365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #30

The Greek Tycoon's Innocent Mistress - Kathryn Ross
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2007
ISBN: 9780263853780

Reprint-
She Can't Say No to the Greek Tycoon By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263884340

My rating




From the back cover:

"Taken for the Greek's revenge!
Cat McKenzie is set to inherit a fortune - and Nicholas Zentenas will ensure the money stays out of her family's hands. Nicholas has waited years for revenge on Cat's father, who almost ruined him in a dishonest deal, and he believes Cat is just as bad.
Cat's never met such a commanding man, and when Nicholas offers her a lucrative business contract, and a weekend in Venice, she's powerless to resist. Now Nicholas is in danger of finding that Cat is not at all what he thought - starting with the fact that she is a virgin!"

This is the second book in the By Request omnibus, and unfortunately this has become the lowest rated book in my challenge. Before I get into the nitty-gritty of why I didn't enjoy it, I just wanted to point out that, obviously, this is my opinion and I fully understand that each reader is different and therefore may disagree with my thoughts, which is perfectly fine.

The female character Catherine is three months away from her 21st birthday and if she is married before that date then, as per the conditions of her grandfathers will, she will inherit the entire family fortune. Catherine has an unhappy family life, her mother died when she was young and discovered that she had a half brother from an affair her father had. Her father and half-brother are also little better than con-men, who she has had to spend her education trust fund on bailing them out of one scheme after the other. They are bitterly angry that Catherine was left the family fortune and have been trying to force her to marry some of their 'associates' and then to try and get hold of the fortune.
The male character Nicholas was once in business with Cat's father but he was conned, he has vowed revenge on the family. He has somehow found out about the conditions of the will and is under the impression that Cat is in league with her family and just as duplicitous. He plans to get Cat to marry him then take the inheritance away from her and then dump her.
Once he starts to get to know Cat he starts to realise that she is perhaps not what he thought but cannot let his feelings get in the way of his revenge plan.

I usually like the revenge plot lines, and thought that this had great potential as a good story. However I just could not warm to it. The male character was written as little more than a misogynist, he spent most of the book talking to Cat like she was something nasty on the bottom of his shoe, and Cat just seemed to take it. Some of the story was also implausible, such as the fact the Nicholas had hired a private investigator to check Cat out and he reported that she was involved in a scam her brother pulled in Crete, yet in actual fact she was not involved but instead paid back all those affected by the scam, any PI would have been able to get this info, so he must have hired a really crap one. There was a pregnancy that just seemed to be crow barred in there for no reason, and when Nicholas revealed that he was adopted all seemed to be forgiven and that was it...he's forgiven, lets be together forever!?

I found it very hard to read, at times I actually had to put the book down, take a couple of deep breaths and go back to it. In my opinion it was a poorly executed story and an example of taking the Alpha-male concept way too far...

I feel warn out by all that, I don't like being overly negative about anything, however I'm not one to be afraid of expressing my opinion!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #29

The Kouvaris Marriage - Diana Hamilton
Mills and Boon Modern

Single title-
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2007
ISBN: 9780263852974

Reprint-
She Can't Say No to the Greek Tycoon By Request
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263884340


My rating



From the back cover:

"Wanted: to have his baby! Madeleine never dreamed she would marry a Greek billionaire - especially one as attractive as Dimitri Kouvaris. But after a whirlwind courtship and three passionate months of marriage, Maddie is devastated to learn that Dimitri only married her in order to conceive a child. Desperate to escape the humiliating charade of her marriage, Maddie asks for a divorce. But Dimitri is determined to keep Maddie at his side - and in his bed - until she bears the Kouvaris heir..."

I read this book in the By Request omnibus as above. I really like the By Request line as they are really good value and you get to read some older and popular books.

The story begins with the heroine Maddie and the hero Dimitri meeting and then Dimitri following her to England to propose, after what seems like love at first sight. The story picks up three months later with Dimitri being left a note by Maddie saying that their marriage was over. Dimitri tracks her down and forces her back to their marriage with blackmail as her family is in financial trouble. We discover that Maddie had discovered that Dimitri doesn't love her, instead he is still in love with a close friend. The close friend told Maddie that as she is unable to have children Dimitri married Maddie in order to get her pregnant then divorce her, taking the child away from her, and will be able to marry her. Maddie's confidence is also at rock bottom after awful treatment from Dimitri's aunt, who disapproves of Maddie. When they find out she is expecting a baby, Dimitri tries to make amends and Maddie tries to believe that she can make Dimitri fall in love with her and vows that no one will take her baby from her.

First things first, this was a good read and it was the classic tale of each character misunderstanding each other, which could have been cleared up if only they talked to one another, but of course that doesn't happen 'cause they are stubborn! I wasn't too keen on the characters. At first I thought that Maddie was quite strong as she actually got up the nerve to leave Dimitri, but after that tiny spurt of tenacity she seemed to wilt. I do understand that she had confidence issues after being beaten down by his aunts criticism but she seemed to accept all this awful treatment like she was little more than a doormat. In the beginning of the book she had a career that she was excited about and loved, yet after she married it was never mentioned again. She forgave all this awful treatment (from the Aunt and close friend) in the click of finger, which seemed completely spineless. Dimitri was also rather frustrating, he wondered why Maddie was withdrawn around his Aunt when she made no attempt to hide her barbs, he also spoke to Maddie, at times, like a pile of trash. Although his confusion over why Maddie had asked for a divorce was written very well, he thought she was a gold-digger but deep down he knew this wasn't the case!

Like I said, I did enjoy the book, and the misunderstandings, although frustrating, kept me reading. I just wish that the heroine had been more strong as a woman.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #28

His Runaway Juror - Mallory Kane
Mills and Boon Intrigue
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2008
ISBN: 9780263859911


My rating




From the back cover:

"On the run from the mob and the law Brand Gallagher was on an undercover mission to bring down the Castellano crime syndicate and avenge his brother’s death.
Ordered to kill juror Lily Raines, the tough lawman couldn't break his oath to serve and protect. Though they were little more than strangers, something about Lily demanded he offer his protection.
Brand was about to break the cardinal rule of law enforcement by involving his heart. And revealing his true identity to Lily suddenly seemed an even greater risk!"

So another Intrigue book, I know! The reason these have been so frequent is simply that I have a huge pile of books from the library, which are mainly Modern and Intrigue which they always have the biggest stock of, and I'm trying to work my way through the pile before I go on holiday in 2 weeks! I don't want late fees! Also I actually really like the Intrigue series.

So, this is the story of Lily, who is on the jury of a high profile murder trial of a hit man associated with an organised crime syndicate run by a man called Gio Castellano. She is picked out by them to intimidate into voting not guilty in order to force a mistrial. Her home is broken into by two of the mob members, one of whom is undercover detective Brand. Lily and her father, who is in care home after suffering brain damage during his time as a cop, are threatened. Lily plans to escape with her father so goes on to plead guilty.
Brand is sent to kill Lily for disobeying the mobs orders but he instead he goes on the run with her. Brand has begun to suspect that there is a leak to the mob boss, and he and Lily have to escape many dangerous situations in order to stay alive, while Brand tries to work out who the leak could be and who he can trust.

This was a really good Intrigue book, and I nearly cheered when I finished it as, for once, it wasn't easy to guess who the culprit was! Lily is a great character, she is really strong at times and is desperate to do the right thing. Brand was also a great character, a true hero wanting to save Lily as well as being the typical 'closed-off emotions' guy. I really liked how the relationship develops, especially Lily's attempts to fight against the attraction as she can't decide if she can trust Brand. Unfortunately the situations they find themselves in just seem a little far-fetched that I have a hard time believing it! However it is an enjoyable and action-filled read.

Completely unrelated, don't you think the guy on the front cover looks a little like Jason Priestly of Beverly Hills 90210 fame (that's the original early 90's series)?! No? God, I'm starting to get old!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #27

The Virgin's Choice - Jennie Lucas
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263878455






My rating




From the back cover:

"If anyone here present knows of a reason why this marriage may not lawfully take place, please declare it now...
Xerxes Novros is about to do more than just voice his reasons why Rose's marriage should be stopped...
He's going to steal this beautiful wife-to-be and whisk her away to his private Greek island! Now the kidnapped virgin bride has a choice...or does she? Xerxes certainly knows what he wants - he's determined to give Rose the wedding night she's been denied..."

I have had this book on my TBR list for months and was excited to start reading it, Jennie Lucas is a great author and I have always enjoyed her books. This one certainly lived up to expectation!

The story begins with the heroine Rose being taken from her wedding to Swedish baron Lars Växborg by ruthless Greek businessman Xerxes (the hero). He takes Rose to his Greek island, where he informs her that the marriage is fake, Lars had hired actors to marry them, and that Lars is already married. Xerxes plans to use Rose as a trade in order to find out where Lars's actual wife is as she is suspected to be seriously injured after a car crash.
When Rose finds out her marriage was a sham she is desperately hurt and betrayed. All she has wanted her whole life is to find a man to love and to love her. She begins to think that this is getting less and less likely to happen.
There is an attraction between Xerxes and Rose, and after he knows that she is not the gold-digger he thought and instead an innocent (in every way) he begins a seduction, however makes it clear that there is no future for them.

One thing I really enjoy about Jennie Lucas's books is that they always begin with a really exciting scenario, and it's certainly the case in this book as well. Xerxes is a fantastic Alpha-male (even if I can't say his name!), who is just dripping with testosterone, but he also has a very gentle side to him. The chemistry between to two characters is intense and I really enjoyed how Rose's honesty and warm heart kept breaking down all of Xerxes barriers. Rose's character was really warm hearted, however I did have had a hard time believing that she could get to 29 still a never-been-kissed virgin.
As with the start this book also had a really exciting ending!

I definitely recommend this book!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #26

The Baby Swap Miracle - Caroline Anderson
Mills and Boon Cherish
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263888703




My rating




From the back cover:

"Through a twist of fate they found a family and each other!
Sam Hunter only intended to help his brother fulfil his dream of having children, but now, through an IVF mix-up, a complete stranger is pregnant with his child! To make matters worse, shes utterly gorgeous.
For warm-hearted widow Emelia Eastwood, this child was meant to be the final legacy of her husband. The hospitals discovery turns her world upside down. Sam begins to feel fiercely protective of his accidental family and soon he and Emelia discover that the twists and turns of fate can lead to a love they never expected."

Can you believe it, another book with an IVF mistake involved! Is there some epidemic of IVF mistakes happening that I have missed?! Anyway regardless this was another good book. Also I made an effort to read this as it's from the Cherish line and I know I have been reading a lot of Modern and Intrigue books recently.

The book begins with the heroine Emelia being informed that the baby she is carrying is not her late husbands after a mistake at the IVF clinic, instead she is carrying the hero Sam's baby. Sam was the sperm donor for his brother and sister-in-law's attempts to have a baby. During the IVF treatment all four of them became good friends. As if that is not enough heartache for Emelia she also has to face her in-laws turn their back on her and find out that they tricked both her and her late husband (while he was dying) into going through posthumous IVF treatment.
Due to all the upheaval she has been through with her husbands death of cancer and the IVF treatment Emelia has nowhere else to turn but to Sam. Sam was hurt deeply by a woman in his past and vows never to let a woman in his heart again, however he desperately wants to be part of his baby's life so asks Emelia to move in with him despite that he is very attracted to her.

This is a really sweet love story, however it is full of emotional upheavals, which really give depth to the story. I really felt for Emelia and how alone she felt after everything she has been through, yet she was a really warm and honestly written character that I instantly liked. Sam on the other hand was a little frustrating, he just could not let go of his past and I just wanted to scream at him to get over it! I liked how this story took place over a 4 month or so period as it really gave the feelings the two characters have for each other time to develop.

This story left me with a warm feeling all over, as you would expect from the Cherish line! Oh and it helped that it was set in Suffolk, that's my neck of the woods!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #25

Spanish Magnate, Red-Hot Revenge - Lynn Raye Harris
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2009
ISBN: 9780263874198




My rating




From the back cover:

"Nobody messes with Alejandro de Ramirez. He doesn't suffer fools, and certainly has no time for manipulative wantons. Rebecca Layton was both. Five years later, Alejandro's life is still in turmoil--and he's more merciless than ever. The Spanish magnate wants retribution....
Unusually, and frustratingly for Alejandro, his plan doesn't go smoothly. Surely Rebecca wasn't this alluring before. And did his body always respond in this way--with such passionate fury? This is no longer just revenge...this is red-hot and dangerous!"

I have read a couple of Lynn Raye Harris's books and enjoyed them, however I had never got round to reading this book so I picked it up from the library when I saw it sitting there just waiting for me! This is Lynn's debut book and reading it, it is hard to believe, her voice and writing is as well developed as any seasoned pro!

This is the story of Rebecca and Alejandro. Five years ago they had a passionate affair that ended badly after Rebecca found out that Alejandro had an arranged marriage planned and Alejandro thought that Rebecca was the cause of him loosing out on an important business deal. Now Alejandro has the chance to take his revenge on Rebecca for what she did to him, he manages to take over her company and orders her to Madrid in order to let her see him destroy her company piece by piece. Only he didn't bank on the deep desire they still hold for one another, and when a surprise pregnancy happens Alejandro demands marriage.

This is a very emotional book, its full of ups and downs, and heartbreak and loss. The two characters are fantastic; Alejandro is man plagued by his past and acts completely ruthlessly towards Rebecca, yet it is obvious that even he can't control his feelings for her. Rebecca is a strong independent career woman, however she carries a lot of inner hurt over a difficult relationship with her parents and two doomed love affairs. The interaction between the two characters was always intense, going from passion to them hurling insults and accusations at each other, it's a wonder they didn't rip each other apart but it is clear that underneath everything they still have feelings for each other. The story was fast paced and exciting and really well executed.

Also, this is another example of a new writer taking traditional elements of the Modern line and breathing new life into it making it more relatable and up-to-date (eg. a strong career minded female character). I really recommend this book and others of Lynn Raye Harris. FYI, her most recent book 'Strangers in the Desert' is out this month in the UK, I will be reading it as soon as I can get my eager little hands on it!

Oh, and extra kudos to Lynn for naming her heroine Rebecca, its a great name! (It's my name in case you were wondering!)

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #24

The Heir from Nowhere - Trish Morey
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886429





My rating




From the back cover:

"You don't know me, but I'm having your baby.
Dominic Pirelli's carefully ordered world falls apart when a female stranger phones with staggering news: an IVF mix-up means she is carrying the baby that he and his late wife dreamed of having! Though he distrusts her motives, Dominic is determined to keep waif-like Angelina Cameron close. Taking her to his luxury home, reluctantly the hardened tycoon begins to admire Angie's strength and gentle beauty as her body swells with the precious life inside her. But when their baby is born, who will have custody of the Pirelli heir?"

When I started reading this I immediately thought "uh-oh, another IVF mix up this is going to be like the Maisey Yates book I have recently read". But, the IVF mix up aside, this is a very different book and a very enjoyable one at that!

The female character Angelina has just discovered that the baby she is carrying from her recent IVF treatment is actually the baby of the male character Dominic and his late wife, after a mix up at the IVF clinic caused the wrong embryo to be implanted. Angelina has been through a rough time recently, her husband was unhappy with the results of the mix up and wanted her to abort the baby, after she refused she found out he was having an affair and is now in the process of a divorce with her husband leaving her with almost nothing and trying to take the house her mother left her.
Angelina knows that she doesn't have the resources to bring up the baby herself and wants to selflessly give the baby to it's rightful parents. Dominic is suspicious of Angelina, as he is a very rich man he can't see why she wouldn't want something out of him. He moves Angelina into his home in order to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't change her mind about giving up the baby.

I really liked this book, it's very emotional and the love that develops between Angelina and Dominic is beautifully crafted. I really liked how Trish Morey wrote Angelina to be a really honest and genuine character; she knows she doesn't have a lot and doesn't have any delusions of grandeur relating to her life, she simply wants to live a normal life in her normal working class neighbourhood. Dominic is also a well written character with complex issues. His distrust of Angelina is constantly tested by Angelina's selfless behaviour and he really goes on a journey of self discovery in order to trust and realise his love for her.

A great book!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #23

Staying Alive - Debra Webb
Mills and Boon Intrigue
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2008
ISBN: 9780263872569






My rating




From the back cover:

"Claire Grant, you will die. Over and over again.
A selfless act of bravery propelled Seattle schoolteacher Claire Grant into the centre of a manhunt. Now catching a terrorist depends on her – and her ability to play his deadly revenge game. One wrong move and she’ll die. And so will an innocent child. Her best chance for staying alive is charismatic FBI agent Luke Krueger – a man with his own agenda. Separate, Claire and Luke are pawns.
But together, can they uncover the terrorist’s weakness and stop the madman once and for all?"

In a few reviews back I mentioned that a book I read was like a more romantic version of the TV series 24, well this book could quite easily be a plot line of 24. Needless to say it was certainly full of action.

The heroine of the story is Claire, a 5th grade (that's year 6 to us Brits!) teacher. Claire lives a relatively normal life, however one morning terrorists breaks into the school and holds her class hostage. A pupil in her class is the son of a senator and the terrorists attempt to use this in order to secure the release of a captured terrorist. Claire is forced to shoot one of the terrorists in order to save her pupils lives, that terrorist turns out to be the only son of the leader of this particular terrorist cell. He plans revenge on Claire for this.
Enter the hero, FBI agent Jake who has been part of the mission to bring down the terrorist cell for a long time. He vows to protect Claire but makes it known that capturing the terrorist leader is priority and Claire will have to follow out all of the leaders awful instructions of revenge, even if that means Claire may die.

I really struggled to give this book a rating; I enjoyed this book very much, the plot line was excited, and very well detailed, it was definitely nail-biting stuff, and it had some really tense and emotional moments. However, it did not have much in the way of romance between the two characters. There was some nice interaction between them but not really enough for it to be a true romance novel. I did like however that their relationship was left almost open ended in that no professions of love were given, instead Claire and Jake acknowledge that they have an attraction to one another and they will give it go.
This book is written entirely from Claire's perspective and I do think it would have benefited by having Jake's perspective in there as well.

I could definitely see Jake as Jack Bauer! Hmmm, I think I'm going to have to watch the first season of 24 again...!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #22

The Secretary's Scandalous Secret - Cathy Williams
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886245

My rating




From the back cover:

"She's at the top of her boss's agenda -
Agatha Havers feels totally out of her depth working for Luc Loughton. Hiding behind her shapeless cardigans, she is invisible to her boss....
Until Luc discovers the tantalising curves Agatha has been concealing...and suddenly awakening his wholesome secretary goes to the top of this agenda!
Agatha finds herself living a fairytale - until she's brought back to reality with a bump..."

Another Modern I know! But it is my favourite series so it's understandable!

This is the story of Agatha and Luc. They grew up in the same village, he is the son of the village's richest family and she is the daughter of the local vicar and his wife. Luc gave Agatha a job after being asked to by his mother, after she was helped by Agatha's parents when Luc's father died leaving the family with financial problems. Agatha is a traditional country girl, preferring to spend time outdoors, and struggles with the job and fast paced life in London. Luc resents the pressure he feels (from his mother) to watch out for Agatha, whom he finds frustrating. He soon finds out that Agatha is in fact very alluring and starts an affair with her. He doesn't want a serious relationship and when he realises she is falling for him breaks up with her. Only later Agatha tells him she is pregnant but refuses his marriage proposal after the way he treated her.

The 'commitment shy playboy gets the girl pregnant' plot line is a common theme found in the Modern line, which usually has great conflict and romance elements. This book unfortunately does not make the most of the plot line possibility. I found the characters frustrating, Luc was patronising practically all the time to Agatha, he was also horribly bossy to her as well as completely contradicting, e.g. he tells Agatha to dress more professionally and when she does he tells her she is dressing inappropriately, and he tries to stop her going on a date to keep her innocence yet is shocked when he realises he took her virginity. I just couldn't warm to him. Agatha's character just seemed a bit silly. Also the major conflict fell a little flat.

I'm not saying this is a bad book, it's not and is a quick and enjoyable read, but it just didn't, for me, have that Je ne sais quoi.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #21

The Cowboy's Son - Delores Fossen
Mills and Boon Intrigue
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2008
ISBN: 9780263872606

My rating




From the back cover:

"Marriage for baby
Ranchman Dylan Greer knew the baby he’d adopted was his in every way that mattered. Except beautiful cop Collena Drake swore a criminal ring had stolen her baby and that someone was crossing every line to keep the illegal adoption secret. In order to protect the innocent child, Collena made him an offer – get married and share custody. As a businessman, Dylan thought the plan brilliant. But resisting his bride as the danger mounted would be near impossible.
For Their Baby’s Sake Safeguarding children is their first priority"

I seem to have fallen into a bit of a rut with reading just the Modern and Intrigue series' at the moment, for that I can only apologise and promise some variety is coming!

This is the story of former cop Collena who had her baby stolen when she went into premature labour during an undercover operation to bring down an illegal adoption ring. After 2 years she has finally tracked down her baby son living with his adopted father, Dylan. She breaks in to his ranch and she confronts him with the truth about the adoption. Dylan is both shocked and angry that Collena has come for her son. Collena proposes a marriage of convenience in order for them to share custody of the baby and to stop the baby's rich paternal grandfather from taking it away. At the same time Collena is in danger from an escaped prisoner, whom she sent to jail as part of the illegal adoption ring and from a stalker that has been making Dylan's life a misery for over 10 years.

The relationship and the romance that develops between the hero and heroine is really sweet and well written. As for the rest of the book there was so many different things going on that it became a bit of a headache to read. The stealing and illegal adoption of Collena's baby is enough of a story on it's own but there was also the escaped prisoner, the murders, the baby's paternal grandfather wanting custody, Dylan's stalker, a jealous friend, unfriendly local cops, need I go on! All these things were going on at the same time that it became a bit hard to follow. And it was obvious who the stalker/killer throughout the entire book!

I feel the relationship wasn't established enough due to everything else that was going on. However if you want a lot of action then this has it!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #20

A Mistake, A Prince and A Pregnancy - Maisey Yates
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263878509



My rating




From the back cover:

"She's given him a baby....
An IVF clinic mix-up means eternally single Alison Whitman is now carrying the child - no, the royal heir - of Maximo Rossi, Prince of Turan!
Now he'll take her for his wife!
Maximo gave up on the hope of fatherhood a long time ago, but now the ruthless ruler will seize this surprise second chance. However, tradition is high on the Prince's agenda, and he'll never stand for an illegitimate heir...
Alison is about to find out that royal marriage is a command, not a choice!"

Ahh, back to my old faithful M&B Moderns as you can see! I was quite looking forward to reading this book. It's the first Maisey Yates book I have read and I have heard good things, plus her twitter updates are always amusing! This book definitely didn't disappoint me.

The story begins with the heroine Alison visiting the hero Maximo to inform him that she is pregnant with his child. She doesn't realise that Maximo is a prince. Alison had a traumatic time growing up after her younger sister passed away and her father walked out on Alison and her mother. As a result Alison doesn't want anything to do with love or relationships and decided to have a baby by artificial insemination, however a mix up at the clinic caused the wrong donation to be given. She makes the decision to tell Maximo as she is a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, which her sister suffered from, and needs to ascertain if Maximo is also a carrier.
Maximo is both shocked and angry when he first learns of the mistake, he is also suspicious of Alison. His wife passed away two years ago, before that they had been going through infertility treatment, unsuccessfully. Maximo realises that he has been blessed with the second chance of having the child he so desperately wanted. However due to his royal status he has to convince Alison to marry him, and comes up against all her issues regarding relationships.

I really enjoyed this book, the story was interesting and the characters were both well written and had great chemistry. The conflicts and emotions both characters faced were interesting.
I found it refreshing how Maisey Yates has managed to write a great Alpha-male character that you would expect of the Modern line, yet he was not a shameless playboy, which so many other books contain and, instead he was more grounded and believes in commitment, bravo! Alison was also a great character, she feisty and independent a real 21st century girl and definitely more relatable than the atypical doormat female character!
There were some great minor characters as well; Maximo's parents were a hoot, especially his snobby mother! And the jealous bitchy doctor, I would have liked to have seen more of her!

I am definitely impressed with my first experience with Maisey's books, she has taken the traditional elements of this line (i.e Alpha-males, luxury settings etc) and really made them both more believable and more up-to-date! After reading this I grabbed 'The Inherited Bride' and 'Marriage Made on Paper' to add to my TBR pile!

Oh, on a last note, in the U.S. this is called 'An Accidental Birthright' I much prefer this title, it's less of a tongue twister!! Not that the title matters of course!

Xx