I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website:

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:


One of my favorite romance set-ups are between an older woman and a younger man. Not surprising, mind you, because I'm married to a much younger man, so I had great expectations in regards to this story; and while I liked the older woman/younger man premise, I had a very hard time with the chemistry between these two.

From the start of this story, it is assumed that I knew, and was familiar with, their past. Well, I was, but some of you out there may not be, so heed my advice and don't read this book until you've read the previous two. Trust me, it will help you `get the picture', and you'll be more sympathetic to both Vienne and Trystan.

Our heroine, Vienne LaRieux, is older than our hero, Trystan Kane, by some five years, and while now at thirty to her thirty-five the age is a non issue, seven years ago, in another place and another time, he was just a `boy' compared to her `mature' self of twenty-eight.

For the better part of her life, she's hiding a secret, one that threatens her future. Long ago, she broke the budding relationship with a young, impressionable, and much in love Trystan. She did that in order for him never to find out her secret.

Lord Trystan Kane is the third son of a Duke, and as such, he's aware that sooner or later, he'll have to take his life into his own hands and make his own way in the world. What better time than while his heart's breaking? He takes his broken heart and himself to America, where he makes a fortune in trade, does some hard growing up, and after all these years, decides to head back to London to prove to this woman that he's made something of himself. He is determined to prove to her that leaving him was the biggest mistake of her life.

At the opening of the story, I took our heroine for a strong woman, one who has made her own way into the male dominated world. She appeared to have a lot going for her. She seemed in control of her own life (a scene where she shoots her lover and employee when he won't take `no' for an answer comes to mind), a shrewd businesswoman, (she's about to build a shopping mall, for Heavens sake!), yet she appears to not know her own mind where her feelings are concerned, in regards to a man that she very well knows is no threat to her. I didn't understand her reasoning in thinking that Trystan, after managing to gain a fifty percent share in her building venture and forcing her into an equal partnership, was in it for revenge. She knew, or ought to have known, that he cared for her; otherwise, he would have gone after her years ago.

Now we come to the plot of the story: the mystery of who's behind the threatening letters and accidents that are going down on the site and endangering them both. That was completely an unnecessary plot! I would have rather preferred this to be a heartwarming, second chance at love romance and a character-driven story. I wanted to feel compassion for both, but I just couldn't muster it.

Even the end was a letdown, and as much as I loved Trystan, I wasn't happy with his happily-ever-after.
Out of the three books in this series, I have to say that Grey and Rose's story was the best.

Melanie ( )

A quick, light read. Vienne's insistence that she knew what was best got old after awhile, but I enjoyed the story overall. ( )

I reviewed this book for Romance Reader At Heart website at http://romancereaderatheart.com/pubsandpromos/indexT.html

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

One of my favorite romance set-ups are between an older woman and a younger man. Not surprising, mind you, because I’m married to a much younger man, so I had great expectations in regards to this story; and while I liked the older woman/younger man premise, I had a very hard time with the chemistry between these two.

From the start of this story, it is assumed that I knew, and was familiar with, their past. Well, I was, but some of you out there may not be, so heed my advice and don’t read this book until you’ve read the previous two. Trust me, it will help you ‘get the picture’, and you’ll be more sympathetic to both Vienne and Trystan.

Our heroine, Vienne LaRieux, is older than our hero, Trystan Kane, by some five years, and while now at thirty to her thirty-five the age is a non issue, seven years ago, in another place and another time, he was just a ‘boy’ compared to her ‘mature’ self of twenty-eight.

For the better part of her life, she’s hiding a secret, one that threatens her future. Long ago, she broke the budding relationship with a young, impressionable, and much in love Trystan. She did that in order for him never to find out her secret.

Lord Trystan Kane is the third son of a Duke, and as such, he’s aware that sooner or later, he’ll have to take his life into his own hands and make his own way in the world. What better time than while his heart’s breaking? He takes his broken heart and himself to America, where he makes a fortune in trade, does some hard growing up, and after all these years, decides to head back to London to prove to this woman that he’s made something of himself. He is determined to prove to her that leaving him was the biggest mistake of her life.

At the opening of the story, I took our heroine for a strong woman, one who has made her own way into the male dominated world. She appeared to have a lot going for her. She seemed in control of her own life (a scene where she shoots her lover and employee when he won’t take ‘no’ for an answer comes to mind), a shrewd businesswoman, (she’s about to build a shopping mall, for Heavens sake!), yet she appears to not know her own mind where her feelings are concerned, in regards to a man that she very well knows is no threat to her. I didn’t understand her reasoning in thinking that Trystan, after managing to gain a fifty percent share in her building venture and forcing her into an equal partnership, was in it for revenge. She knew, or ought to have known, that he cared for her; otherwise, he would have gone after her years ago.

Now we come to the plot of the story: the mystery of who’s behind the threatening letters and accidents that are going down on the site and endangering them both. That was completely an unnecessary plot! I would have rather preferred this to be a heartwarming, second chance at love romance and a character-driven story. I wanted to feel compassion for both, but I just couldn’t muster it.

Even the end was a letdown, and as much as I loved Trystan, I wasn’t happy with his happily-ever-after.
Out of the three books in this series, I have to say that Grey and Rose’s story was the best.

Melanie ( )