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To Be Loved #2
Because You Are Mine
Betrayal cuts deep, especially when it comes from someone you trust. And no one understands this better than Cara Sinclair’s old love, now new boss, Drake Ross. Growing up, these two shared an undeniable bond until they found themselves in a fight for their lives. Twelve years later, fate conspires to bring them back together. Yet, while Cara is torn between chasing a lost love, or pursuing another, Drake is left more uncertain of the truth and his feelings for the girl he believed betrayed him. But the love that binds them proves impenetrable. And when light is finally shed on the secrets that haunt them, Cara and Drake will soon discover that danger still lurks… and betrayal cuts deeper than they could have ever imagined.
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2013
About the author
Lena Hart
185 books323 followersLena Hart is an author of sensual romances with alpha heroes and smart, sexy heroines. She's a proud member of Romance Writers of America, busy writing more happily ever afters. A Florida-native, Lena currently lives in New York City with her two calico kitties, Duchess and Daisy. When she is not writing, she's reading, researching, or conferring with her muse.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 26, 2016
Oh dear, I just don't know where to start with this one.
I think that half of the problems I experienced with this novel are that it is more of a novella (116 pages) and the story needed more time to unfold and more flesh on the bones.
Cara Sinclair was attacked as a young woman but she recalls nothing about the event. her boyfriend at the time, Drake Ross was wrongly accused, by her step-father, of being her attacker and he was arrested and sent to prison until his family bought off Cara's family.
Twelve years later Drake has manoeuvred his way into being made Finance Director at the firm where Cara works and he fully intends to extract revenge for the way in which (as he sees it) Cara lied and extorted money from him and his family.
I really liked the sound of this - as summarised by me above but the execution fell flat for me. Cara was just too wet and virginal and plain confused, there is only so much of that I can take.
Of course, Cara's attacker is someone they both know well and it came as absolutely no surprise to me when his identity was revealed - frankly it couldn't have been any more obvious if he had a flashing neon sign above his head saying creepy attacker over here!
Drake and Cara still have feelings for each other, his despite the fact that he believes she was a con-artist who falsely accused him for money, which inevitably leads to them doing the dirty. Now this bit I thought was well done, Drake turns on Cara afterwards leaving her hurt and confused. At this point I thought the book was going in the right direction, bringing some tension into the relationship etc.
But then, bish bash bosh everything is wrapped up in three more chapters and an epilogue.
I think that half of the problems I experienced with this novel are that it is more of a novella (116 pages) and the story needed more time to unfold and more flesh on the bones.
Cara Sinclair was attacked as a young woman but she recalls nothing about the event. her boyfriend at the time, Drake Ross was wrongly accused, by her step-father, of being her attacker and he was arrested and sent to prison until his family bought off Cara's family.
Twelve years later Drake has manoeuvred his way into being made Finance Director at the firm where Cara works and he fully intends to extract revenge for the way in which (as he sees it) Cara lied and extorted money from him and his family.
I really liked the sound of this - as summarised by me above but the execution fell flat for me. Cara was just too wet and virginal and plain confused, there is only so much of that I can take.
Of course, Cara's attacker is someone they both know well and it came as absolutely no surprise to me when his identity was revealed - frankly it couldn't have been any more obvious if he had a flashing neon sign above his head saying creepy attacker over here!
Drake and Cara still have feelings for each other, his despite the fact that he believes she was a con-artist who falsely accused him for money, which inevitably leads to them doing the dirty. Now this bit I thought was well done, Drake turns on Cara afterwards leaving her hurt and confused. At this point I thought the book was going in the right direction, bringing some tension into the relationship etc.
But then, bish bash bosh everything is wrapped up in three more chapters and an epilogue.
June 5, 2014
Book 2 – Cara and Drake’s Story
This was a shorter read but I still very much enjoyed the story. I felt sad that it took 12 years for this couple to find out the truth about what happened to Cara which ended up with Drake getting the blame. So glad Drake gave his cousin the beat down he so richly deserved!! The betrayal of the couple in this story was totally shocking the people who were involved in it.
Really enjoyed the mystery of the story. Great read.
This was a shorter read but I still very much enjoyed the story. I felt sad that it took 12 years for this couple to find out the truth about what happened to Cara which ended up with Drake getting the blame. So glad Drake gave his cousin the beat down he so richly deserved!! The betrayal of the couple in this story was totally shocking the people who were involved in it.
Really enjoyed the mystery of the story. Great read.
September 4, 2013
This was a great short story that was quite heart-wrenching. I love strong alpha-male characters and this book certainly had that. The heroine wasn't weak she was strong but in her past she had been brutally attacked and still carried scars from. I love that it had a HEA and that justice was served.
January 1, 2020
2.5 stars
November 13, 2020
Great read
I love the story line. It’s really captivating. I couldn’t put the book down. I would definitely recommend it to all my friends.
I love the story line. It’s really captivating. I couldn’t put the book down. I would definitely recommend it to all my friends.
April 20, 2016
This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader
Because You Are Mine is a free book I got on All Romance eBooks this month. I didn't have many expectations going into the story. Didn't realize how short it would be with a complicated plot.The story starts off abruptly with Cara Sinclair in extreme pain after being beaten. We don't know much else at this point other than the sheriff has detained Drake Ross as a suspect since he is the own who brought in Cara with her blood on his hands.
Fast forward 12 years and Cara has a job in finance in Chicago. With a new boss on the way, she is shocked to find out it is Drake. In bits and pieces we get the story of what happened to Drake, but in reality is was as clear as mud. Cara doesn't remember what happened to her. Her mother and stepfather accept money from Drake's family and move away. So when Drake arrives, there is a lot of hostility between the two.
Drake works Cara hard and Cara can't stop the attraction she feels for him. Because of her loss of memory and her parents protection, she doesn't know all of what happened to Drake. She tries to keep it professional while Drake tries to keep his distance. It all seemed silly and I don't know why. Drake has a valid reason for being angry after losing his reputation and being detained and harassed for two years. Cara has a valid reason for not knowing anything about what happened nor what happened afterwards.
See Cara made some moves on Drake the day of her attack. He turned her down and that caused her to not want to see him after the attack. Not to ruin the story, but Cara finally remembers everything and the story climaxes fast and furiously without any gratification.
Extremely short and lacking character development, I just thought this story needed a little something more to make me like it.
May 9, 2013
Because You Are Mine was presented with skillful turns in phrasing. It is based on classic themes, but all are fresher from the usage of brisk pacing and the author’s unique voice. The editing was well executed as I only noted a single error in the entire work and that was a homophone. Though, I have to admit, in the first few pages I was spellbound with the tale and finished it in one sitting. So I could have missed quite a bit and that would include a herd of elephants stampeding past me.
As a matter of fact, if I read one more work of hers that is just as good as this one, Lena Hart will easily land on my auto-buy list.
The book is constructed to be a mainstream and the lovemaking is on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Although with romantic trends painting a full picture in the bedroom and precious few descriptions provided elsewhere, I appreciate the concentration given to plot. But no sci-fi props or paranormal tricks needed to give the tale any additional flair, as the hero and heroine throw sparks from the moment they are introduced. There’s a bit of everything, misunderstandings, deceit, jealousy and even a spot of blackmail. There are characters that could easily be loved and others that I loved to hate, including the heroine’s mother. But just a scene or two more wouldn’t have been amiss as that could flesh the honed story out slightly.
As the ending was chuckle-worthy and left me smiling there was no complaint on that end. The only thing that got me was the fact that I wanted more. Not that there’s anything wrong with that either, it just means that like The Terminator, I’ll be back to read it again.
-Reviewed by: Jennifer
As a matter of fact, if I read one more work of hers that is just as good as this one, Lena Hart will easily land on my auto-buy list.
The book is constructed to be a mainstream and the lovemaking is on the sweeter side of the spectrum. Although with romantic trends painting a full picture in the bedroom and precious few descriptions provided elsewhere, I appreciate the concentration given to plot. But no sci-fi props or paranormal tricks needed to give the tale any additional flair, as the hero and heroine throw sparks from the moment they are introduced. There’s a bit of everything, misunderstandings, deceit, jealousy and even a spot of blackmail. There are characters that could easily be loved and others that I loved to hate, including the heroine’s mother. But just a scene or two more wouldn’t have been amiss as that could flesh the honed story out slightly.
As the ending was chuckle-worthy and left me smiling there was no complaint on that end. The only thing that got me was the fact that I wanted more. Not that there’s anything wrong with that either, it just means that like The Terminator, I’ll be back to read it again.
-Reviewed by: Jennifer
January 14, 2015
Romance peppered with a bit of mystery
3.75 stars. The story of Drake Ross and Cara Sinclair is the first story in this trilogy. Cara has loved Drake since she was eight and he was fourteen. Years later, she follows him into the woods and tries to seduce him; Drake is attracted to her and almost yields to her advances. Feeling rejected, Cara runs further into the woods and is attacked and hospitalized and Drake is jailed as the attacker. Twelve years later, Drake is hired as a department head at the firm where Cara works. Their mutual attraction is rekindled and culminates in sexual intimacy that reveals to Drake that Cara is a virgin, everything regarding that incident is revealed including the attacker. A sweet short read.
3.75 stars. The story of Drake Ross and Cara Sinclair is the first story in this trilogy. Cara has loved Drake since she was eight and he was fourteen. Years later, she follows him into the woods and tries to seduce him; Drake is attracted to her and almost yields to her advances. Feeling rejected, Cara runs further into the woods and is attacked and hospitalized and Drake is jailed as the attacker. Twelve years later, Drake is hired as a department head at the firm where Cara works. Their mutual attraction is rekindled and culminates in sexual intimacy that reveals to Drake that Cara is a virgin, everything regarding that incident is revealed including the attacker. A sweet short read.
April 30, 2013
This is a great well written emotional love story about two characters that knew each other as children and are reunited as co-workers. It’s an intense interracial love story which reunites Cara and Drake after years of having no contact. This couple is the most unlikely pairing I’ve seen in a story because the hero was accused and arrested for hurting the heroine when they were teens. The author created a believable backstory and did an excellent job of sprinkling it in and building the tension between the characters. I highly recommend this novella, a great emotionally charged story with characters you grow to love.
February 3, 2014
I really liked this book and I love the author. I just wish her books would be a bit longer.. Sometimes the End or the Climax seems rushed.. I liked the plot though and of course the characters.. You could feel Drake's dissapointment in Cara.
All in all this was a 5 star read for me.
Here's my casting:
Cara:
Drake:
All in all this was a 5 star read for me.
Here's my casting:
Cara:
Drake:
December 31, 2016
While I enjoyed this book better than Because You Love Me, it was still missing something. Cara and Drake have a very checkered past. With everything that happened between them, for him to agree to be her boss and her to continue working as his subordinate aren't likely. Possibly if additional story development that explained the dynamics between Cara, her step-father and Drakes family were included it would have given the story a better flow. Overall the plot line was solid and I see potential.
November 3, 2016
Given that this was a short story, I did like it. I just think that it probably should have been a little bit longer to allow for character development and plot movement. The story moved a steady pace then everything happened so quick, that the change in the characters and the storyline came across as rushed and just slightly out of sync. Overall, I thought it was a good story with lots of potential and will definitely try another book from this author.
May 29, 2016
I enjoyed this twist on the past and present of Cara and Drake. The mystery of her locked memories and the passion between the heroine and hero was great. Although initially I hated Drake, I realized he had a reason to be angry. When the truth was revealed, I was excited for their reunion. Awesome story!
August 18, 2013
Great short story. Can't wait to read more from this author.
February 27, 2014
Not long enough and even though a happy ending at the end, I felt kind of cheated because I did not know enough about the characters.
April 19, 2016
Great read
Really enjoyed this book,loved the twists in the story. Really full characters and a great start to the series, although they can be read as stand alones
Really enjoyed this book,loved the twists in the story. Really full characters and a great start to the series, although they can be read as stand alones
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews