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Winner Takes All
Eva Butler isn’t easily intimidated—certainly not by a stern receptionist with a disapproving scowl. Her appointment with media mogul Cole Hammond is too important to miss. As a senior associate at an auction house vying for his father’s multimillion-dollar art collection, she won’t be turned away by a specious claim that she doesn’t have an appointment. Of course she does. She made it herself!
Help comes in the form of an enigmatic executive who claims to have Hammond’s ear. Reed volunteers to take the meeting, and suddenly Eva finds herself at lunch with a charming man far too handsome for her peace of mind. She knows the sizzle of attraction she feels isn’t appropriate business behavior, and yet she can’t quite smother the spark.
But all is not what it seems—not with Reed, not with her auction house. Schemes are afoot, and before she knows it, securing the Hammond collection becomes the least of her worries. With so much at stake, including her heart, Eva realizes that the winner does indeed take all.
Help comes in the form of an enigmatic executive who claims to have Hammond’s ear. Reed volunteers to take the meeting, and suddenly Eva finds herself at lunch with a charming man far too handsome for her peace of mind. She knows the sizzle of attraction she feels isn’t appropriate business behavior, and yet she can’t quite smother the spark.
But all is not what it seems—not with Reed, not with her auction house. Schemes are afoot, and before she knows it, securing the Hammond collection becomes the least of her worries. With so much at stake, including her heart, Eva realizes that the winner does indeed take all.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 18, 2015
15 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Messina
64 books657 followersLynn Messina is author of more than a dozen novels, including the best-selling Fashionistas, which has been translated into sixteen languages, and a series of Regency romance novels. Her essays have appeared in Self, American Baby and the New York Times Modern Love column. She lives in New York City with her sons.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 2, 2018
DNF at 38%
I wasnt expecting great literature - this is a light, frothy romance, but the writing was clunky in places and the author really should check simple details.
Surely, Lord Peter Whimsy would to the trick.
Its Lord Peter Wimsey!!! It isnt that hard to Google, is it?
This was a pretty standard romance - woman falls for incognito billionaire etc etc... but I had to stop when this happened:
(The guy has arrived at her flat late at night, demanding to be let in. Its 3 am. She's alone.He has already lied to her, so what does the idiot do, but let him in, and then......)
"Damn you, don't start that again!" He ground out angrily {incorrect punctuation} striding toward her and grasping her shoulders so she couldn't run away - not that there was anywhere to run to in her tiny apartment.
WTF???
He thinks its acceptable to assault a woman in her own home - grabbing hold of her so that she can't run away??
I stopped reading at that point. I bet they end up having mad passionate sex on her couch in her tiny apartment and she forgets the bruises left on her shoulders by his fingers. I'd have called the cops, personally.
MEH
I wasnt expecting great literature - this is a light, frothy romance, but the writing was clunky in places and the author really should check simple details.
Surely, Lord Peter Whimsy would to the trick.
Its Lord Peter Wimsey!!! It isnt that hard to Google, is it?
This was a pretty standard romance - woman falls for incognito billionaire etc etc... but I had to stop when this happened:
(The guy has arrived at her flat late at night, demanding to be let in. Its 3 am. She's alone.He has already lied to her, so what does the idiot do, but let him in, and then......)
"Damn you, don't start that again!" He ground out angrily {incorrect punctuation} striding toward her and grasping her shoulders so she couldn't run away - not that there was anywhere to run to in her tiny apartment.
WTF???
He thinks its acceptable to assault a woman in her own home - grabbing hold of her so that she can't run away??
I stopped reading at that point. I bet they end up having mad passionate sex on her couch in her tiny apartment and she forgets the bruises left on her shoulders by his fingers. I'd have called the cops, personally.
MEH
May 7, 2020
(3.5 stars) - entertaining but a bit too contrived (with "mature" content)
The story reads much like a Harlequin romance virtually right down to the bodice ripping. It is better quality writing than the average Harlequin, but it's still that kind of tale.
It starts out strongly enough that I was leaning towards 4 stars initially, but it kind of falls apart towards the end. I had a hard time believing that Eva was such a savvy go-getter, well aware of guys who use women, backstabbing office politics, & cutthroat industry competition, yet was so naive. The only thing that wasn't obvious was just how far back she was being groomed for the setup.
The romance is not that original but written well enough that it was still enjoyable. Minus the porn.
There are still many readers who prefer romance without porn - as a courtesy to readers (& therefore in their own self-interest as few share my forbearance & will review as a means to express their unhappiness), authors who indicate in the book descriptions when they are including "mature" content save everyone unhappiness & are much appreciated
*Clean romance level: passionate kissing, sex with graphic descriptions
*Language: moderate use of d---, h---, & sh--, plus about a dozen f-bombs
*Religion: nearly 4 dozen uses of God's Name in vain, sadly & unnecessarily, though at least not as curses, fwiw
The story reads much like a Harlequin romance virtually right down to the bodice ripping. It is better quality writing than the average Harlequin, but it's still that kind of tale.
It starts out strongly enough that I was leaning towards 4 stars initially, but it kind of falls apart towards the end. I had a hard time believing that Eva was such a savvy go-getter, well aware of guys who use women, backstabbing office politics, & cutthroat industry competition, yet was so naive. The only thing that wasn't obvious was just how far back she was being groomed for the setup.
The romance is not that original but written well enough that it was still enjoyable. Minus the porn.
There are still many readers who prefer romance without porn - as a courtesy to readers (& therefore in their own self-interest as few share my forbearance & will review as a means to express their unhappiness), authors who indicate in the book descriptions when they are including "mature" content save everyone unhappiness & are much appreciated
*Clean romance level: passionate kissing, sex with graphic descriptions
*Language: moderate use of d---, h---, & sh--, plus about a dozen f-bombs
*Religion: nearly 4 dozen uses of God's Name in vain, sadly & unnecessarily, though at least not as curses, fwiw
July 8, 2018
A very good read
I enjoy the author's writing and have a few other books by her. I enjoyed reading this book. The characters and plotline of this book kept me entertained.
I enjoy the author's writing and have a few other books by her. I enjoyed reading this book. The characters and plotline of this book kept me entertained.
November 5, 2015
I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. With no reviews on Goodreads or Amazon, I had NO CLUE what to expect.
Was it a perfect book? Nope. But, was it memorable? Yes. The book reminded me somewhat of Julie James books. I don't mean the FBI/lawyer you get from Ms. James, but in that the characters are all grown adults that make mature decisions and have lives where they go out with friends and significant others become friends with each other.
This could have easily become another one of the cliched billionaire boss books that are a dime a dozen these days, but it didn't. Cole was not an asshole. He was not a jerk in any way. He was wonderful. And mature. He had a little bit of a temper, but when he was about to go off on something that was supposed, he confronted the situation head on. As did Eva, although she did have a tendency to go off in her head quite a bit and suspect the worst, we got a little background into why she was like that, but I would have liked a little more on that, it was still there and made you realize why she was the way she was.
I will definitely buy and read this author's next work.
**I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.**
Was it a perfect book? Nope. But, was it memorable? Yes. The book reminded me somewhat of Julie James books. I don't mean the FBI/lawyer you get from Ms. James, but in that the characters are all grown adults that make mature decisions and have lives where they go out with friends and significant others become friends with each other.
This could have easily become another one of the cliched billionaire boss books that are a dime a dozen these days, but it didn't. Cole was not an asshole. He was not a jerk in any way. He was wonderful. And mature. He had a little bit of a temper, but when he was about to go off on something that was supposed, he confronted the situation head on. As did Eva, although she did have a tendency to go off in her head quite a bit and suspect the worst, we got a little background into why she was like that, but I would have liked a little more on that, it was still there and made you realize why she was the way she was.
I will definitely buy and read this author's next work.
**I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.**
December 7, 2015
This book was fantastic. To be perfectly honest, I had thought that it would be just another typical romance story. NOT that there is anything wrong with that!! Even predicable stories can be very enjoyable. However, I was pleasantly surprised by much about this book. Firstly, I truly enjoyed the characters, they were easy to relate to, they weren't whiny (even when there was good cause to be), and it was so easy to root for them right from the beginning. The second biggest thing that I appreciated about this book is that there was more to it plot wise than just the story of the two leads. I don't want to give anything away, since it was a lovely surprise for me I would like it to be the same for others- but there is a great plot point nearer the end of the book that was fantastic! It was done well, and when I thought about it, the foundation for it had been laid throughout the book. It was well executed and, in my opinion added greater depth to the overall story. I truly loved this book. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for other works by this author.
November 8, 2015
I loved this book! I wasn't sure what to expect, but since it was KU, decided to take a chance. I am so glad I did! This is a well written contemporary romance that drew me right it. I am really looking forward to reading future books by this author.
April 21, 2016
You think this will be another typical story of working girl meets rich man and where you know from the first page how the book will end. And indeed, it seems that you were right. But things can be deceptive and the twist the author has in mind is the living proof of it. Fun read.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews