Lynne Connolly’s review of Count Toussaint’s Pregnant Mistress by Kate Hewitt
Contemporary Romance released by Mills & Boon 18 Dec 09
Another appalling title and a daft blurb as well, because it doesn’t address the real story. The blurb doesn’t discuss a book that I ever read. So here’s my take on it.
Luc is mired in depression, but being an alpha male, he doesn’t know how to express it other than ignoring it and immersing himself in work.
Abby is a concert pianist who loves her music but hates her life. When her father mismanages their money, she uses it as an excuse to run away and try to live a more ordinary life.
Luc and Abby meet when Abby is beginning to realise that her life has to change. She spends the night with him, or a few hours anyway, but when he discovers that she’s a virgin, he uses the excuse of going to buy protection as a reason to step away. However a few months later, he seeks her out again, and this time she gets pregnant.
This story has a lovely lyrical tone to it. The first few chapters are wistful, but with a hope I found enchanting and I read on. There are some problems, such as the pacing and the waves-on-the-seashore love scenes. Modern readers tend to expect a little more than vague descriptions of lovemaking, especially when the love scenes are an important part of the book. And sometimes the motivations seemed a little contrived, such as when Luc seeks Abby out. It would have worked better for the plot had the pregnancy happened when they first met, but I did enjoy Luc’s change of heart and his realisation that he couldn’t take Abby’s virginity and then walk away, as he fully intended to do. So I wouldn’t have changed it, just firmed up the part where Luc decides to seek out Abby.
But I don’t want this to put you off reading it. The author’s style is lovely, and it works really well with the theme of music and loss. I enjoyed the realistic description of the pregnancy too, with a full understanding of modern obstetric techniques, and I really liked that Luc (French) and Abby (English) could speak each others’ language fluently. Sometimes, with all the Mediterranean billionaires and sweet English misses I wonder about the language difference.
I’m giving this one a B because of the problems of the pacing and the love scenes falling flat, but I’m adding a plus because it was a lovely, sweet read with a fluent style that I’m eagerly looking forward to reading more of.
Grade B+
From passion…to penniless
and pregnant!French Count Jean-Luc Toussaint had never seen such a beauty! Under the glare of the spotlight, the spirited performance of the waif-like pianist mesmerised him. He wanted to taste that passion for himself!
Swept off her feet by the Count, Abigail Summers naïvely thought she’d be forever wined and dined at his château. Instead, the unassuming starlet found herself penniless, pregnant…and waiting with bated breath for the brooding Frenchman to read the tabloid headlines and come thundering back to take what was his…
A question – regarding the vague love scenes, how would more explicit detail have contributed to the narrative? I know that in Victoria Dahl’s books (such as “A Rake’s Guide to Pleasure”) the sex scenes are very graphic but the details contribute directly to the story. How does it do so in this book?
I ask because I am a modern romance reader who doesn’t necessarily need explicit details if they don’t contribute directly (and by directly I mean – they execute a plot point more important than “they’ve finally had sex”).
I think because her sexual tension is so good, so she leads up to it very well, and then you get the brief description and feel a tiny bit let down. As if she’s drawing away after describing the build up so well. (“Look at this, look at this, look at this – oh, you missed it!”)
But honestly, it’s a great read, and not everybody will feel that way, I’m sure.
There is no way I can possibly read all these great books. But I am willing to give it one heck of a try..LOL.. Great writing.. Keep it up..Thanks
Nice review. However, I think as a reviewer or reader we need to remember the author doesn’t choose the titles nor blurbs, the publishing house does.
Absolutely, and that’s who the comment is aimed at. I have some friends who write for Mills and Boon (I don’t review them) and they are given their titles by the publisher, they have no say in it at all. I don’t take marks off my review for the title, but I’m on a campaign to try to persuade HMB to change them. The sooner HMB realises that we’re buying the books despite the titles, not because of them, the better.
But read this one, I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for the nice review, which I’ve just seen. Funnily enough, in my first draft, Abby does fall pregnant the first time, but it was changed in the revisions. You might be glad to know M&B is starting to make their titles a little more evocative… my next release, in July, is titled The Bride’s Awakening, which is accurate without giving away the whole plot 🙂
I’m flattered you dropped by, Kate, and absolutely delighted by your news! And that there’s a new release coming!