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Quinn Siblings #2
Cinta sang Miliuner Berhati Dingin - Mistress to the Merciless Millionaire
Sepuluh tahun yang lalu Kate dibuat malu dengan penolakan Tiarnan Quinn yang blakblakan. Tetapi bukan berarti perasaannya untuk pria itu seketika menghilang. Saat ini, setelah menjadi model terkenal, Kate bisa mendapatkan pria mana pun yang ia inginkan, tetapi sosok Tiarnan yang dingin masih berhasil membuat lututnya lemas. Itu juga salah satu alasan Kate setuju ikut dengan Tiarnan ke vila mewah pria itu di Martinique.
Kate tahu Tiarnan takkan pernah memberikan apa yang ia inginkan: cinta sejati dan keluarga. Tetapi, waktu liburan singkat yang mereka habiskan bersama, perlahan mulai menunjukkan siapa Tiarnan sesungguhnya di balik sikapnya yang dingin dan berjarak. Bisakah Kate memenangkan hati pria itu?
Kate tahu Tiarnan takkan pernah memberikan apa yang ia inginkan: cinta sejati dan keluarga. Tetapi, waktu liburan singkat yang mereka habiskan bersama, perlahan mulai menunjukkan siapa Tiarnan sesungguhnya di balik sikapnya yang dingin dan berjarak. Bisakah Kate memenangkan hati pria itu?
256 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2009
50 people are currently reading
255 people want to read
About the author
Abby Green
979 books601 followersAbby Green spent her teens reading Mills & Boon romances. She then spent many years working in the Film and TV industry as an Assistant Director. One day while standing outside an actor's trailer in the rain, she thought: "there has to be more than this". So she sent off a partial to Mills & Boon. After numerous rewrites, they accepted her first book and an author was born.
She lives in Dublin, Ireland and you can find out more here www.abby-green.com
She lives in Dublin, Ireland and you can find out more here www.abby-green.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
March 13, 2017
This is the follow-up to Bought for the Frenchman's Pleasure (which I LOVED) and I was so looking forward to Tiarnan, Sorcha's brother and her best friend, Kate's story.
Tiarnan
– in some way I understood Tiarnan’s the reason he did not trust women, having a mother and ex-wife like as a role model. Deep down he knows that Kate is nothing like those women but emotionally he cannot believe that she’s not as manipulative and cold as most women are. He makes all the wrong assumptions about her and questions all her actions and words, despite the strong attraction he has felt all these years. He decides to make her his mistress, believing that he will eventually tire of her and he can then get on with his life. He uses his daughter, Rosie as a way of inviting Kate to accompany them to his holiday home in the Caribbean, with the assurance that he’s only prepared to have an affair with her.
Kate -
I adored Kate. Her love for Tiarnan has never died, even though being humiliated and rejected when she was 18. She agrees to his invitation but on her own terms. She will walk away once their affair is over. But can she survive another rejection? Will she be able to walk away from him forever? .
So heartbreaking....
I loved the dignity she showed even when Tiarnan was so cruel to her, accusing Kate of using his daughter to get him to marry her
The connection between Tiarnan and Kate is so lovely – they have so much history together. Their sexual and emotional connection is undeniable.
A beautiful and romantic story of two people being given a second chance of being together, set in beautiful locations - Madrid, Martinique, San Francisco, New York....
Amazing epilogue
Tiarnan
– in some way I understood Tiarnan’s the reason he did not trust women, having a mother and ex-wife like as a role model. Deep down he knows that Kate is nothing like those women but emotionally he cannot believe that she’s not as manipulative and cold as most women are. He makes all the wrong assumptions about her and questions all her actions and words, despite the strong attraction he has felt all these years. He decides to make her his mistress, believing that he will eventually tire of her and he can then get on with his life. He uses his daughter, Rosie as a way of inviting Kate to accompany them to his holiday home in the Caribbean, with the assurance that he’s only prepared to have an affair with her.Kate -
I adored Kate. Her love for Tiarnan has never died, even though being humiliated and rejected when she was 18. She agrees to his invitation but on her own terms. She will walk away once their affair is over. But can she survive another rejection? Will she be able to walk away from him forever? . "I have been aware of you for the past ten years, Tiarnan."
So heartbreaking....
"Over the years I have learnt to protect myself. I never wanted you to know how I'd failed to get over you".
"I agreed to go to Martinique with you because I thought it might help...that by sleeping with you t might somehow make you fall off your pedestal. Reduce what we had shared to something more banal. But it didn't Tiarnan."
I loved the dignity she showed even when Tiarnan was so cruel to her, accusing Kate of using his daughter to get him to marry her
In a hoarse voice filled with emotion, she said, "This is who I really am, Tiarnan, and what I really want:Endearing secondary characters like Rosie and the families on the island.
What I really want more than anything in the world is to find someone to love who'll love me back and to have babies with them - lots of babies - and raise a family. That's what I want and need."
The connection between Tiarnan and Kate is so lovely – they have so much history together. Their sexual and emotional connection is undeniable.
A beautiful and romantic story of two people being given a second chance of being together, set in beautiful locations - Madrid, Martinique, San Francisco, New York....
Amazing epilogue
dnf
January 6, 2018The fact that hero had to bump into the heroine to realise that he loves her kinda killed the book for me!
So what if he didn't see her that night?
My guess is, in that case, he'd have taken the petite beauty home and would have slept with her like he had the full intention of doing so before bumping into the heroine. So the point of him caring about h is kinda moot. And I didn't buy it.
So what if he didn't see her that night?
My guess is, in that case, he'd have taken the petite beauty home and would have slept with her like he had the full intention of doing so before bumping into the heroine. So the point of him caring about h is kinda moot. And I didn't buy it.
January 6, 2018
Sweet story of a heroine who, at 18, was rejected by her bff's brother after she tried to seduce him. He went on to marry, have a daughter and then divorced his cheating wife. The heroine became a top model. She has seen him at major events of her bff's life (wedding, christening) in the past ten years, but she never indicated she still has a huge crush on him, which has spoiled her for other men.
Hero decides heroine is now sophisticated enough for his idea of a no strings relationship. He spends three quarter of million pounds at a charity auction for a kiss from her in a bid to win her attention. Then he manipulates a modeling contract so she is in his vicinity in Spain. The heroine is doing her best to freeze him out, but she can't freeze out his daughter whom she spent a lot of time with when the little girl stayed with her aunt (the heroine's bff).
The daughter's nanny has a family emergency so the heroine is roped into staying at the hero's Spanish villa for a few days. I really liked the interactions between the h and the hero's daughter - they were natural together and showed the warm caring side of the heroine. (As opposed to the neurotic, needy side the heroine showed around the hero.)
Like I said, there are a lot of tropes Penny Jordan liked to explore. The one-man heroine in love with the commitment-phobe hero. The lonely daughter needing a kind stepmother. The hero who can't get past his past dealings with manipulative women. Abby Green does justice to them. A solid HP.
Hero decides heroine is now sophisticated enough for his idea of a no strings relationship. He spends three quarter of million pounds at a charity auction for a kiss from her in a bid to win her attention. Then he manipulates a modeling contract so she is in his vicinity in Spain. The heroine is doing her best to freeze him out, but she can't freeze out his daughter whom she spent a lot of time with when the little girl stayed with her aunt (the heroine's bff).
The daughter's nanny has a family emergency so the heroine is roped into staying at the hero's Spanish villa for a few days. I really liked the interactions between the h and the hero's daughter - they were natural together and showed the warm caring side of the heroine. (As opposed to the neurotic, needy side the heroine showed around the hero.)
Like I said, there are a lot of tropes Penny Jordan liked to explore. The one-man heroine in love with the commitment-phobe hero. The lonely daughter needing a kind stepmother. The hero who can't get past his past dealings with manipulative women. Abby Green does justice to them. A solid HP.
July 20, 2018
Bad boring writing. Needed more dialogue and less inner thoughts. Hero and heroine not celibate while apart. Typical Abby Green.
December 27, 2015
Although 28 and boobilicious, and doing worldwide cosmetics campaigns, model Kate still has to do the occasional gig where a snog with her gets auctioned for charity. She’s getting all nervy about maybe having to press up against the flabby lips of a middle-aged Greek shipping magnate, when a mysterious bidder starts pushing up the price.
It’s Tiarnan, the unrequited love of Kate’s young life, and he pays $750,000 for the smooch.
Kate and Tiarnan’s past goes like this:
Kate is best friends with Tiarnan’s sister, who appears in a book I read this year I think, but now can’t really remember. I’m fairly certain it was emotionally fraught, and the friend’s hero was super mean to her for 70% of the book, because that’s Abby Green’s wheelhouse.
Kate used to hang around making eyes at Tiarnan, and then when she was 18, they got started on some sex on a rug. Then Kate admitted she was a virgin, and Tiarnan didn’t want anything to do with her hymen, and Kate’s been avoiding Tiarnan ever since. Which has been tricky, because the friend got married and then had a baby. This book has a prologue where Kate yearn-stares at Tiarnan and he decides that it’s time to tap that.
Kate is no longer a virgin, which is probably to make the point that you don’t have to wait for True Love. But she hated every minute of the sex she had with various men, probably because while you can maybe break one rule about not being a virgin, you can’t break another rule about having any positive sex experiences before coitus with the hero.
Kate’s decided that, even though Tiarnan seems interested now, she is not going to sex him. It would be too heart-rendingly painful when it inevitably ends.
Tiarnan thinks all women are terrible. His mum was so terrible that his dad was simply forced to have an affair (yuck). Tiarnan’s girlfriend was so terrible that she got pregnant so he’d marry her, and then she divorced him and left him with the baby. The pregnancy was blamed on another Abby Green favourite: the broken condom. Abby Green’s people need to do more banana practice.
After the expensive kiss, Kate flees. And then she has to go to Madrid for a modelling job, and then Tiarnan shows up and invites her out for lunch. She is still not into it. Then the nanny has to go to hospital, so Kate agrees to look after Tiarnan’s daughter for a bit, while he does his business stuff. When he gets back from business stuff he invites Kate on holidays with them to Martinique. Kate decides that this is maybe a good idea, so off they go to Martinique for sex and more child minding.
At first Tiarnan’s misogyny, compared to most of Abby Green’s heroes, seems pretty mild. He’s not into blackmail and smouldering and raging, but he’s a sneaky bastard playing the long game. He’s got this whole strategy set up to prove that Kate is a scheming hussy just like all the rest.
Kate gets to be very wise in the ways of little girls, because she doesn’t really want to be a glamorous model. She wants to be a knitting, nurturing mum. She was ok. Tiarnan was also mostly ok, for an idiot. And the daughter didn’t bug me so this ended up being a fun little read.
It’s Tiarnan, the unrequited love of Kate’s young life, and he pays $750,000 for the smooch.
Kate and Tiarnan’s past goes like this:
Kate is best friends with Tiarnan’s sister, who appears in a book I read this year I think, but now can’t really remember. I’m fairly certain it was emotionally fraught, and the friend’s hero was super mean to her for 70% of the book, because that’s Abby Green’s wheelhouse.
Kate used to hang around making eyes at Tiarnan, and then when she was 18, they got started on some sex on a rug. Then Kate admitted she was a virgin, and Tiarnan didn’t want anything to do with her hymen, and Kate’s been avoiding Tiarnan ever since. Which has been tricky, because the friend got married and then had a baby. This book has a prologue where Kate yearn-stares at Tiarnan and he decides that it’s time to tap that.
Kate is no longer a virgin, which is probably to make the point that you don’t have to wait for True Love. But she hated every minute of the sex she had with various men, probably because while you can maybe break one rule about not being a virgin, you can’t break another rule about having any positive sex experiences before coitus with the hero.
Kate’s decided that, even though Tiarnan seems interested now, she is not going to sex him. It would be too heart-rendingly painful when it inevitably ends.
Tiarnan thinks all women are terrible. His mum was so terrible that his dad was simply forced to have an affair (yuck). Tiarnan’s girlfriend was so terrible that she got pregnant so he’d marry her, and then she divorced him and left him with the baby. The pregnancy was blamed on another Abby Green favourite: the broken condom. Abby Green’s people need to do more banana practice.
After the expensive kiss, Kate flees. And then she has to go to Madrid for a modelling job, and then Tiarnan shows up and invites her out for lunch. She is still not into it. Then the nanny has to go to hospital, so Kate agrees to look after Tiarnan’s daughter for a bit, while he does his business stuff. When he gets back from business stuff he invites Kate on holidays with them to Martinique. Kate decides that this is maybe a good idea, so off they go to Martinique for sex and more child minding.
At first Tiarnan’s misogyny, compared to most of Abby Green’s heroes, seems pretty mild. He’s not into blackmail and smouldering and raging, but he’s a sneaky bastard playing the long game. He’s got this whole strategy set up to prove that Kate is a scheming hussy just like all the rest.
Kate gets to be very wise in the ways of little girls, because she doesn’t really want to be a glamorous model. She wants to be a knitting, nurturing mum. She was ok. Tiarnan was also mostly ok, for an idiot. And the daughter didn’t bug me so this ended up being a fun little read.
March 7, 2013
4 Stars ~ When Kate was 18 she shared a very passionate kiss with her best friend's brother. When things nearly got out of hand, he'd suddenly halted it and then hurtfully rejected her. That kiss stayed with Kate always, it was as if he'd branded her as his. No man after had been able to inspire anything near as passionate response. Kate's a successful fashion model and she prides herself on her ability to hide her emotions behind her mask of cool aloofness. Tiarnan has been coloured by his experiences with manipulative woman, one trapped him in a marriage claiming the child she carried was his. He'd invested all of himself into his daughter and when he discovers he's not actually the father he adopts her and takes full custody from the mother. Standing up with Kate as godparents to his sister's baby, he captures Kate's look of yearning. When she turns that look to him, he sees her full desire for him and in answer, desire builds quickly in him. He decides to pursue this attraction and finally finish their passionate encounter of years ago. He's rather shocked though that Kate doesn't want to act on their attraction. Kate can't fight Tiarnan forever and when he invites her to share his holiday in Martinique with his daughter, she agrees, but she sets the terms. It all ends when the holiday is over.
I very easily became involved emotionally with Kate and Tiarnan. While this story is emotionally intense, the pacing seemed to lag in places. I found some of the internalization a bit too much and was eager to get back to dialogue that would move the story forward. I wasn't quite sure what Ms. Green would use to cause the big black moment, but when it came it was quite heart wrenching for Kate. I was proud of the way she stood up for herself and made Tiarnan take a good hard look at his own behaviour. I enjoyed their journey to HEA very much.
The title for this love story is again rather misleading. While Tiarnan had used all his charisma to pressure Kate into an affair, he wasn't merciless nor is he merciless to others. As to the title Millionaire, I think that is a drastic understatment as Tiarnan paid three quarters of a million dollars to a charity for a kiss from Kate and he didn't even blink in the bidding
I very easily became involved emotionally with Kate and Tiarnan. While this story is emotionally intense, the pacing seemed to lag in places. I found some of the internalization a bit too much and was eager to get back to dialogue that would move the story forward. I wasn't quite sure what Ms. Green would use to cause the big black moment, but when it came it was quite heart wrenching for Kate. I was proud of the way she stood up for herself and made Tiarnan take a good hard look at his own behaviour. I enjoyed their journey to HEA very much.
The title for this love story is again rather misleading. While Tiarnan had used all his charisma to pressure Kate into an affair, he wasn't merciless nor is he merciless to others. As to the title Millionaire, I think that is a drastic understatment as Tiarnan paid three quarters of a million dollars to a charity for a kiss from Kate and he didn't even blink in the bidding
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2012
Tiarnan Quinn KNOWS that Kate wants him. He can see it in her eyes. So of course he works at pursuing her since he felt she was off limits 10 years ago. She is his sister’s BFF and it just wasn’t done. He feels that all women are manipulators and will do whatever they can to achieve their goals. This single father should know as he has experienced it before. Kate has wanted Tiarnan for years, really who wouldn’t with a name like that – it just sounds sexy! She had wanted him ten years ago and made an attempt, but she too had learned from her past – don’t let them see anything, don the façade of being untouchable. So the misunderstandings from their past attempt is straightened out somewhat and Tiarnan proposes a little fling. He doesn’t involve his women w/ his little girl, but feels it’s all peachy keen w/ Kate as they already know each other. However, when he thinks she is running a scam its hasta la vista Kate babe! However, he does opt in the bed sports away from his child clause until he has to return once his business is wrapped up. Kate is a no go and walks away.
It is a romance so you know how it will end, but the journey was truly fun! I didn’t like that Tiarnan accuses Kate of using his daughter to get to him when IMHO Tiarnan did EXACTLY that!! He had no problems using the child to get Kate to agree to things and then he turns around and accuses her of doing it - Double standard much?! I didn’t like that Kate melted for him when she knew what he thought of her, but I suppose she felt like it would be the last time she ever could and perhaps he was just that good :) I also didn’t like that he seemed to be so caught up in his past experiences while Kate seemed to just say live and learn and each person is different than the last, as in let’s not paint everyone w/ the same evil brush. But I LOVED LOVED LOVED when they arrived back at Madrid and things didn’t work out like he thought they should!!!
It is a romance so you know how it will end, but the journey was truly fun! I didn’t like that Tiarnan accuses Kate of using his daughter to get to him when IMHO Tiarnan did EXACTLY that!! He had no problems using the child to get Kate to agree to things and then he turns around and accuses her of doing it - Double standard much?! I didn’t like that Kate melted for him when she knew what he thought of her, but I suppose she felt like it would be the last time she ever could and perhaps he was just that good :) I also didn’t like that he seemed to be so caught up in his past experiences while Kate seemed to just say live and learn and each person is different than the last, as in let’s not paint everyone w/ the same evil brush. But I LOVED LOVED LOVED when they arrived back at Madrid and things didn’t work out like he thought they should!!!
January 21, 2018
3.5 stars
H is older than h. h is bff with H's sister. h has always been attracted to H. They kiss when h is 18 and H rebuffed h - too young, sister's best friend, etc. H marries his model gf when she notifies H she is pregnant. H has secrets and avoids h for 10 years although he is in lust with her. Finally, he does pursue her for an affair and outbids another wealthy guy for a kiss at a charity auction. It was good - H waited too long and had numerous discreet affairs. H also pushed h away after secrets revealed. The epilogue is good.
H is older than h. h is bff with H's sister. h has always been attracted to H. They kiss when h is 18 and H rebuffed h - too young, sister's best friend, etc. H marries his model gf when she notifies H she is pregnant. H has secrets and avoids h for 10 years although he is in lust with her. Finally, he does pursue her for an affair and outbids another wealthy guy for a kiss at a charity auction. It was good - H waited too long and had numerous discreet affairs. H also pushed h away after secrets revealed. The epilogue is good.
avoid
December 25, 2021Self note
Pet peeve
H is a single dad.
Pet peeve
H is a single dad.
March 6, 2019
I liked the premise with this story being a best friend’s older brother trope, which I wasn’t expecting, but was glad that it was in there because it’s one of my favorite tropes in the romance genre, and I very much enjoyed that aspect of the story. There was all this tension established between Kate and Tiarnan , not only because Kate had feelings for Tiarnan for the past ten years or so, but also because of an encounter that they had ten years previous where he harshly rejected her, humiliating her in the process, though putting on a brave face while he did, making him believe that she had no feelings for him aside from curiosity. So, this had been building for quite sometime and came to head at Kate’s best friend’s daughter’s christening where she exposed herself by showing Tiarnan how much she still wanted him, and in turn sparked his desire, and he decided to go after her because he wanted her to. And it was a very unique way fo how he went after her by winning an auction for a single kiss with her with the hopes of it turning into more from there thus story really started from there.
Now I’m all for build up and anticipation between a couple in a romance, but with this one in particular I think it was almost too drawn out, instead getting right into the action. I think big problem for me especially in the beginning was for a majority of the story was in Kate and Tiarnan’s head, instead of them interacting with one another to show off the heat and tension between them. It was there, but not enough. It was more of being in Kate’s head with her denying the fact she wanted him and why all the logical reason that she shouldn’t give into Tiarnan especially how he hurt her the last time thus causing her to keep her distance from, which was valid and I didn’t blame her at all. It was just too much of her rationalizing and going back and forth in her head, instead of showing the action between them. And Tiarnan’s head was no better with him obsessing of him getting her in his bed and finding ways to seduce her to give into him while convincing her how much they wanted each other. It was a lot of repeating and just a lot of mental going ones. Too much. And like I said it was way too drawn out, and after I was like hurry up and get to it already because this has been going on for like eighty pages already. It could have been sped up a bit more in my opinion.
Another kind of bothered me, and I know this isn’t politically correct, but I didn’t like that she wasn’t a virgin. Usually stuff like that doesn’t bother me of whether someone is a virgin or not, but in this case it did. I just really would have preferred her first time to be with Tiarnan, and it would have been a more impactful statement if even after all this time she couldn’t be with anyone else aside from Tiarnan because for her he was the one. Is that realistic? No, but it just didn’t feel right that she had been with other men in the past. She had perfect right to be with them because she wasn’t with Tiarnan, and she wasn’t doing anything wrong, I just didn’t like it. Maybe if she was just with one man I would have been okay with it but she mentioned multiple men and that didn’t sit right with me. Yes, it is a sexist opinion, but it just how I felt. Maybe the reason that it bothered me was when they had that encounter in the past, and she was a virgin then and wanted to loose her virginity to Tiarnan before he rejected her, and she didn’t get her wish. She wanted him for so long and wanted him to be her first for just as long that, and she just kind of gave up on that dream, which was understandable since he rejected her, but then she wound up being with him in this book anyway yet he wasn’t her first. I think would have just showed how much of an effect that he had on her all these years later, and it would have just been a special moment between them. And also I felt like it wasn’t in her personality to have multiple lovers. I just didn’t see that as part of her character.
Once the action got into the story, and it wasn’t just a bunch of monologues in their head, then the book got much better. It started off with the introduction of Tiarnan’s daughter, Rosie, which added a another dynamic to the story plus it kept Kate in Tiarnan’s vicinity after Rosie needed to be taken care once her caretaker had a emergency and Kate was the only one to fill in there otherwise I think Kate would have kept on running from Tiarnan and their attraction. Also I just really liked seeing Kate’s interaction with Rosie and how much she cared for the girl. Kate really craved finding love and being a part of a family and Rosie was a piece of that. She already had Rosie in her heart, and they just had sweet relationship. Later on though it did create complications between Kate and Tiarnan because he believed based on past experience that Kate was using her bond with Rosie in order to entrench herself as a permanent part of his life, which he didn’t want, and that caused one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have read with him giving her the riot act about it and showing his mistrust of her. I cried a little because I could see how much it was breaking Kate’s heart to hear these things from him and how he didn’t trust and pushed her away accordingly because of that. It was an emotional scene and just to see her more and more dejected as he basically said he wanted her away from his daughter yet he was still willing to sleep with her and have her be his mistress. By that time, she acknowledged to herself that she was in love with him, and he was ripping her heart out in the process. It was very raw and very vulnerable moment for her, and it was so good. This was when the book got really good, and I was totally into it by then. This was what I wanted to happened the entire book instead of the constant monologues. The was where I got the feels, and where so much of the emotion came off on the page. That’s what I want when I read my romances, and I got it.
But that wasn’t the only thing that saved the story for me, after Rosie was introduced, but before he accused Kate of using her relationship to Rose to get closer to him, they decided to go on a holiday together along with Rosie down to Martinique. This was where the romance really soared and came off the pages. Yes, they had some passionate interludes there as they finally gave into their attraction to one another, but it was also where they got emotional closer as they got to know each other and just spend time with each other that wasn’t in the bedroom. They even had a romantic date where they travelled around the island together and really started to talk and bond. They got very close, and it was beautiful to witness to see the development of their relationship while they were there. It became very clear that there was something more between them than just physical. They just liked being in each other’s company, and it was beautiful to see them interact with one another. I loved seeing the intimacy grown between them as they hungered to be together more and more until he got scared and pushed her away.
Their physical intimacy was very passionate and very heated just like I knew it would be, but it was more than that. It was really two souls coming together and finally giving into their feelings to one another even if they didn’t want to admit that they had feelings beyond the physical. It was very much about connection and the bond that they were creating together. It was very much about sharing moments of pleasure and having that intimacy as they made that special connection with one another. It was built up attraction that finally was released and expressed after all this time of the desire that built between them and it exploded off the pages. I loved seeing them share and embrace the passion between them, but also enjoy the connection that went beyond the physical. It just off how intensity their love was for each other.
Overall, once all the pages of build up upon build up and the whole inner monologues kept going on and on finally stopped, the book got leaps and bounds better because the story finally moved forward once dynamics like the daughter was introduced. It needed that kick it the pants to add that spark to the story because I was kind of bored by this book at first, which I wasn’t expecting especially this being a best friend’s brother story. Yes, it had angst and tension, but it was almost too much. Almost like it was too thick and made it very hard for the story to natural flow in an easy and genuine way. It almost felt forced in the beginning and was trying to justify why they wanted each other through those monologues instead of just showing it so I could feel it because I didn’t feel it really until they got to Martinique then I got it. Once all that stopped then there really was a nice, easy flow to the story with plenty of feels along the way. Things felt more natural and genuine between them and I could feel the deep love that these two people had for each other. I liked seeing their bond and intimacy grow as the book progressed, and not just the physical intimacy, which was pretty good, but the emotional intimacy too. That was amazing. Actually last third of the book was pretty brilliant. It was where the action really was and just took off. That was when the feels came with tears coming to my eyes as he eviscerated poor Kate with his misconception of the relationship that she had with Rosie and how he wanted to put a stop to it believing she was using it to get closer to him. That was when the rawness came into play. It was a truly heartbreaking scene, and it was hard to read, but I loved it because it added the edge to the story and really packed an emotional wallop to the story. It was what was needed, and it was so good. This really sold the book for me and made me really enjoy the story. The rough beginning was worth it in the end by going on this very emotional satisfying journey with Tiarnan and Kate as they got their happily ever after.
Now I’m all for build up and anticipation between a couple in a romance, but with this one in particular I think it was almost too drawn out, instead getting right into the action. I think big problem for me especially in the beginning was for a majority of the story was in Kate and Tiarnan’s head, instead of them interacting with one another to show off the heat and tension between them. It was there, but not enough. It was more of being in Kate’s head with her denying the fact she wanted him and why all the logical reason that she shouldn’t give into Tiarnan especially how he hurt her the last time thus causing her to keep her distance from, which was valid and I didn’t blame her at all. It was just too much of her rationalizing and going back and forth in her head, instead of showing the action between them. And Tiarnan’s head was no better with him obsessing of him getting her in his bed and finding ways to seduce her to give into him while convincing her how much they wanted each other. It was a lot of repeating and just a lot of mental going ones. Too much. And like I said it was way too drawn out, and after I was like hurry up and get to it already because this has been going on for like eighty pages already. It could have been sped up a bit more in my opinion.
Another kind of bothered me, and I know this isn’t politically correct, but I didn’t like that she wasn’t a virgin. Usually stuff like that doesn’t bother me of whether someone is a virgin or not, but in this case it did. I just really would have preferred her first time to be with Tiarnan, and it would have been a more impactful statement if even after all this time she couldn’t be with anyone else aside from Tiarnan because for her he was the one. Is that realistic? No, but it just didn’t feel right that she had been with other men in the past. She had perfect right to be with them because she wasn’t with Tiarnan, and she wasn’t doing anything wrong, I just didn’t like it. Maybe if she was just with one man I would have been okay with it but she mentioned multiple men and that didn’t sit right with me. Yes, it is a sexist opinion, but it just how I felt. Maybe the reason that it bothered me was when they had that encounter in the past, and she was a virgin then and wanted to loose her virginity to Tiarnan before he rejected her, and she didn’t get her wish. She wanted him for so long and wanted him to be her first for just as long that, and she just kind of gave up on that dream, which was understandable since he rejected her, but then she wound up being with him in this book anyway yet he wasn’t her first. I think would have just showed how much of an effect that he had on her all these years later, and it would have just been a special moment between them. And also I felt like it wasn’t in her personality to have multiple lovers. I just didn’t see that as part of her character.
Once the action got into the story, and it wasn’t just a bunch of monologues in their head, then the book got much better. It started off with the introduction of Tiarnan’s daughter, Rosie, which added a another dynamic to the story plus it kept Kate in Tiarnan’s vicinity after Rosie needed to be taken care once her caretaker had a emergency and Kate was the only one to fill in there otherwise I think Kate would have kept on running from Tiarnan and their attraction. Also I just really liked seeing Kate’s interaction with Rosie and how much she cared for the girl. Kate really craved finding love and being a part of a family and Rosie was a piece of that. She already had Rosie in her heart, and they just had sweet relationship. Later on though it did create complications between Kate and Tiarnan because he believed based on past experience that Kate was using her bond with Rosie in order to entrench herself as a permanent part of his life, which he didn’t want, and that caused one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have read with him giving her the riot act about it and showing his mistrust of her. I cried a little because I could see how much it was breaking Kate’s heart to hear these things from him and how he didn’t trust and pushed her away accordingly because of that. It was an emotional scene and just to see her more and more dejected as he basically said he wanted her away from his daughter yet he was still willing to sleep with her and have her be his mistress. By that time, she acknowledged to herself that she was in love with him, and he was ripping her heart out in the process. It was very raw and very vulnerable moment for her, and it was so good. This was when the book got really good, and I was totally into it by then. This was what I wanted to happened the entire book instead of the constant monologues. The was where I got the feels, and where so much of the emotion came off on the page. That’s what I want when I read my romances, and I got it.
But that wasn’t the only thing that saved the story for me, after Rosie was introduced, but before he accused Kate of using her relationship to Rose to get closer to him, they decided to go on a holiday together along with Rosie down to Martinique. This was where the romance really soared and came off the pages. Yes, they had some passionate interludes there as they finally gave into their attraction to one another, but it was also where they got emotional closer as they got to know each other and just spend time with each other that wasn’t in the bedroom. They even had a romantic date where they travelled around the island together and really started to talk and bond. They got very close, and it was beautiful to witness to see the development of their relationship while they were there. It became very clear that there was something more between them than just physical. They just liked being in each other’s company, and it was beautiful to see them interact with one another. I loved seeing the intimacy grown between them as they hungered to be together more and more until he got scared and pushed her away.
Their physical intimacy was very passionate and very heated just like I knew it would be, but it was more than that. It was really two souls coming together and finally giving into their feelings to one another even if they didn’t want to admit that they had feelings beyond the physical. It was very much about connection and the bond that they were creating together. It was very much about sharing moments of pleasure and having that intimacy as they made that special connection with one another. It was built up attraction that finally was released and expressed after all this time of the desire that built between them and it exploded off the pages. I loved seeing them share and embrace the passion between them, but also enjoy the connection that went beyond the physical. It just off how intensity their love was for each other.
Overall, once all the pages of build up upon build up and the whole inner monologues kept going on and on finally stopped, the book got leaps and bounds better because the story finally moved forward once dynamics like the daughter was introduced. It needed that kick it the pants to add that spark to the story because I was kind of bored by this book at first, which I wasn’t expecting especially this being a best friend’s brother story. Yes, it had angst and tension, but it was almost too much. Almost like it was too thick and made it very hard for the story to natural flow in an easy and genuine way. It almost felt forced in the beginning and was trying to justify why they wanted each other through those monologues instead of just showing it so I could feel it because I didn’t feel it really until they got to Martinique then I got it. Once all that stopped then there really was a nice, easy flow to the story with plenty of feels along the way. Things felt more natural and genuine between them and I could feel the deep love that these two people had for each other. I liked seeing their bond and intimacy grow as the book progressed, and not just the physical intimacy, which was pretty good, but the emotional intimacy too. That was amazing. Actually last third of the book was pretty brilliant. It was where the action really was and just took off. That was when the feels came with tears coming to my eyes as he eviscerated poor Kate with his misconception of the relationship that she had with Rosie and how he wanted to put a stop to it believing she was using it to get closer to him. That was when the rawness came into play. It was a truly heartbreaking scene, and it was hard to read, but I loved it because it added the edge to the story and really packed an emotional wallop to the story. It was what was needed, and it was so good. This really sold the book for me and made me really enjoy the story. The rough beginning was worth it in the end by going on this very emotional satisfying journey with Tiarnan and Kate as they got their happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2021
Kate sudah menyimpan perasaan pd Tiarnan Quinn selama 10 thn. Tiarnan adalah kakak sobatnya, Sorcha, sesama model terkenal. Walau Tiarnan begitu dingin, Kate tak kuasa utk menolak dan setuju ikut dengan Tiarnan ke vila mewah pria itu di Martinique.
Sepanjang saya baca novel ini, saya ngantuk tak terkatakan. Isinya hampir nyaris semua kegalauan Kate terhadap Tiarnan. Saya diberi opsi antara membaca ttg Kate yg gampang luluh begitu didekati Tiarnan. Atau membaca ttg Rosie, anak angkat Tiarnan yg bermasalah. Dgn sedikit nasehat dari Kate, Rosie langsung berubah. Begitu pula Tiarnan juga langsung paranoid, menganggap Kate ingin permanen dlm hidupnya. Tapi di ending cerita, tau-tau Tiarnan berubah pikiran... dan puffff... HEA.
Sptnya saya memang gak bisa ngefans dgn buku-buku author.
Sepanjang saya baca novel ini, saya ngantuk tak terkatakan. Isinya hampir nyaris semua kegalauan Kate terhadap Tiarnan. Saya diberi opsi antara membaca ttg Kate yg gampang luluh begitu didekati Tiarnan. Atau membaca ttg Rosie, anak angkat Tiarnan yg bermasalah. Dgn sedikit nasehat dari Kate, Rosie langsung berubah. Begitu pula Tiarnan juga langsung paranoid, menganggap Kate ingin permanen dlm hidupnya. Tapi di ending cerita, tau-tau Tiarnan berubah pikiran... dan puffff... HEA.
Sptnya saya memang gak bisa ngefans dgn buku-buku author.
November 21, 2013
Not exactly my favorite but I did enjoyed reading it. Tiarnan is not that awful, he's in love with Kate since the beginning. That's why even though he acted like a jerk, he still treating her with kindness, which I like.
So far so god, a little bit boring but, good.
So far so god, a little bit boring but, good.
December 1, 2016
Enjoyable Read
Good storyline. Great chemistry between the hero and heroine. Good writing as well. Also liked the settings. Would recommend this book to friends.
Good storyline. Great chemistry between the hero and heroine. Good writing as well. Also liked the settings. Would recommend this book to friends.
October 2, 2009
The bad (and good, I suppose) thing about Mills & Boon/Harlequin is that once you've read one, you've read the rest, albeit with different names and locations and occupations. But the general gist is the same.
Pretty palpable tension between Kate and Tiernan (erm, I had no idea how to pronounce this in my head; am not strong with Irish phonetics), but geez, serious possession issues on Tiernan's part. Kate obviously deserves better, but unfortunately the guy's too bloody good in the sack.
Pretty palpable tension between Kate and Tiernan (erm, I had no idea how to pronounce this in my head; am not strong with Irish phonetics), but geez, serious possession issues on Tiernan's part. Kate obviously deserves better, but unfortunately the guy's too bloody good in the sack.
July 11, 2012
3.5 stars
Follow on from Bought For The Frenchman's Pleasure (Mistress to a Millionaire)
Tiarnan is the half-brother of Sorcha (heroine of Bought For The Frenchman's Pleasure)......They can be read independantly but it gives a bit more of the heroine's background as Kate is Sorcha's best friend.
Follow on from Bought For The Frenchman's Pleasure (Mistress to a Millionaire)
Tiarnan is the half-brother of Sorcha (heroine of Bought For The Frenchman's Pleasure)......They can be read independantly but it gives a bit more of the heroine's background as Kate is Sorcha's best friend.
July 22, 2012
This guy was a complete douche and she was a simpering idiot. She can't resist the "temptation" of his body even though he calls her everything but a slut right to her face? I like angsty romance probably more than the next girl, but he was downright abusive. I would have told him to take his chiseled muscles and throw himself off the nearest bridge.
June 20, 2015
the hero was really an ass! i thought he wud admit at the end dat he had loved kate all along! but no, it was really all about sex for him. it tore my heart as she had loved him and only him all along while he had been whoring himself! this was better than sorcha’s story neway! tiarnan may not have loved kate but he had pined for her in another way.
July 9, 2013
i hate it when the woman is oh so cold and cool but in front of the man her iq is suddenly below 30 --'
August 18, 2023
This did not really feel like a harlequin book. It's really, really good.
I thoroughly enjoyed it - from beginning til the very end.
The heroine was exactly how I envisioned my heroines to be; tall, slim, blonde, beautiful and not some poor waitress like all harlequin stories are. Kate was a successful model.
The Hero ... oh, don't get me started; he's oh so hawt I could combust: tall, sexy, super rich, mix of spanish and irish (is there even such a mix?) and he's not an a**hole. Yes, he's ruthless and he messed up a bit here and there but he made it up by groveling in the end.
Truly, an amazing book!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed it - from beginning til the very end.
The heroine was exactly how I envisioned my heroines to be; tall, slim, blonde, beautiful and not some poor waitress like all harlequin stories are. Kate was a successful model.
The Hero ... oh, don't get me started; he's oh so hawt I could combust: tall, sexy, super rich, mix of spanish and irish (is there even such a mix?) and he's not an a**hole. Yes, he's ruthless and he messed up a bit here and there but he made it up by groveling in the end.
Truly, an amazing book!!!
August 31, 2017
It was a nice book, but would've been so much nicer had the hero not fought so much against his feelings for the heroine that he kept pushing her away from him. He did not even want her to get closer to his daughter fearing that through her she'd get closer to him. All he wanted her was for sex and because of this he came across so cold and cruel. The heroine was sweet and steadfast in her love for him despite his flaws. And, yet, despite her love for him, she didn't settle to being his mistress. She was firm that he either gives her everything --love, marriage, children-- or he allows her to walk away if he couldn't. Sadly, the idiot lets her walk away on the misguided notion, that she deserved someone better than him. Good thing the book had a sweet epilogue.
January 19, 2021
Sometimes it’s a mistake to explore a favourite author’s back catalogue. It definitely was in this case. Abby Green writes great stories now but this one, written in 2009 was really clunky. I could understand the suspicions of the hero after what he’d experienced although by the time we got towards the end of the story, his behaviour made no sense.
I found Kate’s behaviour inexplicable. One passionate kiss and then he backs off when he realises she’s a virgin, and this leaves her humiliated for 10 years? Fixated on Tiarnan after one kiss? Having unenjoyable sex with other men?
It was well written but her later books are so much better with credible plot lines and fabulous characters. AG hadn’t. quite got it right yet!
I found Kate’s behaviour inexplicable. One passionate kiss and then he backs off when he realises she’s a virgin, and this leaves her humiliated for 10 years? Fixated on Tiarnan after one kiss? Having unenjoyable sex with other men?
It was well written but her later books are so much better with credible plot lines and fabulous characters. AG hadn’t. quite got it right yet!
June 6, 2019
Liked the heroine in this one, but the hero had too much baggage(not his cute daughter!) from his past to remotely start any type of relationship. He needed some therapy or something. Liked his poor, pulled into too many directions daughter. And the sister. But the hero needs to get his act together even his confession of love was subpar to what the heroine deserved. I’d say read with caution cause it isn’t enough to satisfy the plot or heroine’s arch.
Read
July 27, 2011Kate has wanted her best friend's brother forever. Tiarnan wants Kate, in his bed until he is satisfied. Trying to protect himself and his daughter leaves a barrier Kate believes unsurmountable.
A very sweet story.
A very sweet story.
October 23, 2009
Inexplicably long book. The author needs an editor with cutting scissors. Could have been better and shorter.
September 22, 2015
Got board of the writing! Why does every single thought need to be stretched and repeated again and again!
April 6, 2024
Nope. Two stars only because there is no double standard and the heroine wasn’t celibate during the ten years they were not together. She’s his sister’s bff and at 18 she kissed him passionately, but he was 28 and he rejected her feeling he was too old and she too inexperienced. He had a marriage because his ex told him she was expecting her child, who turned out not his, but he adopted her anyway. Ten years later and many mistresses later he’s ready to have an affair with her but I hated him anyway. The authors should not try to make us believe he has been so smitten with her for ten years while telling us he’s been with so many different women. It’s the mother of all inconsistencies. We can’t believe a man is obsessed with one particular woman, a woman he’s been seeing through the years since she’s his lil sister bff, but he waited until he’s almost forty to make her his temporary mistress. Please, please don’t to this, authors. If the book is not fantasy or paranormal, common people don’t behave and think this way.
And the heroine. Pathetic is one word to define her. She had few men and very unsatisfactory sex for ten years? Because of a man who rejected her? Really? Ninety per cent of the women in the world should be frozen in ice if this was real. Each woman has had in her life at least one bad or sour experience and they’ve been able to overcome it and move on to other happier experiences. The heroine is also a famous model and we should believe that for ten years she’s been unable to find a decent man and to form a real relationship? Seeing and meeting the most handsome, hot, charming men in the world? Really? And in the end he lets her go and dates another woman to move on because he doesn’t think he’s able to commit? After that I didn’t even care for both of them and I wished them to be unhappy forever. A woman should have more self confidence and self respect. The best part was the story of his daughter, the lil girl who was not his but he adopted anyway.
And the heroine. Pathetic is one word to define her. She had few men and very unsatisfactory sex for ten years? Because of a man who rejected her? Really? Ninety per cent of the women in the world should be frozen in ice if this was real. Each woman has had in her life at least one bad or sour experience and they’ve been able to overcome it and move on to other happier experiences. The heroine is also a famous model and we should believe that for ten years she’s been unable to find a decent man and to form a real relationship? Seeing and meeting the most handsome, hot, charming men in the world? Really? And in the end he lets her go and dates another woman to move on because he doesn’t think he’s able to commit? After that I didn’t even care for both of them and I wished them to be unhappy forever. A woman should have more self confidence and self respect. The best part was the story of his daughter, the lil girl who was not his but he adopted anyway.
July 7, 2020
Excellent story line, great editing. All of the main characters were likeable even when the H deserved a Jethro slap to the head. The H had been savagely betrayed by his ex-wife and that left him totally distrusting of women. On some levels, the h seemed very mature and on others not so much.
The story was interesting, the chemistry between the H and h was obvious, and the HEA was well earned.
The story was interesting, the chemistry between the H and h was obvious, and the HEA was well earned.
June 6, 2023
Sweet
This was a sweet story with a lot of things I loved. It took a while for these two two get together and it didn't run smoothly. Still, very sweet. Adult content.
On a formatting note, it was barely readable. There was pure gibberish every time there was a contraction or a conversation. It needs massive fixing and it nearly made me give up.
This was a sweet story with a lot of things I loved. It took a while for these two two get together and it didn't run smoothly. Still, very sweet. Adult content.
On a formatting note, it was barely readable. There was pure gibberish every time there was a contraction or a conversation. It needs massive fixing and it nearly made me give up.
May 9, 2024
Emotional intensity is there but wasted on H and the plot is lame. HEA is not believable, H was out with another lady when they ran into h. Yet he was committed to h??
Little girl is good character, realistic.
Little girl is good character, realistic.
May 18, 2017
It was amazing...
The emotions, the story line was awesome..
The emotions, the story line was awesome..
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