Dinca’s review of The Body That Launched a Thousand Ships by Tori Carrington
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Blaze 1 Jan 10
Have you ever seen something you wanted and just had to set out and get it? That is what this romance is about. This is part of Blazing Bedtime Stories Vol III, and it didn’t put me to sleep at all. I read to the end and enjoyed every minute of it.
Elena Anastasios and her family are devastated by the death of her father and accept the marriage proposal of her father’s friend, Greek shipping magnate Manolis Philippidis. This marriage will save her family and is encouraged by her mother. She is resigned to a relationship of loving but not being in love, until she meets Ari Metaxas…
Ari Metaxas and his brother, Troy, are invited guests to the wedding of Manolis Philippidis, a man they hope to do business with and save their failing family lumber mill that is the main support of the small town of Earnest, Washington. While staying on a yacht in the bay, he spies a beauty in the complex on shore. He discovers her again in the marketplace and gets acquainted. Make that very acquainted in the secluded doorway of a side alley.
Elena has the shock of her life at her engagement party when she is introduced in the receiving line to her wanton make-out stranger. They pretend not to have met, to no avail. At the end of the evening Ari kidnaps her by throwing her overboard and then rescuing her, taking her to his yacht. Following the adage that actions speak louder than words, he proceeds to convince her not to go through with the wedding.
When Troy discovers the bride to be the next morning, he is livid and helps get her off the yacht. Elena’s still determined to go through with the wedding for her family’s sake. She feels she has had the one-time fling of her life and is ready to devote her life to her marriage and family obligations. When she reveals all to Manolis Philippidis on the church steps, he slaps her but still wants to continue with the wedding.
Elena realizes now she cannot go through with the union and walks away from everyone. Back in her home town of Seattle, Washington she tries to salvage her family’s restaurant. Finding herself missing Ari and discovering she is in love with him, she is more than elated when he shows up at the restaurant with his irresistible charm. Instead of rushing into another engagement and marriage, they decide to take their time on the journey to happily ever after.
Tori Carrington has created a quick and enjoyable read. Although it is part of the Bedtime Stories series, I discovered the next installment, Ari’s sister, Bryna Metaxas, in a series called Private Scandals. I wonder where the brother Troy will end up?
Grade: A
Summary:
Elena Anastasios is finally going to get her fairy-tale wedding. Little does she know that ultra-hot Ari Metaxas is about to steal her away from her groom-to-be. Or that he intends to give her multiple mind-blowing reasons to believe that he’s the better man!
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
