Monday, March 15, 2021

The Heiress's Pregnancy Surprise - Donna Alward (HR #4747 - Feb 2021)

 
Series: Heirs to an Empire (Book 2)

A VIP assignment…
 
…an unexpected consequence!
 
Former SAS officer Jacob Wolfe's latest job, as aristocrat Charlotte Pemberton's bodyguard, is pushing him to his limits. Never one to step over the line, he's determined to ignore their intense connection. Until a single dance leads to a forbidden kiss…and Jacob is tempted to break all his rules. But when their resulting night together has an unexpected consequence, Jacob finds himself with a whole new assignment -- daddy!

 
Terrific book. Charlotte runs PR for her family's fashion business, Aurora, Inc., and is also in charge of this year's Fashion Week presence in New York. She's excited but nervous, also and determined to do an outstanding job. However, having a bodyguard tagging along just because of a few strange emails was not part of her plan, especially one so physically appealing to her.
 
Former SAS officer Jacob owns a security company that specializes in protecting VIPs. He's spent enough time around the rich and famous that they don't impress him. The last place Jacob wants to be is babysitting some spoiled socialite when he could have been on his first vacation in years. It would help if she weren't so beautiful, but he can remain strictly professional and keep his mind on the job.
 
I loved watching the development of the relationship between Jacob and Charlotte. Jacob quickly realizes that Charlotte is no high-maintenance society girl. I loved watching his opinion of her change as he sees how hard she works. Jacob also sees past the confident façade and picks up on the occasional insecurity. He's impressed with her wit and intelligence and more than happy to lend his support when she needs it. I loved his actions when they ran into her ex. It's about that time when Jacob realizes that she has more of an effect on him than he expected, which worries him.
 
Charlotte begins to see that there is more to Jacob than muscles and protection. His presence at her side made a huge difference to her confidence, especially when she received another threat. I loved how he gave her the boost she needed to step outside her comfort zone and shine on her own merits.  The attraction that flared between them took her by surprise. I loved how he was there to support her when disaster happened.
 
When the threat against Charlotte ended, that left Jacob at loose ends. He no longer had a purpose but was reluctant to leave, nor was Charlotte ready for him to go. I loved how she talked him into staying and taking her to the party that night as a friend and not her bodyguard. A dance led to a kiss led to giving in to their attraction. I loved that both were honest with each other about their expectations. Neither wanted a relationship. Charlotte has significant trust issues and doesn't want to let anyone that close. Jacob still feels guilt from the end of his last relationship. When they parted ways at the end of the trip, neither expected to see the other again.
 
I loved seeing how, despite their stated expectations, neither Jacob nor Charlotte wanted to end things. However, neither could see a way to make it work. Jacob fixates on the differences in their lives, while Charlotte only sees that they live in two different countries. But when Charlotte discovers she's pregnant, she knows she has to tell him in person.
 
Jacob's happiness at Charlotte's unexpected arrival worried him. Unable to forget her or put their time together behind him, seeing her again makes his longing for her even worse. To say that he was stunned at her news would be an understatement. While Charlotte expresses her ability and willingness to bring up the baby on her own, Jacob's insistence on being part of the baby's life makes her happy. I liked their determination to have a frank discussion on how to co-parent effectively. When Charlotte invites him to the family home for the weekend for further talks, Jacob is wary of what to expect. The arrival of Charlotte's older brother (the earl!) adds unexpected complications. I loved the interactions between Jacob and Stephen and Charlotte's frustration with them both. The private conversation between the two men was eye-opening for Jacob and clarified some things for him.
 
The conversation between Jacob and Charlotte the next morning was heartbreaking, as she allowed her fears to push Jacob away. It didn't take long for her to realize what she'd done, but a while longer to get up the courage to do something about it. I loved her return to England and seeing her face Jacob. In an emotional scene, they were both fully open and shared their hopes and fears. I loved their solution and how easy it was for them to do once they'd dealt with their issues. The epilogue was beautiful. 


 

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