An Heir for the Millionaire: The Greek and the Single Mom / The Millionaire's Contract Bride

by Julia James, Carole Mortimer

Two gorgeous men called Xander…Two proud fathers about to claim their heirs!The Greek and the Single Mom by Julia JamesFor Greek tycoon Xander Anaketos only money talks, and when he breezes back into Claire's life, he wants her back in his bed. But what will he do when he discovers his impoverished ex-mistress is also the loving mother of his child?The Millionaire's Contract Bride by Carole MortimerImpossibly rich Xander Fraser wants struggling single mother Casey Bridges to be his bride…of convenience! Casey knows their marriage can never be real, but that doesn't stop her falling for her new husband….

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Harlequin Presents, Second Chance, Anthologies, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Julia lives in England with her family. Mills and Boon novels were Julia's first "grown up" books she read as a teenager ("Alongside Georgette Heyer and Daphne du Maurier."), and she's been reading them ever since.

Julia adores the English countryside ("And the Celtic countryside!"), in all its seasons, and is fascinated by all things historical, from castles to cottages. She also has a special love for the Mediterranean ("The most perfect landscape after England!") — she considers both are ideal settings for romance stories! In between writing she enjoys walking, gardening, needlework and baking "extremely gooey chocolate cakes" — and trying to stay fit!

Reviews

[thadine · Rating 1 out of 5]

"The Greek and the Single Mom"

After being Xander Anaketos' undemanding mistress for nearly a year, Clare finds herself replaced. Unbeknownst to Xander, Clare is pregnant. Four years later they bump into each other and Xander finds out about his 3 year old son. He will do anything it takes to have him.

This was awful, simply awful. The plot was common enough:

1. Rich greek who changes mistresses like clothes.
2. Sweet girl who goes against all her common sense and becomes said Greek's mistress because she's in love with him. Somehow she lasts longer than any of his previous women.
3. Hero dumps heroine before she tells him that she is pregnant, so she decides to engage in the "Secret Baby" plot and live in honourable poverty.
4. Years (and countless women) later, hero discovers secret baby and tries to force heroine to marry him.
5. Heroine refuses marriage (this part is rare!) so hero has unprotected sex with heroine to get her pregnant again.
6. They all live happily ever after.

Even trite plots like this can be salvaged, but there was absolutely nothing likeable about Xander.
In Clare's own words,
"How can I love a man who threw me out like rubbish, who packed me off with a diamond necklace, who last night used me for sex because I was convenient and on hand...?
How can I love a man like that? A man without feelings, without conscience, without remorse, or the slightest acknowledgement that he was so coldly callous to me?
I musn't love a man like that! It debases me to do so."

Couldn't agree more. It seems that the only reason Clare is in love with Xander is that he's a stud. I read this story with gritted teeth. Clare was just so unbelievably pathetic. And what can I say about Xander's "brilliant" plot to get her pregnant? He doesn't know her menstrual cycle, doesn't know whether she's on the pill or not, yet thinks that having unprotected sex with her once will be enough to see the deed done.

Ugh. Don't bother reading this one. I feel dumber for having done so.

[Vintage · Rating 2 out of 5]

To quote Naksed, these are barftastic.

In An An Heir for the Millionaire: The Greek and the Single Mom\The Millionaire's Contract Bride, the first story is "The Greek and the Single Mom".

Here we have a flashback where the h recalls the time she got her walking papers from her Greek tycoon the day she's going to tell him they a mini-Greek tycoon on the way. She's a spine of steel as she gets up and simply walks out, not passing go and not collecting the unoriginal diamond whatever he has for her. Unfortunately for her she runs into him again living her life of noble poverty with her itty bitty Greek tycoon doppelgänger.

He's furious she hid the baby from him, blah blah blah, and plots to make her fall for him all over again so he can take their son because how dare a lowly mistress... more blah, blah, blah. It comes out in the wash that the reason he wanted to get rid of her was, wait for it, he was getting feelings for her. I'll skip over the part where he already had a replacement mistress selected.

My eyes rolled out of my head.

In the flashback and current day, he has the emotional connection with her that I have with my used Kleenex. How are they in love? Huh?

Next up in the Banal Phone It In Romance Award is The Millionaire's Contract Bride where we have two discarded spouses whose exes hooked up and have now gone on to their just reward in the Underworld. The exes each have a plot moppet. The H proposes a MOC as his FIL (sorry for all the acronyms) wants custody of the H's daughter.

She accepts the MOC offer, and they have a hesitant grope session on his desk. It's the best grope session she's ever had. Three weeks later the FIL drops his case, but suddenly they are in love. Hmm. I don't know when it happened as the H was out of town for part of the three weeks, but okay. The H was definitely hot for the h so at least she has that.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why why why why did I read this?!?? I knew it was bad! I knew it was terrible but little miss I need to know read it anyway!!! My eyes, my eyes!!!! They hurt from this book. Badly. It was just crazy! I need to put myself in timeout for at least thirty days! Because as bad as it was, as bad as I heard it would be and despite the warnings, I still cried like a baby over it! I hated the hero and when he tried to put it back on her, because she kept his son from him of course, I was ready to take my stealthy ninja moves, well if I had them I would, and reach into the book and bit@#slap him!

The best scene ever was when she said 'I have to go to the restroom', after he broke up with her, and just kept walking! That was a class move right there. I laughed so hard too. Lol. I was on my feet cheering her on!!! But I hated him from them on and I don't think he redeemed himself ever. At the beginning of the book he's drooling over his appointment with his current mistress Sonje right before he saw the heroine, then he's chasing after the h within 5 minutes of seeing her again. Just a pig!!!! I deserve all the pain and heartbreak I felt while reading this book because I chose it on purpose! I wanted angst!!! I am an idiot!!!
When will I ever learn! 'What a maroon?!!!. What an oxy-MORON!!!' (sorry Bugs bunny was My muse! )

My husband was coming in the door and when he saw the Kindle and me crying hysterically on the couch, blowing bubbles out my nose, he turned and said nope, and walked back out the door! Smart man!!! This was just painful and I knew it would be. There was a second story but it was just dull and I dnf'd it and permanently deleted this book from my library. So now I am in timeout, on restriction and my husband has taken my Kindle away for a week. Plus I also had to write 'I will never read Harlequins again!' 500 times on the chalkboard which was no easy feat because we don't have a chalkboard so I had to use an Etch a Sketch. Don't even ask how that worked out. Believe me, I am suitably chastised. I had to drink four Mind Eraser shots and I still can't forget it but I have a good buzz on so I am going to go play with the Etch a Sketch some more.

[StMargarets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good story. This is a review for The Greek and the Single Mom. Warning: the hero only has mistresses, continues to have mistresses during their separation, and considered the heroine his mistress when they were together the first time. The virgin heroine didn't *know* she was his mistress until the night he gave her a diamond necklace and told her it was over. That was also the night she was going to tell him she was pregnant.

So now - four years later they meet again when the heroine is moonlighting at a fancy bar to pay for a camping holiday with her son and the old lady they live with. The hero is angry with her because she just left him in the middle of dinner and never came back. (I love that part)

She hasn't forgiven him and still doesn't tell him about her son. The hero remembers all the good times they used to have and decides he wants her back. He then discovers he has a son and goes through the HP Hero Stages of Turning into Dad and Husband.

1. Is angry and rows with heroine
2. Tries to bond with son - son is responsive of course.
3. Gets rid of current mistress
4. Tells heroine they are going to marry
5. Takes heroine and son on a vacation to the Caribbean
6. When that doesn't work, he decides to go for revenge.
7. Has unprotected sex with the h so she'll get pregnant again and have to marry him.
8. Realizes he loves the heroine after having unprotected sex and now doesn't know what to do.
9. Comes across the heroine weeping in despair.
10. Long, extended grovel.

There is a happy epilogue, of course.

The stages of turning the secret daddy into husband and father material, vary from book to book - sometimes there are threats of legal action, there is more revenge, etc . . . - but the hero always has to confront his fears of intimacy before the HEA. I thought JJ pulled that off here, which is why I could believe the HEA. I also appreciated how she kept the hero a jerk though most of the story and the heroine resolute until she finally succumbed to her traitorous body - there was lots of lovely conflict.

[Melanie♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for the Julia James book.
2.5 stars for the Carole Mortimer book.

For the re-read, skipped the CM book completely. Still loving the JJ book.

[Lidia's Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another reread to keep the reading slump blues away. This book was a winner once again.
That break-up scene, my God 😱 If I had been standing, it would have brought me to my knees. But enough with my dramatics, I must now agonizingly decide on what to read next.

Note: The title for this story is all wrong. Not only is it misleading, the story deserved better. I'm offended on its behalf.

************* Original Review
4.5 Stars

I somehow very stupidly missed the fact that this was two stories in one book. I'm on such a roll with these Harlequin romances that I'm not even paying close attention to the book covers or titles, apparently. I didn't even bother reading the book description! I saw this in an update or a GR friend's shelf—I'm not sure which—and I jumped right in after reading two positive reviews which were only on the story, An Heir for the Millionaire: The Greek and the Single Mom. That's the only story I read too. I'll read the second one at a later date.

My thoughts?
I loved it. It packed quite a punch for being a short story. It ended at the 55% mark, to my dumb surprise. I was completely perplexed as to why everything was getting resolved halfway through the book Lol MY BAD. Still, I wish it had been a bit longer because I didn't get any happy times between the couple before they resolved their issues, and the story pretty much ended immediately after the resolution. We do get a tiny epilogue that was from the PoV of a secondary character, her looking at the couple getting married. I wish it had been from the hero or heroine's perspective. Despite this, I still think the story was told exceedingly well. I felt every emotion the heroine was experiencing—deeply. I actually cried. Maybe I'm just extra emotional this time of the month but man did Claire’s angst hit me hard in the feels. It was devastating. That moment when she walks out of the restaurant, leaving Xander behind...damn, that was equally heartrending and awesome.

The sexy times (one on page and another told in flashbacks) were passion-filled and poignant. And at the end when Xander has an epiphany and finally breaks down and confesses his love for Claire...sigh...absolute bliss. The grovel was delish. The whole story was incredibly convincing. Like I said, this shorty packed an emotional punch. I would read it again.

[willaful · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, trust Julia James to punch me in the gut and make me love it. The first short novel in this collection, "The Greek and the Single Mom," is Harlequin Presents drama at its best, with lots of suffering for the main characters, but with an underlying rationale that saves it from seeming needless or ridiculous. The shorter format is a win here, keeping the anguished, hurting lovers from descending into the familiar page-wasting hell of the bickerfest.

The second story, Carole Mortimer's "The Millionaire's Contract Bride," is much lighter; pleasant enough and a nice contrast, but not particularly memorable.

[KatieV]

Have only read the first novella so far.

The Greek and the Single Mom by Julia James - 3 stars: If this would have been the standard-length HP, I believe my rating would have been much higher. One of my favorite tropes - hero ditches his mistress because he's too stupid to know how much he loves her and she subsequently disappears without her payoff, which tortures him. It just needed a few more chapters to be fleshed out, particularly the hero's part in it.

[Tmstprc · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️ for the Julia James story—very melodramatic, with an interesting writing voice. There was a level of disconnect that worked, each character is so hurt, angry, devastated, they’re in their own head. We’re privy to all of it.

Note to self: Clare walks out of restaurant and disappears.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

h had steel balls till the end!

[KatLynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 Stars for The Greek and The Single Mom by Julia James

This one was very promising at the beginning. A well written short story by Ms. James and I liked the backbone of the heroine. But I never came to like the hero, Xander Aneketos. Even the ending with his explanation of his deplorable behavior toward Claire wasn't enough to redeem himself for me.

3.5 Stars for The Millionaire's Contract Bride by Carole Mortimer

Standard HQN short read...nothing spectacular but all in all a good short romance. While I liked the heroine, Casey Bridges, the hero, Xander Fraser is what made this one enjoyable for me.

[Tonya Warner · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 'The Greek and the Single Mom' Claire is an ex-mistress that when Xander ended their affair, felt tossed out on the garbage as he tried to show his appreciation for her services with a diamond necklace. Walking out and leaving him, all his gifts, and trying to get past her love for him, Claire raises the son he never knew about on her own. She did not want the risk of him deserting his child as he did her.



Xander was afraid of the feelings Claire raised in him. Rather than face up to his fears and admit the weakness of loving her, he lost her and his child's early years.



In 'The Millionaire's Contract Bride' Casey is struggling after her divorce and subsequent death of her cheating ex-husband. Having the ex-husband of the woman her husband left her for appear and present a proposal that they marry so he has a family for his daughter, and she has security for her son is beyond her comprehension. Finding out that Xander sets her blood on fire and she is not the cold, ice maiden her husband has said, and that Xander shows her real passion, makes her falling in love with him even more ironic.



Both are very good stories. (Was a bit confusing having both men named Xander though)

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Greek and the Single Mom by Julie James

3 stars

Well that was soapy! Greek tycoon callously ends a liaison with his mistress, only to discover four years later that she was pregnant with his son. A little repetitive and the ending was rushed, but still pretty enjoyable.

The Millionaire's Contract Bride by Carole Mortimer

4.25 stars

Now THIS Harlequin Presents romance really hit the spot! Marriage of convenience between a down on her luck single mother and the ex-husband of the woman who her own husband cheated with. I really enjoyed this one — it had good pacing, likeable characters (the MMC wasn’t even that overbearing!), and a satisfying HEA.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Your standard HP Presents, but I liked how the heroine in the first book had some gumption to her and was willing to call the hero out for his crap. Not bad at all.

[Moonz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Greek and the single Mom .. julia james

[NM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Greek and the Single Mom had one of the most angst-filled breakup scenes EVER. He dumped her without warning in a restaurant and she got up and walked away in shock, never to return. Her shock was *brilliantly* written and the only reason this isn’t at one star. Her disappearing like that was so well-done.

Had he ever redeemed himself, this could’ve been a 5-star book. Alas...

Now the rant... it’s completely unbelievable that loved her past or present. He found her replacement before dumping her publicly. He didn’t change one thing about his life or behavior, so the concept that “he’d loved her” then was absolutely unbelievable. It’s not like he stored her things for her. And she had a bank account in her name, so she would’ve been findable but he didn’t actually care. He was an a**hat from start to end... cold, manipulative, self-serving, mean, verbally and emotionally abusive. I didn’t buy a word of his talk at the end because he hadn’t said or done one kind thing to her in the 98% before the end. He name-called her verbally and in his thoughts, to the end.

I can not describe how horrible he was. There was no romance in this novel, at all. I have no idea why she loved him at first, and even less why she’d love someone who treated her like disposable trash throughout the book. If he could’ve killed her off on the island and kept his son, it wouldn’t have surprised me at all.

Her needs were never considered by him at all. My sympathies were with her, and I’m sorry she was so stupid at the end. Forgiving him, and too easily, was unpalatable.

The Epilogue was worthless and weak and I closed the book doubting his trustworthiness. He has no honor. I hope she was smart enough to get an airtight prenup with child custody because the odds of HEA with him are zero. She needs to find a decent man... preferably lining him up before she dumps the “Hero” in a public place.

I hate it when you feel badly at the end of a romance novel.

**
The other story had an interesting premise and could’ve been good but the characters kept themselves so guarded, it just didn’t gel the way it could have. I do believe they’ll have an HEA together in time, and they all deserve it. The low rating is all for the Julia James story.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the 1st book. Great arrogant Greek and well pissed ex mistress. Parts of this book are really long winded. I found myself skipping a lot of the inner thought talks that Clare had. Only thing that perked this book up was the HEA at the end really really enjoyed that.
The 2nd book is just as good. Even tho I thought it strange to have an anthology with only have a main characters 1st name as an connection. Really good HEA in both books.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two entertaining romances. Both are fairly quick reads. James's story is more angsty, with a harsher toned hero and a more introspective (occasionally too introspective) heroine, but the reconciliation and HEA ending are well written. Mortimer's story is lighter, the hero and heroine are less troubled, and the reconciliation is less dramatic, but it is an enjoyable read. This was my first introduction to both authors. I'll definitely have a look at some of their other books.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the first story better!

[Zai · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for for James' The Greek and the Single Mom.

Mortimer's The Millionaire's Contract Bride isn't just my cup of tea.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for the Julia James story. Only 2.5 for Carole Mortimer's

[JillyB · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are both novellas. Stmargarets does an excellent job in her review for the first story. It’s here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Quickly, JJ did a great job with 80 some odd pages delivering the angst. I also felt the story was tied up nicely and didn’t feel that I was missing out on anything. Basically, our hero only does mistresses. Our heroine was the mistress that lasted the longest and was getting just a little too close. So, he comes back after NYC trip. Takes her out to dinner, tells her he met someone new and gives her a diamond necklace for her troubles.

Meanwhile the heroine was getting ready to tell him that he was about to be a papa. She was feeling a little optimistic about her position in his life and seemed to forget that she was just a mistress. When he delivers the news, she leaves the necklace, goes to the restroom, and then with style that I wish most of our mistress heroines would employ, she walks out without his knowledge and disappears.



The story opens 4 years later, as the 2 meet again. The next 60 pages are laden with anger, distrust, and lots of angst. WARNING: He has not kept his sword sheathed at all over the past 4 years.


4 stars for this one!!!

Next up, we have CM’s extremely short novella(64 pages). Unlike, JJ, she was not able to tell a thorough story with such limited page space. I love CM, so she still gets 3 stars(hesitantly) on this little story. However, I think this story would have been so much better as a longer one. She could have woven in lots of angst which sadly this story was lacking. It was all wrapped up just a little too nicely, but what does one expect with 60 pages.

The hero’s wife cheated on him with the heroine’s husband. His wife left him for the h’s husband. (This doesn’t make a lot of sense as the husband had no idea how to please his own wife sexually, and he was a loser, bankrupting them with his failed attempts as a gardener.) Reading between the lines, I guess when the ex husband and the ex wife got together he must have finally found his sexual napalm. The good news is these two get the ultimate comeuppance by dying in a private jet crash(she had money).

Now it is several months later. The h has a 6 year old son and the H has a 6 year old daughter. The son and daughter like each other because they spent visitation time with their cheating parents at the same time. The H is super rich, and the h is super poor. This is important because the H is proposing a marriage of convenience with the h so his mourning ex father in law doesn’t take his daughter away. If the h were prosperous, then she would have no reason to go along with the MOC.

Our h and H feel an attraction for each other, but the h has been told that she is a frigid, sexually inept lover by her ex husband. She was a v when she married the more experienced husband, yet he never brought her to orgasm. The h doesn’t want a sexual relationship because it isn’t enjoyable and she doesn’t want the H to know about her lack of response. The H takes things in hand(literally) and gives the h what she has never experienced, while not taking anything for himself. On the eve of their wedding (3 weeks later) The h is still insisting on no sex and the H wants to renegotiate terms because there is no way he will be able to keep it platonic. AT this point they are both in love with each other(3 weeks). He says all the right things. They come together. There is a very happy epilogue a year later.

Such a quick read. It gets the 3 because it went very quickly. It just didn’t have enough time to build up momentum. Now had this been a longer story, we could have had the 2 exes still alive at the beginning and these 2 forming a tentative relationship, but having lots of angst due to trust issues etc. Things fell into place just so nicely it ended up being toothache sweet.

[Deanne]

Since I have been waiting a release from my favorite authors and awaiting my book requests at the library I thought I would try to read again the Harlequin Presents I have stopped reading since I was a teenager, and what a great to start re -reading the Harlequin Presents Series by starting it with one of my favorite authors from Harlequin who are Julia James and Carole Mortimer

But somehow in the middle of the first story I have lost interest as I read this book from start to finish .

[Ms Fine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The scene outside (pavement) reminded me of Double Standards by JM.. It made me so emotional, I cried. I liked the ending, how the hero explained the reason why he ended their affair.. And what he DID to keep her at the end.. It was ruthless and insensitive of him, but he was desperate. Hehe. This was for Julia James' book 4 stars...


2.5 stars for the one by Carole Mortimer,

[RomLibrary]

"The Greek and the Single Mom" by Julia James

For Greek tycoon Xander Anaketos only money talks, and when he breezes back into Claire's life, he wants her back in his bed. But what will he do when he discovers his impoverished ex-mistress is also the loving mother of his child?

[Lisa Barker · Rating 3 out of 5]

good quick read!!!!

[Ana · Rating 2 out of 5]

first story:
-didn't like the hero
-lame plot
-2 stars

second story:
-nothing special and interesting going in this one
-2 stars

[Ayimas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[May ّمي · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first story "The Greek and the Single Mom" by Julia James
Too much anger .. then suddenly it's all gone just like that :/



I might come back later and read the second story

[Sarah Joyner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very sweet love story

Quick intense love stories both involved dislike to love to mis understanding. Old style writing, but I like the old stories better