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The Man Who Risked it All
This fearless playboy has everything to lose . . .
For Franco Tolle, the golden boy of Europe’s jet-set society, life is just a playground – filled with racing speedboats on the azure Mediterranean Sea. When you’re rich and famous money is no object . . . and to hell with the consequences! But he once took a risk with a price bigger than he was willing to pay . . . . In a rush of red-hot infatuation he put a glittering diamond wedding ring on Lexi Hamilton’s finger, yet within months they were living separate lives. Now Franco’s daredevil life has caught up with him – but he’ll risk it all for the one thing he craves . . . his estranged wife!
For Franco Tolle, the golden boy of Europe’s jet-set society, life is just a playground – filled with racing speedboats on the azure Mediterranean Sea. When you’re rich and famous money is no object . . . and to hell with the consequences! But he once took a risk with a price bigger than he was willing to pay . . . . In a rush of red-hot infatuation he put a glittering diamond wedding ring on Lexi Hamilton’s finger, yet within months they were living separate lives. Now Franco’s daredevil life has caught up with him – but he’ll risk it all for the one thing he craves . . . his estranged wife!
Paperback
First published December 1, 2011
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About the author
Michelle Reid
388 books638 followersHi, my name is Michelle Reid and I’ve been writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon for the last twenty years, and the crazy part about it is that I only realised it had been twenty years while updating this page!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
So, hang on for a minute while I take this huge milestone in....
Twenty years with almost forty books published or in the pipeline ... I know it isn’t a great average when compared with some authors but it sounds pretty good to me!
So what was I doing twenty years ago before I wrote books? Well, I did the all of the usual things, like growing up and attending school, finishing at secretarial college, which I hated, then spent the next several years wandering aimlessly from job to job. Eventually I met my husband, we married and produced two daughters who then grew up and between them presented us with two gorgeous grandsons and one beautiful granddaughter. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Somewhere in between my girls growing up and the grandchildren arriving on the scene, I started writing. To this day I don’t know why, unless it was a natural progression from my never being without a book close by—often several—because books have always been an important part of my life for as far back as I can recall.
So, I started to write, by hand at first, scribbling short stories in notebooks which never saw the light of day. At some point I discovered Mills & Boon Romance books and that was pretty much it for me. I’d found my new love, as in reading romantic fiction and inevitably writing it too.
So twenty years on and almost forty books on, here I am still writing and still loving it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
February 20, 2021
I read this a while back and decided I needed to re-read in order to review it properly. This is the one with the prologue of the two friends in a high speed racing boat- one is evil and one is mixed up. Thankfully, the evil BFF dies in chapter one and the H/h have a chance at reuniting.
The evil friend and his equally evil sister worked to break the H/h up before and after their marriage. They succeeded when they sent a video of the H in bed with the sister right after the h had a miscarriage. The H didn't know about the video, but he never slept with the sister, he was drunk at the time and they set him up.
There were lots of machinations going on in this group of super-rich teenagers and young adults that summer the 19 year-old virgin heroine met the hero. There was a bet of who could get the flirty teen star into bed. There was also the bff's jealousy and his lies to the hero about the heroine. That backstory reminded me a lot of Lynne Graham's The Cozakis Bride where the group was not having their golden boy marrying an interloper.
This is all backstory - the story centers around the painful task of the H/h confronting their past, untangling the lies, and deciding to make another start. There isn't a lot of high drama - his bff's funeral could have been an epic throwdown, but maybe MR figured that death (and their four year estrangement) was enough punishment for the bff and his sister.
Because the hero is injured, there's no sexing it up until the very end - and for that I was grateful. They actually had to talk to each other - and their loving making felt like they were sealing the deal, rather than manipulating each other's emotions. After reading so many cruel and abusive heroes, I was ready to forgive this hero for being so blind. And after reading about heroines who lie to hide their feelings yet succumb to their traitorous body, I was glad for this heroine's honesty and a body that stayed true to her mind.
Sometimes I like a story where it's outside forces keeping the H/h apart. Get rid of the outside forces and problem solved. The H/h were sweet together with her frog collection and his worrying about her driving. It's a story that starts out in a boat at high speed with the hero realizing the extent of his bff's betrayal and it ends in a boat anchored in still waters with the hero realizing he has a second chance for happiness. It's a nice symmetry.
And no, I don't think the H cheated on the h while they were estranged. MR has always said her heroes don't cheat - and I choose to believe her.
For second chance story lovers.
The evil friend and his equally evil sister worked to break the H/h up before and after their marriage. They succeeded when they sent a video of the H in bed with the sister right after the h had a miscarriage. The H didn't know about the video, but he never slept with the sister, he was drunk at the time and they set him up.
There were lots of machinations going on in this group of super-rich teenagers and young adults that summer the 19 year-old virgin heroine met the hero. There was a bet of who could get the flirty teen star into bed. There was also the bff's jealousy and his lies to the hero about the heroine. That backstory reminded me a lot of Lynne Graham's The Cozakis Bride where the group was not having their golden boy marrying an interloper.
This is all backstory - the story centers around the painful task of the H/h confronting their past, untangling the lies, and deciding to make another start. There isn't a lot of high drama - his bff's funeral could have been an epic throwdown, but maybe MR figured that death (and their four year estrangement) was enough punishment for the bff and his sister.
Because the hero is injured, there's no sexing it up until the very end - and for that I was grateful. They actually had to talk to each other - and their loving making felt like they were sealing the deal, rather than manipulating each other's emotions. After reading so many cruel and abusive heroes, I was ready to forgive this hero for being so blind. And after reading about heroines who lie to hide their feelings yet succumb to their traitorous body, I was glad for this heroine's honesty and a body that stayed true to her mind.
Sometimes I like a story where it's outside forces keeping the H/h apart. Get rid of the outside forces and problem solved. The H/h were sweet together with her frog collection and his worrying about her driving. It's a story that starts out in a boat at high speed with the hero realizing the extent of his bff's betrayal and it ends in a boat anchored in still waters with the hero realizing he has a second chance for happiness. It's a nice symmetry.
And no, I don't think the H cheated on the h while they were estranged. MR has always said her heroes don't cheat - and I choose to believe her.
For second chance story lovers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2016
2.5 YOU'RE JUST STUPID STARS
SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Okay so where do I start with this one!?
Well let's look at the jerk of a hero shall we!?
The hero Franco mistakenly believes that he has been done wrong by his wife Lexi so what does he do!?
Why destroy his relationship with wife of course. Why would he even try to work at their relationship, cause he is awesome and can find another lay elsewhere!
Instead of talking to her about what he heard from his "friend" he just send the heroine a video of him seemly getting it on with another woman.
So she has a miscarriage and leaves.
Now, I am trying not to rant and rave here but please bear with me.
I don't always try to see the other side but with this one I did. I wanted to understand and see the good in the hero. I tried so hard and ultimately I failed.
The hero cheats on her and has other relationships while still married to the heroine.
The hero has an accident and she is compelled to comes back to him.
They work at repairing their relationship but honestly she was the only one who was an actually victim in this story. He basically went about his life and she did not move on.
She had no spine here. She should have slept with another instead of staying faithful to his cheating a$$!
Ahhhh so frustrating
Now with all this bull in this story why the 2.5 stars?
The story was so darn well written and I was so invested in their relationship that I had to acknowledge the writing. MR can write a down trodden heroine like it's no one business.
Please note: I came home today looking for my book to give quotes and make a very detailed review but I just remembered I gave this book away to good will.
So my memory may be faulty but these are the points that I remembered.
I honestly wanted to forget this one...but I could not!
Safety: not safe! With loads of drama!
SPOILERS AHEAD PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION
Okay so where do I start with this one!?
Well let's look at the jerk of a hero shall we!?
The hero Franco mistakenly believes that he has been done wrong by his wife Lexi so what does he do!?
Why destroy his relationship with wife of course. Why would he even try to work at their relationship, cause he is awesome and can find another lay elsewhere!
Instead of talking to her about what he heard from his "friend" he just send the heroine a video of him seemly getting it on with another woman.
So she has a miscarriage and leaves.
Now, I am trying not to rant and rave here but please bear with me.
I don't always try to see the other side but with this one I did. I wanted to understand and see the good in the hero. I tried so hard and ultimately I failed.
The hero cheats on her and has other relationships while still married to the heroine.
The hero has an accident and she is compelled to comes back to him.
They work at repairing their relationship but honestly she was the only one who was an actually victim in this story. He basically went about his life and she did not move on.
She had no spine here. She should have slept with another instead of staying faithful to his cheating a$$!
Ahhhh so frustrating
Now with all this bull in this story why the 2.5 stars?
The story was so darn well written and I was so invested in their relationship that I had to acknowledge the writing. MR can write a down trodden heroine like it's no one business.
Please note: I came home today looking for my book to give quotes and make a very detailed review but I just remembered I gave this book away to good will.
So my memory may be faulty but these are the points that I remembered.
I honestly wanted to forget this one...but I could not!
Safety: not safe! With loads of drama!
January 2, 2012
After this, I am done with Michelle Reid, because all I seem to do while reading her books is frown. This book has it all, a TSTL, doormat, clingy, jealous heroine. A-hole jerk hero.
She married him because he did her wrong (what moron actually marrys someone for revenge? *rolls eyes*) - He seduced her out of a bet. He married her because she was preggers. She thinks he also cheated on her while she was in the hospital losing their baby, so she flees and returns 3 years later to stay with him for the flimsiest excuse - knowing everything he has done to her, she accepts him back.
Of course it was all a misunderstanding, but she was willing to take him back even before knowing this, so who cares.... I despise weak, pathetic women, and Michelle Reid writes them like a pro.
She married him because he did her wrong (what moron actually marrys someone for revenge? *rolls eyes*) - He seduced her out of a bet. He married her because she was preggers. She thinks he also cheated on her while she was in the hospital losing their baby, so she flees and returns 3 years later to stay with him for the flimsiest excuse - knowing everything he has done to her, she accepts him back.
Of course it was all a misunderstanding, but she was willing to take him back even before knowing this, so who cares.... I despise weak, pathetic women, and Michelle Reid writes them like a pro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2011
Considering recent offerings from MR have been kinda disappointing, I was really happy with this one. The story line is very similar to Lost in Love but the Hero is much younger and closer to the heroine's age.
Basically Franco and Lexi met when she had just finished a blockbuster movie role, he fell in love but hung with a pretty rowdy group of snobs and they made bets among themselves about who could seduce the 19 year old Lexi. Franco is 24 and pretty cocky with it but he marries Lexi when her mom dies and she turns up preggers and finds out her mum's new husband had stolen all her money.
Needless to say the marriage doesn't really get off the ground, particularly when Lexi finds out about the bet, Franco's best friend lies and said he slept with Lexi and Franco's best friend's sister sends Lexi a phone clip that shows her and Franco in bed. Lexi then miscarries and leaves. 3 years on, Franco has a bad speedboat wreck and sends for Lexi. They gradually try to rebuild their relationship but Franco is really reticent to talk about what went wrong even though it is obvious he still really cares.
They go back and forth and there is a lot of poignancy as they try to assemble some kind of working relationship. Lexi and Franco are both still pretty young but they aren't teenagers and do show some indications of maturity. I did not mind the youth or the immaturity, they are both used to getting their own ways but it didn't come across as brattiness. They were both pretty charming as they tried to figure out themselves and their marriage and I really enjoyed the story.
This is a reconciliation story and they have lived apart for three years and there is an implication that Franco was seeing other women. If this bothers you, you might want to skip this one cause it is never really addressed in the book.
Basically Franco and Lexi met when she had just finished a blockbuster movie role, he fell in love but hung with a pretty rowdy group of snobs and they made bets among themselves about who could seduce the 19 year old Lexi. Franco is 24 and pretty cocky with it but he marries Lexi when her mom dies and she turns up preggers and finds out her mum's new husband had stolen all her money.
Needless to say the marriage doesn't really get off the ground, particularly when Lexi finds out about the bet, Franco's best friend lies and said he slept with Lexi and Franco's best friend's sister sends Lexi a phone clip that shows her and Franco in bed. Lexi then miscarries and leaves. 3 years on, Franco has a bad speedboat wreck and sends for Lexi. They gradually try to rebuild their relationship but Franco is really reticent to talk about what went wrong even though it is obvious he still really cares.
They go back and forth and there is a lot of poignancy as they try to assemble some kind of working relationship. Lexi and Franco are both still pretty young but they aren't teenagers and do show some indications of maturity. I did not mind the youth or the immaturity, they are both used to getting their own ways but it didn't come across as brattiness. They were both pretty charming as they tried to figure out themselves and their marriage and I really enjoyed the story.
This is a reconciliation story and they have lived apart for three years and there is an implication that Franco was seeing other women. If this bothers you, you might want to skip this one cause it is never really addressed in the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2016
He had an epiphany (that she did not, after all, cheat on him) while he and his speedboat were both flipped upside down in the air.
I'm sorry. I can't write a coherent review as I am too busy laughing my bootie off at that particularly creative HPlandia plotline :D
I'm sorry. I can't write a coherent review as I am too busy laughing my bootie off at that particularly creative HPlandia plotline :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 26, 2020
Read s-l-o-w-l-y and didn't feel the love, the drama or the angst. Just another alpha-romeo HP hero that believes anyone but the heroine. The heroine is a standard fill in the blank character.
A case of it's me not you.
A case of it's me not you.
September 16, 2014
Really unlikable hero and heroine. They both deserved each other and both made each other miserable. Both are selfish, spoiled, vain and immature and just plain not nice, either one of them. Really don't see the love between them and can't see them living happily ever after. I can just imagine their selfishness creating the same problems over and over again and each of them making each other miserable and relishing it just like before. Grade: "F" for FAIL and "TW" for TOTAL WASTE OF TIME. This is really too bad, because this story had a lot of potential.
Oh, another thing- the title has nothing to do with the story whatsoever. He never risked anything- too selfish and spoiled to do that.
Oh, another thing- the title has nothing to do with the story whatsoever. He never risked anything- too selfish and spoiled to do that.
January 22, 2022
Updated:
(March/15/2015)
I am not going to waste my time writing a long review for this book. However, I just want to say it was OK, it wasn't what I expected.
Updated:
(July/26/2020)
I wish this book wasn't the last published by Michelle Reid. I have been waiting for her comeback and there is no updated information about her on the internet 😭
(March/15/2015)
I am not going to waste my time writing a long review for this book. However, I just want to say it was OK, it wasn't what I expected.
Updated:
(July/26/2020)
I wish this book wasn't the last published by Michelle Reid. I have been waiting for her comeback and there is no updated information about her on the internet 😭
April 5, 2012
Enjoyed this latest offering by one of my fav authors.This book was full of angst and I truly felt that the H did love the h,but there was too much outside interferance in their relationship.When they first became involved,they were so young and easily misled by others.I only wished that an epilogue was included in this book as I think that this couple still had some growing to do and would liked to have seen them maybe five years down the line as a truly happy and mature couple with a lovely family.
March 28, 2017
I can't even deal with this shit!
If you fucking love someone keep it in your pants.
You haven't fucking risked ANYTHING!
Die a fucking violent death you fucker!
No. It is not the tequila speaking!
I give up on this author!
If you fucking love someone keep it in your pants.
You haven't fucking risked ANYTHING!
Die a fucking violent death you fucker!
No. It is not the tequila speaking!
I give up on this author!
April 21, 2012
This one really seems to be a love it or hate it book judging by the reviews. I'm in the love it camp. This is a second chance at love book which are generally not my favorites but this one worked for me. Firstly because they were both young when they were together before so I cut them some slack on their stupid actions. Mostly though I loved how the hero knew he'd screwed up the first time around and was determined to get her back and used his accident to get her to stay long enough to listen. He wasn't an ass about it. Most of the book was them being rational and working their problems out while accepting that they had both acted childishly the last time around. He feels that he shoulders the major portion of the blame which I felt was pretty fair. I like a man torn up about his prior treatment of the heroine.
There was only one real thing I would have like.
My wife can do anything she wants to me,' he responded harshly, gripping his shoulder because he'd wrenched it trying to break his fall. 'She can put a loaded gun to my head and pull the trigger if she feels like it. It is her right, her perogative...'
There was only one real thing I would have like.
July 30, 2020
Worst heroine EVER. She was such a doormat. Her cheating, lying disgusting husband crooks his pinky at this stupid twit (who finally left him when he was fucking another girl while she was having a miscarriage) and she runs to him. He was crying because he's been hurt in one one his high speed boating races and his best friend died. (Dead guy wasn't even his best friend anymore, fyi.) He wants his wifey back now after he's used her, abused her, laughed at her and slept with a battalion of other women.
What does our weird frog kissing girl do? (She was a freak with her dumb stuffed animals. It was infantile and seriously weird. It gave me creepy vibes.)This spineless worm of a girl gets on the first plane to coddle him. Anyone else want to vomit?
Skip this piece of crap and keep your lunch down.
What does our weird frog kissing girl do? (She was a freak with her dumb stuffed animals. It was infantile and seriously weird. It gave me creepy vibes.)This spineless worm of a girl gets on the first plane to coddle him. Anyone else want to vomit?
Skip this piece of crap and keep your lunch down.
February 25, 2022
Surprisingly low angst for the content, and ends up a little boring consequently. A brother and sister pair cause this couple several years of pain and separation. One of them dies early in the book, but the other is never held accountable. That was annoying.
SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - the h thinks the H cheated previously, and the woman she thinks he cheated with makes an appearance early and is allowed to fawn all over the H, and kiss him on the lips
- OM drama - the H thinks the h cheated - that man dies
- no dubcon
- h was a virgin when she was with the H the first time - she was celibate during the separation
- the H was experienced when he was first with the h - it is implied he was celibate during the separation
SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - the h thinks the H cheated previously, and the woman she thinks he cheated with makes an appearance early and is allowed to fawn all over the H, and kiss him on the lips
- OM drama - the H thinks the h cheated - that man dies
- no dubcon
- h was a virgin when she was with the H the first time - she was celibate during the separation
- the H was experienced when he was first with the h - it is implied he was celibate during the separation
June 20, 2023
A well written second chance romance between Franco and Lexi who have been estranged for three years because of interference from their terrible friends. There’re several reviews with spoiler bits so I’ll keep this short.
I liked that the H was injured and they had to rebuild their relationship using their words and not falling into bed. I thought the frogs were cute, and I did feel the chemistry.
The writing was solid, but I’m a drama junkie, so I was bummed that all of it happened before the book started… and with an evil bff, wannabe OW and Wannabe OM… none received an on-page smackdown.
Bottom Line- Good but slow at times.
Safety-
I liked that the H was injured and they had to rebuild their relationship using their words and not falling into bed. I thought the frogs were cute, and I did feel the chemistry.
The writing was solid, but I’m a drama junkie, so I was bummed that all of it happened before the book started… and with an evil bff, wannabe OW and Wannabe OM… none received an on-page smackdown.
Bottom Line- Good but slow at times.
Safety-
April 19, 2012
Michelle Reid writes such passionate stories and The Man Who Risked It All is just that. She does the lost and found love themes so well….like
Marchese's Forgotten Bride, one of my favourite reads.
Lexi Hamilton, a young English actress meets Franco Tolle, the ultimate Italian rich, spoilt playboy and immediately falls under his spell. Things don’t work out too well for both of them….she discovers that he slept with her for a bet….she’s even sent the video via her mobile of him accepting the winnings…she then discovers she is pregnant, he marries her and it’s a total disaster from there onwards. He becomes cold and distant, his family hates her, her mother is suddenly killed in a car crash with her stepfather, who has stolen all her earnings and then she loses the baby!!!!!!! She decides to go back to London and rebuild her life.
Three years later, Franco is injured in a boat accident and Lexi agrees to look after him, after being asked by his father to fly to Italy as Franco is not doing very well and has refused to see anyone except Lexi.
I disliked Franco intensely from the beginning…the way he cut her off and then suddenly wanted her, needed her…but I warmed up to him as the story unfolded. Lexi trying so hard to be strong and the pain she felt in realizing that she had never stopped loving him. So many misunderstandings. Betrayed by family and friends that caused such heartache and unhappiness in their relationship.
I cared so much for them. It pulled at my heartstrings…the poignancy of how much suffering and sadness their lives had been. Franco had a lot of work cut out for him to getting Lexi back and he was determined to do everything possible for her to realize his feelings for her. There is so much angst, so emotional and as I read I just wanted them to find happiness together.
Some great scenes…..Franco waiting for Lexi in bedroom balcony with a bottle of wine and two glasses…..when Lexi gives him a present in the hospital room…..and how he places it among her soft frog toys collection that she had left behind and he had kept all these years…taking her sailing….there were so many other amazing scenes.
I loved the passion, sensuality and fast pace of this story. I couldn’t stop reading…in fact I finished the entire book in one read.
What I also like about this author’s books is how she always engages the reader with the characters in such a way that makes you feel so strongly for their true happiness. She is a fabulous fabulous writer and you know when you pick up any of her books that you will more than just like it….you will love it!!!!!!
Oh yes….I absolutely loved the cover of this book!!!!!!!!!! Just like I pictured Franco in my head!!!!!
Marchese's Forgotten Bride, one of my favourite reads.
Lexi Hamilton, a young English actress meets Franco Tolle, the ultimate Italian rich, spoilt playboy and immediately falls under his spell. Things don’t work out too well for both of them….she discovers that he slept with her for a bet….she’s even sent the video via her mobile of him accepting the winnings…she then discovers she is pregnant, he marries her and it’s a total disaster from there onwards. He becomes cold and distant, his family hates her, her mother is suddenly killed in a car crash with her stepfather, who has stolen all her earnings and then she loses the baby!!!!!!! She decides to go back to London and rebuild her life.
Three years later, Franco is injured in a boat accident and Lexi agrees to look after him, after being asked by his father to fly to Italy as Franco is not doing very well and has refused to see anyone except Lexi.
I disliked Franco intensely from the beginning…the way he cut her off and then suddenly wanted her, needed her…but I warmed up to him as the story unfolded. Lexi trying so hard to be strong and the pain she felt in realizing that she had never stopped loving him. So many misunderstandings. Betrayed by family and friends that caused such heartache and unhappiness in their relationship.
I cared so much for them. It pulled at my heartstrings…the poignancy of how much suffering and sadness their lives had been. Franco had a lot of work cut out for him to getting Lexi back and he was determined to do everything possible for her to realize his feelings for her. There is so much angst, so emotional and as I read I just wanted them to find happiness together.
Some great scenes…..Franco waiting for Lexi in bedroom balcony with a bottle of wine and two glasses…..when Lexi gives him a present in the hospital room…..and how he places it among her soft frog toys collection that she had left behind and he had kept all these years…taking her sailing….there were so many other amazing scenes.
I loved the passion, sensuality and fast pace of this story. I couldn’t stop reading…in fact I finished the entire book in one read.
What I also like about this author’s books is how she always engages the reader with the characters in such a way that makes you feel so strongly for their true happiness. She is a fabulous fabulous writer and you know when you pick up any of her books that you will more than just like it….you will love it!!!!!!
Oh yes….I absolutely loved the cover of this book!!!!!!!!!! Just like I pictured Franco in my head!!!!!
December 5, 2011
I generally tend to enjoy Michelle Reid a lot but in this book though there was lot of angst and I never felt Franco truly deserved Lexie or her forgiveness for the way he treated her or put her through.
Too many people conspired against them, so called friends spinning lies about supposed infidelities which they swallowed but that didn't change the fact that Franco seduced nineteen year old Lexie on a bet he made with friends and I never did feel he suffered enough.
Lexie had always been sheltered by her wannabe actress mother and when she got married Lexie met Franco and his friends, and she was her fun self and then she found out about the bet, her mother died, her heart was broken and she was broke and pregnant(her step-father drained all the money Lexie had earned from her one hit movie) and married to a man who seemed to hate her, so she too was hateful, so when she lost her baby, she ran.
Franco loves sailing and when he almost dies in an accident calls for Lexie, who comes out of compassion and then he makes her stay due to emotional blackmail from all sides and normally in this author's books she will make the hero nice enough for me to accept that but in this I didn't, the hero had done too much bad and hurt Lexie way too much, to force her to be responsible for his welfare.
And he does the same over the course of the book, shut her out on issues, freeze her and make her feel bad when she doesn't need to take all of that from him.
Instead of a healthy love I felt Lexie had an un-healthy love for him because then only she would allow him to lead her like that.
Franco's you can go now didn't really endear him later either, after putting her through the wringer emotionally now you act all noble. Am I supposed to like you just because you were ready to try again even thinking she had cheated on you?
Franco was a spoiled, selfish jerk who did nothing to make things easier for Lexie four years ago. Even if all their friends were responsible for their doubts, his arrogant behavior did nothing to make me believe that he deserved Lexie.
Despite all of this I am giving it 3 stars, the facts about Franco's other women were never made clear and the writing was good enough to make me want to keep reading, just too bad I never liked the hero or his selfish actions.
Too many people conspired against them, so called friends spinning lies about supposed infidelities which they swallowed but that didn't change the fact that Franco seduced nineteen year old Lexie on a bet he made with friends and I never did feel he suffered enough.
Lexie had always been sheltered by her wannabe actress mother and when she got married Lexie met Franco and his friends, and she was her fun self and then she found out about the bet, her mother died, her heart was broken and she was broke and pregnant(her step-father drained all the money Lexie had earned from her one hit movie) and married to a man who seemed to hate her, so she too was hateful, so when she lost her baby, she ran.
Franco loves sailing and when he almost dies in an accident calls for Lexie, who comes out of compassion and then he makes her stay due to emotional blackmail from all sides and normally in this author's books she will make the hero nice enough for me to accept that but in this I didn't, the hero had done too much bad and hurt Lexie way too much, to force her to be responsible for his welfare.
And he does the same over the course of the book, shut her out on issues, freeze her and make her feel bad when she doesn't need to take all of that from him.
Instead of a healthy love I felt Lexie had an un-healthy love for him because then only she would allow him to lead her like that.
Franco's you can go now didn't really endear him later either, after putting her through the wringer emotionally now you act all noble. Am I supposed to like you just because you were ready to try again even thinking she had cheated on you?
Franco was a spoiled, selfish jerk who did nothing to make things easier for Lexie four years ago. Even if all their friends were responsible for their doubts, his arrogant behavior did nothing to make me believe that he deserved Lexie.
Despite all of this I am giving it 3 stars, the facts about Franco's other women were never made clear and the writing was good enough to make me want to keep reading, just too bad I never liked the hero or his selfish actions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2014
I love Michelle Reid's writing, and there were some interesting elements here, but I felt like the exciting part of their story was over and was never shown even in flashbacks. There was so much missed opportunity. Should have shown more of the bet and jealousy. The funeral/wake scene required a scene to experience the bet and humiliation of it...but nothing happens. And even though there were a few scenes showing his genuine love (primarily things he says to his household staff), there is not enough...what did he say to his father? she forgives and jumps back way too quickly. Many paragraphs on irrelevant narrative/scenery, when the core story needed more time. Ridiculous that she stayed faithful to her memory (an emotionally abusive cheater who publicly used and humiliated her). Also he made clear he was with other women during their separation and that makes it hard (actually, impossible) to believe he loved her (or that she should forgive him so quickly, even before she knew that he thought she was not faithful also). There should have been a big blow up about that. This book was all the more frustrating because the plot was exciting, and so could have generated a 5 star read fairly easily. Hard to believe Michelle actually wrote this one, it should have been called the Man Who Didn't Risk All That Much...
May 15, 2019
"The Man Who Risked it All" is the story of Lexi and Franco.
A stupidly frustrating read which will make you roll your eyes so hard, your anus will wink at you. I mean WTF.
H and h are married and separated. She was a child actress, he a rich billionaire. After a hasty courtship, h realizes H is sleeping with her due to a bet. OW/OM1/OM2/Shitty FIL/Lack of communication make their life a living hell, and after loads of suspicions, a miscarriage (during which the H abandons the h) and misunderstandings we have a separation.
Flash forward to present. H gets into a life threatening accident with OM1. OM1= Dead. Now docile FIL asks h to come visit h. She is still in lurve (despite how crappy the H has been to her) and agrees. They both decide to ignore all elephants in the room and obvious problems. Attraction reignites. Some banging happens. Problems re-emerge and they finally confront it. I was so mad I skimmed to the end, where they had some sort of delusional HEA.
This was SOOO EXASPERATING!! I just wanted there to be more..angst..passion..emotions. Everything was so bland and swept under the rug. Wanna choke both of them tbh. Idiot couple.
Safe?
1/5
A stupidly frustrating read which will make you roll your eyes so hard, your anus will wink at you. I mean WTF.
H and h are married and separated. She was a child actress, he a rich billionaire. After a hasty courtship, h realizes H is sleeping with her due to a bet. OW/OM1/OM2/Shitty FIL/Lack of communication make their life a living hell, and after loads of suspicions, a miscarriage (during which the H abandons the h) and misunderstandings we have a separation.
Flash forward to present. H gets into a life threatening accident with OM1. OM1= Dead. Now docile FIL asks h to come visit h. She is still in lurve (despite how crappy the H has been to her) and agrees. They both decide to ignore all elephants in the room and obvious problems. Attraction reignites. Some banging happens. Problems re-emerge and they finally confront it. I was so mad I skimmed to the end, where they had some sort of delusional HEA.
This was SOOO EXASPERATING!! I just wanted there to be more..angst..passion..emotions. Everything was so bland and swept under the rug. Wanna choke both of them tbh. Idiot couple.
Safe?
1/5
April 18, 2014
This book was filled with passion and angst! Estranged married couple trying to put the past behind them and fight to get their marriage back. Four years ago heroine had a miscarriage, she thought hero was cheating, he thought she was cheating etc. There is an evil other woman, two evil other men and lots of misunderstandings. MR delivers once again! Only thing missing was a good detailed epilogue!
May 2, 2022
This is where MR went definitely OTT in an not redeemable fashion, for the book that is.
The plot is crazy.
Hero has sex with heroine, who’s a former baby celebrity, on a bet then marries her but he’s grumpy.
His friends plot to separate them and film him while he’s sleeping with ow. Then they send the video to the heroine. It was a set up but she doesn’t know and loses the child she’s expecting.
They go separate ways.
And that should have been their final fate and their best one!
This was first OTT.
After some year the hero has a bad accident and om, who pretended to had an affair with heroine and staged the hero’s set up, dies. The heroine is asked to go to help the hero recover, and she accepts.
OTT number two.
Not in a million years.
Not believable.
Because she never got over him.
A bastard sob who bedded her for a bet, was bored with her and cheated on her so she had a miscarriage?
At this point the book was dead for me.
Dead.
Because if a woman is abused by a man repeatedly and then she goes back to him again, well, it’s hard for me to say she doesn’t deserve to be abused.
Oh, and it looks like he had many women during their separation, he never denied in that irritating MR way, that makes us believe she was celibate while he went on with his life.
No comuppance for the evil ow, yes, om is dead but I think that in the end nothing has been solved because there was nothing to solve between them.
Oh but he always loved her, yes, hp heroes always love and think of the heroine when they f**k other women! What a relief!
These are not dream men, these are nightmare men, like good old Freddy Krueger!
There was no love to begin with, she was infatuated and he was a narcissist so he would have lived well and happy without her at least until some nasty STD reached him, that is in a short time if half of what is believed he did was true.
The heroine was the worst heroine in a long time. A loser if ever there was one.
Just sad. Not felt an ounce of love or attraction between them.
I think that in this book MR lost the thread and didn’t know how to do to make the story believable. And eventually she wasn’t able.
You don’t feel the angst because it’s all… stretched too much. And usually what MR is good at is emotions and angst.
Not here.
Pity.
Definitely a book we can do without.
The plot is crazy.
Hero has sex with heroine, who’s a former baby celebrity, on a bet then marries her but he’s grumpy.
His friends plot to separate them and film him while he’s sleeping with ow. Then they send the video to the heroine. It was a set up but she doesn’t know and loses the child she’s expecting.
They go separate ways.
And that should have been their final fate and their best one!
This was first OTT.
After some year the hero has a bad accident and om, who pretended to had an affair with heroine and staged the hero’s set up, dies. The heroine is asked to go to help the hero recover, and she accepts.
OTT number two.
Not in a million years.
Not believable.
Because she never got over him.
A bastard sob who bedded her for a bet, was bored with her and cheated on her so she had a miscarriage?
At this point the book was dead for me.
Dead.
Because if a woman is abused by a man repeatedly and then she goes back to him again, well, it’s hard for me to say she doesn’t deserve to be abused.
Oh, and it looks like he had many women during their separation, he never denied in that irritating MR way, that makes us believe she was celibate while he went on with his life.
No comuppance for the evil ow, yes, om is dead but I think that in the end nothing has been solved because there was nothing to solve between them.
Oh but he always loved her, yes, hp heroes always love and think of the heroine when they f**k other women! What a relief!
These are not dream men, these are nightmare men, like good old Freddy Krueger!
There was no love to begin with, she was infatuated and he was a narcissist so he would have lived well and happy without her at least until some nasty STD reached him, that is in a short time if half of what is believed he did was true.
The heroine was the worst heroine in a long time. A loser if ever there was one.
Just sad. Not felt an ounce of love or attraction between them.
I think that in this book MR lost the thread and didn’t know how to do to make the story believable. And eventually she wasn’t able.
You don’t feel the angst because it’s all… stretched too much. And usually what MR is good at is emotions and angst.
Not here.
Pity.
Definitely a book we can do without.
May 23, 2012
Michelle Reid is usually a no brainer when it comes to whether to read her books. I particularly love her reunions. This is another in the same vein as The Markonos Bride. They are both very young and meet when Franco and his friends are playing around for the summer. As a result of a bet he sets out to seduce Lexi, a newcomer to the Mediterranean playground. Lexi ends up pregnant and broke and Franco marries her. Almost immediately his friends are trying to destroy the relationship, feeding Franco's insecurities with tales of Lexi's promiscuity. When the baby is lost they separate.
When Franco follows her, Lexi's friend also misled her husband, suggesting she was sleeping with him rather than just sharing an apartment. Almost immediately after that Franco is seen with a blonde in a compromising position.
Fast forward three years and Franco's best friend reveals that he was lying about Lexi being promiscuous. Just before trying to kill them both. Badly injured Franco wants Lexi and Lexi comes running, believing Franco near death. As she stays with him during his recuperation much of what happened is revealed and they start to understand better what went wrong and the mistakes they both made. Especially Franco with his suspicions. There is a lot of dialogue in this book between the two protagonists and some people might think it a little slow but I was interested in the development of their relationship as they interacted.
Minor Spoiler: The thing that stopped me giving this book five stars was the fact that it seems fairly clear that Franco was unfaithful while they were separated. The excuse given was that he had just left her apartment in England believing she was unfaithful. I don't care. I like my heroes to be bigger than that. Or at least to become impotent when confronted by temptation ;-]. All it would have taken to make me give this book five stars was one little sentence to say 'Yes I went out with her but nothing happened. I couldn't, wouldn't didn't.' This was a disappointment to me because in other books like Lost in Love the hero was also faithful during a separation. I don't think it is unrealistic for a man who truly loves to be faithful and go without sex for lengthy periods of time.
When Franco follows her, Lexi's friend also misled her husband, suggesting she was sleeping with him rather than just sharing an apartment. Almost immediately after that Franco is seen with a blonde in a compromising position.
Fast forward three years and Franco's best friend reveals that he was lying about Lexi being promiscuous. Just before trying to kill them both. Badly injured Franco wants Lexi and Lexi comes running, believing Franco near death. As she stays with him during his recuperation much of what happened is revealed and they start to understand better what went wrong and the mistakes they both made. Especially Franco with his suspicions. There is a lot of dialogue in this book between the two protagonists and some people might think it a little slow but I was interested in the development of their relationship as they interacted.
Minor Spoiler: The thing that stopped me giving this book five stars was the fact that it seems fairly clear that Franco was unfaithful while they were separated. The excuse given was that he had just left her apartment in England believing she was unfaithful. I don't care. I like my heroes to be bigger than that. Or at least to become impotent when confronted by temptation ;-]. All it would have taken to make me give this book five stars was one little sentence to say 'Yes I went out with her but nothing happened. I couldn't, wouldn't didn't.' This was a disappointment to me because in other books like Lost in Love the hero was also faithful during a separation. I don't think it is unrealistic for a man who truly loves to be faithful and go without sex for lengthy periods of time.
December 16, 2011
At the beginning of the story the hero Franco is injured in a crash during a power boat race after learning some devastating truths about his failed marriage. When the heroine Lexi learns about Franco's accident she is devastated and despite all the past animosity between them over their traumatic marriage she agrees to go to him when he asks for her. While she helps Franco convalesce she tries to ignore the still blazing passion between them, but Franco shocks her when he makes it clear he wants them to get back together. Lexi can't believe he wants them to get back together, as their marriage was a total disaster and she has never forgiven him for the ruthless way he seduced her and then treated her after they were married. It has taken Franco a long time to realise how wrong he was about Lexi after believing lies about her told by people that only wanted to drive them apart. He tries to make amends but Lexi stonewalls him, so he uses the passion between them to his advantage and hopes that will break down her emotional barriers.
The angst levels in this book are quite melodramatic, which for some reason I found highly entertaining. Michelle Reid's books are always fast paced as that is certainly the case here, I had read half the book before I even knew it! The hero and heroine's relationship is the definition of 'can't live with em, can't live without em' and it is rife with sexual tension. I think that it is done very well. Yes, the hero and heroine argue a lot and, at times, behave badly but it all adds to the overall mood of the book.
I do feel that there wasn't enough explanation behind the reasons for the two 'badies' wanting to them to split, it lacked depth and I wanted to know more...
This is full of angst, emotion, and above all hope. I really liked it.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
The angst levels in this book are quite melodramatic, which for some reason I found highly entertaining. Michelle Reid's books are always fast paced as that is certainly the case here, I had read half the book before I even knew it! The hero and heroine's relationship is the definition of 'can't live with em, can't live without em' and it is rife with sexual tension. I think that it is done very well. Yes, the hero and heroine argue a lot and, at times, behave badly but it all adds to the overall mood of the book.
I do feel that there wasn't enough explanation behind the reasons for the two 'badies' wanting to them to split, it lacked depth and I wanted to know more...
This is full of angst, emotion, and above all hope. I really liked it.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
April 22, 2012
It was okay. I kept interested and stayed reading it thru one sitting. But I really struggled with the story and most importantly the characters. There really wasn't anything redeeming about any of them. The heroine, the hero, the staff, the father, the friends were all incredibly shallow people. Michelle Reid is one of my favorite authors, but she left me scratching my head on this one. What I find most interesting about her books, is you start out HATING the Hero only to fall madly in love with him by the end. She really has a way of taking you on an incredible journey in just under 150 pages. Very few authors can do that effectively, yet she is a master story teller....
However, this time it all just felt a little flat. It's a shame, because I think this could have been one great read.
However, this time it all just felt a little flat. It's a shame, because I think this could have been one great read.
March 9, 2012
The plot is way over the top with all the others conspiring against the h/H but MR s superb writing saved the book for me. The characters are well described in all their immaturity & their growing up, the sizzling tension keeps you turning the pages till the end. Overall a great read.
June 6, 2019
This was good book only downside was there was no epilogue! This story really needed it nonetheless it was moving story would recommend!
December 13, 2020
The first half of the book was promising because it was obvious he loved her and he wanted her back.
The H has an accident, lies wounded in the hospital and the H’s fathers asks the h to visit the H because the H wants to see her.
After a while it becomes a bit weird because although he is so wounded, he can walk out of the hospital and do all the things he does.
But what was disappointing was the fact that both the h and the H were not willing to be honest to each other about so many things.
She wanted him to talk about his father and she wanted him to talk about his late friend Marco. He didn’t want to talk about them and he didn’t want to explain why.
He on the other hand wanted to know about their background and other things and she didn’t want to talk about that.
2/3 of the book it became tiring how they continued to keep secrets from each other. She walked out of the room so many times that it became childish.
After they had sex he suddenly says she can leave him if she wants to. He suddenly gets a guilt trip. How unromantic to say to the h that she can leave. He should have still been bamboozled and warm and fuzzy and swept off his feet by the love making, but apparently he wasn’t.
It makes it hard to think as a reader that the sex was so great as it should have been after three years. It became confusing for me.
In the beginning of the book in the hospital he was so in love with her and it was so sweet how he tried to hold her hand and how open he was about him wanting her back. I thought this would be a 5 star book.
The last 20 pages or so I DNF’ed.
The H has an accident, lies wounded in the hospital and the H’s fathers asks the h to visit the H because the H wants to see her.
After a while it becomes a bit weird because although he is so wounded, he can walk out of the hospital and do all the things he does.
But what was disappointing was the fact that both the h and the H were not willing to be honest to each other about so many things.
She wanted him to talk about his father and she wanted him to talk about his late friend Marco. He didn’t want to talk about them and he didn’t want to explain why.
He on the other hand wanted to know about their background and other things and she didn’t want to talk about that.
2/3 of the book it became tiring how they continued to keep secrets from each other. She walked out of the room so many times that it became childish.
After they had sex he suddenly says she can leave him if she wants to. He suddenly gets a guilt trip. How unromantic to say to the h that she can leave. He should have still been bamboozled and warm and fuzzy and swept off his feet by the love making, but apparently he wasn’t.
It makes it hard to think as a reader that the sex was so great as it should have been after three years. It became confusing for me.
In the beginning of the book in the hospital he was so in love with her and it was so sweet how he tried to hold her hand and how open he was about him wanting her back. I thought this would be a 5 star book.
The last 20 pages or so I DNF’ed.
February 17, 2012
Michelle Reid is one of my favorite HP authors. She does angst SO WELL. I really loved the premise of this one -- prior lovers reunited when one of them faces a terrible, near-death event, and in desperate times they show that they'll be there for each other despite their past. It reminded me a bit of the The Salvatore Marriage (Foreign Affairs), which I also really liked. I liked the twist of the hero's physical injuries/weakness in this one. It maybe lost a quarter of a star for me when it got toward the end and I realized that pretty much the entire book had just been the two of them talking in an Italian villa, and the lack of action/plot development made it drag just slightly. But still, Michelle Reid is such a cut above most current HP authors (at least for me), that I'm still giving 5 stars.
September 19, 2013
Waw, I put it in my keeper shelf
January 26, 2022
For a man who is allegedly risking it all this boy’s stilted efforts were washed out actions of a petulant self conscious jerk. To emotionally black mail, coerce and drag the woman you want to make up with to your side, playing on her pity and humane compassion for your sorry state at the hospital, even have doctors murmur “suicide watch” and your asshole of a father to reach out to her, and then just when the going is getting tough and our home boy is facing some hard truths about her side of the past events, he dismisses her and tells her that she’s off the hook and can “go back to London tomorrow”?!?! What an eejit. Not only did he barely put any effort into groveling for behaving so callously to her during their brief time together, but he upended all her life that she’d painstakingly built in London in one sweep of his spoilt hand and didn’t have the grace to show the least bit of staying power, barely a few days into their supposed reunion. Instead of asking having to ask to stay she should have just turned her back on this faithless jerk and gone back to her life and career and never looked back. Why am I mad at fictions characters on a bunch of paper? I don’t know. I just wish I had the hard copy for this book and could have the satisfaction of shredding all the pages with my own two hands. There! I feel just a tiny bit better now.
November 21, 2011
Another great read by Michelle - this time of power-boat racer/engineer Franco and his estranged English bride Lexi. When Franco is seriously injured in a power-boat accident that kills his childhood friend he reaches out to Lexi to try and mend their marriage. Steamy and sassy tale and a darn good yarn. Enjoyable
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