Dinca’s review of Marrying for King’s Millions by Maureen Child
Contemporary Romance published by Silhouette Desire 4 Apr 08
Maureen Child has another grabber. It takes hold and doesn’t let go starting with page one! Several times I wanted to let go, but I had to follow the old saying “Stupid is as stupid does” and find out what stupid thing happened next.
Lessons learned… Never trust your heart. Julie’s first husband has dumped her and now her childhood crush wants a contract for an in-name-only marriage. Hah! The only good thing that could come out of that scheme would be her dream of owning a bakery, but Travis King is not demanding anything of her except her time and a wedding band on her finger for a year.
Travis plans ahead. Every move he makes is well thought out and a thorough plan in place so the outcome will be just as he wants it. The distributor he has picked for his wine business has one drawback… unmarried daughters. So Travis plans to be married by his rules before he makes the deal. All it will take is a simple business contract with his childhood friend Julie O’Hara that includes a start and end date. Everyone wins — he gets the distributor he wants and she gets her dream when the deal is done.
I had a hard time wrapping my head around the portrayed frivolous lifestyle too. Characters are trying to do the right thing, although I did find it rather naive of Julie to go meet with her traitorous ex-husband who had already blackmailed her and Travis.
I also find it totally unbelievable for a modern day woman, who professes she can take care of herself (as Julie proclaims), to think she is divorced without ever seeing or signing the divorce papers. You would think the ex-husband’s blackmail scheme is a done deal once their divorce/bigamy and remarriage leaks to the press. Why is he even still in the picture? And why does Travis think Julie is involved in the scheme? She stands to lose more than anyone. Supposedly for such a smart guy, Travis is way off the mark.
This book is not as strong as Book 1 of the Kings of California. Travis is too domineering, which tends to bring out the stupid gene in Julie. I don’t feel this is one of Ms. Child’s best efforts. I generally enjoy her work and I was not looking forward to writing this review. The only reason I didn’t give it a D was the grabber effect. One thing does happen after another that I didn’t see coming, even if it was laced with dumb, dumb and dumber.
Grade: C-
Summary:
Wed and bed one of his biggest client’s unsavory daughters? No thanks. But the only way millionaire Travis King could get the man off his back was to marry someone else. So he handpicked his temporary and on-his-terms bride— hometown girl Julie O’Hara. The woman was desperate and should easily fade into the background. And, as per their contract, she’d do exactly what he wanted during their year of platonic marriage. Unless what he wanted began to change.…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
