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Forrester Siblings #1
Marriage Made on Paper
Pretend marriage, real wedding night! When ambitious public relations expert Lily Ford signs a contract with hot-shot property tycoon Gage Forrester, she inadvertently signs her life away! A tough taskmaster, he wants Lily at his beck and call 24/7. Gage expects employees to go above and beyond. So, when he needs to generate some positive PR, his solution is completely unexpected - he proposes to Lily! All in the name of business, of course. This may be a deal struck on paper, but Gage is a stickler for tradition: his bride must wear white on their wedding night! 21st Century Bosses Impossible, infuriating and utterly irresistible!
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2011
63 people are currently reading
934 people want to read
About the author
Maisey Yates
1,178 books3,016 followersNew York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Maisey Yates lives in rural Oregon with her three children and her husband, whose chiseled jaw and arresting features continue to make her swoon. She feels the epic trek she takes several times a day from her office to her coffee maker is a true example of her pioneer spirit. In 2009, at the age of twenty-three Maisey sold her first book.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
Since then it’s been a whirlwind of sexy alpha males and happily ever afters, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Maisey divides her writing time between dark, passionate category romances set just about everywhere on earth and light sexy contemporary romances set practically in her back yard.
She believes that she clearly has the best job in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
April 17, 2014
I liked this story but somehow I found something lacking between the two mc's.
Both having trust issues, making a sacrifice for someone you love, etc etc....that was okay for me. But there did not seem to be a really deep and emotional connection between Gage & Lily.
Enjoyable but not one of my top of my list by one of my favorite authors.
Both having trust issues, making a sacrifice for someone you love, etc etc....that was okay for me. But there did not seem to be a really deep and emotional connection between Gage & Lily.
Enjoyable but not one of my top of my list by one of my favorite authors.
June 20, 2011
The story begins with the Hero Gage hiring Lily to be his PR rep even though he had initially turned her down for the job. Four months later and the working relationship between them is going great, both are just as dedicated to their career's as each other, and both as afraid of relationships. Gage and Lily both have unresolved issues from growing up that makes it hard to trust others. When a scandal hits Gage's family in order to deflect attention away from this he and Lily decide to pretend to be engaged. As they start to spend more personal time together, sparks fly and a brief affair begins. They both set their boundaries and know that it is only a short term affair, although when the time comes to end it both find it equally hard to let go.
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the female character of Lily, she was so spunky! I have spoken before about how I enjoy books that include female characters that independent and really modern, and Maisey Yates has captured this in Lily perfectly. Although, I did have a little trouble believing that she could get to 27 years old and still be a virgin, however Maisey went to great lengths to explain and give reasons why this is so. Lily's love of quirky shoes (teamed with sensible clothing) was a great little touch, I'm with you there Lily, I like crazy shoes too! Gage was also a well written character, he wasn't ever mean to Lily and respected her, as both a woman and an employee. The banter between the two was brilliant, some of the best I have read.
The back cover blurb is a little misleading, although to find out how you will just have to read it! So don't let it put you off.
If you like the Modern series then you simply MUST get your hands on one (at the very least) of Maisey Yates's books.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I really enjoyed this book. Loved the female character of Lily, she was so spunky! I have spoken before about how I enjoy books that include female characters that independent and really modern, and Maisey Yates has captured this in Lily perfectly. Although, I did have a little trouble believing that she could get to 27 years old and still be a virgin, however Maisey went to great lengths to explain and give reasons why this is so. Lily's love of quirky shoes (teamed with sensible clothing) was a great little touch, I'm with you there Lily, I like crazy shoes too! Gage was also a well written character, he wasn't ever mean to Lily and respected her, as both a woman and an employee. The banter between the two was brilliant, some of the best I have read.
The back cover blurb is a little misleading, although to find out how you will just have to read it! So don't let it put you off.
If you like the Modern series then you simply MUST get your hands on one (at the very least) of Maisey Yates's books.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
dnf
July 28, 2022DNF - bored - h is 27 yr old career obsessed ball-busting virgin - H is a smarmy manwhore with a heart of gold 🙄
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2018
Meh. I expect more from Maisey Yates. I just thought this book didn't really touch me. The characters.. Something off about them. Gage is the usual rich guy, didn't come off as an alpha hole to me. Seemed nice enough, not much about his personal life is revealed. Hires Lily as a crisis control manager to ward off headlines that affect his business. I just didn't feel any warmth to the description of the characters. Pretty stoic if I may. Lily was a virgin but her independence and choice of career seemed to be in a stark contrast with her apparent lack of sexual experience.
Like I said, couldn't relate to Gage or Lily. Pass.
Like I said, couldn't relate to Gage or Lily. Pass.
January 23, 2016
4.5 stars
Major Plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
Well once again Maisey Yates created a solid, wonderful story filled with great characters, emotions, tension, and sizzling passion that has been common place in her writing. Maisey Yates really can do no wrong. I don't think there hasn't be a single on of her books that I have hated. I felt like I was on the ride right along with Gage and Lily in the journey into romance. It was just enjoyable and engrossing that it made me not want to put the book down for a single second. The whole book was an enjoyable read.
I was engaged from very early on because the story just took off from the beginning starting right with the action and setting up the conflict and tension between the two. It wasn't a long exposition of the characters background that sometimes drag because the two main characters don't meet right away because the situation is being set up. But in this story, and what made it brilliant, was that the first chapter did provide the set up and presented the characters, but also had they meeting right away as soon as the book started, and I really liked that and enjoyed that because I just felt in the middle of the situation right away. I could feel the attraction and the tension between Gage and Lily and knew that I was going on a fun ride with them.
I really enjoyed the pacing of this story. Despite their attraction for one another being pretty immediate (as soon as the story began really), that their romance wasn't rushed and developed over time to create a nice flow to the story. I liked seeing phases in the relationship and how it was growing and changing over time. First they were boss and employee then over time it changed where they were beginning to know a little bit about each other and became friends. Maybe not bosom buddies, but pretty close and yet maintaining that professionalism between them with their attraction simmering in the background, but always there. It was felt, that fission and electricity that I knew they had for one another and would later translate to their hot passion. But before they gave into that passion there was respect between them that I really liked seeing. I could see where they were headed, and it just made it that much better that they had a relationship beforehand before jumping into the physical relationship and letting their passions fly. This was almost a friends to lovers story, which I quite enjoy reading.
In fact this story was a little bit of everything in terms of trope. It was a pretend relationship story with the public eye on them instead of his vulnerable sister whose life was a bit scandalized at the moment, so circumstances forced Lily and Gage to pretend, not that they were pretending. It was also a boss-employee trope like I mentioned above. Lily worked for Gage and vowed never to cross the line with him because it would be unprofessional so she tried to maintain those boundaries between them. So this could be also seen as a forbidden romance type of trope as well. There was also an element of blackmail trope in this story because Gage threatened if she didn't pretend to be his fiancée then he was going to fire her and she would loose respectability in the PR community because it would have seem she was fired for not able to handle the a crisis in the first place. So there were many different tropes here, and I loved seeing them all and just how they all played out. I think it makes a story more interesting to have more than one trope because that means that the story is more engaging as it is complex. It just gives it layers and I really loved seeing all those layers as the romance of Lily and Gage bloomed.
I adored both characters and rooted for them along the way. Lily and Gage truly did belong together. I loved them. Gage was sweet and kind and caring and had that alpha edge to him without the jerkiness. He was never rude or intentionally hurtful towards Lily. In fact he did everything in his power to make sure he didn't hurt her. He was pretty straight forward and never wavered in his claims. He was a beautiful man and very swoon worthy in every regard. It was not hard to see why Lily was drooling over him every time he was in the same room with her. I would have drooled too. He was hot, but yet had that gentle side to him as well. Of coarse, he was a beast who knew what he wanted and went after it, mainly Lily, but he never pushed too far. I loved just how he was with Lily. It was beautiful to watch especially during the intimate scenes especially after her first time and his reaction to it. It was sweet and caring and touched my heart a bit.
As for Lily, I enjoyed her as well. I thought she was a little stubborn sometimes, but I understood where she was coming from. I could root for her. I understood her fears and wanting to deny her attraction towards Gage. It was scary for her, and she wanted to be in control of that fear and the way she did that was try to deny. But she soon came to realize that wasn't the way to live life and decided to grab the bull by the horns and seize it. And know what passion felt like for the first time simply because she wanted the man not just quelling an urge of her loins. She really wanted him and finally she got that connection that had been missing from her life. She didn't feel so empty when she was with Gabe. I admired her for her backbone and the life that she made for herself, she just needed to realize that needing someone didn't mean weakness. She didn't need to be scared. I loved seeing her transformation from this icy queen of a woman to a woman with a loving tender heart. And was thanks to her relationship with Gage.
They worked really well as a couple and just were really meant to be. The fit like two pieces of a puzzle making a perfect picture. I loved seeing them together and relished in what they were developing and it was not just time in the bedroom. They were actually dating, and it was really sweet to see. Don't much of that from Presents novels, and it is a shame because I liked seeing it.
Gage and Lily really worked for me and were believable as a couple because of the connection they had to one another. Even though they came from different backgrounds, they still wound up on a pretty level playing field despite the fact that Gage was her boss. Their pasts were very similar in dealing with neglectful parents that made them not worthy and totally unloved which made them question whether they could love or would be loved by another person since their parents did not. It made them both shy away from relationships and commit because of fear and not wanting to deal with vulnerability that would lead to hurt. They had that same issue that bonded them and connected them together with that common thread. The way they dealt with their fear was very different. He lived a slightly, but not overly so like some male characters I have read in the past, playboy lifestyle and only focused on the physical while she vowed not to get involved with anyone, physically or emotionally and kind of standoffish to the opposite sex. She never let anyone close and didn't want to for fear that she would get hurt and not be able to handle it. So it was interesting to see how similar they were yet how different they were in how they approached the world and how they dealt with life. But because they had that common thread, they could understand and sympathize with one another. I sympathized with them. At times I wanted to shake them because they both felt the same way yet wouldn't voice the words, going through the same thing that the other one was going through. I wanted to yell at them "She loves you, you idiot. Just tell her" or "He feels the same. Don't be scared. Talk to him already." Stuff like that. They were just too blind to see it until the end, but it was maddening for me because it was so obvious. They weren't having a fling like they claimed to first be doing, but having a relationship. Couldn't they see that. No, not until the end. This was the first time in a Presents novel that I actually felt the couple was in a real, genuine relationship that wasn't just based on the physical then the emotional came later. It was a nice change to see their emotional connection first, though they didn't acknowledge it, and then come the physical.
Speaking of the physical, the two of them set the sheets on fire. Oh my goodness. After all that denial of what they both wanted when they finally got it, it just exploded off the page. Sparks flew as did their clothes and when they finally came skin to skin their pulses pounded and passion just went off the charts. But moreover their feeling were involved as well even though they really didn't mean for them to. It was there, and it made it all the more hotter. Just there was so much emotion in those love scenes it was incredible and showed how much of connection they had with one another, and not just physically in ever way imaginable. It was beautiful to see. As I mentioned above their first time scene was really great I thought, it was the release of all that tension but the aftermath was what really knocked it out of the park for me. Just Gage's reaction to finding out he was her first and then knowing that she deserved tenderness and caring after words by just holding her and having her sleep in his arms. It was a little thing, but it made a bit impact not only on her but on me as well. It showed me more of his fabulous character and his capacity for caring even though he didn't believe that he did. Plus he was self-aware enough to know that this was an important part of her life and the first time she was sharing herself with another person and that he wanted to make it special for her so he tried to do that. He wasn't angry or put off by her virgin status like many alpha males are in this genre, and who would later sputtering angry words causing hurt within the heroine and the alpha to have to realize they were wrong and grovel. No, Gage was the opposite of that, and his sweet side came through. Just with that little action I fell more in love with Gage than I already was at that point. He just took the cake there. I loved him. That sealed it for me.
The love scenes that followed were pretty great as well and very much combined the emotional with the physical. I wished a couple more of the scenes were more detailed and not summarized like the second time scene so I could see the difference between the first and the second but a few more followed along with a few more summarized love scenes along the way. The beach scene was pretty sexy and yummy and the elevator scene was steamy, steamy. They were satisfying for all involved. Loved them and they were just really well written and had the nice balance of the physical and emotional.
Once again Maisey Yates created yet again another winner. I was engaged the entire time. I took my time to savor and get into Gage and Lily's world. I wanted to be immersed in their lives and their romance, and I totally was. It was very satisfying between the pacing, the romance, the characters, the emotions and the passion that was hot yet not over the top. I would expect nothing less from Maisey Yates.
From the back blurb, I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did because my expectations weren't high for the book. The blurb didn't quite pull me like some of the other works of Maisey Yates's, but I figured since it was her I would give it a shot. I hadn't been steered wrong by her so far so why would I now, and I was right, but like I said wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I'm glad I read it and the love story between Gage and Lily. It was totally worth it in the end. Maisey just did a wonderful job. Bravo, Maisey. Bravo.
Major Plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
Well once again Maisey Yates created a solid, wonderful story filled with great characters, emotions, tension, and sizzling passion that has been common place in her writing. Maisey Yates really can do no wrong. I don't think there hasn't be a single on of her books that I have hated. I felt like I was on the ride right along with Gage and Lily in the journey into romance. It was just enjoyable and engrossing that it made me not want to put the book down for a single second. The whole book was an enjoyable read.
I was engaged from very early on because the story just took off from the beginning starting right with the action and setting up the conflict and tension between the two. It wasn't a long exposition of the characters background that sometimes drag because the two main characters don't meet right away because the situation is being set up. But in this story, and what made it brilliant, was that the first chapter did provide the set up and presented the characters, but also had they meeting right away as soon as the book started, and I really liked that and enjoyed that because I just felt in the middle of the situation right away. I could feel the attraction and the tension between Gage and Lily and knew that I was going on a fun ride with them.
I really enjoyed the pacing of this story. Despite their attraction for one another being pretty immediate (as soon as the story began really), that their romance wasn't rushed and developed over time to create a nice flow to the story. I liked seeing phases in the relationship and how it was growing and changing over time. First they were boss and employee then over time it changed where they were beginning to know a little bit about each other and became friends. Maybe not bosom buddies, but pretty close and yet maintaining that professionalism between them with their attraction simmering in the background, but always there. It was felt, that fission and electricity that I knew they had for one another and would later translate to their hot passion. But before they gave into that passion there was respect between them that I really liked seeing. I could see where they were headed, and it just made it that much better that they had a relationship beforehand before jumping into the physical relationship and letting their passions fly. This was almost a friends to lovers story, which I quite enjoy reading.
In fact this story was a little bit of everything in terms of trope. It was a pretend relationship story with the public eye on them instead of his vulnerable sister whose life was a bit scandalized at the moment, so circumstances forced Lily and Gage to pretend, not that they were pretending. It was also a boss-employee trope like I mentioned above. Lily worked for Gage and vowed never to cross the line with him because it would be unprofessional so she tried to maintain those boundaries between them. So this could be also seen as a forbidden romance type of trope as well. There was also an element of blackmail trope in this story because Gage threatened if she didn't pretend to be his fiancée then he was going to fire her and she would loose respectability in the PR community because it would have seem she was fired for not able to handle the a crisis in the first place. So there were many different tropes here, and I loved seeing them all and just how they all played out. I think it makes a story more interesting to have more than one trope because that means that the story is more engaging as it is complex. It just gives it layers and I really loved seeing all those layers as the romance of Lily and Gage bloomed.
I adored both characters and rooted for them along the way. Lily and Gage truly did belong together. I loved them. Gage was sweet and kind and caring and had that alpha edge to him without the jerkiness. He was never rude or intentionally hurtful towards Lily. In fact he did everything in his power to make sure he didn't hurt her. He was pretty straight forward and never wavered in his claims. He was a beautiful man and very swoon worthy in every regard. It was not hard to see why Lily was drooling over him every time he was in the same room with her. I would have drooled too. He was hot, but yet had that gentle side to him as well. Of coarse, he was a beast who knew what he wanted and went after it, mainly Lily, but he never pushed too far. I loved just how he was with Lily. It was beautiful to watch especially during the intimate scenes especially after her first time and his reaction to it. It was sweet and caring and touched my heart a bit.
As for Lily, I enjoyed her as well. I thought she was a little stubborn sometimes, but I understood where she was coming from. I could root for her. I understood her fears and wanting to deny her attraction towards Gage. It was scary for her, and she wanted to be in control of that fear and the way she did that was try to deny. But she soon came to realize that wasn't the way to live life and decided to grab the bull by the horns and seize it. And know what passion felt like for the first time simply because she wanted the man not just quelling an urge of her loins. She really wanted him and finally she got that connection that had been missing from her life. She didn't feel so empty when she was with Gabe. I admired her for her backbone and the life that she made for herself, she just needed to realize that needing someone didn't mean weakness. She didn't need to be scared. I loved seeing her transformation from this icy queen of a woman to a woman with a loving tender heart. And was thanks to her relationship with Gage.
They worked really well as a couple and just were really meant to be. The fit like two pieces of a puzzle making a perfect picture. I loved seeing them together and relished in what they were developing and it was not just time in the bedroom. They were actually dating, and it was really sweet to see. Don't much of that from Presents novels, and it is a shame because I liked seeing it.
Gage and Lily really worked for me and were believable as a couple because of the connection they had to one another. Even though they came from different backgrounds, they still wound up on a pretty level playing field despite the fact that Gage was her boss. Their pasts were very similar in dealing with neglectful parents that made them not worthy and totally unloved which made them question whether they could love or would be loved by another person since their parents did not. It made them both shy away from relationships and commit because of fear and not wanting to deal with vulnerability that would lead to hurt. They had that same issue that bonded them and connected them together with that common thread. The way they dealt with their fear was very different. He lived a slightly, but not overly so like some male characters I have read in the past, playboy lifestyle and only focused on the physical while she vowed not to get involved with anyone, physically or emotionally and kind of standoffish to the opposite sex. She never let anyone close and didn't want to for fear that she would get hurt and not be able to handle it. So it was interesting to see how similar they were yet how different they were in how they approached the world and how they dealt with life. But because they had that common thread, they could understand and sympathize with one another. I sympathized with them. At times I wanted to shake them because they both felt the same way yet wouldn't voice the words, going through the same thing that the other one was going through. I wanted to yell at them "She loves you, you idiot. Just tell her" or "He feels the same. Don't be scared. Talk to him already." Stuff like that. They were just too blind to see it until the end, but it was maddening for me because it was so obvious. They weren't having a fling like they claimed to first be doing, but having a relationship. Couldn't they see that. No, not until the end. This was the first time in a Presents novel that I actually felt the couple was in a real, genuine relationship that wasn't just based on the physical then the emotional came later. It was a nice change to see their emotional connection first, though they didn't acknowledge it, and then come the physical.
Speaking of the physical, the two of them set the sheets on fire. Oh my goodness. After all that denial of what they both wanted when they finally got it, it just exploded off the page. Sparks flew as did their clothes and when they finally came skin to skin their pulses pounded and passion just went off the charts. But moreover their feeling were involved as well even though they really didn't mean for them to. It was there, and it made it all the more hotter. Just there was so much emotion in those love scenes it was incredible and showed how much of connection they had with one another, and not just physically in ever way imaginable. It was beautiful to see. As I mentioned above their first time scene was really great I thought, it was the release of all that tension but the aftermath was what really knocked it out of the park for me. Just Gage's reaction to finding out he was her first and then knowing that she deserved tenderness and caring after words by just holding her and having her sleep in his arms. It was a little thing, but it made a bit impact not only on her but on me as well. It showed me more of his fabulous character and his capacity for caring even though he didn't believe that he did. Plus he was self-aware enough to know that this was an important part of her life and the first time she was sharing herself with another person and that he wanted to make it special for her so he tried to do that. He wasn't angry or put off by her virgin status like many alpha males are in this genre, and who would later sputtering angry words causing hurt within the heroine and the alpha to have to realize they were wrong and grovel. No, Gage was the opposite of that, and his sweet side came through. Just with that little action I fell more in love with Gage than I already was at that point. He just took the cake there. I loved him. That sealed it for me.
The love scenes that followed were pretty great as well and very much combined the emotional with the physical. I wished a couple more of the scenes were more detailed and not summarized like the second time scene so I could see the difference between the first and the second but a few more followed along with a few more summarized love scenes along the way. The beach scene was pretty sexy and yummy and the elevator scene was steamy, steamy. They were satisfying for all involved. Loved them and they were just really well written and had the nice balance of the physical and emotional.
Once again Maisey Yates created yet again another winner. I was engaged the entire time. I took my time to savor and get into Gage and Lily's world. I wanted to be immersed in their lives and their romance, and I totally was. It was very satisfying between the pacing, the romance, the characters, the emotions and the passion that was hot yet not over the top. I would expect nothing less from Maisey Yates.
From the back blurb, I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did because my expectations weren't high for the book. The blurb didn't quite pull me like some of the other works of Maisey Yates's, but I figured since it was her I would give it a shot. I hadn't been steered wrong by her so far so why would I now, and I was right, but like I said wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I'm glad I read it and the love story between Gage and Lily. It was totally worth it in the end. Maisey just did a wonderful job. Bravo, Maisey. Bravo.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2013
Seems like I can always count on Maisey Yates to deliver. Lily is a successful career woman and Gage is a successful business man/playboy. When she starts working for him they develop a friendship and when the hero finds himself in PR hell he asks Lily to pose as his fiance and thus help him erase a family scandal. They both are attracted to each other but both have deep childhood issues that must overcome in order to get their HEA. The hero is even more likable than Lily, a sexy man who also happens to be loving and sensitive. What's not to like? once again my only issue with this author is the lack of a great epilogue. 4 Stars!
June 13, 2012
The perfect Presents novel. Everything you're looking for in a Harlequin romance on a beautifully relatable contemporary setting. Both characters are so likable, you're cheering them on as the story progresses. You never get the feeling they can't get out of their own way. Instead, you're drawn into their personal struggles and inner conflict, aching for each of them to find a way to tear down their protective walls. When I'm looking for a love story with challenge and heart, I can always count on Yates to deliver.
October 31, 2011
Wonderful read,loved Gage-Lily,both have issues from childhood that made them hesitant on having healthy relationship,their relationship develops really well through the story,first they are colleagues then friends then lovers then they both fall in love with each other but again their childhood issues becomes hurdle but after breaking off both realise they need each other and take the leap towards HEA
Overall a very good read
Recommend it
Overall a very good read
Recommend it
April 5, 2019
Marriage Made on Paper
4 Stars
To distract the gutter press from a potential public relations nightmare, hotel magnate Gage Forrester convinces his no-nonsense PR expert to pose as his fiancée. Lily Ford agrees on the condition that their relationship remains strictly professional, but Gage has other ideas, and Lily is soon swept up by the intensity of their physical attraction. But can their intimacy lead to a stronger emotional connection?
A lovely office romance with a believable set-up, which is not always the case with category romances.
Gage and Lily have fantastic chemistry and their sex scenes are steamier than expected with a Harlequin Presents imprint.
The conflict revolving around both Gage and Lily's issues with commitment stemming from their parental relationships is realistic and is, thankfully, resolved with a minimum of angst.
All in all, an entertaining read and I will be reading the 2nd book in the duology.
4 Stars
To distract the gutter press from a potential public relations nightmare, hotel magnate Gage Forrester convinces his no-nonsense PR expert to pose as his fiancée. Lily Ford agrees on the condition that their relationship remains strictly professional, but Gage has other ideas, and Lily is soon swept up by the intensity of their physical attraction. But can their intimacy lead to a stronger emotional connection?
A lovely office romance with a believable set-up, which is not always the case with category romances.
Gage and Lily have fantastic chemistry and their sex scenes are steamier than expected with a Harlequin Presents imprint.
The conflict revolving around both Gage and Lily's issues with commitment stemming from their parental relationships is realistic and is, thankfully, resolved with a minimum of angst.
All in all, an entertaining read and I will be reading the 2nd book in the duology.
March 4, 2020
Having read Maddie and Aleks story, I was keen to read Gage's story. He and Lily made a great couple and I enjoyed their story from pretence to reality as they tried to protect Maddie.
Lily was strong, yet hid so much of herself and it was great to see her starting to open up to Gabe. Although it's very well written (as one always expects from Maisey,) I didn't quite engage with this couple as I did with Maddie and Aleks and I'm really not sure why! Still a really enjoyable read.
Lily was strong, yet hid so much of herself and it was great to see her starting to open up to Gabe. Although it's very well written (as one always expects from Maisey,) I didn't quite engage with this couple as I did with Maddie and Aleks and I'm really not sure why! Still a really enjoyable read.
August 26, 2011
Lily, the h, is a successful, beautiful. 27 year old, PR agent who has her own agency. She has spent the last ten years building her success and removing herself from the turbulent painful childhood she experienced. She doesn't do relationships, never dates a man more than once and rigidly controls all aspects of her life. She is a 27 year old virgin because she doesn't want to give up any aspect of her self control, she doesn't want to risk becoming her mother who allowed man after man to control every aspect of her and Lily's life. Lily always knew she was never half as important to her mother as the men and consequently feels unloveable.
Gage is a 37 year old rich, successful land developer. He also has childhood issues, and feels unloveable because his parents never showed him or his little sister any love. Gage deals with this by having sexual flings but not relationships. He is always upfront, this is a fling, it's not love it will never be love.
Gage hires Lily for PR and they both fight a very strong attraction. Gage because he never mixes business with pleasure and Lily because she doesn't want to give up control. Finally they succumb, both agreeing it will be a temporary fling. In the meantime they enter a fake engagement in order to divert a media scandal involving Gage's sister. From the first it's clear that it's not just a fling.
This book does a great job developing two characters with similar issues that derail a healthy loving relationship. They acknowledge their baggage and agree to set it aside in favor of love and a happy ever after.
Gage is a 37 year old rich, successful land developer. He also has childhood issues, and feels unloveable because his parents never showed him or his little sister any love. Gage deals with this by having sexual flings but not relationships. He is always upfront, this is a fling, it's not love it will never be love.
Gage hires Lily for PR and they both fight a very strong attraction. Gage because he never mixes business with pleasure and Lily because she doesn't want to give up control. Finally they succumb, both agreeing it will be a temporary fling. In the meantime they enter a fake engagement in order to divert a media scandal involving Gage's sister. From the first it's clear that it's not just a fling.
This book does a great job developing two characters with similar issues that derail a healthy loving relationship. They acknowledge their baggage and agree to set it aside in favor of love and a happy ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2011
Lily Ford is a driven PR specialist hired by Gage Forrester to manage his image as a property tycoon with serious playboy tendencies. Lily agrees to pretend to be Gage's fiancee in order to divert media attention from a scandal involving Gage's family. Lily is the consummate professional woman trying to ignore her attraction to Gage, and Gage has always been intrigued by Lily, so the pair grows closer during the fake engagement and the sparks start to fly.
This was a great story thanks to the author's crafting of compelling characters. Lily is strong, independent and passionately dedicated to her career. Growing up with a turbulent home life and a mother subject to the whims of her chaotic love life, Lily is convinced she never wants to be in love or at the mercy of any man. Gage had a less-than-stellar home life himself, and after basically raising his younger sister, he is convinced he wants nothing to do with marriage and family so he chooses to focus on his business.
Throw in a tropical island in Thailand and steamy chemistry between Lily and Gage, and it's not long before this couple's fake engagement involves serious emotions. The ending is especially memorable as Lily realizes she can't avoid love any longer and she must show Gage she is done hiding behind her carefully constructed image.
This was a great story thanks to the author's crafting of compelling characters. Lily is strong, independent and passionately dedicated to her career. Growing up with a turbulent home life and a mother subject to the whims of her chaotic love life, Lily is convinced she never wants to be in love or at the mercy of any man. Gage had a less-than-stellar home life himself, and after basically raising his younger sister, he is convinced he wants nothing to do with marriage and family so he chooses to focus on his business.
Throw in a tropical island in Thailand and steamy chemistry between Lily and Gage, and it's not long before this couple's fake engagement involves serious emotions. The ending is especially memorable as Lily realizes she can't avoid love any longer and she must show Gage she is done hiding behind her carefully constructed image.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2014
Wow, that was my first harlequin.
I don't know how to view this book. It doesn't seem right to criticize it for it's horrible writing or non existing plot or obvious one dimensional characters. It's a harlequin. Isn't it supposed to be book porn? The equivalent of a soft core porn film with a plot?
The problem is, that it's not even good at that. It's inefficient even as spank material. I mean ok, the nipple and touching descriptions sometimes were quite horny, but when the big climactic sex scene comes ~in an elevator~ you are bored, because the previous sex scenes were much more descriptive and, well, new. After the first 3 fucks, it's the same thing over and over again. With intervals about the psychological motives of the aforementioned one dimensional characters. Who cares? Aren't we all here just for the steamy hot sex? Well, where was it?
I wanted to give it 2 stars, since it's my first harlequin and since it was an easy read and it didn't make me loathe it. But I have 3 more harlequins in my bag and I'm hoping that at least one of them will truly deserve 2 stars.
I don't know how to view this book. It doesn't seem right to criticize it for it's horrible writing or non existing plot or obvious one dimensional characters. It's a harlequin. Isn't it supposed to be book porn? The equivalent of a soft core porn film with a plot?
The problem is, that it's not even good at that. It's inefficient even as spank material. I mean ok, the nipple and touching descriptions sometimes were quite horny, but when the big climactic sex scene comes ~in an elevator~ you are bored, because the previous sex scenes were much more descriptive and, well, new. After the first 3 fucks, it's the same thing over and over again. With intervals about the psychological motives of the aforementioned one dimensional characters. Who cares? Aren't we all here just for the steamy hot sex? Well, where was it?
I wanted to give it 2 stars, since it's my first harlequin and since it was an easy read and it didn't make me loathe it. But I have 3 more harlequins in my bag and I'm hoping that at least one of them will truly deserve 2 stars.
April 7, 2011
First off, if you've never read a Maisey Yates book, you need to find one and read it, now. Her latest release, MARRIAGE MADE ON PAPER, won't let you down. I loved Gage, who worked hard and partied harder. Then he contracts Lily Ford for PR for his company. Gage expects empolyees to be on call 24/7 and go above and beyond duty.
And to generate some positive PR for his company, Gage proposes to Lily! This may be a deal on Paper only, but Gage wants a traditionally white dressed bride.
And later Lily had a change of heart regarding Gage when she saw him in different roles. No matter how much she wanted to deny it but there was an attraction between them. Lily had a strong personality. But Gage is a tortured hero, due to his childhood upbringing and I love a tortured hero.
I loved the humor in the book. I was fascinated by how Maisey Yates brought together the characters.
I couldn't let it go, and I enjoyed every page, every scene, every chapter of this wonderful, fantastic, clever and emotional book.
And to generate some positive PR for his company, Gage proposes to Lily! This may be a deal on Paper only, but Gage wants a traditionally white dressed bride.
And later Lily had a change of heart regarding Gage when she saw him in different roles. No matter how much she wanted to deny it but there was an attraction between them. Lily had a strong personality. But Gage is a tortured hero, due to his childhood upbringing and I love a tortured hero.
I loved the humor in the book. I was fascinated by how Maisey Yates brought together the characters.
I couldn't let it go, and I enjoyed every page, every scene, every chapter of this wonderful, fantastic, clever and emotional book.
June 20, 2017
Leído el 05/10/2012
Read
October 30, 2020Sadly, DNF at 36%. The book is not bad imo, just a bit boring. Or perhaps I just can’t take two MY books in a row.
July 15, 2014
It's like a romance featuring Donald Trump.
This was really far-fetched and silly. It's those old Mills & Boon books that deviate from reality hence shouldn't be surprised. But I could even forgive that if it weren't so predicable and tedious.
Confirmed bachelor Billionaire tall, dark and handsome, model-starlet-dating "ruthless" and unethical businessman gets into a pickle and fakes marriage. But falls in love with fake bride. Struggles to come to terms with EMOTIONS because LOVE and settling down is an alien concept but to his utter shock LOVE CONQUERS ALL. The End.
The male character reminded me of Donald Trump. His business dealing, his indifference to political correctness, and lifestyle - and that type of sleaze combined glamour.
Also I don't expect well researched detail or accurate business knowledge. But authors - if writing about the mighty business world please avoid it being far-fetched. Within the realms of reality would do. A two-bit PR firm will not just drop a contract. It looks bad for future deals as companies want commitment. Please read up on goodwill and reputational damage (which can cost more than penalties and other liabilities). Also please read up on due diligence and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Other than that - she drools over him and constantly praises him for being a ruthless businessman. While he thinks "oh I'm such a ruthless businessman" because of course that's something to be proud of. Nope - you sound like Donald Trump. Get over yourself.
This was really far-fetched and silly. It's those old Mills & Boon books that deviate from reality hence shouldn't be surprised. But I could even forgive that if it weren't so predicable and tedious.
Confirmed bachelor Billionaire tall, dark and handsome, model-starlet-dating "ruthless" and unethical businessman gets into a pickle and fakes marriage. But falls in love with fake bride. Struggles to come to terms with EMOTIONS because LOVE and settling down is an alien concept but to his utter shock LOVE CONQUERS ALL. The End.
The male character reminded me of Donald Trump. His business dealing, his indifference to political correctness, and lifestyle - and that type of sleaze combined glamour.
Also I don't expect well researched detail or accurate business knowledge. But authors - if writing about the mighty business world please avoid it being far-fetched. Within the realms of reality would do. A two-bit PR firm will not just drop a contract. It looks bad for future deals as companies want commitment. Please read up on goodwill and reputational damage (which can cost more than penalties and other liabilities). Also please read up on due diligence and Corporate Social Responsibility.
Other than that - she drools over him and constantly praises him for being a ruthless businessman. While he thinks "oh I'm such a ruthless businessman" because of course that's something to be proud of. Nope - you sound like Donald Trump. Get over yourself.
June 25, 2012
In this book, we have struggling PR agency owner Lily Ford, who agrees to take on internal resort developer Gage Forrester. Since this is a romance, we know that she's gonna take him on in more ways that one.
Lily is very resistant to love - and men, having seen her mother throw her life away upon boyfriend after boyfriend. Gage has already "done" the family thing, having acted as a guardian to his baby sister since he was twenty-five years old, so why would he want a wife or family?
The erotic tension between the two is hot from the get-go.
Business concerns and a need to protect Gage's sister lead the two announcing a fake engagement, but on a business trip to Thailand, the sun, sand, and sea make it impossible for them to keep their distance.
What I love: the crackling dialogue leaps off the pages. Maisey writes steamy sex scenes (and I like those too), but what is fantastic is the way she creates plausible backstories for her characters that both explain why they don't just jump into bed together, AND why their HEA is also a resolution of those characters' pain. She gets a tremendous amount of story into a work that's less than 200 pages; I am not sure if I am jealous or have a mad girl-crush.
Lily is very resistant to love - and men, having seen her mother throw her life away upon boyfriend after boyfriend. Gage has already "done" the family thing, having acted as a guardian to his baby sister since he was twenty-five years old, so why would he want a wife or family?
The erotic tension between the two is hot from the get-go.
Business concerns and a need to protect Gage's sister lead the two announcing a fake engagement, but on a business trip to Thailand, the sun, sand, and sea make it impossible for them to keep their distance.
What I love: the crackling dialogue leaps off the pages. Maisey writes steamy sex scenes (and I like those too), but what is fantastic is the way she creates plausible backstories for her characters that both explain why they don't just jump into bed together, AND why their HEA is also a resolution of those characters' pain. She gets a tremendous amount of story into a work that's less than 200 pages; I am not sure if I am jealous or have a mad girl-crush.
February 20, 2013
I loved how fully I could visualize everything. The author is amazing at descriptions. The characters were so well developed too. Gage's voice was so distinctive and I loved when we slipped back into his head for a while. I felt like I was actually present for the whole book. I don't often lose myself in a book, but I dove into this one. My favorite scenes were the ones that took place in Thailand. Awesome book.
March 19, 2013
This was a really good read Gage and Lily were funny couple. Love how the couple fell in love and planted stories in the newspaper to protect Gage's sister Maddie. Maddie has her own story "Petrov Proposal".
October 15, 2021
I decided to read this story becasue I had actually wanted to read The Petrov Proposal Since Petrov Proposal is 2nd in this 2 book series, I decided to read this one first.
This book was enjoyable, although I can’t say it incited any strong feelings. Basically, we have two people who were damaged by their own parents.
The hero is the son of wealthy parents. It sounds like he was probably born because it is expected in certain circles to have children. 15 years later his sister was born, she was most definitely an oops and unwanted by the parents. In fact at the age of 25, the Hero took in his sister as she was being neglected. He never had contact with his parents again, and his own success is totally on him as he left home at 17. Due to these circumstances, his many relationships are short. He has no plans to marry or have children, because basically he doesn’t think he has the ability. His sister has all the love he has to give.
The heroine, comes from a single parent home in Kansas. She was not wealthy. Her mom, had a revolving door of men and was always looking for but never finding “the one”. She would get so wrapped up in men, that her daughter was really a nonentity. She has started her own successful pr business. She is a 27 year old virgin, because no man has really interested her enough passionately. She is afraid to lose control to a man, so she keeps herself reserved.
Basically, the hero hires her for her PR skills. She is good. Along the way they agree to a fake engagement to undo some bad publicity. Their relationship becomes very personal and very physical. Their love scenes are pretty hot. However, throughout the story we are privy to their thoughts about not wanting to feel for each other. Not being worthy of marriage or children. This is supposed to be a short fling, but those pesky emotions get involved.
There is a heartfelt avowal of love and their HEA is believable. There is no epilogue, so I have already previewed the next story to make sure I get a glimpse into their future, and there are blurbs about them. For me the story was missing something. However, there is plenty here to like, and many people will enjoy it.
This book was enjoyable, although I can’t say it incited any strong feelings. Basically, we have two people who were damaged by their own parents.
The hero is the son of wealthy parents. It sounds like he was probably born because it is expected in certain circles to have children. 15 years later his sister was born, she was most definitely an oops and unwanted by the parents. In fact at the age of 25, the Hero took in his sister as she was being neglected. He never had contact with his parents again, and his own success is totally on him as he left home at 17. Due to these circumstances, his many relationships are short. He has no plans to marry or have children, because basically he doesn’t think he has the ability. His sister has all the love he has to give.
The heroine, comes from a single parent home in Kansas. She was not wealthy. Her mom, had a revolving door of men and was always looking for but never finding “the one”. She would get so wrapped up in men, that her daughter was really a nonentity. She has started her own successful pr business. She is a 27 year old virgin, because no man has really interested her enough passionately. She is afraid to lose control to a man, so she keeps herself reserved.
Basically, the hero hires her for her PR skills. She is good. Along the way they agree to a fake engagement to undo some bad publicity. Their relationship becomes very personal and very physical. Their love scenes are pretty hot. However, throughout the story we are privy to their thoughts about not wanting to feel for each other. Not being worthy of marriage or children. This is supposed to be a short fling, but those pesky emotions get involved.
There is a heartfelt avowal of love and their HEA is believable. There is no epilogue, so I have already previewed the next story to make sure I get a glimpse into their future, and there are blurbs about them. For me the story was missing something. However, there is plenty here to like, and many people will enjoy it.
February 25, 2020
I enjoyed this. I enjoyed how mature and emotionally sane these two were. They had their baggage, but they were otherwise good people. The baggage was the main conflict between them and their HEA but I felt that they genuinely built up a relationship that could have turned into love and so the HEA worked for me.
September 6, 2017
Totally predictable ... totally cheesy ... and in some aspects, very unrealistic. But that's to be expected from a M&B book! If you want a more realistic plot line then M&B books are not for you! Some spelling errors throughout the book which make it harder to rate higher than 3 stars.
October 19, 2023
Read over time, as it lived in my car to read when I had time. Swift enjoyable read with moments of angst and indecision stemming from different upbringings these characters find themselves within each other.
July 7, 2018
I love Maisey Yates Cooper Ridge series so I thought that I would enjoy this book. I had problems relating to the characters and kept putting the book down and walking away.
September 8, 2022
Mc's felt like wooden pieces not much character development.no epilogue.
July 4, 2020
Lo siento pero no.. es un cliché con patas TODO.
No me he creído los personajes ni su historia. El protagonista tenía un sillazo. Ella era otra que tal baila. Es de esas historias que nunca me cuadraron, pero es que ahora ya no blanqueo.
NEXT
No me he creído los personajes ni su historia. El protagonista tenía un sillazo. Ella era otra que tal baila. Es de esas historias que nunca me cuadraron, pero es que ahora ya no blanqueo.
NEXT
May 11, 2015
Lily Ford is twenty-seven, a virgin with supermodel looks, who is a highly ambitious and successful PR specialist in San Diego. Gage Forrester, ten years older, is the quintessential alpha male: stunningly handsome, very wealthy, a builder and developer of resorts and hotels across the world. A playboy whose flings are the talk of the media. Some months after Lily starts working for Gage, a crisis hits: Gage's younger sister Maddy, who is fifteen years younger than him, and whom he brought up because their parents were so neglectful, finds herself framed in a sex scandal by a frustrated ex-employer. The only way of making sure Maddy's name isn't besmirched by the press is to provide a distraction for the media - and what better distraction than the news that the very eligible Gage Forrester has gotten engaged? And, since it's impossible to do that at such short notice—let alone that Gage hasn't had the time to date anyone in months—Lily is roped in to play fiancée. Only on paper.
What happens next, of course, is pretty predictable. No, they don't get married, but a convenient business trip to Thailand—on the pretext of work in a resort at Koh Samui—gives Lily and Gage the opportunity to let their hair down in a suitably exotic locale. Their obvious attraction for each other leads to what they both agree will just be a very brief fling, no more. Both carry with them emotional baggage brought on by being brought up by far from exemplary parents. But sex (and loads of it) leads to this becoming more than just a fling...
I suppose I wasn’t the target audience for this book. While I do read romance fiction, I tend to confine myself to historical romance, and that too by relatively sophisticated writers like Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, and Carla Kelly. About the only romance fiction in contemporary settings that I read are marriage of convenience themes—which was what I thought Marriage Made on Paper was, when I saw it in the library of a tiny mountain resort where I was staying for a day.
I was mistaken. The 'engagement' never is meant to be anything but temporary, so that set-up, actually, is only an excuse to allow the two leads to get close. In a purely physical sense. While this is great if all you want to read about is sex, it made for an unconvincing romance as far as I was concerned. Lily and Gage share very occasional tidbits about their lives with each other, and one is expected to believe that on such a flimsy basis, they end up falling head over heels in love? (helped, of course, by loads of sex).
And yes, there is really no marriage in the book at all. I wouldn't have minded that so much if the romance had been convincing and believable, but without even that, I ended up feeling pretty disappointed.
What happens next, of course, is pretty predictable. No, they don't get married, but a convenient business trip to Thailand—on the pretext of work in a resort at Koh Samui—gives Lily and Gage the opportunity to let their hair down in a suitably exotic locale. Their obvious attraction for each other leads to what they both agree will just be a very brief fling, no more. Both carry with them emotional baggage brought on by being brought up by far from exemplary parents. But sex (and loads of it) leads to this becoming more than just a fling...
I suppose I wasn’t the target audience for this book. While I do read romance fiction, I tend to confine myself to historical romance, and that too by relatively sophisticated writers like Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh, and Carla Kelly. About the only romance fiction in contemporary settings that I read are marriage of convenience themes—which was what I thought Marriage Made on Paper was, when I saw it in the library of a tiny mountain resort where I was staying for a day.
I was mistaken. The 'engagement' never is meant to be anything but temporary, so that set-up, actually, is only an excuse to allow the two leads to get close. In a purely physical sense. While this is great if all you want to read about is sex, it made for an unconvincing romance as far as I was concerned. Lily and Gage share very occasional tidbits about their lives with each other, and one is expected to believe that on such a flimsy basis, they end up falling head over heels in love? (helped, of course, by loads of sex).
And yes, there is really no marriage in the book at all. I wouldn't have minded that so much if the romance had been convincing and believable, but without even that, I ended up feeling pretty disappointed.
November 16, 2011
For me this book was between a 2.5 and a 3. It took me forever to get into the story and at times it just dragged and dragged.
I liked the confident no-holds barred business woman Lily. I was intrigued by the Gage who raised his little sister. The sex scenes were hot and one of the better parts of the story. I really liked the openness between Lily and Gage. I felt like Lily and Gage were on equal footing both in their jobs and in their relationship.
The first thing that bugged me was the fake engagement. I really didn't see a point to it. Fake engagements/marriage of convenience stories are one of my favorite tropes. This book in no way was one of those which was misleading by the title. In fact the engagement could have been left out and it wouldn't have made any difference to the core of the story. It was just there as window dressing.
Another thing, the "reason" for the fake engagement to begin with just seemed forced and again window dressing. I actually would have preferred if Maddy was in the book. It just seemed like the whole issue with Maddy was a side issue that could have been left out and was really unnecessary.
The book spent way too much time in the heads of Lily and Gage. I got it that both of them had parent issues that made them not want to get involved in a long term relationship. If I didn't get it the first 5 times then I'm sure the next 20 or more would have cemented it into my head. There was just way too much thinking going on for Lily, Gage, and for me as the reader.
With this book being a shorter format I think the above is what hurt it for me. There just isn't as much time to grab my attention and keep it as a longer book. You sort of have to get to the point and then wrap things up. For me the book didn't get moving until about 2/3 of the way into it. By then the HEA ended up being rushed and rather sudden and quick for 2 characters who spent 95% of the book convincing themselves and me that they didn't want any part of marriage, children, and rainbows.
I honestly think without the whole fake engagement and reasoning behind it that this book would have been a 3.5 or a 4. The relationship between Lily and Gage was good and solid. There was more than enough to work with there without the unnecessary plot devices. And again the sex was hot which doesn't hurt.
I liked the confident no-holds barred business woman Lily. I was intrigued by the Gage who raised his little sister. The sex scenes were hot and one of the better parts of the story. I really liked the openness between Lily and Gage. I felt like Lily and Gage were on equal footing both in their jobs and in their relationship.
The first thing that bugged me was the fake engagement. I really didn't see a point to it. Fake engagements/marriage of convenience stories are one of my favorite tropes. This book in no way was one of those which was misleading by the title. In fact the engagement could have been left out and it wouldn't have made any difference to the core of the story. It was just there as window dressing.
Another thing, the "reason" for the fake engagement to begin with just seemed forced and again window dressing. I actually would have preferred if Maddy was in the book. It just seemed like the whole issue with Maddy was a side issue that could have been left out and was really unnecessary.
The book spent way too much time in the heads of Lily and Gage. I got it that both of them had parent issues that made them not want to get involved in a long term relationship. If I didn't get it the first 5 times then I'm sure the next 20 or more would have cemented it into my head. There was just way too much thinking going on for Lily, Gage, and for me as the reader.
With this book being a shorter format I think the above is what hurt it for me. There just isn't as much time to grab my attention and keep it as a longer book. You sort of have to get to the point and then wrap things up. For me the book didn't get moving until about 2/3 of the way into it. By then the HEA ended up being rushed and rather sudden and quick for 2 characters who spent 95% of the book convincing themselves and me that they didn't want any part of marriage, children, and rainbows.
I honestly think without the whole fake engagement and reasoning behind it that this book would have been a 3.5 or a 4. The relationship between Lily and Gage was good and solid. There was more than enough to work with there without the unnecessary plot devices. And again the sex was hot which doesn't hurt.
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