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REVIEW: A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield

by | Dec 23, 2011 | Review |

Book CoverLynneC’s review of A Win-Win Proposition by Cat Schield
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Desire 4 Oct 11

This is a makeover/boss-secretary book, so be warned, it does have its problems. However, if you don’t take it too seriously, it’s a pleasant read, although some points made me a little uncomfortable.

Sebastian Case is attending a summit with his PA, Missy Ward, in Las Vegas. Missy has a makeover and decides to move on with her life, so Sebastian is shocked to find the sexy redhead under his previously dowdy assistant. Sebastian is a player and enjoys his bachelor status, but Missy turns the tables when she takes him to the roulette table and bets five thousand dollars on red. She wins, and she also wins a bet with Sebastian. She’s had the hots for him for years, and now she wants one night with him. She resigns, determined to leave her crush on her boss behind.

So my first doubtful moment is the “take your glasses off, Miss Smith.” I really dislike it when a man only notices his secretary after she’s had a makeover. So her intelligence, long service, and friendship means nothing? Not next to a day at the spa, a new haircut, and some new clothes. I went along with it, but Sebastian doesn’t ever give a reason why he never noticed Missy before, apart from the fact that he doesn’t mix business and pleasure, so only after Missy resigns is she fair game. I don’t buy that, or that he never noticed her in that way. She’s not a new employee, she’s worked for him for years.

Then, when they have sex, there is no mention of protection. Later in the story, there is a mention that they “used protection,” but in the scenes themselves, they don’t stop for the condom moment or even to discuss it. These days, what idiot has sex with someone who is a known player without even mentioning a condom? I don’t care how carried away you are, if you’re intelligent, as Missy is supposed to be, then you think about it. She might be inexperienced, but she isn’t stupid and she isn’t that naïve.

With a few tweaks, those aspects of the story could have been sorted out. But this isn’t a deep read and I don’t believe wholly in the characters. Sebastian doesn’t have a huge amount of depth, he works things out as he goes along, but his devotion to Missy is sweet, and I like the way he wants to take care of her and takes responsibility for her after they become an item.

Missy is an enigma. A dingbat in bed, a supposedly clever woman with an MBA out of it, we don’t really get to see the clever side of her. We do get to see her home life, after a development later in the story, and we learn that she’s a terrible cook and she can’t bake. Basically, an oven is an oven, whether it’s meatloaf or cake, so I didn’t get that part. Missy does what’s needed for the plot.

Sebastian’s father is described as interfering, and I don’t quite understand why he would want to stymie the deal Sebastian is working on in Las Vegas. I do understand that his father is regretting his retirement, and I would have liked a little more of the father and son relationship. It might have given Sebastian more depth.

Ms. Schield does have an easy, readable style, which drives the story along at quite a pace, but I wish she’d have put her skills to better use on characters with more depth and motivation. Something a little outside the norm, perhaps. I’m sure she can do it.

LynneCs iconGrade: C-

Summary:

Sebastian Case relies on his irreplaceable assistant for everything. But since arriving in Vegas for a conference, mousy Missy Ward has transformed herself. From ordinary to ravishing. From modest and reserved to bold and sensual. And Sebastian, who’d barely noticed she was a woman, finds himself dazzled by her allure.Now she’s quitting and Sebastian will do anything to keep her. Including accepting her outrageous bet. One spin of the roulette wheel—black and she’ll stay…red and Sebastian owes her one night of passion. What can he lose, except maybe his heart?

Read an excerpt. (scroll down)

Cat Schield –

 

This is a makeover, boss-secretary book, so be warned, it does have its problems. However, if you don’t take it too seriously, it’s a pleasant read, although some points made me a little uncomfortable.

 

Sebastian Case is attending a summit with his PA, Missy Ward in Las Vegas. Missy has a makeover and decides to move on with her life, so Sebastian is shocked to find the sexy redhead under his previously dowdy assistant. Sebastian is a player and enjoys his bachelor status, but Missy turns the tables when she takes him to the roulette table and bets five thousand dollars on red. She wins, and she also wins a bet with Sebastian. She’s had the hots for him for years, and now she wants one night with him. She resigns, determined to leave her crush on her boss behind.

 

So my first doubtful moment was the “take your glasses off, Miss Smith” moment. I really dislike it when a man only notices his secretary after she’s had a makeover. So her intelligence, long service and friendship means nothing? Not next to a day at the spa, a new haircut and some new clothes. I went along with it, but Sebastian doesn’t ever give a reason why he never noticed Missy before, apart from the fact that he doesn’t mix business and pleasure, so only after Missy resigns is she fair game. I don’t buy that, or that he never noticed her in that way. She’s not a new employee, she’s worked for him for years.

 

Then, when they have sex, there is no mention of protection. Later in the story, there is a mention that they “used protection” but in the scenes themselves, they don’t stop for the condom moment, or even to discuss it. These days, what idiot has sex with someone who is a known player without even mentioning a condom? I don’t care how carried away you are, if you’re intelligent, as Missy is supposed to be, then you think about it. She might be inexperienced, but she isn’t stupid and she isn’t that naïve.

 

With a few tweaks, those aspects of the story could have been sorted out. But this isn’t a deep read and I don’t believe wholly in the characters. Sebastian doesn’t have a huge amount of depth, he works things out as he goes along, but his devotion to Missy was sweet, and I liked the way he wanted to take care of her, and took responsibility for her after they became an item.

 

Missy is an enigma. A dingbat in bed, a supposedly clever woman with an MBA out if it, we don’t really get to see the clever side of her. We do get to see her home life, after a development later in the story, and we learn that she’s a terrible cook, but she can’t bake. Basically, an oven is an oven, whether it’s meatloaf or cake, so I didn’t get that part. Missy does what’s needed for the plot.

 

Sebastian’s father is described as interfering, and I don’t quite understand why he would want to stymie the deal Sebastian is working on in Las Vegas. I do understand that his father is regretting his retirement, and I would have liked a little more of the father and son relationship. It might have given Sebastian more depth.

 

Ms. Schield does have an easy, readable style, which drives the story along at quite a pace, but I wish she’d have put her skills to better use on characters with more depth and motivation. Something a little outside the norm, perhaps. I’m sure she can do it.