Cinda Brown and Alexander Wessex's secret summer romance came to an end when Alex had to return to his home country without saying goodbye. With no way to contact him after he left, Cinda was unable to let Alex know when she found out that she was pregnant. Five years later, after giving birth to her son AJ and building a successful house cleaning business, Cinda was shocked to come face-to-face with Alex again and learn his true identity as the Crown Prince of Aubernesse. Afraid of what might happen if Alex learned about their son's existence, Cinda did everything in her power to avoid Alex, but he was determined to learn the truth about what had caused their relationship to end so abruptly. Would they be able to work through the misunderstandings and pain of the past in order to build a new future together as a family?
Cinda and Alex were both endearing, relatable characters, and I found it very easy to cheer them on to their HEA. I loved that Cinda was so much of a mama bear and put her son first in everything she did. As for Alex, I appreciated his efforts to woo Cinda and the way he took care of her after she injured her ankle. He may have grown up in a palace surrounded by servants, but he actually had some practical life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and first aid, which was honestly impressive (and a bit surprising).
Overall, I adored this charming modern take on "Cinderella" and highly recommend it for all fans of contemporary romance and romantic comedy. This series just keeps getting better with every book, and I can't wait to find out what the author has in store for us next.
*Review copy provided by the author/publisher via Give Me Books Promotions. All opinions expressed are my own.
About "The Baby and the Blueblood"
She’s risen from the ashes of heartbreak…
As a single mom, I’m not looking for Prince Charming. The last time I fell for a handsome, sophisticated, wealthy guy, he left me at the worst possible time without a look backward or even a word of explanation.
He did leave me with a lovely parting gift though… which arrived nine months later.
With no way to reach him, I picked up the pieces of that shattered glass slipper and moved on. Now I’m running my own business—the Fairy Godmother Cleaning Agency. My hands—and all my hours—are more than full managing my employees (including my two hapless stepsisters) and keeping my four-year-old son happy, healthy, fed, and clothed. It’s not easy doing it all on my own, but I have zero interest in a new relationship.
And who has the time? My high society clients expect their Eastport Bay, Rhode Island mansions to be sparkling—on schedule—come hell, high water, or hurricane.
So when a flu epidemic sweeps through my agency the day before the royal family of Aubernesse is to arrive in Eastport Bay, I put on a uniform and pick up the slack, working furiously to make sure their gorgeous vacation home is immaculate and ready for the elaborate ball they’re planning to throw.
He’s looking for the perfect fit…
I’m back in Eastport Bay for the first time in five years—and not exactly happy to be here. There’s a reason I’ve stayed away so long.
The place lost its magic for me long ago—the night the only girl I’ve ever loved proved beyond a shadow of a doubt she didn’t feel the same.
But this trip is non-negotiable, a matter of duty. I’m planning to fly in, attend the ridiculous ball my mother is so insistent upon, then get back to my life in Europe as quickly as possible.
That is until I arrive at the family estate early and catch the cleaning crew still at work.
And get a look at the woman beneath that coating of dust, ash, and spiderwebs…
The Baby and the Blue Blood is a small-town rom com take on Cinderella, filled with heart, heat, and secret baby/second chance/royal billionaire romance fun!
Read an Excerpt from "The Baby and the Blueblood"
I laughed lightly and sank deeper into the steamy bath, enjoying the feel of the warm heat on my skin and muscles, relaxing fully now that Alex had left the room.
When the water had begun to turn tepid and my fingers had pruned, I wrapped the heavy, soaked towel around my body again, tucking the top edge tightly under one arm and pulling the lower edge down to cover my thighs. I’d actually have to hold that in place because the water kept floating it up.
With my good foot I kicked the lever to release the drain mechanism then called for Alex.
He opened the door so quickly I suspected he may have been waiting outside it after all.
“Have a nice bath?” he asked as he approached the tub.
I didn’t answer right away. I couldn’t. Alex was shirtless.
His feet were bare, and he wore only a pair of black running shorts.
As he’d mentioned earlier, we’d seen each other in bathing suits nearly every day of that long-ago summer. But it had been long ago. I’d been in the company of very few shirtless men since then, and none of them had looked like this.
Even Alex hadn’t looked like this back then.
He’d always had an attractive physique, tall and broad-shouldered with great muscle tone. But he’d been thinner then, lanky as young men often are.
Now, at age thirty, he was a male in his prime. His arms and chest were filled out with firm muscle, as were his legs. His stomach was… oh good God I was staring. I needed to look away from all that tanned skin and segmented muscle, or I wasn’t going to be able to handle it when he—
Too late. Alex lifted me and held my dripping wet body against him, and now my warm skin was pressed against his, and that amazing scent I’d detected earlier was right there, and, and…
Mind on the game. Off the hot man. On. The. Game.
Say something. Make conversation.
“Were you… exercising?”
He barked a short laugh. “No. Why do you ask? Do I smell like a locker room or something?”
“You… took off your clothes.”
He grinned widely. “This is my mermaid-retrieval uniform.”
When I gave him a dazed look, he explained in a tone of voice one would use with a small child. “I don’t have that many changes of clothes here, and we can’t exactly hang things outside to dry. I knew I was bound to get soaked while fishing you out of the tub.”
I craned my neck to see water running down Alex’s long legs and pooling on the bathroom floor around his feet. “Oh. Right. Sorry about that.”
“No worries. I just wanted to be prepared.” He set me on the bathroom rug and gestured toward the shorts. “These will dry off pretty quickly in front of the fire. When you’re dressed, I’ll take you there too, so your hair can dry and you don’t catch a chill.”
He held up a finger. “Which reminds me…”
Alex left the bathroom and came back a moment later with a large man’s bathrobe. “I couldn’t find anything left in Janey’s room, but I did find this hanging in the master closet. It seemed like a better option than the pajamas you had on or your clothes from yesterday. The house is a bit chilly.”
I took it from him gratefully. “Yes. Thank you. It’s perfect.”
Anything to get you and your sexy, shirtless self out of my line of sight as soon as possible.
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