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My Review:Title: One Night, One Baby
Author: Kate Hardy
Published by: Harlequin Presents
Release Date: July 28, 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 Backlist Reader Challenge, Lenoreo's 2023 Bookish Resolutions Presents, Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 2
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:
Blurb:Everyone seems to have forgotten Jane's birthday—but meeting handsome, brooding millionaire Mitch Holland gives her good reason to celebrate. The attraction between them is intense, but Mitch puts a strict limit on their time he can offer her one night only.
A few weeks later, Jane is still struggling to forget gorgeous Mitch—and their unforgettably sexy night together. Then she discovers she's pregnant….
3.5 stars — This one was pretty good from a Harlequin Presents standard. I loved the first half where they were celebrating her birthday and having a fun day together. It kind of got a bit frustrating when it got to the pregnancy and Mitch’s refusal to, you know, COMMUNICATE.
Jane was actually pretty fun for the first half. I mean, you could definitely see glimpses of how she would use her childhood with her absentee parents to paint everyone with the same brush, even as she tried not to. And that definitely showed up more and more as the book went on. And while I do get it, for some reason it made her seem less sympathetic…but maybe I just didn’t have as much patience today? I mean, for realz, she knew who Mitch was, basically ascribed her parents attitudes onto him, but would consistently get upset when he lived up to it. I don’t know why that bothered me, but it did. Maybe it’s the whole needing someone to change for you thing.
Mitch had a great side, and a stupid side. He could be fun and adorable, sweet and caring…but then he was also a bonehead who kept things to himself despite knowing he was causing harm. Idiot. I probably gave him more slack b/c he wasn’t the honest-to-goodness toxic asshat from the previous Harlequin I just read…which is to say he did have redeeming qualities at least.
And in that vein, at least this time I felt like it was plausible they could fall for one another, even as they kept fighting and misunderstanding each other.
So yeah. Solid Presents. Not too problematic, with an easy readability, but still a touch of car crash to it.
My Review:Title: Hotly Bedded, Conveniently Wedded
Author: Kate Hardy
Published by: Harlequin Presents
Release Date: December 30, 2008
Format: Paperback
Pages: 186
Genres: Contemporary, Romance
Potential Triggers: View Spoiler »
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2023 Backlist Reader Challenge, Lenoreo's 2023 Bookish Resolutions Presents, Lenoreo's 2023 COYER Chapter 2
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon
My rating:
Blurb:THE PASSIONATE PLAYBOY'S CONVENIENT WIFE
Alex Richardson has the ultimate playboy lifestyle, moving from one luscious, long-legged woman to the next. So why would he want Isobel, his short, curvaceous friend who loves him from afar?
Alex needs a convenient wife --- and Bel is his first-choice bride! Shocked at his proposal, Bel has doubts about his crazy plan. Then Alex gives her a taste of just how hot they can be together, leaving Bel begging him to finish what he started --- on their wedding night!
3.5 stars — Hmmm…I just read 2 books by Ms. Hardy in a row and there were some marked similarities, most notably the archeology/history touches and the pregnancy issues. I wonder if all her books have those components, or if I was just unlucky.
Now, saying all that there were some elements I really enjoyed in this one. You could really feel the connection between Isobel and Alex from their years of friendship, and so I believed the feelings they developed. Was it kind of a stretch on Alex’s end about avoiding love? Eh, kind of. But fine, people have different reactions.
In general I liked them both as characters. As with the other book, they both had moments that just made me roll my eyes (Alex steamrolling Isobel, Isobel wanting Alex to change). But there were some fun/cute moments too (the proposal, the wedding).
I think I’ll take a break and try a different author next though, just because they’re feeling a bit cookie cutterish (more than just normal Presents cookie cutter) to me.
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