Bought for the Greek's Bed - Julia James M&B (July 2007)

Bought for the Greek's bed was somewhat unusual for a  Mills and Boon because it started with absolute loathing on each side. On top of this there was never really any romance. From this point of view it lacked the comfort I usually gain from reading these. 


However there was something about it, and I'm not quite sure what, that found me racing through the pages. It could have been that it was relatively fast-paced. It could have been the sympathy that I felt for Vicky with her being in a relationship where she was effectively used and the overwhelming sense of abuse.


It wasn't direct, and I have no doubt that if you asked either character they'd deny it but to my mind it was an abusive relationship. I'm not sure I'd want to read this one again, and I'm not sure I understand how Vicky and Theo got their wires crossed.


Linking up to Speed Date Night @ The Book Swarm.


Rowen

Man of Iron - Catherine George

I liked the simplicity of this story. It followed the same basic principle of story-line as most Mills and Boon books; Man meets woman; they don't get on; they fall in love; there's a misunderstanding; everything is resolved and they can now live happily ever after! 


However because it was written in the 1980's rather than the present the norm is a little bit different. The people are a little more straight-laced and so they don't jump into bed hours after meeting one another. I liked it, it was refreshing.


I also liked that although the characters didn't get on to start with they weren't totally wrong together, you could still see how they could fit. It made the romance much more believable. 


The only thing I got a bit cross about was Jaime finding it possible that Antonia who so obviously liked him would then betray him for someone like her father who was clearly a very different person!


Linking up to Speed Date Night @ The Book Swarm.


Hope you've enjoyed what you've been reading.


Rowen

Book Beginnings: Man of Iron - Catherine George

'The office was very quiet, and smelt of leather and the dust dancing in a shaft of sunlight from the tall window.'

I think this speaks of a quiet and sedate romance to follow. At least that's what I'm hoping, I could do with a change from the usual full on style that you get nowadays. 

This book shouldn't take too long to read, another point in it's favour. 

Linking up to Book Beginnings @ Rose City Reader.

Rowen

A Perfect Proposal - Liz Fielding

         This Mills and Boon novel was brought out as part of the collection written specifically to celebrate 100 years of the publishing house which changed Romance. It was exclusive to WHSmith.

         I’m reasonably confident I picked it up at the Church Christmas Bazaar.

        This book was a lot more sensible than most Mills and Boon books are. There was little love of the ‘at first sight’ variety. It was a love which had grown, on one side at least, very slowly between two people who had known each other for a period of time and knew each other well.

This book differed because there was no carnality. This book differed because it made a priority of the child in the life of the male half.

         It was brief. It was light hearted. It was a welcome break for a couple of hours from life.

Rowen

Bride by Blackmail - Carole Mortimer M&B (October 2006)

This book is the second I finished, less than a day after the first, it is also the second book in the omnibus. The third I have yet to read. It is by Carole Mortimer who is one of my favourite Mills and Boon authors she wrote a few of the books my mum had when she was about the same age I am now.

I would honestly say that I didn't like this book to start with, there was too much treachery and twists only hinted at, however towards the end it settled into a rhythm I was comfortable with.

She wasn't actually blackmailed into being a bride but only into pretending and it wasn't altogether surprising when she realised she still loved her ex-husband. My faviurite element was how you as the reader became very sympathetic towards Jed whilst Georgie is still completely oblivious to his very obvious feelings.

Rowen

The Blackmailed Bride - Kim Lawrence M&B (October 2006)

Yesterday I mentioned that I'd finished two Mills and Boon books in the time that I havn't been blogging over the past week. This is mostly because of the multitude of exams which members of my household (myself and my sister) have been taking. As of monday I finished my exams but I felt I still needed time to recover, I have now done so and am back.

The first of the two books I read was The Blackmailed Bride, the first book from the omnibus I bought a couple of weeks back, I have a high turnover of this kind of book. It more or less fulfilled my expectations, only I felt it was too rushed, the whole of the beginning of the book took place over about 3 days. Seeing as she was being blackmailed into marrying this man she barely knew against her will I thought she fell in love with him much too soon.

It did however fulfill in other areas and I was on the whole satisfied by the plot.

Rowen