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Crazy Rich Greek Weddings #1
The Greek's Billion-Dollar Baby
The man with the iron will…
Meets the woman who will change his life!
All the money in the world couldn’t save Leonidas from the pain—and guilt—of losing his loved ones. Since then, he’s forbidden himself all pleasure in life. Until he meets enchanting innocent Hannah at a lavish party in Greece…
Reeling from the discovery of her fiancé’s infidelity, Hannah is determined to swear off men. But her instant chemistry with Leonidas is undeniable. And for one night, they break all their rules, indulging in red-hot oblivion—with inescapably powerful consequences…
Meets the woman who will change his life!
All the money in the world couldn’t save Leonidas from the pain—and guilt—of losing his loved ones. Since then, he’s forbidden himself all pleasure in life. Until he meets enchanting innocent Hannah at a lavish party in Greece…
Reeling from the discovery of her fiancé’s infidelity, Hannah is determined to swear off men. But her instant chemistry with Leonidas is undeniable. And for one night, they break all their rules, indulging in red-hot oblivion—with inescapably powerful consequences…
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published September 17, 2019
159 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Clare Connelly
517 books407 followersFor all things Clare Connelly, please see www.clareconnelly.co.uk, the official home of Clare Connelly on the web.
Clare Connelly grew up in a small country town in Australia. Surrounded by rainforests, and rickety old timber houses, magic was thick in the air, and stories and storytelling were a huge part of her childhood.
From early on in life, Clare realised her favourite books were romance stories, and read voraciously. Anything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, to Mills & Boon and (more recently) 50 Shades, Clare is a romance devotee. She first turned her hand to penning a novel at fifteen (if memory serves, it was something about a glamorous fashion model who fell foul of a high-end designer. Sparks flew, clothes flew faster, and love was born.)
Clare has a small family and a bungalow near the sea. When she isn't chasing after energetic little toddlers, or wiping fingerprints off furniture, she's writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she were writing.
Clare Connelly grew up in a small country town in Australia. Surrounded by rainforests, and rickety old timber houses, magic was thick in the air, and stories and storytelling were a huge part of her childhood.
From early on in life, Clare realised her favourite books were romance stories, and read voraciously. Anything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, to Mills & Boon and (more recently) 50 Shades, Clare is a romance devotee. She first turned her hand to penning a novel at fifteen (if memory serves, it was something about a glamorous fashion model who fell foul of a high-end designer. Sparks flew, clothes flew faster, and love was born.)
Clare has a small family and a bungalow near the sea. When she isn't chasing after energetic little toddlers, or wiping fingerprints off furniture, she's writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she were writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 6, 2019
Esther's awesome, comprehensive review says it best, so I won't provide details. You can check it out here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'll just add why this didn't work so much, for me. It was depressing at times with far too much of the H's dead wife drama.
Maybe I'm a little heartless, but I soon grew irritated with the H's continuous obsessive introspection about his late wife Amy and his dead son, Brax. He spent 95% of the novel thinking about them. I know it's human nature for a husband to feel like this and if I'm dead, I'd totally want mine to miss me and treasure my memory. LOL.
But, this is a romance novel and my loyalties are with the heroine, Hannah; not the dead wife ! I also didn't appreciate how this H focused on the heroine mainly for sex. Plus, I wish that the heroine didn't share such a remarkable resemblance to the H's dead wife, because it raised inevitable questions about the reasons for his initial attraction to her.
I also hoped that the H would've, at the end, literally acknowledged that his feelings for the heroine were far more intense than whatever love he'd felt for the dead wife. Some of Leonidas' thoughts and comments about his dead wife and child ( in comparison to the heroine and her unborn baby ) also bothered me:
His wife and child had died, but here was another woman, another child, and they weren’t Amy and Brax—they’d never be to him what Amy and Brax were—but they were still his responsibility. https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
And...
...We are a one-night stand we can’t escape, that’s all.’ https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
And...
Amy, finding out she was pregnant. Amy, swelling with his child. Amy, uncomfortable. Amy, in labour. Amy, nursing their infant. Amy, watching Brax learn to walk. Amy, patiently reading to Brax, loving him, laughing at him.
Amy.
His eyes opened, bleakness in the depths of their obsidian centres.
If sleeping with another woman was a betrayal of Amy, what then was this? Creating a whole new family, and bringing them to this island?
He grunted, shaking his head, knowing that wasn’t fair. Amy would never have expected him to close himself off from life, from another relationship, another family. https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
I kinda got sick of reading about Amy, especially when it's revealed that he'd been living separately from her during the last year of their marriage, before her death. This confused me. Did he really love Amy or was he filled with guilt because it's his fault ( indirectly ) that she'd been killed ?
Safety: No cheating, no OM and no OW. The H's been celibate for 4 years, since his wife died. The MC's are separated twice, for a few months, but both were celibate during those two periods.
On a different note, I have a huge complaint to make about the Bookshout app that is partnered with Harlequin. Bookshout made changes to the app recently, by allowing customers the option to log in via Facebook. I couldn't care less about this, cause I don't have a FB account anymore and never will, in the future.
But, anyway, this and other changes caused the app to behave in an unstable manner. Yesterday, I was locked out of the app and had to uninstall and reinstall in order to get it to work ! Afterwards, the app kept closing on me while I was using it for offline reading and only settled down after I rebooted my phone.
And no, it's not my phone that's the problem, because every other app was working perfectly.
This happened about 5 times while I was reading this book. Harlequin seriously needs to get the Bookshout company to stabilize the app, because it's aggravating to experience this frickin' bullshit while trying to enjoy a novel.
Maybe that's part of the reason why I'm being so mean in this review. Perhaps I just couldn't buckle down and enjoy the romance when the damn app kept closing so often ! The app had acted up a bit, a few months ago but had settled down and was working well, until yesterday.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'll just add why this didn't work so much, for me. It was depressing at times with far too much of the H's dead wife drama.
Maybe I'm a little heartless, but I soon grew irritated with the H's continuous obsessive introspection about his late wife Amy and his dead son, Brax. He spent 95% of the novel thinking about them. I know it's human nature for a husband to feel like this and if I'm dead, I'd totally want mine to miss me and treasure my memory. LOL.
But, this is a romance novel and my loyalties are with the heroine, Hannah; not the dead wife ! I also didn't appreciate how this H focused on the heroine mainly for sex. Plus, I wish that the heroine didn't share such a remarkable resemblance to the H's dead wife, because it raised inevitable questions about the reasons for his initial attraction to her.
I also hoped that the H would've, at the end, literally acknowledged that his feelings for the heroine were far more intense than whatever love he'd felt for the dead wife. Some of Leonidas' thoughts and comments about his dead wife and child ( in comparison to the heroine and her unborn baby ) also bothered me:
His wife and child had died, but here was another woman, another child, and they weren’t Amy and Brax—they’d never be to him what Amy and Brax were—but they were still his responsibility. https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
And...
...We are a one-night stand we can’t escape, that’s all.’ https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
And...
Amy, finding out she was pregnant. Amy, swelling with his child. Amy, uncomfortable. Amy, in labour. Amy, nursing their infant. Amy, watching Brax learn to walk. Amy, patiently reading to Brax, loving him, laughing at him.
Amy.
His eyes opened, bleakness in the depths of their obsidian centres.
If sleeping with another woman was a betrayal of Amy, what then was this? Creating a whole new family, and bringing them to this island?
He grunted, shaking his head, knowing that wasn’t fair. Amy would never have expected him to close himself off from life, from another relationship, another family. https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
I kinda got sick of reading about Amy, especially when it's revealed that he'd been living separately from her during the last year of their marriage, before her death. This confused me. Did he really love Amy or was he filled with guilt because it's his fault ( indirectly ) that she'd been killed ?
Safety: No cheating, no OM and no OW. The H's been celibate for 4 years, since his wife died. The MC's are separated twice, for a few months, but both were celibate during those two periods.
On a different note, I have a huge complaint to make about the Bookshout app that is partnered with Harlequin. Bookshout made changes to the app recently, by allowing customers the option to log in via Facebook. I couldn't care less about this, cause I don't have a FB account anymore and never will, in the future.
But, anyway, this and other changes caused the app to behave in an unstable manner. Yesterday, I was locked out of the app and had to uninstall and reinstall in order to get it to work ! Afterwards, the app kept closing on me while I was using it for offline reading and only settled down after I rebooted my phone.
And no, it's not my phone that's the problem, because every other app was working perfectly.
This happened about 5 times while I was reading this book. Harlequin seriously needs to get the Bookshout company to stabilize the app, because it's aggravating to experience this frickin' bullshit while trying to enjoy a novel.
Maybe that's part of the reason why I'm being so mean in this review. Perhaps I just couldn't buckle down and enjoy the romance when the damn app kept closing so often ! The app had acted up a bit, a few months ago but had settled down and was working well, until yesterday.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2019
ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.
I want to rate this 4.25 but had a couple issue that in the end it was more of a 3.5.
Hannah had escaped to the Greek island of Chrysa Vrachia to recover from the betrayal. Betrayal of her fiancee, who she found in bed with her cousin. This island was a place she had always longed to visit and now was the perfect time for her to escape, begin to heal and regroup.
As Hannah was contemplating her life her eyes fell on a man, and her whole world turned upside down. Something that she's never felt before, strong desire, for a stranger. She was considering something totally out of character, approach him and offer to buy him a drink. But fate worked in her favor and as she was up and walking towards the bar they ended up bumping into each other. From that point on Hannah's life changed forever.
Hannah and the stranger, Leonidas had an instant connection and attraction. They both agreed to one night of passion and then each would go their separate ways.
Leonidas, spent every New Year's eve at his hotel, Chrysa Vrachia for the past four years. Four years of mourning the death of his wife and son. Because of his inability to protect them they where murdered. Because of his Father's sins and his falling short in protecting them. He's lived in limbo and shut himself away from all emotional and physical connection. He's denied himself the physical touch of a woman, until he runs into Hannah.
The two spend a passionate night together. But the next morning the guilt that Leonidas feels, as well as the powerful connection with the woman has him running away.
Month's later Hannah realizes she's pregnant and has to inform Leonidas. She goes in search of him and reveals to him that they are going to have a baby. He's shocked but determined they will marry as this is the only way he can protect her. Hannah has always craved family and love. She lost her parents at a young age. She was then taken to her Aunt and Uncles to live. She felt she was a burden to them and was never given any love or affection. So Hannah thought that maybe she could finally have her family. She also wanted to protect her daughter at all cost.
Leonidas makes it very clear to Hannah that he will never love anyone, his love is for his dead wife and son. But they can make the marriage work. Hannah thinks that possibly things could change, he could change and open his heart to love again. Their physical connection is so strong that Hannah believes that's a start.
Their relationship at first is business like and formal. But Hannah see's the hurt that Leonidas has endured and is determined to try and make their marriage work. She slowly works on him opening up and a relationship slowly evolves. They decided that their physical attraction is a good basis to start and build on. But Leonidas makes it clear on numerous occasions that he will never be able to love again.
When Hannah realizes she is in love with Leonidas she confesses her feelings. He is shocked and reiterates he can never love her. Amy and his son will always have that place in his heart. She tells him that she can not marry him. She leaves the island that they have been staying (his private island home). Months later Leonidas is in London, where Hannah has been living and working. He's there for business, kind of. He's not been able to forget Hannah. He receives an urgent call from his security team (who have been watching over Hannah) that Hannah is in the hospital having the baby, a month early. He rushes to the hospital and of course realizes he truly loves her and wants to begin a new life.
This was what was so difficult for me, the dead wife. We are told he loved her but also they had problems throughout the story. Then towards the end this scene really bothered me. Hannah realizes the morning of her wedding day that she loves Leonidas and she has to tell him before the wedding. As she walks in he's holding a paper (picture) he puts it down behind him as she approaches. She confesses her love, he says he can't love her, just Amy and his son. When she pleads with him to try, he reiterates that he's can't love her. Then hands her the picture. The picture looks almost like Hannah, but it's not its Amy. He goes to the hotel every year at New Years, where he met her and proposed to her on New Years Eve and he was thinking of her that evening. So that whole scenario really bothered my. It felt to me the author left things unclear on his dead wife and his love for her. Also, he tries to say that he didn't think of his wife when they were making love but yet everything else points to his wife. Sorry for the rant, but this just could have been written a little better, in my humble opinion. It did take away from the romance/HEA, for me anyway.
Other's might not be bothered by this whole dead wife issue, but I was. It was well written and I probably would have given it a 4.25 if not for that underling problem.
I want to rate this 4.25 but had a couple issue that in the end it was more of a 3.5.
Hannah had escaped to the Greek island of Chrysa Vrachia to recover from the betrayal. Betrayal of her fiancee, who she found in bed with her cousin. This island was a place she had always longed to visit and now was the perfect time for her to escape, begin to heal and regroup.
As Hannah was contemplating her life her eyes fell on a man, and her whole world turned upside down. Something that she's never felt before, strong desire, for a stranger. She was considering something totally out of character, approach him and offer to buy him a drink. But fate worked in her favor and as she was up and walking towards the bar they ended up bumping into each other. From that point on Hannah's life changed forever.
Hannah and the stranger, Leonidas had an instant connection and attraction. They both agreed to one night of passion and then each would go their separate ways.
Leonidas, spent every New Year's eve at his hotel, Chrysa Vrachia for the past four years. Four years of mourning the death of his wife and son. Because of his inability to protect them they where murdered. Because of his Father's sins and his falling short in protecting them. He's lived in limbo and shut himself away from all emotional and physical connection. He's denied himself the physical touch of a woman, until he runs into Hannah.
The two spend a passionate night together. But the next morning the guilt that Leonidas feels, as well as the powerful connection with the woman has him running away.
Month's later Hannah realizes she's pregnant and has to inform Leonidas. She goes in search of him and reveals to him that they are going to have a baby. He's shocked but determined they will marry as this is the only way he can protect her. Hannah has always craved family and love. She lost her parents at a young age. She was then taken to her Aunt and Uncles to live. She felt she was a burden to them and was never given any love or affection. So Hannah thought that maybe she could finally have her family. She also wanted to protect her daughter at all cost.
Leonidas makes it very clear to Hannah that he will never love anyone, his love is for his dead wife and son. But they can make the marriage work. Hannah thinks that possibly things could change, he could change and open his heart to love again. Their physical connection is so strong that Hannah believes that's a start.
Their relationship at first is business like and formal. But Hannah see's the hurt that Leonidas has endured and is determined to try and make their marriage work. She slowly works on him opening up and a relationship slowly evolves. They decided that their physical attraction is a good basis to start and build on. But Leonidas makes it clear on numerous occasions that he will never be able to love again.
When Hannah realizes she is in love with Leonidas she confesses her feelings. He is shocked and reiterates he can never love her. Amy and his son will always have that place in his heart. She tells him that she can not marry him. She leaves the island that they have been staying (his private island home). Months later Leonidas is in London, where Hannah has been living and working. He's there for business, kind of. He's not been able to forget Hannah. He receives an urgent call from his security team (who have been watching over Hannah) that Hannah is in the hospital having the baby, a month early. He rushes to the hospital and of course realizes he truly loves her and wants to begin a new life.
This was what was so difficult for me, the dead wife. We are told he loved her but also they had problems throughout the story. Then towards the end this scene really bothered me. Hannah realizes the morning of her wedding day that she loves Leonidas and she has to tell him before the wedding. As she walks in he's holding a paper (picture) he puts it down behind him as she approaches. She confesses her love, he says he can't love her, just Amy and his son. When she pleads with him to try, he reiterates that he's can't love her. Then hands her the picture. The picture looks almost like Hannah, but it's not its Amy. He goes to the hotel every year at New Years, where he met her and proposed to her on New Years Eve and he was thinking of her that evening. So that whole scenario really bothered my. It felt to me the author left things unclear on his dead wife and his love for her. Also, he tries to say that he didn't think of his wife when they were making love but yet everything else points to his wife. Sorry for the rant, but this just could have been written a little better, in my humble opinion. It did take away from the romance/HEA, for me anyway.
Other's might not be bothered by this whole dead wife issue, but I was. It was well written and I probably would have given it a 4.25 if not for that underling problem.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2020
Reread 5-23-2020,
I couldn't wait to dive into this HP story. It had one of my very most favorite themes-The Dead Wife Trope
This angst in this story was lovely. Hannah's rejection was gutting. I really liked both Hannah and Leonidas, and understood the heartbroken feelings they both had. I truly savored all the feels in this story, and it left me with a smile on my face by the time I finished it.
I couldn't wait to dive into this HP story. It had one of my very most favorite themes-The Dead Wife Trope
This angst in this story was lovely. Hannah's rejection was gutting. I really liked both Hannah and Leonidas, and understood the heartbroken feelings they both had. I truly savored all the feels in this story, and it left me with a smile on my face by the time I finished it.
December 10, 2019
Second Best
I hate stories with dead love tropes where the hero is still in love with her and won't move on. Not because he doesn't move on but because he always does. He meets a heroine who is sweet and good and just happens to look like his dead wife. And of course of you know the trope, she is always better than the first wife in her purity and innocence and actually ends up being his true love wife in his heart because the first wife ends up having flaws. I hate it. It's done all the time. And why you may ask? Because unfortunately I am wife number 1 still and when I die, I don't want him to be happy and fall in love again. I want him to mourn me forever, and cry and lament, and stay celibate until he is with me again. That's why. So on behalf of first wives ever, I hate this trope.
So why four stars, almost five, because I am hi a sucker for a great heroine and a tortured hero! And romance. The heroine was so good, something I could never be, and she made him talk about his dead wife, and son which was so sad, and remember them and make them a part of his new family. Because of course she was pregnant from a one night stand. The only time in four years he had lapsed and had sexual relations. (Sorry dead wife number One) but it truly was an awesome story. The heroine was so awesome and she was no doormat. I liked that. I loved the ending and the epilogue. Both were awesome.
I did take away a star because they did make his first wife have flaws and be less than perfect. And because as I said I am a first wife. I don't plan on dying anytime soon but if I do, please keep tabs on my husband and make sure he is crying a lot and staying celibate. He won't forget me as easy though. I am having my ashes made into a pillow that he has to sleep on.
I hate stories with dead love tropes where the hero is still in love with her and won't move on. Not because he doesn't move on but because he always does. He meets a heroine who is sweet and good and just happens to look like his dead wife. And of course of you know the trope, she is always better than the first wife in her purity and innocence and actually ends up being his true love wife in his heart because the first wife ends up having flaws. I hate it. It's done all the time. And why you may ask? Because unfortunately I am wife number 1 still and when I die, I don't want him to be happy and fall in love again. I want him to mourn me forever, and cry and lament, and stay celibate until he is with me again. That's why. So on behalf of first wives ever, I hate this trope.
So why four stars, almost five, because I am hi a sucker for a great heroine and a tortured hero! And romance. The heroine was so good, something I could never be, and she made him talk about his dead wife, and son which was so sad, and remember them and make them a part of his new family. Because of course she was pregnant from a one night stand. The only time in four years he had lapsed and had sexual relations. (Sorry dead wife number One) but it truly was an awesome story. The heroine was so awesome and she was no doormat. I liked that. I loved the ending and the epilogue. Both were awesome.
I did take away a star because they did make his first wife have flaws and be less than perfect. And because as I said I am a first wife. I don't plan on dying anytime soon but if I do, please keep tabs on my husband and make sure he is crying a lot and staying celibate. He won't forget me as easy though. I am having my ashes made into a pillow that he has to sleep on.
September 12, 2019
I like the angst but at least h and ex-wife's red hairs and green eyes could be a different shades. Also, I remember ex-wife's name immediately but even while reading, I struggled to remember the heroine's name. And lastly, I love Ms. Connelly's grovel scenes, where was it in this book?
September 12, 2019
Good read. Tortured hero and sweet heroine. The whole dead wife issue didn’t bother me but I didn’t reallly feel the chemistry between hero and heroine. It was well written though :)
September 28, 2019
I know my friends didn't like the Hero mentioning his dead wife and son non stop but I understand the man ! He lost his family it's not easy to forget such a huge thing and pretend it's never happened!
I love C.C books and enjoy them , and this one was no exception , Leonidas was a tortured man with great pain and grief, Hannah was like the sun shine to his darkness , I love reading about a tortured man redeemed by love and a sweet kind hearted like Hannah 😊
Loved the epilogue and super EXCITED about Leonidas brother Thanos !!!!😉
I love C.C books and enjoy them , and this one was no exception , Leonidas was a tortured man with great pain and grief, Hannah was like the sun shine to his darkness , I love reading about a tortured man redeemed by love and a sweet kind hearted like Hannah 😊
Loved the epilogue and super EXCITED about Leonidas brother Thanos !!!!😉
February 27, 2020
2.5 rounded up. Too much time spent on the late wife.
December 14, 2025
More melancholic than angsty
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October 28, 2019
A good storyline with a decent H and h .... good plot as well but something seemed to be missing ...
I just didnt like the way H seemed to carp on about his dead wife ... and their close resemblance ... well, it was just off putting ... author mentioned it and then changed it ... same as the dead wife who could do no wrong but who is later described as a party person ...
I just didnt like the way H seemed to carp on about his dead wife ... and their close resemblance ... well, it was just off putting ... author mentioned it and then changed it ... same as the dead wife who could do no wrong but who is later described as a party person ...
November 4, 2019
Clare Connelly just can't get out of the 3-star zone with me.
I picked this book up specifically because other reviews suggested a second-best to dead wife vibe, and I'm wrestling with understanding "second-best syndrome" in romance after reading Michelle Reid's Eye of Heaven.
I don't want to mislead anyone: the two scenarios have nothing in common. Here, the wife is dead and the heroine has some superficial resemblance to her and the hero has walled off his heart because of guilt and grief. In Reid's book, the ex-wife is alive and the hero (ugh) assiduously pursues an intimate relationship with the heroine until he is driven by some specious, under-explained guilt to *spoiler*. (I'm reading a lot of books with guilt lately, and I think I need to step away. Guilt can be a great driver of bad decisions in romance, and I used to be pretty forgiving about how it could cloud judgment, but right now all I'm seeing is how selfish guilt is.)
Aaaaanyway, Connelly's Greek billionaire hero has been celibate four years since his wife and child were killed as payback when his criminal father arranged a plea deal to give up the names of other individuals in his organized crime syndicate. The hero makes an annual New Year's trek to some Greek party island where he met his wife, and this year he (literally) runs into the heroine, who shares his wife's coloring (red hair, green eyes).
The heroine is a virgin with a Lynne Graham backstory: her beloved parents died when she was a child and she was raised by her indifferent uncle and a warped aunt who was jealous of her parents' fairytale relationship and constantly compared the heroine to her own daughter, much to the daughter's detriment since she wasn't as lovely, graceful, or academically gifted as the heroine. The aunt also managed to smother the heroine's dream of going to law school. Eventually, the heroine becomes engaged to a man whom she later finds sleeping with her cousin, so she dumps him and takes the first available flight from Australia, which turns out to be to this Greek party island.
*whew*
They have sex. He feels guilty and runs off leaving a note. The virgin heroine gets pregnant and tracks him down on his yacht to notify him. He tells a truncated version of his wife and child's fate to frighten the heroine into marrying him so he can protect their unborn daughter.
The resemblance thing combined with meeting the heroine on the same date in the same place he met his first wife is still a little creepy. Not because it makes the heroine second-best, but because it retroactively makes the first wife second-best. The non-partying heroine is clearly a better match for the hero, and the previously enshrined wife joins the ranks of the conveniently dead. Ugh.
I picked this book up specifically because other reviews suggested a second-best to dead wife vibe, and I'm wrestling with understanding "second-best syndrome" in romance after reading Michelle Reid's Eye of Heaven.
I don't want to mislead anyone: the two scenarios have nothing in common. Here, the wife is dead and the heroine has some superficial resemblance to her and the hero has walled off his heart because of guilt and grief. In Reid's book, the ex-wife is alive and the hero (ugh) assiduously pursues an intimate relationship with the heroine until he is driven by some specious, under-explained guilt to *spoiler*. (I'm reading a lot of books with guilt lately, and I think I need to step away. Guilt can be a great driver of bad decisions in romance, and I used to be pretty forgiving about how it could cloud judgment, but right now all I'm seeing is how selfish guilt is.)
Aaaaanyway, Connelly's Greek billionaire hero has been celibate four years since his wife and child were killed as payback when his criminal father arranged a plea deal to give up the names of other individuals in his organized crime syndicate. The hero makes an annual New Year's trek to some Greek party island where he met his wife, and this year he (literally) runs into the heroine, who shares his wife's coloring (red hair, green eyes).
The heroine is a virgin with a Lynne Graham backstory: her beloved parents died when she was a child and she was raised by her indifferent uncle and a warped aunt who was jealous of her parents' fairytale relationship and constantly compared the heroine to her own daughter, much to the daughter's detriment since she wasn't as lovely, graceful, or academically gifted as the heroine. The aunt also managed to smother the heroine's dream of going to law school. Eventually, the heroine becomes engaged to a man whom she later finds sleeping with her cousin, so she dumps him and takes the first available flight from Australia, which turns out to be to this Greek party island.
*whew*
They have sex. He feels guilty and runs off leaving a note. The virgin heroine gets pregnant and tracks him down on his yacht to notify him. He tells a truncated version of his wife and child's fate to frighten the heroine into marrying him so he can protect their unborn daughter.
The resemblance thing combined with meeting the heroine on the same date in the same place he met his first wife is still a little creepy. Not because it makes the heroine second-best, but because it retroactively makes the first wife second-best. The non-partying heroine is clearly a better match for the hero, and the previously enshrined wife joins the ranks of the conveniently dead. Ugh.
July 1, 2019
I don’t usually like romance stories where the hero has a dead wife. Well this hero has a dead wife and son, I was prepared to hate it- I didn’t. Leonidas was rich, sexy and handsome as hell but he was a tormented wreck until he met Hannah one New Year’s Eve. Hannah was an angry disappointed virgin who’d just found her fiancé in bed with her cousin. So when these two angry, hurt human beings literally ran into each other sparks went flying. This story was well written and it wasn’t boring or full of internal pages and pages of dialogue from their heads. There was really great dialogue between these two characters and you got to meet them and fall in love with them. I really enjoyed this story and I sure hope this author is going to write Thanos’s story because I love him already. I wish she’d written him more into this story. I gave it four stars because there were lose ends but still a good story and great ending.
May 31, 2020
5 ANGSTY STARS
I REALLY liked this one!! It had a much more serious feel to it; I don’t even think it can be considered soapy. (I’m tagging as, just so I can track it) Leonidas lost his wife and young son 5 years earlier; he blames himself for their murders and has been punishing himself by shutting out others since. (including being celibate) Hannah has recently been betrayed by her fiancé and cousin. The two meet while on vacay, and have an instant attraction which results in a one night stand. Months later H tracks him down to tell him she’s preggers.
I really liked both MC’s. I could feel L’s pain and fear to let someone in his heart again, and I thought Hannah was really brave. Although, he is hung up on his ex; IMO it’s the guilt that he’s hung up on, not undying love, so I didn’t feel like this was a “second-best” situation. It’s very modern HP; they both act like normal mature adults. L isn’t broody or cruel; he doesn’t expect her to be a good little wife, and H isn’t a naïve doormat.
Bottom Line- I recommend this for anyone; it’s a genuinely great story.
I REALLY liked this one!! It had a much more serious feel to it; I don’t even think it can be considered soapy. (I’m tagging as, just so I can track it) Leonidas lost his wife and young son 5 years earlier; he blames himself for their murders and has been punishing himself by shutting out others since. (including being celibate) Hannah has recently been betrayed by her fiancé and cousin. The two meet while on vacay, and have an instant attraction which results in a one night stand. Months later H tracks him down to tell him she’s preggers.
I really liked both MC’s. I could feel L’s pain and fear to let someone in his heart again, and I thought Hannah was really brave. Although, he is hung up on his ex; IMO it’s the guilt that he’s hung up on, not undying love, so I didn’t feel like this was a “second-best” situation. It’s very modern HP; they both act like normal mature adults. L isn’t broody or cruel; he doesn’t expect her to be a good little wife, and H isn’t a naïve doormat.
Bottom Line- I recommend this for anyone; it’s a genuinely great story.
December 15, 2020
Listen, I know what I am getting when I open a Harlequin Presents novel: a fun, quick, fairytale-like romance. But because these are such quick stories, I expect the main couple, in this case, regular gal, Hannah, and Greek billionaire Leonidas, to have a lot of page time. Unfortunately, Hannah and Leonidas spent most of the book apart, contemplating their ~emotions~ and not growing their barely-there relationship.
I love an unexpected pregnancy, but when Leonidas plunked Hannah on his private island and left her, I was a little over it. I also have no idea how Hannah decided she loved him. Girlfriend didn’t spend any time with him! Overall, I think the execution of this story could have been better, and the emotional depth improved. That said, it was entertaining for an hour or two on a plane. When I didn’t want to throttle the main characters.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
I love an unexpected pregnancy, but when Leonidas plunked Hannah on his private island and left her, I was a little over it. I also have no idea how Hannah decided she loved him. Girlfriend didn’t spend any time with him! Overall, I think the execution of this story could have been better, and the emotional depth improved. That said, it was entertaining for an hour or two on a plane. When I didn’t want to throttle the main characters.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
August 15, 2019
Losing his wife and young son through a vendetta against his mob-boss father, stole any heart that Leonidas Stathakis ever possessed. He has no room in his life for a relationship, and even less room for love. He can give a woman one memorable night, but beyond that, only making money is important. He buried his heart with his wife and son, but when Hannah May bumps into him on his fourth New Year's Eve alone, his body comes roaring back to life. One night, that's all he ever gives the women that parade through his life. Hannah won't be any different.
Hannah runs from her home in Australia after finding her fiance in bed with her cousin, the woman who she considers a sister. Traveling to Chrysa Vrachia soothes her heart, but she's determined to lose her virginity to a nameless, faceless man in retaliation for what her fiance has done. Enter Leonidas. She is fascinated with this stranger but too shy to approach him. Literally running into him seems like fate stepping in to give her the night of passion she wants. What happens though, when one night turns into 9 months? When Leonidas demands marriage to protect his child from the same horrible death of his first child, can Hannah protect her heart as well?
I liked this story. Leonidas is such a tragic figure. Hannah brings light to his life that he didn't realize he missed. The two of them together make no sense, until they make complete sense.
Hannah runs from her home in Australia after finding her fiance in bed with her cousin, the woman who she considers a sister. Traveling to Chrysa Vrachia soothes her heart, but she's determined to lose her virginity to a nameless, faceless man in retaliation for what her fiance has done. Enter Leonidas. She is fascinated with this stranger but too shy to approach him. Literally running into him seems like fate stepping in to give her the night of passion she wants. What happens though, when one night turns into 9 months? When Leonidas demands marriage to protect his child from the same horrible death of his first child, can Hannah protect her heart as well?
I liked this story. Leonidas is such a tragic figure. Hannah brings light to his life that he didn't realize he missed. The two of them together make no sense, until they make complete sense.
November 9, 2019
This was a one sitting read, truly I did not want to put this one down, fabulously written a sensual story of falling in love and not wanting too, I have a special place in my heart for Greek heroes and Leonidas is strong but a little vulnerable and Hannah shows such strength and honesty as she wins him over.
Beautiful Hannah takes off when she finds her fiancé in bed with someone else, Hannah has felt a burden to people for a long time and now she is determined to find her way and although not looking for love when she arrives in Chrysa Vrachia love is going to find her when she bumps into the most handsome of men.
Leonidas Stathakis is rich and a loner after losing his wife and son fours earlier a shocking tragedy caused by his mobster father, Leonidas has sworn to be on his own from now on because of guilt, but when he literally runs into the beautiful innocent Australian Hannah and when one very passionate night leaves consequences his world is turned upside down.
I loved this story so much, MS Connelly is a gifted author who can bring her characters to life, I felt Leonidas’s pain and vulnerability and Hannah her empathy warmth and the love that flows from her, to see them opening up about the past and finding such happiness and joy had me smiling. It was such a wonderful journey for them both to the best HEA, I do highly recommend this one.
Beautiful Hannah takes off when she finds her fiancé in bed with someone else, Hannah has felt a burden to people for a long time and now she is determined to find her way and although not looking for love when she arrives in Chrysa Vrachia love is going to find her when she bumps into the most handsome of men.
Leonidas Stathakis is rich and a loner after losing his wife and son fours earlier a shocking tragedy caused by his mobster father, Leonidas has sworn to be on his own from now on because of guilt, but when he literally runs into the beautiful innocent Australian Hannah and when one very passionate night leaves consequences his world is turned upside down.
I loved this story so much, MS Connelly is a gifted author who can bring her characters to life, I felt Leonidas’s pain and vulnerability and Hannah her empathy warmth and the love that flows from her, to see them opening up about the past and finding such happiness and joy had me smiling. It was such a wonderful journey for them both to the best HEA, I do highly recommend this one.
August 16, 2019
I was lucky to receive an advanced copy of this book and I was hooked from page one. I read the entire book in one sitting - it was fantastic! Leonidas is a widower who doesn't believe he can ever love again, let alone have another child. His son had been murdered along with his wife. But Hannah reawakens his desire and they share one passionate New Years Eve together, which means more to Hannah than Leonidas. After finding her fiance in bed with another woman, she hops on a plane to Greece where she meets Leonidas and experiences passion for the first time. But he leaves her alone in the morning...and a few months later Hannah discovers she's pregnant!
Considering his wife and son were murdered due to the connections with his criminal father, Leonidas is determined to protect Hannah and his unborn daughter at all costs - even if that does mean trapping her on a beautiful Greek island. But they begin a romance, start to care for each other, and, of course, eventually fall in love after getting over all their emotional baggage.
I just loved this book - probably the pacing, the voice, I'm not sure, it just had me hooked. Now I cannot wait to read about Leonidas's brother in Clare's next book!
This is a guaranteed read.
Considering his wife and son were murdered due to the connections with his criminal father, Leonidas is determined to protect Hannah and his unborn daughter at all costs - even if that does mean trapping her on a beautiful Greek island. But they begin a romance, start to care for each other, and, of course, eventually fall in love after getting over all their emotional baggage.
I just loved this book - probably the pacing, the voice, I'm not sure, it just had me hooked. Now I cannot wait to read about Leonidas's brother in Clare's next book!
This is a guaranteed read.
November 21, 2019
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I usually do other books by this author ...
I liked the h ... and really didn't like the way h ended up as a second rate substitute for the H's first wife ...
He seemed to think about his wife and make comparisons between the h and his dead wife all the time ... this h deserved better ...
I liked the h ... and really didn't like the way h ended up as a second rate substitute for the H's first wife ...
He seemed to think about his wife and make comparisons between the h and his dead wife all the time ... this h deserved better ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2019
I know others may not mind it but for this reader, I absolutely LOATH the dead ex trope and this book is a clear reason why I feel this way. Hero spent the ENTIRE story up until the last few pages obsessing about his dead wife! Heroine as made out to be as someone he settled with because he had no other option. Come on folks, is this really what we want to read in our romances? Really?...Ugh!
September 17, 2019
I have complicated feelings about this book. Did I think it was terrible? No. Did I think it was great? No. There are a few things I can say with certainty. I do think the book had potential but in the end it was buried under the heroes never ending lament for his deceased wife and child. Now, do not get me wrong, I have experienced more loss and grief than many have and I know how hard the past can be to let go of. The anger, the guilt, the intense desire for things to be the way they once were and yes, even falling down the whole of depression that is so deep you don't think you will ever make it out. I will say that this is a scenario you see often in books but there is a line where it stops being a plot device and simply turns into drudgery. I feel that was unfortunately the case with this book. The way the story unfolded left me with not one single feeling that Leonidas cared for Hannah or the child he had made with her. They were a responsibility at best and an unwelcome burden at worst. I felt really bad for Hannah, who had her own painful baggage and had such a need to be loved. In the end he does an abrupt about face but for me the damage was done and I simply couldn't buy it. If this is not more than enough, add in the fact Hannah looks like the dead wife AND they meet and hookup at a place that holds special meaning to him and the wife. Then the frosting on the cake was...we learn that there were problems in the marriage! WHAT!!?? So yeah, this book was not a winner for me. This is my frank, freely posted review.
September 21, 2020
Leonidas Stathakis still mourns for his wife and son. Murdered on his watch, he vows to never betray her. To never risk the loss again. Until Hannah crashes in to his life.
An OK story. Lots and lots left unsaid and unknown. I felt the ending was incomplete. Just kind of hung there.
An OK story. Lots and lots left unsaid and unknown. I felt the ending was incomplete. Just kind of hung there.
August 12, 2020
I think I will skip this one! I have read several books with this theme and I would prefer not to read those where the hero is not devoted. Leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth!
February 4, 2022
3.5 Stars
Themes:
One-Night Stand
Surprise Baby
Widowed Hero
Unrequited Love Angst!
What I enjoyed:
√ It was angsty enough to keep me reading late into the night.
√ There were a few times I felt emotionally moved by the heroine's anguish.
√ I thought the hero's declarations of love and regret at the end were wonderful<3
What I didn't enjoy:
X The heroine was annoyingly complaisant about every single unfortunate situation in her life. It's not until almost the end that she finally decides not to settle for less, and leaves the hero behind. Except, this was after she confessed her love for him and pleaded repeatedly with him to give her some hope he could one day love her back. That bothered me, immensely. I can't stand heroines that beg. He, of course, told her he could never love her. Ouch.
X They only got together because she got pregnant from their one-night stand and she tracked him down to tell him. He never would have bothered to look for her. I hate that in romance books. When a hero walks away from the heroine with no intention of ever seeing her again and it's only because SHE ends up in front of him again that they end up together. That does not make me a happy camper, no siree!
X The hero was okay. There was nothing exciting about him, nothing to squee about. The way he was written made him feel flat.
Ultimately, I was convinced Leonidas loved Hannah. However, I must say, now that I think about it, she was kind of his consolation prize. That's not exactly a great thing in my book. He obsessed entirely too much about his dead wife and son for almost the whole story. It wasn't balanced out right. Oh, well. Next!
Notes:
HEA √ Epilogue included (but not the best).
Themes:
One-Night Stand
Surprise Baby
Widowed Hero
Unrequited Love Angst!
What I enjoyed:
√ It was angsty enough to keep me reading late into the night.
√ There were a few times I felt emotionally moved by the heroine's anguish.
√ I thought the hero's declarations of love and regret at the end were wonderful<3
What I didn't enjoy:
X The heroine was annoyingly complaisant about every single unfortunate situation in her life. It's not until almost the end that she finally decides not to settle for less, and leaves the hero behind. Except, this was after she confessed her love for him and pleaded repeatedly with him to give her some hope he could one day love her back. That bothered me, immensely. I can't stand heroines that beg. He, of course, told her he could never love her. Ouch.
X They only got together because she got pregnant from their one-night stand and she tracked him down to tell him. He never would have bothered to look for her. I hate that in romance books. When a hero walks away from the heroine with no intention of ever seeing her again and it's only because SHE ends up in front of him again that they end up together. That does not make me a happy camper, no siree!
X The hero was okay. There was nothing exciting about him, nothing to squee about. The way he was written made him feel flat.
Ultimately, I was convinced Leonidas loved Hannah. However, I must say, now that I think about it, she was kind of his consolation prize. That's not exactly a great thing in my book. He obsessed entirely too much about his dead wife and son for almost the whole story. It wasn't balanced out right. Oh, well. Next!
Notes:
HEA √ Epilogue included (but not the best).
January 28, 2021
Good Start, Bad Ending 👍👎
Leonidis is a really tortured Greek hero over his wife and son's deafs. He blames himself even though it was not his fault. They were murdered by the mob because of his father.
He meets Australian Hannah on new years eve at one of the bars he owns and where he torments himself every year. They have an instant hot attraction between them and a one night stand happens. Hannah ends up pregnant as a result. When Leonidis finds out he is going to be a father again he insists Hannah marries him asap to protect her and their unborn child because he is terrified they could be hurt or killed. They both meet five years after his wife and child died.
♡♡♡♡
This is quite a sad story about Leonidis grief over his family. Most of the book is Leonidis stuck in sorrow. I felt he definitely needed some bereavement counselling. The H and H didn't spend a lot of time together until Hannah fell in love with Leonidis. Too early for me.
A few things didn't work at the end of the story. First Hannah didn't want Leonidis at the birth of their child, he found out Hannah was in labor by his security team. She didn't want to contact him to say she was. Not right with my eyes. Second Leonidis love confession for Hannah was straight after she had given birth ??? A bit of a long winded one too. A lot of mothers don't need that at that time. Once settled and comfortable in a maternity ward then yes.
♡♡♡♡
I won't be purchasing this in a paperback form. I read an ebook version. A shame because this story had good potential.
Leonidis is a really tortured Greek hero over his wife and son's deafs. He blames himself even though it was not his fault. They were murdered by the mob because of his father.
He meets Australian Hannah on new years eve at one of the bars he owns and where he torments himself every year. They have an instant hot attraction between them and a one night stand happens. Hannah ends up pregnant as a result. When Leonidis finds out he is going to be a father again he insists Hannah marries him asap to protect her and their unborn child because he is terrified they could be hurt or killed. They both meet five years after his wife and child died.
♡♡♡♡
This is quite a sad story about Leonidis grief over his family. Most of the book is Leonidis stuck in sorrow. I felt he definitely needed some bereavement counselling. The H and H didn't spend a lot of time together until Hannah fell in love with Leonidis. Too early for me.
A few things didn't work at the end of the story. First Hannah didn't want Leonidis at the birth of their child, he found out Hannah was in labor by his security team. She didn't want to contact him to say she was. Not right with my eyes. Second Leonidis love confession for Hannah was straight after she had given birth ??? A bit of a long winded one too. A lot of mothers don't need that at that time. Once settled and comfortable in a maternity ward then yes.
♡♡♡♡
I won't be purchasing this in a paperback form. I read an ebook version. A shame because this story had good potential.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2019
Hannah was ready to marry her fiance Angus but caught him doing the dirty with her cousin.....eeew ....that's wrong on so many levels ....shame on you cousin but good riddance to bad rubbish I say Hannah , girl !
Hannah goes to Greece not to forget but to find herself , rediscover herself ....
New Year is an awful reminder of what he lost , Leonidas is a broken man , a bitter man and his path crosses Hannah's on New Year's Eve and there's fireworks and not just the ki d that see the new year in 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
She is the balm that heals him and he awakes the goddess in her ......a perfect match ♥️
I laughed, I cried I got frustrated, a sighed deep sighs and I melted into hot puddles!
Hannah and Leonidas are perfect for each other and through their heartache and trials they heal and come together x
Hannah goes to Greece not to forget but to find herself , rediscover herself ....
New Year is an awful reminder of what he lost , Leonidas is a broken man , a bitter man and his path crosses Hannah's on New Year's Eve and there's fireworks and not just the ki d that see the new year in 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
She is the balm that heals him and he awakes the goddess in her ......a perfect match ♥️
I laughed, I cried I got frustrated, a sighed deep sighs and I melted into hot puddles!
Hannah and Leonidas are perfect for each other and through their heartache and trials they heal and come together x
July 9, 2020
Perfectly fine, although it felt even more claustrophobic than Harlequin Presents novels usually do - despite the set-up of numerous villains, we never actually meet a single one of them; and the heroine exists basically as a motivating factor for the hero to get over the loss of his wife and son.
April 14, 2024
I read a lot of reviews that put me off this book because they said he was still in love with his dead wife and the heroine was second best, but I decided to give it a try and I wasn’t disappointed.
It’s different from what I thought.
The hero lost his wife and child because they were murdered by one of his father’s enemies. He felt guilty because he was not able to protect them so he vowed to be celibate and faithful to their memory.
He doesn’t want involvement with another woman and of course he doesn’t want children, because he is afraid he won’t be able to protect them. Understandable. He meets the heroine at a bar on their death anniversary and they have a ONS he regrets. The heroine was on the rebound from her ex fiancé who cheated on her, so it was not love at first sight for her too.
They part, she finds out she’s pregnant and of course he’s horrified. Imagine having that kind of past trauma on his conscience and then find out that he’s got the nightmare of fear all over again. He was never healed. He suffered from ptsd and never talked to any counselor. These things don’t go away without proper treatment.
He takes his responsibility very seriously and he marries the heroine since she is in danger, according to his perception, even if the man who killed his wife and child is behind the bars. He feels very differently with the heroine than his first wife. His first wife was a young love, but they were not well matched, even if he tried to make it work for his sons sake. She was a socialite and loved to party and resented the lack of freedom that the paranoid hero forced on her. The heroine is just the opposite. She’s a kind and gentle girl and doesn’t love social life, which matches the hero perfectly. The heroine is a perfect match for the hero and not his first wife, this is very clear, and I don’t think is first marriage would have survived because they were not in good terms. The hero is really paranoid and both the heroine and his brother try to tell him there’s no such danger, but he’s very grumpy and harsh. The heroine. Well, she’s quite pushy. She wants him to talk about his child, his trauma and all, really? Se forced him to talk about his loss, which is no good, because everyone has his time to heal and the loss of a child can take forever. I didn’t like her attitude. The poor hero talking about his baby forcibly was not a good thing for me.
I never felt as if she was second best. His marriage with first wife was not good and there’s more than once the reference of how much he likes the heroine and how different he feels towards her.
So imo she was the love of his life. The child is a different matter, of course he was sad and grumpy, who wouldn’t after what happened to him. The only thing that upset me and that was not necessary at all was that the heroine resemblance to his first wife. The hero tells her it was the reason why he didn’t want to have sex with her, and that he does not see her looking like his late wife, but was it necessary for the story? Maybe it was only a shallow resemblance, her hair color which is red, but I could have done without. Beside this, I felt sorry for the hero and not so angry, he lost his family on a tragic way, so his behavior was very consistent with what is expected in this case.
It’s different from what I thought.
The hero lost his wife and child because they were murdered by one of his father’s enemies. He felt guilty because he was not able to protect them so he vowed to be celibate and faithful to their memory.
He doesn’t want involvement with another woman and of course he doesn’t want children, because he is afraid he won’t be able to protect them. Understandable. He meets the heroine at a bar on their death anniversary and they have a ONS he regrets. The heroine was on the rebound from her ex fiancé who cheated on her, so it was not love at first sight for her too.
They part, she finds out she’s pregnant and of course he’s horrified. Imagine having that kind of past trauma on his conscience and then find out that he’s got the nightmare of fear all over again. He was never healed. He suffered from ptsd and never talked to any counselor. These things don’t go away without proper treatment.
He takes his responsibility very seriously and he marries the heroine since she is in danger, according to his perception, even if the man who killed his wife and child is behind the bars. He feels very differently with the heroine than his first wife. His first wife was a young love, but they were not well matched, even if he tried to make it work for his sons sake. She was a socialite and loved to party and resented the lack of freedom that the paranoid hero forced on her. The heroine is just the opposite. She’s a kind and gentle girl and doesn’t love social life, which matches the hero perfectly. The heroine is a perfect match for the hero and not his first wife, this is very clear, and I don’t think is first marriage would have survived because they were not in good terms. The hero is really paranoid and both the heroine and his brother try to tell him there’s no such danger, but he’s very grumpy and harsh. The heroine. Well, she’s quite pushy. She wants him to talk about his child, his trauma and all, really? Se forced him to talk about his loss, which is no good, because everyone has his time to heal and the loss of a child can take forever. I didn’t like her attitude. The poor hero talking about his baby forcibly was not a good thing for me.
I never felt as if she was second best. His marriage with first wife was not good and there’s more than once the reference of how much he likes the heroine and how different he feels towards her.
So imo she was the love of his life. The child is a different matter, of course he was sad and grumpy, who wouldn’t after what happened to him. The only thing that upset me and that was not necessary at all was that the heroine resemblance to his first wife. The hero tells her it was the reason why he didn’t want to have sex with her, and that he does not see her looking like his late wife, but was it necessary for the story? Maybe it was only a shallow resemblance, her hair color which is red, but I could have done without. Beside this, I felt sorry for the hero and not so angry, he lost his family on a tragic way, so his behavior was very consistent with what is expected in this case.
September 29, 2019
Hannah and Leonidas are two lost souls looking to re-discover their place in the world when fate finds them in the same bar on new years eve. One night with no promises later, Hannah wakes up alone, and begins to establish a new life in London when she discovers that one night had consequences, and finds herself on a mission to track down Leonidas to tell him that he is going to be a father.
What I love about Clare Connelly's writing is that she always manages to insert a healthy dose of emotion into the plot of her books, and it is credit to her creative narrative that what follows is not your typical shotgun wedding for the sake of the baby plot, but rather both Hannah and Leonidas learning a lot about themselves, and, for Hannah especially, the realisation that settling for second best, even if it means your child having the family you never he'd, isn't enough to make a marriage of convenience work.
Both Hannah and Leonidas are strong, likeable characters, and, as a reader, you really can empathise with both as circumstances overtake their plans, and force both of them to consider exactly what they want from their future. There is a great deal of emotion and tugging at the heartstrings as Leonidas struggles to overcome the tragic end of his first marriage and his belief that he cannot allow himself to be happy again with the fact that Hannah is about to present him with a second chance, if only he will let her in to his closed off world.
There is a lot to like about this book from the characters, the plot and the glorious Greek island setting, all combined with a strong sense of romance, even though the idea of a happy ending seems a long way off for the most part. The closing chapter packs quite the emotional punch as Leonidas is forced to confront his feelings in order to avoid losing everything he wants, and there is a beautifully written moment towards the end of the story as he finally opens up to Hannah.
The brief appearances of Leonidas's brother, Thanos, are intriguing, and, fingers crossed his own story will be told soon.
All in all, an enjoyable romance with plenty of emotional depth in a story about finding your place in the world, and learning to be happy again.
What I love about Clare Connelly's writing is that she always manages to insert a healthy dose of emotion into the plot of her books, and it is credit to her creative narrative that what follows is not your typical shotgun wedding for the sake of the baby plot, but rather both Hannah and Leonidas learning a lot about themselves, and, for Hannah especially, the realisation that settling for second best, even if it means your child having the family you never he'd, isn't enough to make a marriage of convenience work.
Both Hannah and Leonidas are strong, likeable characters, and, as a reader, you really can empathise with both as circumstances overtake their plans, and force both of them to consider exactly what they want from their future. There is a great deal of emotion and tugging at the heartstrings as Leonidas struggles to overcome the tragic end of his first marriage and his belief that he cannot allow himself to be happy again with the fact that Hannah is about to present him with a second chance, if only he will let her in to his closed off world.
There is a lot to like about this book from the characters, the plot and the glorious Greek island setting, all combined with a strong sense of romance, even though the idea of a happy ending seems a long way off for the most part. The closing chapter packs quite the emotional punch as Leonidas is forced to confront his feelings in order to avoid losing everything he wants, and there is a beautifully written moment towards the end of the story as he finally opens up to Hannah.
The brief appearances of Leonidas's brother, Thanos, are intriguing, and, fingers crossed his own story will be told soon.
All in all, an enjoyable romance with plenty of emotional depth in a story about finding your place in the world, and learning to be happy again.
November 1, 2019
A red-hot sizzler from fast-rising star Clare Connelly, The Greek’s Billion Dollar Baby is a sexy, intense and passionate romantic read you will not be able to resist.
He might be one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, but not even wealth and privilege could prevent the brutal death of Leonidas’ wife and child. Unable to forgive himself for the death of the people he loved most in the world, Leonidas has built a wall around himself and his heart and struck relationships off the agenda. Since the death of his wife, Leonidas has not so much as looked at a woman, however, when he meets innocent Hannah at a lavish Greek resort, he finds himself giving into temptation and indulging in a night of no-strings passion with a woman who has stirred emotions deep within him he hasn’t felt in a long time.
Hannah had been absolutely devastated when she had walked in on her fiancé making love to her cousin.
Angry, betrayed and humiliated, she had gone to the airport and booked herself on the first flight out of Australia to a lavish Greek holiday resort where she stumbles onto the most handsome and saturnine man she has ever clapped eyes on. An innocent who has only had one boyfriend, Hannah is stunned when Leonidas asks her to come up to his penthouse with him where they quickly find themselves tumbling into bed with one another. However, little do they realize that steaming up the sheets will have unexpected consequences…
Hannah and Leonidas are going to be tied together by their one night of love for the rest of their lives. But when passion leads to something far deeper than either one of them ever imagined, will they grab this chance of happiness with both hands? Or will they let fear condemn them to a lifetime of loneliness?
The Greek’s Billion Dollar Baby is everything you could possibly want from a Harlequin Presents novel and so much more besides. Intensely emotional, scorching and wonderfully poignant, Hannah and Leonidas’ love story is poignant, dramatic and one which will hold readers in thrall from beginning to end.
Clare Connelly has penned another winner with The Greek’s Billion Dollar Baby and one which will go down a treat with Harlequin Presents fans the world over!
He might be one of the richest and most powerful men in the world, but not even wealth and privilege could prevent the brutal death of Leonidas’ wife and child. Unable to forgive himself for the death of the people he loved most in the world, Leonidas has built a wall around himself and his heart and struck relationships off the agenda. Since the death of his wife, Leonidas has not so much as looked at a woman, however, when he meets innocent Hannah at a lavish Greek resort, he finds himself giving into temptation and indulging in a night of no-strings passion with a woman who has stirred emotions deep within him he hasn’t felt in a long time.
Hannah had been absolutely devastated when she had walked in on her fiancé making love to her cousin.
Angry, betrayed and humiliated, she had gone to the airport and booked herself on the first flight out of Australia to a lavish Greek holiday resort where she stumbles onto the most handsome and saturnine man she has ever clapped eyes on. An innocent who has only had one boyfriend, Hannah is stunned when Leonidas asks her to come up to his penthouse with him where they quickly find themselves tumbling into bed with one another. However, little do they realize that steaming up the sheets will have unexpected consequences…
Hannah and Leonidas are going to be tied together by their one night of love for the rest of their lives. But when passion leads to something far deeper than either one of them ever imagined, will they grab this chance of happiness with both hands? Or will they let fear condemn them to a lifetime of loneliness?
The Greek’s Billion Dollar Baby is everything you could possibly want from a Harlequin Presents novel and so much more besides. Intensely emotional, scorching and wonderfully poignant, Hannah and Leonidas’ love story is poignant, dramatic and one which will hold readers in thrall from beginning to end.
Clare Connelly has penned another winner with The Greek’s Billion Dollar Baby and one which will go down a treat with Harlequin Presents fans the world over!
October 11, 2019
Hannah May just wants to move past her pain. Leonidas Stathakis doesn’t want to forget his past but does want to move forward. This seems to be a case of in the right place at the right time. Hannah and Leonidas meet at just the right time and then the story takes off from there.
The author weaves a good story. If you like your book boyfriend to be moody, good looking, rich, and just needs the right woman to love him than you’ll be happy with this one. Hannah seems to be a young woman who seems vulnerable but willing to let the man take charge. She’s apprehensive, like most of us would be, but that doesn’t mean that she won’t accept help. Her reactions to certain situations seemed very realistic.
The question of “how would you react if you traded places with her” came to mind. Leonidas has a strong personality but there are moments where you will like him – he doesn’t shirk his responsibility. He has a brother that we see just enough to make you curious as to what his story is. This story shows how quickly life as you know it can change. Not much is written in stone and your life’s plan can change and we’re not always ready for it. This may be a work of fiction but it has a ring of truth to it. In getting toward the end of this ride, Leonidas has an epiphany that he shares with Hannah – and us. There are times where we reflect on our lives and here it was Leonidas’ turn.
We get to take a trip to Greece without having to leave our chairs – and you don’t even need a passport. Our author does have me thinking I need to take a trip, bring her book, and go exploring for some of the places our couple may have been. Sometimes when you’re reading you try to picture the places where the story is taking place. Picturing the locations that are mentioned are easier if you’ve been there but it can be difficult if you have not. Maybe playing some of the country’s music will help set the mood. I’m looking forward to take my next trip with both the author and her characters.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
The author weaves a good story. If you like your book boyfriend to be moody, good looking, rich, and just needs the right woman to love him than you’ll be happy with this one. Hannah seems to be a young woman who seems vulnerable but willing to let the man take charge. She’s apprehensive, like most of us would be, but that doesn’t mean that she won’t accept help. Her reactions to certain situations seemed very realistic.
The question of “how would you react if you traded places with her” came to mind. Leonidas has a strong personality but there are moments where you will like him – he doesn’t shirk his responsibility. He has a brother that we see just enough to make you curious as to what his story is. This story shows how quickly life as you know it can change. Not much is written in stone and your life’s plan can change and we’re not always ready for it. This may be a work of fiction but it has a ring of truth to it. In getting toward the end of this ride, Leonidas has an epiphany that he shares with Hannah – and us. There are times where we reflect on our lives and here it was Leonidas’ turn.
We get to take a trip to Greece without having to leave our chairs – and you don’t even need a passport. Our author does have me thinking I need to take a trip, bring her book, and go exploring for some of the places our couple may have been. Sometimes when you’re reading you try to picture the places where the story is taking place. Picturing the locations that are mentioned are easier if you’ve been there but it can be difficult if you have not. Maybe playing some of the country’s music will help set the mood. I’m looking forward to take my next trip with both the author and her characters.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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