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Arabelė „Rebelė“ Deniels būtų mieliau šokusi nuoga su parašiutu, nei sutikusi su šokiruojančiu Drako Andželio pasiūlymu. Tačiau, Rebelei to nežinant, jos tėvas pasisavino grėsmingojo magnato pinigus ir dabar ji privalo grąžinti skolą taip, kaip panorės Drakas.
Arabelė yra profesionali šuolininkė nuo tramplyno su slidėmis. Nemalonus Drako žiedo su deimantu svoris ir savininkiškas jo elgesys viešumoje Arabelei atrodo per didelė kaina, kurią jai tenka mokėti. Ypač, kai neišvengiamai artėja ta akimirka, kai teks praleisti naktį su Draku...
Arabelė yra profesionali šuolininkė nuo tramplyno su slidėmis. Nemalonus Drako žiedo su deimantu svoris ir savininkiškas jo elgesys viešumoje Arabelei atrodo per didelė kaina, kurią jai tenka mokėti. Ypač, kai neišvengiamai artėja ta akimirka, kai teks praleisti naktį su Draku...
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 8, 2016
Twenty-five-year-old Arabella (Rebel) Daniels (a champion skier) goes to meet her father where he works as a CFO/accountant at the Angel International Group to have a talk with him. They've been estranged and she hasn't seen him for years but recently she received a letter from him with a bankers receipt for 500,000 pounds deposited into her bank account. While waiting for her father she does some yoga to relieve the tension and meets Draco Angelis, who runs the place. He wants to kick her out because she's distracting his employees but he eventually finds out who she is. Draco believes a half million pounds disappeared from his company's accounts and he's positive her father is to blame. He thinks Arabella is in on it with her father and he wants the money back immediately. But Arabella has already spent the money to pay for her next champion ski run. Threatening to turn her and her absent father in to the police Draco and Arabella make a deal. Arabella will be his pretend fiancée for the next three months and Draco won't press charges. After a lot of bickering and arguing Arabella agrees, she has no other choice.
Arabella was a feisty heroine and a bit snarky at times. She liked listening to loud rock music when she was stressed, much to Draco's frustration. She has been estranged from her father for many years (since her mother died) because he blames Arabella for her mother's death.
Draco is a super-agent who sponsors sports figures. He was once a five-time world champion skier but his career ended when he was forced to quit due to a knee injury.
This book was a bit slow in the first half. I enjoyed the sports-related storyline but I thought Draco acted like a real jerk towards Arabella after he found out the details about Arabella's mother's death near the end of the book. And though this couple had good sexual chemistry, I didn't feel the love between these two.
Arabella was a feisty heroine and a bit snarky at times. She liked listening to loud rock music when she was stressed, much to Draco's frustration. She has been estranged from her father for many years (since her mother died) because he blames Arabella for her mother's death.
Draco is a super-agent who sponsors sports figures. He was once a five-time world champion skier but his career ended when he was forced to quit due to a knee injury.
This book was a bit slow in the first half. I enjoyed the sports-related storyline but I thought Draco acted like a real jerk towards Arabella after he found out the details about Arabella's mother's death near the end of the book. And though this couple had good sexual chemistry, I didn't feel the love between these two.
April 25, 2016
4.5***
I ended my long HP drought with this fast paced and sexy read by Maya Blake.I enjoyed both characters ,their interactions with each other was pure chemistry that was palpable.Though the heroine Arabella aka Rebel was snarky,she was the perfect foil for the hero Draco.
These 2 meet when Arabella goes to her father's job to see him after years of estrangement after her mother's death.Instead of seeing her father,she is seen doing her yoga moves by her father's boss,Draco.U known to Arabella, the money that was deposited into her account was stolen from Draco's company by her father.Draco wants payment ,payment in the form of a fake engagement to thwart a business accociate from plans to marry him to his champion ice skating daughter.
Arabella,a champion skier,having already spent the money for her next championship run,agrees to the deal.
This was a great story that lifted me out of my HP slump that that was filled with sexual tension from the get go.My only gripe was the too abrupt ending.This just left me hanging,an epilogue was sorely needed.
I ended my long HP drought with this fast paced and sexy read by Maya Blake.I enjoyed both characters ,their interactions with each other was pure chemistry that was palpable.Though the heroine Arabella aka Rebel was snarky,she was the perfect foil for the hero Draco.
These 2 meet when Arabella goes to her father's job to see him after years of estrangement after her mother's death.Instead of seeing her father,she is seen doing her yoga moves by her father's boss,Draco.U known to Arabella, the money that was deposited into her account was stolen from Draco's company by her father.Draco wants payment ,payment in the form of a fake engagement to thwart a business accociate from plans to marry him to his champion ice skating daughter.
Arabella,a champion skier,having already spent the money for her next championship run,agrees to the deal.
This was a great story that lifted me out of my HP slump that that was filled with sexual tension from the get go.My only gripe was the too abrupt ending.This just left me hanging,an epilogue was sorely needed.
February 8, 2016
Netgalley for honest review.
4.25 Rating.
I needed this HP to give me continued hope for this line. I've had some recent months of disappointing reads due to the characters just not being likable or they treat each other horribly.
Maya Blake wrote a wonderful couple of characters in this romance, with great balance in the alpha male (but not a jerk) and strong but caring heroine.. The Heroine Rebel is headed to meet her Father at his office for lunch. She hasn't really spoken to her Father in years, as they are estranged due to the death of her Mother and Rebel feeling responsible. When she arrives at her Fathers office it's empty and she assumes he'll be returning shortly. Rebel, who is a champion skier and is preparing for another competition, decides to do some stretches/yoga as she is waiting for her Father. This is where our hero comes in. You see all the offices have glass walls and Draco, along with plenty of male workers, take notice. Draco decides he's can't have his employee's distracted and decides to confront Rebel. There is also the issue of that particular employee has been missing for weeks as well as a substantial amount of money and maybe this individual has some information. This is the opening scene for this romance and it was bursting with sexual tension, some great sass and great dialogue lines delivered by both.
Draco, was a skier as well and very successful. He started his own company to sponsor and promote athlete's and such. Draco's sister endured a tragic accident when she was training as a figure skater and that was due to a beyond driven trainer pushing her too hard. Because of this tragedy Draco has some high expectations for athletes as well as trainers, believing they should work hard (no partying or fun) and exibit self control.
Rebel has portrayed an image to the media and world as a party girl at times. But those spurts of rebellion (not over the top or Paris Hilton type at all) are a cover up, especially during the anniversary of her Mother's death. Rebel struggles with guilt, because she feels responsible not only for her Mothers death but the pain her Father has endured due to the loss of his wife. She has never achieved complete success with skiing, but she continues striving for the win for her Mother, who also skied and loved the sport.
The story takes off from Draco and Rebel's first meeting with some great pacing, chemistry and dialogue. The missing money was given to Rebel by Father due to sponsors drying up in backing her. Rebel's assistant encourage her to take the money to help pay for the expenses in their next bid for a championship run. Rebel had no idea when she took the money what her Father had done, but it didn't take her long to figure it out after meeting Draco and he also deduced what had transpired.
We have a fake engagement thrown into the plot to help Draco with a potential client and in return the monies/jail won't be an issue. He offers to help Rebel train and challenges her mentally as well as physically. I really enjoyed the romance and how it developed throughout the story. They had attraction going right away but it was a slow and steady development of the relationship. The emotional as well as physical aspect of the relationship was well balanced. What I really enjoyed was their communication and also how they treated each other. Yes, Draco was a alpha male (which I love) but not a jerk.
I wish I could have given it a five rating but I thought the ending was too quick and abrupt. I think the story need to be longer (in the HP line that would have been hard). Another issue is no epilogue, which to me is almost a must in my romance reads now days.
So highly recommended.
4.25 Rating.
I needed this HP to give me continued hope for this line. I've had some recent months of disappointing reads due to the characters just not being likable or they treat each other horribly.
Maya Blake wrote a wonderful couple of characters in this romance, with great balance in the alpha male (but not a jerk) and strong but caring heroine.. The Heroine Rebel is headed to meet her Father at his office for lunch. She hasn't really spoken to her Father in years, as they are estranged due to the death of her Mother and Rebel feeling responsible. When she arrives at her Fathers office it's empty and she assumes he'll be returning shortly. Rebel, who is a champion skier and is preparing for another competition, decides to do some stretches/yoga as she is waiting for her Father. This is where our hero comes in. You see all the offices have glass walls and Draco, along with plenty of male workers, take notice. Draco decides he's can't have his employee's distracted and decides to confront Rebel. There is also the issue of that particular employee has been missing for weeks as well as a substantial amount of money and maybe this individual has some information. This is the opening scene for this romance and it was bursting with sexual tension, some great sass and great dialogue lines delivered by both.
Draco, was a skier as well and very successful. He started his own company to sponsor and promote athlete's and such. Draco's sister endured a tragic accident when she was training as a figure skater and that was due to a beyond driven trainer pushing her too hard. Because of this tragedy Draco has some high expectations for athletes as well as trainers, believing they should work hard (no partying or fun) and exibit self control.
Rebel has portrayed an image to the media and world as a party girl at times. But those spurts of rebellion (not over the top or Paris Hilton type at all) are a cover up, especially during the anniversary of her Mother's death. Rebel struggles with guilt, because she feels responsible not only for her Mothers death but the pain her Father has endured due to the loss of his wife. She has never achieved complete success with skiing, but she continues striving for the win for her Mother, who also skied and loved the sport.
The story takes off from Draco and Rebel's first meeting with some great pacing, chemistry and dialogue. The missing money was given to Rebel by Father due to sponsors drying up in backing her. Rebel's assistant encourage her to take the money to help pay for the expenses in their next bid for a championship run. Rebel had no idea when she took the money what her Father had done, but it didn't take her long to figure it out after meeting Draco and he also deduced what had transpired.
We have a fake engagement thrown into the plot to help Draco with a potential client and in return the monies/jail won't be an issue. He offers to help Rebel train and challenges her mentally as well as physically. I really enjoyed the romance and how it developed throughout the story. They had attraction going right away but it was a slow and steady development of the relationship. The emotional as well as physical aspect of the relationship was well balanced. What I really enjoyed was their communication and also how they treated each other. Yes, Draco was a alpha male (which I love) but not a jerk.
I wish I could have given it a five rating but I thought the ending was too quick and abrupt. I think the story need to be longer (in the HP line that would have been hard). Another issue is no epilogue, which to me is almost a must in my romance reads now days.
So highly recommended.
May 29, 2017
As the other reviewers note, the second half was better than the first. This is a sports story. The heroine is a ski jumper. The hero is a sports agent, a five time world champion in cross-country skiing, and owner of a Greek island. The hero's sister was a figure skater whose career was cut short by injuries after being pushed by an unscrupulous trainer. The wanna be OW is a world-class figure skater the H wants to sign, but he's worried about her trainer. The h's estranged father is the H's Chief Financial Officer. After the h lost all of her sponsors, he left the heroine a half million pounds in her bank account and no one has seen him since. The set up: the hero will prosecute the heroine for embezzlement unless she agrees to be his fake fiance. She agrees if she can keep up her training.
As I sit here and try to convey the experience of reading this story I can only come up with one word: baffling.
The character's motivations are opaque from the beginning and don't make a lot of sense when all is revealed at the end. That the h's father needs grief counselling was evident from the beginning - but five years of guilt, recrimination and the silent treatment? He got off too easy for the pain he put his daughter through.
The hero has rescue syndrome - that's fairly obvious - but it was a long convoluted tangle for the heroine (or the reader) to understand why he wanted to rescue the (wannabe) OW from a trainer who had nothing to do with his sister's crippling accident.
The fake fiance angle made no sense - at all. I can't begin to explain why the hero needed a bad girl fiance to protect himself from the OW.
The virgin heroine has been slacking in her training because of a promise she made at 15 to her father. If she wins a championship she has to quit. (Some promise) The hero at least snaps her out of that and she begins to excel and live up to her talent. The love scenes were hot - and made the most sense of anything in the story.
When the hero finds out that the heroine was to blame for her mother's death, the hero had a last minute bit of anger that echoed her father's five -year rage. It seemed way out of character and opened up wounds that were just starting to heal. The ending was very abrupt and I don't believe the heroine could have forgiven him - or her father - that quickly.
Still, the loves scenes were hot and the plot was definitely not your run-of-the-mill HP.
As I sit here and try to convey the experience of reading this story I can only come up with one word: baffling.
The character's motivations are opaque from the beginning and don't make a lot of sense when all is revealed at the end. That the h's father needs grief counselling was evident from the beginning - but five years of guilt, recrimination and the silent treatment? He got off too easy for the pain he put his daughter through.
The hero has rescue syndrome - that's fairly obvious - but it was a long convoluted tangle for the heroine (or the reader) to understand why he wanted to rescue the (wannabe) OW from a trainer who had nothing to do with his sister's crippling accident.
The fake fiance angle made no sense - at all. I can't begin to explain why the hero needed a bad girl fiance to protect himself from the OW.
The virgin heroine has been slacking in her training because of a promise she made at 15 to her father. If she wins a championship she has to quit. (Some promise) The hero at least snaps her out of that and she begins to excel and live up to her talent. The love scenes were hot - and made the most sense of anything in the story.
When the hero finds out that the heroine was to blame for her mother's death, the hero had a last minute bit of anger that echoed her father's five -year rage. It seemed way out of character and opened up wounds that were just starting to heal. The ending was very abrupt and I don't believe the heroine could have forgiven him - or her father - that quickly.
Still, the loves scenes were hot and the plot was definitely not your run-of-the-mill HP.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2017
Nice easy read
May 22, 2019
Meh so many loose ends... And a British ski jumping champion? Pull the other one!
This book did my head in rather a lot - the only famous ski jumper we have here in the UK is Eddie the Eagle and lets face it he wasn't famous for being a contender. In fact he was so bad the Olympic Committee changed the ski jumping rules so that the sport couldn't be embarrassed again and while we can chuck stones along the ice Scotland style and excel at chucking ourselves down icy toboggan runs on glorified tea trays - good skiers/jumpers we are not!
Additionally, the Greek H is allegedly a X country world champion. I smelt a rat and a quick check on the google swiftly provided the fact that Greece has NEVER won a medal in any winter Olympic sport, ever!
Beside this blatant work of fiction about the snow prowess of English and Greek patriots this book was just all over the place.
The plots never seemed to be followed up. The h's mum died because of her, she has a scar because of it, she snuck out and skied when she shouldn't. despite being briefly told this and the h clearly traumatised she never explains what exactly happened and enquiring minds want to know. We find out more about secondary characters than we do the MC's.
This is such a shame as its quite an original story for HPlandia with sporty MC's, competitiveness ets so its a shame I couldn't like it more.
This book did my head in rather a lot - the only famous ski jumper we have here in the UK is Eddie the Eagle and lets face it he wasn't famous for being a contender. In fact he was so bad the Olympic Committee changed the ski jumping rules so that the sport couldn't be embarrassed again and while we can chuck stones along the ice Scotland style and excel at chucking ourselves down icy toboggan runs on glorified tea trays - good skiers/jumpers we are not!
Additionally, the Greek H is allegedly a X country world champion. I smelt a rat and a quick check on the google swiftly provided the fact that Greece has NEVER won a medal in any winter Olympic sport, ever!
Beside this blatant work of fiction about the snow prowess of English and Greek patriots this book was just all over the place.
The plots never seemed to be followed up. The h's mum died because of her, she has a scar because of it, she snuck out and skied when she shouldn't. despite being briefly told this and the h clearly traumatised she never explains what exactly happened and enquiring minds want to know. We find out more about secondary characters than we do the MC's.
This is such a shame as its quite an original story for HPlandia with sporty MC's, competitiveness ets so its a shame I couldn't like it more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2025
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/יהלו...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/יהלו...
March 3, 2016
i was bored out of my mind!
January 1, 2019
Me gustaron los intercambios entre la Arabella y Draco, pero el final fue demasiado apresurado. Esta autora tiene una forma linda de encarar las historias y por eso la sigo, este libro me enganchó bastante.
March 13, 2016
Disclaimer: An arc was given to me on netgalley in exchange for an honest review
My Rating: 3/5
What I thought about this book
I didn't expect much from this book. It sounded like a typical unbelievable story from Harlequin where it doesn't really make sense that you're forced to marry someone just because you owe the person money. However, I'm a total romance lover so I'll read anything and accept anything and actually like the story.
For this story, Rebel and Draco always had the passion and chemistry I crave for in Harlequin books. They're kind of dancing around each other, not wanting to invest much into their growing relationships but you can see it when you're reading. Rebel's holding a secret that she's not telling Draco because she feels guilty for the past as well as she knows it could be a deal breaker. Personally, the way that I'm looking at it, Rebel is at no fault or entirely at fault for what happened. When she went out to ski as a rebellious act in a blizzard or whatever, she didn't have the intent of hurting others. What actually happened sounded like a freak accident to me.
Anyways, back to Rebel and Draco. Their love developed naturally even with the tension. There were certain events that didn't make sense or it wasn't necessary for them to be in there so it was kind of like just skim through it...And at the end it was really fluffy. It actually made me tear up a bit so it's a solid book. Just not perfect.
My Rating: 3/5
What I thought about this book
I didn't expect much from this book. It sounded like a typical unbelievable story from Harlequin where it doesn't really make sense that you're forced to marry someone just because you owe the person money. However, I'm a total romance lover so I'll read anything and accept anything and actually like the story.
For this story, Rebel and Draco always had the passion and chemistry I crave for in Harlequin books. They're kind of dancing around each other, not wanting to invest much into their growing relationships but you can see it when you're reading. Rebel's holding a secret that she's not telling Draco because she feels guilty for the past as well as she knows it could be a deal breaker. Personally, the way that I'm looking at it, Rebel is at no fault or entirely at fault for what happened. When she went out to ski as a rebellious act in a blizzard or whatever, she didn't have the intent of hurting others. What actually happened sounded like a freak accident to me.
Anyways, back to Rebel and Draco. Their love developed naturally even with the tension. There were certain events that didn't make sense or it wasn't necessary for them to be in there so it was kind of like just skim through it...And at the end it was really fluffy. It actually made me tear up a bit so it's a solid book. Just not perfect.
February 3, 2016
*ARC courtesy of Netgalley and Harlequin*
May 5, 2016
Arabella "Rebel" Daniels would rather skydive naked, Twice, than agree to pretend to be Draco's fake fiancée for three months. Rebel is a champion skier. She is preparing for her next championship run. Her father stole money from Draco, and gave it to Rebel. Without knowing where the money came from, the money went to pay for her to be in the race. There was no way to get it back. She had no choice but to agree to Draco's terms.
Rebel was dealing with the loss of her mom. She always wanted to make her dad proud. He blamed Rebel for the death of his wife. You could feel Rebel's pain throughout the pages of the book. Draco was also a world champion. His career ended when he blew out his knee. That didn't really seem to affect him much. What really hurt Draco the most was what happened to his sister. He is the big brother and was always suppose to be there to protect her. He felt he let his sister down.
I really enjoyed this story. Rebel always told Draco how she felt. She did have a back bone even when her back was up against the wall. She was the perfect heroine for Draco.
Rebel was dealing with the loss of her mom. She always wanted to make her dad proud. He blamed Rebel for the death of his wife. You could feel Rebel's pain throughout the pages of the book. Draco was also a world champion. His career ended when he blew out his knee. That didn't really seem to affect him much. What really hurt Draco the most was what happened to his sister. He is the big brother and was always suppose to be there to protect her. He felt he let his sister down.
I really enjoyed this story. Rebel always told Draco how she felt. She did have a back bone even when her back was up against the wall. She was the perfect heroine for Draco.
February 6, 2016
Draco was quite entertaining with the stick up his butt, "...her eyes dropped below his belt. When her gaze darted away, Draco allowed himself a stiff smile. ‘I’ve never needed to overcompensate for anything in my life, Miss Daniels. If I had time to waste and felt so inclined, I’d give you a demonstration.’ I liked this book, and I even liked Draco even though the boy could be controlling.
May 7, 2016
At last something original with a good twist. I must say this is one of the best romance stories, I've read recently and I was thoroughly engaged throughout. It was just Maya Blake's take on the trope. So I'm getting to see that sometimes these books are hit and miss, because I didn't really like one of her other stories. However I loved this one. It was just the way she spun the story.
March 18, 2017
Sexual tension/chemistry is a strength of the writing. The bit where he puts the engagement ring on her finger feels incredibly real. The second half was better than the first, and the ending brought a tear to my eye.
*arc courtesy of Netgalley and Harlequin*
*arc courtesy of Netgalley and Harlequin*
April 4, 2016
DNF'd at chapter 3. Underwhelming storyteling.. Didn't care for the heroine. She was a shrew who should've gotten therapy to deal with her daddy issues instead in the first 3 chapters I didn't like her acting out due to daddy issues. It didn't make me root for her.
December 30, 2016
More than I expected. This author is making huge points to be in my Fetish Authors's list...
February 16, 2018
The story revolves around Arabella who's a sports woman feeling guilty for causing her mother's death which caused a great gap between her and her father. As a result, she felt obliged to protect him from Draco, the hero, after she discovers he embezzled from his company.
The writing style is so intriguing and the characters are well-developed in a realistic way. An enjoyable read.
The writing style is so intriguing and the characters are well-developed in a realistic way. An enjoyable read.
June 6, 2019
This was a yawner.
April 27, 2025
2,5 estrellas, es un libro entretenido para pasar el tiempo
April 11, 2016
Rebel is a skier and has the help of her father funding her career. What she doesn't know is the money he has given her was not from where she thought but taken from his job, and so she meets Draco. Draco is ready to file charges till he meet Rebel and instead gives her an offer she can't refuse. A fake engagement and all charges will be dropped. This is the beginning of a lovely story of a very strong Alpha male who may have met his match. Trying to keep his career and help his sister who as an ice skater was crippled by a mistake with her trainer. The chemistry between them is wonderful and you will be wrapped in the warmth of the growing relationship. A wonderful story that sweeps you away like their ski's on the hard snow. Ms. Blake always writes a wonderful story and this one earns the 5 stars.
March 9, 2016
Draco and Arabella certainly had good chemistry. They infuriated each other and yet they were drawn together time and time again. Their story was entertaining, to say the least.
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Adult
Status: Contemporary
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Family Dysfunction: Yes
HEA: Yes
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Adult
Status: Contemporary
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Family Dysfunction: Yes
HEA: Yes
Source: NetGalley
April 30, 2016
I thought it was better than some other Harlequins I've read. I kind of love the cheesy professional athlete, jet-setter lifestyle characters. This was my first Harlequin Presents and I feel like it was a little more explicit than I expected. I guess I was expecting things a little tamer, but it was comparable to a Blaze, just with a smaller quantity of sexual scenes.
August 27, 2016
"A Diamond Deal with the Greek" by Maya Blake is a great, quick read. Arabella 'Rebel' Daniels is a champion skier with a louse of a father. Her Dad embezzled money from Draco Angelis and he now has a proposition for her. She wears his ring in public and is his fiance. The only problem is that she develops feelings toward him, and doesn't want to fight those feelings anymore.
Read
April 21, 2016"Blake offers a fascinating peek into the world of real athletes. Rebel’s training schedule and dedication to her craft rings true because of Blake’s skill with description" (4 stars @ RT Book Reviews).
April 17, 2016
Love Maya Blake's books and this one was no exception. Had everything that I love in a romance book. Have a thing about reading about Greek men. They are just so hot and passionate. Keep up the great writing !!!!
May 11, 2016
Just ok. Quick and light reading. Written well, just not my favorite settings or style
Read
April 1, 2016received 4 stars @ RT Book Reviews
April 6, 2016
Rebel and Draco are used to the training and fierce competition that their individual sports bring. However, can they team up and compete for the same prize...love. A great read.
June 4, 2016
I neded a light read and enjoyed this book. Had some depth of emotions in characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews