Review... Changing Constantinou's Game - Jennifer Hayward

Changing Constantinou's Game - Jennifer Hayward
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 2014
ISBN: 9870373132775












My rating

From the back cover:

"One kiss couldn't hurt, could it?
Alexios Constantinou is notorious for his lethal charm, so when the exquisite Isabel Peters is—literally—dropped into his lap during a hellish elevator ride, he doesn't waste the opportunity! With tensions sky-high after their near-death experience, an insatiable desire ignites between them, and all bets are off.
But when Alex discovers that reporter Isabel's next story is him, he's furious…yet determined to use it to his advantage. He's calling the shots, but the closer Isabel gets, the closer she comes to discovering his carefully concealed secret. Now, with everything at stake, he'll need a whole new game plan…"

This is only Jennifer Hayward's fourth book, but is crafted so beautifully you would think it's her fortieth! I really enjoy books that start with a bang, and this one certainly does. Hero and heroine stuck together in a broken elevator (or 'lift' to us brits!)... what else would you want but some sizzle.

I liked that Jen immediately showed her character's flaws, I felt I could understand them and their motivations straight away. Izzie, as a heroine, is rather insecure and a bit lost as to where her life is going. I think that in today's world this is something we can all relate to. And Alex is the typical distrustful, closed book of a hero. The two are a perfect combination.

The actual plot is really interesting too. I loved reading all the inner conflict the hero and heroine had over whether to do what they think is right, or do what their hearts tell them to do. Neither of them would budge and inch over control, which makes for some great push/pull tension.

The hero and heroine feel very real and that is what I love. I enjoyed the rather rash jumping to conclusions by the the hero and the almost constant second guessing from the heroine. When they are together there is plenty of passion, as well as some lovely tenderness.

Finding out that life doesn't always go the way you planned is the theme here, and it is really quite special to read, and very emotional too. Reading romance is all about fantasy and escapism, but that doesn't mean it can't have a splash of reality involved. Jen, in my opinion, has managed this perfectly.

Highly recommended. 

Thanks to Jen for kindly providing me with a copy of this fantastic book.

Xx

Book Review... The Reluctant Husband - Lynne Graham

The Reluctant Husband - Lynne Graham
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1998
ISBN: 9780373119714
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459262287








My rating

From the back cover:

"She was still his wife!
Frankie thought she'd seen the last of her husband, Santino Vitale—until he breezed back into her life with some earth-shattering news. Their marriage wasn't annulled, and now he intended to claim the wedding night they'd never had!
He had it all worked out. Within three weeks Frankie would have paid her dues and be free to leave Santino, file for divorce and forget all about him forever.
But Santino hadn't reckoned on falling for Frankie all over again—or that now she could be expecting his baby...."


I'm not entirely sure what to make of this book... I liked it, but not all of it. It is certainly classic Lynne Graham in it's style, which is definitely a good thing, however I feel that certain elements needed to be toned down a little.

I find it frustrating when authors include a hero that refuses, point blank, to believe anything the heroine says. The constant accusations of lying get old real fast and this ends up feeling like it is a desperate attempt to get as much conflict into the story as possible.

The heroine had a really interesting background, different and quite daring and it is used nicely, but I couldn't work out why the hero was always angry with her - she's hardly to blame for the crappy life she's had.

The love story between the hero and heroine is nice, but the overall angry atmosphere of the book as a whole overshadowed this a little in my opinion.

This isn't an easy read, but it is a classic angsty story that keeps you interested.

Xx

Book Review... A Husband of Convenience - Jacqueline Baird

A Husband of Convenience - Jacqueline Baird
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373120529
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252042









My rating

From the back cover:

"A father for her unborn baby...
Josie's husband, Conan Zarcourt, was tall, dark and handsome. Yet Josie could only look, not touch, because theirs was a marriage in name alone. Conan had stepped in as father to his brother's child—the baby Josie was carrying.
But when an accident left Josie with amnesia she naturally assumed that Conan was her husband, her lover and the father of her baby. And until she remembered the truth, Conan was more than happy to have Josie in his bed...."

Another Treasury book and another classic trope - marriage of convenience - and one that is done very well by Jacqueline Baird.

There is a lot of reality to this story, such as the heroine regretting her mistake of sleeping with her ex and the difficulties two people face learning to live with one another, and that makes this an enjoyable book to read.

The heroine is nicely independent as well as a but prickly - for the most part I liked her.

The star of the show here though is the hero... right for the first he fell hard for the heroine and spent the rest of their time trying to show her despite having so many obstacles. I love this kind of story and hero.

I could have done without the small amnesia part - or have had it introduced earlier in the story - as it was, it felt a little crowbarred in.

Overall this is a well written, classic story with a pretty much perfect hero!

Xx

Book Review... Wife to a Stranger - Daphne Clair

Wife to a Stranger - Daphne Clair
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373186983
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252288










My rating

From the back cover:

"Stranger in her bed
Capri recognized the handsome man in front of her as her husband. She knew his name was Rolfe, but other than that he was a complete stranger to her. In fact, she could remember nothing at all about her life, prior to waking up in the hospital bed. Perhaps all she needed was to get home to New Zealand and her memory would return.
It didn't, despite some shocking revelations about herself and her marriage. One thing she did know: whatever their marital problems might have been, the chemistry between them was as strong as ever. But how could she sleep with a man she barely knew—even if he was her husband?"

I bought this book from the treasury line ages ago and forgot about it! I have liked the few books I have read from this author so I thought I would give this one a go.

I have noticed that a lot of the Presents from the 90s are the amnesia trope. Yes ok, they are clichéd and a bit weak as believable stories, but I admit that I quite like them!

This one was enjoyable, very much so. The author captured my interest with a wonderfully played out story with glimpses into a very troubled past relationship between the hero and heroine, a hero that would can tell is trying all her can to make it work between them, and a heroine that is vulnerable in exactly the right way.

The writing is wonderful; full of depth with a touch of mystery that captivated me from the word go. Then…

The Plot Twist happens. And it ruined the whole book.

I don’t want to say what it is, but it certainly threw me, I wasn’t expecting it at all and it felt a bit like I’d walked slap bang into a wall. It made this book, quite frankly, ridiculous. I felt let down, not to mention that this twist was introduced far too late for it to have any chance of being correctly played out to make it even slightly more believable and the end was rushed and a bit, well, silly.

Disappointed.

Xx

Book Review... Runaway Fiancée - Sally Wentworth

Runaway Fiancee - Sally Wentworth
Mills & Boon Presents
Harlequin Mills & Boon, 1998
ISBN: 9780263807387












My rating

From the back cover:

"Bring Back My Bride!
It should have been the wedding of the year...Instead, his beautiful fiancee was in another country, celebrating her engagement to another man - and she had no memory of ever agreeing to marry Milo Caine!
It had taken him a year to track her down. Now Milo just had to find out why Paige had run away one week before their wedding - and to convince her that he was the man who should be exchanging vows and cutting the cake with her!"


This book certainly starts with a bang, and the heroine is spectacular right from the start. She has such a feisty personality and is written brilliantly throughout. It would have been so easy to have the heroine as the ‘victim’ but the author stayed well away from this – although she had been like that in the past so it was a nice touch to have her finally found her backbone.

I like the hero also; the author didn’t hold him back from acting and reacting badly to towards the heroine, but at the same time he was also a very tender character.

With the amnesia trope there is always the risk of walking down cliché avenue, but here the author doesn’t stick too fiercly to this theme and instead makes it a bit more gritty.

I felt for both the hero and heroine, I wanted them to make their own way after having so mnuch of their lives planned out. The love between the hero and heroine is lovely, sweet and passionate.

This is an emotional book, but also quite fun. I really enjoyed it!


Xx

Book Review... Marrying the Enemy! - Elizabeth Power

Marrying the Enemy! - Elizabeth Power
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373187003
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252301










My rating

From the back cover:

"For better, or for worse... 
Alexia had known that coming home after all these years would be difficult - even more so as she'd be living under the same roof as York Masterton. The last time they'd met, Alexia had been an innocent teenager. Now she was a sophisticated woman who knew what she wanted: her rightful inheritance. 
York didn't bother to hide his suspicious dislike of Alexia - until he realized that, far from hating her, he wanted to marry her And he'd give everything he owned to be able to trust his new wife. Especially now that she was having his baby...."

I'm a fan of Elizabeth Powers's books, there is something about the very emotional stories she writes that apeals to me, and this is another good book of hers.

At first the story is a little difficult to get into, there seemed to be a lot of hints to lots of different things that you don't really make sense of until much later in the book. That is frustrating, but it certainly keeps you interested, and keeps you reading!

The relationship between the hero and heroine is full of ups and downs, as well as plenty of passion, betrayal, angst, etc - all those lovely things that you want out of a Presents! The heroine's background is interesting, and well written to have some great emotional impact. It was particularly interesting to have a grey haired heroine (hereditary premature greying), it would have been nice if this had been reflected on the cover.

The bitchy-other-woman character and plot was unnecessary and I feel that it ruined the flow of the book, it seemed forced in.

Overall, this is a very entertaining book.

Xx

Book Review... Wicked Caprice - Anne Mather

Wicked Caprice - Anne Mather
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1996
ISBN: 9780373118694
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459268784










My rating

From the back cover:

"Temptress--or tormentor? 
Was Isobel Herriot a marriage-breaker? Patrick Shannon's sister certainly believed her husband was having a torrid affair with Isobel. But when Patrick paid a visit to Isobel's Cotswold craft shop he couldn't be so sure.
How could he reconcile the fact that someone so reserved could also be promiscuous? Or that someone who played down her generous curves could also arouse him to uncontrollable passion? Patrick wasn't interested in a relationship that he couldn't control, but Isobel was beginning to torment him in the wickedest of ways...."


I bought this book a while back but never really felt inclined to read it, I'm not a massive fan of the title! But I really enjoyed reading this one.

The relationship between the hero and heroine is built really well by the author, there is plenty of passion and angst, with a little bit of misunderstanding thrown in.

The hero was particularly well crafted - he was at war with his feelings towards the heroine and this is portrayed beautifully. The heroine has a great mix of feistiness and naivety that makes her very relatable, I also liked that she made sure to assert her independence.

The author set up the initial meeting between the hero and heroine and the eventual betrayal perfectly, both the hero and heroine were at fault, which made this book much less one sided than a lot of other books with the revenge style plot.

I could have done without the last-minute scene with the hero's bitchy sister, and also the other woman part - why is it that some authors resort to throwing in unnecessary clichés when they already have a good enough story?!

But overall this is a well written story, with a wonderful love-story that has plenty of passion and emotion.

Xx

Book Review... The Valentine Child - Jacqueline Baird

The Valentine Child - Jacqueline Baird
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1996
ISBN: 9780373117956
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459276123










My rating

From the back cover:

"Would Valentine play Cupid?
When Zoë's baby arrived on February 14, it seemed only natural to call him Valentine! But as far as Zoë was concerned, Valentine had been the only romance in her brief marriage to Justin Gifford. And since Justin had harshly declared that he never wanted to see her again, she hadn't had the chance to tell him that he had a son.... But then the unthinkable happened: Valentine became desperately ill and Zoë knew that she would do anything to save him—even if that meant seducing her own husband!"

Another book from the Treasury line. I have been enjoying reading older books recently, some of the more recent ones have been a little disappointing.

This book turned out to be so much more enjoyable than I expected. The title and blurb really don't do it justice. This is a 'secret baby' book, but that's not the entire focus of the book, which makes it very interesting.

I really enjoyed reading the hero and heroine's early relationship - how it built and how it, eventually, crumbled. Both the characters make mistakes in the relationship, and I appreciated that the author didn't attempt to sugar coat them.

Communication, or more accurately, lack of communication is the 'theme' of this book. The hero and heroine are so afraid to talk to one another, and the author does a great job of showing how this slowly festered and snowballed into a complete lack of trust, which eventually destroys their relationship, and it is still present when they eventually re-connect. Very emotional reading.

The secret baby part of the story is handled well, and interesting as it is not the main source of conflict in the book.

Absorbing and emotional.

Xx

Book Review... Dark Apollo - Sara Craven

Dark Apollo - Sara Craven
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1996
ISBN: 9780373117864
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459276017










My rating

From the back cover:

"SEDUCED! 
Nic Xandreou thought Katie was a gold digger out to trap his brother into marriage. Camilla knew her sister better and was determined to champion her cause even if it meant a visit to Xandreou's stronghold on the island of Karthos. 
Camilla Dryden had always been the sensible one in her family, but she had walked into the lion's den, not realizing the risk she was running. Nic Xandreou wasn't accustomed to hearing the word no. Especially from a woman. 
He was a dangerously sexy man used to women who were sweet, docile and silent! Camilla was anything but. She seemed to enjoy their war of words as much as he. And, as Nic was eager to prove, there was one place they'd be sure to agree—the bedroom!"


I am a big fan of Sara Craven (you probably know this by now), and I bought this book from the Treasury line a while ago looking forward to reading it, but forgot I even had it!

One of the things that I like about her books, and that I think she does quite well, is that the general direction of the book leads you to think one thing and then it twists into something quite different. That is certainly the case with this book.

The hero and heroine just 'click' from the word go here, and the whole story plays out rather beautifully. The hero is so deliciously alpha, yet he falls for the heroine hard and fast and the reader could see it. The way that they meet is a bit of a cliché but, you know, sometimes that's a good thing - like an old, comfortable pair of socks!

This book benefited from not having a lot love scenes, but this doesn't mean there isn't plenty of passion. The sexual tension between the hero and heroine is rife and builds and builds so that by the time the hero and heroine finally got together it was explosive.

The heroine is feisty, independent and well written - definitely one of the better Sara Craven heroines. Loved the hero but I would have liked to have been able to have his POV included.

A very enjoyable read.

Xx

Book Review... The Price of a Bride - Michelle Reid

The Price of a Bride - Michelle Reid
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373120338
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459251854










My rating

From the back cover:

"Forced to marry! 
When Mia Frazier agreed to her father's demand to marry Greek millionaire Alexander Doumas, she knew both men stood to gain from the deal—Alex would win back his family's island, and Mia's father would get the grandson and heir he so desperately longed for. But what about Mia? 
 She had her own reason for agreeing to be Alex's wife—which was not financial gain, as Alex cynically believed. But how could the truth stay hidden, when she shared such intense passion with her new husband…and was now carrying his child?"


This is another one of those talked about 'classic' Harlequin Presents, so I knew I had to read it. And... A Classic it most certainly is!

The angst levels in this book are seriously sky high, I didn't have a clue where Michelle Reid was going to take me next, it kept me reading that's for sure.

Yes, this book is a little, well OK a lot, over dramatic but somehow it works. It keeps you guessing and feeling like you are holding your breath as you turn the page.

The hero acts appallingly at times, and I actually had a difficult time getting into this book at the beginning, but Michelle Reid is a master at somehow pulling this back from the brink. The heroine also acts badly, so the two characters kind of level each other out.

They certainly don't make Presents like this anymore! You couldn't ask for more to be crammed into this book - it has blackmail, betrayal, abuse, secrets, passion, pregnancies, etc.

It should be a headache of a read, at it is! But it is also unputdownable!

Like I said, a Classic.

Xx

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

Gold Ring of Betrayal - Michelle Reid
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1997
ISBN: 9780373119172
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459269408










My rating

From the back cover:

"They've never stopped being married... 
Nicolas Santino doesn't accept that Lia is his daughter. He believes Sara, his wife, cheated on him with another man, and Lia is the result of that betrayal. 
So Sara and Nicolas are separated - until the silence between them is forcibly broken: Lia has been kidnapped! Nicolas knows he is the only one who can secure the little girl's safe return, but it means he must go back to Sara - and find that, even after three long years, she still wears his ring ..."


So, this is it... the 365th book. Which I read bang on the 365th day... I made it!

The heroine Sara and the hero Nicolas see each other for the first time in three years when he arrives to help Sara through the kidnapping of her daughter. Sara knows that Nicolas hates her as he believes that she cheated on him, although she desperately wants him to believe that she is innocent right now all she cares about is getting her precious baby back in her arms. Once Sara was a shy and nervous girl whose spirit and confidence was crushed under the dominance of the Sicilian life she married into, but Nicolas's cruel betrayal of not believing in her has changed her. Now she is hard and determined to fight for herself and especially for her daughter. But one thing that is still the same is the desire between Sara and Nicolas, and after Sara's daughter is found they go back to Sicily where Nicolas asks her to try again with their marriage and put all the betrayals behind them. Sara tries her best, but eventually realises that she can't live her life with Nicolas still believing that she could ever betray him.

This is a true classic when it comes to both Michelle Reid's books and Harlequin Presents. There is so much to this book - angst, hate, betrayal, passion, fear, love, forgiveness, sadness, etc - and it is all woven together perfectly. The hero and heroine's story is intense and it plays out wonderfully, at times this book is impossible to put down. So often in books where there is a supposed betrayal I find the reluctance of a certain character to believe in the other very frustrating, but in this book I could understand exactly why the hero felt this way. Even though the POV from the hero is rather sporadic I was still able to sympathise with him, as well as rooting for the heroine. That is all down to Michelle Reid's powerful writing.

This book is drama with a capital D, and totally absorbing. Highly recommended.


I really hope you have enjoyed reading my reviews of all these 365 books, it has certainly been and interesting challenge. I will be posting a summary blog post all about this later on.
Thank you to everyone who has followed/read my blog over the last 365 days!


Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #357

A Marriage Betrayed - Emma Darcy
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373120697
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252219










My rating

From the back cover:

"He was driven by vengeance... 
Adopted but now alone, Kristy went in search of her natural family. When Armand Dutournier burst into her life, accusing her of betrayals she had not committed, Kristy could only wonder - did she have a perfect double? Could she possibly have a twin? 
Armand was her only lead to the family she yearned for, but his passionate drive for vengeance - and the powerful attraction between them--made accepting his proposition of a temporary intimacy highly dangerous!"


Another ebook from the Treasury line.

The heroine Kristy is on her way to Geneva to find out the truth about her birth family, and decides to honour her recently passed adoptive parents by spending a night in Paris in the same hotel they spent their honeymoon in. However when she arrives, Kristy gets the impression that she is not welcome and notices people acting very strangely around her. She is confronted by Armand, the hero, whom acts as though he knows her and hates her. Eventually they both realise that Kristy has been mistaken for someone else, and Armand tells her that she has a twin sister. But her twin has been missing for two years after she left without a word, leaving her marriage to Armand as well as their children behind. Kristy has always felt that a part of her was missing and knows in her heart that the twin she will never know is dead. But she grabs with both hands Armand's offer to get to know his children. She is also determined to find out exactly what drove her sister away, but one thing Kristy doesn't know how to deal with is her growing feelings for Armand.

This is an interesting story, and enjoyable as it is a little different. The heroine is a great character, really well thought out. I especially liked her need to know about what she has always felt was missing in her life. The inner connection (psychic link or whatever it is called) is something that is fascinating and the author uses it well but, perhaps, this is an over ambitious element to deal with in category fiction as it ends up feeling a little forced.
I feel that the story should have taken place over a longer stretch of time - a LOT happens in this book outside of the usual romance novel elements, and it only takes place over two days, which seems ridiculously short and the story suffers because of it.

However, I enjoyed this book. The romance is lovely and it has an interesting plot.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #349

Mistress of the Groom - Susan Napier
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1997
ISBN: 9780373119189
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459269415










My rating

From the back cover:

"Have you heard the latest? 
Don't tell anyone but... 
The groom was having an affair - with his bride's best friend Jane had been desperate to stop the wedding. She'd had to prevent her best friend from making the biggest mistake of her life.... Marrying Ryan Blair would have been disastrous. He was too rich, too powerful, too hot to handle.
There was only one solution: to stand up in church and declare that she, Jane Sherwood, respectable businesswoman, was having a secret torrid affair with Ryan. It had worked. The wedding was finished. But now Ryan was determined to make Jane pay for his wrecked marriage - by making her his mistress for real"


I bought this book a while back after the fabulous Abby Green recommend it on twitter as one of her favourite Presents.

The story begins with the heroine Jane confronting the hero Ryan at a business event, which, after his mocking, leads to her punching him in the face. Jane is desperately trying to make ends meet and keep her life together after Ryan's two-year long campaign of hate against her that has stripped her of her business, her possessions, her home, and her reputation. Jane knows that, in a way, she deserves his revenge after stopping his wedding to her best friend three years ago by lying that they had been having an affair. But she had done it to protect her best friend, although she can't tell Ryan that. Even though she appears to have lost everything, Ryan still continues to push his revenge against her, which results in one very passionate night in each others arms after a night of sparing. Jane begins to realise that her feelings for Ryan are dangerously closer to love than hate, and this scares her so she attempts to run away. But Ryan tracks her down forcing her to confront what is going on between them as well as forcing Jane to rely on him when she injured.

Wow, what a book! The story has so much going, so many elements you would want from a Presents that it should be a bit of a convoluted mess, but Susan Napier's superb writing makes it work brilliantly. The heroine is a fantastically crafted character - she has every reason to just give up and wail at her total misfortune but she doesn't, she keeps fighting and I loved her for that. This is exactly the kind of heroine I love reading. And the hero... I don't really know what to say about him, other than he is ALPHA (yes, capital letter worthy) to the last, but also caring and gentle and tremendously appealing.
What is so spectacular about this book is that the author keeps you guessing throughout the whole story, and weaves everything together in such a way that I could not stop reading.
There isn't a lot of love-scenes in this book, but, boy, does one of them make up for it! The passion between the characters literally saturates every page, so you don't miss out on chemistry just because there is not much actual sex.

If you like revenge themed Presents - this is not to be missed.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #342

Deceived - Sara Craven 
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1997
ISBN: 9780373119011
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459269194










My rating

From the back cover:

"The prodigal lover... 
Lydie had grown up too close to Marius Benedict to remain immune to her stepcousin's fatal charm. But Marius had merely seduced and abandoned her, leaving town under a cloud of scandal. Five long years and, no doubt, a dozen meaningless affairs later, Marius had walked back into her life, looking for all the world as if he owned it! The trouble was, he did. 
As far as Marius was concerned, it was Lydie who was the deceiver. He had been away a long time—just long enough to have planned his revenge on Lydie Benedict down to the first quiver of her lips.... 
Forbidden!—when passion knows no reason..."


This is another book from the Harlequin Treasury line, since it is a Sara Craven I couldn't resist!

The heroine Lydie is stunned when the hero Marius turns up after five years away, she had given up hope of ever seeing him again after he had left in the wake of scandal, breaking Lydie's heart in the process. She knows that Marius is back to claim his rightful place as his uncle's (Lydie's stepfather) heir, and she tries to avoid him. But Marius doesn't give her the chance and she realises that he has also come back to get revenge on her - for something she didn't do. Lydie is devastated when she discovers that her avaricious mother is solely responsible for everything that happened five years ago, but knows Marius will never believe her. Marius tells her that they will be married, purely for convenience and pleasure, and Lydie doesn't know what else to do other than go along with it. It is clear that the passion and desire between them is still there, but Marius's dislike of her breaks Lydie's heart more and more.

This is very typical of a lot of Sara Craven's books (in fact her most recent book 'The End of Her Innocence' is very similar in plot to this one) but as usual from this author it is solid and well written. It is a little info dumpy at the beginning and on occasions the writing is a little old fashioned - I do wish she wouldn't use "on the contrary" so often - but it works, and is pleasant to read.
There is plenty of mystery and chemistry between the hero and heroine that kept me reading. However, I feel the heroine lost her way as bit as the story progressed and she came across as a bit of a martyr. This book would be greatly improved by including the hero's POV but, hey, you can't have it all!

This is very much a 'classic' style romance, but very enjoyable.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #334

The Secret She Can't Hide - India Grey
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373129973

N.B. The UK title of this book is 'Her Last Night of Innocence'.









My rating

From the back cover:

"World-famous racing driver Cristiano Maresca "always" spent the night before a race in the arms of a beautiful woman... 
One night three years ago that woman was Kate Edwards, and her time with Cristiano awakened her to unimaginable pleasure. But the following day the untamable Cristiano had a near-fatal crash...and then Kate discovered she was expecting his baby.... 
Now Monte Carlo is set to celebrate Cristiano's return to the track. Shivering with nerves, Kate braves the paparazzi to find the man who set her body aflame--and tell him her scandalous secret.... Italy's most notorious playboy has a love child"


For some random reason the last two books I have read both have heroes called Cristiano. Odd!

The heroine Kate hears that racing driver Cristiano, the hero, is about to return after a long recuperation following a very bad crash a few years back, and she knows that now is the time to tell him that their glorious night together resulted in their son. However when she finally gets the courage to approach him Cristiano doesn't know who she is, so she decides not to bother. Cristiano has no memory of Kate but senses something between them so, desperate to regain parts of his lost memory, he goes to her and asks her to spend some time away with him. When they are together, Kate is reminded of just how close they became in that one night they had together and tries to help Cristiano remember, but she can't quite work up the nerve to tell him about their son. However, when she has to leave after an emergency back home Cristiano finds out the truth quite by accident. Following her back to England, Cristiano wants to get to know his son, as well as work out if the passion between Kate and he can give them a future together.

Wow, this is a gorgeous book, I loved it. There really is something special about India Grey that makes her books so wonderful. They dazzle. And dazzle, this book does.
My heart broke at times for the hero and heroine - they so desperately wanted to be together but so many things conspired against them. The passion and emotion in their relationship is intense and written with such heart. I literally couldn't put this book down, it has everything; sorrow, joy, passion, anger etc. And, it is brilliant.

I can't recommend it (and India Grey's other books) enough.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #333

One Night in Rome - Cathy Williams
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373130368

N.B. The UK title of this book is 'The Italian's One-Night Love-Child' - I much prefer the NA title!!








My rating

From the back cover:

"After seeing Bethany Maguire's captivating curves in a tantalizing silk dress, Cristiano De Angelis indulges in one night of passion with this beauty. A string of society heiresses have graced his bed—what difference will one more make? Except virgin Bethany is no socialite. She was just house-sitting a glamorous apartment when she gave in to temptation and tried on one of the owner's designer dresses! 
She doesn't belong in Cristiano's jet-set life, and when she discovers she's pregnant she flees. But their night of sizzling Italian passion has had an unexpected result—this famously guarded billionaire won't let her go that easily!"


I went on a bit of a Harlequin ebook story spree this past weekend!

The heroine Bethany and the hero Cristiano meet when Cristiano comes by the apartment that Bethany is house sitting. Cristiano thinks that she is the owner and Bethany doesn't correct him, hoping that he will leave once he has done the task he came there for. However Cristiano asks her out to dinner instead, which then leads to a whirlwind affair when Cristiano, totally entranced by Bethany, whisks her away on holiday for a couple of weeks. It all ends when Bethany runs out on him and he finds out that she isn't the person he thought she was. Months later he has finally tracked her down only to have his plans for telling her exactly what he thinks of her ruined when he discovers she is pregnant. When he insists they marry, Bethany refuses as she won't marry for anything but love. Instead she moves to London to be nearer to Cristiano where they slowly begin to get to know one another, properly this time.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! I really liked the lead in and how the characters first meet - yes, it's a little silly, but it is also quite quirky and charming, as well as different. The heroine is a good character, I especially enjoyed the fact that she stood up for herself and didn't let the hero railroad her into anything. Plus her habit of telling little white lies to try and save face was quite fun! The hero is your standard Presents alpha-male, but he is solidly written.

The whole book was quite sweet and fun, but still with plenty of passion. Enjoyable.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #329

Marriage on the Rebound - Michelle Reid
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1998
ISBN: 9780373119738
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459262300









My rating

From the back cover:

"Instant bridegroom...
Shaan had been jilted! She'd been left at the altar by Piers Danvers...but Rafe Danvers was waiting to step right into his half brother's shoes. Older, darker, stronger and the head of the Danvers business empire, it was Rafe who had persuaded Piers to abandon Shaan. Now, with the same ruthless determination, Rafe insisted that she become his bride instead. 
 Dazed, Shaan accepted his proposal, but she was also confused: until this moment, Rafe had acted as if he despised her. Suddenly he wanted to proclaim her to the world as his wife and, behind closed doors, to have her in his bed!"


Another one from the Treasury line.

It is the heroine Shaan's wedding day, but instead of being newly married she is in emotional termoil after he would-be- brother-in-law Rafe, the hero, tells her that her fiance has left with other woman. Not really knowing what to do, Shaan let's Rafe take her away from all the confusion, but she is shocked out of her reverie when Rafe asks her to marry him instead. Shaan has always thought that Rafe disapproved of her, but he makes a good case for them both marrying in order to save face and for companionship. After they marry, Rafe takes Shaan to Hong Kong, their getting to know one another is tumultuous at best with neither of them knowing what the other one feels. However, there is an undeniable attraction between them and they act on it. Even though it seems like they are both in love with other people, Shaan and Rafe grow closer and closer, but Shaan fears that their fragile relationship won't survive once they are back to their real lives.

I expected to like this book, but not as much as I actually did! This is a brilliant book - one of the best of Michelle Reid's books that I have read. Every thing in this book is very subtle, and it totally works. I adored the hero, I knew straight away that there was something else behind his alpha male veneer - the little glimpses of his POV that Michelle Reid adds in really whet your appetite and leave you wanting to read on to find out more.
Even though elements of this story are a little over the top and clichéd, I think that the love story between the hero and heroine is believable. There is so much emotion and intensity to this story, and it is perfectly executed.

Very, very good.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #328

Forsaking All Others - Susanne McCarthy
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1996
ISBN: 9780373118502
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459276826









My rating

From the back cover:

"In name only... 
'You're the woman who stood at the altar with my cousin not more than a few hours ago, vowing to forsake all others. You didn't manage to keep it up very long, did you?' 
Leo Ratcliffe had kissed his cousin's new bride and discovered that whatever reasons Maddy had for marrying, love didn't enter into it. Even on her wedding day she had wanted another man—Leo! But he hadn't given Maddy a chance to reveal the truth—that she was marrying his cousin only to forget Leo's own impending marriage.... 
Now Maddy was widowed and Leo was still single. But instead of the love affair she had dreamed about, all he was offering was a marriage of convenience: sexual satisfaction and heartbreak guaranteed!"


Another book from the Treasury line. I don't think I have read any books by Susanne McCarthy before.

The heroine Maddy sees the hero Leo for the first time in a few years when she returns to her former marital home after he husband's death. Maddy knows that her husband's family, especially his cousin Leo, never approved of her marriage or her eventually separations and she expects that Leo will not make things easy for her, but all Maddy wants is for her son's inheritance to be preserved. Learning that Leo is co-trustee with her makes her worried, and she is stunned when he asks her to marry him. Maddy thinks he is only asking in order to get some form of revenge against her, and his actions only seem to confirm this fact. Maddy refuses at first, she has always been in love with Leo and her heartbreaks at his very obvious dislike of her. But eventually she has to agree, and Leo quickly shows her exactly what he wants from her and even though she shares the desire between them, Maddy knows he will never love her.

This is an interesting and well executed plot, I enjoyed it. There is a lot of chemistry between the hero and heroine - this is well used through the entire book. This is very much 'classic' in style - the hero is a little too dominant, but it works. The back story between the hero and heroine is well detailed and adds to the conflict, but it is too info-dumpy at first.

Overall though, this is a nice easy story with a good flow and plenty of emotion.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #320

Not Forgiven, Never Forgotten - Elizabeth Power
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373130375

N.B. The UK title of this book is 'For Revenge or Redemption?'








My rating

From the back cover:

"A reckoning… 
Years ago, wealthy socialite Grace Tyler humiliated Seth and almost destroyed his family. Now the former boatyard hand is a multimillionaire, and he's out to settle a long-overdue score. He'll take Grace's business and her body. 
A seduction! 
Except Seth hasn't reckoned on the desire between them burning him every bit as fiercely as it consumes Grace! 
A redemption? 
He's come back to prove Grace's guilt—but now it's Seth who needs to be redeemed. For Grace is more inexperienced than he expected…and she's expecting his baby!"


Another Presents! I love the title of this one.

The heroine Grace learns that her company has been involved in a hostile take over, and is shocked to discover that the person responsible is Seth, the hero, the man with whom she had a very passionate teenage love affair. Seeing Grace again reminds Seth of both the passion he once felt for her as well as the pain her betrayal caused. He is going to use the chance he has found to take over Grace's company to finally get revenged on her, and Grace knows this and accepts it knowing that her cruel actions when she was young were unforgivable. However, Seth is also unaware of just what happened to Grace after he left, things she has never forgotten, but he does realise that Grace is different to what he was expecting. The passion between them still burns brightly, and this gives them a second chance together, but with so much pain and secrets in their past neither of them can really trust the other.

This book had me absorbed from the very first page, it is packed full of emotion and passion, I couldn't stop reading! What is so great about this book, in my opinion, is that both the hero and heroine grow as characters, before and during the story. It really made the relationship feel three dimensional. The pain and loss each character had inside them made this a very poignant read, I really felt that they needed each other.

The writing is full of angst, passion, sympathy, as well as hope, and this makes the book very enjoyable.

Recommended.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #318

Princess from the Past - Caitlin Crews
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 2012
ISBN: 9780373130504

N.B. The above details refer to the North American release of this book.









My rating

From the back cover:

"Behind the imposing walls of the castle, free-spirited Bethany Vassal discovered that her whirlwind marriage to Prince Leo Di Marco was nothing like the fairy tale she'd imagined. Before long, the forgotten princess ran away, hoping the man she fell in love with would one day see sense and come and find her…. 
Marrying Bethany is the only reckless thing Leo has ever done, and now he is paying the price. The time has come for him to produce a royal heir—and Bethany must return to the very castle from which she fled!"


This is another Presents I bought recently.

The hero Leo and the heroine Bethany have been separated for three years when Bethany asks for a divorce. Leo had not been expecting the blow, and despite the separation he begins to realise that he doesn't want their marriage to end. He knows he made mistakes in their marriage after their whirlwind relationship, and didn't allow Bethany enough time to adjust to life as the wife of a prince, and now it is time to make it up to her. Bethany is disheartened when Leo tells her that their divorce has to be arranged in Italy, she knows that when it comes to Leo she is often blind sided by desire, she has spent the last three years rebuilding her confidence and is ready to move on with her life. When they are back in Italy, Leo immediately starts trying to win Bethany back, and she notices the changes Leo has made, as well as the effort he is making with her. The desire that drew them together in the first place is still alive and well between them, but Bethany is unsure about giving all of herself to their marriage again, fearing that she will only be left lonely and heartbroken again.

Royalty based romances are not really my cup of tea, and I only chose this as I really like Caitlin Crews's books. I did enjoy this book, but it didn't totally 'do it' for me. I really liked the plot, and the fact that the hero really wanted to make up for his past mistakes. The hero is a good character - he is a little bit too arrogant, but his love for the heroine is very believable. His attempts to win back the heroine is written beautifully, the story has plenty of passion and angst, as well as a bit of sparkle.

Well written and enjoyable, just not my personal favourite style of romances.

Xx