This one hit the spot for me even if it wasn't perfect. I greatly enjoyed that the heroine had a back bone. She had him all twisted up throughout. For example, he tells her that she needs to make their marriage convincing and act like she's really his wife, so when his mistress comes to talk with him she promptly sends her packing acting like a regular virago then turns to the hero and says

"Well how did I do?" the silence pulsed as if it were about to explode. "How...did... you... do? Constantine framed between audibly grinding teeth. "In the newly married woman stakes...was I convincing? I mean there is just no way a wife would walk past a scene like that in her own home. As you reminded me, I am not just a guest here." Constantine swung away from her and spread lean brown hands in a unsteady arc of scantily leashed rage. She had the feeling that he couldn't quite believe what had just happened to him.

There were quite a few episodes like that where she had him flustered. I really enjoy books with heroines of that nature.

The only thing I didn't really like was the weird way he acted near the end when he finds out she's been telling the truth all along. The author was stretching it quite a bit to make me buy into his bizarre rational and motivations there. I think a bit of filler was happening there. But the rest of the book was so strong that I forgave it. Also the hero could have groveled just a bit more at the end.

All in all a satisfying Lynne Graham read. ( )