Limecello’s review of Mr. Strictly Business by Day Leclaire
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Blaze on 10 Feb 09

Mr. Strictly Business had one of my favorite things to find in a romance novel – a hero that knows he is in love from the beginning. However, it also had what may rapidly becoming my biggest pet peeve. The barren heroine, who will sabotage her relationship with the hero to save him from himself because she can’t have children with him. (Whaaaaaaaaaaat?) I think it didn’t help I read about 5 different books with similarly affected heroines at the same time. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Mr. Strictly Business, and look forward to more of Ms. Leclaire’s books. So read on, gentle readers!

I like that Catherine has a spine, is smart, savvy, and willing to do what needs to be done. I don’t know that I believe she had no option but to agree to an affair with Gabe… but letting that slide because it’s a harlequin romance… I like how Catherine enters into the affair with Gabe with her eyes wide open. She doesn’t look at this as a second chance, and remembers all the problems they had before. She doesn’t obsess about them or hold their issues over Gabe’s head, but uses them as reminders to herself, in order to not make the same mistakes. What I also felt made Catherine a good heroine, is that she was willing to admit to her own culpability. She knew that her own insecurities and problems also led to the end of her and Gabe’s relationship. Overall, Catherine was a nice heroine that I was definitely rooting for. It also helped that she was very reasonable, and rational.

Gabe Piretti, however, really stole the spotlight as the hero. He’s in love. He also knows he’s in love, and is determined to get the heroine back. But wait – there’s more. He’s determined to win her back, and establish a relationship. The forever kind, in fact. (Wild, right? A hero who isn’t gunning after the heroine for some far fetched wild eyed revenge plot? I was won over.) I also liked that Gabe learned from his mistakes, and was so aware of what had gone right, and what had gone wrong previously. He’s really trying to take care of Catherine, but this time truly listens to what she’s saying. Ms. Leclaire does an excellent job with this, because at no point does Gabe seem pathetic, or creepy. The dynamics of Gabe and Catherine’s relationship are perfect.

I wasn’t convinced of his whole “Pirate” Piretti persona – or, if not that, I felt it was a bit unnecessary. We know he’s a master negotiator and a feared businessman, but… “pirate?” And the reason being because he wrested control of the company from his mother… Otherwise all the events made sense and flowed well together, but I felt that parts of Gabe’s personality weren’t developed, and simply assumed. That, and his “nickname” really did nothing for me, in terms of advancing his character.

It’s been nearly two years since they split (twenty-three months, actually, and yes. Gabe remembers. *swoon*), and desperate measures bring Catherine to ask Gabe for help. This provides Gabe with the perfect opportunity to winnow his way back into Catherine’s life, but I liked that Gabe had plans for bringing their paths together again anyway. Nevertheless, the events that bring Catherine to Gabe are perfect. I love the creative way Ms. Leclaire wove it all together. (I don’t want to write a spoiler and give it away, but it’s truly Machiavellian and extremely entertaining. For once, I might have wished for a little more fall out – but still, it was nice.)

I really liked the “good” secondary characters, such as Gabe’s mother. However, I felt some of the other secondary characters were too much, such as Gabe’s evil assistant. Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading too many strangely similar books in a short period of time, but I felt that Roxanne, the new assistant was too static and flat. She had no personality other than being mean and obsessed with Gabe. Not believable, and unfortunately Roxanne was a major driving force of the plot. What I did like, however, was the confrontation between Catherine and Roxanne, and the fact that Catherine went toe to toe with Roxanne and won. (Although the power struggle there was interesting too.)

One thing I appreciated was the heavy focus on Catherine, and her business. It was nice to see Gabe take such an interest in Elegant Events, and also to see what Catherine did. Of course it helped that Catherine’s work day was much more casual and diverse than Gabe’s, and it also gave the two a chance to be together in a more natural environment, allowing them to relax. The interaction between Catherine and Gabe was also very well written. It was clear there was a lot of history between the two.

I didn’t really like how drawn out the maudlin “I can’t be with you because we can’t have children”scenes were, both in Catherine’s head, then between her and Gabe, but I did love the result. Gabe reacted really reasonably, and had the perfect answer. That also bumped up the happy ending, and I really liked how everyone worked out in the end. I’m very happy with the Man of the Month books I’ve read, and am definitely looking forward to reading the others.

Grade: B-

Summary:
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Mr. February: Gabe “the Pirate” Piretti, business mogul
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Vital Statistics: Rich, ruthless—and relentless!
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Mission: Win back the one who got away.
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Though she’d escaped him once, Gabe Piretti hadn’t forgotten Catherine Haile’s sharp mind and curvaceous body. His plans to reel her back into his life—and bed—were already brewing when she asked him to help save her ailing business.
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He’d use her desperation to get what he wanted—Catherine. But what would happen when he had to make a choice between business and oh-so-seductive pleasure?
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Read an excerpt.