What do you think?
Rate this book
Secret Heirs of Billionaires #32
The Italian's Unexpected Baby
His money can buy everything…
Except his heir!
Having escaped the streets of Rome, Alessandro runs a multibillion-dollar empire with a control that is world renowned. Yet Mia, his new, forthright executive assistant, threatens that control. And soon their fiery exchanges explode into unrivaled passion!
Mia is wary of trusting others, so when Alessandro coolly dismisses her after their night together, she dares not tell him she’s pregnant! But on learning her secret, he’s determined to legitimize his child. Mia’s priority is her daughter, but can she let Alessandro in when it means risking her heart?
Except his heir!
Having escaped the streets of Rome, Alessandro runs a multibillion-dollar empire with a control that is world renowned. Yet Mia, his new, forthright executive assistant, threatens that control. And soon their fiery exchanges explode into unrivaled passion!
Mia is wary of trusting others, so when Alessandro coolly dismisses her after their night together, she dares not tell him she’s pregnant! But on learning her secret, he’s determined to legitimize his child. Mia’s priority is her daughter, but can she let Alessandro in when it means risking her heart?
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2019
About the author
Kate Hewitt
753 books1,431 followersKate is the USA Today-bsetselling author of many books of both historical and contemporary fiction. Under the name Katharine Swartz, she is the author of the Tales from Goswell books, a series of time-slip novels set in the village of Goswell.
She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.
She likes to read women's fiction, mystery and thrillers, as well as historical novels. She particularly enjoys reading about well-drawn characters and avoids high-concept plots.
Having lived in both New York City and a tiny village on the windswept northwest coast of England, she now resides in a market town in Wales with her husband, five children, and two Golden Retrievers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 3, 2019
3.25 stars.
A second chance, secret baby romance with MC's who are both closed off, afraid to trust and a little too stoic at times. Parts of this storyline reminded me of The Secret Kept from the Italian, but that novel succeeded largely because I was able to connect with both MC's. I loved and was always rooting for the MC's of that novel. It's still one of my favourites by this author.
I really wanted to love this, because Kate Hewitt has become one of my favourite HPlandia authors. But parts of the narrative just fell a bit flat. It got off to a strong start and concluded with even greater intensity, but the middle portion was where the storytelling seemed to have fallen into the doldrums.
This middle part of the novel was sometimes so dry and run of the mill, that I started speed reading and was even tempted to quit at a couple points...
Alessandro and Mia met after after his corporate takeover of her previous employer's firm. They had an unexpected one night stand soon afterwards and both were extremely embarrassed the morning after, leading to the heroine's immediate request for a transfer to Los Angeles. They never even got to know each other well enough to be invested in the other's feelings.
This is the H, Alessandro:
She then learned that she's pregnant, left a message for him ( which his receptionist failed to deliver ) and then went on with her life after he didn't respond. The H turned up a year afterwards, when he phoned her boss to find out how she's doing and heard that she's on maternity leave. Since he's the upstanding type of H who never shirks responsibility, he immediately suggested that they marry for the baby's sake.
This is the heroine, Mia:
Some Other Key Concerns:
1. The MC's, while being likable, struggled to set the page on fire. The reader is told that they share intense chemistry but their dialogue was stilted ( probably due to the boss/PA nature of their initial relationship ) and sometimes mundane.
2. They were both so similar in demeanor, that the lack of contrast made both seem uninteresting. Neither was interested in a long term relationship and both were equally quick to jump at the first excuse to never see each other again, after they'd consummated their *relationship* in the very beginning.
3. Their reunion, after the H discovered that he's the baby's father, was far too predictable and dialogue could have been culled from a large number of other similar second chance/secret baby romances.
4. This couple just failed to stand out among the hundreds of others in modern HPlandia. I didn't feel invested in their relationship or sit on pins and needles, waiting anxiously for the next scene to unfold. The storytelling was, surprisingly, not very angst filled, despite being part and parcel of a trope combo that thrives on this very thing. And, it's also unusual because Kate Hewitt is known for her gut-wrenching, emotional and passionate tales.
Nevertheless, I couldn't give this a lower rating, because things did improve significantly in the last quarter and the epilogue, while being briefer than usual, was very sweet, revealing how much both MC's had improved to become warmer and more mellow human beings. Plus they ended up having another baby ( a son ) in the epilogue.
I also had to give points for the H's exceptionally good fatherly role. It was obvious, from the time he met his baby daughter, that he was totally smitten with the bundle of joy and was not just acting out of paternal duty - the way most H's do when a secret baby pokes its head into their ordered world.
All in all, this wasn't an exceptional year for Kate Hewitt in HPlandia, because I loved her 2018 novels a lot more. But she's still an HP author I'll keep looking forward to reading, because I know she's able to deliver the goods when all the ingredients fit perfectly into the right box.
Safety: No OW, no OW, the heroine was celibate during the H's celibacy is not 💯% cleared up. The only clue we're given, occurred in a conversation where the H says:
‘Are you saying it never went further?’ she scoffed. ‘I have trouble believing—’
‘I’m not saying one thing or the other,’ Alessandro replied, his voice rising, edged with ire. ‘It has no relevance. We weren’t a couple. I didn’t know. ’ https://bookshout.com/store/books/225...
That's the H's explanation when asked about the various women who'd been plastered over the social news section with him. To be fair to the H, they'd parted on mutually agreed terms, where neither wanted nor expected a reconciliation. Their parting had been very civilized and I didn't get the idea that the heroine had been heartbroken. So, even if he'd not been celibate, it's not cheating because no promises were made and it was not as if they'd been in a relationship. Actually, they knew nothing about each other and had only met a mere couple of days before they shared their one night stand.
A second chance, secret baby romance with MC's who are both closed off, afraid to trust and a little too stoic at times. Parts of this storyline reminded me of The Secret Kept from the Italian, but that novel succeeded largely because I was able to connect with both MC's. I loved and was always rooting for the MC's of that novel. It's still one of my favourites by this author.
I really wanted to love this, because Kate Hewitt has become one of my favourite HPlandia authors. But parts of the narrative just fell a bit flat. It got off to a strong start and concluded with even greater intensity, but the middle portion was where the storytelling seemed to have fallen into the doldrums.
This middle part of the novel was sometimes so dry and run of the mill, that I started speed reading and was even tempted to quit at a couple points...
Alessandro and Mia met after after his corporate takeover of her previous employer's firm. They had an unexpected one night stand soon afterwards and both were extremely embarrassed the morning after, leading to the heroine's immediate request for a transfer to Los Angeles. They never even got to know each other well enough to be invested in the other's feelings.
This is the H, Alessandro:
She then learned that she's pregnant, left a message for him ( which his receptionist failed to deliver ) and then went on with her life after he didn't respond. The H turned up a year afterwards, when he phoned her boss to find out how she's doing and heard that she's on maternity leave. Since he's the upstanding type of H who never shirks responsibility, he immediately suggested that they marry for the baby's sake.
This is the heroine, Mia:
Some Other Key Concerns:
1. The MC's, while being likable, struggled to set the page on fire. The reader is told that they share intense chemistry but their dialogue was stilted ( probably due to the boss/PA nature of their initial relationship ) and sometimes mundane.
2. They were both so similar in demeanor, that the lack of contrast made both seem uninteresting. Neither was interested in a long term relationship and both were equally quick to jump at the first excuse to never see each other again, after they'd consummated their *relationship* in the very beginning.
3. Their reunion, after the H discovered that he's the baby's father, was far too predictable and dialogue could have been culled from a large number of other similar second chance/secret baby romances.
4. This couple just failed to stand out among the hundreds of others in modern HPlandia. I didn't feel invested in their relationship or sit on pins and needles, waiting anxiously for the next scene to unfold. The storytelling was, surprisingly, not very angst filled, despite being part and parcel of a trope combo that thrives on this very thing. And, it's also unusual because Kate Hewitt is known for her gut-wrenching, emotional and passionate tales.
Nevertheless, I couldn't give this a lower rating, because things did improve significantly in the last quarter and the epilogue, while being briefer than usual, was very sweet, revealing how much both MC's had improved to become warmer and more mellow human beings. Plus they ended up having another baby ( a son ) in the epilogue.
I also had to give points for the H's exceptionally good fatherly role. It was obvious, from the time he met his baby daughter, that he was totally smitten with the bundle of joy and was not just acting out of paternal duty - the way most H's do when a secret baby pokes its head into their ordered world.
All in all, this wasn't an exceptional year for Kate Hewitt in HPlandia, because I loved her 2018 novels a lot more. But she's still an HP author I'll keep looking forward to reading, because I know she's able to deliver the goods when all the ingredients fit perfectly into the right box.
Safety: No OW, no OW, the heroine was celibate during the H's celibacy is not 💯% cleared up. The only clue we're given, occurred in a conversation where the H says:
‘Are you saying it never went further?’ she scoffed. ‘I have trouble believing—’
‘I’m not saying one thing or the other,’ Alessandro replied, his voice rising, edged with ire. ‘It has no relevance. We weren’t a couple. I didn’t know. ’ https://bookshout.com/store/books/225...
That's the H's explanation when asked about the various women who'd been plastered over the social news section with him. To be fair to the H, they'd parted on mutually agreed terms, where neither wanted nor expected a reconciliation. Their parting had been very civilized and I didn't get the idea that the heroine had been heartbroken. So, even if he'd not been celibate, it's not cheating because no promises were made and it was not as if they'd been in a relationship. Actually, they knew nothing about each other and had only met a mere couple of days before they shared their one night stand.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 8, 2019
Hero has a one night stand with our heroine his assistant but they both pretend it never happened. Heroine finds a job in LA and she gives birth to their daughter. When Alessandro learns he is now a father he is determined to seduce Mia and eventually marry her. He achieves his goal and they do get married but he is not willing to risk his heart because he is a coward and he has mommy issues. His reluctance to admit his feelings angers Mia and she abandons him but not before he changes his mind and admits his feelings. Mia loves him back and forgives him for being a brooding idiot alpha hero and we get a wonderful epilogue with their daughter and their baby boy.
Very romantic and emotional love story. Hero was loving and caring and he treated heroine with respect, he was a true gentleman and I loved him. Mia was a great mother and while she had issues she was sweet and loving. I loved their chemistry and their banter. Epilogue with their 2 kids melted my heart! Safe: heroine is a virgin but I am not entirely sure if hero was celibate while they are apart though it is implied he is.
Very romantic and emotional love story. Hero was loving and caring and he treated heroine with respect, he was a true gentleman and I loved him. Mia was a great mother and while she had issues she was sweet and loving. I loved their chemistry and their banter. Epilogue with their 2 kids melted my heart! Safe: heroine is a virgin but I am not entirely sure if hero was celibate while they are apart though it is implied he is.
March 26, 2020
"The Italian's Unexpected Baby" is the story of Mia and Alessandro.
Umm.. Nah.
Let's study the chronology
-H takeovers the company the h works for but retains her
-Both find each other very attractive
-A ball and alcohol lead to bang bang
-h assures H she's protected when he discovers the hymen *hint: She's not*
-h requests transfer and realizes her pollen is fertilized
and then you can imagine what happens in the rest of the book.
Traumatized H, very bland h, mediocre sex, minimal angst and underwhelming plot. I did not feel the love and the only thing I found adorable was their baby.
Safe? SWE?
2/5
Umm.. Nah.
Let's study the chronology
-H takeovers the company the h works for but retains her
-Both find each other very attractive
-A ball and alcohol lead to bang bang
-h assures H she's protected when he discovers the hymen *hint: She's not*
-h requests transfer and realizes her pollen is fertilized
and then you can imagine what happens in the rest of the book.
Traumatized H, very bland h, mediocre sex, minimal angst and underwhelming plot. I did not feel the love and the only thing I found adorable was their baby.
Safe? SWE?
2/5
January 18, 2020
This stared promising but lost me less than halfway in.
The h worked as the H’s PA. She had a bad experience with sexual harassment at her last job so she made herself look dowdy for this one. The H has no desire for her until he took her to a “work” weekend function and she showed him what she truly looked like.
That was great until her ex-boss, the sexual harasser” shows up at the weekend function. Then there’s the odd relationship with the older woman who owns the business competing with her boss’s.
There was just too much crammed into this story and it was boring as hell. I dragged myself through the book, all the way till the end, and still didn’t feel satisfied.
It was too long, too many characters that really weren’t needed for the story. It was tedious.
The h worked as the H’s PA. She had a bad experience with sexual harassment at her last job so she made herself look dowdy for this one. The H has no desire for her until he took her to a “work” weekend function and she showed him what she truly looked like.
That was great until her ex-boss, the sexual harasser” shows up at the weekend function. Then there’s the odd relationship with the older woman who owns the business competing with her boss’s.
There was just too much crammed into this story and it was boring as hell. I dragged myself through the book, all the way till the end, and still didn’t feel satisfied.
It was too long, too many characters that really weren’t needed for the story. It was tedious.
December 17, 2019
"Oh, Alessandro, you idiot" h said, and she was totally right! 🙄
January 11, 2020
3.5 stars
I am generally not a fan of this author ... but this story was such a pleasant surprise ...
Strong h ... when they meet after being apart for sometime, she has reservations and she communicates them to the H ... this h is not a silly little girl ... she is smart and capable and fully able to stand up for herself ...
I am generally not a fan of this author ... but this story was such a pleasant surprise ...
Strong h ... when they meet after being apart for sometime, she has reservations and she communicates them to the H ... this h is not a silly little girl ... she is smart and capable and fully able to stand up for herself ...
December 18, 2019
I have read a few of this author’s books and often enjoyed them; this one had a good premise and parts were really well done, but I could not engage with the heroine much; I found Alessandro much more fleshed out and interesting. I am fed up with heroine’s leaving messages for the hero with reception and then simply thinking they’ve done enough to try and tell him they’re pregnant! If Mia had wanted to contact Alessandro - of course she could have done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2024
I just love happy endings.. 🥰
December 10, 2019
His money can buy everything…
Except his heir!
Having escaped the streets of Rome, Alessandro runs a multibillion-dollar empire with a control that is world renowned. Yet Mia, his new, forthright executive assistant, threatens that control. And soon their fiery exchanges explode into unrivaled passion!
Mia is wary of trusting others, so when Alessandro coolly dismisses her after their night together, she dares not tell him she’s pregnant! But on learning her secret, he’s determined to legitimize his child. Mia’s priority is her daughter, but can she let Alessandro in when it means risking her heart? (l
Except his heir!
Having escaped the streets of Rome, Alessandro runs a multibillion-dollar empire with a control that is world renowned. Yet Mia, his new, forthright executive assistant, threatens that control. And soon their fiery exchanges explode into unrivaled passion!
Mia is wary of trusting others, so when Alessandro coolly dismisses her after their night together, she dares not tell him she’s pregnant! But on learning her secret, he’s determined to legitimize his child. Mia’s priority is her daughter, but can she let Alessandro in when it means risking her heart? (l
August 15, 2020
An OK story, but really seemed to drag. Only the last few chapters saved it all for me.
Alessandro Costa takes over another failing company. Mia James was the old boss's PA, and for a day is Alessandro's. A brief appearance that first night and sparks fly and the unenviable one night stand ensues. Of course, Mia must be immediately moved to a whole different location and company.
Alessandro Costa takes over another failing company. Mia James was the old boss's PA, and for a day is Alessandro's. A brief appearance that first night and sparks fly and the unenviable one night stand ensues. Of course, Mia must be immediately moved to a whole different location and company.
Read
January 2, 2020Categories
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Read
January 2, 2020Categories
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Secret Heirs of Billionaires
Read
May 4, 2020couldn't get into it for my own reasons, so not rating it
Read
May 4, 2020Una Pasión Sin Igual (Versión)
August 24, 2020
2/3 stars
December 5, 2020
The main topic of the book is control. Him - seeking control, her - afraid of control....it's boring.
May 29, 2021
Note to myself,
It was very boring, i had to force myself to finish it
It was very boring, i had to force myself to finish it
July 16, 2021
This was a good book, but it was so predictable. Everything I guessed would happen, did.
March 8, 2023
It started promising but halfway through the story the emotions and plot just kinda fizzled out. The heroine is a bit boring and the hero is just bland.
June 11, 2020
The story is nice vut not my perfect kind of story. The hero had a one-night stand with his new PA, the heroine was very uncomfortable after that for still working with him, so she decided to ask for a transfer. Then she found out that she was pregnant, tried to tell the hero but not enough try. The hero found out they had a baby, and wanted them to become a family. The heroine had a trust issue because of her past, never really wanted to get married but because she saw that the hero was trying so hard and also sweet with them, she decided to try and get married.
May 23, 2020
Empezó bien, como una novela rosa común y corriente. Comenzó a decaer para mi como ya a la mitad, cuando Alessandro va por Mía y su hija. Mía y Alessandro, por decirlo de alguna manera, nunca dieron “su brazo a torcer”; se guardaban las cosas, sus sentimientos, emocione, pensamientos y traumas para sí misma y por ello casi terminan su relación. Ambos son de carácter muy dominante, aunque de parte de Mía no lo parece, todo lo contrario con Alessandro. Note un patrón con la manera de arreglas las cosas / enfrentarse a situaciones o problemas de Mía y fue huir;irse a quien sabe dónde a “pensar”, luego medio enfrentarse a dicha situación e irse. Creo que lo hizo cuando se trasladó a California (medio se enfrentó al inminente despido o traslado para irse sin ver atrás), obviamente con su padre (me acabo de dar cuenta de que nunca le contó a Alessandro sobre la relación que tenía on su padre, cuando Alessandro al final si llegó a contar mucho más sobre su madre y su padre ausente). Los dos, Alessandro y Mía tiene muchos problemas personales que no fueron capaces de enfrentarse (todavía) o hablarlos entre ellos para llegar a una solución. Claro que me esperaba algo mucho mejor. Narrado en tercera persona y ofrece los puntos de vista de los protagonistas.
May 16, 2020
¡Su dinero podía comprarlo todo... ¡excepto a su heredera!
Tras haber escapado de las calles de Roma, Alessandro dirigía un imperio multimillonario con un control reconocido en el mundo entero. Sin embargo Mia, su nueva asistente ejecutiva, ponía en peligro aquel control. ¡Y muy pronto sus apasionados intercambios estallaron en una pasión sin igual!
A Mia le costaba trabajo confiar en los demás, así que, cuando Alessandro la rechazó con frialdad tras la noche que pasaron juntos, no se atrevió a decirle que estaba embarazada. Pero, cuando descubrió su secreto, Alessandro decidió reconocer al bebé. La prioridad de Mia era su hija, pero ¿podría abrirle la puerta a Alessandro cuando eso significaba poner en peligro su corazón.
Muy linda historia Harlequin, jefe-secretaria. 3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tras haber escapado de las calles de Roma, Alessandro dirigía un imperio multimillonario con un control reconocido en el mundo entero. Sin embargo Mia, su nueva asistente ejecutiva, ponía en peligro aquel control. ¡Y muy pronto sus apasionados intercambios estallaron en una pasión sin igual!
A Mia le costaba trabajo confiar en los demás, así que, cuando Alessandro la rechazó con frialdad tras la noche que pasaron juntos, no se atrevió a decirle que estaba embarazada. Pero, cuando descubrió su secreto, Alessandro decidió reconocer al bebé. La prioridad de Mia era su hija, pero ¿podría abrirle la puerta a Alessandro cuando eso significaba poner en peligro su corazón.
Muy linda historia Harlequin, jefe-secretaria. 3⭐️⭐️⭐️
April 7, 2020
Good romance.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews