Not a lot of conflict until the last two chapters. Hero is an investment banker who is asked by his reformed mafia thug father to look into investing Not a lot of conflict until the last two chapters. Hero is an investment banker who is asked by his reformed mafia thug father to look into investing in a vineyard in Tuscany. The heroine is a public relations “princess” who is asked by her Italian nobility father to be nice to the hero so they can keep the vineyard in the family. He threatens her with moving her mother out of a private mental health facility to a public one.
Hero is a playboy (he has a naked woman waiting for him at his flat after he is done with the family wedding). Hero has no respect for his father (this is never resolved with any of the brothers and this is the last book in the series). Nevertheless, he agrees to visit the vineyard.
H/h meet and fall instantly in lust. The H kisses her at the airport. He kisses her after a harrowing ride to the villa with the heroine driving well below the speed limit because she is so nervous. Then he plays footsie and handsy during a dinner party that same day. They have sex without a condom that night and you know the rest.
She’s pregnant within a month.
H/h marry – but hero overhears the heroine demand money from her father right before their wedding. He concludes heroine doesn’t really love him – she just set him up for a cut of the loan? Honestly, it makes no sense. Maybe that’s why SM stuck this black moment at the very end where no one had to examine it too closely.
The hero has wild thoughts about cheating on the heroine with another woman to assuage his pain. He makes plans to see a lawyer. He tries not to look at the sonogram. He does none of these things but he's a drama king for a week or two until the h goes to the hospital for spotting. She and baby are fine, but hero is now ready to listen to the heroine’s explanation and he declares his love.
It’s all kind of phoned in – with the heroine’s bad driving the most memorable part of the story. ...more
Uneven story that started off slow with a courtship sequence between the H/h that made the romance look inevitable until the misunderstandings began. Uneven story that started off slow with a courtship sequence between the H/h that made the romance look inevitable until the misunderstandings began.
Hero is a former Wimbledon champ who retired from tennis after he accidentally hit his father with his car and killed him. The scandal was too much for his fans, and hero got bitter and surly. Heroine is an interior decorator whose first teenage crush was on the hunky tennis hero. She's since outgrown her crushes, but she's still a virgin, still selective at 25. She has a business partner (wannabe OM) who is suddenly getting possessive of her and is jealous of the hero.
H/h do not have a promising first meeting, because the heroine is meek and mild and a bit starstruck around her former crush. Their next meeting heroine dresses up and challenges the hero and allows her personality to shine. Hero is smitten.
They go on another date for fish and chips and the heroine is falling in love. Her business partner is not happy about this. Heroine spends a lot of time with the hero living at the huge home he bought, with the hero making suggestive noises about the bedrooms. Etc . . . zzzzzzzzzzzz
Then finally, when the heroine is succumbing to the hero's kisses and is going to go to bed with him, the hero's mother tells her that the hero is a womanizer and he'll break her heart. (This is misunderstanding #1)
Hero is upset when heroine turns him down without a reason. He jumps to the conclusion that she's changed her mind because she remembered her business partner and didn't want to cheat. (misunderstanding #2) From there he turns into cruel hero. Taunting her with an OW. Making her change things and generally being a pain in the neck during the redecorating. When heroine tries to stand up for herself, hero threatens blackmail - he'll sue for breach of contract, etc . . .
Heroine is living on and off in the house with hero's "ill" mother and the hero and - to add to the hero's black mood- hero's brother and wife show up. Brother's wife dated hero before her marriage, so heroine thinks the hero is still in love with her. (misunderstanding #3)
During and after a dinner party from hell, the hero thinks heroine is flirting with his brother (misunderstanding #4) Heroine makes it sound like she's going to move in with her business partner (misunderstanding #5). But when her car won't start, she has to rely on the hero to either drive her home or let her stay for the night.
Hero is a complete ass about it and the heroine starts walking, turns her ankle, and cries. Hero finds her and they have more passionate kissing until a car drives by. Heroine comes to her senses. Hero is angry she changed her mind again.
The H/h are at an impasse. The heroine finds out the truth about the hero's father's death from his agent. (view spoiler)[ The hero's mother ran him down with her car. He was a womanizer and she had had enough. Hero took the blame for the accident. His father went by the same name as the hero, so when the mother told her that Luke was a womanizer, she was referring to her husband, not the hero. (hide spoiler)] This clears up misunderstanding #1.
Hero eventually asks the heroine to marry him even though he still thinks the heroine is with her business partner. Heroine thinks he just wants her for sex, but she sets him straight on the OM. (He's marrying her roommate) What she doesn't do is confront the hero about his love for his sister-in-law. Hero thinks she talking about tennis. And he decides to go back to tennis to win her.
Hero does play tennis again and wins. Then he asks her to marry him again - this time he tells her he loves her by recreating a photo that the fourteen year-old heroine had sent him after the scandal. She was holding a sign that said I love you by a tree on her family's property. Hero had his agent take the same pic against the same tree. The final misunderstanding is straightened out.
The title has to do with the "weather" of the hero's moods - something his agent/coach brings up with the heroine.
If you like misunderstandings and a blow hot/blow cold hero - this one is for you. Heroine is going to have to put up with the drama king hero, but she seems to have enough backbone to handle him. I liked her. Hero was a bit much for my tastes. The author didn't provide her usual humorous touches, which I missed....more
**spoiler alert** Plenty of reviews for this one, so I won't get into the plot. I have this listed under revenge by hero - but it's really more of bla**spoiler alert** Plenty of reviews for this one, so I won't get into the plot. I have this listed under revenge by hero - but it's really more of blackmail plot, since our smitten hero really, really wants the heroine in his bed - first as a mistress then as a secret wife and then as a real wife. It's adorable to watch him move the goal posts so that heroine will feel safe and secure with him.
I really liked the chicken pox scene and the poor hero taking on five thugs to protect the h.
I wasn't as impressed with the heroine. The dyslexia hangup and the fact that most of their conflict hinged on a misunderstanding (she was not the old guy's mistress) knocked a star off for me.
But those aren't huge quibbles. The hero more than makes up for the heroine's deficiencies. Lynne Graham did a great job setting up a very memorable trilogy. All of them are worth reading....more
Well, well, well. Sara Craven wrote a Regency House Party novel and forgot to tell Harlequin Presents. Not that that is a bad thing. This was an enjoyWell, well, well. Sara Craven wrote a Regency House Party novel and forgot to tell Harlequin Presents. Not that that is a bad thing. This was an enjoyable slow-burn story with a dollop of drama at the end.
The story opens with the hero's valet - I mean butler - waking him up to inform him that his aunt is on her way over and he should get the married woman in his bed out of the apartment ASAP. The hero has a hangover and is regretting his one night stand. He regrets it even more when his aunt uses it to blackmail him into seducing his cousin's current lover away from him. Seems she has plans for her son that don't include an English wine bar waitress.
The banker hero reluctantly agrees to host the cousin, the heroine, his mother and her nuisance dog at his castle in Umbria. There he will lure the heroine away from the cousin and his aunt won't go public with his affair with the married woman. Little does the hero know that the heroine is only window dressing for the cousin. The cousin doesn't want to marry his mother's choice, so he is paying the heroine to act a part for two weeks. Heroine will be glad to give up her wine bar job so she can concentrate on her PR job that has the hero's bank as a major client.
And the rest in bullet points: (view spoiler)[ 1. Hero falls in love with heroine at first sight. He references Petrarch's obsession with Laura (same name as heroine). Of course the hero doesn't know he's in love - he's just -um - interested. 2. Heroine has very few clothes. There is a lot of dressing up for dinner, siesta time, and reading. Heroine makes a beeline for Jane Austen, of course. She also plays the piano in an empty room. It was the hero's mother and it makes the old servant weep with joy to hear it. 3. The cousin comes down with a heavy cold and stays in bed for days, thus leaving the H/h to their own devices. 4. Auntie is most disagreeable as is her dog. But the heroine takes pity on the dog when he is left tied up with no water and from then on, the dog is her faithful friend. 5. The weak cousin keeps showing his disagreeable side - and he leaves the heroine stranded with the hero when his mother insists he go to the coast with her to recover and see friends. 6. Hero stops his seduction when he realizes the heroine is a virgin. He is full of guilt because "his" Laura shouldn't be disrespected like that. 7. There is a spectacular thunderstorm that blocks the road. 8. Heroine throws herself at the hero and they finally have sex. 9. Auntie shows up and tells heroine how the hero was just using her because he was being blackmailed. 10. Hero is angry about the aunt and doesn't explain himself very well. The cousin is angry at the heroine for not dressing the window correctly. 11. Heroine leaves in tears. In a pout, the cousin forges the hero's signature so the heroine loses her job. 12. A month later, the hero disowns both aunt and cousin and then hunts down heroine who is home early with menstrual cramps. Hero proposes and heroine claims it isn't romantic because no sex, but the hero says it's about love not sex. HEA.
As you can see, this is a sweet story - not a dramatic one. All the Petrarch references actually work since the hero is really a Regency character who loves old ruins and reciting medieval poetry and listening to the piano.
Heroine met business man hero when she was 18 and fell head over heels. Then she overheard her stepfather trying to bargain with the hero - at first tHeroine met business man hero when she was 18 and fell head over heels. Then she overheard her stepfather trying to bargain with the hero - at first trying to marry her off and then offering her as a mistress. Hero rejected both deals since she was too young for a wife and too inexperienced to be a mistress. Heroine ran off before she could hear more.
Now, four years later she's working at a jewelry store on Australia's Gold Coast. The hero walks in with the OW (his assistant) and immediately asks her out. Heroine is mistrustful of him, but she thinks she might be able to get him out of her system - finally - if she goes to bed with him. (view spoiler)[ They do dating things - dinners out, swimming, going to a national park, hanging out with the neighbors and playing cricket with the neighborhood children. The OW stops in to make trouble, but the heroine can't quit the hero. The hero finally hears how evil the heroine's stepfather was and where her lack of trust in men came from. Their few weekends of passion result in a pregnancy.
The hero brings her back to NZ, but she doesn't trust him enough for marriage. Hero bends over backwards to make her feel safe and independent. OW shows up to ruin things for awhile, but a miscarriage scare convinces the hero to explain his feelings. HEA. (hide spoiler)]
This is a nice little story with no surprises. The hero is obviously besotted and the heroine really makes him work. It's also a nice trip to Australia. The Kiwi's view of Oz made me smile - that rivalry lives on even in HPlandia. ...more
Heroine: Please, you must help me find my sister whom I have controlled her whole life. Hero: Let's have sex Heroine: I'm a relaA review in three acts:
Heroine: Please, you must help me find my sister whom I have controlled her whole life. Hero: Let's have sex Heroine: I'm a relationship counselor and meaningless sex is the worst thing you can ever do. Hero: Let's have sex Heroine: Look, I know you're a billionaire divorce lawyer for rich and powerful guys. You must hate women. Hero: Let's have sex Heroine: But, but . . . You're going to fire my sister if she doesn't show up for work? It's your fault she ran off with your brother. Hero: Let's have sex. Heroine: You want me to take my sister's place as your assistant? And go to your private island in the Caribbean? Do divorce lawyers always meet their clients on their private islands? Hero: Let's have sex. Act II (view spoiler)[ Heroine: Where's the client? Hero: Let's have sex on my sail boat. Heroine: Is that a hurricane coming? Hero: Let's have sex at this abandoned cottage. Heroine: What do you mean I'm a control freak and my sister hates me? Hero: We can't have sex on the beach during a hurricane. Let's have sex inside. Heroine: I'm a charlatan. I know nothing about relationships. I have to stop being a control freak. Let's have sex. Hero: That's my line.
Act III Hero: Let's have sex all the time. Heroine: It ends now because I have violated my own principles. But now I know what love is and therefore I must leave you. Hero: I haven't had sex for two weeks. Heroine: I haven't left my apartment for two weeks because of the paparazzi. Hero: Why didn't you call me on the sex line? I want to marry you. Heroine: What? You hate woman and marriage. Hero: I actually took woman client today and I'm going to help her fight for child support based on the story of your miserable childhood. Now let's have sex and then get married. Heroine: Okay.
(hide spoiler)] And that's about as deep as their conversations ever went. Hero was as shallow as puddle. The heroine was neurotic - physician, heal thyself. I think the sister made a great escape. ...more
A step-sibling romance (hero is the nephew of the stepfather) that began and ended five years before when the hero was run out of the family by his unA step-sibling romance (hero is the nephew of the stepfather) that began and ended five years before when the hero was run out of the family by his uncle who vowed his name would never be uttered again.
The heroine thinks the hero betrayed her by getting a local girl pregnant and that's why her stepfather was so angry - but there is obviously more to the story.
Heroine's mother is an aging has-been actress who married the stepfather for security and status when the heroine was eleven. The mother wanted the step-nephew gone so that her son would take over the family business. The son is now working at the mill, making a mess of it. The heroine is part-owner of an art gallery - which is subsidized by loans from her stepfather.
And enter the hero after five years. He's just in time for his uncle's formal birthday party. His uncle had invited him back to live and to take over the company. The h's mother is hysterical at this turn of events, since now her son won't inherit. She is also worried about her daughter's prospects and tries to engineer a public engagement between the h and the son of the local gentry at the party, but the heroine runs away. Now that the H is back, she realizes she can't love another.
That's the last we see of her backbone for the rest of the story.
The H declares his need for revenge to our quivering h - but he doesn't explain the whole story. There is also the mystery of a local artist who has a five year-old son and hates the h's family. The heroine's mother makes hysterical speeches, which endear her to no one - except the heroine who feels sorry for her. The brother drinks a lot.
Finally we and the heroine learn the truth. The heroine keeps her mother's secret (view spoiler)[ (She lied about the local girl - it was her son and not the hero who got the local girl pregnant. She paid her off and then blamed the hero. She also wrote a letter in the heroine's name accusing the hero of rape and sexual abuse while she was growing up. (hide spoiler)]
That the heroine could feel any compassion for her mother for these lies when her only motivation was all out greed is beyond me. In this case, the hero had a great motivation for revenge - although his target was wrong.
The tension in the story comes from the hero's anger and the heroine's confusion about what is really going on. SC dribbles out the info in small doses and the erroneous assumptions of the heroine might confuse some readers. This is one you have to read carefully.
I really hated the heroine's mother and brother. The heroine's mother was never called to justice for her lies - instead she got a trip to Spain with her now-retired husband. The heroine was ridiculous - not telling the hero the truth when she finally realized it, running off to a hotel and assuming the H was cheating on her and neglecting his "lovechild." The hero was too good of a guy for this lot. ...more
Once I got over the implausibility of a virgin with a "big bottom" having sex with a prince at a rugby match after exchanging a few words, then I coulOnce I got over the implausibility of a virgin with a "big bottom" having sex with a prince at a rugby match after exchanging a few words, then I could settle in and enjoy the H/h getting to know each other.
I was glad when the h finally stopped with her insecure internal monologues and fell to ruminating about the hero. Reading about body image is not my favorite thing. I was won over when the chatty h made friends where ever she went. I know that's a Mary Sue trait, but I find it fun to read.
I didn't like the hero as much as the heroine. His distrust got old - especially after they had spent so much time together. And he was just as much to blame for the initial publicity of their relationship. Sex at a rugby match, really? I'm still trying to suspend my disbelief.
If you like insta-lust and one night stands that lead to a royal title, you'll like this one. ...more
This is a hard one to rate. There aren't any warm fuzzy feelings at the end, but there is justice for the hyper-possessive ex-husband, so there's thatThis is a hard one to rate. There aren't any warm fuzzy feelings at the end, but there is justice for the hyper-possessive ex-husband, so there's that. I found this interesting because in a different HP, the ex husband who was obsessed with the heroine could have been the hero and could have had his second chance. But here, his obsession is destructive and the heroine's fear of him is real and justified. The mystery of the heroine's marriage isn't cleared up until the end, but the reader certainly knows something is up, which sets up a nice tension.
I'm not keen on triangles and this one was uncomfortable . The hero is the cousin to the ex-husband and he is verbally abusive to the heroine at the beginning (to hide his true feelings, of course). However, when the heroine needed a champion, the hero stepped up beautifully.
This is another entry for the evil family list. Thankfully, the hideous in-laws realized how wrong they had been and believed the heroine's side of the story. The heroine's family who pressed her into marriage with the ex had already been written off, so that felt right. ...more
This one is okay if you don't mind a widowed hero who is still in love with his former wife and is convinced he'll never love again. However, he stillThis one is okay if you don't mind a widowed hero who is still in love with his former wife and is convinced he'll never love again. However, he still wants sex with the hot heroine who has hangups about some scars on her legs that caused her ex-husband to divorce her. The hero convinces himself that he's helping the heroine out by getting her over this insecurity. Meanwhile the heroine is eating her heart out (and writing in her diary) about how she can hide her love for the hero, because he'll break it off with her if he realizes her true feelings.
There's also a lot of page time about office politics (hero bought the company where the heroine works), her dead mother, and all the dreams and voices that prompted various characters to act in certain ways. For instance, the hero bought the company based on a dream. Okaaay. I guess I'm supposed to be charmed by the follow your heart mantra. Instead, I felt like the heroine was second best for most of the story and I'm not sure if she'll ever be first. The final paragraph describes the first wife's headstone - really unsettling. ...more
Wow - this one was different. And it really should go on the Harlequin Evil Family List here at Goodreads. Both the H/h had family members that messedWow - this one was different. And it really should go on the Harlequin Evil Family List here at Goodreads. Both the H/h had family members that messed their lives up when they were just teenagers and they are still paying the price 8 miserable years later.
LG does a great job showing that the H/h really were soul mates growing up, so their inability to get past the pain of betrayal was really harrowing to read. (In a good way - this is delicious angst).
I enjoyed the role reversal of the hero staying behind to lose his fortune while the heroine went out in the world and gained fame and fortune. Plus it's the heroine who secretly buys the hero's family home and can extract all kinds of revenge - although she never does.
And just in time for the holidays, I also enjoyed how truly horrible their families were. (view spoiler)[ The hero's mother was always mean to the heroine when she was growing up. The heroine's grandparents didn't care for for her physical or emotional needs because they wanted to punish their dead unwed daughter through an innocent child. The hero's mother told a huge lie the day after their night of passion, thus making the hero break it off brutally with the heroine. The heroine's grandparents kicked her out after she was pregnant. The heroine's father, a famous actor, wants to appear younger than his years, so he lets people think the h is his mistress and not his daughter. The hero's mother is crazy as a loon and slaps the H's shy, cringing daughter around. (hide spoiler)]
This is a very different LG - no ditzy dyslexic heroines, no cute pets, no indulgent Greek alpha billionaires. The H is a veterinarian with a hot temper. The h is an actress with accountants and housekeepers and the ability to manage them. These are two strong characters who really do lead with their hearts and not their heads. A very satisfying HP. Thanks to bookjunkie who brought it to my attention!...more
A second chance/blackmail story with a bit of a twist. H/h have been divorced for three years (he kicked her out because she was miserable on the farmA second chance/blackmail story with a bit of a twist. H/h have been divorced for three years (he kicked her out because she was miserable on the farm and he thought she should go back to the city and they both would be happier.) Now the h's brother needs a loan and the hero is the only one who can help. Heroine throws herself on his mercy and he makes a deal. Marry me again and give me an heir and I'll give your brother a loan. (view spoiler)[ The nurse heroine is enough of a martyr to agree and off we go to the ranching country in South Africa. Luckily, the hero's shrew of a mother is in Europe. And there are other changes that gladden the heart of the h. The bedroom has been re-decorated. They are building a self-contained flat on to the house for mommy dearest.
The OW is still around, but she only makes a few appearances. The heroine is more confident now and she fills her time by teaching crochet lessons, assisting in medical emergencies and having rough sex with the hero.
The hero is a typical YW character - short on conversation and long on commands and orders - but this one does ask questions and actually listens when she describes a traumatic suicide of one of her patients.
When the mother returns from Europe, the heroine notices that the hero treats her with polite contempt. Obviously, the hero finally realized his mother's role in their problems three years before, but he's still not talking to the heroine about it.
Finally the heroine breaks down and tells the hero she's pregnant and she is distressed because this is a blackmail child conceived for a loan, and not love. Hero then tells her that her brother never needed a loan. It was an elaborate scheme to get her back. He realized he made a mistake, but was too proud to confess to it. (Plus he wanted the heroine to feel some of his pain - which makes no sense - he was the one who divorced her.)
Heroine forgives him and his repentant mother. Hero finally says "I love you." All is well in the Valley of the Devil. (hide spoiler)] What I liked:
Heroine was a competent nurse and was helpful in emergencies. There had been no one else for the H/h during their separation. The blackmail and tension was kept up for the entire story. Hero decided before seeing the h to make physical changes to the house. Heroine was a genuinely nice person without being pushover. (She pushed back on the OW and hero backed her up)....more
**spoiler alert** An HP- lite story - like zero calories. Light on conflict, light on romance, light on angst. Heavy on inner monologues and the heroi**spoiler alert** An HP- lite story - like zero calories. Light on conflict, light on romance, light on angst. Heavy on inner monologues and the heroine's guilt and perfectionism.
The story - widowed heroine who owns a cleaning company is pressed to clean the writer hero's flat when one of her workers calls in sick. The heroine has read all of his Jack Reacher type novels. They experience insta-lust - but the hero has his work cut out because the heroine doesn't like sex. The rest of the story is the hero's pursuit of the heroine, her tortured acquiescence, and whether the playboy hero would commit. The heroine also keeps her affair secret from her free-love mother because . . . reasons.
The former guerrilla warfare hero gets to prove himself when he finds the heroine's lost son in the dark. And the story ends with the H/h on the red carpet at the Academy Awards where one of his novels has been turned into a movie.
It's all very nice. Lots of sex scenes that are more about reassuring the heroine than high emotion. Read if you want something predictable and sweet before bed. ...more
**spoiler alert** I'm giving this three stars for intensity, but it's really just an ok story for me. I found the H/h's motivations puzzling from the **spoiler alert** I'm giving this three stars for intensity, but it's really just an ok story for me. I found the H/h's motivations puzzling from the beginning and I didn't feel like much was resolved by the end. That they can't quit each other is very obvious and that is their HEA, I suppose.
This is a second chance story. The H/h married when she was 18. They had an intense sexual relationship that the heroine worried about because her mother was an out-of-control alcoholic and nymphomaniac and she didn't want to end up like her. The hero had been exploited by his parents and foster parents so when the h's uncle asked him for a loan, he blew up. He thought the h was just playing him for money and that she really didn't care. He throws her out.
Eight years later the heroine has divorced the hero, gone to university, and is now known as the "Stone Princess" because of her cool demeanor. The hero returns to NZ and demands she pay back the her uncle's loan. When she can't, he demands marriage. He needs to get over his obsession with her. (That's the excuse anyway)
They go to a remote cabin and the hero alternates between sneering and being nurturing when the heroine hurts herself or needs to eat. They go to bed together and then the hero takes off for a week. At his return they finally reveal what they were really thinking eight years before and . . . HEA.
Not a lot of action or logic, but a lot of intensity. As the old saying goes, there's a lid for every pot - and these two seem to go together because of their very specific hangups....more
Re-read. Still four stars for the "waiting room penance" as reeder called it and the fact that the hero didn't know whether he was coming or going. HeRe-read. Still four stars for the "waiting room penance" as reeder called it and the fact that the hero didn't know whether he was coming or going. Heroine had him tied up in knots. The Alhambra is a magical place and I'm glad they got to enjoy it.
A second chance story with a vengeful hero, an OW cousin who is still around to cause mischief and desperate heroine who isn't afraid to dare the hero into listening to her (are you a man or a mouse?) so she can get medical treatment for her mother. (view spoiler)[ The H/h were engaged as teenagers. Because of the hero's cousin (the wanna be OW) the heroine thought it was an arranged marriage and that the H wasn't that into her because she was overweight and unattractive and the only thing keeping him sweet was her huge dowry. The H was trying to keep his hands off of her because she was so young. The cousin used these insecurities to set them up. The H's friend pretended to make out with the heroine in the parking lot of a club, while the roofied H was kissing a random girl. This caused a big scandal. They both thought the other was cheating. The engagement was off, causing the h's grandfather to disown her and her mother again.
Fast forward ten years. The h's mother is ill. They have been living in poverty. In desperation the h goes to her grandfather who will only help if she marries the H so he will have someone to pass his company on to. The heroine goes the H's office only to have to wait in the lobby for three days until she barges into his office.
The hero is still angry about the events of the past and sees his means of revenge: marriage and an heir and then the heroine can live some where away from him. They have a wedding where his parents treat her with disdain and the cousin pretends that the h is being rude to her.
They go to a yacht for their honeymoon where the heroine is confronted with a message on the mirror and pictures of the H's mistress. Once they go to bed the H realizes she's a virgin, but he's still mad about the past. He takes off for a week, leaving the h on her own on the yacht.
They reunite in Spain after the hero has been thinking. He realizes they were young and made mistakes and is willing to let the past go. All is well. The heroine is pregnant. Then the heroine sees the tabloids - he was with his mistress during the week away.
Another fight. Heroine kicks him out after telling him she's pregnant. (He's very happy and then worried because the heroine could have injured herself when she hit him).
Hero finds out who sold this story to the papers. He has a big confrontation with the cousin in front of his parents, the grandfather and the heroine. Cousin confesses to meddling in the past and present. HEA. (hide spoiler)] I liked this because the H/h were obviously smitten with each other from the beginning and the hero's OTT behavior at 19 sounds about right. They were both passionate people and the crockery will probably fly every now and then - but I think they have a future together. I also liked how LG kept up the intensity for the entire story and the cousin had to confess all.
The only discordant note was the grandfather. He disowned the heroine and her mother for years and let them live in poverty and now he's all nice and playing happy families? That didn't ring true....more
**spoiler alert** I'm not a fan of nurse/patient romances - in this case - physiotherapist/patient. And I'm still not after reading this story.
The he**spoiler alert** I'm not a fan of nurse/patient romances - in this case - physiotherapist/patient. And I'm still not after reading this story.
The hero was full of self-pity and went on and on about it - in his thoughts and in his dialogue. I mean, he never let up until the last page. The only thing that broke up his pity party was psychoanalyzing the heroine who had been date raped five years before. She has visible scars on her arms and thighs from the cutting she had done after the rape (which was never reported). She didn't seek therapy, either. She just dressed dowdily until she could avail herself of sexual healing from the hero.
*sigh* There was so much angst for angst sake - including the black moment when the heroine was hit in the face with the bridal bouquet at the hero's brother's wedding (H/h from book one in this series). The hero thought she caught it on purpose to trap him, so he broke it off with her. Of course he returns two weeks later on crutches to propose and she takes him right back.
All the set pieces felt manufactured and ridiculous. For example: The hero is paralyzed, but he can get in and out of a swimming pool by himself? He has nightmares about drowning but he's in the pool at night putting the moves on the heroine? Same with riding his stallion. Doesn't riding require different muscles than swimming? Plus he's got a broken right arm - so is he just holding the reins with his left hand? Who knows. I didn't believe any of it.
**spoiler alert** This is a sweet enemies-to-lovers story, which is a contradiction in terms, which means it lacked the traditional emotional intensit**spoiler alert** This is a sweet enemies-to-lovers story, which is a contradiction in terms, which means it lacked the traditional emotional intensity of that trope. These characters are just too *nice* to stay enemies. Instead, the conflict becomes whether the playboy hero will break the virgin heroine's heart. If you're looking for some engaging characters and their sweet love story then this is for you.
The premise: Playboy hero wants the dowager house of the run-down estate he just bought. It is owned by the virgin heroine, who runs a tea shoppe in town. She has been betrayed by her first serious boyfriend - he ran off with her recipes and opened his own trendy restaurant which is cutting into her business. The hero has offered top dollar for the house, but the heroine refuses to budge because she grew up there with her grandmother (who was housekeeper at the manor).
The hero orders coffee at her tea shoppe, and won't eat sweets and generally throws his weight around. The heroine loathes him, but she can't help but notice how hot he is. Hero thinks heroine is cute and feminine, but not his type.
She has three cute dogs - Pickles, Chutney, and Relish. Because of them, they have other interactions besides the business deal. During a storm, a branch falls on the heroine's house and almost kills the h in her bed. So she has to stay at the manor house. She cooks meals for him. They go out on a date to the ex's restaurant to flaunt the fact that she had moved on. They eventually go to bed, and then on to Paris . . .
A black moment is needed so the H gets a phone call informing him that his sequel-bait daredevil brother has been injured in an accident and may never walk again. The hero is upset and can't deal with any sympathy from the heroine. He dumps her and the heroine goes back to England to lick her wounds.
The hero does wake up to what he has thrown away and is appalled to see how "hardened" the heroine has become. She even offers to sell the dowager house to him. He, in turn, has to explain himself. One of the revelations is why he won't eat sweets. His last memory of his mother is her letting him lick cake batter from the beaters before she was killed.
The rest of the page count is setting up the next book with the injured hero with a bad attitude and the physio heroine.
Once I got over the fact that this wasn't a true enemy-to-lovers story, I did like the courtship of the H/h. They were a cute couple....more
**spoiler alert** Bog standard return of the hero who had done the heroine wrong. She has been living in poverty since she got pregnant at 18 and had **spoiler alert** Bog standard return of the hero who had done the heroine wrong. She has been living in poverty since she got pregnant at 18 and had to wed the local rich boy because the hero left for America and never came back. The rich boy gambled all of his money and conveniently died so he's out the picture. Now the heroine lives in poverty in a big drafty house with her mentally ill mother and the secret baby (who is now 7).
Hero is now rich - check. Heroine has been Cinderella and celibate during their separation - check. Hero calls her a gold digger - check. Hero threatens to drag child custody through the courts - check. Hero forces marriage - check. Heroine refuses because he doesn't love her - check. That old black magic is still there - check. There's one last misunderstanding about the hero's real motivations for marriage - check.
Heroine is a shrew. Hero is a cardboard alpha. The sub-plot with the preserving the old mill was tedious. Lynne Graham would have made the H/h charming. Penny Jordan would have piled on the angst. Mary Lyons just paints this one by numbers. ...more
A picture is worth a thousand words. Unfortunately, in this case the picture, (a nude painting of the heroine)is a thousand words of misunderstandingsA picture is worth a thousand words. Unfortunately, in this case the picture, (a nude painting of the heroine)is a thousand words of misunderstandings and lies of omission. Not my favorite conflict in a romance. However, this is Michelle Reid - the writing and the intensity of the story did sweep me along. I just never warmed up to either the H/h.
The H/h have been dating/living together for a year. H is a rich Italian business man and art collector. The heroine is his longest running mistress - something all of his acquaintances tell her on a regular basis. The heroine's mother was also a beautiful woman, and had never married. The heroine seems resigned that this will be her fate although she loves the H with all of her heart.
The hero is also conflicted. He can't quit the h, but he hates how jealous he is of her other lover, the artist who painted the nude portrait.
They both contemplate breaking it off from each other because they have reached that point in the relationship - stay and invest? or cut loses and go? MR does a great job with those very uncomfortable feelings. (view spoiler)[ There's not a lot of action -much of the page count is the H/h's inner monologues and agony. There is a party where the H's mother snubs the h. There is an unveiling of the artist's new painting. The h's father shows up and is horrible. The h decides to leave. The H decides to propose. The h comes back. The h's own artistic career is revealed. HEA.
I wasn't keen on the h keeping the identity of the painting from the hero (it was her mother, not her). I also didn't like how she didn't trust him with anything - from her actual relationship with the artist to her to her own efforts to be a painter. Hero was a jealous wreck and took a long time to understand his own feelings. This isn't an usual trait in an HP alpha - but he wasn't the nicest to the heroine as he worked through is own trust issues.
The big reveal with two nude portraits that were supposed to shock the conservative Italian society guests was a nice piece of symbolism, but it didn't feel all that realistic. There's nude art all over Italy. That the h was the famous subject of a nude painting didn't seem a good reason to not marry her or for the mother to snub her. But it made for compelling reading. (hide spoiler)]...more
This is a difficult story to categorize. Former foster child heroine is a busker on the streets of Wellington, NZ - but she's also a university graduaThis is a difficult story to categorize. Former foster child heroine is a busker on the streets of Wellington, NZ - but she's also a university graduate and an aspiring songwriter. Lawyer hero is looking for his younger half-brother who ran away from boarding school. The boy's mother has cancer and is fretting about him. Hero is convinced heroine knows where the boy is. Heroine does know where the boy is (he's at a rehab camp), but she has promised the boy to not tell his family until the counselor says it's okay for him to renew contact with his family.
The heroine's promise is sorely tried. The hero is unstoppable - first trying bribery, then threats, then seduction, then kidnapping. But along the way he comes to know the heroine and falls for her just as she falls for him. It's an intense little dance they do, and at times you almost forget the real purpose of the hero's interest - finding his half-brother.
The heroine has doubts about the hero's feelings, but any astute romance reader would know the minute she takes off her hat and he is fascinated with her hair, that he is a goner. This is a smitten hero who is 8 years older than the heroine and is much higher up in the social strata. But the heroine has her integrity and her love of music and her talent for songwriting to keep her going. She has endured all for her music , so a little more discomfort in love is something she can endure. Quibble - why would a university grad not be able to teach or get better gigs than just playing on the streets? Her extreme poverty was far-fetched.
Once the boy is reunited with his family, there's a bit more story to go and that's where this story lost a star. I can see why the author wanted the heroine to have success on her own without the hero's interference (and she does), it was just told and not shown so the last scenes had minimal emotional impact.
This had a feel good ending (at least I felt good when I finished it). They are a well-matched pair. They are both strong and are able to live without each other - but are much better off and happier with each other.
StMargarets
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