Judith’s review of Enticed by His Forgotten Lover
“Have we met?”
Answer: a right hook! Because Bryony Morgan pulls no punches. Even when she’s very pregnant and facing down the father of her unborn child. She fell for wealthy hotelier Rafael de Luca when he courted her for her beachfront real estate. Then he disappeared. Now, she’s in New York for answers—and she won’t accept a brush–off.
But selective amnesia after a crash has Rafael puzzled. How could he ever forget a combustible beauty like Bryony? Solution: return to the island where they met, and relive the unforgettable nights in question—until he remembers everything…
This novel by acclaimed author Maya Banks is the first in a new series for her and embraces a contemporary situation that could possibly constitute a woman’s idea of a “worst case scenario.” In the middle of an important meeting between resort developers and their investors, Bryony Morgan appears, quietly surveying the ballroom and its inhabitants, and upon being faced with Rafael’s apparent choice to act as if they had never met, runs back to her hotel room, puzzled and hurt. How could he act as if he had never met her when they had shared a month of erotic loving and nearly being inseparable day and night? She is so angry she almost refuses to speak with Rafael when he appears at her hotel door, but that is nothing to the incredulous sense of unreality she feels when she hears that he has forgotten almost everything that happened after he returns to New York from the island where they spent their erotic month together. What she also learns is that the property that had been in her family for generations, and a piece of land Rafael promised to guard carefully, was the site of his and his partners’ newest resort. Now she is really pissed!
This delightful new novel from Harlequin certainly contains the adversarial components that many romance novels contain, but it is also a story that takes Rafael back to Moon Island in order to get to know Bryony all over again. Convinced that she is five months pregnant with his child, he takes the time to get to know her and her family again, begin to re-establish friendships and becoming re-acquainted with the residents who are understandably upset over his apparent betrayal of his promise not to develop this stretch of pristine ocean-front property. During the nearly month long stay Rafael and Bryony reconnect and Rafael falls in love with her all over again. He becomes convinced that he needs to find a way to live up to his promise to her about her family’s land and returns to New York to confer with his partners and find a way to satisfy his investors, perhaps with an alternate site and plan. It is here that the story gets messy and when Rafael regains his memory, his future with Bryony begins to go south and their future together becomes doubtful.
There are so many emotional moments in this story and it is certainly an emotional roller coaster. Readers will have no difficulty relating to Bryony’s upset over what appears to be Rafael’s abandonment and it is also true that romance lovers will rejoice in their renewed love. But that is not all there is to the story and in characteristic fashion, Ms Banks manages to carry the readers along to the surprising finish and through the emotional mine field that pops up after Rafael regains his memory.
As is so often the case, this relationship rests on trust, and seeing Bryony struggle with the need to regain her trust in her lover is part of the struggle these two must work through for the sake of themselves, their future together with their child, and the future of the integrity and peace of their island. Rafael must come to trust that Bryony is not trying to snooker him with a pregnancy when he cannot remember their love affair, and Bryony must find a way to trust Rafael’s word that he really wants to do right by her, their child, and the citizens of the island. There is no doubt his partners are hardcore business magnates who don’t trust very many people, and for them, the bottom line is most important. That, too, is a part of Rafael’s struggle to balance his personal life with its stresses with his business life with its demands of keeping faith with his partners and investors.
This is not a simplistic love story; there are strong characters, strong emotions, demanding secondary characters and stressful situations. All come together to form a novel that is compelling and with is one of those love stories that just keeps the reader glued to the page. I read the book in one sitting and was sad when it ended. The love story was delicious and erotic, the friendships were warm and welcoming, and it was one of those warm fuzzy moments when they give each other their promise for the future all over again. But as in real life, there are no problem-free relationships. The re-appearance of crises are another factor that make this a really good romance novel and one I am delighted to have the chance to read and review. Readers who really like Ms Banks’ work will like this book as will lovers of romance fiction. It’s a book that is well worth the time and effort to read.
I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.
You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place.
This book is available from Harlequin. You can buy it here
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