Jessica Cotter is the manager of Blackstone's flagship store in Sydney... and secret live-in lover to Ryan Blackstone, one of the heirs to the largest diamond empire in Australia. Ryan's credo is "No cats. No kids. No press. No diamond rings." and Jessica knows this by rote. So when she winds up pregnant, she knows their affair must end as Ryan will never accept their child. But she keeps delaying breaking the news to him after the media frenzy surrounding his father's death and the resultant scandals.

Ryan doesn't realize what he has till it's gone. When Jessica walks out on him, he finally comes to realize how much she meant to him and he longs to woo her back into his bed. Love was never part of the plan but in the midst of the upheaval at Blackstone Diamonds, Ryan needs Jessica at his side. Is he ready to be the man she needs and let go of his pride?

I fell in love with Tessa's writing after her first two books so I was excited she was part of the Diamonds Down Under series. As to be expected, she throws a twist into the plot of Pride & a Pregnancy Secret that changes our entire view of the characters, and their opinions of each other. I'm not a fan of secret babies and never have been, yet Tessa makes the story come alive and I find I don't dislike this plotline at all when she works her magic on it.

Jessica has a quiet strength that the people in her life, especially Ryan, don’t see until they test it. She knows what Ryan’s expectations of her are and she is determined to fulfill them, no matter how hard it may be for her to give him up. Even in the midst of her pregnancy, her thoughts are as much about what Ryan originally said he wanted as they are about herself. She may not always make the wisest decisions, but she makes them based on what she believes is right.

Ryan’s whole adult life has been all about helping build his family’s diamond empire. He is accustomed to giving orders and having them followed immediately. So when Jessica suddenly seems to turn her back on their relationship he is stunned, and more than a little lost. This causes him to reevaluate his life and realize that he and Jessica belong together. I enjoyed watching his attempts to win her back and his confusion over her continued reluctance.

Of course, more secrets about the Blackstones and Hammonds come to light, as their tempers and passions flare. I can't wait to see what will happen next in this battle of the families in Diamonds Down Under.