Must-read romances: 'The CEO Buys In,' 'One Night in Weaver,' 'A Dark Lure'
The CEO Buys In by Nancy Herkness
What it's about (courtesy of Montlake):
Self-made billionaire Nathan Trainor feels restless and disillusioned. His company may be thriving, but he can't find a woman who sees him for more than his wealth. With his love life in the red, he meets two other billionaire bachelors at the ultra-exclusive Bellwether Club. The three of them make a wager of the heart: they must find women who love them for who they are, not their money.
Savvy office temp Chloe Russell is trying to scrape together the money she needs to support her grandmother. So when a flu epidemic strikes Trainor Electronics and she's promoted to Nathan Trainor's assistant, she jumps at the lucrative opportunity. But then Nathan himself falls ill, and he and Chloe must work from his penthouse while he recuperates. Before long, it's clear there's genuine heat between them, and it's more than just a fever spike. Will Nathan win Chloe's heart—and the bet? Or will their differences destroy any chance for love?
Why you should read it: Three jaded, lonely, hunky billionaire bachelors placing crazy bets on true love? What a fun and juicy premise for a trilogy! I was already all-in when it came to Nancy Herkness' new Wager of Hearts series, but after reading this first book's prologue, which chronicles the grudging, bourbon-fueled start of a beautiful bromance, I happily settled in for an all-night read.
The CEO Buys In fulfills so many items on my must-read romance wish list. Wealthy hero falls for penniless heroine; super-successful-and-occasionally-condescending hero is not only shocked but turned on when he discovers the heroine is even more accomplished than she is beautiful and — bonus — not a gold digger; and wary mentor discovers his protégée is not so meek and mild. There are even some Cinderella-type high times, involving shopping sprees and spur-of-the-moment jaunts in private jets.
Nathan leaned back against the Rolls, the cold of the metal biting through his cotton shirt. He should have stayed in the car to read another report, but he wanted to see the way Chloe's face lit up when she spotted him. Yesterday, her obvious delight had hit him in the chest like CPR to a dying man; hard but life-giving. Something he couldn't name had shifted inside him.
As delicious as it is, watching a determined Nathan do his best to spoil the uber-economical Chloe, it's not all Dom Perignon and Christian Louboutin. Chloe has some hardcore reservations about getting involved with her ridiculously rich boss, and Nathan's issues with trust make him wonder whether his modest temp is too good to be true — especially when she remains so secretive about her private life.
"What happens when someone at the company finds out about the two of you? Because they will." Grandmillie drummed her fingernails on the table. "No one will criticize him, but your abilities will be questioned."
Something shifted inside Chloe's chest, something that smothered that last tiny flicker of hope she'd been nursing without even realizing it. The hope that somehow it would be all right to take the job and keep Nathan too. For all her posturing to herself, she'd been secretly keeping that option open. Grandmillie's words stripped bare her self-deception as boiling hot tears welled up at the thought of losing him.
Her grandmother leaned in to cover Chloe's hand where it lay fisted on the table. "I understand he's become important to you."
Chloe looked away as the tears spilled down her cheeks. "I make him laugh," she said, her voice quavering.
With her usual flair and finesse, Herkness guides these two through a crowd of mistakes, misgivings and misconceptions, and leads them to a solidly satisfying happy ever after. Chloe helps Nathan reconcile with past heartache, while Nathan lures Chloe's sensual side out of hiding. And how! The strain of keeping their relationship a professional one when they're practically panting for each other creates a delectable carnal tension that never fades, even when they finally fall into each other's arms. Scratch that — that's a much too mild way to put it — they basically rip each other's clothes off. Herkness puts Nathan's limousine to very good use. Steamy, creative, breathtaking use. Then there's his private jet …
Chloe can't help but be enthralled by Nathan's casual attitude toward the vast difference in their bottom lines, but she wrongly assumes that carelessness applies to their affair as well. One open conversation could have saved her some heartache, though the author makes Chloe's reluctance to discuss their future more than plausible.
With her character craft, mastery of setting and saucy wit, Herkness can't help but write irresistible romance. The CEO Buys In is charming and seductive, sweet and addictive, hotter than a royal flush and just plain fun.
One Night in Weaver by Allison Leigh
What it's about (courtesy of Harlequin):
One night was all they'd had…or had they? Hayley Templeton prides herself on keeping a level head in life and love. But her recent passionate encounter with Seth Banyon turned her world upside down. Hayley knows she planted a kiss on the sexy security expert, but she can't even remember how much further that lip-lock went. This is one dilemma the psychologist can't analyze her way out of…
Seth has plenty of secrets that he doesn't need Hayley prying into—least of all, what he's really doing in tiny Weaver, Wyoming. So he's got to get the irresistible woman out of his system…before he is tempted to make himself at home right there in her arms…
Why you should read it:
From out of the shadows, Seth took shape in front of her. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Hayley fumbled with the light switches on the wall; finally finding the one that controlled the lamp on the entry table against the wall, she flipped it and sucked in another breath.
He was dressed in camouflage pants and shirt. But it was his expression that looked hellish. As if he hadn't slept a minute since he'd left her. "What are you doing here?" Her tone was abrupt. "How'd you get in?"
Where have you been? Why did you leave? She asked neither.
"You left the back door unlocked." He didn't smile. "You shouldn't do that."
She was fairly certain a locked door wouldn't keep Seth from entering anywhere he wanted to go. Or from exiting. She carefully set her briefcase on the table. "Where's Moose?"
"Out back. I ran him around the yard for a while to tire him out. He was pretty excited when I got here."
She swallowed. The puppy wasn't the only one.
This was such a fun, feel-good read! Leigh's narrative hums with energy and humor, she writes a hero to die for, and the chemistry between Seth and Hayley is smokin'. The complication keeping them apart is a serious one, and I couldn't wait to see how they managed to move beyond it. It wasn't easy, for either of them, which of course made the story that much more satisfying.
Three months ago, Hayley had one cosmo too many and ended up letting hunky Seth take her home. Nothing happened, but now that she's run into him again, and knows for sure nothing happened, she can't help feeling disappointed — and oh-so determined to remedy the situation.
Seth is sending mixed signals, though. One minute he wants her, and the next he's pushing her away. She can't believe he's serious when he claims he's not good enough for her — who cares that he's a security guard? He does mean what he says, though there's a more sinister reason he's keeping his distance, and it has everything to do with her current patient.
I loved that Hayley is a bit of a klutz whenever Seth is around, and what's even more adorable is that he's learned to be prepared for it. Their dialogue and interactions are clever and mesmerizing as they swing between sweet and downright sexy.
Hayley's grandmother is a hoot when she's not in the midst of a family drama that adds a realistic and poignant dynamic to the book. Watching Hayley with her girlfriends and Seth with his buds is a pleasure, especially as they egg the two on to do what they can't yet admit they want to — fall all the way in love.
One Night in Weaver is a delightful addition to the Return to Double C series. It's a quick but thoroughly entertaining read, offering the purest appeal of happy ever after.
A Dark Lure by Loreth Anne White
What it's about (courtesy of Montlake):
Twelve years ago, Sarah Baker was abducted by the Watt Lake Killer and sexually assaulted for months before managing to escape. The killer was caught, but Sarah lost everything: her marriage, her child, and the life she loved.
Struggling with PTSD, Sarah changes her name to Olivia West and finds sanctuary working on Broken Bar Ranch. But as her scars finally begin to heal, a cop involved with her horrific case remains convinced the Watt Lake Killer is still out there. He sets a lure for the murderer, and a fresh body is discovered. Now Olivia must face the impossible—could the butcher be back, this time to finish the job?
As a frigid winter isolates the ranch, only one person can help Olivia: Cole McDonough, a writer, adventurer, and ranch heir who stirs long-dormant feelings in her. But this time, Olivia's determination to shut out her past may destroy more than her chance at love. It could cost her her life.
Why you should read it: Loreth Anne White is at her bloodcurdling best with this latest thriller. Not a moment is wasted within the pages of A Dark Lure. White's story is tight and consuming, with an unfaltering tension, a provocative cast of characters and a fascinating tangle of tragedies that lends a troubling, enticing depth to the book.
None of White's characters is a stranger to suffering, but the brutality in Olivia's past is especially heartbreaking, and guarantees the reader will develop a need for vengeance on her behalf. Though the story can be gruesome, with a Robert De Niro in Cape Fear kind of vibe, the savagery alternates with wistfulness, desire and captivating family angst. In fact, the author explores the entire range of human emotions, which isn't unexpected since White's hero is as damaged and stubborn as his counterpart. Olivia and Cole each need an advocate, and each is secretly desperate for the other to have their back, but that's a tall order when Olivia suffers from PTSD and Cole is constantly battling guilt. Their initial love scene, by the way? Heartrending and real, and the best possible way for White to help her characters forge an intimate bond.
She keeps the clock ticking and the danger dialed to high as unpleasant surprises plague the Broken Bar. One or two of these twists you might see coming, but that only heightens the suspense as you anticipate the characters' reactions. The author uses a clever, creative, standout device to relay past information — one of her characters discovers the draft of a novel, and as we read it along with her, we discover much of Olivia's terrible story. The author also draws masterfully on the rugged, unpredictable Pacific Northwest backdrop to jack the tension and root the reader even deeper into the danger stalking the Broken Bar Ranch.
One example of White's splendid prose is a touching scene that seems optimistic … until you recognize "catch and release" is a major theme in the story.
Tori got onto her knees and carefully leaned over the side of the boat while still keeping the rod tip high and the line taut. The fish looked up at her with a terrified eye. Its pink mouth was gasping. Her chest tightened. Her heart was beating so fast she thought it might bust out of her ribs.
Her first fish on a fly.
It was truly beautiful. So shiny and silvery with a rainbow blush down its side. Tori could see the tiny lure in its glistening mouth, the hook through the delicate cheek. And as she looked into that fish's eye, something happened inside Tori. She felt a connection.
"Here," Olivia said, reaching her hand into the net and cupping it under the fish's belly. "Hold it like this."
Her father took the rod from her, and Tori reached into the cold water with her bare hands. Tentatively she grasped hold of the trout. It was firm, and slippery, and it smelled briny-fresh. In its pink mouth were teensy little razor-sharp teeth.
"It's above size," Olivia said. "Would you like to keep it?"
"Keep it?"
"For dinner," said Olivia. "Or breakfast, or lunch. Nothing like fresh Broken Bar trout. They have really pinky-orange flesh, almost like a salmon. The color comes from all the micro shrimp they eat in this lake." Olivia took a Leatherman tool out of her fishing vest pocket as she spoke. She brought it down to the fish. "We'll just give it a sharp bonk on the back of the head with this, and it'll die quickly."
Tori stared in mild shock. It was the first time she'd ever thought about killing her food, really. It was the first time she'd experienced this thrill, this having connected with a secret creature from down deep. This poor creature who'd been foxed by an imitation insect. Very quietly she said, "Can we put this one back?"
It takes Olivia a tad too long to trust her instincts, but she was always going to have to prove her survival years ago was no accident. Now she has even more to lose, and despite Cole's resolve to keep her safe, Olivia knows firsthand that evil is relentless.
The aptly named A Dark Lure is an intense and gripping tale of death, survival, hope and redemption, with a dizzying level of suspense and a freshness of delivery both beautiful and haunting.
Kathy Altman's latest contemporary romance novel is Staying at Joe's. Kathy prefers her chocolate with nuts, her Friday afternoons with wine and her love stories with happy ever afters. Her website is KathyAltman.com.