fast. I wanted him to grovel more. But he was a likable character and he adored heroine (I think)😉
And epilogue was satisfying too.

[Penny Watson]

This was not my favorite Michelle Smart book.

Won't be re-reading this one.

[Rgreader · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up on page 46. I didn't feel the connection between the hero and heroine. The heroine's introduction was done in a way that made me not like her. I still didn't warm to her by page 46. I got tired of reading about the heroine's husband and how good he was and the hospital they were building for him. None of that information helped me know the heroine or why she chose him instead of the hero. In two chapters I felt I knew what motivated the deceased husband. I wanted to know what motivated the heroine and hero.

I actually don't mind the virgin widow plotline. It's unfortunate that the storytelling failed to make her backstory more important and her a more sympathetic character.

[Mtve41 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t work out for me. Abominable unforgivable behaviour of the h. What is this really??? This woman plays a man, then submissively marries his cousin because she couldn’t talk her way out of it.

Years and years later this cousin (her husband) passes away and she sleeps with the original man (whom she ditched/ whose the H) the night of the burial. Your husband dies and you’re a bi*** in heat needing release.

Later she’s obviously pregnant and takes off with the H to another country to save face and body. The H keeps drilling the h why she did all that and she keeps putting him off. Every chance this woman gets, she shuts her trap and just nods off like some imbecile. If only she’d also had the decency to shut her legs.

The H finalllllly finds out the truth of her marriage and deceased husband who is also his cousin. And here is this hateful woman defending her despicable behaviour as well as her late husband. Where the f were your morals woman the night you buried your husband???

I can go on but won’t be much to say other than swear words. What was MS thinking of to put in a story to make it new. This was crossing quite a lot of boundaries! Sorry but no.

[Xai Xai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! What a grovel! Not saying anymore!

[Maria Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claiming His One-Night Baby by Michelle Smart is the second passionate romance in her Bound to a Billionaire series. The Pellegrini family is mourning the loss of their son Pieta, and the consequences of that loss have repercussions for the family including Pieta’s widow Natasha and his cousin Matteo Manaserro.

As a young woman, Natasha had formed a friendship with the older Matteo that was on the verge of becoming more. But as an eighteen year old innocent, Natasha had no choice but to marry Pieta in a marriage arranged for financial gain by her parents. Secrets abound, and when Pieta died unexpectedly in a helicopter crash, she became the sole keeper of them.

Matteo had been heartbroken when the woman he loved married his cousin instead, and cut off all contact with her. But the death of Pieta means he can no longer hide his feelings for Natasha, and on the night of the funeral they succumb to their old feelings for each other. When Natasha winds up pregnant, Matteo knows his family will be devastated by what they’ll see as a betrayal, and that he and Natasha must find a way to spare Pieta’s memory. He plans to support the baby fully, but is wary of trusting Natasha again. Can they find a way to put the past behind them and forge a new future together?

For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-cla...

A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like Michelle Smart books because of the angst and intensity in them and this book had spades of them. However, as much as I liked Matteo and Natasha, I couldn't relate to some of their actions and their justifications for it, especially Natasha's.

Mainly, I found it hard to digest the fact that Natasha was engaged to Pieta for six years, living separately in a house he'd put her in, and couldn't find a way to get out from marrying him. Then, again, I can understand her trying to spare the family's feelings about the truth of their son, even Matteo's. However, whatever may have been the equation between her and Matteo before, all the anger and accusations and hatred they've had for one another before, once she was pregnant with Matteo's baby, once they started to be more open with each other and Matteo kept telling her he liked she was being straight forward with him about what he was doing wrong, insisted she should always be honest with him, I don't see why she couldn't take Matteo into confidence about Pieta's sexuality, instead of keeping it from him.

Something about the whole stuff about her loyalty to her dead husband and keeping his secrets didn't come out well. I couldn't understand why was it okay to hold on to the secrets of the man who'd lied and manipulated her into a loveless, sexless marriage and risk her relationship with Matteo, the father of her baby, the man she'd already sacrificed once because she wasn't strong enough to go against her parents wishes. Then, just because she finally developed a spine to tell him she loves him, the same time he's trying to process the fact that she's lied to him by omission about Pieta also wondering what other stuff has she kept from him, she issues an ultimatum to him if he leaves she wouldn't accept him back.

Still I wouldn't put her in my unlikeable heroine category. I quite liked her. Same with Matteo. I liked him too. Also, the chemistry between the two was very good. The scenes in Miami when they come together again and live in as a couple were nice.

It was a nice, angsty read.

[Gwessie Tee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received arc in return for an honest review

Naughtiness 3*

Another fantastic read from Michelle, truly beautiful story that I couldn't put down. It literally pulled me in and wouldn't let got till I reached the end.

As always I will not give spoilers, what I can say that as the second in what I believe will be a trilogy we learn a lot more about all the key members so far that we have met. I have laughed, raged and wept with both frustration at the plight and joy but won't say what about. Its an awesome story and I can't wait for the next book to be available.

Thank you so much for writing this awesome series Michelle, its fantastic any who love modern contemporary romance will love this book.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Standard M&B storyline although it was refreshing they didn't rush to marry once Natasha fell pregnant. However, it was easy to guess the secret her late husband had but what I didn't understand is why she was engaged to him for 6 years, not living with him and had only married him in the last year? I'm sure she could have found a way to get out of her engagement in all those years which left me feeling the plot was quite weak.

I could understand why she wanted to keep her late husbands secret to herself but Matteo's reaction when he found out and the things he said to her were out of order and if I was her, I wouldn't have forgiven him so easily.

It's an OK read but nothing special.

ARC provided by Netgalley.

[Paula Legate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book packed strong emotions. The hero, and heroine fall in love years ago. For reasons that will be revealed throughout the story she ends up marrying his cousin instead. After her husband dies, the hot chemistry can’t be held back anymore. They share a night together that ends up resulting in Natasha getting pregnant. Both had awful parents. They vow to be better parents. I really enjoyed this book. One of the big reveals I figured out beforehand. It was still a good book! Both hero and Heroine were likable. Hero was not mean. Heroine had a backbone. All components to make a good story. I can’t stand a weak or whiny heroine.

[Coral · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 3/5
Characterisation: 3.5/5
Prose: 4/5
How much I enjoyed it: 4/5

[Harlequin Books]

Received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews

Miniseries: Bound to a Billionaire

[Harlequin Books]

Received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews

Miniseries: Bound to a Billionaire

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natasha Pellegrini and Matteo Manaserro were once very close until she broke his trust and married another man. However, the night of her husband's funeral, things get out of control and Natasha and Matteo surrender to the intense chemistry that still blazes between them. Determined to do whatever it takes to care for Natasha when he discovers she pregnant, he knows he can't afford to fall for her again. But resisting her proves hard and when her secrets are finally revealed, will the hero be able to forgive her, or will they again lose the one person that can fill their lives with the love and happiness they deserve?

Ms Smart is a writer that does the enemy to lovers trope exceptionally well, which is proven by the powerful and emotional back stories and the history between these two that makes Matteo determined to keep his distance after their one-night together, even if he's willing to do right by the heroine; the intense dialogue that made me feel sorry for the heroine because of the secret she's hidden to protect those she cares about; and the obstacles these two face to be together, as Natasha needs to find a way to win back Matteo's trust. Will it be possible, considering how much he hates what she did?

Both the main characters are riveting and I liked how determined the hero was to help protect the heroine from any fallout with her late husband's family when it came to her pregnancy. I also liked how sympathetic the hero was to the heroine's secret once she revealed a truth that no-one even suspected. While the heroine, she's been through so much and I felt sorry for her because of the pressure she felt from her parents to marry the wrong man. I also couldn't help but sympathize with her when it came to the secret she's been keeping and that she felt by keeping it she was protecting those she cared for. However, in saying that, she was strong and brave when it came to the moment someone was determined to protect her reputation and that she was finally ready to stop allowing her parents to influence any decisions for her.

Overall, Ms. Smart has penned a fascinating read in this book where the chemistry was intense; the romance full of affection and showed how much these two cared for each other, despite what Natasha did to him; and the ending had me empathizing with the heroine because of what happens between Matteo and Natasha that breaks them apart. However, I enjoyed that Matteo made things right with Natasha, especially in the moment where she finds herself in the spotlight and hounded by those that love to expose secrets. I would recommend Claiming his One-Night Baby by Michelle Smart, if you enjoy the enemy to lovers trope or books by authors Miranda Lee, Cathy Williams, Carole Mortimer and Kate Hewitt.

[Liba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matteo Pellegrini was 10 ,when his brother Roberto (8) started playing with matches and caused a fire,in which he was severily burned.Their parents always blamed Matteo for negligence.Roberto became a recluse and died 20 years later. At the funeral the father told his remaining son (now a surgeon):You should have died, not him !
Matteo was 13 when he went to live with his uncle Fabio and aunt Vanessa.He is the same age as their oldest son, Pieta.Now, after Roberto's funeral, he changes his surname to Vanessa's maiden one- Manaserro, moves to Miami and open a series of plastic surgeries for the rich.
5 years later Matteo attends Pieta's funeral.He sees Natasha, Pieta's widow.They have met 8 years ago ,when she, an English girl of 17, stayed in Pisa with her parents.An year later Matteo wanted to ask her to marry him,but Pieta proposed first.Still, he waited six years to marry Natasha.
Now Matteo and Natasha spend a night together.Several weeks later she is pregnant.The family still hope she'll have Pieta's baby.But Natasha was a virgin till her night with Matteo.
They go to Miami.Natasha tells Matteo of her parents being in debt and pushing her to marry the rich Pieta.But to her husband she was a toy, a trophy, always available to go with him in public.She has a degree in interior decorating,but never worked.
And then the Pellegrinis learn of her affair with Matteo.Daniele, Pieta's younger brother,learns it from his sister Francesca.Daniele ,Matteo and Francesca's fiance Felipe are at the island of Caballeros.Daniele hits Matteo (and is hit back) and wants nothing to do with him anymore.The Pellegrini women won't speak to neither Matteo nor Natasha.
Matteo doesn't believe Natasha's explanations.He feels cheated twice and leaves.
Natasha starts as a spineless young girl,who does as she is told.But now she tries to assert herself with her new lover.She calls Matteo spineless for wanting to leave.He is a professional success,but too late for Roberto.
Who will win now? Will the family unite and accept them?Book 2 in the series, which I am reading backwards (I started with Daniele's story).

[Raffaella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hero was in love with heroine when she was a teenager. She betrayed him becoming engaged to his cousin. She married him and after only one year he died. They meet at his funeral and have a ONS. Obviously she’s pregnant and they decide to be civil because of their baby. They fall in love again but when she tells him the truth about her marriage (and her husband) he is furious and leaves her, because she should have told him the truth immediately after she found out she was pregnant. He grovels in the end and she takes him back. Heroine was spineless teenager victim of her parents and I really couldn’t understand why she accepted to be engaged to a man she didn’t love especially when she was in love with another man. Yes she was a teenager but she could have done what teenagers do better: rebel and defy her parents. She didn’t and she lost her true love. Hero was no better. He gave up immediately without fighting for her. This is not love at all. Then I didn’t understand why he was so angry when she revealed that his cousin was gay and their marriage was a farce. His behavior was selfish and self centered. He left her for the second time. She told him that she would never take him back instead she forgave him immediately. I think those two deserve each other. What really pissed me off anyway was the gay trope: I think that it’s inconceivable that nowadays a man who is gay must deceive all his relatives and a poor dumb girl because he doesn’t want to tell them he’s gay. We’re talking of a grown up man and a successful man, a compassionate man who is expected to act like an adult and not to be ashamed of his sexual choices. And his widow, now that he’s dead should have told his relatives and also poor hero the truth of her marriage. It’s not a shameful secret and not her fault if she was deceived and I was rather annoyed by all this fuss about this false problem. Anyway a good book.

[AnnMarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claiming His One-Night Baby is a book in the Bound to a Billionaire series by Michelle Smart.

Natasha Pelligrini and Matteo Manaserro have some history together. History that sees a fledgeling romance stop before it really gets a chance to start.

Seven years later Matteo sees Natasha again at her husband's funeral. He keeps his distance until the wee hours in the morning when he finds himself on her doorstep. Emotions are high, and before he even gets through the door they are kissing passionately and end up in bed together. Unprotected, unplanned sex leads to Natasha getting pregnant!

They both want the baby even if they don't want each other, but in keeping it there are going to be a lot of family members hurt. In order to not let on that the baby was conceived on the day of the funeral, they agree to spend a month together at Matteo's house in Miami. Can they spend that time working out the problems they face? Could they become a real couple, or is there just too much history between them? Will too many people get hurt?

I think the author did a great job of portraying the strong emotions between Matteo and Natasha. It's not a case of one of them being the bad guy, and the other the victim. They both have had a lot to deal with and when they start to learn more about each other you can't help but feel happy that there could a happy ending for them. What is extra special is that right til the end Natasha remains true to her word, even though it could mean losing Matteo for good. Despite there being some quite emotional moments in this story, the author stopped the book from being too sad by adding just the right amount of humour and passion between the couple. It was a pleasure to read.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers' copy of this book.

[Monica Cardoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read.  I enjoyed the storyline and it was also emotional.  Since I'm reading this series in the wrong order I already knew some of what was going on.  But the part that I liked was that it still didn't bother me one bit I was able to get to know the characters a little more.  Natasha had been a person that was a people pleaser and I related with her so much because I'm the same way.  But after some time she ended up standing up for herself and was able to find a job and live her life.  I was happy for her but I also felt bad for her because she didn't deserve how Matteo treated her.  She didn't do anything wrong all she was doing was protecting the people she loved.  Then there was Matteo a handsome man that had a hard life.  Yes I know that he fell in love with Natasha and he thought that she had betrayed him but if only he would have listened to her.  I know that she didn't reach out to him but when she poured out her heart and soul to him he stomped on her heart.  I understand that he was mad because of what she told him about her husband his cousin but come on she was just protecting him and the family.   
 
Claiming His One-Night Baby was an excellent read.  I loved the characters and how they interacted.  The chemistry between them is sensual and passionate.  Natasha became a new person by the end of the story.  Then Matteo learned that he too would have kept that secret until the grave and he realized something that he had been too hard on Natasha and he knew what he needed to do.  He loved her and she loved him. 
 
Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review 

[Arcelia Ramos · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an entertaining read and I am sure Michelle Smart’s fans will have a good time. It is a classic HP where the heroine is a little of a pushover and the hero is a very big bully. Both heroine and hero were in love but were separated by family. After seven years, they come together and before explanations are given they begin a relationship way too soon. This sets the premises for the book’s plot as there are many things from the past unresolved. Towards the end of the book, the heroine was really trying to push forward the relationship, but the hero was still waiting for a mistake from her to bring up all hell loose and then yes, she does make the mistake. I accepted that, that is how HP works right, but I was also expecting a whole lot of groveling and pleading from the hero, and I did not get that which I did not like. I rather not have the heroine suffer too much bullying but if that is the case, please make the hero suffer too. Considering all, I thought it was a good read as part of its series. I like how the different books of the series do not start as the other books finish, but all the stories are entwined and readers will have fun recognizing little details from the other stories in the series. I must also say that readers do not have to have read the other books in the series to understand this book; every book is complete on its own.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Info
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: Yes
----------------------------------
Meeting the Characters
Natasha Pellegrini
Matteo Manaserro
----------------------------------
What happens?
Natasha has just buried her husband when Matteo turns up and the passion they've ignored for years suddenly bubbles over. Not a word is utter to each other after they finish and he disappears for 2 weeks. Only returning to make her take a pregnancy test. When it turns to a yes he whisks her away from her husband's family to try and get her away from things and also help look after her during the pregnancy.
When it is leaked that she is pregnant with his baby their family doesn't want anything to do with them because they are disgusted that she moved on after her husband's death. They however don't know the big secret Natasha is hiding, neither does Matteo.
Final thoughts
This was my favourite read of my personal readathon this weekend. I thought it had lots of feeling and made me sad, happy and relieved when the truth comes out.
I like Natasha, a bit naive but she grows up during this book and I liked that.
Matteo took a while to thaw with me but once he did he was a good character.
Would I read again?: Yes
Would I read this author again?: Yes

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodness, Michelle Smart knows how to layer drama and raw emotions in her stories. Claiming His One-Night Heir had me hooked from page one. The book has everything. Secrets, scandals, family drama, sophistication and intense romance of course! Natasha and Matteo are flawed and imperfect. I respected them for the decisions they had to make in the end after all the drama which unfolded the moment they gave into their desire for each other...which by the way never died after they'd both gone their separate ways. The opening scenes grab hold of you. I was drawn to Matteo the moment he made eye contact with his parents. I wanted to know more about him—to discover the reason(s) why he wasn't in terms with his parents—also what drama sat behind his brother's death. I was also inquisitive as to how the author would bring Matteo and Natasha together. Well, I've got to say I'm impressed. Overall, Claiming His One-Night Baby is fast-paced, well-written and emotionally charged. I loved it!

Highly Recommended
5 Stars

[Tonya Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matteo Manaserro wants nothing to do with his cousin's widow. It did not matter that she had destroyed his early love for her with her lies. His dreams of them being together, when she was getting engaged, and even married his cousin. She was nothing to him now.

Natasha Pellegrini was more than willing to admit she was spineless, weak, and naïve. She should have gone to Matteo early on and got his help when she first released her parents and Pieta were pushing the marriage forward. A lifetime of not being good enough, of trying to please, proved too much. And the secrets she is forced to carry to protect Matteo and his family are almost too much to bare.

Finding herself pregnant with Matteo as the unwilling and unhappy father, Natasha finally begins to feel she needs to make a life for herself. And her child. She wants to fight for Matteo. To try and get past the last seven years, but in the end, Matteo needs to learn that love is worth fighting for too.

[Mattie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was ok, It was really well written however I didn't like that she married hero's cousin even though heroine never had sex with him. I didnt at all like how the heroine handled the situation 7 years before (honestly saying publicly yes to engagement to hero's cousin without telling hero and him being blindsided was pretty awful). The heroine just was too weak for my liking, she does grow somewhat of a backbone after getting pregnant but not really enough for my liking. Hero was not my favorite of this authors creations, I was quite disappointed that the hero wasn't celibate for the 7 year separation or at least not as sexually active as he was. I've liked that this author has been pretty good in this aspect in her other books I've read so far. (I understand he had the right and especially with what heroine did, it's just something that I prefer for hero to not be so man whorish). P.