The Greek's Pregnant Lover

Traditional Greek Husbands #2

by Lucy Monroe

Self-made billionaire Zephyr Nikos has come a long way from the streets of Athens, but his heart is stone-cold—like marble. He can't offer Piper Madison his love; instead he offers her his world—fine dining, private jet, rubbing shoulders with the rich and powerful….

As their desire heats up and finally reaches boiling point, Zephyr and Piper must end their affair before one of them gets hurt. There's just one small complication…Piper's pregnancy test just came back positive!

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

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

I write spicy romance books that end in an HEA. Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance…I write it all. The two things my books all have in common is lots of emotion and spice. Last year, I fell in love with a new subgenre: mafia romance. Since I write what I love to read, I started a new standalone series, Syndicate Rules where you’ll meet over the top alpha heroes in the Italian and Greek mafias as well as the Irish mob. There are arranged marriages, forced marriages, enemies to lovers, stalkers, forced proximity and lots of mafia intrigue. Morally gray is my new favorite color.

Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...

I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.

I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 2 out of 5]

The sequel to The Shy Bride. The billionaire buddy who talked the hero into taking piano lessons in that one, is the hero in this one. He has mommy issues because his mother was a prostitute who put him in an orphanage when she married. She visited, but the stepdad wouldn't let her bring her other children and so the H is pretty messed up. Heroine was an army brat who wanted permanence. They met when the just-divorced heroine decorated their corporate offices in Seattle. They have been friends with benefits for six month.

The story opens when the heroine flies to Greece to begin work on decorating a new resort the hero is building. The hero has a surprise - they'll have a mini-vacation first. So lots of sex scenes - including the one where they decide to forgo the condom because the heroine is in on a birth control patch (which fell off somewhere in her travels. Ooops)

This leads to lots of angst - heroine is in love. Hero claims he'll never love. The heroine wants to find out if she's pregnant by visiting a doctor and having a blood test, rather than peeing on a stick. Why? I guess to spin it out so the H/h can worry. Heroine doesn't contract the hero for a week, which I thought was pretty cold. But he controls himself and gives her space.

What could have been some good drama and angst is the meeting between the hero and his mother who he hasn't seen for 20 years - but it takes place off stage. What takes place on stage is the heroine's parents casting doubt on the heroine's judgment. Nothing wrong with that - but the stage was never set for them to be the last wrinkle - in fact, they are barely mentioned until they pop up to remind the heroine of her bad judgement in her first philandering husband. (He also makes an appearance, but that doesn't go anywhere, either.)

Then there is a wedding to prepare (2 - a civil service and church blessing) zzzzzz

We see the H/h from The Shy Bride. She is no longer shy and has had a personality transplant of some sort. I wouldn't have recognized her.

All in all, a fairly lackluster offering.

[Vintage · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice change of pace. The hero and heroine are basically nice people. No real angst, no brooding, no slut shaming. Yeah, I know, why bother reading, ha.ha

The couple have had an affair for a while when she pops up pregnant. Basically the story is of them taking it to the next level.

Sounds boring, but it wasn't. For all of you that want to neuter some of these alpha male asshats or smother twee little doormats, this would be a nice change of pace, He's still an alpha romero Greek god!

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

That was so boring!

[Jacqueline J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ultimately just okay. There wasn't much conflict. It was basically the story of these two nice people fell in love and decided to get married after she accidently became pregnant. He had some issues with recognizing that he was in love. She fessed up her love early which I suppose was different. Just so pleasant it didn't really draw me in.

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel wasn't typical at all, it had a lot of things going on in it. Especially the heroes battles within himself. It was mostly centered on the heroes fight against his past and problems that occurred then rather than the heroine. I thought it was okay but I have to say I was disappointed that it wasn't like all the others, I wanted my fix and this one was barely there.

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

This had the typical Harlequin Presents main characters (he’s a Greek tycoon, she’s his interior designer), but they were also quite… nice? Felt modern/progressive? Actual friends with very good benefits? No neglect or betrayals?

I probably sound very confused about this book, but honestly I really enjoyed it. It was much sweeter than the typical HP, I was just surprised about the relatively low drama and that I didn’t want to slap anyone. 😕😅

[Desi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leído el 30/08/2010

[Paula Legate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Millionaire Zephyr feels he is not capable of loving anyone. His mother walked away from him when he was just a boy. He enjoys the relationship he shares with Piper Madison. She is a interior designer that works alongside him a lot of the time. They are friends with benefits. Piper starts wondering if there could be anything more to their relationship. She wonders if she should leave him before he breaks her heart. Then she finds out the patch she has been using for birth control fell off. If she is pregnant could she ever marry someone just because she is pregnant? Could she ever marry someone that did not love her back?

This was a sweet book. I wished I could have felt more emotions of love between the couple. They did care for each other, but I didn’t feel the connection between the two.

[Laur Laur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, but not much action or angst either.

[Patricia]

DNF! So boring 😅 what happened to lucy monroe??? She was good??? I prefer her asshole Heroes over her nice ones and pls where did the angst go????

[April Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring

[Catheryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun and sweet story. I liked both of the characters and found her to be refreshing. I thought she was a very sweet heroine but didn't push him away. She had a successful career but also didn't want to sacrifice her relationship with him for her career.

Overall, a sweet and pretty low angst book.

[Ashley F · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was posted at Tsuki’s Book Blog on August 23, 2013.

So far I've read a lot of HPs since they are my favorite line from Harlequin. I get a lot of innocent secretaries, virginal childhood friends, and abducted heroines. In this case I was pleasantly surprised to encounter a heroine who acknowledged her sexuality and owned her needs and wants.

Piper, an interior designer, has a no-strings relationship with Zephyr. The two were friends then lovers but they both knew they would go nowhere. Piper fell in love with Zephyr but he was only willing to give gifts rather than own up to feeling anything for her. When Piper became pregnant the two had to figure out how to move from lovers to being in love with each other.

I love heroines that surprise me. Piper had a negative history with men but that didn't stop her from pursuing a romance with a sexy man she had respect for. She recognized she had no future with Zephyr but she was happy enough with mutual respect and some fun for the time being. It was refreshing to see a woman own her needs and wants rather than receive coaching from an experienced man.

Zephyr was the epitome of clueless man. From the very beginning it was obvious he was in love with her. He gifted her many things but he wouldn't own up to his feelings for the woman in his bed. Even once she became pregnant and he proposed marriage, he cluelessly said he wasn't in love with her. It was baffling for me, as the reader, to see a man so absolutely clueless. It was delightful.

I loved spending time in this world with these two. Both surprised me in very different ways. In a line where there is often levels of sameness in either the premise or the characters I love finding either or both that surprise me. This one had a bit of everything for me and it pleased me to no end.

This is definitely worth it for Lucy Monroe fans as well as first time readers. This book is delightful in its strong heroine and its clueless hero. Awesome. Just awesome.

4 Stars
Published by Harlequin
August 2010
192 Pages
Provided by--the Library

[Bookaholics · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Greek's Pregnant Lover by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary Romance - Aug. 1, 2010
4 stars

The Greek's Pregnant Lover is a light romance that explores how 2 wounded people can unexpectedly find love. Compared to the authors’s current books this was quieter more thoughtful and detailed book that does not have the fast pace of her Goddard series.

In The Greek's Pregnant Lover, Zephyr Nikos and Piper Madison share an undeniable attraction. They soon have a fling that develops into an affair. But the more time they spend with each other the more they realize how much being together feel so right.

Piper has been wounded in a nasty divorce and she has found Nikos the perfect distraction. He makes her feel young and alive. For Nikos, he loves Piper’s exuberance. She is the best lover he has ever had and this affair is just what he likes since he knows his heart is stone-cold. Nikos was abandoned by his mother and this betrayal hurt him so deeply he feels he cannot love again. But then something totally unexpected happens. Piper discovers her birth control patch came off and there is a chance she might be pregnant! And too soon they find out that she is. But Piper realizes that she loves Nikos and she knows he can't love her back. Is she willing to pursue a relationship that is only one-sided?

This was an intriguing book. It is about a friendship and intense attraction that grows in to a surprisingly deep love. The characters’ internal dialogue as they sort through their feelings is what makes this book very real. Unlike the author's current books this one explores each character slowly as they try to feel their way through their relationship. I liked how this story started right into their tempestuous.

I enjoyed how the couple developed together and realized what they have found in each other. A solid, sweet read!

Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the typical accidental pregnancy story, in that the heroine isn't trying to keep it a secret and the hero doesn't blame her for trying to trap him. Zephyr is torn between wanting Piper to be happy (with the assumption that he can't be what she needs) and wanting to keep her with him (because of the baby and, he increasingly realizes, because he needs her). Piper is a bit unusual because she's divorced and has already experienced how much a man can destroy her life.

As with The Shy Bride, these two start out as friends (it turns out, this relationship actually inspired Zephyr's advice to Neo in that book). Zee and Neo have an appreciation for friendship that is not often seen in romance novels. When Piper refers to their relationship as being more than friendship, I interpreted Zephyr's confusion as "what could be better than friendship?" His resistance to the idea of falling in love in understandable, and I don't think he was really cruel about it at any point, which is a nice change.

There's no big conflict that causes him to realize he loves her, which is also unusual. The big fight is actually toward the middle, but there are multiple times throughout the story where they hash out their misunderstandings. I guess this could be seen as a mild-mannered romance (steamy scenes aside), but I actually like that as a change of pace.

[KatLynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story opens with an established relationship betweeen self made billionaire Zephyr Nikos and Interior Decorator Piper Madison. Working together they quickly became friends who eventually become lovers. But as Zephyr explains that is all they could ever be. Due to the horrors of his childhood, Zephyr's heart was closed off to love.

Zephyr has trust issues and the only person he truly believes in and loves like a brother is his best friend and business partner. So where does that leave Piper?

I liked both the hero and heroine. Zephyr is all alpha male without being demanding and pushing and I really really liked him!...There was no melodrama or angst here and it was refreshing.

A quick, light read that I enjoyed. (This is the second book in a 2 book series)

[Charlene]

Has Presents told their authors to drop the melodrama? I'm wondering, because this isn't the only recent HP I've picked up that was all sane and rational and took every opportunity for melodrama and turned it into a happily defused bomb. Oh, HP! If I wanted sane and rational, I wouldn't buy you! Bring back the crazy melodrama, please. That said, Lucy Monroe always rocks. She just does it without the angst in this one.

[Delilah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a Presents in years because I didn't find them sexy enough to suit me. Boy have Presents changed! I loved this book. It was sexy, the characters endearing. I'm a new fan of Lucy Monroe!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I particularly enjoyed the way the relationship between the hero and heroine was portrayed. Intelligent characters - no Stupid Misunderstanding as a plot device. Well done and thoroughly enjoyable.

[Penny Watson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars...loved it!

[Chalice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The couple: Zephyr and Piper

Romance trope: friends to lovers
Series: Traditional Greek Husbands/Greek Tycoons
Length: 190 pages

Plot: Zephyr and Piper have had a friends-with-benefits type relationship for close to a year now. They became good friends and then something a little more. Zephyr is convinced he cannot and will not love anyone though. He can do serial monogamy, but he has no intention of offering anything more to a woman. If he could, though, it would be with Piper. She's one of his best friends and an amazing lover. In fact, he does want children someday and she would be the perfect mother. So when they have a birth control mishap, he's not upset; he is traditional, though, so he has to convince her to marry him, despite her being in love with him and him not reciprocating.

Commentary: oh gosh, another alpha billionaire tycoon who can't love because of trauma in his past! I will admit that his issue makes sense, but I think this is an overused trope. It is amazing how many of these brilliant billionaires with no other issues end up with a complete lack of emotional intelligence and cannot see that they haven't loved anyone before because they haven't met the woman for them. Not only that, they're okay with hurting all the women along the way, even the one they currently like a whole lot, because "they knew the score going in." Poor Piper was so in love with him and he kept saying that he would never fall in love with her. She told him she loved him and he said "thank you." And then in true Harlequin fashion, he came around in the last 5 pages. Still, most of the action was confined to their conversations without any outside influence, and I liked that. I only like the outside influence if the OW gets a huge comeuppance.


Previous book in the series: The Shy Bride
Next book in the series: Not Just the Greek's Wife

[MissKitty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many times when I read a Harley, I think, the characters are such morons, nobody in the real world act in such an idiotic manner.

Successful mature businessmen who are easily manipulated by evil Other women. With time on their hands to plot for revenge on young innocent heroines. Martyrs too stupid to explain themselves...Obviously it’s fiction.

So I finally got a book with a normal couple. Though the Hero is a Greek tycoon. The couple are colleagues, well, the heroine is the interior designer of the Hero, they have been good friends for a couple of years until they turn their relationship into a sexual one. They are good together, they like each other, have fun and obviously care for one another. The most angst is when the heroine gets pregnant. Even this is fine between them, no blame game happening...the Hero was more than supportive, it’s understood they will marry for the child, the Hero doesn’t do “in love” but all his actions prove otherwise. Hero has mommy abandonment issues, but even that is resolved with minimum fuss and complete understanding between the couple...

So what was wrong with is book? Hmmm, it was just kinda boring :-(

I suppose without all the over the top, extreme reactions idiotic misunderstandings and outlandish situations happening, it makes for a bland read....or maybe I’m messed up by now :-/

[LaBlue · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aww I liked this book but it dragged so much. It had no real point to it. The will he won’t he love me plot was childish. I have no interest in adults who lie to themselves about how they feel. It was unnecessary angst and therefore pointless.

Good writing otherwise. And very reasonable characters. Just a boring plot that didn’t make this book interesting enough for me to give it more stars. I mean it took five long chapters to get to the unexpected pregnancy. Then everything fell into place without any real effort. All that was left was the MMC finally growing up and admitting he can love and did in fact already love the FMC which took less than two pages at the end of the book.

Like I sad, a pointless story. No action, no real drama. Just nonsense. Good luck.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS



Really liked this one:

Heroine is not a virgin, she has her own business, sleeps with the hero because they have been friends for a few years and are attracted to each other.

When things do go wrong with an accidental pregnancy the hero does not berate the heroine or assume anything bad about her motives. He points out it took both of them and they had a conversation.

In fact, their conversations were what made this book fabulous.

There were no scheming other women.

At no time was it assumed the heroine would give up her business.

Loved that they had a sane but still very hot relationship.

[IRE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something inside his chest stuttered. “You love me?”
“Yes.”
“Like a friend.” He attempted to qualify.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and shook her head, those terrifying tears of hers
spilling over now. “No, not like a friend.”
“You won’t convince anyone you love me like a brother.” Maybe there was some special
kind of love women left for the father of their children.
She shook her head again, a mysterious smile flirting with the edge of her lips, despite the
sadness in her eyes. “Like the only man in my universe, like the other half of my heart,
like the part of my soul that’s been missing my whole life but I didn’t know it.”

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Piper & Zephyr

I really enjoyed this book! There was not major dramas and both main characters were quite likeable. When we start their story they are already in a relationship and their deep connection and attraction is obvious. She gets pregnant and one of their hot read encounters and decide to get married. She knows that due to a terrible childhood, Zephyr is totally close off to love. I love the fact that they are totally honest with each other, communicating their expectations and avoiding any misunderstandings. Highly recommended

[Mattie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, but it went by so slowly. I did like that they were together consistently but the book was alot of conversation, banter and sex, it kind of bored me a bit. I didn't particularly like that after first time they slept together he went on to sleep with someone else (it was a 3 month gap from when they first slept together til they started sleeping together again, so he had a one night stand during that 3 months). It is very similar to another book I read recently and this one was boring in comparison. P.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️. This felt too long with not enough action. There was action… it just petered out quickly. Ex husband shows up, gone in 1 scene. Hero reunites with mom, happens off page. Heroine notices birth control failure, immediately tells hero. Random parents show up to cast doubt before the wedding, immediately resolved. I guess it was long simmering drama if the hero loves the heroine or not, but reader definitely knows he loves even if this big dumb billionaire says he can never trust anyone to love.

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the heroine she was very sensible and level headed. She never acted nuts or unrealistically. Oh hero has a tragic backstory that isn’t really resolved and heroine’s ex is a jerk but didn’t feel like he got too much of comupins and her parents just swoop in trying to drag their daughter away at the end for no reason. Very mellow and at times bland story. I’d say skip cause you won’t remember much of it.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zephyr Nikos, an orphan, became a billionaire by his 30s. Piper Madison came into his life and went from friend to lover. This is book 2 of 2 from the "Traditional Greek Husbands" series. It's a steamy read, and we learn about their past lives that make them who they are today. It's a steamy, easy-to-read story.