Customer Reviews

Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant (Harlequin Presents Extra)

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

 

 

I like Lucas' books because her arrogant billionaires aren't as repulsive before their redemption as most other authors' in the "Unexpected Babies" line tend to be. Rafe's not great, let's be honest here, because if he was, this wouldn't be a scandalous pregnancy, but his boneheadedness is limited to one, "you wouldn't betray me, WOULD YOU," speech before Louisa runs off. Then he gets another asinine, "I'll make your life hell by marrying you and treating you like dog kibble," threat and one last idiotic move before someone knocks some sense into him, but in general, he's an okay guy. He isn't the misogynist pig so many of these guys can be.

Louisa's a bit of a nonentity, which was a disappointment. She did a lot of boo-hooing about her situation, then patting herself on the back about how brave she was to strike out on her own even though she was afraid of the big bad Rafe and how she would fall apart into a puddle of goo when he kissed her. Her little issue that kept her from confiding in Rafe in the beginning was moronic, but then again, I wouldn't be addicted to these like Lindt truffles if they were any different. I was glad to see she'd gotten a backbone later in the book, sad to see she lost it when Rafe reappeared. At least the sex was massively good.

There was too much darting around from place to place; less time going on and on about how Louisa was such a good housekeeper and her shudder-worthy white chocolate brownies, more about their relationship would have been nice, but the sexy times were good and the groveling was delicious. I liked it.

Spoilers throughout. Louisa has worked for for Rafael for 5 years as his housekeeper. She came to work for him after running away from her life in the US. She finds out at her engagement party that her sister is marrying the man instead because she's pregnant with his baby. So she has been burned by men in the past. Louisa sits and watches Rafael use women like they are as disposable and valueless as toilet paper and then one night he catches her crying and comforts her the only way he knows how. They have a brief affair and she obviously ends up pregnant, and she has to stand by as he moves on to other women as she takes care of his home. But things go from bad to worse when a colleague/rival of Rafael's tells him that Louisa and her sister plotted to trap her former fiance into marriage and if she ends up pregnant that means she is obviously only wanting to trap him. So when he does ask her if she's pregnant she does the only thing she can for both herself and her baby, she lies.

I have to say this is the cruelest harlequin hero I have come across in a long long time. The man is pure evil if you as me, there is nothing kind or loving in him and more than that, there is nothing in him worth loving. He knew that Louisa was a virgin but she is also supposed to be a seductress out to trap him and if she is pregnant it couldn't just be an accident, it has to be an premeditated act? He tells her that if she is pregnant he will marry her and then systematically ruin her life and then wonders why she doesn't tell him. Not only that but what kind of idiot would think a woman ENGAGED would need to trap a man into marrying her sister? It makes no sense to anyone not suffering from head trauma.

When he does find out she had his child he is going to take the child away, he got as far as the door before logistics of being stuck with a kid and no woman around to take care of it occurred to him, so he goes back to plan A, which is marrying her and making her miserable. He then goes and gets his revenge on his own mother and using his wife and child to do so. He tells mommy dearest that now she has met her grandchild she will never see him again. When Louisa takes pity on his mother and lets her see the child and then tells him he finally makes good on the threat he makes continually throughout the book, and that is to take her son away. He is one of the cruelest and most unfeeling misogynists I have come across in a long time. He has no soft underside, no secret hurt, all he has is hate and vengeance against everyone and women in particular. Towards the end Louisa feels like killing herself after he leaves, taking her child and I almost wish she would have, being at least him realizing that maybe he is an utter a**hole for driving the mother of his child to commit suicide would make him show some emotion. His reason for finally trying to get back with her, being his mother finally reveals that she keep secrets from him because his dad was a [insert expletive of your choice] who told his mom to get rid of him. So because mom was right then suddenly all women are right???

The man was an ass and I could not fathom why Louisa forgave him. And the only reason she talked to him in the end was because he sent her a hand written note. WTF? Is that what she thinks she's worth? One sentence on a piece of paper? He says he's sorry for treating her like a whore, for kidnapping their child, for trying to divorce her and she says ok and they live happily ever after. . . WTF again. The man has some serious emotional issues and would obviously do the same thing again the minute something happened to test their relationship. The whole book left me with a terrible taste in my mouth and it boggles my mind that, when I picked it up anyway, it had a rating of 4 1/2 stars. This book is awful! Women are only allowed to either cook, clean, take care of a child, or else be sex objects. Rafael even comes home and says he's lucky because she wants to cook and clean for him when they aren't screwing. I could only recommend it if you wanted to see how truly horrible harlequins can be or if you are looking for a terrible hero.

1 star.

Author Jennie Lucas has written a breathtaking romance with Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant one I consider to be on my top list list for 2010.

There are absolutely no words to describe the intensity of this love story, the pain I felt for Louisa Grey a woman who by both of the men she loved was so misjudged. And then the final blow, the man she loved, her boss, the very same man she gave her virginity to, believed a rumor about her and thought she was setting out to trap him.

Where to begin? Housekeeper Louisa Grey escaped one bad relationship in which she gave her heart to a man she was to marry until her sister sole him away by sleeping with him and becoming pregnant. Now she had a chance to start over in France as the housekeeper of the well known "ladies man" Argentinean billionaire Rafael Cruz. She was such a hard working woman not only as his housekeeper; she did everything for him from managing his homes, his staff, waiting on him hand and foot and watching him date beautiful women. She knew that his women were irreplaceable and no one will steal his heart.

From being his housekeeper in France, Louisa now found herself in Istanbul because of a one night stand she had with him in Paris. It was very complicated how the one night happened but now she feared she had become accidentally pregnant with his child and he was due to arrive shortly for his birthday party in his Istanbul home. It had been five months since they had seen each other, long months for them both. Rafael was in a fowl mood because he had found out the identity of his father only to arrive and find out he had passed away and he was too late in meeting him.

While reading the early chapters I realized that Rafael had a "dark" side and for the most part it was because he felt betrayed by his mother and step father not having the opportunity to get to know his biological father. However, he honestly trusted Louisa and she affected him on a personal level. He was determined to resume his relationship with Louisa, keeping her as his household manager. He even rewarded her, his mistress with a trip to a private Greek Island. However, his birthday party turned into a disaster and Louisa found out she was pregnant. Then he found out about her past fiance, and accused her of nasty things.

She had wanted his birthday to be perfect, she even baked his favorite brownies and dress in a lovely black dress, not her normal baggy clothes. Louisa knew it would end when she told him she was pregnant. She had given Rafael everything of herself, made his homes beautiful and had sacrificed her every need for him. And he paid her back by making curt remarks about how she was dressed, accused her of possibly trying to trap him, like her sister had with a child. However, the truth was she realized, for years she had made excuses for his bad behaviour and told herself he had some goodness inside him. And she thought herself a fool for loving him. And then for Louisa the light bulb went on, she couldn't tell him she was expecting his child, she needed to life to him and immediately get out of his life because he wouldn't believe that it was an accident, even though she was protected by the pill.

As fate would have it, Louisa returned home to the United States, made up with her sister and together they started a bakery with one of the most popular items offered, the brownies that Rafael so loved. Now she, her son, niece and sister lived together and were happy. She adored her family and her work until one day who should walk a year and a half later, who should walk through the door but Rafael. He wanted her back, he apologized and told her he needed her and then he found out she lied to him about their son and everything fell apart.

Just when I thought this USA Today Bestselling Author couldn't make their love story anymore intense, well I was knocked for a loop! Once this proud billionaire found out she had lied and he had a son, everything turned upside down. Even though I personally tried to put myself in his shoes and thought about what he missed out on with his son and his father, it didn't excuse for me, his anger and treatment of the two women in his life, Louisa his now wife and his mother. Just when I thought this couldn't get anymore intense, wham! From threats of taking away her baby, to resuming their relationship, a fallout with his mother and then abruptly moving the family to Paris and threatening her she would loose her son if he saw his Grandmother......honestly, my heart was racing!

Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant was simply amazing! By ending this review and not discussing the ending, it would only be fair to fans of Jennie Lucas, the Mills and Boon and Harlequin Presents line. Trust me, they do get their happy ending? The last chapters were "tough" to read because everything Rafael Cruz thought true was wrong and it took two strong women who loved him and his son to show him the way.

Behind the Book:

For the behind the book story and an incredible brownie recipe that the heroine served her lover, take a look here on Jennie's website!

[...]

Horrible, horrible. I couldn't finish this book it was that bad. There are some pretty terrible heros in harlequin stories but this book has one of the worse. I don't recommend it at all.

Louisa has been Rafael's housing manager for five years and it had been purely professional until he bedded her a month ago. Now neither can get that night or each other out of their heads. And now Louisa is pregnant!

This book reminded me of the story of Beauty and the Beast. Rafael is pretty beastly to most people, but Louisa is the one person who stands up to him and for herself.

I really enjoyed this book and strongly recommend it. One of the characters in this book has his own story told in The Virgin's Choice [The Bride Thief in U.S.] (another great read!!!).

A slightly different spin on the housekeeper/boss theme. Louisa has worked for her boss for years when passion finally overtakes them, gets preggers after swearing she never will, and knows she'll be damned as a gold digger from the start if she admits to being pregnant and damned as a liar if she doesn't... Of course our sexy Alpha, Rafael, has some serious trust issues where women are concerned. So what's a pregnant housekeeper to do? Will Rafael ever learn to trust? Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstand to find out!