Dancing on a Rainbow - Barbara Cartland (Eaglemoss - Dec 1986)

Series: Romantic Novels of Barbara Cartland (Book 8)

Lady Loretta's father has arranged for her to marry the son of le Duc de Sauerdun, the dashing Fabian, Marquis de Sauerdun. Knowing that it is usual amongst the French and British aristocrats to arrange marriages for their children, Loretta is still horrified at the idea of marrying someone she has never seen or does not love.

Loretta sneaks away to Paris to plead with her cousin to arrange a meeting with Fabian de Sauerdun without him knowing who she is. It was a breathtaking scheme, but Lady Loretta's only hope of escaping the marriage her father demanded was to prove to the stubborn Peer that dashing Fabian, was a notorious and unrepentant rake. And indeed he was -- but she finds him quite different to what she expected, and Fate had its own plans for a spirited English beauty and a noble Knave of Hearts!

Classic Barbara Cartland - super-innocent heroine tames incorrigible rake while attempting to avoid an arranged marriage to that rake. This one was a little better than most because the heroine showed a fair amount of backbone and initiative.

Loretta was horrified when her father told her that he and his friend had arranged for her to marry his son. She's never even met the man, plus her father had promised her a Season. She wants a chance to find a man she can love. Nothing she says dissuades her father from his plan. When he leaves their estate for a week, Loretta knows what she has to do. Years earlier, Loretta's married cousin scandalized Society when she ran off with a married man. The couple lives in Paris, and Loretta sneaks off to stay with them, hoping to meet her proposed fiancé without him knowing who she is.

I thought that Loretta was brave but also very naïve to undertake such a journey without knowing if she would be welcome at the other end. She was fortunate that Ingrid was willing to help her. Her description of Fabian and his reputation made him sound just as bad as Loretta feared. Ingrid was prepared to introduce Loretta to Fabian but warned her of Fabian's "Pied Piper" effect on women.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Loretta and Fabian. It was easy to see the connection they felt from the beginning. Loretta was fascinated by Fabian and the world he showed her. She tried to keep him at a distance, but he broke through her walls every time. Fabian was equally intrigued by Loretta. Though introduced to him as the married Lady Brompton, there was an air of innocence about her that he couldn't resist.

As they spent time together, Loretta saw a different side of Fabian than the rake she was warned about. He always treated her with kindness and respect. He took her places he thought she would enjoy and put her before his own desires. Fabian was also very protective of her. There was a very intense scene when one of his rivals abducted Loretta. I thought that Loretta handled herself quite well, and Fabian's arrival was the finishing touch. But though they declare their love for each other, Loretta panics at Fabian's plans for their future. She's overwhelmed with guilt at her deception and flees back home, heartbroken at leaving him behind.

I enjoyed the ending. Fabian, of course, chases after her, still unaware of her true identity. Their conversation was eye-opening for both of them. I especially enjoyed Fabian's shock at their fathers' plans for them, which made him more sympathetic to what Loretta did. I had to laugh at what they decided to do and would love to have seen their fathers' reactions.

This book reminded me somewhat of Cartland's Desire ofthe Heart, one of my favorite books by this author.

The Wild One - Ruth Cardello (Montlake - Feb 2020)

Series: Corisi Billionaires (Book 2)

After years of choosing safe over satisfying, a weeklong Paris fling sounds perfect to Wren Heath. And who better to have it with than Mauricio Romano, a billionaire with a reputation as a first-class heartbreaker. A few days. Fun, then done. What happens on vacation stays on vacation, right?

Paris was Mauricio’s playground, and love was never part of the game. Lust? Toujours. Then he meets a sweet woman who wants to be a sex kitten. He knows how to give her the wildest five days and nights of her life. No commitments. No strings. But the hotter it gets, the harder it is to remember his own rules.

What do you do when what happens in Paris stays in your heart and then shows up at home?

Are these two destined to clash or destined for love?

This was a fun book. It is the second in a series but can be read as a stand-alone. Characters from the previous book do make an appearance and are easily explained. That said, the first chapter and another near the end are told from the point-of-view of Dominic Corisi. For someone unfamiliar with the Legacy series (I haven't read it) these chapters are puzzling, as is the name of the series. The brothers in this series so far are Romanos, not Corisis. By the end of the book, I did have an inkling of the connection so it will be interesting to see where it goes.

This book is the story of Wren and Mauricio. Mauricio is a billionaire with a playboy reputation. He was known to be quite wild when he was younger, though he's been more settled the past few years as he helped with the family business. Now that his brother is ready to retake the reins, Mauricio is at a crossroads, looking for what he wants to do next. In the meantime, he heads to Paris to visit friend and fellow bad-boy Felix.

I enjoyed my first meeting with Mauricio and Felix. Felix is late to a business meeting with Mauricio, who is losing patience. That changes when Felix calls to let Mauricio know that he's in the hospital and won't be released until the next day. The injury seems to be a case of karma, which I found to be satisfying as I learned more. Felix's misfortune leaves Mauricio stuck with helping Felix by finding a way to politely boot Felix's mistress from his apartment before Felix is released.

Wren is in Paris on her first trip to Europe and visiting her friend Cecile. After a lifetime of being the good girl, she's ready to cut loose just a little bit. After a slightly embarrassing first encounter, who better to play with than Felix's friend Mauricio? He's fun and sexy, and what happens in Paris stays in Paris, right?

I wasn't sure I was going to like the book at first. There seemed a lot more action in the bedroom than in developing an actual relationship between Mauricio and Wren. Thankfully it didn't take long for the "no-strings fling" to morph into something much deeper. Both fought it hard, but unsuccessfully. Wren won my heart first with her determination to step outside her comfort zone. She is smart, sassy, and has a terrific sense of humor. Her mixture of innocence and sexiness was fun to watch as it had an unexpected effect on Mauricio. Mauricio wasn't far behind as he quickly began to envision something permanent with Wren.

I loved the development of the relationship between Wren and Mauricio. The chemistry is off the charts, but they connect on a deeper level also. The interactions between them were fun. Wren doesn't have much of a filter, and some of the things she says amuse the heck out of Mauricio. I also enjoyed seeing Wren's reactions to some of his more outrageous claims and how she keeps him from being too full of himself. Each falls hard for the other but says nothing because of their earlier demands of no strings.  Just as Mauricio is ready to take the plunge, Wren gets bad news from home and leaves with no explanation. Mauricio is devastated and angry, believing that she did not share his feelings, and goes home to lick his wounds.

Mauricio's family has never met a situation that can't be helped by pulling together. Earlier advice from his father had helped Mauricio identify his feelings for Wren, and now his father is invested in seeing Mauricio happy. Unfortunately, his attempt to bring the two together backfires, with both Mauricio and Wren blindsided by an unexpected reunion. Mauricio has an especially boneheaded reaction before realizing how wrong he was. I loved the help he got to pull off his "cow" moment and the faith he showed in Wren and her abilities.

The importance of family is a key theme in this book. There are the bits with Dominic Corisi that have to do with long-standing issues involving his parents. As an only child, Wren feels responsible for her parents' happiness and well-being, which in turn has affected the way she leads her life. It's that love for her family that causes the misunderstanding between her and Mauricio. I loved his family and the boisterous love they have for each other. I loved their support of Mauricio and determination to help him win back Wren.