His Pregnant Christmas Bride

This was an intensely emotional book. Ivan is one of those who was taken as a child and raised by “The Organization” to do their bidding. Ivan has spent many years struggling to overcome the feelings of betrayal from his years there. Strangely enough, unlike his “brothers,” he doesn’t look for revenge against them, he just wants to be able to move on.

The book opens as Ivan watches over Anastasia, who is recovering from an attack that left her brother dead. Ivan and Anastasia have a history together. Seven years earlier, they were lovers until Ivan disappeared from her life without a word. Devastated by the loss of the man she loved, she has devoted herself to the work that she and her brother Alex did together. She had no idea that Ivan watched over her carefully, and was distraught over arriving too late to prevent the attack.

It was evident from the opening pages that Ivan still cared deeply for Anastasia. She is wary around him, knowing that to get close again risked having her heart destroyed. She has no idea of the terrible secret that drove him away seven years earlier. I ached for Ivan, who wants nothing more than to protect Anastasia from anything that could harm her, even himself. I loved seeing the way he supported her through her recovery at the hospital, and the actions he took that ensured those responsible paid for what they did. It didn’t take long for Anastasia to realize that her feelings for Ivan had never died and that she would take the risk of being with him for as long as possible.

I loved watching the development of their relationship. Even though to the rest of the world Ivan was a ruthless businessman, around Anastasia he was kind, caring, sweet, and anxious to do anything to make her happy. The passion between them was intense, but Ivan kept rigid control over himself, worried that he would hurt her. I loved watching Anastasia regain her strength and independence under his care. I ached for her as she felt him holding back and had to laugh when she finally had enough of his overprotectiveness. I could also feel her frustration as he resisted every attempt by her to get to know all of him – especially his past. I hurt for Ivan, who was caught between his feelings for Anastasia and his unwillingness to hurt her by telling her everything. He was also afraid that if she knew the full truth about the things he’d done that she would be disgusted and grow to hate him. The depth of her love for him made her persistent in her need to know it all. I cried for them both as she finally succeeded, and he was blown away by her reaction. Just the act of finally having someone to share those feelings with enabled Ivan to let go of those feelings of betrayal and ultimately move past them. But now it was Anastasia who couldn’t move past what had been done to him. I loved watching her confront his betrayers on his behalf, her love for him craving justice for what he’d been through. I was stunned by the unexpected twist in the story of his past. The effect on Anastasia was devastating. I loved the support and understanding from Ivan and how it helped her deal with what she learned.

I loved the ending, as five brothers and their wives arrived for Ivan and Anastasia’s wedding. I loved seeing all the previous couples together, happy in their marriages and no longer as profoundly haunted by what was done to them. I laughed out loud over the argument over who was the happiest man in existence. The book ended in a cliffhanger about a seventh brother. This is the last book written by Olivia Gates that I know of, and I am dying to know if this brother will ever get his story told.