To Alea:

I will not post another review until you read a novel by Lisa Kleypas. Screw your to-read pile. Pick up a Lisa Kleypas novel, read it, love it, and let me know that you finally read one. =D

Sincerely,
Me

Marrying for King's Millions by Maureen Child

Summary:

 MILLIONAIRE SEEKING CONVENIENT WIFE

Wed and bed one of his biggest client's unsavory daughters? No thanks. But the only way millionaire Travis King could get the man off his back was to marry someone else. So he handpicked his temporary and on-his-terms bride-- hometown girl Julie O'Hara. The woman was desperate and should easily fade into the background. And, as per their contract, she'd do exactly what he wanted during their year of platonic marriage. Unless what he wanted began to change....

Review:
This was one of those "free" books that you get sent as an offer. It was very short and to the point, but it did have a few typos.

Anyways, the story did what it was supposed to: it provided a temporary escape from the real world. Julie, the heroine, didn't let others treat her as if she were nothing, even though she was only Travis's fake wife. She demanded respect--and I liked that about her. She was a strong, stubborn woman. Travis was arrogant and protective and he cared a lot about his image, but he did care a lot for Julie and tried to protect her. Julie's ex was a comical character. French, blackmailer, with a weird accent. All that he was missing was a thin mustache that he could twist in between ha-has.

Overall, it was a good romance, but the length and time-skip hurt it a bit. B

The Playboy's Proposition by Miranda Lee

Summary:
Michele willingly accepted Tyler Garrison's offer to help her out by pretending to be her lover-a role he'd play to perfection! Then Tyler made an even more provocative proposal: they should make love for real! Michele couldn't believe it-Tyler, her long-time pal, and Sydney's most eligible playboy, wanted her ?


Review:

Michele suffered a very low self-confidence. After being a mistress for years (and dumped for a rich girl), Michele is invited to her "ex-boyfriend's" wedding. Tyler, who's been in love with  her forever, makes a deal with her: he'll pretend to be her boyfriend if she gets over the loser.

After that they begin a sexual relationship. Throughout the course of the book, Michele questions Tyler's feelings for her, and moans after her ex. I understand that Michele feels used and doesn't feel good about herself, but sometimes it was over-dramatic.  As you can guess, I was ready to put the book down, but I kept reading because I like books that feature friends-turned-lovers.

It did get better as Tyler helped her with her self-image. I loved the scene where Michele meets Tyler's family and discovers that Tyler really does care for her. The hero, Tyler, kept his distance when needed and deeply cared for Michele. I liked how their relationship grew as they got to know each other better.

One character that I really liked was Lucille who got her own book called The Playboy in Pursuit.

Overall, it was a good book, though Michele did get on my nerves sometimes. There were some funny, witty moments, and the friends-turned-lovers part was well-done. B-

This book was part of the Australian Playboy series by Miranda Lee. You don't need to read the other books, but some characters do make cameo appearances.