Contracted: Corporate Wife

by Jessica Hart

Contracted: Corporate Wife by Jessica Hart released on Aug 30, 2005 is available now for purchase.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin Romance, Contemporary Romance, Harlequin

192 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2005

About the author

After a haphazard career spent working and travelling around the world, I stumbled into romance writing as a way to fund a PhD. My first book, A Sweeter Prejudice, came out in 1991, and since then I've written a further 59 books, some of which have won awards in the US and the UK.
I live in York, a historic city in the north of England, and waste the best part of my days planning trips away or on Facebook and Twitter, both of which mean that I end up writing late into the night. As well as romance, I write 'time slips' as Pamela Hartshorne, and am a freelance project editor and occasional writing tutor.

In May 2013 I will publishing the Jessica Hart Vintage Collection of five of my early books from the 90s.
For news of forthcoming books and exclusive offers, do sign up for my newsletter: email jessica@jessicahart.co.uk or come and find me on Facebook.

Reviews

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a different twist to it. The H/h are mature adults, 40+ years old, both with failed marriages. Their expectations on love, relationships and marriage were very realistic. The tension dial was low, but it was still a fun and interesting read.

[Margo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Toxic, ageist trash.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars! ~ But for a brief marriage when he was young, Patrick's been more than happy to hold on to his bachelorhood. Louisa's been Patrick's Personal Assistance now for three months, since he took over the company. Lou's a single mother of two teens and finding that everyday is a huge challenge and she's losing her stamina. Out on a business trip, Patrick and Lou find themselves stranded for the night due to bad weather. Over dinner, Lou has too much champagne and then too much wine and she finds herself opening up to her new boss. She tells him that she'd be the perfect wife for him. She's knows his business, so she'd be the perfect hostess. She'd be able to run his households easily and never would she make demands on him, or frown on his affairs. In return, Patrick would offer her and her children security, a roof over their heads and the money to make their lives fuller and easier. Days later, Lou is shocked when Patrick proposes. He likes her plan very much. Only when they marry and share that wonderful first married kiss, they discover a simmering attraction. Patrick suddenly has no desire to go out at night. And Lou finds herself holding tight to their friendship, afraid to go further for fear of ruining everything.

I really enjoyed this book. Both Patrick and Lou are in their later forties, which makes this book rather unique. These are two wonderfully believable characters, and I was very pleased they had their HEA.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this "sweet" Harlequin romance. I come back to this book every once in a while because it does a nice job of unveiling the characters' feelings for each other in under 200 pages. It's nothing groundbreaking as far as Harlequins go, but it's a quick and fulfilling read about a more mature couple (30-something divorcee and her 40-something boss) and the (totally unbelievable, but that's okay) marriage of convenience they contrive to enter into, each for his/her own reasons. Their arrangement is actually a set-up for cheating, but it didn't bother me in this instance because, while the H does go on a few dates, ultimately, nothing physical happened and he clearly wasn't emotionally invested in this OW.

Lou is Patrick's no-nonsense and uber-efficient executive assistant, and one evening while they're away on business and celebrating over dinner, they enter uncharted territory in discussing their personal lives/having a personal conversation outside of the office. She has a bit too much champagne and blurts out that he should consider marrying her if he's so fed up with all of the gold diggers who are chasing him. What would Lou get out of it? Financial security for her and her two growing teenaged kids. Let's just say that, instead of forgetting it (as Lou primly asks Patrick to do the next day, when sober), Patrick marinates on this idea, brings it up again at some point, they discuss it, and eventually they end up hitched. Patrick is supposedly "free" now to fool around, but even though he goes on a few dates, he can't seem to get excited about any of these young women whom he normally would be dating. Instead, he's finding he'd rather spend time with his new family in his palatial London house, which somehow feels like a home now that Lou and her kids have brought life to it.

Being one of the "Harlequin Romance" line, this book has no explicit hanky panky, but there is plenty of tension and heat between the H and h. I've read a few other books by Jessica Hart, and I've noticed she does the MOC trope often. She pulls it off well in this one. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

[Graylark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was sweet and lovely.

[TSN ☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read June 2023

3.5 stars