Trish Morey

I started reading Harlequin novels when I was a teen. They were quick comfort reads. I knew what to expect and rarely would they exceed those expectations, but they always met them.

Modern Harlequins are more likely to exceed those expectations. The formulary is much less obvious and they usually read like any other book with the exception of the required happy ending. It’s less often that you have a powerless female character who meets a powerful male character and he sheds some of his show more arrogance in favor of finding love for her, a traditional theme for early Harlequins.

His Mistress for a Million by Trish Morey, though, follows exactly that theme, or almost does. I’m not going to say much more than that for the fear of spoiling it, but while everything seems to follow a specific pattern, a modern element is introduced to bring something newer to the traditional storyline.

However, that’s not why I wanted to mention this book on my blog. It’s more that Trish Morey has reminded me of the strength of Harlequin novels, especially the shorter ones. This is a Harlequin Presents. What the imprint promises is a passionate romance in an exotic locale. The funny thing is that the exotic location in this case, the island of Santorini, is a place I visited as a child. This fact made me think about why I enjoyed the book, since I didn’t fit its proper audience.

The answer there is tangled and yet simple. The characters draw me in. Sure, they’re not the same as me, one being an Australian who is impoverished after believing a man she met over the Internet and the other a Greek tycoon, but I can identify with their circumstances. She’s trying to make the best of things, aware of her own stupidity and determined to learn from it. He’s stuck in an uncomfortable situation where another woman has built up expectations about what he’d thought was a purely business relationship, as in she works for him, but he has no interest in emotional ties and is looking for a way out of this one. The characters might be exotic by type, but what they’re going through has analogs in my life or in the lives of family and friends around me, if not to the same degree.

Then there’s the part that’s unique to me and others who have been to Santorini. While most readers are learning about a unique place, I’m refreshing memories and seeing how the island portrayed in the book is different from the one I visited as time and tourism has shifted the face of the locale.

And in a blending of the two, Cleo is not your typical tourist. Instead of shopping, she wants to explore the complicated history of Santorini and read up on the possibility that Atlantis had once existed on top of the volcano that burst to form the cone of modern Santorini. As she’s telling Andreas snippets of what she learns, I’m remembering hefting boulders bigger than I was over my head (pumice), but at the same time, I’m sharing in Andreas’ delight in a woman who shares his love of this place that he calls home.

So, to come full circle, it’s the people and the places that I enjoy in these romances, but especially the people and how they can come from such different circumstances but find something to draw them together. Trish Morey does an excellent job of doing just that. show less

Two different stories by two different authors - makes it hard to review the book well. The two stories feature very different characters. The first story has a much stronger female character with reason and rationale behind her decisions. She forms a relationship based on HER terms and, despite attempts, she is not bullied into a relationship. The second story is pretty much the exact opposite. The second story surrounds a character who is easily swayed and manipulated. The male love show more interest keeps telling her, "we MUST do this", or, "there is no other way things can be..." but the reader is never told *why*; we are left to infer it is because we have a male lead who has no self-control and cannot direct his compulsion for this particular woman. She begins the story as independent, self-possessed, and in control of her own destiny only to meet a man from her past who demands her complete supplication and receives it without much of a fight. Overall - I don't know why an editor would slap these two stories together, but one made me happy and one made me mad. show less

Burning Love by Trish Morey
Hot Aussie Knights #4

In the final installment of the Hot Aussie Knights series Trish Morey tells us more about twin and firefighter, Caleb Knight. He is a man that has given up on the idea of love that ends in marriage, children and a happy ride into the sunset with one special woman. He has opted, instead, for the friends with benefits idea and for one year has had one person he has gone to for release – Ava Mattiske. As the story begins Caleb has needed to get show more the thoughts from a bad day at work out of his head so visits Ava and in so doing it puts a glitch in their open, easy, no feelings or strings attached relationship. As both begin to wonder if what they have can continue as it has the fire season is heating up in Adelaide and it surrounding territory. With a background that is disturbing but eked out gradually one can sympathize and understand a bit more the seemingly cold Ava but it is not easy to see Caleb wanting and giving and her not reciprocating. Whether or not the two can have a HEA is going to require putting some demons to bed for both Caleb and Ava and how they manage to do so is not easy. The ending brings all four of the couples together for a fire fighters’ convention and wedding – great way to tie up the loose ends of the series so thank you very much for that.

I liked this book and felt it was interesting in that it was quite a bit different than the other books preceding it. Ava is not amnesic or an old flame from the past or a one night stand that became more. No, she is a damaged but strong woman that has risen from the ashes but who has scars that she still needs to deal with. And, Caleb is a man that is family oriented, knows what he wants, giving, kind and patient. I wished that Ava had been more open and giving BUT understood why she was not. I wished, at times, that Caleb could have found someone easier as his mate BUT began to understand why he chose Ava…though another woman might have been easier. Ah well…good book in a fun series and…

I would like to thank NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3.5 Stars show less

I’ve really enjoyed Trish Morey’s category romances, so I was pleased to receive a copy of her latest novel about three ex-friends, their problems and the island they’ve called home. It’s a sold summer read that screams to be read with an iced coffee!

Sarah, Floss and Jules all grew up together on Lord Howe Island and were the best of friends until an unforgiveable moment turned them into bitter enemies. Now they can hardly stand the sight of each other, but recent events find them show more back on the island. Sarah thought she’d escaped the island, but after she is passed over for a promotion and her mum has an accident she returns home to look after the family store. Floss and Jules never left. Floss has everything she wanted – marriage to Andy and five children. But now Andy is acting distant and both she and her kids are moving in different directions. Jules is happy with her unexpected daughter, but a shock diagnosis means she needs to confront the ‘what ifs’ in regard to her family.

The story is told from the perspectives of all three women, gradually filling in the background of their pasts and the events that caused the destruction of their friendships. It also reveals how each woman is grieving for something she feels she has lost – motherhood, health, love and youth. What I enjoyed was just when I thought I had their histories straight, there was a nice curveball thrown into the plot and I had to think again. Seeing their fractured relationships slowly come back together (with realistic setbacks along the way) was also a highlight. The subplot involving a romance with a relieving policeman, Noah, is also good fun as he’s a cute character!

I did find it harder to relate to Floss and Jules than Sarah in One Summer Between Friends. For me, I found their choices to remain on the island from childhood to adulthood a bit puzzling. I could relate to Sarah more, who had studied and chosen a career and life away from the island due to a multitude of factors. I just wondered why they hadn’t chosen to expand their horizons in one way or another. But possibly the biggest character of all is Lord Howe Island itself. It’s written beautifully as a tranquil but fascinating place that opens its arms to tourists (not an easy thing to do). The inconveniences of its residents are also portrayed well, such as having to travel to the Australian mainland for medical procedures and waiting for supplies.

A fun light read, perfect for a lazy day.

Thank you to Harlequin for the ARC. My review is honest.

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