Emma Church

Was in a big Harlequin mood so I read two yesterday. This one was the first and it was hard to put down. In fact, I was made late for an appointment because I was reading in the bath and lost track of time.

The story itself isn't overly fascinating but the characters worked well. There is no instant lightning when their fingers accidentally touch or doe-eyed gazes here. The heroine realistically dislikes the hero of the story from the get-go for a blend of legitimate reasons. Her personality was written with realism and the right touch of anger and spark. I loved the intruding, scheming aunt as a small side character trying to bring the two together. Mitch didn't strike me as anyone overly attractive and alluring, but there was a hot "almost" scene and his personality was basically enjoyable.

The book blurb makes it sound like less happens than it does - there's also other hidden themes in here, such as her working for a magazine that wants her to uncover dirt on the man for an article. I found it odd too that the real reason Kelly was bothered about the part of land being sold never actually comes to light. Mitch doesn't found out the exact reason. In the end it doesn't come off mattering though.

There was an inconsistency as well - earlier in the book he mentioned maybe it's time he settled down for a wife, but later he said he has no ambitions of marriage. Make up your mind already!

You can find a cheesy or silly line that makes little sense in almost any Harlequin. This time I raised my eyebrow at this part where she's trying to figure out why she's attracted (in the beginning) to the guy she's with who turns out to be a jerk:

"Had the fact that he was a divorced man added a special spice to the relationship that was slowly developing between them?"

Really? Does divorce make people MORE attractive and make you want a relationship more with them?

Elizabeth Grahams writing style is easy to latch on to, not too stuffy and flows well, especially when in the mind and told through the POV of Kelly. She doesn't head hop but stays in third-person.

Harlequin themes: Rich Hero, Virginal Heroine, Matchmaking, Revenge


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