His Christmas Aquisition - Cathy Williams
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263887068
My rating
From the back cover:
"There's only one item left on entrepreuneur Ryan Sheppard's Christmas list - something scandalous for his buttoned-up secretary...
It seems that disapproving Jamie Powell is the only woman that doesn't fall at Ryan's feet. Jamie is well aware of her boss's heartbreaker reputation... fending off his discarded women is virtually part of her job description!
Ryan's hoping a Christmas trip to the Caribbean will entice Jamie out of her pencil skirt and into the skimpiest of bikinis! And, with the boardroom transferred to the beach, surely there's little harm in indulging in a little festive pleasure on the side...?"
I'm trying to read only Christmas themed books before New Year. Although the reviews probably won't be posted until after!
The hero Ryan has never really noticed Jamie, the heroine, apart from as his irreplaceable secretary. However, when she is suddenly stressed and ruffled, he has the urge to make her open up to him. Jamie refuses, wanting to keep her personal and business lives separate. But Ryan is very determined and turns up at her home while she is in the middle of an argument with her irresponsible sister, whom turned up on Jamie's doorstep bringing marital problems with her. Ryan finds this more human side of Jamie very appealing and tries to help her get through this difficult period, much to Jamie's annoyance. Ryan takes Jamie to his family's Caribbean home for business, and a break. While there, they both realise their attraction for one another, which eventually leads to them starting a short term affair. But Jamie knows she is in danger of falling in love with Ryan, so when he suggests they continue to see each other back home she immediately breaks things off.
I didn't expect to like this one as much as I did (the last Cathy Williams book I read was awful), but this is an enjoyable read. It has a nice flow and a good, solid, if somewhat clichéd plot. Both characters are well written and matched, with some nice chemistry.
This would have been a three-and-a-half star book had it not been for two things. First - the hero's conflict and reasons for not wanting a relationship are, quite frankly, really lame. This really let the book down. And second - at times the hero acted like a spoilt and patronising dick, which was totally out of character compared to the rest of his personality.
Anyway, this is a nice festive read.
Xx
No comments:
Post a Comment