How to Seduce a Billionaire-Review

First, I would like to dedicate this blog post to Desire Author Sandra Hyatt.  It is with great sadness to report that she passed away this weekend.  I read her books, the last one "Mistletoe Magic",  was a novella that she wrote for Christmas.   She will be missed.

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How to Seduce a Billionaire

August 2011
How to Seduce a Billionaire

Book Three in the Duke Brothers series!

The first step...mix business with pleasure

New hairdo? Makeup? A dress? Where did his efficient secretary go? Because the woman in front of Brandon Duke is not the Kelly Meredith who left on vacation two weeks ago. He is shocked—and curiously enchanted—by her transformation.

She says this makeover is all part of her plan...to become more seductive. And this billionaire is just the man to give his suddenly sultry assistant a few lessons in love. He'll go slow, savor every moment and then say goodbye—as long as he can remember just who is seducing whom!

Review

I will admit that I haven't written a Desire book since Sandra's at Christmas.  But I was asked to read a MS that an author entrusted me to read to see if it would fit the guidelines to be submitted to Desire.  Oh dear...since I hadn't read a Desire in months, a trip to Walmart on Saturday turned into a research trip.  I looked at this month's selections and chose a new to me Desire author, Kate Carlisle.  I know, the blurb pretty told me...secretary and her boss.  Pretty standard fair for the Desire line but I thought, new author so maybe she has a different take on the story idea.  Well, to say that I was completely surprised and then totally blown away, would be an understatement.

Kelly and Brandon have worked together for four years now and when she takes off for a vacation for two weeks, Brandon misses her.  Not just as his assistant but also has a person.  He realizes that he genuinely likes her company and her friendship.  Kelly went on vacation to relax and reinvent herself.  She comes back to the office with a plan to learn the art of seduction, she just didn't plan on seducing her own boss. Kelly and Brandon were on equal footing from the beginning of the story and remained that way throughout. 

Brandon was adopted by a woman, Sally Duke when he was eight years old.  His two brothers were also adopted by her at the same time.  Brandon's real parents left him at an orphanage after a hard early childhood but Sally took him in, loved him and his two brothers.  The brothers made a pact that they would never fall in love and get married.  They had all seen what marriage had done to their own parents, so the pact was made.  But Brandon's brothers did the unthinkable;  they fell in love and married.  Brandon vowed that he would never do either of those things.  Love does things to a man when he falls in love.

Kelly knew that starting an affair with Brandon was only short term until the resort opened and then they would go back to their relationship as boss/assistant.  She had an ex-boyfriend coming to stay at the resort during the grand opening and explained to Brandon that was the reason for the make over and plans for seduction; so Kelly could kick the ex-boyfriend to the curb once and for all.

What I really liked about Kelly and Brandon was that the boundaries were set early in their working relationship.  The both respected  and genuinely liked each other.  Kelly was growing tired of dealing with his "women" when he would break up with them.  The phone calls from one of his "dates" is  a great addition to the story and are laugh out loud funny.  Once they started sleeping together, their dialogue and emotions were heartfelt and spot on.  These two could not keep their hands off of each other.  (Which in a Desire book, the sex is either very frequent or maybe just one time and not graphic at all)  Again, Ms. Carlisle surprised me with the frequency and sensuality of the scenes.  Nicely done.  There was no emotionally roller coaster ride for either of them until it hit them like a brick wall.  The humor between Brandon and Kelly was laugh out loud funny and appropriate.  Again, nicely done. 

Overall, How to Seduce a Billionaire was one of the best Desire books that I have read in a very long time and one of my ten best books of the year.  I did not want Kelly and Brandon's story to end.  I realize that I need to read the two brother's stories now and I will buy them as soon as possible.  Not only did I read a fantastic books, I found a completely new author to me.  Great job Ms. Carlisle and I highly recommend this book and Kate Carlisle.

In closing, my "research" is done and the MS has great potential as a Desire book, that I hope and pray I will see in my local Walmart soon.

Return of the Daredevil by Regina Carlysle

My good friend Regina Carlysle has a new book coming out today from Ellora's Cave, the second book in the series of three brothers from Delight, Texas.  I highly recommend this series.

COMING SOON - August 10

Blurb:

Scrumptious scoundrel. Daredevil T Dobbs, the sexiest cowboy to ever walk the streets of Delight, Texas, headed out of town taking Melanie Honeycutt’s heart with him. But now he’s back and hotter than ever. Trust him? Her head says no but her body has other ideas.

Stubborn woman. She was the girl T never forgot and the woman he yearns for in the deepest part of his heart. But what’s a man to do when she doesn’t believe he’s home for good? T knows his way around dangerous curves and Mel’s are hot enough to burn a man. He figures it’ll take a slow hand and some downright smokin’ hot sex to melt her reserve but he’s definitely up for the challenge.

Excerpt:
An Excerpt From: RETURN OF THE DAREDEVIL
Copyright © REGINA CARLYSLE, 2011
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
She looked up and froze to see T silhouetted in the doorway of the gym.
Like a gunslinger from an old movie, the sun was at his back casting him in shadows and the entire room went still. Heavy air seemed to hover like a living thing in the gym and even the teenaged girls didn’t make a peep as he filled up the room with his presence. But even cast in shadow, it was impossible to mistake that long, lean frame or the swagger in his stride as he finally began to cross the room. T’s bootheels rapped sharply on the carefully tended hardwood. He moved like a man who did what he pleased and took what he wanted. Determination marked his every step and as he drew closer, the shadows lifted showing Mel the glint in his storm-colored eyes. They were hungry eyes. Sexy eyes. Heavily lashed, they narrowed dangerously beneath the brim of a straw summery cowboy hat that had definitely seen better days. T’s hair beneath the battered hat was long, thick and black, brushing the tops of sturdy shoulders that she practically itched to stroke with her fingers. The hint of a five o’ clock shadow covered the lower part of his sexy, masculine face. Oh boy. T for trouble. Suddenly he grinned, throwing her even further off guard as he tipped back the brim of his hat and moved in close enough to touch.
“Hey, darlin’,” he drawled. Before she could blink, T Dobbs wrapped a muscular arm around her, hauling her close, and breathed against her lips. “Damn woman. I missed you. Kiss me hello, sweet thang.”
The world instantly melted away.
Just like that he stole every bit of good sense she’d ever possessed as his lips took hers in a savage kiss that quite simply rocked her world. There was nothing tentative in T’s mouth slowly devouring hers. His tongue cruised over her lips, tasting thoroughly before dipping deep until she could taste all the complex flavors of this man she’d always loved. If anything his kisses were even better than they’d been all those many years ago. A flash of jealousy whipped through her as she wondered about how he’d gained all this expertise but then the anger was dashed away under the seductive lash of his tongue.
She was lost. Taken under. Obliterated with just one touch.
One big hand cupped the curve of her jaw as a twitter of sound swept the room. Giggling and applause and chatter came at her as if from a distance but, truth be told, she could barely hear it over the roar of blood in her ears. Her nipples went hard against the practical cotton of her bra and she gasped at the sensation.
“Hey! Get your hands off her. What do you think you’re doing?”

See, see...go buy this book, you will not be disappointed at all.  You can find Regina at the following:

Regina's blog
http://threewickedwriters.blogspot.com/