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The Balfour Brides #1
Mia's Scandal
When blue blood turns bad...Illegitimacy scandal rocks Balfour legacy. Last night there was only one place to see and be seen at - the Balfour Charity Ball. But despite the glitz and the glamour, all was not as it seemed. Behind the scenes, Olivia Balfour and her scandalous twin Bella were locked in a battle over a shocking discovery - their late mother, socialite Alexandra Balfour, had conceived their sister Zoe during an illicit affair! The beautiful Balfour twins were witnessed in the midst of a cat-fight...Were they ever going to tell their little sister, girl-about-town Zoe, the devastating revelation...? There is no Balfour blood running through Zoe Balfour's veins! The Balfour name might be synonymous with glamour and style. But this is the second illegitimate family member to be outed in as many months. It seems this dynasty is rotten to its core. Now Balfour is just a by-word for disgrace and scandal! Such behaviour at this commemorative ball can only lead us to conclude that the Balfour twins are following in their mother's distinctly uncertain footsteps. Is it too late to stop the rot? We challenge Oscar Balfour, the proud patriarch of this crumbling wake up and smell the scandal!
288 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2010
126 people are currently reading
1643 people want to read
About the author
Michelle Reid
388 books638 followersHi, my name is Michelle Reid and I’ve been writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon for the last twenty years, and the crazy part about it is that I only realised it had been twenty years while updating this page!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
January 15, 2021
I really like the heroine in this one, with her Italian accent, her directness and kind heart. No wonder our poor tycoon hero with the tragic childhood couldn't resist her. Like other reviewers have said, there isn't a lot of angst here - just a surprisingly hot romance between two people who are very well-suited. I loved their first "date" and the hero's thoughts. He fell hook, line and sinker in real time. Adorable.
This kicks off the Balfour series about Oscar Balfour's daughters. Mia is his secret baby from a one-night stand and thus isn't treated too well by the Balfours when she first makes an appearance. (This all off page). We are given glimpse of the other daughters at a charity ball (where Mia is pushed into a pool), but that is about all of the sequel bait in this one. Meaning - you don't have to read the series to enjoy this one.
This kicks off the Balfour series about Oscar Balfour's daughters. Mia is his secret baby from a one-night stand and thus isn't treated too well by the Balfours when she first makes an appearance. (This all off page). We are given glimpse of the other daughters at a charity ball (where Mia is pushed into a pool), but that is about all of the sequel bait in this one. Meaning - you don't have to read the series to enjoy this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2014
I loved this book! Mia was abandoned by her mother as a child and grew up in a small Italian village. Years later she finds out tycoon Oscar Balfour is her true father and so she enters the world of the rich and famous. Her father asks his young protege Nikos to help Mia adjust and fit in to her new life. They can't resist each other and passion leads to pregnancy and that's when things get complicated.
I love a ruthless tortured Greek hero with a dark past and a super sweet, sheltered but strong Italian heroine. Their chemistry was off the charts. Mia wanted his love badly but a hero who comes from poverty, abusive parents and foster care is not the easiest man to love. My heart broke at the end when they talk and finally Nikos opens up to Mia about his abusive past. I fell in love with him!
I love a ruthless tortured Greek hero with a dark past and a super sweet, sheltered but strong Italian heroine. Their chemistry was off the charts. Mia wanted his love badly but a hero who comes from poverty, abusive parents and foster care is not the easiest man to love. My heart broke at the end when they talk and finally Nikos opens up to Mia about his abusive past. I fell in love with him!
August 31, 2016
This book was my fav in the Balfour series with Mia the hidden love child secret that comes out of hiding after she was told who her real family is.
I would be lying to say I loved how they treated her here and that may be why I disliked the other books in this series. The other entitled daughters behavior disgusted me. Except maybe Bella.
I found Mia just about the most loving and forgiving person ever.
I had so many emotions here and so many great scenes it was worth a read and I must say I have read and reread it several times.
The hero is out to sea with how to deal with his feelings for Mia. She is just too much for him and he wants to find a reason to hate her. He tries and fails!
Their relationship was in a word...HOT!
They are just a great couple and I enjoyed every minutes of it.
The scene with her f..ed-up mother at the restaurant was just about the most tragic. I loved that he did not let it go unpunished. He gets even!!! Yes!
Great book.
Totally safe read and for a harlequin very steamy.
I would be lying to say I loved how they treated her here and that may be why I disliked the other books in this series. The other entitled daughters behavior disgusted me. Except maybe Bella.
I found Mia just about the most loving and forgiving person ever.
I had so many emotions here and so many great scenes it was worth a read and I must say I have read and reread it several times.
The hero is out to sea with how to deal with his feelings for Mia. She is just too much for him and he wants to find a reason to hate her. He tries and fails!
Their relationship was in a word...HOT!
They are just a great couple and I enjoyed every minutes of it.
The scene with her f..ed-up mother at the restaurant was just about the most tragic. I loved that he did not let it go unpunished. He gets even!!! Yes!
Great book.
Totally safe read and for a harlequin very steamy.
June 8, 2010
Upon turning 21 y/o, Mia learns that she's the illegitimate daughter of the billionaire Oscar Balfour. He had a 1-nite stand w/ Mia's mommie dearest the nite B4 he got hitched. Mia's 7 half-sistas (from daddy's 3 different wives) will have their own book. This ain't the more intense Jon + Kate + 8 reality show spin off. It's dwamatic but not a must-read.
On her way to drop the bombshell on daddy, Mia almost becomes a road kill on his mansion driveway, courtesy of Nikos, who drives like a bat outta hell. He mistakenly assumes she’s the new housekeeper but is instantly attracted by the traffic stopper. FF 3 months later, Nikos is guilt-tripped by his mentor, Oscar, to train country-bred Mia as his P.A, to boost her self-confidence & show her the ropes in the cut-throat jet-set life. From the get-go, he’s determined to apply hands-off policy, no matter how powerfully attracted he is to her. He warns Mia not to expect special treatment due to her newly elevated social status.
Mia was abandoned by mommie dearest, who chose her wealthy hubby over her own flesh & blood. Mia was raised by her poor aunt. Now she gotta learn baby steps in the big bad wolf’s world. Unfortunately, her new boss is the same gorgeous guy who has inadvertently insulted her months ago. Neither of H/H is thrilled being stuck w/ each other but they really have no other option. Mia is driven to prove her worth but feels resentful that he’s out for blood ‘cuz it seems like, whatever she does for him is never enuff. His own secretary notices that Mia’s not immune to his sex appeal & suggests her to find a man pronto, B4 becoming another notch on his belt, ‘cuz he’s the bang-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. Nikos is incensed & hurt when he overhears their cozy tete-a-tete.
Nikos turns out to be an impossible slave driver. Everything ‘bout Mia just rubs him the wrong way, esp her appearance. Cynical man that he is, Nikos doesn’t think she’ll last long under his tutelage. Their torturous professional relationship is a daily challenge. The fact that Mia is installed in the staff apartment adjacent to his penthouse also puts a damper on things. H/H’s combustible chemistry turns into fireworks during 1 of the posh shindigs & he leaves his bun in her oven. The million-dollar question is : Will she agree to marry him ?
I disliked both H/H, hence the rating. Nikos is just another typical Alpha Greek gazillionaire Tycoon who changes galfriends as often as his underwears. He bullies her around, in & outside the office. He’s moody, arrogant, domineering, condescending, judgemental & even tho’ I usually like the uber jealous / possessive HP heroes, I thought he’s too emotionally stunted & a chicken in terms of opening himself up. He admits that he’s a lone wolf, doesn’t like to sleep w/ his bedmates after dipping his wick in their gravy. He’s supposedly claustrophobic, locks & bolts creep the hell outta him due to his painful childhood, but strangely, he got no problem @ all driving around in his expensive cars. I’m usually a sucka for rags-to-riches / self-made heroes, but all the info dump @ the v. end, was a li’l too late to make him more sympathetic. I’m not sure why MR is so stingy w/ the declaration of luv lately. When I read romance, I want my ILY. All we get here is a half-assed confession, “I think I might be madly in luv w/ U.” WTF is that ? Then Nikos goes on & on trying to justify why he can’t really tell that he luvs her, after surviving his luv-deprived childhood. Come again ? I feel kinda gypped. Be prepared to read a ton of recycled “U’re a Balfour” lines. And oh yeah, during 1 of their innumerable verbal mud slings, he calls Mia “High-maintenance emotionally”. I kid U not. Cuddling after sex is apparently a foreign concept. He’s too closed off & both H/H have abandonment issues thanx to messed up parents. U’d think they’d feel more connection, but nope, all they do is bicker.
The heroine isn’t much bettah. She’s such a li’l dwama queen, she goes into full-throttle histrionics upon discovering she’s preggers & when she bumps into him, she turns him into her punching bag. Where’s Don King when U need him the most ? Inexplicably, just like the heroine in the previous MR, Mia stammers. A lot. Esp in his vicinity. She’s also too naïve for my taste. I know there’s prolly no vending machines for condoms in the far-flung corner where she was raised, but it’s unbelievable that she tries to pin the blame on Nikos for not using protection & doesn’t even realize that there’s no latex between ‘em during their Richter scale-shattering bed quake. Not sure I wanna read the other sistas’ stories, ‘cuz the only 1 that makes a cameo here is Sophie, who is fortunately gonna be featured in my auto-buy author’s book. I’ll prolly pass on the others, no set up for the other sistas to make me wanna read ‘em. The H/H’s character building & growth weren’t smoothly done. The opening of the can of worms was left almost @ the finish line. Mayhap I gotta stay away from Greek heroes, I’m all Greeked out. It’s been done to death B4, the HP hero jumps the gun & thinks the heroine must have the come-hither look down pat, so it’s not the other dude’s fault for wanting to tap the heroine’s ass, raising the hero’s inner beastly rage as a result. Then there’s the heroine spitting “I hate U / I’ll hate U 4ever / I’ll hate U 4 the rest of your life” in his face. Alright, I get it, she’s a hater, ‘cuz mommie’s a snob & hero’s a vacant asscrack, do we really need to be bludgeoned to pieces ?
The Balfour Legacy (a monthly installment by different authors) :
Michelle Reid = Mia's Scandal
Sharon Kendrick = Kat's pride
India Grey = Emily's innocence
Kim Lawrence = Sophie's seduction
Kate Hewitt = Zoe's Lesson
Carole Mortimer = Annie's secret
Sarah Morgan = Bella's disgrace
Margaret Way = Olivia's awakening
On her way to drop the bombshell on daddy, Mia almost becomes a road kill on his mansion driveway, courtesy of Nikos, who drives like a bat outta hell. He mistakenly assumes she’s the new housekeeper but is instantly attracted by the traffic stopper. FF 3 months later, Nikos is guilt-tripped by his mentor, Oscar, to train country-bred Mia as his P.A, to boost her self-confidence & show her the ropes in the cut-throat jet-set life. From the get-go, he’s determined to apply hands-off policy, no matter how powerfully attracted he is to her. He warns Mia not to expect special treatment due to her newly elevated social status.
Mia was abandoned by mommie dearest, who chose her wealthy hubby over her own flesh & blood. Mia was raised by her poor aunt. Now she gotta learn baby steps in the big bad wolf’s world. Unfortunately, her new boss is the same gorgeous guy who has inadvertently insulted her months ago. Neither of H/H is thrilled being stuck w/ each other but they really have no other option. Mia is driven to prove her worth but feels resentful that he’s out for blood ‘cuz it seems like, whatever she does for him is never enuff. His own secretary notices that Mia’s not immune to his sex appeal & suggests her to find a man pronto, B4 becoming another notch on his belt, ‘cuz he’s the bang-‘em-and-leave-‘em type. Nikos is incensed & hurt when he overhears their cozy tete-a-tete.
Nikos turns out to be an impossible slave driver. Everything ‘bout Mia just rubs him the wrong way, esp her appearance. Cynical man that he is, Nikos doesn’t think she’ll last long under his tutelage. Their torturous professional relationship is a daily challenge. The fact that Mia is installed in the staff apartment adjacent to his penthouse also puts a damper on things. H/H’s combustible chemistry turns into fireworks during 1 of the posh shindigs & he leaves his bun in her oven. The million-dollar question is : Will she agree to marry him ?
I disliked both H/H, hence the rating. Nikos is just another typical Alpha Greek gazillionaire Tycoon who changes galfriends as often as his underwears. He bullies her around, in & outside the office. He’s moody, arrogant, domineering, condescending, judgemental & even tho’ I usually like the uber jealous / possessive HP heroes, I thought he’s too emotionally stunted & a chicken in terms of opening himself up. He admits that he’s a lone wolf, doesn’t like to sleep w/ his bedmates after dipping his wick in their gravy. He’s supposedly claustrophobic, locks & bolts creep the hell outta him due to his painful childhood, but strangely, he got no problem @ all driving around in his expensive cars. I’m usually a sucka for rags-to-riches / self-made heroes, but all the info dump @ the v. end, was a li’l too late to make him more sympathetic. I’m not sure why MR is so stingy w/ the declaration of luv lately. When I read romance, I want my ILY. All we get here is a half-assed confession, “I think I might be madly in luv w/ U.” WTF is that ? Then Nikos goes on & on trying to justify why he can’t really tell that he luvs her, after surviving his luv-deprived childhood. Come again ? I feel kinda gypped. Be prepared to read a ton of recycled “U’re a Balfour” lines. And oh yeah, during 1 of their innumerable verbal mud slings, he calls Mia “High-maintenance emotionally”. I kid U not. Cuddling after sex is apparently a foreign concept. He’s too closed off & both H/H have abandonment issues thanx to messed up parents. U’d think they’d feel more connection, but nope, all they do is bicker.
The heroine isn’t much bettah. She’s such a li’l dwama queen, she goes into full-throttle histrionics upon discovering she’s preggers & when she bumps into him, she turns him into her punching bag. Where’s Don King when U need him the most ? Inexplicably, just like the heroine in the previous MR, Mia stammers. A lot. Esp in his vicinity. She’s also too naïve for my taste. I know there’s prolly no vending machines for condoms in the far-flung corner where she was raised, but it’s unbelievable that she tries to pin the blame on Nikos for not using protection & doesn’t even realize that there’s no latex between ‘em during their Richter scale-shattering bed quake. Not sure I wanna read the other sistas’ stories, ‘cuz the only 1 that makes a cameo here is Sophie, who is fortunately gonna be featured in my auto-buy author’s book. I’ll prolly pass on the others, no set up for the other sistas to make me wanna read ‘em. The H/H’s character building & growth weren’t smoothly done. The opening of the can of worms was left almost @ the finish line. Mayhap I gotta stay away from Greek heroes, I’m all Greeked out. It’s been done to death B4, the HP hero jumps the gun & thinks the heroine must have the come-hither look down pat, so it’s not the other dude’s fault for wanting to tap the heroine’s ass, raising the hero’s inner beastly rage as a result. Then there’s the heroine spitting “I hate U / I’ll hate U 4ever / I’ll hate U 4 the rest of your life” in his face. Alright, I get it, she’s a hater, ‘cuz mommie’s a snob & hero’s a vacant asscrack, do we really need to be bludgeoned to pieces ?
The Balfour Legacy (a monthly installment by different authors) :
Michelle Reid = Mia's Scandal
Sharon Kendrick = Kat's pride
India Grey = Emily's innocence
Kim Lawrence = Sophie's seduction
Kate Hewitt = Zoe's Lesson
Carole Mortimer = Annie's secret
Sarah Morgan = Bella's disgrace
Margaret Way = Olivia's awakening
September 18, 2018
Pretty good. Mia was a sweet heroine with spirit, but Nikos was harder to read. It's not until near the end that we are given more insight into his character. I also would have liked to have seen more angst expressed and a little more unrestrained passion on Nikos's side for Mia.
Of the three books I've read in the Balfour Brides series, this is my second favorite (the top spot goes to Sarah Morgan's Bella and the Merciless Sheikh).
Of the three books I've read in the Balfour Brides series, this is my second favorite (the top spot goes to Sarah Morgan's Bella and the Merciless Sheikh).
January 19, 2017
OK, so Nikos is yet another overbearing, brooding and sometime downright mean hero. But, yeah, our intrepid heroine sasses back as good as she gets. On more than one occasion, they go a couple of rounds arguing which is pretty cute and fun. The "romance" is pretty steamy. Fanning myself lightly.
Still a Harlequin but there is some humor with the tension and drama. It rounds up pretty quick and there are some giant holes regarding minor plot points as in Mia's parents and family, but fun read
Still a Harlequin but there is some humor with the tension and drama. It rounds up pretty quick and there are some giant holes regarding minor plot points as in Mia's parents and family, but fun read
January 15, 2018
Going through the reviews of the book Bella and the Merciless Sheikh, I was instantly reminded of Mia and Nikos's story that I'd read a long time ago. I remembered liking the book a lot and its MCs. Even though Nikos came across as too harsh, cold and ruthless, probably more because Mia was quite innocent and needed someone tender to guide her through the bad world and he'd showed no such tenderness, but he remained memorable to me even after all these years.
There was a lot of pent-up anger inside him. He never understood love and emotions because he'd never come across them in his life. It's only toward the end we get to know about his troubled childhood He would have ended up living a life of crime and imprisonment, if he hadn't met with the British tycoon Oscar Balfour accidentally --really loved the scam Oscar pulled on the scammer. Something about Nikos impressed the older man so he showed him a path how to hustle through life while being on the right side of law. With Oscar's guidance and his own sharp wits, Nikos became an extremely wealthy man.
It was Oscar, whose life was a hot bed of scandals thanks to his three wives --one of them recently deceased-- and eight daughters, that threw Mia at Nikos. Having found out that she's a product of his indiscretion the night before he'd married his favorite wife, he calls Nikos on his debt and tells him to take Mia under his wing and teach her self-confidence, toughen her up and show her how to move about in their social circles. Moreover, she would be living right next door to Nikos' London penthouse in the staff apartment attached it. Being a lone wolf, it really irks Nikos.
To make matters worse, said daughter walks into the reception of Nikos's office building and asks for the keys to his apartment giving the whole building fodder to start a hot and spicy speculation about the two of them. When he goes down to the reception to meet her, he is shocked to see that Mia is the same girl who'd been standing lost in thoughts right in the middle of the pathway he'd been driving while leaving Oscar's place three months ago and if it weren't for his quick reflexes he would've killed her. Worse was her beauty had sent him off kilter. There was instant attraction on his side, which had him thinking about her on and off ever since. But, now that he knew she was a Balfour, out of respect for Oscar he had to bridle that attraction and work with her, which wasn't easy. He found her a threat to his sanity, so he took the cold, critical approach with her, telling her she's there under sufferance and as he doesn't tolerate nepotism, she'll have to work hard as the next person to earn her place. He was sure in a week or so she'd be running back to Oscar.
Mia maybe a shy, country girl, who did not know how to be independent or socialize like her half-sisters, but she was determined to stick through the job for the sake of Oscar and learn to be the person he wanted her to be. To Nikos frustration, no matter how harsh his treatment, she still stuck around and kept driving him crazy. Mia was as affected by Nikos animal magnetism. She might hate him but she reveled in being around him. And, Nikos's secretary could see that the innocent girl was in danger of falling for their boss whom although she respects, used women only for emotionless sex. She advices Mia to find another man and not fall for Nikos. It was funny how the one night Mia dared to go out all alone to find a nicer man than Nikos, she ends up on a date with him. Although, they have a nice time, Nikos ends up feeling jealous of every man who looked at Mia especially the waiter she chats up with. Not liking the feeling he sees Mia home then hooks up with another woman he knows 'an executive he knows 'who's practiced in the art of sex just for sex because young and irritatingly naive brunettes with more than a hint of Italian fire in their bellies, and with virgin territory stamped all over them, did not and never would do it for him.'
A picture of him and his date leaving a nightclub is published in the local tabloid, which makes Mia angry and jealous. The next day, he calls and forces her to go with him for the weekend to Hampshire to attend a charity ball, saying that since no one from Balfour was going Oscar wanted her to represent the family.
I couldn't help laugh at Nikos's shock when Mia, angry and jealous that he went out with another woman after their evening together, compared him to a donkey.
‘You remind me of a feral cat I once tried to befriend as a kid. One minute she was soft and coquettish and brushing her sleek body up against me, the next minute she had her claws in my neck and was spitting at me.’
‘I have never brushed up against you!’ she denied, then felt her cheeks flame when she recalled the way she’d moved towards him last night. ‘Nor have I drawn my claws,’ she added as a quick cover-up. ‘And if I remind you of your friend the feral cat, then you remind me of our donkey,’ she threw back, sparked into defending herself.
‘Your—what?’ he raked out.
‘Tulio, our donkey,’ she supplied. ‘One minute he is beautifully relaxed and amenable, the next he acts as if he does not occupy the same planet as everyone else.’
‘You’re accusing me of being moody?’ Nikos delivered across the gap separating them.
Mia fixed her gaze on the traffic lights. ‘I cannot predict how you are going to speak to me from one minute to another. Tulio is the same. Only he does not speak—he just gives me the evil eye to say I don’t feel like being nice to you any longer, and so he isn’t.’ She added a self-explanatory shrug. ‘The lights have changed colour,’ she pointed out.
‘A donkey,’ he breathed, steering the car into a right turn, then accelerating up the street. ‘Grazie, cara,’ he said with grim sarcasm, and swung the car off the street into a small car park by the banks of the river.
Of course, Nikos wouldn't let such an insult go without counter action. He kissed her breathless, that too, deliberately in front of the young executive, whom he assumed was the date who'd stood her up the previous evening and wanted the man to get the message she's out of his reach.
Her insides shuddered. ‘You—you set me up for that kiss in front of him,’ she whispered.
‘No, Tulio did that. Until Tulio put in an appearance I’d decided that merely seeing you going off to spend a weekend with me was going to be enough to put him off thinking he could try coming on to you again. Tulio upped the ante.’
He’d warned Oscar. He’d warned Mia. He’d even warned himself. But it had taken a donkey named Tulio to set his natural hunting instinct free from the restraints he had placed around them.
He found his restraints were in further danger when he saw Mia in her ball attire and throughout the evening at the ball he was on fire on account of desire until she was attacked and pushed into the swimming pool by the man who blamed her for ruining his deal with Nikos --He'd made a suggestive proposition to Mia and when she told Nikos about it, Nikos ended the deal. The attack drew out his protective instincts. It was fun to see how he wouldn't let go of her and the hostess had to assure him many times that Mia would be fine with her. Things comes to a head on their return with passion escalating to such heights that the two ended up having unprotected sex. And, Nikos was stunned when she tells him she loves him. Being inexperienced, Mia thought that Nikos making love to her meant that he loved her, but was shocked that Nikos could have sex without emotions. They have heated words and he takes off on business trips. And, their sexual encounter has come with a consequence. Mia is pregnant. Coming from the doctor with the shocking news, she encounters Nikos and vents all her anger out on him pummelling blow after blow on his chest. Both had tempers that matched with each other and with passion equally matching, they were one fiery pair.
Nikos wants to do damage control --felt like killing him when he said that-- and so proposed marriage. Mia naturally didn't want to marry a man who thinks of marriage like that and a man who would have sex with her but wouldn't sleep in the same bed as her thereafter. It took an encounter with Mia's mother --in front of everyone the cold bitch pretends she doesn't know Mia when Mia greets her-- for Nikos to realize that offering someone genuine like Mia a soulless marriage with great sex and separate bedrooms was an insult to her. He understood how to deal with cut-throat ruthless people like himself, Oscar, her mother and her husband, but he had no clue how to handle someone as unselfish as Mia. For a man who prided on being a ruthless, emotionless bastard and worked hard in maintaining it, he was being plundered by jealousy and protectiveness where Mia was concerned. He did not hesitate to give up things that mattered to him if he found she was troubled by it like that lucrative deal he gave up or the limited edition car that her mother's husband manufactured. I liked his explanation in the end.
I also liked Mia's trial run suggestion of him sleeping in her bed for a whole night or two first after he'd told her about her past so that she would understand why he didn't know if he was in love with her or not. Mia was amazing. As I said she had a fiery temper and passion to match Nikos's as well as a tenderness to soothe his pain and anger. With a pair as volatile as the two of them and MR's expertise in writing angst-ridden romances, this book remains amongst the two most favorites books of mine in the series, the other being SM's Bella and the Merciless Sheikh.
Oh yeah, loved the epilogue. Nikos with Mia and their three kids and one more in the oven, planning to outdo Oscar in the paternity race with a team of ten. Lol.
There was a lot of pent-up anger inside him. He never understood love and emotions because he'd never come across them in his life. It's only toward the end we get to know about his troubled childhood He would have ended up living a life of crime and imprisonment, if he hadn't met with the British tycoon Oscar Balfour accidentally --really loved the scam Oscar pulled on the scammer. Something about Nikos impressed the older man so he showed him a path how to hustle through life while being on the right side of law. With Oscar's guidance and his own sharp wits, Nikos became an extremely wealthy man.
It was Oscar, whose life was a hot bed of scandals thanks to his three wives --one of them recently deceased-- and eight daughters, that threw Mia at Nikos. Having found out that she's a product of his indiscretion the night before he'd married his favorite wife, he calls Nikos on his debt and tells him to take Mia under his wing and teach her self-confidence, toughen her up and show her how to move about in their social circles. Moreover, she would be living right next door to Nikos' London penthouse in the staff apartment attached it. Being a lone wolf, it really irks Nikos.
To make matters worse, said daughter walks into the reception of Nikos's office building and asks for the keys to his apartment giving the whole building fodder to start a hot and spicy speculation about the two of them. When he goes down to the reception to meet her, he is shocked to see that Mia is the same girl who'd been standing lost in thoughts right in the middle of the pathway he'd been driving while leaving Oscar's place three months ago and if it weren't for his quick reflexes he would've killed her. Worse was her beauty had sent him off kilter. There was instant attraction on his side, which had him thinking about her on and off ever since. But, now that he knew she was a Balfour, out of respect for Oscar he had to bridle that attraction and work with her, which wasn't easy. He found her a threat to his sanity, so he took the cold, critical approach with her, telling her she's there under sufferance and as he doesn't tolerate nepotism, she'll have to work hard as the next person to earn her place. He was sure in a week or so she'd be running back to Oscar.
Mia maybe a shy, country girl, who did not know how to be independent or socialize like her half-sisters, but she was determined to stick through the job for the sake of Oscar and learn to be the person he wanted her to be. To Nikos frustration, no matter how harsh his treatment, she still stuck around and kept driving him crazy. Mia was as affected by Nikos animal magnetism. She might hate him but she reveled in being around him. And, Nikos's secretary could see that the innocent girl was in danger of falling for their boss whom although she respects, used women only for emotionless sex. She advices Mia to find another man and not fall for Nikos. It was funny how the one night Mia dared to go out all alone to find a nicer man than Nikos, she ends up on a date with him. Although, they have a nice time, Nikos ends up feeling jealous of every man who looked at Mia especially the waiter she chats up with. Not liking the feeling he sees Mia home then hooks up with another woman he knows 'an executive he knows 'who's practiced in the art of sex just for sex because young and irritatingly naive brunettes with more than a hint of Italian fire in their bellies, and with virgin territory stamped all over them, did not and never would do it for him.'
A picture of him and his date leaving a nightclub is published in the local tabloid, which makes Mia angry and jealous. The next day, he calls and forces her to go with him for the weekend to Hampshire to attend a charity ball, saying that since no one from Balfour was going Oscar wanted her to represent the family.
I couldn't help laugh at Nikos's shock when Mia, angry and jealous that he went out with another woman after their evening together, compared him to a donkey.
‘You remind me of a feral cat I once tried to befriend as a kid. One minute she was soft and coquettish and brushing her sleek body up against me, the next minute she had her claws in my neck and was spitting at me.’
‘I have never brushed up against you!’ she denied, then felt her cheeks flame when she recalled the way she’d moved towards him last night. ‘Nor have I drawn my claws,’ she added as a quick cover-up. ‘And if I remind you of your friend the feral cat, then you remind me of our donkey,’ she threw back, sparked into defending herself.
‘Your—what?’ he raked out.
‘Tulio, our donkey,’ she supplied. ‘One minute he is beautifully relaxed and amenable, the next he acts as if he does not occupy the same planet as everyone else.’
‘You’re accusing me of being moody?’ Nikos delivered across the gap separating them.
Mia fixed her gaze on the traffic lights. ‘I cannot predict how you are going to speak to me from one minute to another. Tulio is the same. Only he does not speak—he just gives me the evil eye to say I don’t feel like being nice to you any longer, and so he isn’t.’ She added a self-explanatory shrug. ‘The lights have changed colour,’ she pointed out.
‘A donkey,’ he breathed, steering the car into a right turn, then accelerating up the street. ‘Grazie, cara,’ he said with grim sarcasm, and swung the car off the street into a small car park by the banks of the river.
Of course, Nikos wouldn't let such an insult go without counter action. He kissed her breathless, that too, deliberately in front of the young executive, whom he assumed was the date who'd stood her up the previous evening and wanted the man to get the message she's out of his reach.
Her insides shuddered. ‘You—you set me up for that kiss in front of him,’ she whispered.
‘No, Tulio did that. Until Tulio put in an appearance I’d decided that merely seeing you going off to spend a weekend with me was going to be enough to put him off thinking he could try coming on to you again. Tulio upped the ante.’
He’d warned Oscar. He’d warned Mia. He’d even warned himself. But it had taken a donkey named Tulio to set his natural hunting instinct free from the restraints he had placed around them.
He found his restraints were in further danger when he saw Mia in her ball attire and throughout the evening at the ball he was on fire on account of desire until she was attacked and pushed into the swimming pool by the man who blamed her for ruining his deal with Nikos --He'd made a suggestive proposition to Mia and when she told Nikos about it, Nikos ended the deal. The attack drew out his protective instincts. It was fun to see how he wouldn't let go of her and the hostess had to assure him many times that Mia would be fine with her. Things comes to a head on their return with passion escalating to such heights that the two ended up having unprotected sex. And, Nikos was stunned when she tells him she loves him. Being inexperienced, Mia thought that Nikos making love to her meant that he loved her, but was shocked that Nikos could have sex without emotions. They have heated words and he takes off on business trips. And, their sexual encounter has come with a consequence. Mia is pregnant. Coming from the doctor with the shocking news, she encounters Nikos and vents all her anger out on him pummelling blow after blow on his chest. Both had tempers that matched with each other and with passion equally matching, they were one fiery pair.
Nikos wants to do damage control --felt like killing him when he said that-- and so proposed marriage. Mia naturally didn't want to marry a man who thinks of marriage like that and a man who would have sex with her but wouldn't sleep in the same bed as her thereafter. It took an encounter with Mia's mother --in front of everyone the cold bitch pretends she doesn't know Mia when Mia greets her-- for Nikos to realize that offering someone genuine like Mia a soulless marriage with great sex and separate bedrooms was an insult to her. He understood how to deal with cut-throat ruthless people like himself, Oscar, her mother and her husband, but he had no clue how to handle someone as unselfish as Mia. For a man who prided on being a ruthless, emotionless bastard and worked hard in maintaining it, he was being plundered by jealousy and protectiveness where Mia was concerned. He did not hesitate to give up things that mattered to him if he found she was troubled by it like that lucrative deal he gave up or the limited edition car that her mother's husband manufactured. I liked his explanation in the end.
I also liked Mia's trial run suggestion of him sleeping in her bed for a whole night or two first after he'd told her about her past so that she would understand why he didn't know if he was in love with her or not. Mia was amazing. As I said she had a fiery temper and passion to match Nikos's as well as a tenderness to soothe his pain and anger. With a pair as volatile as the two of them and MR's expertise in writing angst-ridden romances, this book remains amongst the two most favorites books of mine in the series, the other being SM's Bella and the Merciless Sheikh.
Oh yeah, loved the epilogue. Nikos with Mia and their three kids and one more in the oven, planning to outdo Oscar in the paternity race with a team of ten. Lol.
August 10, 2021
Boy, do MR MCs like to fight and fuck. Sweet but fiesty sheltered heroine falls for brooding Greek gazillionaire with dark past--we've seen it plenty of times from Reid, but she does it so well! Sure, her alpha heroes can be big jerks, but since it usually causes the heroine to react by swinging for their big, arrogant faces, they've more than met their match. Well-matched MCs, enough dark backstory to allay the hero's occasional boneheadedness, a ridiculously innocent bombshell heroine who apparently grew up on a 19th century farm (whatever, it works), one-shot pregnancy, hot sex--it's all here! A quick and fun read with scrappy MCs that I enjoyed.
March 28, 2022
Another great book about an illegitimate daughter that turns up at the Balfours right before his wife dies. The dad pawns her off on his right hand man who he saved from the gutters. He is a stubborn guy but he falls in Insta list with the heroine. I just love this book and how hard the hero tries to avoid falling in love. Very Cinderella-ish and those are my favorites. He did try to go have sex with someone else but he couldn't do it and just dropped her off at her house! so no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2013
I really don't want to give the story away and I think the book synopsis is good enough to give the readers an understanding of what to expect..
The couple is well matched. The lead male character is emotionally scared; you only learn about his past in the last 10-15 pages but the readers know from right off the bat that he is shielding himself with very strong armor. The lead female character didn't have it easy either, but she was loved by her aunt. The little glimpses we get about her life back in Tuscany shows us where she gets her compassion, morality, and integrity from.
The book has a moderate amount of angst, but nothing overwhelming. It is also less emotionally charged than a lot of Reid's other books. The chemistry between the couple is undeniable.
I did question some of the words that were said in the office workplace but realized they were necessary for the plot.
April 23, 2013
In my opinion, The only book in the Balfour brides series worth reading.
The couple is well matched. The lead male character is emotionally scared; you only learn about his past in the last 10-15 pages but the readers know from right off the bat that he is shielding himself with very strong armor. The lead female character didn't have it easy either, but she was loved by her aunt. The little glimpses we get about her life back in Tuscany shows us where she gets her compassion, morality, and integrity from.
The book has a moderate amount of angst, but nothing overwhelming. It is also less emotionally charged than a lot of Reid's other books. The chemistry between the couple is undeniable.
I did question some of the words that were said in the office workplace but realized they were necessary for the plot.
April 23, 2013
In my opinion, The only book in the Balfour brides series worth reading.
October 17, 2017
Ohhhhhhhhhhh!
I just finished it and I loved it so much I am going to re-read it straight away.
Michelle Reid is a goddess. That's all there is to it.
This one would make a great movie.
Grade: A+
I just finished it and I loved it so much I am going to re-read it straight away.
Michelle Reid is a goddess. That's all there is to it.
This one would make a great movie.
Grade: A+
November 3, 2024
Downgrading from 5 to 3. Don’t know what kept me so starry eyed back then.. this was mild and had no simmering chemistry for both MCs. Mia is outspoken and burns up in jealousy every time the H wanders his eye. The H is undecided if he actually wants Mia and there is ZERO angst in their strange relationship. They’re not the best of friends and not longing for each other’s company either. I don’t know what the build up was for.. the H seemed miffed if anyone tried to hit on Mia but then again, nobody at all even tried. Mia and her 2 sets of filthy rich parents who abandoned her to a village life was far fetched. Meh
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I guess I've yet to read a Michelle Reid book that I didn't love. Or come across a hero who wasn't hot and alpha and possessive. This H was the most realistic of these men by far. He had his own insecurities and he played them perfectly when the time was right. Never did he stop to dwell on his past through out the book and gave a hundred percent to the ruthless, poised billionaire he had now become.
The h was a sweet and strong-willed woman plunked right into the posh life where she had to keep appearances and hide her true emotions. She had been somewhat given up by both her parents when she was little and raised by her aunt away from the fast city life.
I loved her spunk and her raw expression of her feelings. She didn't hold any pretenses and neither did she wilt like a jaded flower wallowing on her misery of having filthy rich parents but getting the short end of the stick all her life!! I absolutely adored how she gave a back to back jibe to Nikos for humiliating her (earlier in the book) or embarrassing her (later in the book). This woman did not take BS from anyone! And she certainly didn't stand to hear Nikos berate her on her crassness (which wasn't even fitting on her). Eventually she does very willfully bring Nikos to his knees without ever being needy or clingy.
I could go on..I was pleasantly surprised by this strong and funny h in an HP! Wish there was an epilogue to conclude their new relationship!! The Tulio part was hilarious!!! Way to go girl!!!
~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~
I guess I've yet to read a Michelle Reid book that I didn't love. Or come across a hero who wasn't hot and alpha and possessive. This H was the most realistic of these men by far. He had his own insecurities and he played them perfectly when the time was right. Never did he stop to dwell on his past through out the book and gave a hundred percent to the ruthless, poised billionaire he had now become.
The h was a sweet and strong-willed woman plunked right into the posh life where she had to keep appearances and hide her true emotions. She had been somewhat given up by both her parents when she was little and raised by her aunt away from the fast city life.
I loved her spunk and her raw expression of her feelings. She didn't hold any pretenses and neither did she wilt like a jaded flower wallowing on her misery of having filthy rich parents but getting the short end of the stick all her life!! I absolutely adored how she gave a back to back jibe to Nikos for humiliating her (earlier in the book) or embarrassing her (later in the book). This woman did not take BS from anyone! And she certainly didn't stand to hear Nikos berate her on her crassness (which wasn't even fitting on her). Eventually she does very willfully bring Nikos to his knees without ever being needy or clingy.
I could go on..I was pleasantly surprised by this strong and funny h in an HP! Wish there was an epilogue to conclude their new relationship!! The Tulio part was hilarious!!! Way to go girl!!!
December 31, 2014
Mia finds out that she is the bastard daughter of the billionaire Balfour, who has lots of daughters and it’s all scandal and mayhem. There are about eight Balfour ladies, and I’ve read about Bella and Sophie, although Sophie was in graphic novel format. So, dammit, couldn’t one of those women actually be competent enough to takeover Dad’s business without that being a complete drama? Probably not, and anyway, it has nothing to do with Mia.
Mia had this lovely rustic life in Italy with her aunt and then housekeeping for an English guy, and then she finds out about her Dad and she’s off to England. Her Dad decides she’s not coping very well with being a Balfour, so he gives her to Nikos to be his PA.
Nikos is a self-made young billionaire and because I’m really vague on the Balfour background, all I could work out was that he’d been really into Balfour’s wife and protecting her legacy or something, now that she’s dead? So even though there’s no indication that Mia, who is about 20, has the experience or inclination for the job, she’s on as his PA and she’s living in the flat near his where usually his housekeeper lives.
Nikos is all about not touching Mia because she’s a Balfour, and maybe slightly because she’s too young and unsophisticated, although she has her innate skills as an Italian woman to wear good clothes. Mia thinks Nikos is handsome but kind of a jerk for a boss.
I never thought much of their chemistry, and while I really quite liked Mia because she stood up for herself, I couldn’t work Nikos out. There is a bit of his backstory, but maybe he’d been a previous book and there was a bit more character development? He’s got the customary Reid hero thing of being a selfish bastard, but I found him a bit lacking in interest.
Mia had this lovely rustic life in Italy with her aunt and then housekeeping for an English guy, and then she finds out about her Dad and she’s off to England. Her Dad decides she’s not coping very well with being a Balfour, so he gives her to Nikos to be his PA.
Nikos is a self-made young billionaire and because I’m really vague on the Balfour background, all I could work out was that he’d been really into Balfour’s wife and protecting her legacy or something, now that she’s dead? So even though there’s no indication that Mia, who is about 20, has the experience or inclination for the job, she’s on as his PA and she’s living in the flat near his where usually his housekeeper lives.
Nikos is all about not touching Mia because she’s a Balfour, and maybe slightly because she’s too young and unsophisticated, although she has her innate skills as an Italian woman to wear good clothes. Mia thinks Nikos is handsome but kind of a jerk for a boss.
I never thought much of their chemistry, and while I really quite liked Mia because she stood up for herself, I couldn’t work Nikos out. There is a bit of his backstory, but maybe he’d been a previous book and there was a bit more character development? He’s got the customary Reid hero thing of being a selfish bastard, but I found him a bit lacking in interest.
July 5, 2017
I slept through most of this book. Something I did not expect from a Michelle Reid book. Weird week. One of my favourite authors bored me and a book I expected to hate is going to get 4-5 star review.
I adored the Hero though there was a tad too much of his POV. Personally I prefer the strong, silent, brooding H. Do leave the overthinking and over-analysing to us expert females, please.
The h was supposed to have a rough life unlike her heiress sisters, but I saw little evidence of it from her behaviour, she seemed like a spoilt brat to me. He was the usual alpha male fighting his strong feelings but ended up doing quite a bit for her, trashing a lucrative contract because the man made a lewd pass at her, canceling his own dinner date when it looked like she was stood up on hers, letting her stay in his staff apartment. He even changed his sports car when he realised she was mentally sick riding in his previous one as it reminded her of her mother's husband who made her abandon the h when she was a baby. I mean, I don't expect her to put out over this but a little appreciation would be ok.
There was a good lead-up to the first time sex scene so that woke me up a little. But I couldn't quite see the foundation for a HEA despite their cute dinner date. Hero had a brutal childhood which was heart-breaking because it could mirror real-life. But she alluded to his recurring nightmares about it in such an immature manner it pretty much ruined the book for me. Not a great read for me.
I adored the Hero though there was a tad too much of his POV. Personally I prefer the strong, silent, brooding H. Do leave the overthinking and over-analysing to us expert females, please.
The h was supposed to have a rough life unlike her heiress sisters, but I saw little evidence of it from her behaviour, she seemed like a spoilt brat to me. He was the usual alpha male fighting his strong feelings but ended up doing quite a bit for her, trashing a lucrative contract because the man made a lewd pass at her, canceling his own dinner date when it looked like she was stood up on hers, letting her stay in his staff apartment. He even changed his sports car when he realised she was mentally sick riding in his previous one as it reminded her of her mother's husband who made her abandon the h when she was a baby. I mean, I don't expect her to put out over this but a little appreciation would be ok.
There was a good lead-up to the first time sex scene so that woke me up a little. But I couldn't quite see the foundation for a HEA despite their cute dinner date. Hero had a brutal childhood which was heart-breaking because it could mirror real-life. But she alluded to his recurring nightmares about it in such an immature manner it pretty much ruined the book for me. Not a great read for me.
November 6, 2015
¡Maravillosa historia! Si una tiene ganas de leer romance y buenos diálogos, esta es una novela ideal. Ella: humilde, cálida, italiana hasta la médula; él: un griego alfa con todas las letras. Me hubieran gustado cien páginas más de interacción y de menciones al pasado oscuro de Nikos Theakis. Esas palabras del epílogo, hacía mucho que no leía algo tan, tan disfrutable~ La recomiendo muchísimo.
August 3, 2016
Mia Bianchi was one smart, sexy and sizzling Italian heroine and Oscar Balfour’s illegitimate daughter.
Her untimely arrival at Balfour Manor had caused all sorts of things with her father trying to keep her a secret, the untimely death of his wife and now a scandal.
However Oscar wanted to teach his daughters a few of life’s lessons and the first daughter he chose was Mia.
Oscar sent her to a one of his business associates, a powerful, dark, handsome and successful Greek billionaire!
Mia is well-described, she is brave and has a spicy Italian personality .
She is polite, but she does not let herself be pushed around.
She's also smart and attentive. And she wants out of her shell.
She is genuinely nice and gentle.
Nikos Theakis was the perfect Greek hero as far as I was concerned. He came from poverty, abusive parents, and he came up the hard way.
However, he owed everything to Oscar Balfour because he was the man he was today because of Oscar!
But take in his daughter, teach her about business, social settings, give her confidence and integrity?
The very same beautiful young woman he almost ran over at her parents estate?
The very same woman with a “cheeky” mouth, lush curves and determination?
What had he agreed to, and what was he going to do with her?
He is so very controlled and trying so very much to control himself that it is obvious that this man has a dark side.
It's difficult to acquire such control of himself without having been previously traumatised, or he has been training ... which is not the case.
Talk about chemistry, he’s constantly touching her and he’s not even aware. For a man who goes through women like one would change his socks, Mia drives him crazy with her beautiful eyes, long flowing hair, sexy sultry voice and the same holds true for her.
She may be an innocent but not for long!
She loves him and when they act on their passion, it goes seriously up in flames but it becomes complicated when she finds out she’s pregnant!
I loved the way the author tied both of their feelings into knots.
Mia definitely wanted love from him whereas due to his abusive past he didn’t know how to love.
Public viewed this proud Greek as a successful business man, a very handsome man with a string of beautiful women in his past.
They didn’t know he never slept alone, that he didn’t have locks on his doors and it was even more brilliant how she chose to put Mia in Greece right along with the very mother that gave her up and how in the end Niko’s realized he loved Mia.
I so wished this one had a cute epilogue with babies and another pregnancy, unfortunately, it ended so abruptly.
Her untimely arrival at Balfour Manor had caused all sorts of things with her father trying to keep her a secret, the untimely death of his wife and now a scandal.
However Oscar wanted to teach his daughters a few of life’s lessons and the first daughter he chose was Mia.
Oscar sent her to a one of his business associates, a powerful, dark, handsome and successful Greek billionaire!
Mia is well-described, she is brave and has a spicy Italian personality .
She is polite, but she does not let herself be pushed around.
She's also smart and attentive. And she wants out of her shell.
She is genuinely nice and gentle.
Nikos Theakis was the perfect Greek hero as far as I was concerned. He came from poverty, abusive parents, and he came up the hard way.
However, he owed everything to Oscar Balfour because he was the man he was today because of Oscar!
But take in his daughter, teach her about business, social settings, give her confidence and integrity?
The very same beautiful young woman he almost ran over at her parents estate?
The very same woman with a “cheeky” mouth, lush curves and determination?
What had he agreed to, and what was he going to do with her?
He is so very controlled and trying so very much to control himself that it is obvious that this man has a dark side.
It's difficult to acquire such control of himself without having been previously traumatised, or he has been training ... which is not the case.
Talk about chemistry, he’s constantly touching her and he’s not even aware. For a man who goes through women like one would change his socks, Mia drives him crazy with her beautiful eyes, long flowing hair, sexy sultry voice and the same holds true for her.
She may be an innocent but not for long!
She loves him and when they act on their passion, it goes seriously up in flames but it becomes complicated when she finds out she’s pregnant!
I loved the way the author tied both of their feelings into knots.
Mia definitely wanted love from him whereas due to his abusive past he didn’t know how to love.
Public viewed this proud Greek as a successful business man, a very handsome man with a string of beautiful women in his past.
They didn’t know he never slept alone, that he didn’t have locks on his doors and it was even more brilliant how she chose to put Mia in Greece right along with the very mother that gave her up and how in the end Niko’s realized he loved Mia.
I so wished this one had a cute epilogue with babies and another pregnancy, unfortunately, it ended so abruptly.
January 21, 2022
3-3.5 stars
Loved the first 70%, hated the last 30.
The girl was likeable but waaaay too weak for my liking.
The guy was a real douche and I get that after everything that happened to him, he had every right to, but when you act like a major asshole, please, have the decency to at least be regretful and apologise.
And for that lack of grovel and the heroine who said one thing and did sth quite the opposite, I'm taking 2 stars away.
But that's a pretty good read.
However, I'm still looking for something as deliciously fantastic as The Price of a Bride, one of the best HQs I've ever read.
Because Reid set that bar real high with that one and so far nothing has measured up.
And, although this one did have a good start, that still wasn't it.
But I'm not giving up and hope I'll find what I'm looking for.
Fingers crossed.
Loved the first 70%, hated the last 30.
The girl was likeable but waaaay too weak for my liking.
The guy was a real douche and I get that after everything that happened to him, he had every right to, but when you act like a major asshole, please, have the decency to at least be regretful and apologise.
And for that lack of grovel and the heroine who said one thing and did sth quite the opposite, I'm taking 2 stars away.
But that's a pretty good read.
However, I'm still looking for something as deliciously fantastic as The Price of a Bride, one of the best HQs I've ever read.
Because Reid set that bar real high with that one and so far nothing has measured up.
And, although this one did have a good start, that still wasn't it.
But I'm not giving up and hope I'll find what I'm looking for.
Fingers crossed.
October 11, 2010
This book was pretty much why I don't care for Harlequin Presents very much. They have to be very carefully written for the hero not to be a real jerk and the heroine a doormat. I just did not get why the heroine would fall for a man who was such a bully, and he was. There's nothing intrinsically wrong with the story or the writing. The writing was in fact quite good, to make me hate the hero so much and fume at the heroine, and I did read the whole book. So if you like the Presents style stories, you'd probably eat this one up.
The hero and heroine first meet when she's walking up the long walk to meet her father--he wasn't married to mom, and she's just recently found out who he was. The hero is dad's protege, and almost runs over her with his car. The hero mistakes her for the housekeeper, says she shouldn't have the job because she's too young and unsuitable, he insults her some more, then he leaves and she goes on up to the house.
A year later, Dad has decided his daughters need to learn how to live in "the real world," never mind that the heroine's never been rich or spoiled. He sends her off to work for the hero, who has the hots for her so assumes it means she's a slut and it's her fault he's attracted to her, and basically treats her like dirt. The heroine blames herself, works harder, dresses more modestly, etc., etc. He takes her to business lunches, and when the other guys treat her like a mistress, it's her fault. Even when she tries to stand up for herself, though, he squashes her flat, and that's her fault too.
He's such a jerk, that it would take some major, major, major groveling for him to redeem himself in my eyes, but his pathetic attempt is just that--pathetic. The heroine may have forgiven him for his jerkitude, but I didn't. I did finish it, but I finished it still mad at the hero. Oh well.
The hero and heroine first meet when she's walking up the long walk to meet her father--he wasn't married to mom, and she's just recently found out who he was. The hero is dad's protege, and almost runs over her with his car. The hero mistakes her for the housekeeper, says she shouldn't have the job because she's too young and unsuitable, he insults her some more, then he leaves and she goes on up to the house.
A year later, Dad has decided his daughters need to learn how to live in "the real world," never mind that the heroine's never been rich or spoiled. He sends her off to work for the hero, who has the hots for her so assumes it means she's a slut and it's her fault he's attracted to her, and basically treats her like dirt. The heroine blames herself, works harder, dresses more modestly, etc., etc. He takes her to business lunches, and when the other guys treat her like a mistress, it's her fault. Even when she tries to stand up for herself, though, he squashes her flat, and that's her fault too.
He's such a jerk, that it would take some major, major, major groveling for him to redeem himself in my eyes, but his pathetic attempt is just that--pathetic. The heroine may have forgiven him for his jerkitude, but I didn't. I did finish it, but I finished it still mad at the hero. Oh well.
April 20, 2021
Very entertaining reading from one of my favourite authors. Mia is the illegittimate daughter of a milllionaire. She was rejected by her mother and grew up with a aunt in the italian countryside. Her father asks the H to help h to adapt to her new lifestyle so she will work with the hero and live near him. Of course he's madly attracted to her and even if he tries to fight it he eventually gives up and they ends in bed together. Mia gets pregnant and the hero wants to marry her as "damage control". This was really a stupid and cruel thing to say to a very young and innocent woman he seduced and failed to protect. Eventually he tries to explained why he felt that way and as in all MR's books the heroine accepts gladly every crumbs he throws. So as usual we have a cold and selfish man who is also a womanizer, a young and naive heroine who settle for minimum wage and all is well. MR made my day (and the book), she's never boring and this story was also entertaining because it has low angst and some nice parts. The hero is uber jealous and possessive, he is an emotionally scarred man with little charm but luckily she could stand for herself.
July 17, 2013
So Mia has just discovered that she is the illegitimate Balfour daughter and sits off to meet her father. Nikos is just leaving the Balfour house when he practically runs over Mia and manages to get aroused too!! Soon Oscar Balfour is calling upon Nikos for a favor, and since Nikos feels indebted to Oscar he can’t really refuse. Nikos is to hire Mia and help her acclimate to her new standard of living. When she arrives at Nikos’ office she sets tongues wagging and upsets Nikos as Oscar had intended. Nikos is always feeling a rush of heat down south too!
Mia seems to have good instincts about people, and Nikos enjoys being the alpha whenever possible. Of course, he never does any wrong and Mia can’t be trusted out of site. She is the instigator in the reactions men give her, as well. In fact, innocent Mia is a born vamp, according to Nikos. Men are never responsible for their body’s reactions as women are the puppet masters! She even questions this at one point. She seems to blame herself for things too. Mia attempt to take the secretary’s advice and avoid Nikos, but the growly man soon proves that he is essentially a teddy bear….for a while.
Mia didn’t have a great childhood and this explains some of her easy acceptance of Oscar and his family. I would still like more information about him though – why he was w/ Mia’s mother years ago. Nikos gives some good advice, but he can’t seem to use it for himself as he too has a bad childhood that has impacted him. No big difference there. There were even a few sexy looks from Nikos towards Mia as they continued to fight their chemistry. Once again the scenes where he gives her those looks and Mia interprets them as disgruntled couldn’t be more off! That is why I tend to have problems w/ first person stories.
Mia gets shoved into a pool at a party by someone that blames her for things not working out – I ask what is the difference b/w this one and Nikos then? Nikos tends to blame her as well…DS at work? (dangly syndrome). I loved Mia’s sarcasm at points too. She says, “..bruised my wrist too but I suppose I should apologize for not allowing him to throttle me at the same time!” They smex, she says the dreaded phrase, Nikos turns cruel and walks. Mia claims hate and NEVER forgive. Yeah drama huh? Because 10 times out of 10 they are empty threats given by the h when the H hurts her…for once why can’t they be honest?! I’m guessing those never want bundles that the Hs always claim to feel…are more empty words too. Apparently there is no snip-snip in these stories either! She does admit that she acted as though his cruel treatment of her meant nothing at all. She calls him on the semantics of “sleep” too! Loved it!! He never denied doing anything w/ OW then either. I liked that at times she fought him on things and he did defend her w/ others.
Mia seems to have good instincts about people, and Nikos enjoys being the alpha whenever possible. Of course, he never does any wrong and Mia can’t be trusted out of site. She is the instigator in the reactions men give her, as well. In fact, innocent Mia is a born vamp, according to Nikos. Men are never responsible for their body’s reactions as women are the puppet masters! She even questions this at one point. She seems to blame herself for things too. Mia attempt to take the secretary’s advice and avoid Nikos, but the growly man soon proves that he is essentially a teddy bear….for a while.
Mia didn’t have a great childhood and this explains some of her easy acceptance of Oscar and his family. I would still like more information about him though – why he was w/ Mia’s mother years ago. Nikos gives some good advice, but he can’t seem to use it for himself as he too has a bad childhood that has impacted him. No big difference there. There were even a few sexy looks from Nikos towards Mia as they continued to fight their chemistry. Once again the scenes where he gives her those looks and Mia interprets them as disgruntled couldn’t be more off! That is why I tend to have problems w/ first person stories.
Mia gets shoved into a pool at a party by someone that blames her for things not working out – I ask what is the difference b/w this one and Nikos then? Nikos tends to blame her as well…DS at work? (dangly syndrome). I loved Mia’s sarcasm at points too. She says, “..bruised my wrist too but I suppose I should apologize for not allowing him to throttle me at the same time!” They smex, she says the dreaded phrase, Nikos turns cruel and walks. Mia claims hate and NEVER forgive. Yeah drama huh? Because 10 times out of 10 they are empty threats given by the h when the H hurts her…for once why can’t they be honest?! I’m guessing those never want bundles that the Hs always claim to feel…are more empty words too. Apparently there is no snip-snip in these stories either! She does admit that she acted as though his cruel treatment of her meant nothing at all. She calls him on the semantics of “sleep” too! Loved it!! He never denied doing anything w/ OW then either. I liked that at times she fought him on things and he did defend her w/ others.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2012
Michelle Reid ilk defa beni hayal kırıklığına uğrattı. Açıkça söylemem gerekirse kitabın ne çevirisinden, ne konusundan, ne de işleniş biçiminden hoşlandım. Tek sevdiğim karakterler oldu ama onlarında bu hikayede harcanmasına üzüldüm. Patron-sekreter ilişkilerini severek okurum ama bu kitapta en başından beri beni iten bir unsur vardı. Ne yaptıysa, ne dediyse çok baştan savma, inandırıcılığını kaybetmiş olarak buldum.
Hikayemizin konusu;
İtalyada bir çiftlikte teyzesiyle yaşayan Mia, bir gün gerçeği öğrenir. Oldukça zengin bir iş adamı olan Oscar Balflour'un kızıdır. Annesi ise onu kocasının ya onu seç ya da beni ısrarıyla kızını teyzesine bırakmıştır. Ama gerçek ortaya çıkınca kızımız babasını görmeye gider ve ünlü yunanlı iş adamı Nikos ile yolları ilk o zaman kesişir.
Nikos'un bu günlere gelmesinde Oscar'ın çok büyük bir emeği vardır. Onca yıl sonra adam ondan tek bir iyilik istemektedir. Yeni kızına yanında bir iş vermesini! Bu durumdan hali hazırda memnun olmayan Nikos, bu kızın Oscar'ın evinin önünde az kalsın ezeceği kız olduğunu görünce memnuniyetsizliği daha da çoğalmıştır. Ama kararlıdır. Bu kızı tez zamanda bıktırarak işi bıraktıracaktır.
Bu numaralara gelmeyen, kendini kanıtlamakta ısrarcı olan Mia ne yapsa yaranamaz. Kendini hiç ummadığı bir anda Nikos'un cazibesine bırakır ve kendini adam tarafından adi bir şekilde terk edilmiş olarak bulur. Ama bebek haberi bütün planları bozacaktır.
Hikayemizin konusu;
İtalyada bir çiftlikte teyzesiyle yaşayan Mia, bir gün gerçeği öğrenir. Oldukça zengin bir iş adamı olan Oscar Balflour'un kızıdır. Annesi ise onu kocasının ya onu seç ya da beni ısrarıyla kızını teyzesine bırakmıştır. Ama gerçek ortaya çıkınca kızımız babasını görmeye gider ve ünlü yunanlı iş adamı Nikos ile yolları ilk o zaman kesişir.
Nikos'un bu günlere gelmesinde Oscar'ın çok büyük bir emeği vardır. Onca yıl sonra adam ondan tek bir iyilik istemektedir. Yeni kızına yanında bir iş vermesini! Bu durumdan hali hazırda memnun olmayan Nikos, bu kızın Oscar'ın evinin önünde az kalsın ezeceği kız olduğunu görünce memnuniyetsizliği daha da çoğalmıştır. Ama kararlıdır. Bu kızı tez zamanda bıktırarak işi bıraktıracaktır.
Bu numaralara gelmeyen, kendini kanıtlamakta ısrarcı olan Mia ne yapsa yaranamaz. Kendini hiç ummadığı bir anda Nikos'un cazibesine bırakır ve kendini adam tarafından adi bir şekilde terk edilmiş olarak bulur. Ama bebek haberi bütün planları bozacaktır.
December 9, 2013
Mia has just found out that she is one of eight sisters. She is the illegitimate child. Her mother never wanted her, her father never acknowledged her.
When her father Oscar does finally accept her, her pawns her off on one of his friends. (Yes, he is such a great father- rolls eyes)
Nikos reluctantly lets Mia work for him. He is a horrible, horrible man. I'm sorry but I don't think that its very romantic when a guy picks on you all the time. He criticizes her all the time. Her clothes, even her manners.
Nikos makes it very clear that he doesn't want her but he gets jealous when Mia talks to someone else.
But he still manages to go out with other woman at the start of the book and Mia falls for all this!
This is just an insult to women. No woman should allow any man to put her down.
And the ending. I wanted to slap Mia. Slap her until some sense sunk into that thick head of hers.
When her father Oscar does finally accept her, her pawns her off on one of his friends. (Yes, he is such a great father- rolls eyes)
Nikos reluctantly lets Mia work for him. He is a horrible, horrible man. I'm sorry but I don't think that its very romantic when a guy picks on you all the time. He criticizes her all the time. Her clothes, even her manners.
Nikos makes it very clear that he doesn't want her but he gets jealous when Mia talks to someone else.
But he still manages to go out with other woman at the start of the book and Mia falls for all this!
This is just an insult to women. No woman should allow any man to put her down.
And the ending. I wanted to slap Mia. Slap her until some sense sunk into that thick head of hers.
October 29, 2021
“You glare at me if I move. You glare at me if I smile. You touch my hair, my arm, my fingers if I rest them on the table. You slide your hand around my waist when we walk.”
That’s the h complaining to the H. He’s smitten, but he doesn’t know it.
I like it a lot that this h has black hair and Italian roots. What a relief from all the standard blonde English or American h’s.
What I don’t like, was when she got angry at him for not using a condom after she got pregnant. It takes two to tango. Although she was a virgin, she knows about the birds and the bees. Contraception is a responsibility of both man and woman. And she was the one who went to his bedroom and who stayed there knowing what would happen between them. Nahh.
That’s the h complaining to the H. He’s smitten, but he doesn’t know it.
I like it a lot that this h has black hair and Italian roots. What a relief from all the standard blonde English or American h’s.
What I don’t like, was when she got angry at him for not using a condom after she got pregnant. It takes two to tango. Although she was a virgin, she knows about the birds and the bees. Contraception is a responsibility of both man and woman. And she was the one who went to his bedroom and who stayed there knowing what would happen between them. Nahh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2018
"Mia and the Powerful Greek" is the story of Mia and Nikos.
While working menial odd jobs to make ends meet, Mia never knows her life will change on her 21st birthday- as she realizes she's the illegitimate daughter to Oscar Balfour, hence a Balfour heiress!
Making the decision to meet him, she travels, only to come face to face with Oscar's business partner Nikos- who soon gets the responsibility to train and polish Mia.
Italy meeting Greece in this dramatic, angst filled tale of two tortured souls coming together after much hardships and finding their HEA in one another. There are villains, mild OW drama and enough jealousy to keep me hooked!
Enjoyed this one!
SWE? Safe?
3/5
While working menial odd jobs to make ends meet, Mia never knows her life will change on her 21st birthday- as she realizes she's the illegitimate daughter to Oscar Balfour, hence a Balfour heiress!
Making the decision to meet him, she travels, only to come face to face with Oscar's business partner Nikos- who soon gets the responsibility to train and polish Mia.
Italy meeting Greece in this dramatic, angst filled tale of two tortured souls coming together after much hardships and finding their HEA in one another. There are villains, mild OW drama and enough jealousy to keep me hooked!
Enjoyed this one!
SWE? Safe?
3/5
January 25, 2022
I think this book must have been the victim of a sharp cut due to word count and page limitations because many of the angst threads M.R. is cooking and force feeding us just disappear in a poof one by one, until the unsatisfactory end where you feel the MC’s are little more than wishy washy immature idiots. In the end we realise this had all been a matchmaking ruse by the Balfour patriarch, the heroine comes off as this ditzy bipolar idiot girl who exaggerates sob stories of her wretched poverty stricken childhood, whereas we learn her bitch faced mother sent her aunt money, the there’s a sob story about her father sending her to the kitchen to hide her from his life, and then we learn things weren’t quite like she described them, and then there’s the matter of her refusing to sit in the car made by her mother’s husband, and I was rolling my eyes, like really? You’re such a pathetic freak, that having been brought up by a loving aunt in a quiet environment you’re still pouting because your mother’s husband didn’t want you? Who does that? Then there’s the matter of the patronising hero who needs a punch in the family jewels but the heroine can only swoon over him. There are so many instances of the idiocy of the two and I can go on. Suffice it to say, there were all these threads that one thought would build up to something and they didn’t. So not only you’re dealing with idiots but they’re super boring as well.
October 3, 2018
I picked this book up for Cheap in a charity shop just as a quick read as it's short, didn't really expect too much but I found !shelf really enjoying this story. It's a pretty simple storyline were now find out who her daughter is and after meeting him he sends her to work for nikos.
This book is a little bit instalove but semi.hate to love. It has a good build up but then ends rather quickly.. It's told from both POV which was nice.
This book didn't blow me away but it was still a good read which I finished in one sitting.
This book is a little bit instalove but semi.hate to love. It has a good build up but then ends rather quickly.. It's told from both POV which was nice.
This book didn't blow me away but it was still a good read which I finished in one sitting.
July 11, 2021
3.5 stars rounded to 4 ⭐️.
This was a sweet romance. Low on the angst, but there was some very good sexual and emotional tension along the way that you could feel while reading the story. These are 2 people you find yourself rooting for!!!
Heroine Mia-21 years old, rejected by her bio mom who wanted to marry someone who did not want a non bio or actually any kid. She was raised by a kindly aunt in Tuscany. Her aunt tells her who her real dad is, a wealthy Englishman with 7 daughters. She is the result of a 1 night stand right before he married his beloved Lillian who is dying in the prologue of this book. He takes on his 8th daughter and actually plays the part of unsanctioned matchmaker.
Hero-(age?) He was taken in hand by the h’s dad when he was a teen. He was in desperate need of guidance. You won’t get the full details of his treacherous upbringing until the end, but his upbringing is what made him scorn love and all its trappings. It has made him cruel, but he is still likable.
The h and H first meet when he almost runs her over on the day she was seeking out her dad. 3 months later the H and h are brought together by her dad when he asks the H to take her on as a pa and set her up in his adjoining apartment.(the H kind of owes the dad, so he agrees) The H who was instantly attracted to the h 3 months before puts the kabash on his libido as he has too much respect for the dad to collect his daughters as trophies.
They have a lust/love/hate relationship that takes up most of the pages in the book. This is where one gets all the tension/some angst.
There are rumblings of ow and om drama, but these are thrown in briefly to feed the flames of desire and passion. They do eventually succumb to their passions, only to have the H push the h away. He is unable to stay away very long. There are a couple more rough spots that have to be evened out, but by the end we have a very nice HEA. No epilogue, but there is a 2 month in the future view to see how well theses love birds are getting along.
Of course this is first in a series, so I definitely didn’t read it first. I believe I read #7 and maybe another. They are written by different authors.
This was a sweet romance. Low on the angst, but there was some very good sexual and emotional tension along the way that you could feel while reading the story. These are 2 people you find yourself rooting for!!!
Heroine Mia-21 years old, rejected by her bio mom who wanted to marry someone who did not want a non bio or actually any kid. She was raised by a kindly aunt in Tuscany. Her aunt tells her who her real dad is, a wealthy Englishman with 7 daughters. She is the result of a 1 night stand right before he married his beloved Lillian who is dying in the prologue of this book. He takes on his 8th daughter and actually plays the part of unsanctioned matchmaker.
Hero-(age?) He was taken in hand by the h’s dad when he was a teen. He was in desperate need of guidance. You won’t get the full details of his treacherous upbringing until the end, but his upbringing is what made him scorn love and all its trappings. It has made him cruel, but he is still likable.
The h and H first meet when he almost runs her over on the day she was seeking out her dad. 3 months later the H and h are brought together by her dad when he asks the H to take her on as a pa and set her up in his adjoining apartment.(the H kind of owes the dad, so he agrees) The H who was instantly attracted to the h 3 months before puts the kabash on his libido as he has too much respect for the dad to collect his daughters as trophies.
They have a lust/love/hate relationship that takes up most of the pages in the book. This is where one gets all the tension/some angst.
There are rumblings of ow and om drama, but these are thrown in briefly to feed the flames of desire and passion. They do eventually succumb to their passions, only to have the H push the h away. He is unable to stay away very long. There are a couple more rough spots that have to be evened out, but by the end we have a very nice HEA. No epilogue, but there is a 2 month in the future view to see how well theses love birds are getting along.
Of course this is first in a series, so I definitely didn’t read it first. I believe I read #7 and maybe another. They are written by different authors.
October 13, 2018
This books is a re-read for me. I read this when I discovered my love for the author,MR a couple years ago and I fell into a binge. However this is my 1st review on the book. Both Mia and Nikos had growing up issues, both were rejected by their parents and found courage to make something of themselves.
Mia met Nikos on the day she was going to meet her father. He nearly drove into her after his meeting with Oscar Balfour(her father). It still feels nice and uncommon in how they accidentally met. It's like it was meant to be, even without Oscars interference. After their heated introduction(,without names) and wrong asumptions attraction bloomed. The Nikos discovered she was saddled to him to be an understudy of how she ought to be professionally and on dates etc. Nikos finds himself torn between temptation and loyalty to Oscar. Eventually, temptation won out, they had a volatile and passionate co.ing together unlike any other Nikos ever experienced. She fell instantly in love with him. Despite loving him and becoming impregnated she refused to settle for anything less than love. Mia is a fiesty, independent,vulnerable,headstrong ,naive woman but never 'juvenile ' nor 'foolish' as yelled by the H. His angst was his shield to prevent his attarction. Nikos was Alpha with a capital 'A' he was grudgingly handsome and smooth. One phone call and all would be at his feet until Mia. He was caring and protective and jealous....so Greek...sigh!
Mia and Nikos found their love and marriage and they were open about each other...wonderful Read. I'm going to try and finish the series....Chow!
Mia met Nikos on the day she was going to meet her father. He nearly drove into her after his meeting with Oscar Balfour(her father). It still feels nice and uncommon in how they accidentally met. It's like it was meant to be, even without Oscars interference. After their heated introduction(,without names) and wrong asumptions attraction bloomed. The Nikos discovered she was saddled to him to be an understudy of how she ought to be professionally and on dates etc. Nikos finds himself torn between temptation and loyalty to Oscar. Eventually, temptation won out, they had a volatile and passionate co.ing together unlike any other Nikos ever experienced. She fell instantly in love with him. Despite loving him and becoming impregnated she refused to settle for anything less than love. Mia is a fiesty, independent,vulnerable,headstrong ,naive woman but never 'juvenile ' nor 'foolish' as yelled by the H. His angst was his shield to prevent his attarction. Nikos was Alpha with a capital 'A' he was grudgingly handsome and smooth. One phone call and all would be at his feet until Mia. He was caring and protective and jealous....so Greek...sigh!
Mia and Nikos found their love and marriage and they were open about each other...wonderful Read. I'm going to try and finish the series....Chow!
November 11, 2012
Free at www.everyonesreading.com
Ugh, ick.
Mia, beautiful feisty Italian Mia finds out she is an illegitimate Balfour at the age of twenty, and sets out around the world to London, to find her father. Hurt so bad by rejection she blames herself for any situation that does not go perfectly. (doormat)
Nikos, beautiful cold Greek Nikos finds out he is to look after this new illegitimate heir, and groom her for society. But of course he is scared in a mental fucked up way. (psycho).
There is never really a balancing of characters. Nikos' alternate anger and cold regard could give a girl whiplash. The way he blames her for everything, makes everything her fault, including situations that puts women's rights back in the fifties mad me hate him. The end five pages tries to quickly fix the situation with a quick telling by Nikos to Mia, "this is what happened to me, this is why I am fucked up, all good Se?", "Se,se. now sleep with me, oh opps, my dress just fell off and oh opps I fell on your d**k and left all my conviction and intelligence on the wayside..." So no, never liked Nikos.
Prob wont be following up on this series, glad it was free, and glad it is finished.
Ugh, ick.
Mia, beautiful feisty Italian Mia finds out she is an illegitimate Balfour at the age of twenty, and sets out around the world to London, to find her father. Hurt so bad by rejection she blames herself for any situation that does not go perfectly. (doormat)
Nikos, beautiful cold Greek Nikos finds out he is to look after this new illegitimate heir, and groom her for society. But of course he is scared in a mental fucked up way. (psycho).
There is never really a balancing of characters. Nikos' alternate anger and cold regard could give a girl whiplash. The way he blames her for everything, makes everything her fault, including situations that puts women's rights back in the fifties mad me hate him. The end five pages tries to quickly fix the situation with a quick telling by Nikos to Mia, "this is what happened to me, this is why I am fucked up, all good Se?", "Se,se. now sleep with me, oh opps, my dress just fell off and oh opps I fell on your d**k and left all my conviction and intelligence on the wayside..." So no, never liked Nikos.
Prob wont be following up on this series, glad it was free, and glad it is finished.
August 3, 2014
One of the best from MICHELLE REID's fabulous pen.
As the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy British family, Mia Balfour isn’t sure she wants to be like the rest of her family. To help her fit in, her father arranges for her to become the personal assistant of his protégé, businessman Nikos Theakis. Unfortunately, Mia and Nikos hate each other on sight despite the attraction that ignites between them. When they act on that attraction, Mia becomes pregnant. Nikos offers to marry her, even though he cannot admit to himself that he loves her. How these two lost souls finally open up to each other makes for a great read. Reid is a master of believable dialogue, and the fight scenes between Mia and Nikos are almost too fun to read only once.
As the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy British family, Mia Balfour isn’t sure she wants to be like the rest of her family. To help her fit in, her father arranges for her to become the personal assistant of his protégé, businessman Nikos Theakis. Unfortunately, Mia and Nikos hate each other on sight despite the attraction that ignites between them. When they act on that attraction, Mia becomes pregnant. Nikos offers to marry her, even though he cannot admit to himself that he loves her. How these two lost souls finally open up to each other makes for a great read. Reid is a master of believable dialogue, and the fight scenes between Mia and Nikos are almost too fun to read only once.
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