Dating the Enemy by Amber Page

Jessie and Nick clash when their companies end up campaigning for the same account. It doesn’t take long for the clashes to become fiery and tempting. Healthy competition soon turns to flirtation and whole lot more sizzling scenarios.

Jessie is also trying to cope with a medical condition linked to the tragic death of her mother. This makes her even more vulnerable during the very aggressive attack and takeover attempt by Nick’s father.

I liked the way the author slipped in a very subtle yet important message about breast cancer. No matter what age you are or what type of medical history you have, always do a self-examination. If you find something, always go to see your doctor.

Do not wait and do not talk yourself into thinking it will go away or it isn’t worth checking. Women are absolutely notorious for putting themselves and their medical needs after everything else, and for talking themselves into the fact that a possible something is probably a nothing. The message here is ‘do not ignore’ and better safe than sorry.

This is a spicy wee romance with quite a serious sub-plot mixed into the story. I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

Nine Month Countdown by Leah Ashton

Sometimes you meet someone in life and all it is meant to be is a fleeting moment in time. If that per chance encounter happens to be of the passionate variety, then that also is perhaps only to be a fond memory one dwells upon in later years.

Both Ivy and Angus believe their brief encounter is destined to be a moment of unbridled passion never to be repeated again. For Ivy it is an unexpected loss of control, and she hates relinquishing control to anyone else, even to her own desires.

Unfortunately life in general is like a box of chocolates and you never know what you’re going to get. In this case Ivy gets something she just hadn’t planned for. The kind of surprise that changes all her well thought out plans.

It just remains to be seen whether or not Angus will be willing to go along with her new plans, which focus around the surprise. Ivy isn’t quite sure what to do with the SAS soldier, who most certainly will not be controlled, led or ordered around by the savvy business executive.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

Bridesmaid with Attitude by Christy McKellen

He needs a pretend girlfriend to fool his mother and she needs a fake boyfriend to keep her job. Sound straightforward right? If there wasn’t that mega pesky physical attraction between them. A powerful  vibe they are both finding it hard to ignore.

Emily is feisty, knows what she wants and takes anyone she fancies a bite of. She has learnt to fend for herself since her family dropped her like a hot potatoe. Why? For looking and being very much like her mother. Certainly an unfair and judgemental reason to avoid a family member.

Theo is a broody, stubborn and passionate man, who finds Emily both infuriating and alluring. When her big mouth triggers a paparazzi frenzy and the truth about her past becomes national fodder, Theo has to choose between comforting or turning away from her.

This story is about a young woman living under the shadow of mental illness, having to deal with the misconceptions and harsh reactions of the ignorant. Nice little sub-plot there.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK & Mills and Boon.

An Offer She Can’t Refuse by Shoma Narayanan

What starts with a simple job interview, ends with a complicated friends with benefits scenario. Mallika and Darius slip slowly and surely into a relationship, which they both refuse to define as a relationship of any kind.

Mallika is coping with the fact her brother is suffering from agoraphobia, induced by the traumatic and tragic death of their parents.  She has become his parent and carer all rolled into one. Having to more or less babysit him 24/7, despite the fact he is an adult, has a negative impact or her work and her dating life.

Darius accepts all that and more, in fact he is very patient with Mallika. In return she sort of treats him with disdain, because she assumes he is not the family man she is looking for. They are both in for a surprise.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

 

Turning the Good Girl Bad by Avril Tremayne

Tremayne has attempted to throw the spotlight on quite a few serious issues in this short romance.  I think the playful fantasy role-playing, in regards to the infamous book featured in the story, doesn’t balance well with the serious intent.

Sexual harassment is still far too commonplace in our day and age. Both women and men find themselves victims of people, who believe they have the right to overstep intimate boundaries and personal space. Catherine has found herself in a situation like that, and the repercussions of the harassment still influence her daily life.

Catherine pretends to be something she isn’t, a buttoned up and straight-laced prim woman. She hides the fun-loving fashionista behind dull clothes and a bland exterior. Why? Because she believes, and was told by her abuser that she brought it all upon herself for looking too good. Her fault because she dressed in a way that provoked him to attack her.

Of course this is the part of the story where one needs to step lightly. To make sure no victim blaming or shaming occurs in any way shape or form. The character of Catherine leans towards that representation, which isn’t pleasant, but perhaps a true representation of how society makes people in these situations feel, especially women and girls.

Max helps Catherine to move beyond the fear and the misconceptions she has about herself and the men around her. He understands that she needs to heal before the two of them can be together.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

Your Bed or Mine by Joss Wood

Matt understands instinctively how Tori hides her real feelings from her friends. She plays the clown to deflect from her inner pain and torment. He also sees through her bravado to the core of her insecurities. The self-doubt and lack of character judgement when it comes to picking out the men in her life.

Tori tends to pick the rogues, the bad boys and the borderline abusive boyfriends. She puts up with the betrayals, the embarrassment and the odd requests or fetishes that cross her personal boundaries. She lacks self-esteem and suffers from the misconception that sex equals love.

Unfortunately many young people, especially girls, find it hard to distinguish between the two. Far too often love and sex are put on the same pedestal and mistaken for the same thing. Hearts are broken because what is a purely sexual relationship to one half of a couple might be a starry-eyed romance and declaration of love to another.

Matt needs to make Tori wake up and smell the roses in regards to her dysfunctional relationship patterns. Only then will he allow the two of them to get closer. In the meantime Tori is playing hard to get, then come and get me, and confusing the hell out of both of them.

Wood has slid some interesting sub-topics into this wee romance.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

The Party Starts at Midnight by Lucy King

The problem with rules is that they are made to be broken, especially the ‘whatever you do don’t touch the really hot naked guy, who just happens to be in a very deep sleep’ rules. Those type of rules always depend on the situation and the irresistibility of the guy in question.

Leo awakes from his slumber to find Abby in his bedroom eyeing up his crown jewels, and thus begins the comedy of errors between the two of them.

This romance is about letting walls down and emotions in. Leo is the perfect example of someone who has been burned so badly in the past he doesn’t want to ever let another person in.  Abby is the type of person, who chips away at cold walls of emotions without even realising she is doing it. Under her cucumber business exterior lurks the interior of a hot pepper.

Leo and Abby connect, clash and lead each other on a merry chase of emotions in this hot to trot little romance.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

Breaking the Bro Code by Stefanie London

Elise is struggling to keep her dance studio afloat. At this point she needs a miracle to keep things going. She just wasn’t expecting a miracle in the shape of Col Hillam. The same Col, who used to be part of her family and the same person who dumped her like a hot potato many years ago.

Col still struggles with the neglect and abuse he suffered as a child. He is home to bury the person who will always be at the root of his fears and problems. One of those fears is something he needs to overcome quick snap, which is why he has returned to ask Elise for help.

The two of them have to overcome a mountain of obstacles to rekindle their fledgling romance, including clearing up the real reason Col left in the first place. The secret he kept from Elise because he didn’t want to break her heart and destroy the relationship between her and someone close to both of them.

This romance is about trust, family and coming back home to the one person, who makes you feel safe and complete.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

The Party Dare by Anne Oliver

Leo is plagued by guilt and a sense of responsibility towards his younger sister. Everything and everyone else becomes secondary to taking care of her. He finds it hard to relinquish the control and treats the young adult as if she were still a child.

Of course his odd habit of dropping all and everything at a moments notice to ensure the safety and well-being of said sister, tends to play havoc with his social life. Not many dates are going to put up with cancellations at last-minute or  a basket full of broken promises.

Breanna isn’t the type to play the wilting wallflower. She takes what she wants when she wants it.  She doesn’t however take kindly to the peculiar on-off-on behaviour Leo exhibits. Acting all hot and bothered one second, then ice-cold and disinterested the next.

Their tug of war is a lengthy one  and their romance is one with very unexpected twists and turns. I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.

Sleeping with the Soldier by Charlotte Phillips

Kudos to the author for adding this difficult subject to such a carefree romance. Many men and women are involved in the atrocities of war, even in our day and age. They see and experience things no person should ever be exposed to. Unfortunately this is part and parcel of serving in the military.

There seems to be lack of acknowledgement by the government and military when it comes to the aftermath of being in a war zone. Aside from the physical injuries there is also post-traumatic stress disorder, a psychological burden many soldiers suffer from, despite  the high number of people suffering it seems to often go undiagnosed. What is far worse though is how the military often approaches the subject with an almost blasé type attitude, which can be detrimental the soldier’s health and those around them.

Alex keeps himself awake each night in an attempt to escape the memories and the trauma. The sleep deprivation causes erratic behaviour and mood swings, which makes it hard to connect to people long-term. Relationships are hard to maintain when one part of the couple refuses to deal with such major issues.

Lara does try very hard to get through to Alex, but finds herself at the top of the rejection pile. She initially puts his behaviour down to his wealthy upbringing and his selfish personality traits. When she does manage to get a glimpse inside the real Alex it seems to be too little too late.

This is an arduous romance with a very important yet often overlooked sub-plot.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Harlequin UK and Mills & Boon.