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The Greek's Bought Wife

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Nic Leandros knows that most people are only after his money. So when he finds out beautiful Tina Matheson is pregnant with his late brother's child, he's certain that her price will be high... Tina won't bow to Nic's wealth, but they will marry for the baby's sake. Tina finds herself married to a man she should detest! But, both are discovering there's a fine line between love and hate...

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 5, 2005

39 people are currently reading
140 people want to read

About the author

Helen Bianchin

381 books230 followers
Helen Shirley was born on February 20 1939 in New Zealand, where she grew up, an only child possessed by a vivid imagination and a love for reading. She wrote stories for amusement in her early teenage years, and when she left leaving school, she took a secretarial job at a father-and-son legal firm.

At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.

It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.

With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!

Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.

She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."

Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.

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5 stars
97 (30%)
4 stars
86 (26%)
3 stars
98 (30%)
2 stars
24 (7%)
1 star
17 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
Profile Image for Rahaf Potrosh.
180 reviews273 followers
December 8, 2020
نوع آخر من الروايات التي من المفترض انها رومانسية
والواقع ان القصة والأحداث مختلفان عن ما اعتدت عليه في روايات عبير، اكثر جرأة ربما ، وأكثر خوض بتفاصيل لا لزوم لها.

مشكلة كبيرة ان يتزوج الرجل زوجة أخيه بعد وفاته ، ومع الأسف فهو شي متداول في مجتمعنا ، والحجة هي الحفاظ على الأولاد .
ولكنها للحق ، وبناء على ما رأيته شخصياً، تكون في الغالب ذات نتائج سلبية ، فنرى الاثنين يعيشان معاً مكرهين، وهذا اكبر خطأ يمكن أن يرتكب ، وهذا رأيي الشخصي طبعاً
طبعاً الأحداث هنا مختلفة لان الكاتبة أرادت ان تخلق قصة حب بطريقة مغايرة للعادة

لم ترق لي كثيراً ، ولكني قرأتها لكسر الروتين و الخروج قليلاً من الواقع
Profile Image for Kiki.
1,217 reviews688 followers
November 26, 2017
3.5 not for everyone stars.
I actually REALLY enjoyed this book despite the trope of heroine being with both brothers.
If done well this trope doesn’t bother me, and here it didn’t.
Heroine wasn’t in love with Vasilis. The conceiving-of the baby bothered me a little. But I could look past it and enjoy it.
For an alpha, and an HB alpha at that, hero was extremely considerate, caring and faithful.
Not a jerk.
He may have done some intimidating of the heroine but he was hooked from the beginning and stayed faithful to her and gave her space to deal with her baggage.
She in return was understanding and didn’t throw hissyfeet about the marriage not being based on love. She was very very accepting and accommodating to the hero.
The hero was very respectful.
No slut-shaming that I can recall.
My heart actually broke for him when he couldn’t allow himself to share heroine’s pain.
Triggers:
Profile Image for Naksed.
2,265 reviews
February 27, 2019
The only different thing about this paint-by-number Helen Bianchin marriage of convenience story is that for once, the hero insists on his psycho ex stalker being arrested after she beats up the heroine. He actually tells the police to "throw the book" at her, which is a long way from HB heroes usually threatening OWs with social banishment lol.
Profile Image for Vintage.
2,724 reviews735 followers
November 29, 2017
Is it just me, or do Helen Bianchin' characters take a lot of showers?

This is a case of be careful what you ask for. I complain about overly angsty mean heroes, and I read what is, kind of, a sweet low burn story with a decent guy and I'm zzzzzzz.

Premise is the h gets pregnant with a WTF and why not ONS with the H's apparently more charming younger brother. The H strong arms the h into a MOC for no apparent reason and for even less reason she accepts.

Enter the OTT stalking evil OW that adds tons of flavor. Sabine or something was just too awful and too much fun, and I could hardly wait until she slithered on the scene.

Sad stuff happens, love strikes and HEA.
Profile Image for AvidReader.
1,496 reviews342 followers
January 18, 2019
Even though it was an entertaining read , I have some issues with it. Firstly no epilogue so don’t know what happened to the vamp, whether they had more kids etc. secondly I didn’t liked the small incident that happened ( she lost the baby).
Anyway still recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Daisy Daisy.
706 reviews43 followers
April 10, 2018
This book made me sad it's technically a kind of sequel to Devil in Command which is a proper old skool complete with kind of forced seduction and slaps to the H face - typical of the 80's.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kace | The Booknerd .
1,445 reviews69 followers
February 20, 2021
The marriage of convenience trope is a staple when it comes to the HP line. Some work while others don’t. This book, though, worked for me. Their chemistry wasn't obvious at first, but it escalated as the book went along. Also, the romance was a super slow burn, but when they finally did it... Hot! I actually liked that. I liked that their relationship took time to grow and continued to grow throughout the book.
2 reviews4 followers
April 3, 2020
Slow, boring and superficial. It had a promising premise but didn't deliver.

A lot of superfluous talk, plot was dragging, nothing significant happening. They had more chemistry in the beginning which quickly dwindled away once they got married. And so when the sex finally happened it felt like a prerequisite and not something born of uncontrollable passion and attraction - something I read HP for. Their love was unbelievable with all the shallow talks they had. It was quite impossible to believe. And I can't believe the h could be so pigheaded to the point of irrationality. I'm all for independence but you should have common sense too. Didn't feel much alpha-ness from the H. He was kind and caring for a change but ended up being a lackluster character.

I feel bad because it really was promising, a new twist or theme. I've read some works from this author before and this is the worst one so far.
Profile Image for Debby.
1,391 reviews25 followers
August 18, 2021
Skimmed it.

This book came in a box with several secondhand HP’s that I bought online.

I don’t understand why writers think a ‘Bold and the Beautiful’ theme is romantic.

After having two brothers, what’s next for her. Go to their dad? Their granddad?

Ugghh, having sex with two brothers (or two sisters) is so gross.
Profile Image for Debra.
3,468 reviews13 followers
May 17, 2018
The Greek's Bought Wife

In an un typical fashion, but meets girl at his brother's funeral. She is pregnant with the deceased child. Older brother coerced her into marriage. But is it for ever? Will love enter? What about the other woman?
34 reviews
February 22, 2020
Sensitive read

I really enjoyed this story it was warm with banter and loving my only complaint was i think they could have added not on the baby and brother, parents and more on the ex girlfriend
Profile Image for Laurene Allibert.
592 reviews1 follower
March 2, 2022
Ho letto questo libro in italiano perché mi permette di migliorare la lingua il fatto che non sia troppo complicato da capire. Mi è piaciuto la storia, fa passare tempo senza prendersi la testa. 4 stelle perché sono rimasta svegliata finché all'una per leggerlo 😅
Profile Image for More Books Than Time  .
2,551 reviews18 followers
November 3, 2020
This one features an Australian of Greek descent who marries the girl whose pregnant with his dead brother's child.
Profile Image for ayeleeen.
130 reviews3 followers
February 14, 2022
2.5 estrellitas
Estuvo bien pero me faltó trama.
Gratamente sorprendida de que no exista tanta desinformación sobre la sexualidad femenina, tomando en cuenta la fecha de publicación.
Profile Image for ceecee.
373 reviews6 followers
January 18, 2016
What a great story. I only wish there was more. Sometimes you read a short book and you wonder why you wasted your time, that's not the case with this book. Some Hrlequin books portrayed the woman as spineless, weak and completely at the mercy of whatever man is set as the main character. I loved how in this book Tina, one of the main characters, was portrayed as a strong, independent, and loving woman. I loved how she mentions having a black belt in Karate and how she tells Nic Leandros exactly how she feels.

I loved this one and I could see how they could have made it longer, but stopped to keep the audience imagining what happened next. If you have a busy schedule and no time pick this one up and read it.... you wont regret it.
Profile Image for MissKitty.
1,756 reviews
August 17, 2016
Usual Helen Bianchin with psycho evil OW. I just love them :-/ but I like how the Hero never gives them time of day. As should be!

Difference in this one. The heroine did sleep with the brother and was pregnant w his kid. If you can take that. I rate this also as one of the better books because usually, Helen Bianchin's characters have such contentious relationships with each other. I guess it's her way of portraying sexual tension? But in this book, after a few 'power struggles' between the couple they settle down into a teasing pleasant relationship, at least something to give us readers hope that deeper emotions can develop between them.
Profile Image for HÜLYA.
1,141 reviews46 followers
April 7, 2014
Ben bu kadını seviyorum kitaplarını okumak ayrı bir zevk benim için.Bu kitabı da çok beğendim.Ölen üvey kardeşinin sevgilisi ile hamile olduğu için evlenmesi ters de gelse sevdim hikayeyi..
Adamın eski sevgilisi çok olay çıkartması biraz abartılı geldi bana..Tam da saçı başı yolunacak türden kedındı...
yinede hoş bir zaman geçirtti bana ...Kalemi ayrı bir zevk benim için...
Profile Image for Bushra Ayub Khan.
203 reviews9 followers
November 25, 2016
I am all time fan of Helen Bianchin but i must say this wasnt a much liked book .. but still i am giving it 4 stars just for the sake of favouritism ;) During the most of the story tina bored me, Nick was good but mostly i compared him with other heroes of Helen so ....a lil. bit turn off .. hoping for more great stories to come ..

love ..
Profile Image for Roub.
1,112 reviews63 followers
June 13, 2013
loved the book at the start..thought it gonna be a 4 or 5 star. but it got very very boring. i did not feel any chemistry, well did not believe in those 2 falling in love
Profile Image for Janice.
3,080 reviews
June 3, 2021
Nic Leandros discovers that Tina Matheson is pregnant with his late brother's child.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews

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