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Untouched Until Her Ultra-Rich Husband
USA Today–Bestselling A mysterious woman captivates a wealthy man’s heart.The only woman to challenge him . . . is the only woman he’ll marry!Multibillionaire Gabriel Dean is so outrageously wealthy that when computer genius Luli Cruz uses her skills to hold his inheritance to ransom, her audacity simply amuses him. Innocent Luli needs Gabriel’s help to avoid destitution. Gabriel’s solution? He’ll secure both their futures by marrying her.But sweeping wide-eyed Luli into his luxurious world, Gabriel discovers the chemistry with his untouched wife is priceless . . . Welcome to the exclusive world of the ultra-rich.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2019
208 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Dani Collins
679 books1,179 followersUSA Today Bestselling author Dani Collins thrives on giving readers emotional, compelling, heart-soaring romance with laughter and heat, just like real life.
Mostly she writes contemporary romance, but she has also writes Historical Western, erotic romance, and romcom.
Want to be notified of Dani's latest release along with getting sneak peeks, price drops, behind the scene's gossip and other special offers? Join Dani's VIP list. Join Now!
Mostly she writes contemporary romance, but she has also writes Historical Western, erotic romance, and romcom.
Want to be notified of Dani's latest release along with getting sneak peeks, price drops, behind the scene's gossip and other special offers? Join Dani's VIP list. Join Now!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 7, 2019
3.25 stars
A sweet, ultra slow burn romance with wonderful MC's. I'd been excited to read this, because the author's previous 2 novels were wonderful.
This could've been awesome, but the romantic storyline wasn't at the forefront of the tale. The narrative was, at times, bogged down by too much information dumping - vis a vis computer coding, business management issues, the heroine's makeover and wardrobe, descriptive travelogue details etc.
This novel's H, Gabriel, is a unique addition to the pantheon of manly HPlandia hotties, because he's half white-half Asian ( Singaporean, to be precise ). He's also perhaps the first trillionaire in HPlandia and he's got a black belt in Kung Fu !
This is the H, Gabriel:
Luli, the computer genuis heroine with the face and body of a supermodel, had been his grandmother's illegal ward. At the age of 14, Luli's gold digging mother had bartered her to Mae Chen, in exchange for free rental accommodation.
Luli left her home in Caracas to go to Singapore and work for Mae Chen. Fortunately for the heroine, her experience as a child trafficking victim didn't turn out to be disaster. Mae Chen was an eccentric billionaire who soon grew to depend on Luli's computer genuis skills.
This is the heroine, Luli:
Mae's goodwill didn't come without strings. After the old lady's death, Luli was left with no money, an expired passport and no employment. Luli's only option, according to Mae's will, was to marry one of the businessmen from a specific list.
At this point, I was really enjoying the novel. Luli was a unique, industrious and quick witted heroine. This was shown when she used her coding skills to lock the H out of the billion dollar empire he'd just inherited from Mae. It was clear that the H would end up being the best candidate and I was looking forward to the subsequent drama that would unfold. But then, the pace of the romantic storyline took a downturn soon after the MC's marriage.
There was just too much emphasis on extraneous information that started to bore me a little. The MC's shared great sexual chemistry but it took too long for this to reach its natural fruition. They spent more time talking about uninteresting ( to me ) stuff and less time doing romantic things. The actual romance didn't heat up until after chapter 7.
It's disappointing that this fell a little flat in the storytelling department. I liked the MC's a lot. All the ingredients were there for a steamy, sexy story but Ms Collins didn't entirely succeed in the execution. Her descriptive skills were awesome but the mood was just not very enchanting and exciting. It was just missing that special magical something...
The epilogue was short and lovely because the MC's are shown with their daughter Gilly. And the few sex scenes were hot.
Safety: No OM, no OW and no cheating.
A sweet, ultra slow burn romance with wonderful MC's. I'd been excited to read this, because the author's previous 2 novels were wonderful.
This could've been awesome, but the romantic storyline wasn't at the forefront of the tale. The narrative was, at times, bogged down by too much information dumping - vis a vis computer coding, business management issues, the heroine's makeover and wardrobe, descriptive travelogue details etc.
This novel's H, Gabriel, is a unique addition to the pantheon of manly HPlandia hotties, because he's half white-half Asian ( Singaporean, to be precise ). He's also perhaps the first trillionaire in HPlandia and he's got a black belt in Kung Fu !
This is the H, Gabriel:
Luli, the computer genuis heroine with the face and body of a supermodel, had been his grandmother's illegal ward. At the age of 14, Luli's gold digging mother had bartered her to Mae Chen, in exchange for free rental accommodation.
Luli left her home in Caracas to go to Singapore and work for Mae Chen. Fortunately for the heroine, her experience as a child trafficking victim didn't turn out to be disaster. Mae Chen was an eccentric billionaire who soon grew to depend on Luli's computer genuis skills.
This is the heroine, Luli:
Mae's goodwill didn't come without strings. After the old lady's death, Luli was left with no money, an expired passport and no employment. Luli's only option, according to Mae's will, was to marry one of the businessmen from a specific list.
At this point, I was really enjoying the novel. Luli was a unique, industrious and quick witted heroine. This was shown when she used her coding skills to lock the H out of the billion dollar empire he'd just inherited from Mae. It was clear that the H would end up being the best candidate and I was looking forward to the subsequent drama that would unfold. But then, the pace of the romantic storyline took a downturn soon after the MC's marriage.
There was just too much emphasis on extraneous information that started to bore me a little. The MC's shared great sexual chemistry but it took too long for this to reach its natural fruition. They spent more time talking about uninteresting ( to me ) stuff and less time doing romantic things. The actual romance didn't heat up until after chapter 7.
It's disappointing that this fell a little flat in the storytelling department. I liked the MC's a lot. All the ingredients were there for a steamy, sexy story but Ms Collins didn't entirely succeed in the execution. Her descriptive skills were awesome but the mood was just not very enchanting and exciting. It was just missing that special magical something...
The epilogue was short and lovely because the MC's are shown with their daughter Gilly. And the few sex scenes were hot.
Safety: No OM, no OW and no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2020
I was getting Crazy Rich Asian vibes off of this story - from the half Asian hero to the unimaginable wealth and the Singapore setting.
There is a dark side to this story, though. Heroine was "given" to the hero's grandmother at 14 by her avaricious mother. Heroine is startling beautiful, but is also an amazing investor and computer coder/hacker. She has been the grandmother's right hand woman for 8 years - but has no passport or papers that will allow her to stay in the country.
Hero sold his first software at age 12 and is now a trillion-aire at the time of his grandmother's death. He is intrigued by the h and then finds papers that indicate his grandmother wanted to arrange a marriage between him and the h.
And that brings us halfway into the story. This is a sloooow burn story, but interesting if you're not looking for high drama and like to glimpse how the other half lives. H/h are both likeable and are a good match.
There is a dark side to this story, though. Heroine was "given" to the hero's grandmother at 14 by her avaricious mother. Heroine is startling beautiful, but is also an amazing investor and computer coder/hacker. She has been the grandmother's right hand woman for 8 years - but has no passport or papers that will allow her to stay in the country.
Hero sold his first software at age 12 and is now a trillion-aire at the time of his grandmother's death. He is intrigued by the h and then finds papers that indicate his grandmother wanted to arrange a marriage between him and the h.
And that brings us halfway into the story. This is a sloooow burn story, but interesting if you're not looking for high drama and like to glimpse how the other half lives. H/h are both likeable and are a good match.
May 15, 2019
“Love forces you to feel that other person’s heartbeat. When they cry, you cry. When you hurt them, that pain comes back on you tenfold.” (...) “But when they’re happy, you’re so happy you can’t contain it."
These words made me to rate higher with my love of hacker and kick-ass heroines. :)
These words made me to rate higher with my love of hacker and kick-ass heroines. :)
March 8, 2025
לסקירה מפורטת בעברית, קישור לבלוג שלי -
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/חוצפ...
https://sivi-the-avid-reader.com/חוצפ...
May 24, 2019
2.5 stars
I was so excited to read this because the H is half Asian!, I was curious 🤔
I really liked the MC's they were so good together and I felt the chemistry but the author chose to focus on other things than this chemistry!🤨 God knows why ?!! and those other things were BORING yes boring! It killed the romance in my opinion.
So 2.5 stars because I loved the MC's and loved their baby girl in the epilogue.
I was so excited to read this because the H is half Asian!, I was curious 🤔
I really liked the MC's they were so good together and I felt the chemistry but the author chose to focus on other things than this chemistry!🤨 God knows why ?!! and those other things were BORING yes boring! It killed the romance in my opinion.
So 2.5 stars because I loved the MC's and loved their baby girl in the epilogue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2019
3.5 stars
Kick-ass and highly intelligent h ... very very rich but a nice guy H ... smoking chemistry and very well written ... a wonderful read ...
Kick-ass and highly intelligent h ... very very rich but a nice guy H ... smoking chemistry and very well written ... a wonderful read ...
April 20, 2021
Luli and Gabriel are two beautiful characters. He's a gorgeous billionaire and she's a stunning young woman his grandmother "bought" as a companion. She was living with her but couldn't have any money or freedom, so now she wants to be free. I found this relly disturbing, the idea of a young girl sold by her mother and treated as a possession not as a human being, she was really a slave, living in a foreign country, with no documents and money, no friends, in a state of insulation that was really frightening. Even the servants working in her house were never her friends. The hero really tries to help her, he helps her building a career as a model, and to be more independent. He's a little bit cold but eventually understands he's in love with her and goes after her. It was a nice story, with low angst level and a nice hero, for once.
May 23, 2019
Untouched Until Her Ultra-Rich Husband by Dani Collins is a unique and sexy modern marriage of convenience romance.
Luli Cruz has lived a life very different from most of her peers. As a child growing up in Venezuela, her mother trained her for the beauty pageant life but ended up ‘giving’ Luli as a fourteen year old to an older woman from Singapore in payment for her debts. It was a better life than Luli could have asked for given the alternative. Mae treated Luli more like an adopted daughter than a servant and Luli soon became an indispensable assistant to Mae for all her business endeavors as well as an accomplished computer coder. When Mae unexpectedly dies of a stroke, her grandson Gabriel Dean discovers that the assistant he always assumed was actually a computer app, is in fact a live, breathing, beautiful young woman.
Gabriel is in a quandary. Luli can’t be given severance and turned out into the street as she never was paid for any of her work, she has no passport, and is technically in Singapore illegally. Sent back to Venezuela she’ll end up in the slums and with no official work experience to put on a resume. It’s discovered that Mae had been making plans for Luli’s future by scoping out prospective husbands, including Gabriel himself! It is in fact a good solution – if he marries Luli, she will gain legitimacy, money he’ll be happy to provide her (having just become a trillionaire by way of his grandmother’s inheritance) and can scope out her own future for herself. They can marry for a short time, get divorced and go their separate ways. But what happens if one or the other falls in love?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-un...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
Luli Cruz has lived a life very different from most of her peers. As a child growing up in Venezuela, her mother trained her for the beauty pageant life but ended up ‘giving’ Luli as a fourteen year old to an older woman from Singapore in payment for her debts. It was a better life than Luli could have asked for given the alternative. Mae treated Luli more like an adopted daughter than a servant and Luli soon became an indispensable assistant to Mae for all her business endeavors as well as an accomplished computer coder. When Mae unexpectedly dies of a stroke, her grandson Gabriel Dean discovers that the assistant he always assumed was actually a computer app, is in fact a live, breathing, beautiful young woman.
Gabriel is in a quandary. Luli can’t be given severance and turned out into the street as she never was paid for any of her work, she has no passport, and is technically in Singapore illegally. Sent back to Venezuela she’ll end up in the slums and with no official work experience to put on a resume. It’s discovered that Mae had been making plans for Luli’s future by scoping out prospective husbands, including Gabriel himself! It is in fact a good solution – if he marries Luli, she will gain legitimacy, money he’ll be happy to provide her (having just become a trillionaire by way of his grandmother’s inheritance) and can scope out her own future for herself. They can marry for a short time, get divorced and go their separate ways. But what happens if one or the other falls in love?
For more of this review please visit Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-un...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
June 1, 2019
Locations: Singapore, Paris, Tanzania, New York
This book earned four stars for it’s characters globetrotting alone, but that’s not the only reason.
Gabriel is a great character, I enjoyed him, but this book belonged to Luli. She is a different HP heroine. She’s a genius. She’s stunningly beautiful. Unaware of her own beauty but not her inner strength.
She has kept in indentured servitude by Mae, Gabriel’s grandmother. She was the one person the old lady trusted to handle her finances. She was so efficient and impersonal that everyone she communicated with believed her to be an AI program.
But she wasn’t. She was a young woman who craved her freedom and her need to be love more than anything. After Mae’s death, meeting Gabriel threw her life into turmoil. Her future was uncertain. She had no idea what would happen to her. Until Gabriel decided that he would do what his grandmother wanted and marry her. So he could protect her and provide for her and not because she’s the only person to hack into his computer program and alter it to suit his grandmother’s needs. *smirk*
The romance between Gabriel and Luli was pretty typical, but there was no drama involved. Luli kept herself under tight control, doing her best to hide her emotions from Gabriel. He didn’t do emotions. Until Luli left to work in elsewhere. Then Gabriel did emotions. And it was lovely.
This book earned four stars for it’s characters globetrotting alone, but that’s not the only reason.
Gabriel is a great character, I enjoyed him, but this book belonged to Luli. She is a different HP heroine. She’s a genius. She’s stunningly beautiful. Unaware of her own beauty but not her inner strength.
She has kept in indentured servitude by Mae, Gabriel’s grandmother. She was the one person the old lady trusted to handle her finances. She was so efficient and impersonal that everyone she communicated with believed her to be an AI program.
But she wasn’t. She was a young woman who craved her freedom and her need to be love more than anything. After Mae’s death, meeting Gabriel threw her life into turmoil. Her future was uncertain. She had no idea what would happen to her. Until Gabriel decided that he would do what his grandmother wanted and marry her. So he could protect her and provide for her and not because she’s the only person to hack into his computer program and alter it to suit his grandmother’s needs. *smirk*
The romance between Gabriel and Luli was pretty typical, but there was no drama involved. Luli kept herself under tight control, doing her best to hide her emotions from Gabriel. He didn’t do emotions. Until Luli left to work in elsewhere. Then Gabriel did emotions. And it was lovely.
October 1, 2021
Aku tidak terlalu memahami ceritanya. Luli kok bisa program komputer padahal sekolah model? Aneh bgt. Gabriel juga gak konsisten, katanya kekayaan neneknya akan di berikan pada pemerintah, namun kenyataannya dipindahkan ke lemari besinya sendiri? Hemm 🧐
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2021
Interesting HP, a dramatic and somewhat dark, slow burn story.
June 8, 2019
DC, you didn't disappoint!!! Loved the Chinese -Venezuelan love and romance.
April 2, 2020
I picked this up due to its ludicrous title and was not disappointed. It is an exemplary Mills & Boon with surreal and absurd insta-love and a happily ever after. Just what I needed in COVID 19 madness.
December 13, 2019
I love the ending with their little girl 😘
June 14, 2019
3.5-4 stars
It has been awhile since I’ve read any Dani Collins books, and since this was the most recent of her releases I decided to pick it up and read it. It wasn’t my favorite Dani Collins book that I have ever read, but it wasn’t bad just missing something that would have made me love it.
First off, the story was different from anything that I have read in the Presents line. The storyline was unique with Luli kind of being the one blackmailing Gabriel, instead of the other way around. She was smart and decided that she needed leverage in order to get what she wanted. She was a brilliant computer programmer that had worked for Gabriel’s grandmother for the past eight years or so, and was in control of the estate of Gabriel’s grandmother by locking him out. She didn’t do it for a malicious reason, but more to secure her position in life after having lived like an indentured servant for years and never having left the grandmother’s side for those eight years. She was scared and did what she knew how to do in order to secure that position. She wanted to establish herself so she could support herself down the line. After a little back and forth, Gabriel and Luli get married in order to secure her future.
Now even though I liked Gabriel and Luli together, I don’t love them together. There was just something missing between the two of them that would have put it over the top for me. They certainly had the passion and chemistry between them. There was a level of caring between them as well as provided support for each other in hard times over the course of the story. I liked seeing their relationship and caring growing throughout the book, but again there was just something missing that I can’t put my finger on. I think a big part of it was that there was a lot of conflict or struggle between them as they fought to be together. They did fight their attraction to one another, but not in a meaningful way. There was none of that friction that that I would have liked.
In a related note, there wasn’t a lot of angsty moments between Gabriel and Luli. There was no back and forth between them really, and for the most part their relationship was pretty smooth without any really big blowups or conflicts that would have tested their relationship. There were little to no arguments hence not a lot angst, which was what i need and expect from my romances. There just needed to be more head butting between them that would have made it a more compelling and interesting.
Overall it was a good story, though not my favorite of Dani Collins story. There wasn’t a lot of angst or friction in the story, which really decreased the excitement in my opinion. It was almost too easy between Gabriel and Luli even when they got to the emotional stuff. It almost felt very surface level even though there were a lot of heaven emotional themes. It was a little bit glossed over for my liking. It wasn’t gut wrenching. It wasn’t raw. It didn’t have that emotional punch that I expect from Dani Collins. I will say that I liked Luli and the fact that she was different from typical Presents heroines. I loved her smarts and her cleverness as she tried to better life and do it in a smart way. I did like the passion between Gabriel and Luli and was the most exciting part of the story for me. They had some very sexy scenes together that melted the pages a little bit. I liked that build up that they had in the story. I wish there might have been a couple more detailed full on love scene like the office scene, but there were still good. I enjoyed that part of the story the most. It was a solid story that I enjoyed.
It has been awhile since I’ve read any Dani Collins books, and since this was the most recent of her releases I decided to pick it up and read it. It wasn’t my favorite Dani Collins book that I have ever read, but it wasn’t bad just missing something that would have made me love it.
First off, the story was different from anything that I have read in the Presents line. The storyline was unique with Luli kind of being the one blackmailing Gabriel, instead of the other way around. She was smart and decided that she needed leverage in order to get what she wanted. She was a brilliant computer programmer that had worked for Gabriel’s grandmother for the past eight years or so, and was in control of the estate of Gabriel’s grandmother by locking him out. She didn’t do it for a malicious reason, but more to secure her position in life after having lived like an indentured servant for years and never having left the grandmother’s side for those eight years. She was scared and did what she knew how to do in order to secure that position. She wanted to establish herself so she could support herself down the line. After a little back and forth, Gabriel and Luli get married in order to secure her future.
Now even though I liked Gabriel and Luli together, I don’t love them together. There was just something missing between the two of them that would have put it over the top for me. They certainly had the passion and chemistry between them. There was a level of caring between them as well as provided support for each other in hard times over the course of the story. I liked seeing their relationship and caring growing throughout the book, but again there was just something missing that I can’t put my finger on. I think a big part of it was that there was a lot of conflict or struggle between them as they fought to be together. They did fight their attraction to one another, but not in a meaningful way. There was none of that friction that that I would have liked.
In a related note, there wasn’t a lot of angsty moments between Gabriel and Luli. There was no back and forth between them really, and for the most part their relationship was pretty smooth without any really big blowups or conflicts that would have tested their relationship. There were little to no arguments hence not a lot angst, which was what i need and expect from my romances. There just needed to be more head butting between them that would have made it a more compelling and interesting.
Overall it was a good story, though not my favorite of Dani Collins story. There wasn’t a lot of angst or friction in the story, which really decreased the excitement in my opinion. It was almost too easy between Gabriel and Luli even when they got to the emotional stuff. It almost felt very surface level even though there were a lot of heaven emotional themes. It was a little bit glossed over for my liking. It wasn’t gut wrenching. It wasn’t raw. It didn’t have that emotional punch that I expect from Dani Collins. I will say that I liked Luli and the fact that she was different from typical Presents heroines. I loved her smarts and her cleverness as she tried to better life and do it in a smart way. I did like the passion between Gabriel and Luli and was the most exciting part of the story for me. They had some very sexy scenes together that melted the pages a little bit. I liked that build up that they had in the story. I wish there might have been a couple more detailed full on love scene like the office scene, but there were still good. I enjoyed that part of the story the most. It was a solid story that I enjoyed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2019
This story really hit the spot for sensual romance in the Presents/Modern line, we have a multi-billionaire hero and a virgin heroine both with pasts that they need to work on, hero Gabriel Dean is certain he will never love and heroine Luli Cruz wants love and to be independent, will these two find what they want, will Luli convince Gabriel that love is what he needs?
Gabriel is altered to his grandmothers passing by a text message, they were never close, but he moves fast to reach Singapore ASAP, to discover that he is her heir and that the text was sent by his grandmother’s assistant a beautiful young lady, but then he discovers that she has made sure that he will not be able to get his inheritance until her needs are met. Instantly the sparks fly and the outcome is marriage.
Luli arrived in Singapore at the age of fourteen, she is now twenty two and has never been independent, she has worked hard for Mae and been cared for better than her own mother did but freedom she has never had. Now Mae has gone it is her chance to gain what she wants from Mae’s grandson but marrying into such wealth was not what she planned, but there is a pull towards Gabriel that she cannot deny for long.
This is a sensual story with fabulous banter as Luli stands up to Gabriel in so many ways proving how strong she is after what she has been through, Gabriel finds Luli open and honest and that is one of the things that makes him fall for her, and of course her beauty and sensual pull but when he realizes he is in love with her it is magical, Gabriel and Luli are a match made in heaven. I loved this one and can highly recommend it.
Gabriel is altered to his grandmothers passing by a text message, they were never close, but he moves fast to reach Singapore ASAP, to discover that he is her heir and that the text was sent by his grandmother’s assistant a beautiful young lady, but then he discovers that she has made sure that he will not be able to get his inheritance until her needs are met. Instantly the sparks fly and the outcome is marriage.
Luli arrived in Singapore at the age of fourteen, she is now twenty two and has never been independent, she has worked hard for Mae and been cared for better than her own mother did but freedom she has never had. Now Mae has gone it is her chance to gain what she wants from Mae’s grandson but marrying into such wealth was not what she planned, but there is a pull towards Gabriel that she cannot deny for long.
This is a sensual story with fabulous banter as Luli stands up to Gabriel in so many ways proving how strong she is after what she has been through, Gabriel finds Luli open and honest and that is one of the things that makes him fall for her, and of course her beauty and sensual pull but when he realizes he is in love with her it is magical, Gabriel and Luli are a match made in heaven. I loved this one and can highly recommend it.
September 12, 2019
A great story!
June 5, 2019
I paused my M&B TBR and (yes, I have a separate one for it) picked up this one. Dani Collins' latest! She is one of my favourite authors and after reading the excerpt she shared in her newsletter, I was eagerly waiting for its release.
The first thing I would like to appreciate would be her sharing the inspiration behind the heroine's name. Luli, short for Lucrecia, a Venezuelan (what a beautiful name!).
Gabriel Dean just receives a cryptic message from Luli and comes to know that his grandmother, Mae Chen, has suffered from a stroke and is very ill. The pair of them don't possess a single sentimental bone in their bodies, grandma and grandson. When he reaches Singapore where his grandma and her empire is based, he's introduced to Lucrecia Cruz, or Luli.
The blurb reveals the basic premise of the story, how Luli blackmailed Gabriel and took an extreme step against Chen Enterprises, due to the threat of bring deported back to Venezuela.
A hero boasting of Singaporean heritage, there's always a firstin Harlequin books. And the title is apt. He's filthy rich. Because of a name he hadn't heard before, it was hilarious when Gabriel mistook Luli for an AI. Gabriel shares an estranged relationship with his Grandma, so he wasn't aware of her employee. Another first is Luli being a coder, not only that, she is an all-rounder too, apparently, learnt from the late lioness herself, working since she was fourteen, and it's been eight years now. She's quite devious in the way she tries to secure her life and her living in front of Gabriel, I like her. And I like the thirty-one-year-old Gabriel who's in the same league as Luli as far as their professional mojo goes.
When little-by-little Luli's past is revealed, it made me so sad for her, and grateful that she was kinda rescued by Mae Chen, though not on very good terms. And then Mae's truthful face comes forward, and it's disgusting, actually. Ugh... Though a set up by Mae, seeing Luli's reaction to marriage with Gabriel left me in splits! It was really adorable, after a paper marriage, the protectiveness Gabriel felt towards her.
This is one great hero. He takes her with him to the office. And she's getting there, into her own zone. Their carefree camaraderie, their easy jokes, everything drew me to them. I love the way Dani Collins has shaped this heroine. She can take care of herself and Gabriel admits as much.
I can't help but share this, and the reason why I so love her writing:
It's a slow burn romance where the scene builds up pretty late because the hero and heroine meet for the first time after quite a few pages into the book. And then when it feels they should come together, there's the fear of becoming like his father in Gabriel and the sadness of never receiving anyone's love in Luli that results in more time for them to grow close.
Well, the buildup takes so much of the story, that the ending felt punctured. I think it could have been better had it been a two part story. It tries to compensate with a cute epilogue but it's too little, too late.
P.S. I have read nine of her books till now and she's an absolute favourite.
The first thing I would like to appreciate would be her sharing the inspiration behind the heroine's name. Luli, short for Lucrecia, a Venezuelan (what a beautiful name!).
Gabriel Dean just receives a cryptic message from Luli and comes to know that his grandmother, Mae Chen, has suffered from a stroke and is very ill. The pair of them don't possess a single sentimental bone in their bodies, grandma and grandson. When he reaches Singapore where his grandma and her empire is based, he's introduced to Lucrecia Cruz, or Luli.
The blurb reveals the basic premise of the story, how Luli blackmailed Gabriel and took an extreme step against Chen Enterprises, due to the threat of bring deported back to Venezuela.
A hero boasting of Singaporean heritage, there's always a firstin Harlequin books. And the title is apt. He's filthy rich. Because of a name he hadn't heard before, it was hilarious when Gabriel mistook Luli for an AI. Gabriel shares an estranged relationship with his Grandma, so he wasn't aware of her employee. Another first is Luli being a coder, not only that, she is an all-rounder too, apparently, learnt from the late lioness herself, working since she was fourteen, and it's been eight years now. She's quite devious in the way she tries to secure her life and her living in front of Gabriel, I like her. And I like the thirty-one-year-old Gabriel who's in the same league as Luli as far as their professional mojo goes.
When little-by-little Luli's past is revealed, it made me so sad for her, and grateful that she was kinda rescued by Mae Chen, though not on very good terms. And then Mae's truthful face comes forward, and it's disgusting, actually. Ugh... Though a set up by Mae, seeing Luli's reaction to marriage with Gabriel left me in splits! It was really adorable, after a paper marriage, the protectiveness Gabriel felt towards her.
This is one great hero. He takes her with him to the office. And she's getting there, into her own zone. Their carefree camaraderie, their easy jokes, everything drew me to them. I love the way Dani Collins has shaped this heroine. She can take care of herself and Gabriel admits as much.
I can't help but share this, and the reason why I so love her writing:
The walls he kept so impermeable around himself were weakening. The first knock had come when she had locked him out of his own software. Sections of mortar between the bricks had disintegrated under the tears she had shed against his chest that night in Paris. The winds of Africa had eroded those bricks further, as her joy at the beauty of the earth and earthly pleasures had reminded him that this world was more than greed and users and privilege. Now she had rocked his foundation with such power he could feel the fissures extending through him. Because she had wanted to know what it would feel like if someone loved her.
It's a slow burn romance where the scene builds up pretty late because the hero and heroine meet for the first time after quite a few pages into the book. And then when it feels they should come together, there's the fear of becoming like his father in Gabriel and the sadness of never receiving anyone's love in Luli that results in more time for them to grow close.
Well, the buildup takes so much of the story, that the ending felt punctured. I think it could have been better had it been a two part story. It tries to compensate with a cute epilogue but it's too little, too late.
P.S. I have read nine of her books till now and she's an absolute favourite.
July 13, 2019
I was absolutely charmed by this book. The beginning that is set in Singapore had a very 'Crazy rich Asian' OTT feel.
I couldn't help but be enchanted with the heroine, Luli, a total genius but also an ingenue, having lead a very sheltered life for the past 8 years. Both the MCs had tough childhoods, but Luli's circumstances was very heartbreaking, as her neglectful mother bartered her daughter in exchange for free rent!
The hero, Gabriel, was also a rather complex character, who tried to give Luli everything she could possibly want, except his love. Oh, and let's not forget that he is HPland's first trillionaire!
I would have rated this 5 stars, but I felt that some parts of the story lacked romance, plus it was a super slow burn. Overall, a memorable read.
I couldn't help but be enchanted with the heroine, Luli, a total genius but also an ingenue, having lead a very sheltered life for the past 8 years. Both the MCs had tough childhoods, but Luli's circumstances was very heartbreaking, as her neglectful mother bartered her daughter in exchange for free rent!
The hero, Gabriel, was also a rather complex character, who tried to give Luli everything she could possibly want, except his love. Oh, and let's not forget that he is HPland's first trillionaire!
I would have rated this 5 stars, but I felt that some parts of the story lacked romance, plus it was a super slow burn. Overall, a memorable read.
November 18, 2019
I get that Rich Man Hero is a thing, but this was just a few billions too far. Billionaires are monsters by definition and this worthless, sexist shit was on the verge of being a trillionaire. Meanwhile, the woman was poor, virgin, hyperfemale (once she had access to money again all her youthful beauty pagent training let her doll up all perfect) and utterly without resource or friend outside of what the man provided. Additionally, there was some weird racial fetish shit going on that made me quite ill.
January 17, 2020
This is an unusually good harlequin book, because it has an actually intelligent heroine who knows her worth and uses her brains. Luli is smart and somewhat sheltered (hard not to when she doesn't step foot outside of the mansion since her arrival when she was young) but not totally naive. With the passing of Gabriel's grandmother, Luli realizes her fate is now in his hands, but I like how she knows her worth and tries very hard to work things to her advantage (without overstepping!) and while being humble and so innocent. She had the bulls to lock Gabriel out of his grandmother's account in the hopes of negotiating a future for herself (modelling or trophy wife to an older guy). Honestly, she is like a genius with computers, good for her for doing what she needs to in order to survive after the childhood she went through
OMG, the chemistry between Gabriel and Luli is off the charts. I respect that Gabriel is willing to hear Luli out and doesn't entirely shut down her ideas and like seriously how often does he not get his way?
I would have liked to know more about their respective parents' histories and stories a bit more, that would help me understand how it shaped Gabriel and Luli into the person that they are. Plus, the grandma is super interesting, would have loved to hear her story, after all it was mentioned that she was burned in the past by other people when her husband died, that is why she has such a hand in her business accounts and dealings.
One thing that totally irritated me was the title of the book. Couldn't someone come up with a more creative title where her virginity isn't the main thing because it really isn't in the book. Maybe a title that showcased her intelligence or need for survive would have been better
OMG, the chemistry between Gabriel and Luli is off the charts. I respect that Gabriel is willing to hear Luli out and doesn't entirely shut down her ideas and like seriously how often does he not get his way?
I would have liked to know more about their respective parents' histories and stories a bit more, that would help me understand how it shaped Gabriel and Luli into the person that they are. Plus, the grandma is super interesting, would have loved to hear her story, after all it was mentioned that she was burned in the past by other people when her husband died, that is why she has such a hand in her business accounts and dealings.
One thing that totally irritated me was the title of the book. Couldn't someone come up with a more creative title where her virginity isn't the main thing because it really isn't in the book. Maybe a title that showcased her intelligence or need for survive would have been better
June 12, 2019
I am normally a huge fan of Dani Collins books. I just couldn't get into this one. By chapter 3 I had stopped reading about 10 times to read other books. finally this week I finished the remaining chapters. Clearly with all of the 5 star reviews I'm in the minority. After Gabriel and Luli married and moved to the US, the story seemed to flow a lot better only to be met with the "same, same, same" scenario duplicated in many HP books.
Heroine meets hero, they marry, or enter a relationship with "no strings" attached promising each other that they are both happy with this situation. At some point the hero will demand that the heroine not bother falling in love with him because he is incapable of reciprocating. blah, blah, blah Heroine falls in love and (for a short period) remains convinced that she can "change" the hero. Alas heroine usually ends up running away or creating distance, at which time the hero comes grovelling back, invigorated by his self-reflection which has resulted in his realisation that he does actually love the heroine. blah, blah, blah cue sweet epilogue.
Will this put me off? Of course not. Harlequins are Harlequins, after all. Sometime the "same, same, same" has better supporting story-lines. Better luck next time, Dani!
Heroine meets hero, they marry, or enter a relationship with "no strings" attached promising each other that they are both happy with this situation. At some point the hero will demand that the heroine not bother falling in love with him because he is incapable of reciprocating. blah, blah, blah Heroine falls in love and (for a short period) remains convinced that she can "change" the hero. Alas heroine usually ends up running away or creating distance, at which time the hero comes grovelling back, invigorated by his self-reflection which has resulted in his realisation that he does actually love the heroine. blah, blah, blah cue sweet epilogue.
Will this put me off? Of course not. Harlequins are Harlequins, after all. Sometime the "same, same, same" has better supporting story-lines. Better luck next time, Dani!
May 21, 2019
UNTOUCHED UNTIL HER ULTRA-RICH HUSBAND by author Dani Collins is a June 2019 release by Harlequin Presents series.
Gabriel Dean, a billionaire tycoon, finds out his grandmother has died. He had no contact with her. So he didn’t know how she conducted her business. But he inherited her millions. But on arriving at her mansion in Singapore, he finds out her assistant, Luli, has locked her millions with custom coded software. He finds himself intrigued and infuriated by her in equal measures.
Who was she who could break into the high-level coding he provided to clients from his software company? How could she break the highly sophisticated codes? And what did she want in return?
UNTOUCHED UNTIL HER ULTRA-RICH HUSBAND is an intriguing romance. The prickly dialogue Luli used to hide behind is fun to read and all our sympathies go to her, yet she is not a weak girl. She manages to bring Gabriel to heel. Author Dani Collins brought this story to live on the pages where a reader would sympathize with Luli and Gabriel yet root for them too. They both have to come out from their past issues and forge ahead. And a reader would stay stuck to the pages till the end trying to guess and ultimately find out how it all ends.
Highly recommended for all readers of romance.
Gabriel Dean, a billionaire tycoon, finds out his grandmother has died. He had no contact with her. So he didn’t know how she conducted her business. But he inherited her millions. But on arriving at her mansion in Singapore, he finds out her assistant, Luli, has locked her millions with custom coded software. He finds himself intrigued and infuriated by her in equal measures.
Who was she who could break into the high-level coding he provided to clients from his software company? How could she break the highly sophisticated codes? And what did she want in return?
UNTOUCHED UNTIL HER ULTRA-RICH HUSBAND is an intriguing romance. The prickly dialogue Luli used to hide behind is fun to read and all our sympathies go to her, yet she is not a weak girl. She manages to bring Gabriel to heel. Author Dani Collins brought this story to live on the pages where a reader would sympathize with Luli and Gabriel yet root for them too. They both have to come out from their past issues and forge ahead. And a reader would stay stuck to the pages till the end trying to guess and ultimately find out how it all ends.
Highly recommended for all readers of romance.
May 21, 2019
Very unique back story! It's not unusual to find a virginal bride in a Harlequin Presents plot, but the past of this heroine made her even more innocent and easy to take into a reader's heart. She's feisty when she needs to be, but beneath the front, she's a wide-eyed youth just learning the way of the world. I really enjoyed watching him take her under his wing and their affection for each other grow into a red-hot love affair!
Gabriel Dean receives correspondence that his grandmother is dying and heads to Singapore to get her affairs in order. Upon arrival, he finds that her assistant is a waif of a young lady who has handled the day to day workings of his grandmother's fortune with the utmost of care and is now locking him out of having access until she gets her demands met. He finds her amusing and agrees to play her little game temporarily!
Lucrecia Cruz knows she has no other option than to make sure her place in this world is secure or she'll disappear into nothingness. She doesn't really want to harm Gabriel or his grandmother's memory, but she sees no other option than the one she's taking. Gabriel on the other-hand has a plan all of his own ... she will return with him to New York and become his bride!
Gabriel Dean receives correspondence that his grandmother is dying and heads to Singapore to get her affairs in order. Upon arrival, he finds that her assistant is a waif of a young lady who has handled the day to day workings of his grandmother's fortune with the utmost of care and is now locking him out of having access until she gets her demands met. He finds her amusing and agrees to play her little game temporarily!
Lucrecia Cruz knows she has no other option than to make sure her place in this world is secure or she'll disappear into nothingness. She doesn't really want to harm Gabriel or his grandmother's memory, but she sees no other option than the one she's taking. Gabriel on the other-hand has a plan all of his own ... she will return with him to New York and become his bride!
November 3, 2019
The supersonic private jet is currently being built by Aerion in partnership with Lockheed Martin. Its currently illegal to fly at supersonic speeds over land in United states and you can only fly above Mach 1 speed over water. Just because its a fiction doesn't mean an author should disregard research. Even apart from that this is the most over the top fantasy ever written. The h was a teen beauty contest winner with a mother who has won beauty pageants and went to an illegal beauty school where tongue patches are for weight control. She also learnt how to code and hack during her stint there. The h is 'sold' by her mother to a Billionaire Singaporean woman, Mae who fosters her but never lets her outside her house compound. She marries Mae's grandson who is a tech billionaire who sold his first app as a 12 year old and invests in real estate to park his money. She is of course a virgin, with beauty, intelligence has thought of becoming a model but has no self esteem. A mass of contradiction that make her perfect only in the world of harlequin. Super cliched and really makes you wonder if the author did any kind of research that would make this book credible or thought every reader of harlequin is dumb and have no business expecting anything to make sense.
May 1, 2019
So outrageously wealthy Gabriel Dean wants to nothing . He just enjoys the fruit of his labor to the extreme and thinks nothing about the homelife he never had. When he finds that his grandmother has passed he goes to her home to claim his inheriteance from her estate. Not needed but he finds Luli Cruz there. she has locked up all his grandmothers accounts so that he cannot access them from his own computer programs. How to get into it? Lilu has secrets of her own and has been basically a prisoner in this home as she has no papers and if she comes out she may be deported. If you figure out where this is going you are right but the journey is so much fun. Ms. Collins has again written an amazing story and the fun you will have with the extravagance that Gabriel lives with and takes as the norm. He has everything in the world anyone could want but does he really. Maybe Luli will help him find what is missing.
August 30, 2019
Locking down the Hero's computer systems to help negotiate her path away from deportation and to secure her future doesn't exactly go to plan.
A super interesting Heroine called Luli, who has phenomenal computer skills is a winning character for me. What I loved about this story was the unique plot line, the super clever heroine and the wonderful descriptions which paint the picture of a girl in a world she knows nothing about and everything is full of culture shock and change. It's almost like I was experiencing Luli's new world with her.
I thought the story flowed nicely and the touches of ultra richness were nicely placed through the story and the only thing we're limited by is our imagination. There was only one thing I'd do differently if I was even half as skilled as writing as Dani, and that's maybe make Luli slightly older.
Wonderful read, wonderful story and characters and super, super wonderful cover.
Thank you Dani Collins.
A super interesting Heroine called Luli, who has phenomenal computer skills is a winning character for me. What I loved about this story was the unique plot line, the super clever heroine and the wonderful descriptions which paint the picture of a girl in a world she knows nothing about and everything is full of culture shock and change. It's almost like I was experiencing Luli's new world with her.
I thought the story flowed nicely and the touches of ultra richness were nicely placed through the story and the only thing we're limited by is our imagination. There was only one thing I'd do differently if I was even half as skilled as writing as Dani, and that's maybe make Luli slightly older.
Wonderful read, wonderful story and characters and super, super wonderful cover.
Thank you Dani Collins.
June 17, 2019
Luli has worked for Mia for the last eight years. She has no passport or residency in the country. When Mia dies and leaves her estate to her grandson Gabriel, Luli tries to make a deal with him so she can stay on. Only marriage was not the deal she was thinking of. The marry the next day and now she has to work out her future. All she knew before working for Mia was the world of beauty pagents but whilst working for Mia she taught herself programming. Determined not the be reliant on Gabriel she tries to work out a way forward for herself. He is determined that she will work in his company but she is determined to rely on him and starts embarking on a modelling career. Can they work out a compromise and have a marriage that will work. A great read.
May 18, 2019
Don't let the title fool you.....
Luli, the heroine, is a brilliant coder embroiled in a complex relationship with her deceased 'employer'... So complex that when the grandson and heir of her former mentor appears, he believed her to be an AI interface to his grandmother's systems and not real at all. What follows is a serious blackmail attempt that flounders due to the hero's appetite for a challenge, particularly when the system so proficiently hacked is based on his own. A heroine who has been traded as a commodity all her life finds herself absorbed into the world of a man who has more than any one person could want, yet he can't seem to quite let her go. A great story
Luli, the heroine, is a brilliant coder embroiled in a complex relationship with her deceased 'employer'... So complex that when the grandson and heir of her former mentor appears, he believed her to be an AI interface to his grandmother's systems and not real at all. What follows is a serious blackmail attempt that flounders due to the hero's appetite for a challenge, particularly when the system so proficiently hacked is based on his own. A heroine who has been traded as a commodity all her life finds herself absorbed into the world of a man who has more than any one person could want, yet he can't seem to quite let her go. A great story
July 29, 2019
Gabriel Dean, a billionaire, finds that his grandmother has died, so he heads to Singapore to take care of her affairs. Once he’s there, he meets a young, innocent woman named Lucrecia Cruz. They call her Luli. She take care of all the woman’s day to day fortune. Luli knew she had to take care of herself or she would be destitute so she locked millions in coded software. She makes her demand and Gabriel decides to play along to see what she’s up to. He knows there’s chemistry so to secure both of their future, he marries her. What will happen? Will they fall in love? Dani Collins does it again. I didn’t want to put it down. Awesome read
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