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The Sabbides Secret Baby
Naive Phoebe Brown fell for Mediterranean magnate Jed Sabbides after he wined, dined and bedded her with a fervor that made her feel cherished. But when Phoebe happily announced she was pregnant, Jed was appalled. Didn't she understand—she was only a pleasing distraction? Sadly Phoebe lost the man she loved, and her baby….
So it is with disbelief that, years later, Jed discovers Phoebe has a little boy…who looks just like him!
So it is with disbelief that, years later, Jed discovers Phoebe has a little boy…who looks just like him!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
204 people are currently reading
1182 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Baird
276 books258 followersJacqueline Baird was born on the 1st of April at home in a small village Northumbria, England, UK, where she raised. She went to the local village school, and later an all-girls' grammar school where she passed the University of Oxford General Certificate of Education in various subjects. On leaving school she joined the civil service in the then Post Office department.
She met her husband Jim, when she was only eighteen. Eight years later, after working as a hotel receptionist in a five-star hotel in Scotland and traveling abroad for a few years, she came home and married him. They still live in Northumbria and have two grown sons.
Her number one love is writing. She has always been an avid reader, and she had her first success as a writer at the age of eleven, when she won the first prize in the Nature Diary of the Year competition at school. But she always felt a little guilty because her diary was more fiction than fact. Apart from a spell as a hopeful painter in oils, when she actually did have a painting accepted for the Federation of Northern Artists' annual exhibition her real passion was for romance novels. When her sons went to school all day she thought she would try writing one. Jacqueline Baird's been writing for Mills & Boon since 1988, and she still gets a thrill every time a new book is published.
When Jacqueline is not busy writing she likes to spend her time traveling, reading and playing cards. She was a keen sailor until a knee injury ended her sailing days, but she still enjoys swimming in the sea. She visits a gym twice a week now and has made the surprising discovery that she gets some good ideas while doing the mind-numbingly boring exercises on the cycling and weight machines.
She met her husband Jim, when she was only eighteen. Eight years later, after working as a hotel receptionist in a five-star hotel in Scotland and traveling abroad for a few years, she came home and married him. They still live in Northumbria and have two grown sons.
Her number one love is writing. She has always been an avid reader, and she had her first success as a writer at the age of eleven, when she won the first prize in the Nature Diary of the Year competition at school. But she always felt a little guilty because her diary was more fiction than fact. Apart from a spell as a hopeful painter in oils, when she actually did have a painting accepted for the Federation of Northern Artists' annual exhibition her real passion was for romance novels. When her sons went to school all day she thought she would try writing one. Jacqueline Baird's been writing for Mills & Boon since 1988, and she still gets a thrill every time a new book is published.
When Jacqueline is not busy writing she likes to spend her time traveling, reading and playing cards. She was a keen sailor until a knee injury ended her sailing days, but she still enjoys swimming in the sea. She visits a gym twice a week now and has made the surprising discovery that she gets some good ideas while doing the mind-numbingly boring exercises on the cycling and weight machines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews
December 30, 2016
Ugh. SPOILERS....
I love, as in love-to-hate, the I'm a mistress but didn't know it trope. It's so deliciously awful, anachronistic and un-PC. Everything we love in HarleyLand.
However....however, here we have an unapologetic ass-hat and a spineless doormat on our hands. I'm cranky so the gloves are off.
The h and H are having an affair when she gets pregnant. Surprisingly enough it is not because she had the flu, a stomach bug or a broken condom. She simply forgot to take her BC pills. She lets it slip casually and THEN the H lets it deliberately slip that she's just a mistress. What was she thinking getting pregnant, you opportunistic fill-in-the-blank S-L-U-T; she can forget cashing in on him, and he has a doctor that will help her take care of this problem etc and so forth. Oh, the romance. I can smell the roses.
She goes into a catatonic shutdown at what she thinks is his determination for her to have an abortion. She actually has a miscarriage that evening and is not happy to see him when he shows up at the hospital. She ends up leaving him and unlike many/most mistressy types actually takes her mistressy presents with her.
They run into each other a few years later, and he is just as stuck on his own charm, charisma and tycoonship as he was before. She evades him and that's enough to trigger his interest. Obviously he is so fascinating that there must be some reason she has not succumbed again. There is a reason, and it's their son. She miscarried one twin, but went to term with the other.
Once he finds out about the son, he is an outraged ass-hat of extraordinary dimensions considering his initial response. Even faced with the knowledge that she kept the baby from him because the h though he wanted her to have an abortion, was told by his secretary to bugger off, he is still mad at her subterfuge and betrayal. Cry me a river, you alpha romero, womanizing ass-hat.
The heroine holds a hard line until, wait, she doesn't. They end up schtupping (sorry, for some reason I'm channelling Mel Brooks) their first night because he's so awesome and irresistible. We are spared Lynne Grahame's heroines exploding lady parts, but the h's disappointment with her behavior merely mirrored my own disappointment. Just Say No! She tries to backtrack but is not too successful.
Their plot moppet is enchanted with his new Ferrari driving daddy so the h is doomed. Between her quivering loins and the kid's enthusiasm for conspicuous consumption, she's off to Greece, or Italy, whatever, to see the H's equally manipulative, dying father.
MOC and the H confesses he has loved her all along. Yes, he loved her all those years after she left and never went after her. Yeah. Sure.
I love, as in love-to-hate, the I'm a mistress but didn't know it trope. It's so deliciously awful, anachronistic and un-PC. Everything we love in HarleyLand.
However....however, here we have an unapologetic ass-hat and a spineless doormat on our hands. I'm cranky so the gloves are off.
The h and H are having an affair when she gets pregnant. Surprisingly enough it is not because she had the flu, a stomach bug or a broken condom. She simply forgot to take her BC pills. She lets it slip casually and THEN the H lets it deliberately slip that she's just a mistress. What was she thinking getting pregnant, you opportunistic fill-in-the-blank S-L-U-T; she can forget cashing in on him, and he has a doctor that will help her take care of this problem etc and so forth. Oh, the romance. I can smell the roses.
She goes into a catatonic shutdown at what she thinks is his determination for her to have an abortion. She actually has a miscarriage that evening and is not happy to see him when he shows up at the hospital. She ends up leaving him and unlike many/most mistressy types actually takes her mistressy presents with her.
They run into each other a few years later, and he is just as stuck on his own charm, charisma and tycoonship as he was before. She evades him and that's enough to trigger his interest. Obviously he is so fascinating that there must be some reason she has not succumbed again. There is a reason, and it's their son. She miscarried one twin, but went to term with the other.
Once he finds out about the son, he is an outraged ass-hat of extraordinary dimensions considering his initial response. Even faced with the knowledge that she kept the baby from him because the h though he wanted her to have an abortion, was told by his secretary to bugger off, he is still mad at her subterfuge and betrayal. Cry me a river, you alpha romero, womanizing ass-hat.
The heroine holds a hard line until, wait, she doesn't. They end up schtupping (sorry, for some reason I'm channelling Mel Brooks) their first night because he's so awesome and irresistible. We are spared Lynne Grahame's heroines exploding lady parts, but the h's disappointment with her behavior merely mirrored my own disappointment. Just Say No! She tries to backtrack but is not too successful.
Their plot moppet is enchanted with his new Ferrari driving daddy so the h is doomed. Between her quivering loins and the kid's enthusiasm for conspicuous consumption, she's off to Greece, or Italy, whatever, to see the H's equally manipulative, dying father.
MOC and the H confesses he has loved her all along. Yes, he loved her all those years after she left and never went after her. Yeah. Sure.
May 22, 2021
A star two hero and four star heroine make a three star review. How's that for English major math?
I found the hero to be a bit too cold for my liking. The knowing grins and hints of amusement in his eyes as the heroine worked through her feelings really bothered me.
I really liked the heroine. I liked that she took all of her mistress jewelry and bought a house with it. I liked that she got different training so she could have the time to raise her child.
I also liked this trope - the heroine not realizing she is a mistress and not a girlfriend and having to move on from that.
What I didn't like. The heroine fell in bed with him too easily. The hero manipulated her quite blatantly with his sick father to get what he wanted. For all of the heroine's smarts, the hero had the upper hand - always. I wanted more of a balance of power by the end.
I found the hero to be a bit too cold for my liking. The knowing grins and hints of amusement in his eyes as the heroine worked through her feelings really bothered me.
I really liked the heroine. I liked that she took all of her mistress jewelry and bought a house with it. I liked that she got different training so she could have the time to raise her child.
I also liked this trope - the heroine not realizing she is a mistress and not a girlfriend and having to move on from that.
What I didn't like. The heroine fell in bed with him too easily. The hero manipulated her quite blatantly with his sick father to get what he wanted. For all of the heroine's smarts, the hero had the upper hand - always. I wanted more of a balance of power by the end.
July 19, 2017
He loves her SOOOOOO much. Always loved her. Never stopped loving her.
Yet
1. He NEVER looked for her.
2. He was REALLY interested once he knew about the kid
3. He kept his dick in shape by sticking in other vaginas, while she stayed pure as driven snow, so she isn't later disappointed. I mean he needed to keep practising to make it perfect for her.
Ummm...nope. Gag! Whatever it is? It's not romance and definitely not redeemable!
Yet
1. He NEVER looked for her.
2. He was REALLY interested once he knew about the kid
3. He kept his dick in shape by sticking in other vaginas, while she stayed pure as driven snow, so she isn't later disappointed. I mean he needed to keep practising to make it perfect for her.
Ummm...nope. Gag! Whatever it is? It's not romance and definitely not redeemable!
May 22, 2023
Edit written 04-30-20 after my eighth time reading this book. Yes, I know! Eight times is a bit excessive. Through the years this book draws me but then on rereads I struggle to figure out why. In my eight read-thrus I have gone from three stars to four stars down to two and a half stars then back up to three then four. Crazy huh? Maybe it's a book I love to hate but I do struggle with such cruel heroes who refuse to understand how things went down, especially when there is a broken young woman, a pregnancy, a miscarriage, and a child involved. Oh, I forgot about the major alpha, emotional coward who says he can't love...man of thirty but no emotional development.
So what has caused me to be so wishy-washy with my way of thinking and feeling concerning 'The Sabbides Secret Baby?' The grovel, for one, which is one of the best I have ever read. The author has this cold, calculating, mean-as-a-snake man do one of the best grovel scenes I have read. It is at least in the top five of the fifteen hundred books I have read.
My Review
Phoebe Brown fell for Mediterranean magnate (and chief A$$hat) Jed Sabbides. When the story begins they have been together for a year and Phoebe believes they are very much in love...until she discovers she's pregnant. She is quite happy but I can't say the same for Jed's reaction. He was abominable. Of course, it was all her fault. Did she trick him? Did she get pregnant on purpose? IS this a trap? And then he jumps to 'it's not my baby-I was always careful' theory as he conveniently forgets about the broken condom.
He talked to her horribly, making sure she understood that the only title she could ever claim was that of 'mistress' as he demeaned her over and over...then he left. The words he used left her to believe he was going to try and force an abortion on her because his best friend from college was an OBGYN. What in the world was she to think when the man she loves tells her that Dr. Marcus will 'take care of it' and that Jed would 'pay for it!' The way it was worded I thought the same exact thing. She was so completely devastated she had an accidental fall, and then miscarried their baby that evening.
On his way home from work Jed decides to call his doctor friend, Marcus, and takes him out to dinner without any contact with his pregnant girlfriend. He heads home to find a note that she is in the hospital and he finally shows up there around midnight. I feel it showed how unconcerned and uncaring he was. He very well knew how devastated she was after all the cruel things he said to her that morning but then all the sudden he realizes he does want the child and also to marry her...but, unfortunately he doesn't tell her right away figuring he has all the time in the world to let her know. After the way Jed had spoken to her telling her a baby was not in his plans, was in no way on his radar, and his furious-ness clearly showed he did not want the child...or her either. He acted as though she meant nothing to him. Just a body to warm his bed at his command!
So what's an unwanted girl to do? Pack up and go home. But something miraculous happened seven or eight weeks later. She went to the doctor because she was feeling unwell and was told she was pregnant and had originally been pregnant with twins and one survived the miscarriage. She certainly doesn't want Jed to find out. After all, she is sure he would do whatever it took to try and force an abortion on her a second time since that is what he alluded to the first time. After the way he talked about her pregnancy she knew he would be an unloving and uncaring part-time father. I mean...he made that pretty obvious. The man was beyond mean and calculating.
Also adding to both his and her misery are the lies told to the heroine by the hero's PA. His father had a major heart attack and he couldn't take his cell phone into the intensive care. He gave his phone to his PA, who wants him badly, and asked her to call the heroine and let her know he would be home in a few days. The PA didn't call her but our heroine tries to call the hero and it is his PA who answers and fills her with nothing but horrid lies! She also tells her the hero wants her out of his home, basically evicting her from the only home she had which he owned...In return the PA goes to the hero and fills him full of lies telling him the heroine no longer wants him etc etc! and is leaving him. She tries her hardest to have an affair with him and he fires her without ever learning the truth.
Five years later the h and her gorgeous date, Julian, (hubba hubba - he's the one I would have chosen) attended a Greek event and she and Jed are shocked to see each other there. He is with another woman who he is thinking about marrying even though he doesn't like her and Phoebe was with a very hunky man who wants her badly...and I HIM! It is then Jed thinks she is hiding something (yes, he can magically infiltrate her mind and figure out with a single look) then has a detective on the case. When a folder is delivered he finds she has a child...but how did she have a child seven months after she supposedly miscarried? Now he thinks she lied about the miscarriage or got pregnant right after she left and delivered prematurely. The only thing that ever comes to his mind is the very worst thing about her so that he can blame her. This man jumps to incorrect conclusions faster than anyone I know then all of the sudden they become fact. His best friend was her doctor and he assures him she indeed did miscarry. He is, once again, furious and wants to find out the truth. He basically stalks her and sets himself up to run into her...kinda. He looks at the young boy and sees so much of himself that he knows. Now all he can think about is how to get revenge and punish 'the bi$ch' for the rest of her life because he is sure somehow she has done all of this on purpose because she wants his money. Heaven forbid he actually just talks to her about it to get the facts. But, now she is a thieving, conniving, wicked witch who had this all planned out. He doesn't bother to think about how he treated her and talked to her calling her some very bad names the day she lost the baby.
He was still very threatening, cruel and mean to her, in fact he is one of the most wicked alpha heroes I have read about, at least in my top five, and it went too far for this reader. I simply got worn out hearing about all his schemes to take the child away and leave her with nothing. Punishing her!! On and on!! He also goes on and on about how he is going to make her pay every day for the rest of her life for 'stealing' his child away (the child he clearly did not want.) I wanted to either throttle him or make it so he could never father another child...
Complaint: The writing. Was not as smooth as I am used to reading and didn't transition well. I would guess that maybe English is not this author's first language...but I don't know for certain. There was also a lack of contractions that made it seem stilted and old-fashioned. It also moved too slowly for this reader and I began to lose interest.
If a hero is ever to be redeemable in my eyes it shouldn't wait until the last couple of pages for the turnaround to begin. For me, I need to see more turnaround before the very end.
Book Safety:
Hero not celibate during the five years they are apart but he didn't go back to his man-whoring ways either. The first two years he and Phoebe were apart he had been celibate. Other women just didn't appeal to him. In fact, on the night he sees Phoebe for the first time in five years he and the woman he was supposed to ask to marry him in a MOC...it was going to be their first night together and as he is thinking about Phoebe again and he couldn't 'rise to the occasion' for the OW so he broke up with the OW and quickly left! I laughed! Serves him right!
There was a bit of OW drama but very little and it was minor.
There was also some OM drama and I loved seeing Jed jealous of the guy she was dating.
Favorite Line: Jed to Phoebe ‘Where the hell have you been? I have been trying to call you for twenty minutes.’ ‘I was in the shower, and now I am standing shivering in the hall with only a towel for warmth, so—’ He cut her off. ‘Hell and damnation, Phoebe! I need a picture of you near naked in my mind like a hole in the head right now,’ he growled in a deep frustrated tone.
So what has caused me to be so wishy-washy with my way of thinking and feeling concerning 'The Sabbides Secret Baby?' The grovel, for one, which is one of the best I have ever read. The author has this cold, calculating, mean-as-a-snake man do one of the best grovel scenes I have read. It is at least in the top five of the fifteen hundred books I have read.
My Review
Phoebe Brown fell for Mediterranean magnate (and chief A$$hat) Jed Sabbides. When the story begins they have been together for a year and Phoebe believes they are very much in love...until she discovers she's pregnant. She is quite happy but I can't say the same for Jed's reaction. He was abominable. Of course, it was all her fault. Did she trick him? Did she get pregnant on purpose? IS this a trap? And then he jumps to 'it's not my baby-I was always careful' theory as he conveniently forgets about the broken condom.
He talked to her horribly, making sure she understood that the only title she could ever claim was that of 'mistress' as he demeaned her over and over...then he left. The words he used left her to believe he was going to try and force an abortion on her because his best friend from college was an OBGYN. What in the world was she to think when the man she loves tells her that Dr. Marcus will 'take care of it' and that Jed would 'pay for it!' The way it was worded I thought the same exact thing. She was so completely devastated she had an accidental fall, and then miscarried their baby that evening.
On his way home from work Jed decides to call his doctor friend, Marcus, and takes him out to dinner without any contact with his pregnant girlfriend. He heads home to find a note that she is in the hospital and he finally shows up there around midnight. I feel it showed how unconcerned and uncaring he was. He very well knew how devastated she was after all the cruel things he said to her that morning but then all the sudden he realizes he does want the child and also to marry her...but, unfortunately he doesn't tell her right away figuring he has all the time in the world to let her know. After the way Jed had spoken to her telling her a baby was not in his plans, was in no way on his radar, and his furious-ness clearly showed he did not want the child...or her either. He acted as though she meant nothing to him. Just a body to warm his bed at his command!
So what's an unwanted girl to do? Pack up and go home. But something miraculous happened seven or eight weeks later. She went to the doctor because she was feeling unwell and was told she was pregnant and had originally been pregnant with twins and one survived the miscarriage. She certainly doesn't want Jed to find out. After all, she is sure he would do whatever it took to try and force an abortion on her a second time since that is what he alluded to the first time. After the way he talked about her pregnancy she knew he would be an unloving and uncaring part-time father. I mean...he made that pretty obvious. The man was beyond mean and calculating.
Also adding to both his and her misery are the lies told to the heroine by the hero's PA. His father had a major heart attack and he couldn't take his cell phone into the intensive care. He gave his phone to his PA, who wants him badly, and asked her to call the heroine and let her know he would be home in a few days. The PA didn't call her but our heroine tries to call the hero and it is his PA who answers and fills her with nothing but horrid lies! She also tells her the hero wants her out of his home, basically evicting her from the only home she had which he owned...In return the PA goes to the hero and fills him full of lies telling him the heroine no longer wants him etc etc! and is leaving him. She tries her hardest to have an affair with him and he fires her without ever learning the truth.
Five years later the h and her gorgeous date, Julian, (hubba hubba - he's the one I would have chosen) attended a Greek event and she and Jed are shocked to see each other there. He is with another woman who he is thinking about marrying even though he doesn't like her and Phoebe was with a very hunky man who wants her badly...and I HIM! It is then Jed thinks she is hiding something (yes, he can magically infiltrate her mind and figure out with a single look) then has a detective on the case. When a folder is delivered he finds she has a child...but how did she have a child seven months after she supposedly miscarried? Now he thinks she lied about the miscarriage or got pregnant right after she left and delivered prematurely. The only thing that ever comes to his mind is the very worst thing about her so that he can blame her. This man jumps to incorrect conclusions faster than anyone I know then all of the sudden they become fact. His best friend was her doctor and he assures him she indeed did miscarry. He is, once again, furious and wants to find out the truth. He basically stalks her and sets himself up to run into her...kinda. He looks at the young boy and sees so much of himself that he knows. Now all he can think about is how to get revenge and punish 'the bi$ch' for the rest of her life because he is sure somehow she has done all of this on purpose because she wants his money. Heaven forbid he actually just talks to her about it to get the facts. But, now she is a thieving, conniving, wicked witch who had this all planned out. He doesn't bother to think about how he treated her and talked to her calling her some very bad names the day she lost the baby.
He was still very threatening, cruel and mean to her, in fact he is one of the most wicked alpha heroes I have read about, at least in my top five, and it went too far for this reader. I simply got worn out hearing about all his schemes to take the child away and leave her with nothing. Punishing her!! On and on!! He also goes on and on about how he is going to make her pay every day for the rest of her life for 'stealing' his child away (the child he clearly did not want.) I wanted to either throttle him or make it so he could never father another child...
Complaint: The writing. Was not as smooth as I am used to reading and didn't transition well. I would guess that maybe English is not this author's first language...but I don't know for certain. There was also a lack of contractions that made it seem stilted and old-fashioned. It also moved too slowly for this reader and I began to lose interest.
If a hero is ever to be redeemable in my eyes it shouldn't wait until the last couple of pages for the turnaround to begin. For me, I need to see more turnaround before the very end.
Book Safety:
Hero not celibate during the five years they are apart but he didn't go back to his man-whoring ways either. The first two years he and Phoebe were apart he had been celibate. Other women just didn't appeal to him. In fact, on the night he sees Phoebe for the first time in five years he and the woman he was supposed to ask to marry him in a MOC...it was going to be their first night together and as he is thinking about Phoebe again and he couldn't 'rise to the occasion' for the OW so he broke up with the OW and quickly left! I laughed! Serves him right!
There was a bit of OW drama but very little and it was minor.
There was also some OM drama and I loved seeing Jed jealous of the guy she was dating.
Favorite Line: Jed to Phoebe ‘Where the hell have you been? I have been trying to call you for twenty minutes.’ ‘I was in the shower, and now I am standing shivering in the hall with only a towel for warmth, so—’ He cut her off. ‘Hell and damnation, Phoebe! I need a picture of you near naked in my mind like a hole in the head right now,’ he growled in a deep frustrated tone.
December 29, 2017
This was a quick re-read that I had enjoyed a lot more the first time around. The heroine was too self sacrificing, spoilt her kid too much even though he was a cute little guy and a hero who was a jerk for the most part. The H claimed to the heroine at the end that he had never forgotten her but yet he had gone on with his life in his happy go lucky manner after her "miscarriage". His justification for the way he behaved didn't sit too well with me. He seemed to blame his dislike of marriage on his father's 4 failed attempts at matrimony, but yet he was willing to ask the OW to marry him just because she belonged to the same socio-economic class and background. I might have warmed to him more if he had asked the heroine to marry him all those years ago instead of treating her like his resident bed warmer and having the gall to tell her she was just his mistress. When she had used the more equal term "lover", he had balked and used the term "mistress". One thing I did congratulate the heroine for was the fact that she thought of her child and sold the expensive jewellery the H had given her in order to fix her cottage, complete her teacher training and give herself a stable economic foundation. Other heroines, especially Lynne Graham's long suffering sweethearts, would have left all the jewellery behind and subsisted on water and crackers, while hacking and coughing from ill health. Lol.
After they met again, he did make a huge effort to behave in a more upstanding manner but I thought he was doing it all because of his newfound son. I did admire how much he loved his son from the moment both are introduced to each other. I did enjoy the scenes with the MC's and their son and the way they tried to build a family bond. The heroine made a lot of objections but gave in too easily to his demands. The epilogue did make an attempt to show how much the hero had improved. He was a besotted husband and a doting father of 3 so it did ends things off in a nice manner.
After they met again, he did make a huge effort to behave in a more upstanding manner but I thought he was doing it all because of his newfound son. I did admire how much he loved his son from the moment both are introduced to each other. I did enjoy the scenes with the MC's and their son and the way they tried to build a family bond. The heroine made a lot of objections but gave in too easily to his demands. The epilogue did make an attempt to show how much the hero had improved. He was a besotted husband and a doting father of 3 so it did ends things off in a nice manner.
September 16, 2020
"The Sabbides Secret Baby" is the story of magic pen!s. I mean Phoebe and Jed.
Young heroine finds herself pursued by a rich millionaire. He wines, dines, and sexes her, gets her pregnant- panicking when she reveals the pregnancy and blames her. She is heartbroken and "loses" the baby, leaving him.
Five years later, they meet again- only for him to realize that she has a child.. which is most likely his. We then go down the expected blackmail trope, where the hero somehow convinces a woman he hurt so badly by the sheer sorcery of his Kamasutra skills, and she gives in- even though he attempts to take her child away! She eventually marries him, they have this long drawn confession and apparently he ALWAYS loved her (he was not celibate throughout the separation FYI) and book ends in a hunky dory HEA.
Satan save me from such magnetic d!cks.
Unsafe
1.5/5
Young heroine finds herself pursued by a rich millionaire. He wines, dines, and sexes her, gets her pregnant- panicking when she reveals the pregnancy and blames her. She is heartbroken and "loses" the baby, leaving him.
Five years later, they meet again- only for him to realize that she has a child.. which is most likely his. We then go down the expected blackmail trope, where the hero somehow convinces a woman he hurt so badly by the sheer sorcery of his Kamasutra skills, and she gives in- even though he attempts to take her child away! She eventually marries him, they have this long drawn confession and apparently he ALWAYS loved her (he was not celibate throughout the separation FYI) and book ends in a hunky dory HEA.
Satan save me from such magnetic d!cks.
Unsafe
1.5/5
May 11, 2012
I do really enjoy this author's work. I particularly like that the heroines are strong women with careers and can make the right decisions irregardless of their feelings for the heroes. Phoebe and Jed have a passionate history, but everything went awry 5 years ago. They accidentally meet again at a Ball and Jed realizes how much he missed Phoebe and wants her back in his life. However, Phoebe has some BIG secrets to keep from Jed. I liked how these two worked their way back to each other. There was a lot of chemistry, a lot of angst without Jed being a cruel jerk. JB writes some of the best heroes in the HP line.
I recommend.
I recommend.
May 4, 2015
3.5 stars
I'm a sucker for the mistress who thinks she's a gf plot. H was pretty cruel at times and didn't blame h for not trusting him. I saw other reviews that saw her as bitchy, but I think she was just protecting herself. After that scene in the beginning and his seeming abandonment, it seemed only natural to be on guard and defensive. He hurt her terribly, he deserved to be distrusted and get taken down a few notches.
There's a good amount of angst and a interesting twist on the secret baby plot. I also liked how the heroine tells him exactly what she thinks and why she hid the baby. And he could have looked for her. She wasn't hiding.
I'd have loved this if the H had been less flip floppy. At times he seemed more interested in the child than her and then 2 seconds later he's all over her. The point was that he was cut off from his feelings, but it bugged me that it took him so long to wake up.
I'm a sucker for the mistress who thinks she's a gf plot. H was pretty cruel at times and didn't blame h for not trusting him. I saw other reviews that saw her as bitchy, but I think she was just protecting herself. After that scene in the beginning and his seeming abandonment, it seemed only natural to be on guard and defensive. He hurt her terribly, he deserved to be distrusted and get taken down a few notches.
There's a good amount of angst and a interesting twist on the secret baby plot. I also liked how the heroine tells him exactly what she thinks and why she hid the baby. And he could have looked for her. She wasn't hiding.
I'd have loved this if the H had been less flip floppy. At times he seemed more interested in the child than her and then 2 seconds later he's all over her. The point was that he was cut off from his feelings, but it bugged me that it took him so long to wake up.
July 28, 2013
This is a sugary-sweet, secret-baby, reunion-second-chance story flavored with a nice dose of angst (at the beginning) and OW manipulations.
To elaborate: hot, rich, tall-dark-and-handsome stud with flashy car and bottomless bank account falls for pale-haired, strong Mary Sue but is too manly to admit it to himself. She gets preggo and he busts a vessel and has a fit. She thinks he wants her to get rid of it and realizes (incorrectly, of course) that he's a cruel user who has a woman in every port and plans to make a run for it but has a miscarriage before she can make a getaway. Other events occur and she leaves anyway rather than stay with a heartless manwhore.
However, surprise surprise! she had had two buns in the oven, so she spent the next five years raising adorable and smart secret son while flying solo (other than convenient spinster aunt to help) rather than letting the heartless heel know that he didn't get his wish after all (so she thinks).
In true harley fashion, they end up at the same small, exclusive, fancy party (both with other hot OM/OW in tow) where the H reads her most private thought like a book and decides to have her investigated to see what that flash of panic on her face was all about. Lo and behold! He discovers the little male clone and after a couple of mental wrong turns, goes into hot pursuit mode.
Of course, he ends up manipulating her into marrying him, so that she's forced to live buried under tons of money, while spitting out more perfect children (another set of twins obviously), while also keeping her taunt hour-shaped abs and perky breasts.
Many a person will love this. Those who won't know who they are.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2016
When the heroine told the hero she was pregnant, he said that it wasn't suppose to happen, he didn't want a child and that his mistress wasn't suppose to provide him one. The heroine didn't know that she was his mistress, she thought she was his girlfriend and was devastated. A day after the hero left, the heroine tripped and fell losing the baby. More drama ensued and the heroine left. Years later they run into each other again and the heroine has a child hat looks exactly like the hero, yet the hero is confused how this could be. Once facts are sorted out from fiction, he discovers he loves the heroine and her son, which is coincidentally his as well. Now he won't let her go.
April 19, 2017
Just read this once twice.
Jacqueline Baird is a new-to-me HP author and I LOVE her. I wish more HP authors would follow her lead and make a really satisfying resolution after all the angst and misunderstandings. She does a superb job with the resolution chapter and the epilogue. We get an emotional grovel from the hero which is believable and satisfying. Yipppppeeeeeee!
Can't wait to read more of her books. Even though my eyes are popping out from reading about 2 dozen HP novels in the last week. Popping. Out.
*clings to HP novels*
Jacqueline Baird is a new-to-me HP author and I LOVE her. I wish more HP authors would follow her lead and make a really satisfying resolution after all the angst and misunderstandings. She does a superb job with the resolution chapter and the epilogue. We get an emotional grovel from the hero which is believable and satisfying. Yipppppeeeeeee!
Can't wait to read more of her books. Even though my eyes are popping out from reading about 2 dozen HP novels in the last week. Popping. Out.
*clings to HP novels*
March 12, 2012
The story begins with the heroine Phoebe eagerly waiting for the hero Jed to return after his recent business trip. Phoebe has just discovered she is pregnant and although it wasn't planned she is really happy about it. However Jed's reaction is far from pleased, and Phoebe is left heart-broken when their relationship crumbles and she miscarries. Five years later Jed is surprised to see Phoebe again at function, she is looking well and he wants to talk to her. But her skittishness around him arouses his suspicions, he tracks her down and is shocked to discover she is the mother of a four year old boy and Jed is certain that he is the father. He confronts Phoebe about it and insists that he wants to be a part of his son's life, but Phoebe doesn't let him bully her into anything. She has become a lot more strong and assertive since Jed broke her heart and won't let him do it again. Jed convinces Phoebe to come to his home in Greece so he can get to know his son as well as getting to know Phoebe again. He quickly realises that she has always meant more to him than anything, but he knows the way he treated her in the past gives her every right not to trust him again.
I really enjoyed this book, it kept me interested all the way through. There is a lot of emotion in the hero and heroine's relationship, the use of the prologue really helped to cement this. Yes, the secret baby theme is very predictable but, you know, it is a solid and full-of-conflict plot and it is done very well here.
The bitchy-other-woman part of the story, which was forgotten about after a little while, was unnecessary though, this was one cliché too far.
This is well written and dependably enjoyable.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I really enjoyed this book, it kept me interested all the way through. There is a lot of emotion in the hero and heroine's relationship, the use of the prologue really helped to cement this. Yes, the secret baby theme is very predictable but, you know, it is a solid and full-of-conflict plot and it is done very well here.
The bitchy-other-woman part of the story, which was forgotten about after a little while, was unnecessary though, this was one cliché too far.
This is well written and dependably enjoyable.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
July 21, 2011
Pretty decent story. The secret baby theme had a slightly different take here. One of the things I liked is that when the hero finds out he doesn't immediately tell her that she has to marry him or he will take the boy away. He acknowledges that it is unlikely that the courts will give him custody even though he is much richer than the heroine. One of the things that annoyed me is that it took him so long to realize that he loved her. He kept telling himself that he wanted his son and was going to have him. I would have enjoyed it more if all his machinations were to get her instead of to get his son. But that's just me.
June 10, 2011
Wealthy Jed Sabbides wined and dined Phoebe Brown and finally claimed her for his own. Innocent Phoebe was in love with him and absolutely delighted to tell him that she was carrying his child. Unfortunately, her revelation struck Jed at a bad time. Was he ready to settle down just yet? Was he ready to be a parent like his own father?
Phoebe was crushed by Jed’s lackluster response and tearfully fled. The despondent mother unfortunately suffered an accident terminating the pregnancy and Phoebe Brown quickly faded into obscurity, disappearing from Jed Sabbides’ life forever.
Years later, Jed and Phoebe are thrown together again in England and Jed can’t deny that his former love seems unaccountably nervous. She seems to be hiding some sort of a secret, a secret too precious to ignore. Can Jed find the courage to win Phoebe over a second time and ask her to trust him enough to reveal the mystery?
Phoebe was crushed by Jed’s lackluster response and tearfully fled. The despondent mother unfortunately suffered an accident terminating the pregnancy and Phoebe Brown quickly faded into obscurity, disappearing from Jed Sabbides’ life forever.
Years later, Jed and Phoebe are thrown together again in England and Jed can’t deny that his former love seems unaccountably nervous. She seems to be hiding some sort of a secret, a secret too precious to ignore. Can Jed find the courage to win Phoebe over a second time and ask her to trust him enough to reveal the mystery?
dnf
October 19, 2021DNF@ 60% - kinda boring. Took a break, and 2 weeks later, just don't care enough to pick it up again... kinda like our zero of a hero. His pregnant/grieving gf/mistress runs away from him, and he loves her so very much, that he doesn't bother to go after her, and gets engaged to someone else.
I'm not having much luck with this author. 🤷🏼♀️😬 Anyone want to recommend me a winner??
I'm not having much luck with this author. 🤷🏼♀️😬 Anyone want to recommend me a winner??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2013
The heroine made me a bit angry with her "I'm a martyr" attitude plus keeping a child a secret for five years is unforgivable as far as I'm concerned. She bugged me and the hero deserved better. Still this was a touching story, and I read it in one sitting. It was impossible for me to put it down. Seems like this author can never be boring I'll give her that!
May 27, 2013
This book...I can't even...this book...
Okay. I finished reading this book late last night/early in the morning, and immediately realized that if I was going to be telling everyone about this book anyway, I might as well put it in a review.
Because, oh...this book...
So here's the thing. I was seriously skeeved out by/disgusted with Jed Sabbides , and mostly just felt sorry for the heroine. There were some points where I actually enjoyed the writing in this book, and I think had this author created a less abhorrent-to-me "hero," things could have gone a bit differently. As it is, I will possibly pick up another book by Jacqueline Baird, but with extreme caution for tycoonery.
Okay. I finished reading this book late last night/early in the morning, and immediately realized that if I was going to be telling everyone about this book anyway, I might as well put it in a review.
Because, oh...this book...
So here's the thing. I was seriously skeeved out by/disgusted with Jed Sabbides , and mostly just felt sorry for the heroine. There were some points where I actually enjoyed the writing in this book, and I think had this author created a less abhorrent-to-me "hero," things could have gone a bit differently. As it is, I will possibly pick up another book by Jacqueline Baird, but with extreme caution for tycoonery.
February 27, 2021
3.5-ish Stars
This is a tale of an unwanted pregnancy, miracle twin, and a boatload of misunderstandings. What saves it, IMO, is that we are privy to Jed’s thoughts. Without them (and only Phoebe’s perspective), he would have been portrayed as an unforgivable ass. Instead, we’re served a large serving of misunderstanding & ASSumptions.
Bottom Line- This is one where readers will walk away feeling different. Some thought Phoebe was a doormat, others thought she was smart. Some thought Jed was an irredeemable ass, while others thought he was alright. There’s enough spoiler reviews out there if you want all the deets, or you could read for free with scribd.
This is a tale of an unwanted pregnancy, miracle twin, and a boatload of misunderstandings. What saves it, IMO, is that we are privy to Jed’s thoughts. Without them (and only Phoebe’s perspective), he would have been portrayed as an unforgivable ass. Instead, we’re served a large serving of misunderstanding & ASSumptions.
Bottom Line- This is one where readers will walk away feeling different. Some thought Phoebe was a doormat, others thought she was smart. Some thought Jed was an irredeemable ass, while others thought he was alright. There’s enough spoiler reviews out there if you want all the deets, or you could read for free with scribd.
August 25, 2016
This one is pretty awlful to me. I do not feel any love but only lust between these two, cannot connect at all.
The h is actually likeable in that she isn't as much of a doormat as the typical h and she did say no when her braincells are not fried by lust for the H. While I understand there should be chemistry between couples, I feel quite contempuous of h that not only make the same mistake once, but more or less time and again, especially considering what she has been dealt with. I find her too easy to forgive and forget.
The H is just plain awlful. He never even bother to try to make it up for the h after knowing what she has been through and what she told him happened. Instead he just brushed past all her resentment as if it was nothing and had the nerve to hold a grudge against her. I don't know, maybe he has his reason but considering he knew what the h thought, I think he should at least be trying to make some amends, not time and again manipulate her into doing things she doesn't wish. What is worst, we were in his head, and what we see there doesn't look like a man in love, just someone very deliberately and cold heartedly trying to ignore h's wishes and happiness to get to his endgame. Very callous and selfish H. We didn't know, well even he himself didn't know, what he feels unless the last few pages. And frankly by then, I have given up on him and the sudden turnabout just seems fake and forced.
I totally hate this one as the h is being more or less shoved into situation after situation against her will, which can work if there is some point in the story that we see something besides lust from the H. H's treatment of her protest is belittling and highhanded, seriously I pity the h for having to deal with such a man as never once in his thoughts did we even hear his concern for the h at all.
This could have been a good plot if not for the bad execution, no grovelling at all makes this one absolutely awlful.
The h is actually likeable in that she isn't as much of a doormat as the typical h and she did say no when her braincells are not fried by lust for the H. While I understand there should be chemistry between couples, I feel quite contempuous of h that not only make the same mistake once, but more or less time and again, especially considering what she has been dealt with. I find her too easy to forgive and forget.
The H is just plain awlful. He never even bother to try to make it up for the h after knowing what she has been through and what she told him happened. Instead he just brushed past all her resentment as if it was nothing and had the nerve to hold a grudge against her. I don't know, maybe he has his reason but considering he knew what the h thought, I think he should at least be trying to make some amends, not time and again manipulate her into doing things she doesn't wish. What is worst, we were in his head, and what we see there doesn't look like a man in love, just someone very deliberately and cold heartedly trying to ignore h's wishes and happiness to get to his endgame. Very callous and selfish H. We didn't know, well even he himself didn't know, what he feels unless the last few pages. And frankly by then, I have given up on him and the sudden turnabout just seems fake and forced.
I totally hate this one as the h is being more or less shoved into situation after situation against her will, which can work if there is some point in the story that we see something besides lust from the H. H's treatment of her protest is belittling and highhanded, seriously I pity the h for having to deal with such a man as never once in his thoughts did we even hear his concern for the h at all.
This could have been a good plot if not for the bad execution, no grovelling at all makes this one absolutely awlful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2011
This was a 3 to 3.5 read. There were parts of it I liked and others I didn't.
The hero wasn't a bad guy. The back of the book makes him sound pretty callous but it is far from true. He was definitely shocked about the pregnancy but never at any time did he think about dumping the heroine. He was willing to marry her but misunderstandings of course led to the drama in the book.
Phoebe had her reasons for keeping her pregnancy from Jed. She actually thought So, in her mind there was no reason to tell Jed that she still had a baby.
There was a time near the end where I wanted to slap Phoebe over her thoughts about Jed. By this time she was aware of more of the facts of the past. It just seemed she was being catty to just be catty. At least IMO. However, I started to like her more at the end.
There was a cute little epilogue that I liked. This is a decent enough read.
The hero wasn't a bad guy. The back of the book makes him sound pretty callous but it is far from true. He was definitely shocked about the pregnancy but never at any time did he think about dumping the heroine. He was willing to marry her but misunderstandings of course led to the drama in the book.
Phoebe had her reasons for keeping her pregnancy from Jed. She actually thought So, in her mind there was no reason to tell Jed that she still had a baby.
There was a time near the end where I wanted to slap Phoebe over her thoughts about Jed. By this time she was aware of more of the facts of the past. It just seemed she was being catty to just be catty. At least IMO. However, I started to like her more at the end.
There was a cute little epilogue that I liked. This is a decent enough read.
March 8, 2017
SABBIDES SECRET BABY!
Naive Phoebe Brown fell for Mediterranean magnate Jed Sabbides after he wined, dined and bedded her with a fervor that made her feel cherished. But when Phoebe happily announced she was pregnant, Jed was appalled. Didn't she understand—she was only a pleasing distraction? Sadly Phoebe lost the man she loved, and her baby….
So it is with disbelief that, years later, Jed discovers Phoebe has a little boy…who looks just like him!
Great story -) love Ms. Baird!
Naive Phoebe Brown fell for Mediterranean magnate Jed Sabbides after he wined, dined and bedded her with a fervor that made her feel cherished. But when Phoebe happily announced she was pregnant, Jed was appalled. Didn't she understand—she was only a pleasing distraction? Sadly Phoebe lost the man she loved, and her baby….
So it is with disbelief that, years later, Jed discovers Phoebe has a little boy…who looks just like him!
Great story -) love Ms. Baird!
July 19, 2016
I can only describe Phoebe as naïve; she jumped onto conclusions as a moth is drawn to fire.
She should have really given Jed the benefit of doubt, and saved herself a lot of pain and loss.
Jed always loved Phoebe only was afraid to admit this;
when he lost her, he thought he lost all, until 5 years later....
(although I would have preferred if it was between 1-2 years, 5 is too long)!
She should have really given Jed the benefit of doubt, and saved herself a lot of pain and loss.
Jed always loved Phoebe only was afraid to admit this;
when he lost her, he thought he lost all, until 5 years later....
(although I would have preferred if it was between 1-2 years, 5 is too long)!
July 26, 2018
It was a nice enough read, but I just couldn’t warm to the Hero. For 90% of the book, he was selfish, arrogant and manipulative. He didn’t seem to care about the heroine at all. It was all about himself, he lusted after her, but he didn’t seem to be in love with her, and he only wanted her son.
September 21, 2019
2 Stars
I hate the Hero just like always cold arrogant wealthy who only wanted woman for his bed but not his heart and just like every time the heroine gave up to easily at the end.
I hate the Hero just like always cold arrogant wealthy who only wanted woman for his bed but not his heart and just like every time the heroine gave up to easily at the end.
February 10, 2022
The betraying body syndrome made the whole story shrivel and turn to dust.
May 19, 2024
Reread 5/19/2024… another reread triggered by a FB request that no one has found (rejected surprise pregnancy). “I’m the mistress?” surprise pregnancy story. Not as entertaining on the reread dropped to 3 stars.
Very entertaining.
Very entertaining.
August 19, 2021
an awful hero who had no desire to be redeemed lmfao he would have taken his child and left her for dead but the dumb heroine willingly became a sexual bonus ew
April 12, 2023
I came here for the secret babies and the cold, cruel heroes who fall hard and get their comeuppance. And I got…the secret baby.
This looked promising. Hero was a total cruel, unemotional asshole to the heroine in the beginning. But then he kinda just fizzled out. He was too laid back. Too friendly. At one point, the OM the heroine is kinda dating (thankfully she doesn’t sleep with him) has his arm around her shoulder and the hero doesn’t get all primal and possessive over her. Instead he’s charming and starts to chat him up. I was not impressed and there was no swoon to be had in that response.
It wasn’t a terrible romance but it just lacked the depth of angst to bring out all the emotions. The hero was too nice and the author confused his reasonable demands to be in his sons life as being an asshole.
However there were things I did like. Sex with no condoms, or at least no mention of them. A hero who was celibate for 2 years after their breakup. So not a manwhore. And when he starts to date the OW, he never sleeps with her. He’s not completely celibate, but he’s not oozing around with anything that walks as soon as the heroine leaves.
And the secret baby trope was great, even if it was missing the cold cruel hero to go along with it.
Not safe. Hero’s past is mentioned and he’s not celibate during separation. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. Small ow drama, OM but no drama, no sharing or abuse. HEA with epilogue
This looked promising. Hero was a total cruel, unemotional asshole to the heroine in the beginning. But then he kinda just fizzled out. He was too laid back. Too friendly. At one point, the OM the heroine is kinda dating (thankfully she doesn’t sleep with him) has his arm around her shoulder and the hero doesn’t get all primal and possessive over her. Instead he’s charming and starts to chat him up. I was not impressed and there was no swoon to be had in that response.
It wasn’t a terrible romance but it just lacked the depth of angst to bring out all the emotions. The hero was too nice and the author confused his reasonable demands to be in his sons life as being an asshole.
However there were things I did like. Sex with no condoms, or at least no mention of them. A hero who was celibate for 2 years after their breakup. So not a manwhore. And when he starts to date the OW, he never sleeps with her. He’s not completely celibate, but he’s not oozing around with anything that walks as soon as the heroine leaves.
And the secret baby trope was great, even if it was missing the cold cruel hero to go along with it.
Not safe. Hero’s past is mentioned and he’s not celibate during separation. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. Small ow drama, OM but no drama, no sharing or abuse. HEA with epilogue
January 6, 2025
Dnf, so boring
November 22, 2020
Good
This was a good story
I always enjoy a story like this
Secret babies are my favorite
And the author really put these characters through it
This was a good story
I always enjoy a story like this
Secret babies are my favorite
And the author really put these characters through it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 115 reviews