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The Bridegroom's Dilemma
Mills & Boon Sexy series delivers what you love in contemporary romance - glamour and scandal in exotic locations… Nick Hunter had proposed to Skye Belmont believing her to be an independent career woman. When Skye admitted, three weeks before the wedding, that she longed for children, Nick was shocked! Faced with his reaction, Skye decided to call it off and walk away.But their relationship had been intensely passionate, and Nick was determined to get her back. There was only one thing for it - he had to convince Skye to give their love a second chance!
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 7, 2000
About the author
Lindsay Armstrong
320 books92 followersGillian Smith (alias Lindsay Armstrong) was born in South Africa. She grew up with three ambitions: to become a writer, to travel the world, and to be a game ranger. She didn't achieve the last one, but her fascination for wildlife and that special something about Africa and its big game still remains with her. When she went to work it was in travel, at an agency and an airline, and this started her on the road to seeing the world.
Lindsey met her New Zealand-born husband, who had been working in West Africa, when he was on his way home through Johannesburg. He did go home but in a matter of weeks he was back in South Africa, and six months later they were married. Three of their five children were born in South Africa. Then one in London and one in Australia, after they made the decision to emigrate from South Africa.
It wasn't until her youngest child started school that Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table determined to tackle her other ambition to stop dreaming about writing and do it! She hasn't stopped since. She's not happy unless she has a book under way, and she's discovered she can write through just about anything.
Lindsay and her husband have moved around a lot. They've trained racehorses,farmed, and lived on their boat for six months while they sailed it from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait and back, an epic voyage! They currently live in Queensland, overlooking the water; they sold their farm, and they're looking around for another boat. She and her husband love to travel and have been back to Africa twice in the past few years. The highlight of one of their trips was a visit to the Serengeti, in Tanzania, where Lindsay did the one thing she swore she would never do: take a ride in a hot-air balloon. She was a nervous wreck as the balloon tottered upright, but will remember it as a unique experience to see the game spreading out on the Serengeti plain beneath her as the sun rose.
"They say you can take someone who was born in Africa out of the bush but you can't take the bush out of someone born there..."
Despite this passion for wildlife and Africa, Lindsay considers Australia her home now and loves the country. She travelled to Sydney to witness the closing weekend of the Olympic Games in September 2000; it made her proud to be an adopted Aussie!
Lindsey met her New Zealand-born husband, who had been working in West Africa, when he was on his way home through Johannesburg. He did go home but in a matter of weeks he was back in South Africa, and six months later they were married. Three of their five children were born in South Africa. Then one in London and one in Australia, after they made the decision to emigrate from South Africa.
It wasn't until her youngest child started school that Lindsay sat down at the kitchen table determined to tackle her other ambition to stop dreaming about writing and do it! She hasn't stopped since. She's not happy unless she has a book under way, and she's discovered she can write through just about anything.
Lindsay and her husband have moved around a lot. They've trained racehorses,farmed, and lived on their boat for six months while they sailed it from the Gold Coast to the Torres Strait and back, an epic voyage! They currently live in Queensland, overlooking the water; they sold their farm, and they're looking around for another boat. She and her husband love to travel and have been back to Africa twice in the past few years. The highlight of one of their trips was a visit to the Serengeti, in Tanzania, where Lindsay did the one thing she swore she would never do: take a ride in a hot-air balloon. She was a nervous wreck as the balloon tottered upright, but will remember it as a unique experience to see the game spreading out on the Serengeti plain beneath her as the sun rose.
"They say you can take someone who was born in Africa out of the bush but you can't take the bush out of someone born there..."
Despite this passion for wildlife and Africa, Lindsay considers Australia her home now and loves the country. She travelled to Sydney to witness the closing weekend of the Olympic Games in September 2000; it made her proud to be an adopted Aussie!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 7, 2016
This is a second chance story that has nothing to do with an OM or OW, but the cooking show heroine's doubts about her wedding to the adventurer/geologist/wealthy hero. Seems she wants children and he doesn't want such a settled life - or a clinging wife. Heroine then cancels the wedding and hero lets her go, seemingly without a second thought.
However . . .
Weeks later, they encounter each other again at a house party. The heroine is there with an awkward marine biologist (OM) she met while recovering at an island resort, the hero is there with his sister's best friend (OW). These are wannabe Others, however, the H/h only have eyes for each other.
They have many conversations and encounters, but an important one comes about when the heroine takes fright in a crowd. The hero has never seen her in a full blown panic attack and he wants to help. He calls the heroine's mother and his mother (who is, conveniently, a psychologist) and between all of them, they figure out that the heroine's anxiety stems from getting lost as a child at a mall and the trauma from that event. The heroine then confesses she had been hiding her anxious self from him and relying on her stage persona to keep up in his sophisticated world. But she's willing to work on her anxiety with help from a professional.
This was interesting because it was about two people who loved each other and also wanted the other to change so they didn't have to. They both had to listen, change, and dial back the perfect relationship expectations. The author doesn't make this easy for the reader to understand, however. Their motivations are very murky for most of the story - although their love for each other shines through. If you like a heaping of psychology to go with your romance, you'll like this.
However . . .
Weeks later, they encounter each other again at a house party. The heroine is there with an awkward marine biologist (OM) she met while recovering at an island resort, the hero is there with his sister's best friend (OW). These are wannabe Others, however, the H/h only have eyes for each other.
They have many conversations and encounters, but an important one comes about when the heroine takes fright in a crowd. The hero has never seen her in a full blown panic attack and he wants to help. He calls the heroine's mother and his mother (who is, conveniently, a psychologist) and between all of them, they figure out that the heroine's anxiety stems from getting lost as a child at a mall and the trauma from that event. The heroine then confesses she had been hiding her anxious self from him and relying on her stage persona to keep up in his sophisticated world. But she's willing to work on her anxiety with help from a professional.
This was interesting because it was about two people who loved each other and also wanted the other to change so they didn't have to. They both had to listen, change, and dial back the perfect relationship expectations. The author doesn't make this easy for the reader to understand, however. Their motivations are very murky for most of the story - although their love for each other shines through. If you like a heaping of psychology to go with your romance, you'll like this.
May 31, 2018
I've read this one before and it was worth revisiting for me. 2 people who seem to be in love on the surface but the relationship needs work as neither shows their true selves to the other.
I have to say the H seems more at fault than the h as he seemed pretty immature and manipulative from the start of the relationship and all the h did was show him the side of her he seemed attracted to.
The book starts with our happy couple having been together around a year and only weeks away from their wedding. They are both media darlings somewhat (hes rich and shes a TV chef) and after she makes a comment about having kids which he evades it turns out they aren't right for each other at all and break up.
A chance meeting several weeks later and H is towing around an old family friend OW while the h has date who is firmly in the friendzone. H is seen as the "villain" who has broken the heart of Australia's darling h and his dad is pretty cheesed off with him too and they aren't really speaking.
Its actually quite sad because you can see these 2 are made for each other but are too scared to "change". Bonus points to the H as he never actually takes the OW to bed although we are left wondering for a while.
Things come to a head and they totally part after a few more tears but then he more or less manipulates her back into an affair. She finally gets a grip and totally kicks him to kerb which makes him even more of a villain in the eyes of Australia and daddy dearest is even crosser. A few more weeks pass and they bump into each other again and his sister enlists the h's help to try smooth things over with her family as shes preggers and getting married. Of courseMary Sue Skye helps out to the anger of the H and the gratefulness of his family. Then Pops dies in his sleep the same night and H is all guilty that he deceived his dad and he died without reconciliation. h tells him to get a grip and just go with it shes happy with him whatever crumbs he decided to dish out as she loves him anyway and we get the huge love admission where he has been sobbing into her smelly bathrobe.
On the surface he doesn't really deserve her, he is a spoiled whiny brat but his dad's death does make him grow up and realise what he has so I do believe that they have their HEA.
Nice little epilogue where he finally "gets it"
I have to say the H seems more at fault than the h as he seemed pretty immature and manipulative from the start of the relationship and all the h did was show him the side of her he seemed attracted to.
The book starts with our happy couple having been together around a year and only weeks away from their wedding. They are both media darlings somewhat (hes rich and shes a TV chef) and after she makes a comment about having kids which he evades it turns out they aren't right for each other at all and break up.
A chance meeting several weeks later and H is towing around an old family friend OW while the h has date who is firmly in the friendzone. H is seen as the "villain" who has broken the heart of Australia's darling h and his dad is pretty cheesed off with him too and they aren't really speaking.
Its actually quite sad because you can see these 2 are made for each other but are too scared to "change". Bonus points to the H as he never actually takes the OW to bed although we are left wondering for a while.
Things come to a head and they totally part after a few more tears but then he more or less manipulates her back into an affair. She finally gets a grip and totally kicks him to kerb which makes him even more of a villain in the eyes of Australia and daddy dearest is even crosser. A few more weeks pass and they bump into each other again and his sister enlists the h's help to try smooth things over with her family as shes preggers and getting married. Of course
On the surface he doesn't really deserve her, he is a spoiled whiny brat but his dad's death does make him grow up and realise what he has so I do believe that they have their HEA.
Nice little epilogue where he finally "gets it"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2024
If you read this when struggling with an emotionally unavailable man, you'll probably feel 'seen' as the saying goes. It's an unusual one. The h, Skye, a tv cook/national sweetheart type with some fears and anxieties (relatable) is engaged to Nick, more extroverted, confident but (as is often the way with LA Hs) pretty cool in every way except the bedroom. She feels unsure of where she stands and when he prevaricates a bit much on the issue of being ready to settle down and start a family she takes the vertiginous step of calling off the wedding with only days to go. The whole book then covers their separations and reunions and the getting nowhere dance of what they actually want of each other beyond fabulous sex. St Margarets has an excellent summary. Not for everyone this, I don't think.
April 1, 2024
The Bridegroom Dilemma
This was an older story line. But still good reading. Their courtship spiraled out if control when both held parts of their personal lives from the other. Ending the relationship right before the wedding has everyone wanting to know why. Neither could truly explain. But this was not the end for them, but the beginning of true understanding between them.
This was an older story line. But still good reading. Their courtship spiraled out if control when both held parts of their personal lives from the other. Ending the relationship right before the wedding has everyone wanting to know why. Neither could truly explain. But this was not the end for them, but the beginning of true understanding between them.
November 23, 2018
Quite a confusing story. But it kept me interested.
March 7, 2019
Really hard for me to get into. I think that why it took me so long. But the love story is so cute.
June 11, 2022
3.5 stars
While I enjoyed certain bits of the book, the end itself didn't quite make sense to me.
While I enjoyed certain bits of the book, the end itself didn't quite make sense to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2023
ceo realizes his commitment issues come from his insecurity of being a nepo baby
August 2, 2026
Not a complete clunker but not very satisfying or enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews