Customer Reviews

Mistress By Arrangement (Presents Passion) (Harlequin Presents)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mistress by Arrangement begins with a lot of spunk. The leading character, Michelle Gerard, meets Nikos Alessandros at a dinner party. He claims to have met her before in Paris. She is stunned because she is sure she has never seen him before.

Michelle agrees to be Nikos' mistress to combat the plans of Saska and Jeremy. Saska is determined to be the new Mrs. Nikos Alessandros and Jeremy wants Michelle for himself. Jeremy's sick obession with Michelle's leads her to join forces with Nikos.

Michelle's relationship with her mom and dad is strange in the story. Her mother, Chantelle, is shallow and vain. Of course, Michelle's character strives to be the exact opposite but it never quite comes off. Michelle's character spends to much time in the story dressing and undressing and lacks any real depth.

Nikos' character is the classic greek tycoon who can have any woman he wants. He is forceful, arrogant and plays the hero to Jeremy's villian.

The story lags in places and the ending is expected but the stalker story is dropped without much thought by the author.

What I didn't like about the book:
Michelle comes off as terribly shallow. She's rich and pampered and the whole idea of her pretending to be poor in Paris is rather sickening. The worst part is that Michelle and Nikos take no action to prevent the stalker from hurting anyone else. They don't seemed concerned at all when he relocates to a different area to potentially prey upon another victim.

What I liked about this book:
It was hot, hot, hot!!! The author did a brilliant job keeping up the sexual tension throughout the book. Helen Bianchin definitely has a talent for erotica.

Story - 2 stars
Character - 2 stars
Sexual Heat - 5+ stars!!

Nikos Alessandros had asked Michelle to be his "hostess", but just how far did that title extend? What he asked of her was unbelievable and Michelle refused to accede to his demands. She wouldn't! Then why, oh why, did she truly want to be everything Nikos ever wanted and so much more?

Love is sometimes clothed within a game of hide and seek before flowering to its full magnificence. This is a good book to curl up with on a rainy afternoon.

Synopsis:
A convenient affair? Nikos Alessandros needed a social hostess, and he'd decided that beautiful, sophisticated Michelle would be the perfect companion--temporarily. For Michelle, their pretended affair would certainly help her escape the suitable marriage she was being pressured into... But Nikos was formidably sexy and Michelle found it hard to control her powerful attraction to this arrogant stranger. If she agreed to be his mistress by arrangement, could she stop pretense turning into reality?

Comment:
This book was ok. I've read better by this author. At a family dinner the hero is with her supposed boyfriend and ends up being introduced to the hero. The hero ends up remembering her from when she was studying abroad in Paris. The sexual tension and sparks fly and Nikos is determined to have Michelle. Niko's has a proposition for Michelle which he believes will suit them both. He needs a social companion for a few weeks to keep a possessive widow at bay. Michelle has her own problems with Jeremy (boyfriend) who has become quite possessive of her to the point of becoming physical. Eventually, Nikos takes it upon himself to take over Michelle's life and has her move in with him. My main problem with this book was that Michelle or Nikos took any legal action against Jeremy when he started to stalk Michelle. He was just up and relocated to another place by his parents when they found out he crossed the line with Michelle.

Michelle can't seem to resist Nikos, even though there's an "other woman" who is an important part of his life, and doesn't hide her desire for his attention. For further complication, Michelle needs to deal with an overly amorous friend of the family. The sensuous yet intelligent relationship which grows between Nikos and Michelle provides a great read, and the deliciously dominant Nikos is a treat to discover.