Book Review: My Baby's Billionaire Daddy: A Billionaire, Enemies-to-Lovers, Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Billionaires After Dark) by Heidi Rice

 

My Baby’s Billionaire Daddy, written by Heidi Rice, is a reboot/ updated version of the 2008 novel Pleasure, Pregnancy and a Proposition published by Mills & Boon. It is part of her new mini series, Billionaires After Dark.  I have both versions, I won a copy of the 2025 reworked version and P, P &P is part of a Mills & Boon trilogy - One Amazing Night Baby! (no longer available in Kindle/ ebook format) which I purchased years ago. 

The storyline remains the same in both novels. Louisa DiMarco is a writer for Blush. Luke Devereaux, Duke of Berwick was named in her yearly Eligible Bachelors list which he did not appreciate. He took his revenge by having a one night stand with her and then revealed his identity. Three months later he tracks her down and makes her take a pregnancy test as he had realised she may be pregnant.  They go to his house - Havensmere to discuss the future. There is still chemistry between the pair but will they be able to build a future together?

In the original version only a small amount of the book is written in the first person. In the reboot the story is rewritten so it is in the first person from the point of view of either Luke or Louisa. There are also small changes that bring the storyline upto date. The Eligible Bachelors feature, for example,  is an article in the original book, a YouTube vlog in the new version. When Louisa is told she is pregnant in the original version she is in an alternative zone. In the new she is in her version of the American Horror Story. These tweaks and small updates make the book more interesting and fun for the reader. There are lots more quips and humorous asides in the new version whilst the language and sex scenes are much more explicit. The changes and additions do not alter the storyline but make it realistic and the characters seem more up to date and relatable to the reader. 

As the original is no longer available in ebook format the new version is definitely worth getting if you haven’t read it before. Even if you have read the original it is over 20 years old and the revamp makes it seem like a totally new read!

I was gifted one book and purchased the other but this did not effect my review. 

Why do Disney villains love and wear powerful jewelry/ jewellery?

I have recently been deindexed by Google (please search for sparkling magpie Disney on Google to show them I exist if you see this post). I signed up with a free SEO sit to see how I could fix it (as yet I haven’t and can only be found on Bing). There is an AI post function that I looked at and one suggested post caught my eye - Why do Disney villains love and wear powerful jewelry/ jewellery? 

I haven’t copied and pasted the ai article as it was rubbish but the question got me thinking/ why do Disney villains wear/ hold Jewellery that defines them? 

Ursula’s nautilus gold shell necklace was used to capture Ariel’s voice when she agreed to swap her voice for leg and the pendant was assumed to have magical properties as it glowed when Ursula started certain spells. 

Although Maleficent is portrayed as a heroine, her headpiece with protruding horns adds a devilish  aspect to her personality. 

Jafar’s ruby eyed cobra staff was used to  hypnotise those he wanted to control. An ostentatious piece it made Jafar seem in control, larger than life and EVIL

Certainly the jewellery helps makes the villains  spear more evil. The enchanting world of Snow White is destroyed by the iconic evil Apple, Ursula’s necklace has magical properties etc. On a more consumerist level the villanesque aspect to the jewellery adds to the possibility that they will be licensed and made into wearable pieces, charms, earrings etc. items can be found anywhere from Alliexpress (for a few pence) to more high end websites. I don’t think the original Disney artists envisaged that the villain jewellery would become such a money maker but as the characters’ popularity has increased and viewers want something to remember a movie by, villain jewellery will remain popular.  

The Little Crystal Lounge Rose Quartz Semi Polished Point

I was looking for a way to display and store my Rajput Spinning Bangle from Charlottes Web Jewellery and I came across The Little Crystal Lounge. This is a UK company which specialises in semi precious stones. My favourite stone for mounting jewellery on to use as a blog prop is rose quartz as I find that it complements rather than overpowers the piece I am photographing. I also want to store my bangle where I can see it otherwise I either forget to put it on or panic that I have lost it. I decided I wanted some type of rose quartz stone. Not too tall. My only criterion was that the diameter had to be 60ish mm or it wouldn’t sit on the stone. I found that not many sellers provide the dimensions of their products or provide photographs of the actual item. The Little Crystal Lounge does both so I purchased my stone from her shop. My point is 10” in diameter and weighs 258g. It cost £25 plus £3.75 shipping and arrived well packaged and in a timely manner. 

The stone is beautiful, it is just what I wanted and more. The stone’s inclusions and imperfections complement my bangle perfectly and it sits just right on the crystal. I love looking at the stone as o notice something new every time I look at it. I find it relaxing just to sit turning it in my hands. 

I didn’t purchase the stone for its magical properties but for anyone who is interested rose quartz is supposed to be a calming influence, boost feelings of romance, self love, compassion, friendship and also relieve stress. 

The Little Crystal Lounge was set up by Kate, a certified crystal healer. All her stones are ethically sourced. She sells from an online crystal shop based in Widnes. She has been interested in crystals for over 30 years but that interest really took off after she had a very stressful few years. She started meditating and incorporated crystals into the process. She has studied crystals healing, crystal healing for pets and chakra healing with crystals. She provides advice and free mini guides and unlike some shops I have browsed doesn’t just her use of crystals as a way to make money but as a way to help her and customers  through life. 

I would use her shop again - I love the rose quartz coasters and the price range for all her items seems very reasonable. 

I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Review: Millie Savage Pastel Dream Sterling Silver Sapphire Ring

I caved and purchased a Millie Savage Pastel Dream Sapphire Ring in sterling silver in her once a year 1/2 price discontinued items sale. The sale price was £135 from £270 so still expensive (one of the most expensive pieces I have and will ever buy) but I love the colour of the stones and the shape/texture of the band.  Sapphires are my mum’s birthstone and I haven’t been able to find a ring until now that I feel close to her when wearing it. 

Millie Savage is an Australian brand/ Jeweller which she set up 20 years ago in a little workshop in her back garden shed. Now she has studios in Bali and Fitzroy plus several shops in the UK, New York and Australia. All her her team are women, they use recycled sterling silver and ethically sourced materials and respect the Traditional Owners of the land where they are based - the Wurundjen people of the Kulhin Nation both past and present. 

So on to my dream Pastel Dream ring. The stones are natural sapphires in blue, yellow and pink. A pastel rainbow of beautifully cut and set sapphire stones. The ring band is what drew me to the ring. Made of certified recycled sterling silver, the ring band looks very earthy, organic, rustic and inspired by nature. The edge of the band is polished sterling silver, whilst the rest of the band has a textured look and feel to it. The stones which are beautifully cut, fit seamlessly into the design without making the band just seem like a band that is there to hold the stones in place. The stones and band work together to make the perfect piece. 

The gift/ ring box is very cute. The bright velvet is eye catching and easy to spot when I am looking through my jewellery drawers. The logo MS can be found on the inside of the lid. The packaging has been well thought out and really fits the aesthetic of their brand and jewellery design.  The ring also came with two cute stickers which were a nice addition. 

I love my ring and the customer service was great (but postage is expensive. Shipping within the UK with DHL is £16.99) and quick. Luckily for me my sterling silver allergy only seems to be affecting my ears, not my fingers or neck at the moment and I have also bought a sterling silver allergy shield protectant that I shall use if my fingers start itching. I ordered my item at 13.19 on Saturday and it was on its way to me at 13.25). I will not be shopping regularly with them just because they are a higher end more expensive brand but I will watch out for sales and offers.  

I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this post are my own. 

Review: GemeShou Gold Metal Earring T Bar Stand

I  purchased the GemeShou T-bar earring display stand (£11.96) from Amazon. I purchased the gold version (it’s also available in silver and black) just because I wanted some variety when taking my jewellery blog photos.

I purchased the shorter (low) version. It’s height is 11.5cm, the hexagon base 3.8cm and the cross bar is 6cm. The taller version measures 13.5cm and horizontal bar 6cm. The thee pieces came wrapped in bubble wrap and were easy to assemble. I love the way the gold reflects into my black background. 

This item took a few weeks to arrive but I have noticed that if an item is sent from China you get a free sample gift. This time I got a sample ring holder which I would have purchased if it was on Amazon as it is quite unusual. 

I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own