365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #343

Back in the Lion's Den - Elizabeth Power
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890426











My rating

From the back cover:

"Imprisoned with the past…
Conan Ryder storms into gym instructor Sienna’s life, interrupting her workout and raising her heart-rate through the roof! He demands his little niece comes with him to visit his sick mother, but Sienna won’t release her child into the hands of her estranged in-laws alone. 
With trepidation she re-enters the lion’s den…
The luxurious home in the South of France is a gilded prison under Conan’s accusing gaze. Blaming Sienna for his late brother’s demise, he plans his revenge… But when his dark game of seduction is turned on its head – who’s using who?"


Is it me or does the woman on this cover have seemingly giant boobs...!

The hero Conan goes to visit the heroine Sienna with a request that she allows her daughter to visit his mother. Sienna and her daughter Daisy have not seen Conan and his mother since just after the death of her husband (Conan's brother), they had never approved of her and she was glad to get away from them. However, she agrees to take Daisy to see her grandmother but once there she tries to avoid both Conan and his mother allowing Daisy time to get to know them as well as taking herself out of the firing line. Conan is surprised by the changes in Sienna, and soon realises that he doesn't like her spending time alone and he can't seem to stay away. They both feel the desire between them and it is not long before they are acting on it. But with so much distrust from the past between them Sienna knows that she is likely to end up heartbroken again.

I was expecting a lot more from this book. I always find Elizabeth Power's books full of emotion, but there was something missing in this one. The plot is interesting and the writing is flawless - these are good things! But, I found it difficult to relate to each character, they seemed a little contradictory. E.g. The hero threatens on more than one occasion that he will consider suing for custody, then later he tells her he can't have a relationship with her, or any other woman with a child, as he won't raise another man's child... Doesn't make sense right?! Also, the heroine is one minute insisting on how much she loved her late husband and then the next she's revealing that he was a wife beater... Very confusing and a little frustrating to read. These are easy mistakes to correct, so very annoying from the readers persepective.

But, there is lots of tension and chemistry throughout the book, and it flows well. Enjoyable, but not great.

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