Review: The Spanish Billionaire's Hired Bride

Title: The Spanish Billionaire's Hired Bride
Author: Rachel Lyndhurst
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: October 14, 2012
Pages: 150
Buy Links: Amazon (Kindle)

Blurb:

He bought her with cold, hard cash, but can she stop him from stealing her heart?

Blackmailed to marry against his will, Ricardo Almanza needs a wife before he’s thirty, and time is running out. A notorious playboy, marriage is the last thing he wants, but his stepmother’s sexy, debt-ridden personal assistant is the perfect solution. He makes her a business deal she can’t refuse—one million euros for three months as his wife. He might even enjoy being married to her … if she doesn’t kick the crap out of him again.

Helen Marshall can’t believe she’s considering Almanza’s outrageous proposal, but she must help clear her parents’ debts or they face financial ruin. The small print on the marriage contract changes to read three months as his wife in every way—including in the bedroom. Has she gotten in too deep, or will she need a new contract addendum, extending their marriage forever?

Excerpt

"Dios, this place is a dump!" He quickly looked around the tiny living room. "How much are you paying for this?" "It's the cheapest I could find." The half smile on her face disappeared as she followed his eyes around the shabby interior. "I've been waiting for my day off to have a bit of a tidy up." "I don't think there's much you can do with it, frankly," he said, flicking the flat of his hand roughly across her back. "Damn!" she exclaimed when she registered what he was doing. "I must remember not to touch the walls. There's bloody paint peeling off everywhere in here." "It would appear so," he agreed, allowing his hand to rest a moment longer than necessary on her shoulder. "So, er, did I leave something in the car?" She picked up a pile of mail and pretended she was sorting through it. "It could have waited until tomorrow, I'm sure." "No, it couldn't. It's been a long day and I'm starving. I wondered if you'd like to go for something to eat." "Oh." She hesitated a moment. It was a tempting offer. "That's very kind of you, but no, I really--" "You really planned a lavish meal at home?" He flung open the battered fridge with one hand and a Formica cupboard door with the other sending her a withering look. "A tin of sardinas, some rather dubious looking bread, and I'll bet there's not a drop of wine in the place." He slowly closed each door and turned to face her. "I thnk you just ran out of excuses, so are you coming or not?" He had her cornered. And she was hungry. "Okay, I'd love to." There was no going back now. "But we split the bill." "Go halves?" Ricardo sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "Do you think I'm poor? Or mean?" "Neither," she said flatly with a warning glare of defiance. "I'd prefer it that way, that's all." "You really are annoyingly independent, aren't you?" He looked around the shambolic kitchen area once again. "As you wish, pay the whole bill if you must, but let's get out of here. I need to eat."

Review

Very humorous and romantic, The Spanish Billionaire's Hired Bride is a must-read!

I was entertained from beginning to end. As you can tell from the excerpt, the type of humor is definitely one I enjoyed. I love how Ricardo was so arrogant in the beginning, probably to cover up the vulnerability inside. He bought everything with his money, and he obviously had more than enough to get everything he wanted.

Helen, on the other hand, had nothing. Her family was in deep debt, and she could barely live on her own. She probably starved most of the time. I do love her independence. She was so proud, even the slightest help from Ricardo was unwelcome. As it was, desperate times called for desperate measures. Against her will, she married Ricardo to help her parents.

Whether she liked it or not, the man oozed sex. He was dangerous and enticing, a brooding presence that put ordinary men in the shade.

Their honeymoon was just full of passion. I love their first night and the days and nights after that. One of my favorite scenes was when Ricardo was teaching Helen how to cook and he was speaking to her with loads of innuendo. I love that he tried to prove to her that he wasn't like most men; he wasn't just after the sex. That in itself was very honorable :)

"What?"

"I don't keep condoms in the kitchen, my darling, and I'm supposed to be teaching you how to cook."

"But--"

"And I'm not just after one thing like all the others." He kissed the top of her shoulder lightly. "I want to prove that to you."

"Don't you want to, here on the kitchen table? It would be so incredibly erotic."

"Later," he said and gave her a look of mock admonishment. "Build the excitement, layer by layer. It's more fun that way. For both of us."

"You're cruel," she whispered, but rewarded him with a provocative smile.

"But I'm always right."

Eventually, I really enjoyed it when Ricardo revealed his vulnerable side. I really appreciate that in my alpha males :)

"...I've even had girlfriends who went through my wallet and helped themselves when I wasn't looking, you know. They didn't need to. If they'd only asked..."

Before I start to spoil the story, I'll end this review. Just trust me when I say you would not want to miss reading this book. It's totally worth the purchase :)

Check out my favorite scenes!

"You look and smell wonderful."

"Thank you," she murmured. Color tinted her cheeks, spreading like pink ink dropped in water. "You have immaculate taste in toiletries."

"I have immaculate taste in everything," he said silkily. "Especially where women are concerned." Helen frowned playfully and pulled her hand away. "I bet you say that to all the girls, you feckless swine."

Ricardo chuckled. "I love it when you insult me like that, wife."

Helen closed her eyes for a second a breathed in the unctuous steam coming from the plates. "Oh my God, they both smell amazing. Which one's mine?"

"We're starry-eyed lovers. We share."

He was unshaven, hair matted to his head, raindrops trickling over his sharp cheekbones, glistening against the stubble on his jaw. Dressed in a black leather jacket and black jeans, his white T-shirt was splattered with mud and his breath formed short bursts of mist in the damp air.

"It's disgusting out there, if you hadn't noticed. Your bloody farmyard is covered in crap and I've been running."

"Running?" Helen said, suddenly seeing the funny side of a dirty Ricardo Almanza, but feeling instinctively wary. He had no good reason for being here. "I didn't think you'd know how. Don't you have people for that sort of indignity?"

Giveaway

In the spirit of the holidays, I'd like to give away a Kindle copy of this book. Just leave me a comment telling me why you want to read this book OR what kind of Alpha male is your favorite. This giveaway will end December 28 at midnight, Pacific Time. Make sure to leave your email address in the comments. Your entry won't be valid without one.

Good luck and happy holidays!