Shannon C.’s review of The Billionaire Boss’s Secretary Bride by Helen Brooks
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Jul 08
I have to admit, until recently, I’d never read a Harlequin Presents. I also admit to being turned off by the cheesy titles and the descriptions that made me sit and think, ‘Oh, there we go again. Yet another alpha jerk incapable of listening to the heroine for five seconds.’ But both Holly and Jane lurve them some Presents, so I thought I’d try a Helen Brooks book, since at least one of them said she was good.
You know, it didn’t suck. I realize this is really really faint praise for a book, but I was a huge skeptic going in, and while I’m not completely converted to reading Presents, (or this author, for that matter), it could have been way worse.
I liked the fact that our two leads, Harry and Gina, are relatively normal people. Gina has always been in love with Harry, but she’s a forever kind of woman, and Harry is obviously a playboy. Harry is afraid of commitment, so he dates floozies, but he’s always had a thing for Gina. This conflict is very understandable, and I liked watching both characters struggle with that conflict.
Where I had issues was Gina herself. She’s likeable enough, but she jumps to erroneous conclusions about Harry from the beginning. She doesn’t give him enough credit for actually wanting to change his ways, and at times I found her nagging to be a bit too much. It seemed to me that Harry could probably do better than someone who was probably going to be a shrew for the rest of his life. Also, I really didn’t like the connotation that Gina, who appears to be something of a feminist, just needs a strong man like Harry to guide her through life. It could be that I read too much into the book to draw that conclusion, but there were several scenes where Gina shrilly accuses Harry of being sexist when he is, in fact, not.
As I said, I did like the writing. And I was expecting sooo much worse. Maybe the next Helen Brooks or Harlequin Presents book I like will work better for me.
Grade: C
Summary:
As far as secretary Gina Leighton is concerned, billionaire businessman Harry Breedon has never shown more than a professional interest in her. Why should he? Plain and plump, Gina knows she’s hardly trophy-wife material!But Harry has noticed her–sexy curves and all–and now that Gina has another job offer, he’ll have to act fast. This handsome tycoon is determined to seduce her into staying–even if that means making her his wife!
You can read an excerpt here
With apologies to the poor author, but GADS! WHAT A HORRIFIC TITLE! Does Harlequin actually think this SELLS books? No way in hell I’d be caught dead reading a book with this title.
Gwen – it gets worse. I usually ignore the HP titles because, well I know many authors don’t get to choose their own, poor things. But some are so bad even I can’t stomach them.
This was one of the best HPs I’ve read so far this summer — but I’m also a sucker for unrequited love stories, and I liked Gina better, I think, than you did.
Gwen — it does sell books 😀 I agree they are awful, but as many of us out there that are buying them *despite* the title, there are probably more out there buying them *because* of the title. Put in “blackmail” or “revenge” and I know I’ll probably take a second look, lol.
Of course, the last “revenge” one I picked up sucked horse’s ass, so it’s a crapshoot unless it’s an author (like Helen Brooks) whose work I almost always enjoy.
I read this one too Shannon and I like Meljean, liked Gina more than you. It’d be a B for me, I liked the story and the characters. What bothered me was the “She’s a good girl and good enough for him because she’s waited” sort of mantra. It’s ok that he’s slept around because it’s made him the man she fell in love with. Rather trite, that part of it for me.
But a solid B all around in my opinion.
Gwen: I know, the titles drive me nuts. I just can’t help but picture them as read by some smarmy voiceover guy.
Meljean: I suspect I should try another Brooks. And I know it’s not fair of me to judge the heroine so harshly considering she, unlike me, doesn’t have access to what’s going on in Harry’s head, but I got so very tired of the “Oh, you don’t really mean that, Harry. Of course you can’t commit” statements from her.
Lawson: Yeah, that bothered me, too, but then, it’s not like that particular trope is new. What got to me after a while was Harry’s insistance that moving to the city was such a bad thing. I mean, if this were real life, we’d be telling Gina to go on with her bad self and go to the city because obviously there are (1) better opportunities waiting for her and (2) other fish in the sea. But since this is a romance, we’re supposed to think Gina’s a bit silly for going through with this life change because after all, it’ll take her away from Harry.
But then, I guess it’s not really fair to judge characters by what *I* think they should do, even if I find myself doing it anyway.
Maybe I should just accept that aside from the occasional historical, I’m not really meant to be a Harlequin girl? I don’t know.
yep they sell… HP does 12 books a month and that is just from the last year or so because it does so well…
It can support 12 books a month. I mean WOW. And they have people who get them all, every month, and read them. ::shrug::
I admit I lurve me some HP. It is something I can’t stuff myself with but when they are good they rock. And seriously the titles doesn’t bother me, hell if I can read a book with a naked man on it… whats a lil virgin in the title gonna do?
Now the important thing… I need to read this.
ohhhhhhhh no no no
Shan we haven’t even hit some of the lines me think you will like ;).
HAR HAR HAR HAR HAR! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE! HO HO HO HO HO!
This is funny: http://facstaff.unca.edu/pbahls/TitleGenerator.html
Think this is the tool Harlequin uses?