Limecello’s review of Pride & A Pregnancy Secret by Tessa Radley
Contemporary romance published by Silhouette Desire on 12 Feb 08

While secret baby stories aren’t my favorite, I really enjoyed Pride & A Pregnancy Secret and felt that Ms. Radley did an excellent job with her book. In fact, this was my favorite story in the Diamonds Down Under (DDU) series – most of which are still available at eHarlequin. I also singled this book out because Ms. Radley is writing a  new series titled The Saxon Brides – which are loosely connected to the DDU books.

Jessica Cotter is a terrific heroine – smart, strong, but still emotionally available. She’s deeply in love, but is able to get out of a situation that is causing her more harm than good. Jessica hasn’t had the easiest life, and some of the situations she had to deal with growing up made her especially sensitive about relationships. I loved Jess’s personality and think she’d make a fabulous friend.

Ryan Blackstone is a fun hero – maybe not so much in personality, but because the reader gets to follow his growth as a person. He’s the stereotypical epic tycoon. He’s great with business relationships, but less successful with personal ones. Ryan’s family was dysfunctional, and his father was never any sort of role model.

For all that Ryan wanted a no strings attached affair from the start, he quickly begins to change his mind after Jessica leaves, and it’s quite enjoyable seeing Ryan scramble to win her back. Pride & A Pregnancy Secret doesn’t have a unique story line, but Ms. Radley manages to breathe new life and depth into the plot. There are a number of poignant scenes, and one of my favorites is the following (it happens after their “break-up”):

He suspected that, unlike him, Jessica was going to regret the night they’d shared when she woke.

Resisting the urge to kiss her goodbye, he let himself quietly out of the room.

Before she awoke and he read the regret in her eyes.

There were also some brilliant scenes where Jess and Ryan argued. I also loved how Ryan had his jealous moments. (Something about a possessive hero really grabs me.) Ryan isn’t jealous in an unhealthy way – or at all controlling-  and his reaction really is because he know he’s losing Jessica. Delicious. Of course, there are also the light and fun moments in the book. Ms. Radley manages to insert humor into tense situations, alleviating the strain and stress caused by elevated emotions. It was also nice to have cameo appearances by other characters in the series – both Blackstone and Hammonds.

I really like the Down Under authors. It’s fun to read about a culture similar, yet different – and all the [exotic] food, flora and fauna. One such discovery is Bundaberg ginger beer. (I’m very curious about it.) Pride & A Pregnancy Secret offers a great story, great characters, and while it fits perfectly in the Diamonds Down Under series it also stands alone well. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Ms. Radley’s writing or books from the Desire line, and especially to someone who has read other books in the DDU series.

Grade: A-

“I’M HAVING YOUR BABY.”

They were words she would never speak to her lover, Ryan Blackstone, Australia’s richest gem dealer. For Jessica Cotter was his secret mistress, with him only for torrid sessions behind the drawn drapes of his bachelor bedroom. She had no future with the man whose mantra was No kids, No carats. Though she knew the rules, Jess had broken them. Now she had no choice but to walk away from Ryan…unless the man with a heart as hard as diamonds could learn to love her back…

Read an excerpt here.