What do you think?
Rate this book
A Debt Paid in Passion
Sirena Abbot. L’assistante la plus efficace que Raoul ait jamais eue, la femme la plus séduisante sur laquelle il ait posé les yeux… et une voleuse. Comment expliquer autrement qu’une importante somme d’argent ait disparu du compte de l’entreprise ? Pire, non contente de le voler, Sirena s’est jouée de lui : n’a-t-elle pas feint la passion dans ses bras – sans doute pour mieux dissimuler son méfait ? Furieux, Raoul se jure de détruire cette femme sans scrupule. Mais, quand Sirena, plus pâle que jamais, s’effondre sous ses yeux, Raoul comprend très vite que la jeune femme est enceinte. Et il se sent alors envahi par des émotions violentes, contradictoires. Car, au fond de lui, il sait que l’enfant qu’elle porte est le sien…
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published January 21, 2014
72 people are currently reading
466 people want to read
About the author
Dani Collins
679 books1,179 followersUSA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with laughter and heat, just like real life.
Mostly she writes contemporary romance, but she has also writes Historical Western, erotic romance, and romcom.
Want to be notified of Dani's latest release along with getting sneak peeks, price drops, behind the scene's gossip and other special offers? Join Dani's VIP list. Join Now!
Mostly she writes contemporary romance, but she has also writes Historical Western, erotic romance, and romcom.
Want to be notified of Dani's latest release along with getting sneak peeks, price drops, behind the scene's gossip and other special offers? Join Dani's VIP list. Join Now!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 15, 2014
Why I did not like this book was because of the heroine. She was just so awful. I don't care if she did it for her family, she was still a thief.
I cannot believe that if she was really in that situation why she could not have discussed with her boss and ask for his help.
And then she continues blaming the guy, who actually is not a bad person. I hated that he had to go down on his knees and beg her....
I really think he was too good for her......
I like this author but this one just did not do it for me.
I cannot believe that if she was really in that situation why she could not have discussed with her boss and ask for his help.
And then she continues blaming the guy, who actually is not a bad person. I hated that he had to go down on his knees and beg her....
I really think he was too good for her......
I like this author but this one just did not do it for me.
October 6, 2014
This was going at a gripping 5 star and then it started dragging on at the end...I didn't like heroine's thievery of course but there is a plethora of illegal and immoral behavior in Harlequins, usually by hero, so I don't see why this "borrowing" (ok embezzlement but she intended to repay) is any more offensive than extortion, blackmail, forced or coerced prostitution, threatening a mother that she will lose her child...all the stuff of which Harlequin dreams are made. I LOVED the angst and pain and guilt of the start of story...very unique and connected me to both hero and heroine...
December 9, 2015
This was readable and I didn't DNF (a miracle by some newer HP standards). I like how it jumped straight into the action. With category novels, I think it's important to not waste too much of that precious allotted page count beating around the bush.
Ms. Collins also provided some good banter and there were a few lines by the h which gave me a grin, but overall there was too much that didn't fit for me to do more than 'like' this.
I'm also a foregone sucker for a vengeful hero, but that's where the waters get murky...
The story begins with the heroine on trial for embezzlement from the H, her ex-employer. We realize quickly that 'yes' she did embezzle. She planned to give it back as soon as her dad got payment from a big client, but bottom line - she took it, without asking, from company funds. Dunno what they call that in HPLandia, but here on earth we call that theft. Just sayin...
The heroine's altruistic reasons were less than impressive too. I prefer the classics, such as 'my family is about to lose the family home and the clothes off their back (usually thanks to a feckless family member's bad decisions)' , 'the nuns in the orphanage where I grew up are about to be tossed in the street with all the little orphans, including poor Tiny Tim in his wheelchair and the cruel b*st@rds intend on repossessing said wheelchair', or the old standby 'grandma/mom/dad/baby bro needs some revolutionary surgery in America'.
All of those still come down to stealing. But, it's a lot easier for this reader to sympathize. The heroine's excuse was to pay for her little sister's college tuition until Dad's big client (who ended up declaring bankruptcy) came through with the $ and she could replace the funds without anyone being the wiser. There was some supposed justification in that the college had a large waiting last and the lil' sis couldn't just wait until next semester to begin.
I'm American, so I fully admit that I know nothing about the college system in Australia where the little sister lives. But I couldn't help but see this from my own experience where I know that almost anyone can get a student loan. They may be paying the loan back until they're 70 - but there you have it. There is also financial aid and that is available even for children of working families. You may not get the flat out grant that doesn't have to be paid back, but you'll likely get an offer for a Federal Student Loan. There are also tuition work programs (I had a scholarship that was like this). My tuition and books were paid for, but I had to work a certain number of hours on campus monitoring the computer labs and doing other relatively simple tasks that often allowed me plenty of downtime to do my homework. There are also payment programs at most colleges. You can have an outside job and make payments toward your tuition as you go. Bottom line, there are lots of options (at least here in the U.S.). Not saying it's easy, inexpensive, or a perfect system, but if you're a young lady of the sister's age with no children/family to support you can get that education.
So, Ms Collins, unless things are vastly different Down Under, you came up with a rather lame excuse. It's overdone, but you should have gone for the 'little sis is blind/can't walk/etc and needs extensive surgery and rehab at some American research hospital.'
Although, even setting better excuses aside, what the heroine did is still considered stealing. Period. Which leads me to the next big question of the novel:
Should the hero have prosecuted the heroine, even though they had worked together for several years and seemed to have developed a bond of trust? And given the fact that the night before the arrest, they finally gave in to their sexual chemistry and had sex.
Thinking back over my work history there have been a few bosses I've developed a close working bond with (not sexually). In the case of the embezzlement, I would have expected him/her to speak to me first. I'd hope they'd have doubts that I would do such a thing and give me an opportunity to defend myself before involving the authorities. Then again, the heroine sleeping with the hero the night before did look bad. I think many would wonder if they weren't being softened up for the blow and - like the hero - feel betrayed and manipulated.
I'll have to admit that the prosecution was a twist. 99% of the time the hero is going to ask for a more personal payback as was suggested by the title. In other words, she'll pay him back in bed and he'll leave those pesky officials out of it. In the real world, not taking the law into your own hands is considered the more honorable course, but since our heroine was reared in HPLandia she was likely insulted that she didn't get the forced mistress package.
Was the H a jerk? Sure, he had his moments. He's an HP tycoon. But, he was nowhere near many of the jerkface POSs we've come to know and love to hate. There was the custody angle (heroine is also pregnant from their one encounter - of course). He was kinda pushy about that when (unbeknownst to him) the heroine was having a difficult time physically and didn't need any stress. However, she didn't even tell him she was pregnant until it came out accidentally. She could have avoided much stress and probably gotten the entire case dropped by him if she'd come clean. It wasn't like she could hide it forever. If she had gone to jail, it was going to come out that she was pregnant and then her child would have gone into foster care if she'd refused to name a father. Her reasoning was very foreign to me. Yes, yes I know - looking for reason in an HP, there lies the path of madness.
I did warm up to the heroine more as time went along. I didn't think she was a horrible person by any means, but she did play the martyr card a bit too frequently for someone who was guilty. Yeah, the hero had more money than Croesus and she did plan to pay him back, but it still didn't entitle her to dip her hands in the cookie jar. Period. Especially not with her weak justification.
What makes me the most sad is that we finally got a good grovel from the hero, but in a case where I wasn't exactly pining for one. The whole missing diamond bracelet thing that caused the 'big misunderstanding' at the end was so contrived and weak.
Overall points for some originality and good banter, but some of the plot points were just too weak to justify the heroine's anger or the drama involved.
Ms. Collins also provided some good banter and there were a few lines by the h which gave me a grin, but overall there was too much that didn't fit for me to do more than 'like' this.
I'm also a foregone sucker for a vengeful hero, but that's where the waters get murky...
The story begins with the heroine on trial for embezzlement from the H, her ex-employer. We realize quickly that 'yes' she did embezzle. She planned to give it back as soon as her dad got payment from a big client, but bottom line - she took it, without asking, from company funds. Dunno what they call that in HPLandia, but here on earth we call that theft. Just sayin...
The heroine's altruistic reasons were less than impressive too. I prefer the classics, such as 'my family is about to lose the family home and the clothes off their back (usually thanks to a feckless family member's bad decisions)' , 'the nuns in the orphanage where I grew up are about to be tossed in the street with all the little orphans, including poor Tiny Tim in his wheelchair and the cruel b*st@rds intend on repossessing said wheelchair', or the old standby 'grandma/mom/dad/baby bro needs some revolutionary surgery in America'.
All of those still come down to stealing. But, it's a lot easier for this reader to sympathize. The heroine's excuse was to pay for her little sister's college tuition until Dad's big client (who ended up declaring bankruptcy) came through with the $ and she could replace the funds without anyone being the wiser. There was some supposed justification in that the college had a large waiting last and the lil' sis couldn't just wait until next semester to begin.
I'm American, so I fully admit that I know nothing about the college system in Australia where the little sister lives. But I couldn't help but see this from my own experience where I know that almost anyone can get a student loan. They may be paying the loan back until they're 70 - but there you have it. There is also financial aid and that is available even for children of working families. You may not get the flat out grant that doesn't have to be paid back, but you'll likely get an offer for a Federal Student Loan. There are also tuition work programs (I had a scholarship that was like this). My tuition and books were paid for, but I had to work a certain number of hours on campus monitoring the computer labs and doing other relatively simple tasks that often allowed me plenty of downtime to do my homework. There are also payment programs at most colleges. You can have an outside job and make payments toward your tuition as you go. Bottom line, there are lots of options (at least here in the U.S.). Not saying it's easy, inexpensive, or a perfect system, but if you're a young lady of the sister's age with no children/family to support you can get that education.
So, Ms Collins, unless things are vastly different Down Under, you came up with a rather lame excuse. It's overdone, but you should have gone for the 'little sis is blind/can't walk/etc and needs extensive surgery and rehab at some American research hospital.'
Although, even setting better excuses aside, what the heroine did is still considered stealing. Period. Which leads me to the next big question of the novel:
Should the hero have prosecuted the heroine, even though they had worked together for several years and seemed to have developed a bond of trust? And given the fact that the night before the arrest, they finally gave in to their sexual chemistry and had sex.
Thinking back over my work history there have been a few bosses I've developed a close working bond with (not sexually). In the case of the embezzlement, I would have expected him/her to speak to me first. I'd hope they'd have doubts that I would do such a thing and give me an opportunity to defend myself before involving the authorities. Then again, the heroine sleeping with the hero the night before did look bad. I think many would wonder if they weren't being softened up for the blow and - like the hero - feel betrayed and manipulated.
I'll have to admit that the prosecution was a twist. 99% of the time the hero is going to ask for a more personal payback as was suggested by the title. In other words, she'll pay him back in bed and he'll leave those pesky officials out of it. In the real world, not taking the law into your own hands is considered the more honorable course, but since our heroine was reared in HPLandia she was likely insulted that she didn't get the forced mistress package.
Was the H a jerk? Sure, he had his moments. He's an HP tycoon. But, he was nowhere near many of the jerkface POSs we've come to know and love to hate. There was the custody angle (heroine is also pregnant from their one encounter - of course). He was kinda pushy about that when (unbeknownst to him) the heroine was having a difficult time physically and didn't need any stress. However, she didn't even tell him she was pregnant until it came out accidentally. She could have avoided much stress and probably gotten the entire case dropped by him if she'd come clean. It wasn't like she could hide it forever. If she had gone to jail, it was going to come out that she was pregnant and then her child would have gone into foster care if she'd refused to name a father. Her reasoning was very foreign to me. Yes, yes I know - looking for reason in an HP, there lies the path of madness.
I did warm up to the heroine more as time went along. I didn't think she was a horrible person by any means, but she did play the martyr card a bit too frequently for someone who was guilty. Yeah, the hero had more money than Croesus and she did plan to pay him back, but it still didn't entitle her to dip her hands in the cookie jar. Period. Especially not with her weak justification.
What makes me the most sad is that we finally got a good grovel from the hero, but in a case where I wasn't exactly pining for one. The whole missing diamond bracelet thing that caused the 'big misunderstanding' at the end was so contrived and weak.
Overall points for some originality and good banter, but some of the plot points were just too weak to justify the heroine's anger or the drama involved.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2014
While the prose is very good and the storytelling is compelling the amoral socieopathic heroine ruined the book.
The heroine is a thief. She had no reason to steal. It was a stupid plot device to produce angst but instead made the heroine look stupid, amoral and criminal. What's worse is the heroine never apologizes. She makes the hero into a monster when he's a good guy a good boss who did nothing to deserve her dislike of him. A simple conversation could have helped this cold amoral heroine help her sister but nooo she's to stupid to do that.
The hero, he had potential but turned into a lapdog. Frankly the hero should have left the heroine and found himself a morally decent woman to marry and be the stepmother of his child. If the heroine's family was in distress again I see her screwing over the hero and her child for them.
The heroine is a thief. She had no reason to steal. It was a stupid plot device to produce angst but instead made the heroine look stupid, amoral and criminal. What's worse is the heroine never apologizes. She makes the hero into a monster when he's a good guy a good boss who did nothing to deserve her dislike of him. A simple conversation could have helped this cold amoral heroine help her sister but nooo she's to stupid to do that.
The hero, he had potential but turned into a lapdog. Frankly the hero should have left the heroine and found himself a morally decent woman to marry and be the stepmother of his child. If the heroine's family was in distress again I see her screwing over the hero and her child for them.
January 3, 2015
Sirena Abbott is the perfect PA, working for Raoul Zesiger, until she makes the mistake of borrowing money for her family, not realising she would be unable to pay it back due to circumstances beyond her control.
After working for Raoul for two years, Sirena thinks she has her attraction to her boss under control, until one afternoon they find themselves alone in an unusual situation and things get out of control. Of course it is the very next day, Raoul finds out about her "borrowing" and for "reasons" he immediately assumes she had seduced him to cover herself.
Before she realises what has happened Sirena finds herself under arrest and in court, with no recourse. Raoul is determined to see her pay for her betrayal. Until he discovers she's pregnant and there is a good chance it belongs to him.
This is were the story opens and we go on the journey with Sirena and Raoul as they attempt to deal with this complication. And very complicated it is. Sirena's pregnancy is difficult and Raoul is confronted by her stubborn determination to keep her child though he is unaware of her health problems.
At first glance it seems like getting these two together might be beyond hope as they had both felt so betrayed by each other just as their relationship was at that tender first bud stage. I was seriously emotional by the end which is why I had to give it five stars. It wasn't a perfect read but if it makes me cry I feel I should acknowledge that.
After working for Raoul for two years, Sirena thinks she has her attraction to her boss under control, until one afternoon they find themselves alone in an unusual situation and things get out of control. Of course it is the very next day, Raoul finds out about her "borrowing" and for "reasons" he immediately assumes she had seduced him to cover herself.
Before she realises what has happened Sirena finds herself under arrest and in court, with no recourse. Raoul is determined to see her pay for her betrayal. Until he discovers she's pregnant and there is a good chance it belongs to him.
This is were the story opens and we go on the journey with Sirena and Raoul as they attempt to deal with this complication. And very complicated it is. Sirena's pregnancy is difficult and Raoul is confronted by her stubborn determination to keep her child though he is unaware of her health problems.
At first glance it seems like getting these two together might be beyond hope as they had both felt so betrayed by each other just as their relationship was at that tender first bud stage. I was seriously emotional by the end which is why I had to give it five stars. It wasn't a perfect read but if it makes me cry I feel I should acknowledge that.
September 20, 2017
Accidental re-read. Rating is the same. Heroine is still a thief. Hero acted hastily about pursuing charges before he even talked to her.
I liked how the author showed the pain of betrayal each of them felt and really explored it. Because of the heroine's difficult pregnancy and delivery, sex was not an option as a communication device. So they actually had to talk to one another. What a concept.
I still think the award's ceremony with the red carpet was weird. I liked how the hero surprised the heroine with a visit from her sister. That was sweet.
That baby is going to have as many air miles as a traveling salesman before her first birthday.
****
New-to-me author. Revenge story. Heroine stole/borrowed money from the company. Her boss, the hero, presses charges. He discovers her deceit after they have a one-night stand. Heroine is pregnant/has rough delivery/cares for infant over the course of the novel. Some parts don’t make sense. Hollywood awards? Really? But interesting.
I liked how the author showed the pain of betrayal each of them felt and really explored it. Because of the heroine's difficult pregnancy and delivery, sex was not an option as a communication device. So they actually had to talk to one another. What a concept.
I still think the award's ceremony with the red carpet was weird. I liked how the hero surprised the heroine with a visit from her sister. That was sweet.
That baby is going to have as many air miles as a traveling salesman before her first birthday.
****
New-to-me author. Revenge story. Heroine stole/borrowed money from the company. Her boss, the hero, presses charges. He discovers her deceit after they have a one-night stand. Heroine is pregnant/has rough delivery/cares for infant over the course of the novel. Some parts don’t make sense. Hollywood awards? Really? But interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2017
La protagonista la roba plata al héroe por motivos totalmente frívolos (no tan graves como una operación en el extranjero, o algo realmente necesario) y JAMÁS le pide disculpas. Parece nuestro sistema legal argentino, donde los chorros tienen más derechos que la víctima. En fin, se hace la tímida y convivió con otro tipo dos años, siempre poniéndose en papel de pobrecita. AGH, ¡detesto! las mujeres así en la vida real, esas que son mosquitas muertas y siempre haciéndose las víctimas.
Definitivamente, NO para este libro.
Definitivamente, NO para este libro.
February 20, 2019
3.5 Stars
March 28, 2014
4.5 stars, nearly a five stars.
This was yet another great and enjoyable read from Dani Collins who knows how to create great characters, lots of angst with the whole love-hate relationship thing going on, misunderstanding, lots of passion, and just a very intense love story that had me glued to the pages from word one. Loved all the emotion behind this story, emotion that I could feel throughout the story, which what I expect from a Presents and adds to the realism of the story. I love stories like that.
It was funny while I was reading this book it reminded my of Diana Palmer and her themes that are present in books. Diana Palmer was my introduction into the world of adult romance novels and quickly became one of my favorite romance authors especially her earlier novels, and I quickly picked up her books along the way and just loved them. Diana Palmer knew how to do misunderstanding, love-hate relationships, angst. stories filled with intense emotions and passion along the way and that's when I fell in love with romance novels. Diana Palmer just knew how to create those intense love stories that I just devoured and got sucked into. Her books just touched my heart and made me feel so much while reading them and really was the reason that I got into romance. Diana Palmer books just gave me such a warm tingly feeling, and such a good feeling, and I am finding, having only read two Dani Collins book so far that, that I am getting exactly the same feeling from Dani Collins books that I got while reading Diana Palmer book, which is huge in my book. I don't know what they do, but its just creating these emotional intense stories that really touch me and make me feel that warm, gooey feeling inside. Not every author can do that to me even if I do enjoy the book that I read from them, it's not the same as getting that tingly feeling.
Again I don't know what it is exactly, but I have a feeling its the whole love-hate relationship thing, which Diana perfected to a tee in most of her books, and I can see that's where Dani Collins is going as well. I hope she keeps that up so I can experience the same feelings that I experienced with both Diana Palmer and now with the two books I have read from Collins thus far. I guess I am just a love-hate kind of girl in romance. Probably because there is so much passion in those types of relationships that it just comes off the page that it practically grabs me and takes me on that emotional roller coaster ride right there along with the characters. Plus the whole hating thing just adds to the passion and the angst and so on just to create those dips and valleys along the way.
Now if you can't guess but this book definitely did have that love-hate angst type of relationship going on. In fact it began love-hate with a bang with the opening being in a courtroom during trial and decided whether or not Sirena would go to prison or not for stealing money from Raoul's personal account. And he wanted to see he burn and punished for what she did to him and not believing that he was actually duped by her. Sirena was his trusted PA for two years, who he secretly lusted after and finally gave in to his passion and slept with her even though his vow was never to get involved with employees. But he did, and now he just felt like a fool, believing that she used her feminine wiles on him in order to soften him up so he wouldn't notice the missing money from his account. So he figured she used her body on purpose, and now he wanted to see her pay. He had her arrested shortly after his discovery and now at the trial portion and he hated her yet at the same time he couldn't help but stare at her, still wanting her but not wanting to admit it. So when Sirena got off and ordered to pay a fine, he was livid and wanted to make her pay even more. She wanted her punished.
All during the trial, Sirena just felt sick with worry as one can imagine and feared that she would be going to prison. She couldn't believe Raoul had her arrested without talking to her especially after they made love. She secretly was drawn to him for the last two years and finally gave into him. But he didn't and just acted with his only mind being punishment. Now did Sirena do the right thing? No. Did she take his money? Yes. Did she steal for him to provide herself in the lap of luxury? No, she took the money in order to help her family out, who were having money troubles and needed financial help. Did she realize what she did was wrong? Yes, but she figured she could pay Raoul back before he even noticed the money was missing from his account and never considered what she was doing was stealing, even though it was, but more borrowing. But now she was suffering the consequences and dealing with all the stress surrounding the proceedings. And if that wasn't bad enough, Sirena learned she was pregnant with Raoul's bad, adding immensely to the stress she was facing and the fact that her baby could be taken away from her especially if Raoul founded out the truth. So when sentence was passed and she was free, she was glad she didn't have to deal with jail time and she would never have to see Raoul again.
But as luck would have it she fainted after court, which Raoul was present for and was very worried for her despite the fact that he said he despised her and didn't trust her and was even the one that caught her when she fell. At that point, Raoul learned from Sirena's lawyer that she was pregnant and Raoul put two and two together and set to action through lawyers.
At that point it was kind of a cat and mouse game with a pull and push coming from each of them. Sirena didn't want to admit he was the father while he kept insisting he was and wanted custody to their child. This added to hostility and tension between them and just all that angsty goodness. Without admitting he was the father, Sirena agreed to his terms in his contract where she made sure that her baby got financial support and not herself. She was never worried about the money for herself, which Raoul thought was odd since she stole from him, but he kind of let that go and told her to keep him informed about the babies progress, which she did.
Months go by with very stilted conversations between the two and full of tension with the whole him trying to sent her to jail thing between them. Plus she believed that he only slept with her because he was in the mood and she was handy (that was what he told her not wanting to reveal the fact that he wanted her), and that really hurt her and made her feel worthless especially since she cared and was drawn to him from the very beginning. So she was kind of standoffish with him and only informed him about the babies health not her own, which was very much in danger with high blood pressure and such, and he didn't find out until Lucy, their child, was born prematurely and was told to come to the hospital then he realized how much in danger Sirena was and that she could possibly die. He didn't want her to die, and never had and prayed she would survive. Now this was a Diana Palmer theme in one of the books where the heroine believed that the hero only wanted the baby and not her and as long as the baby was okay then her health was irrelevant and if she died she died as long as her baby was healthy that was all that mattered and she figured the hero wouldn't care if she survived or not, which wasn't the case. I enjoyed that theme because just so many tense and raw emotions come out when the hero or in this Raoul found out that he could possibly loose Sirena in the process, he realized he didn't want to loose her and would be devastated if he did, and just came to realize how important that she was to him.
Of coarse Sirena didn't die, but she was still weak and very reliant on Raoul in taking care of her and the baby until she got back on her felt. She went to live with him, and she had to deal with the fact that she wanted him still even though he treated her badly, but she vowed not to give into him, which was hard when he made it clear that he still wanted her, thought she believed it was only because she was only physical and only because she was handy like before never thinking emotions came to play. So she was fighting herself as well as him and vowing not to give in. And therein the roller coaster went up and down with her not wanting him too close and fall under his spell again especially after he hurt her so badly. Plus she believed she could everything on her own and didn't need anyone after all she had been taking care of herself since she was little after her mother died then when her father remarried her stepmother treated her like nothing and dinged her confidence while making Sirena be a mother to her sister and taking care of everything. So Sirena was used to having no support and didn't expect to get any from Raoul either, which was sad especially when I could see how badly she needed someone to be there for and be her soft place to fall when things weren't easy. But she didn't want to do that with Raoul in case he gave it to her then snatched it away. She still wasn't sure if Raoul would take away Lucy from her like he vowed to do early on in the pregnancy. So she was scared and my heart went out to her. She just needed a little love in her life, and she wanted that with Raoul but figured she would never get that from him. She was expected hurt and pain from him not joy, and all the while she was trying to avoid intimacy with him.
Now when Raoul found out how wrong he was about her between the whole pregnancy thing to the money and he realized how wrong he was about her, he set about to making things right with her not only because he wanted her but because he knew how unfair he was to her all those months ago. So he did things to show he cared about her and it wasn't just about the physical for him. For example, Sirena hadn't seen her sister in three years, and Raoul brought her sister for a visit with Sirena and the baby. Sirena was surprised and truly grateful for what he did and threw her arms around him and hugged to show him how much that little gesture meant to her. And I thought that gesture was sweet myself and yeah he was trying to assuage his guilt but at the same time he was doing something nice for her at the same time. This really showed he cared about her. And he did other little things to show he cared like getting to know her or just talking to her. Also he showed his appreciation at an award ceremony where he gave her all the credit for a project they worked on together when she worked for him and that was really sweet to and just a nice moment. And it showed that Raoul was a good guy and not some jerk that had cruel streak in him with his intent on punishing Sirena. He gave that up after she gave birth to their child. The reason he acted so cruelly because he was hurt and felt betrayed by Sirena who he really trusted and relied on and felt that he really didn't know her when she stole his money. But he knew he made a mistake about her once he began to get to know her more and began to make kind gesture towards her to make up for his behavior.
Sirena knew she was in trouble when he made those kind gestures and her heart began to soften and her guard lowered and she started slowly letting him in and relying on his support. She gave into him and make love with him and began to embrace her softer emotions towards him. She even agreed to married him without all the frills and just marry at the justice of peace without any fuss, knowing it was best for their daughter. And the fact that they were getting along made her encouraged that they could have a good relationship together. But they hit a bump in the road, where for a moment Raoul believed her to be a thief, only briefly, and then they were back at square one again and she withdrew into herself and she also felt that he was trying to divorce her, which made her miserable as well as run from him expecting that he would turn away from her. At that point she was in love with him and just felt totally retched about the whole thing plus she didn't believed he cared or loved her and it was all just convenience for him. That made me sad for her that she actually believed that and plus resigning herself to the fact that he would never love her like she loved him. But it worked out in the end of coarse and in a sweet beautiful way that showed he was invested in their relationship and his emotions were there and deep and intense for (this was shown earlier on in the book too during one of the love scenes) her just like hers were for him and he loved her intensely and never wanted to loose her again.
That was the basic plot with many intense points along the way. I liked how their relationship was development over time and they didn't just fall right back into bed with one another, though early on when she first came to live with him they did have a little passionate scene in the hallway where they couldn't help themselves and had to give into their passions for one another, but other than that there was no rush, so the emotions could develop and misunderstanding could be understood as they got to know each other more and more therefore developing these intense passionate feelings for one another that was beyond the physical. And like I said he did little gestures to show that he in fact cared about her and was just after her body, which was nice to see and I liked seeing how he was trying to make it up to her. And those gestures were very thoughtful and it help them come closer and build that intimacy between them that was as emotional as it was physical. I like seeing that. Plus I just like the build up of sexual tension and emotions that feel so intense and so real and just got me feeling them right along with them. But again with more time passed, the deeper the feelings got between them, connecting them. It was nice to see.
Their passion was hot and sexy. They had some hot chemistry that felt close to exploding a couple times the hallway scene being one of them then there was the pool scene. And I could feel Raoul want and frustration that Sirena wouldn't give into the chemistry between them, but she did that to protect herself and her emotions, which were already deeply involved. When they finally do make love, it was pretty hot and passion that they were finally gave into, but that wasn't my favorite love scene. My favorite on was the last one I believe right when he momentarily thought she stole his mother's bracelet and Sirena felt that distrust coming off of him and kind of took her back and withdrew and he could sense that. He didn't want that, and he wanted to get back to the way that they were when things were good, and he just wanted that closeness between them back so he made love to her, but sweetly and so full of love and emotions, making it intense and passionate and loving scene. It just showed how much he cared about her and wanted her and how much he adored the closeness between them both emotionally and physically, and he wanted that closeness with her in that scene in a way to connect to ensure himself that he wasn't loosing her. It really was an emotional and beautiful scene. And at first she resisted him in that moment, which freaked him out so he acted more gently and loved her thoroughly until she gave in and let go in his arms where he just wanted her to be. He just wanted that intimacy and when he got that he was ensured everything was okay, but again it was pretty powerful scene and I loved it and just what it showed how affected he was by her and how he wanted everything of her not just physical stuff and that scene proved it for me.
I really liked both of the characters. I felt bad for Sirena and just the tough life she had with loosing a mother so young and have only to depend on herself because she felt so alone. And she was alone for a long time and not having to rely on anyone until Raoul came along and even when she did and she gave in then he hurt her by getting her arrested despite the fact they were lovers so she felt let down and once again like no one would care about her. She protected herself and took awhile for her to give into Raoul again, and she had a hard time believing that he could ever love her or actually want her, which was apparent at the end when he told her that he loved her. She didn't believe he loved her in the same way she loved him and she was willing to accept that, but he wasn't.
And Raoul was a good guy once he learned the error of his ways, but like I said he only acted that way out of hurt. He more than made up for it in the end. He was incredibly sweet and loving toward Sirena, and he wanted every part of her. He was drawn to her from the beginning though he refused to call it anything but desire and he denied himself from giving into temptation until the day she got pregnant, but there was always something between them even when they worked side by side. He just feared with getting involved with her not only because she was his PA, but feared getting involved too deeply and falling in love because his father killed himself when he couldn't be with the love of his life who happened to be his secretary, causing chaos to ensue afterwards, and Raoul never wanted that to happen to him so he avoided deep commitments of the heart. And it was the reason he tried to resist Sirena for so long. But after the baby was born, he fell hook, line and sinker for Sirena and wouldn't have been able to stop that avalanche. But like I said once he had the big aha moment then his attitude completely changed toward Sirena from one of hate to one of caring then to love. And he loved her desperately and wanted her to know that he loved her just as she loved him and even arranged for them to have a proper wedding to renew their commitment to one another, but only if Sirena believed that he loved her and not for any other reason. And I thought that was really telling from him and showed how important it was for him to have Sirena know the depths of his feelings for her. She was the love of his life. I just really loved Raoul and rooted for him like I rooted for Sirena.
I also liked the fact that there relationship was believable and not far fetched. I felt it was real because I felt their emotions while reading it and I felt what they felt, which is what a good romance should do. Just I was feeling them as a couple and I could see them together. I saw the depths of emotions that they had for one another and really enjoyed seeing that aspect of their relationship, and though the passion was hot that wasn't the only thing to them. There was more, and I like seeing more just like I like seeing the passion, but I need the balance of both in order for me to feel it and believe it. Also like when the relationship isn't rushed and developed over time to increase the believability of it. The emotional intensity of the relationship didn't hurt either. I love those types of stories.
Collins has sold me on another book. A great read with lots of intense emotion. The whole love-hate aspect was enjoyable to watch and see how it played out before my eyes. The passion was hot and steamy, but the deep emotions were there too. Loved the angst, which increased the intensity between the two. Great characters. Collins did a good job in making Sirena a root worthy character because from the description on the back and I found out she actually stole the money and just wasn't accused of stealing it, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Sirena or not or be in her corner, but Collins made sure that I did once the circumstances were revealed and created this vulnerable character that I felt sorry for. Again reminded me of an old fashioned Diana Palmer books which I really like, and this novel was just like that and I liked it. I hope Collins keeps to those themes because I'd read those books.
This was yet another great and enjoyable read from Dani Collins who knows how to create great characters, lots of angst with the whole love-hate relationship thing going on, misunderstanding, lots of passion, and just a very intense love story that had me glued to the pages from word one. Loved all the emotion behind this story, emotion that I could feel throughout the story, which what I expect from a Presents and adds to the realism of the story. I love stories like that.
It was funny while I was reading this book it reminded my of Diana Palmer and her themes that are present in books. Diana Palmer was my introduction into the world of adult romance novels and quickly became one of my favorite romance authors especially her earlier novels, and I quickly picked up her books along the way and just loved them. Diana Palmer knew how to do misunderstanding, love-hate relationships, angst. stories filled with intense emotions and passion along the way and that's when I fell in love with romance novels. Diana Palmer just knew how to create those intense love stories that I just devoured and got sucked into. Her books just touched my heart and made me feel so much while reading them and really was the reason that I got into romance. Diana Palmer books just gave me such a warm tingly feeling, and such a good feeling, and I am finding, having only read two Dani Collins book so far that, that I am getting exactly the same feeling from Dani Collins books that I got while reading Diana Palmer book, which is huge in my book. I don't know what they do, but its just creating these emotional intense stories that really touch me and make me feel that warm, gooey feeling inside. Not every author can do that to me even if I do enjoy the book that I read from them, it's not the same as getting that tingly feeling.
Again I don't know what it is exactly, but I have a feeling its the whole love-hate relationship thing, which Diana perfected to a tee in most of her books, and I can see that's where Dani Collins is going as well. I hope she keeps that up so I can experience the same feelings that I experienced with both Diana Palmer and now with the two books I have read from Collins thus far. I guess I am just a love-hate kind of girl in romance. Probably because there is so much passion in those types of relationships that it just comes off the page that it practically grabs me and takes me on that emotional roller coaster ride right there along with the characters. Plus the whole hating thing just adds to the passion and the angst and so on just to create those dips and valleys along the way.
Now if you can't guess but this book definitely did have that love-hate angst type of relationship going on. In fact it began love-hate with a bang with the opening being in a courtroom during trial and decided whether or not Sirena would go to prison or not for stealing money from Raoul's personal account. And he wanted to see he burn and punished for what she did to him and not believing that he was actually duped by her. Sirena was his trusted PA for two years, who he secretly lusted after and finally gave in to his passion and slept with her even though his vow was never to get involved with employees. But he did, and now he just felt like a fool, believing that she used her feminine wiles on him in order to soften him up so he wouldn't notice the missing money from his account. So he figured she used her body on purpose, and now he wanted to see her pay. He had her arrested shortly after his discovery and now at the trial portion and he hated her yet at the same time he couldn't help but stare at her, still wanting her but not wanting to admit it. So when Sirena got off and ordered to pay a fine, he was livid and wanted to make her pay even more. She wanted her punished.
All during the trial, Sirena just felt sick with worry as one can imagine and feared that she would be going to prison. She couldn't believe Raoul had her arrested without talking to her especially after they made love. She secretly was drawn to him for the last two years and finally gave into him. But he didn't and just acted with his only mind being punishment. Now did Sirena do the right thing? No. Did she take his money? Yes. Did she steal for him to provide herself in the lap of luxury? No, she took the money in order to help her family out, who were having money troubles and needed financial help. Did she realize what she did was wrong? Yes, but she figured she could pay Raoul back before he even noticed the money was missing from his account and never considered what she was doing was stealing, even though it was, but more borrowing. But now she was suffering the consequences and dealing with all the stress surrounding the proceedings. And if that wasn't bad enough, Sirena learned she was pregnant with Raoul's bad, adding immensely to the stress she was facing and the fact that her baby could be taken away from her especially if Raoul founded out the truth. So when sentence was passed and she was free, she was glad she didn't have to deal with jail time and she would never have to see Raoul again.
But as luck would have it she fainted after court, which Raoul was present for and was very worried for her despite the fact that he said he despised her and didn't trust her and was even the one that caught her when she fell. At that point, Raoul learned from Sirena's lawyer that she was pregnant and Raoul put two and two together and set to action through lawyers.
At that point it was kind of a cat and mouse game with a pull and push coming from each of them. Sirena didn't want to admit he was the father while he kept insisting he was and wanted custody to their child. This added to hostility and tension between them and just all that angsty goodness. Without admitting he was the father, Sirena agreed to his terms in his contract where she made sure that her baby got financial support and not herself. She was never worried about the money for herself, which Raoul thought was odd since she stole from him, but he kind of let that go and told her to keep him informed about the babies progress, which she did.
Months go by with very stilted conversations between the two and full of tension with the whole him trying to sent her to jail thing between them. Plus she believed that he only slept with her because he was in the mood and she was handy (that was what he told her not wanting to reveal the fact that he wanted her), and that really hurt her and made her feel worthless especially since she cared and was drawn to him from the very beginning. So she was kind of standoffish with him and only informed him about the babies health not her own, which was very much in danger with high blood pressure and such, and he didn't find out until Lucy, their child, was born prematurely and was told to come to the hospital then he realized how much in danger Sirena was and that she could possibly die. He didn't want her to die, and never had and prayed she would survive. Now this was a Diana Palmer theme in one of the books where the heroine believed that the hero only wanted the baby and not her and as long as the baby was okay then her health was irrelevant and if she died she died as long as her baby was healthy that was all that mattered and she figured the hero wouldn't care if she survived or not, which wasn't the case. I enjoyed that theme because just so many tense and raw emotions come out when the hero or in this Raoul found out that he could possibly loose Sirena in the process, he realized he didn't want to loose her and would be devastated if he did, and just came to realize how important that she was to him.
Of coarse Sirena didn't die, but she was still weak and very reliant on Raoul in taking care of her and the baby until she got back on her felt. She went to live with him, and she had to deal with the fact that she wanted him still even though he treated her badly, but she vowed not to give into him, which was hard when he made it clear that he still wanted her, thought she believed it was only because she was only physical and only because she was handy like before never thinking emotions came to play. So she was fighting herself as well as him and vowing not to give in. And therein the roller coaster went up and down with her not wanting him too close and fall under his spell again especially after he hurt her so badly. Plus she believed she could everything on her own and didn't need anyone after all she had been taking care of herself since she was little after her mother died then when her father remarried her stepmother treated her like nothing and dinged her confidence while making Sirena be a mother to her sister and taking care of everything. So Sirena was used to having no support and didn't expect to get any from Raoul either, which was sad especially when I could see how badly she needed someone to be there for and be her soft place to fall when things weren't easy. But she didn't want to do that with Raoul in case he gave it to her then snatched it away. She still wasn't sure if Raoul would take away Lucy from her like he vowed to do early on in the pregnancy. So she was scared and my heart went out to her. She just needed a little love in her life, and she wanted that with Raoul but figured she would never get that from him. She was expected hurt and pain from him not joy, and all the while she was trying to avoid intimacy with him.
Now when Raoul found out how wrong he was about her between the whole pregnancy thing to the money and he realized how wrong he was about her, he set about to making things right with her not only because he wanted her but because he knew how unfair he was to her all those months ago. So he did things to show he cared about her and it wasn't just about the physical for him. For example, Sirena hadn't seen her sister in three years, and Raoul brought her sister for a visit with Sirena and the baby. Sirena was surprised and truly grateful for what he did and threw her arms around him and hugged to show him how much that little gesture meant to her. And I thought that gesture was sweet myself and yeah he was trying to assuage his guilt but at the same time he was doing something nice for her at the same time. This really showed he cared about her. And he did other little things to show he cared like getting to know her or just talking to her. Also he showed his appreciation at an award ceremony where he gave her all the credit for a project they worked on together when she worked for him and that was really sweet to and just a nice moment. And it showed that Raoul was a good guy and not some jerk that had cruel streak in him with his intent on punishing Sirena. He gave that up after she gave birth to their child. The reason he acted so cruelly because he was hurt and felt betrayed by Sirena who he really trusted and relied on and felt that he really didn't know her when she stole his money. But he knew he made a mistake about her once he began to get to know her more and began to make kind gesture towards her to make up for his behavior.
Sirena knew she was in trouble when he made those kind gestures and her heart began to soften and her guard lowered and she started slowly letting him in and relying on his support. She gave into him and make love with him and began to embrace her softer emotions towards him. She even agreed to married him without all the frills and just marry at the justice of peace without any fuss, knowing it was best for their daughter. And the fact that they were getting along made her encouraged that they could have a good relationship together. But they hit a bump in the road, where for a moment Raoul believed her to be a thief, only briefly, and then they were back at square one again and she withdrew into herself and she also felt that he was trying to divorce her, which made her miserable as well as run from him expecting that he would turn away from her. At that point she was in love with him and just felt totally retched about the whole thing plus she didn't believed he cared or loved her and it was all just convenience for him. That made me sad for her that she actually believed that and plus resigning herself to the fact that he would never love her like she loved him. But it worked out in the end of coarse and in a sweet beautiful way that showed he was invested in their relationship and his emotions were there and deep and intense for (this was shown earlier on in the book too during one of the love scenes) her just like hers were for him and he loved her intensely and never wanted to loose her again.
That was the basic plot with many intense points along the way. I liked how their relationship was development over time and they didn't just fall right back into bed with one another, though early on when she first came to live with him they did have a little passionate scene in the hallway where they couldn't help themselves and had to give into their passions for one another, but other than that there was no rush, so the emotions could develop and misunderstanding could be understood as they got to know each other more and more therefore developing these intense passionate feelings for one another that was beyond the physical. And like I said he did little gestures to show that he in fact cared about her and was just after her body, which was nice to see and I liked seeing how he was trying to make it up to her. And those gestures were very thoughtful and it help them come closer and build that intimacy between them that was as emotional as it was physical. I like seeing that. Plus I just like the build up of sexual tension and emotions that feel so intense and so real and just got me feeling them right along with them. But again with more time passed, the deeper the feelings got between them, connecting them. It was nice to see.
Their passion was hot and sexy. They had some hot chemistry that felt close to exploding a couple times the hallway scene being one of them then there was the pool scene. And I could feel Raoul want and frustration that Sirena wouldn't give into the chemistry between them, but she did that to protect herself and her emotions, which were already deeply involved. When they finally do make love, it was pretty hot and passion that they were finally gave into, but that wasn't my favorite love scene. My favorite on was the last one I believe right when he momentarily thought she stole his mother's bracelet and Sirena felt that distrust coming off of him and kind of took her back and withdrew and he could sense that. He didn't want that, and he wanted to get back to the way that they were when things were good, and he just wanted that closeness between them back so he made love to her, but sweetly and so full of love and emotions, making it intense and passionate and loving scene. It just showed how much he cared about her and wanted her and how much he adored the closeness between them both emotionally and physically, and he wanted that closeness with her in that scene in a way to connect to ensure himself that he wasn't loosing her. It really was an emotional and beautiful scene. And at first she resisted him in that moment, which freaked him out so he acted more gently and loved her thoroughly until she gave in and let go in his arms where he just wanted her to be. He just wanted that intimacy and when he got that he was ensured everything was okay, but again it was pretty powerful scene and I loved it and just what it showed how affected he was by her and how he wanted everything of her not just physical stuff and that scene proved it for me.
I really liked both of the characters. I felt bad for Sirena and just the tough life she had with loosing a mother so young and have only to depend on herself because she felt so alone. And she was alone for a long time and not having to rely on anyone until Raoul came along and even when she did and she gave in then he hurt her by getting her arrested despite the fact they were lovers so she felt let down and once again like no one would care about her. She protected herself and took awhile for her to give into Raoul again, and she had a hard time believing that he could ever love her or actually want her, which was apparent at the end when he told her that he loved her. She didn't believe he loved her in the same way she loved him and she was willing to accept that, but he wasn't.
And Raoul was a good guy once he learned the error of his ways, but like I said he only acted that way out of hurt. He more than made up for it in the end. He was incredibly sweet and loving toward Sirena, and he wanted every part of her. He was drawn to her from the beginning though he refused to call it anything but desire and he denied himself from giving into temptation until the day she got pregnant, but there was always something between them even when they worked side by side. He just feared with getting involved with her not only because she was his PA, but feared getting involved too deeply and falling in love because his father killed himself when he couldn't be with the love of his life who happened to be his secretary, causing chaos to ensue afterwards, and Raoul never wanted that to happen to him so he avoided deep commitments of the heart. And it was the reason he tried to resist Sirena for so long. But after the baby was born, he fell hook, line and sinker for Sirena and wouldn't have been able to stop that avalanche. But like I said once he had the big aha moment then his attitude completely changed toward Sirena from one of hate to one of caring then to love. And he loved her desperately and wanted her to know that he loved her just as she loved him and even arranged for them to have a proper wedding to renew their commitment to one another, but only if Sirena believed that he loved her and not for any other reason. And I thought that was really telling from him and showed how important it was for him to have Sirena know the depths of his feelings for her. She was the love of his life. I just really loved Raoul and rooted for him like I rooted for Sirena.
I also liked the fact that there relationship was believable and not far fetched. I felt it was real because I felt their emotions while reading it and I felt what they felt, which is what a good romance should do. Just I was feeling them as a couple and I could see them together. I saw the depths of emotions that they had for one another and really enjoyed seeing that aspect of their relationship, and though the passion was hot that wasn't the only thing to them. There was more, and I like seeing more just like I like seeing the passion, but I need the balance of both in order for me to feel it and believe it. Also like when the relationship isn't rushed and developed over time to increase the believability of it. The emotional intensity of the relationship didn't hurt either. I love those types of stories.
Collins has sold me on another book. A great read with lots of intense emotion. The whole love-hate aspect was enjoyable to watch and see how it played out before my eyes. The passion was hot and steamy, but the deep emotions were there too. Loved the angst, which increased the intensity between the two. Great characters. Collins did a good job in making Sirena a root worthy character because from the description on the back and I found out she actually stole the money and just wasn't accused of stealing it, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Sirena or not or be in her corner, but Collins made sure that I did once the circumstances were revealed and created this vulnerable character that I felt sorry for. Again reminded me of an old fashioned Diana Palmer books which I really like, and this novel was just like that and I liked it. I hope Collins keeps to those themes because I'd read those books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2014
All of us know the " I will do anything for my family" line well. Even if you and your siblings have countless arguments, when they are in need of urgent help you will be there with bells on, ready help them take on the world!
Unfortunately sometimes we need to break the rules a little to help those we love, it is never right and when it's criminal then it's most likely the lowest most despicable thing you have ever done. Yes, you could look the other way and leave your family to their own devices or try to find another way to help them, either way the issue will lurk around in the back of your mind until you do something about it.
Going the criminal route is never the answer and there is always another way, but for the heroine, Sirena, in this read, she just simply sees no other way, and she is planing on repairing the damage before anyone finds out so there should be no harm done.
The plan is simple, 'borrow ' the money and put it back before her boss, the impossible and very yummy Raoul finds out. The plan does not include falling for his charm and ending up in bed with him, or having the best sexual encounter of her life !
The plan goes from a bad idea to being the worst mistake of her life when Raoul not only finds out about the stolen money , but also reckons she only slept with him for this very reason and not because she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. And right here is where this book got super fabulous, Raoul does not take your average Harlequin Presents hero's action and say " It's okay, you will pay by being at my beck and call when I am in the mood for you", nope he files charges against her and she is almost sent to jail!
But getting only a fine instead of going to jail is so not where this read's dramatic awesomeness ends, it gets even more fabulous when Sirena faints after the court hearing and Raoul finds out her secret, the question is what will he do about it? Make her pay by extracting is own special blend of revenge or go after the heart of the woman he has fallen for?
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book to the point of distraction! The character of Rauol was so awesome, I was fully on his side with wanting to see Sirena pay for her actions , as I could understand his hurt and the way things looked from his point of view, no one likes being used. What grabbed my attention about him the most is his very awesome turn around in personality. He goes from full out " I want revenge " mode to utterly delicious, make my knees go weak, sweet and tender hero material. Through this character the author showed that we all have a good side, we appear tough to the world but it is most of the time just because we were hurt in the process of life. When we look at things from the other person's perspective it helps us to find the kind and tender person we all are.
The character of Sirena broke my heart, I cried so badly for her, over and over again. I loved that she fights so hard to try and be a good person , yet her actions of course shout out to the world " I am bad to the bone". It showed me that sometimes we all get in trouble for reasons that are ours and ours alone, yet because we are panicked we try to tell ourselves what we are doing is not wrong it is just a moment of " I have not other choice", without stopping to think there has to be a better and more honest way that won't let us look at our very worst to the rest of the world.
I loved how the author took the read from the normal everyday romance read to a completely new fun and fresh " Did not see that coming" read. The entire read from the moment the heroine's secret is revealed had me hanging on the edge of my seat. The blazing hot passion, the very true real emotion into the characters issues, the stunning ending it all just blended to perfection!
I am taking away a message of life does give us more than we can deal with at times when we feel we don't have the resources to deal with anything . But instead of trying to hide behind reasons that only our heads tell us are right , we need to stop and listen to our hearts, we might just find that there are other ways of achieving what we need, and who knows along the way we might even learn to love for all the right reasons.
I highly recommend this read for all fans of super hot and sexy romance reads with mind blowing twists and turns!
5/5 star review
" A debt paid in passion leads to a whole new set of rules"
Unfortunately sometimes we need to break the rules a little to help those we love, it is never right and when it's criminal then it's most likely the lowest most despicable thing you have ever done. Yes, you could look the other way and leave your family to their own devices or try to find another way to help them, either way the issue will lurk around in the back of your mind until you do something about it.
Going the criminal route is never the answer and there is always another way, but for the heroine, Sirena, in this read, she just simply sees no other way, and she is planing on repairing the damage before anyone finds out so there should be no harm done.
The plan is simple, 'borrow ' the money and put it back before her boss, the impossible and very yummy Raoul finds out. The plan does not include falling for his charm and ending up in bed with him, or having the best sexual encounter of her life !
The plan goes from a bad idea to being the worst mistake of her life when Raoul not only finds out about the stolen money , but also reckons she only slept with him for this very reason and not because she wanted him as badly as he wanted her. And right here is where this book got super fabulous, Raoul does not take your average Harlequin Presents hero's action and say " It's okay, you will pay by being at my beck and call when I am in the mood for you", nope he files charges against her and she is almost sent to jail!
But getting only a fine instead of going to jail is so not where this read's dramatic awesomeness ends, it gets even more fabulous when Sirena faints after the court hearing and Raoul finds out her secret, the question is what will he do about it? Make her pay by extracting is own special blend of revenge or go after the heart of the woman he has fallen for?
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book to the point of distraction! The character of Rauol was so awesome, I was fully on his side with wanting to see Sirena pay for her actions , as I could understand his hurt and the way things looked from his point of view, no one likes being used. What grabbed my attention about him the most is his very awesome turn around in personality. He goes from full out " I want revenge " mode to utterly delicious, make my knees go weak, sweet and tender hero material. Through this character the author showed that we all have a good side, we appear tough to the world but it is most of the time just because we were hurt in the process of life. When we look at things from the other person's perspective it helps us to find the kind and tender person we all are.
The character of Sirena broke my heart, I cried so badly for her, over and over again. I loved that she fights so hard to try and be a good person , yet her actions of course shout out to the world " I am bad to the bone". It showed me that sometimes we all get in trouble for reasons that are ours and ours alone, yet because we are panicked we try to tell ourselves what we are doing is not wrong it is just a moment of " I have not other choice", without stopping to think there has to be a better and more honest way that won't let us look at our very worst to the rest of the world.
I loved how the author took the read from the normal everyday romance read to a completely new fun and fresh " Did not see that coming" read. The entire read from the moment the heroine's secret is revealed had me hanging on the edge of my seat. The blazing hot passion, the very true real emotion into the characters issues, the stunning ending it all just blended to perfection!
I am taking away a message of life does give us more than we can deal with at times when we feel we don't have the resources to deal with anything . But instead of trying to hide behind reasons that only our heads tell us are right , we need to stop and listen to our hearts, we might just find that there are other ways of achieving what we need, and who knows along the way we might even learn to love for all the right reasons.
I highly recommend this read for all fans of super hot and sexy romance reads with mind blowing twists and turns!
5/5 star review
" A debt paid in passion leads to a whole new set of rules"
June 24, 2015
I had a bit of a hard time with the heroine having stolen from the hero. The set up just didn't work for me. She really did a bad thing. Other than that I loved the book. There was POV from both the hero and the heroine. I really felt his actions towards her were justified in view of the thievery. I really enjoyed him more than her. Although she wasn't a horrible character. The dialog between the two of them really shone. I don't have my book with me or I would quote a passage or two. Well anyway. Dani Collins is one of the few of the new crop of HP authors that I really enjoy.
January 4, 2014
This one was UBER good to read. In fact it fits more into the GREAT category more than anything. Haven't read a harlequin this outstanding in a while. Here I thought that the harlequin authors had lost their talent, Dani hasn't!
July 23, 2017
Dolorosa, pasional y hermosa. Dani Collins hace una descripción magistral de los sentimientos de los protagonistas. Me encantó.
February 26, 2018
The storytelling is very compelling and if it wasn't about the heroine, who has an amoral ethic problem, I would probably give this five stars but no, this story is very disturbing in many areas, I couldn't stop rolling my eyes that I'm sure it got stuck in the back of my head.
A beautiful thief? For goodness sake she steal the company money and she had no firm reason to do it. She could ask for his help or ask for advance payment but she didn't. She think she could borrow the company money and pay later but then she couldn't. If she didn't get caught, I'm sure it'll become a habit. Stealing. What worst, she keep denying it and keep saying that she just borrowing the money but not once until the story ends mentioning about her paying back. She didn't return the money and she never apologize. I don't think she deserves him.
A beautiful thief? For goodness sake she steal the company money and she had no firm reason to do it. She could ask for his help or ask for advance payment but she didn't. She think she could borrow the company money and pay later but then she couldn't. If she didn't get caught, I'm sure it'll become a habit. Stealing. What worst, she keep denying it and keep saying that she just borrowing the money but not once until the story ends mentioning about her paying back. She didn't return the money and she never apologize. I don't think she deserves him.
July 9, 2022
Guys I don't know why this book affected me so much but I absolutely loved it. I've been looking for a highly angsty book and right from the start I have a lump in my throat and my heart was in agony. It was really very very good.
March 28, 2014
i was bored out of my skull! i took great pain 2 finish it, just 2 end wid no anticlimax ! i mean der was no big mishap nor misunderstanding. also too much introspection!!
December 5, 2021
Can't believe I'm one-starring a Dani Collins book, but I hated the heroine. She stole to make herself feel better at providing for her sister than her parents, and because she "intended" to pay it back, she felt no guilt. Despite the fact that she couldn't and didn't pay it back, for some reason (sociopath?) she never felt bad about stealing money that wasn't hers. I couldn't wrap my head around that.
I sold a car once to come up with just that added extra to make a down payment on a house. The car deal got delayed by a few crucial days, and I had full acess to the accounts at my work. I said hey, boss, I need to borrow 10g for a week. I obviously knew it was there, but never in a million years would I have just taken his money. Jesus. My boss said yeah, sure, invite me over for the house warming. Guess what would have happened if the car deal fell totally apart? He probably would have frowned at me, but I wouldn't have been at risk of being arrested and losing the respect of the best boss ever!!
I sold a car once to come up with just that added extra to make a down payment on a house. The car deal got delayed by a few crucial days, and I had full acess to the accounts at my work. I said hey, boss, I need to borrow 10g for a week. I obviously knew it was there, but never in a million years would I have just taken his money. Jesus. My boss said yeah, sure, invite me over for the house warming. Guess what would have happened if the car deal fell totally apart? He probably would have frowned at me, but I wouldn't have been at risk of being arrested and losing the respect of the best boss ever!!
February 8, 2014
I found it hard to rate this one. On one hand I love Collins writing style and I thought the actual romance was a fleshed out decent read. But after a while the anger of both characters started to grate and I was left wishing she'd just told him why she stole the money sooner. As a means to drag out the angst it didn't work for me at all. What stuck in my mind even more was that Sirena faced prison at one point so why didn't she just tell him about being pregnant? I thought it was an immature move on her part when it could have backfired and she would have been pregnant in jail. Not my favourite of Collins but that won't stop me looking out for her next.
Read
January 12, 2016"TOP PICK! Collins' deception-to-love story with repercussions is calamitous and unconventional, but the realism in her narrative is palpable and heartbreakingly tragic. Her dialogue combines repartee, innuendo and biting commentary, while her couple is honest in their emotions and actions." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 1/2 stars
February 18, 2015
This book made my little romantic heart sigh happily.
October 3, 2018
3.5 stars
June 4, 2020
Protagonistas: Raoul & Sirena
Profesiones: Empresario & Secretaria
Paises: USA, Londres & Australia
Profesiones: Empresario & Secretaria
Paises: USA, Londres & Australia
November 3, 2016
I received A Debt Paid in Passion as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
I knew what I was getting into with this book, knowing it was a Harlequin Presents--a domineering alpha male paired with an innocent, nuturer-done-wrong female. If this isn't the personality profile you like for your romance, you may want to skip it (and the entire Harlequin Presents label). If you do choose to read on, know that in the description for this book, there's a major element of the book that's not mentioned, the fact the the heroine is pregnant (and gives birth early in the book).
Sirena was the perfect assistant to Raoul, but he was soon attracted to more than his organizational skills. After an impassioned night together, however, he has her arrested on suspicions of theft. While Sirena manages to escape jail time, her pregnancy comes to light in the process, and Raoul and Sirena have to figure out how to reconcile their newfound responsibilities with the trust that's been broken between them.
Sirena's a stronger character than most Harlequin Presents heroines I've come across. She's not an innocent virgin, though she is a bit of a pushover to Raoul's domineering behavior. For it being a short book (less than 200 pages), I did think that their love story was fleshed out well given the limited amount of time. I would have liked to see more attention focused on Sirena and Raoul's relationship while she was pregnant. She went from barely showing to giving birth in the course of a couple pages during the book--considering how long pregnancies are, it seemed like a good opportunity to develop the storyline. Plus, once baby Lucy was there, she didn't add much to the plot, being a newborn and all.
Not a bad read for a lazy weekend.
I knew what I was getting into with this book, knowing it was a Harlequin Presents--a domineering alpha male paired with an innocent, nuturer-done-wrong female. If this isn't the personality profile you like for your romance, you may want to skip it (and the entire Harlequin Presents label). If you do choose to read on, know that in the description for this book, there's a major element of the book that's not mentioned, the fact the the heroine is pregnant (and gives birth early in the book).
Sirena was the perfect assistant to Raoul, but he was soon attracted to more than his organizational skills. After an impassioned night together, however, he has her arrested on suspicions of theft. While Sirena manages to escape jail time, her pregnancy comes to light in the process, and Raoul and Sirena have to figure out how to reconcile their newfound responsibilities with the trust that's been broken between them.
Sirena's a stronger character than most Harlequin Presents heroines I've come across. She's not an innocent virgin, though she is a bit of a pushover to Raoul's domineering behavior. For it being a short book (less than 200 pages), I did think that their love story was fleshed out well given the limited amount of time. I would have liked to see more attention focused on Sirena and Raoul's relationship while she was pregnant. She went from barely showing to giving birth in the course of a couple pages during the book--considering how long pregnancies are, it seemed like a good opportunity to develop the storyline. Plus, once baby Lucy was there, she didn't add much to the plot, being a newborn and all.
Not a bad read for a lazy weekend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2015
There's something a bit wacky about this book. The heroine is clearly a thief. I mean, I don't mind this grey area, but I was surprised to find it in category romance, where I feel there's a greater expectation for characters to conform to a certain type of morality. Embezzlement isn't really in keeping with those values. But like it said, it's surprising to me, but not a dealbreaker. I do feel the heroine was naive to think it wouldn't be considered stealing. She lacked sufficient grovel. She redeems herself by being so hugely entertaining in how she deals with Raoul. Some of her bits of dialogue are essentially why I read category romance.
February 17, 2014
A Debt Paid in Passion by Dani Collins has an exciting story-line, written with the author’s usual emotion filled way.The varying degrees of emotions do keep you hooked and make this story an enjoyable read. The main characters sadly did not work for me because their actions left me confused most of the time.Read More
February 11, 2014
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
Not my cup of tea, kinda regret entering the giveaway to begin with. But as I did not enjoy it I passed it along and my friend did so that is the only reason why I give it 2 stars instead of one.
Not my cup of tea, kinda regret entering the giveaway to begin with. But as I did not enjoy it I passed it along and my friend did so that is the only reason why I give it 2 stars instead of one.
January 23, 2014
This was a good read. Enjoyed the romance and progression of the story as well.
February 16, 2014
Dani Collins is one to watch!
March 16, 2014
Terrible awful book. It was just too slow. When I reached halfway, I skipped pages. Don't recommend!
March 15, 2016
J'ai trouvé l'héroïne détestable: voleuse, menteuse, agressive et déterminée à faire passer le héros pour un monstre, j'ai du mal à comprendre ce que le héros a pu lui trouver...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews