365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #213

One Night in the Orient - Robyn Donald
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886863





My rating





From the back cover:

"Penniless and alone, who can she turn to?
When Siena sees Nick again she can't stop the ache of painful memories. Years ago he crushed her innocent heart before disappearing from her life. Since then, Siena's chosen the safe path: a fiance who might not make her pulse race, but who'll surely never hurt her.
But it's to Nick that she turns in her darkest hour. However, the brooding tycoon is no safe option. He sweeps her off to exotic Hong Kong on his private jet, determined to seduce his way back into her heart. This time for ever..."


I have had this book on my shelf since it come out, but something has always held me back from reading it, and it did turn out a little disappointing.

The heroine Siena runs into the hero Nick when she is in England visiting her parents. She is awkward around him as she has never truly gotten over her heartbreak from him walking away after they spent a night together five years ago. Nick knows he should stay away from Siena as he knows he can't give her what she deserves. When Siena finds herself stranded in London, Nick steps in to help. Although she is reluctant, she accepts and goes to Hong Kong with him, where he has business to attend to before flying back home to New Zealand. While there, the passion between them and five years worth of bottled up feelings result in them coming together again. Both Nick and Siena are left feeling raw but they can't keep away from one another. Siena fears that Nick will break her heart again and Nick is also scared he will hurt her again, but he knows that this time he can't let her go.

I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting from this book, but it was certainly more that what I got. The blurb makes this book sound much more exciting that it actually is, and I find that quite frustrating. There was absolutely no description of the Orient setting, which let me down. I have read many other Robyn Donald books and vivid description of surroundings is usually something she excels at. The romance between the hero and heroine is well written and nice but, for me, it just lacked oomph...

Overall, I found this book a little flat, which is a shame as the story had real potential.

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