A Ruthless Proposition by Natasha Anders Published by Montlake Romance on January 26th 2016
Pages: 310
Amazon
All that glitters may lead right to his heart…
The last thing Cleopatra Knight expects on her business trip to Tokyo is to fall into bed with her arrogant, irresistibly hot boss, Dante Damaso. It’s a mistake—a steamy, mind-blowingly satisfying mistake. But a few nights of passion with the superwealthy bad boy prove to have long-term effects when Cleo’s world is unexpectedly turned upside down.
Dante has cultivated an enviable, jet-setting lifestyle: beautiful women, exotic destinations, and luxury without limits. He’s not looking to be domesticated, and certainly not by his assistant—even though he can’t get her out of his mind. Still, he knows he has both the responsibility and the financial means to help Cleo.
Though Cleo has no interest in Dante’s money, her lack of prospects gives her little choice but to accept his help. But living under the same roof, Dante discovers he wants more, and if Cleo lets down her guard, she just might find what her heart’s wanted all along.
*sigh* I’m not sure what to say. I liked the premise and appreciated the characters, but this did not work for me at all and it’s difficult to pinpoint why.
I think I took issue with it almost from the start. Cleo and Dante don’t respect each other and yet they fall into bed suddenly, without any prelude or indication that there’s intense mutual attraction. It rang false for me, and I never once felt there was any chemistry between the two.
I liked Cleo. She’s just an average looking girl of little means, but she’s proud and not afraid to stand up to the wealthy, formidable Dante. If you like despicable heroes, then you’ll love Dante because he is the jerkiest of jerks. He’s not one that immediately changes his ways either. It’s a different take from similar stories and I found that refreshing. The plot is also interesting, and not quite as predictable as I anticipated.
I think what it comes down to is that I just didn’t care for the style of writing. It’s written in the third person which isn’t my favorite form to begin with. The dialogue is overly formal in many places, and even the narrative seems stilted. That, coupled with the choppy flow, made this book a less than enjoyable read for me.
** ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. **
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