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Three Rich Men #2
Mistress for a Month
He wants her, and then he winsher…in a game of cards!
TV star Rico Mandretti has wowed Sydney with his charm, good looks and love of cooking. However, besides pasta, the wealthy Italian-Australian harbors another passion! Renée Selensky despises him but he can't get her out of his head. If only he could seduce her and thereby forget her…
Then Rico wins a game of cards—and Renée into the bargain. Now she's Rico's for a month—as his mistress, in his bed… and at his mercy!
TV star Rico Mandretti has wowed Sydney with his charm, good looks and love of cooking. However, besides pasta, the wealthy Italian-Australian harbors another passion! Renée Selensky despises him but he can't get her out of his head. If only he could seduce her and thereby forget her…
Then Rico wins a game of cards—and Renée into the bargain. Now she's Rico's for a month—as his mistress, in his bed… and at his mercy!
Paperback
First published August 1, 2003
11 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Lee
816 books237 followersMaureen Mary was born on 1945 at Port Macquarie, a popular seaside town on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, and is the youngest of four children. Her sister was the novelist Wendy Brennan (Emma Darcy). Her father was a country school teacher and brilliant sportsman. Her mother was a talented dressmaker. When Miranda was ten, her father was transferred to Gosford, another coastal town in the countryside, much closer to Sydney. After leaving her convent school, she briefly studied the cello before moving to Sydney, where she embraced the emerging world of computers. Her career as a programmer ended after she married, had three daughters and bought a small acreage in a semi-rural community. Following this, she attempted greyhound training, as well as horse and goat breeding, but was left dissatisfied.
Miranda yearned to find a creative career from which she could earn money. When her sister suggested writing romances, it seemed like a good idea. She could do it at home, and it might even be fun! It took a decade of trial and error before her first romance, After the Affair, was accepted and published. At that time, Miranda, her husband Tony, and her three daughters had moved back to the Central Coast, where they could enjoy the sun and the surf lifestyle once again. Not long into her writing career, Miranda committed herself to writing a six-book series entitled, The Hearts of Fire, with a deadline of just nine short months. Bravely, her husband left his executive position to stay home and support Miranda’s writing career. He learned to cook and to clean, two invaluable household skills. Numerous successful stories followed, each embodying Miranda’s trademark style: pacy and sexy rhythms; passionate, real-life characters; and enduring, memorable story lines. She has one credo when writing romances: Don’t bore the reader! Millions of fans world-wide agree she never does.
Miranda was the sister of the late author, Emma Darcy.
Miranda yearned to find a creative career from which she could earn money. When her sister suggested writing romances, it seemed like a good idea. She could do it at home, and it might even be fun! It took a decade of trial and error before her first romance, After the Affair, was accepted and published. At that time, Miranda, her husband Tony, and her three daughters had moved back to the Central Coast, where they could enjoy the sun and the surf lifestyle once again. Not long into her writing career, Miranda committed herself to writing a six-book series entitled, The Hearts of Fire, with a deadline of just nine short months. Bravely, her husband left his executive position to stay home and support Miranda’s writing career. He learned to cook and to clean, two invaluable household skills. Numerous successful stories followed, each embodying Miranda’s trademark style: pacy and sexy rhythms; passionate, real-life characters; and enduring, memorable story lines. She has one credo when writing romances: Don’t bore the reader! Millions of fans world-wide agree she never does.
Miranda was the sister of the late author, Emma Darcy.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 29, 2016
Rich and handsome TV chef, Rico Mandretti, plays poker every Friday night in a posh hotel with a few friends. One of them, Renee Selensky, has been driving him crazy for years. Her cool demeanor, her sarcastic barbs, and her apparent non-interest in him---he's never met a woman quite like her. And he's finding himself very attracted to her. It's sort of a love/hate relationship. So one poker night, knowing he's holding a winning hand at cards, after everyone else drops out of the game except Renee, Rico suggests they bet for their "hearts desire"---something they really want. They both write what they want on a sheet of paper, put it in an envelope, and the loser has to do what the winner has written. After the card game ends, Rico is the winner, and he hands Renee his sheet of paper/envelope which states that he wants her to be his mistress for a month. But after she does become his mistress, Rico (to his surprise) is finding he wants more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Rico and Renee were in Miranda Lee's book, "A Rich Man's Revenge", in her "Three Rich Men" series, and I was eager to read their story. There were so many things I enjoyed in this book. I really liked Renee. She sure took Rico down a peg or two! He was always used to women fawning over him and he seriously thought he repulsed her at times! (But he was wrong!)
Renee, 35, was previously married to a much older man. There were rumors that she married him for his money. Rico mockingly calls her The Merry Widow. We didn't get any of her POV (point of view) in the story because it was told from Rico's POV. She was smart but caustic at times. She was also sophisticated, worldly, and classy.
I also liked Rico, 34. He was sort of a jerk in the first book, since he tried to break up the main couple. But I really liked him in this book. He never really knew where he stood with Renee. And I love a besotted hero. Rico and Renee had terrific chemistry and I loved their banter.
This was a fun, sexy, and enjoyable read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Rico and Renee were in Miranda Lee's book, "A Rich Man's Revenge", in her "Three Rich Men" series, and I was eager to read their story. There were so many things I enjoyed in this book. I really liked Renee. She sure took Rico down a peg or two! He was always used to women fawning over him and he seriously thought he repulsed her at times! (But he was wrong!)
Renee, 35, was previously married to a much older man. There were rumors that she married him for his money. Rico mockingly calls her The Merry Widow. We didn't get any of her POV (point of view) in the story because it was told from Rico's POV. She was smart but caustic at times. She was also sophisticated, worldly, and classy.
I also liked Rico, 34. He was sort of a jerk in the first book, since he tried to break up the main couple. But I really liked him in this book. He never really knew where he stood with Renee. And I love a besotted hero. Rico and Renee had terrific chemistry and I loved their banter.
This was a fun, sexy, and enjoyable read!
March 17, 2017
Miranda Lee is hit or miss for me and this was a miss, I'm afraid.
The premise - H and h are both members of a weekly poker club. The H has a great hand and raises the stakes when it's just him and the h left in the game. They each write what they secretly want from the other and then they bet their sealed envelopes. The hero wants the h as a mistress for a month and the h wants The hero wins the bet.
The hero is the villain from book one in this series A Rich Man's Revenge and he still hasn't learned his lesson about gold diggers and private investigators. The failed actor, and TV chef is still scarred from his first marriage to a gold-digger who got half of his stuff. He tried to break up his best friend's marriage because he was convinced his wife was a gold digger as well. He hired an private eye to investigate her and showed the "evidence" to his friend.
There was more to the evidence and of course that couple stayed married, but our hero hasn't learned his lesson because he has the woman he just "won" in a poker game investigated. Now you might think that's something a rich man might do, but he's known (and lusted after) this woman for five years. He slept with her without a condom. Now he's having her investigated? *sigh*
We only have his POV and his Italian mother's (!) - I guess to show he's not really a pig to his family - and all of his possessiveness, jealousy and temper can be chalked up to his nationality.
I'm not so sure. There was a distasteful conversation between the H and his Arab friend who is also in the poker group (and sequel bait) and has known the h for five years as well. The Arab friend encourages the H to have the h investigated, suggests that he get her pregnant if he wants to make the mistress thing last longer than one month, and is puzzled when the H doesn't admit that she's whoring herself out because she lost the poker hand. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
The rest of the story consists of lots of sex scenes and descriptions of the h's lingerie, the H's father's time in the hospital for a heart attack, and the h's sad backstory
Not that any of that matters - but it matters to the H because he is obsessed with the h's sexual history, her financial history and her medical history.
I think that this is going to be one of those if-the-heroine-is-happy-I-am-happy reviews. I never warmed up to the hero and I didn't enjoy his sexist thoughts and conversations with his bros. And I'm actually glad the first wife got her payout and got away from him and his equally intolerant and sexist family. They were a horror show.
The premise - H and h are both members of a weekly poker club. The H has a great hand and raises the stakes when it's just him and the h left in the game. They each write what they secretly want from the other and then they bet their sealed envelopes. The hero wants the h as a mistress for a month and the h wants The hero wins the bet.
The hero is the villain from book one in this series A Rich Man's Revenge and he still hasn't learned his lesson about gold diggers and private investigators. The failed actor, and TV chef is still scarred from his first marriage to a gold-digger who got half of his stuff. He tried to break up his best friend's marriage because he was convinced his wife was a gold digger as well. He hired an private eye to investigate her and showed the "evidence" to his friend.
There was more to the evidence and of course that couple stayed married, but our hero hasn't learned his lesson because he has the woman he just "won" in a poker game investigated. Now you might think that's something a rich man might do, but he's known (and lusted after) this woman for five years. He slept with her without a condom. Now he's having her investigated? *sigh*
We only have his POV and his Italian mother's (!) - I guess to show he's not really a pig to his family - and all of his possessiveness, jealousy and temper can be chalked up to his nationality.
I'm not so sure. There was a distasteful conversation between the H and his Arab friend who is also in the poker group (and sequel bait) and has known the h for five years as well. The Arab friend encourages the H to have the h investigated, suggests that he get her pregnant if he wants to make the mistress thing last longer than one month, and is puzzled when the H doesn't admit that she's whoring herself out because she lost the poker hand. With friends like these, who needs enemies?
The rest of the story consists of lots of sex scenes and descriptions of the h's lingerie, the H's father's time in the hospital for a heart attack, and the h's sad backstory
Not that any of that matters - but it matters to the H because he is obsessed with the h's sexual history, her financial history and her medical history.
I think that this is going to be one of those if-the-heroine-is-happy-I-am-happy reviews. I never warmed up to the hero and I didn't enjoy his sexist thoughts and conversations with his bros. And I'm actually glad the first wife got her payout and got away from him and his equally intolerant and sexist family. They were a horror show.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2016
I didn't like Rico much when he appeared in Book 1 of the series. But wouldn't you know, Rico turned out to be a decent guy after all! One with a strong sense of loyalty and family. He also gained major points for being so smitten with Renee.
This was a surprisingly fun romance, most of the entertainment resulted from Renee leading besotted Rico on a merry chase, and from watching Rico deny his true feelings. Rico did lust after Renee but the author did a decent job in showing that he loved her as well, which proved to be unconditional (and romantic as a result).
Besides fun, there were moments of pathos too. I really felt bad for Rico after Renee's scathing putdown of him. It was humiliating for Rico considering his unrequited emotions and pride. Renee, too, hid a vulnerable nature underneath her snarky, public persona. Discovering her personal history made me understand and like her better.
An entertaining, enemies-to-lovers romance which was also sweet yet spicy...
This was a surprisingly fun romance, most of the entertainment resulted from Renee leading besotted Rico on a merry chase, and from watching Rico deny his true feelings. Rico did lust after Renee but the author did a decent job in showing that he loved her as well, which proved to be unconditional (and romantic as a result).
Besides fun, there were moments of pathos too. I really felt bad for Rico after Renee's scathing putdown of him. It was humiliating for Rico considering his unrequited emotions and pride. Renee, too, hid a vulnerable nature underneath her snarky, public persona. Discovering her personal history made me understand and like her better.
An entertaining, enemies-to-lovers romance which was also sweet yet spicy...
August 23, 2009
Second bk in the THREE RICH MEN trilogy and my personal favorite of the 3. (I also really liked #1).
This book is told exclusively from Rico's POV or his mother's. There is no POV from Renee. I thought this was a good stylistic choice since Rico was a bit of an asshat in the first bk and almost broke up the couple for good with his interfering. He is a typical macho, possessive Italian male who has it bad for Renee. He has terrible social skills and he would have come across as too unlikable if I wasnt shown his POV. Instead, I kinda awwwwed at stuff like Rico reserving the Honeymoon Suite for his first time with Renee because it was special to him.
Renee is a prickly, smart, clever, bitchy heroine who always seems to be one step ahead of the dumb Rico. I liked her a lot and felt for her past. Renee is 35, Rico is 34.
Grade: A-/B+
This book is told exclusively from Rico's POV or his mother's. There is no POV from Renee. I thought this was a good stylistic choice since Rico was a bit of an asshat in the first bk and almost broke up the couple for good with his interfering. He is a typical macho, possessive Italian male who has it bad for Renee. He has terrible social skills and he would have come across as too unlikable if I wasnt shown his POV. Instead, I kinda awwwwed at stuff like Rico reserving the Honeymoon Suite for his first time with Renee because it was special to him.
Renee is a prickly, smart, clever, bitchy heroine who always seems to be one step ahead of the dumb Rico. I liked her a lot and felt for her past. Renee is 35, Rico is 34.
Grade: A-/B+
September 13, 2021
This was surprisingly good because I didn't like the hero Rico in book 1 (A Rich Man's Revenge), where he tried to break up Charles and Dominique's relationship just because his marriage ended in divorce and thought that all women are like his mercenary/gold-digger ex-wife. It was apparent even in the first book that Rico got the hots for the merry widow Renee Selensky. And she's been driving him crazy for the past five years, actually since the first time he'd met her. Renee always thought of him as a shallow, jerky, prima-donna playboy with no substance at all, plus the fact that he's an Italian through and through, which she hated because of her bad experience with an Italian ex-boyfriend.
The chemistry between Rico and Renee was freakin' off the charts! The romance isn’t sweet at; first, they always fought and endured each other's barbs for the past five years, but the dialogue, the verbal sparring, everything between them… uber chemistry! I think Ms.Lee did a great job bringing out that incredible sexual chemistry between these two. It was slow and sensual, but also, at times, it was great to see these too slowly tearing down each other’s walls. I also loved the way she slowly opened up to him about her past.
This book was told only from Rico's POV, and sometimes we get to see his Mother's POV. You could tell from the start that he was crazily lusting, obsessing about Renee. But despite that fact, the author was able to let the readers see how he loves her. He was irrevocably and unconditionally in love with her.
February 14, 2018
This book has been on to read wish list for years ...since reading the first book, rich man's revenge, of three part series. I throughly enjoyed reading the first one it was slightly dark and great read. Finally when this book became a available on open library I was very glad to read it.
I loved the hero Rico, even more I loved that it was written from his point of view and there was something very very intriguing about the mysterious Renee. I read one other book by Lee called unforgettable woman I think also from written from hero perspective but it was not as good as this one!
This was beautiful story about taking chance, falling in love and overcoming past heart break to find a true happily ever after.
I loved the hero Rico, even more I loved that it was written from his point of view and there was something very very intriguing about the mysterious Renee. I read one other book by Lee called unforgettable woman I think also from written from hero perspective but it was not as good as this one!
This was beautiful story about taking chance, falling in love and overcoming past heart break to find a true happily ever after.
February 9, 2016
I realy enjoyed reading this book though it has every thing I hate in romance novels. H is a year younger than h. Also, she's richer than him. And you can't know what her thoughts are, it's all about Rico.
April 17, 2021
4 stars
I like the set up of this book: two successful people who have known each other for five years and meet on a weekly basis to play poker. The hero is painfully attracted to the heroine who seems to despise him. This book is told from the hero's POV which is rare in HPlandia. We learn of his unrequited love from page one and how tortuous it is for him to see the object of his affection only once a week. He pines for her. I love to see it.
Once things are aligned for these two to engage in a month-long affair, they go at it like passionate rabbits. I appreciate it when a heroine can be honest about her sexual desires and also have experience with other lovers. She's not promiscuous by any means but even if she were, I like that it doesn't matter. The men in HPlandia are never virgins and are held to a completely different standard which I don't co-sign. This was a fun, sexy romp.
I like the set up of this book: two successful people who have known each other for five years and meet on a weekly basis to play poker. The hero is painfully attracted to the heroine who seems to despise him. This book is told from the hero's POV which is rare in HPlandia. We learn of his unrequited love from page one and how tortuous it is for him to see the object of his affection only once a week. He pines for her. I love to see it.
Once things are aligned for these two to engage in a month-long affair, they go at it like passionate rabbits. I appreciate it when a heroine can be honest about her sexual desires and also have experience with other lovers. She's not promiscuous by any means but even if she were, I like that it doesn't matter. The men in HPlandia are never virgins and are held to a completely different standard which I don't co-sign. This was a fun, sexy romp.
August 22, 2018
This is book 2 of the Three Rich Men series. I read book one first and have Ali's story waiting to be read next. The story made more sense and was more enjoyable because I already knew their back story. Sparks, sparks and more sparks. Great characters and their chemistry was perfect. I hope I learn more about them in the next book. (spoilers).
June 2, 2021
Different perspective
This story is told from a different point of view then the other harlequins. It follows the man's mind. This is interesting but makes it hard to empathize with the female lead at least until the end . Overall points for being unique and having a sweet ending.
This story is told from a different point of view then the other harlequins. It follows the man's mind. This is interesting but makes it hard to empathize with the female lead at least until the end . Overall points for being unique and having a sweet ending.
September 5, 2021
Todo fue muy apresurado y me faltó drama, yo quería dramaaaa!!
August 27, 2022
Read it in one sitting. Really engaging and not overly predictable.
January 13, 2013
4.5* I held my breath trough that poker game,wonderfully written first half of the book,actually it kind of reminded me of those 'marriage bargains'. hero is passionate italian,divorced and self made cooking-show star from big,loving famiglia and heroine is former model,rich man's widow,their mutual attraction takes them jesting and arguing till our hero decides he must have her or he'll go mad! also nice fact that they have kind of history together playing poker weekly etc.must take half of the star cause heroine seemed cold and distanced sometimes even too mature, reason could be the fact it's written from hero's POV but it was still noticeable and distracting...
November 26, 2013
Jogadores de Pôquer 02
Amante Por Um Mês
Miranda Lee
H. Paixão 04
2005
Agora sim, é a vez do Rico sofrer.
Yes!!!
Ele mereceu e merece sofrer, não só por ser italiano, mas por ser arrogante e babaca.
Mas principalmente por ter pouca fé nas mulheres, ser péssimo julgador de caráter e pela basbaquice de se intrometer no relacionamento do Charles e Dominique.
Renée foi muito experta, o desprezou durante cinco ano. E durante o mês que foi sua amante, usou o mesmo desprezo para conseguir o melhor dele.
O que fez com que ele ficasse ainda mais confuso e apaixonado.
A pergunta que fica é:
Será que eles vão conseguir superar o passado e o presente?
ADORO!!!
RECOMENDADÍSSIMO!!
Amante Por Um Mês
Miranda Lee
H. Paixão 04
2005
Agora sim, é a vez do Rico sofrer.
Yes!!!
Ele mereceu e merece sofrer, não só por ser italiano, mas por ser arrogante e babaca.
Mas principalmente por ter pouca fé nas mulheres, ser péssimo julgador de caráter e pela basbaquice de se intrometer no relacionamento do Charles e Dominique.
Renée foi muito experta, o desprezou durante cinco ano. E durante o mês que foi sua amante, usou o mesmo desprezo para conseguir o melhor dele.
O que fez com que ele ficasse ainda mais confuso e apaixonado.
A pergunta que fica é:
Será que eles vão conseguir superar o passado e o presente?
ADORO!!!
RECOMENDADÍSSIMO!!
January 16, 2013
Probably a C+; really enjoy Miranda Lee's categories.
Great story and characters, but a little weak on the actual development of the romance. It helped that the secondary characters "knew" about the hero and heroine's feelings for each other, but it was never actually developed.
Great story and characters, but a little weak on the actual development of the romance. It helped that the secondary characters "knew" about the hero and heroine's feelings for each other, but it was never actually developed.
April 28, 2014
Sin duda Rico y Renée son la pareja perfecta. Renée no es la típica protagonista llorona, que se deprime por que el hombre que ama la deja (como Bella Swan :P ), ni se arrepiente lo que hace. Es la perfecta protagonista. Podría leer este libro mil veces. Muy recomendable.
June 12, 2021
Re read 2021
refreshing to come across a romance novel where the whole book is written from the hero's POV.
August 20, 2013
Read the norwegian version
September 21, 2013
3.75 From the H POV.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews