Enticed

Enticed

Pregnancy and Passion series #1

Maya Banks

Harlequin Special Releases, Dec 2013

164 pages, Contemporary Romance, Second chance romance

Purchased

✭✭✭⭑-✭ I couldn’t decide…

The cover is certainly eye-catching, but it has nothing to do with the story. It has more to do with the series of books it’s printed with. They all have a bold cover with a one-word title and a one image cover art. I can’t think of one image from the story to use for this cover, so the flower alluding to the southern island might as well do. The broken plane would be too complex a picture to use.

The story is an old one but a good one and well done this time. A man wants something from a woman so he seduces her to get it. On his way back to his life something happens to change his life. He has to take a second look at the woman and this time he falls in love for real, but she finds out that he was only using her the first time, so she takes off. He has to track her down and convince her that he’s worth her time. Rafael de Luca is building his business with his three best friends, Devon Carter, Ryan Beardsley, and Cameron Hollingsworth. He’s very good at what he does and he always closes the deal. This one will put them on top. Bryony Morgan is expecting some resistance, but not “Have we met?” when she speaks with Rafael. Not only have they met, but he closed the deal, made promises, and left her pregnant. She’s furious.

The characters are believable as real people. Rafael and Bryony, of course, get lots of time to open up and be themselves. We get to know lots about them as they get to know each other again. We also get to know Bryony’s grandmother, Mamaw or Laura since she and Bryony are so close. But even cameo characters get some personality to them, like the mayor who feels he doesn’t get enough respect. He’s probably correct about that since he can’t even silence an assembly of his constituents and has to have the sheriff quiet them.

The pace is easy enough to follow. Not too fast, though Bryony is already in love with Race when he comes back to the island and he falls in love with her in just a matter of days. That was the only thing that seemed a bit “out of whack” to me. All of a sudden, this cool-headed businessman is falling in love and ready to take on being a father in just a couple of days knowing that this is not how he lived his life before his plane crash. Also, suddenly, his three buddies seemed willing to handle the business while he ran off and handled his love life at the end. No more arguments. Oh well, it did make a smooth ending.

Recommended.