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The Greek's Million-Dollar Baby Bargain
Nikos Theakis happily paid Ann Turner a huge sum to claim his orphaned nephew and, though it broke her heart, Ann let her little ward go. But now young Ari needs Ann and Nikos will stop at nothing to see the boy happy.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
About the author
Julia James
784 books167 followersJulia lives in England with her family. Mills and Boon novels were Julia's first "grown up" books she read as a teenager ("Alongside Georgette Heyer and Daphne du Maurier."), and she's been reading them ever since.
Julia adores the English countryside ("And the Celtic countryside!"), in all its seasons, and is fascinated by all things historical, from castles to cottages. She also has a special love for the Mediterranean ("The most perfect landscape after England!") — she considers both are ideal settings for romance stories! In between writing she enjoys walking, gardening, needlework and baking "extremely gooey chocolate cakes" — and trying to stay fit!
Julia adores the English countryside ("And the Celtic countryside!"), in all its seasons, and is fascinated by all things historical, from castles to cottages. She also has a special love for the Mediterranean ("The most perfect landscape after England!") — she considers both are ideal settings for romance stories! In between writing she enjoys walking, gardening, needlework and baking "extremely gooey chocolate cakes" — and trying to stay fit!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
October 16, 2017
Re-read. I read this back when Scrib had all of those Harlequins and a free trial membership. Good times.
This was just as good the second time around. The hero's brother and heroine's sister had a baby together and then were killed in a car accident. The hero shows up on the heroine's door to take the baby to Greece. He sweetens the pot by writing the heroine a check for One Million Pounds. The heroine is going to refuse, but changes her mind after reading the grandmother's letter. Because she and her sister grew up in foster care, she wants this child to have a loving, stable family. The only rub - she can't see the child ever again.
Fast forward four years and the heroine runs across her nephew and his grandmother in a London toy store. The grandmother is all sweetness and light and invites the heroine for lunch with a glowering hero and then for a month's stay at their villa in Greece.
The hero has a terrible opinion of the heroine and her sister and that doesn't change for a long time - even after they have sex for the first time. The reader isn't told what the heroine did with the one million pounds until late in the story and that helps us understand the hero's attitude.
What I didn't understand was the heroine going to bed with a guy who holds her in contempt. Once I can understand - but after that - no. He should have been taking cold showers and she should have had her head examined.
The grandmother in this was great. I liked the reveal in the epilogue at how she got the H/h together.
This was just as good the second time around. The hero's brother and heroine's sister had a baby together and then were killed in a car accident. The hero shows up on the heroine's door to take the baby to Greece. He sweetens the pot by writing the heroine a check for One Million Pounds. The heroine is going to refuse, but changes her mind after reading the grandmother's letter. Because she and her sister grew up in foster care, she wants this child to have a loving, stable family. The only rub - she can't see the child ever again.
Fast forward four years and the heroine runs across her nephew and his grandmother in a London toy store. The grandmother is all sweetness and light and invites the heroine for lunch with a glowering hero and then for a month's stay at their villa in Greece.
The hero has a terrible opinion of the heroine and her sister and that doesn't change for a long time - even after they have sex for the first time. The reader isn't told what the heroine did with the one million pounds until late in the story and that helps us understand the hero's attitude.
What I didn't understand was the heroine going to bed with a guy who holds her in contempt. Once I can understand - but after that - no. He should have been taking cold showers and she should have had her head examined.
The grandmother in this was great. I liked the reveal in the epilogue at how she got the H/h together.
September 18, 2013
3 1/2 stars. I gave this 4 stars on the first read and considering that I stayed up late to finish it again, decided to stay with that official rating. Also, I really liked that horrible Nikos changes his opinion of Ann without a big reveal of how pure and unselfish she is (though of course he gets that big reveal at the end anyway.) He realizes that she might have had perfectly human reasons for accepting his money, and why the book couldn't have just stayed with that... eh, it's a Harlequin Presents.
What brought the rating down a bit was that I got soooooo tired of Ann melting like a stick of butter (or as she thinks herself -- twice! -- like honey on a hot spoon) every time Nikos drew breath. And the hypocrisy of Nikos despising someone for "selling her own flesh and blood" when he was the one who bought his nephew from her was infuriating. But there again, he has a change of heart that redeemed him and the book somewhat. So still a good read.
What brought the rating down a bit was that I got soooooo tired of Ann melting like a stick of butter (or as she thinks herself -- twice! -- like honey on a hot spoon) every time Nikos drew breath. And the hypocrisy of Nikos despising someone for "selling her own flesh and blood" when he was the one who bought his nephew from her was infuriating. But there again, he has a change of heart that redeemed him and the book somewhat. So still a good read.
October 6, 2014
It kept me interested, the writing was compelling, but I didn't love the resolution Also, what was with his whole idea that if she is his mistress she will have to disappear from his mother's presence as unfit company? Is this the 1800's?
April 8, 2012
I am a huge Julia James fan, but this was not one of her better books.
1) The Hero was just too horrible and didn't seem to improve. In other books by James, the Hero may start out badly ...but he quickly redeems himself. So I never did warm up to him. For the life of me, I couldn't understand how she would even want to be intimate with him.
2) The heroine purposely misleads the Hero (repeatedly) allowing him to believe that she sold her nephew for $1M euro's. In the beginning, it's because she doesn't really care what he thinks of her. He is irrelevant and just a means to seeing her nephew. That seems plausible. But as her feelings grow towards him and they make love, she can't bring herself to explain because she is too overwhelmed to speak... That's just plain silly.
3) The interaction between the two in the epilogue, was way too saccharine for my liking. I was rolling my eyes.
The best part of the book, was the grandmother and little Ari. What great great characters...and I loved the grandmother's wonderful "big" reveal in the epilogue.
1) The Hero was just too horrible and didn't seem to improve. In other books by James, the Hero may start out badly ...but he quickly redeems himself. So I never did warm up to him. For the life of me, I couldn't understand how she would even want to be intimate with him.
2) The heroine purposely misleads the Hero (repeatedly) allowing him to believe that she sold her nephew for $1M euro's. In the beginning, it's because she doesn't really care what he thinks of her. He is irrelevant and just a means to seeing her nephew. That seems plausible. But as her feelings grow towards him and they make love, she can't bring herself to explain because she is too overwhelmed to speak... That's just plain silly.
3) The interaction between the two in the epilogue, was way too saccharine for my liking. I was rolling my eyes.
The best part of the book, was the grandmother and little Ari. What great great characters...and I loved the grandmother's wonderful "big" reveal in the epilogue.
January 19, 2014
3-1/2 stars. This didn't sound like something I would like but I was sucked in pretty quickly. This was different in that the heroine, the child's aunt, did not hold on to the boy unreasonably. She was honest and realized that the hero the boy's uncle and grandmother really could give him a better life and just as much love. She took the money though which of course led the hero to thinking that she was a money grubber. I liked the dynamic between them when they meet up again 5 years later. The hero manages to fall for her even though he thinks very poorly of her. I would have loved to see a book where that was the upshot but of course she had a good reason for taking the money. Heaven forfend that an HP heroine ever just want to get out of poverty. Still a pretty good read.
October 6, 2014
I loved the grandmother and Ari, could not care less for Nikos. I didn't respect Ann after they met the second time around. She allowed all the misunderstandings to continue for no good reason in my opinion.
July 31, 2011
At the beginning of the book the heroine Ann is grieving for the loss of her sister, but she has her precious nephew to care for. Then the hero Nikos arrives and wants to take custody of the baby, initially she refuses as he had not allowed his brother to acknowledge his son as he thought her sister was lying. The he offers her a million pounds and she agrees for both the money and for the life that Nikos's family can provide for her nephew. Five years later and Ann accidentally bumps into her nephew and his grandmother and is welcomed by her with open arms, much to Nikos's chagrin. She is asked to go to Greece to spend time with her nephew, Nikos doesn't like Ann but recognises that she loves her nephew. He also finds himself very attracted to her. After they spend the night together he wants her to be his mistress but Ann refuses to be bought and is disgusted by the offer. Nikos doesn't understand her behaviour, believe she is a gold digger, but he still wants her. Ann knows his poor opinion of her her but she also can't fight her desire for him.
I found this book difficult to like, the story is good and written well but I just couldn't stand the hero. He was far too cruel to the heroine, some of the names he called her were awful. And, I desperately wanted the heroine to stick up for herself, which she didn't, although I liked her calm temperament. There is enough details purposely held back from the early story to keep you interested and this is very typical of Julia James's style.
This is quite an enjoyable story but the devil is in the details, and the details (characters and their interaction) really let this book down. Not one of Julia James's best.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I found this book difficult to like, the story is good and written well but I just couldn't stand the hero. He was far too cruel to the heroine, some of the names he called her were awful. And, I desperately wanted the heroine to stick up for herself, which she didn't, although I liked her calm temperament. There is enough details purposely held back from the early story to keep you interested and this is very typical of Julia James's style.
This is quite an enjoyable story but the devil is in the details, and the details (characters and their interaction) really let this book down. Not one of Julia James's best.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
April 8, 2013
I actually had to think really hard about how I wanted to rate this book. The story is pretty typical but the grandmother character and her sweet conniving added a little extra to the plot. But then there was a problematic scene that skitted AWFULLY close to rapey. So...yeah. Decent story with a random skeevey bit in it. For those who are wondering
April 3, 2019
Simply unbelievable.
He's a di*k who all but calls her a wh*re because of a prejudice based on the behavior of her sister.
She's apathic for half the book, while in the other half she becomes a mindless girl who can only think about how handsome he is, totally forgetting that he treats her like a prostitute.
This kind of misogynous man only deserves a kick in the balls, not to be the """hero""" of a romance book. And this kind of woman without any self-respect should be banned from books read mainly by women, because they "teach" that it's good for her to be totally overpowered by her man, without being able to think and stand up for herself, even when se is clearly mistreated and abused by him with his words.
It could have been a good book, I really liked how the story started, but it became too offensive after, like, the tenth time he thought he could pay her for whatever he wanted, and increasingly ridiculous every time she totally accepted all the sh*t he threw her way. What. A. Shame.
The ending is simply absurd, too, since he basically calls her a fraud without any evidence (again) and two seconds later he's ordering her to marry him. And she accepts, like he's the most perfect and gentle man in the world. Really?!
If this is the kind of man the author thinks that a woman deserves in her life, maybe she should stop writing contemporary romance and concentrate on the Middle Ages.
He's a di*k who all but calls her a wh*re because of a prejudice based on the behavior of her sister.
She's apathic for half the book, while in the other half she becomes a mindless girl who can only think about how handsome he is, totally forgetting that he treats her like a prostitute.
This kind of misogynous man only deserves a kick in the balls, not to be the """hero""" of a romance book. And this kind of woman without any self-respect should be banned from books read mainly by women, because they "teach" that it's good for her to be totally overpowered by her man, without being able to think and stand up for herself, even when se is clearly mistreated and abused by him with his words.
It could have been a good book, I really liked how the story started, but it became too offensive after, like, the tenth time he thought he could pay her for whatever he wanted, and increasingly ridiculous every time she totally accepted all the sh*t he threw her way. What. A. Shame.
The ending is simply absurd, too, since he basically calls her a fraud without any evidence (again) and two seconds later he's ordering her to marry him. And she accepts, like he's the most perfect and gentle man in the world. Really?!
If this is the kind of man the author thinks that a woman deserves in her life, maybe she should stop writing contemporary romance and concentrate on the Middle Ages.
September 24, 2015
The main characters made the book a bit boring the two characters just did not have a common ground for there relationship. Nikos was just horrible and judgemental and Anne could not speak for herself most times. The only good thing about the story was Ari and the grandmother they made u want to continue to plod on. This is my first book from this author and I wasn't really left excited but I will try to accommodate this and read another story maybe I will have better luck next time
September 18, 2013
Pretty good read, especially given that I haven't been loving modern HPs these days. I always love a hero and heroine who can't resist each other despite supposedly despising each other. Got a little long though, and the end was pretty sappy. Still, engaging read.
December 19, 2019
This is in the style of a Cinderella romance. Hannah has been let down by the people she should have been able to trust and rely on for love. Now she's celebrating New Year's Eve at a party in a hotel in Greece. That's where she literally bumps into a Greek adonis and the attraction is instant - so much so that they agree to have one night together. He's an extremely wealthy widower, riddled with guilt after the murder of his wife and son four years ago. He's been celibate ever since but can't resist this stranger. After an unforgettable night they go their separate ways . . . until Hannah finds him again to inform him about the consequences of their time together..... He's determined to keep her and their baby safe but is also adamant that he will never love Hannah....
This is a steamy romance with a couple who have both suffered tragic events in their lives. Can they help each other heal and find a love that lasts together? There are some heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in this fairy tale contemporary romance which is a lovely, easy read story to escape into.
Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this book (via NetGalley) which I have chosen to read and this is my honest review after doing so.
This is a steamy romance with a couple who have both suffered tragic events in their lives. Can they help each other heal and find a love that lasts together? There are some heartbreaking and heartwarming moments in this fairy tale contemporary romance which is a lovely, easy read story to escape into.
Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this book (via NetGalley) which I have chosen to read and this is my honest review after doing so.
July 17, 2017
3.5 Stars. Sometimes a person can be blinded from too much anger and hatred. Sometimes for any reason and most of all for no reason at all. The H(Nikos) carried so much hate for the h's(Ann) sister(Carla), he put judgement on Ann because of Carla's behavior and actions. Without seeing the whole picture, the real reasons why Ann and Carla are/were the way they are/were and where they came from. Carla, pregnant with Nikos's brother's(Andreas) baby is toss aside by Nikos thinking Carla is a whore. Not believing Carla is pregnant by Andreas. Carla returns home to Ann and gives birth to a boy...Ari. Andreas comes for Carla and they take off and die in car accident. Nikos comes to England to claim Ari because a DNA test provides the truth that Ari is Andreas son. Nikos pays Ann 1 million pounds for custody and leaves with Ari.
Four years later...fate brings Ann and Ari together who is England at a toy shop with his grandmother and of course Nikos. The grandmother, who has a bad heart, invites Ann to come to Greece to get to know Ari better. Worried about his mother's health, Nikos reluctantly agrees, and Ann is coming to Greece. Then....so much happens...the truths come out...the End.
Four years later...fate brings Ann and Ari together who is England at a toy shop with his grandmother and of course Nikos. The grandmother, who has a bad heart, invites Ann to come to Greece to get to know Ari better. Worried about his mother's health, Nikos reluctantly agrees, and Ann is coming to Greece. Then....so much happens...the truths come out...the End.
September 1, 2018
I read this for the second time yesterday and decided to give it 4 stars...I would have originally given it 5 stars but the idea of Ann, the h, not telling Nicos, the H, what she really did with his family money irritated me...she had so many chances! There was so much to enjoy about this book- The Greek setting is a character all itself! And the nephew, the grandmother and cousin were all adorable. I loved the sexual chemistry between Ann and Nicos, who both desired and despised her. I am discovering Julia James' earlier work after reading some from last year where the monologues are sometimes overwhelming. The sweet epilogue was wonderful.
January 21, 2018
Quick and sweet. I liked that the heroine and hero didn't simply 'love' each other in the middle of the book for no reason. They had to get to know one another and get past things from the past. I liked how they both wanted to do things that were the best interest of their nephew. Overall I think the sister's past didn't help much and the heroine's past/present wasn't relieved until a bit too late. But still a pleasant read.
January 24, 2021
Did not like it. The writing was good but I did not like the never-ending contempt the hero had for heroine, there was moments he was nice then right back to contempt. I didn't particularly like heroine all that much she was a good person but she just let him treat her horribly and resisted for short time his advances then would succumb to his seduction. Also there was another woman hero spent time with and it's not made clear of he slept with her in course of book or not. Np.
October 20, 2021
How to jump into conclusions 101 by Nikos Theakis
How to be an asshole 101 by Nikos Theakis
How to write so that your audience will know everything that will happen at the beginning and suspense is nonexistent throughout the book 101 by Julia James
How to be an asshole 101 by Nikos Theakis
How to write so that your audience will know everything that will happen at the beginning and suspense is nonexistent throughout the book 101 by Julia James
May 31, 2017
I didn't think I would like the storyline of selling a baby to the billionaire, but as the story goes on you realize you didn't get the full measure of the heroine.
December 8, 2018
Es una lectura entretenida para pasar la tarde, pero no deja de ser el típico romance con matices machistas, unos personajes muy estereotipados.
May 29, 2019
An arrogant a$$hole H and a h who didn't know how to stand up for herself. That's the story. I didn't like the male protagonist at all and again the female protagonist was weak.
February 11, 2022
Enjoyable 3.5
November 20, 2023
A Zero hero...
January 2, 2017
It was just bland and it wasn't as hot as i wanted it to be but it had good writing.
November 22, 2021
Ann ahora tiene que cuidar al hijo de su hermana Carla ya que está tras pasar por el embarazo peligroso y la depresión después de este ya que el papá del niño duda de que sea suyo.
Cuando un hombre griego llama a su puerta Nikos quiere al hijo de su hermano y aunque fue el quien sugirió que el niño no era de el, las pruebas de partenida han llegado y son positivos.
Le ofrece mucho dinero a Ann para que renuncie a él y está acepta lo que la convierte ante sus ojos en una mujer sin moral como su hermana.
4 años han pasado y por casualidad se encuentra con su sobrino y es invitada a pasar unos días con el, ella no puede dejar pasar la oportunidad de estar con el hijo de su hermana.
Ahora el resentimiento entre los dos tíos es palpable y se mezcla con el deseo que tienen entre ellos.
¿Que pasará con Ann?
Cuando un hombre griego llama a su puerta Nikos quiere al hijo de su hermano y aunque fue el quien sugirió que el niño no era de el, las pruebas de partenida han llegado y son positivos.
Le ofrece mucho dinero a Ann para que renuncie a él y está acepta lo que la convierte ante sus ojos en una mujer sin moral como su hermana.
4 años han pasado y por casualidad se encuentra con su sobrino y es invitada a pasar unos días con el, ella no puede dejar pasar la oportunidad de estar con el hijo de su hermana.
Ahora el resentimiento entre los dos tíos es palpable y se mezcla con el deseo que tienen entre ellos.
¿Que pasará con Ann?
September 4, 2011
Ann is grieving over her sister's death and taking care of her nephew. She tried to get the father's family involved and all they did was call her a tramp and said there was no way the kids was apart of their family.
That is until one day Greek tycoon Nikos Theakis offered Ann a million dollars for her nephew. Ann was grieving, young, and had nothing to her name. She thought it would be the right thing to give him to his uncle to be raised by family.
Five years go by and she bumps into her nephew and his grandma. They greet her with open arms and makes her feel wanted. Nikos doesn't want her seeing her nephew and spending time with him. Good ol'grandma knows what she is doing and invites her along anyway.
Nikos calls her all kinds of names and she just takes it and gets in the bed with him every time. You wonder what kind of ending this book is going to have and you wait to see it unfold.
I believe the author did a great job with the story line. I was into the book the whole time.
That is until one day Greek tycoon Nikos Theakis offered Ann a million dollars for her nephew. Ann was grieving, young, and had nothing to her name. She thought it would be the right thing to give him to his uncle to be raised by family.
Five years go by and she bumps into her nephew and his grandma. They greet her with open arms and makes her feel wanted. Nikos doesn't want her seeing her nephew and spending time with him. Good ol'grandma knows what she is doing and invites her along anyway.
Nikos calls her all kinds of names and she just takes it and gets in the bed with him every time. You wonder what kind of ending this book is going to have and you wait to see it unfold.
I believe the author did a great job with the story line. I was into the book the whole time.
February 3, 2012
Ann is raising her orphaned nephew, Ari, after her older sister and her husband die in an accident. When Ari’s uncle, Nikos Theakis, comes into the picture, he arrogantly demands that Ari be handed over to him in exchange for a large sum of money. Seeing as Nikos comes from an incredibly wealthy family, Ann considers Ari’s well-being and reluctantly gives him up. Four years later, Ann unexpectedly runs into Nikos, who views Ann with contempt as a woman only after money. Despite this, a few days later Nikos asks Ann to come to Greece with him and Ari. Ann can hardly believe the words coming out of Nikos’s mouth!
April 9, 2011
Typical of JJ's books. Big misunderstanding.
He accused of her being avaricious, called her sister a slut, and bribed her with diamonds to be his whore BUT for the critical part, he forgot to use words: he never TOLD her that he wanted to marry her therefore letting her assume he only wanted to continue an affair.
Liked what she did with the million but hated her always falling into his bed so quickly.
He accused of her being avaricious, called her sister a slut, and bribed her with diamonds to be his whore BUT for the critical part, he forgot to use words: he never TOLD her that he wanted to marry her therefore letting her assume he only wanted to continue an affair.
Liked what she did with the million but hated her always falling into his bed so quickly.
December 1, 2017
When Greek tycoon Nikos Theakis offered grieving Ann Turner a million dollars for his orphaned nephew, she took the money and walked away.Young, penniless and alone, Ann did what she thought was best--and it nearly broke her. But now little Ari needs her, and the ruthless Greek is offering Ann a bargain of a very different kind...One month on his island--at his mercy....
March 24, 2012
creo que mi puntuación sería un 3.5
El libro podría haber tenido más acción con el tema planteado por la autora.
No sé que más decir, bastante simple y poco extenso el libro.
El libro podría haber tenido más acción con el tema planteado por la autora.
No sé que más decir, bastante simple y poco extenso el libro.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews