Customer Reviews

The Billionaire's Pregnant Mistress: Mistress to a Millionaire (Harlequin Presents)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

French model Xandra Fortune's world came crashing down in a matter of hours. Her lover, Dimitri Petronides, dumps her because he is going to marry another woman, evicts her from their apartment, and denies that he is the father of her child. Heartbroken, Xandra leaves Paris and her modeling career behind, and becomes plain old Alexandra Dupree once more. She doesn't think that she'll ever see the man she loves again - until he shows up at her sister's house, offering marriage!

Dimitri knew he had made a horrible mistake when he threw Xandra out of his life, all in a misguided attempt to appease his ill grandfather. As soon as Xandra leaves Paris, he attempts to find her, but he searches for months and comes up with nothing. It's not until fate, and a little help from Xandra's brother-in-law, brings them together again that he realizes he can't allow Alexandra to leave again. He wants her, he wants their son, and he'll do just about anything to keep them in his life!

Although the little summary on the back of the book intrigued me, I didn't really think I'd like this book too well. Specifically, I didn't think I would like the character of Dimitri, throwing out his pregnant lover so he could marry someone else. But it didn't take me long to realize that there was so much more going on here than meets the eye. There's Dimitri's childhood, his perceptions of love, his grandfather's illness, and emotions that he can't put a name to. There's also Alexandra's belief that love is always conditional, that she must protect herself from being hurt, and that no one will really want her for herself.

There is not a saint in this book - the characters are both flawed, but the reader grows to love them both in spite of those flaws (or, maybe even because of them). The author manages to weave together such a convincing, wonderful romance full of ups and downs, promises and disappointments, that you can't help but fall under the author's spell. What an incredible, emotional book - I didn't want to put it down, and when I finally finished, I immediately wanted to read it again. This book deserves more than 5 stars, and is a wonderful tale of second chances.

Like many readers, I'd never even heard of this author until The Real Deal came out and everyone gushed over it. So I read TRD and I really enjoyed that book and thought I'd check out some of her other books. This one sounded intriguing so I started here. It could have been a good book, but I just never really warmed up to the "hero".

He is Greek tycoon Dimitri Petronides and he has been living with fashion model Xandra Fortune for the past year. They have a very steady but superficial relationship in which the emphasis is on living in the moment, sharing steamy sex and some level of affection. But not sharing each other's deepest thoughts, hopes, dreams or even discussion of respective families, etc. One day Dimitri's ailing grandfather imposes an ultimatum: he will not have life-saving heart surgery until Dimitri agrees to marry Phoebe Leonides the nice Greek girl he has been expected to marry. And so he must end things with Xandra to save his beloved grandfather. He figures she won't be devastated, afterall she's totally focused on her career and often put it ahead of him. No, she'll be just fine - that's what he tells himself, anyway.

But Xandra Fortune is not what or whom he assumes. She's got good reasons for working so hard but she's never shared them with Dimitri. But things change when one day she discovers that she is pregnant. She is in the midst of debating herself over how to tell him when he abruptly (and not too kindly) tells her it's over. That he's getting married and that there is no longer a place in his life for her. Contrary to Dimitri's expectations she is devastated. He walks out before guilt can overwhelm him and leaves her to her tears. Days later they meet again and she tells him about the baby. He freaks out and refuses to believe that the baby is his. The next thing she knows, she's being evicted from their shared apartment, thrown out like so much garbage.

So Xandra, whose real name is Alexandra Dupree quits her job, closes all her accounts and goes home to America leaving no trace of Xandra Fortune behind. Alexandra winds up in NYC living with her sister and brother-in-law. Meanwhile, Dimitri has had second thoughts and is now desperate to find her. But there is no trace of Xandra Fortune - it's like she's dropped off the face of the earth. Will he ever find her and if he does can he ever win her back?

Okay, IMO Dimitri would have been hard to like under any circumstance, but his character really suffers because so little of the story is told from his perspective. We get pages and pages of Alexandra's feelings and thoughts but little of his. The result is that the reader has the impression of an extremely selfish, overbearing, almost cold man determined to have his own way no matter what Alexandra wants. And that's a shame because I think he could have been yummy with a bit more development. I like Alexandra's character, though she did let him push her around a bit more than I would have liked. But she was realistic about the kind of man he was and her feelings for him and she definitely had her pride. If you like pushy alpha's maybe you will like Dimitri's character more than I, but if not, this likely is not the book for you.

I'm surprised at the reviewer who didn't think enough was shown from the hero's perspective. That's one reason I liked this book so much--he realizes quickly what he's done, regrets it, and tries to make amends. I liked Alexandra's strength. I thought both of them much more complex than the average romance; both had to realize they contributed to the breakdown of their relationship. My only quibble is that I wish more writers would not use a pregnancy as a deux ex machina so much.

The Billionaire's Pregnant Mistress by Lucy Monroe
Harlequin Presents # 2428 - December 2004

When her lover of a year, Dimitri, declares that their affair is over and he is going to marry the young Greek virgin who has been promised to him, Xandra is devastated. She doesn't think there could be more pain, until her declaration of her love for him and the fact that she carries his child, results in his disbelief and accusation that the child could not possibly be his. But that's not the final blow, that comes when a stranger comes to Dimitri's Paris apartment with a list of her belongings and announces that she's there to help Xandra pack. So Xandra leaves Paris to return to the US, as Alexandra ... Xandra the fashion model no longer exists. Three months pass, and Dimitri finally finds her and now must convince her that she is to marry him.

It always amazes me how Ms. Monroe can pack such a powerful story into a mere 185 pages! Dimitri and Alexandra have both been hiding themselves from each other, both with good reason. Together they learn to set aside the mistakes of the past and to let their love heal and create a future. Well done! I know I'll enjoy reading this one over and over again.

From Back Cover:
When Greek Billionaire Dimitri Petronides is forced to give up Xandra Fortune, his beautiful mistress, he's certain she won't be too distraught. For all the intense passion they shared, she's never let him into her heart, and such a commitment-shy woman could never be his wife...

But after their split Dimitri discovers that Xandra Fortune is not who he thought she was and she is also pregnant with his child. Now he has to track her down and claim his mistress as his wife!

Comments:
I enjoyed reading this book.
Dimitri was a jerk to Xandra in the beginning, but definitely makes up for it. Both Dimitri and Xandra have to take some responsibility for the mistrust in their relationship, she for taking trips without giving him any details, and him for so easily thinking of marriage to another woman and not sharing his family.

Dimitri is "forced" to agree to marry another woman to convince his grandfather to have a necessary operation, but Dimitri fails to inform his grandfather that he is already in a relationship. Dimitri ends his relationship with Xandra and evicts her from his apartment (which he pays for throughout the rest of the book), even after she informs him of her pregnancy, but he questions the paternity of the child.

Dimitri tries to find Xandra for several months until fate and her brother-in-law intervenes. The hero and heroine definitely love each other, but must workout their own personal issues before the relationship can truly work.

Xandra does love Dimitri, but she doesn't let him just get away with the way he treated her in the beginning, he has to earn her trust and love back.

Lucy Monroe has written another gem of a book in The Billionaire's Pregnant Mistress.

Dimitri Petronides decides to honor his grandfather's wishes and marry a family friend. He has to end his yearlong relationship with model Xandra Fortune. This proves to be harder then he first thought.

Alexandra Dupree aka Xandra Fortune has enjoyed her relationship with Dimitri. She knew it was only temporary but she wasn't prepared for the pain when it ended suddenly. Nor was she prepared to find out she was expecting a child.

Dimitri soon realizes how badly he wronged Alexandra and sets out to win her back. Dimitri is a strong man but is willing to show his gentle side to win Alex back. Alex is just as strong minded but her tender feelings open back up to the one man who has her heart.

This book brings out deep feelings for Alex and Dimitri. They are a special couple, deeply sensual as well as tender. Lucy Monroe writes from the heart.

This is the first Lucy Monroe book I read and it certainly won't be the last. It's truly a beautiful romance book- one that you can read over and over again with just the right tenderness and love between the hero and the heroine. Don't miss this one!

I thought the hero a boor who wanted everything his way. He's keeping a mistress even though he plans to marry another woman?!?! It seems lately all I've read in romances are about women whose only attraction is their beauty. The men are all FABULOUSLY wealthy but with no depth of character. Poor as I may be, I cannot seriously see myself attracted to a man who couldn't hold an intelligent conversation - no matter how great the sex. And I so wanted to like this book because of the previous reviews. Very disappointed.

The back cover doesn't do this book justice.

The story is complex, warm, sexy and very moving. I loved it from beginning to ending.

This book is a keeper, one to be read time and time again.