Valentine Bride

Bravo Family #27

by Christine Rimmer

FROM HOUSEKEEPER TO BLUSHING BRIDE?

Regal, reserved Irina Lukovic was the perfect live-in housekeeper. Until she found out she was being sent back to her war-torn homeland. So Caleb Bravo came up with the ideal solution ... one where they'd still be living together on a more permanent basis ... The handsome bachelor proposed!

Irina couldn't believe that the footloose mogul was giving up his freedom for her. But now that they were officially husband and wife, she suddenly yearned to belong to Caleb in more than name only. To be his wife in every sense of the word.

Genres: Romance, Harlequin, Contemporary Romance, Category Romance

214 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Christine Rimmer has written more than one hundred contemporary romances for Harlequin Books. She has won Romantic Times BOOKreview’s Reviewer’s Choice Award for best Silhouette Special Edition. She has been nominated seven times for the Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award and five times for Romantic Times Series Storyteller of the Year.

A California native who first longed to be an actress, Christine earned her theater degree from California State, Sacramento and then went to New York to study acting. Later, she moved to Southern California, where she began her writing career with short stories, plays, and poems. Her poems and short stories were published in a number of small literary journals. Her plays were produced at The Back Alley and Group Theaters in Southern California and have been published by Dramatists Play Service and West Coast Plays.

She now lives in Oregon with her family and two very contented cats named Tom and Ed.

Reviews

[Min Li Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kız karakter sonlara doğru sinir bozucu olmasaydı 4 puan verecektim ama o gereksiz ayrılık e kızın saçmalığı sinirimi bozdu. :(

[Hanife · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitabımızı ben çok beğenerek okudum beni şaşırtan unsurlarla dolu güzel bir kitaptı :) Konusu Caleb'in evinde hizmetçilik - aslında ev çekip çevirmek dışında adamın hayatınıda çekip çeviriyor :D - yapan Irina'nın göçmenlik bürosundan gelen bir mektupla sınır dışı edileceğinin haber edilmesi üzerine kaçmaya niyetlenmesi ile başlıyor. Ama Caleb evini ve hayatını böylesine düzene sokan başka bir hizmetçi daha bulamıyacağının gayet bilincinde olduğundan kızımıza evlilik teklif eder. Elbette ki, bu bir anlaşma evliliğidir ama Irina'ya göre tamamen gerçek görünmelidir ve bu evliliğin anlaşma olduğunu başka kimse bilmemelidir. Birbirlerini bu olaylarla daha yakından tanıyan iki genç evliliklerinin 2 yıllık olduğunu biliyorlardır ve her günlerinin tadını çıkartma niyetindelerdir. Süpriz misafirler, gizli gerçekler aralarına girmeye çalışıyordur. Irina Caleb'e özgürlüğünü geri mi vermeli yoksa bencilce onu kendine mi saklamalıdır ?

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Temanya lumayan unik, ttg pernikahan green card alias menikah demi mendapatkan green card di Amrik. Juga percintaan klise antara (ex) majikan dgn pembantu rumah tangganya. Ditambah lagi fairytale, yg ternyata oh ternyata si Irina ini adalah putri mahkota Argovia yg hilang.

Sayangnya karakter Irina terlalu mellow bagi saya. Caleb yg diceritakan sbg eks majikan dan playboy yg bertobat juga agak kurang gregetnya. Nilai plusnya utk ukuran Harlequin, lumayan banyak adegan HOT-nya. Suasana kekeluargaan yg kental sdh pasti trademark seri Bravo ini. Saat membaca novel ini, storyline enak dibaca dan tidak membosankan.

[myreadiary · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a bit fast phase. I want a little more time to get more personally attached to the characters here tho. The story little more focused on Irina and eventually on their marriage situation to Caleb - both of them. I want it to have a book two! Need to know more about Irina's background and more lovey-dovey with Caleb and maybe a baby as the story progress. Ughhhh!!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it until the end. I thought the end should have happened earlier. I enjoyed Caleb's story. though.

[Nikki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh no! This is two kinda polar opposite stories shoved together that don’t connect and don’t go anyplace. Hated how cliche they came back together in the end. Skip, cause you’ll just be pissed off.

[Saly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caleb has been the care-free Bravo brother, a good salesman and a heart-breaker. When he sees his ever efficient housekeeper of two years Irina packing, he panics, she's wonderful and he owes her cousin, so he asks what is wrong and she tells him immigration, she can't bear to go back to her war torn country, he suggests a marriage of convenience and because of rules it has to last two years. Irina has conditions, no women for him, he agrees on the condition that they attempt to make their marriage real though Irina can't bear to be touched.

Caleb was a patient hero, he never once asked her why she constantly covers herself or flinches from contact instead gives her time to tell him, how she was in a blast and has scars and how afterwards when she couldn't move, was constantly raped, before they know it they have a real marriage and Caleb finds himself caring for her, her silences, fears, everything.

Then they find out that she may be a long lost princess and then comes money and Irina who loves him decides to give him his freedom. As usual he's a bit thick and takes time to come around.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I loved so much about this book was the story line. It was so much different than any I have read. An immigrant marrying to try and get her green card. The events as they unfold keep you drawn into the story.
Caleb is a player who was used to partying and women and to have someone he hired as his housekeeper need his help, it brings out another side of him.
Also one learns a lot about the way immigration checks on immigrants who marry for a green card, etc.
If you don't like sex scenes then this book is not for you. But the story line is worth reading and the sex scenes are not erotic and so you can enjoy them as they make part of the story.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light, summer read.

[Brittany Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS IVE EVERY READ I COULDNT PUT IT DOWN I READ THE WHOLE BOOK WITHIN MAYBE 12 HOURS THATS HOW GOOD IT WAS..

[Josie]

I liked the premise; marriage of convenience is one of my favourite tropes. This just didn't work for me. I didn't really feel any chemistry between the hero and heroine, and it was a bit slow.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a pretty good short read. So far i've liked the bravo series that I've read.