Struggling artist Ariane Arlington flees the Welsh vfalleys after exposing her corrupt boss. But when the sun rises she finds herself jobless andhomeless in Cardiff with barely a penny to her name.
She responds to a classified ad in the local paper: “Room to let, wanted, girl to share.” What she doesn’t realize is that the two insanely gorgeous guys who live in the penthouse apartment really do want a girl to share, in every sense of the word. Fortunately for Ariane, rent is the last thing on their minds.
She discovers the men are bound together by a turbulent past. Liam, a computer whiz, keeps a painful secret hidden beneath his buff exterior, while Quinn, a pioneering neurosurgeon, wonders if he’ll ever meet a woman who can live with his controlling ways. They admit the one thing missing from their lives is a woman just like Ariane, who can handle them both in and out of the bedroom and who, together, they can keep satisfied, loved, and most of all, safe.
I remember when the Broadway musical “Paint Your Wagon” premiered and how scandalized the media and lots of Americans were that the main heroine in that musical had two husbands. Her reasoning was: if some men in the world could have two wives, why can’t I have two husbands since I love both these men? It is that sort of question that drives this story. There are two men, both good looking, successful, and really involved with their professions, so much so that dating and relationships have been almost impossible. So they determine that having a “girl to share” would meet their needs as well as giving that woman the opportunity to be the most loved, sexually satisfied, cared for, and guarded of any woman in the world. After her upsetting and life-changing personal encounter with her boss Jed, Ariane likes the sound of all that.
She arrives at the penthouse to view the “room to let” and discovers an apartment that was WAY beyond her means. Now the rationale for keeping her there initially I thought to be just a little week, and I am not sure very many women would have cooperated. But our heroine was homeless with very little money in her possession, having walked away from her apartment, her possessions, and her job. She had exposed her ex-boss’ criminal activity and she was running for her life. Were I in that situation, perhaps the invitation to stay in such beautiful surroundings would have been welcome to me as well. She slowly but surely realizes that these two men want to have someone in their life to love and care for, and who will love and care for them.
Liam is a cancer survivor and Quinn is the American neurosurgeon who used some pioneering surgical techniques to save his life. Quinn is now living and working in Wales because his “intended” left his standing at the altar and he found it impossible to continue to work in New York. Now they want Ariane.
You have three people, all of whom have run into the hurts of life in a major way, and it is no wonder that they were instantly drawn to one another. I think their story is interesting because Ariane was able to bring a different perspective to both these men about themselves, about their work, and the importance of a healthy personal relationship to keep them anchored and balanced. Quinn wanted to be “in charge” but Ariane had to help him learn to give over that control he prized so much. Liam learned to “come in out of the dark” and both began to see life through Ariane’s eyes.
This really is a lovely romantic tale and while the setting and some of the language is uniquely European, yet the themes and the points it makes are about the universal qualities which an open, caring, giving and receiving love can bring into all our relationships. From time to time I thought the writing was just a little juvenile and the plot a little “thin.” But, overall, I have to say that I enjoyed it emmensely and think it is a worthy addition to Ellora’s Cave romance line-up.
I give this book a 4 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr. J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.
I was not a big fan of this one. I thought it was sweet and I liked the guys, and the storyline was okay, i did not like the heroine. She was too two-dimensional for me. Not enough depth and not enough conflict there for me, she was too perfect. I am glad that you liked it more than i did.