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The Husband Test (Passion)

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Marriage on trial...

For months, Katrina has tried to forget she's still married to Nicos Kasoulis! As newlyweds, they were bonded by desire. Then Katrina became convinced her powerful, sexy, property tycoon husband was having an affair....

Now Katrina discovers that, under her father's will, she can only gain control of the family business if she's reconciled with Nicos -- for one year! Knowing Nicos expects her to refuse, should Katrina surprise him and put their marriage to the test?

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

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About the author

Helen Bianchin

383 books231 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
63 (22%)
4 stars
62 (22%)
3 stars
105 (37%)
2 stars
32 (11%)
1 star
15 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for StMargarets.
3,241 reviews641 followers
October 21, 2020
Hero: What’s this ‘husband test’ mean? I’m already married to the h. She left me because she believed a psycho OW that I fathered her child while on a business trip.

Reviewer: It’s a stupid title for a stupid book.

Hero: Why am I in it, then? I’m a billionaire in my own right. I’m sexy and Greek and can have any woman.

Reviewer: Look, you’re the only good thing about this story – even though you are basically a mannequin that has sex with the h after every black-tie affair you two attend.

Hero: I’m a mannequin? The author describes every outfit, hairstyle and accessory the heroine wears.

Reviewer: You noticed that did you?

Hero: Yeah, h is hot.

Reviewer: So that’s it – that’s why you stayed with her even though she couldn’t see through the OW’s lies until the DNA test?

Hero: Yeah, h is hot.

Reviewer: Congratulations, you passed the husband test. Or Helen Bianchin’s idea of what a husband should be.

Hero: Does this Armani suit make me look fat? I have a black-tie affair tonight.

Reviewer: Of course, you do. And ask the heroine – she’s probably in the shower.
Profile Image for Leona.
1,773 reviews18 followers
March 14, 2012
Wow, this book shocked me. I expect so much better from Helen Bianchin. This was just absolutely horrible. The heroine went beyond TSTL....If I were the Hero I would have just walked away... actually more like run away.... thanking my lucky starts that I wasn't tied to someone like that for the rest of my life!

The story line goes...they meet, quickly fall in love, happily married for three months, when the "ex" mistress walks in saying she has just conceived his child. Obviously hubby passionately denies it, but our heroine refuses to believe him and trashes everything by walking out the door. Now did she ever hear of DNA testing???????? In the meantime her father dies and mandates through his Will that in order for her to inherit his firm, she needs to reconcile with her husband for one year. Because her Dad (smart man) knows that the husband is innocent and that they still love each other.

The whole book is about their tumultuous reconciliation and how she continues to discredit the hero. Every three pages was a sexual scene with heroine remorse and self recriminations for falling into bed.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why the H would even want her.

Do not read......
Profile Image for Lu Bielefeld .
4,304 reviews650 followers
September 17, 2017
==>Re-read September 2017
paperback - portuguese edition
FALSA TRAIÇÃO - Sabrina 1259
-----------------
marriage in trouble + separated + heroine in love + hero coveted by another woman + ex lover stalker + describes parties and clothes of the rich in detail.
Profile Image for Lily Amalia.
200 reviews16 followers
July 20, 2018
Dari pas dateng, buku ini menarik perhatianku banget... Diliat dr nama penulisnya kok bangkitin rasa penasaran, ditambah judulnya yang agak provokatif... Ujian apa sih buat sang suami?

Dan... Nggak mengecewakan, ceritanta apiiiikkkk.... Paling demen lah kalo ada cerita yang suaminya mau mati²an merjuangin cinta sang istri. Walaupun harus pake cara licik? Atau malah cerdik.

Melalui surat wasiat Kevin-Ayah Katrina-putrinya itu akan mendapatkan semua bagian kendali Macbride jika Katrina hidup bersama dengan (mantan) suaminya selama sedikitnya satu tahun. Tentu saja Katrina berang, tidak terima dengan wasiat seperti itu, bisa-bisanya Kevin membuat Katrina harus hidup bersama dengan Nicos, suami yang amat ia cinta yang ternyata sangat gampang lompat ke ranjang wanita lain bahkan tak lama setelah bulan madu mereka. Dan yang paling memyakitkan, Katrina mendapati kabar jika wanita lain itu hamil anak Nicos. Hanya beberapa bulan pernikahan mereka, Katrina pergi meninggalkan Nicos, memilih melarikan diri dari rasa sakit akibat perbuatan suaminya.

Sampai surat wasiat gila itu diumumkan pengacaranya, Katrina mau tak mau kembali menjalani hari-hari bersama Nicos, tapi dengan berlalunya waktu dan kedekatan mereka, Katrina harus mengakui satu hal, bahwa cintanya untuk Nicos tak pernah padam.

Terus bagaimana dengan kenyataan Nicos yang memiliki seorang anak dengan wanita lain?

Nicos berjuang menuntaskannya, bagaimana sosok masa lalu dengan gampang merusak pernikahannya yang bahagia menjadi porak poranda.

Semua berakhir baik,,, ternyataa......

Katrina menyadari, kepercayaan itu dibangun oleh dua belah pihak. Dan bodohnya, ia adalah pihak yang tidak memegang erat kepercayaan terhadap suaminya, hanya karena provokasi seseorang dari masa lalu suaminya, Katrina menutup mata pada apa yang Nicos katakan.

"Apakah kau pernah memikirkan perasaanku?" Suara Nicos memelan jadi kelembutan berbahaya. "Apakah kau pernah mencoba memukulkan kepala ke tembok bata, tapi sama sekali tidak dipedulikan?"

Tapi seiring berlalunya waktu, Katrina akhirnya Tahu kebenarannya, bahwa bagi Nicos "Kau satu-satunya wanita dalam hidupku.
2,246 reviews23 followers
October 31, 2020
I don't know, I feel like Bianchin's heart wasn't really in this one. Sure, the heroine has an aggressive, drug-addicted playboy stepbrother contesting her late father's will, and the hero has another woman who is in firm pursuit and claims to have given birth to his child, but where are the attempted kidnappings? the high-speed car chases? the public scenes so horrifying to High Society? Nowhere, that's where.

Anyway, the hero and heroine are married but estranged because when the hero's ex-girlfriend showed up and claimed to be pregnant with the hero's baby, the heroine said "I'm out." I mean, I know I'm reading a Helen Bianchin novel so I know this is ridiculous, but in this case it's so ridiculous that even the heroine - who presumably doesn't know she's in a Helen Bianchin novel - should be able to figure it out. The resolution comes when the hero is exonerated through DNA testing, which, yes. Why neither the heroine nor the babymama seem to have taken into consideration that this would be a factor is inexplicable.

That is one thing I've never really understood about Bianchin's other women characters: so you have the hots for an incredibly alpha businessman billionaire, but he's married. Obviously, you need to convince his wife you're having an affair with him, get pregnant by some other random, and then announce you're carrying his baby and sue for child support. Because... he'll be chill with this? despite knowing that he wasn't sleeping with you when the baby was conceived and therefore it's not his kid? Like, how do you think this is a successful tactic?

Anyway, for Bianchin this was pretty low-key and therefore pretty boring.
Profile Image for Rizkyuhae.
66 reviews
September 26, 2015
Pas awal-awal cerita sih asik dan sangat tertarik. Dari deskripsi tokoh dan narasinya lumayan. Suka dengan karakter Nicos tapi tidak dengan Katrina. Kemudian, pada saat di akhir cerita saya langsung merasa malas dengan ceritanya.

*Spoiler*

Georgia memberitahu ke Enrique.. kalau tes DNA, Nicos tidak terbukti sebagai ayah dari anaknya. Lalu Enrique membocorkan rahasia itu ke media sebagai ancaman untuk Katrina karena tidak mau memberikan dia uang. Saat membaca itu, saya cuma bisa mengerutkan kening dan "yaelaaah~ gitu aja?! Ancaman apaan tuh? dan memangnya ada yah maling yang mengaku dengan senang hati -Georgia-??!." Lalu, Katrina langsung minta maaf ke Nicos karena selama 9bulan lebih sudah tidak mempercayai Nicos, terus main cinta2an lagi dan akhirnya end dengan happily ever after.. and I think, thanks to Enrique yang sudah membersihkan nama Nicos dengan isi berita itu yang mengumumkan bahwa mereka sudah rujuk kembali.. zZzZZzzz

Intinya, sayang sekali. Kenapa Ending dan permasalahan ceritanya hanya seperti ini.
Profile Image for Linda.
1,264 reviews26 followers
August 7, 2021
Mixed up on my response to this Bianchin story. Perhaps the back story should have been included in the main content? Don't know. The H and h are separated due to the accusations of the H's former mistress that she conceived their child. She has enough 'proof' to send the h running despite the denials of the H. Into this emotional mess, the h's father dies and ramps up the angst and anger with his death and then with his will.

All works out no thanks to the efforts of the h. I would have liked to see the OW sued for slander or something (it is getting old to read about the evil ones getting away with their machinations!).

While I appreciate that this couple had only been married for 3 months, they did not seem to communicate on a deep level and really did not appear to know each other that well.
Profile Image for valentina.
886 reviews99 followers
December 25, 2024
creo que tengo un nuevo trope (?) favorito, porque o sea !!! cómo les explico que me vuelve loca estos second chance romance donde hay matrimonios arreglados entre herederos de familias adineradas y acaban por encontrar a su alma gemela en ese acuerdo, pero resulta que por una serie de malos entendidos, estos enamorados se terminan separando y años más tarde se vuelven a encontrar, y resulta que el MMC nunca ha dejado de amar a la FMC y esta convivencia obligada es la oportunidad que necesitaba para recuperar a la mujer que ama y !!! nada gente es un montón viva el romance y los hombres obsesionados con sus mujeres
Profile Image for Debra.
3,470 reviews13 followers
January 1, 2020
Katrina and Nicos are married but due to another woman no longer together. Now her father has passed and left a will stating that they have to stay together for at least a year before they can divorce. The problems that were there are still trying to tear them apart. The OW stating that she is caring Nico's child. Is she? or Isn't she? Only he knows for sure. But he gets a second chance to be with his wife. This story is how they deal with the outside source's that want to tear their marriage apart permanently. Another Bianchin book I love to reread.
Profile Image for Rowen.
193 reviews11 followers
February 9, 2020
**Warning: this text may contain spoilers** Instead of talking about their problems the main characters have sex.

While talking about their problems could have led to trust and not really having the problems in the first place the magic sex fixes everything.

Beyond this what the author is presumably trying to protray as a romantic and erotic relationship, is one more along the lines of toxic and abusive.
176 reviews
December 9, 2018
I guess this is just not my kind of story :(
It didn't pull me and I mostly browse each page. Forcing myself to finish it since I started it anyway and I'm just disappointed. Which part? Not really sure. I guess the characters was good. The story line was average. Everything else was just "meh?"
To be honest, this is the third book of her that I've read and hopefully not my last
Profile Image for Collette.
26 reviews
August 23, 2022
One of my favourite books of all time with regards to romance xxx
Katrina and Nicos are well rounded characters.
I love the wolf in sheeps clothing scene.
Heart rendering and funny.
Well worth the read xxx
Profile Image for GuisBell.
1,299 reviews31 followers
November 28, 2021
Que locura, tratar de probar tu inocencia, pero también la entiendo a ella, seguro que tener un leve complejo de inferioridad, hace que no se de cuenta de la verdad...
Profile Image for Dalimar.
514 reviews27 followers
November 11, 2012
En esta historia muy buena por cierto,pero...hmm se muy bien que aunque volvieron a editar el libro en el 2007.Bianchin lo escribió en el 2002.Pero ciertamente habrá una reconciliacion en una Harlequin que no sea porque tengan que reclamar una herencia.Ya esa historia esta trillada.Aunque la historia sea buena,los personajes bien definidos como que es mas de lo mismo en cuanto a el porque los personajes se reconcilian.


Pero la historia no esta nada mal,tiene sus buenos momentos.Es muy hot,tienen buenas escenas.La separación de los protagonistas surge cuando una modelo ex pareja de Nicos dice estar embarazada de el.Al el no poder probar su inocencia Katrina lo deja y su papa en el testamento la obliga a volver con el al menos durante un aÑo si es que quiere quedarse con su empresa.En la convivencia no pueden apartar las manos de encima del otro y como siempre al menos en las historias siempre triunfa el amor.Ojala y así fuera en la vida real.Pero mientras tanto al menos nos dedicamos a leer fantasía.
Profile Image for RomLibrary.
5,789 reviews
June 8, 2021
For months, Katrina has tried to forget she's still married to Nicos Kasoulis! As newlyweds, they were bonded by desire. Then Katrina became convinced her powerful, sexy, property tycoon husband was having an affair....

Now Katrina discovers that, under her father's will, she can only gain control of the family business if she's reconciled with Nicos -- for one year! Knowing Nicos expects her to refuse, should Katrina surprise him and put their marriage to the test? (less)
Profile Image for Asrina Maharani.
337 reviews16 followers
December 30, 2009
*jawab pertanyaan di sinopsis*
"Udah pastilah, HQ gitu loh!"

*back to review mode*
Bacaan lumayan buat killing time
That's all I can say and I rest my case (TAICSAIRMC)
Profile Image for Janice.
3,085 reviews
June 8, 2021
Katrina has tried to forget she's still married to Nicos Kasoulis but her father's will makes it impossible.
618 reviews
May 3, 2017
Good read

This was a good and enjoyable read. The story was decent with a good amount of tension between the characters. Leaves you satisfied at the end.
Profile Image for Alexandra.
261 reviews12 followers
July 21, 2017
Konflik yang ditimbulkan oleh orang ketiga, dengan sang istri yang tidak mempercayai suaminya, membuat mereka berpisah selama 9 bulan.
Kematian sang ayah membuat sang istri harus kembali bertemu dengan sang suami, dan memikirkan hubungan mereka selanjutnya.
Ya lumayanlah.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews