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Christmas with a Tycoon #2
The Greek's Christmas Bride
A good Greek wife...
Coldly ruthless and deeply cynical, Apollo Metraxis has made a career of bachelorhood. But when the inheritance of his father's estate is conditional on a marriage and a child, he is forced to do the unthinkable!
Unpolished Pixie Robinson is the world's worst choice of a wife for Apollo. Yet her family's mounting debts leave her defenseless and therefore uniquely suitable. But when the wedding night exposes Pixie's untouched vulnerability, striking a chord in the dark reaches of his heart, Apollo is forced to think again.
And that's before he discovers that she's carrying not one but two Metraxis heirs!
Coldly ruthless and deeply cynical, Apollo Metraxis has made a career of bachelorhood. But when the inheritance of his father's estate is conditional on a marriage and a child, he is forced to do the unthinkable!
Unpolished Pixie Robinson is the world's worst choice of a wife for Apollo. Yet her family's mounting debts leave her defenseless and therefore uniquely suitable. But when the wedding night exposes Pixie's untouched vulnerability, striking a chord in the dark reaches of his heart, Apollo is forced to think again.
And that's before he discovers that she's carrying not one but two Metraxis heirs!
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2016
263 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,763 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 111 reviews
November 17, 2016
4.25 REDEEMING STARS
I will freely admit that after the first book in this series by Lynne Graham, I was very reluctant to purchase this book, but I am so glad I did!
Wow, so this book...where do I start?
Let's start with the plot which is the standard MOC story with the add of the baby.
The hero Apollo, who was an absolute dick in Book one and a complete and utter man whore, needs to find a manageable wife to have his child. He needs her to be under his complete control. So he finds in Pixie, a sweet little innocent, the perfect means to achieve this end. He is going to do this his way and he makes no apologies for his behavior!
He owns his reputation!
Now Pixie is no one fool and after witnessing first hand the level of distrust (when he accuses her of taking his wallet) and his disgusting behavior (at her best friends wedding), Pixie flatly refuses to have anything to do with his idea of a marriage (made for his own benefit) proposal.
But Apollo was having none of that, he uses her brother's debts in order to gain her cooperation.
It was basically blackmailing her here!
I was all set to BRING ON THE HATE HERE, when I caught a glimpse of something.
It was small but it was a hint of some...dare I call it, Humanity. When Apollo tells Pixie how he loves animals more than most humans.
I thought, why? What happened to you here?
And then we find out
Please note that the hero does not volunteer this information to the heroine here. He goes off and gets drunk after their wedding night disasters. He is devastated by his behavior and admits "Never been with a virgin before...I wanted it to be perfect and then it went wrong and I was furious. My ego,my pride, nothing to do with you. I was a...." He uttered a four letter swear word."
This was in the moment that Pixie discovers the truth about his past and she admits the truth about hers.
They are two different but damaged souls looking to make a connection.
This was my favorite scene here!
I don't want to give the whole story away but predictably Apollo is accused of doing something that he didn't and Pixie leaves him.
At the end she runs back to him to have this big Hollywood moment and basically tells him...
Will he take her back? Will they be able to overcome their past and forge a path towards their future together?
YOU MUST READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
This Book was surprisingly enjoyable and I am so glad I gave it try. I honestly thought when he said he wanted to be able to cheat on her that he would do that. Apollo has grown so much, thanks to the love of a good woman, that I barely recognized him from Book one!
It just goes to show, you can't know what's in a book until you actually read the whole thing for yourself!
AMAZING LYNNE GRAHAM, you are back on my auto buy list. After all it's the Christmas season and this is an epic redemption story.
THANK YOU!
Safety: completely 100% faithful, with some OW/ OM drama.
FOR those who want to purchase a copy here is the link
http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.ht...
I will freely admit that after the first book in this series by Lynne Graham, I was very reluctant to purchase this book, but I am so glad I did!
Wow, so this book...where do I start?
Let's start with the plot which is the standard MOC story with the add of the baby.
The hero Apollo, who was an absolute dick in Book one and a complete and utter man whore, needs to find a manageable wife to have his child. He needs her to be under his complete control. So he finds in Pixie, a sweet little innocent, the perfect means to achieve this end. He is going to do this his way and he makes no apologies for his behavior!
He owns his reputation!
Now Pixie is no one fool and after witnessing first hand the level of distrust (when he accuses her of taking his wallet) and his disgusting behavior (at her best friends wedding), Pixie flatly refuses to have anything to do with his idea of a marriage (made for his own benefit) proposal.
But Apollo was having none of that, he uses her brother's debts in order to gain her cooperation.
It was basically blackmailing her here!
I was all set to BRING ON THE HATE HERE, when I caught a glimpse of something.
It was small but it was a hint of some...dare I call it, Humanity. When Apollo tells Pixie how he loves animals more than most humans.
I thought, why? What happened to you here?
And then we find out
Please note that the hero does not volunteer this information to the heroine here. He goes off and gets drunk after their wedding night disasters. He is devastated by his behavior and admits "Never been with a virgin before...I wanted it to be perfect and then it went wrong and I was furious. My ego,my pride, nothing to do with you. I was a...." He uttered a four letter swear word."
This was in the moment that Pixie discovers the truth about his past and she admits the truth about hers.
They are two different but damaged souls looking to make a connection.
This was my favorite scene here!
I don't want to give the whole story away but predictably Apollo is accused of doing something that he didn't and Pixie leaves him.
At the end she runs back to him to have this big Hollywood moment and basically tells him...
Will he take her back? Will they be able to overcome their past and forge a path towards their future together?
YOU MUST READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
This Book was surprisingly enjoyable and I am so glad I gave it try. I honestly thought when he said he wanted to be able to cheat on her that he would do that. Apollo has grown so much, thanks to the love of a good woman, that I barely recognized him from Book one!
It just goes to show, you can't know what's in a book until you actually read the whole thing for yourself!
AMAZING LYNNE GRAHAM, you are back on my auto buy list. After all it's the Christmas season and this is an epic redemption story.
THANK YOU!
Safety: completely 100% faithful, with some OW/ OM drama.
FOR those who want to purchase a copy here is the link
http://www.harlequin.com/storeitem.ht...
January 10, 2017
4.5 stars!
I have been neglectful of my first love in romance lately,my beloved harlequins.These little romance novels were the best thing since I discovered pizza oh so long,long ago.I have a few favorite authors in the hp line and amongst them is the premier Lynne Graham.I love her books and freely admit to giving her books some slack with her no so stellar ones.Like many a beloved author,they do have some duds every once in a while..cough,cough,,,MY,DP....Well,that is not the case with this latest entry into the world of an LG romance.I must admit that when the character of Apollo was first introduced in the prior book,he came off as the biggest jerk and not at all likeable.In his own book, with Pixie as his heroine ,he still came off as a jerk,but ,there lurking beneath the surface,the true man lay.Apollo with his traumatized past and Pixie with her own traumatized past,clicked.Their road to hea was rocky with Pixie at first disliking Apollo intensely and he in turn still thinks he can do no wrong.I loved how Pixie stayed her ground and stood up for herself and what she believes in.When Apollo wanted to continue with discrete liaisons while married to Pixie ,she quickly put the veto to that notion during the prenuptial discussions.I enjoyed this moc romance and the journey they took to get there and my dislike of the hero ,well at the end I loved him.His back story shaped him and the love of his heroine reshaped him.
The ending and epilogue was great as I always love to see what my characters hea turned out to be.
If you enjoy a classic LG hero,a heroine who does not have a "welcome" sign on her back,cute doggie,and an moc trope,this hp is for you!
I have been neglectful of my first love in romance lately,my beloved harlequins.These little romance novels were the best thing since I discovered pizza oh so long,long ago.I have a few favorite authors in the hp line and amongst them is the premier Lynne Graham.I love her books and freely admit to giving her books some slack with her no so stellar ones.Like many a beloved author,they do have some duds every once in a while..cough,cough,,,MY,DP....Well,that is not the case with this latest entry into the world of an LG romance.I must admit that when the character of Apollo was first introduced in the prior book,he came off as the biggest jerk and not at all likeable.In his own book, with Pixie as his heroine ,he still came off as a jerk,but ,there lurking beneath the surface,the true man lay.Apollo with his traumatized past and Pixie with her own traumatized past,clicked.Their road to hea was rocky with Pixie at first disliking Apollo intensely and he in turn still thinks he can do no wrong.I loved how Pixie stayed her ground and stood up for herself and what she believes in.When Apollo wanted to continue with discrete liaisons while married to Pixie ,she quickly put the veto to that notion during the prenuptial discussions.I enjoyed this moc romance and the journey they took to get there and my dislike of the hero ,well at the end I loved him.His back story shaped him and the love of his heroine reshaped him.
The ending and epilogue was great as I always love to see what my characters hea turned out to be.
If you enjoy a classic LG hero,a heroine who does not have a "welcome" sign on her back,cute doggie,and an moc trope,this hp is for you!
December 25, 2017
"Every time feels like Christmas with you, agapi mou"
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
November 14, 2016
3.5 Stars
The Greek’s Christmas Bride has all the things I look for in a swoony read.
Virgin? CHECK
Purchase Bride? CHECK
Twins? CHECK
Christmas Theme? Sort of Check
Apollo needs a wife in order to keep his inheritance. Not only he needs a wife, he needs his wife to produce an heir too. Doesn’t this sound yummy?!
I’m also in a holiday kick and I’m starting to read my Christmas books. Yes I love these. Although this one isn’t really Christmas theme, but hats off to the author for trying.
Harlequin books are fun to read, they may not have the best covers, but they give you romance. This one was a little slow in the beginning, but eventually it picked up. The summary of the book is basically the book. I kind of wished the whole twin thing came into play earlier, but I take what I get.
Pixie needs to pay her brother’s gambling debt and so she accepts Apollo’s offer of marriage. Apollo makes it clear that he wants a mistress after he impregnates Pixie, Pixie isn’t so sure of that.
Apollo is the Hero you love to hate. He’s a playboy, but maybe Pixie can change that. The banter between Pixie and Hero is cute and it’s fun to read. Overall, the book delivers and gives you what the summary told you. I found the last bit a little dragged out since the dialogue kind of went away and it went into heavy narration mode, but I think it’s because the author was trying to sum up everything into a pretty bow.
Regardless, I love me my Harlequin books.
An ARC was provided
The Greek’s Christmas Bride has all the things I look for in a swoony read.
Virgin? CHECK
Purchase Bride? CHECK
Twins? CHECK
Christmas Theme? Sort of Check
Apollo needs a wife in order to keep his inheritance. Not only he needs a wife, he needs his wife to produce an heir too. Doesn’t this sound yummy?!
I’m also in a holiday kick and I’m starting to read my Christmas books. Yes I love these. Although this one isn’t really Christmas theme, but hats off to the author for trying.
Harlequin books are fun to read, they may not have the best covers, but they give you romance. This one was a little slow in the beginning, but eventually it picked up. The summary of the book is basically the book. I kind of wished the whole twin thing came into play earlier, but I take what I get.
Pixie needs to pay her brother’s gambling debt and so she accepts Apollo’s offer of marriage. Apollo makes it clear that he wants a mistress after he impregnates Pixie, Pixie isn’t so sure of that.
Apollo is the Hero you love to hate. He’s a playboy, but maybe Pixie can change that. The banter between Pixie and Hero is cute and it’s fun to read. Overall, the book delivers and gives you what the summary told you. I found the last bit a little dragged out since the dialogue kind of went away and it went into heavy narration mode, but I think it’s because the author was trying to sum up everything into a pretty bow.
Regardless, I love me my Harlequin books.
An ARC was provided
May 18, 2017
This was a way better than average HP by Lynne Graham. Almost, almost a 4 star. Not sure why I'm not going full bore on that?
Premise is the H find so out that his father's will stipulates he must marry and have a child within 5 years or else the whole kit and caboodle is parceled out between 5 ex-wives. He's horrified that his father did this and settles on buying a bride as he doesn't want to deal with any other. He has serious issues with women and trust. Yep, he's a tortured hero. Unlike most torturedHeathcliff types heroes, he has some justification. Big spoiler so beware...
The h approaches Pixie who is very Pixie-ish, and her story is not lark through the forest. The oldest of two, she had horrible parents and was charged with taking care of her little brother. She always knew she was second best with her mother. Her brother was caught with some huge gambling debts, and not only was he beat up but Pixie's two legs were broken. Yes, she's a martyr to her little brother.
The H offers her a MOC with child which se reluctantly agrees to.The H is a gigantic alpha, arrogant asshat at the beginning of the story with some of your standard inner monologuing about the heroine that is very annoying. Thankfully that is kept to a minimum. The marry and she can give as good as she gets, but she's sweet rather than strident. Once he gets some of the grosser aspects of being a Greek Harlequin tycoon out of his system, he becomes quite the yum, over-protective and bamboozled hero we all love to love.
Very satisfying read.
Re-read.
Very cute with a redeemed and bamboozled hero.
Premise is the H find so out that his father's will stipulates he must marry and have a child within 5 years or else the whole kit and caboodle is parceled out between 5 ex-wives. He's horrified that his father did this and settles on buying a bride as he doesn't want to deal with any other. He has serious issues with women and trust. Yep, he's a tortured hero. Unlike most tortured
The h approaches Pixie who is very Pixie-ish, and her story is not lark through the forest. The oldest of two, she had horrible parents and was charged with taking care of her little brother. She always knew she was second best with her mother. Her brother was caught with some huge gambling debts, and not only was he beat up but Pixie's two legs were broken. Yes, she's a martyr to her little brother.
The H offers her a MOC with child which se reluctantly agrees to.The H is a gigantic alpha, arrogant asshat at the beginning of the story with some of your standard inner monologuing about the heroine that is very annoying. Thankfully that is kept to a minimum. The marry and she can give as good as she gets, but she's sweet rather than strident. Once he gets some of the grosser aspects of being a Greek Harlequin tycoon out of his system, he becomes quite the yum, over-protective and bamboozled hero we all love to love.
Very satisfying read.
Re-read.
Very cute with a redeemed and bamboozled hero.
November 3, 2016
Another super sweet and romantic love story by my favorite author. Apollo needs a wife and a child to claim his inheritance. Pixie needs money to settle her brother's debts so she accepts a marriage of convenience. Naturally they fall in love but pride and mistrust threaten their happiness.
I loved Apollo. He was alpha and sexy but also romantic. Pixie was feisty, a perfect match for Apollo. I loved Apollo's reaction to Pixie's pregnancy. He was overprotective and just adorable! He totally freaked out about his twin babies! So cute! :D
I loved Apollo. He was alpha and sexy but also romantic. Pixie was feisty, a perfect match for Apollo. I loved Apollo's reaction to Pixie's pregnancy. He was overprotective and just adorable! He totally freaked out about his twin babies! So cute! :D
April 27, 2020
Cute dog bonus.
February 16, 2017
I have to admit I really wanted to throw away this book and forget it existed, I really was hating that selfish manwhore Apollo. But my goodreads friends gave nice reviews so I clingged (even though he said he hated clingy women) to the hope that he would redeem himself.
Pixie (I mean, really?!?!) was very likable from the beginning, I actually cheered for her but somewhere in her changing process she did things I didn't particularly apriciate so I couldn't completely love her. I still liked her though.
Now, I'm going to do something a bit differently from what I do in my reviews, I'll write some quotes from the first part of the book and add some notes with my thoughts.
On a side note, he had a dragon tattoo on his arm or so it was mentioned a couple of times. Don't get me wrong, the people who knows me are aware that tattoos are not my thing so I forgot about it most of the book because I wasn't constantly reminded of it. BUT he did have a tattoo so the least I expected was an explanation of why he had it.
Pixie (I mean, really?!?!) was very likable from the beginning, I actually cheered for her but somewhere in her changing process she did things I didn't particularly apriciate so I couldn't completely love her. I still liked her though.
Now, I'm going to do something a bit differently from what I do in my reviews, I'll write some quotes from the first part of the book and add some notes with my thoughts.
On a side note, he had a dragon tattoo on his arm or so it was mentioned a couple of times. Don't get me wrong, the people who knows me are aware that tattoos are not my thing so I forgot about it most of the book because I wasn't constantly reminded of it. BUT he did have a tattoo so the least I expected was an explanation of why he had it.
November 18, 2016
I liked the h in this one A LOT, I wasn't feeling so much lurve for the H tho. I think I am worn out on the horrible-childhood-so-now-I-am-a-manho-nematode-slime-slurper, cause honestly at his age he needs to grow up, but he was very kind to animals and I did like that. So if we had just hung out at the animal sanctuary the whole book, I would have liked him a lot more.
I still absolutely cannot get over his completely tacky wedding behavior or his calling the police tho. I also don't care if he was falsely accused of being unfaithful - he threw enough of his own false accusations out that I did not care and I srsly had doubts about his real true love fidelity quotient by the end.
It doesn't matter cause the h was great and the story was still entertaining in spite of the H, it just was not as good as her other book with similar tropes The Italian Billionaire's Pregnant Bride.
I still absolutely cannot get over his completely tacky wedding behavior or his calling the police tho. I also don't care if he was falsely accused of being unfaithful - he threw enough of his own false accusations out that I did not care and I srsly had doubts about his real true love fidelity quotient by the end.
It doesn't matter cause the h was great and the story was still entertaining in spite of the H, it just was not as good as her other book with similar tropes The Italian Billionaire's Pregnant Bride.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2017
Ok read. Issue- hero wasn't enough devious possessive or alpha. I didn't mind the hero being promiscuious but I was annoyed he was judged for it. Wth. He was single.
Heroine was ok but her name Pixie....really.
Best part of book was the last part. Memorable.
Heroine was ok but her name Pixie....really.
Best part of book was the last part. Memorable.
September 10, 2017
I scored 35 newer Harlequins for $2* and this title was the first one I plucked to read. I'm glad I did - it's Lynne Graham at her most Lynne Graham-ish. The hero is a "manwhore" who needs a wife he can blackmail so he can fulfill the terms of his father's will. The heroine is a hairdresser with a gambling debt-ridden brother with a baby on the way. It's a marriage in Lynne Graham heaven.
The hero is pretty much a jerk (who likes animals) until the heroine finds out his backstory of sexual abuse. The heroine is plucky but turns clueless when the hero tries to be romantic by recreating the pirate costume of her favorite romance cover. There are other fun details like Hector the terrier, the prenuptial agreement where the hero says he'll *try* to be faithful, but he's not offering guarantees, and the fact that he isn't angry at the heroine for thinking he cheated after being set up. He realizes he doesn't have a great reputation and he is just grateful the heroine came back to him.
Twins are the cherry on top of the romance sundae. A fun little story in the LG tradition.
*I'm not bragging - I'm excited!
The hero is pretty much a jerk (who likes animals) until the heroine finds out his backstory of sexual abuse. The heroine is plucky but turns clueless when the hero tries to be romantic by recreating the pirate costume of her favorite romance cover. There are other fun details like Hector the terrier, the prenuptial agreement where the hero says he'll *try* to be faithful, but he's not offering guarantees, and the fact that he isn't angry at the heroine for thinking he cheated after being set up. He realizes he doesn't have a great reputation and he is just grateful the heroine came back to him.
Twins are the cherry on top of the romance sundae. A fun little story in the LG tradition.
*I'm not bragging - I'm excited!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2018
3.5 Stars.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one.
A typical HP hero, but surprisingly strong and sweet heroine. She was a virgin, but at least LG show 1 or 2 valid reasons here for that (which was never enough when they got a manwhore hero).
The heroine challenged his every move and it was funny. The hero was a typical manwhore hero but he tries to redeem himself… I loved some of his ‘trying to impress move’.
Most of the HP is based on just h’s POV but reading the H’s POV actually makes it more enjoyable. I loved the scene where the H was drunk and confessed everything to the heroine. I liked his interaction with Hector.
So, overall it was good. It was safe with some OM/OW drama.
Surprisingly, I enjoyed this one.
A typical HP hero, but surprisingly strong and sweet heroine. She was a virgin, but at least LG show 1 or 2 valid reasons here for that (which was never enough when they got a manwhore hero).
The heroine challenged his every move and it was funny. The hero was a typical manwhore hero but he tries to redeem himself… I loved some of his ‘trying to impress move’.
Most of the HP is based on just h’s POV but reading the H’s POV actually makes it more enjoyable. I loved the scene where the H was drunk and confessed everything to the heroine. I liked his interaction with Hector.
So, overall it was good. It was safe with some OM/OW drama.
April 15, 2017
This was a almost a 4 read. Quite solid 3.5 stars.
What I didn't like:
H didn't plan to be faithful, yet later he claimed he isn't a cheater. He breaks a relationship completely before moving to the next one. So what exactly was his monologue with himself about him not wanting to be faithful but promising to be discreet? This is not something he was telling the h, this is something he was planning in his head, so pardon me if I choose to believe his inner thoughts rather than his vehement declaration on the verge of losing his wife.
He uses her brother's death to keep her docile. That's really unfortunate and I felt that she only forgave him because of her own guilt or else he would have felt her boots on his ass.
His chauvinistic approach to her. He openly flirted with women and let them touch him yet completely lost his head when she did the same. She should have taught hector to bite him that night NOT let him touch her. Or at least make him sterilise himself before touching her. That would have gotten the idea in his head correctly.
What I DID like:
He subconsciously started treating her as equal.
Since she told him her darkest secret, he decided it was only fair that he exchanged his one as well. I think that was the main point when their marriage become real.
He actually cared about the wedding night being special despite reminding everyone that it was a business deal and he admitted that when it went pear shaped it was HIS ego that was dented, and it was not her fault and him being a jerk was unforgivable, even though he was shitfaced drunk, I'll still give it to him.
He loved hector as much as he'd love his kid and as much as she did. He was just so happy when hector accepted him that I decided may be I can forgive him.
He tried to explain to her about what happened rather than going all macho and "you should just have faith in me regardless there's hard proof against me and I have told you beforehand that I won't be faithful and now you don't deserve an explanation".
She was humbled after learning the truth, and for once, she accepted that she may not deserve forgiveness and it is NOT ok to expect him to accept her with open arms when his innocence is proven while she had zero faith in him. I'm still not blaming her for not trusting him. He has done nothing to prove trustworthy, however, she also accepted the consequences of the distrust. Because it is easy to make concessions when he is proven innocent and she knew she couldn't expect him to welcome her wanting him anymore.
Loved how he decided her love and trust was more important to him than his pride. He didn't let pride dictate him and didn't hold her distrust for him against her. He knew that something 's gotta give, and he decided it would be his pride.
They were both tortured souls and I think deserved their HEA, which was really quite believable!
What I didn't like:
H didn't plan to be faithful, yet later he claimed he isn't a cheater. He breaks a relationship completely before moving to the next one. So what exactly was his monologue with himself about him not wanting to be faithful but promising to be discreet? This is not something he was telling the h, this is something he was planning in his head, so pardon me if I choose to believe his inner thoughts rather than his vehement declaration on the verge of losing his wife.
He uses her brother's death to keep her docile. That's really unfortunate and I felt that she only forgave him because of her own guilt or else he would have felt her boots on his ass.
His chauvinistic approach to her. He openly flirted with women and let them touch him yet completely lost his head when she did the same. She should have taught hector to bite him that night NOT let him touch her. Or at least make him sterilise himself before touching her. That would have gotten the idea in his head correctly.
What I DID like:
He subconsciously started treating her as equal.
Since she told him her darkest secret, he decided it was only fair that he exchanged his one as well. I think that was the main point when their marriage become real.
He actually cared about the wedding night being special despite reminding everyone that it was a business deal and he admitted that when it went pear shaped it was HIS ego that was dented, and it was not her fault and him being a jerk was unforgivable, even though he was shitfaced drunk, I'll still give it to him.
He loved hector as much as he'd love his kid and as much as she did. He was just so happy when hector accepted him that I decided may be I can forgive him.
He tried to explain to her about what happened rather than going all macho and "you should just have faith in me regardless there's hard proof against me and I have told you beforehand that I won't be faithful and now you don't deserve an explanation".
She was humbled after learning the truth, and for once, she accepted that she may not deserve forgiveness and it is NOT ok to expect him to accept her with open arms when his innocence is proven while she had zero faith in him. I'm still not blaming her for not trusting him. He has done nothing to prove trustworthy, however, she also accepted the consequences of the distrust. Because it is easy to make concessions when he is proven innocent and she knew she couldn't expect him to welcome her wanting him anymore.
Loved how he decided her love and trust was more important to him than his pride. He didn't let pride dictate him and didn't hold her distrust for him against her. He knew that something 's gotta give, and he decided it would be his pride.
They were both tortured souls and I think deserved their HEA, which was really quite believable!
June 1, 2022
3.5 stars
January 19, 2020
"The Greek's Christmas Bride" is the story of Pixie and Apollo.
Umm..GRRR.
The book begins with
-the H poor shaming the h every step of the way and judging her for her poverty
-falsely blaming her for theft and calling cops on her for his mistake
-thinking of sleeping with OW and courting them while propositioning marriage to h
-asking her to get fertility tests and getting offended when she reciprocates the request AS HOW DARE SHE QUESTION HIS VIRILITY
-getting mad at her for requesting his fidelity during marriage
So why did I continue? Because I am a glutton for punishment.
In this absolute manwhore meets the impoverished virgin tale, we have a tomcat H manipulating the h into becoming his wife, in exchange of him saving her selfish brother. It began with a very unsavoury H who road runners his way into the h's life, and continuously behaves like a dick. It really put me off the book but still decided to continue- and I'm glad I did because it sorta did get better.
We realized the H and h's tragic pasts have shaped them into what they are at present, and that is sorta terrible/sorta doormat-ey humans who are forced together by circumstances. That being said, the H continues to treat h like a no-feeling piece of meat, distancing himself from dealing with his own insecurities, flirting with OW post coitus but getting mad when the h decides to even dance with someone else.. yet I championed on. The pregnancy-scandal-complications drama was engaging, and the angst was my favorite portion of this book. Well that, and their dog Hector. The apology-forgiveness at the end was half baked and unsatisfying, and I wasn't feeling the lurve.
I don't think this is one of the better LG stories out there, but never-the-less a dramatic, angst filled roller coaster rides.
Enjoyable in parts, frustrating in many others.
SWE
2.5/5
Umm..GRRR.
The book begins with
-the H poor shaming the h every step of the way and judging her for her poverty
-falsely blaming her for theft and calling cops on her for his mistake
-thinking of sleeping with OW and courting them while propositioning marriage to h
-asking her to get fertility tests and getting offended when she reciprocates the request AS HOW DARE SHE QUESTION HIS VIRILITY
-getting mad at her for requesting his fidelity during marriage
So why did I continue? Because I am a glutton for punishment.
In this absolute manwhore meets the impoverished virgin tale, we have a tomcat H manipulating the h into becoming his wife, in exchange of him saving her selfish brother. It began with a very unsavoury H who road runners his way into the h's life, and continuously behaves like a dick. It really put me off the book but still decided to continue- and I'm glad I did because it sorta did get better.
We realized the H and h's tragic pasts have shaped them into what they are at present, and that is sorta terrible/sorta doormat-ey humans who are forced together by circumstances. That being said, the H continues to treat h like a no-feeling piece of meat, distancing himself from dealing with his own insecurities, flirting with OW post coitus but getting mad when the h decides to even dance with someone else.. yet I championed on. The pregnancy-scandal-complications drama was engaging, and the angst was my favorite portion of this book. Well that, and their dog Hector. The apology-forgiveness at the end was half baked and unsatisfying, and I wasn't feeling the lurve.
I don't think this is one of the better LG stories out there, but never-the-less a dramatic, angst filled roller coaster rides.
Enjoyable in parts, frustrating in many others.
SWE
2.5/5
December 4, 2016
I am so in love with this book!
Pixie and Apollo peaked my interest when I read "The Italian's Christmas Child". I was so intrigued that I went on a search to see if they would get their own story. Glad I did.
Apollo was such a douche in Vito and Holly's story that I didn't want to like him, but couldn't help myself. And he and Pixie seemed like they would be amazing together. And they are! They spark off of each other from the very first. I loved the banter between them and the no bull attitude pixie had toward Apollo. Poor sod thought he knew what to expect from his business marriage, but he didn't see her coming!
This book is another Lynne Graham favorite for me. I will definitely read it again.
Pixie and Apollo peaked my interest when I read "The Italian's Christmas Child". I was so intrigued that I went on a search to see if they would get their own story. Glad I did.
Apollo was such a douche in Vito and Holly's story that I didn't want to like him, but couldn't help myself. And he and Pixie seemed like they would be amazing together. And they are! They spark off of each other from the very first. I loved the banter between them and the no bull attitude pixie had toward Apollo. Poor sod thought he knew what to expect from his business marriage, but he didn't see her coming!
This book is another Lynne Graham favorite for me. I will definitely read it again.
February 15, 2017
loved seeing how the hero redeemed himself.his love for the heroine was reflected through his gestures.it was sweet watching him fall in love it was like he didn't know what hit him !
April 1, 2022
A bit of an average fare from LG. The h and H had very serious trauma baggage. Some of it left me reeling.. like the abuse the H got from his step mom at six. And then there’s another reveal of more weird emotional abuse. I guess too much money is really not good for your soul.
The h is named Pixie. I don’t exactly have a positive fixation with that name so that turned me sour anyways. The h also comes from a wreck of a family background with her parents and siblings doing time all her life and her growing up in foster homes and facing various stages of abuse.
The other thing that I didn’t feel their chemistry. There was a little too much of friendly conversation between them to appeal to me.
The h is named Pixie. I don’t exactly have a positive fixation with that name so that turned me sour anyways. The h also comes from a wreck of a family background with her parents and siblings doing time all her life and her growing up in foster homes and facing various stages of abuse.
The other thing that I didn’t feel their chemistry. There was a little too much of friendly conversation between them to appeal to me.
October 26, 2021
The other GoodReads reviews for this are comprehensive and great so I’m just going to comment...
Apollo (the H) was a unmitigated a** in Book 1 of this series. Thoroughly horrible and hateful.
So I doubted the chances of liking him as the ‘star’ of his own story... especially as he started this book still a 100% a**.
Now, I have to state I was wrong. Very wrong. He became a great H... totally turned around and in a journey that was a really enjoyable read. The ongoing reveals about him were so well-done. He evolved with her, and she did with him as well.
I am honestly surprised but give kudos to LG for something I didn’t think was possible. I truly liked this book. And the characters from Book 1 were woven in effectively and remained likable as well. (Sometimes when LG does a series, they change from one book to the next; not in this one.)
The transformation of the H, Apollo, was one of the most amazing turnarounds I have ever read. It was so brilliantly done! (Unfortunately, seeing what she’s capable of makes it more disappointing when she doesn’t pull it off with other Heroes in need of makeover and redemption.)
My only nitpick was that Apollo told Pixie in Chapter 2 that his mother died in childbirth. In the Epilogue, it says he’d been really worried for her (the h) but calmed down further into her pregnancy ‘once Apollo admitted his mother died in childbirth.’ She already knew that, so there’s no ‘admitting’ a previously revealed fact. She should already have realized the implications of that history. It’s a little flaw but it should have been fixed in editing because it stuck out.
There was a summary paragraph in the Epilogue which solidified why I believe in their HEA. This one was an excellent and masterful LG. I highly recommend it.
Apollo (the H) was a unmitigated a** in Book 1 of this series. Thoroughly horrible and hateful.
So I doubted the chances of liking him as the ‘star’ of his own story... especially as he started this book still a 100% a**.
Now, I have to state I was wrong. Very wrong. He became a great H... totally turned around and in a journey that was a really enjoyable read. The ongoing reveals about him were so well-done. He evolved with her, and she did with him as well.
I am honestly surprised but give kudos to LG for something I didn’t think was possible. I truly liked this book. And the characters from Book 1 were woven in effectively and remained likable as well. (Sometimes when LG does a series, they change from one book to the next; not in this one.)
The transformation of the H, Apollo, was one of the most amazing turnarounds I have ever read. It was so brilliantly done! (Unfortunately, seeing what she’s capable of makes it more disappointing when she doesn’t pull it off with other Heroes in need of makeover and redemption.)
My only nitpick was that Apollo told Pixie in Chapter 2 that his mother died in childbirth. In the Epilogue, it says he’d been really worried for her (the h) but calmed down further into her pregnancy ‘once Apollo admitted his mother died in childbirth.’ She already knew that, so there’s no ‘admitting’ a previously revealed fact. She should already have realized the implications of that history. It’s a little flaw but it should have been fixed in editing because it stuck out.
There was a summary paragraph in the Epilogue which solidified why I believe in their HEA. This one was an excellent and masterful LG. I highly recommend it.
November 23, 2016
So this one didn't have a lot of OTT angst but somehow it still wasn't boring. Of course it was well written. It is LG after all and there's a reason she's one of the top HP authors and has been for a long time.
This one was sweet while still having a selfish asshatish hero. At least he thought he was. He didn't know himself very well. He was head over heels for the heroine from almost the first page but was so oblivious. The heroine really couldn't see it because she was taking him at face value at least the face that he had presented to her at the start of the book. And he was still giving lip service to that since he was lying to himself.
This one was sweet while still having a selfish asshatish hero. At least he thought he was. He didn't know himself very well. He was head over heels for the heroine from almost the first page but was so oblivious. The heroine really couldn't see it because she was taking him at face value at least the face that he had presented to her at the start of the book. And he was still giving lip service to that since he was lying to himself.
November 5, 2016
Absolutely Adorable book!
I must say I didn't except that to be my reaction after reading this one. Apollo and Pixie were super cute together and I just loved them! Pixie was so feisty, a perfect match to Apollo's arrogance. I super loved the scenes between Hector and him.
I wanted to give 4 stars to this one because of the wallet scene, which I thoroughly disliked, but then LG made up for it with pirates, Prince and the ending scene which was really beautiful :)
I love LG & now, I'm eagerly waiting for her next :)
I must say I didn't except that to be my reaction after reading this one. Apollo and Pixie were super cute together and I just loved them! Pixie was so feisty, a perfect match to Apollo's arrogance. I super loved the scenes between Hector and him.
I wanted to give 4 stars to this one because of the wallet scene, which I thoroughly disliked, but then LG made up for it with pirates, Prince and the ending scene which was really beautiful :)
I love LG & now, I'm eagerly waiting for her next :)
November 27, 2016
Beautiful is what this love story was. It started out in such a way that I became more and more curious about these two wounded people, and it soon had me utterly enthralled. All I know is that the final proposal captured my heart. (Sniff, hiccup, sniff)
December 31, 2020
A sweet and passionate story with all classic LG ingredients.
Safe and recommended.
Safe and recommended.
December 15, 2017
Esta novelita fue como releer a la Lynne Graham de antaño.
El prota un poco tiernito, pero hacía combustión instantánea con la heroína de nombre muy (demasiado) peculiar: "Pixie".
No hubo demasiado angst ni dramones como nos tiene acostumbradas LG, pero sí contó con todas las cosas que me gustan de ella: héroes con pómulos imposibles de tan lindos, un perrito maltratado y una heroína virgen aunque no tanto, quizá aggiornándose un poco a estas épocas.
El prota un poco tiernito, pero hacía combustión instantánea con la heroína de nombre muy (demasiado) peculiar: "Pixie".
No hubo demasiado angst ni dramones como nos tiene acostumbradas LG, pero sí contó con todas las cosas que me gustan de ella: héroes con pómulos imposibles de tan lindos, un perrito maltratado y una heroína virgen aunque no tanto, quizá aggiornándose un poco a estas épocas.
February 13, 2018
This was really enjoyable. I liked Pixie because she is a strong character. Definitely a nice romance and how the relationship between Apollo and Pixie starts is a cute setup.
Read
November 5, 2016DNF at 35% I'm out with the phrase. 'His heart sank because he had never planned to be faithful during his marriage'. Apollo has already accused Pixie of theft (going so far as to call the police), insulted her and demeaned her, and now is making her sign a marriage contract where she has to be faithful to him or she gets financially punished but it doesn't work both ways? After Apollo's behaviour in the first story in this duology (where he embarrassed his best friend's bride on their wedding day by insulting her) I was hoping for some redemption in this story but if there is any, it's too little too late. This man is clearly not hero material.
January 26, 2018
Nama tokoh wanitanya lucu, Pixie. Dan nama tokoh prianya Apollo. Seakan ingin memperlihatkan ide cerita dimana seorang pria kaya dan tampan bak dewa ingin memperistri seorang wanita biasa yang terlilit hutang dan bekerja sebagai penata rambut. Apollo hanya ingin menggenapi syarat untuk mendapatkan warisan ayahnya, yaitu menikah dan memiliki keturunan. Pixie adalah wanita yang dipercayainya tidak akan melekat erat padanya, yang dapat diceraikannya nanti setelah mendapatkan anak.
Yang menarik adalah baik Pixie maupun Apollo sama-sama punya keinginan kuat, keras kepala dan sulut percaya pada orang lain. Pertengkaran mereka berdua malah terasa romantis..hehe.
Yang menarik adalah baik Pixie maupun Apollo sama-sama punya keinginan kuat, keras kepala dan sulut percaya pada orang lain. Pertengkaran mereka berdua malah terasa romantis..hehe.
January 5, 2021
Solid 5 stars. Probably one if the best—if not the best—Harlequin Presents books I’ve ever read to date. Love the H and h, they were a perfect match. Can’t get over how swoon worthy their love was.
January 4, 2020
قرأتها بعنوان عذراء اليوناني من ترجمة منتدى روايتي
احببت الرومانسيه بين البطلين
احببت قوة بيكسي وعدم خوفها من ابولو وعدم تنازلها عن مبادئها
ممتعه وبدايه جميله لسنة 2020
ان شاء الله بقرا الجزء الاول قريبا
عذراء الايطالي
احببت الرومانسيه بين البطلين
احببت قوة بيكسي وعدم خوفها من ابولو وعدم تنازلها عن مبادئها
ممتعه وبدايه جميله لسنة 2020
ان شاء الله بقرا الجزء الاول قريبا
عذراء الايطالي
October 14, 2017
Initially, considering all the stuff Apollo Metraxis did --accusing Pixie of stealing his wallet and humiliating her in front of her colleagues and customers by calling the police and planning to not being faithful to her during their short marriage-- I wasn't sure the man would be able to redeem himself and that I would like him. But then, he goes and does a 180 degree from an absolute asshole to an endearing romantic.
He was such a complex guy. Starts his marriage flirting with women, buying drinks for women who pitched themselves into his lap and danced in front of him in suggestive ways on the first social outing of his marriage to Pixie, then starts working toward getting her to change her belief that he could never be anything but a womanizer and gets frustrated when she sticks to her belief. His romantic gesture of creating the pirate outfit, which I found so sweet, also fizzled out.
Then, for a man who coldly told Pixie the child they'd conceive would be with her after they divorce, he suddenly began to worry about giving up his child. And, then, since his mother died giving birth to him, he was constantly seized by worries and fears for Pixie the moment he learnt she was pregnant.
I found his little, little concerns --for example 'with her being small what if the baby was big like he'd been or that she could roll off the sofa while she slept and hurt herself-- both sweet and amusing. Then, off course his patient attempts to get Hector, Pixie's dog, to get over his fear of men and his final joy when he met with success. I laughed when Pixie shot him down with, "I didn't say my dog had good taste."
I liked Pixie too. She was sweet and strong and despite being lured into marriage by Apollo on the basis of him clearing her brother's debts, she still had a backbone. Loved how at the time of signing the pre-nup she took Apollo to task for making it a punishable offence for her if she strayed and not the same for him, even if later she settled to his 'will try to be faithful.' And, on the night her husband was flirting with other women, instead of throwing a jealous fit like she wanted to and Apollo was hoping for, she took off dancing with an Arab prince, causing Apollo to blow a fuse. That's when Apollo realized his wife was no doormat. I liked his "I wasn't expecting you to hit back," and "Tonight, I felt married."
Pixie really challenged him at every step, but did it without screaming at him constantly like a fishwife. She did fall for the set-up that showed Apollo cheating on their marriage, but I don't really blame her for it, considering their marriage was still at an early stage and she's seen him flirt with women while being married to her and also, he only said he said he'll try to be faithful to her. Besides, she did regret mistrusting him.
I felt my heart breaking at that scene when they were dancing and Apollo tells her he won't agree to a separation, but when she insisted on one, he suddenly backs off and Pixie holds back a sob knowing that they were finally splitting and their marriage was over.
The two of them were dynamite together and loved the epilogue. Apollo's daughter as alpha as him.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.
He was such a complex guy. Starts his marriage flirting with women, buying drinks for women who pitched themselves into his lap and danced in front of him in suggestive ways on the first social outing of his marriage to Pixie, then starts working toward getting her to change her belief that he could never be anything but a womanizer and gets frustrated when she sticks to her belief. His romantic gesture of creating the pirate outfit, which I found so sweet, also fizzled out.
Then, for a man who coldly told Pixie the child they'd conceive would be with her after they divorce, he suddenly began to worry about giving up his child. And, then, since his mother died giving birth to him, he was constantly seized by worries and fears for Pixie the moment he learnt she was pregnant.
I found his little, little concerns --for example 'with her being small what if the baby was big like he'd been or that she could roll off the sofa while she slept and hurt herself-- both sweet and amusing. Then, off course his patient attempts to get Hector, Pixie's dog, to get over his fear of men and his final joy when he met with success. I laughed when Pixie shot him down with, "I didn't say my dog had good taste."
I liked Pixie too. She was sweet and strong and despite being lured into marriage by Apollo on the basis of him clearing her brother's debts, she still had a backbone. Loved how at the time of signing the pre-nup she took Apollo to task for making it a punishable offence for her if she strayed and not the same for him, even if later she settled to his 'will try to be faithful.' And, on the night her husband was flirting with other women, instead of throwing a jealous fit like she wanted to and Apollo was hoping for, she took off dancing with an Arab prince, causing Apollo to blow a fuse. That's when Apollo realized his wife was no doormat. I liked his "I wasn't expecting you to hit back," and "Tonight, I felt married."
Pixie really challenged him at every step, but did it without screaming at him constantly like a fishwife. She did fall for the set-up that showed Apollo cheating on their marriage, but I don't really blame her for it, considering their marriage was still at an early stage and she's seen him flirt with women while being married to her and also, he only said he said he'll try to be faithful to her. Besides, she did regret mistrusting him.
I felt my heart breaking at that scene when they were dancing and Apollo tells her he won't agree to a separation, but when she insisted on one, he suddenly backs off and Pixie holds back a sob knowing that they were finally splitting and their marriage was over.
The two of them were dynamite together and loved the epilogue. Apollo's daughter as alpha as him.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable read.
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