CONSTANTINE’S DEFIANT MISTRESS – Sharon Kendrick

Author: Sharon Kendrick

Line: Harlequin Presents / Mills & Boon Modern

Release month UK: July 2009/ North America: October 2009

The S-Factor: Steamy and Sexy

Back-Blurb:

Constantine Karantinos is Greek through and through! When he learns he has an heir he'll do anything to claim him. Even if he finds it hard to remember bedding Laura—she was nothing more than a mousy little waitress! Maybe if he were to have her again, it would refresh his memory….Now that Constantine has summoned Laura to Greece, she's more stubborn than he recalls. Determined to pay her way as housekeeper, by day she insists on cooking and cleaning. However, by night Constantine demands she fulfill her bedroom duties….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Constantine’s Defiant Mistress was one emotional and very dynamic read because this handsome Greek and billionaire playboy didn’t realize he had a seven year old son.

Over seven years have passed since Laura has seen her lover of one night who sailed in and out of her hometown port and now she learns he’s going to be in England and possibly getting married. Years have passed since the many times she tried to reach him to advise him that he had a son. Especially now it’s important as Alex needs to know his father, and Laura’s sister needs to leave the family business and go out on her own.

Laura has a plan and it’s to waitress at the London hotel Constantine is having his lavish party. He doesn’t even recognize her and when she finally tells him who she is and that they share of son, of course he’s in shock. Discussions take place and the end result is they agree that Alex and Laura will come to Greece for a stay in his home and she will work on his staff without anyone, especially his father know their identity. Of course Constantine wants a DNA test but it’s obvious that his young son looks very Greek and their first meeting for him is very emotional because he wants the boy to like him. Reading about their time getting to know each other was sweet and very emotional. On top of that, his desire for Laura surfaces and as he has been her only lover and she’s still attracted to him, eventually they act on that attraction in the secret confines of her bedroom.

Constantine was a man who took care of everyone, a man who never confided so when he told Laura about his mother and that he had no relationship with her and how lonely his childhood was, in the end he was upset with himself for confiding his past to her. In fact, he even lashed out and told her to remember her place in Greece, that she was only Alex’s mother and part of the staff.

Towards the end of their visit, Constantine hosts a party to properly introduce Alex as his son and Laura as his sons mother. However, he dresses her up in silk and diamonds which make her feel cheap because it’s not who Laura is which upsets her. On top of that, he asks her to marry him and it’s obvious only to legitimise Alex as his son, not because he loves her.

What I adored most about Constantine’s Defiant Mistress is when Constantine realizes how much Laura means to him. She makes him laugh, she challenges him, tells him the truth and he truly loves and adores her. It’s a beautiful love story and gives each of them a second chance at happiness and unites them as a family.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

ITALIAN BOSS, PROUD MISS PRIM - Susan Stephens

Author: Susan Stephens

Line: Harlequin Presents/ Mills & Boon Modern

Release month UK & North America: October 2009

The S-Factor: Sexy and Seductive

Back-Blurb:

Katie Bannister is prim, perky and petite. Worlds apart from her boss, the dangerous, daring and devilishly handsome Rigo Ruggiero.

When she steps into his jet-set world, Katie's sensible brown shoes suddenly seem very out of place. And as Rigo's assistant there's no desk to hide behind….

When she accompanies the magnificent Italian to his newly inherited Tuscan palazzo, Katie witnesses the wolf entering his lair. Finally Rigo has come home—and he's ready to undo Miss Prim's buttons!

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Katie Bannister is a very sweet and supremely inexperienced young woman. She has a junior position in an attorney’s office and it is her task to contact the stepbrother of her deceased client and personally deliver the contents of his will. However, Katie is nervous as the man in question was a very famous Italian playboy Rigo Riggerio. She is what you would call a “plain Jane” but Rigo is intrigued by her sexy voice and volunteers to meet her at the airport.

Katie has never been to Italy and is somewhat apprehensive about going as her wardrobe is plain and dull. During her college years she was training to be an opera singer but that all changed when there was a fire which smoke caused damage to her voice and the fire left her back badly scarred. She’s a very proper and prim young woman so when Rigo meets her, he’s quite surprised by her appearance and primness. But there is something about Katie that touches him and as chance would have it, she is required to stay overnight because they couldn’t get down to the business of the will.

Katie is very aware of Rigo as a man, even the slightest touch or brush of his hand. And Rigo realizes something very touching about Katie, that’s even though she’s “prim” she’s very smart, organized and would make a great personal assistant because like all alpha’s he goes through PA’s who either want him for his good looks or his money plus he’s demanding. He invites her to dinner and she refuses but later she runs into Rigo and a lovely model type who later she finds out is his sister. Katie and Antonia get on well and she introduces Katie to shopping. Katie isn’t used to beautiful clothes but does end up with a few things she normally would not purchase.

When they finally get a chance, Katie reveals to Rigo that he has inherited from his stepbrother the “family villa”, his childhood home which he left when his father remarried. His stepbrother was not a nice man and Rigo felt he stole his childhood and father from him. Rigo realizes quite a few things about Katie that under all her dreary clothes there’s a brilliant, sweet and lovely young woman. He also realizes she would be an asset to his organization so he also offers her a position and asks her to accompany him to Tuscany.

Italian Boss, Proud Miss Prim was a wonderful love story because they both had secrets…..Katie her scars and Rigo his charity. And in the end Katie was no “Miss Prim” she blossomed under the tutorage of Rigo which was lovely to read. It was truly a Prince Charming love story.


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Reviewed by: Marilyn

THE BILLIONAIRE’S BRIDE OF CONVENIENCE – Miranda Lee (Three Rich Husbands)

Author: MIRANDA LEE

Line: Mills & Boon Modern/Harlequin Presents

Release month UK: June 2009/ North America: October 2009

The S-Factor: SENSUAL

Back-Blurb:

Kathryn thought she knew Hugh Parkinson, a charming, rakish playboy who was used to women being served to him on a plate. In his eyes she was just his utterly efficient, slightly uptight assistant.

Until she nearly lost the thing that mattered most to her, and unexpectedly Hugh was there to help: he was prepared to marry her! But the catch… Hugh wanted this convenient marriage to keep Kathryn not only as his trusty assistant—but also to warm his bed….
Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

The Billionaire’s Bride of Convenience is the second book in Miranda Lee’s Three Rich Husbands and its brilliant! Three billionaire sexy alphas that are the closets of friends and this is the very sexy and charming Hugh Parkinson’s story.

Hugh is known as Sydney’s playboy and goes through women at a rapid speed. However, Hugh has a problem in the form of his personal assistant Kathryn who is not so charming. Kathryn is like no other woman Hugh has ever met; she’s more than organized and keeps him on his toes. She not model type gorgeous but he’s attracted to her curves and her sass. For months she’s been driving him crazy and on top of everything, she’s soon to be married to her current live in boyfriend.

Kathryn needs to be married before her 30th birthday in order to inherit a friend’s beach house. If she doesn’t marry, she’ll loose the house which means everything to her. Is she materialistic? No, the house means everything to her because as a young child it was the only place she felt safe and happy because a wonderful widow took in children who came from troubled homes and Kathryn’s childhood was more than troubled, it was over the top as one will learn. She loves her job as Hugh’s PA but also realizes that Hugh is nothing more than a spoiled playboy. When Hugh comes to her rescue because of her jealous fiancé and takes their boss/PA relationship to a new level physically, she’s more than confused, she’s over the top because for Kathryn Hugh is dangerous and she’s very aware of him physically. Hugh more than comes to the rescue, he proposes they marry so that she can get her beach house and he plans have Kathryn physically as part of the deal.

Like all office romances, theirs takes off like a rocket and Hugh can’t seem to get enough of Kathryn. It’s a very emotional and confusing love affair for them both. It frightens Hugh how much he desires Kathryn and Hugh’s afraid he’s going to be just like his father, go from one woman to another. However, what I loved so much about this beautiful romance was when Hugh realized he was not just like his father, that he cared enough about Kathryn to let her go and so he cut her loose.

Kathryn goes to live at her beach home and Hugh leaves his father’s company to start a new business. However, Hugh has a plan for the future; a future which he hopes will include Kathryn. As I said, Miranda Lee weaves such a beautiful and romantic love story, it’s one I will personally long remember. This series, Three Rich Husbands staring Russell, Hugh and James are three perfect Australian alphas!

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

SECRET SHEIKH, SECRET BABY – Carol Marinelli

Author: Carol Marinelli

Line: Harlequin Medical/ Mills and Boon Medical Duo with Jessica Matthews

Release month UK: September 2009 / North America: August 2009

The S-Factor: Sexy

Back-Blurb:

Hot-shot surgeon Karim Zaraq is prince of a desert kingdom. Karim knows he must find a wife and produce an heir, but this playboy wants one final fling before royal duty beckons.

Pretty midwife Felicity Anderson has no idea who Karim really is, but her one night with the sexy surgeon has turned her world upside down—suddenly she's pregnant!

With Felicity carrying the kingdom's hopes, Karim must marry her. But Felicity won't say "I do" unless the prince can prove it's for love.

Review: ♥♥♥♥

Secret Sheikh, Secret Baby was a very intense and sexy sheikh love story written by the very talented Carol Marinelli. It was also my first Harlequin Medical romance and I was very impressed that due to its nature it was not boring but very interesting as the heroine was a midwife and the hero a sheikh prince and surgeon.

They meet at an orientation in London where Felicity Anderson is attending in order to determine if she wants to accept a position already offered in the Middle East or accept a position in one of the most modern and beautiful hospitals located on a private island, ruled by a royal family the Kingdom of Zaraq. The royal prince and surgeon Prince Karim is overseeing the recruitment for his hospital and university.

Karim and Felicity meet in the most interesting way when he slips inside the presentation and immediately they sense each other, through site, smell, and sexual attraction. What’s so very bizarre is that Felicity has recently broken off with her boyfriend because of sexual problems and after a year, she cannot have a relationship, even though she has been through therapy. So, this immediate attraction to a stranger, a man who makes her feel things she’s never felt before are frightening yet exciting. As fate would have it, they are brought together after the conference due to an auto accident and then the fateful night they spend together before they both go their separate ways.

Karim is a man bound by honour to his King (his father), his brothers and his country. His first love is his profession as a surgeon but due to the illness of his father, he will be to any lengths to serve his country. He has also been a playboy but that is soon to end as his father wants him to marry and produce an heir since his brother’s wife is barren. However, he can’t seem to forget his one night with Felicity and wonders if he’ll ever see her again in his country.

Like Karim, Felicity has been honor bound to her mother and sister. She has accepted all financial responsibilities for her sister’s illness and her mother’s bills. She is determined to make a success of her life in Zaraq and when she finally gets there and starts orientation and later being a midwife, she realizes she has made the right decision. Only there are a few problems……upon arrival she finds out the man she spent the night with is a prince and heir to the throne, that she’s pregnant with his baby.

When Karim is told he’s the father of Felicity’s baby, his entire personality changes. He accuses her of lying, he put together a deceitful plan for the good of his brother and for his country, and he demands marriage and takes her into the desert. There in the desert, they learn quite a lot about each other and all Felicity wants is the man who she grew to love in London, the sensitive and caring man.

This royal family would do anything for their country, I mean anything and that was what I found so interesting, the difference in cultures and what lengths they would go to in order to keep peace and structure for their country and King. It was indeed a hurtful scheme which would hurt Felicity. Thanks to a friend she escapes and returns home. But Karim can’t escape and be at peace until he realizes what’s important in life and he doesn’t realize it until it’s almost too late.

The Secret Sheikh, Secret Baby was an excellent look into a royal family, the desert, its customs, the difference between the East and the West and most of all, forgiveness. It’s an intense love story, with intense characters, in a beautiful desert kingdom with lots of sexual tension as only Carol Marinelli can pen.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the Book from Dear Reader:

Carol Marinelli states, “I love writing about instant attraction. More than that, I love the whole idea of two people who have never met before, who know nothing about each other, and suddenly they click!”

HER BEST BET - Pamela Ford

Title: HER BEST BET

Author: PAMELA FORD

Line: Harlequin Superromance

Release month: October

The S-Factor: Secretive and Sizzling

Back-Blurb:

Face her ten-year reunion as a lowly traffic manager? No way. Izzy Gordon is going to realize her dream of becoming a filmmaker. Her documentary about an old Wisconsin lodge and its gangster history is sure to be a winner. And she’s got an ace up her sleeve, since her family owns the land.

Too bad this film drops her into a brewing feud. Seems her family wants to sell the property and the lodge owners are fighting to stay open. They’ve drafted Gib Murphy—globe-trotting photojournalist and prodigal grandson—to stack their hand. Wow. Could this get worse? Apparently it could, because she’s developing a thing for Gib. . .one he’s returning. So at what point does her bluff get called and she has to confess her real identity?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Why, oh why, did Izzy let her roommate talk her into entering a filmmaking contest? The trouble started right off the mark. They weren’t even registered into their rooms when already there were problems. What makes her decide to keep her identity a secret? What other crazy things does she come up with to accomplish her dream?

Why is Gib there? Is he only home to recuperate from an injury, or is there some other reason? Why does he think his grandfather is still running a gambling racket?

Who lets the cat out of the bag about Izzy’s identity?

This is Pamela Ford’s fifth book for Harlequin Superromance. She mixes humor, tension, and sizzle, and comes up with another winning story. Her characters are living, breathing people that you can relate to with ease. I was laughing at the antics of the two friends, and then just a few pages later, I was shivering with them as they crouched, terrified, in the secret passage. Excellent twists, sensual sizzles, and believable characters. I’ll definitely be looking forward to more from this author.

Hero Hotness Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
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Awww Factor: ♥♥♥♥♥
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Reviewed by: Donna B

SPANISH ARISTOCRAT, FORCED BRIDE(UK) / THE SOCIETY WIFE(USA) – India Grey

Author: India Grey
Line: Mills and Boon ModernRelease month UK: August 2009 North America:  January 2011

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Accidentally pregnant, conveniently wed

Infamous playboy Tristan Romero meets ordinary Lily at a lavish ball, and arrogantly predicts that she will wake up the following morning between his designer silk sheets! Powerless to resist this wicked billionaire, Lily knows Tristan is only offering one night. But then she discovers she’s pregnant…

Tristan’s aristocratic duty demands he take Lily as his bride. However, Lily’s shame over accepting a loveless proposal is heightened when she realises that, as the Spaniard’s wife, she’ll be expected to fulfil his every need…


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

To say Spanish Aristocrat, Forced Bride was magnificent doesn’t even begin to describe this emotionally charged M&B Modern. In keeping with the line, Tristan Romero is quite the daunting alpha, used to getting what he wants in business and in the bedroom but with all of that comes secrets and a past that haunts him. He was such a charismatic character, one that immediately drew me in from page one and honestly, I couldn’t put the book down. It was that emotion, a powerful story and the need to see Tristan and Lily find their happy ending that kept me reading all night.

So one might ask why I am so passionate about this book? Devotion and friendship are always a “hook”. The reader is introduced to Tristan and his best friend Tom who have a marvellous past together and who have remained devoted friends. Devotion and friendship are always a “hook”. Tom is engaged to a beautiful model Scarlet and she has a best friend who is also a model and that’s Lily. They meet at Tom and Scarlet’s charity costume ball on Tom’s estate and it’s like they are both caught up in the eye of the storm. It’s the way they meet and the no strings one-night of passion they will both never forget.

Tristan is used to getting the girl and Lily is used to having men look at her. The circumstances which bring them together at the party are unusual, their one night in Tristan’s lone room in a tower, their passion, it’s explosive. However, their one night is short lived as Lily leaves for Africa and Tristan goes back to the family business and his secret life. One would think top model and billionaire businessman getting on with their lives, yes that’s true but there is so much more to this story and to this couple as the reader will learn. However, to reveal more would ruin ones reading experience.

As fate would have it, they both return to the scene of their one night together to celebrate Tom and Scarlet’s engagement. Lily has a secret, one that will change both of their lives….she’s pregnant. How will this alpha deal with it? Not very well let me tell you. He of course gives her an option and when she refuses, then its marriage because no child of his will be born out of wedlock. Even though Lily had not had a great childhood, she did believe in love, marriage and happy endings. Lily is such a kind and caring woman and there are so many disappointments for her. Her wedding day which should have been wonderful was disappointing and then diaster struck in the form of meeting his parents. Add to it when the bomb drops and Tristan tells her their marriage can be in name only and they must continue the charade until their baby is born.

Lily realized something important....she not only wanted him on a physical basis, she wanted his heart and also realized it would be impossible. Can anymore tragedy strike? Yes, it does which makes both of their lives even more complicated because of loss, anguish and guilt. And then when one believes there can be no more pain for this couple, Lily asks something of Tristan which only leads to more pain for him because his childhood and family secrets are revealed.

One point was made very clear, in spite of everything Lily’s love for Tristan never faltered. I personally felt they both loved each other at the very beginning and they had so much in common, their childhoods, their choices to do good in the world, and their mutual passion. Just when one believes there is no hope for this couple, Tristan is unexpectantly called away and his other “secret” is revealed which will melt your heart because it reveals the “real” Tristan.

Spanish Aristocrat, Forced Bride was a very heart warming love story to read especially when Tristan sees the light and realizes he can have it all…. Lily and a family. It’s a journey with author India Grey one won’t want to miss due to it’s sexually charged passion, fire and emotion.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

BEHIND THE BOOK:

"On a personal note: This book took forever to arrive to its home here in North America. First it was sent to the wrong author, then to me with an empty envelope. Hope the postman enjoyed it! And finally it arrived and was well worth the wait!" India Grey

More about the book

MONTANA, MISTLETOE, MARRIAGE - Patricia Thayer and Donna Alward

Title: MONTANA, MISTLETOE, MARRIAGE

Authors: PATRICIA THAYER, DONNA ALWARD

Line: Harlequin Romance

Release Month: November

The S-Factor: Sincere and Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Winter wishes for two sisters at Rocking H Ranch. . .

SNOWBOUND COWBOY by Patricia Thayer

Lone wolf Boone Gifford has spent years standing on the outside. Now he’s looking at Christmas—through the window of beautiful Amelia’s home. The snow falls hard—the stranded family needs help. It’s time for the cowboy to step inside.

A BRIDE FOR ROCKING H RANCH by Donna Alward

Kelley is rancher, housekeeper, doting sister to Amelia, granddaughter and aunt—and the stress of preparing the perfect Christmas at Rocking H ranch is getting to her. But distraction soon arrives in the form of delectable chef Mack Dennison. . .

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

This book consists of two novellas in one cover. The stories are intertwined to the point that it almost seemed like one continuous story. Patricia and Donna are very well matched when it comes to writing together. Because the stories are only one hundred pages long each, I found the conclusion came way too fast, but I loved the stories.

Snowbound Cowboy

Amelia Hughes feels like she can’t do anything right. And now she’s gotten her and her son stuck on the side of the road in a Montana blizzard. But then, along comes Boone Gifford. Is he the man the sheriff sent to save her? Is he the man her sister hired to help her out for these few days? Just who is he?

Why has Boone been looking for her? Why does he feel so guilty? Can they really work things out together and become a family?

Who is Izzy, and what does she have to do with getting these three people together as a family?

Included at the end of this story is the recipe for Peppermint Kiss Brownies. Yum!

A Bride for Rocking H Ranch

While Amelia is getting herself stuck in the snow, her sister Kelley is getting herself stuck in a situation in which she has no experience. She might be one of the best ranchers in the area, she might be able to keep house with the best of them. She might love her nephew to distraction, but she could not cook. So why, oh why, did she tell Amelia not to prepare Christmas dinner? But then, along comes Mack Dennison.

Or rather, into his shop Kelley goes. Can he really teach her to cook in two short weeks? And how can she keep it a secret from Amelia?

Both sisters found their best Christmas gifts ever. Young Jesse found the dad he’d asked Santa for, and even Gram was happy.

Included at the end of this story is the recipe for Mack Dennison’s Asparagus Puffs. Yum, yum!

Even though these stories are short, they are believable, and leave you with a very good feeling in your heart. Patricia Thayer and Donna Alward make a very satisfactory writing duo. Their styles are similar, and the facts in the two stories matched.

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Reviewed by: Donna B

THE MILLIONAIRE'S MISBEHAVING MISTRESS - Kimberly Lang

Author: Kimberly Lang

Line: Modern Heat/Harlequin Presents

Release month UK: April 2009/ North America: October 2009

The S-Factor: Sexy

Back-Blurb:

As Dallas's most eligible bachelor and heir to his family's fortune, billionaire Will Harrison knows how to handle the paparazzi—but his little sister Evie is a worry….

Miss Behavior, etiquette expert Gwen Sawyer, has only three weeks to work her magic on Evie before a society ball, and so moves into Will's luxurious penthouse. However, she discovers too late that etiquette is the last thing on devilishly handsome Will's mind….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Author Kimberly Lang delights and charms her readers with the sensual Millionaire’s Misbehaving Mistress. It’s a fun and heart-warming romance involving a billionaire, his teenage half sister who needs help with etiquette and manners. The Harrison family and the CEO Will Harrison from HarCorp International are the crème of Dallas society. Will’s company is sponsoring a gala event in a few weeks and his sister Evie will need to be presented to society. Evie is sort of a “free spirit” and recently lost her mom and needs to learn the proper etiquette.

Gwen Sawyer runs Everyday Etiquette and also writes an advice column for a teen website. She’s no stranger to knowing proper etiquette. She and her sister were schooled by their mother as Gwen’s father was in Foreign Service. Gwen’s training has been in protocol. It has always been her desire to work for a large corporation providing social training. She lost a chance five years ago when there was a scandal in Washington DC involving Gwen and her boss. She came to Dallas and set up a very successful business training debs for their society debuts. She also authors a blog on a teen website, sort of an advice column.

Will Harrison was the sort of alpha every girl dreams of, the perfect physical specimen, very handsome, wealthy, and charming and oozes sexual charm. It’s also obvious he adores his kid half sister. However, when he actually hires and meets Gwen for the first time, she piques his interest and he asks her to move into their home so that she can school Evie on a daily basis, sharing meals, tutoring her in studies and hopefully she’ll be ready to debut in Texas society. As much as I adored Will, it was Gwen who literally spoke to me.

Gwen realizes she has a second chance when Will Harrison hires her to help with his sister. If she does well, then his corporation might give her a chance and hire her for what she’s been train for and she can give up training society debs for good. However, when she actually meets the man himself, she’s very attracted to him, so much so that she realizes if she could be in trouble. As she tells her sister, “she simply trains Princesses – she would get Prince Charming.”

Reading about the three of them…..Will, Evie and Gwen well it was just plain amazing to see how they seemed to learn and grow together, so much so, they actually became the perfect family. Will was not so dedication to his job, in fact he shocked those close to him as he actually left the office on time. Evie and Gwen’s process of bonding and becoming friends was very sweet to read. However, it was Gwen who realized Will was the most amazing man she had ever met and she was afraid she would loose her heart if she wasn’t careful. She not only lost her heart, it became broken in the most serious way by Will misunderstanding an overheard conversation. What I admired about Gwen’s character was how strong she was and how she bounced back.

There are always lessons to be learned and Will learns his the hard way when he realizes he was at fault and also realizes there are more important things in life than business….love and family!


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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book:

In “Dear Reader” Kimberly says “blame it on my very deep Southern roots, but I’m completely fascinated with etiquette. My obsession, however extends beyond flatware and thank-you notes to very ‘out there’ information I’ll never have an actual need to use – like dinner seating protocol when both an ex-President and a member of the royal family are present. One day, when I was nose-first into an etiquette text, I found the inspiration for this book in a quote by the great Miss Manners, Judith Martin: “’We are all born charming, fresh and spontaneous, and must be civilised before we are fit to participate in society.’

The above quote sparked Kimberly’s imagination and the dinner scene you’ll read in Chapter Two of The Millionaire’s Misbehaving Mistress.

Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress - Kate Hardy

Author: Kate Hardy

Line: Mills and Boon Modern Heat

Release Month: October 2009

The S-Factor: Sensual

Back-Blurb:

Cold, hard business…

Cool Jakob Andersen likes working with extremes, and the frozen plains of Norway suit his business style. But with Lydia Sheridan accompanying him on business, the temperature is about to soar…

Red-hot passion!

Jakob wants a seven-day affair, and Lydia is finding her resistance melting away… It’s hard to keep saying no when her body is screaming yes! But it will take more than a week to thaw her boss’s buried heart – though with passion this hot, anything is possible!

Review:

Two scarred souls find romance under the breathtaking Northern Lights in the latest romance by best-selling author Kate Hardy: Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress.

Lydia Sheridan has finally decided to stop pleasing other people and to start pleasing herself. A passionate artist, she's always repressed her desire to be a painter because of her parents' insistence that she go to university and study economics before qualifying as a lawyer. But Lydia has finally had it. She cannot bear to spend another minute working in a stuffy office so she decides to quit her job at Andersen's. But her boss, Jake, is not going to let her slip through his fingers...

Jake has had his eye on Lydia for quite some time and he's determined to get to know the real person behind the capable professional. When he needs a lawyer to accompany him on a trip to Norway, Jake asks Lydia to go with him, and although her every instinct is telling her to quit her job once and for all, she cannot help but be drawn to her handsome Norwegian boss...

As fate throws them together, their attraction begins to simmer and Jake and Lydia soon give into temptation and begin a seven-day affair. But as the seventh day approaches, they soon begin to wish that their seven days could turn into a lifetime!

When you pick up a novel by Kate Hardy, you know that you're going to get an emotional and dramatic tale full of warmth, charm and heart and Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress is no exception. Poignant, moving and wonderfully romantic, Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress is just the thing to brighten up the cold autumn nights!

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THE SHEIK AND THE BOUGHT BRIDE (Desert Rogue Series) - Susan Mallery

Author: Susan Mallery

Line: Silhouette Special Edition

Release month UK/ North America: October 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sensual

Back-Blurb:

It was bad enough being hauled out of bed by palace guards. Now Victoria McCallan had just offered to pay off her father's gambling debts—with herself as the prize! So the palace secretary was shocked when sexy Prince Kateb made her a counteroffer….

When Kateb whisked Victoria off to the desert to be his mistress for six months, the widowed ruler had no intention of falling in love. But the outspoken Texas transplant was soon tempting him to change his royal ways. Duty decreed the El Deharia sheik should wed a proper mate, but Kateb's heart was telling him something else: to claim Victoria as his woman—now and forever.

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Author Susan Mallery in her dedication to her Editor thanks her for letting her “write the book of her heart”. Quite honestly I sincerely believe it was the very best in her entire Desert Rogue series and a perfect ending to her sheik series. For me personally it was bittersweet as for three years I’ve been enjoying the series immensely.

What makes these books so different from others in the sheik genre is the author. Susan’s humour always shines through in her stories, her heroines are NOT faint at heart, they are strong, spirited and intelligent women. Her sheiks are very proud and honourable. These men for the most part have been educated in England or the US as their father’s were Kings in their particular region, their mother had passed away or their father had remarried.

The Sheik and the Bought Bride opens with Victoria McCallan’s father cheating in a card game. When he is threatened he will be imprisoned, his daughter Victoria who works at the palace offers to take the place of her father. Before her mother died, she made her a promise that she would always look out for her dad. Victoria stands by her word, her promise and first and foremost she’s a very honourable woman. When it’s decided that she will become Sheik’ Kateb’s mistress in place of her father going to jail, for Kateb and Victoria their journey begins and just like the heat in the desert, it’s hot!

As the reader learns early on, Sheik Kateb is soon to become the ruler of his desert nation and he’s unmarried. At one time he married his childhood friend who died in an Italian car accident. He’s been single for five years and his people want him to eventually marry. One also learns that this man for the most part has dedicated himself to his people and now faced with this lovely woman who stirs needs he hasn’t felt in a long time, it becomes most interesting reading regarding the interaction between Kateb and Victoria. An example of this and the authors humour is shown in the following: “I’ve never had a mistress before so I don’t have any expectations.” She took the wine without looking at him. “You have a harem.” “It came with the property.” “Sort of like a three-car garage when you only have two cars?” “Something like that”. Obviously, I chuckled throughout the entire book.

Just one kiss for them and it’s all over for both of them. Kateb realizes he’s in trouble and wants to send her back to the palace but when he learns she might be pregnant, it’s determined she cannot leave. However, both of them ponder was there something more powerful or frightening for them both to face as far as their attraction? Kateb also learns a lot about Victoria and realizes she wants nothing for herself and she’s a very complex woman.

Victoria had learned at an early age to take care of herself. Being left alone in the harem she’s no shrinking violet she’s a woman who needs something to do and she takes an interest in the people, especially the women who make beautiful gold jewelry. Being a Western woman, she carefully treads but wants to take their jewelry worldwide and Kateb allows her to present him with a business plan. That’s not all Victoria does, she takes an interest in a child who has been left to live on the streets due to his father’s crime. She a woman who is passionate about life and love, a woman who has only experienced love at the hand of her mother, a woman afraid to love herself. Can you imagine for a woman like this who’s afraid to love, when she realizes that she indeed loves Kateb what this does to her?

It’s the same for sheik Kateb, he cared once for his wife and look what happened, he lost his friend and love. Victoria pulls him in a way no other woman has had the power, but he fights it every way he can. In the end, well let’s just say emotions run high and Kateb realizes he must send Victoria back to the United States but she’s doesn’t want to leave him. It’s an incredible journey, extremely emotional and dramatic ending and very fitting for Mallery’s readers and fans. For us you have loved The Desert Rogue series, The Sheik and the Bought Bride was a perfect last book. My personal thanks to Susan for many, many hours of reading enjoyment!


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Reviewed by: Marilyn

TWO WEEKS IN THE MAGNATE’S BED - Nicola Marsh

Author: Nicola Marsh

Line: HARLEQUIN PRESENTS/MILLS AND BOON

Release month UK: March 2009/ North America: September 2009

The S-Factor: Sexy

Back-Blurb:

Shipping tycoon Zac McCoy can sense there is a passionate woman behind Lana Walker's shy exterior. While aboard his luxury yacht, he'll tempt her out to play!

Lana always looks before she leaps. But the captivating captain has her throwing caution to the wind. The gloves come off, the silk dresses slip on—and the real Lana begins to emerge.

He'll have her as his temporary mistress. But as land approaches, he realizes two weeks may not be enough….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Nicola Marsh again charms her readers with Two Weeks in the Magnates Bed. Zac and Lana’s love story takes place on the high seas in the beautiful South Pacific. I could certainly relate to the experience onboard a cruise ship as I worked for a major cruise line for over 15 years. The author gets it right and weaves such a romantic tale one feels there are experiencing being pampered, wined and dined plus seeing exotic sights.

Lana Walker is all work and no play and it didn’t pay off. She’s been passed over due to her shyness by the museum she works for and wasn’t asked to go on a business trip. However, she won a cruise and decided to make the best of it and was determined to have fun. So can you imagine when an extremely handsome cruise employee rescues her from falling, she’s well let’s say she’s overwhelmed.

Zac McCoy has a huge job to do as his uncle is counting on him to find out who’s causing accidents on their fleet of cruise ships. Jac’s job is to pose as an onboard employee not the shipping magnate he is. He is determined to assist his uncle in solving the mystery. He loves and his uncle knows he has a limited time with him as his uncle he has a terminal illness and is going to put Zac in charge of the cruise line. When he spots Lana and keeps her from falling he’s definitely interested. He is constantly teasing and tempting her and he was a fun, romantic and very much the gentleman to read.

Zac is not your typical Presents alpha who demands and takes; he literally charms and courts Lana. He sees Lana for who she is, not some made up beauty and he sees the real her, a woman with needs and who wants to break free of “her conservative mould”. However, he’s not honest with her about his position or wealth. In the end, when it back fires it breaks Lana’s heart because she’s fallen in love with this handsome and charming man.

Lana has been hurt in the past by another man. What she wanted most from Zac was honestly something he couldn’t give her. So when she finds out he’s not an employee but soon to be the head of the cruise line, she’s devastated. Yes he’d changed her but can she ever trust him again? Want a happy ending, well then you’re sure to get one with this fun and fantastic read as only Nicola Marsh can pen.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

KEPT FOR HER BABY - Kate Walker

Author: Kate Walker

Line: Mills and Boon Modern/Harlequin Presents Extra

Release month UK: September 2009/ North America: October 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Simmering

Back-Blurb:

Staring at the granite-handsome features of Italian billionaire Ricardo Emiliani, Lucy knows she's made a mistake coming back to their palatial Lake Garda home. But she'll do anything for her baby son—even return to the husband who never loved her….

Ricardo branded his bride a gold digger. However, tiny Marco needs his mother, so he will keep Lucy captive on his private island until she proves herself a worthy wife—in every sense….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Author Kate Walker has written an extremely perceptive, powerful and heart wrenching romance with Kept for Her Baby. The author addresses a medical problem one out of ten women In North America face after giving birth to a baby which is postpartum depression. Her heroine suffers so badly she actually doesn’t remember what’s she’s done or where she’s been and on top of that leaves her husband and baby in search of help.

Ricardo Emiliani in all of his relationships and affairs with women believes them to be all alike and only interested in one thing…..money! When he meets the lovely Lucy Mottram, he is immediately attracted to her and is determined to become involved with her. She turns him down and realizes what a mistake it was to do so. When she’s given a second chance she jumps on it and eventually becomes pregnant. Ricardo demands they marry for the sake of the baby. The passion they share continues to leaps off the pages. However, there is one problem, Lucy believes that he only married her for the baby and that’s she’s not good enough for him.

Lucy realized early in her relationship with Ricardo and later in their marriage that she loved him. However, she also realized another thing, that once the baby was born he would probably discard her. After the baby comes, they both make many mistakes; he for not paying careful attention to her moods and she for thinking that he only cared about his business and that he possibly found her unattractive. Because of the way their marriage began and after their baby Marco is born, Lucy suffers a depression and does very strange things. In the end, she’s afraid she’ll harm the baby so she leaves Ricardo a note and disappears. Now months later, she’s better and returns to the villa to plead with Ricardo to let her be a part of her baby’s life.

In the end, Ricardo allows Lucy to stay and get to know Marco but their relationship is up and down as far as trust, communication and their emotions are up and down, changing daily. It’s extremely obvious their attraction for each other is still as powerful as when they first met. How they get to the point of understanding what went wrong in their marriage and how they should move forward was very emotional and distressful to read. However, their journey in finding peace, happiness and realizing how much they loved each other was a beautiful ending.

As a mother myself and never having suffered from this sort of depression, my heart went out to Lucy’s character because I can’t imagine having the feeling of ever harming a child. The other day on US national TV, there was a short piece on postpartum depression where the doctor said that everyone after giving childbirth should be screened and evaluated for postpartum depression. Now that I’ve read Kept for Her Baby, I totally agree. I hope that anyone who reads this book, who has recently given birth or is about to will pay attention to the storyline.

For author Kate Walker I can only imagine this was an emotional book to write. My personal thanks to you for taking the courage to address such an emotional and sensitive subject. You created a very moving and beautiful love story.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

TWICE IN A LIFETIME - Marta Perry

Title: TWICE IN A LIFETIME

Author: MARTA PERRY

Line: Steeple Hill Love Inspired
Release month: September

The S-Factor: Sensible and Secretive

Back-Blurb:

Where The Heart Is

When her family calls broken-hearted Georgia Lee Bodine home to Charleston, she knows there’s trouble. Her beloved grandmother hired some fancy lawyer to carry out eccentric requests – and unearth an old family secret.

Georgia plans to send Matthew Harper packing until she discovers how much the widowed father cares about her grandmother. And that his heart is even more deeply guarded than her own. As they work together on the Bodine history, they uncover a surprise about themselves: that love can strike twice in a lifetime.

The Bodine Family: A Southern family finds their way home to love – and each other.

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

When Georgia comes home to Charleston, it’s not only because her family want her help in finding out what her grandmother is doing, hiring a strange lawyer to carry out eccentric requests. It turns out she would have been moving home right about then anyhow. But she didn't want the rest of the family to know. So what is this big secret that she doesn’t want the rest of the family to know? And is her grandmother really doing the strange things they say she’s doing, or is it just because she refuses to tell them about her decisions?

Why had Matthew Harper moved to Charleston? How does his little girl fit into the picture? And how do the turtles fit in? Does Georgia finally learn to stand up for herself? Do Matthew and Georgia find the proof that her grandmother wanted?

This is the first book in a mini-series on the Bodine family by Marta Perry. I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. Marta does an excellent job in weaving lives together. She takes three generations, and makes a beautiful braid. Her stories are realistic, and believable. When you read one of her books you feel as if you’ve been given a glimpse into that family. It could even be you.

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Reviewed by: Donna B

HIS BABY BOMBSHELL - Jessica Matthews

Title: HIS BABY BOMBSHELL

Author: JESSICA MATTHEWS

Line: Mills & Boon Medical
Release Month: September

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Surprising

The Back-Blurb:

The last thing nurse and single mother Sabrina Hollister needs is the father of her baby to turn up as her new boss! Adrian is knocked out by Sabrina’s baby secret – but he’s not going to let her raise their son alone. . .

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Adrian MacReynolds was knocked out by Sabrina’s baby secret – but that wasn’t the only thing that knocked him out. Will the hospital she works at ever forget that Sabrina knocked him out with a golf ball on his very first day at work? Will he ever let her forget it?

Why did Sabrina not want Adrian to find out about Jeremy? And when he finally did, did things happen just as she had predicted? What “gene” is it that causes a person to have a one-track mind, and to totally take over a given area, running rough-shod over anyone who gets in his way? What other area had Adrian done this in? Did he finally learn how to not do this by the end of the story?

Jessica Matthews outdid herself in writing this story. She had so many twists and turns I found it impossible to put the book down. I always had to read “just one more page, to find out what happens next”. Jessica’s imagination in setting up tension scenes for the hero and heroine take second place to no one! Her solutions to these scenes are inspirational. This book was a joy to read. I especially loved the end.

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Reviewed by: Donna B

INVITATION TO THE BOSS'S BALL - Fiona Harper

Author: Fiona Harper

Line: Harlequin/Mills and Boon Romance

Release Date: September 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet

Back-Blurb:

Alice's plain-Jane world is turned upside down when she's hired to organize tycoon Cameron Hunter's company ball.

She's shocked by an invitation on her doormat, and the next thing she knows, she's dancing in her oh-so-delicious boss's arms in a stunning dress!

Alice knows that on Monday morning everything will go back to normal. But for now, she's going to enjoy every second….

Review:

Fresh, funny, tender and absolutely mesmerizing, Fiona Harper's latest Harlequin Romance, Invitation to the Boss's Ball is simply fabulous!

Alice's love life has always been a bit of a disaster area. Men seem to either treat her like one of the guys or else date her for a couple of weeks before someone better comes along. Alice seems destined never to meet her Prince Charming, but at least she has her best friend Coreen and their business which they are looking to expand. Yet, little does Alice realize that her love of vintage clothing is going to bring her up close and personal with the man she's been waiting for all her life!

When an old friend ropes her into organizing her stepbrother, Cameron Hunter's, company ball, Alice is shocked when she realizes that the awkward, shy and bookish boy she knew as a teenager has now been transformed into one of England's most eligible bachelors. But Cameron can have any woman he wants and he will not want to date Plain Jane Alice...or will he?

Cameron is detemined to show her that, in his eyes, she is the belle of the ball. But will Alice's insecurities and fears keep her from recognizing that her boss is head over heels in love with her?

Invitation to the Boss's Ball is Harlequin Romance gold! Fiona Harper continues to get better and better with every book and readers who haven't discovered her wonderful stories should race to the bookshop and get ready to discover one of the best voices in contemporary romance writing today.

With a delightful heroine, a sexy hero, a lovely cast of supporting characters, humour, pathos, charm and warmth, Invitation to the Boss's Ball is another Fiona Harper novel readers will simply not be able to resist.

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A TRIP WITH THE TYCOON - NICOLA MARSH

Author: Nicola Marsh

Line: Harlequin Romance

Release Date: September 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet

Back-Blurb:

Determined to forget her husband's infidelity and bring her confident, fiery self back, Tamara Rayne is in India on a trip of a lifetime. Love isn't on her itinerary, so she hardly notices when blast from her past Ethan Brooks boards her train….

The maverick entrepreneur has wanted Tamara ever since he met her. Under the shimmer of the Indian sun, Ethan decides he's waited long enough….

Review:

Nicola Marsh's latest Harlequin Romance, A Trip with the Tycoon, is a magical tale of new beginnings, second chances and happy endings set under the beautiful Indian sky.

For Tamara Rayne, her husband's sudden death came as a relief. Although the whole world thought that they had the perfect marriage, Richard had always belittled her by making snide comments about her job and appearance, until the once-confident Tamara began to doubt herself. After taking a year to regroup and to get her life back on track, Tamara plans to celebrate her new found freedom by taking a trip to India, her late mother's beloved birthplace. Company is the last thing she needs. However, one of Australia's most eligible bachelors and her husband's former business partner, Ethan Brooks, is determined to accompany her and he is not going to be deterred!

Ethan's reputation as a playboy is legendary, but his suave exterior hides a wounded soul who is scared of commitment and of letting anyone get too close to him. Yet, there is something about Tamara - the woman he's been attracted to for years - that beguiles and compels him. He is determined to finally make Tamara his and will use all of his charms on their Indian trip to seduce her...

But as they begin to spend more and more time together, Ethan realizes that he has fallen head over heels in love with Tamara. But before he can spend the rest of his life with her, he must first face the demons from his past which have held him back for years....

A Trip with the Tycoon is absolutely wonderful! It's fresh, witty, sassy and feel-good, but also poignant, tender and moving. Nicola Marsh never fails to make me care and emphatize with her characters and in A Trip with the Tycoon, she has created a wonderful heroine and an absolutely gorgeous hero!

Set against the majestic Indian landscape and full of charm, pathos and romance, A Trip with the Tycoon will delight and enchant readers everywhere!

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THE BILLIONAIRE’S FAKE ENGAGEMENT - Robyn Grady

Author: Robyn Grady

Line: Silhouette Desire

Release month UK:/ North America: September 2009

The S-Factor: Sweet and Steamy

Back-Blurb:

A scandal threatened one of Australia's most powerful bachelor billionaires. The solution? A proposal.

Alexander Ramirez was committed to the idea of family, and Natalie Wilder certainly brought the right assets to his bedroom. The engagement that he'd intended as a media distraction soon became a real possibility. As one obstacle after another got in the way of his plans, Alex became more determined than ever to keep Natalie in his bed. And he always got what he wanted!

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Natalie Wilder had a past and she was keeping it a secret from her billionaire lover Alexander Ramirez and the rest of the world. At seventeen she became pregnant; the father left her and her home town leaving her and her family to be town gossips. She delivered her baby girl early due to an accident and two hours later watched her pass away in her arms. Now she’s living in Sydney Australia and is a high end real estate agent. However, her grief for her baby is real and she visits the grave site and her mom when she can.

Alex Ramirez is a well known billionaire and is awaiting an answer on an important business deal. However, he’s attending his sister’s engagement party and has taken Natalie along as his guest but he also wants her to meet his sister. They’d been together for 3 months in a very intense relationship with no talk of future. Alex new he would marry and produce heirs and the reputation of the woman he would marry would need to have a wife to be above reproach. He remembers a discussion with his father about marriage and responsibility

It’s an awaiting game to get the results of the paternity test and Alex needs Natalie with him. He purchases a mansion and asks her to move in and also makes arrangements with her boss for her to have time off where they spend time on the beach at his secluded summer home. Their time together is romantic yet tense because the tests haven’t come back. The reporter is lurking around and Natalie makes her trek back home to her home town to see her mom. People in the town still stare at her and more and more she realizes sometime soon she’s going to need to tell Alex the truth because she’s in love with him.

It’s very clear to Natalie that that how he sees his future is married and with a son, a son she can’t give him due to complications that happened after the birth of her baby. Secrets as we all know have a way of blowing up in ones face and she keeps putting off telling him about her past. For them blow after blow, a young man they met on the beach whose mother was ill, her telling him about her infertile condition and her mother having a heart attack. How much more could they survive because there was one thing for sure….he wanted her, wanted to marry her.

Trust me, for this couple things keep going down hill with the exception of Alex finding out he’s not the father as he was accused. But when he she sends him away, he’s at his lowest. Be prepared for a good cry as it’s obvious they both belong together. Especially when he gives her a gift of love, a pledge of honour, truly a selfless gift one the reader will long remember.

Robyn Grady has a special gift of expressing her thoughts, and showing her character’s deepest emotions, a gift that is so romantic and sweet especially in this wonderful love story. I could actually believe her baby was an angel which brought them together and tears to my eyes.

The longer they saw each other the more Alex became open about their relationship and of course he had questions and wanted to know about her family and past. So as they are getting ready to leave the engagement party, he is accosted by a former business man and accuses in front of the party goers that his daughter is expecting and accuses Alex of being the father. To make matters worse, a reporter is awaiting them on the street and asks Alex two questions…..what’s he going to do about the baby and is he going to marry Natalie. On the spur of the moment, Alex answers “yes”!

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the book from Dear Reader:

Robbie poses the question “ have you ever been so badly burned that you were unable to forgive the person responsible? Sometimes forgiving ourselves over enduring regrets can prove even more difficult than forgiving others”. RG

Texan's Wedding Night Wager

Author: Charlene Sands


line: Desire


Release Month: September 2009

The S Factor: Sizzling

Back blurb:

No one walked away from this Texas mogul ... especially not his wife! So when Cara chose to leave rather than play second fiddle to his company, Kevin plotted revenge. Four years later, she returned, intent on finalising their divorce but Cara had no clue Kevin had constructed the perfect pay back plan. It's a wager she can't refuse. The divorce would be official ... if she agreed to one last week of playing house. And nothing would be off limits.

Review: ♥♥♥♥

I often shy away from stories in which the hero and heroine have known each other previously. I've always been of the opinion that if their love wasn't strong enough the first time around, then why would it be the second time? This book was a lovely surprise and smashed my pre-conceived notions to bits.

Cara left Kevin because he was a workaholic, even though she had explained to him over and over he didn't have to work so many hours. She would have preferred to have Kevin home on an evening than him trying to prove he was 'good enough' for him. Cara wanted to start a family; Kevin wanted to build an empire.

When they met again, Cara wanted a divorce. She wanted a loan to enable her to expand her own business. I loved Cara immediately. Here is a strong woman determined not to be defeated following the failure of her marriage, she picked herself up and made a new life for herself. It's easy to admire Cara, her parents were wealthy and she really didn't have to work at all.

Kevin tells herself he wants to pay Cara back for leaving him, but he quickly starts falling for her all over again--not wanting to accept he's loved her all along.

He dates Cara for a whole week, telling both Cara and himself that at the end of the week he will give her the divorce she's asked for. Of course, a week isn't long enough for either of them ...

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Reviewed by: Joanne

Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire - Abby Green

Author: Abby Green

Line: Mills and Boon / Harlequin Presents

Release month UK: October 2009/North America: September 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Steamy

Back-Blurb:

It's been ten years since Tiarnan Quinn humiliatingly rejected Kate, and she's still smarting. As a famous model she can have any man she wants. But there's something about the cold hearted millionaire that makes her go weak at the knees. So much so she agrees to jet off to his luxury villa in Martinique.

Kate knows Tiarnan can't give her what she wants: true love and a family. But as the sultry nights close in she begins to see hints of a different man beneath the hard exterior….

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Awareness, passion, conflict are what author Abby Green does best and Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire is no exception. Earlier in the year in “Brought for the Frenchman's Pleasure" readers met Sorcha Murphy who was Tiarnan’s sister and Kate’s best friend. This reviewer has long been awaiting Tiarnan and Kate’s story.

Tiarnan is a handsome and ruthless man and one alpha who doesn’t miss a thing. During a christening of his sister’s baby in which he and Kate are godparents, he becomes distinctly aware of the power he has over her and literally sees into her soul. Because ten years earlier after realizing what a lovely young woman she had grown into, they shared a kiss, a kiss neither of them have forgotten, especially Kate. And now weeks later he still remembers what passed between them and now he’s attending an auction where Kate is up for bid for a kiss. He wins in more ways than one but for Kate she’s in turmoil because he still means the world to her.

Kate flees the auction and Tiarnan catches up and brings up their past and how he realizes their passion for each other is NOT over! She remembers his long ago rejection and is humiliated but he keeps reminiscing about their past and discusses with her how due to their mutual desire, he would like to spend time with her. However, Kate also is aware that he goes from one woman to another, in fact he’s been married and divorced and has a lovely little girl Rosie. She doesn’t want to be a notch on his bedpost to satisfy his curiosity of what might have been. However, this very determined alpha has other plans for Kate. He’s sure that once they become lovers an eventually end the affair, it will be the last he’ll think of this beautiful woman, the same woman who has haunted him for years.

As for the women in his life, he keeps them at arms length. He’s also concerned because of his daughter as to what lengths women would go to win him over. His past with his ex-wife and parents have somewhat shaped his ideas about marriage so he’s not into a permanent relationship. For Kate, all she wants eventually is to be loved and have a home full of children and love.

Second chances? It’s a lovely romantic love story set is some of the most beautiful parts of the world. San Francisco, New York, the Caribbean and Spain where Tiarnan and Rosie live and where Kate has just finished modelling. He uses his daughter to get Kate to visit and when his nanny has to leave because of an emergency and he has a business trip, Kate volunteers to stay with the sweet little girl. Upon his return he invites to accompany he and Rosie to his Caribbean home for a holiday.

Can she take this holiday with the man of her dreams? Can she survive an affair? Kate decides to go for that reason but on her terms and she’ll walk away at the end of their holiday. What she doesn’t count on as how much she enjoys her time spent with both of them.

Just prepare yourself for tears as you watch their romance blossom and sizzle; the interaction between Kate and Rosie and Rosie’s Caribbean extended family and friends. On top of everything else the conflict between Kate and Tiarnan and his mistrust of her when he sends her home because he feels Kate has used Rosie to get to him. I think what I personally enjoyed the most was reading about Tiarnan coming to terms with his feelings. Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire is just another amazing and wonderful love story so well penned by Abby Green; quite stunning!

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

BOUND BY THE MARCOLINI DIAMONDS - Melanie Milburne

Author: Melanie Milburne

Line: Mills and Boon / Harlequin Presents

Release month UK: July 2009/North America: September 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling and Sexy

Back-Blurb:

When the joint guardianship of baby Molly is threatened, Italian playboy Mario Marcolini knows there is only one option: Sabrina, the child's nanny, must surrender to his diamond-laden proposal….

Sabrina is wary of Mario, whose dark good looks and advances are as tempting as the devil. But marry him she will, for baby Molly's sake. The only problem is Mario thinks he's marrying an experienced gold digger—when in fact the young woman bought to be his bride is as pure and unblemished as the diamonds he has used to bind her to him!


Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

Bound by the Marcolini Diamonds is book two in Melanie Milburne’s The Marcolini Men. It will make the reader think how far and to what lengths one would go for a friend. It’s an incredibly moving and magnificent story with one hot Italian alpha and a sweet Australian nanny. Milburne has written an incredible love story, one with a battle of wills and temptation.

Sabrina is a sweet woman who adores children and in her profession as a nanny has been wrongly accused as to having an affair and breaking up a family. Now on top of everything else, she’s lost her best friend and her husband in an automobile accident. She and Mario Marcolini have been made co-custodians of their surviving baby Molly. Sabrina has only had one other experience with the sexy and ruthless billionaire Mario and wonders how she will carry out her friend’s wishes as she is now unemployed and lives in Australia while Mario resides in Italy. A short meeting with Mario after the funeral, she realizes he plans to take Molly to Italy and with his low opinion of her and all of his money, she wonders how she will play a part in Molly’s life.

It’s very obvious Mario has deep feelings for his departed friend Rick and feels an overwhelming responsibility to Molly. Even though he’s not to keen on Sabrina because of the scandal she’s caused, he realizes he needs someone to care for the baby and since she has all of the qualifications, the looks, and the body he decides the only option is a marriage of convenience. Of course it’s secretly one he’s looking forward and he’s hopeful theirs will be a physical marriage with all of the benefits. He’s also determined once Molly is older he will compensate Molly for her time and they will end the marriage. However, Mario realizes after a passionate kiss he’s never felt anything like it; the fire of the kiss and her touch. Even though his parents had a happy enough marriage, he wasn’t sure he wanted the responsibility or that sort of emotion in his life.

Can Sabrina survive this marriage? He constantly brings up the alleged affair and she can’t understand why he won’t try to understand that it was a set-up. Surely being in the press like he was should make him understand how things get twisted around? One thing she’s sure of is that women come and go in Mario’s life and he’s holding all the cards.

As one can well imagine, there’s a lot of emotion in this vibrant love story, loss of their best friends, loving Molly as they both do, their shared passion which taunts them both and the roller coaster emotions on top of everything else, a lot to take in and digest for them. So when they act on their desire and Mario realizes she inexperienced, can you imagine how he feels and that he got it wrong by believing the worst of Sabrina?

Both of the books in The Marcolini Men were exceptional and Mario and his brother learned valuable lessons about their women, valuable lessons we should all learn like trust and believing in each other because in the end both brother’s wanted it all…..love and marriage.

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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the Book:

“The story behind Mario and Sabrina was more to do with the issue of what you would do for a friend. How far would you go to protect a young baby that you have been given guardianship of? For Sabrina this was a huge decision as by agreeing to marry Mario Marcolini she was effectively giving up her own dreams of a happy marriage and children of her own one day. It was a fun book to write as Mario and Sabrina struck sparks off each other right from the start.” M. Milburne

THE MARCOLINI BLACKMAIL MARRIAGE - Melanie Milburne

Author: Melanie Milburne

Line: Mills and Boon / Harlequin Presents

Release month UK: April 2009 as Mistresses by Blackmail/North America August 2009

The S-Factor: Sizzling

Back-Blurb:

No one asks a Marcolini for a divorce. Especially a gold digger who could walk away with the family's fortune! Antonio Marcolini will make Claire pay. And he has got the perfect plan for vengeance—he'll demand she spend the next three months living with him as his reconciled wife, and nothing will stop him from getting what he wants!

But Claire is innocent. Can she prove it before her husband blackmails her back into marriage…and the marriage bed?

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

The magnificent Melanie Milburne has created one of the most emotional and beautiful love stories with The Marcolini Blackmail Marriage, the first book in her duo series The Marcolini. Reading this incredible love story I could actually visualize Antonio Marcolini, the proud and angry man determined to keep his wife, not giving in to her requested divorce. So he has a plan, he’ll stay in Australia for three months and see if there is any hope to save his marriage.

Claire can’t believe the news she receives from her lawyer. So when she receives the phone call from her husband who she hasn’t seen in five years and she meets him for dinner, she shocked when he insists she stay and live with him, giving them and chance to save their marriage. However, instead of asking, this proud Italian demands and blackmails her using her brother’s situation of being in trouble with the law as an excuse to keep her in line. He holds all the cards and is determined to have total control.

Emotionally, they were both at separate ends. She's still grieving for the loss of their daughter openly and he concealing his. This emotion plus the remembering for them both of the passion they once shared is absolutely combustible. Then the secrets and there are some. Antonio believed his mother that Claire was a gold digger as she gave her a check when she left Italy. Antonio is so very sure his mother was correct and determined that Claire with NOT get half of his inheritance. As for the most important emotion love, he’s sure he only felt lust for his wife when Claire clearly and deeply loved him. However, to be forced to marry because of a pregnancy, leave Australia and live in Italy with a busy surgeon husband and a new family who were not welcoming and the loss of a daughter, way too much!

What touched my soul was how the author dealt with grief and loss. Maybe to the reader who has not experienced it, they would have a different experience. However, personally I’ve had to deal with losing a husband and it was horrible but to loose a child I think would be devastating. And devastating it was for Claire whose baby died at birth. It wasn’t only loosing her it was how her husband Antonio dealt with it as well as his Italian family. All Claire wanted from Antonio was to be loved for her. On top of the loss it was way too much for her so she fled back to Australia.

Their months together were a tug of war but it’s obvious the passion is still there as they become reacquainted. It’s how they came to terms with their baby’s death, all of the secrets and the misunderstandings that tugged at my heart. It’s just a beautifully written love story and one I will long remember. I’m looking forward to Melanie’s September release, Bound by the Marcolini Diamonds and reading about another Marcolini brother an Italian alpha!


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Reviewed by: Marilyn

Behind the Book from the author:

"With the Marcolini Men my editor wanted me to do a two book series and she suggested using a celebrity surgeon as the hero in the first book. I already had the idea having met a young lady a couple of years ago who poured her heart out to me one day as she was doing my nails about the death of her baby. It was one of those incredibly moving moments that touched me very deeply. Firstly that she chose me, a perfect stranger, to off load her grief. And secondly because it made me realize how everyone grieves in their own way, that there is not blue print for how you deal with loss. So many of this young lady’s friends and family skirted it around it not wanting to upset her but she really needed to talk.

I decided that my hero and heroine Claire and Antonio would have each dealt with their grief in different ways and in the heartache of their loss had somehow lost each other. Antonio sees his trip to Australia as a chance to see if they have a chance to rebuild their marriage or end it forever."

FIRST COME TWINS

Title: FIRST COME TWINS
Author: HELEN BRENNA
Line: HARLEQUIN SUPER ROMANCE
Release month ( North America/ UK / Australia): North America - August
The S-Factor: ( Sizzling! / Simmering / Sweet) SIMMERING
Back-Blurb:
Photojournalist Noah Bennett has been running from himself forever. Covering war zones around the world has kept him away from his mistakes and, more important, from Sophie Rousseau, his high school sweetheart. But he's never forgotten her.

He's returned to idyllic Mirabelle Island to heal, to finish his latest book…and to face Sophie again.

Months after Noah escaped the island for college, Sophie married his older brother. Now a widow with teenage twins, Sophie will do whatever it takes to speed Noah's recovery and get him off her island.

Before the only man she ever loved breaks her heart again.

Review: (average of hearts overall out of 35 – so total hearts divided by five?) ♥♥♥♥♥

Ms. Brenna kicks off this enjoyable new series with FIRST COME TWINS. Noah Bennett is returning to the small island he grew up on, the only place on Earth where he might be able to recover—or so his doctors think. However Noah isn’t buying it. How could he heal and manage to get some rest with the looks of pity from everyone he grew up with, including the woman he once loved, the one who married his brother—the one he hasn’t seen since he left town fifteen years ago? Except things have changed more then Noah expected when he returns home to find himself facing another loss he hadn’t imagined. That of his brother and Sophie’s husband.
Sophie has her own reasons for not wanting Noah to stick around. He’s a part of her painful past, and a reminder of the husband she lost. But he’s not as quick to leave as she would like and she finds herself amidst a swirl of emotions as she does her best to help him heal in order to leave, before he has a chance to break her heart all over again.

I loved Noah almost immediately, his determinedness to get through everything in his own way and Sophie for wanting things to remain just the way they are, which is exactly how she was brought up. Since she’s taken over the family business, it’s her job to make sure everything remains just so. Something she’s taken to heart, unfortunately about her own life. The one scene I absolutely loved between the two characters is when Sophie stumbles across Noah at their old spot at the lighthouse. He’s curled up at the base, thinking it’s the one spot where he might be able to find some peace and rest.

The one thing Ms. Brenna does exceptionally well besides creating an emotional read, is creating secondary characters who come to life. I grew especially fond of Noah’s father as the story went on and Sophie’s twins are two of my favorite characters so far this year.

Readers looking for a sweet emotional read should pick up FIRST COME TWINS.

Reviewed by: Lis



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Helen Brenna grew up the seventh of eight children in central Minnesota. Although she never dreamed of writing books as a child, she was a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on all the Harlequin books she could get her hands on.