365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #116

The Greek Tycoon's Ultimatum - Lucy Monroe
Mills and Boon Modern, 2003
Reprinted in 'His Wife, His Revenge' Mills and Boon Special Releases
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2008
ISBN: 9780263869019


My rating





From the back cover:

"Savannah has returned to Greece with the intention of making her peace with the Kiriakis family. But Leiandros Kiriakis still believes the lies about Savannah and is set on making her pay for the past.
Savannah is reluctant when Leiandros demands that she share his home. As for Leiandros, now he has Savannah right where he wants her. And in a short time he'll be giving her an ultimatum: if she doesn't want to lose everything she holds most dear, she'll agree to be his wife!"


I have read quite a few of Lucy Monroe's books in the past and always enjoyed them, this one is no exception. I also discovered after reading it, that this one was actually her first for Mills and Boon!

The heroine Savannah is finally free after her abusive husband's death, but there are still unresolved issues with her late husband's family, whom he had poisoned against her. The hero Leiandros is the head of the family and harbours a bitter resentment towards Savannah for the lies he believed about her and that he has always wanted her. He summons her to Greece so that her daughters have a chance to get to know their family, and Savannah reluctantly agrees to go. However what she doesn't know is that Leiandros plans to make her stay there by becoming his wife. He believes Savannah owes him for his years of wanting her and for the pain she caused his family. Savannah soon realises she has no choice and feels her freedom slipping away again, as well as the fact that she tries desperately to hide her growing feelings for Leiandros.

I enjoyed this book from the very start, and it kept me riveted throughout. The combination of deep emotional moments and intense passion really made this book stand out. I couldn't believe that this was Lucy Monroe's debut book, it is written beautifully, as though she had been doing it for a very long time! The characters are both really well developed and matched each other perfectly. Oh, and the ending is simply wonderful.

Recommended.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #115

The Vengeful Husband - Lynne Graham
Mills and Boon Presents, 1998
Reprinted in 'His Wife, His Revenge' Mills and Boon Special Releases
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2008
ISBN: 9780263869019


My rating





From the back cover:

"Darcy Fielding, a single mom, decides she must ADVERTISE for a husband! But the consequences of one night of unforgettable passion are about to return to haunt her...
Gianluca Raffacani has finally traced the mysterious beauty who disappeared from his bed. She is advertising for a husband - his perfect opportunity for revenge...Only, Luca finds he's married the mother of his secret child!"


A lot of the books I have been reading lately have been published very recently, so I thought I would go for something a little older. I picked up the Special Releases omnibus, as above, a while back at a second hand book stall.

The heroine Darcy is trying to keep her beloved family home afloat, she has an inheritance due but only if she gets married and remains married for at least 6 months. Since she is busy with her home and her young daughter she has no time, or desire, to meet someone, so she decided to advertise for a husband. The hero Luca has been been searching for Darcy for 3 years after they spent the night together and she stole a very valuable ring. When his investigator tells him about Darcy's predicament and her advertisement, Luca sees this as his chance to finally get revenge. Darcy doesn't recognise Luca as the night they spent together she was without her glasses and her eyesight is very poor. When she does finally realise, they are already married and it's too late. At first she believes his anger is over keeping his daughter from him, but when he confronts her about the stolen ring she is shocked.

This is a great book, and considering its 13 years old it doesn't seem dated at all. Lynne Graham has a very unique style and always produces well thought out and interesting books. Both characters are really appealing; I adored Darcy and her very eccentric and calamity prone personality, she is the perfect other half to Luca's alpha-male personality. In my opinion Lynne Graham is a true master at creating alpha-males! There is also enough secrecy and questions in this book to really keep you interested and it ends fantastically.

Thoroughly recommended.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #114

Seduction and the CEO - Barbara Dunlop
Mills and Boon Desire 2-in-1
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263882131





My rating






From the back cover:

"Making money comes easily for millionaire Jared Ryder, though the hectic corporate lifestyle has him heading to his Montana ranch whenever possible. There, a new female hired hand has the CEO thinking about mixing a little pleasure with business.
Melissa Warner certainly doesn't have many ranching skills. But her beauty's too captivating to ignore, and Jared's ready to stake his claim. Yet even in his passion-induced haze, he suspects Melissa of hiding something. Heaven help her if he discovers her lie, for there's nothing more dangerous than Ryder retribution."


This is the second book in the Desire 2-in-1 as above. Another enjoyable book.

The heroine Melissa is a journalist and is aiming for a promotion, in order to get it she needs to secure an interview/feature with elusive CEO Jared, the hero. She travels to Montana and pretends she is a traveller in need of money and gets a job on Jared's ranch. As she hoped, she manages to get Jared's attention, but in attempting to dig for information she also arouses his suspicions. However there is also an attraction between them, and despite Melissa's deceit and Jared's suspicions they can't help but give in to their desire. Jared has recently learn't some devastating news about his family and hasn't been able to tell anyone. He feels very alone and when his sister attempts to matchmake him and Melissa he plays along and they grow ever closer, leading him to open up. But he doesn't know about Melissa's true reason for being there and what she might do with this information.

This is an interesting plot that had real potential. At first I felt very uncomfortable over Melissa's lies, however this did add a bit of excitement to the book. Although the story is well written, I felt it fell short of it's potential. The last few chapters felt very rushed and lacked any punch. But I did like both the characters and the chemistry between them.

Overall, this is a light and enjoyable read.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #113

The Last Lone Wolf - Maureen Child
Mills and Boon Desire 2-in-1
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263882131





My rating





From the back cover:

"After a career of life-risking service, Jericho King desired only the solitude of his mountain lodge...and the occasional no-strings affair. But when Daisy Saxon arrived, his plans came to an end, for he'd once pledged his help if ever she was in need. Surely he could give her a job and a home, all without succumbing to his desires. But the lone wolf was in for a shock when he learned Daisy's true agenda was to get pregnant with King's baby!"


So in effort to give some more variety to this challenge I picked up this Desire 2-in-1 that was on my shelf, I think it was a birthday present. Anyway, this is another enjoyable book from this line.

The hero Jericho runs a wilderness retreat, and the heroine Daisy turns up looking for a job as the retreat's cook. Jericho and Daisy actually have a connection, as Jericho was in the marines with Daisy's brother and with him when he died. Jericho offered help to Daisy after this happened and now she's here to take him up on his offer. Only it's not actually the job as Jericho thinks, instead Daisy is desperate for a family and plans to try and seduce Jericho in order to get pregnant. Jericho knows that he offered to help Daisy but thinks she's too much of a city girl to belong at the lodge. But she surprises him with her enthusiasm and determination, and he finds himself attracted to her. Jericho tries to ignore his growing feelings for Daisy but they both succumb to their desire eventually. Daisy realises that she is falling in love with Jericho but feels guilty over her real reasons for being there, and whether to tell Jericho or not.

This is a really well written and thought out book. The plot is also slightly different and that kept me interested. I liked both characters, both are written with an inner sadness that felt very real, and that they could only heal each other is a really nice part to the book.

I do think this book lacked a bit of oomph, but it is quite an enjoyable read.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #112

The Baby Project - Susan Meier
Harlequin Romance
Harlequin, 2011
ISBN: 9780373177219

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



My rating



From the back cover:

"The last thing Whitney Ross needs is to be made temporary guardian of baby Gino. It will only remind her of the precious daughter she lost so tragically... Then there's another problem—the little orphan's new daddy. Darius Andreas is a hotshot tycoon who is cool, collected, shockingly gorgeous and far from ready to be a father!
Whitney must teach Darius the ways of parenting, but it will take all her courage. And as she takes on the baby project, another daunting task comes to light: dealing with her inconvenient feelings for Darius!"


I have been reading a lot of RIVA's and Modern's recently so I thought I would go for a nice one from the Romance line. This is my first book by Susan Meier and it was quite enjoyable.

The heroine Whitney is given joint custody of her late best friend's six month old son, along with the baby's half brother Darius, the hero. Whitney is terrified of this new part of her life, she is still grieving for the loss of her baby daughter and husband, and finds it difficult to connect with the baby at first. Darius also struggles, he didn't know about his baby brother and never had an easy relationship with his father. As he and Whitney learn to be parents they grow close and soon they realise that there is more than friendship between them. But neither of them wants anything permanent.

I enjoyed this book, the writing is nice and the story flows really well. The characters are nicely portrayed; Whitney in particular is really well developed, her loss is heartbreaking and written with great sensitivity. The development of the relationship is also nice, it takes place over a long(ish) period of time, which to me made it more believable.
However there were parts of this book that I found completely unrelatable; eg. the characters just seemed to swan in and out of the baby's life when they weren't working and then leave the rest to the nanny. I found it a little off putting.

But, this is a nice, quick and sweet romance.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #111

Watch and Learn - Stephanie Bond
Harlequin Blaze
Reprinted in 'Rugged Rebels' Mills and Boon Special Releases
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2010
ISBN: 9780263889444



My rating






From the back cover:

"Gemma Jacobs needs a life--a sex life. Newly divorced, she vows that this time it's going to be all about her! So when she receives a letter containing an assignment she did for a sex ed course in college, she takes it as a sign.
In the letter, Gemma had confessed her most secret sexual fantasies...as well as her most forbidden sexual vice.
She liked to be watched. By strangers.
And she still does.
Lucky for Gemma, her sexy new neighbor, Chev Martinez, is totally enjoying the show. But how well will her voyeuristic little game hold up when Chev decides to venture behind the scenes?"


I have had this book on my Kindle for a while and thought I would give it a go.

The heroine Gemma is very recently divorced and feels completely lost. She had dedicated her life to her political aspiring husband and is struggling to be anything other than sad. Then she receives a package including a 'letter to your future self' from a college project 10 years ago. The letter discusses her sexual fantasies and Gemma's is/was that she liked to be watched. She is shocked to read it as she had buried that side of herself when she met her husband, but now she realises that she lost a big part of herself. Excited by her rediscovered sensual side she also notices her sexy new neighbour, the hero Chev. Chev is renovating the house next door and has also noticed Gemma on more than one occasion, he also sees Gemma's sadness and wants to help her feel good again. When he, completely by accident, sees Gemma undressing he is more than intrigued, especially by the fact the she knew he was watching. Along with the occasional 'shows' he and Gemma also become friends and grow very close. But with Gemma's new found sexual freedom and Chev's lack of interest in commitment there doesn't seem to be any future for them.

I'm a fan of Blaze books and the more daring or forward subject matters they deal with. However this one just didn't really live up to expectation for me.
I liked the 'letter to your future self' about sexual fantasies idea, as well as how it enabled Gemma to reclaim her life. But I felt the execution of Gemma's exhibitionism fantasies felt a little flat. I also found Chev's character a little lacking, I would have liked to have learned a little more about him, when we had his point of view it was mostly about Gemma.

This is an OK book, quick and enjoyable but lacked that spark that makes a really great Blaze book.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #110

Strangers in the Desert - Lynn Raye Harris
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886533





My rating





From the back cover:

"The Desert King’s Lost Wife...
Isabella, the wife Sheikh Adan thought was dead, has just walked back into his life – on the eve of his wedding to another woman... Now Adan is to be crowned King, Isabella must be his Queen – sharing his desert throne and the royal bed...
But gone is the dutiful, pure girl he once knew – in her place is a defiant, sultry woman who makes Adan’s blood run hot… A woman who has no memory of being his wife..."


You should all know by now how much of a fan-girl I am for Lynn Raye Harris's books! So naturally I was really excited to read this one, and it was only 99p in the Kindle store!

The hero Adan is about to be crowned king, and also about to get married. However when one of his aides informs him that his first wife, whom is presumed dead after she walked into the desert and never found, has been spotted in Hawaii. Adan doesn't believe it but travels to Hawaii to check it out for himself. As it turns out his wife Isabella, the heroine, is alive but does not recognise Adan or have any memory of ever being married. Her father took her to live with her mother after an 'accident' that she has no memory of. Adan is not sure if he believes her, but plans to find out the truth and get a divorce so he can go ahead with his upcoming marriage and coronation. He takes Isabella back to his country in order to do this, but once there he gets to know the real Isabella and old passions return. But he still doesn't know the truth about what happened to Isabella and neither does she.

Once again Lynn Raye Harris has written an intense and compelling romance that draws you in from the very first page and keeps you guessing until the very last. The plot is rather unusual, but really well executed, I really love the fact that this is different than expected. In my opinion Lynn has a real talent for thinking up original and interesting storylines. There are many parts of this book where the author could so easily have drifted into cliché-land but wisely stayed away, hooray!(eg. the 'other-woman' fiancée could have been the bitchy-woman-scorned type, or Isabella's father could have been the devious-schemer type).
As for the reason why Isabella disappeared, it certainly keeps you guessing. Some of my many theories include; Isabella is lying and did fake her own death / she was kidnapped and brain-washed / her father cooked it up to get some sort of upper hand / Isabella is a twin and didn't actually marry Adan...! The actual reason is much less dramatic but very heartbreaking and beautifully written.

This book has two very well crafted characters and and original and exciting plot. In short, this is fantastic book.

Recommended

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #109

The Ultimate Risk - Chantelle Shaw
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263886573





My rating





From the back cover:

"For better...or for worse?
When she sees Lanzo di Cosimo again after ten years, Gina Bailey's pulse races at the memories of their heady affair - a time when life seemed perfect. Now she is far from being the carefree innocent she was before. Abused by her ex-husband, and with her dreams of a family dashed, she's built up barriers around her heart.
But Lanzo's sweet caress implies that he wants Gina for the long term. Can she afford to surrender in the hope that he might protect her, cherish her, for better or worse...?"


I have been eyeing this book for a while and when I saw it on sale in the Kindle story for only 99p I immediately bought it. This is an OK read.

The heroine Gina, has recently returned to her home town after divorce ended her traumatic marriage. However life still isn't easy as she is out of work and struggling to pay bills. Then she sees her first love Lanzo, the hero, who broke her heart 10 years ago when he ended their relationship and went back to Italy. Lanzo is both shocked and joyed to see Gina again, he is still very attracted to her and still holds onto the same regrets that prevented him from taking their relationship further. Lanzo offers Gina a temporary job, which she accepts reluctantly and they soon reignite the passion between them. Gina is afraid to open up her heart to Lanzo again and Lanzo still grieves for the loss of his fiancée 15 years ago. When passion leads to pregnancy Lanzo tells Gina he doesn't want to be a father and Gina goes back alone heartbroken once again, but she is never far from Lanzo's thoughts.

This is an interesting and well written book, and one well suited to the Modern line. I think Gina is a really well developed heroine, and very believable. Lanzo, I didn't like so much. He seemed too cold and acted like a bit of a martyr. Throughout the book it's made clear just how much he loved his late fiancée, that it almost felt as though *this* relationship would always be second best.

I enjoyed that they were able to heal each others pain, this felt very romantic.

A good read

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #108

The Road Not Taken - Jackie Braun
Mills and Boon RIVA
Harlequin Mills and Boon, 2011
ISBN: 9780263883756





My rating





From the back cover:

"Breaking down
Manipulative and cold as ice, Caro's ex might be an utter jerk, but she's got to go back to him to keep custody of her young son. Her journey through a blizzard makes the hard decision harder - and one almighty skid later she's got a whole new sub-zero problem...Until a mysterious stranger appears out of the mist on horseback!
Breaking free?
Trapped with him in the ongoing storm, Caro discovers her rescuer is an ex-cop - the grouchy-yet- gorgeous Jake McCabe. Shocked by their intense attraction, Caro will soon face the most difficult choice of all: in Jake she may have found the hero she's been looking for (and, by God, deserves!), but to claim him she risks losing her little boy..."


I know, I know, it's another RIVA! This is my first book by Jackie Braun and I quite enjoyed it.

The heroine Caro has been trying to get her life back after separating from her controlling husband, however due to him threatening to get full custody of their son she is on the verge of going back to him. During her journey to his home she is involved in a car accident due to a snow storm, where she is rescued by Jake, the hero. Jake offers her a place to stay at his inn he is refurbishing while her car is being fixed, his family are also there visiting. Jake moved to Vermont after a traumatic experience in his former job as a police officer, he has also struggled with his grief over the end of his marriage and his wife aborting their baby. Jake and Caro feel a connection to one another and they grow close, and with the help of Jake's family they begin to see past their own pain. However Caro knows she has to go back to her husband for her son's benefit.

From the very start this is a really emotional book. The characters each have their own issues that they are able to work through together, which is very satisfying to read. The third party characters also helped to add more depth to the story. The writing is wonderful and really draws you into the feelings of the characters. I do have a problem with the period of time the story takes place over, it's just too short to really believe the characters fell in love so deeply.

This is a nice, warm book about second chances. Recommend.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #107

The Replacement Wife - Caitlin Crews
Mills and Boon Modern
Harlequin UK
ISBN: 9780263886757





My rating





From the back cover:

"She can’t fall in love with her husband!
Becca Whitney has always lived with the knowledge that her blue-blooded family disowned her as a baby. So when she receives a summons to return to the ancestral mansion she’s intrigued.
Theo Markou Garcia needs a wife – or at least someone who looks strikingly similar to his infamous fiancée. Becca would be the perfect replacement...
The deal: masquerade as the Whitney heiress in exchange for your own true fortune – but do not fall for your husband!"


I'll admit that the back cover blurb didn't really inspire me to read this book, but I picked it up mainly because I really likes the last book I read by Caitlin Crews, as well as the fact that I adore this cover!

The heroine Becca is summoned to the home of her upper class relatives, the same relatives that have ignored her all her life and disowned her mother. When she arrives and after a verbal battle with her vile uncle and aunt she meets the hero Theo, whom she immediately feels attracted to. It turns out that Becca's well known heiress cousin has had an accident and is in a coma, and before that happened she apparently changed her will to give away a controlling stake in the family business to one of her lovers. Those shares were meant to go to Theo when they married. They need to find the will and they ask Becca, who looks similar to her cousin, to pretend to be her in order to get the will back from the lover. Becca is disgusted at the events and initially refuses, but agrees when the family agree to give Becca the inheritance that her mother should have got. Becca goes through weeks of learning how to act like her high society cousin and she finds it torture, and the most difficult part is trying to hide her desire for Theo. But when they do start a fling she can't help but think she is just a substitute for her cousin in Theo's eyes.

The plot idea is certainly different and well thought out. I adored the upper class Manhattan setting, and the attitudes of the snobbish relatives were really well portrayed. Some of the best parts of the book are the moments when Becca goes head to head with her horrible uncle, the verbal sparring is masterful. Becca is a wonderful feisty heroine and really made this book. I have to be honest and say that I didn't like Theo as a hero, at times I felt he came across as mean and shallow.

I enjoyed this book the plot is well thought out and the book as a whole is written beautifully, definitely worth reading. The back cover blurb is a little misleading though, so bear that in mind.

Xx