This is a book I really enjoyed. Chantal Thibaudet is a princess, but leading an unhappy life. Her marriage was loveless (and included physical abuse, so be warned) but she is now widowed with a four year old daughter. Her in-laws are power hungry, including a pre-nup that basically holds her daughter captive while forbidding her to remarry. The world sees her as glamorous, which she is, and doesn’t see the negatives.

But life is about to change. Returning home by airplane in very rough turbulence she is befriended by Demetrius Mantheakis, who has been hired, unbeknownst to her, to be her bodyguard because her life has been threatened. The plane goes down; they begin an affair; she finds out he was hired — and her life is in danger.

How are they going to protect her from a crazy person — who might even be one of the inlaws?

He takes her to his private island where the villagers are completely loyal to him, and he is able to ensure her safety until they get a better handle on the enemy.

How is she going to keep her love for Demetrius, who also loves her, without losing her daughter in light of the pre-nup.

All’s well that ends well. Love finds a way.

I rate it 3.5 stars.

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Originally posted 2008-09-01 05:16:42. Republished by Old Post Promoter

• A Jane Porter Interview My friend got to interview Jane Porter, author of Flirty with 40 the other day. It's a really interesting article to read. My friend got to ask her one of my favorite questions, which is how do you define love?...
• Review: Taken by the Highest Bidder by Jane Porter (no spoilers) This one had a few twists and turns I didn't see coming, and it was more believable. The background of the leading characters unfolds throughout the book, and some of it you don't find out until mid-point. Samantha van Bergen...

This one had a few twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and it was more believable. The background of the leading characters unfolds throughout the book, and some of it you don’t find out until mid-point.

Samantha van Bergen is in a disastrous marriage, mothering a step-daughter that she dearly loves. This little girl is bright and precocious, and knows more than anyone realizes she does. Her mother died, and Samantha had been her nanny.

The book begins with a bang. Samantha’s husband, Johann, is a compulsive gambler, who has gambled away a family fortune. He loses it all to Cristiano. And come to find out, he has tossed in Samantha to sweeten the pot, but only after he offers his daughter first (nice guy, right?!) but Cristiano rejects this.

Of course, Cristiano has fallen in love with Samantha at first sight. He knows that the little girl will come with her stepmother.

The question is why is he going to this trouble? And what other unfoldments might we find along the way that unlock the puzzle?

Sam takes Gabriella and goes to England from Monte Carlo. When she is there, we learn more about her early life. She is definitely worthy of the best.

Lucky for her, Cristiano agrees with this. He wants to settle a fortune on her in a pre-nup, but she isn’t interested in his money. They marry without a pre-nup, and when a divorce seems imminent, he wants her to use an attorney to guarantee her rights.

Instead, she decides to fight her fears, and she is successful.

She is a plucky heroine and you root for her when she comes out on top. There’s very little fighting or whining; there is a strong, wealthy and scarred hero.

I give it a 3. Have you read it?

If you’d like to submit a review on a novel you’ve read, check out LRP’s guidelines for submission.

Originally posted 2008-08-26 05:44:56. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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• Review: The Greek's Royal Mistress by Jane Porter This is a book I really enjoyed. Chantal Thibaudet is a princess, but leading an unhappy life. Her marriage was loveless (and included physical abuse, so be warned) but she is now widowed with a four year old daughter. Her...
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Cara Lynn writes to us her first romance novel review in response to the $10 gift card contest! RRN is very happy to have her with us today! If you would like to win a copy of a book by the author of this novel please see the end of the post for more information.

It’s pretty unfair for me to review this book, as this genre isn’t my particular favorite. However, they do get published!

When Tally finds herself kidnapped by Sheikh Tair, a fierce desert warrior, she comes up against the proverbial immovable mountain. I am not surprised. Tally is a photographer, and she has taken some compromising photos, or they could be. And not only that, her translators are more than they appeared, as they are enemies of the Sheikh. He isn’t at all convinced that she is innocent. However, he is more than willing to put her into his harem and to test her loyalties more than once.

She is determined to escape, but not knowing the land, finds herself in dangerous situations, where she needs to be rescued. And you guessed it, by Tair.

Ultimately, the Sheikh marries her (as you can tell by the title) and they fall in love – or do they. Perhaps they fall in lust. As in many Harlequin books, there are banter and arguments, but underneath it is respect for the man who is always wealthy and rich. Let’s face it, who would put up with these attitudes if he weren’t! The woman is always denigrated to an extent, which grates on me after a while – or from the beginning. It seems like an intelligent woman would use that intelligence to discern what kind of man the man is and not waste her breath on verbally fighting him. Of course, part of that is supposed to be sexual tension. How to rate the sex in this book? I didn’t feel like they had any chemistry. But that’s just me. Perhaps you did. I appreciate the fact that the sex is not crude. On the other hand, she doesn’t think she’s in love with him. And on the other hand, she is not a virgin, so she knows the ropes. And they both think the sex is great.

If you want a mindless read, or if this is your genre, you will enjoy this book. I’d have preferred it, if she had determined how he governed, what his daily life was like, what the issues of survival were, how she could contribute if she were his consort. (I can’t see her ruling.) Because she is less than prepared along these lines, she finds herself kidnapped by the men who had been her translators. She is rescued in about a page. I think this could have been extended too, over some of the other things in the book. But it fits the genre. After all, the Sheikh’s mother is from the West and married his father in similar circumstances. Perhaps one of the earlier Sheikh books by another author tells the generic story of their meeting.

Rating: 1.5 Stars

Thanks Cara Lynn for the review! RRN would be most happy to hear from you again!

If you’ve just finished reading a romance novel and want to write review but weren’t sure how check out RRN’s submission guidelines for tips and advice to get started.

SavvyThinker is holding a contest on an autographed copy of Odd Mom Out by Jane Porter. See her blog for more details.

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My friend got to interview Jane Porter, author of Flirty with 40 the other day. It’s a really interesting article to read. My friend got to ask her one of my favorite questions, which is how do you define love?

This was Jane’s answer:

Love validates the self. Love makes one feel important and valued and real. Which is why I like to write about all kinds of love in my books–not just romance, but love between friends, sisters, parents and children. Love really does make the world go round.

Then for something a little extra outside of this wonderful author interview, Jane Porter gave my friend a signed copy of Odd Mom Out. This book, which releases in September is being offered up as a blog giveaway. To get involved in the contest all you have to do is leave a comment on that post over at Savvy Thinker. Don’t miss out!

Originally posted 2008-08-11 08:59:58. Republished by Old Post Promoter