Lynne Connolly‘s review of The Multi-Millionaire’s Virgin Mistress by Cathy Williams
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin Presents 9 Feb 10

First the title. The heroine isn’t a virgin at the start of the story, although well before the story has started, she has given him her virginity. And she’s nineteen. In the Prologue, they are both students and he dumps her unceremoniously. Jerk. What a relief that Megan realizes it and gets on with her life. I loved the beginning stunt, when she tries to pop out of a cake on his birthday, because it showed both characters much better than just telling the viewer what they were like. And I felt her humiliation.

It’s in the “Latin Lovers” series which is odd, because the only Latin thing about Alessandro is his name. He had an Italian father, but an English mother and is English born and bred.

The story carries on six years later. Megan is a teacher, working in London, reasonably happy with her life. Alessandro has made all his dosh and lives in a swanky area of London. I do find it hard to believe that Alessandro has done all that in seven years, and I have known some high-flyers in my time. But I let it go because I liked Megan and I wanted her to get her man. However, Alessandro didn’t really have to be quite so fabulously rich, but I guess the line calls for it.

Anyway, they meet again at a school function. Alessandro is engaged to a suitable woman, who happens to be the mother of one of her pupils. Although neither Alessandro nor Megan want it, they feel the urge.

They connect, slowly and naturally, and although Megan knows that Alessandro is a driven, humorless jerk, she still wants him physically.

I really dislike the use of “mistress” in the title because it’s the one thing Megan never is, although Alessandro wants her to be. His plaything, his possession, to spoil and then dump if he wants to. Everything on his terms. But thank the gods of Mills and Boon, Megan has learned better and while she’s willing to have sex with him, she refuses to let that happen, and won’t even leave a toothbrush at his house.

At last, a heroine who seems like she’s living in the modern world, not in the 1950’s, and a heroine with a sense of humor.

I read on because I was enjoying Megan, not because of Alessandro but as the story unfolds, so does he, and we learn his issues and enjoy watching Megan teach him to unwind and relax. I also enjoyed the secondary characters, Megan’s friend Robbie and Alessandro’s fiancée Victoria, who at first appears as buttoned-up as he is, but isn’t set up as the nasty Other Woman. Thank you.

I liked the way the relationship developed and I liked a real woman as heroine, one not stupid enough to let the hero dictate terms to her, one who could at any point walk away. And the last sentence in the book is lovely and shows how far Alessandro has come. An “A” and more, please!

Grade: A

Summary:

His diamond mistress.

As Alessandro Caretti made his ruthless climb to the top, his glamorous new world shut the door on ordinary Megan. Now a multi-millionaire tycoon, Alessandro is back – and he wants the one thing his money can’t buy: Megan.

Still totally out of her depth, Megan will never understand which string of diamonds matches which of the couture outfits Alessandro commands she wear! But for Alessandro Megan’s silk dresses are irrelevant – his only interest is keeping his mistress where she belongs…firmly between his silk sheets!

Read an excerpt.