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A Child Claimed by Gold

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A scandal of their own making

Nikolai Cunningham has kept his family history secret for seventeen years. So when photographer Emma Sanders is granted exclusive access to his childhood home, he returns to Russia to ensure it stays hidden.

Though she tries to keep her eye on the story, Nikolai's potent sexuality proves too much for Emma's untouched body to resist! But, convinced she only wanted a scoop, Nikolai casts Emma out, unaware she's pregnant!

When the consequence of their recklessness is revealed, Nikolai will legitimize his heir—with a gold wedding ring!

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2017

92 people are currently reading
516 people want to read

About the author

Rachael Thomas

251 books132 followers
I grew up in the Midlands, but when I moved to Wales, over twenty years ago, I found a place to finally put down roots. I married into a farming family and embarked on a massive learning curve which also saw me learning Welsh when my two children were small.
Writing is something I have always wanted to do and I can still remember the thrill of one of my short stories being held up as an example to the class when I was about nine. It wasn’t until my own children were in school that I seriously started to pursue my dream. I joined a local writing group which met every Monday afternoon and being with like-minded people was the boost I needed.

Reading romance had always been my first love, and just about every short story I wrote was romance, so I decided to write my first book. During that process I also attended my first weekend writing course with Kate Walker and joined the RNA’s fabulous New Writers’ Scheme. A short time later I joined Romance Writers of Australia and learnt a lot from entering their competitions. I sought out courses and you can imagine my joy when I discovered Sharon Kendrick’s course in beautiful Tuscany.

Behind the Scandalous Façade, my So You Think You Can Write entry, is my thirteenth book and although only eight have those magic words ‘the end’ written on them the others are definitely part of the learning process I have enjoyed over the last six years.

I love escaping to distant shores with my characters, entering their glamorous world and feeling all the emotions they experience as they discover their love for one another. A love so strong it will overcome all obstacles eventually, leading to that promised happy ever after.

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5 stars
56 (24%)
4 stars
69 (29%)
3 stars
63 (27%)
2 stars
32 (13%)
1 star
12 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Alex is The Romance Fox.
1,461 reviews1,242 followers
December 27, 2016
A Child Claimed by Gold by Rachael Thomas is not only an idiotic title......really, where does the whole Gold thing come into the story I have no idea...perhaps I'm too stupid to pick it up.........but to be totally honest.....the hero and heroine in this more than mediocre story are beyond "stupidious"......
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The plot is so ludicrious that I had a few of moments like this one......l
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Abandonment issues, trust issues.......a bad childhood for the Russian hero...blah blah blah................the heroine...just whined and whined.......geez.....get with the programm girl!!! These two were a terrible match!!! Well, for me at least....

Another "dud" from Mills and Boon!!! Please please let the next one be a good one!!!!! Here's hoping!!!
Profile Image for Nanci **Warning**IWasASailor⚓️MyMouthisDirty.
521 reviews163 followers
December 15, 2016
....He frustrated me. It was like he was on a constant repeat because he kept reiterating the same thing over and over. He hated love, doesn't want love, will never be in love. He had a horrible childhood with an abusive father. So he thinks shutting down everyone and everything is best. That's fine but he keeps this speech the whole book!

Anyway homegirls meets H in Russia because she's was assigned to take photos and do an article on his family. They only mildly talk about what happened so that part left me confused. He decides to seduce her so they don't have to find out about his past. They sleep together, she asks him lithe next day if they could continue the story. He gets angry and kicks her out. Doesn't matter because 2 months later she shows up pregnant and he leaves her no choice but to marry.

She had no backbone. Did whatever he wanted and it was a huge case of "OMG JUST TALK!!" She was very whinny too, had huge abandonment issues and had these fears rule her current relationship. Neither one of them communicate until 2 pages before the epilogue.

Love came out of nowhere and I'm all for that when it makes sense but in this case it didn't feel real and I was just annoyed.
Profile Image for Jenny.
3,160 reviews558 followers
December 17, 2016
Sweet and romantic love story. Hero is your typical tortured tycoon and heroine a real sweetheart. I loved their chemistry and their happily ever after!
Profile Image for Rgreader.
734 reviews54 followers
July 14, 2017
The synopsis for A Child Claimed by Gold was really good unfortunately the storytelling of it was bland and underwhelming so much so I gave up on page 61.

Huge issues-

No chemistry
No building the romance
The hero pushing away the heroine even as they have their emotionless hookup. He tells heroine it's just a hookup and she's ok with that.
No emotional bonds were formed then. That's when I lost interest.
I expect in a harlequin presents the hero to be ruthless in business and ruthless in getting the heroine to be his.
I expect in a harlequin presents for the story to build emotional connection between the heroine and hero continuously and not have both characters continuously push away from forming an emotional connection.

Recent harlequin presents have been failing to the romance and the hero being ruthless in getting the heroine. This is so wrong.

Disappointed.
Profile Image for Maria Rose.
2,635 reviews266 followers
December 23, 2016
Emma Sanders has travelled to Russia for an exclusive article for World in Photographs, an in-depth expose about the Petrushov family. Met at the train station by Nikolai Petrushov, she discovers that her plans aren't going to go as smoothly as she'd hoped. For one thing, Nikolai's last name is Cunningham now, as he'd taken the name of his stepfather whom his mother had married when they'd left for New York just after his father died. There are secrets in Nikolai's family that he doesn't want anyone to know, especially not a nosy journalist.

Nikolai's attempts to control Emma's story means he's going to keep her away from his grandmother (who is the instigator of the story) and make sure that it's as scandal free as possible. In spending time with her he can't deny that they share a deep attraction, and after only a short time in each other's company they spend the night together. In the morning, Nikolai regrets what happened, believing Emma planned it to get at his family story. Hurt and disappointed, a call from her sister, an aspiring ballet dancer for whom Emma had taken this job in the first place has her leaving Nikolai and their brief affair abruptly ends.

But back home, Emma soon discovers the consequences to their night together – she's pregnant. Bringing the news to Nikolai, he insists that they plan their marriage at once, one that will be solely for the sake of the child. Emma goes along with this marriage of convenience plan because she doesn't want her child to grow up fatherless like she did. But can the passion they shared be rekindled? And will it lead to a lasting love affair?

I enjoyed this story and the contrasting settings of rural Russia with New York City. Nikolai carries a lot of anger inside him, a consequence of having an abusive father. Though he'd prefer not to be a father himself, he knows that he'll do everything possible to protect his child, unlike his own parent. When he finds out Emma is pregnant, he's determined to do the right thing. But he doesn't think much of the idea of love, and is content with the idea that they can have a physical relationship within the bonds of marriage without having to be emotionally bonded as well. Still, he wants Emma to put up an act in front of his mother, that they are marrying for love and not out of duty, so the pregnancy remains between them.

Being in close proximity means that the attraction between them flares up again, and they share some sensual love scenes as they prepare to get married. But Nikolai still keeps his heart firmly under wraps, and there are some rocky times before they get to their happy ending. Fortunately he comes to his senses in the nick of time! Despite Nikolai's past, the overall feeling of the story is fairly light and Emma and Nikolai make a good match. It's a lovely romance with a sweet epilogue.

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.

A copy of this review has been posted at Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-a-c...
Profile Image for Liba.
456 reviews9 followers
September 4, 2017
Emma, a budding newspaper photographer ,needs money for her 16-year old sister ,Jess.Jess studies ballet at one of prestigious Russian schools- in Perm (the Urals).They grew up in foster care.
Emma agrees to come to Russia, to the city of Vladimir (on the Volga river) in order to do an interview
with Nikolai Petrushov and his grandmother, Maria PetrushovA (Petrushov is the masculine form of the surname.)
Nikolai has lived in New York since he was 10, after his father's death. His mother has remarried and
Nikolai uses officially his stepfather's name- Cunningham.
Now the blurb tells the reader that Nikolai keeps a secret for 17 years, but he is probably older than 27.
Emma never meets Maria, though.She gets to experience Russian winter, to ride a troika (sleigh with three horses),sleeps with Nikolai and travels on a night train to Perm, to visit Jess.
When Emma learns she is pregnant, she comes to New York.Nikolai decides to marry her.His mother
(no name given) throw them an engagement party.But Emma has doubts, as Nikolai doesn't love her ,wants to marry her for the baby.She tries to call off the wedding.Jess flies to US for the event,organized by the groom.
On the wedding day the bride and groom must face the truth.
Set partly in Russia and partly in New York,the book deals with a person's insecurities due to childhood.Nikolai has almost obliterated his past and obviously is afraid of becoming like his father.
Emma had an alcoholic mother.
I liked Jess, who at 16 seems grown up and level-headed.Perhaps she'll get her own story ,too.
Profile Image for Alexandra.
457 reviews
January 9, 2017
Emma Sanders has had a hard life. She grew up in the foster system with her younger sister. Now in the present day, if she does a good job for her first assignment with World in photos. She will be able to look after herself and help her little sister to realise her dream of being a prima ballerina.
Easier said than done, when her first client is Nikolai. A man who is desperate to protect his mother.
He will not allow Emma to reveal his secret to the world.
Both Emma and Nikolai were damaged by their pasts. Were they willing to take a leap of faith to get a happy ending ? Pick up a copy and find out yourself.
Profile Image for Deborah.
2,915 reviews22 followers
January 14, 2017
A great read. Emma and Nikolai have painful pasts to conquer. Can love and trust be out of their reach because of the walls they've erected? An excellent read!
Profile Image for Kiley.
1,873 reviews45 followers
March 25, 2022
A Child Claimed by Gold, book 27 of the One Night With Consequences series, was about Nikolai Cunningham and Emma Sanders, photographer for the World in Photographs magazine.
Having left his home in Russia with his mother when he was ten years old, Nikolai never had the attention of returning. However, when he learned that a photographer had been granted permission exclusive access to photograph the home of his childhood, he had no choice but to return in order to protect his family's secrets. Though Nikolai went by the last name of Cunningham, which was his stepfather's last name, his birth father's last name was Petrushov.
Side Note: the author stated that Nikolai had not been back to Russia for 17 years, having left at the age of 10, which would make him 27. However, just a few paragraphs later, the author had Nikolai thinking that he had not seen his grandmother, Marya Petrushov, in almost 23 years, having not seen her since his father's funeral...which was when he was 10. So where did the number 23 come from? 10 +17 does still equal 27, right?)
Sent to Russia with the instructions to write a happy-ever-after story and to photograph Nikolai's family home, Emma almost immediately realizes that doing so was not in the cards because Nikolai wasn't very cooperative and seemed to resent her being there.
While Nikolai was adamant that Emma not find out the truth of his past, he was still grudgingly drawn to her. When they were working on the story she needed, he was deliberately distracting her from asking too much...and keeping her from ever meeting up with his grandmother. One thing led to another and they ended up spending the night together, only for him to become angry with her the next day and toss her out. Two months later, not having heard from her in all that time, he still couldn't forget the time they had spent together. Then she unexpectedly contacted him, and he knew instinctively that she was pregnant and decided to force her into marriage.
There were times that I hated Nikolai as I read how he treated Emma through each chapter. Even though he had a good reason for guarding his heart due to the way he was treated as a child, that did not give him the right to mistreat another person. He was hateful more often than he was loving, and that just does not make for the kind of hero I enjoy reading about. There are many people in the world (yes even in the world of fiction) who have been treated worse than Nikolai was who could still deal with their emotions a heck of a lot better than he ever did.
Emma had no backbone. She had so many abandonment issues that it drove me crazy reading about it for thirteen chapters. She let Nikolai run roughshod over her and hardly ever offered up an argument. But when she did, she caved to his caveman tactics, which pissed me off. Where the love came from I don't know, because these two were wrong for each other from the moment she stepped off the train in Russia. They should have had sex once and then split, to never run into each other again...or they should have just walked away without ever hooking up.
The entire story was one bad shake after another. There was too much angst and drama, no humor, no light or positive emotions to lighten the mood...ever for if there was a glimmer of it, one or the other shut it down and fast. The twists and turns made no sense, and there were too many subjects brought up but were never resolved. Too many "dangling participles" that were just misplaced, leaving the reader going, "HUH?! What the hell just happened?!" Oh, and the title? Really? Couldn't the author give her book a title that even remotely had something to do with the story? To see that it was all about the RING?? Give me a break, Puhlease! This book definitely did not earn a five-star rating, and it won't have a place in my collection.
Profile Image for Elgyn.
3,080 reviews39 followers
November 21, 2025
Velký špatný.
Nebaví mě příběhy, kde se spolu vyspí po třech větách, těhotenství, láska a hotovo.

s. 67 Teď už s děsivou jasností viděla, čím jejich společná noc byla. Jenom ji svedl. Byl to způsob, jak odvrátit její pozornost od něčeho, co skrýval (…) a pokud šlo o něho, rozhodně to nebylo milování. Z jeho strany to byl chtíč.
A co to bylo z její strany?

s. 68 Všiml si, že má zelené oči? Překvapilo ji to, protože to znamenalo, že jeho zájem byl větší. Nešlo mu zřejmě jen o to, aby ji svedl.
I když mu sedla na lep.

Na jejich zásnubním večírku vůbec neskrýval podráždění z toho, že jsou jako čerstvě zasnoubený pár až příliš středem pozornosti. (s. 85)
Kdo by to byl řekl.

I když Tehdy byla přesvědčená, že se jen na jednu noc poddává mocné sexuální přitažlivosti. (s. 94)
Kývne mu na manželství z rozumu, bo jinak by jí mohl vzít dítě, které čeká. A o kterém by nevěděl, kdyby mu to nepřijela říct.
Pak si uvědomí, že by se bez lásky brát neměli.
Teda ona ho miluje, ale on ji ne.
Aby se nakonec ukázalo, že se vlastně milovali na první pohled, takže i dítě je dítětem lásky.
Těžko říct, proč se do sebe zamilovali, protože spolu skoro nepromluvili, ale co už.
s. 145 Miluje ji. Nejenže jí to řekl, ale způsob, jakým ji políbil, to potvrzoval víc než cokoliv jiného.
Takže další verze toho, jak blbka ke štěstí přišla.

s. 10 že je téměř tak vysoká jako on
s. 56 Tyčil se nad ní v celé své výšce

s. 106 „Sama jsi mi dokonce řekla, že nevěříš na takové nesmysly jako je láska.“ (…)
pokračovala: „Byl jsi někdy zamilovaný?“ (…)
„Ne.“

s. 110 Milovals ji?“ zeptala se opatrně.
„Ne.“

Zajíc žije v lese, žije v lese...

s. 16 Rády by věděla
s. 36 šatů Nestačilo
s. 47 za [ze]

špatné dělení slov – s. 20, 38

[české vydání, Ruská noc]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Helen.
2,909 reviews67 followers
December 21, 2016
Loved this one I have had a wonderful journey to Russia and of course to a beautiful HEA between a hero and heroine who deserved this happiness and joy so much after the things they had been through in their childhood I loved seeing them find true love.

Emma Sanders has lived a life in foster care rejected by her father and caring for her younger sister she is now a photographer and has been given an assignment to photograph and do a story on a Russian family but when she meets the son of this family Nikolai Cunningham besides the sparks that fly between them there seems to be things that he does not want uncovered.

Nikolai Cunningham left Russia with his mother at the age of ten has made a name for himself in business has been through a broken engagement and is determined that the family secret will not be uncovered by this photographer but he is not prepared for the electricity that sparks between them and then the consequences that are left after their night of unbridled passion but he is determined also to prove he is nothing like his father.

WOW what an up and down journey this story is so many emotions it is moving and just so very good I loved Emma and her strength and Nikolai well he is really such a caring hero even if he has a hard time showing it at time he really has a lot that he needs to come to terms with but you know true love wins out all of the time and I was smiling and sighing throughout this one. I highly recommend this fast paced story it has everything a true romance needs lovely.
Profile Image for Paula Legate.
Author 17 books25 followers
July 5, 2017
By chapter 11, I was annoyed that the hero and heroine was not honest about how they felt for each other and the baby. They both thought the worst of the other. Nikolai, and Emma were both strong independent people on the outside. They both had traumatic past that made them question how others felt about them. They said they didn't, but they both craved to be loved. Strong on the inside, but weak emotional. It turned out to be a good book. Everything feel into place when they took a chance, and told each other how they really felt. Sometimes you have to let go of your pride, and insecurities to really find love. With some books the inner turmoil makes the book better. With this book I didn't feel the strong pull of attraction between the hero and heroine.
Profile Image for Beyond the Pages with Eva K.
3,056 reviews166 followers
February 17, 2022
Quick Summary: A Child Claimed by Gold was a rapid fire romance that, sadly, came across as unbelievable fluff. It was a slow pick up, in the beginning, but it eventually kept a fairly decent pace. The story Itself (and the featured couple's journey to true love) was a bit frustrating to "watch." The relentless emphasis on character flaws associated with the past, the inconsistent natures of the male and female leads, and the poor communication became an overwhelming distraction that detracted from the romance. In a nutshell, it was an okay read at best.

Rating: 2/5
Recommend: No
Audience: A
Profile Image for Amanda.
620 reviews
January 7, 2017

Rachael Thomas starts out her latest Harlequin Presents with an intense scene that hooks you instantly. Dramatic details and engaging dialogue bring the characters alive and as the story progresses you are swept away on a romantic getaway where a storm of passion and sensually electric attraction gets amped up between Nikolai Cunningham and Emma Sanders. Overall, A Child Claimed by Gold is a well-drawn out story and it is as genuine and realistic as it can get.

Recommended
4 Stars
Profile Image for anisa fitri zakirah.
362 reviews4 followers
September 11, 2020
The story was fun at the beginning, but towards the end it was just okay. The heroine said she didn't believe in love and all that shit, but she was too emotional and that's annoying that she fell in love with the hero anyway. And the hero was annoying too. I don't know, i don't feel like the story.
485 reviews8 followers
December 21, 2016
This book was a little slow moving for me. Had some good moments but definitely not my type of book.
Profile Image for Cheryl Steckling.
318 reviews1 follower
January 3, 2017
A Child Claimed by Gold (One Night with Consequences) by Rachael Thomas
Nikolai Cunningham, who is from Russia and is not happy to having to return there since he has not been back since leaving there as a child but he must as there is an interview he must prepare for. He does not want all the family history to come out and so he sets to keep some secrets buried.
Emma Sanders has really no ulterior motives however Nikolai thinks the worst of her. She does however want to further her career but is not aware of the family secrets she might uncover. She meets Nikolai and finds him irresistible. Her untouched body is hard for Nikolai to resist also. She was given the assignment to photograph and do a story on a Russian family. She wants to do right by her sister that she cares for since their father has nothing more to do with them.
Now Emma runs into the son, Nikolai who is trying to stop her for doing a story on his family in any way he can. So he spends time with her thinking he can stop her from doing that story.
Nikolai thinks she is just there with him to only get the story and he casts Emma aside. Not knowing she is pregnant. But when it is revealed what their passion has done Nikolai legitimizes his heir and it is with a gold wedding ring.
Rachael Thomas has done a wonderful job putting these two together and watching what can happen. She deserves more than 5 stars for sure.
Profile Image for Nas Dean.
835 reviews38 followers
December 18, 2016
A CHILD CLAIMED BY GOLD by author Rachael Thomas is a January 2017 release by Harlequin Present series.

Nikolai Cunningham wanted his family secret to be kept exactly that…a secret. So he had to stop photographer Emma Sanders from delving too deep when she was invited by his grandmother for an interview.

He had a plan…seduce her and keep her distracted. And his plan worked beautifully. Only it had a consequence. What would he do now?

A CHILD CLAIMED BY GOLD starts off in Russia. The descriptions are so realistic, that it made me yearn to visit Russia. It’s an emotional roller-coaster of a story. Author Rachael Thomas, in her heart-warming style of story-telling would keep a reader’s interest riveted to the story till the ending.

Highly recommended for all readers of romance.
Profile Image for Lynn Brooks.
3,517 reviews43 followers
December 13, 2016
A blustery winter in Russia sets the scene for the main characters to meet, share a connection and end up with a future on the way!

Nikolai Cunningham hasn't returned to Russia since he left as a child, and he's not happy at being forced to do so for an intrusive interview! He sets out to distract the photographer wanting to do a story on his family history so she doesn't uncover the secrets he wants to remain hidden, but along the way, he finds her irresistible!

Emma Sanders has no ulterior motives, but Nikolai seems to think the worst of her. She just wants to get some decent pictures to be published ... but spending time with him only leads to the sparks they feel igniting! When he puts her back at arms length and wants her gone, they have no idea they had just made a baby!
710 reviews12 followers
December 26, 2016

A very emotional story about Emma Sanders and Nikolai Cunningham. Ms Thomas has a way of putting two people together and wow watching them interact and love are wonderful.  Emma Sanders is given an assignment to photograph and do a story on a Russian family.  Seems easy as she does what she must to care for her younger sister, being in foster care with her as their father rejected them.  Not easy enough she runs into the son Nikolai Cunningham who is trying to stop her doing the story in any way he can.  He has made a fantastic life for him and his family but there are secrets he does not want to come out.  A lovely story of two people that cannot ignore what starts between them.  A very enjoyable story that leaves the reader with a lovely feeling.
Profile Image for TashNz.
729 reviews21 followers
January 15, 2017
A wonderful story of Nikolai and Emma which was rich with description, emotion, love and secrets from the past Nikolai did Not want ending up in Emma's magazine article.

Both characters are drawn to each other in an inexplicable way and the consequences of the night are life altering.

what I loved most about this wonderful story was the detail. I loved my visit to Russia and the ballet school (albeit brief) and I loved the character detail and the emotional detail. I feel like Rachael Thomas dug deep to deliver a solid story of two people who have had heartbreak in their lives and their journey together.
97 reviews
February 3, 2017
A Child Claimed by Gold by Rachael Thomas is an emotional story about two tortured souls finding healing love and happiness after everything they’ve gone through in the past. It contains a Russian tycoon trying desperately to keep his family secrets and a sweet journalist trying to make a living and provide for her sister. Chemistry is off the charts between Nikolai and Emma and an unplanned pregnancy forced them together after a misunderstanding drives them apart.

I recommend this book to any romance lover that enjoys drama, deep emotions and a happy ending.
146 reviews1 follower
December 22, 2016
If you seek an example of a nice storyline can go bad because of bad writing you need not look further. Story rambled around everything making it still a nice read until it punched in the full plot in last few chapters and wound it up with a hasty disgrace.. as if the author got tired of time to write story after wasting time before and managed to finish it off before a deadline!
Profile Image for Calysta.
843 reviews8 followers
April 16, 2019
These two were literal idiots. From one moment to the next they said one thing, wanted another and did yet something else. The woman kept projecting her hopes onto a man that was verbally and emotionally abusive. Just nonsensical and the man was thoroughly unpleasant,
Profile Image for Tigger.
1,494 reviews7 followers
April 5, 2017
3.50 stars

Didn't like the first couple of pages, so put it down to read later...this story was very good, glad I pushed myself pass the first chapter.

Profile Image for RomLibrary.
5,789 reviews
hq-to-read
March 13, 2018
A scandal of their own making

Nikolai Cunningham has kept his family history secret for seventeen years. So when photographer Emma Sanders is granted exclusive access to his childhood home, he returns to Russia to ensure it stays hidden.

Though she tries to keep her eye on the story, Nikolai's potent sexuality proves too much for Emma's untouched body to resist! But, convinced she only wanted a scoop, Nikolai casts Emma out, unaware she's pregnant!

When the consequence of their recklessness is revealed, Nikolai will legitimize his heir—with a gold wedding ring!
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