Chantelle ShawCríticas

Inutilmente prolisso, sarebbe stato anche carino ma si perde in continue elucubrazioni senza alcun costrutto, per una storia scontata senza che accada mai nulla di particolare.
Leandro Vialli, ricco, bellissimo e, soprattutto, egoista e malfidato per un’esperienza negativa del passato, ha come amante segreta e ben nascosta, Marnie Clarke, un’ingenua cameriera che resta incinta per sbaglio. Non credendole pretende la prova del dna e poi, quando un incidente le farà perdere la memoria cercherà di raggirarla per ottenere l’affidamento del figlio.
Ma quando il destino ci mette lo zampino …

This is one of my favorite tropes in the HP world. Heroine is mistress to the hero. She gets pregnant but he throws her out, convinced she was cheating because he's had a vasectomy. But this one just failed in execution for me.

Once he finds her again and she has a fairly reasonable explanation of what happened even though he knows that some vasectomies fail he still refuses to consider he might be one of the failures. He calls her every nasty name in the book but still gets her in bed every third page it seemed like. She was totally spineless. I think any man who called me those sorts of names and told me to my face I was trash would not be able to talk me into bed 5 minutes later especially after first time he said "see I told you you were a 'ho" afterwards.

I'm used to a certain amount of asshatery and spinelessness but CS just didn't sell me on it this time.

Thoroughly satisfying Hp read. It had amnesia, yeah! Totally differently set up so double yeah! Well written, kept me interested. The hero was quite dastardly. But he he got what was coming to him and had to struggle to get the heroine back. Heroine eventually had a nice bit of backbone. Fun OTT read all around.

This book frustrated me. I know it's not my book and I didn't write it but the author made some choices that just bothered me. Here's an example of the type of thing I mean. He comes on to her. She says "no thank you I don't want to date you in fact I'm too involved in my music to date anyone". Several times this happens. When she finally gives in and he finds out she's a virgin, he blows a gasket. He says words to the effect that "If I'd known you were a virgin, I'd never had taken you to bed. I only sleep with experienced lovers, yada yada." And do you know what she didn't say? She didn't say "I told you to go away and leave me alone asshole."

As for the rest he blows hot and cold. She gets her feelings hurt when he says nasty things and she just falls back into his arms at the drop of a hat. The ending was too quick. Overall just below so so for me.

Middle of the road story that had some interesting elements. The hero and the heroine had been lovers briefly years ago and when he left he broke her heart. But instead of the old HP standard of she 'never loved again' she went on to a couple more relationships and eventual marriage. But her husband abused her and when she meets the hero again she is single. This tried to be more angsty that it really was. I expected maybe the abusive husband to show up but he didn't. I expected the heroine to have more issues resulting from her abuse but she didn't. Really most of the conflict revolved around the death of his fiance 15 years ago and his refusal to open himself up to love since then. Ultimately this was nice but not wonderful.

This book was just too all over the place for me.

This one was just okay for me. I thought the emphasis on how much the heroine was attracted to the hero was overdone. It was mentioned in every scene how hot he was and how she was trembling with arousal. She didn't seem very adult. I just wasn't drawn to the characters somehow. It felt very much same old same old.

Run of the mill secret baby story with no real surprises. I can get behind a good secret baby story if the reason for it is solid and/or different. But here is was not real solid and even worse in my opinion, the heroine is an older, well educated, gainfully employed at a good job, woman. She should have known better. I generally give an 18 year old making a bad decision a bit of a pass because that's just a mixed up kid making a bad decision but that wasn't the case here. Other than that standard stuff.

When Clare Marchant’s sister (who is a model) is kidnapped, Clare leaves England for Brazil to deliver the ransom. When in Brazil, Clare seeks comfort at a convent where Sister Ann suggests Clare dress as a nun for safety reasons since the ransom is to be delivered in Torrente, one of the most dangerous places in Brazil. Sister Ann hires gold prospector Diego Cazorra to be Clare’s guide through the Amazon rainforest which Clare must go through to get to Torrente. Clare must fight her attraction to Diego in order to keep up her nun disguise. Diego is having an even harder time trying to fight his attraction to a nun.

This was such a thoroughly enjoyable book. I really liked Clare and Diego, they had sizzling chemistry, and you could tell that they really cared for each other. The settings were wonderful, first through the Amazon rainforest and later in Rio de Janeiro where Clare worked on a PR campaign for Diego’s company. The storyline was very entertaining, romantic with some suspense, and it held my interest throughout.

Divorced over accusations of cheating.
HEA

Sometimes you just need a break from all the blue aliens kidnapping earth women and lose yourself in a sweet, Harlequin with a HEA..... Yeah I know it got bad reviews but I loved it.

Horrible but very sexy Hero ...check

Strong Heroine (bad childhood)... check

Adorable baby... check

Sweet mother of the hero... check...

Sometimes you need something very Harlequinishy!

Clare Marchant (who is 24) goes to Brazil to pay the ransom for her sister Becky who has been kidnapped. When Clare arrives in Brazil she is sent a package/box with what appears to be part of her sister’s severed ear inside. The note with the box instructs Clare to go to the town of Torrente, deep in the Amazon rainforest, and the kidnappers will meet her at a cave by a waterfall. A distraught Clare goes into a church and breaks down and tells a nun everything. The nun arranges for Clare to be flown to Manaus (in northern Brazil) to stay with the nuns of the Holy Order of the Sacred Heart while another nun, Sister Ann, arranges Clare’s onward journey to Torrente. Sister Ann asks a gold prospector (37-year-old hero Diego Cazorra) if he can take Clare to Torrente, giving him the story that Clare is a nun who is going to Torrente to take up the post of teaching Sunday school there. He reluctantly agrees to take Clare and they set off for Torrente. Along the way they encounter bad weather, treacherous roads, and to Diego’s shock he finds himself attracted to Clare who he believes to be a nun. They eventually meet the kidnappers…

This was a really fun and enjoyable read! The story had some humorous moments, and some suspense. I liked Clare. She was sweet and brave. She always felt like she was second best in comparison to her beautiful model sister Becky, who her parents favored. She was pretty gutsy standing up to the bad guys. I also liked Diego, he was a sexy hero. Blond, disheveled, tall, and built. Diego had a terrible childhood and he spent two years in a Brazilian jail. But years later he was left a fortune by his grandfather (who he never knew) and he bought a diamond mine and became a diamond magnate with his partner Cruz (from the previous Chantelle Shaw book “Mistress of His Revenge”).

Another entertaining read by Chantelle Shaw.

Review Posted on HarlequinJunkie.com

Kristen Russell had put Sergio Castellano and their affair well behind her. It wasn’t easy, especially when she could see his eyes every time she looked at her three-year-old son. Sergio had made it clear at the time – he didn’t want a commitment. In fact, his exact words when he was under the impression she’d lost the baby were “It was for the best”.Read More

This was a re-read

I enjoyed Damon the (H), he put his cards on the table from the jump, and I know we were meant to feel bad for Anna the (h) but honestly I was more irritated than sympathetic, I liked that she had her own career and wasn't one of those not got her own women, but apart from that... I had no overwhelming feelings towards her, it wasn't that she wasn't likeable but honestly, something didn't click. I like the H more than the h, she seemed to iono, want sympathy, your daddy left your mummy boohoo, smh! Okay so yea I felt bad about her stepdad, but she left before it was a tragedy sooo again, I didn't feel great sympathy for her unlike the h in the [b:The Greek Prince's Chosen Wife|1252536|The Greek Prince's Chosen Wife (Billionaires' Brides, #2)|Sandra Marton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387710726s/1252536.jpg|1241301] .... Her situation was similar but I hurt for her, maybe because that was more tragic! Hmm or maybe I felt this h was kinda superficial and self centered,or perhaps she was just flighty and irrational, she was just everywhere!

I enjoyed the previous book, although this could stand alone the (h) was mentioned briefly in [b:The Greek Boss's Bride|1296407|The Greek Boss's Bride|Chantelle Shaw|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182564218s/1296407.jpg|1285539]

This was a re-read

I enjoyed Damon the (H), he put his cards on the table from the jump, and I know we were meant to feel bad for Anna the (h) but honestly I was more irritated than sympathetic, I liked that she had her own career and wasn't one of those not got her own women, but apart from that... I had no overwhelming feelings towards her, it wasn't that she wasn't likeable but honestly, something didn't click. I like the H more than the h, she seemed to iono, want sympathy, your daddy left your mummy boohoo, smh! Okay so yea I felt bad about her stepdad, but she left before it was a tragedy sooo again, I didn't feel great sympathy for her unlike the h in the [b:The Greek Prince's Chosen Wife|1252536|The Greek Prince's Chosen Wife (Billionaires' Brides, #2)|Sandra Marton|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387710726s/1252536.jpg|1241301] .... Her situation was similar but I hurt for her, maybe because that was more tragic! Hmm or maybe I felt this h was kinda superficial and self centered,or perhaps she was just flighty and irrational, she was just everywhere!

I enjoyed the previous book, although this could stand alone the (h) was mentioned briefly in [b:The Greek Boss's Bride|1296407|The Greek Boss's Bride|Chantelle Shaw|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1182564218s/1296407.jpg|1285539]

When Sabrina Bancroft (from England) was 18 and Cruz Delgado was 24 they had a brief affair that lasted less than a year. She was a wealthy aristocrat visiting her father, Earl Bancroft, in Brazil where he was working at his diamond mine. Cruz was one of the miners (who grew up in the slums and later found work mining.) During their affair Sabrina eventually became pregnant but then had a miscarriage. Cruz had asked her to marry him but Sabrina turned him down. She was sure Cruz didn't love her, he only wanted his child. And after witnessing her parents disastrous marriage, she was wary of making a commitment. So they drifted apart, she went back to England, and they haven't seen each other since then.

Ten years later...

Sabrina now has a PhD and works in antique furniture restoration. Her father, Earl Bancroft, has been missing for eighteen months, he's been officially declared a missing person, so his bank accounts have been frozen and Sabrina is running out of money. Opening up her large ancestral home (Eversleigh Hall) for weddings and parties was the only way Sabrina could afford the huge running costs of the estate until her father returns.

Cruz is now a wealthy man and the owner of a diamond empire (Delgado Diamonds). He bought the diamond mine he named "Old Betsy" from Earl Bancroft, and found diamonds, and became rich. He has heard stories about a map with details about an abandoned mine connected somewhere to his mine and he wants that map. (He is especially interested in finding a rare red diamond---the Estrela Vermelha.) Since Earl Bancroft sold him the mine he figures the old Earl has the map. So he goes to England to visit the Earl, not knowing the Earl is missing and he will only be seeing Sabrina.

Cruz arrives at Eversleigh Hall and discovers Sabrina's father is missing and she is having financial difficulties. Cruz asks about the map but Sabrina doesn't know where her father put it. She tells him the Hall has many secret places/rooms to hide things and her father could have put the map in one of these places. So Cruz decides to make Sabrina an offer. He offers her a lot of money and in return she will be his mistress for the next six months. This will give Cruz time to look around Eversleigh Hall for the map and Sabrina will be able to pay expenses for maintaining her estate. Sabrina's younger brother Tristan also needs money for his university education. His dream is to become an airline pilot. Sabrina eventually accepts Cruz's offer and they become lovers again and find they are still very attracted to each other. They also learn a lot more about each other than they did ten years ago.

Sabrina was a cool, classy, aristocratic heroine. I liked how much she cared for her brother, Tristan, and looked out for him for years since her parents were never around much. Her mother left them for her lover when they were young, and their father was always going off somewhere, exploring, mining...

Cruz was aloof and distant towards Sabrina at first. He tried to keep his emotional distance since she rejected him ten years ago. He always (wrongly) felt that Sabrina thought she was too good for him since she was wealthy and he was poor. Cruz is wealthy now but he still feels he isn't accepted by the upper classes because of his poor background.

At first I found the main couple cool/cold because they were both trying to hide their emotions and feelings for each other but they grew on me as the story progressed and they opened up and talked to each other. I also liked the loyalty they had to their families, Sabrina's closeness and devotion to her brother Tristan, and Cruz's love for his family, his mother and sisters that he looked out for after his father died in the mine.

This was an enjoyable read by Chantelle Shaw with lots of misunderstandings, sexy love scenes, and diamonds.

Heroine Sophie is sent by her boss to the English countryside to try to persuade hero Nicolo Chastsfield to come to London for a Chatsfield shareholders meeting. She arrives at his large, run down Victorian house and meets handsome reclusive Nicolo (who she thinks resembles a highwayman with his long black coat, calf length boots, and long brown hair). He doesn’t want her there and has no interest in going to the meeting since he’s been estranged from his father for years and wants nothing to do with him.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I liked the main couple and I thought they were perfect for each other. They both had painful pasts--Nicolo was in a fire when he was in his teens and one side of his body is badly scarred, and Sophie battled cancer, also in her teens. I liked how Sophie tried to get Nicolo out of his shell and to stop dwelling on his past. I also enjoyed the slightly gothic setting and I thought Nicolo was a great hero. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the Chatsfield series!

Scandinavian Prince Aksel in is London for Royal business and needs to unwind so he goes to a theater production of "Romeo and Juliet". He becomes captivated by the beautiful auburn haired woman playing Juliet and comes back every night for three nights to see her. Mina notices the handsome blond man in the audience three nights in a row and is intrigued. On the last night of the play she goes to the pub with some friends and meets the handsome blond stranger, not knowing he is a prince from a small Scandinavian country (Storvhal). Later they go to his hotel and the romance begins. I really enjoyed this book, though it seemed a bit more serious in tone. And it isn't every day I read a Harlequin Presents with a blond Scandinavian hero, which is a nice change from the endless Greeks, Sheiks, ect. The heroine Mina was very likeable and sweet. She had a severe hearing impairment since she was 8 years old and wears small hearing aids to hear. These different elements in the story made it more interesting for me. Sometimes the hero came across as a bit cold to the heroine but I guess I understood his reasons. (He had some tragedies and betrayals in his past.)

Other things I enjoyed in the book were: the icy Scandinavian setting of Storvhal, the moment when they watched the aurora borealis (Northern Lights) from their cabin, and the London theater setting at the beginning of the book.

Recommended for readers who want something a little different sometimes in their Harlequin Presents.

OK, i suppose. I quite liked the characters and the anti domestic violence slant.
But the whole mysterious tragic past mystery was terrible. Hello - the Internet. Gina Is supposed to be a super PA but she can't look up her celebrity boss on the Net - seriously!!