Until You Loved Me. Brenda Novak

Published: MIRA
Date: 25th July 2017
Format: e-ARC
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source:Publisher via NetGalley
Rating:
                      

After catching her fiancé cheating—with another man–usually straight-laced, workaholic scientist Ellie Fisher liberates her wild side just long enough to indulge in a passionate one-night-stand with a tall, dark stranger she meets at a trendy Miami bar. Embarrassed by her recklessness, she ducks out the following morning without learning the guy’s full name, something that shouldn’t have been a problem…until a pregnancy test turns positive.

Being a professional football player, Hudson King has always been cautious around women. But this one had been different—so disinterested in his celebrity, so convincingly into him. When Ellie tracks him down, claiming she’s carrying his baby, he’s stunned. And more than a little betrayed.

Until You Loved Me by Brenda Novak is #3 in the Silver Springs series. However it is perfect also as a stand alone as I hadn't read the previous two, yet didn't need to, to fully get involved in this story.

And get involved I did. I read through it speedily, picking it up every spare moment as I became engrossed in the story of Ellie and Hudson King. 

Ellie is a delight, she is a very bright clever young woman, somewhat serious, involved in important work as a scientist. However she is just off the end of a broken engagement, I mean you would if you came home and found your significant other in bed with another man.  While her heart is somewhat broken, her head is in the right place and when after a one night stand she finds she is pregnant, she isn't easily pushed around.

Hudson King is a big football player, has made millions and every football fan in the country would know and recognise him.  (Not Ellie, she has no interest whatsoever in game and wouldn't know a player if she fell over him!) Oh that's right she did fall over him!

Hudson was found under a bush as a child and he has no family, even though he has some great friends and has over the last ten years or so endeared himself to a group of difficult boys whom he delights in mentoring. Hudson has huge trust issues - do people really see him or do they see big, famous and rich?  He'd like to know his parentage and has hired a PI to see what he can find. And believe me that's when the "fun" starts.  Those causing the "fun" though don't reckon on a very smart Ellie.

I enjoy this kind of romance trope and it worked beautifully in Until You Loved Me.  Loved the two main characters, the mystery and suspense and the final outcome.