Merger By Matrimony

by Cathy Williams

The tycoon's bride
After living all her life in the jungle of Panama, Destiny is on her way to London to claim her inheritance -- a business worth millions!
Flung into a city jungle, Destiny feels lost, self-conscious, and out of her depth in the world of international business. Especially as her company has a predator -- handsome, ruthless tycoon Callum Ross. He's determined to own her company; she won't sell. So he has a proposal for her -- merger by matrimony!

Genres: Harlequin Presents, Romance, Hqn, Harlequin, Category Romance, Contemporary Romance

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

About the author

Cathy Williams, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is a British author who has written romance novels for Mills & Boon since 1990. She lives in Chiswick, London, with her three daughters and continues to craft engaging, heartfelt love stories.

Reviews

[Lemon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those little gems hidden away in the corner somewhere accumulating dust under a nondescript package and a title that is woefully inadequate to do justice to the substance inside. This is one of those little gems that keep me reading one bad Harlequin after the other and enduring bad writing after bad writing in hopes of encountering a little gem like this. After too many bouts of bad Harlequins with bad writing, I usually turn to a Cathy Williams book as a balm to soothe my HP reader indignation. There is usually not any "wow" factor in Ms. Williams' books, but you know you'll get a nice solid read with competent writing. Kind of like vanilla ice cream. Nice, reliable, bland. Cleansing for the palate. It was with that expectation that I turned to this little book. And wow, was I in for a pleasant surprise. First of all, this is a very well written book in terms of the writing itself. For that alone, this was a pleasure to read. But add very likable characters and a heroine who is refreshingly outspoken and blunt and actually a multi-lingual doctor and child prodigy with a very sigh-worthy love story and you have got yourself a keeper. Ms. Williams did a wonderful job in really making you feel the anger and frustration resulting from the desperation, helplessness and utter confusion felt by a strong alpha hero brought to his knees by unexpected and overwhelming love. That was really very eloquently portrayed in subtle ways.

Highly recommended for the endearing characters, a strong but lovable heroine and a completely besotted hero with skillful writing and a refreshing change of pace. This is a romance book with a lot of class.

[Saly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating 3.5 stars
This book was so unlike a typical HP. The heroine has always lead a different life, helping people so when she is suddenly left with a company and inheritance from an uncle she doesn't know and needs to go to England. Everything, the opulence etc is a shock to her and then there is the hero who wants her to sell the company and is engaged to her step-cousin. I loved how the hero's engagement is dissolved and how the hero is the one who falls for her first.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading but not very believable.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the hero!

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up. Even though the heroine had the most interesting backstory - she was a doctor in Panama with her father and had spent very little time in civilization - the hero was the most amusing character to watch. He went from ruthless businessman trying to convince the heroine to sell her inherited company to him to a chasing after her in Panama, contracting a tropical illness for his troubles.

While I wasn't too thrilled with the hero being engaged to the heroine's step cousin for half of the book, the author fixes all of that by having the step-cousin break it off from the hero because she wasn't feeling magic anymore. She also provides the step-cousin with a romance of her own and a place in the epilogue - so no hard feelings.

A fluffy read with very little conflict. Heroine was a virgin. Hero hadn't had sex with anyone after he met the heroine.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Destiny our heroine is a doctor who is living in the jungle of Panama with her father. When she inherits a company she has to go to London to claim it.

There she meets her cousin Stephanie and her cousin's fiance tycoon Callum Ross. Callum is determined to own her company but Destiny has other ideas.

As always Cathy Williams's writing is flawless and top notch. The heroine was fierce, intelligent and sweet. Callum was hot, caring, protective and absolutely smitten with Destiny from pretty much the moment they met - even if he wouldn't admit it to himself! It was quite funny watching him jealous and insecure!

Cute and fluffy read :)

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread.

Downgraded to a 3.75.

Had a few issues with the hero and his attitude towards the heroine. Somewhat childish and belligerent.

Heroine was a strong, and new her mind.

Story line was cute.

[Tia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, this novel was so damn sweet it made my teeth hurt. There was very little conflict and I actually adored the characters. There was no villain other then the hero and heroine torturing themselves and we even got to see what happened between Stephanie and Henri. It was great.

[Debby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahww, so good!

It has all the elements in a HP that I like: an alpha male H; a virgin h who isn’t stupid or annoying and who doesn’t get pregnant until the last pages of the book; a never dreary storyline and excellent writing.

And loads and loads of sexual chemistry with a H who can’t keep his thoughts, hands, eyes, lips and anything else off the h. The erotic scenes are hot and steamy.

And I love the fact that this is finally a h with huge breasts. Well done, Cathy Williams. More of that, please. Because usually in HP’s it is always the other woman, the evil woman, who has a voluptuous figure.

[Candy Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me sorprendió un poco este libro ya que la historia esta un poco mejor escrita a lo que nos tiene acostumbrados esta escritora, pero esto no significa que sea bueno, como siempre las mujeres son tan tontas para no ver el amor de un hombre sin ellos tener que decirlo textualmente, siempre se enamoran perdidamente en unos pocos días, siempre la protagonista femenina es bastante virginal y él bastante habilidoso en el tema sexual. Por último finales rápidos sacados de los cuentos de hadas , todos los personajes arreglan su vida y son felices.Y FUERON FELICES PARA SIEMPRE. FIN.

[More Books Than Time · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could barely skim, asinine with overdone characters.

[Wyrdness · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than many Harlequin stories since the main male character was mostly just a jerk instead of a proto-rapist alpha-hole, but it still ultimately suffered from pretty one dimensional characters, a relationship destroying inability to profess ones love, and that same love appearing wholecloth from nothing in a matter of days. Mix in a sugary sweet HEA and it follows exactly the same formula as every other Harlequin novel I've ever read.

[RomLibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

After living all her life in the jungle of Panama, Destiny is on her way to London to claim her inheritance—a business worth millions!

Flung into a city jungle, Destiny feels lost, self-conscious and out of her depth in the world of international business. Especially as her company has a predator—handsome, ruthless tycoon Callum Ross. He's determined to own her company; she won't sell. So he has a proposal for her—merger by matrimony!

[McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet Romance.