A merciless groom.

A not-so-convenient bride.
Scarred by his dark past, Damen Alexopoulos does not let emotion dictate anything – especially his choice of wife. So when his convenient society bride is switched at the altar for her innocent younger sister, Kassiani Dukas, Damen's adamant their marriage will remain strictly business. He's too damaged for anything more. Yet Kassiani's determination to know him – and the intense passion of their Greek island honeymoon – could be this ruthless Greek's undoing!

Title: His Shock Marriage in Greece
Author: Jane Porter
Series: /
Pages: 192
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Modern
Hot Buttons: /

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There’s always something comforting and pleasing about a Mills & Boon Modern romance. You know exactly what you’re getting - an alpha male hero (preferably rich), an innocent heroine, a misunderstanding of some sort and enough exotic locales that you will ache to be on holiday.

We get all that we’re hoping for with this book - all written in a style that pulls you in and makes you care about the story. And you can’t help but care for the characters in this tale, too. Kassiana feels older and wiser than her 23 years. She’s opinionated, feisty and knows what she wants yet she has a lot of hang-ups and insecurities. Her weight is probably the biggest issue that Kass has with herself. It was interesting to hear her describe herself, and then hear Damen’s description of her - and both were so startlingly different yet obviously about the same person. It felt refreshing somehow. And even with her insecurities, Kass never came across as a moaner, or mired in self-pity. I liked her.

Damon is a darn fine example of an alpha male. He’s hard, cold and man does he want to control Kass and the relationship as a whole. But he’s in for a shock as Kass was raised in America and she has opinions and she’s not afraid to share them - whether they’re invited or not. It started to frustrate me after a while that Damen wouldn’t open up (and I know it annoyed Kass!) but then Kass wouldn’t pass up an opportunity for an argument, and defied Damen in areas that I thought went too far. This swapped my frustration to Kass and made me feel more for Damen!

There were a couple of things that stopped me from giving this book 5 stars. The first was the sex scenes - or more accurately, how they were described. We had a good sizzle on the sex scenes in this book and some good interactions between the couple that gave me little butterflies. Damen was as in control in bed as he was in business/life - but the sex kept on getting described as fiery, a little bit dark and daring - with Damen being dominent. A little sizzle - yes. Dark, depraved and kinky it certainly was not. That’s in no way a problem but don’t try and sell me something that’s clearly mislabeled.

The other thing was there were a few inconsistencies in the book which annoyed me. Things such as Damen getting mad because Kass had moved out of the master suite, and then, a page or two later, being told about Kass moving out of the master suite and this being the first he’d heard of it. There were a few things like that that just irked.

But overall, this was a really good version of a classic Modern Mills & Boon tale. I was interested in the characters and their love story - I wanted them to get their happily ever after and I quickly ploughed through this book to find out what happened. I would happily pick up another Mills & Boon by Jane Porter and would also happily recommend this book to fans of this line. 4 stars for an enjoyably simple romance that has some good messages and a lot of heart.

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* I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *

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One night only.

Just think of the possibilities…

The second she sees Mr Oh-So-Delicious, Jennifer Hayes knows she needs one night of crazy. No names, no strings, no rules. Except that Jennifer's naughty one-nighter is actually Marcus Wright—her new business partner! Now they're mixing business with all kinds of pleasure. But when it comes to falling in love her sexy Mr Wright is either Mr Wrong or the best mistake of her life…

Title: Mr One-Night Stand
Author: Rachael Stewart
Series: /
Pages: 224
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Dare
Hot Buttons: /

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Great book after the first couple of chapters

After the demise of Mills & Boon’s previous sexy line, Blaze, I’ve been looking for something to take its place. While the Dare line raised my hopes - none of the books really knocked my socks off. or captured my attention fully. As I started to read this book I feared that this was more of the same.
And I felt that way for the first couple of chapters. The writing was good but for some reason I find that the Dare line like the opening scene of meeting to really be drawn out. I need a book to really be fast and snappy right off the bat to catch my attention and make me excited for what’s to come. Two chapters of the couple flirting at the bar and then meeting and having over-explained banter is just too slow for me.

The first sex scene came and I admit I was surprised - it was sexy and nicely explicit with a bit of fairly dirty language thrown in. Now this is what the Blaze line excelled at and this book brought me right back to those gems. There were a good number of sex scenes throughout the book - all very much part of the bigger story and not gratuitous.

For me, the book really started to pick up steam when the initial meeting and hookup were out of the way. That’s when we really got to know our two main characters - Jennifer and Marcus - and they really got to know each other. From this point, I loved their interactions and their banter. They were always coming from slightly different angles and it was fun to watch two strong people essentially want the same things but not be sure how to go about getting them. Having said that, the pair were honest with each other and I liked how there was no faux drama or misunderstandings used to keep the pair apart.

I also liked the setting of the book - the business aspect. It was done in such a way that made it seem real but still left enough out so it wouldn’t overshadow the romance.

And as I mentioned, I really liked the writing style of Rachael Stewart. After those first couple of chapters, the writing really flowed, pulled me in and really made me want to keep reading to find out what happened. There were enough different aspects to the story that kept you entertained and kept you interested right to the very end. But speaking of the end - I get so disappointed when there’s no epilogue. I love an epilogue and feel it really rounds out a story.

I really didn’t know how to rate this story. The first two chapters notwithstanding, it really was a good read. I enjoyed the story, liked the characters, it was well-written and had a good plot. But I have to rate it as a whole, which is why I gave it 3 stars. Still definitely worth a look and I’ll be keen to read more from Ms. Stewart.

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Scandal at a society wedding!

Can he resist the runaway bride?

After helping Nikki Lucas flee her high-society wedding, privacy-loving best man Max Conway never expected to be accused of having an affair with the bride! As the media scandal dies down, he escapes to a remote island—and comes face-to-face with Nikki! Their connection is undeniable but she’s completely off-limits. Yet as the sun sets in paradise, both are struggling to resist…

Title: Best Man and the Runaway Bride
Author: Kandy Shepherd
Series: /
Pages: 192
Genre(s): Mills & Boon True Love, Contemporary, Australia
Hot Buttons: /

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This book is one of a fairly new series from Mills and Boon, called True Love. Books in this series promise sparkling romances that will make you laugh, cry and fall in love over and over again.

Well, I’m not sure I ran the whole gamut of those emotions but this book definitely delivered on the true love in a sweet and gentle way. It’s the first book that I’ve read from this series and I certainly wouldn’t be against picking up another again when I’m feeling in the mood to remember that true love really does exist - no matter the odds.

Nikki was a great character. She’s smart, sharp, knows what she wants and goes out and gets it. She does have a vulnerable side - particularly evident when deciding whether she wanted to sleep with Max - which makes you relate to her and root for her some more.

Similarly, Max is a hero that you can’t help but love and want for yourself (sorry Nikki). He’s a former tennis player with the body to match (swoon) and while he’s got a reputation as a bad boy, he’s actually a bit of a sweetheart.

The story moves on at a leisurely pace. The writing style flows well and makes you want to keep reading. One thing I did note was that the way the story is told, you really believe that Nikki and Max are falling in love. And it’s gosh-darned adorable.

I would have liked Nikki to be a wee bitty more assertive with her feelings and her wants with Max. And while Max was a bit of a muppet when he accused Nikki of breaking his trust - at least he managed to catch on to his mistake pretty quickly.

And in the keeping of the book being a sweet and romantic tale - we get a few kisses and when the time comes to do the deed, the bedroom door firmly shuts us out. Not even a peek. Nor a rundown of events after the fact either. Oh well, at least I have my imagination!

This was a lovely, sweet tale of two people who are so right for each other - just with the wrong circumstances and the wrong time. It’s a book any Mills and Boon fan will enjoy reading and I’ll be looking out for more stories by Kandy Shepherd in the future. 4 stars.

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She’ll play his game―but only by her rules!

Alex Lancaster is an adrenaline junkie. He’s also a sexy British billionaire who should come with his own warning signs. When Libby insists she is done with men who live on the edge, Alex coaxes her out of her comfort zone―professionally and very, very personally. Libby’s taking a high-stakes gamble, but the pay-off could win her everything…

Title: A Week to Be Wild
Author: JC Harroway
Series: -
Pages: 224
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Dare
Hot Buttons: Death of a Fiance, Ill Baby

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I was so excited when I saw that Mills & Boon were releasing a new line of books. Perhaps this would fill the hole that the recently defunct Blaze line created for me. Man, I loved those books of sexy, successful men and feisty, strong, take charge women. Looking back, I think that my excitement - and subsequently high expectations - were never going to be lived up to.

The book started off well. The writing style of J.C. Harroway flowed well, was fresh and really kept my interest and the pages turning.

Alex was a British billionaire who was also a little bit of a daredevil. But he had a heart of gold and it was just as easy for me to fall for him as it was for Libby. He was also never written as a stereotypical Englishman which pleased me no end. No ‘jolly good old chap’ for this hero. Can’t really say the same for - och, was it the wee Scottish assistant? - but he was barely there so I glossed over that part.

I also liked Libby (although I’m pretty sure Libby is a derivation of Elizabeth - not Olivia). I liked her sassiness, understood her motivations but…then her damned internal monologue just wouldn’t quit.

I have a very dirty mind and I do enjoy my filth - but even I was getting frustrated with Libby and her constant forays into sexual fantasies about Alex. How on earth had this girl managed to build a successful business when she couldn’t keep her mind off what she wanted to do to Alex - or what she wanted him to do to her? Her thoughts seemed more befitting a 12 year old boy and I felt a little dirty reading it and not in a good way.

About 50% of the book was build-up to the initial sex scene rather than a chance to get to know our main characters. I like a bit of sexual tension but half the book? That’s overkill and I got seriously bored.

And then came the second half of the book.

The story picked up. Alex and Libby really got into their relationship and their little games of oneupmanship - excitement inside and outside the bedroom. The pair had banter and you really started to believe in them and feel for them as a couple. They opened up to each other (and the reader) more and you got to understand their back stories, their quirks, their hangups and their baggage. And the sex was pretty darn sexy, too! Finally!

The ending, and happily ever after, was nicely done and it made me smile. It felt real and I liked the way that Libby acted and reacted to the whole situation. If she’d been the girl she was in the latter half of the book, during that first half, this would have been a 5 star book without a shadow of a doubt.

This was definitely a book of two halves for me. I would still recommend it if you like your billionaire romances, are a fan of Mills & Boon or are just looking to pass the time on a rainy afternoon. I’ll keep my eye out for the next from the Dare line as this book did show promise and I’m still hoping that this will be my new favourite line to make me forget all about Blaze. 3 stars.

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Title: Tempting Kate
Author: Jennifer Snow
Series: Wild Wedding Nights
Pages: 160 
Genre(s): Mills & Boon Blaze / Harlequin Blaze
Hot Buttons: No epilogue

Everything depends on this one day

Would anyone hire a wedding planner who was left at the altar? The answer, Kate Hartley has found out, is no. It’s been nearly a year since her fiancé abandoned her at their destination wedding, and Kate’s career is nearly toast. Unless she can pull off the wedding of the century for her new clients, a Hollywood power couple. So why is the groom’s brother, sexy-as-hell resort owner Scott Dillon, trying to stop the wedding?

Scott wants to do the right thing—the bride-to-be is keeping a secret and Scott’s brother deserves the truth before he says “I do.” But if Scott doesn’t stop trying to stall the wedding, he’ll ruin Kate’s career, not to mention any chance he has of being with her.

This is the follow on story from Jennifer Snow’s last book, and another in the Wild Wedding Nights series, Her Holiday Fling. You don’t have to have read that one to enjoy this one, although it does help you understand Kate’s own disastrous almost-wedding.

This is a fairly simple story. Boy and girl meet and sparks fly. Then more sparks, this time in irritation, when they realise how they are connected. Then, what should just be angry or emotionless sex turns into something a little more complicated. Because of this, and because of the smooth writing style, it’s a quick read that very enjoyable.

I liked Kate - she’s got a vulnerability but at her heart she’s a confident, no-nonsense woman who goes out and gets exactly what she wants. I didn’t identify with her but I did like her. I loved Scott from the first moment that the reader likened him to Henry Cavil - swoon! Seriously though, he was a fun, at times grumpy, cheeky, stubborn man who was the perfect foil for Kate. I enjoyed them together, too - their chemistry just smouldering enough to make the love scenes give you that flip in your tummy.

The storyline of the 'secret' that Liz is keeping was an interesting one. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it and wasn’t sure if I should be angry, jealous, annoyed…I guess I was feeling exactly the same that Kate was supposed to be feeling so the author did a great job with that one even if it was slightly unusual.

If I had one complaint about this book it’s that I always want an epilogue. Show me the couple a month, year, 5 years into their relationship. It adds so much but is left out so often. But other than that, this was a really enjoyable book that’s a light and quick read. 5 stars.

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