Dulce combate

Call of Duty #4

by Maisey Yates

Él había encontrado la horma de su zapato

Victoria Calder tenía la oportunidad de reparar el error que había cometido doce años atrás; un error que le costó la empresa de su padre. Y, si esa oportunidad implicaba luchar contra Dimitri Markin, estaba dispuesta a hacerlo y a ponerse un anillo de compromiso.

Pero a Dimitri le gustaba ganar. Era un maestro de artes marciales que había dejado los combates para dedicarse a una vida de placeres. Y, cuando Victoria Calder le propuso un matrimonio de conveniencia, él pensó que no se lo concedería sin sacar algo a cambio. Si se casaban, sería suya en todos los sentidos.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Presents, Harlequin, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Marriage Of Convenience

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2015

About the author

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.

She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.

Reviews

[Vashti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story started out slow but picked up in the middle when the H/h had more interaction with each other.Loved the fact that the hero was an ex MMA fighter and tattooed ,this is a first for an hp I believe. The heroine was to brittle for my liking,but she grew on me.Sexual tension high with some bondage thrown in to the mix.MY really knows how to write the tortured hero.Good read for the MY fan.

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 2023 and stilled a five star.

Reread.

This was just what I was in the mood for. Full of emotion, angst and two strong characters that fall in love.

Alpha hero, strong heroine (with a soft hear).

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like kick-ass heroines but Victoria Calder was such a cold and sarcastic character that made her totally not endearing to me.
The first time she meets the hero…

“Do you own a shirt, Mr Markin?” She looked him up and down, doing her best to keep her expression disinterested. “Because I have yet to see evidence of it.”
“I do, but I don’t always see occasion to wear one. Doest it bother you?”
“Not at all. I was merely concerned. You are a billionaire, so obviously I assumed you were more than able to cover the expenses in your life. But if not, I’m happy to take up a collection. Charity is after all my area of expertise.”

I was like….

So, the hero, Dimitri Markin, Russian tattooed ex MMA fighter or martial arts fighter..couldn’t quite figure out what he was exactly..now is a billionaire who needs to be accepted by society so he can do his charity work. I was quite so so about this hero…I prefer my Mills & Boon’s heroes to be sophisticated guys…yes, I am shallow, and I admit….but saying that, I prefer him to icy Victoria. At least he had some heart!!!!

Okay, Victoria needs to get her family’s company back to her father…the only problem is Dimitri owns it. She makes him an offer….she will get him an introduction into society, even marry him temporarily …yes, she comes from a society family……and in return, he gives her back her father’s company!!!

Now, if it was me…..I would tell her to take a hike!!!! Why would he want to do anything for someone so unlikable and snotty is beyond me!!!!

But old Dimitri is smitten by this high class woman and he finds her quite a turn-on…so why not???

The usual traumatic childhood, fighting off attraction, misunderstandings…and even a bit of bondage…which I found to be somewhat forced and made no sense to me in adding anything to what would make these two characters actually get together.

I have read some really awesome books by this author but also some that kind of missed the mark for me…and this one is one of those.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a great time with this. In a lot of ways, this reminded me of romance books I read in the 90s... it definitely has the manwhore hero and the virginal heroine. Thankfully, his past lovers are never thrown in our faces.

And she stands up for herself. Even when he cruelly breaks up with her in the third act, she is strong and fights with him well for herself. She doesn't let herself be cheapened. And he does a good job at making sure she's consenting.

I like that they both share very intimate things with each other and grow in vulnerability.

I even cried a little.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heroine was too cold and hard but I liked her better towards the end. Also the fact that at 16 she had a relationship with her father's married co-worker felt icky. Also as usually in a MY book there was no epilogue! Still it was an intense read and the last few chapters were enjoyable. It was ok I guess. As a big fan of Maisey Yates I was disappointed.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if they talked too much as every MY’s MCs, it was nice telling of the same old story.

[Rgreader · Rating 1 out of 5]

His Diamond of Convenience has a hero with an unique history, he was a MMA fighter. I had high hopes the story would be compelling with that background. Unfortunately it was bland. The romance was bland. I tried to finish but was so underwhelmed I gave up.

[Daisy Daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I half remember this h from her appearance in one of the previous books. This one is probably the best of the Call of Duty books I found them not the finest work of the author.

The H in this one is tortured I had all the feels for him even though his decision making hasn't always being the best. I liked his drive and determination and his attitude towards women.

Our h is less likable in some ways as she is clearly a Pollyanna type trapped in a socialites body. Shes beautiful but tortured because of her dumb dad and a mistake she made as a teen and has been trying to make up for it ever since. If she weren't rich in her own right you could almost believe she was a goldigger.

I liked her spine of steel at the end though when she wasn't willing to settle for less than she deserved well done h and your lil show of backbone!

H's grovel was ok too.

[Caro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maisey Yates no es de mis autoras preferidas pero siempre leo alguna si no tengo algo mejor.
Y eso es porque sus heroínas me aburren/enferman/desesperan/hinchanloshuevos y siento que los héroes quedan relegados y echados a perder al lado de esas mujeres tan insoportables.
Esta no es la excepción y todo se da tan forzado que es imposible imaginar la química entre los protagonistas. En este caso no me gustó ningún personaje, y aunque al final todos maduran y se deshacen de sus demonios personales, me pareció que era demasiado tarde como para que me cayeran bien.
Además, le sumo que esta autora se olvida de sus propios argumentos. En un párrafo te dice que la protagonista es un virgen inexperta que nunca tuvo contacto con hombres, y unas líneas después te cuenta que se desnudó delante de un tipo como si nada para que se metiera en la cama con ella (¿?).

[TashNz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shelf keeper!

A fanastic beginning to the story sees high society Vicoria click clack into ex MMA fighter Dimiri's gym and propose marriage, laying it out like the clear business transacion it is. Dimitiri has somehing Victoria wants and she can, in return, help him with what he needs.

Exciting story with exciting charachters. Dimitri is a hero like no other and adds an extra something to make the story unique. The complete opposite to Victoria who appears ice cold and quite snobbby as the story evolves it's clearly just her self imposed protecive layer.

With back stories that show why each person is broken and running His Diamond of Convenience is throughly enjoyable as two lost souls find their way to each other. It is a page turner and the break up is heartbreakingly emotional.

A shelf keeper!

[Reads by Starburst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maisey Yates has yet again written an amazing romance on the marriage of convenience trope. Victoria was aloof at first but gradually her ice begin to thaw as the chapters progressed. Some would call her frigid but I think she was confident and right in not letting a man make a fool of her again. Dmitri is a sexy hero and being a martial arts fighter made him even more sexier. His charm was lethal and the best thing was that he was self made in every way. I loved his confidence, his vulnerabilities and everything about him.

The romance was passionate and oh-so-sexy.It had good emotional moments too and a great intensity overall. The author’s fans will definitely enjoy this one!
Read More

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victoria Calder was sixteen years old when she made a mistake that lost her fathers business. Now years later she is trying to get it back. Dmitri Markin was a Russian boxer and not well off but he has a bad history that seems to keep getting worse. Dmitri wants to start a boxing charity to help others like him that was saved through boxing but now one wants to back his charity due to his reputation. Victoria comes forward with a deal that she will pretend to be engaged to him for three months if he will give her back her fathers businesses that he bought a few years back. This starts their deal and how they both overcame so much of their past to be together.

[Widala · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars coz I really like Victoria.

I like the beginning of this book, the background story of both Victoria and Dmitri and their interaction was interesting. But while the story was fine, the dialogue became more and more unrealistic, as in do people really say these kinds of stuff? because it felt more like written speech. And it's so cheesy, oh my God.
Still a good read. And I really like Victoria, I wish there were more heroine like her.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

MY is one of my favourite M&B authors and this is yet another well-written and deliciously executed story. Loved Dimitri - but found Victoria an unappealing, cold, snooty bitch for the first third of the book. However The story was so well played that I forgave her!

[Lupita Figueroa BookLoverRomantic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encanta Maisey Yates. Y casi todas sus novelas, como esta. Bella.

[Aisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Yates is one of my favorite authors, one of the best among the "bitchy heroines movement" that runs these days in HP. That said, I have to mention that I felt a bit dissapoineted with this book.

Don't get me wrong, it has a very strong argument. The way MY creates torured men is out of this world, and Dimitri (ah, a russian...) is perfect that way. Victoria, on the other hand, is too rigid and it worked well most of the time, but there were some moments that that side of her character is useless and weak, IMO. Thank God she was a virgin (for this case, it was necessary a virgin heroine)...

I think the problem here was the situations and the interactions between Dimitri and Victoria. Even though there were magnificent moments (the moment they met when he gets a shower without closing the door and her reaction when she sees him only with a towel is the best), the H/h chemistry was flat and without sustance. Maybe with another partners both characters would be brilliant, but Dimitri and Victoria together? I still don't know...

[Calysta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I disliked one thing about this book and it was fairly minor(1). The man and the woman were both likable and interesting and I believed that they could fall for each other. Even in the short time shown. I liked the premise for the fake engagement and the way it played out.

The guy was exceptionally non-misogynist for a romance hero. The following dialog that he said to the woman really impressed me: "I find nothing attractive about forcing a woman into my bed. Force by tricking someone, by stripping them of their options, threatening them...all of it is the same to me. I know what it's like. To have the impossible before you. A moment that changes everything. That wrenches your choices right from your hands. I will not do the same to you. You have my word."

It's a low bar, but he cleared it by a mile. And the dialog wasn't just an affectation. He followed through on that. And when the inevitable breakup/heartbreak occurred, the woman acted with dignity and self-respect.

1 - she shouldn't have forgiven her father

[Jennifer Schultheis · Rating 4 out of 5]

His Diamond of Convenience was a quick read for me. I actually liked Victoria, but I can see why some people might think she is cold and ruthless. She knows what she wants and she goes after it...my kind of girl. Overall it was an enjoyable read and I liked getting to know Victoria and Dmitri.

[Yanira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mas o menos en el mismo hilo de los anteriores que ya lei de la autora...la protagonista se entrega al amor, Victoria despues de cometer un grave error del pasado quiere corregirlo con una propuesta muy particular, mientras que el cerrado al amor, Dimitri luchador retirado quien tiene fama de mujeriego, sera seducido por una proposicion que lo hara ver el mundo de otra manera...me gusto mucho y se lee rapido

[c.kingreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un tres porque sentí el enamoramiento de ambos muy forzado. La prota era incomprensible. Un momento, solo dijo que era deseo y de repente es amor. Y el hecho que no aclarara que no amaba tanto a su “ex” como al prota me echó atrás. No sentí un amor profundo por el prota y era como wtf. Te pasas el libro nombrando a tu ex, con quién no tuviste nada y solo fue un enamoramiento tonto. Quise saber más como se enamoró de él, como se dio cuenta. Hubiera estado mucho mejor.

[Nona · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want some erotic sex, some rather unfeasible events, then this is the book for you.
I doubt it could happen in real life so I would consider this a true piece of fiction.
Maisey YATES does have some talent, but her tendency to be repetitive is annoying at times.
It was OK.

[MaryD · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into this. I had wanted to read Victoria's story, but somehow this just fell flat. I think one of my issues is. all. the. sentence. fragments. that could so easily have been blended into complete sentences. That would have made. Them more effective.

[Andrea Lujano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Protagonistas: Victoria & Dimitri

Profesiones: Luchador & Empresaria

Pais: USA & Londres

[Mattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like it, it was a bit boring and hero thinking about other women (including married women) he slept with was very off-putting. Np.

[More Books Than Time · Rating 2 out of 5]

Filthy and ridiculous with characters I couldn’t care about but I read every word.

[Michelle Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the story and it has a happy ending!

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of a character in the second book in this series, Victoria Calder, the woman who Prince Stavros was matched with and was going to marry. Victoria made a huge mistake and ruined her father's business when she was 16 and has made it her goal in life to never be taken advantage of again. She realizes that she can make amends for her mistake by getting back the company she lost, and that she can do this by proposing marriage to MMA fighter Dmitri Markin, who needs a solid, reputable woman to help increase his reputation so he can get his charity off the ground. Dmitri doesn't like not being in control, so he and Victoria clash at first in their methods, both vying for that all-too-important control, but eventually they figure out how to work together. And eventually Dmitri begins to realize that Victoria's ice-facade is just that, a facade. He manages to find the passionate woman underneath, but in doing so realizes that he's setting himself up for the rejection that he fears.

This was an extremely well thought out story. Both Victoria and Dmitri are sort of opposite sides of the same coin and both of them see in the other someone who has given up everything and defined their life by on awful moment, but neither can see it in themselves. I also absolutely loved that Victoria, although seemingly uptight and icy, still remains likeable because we can see that she's actually quite vulnerable (and trying desperately not to be) and extremely strong. I absolutely loved, LOVED the confrontation scene between these two. Normally you get a weepy, crying heroine who passively accepts what the hero has to dish out. Victoria does the exact opposite - she yells at him, she takes responsibility for her actions, she stands up and tells him that he took nothing from her and that she's done taking it from others. If I'd been Dmitri I'd have to get help picking my jaw up off the floor after that speech. I just appreciated that SO much. And their sex scenes together are passionate, but you really feel their emotion. I admit, I was a bit iffy about the "public reconciliation" scene (as I generally don't like them...), but it wasn't as though they were the center of attention, so it wasn't too bad.

[Harlequin Books]

"Yates’s edgy page-turner is an exceptional mix of laugh-out-loud humor and intense revelations painted perfectly by the powerful narrative. Her dueling duo are the worthiest of opponents, and their passionate soul-baring is the piéce de résistance" (RT Book Reviews, 4 1/2 stars).

[Annis · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quite liked the heroine but I didn't enjoy the hero or the writing. Not a read I will remember.

[Harlequin Books]

received 4 1/2 stars @ RT Book Reviews