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Family Business #6
Mergers & Matrimony
To: Helen Hanson
From: Richard Warren
Re: Almost Through!
It's been an exhausting battle, but we're almost done with the merger between Hanson Media and the Japanese powerhouse TAKA Corporation. And we couldn't have done it without your business savvy, Helen. Your late husband, George, would be proud of all you've done to salvage the business for his kids.
I hear that you and the fierce head negotiator, Morito Taka, are getting on famously. I'm surprised that he'd even talk to someone from the other side of the negotiating table, but your all-American beauty and sparkling blue eyes seem to have captivated him! Just be careful, Helen: mixing work with pleasure can be a very risky business....
From: Richard Warren
Re: Almost Through!
It's been an exhausting battle, but we're almost done with the merger between Hanson Media and the Japanese powerhouse TAKA Corporation. And we couldn't have done it without your business savvy, Helen. Your late husband, George, would be proud of all you've done to salvage the business for his kids.
I hear that you and the fierce head negotiator, Morito Taka, are getting on famously. I'm surprised that he'd even talk to someone from the other side of the negotiating table, but your all-American beauty and sparkling blue eyes seem to have captivated him! Just be careful, Helen: mixing work with pleasure can be a very risky business....
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2006
1 person is currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Allison Leigh
354 books120 followersA frequent name on bestseller lists, Allison Leigh's highpoint as a writer is hearing from readers that they laughed, cried or lost sleep while reading her books. She’s blessed with an immensely patient family who doesn’t mind (much) her time spent at her computer and who gives her the kind of love she wants her readers to share in every page. Stay in touch at www.allisonleigh.com.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 3, 2016
4 Stars! ~ Helen's not a stupid woman but she can't help feeling that way when she finds out that her deceased husband had viewed her as a trophy wife. This certainly explained the dismissive attitude of her stepsons. At the reading of the will, Helen is given controlling interest in Hanson Media, and she's determined to return the company back to it's glory. The merger with Japanese media giant TAKA Corp. is the perfect solution. But when Mori Taka begins to take interest in Helen as a woman, the TAKA executives and Helen's stepsons wonder if Helen is on the make for another very rich husband.
I found this to be very well written. I loved learning a bit about Japanese culture. Ms. Leigh gave great depth to Helen's character. Helen grows stronger as the story enfolds. At first she's disillusioned and hurt, but then she picks herself up and moves on, proving to all around her that she's not just a beautiful blond. Mori, though a man of the world, holds close to traditional Japanese culture. Helen is at first a curiosity and then she becomes a compulsion. He admires her courage and finds her intellect a challenge. Ms. Leigh has written a very touching love story
This is a series, I think, that needs to be read in it's entirety. Though the authors did a great job of making their own stories work as stand-alones, they fall sort of flat or hollow without the support of the other stories. I found the continuing story of Hanson Media to have been very well put together. Hints of what was to come were nicely introduced. But somehow the individual romances seemed to lose out, perhaps too much attention was put on developing the common theme and the depth of characters were the price. By far the best of the six stories are Wendy Warren's The Boss and Miss Baxter and Allison Leigh's Mergers & Matrimony.
I found this to be very well written. I loved learning a bit about Japanese culture. Ms. Leigh gave great depth to Helen's character. Helen grows stronger as the story enfolds. At first she's disillusioned and hurt, but then she picks herself up and moves on, proving to all around her that she's not just a beautiful blond. Mori, though a man of the world, holds close to traditional Japanese culture. Helen is at first a curiosity and then she becomes a compulsion. He admires her courage and finds her intellect a challenge. Ms. Leigh has written a very touching love story
This is a series, I think, that needs to be read in it's entirety. Though the authors did a great job of making their own stories work as stand-alones, they fall sort of flat or hollow without the support of the other stories. I found the continuing story of Hanson Media to have been very well put together. Hints of what was to come were nicely introduced. But somehow the individual romances seemed to lose out, perhaps too much attention was put on developing the common theme and the depth of characters were the price. By far the best of the six stories are Wendy Warren's The Boss and Miss Baxter and Allison Leigh's Mergers & Matrimony.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 12, 2022
Ugh, I wanted to like this so much... and I just couldn't get there. The first key question, unfortunately: is it racist? Answer... not really? It's about the same level of "accurate portrayal of Japanese business magnate" as a Harlequin category novel's "accurate portrayal of Greek tycoon," I'd say, but I feel like I'm a little immunized to the Greek/Italian thing after years of Harlequin Presents novels, so when it's Japan that's being category-ized it feels more uncomfortable. The hero speaks English somewhat awkwardly at times and there's a lot of bowing and Japanese business traditions (and sexism) involved.
That said, there was so much going on in this novel - the heroine is a trophy wife-turned-business tycoon dealing with hostile stepchildren, the rediscovery of the daughter she gave up for adoption as a teenager, and this whole weird business merger thing... and because the hostile stepsons (and daughter) are all protagonists of previous novels, we're not supposed to hate them. Tough toodles, because I did hate them. The stepsons are all jackasses and while the self-martyring heroine sacrifices herself and her happiness to try and save the company that belonged to the much older husband (who never loved her and left her a note saying the same) because of the importance of family, they're calling her a trophy wife and treating her like crap well into the last quarter of the novel as well as saying things like "well, now that Dad's dead I guess you need to move on to the next rich guy as quick as possible, huh?" (regarding her romance with the hero). There's a half-assed apology at the end of the book and that's supposed to suffice. It does not.
Additionally, the hero's dealing with this whole weird business merger thing, his mildly troubled teenage daughter, his guilt over the death of his late wife, and his racist, hostile father's opposition to the business merger and/or the hero moving on with his life. So like I said, there's a lot going on and it all happened too quickly for me to care about any of it. But really, I'd say the book's fatal flaw is the sheer amount of obnoxious, previous-book-hero stepchildren, because the heroine was a total doormat and the narrative didn't want to make anyone the villain. There was a gem of something actually sweet in the actual romance, but too much time was spent on everything else to really enjoy it.
That said, there was so much going on in this novel - the heroine is a trophy wife-turned-business tycoon dealing with hostile stepchildren, the rediscovery of the daughter she gave up for adoption as a teenager, and this whole weird business merger thing... and because the hostile stepsons (and daughter) are all protagonists of previous novels, we're not supposed to hate them. Tough toodles, because I did hate them. The stepsons are all jackasses and while the self-martyring heroine sacrifices herself and her happiness to try and save the company that belonged to the much older husband (who never loved her and left her a note saying the same) because of the importance of family, they're calling her a trophy wife and treating her like crap well into the last quarter of the novel as well as saying things like "well, now that Dad's dead I guess you need to move on to the next rich guy as quick as possible, huh?" (regarding her romance with the hero). There's a half-assed apology at the end of the book and that's supposed to suffice. It does not.
Additionally, the hero's dealing with this whole weird business merger thing, his mildly troubled teenage daughter, his guilt over the death of his late wife, and his racist, hostile father's opposition to the business merger and/or the hero moving on with his life. So like I said, there's a lot going on and it all happened too quickly for me to care about any of it. But really, I'd say the book's fatal flaw is the sheer amount of obnoxious, previous-book-hero stepchildren, because the heroine was a total doormat and the narrative didn't want to make anyone the villain. There was a gem of something actually sweet in the actual romance, but too much time was spent on everything else to really enjoy it.
September 8, 2019
Solid category romance - a lot happens in a short amount of space!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2022
A very lovely multicultural/interracial romance novel featuring a mature heroine (Helen is a successful/intelligent woman in her 40s who is a widow) and a very appealing hero (Mori is a CEO and also a widowed single dad in his 40s) who is just the right amount of handsome, confident, reserved, charming and hardworking.
Again, there are no “spicy” sex scenes here but sex is implied and the kissing scenes were very good. There is a lot of great chemistry between Mori/Helen (lots of sexual tension) and the slow burn romance is done really well imo. Helen and Mori make a really wonderful couple — they’re a perfect match who balance each other out very well as romantic and working partners. I got the vibe that they had a genuine connection and that they really cared for + respected each other as individuals, so their happy ending was very much deserved.
Also, I really loved that a large amount of the book actually takes place in Tokyo, Japan. Not completely sure how culturally accurate everything was done, but I got the vibe that the author did her best to try to get things as right as possible. Overall, I really enjoyed this book so much and will be rereading it again in the future. Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mature love stories with diverse characters.
Again, there are no “spicy” sex scenes here but sex is implied and the kissing scenes were very good. There is a lot of great chemistry between Mori/Helen (lots of sexual tension) and the slow burn romance is done really well imo. Helen and Mori make a really wonderful couple — they’re a perfect match who balance each other out very well as romantic and working partners. I got the vibe that they had a genuine connection and that they really cared for + respected each other as individuals, so their happy ending was very much deserved.
Also, I really loved that a large amount of the book actually takes place in Tokyo, Japan. Not completely sure how culturally accurate everything was done, but I got the vibe that the author did her best to try to get things as right as possible. Overall, I really enjoyed this book so much and will be rereading it again in the future. Highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys mature love stories with diverse characters.
June 22, 2016
Mori
Helen
I loved this so much. It was so good (though I'd had liked more steam LOL).
Mori and Helen are perfect for each other. Helen is one of the few female characters that I have really liked and enjoyed, I can count them with one hand. And Mori. Ohhhh, Mori. Why are you so hot?
Helen
I loved this so much. It was so good (though I'd had liked more steam LOL).
Mori and Helen are perfect for each other. Helen is one of the few female characters that I have really liked and enjoyed, I can count them with one hand. And Mori. Ohhhh, Mori. Why are you so hot?
February 21, 2015
Overall not a bad read. It had some steam :)
October 24, 2016
Rounded up for Asian hero, smart heroine, both in their forties. Otherwise a bit unfulfilling.
June 23, 2021
I'll forever love this book. Read it several times now.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews