The French Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress

by Abby Green

Devastatingly handsome French tycoon Pascal Lévêque has his sights set on Alana Cusack. Her seeming inexperience intrigues him—she used to be married!

Alana's marriage was a sham. It left her feeling unattractive and unwanted. Now that Pascal has claimed her as his mistress, he'll teach the innocent Alana how much pleasure can be had in the bedroom….

But passion leads to pregnancy, and Pascal vows he'll take Alana in Paris…and to the altar!

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Harlequin Presents, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Family

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Abby Green spent her teens reading Mills & Boon romances. She then spent many years working in the Film and TV industry as an Assistant Director. One day while standing outside an actor's trailer in the rain, she thought: "there has to be more than this". So she sent off a partial to Mills & Boon. After numerous rewrites, they accepted her first book and an author was born.
She lives in Dublin, Ireland and you can find out more here www.abby-green.com

Reviews

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the style of this book, with the French cultural aspects. That restaurant that they went to was such a great idea...and a great steamy moment there. It really added to the passionate atmosphere in this book. Speaking of steam, this book has quite a bit of it. Ms. Green's writing showed how powerful the attraction between this couple was, even if it was totally unexpected. Pascal was a very sexy hero. Both Pascal and Alana carried a lot of baggage. Surprisingly, Alana's load is heavier than Pascal's. If you like a commitment shy heroine, look no further. She almost jumped the shark with me, but when Alana 'woman-ed up,' I couldn't stay mad at her. It was very nice how she proposed to Pascal at the end of this book.

It's all a matter of personal tastes, but I just don't tend to go for books where the couple are having a short fling or affair. I liked that Pascal clearly wanted something more from Alana very early into their affair. Alana did have valid reasons for her fear of getting involved, so it made her relateable.

Despite the title, this story is not in the semi-traditional HP mode. Alana isn't really falling into the mistress role, and Pascal is not expecting that of her. I like that some of the dialogue seems to flaunt the conventions of this line of novels. Well done with that, Ms. Green.

Pascal is a standout hero for me. I liked him a lot. Yes, he's a playboy businessman, but he had some depth that appealed to me. I liked how he really wanted to show that Alana meant a lot to him. And that he was there for her when she became aware of her pregnancy. Despite his parental issues, he was committed to being there for his child. And he was very droolworthy! I hope that we see more French heroes, because they really have an appeal, especially in a good writer's hands. There's just something about Frenchmen.

Abby Green is clearly a very talented author. Her books go to a deeper emotional level, and in this book, it's not always comfortable for the reader. I think that was why this wasn't a five star book, because I don't really go for the relationship angst all the time. It felt more like a painful chore to read about that, than enjoyment for pleasure reading, although it was very well-done on the part of the author. Having said that, There is a maturity to the inter-personal relationships that impressed me.

I can't complain about anything in this book. Other than personal reading tastes, this was a very good book. If I was more into the affair, traumatic relationship-angst books, I think this would be a five star read for me. For the atmosphere, sizzling sexual tension and love scenes, and the sexy, French hero, not to mention good quality writing, this is easily a four star book.

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woe-is-me heroine was a bit much to take. She is presenter on Irish TV, the widow of a rugby legend. Her ex was a spendthrift and a womanizer, but she has kept quiet about his awful conduct because ? Martyr complex, I guess. Her parents are old and she must keep her debts and betrayals to herself.

Hero is a one-dimensional, up-from-the-slums tycoon who loves rugby but sacrificed a pro career to take care of his grandfather and now he has landed on his feet as a billionaire. He decides he wants a sexual affair with woe-is-me. Woe-is-me agrees since she is dead inside.

When woe-is-me falls pregnant, the hero proposes. Heroine is really reluctant to give up the martyr cross and decides hero will tire of her like her first husband. So she breaks it off.

After that not-particularly black moment, the heroine realizes she loves the hero and hunts him down. She gets on her knees to propose. There’s an epilogue with three children.

I’m not fond of groveling heroines – especially when they’ve done nothing wrong except be their wet blanket selves. But this heroine is a drama queen and loves angst, so it’s obviously she thoroughly enjoyed this OTT act of obsequiousness. *sigh*

[Treece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4 stars (for the yummy hero!)

Alana is a sports anchor who is just delving back into her career after a failed marriage with a deceased and popular rugby player. She captures the eye and passion of French bank tycoon, Pascal Leveque.

The attraction is combustible. Alana is a traditional Irish gal from a large family of parents and siblings who are all happily married. She has never reconciled herself to her poor choices and decision. Never confided in anyone about the truth of her marriage either.

Pascal is an alpha male through and through. From the first, he allows Alana to call the shots. He never forces his way with her though he is a keen strategist. I really liked this patient, intelligent and loyal man. He was the reason this book got five stars.

Alana was the reason it ended up being four.

She was so irritating and annoying. I agree with Pascal. There was NOTHING about her that was extraordinary except she was not his usual type and she gets knocked up.

He could do better. And he should have. At least he knows she wanted him for him and not his money.

I've been hitting the jack-pot with nice guy heroes lately for the HP series.

Love my Frenchmen :-)

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Abby Green.

I just loved the hero in this story….a gorgeous Frenchman, who isn’t this overbearing and hard-assed alpha-male. He’s actually a nice guy who has dealt with his own baggage. The heroine has experienced some bad things in the past that have scarred her and afraid of making commitments in her life. She’s actually not so nice to him – but in the end…did she do some groveling!!!!!
Pascal Leveque is absolutely endearing. He’s determined to make Alana let go of her fears and believe in what they feel for each other.
A sweet and lovely love story!
Yay….some more love and romance…..

Don’t you just love happy endings??????

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read Danielle’s review. I couldn’t get into this romance and like she said all love scenes fade to black, which I totally hate. That was so so disappointing.

[Lynsey A · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This was a good read but didn't totally blow me away. The back cover is misleading too because it says "virgin" which she isn't. That didn't really bother me but I wish they wouldn't do stuff like that. It had me thinking I could add this book to my "virgin widow" shelf.

Anyway, this was a book about two people who had to overcome past scars to find and accept love. It also had a great epilogue. I love those.

[Mou: Fae of Heartfelt ARC · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The title of the book is so wrong, Because the heroine is not the hero's mistress. They met, go on a few dates and decided to spend a weekend in Paris. This is not like other typical Harlequin books and the story is actually good.

[Sruthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroine is TSTL. Period. She is dumb, stupid and highly pessimistic.

[Roub · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was awful, so boring. i thought maybe i was not in the mood, so i left it. but i still hated it when i got back ! der was no chemistry, no plausible plot. i din understand why shud alanna protect ryan's reputation or stay wid him for 5 years !? n then bang, hormones got the better of her n she said 2 the entire nation the truth abt her husband when she cud not even confide 2 her parents or 2 any1 on dat matter !? well, if she wanted 2 play good samaritan, then she got what she deserved ! i thought pascal only wanted her bcoz she was a novelty; elusive n difficult, not at all like his usual women.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another, fun, great, and entertaining read from Abby Green.

What I liked:

I liked that Pascal was a successful French hero. We don't see a lot of those, and he was certainly wonderful.

I liked that he didn't fall into the typical macho, arrogant hero mold that most authors are quick to cast. Even though he had a difficult upbringing, it made him a stronger, better person.

I liked that he was extremely attracted to Alana and went all out to get her. I truly enjoy a good "wooing" and I got it here!

I liked that intensity/chemistry between Alana and Pascal was sizzling....(I am still fanning myself) LOL!!!

I liked that the heroine was the one to grovel!

What I didn't like:

I think Alana's phobia to commitment and relationships was a bit over the top and she became somewhat annoying. Pascal did nothing to deserve the animosity she threw at him and I just wished her hang ups were a bit tampered down.

[iamGamz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

“You turn me into something...You make me feel like I’ve still got my past in my blood. Like I’m untamed.”



After an awful marriage to an Irish rugby star, the last thing Alana wants is a relationship with another alpha male, but Pascal Lévêque is hard to resist. What should have been a simple affair to help her move on, turned into so much more when Alana finds herself pregnant with Pascal’s baby.

I really liked Pascal. Alana was a bit flaky, and with her past marriage she had reason to be. Pascal was patient and caring even when she was at her most annoying. I enjoyed this book. It’s a pretty Good Read .

[Lupita Figueroa BookLoverRomantic · Rating 3 out of 5]

La primera mitad es bonita y emocionante. Pero ya después se pone lenta, aburriday fastidiosa la novela. Le faltó más descripción de las escenas de sexo, más drama, más intensidad. Me encantan las novelas de Abby Green y he leído novelas bellísimas de ella, llenas de pasión, amor y sentimientos. Sin embargo, a esta, como a otras de Abby también, le faltó magia.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I don’t know what to make of this book, or my thoughts about it. I was kind of all over the place with it. There were parts that I really liked then there were parts that I just couldn’t get into. Generally, I really couldn’t get into the romance of Pascal and Alana, and I am not a hundred percent why. I just wasn’t into it is the best way to describe it. I wasn’t into them as a couple. They worked then they didn’t really work for me. It was just bizarre.

The beginning of the book was really good I thought and gave it the flair that I thought I was going to really dig this book. Just the sexy banter between them during the interview showed off their chemistry to blazing degrees. They had that spark, and they really pushed each other’s buttons, which was fun. And it made me highly anticipate them finally coming together and express their passion for one another.

That was when it kind of went downhill for me when they did consummate their relationship. For one, the first time scene wasn’t shown it was just kind of that fade to black, which I totally hate, and then opened again on the morning after. That was so disappointing. And from the back cover, it was totally misleading because it was no way Alana’s first time, and even stated that fact in the book. But on the back cover it made her sound like a complete innocent, and it didn’t like that misdirection. I didn’t care whether she was a virgin or not, but the fact that it stated that being the case on the back, that was what I was expecting and I didn’t get that. I was just waiting for an epic first time scene, and I didn’t get it in more ways than one. So that didn’t exactly endear me to this story either.

Also for a majority of the book, I felt like they didn’t have a lot of substance to their relationship. It was just physical, physical, physical and nothing more. They were jumping each other’s bones every ten seconds it seemed without them creating an emotional intimacy that should have been build the more and more them came together. It was hard to see them get to that emotional closeness because all that was focused on was the lust.

However I did appreciate later in the book, Pascal realized that the focus of their relationship was mostly physical, and he knew he wanted to have more in their relationship than that, and he set about to proving that to her. He romanced her and showed he cared about her. And I really enjoyed seeing that aspect of him coming out to play. I would preferred that it happened sooner, but it did happen so that was the main thing. I just liked he had the foresight to see what was happening in their relationship and recognizing that he wanted more and knew that they could have more. I really appreciated that.

Now as much as the focus of their relationship was just based on the physical, I did enjoy the scenes because they were very steamy and hot. And there was a lot of them. The scene in the restaurant was beyond sexy and was the turning point for their relationship. But they had some insane chemistry going on. Their passion knew no bounds, and that was where they found the most connection with each other. Even though it wasn’t always deep and meaningful, it was something. I wish it went there emotionally, but it didn’t.

There wasn’t a lot of angst going on either. Yes, she denied her attraction to him and having a sexual relationship with him in the beginning, but it didn’t last long. I knew she wouldn’t last long, but since she caved in so early there wasn’t a lot of build up, and for awhile things went pretty smoothly until it didn’t and even then it didn’t feel that angsty. I think for a big portion of the book I wasn’t sure if they were invested emotionally as they were physically so that didn’t help the angst level at least for me. It just didn’t have that deep longing that would be associated with angst.

And this book wasn’t very emotionally intense either. Yes, there were some emotional moment between Pascal and Alana, but it didn’t carry through the entire story because their focus was on their lust for each other and that was it. There was a just not a lot going on. It didn’t pull at the heartstrings nor was I really gutted at any moment of the story. It just didn’t give me the feels. I think maybe if I felt them connect more on an emotional level earlier on I would have felt different, but that was not the case here. That part of the story just was just neutral to me when it should have been anything but. More intensity was needed.

Another thing was I didn’t know whether I liked Alana or not. Granted I understood why she had trust issues and decided to not open her heart to Pascal and just focus on their physical intimacy, but after awhile it just got to be too much. I needed to see a little crack in her armor a little bit sooner when it came to him. And I am talking about when she was forced to come clean, but doing it willingly to show her trust in him, which I would have been a beautiful moment between them. Though I will give to her, she did do a pretty grovel in the end, and it did show how important Pascal had come to mean to her, though I wish I felt that more throughout the story than I did. I just didn’t feel her connect to him in the love scenes, and it really didn’t come about until nearly the end. I understood her, but I don’t know if it backed up some of her actions. It was weird for me.

Overall it was an okay book, there were some highlights here and there, but it just wasn’t carried through all way through the story. The beginning was so promising and then when they got together that was when it took a nosedive. Not because the love scenes weren’t steamy or anything like that, but I just felt that there was nothing behind them emotionally. I just needed to believe that they were together for more than just sex, and for a majority of the book that was what I felt they were about. Yes, Pascal tried to correct that, but way too late in my opinion. I wish there was more intensity and just more angst in general. I wasn’t feeling them falling in love, which is what I expect from a romance. Lust was there. Love I don’t know about. It just wasn’t that great emotional, sexy, angst read that I come to love from Abby Green, and that really was the bottom line.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Presents titles (and really, romance more generally), you often get the damaged hero/healing heroine. And while I can enjoy that, sometimes I like when the situation is reversed and I ESPECIALLY like it when the heroine's damage isn't related to past sexual assault. Instead, in this one, we have a heroine dealing with the aftermath of a truly horrific marriage and a hero who while he's never seen the good sign of family and marriage, isn't wholly resistant to them either and he basically spends most of the book trying to convince the heroine that they can be more than really great sex. What's not to like about that?

[sbf20112011 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a solid read. I liked that in this one it was the heroine that had a lot of understandable issues with commitment. I personally prefer more over-the-top angst and conflict, but this was still a nice, satisfying story.

[Aldara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Típico libro de HQN con amor, drama y romance. Me encantó quiero un Pascal. Así como él del libro tal cual.
La protagonista es Alana y yo son Aldara... yo podría 8)
Rápida leer, con un romance rápido como casi todos los de Harlequin. Buena lectura para la hora de la comida.

[Melinda · Rating 2 out of 5]

if u want to read something with a frenchman as the main character, i guess u could read it, me personally prefer the mediterranian guys,

[Kace | The Booknerd · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read. But did not set my world on fire, but it was interesting enough. And I loved the epilogue though.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

bonito final, pero le falto un poco más de dramatismo e historia

[RomLibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Devastatingly handsome French tycoon Pascal Leveque has his sights set on Alana Cusack. Her seeming inexperience intrigues him--she used to be married!Alana's marriage was a sham. It left her feeling unattractive and unwanted. Now that Pascal has claimed her as his mistress, he'll teach the innocent Alana how much pleasure can be had in the bedroom....But passion leads to pregnancy, and Pascal vows he'll take Alana in Paris...and to the altar! (less)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

At time Alana was a bit annoying but did make up for it when she decided to commit to Pascal. I did like pascal and thought he had to work harder that necessary but in end work out for both. A bit disappointed in first love seen. It was a passion kiss then bam next morning thing which is boring but it a typical light hearted easy b&m read.

[TSN ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you read these Harlequin romances you have a certain expectations, or rather you don't. I still like to read them though :)
This one is totally an exception to the general quality of Harlequin romances.

And it had Pascal, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest romance heroes. he is... just wow!

[Bookabulary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had the typical alpha male but as per usual, it's always good to see them get taken down a peg or two by a good woman. Although AG has some very good HP books, unfortunately, this one did not really stand out. But don't let that deter you because this was still a good read all-around.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally read August 2011 and gave 3 stars but enjoyed it on re-read

[Caro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty good. I liked the emotions and complications. I would read this again, but more as for passing the time. Enjoy

[Claire S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story line, though I always find the amount of wealth in these quick harlequin reads a little unbelievable. Good dialogue.

[Lin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The written reviews for this were so nice, I really expected a lot. So maybe it's worth 3 stars, and I'm just extra disappointed. =-(

[Colleen]

Well, I suppose this book wasn't terrible. I just found the characters to be stupid. I couldn't help getting bored. Nothing really happened in this book.

[Shanelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've already read this book several times. I enjoyed the story. Emotional abuse and painful relationships can make it very hard to trust yourself again, never mind anyone else.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

¡Me gustó mucho!
Son pocos lo Harlequin donde es la protagonista quien va detrás de su amor y se le declara.