Lynne Connolly‘s review of The Billionaire’s Marriage Mission by Helen Brooks
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Feb 08
The heroine, Beth, has been deceived by her ex husband in a big way, so she’s sensibly taken time off work and rented a cottage in the country so she can take it easy and recover. The hero, Travis, is her neighbour, whose first sight of her is in pink pyjamas and fluffy slippers, with animal dung on her clothes and face. She’s locked herself out of the cottage on her first night and she has slipped in something noxious.
Travis behaves with remarkable restraint and instead of smashing the mullioned windows – which do take some smashing, believe me – he takes her home to spend the night at his house, which is bigger and on the impressive side.
At first Beth is understandably wary. A different writer might have made this clumsy, but Brooks conveys well the feeling of not-quite-sure-of-herself and Beth’s annoyance with her own attitude. She’s an architect, and sometimes when in her pov Brooks will bring in a few phrases and descriptions that were appropriate. I think the whole book is from Beth’s point of view, or it seems that way. We can tell that Travis is smitten, but he doesn’t push it, because he sees how upset this makes Beth.
I liked how Travis was nothing but honest with Beth. He was interested, but he was willing to give her time, because he knows this is more than a passing fancy. I liked that Beth wasn’t stuck in a rut, she knows she needs this break, and time to get over her crisis.
They date, they talk, and she keeps shying away. He persists, but not in a stalker-ish way. When she asks him to back off, he backs off. Travis is one of the few Modern heroes you could actually imagine yourself liking in real life.
The friendship goes on for months, and the friendship matures in a natural way. We learn, and guess from the beginning that Travis has fallen for Beth virtually from sight, but he doesn’t let her know until the right time.
The only thing I didn’t like about the story was the Black Moment. It seemed imposed, the only thing that didn’t flow like the rest of the story. Beth is pushed that bit too far, and begins to seem hysterical.
But I knew why it was there and carried on. After the BM it gets good again. Beth seeks closure in the best way, visits her ex husband, to satisfy herself, that she’s really over him, doesn’t even hate him anymore. A grown-up solution, thank you! Only then does she go back to see Travis and tell him what he wants to know.
An enjoyable read, well written.
Grade: B
Summary:
Billionaires always get what they want!
Travis Black might be darkly, broodingly handsome, but as far as Beth is concerned he’s also very infuriating! What would a rich, successful and charming man like him want with a quiet, vulnerable and oh-so-ordinary woman like her?
Travis soon makes that abundantly clear. However, Beth isn’t into casual affairs–so this is one billionaire who won’t get what he wants. Or will he?
This was a good read. It kept me absorbed in the story when I was convalescing from a nasty bout of illness, so thank you, Helen Brooks.
Brooks is a solid Harlequin Presents/Mills and Boon Modern author and she usually delivers. She writes smoothly, paces the story well and gives you what you expect from this line—an engaging modern fairy story with believable characters and a touch of spice.
No excerpt available.
