The Bride Said No

This was one of the worst books I have ever read. I couldn't keep up with the heroine's constantly changing motives and bizarre thought processes.

The day before her wedding to Sean Hinton, Miranda Boston overhears her father's secretary explaining to someone that Sean is only marrying her for her father's company. Apparently her Sean and her father made an arrangement before Sean proposed to her. Shattered by the thought that the marriage is based on money and ambition rather than love, Miranda runs away leaving a note to say she can't go through with the wedding. Naturally, confronting her father or her fiancé is out of the question. She spends the night with an old friend, Carol, who is the sole voice of sensible reasoning in the whole book. She advises Miranda not to pay attention to malicious gossip, but rather to question why she was so willing to believe her father's secretary. Did Miranda already have doubts about Sean? She should speak to Sean and work things out. Unfortunately, Miranda doesn't follow Carol's advice, and Carol is never heard from again. Sean shows up in the morning to drag Miranda back for the wedding, ranting about how inconsiderate she has been. Miranda decides that she must never let him or her father know about the conversation she overheard, and simply tells Sean that she can't marry him. He jumps to the conclusion that she is indifferent to him and proves her wrong by kissing her. Please note, at no point did Miranda actually say she wasn't attracted to him, she just said she was worried that he may be marrying her for her father's money. Anyway, Sean tells her that cancelling the wedding at this late date would be an administrative nightmare, what with having to return presents and so on. Miranda, bright spark that she is, agrees with him and "realises" it's too late to do anything but go ahead with the wedding. She then does what any self-respecting heroine would, and waits until after the vows are said and the certificate signed, before informing her new husband that she won't have sex with him.

Sigh. It just gets worse after this...

Sean and Miranda jet off on their "no-sex" honeymoon. By this stage, Sean is convinced that Miranda must have found some other hot young stud, because that's the only reason she wouldn't want to get married to him. As for Miranda, she begins to realise that Sean was never very passionate during their six month courtship, which must prove that he never loved her after all. She decides that the only way to get Sean is to play hard to get. It's not clear why she suddenly decides this. She goes from being broken hearted and betrayed to wanting to be a femme fatale.

Anyway, things get ever more convoluted with no one really talking to each other. Sean finally admits that he was never in love with Miranda, but challenges her assertion that he doesn't love her by telling her that he is fond of her. She decides that he really does love her, and is also in love with her after all, so they can have sex and live happily ever after.

I had no idea what was going on in this book. Miranda spends a lot of time in her head. There seems to be a lot of empty space there so I guess it's nice and roomy. At one point, Miranda thinks to herself,

"What was the point in talking yet, anyway? They weren't using the same language. Sean wouldn't understand the confused tangle of motives making her act the way she was and she couldn't tell him how simple it could all be if he really felt anything for her."

Well, Sean isn't the only one who wouldn't understand. I couldn't even understand her sense of betrayal over Sean's feelings. It is clear that Sean never lied to her, either by pretending to or telling her that he loved her. Miranda seems to have jumped to that conclusion all on he suggested they get married.

Ugh. I think I've ranted about this book enough. Miranda was just so incredibly irritating. Take my word for it, leave this one alone.

Compulsion

Lissa is a sweet 20 year old happily living a comfortable life until she meets Luc Ferrier, also known as Lucifer. He stirs up a passion in her that she has never felt before and reveals shocking facts about her long-term fiancé and childhood friend, Chris. Lissa finally realises the truth about Chris and realises she needs help to get away from him. Luc rescues her, but at what cost?

This was great, although it took me a moment to get past the stupid nickname of "Lucifer". The relationship between Luc and Lissa progresses at a nice pace. Lissa knows that Chris is dangerous and that she can't stay with him, but she also doesn't want to swap from one user to another. Unfortunately she does need to accept Luc's offer of help or she won't be able to leave Chris and start a new life for herself, but she has more self respect than to just go ahead and jump into bed with him. The final declarations of undying never-ending love are somewhat sudden, but I suppose that's not uncommon in category romances with limited pages. Overall I recommend this if you want a nice read.

You can love a stranger

Maddie is a late night radio host. Her boss, Con Osbourne, is currently separated from his wife Jill, whom he believes has left him for his half-brother Zachary Nash. Maddie falls for Zachary Nash, and though it becomes clear that Jill is in love with Con, not Zachary, Maddie believes that Zachary is in love with Jill. Meanwhile, Zachary believes that Maddie is in love with Con. It's all a bunch of silly misunderstandings and people making assumptions and not communicating.

The book opens with Maddie on a dinner date with Con. I naturally assumed that this was the hero, and was horrified by the description of him. He is 5'7" with hazel eyes, heavy black brows and blond hair. The reader is assured that he has sex appeal and a vibrant personality, but he just doesn't sound like a romantic hero to me! Imagine my relief upon discovering that the hero is actually his half brother.

On a side note, I don't think we ever actually find out what Maddie's last name is...

This was a nice book. Not particularly passionate or exciting, but it was nice. No annoyingly stupid heroine or needlessly arrogant hero. No angst or over the top jealousy. Just a nice, pleasant read to pass the time.