Secrets of the Playboy’s Bride
Author: Leanne Banks
Publisher: Silhouette Desire/Harlequin
Pub. Date: March 1, 2010
ISBN-13: 978-1426849978
Retail: $4.75
192 pagesSuccess was one thing…acceptance, another. All his life, Leonardo Grant had yearned to be more than his rough beginnings had allowed. Now, after making millions, he believed marriage to the right woman could secure him the respect no amount of money could.
When Leo spotted Calista French, he knew he’d found his foil. But their chance meeting had actually been carefully orchestrated…and not by him. Just what was his “perfect” society wife planning?
~*~*~
Secrets of a Playboy’s Bride takes place in society of Philadelphia. Calista French is a society woman. Even though she no longer has the money, she has the pedigree. But deep down inside Calista is a simple girl who just wants to take care of her sisters, her needs are secondary. She works, she volunteers and she visits with her sisters when she can. The problem is she needs money and Leonardo Grant has that money. He can provide her with a safe life and college education for her sisters. She doesn’t need a relationship or love, she just needs him to help her out and she figures he owes her because of the con he and his father pulled on Calista’s.
Leo has the fortune and the drive to be even more successful in business. A self-made man who rose up from his adoptive father’s con games. He can’t remember the time before the accident that claimed his parents’ lives, he only knows the hard childhood from which he escaped. Now the one thing he needs is a society wife to get him into Philadelphia society, so when Calista French falls into his arms, he knows she is the perfect wife. He, like her, doesn’t really want attachments, just the wife on his arm to get him into society.
Neither Calista or Leo figure on falling in love, but they do just that. Both have secrets but will those secrets stand in the way of their love?
The plot in Secrets of a Playboy’s Bride is predictable but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I also enjoyed the characters. Calista is an admirable person and Leo makes himself out to be a bad boy, but really he’s just scarred from his childhood. When Calista and Leo come together the sparks fly and I enjoyed watching their love unfold. They are both stubborn which is fun, but eventually they discover things about each other that help the love unfold.
If you want an easy afternoon love story, then this is the book for you. It’s actually part of a mini-series by Leanne Banks, but this is the first one I’ve read. The only time the mini-series really comes into play is at the end, so I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything by not reading the previous books. Though I admit I am intrigued by the storyline of the mini-series and will seek out the other books.
Rating: 7 (Good )
Heat-Level: 3 (Sensual)
Good review, I think I’m going to read this book 🙂
Great review Cystal! I usually tend to go for the Harlequin Presents series more, I like their international settings, but I like the location in this book, Philadelphia. I don’t recall reading many books that take place there!
This book looks good, I will look out for it!
I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!
Every once and a while I’ll pick up a Harlequin or Silhouette for a quick read. Like you said, an easy afternoon love story. It is kind of like eating dessert instead of your vegetables. Often no substance, but still good. There are many rather good authors that write in this genre.
Thanks for the review. I’ve read Leanne Banks before and enjoyed her books.
I like Harlequin/Silhouette and you make me want to read this one. I’ve read other books by Leanne Banks and enjoyed them. They are easy, light love stories. Thanks for the review.