365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #15

The French Count's Pregnant Bride - Catherine Spencer
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2006
ISBN: 9780263848687

Reprint-
In the Count's Bed By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263884302

My rating


From the back cover:

"When Diana Reeves decides to find her birth mother, her search takes her to the French village of Bellevue-sur-lac and into the employ of Anton, the charismatic Comte de Valois. Anton does not trust this newcomer, and decides to keep her close. But it's not long before Diana gets under his skin - and into his bed. When their passion leads to pregnancy, Anton all to quickly insists on making Diana his wife. Then she discovers his intense desire to father a child, and has to question his motives for marriage."

This was the second book in the By Request omnibus as above, and was a very enjoyable read.

The story begins with the female character being told by her husband that he is leaving her for another woman. Deeply hurt by this Diana takes a long time to recover and during that time decides that she finally wants to find her birth mother, she was previously put off this by her adoptive mother's sensitivity to the subject and her husbands disapproval. She discovers that she was born in France and travels to the small village where she has discovered that her mother lived. Upon arriving she meets Anton, a French count, who is suspicious of Diana's reasons for being there. Anton's wife killed herself 3 years ago however at the time there was suspicions relating to Anton's involvement in her death, which caused a scandal and the press to swarm into the village.
Anton asks her to help out with tour guides on his estate, with the intention of keeping an eye on her. Diana thinks she has found her birth mother working on Anton's estate and tries to get to know her, causing Anton to be even more suspicious. Eventually passion ignites between the two and Diana gets pregnant. Anton insists on marriage but they both remain suspicious of each others reasons for getting married.

This is a very emotional book, and very well written. Both characters have trouble trusting and have demons that prevents them from admitting their feelings for one another. There is also a fantastic 'other woman' character who stirs up just the right amount of trouble between the two of them.

I have read other Catherine Spencer books and have always found that her writing is beautiful and her characters are always well developed with just the right amount of emotional baggage, and this book certainly doesn't disappoint.

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