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Bound to a Billionaire #3
Buying His Bride of Convenience
Daniele Pellegrini must wed or lose his family inheritance. Eva Bergen is the perfect candidate for three reasons:
1. Her body is pure temptation.
2. She can't reject his outrageous charitable donation in exchange for their vows.
3. Most important, she can't stand him—this hard-hearted tycoon won't risk his wife falling in love with him!
When Eva's first youthful marriage ended in tragedy, she buried any hope of loving again. She's certain she'll have no problem keeping her second marriage on purely convenient terms…until her husband changes the rules with his expertly ruthless seduction!
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2017
About the author
Michelle Smart
881 books261 followersMichelle Smart is a Publishers Weekly bestselling romance author with a slight-to-severe coffee addiction. With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Michelle is now embracing the indie book world to write the passionate romance books she knows her readers love whilst continuing to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She is also the author of Butterflies, a standalone romantic and humorous time travel novel set in the 1990s.
A bookworm since birth, Michelle can usually be found hiding behind a paperback, or if it’s an author she really loves, a hardback.
Michelle loves hearing from readers and can be contacted directly via her website.
A bookworm since birth, Michelle can usually be found hiding behind a paperback, or if it’s an author she really loves, a hardback.
Michelle loves hearing from readers and can be contacted directly via her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 7, 2018
Hallelujah, this was soooo much better than Claiming His One-Night Baby. Exponentially so.
Eva, the heroine slaps down Daniele the hero for just what he is, a womanizing rake. He’s more than a little petulant about it as no woman has ever.. blah, blah, you know the drill. He doesn’t hate her guts; he doesn’t plot revenge for the slight, but when it becomes obvious he has to marry he thinks of her as there will be fewer emotional strings. He woos her with promises of millions to the charity she works for.
She wants a MOC in name only which he agrees to with the caveat he will try and seduce her. They are in his freezing outdated castello on their wedding night, and the hero is dismayed there was no bed warmer…
Not tonight… Tonight he’d left deliberate instructions to the staff not to warm the bed for them. Underhanded but necessary. ‘If you’re cold I’m very happy to warm you.’
Yeah, he’s a sneaky bad boy with great hair and unapologetic about his desire for the shutdown little heroine. He is mostly charming to the heroine with a little I’m-just-not-in-touch-with-my-feelings angsty hissy fit to create a crisis, but all in all in behaves nicely. The heroine starts to thaw out pretty quickly, but we are spared, thank you Ms. Smart, the exploding lady parts and quivering loins so many authors resort to. “Give me love, Give me love, Give me peace on earth..., but please don’t describe her nipples.
The heroine is pretty up front about her seeming coldness to everyone without being bitter. A horrible childhood with emotionally crushing, controlling and physically abusive parents and the death of her young husband have stunted and isolated Eva to the world. She's tightly wound and emotionally stunted, but she's not a mopey, poor pitiful heroine. The H's rough and tumble flirtatiousness loosens her up. She also may be the first heroine who openly colors her hair.
The heroine grows. The hero grows, and the whole family changes for the better with cute interactions between characters.
Once again the spectral character of Pieta, the older dead brother from the previous book, pops up and he is just as selfish, manipulative and hypocritical in this book as the last. For someone so revered he was perfectly awful and damaged so many people.
Great epilogue. I guess I need to read the first book now.
Eva, the heroine slaps down Daniele the hero for just what he is, a womanizing rake. He’s more than a little petulant about it as no woman has ever.. blah, blah, you know the drill. He doesn’t hate her guts; he doesn’t plot revenge for the slight, but when it becomes obvious he has to marry he thinks of her as there will be fewer emotional strings. He woos her with promises of millions to the charity she works for.
She wants a MOC in name only which he agrees to with the caveat he will try and seduce her. They are in his freezing outdated castello on their wedding night, and the hero is dismayed there was no bed warmer…
Not tonight… Tonight he’d left deliberate instructions to the staff not to warm the bed for them. Underhanded but necessary. ‘If you’re cold I’m very happy to warm you.’
Yeah, he’s a sneaky bad boy with great hair and unapologetic about his desire for the shutdown little heroine. He is mostly charming to the heroine with a little I’m-just-not-in-touch-with-my-feelings angsty hissy fit to create a crisis, but all in all in behaves nicely. The heroine starts to thaw out pretty quickly, but we are spared, thank you Ms. Smart, the exploding lady parts and quivering loins so many authors resort to. “Give me love, Give me love, Give me peace on earth..., but please don’t describe her nipples.
The heroine is pretty up front about her seeming coldness to everyone without being bitter. A horrible childhood with emotionally crushing, controlling and physically abusive parents and the death of her young husband have stunted and isolated Eva to the world. She's tightly wound and emotionally stunted, but she's not a mopey, poor pitiful heroine. The H's rough and tumble flirtatiousness loosens her up. She also may be the first heroine who openly colors her hair.
The heroine grows. The hero grows, and the whole family changes for the better with cute interactions between characters.
So while she slept, he passed the time playing cards with his mother and aunt. He only learned the two sprightly women were keen poker fiends after they’d cleared him out of all his cash.
About to make his excuses and crawl into bed with Eva, his mother dug into the giant handbag she carried everywhere and pulled out a travel-sized game of backgammon. ‘Do you want to see if you can beat me at this?’ she asked, her eyes gleaming with challenge. His aunt Rachele cackled wickedly.
Never one to resist a challenge, even if it came from the sixty-six-year-old woman who’d given birth to him and her younger sister, Daniele cleared the table of the cards. And soon found himself thrashed at the game by both of them.
Once again the spectral character of Pieta, the older dead brother from the previous book, pops up and he is just as selfish, manipulative and hypocritical in this book as the last. For someone so revered he was perfectly awful and damaged so many people.
Great epilogue. I guess I need to read the first book now.
December 5, 2017
This marriage of convenience story started out so slooooow. But I kept going because I like this author and it had so many glowing reviews.
I can see why.
This has a five star ending and it was worth the slog through the descriptions of the extreme conditions the heroine was living in at a camp set up for victims of a Caribbean hurricane. And I get that the author was equating the heroine's spiritual/emotional poverty with the physical poverty around her, but it was a bit hard to take after the three real life hurricanes that left so much destruction at the end of this summer.
The hero was equally shut down after the death of his estranged father and the sudden death of his older brother in a helicopter crash. So, having two emotionally dead characters (the H/h) interacting on top of the tedious descriptions wasn't very exciting. I wanted them to get on with their MOC that the hero needed to inherit the family pile in Italy. (The translator heroine was bribed with money for the charity that had set up the hurricane camp.)
So - we're halfway through the book, with the H/h promising not to ask any questions of each other and not to feel anything for each other when they actually start to ask questions and feel something. Then the story became compelling.
I really liked this hero, who was a gentleman always. When she said no - he backed right off and didn't lose his alpha status. He had such big emotions from the beginning when he was playing the superficial playboy role. By the end he had revealed so many hidden depths that I felt like I knew him.
The heroine was equally likable. Once she got over her judgmental prejudice about the hero, she was a loving partner. I loved how she helped him through his dark night of the soul and how she urged him to do the right thing even when he was growly. They are well-matched and I totally believed their HEA.
So, this is well-worth reading. Three stars is an average and not a good indicator of my enjoyment. I didn't read the first two in the series and had no trouble keeping up. I probably would have liked it even better if I had read the previous stories. The sister's story is book one. And the cousin's story is book two.
There is some really heavy family stuff - so if child abuse is a trigger, be warned.
I can see why.
This has a five star ending and it was worth the slog through the descriptions of the extreme conditions the heroine was living in at a camp set up for victims of a Caribbean hurricane. And I get that the author was equating the heroine's spiritual/emotional poverty with the physical poverty around her, but it was a bit hard to take after the three real life hurricanes that left so much destruction at the end of this summer.
The hero was equally shut down after the death of his estranged father and the sudden death of his older brother in a helicopter crash. So, having two emotionally dead characters (the H/h) interacting on top of the tedious descriptions wasn't very exciting. I wanted them to get on with their MOC that the hero needed to inherit the family pile in Italy. (The translator heroine was bribed with money for the charity that had set up the hurricane camp.)
So - we're halfway through the book, with the H/h promising not to ask any questions of each other and not to feel anything for each other when they actually start to ask questions and feel something. Then the story became compelling.
I really liked this hero, who was a gentleman always. When she said no - he backed right off and didn't lose his alpha status. He had such big emotions from the beginning when he was playing the superficial playboy role. By the end he had revealed so many hidden depths that I felt like I knew him.
The heroine was equally likable. Once she got over her judgmental prejudice about the hero, she was a loving partner. I loved how she helped him through his dark night of the soul and how she urged him to do the right thing even when he was growly. They are well-matched and I totally believed their HEA.
So, this is well-worth reading. Three stars is an average and not a good indicator of my enjoyment. I didn't read the first two in the series and had no trouble keeping up. I probably would have liked it even better if I had read the previous stories. The sister's story is book one. And the cousin's story is book two.
There is some really heavy family stuff - so if child abuse is a trigger, be warned.
September 8, 2017
Hero must wed or lose his family inheritance. He considers heroine the perfect candidate because she strongly dislikes him. He proposes marriage and she accepts for purely financial reasons. He is happy about it because he doesn't want her love. Heroine was married when she was very young and she is now a widow. She loved her first husband but their sex life was not spectacular. Naturally after the wedding she falls in love with our sex on legs hero and angst ensues.
I am pleasantly surprised by this author. Her first Harlequin books were atrocious but I like her writing and as long as she doesn't write cheater heroines like she used to I will be reading her books. This heroine especially was very likable. Fierce but loving and caring. Hero was sexy and charming. Epilogue was just fantastic. I mean 6 kids? I was puking rainbows!
I am pleasantly surprised by this author. Her first Harlequin books were atrocious but I like her writing and as long as she doesn't write cheater heroines like she used to I will be reading her books. This heroine especially was very likable. Fierce but loving and caring. Hero was sexy and charming. Epilogue was just fantastic. I mean 6 kids? I was puking rainbows!
October 24, 2017
I almost didn't read this one because I didn't like the blurb. The blurb does not fit this book at ALL.
I LOVED this book. Once again reminded that Michelle Smart is such a gifted writer and storyteller. The characters were so fresh and real and unique...especially the heroine and her backstory. And I loved the hero and how his feelings for the heroine grew and developed.
Also, the sex scenes were REALLY sexy. *fans self* Whew!
This is a satisfying and emotional and sexy read. Fabulous!
Grade: A+
I LOVED this book. Once again reminded that Michelle Smart is such a gifted writer and storyteller. The characters were so fresh and real and unique...especially the heroine and her backstory. And I loved the hero and how his feelings for the heroine grew and developed.
Also, the sex scenes were REALLY sexy. *fans self* Whew!
This is a satisfying and emotional and sexy read. Fabulous!
Grade: A+
June 21, 2021
Safe and recommended.
September 13, 2017
I really enjoyed this ,
September 28, 2017
I'd been hesitating to read this book for I don't like reading books where hero and heroine have been in love with their ex-spouse before and somewhere I read this heroine was in love with her husband. Felt somewhat better that her marriage was more an escape from her parents' cruel treatment, which is why, the moment she was eighteen she married the only guy who was friends with her and their marriage was more two friends caring for one another. It lacked desire and passion.
After reading book 2 of the series, Claiming his one night baby (Matteo and Natasha), I thought I should read Daniele's story and I am so glad I did because I enjoyed it thoroughly. Moreover, a lot of stuff from that book gets clarified in this book.
The angst wasn't a major one, but the little it was it had intensity. Daniele could be gruff, arrogant and yet fun and amusing too with his witty quips. That whole scene where he puts his proposition across to Eva while calming tucking into his meal, while she choked at the terms he casually put forward amused me. Liked how with his constant flirting, sexual innuendoes and slow seduction he broke down Eva's barriers regarding the consummation of the marriage. I laughed so hard at both of their "God help me" on realization on what they've actually got into by marrying.
‘Did you have to remind me?’
‘Why not? It’s all I can think about. Is it not the same for you? Have you not spent the day thinking that tonight is the first night we spend together in my bed?’
‘Actually, I’ve been trying very hard to forget.’
‘You’re a terrible liar.’
‘And you’re a terrible egotist.’
‘And you’re reduced to insulting me because it’s easier than admitting the truth that you want me.’
The tiniest flash of colour seeped across her cheekbones. ‘Oh, suck on your lemon.’
‘My point is proved.’
‘Your point is invalid.’
He shifted to settle against the back of the sofa so he could face her properly.
‘There is no shame in desiring your husband.’
‘You’re not...’ Then she checked herself and shook her head.
‘I was going to say that you’re not my husband. But you are.’ And then she laughed and drank half her gin and tonic in one go. ‘You’re my husband. God help me.’ She said the latter with a sigh and a roll of her eyes but with a definite trace of resigned amusement.
‘God help us both,’ he said drily before raising his glass. ‘To us and a marriage of the absurd.’
She chinked her glass to his and in unison they drank.
Eva was a good match for Daniele. Smart and fierce, yet caring and understanding. She'd had a misconception of him being a selfish playboy, but when she sees she was wrong and that there was a good, honest man beneath his worldly exterior she changed her antagonistic behavior toward him.
The scene where Daniele is drunk having learnt the truth that his late brother had been lying to them all when alive, I liked how she comforted him, sitting with him on the floor, hearing him out and then putting him to bed and keeping a glass of water by his bed side knowing he'll wake up with excessive thirst.
I liked how they constantly needed the other by their side, how beautifully their relationship grew. Their climax scene was awesome. So was the epilogue. I laughed so much at the rubber bullet in his mother's hair and the kids all over the place.
Fun and enjoyable book. Not to be missed
After reading book 2 of the series, Claiming his one night baby (Matteo and Natasha), I thought I should read Daniele's story and I am so glad I did because I enjoyed it thoroughly. Moreover, a lot of stuff from that book gets clarified in this book.
The angst wasn't a major one, but the little it was it had intensity. Daniele could be gruff, arrogant and yet fun and amusing too with his witty quips. That whole scene where he puts his proposition across to Eva while calming tucking into his meal, while she choked at the terms he casually put forward amused me. Liked how with his constant flirting, sexual innuendoes and slow seduction he broke down Eva's barriers regarding the consummation of the marriage. I laughed so hard at both of their "God help me" on realization on what they've actually got into by marrying.
‘Did you have to remind me?’
‘Why not? It’s all I can think about. Is it not the same for you? Have you not spent the day thinking that tonight is the first night we spend together in my bed?’
‘Actually, I’ve been trying very hard to forget.’
‘You’re a terrible liar.’
‘And you’re a terrible egotist.’
‘And you’re reduced to insulting me because it’s easier than admitting the truth that you want me.’
The tiniest flash of colour seeped across her cheekbones. ‘Oh, suck on your lemon.’
‘My point is proved.’
‘Your point is invalid.’
He shifted to settle against the back of the sofa so he could face her properly.
‘There is no shame in desiring your husband.’
‘You’re not...’ Then she checked herself and shook her head.
‘I was going to say that you’re not my husband. But you are.’ And then she laughed and drank half her gin and tonic in one go. ‘You’re my husband. God help me.’ She said the latter with a sigh and a roll of her eyes but with a definite trace of resigned amusement.
‘God help us both,’ he said drily before raising his glass. ‘To us and a marriage of the absurd.’
She chinked her glass to his and in unison they drank.
Eva was a good match for Daniele. Smart and fierce, yet caring and understanding. She'd had a misconception of him being a selfish playboy, but when she sees she was wrong and that there was a good, honest man beneath his worldly exterior she changed her antagonistic behavior toward him.
The scene where Daniele is drunk having learnt the truth that his late brother had been lying to them all when alive, I liked how she comforted him, sitting with him on the floor, hearing him out and then putting him to bed and keeping a glass of water by his bed side knowing he'll wake up with excessive thirst.
I liked how they constantly needed the other by their side, how beautifully their relationship grew. Their climax scene was awesome. So was the epilogue. I laughed so much at the rubber bullet in his mother's hair and the kids all over the place.
Fun and enjoyable book. Not to be missed
September 25, 2017
Buying his Bride of Convenience by Michelle Smart is the third story in her Bound by a Billionaire series. While each can be read as a standalone, they all feature members of the Pellegrini family who are suffering the loss of their eldest brother Pieta. It’s a series that is also very timely, dealing with philanthropic activities on a Caribbean island that has suffered from a devastating hurricane.
Daniele Pellegrini feels that he will never live up to the reputation of his older brother but he will do everything in his power to continue his work, including building a new hospital on the island of Caballeros. He’s met one of the aid workers, Eva Bergen, a woman who wasn’t impressed by his attempt to get her into bed on their one and only date. In fact, her dislike of him makes her the perfect choice for a task he must fulfill in order to claim the family’s ancestral home now that Pieta has died. He has to marry, and quickly. Since he’s got no interest in marrying for love, he’s not above bribing Eva with a substantial monetary donation for the island if she’ll agree to a short term marriage. Eva accepts. But she soon learns that first impressions aren’t always the right ones. Daniele has a lot more redeeming qualities than she expected. Will their marriage of convenience turn into a real love affair?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-buy...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
Daniele Pellegrini feels that he will never live up to the reputation of his older brother but he will do everything in his power to continue his work, including building a new hospital on the island of Caballeros. He’s met one of the aid workers, Eva Bergen, a woman who wasn’t impressed by his attempt to get her into bed on their one and only date. In fact, her dislike of him makes her the perfect choice for a task he must fulfill in order to claim the family’s ancestral home now that Pieta has died. He has to marry, and quickly. Since he’s got no interest in marrying for love, he’s not above bribing Eva with a substantial monetary donation for the island if she’ll agree to a short term marriage. Eva accepts. But she soon learns that first impressions aren’t always the right ones. Daniele has a lot more redeeming qualities than she expected. Will their marriage of convenience turn into a real love affair?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-buy...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
July 17, 2019
I like Michelle Smart's writing. I find her books are entertaining, imaginative, emotional and sexy. I liked this one the best in the series as I found the hero was actually really likeable and the developing relationship between the h/H was really well done. In fact, the h/H are totally engaging and I was totally caught up in their story. This is what I want from a romance - credible escapism!
The epilogue was fantastic - so lovely to see everyone together.
The epilogue was fantastic - so lovely to see everyone together.
September 25, 2017
This was the star in the series for me. Eva hates Daniele’s guts because he finagled her into a date that he swore up and down wasn’t a date and then proceeded to flirt shamelessly and proposition her. She promptly told him where he could shove his proposition and wrote him completely off. Luckily, while Daniele was definitely going through an a-hole phase at the time (because grief!), he’s really not an a-hole at heart.
When his cousin’s affair with his brother’s widow becomes public knowledge, Daniele needs a marriage of convenience to secure his family’s inheritance and ensure it won’t go to the betraying cousin. He decides that only Eva will do and he sweetens the deal with a massive donation to the aid organization she works for. Their marriage is supposed to be in name only but things quickly escalate. Watching them both find love they never thought they would get is downright heart-warming.
When his cousin’s affair with his brother’s widow becomes public knowledge, Daniele needs a marriage of convenience to secure his family’s inheritance and ensure it won’t go to the betraying cousin. He decides that only Eva will do and he sweetens the deal with a massive donation to the aid organization she works for. Their marriage is supposed to be in name only but things quickly escalate. Watching them both find love they never thought they would get is downright heart-warming.
July 4, 2018
Eva Bergen works hard for the charity Blue Train Aid Agency. More than just a little reserved, she finds that her one-off date with Daniele Pellegrini was not what she wanted. He was just a rich man playing the field. More money than brains. Or so she thinks at first.
Daniele Pellegrini must marry to keep the family estate intact. Six hundred years of heritage in jeopardy, all tied to an institution he does not believe in. Eva Bergen might not want him, but that makes her the perfect candidate to become his wife. His one and only wife. Yes, a fortune paid to get her there, but money turns out to not be everything.
Really sweet.
Daniele Pellegrini must marry to keep the family estate intact. Six hundred years of heritage in jeopardy, all tied to an institution he does not believe in. Eva Bergen might not want him, but that makes her the perfect candidate to become his wife. His one and only wife. Yes, a fortune paid to get her there, but money turns out to not be everything.
Really sweet.
February 2, 2023
I've read the other two books in this series and they were just meh. I love the character of Francesca (book #1), but her story fell a bit short. Book #2: Mateo from an a**hole and Natasha deserved so much better!
I wasn't expecting to like this book, but I really loved Eva and Daniele soon won my heart. At first he seems really mercenary. He needs a wife to inherit the family castillo in Spain so Mateo doesn't get it (this is when they think Mateo and Natasha had an affair while Natasha was married to Daniele's brother, who is dead, and they don't like him. I still agree. Mateo doesn't deserve that castillo.)
Eva is working for a charity on a small Caribbean island that was recently ravaged by hurricane and Daniele (he's an architect) is there to help build the hospital his brother started and decides Eva would make a good wife because she doesn't like him (he tried to seduce her once and she turned him down). So he offers to donate millions to her charity if she'll marry him.
Eva comes across as very cold and unfeeling but once you understand her abusive childhood and her first marriage, you get why and she's still great. She is kind and empathetic and does not take Daniele's bs. So she agrees to the marriage because that money will help people. Daniele won't force her to have sex with him, but he will try to seduce her and this is where I fell in love with him. He lets Eva have her own room until the wedding (see!) and they get married in this chapel and it's medieval... so one point to the H. Plus you get the "stand closer together for the wedding picture trope. Feelings are felt. I loved it.
See, the castillo is old and not in great repair, so Daniele thinks that he'll seduce Eva by forcing her to cuddle with him for warmth on their wedding night (it's also wintertime), but when he realizes how cold Eva is (just came from the Caribbean!) and that Eva is wearing pjs and a dang robe, he only holds her that night and then whisks her away to his nice warm, insulated home nearby while that wing of the castillo is brought up-to-date. He even brings in a bed with curtains! Curtains on it!
What I loved about Daniele and Eva's relationship is it's a friendship first. They get to know one another and Eva becomes Daniele's fiercest defender.
Eva is the one to seduce Daniele and it is a sweet and sexy scene. With pillow talk.
Just before Christmas, it's revealed that the dead brother was gay and never told his family. The PA and lover of the brother revealed it because the press was hounding Natasha, the wife/beard and he wanted it to stop. Daniele had complicated feelings about his brother and so Eva comes home to find the house and Christmas decorations in shambles and Daniele drunk (but he left the tree alone!). Eva and Daniele have this heart-to-heart talk in the corridor about his brother and Eva says the sweetest things, all while rubbing his feet.
Anyway, I've droned on long enough. Of course, Daniele becomes cold because he thinks they were going too fast and he's embarrassed. Then Eva overhears him saying he doesn't love her.
They have a fight and Eva drives off, but they both realize they were wrong in certain ways and go after each other and Daniele cries! It's very romantic!
The epilogue is also very sweet and lovely and corny.
I loved it.
I wasn't expecting to like this book, but I really loved Eva and Daniele soon won my heart. At first he seems really mercenary. He needs a wife to inherit the family castillo in Spain so Mateo doesn't get it (this is when they think Mateo and Natasha had an affair while Natasha was married to Daniele's brother, who is dead, and they don't like him. I still agree. Mateo doesn't deserve that castillo.)
Eva is working for a charity on a small Caribbean island that was recently ravaged by hurricane and Daniele (he's an architect) is there to help build the hospital his brother started and decides Eva would make a good wife because she doesn't like him (he tried to seduce her once and she turned him down). So he offers to donate millions to her charity if she'll marry him.
Eva comes across as very cold and unfeeling but once you understand her abusive childhood and her first marriage, you get why and she's still great. She is kind and empathetic and does not take Daniele's bs. So she agrees to the marriage because that money will help people. Daniele won't force her to have sex with him, but he will try to seduce her and this is where I fell in love with him. He lets Eva have her own room until the wedding (see!) and they get married in this chapel and it's medieval... so one point to the H. Plus you get the "stand closer together for the wedding picture trope. Feelings are felt. I loved it.
See, the castillo is old and not in great repair, so Daniele thinks that he'll seduce Eva by forcing her to cuddle with him for warmth on their wedding night (it's also wintertime), but when he realizes how cold Eva is (just came from the Caribbean!) and that Eva is wearing pjs and a dang robe, he only holds her that night and then whisks her away to his nice warm, insulated home nearby while that wing of the castillo is brought up-to-date. He even brings in a bed with curtains! Curtains on it!
What I loved about Daniele and Eva's relationship is it's a friendship first. They get to know one another and Eva becomes Daniele's fiercest defender.
Eva is the one to seduce Daniele and it is a sweet and sexy scene. With pillow talk.
Just before Christmas, it's revealed that the dead brother was gay and never told his family. The PA and lover of the brother revealed it because the press was hounding Natasha, the wife/beard and he wanted it to stop. Daniele had complicated feelings about his brother and so Eva comes home to find the house and Christmas decorations in shambles and Daniele drunk (but he left the tree alone!). Eva and Daniele have this heart-to-heart talk in the corridor about his brother and Eva says the sweetest things, all while rubbing his feet.
Anyway, I've droned on long enough. Of course, Daniele becomes cold because he thinks they were going too fast and he's embarrassed. Then Eva overhears him saying he doesn't love her.
They have a fight and Eva drives off, but they both realize they were wrong in certain ways and go after each other and Daniele cries! It's very romantic!
The epilogue is also very sweet and lovely and corny.
I loved it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2017
ARC from Netgalley
This was a boring story that didn't live up to the synopsis. It never held my interest and the ending was rushed.
This was a boring story that didn't live up to the synopsis. It never held my interest and the ending was rushed.
December 20, 2017
Daniele grew up as tne "spare" son ,always compared to his perfect older brother,Pieta.(Is Pieta a version of Pietro?).Now Pieta is dead and in order to inherit Daniele must marry.Personally he doesn't want to marry, but has no choice-otherwise his cousin Matteo inherits.Presently Matteo has an affair with Pieta's widow,Natasha, and she is pregnant.The family (Daniele, his mother, aunt and sister) think they were betrayed by the pair and shun them.Now Daniele decides to marry Eva.
Eva, a coordinator/ translator at a refugee camp on the Caribbean island of Caballeros, barely knows the Pellegrinis.She is surprised by Daniele's proposal.So he offers to donate millions to the agency running humanitarian help on the island,if Eva marries him.As such, he buys himself a bride.Eva thinks he is a playboy, who enjoys life and apparently doesn't work.(There is a mention of his architecture, but the idea is undeveloped).
Eva meets Daniele's sister Francesca,who is engaged to Felipe,and his mother,Vanessa.Now this doesn't sound Italian, unlike other names.
Daniele is surprised twice:Eva is Dutch, not English, and she is a widow .Later he learns of her abusive parents who disinherited her at 18, when she married .She has no contact with her sisters.
Most of the story takes place in Pisa and Florence (Firenze) during winter.Eva overhears Daniele speaking to Francesca about his lack of love for his wife.So she leaves...
Is Eva a coward for always running away-from her parents, after the death of her husband ?
Is Daniele running from love? What about Pieta and his secret- was he running away, too ?
I haven't read the first two books in the series, but this doesn't matter, as everyrthing was explained in the third one.i will try to find them, though.
Eva, a coordinator/ translator at a refugee camp on the Caribbean island of Caballeros, barely knows the Pellegrinis.She is surprised by Daniele's proposal.So he offers to donate millions to the agency running humanitarian help on the island,if Eva marries him.As such, he buys himself a bride.Eva thinks he is a playboy, who enjoys life and apparently doesn't work.(There is a mention of his architecture, but the idea is undeveloped).
Eva meets Daniele's sister Francesca,who is engaged to Felipe,and his mother,Vanessa.Now this doesn't sound Italian, unlike other names.
Daniele is surprised twice:Eva is Dutch, not English, and she is a widow .Later he learns of her abusive parents who disinherited her at 18, when she married .She has no contact with her sisters.
Most of the story takes place in Pisa and Florence (Firenze) during winter.Eva overhears Daniele speaking to Francesca about his lack of love for his wife.So she leaves...
Is Eva a coward for always running away-from her parents, after the death of her husband ?
Is Daniele running from love? What about Pieta and his secret- was he running away, too ?
I haven't read the first two books in the series, but this doesn't matter, as everyrthing was explained in the third one.i will try to find them, though.
September 10, 2017
Since the death of his older brother, Pieta, billionaire Daniele Pellegrini must marry in order to inherit the family estate. The woman he has in mind, Eva Bergen, hates him - which is perfect because he doesn't want a woman who will fall in love with him. If he had a choice, he wouldn't get married at all! Eva can't turn down the massive donation Daniele is willing to make to the cause she's worked for the last four years. She's willing to sacrifice herself for the cause but not willing to hand over her heart. Can either of them hold out when they discover that the person they married is not the person they believed them to be?
I always enjoy Michelle Smart's books. She consistently tells a story that pulls me in and tugs at my emotions. Buying His Bride of Convenience is no exception. Daniele wants the world to see the playboy with a different woman on his arm every outing when he's really a closet philanthropist, supporting causes financially and using his architectural prowess to build structures that complement their terrain. He chooses Eva for all the wrong reasons. What happens when she sees past his glitz to the man of substance?
I always enjoy Michelle Smart's books. She consistently tells a story that pulls me in and tugs at my emotions. Buying His Bride of Convenience is no exception. Daniele wants the world to see the playboy with a different woman on his arm every outing when he's really a closet philanthropist, supporting causes financially and using his architectural prowess to build structures that complement their terrain. He chooses Eva for all the wrong reasons. What happens when she sees past his glitz to the man of substance?
July 24, 2020
I loved the h in this book. She’s firm w/o being hard, she’s terribly attracted to the H but also manages not to succumb to the traitorous body syndrome and finally when she decides to give in to the attraction, she does so with honesty and not the “I don’t want to but I can’t help myself” attitude. She’s always dignified.
H is alpha w/o being a chest thumping retard 😂. He’s got a sense of humour, he knows how to get what he wants w/o forcing or bossing around the h. He’s a bit late to wake up to the fact that he’s fallen for the h but when he finally does he shows it beautifully. I loved that he really let the taps open thinking she died - not the one to shy away from showing how devastated he was. Wonderful declaration of love n lovely epilogue.
H is alpha w/o being a chest thumping retard 😂. He’s got a sense of humour, he knows how to get what he wants w/o forcing or bossing around the h. He’s a bit late to wake up to the fact that he’s fallen for the h but when he finally does he shows it beautifully. I loved that he really let the taps open thinking she died - not the one to shy away from showing how devastated he was. Wonderful declaration of love n lovely epilogue.
May 30, 2020
A very romantic read with a heartfelt ending. All the conflict was very well handled. I'm glad Eva and Daniele managed to find their happy ending.
July 14, 2022
I seem to be very consistent in that I am constantly picking the 3rd in a series and reading it first. I really wish I would have read the other 2 first, but I didn’t. The blurbs must entice me more on the 3rd ones. When I read the other 2 in the series the shocking secrets will not be so secret. Although, I actually think this is probably only true for the 2nd in the series Claiming His One-Night Baby.
Stmargarets and Vintage both cover this story quite well in their fine reviews here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... And https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Let’s see if I can condense some thoughts here. Basically, the hero Daniele has always harbored feelings of 2nd best. Now that his golden older brother is dead, he needs to marry and marry quick to keep the ancestral villa in the family.
Yes I know this has been done before but why mess with a trope that works.
Since the hero doesn’t want any nasty love complications ….
He asks the one woman that has absolutely no interest in him. It helps that he finds her sexually desirable. He tells the h, Eva, the rules of the game. This will never, ever be about love. He will also pay her millions of dollars to be his wife.
No she is not a gold digger. She works in the trenches for a charity. The millions the H is offering will go straight to the charity so they can use it to build a hospital etc…The longer the h stays married to the H the more money to get donated. He will also be very generous with her everyday expenses(she could care less about that). Once married she must agree to share his bed, BUT sex will only happen when she decides she wants it. He is pretty confident she will want it at some point as the desire between the 2 of them is thick! She also feels she can abide by the no love rule as she thinks the hero is a shallow, playboy with the morals of an alley cat.
So basically that is the set up. You won’t be surprised if I tell you that the sex and the love eventually happen. You probably also won’t be surprised if I tell you that the hero denies his love for the h for most of the book until it looks like he has lost the h.
This is a slow story that doesn’t ramp up until the 2nd half. In the 2nd half we see the two connecting in some very heart felt moments. Each of them have a lot of baggage to unload which I will not spoil for you here. Very little angst…except the last 2 chapters. A really nice epilogue with the characters from the 2 previous books. It is set 6 years in the future and our h is quite the fertile myrtle.
The “I don’t think I have read this before” moment: The h dyes her hair red. Now I know we have had heroines who dye their hair as a disguise or use rinses, but this h actually dyes her hair as some sort of “Independence” statement. The H already suspected this, but ended up with verification when he found that the “carpet does not match the drapes!”
There is also mention of another couple in the story. They have their own book here: Talos Claims His Virgin / Christmas at the Chatsworth or here: Talos Claims His VirginI’m looking forward to this as Stmargarets gave it 5 stars. I can usually count on those 5 star ratings.
July 25, 2022
What did I just read. Despite my best try I really can’t just shut my brain and smoothly traipse into this new and progressive HPland. The tales don’t seem to wrap up and their ridiculousness is underwhelming.
The h works in some post tornado and famine Caribbean island in a refugee camp. She’s a good girl with a good heart and it took her some growing up to get to this choice of work. The H is a visitor there and his family is a regular donor to this camp.
The H’s brother passes away and as lone-male-heir he must but marry. (Anyone knows anyone in real life who has marriage clauses like that in their inheritance??) The H can’t think of a better candidate than this perky miss at the camp who is bitter and can’t be softened with his flirting. He had tried earlier and failed.
The H offers a reallllly ridiculous amount of money to buy her. She has a monthly allowance of a quarter mil and she can donate all of that to wherever she wants. And then there’s the donation amounts that keep growing with the h’s compliance to their agreement and ultimately the marriage bed.
The h on the other hand was like a sourly temperamental admonishing grandma. She had a cynical thing to say to every word coming out of the H’s mouth. Like it really was such a horrible crime to have that kind of money and be a looker and to have him chase her. I’m sure this man didn’t sit back on his butt to fiddle his thumbs and make that kind of dough.
There’s an MOC and this annoying lady has a bit of a past reveal that was just as boring as her. Eventually they make it to their bed where the h is crying because she’d been celibate for this many years and had only been with that one man and she was totally inexperienced and didn’t know night from day when it came to exchanging body fluids. Ohhh, she was such a sweetly naive little non-v on this face of the earth.
I was done with the h’s sob story and her reprimanding tone. She wasn’t his mother to criticize everything about him or his lifestyle , until she got needy and admitted that she needed a lay. Had to make myself drag thru and not DNF. Glad it got over!
The h works in some post tornado and famine Caribbean island in a refugee camp. She’s a good girl with a good heart and it took her some growing up to get to this choice of work. The H is a visitor there and his family is a regular donor to this camp.
The H’s brother passes away and as lone-male-heir he must but marry. (Anyone knows anyone in real life who has marriage clauses like that in their inheritance??) The H can’t think of a better candidate than this perky miss at the camp who is bitter and can’t be softened with his flirting. He had tried earlier and failed.
The H offers a reallllly ridiculous amount of money to buy her. She has a monthly allowance of a quarter mil and she can donate all of that to wherever she wants. And then there’s the donation amounts that keep growing with the h’s compliance to their agreement and ultimately the marriage bed.
The h on the other hand was like a sourly temperamental admonishing grandma. She had a cynical thing to say to every word coming out of the H’s mouth. Like it really was such a horrible crime to have that kind of money and be a looker and to have him chase her. I’m sure this man didn’t sit back on his butt to fiddle his thumbs and make that kind of dough.
There’s an MOC and this annoying lady has a bit of a past reveal that was just as boring as her. Eventually they make it to their bed where the h is crying because she’d been celibate for this many years and had only been with that one man and she was totally inexperienced and didn’t know night from day when it came to exchanging body fluids. Ohhh, she was such a sweetly naive little non-v on this face of the earth.
I was done with the h’s sob story and her reprimanding tone. She wasn’t his mother to criticize everything about him or his lifestyle , until she got needy and admitted that she needed a lay. Had to make myself drag thru and not DNF. Glad it got over!
September 22, 2023
I think that name says it all... 😀
Main h - she is living for helping people...
Main H didn't told her that he will give her money...He told her, that he will give it to the CHARITY - her job...
I was like "hmmmmm" 🤔
Yeah, she worked and helped people...
But it was JUST A WORK.
Ok, move on...
Main H needs a wife. Like... RIGHT NOW 🫣
He will inherit some castle JUST when the family heir will be married...
It was his brother, who died...
Main h thinks that he is just selfish playboy - nothing for her. When he invited her on date - he was messy (his brother just died), wanted to sleep with her...
And she just said "No" and leaved him...💅
And he was like "wtf!" 🙈🙉🙊
He was not selfish.😊
He didn't want this castle, but his Family did...🤔
So even when he loved his playboy lifestyle, he needed to do it. 🙄
And Eva - main h - was the only one who said him "No" And loathed him.😏
Perfect! Cause she will never Fall in love/he will never Fall in love...🫠
But hey, it was quite a quick read. She started to have a feelings for him relatively soon.😬
He did too. 🤪
But he was still thinking that they are "fine" not in love...never...🤐
She heard him when he told his sister that he will never love her. 🖤
It was in the day she wanted to tell him, that she DO LOVE HIM...uuuups 😀
So she did something stupid...took her car keys, packed her bag and wanted to leave...without even telling him...🤨
He saw her, stoped her, told her that she always run away, that she is coward - leave him like this...😬
And she told him, that he is selfish...etc. etc...something about her wanting to be with him FOREVER, want to have babies...🤧
And then he tells her that she is selfish too..."I want this and this" - all about her...😮
It was entertaining 😝🫣🤫
The end was HEA - of course 😘
He was like "I need to go after her" cause he let her go...
And she was like "I have to Come back..."
But they found each other in the midlle...so OK... 😁
Main h - she is living for helping people...
Main H didn't told her that he will give her money...He told her, that he will give it to the CHARITY - her job...
I was like "hmmmmm" 🤔
Yeah, she worked and helped people...
But it was JUST A WORK.
Ok, move on...
Main H needs a wife. Like... RIGHT NOW 🫣
He will inherit some castle JUST when the family heir will be married...
It was his brother, who died...
Main h thinks that he is just selfish playboy - nothing for her. When he invited her on date - he was messy (his brother just died), wanted to sleep with her...
And she just said "No" and leaved him...💅
And he was like "wtf!" 🙈🙉🙊
He was not selfish.😊
He didn't want this castle, but his Family did...🤔
So even when he loved his playboy lifestyle, he needed to do it. 🙄
And Eva - main h - was the only one who said him "No" And loathed him.😏
Perfect! Cause she will never Fall in love/he will never Fall in love...🫠
But hey, it was quite a quick read. She started to have a feelings for him relatively soon.😬
He did too. 🤪
But he was still thinking that they are "fine" not in love...never...🤐
She heard him when he told his sister that he will never love her. 🖤
It was in the day she wanted to tell him, that she DO LOVE HIM...uuuups 😀
So she did something stupid...took her car keys, packed her bag and wanted to leave...without even telling him...🤨
He saw her, stoped her, told her that she always run away, that she is coward - leave him like this...😬
And she told him, that he is selfish...etc. etc...something about her wanting to be with him FOREVER, want to have babies...🤧
And then he tells her that she is selfish too..."I want this and this" - all about her...😮
It was entertaining 😝🫣🤫
The end was HEA - of course 😘
He was like "I need to go after her" cause he let her go...
And she was like "I have to Come back..."
But they found each other in the midlle...so OK... 😁
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2017
This is the third book in the Bound to a Billionaire series and it was a very interesting read. I'm going to have to go back and read the other 2 books of this series. The characters were interesting and they both had issues that they need to resolve in order for them to be able to live happily ever after. Marriage is something that should be sacred but it seems that Daniele wants this marriage just as a convenience and Eva is thinking about the money that could help people. They have this chemistry that is sizzling but she is fighting it and Daniele is being the gentleman that he promised he would be. Eva is a caring person and when she tells her story I felt so bad for her because her parents shouldn't have treated her nor her sisters the way they did. Then there is Daniele and his family. There is so much going on in the Pellegrini between the death of his brother and some other big issues that of course Daniele is going to lose his mind. But what I love is that Eva is there and supports him in any way that she can. What ends up happening is Eva is falling in love with Daniele but when she over hears him speaking with his sister things change and she runs away.
Buying His Bride Convenience was a good read. It was enthralling from the beginning to the very end. There were some parts that were a little slow but that was okay. These two characters deserved to be together and live happily ever after. They needed to see that they were already in love with each other once that happened then they could move forward with their marriage.
Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review
Buying His Bride Convenience was a good read. It was enthralling from the beginning to the very end. There were some parts that were a little slow but that was okay. These two characters deserved to be together and live happily ever after. They needed to see that they were already in love with each other once that happened then they could move forward with their marriage.
Received ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an Honest Review
October 17, 2017
Buying His Bride of Convenience is the final book in Michelle Smart's Bound to a Billionaire trilogy. The story follows Daniele Pelligrini and continues in parallel with Matteo and Natasha's story who we met in Claiming His One-Night Baby.
Buying His Bride of Convenience opens up with Daniele having himself checked out by a medical volunteer, Eva Bergen who he so happens to know from a previous date. Their meeting in the opening scenes isn't glamorous or the sparks don't fly off the pages. However, when Daniele is tasked with finding a wife in order to claim his inheritance, he has one person in mind...Eva. The drama slowly builds from this point and the scenes that unfold close the trilogy with a bang. Unique, angsty and intense, Buying His Bride of Convenience by Michelle Smart is a solid and compelling read. I enjoyed the banter and the internal musings of Eva and Daniele and throughout their tumultuous journey from being polar opposites to becoming madly in love make their relationship become the perfect forever after!
Recommended
4.5 Stars
April 25, 2025
I liked it. The plot was was good and the connection between hero and heroine was very believable.
I liked the hero alot, I didn't think I would like him after how he treated heroine on their first date, but he was great. He constantly noticed things about heroine and would do things to make her happy. He even built a salon in his Castello for her to get her hair dyed whenever she wanted.
Heroine was nice, her standoffishness was not my favorite but it made sense after the childhood she had. She also did things for him and was there for him at his lowest.
I liked the ending and that they only broke up for a short time (maybe a half hour to an hour), that it wasn't for day or weeks. It was nice that they both went after the other. His reaction was so sweet when he thought she had died, the crying and running over to embrace her. P.
I liked the hero alot, I didn't think I would like him after how he treated heroine on their first date, but he was great. He constantly noticed things about heroine and would do things to make her happy. He even built a salon in his Castello for her to get her hair dyed whenever she wanted.
Heroine was nice, her standoffishness was not my favorite but it made sense after the childhood she had. She also did things for him and was there for him at his lowest.
I liked the ending and that they only broke up for a short time (maybe a half hour to an hour), that it wasn't for day or weeks. It was nice that they both went after the other. His reaction was so sweet when he thought she had died, the crying and running over to embrace her. P.
January 23, 2018
This is a really solid Presents. The heroine is genuinely capable, not just faux-plucky like so many Presents heroines. The hero is alpha but values consent, is honest, and is just as scared as the heroine of being emotionally vulnerable to someone. I thought the sex was surpsingly sexy, with some great chemistry. Plus the heroine works for a charity at a camp in a hurricane ravaged country, and there isn't any poverty porn and it's not used to saint-ify the heroine. (Maybe others will pick up on problematic subtleties I didn't though.) Overall I'd say this is a well-above-average story for an HP.
August 13, 2018
The last book in Bound to Billionaire Series is just wow! Wow as in wow! It will leave you speechless!
Daniele and Eva is showcased as a headstrong pair who feel with their Brains both of their hearts are cold and the journey of them finding warmth in their hearts for each other is beautiful...
The pair will make you go through last chapter again and again, I didn't want their story to end - I wanted to know more about them, more about their chemistry more about what they will do in other situations..
But Michelle Smart has done wonderful job in epilogue! Just read it guys - the hangover is going to stay!
Daniele and Eva is showcased as a headstrong pair who feel with their Brains both of their hearts are cold and the journey of them finding warmth in their hearts for each other is beautiful...
The pair will make you go through last chapter again and again, I didn't want their story to end - I wanted to know more about them, more about their chemistry more about what they will do in other situations..
But Michelle Smart has done wonderful job in epilogue! Just read it guys - the hangover is going to stay!
October 1, 2017
This book was very good and I enjoyed reading it. Daniele was handsome, rich and needed a wife to keep the family estate and so he marries Eva. She's beautiful, poor and the deal they strike up is perfectly simple. They both simply failed at this marriage of convenience. This book was sexy, romantic and well written. I would have given it five stars if there had been a little more conflict. Still I would recommend it.
October 24, 2017
Oh Michelle Smart, how much do I love your writing? MUCH!
Book 3 in the Bound to a Billionaire trilogy, Eva and Daniele are fantastic characters who are basically all about my fave scenario, married; dont like each other; read how the sparks fly on their journey to love.
Fantastic dialogue, wonderful plot and fast paced.
Loved it!
Book 3 in the Bound to a Billionaire trilogy, Eva and Daniele are fantastic characters who are basically all about my fave scenario, married; dont like each other; read how the sparks fly on their journey to love.
Fantastic dialogue, wonderful plot and fast paced.
Loved it!
October 25, 2017
Another HEA and what more can you ask. It has secrets that the family didn't know about and things are not what they seem, but it is about the 2nd son trying to emulate the 1st son and not measuring up to him, but I believe it is only in his own mind. It is the 3rd book in the Bound to a Billionaire Trilogy and now I need to go see if I have read the other 2. Enjoy.
October 3, 2017
I didn't think that I would like it as I hate when my romances have prior loves/marriages but I found that I didn't mind in this one because h was not in love with her ex.I also loved how they formed a close loving bond and the epilogue, OH MY GOD! Loved it!
October 20, 2017
Delightful story
Didn't put my kindle down from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this story. The hero was a bit of an arrogant jerk at first but he softened up mid story. The sex scene was exciting and different than the standard hp.
Didn't put my kindle down from beginning to end. I really enjoyed this story. The hero was a bit of an arrogant jerk at first but he softened up mid story. The sex scene was exciting and different than the standard hp.
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