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Bound by Gold #1
The Billionaire's Bridal Bargain
To love, honor…
Cesare Sabatino never intended to marry. But if his thoughts did ever stray in that direction, the lucky woman's answer would have been a resounding "yes". Imagine his surprise when Lizzie Whitaker turns him down on the spot!
…and possess?
To get his hands on her Mediterranean island inheritance, Cesare must wed innocent Lizzie…and ensure she's carrying his heir! Luckily the formidable Italian is legendary for his powers of persuasion. With Lizzie desperate to save her family's farm, it's only a matter of time before she gives in…and discovers the many pleasurable benefits of wearing this tycoon's ring.
Cesare Sabatino never intended to marry. But if his thoughts did ever stray in that direction, the lucky woman's answer would have been a resounding "yes". Imagine his surprise when Lizzie Whitaker turns him down on the spot!
…and possess?
To get his hands on her Mediterranean island inheritance, Cesare must wed innocent Lizzie…and ensure she's carrying his heir! Luckily the formidable Italian is legendary for his powers of persuasion. With Lizzie desperate to save her family's farm, it's only a matter of time before she gives in…and discovers the many pleasurable benefits of wearing this tycoon's ring.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 6, 2015
114 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,762 books1,450 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
March 26, 2015
I like this author a lot but this was just an okay read for me.
The main characters were not relatable for me.
Lizzie was okay...but all that doing good things for everyone else except herself drove me crazy.
And then there's the hero, Cesare. Now, this guy wants to buy back his family's Greek Island from Lizzie, even going as far as offering to marry her...oh right..they have to get married and have babies before he can get his island back for his ailing grandmother...yes, he's also doing things for those he loves and not for himself!!!! And he believes that Lizzie is the gold digger!!!
What about him???
And there is that unlikeable and horrible father of Lizzie. I really detested him. I did like Lizzie's sister even though there's not much about her in this story.
Oh well, not every book can be awesome!!!
The main characters were not relatable for me.
Lizzie was okay...but all that doing good things for everyone else except herself drove me crazy.
And then there's the hero, Cesare. Now, this guy wants to buy back his family's Greek Island from Lizzie, even going as far as offering to marry her...oh right..they have to get married and have babies before he can get his island back for his ailing grandmother...yes, he's also doing things for those he loves and not for himself!!!! And he believes that Lizzie is the gold digger!!!
What about him???
And there is that unlikeable and horrible father of Lizzie. I really detested him. I did like Lizzie's sister even though there's not much about her in this story.
Oh well, not every book can be awesome!!!
June 7, 2017
Cesare needs to marry Lizzy to gain access to the island his beloved grandmother covets. Lizzy is a farmer and her family is very poor. She needs money to keep her younger sister Chrissie in university and care for her sick father. Lizzy was left weeks before her wedding by the man she loved all her life, her childhood sweetheart and neighbor so she feels she has nothing to lose.
Cesare was also badly burned by love when he was very young and the woman he longed to marry left him for a 75 year old tycoon. Cesare and Lizzy can't help but develop feelings beyond their control but Cesare's old flame who is now a widow causes nothing but trouble in their wedding at the same time Lizzy discovers she is pregnant. Gotta love the angst!
I adored Cesare and Lizzy. Cesare is sex on legs, a hot alpha male but he is never cruel to Lizzy. Plus he speaks Italian how can you not swoon? Lizzy is innocent, strong, vulnerable and devoted to her father and sister. I loved how these two fell in love with each other and how they wouldn't admit defeat. Hero was very endearing and dreamy and I loved the way he treated Lizzy on their honeymoon.
The epilogue and their HEA was super cute and so heartwarming. I can't wait for Chrissie's story. Lynne Graham never disappoints!
Cesare was also badly burned by love when he was very young and the woman he longed to marry left him for a 75 year old tycoon. Cesare and Lizzy can't help but develop feelings beyond their control but Cesare's old flame who is now a widow causes nothing but trouble in their wedding at the same time Lizzy discovers she is pregnant. Gotta love the angst!
I adored Cesare and Lizzy. Cesare is sex on legs, a hot alpha male but he is never cruel to Lizzy. Plus he speaks Italian how can you not swoon? Lizzy is innocent, strong, vulnerable and devoted to her father and sister. I loved how these two fell in love with each other and how they wouldn't admit defeat. Hero was very endearing and dreamy and I loved the way he treated Lizzy on their honeymoon.
The epilogue and their HEA was super cute and so heartwarming. I can't wait for Chrissie's story. Lynne Graham never disappoints!
December 9, 2016
Nice middle-of-the-road marriage of convenience story from Lynne Graham. (Which means it's worthwhile reading - just nothing groundbreaking here.)
Hero was generic billionaire, but he had a warm and loving family, a touchy-feeling dad, and a grandma who wanted to see her Greek island home before her heart surgery.
Heroine was a natural beauty who was running her sour father's farm on a shoestring and desperate to keep her younger sister in university. She and her sister own the Greek island and can't do anything with it unless a member of their family marries and a has a child with a member of the hero's family. Luckily, the heroine can see sweet reason and she agrees to a MoC with artificial insemination thrown in to keep it business-like.
Our Italian/Greek tycoon isn't falling for the artificial insemination, but he holds his objections until after the wedding. Besides, he's upset the bride-to-be by having his helicopter land in a field of sheep and scaring her dog into breaking his leg.
Just a nice story. Hero was a good guy and understood his own shortcomings. Heroine wasn't ditzy or dyslexic, which makes a nice change.
Hero was generic billionaire, but he had a warm and loving family, a touchy-feeling dad, and a grandma who wanted to see her Greek island home before her heart surgery.
Heroine was a natural beauty who was running her sour father's farm on a shoestring and desperate to keep her younger sister in university. She and her sister own the Greek island and can't do anything with it unless a member of their family marries and a has a child with a member of the hero's family. Luckily, the heroine can see sweet reason and she agrees to a MoC with artificial insemination thrown in to keep it business-like.
Our Italian/Greek tycoon isn't falling for the artificial insemination, but he holds his objections until after the wedding. Besides, he's upset the bride-to-be by having his helicopter land in a field of sheep and scaring her dog into breaking his leg.
Just a nice story. Hero was a good guy and understood his own shortcomings. Heroine wasn't ditzy or dyslexic, which makes a nice change.
March 13, 2015
Good read,one of my fav tropes, MOC.Both parties went into the relationship eyes open regarding the other.Somewhat tame,but enjoyable none the less .Loved the Tuscan locale for the honeymoon,beautiful place,brings back memories.Looking forward to the sister's book.LG is my go to HP author,so I was pleased.
February 5, 2018
2.5 stars
A very average read.
I particularly loved how the heroine so determinedly shut the hero off when he decided to back out off emotional attachments, and said he regretted having sex.
She went for the kill with kindness.
The last chapter was hilarious.
But once again hero suffers for what? 2 days for his crass behaviour of over a month and the emotional pain caused to the heroine?
At least he saw the point.
But at the end of the day, a meh read!
A very average read.
I particularly loved how the heroine so determinedly shut the hero off when he decided to back out off emotional attachments, and said he regretted having sex.
She went for the kill with kindness.
The last chapter was hilarious.
But once again hero suffers for what? 2 days for his crass behaviour of over a month and the emotional pain caused to the heroine?
At least he saw the point.
But at the end of the day, a meh read!
June 23, 2016
I'm sorry but I really felt like LG was phoning it in on this one. Lynne Graham is my favorite HP author but that doesn't mean that every one is a gem. This one had no spark, no meat. It was very ordinary. Along the lines of "some stuff happened." Characterizations were not solid. How for example did Cesare think that Lizzie was a gold digger? He went to her and asked her to marry him to accommodate something that he needed. She was extremely poor and overworked and had a sick father and a younger sister to keep in college. It's not gold digging to take the security freely offered in such a case. So that was just added to give him a reason not to like her at first. And then he proceeded to blow hot and cold. Lizzie had moments I enjoyed. She was sensible and I am glad to see LG recently making her virgin heroines not so doormattish in bed the first time. The last several books, this one included, the heroine had given the hero what for verbally on that occasion. And then there was the end bit. The obligatory breakup before the makeup. It was one of those where stated motivations didn't add up to what actually happened. The author is cheating there. Kudos to the hero's father telling him to grovel though. Although it wasn't all that great of a grovel.
So going back to the no spark thing. Authors should have a great idea and a real conflict to build a story around. I think LG, as much as I love her, writes too many books a year. I'd rather have a couple of great ones rather than four mediocre ones.
So going back to the no spark thing. Authors should have a great idea and a real conflict to build a story around. I think LG, as much as I love her, writes too many books a year. I'd rather have a couple of great ones rather than four mediocre ones.
March 3, 2015
I am a huge LG fan. I get super excited when she releases a new one. Unfortunately compared to her old ones the new ones aren't as great! This one was fine. I wish he suffered more in the end. The guy reminded me of katy perry song hot and cold!
He kept changing his mind about their r/s and the poor girl just kept going wit it! Pissed me off. I loved how she was super cool in the end and gave him what he wanted and didnt beg him for more like so many hs in hp :-)
The H was childish and his confession in the end was rushed and didnt ring true to me.
Its LG and i will still keep reading everything she writes :-)
He kept changing his mind about their r/s and the poor girl just kept going wit it! Pissed me off. I loved how she was super cool in the end and gave him what he wanted and didnt beg him for more like so many hs in hp :-)
The H was childish and his confession in the end was rushed and didnt ring true to me.
Its LG and i will still keep reading everything she writes :-)
December 31, 2020
4 stars 🌟.
The angst in this one.. delicious!
I enjoyed this book thoroughly except the boring part with his ex. I loved the heroine. She was a contradiction of sweetness and strength. The way she stood up to hero was appluadable. I also loved the way story unfolded. Epilogue was very sweet.
Recommended.
The angst in this one.. delicious!
I enjoyed this book thoroughly except the boring part with his ex. I loved the heroine. She was a contradiction of sweetness and strength. The way she stood up to hero was appluadable. I also loved the way story unfolded. Epilogue was very sweet.
Recommended.
July 24, 2020
An OK READ.
Everything was fine until he got off very easily. At least he grovels for two days. 🙄🙄🙄
Everything was fine until he got off very easily. At least he grovels for two days. 🙄🙄🙄
December 7, 2018
This is the first book in the 'Bound by Gold' series. I liked it and I didn't. I will explain further down.
Cesare Sabatino was an infinite playboy, and major-man-whore. Probably in his early thirties, I couldn't find anywhere in the book that the author told us his age (I may have missed it) so this is a best guess estimation. He tells us that he hasn't gone more than a couple of weeks without sex since he was in his teens and lost his virginity. That is not what I like to read about. It gets worse.
Safty Gang Info:
Our virgin bride is Lizzy and she and her sister were left an island when their mother died. An island the mother described as awful. This island used to be in Cesare's family but they lost it. Now he wants use of the island so he can take his grandmother, who grew up there, to recuperate from heart surgery. The will says no one from his family can visit without being married to one of her two daughters. If they want to live on the island they have to be married and produce a child. Lizzy has had a really rough childhood. She is dirt poor and lives with her father on their farm. Since he has taken ill she works the whole farm by herself, from before sunrise until time to drop in bed. She doesn't even get paid because the farm is in so much debt. On the weekends she waitresses at a bar and that is the only available income they have to live on.
Our hero approaches her about a MOC so he can take his grandmother back to the home she grew up in. She accepts after some thought. I kind of liked him by the end but the things I mentioned in the 'spoiler' were just too much for me to care very much about the man who seemed to only think with his appendage. Can't help it. Those kinds of things bother me a great deal!
I will add that the second book in this series is quite good and I have read it multiple times.
Cesare Sabatino was an infinite playboy, and major-man-whore. Probably in his early thirties, I couldn't find anywhere in the book that the author told us his age (I may have missed it) so this is a best guess estimation. He tells us that he hasn't gone more than a couple of weeks without sex since he was in his teens and lost his virginity. That is not what I like to read about. It gets worse.
Safty Gang Info:
Our virgin bride is Lizzy and she and her sister were left an island when their mother died. An island the mother described as awful. This island used to be in Cesare's family but they lost it. Now he wants use of the island so he can take his grandmother, who grew up there, to recuperate from heart surgery. The will says no one from his family can visit without being married to one of her two daughters. If they want to live on the island they have to be married and produce a child. Lizzy has had a really rough childhood. She is dirt poor and lives with her father on their farm. Since he has taken ill she works the whole farm by herself, from before sunrise until time to drop in bed. She doesn't even get paid because the farm is in so much debt. On the weekends she waitresses at a bar and that is the only available income they have to live on.
Our hero approaches her about a MOC so he can take his grandmother back to the home she grew up in. She accepts after some thought. I kind of liked him by the end but the things I mentioned in the 'spoiler' were just too much for me to care very much about the man who seemed to only think with his appendage. Can't help it. Those kinds of things bother me a great deal!
I will add that the second book in this series is quite good and I have read it multiple times.
June 23, 2015
I liked it - even with the predictable Lynne Graham plot with the near destitute/ damsel in distress heroine and the requisite pregnancy. The hero was a little less cruel than most of the others that LG comes up with; so thank god for that! Nonetheless, this is an immensely forgettable book. (And I've kind of forgotten most of the plot, even as I write this review :P)
April 13, 2015
Every now and then I decide to try one of these stories. Sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised, then at other times it turns out to be a lemon. This falls into the latter category.
Ceasare is an international playboy and billionaire and cynical through and through. His family had once owned an island, but through a set of circumstances it was no longer theirs. Cesare's father wanted Cesare to regain ownership of the island so that his mother, Cesrare's grandmother could once again have access to visit or even return to live there. The island is now jointly owned by two sisters.
Lizzie and her sister live with their father who is now suffering from a debilitating illness. While Lizzie remains on the island to work the family farm, her sister has managed to escape to university.
This story was pretty lacklustre IMO, according to the opening chapter, the island could only be accessed if you married one of the sisters, and it could be bought once the marriage produced children. So how was it possible that Cesare was able to just turn up at Lizzie's door? All he had to do was take his granny with him and bingo problem solved! Lizzie then proceeds to ask him if he is lost and needs directions, directions to where if her family are the sole inhabitants! As to the relationship between Lizzie and Cesare that was luke warm at best. Then for Cesare to call Lizzie a gold digger, was confusing. After all he was the one who wanted something from her, she hadn't approached him. I think this author needs to bring her stories up to date it's not 1900.
Ceasare is an international playboy and billionaire and cynical through and through. His family had once owned an island, but through a set of circumstances it was no longer theirs. Cesare's father wanted Cesare to regain ownership of the island so that his mother, Cesrare's grandmother could once again have access to visit or even return to live there. The island is now jointly owned by two sisters.
Lizzie and her sister live with their father who is now suffering from a debilitating illness. While Lizzie remains on the island to work the family farm, her sister has managed to escape to university.
This story was pretty lacklustre IMO, according to the opening chapter, the island could only be accessed if you married one of the sisters, and it could be bought once the marriage produced children. So how was it possible that Cesare was able to just turn up at Lizzie's door? All he had to do was take his granny with him and bingo problem solved! Lizzie then proceeds to ask him if he is lost and needs directions, directions to where if her family are the sole inhabitants! As to the relationship between Lizzie and Cesare that was luke warm at best. Then for Cesare to call Lizzie a gold digger, was confusing. After all he was the one who wanted something from her, she hadn't approached him. I think this author needs to bring her stories up to date it's not 1900.
September 13, 2021
The story was like any other typical marriage-in-name-only. And we all know that it is a staple when it comes to the HP line. This book worked for me because Ms. Graham delivered it with her own writing style, which I always enjoy. Though the plot is predictable, it is still well done. I also liked that the hero is actually not half bad; by Harlequin Present standards, I mean. Yes, he had his moments, but he was never cruel or verbally abusive to the heroine, unlike some HP heroes I know. I also ended up genuinely liking the heroine. She’s caring, she’s selfless, and she’s kind. She’s also tough and vulnerable at the same time. And while she had a few of those “too stupid to live” moments, I can’t help but root for her! I also adored Archie, "the dog." He's such a sweetheart!
Overall, The Billionaire's Bridal Bargain , was an enjoyable read albeit predictable marriage of convenience plot.
August 26, 2015
Lizzie and her sister Chrissie own an island, but are poor country girls. Cesare is a handsome Italian billionaire, and he wants the island so his Nonna can go visit. Nonna was born on the island, and now she has to have an operation but she’s lost the will to live.
For outrageous and crazy reasons to do with wills and revenge, someone from Cesare’s family has to marry Chrissie or Lizzie to step foot on the island. And if they want to own it, they have to pop out an heir. Otherwise: the government gets it.
So Cesare’s dad is all for Cesare going off to make some kind of marriage of convenience with Lizzie, even though Lizzie wears a woollen hat. Chrissie is out of the picture because, while beautiful, she’s a teenager.
It’s a nice touch that, even to make an old lady happy, the men can draw the line somewhere. Woollen hats are simply a cross one has to bear.
Cesare is wonderfully horrible. He once had his heart broken by a hussy who married a rich old man in his seventies. Cesare is super clever with the money stuff, and so very arrogant. He’s decided that the feels are for fools. He’s a funny person.
Cesare approaches Lizzie with all sorts of pre-conceived notions, and then privately dismisses her as a gold digger when she takes his deal. He’s completely stupid about her, because Lizzie is awesome. She’s wearing that woollen hat and ugly clothes because she works in the big outdoors, doing tough farming stuff. Her dad has been a nasty old man all her life, and she’s trying to make sure that her sister gets the chance at an education she never had. She’s doing all that without coming across as some martyred doormat barely keeping a lid on her simmering resentment. Lizzie gets stuff done. She’s had disappointments, she’s been beaten down, but she just gets on with it all without grumbling, and without turning bitter.
The setup is best forgotten because it’s silly. I still can’t bring myself not to notice Graham’s writing style, but I did love these characters, and I get why Graham is so popular. Lizzie was easy to love, and Cesare was amusingly wrongheaded, and I believed their romance. This was a fun book, and I’m planning to hunt down Chrissie’s story next.
For outrageous and crazy reasons to do with wills and revenge, someone from Cesare’s family has to marry Chrissie or Lizzie to step foot on the island. And if they want to own it, they have to pop out an heir. Otherwise: the government gets it.
So Cesare’s dad is all for Cesare going off to make some kind of marriage of convenience with Lizzie, even though Lizzie wears a woollen hat. Chrissie is out of the picture because, while beautiful, she’s a teenager.
It’s a nice touch that, even to make an old lady happy, the men can draw the line somewhere. Woollen hats are simply a cross one has to bear.
Cesare is wonderfully horrible. He once had his heart broken by a hussy who married a rich old man in his seventies. Cesare is super clever with the money stuff, and so very arrogant. He’s decided that the feels are for fools. He’s a funny person.
Cesare approaches Lizzie with all sorts of pre-conceived notions, and then privately dismisses her as a gold digger when she takes his deal. He’s completely stupid about her, because Lizzie is awesome. She’s wearing that woollen hat and ugly clothes because she works in the big outdoors, doing tough farming stuff. Her dad has been a nasty old man all her life, and she’s trying to make sure that her sister gets the chance at an education she never had. She’s doing all that without coming across as some martyred doormat barely keeping a lid on her simmering resentment. Lizzie gets stuff done. She’s had disappointments, she’s been beaten down, but she just gets on with it all without grumbling, and without turning bitter.
The setup is best forgotten because it’s silly. I still can’t bring myself not to notice Graham’s writing style, but I did love these characters, and I get why Graham is so popular. Lizzie was easy to love, and Cesare was amusingly wrongheaded, and I believed their romance. This was a fun book, and I’m planning to hunt down Chrissie’s story next.
June 3, 2022
Una historia cortita con fantasía de millonario, matrimonio de conveniencia y make over. Elisabetta (Lizzie) es una granjera de Yorkshire que por motivos equis es propietaria de una isla mediterránea. Cesare es el millonario italiano que quiere hacerse con la isla because reasons. Bueno, por uno de esos locos testamentos de Romancelandia, para hacerse con la ínsula, Cesare tendrá que casarse con Lizzie. Sí, tópico de matrimonio de conveniencia. En pocas páginas se conocen, intiman y se enamoran, pero no se lo dicen, claro. La cosa se complica y se resuelve rápido. Siempre me asombra la economía de medios de estas novelitas genéricas.
Entretenida, dentro de lo que es el formato corto. La leí en KU.
Crítica conjunta de la bilogía, en mi blog.
Entretenida, dentro de lo que es el formato corto. La leí en KU.
Crítica conjunta de la bilogía, en mi blog.
August 24, 2015
Este estilo de personajes ha funcionado en otras historias de Lynne Graham que están entre mis favoritas, pero con esta sinceramente no pude. En ningún momento sentí simpatía por Lizzie, a excepción quizá de la pelea casi al final de la novela, donde discute con Cesare y él la corta tajantemente poniéndola en su lugar. Esa discusión sirvió para terminar rápido con la lectura, porque él me pareció demasiado petulante y ella muy condescendiente. De todo el libro, la personalidad de Cesare me pareció lo más rescatable. Es un personaje que me ha hecho olvidar que es una mujer la que lo escribe, pero eso no sirve como para obviar lo demás.
October 10, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. Although, it had the regular framework of the usual MOC theme based books of HPs, --I read another one of LG book with same theme before this-- but I found this one was refreshingly different.
The misconceptions and misunderstandings between Cesare and Lizzie didn't stretch on and on till the end. For example, Cesare first thought Lizzie was gold digger when she accepted his proposition, but when she explained her reasoning behind it, he immediately berated himself for thinking of her like his ex, Seraphina, when he had a stepmother, a grandmother and three sisters, none of whom were rich or avaricious. They had their arguments, their moments of sulking, then they would talk and sort things out then get back to doing normal things like making love or going out for a meal or sightseeing.
Lizzie was fabulous. She had a soft side as well as a fierce side that were both very good. I loved how she handled Serafina when she told Lizzie she wanted Cesare back. Although, inwardly her heart was breaking, she never showed the other woman what she was feeling, in fact answered her confidently.
‘Whatever,’ Lizzie mumbled, thrusting her chair back and rising. ‘You can hardly expect me to wish you luck with my husband and I really don’t understand why you wanted to talk to me in the first place.’
‘Because you can make things a lot easier for all three of us by quietly stepping back the minute Cesare admits that he wants his freedom back,’ the princess pointed out smoothly.
‘If it’s a question of money.’
‘No, I don’t need money and I can’t be bribed!’ Lizzie parried grittily, her cheeks reddening. ‘I wish I could say it was nice meeting you...but it would be a lie.’
After Serafina's party, she took her time to give Cesare the silent treatment for a while after they got home, then went on to ask him straightaway why he didn't tell her that Serafina was the hostess of the party before telling him everything that Serafina had told her. And, Cesare, having had his own encounter with Serafina that evening wasn't feeling comfortable talking about her to Lizzie which led to a little angst between them for a while.
I loved Cesare too. Poor guy was always out of depth where Lizzie was concerned. In his endeavor not to get too emotionally attached to his wife, he was always doing and saying things that upset her or made her sad. Then, unable to see her upset, he'd immediately go about finding ways to mollify her. I was very amused how one time when she was angry with him, he roped in Archie, her dog, to get her out of the bathroom then another time he called his father for advice how to work things out with her.
I loved every one of Cesare's big lovable family. How sweetly they accepted Lizzie and made her part of them. And, the epilogue was fantastic.
There were many awesome scenes between the couple like Lizzie getting drunk and Cesare carrying her out of the club, the scene where they talk about their respective exes, so many other scene that I know for sure I'll be reading this book again. It's going to be my favorite
The misconceptions and misunderstandings between Cesare and Lizzie didn't stretch on and on till the end. For example, Cesare first thought Lizzie was gold digger when she accepted his proposition, but when she explained her reasoning behind it, he immediately berated himself for thinking of her like his ex, Seraphina, when he had a stepmother, a grandmother and three sisters, none of whom were rich or avaricious. They had their arguments, their moments of sulking, then they would talk and sort things out then get back to doing normal things like making love or going out for a meal or sightseeing.
Lizzie was fabulous. She had a soft side as well as a fierce side that were both very good. I loved how she handled Serafina when she told Lizzie she wanted Cesare back. Although, inwardly her heart was breaking, she never showed the other woman what she was feeling, in fact answered her confidently.
‘Whatever,’ Lizzie mumbled, thrusting her chair back and rising. ‘You can hardly expect me to wish you luck with my husband and I really don’t understand why you wanted to talk to me in the first place.’
‘Because you can make things a lot easier for all three of us by quietly stepping back the minute Cesare admits that he wants his freedom back,’ the princess pointed out smoothly.
‘If it’s a question of money.’
‘No, I don’t need money and I can’t be bribed!’ Lizzie parried grittily, her cheeks reddening. ‘I wish I could say it was nice meeting you...but it would be a lie.’
After Serafina's party, she took her time to give Cesare the silent treatment for a while after they got home, then went on to ask him straightaway why he didn't tell her that Serafina was the hostess of the party before telling him everything that Serafina had told her. And, Cesare, having had his own encounter with Serafina that evening wasn't feeling comfortable talking about her to Lizzie which led to a little angst between them for a while.
I loved Cesare too. Poor guy was always out of depth where Lizzie was concerned. In his endeavor not to get too emotionally attached to his wife, he was always doing and saying things that upset her or made her sad. Then, unable to see her upset, he'd immediately go about finding ways to mollify her. I was very amused how one time when she was angry with him, he roped in Archie, her dog, to get her out of the bathroom then another time he called his father for advice how to work things out with her.
I loved every one of Cesare's big lovable family. How sweetly they accepted Lizzie and made her part of them. And, the epilogue was fantastic.
There were many awesome scenes between the couple like Lizzie getting drunk and Cesare carrying her out of the club, the scene where they talk about their respective exes, so many other scene that I know for sure I'll be reading this book again. It's going to be my favorite
July 16, 2024
“The Billionaire’s Bridal Bargain” is the story of Lizzie and Cesare.
Pretty interesting book. Heroine is a badass who takes care of her failing farm, deadbeat father and sweet sister. She’s recovering from a broken engagement.
Hero is a tycoon who sweeps in with a marriage of convenience proposal. If she marries him and gives him an heir, and the island her mother had gifted her- he would help her financially. She agrees.
Rest of the story is practicable. We have hot sex, some OW drama, a three legged doggo, grovel, supportive family and HEA.
What I liked was that the heroine was strong and independent, and the hero groveled.
Safe 3.25/5
Pretty interesting book. Heroine is a badass who takes care of her failing farm, deadbeat father and sweet sister. She’s recovering from a broken engagement.
Hero is a tycoon who sweeps in with a marriage of convenience proposal. If she marries him and gives him an heir, and the island her mother had gifted her- he would help her financially. She agrees.
Rest of the story is practicable. We have hot sex, some OW drama, a three legged doggo, grovel, supportive family and HEA.
What I liked was that the heroine was strong and independent, and the hero groveled.
Safe 3.25/5
November 10, 2015
I really enjoyed this one. Cesare (helpfully pronounced in the book for those of us who aren't good with non-American names as Chay-za-ray) is the usual Italian Alpha Billionaire With An Innate Mistrust And All-Around Negative Opinion of Women.
To get some land back into his family, he sets out to marry Lizzie, a poorer-than-dirt English girl, and offers her money in return. In a refreshing twist, he tells her from the start that he wants to marry her for the land, instead of lying to her, which was nice and created its own drama, since as the story progresses, Lizzie tries to determine if he wants her for the land or if he might ever truly love her. We actually get cameos from both of the major love interests in Lizzie's (her ex brings a decided lack of drama, considering the pretty shitty way he dumped her) and Cesare's (his ex makes up for all the drama we didn't get from Lizzie's ex and then brings some more) lives. Of course, because this is HP, Lizzie realizes around the time she and Cesare decide to go from a "business" marriage to a "real" (read: sexual) one, that she loves him and no FMC in the HP universe can enjoy sex without love (of course if they could, this wouldn't be a romance novel with an HEA, but we all know the trope and I think most of us can acknowledge that it's a ridiculous one). It takes Cesare a little longer, but by the end of the book, he's realized his feelings with only a little verbal abuse followed by a satisfying amount of groveling.
Since this was a library read, I always ask myself after I'm done... Would I buy it? Hmmm... Maybe. I could read it again someday, but probably only because I forgot I'd read it in the first place. It was a pretty satisfying read and I was never too annoyed by the MCs -- and with an HP, that's usually all I can ask. Still, if I picked it up again, it will more than likely be because I've forgotten I read it in the first place -- not necessarily a bad thing (I get so much more mileage out of the books I own that way) but also not necessarily indicative that the book was particularly memorable (so few Harleys are though).
To get some land back into his family, he sets out to marry Lizzie, a poorer-than-dirt English girl, and offers her money in return. In a refreshing twist, he tells her from the start that he wants to marry her for the land, instead of lying to her, which was nice and created its own drama, since as the story progresses, Lizzie tries to determine if he wants her for the land or if he might ever truly love her. We actually get cameos from both of the major love interests in Lizzie's (her ex brings a decided lack of drama, considering the pretty shitty way he dumped her) and Cesare's (his ex makes up for all the drama we didn't get from Lizzie's ex and then brings some more) lives. Of course, because this is HP, Lizzie realizes around the time she and Cesare decide to go from a "business" marriage to a "real" (read: sexual) one, that she loves him and no FMC in the HP universe can enjoy sex without love (of course if they could, this wouldn't be a romance novel with an HEA, but we all know the trope and I think most of us can acknowledge that it's a ridiculous one). It takes Cesare a little longer, but by the end of the book, he's realized his feelings with only a little verbal abuse followed by a satisfying amount of groveling.
Since this was a library read, I always ask myself after I'm done... Would I buy it? Hmmm... Maybe. I could read it again someday, but probably only because I forgot I'd read it in the first place. It was a pretty satisfying read and I was never too annoyed by the MCs -- and with an HP, that's usually all I can ask. Still, if I picked it up again, it will more than likely be because I've forgotten I read it in the first place -- not necessarily a bad thing (I get so much more mileage out of the books I own that way) but also not necessarily indicative that the book was particularly memorable (so few Harleys are though).
March 24, 2015
The Billionaire’s Bridal Bargain by Lynne Graham was a marriage of convenience romance which I personally think Lynne Graham does best.
Cesare is an alpha sexy hero who needs to buy the heroine’s island for his grandmother who wants to go back to her family home before she dies. The island was left to Lizzie’s family from her mother and even though her family is neck deep in debt, they can’t sell the same because of a water tight contract which needs a marriage and pregnancy. Lizzie must agree to a marriage of convenience and to have Cesare’s heir in exchange for financial security.
Lizzie and Cesare come together in unusual circumstances and slowly fall in love with each other. This was not an easy task because they two were really different people.Lizzie was a hardworking tenant farmer who was the sole breadwinner for the family. She was trying to keep her sister, Christie in Oxford and keep her insensitive and ill father sane. Cesare did not believe in love because of a previous incident in his past. Their romance was passionate and emotional and I was hooked throughout.
This story was a little different from the other marriage of convenience I have read from this author in terms of the storyline. The story was well written with a good flow and had a great character development .Not much angst and conflicts in comparison to her earlier reads like Bond of Hatred but still enjoyable because of the writing.
A must read for all the Lynne Graham’s fans out there!
Cesare is an alpha sexy hero who needs to buy the heroine’s island for his grandmother who wants to go back to her family home before she dies. The island was left to Lizzie’s family from her mother and even though her family is neck deep in debt, they can’t sell the same because of a water tight contract which needs a marriage and pregnancy. Lizzie must agree to a marriage of convenience and to have Cesare’s heir in exchange for financial security.
Lizzie and Cesare come together in unusual circumstances and slowly fall in love with each other. This was not an easy task because they two were really different people.Lizzie was a hardworking tenant farmer who was the sole breadwinner for the family. She was trying to keep her sister, Christie in Oxford and keep her insensitive and ill father sane. Cesare did not believe in love because of a previous incident in his past. Their romance was passionate and emotional and I was hooked throughout.
This story was a little different from the other marriage of convenience I have read from this author in terms of the storyline. The story was well written with a good flow and had a great character development .Not much angst and conflicts in comparison to her earlier reads like Bond of Hatred but still enjoyable because of the writing.
A must read for all the Lynne Graham’s fans out there!
March 11, 2015
THe Billionaire's Bridal Bargain is a marriage of convenience romance. LG has done this trope many times unfortunately those older MOC books are much better than this.
What made this an ok read- it felt so tame. It felt like something was missing, a dark edginess was absent and made the story not so compelling; the heroine expecting more from the hero knowing this was a MOC and a love match; I wasn't so impressed with the hero groveling as this was a MOC.
What I did like- the heroine. She was classy and likeable; the hero. He was ruthless about getting what he wanted; The epilogue was lovely.
Wish the execution of this marriage of convenience was better. Showing the hero and heroine falling in love not just in lust and not having the hero apologize for fighting his feelings would have been a better way to execute a marriage of convenience romance.
What made this an ok read- it felt so tame. It felt like something was missing, a dark edginess was absent and made the story not so compelling; the heroine expecting more from the hero knowing this was a MOC and a love match; I wasn't so impressed with the hero groveling as this was a MOC.
What I did like- the heroine. She was classy and likeable; the hero. He was ruthless about getting what he wanted; The epilogue was lovely.
Wish the execution of this marriage of convenience was better. Showing the hero and heroine falling in love not just in lust and not having the hero apologize for fighting his feelings would have been a better way to execute a marriage of convenience romance.
March 27, 2015
Unfortunately for me this Cesere didn't even come close to the unforgettable Cesares of A Savage Betrayal & The Spanish Groom. And I was so hoping he would top them.
This Cesare, the heroine and the whole book were just OK, a nice but unremarkable read.
Pity.
This Cesare, the heroine and the whole book were just OK, a nice but unremarkable read.
Pity.
December 20, 2017
3.5 stars. I liked Archie . H tries to win points through Archie.
March 21, 2015
4.5 stars
Plot spoilers ahead. You've been warned.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and felt myself really glued to the pages of the book to the point that I was whipping through them. I just got through this book so fast because I was so into and wanting to see what happened between Cesare and Lizzie along the way. I was shocked how fast I finished this. And it wasn't that I was bored with it or just skimming through so I could just get through it. No, I was very much into the action and engrossed in Cesare and Lizzie's love story. There was just something about it, something special that made me feel entrenched in the action.
There were many reasons that I was engrossed in the book and found it all consuming. One of the reason I think was that was a fresh spin on an age old Harlequin Presents theme that has been done a million times before and probably will be done many more times in the future because it's such a popular. This one was the old marriage of convenience theme with each party wanting something that can only be accomplished by a marriage. In this case, Cesare needed to meet the terms of Lizzie's family will in order to gain ownership back of an island that his family once previously owned with the motivating of factor of why he was even considering marriage and having a baby with Lizzie, as the terms of the will, was because that was the place where his grandmother grew up and had a special place in her heart. His grandmother was having health issues and refused to go through treatment unless she had something to look forward to aka going back to the island once more. So that was the sole reason for Ceasare's part in the whole marriage of convenience. While on Lizzie's part, it was the fact that Ceasre would give her money to help out her family, mainly the family farm, and her sister Chrissie as well as her father, which was severely destitute and would be on the verge of loosing everything without that money. So the deal was stuck and set into motion.
Now, you are probably asking yourself where was the twist because that sounds like many familiar plots that have taken place over the years? Where is that part that I was speaking of? Well, it was a twist, but more it was fresh way of looking at things I thought in this case. Ceasare and Lizzie both put all their cards on the table and knew what the benefits of their marriage would in fact be and how it would met their goals in the end. But what I thought of the fresh way of looking at was that it was done with completely honest and nothing really hidden or any hidden agenda behind it. It was just everything out in the open, and I really liked. Their eyes were completely opened and they accepted the reality that was presented for each of them. Now usually in Presents stories with this type of theme, there would be something hidden or some of kind sneakiness that would be hidden from one of the parties, not knowing all the information. It's atypical and usually when the whole truth comes out there are hurt feelings involved as well as feeling of betrayal at this secret.
Now in this case, from read the back blurb, I believed that Ceasare would have hidden the term about her needing to conceive his heir before he got the island and the deal would be set. I thought he would keep it to himself then set out to seduce her outright, making her believe that he truly wanted her for himself and he couldn't help himself, which in reality he couldn't and was very much true. Then I believed she would find out about the terms then be hurt by them and start to question why he wanted her and why seduced or if he even wanted or was he more concerned about fulfilling the terms of the will and not about her. And just her going back and forth of whether she could trust her feelings for him or trust his feeling in her. I believed that would a sense of contention as well as the main source of conflict with lots of angst and raw emotions ensuing from there, and just whole back and forth aspect. That was what I was expected.
Well that didn't happen, and again there was complete honest on both their sides about their deal, which did take me back a minute but then I found myself liking it and enjoy that spin on a common theme. Their relationship began in honest, which is very rare for Harlequin Presents, but I liked the change and found it refreshing. It made me believe early that their relationship was going to work no matter what. I didn't know where the conflict was going to come from, but I liked that honest was a key early on in their relationship.
I was kind of surprised that I like the whole disclosure thing as much as I did because whenever lying is involved in the book, it automatically heightens the emotions around the couple as well as heightens the stakes when it comes to the future of their relationship and whether they would get their happily ever after all. All angst and raw emotions that I crave from romance novels and live for and think that it makes a story so much more interesting and dynamic as well as this will they/ won't they kind of vibe. I love that. It what I live for, and usually if I don't get that then I feel that it's less exciting and enjoyable to read. Less interesting.
But in the case, nothing could be further from the truth because there was still tension there and a tad bit of angst near the end, but despite that I still enjoyed it and found it exciting and very interesting. I really enjoyed watching their love story unfold on the pages, and found myself glued to the action with the byplay between the two. It was just a really nice change, and was really handled very well as a marriage of convenience story so that was great as well.
Even though there was that little fresh twist to the story with the honest bit, it very much had the same elements of beloved Presents stories that I have read in the past that makes a story interesting. With many marriage of convenience stories, the couple vows never to get emotionally involved with one another and keep their marriage as a complete business arrangement with no loving feelings and definitely no sex even if they are wildly attracted to one another even especially if they are. As I know from reading many of these types of story that business arrangement never goes to plan.
And with the Cesare and Lizzie relationship that was very much the same as well with lots of push and pull of should they kiss or be intimate because they deeply desire one another despite they vowed to keep their relationship completely professional. That didn't work. They had a hard time keeping their hands off of each other and wanted that physical intimacy with one another. Because there attraction was very much presented despite knowing they shouldn't. It was a fun cat and mouse game that was played out between them. Lots of denials going on, but finally they gave into it and decided to try for a baby the old fashion way.
And after that build up of lovely tension that was so fun to watch, it finally got released and their limbs were entwined with one another as they enjoyed passion in each others arms. Now, can I say that Ceasare and Lizzie were the hottest couple I've read, or had the steamiest scenes I've ever read in these book? No. I've read hotter stories to say the least, but it was still enjoyable to watch them play out on the page as well as see that emotion connection and bond between them grow as they became more and more physically intimate. That was joy to see, and the scenes were sweet, tender, and definitely passionate. Plus those love scenes really just worked for their relationship and naturally flowed, which I really liked seeing. None of it felt contrived or unrealistic and just seemed like a natural progression in their relationship. So that was really good.
What was disappointed with in the love scenes was there were only two theme in full descriptive detail with one of them just being a foreplay scene while the other was the full blown first night wedding love making scene where she looses her virginity to Ceasare. I could have stand to see one, possible two, more scenes in the book with a passionate interlude, and just more of the intimacy between the two and how it was growing more and more with each passing time they were together. I just could have used one more scene after all that denial and sexual tension that was going on, I thought I would see at least one more scene happening, but it didn't make or break the fact that I liked this book. It's just my personal preference.
Also another driving force of why I liked the book so much were the characters of both Lizzie and Cesare. I enjoyed and really liked them both. They felt very much alive to me, and very three dimensional. I felt for both of them, and I wanted them to get their happily ever after with one another because they both deserved it and deserved the love of one another and having the love being so much apart of their daily lives.
Lizzie was this loyal, smart, and hard working woman that just wanted to do right by her family and would agree to do anything to make their lives be less stressful even marry and have a child with an unknown stranger. A stranger that she was attracted to but believed was completely of her league because they were worlds apart. And was completely selfless. Yes, she wanted a baby of her own and knew this marriage was a way of accomplishing that, but other than that she never really asked anything for herself or want anything like Ceasare's money. It was never about that for her. Lizzie was also tough and very protective of her sister, taking on the motherly role when her mother died. Not that she was much of mother with Lizzie's mother going from unhealthy relationship to unhealthy relationship with one of the relationships being abusive, but protected herself and her sister from those violent outburst by running. Then when her mother died and Lizzie came back with her father, all she heard from him that she was nothing, that she kept making mistake after mistake, that he wanted a son and not a daughter, and just treating her like crap while she was working her butt off to keep the family farm afloat while her dad unable to do so because of his disability. He even faulted her from not marrying her fiancé, who she was never in love with and never had passionate towards him. Plus her fiancé cheated on her and got another girl pregnant and quickly that ended their relationship so she just through her life into work. When she felt insecure and unworthy, feeling that she was a nothing. So she got a lot a going on before she even met Cesare, but kept her loyalty to her family and showed her strength and selflessness along the way. And I really loved that about her. I wanted to see her succeed and find love with Ceasare as well as passion with him even though she was a little frightened of it the beginning. She was no simpering wallflower to say the least, but her feeling could be hurt as well her heart, though she tried to keep it hidden and keep pushing through. I liked seeing that strength in her. I rooted for her the entire time. How could I not?
Ceasare was very much an alpha male in this story driven by business and nothing more. He did have a high sex drive as most alphas due, and once he met Lizzie for the first time, he was done and it was all about her. He couldn't even think about bedding anyone but her, as is a trait of other alpha males, but he admitted earlier on than others I have read in the past. Also he wasn't an utter jerk for a majority of the book. He was actual kind and caring towards Lizzie despite the fact that he was in fact using her to gain possession of the island for his family, but he never pretended that he wasn't after the island in the first place. His honest was very refreshing, and I could tell as much as he wanted Lizzie, he didn't want to hurt her either, and when he did guilt and remorse filled him when he did. He was just trying to do the right thing and nothing more. Plus I loved his love for his family like I loved Lizzie love for her family. He was very loyal to them even if he was a little emotionally distant after the woman that he loved married a man that was rich unlike Cesare at the time who wasn't. He was very likable during the entire story, and really there wasn't one time that I didn't want to bop him on the head for stupidity. He did what he thought was best and did the best he could and only did what he knew. I really enjoyed him as a character and thought he fit Lizzie really well, making the perfect puzzle ever. They meshed really well. They were just meant to be.
The character that I thought was a piece of work was his ex, Serephina. She had some nerve let me tell you. I disliked the woman as soon as Cesare mentioned her. She was the epitome of a gold digger that claimed she loved Cesare when in reality she really couldn't have while Lizzie selfless did. Serephina was the one character I wanted to slap, but she did make the story more interesting and upped the emotional stakes in Cesare and Lizzie's relationship.
Kind of wished more done with her father especially all the pain he caused her, but he kind of faded off into the sunset after their wedding, which a good thing for Lizzie's sake, but I would have liked to have seen her confront him or even Cesare, but it didn't. It didn't make or break the story, it was just something I wanted to see especially after the rotten way he treated her along the way. I wanted to see Lizzie's strength there.
The romance was handled really well, I thought. It was developed at a nice pace as well as a believable one. Even thought they were instantly attracted to one another, they didn't just hop into bed together right there or shortly there after. It took some time. They got to know each other a bit more before carrying on to that stepped. Of coarse, their originally plan was to keep this business related, but even still just the way they handled their whole relationship was with honest and with maturity that promised a bright future for them as a couple. I really loved how they showed they cared for one another even in non-sexual ways. They became friends of sort. They definitely weren't enemies, and it was nice to see that progression as well as what the emotional stakes were as they carried on their relationship. And it was very high near the middle with feelings having developed deeper than just the sexual chemistry they had. They had a connection and bond, and I enjoyed seeing that played out. It was nice to see their flow and strength as they came together as a couple. And I believed by books end, and I could see, that they were completely and utterly in love with one another with neither wanting a business marriage any longer. They needed and wanted each other in order to have happy and fulfilling lives.
Overall this was just a really great love story between Cesare and Lizzie. Even though this was atypical marriage of convenience story it felt different and new with everything being presented out in the open for both to see and going into their marriage with their eyes wide opened. It just made fresh and interesting. It certainly kept me glued to the pages. I couldn't believe how quickly I finished the story. But I couldn't stop reading it. The characters were great. The love story was great and believable. The pacing was nice as was the relationship development. Nothing felt rushed or unbelievable. It just felt nice and very, very real. Ceasare and Lizzie were very real people to me. That made the story great. Her issues with self-worth came into play to up the tension not only within herself but in their relationship as well. The ex came and dealt some tension in their relationship upping the stakes and causing problems being them. The whole story really came together well and felt very organic.
I wasn't anticipating liking this book as much as I did because as of late it has been a little iffy with Lynne Graham books, but this one was definitely a winner, and hope that more of her books are like this one instead of some others that I found disappointing. I'm kind of intrigued about Chrissie's story, which will be out next month, since she was presented as a character here and I enjoyed her and want to know more about her and her story especially after reading the synopsis for her story. It sounds like doozy, which I can't quite match to lovely teen that she was here so I will have to wait and see. Hopefully that story is as good as this one. Because this one was a thumbs up in my eyes.
Plot spoilers ahead. You've been warned.
I really, really enjoyed this book, and felt myself really glued to the pages of the book to the point that I was whipping through them. I just got through this book so fast because I was so into and wanting to see what happened between Cesare and Lizzie along the way. I was shocked how fast I finished this. And it wasn't that I was bored with it or just skimming through so I could just get through it. No, I was very much into the action and engrossed in Cesare and Lizzie's love story. There was just something about it, something special that made me feel entrenched in the action.
There were many reasons that I was engrossed in the book and found it all consuming. One of the reason I think was that was a fresh spin on an age old Harlequin Presents theme that has been done a million times before and probably will be done many more times in the future because it's such a popular. This one was the old marriage of convenience theme with each party wanting something that can only be accomplished by a marriage. In this case, Cesare needed to meet the terms of Lizzie's family will in order to gain ownership back of an island that his family once previously owned with the motivating of factor of why he was even considering marriage and having a baby with Lizzie, as the terms of the will, was because that was the place where his grandmother grew up and had a special place in her heart. His grandmother was having health issues and refused to go through treatment unless she had something to look forward to aka going back to the island once more. So that was the sole reason for Ceasare's part in the whole marriage of convenience. While on Lizzie's part, it was the fact that Ceasre would give her money to help out her family, mainly the family farm, and her sister Chrissie as well as her father, which was severely destitute and would be on the verge of loosing everything without that money. So the deal was stuck and set into motion.
Now, you are probably asking yourself where was the twist because that sounds like many familiar plots that have taken place over the years? Where is that part that I was speaking of? Well, it was a twist, but more it was fresh way of looking at things I thought in this case. Ceasare and Lizzie both put all their cards on the table and knew what the benefits of their marriage would in fact be and how it would met their goals in the end. But what I thought of the fresh way of looking at was that it was done with completely honest and nothing really hidden or any hidden agenda behind it. It was just everything out in the open, and I really liked. Their eyes were completely opened and they accepted the reality that was presented for each of them. Now usually in Presents stories with this type of theme, there would be something hidden or some of kind sneakiness that would be hidden from one of the parties, not knowing all the information. It's atypical and usually when the whole truth comes out there are hurt feelings involved as well as feeling of betrayal at this secret.
Now in this case, from read the back blurb, I believed that Ceasare would have hidden the term about her needing to conceive his heir before he got the island and the deal would be set. I thought he would keep it to himself then set out to seduce her outright, making her believe that he truly wanted her for himself and he couldn't help himself, which in reality he couldn't and was very much true. Then I believed she would find out about the terms then be hurt by them and start to question why he wanted her and why seduced or if he even wanted or was he more concerned about fulfilling the terms of the will and not about her. And just her going back and forth of whether she could trust her feelings for him or trust his feeling in her. I believed that would a sense of contention as well as the main source of conflict with lots of angst and raw emotions ensuing from there, and just whole back and forth aspect. That was what I was expected.
Well that didn't happen, and again there was complete honest on both their sides about their deal, which did take me back a minute but then I found myself liking it and enjoy that spin on a common theme. Their relationship began in honest, which is very rare for Harlequin Presents, but I liked the change and found it refreshing. It made me believe early that their relationship was going to work no matter what. I didn't know where the conflict was going to come from, but I liked that honest was a key early on in their relationship.
I was kind of surprised that I like the whole disclosure thing as much as I did because whenever lying is involved in the book, it automatically heightens the emotions around the couple as well as heightens the stakes when it comes to the future of their relationship and whether they would get their happily ever after all. All angst and raw emotions that I crave from romance novels and live for and think that it makes a story so much more interesting and dynamic as well as this will they/ won't they kind of vibe. I love that. It what I live for, and usually if I don't get that then I feel that it's less exciting and enjoyable to read. Less interesting.
But in the case, nothing could be further from the truth because there was still tension there and a tad bit of angst near the end, but despite that I still enjoyed it and found it exciting and very interesting. I really enjoyed watching their love story unfold on the pages, and found myself glued to the action with the byplay between the two. It was just a really nice change, and was really handled very well as a marriage of convenience story so that was great as well.
Even though there was that little fresh twist to the story with the honest bit, it very much had the same elements of beloved Presents stories that I have read in the past that makes a story interesting. With many marriage of convenience stories, the couple vows never to get emotionally involved with one another and keep their marriage as a complete business arrangement with no loving feelings and definitely no sex even if they are wildly attracted to one another even especially if they are. As I know from reading many of these types of story that business arrangement never goes to plan.
And with the Cesare and Lizzie relationship that was very much the same as well with lots of push and pull of should they kiss or be intimate because they deeply desire one another despite they vowed to keep their relationship completely professional. That didn't work. They had a hard time keeping their hands off of each other and wanted that physical intimacy with one another. Because there attraction was very much presented despite knowing they shouldn't. It was a fun cat and mouse game that was played out between them. Lots of denials going on, but finally they gave into it and decided to try for a baby the old fashion way.
And after that build up of lovely tension that was so fun to watch, it finally got released and their limbs were entwined with one another as they enjoyed passion in each others arms. Now, can I say that Ceasare and Lizzie were the hottest couple I've read, or had the steamiest scenes I've ever read in these book? No. I've read hotter stories to say the least, but it was still enjoyable to watch them play out on the page as well as see that emotion connection and bond between them grow as they became more and more physically intimate. That was joy to see, and the scenes were sweet, tender, and definitely passionate. Plus those love scenes really just worked for their relationship and naturally flowed, which I really liked seeing. None of it felt contrived or unrealistic and just seemed like a natural progression in their relationship. So that was really good.
What was disappointed with in the love scenes was there were only two theme in full descriptive detail with one of them just being a foreplay scene while the other was the full blown first night wedding love making scene where she looses her virginity to Ceasare. I could have stand to see one, possible two, more scenes in the book with a passionate interlude, and just more of the intimacy between the two and how it was growing more and more with each passing time they were together. I just could have used one more scene after all that denial and sexual tension that was going on, I thought I would see at least one more scene happening, but it didn't make or break the fact that I liked this book. It's just my personal preference.
Also another driving force of why I liked the book so much were the characters of both Lizzie and Cesare. I enjoyed and really liked them both. They felt very much alive to me, and very three dimensional. I felt for both of them, and I wanted them to get their happily ever after with one another because they both deserved it and deserved the love of one another and having the love being so much apart of their daily lives.
Lizzie was this loyal, smart, and hard working woman that just wanted to do right by her family and would agree to do anything to make their lives be less stressful even marry and have a child with an unknown stranger. A stranger that she was attracted to but believed was completely of her league because they were worlds apart. And was completely selfless. Yes, she wanted a baby of her own and knew this marriage was a way of accomplishing that, but other than that she never really asked anything for herself or want anything like Ceasare's money. It was never about that for her. Lizzie was also tough and very protective of her sister, taking on the motherly role when her mother died. Not that she was much of mother with Lizzie's mother going from unhealthy relationship to unhealthy relationship with one of the relationships being abusive, but protected herself and her sister from those violent outburst by running. Then when her mother died and Lizzie came back with her father, all she heard from him that she was nothing, that she kept making mistake after mistake, that he wanted a son and not a daughter, and just treating her like crap while she was working her butt off to keep the family farm afloat while her dad unable to do so because of his disability. He even faulted her from not marrying her fiancé, who she was never in love with and never had passionate towards him. Plus her fiancé cheated on her and got another girl pregnant and quickly that ended their relationship so she just through her life into work. When she felt insecure and unworthy, feeling that she was a nothing. So she got a lot a going on before she even met Cesare, but kept her loyalty to her family and showed her strength and selflessness along the way. And I really loved that about her. I wanted to see her succeed and find love with Ceasare as well as passion with him even though she was a little frightened of it the beginning. She was no simpering wallflower to say the least, but her feeling could be hurt as well her heart, though she tried to keep it hidden and keep pushing through. I liked seeing that strength in her. I rooted for her the entire time. How could I not?
Ceasare was very much an alpha male in this story driven by business and nothing more. He did have a high sex drive as most alphas due, and once he met Lizzie for the first time, he was done and it was all about her. He couldn't even think about bedding anyone but her, as is a trait of other alpha males, but he admitted earlier on than others I have read in the past. Also he wasn't an utter jerk for a majority of the book. He was actual kind and caring towards Lizzie despite the fact that he was in fact using her to gain possession of the island for his family, but he never pretended that he wasn't after the island in the first place. His honest was very refreshing, and I could tell as much as he wanted Lizzie, he didn't want to hurt her either, and when he did guilt and remorse filled him when he did. He was just trying to do the right thing and nothing more. Plus I loved his love for his family like I loved Lizzie love for her family. He was very loyal to them even if he was a little emotionally distant after the woman that he loved married a man that was rich unlike Cesare at the time who wasn't. He was very likable during the entire story, and really there wasn't one time that I didn't want to bop him on the head for stupidity. He did what he thought was best and did the best he could and only did what he knew. I really enjoyed him as a character and thought he fit Lizzie really well, making the perfect puzzle ever. They meshed really well. They were just meant to be.
The character that I thought was a piece of work was his ex, Serephina. She had some nerve let me tell you. I disliked the woman as soon as Cesare mentioned her. She was the epitome of a gold digger that claimed she loved Cesare when in reality she really couldn't have while Lizzie selfless did. Serephina was the one character I wanted to slap, but she did make the story more interesting and upped the emotional stakes in Cesare and Lizzie's relationship.
Kind of wished more done with her father especially all the pain he caused her, but he kind of faded off into the sunset after their wedding, which a good thing for Lizzie's sake, but I would have liked to have seen her confront him or even Cesare, but it didn't. It didn't make or break the story, it was just something I wanted to see especially after the rotten way he treated her along the way. I wanted to see Lizzie's strength there.
The romance was handled really well, I thought. It was developed at a nice pace as well as a believable one. Even thought they were instantly attracted to one another, they didn't just hop into bed together right there or shortly there after. It took some time. They got to know each other a bit more before carrying on to that stepped. Of coarse, their originally plan was to keep this business related, but even still just the way they handled their whole relationship was with honest and with maturity that promised a bright future for them as a couple. I really loved how they showed they cared for one another even in non-sexual ways. They became friends of sort. They definitely weren't enemies, and it was nice to see that progression as well as what the emotional stakes were as they carried on their relationship. And it was very high near the middle with feelings having developed deeper than just the sexual chemistry they had. They had a connection and bond, and I enjoyed seeing that played out. It was nice to see their flow and strength as they came together as a couple. And I believed by books end, and I could see, that they were completely and utterly in love with one another with neither wanting a business marriage any longer. They needed and wanted each other in order to have happy and fulfilling lives.
Overall this was just a really great love story between Cesare and Lizzie. Even though this was atypical marriage of convenience story it felt different and new with everything being presented out in the open for both to see and going into their marriage with their eyes wide opened. It just made fresh and interesting. It certainly kept me glued to the pages. I couldn't believe how quickly I finished the story. But I couldn't stop reading it. The characters were great. The love story was great and believable. The pacing was nice as was the relationship development. Nothing felt rushed or unbelievable. It just felt nice and very, very real. Ceasare and Lizzie were very real people to me. That made the story great. Her issues with self-worth came into play to up the tension not only within herself but in their relationship as well. The ex came and dealt some tension in their relationship upping the stakes and causing problems being them. The whole story really came together well and felt very organic.
I wasn't anticipating liking this book as much as I did because as of late it has been a little iffy with Lynne Graham books, but this one was definitely a winner, and hope that more of her books are like this one instead of some others that I found disappointing. I'm kind of intrigued about Chrissie's story, which will be out next month, since she was presented as a character here and I enjoyed her and want to know more about her and her story especially after reading the synopsis for her story. It sounds like doozy, which I can't quite match to lovely teen that she was here so I will have to wait and see. Hopefully that story is as good as this one. Because this one was a thumbs up in my eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2022
Not my favorite Lynne Graham.
3 stars for Archie, the dog
3 stars for Archie, the dog
April 10, 2017
Es una buena historia. Particularmente me parece que si bien la química entre los dos personajes no comienza a rotar hasta más o menos la mitad del libro, tiene un justificante lo suficientemente estable como para no considerarlo como un punto negativo. Por Dios, la mujer está como yendo al matadero y Cesare lo siente de la misma manera.
No hay un click inicial cuando se conocen los dos personajes. De parte de Cesare incluso, hay una aguda observación en la que dice que solo tres cosas salva de Lizzie, que por lo demás es simple y corriente. Típico comentario de alguien arrogante, snob. Y lo es, un macho arrogante italiano que cree que tiene el mundo a los pies. Un personaje muy del estilo de la señora Graham.
Me gustó mucho cómo lo llevó de la mitad para adelante, desde el instante en que ya se ven casados irremediablemente y con la intención de tener un bebé para que sea quien tuviera el control de la isla. Porque recordemos que este matrimonio no fue pactado, no es deseado, ni siquiera es por una deuda pendiente, ¡Es por caridad!
Incluso hay escenas que le aportan la parte de la comedia, como la del helicóptero aterrizando en los campos, o la posterior pregunta de Cesare sobre su orientación sexual porque no se termina de creer que haya una mujer en el mundo que no lo encuentre deseable.
Ya para llegar al final, vemos una relación más establecida en la que comienza a surgir los problemas de la aparición de la amante.
Me parece que es un buen libro en el que la autora da vistazos de coger otros temas alrededor de la trama. Como siempre, como todos los libros de Lynne Graham es altamente recomendado.
No hay un click inicial cuando se conocen los dos personajes. De parte de Cesare incluso, hay una aguda observación en la que dice que solo tres cosas salva de Lizzie, que por lo demás es simple y corriente. Típico comentario de alguien arrogante, snob. Y lo es, un macho arrogante italiano que cree que tiene el mundo a los pies. Un personaje muy del estilo de la señora Graham.
Me gustó mucho cómo lo llevó de la mitad para adelante, desde el instante en que ya se ven casados irremediablemente y con la intención de tener un bebé para que sea quien tuviera el control de la isla. Porque recordemos que este matrimonio no fue pactado, no es deseado, ni siquiera es por una deuda pendiente, ¡Es por caridad!
Incluso hay escenas que le aportan la parte de la comedia, como la del helicóptero aterrizando en los campos, o la posterior pregunta de Cesare sobre su orientación sexual porque no se termina de creer que haya una mujer en el mundo que no lo encuentre deseable.
Ya para llegar al final, vemos una relación más establecida en la que comienza a surgir los problemas de la aparición de la amante.
Me parece que es un buen libro en el que la autora da vistazos de coger otros temas alrededor de la trama. Como siempre, como todos los libros de Lynne Graham es altamente recomendado.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2015
I have been on a bit of a reading binge for HP books lately and I owe a LOT of reviews. I spent several years reading Urban Fantasy and Dark Fantasy with no break in genre and sort of burned myself out so I am trying to take a break so that I don't unfairly review a book because of my burn out. I received an early release copy of The Billionaire's Bridal Bargain and I have to say I really liked it. I enjoyed meeting Lizzie and thought she had a great back story. She was strong, independent and worked really hard. She also persevered in the face of a seriously negative father who needed her support but gave her none. I liked that she was bruised but never broken. Cesare was a pretty good man for her to meet. Pretty buttoned up like most of the HP men we meet in the books but, overall a good guy. My favorite scene in this book is when they first meet and she is trying to understand the pronunciation of his name. It was hilarious. I found myself thinking about "country folks" across the world. Here in the U.S. we have a certain image of country farmers, especially those in the south and we expect a heavy country accent from them. I got the same impression that even though they were in the U.K. the "country folks" have a deeper accent also with a different twang but a British sounding one. The Billionaire's Bridal Bargain had a great romance, a good story and a nice plot. Of course, Lynne Graham is a great author so that is to be expected.
April 9, 2016
Graham writes this novel well written, approachable style. She develops a flawless plot that takes marriage of convenience to an entirely new level. Unfortunately, there are times that this new level makes parts of the story unrelatable for the reader. Don’t get me wrong. I quite enjoyed what Graham did with the story. It was a good, quick, light read that allowed me to escape from reality for a short while.
Graham creates characters that you can connect with, even if you can’t necessarily identify with their lives. I mean, in all honesty, these characters lead lives that are so far above and beyond anything most of us will ever attain that their troubles seem absolutely asinine at times. That said, Graham does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to her reader in a way that allows us to invest in them and really want to know what happens to them. Unfortunately, this disconnect (and the times where I turned to one of the characters and just had to ask ‘why?’) made it difficult for me to fully invest in this story.
As a whole, this was an enjoyable marriage of convenience romance. Graham invites readers into a world where the everyday reality is something many of us would never dream of and provides characters that definitely fit the bill for it.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Graham creates characters that you can connect with, even if you can’t necessarily identify with their lives. I mean, in all honesty, these characters lead lives that are so far above and beyond anything most of us will ever attain that their troubles seem absolutely asinine at times. That said, Graham does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to her reader in a way that allows us to invest in them and really want to know what happens to them. Unfortunately, this disconnect (and the times where I turned to one of the characters and just had to ask ‘why?’) made it difficult for me to fully invest in this story.
As a whole, this was an enjoyable marriage of convenience romance. Graham invites readers into a world where the everyday reality is something many of us would never dream of and provides characters that definitely fit the bill for it.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
June 8, 2016
Gostei da heroína!
June 8, 2016
This book was just so stupid. Like why???
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