Inconvenient Bride (Harlequin Presents) [Paperback]

Anne McAllister (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harlequin Presents | Publication Date: May 1, 2001

Dominic Wolfeone of the sharpest young tycoons in New York Cityshould have known that one night of great sex was no basis for a marriage. But it wasn't his head Dominic was thinking with when he asked Sierra to be his convenient wife!

Sierra wasn't thinking with her head either, but with her heart. She was determined to teach him that there was more to life than meetings and mergers, and soon Dominic was wondering just how convenient she was! Could it be this hardheaded businessman was about to lose control in the arms of his new bride?

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dominic Wolfe . . . is a sexy, charismatic male who hunts down what he wants and doesn’t take no for an answer." -- R.T. W.I.S.H. award, May, 2000

THE INCONVENIENT BRIDE ( 4 1/2) is a larger than life romance with dynamic characters . . . and witty, fantastic scenes." -- Shannon Short, Romantic Times, May 2000

From the Author

Whenever Dominic Wolfe and Sierra Kelly got together in my earlier book, RHYS'S REDEMPTION, sparks flew. It was a treat to write their story and watch the conflagration develop! As usual, you will find them both telling the tale. It's always more fun to share the hero's point of view! Hope you enjoy them. Watch for Nathan's book sometime in 2002! I'd love to hear from readers at [e-mail]

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (May 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373121792
• ISBN-13: 978-0373121793
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #656,722 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in California and grew up there on the beaches of SoCal where I used to think I would write humorous social commentaries and pithy columns about life between "here and the pier" in Manhattan Beach.

But then I left. I went away to college and then married and moved to the Midwest. Since then I've been in the Midwest and Montana and made the mental transition to life with four seasons with no trouble at all.

In fact, last time I was in MB I looked at the inlaid terrazzo tiles in the sidewalk on the hill leading down to the pier and thought to myself, "Who on earth would put tiles in the sidewalk? It will be so hard to shovel the snow off!"

See?

Despite my beach upbringing, I was the child of transplanted okies and montanans, and my love of cowboys was apparently bred in the bone. The first man I fell in love with was a cowboy. I was five years old -- and I imprinted on him, following him everywhere, like a duck.

So when I started writing romance fiction years later, there was no question that even my CEOs and beach volleyball players and Greek tycoons were, at their heart, cowboy heroes.

McAllister heroes have a strong sense of honor, determination, competence, and a "get it done" attitude. They are more often lone wolves than they are alphas. They go their own way -- until they meet the woman who makes them want to share their life. And a lone wolf who takes on a spouse has to have some alpha in him. She definitely brings it out.

Writing has been a wonderful opportunity for me to expand my horizons, to learn more about things that interest me. It gives me license to satisfy my curiosity and to meet people from all walks of life. I love it. The ideas never seem to dry up. They are everywhere. I'm looking forward to writing a whole lot more.

I'm always glad to hear from readers so stop by my website or blog if you have comments or questions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For better or for worse, May 2, 2001

By 

C. M. Chen (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inconvenient Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Paperback)

Dominic Wolfe has had it with his father's meddlesome matchmaking. The driven businessman has no time for a wife and harbors bad memories of being jilted twelve years ago. But when his father forces his hand, Dominic decides to beat him at his own game and railroads hair stylist Sierra Kelly into marriage figuring he's better off with the devil he knows rather than the one he doesn't. Sierra would be the first to say the two of them know next to nothing about each other. With her purple hair and her optimism, she couldn't be a more inappropriate wife for the straitlaced Dominic with his business suits and his mergers. And the vibrant attraction they feel for one another is not a solid base for marriage. Still, Sierra is determined to get beyond the walls her husband has in place to prove to him that love, like any merger, is worth fighting for.

In "The Inconvenient Bride", Anne McAllister has penned a heartwarming story about two opposites who marry in haste and feel compelled to make things work. But for such opposing characters, this leaves a lot of room for interpretation. To Sierra, marriage means admitting her feelings for Dominic go far beyond their initial attraction. She loves him and sees this marriage as an opportunity to learn more about each other and to make it last. And she realizes that she has barely scratched the surface of her husband's heart. Dominic's character provides the most challenge when it comes to the story. It is easy to see why he hedges when it comes to committing his heart and his blunt honesty when it comes to the reason why he married Sierra is very painful. For him, marriage is a convenience and Sierra is there for him to indulge in the attraction between the two while he continues business as usual. But his foolish belief that he will never love her throws a monkey wrench into his plans. With an unreceptive Sierra on his hands, Dominic realizes that if he wants this marriage to last, he is going to have to get to know his wife. The problem is, what he comes to know he can't help but love. McAllister does a fantastic job in her characterization of Dominic. Both Sierra and the reader come to realize that there is more to the man than just the suit. And with Sierra's help, he begins to unwind and to realize that business is not everything. Dominic is an interesting character because he tries so hard not to fall in love with Sierra and to retain the compartmentalization of his life. His bluntness when it comes to his wife doesn't just hurt her; it also reveals his vulnerability. Sierra is a blessing in disguise for him. She has a generosity of spirit that doesn't quit and an unflagging faith when it comes to her love for him. I really enjoyed Dominic and Sierra and how they came to understand that having little in common proved to be no match against the excellent balance they struck together.

4.0 out of 5 stars 3 1/2 Stars - A Story of Opposites Attracting, November 14, 2011

By 

S. Brown (Sunrise, Fl United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inconvenient Bride (Harlequin Presents) (Paperback)

New York businessman, Dominic Wolfe was given an ultimatum by his father to get married. Painted into a corner, he proposes and marries the most inappropriate woman he could find, Sierra Kelly to get back at him.

A hairdresser with wildly colored hair and outrageous outfits, he had an affair with her at a wedding and can't get the hot sex out of -his mind. But he doesn't think more of her than that. He was forced into the marriage and had no intention of them having to change their lives too much. Whereas seemingly wild-child Sierra wants the marriage to work and sets about conforming to the role of traditional wife. The reason for the marriage and Dominic's views of said marriage and of Sierra hurt her, but it is her hurt that opens his eyes to the woman underneath the raccoon eyes and purple hair. A woman who would, without hesitation, give away all of her money to pay for her neighbor's surgery.

This book is a Harlequin and I don't think they can go through a year without at least a dozen forced marriages woven into the plots of their books. But as forced marriages go, at least this one had some originality. Sierra was good at what she did and successful in her own right. She wasn't a downtrodden, gullible waif that needed a big, strong man to come rescue her, and for that I'm grateful.

I do have a problem with the fairytale-like associates of Dominic and his father. Here is a group of conservative, upper crust socialites who turn their noses up and ridicule everything, and not one of them had anything derogatory to say about Sierra's hair and attire. I know we are meant to believe that Sierra's personality bowled them over, but come on. A little realism. If even the maitre d' wanted to hide her behind a potted plant so as not to cause a ruckus in the restaurant, you're not going to convince me that she would be so readily accepted into their set.

Anyway, it was a sweet story. Dominic's reasons for being marriage-shy were well and truly justified, and Sierra was there to help him through it.

The story had realism issues for me but I still found it to be a worthwhile read.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Inconvenient Bride by Anne McAllister (Mills & Boon Hardcover), May 17, 2006

By 

Ketzel (Vera Cruz, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Inconvenient Bride (Mills & Boon Romance) (Hardcover)

Fifth book in Anne McAllister's outstanding New York! New York! series ... all six books in this series are not to be missed. I recommend reading them in order, although each can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel as well. Make room on your keeper shelf for the entire series: Finn's Twins, Fletcher's Baby, Gibson's Girl, Rhys's Redemption, The Inconvenient Bride, and Nathan's Child.