More Precious Than a Crown by Carol Marinelli

More Precious Than a Crown
by Carol Marinelli

I adore Carol Marinelli's ability to find the perfect balance of emotion. I have to re use the well worn sentance: I was hooked by page one. I was whisked away from the beautiful sunny day outside, I forgot about the pile of washing to fold and I lost track of time I almost didn't care I was going to be late to meet friends.  That's how much More Precious than a Crown grabbed me, distracted me and whisked me away from my day.

Trinity seems on the outside a trouble making spoilt little rich girl, her Daddy a politician and her Mother full of plastic smiles, on the inside though she is a damaged little girl, her hopes and dreams of a normal life and escaping her family reality just not meant to be.  Her brothers best friend (or is he) Prince Zahid is the only small light in her day at family functions but even he is about to turn his back on the family.  But the one kiss they shared 10 years ago won't go away and when Zahid reluctantly agree's to be the best man at Trinity's brothers wedding, they're once again forced to face each other.

Trinity can't reveal her secret hell, Zahid can't do more than really offer a night, he's got a bride to chose and family duties he's bound to. But life isn't full of black and white and the grey's are a plenty.

Zahid is the perfect character. He's tall, dark and handsome and honour bound.  He's not used to having someone tug on his heart strings, in fact he didn't even really know he had one!  Trinity is the perfect example of why books should not be judged by their cover. She's absolutely delightful even though she's been through her own personal hell.  As each page is turned you wish and hope for nothing but their happy ever after.

I give this book 5 stars because there's not one fault to find and I LOVE emotion in the way it was in this book. I'm delighted to see there's a book for Zahid's sister.  I'm also thanking my lucky stars I came across this book in my local second hand store.  I've rescued it because it will definitely be read again!

Harlequin | Kindle Published September 2014

5 Stars
Review by TashNz

A Bargain With The Enemy by Carole Mortimer

A Bargain With the Enemy by Carole Mortimer

Review by TashNz

A Bargain with the Enemy is book one of three in The Devilish D'Angelos" mini series.  Three brothers who own the infamous and prestigious Archangel Art Galleries in Europe.

Five years ago middle brother Gabriel was the main prosecution witness whose testimony helped imprison a fraudulent art dealer.  The fraudster died in jail a few months later and the entire fall out for his family was devastating. 

We start the book five years later with older brother Michael pouring over a detailed security report regarding Bryn Jones, an entrant for Archangel's New Comers Gallery  which will displays  new comers work to their exclusive clientele.  Bryn is the daughter of the jailed fraudster but she's completely altered her appearance and changed her name and she's desperately hoping she wont be recognised as an entrant.  The last thing she wants is Gabriel to recognise her, wrongly assuming this will cause her entry to be tossed out the window.  However, Bryn's art is incredible and she's chosen as one of the final finalists to display her work.  Middle brother Raphael doesn't hesiate to tell Gabriel about Bryn and so begins an engaging and exciting story about two people, one trying to hide her identity from her enemy and the other trying to hide his feelings (and failing miserably at it) while both are trying to ignore what the past meant to each of them.

A Bargain with the Enemy is filled with action packed interaction between Gabriel and Bryn.  I thought Carole Mortimer did a great job of Gabriel's character.  He's clearly a man in charge of his world but when it comes to Bryn, she's his one weakness where he's chosen to stay away because of his involvement of her fathers imprisonment and untimely death.  He plays the game until he's had enough of the game because at heart he's as straight up as they come and throws a couple of curve balls Bryn's way where you really hold your breath and go Uh Oh, how's this going to pan out?

Bryn was tough and feisty, although a lil more feisty than I perhaps would have picked her to be given the desperate circumstances she was facing but in saying that if she wasn't feisty and Gabriel hadn't met his match it would make for a boring read wouldn't it!  

The only thing I would change if i wrote this book would be the overuse of the word nubbin. Also Gabriel and Bryn also didn't fully consummate their relationship within the story (but got very close a couple of times) but to be honest I didn't actually notice until I finished.  It wasn't like you were sitting there waiting for it to happen because there was so much detail packed into the story that it was a fulfilling read regardless because it was a fast paced enjoyable read that I read in one three hour sitting.

I adore linked books and The Devilish D'Angelo's promises to be a great one.  It's quite clear through the little parts youngest brother Raphael makes appearances that he is the mischievous will-forever-be-a-fun-loving-bachelor type of guy so I'm looking forward to downloading his story soon.

Published by Mills & Boon / Harlequin February 2014