Book Review: Taken by the Highest Bidder by Jane Porter

Title : Taken by the Highest Bidder

Author : Jane Porter

Series : -

Genre : Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Published : December 2005

Rating : 3 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Cristiano Bartolo, a Formula 1 driver. Not many Presents’s hero with this occupation. I seem to remember one, but he already retired. But Cristiano, despite he had an accident before, and seems to retired after that, but actually not. He is still active in racing, which become a problem between him and Sam, the heroine. At first, at his first appearance, he seems like an asshat. Forcing to separate Sam with her stepdaughter, when actually the stepdaughter was his aim.

Book Review: The Konstantos Marriage Demand by Kate Walker

Title: The Konstantos Marriage Demand

Author: Kate Walker

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year Published: 2010

Rating: 2 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Nikos Konstantos, greek billionaire. Five years age he was engaged to be married to the heroine. But there was a feud between their family. Her father really hate Nikos’s family, so he destroy Nikos’s family and business. Of course that angered Nikos so he vow to ruin her family. He suceeded, of course. But when Sadie came to him to seek help, he wants to take his revenge to another level. Not just about business anymore, but to get back at her for hurting him by claiming her as her bride. He won’t satisfied until personally punish her. Well, that, and because he still desire her.

Book Review: The Virgin's Wedding Night by Sara Craven

Title : The Virgin's Wedding Night

Author : Sara Craven
Series : -
Genre : Romance/ Harlequin Presents
Publication Year : 2008
Rating : 3 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Roan Zandros. At first he was portrayed as a struggling artist. Not that he wasn’t really an artist. He is an artist, yes, but not just that, he is also a Greek Billionaire. His mother was an English and a painter, too. But his father doesn’t approve him to be a painter. So he came to England to prove to his father that he could be succesful as a painter, so that his father would let him to keep painting. I like him enough. Yes, he has that arrogant and take-charge trait that every Presents’s heroes have, but not overly so. He is actually fell in love with the heroine from the beginning, no denial from his part. He even willing to beg to heroine’s grandfather to give him a chance to win her over. And after all that attitude the heroine dump on him. Sweet, right? But like all the other heroes, he is also stubborn he won’t just said it outright that he loves her.

Book Review: Exposed: The Sheikh's Mistress by Sharon Kendrick

Title : Exposed: The Sheikh’s Mistress

Author : Sharon Kendrick

Series : -

Genre : Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Publication Year : 2005

Rating : 2 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Sheikh Hashim Al Aswad. Cold, ruthless, annoying, asshat, and arrogant. Usually a hero has one or two of those trait. But this time the hero has it all. He acted so superior because he is a sheikh, thinking that other people are below him. He treat the heroine like a slut just because one mistake (which from my point of view is not really a mistake). Well, he doesn’t know her reason at first, but he should hear her explanation instead of jumping to conclusion. I really hate that attitude, the jumping to conclusion bit,  make a smart person look so stupid. And then when they met again, which a deliberate move from him, he blackmailed her to do the ‘job’ in order to get a revenge and to bed her. I couldn’t imagine a man more ruthless than him. I really feel like punching him when I read the story. Apparently, he doesn’t know the word ‘let go’, because in the course of five years he still nurture his hatred for her. Granted, maybe that’s because he really love her and couldn’t forget her. And he kind of doing it right in the end.

Book Review: In The Rich Man's World by Carol Marinelli

Title: In The Rich Man’s World

Author: Carol Marinelli

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Publication Year: 2005

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Vaughan Mason, Australian  businessman. Favourite target of Australian journalists, but he is very private about his private life. He tried to protect his family from the spotlight. The scene where the hero first met the heroine, it’s rather cute for me. I can’t believe he fell asleep then. He must be feeling very tired, because we know our Presents’s hero is always so full of energy, doesn’t need much sleep. He was still awake when Amelia arrived. So if he can asleep even when he knows he’d have a meeting in a moment, then he really really is tired. He’s also a bit different from other heros I guess. Well, maybe before the story take place he was like other heros, but then he changed. He even can be embarrassed about his action. It’s a rare occasion for a Presents’ hero. He’s also willing to take the heroine back even when he still think she had betrayed him. It’s a testament of his love for Amelia.

Book Review: The Spaniard's Blackmailed Bride by Trish Morey

Title: The Spaniard’s Blackmailed Bride

Author: Trish Morey

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year Published: 2007

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Diablo Barrentes, spanish bussinessman. Arrogant spanish import—that’s the way the heroine describe him. Make me laugh really loud. But though he is a spaniard, he didn’t grow up there, so maybe his characteristic isn’t really spanish. His parents’ marriage didn’t approved by their family. When his father died when worked in Chile, his mother couldn’t go back to Spain. So she move to Autralia and raise Diablo there. They live in poverty and determined to change that. He doesn’t believe in happy ending, and never expected one. How sad is that? My heart just went to him because of that.

Book Review: Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter

Title: Untameable Rogue
Author: Kelly Hunter
Series: Bennett Family #4
Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents
Year Published: 2010
Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

THE HERO. . .

Luke Bennett, former Navy, now a freelance bomb consultant. He has an easy-going manner. He was referenced as ‘tiger’ and ‘warrior’. The warrior bit fit with his job, and the tiger bit fit with his character, though I guess all of Bennet clan referenced as tiger, too. His sense of rightness in so strong hence he struggling to accept Maddy’s reason to marry her late husband. And he’s so alpha-male that it’s hard to come to term that Maddy has more money than him.

Book Review: Don Joaquin's Pride by Lynne Graham

Title: Don Joaquin's Pride

Author: Lynne Graham

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year published: 2000

Rating: 3 of 5 stars 

THE HERO. . .

Joaquin Del Castillo, 'billionaire industrialist' and a 'reformed playboy’. Well, that’s how the magazines describe him. For me, he is an arrogant asshat. Yes, his  attempt to help his faithful former employee is an honorable thing to do. But the way he did it is way too extreme and so illogical. And he never believe Lucy’s plea, determined to drop the guilty verdict upon her. But I remember one scene I like about him. It’s when they’re in front of the church, in Cindy’s wedding. He was so determined to stop the wedding he just had an eye for Lucy, not realising there was Cindy next to Lucy. And when he realised they’re twins he said “There are two of you?” with a shocked expression. Funny moment for me :D

Book Review: The Italian's One-Night Love-Child by Cathy Williams

Title: The Italian's One-Night Love-Child

Author: Cathy Williams

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year published: 2009

Rating: 2 of 5 stars 

THE HERO. . .

Cristiano De Angelis, Italian businessman. At first he seems so arrogant, with his view about not to involve with the woman who is not in his class. But after the five months time, he changed. He’s honest enough to admit that he missed the heroine, even when he was still angry because the heroine deceive him. And I think he’s quite sweet—he is willing to cook, doing domestic stuff to win the heroine heart. I don’t justify his reluctance to share his private affairs, but I can understand it because he never have to answer to someone else before.

Book Review: Her Singapore Fling by Kelly Hunter

Title: Her Singapore Fling/ Red Hot Renegade

Author: Kelly Hunter

Series: Bennett Family #5

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year published: 2010

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

THE HERO. . .

Jacob Bennett, a world title holder for martial arts and a martial arts sensei. Since from the previous book (Untameable Rogue) I have a soft spot for Jake. How he always take care of his siblings, even now when the siblings are all grown up. He’s not the touchy-feely kind of person, so it’s kinda cute when he was surrounded by people in love and consequently becomes the ear of said people. And it’s sweet how he kept the heroine’s photo in his wallet when they were separated for twelve years.

Book Review: The Cozakis Bride by Lynne Graham

Title: The Cozakis Bride
Author: Lynne Graham 
Series: -
Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents 
Year Published: 2000
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Nik Cozakis, a greek tycoon. A bit ruthless, but I guess that because he felt hurt because of the heroine betrayed him, or so he thought. Well, he’s not without fault himself, men have to learn to express their feelings. And the way he refuse to believe that Olympia never cheat on him despite the evidence that she still a virgin is appalling. But the grovelling in the end of the book more than enough to satisfy me.

Book Review: His Very Personal Assistant by Carole Mortimer

Title: His Very Personal Assistant

Author: Carole Mortimer

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year Published: 2005

Rating: 2 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Marcus Maitland, your usual harlequin tycoon. A bit ruthless but not too much. Arrogant, yes, as always from most of hero. Too quick to accuse Kit to be the traitor when there was just circumstatial evidence. But I guess Kit’s reluctant to reveal the reason why she was in the Marcus’s rival’s office is just adding to Marcus’s suspicion. I’m also a bit confused with his act in the end of the story. Why did he left after promised to be by Kit’s side, to help her go through her mother’s surgery? If he had to think about the fact that Kit is related to his rival, it’s hardly relevant anymore especially after the said rival reveal her story.

Book Review: The Italian's Wife by Lynne Graham

Title: The Italian's Wife

Author: Lynne Graham

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year Published: 2002

Rating: 3 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Saverio ‘Rio’ Lombardi M.D. At first I thought that Lynne Graham finally writing a medical romance because of the hero’s title. But even if he had a doctor title, it’s never mentioned if he ever practices as a doctor. A bit disappointed about that because I really want Lynne’s hero as anything other than a tycoon. But regardless, I really like Rio’s character. I thought of him as cute. As far as I read, this is the first LG’s hero who is not an asshat, not even a little. When he confessed that he felt less of a man when he saw his fiancée cheating with another girl, my heart went for him. I truly love this hero :3

Book Review: Mistress Bought and Paid For by Lynne Graham

Title: Mistress Bought and Paid For

Author: Lynne Graham

Series: -

Genre: Romance/ Harlequin Presents

Year Published: 2006

Rating: 4 of 5 stars

THE HERO. . .

Cristiano Andreotti, Italian software billionaire. Like other Harlequin Presents hero, he is hard, ruthless, and drop-dead georgeous. At the beginning, he seems like an asshat, offering that proposal to revenge the heroine. But over time, I think he is an okay guy, he is just hurt because he thought the heroine betrayed him. He started to change after they make love, and after suggest they married after revealed that the heroine was a virgin. Start from that moment I start to like Cristiano.