Romance Books Reviews & Treats

Husband Material by Brenda Jackson:
Famous actress changes her mind about leaving her director ex-husband's summerhouse when he shows up to stay there as well b/c she wants to stop running away when things get tough in their r/s. Both Hero & heroine plan to seduce each other & then leave when the other gets hot & bothered. But their seductive maneuvers only result in a hot affair, which serves to make them realize how much in love they still are with one another. However, they have to discuss the reason they got divorced before they can proceed further.

This was a speedy but very emotionally-impacting & sexy read! Jackson managed to squeeze a lot in a few pages. The 2nd-chance romance had sizzling sexual chemistry & love scenes, angst, & even some humour. I loved the intensity of love Hero & heroine felt for each other. Both their celibacy during their 1-yr estrangement made their love seemed even truer. Their Big Misunderstanding was understandable, given that neither discussed the reason why heroine filed for divorce. Both characters matured during their divorce so when they tried to resolve their problems the solutions were sound & their promises were convincing.

Sheikh's Marriage Bargain by Olivia Gates:
New wife of Sheikh is increasingly frustrated with her husband for not bedding her since they got married a few weeks ago. She's baffled that he looks lustful & affectionate with her when they're out in public but has different excuses as to why he's not sleeping with her. When she confronts him about it, she is mystified at his bitter accusation that she & her recently-deceased father tricked him into marrying her. When she find out about the contract he & her father signed re: their marriage, she questions if love was ever in his equation in marrying her. Ironically, Hero is asking himself the same thing.

Gates' writes with poetic sensuality. Add emotional pull & I got a quick-paced & beautiful reading. The romance was good & sexual tension was sizzling. It's not a 5-star read b/c heroine let Hero off the hook a bit too easily. She should've let him grovel more before she interrupted him. She was also a tad too fawning over Hero but not irritatingly so.