Customer Reviews

The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress (Silhouette Desire)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Books like Maya Banks's THE TYCOON'S PREGNANT MISTRESS are why series romances have a bad reputation. Banks may be good writer, but you can't tell it by this book. Perhaps the series format is too short for her amnesiac story line. I am not normally one of those romance readers that insist that everything be accurate, logical and make perfect sense, but my suspension of disbelief only goes so far. In this vein, I have decided to cathartically list some of the most bothersome aspects of this story. I won't be giving anything away that the book summary doesn't already highlight, so here goes.

1) The hospital releases the heroine, a rescued amnesiac kidnap victim, to a man (the hero) who lies about being her fiancé, and they don't require any proof of his relationship to her even though her abductors are at large and she's still purported to be in danger. 2) Even though she was just released from the hospital, Banks inserts a scene where the hero insists that the heroine get a medical checkup where she has an ultrasound so the doctor can confirm the health of the baby. So the hospital not only violated the laws of the state and the laws of decency by letting some stranger take her home, but they didn't see to the health of her five month old fetus before she was released? I get that this scene was probably an attempt to make this jerk seem caring, but all I could think was, "what kind of quack hospital did they take this poor woman to?" 3) The hero believes himself betrayed by the heroine and seems to genuinely hate her. But instead of simply providing for her care (and thus the care of his unborn child), he lies about them being engaged and proceeds to treat her schizophrenically with equal parts tender care and contempt. 4) His brothers treat her (the recently kidnapped, five-month-pregnant, confused, traumatized, amnesiac woman carrying their nephew) abominably. Their stories will be published soon. I can't wait to skip those. 5) The hero, while believing the heroine to be a lying, conniving, backstabbing, spying witch who slept with him to get at his corporate secrets, doesn't let his contempt stop him from having frequent sex with her even though (let me reiterate) she has been recently kidnapped, held for three months, is pregnant with his child, and is so traumatized she has almost complete amnesia. Ahh, romance!

I was set to give this book one star until I got to the part when the heroine gets her memory back. Her subsequent pain and struggle, along with the hero's guilt and contrition, were so well written it got another star out of me. But it certainly didn't make up for what came before.

This was Maya Bank's first Silhouette Desire, and it was excellent! Anyone who has read any of her books published by Ellora's Cave or Samhain Publishing knows what a fantastic writer she is. This book is the first of a three part series she is doing about three Greek brothers - Chrysander, Theron, and Piers Anetakis. This book is Chrysander's story. It starts out with his live-in girlfriend, Marley, finding out that she is pregnant and worrying about how to tell him and what he will think. It is obvious, even from the beginning that he spends a lot of time away from her - sometimes weeks at a time - on business. When she gets home to their apartment, he is waiting for her and they make love before she attempts to talk to him. You can tell right away that he has issues because when she asks him where he thinks their relationship is going, he tells her that they don't have a relationship - she is his mistress. Naturally this devastates her, and due to a serious lack of trust on his part and some cleverly planted "evidence", she doesn't even get a chance to tell him she is pregnant because he kicks her out, thinking she has stolen ideas from his company and sold them to a competitor. After she leaves him, she is kidnapped off the street. Then the story flashes forward to three months later - Marley has just been found by the police in a rundown building having been held by kidnappers for three months - Chrysander sees the story on the news and realizes she is pregnant with his child. When he goes to get her, he finds out that due to the trauma of being kidnapped, she doesn't remember anything but her name - she doesn't remember him, how she got pregnant, anything. He tells her that they are engaged to be married and takes her home with him. On the doctor's advice, he doesn't tell her anything about her kidnapping or anything else - he lets her believe she was in a car accident and that it caused her memory loss. She starts to slowly connect the dots and realize that something is wrong in their relationship due to little things like her not having any maternity clothes that fit her in their apartment - him having houses, property, etc. that she has never visited, and the hostility she senses from his brothers when she meets them. The rest of the story is a series of twists and turns that will leave you breathless and emotionally drained but feeling very satisfied in the end. You can feel the heroine's pain when she regains her memory and remembers all the things Chrysander said to her when he kicked her out, and she believes everything he told her since her kidnapping was a lie - it is also particularly devastating when she remembers that the kidnappers kept her for 3 months waiting for Chrysander to pay a half a million dollar ransom that they requested several times and he never responded to. By the time the villain who is responsible for the whole mess gets whats coming to him or her, I was cheering and clapping. Be sure to check this one out - you won't regret it! I can hardly wait for the next installment.

This is my first book by Maya Banks, and I can diffinatly tell you it will not be my last. The part where Marley gets her memory back is so emotionally charged, I had to stop and hunt a tissue. I love it when I come across a keeper and especially when I have discovered a new favorite author. Do not miss this book.

Sassy

This book is not that good, but there's one part that just makes you forgive the rest.

Basically the hero is using the heroine, she thinks she's a girlfriend but he's keeping her as a mistress. She winds up pregnant and before she can tell him, finds out what he thinks about her. Before that can go any further, the hero thinks the heroine stole plans from him and sold them to rival companies so he kicks her out.

Immediately as she walks out of the building, she's kidnapped. The bulk of the story takes place many months later when the heroine is found in an abandoned building. The kidnappers gave up and left her there after calling the police and saying where she was. The heroine has no memory but is visibly pregnant. Our rather dumb hero actually puts together that, hey, that must be my baby, and claims to be her fiance and takes her home with him.

Of course the hero still thinks she sold building plans from him, but it's his child. The heroine thinks they were in a relationship and going to be married. Eventually she's going to remember the truth though.


Now, there are many problems with this book. First of all, the hero is a whiny brat. After he tells the heroine what he thinks of her, he thinks about how she was sick and he should probably take care of her. He didn't want to, but since she always took care of him when HE was sick, he supposed he should return the favor.

He's also dumber than a box of rocks. The plans start going missing after the heroine quits her job..working for him..and he hires a new girl. So logically, of course it's the heroine stealing. It's just so much easier to steal the plans from the office when you have no reason to be there anymore rather than when you actually worked there and had easy access to them all. And of course the heroine is going to go visit his office while he's away on a trip, and be let in, and steal the plans, which she'll randomly throw in her purse and throw wherever she wants when she gets home.


Then there's the ransom. The hero claims to have never gotten it. Of course the kidnappers didn't know where he lived, because it was just a happy accident that they happened to kidnap the heroine from in front of his apartment building. So any ransom had to be sent to the office. I mean, it wasn't like the heroine would even tell them where he lived either.


But despite the many many problems that will have you wanting to chuck the book across the room saying that's not going to happen, when the heroine gets her memories back, that scene is wow. Everything bad about the book can be mostly forgiven just for how well that was written.

Maya Banks, if nothing else, can really make you feel all that horrible emotion that the character is going through at that time. I felt so bad for the heroine in this story and for that part alone I gave this book four stars.

Marley Jameson has just been handed a life altering diagnosis - pregnancy. Eight weeks pregnant to be exact and she isn't quite sure how her lover is going to handle the news. She isn't even sure how he truly feels about their relationship. They've been living together for six months and she has no doubt that she loves him but with a baby on the way she needs more of a commitment then sex when his schedule permits.

Chrysander Anetakis doesn't do commitment. He's a man who enjoys a healthy sex life and sure he's very fond of Marley but no way is he going to admit to anything more permanent. Her questioning their relationship sends him into a tailspin and he blurts out the one thing guaranteed to hurt her - he refers to her as his `mistress.' That was before he finds the damning evidence of her betrayal of him and his company and kicks her out of his apartment and life.

Marley's stunned when Chrysander demands that she leave their apartment. She hasn't even told him about the baby yet so why is he so angry? She has no clue why he's accusing her of some crime against his company but rather than stay and argue, she wraps her hurt and pride about herself and leaves the apartment without any idea where she'll go, but intends to return to the apartment later to make him listen to reason. Soon after leaving the building she's abducted and spends the next three months in captivity.

Chrysander's shocked when he sees Marley on the news and learns of what she endured since she left his home. Even more shocking is the realization that she's pregnant - with his child. He races to her side at the hospital where she's been taken after her rescue only to learn that physically Marley is fine but mentally she's shut down. She remembers her name but very little else and there's no telling how long it will take for her to regain her memory.

With Marley pregnant with his baby, Chrysander's taking no chances with Marley's health or well being. As her doctor's requested, he avoids mentioning what's happened to her and opts only to tell her that he's her fiancé and whisks her away to his Greek island. Marley doesn't remember him though being with him makes her feel safe. What she can't figure out is why he's so loving one minute and hostile the next. Furthermore why does his personal assistant evoke such disheartening feelings of resentment? If Chrysander and Marley are to be married then why doesn't their relationship feel so strained?

Maya Banks has become one of my `must read' authors and she's definitely developed a devoted fan base since she first popped up on the romance author radar. Her stories are full of emotional situations, memorable characters and even a bit of suspense and THE TYCOON'S PREGNANT MISTRESS is no exception. I think my heart broke for Marley with Chrysander's hateful treatment of her and I empathized with her through her struggle to regain her memories. Chrysander has his own issues and regrets to deal with and he fears the day Marley remembers what happened between them. It's an emotional ride as these two come together in such a volatile situation where love conquers all but not without first risking everything.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the other books in the ANETAKIS TYCOON series in the near future.
THE TYCOON'S REBEL BRIDE releases in May 2009 The Tycoon's Rebel Bride (Silhouette Desire)
And
THE TYCOON'S ELUSIVE LOVER releases in September 2009.

Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)

If pregnancy + amnesia = Pregnesia (according to the Harlequin/Silhouette title generator), then what is pregnancy + amnesia + kidnapping? Pregnesiapping? Pregnappinesia? The heroine in this one finds out she's pregnant, has sex, encounters nasty Other Woman, gets falsely accused of stealing, gets thrown out by rich Greek lover, and gets kidnapped, all in chapter 1. And I thought I was having a bad hair day.

I admit to not being a fan of Maya Banks' writing. I don't care for her erotica and I was plenty amazed to discover last year that she is now writing Sihouettes. I picked one up out of sheer curiosity, wondering how her writing would hold up without menage sex scenes to hide behind. Maybe because my expectations were low, I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress. The writing is effective and emotional (within the contraints of a melodramatic Silhouette plot of course). Marley is a good heroine without TSTL moments, and she gropes convincingly for clues to what her life and her relationship with the hero were like before she lost her memory. The hero is plenty conflicted, veering between solicitous care (and burning desire) for Marley on one hand, and coldness and anger at her betrayal on the other. At times he's almost schizophrenic and this does nothing to help Marley figure out their relationship or help her settle in. Apart from the intial accusation and throwing out though, he's not a harsh hero by Harlequin/Silhouette standards. To his credit also, he's almost totally forgiven Marley for her supposed betrayal before her memory returns and the truth comes out. Between the angst, there are some nice scenes of them being happy on their Greek island. I like when a romance actually shows the couple interacting in a happy or playful manner. When the heroine recovers her memory, it's back to angst though and these scenes are some of the most effective in the story.

As for what I didn't like, the whole kidnapping plot seemed thrown in as a device to give the heroine amnesia and give the hero a reason to spirit her off to his island to protect her. Even worse, it was left totally unresolved. We never learn who kidnapped Marley or why. It's inexcusable to leave such a plot element dangling. And can I say that it's just laughable to demand a piddling 1/2 million dollars from a megarich multimillionaire who owns his own island? I mean I know there's a recession and all but really!

Another New Favorite. Maya sure knows how to bring out the High Emotion in her books.

Betrayal, amnesia, love, marriage, pregnancy, it's a heartbreaker for sure. What would you do if you are thrown out of your Boyfriends home, where you both live, for a betrayal that you never committed. Then being kidnapped, released and not being able to remember what happened bfore or during the horrible event. Then having said boyfriend take you from the hospital, and trying to start over again with a man who you can't remember, but nothing seems right??

Yeah...I know...sounds AWESOME!! You need to read this book!! It will take your heart, throw it on the ground, stomp on it for a few minutes and maybe twist it up a little...then patch it up so their is no more pain!!

Oh Harlequin...how you draw up every emotion is beyond me!!

Engaging read, loved it! Once I started I did not put it down. I love Maya Banks! I'm looking forward to her new book.

Tycoon Chrysander Anetakis and his mistress Marley Jameson have enjoyed each other - in bed and out. The head of a Greek hotel conglomerate, Chrysander and his family have been on the trail of an insider giving away bid secrets. When Chrys sees the proof of Marley's deception sticking out of her handbag, he reacts before thinking and orders her out of his home and his life where she disappears completely. It isn't until months later while watching a breaking news story that Chrysander once again sees Marley. Reports of her amnesia and subsequent pregnancy bring Chrysander to his knees because he knows one thing. If Marley is pregnant, she is pregnant with his child. Plans are made and white lies are told to get Marley where he wants her - but what happens when The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress regains her memory?

Fan girl squeal here! I can not get enough of this talented and prolific author. Having been hooked on Maya Banks and the stories she expertly weaves for a long time, I am thrilled to death with The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress, her new release for Silhouette.

Chrysander Anetakis is an alpha male to the core. Gentle when need be, he is the type of man that demands loyalty. His trust is not easily given and when that is shattered, he reacts. His mannerisms and dominating will were enough to send me into reader euphoria! I wanted him. I wanted him bad. Sadly, his heart belonged to the one woman he thought had betrayed him. For a man as dominant as Chrys, that was a bitter pill to swallow but I enjoyed watching his heart change when he realized Marley was what mattered. His ultimate surrender to the love in his heart was perfectly written and brought tears to my eyes.

I joyfully recommend The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress! If you have never read Maya Banks, this is the perfect starter book. If you have, you will be captivated by the story she weaves and the emotions the characters invoke within you. Kudos, Maya! The Tycoon's Pregnant Mistress is astoundingly wonderful!

Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

I read the 3rd book of the series first, and liked it so much, I went and bought the first 2. All I can say is that I love this book.

When I started reading it I thought, oh no, not another amnesia storyline. But oh my goodness, when the denouement happened and everything was finally revealed, it almost brought tears to my eyes. The emotion was just so gripping and real and compelling.

I highly recommend to all romance junkies. This book has it all. It will make you laugh and cry and sigh with pleasure.

This book made me an instant Maya Banks fan.