Miki Durand has always dodged the limelight. As the illegitimate daughter of a French movie star and a Russian billionaire, she craves a normal life—and it’s almost within reach. She’s up for a tenure-track position and has a perfect-on-paper boyfriend. What more could a woman want?
But when an unforeseen tragedy knocks her off cruise control, Miki finds herself leaving sunny LA for cosmopolitan St. Petersburg. With the fate of her father’s international business in her hands, she comes face-to-face with the ultimate temptation: corporate rival Jérôme Michel de Villiers. He’s everything she never thought she wanted, and their sizzling attraction soon sparks into an all-consuming flame.
Notoriously risk-averse, Miki knows it would be a gamble to fall for the sexy French playboy. But for the first time in her life, she’s ready to take a chance and let the chips fall where they may.
To start I want to say that this is the first time, in a long time, that I’ve read an adult romance in first person POV, from a heroine’s point of view no less, and loved every minute of it.
Mulry gave perfect life to the character of Mikhaila, Miki— as she’s called by close friends, and made her seem remote, yet so easy to connect with. This review won’t rehash back cover blurb. No, let’s talk all the other things. Miki is like the girl-next-door-meets-genius-brainiac-meets-famous-people-love-child. Note: I understand that’s an incredibly long, hyphenated description, but it’s accurate. I love this woman’s head. From her descriptions to her dialogue I could see myself being her best friend and being there to commiserate.
Then there’s Rome—Jerome Michel de Villiers is the man every woman wants. By every woman I mean, me. Here’s a brief description (prepare to objectify):
His clothes look like they were created to hug his body. His white collared shirt is neatly pressed and open at the neck. The skin there looks really… good… My eyes skim lower. He probably hires someone to wear his blue jeans until they achieve that ideally worn-in look. Do the faded creases have to make him look so good?
He’s got an accent, loads of money, priceless wine (son of a Rothschild), and an Italian villa. Oh, sorry that’s all the things he has, but I should discuss the man himself. He’s infuriating and a brilliant businessman who helps show Miki what’s she’s been missing her whole life. Bottom line:
This guy. He is the gold standard of stranger seduction.
For more description on the book it’s a cross between women’s fiction and romance. There’s an equal amount of both. Our heroine discovering what she really wants out of life, and some of that includes the above-mentioned amazing, male specimen. This story is also empowering. About a woman being challenged by her past and her present to discover her future— at times women, of any age, find themselves at a crossroads, coming to terms with who they are, who they want to be, and who they can be. This book explores the possibilities for a particular character, but doesn’t lose sight of the romance evolving from those changes.
As for setting, Mulry is a master of description transforming the page into real locations. I was transported to St. Petersburg, California, Paris, and Italy with ease and written magic. Artwork, furniture, clothes, and food jumped from the pages and into my mind. I longed to be there, to experience the richness of environments depicted. I’ll be experimenting with several new food combinations thanks to this story. Pacing is that of a women’s fiction novel, not fast but not slow. A nice meander that gets you where you need to be right when you’re supposed to be there. The ending may seem abrupt, but after further reflection it was perfect for this heroine and her hero.
Overall, this is a new type of contemporary romance. Something fresh, unexpected, and downright sinful in some ways. The best way to sum this up is similar to my book completion tweet: book-gasm.
For readers who enjoy Harlequin Presents, spunky heroines, and the borderline famous.
Reviewed by Landra
Heat Level: Hot
