Tessa Radley

I liked this book. It took some common elements of the genre and mixed them up in a new and different way. There was a whole lot going on. For example the secret baby element was very different and just when you thought you had the justification all figured out, the story took a left turn. And that happened more than once. There was some great asshatery from the hero but he groveled pretty well. There was some pretty high sexual tension. There was quite a bit of angst starting when the show more heroine had to arrange the marriage of her best friend to the man she herself loved. Pretty great stuff all around

I am definitely going to look for more from this author. show less

One Dance with the Sheikh
2 Stars

Laurel Kincaid is tired of being the perfect daughter, perfect sister, and perfect fiancée. She needs a little excitement in her life, and a trip to Las Vegas with a complete stranger fits the bill. Little does she know that her partner on this jaunt, Rakin Whitcomb Abdellah, has more serious plans in mind - ones that include a marriage of convenience.

The books in this Harlequin series have been hit and miss, and this, unfortunately, falls into the latter show more category.

Laurel and Rakin have good chemistry and their interactions are sizzling. That said, the entire situation is completely contrived and the conflict annoying. Laurel was well aware that Rakin had no interest in anything other than a short and convenient marriage, yet has a hissy fit when he reminds her of the fact. Rakin for his part overcomes his reluctance to remain married and father children far too quickly.

Once again, there is no development in the ongoing mystery of who killed Reginald Kincaid although the identity of the culprit is becoming more clear with the character's every appearance.

The next book is the final installment, and based on the snippets at the end of each of the other books, I am looking forward to Jack and Nikki's story. I really hope it lives up to expectations. show less

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Nov08

“Spaniard’s Seduction” is Tessa Radley’s latest Silhouette Desire release in her ‘Saxon Brides’ series about a family of vintners in New Zealand. I enjoy reading the occasional Silhouette or Harlequin release because I know, 1-the books will take less than two hours to finish, 2-the books won’t contain much, if any, violence, and 3-the story will always end happily. So when I’m looking for a quick pick-me-up read, I always show more have a few on hand to sate my appetite.

Caitlyn is not a member of the Saxon family; instead she’s their award-winning winemaker. Since she met the eldest Saxon son, Heath, in college, she’s quietly loved him and was thrilled when he helped her get an internship at his family’s famous winery. When another worker attacked her, the family gave her a home and a job and a refuge. She has been fiercely protective of them ever since, burying herself in her job and using her unrequited love for Heath as a shield against dating. Then seemingly from nowhere, a haughty Spaniard turns up saying he’s a Saxon bastard child…and the eldest to boot. Caitlyn dislikes his arrogance and his hatred of the Saxon patriarch, but the way he makes her feel is very confusing.

Rafaelo has come to New Zealand for revenge. He intends to force the Saxon’s to give him his due inheritance—an equal share in the winery. Then he plans to sell that share to the first non-family bidder. His hatred of the Saxon patriarch is fierce and he intends that no one will get in his way. Certainly not a waifish, but sexy, winemaker!

Ah, yes. The course of true love never runs smooth, right? I fell a little in love with Rafaelo once the author showed me his hidden kindness and gentleness. Like Caitlyn, the more I learned, the harder it was to maintain my dislike. I appreciated the fact that Ms Radley didn’t wave a wand and vanish Caitlyn’s fears; instead, Rafaelo’s patience and gentleness helped Caitlyn overcome her fears. Other than the compacted timeframe, I found the situation believable. There was even a bit of history about New Zealand winemaking to sweeten the read. The tension between the hero and heroine was taut from the first and tastefully done…not too hot, not too cold.

I quite enjoyed my quick mental excursion to New Zealand through Tessa Radley’s latest release. “Spaniard’s Seduction” delivered a sweet and lightly spiced love story with a pinch of mystery and a dash of action to flavor the plot. I’ll be looking for her next release in the series, “Pregnancy Proposal”, which is due to hit the shelves in early December. Salud! show less

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release Oct08

After a grueling day of reading and reviewing, I was happy to pick up “Mistaken Mistress”, a Silhouette Desire category romance by Tessa Radley. This story is part of her ‘Saxon Brides’ trilogy about a family of winemakers in New Zealand. This first book sets the stage and introduces the family.

A sexy vintner and a wine journalist--sound like a good match? Well, it probably would be, if it wasn’t for the fact that she trashed both show more the winery and his reputation a few years ago in her widely read wine column. Add in the fact that he thinks she was his recently deceased brother’s mistress and you don’t exactly have a match made in heaven.

This story was a quick escape to the wilds of New Zealand. Never having been there (unfortunately for me), I was caught up in the author’s descriptions of its wine-making region. It was easy to imagine the greenery and hills. The bits of history regarding winemaking there were interesting as well and deftly threaded through the story.

I was a bit disappointed with the plot execution. Parents afraid to tell an adult child who in no way resembled either ‘parent’ that he was adopted was rather difficult to swallow. As was their unwillingness to divulge the story to their other children even after the adoptee’s death. As this formed the basis for the plot, my inability to believe it marred my reading enjoyment for the whole book.

On the plus side, the romance was well done and the deepening friendship and sexual attraction was gradual without losing any of the heat. Speaking of heat, I would probably rate this at PG-13 since the majority of sexual interaction involves only heavy petting with one episode of delicately phrased ‘culmination’. I myself especially enjoyed the sexy scene by the waterfall! Tessa Radley’s “Mistaken Mistress” is a pleasant and quick escape, but only if you can set aside believability. show less