Theophania, I really loved your take on this. The only thing I have to add to your summing up (aside from the fact that the ML is a walking, talking illustration of Georgette Heyer's epithet "Twiddle-poop") is that Erin has a fleshed-out character; she's pretty 3-dimensional, while Peter (I wonder if he was named as a Freudian Slip by the author) was so shallow, character-wise, as to be little more than a stereotype. It's as though he's an AI macho reaction machine. His reaction to the little boy and his desperate father was understandable, but when we've seen more of him, it's as though someone had pushed the "Father's Rights" button on his AI console. He finds out from his mother that his one night stand is a children's author. (Sentient Human Reaction: "Wow, Honey. That's really cool! Why didn't you tell me?) Peter Reaction: Life has just pushed his "Butthurt Button," How dare you deceive me, you are a liar like all women. He finds out she's pregnant (after some gentle/subtle stalking). Life pushes his Father's Rights, Butthurt, and All Women Are Liars Buttons all at once and he starts threatening her over "my," not our, baby. Any woman worth her salt would immediately start legal proceedings, starting with a restraining order. His billionaire status (and ability to retain multiple celebrity lawyers) is somewhat offset by her celebrity status and her more than respectable job. The publicity would be ghastly, but (with her publishing company behind her) they could ruin his reputation. She should do anything and everything short of murder to keep this creep out of her and the baby's life. Can any woman imagine being shackled to a cliche generator for life with equanimity?
while you're not wrong, ML never actually tried to control her at all, she just jumped to conclusion, bc her ex-boyfriends didn't like her being a successful writer and making more money than them she assumed that literally all men are like that. the situation where he questioned her not telling him about her career was bc he doesn't like being lied to but she assumed it was bc he doesn't like a woman to be successful and blew it out of proportion. in the situation where he said he'd fight for custody if he was in the same position as Thomas's father became "he wants to take away my child", when he attached his last name to their baby she assumed he wanted to take away her child, when he said he wanted to marry her, she assumed he wanted her to quit her job. she's paranoid, point blank.
Why is everyone blaming Erin? That is double standard. Almost every male character in the harlequin novels would hide who he is and plays around but they aren’t being treated like a villain. Only defended because “they had a bad past” or “they are rich”. She did the same she hid her identity because she didn’t not want to be treated differently and be drag into his world. And what she started going out with him not expecting it to go no where, her thinking is normal. He is a player not like he was planning to fall in love and marry her in the beginning as well. Like every other guy in harlequin mangas the guy starts off as a playboy who only wants one night or a mistress. He is worse than her. She she did not intentionally hid her Identity. He misunderstood she was a teacher and not really off she helps her aunt he know that. She just never said outwardly that she is a famous children author. I mean if she said that in the beginning you guys would say she is cocky and the male lead would think so too. And how would she know he has women issues. He is a dick trying to control her and acts like she is his property. And if the male leads can get a free pass on their bad habits due to their past so should she. Other men probably tried to control her, make her stop writing and sit at home to be a housewife, date her for her fame/money and she had a miscarriage before which is why she didn’t tell him. Imagine how much pain she is going through. And he blamed her for nothing. He felt that way because she was famous as well and felt insecure she is successful. She is a strong independent women who can take care of her self. She did not want him to shower her with expensive clothes and jewels like she is his dress up doll. And his does have a cold ruthless personality to his enemy and he states he would fight for his child with everything he has. She could also be scared he would take away her baby because he was angry with her. When he found out she was pregnant and automatically said it was a scheme Ipa didn’t she was the evil women, and if she had told he would say the same thing saying she wants his money. Even though she told the truth many times he is the one who can’t get over is ego and trust her. I’m not hating on him he is better than other men in the harlequin comics but I hate the double standard in these comments. If you hate on her for her short comings then don’t paint his as an angel. They both have faults but they worked through it.
Oh about the child and age thing she could have started writing in her teens I mean most teens writes stories a lot too now a days maybe even younger like in middle school. And when he said he was a child he could have been in high school or in his teens as well they are still considered a child. And it was his mom collecting not to read to him as a bedtime story but for her amusement so it does not mean technically that she has to be a lot older than him. He is five years older.