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Makricosta Dynasty #3
An Heir to Bind Them
Off the boss's payroll…and into his bed
Jaya. Her name reverberates around Theo Makricosta's head in time to the whirring blades of his private helicopter. He must find her; only Jaya can help with the care of his infant niece and nephew…. It's not because he hasn't stopped thinking about the single night of mind-blowing passion he shared with the exotic beauty.
Jaya Powers couldn't refuse her gorgeous millionaire Greek boss when she worked for him, and she can't refuse him now! Only this time she has a secret. Their night together had consequences that will change Theo's perfectly ordered existence forever!
Jaya. Her name reverberates around Theo Makricosta's head in time to the whirring blades of his private helicopter. He must find her; only Jaya can help with the care of his infant niece and nephew…. It's not because he hasn't stopped thinking about the single night of mind-blowing passion he shared with the exotic beauty.
Jaya Powers couldn't refuse her gorgeous millionaire Greek boss when she worked for him, and she can't refuse him now! Only this time she has a secret. Their night together had consequences that will change Theo's perfectly ordered existence forever!
190 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
72 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
About the author
Dani Collins
696 books1,186 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.
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Mostly she writes contemporary romance, but she has also writes Historical Western, erotic romance, and romcom.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 15, 2018
At first glance this is a bog standard secret baby story with a manwhore hero who has a backstory of child abuse and suffers from “no-one-will-ever-love-me syndrome” and a sweet heroine who never dreamed she could an endure a man’s touch after being sexually assaulted. Their ONS came out of deep pain (the hero learning about his half brother existence, the heroine leaving the hero’s employ to nurse her terminally ill cousin) and with the understanding they would never see each other again.
Romantic, I guess? I’m not a fan of one night stands, tbh. But that’s not what bugged me about this story. There were so many elements that bugged me that I’ll just list them below:
1. The heroine begs the hero (who only has ONS with lonely tourists who frequent his family’s resorts – in Bali, in France, all over the world) to go bare back. She is not on the pill, but has a morning-after pill on hand. !!!!!!!!!!!! This is beyond irresponsible and ridiculous. The just-in-case morning after pill is expired, btw.
2. The heroine is from India. She speaks Punjabi. Her first name is Jaya. She has “chocolate nipples.” Um. This is typical HP characterization - not too specific and kinda stereotypical - with the adjective “exotic” thrown in to describe her style/clothes form time to time. Well, okay but -
From there, I think the author got all of her understanding of how a woman in India is treated from the Daily Mail. Her father was injured in a tractor accident so her family had to live with her cruel uncle who is arranging a marriage for her to a creepy older man. Meanwhile, she works in a call center and is raped by her supervisor. Her uncle thinks she has disgraced the family because now she’s not a virgin. Heroine flees to her disowned cousin in London.
When she is reunited with her hateful family for a huge “Indian wedding” they slut shame her, complain about her lack of dowry, but end up staying for the ceremony because hero is rich? Hard to say. The heroine wasn’t allowed in the “negotiations.” The only detail about the Indian wedding is the henna tattoos on the women. That’s it. Now either the author has such a deep understanding of this culture that she feels she can telegraph this heroine in a few sentences or she didn’t bother to research it and is just throwing out clichés.
Whichever it is, as reader I learned nothing about India except negatives. *sigh* In the old travelogues, which were problematic in their own way, you could at least learn *something* about that part of the world.
3. The H/h end up babysitting two babies and a toddler in a high end hotel room. They are all cousins to the secret baby since the two babies belong to the half brother and sister. They are normal babies/ toddler in that they take up huge amounts of energy – but once the Benadryl is in them, they sleep on demand so the H/h can talk or have sex.
There is a lot of baby time in this story and it got old. The diapering, the changing clothes, the feedings . . . the swells of love and the miracle of . . .
I get it – but it really harshed the romance, what little there was.
4. Hero is a manbaby and heroine is the eternally patient maternal figure who gives him all the space he needs to learn to love. He was a beta in alpha/manwhore clothing and it wasn’t a good look.
5. How the H/h got together again was that the hero had to find a place to hide the two babies from pirates/kidnappers/indeterminate threats and he thought of the heroine. None of this made much sense.
Romantic, I guess? I’m not a fan of one night stands, tbh. But that’s not what bugged me about this story. There were so many elements that bugged me that I’ll just list them below:
1. The heroine begs the hero (who only has ONS with lonely tourists who frequent his family’s resorts – in Bali, in France, all over the world) to go bare back. She is not on the pill, but has a morning-after pill on hand. !!!!!!!!!!!! This is beyond irresponsible and ridiculous. The just-in-case morning after pill is expired, btw.
2. The heroine is from India. She speaks Punjabi. Her first name is Jaya. She has “chocolate nipples.” Um. This is typical HP characterization - not too specific and kinda stereotypical - with the adjective “exotic” thrown in to describe her style/clothes form time to time. Well, okay but -
From there, I think the author got all of her understanding of how a woman in India is treated from the Daily Mail. Her father was injured in a tractor accident so her family had to live with her cruel uncle who is arranging a marriage for her to a creepy older man. Meanwhile, she works in a call center and is raped by her supervisor. Her uncle thinks she has disgraced the family because now she’s not a virgin. Heroine flees to her disowned cousin in London.
When she is reunited with her hateful family for a huge “Indian wedding” they slut shame her, complain about her lack of dowry, but end up staying for the ceremony because hero is rich? Hard to say. The heroine wasn’t allowed in the “negotiations.” The only detail about the Indian wedding is the henna tattoos on the women. That’s it. Now either the author has such a deep understanding of this culture that she feels she can telegraph this heroine in a few sentences or she didn’t bother to research it and is just throwing out clichés.
Whichever it is, as reader I learned nothing about India except negatives. *sigh* In the old travelogues, which were problematic in their own way, you could at least learn *something* about that part of the world.
3. The H/h end up babysitting two babies and a toddler in a high end hotel room. They are all cousins to the secret baby since the two babies belong to the half brother and sister. They are normal babies/ toddler in that they take up huge amounts of energy – but once the Benadryl is in them, they sleep on demand so the H/h can talk or have sex.
There is a lot of baby time in this story and it got old. The diapering, the changing clothes, the feedings . . . the swells of love and the miracle of . . .
I get it – but it really harshed the romance, what little there was.
4. Hero is a manbaby and heroine is the eternally patient maternal figure who gives him all the space he needs to learn to love. He was a beta in alpha/manwhore clothing and it wasn’t a good look.
5. How the H/h got together again was that the hero had to find a place to hide the two babies from pirates/kidnappers/indeterminate threats and he thought of the heroine. None of this made much sense.
April 18, 2018
There's been a big stir in the romance world lately about diversity in romance novels, and one issue that keeps coming up is when big lines - such as Harlequin - produce "diverse" books written by white authors. Such as this one. Which is, alas, a really good example of the problems with these books.
Look, I was hoping for a pretty straightforward billionaire category Harlequin novel. That's what I wanted. To a certain extent, that's what I got. But very, very early on in the book, the heroine thinks to herself of the Greek hero "he reminded her of the poorest children in India, the ones old enough to have lost hope." WHAT. We eventually learn that the heroine is Indian, but when combined with the dark hints about her terrible past in India and the vaguely generic "disowned by her family for shaming them," this merely gives me a sense of foreboding. The hero also talks about the heroines "chocolate nipples," which is gross. We do learn that the heroine speaks Punjabi, but every time she thinks about India or references her past it's a huge generic "India" which is basically like calling someone "American" without bothering to distinguish between a Texas rancher and a New York billionaire (an error a Harlequin category line would never make). Later, when we're introduced to the hero's family, his sister-in-law's first response to learning he has an illegitimate child by a former employee is, "Will it be a full Indian wedding, do you think? I've always wanted to go to one." She's supposed to be a sympathetic character. We're not supposed to find that problematic at all. When we learn the heroine's secret, she thinks ; we finally discover her background, which is... poor, I guess? Her father had an accident on a tractor (so: farmer, I guess) and she grew up in a small village and ended up working in a call center.
Anyway, setting aside that whole issue, this is one of those uncomfortably realistic books where the hero and heroine spend way too much time discussing plans for avoiding having a baby before having sex, making the arrival of said baby incredibly discomfiting - as in the heroine took firm and explicit responsibility for birth control (morning after pill) and then basically shrugged and said "eh, I think I'll have a baby despite what my partner explicitly wanted and what we discussed," which is... not a romance, to me. The hero had a realistic reaction to the baby, which was "um, I said I don't want to parent, WTF?" which, again, not a romance. Then the hero keeps proposing marriage because... I don't know... and the heroine won't marry him because he's not in love with her which... I mean, she barely knew him, so I don't think she's actually in love with him, I think that's classified as a crush... and the hero is worried about replicating the patterns of his abusive father which, valid concern, dude, and the heroine's like "No, I know you could never hurt us." Wow, that certainly was an informative one-night stand you had there, lady.
There's also a lot of uncomfortable stuff about the fact that both the hero's siblings have struggled with infertility. One of them has an adopted daughter who I think is Asian, but rather than simply saying she was adopted from Cambodia or something the author just describes her dark hair and almond-shaped eyes. Like, let's not do this, please. Also, I don't really want other people's infertility all over my Harlequin secret baby novels. Harlequin secret baby novels are not realistic looks at relationships, or unplanned pregnancies, or birth control, or modern fertility statistics; they're basically the opposite of all that. When the hero starts talking about the great gift they have in this unplanned baby he didn't even want because his siblings had fertility problems it just feels icky and uncomfortable, like the novel is raising issues it isn't equipped to deal with.
I made it about halfway through this. I really wanted to push through but you know what? Life is just too short. The writing was fine (for what I expect from a Harlequin category romance), which made all of the other issues especially unfortunate.
Look, I was hoping for a pretty straightforward billionaire category Harlequin novel. That's what I wanted. To a certain extent, that's what I got. But very, very early on in the book, the heroine thinks to herself of the Greek hero "he reminded her of the poorest children in India, the ones old enough to have lost hope." WHAT. We eventually learn that the heroine is Indian, but when combined with the dark hints about her terrible past in India and the vaguely generic "disowned by her family for shaming them," this merely gives me a sense of foreboding. The hero also talks about the heroines "chocolate nipples," which is gross. We do learn that the heroine speaks Punjabi, but every time she thinks about India or references her past it's a huge generic "India" which is basically like calling someone "American" without bothering to distinguish between a Texas rancher and a New York billionaire (an error a Harlequin category line would never make). Later, when we're introduced to the hero's family, his sister-in-law's first response to learning he has an illegitimate child by a former employee is, "Will it be a full Indian wedding, do you think? I've always wanted to go to one." She's supposed to be a sympathetic character. We're not supposed to find that problematic at all. When we learn the heroine's secret, she thinks ; we finally discover her background, which is... poor, I guess? Her father had an accident on a tractor (so: farmer, I guess) and she grew up in a small village and ended up working in a call center.
Anyway, setting aside that whole issue, this is one of those uncomfortably realistic books where the hero and heroine spend way too much time discussing plans for avoiding having a baby before having sex, making the arrival of said baby incredibly discomfiting - as in the heroine took firm and explicit responsibility for birth control (morning after pill) and then basically shrugged and said "eh, I think I'll have a baby despite what my partner explicitly wanted and what we discussed," which is... not a romance, to me. The hero had a realistic reaction to the baby, which was "um, I said I don't want to parent, WTF?" which, again, not a romance. Then the hero keeps proposing marriage because... I don't know... and the heroine won't marry him because he's not in love with her which... I mean, she barely knew him, so I don't think she's actually in love with him, I think that's classified as a crush... and the hero is worried about replicating the patterns of his abusive father which, valid concern, dude, and the heroine's like "No, I know you could never hurt us." Wow, that certainly was an informative one-night stand you had there, lady.
There's also a lot of uncomfortable stuff about the fact that both the hero's siblings have struggled with infertility. One of them has an adopted daughter who I think is Asian, but rather than simply saying she was adopted from Cambodia or something the author just describes her dark hair and almond-shaped eyes. Like, let's not do this, please. Also, I don't really want other people's infertility all over my Harlequin secret baby novels. Harlequin secret baby novels are not realistic looks at relationships, or unplanned pregnancies, or birth control, or modern fertility statistics; they're basically the opposite of all that. When the hero starts talking about the great gift they have in this unplanned baby he didn't even want because his siblings had fertility problems it just feels icky and uncomfortable, like the novel is raising issues it isn't equipped to deal with.
I made it about halfway through this. I really wanted to push through but you know what? Life is just too short. The writing was fine (for what I expect from a Harlequin category romance), which made all of the other issues especially unfortunate.
May 14, 2014
4.5 stars. I love reunion romances so I was keen to read this one. The heroine Jaya is from India and has a difficult history with men and her family. The hero, Theo has been her boss for four years and they work well together and respect each other.
When Jaya has to leave her job for family reasons, her departure coincides with Theo being emotionally fragile because of something that happened with his family. The mutual sympathy draws them closer, breaking down the barriers. *fans self*
It's pretty special for both of them and marks a significant breakthrough for Jaya but Theo breaks contact with her for over eighteen months. A lot can happen in that time *wink wink nudge nudge*
Soooo. Theo gets stuck with his niece and nephew in the midst of a crisis just off the French coast. Of course the first person he thinks of to help is Jaya. Soft as ever she helps. And she's really good with kids...*wink wink nudge nudge.* Did I mention that?
Yup, Theo really should have answered her calls back in the day so he didn't get such a surprise.
I really enjoyed this story and loved seeing how the different qualities of both of them helped each other overcome the tragedies and traumas of the past. It was a very sweet story and the heroine was strong without needing to be fiesty and kickass which I really enjoyed.
I was a bit peeved that hero went back to having one night stands while heroine was dealing with the results of their night together. If it hadn't been mentioned explicitly I could have stayed in my airy fairy land of delusion and pretended no matter how unlikely. *snips one sentence from book* Now it's perfect.
When Jaya has to leave her job for family reasons, her departure coincides with Theo being emotionally fragile because of something that happened with his family. The mutual sympathy draws them closer, breaking down the barriers. *fans self*
It's pretty special for both of them and marks a significant breakthrough for Jaya but Theo breaks contact with her for over eighteen months. A lot can happen in that time *wink wink nudge nudge*
Soooo. Theo gets stuck with his niece and nephew in the midst of a crisis just off the French coast. Of course the first person he thinks of to help is Jaya. Soft as ever she helps. And she's really good with kids...*wink wink nudge nudge.* Did I mention that?
Yup, Theo really should have answered her calls back in the day so he didn't get such a surprise.
I really enjoyed this story and loved seeing how the different qualities of both of them helped each other overcome the tragedies and traumas of the past. It was a very sweet story and the heroine was strong without needing to be fiesty and kickass which I really enjoyed.
I was a bit peeved that hero went back to having one night stands while heroine was dealing with the results of their night together. If it hadn't been mentioned explicitly I could have stayed in my airy fairy land of delusion and pretended no matter how unlikely. *snips one sentence from book* Now it's perfect.
November 19, 2015
[I have a pill in my room. One that, um, prevents a pregnancy after, um, unprotected sex.” Please don’t ask me why I have it.
Her voice faded toward the end. She was grossly unsure of herself and given how he’d pulled away, maybe he wasn’t all that invested. He became very grave as he pondered what she’d said, making her hold her breath.
“I always wear a condom.”
Disappointment sliced surprisingly deep. She swallowed and nodded. “I understand. It’s okay. Like you said, this isn’t something we intended, so—”
“No, I mean I’m clean. I’ve never gone bareback so you don’t have to worry I’d give you anything.”
“I...” Had tests. Again, she didn’t want to think about Saranya taking her to the doctor once she’d got her out of India. That dark time was being overcome, here, tonight, with this man. “I’m clean, too.”
He searched her face. She recognized the glaze of concentration in his eyes as a passionate force. It nearly squeezed the air right out of her.
“Swear to me you’ll take that pill.” His lips barely moved.
“My family would take out a contract on me if I had a baby outside of marriage.]
REALLY!?! WTH!!
But, I still enjoyed it, overall.
Her voice faded toward the end. She was grossly unsure of herself and given how he’d pulled away, maybe he wasn’t all that invested. He became very grave as he pondered what she’d said, making her hold her breath.
“I always wear a condom.”
Disappointment sliced surprisingly deep. She swallowed and nodded. “I understand. It’s okay. Like you said, this isn’t something we intended, so—”
“No, I mean I’m clean. I’ve never gone bareback so you don’t have to worry I’d give you anything.”
“I...” Had tests. Again, she didn’t want to think about Saranya taking her to the doctor once she’d got her out of India. That dark time was being overcome, here, tonight, with this man. “I’m clean, too.”
He searched her face. She recognized the glaze of concentration in his eyes as a passionate force. It nearly squeezed the air right out of her.
“Swear to me you’ll take that pill.” His lips barely moved.
“My family would take out a contract on me if I had a baby outside of marriage.]
REALLY!?! WTH!!
But, I still enjoyed it, overall.
March 23, 2022
《¿Esta sensación de que, si tenemos un desacuerdo, me moriré de soledad? ¿Cuando siento que, si estoy sufriendo, no quiero a nadie a mi lado que no seas tú? ¿La sensación de que, si tú estás a mi lado, puedo soportar cualquier cosa? ¿Eso es amor?》.
Fue bastante aburrido pero era necesario porque quería terminar esta serie.
Fue bastante aburrido pero era necesario porque quería terminar esta serie.
May 17, 2014
Imagine working for a sinfully sexy boss that not only commands excellence but pretty much can command you to drop every single stitch of your clothing and all just with a smile.
Would you be able to concentrate on work and not think about what it would be like to be with him? Would you be able to not think of happy ever afters and instead remember that you are just the current flavor of secret sexual you please me I please you affairs?
This is pretty much the life of Jaya, she craves the touch of her boss Theo, and in one reckless night of surrender and escape on both their parts she not only get's every single touch she desires but also a heck of a lot more than she bargained for.
But because she had already made up her mind to quit and take off to France she has no idea of the consequences before much later. Only when Theo seeks her out to ask for her help in caring for his niece and nephew does she have to come clean and Theo is not only not prepared for it he is so floored that is perfectly crafted world crumbles into a heap of confusion, anger and hurt. Not to mention the man is mad as hell at her for daring to not let him in on the secret sooner, and he plans on making her pay!
The character of Jaya was really touching. I loved her fighting spirit and natural handle what ever comes personality. She knows she might be able to handle what ever life dishes up but she for darn sure won't go down without a fight. Just like the rest of us she also hits her points of frustration and anger but her inner beauty let's it all balance back to a sort of try to see the bright part in all this and find a staring point to sort it out. This made her a really fascinating heroine that I fully enjoyed reading.
The character of Theo was a real bastard at the best of times! I wanted to at one stage hurl more than a flowerpot at his gorgeous head! But I could understand that being a man of power and dominating everything in life and then suddenly being thrown into a world of diapers, feeding time and play groups would pretty much send any man off balance. It was very entertaining to see him go from all round master in the office to having to learn how to master handling babies. Him lashing out with hurtful words and actions showed just how hard it can be to learn to adapt to a new world when it was not what you expected to land in your lap in the first place or when you lose what you did not know you had.
I loved the rich and utterly gorgeous backdrops described by the author in exquisite detail, the dialogue was extremely emotional so much so that it not only brought me to tears it pretty much felt like my heart was ripped to shreds and I had to keep reading in order to have it healed again, which the author did with and amazing heartfelt ending that had me shouting "Yes, yes, yes !!!"
I am taking away a message of life throws you for a loop when you least expect it but it is not the time to go down in flames thinking " I am so not ready for this and am so not dealing with it". Yes you are entitled to ask for help no one is going to blame you but, don't ask for help and then still think it gives you the right to only let your rules count. Others have opinions too. And don't ever think your feelings don't count.
5/5 star review
"An heir binds them, but only love can heal their broken past"
Would you be able to concentrate on work and not think about what it would be like to be with him? Would you be able to not think of happy ever afters and instead remember that you are just the current flavor of secret sexual you please me I please you affairs?
This is pretty much the life of Jaya, she craves the touch of her boss Theo, and in one reckless night of surrender and escape on both their parts she not only get's every single touch she desires but also a heck of a lot more than she bargained for.
But because she had already made up her mind to quit and take off to France she has no idea of the consequences before much later. Only when Theo seeks her out to ask for her help in caring for his niece and nephew does she have to come clean and Theo is not only not prepared for it he is so floored that is perfectly crafted world crumbles into a heap of confusion, anger and hurt. Not to mention the man is mad as hell at her for daring to not let him in on the secret sooner, and he plans on making her pay!
The character of Jaya was really touching. I loved her fighting spirit and natural handle what ever comes personality. She knows she might be able to handle what ever life dishes up but she for darn sure won't go down without a fight. Just like the rest of us she also hits her points of frustration and anger but her inner beauty let's it all balance back to a sort of try to see the bright part in all this and find a staring point to sort it out. This made her a really fascinating heroine that I fully enjoyed reading.
The character of Theo was a real bastard at the best of times! I wanted to at one stage hurl more than a flowerpot at his gorgeous head! But I could understand that being a man of power and dominating everything in life and then suddenly being thrown into a world of diapers, feeding time and play groups would pretty much send any man off balance. It was very entertaining to see him go from all round master in the office to having to learn how to master handling babies. Him lashing out with hurtful words and actions showed just how hard it can be to learn to adapt to a new world when it was not what you expected to land in your lap in the first place or when you lose what you did not know you had.
I loved the rich and utterly gorgeous backdrops described by the author in exquisite detail, the dialogue was extremely emotional so much so that it not only brought me to tears it pretty much felt like my heart was ripped to shreds and I had to keep reading in order to have it healed again, which the author did with and amazing heartfelt ending that had me shouting "Yes, yes, yes !!!"
I am taking away a message of life throws you for a loop when you least expect it but it is not the time to go down in flames thinking " I am so not ready for this and am so not dealing with it". Yes you are entitled to ask for help no one is going to blame you but, don't ask for help and then still think it gives you the right to only let your rules count. Others have opinions too. And don't ever think your feelings don't count.
5/5 star review
"An heir binds them, but only love can heal their broken past"
April 13, 2018
Though this book wasn’t my favorite Dani Collins book, this book was pretty darn good. It was enjoyable and completely readable. I never felt bored nor did I try to skim through it to get to the “good” parts. I was engaged pretty quickly from the most clever opening ever that made the story start off with a little bit of kick to it with a small amount of suspense and danger thrown in to make it coming off differently than any other Presents that I have read in the past. Though I did find it strange the it was the prologue, but whatever it was a good jumping off point and setup the reunion of Jaya and Theo.
After the setup of the story was presented, then the story took us back eighteen months in the past to Jaya and Theo’s relationship. I liked they already had an established relationship at the point already with Theo being her boss and Jaya having a major crush on him, which made her decide to leave because she knew it was asking for trouble. So basically she was saying goodbye to him, though the struggle to leave him as were her feelings for him were very apparent. The struggle was real, but also in this scene I could feel the attraction between them and how they both suppressed it because of their working relationship. Just that back and forth in that moment as they tried to deny their desire for each other., but that didn’t exactly happen. Granted they never would have acted on their feelings if she wasn’t leaving nor was he in the best place emotional, but a passionate interlude followed.
Despite the fact that it happened really early in the book it didn’t set my hackles up like it usually does this early in the book because I am all about the anticipation factor before the act even happens, but in this case I was okay with it because it was very beautifully written and really showed off the trust and connection between them. It was a loaded scene too because this was the first time that she wanted a man after she was sexually assaulted years ago, and tended to stay away from men in that way. Theo was the first man to really interest her in that way, and though she did go back and forth of whether she should or shouldn’t be with him, she decided she did and feel the pleasure that he could provide her in that moment. She felt very empowered by that decision and felt nothing but pleasure with him, but she was only able to do that because she had feelings for Theo. If it was anyone else I don’t think she could have done that. The fact they had a backstory and a pre-established relationship helped her to allow that kind of intimacy with him because she felt like she knew him, and that also made it for me a little easier to swallow because it wasn’t just a one night stand or a stranger she was engaging in this behavior with. There was that trust and intimacy already there, and I could feel that.
Also I loved Theo in that scene because he truly came off as a good guy even if he was playing it off as if he was anything but. He didn’t know about her past, but he could tell that she was wavering about whether to do this or not. He was very sweet and understanding about the whole thing, and even though he desperately wanted her, he was willing only as far as she was willing to go, and actually he meant it and it wasn’t just words coming out of his mouth to “convince” her to sleep with him. He started off slow and gauged her the entire way, and always made sure she was okay before continuing on, and it was the way he did not that he did it. It was very genuine, and I could tell that he wanted her as into this as he was into her, which just made the scene all the hotter.
Plus all the anticipation leading up to the big event just made it all the more sizzling, and the closer that they got physically the closer the got emotionally, and it was just a good scene. It showed the meaning of the ultimate connection in every single level that there was. It was clear that it was meaningful scene for both of them and became the utmost of important, and definitely was a night to remember in every way possible including a consequence that would have lifetime implications.
Fast forward to the present, and come to find out that Theo needed Jaya’s help in taking care of his nephew and niece after a situation had occurred that left his siblings trapped at sea and the children needed to protected. Theo could think of no one else he could trust but Jaya. And when they met again, the connection was still clearly there for both of them and it went deep along with some hurt feelings along the way. He ignored her calls when she called him, wounding her in the process and kind of gave up meeting him again. She was mad at him, but it was so much more complicated than that as were her feelings for him, but she agreed to help him take care of his niece and nephew.
Then truth slowly get revealed about their pasts as well as the present. They were open and honest with each other, and as that happened they got closer and closer and started to reconnect again and try to make a life together with their son.
This book could have used a little more angst for my taste. I just didn’t feel that raw, gripping angst that I am accustomed by Dani Collins. It was more of this truth and that truth coming out as they came to get know each other again, which was fine, but I think more angst added would have given the story a little more intensity and oomph to it. Not that they didn’t have intense conversations or complicate emotions weren’t explored because there were, and it was some heavy stuff too, it just didn’t give me those gripping feels that I expected. There wasn’t a lot of tension or butting heads I felt either. It was more coming to grips with things than anything else. I was just expecting more of a fight between them to lead into passionate interludes. And that didn’t happen.
In fact aside from their first time together in the past, there was really only one other proper love scene. Don’t me wrong it was a good scene, and it was nice to see them together and renew that connection between them. And there was a little bit of anticipation leading up to the moment, but it wasn’t consumed through the entire book. There attraction was there and the need for closeness was there, but not that raw sexual tension that I would have expected after all this time being separated, instead it was more subtle than anything else. That wasn’t a bad thing, it just was different. It was satisfying when they did finally come together again, and it was a a beautiful scene between them as they came together on every level. I felt their connection and the specialness that they had, and it was all the more poignant because there was such honest and truth between them. They really knew each other and saw all their past demons and accepted them as who the person was, which just made for a really powerful statement. I loved seeing them together and have that passionate connection in that moment.
Even though this book wasn’t perfect, and I have loved other Dani Collins stories more, I enjoyed this one. I wouldn’t classify this book as a bad book, but it was different and I didn’t get all the angsty feels that I was expecting especially considering the premise on the back. But I never had any feelings of hate towards it at any point, nor was a bored or felt like I was just slogging through it to get through it. I just wanted to feel more intensity while I was reading it. I enjoyed Jaya and Theo as a couple. They had some raw moments, but they had some sweet moments too that were just filled with moments of connection and honesty between them. Theo did make some mistakes along the way, but he wasn’t that typical cruel alpha jerk, and he had some really sweet moments with Jaya and the children. How he saw himself was more heartbreaking than ever. Jaya and Theo were just the perfect pair, and I loved Jaya and all she had overcome in her life to be this independent and successful woman that didn’t need Theo, but she wanted him. They just had a beautiful thing going on, and a beautiful relationship. I loved the fact they had history together, which made their present complicated, but it just carried the story forward so they could have a strong, healthy relationship for the future. It was a good addition to the unofficial MaKricosta’s siblings quartet.
After the setup of the story was presented, then the story took us back eighteen months in the past to Jaya and Theo’s relationship. I liked they already had an established relationship at the point already with Theo being her boss and Jaya having a major crush on him, which made her decide to leave because she knew it was asking for trouble. So basically she was saying goodbye to him, though the struggle to leave him as were her feelings for him were very apparent. The struggle was real, but also in this scene I could feel the attraction between them and how they both suppressed it because of their working relationship. Just that back and forth in that moment as they tried to deny their desire for each other., but that didn’t exactly happen. Granted they never would have acted on their feelings if she wasn’t leaving nor was he in the best place emotional, but a passionate interlude followed.
Despite the fact that it happened really early in the book it didn’t set my hackles up like it usually does this early in the book because I am all about the anticipation factor before the act even happens, but in this case I was okay with it because it was very beautifully written and really showed off the trust and connection between them. It was a loaded scene too because this was the first time that she wanted a man after she was sexually assaulted years ago, and tended to stay away from men in that way. Theo was the first man to really interest her in that way, and though she did go back and forth of whether she should or shouldn’t be with him, she decided she did and feel the pleasure that he could provide her in that moment. She felt very empowered by that decision and felt nothing but pleasure with him, but she was only able to do that because she had feelings for Theo. If it was anyone else I don’t think she could have done that. The fact they had a backstory and a pre-established relationship helped her to allow that kind of intimacy with him because she felt like she knew him, and that also made it for me a little easier to swallow because it wasn’t just a one night stand or a stranger she was engaging in this behavior with. There was that trust and intimacy already there, and I could feel that.
Also I loved Theo in that scene because he truly came off as a good guy even if he was playing it off as if he was anything but. He didn’t know about her past, but he could tell that she was wavering about whether to do this or not. He was very sweet and understanding about the whole thing, and even though he desperately wanted her, he was willing only as far as she was willing to go, and actually he meant it and it wasn’t just words coming out of his mouth to “convince” her to sleep with him. He started off slow and gauged her the entire way, and always made sure she was okay before continuing on, and it was the way he did not that he did it. It was very genuine, and I could tell that he wanted her as into this as he was into her, which just made the scene all the hotter.
Plus all the anticipation leading up to the big event just made it all the more sizzling, and the closer that they got physically the closer the got emotionally, and it was just a good scene. It showed the meaning of the ultimate connection in every single level that there was. It was clear that it was meaningful scene for both of them and became the utmost of important, and definitely was a night to remember in every way possible including a consequence that would have lifetime implications.
Fast forward to the present, and come to find out that Theo needed Jaya’s help in taking care of his nephew and niece after a situation had occurred that left his siblings trapped at sea and the children needed to protected. Theo could think of no one else he could trust but Jaya. And when they met again, the connection was still clearly there for both of them and it went deep along with some hurt feelings along the way. He ignored her calls when she called him, wounding her in the process and kind of gave up meeting him again. She was mad at him, but it was so much more complicated than that as were her feelings for him, but she agreed to help him take care of his niece and nephew.
Then truth slowly get revealed about their pasts as well as the present. They were open and honest with each other, and as that happened they got closer and closer and started to reconnect again and try to make a life together with their son.
This book could have used a little more angst for my taste. I just didn’t feel that raw, gripping angst that I am accustomed by Dani Collins. It was more of this truth and that truth coming out as they came to get know each other again, which was fine, but I think more angst added would have given the story a little more intensity and oomph to it. Not that they didn’t have intense conversations or complicate emotions weren’t explored because there were, and it was some heavy stuff too, it just didn’t give me those gripping feels that I expected. There wasn’t a lot of tension or butting heads I felt either. It was more coming to grips with things than anything else. I was just expecting more of a fight between them to lead into passionate interludes. And that didn’t happen.
In fact aside from their first time together in the past, there was really only one other proper love scene. Don’t me wrong it was a good scene, and it was nice to see them together and renew that connection between them. And there was a little bit of anticipation leading up to the moment, but it wasn’t consumed through the entire book. There attraction was there and the need for closeness was there, but not that raw sexual tension that I would have expected after all this time being separated, instead it was more subtle than anything else. That wasn’t a bad thing, it just was different. It was satisfying when they did finally come together again, and it was a a beautiful scene between them as they came together on every level. I felt their connection and the specialness that they had, and it was all the more poignant because there was such honest and truth between them. They really knew each other and saw all their past demons and accepted them as who the person was, which just made for a really powerful statement. I loved seeing them together and have that passionate connection in that moment.
Even though this book wasn’t perfect, and I have loved other Dani Collins stories more, I enjoyed this one. I wouldn’t classify this book as a bad book, but it was different and I didn’t get all the angsty feels that I was expecting especially considering the premise on the back. But I never had any feelings of hate towards it at any point, nor was a bored or felt like I was just slogging through it to get through it. I just wanted to feel more intensity while I was reading it. I enjoyed Jaya and Theo as a couple. They had some raw moments, but they had some sweet moments too that were just filled with moments of connection and honesty between them. Theo did make some mistakes along the way, but he wasn’t that typical cruel alpha jerk, and he had some really sweet moments with Jaya and the children. How he saw himself was more heartbreaking than ever. Jaya and Theo were just the perfect pair, and I loved Jaya and all she had overcome in her life to be this independent and successful woman that didn’t need Theo, but she wanted him. They just had a beautiful thing going on, and a beautiful relationship. I loved the fact they had history together, which made their present complicated, but it just carried the story forward so they could have a strong, healthy relationship for the future. It was a good addition to the unofficial MaKricosta’s siblings quartet.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2014
An Heir to Bind Them by Dani Collins is a contemporary romance. The story begins as Jaya goes to see her boss to hand in her resignation. We meet our hero, Theo, who is surprised by Jaya’s leaving. He finds out though that her cousin is dying, and she needs to go home and take care of her. Theo, has never really paid much attention to Jaya, other than knowing that she was a very good worker, and he will miss her expertise. Jaya has always had an attraction to Theo from afar, and somehow when they say their goodbyes, the two of them end up in a wild night of steamy sex. Jaya found herself shocked at how she reacted to Theo, as she had a bad experience years before.
18 months later, Theo is stuck taking care of his nephew & niece, as his family is stuck overseas. He texts Jaya for help. She comes to his rescue to help with the children, and brings him a surprise.
What follows is an interesting story of a man who has everything, wealth, power, women; but it is the bad memories of his childhood and his father that prevents him from having any kind of relationship. Theo doesn’t know what love is, and is fearful of having children, because of his father.
Jaya at first blocks her feelings, thinking Theo doesn’t care for her. But as they help one another with the children, she learns more about his past, and tries to help him overcome those fears. By the time his family returns to take the children, Theo has softened his heart and finds himself more comfortable around the children.
Will Jaya be able to get Theo to open his heart to love? Can Theo be able to rise above his fears of being like his father? There are many obstacles in this relationship, but I really did like Theo’s family, who were very supportive.
I wanted our couple to have their happy ending, and they were both very stubborn, causing me to get annoyed at times. However, this was a nice romance, and Dani Collins is a very good writer, and I recommend this book.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
18 months later, Theo is stuck taking care of his nephew & niece, as his family is stuck overseas. He texts Jaya for help. She comes to his rescue to help with the children, and brings him a surprise.
What follows is an interesting story of a man who has everything, wealth, power, women; but it is the bad memories of his childhood and his father that prevents him from having any kind of relationship. Theo doesn’t know what love is, and is fearful of having children, because of his father.
Jaya at first blocks her feelings, thinking Theo doesn’t care for her. But as they help one another with the children, she learns more about his past, and tries to help him overcome those fears. By the time his family returns to take the children, Theo has softened his heart and finds himself more comfortable around the children.
Will Jaya be able to get Theo to open his heart to love? Can Theo be able to rise above his fears of being like his father? There are many obstacles in this relationship, but I really did like Theo’s family, who were very supportive.
I wanted our couple to have their happy ending, and they were both very stubborn, causing me to get annoyed at times. However, this was a nice romance, and Dani Collins is a very good writer, and I recommend this book.
Barb
The Reading Cafe
June 29, 2014
This was a sweet and emotional book. Theo had been abused as a child, and had the scars to prove it. He guarded his heart, never allowing himself to get close to another person.
Jaya had been sexually assaulted. She was afraid to be around men. Theo was different, she was never afraid of him. Instead she felt sparks like she had never felt before. Throughout the book Jaya taught Theo that he was worthy of being loved. With her help, he got past the nightmares of his abuse. He was still afraid of being a father. In his mind, he would be like his father. Jaya knew he was nothing like his father. She knew he could never hurt anyone. She taught him how to change diapers, and give bottles. It was baby Zephyr that loved him, and trusted him like only a baby could do. With baby Zephyr, and Jaya Theo found love. He found he could love, a be loved.
Sample from chapter 10 - "It's like your back, Theo. I'll always have scars, but they fade a little more each year. If you make enough good memories, they push the bad ones away."
Jaya had been sexually assaulted. She was afraid to be around men. Theo was different, she was never afraid of him. Instead she felt sparks like she had never felt before. Throughout the book Jaya taught Theo that he was worthy of being loved. With her help, he got past the nightmares of his abuse. He was still afraid of being a father. In his mind, he would be like his father. Jaya knew he was nothing like his father. She knew he could never hurt anyone. She taught him how to change diapers, and give bottles. It was baby Zephyr that loved him, and trusted him like only a baby could do. With baby Zephyr, and Jaya Theo found love. He found he could love, a be loved.
Sample from chapter 10 - "It's like your back, Theo. I'll always have scars, but they fade a little more each year. If you make enough good memories, they push the bad ones away."
Read
January 12, 2016"Collins’ romance is sweet and spicy. Her exotic locales are brought to life by an expressive narrative, and the intimate dialogue between her tormented hero and her vulnerable heroine is titillating (RT Book Reviews)". 4 1/2 stars
June 9, 2014
I absolutely loved this book. Both leads have had past trauma, which guide their decisions. Loved that the h was Indian, bringing a different cultural awareness into the story. The emotions and actions in this story are credible and the HEA believable.
July 4, 2014
This book was both sweet and emotional. I sped through this book, unable to put it down longer than a few minutes, as I was so caught up in the story. This book was definitely a good reading experience and I would recommend it to romance lovers.
March 10, 2015
This book is WOW. It's a I-don't-care-if-I-didn't-get-a-wink-of-sleep book. It's unputdownable. It made me laugh, grin, and cry really hard. My favorite book of Dani Collins.
May 29, 2014
Great little romantic book.
June 19, 2014
Dani Collins is becoming on of my favorite authors in Harlequin Presents
November 26, 2014
Indian heroine Greek millionaire hero
Read
February 3, 2015Book Three in the Makricosta Dynasty.
This one follows:
1) No Longer Forbidden?
2) More Than A Convenient Marriage?
Look for Book Four, Seduced Into The Greek's World, Jun 2015.
This one follows:
1) No Longer Forbidden?
2) More Than A Convenient Marriage?
Look for Book Four, Seduced Into The Greek's World, Jun 2015.
June 3, 2016
Sorry, it's not that memorable. I think I enjoyed it.
February 27, 2017
3.5 stars
June 1, 2019
I enjoyed this. Particularly the part where the conflict was based in their past traumas and them learning how to express their feelings despite that.
December 10, 2018
I think this author really brings some hope to the Harlequin Presents genre. Both H and h aren't your trite Rich guy Poor girl cinderella. The h truly has risen the ranks in her career, continues to be blindly loyal to parents who don't deserve, values family loyalty to her cousin who helped her, was assaulted (considering India's reputation as rape capital - not a surprise) and best of all isn't hung up on marriage as a salvation. The H truly understands her value continues to make effort, is openly nervous, wants to be better than who he is. Amazing chemistry between the H/h who really grow into the relationship.
February 14, 2021
Unputdownable! Very well written, thoroughly enjoyed it!
Lovely character ❤️ of the heroine more gutsy and focused as well as taking care of kids she has a career and focused,goal oriented life.
Both H,/ h have issues with family and society at large but try to overcome with help of friends and cousins, siblings etc and move forward in life!
Trying to forge a stronger bond than their parents become better parents help each other! This book also tries to create familial bonding which is fast fading away from home and family!
H is very serious and loving while h is trying to overcome her assault issues H tries to overcome his abusive father and become better parent!
Very emotional supportive ❤️🤗! Good book!
Lovely character ❤️ of the heroine more gutsy and focused as well as taking care of kids she has a career and focused,goal oriented life.
Both H,/ h have issues with family and society at large but try to overcome with help of friends and cousins, siblings etc and move forward in life!
Trying to forge a stronger bond than their parents become better parents help each other! This book also tries to create familial bonding which is fast fading away from home and family!
H is very serious and loving while h is trying to overcome her assault issues H tries to overcome his abusive father and become better parent!
Very emotional supportive ❤️🤗! Good book!
March 3, 2017
This was a story of two people from some troubling backgrounds because of one night must find a way to become a family and maybe heal each other! This was a very beautiful story I could not put it down until I finished the book so it was a very late night / early morning before I was finished. I took this book out of the Library and voluntarily chose to review it.
June 3, 2019
I did like the diversity in this book! But the story...isn’t very engaging or believable.
April 26, 2025
Loved how Jaya helped Theo overcome his fears and emotions.
August 20, 2019
Re-reading this one so that I can review it. I last read it a few years back.
This one starts with a prologue, where the oldest Makricosta brother, Theo, is trying to not let the helicopter he is flying go down, especially with his precious cargo, his nephew Androu and niece Evie. That is when he thinks of Jaya, the only person in Marseille who can help him.
Theo rescued the babies from the new Makricosta cruise ship which was taken over by pirates. I wonder what happened that Nic-Ro and Gideon-Adara couldn't get out. Rowan Davidson is an actress now, though wasn't she O'Brien? Heh...
The story then starts eighteen months back. Jaya Powers (an Indian heroine, yay!) works at Makricosta Resort in Bali and has a huge crush on her boss, Theo. She ran away from India to make a life for herself. But, she's leaving now, leaving his employment, and is sure that he never even noticed her. While Theo doesn't know of her leaving their employment till she tells him, he has his some of his own bad news to grapple with. Jaya is moving on to France to tend to her ailing cousin.
Back to the present, Jaya is waiting with a limo at the airport for Theo's arrival. Theo is eager to see her as he missed her, though he didn't want to tell her that. He needs a hideaway as his nephew and niece face the threat of kidnapping. And he needs Jaya to see to the kids since he trusts only her and no one else.
The intervening eighteen months have been life-changing for Jaya. She's had Theo's baby, tried to tell him too, only to have her calls ignored. On the personal front, she suffered from emotional aches and had to pick herself up without any support. The first time around I rated this a two. But re-reading it as a part of the series, this book seems better. Seeing Theo all playful with his nephew saddens Jaya for her son.
The author says that Jaya's a Punjabi, hmm...just that I can't see a Punjabi talking in Hindi to her son and niece in a foreign country. Just an observation. Also, 'pyaari beti' is not how we call young girls endearingly. It was comical reading that. It made me wonder how accurate 'agapi mou' or other phrases are in the other Harlequin books. Haha!
It was cute, with no knowledge of babies, seeing Theo following Jaya everywhere. I liked the name Zephyr very much, Theo and Jaya's son. With three babies in the house, it was amusing to see Theo struggle with them.
Makricosta senior's abuse is not a secret, and Theo seems to have got both the physical and emotional aspects in spades. Poor Theo, not knowing what love is, not even realising it based on how he felt strongly about Jaya. Demitri is a character I don't know what to think about...
P.S. The way the author has described Jaya as being dark, the cover, again, doesn't do justice to it. I revise my rating to a three only because of the babies' shenanigans.
A quote that I loved in this book:
This one starts with a prologue, where the oldest Makricosta brother, Theo, is trying to not let the helicopter he is flying go down, especially with his precious cargo, his nephew Androu and niece Evie. That is when he thinks of Jaya, the only person in Marseille who can help him.
Theo rescued the babies from the new Makricosta cruise ship which was taken over by pirates. I wonder what happened that Nic-Ro and Gideon-Adara couldn't get out. Rowan Davidson is an actress now, though wasn't she O'Brien? Heh...
The story then starts eighteen months back. Jaya Powers (an Indian heroine, yay!) works at Makricosta Resort in Bali and has a huge crush on her boss, Theo. She ran away from India to make a life for herself. But, she's leaving now, leaving his employment, and is sure that he never even noticed her. While Theo doesn't know of her leaving their employment till she tells him, he has his some of his own bad news to grapple with. Jaya is moving on to France to tend to her ailing cousin.
Back to the present, Jaya is waiting with a limo at the airport for Theo's arrival. Theo is eager to see her as he missed her, though he didn't want to tell her that. He needs a hideaway as his nephew and niece face the threat of kidnapping. And he needs Jaya to see to the kids since he trusts only her and no one else.
The intervening eighteen months have been life-changing for Jaya. She's had Theo's baby, tried to tell him too, only to have her calls ignored. On the personal front, she suffered from emotional aches and had to pick herself up without any support. The first time around I rated this a two. But re-reading it as a part of the series, this book seems better. Seeing Theo all playful with his nephew saddens Jaya for her son.
The author says that Jaya's a Punjabi, hmm...just that I can't see a Punjabi talking in Hindi to her son and niece in a foreign country. Just an observation. Also, 'pyaari beti' is not how we call young girls endearingly. It was comical reading that. It made me wonder how accurate 'agapi mou' or other phrases are in the other Harlequin books. Haha!
It was cute, with no knowledge of babies, seeing Theo following Jaya everywhere. I liked the name Zephyr very much, Theo and Jaya's son. With three babies in the house, it was amusing to see Theo struggle with them.
Makricosta senior's abuse is not a secret, and Theo seems to have got both the physical and emotional aspects in spades. Poor Theo, not knowing what love is, not even realising it based on how he felt strongly about Jaya. Demitri is a character I don't know what to think about...
P.S. The way the author has described Jaya as being dark, the cover, again, doesn't do justice to it. I revise my rating to a three only because of the babies' shenanigans.
A quote that I loved in this book:
Being pretty wasn't a crime. Wanting to please the eye of a man wasn't a broad invitation to be abused by all of them.
August 25, 2015
This is the 3rd book in the series and was provided to me by the author. I couldn't wait to go from one sibling to the next and see how they handled their childhood memories. Ms Collins handled the sins of the parents with understanding and insite as she wrote about each member of the family. Showing that different siblings saw the past in the light of their understanding and although accurate for them, may not have been for the others. All were affected by the relationship between their parents. While this is not a book I will pass on to my church reading group, it is well written and I enjoyed reading it. Thor and Jaya were an interesting couple and it was intriguing to watch them work out their past hurts.
There is one more brother and I wonder if he will rate a book.
There is one more brother and I wonder if he will rate a book.
May 4, 2014
Not for me. Heroine has baggage from a rape. She hates men but not the hero. I prefer not to read about heroines going forward finding romance after sexual trauma.
Last, on a positive the prose was engaging, the hero was wealthy alpha and the heroine didn't appear to be a shrew. Note, I only read made it to chapter 2.
Last, on a positive the prose was engaging, the hero was wealthy alpha and the heroine didn't appear to be a shrew. Note, I only read made it to chapter 2.
Want to read
October 31, 2019I've liked the other books I've read by Dani Collins, however this one did not do it for me. The pace was slow, and though they had intriguing backgrounds, I found it hard to care about either H or h.
May 20, 2014
there was no action, no nothing...it was really boring.
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