Unlocking the Millionaire's Heart

by Bella Bucannon

He’s locked himself away…

Can Jemma find the key to his heart?

Working with Jemma Harrison on his novel is the last thing millionaire Nate Thornton wants. After his harrowing experience as a war reporter, Nate prefers to be alone. He certainly doesn’t want Jemma reawakening his desires—or his dreams! But soon Nate can’t deny the light Jemma brings to his life. Could she be the one woman to open his heart again?

Genres: Harlequin

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published April 3, 2018

Reviews

[Megan]

A sweet and low angst romance between two writers who are implausibly thrown together to work on fixing each other's manuscripts. Fittingly for the Harlequin Romance line, this felt like a very classic romance, one focused on fantasy (the pleasure of all the house descriptions, and they're all very different houses!, and also I'd be happy for them to both keep going out to eat and hearing about what they order) and a romance between two attentive and fundamentally kind people both intent on guarding their hearts. There's also a kitten who everyone plays with when given half a chance, so that was also very sweet and lovely.

I really appreciated how emotional but not angsty this was. Nate's past as a war journalist--and his resulting PTSD and his physical scars--was not milked for angst. He attends a support group throughout the book. (If Bucannon writes Tess's book, I'd be so happy to read it.) I also thought Bucannon did such a good job with Jemma in this book, with her shyness and ability to be bold, and to demonstrate her strength, her creativity, her assertiveness and her vulnerabilities in a compelling way.

I liked this a lot. While I was annoyed with the unbelievability & implausibility & terrible business sense of the premise, as well as the stupid gender stuff that's the usual background radiation in large swathes of Romancelandia, I was won over by the characters, the sweetness of their falling for each other, and the smoothness and details of Bucannon's writing. I'm looking forward to reading more of her backlist.

[Betsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I turn to series romance when I am seeking something short and escapist. Having something swoon worthy with a happily ever after ending that I can read within an hour is exactly what I need sometimes. This book was exactly what I needed. I typically like my romances to be more sensual than this one was but I thought the premise of writers falling in love as they worked together was really cute. However the conflict in the novel was very forced. I read it as a way to calm myself down when I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomachache. I tend not to read as critically when I am tired or not feeling well but it was still blazingly obvious that the conflict was forced even then. But I kept reading because the premise was cute and the story was short.

[Malvina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasant enough read, Cinderella themes.

[LP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Australian love - former military man, insecure dreamer write a book together. Misunderstandings abound.

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have enjoyed other books by Bella Bucannon but I struggled to get through this one.