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Stranded with the Tycoon
RT Reviewers Choice Awards 2013 Harlequin Romance Nominee!
The man who sees her beauty...
Ben Hampton is the last man in England that workaholic historian Luce would ever choose to be stranded with. Tall, dark and infuriatingly arrogant, he's also a reminder of her not-so-glorious romantic history;something she's spent the past few years burying herself in work to forget.
Hotel tycoon Ben knows there's fire behind Luce's buttoned-up exterior, and fanning its flames is an irresistible temptation. Luckily, getting snowbound in the countryside gives him the perfect opportunity to tempt out the real Lucinda Myles!
The man who sees her beauty...
Ben Hampton is the last man in England that workaholic historian Luce would ever choose to be stranded with. Tall, dark and infuriatingly arrogant, he's also a reminder of her not-so-glorious romantic history;something she's spent the past few years burying herself in work to forget.
Hotel tycoon Ben knows there's fire behind Luce's buttoned-up exterior, and fanning its flames is an irresistible temptation. Luckily, getting snowbound in the countryside gives him the perfect opportunity to tempt out the real Lucinda Myles!
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2013
6 people are currently reading
429 people want to read
About the author
Sophie Pembroke
241 books126 followersSophie Pembroke writes very British romances for Orion, Mills & Boon / Harlequin Romance, Avon and HQ. She has been dreaming, reading and writing romance ever since she read her first Mills & Boon as part of her English Literature degree at Lancaster University, so getting to write romantic fiction for a living really is a dream come true!
She lives in a little English market town with her scientist husband, wildly imaginative ten year old daughter, and adorable four year old son. She spends her days writing, drinking tea and curling up with a good book. (Oh, and planning. There is a lot of planning.)
In Sophie’s world, happy is for ever after, everything stops for tea, and there’s always time for just one more page…
She lives in a little English market town with her scientist husband, wildly imaginative ten year old daughter, and adorable four year old son. She spends her days writing, drinking tea and curling up with a good book. (Oh, and planning. There is a lot of planning.)
In Sophie’s world, happy is for ever after, everything stops for tea, and there’s always time for just one more page…
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June 16, 2015
Stranded with the Tycoon is my first book by Sophie Pembroke. Ben and Luce spend all their time fixing other people’s problems. What happens when they try to fix each other’s?
Luce Myles keeps herself wrapped up tight. She lives with her never ending to do list, a family that doesn’t seem to be able to function without her guidance and as an academic, a very busy work life. So when she is supposed to be attending a conference and her hotel reservations get lost, her world and her to do lists are turned upside down when she walks right into Ben Hampton, hotel owner and part of a past that she would rather forget. The question is, does Ben remember her?
Ben spends his time traveling from place to place, never really staying anywhere long enough to call it home. And he has a strict dating rule, never date a woman twice in a row. He couldn’t have been more surprised when he saw the beautiful Luce Myles in his hotel lobby. He makes her an offer she can’t refuse, a place to sleep. And maybe a chance for a fun night for the both of them. But a blizzard keeps Ben and Luce together longer than planned.
As Ben and Luce get re-acquainted, they each try to help the other to reassess their lives. As the snow storm keeps them together, the connection between them grows stronger but Ben knows he can never offer Luce the life she deserves and Luce doubts that Ben has really ever grown up from his University days.
I loved this story of two people who needed each other and never realized it. Even though they fought it, circumstances kept them together and once their time was through, brought them together once again. The question is, can they make room in their lives for each other and can they each stop trying to fix everyone else’s problems in order to pursue their own dreams? I loved Luce’s sister, Dolly, by the way. She was such a bright light in Luce’s life. This was such a sweet story and I most definitely plan to read more books by this author.
Luce Myles keeps herself wrapped up tight. She lives with her never ending to do list, a family that doesn’t seem to be able to function without her guidance and as an academic, a very busy work life. So when she is supposed to be attending a conference and her hotel reservations get lost, her world and her to do lists are turned upside down when she walks right into Ben Hampton, hotel owner and part of a past that she would rather forget. The question is, does Ben remember her?
Ben spends his time traveling from place to place, never really staying anywhere long enough to call it home. And he has a strict dating rule, never date a woman twice in a row. He couldn’t have been more surprised when he saw the beautiful Luce Myles in his hotel lobby. He makes her an offer she can’t refuse, a place to sleep. And maybe a chance for a fun night for the both of them. But a blizzard keeps Ben and Luce together longer than planned.
As Ben and Luce get re-acquainted, they each try to help the other to reassess their lives. As the snow storm keeps them together, the connection between them grows stronger but Ben knows he can never offer Luce the life she deserves and Luce doubts that Ben has really ever grown up from his University days.
I loved this story of two people who needed each other and never realized it. Even though they fought it, circumstances kept them together and once their time was through, brought them together once again. The question is, can they make room in their lives for each other and can they each stop trying to fix everyone else’s problems in order to pursue their own dreams? I loved Luce’s sister, Dolly, by the way. She was such a bright light in Luce’s life. This was such a sweet story and I most definitely plan to read more books by this author.
March 26, 2016
What a flaaaaaaaaaaaat novel.
The playboy. One-night-stand rule. Oh-she-is-so-different. He wants to fix her. They slept together. Oh, the woman is pregnant! He realizes (FINALLY!) that he loves her. Okay, woman, let's get married. The end.
What a cliche.
At least, can't the author put something different?
The playboy. One-night-stand rule. Oh-she-is-so-different. He wants to fix her. They slept together. Oh, the woman is pregnant! He realizes (FINALLY!) that he loves her. Okay, woman, let's get married. The end.
What a cliche.
At least, can't the author put something different?
May 5, 2014
I thought I'd written a review for this book last year and am feeling awful that somehow I forgot to hit post and lost my review. I feel awful because Stranded with the Tycoon is something special. I've literally just picked it up to have another read of it because I fell madly in love with Ben and wanted to 'see' him again! It's simply beautiful.
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December 29, 2014TOP PICK! Received 4 1/2 stars @ RT Book Reviews
October 16, 2018
Ternyata aku sudah pernah baca versi Englishnya. Pantesan aja berasa familiar dengan jalan ceritanya.
Luce bertemu kembali dgn Ben, pacar cinta monyetnya, yg skrg menjadi partner abangnya bekerja di hotel milik keluarga, saat Luce mau reservasi di hotel tsb mendapati hotel tsb sudah penuh. Berkat Ben, Luce akhirnya mendapatkan kamar dan Luce mendapatkan guide tur gratisan alias Ben yg mengajaknya mengelilingi Wales beserta kastilnya. Di sana krn terjebak salju, mereka mendekam dan bercinta ria.
Ternyata percintaan mereka membuahkan hasil, Luce hamil, tetapi Ben menanggapinya sbg bencana. Luce tidak butuh Ben utk membiayainya. Dan sudah saatnya Luce bersikap tegas pada ibu dan saudara lelakinya.
Novel author ini penggambarannya agak hambar dan nyaris tidak ada feel-nya. Entah karena Luce tidak ber-drama sama sekali pdhl ada muatan kesana. Bayangkan menjadi calon ibu single mother dan menghadapi ibu dan saudara lelaki yg cuma taunya duit, duit dan duit itu sangat melelahkan emosi jiwa. Yasudahlah, tapi novel ini cocok utk suasana Natal.
Luce bertemu kembali dgn Ben, pacar cinta monyetnya, yg skrg menjadi partner abangnya bekerja di hotel milik keluarga, saat Luce mau reservasi di hotel tsb mendapati hotel tsb sudah penuh. Berkat Ben, Luce akhirnya mendapatkan kamar dan Luce mendapatkan guide tur gratisan alias Ben yg mengajaknya mengelilingi Wales beserta kastilnya. Di sana krn terjebak salju, mereka mendekam dan bercinta ria.
Ternyata percintaan mereka membuahkan hasil, Luce hamil, tetapi Ben menanggapinya sbg bencana. Luce tidak butuh Ben utk membiayainya. Dan sudah saatnya Luce bersikap tegas pada ibu dan saudara lelakinya.
Novel author ini penggambarannya agak hambar dan nyaris tidak ada feel-nya. Entah karena Luce tidak ber-drama sama sekali pdhl ada muatan kesana. Bayangkan menjadi calon ibu single mother dan menghadapi ibu dan saudara lelaki yg cuma taunya duit, duit dan duit itu sangat melelahkan emosi jiwa. Yasudahlah, tapi novel ini cocok utk suasana Natal.
March 21, 2017
Getting bored. =.=a
Sebagian besar aku skip, cuma buat tahu endingnya kaya apa, dan bahkan sekarang aku sudah lupa isinya apa. >.< Padahal baru selisih dua hari, :))
Sebagian besar aku skip, cuma buat tahu endingnya kaya apa, dan bahkan sekarang aku sudah lupa isinya apa. >.< Padahal baru selisih dua hari, :))
December 17, 2013
If you’re looking for the perfect romance to curl up with on a cold winter’s night, then look no further than Sophie Pembroke’s fantastic debut novel for Harlequin Romance, Stranded with the Tycoon.
After a long and exhausting day attending a mind-numbingly dull conference, all Dr. Lucinda ‘Luce’ Myles wants to do is go to her hotel room, take off her shoes and have a long soak in the bath. However, on her arrival at The Royal Court Hotel, Luce is stunned when the snooty blonde receptionist behind the desk tells her that they cannot find her booking! As if trying to find somewhere to sleep for the night isn’t bad enough, Luce has to contend with a barrage of phone calls and text messages from her hopeless family members who are all expecting her to organize the perfect Christmas for them! But just when she thinks that things cannot possibly get any worse in waltzes a face from the past Luce would much rather forget – Ben Hampton, who just happens be the owner of The Royal Court Hotel!
Luce and Ben had been at University together and they couldn’t have been more different. Ben had been the life and soul of the party. Laid back, charming and drop dead gorgeous, Ben had every single female on campus lusting after him – including Luce! However, Ben was more interested in her flatmate than in her and had spent most of the time teasing her for always having her nose in a book and for being unable and unwilling to let her hair down and have some fun. Although many years have passed since the last time the two clapped eyes on one another, Luce immediately realizes that despite the designer suit and bulging business portfolio, Ben Hampton is still the same charismatic playboy who had broken every girl’s heart at university. He is the last man Luce wants to be beholden to, but when Ben offers to share his suite with her for the night, the workaholic historian has no got other choice but to accept his offer.
Luce is nothing like the women Ben is usually attracted to. She is buttoned up, restrained and takes everything way too seriously. Yet, Ben cannot help but be intrigued by her. He is sure that beneath her reserved exterior lies a passionate and exciting woman whom he cannot wait to get to know. As luck would have it, the two of them end up stranded together because of a snow storm giving Ben the opportunity he has been waiting for to breach the walls which Luce has built around herself and knock down the defenses which she had constructed around her heart.
Falling madly in love had not been part of Luce’s plans, but the more time she spends with Ben, the more she realizes that she has lost her heart to him all over again. Will she find the courage to admit the truth about her feelings for him? Or will Ben’s reluctance to commit end up spoiling this last chance of happiness for them?
Sophie Pembroke has written a heart-warming, tender and gripping contemporary romance which I found impossible to put down. Written with plenty of panache, elan and sensitivity, this charming romantic tale about two polar opposites finding love when they least expected it is sure to tug at your heartstrings and bring a tear to your eye.
Sophie Pembroke’s characters spring to life from the moment they arrive on the page and you are sure to love smart, intelligent and perceptive Luce and fall in love with suave, sophisticated and sexy Ben!
Stranded with The Tycoon is an outstanding tale that I highly recommend and I’ll make sure to look out for more wonderful stories from Sophie Pembroke’s very talented pen!
This review was originally published on Cataromance.
After a long and exhausting day attending a mind-numbingly dull conference, all Dr. Lucinda ‘Luce’ Myles wants to do is go to her hotel room, take off her shoes and have a long soak in the bath. However, on her arrival at The Royal Court Hotel, Luce is stunned when the snooty blonde receptionist behind the desk tells her that they cannot find her booking! As if trying to find somewhere to sleep for the night isn’t bad enough, Luce has to contend with a barrage of phone calls and text messages from her hopeless family members who are all expecting her to organize the perfect Christmas for them! But just when she thinks that things cannot possibly get any worse in waltzes a face from the past Luce would much rather forget – Ben Hampton, who just happens be the owner of The Royal Court Hotel!
Luce and Ben had been at University together and they couldn’t have been more different. Ben had been the life and soul of the party. Laid back, charming and drop dead gorgeous, Ben had every single female on campus lusting after him – including Luce! However, Ben was more interested in her flatmate than in her and had spent most of the time teasing her for always having her nose in a book and for being unable and unwilling to let her hair down and have some fun. Although many years have passed since the last time the two clapped eyes on one another, Luce immediately realizes that despite the designer suit and bulging business portfolio, Ben Hampton is still the same charismatic playboy who had broken every girl’s heart at university. He is the last man Luce wants to be beholden to, but when Ben offers to share his suite with her for the night, the workaholic historian has no got other choice but to accept his offer.
Luce is nothing like the women Ben is usually attracted to. She is buttoned up, restrained and takes everything way too seriously. Yet, Ben cannot help but be intrigued by her. He is sure that beneath her reserved exterior lies a passionate and exciting woman whom he cannot wait to get to know. As luck would have it, the two of them end up stranded together because of a snow storm giving Ben the opportunity he has been waiting for to breach the walls which Luce has built around herself and knock down the defenses which she had constructed around her heart.
Falling madly in love had not been part of Luce’s plans, but the more time she spends with Ben, the more she realizes that she has lost her heart to him all over again. Will she find the courage to admit the truth about her feelings for him? Or will Ben’s reluctance to commit end up spoiling this last chance of happiness for them?
Sophie Pembroke has written a heart-warming, tender and gripping contemporary romance which I found impossible to put down. Written with plenty of panache, elan and sensitivity, this charming romantic tale about two polar opposites finding love when they least expected it is sure to tug at your heartstrings and bring a tear to your eye.
Sophie Pembroke’s characters spring to life from the moment they arrive on the page and you are sure to love smart, intelligent and perceptive Luce and fall in love with suave, sophisticated and sexy Ben!
Stranded with The Tycoon is an outstanding tale that I highly recommend and I’ll make sure to look out for more wonderful stories from Sophie Pembroke’s very talented pen!
This review was originally published on Cataromance.
January 18, 2014
received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads and this is my honest review of the book.
If you want a book with simmering attraction slowly building between two characters who think they have nothing in common then you might want to read this book.
Ben lives his life mainly out of the hotels his family owns and doesn't want commitment after what happened in his own past, so he has a one night stand rule.
Luce never gets any time to herself since she always seems to be the one always being responsible, putting others needs ahead of her own, so she has some long, big to do lists.
Ben and Luce get more then they bargin for when Ben trys to get her to relax and think about herself while Ben gets a rude awakening to his life and rules. There was also some interesting suprises in the book.
If you want a book with simmering attraction slowly building between two characters who think they have nothing in common then you might want to read this book.
Ben lives his life mainly out of the hotels his family owns and doesn't want commitment after what happened in his own past, so he has a one night stand rule.
Luce never gets any time to herself since she always seems to be the one always being responsible, putting others needs ahead of her own, so she has some long, big to do lists.
Ben and Luce get more then they bargin for when Ben trys to get her to relax and think about herself while Ben gets a rude awakening to his life and rules. There was also some interesting suprises in the book.
August 20, 2013
Review Posted on HarlequinJunkie.com
Stranded with the Tycoon is a beautifully written romance novel with a slow build up.The romance was based more on the conversations between the characters and how they thought about each other rather than their mutual attraction and passion.Read More
Stranded with the Tycoon is a beautifully written romance novel with a slow build up.The romance was based more on the conversations between the characters and how they thought about each other rather than their mutual attraction and passion.Read More
September 14, 2013
Even though this book was a typical romance book, I happen to enjoy books like that every now and again. A light read when you just want to curl up in a chair to escape and relax. I would certainly read more from Sophie Pembroke. Thank you Sophie for the book. I truly enjoyed it.
April 21, 2018
Pretty mediocre. Not worth writing much more since it was fine but completely forgettable.
September 25, 2013
Stranded with the Tycoon is a contemporary romance novel by Sophie Pembroke. It’s set in the UK, mostly Chester and mid/south Wales, with plush hotels and cosy cottages, yum.
This novel tells the story of Lucinda Myles, a woman who makes workaholics look lazy! What with her day job, attending conferences, looking after her family and trying to write a book, Luce hasn’t had any time for romance in the past few years, and she doesn’t see that changing any time soon.
She’s at a conference that she really doesn’t want to be at, just before Christmas. As she tries to check in to her hotel room, she finds that there’s been an error and the room has been double-booked. The hotel is full, and being so close to Christmas, everywhere else in Chester is full, too. Left with no bed for the next few nights, Luce is understandably very unhappy. Then things get even worse. She bumps into Ben Hampton, a guy she knew at uni as he dated her best friend. They never got along particularly well back then, and there was also an incident that Luce has been desperate to forget ever since.
It turns out that Ben is now working for the family business – the hotel business, and he’s in charge of the very hotel they’re in. He has the largest suite in the place, naturally, and offers Luce the spare room. She resists at first, but given she has no choice, she eventually relents. What follows is a story of two people rediscovering one another, as well as finding out what’s changed in the intervening years, and what’s stayed exactly the same.
I very much enjoyed Stranded with the Tycoon. I loved that the lead female was a history buff, and some of the references made me smile. The writing style is easy and engaging, the characters fun and likeable – despite their faults – their back stories worked for me, too. Overall, a very romantic tale which left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I look forward to more from Ms. Pembroke.
This novel tells the story of Lucinda Myles, a woman who makes workaholics look lazy! What with her day job, attending conferences, looking after her family and trying to write a book, Luce hasn’t had any time for romance in the past few years, and she doesn’t see that changing any time soon.
She’s at a conference that she really doesn’t want to be at, just before Christmas. As she tries to check in to her hotel room, she finds that there’s been an error and the room has been double-booked. The hotel is full, and being so close to Christmas, everywhere else in Chester is full, too. Left with no bed for the next few nights, Luce is understandably very unhappy. Then things get even worse. She bumps into Ben Hampton, a guy she knew at uni as he dated her best friend. They never got along particularly well back then, and there was also an incident that Luce has been desperate to forget ever since.
It turns out that Ben is now working for the family business – the hotel business, and he’s in charge of the very hotel they’re in. He has the largest suite in the place, naturally, and offers Luce the spare room. She resists at first, but given she has no choice, she eventually relents. What follows is a story of two people rediscovering one another, as well as finding out what’s changed in the intervening years, and what’s stayed exactly the same.
I very much enjoyed Stranded with the Tycoon. I loved that the lead female was a history buff, and some of the references made me smile. The writing style is easy and engaging, the characters fun and likeable – despite their faults – their back stories worked for me, too. Overall, a very romantic tale which left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling. I look forward to more from Ms. Pembroke.
September 12, 2013
I received Stranded with the Tycoon as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
Due to a scheduling mishap at an academic conference the week before Christmas, historian Luce finds herself literally without a room at the inn. A fortuitous meeting with the hotel's co-owner (who also happens to be the former boyfriend of her college roommate) Ben leads to the offer of his suite for the night. Desperate to get home the following day but hampered by an unexpected snowstorm, Luce convinces Ben to drive her to her home in Cardiff. Mother Nature gets the best of the two, ultimately stranding them at Ben's cottage. There, they begin to reconsider their earlier impressions of one another--Ben as a carefree, careless rich boy and Luce as a buttoned up, cool academic.
When it comes to romance, I usually read historicals, so this was a nice change of pace. The two main characters were well-drawn without resorting to alpha-male/innocent virgin stereotypes and the pacing was good. All in all, an enjoyable plot, very light in terms of explicit sexual content.
The characterization of Luce's family seemed to develop fairly late. You heard a lot about how she was put upon, but without any examples. When you finally "met" them, they were a bit too over-the-top for my taste, seemingly a bit like caricatures. The development of Luce's sister Dolly as a major part of the book at the end also seemed to come out of left field--she was only mentioned by name, no identifying details--in the first 75% of the book.
All in all, I'd probably rate SwtT as a 2.5/5. A nice, sweet holiday romance.
Due to a scheduling mishap at an academic conference the week before Christmas, historian Luce finds herself literally without a room at the inn. A fortuitous meeting with the hotel's co-owner (who also happens to be the former boyfriend of her college roommate) Ben leads to the offer of his suite for the night. Desperate to get home the following day but hampered by an unexpected snowstorm, Luce convinces Ben to drive her to her home in Cardiff. Mother Nature gets the best of the two, ultimately stranding them at Ben's cottage. There, they begin to reconsider their earlier impressions of one another--Ben as a carefree, careless rich boy and Luce as a buttoned up, cool academic.
When it comes to romance, I usually read historicals, so this was a nice change of pace. The two main characters were well-drawn without resorting to alpha-male/innocent virgin stereotypes and the pacing was good. All in all, an enjoyable plot, very light in terms of explicit sexual content.
The characterization of Luce's family seemed to develop fairly late. You heard a lot about how she was put upon, but without any examples. When you finally "met" them, they were a bit too over-the-top for my taste, seemingly a bit like caricatures. The development of Luce's sister Dolly as a major part of the book at the end also seemed to come out of left field--she was only mentioned by name, no identifying details--in the first 75% of the book.
All in all, I'd probably rate SwtT as a 2.5/5. A nice, sweet holiday romance.
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January 12, 2016This is the first time I'm reading a book by Sophie Pembroke. I must say, it was fantastic. Love the combination between Luce and Ben. Don't forget Dolly, the infamous sister and Seb for being a caring brother. I always expect from the first chapter that Seb must be cold or something, but apparently, he was not cool at all, the terms hot is better.
I really did felt something like annoying especially when there is the part of Tom and Tabitha.
Really want to wrapped my fingers around their neck.
Entirely it was a truly touching and marvelous. It was good that the hero didn't seems ego and too alpha at all. So sweet. Love it very much. And trust me, I read over and over again!
I really did felt something like annoying especially when there is the part of Tom and Tabitha.
Really want to wrapped my fingers around their neck.
Entirely it was a truly touching and marvelous. It was good that the hero didn't seems ego and too alpha at all. So sweet. Love it very much. And trust me, I read over and over again!
January 1, 2015
Interesting storyline, but more romantic scenes than I prefer. Still liked the book.
February 23, 2015
Good easy enjoyable read. Not awesome but good.
January 9, 2016
Storyline nya bagus, alurnya juga mudah dipahami.. Terjemahannya oke..
January 20, 2017
Selesaiiiii....
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews