365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #16

Fantasy - Lori Foster
Mills and Boon Temptation

Original issue-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 1998
ISBN: 9780263814071

Re issue-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2005
ISBN: 9780373836406

My rating



From the back cover:

"SOLD! Sexy security consultant Sebastian Sinclair brought a princely sum at auction. And for the next five days he was going to be a boy toy for some rich woman. At least it was going for a worthy cause...and the woman WAS intriguing... SOLD OUT! The LAST thing Brandi Sommers wanted was to fly off to a lover's retreat with some gorgeous mountain of a man. But Sebastian was an outrageously expensive birthday present from her dear, meddling sister, and she couldn't very well return him. Besides, SHE would be in control at all times...she thought."

I read this book in ebook form on iBooks for the iPad, and the version was the re issue one. I couldn't find a cover for the original Mills and Boon Temptation release so I have used the re issue cover instead! Considering this book was written over 12 years ago, it doesn't seem dated at all.

The story begins with the female character, Brandi, attending a charity bachelor auction arranged by her sister. She feels an immediate attraction to Sebastian upon seeing him on stage up for grabs. Her sister notices this and bids on him with the explanation that he is a 'birthday present' for Brandi! The bachelor auction includes a five day luxury country retreat for the bidders and their bachelors. Brandi is nervous about going, she suffered rape when she was 18 and hasn't been intimate with a man since, and still has nightmares from that time. Sebastian is protector with a chip on his shoulder from growing up poor, he feels the need to protect Brandi and help her move past her difficult past and learn to open up to him.

There is no doubt that this book is very sweet and romantic, Sebastian is a really caring guy who treated Brandi with great sensitivity. The issue of rape and Brandi's coping with it was handled well. However I feel that the fact that Brandi went away to a (secluded) country resort with someone who was essentially a stranger and then became intimate with him after only two days was a little unbelievable after what she had suffered.

Despite this the conflict with the two characters admitting their feelings for one another was really well written and in the end this was a really romantic book to read.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #15

The French Count's Pregnant Bride - Catherine Spencer
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2006
ISBN: 9780263848687

Reprint-
In the Count's Bed By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263884302

My rating


From the back cover:

"When Diana Reeves decides to find her birth mother, her search takes her to the French village of Bellevue-sur-lac and into the employ of Anton, the charismatic Comte de Valois. Anton does not trust this newcomer, and decides to keep her close. But it's not long before Diana gets under his skin - and into his bed. When their passion leads to pregnancy, Anton all to quickly insists on making Diana his wife. Then she discovers his intense desire to father a child, and has to question his motives for marriage."

This was the second book in the By Request omnibus as above, and was a very enjoyable read.

The story begins with the female character being told by her husband that he is leaving her for another woman. Deeply hurt by this Diana takes a long time to recover and during that time decides that she finally wants to find her birth mother, she was previously put off this by her adoptive mother's sensitivity to the subject and her husbands disapproval. She discovers that she was born in France and travels to the small village where she has discovered that her mother lived. Upon arriving she meets Anton, a French count, who is suspicious of Diana's reasons for being there. Anton's wife killed herself 3 years ago however at the time there was suspicions relating to Anton's involvement in her death, which caused a scandal and the press to swarm into the village.
Anton asks her to help out with tour guides on his estate, with the intention of keeping an eye on her. Diana thinks she has found her birth mother working on Anton's estate and tries to get to know her, causing Anton to be even more suspicious. Eventually passion ignites between the two and Diana gets pregnant. Anton insists on marriage but they both remain suspicious of each others reasons for getting married.

This is a very emotional book, and very well written. Both characters have trouble trusting and have demons that prevents them from admitting their feelings for one another. There is also a fantastic 'other woman' character who stirs up just the right amount of trouble between the two of them.

I have read other Catherine Spencer books and have always found that her writing is beautiful and her characters are always well developed with just the right amount of emotional baggage, and this book certainly doesn't disappoint.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #14

The Count's Blackmail Bargain - Sara Craven
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2006
ISBN: 9780263847789

Reprint-
In the Count's Bed By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263884302

My rating


From the back cover:

"For handsome Italian Count Alessio Ramontella, seducing women comes as naturally as breathing. In his private as well as his public life Alessio has only two requirements, first that success and satisfaction are guaranteed, and second that all his dealings are discreet, low-key affairs conducted between mutually consenting parties...
So bedding Innocent English beauty Laura Mason should be effortless. She's sweet, beguiling, and obviously shyly attracted to Alessio, but Laura seems to have a future with another man. Alessio has a decision to make, should he leave well alone or ruthlessly pursue Laura until she succumbs."

I started reading this book with a tiny bit of trepidation, I have read a few of Sara Craven books and I have found that her books are quite hit and miss (she sometimes has a few decency issues in her books, my opinion of course!) I have enjoyed her more recent ones more.

The story is based around Italian Count Alessio who after being caught being involved with a married woman by his vile Aunt is blackmailed by her to seduce her son's girlfriend in order to break them up. Said vile Aunt has arranged for her son to marry the daughter of one of her (rich) friends. If Alessio doesn't do this then his aunt will spill about the affair and cause a massive scandal.
Meanwhile, Laura has agreed to go on holiday to Italy with Paolo (the son!) and pretend to be involved with him in order for Paolo to get his mother of his back about the arranged marriage. When they arrive they are staying in Alessio's villa in the countryside. Alessio has an immediate attraction to Laura, regardless of the blackmail, and sets out to woe her (plus that all important seduction!). As he progresses he realises that Laura is innocent in every way and has to fight both his own feelings towards her and the guilt he has of what he is being forced to do by his Aunt.

The blackmail plot line is something that's very common in the Modern line, however this one was slightly different than the standard i.e. girl has to save her family/business etc. It was interesting and the relationship between the two develops really well, their feelings for each other are written very well and the result is very satisfying.

However, there are a few things that I just didn't like about the book. First is that I couldn't warm to Alessio due to the fact that he was sleeping with a married woman at the beginning. Yes, I know it happens, but he didn't seem to have any guilt about it apart from the worry of a scandal and being inconvenienced by her wanting to see him again, and I just found myself having no sympathy for him, being blackmailed by his Aunt was his own fault! Secondly, Laura was a little bit of a martyr, and just kind of too-good-to-be-true! Last of all, it seemed kind of dated, this was only written in 2006, yet seemed much older, both in the language used and other parts, an example of this is the fact the Alessio wore an outfit of "cream denim trousers and a black polo shirt" at least 3 times. Whoa there, it seems like he would be more suited to be in a Ralph Lauren catalogue in the 80's!

Despite this I did find that I enjoyed the book and the story was interesting!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #13

The Heart of a Mercenary - Loreth Anne White
Mills and Boon Intrigue

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2007
ISBN: 9780263857405

Reprint-
Heart of a Hero By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263883398

My rating


From the back cover:

"Hunter McBride - he'd buried his past and his emotions long ago to become the ultimate warrior. His mission was to get the proof of a deadly toxin out of the Congo jungle - with or without the innocent beauty who possessed it. But with every minute counting down to disaster, Sarah showed Hunter how to live again. Could he discover how to love again before their time - and the world's - ran out?"

Once again this was a book I read from the By Request version as above.

This is the story of American nurse Sarah who, after a humiliating divorce, decided to volunteer for an Aid program in the Congo. She witnesses a brutal engineered disease being exposed to people and the massacre of the medical station she was working on. She manages to flee with samples of the deadly disease. Hunter is a mercenary with a private military group, with a very dark past, hired to find and stop the terrorists releasing the disease in the US. He intercepts Sarah's distress call and goes into the jungle to find her and escort her and the samples through the deadly Congo jungle that is in the throes of war to safety.

I enjoyed the relationship part of this book, it was written beautifully and the two characters have great chemistry together. Sarah is a great female character who, at the beginning, is emotional damaged and weak but with the help of Hunter and the challenges she has to face in order to make it out of the jungle alive finds strength and courage and learns how to be herself again. Hunter's the classic tortured soul military man, totally focused on his mission, but through getting to know Sarah, and having to keep her moving he learns that he can have a future and be happy again, which was also written very well.
The terrorist plot was very detailed, and at times a little hard to follow, but I struggled through! This story reminded me like a more romantic version of the TV series 24!

While Sarah and Hunter's story is completed and stand alone, the terrorist plot is not solved. I have found out that this book is part of a mini-series by Loreth Anne White, titled 'Shadow Soldiers', so if you are interested in how the plot continues then grab the others in the series.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #12

The Soldier's Seduction - Anne Marie Winston
Mills and Boon Desire

Desire 2-in-1
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2007
ISBN: 9780263850192

or

Heart of a Hero By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263883398

My rating



From the back cover:

"One night was all it took The last time he'd seen her, they'd wound up in bed together. Now, after two years, decorated soldier Wade Donnelly had every intention of reliving - and repeating - that incredible night. Back then, Phoebe Merriman had been an innocent, a woman whose intense desire had surprised him. One look in Phoebe's eyes now and Wade knew that passion still existed. The incredible secret she claimed she needed to share would have to wait until morning. After all, he'd waited long enough to take Phoebe in his arms. He was through waiting..."

I read this book in the By Request version, which I borrowed from the library.

The story is of Phoebe and Wade, who grew up together, and spent a night together after the funeral of Phoebe's twin sister. Wade has recently returned from duty in Afghanistan, where he was also injured and presumed dead for some time. On returning home he immediately seeks out Phoebe, with the intention of pursuing a relationship with her, however finds that Phoebe has moved away from California to upstate New York. When he arrives on her doorstep, Phoebe is shocked as she still thought he was dead, and also nervous as she now has to tell him that their one night together resulted in her baby daughter. When Wade finds out he moves in and states his intention to be a family. As the story progresses we find out about their past relationship. Wade had dated Phoebe's twin sister for a while, but broke up when she was found to be cheating on him. On the night of the twins high school Reunion, Wade attends as Phoebe's sister's date, Phoebe is upset as she has been in love with Wade for years, when they dance together, Wade realises that he has feelings for Phoebe but they are interrupted and confronted by Phoebe's drunk twin sister, who drives away drunk and dies after crashing. Both Phoebe and Wade struggle with the the guilt of the crash, and this affects their relationship in the present.

This was an OK book, the back story of Phoebe and Wade's relationship was written very well. However the issues they have surrounding Phoebe's twin sisters death is really annoying. Phoebe thinks that Wade is still in love with her sister and can never love her, and Wade thinks she blames him for her sisters death and that she will never love him. I just wanted to shout at them to just tell each other that they love one another, but it dragged on and on. I also found the entire story boring, there wasn't that much dialogue, most of it was inner thoughts.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #11 Husbands review!

So, I mentioned in my review of 'Cupcake and Killer Heels' by Heidi Rice, that as part of a bet between my husband and I, he would read Cupcakes and review it and I would read a book of his.

As it turned out, he LOVED it! He read the book in under 3 hours, and has promised never to scoff at my love of reading romances again!

Here is the review he kindly wrote (oh and his rating rather than being stars is hot dogs, I can only presume it's because he loves hot dogs!)


"
I read this as a recommendation for my first dip into romance, and I have to say I could not put it down! In total it took me 2 hrs to read the book, which is a first for me(only interrupted by sleep!)
The characters drew me in immediately, Callum being the chiseled, powerful man we all look to be (someday!) and Ruby the wild, curvy temptress with a love for food. The story was fast paced, and flowed like a great romantic movie, with lots of attention to location and settings.
A woman who loves to cook and have sex is a great female character to read about! (much like my own wife!) and I was drawn along at every step of the way.
I enjoyed the honest, internal monologues from both characters views, and was pleased to see that the sex was very much upfront and in your face, but done in such a way that there was genuine passion underneath the euphemisms.


A great read from start to finish - well done.


4.5 hot dogs
"

Well, there you have it! Me thinks there is a new romance novel fan in this household!

Oh and those who are interested, the book I have to read is 'Gone to New York' by Ian Frazier. I'm quite looking forward to it!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #11

Cupcakes and Killer Heels - Heidi Rice
Mills and Boon RIVA
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263883770






My rating



From the back cover:

"Ruby Delisantro never blushes... ...but after one glance from the infuriating Callum Westmore's bedroom eyes she's flushed redder than a glacé cherry. Her body has the right idea, for now Callum's convertible has crashed into her life nothing will ever be the same... Cupcake baker Ruby has always been in the driving seat when it comes to relationships, but something tells her that Callum sees straight through her snappy one-liners to her soft-as-buttercream heart beneath. For Ruby's in danger of losing control and - worse still - of liking it!"

Heidi Rice very kindly sent this too me to review (and add to my tally, of course!). While this book was sent gratis I can guarantee that this doesn't affect my opinion of the book, plus I promised Heidi honesty, and that's what I'll give! And honestly... I loved this book!!

I have been a big fan of Heidi's books for a while, I find her writing is always full of quick wit, sparky characters, as well as having a very modern feel. To me her books are like the love-child of 'Sex and the City' and 'Bridget Jones', which can only be a good thing! This one is her first for the new RIVA line, her previous were released on the Modern Extra/Heat imprint, which has now been replace by RIVA, and it fits this new imprint perfectly like a designer shoe! If you have read any of her previous books then this one will certainly not disappoint. This book is a follow on from her previous book 'Surf, Sea and a Sexy Stranger', the female character from it is Callum's sister, those of you who have read previous Heidi Rice books will know that its common for characters from previous books to pop up now and again.

The female character Ruby is a baker who co-owns her business with a friend! Ruby is the kind of girl that LOVES to flirt and she's not afraid to do so. However a recent break up she has made a decision to (try) stay away from relationships for a while! The story begins with Callum, the male character, crashing his car into Ruby's causing a heated exchange between the two and then Ruby to miss out on an important business meeting. Callum pursues Ruby and they end up going on a date, and spending the night and following day together. Callum asks Ruby to travel down to his sisters with him to attend his nieces birthday party, something which he is not looking forward to in the slightest. All is going well, they both agree that its just a short affair between them, no promises, nothing serious, etc. However it is obvious that they belong together, unfortunately due to them each having baggage and issues from growing up they can't see past their own pain to what they have together.

The chemistry between to two characters is sizzling, and the passionate results are just the same. They also have a fantastic banter between them and seem to bounce of each other perfectly. I really felt like I wanted to give both of them a massive shake so they would stop living in their issues and realise whats in front of their eyes! This is something that is very true to life, so I applaud Heidi for this, who of us can really put our hands up and say we don't have any issues at all?! The majority of the story takes place over a weekend, and while it is perfectly possible to fall in love that quickly, the cynic in me thought otherwise, which is the only reason why it lost half a star! However, Heidi redeems this (at least to me) by not having any actual feelings admitted until a few weeks later.

I loved this book so much that I actually convinced my husband to read it (it was a partial bet where I now have to read a book of his choice!) and, shock horror, he read it in less than 3 hours, after scoffing at me all this time for reading romance! He liked it too, and has even written a mini review, which I will post up later!

As I mentioned at the start of this post, Heidi sent this to me and it is an advanced copy. It will be available to purchase from the Mills and Boon UK website from April 1st and then available for general purchase online and shops from May. If you simply can't wait that long, then pop along to Heidi's website where there is a sneak peek of the first chapter, here's the link.

Last of all, let me say a huge thank you to Heidi for sending me this book.

Xx

P.s. if, like me, you are on a diet when you read this book, be warned! The descriptions of the cupcakes and baking almost had me running to my nearest bakery! Ruby's invention of a Mango and Passion fruit sponge with orange and lemon frosting almost had me dribbling!

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #10

Surprise Me... - Isabel Sharpe
Mills and Boon Blaze
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263880601

My rating

From the back cover:

"Under the covers... and unexpected! When Melanie Hawthorne sneaks into her new man's bed one very dark night, she gets quite a few surprises. Great sex - toe curling in fact. Intense emotion and real feelings - even better. But it's all with the wrong man! Waking up along, Edgar Raymond can't believe the hot night he just had. Seduced by his fantasy woman, Melanie...how cool is that? He's totally captivated - until he realises she mistook him for his bad-boy brother!"

This is a follow on book from Isabel Sharpe's previous book 'While She Was Sleeping...', which I have previously read. My last review on a Blaze book I mentioned that that the covers of this series I sometimes find a little off putting, however I wanted to mention that the cover picture of this one is one of the made-over covers that I had previously discussed in my review of Melanie Milburne's 'The Wedding Charade'. The new blaze covers are much better, and more subtle, which I find more appealing! As you may have guessed, I am a big fan of book covers, I find them fascinating! I have a post I'm in the process of writing, which is all about this love of covers, so watch this space if you are interested! OK, so moving on to this book! This is the story of Melanie, she is the kind of girl that just cant help but fall for the wrong guys, the bad boys! She has been good friends with the male character Edgar for some time. Edgar has been in love with her for ages and really struggles watching her waste her time on the going nowhere liaisons she keeps having, but he is too shy to let her know how he feels.

Melanie's latest infatuation is for Edgar's bad boy musician brother, oddly nicknamed Stoner, she sneaks into his bed one night and they have great sex, only she doesn't realise that its actually Edgar's bed. The next day Edgar is over the moon at what he thinks is Melanie finally reaching out to him, only to be heartbroken when he realises that she thought she was making love with his brother. As the story progresses, Edgar convinces Melanie to give him a chance by taking her on dates with the plan to woe her and show her exactly what she is missing, all the while Melanie is trying to work through her issues with men and figure out just what she feels for Edgar.

The story is also mixed with Melanie's mother's tale of returning home after drug rehab trying to establish a relationship with her daughters, who she abandoned years ago, and also trying to figure out where to go with her life now. I really liked Melanie and Edgar's story, at first I found Edgar really dull, he didn't seem to have anything going for him, but over the course of the story Isabel Sharpe, very cleverly, revealed more and more interesting layers of Edgar and he was a much more like able character. He is by no means your Alpha-male and for him that really works. I did find myself getting annoyed with Melanie and her issues, yes we all know that sometimes the allure of the bad boy can be irresistible, but to keep falling for bad boy after bad boy, who she admits treat her like crap afterwards, is a little self degrading. I think their developing relationship was written very well and with a satisfying ending. Oh, by the way, the passion in the book is really hot! Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #9

A Whirlwind Engagement - Jessica Hart

Mills and Boon Tender Romance

Single title-

Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2003

ISBN: 9780236833966

Reprint-

Convenient Engagements By Request

Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011

ISBN: 9780263884319

My rating

From the back cover:

"Josh and Bella have been friends for years, but suddenly Bella is starting to see 'her Josh' in a very different light. She's falling in love! It's confusing enough but, worse, Josh has just asked her to be his pretend fiancée.

Josh needs a stand-in fiancée to clinch a business deal. Bella finally agrees to play the part but after they spend a week on an exotic island pretending to be head over heels in love, the tension becomes almost unbearable!

Especially when Josh starts to wonder if his best friend is pretending at all."

OK, so this is the third and final book in the 'City brides' mini-series by Jessica Hart, and once again a really enjoyable book! Having only read one Jessica Hart book previous to this mini-series, I can now honestly say that I'm a fan! This is great end to the saga!

So, the story is set around Bella and Josh, who consider themselves best friends, they have known each other over 10 years and never once had any romantic feelings towards one another. The story begins with Bella feeling lonely and emotional, not only have her two best (girl) friends recently got married leaving her alone in the house once they all once shared, she has also realised that her latest relationship is going nowhere, and Josh is in a relationship with a woman Bella can't stand! As the story progresses, Josh gets engaged to his current girlfriend, just as Bella realises that she is in love with Josh. Josh doesn't really love his new fiancée, he just seems to have been swept along with everything. After his fiancée leaves him for her previous boyfriend he and Bella decide to pretend to be engaged for a business trip to the Seychelles he needs to take. Once there, Josh realises that he is also in love with Bella (and always has been) but neither of them have enough courage to admit this to one another!

This book was a lot more emotional than the previous two in the series, don't get me wrong, Bella is once again a fantastic female character of Jessica Hart's, but this is a much deeper romance. The moments where Bella is heartbroken over Josh's engagement is really emotional, also the misunderstandings between each other also add to both the tension and the romance. I really liked that the story focuses on two people who have been so close for so long realising that they are meant to be, in my opinion one of the most important parts of a relationship is a very strong friendship! You would think that it would be frustrating waiting for the characters to come to their senses but it was actually very sweet, and once again Jessica Hart has written two very good characters!

These books can be read as stand alone novels, but I definitely recommend reading all three, grab the By Request book (details above) to have them all together!

Xx

Weight update ...

I have just realised that I have forgotten to post details of my weight loss last week, after the dreaded weigh in on Sunday!

Last week I lost 3lbs!

Incredibly pleased with that result! That brings my total weight loss in 6 weeks up to 18lbs! Only another 10lbs to go until I reach my goal of losing 2st before I go on holiday to NYC!

Another great week!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #8

The Blind-Date Proposal - Jessica Hart

Mills and Boon Tender Romance

Single title -

Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2003

ISBN: 9780263833843

Reprint

Convenient Engagements By Request

Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011

ISBN: 9780263884319

My rating

From the back cover:

"Kate Savage has landed herself with the boss from hell - he may be gorgeous, in a brooding sort of way, but he's on her case 24-7! Kate's friends try cheering her up by arranging for her to go on a blind date with an eligible widower. Only when Kate arrives for her date she's horrified to discover that her mystery man is Finn McBride - her boss!

Finn has a very interesting proposition for Kate - not only does he need a live-in nanny, he also wants her to pretend to be his fiancée. Kate's ready to take on a challenge - but she hadn't bargained on a blind-date proposal!"

This is the second book in the 'City brides' mini-series, I read this directly after reading the first, and once again another fab book from Jessica Hart. This was a great book.

The story is this: Kate, the female character, is temping for a boss she just can't get on with, and the feelings mutual. She's also a little fragile at the moment after recently being dumped and fired on the same day! Kate is a nice person, who is always rescuing stray animals, and has a desire to be a 'city girl' but deep down longs for a simple life domesticity and children, she's also a little eccentric! Finn, the male character, is a widower with a daughter, he is very serious and organised and clashes with Kate all the time. They are set up on a blind date by mutual friends, to hilarious consequences, after which their relationship begins to develop to the point of Finn asking Kate to move in and pretend to be his fiancée in order to keep his meddling sister off his back.

Remember when I mentioned that the blind date had hilarious consequences, well it does! Both of them pretend they haven't met before, the awkwardness combined with the digs they keep taking at each other is so funny that I was both cringing and giggling! I loved that the character of Kate was written so honestly, she's not perfect i.e. she doesn't really have any high-flying career ambitions, she would love to just be a housewife but isn't the tidiest of people (something I relate to very much, just ask my husband!!), she's also not the thinnest or most beautiful of women! I can't enthuse enough how refreshing it was to have a character that is simply 'normal'! Once again the banter and wit of Jessica Hart's characters is fantastic! The only thing I found disappointing about this book (and its a very tiny thing) is that its written entirely from Kate's point of view, I would have liked to have been able to have an insight into Finn's thoughts/feelings!

Definitely a great read!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #7

Fiancé Wanted Fast! - Jessica Hart

Mills and Boon Tender Romance

Single title-

Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2003

ISBN: 9780263833720

Reprint -

Convenient Engements By Request

Harlequin Mills and Boon, 201
ISBN: 9780263884319

My Rating

From the back cover:

"Husband in a hurry...

Phoebe is stuck: she has to go to her ex-fiancé's wedding, put on a brave face and pretend her life is just perfect. So her best friends devise a plan to help her out: she can hire their gorgeous new flat-mate Gib to pose as her doting new fiancé! It sounds like a perfect plan - except Gib's not all he seems... He's actually in disguise, to prove that he can be friends with a woman without getting involved!

Easy, Gib thought - but that was before he met Phoebe..."

This is the first book in the 'City Brides' mini-series by Jessica Hart (if you pick up the By Request version, as I did, then this will have all three of them together). I have only read one previous Jessica Hart book ('Juggling Briefcase & Baby' in the RIVA line) and was impressed with her writing style, so I was excited to start reading this! It's definately worth it!

The female character, Phoebe, is still heartbroken after her long term fiancé left her for someone else, said former fiancé is now getting married and Pheobe is expected to go to the wedding. To make matters worse, her and her ex's families are very close and it will be very akward for all involved. Her enthusiastic friends convince her to ask their new (male) flatmate to pose as her new boyfriend and go with her to the wedding. The new flatmate, Gib, is staying with the girls after his friend challenged him to just be friends with women. Gib hides both this and his actual career from the girls but as time progresses both he and Phoebe start to develop feelings for one another.

I really loved this book, and I thought the characters were fantastic. Jessica Hart has the ability to write fantastic 'bridget jones-esq' female characters, hopeless romantics and with the habit of finding themselves in odd situations, they also have this fantastic innate British quality about them! This book has some genuine funny moments and witty banter! The chemistry between the two characters is great, I especially loved Phoebe's exasperation from Gib's habit of embellishing on the 'rules'! This is by no means a passionate romance, but rather a slow paced sweet development of their love, which left me with a smile!

Xx