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A Bride for a Billionaire #3
The Billionaire's Trophy
On his arm… And in his bed?
What is his intern's photo doing on an escort website? Bastian Christou doesn't know if he's more surprised by her double life, or her stunning photo—she's kept those curves well hidden! He has an ex-fiancée to keep at bay and Emmie Marshall might just be the best armor money can buy.
Emmie is outraged when Bastian, her uncompromising boss, confronts her. She had no idea her photo was online. But his check's been cashed and he's come to collect his prize… A weekend in Greece. With her. Alone. Their relationship might be fake, but Emmie's trepidation is all too real!
What is his intern's photo doing on an escort website? Bastian Christou doesn't know if he's more surprised by her double life, or her stunning photo—she's kept those curves well hidden! He has an ex-fiancée to keep at bay and Emmie Marshall might just be the best armor money can buy.
Emmie is outraged when Bastian, her uncompromising boss, confronts her. She had no idea her photo was online. But his check's been cashed and he's come to collect his prize… A weekend in Greece. With her. Alone. Their relationship might be fake, but Emmie's trepidation is all too real!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 23, 2013
105 people are currently reading
397 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,762 books1,450 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
March 23, 2014
Lynn Graham has long been a favorite author for me, but this romance is weak. I didn't feel the love. Graham vividly and explicitly depicted the sex scenes (too sudden) and the heartbreaking rejection scenes ("Don't get ideas, it's only sex, I just want a typical shag, we don't have a relationship..."). But she depicted no vivid relationship-building scenes.
In passive terms, in past tense, Graham mentioned that Bastian was wonderfully caring and attentive to pregnant Emmie for three weeks in London, when she lived in that apartment. Passive and past tense. We never got to actually see him being tender. Nope. Nothing. Likewise, Graham told the reader that Bastian was wonderful to Emmie for four days in Greece. She mentioned that he walked with Emmie through the orchards, for one example, but she did not portray this scene in vivid present tense. No dialogue. No laughter. No scent of honeysuckle, no sudden bee sting. Simply nothing. Just a few lines of text referenced those four happy days, as if bonding scenes didn't matter. The only scenes that got a vivid portrayal were downers, or were merely erotic.
So, I never felt the love. The trust. Never bought Bastian's sudden ILY with big bling ring. Never even bought Bastian's sudden and intense sexual obsession, and got tired of reading about Emmie's elongating nipples, clenching wombs, and embarrassing dampness. Since when did writers substitute true sexual anticipation -- served with emotion -- for that nonsense?
Furthermore, I never bought Emmie's homelessness or desperate poverty. Her sister Kat was there for her, always. Kat owns a farmhouse and it was also Emmie's home. Kat then married a billionaire, and more funds were made available to Emmie. She was pregnant, but never in dire straights.
I didn't respect Emerald's treatment of her twin, Sapphire. Emmie strummed a self-pity song that just went on and on. She didn't even attend Saffy's wedding. I didn't buy Emmie's self pity, nor her shunning of Saffy. Emmie's beautiful, healthy, and even loved. Yeah, her mother is an utter heel, but she abandoned Emmie at age 12. Good riddance. Cause for celebration, not self-pity. Emmie was in good hands with Kat. And the car accident with the crippled leg occurred a decade ago. Move on!
On the up side, I did buy Bastian's wariness about love and marriage, given his past.
Graham needs to sharpen her pencil and stop writing by rote. She needs to dig into her characters and her plot, as she has done in some of my all time favorites, like the angsty Bond of Hatred, complete with resolute heroine and fabulous ending, the highly amusing Daisy and Caesar in the The Spanish Groom, and even her like-titled oldie, Trophy Husband. And when it comes to Greek characters, Graham needs to think of some new names. Enough with Appollonia and Olympia already!
In passive terms, in past tense, Graham mentioned that Bastian was wonderfully caring and attentive to pregnant Emmie for three weeks in London, when she lived in that apartment. Passive and past tense. We never got to actually see him being tender. Nope. Nothing. Likewise, Graham told the reader that Bastian was wonderful to Emmie for four days in Greece. She mentioned that he walked with Emmie through the orchards, for one example, but she did not portray this scene in vivid present tense. No dialogue. No laughter. No scent of honeysuckle, no sudden bee sting. Simply nothing. Just a few lines of text referenced those four happy days, as if bonding scenes didn't matter. The only scenes that got a vivid portrayal were downers, or were merely erotic.
So, I never felt the love. The trust. Never bought Bastian's sudden ILY with big bling ring. Never even bought Bastian's sudden and intense sexual obsession, and got tired of reading about Emmie's elongating nipples, clenching wombs, and embarrassing dampness. Since when did writers substitute true sexual anticipation -- served with emotion -- for that nonsense?
Furthermore, I never bought Emmie's homelessness or desperate poverty. Her sister Kat was there for her, always. Kat owns a farmhouse and it was also Emmie's home. Kat then married a billionaire, and more funds were made available to Emmie. She was pregnant, but never in dire straights.
I didn't respect Emerald's treatment of her twin, Sapphire. Emmie strummed a self-pity song that just went on and on. She didn't even attend Saffy's wedding. I didn't buy Emmie's self pity, nor her shunning of Saffy. Emmie's beautiful, healthy, and even loved. Yeah, her mother is an utter heel, but she abandoned Emmie at age 12. Good riddance. Cause for celebration, not self-pity. Emmie was in good hands with Kat. And the car accident with the crippled leg occurred a decade ago. Move on!
On the up side, I did buy Bastian's wariness about love and marriage, given his past.
Graham needs to sharpen her pencil and stop writing by rote. She needs to dig into her characters and her plot, as she has done in some of my all time favorites, like the angsty Bond of Hatred, complete with resolute heroine and fabulous ending, the highly amusing Daisy and Caesar in the The Spanish Groom, and even her like-titled oldie, Trophy Husband. And when it comes to Greek characters, Graham needs to think of some new names. Enough with Appollonia and Olympia already!
April 22, 2018
Hero hires heroine as an escort to his sister's wedding. Heroine is the "ugly" identical twin to a super model. She is interning for free at the hero's company.* Her mother owns the escort agency and put her photo up on the website without her permission.
So off they go to Greece where the heroine is knocked in to the pool within the first ten minutes. She's also knocked up after her virginity is taken later that night. It's the typical LG mess that her heroines find themselves in.
Hero doesn't know he's in love until the heroine leaves him twice.
This is the last story of three sisters with a terrible mother. Luckily, they are all gorgeous and marry rich, doting husbands. There is a baby-filled epilogue.
The best part of the story was the heroine realizing she was being snippy, so she wrote "I'm Sorry" on her hand and showed it to the hero in the loud helicopter.
* Hey, rich hero! Pay your interns!
So off they go to Greece where the heroine is knocked in to the pool within the first ten minutes. She's also knocked up after her virginity is taken later that night. It's the typical LG mess that her heroines find themselves in.
Hero doesn't know he's in love until the heroine leaves him twice.
This is the last story of three sisters with a terrible mother. Luckily, they are all gorgeous and marry rich, doting husbands. There is a baby-filled epilogue.
The best part of the story was the heroine realizing she was being snippy, so she wrote "I'm Sorry" on her hand and showed it to the hero in the loud helicopter.
* Hey, rich hero! Pay your interns!
October 10, 2018
Not sure LG wrote this. Didn't seem like her characters, aside from the insta-pregnancy with twins. Very dry, neither have or H was interesting.
August 9, 2013
This is really a 2 star read. I guess I gave it the other star because it's Lynne Graham and she's a favorite of mine. This book ultimately lacked conflict. I am reading this series but this was the weakest of the three so far. The reason that the heroine was so bitter and all was just not real realistic. I felt like everything was sort of checked off of a list. So pretty formulaic. The heroes actions don't make much sense either.
Still, I am looking forward to the fourth and final sister's book.
Still, I am looking forward to the fourth and final sister's book.
July 2, 2013
Enjoyable latest offering by LG.Typical LG hero that you wanted to hit over the head with a cast iron skillet, but he redeems himself at the end.The heroine was likeable.Loved the epilogue which caught up on the 3 sisters families, looking forward to the 4th sister's book.
September 17, 2013
The 3rd book in A Bride for a Billionaire and the wicked mother is still giving the Marshall sisters a hard time……now she’s running an escort agency and using pictures of one of her daughters on the site. No doubt poor Emmie will discover the “fall-out” it will cause in her life….but as usual….we tend to forgive our parents even when they are something like her mother….that is one dysfunctional human being!!!!!!
I have mixed feelings about this series so far. I haven’t totally hated the previous two books…in fact book #2 liked quite a bit…but I was a bit let down with book #3.
Usual hero….rich, handsome, alpha and heroine…sassy, beautiful and kindhearted and a virgin…of course!!! The problem was that I just could not engage with these two characters. There’s so much drama going on and all the angst and blowing hot and cold, just drove me further away from them.
I liked the premise of the story but it just did not feel real enough for me.
This was not one of this author’s best books but still it was an enjoyable read. I like the Marshall Sisters.
I have mixed feelings about this series so far. I haven’t totally hated the previous two books…in fact book #2 liked quite a bit…but I was a bit let down with book #3.
Usual hero….rich, handsome, alpha and heroine…sassy, beautiful and kindhearted and a virgin…of course!!! The problem was that I just could not engage with these two characters. There’s so much drama going on and all the angst and blowing hot and cold, just drove me further away from them.
I liked the premise of the story but it just did not feel real enough for me.
This was not one of this author’s best books but still it was an enjoyable read. I like the Marshall Sisters.
February 22, 2019
Emmie's bluntness and humor won me over because the romance, while it existed, wasn't mind-blowing. She and Bastian did generate enough chemistry to keep my interest, and I liked how Bastian stepped up to the plate without having his arm twisted .
I would have liked more insight into Bastian's love for Emmie though. He said it really hit him after she left him, but we weren't given access to Bastian's perspective while he was away on his business trip so it was more a case of telling than showing. Nor did his behavior (as seen through Emmie's point of view) give enough clues. I never doubted his lust for her. It was his romantic feelings that were more of a mystery.
I would have liked more insight into Bastian's love for Emmie though. He said it really hit him after she left him, but we weren't given access to Bastian's perspective while he was away on his business trip so it was more a case of telling than showing. Nor did his behavior (as seen through Emmie's point of view) give enough clues. I never doubted his lust for her. It was his romantic feelings that were more of a mystery.
April 17, 2018
When I finished Billionaire’s Trophy I immediately ran to the internet to look up Lynne Graham's book list because I was convinced that this must be one of her earliest novels. I'm shocked to find that it's not because Billionaire's Trophy is very badly written. In most books that I dislike it's because the characters' actions piss me off or the plot is full of holes, etc., but this one really is down to the writing.
For one thing, the repetition was off the freaking charts. In practically every scene we're told about Bastian's gorgeous black-fringed golden eyes and Emmie's striking blue ones. And in about 90% of those instances the eye-porn was quickly followed by a pat recitation of how Emmie's nipples were elongating and explosions were happening in her pelvis. It was ridiculously intrusive.
And while LG wasted TONS of time on that boringly repetitive nonsense, she totally failed to demonstrate our couple developing any kind of relationship whatsoever. It's an extremely short book and the hero and heroine spend almost no time together. What little time they do share is completely taken up with easily-avoidable arguments and then with no demonstrated shift to their relationship, suddenly they're both confessing their love. Just totally unsatisfying all the way around.
So yeah, this was just a badly written book. LG chose to show us all the wrong parts of the story. We spent ages alone with Emmie while she whined about what a raw deal she’d gotten in life. And the few interactions between her and Bastian were mostly fighting. I didn’t believe that either one of them actually loved the other, and I pretty much hated Emmie by the end.
For one thing, the repetition was off the freaking charts. In practically every scene we're told about Bastian's gorgeous black-fringed golden eyes and Emmie's striking blue ones. And in about 90% of those instances the eye-porn was quickly followed by a pat recitation of how Emmie's nipples were elongating and explosions were happening in her pelvis. It was ridiculously intrusive.
And while LG wasted TONS of time on that boringly repetitive nonsense, she totally failed to demonstrate our couple developing any kind of relationship whatsoever. It's an extremely short book and the hero and heroine spend almost no time together. What little time they do share is completely taken up with easily-avoidable arguments and then with no demonstrated shift to their relationship, suddenly they're both confessing their love. Just totally unsatisfying all the way around.
So yeah, this was just a badly written book. LG chose to show us all the wrong parts of the story. We spent ages alone with Emmie while she whined about what a raw deal she’d gotten in life. And the few interactions between her and Bastian were mostly fighting. I didn’t believe that either one of them actually loved the other, and I pretty much hated Emmie by the end.
will-not-read
December 19, 2016I'm skipping this one because I already hate Emmie (since book 1), the reviews are not that favorable for me to give it a chance and read the first chapter and didn't engage me.
June 28, 2013
First, the title does not make sense and doesn't relate to the story but that's how Harlequin does now, make up crappy titles.
Ok. Now the review.
The hero is a standard Lynne Graham hero, alpha wealthy and living the single life.
The heroine is a standard Lynne Graham heroine, likable virginal and struggling to make ends meet. Modernish Cinderella.
What didn't work was the heroine's reaction when the hero referred to their hookup as such and the heroine got upset about it. This was not a traditional romance. The heroine barely knew the hero. They didn't date. They didn't try to get beyond the superficial.
This book felt superficial. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is superficial. And the story is superficial. The heroine's reasoning for leaving the hero felt superficial.
The one thing I liked is the heroine told the hero she was pregnant and they talked about what to do and where the heroine would live.
The Billionaire's Trophy is not on the level of Graham's the Trophy Husband but it was an ok read.
Ok. Now the review.
The hero is a standard Lynne Graham hero, alpha wealthy and living the single life.
The heroine is a standard Lynne Graham heroine, likable virginal and struggling to make ends meet. Modernish Cinderella.
What didn't work was the heroine's reaction when the hero referred to their hookup as such and the heroine got upset about it. This was not a traditional romance. The heroine barely knew the hero. They didn't date. They didn't try to get beyond the superficial.
This book felt superficial. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is superficial. And the story is superficial. The heroine's reasoning for leaving the hero felt superficial.
The one thing I liked is the heroine told the hero she was pregnant and they talked about what to do and where the heroine would live.
The Billionaire's Trophy is not on the level of Graham's the Trophy Husband but it was an ok read.
August 17, 2023
Not very good example of LG’s work but better than new ones. 3,5 stars!
December 22, 2017
I loved this book.
Emmie is forced to accompany Bastian to his sister’s wedding to avoid his ex-fiancée’s attempt to get him back.
Ernie’s sweet and innocent, but, she’s sassy as hell and very outspoken. Poor Bastian has women fawning all over him, except Emmie. She calls him out on his rudeness, his bad temper, even to the point of telling him he pouts like a girl and asked will he be throwing a temper tantrum next?
Bastian is turned on by Emmie’s disdain for him. To the point where he gets he into bed and takes her virginity. Then he jacks everything up by saying he wasn’t expecting anything but a “typical shag”. What an ass.
Emmie ends up preggers. They are constantly at odds with each other. She runs from him when he says something ridiculous after their second “shag” months later.
This poor fool just can’t win. He has no concept that he is being an idiot. Emmie tried and tries. It wasn’t until she disappeared while having extreme morning sickness, and he couldn’t find her, that he realized how important she was to him. And then the groveling began.
A really fun read and another winner from Lynne Graham.
Emmie is forced to accompany Bastian to his sister’s wedding to avoid his ex-fiancée’s attempt to get him back.
Ernie’s sweet and innocent, but, she’s sassy as hell and very outspoken. Poor Bastian has women fawning all over him, except Emmie. She calls him out on his rudeness, his bad temper, even to the point of telling him he pouts like a girl and asked will he be throwing a temper tantrum next?
Bastian is turned on by Emmie’s disdain for him. To the point where he gets he into bed and takes her virginity. Then he jacks everything up by saying he wasn’t expecting anything but a “typical shag”. What an ass.
Emmie ends up preggers. They are constantly at odds with each other. She runs from him when he says something ridiculous after their second “shag” months later.
This poor fool just can’t win. He has no concept that he is being an idiot. Emmie tried and tries. It wasn’t until she disappeared while having extreme morning sickness, and he couldn’t find her, that he realized how important she was to him. And then the groveling began.
A really fun read and another winner from Lynne Graham.
February 12, 2025
The first half of the book was fun and I liked Emmie being a bit of a foil for Bastien. After the half way mark the writing became a bit less focused and any development based on deeper feelings seemed to go out the window.
I would have liked to have seen more development with Bastien especially. He has a good back story for why he is distant, but we just see him as this libido driven being with no real emotional depth until-poof!-the forever bachelor is helplessly in love. Being in his perspective more would have helped develop that arc.
I really liked this heroine for the most part. The little part I had trouble with was her communication skills (ie; dialogue). She has an inner dialogue that can be impactful, but the way she verbalized her thoughts felt lacking and, at times, petty.
Overall, this was a typical harlequin story in the end. I don’t know why I hoped for it to be a bit less in the formulaic department; the first half gave me hope and the latter half was the status quo.
Also, with the times as they are, I noticed myself practicing some cognitive dissonance in getting through this story when it came to the billionaire aspect. With Emmie, I saw glimmers that maybe they would, or could, lead a more humble existence-especially for their children-but that was not to be.
I would have liked to have seen more development with Bastien especially. He has a good back story for why he is distant, but we just see him as this libido driven being with no real emotional depth until-poof!-the forever bachelor is helplessly in love. Being in his perspective more would have helped develop that arc.
I really liked this heroine for the most part. The little part I had trouble with was her communication skills (ie; dialogue). She has an inner dialogue that can be impactful, but the way she verbalized her thoughts felt lacking and, at times, petty.
Overall, this was a typical harlequin story in the end. I don’t know why I hoped for it to be a bit less in the formulaic department; the first half gave me hope and the latter half was the status quo.
Also, with the times as they are, I noticed myself practicing some cognitive dissonance in getting through this story when it came to the billionaire aspect. With Emmie, I saw glimmers that maybe they would, or could, lead a more humble existence-especially for their children-but that was not to be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2019
TBH - I only remember this vaguely so I feel bad giving this 2 stars. I cheated and settled for 3 stars because I don't think I can read this again. I am getting alpha-asshat-hero vibes (it's a thing people!).
April 24, 2017
I am pretty sure I read this series but just haven't rated them. I remember or at least think I remember Saffys romance. If I can I'll reread them
February 7, 2020
The story had many elements of Lynne Graham books that she has become known for and what I enjoy most from her stories were those elements, but it this story it just didn’t come across the way that it usually did in her other books. There was lack connection between me and the story and me and the characters, which was problem for me.
First off, the part I did like in this story and was a good old Lynne Graham staple was the fact that the hero Bastian was big, old cruel jerk, saying some very hurtful things to poor Emmie. They were very harsh and blunt as he said them to her, which caused lots of hurt feelings in Emmie as Emmie trying to keep her guard up when ever Bastian was around. I liked the fact that these hurt feelings ensued because of those callous words because it created some good friction and tension between them that would not allow them to bridge the gap and become closer. Plus it was an emotional blow that Bastian had to overcome before fully making her his. Of coarse it also lead to misunderstandings along the way, which I really love in romance because it creates more intensity to the story. I thought that part of the story was really good and what I enjoyed the most out of the entire story.
Everything else I just didn’t care for. It fell really flat because aside from the lovemaking scenes and his poorly worded comments that hurt Emmie, there wasn’t that much left to the story. There was no heart and soul. There was no depth. There was no showing them falling in love, and in fact aside from spending time in the bedroom there wasn’t a lot shown of them spending time together. It was summarized but never shown. The result that was that I could see Emmie and Bastian falling in love with each other. It felt really contrived when they stated they were in love with each other because I didn’t see any evidence backing up that claim. There was no building of intimacy between them. No closeness seemed to occur between them. Just nothing at least not shown detailed on the page like I would have seen. Because I didn’t see it or experience it, the ending felt very flat and very unrealistic that these two were utterly in love with each other. That was the biggest reason that it took my enjoyment away from the book. I just needed to see more intimate moments building between them for me to behind them more.
I also thought there were quite a few missed opportunities in this story. There were quite a few different threads that were presented through the story, but never fully explored. I think if they were full explored it would have made the story so much better, and it would have brought more intensity to the story plus show them building a bond and intimacy with one another as each of these threads were explored. It would have made for an interesting story that I would have loved to see play out on the page if these threads were explored. There were a lot of them. One, could have been more the relationship between Emmie and her mother and just her relationship with her parents could have been explored as she talked to Bastian about it. Then that would have effected their romance and played more of a part of growing closer because Emmie would have shown Bastian how much it hurt to have lack relationship with them. Also I wish more had been explored with Emmie’s accident and the scars that were on her leg. It was suppose have this huge impact on her and she hid them away to keep from anyone noticing yet with Bastian she had no trouble at all. In fact she didn’t even seem bothered by it when for all of her life it had been. I guess that showed a matter of trust with him, but it was never really brought up again after the initial love making scene. She didn’t talk about it or tell him about the pain that she experienced or just the fact she felt self-conscious in general. That would have been another thing that brought them closer together by her showing her vulnerable side to Bastian, but that never happened either. If either of these were included would have made a huge difference in the story because it would have built that emotional intimacy between them.
Another thing I didn’t care for were the characters. I didn’t Bastian. I didn’t like Emmie because she was big old doormat and never really put up a fight with Bastian once she gave to him and she just let walk all over her. I didn’t like she kept giving into him time and time again even though she knew she shouldn’t, but did it anyway. Bastian didn’t give her a reason to give into him aside from their attraction. There was no real change in him, or an urge in him to bridge the gap between them emotionally and just create emotional intimacy before engaging in physically intimacy again. He didn’t deserve the right to be intimate with her because he didn’t show that he was changing, but she allowed it anyway, and I just didn’t like that. I hated that she kept giving into him time and time again. He needed to do a lot more to earn that space in her life. He didn’t grovel at all. He never presented a grand gesture to show that he did in fact have feelings. He never really showed he loved her or cared about her, yet she still let him be with her in the way he wanted to be with her. That just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall I wasn’t thrilled with this story nor its characters. I think it had the potential all to be really good, interesting, intense, and emotional, but instead it just fell flat. A lot of the elements that could have used to make for an engaging and intimate romance were just dropped and glossed over when there could have been so much to be explored. There was just no relationship development between Bastian and Emmie. It was hard to root for when no romance really appeared anywhere on the page. It just wasn’t one of Lynne Graham’s best.
First off, the part I did like in this story and was a good old Lynne Graham staple was the fact that the hero Bastian was big, old cruel jerk, saying some very hurtful things to poor Emmie. They were very harsh and blunt as he said them to her, which caused lots of hurt feelings in Emmie as Emmie trying to keep her guard up when ever Bastian was around. I liked the fact that these hurt feelings ensued because of those callous words because it created some good friction and tension between them that would not allow them to bridge the gap and become closer. Plus it was an emotional blow that Bastian had to overcome before fully making her his. Of coarse it also lead to misunderstandings along the way, which I really love in romance because it creates more intensity to the story. I thought that part of the story was really good and what I enjoyed the most out of the entire story.
Everything else I just didn’t care for. It fell really flat because aside from the lovemaking scenes and his poorly worded comments that hurt Emmie, there wasn’t that much left to the story. There was no heart and soul. There was no depth. There was no showing them falling in love, and in fact aside from spending time in the bedroom there wasn’t a lot shown of them spending time together. It was summarized but never shown. The result that was that I could see Emmie and Bastian falling in love with each other. It felt really contrived when they stated they were in love with each other because I didn’t see any evidence backing up that claim. There was no building of intimacy between them. No closeness seemed to occur between them. Just nothing at least not shown detailed on the page like I would have seen. Because I didn’t see it or experience it, the ending felt very flat and very unrealistic that these two were utterly in love with each other. That was the biggest reason that it took my enjoyment away from the book. I just needed to see more intimate moments building between them for me to behind them more.
I also thought there were quite a few missed opportunities in this story. There were quite a few different threads that were presented through the story, but never fully explored. I think if they were full explored it would have made the story so much better, and it would have brought more intensity to the story plus show them building a bond and intimacy with one another as each of these threads were explored. It would have made for an interesting story that I would have loved to see play out on the page if these threads were explored. There were a lot of them. One, could have been more the relationship between Emmie and her mother and just her relationship with her parents could have been explored as she talked to Bastian about it. Then that would have effected their romance and played more of a part of growing closer because Emmie would have shown Bastian how much it hurt to have lack relationship with them. Also I wish more had been explored with Emmie’s accident and the scars that were on her leg. It was suppose have this huge impact on her and she hid them away to keep from anyone noticing yet with Bastian she had no trouble at all. In fact she didn’t even seem bothered by it when for all of her life it had been. I guess that showed a matter of trust with him, but it was never really brought up again after the initial love making scene. She didn’t talk about it or tell him about the pain that she experienced or just the fact she felt self-conscious in general. That would have been another thing that brought them closer together by her showing her vulnerable side to Bastian, but that never happened either. If either of these were included would have made a huge difference in the story because it would have built that emotional intimacy between them.
Another thing I didn’t care for were the characters. I didn’t Bastian. I didn’t like Emmie because she was big old doormat and never really put up a fight with Bastian once she gave to him and she just let walk all over her. I didn’t like she kept giving into him time and time again even though she knew she shouldn’t, but did it anyway. Bastian didn’t give her a reason to give into him aside from their attraction. There was no real change in him, or an urge in him to bridge the gap between them emotionally and just create emotional intimacy before engaging in physically intimacy again. He didn’t deserve the right to be intimate with her because he didn’t show that he was changing, but she allowed it anyway, and I just didn’t like that. I hated that she kept giving into him time and time again. He needed to do a lot more to earn that space in her life. He didn’t grovel at all. He never presented a grand gesture to show that he did in fact have feelings. He never really showed he loved her or cared about her, yet she still let him be with her in the way he wanted to be with her. That just left a bad taste in my mouth.
Overall I wasn’t thrilled with this story nor its characters. I think it had the potential all to be really good, interesting, intense, and emotional, but instead it just fell flat. A lot of the elements that could have used to make for an engaging and intimate romance were just dropped and glossed over when there could have been so much to be explored. There was just no relationship development between Bastian and Emmie. It was hard to root for when no romance really appeared anywhere on the page. It just wasn’t one of Lynne Graham’s best.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2021
On his arm… And in his bed?
What is his intern's photo doing on an escort website? Bastian Christou doesn't know if he's more surprised by her double life, or her stunning photo—she's kept those curves well hidden! He has an ex-fiancée to keep at bay and Emmie Marshall might just be the best armor money can buy.
Emmie is outraged when Bastian, her uncompromising boss, confronts her. She had no idea her photo was online. But his check's been cashed and he's come to collect his prize… A weekend in Greece. With her. Alone. Their relationship might be fake, but Emmie's trepidation is all too real!
What is his intern's photo doing on an escort website? Bastian Christou doesn't know if he's more surprised by her double life, or her stunning photo—she's kept those curves well hidden! He has an ex-fiancée to keep at bay and Emmie Marshall might just be the best armor money can buy.
Emmie is outraged when Bastian, her uncompromising boss, confronts her. She had no idea her photo was online. But his check's been cashed and he's come to collect his prize… A weekend in Greece. With her. Alone. Their relationship might be fake, but Emmie's trepidation is all too real!
July 3, 2013
As another reviewer said this book felt totally superficial and dry. The emotions were not there, the characters seemed mechanical and cold, the relationship felt forced and the plot was flat. Felt like a filler book.
September 12, 2014
2.5 Estrellas, en realidad.
August 1, 2018
2.5 stars
Lynne Graham's books are fun to read because they're so ridiculously drama-filled but the terrible communication between the hero and heroine can grate on my nerves as it did a few times during this book.
Lynne Graham's books are fun to read because they're so ridiculously drama-filled but the terrible communication between the hero and heroine can grate on my nerves as it did a few times during this book.
May 9, 2022
After a non-stop romantic suspense binge, i was in dire need of some lightness and so i had to get back to my beloved Harlequin books. However, this was severely underwhelming and literally NOTHING remotely entertaining happened.
September 11, 2019
It's two jerks fighting for three hundred pages. Nothing interesting happens.
September 3, 2013
This review was posted at Tsuki’s Book Blog on August 19, 2013.
I'm continuing on the path of a few days of Harlequin reading. I'll be honest and state I tend to read a boatload of Harlequin romances to get back into the groove of reading. When I get stuck I read a few HPs and start moving on to other things. As of writing this, I've already moved onto a few other titles and am hoping to finish up some of my current reads (I've got about five going right now).
I've never read Lynne Graham before unless it was a novella. It's not ringing any bells and I didn't have a chance to check out my goodreads account so I'm going to say I never read any of them. I picked this up in my July HP pick-up and thought it sounded a bit different and interesting.
The premise follows an alpha-billionaire (I know, surprising right?) whose engagement imploded from an idiotic fiancee. He's headed to his sister's wedding where the fiancee is a bridesmaid and wants a date. When a co-worker shows him an assistant's picture on an escort site he decides to hire her to be his date. Of course Emmie had no knowledge of her picture on the website but once payment was rendered to her mother she has nothing to say except yes.
I tend to look at HPs in two ways. Fun reads and boring reads. Typically I'm generally happy about HPs and they regularly fall into the average ratings. They're fun but at the end they blur together. I enjoy them and I read them again and again but some are better than others.
In this case, this was a solid mid-level HP. There was nothing to point at and go 'horrible' but there was nothing to point at and go 'spectacular'. On average I find myself questioning if it is original or if there are aspects so unbelievable I can't get past them. In this case I had a healthy dose of both.
The characters were average. Bastian was the typical alpha male who had been burned by women. Naturally he wasn't trusting and often jumped to conclusions. On top of that he also was tender and gentle when he fell in love. Emmie was stubborn and strong-willed but innocent and unknowing of the bad things in the world around her. They were a pair I've seen many, many times in HP.
On the other hand, I've never seen the escort aspect before in an HP. It was an interesting concept fraught with miscommunication. Often times it is a matter of a ten minute conversation and there would be few issues but in the ways of romance, that never happens.
For those of you who read lots of HPs then I would recommend trying this one for the escort premise. If you are new to HPs then I recommend skipping this one because it probably won't endear you to the line.
If you are looking for a great HP from July 2013 try Annie West's "Imprisoned by a Vow".
2 Stars
Published by Harlequin
July 23, 2013
192 Pages
Provided by--Me
I'm continuing on the path of a few days of Harlequin reading. I'll be honest and state I tend to read a boatload of Harlequin romances to get back into the groove of reading. When I get stuck I read a few HPs and start moving on to other things. As of writing this, I've already moved onto a few other titles and am hoping to finish up some of my current reads (I've got about five going right now).
I've never read Lynne Graham before unless it was a novella. It's not ringing any bells and I didn't have a chance to check out my goodreads account so I'm going to say I never read any of them. I picked this up in my July HP pick-up and thought it sounded a bit different and interesting.
The premise follows an alpha-billionaire (I know, surprising right?) whose engagement imploded from an idiotic fiancee. He's headed to his sister's wedding where the fiancee is a bridesmaid and wants a date. When a co-worker shows him an assistant's picture on an escort site he decides to hire her to be his date. Of course Emmie had no knowledge of her picture on the website but once payment was rendered to her mother she has nothing to say except yes.
I tend to look at HPs in two ways. Fun reads and boring reads. Typically I'm generally happy about HPs and they regularly fall into the average ratings. They're fun but at the end they blur together. I enjoy them and I read them again and again but some are better than others.
In this case, this was a solid mid-level HP. There was nothing to point at and go 'horrible' but there was nothing to point at and go 'spectacular'. On average I find myself questioning if it is original or if there are aspects so unbelievable I can't get past them. In this case I had a healthy dose of both.
The characters were average. Bastian was the typical alpha male who had been burned by women. Naturally he wasn't trusting and often jumped to conclusions. On top of that he also was tender and gentle when he fell in love. Emmie was stubborn and strong-willed but innocent and unknowing of the bad things in the world around her. They were a pair I've seen many, many times in HP.
On the other hand, I've never seen the escort aspect before in an HP. It was an interesting concept fraught with miscommunication. Often times it is a matter of a ten minute conversation and there would be few issues but in the ways of romance, that never happens.
For those of you who read lots of HPs then I would recommend trying this one for the escort premise. If you are new to HPs then I recommend skipping this one because it probably won't endear you to the line.
If you are looking for a great HP from July 2013 try Annie West's "Imprisoned by a Vow".
2 Stars
Published by Harlequin
July 23, 2013
192 Pages
Provided by--Me
November 25, 2015
There was a lot to like about this one, but a lot to not like about it.
For one thing, I really liked Emmie... sort of. She was a little obnoxious with her sayings and had a somewhat judgmental attitude about Bastian (while not having a nearly enough judgmental attitude about her bitch-faced mother), but at the same time, she didn't let him walk all over her. She did get shoved into a corner about the escort thing, but that was more her mother's doing than Bastian's.
Bastian was the usual stock HP MMC. Commitment-phobic and untrusting of love due to parental #FAIL, ultra-handsome, ultra-rich. We've all read this character a million times. I liked the fact that he fessed up to his mistakes, even when he thought he'd done something different than what Emmie thought he'd done. That was actually a little different from the usual HP alpha I-don't-apologize male (not that Bastian didn't say that he never made apologies, but thankfully, his actions, at least in the second half of the book, belied that stance).
My biggest issue with this book, however, was the romance -- or lack thereof. I felt absolutely no chemistry or tension between Emmie and Bastian. Pretty much all of the tender getting-to-know-you parts of their relationship happened off page. Suddenly, a month or two had gone by and Emmie was feeling all soft and squishy about Bastian and, while Bastian had the usual I-feel-nothing-for-her, followed immediately by Oh-my-God-where-IS-she!!! panic, as far as what the reader could see, all we knew was that she was obnoxious and he was arrogant and they fought a lot and then he said something insensitive and she was suddenly in love with him. It was jarring and, quite frankly, even less believable than these romances usually are. In fact, if not for that, this probably could have gotten 4 stars or even 4.5 simply because it was nice to see an HP hero go, "Here's how things are going to be," and then the HP heroine go, "That's adorable. Now here's why you're wrong" at least once or twice. Things were a little more even handed in this book than they frequently are in HPs. Plus, even though there was a sort of Big Misunderstanding at the end, I honestly got the impression that it was genuine rather than a plot device on the author's part.
Basically, this one just could have been so much more than it was, which is strange for a Lynne Graham. I usually don't have this much trouble connecting to her characters -- even when I think they're being ridiculous or stupid. It was enough to make me think this might have been written by a ghost-writer... or at least a different ghost-writer than usual since I'm not convinced that at least some of her stuff is written by others.
For one thing, I really liked Emmie... sort of. She was a little obnoxious with her sayings and had a somewhat judgmental attitude about Bastian (while not having a nearly enough judgmental attitude about her bitch-faced mother), but at the same time, she didn't let him walk all over her. She did get shoved into a corner about the escort thing, but that was more her mother's doing than Bastian's.
Bastian was the usual stock HP MMC. Commitment-phobic and untrusting of love due to parental #FAIL, ultra-handsome, ultra-rich. We've all read this character a million times. I liked the fact that he fessed up to his mistakes, even when he thought he'd done something different than what Emmie thought he'd done. That was actually a little different from the usual HP alpha I-don't-apologize male (not that Bastian didn't say that he never made apologies, but thankfully, his actions, at least in the second half of the book, belied that stance).
My biggest issue with this book, however, was the romance -- or lack thereof. I felt absolutely no chemistry or tension between Emmie and Bastian. Pretty much all of the tender getting-to-know-you parts of their relationship happened off page. Suddenly, a month or two had gone by and Emmie was feeling all soft and squishy about Bastian and, while Bastian had the usual I-feel-nothing-for-her, followed immediately by Oh-my-God-where-IS-she!!! panic, as far as what the reader could see, all we knew was that she was obnoxious and he was arrogant and they fought a lot and then he said something insensitive and she was suddenly in love with him. It was jarring and, quite frankly, even less believable than these romances usually are. In fact, if not for that, this probably could have gotten 4 stars or even 4.5 simply because it was nice to see an HP hero go, "Here's how things are going to be," and then the HP heroine go, "That's adorable. Now here's why you're wrong" at least once or twice. Things were a little more even handed in this book than they frequently are in HPs. Plus, even though there was a sort of Big Misunderstanding at the end, I honestly got the impression that it was genuine rather than a plot device on the author's part.
Basically, this one just could have been so much more than it was, which is strange for a Lynne Graham. I usually don't have this much trouble connecting to her characters -- even when I think they're being ridiculous or stupid. It was enough to make me think this might have been written by a ghost-writer... or at least a different ghost-writer than usual since I'm not convinced that at least some of her stuff is written by others.
August 14, 2013
First of all, Lynne Graham is in my Top 5 Harlequin/Mills & Boon Authors' list. That said, I really wanted to rate this book a little higher, but I really can't be so generous this time. Ok, she never dissapionts. But, reading the previous books of this series, I have to admit that I expected more of this one.
First, the characters. They are the typical greek hero and the strong heroine of all Lynne's books. They have some chemistry, but not enough compared with the first 2 books.
Second, the argument. When I read "A rich man's whim", Lynne sell me something big about Emmie, and I bought it. She suffered a lot in her life and that gaves the story enough material to write a HUGE story. But the story wasn't as great as I thought. And sometimes I felt that I was reading a copy of "The italian billionaire's pregnant bride", from "The rich, the ruthless and the really handsome series", specially when Emmie left Bastian-as Kathy left Sergio in the book I mentioned... No, no, and absolutelly NO!
It was a good story, with fine scenes and a fluid reading, but it left me wanting more. So sad, it was a very promising story...
First, the characters. They are the typical greek hero and the strong heroine of all Lynne's books. They have some chemistry, but not enough compared with the first 2 books.
Second, the argument. When I read "A rich man's whim", Lynne sell me something big about Emmie, and I bought it. She suffered a lot in her life and that gaves the story enough material to write a HUGE story. But the story wasn't as great as I thought. And sometimes I felt that I was reading a copy of "The italian billionaire's pregnant bride", from "The rich, the ruthless and the really handsome series", specially when Emmie left Bastian-as Kathy left Sergio in the book I mentioned... No, no, and absolutelly NO!
It was a good story, with fine scenes and a fluid reading, but it left me wanting more. So sad, it was a very promising story...
July 2, 2013
I wanted to give this book higher and had greater expectations for this book but it fell flat. Emmie and Christian barely knew each other. He treated her like crap and said some really awful things to her; yet somehow at the end after she runs away and he finds her again, he suddenly has fallen in love with her, wants to marry her and everything is wonderful. All the while, not having ever ONCE really tried to work out any of their issues or even acknowledging, let alone apologizing for the way he treated her. There was no real progression of their relationship. It felt like it went from 0 to 100 in 2 seconds. There wasn't a lot of build up. I didn't care for the hero or the heroine; he was your typical jerk alpha male tycoon Lynne Graham writes and she was your typical weak, needy, simpering virgin who just couldn't get enough of him.
September 4, 2013
Didn't like this book. Typical Harlequin plot line: Boss takes virgin employee on trip with him to some exotic location, they have sex, she gets pregnant, and then they get married. Not only is that old formula completely unoriginal, but also add in an alpha male who is completely insensitive, impolite and arrogant. The couple is either constantly bickering with each other or he's hurting her feelings and never apologizing or feeling the least bit of remorse for it. On top of that, he just simply says to her, "Oh, forget what I said in the past." Supposedly, by the last chapter, she and we readers are supposed to be forgiving towards him just because she's pregnant. If this guy were a real life character, I think I'd go running far away in the opposite direction. I didn't like him one bit.
June 8, 2013
I really enjoy Ms. Graham's books and this is one with a semi spunky heroine...there were some issues that I thought were kinda 'are you really that trusting' situations but overall a really nice story. AND no typo/editing issues noted.
July 20, 2023
Bastian Christou needs a date for his sister's wedding. His intern, Emmie Marshall fits the bill. Only she doesn't know that her sleazy mother has posted her picture on an escort for hire web page.
January 7, 2014
De verdad,aunque es fácil de leer típico Harlequin,estoy acostumbrada a encontrarme con algo mejor de Lynne Graham y eso que me encantan los griegos.Pero nada que ver.
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