What do you think?
Rate this book
O Irmão do Noivo
Piers Danvers a tinha abandonado diante do altar, mas Rafe Danvers, seu irmão, estava esperando para ocupar o seu lugar. Rafe era o irmão mais velho e o cabeça do império da família, e precisamente tinha sido ele quem tinha convencido Piers de que a abandonasse. E com essa mesma determinação, fazia questão de que ela se casasse com ele.
Aturdida como estava, Shaan aceitou sua proposta mais surpreendente ainda porque até o momento, Rafe tinha agido como se a desprezasse. E de repente queria dizer ao mundo que ela era sua esposa... E não só no papel, senão de fato e de direito!
Aturdida como estava, Shaan aceitou sua proposta mais surpreendente ainda porque até o momento, Rafe tinha agido como se a desprezasse. E de repente queria dizer ao mundo que ela era sua esposa... E não só no papel, senão de fato e de direito!
120 pages, Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1997
262 people are currently reading
1089 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Reid
388 books637 followersHi, my name is Michelle Reid and I’ve been writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon for the last twenty years, and the crazy part about it is that I only realised it had been twenty years while updating this page!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
April 12, 2021
Third reading:
Enjoyed the tour Hong Kong this time around. So much has changed in the world 🌏 since then. 😢
Second reading:
I liked this one, but I can see how some would find the hero's actions hard to take. He really does ride roughshod over the heroine when she is jilted. Plus he isolates her and doesn't give her a moment to think her own thoughts. However he's crazy about her (unlike the cad who jilted her) and that makes it all better in HP land.
First review:
Another jilted story with the groom’s brother picking up the pieces. I really liked this one. Heroine was in her wedding gown ready to go to the church when the hero’s brother brought her the rejection letter. MR does angst so well.
It’s apparent from the very beginning that the hero is crazy in love with the heroine and that something was fishy with the brother. The hero proposes so she can “save face.”
The rest of the story is their trip to Hong Kong and the heroine showing her true personality and resilience.
I enjoyed seeing the heroine recover and fall for the hero, all along wondering just what was going on.
There was an interesting twist at the end and it was the evil bro who had to man up and confess. Finally the person who wronged the other actually had the discomfort of admitting their sins!
Luckily, he’s moving to Chicago and leaving the H/h in peace in the UK.
Enjoyed the tour Hong Kong this time around. So much has changed in the world 🌏 since then. 😢
Second reading:
I liked this one, but I can see how some would find the hero's actions hard to take. He really does ride roughshod over the heroine when she is jilted. Plus he isolates her and doesn't give her a moment to think her own thoughts. However he's crazy about her (unlike the cad who jilted her) and that makes it all better in HP land.
First review:
Another jilted story with the groom’s brother picking up the pieces. I really liked this one. Heroine was in her wedding gown ready to go to the church when the hero’s brother brought her the rejection letter. MR does angst so well.
It’s apparent from the very beginning that the hero is crazy in love with the heroine and that something was fishy with the brother. The hero proposes so she can “save face.”
The rest of the story is their trip to Hong Kong and the heroine showing her true personality and resilience.
I enjoyed seeing the heroine recover and fall for the hero, all along wondering just what was going on.
There was an interesting twist at the end and it was the evil bro who had to man up and confess. Finally the person who wronged the other actually had the discomfort of admitting their sins!
Luckily, he’s moving to Chicago and leaving the H/h in peace in the UK.
January 20, 2010
One cannot imagine how devastating it would be to find yourself left at the altar. That's what happens to Shaan in this book. And the person who delivers the news is the man who thought Shaan was unsuitable as his brother's bride, Rafe Danvers. Yet Rafe is there to pick up the pieces, and support this jilted bride. Surprised isn't the word for how Shaan feels when Rafe suggests she marry him instead. But she says yes.
This is a slightly older Harlequin Presents, with the mood and the content that really makes these books pop when used effectively. Rafe is one of those heroes that comes off as slightly domineering, but for some reason it works. I think it worked for me because I could see that caring was behind his bossy ways. He is the type of hero that's all man, despite being a businessman type. You wonder how Shaan could fall for his brother, who is like a paler shadow of Rafe, lacking many of Rafe's good qualities. Yet, it's about proximity. But now is the time for Rafe to show he is the right man for Shaan. And he does quite the job.
Of course, there is the misunderstanding, as always. Shaan ends up seeing Rafe making goo goo eyes at Madeline, the woman that Piers jilts her for. But all is not as it seems. This book reminded me that I really like Michelle Reid's books. They are intense and emotional. You get involved, and in the hours you spend reading the book, you don't want to put it down. I can't say this is my favorite of hers. That would be Price Of A Bride. But this was a very good book, and it will go on my keeper shelf. I found Rafe irresistible, in all his bossy ways. He reminded me of fellow HP writer, Susan Napier's heroes, whom I go gaga over. Although he's a good few years older than Shaan, I think he is the right man for her. He knows how to keep her happy and would move mountains to do just that. But he will challenge her to be her best. And he loves her so much. Who can resist that in a hero?
This is a slightly older Harlequin Presents, with the mood and the content that really makes these books pop when used effectively. Rafe is one of those heroes that comes off as slightly domineering, but for some reason it works. I think it worked for me because I could see that caring was behind his bossy ways. He is the type of hero that's all man, despite being a businessman type. You wonder how Shaan could fall for his brother, who is like a paler shadow of Rafe, lacking many of Rafe's good qualities. Yet, it's about proximity. But now is the time for Rafe to show he is the right man for Shaan. And he does quite the job.
Of course, there is the misunderstanding, as always. Shaan ends up seeing Rafe making goo goo eyes at Madeline, the woman that Piers jilts her for. But all is not as it seems. This book reminded me that I really like Michelle Reid's books. They are intense and emotional. You get involved, and in the hours you spend reading the book, you don't want to put it down. I can't say this is my favorite of hers. That would be Price Of A Bride. But this was a very good book, and it will go on my keeper shelf. I found Rafe irresistible, in all his bossy ways. He reminded me of fellow HP writer, Susan Napier's heroes, whom I go gaga over. Although he's a good few years older than Shaan, I think he is the right man for her. He knows how to keep her happy and would move mountains to do just that. But he will challenge her to be her best. And he loves her so much. Who can resist that in a hero?
March 5, 2019
Re Marriage on the Rebound - Michelle Reid brings the wrecki drama to the keepin' it in the family trope.
This one starts with our 22 year old orphaned, half Lebanese h being jilted right before she is to leave for the church on her wedding day.
The H is the 34 year old brother of the groom- who ran off with another woman, leaving the h to sink or swim alone in front of the upper echelons of London society.
The h and her elderly aunt and uncle are in utter shock when the H comes to break the bad news, but the h quickly realizes that the H must have somehow pushed his brother into dumping her.
The h suspects that the H doesn't want a girl of mixed heritage 'sullying' the H's family name, as the H has been very antagonistic to her from the first time they were formally introduced.
The h soon lapses into mental horror and despondency. Her elderly relatives are not helpful in that regard, they seemed to be more in danger of collapse than the h is. The H boldly leaps in the fray and soon has bullied the h into agreeing to marry him in place of his brother.
Ostensibly the H and h are to marry in order to help the h save face after being publicly humiliated, but the way the H announces it and plays it off to both her friends and family and the tabloid press, the h just comes off looking like a gold digging tart.
The H is very autocratic as he sweeps the h off to Hong Kong and decides that the emotionally exhausted h needs to subjected to his boring friends that have nothing in common with the h and that she has to stay awake for over 24 hours to escape jet lag.
There is lots of H ordering about, (he even puts her to work a few times as the h was formerly a secretary,) shopping and some HK market bargaining as the h manages to score a fake Minnie Mouse watch.
The h is gradually working through the grieving process of learning that the man she thought she loved is not the man he turned out to be, while also becoming more aware of the H on the purple passion lurve force mojo level.
As the H and h are sharing a room and a bed and the h is pretty much berated by the H whichever way she turns, the big lurve club event is hardly unexpected. What is unexpected is the h's physical response to the H.
Tho once again she is mocked by the H because she protests lurve club events done in the name of lust, then she is berated because she does respond and the H tells her she should be thinking more of her love for his brother.
All of this is really H gaslighting garbage to manipulate the h. Because in reality the H is fascinated by the h and has been wanting to test out tower of power rides with her for some time. But his little brother and he have a running battle and to score points, the H's little brother tried to grab the h first.
The only reason the little brother jilter did not make it to the finish line with the h is because his older flame showed up to fight for her man. The h overhears a phone conversation the H is having with someone-we never learn who-and she takes exception to being labeled as 'leftovers' in reference to the H's statement that he was in love with the woman that is now his little brother's bride.
So the h becomes convinced that the H is in love with his little brother's girl and that he too is using the h to save face. But what the h has a hard time articulating is that her agreeing to marry the H was done in a moment of shock and the H pretty much force marched her to the altar and gave her enough tranquilizers to keep her compliant.
What the H did was an underhanded, deliberately deceitful maneuver. His marriage proposal was done under the lie of the H wanting to do a good deed to help the h, but really it was more that the H wanted to score points against his brother and punish the h because she went for his brother first instead of him.
He accuses the h of being childish, but his egotism and selfishness are more in the line of a pot calling a kettle black. There is also a serious question of just how involved he was with the little madam who ran off with his brother.
But the more serious problem is that the H uses the very deep trauma the h endured to manipulate and maneuver her into becoming a borderline tart. In fact the h decides that since she has nothing of inner worth left that anyone would want anyways, she may as well base their relationship on exploring all the lurve club positions she can, as it turns out she is really good in bed.
So there is a LOT of purple passion moments throughout their HK tour. (After the H and h have a fight when she runs off with an American tour group for the mandatory HP travelogue afternoon and when the H wants to drag her to another boring dinner meeting, the h seduces him in the elevator to get him to change his mind.)
Eventually we all go back to London and there is more purple passion and a lecture from the h's pretty blunt BFF. Then the bleak mopey moment strikes, the h and her BFF see the H coming out of a hotel with the OW. They look fairly intimate while embracing in the street and the h realizes that she has been played not once, but twice and by two nematodes in the same family.
The h finally gets herself together and leaves the H, only to have him show up and semi-forcibly roofie lurve club her to drag her back to the marital home. Where we meet the nematode little brother for the first time.
The little slime pustule insists that the H went to him the morning of the abandoned wedding and begged him to run off with his first flame because the H was too in love with the h to give her up.
The little slime slurper admits he has always been jealous of his big brother H and when his former flame preferred his big brother over him, (even tho supposedly the H wasn't preferring her back,) the little snot just had to get some of his pride back and he chose the h as his object of revenge.
Little slime slurper and MR want us to believe the H has been in love since he first met the h, after one of his executives bowled her over in the hallway at work and he helped her back up. (The nematode brother insists that everybody but the h knows it and have had themselves a good laugh about it.)
That statement is enough of an excuse for the h, who can now fool herself that her lust for the H is really true love.
Continuing on in the h's new manipulative sex kitten antics, the h goes back to the H and they make some mutual love noises after the H asks if his little brother explained everything okay. We leave them once again adjourning to the bedroom to continue practicing their boudoir bouncing moves for the purple hazed MR HEA.
I rate this book pretty highly, but not because I really believe in the HEA or believe that these two people really love each other. They are too entranced with each other physically and too distant and different mentally for Real HP True Love in my view.
I think the H saw the h and fell into a major obsession. But he doesn't ever get to know her as a person, he just uses her trauma and some drugs to mold her into the walking, talking sex toy he wants her to be.
MR definitively spells out that the H took a mentally broken down girl and carefully crafted her into the woman the H wanted her to be - the h even acknowledges it herself.
Then there is the fact that the naive h was grooming unicorns, tho she did have some passionate kisses with the nematode little brother during their courtship.
So when MR has the h wondering if she is really in love or just finding out about her own personal passion, the scales coming down on the h learning her sexuality side seem to be much heavier.
I don't think these two will last the distance, what is the h going to do when the H gets older and slows down and she finds herself struck by the lurve force mojo for someone else? If that new passion inducer has a bossy tone of voice, is the h just going to meekly follow as she can't resist her treacherous body syndrome?
Also, I think that MR deliberately destroys the h's inner integrity too much to for us to rely on her personal moral compass to stay in a marriage that is no longer so physical. The h mentions several times that she feels she has nothing else to offer.
Plus, the h's willingness to let her personal belief that sex should be practiced with caring and love be set aside in the face of the H's angry insistence that of a lot of excellent purple passion moments makes everything okay doesn't auger well for future staying power or integrity.
(Tho it could be argued that the h only started using sex as a tactic to show her love, and that would have been fine if MR had actually written it like that. But she did not, the h was using sex as way to retaliate against the domineering demands of the H and it sets a bad precedent for future marital tribulations.)
By choosing to have the h rely on manipulative sex kitten tactics in retaliation against the H's domineering autocracy, MR doesn't convey the sense that there is a deep emotional commitment to build a bedrock foundation in this marriage. But all of this doesn't mean that I don't like the book.
I rate this one in the four star category because it is just so emotively intense it takes my breath away. MR does a fantastic job of conveying every ounce of the h's emotions from devastation to bliss and it is one of the most evocatively emotional books she ever wrote.
I am not one to project myself into a book's heroine, but I was definitely swept up into the emotionalism of this one. Reading this one is like being on a roller coaster blindfolded, you have no ability to discern your position to the real world, but you feel all the twists and dives and bends and it makes for an exhilarating HP outing and worth a read or three if you run into it.
This one starts with our 22 year old orphaned, half Lebanese h being jilted right before she is to leave for the church on her wedding day.
The H is the 34 year old brother of the groom- who ran off with another woman, leaving the h to sink or swim alone in front of the upper echelons of London society.
The h and her elderly aunt and uncle are in utter shock when the H comes to break the bad news, but the h quickly realizes that the H must have somehow pushed his brother into dumping her.
The h suspects that the H doesn't want a girl of mixed heritage 'sullying' the H's family name, as the H has been very antagonistic to her from the first time they were formally introduced.
The h soon lapses into mental horror and despondency. Her elderly relatives are not helpful in that regard, they seemed to be more in danger of collapse than the h is. The H boldly leaps in the fray and soon has bullied the h into agreeing to marry him in place of his brother.
Ostensibly the H and h are to marry in order to help the h save face after being publicly humiliated, but the way the H announces it and plays it off to both her friends and family and the tabloid press, the h just comes off looking like a gold digging tart.
The H is very autocratic as he sweeps the h off to Hong Kong and decides that the emotionally exhausted h needs to subjected to his boring friends that have nothing in common with the h and that she has to stay awake for over 24 hours to escape jet lag.
There is lots of H ordering about, (he even puts her to work a few times as the h was formerly a secretary,) shopping and some HK market bargaining as the h manages to score a fake Minnie Mouse watch.
The h is gradually working through the grieving process of learning that the man she thought she loved is not the man he turned out to be, while also becoming more aware of the H on the purple passion lurve force mojo level.
As the H and h are sharing a room and a bed and the h is pretty much berated by the H whichever way she turns, the big lurve club event is hardly unexpected. What is unexpected is the h's physical response to the H.
Tho once again she is mocked by the H because she protests lurve club events done in the name of lust, then she is berated because she does respond and the H tells her she should be thinking more of her love for his brother.
All of this is really H gaslighting garbage to manipulate the h. Because in reality the H is fascinated by the h and has been wanting to test out tower of power rides with her for some time. But his little brother and he have a running battle and to score points, the H's little brother tried to grab the h first.
The only reason the little brother jilter did not make it to the finish line with the h is because his older flame showed up to fight for her man. The h overhears a phone conversation the H is having with someone-we never learn who-and she takes exception to being labeled as 'leftovers' in reference to the H's statement that he was in love with the woman that is now his little brother's bride.
So the h becomes convinced that the H is in love with his little brother's girl and that he too is using the h to save face. But what the h has a hard time articulating is that her agreeing to marry the H was done in a moment of shock and the H pretty much force marched her to the altar and gave her enough tranquilizers to keep her compliant.
What the H did was an underhanded, deliberately deceitful maneuver. His marriage proposal was done under the lie of the H wanting to do a good deed to help the h, but really it was more that the H wanted to score points against his brother and punish the h because she went for his brother first instead of him.
He accuses the h of being childish, but his egotism and selfishness are more in the line of a pot calling a kettle black. There is also a serious question of just how involved he was with the little madam who ran off with his brother.
But the more serious problem is that the H uses the very deep trauma the h endured to manipulate and maneuver her into becoming a borderline tart. In fact the h decides that since she has nothing of inner worth left that anyone would want anyways, she may as well base their relationship on exploring all the lurve club positions she can, as it turns out she is really good in bed.
So there is a LOT of purple passion moments throughout their HK tour. (After the H and h have a fight when she runs off with an American tour group for the mandatory HP travelogue afternoon and when the H wants to drag her to another boring dinner meeting, the h seduces him in the elevator to get him to change his mind.)
Eventually we all go back to London and there is more purple passion and a lecture from the h's pretty blunt BFF. Then the bleak mopey moment strikes, the h and her BFF see the H coming out of a hotel with the OW. They look fairly intimate while embracing in the street and the h realizes that she has been played not once, but twice and by two nematodes in the same family.
The h finally gets herself together and leaves the H, only to have him show up and semi-forcibly roofie lurve club her to drag her back to the marital home. Where we meet the nematode little brother for the first time.
The little slime pustule insists that the H went to him the morning of the abandoned wedding and begged him to run off with his first flame because the H was too in love with the h to give her up.
The little slime slurper admits he has always been jealous of his big brother H and when his former flame preferred his big brother over him, (even tho supposedly the H wasn't preferring her back,) the little snot just had to get some of his pride back and he chose the h as his object of revenge.
Little slime slurper and MR want us to believe the H has been in love since he first met the h, after one of his executives bowled her over in the hallway at work and he helped her back up. (The nematode brother insists that everybody but the h knows it and have had themselves a good laugh about it.)
That statement is enough of an excuse for the h, who can now fool herself that her lust for the H is really true love.
Continuing on in the h's new manipulative sex kitten antics, the h goes back to the H and they make some mutual love noises after the H asks if his little brother explained everything okay. We leave them once again adjourning to the bedroom to continue practicing their boudoir bouncing moves for the purple hazed MR HEA.
I rate this book pretty highly, but not because I really believe in the HEA or believe that these two people really love each other. They are too entranced with each other physically and too distant and different mentally for Real HP True Love in my view.
I think the H saw the h and fell into a major obsession. But he doesn't ever get to know her as a person, he just uses her trauma and some drugs to mold her into the walking, talking sex toy he wants her to be.
MR definitively spells out that the H took a mentally broken down girl and carefully crafted her into the woman the H wanted her to be - the h even acknowledges it herself.
Then there is the fact that the naive h was grooming unicorns, tho she did have some passionate kisses with the nematode little brother during their courtship.
So when MR has the h wondering if she is really in love or just finding out about her own personal passion, the scales coming down on the h learning her sexuality side seem to be much heavier.
I don't think these two will last the distance, what is the h going to do when the H gets older and slows down and she finds herself struck by the lurve force mojo for someone else? If that new passion inducer has a bossy tone of voice, is the h just going to meekly follow as she can't resist her treacherous body syndrome?
Also, I think that MR deliberately destroys the h's inner integrity too much to for us to rely on her personal moral compass to stay in a marriage that is no longer so physical. The h mentions several times that she feels she has nothing else to offer.
Plus, the h's willingness to let her personal belief that sex should be practiced with caring and love be set aside in the face of the H's angry insistence that of a lot of excellent purple passion moments makes everything okay doesn't auger well for future staying power or integrity.
(Tho it could be argued that the h only started using sex as a tactic to show her love, and that would have been fine if MR had actually written it like that. But she did not, the h was using sex as way to retaliate against the domineering demands of the H and it sets a bad precedent for future marital tribulations.)
By choosing to have the h rely on manipulative sex kitten tactics in retaliation against the H's domineering autocracy, MR doesn't convey the sense that there is a deep emotional commitment to build a bedrock foundation in this marriage. But all of this doesn't mean that I don't like the book.
I rate this one in the four star category because it is just so emotively intense it takes my breath away. MR does a fantastic job of conveying every ounce of the h's emotions from devastation to bliss and it is one of the most evocatively emotional books she ever wrote.
I am not one to project myself into a book's heroine, but I was definitely swept up into the emotionalism of this one. Reading this one is like being on a roller coaster blindfolded, you have no ability to discern your position to the real world, but you feel all the twists and dives and bends and it makes for an exhilarating HP outing and worth a read or three if you run into it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
4.5 stars
I loved it when Rafe swooped in like a knight in shining armor to save the day and to help Shaan recover after she'd been jilted. He did play a major part in foiling her marriage plans, but I forgave him because 1) I love a smitten hero who will do anything to get his woman, and 2) Shaan's ex was a turd, so she definitely dodged a stinky and slimy bullet. Helping to convince me this was a match made in HPlandia Heaven was the intense sexual chemistry, passion and tension which vibrated between the two. Vroom, vroom!
One thing that could have made this a more perfect read was if Rafe's brother, Piers, had suffered for his part as the antagonist of the story. I also would have liked more exploration into why and how Shaan fell in love with Rafe. (He was wonderful, but still.) She'd waffled so much over her feelings, so when the realization that she loved him finally lit inside her it seemed less convincing than it could have been. One moment she's not sure, then literally in the next scene or two Shaan now knows because she sees Rafe with her supposed rival.
Despite these quibbles, this is still one of my favorite romances by Michelle Reid!
I loved it when Rafe swooped in like a knight in shining armor to save the day and to help Shaan recover after she'd been jilted. He did play a major part in foiling her marriage plans, but I forgave him because 1) I love a smitten hero who will do anything to get his woman, and 2) Shaan's ex was a turd, so she definitely dodged a stinky and slimy bullet. Helping to convince me this was a match made in HPlandia Heaven was the intense sexual chemistry, passion and tension which vibrated between the two. Vroom, vroom!
One thing that could have made this a more perfect read was if Rafe's brother, Piers, had suffered for his part as the antagonist of the story. I also would have liked more exploration into why and how Shaan fell in love with Rafe. (He was wonderful, but still.) She'd waffled so much over her feelings, so when the realization that she loved him finally lit inside her it seemed less convincing than it could have been. One moment she's not sure, then literally in the next scene or two Shaan now knows because she sees Rafe with her supposed rival.
Despite these quibbles, this is still one of my favorite romances by Michelle Reid!
January 19, 2018
Must give due credit to Reid when she can take one of my most hated tropes, 2-brothers-1-vagina* and make it work.
Heroine is technically a virgin but she had “passionate interludes” with her fiancé, the Hero’s brother and begged him to make love to her before the marriage so it was clear she enjoyed some physical intimacy with him. This should have raised the gag factor but Reid salvages it by making Piers, the brother, the bad guy from the first page as he dumps the heroine at the altar in favour of his ex-girlfriend. Reid focuses immediately on the anguish of the heroine at his betrayal and the charisma and strength of the Hero as he steps up to save the day by taking charge of the situation and turns it around neatly to protect her from further embarrassment and distract her from her own pain.
H is a bit heavy-handed but Reid redeems him by making his love for h transparent as he patiently and sometimes impatiently waits for her to become aware of the weakness of the man she thought she had loved. She in turn, can’t help being drawn to the bold, decisive, dependable character of H. I enjoy romances that centre solely on the MCs and this one delivers superbly on that front.
It was also a delightful surprise that part of the book was set in Hong Kong and having visited pre-China HK a few times, for me, she captures the essence of HK perfectly, from the nerve-wrecking landing at the narrow strip of the airport, to the markets, the bay and yes, the over-crowded tube stations. Yes, people, no pretentious cars or limousines, they take the tube like seasoned travellers.
But sadly, Reid could not sustain the momentum and the last quarter of the book dragged . In the end, it felt more like she was bullied into a rebound marriage and great sex equals HEA. Her own doubts about her fickle feelings rang more true than the declarations of undying love.
Overall, a nice read though I must put up a minor quibble. H employs a local sales director in his HK office. Obviously, I can’t claim to know all women in higher management positions in HK but I’ve had the privilege of knowing a few and believe me, they can have men’s balls for breakfast. So when Su Ling showed up with her “lovely eyes” speaking in a “soft, sensuous voice” and bowing, it grated a little. She may as well have been in a geisha costume.
Aside from that and H’s bull-headed insistence on how to handle jetlag , it was a good read. Reid is a consummate story-teller and I adore her writing style.
*thanks to KC for that :)
Heroine is technically a virgin but she had “passionate interludes” with her fiancé, the Hero’s brother and begged him to make love to her before the marriage so it was clear she enjoyed some physical intimacy with him. This should have raised the gag factor but Reid salvages it by making Piers, the brother, the bad guy from the first page as he dumps the heroine at the altar in favour of his ex-girlfriend. Reid focuses immediately on the anguish of the heroine at his betrayal and the charisma and strength of the Hero as he steps up to save the day by taking charge of the situation and turns it around neatly to protect her from further embarrassment and distract her from her own pain.
H is a bit heavy-handed but Reid redeems him by making his love for h transparent as he patiently and sometimes impatiently waits for her to become aware of the weakness of the man she thought she had loved. She in turn, can’t help being drawn to the bold, decisive, dependable character of H. I enjoy romances that centre solely on the MCs and this one delivers superbly on that front.
It was also a delightful surprise that part of the book was set in Hong Kong and having visited pre-China HK a few times, for me, she captures the essence of HK perfectly, from the nerve-wrecking landing at the narrow strip of the airport, to the markets, the bay and yes, the over-crowded tube stations. Yes, people, no pretentious cars or limousines, they take the tube like seasoned travellers.
But sadly, Reid could not sustain the momentum and the last quarter of the book dragged . In the end, it felt more like she was bullied into a rebound marriage and great sex equals HEA. Her own doubts about her fickle feelings rang more true than the declarations of undying love.
Overall, a nice read though I must put up a minor quibble. H employs a local sales director in his HK office. Obviously, I can’t claim to know all women in higher management positions in HK but I’ve had the privilege of knowing a few and believe me, they can have men’s balls for breakfast. So when Su Ling showed up with her “lovely eyes” speaking in a “soft, sensuous voice” and bowing, it grated a little. She may as well have been in a geisha costume.
Aside from that and H’s bull-headed insistence on how to handle jetlag , it was a good read. Reid is a consummate story-teller and I adore her writing style.
*thanks to KC for that :)
December 24, 2016
I read this book because I have postponed to read it for years! So, last week a Goodreads' friend suggested me to read it, and it was when I finally decided to do it. The conclusion is...
I didn't like it, this romance was awful IMO, it is not the best book by MR, there are other books better than this one, I didn't believe their chemistry, if there was any because I didn't feel it. I didn't think they fell in love either.
There are many spoilers in my updates of this book. I was desesperated to finish it!
Definetily, this is a book I won't re-read again!
It wasn't memorable in my opinion, Rafe, Shann, Piers, Madeleine, Jemma, Addio!
While I was reading this book:
The first half of the book...
The second half of the book...
At the end...
The conclusion...
[I didn't like it]
I didn't like it, this romance was awful IMO, it is not the best book by MR, there are other books better than this one, I didn't believe their chemistry, if there was any because I didn't feel it. I didn't think they fell in love either.
There are many spoilers in my updates of this book. I was desesperated to finish it!
Definetily, this is a book I won't re-read again!
It wasn't memorable in my opinion, Rafe, Shann, Piers, Madeleine, Jemma, Addio!
While I was reading this book:
The first half of the book...
The second half of the book...
At the end...
The conclusion...
[I didn't like it]
April 12, 2014
The angst was delicious and u could cut the tension between H/h with a knife! I couldn't put this book down! I'm not a fan of love triangles but MR sure knows how to engage a reader!
March 20, 2017
Didn't think I was gonna like this at first. Book opens with the heroine being jilted at her wedding and she's just a sobby, helpless, bitter wreck for pages and pages. Enough to make you roll your eyes and tell her to please get a grip. I prefer my heroines not to be teary Jello.
And then... she turned into a total sex kitten, which was actually awesome. She deliberately seduces her new husband away from an all-important business meeting that she doesn't want to attend by crawling all over him in the elevator as they're heading to it, breathing please-please-please between hot wet kisses, forcing him to abruptly take her back to their room and no-show on the business people without any explanation or notice. Teehee! This is what I like to see: a heroine just taking utterly shameless advantage of her sexual power over the helpless-in-her-thrall Hero. Enough of the innocent, you can't possibly want little ol' me, you can't stand touching me, I must disgust you! crap. I want me some more of this C'mon big boy, you know you don't wanna go to that boring business meeting when you could have me bent over on the couch instead, hmm? confidence. I went from irritated by Shaan to totally cheering her on.
They did have record amounts of sex, as they decided (well she did anyway) to use sex as a basis for their relationship. You might say they put the sex in sexcessive. Or you might not, but anyway the sexual heat between them was very well-written. You had to like Rafe from the start, because domineering pushy bossypants that he is, it's still obvious from the very first that he's eating his heart out for her, and he's not the cruel type of Alpha. Shaan never quite gives up on being just a little on the wrong side of average intelligence, but she makes up for it by being impish, kittenish, and giving Rafe a couple of very sweet gifts. Quite an enjoyable read if you can get past the messy start!
And then... she turned into a total sex kitten, which was actually awesome. She deliberately seduces her new husband away from an all-important business meeting that she doesn't want to attend by crawling all over him in the elevator as they're heading to it, breathing please-please-please between hot wet kisses, forcing him to abruptly take her back to their room and no-show on the business people without any explanation or notice. Teehee! This is what I like to see: a heroine just taking utterly shameless advantage of her sexual power over the helpless-in-her-thrall Hero. Enough of the innocent, you can't possibly want little ol' me, you can't stand touching me, I must disgust you! crap. I want me some more of this C'mon big boy, you know you don't wanna go to that boring business meeting when you could have me bent over on the couch instead, hmm? confidence. I went from irritated by Shaan to totally cheering her on.
They did have record amounts of sex, as they decided (well she did anyway) to use sex as a basis for their relationship. You might say they put the sex in sexcessive. Or you might not, but anyway the sexual heat between them was very well-written. You had to like Rafe from the start, because domineering pushy bossypants that he is, it's still obvious from the very first that he's eating his heart out for her, and he's not the cruel type of Alpha. Shaan never quite gives up on being just a little on the wrong side of average intelligence, but she makes up for it by being impish, kittenish, and giving Rafe a couple of very sweet gifts. Quite an enjoyable read if you can get past the messy start!
January 15, 2022
Michelle Reid’s Marriage on The Rebound is about keeping it all in the family. Shaan Saketa is unique for a Harlequin Presents circa 1998 heroine, as she’s of mixed ethnic heritage: English and Lebanese. Otherwise, she’s like most other female main characters found in the land of these category romances. Shaan is young (not yet 23), a virgin, and an orphan.
And it’s her wedding day. Unfortunately for Shaan, she’s about to be dumped at the altar.
Shaan is in her wedding dress when her fiancé’s brother and former boss, Rafe Danvers, comes to her with a “Dear John” letter. Her husband-to-be, Piers, says he can’t marry her because he’s in love with another woman. Shaan is dejected, and her family is certain that there’s more than meets the eyes to this abrupt breakup. Rafe, ever the responsible fellow, is determined to help Shaan save face. He steps in and urges her to marry him. In shock, Shaan goes through the motions.
Rafe gives Shaan no time to think as she whisks her off to Hong Kong. As a way to help Shaan get over her turmoil, Rafe puts her secretarial skills to work, makes her go on shopping sprees, and socialize with his friends.
Why is Rafe so concerned about Shaan’s emotional state? Although Shaan remains unaware, it’s no secret to the reader: he’s suffering from a huge case of unrequited love.
It turns out Rafe fell for Shaan at first sight when they had a meet-cute after she bumped into him, causing a big paper-spill. Unfortunately, Rafe could not act on his feelings, as he had to deal with business matters. His younger brother, who was always jealous of Rafe, moved in to romance her. When Rafe returned, Shaan and Piers were a devoted couple.
But Shaan has no idea about Rafe’s adoration for her. She’s under the misapprehension that Rafe didn’t think a mixed-race girl of low-class status was good enough for his brother. Sparks fly, but at the same time, Shaan can’t help but appreciate Rafe’s strong, capable demeanor. And once she takes notice of his good looks, things take a turn for the sensual.
Over time, Shaan finds herself falling for Rafe, but can she trust him? And what about Piers? Are her feelings for him gone forever?
Michelle Reid, along with Lynne Graham and Miranda Lee, was one of the better authors to come out from the Harlequin Presents line in the early 1990s. Marriage on The Rebound is an example of her fine writing skills. Reid excels at creating vividly erotic scenes.
I enjoy the torn-between-two-brothers trope for some reason, even though I can’t say the same when it’s two sisters and one man. Rafe is a wonderful hero, stoic yet vulnerable. I found the plot to be well-executed. Although I wasn’t sure Shaan was as in love with Rafe as he was with her. She is clearly on the rebound, as the book’s title says. Certainly, there’s an attraction there. Is she truly in love? It’s up to the reader to determine, but one thing’s for certain, Rafe and Shaan are hot for each other.
I’d rate Michelle Reid’s Marriage on The Rebound 3.76 stars and round up to a solid 4, as it does make for a satisfying read.
And it’s her wedding day. Unfortunately for Shaan, she’s about to be dumped at the altar.
Shaan is in her wedding dress when her fiancé’s brother and former boss, Rafe Danvers, comes to her with a “Dear John” letter. Her husband-to-be, Piers, says he can’t marry her because he’s in love with another woman. Shaan is dejected, and her family is certain that there’s more than meets the eyes to this abrupt breakup. Rafe, ever the responsible fellow, is determined to help Shaan save face. He steps in and urges her to marry him. In shock, Shaan goes through the motions.
Rafe gives Shaan no time to think as she whisks her off to Hong Kong. As a way to help Shaan get over her turmoil, Rafe puts her secretarial skills to work, makes her go on shopping sprees, and socialize with his friends.
Why is Rafe so concerned about Shaan’s emotional state? Although Shaan remains unaware, it’s no secret to the reader: he’s suffering from a huge case of unrequited love.
It turns out Rafe fell for Shaan at first sight when they had a meet-cute after she bumped into him, causing a big paper-spill. Unfortunately, Rafe could not act on his feelings, as he had to deal with business matters. His younger brother, who was always jealous of Rafe, moved in to romance her. When Rafe returned, Shaan and Piers were a devoted couple.
But Shaan has no idea about Rafe’s adoration for her. She’s under the misapprehension that Rafe didn’t think a mixed-race girl of low-class status was good enough for his brother. Sparks fly, but at the same time, Shaan can’t help but appreciate Rafe’s strong, capable demeanor. And once she takes notice of his good looks, things take a turn for the sensual.
Over time, Shaan finds herself falling for Rafe, but can she trust him? And what about Piers? Are her feelings for him gone forever?
Michelle Reid, along with Lynne Graham and Miranda Lee, was one of the better authors to come out from the Harlequin Presents line in the early 1990s. Marriage on The Rebound is an example of her fine writing skills. Reid excels at creating vividly erotic scenes.
I enjoy the torn-between-two-brothers trope for some reason, even though I can’t say the same when it’s two sisters and one man. Rafe is a wonderful hero, stoic yet vulnerable. I found the plot to be well-executed. Although I wasn’t sure Shaan was as in love with Rafe as he was with her. She is clearly on the rebound, as the book’s title says. Certainly, there’s an attraction there. Is she truly in love? It’s up to the reader to determine, but one thing’s for certain, Rafe and Shaan are hot for each other.
I’d rate Michelle Reid’s Marriage on The Rebound 3.76 stars and round up to a solid 4, as it does make for a satisfying read.
February 15, 2018
A very good book with se*y alpha Hero and somewhat doormat/sweet heroine. A very emotional read where hero knows what he wants and is not afraid to go after that.
Recommended.
Recommended.
February 20, 2012
4.5 stars.
It is the heroine Shaan's wedding day, but instead of being newly married she is in emotional termoil after he would-be- brother-in-law Rafe, the hero, tells her that her fiance has left with other woman. Not really knowing what to do, Shaan let's Rafe take her away from all the confusion, but she is shocked out of her reverie when Rafe asks her to marry him instead. Shaan has always thought that Rafe disapproved of her, but he makes a good case for them both marrying in order to save face and for companionship. After they marry, Rafe takes Shaan to Hong Kong, their getting to know one another is tumultuous at best with neither of them knowing what the other one feels. However, there is an undeniable attraction between them and they act on it. Even though it seems like they are both in love with other people, Shaan and Rafe grow closer and closer, but Shaan fears that their fragile relationship won't survive once they are back to their real lives.
I expected to like this book, but not as much as I actually did! This is a brilliant book - one of the best of Michelle Reid's books that I have read. Every thing in this book is very subtle, and it totally works. I adored the hero, I knew straight away that there was something else behind his alpha male veneer - the little glimpses of his POV that Michelle Reid adds in really whet your appetite and leave you wanting to read on to find out more.
Even though elements of this story are a little over the top and clichéd, I think that the love story between the hero and heroine is believable. There is so much emotion and intensity to this story, and it is perfectly executed.
Very, very good.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
It is the heroine Shaan's wedding day, but instead of being newly married she is in emotional termoil after he would-be- brother-in-law Rafe, the hero, tells her that her fiance has left with other woman. Not really knowing what to do, Shaan let's Rafe take her away from all the confusion, but she is shocked out of her reverie when Rafe asks her to marry him instead. Shaan has always thought that Rafe disapproved of her, but he makes a good case for them both marrying in order to save face and for companionship. After they marry, Rafe takes Shaan to Hong Kong, their getting to know one another is tumultuous at best with neither of them knowing what the other one feels. However, there is an undeniable attraction between them and they act on it. Even though it seems like they are both in love with other people, Shaan and Rafe grow closer and closer, but Shaan fears that their fragile relationship won't survive once they are back to their real lives.
I expected to like this book, but not as much as I actually did! This is a brilliant book - one of the best of Michelle Reid's books that I have read. Every thing in this book is very subtle, and it totally works. I adored the hero, I knew straight away that there was something else behind his alpha male veneer - the little glimpses of his POV that Michelle Reid adds in really whet your appetite and leave you wanting to read on to find out more.
Even though elements of this story are a little over the top and clichéd, I think that the love story between the hero and heroine is believable. There is so much emotion and intensity to this story, and it is perfectly executed.
Very, very good.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
December 14, 2025
Half-Indian heroine rep~
(But not too much rep, because
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
(But not too much rep, because
・
・
・
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
April 19, 2012
The story opens with the bride in a fit of hysteria after being jilted at the altar by her betrothed. (Who could blame her) The brother steps in to salvage the situation and offers her marriage to save face. She is in such a stupor and agrees to his proposition even though she is not sure the Hero even likes her. In fact, she accuses the Hero of not wanting her to marry his brother because she is of mixed race. Her father being from the middle east and her mother being English.
Of course, they marry and he takes her to Hong Kong for a first class seduction! Michelle Reid is definitely one of those authors who can write one heck of a love..I mean.. sex scene. The pages certainly sizzled.
There are twists and turns to the plot. Some surprising, some not, but they kept me turning those pages into the wee hours of the morning!
Of course, they marry and he takes her to Hong Kong for a first class seduction! Michelle Reid is definitely one of those authors who can write one heck of a love..I mean.. sex scene. The pages certainly sizzled.
There are twists and turns to the plot. Some surprising, some not, but they kept me turning those pages into the wee hours of the morning!
March 11, 2021
This is one of MR's romance where the hero is in love first. Heroine is jilted at the altar by hero's brother, and hero persuades heroine to marry him. Heroine falls in love with hero but he thinks she's still in love with his brother. Heroine was never in love with his brother, she was only infatuated because he was nice and fun, but she was attracted by his brother without realizing. Hero was in love with heroine since the firts time he saw her and his brother, jealous of him, pursued heroine. This was a nice book, heroine was naive, hero besotted, and there's also a racial issue, because heroine thinks hero's brother rejected her because she's Lebanese (how old is this book???)
December 26, 2016
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
As well written as this story, plot, and characters-
*rolls eyes*
Here is my ish-
You would think the author (after making the h bi-racial) would be well informed enough to NOT use the word "oriental" to describe a person of Asian descent. I don't care how beautiful the person is described, it is a racially offensive word. There, I said it. It was what kept me from giving this story 5 stars. Ignorance is no excuse. Especially willful ignorance. Same of the editor, too.
Okay, now with that off my chest.
Rafe rocked my world. Bossy, bossy, bossy. Dominate, dominate. Freaking take charge while being mostly respectable. He is the ultimate alpha bad a--- hero who takes charge, comes through and cares for his stupid woman. I realize Shaan was in shock for most of the story, and had little to no experience with men (she did fall for that lame loser Piers). In the end, I grew to like her alot. She evolved all around. It was obviously a HP take on Pride and Prejudice, with Rafe as Darcy, and Pierce as Wentworth. I get it.
All in all, I loved how it all came together from beginning to end. I didn't like the end where Rafe left the room. That moment should have belonged to him. Otherwise, this was a great story with the descriptions of how the elite live in Hong Kong (on my bucket list) rubbing elbows with the working class masses, along with the total pulse, eclectic old world meets new world synergy. It was the perfect setting to ignite the chemistry between Rafe and Shaan, and watch things get more out of control until they were forced to come back. I recommend this HP as a fab story for anyone new to this genre and series.
As well written as this story, plot, and characters-
*rolls eyes*
Here is my ish-
You would think the author (after making the h bi-racial) would be well informed enough to NOT use the word "oriental" to describe a person of Asian descent. I don't care how beautiful the person is described, it is a racially offensive word. There, I said it. It was what kept me from giving this story 5 stars. Ignorance is no excuse. Especially willful ignorance. Same of the editor, too.
Okay, now with that off my chest.
Rafe rocked my world. Bossy, bossy, bossy. Dominate, dominate. Freaking take charge while being mostly respectable. He is the ultimate alpha bad a--- hero who takes charge, comes through and cares for his stupid woman. I realize Shaan was in shock for most of the story, and had little to no experience with men (she did fall for that lame loser Piers). In the end, I grew to like her alot. She evolved all around. It was obviously a HP take on Pride and Prejudice, with Rafe as Darcy, and Pierce as Wentworth. I get it.
All in all, I loved how it all came together from beginning to end. I didn't like the end where Rafe left the room. That moment should have belonged to him. Otherwise, this was a great story with the descriptions of how the elite live in Hong Kong (on my bucket list) rubbing elbows with the working class masses, along with the total pulse, eclectic old world meets new world synergy. It was the perfect setting to ignite the chemistry between Rafe and Shaan, and watch things get more out of control until they were forced to come back. I recommend this HP as a fab story for anyone new to this genre and series.
January 7, 2019
Wow. Yet another 5 star, book-husband read for me from Michelle Reid. I started it and could barely just put it down middle of the night and picked it back up a few hours later to get it out of my system.
Like everyone else says, this hero may not be likeable to many women today but he was a total dreamboat of a man for me. He was one huge possessive, dominant alpha male and he completely took charge of the h, right from scene one. Also, the sweet twist at the end of the book was not something I could've guessed, but my knees went jelly.
I just didn't connect with the h's name and her background. For a fact her name and her family's name mentioned is certainly not Lebanese and rather it is Indian/ South Asian. I kept getting distracted because Tariq/Saketa/ Shaan are all Indian/ Pakistani names and NOT lebanese/ Arab names. To top it all off, Shaan is a common male name in these regions and despite the sweet disposition of the h, it just kept striking me as a men's name.
However, I adored the high handedness of Rafe and he has certainly landed a soft, forever spot in my heart. Loved this book!!
Like everyone else says, this hero may not be likeable to many women today but he was a total dreamboat of a man for me. He was one huge possessive, dominant alpha male and he completely took charge of the h, right from scene one. Also, the sweet twist at the end of the book was not something I could've guessed, but my knees went jelly.
I just didn't connect with the h's name and her background. For a fact her name and her family's name mentioned is certainly not Lebanese and rather it is Indian/ South Asian. I kept getting distracted because Tariq/Saketa/ Shaan are all Indian/ Pakistani names and NOT lebanese/ Arab names. To top it all off, Shaan is a common male name in these regions and despite the sweet disposition of the h, it just kept striking me as a men's name.
However, I adored the high handedness of Rafe and he has certainly landed a soft, forever spot in my heart. Loved this book!!
January 29, 2014
I was loving this right up until the end. The author chose to make the hero have someone else do his explaining/groveling for him. You could tell all along that he was crazy about the heroine. I wanted to see him go all out and persuade her of his love. And then after that cop out, he is still mad at her and makes her basically crawl to him. So the last 10 pages sucked. We didn't actually get to experience the anguish he felt as he explained and the hope that he could persuade her and all that other mushy stuff that I read HPs for. Maybe I should even knock it down another star? But still the love scenes were very hot and believable so I guess I leave it at 4 stars.
December 8, 2015
Instant bridegroom...
Shaan had been jilted! She'd been left at the altar by Piers Danvers...but Rafe Danvers was waiting to step right into his half brother's shoes. Older, darker, stronger and head of the Danvers business empire, it was Rafe who had persuaded Piers to abandon Shaan. Now, with the same ruthless determination, Rafe insisted that she become his bride instead!
Dazed, Shaan accepted his proposal, but she was also confused: until this moment Rafe had acted as if he despised her. Suddenly he wanted to proclaim her to the world as his wife and, behind closed doors, to have her in his bed!!
Shaan had been jilted! She'd been left at the altar by Piers Danvers...but Rafe Danvers was waiting to step right into his half brother's shoes. Older, darker, stronger and head of the Danvers business empire, it was Rafe who had persuaded Piers to abandon Shaan. Now, with the same ruthless determination, Rafe insisted that she become his bride instead!
Dazed, Shaan accepted his proposal, but she was also confused: until this moment Rafe had acted as if he despised her. Suddenly he wanted to proclaim her to the world as his wife and, behind closed doors, to have her in his bed!!
January 19, 2018
Did I have brain transplant or something????????
I now MUST re-read!
I now MUST re-read!
February 1, 2021
3.5-ish stars
I don’t find many HP’s on KU, especially M.R.’s, so I snatched this one up despite the lukewarm reviews. The book starts with Shaan being jilted by Piers Danvers, and his older brother Rafe steps into his place. This we know from the blurb, and it takes quite a hunk to get through it, and moving forward. As a result, I found the first quarter tedious and had to push to keep going. The good news is when they FINALLY go to Hong Kong for the honeymoon/business trip, it picks up.
Once it got going, I was in, and frustrated that I had to put it away to do “real life” crap…I’d prefer to hide away in my fictional bubble most days. 😊 Rafe (34) is the strong broody type, but not cruel. It’s obvious he’s in lurve with the h. He’s actually a pretty good dude with major lovemaking mojo. My only complaint is that he doesn’t have a private plane, and they flew commercial to Hong Kong. Shaan (22) was a hot mess at the start. She’s so damn dramatic about being stood up… like it’s worse than rape (her words) and she can’t walk, or think, or speak. I’m convinced her spirit animal is an ostrich. Surprisingly, she didn’t annoy me though. 🤷♀ Her aunt and uncle take it about as well.
Much of the time, I just “read over” grammatical issues, but there were enough that I noticed… which is unusual for her books. Numerous typos…Rafe is called Rate several times; ber rather than her; yon instead of you; many for marry…to name a few. Enough that is messed up my flow several times.
Bottom Line- This had a different “feel” it was very drama-llama with Shaan’s very DRAMATIC reactions/musings/feelings, but there wasn’t much angsty goodness. I suspect much of your enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for Shaan’s quirkiness, and if you believe in their HEA. (lust not love, or love built from lust) Personally, I could buy into the love growing from great sex, because I accept insta-love growing from mid-air all the time. 🤣
I don’t find many HP’s on KU, especially M.R.’s, so I snatched this one up despite the lukewarm reviews. The book starts with Shaan being jilted by Piers Danvers, and his older brother Rafe steps into his place. This we know from the blurb, and it takes quite a hunk to get through it, and moving forward. As a result, I found the first quarter tedious and had to push to keep going. The good news is when they FINALLY go to Hong Kong for the honeymoon/business trip, it picks up.
Once it got going, I was in, and frustrated that I had to put it away to do “real life” crap…I’d prefer to hide away in my fictional bubble most days. 😊 Rafe (34) is the strong broody type, but not cruel. It’s obvious he’s in lurve with the h. He’s actually a pretty good dude with major lovemaking mojo. My only complaint is that he doesn’t have a private plane, and they flew commercial to Hong Kong. Shaan (22) was a hot mess at the start. She’s so damn dramatic about being stood up… like it’s worse than rape (her words) and she can’t walk, or think, or speak. I’m convinced her spirit animal is an ostrich. Surprisingly, she didn’t annoy me though. 🤷♀ Her aunt and uncle take it about as well.
Much of the time, I just “read over” grammatical issues, but there were enough that I noticed… which is unusual for her books. Numerous typos…Rafe is called Rate several times; ber rather than her; yon instead of you; many for marry…to name a few. Enough that is messed up my flow several times.
Bottom Line- This had a different “feel” it was very drama-llama with Shaan’s very DRAMATIC reactions/musings/feelings, but there wasn’t much angsty goodness. I suspect much of your enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for Shaan’s quirkiness, and if you believe in their HEA. (lust not love, or love built from lust) Personally, I could buy into the love growing from great sex, because I accept insta-love growing from mid-air all the time. 🤣
May 24, 2018
"Marriage on the Rebound" is the story of Shaan and Rafe.
Basically, our OTT dramatic and filled with emotions heroine Shaan is abandoned by her groom Piers on her glorious wedding day. She literally has a sensational breakdown in-front of the source of all her misery, Piers's half brother Rafe- who is ultimately responsible for the breakup.
Rafe then swoops in, coerces a stupefied Shaan into marrying her and then slowly bangs his way into her heart.
Honestly, this had a potential to be a good read because the hero seemed super obsessed- but it wasn't! The part after the marriage is where things go haywire- with the heroine constantly thinking of OM, being jealous of supposed OW, the whole confrontation and ultimately the confusing finale. I didn't feel anything resolved at all, and the story was very anticlimactic.
Safe???
1.5/5
Basically, our OTT dramatic and filled with emotions heroine Shaan is abandoned by her groom Piers on her glorious wedding day. She literally has a sensational breakdown in-front of the source of all her misery, Piers's half brother Rafe- who is ultimately responsible for the breakup.
Rafe then swoops in, coerces a stupefied Shaan into marrying her and then slowly bangs his way into her heart.
Honestly, this had a potential to be a good read because the hero seemed super obsessed- but it wasn't! The part after the marriage is where things go haywire- with the heroine constantly thinking of OM, being jealous of supposed OW, the whole confrontation and ultimately the confusing finale. I didn't feel anything resolved at all, and the story was very anticlimactic.
Safe???
1.5/5
October 12, 2016
Update: 10/12/2016
re-read
******
Update: 4/4/2015
re-read it AGAIN!
******
I just finished reading this story for maybe the one thousand time so I thought to give it a review. This novel really, really tops every thing I've ever read in my entire life and I've read a lot, the hero 'Rafe' is my idol, I really adore him he's such a strong character.
And the most amazing part of this novel is the little bits in it, the way the writer dive into the emotions and feelings that goes about in this wonderful novel. The phrases that she used to describe what's going on, the characters reaction, everything perfect to the last letter.
Wonderful read…
February 14, 2017
I like those H's who are in love with h throughout , and Rafe is one of them . He is crazy for Shaan , the way he takes his half-brother's place and isolating Shaan , not giving her a chance for second thoughts , he sure is a hard business man . Some may find him aristocratic but he loves her madly which makes it all the better.
April 10, 2021
3.5 stars
September 12, 2020
¡Me gustó muchooooo!
Esta es la historia de amor entre Rafe Danvers y Shaan Saketa. Al principio Shaan estaba comprometida con Piers, hermano de Rafe, pero este termina dejándola plantada en el altar. Rafe le propone a Shaan que sean ellos los que se casen para salvar apariencias. Después de eso se van a Hong Kong de luna de miel y es ahí donde todo se desenvuelve.
El libro es corto y aunque la autora bien podía sacar más sobre la relación entre los protagonistas, siento que la historia tal cual cómo está escrita está muy bien, no me dejó con la sensación de que algo faltaba y pues obviamente tampoco tuvo eventos innecesarios, todo está muy bien desarrollado.
Obviamente, este tipo de historias suelen ser demasiado clichés y pues sí, en efecto esta lo es en todo su esplendor, peeero aún así tiene algo que atrapa y no te cansa. Algunas veces el exceso de clichés aburre pero siento que en esta historia están muy bien balanceados y simplemente juegan muy buen papel.
Cuando terminé el libro tuve que releer los primeros capítulos porque este tipo de relatos siempre se basan en una serie de “verdades a medias” o “malentendidos” entonces cuando al final ya se descubre toda la verdad sentí la necesidad de releer el principio porque sinceramente la perspectiva inicial cambia y todo se convierte en algo más adorable.
Algo que también debo dejar en claro es que yo esperaba ver este libro tapizado de machismo porque fue escrito en 1997 pero sorprendentemente no lo hubo, o sea sí, Rafe en ocasiones se llegó a ver algo posesivo pero, no fue algo que se viera en exceso, siento que todo estuvo en su punto.
Esta es la historia de amor entre Rafe Danvers y Shaan Saketa. Al principio Shaan estaba comprometida con Piers, hermano de Rafe, pero este termina dejándola plantada en el altar. Rafe le propone a Shaan que sean ellos los que se casen para salvar apariencias. Después de eso se van a Hong Kong de luna de miel y es ahí donde todo se desenvuelve.
El libro es corto y aunque la autora bien podía sacar más sobre la relación entre los protagonistas, siento que la historia tal cual cómo está escrita está muy bien, no me dejó con la sensación de que algo faltaba y pues obviamente tampoco tuvo eventos innecesarios, todo está muy bien desarrollado.
Obviamente, este tipo de historias suelen ser demasiado clichés y pues sí, en efecto esta lo es en todo su esplendor, peeero aún así tiene algo que atrapa y no te cansa. Algunas veces el exceso de clichés aburre pero siento que en esta historia están muy bien balanceados y simplemente juegan muy buen papel.
Cuando terminé el libro tuve que releer los primeros capítulos porque este tipo de relatos siempre se basan en una serie de “verdades a medias” o “malentendidos” entonces cuando al final ya se descubre toda la verdad sentí la necesidad de releer el principio porque sinceramente la perspectiva inicial cambia y todo se convierte en algo más adorable.
Algo que también debo dejar en claro es que yo esperaba ver este libro tapizado de machismo porque fue escrito en 1997 pero sorprendentemente no lo hubo, o sea sí, Rafe en ocasiones se llegó a ver algo posesivo pero, no fue algo que se viera en exceso, siento que todo estuvo en su punto.
December 19, 2020
I must have stopped reading Harleys during the late '90s, because somehow I missed Michelle Reid, who writes the kind of dominating and dark heroes I really like (and her heroines seem to agree with me). I enjoyed this one a lot--Rafe was hot and completely besotted with our heroine from the beginning, showing it through many "tells" throughout the book, even though we don't get a hero POV (early writers really had to use skill to suggest the H's side of things, and MR does that well throughout I thought). MR seems to like to use an age difference (15 years in this one) between her hero and heroine to add to some of the misunderstanding and drama, and I thought it worked really well in this one: a lot of the h's bratty behavior can be excused, I think, given that she is only 21 I think (he is 36) and a little immature. Not to mention that fact that she very justifiably is mistrustful of men and their motives given that she was jilted by her now-husband's brother.
As for Rafe--I did like him, and understood that he bossed her around so much in the beginning because she was in such a state of shock and kind of needed it. I loved how he could always tell when she started thinking of her jilting and would abruptly jolt her out of it. I also like that MR made it clear that the heroine was just as stirred up by the hero right from the beginning and, as she says in the denouement, was more concerned with what he thought of her than she was of her fiance, who she always saw as the less disturbing and less-scary paler version of his big, dark, exceptional brother. Overall, I *did* believe the love in this one, and thought it was kind of funny that the heroine, who obviously was more and more emotionally involved, agonized that they were having so much great sex... on their honeymoon! I enjoyed the glimpses of Hong Kong, too.
I also thought it was cute that they admitted to "adoring" each other long before the ILYs came out in the end--neither wanted to make themselves that vulnerable (and she wasn't really sure, quite understandably, what she was feeling and felt some guilt about being, as she termed it, fickle). Reminded me of the "too soon to say it" interactions from years past, when we would use "crazy about you" or similar lesser language to avoid too-soon ILYs. Shaan was kind of a brat once she stopped being so understandably devastated, but again, her age accounts for some of that, and her lack of trust was justified based on earlier events in the story. MR can write a good story, with a basis for actions and reactions, for sure!
I found the sex scenes pretty hot and the emotional development between the two pretty believable, so, unlike some other GR readers, I did believe the love and the HEA. A good one from MR, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors in my resubmergence into classic Harleys.
As for Rafe--I did like him, and understood that he bossed her around so much in the beginning because she was in such a state of shock and kind of needed it. I loved how he could always tell when she started thinking of her jilting and would abruptly jolt her out of it. I also like that MR made it clear that the heroine was just as stirred up by the hero right from the beginning and, as she says in the denouement, was more concerned with what he thought of her than she was of her fiance, who she always saw as the less disturbing and less-scary paler version of his big, dark, exceptional brother. Overall, I *did* believe the love in this one, and thought it was kind of funny that the heroine, who obviously was more and more emotionally involved, agonized that they were having so much great sex... on their honeymoon! I enjoyed the glimpses of Hong Kong, too.
I also thought it was cute that they admitted to "adoring" each other long before the ILYs came out in the end--neither wanted to make themselves that vulnerable (and she wasn't really sure, quite understandably, what she was feeling and felt some guilt about being, as she termed it, fickle). Reminded me of the "too soon to say it" interactions from years past, when we would use "crazy about you" or similar lesser language to avoid too-soon ILYs. Shaan was kind of a brat once she stopped being so understandably devastated, but again, her age accounts for some of that, and her lack of trust was justified based on earlier events in the story. MR can write a good story, with a basis for actions and reactions, for sure!
I found the sex scenes pretty hot and the emotional development between the two pretty believable, so, unlike some other GR readers, I did believe the love and the HEA. A good one from MR, who is quickly becoming one of my go-to authors in my resubmergence into classic Harleys.
March 28, 2013
3.5 stars
It was different than what I anticipated . Shaan was really clueless when it came to Rafe or Pier. I highly enjoyed the setting, Hong Kong in 1970's. Shaan's and Rafe's insecurities is what made this story enjoyable.
It was different than what I anticipated . Shaan was really clueless when it came to Rafe or Pier. I highly enjoyed the setting, Hong Kong in 1970's. Shaan's and Rafe's insecurities is what made this story enjoyable.
June 3, 2016
4.5 stars, rounded up
Wow. I adored this one. It's gonna be on the reread shelf.
Wow. I adored this one. It's gonna be on the reread shelf.
December 5, 2020
Second Read: 5.12.2020
3.5 Stars.
I liked it more this time.
First Read: 22.02.2016
3 stars.
3.5 Stars.
I liked it more this time.
First Read: 22.02.2016
3 stars.
November 11, 2020
3 stars
The H has been in love with the h since the very beginning, a love at the first sight. The h 'thought' she was in love with H's brother instead. The day when they were about to get married, the brother jilted her and the H proposed to her and they were married the next day. As usual, the h was blind and kept pining for her ex and she thought H was in love with the girl that his brother dumped the h for. Some misunderstanding here and there until the final misunderstanding resolved by the confession of her jerk of an ex. The ending lack baby/ies but it was quite enjoyable. Just a bit annoyed when the h was moaning about her ex over and over again at first. She claimed that 'maybe' she was actually in love with the H since the very beginning too but I just didn't buy it.
The H has been in love with the h since the very beginning, a love at the first sight. The h 'thought' she was in love with H's brother instead. The day when they were about to get married, the brother jilted her and the H proposed to her and they were married the next day. As usual, the h was blind and kept pining for her ex and she thought H was in love with the girl that his brother dumped the h for. Some misunderstanding here and there until the final misunderstanding resolved by the confession of her jerk of an ex. The ending lack baby/ies but it was quite enjoyable. Just a bit annoyed when the h was moaning about her ex over and over again at first. She claimed that 'maybe' she was actually in love with the H since the very beginning too but I just didn't buy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews