365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #56

The Bedroom Barter - Sara Craven
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2004
ISBN: 9780263837131

Reprint-
Passionate Protectors? By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263881103

My rating




From the back cover:

"Penniless and without her passport, Chellie Greer's stuck working in a seedy club with no means of escape -- until Ash Brennan walks in. What's such a powerful, irresistible man doing in a place like this?
Ash offers her a way out, but Chellie has to wonder exactly why he is rescuing her. Does he really want to protect her, or is the price of freedom...her body?
Sara Craven whisks you into a world of exotic passion, betrayal and red-hot romance....
Foreign Affairs -- surrender to seduction under a golden sun."

This is the third book by Sara Craven I have read in this challenge, I once said that in the past I have found them to be a little hit and miss. This book... well its OK!

The story begins with the hero Ash going into a rather horrible strip club on a Caribbean island, where he meets the heroine Chellie. Recognising she is in a desperate situation he offers her the chance to go with him where he can get her off the island. Chellie is stuck in her situation after she ran away from her rich but controlling father in order to marry her boyfriend, only he turned out to only be interested in her inheritance and left her stranded. Chellie accepts Ash's offer and they leave together, and after a while begin to fall in love with one another. Ash tries to fight his feelings knowing that he is lying to Chellie as to how and why he rescued her, and afraid to tell her the truth.

This isn't one of Sara Craven's best, but hey who's perfect! I liked the idea of the story, it's a little different than the standard Modern type story lines, and I'm all for trying something new. I liked both of the characters; Ash was well developed, he was both commanding and protecting and open to love, which is rare in a Modern hero! Chellie was less easy to like, she seemed a little silly to begin with, and did a lot of whispering 'wistfully' to herself. Both characters were able to grow as the story progressed, which was pleasing.

All good stuff individually, unfortunately packaged together with everything else I just found it a little boring.

Xx