365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #319

The Shy Socialite - Lindsay Armstrong
Harlequin Presents Extra
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373528455

N.B. This is a North American release - the UK and Aus/NZ title is 'The Socialite and the Cattle King'.








My rating

From the back cover:

"Prim and proper socialite-turned-journalist Holly Harding is looking for her first big scoop. And what better topic than the infamous cattle king Brett Wyndham? But when Holly meets Brett she notices something inherently dangerous about the enigmatic billionaire, and she quickly finds her professional no-nonsense attitude slipping! 
When their plane crashes in the middle of the Outback she is forced to rely on Brett for protection. How long can inexperienced Holly deny their sizzling attraction…?"


Another Presents. I have a confession to make... I actually got this book out from the library ages ago (when it came out here in the UK) and didn't realise that this was the same book, I really wish they wouldn't have different titles, it is very confusing. I never actually finished reading it, I got a couple of chapters in and wasn't enjoying it so I stopped reading it. Anyway, once I had started reading this one and realised my mistake I thought I would continue on with it, you know, perhaps I would like it this time...

The heroine Holly is trying to make a new life for herself away from the limelight of her previous society life, and has recently got a job as a journalist. Her first interview is with Brett, the hero, a well known yet very private Cattle Station owner. Brett hates publicity but agrees to an interview with Holly, sensing that she is different from many other women, he is also very attracted to her. Holly is not used to male attention and is flustered around Brett, but when they are forced into making and emergency lading in the Australian Outback she has to rely on him. As they try and find shelter and help, Brett and Holly get to know one another and the feelings for one another that started out as desire soon turns into much more.

The descriptions of the Outback setting are so vividly portrayed that it is such a shame that I found this book so boring! I found that the story was OK, but manages to be both dull and unbelievable - the crash and everything could have been made really exciting, but just ended up dragging. The relationship and desire between the hero and heroine seemed a little forced in, in my opinion.

This book just didn't work for me, and it left me disappointed and bored. YMMV, of course!

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