by Nicola Marsh
One night leads to a career woman's
nightmare...but will it lead to love?
Executive Mother-To-Be
by Nicola Marsh details a successful career woman's worst nightmare --
having to lose control when she is accustomed to being in control.
Humorous, rich in small details, this short romance is well-written and
an enjoyable light read with just the right amount of depth to be
emotionally moving without being a tear-jerker.
Kristen Lewis TV producer sits in a Singapore bar, stood up by a
co-worker buddy in favor of a young temp worker. Hard working to the
max and driven, Kristen knows the loneliness of hotels and bars. When
she eyes the handsome Nate, dark and morose but ever so sexy, she feels
like she has met a kindred soul. As the CEO for his own company, Nate
seems to understand her long hours and her passion for work. Together
they share a fabulous night. Months later, Kristen walks into her first
day of work at a new job. Called in to meet her new boss, Nathan Boyd,
Kristen is shocked to see the face of her Singapore Nate, the man she
cannot get out of her heart. Both driven professionals, Kristen and
Nate decide to keep things on a professional level --- but their
decision chafes at their very hearts. Then, the worst thing possible
happens to this single-minded, focused career girl --- not only is she
pregnant but she is pregnant with Nate's baby!
Besides being a wonderful light read, interspersed with some tense
moments, several areas in Executive
Mother-To-Be drew my attention. Nicola Marsh has a precise skill
in setting a scene so that when she writes about the characters, the
reader is drawn to them and understands them behind the exterior. Her
style is quick, sharp and focused --- in just a few well-chosen
descriptions, the reader is right there on the scene and in the hearts
of her characters. The dialogue is fun, witty and dynamic. But more, as
Nate and Kristen encounter each other and spend time together in
Australia, the reader feels them become more and more comfortable with
one another through the change in their dialogue.
Nicola Marsh's characterization adds an enjoyable dimension to this
short romance. Nate is an interesting hero, a good guy with past hurts.
The reader feels his frustrations and pain as well as his love for the
heroine. When faced with her worst nightmare, the heroine changes in
her relation to others. The romantic conflict in Executive Mother-To-Be is not a
hero and heroine against each other but two career driven individuals
trying to figure out how to make room for each other and a third
person. As the romance evolves, so do the characters. I was very
impressed with how Nicola Marsh added several very well-done details
that made me understand Kristen and how she could end up in the
situation she did and still be an intelligent woman. Some dramatic
moments here, especially towards the end. Nicola Marsh writes drama
well --- quick plot with precise details, allowing the story itself to
tell the drama.
Publisher: Harlequin
Romance (February 2008)
(Baby On Board)
