Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Where did you get the book: e-ARC
Release date: Out now
“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….
*Blurb from author’s official website*
Before I start the review, it’s not unknown that I’m not a big fan of the Presents, and Desire lines. I’ve liked some titles but I really can’t get past the hero assholes in most of them. I chose this for review because it’s written by Maya Banks, and I really liked the excerpt I read on her website. Enticed by His Forgotten Lover has some of the usual tropes, but the heroine is no shy wallflower, and whilst the hero has his alpha tendencies, the heroine doesn’t let him walk all over her. Huzzah! The cover is also gorgeous.
Bryony as a heroine was very likeable, and I liked that she didn’t cower or back down, but there were times when I thought her aggressiveness was a tad too much. Nor did I like the punch she gave Rafael in the beginning (one of my biggest pet peeves in romance is the double standard of violence), but it didn’t stick in my mind because if I was in her shoes after what she thought Rafael had done, boy would I be royally pissed off also.
The amnesia plot I think is one either one you love or hate. I tend to be in the dislike category, but as I said, I really liked the excerpt. I thought it was a tad convenient that the amnesia that Rafael suffered was the time he spent with Bryony at the island. I also didn’t understand why Rafael didn’t push for a DNA test, because in his head, Bryony was a stranger. Though his attraction for her was strong, it just seemed too easy going that he believed Bryony. I did enjoy the story a lot more in the second half, and I felt that the connection between them was growing stronger. I also liked that Rafael, while at times forceful, wasn’t overbearing and didn’t run roughshod over Bryony. She was very much her own woman, and she stood her ground.
Their romance is not smooth sailing as Rafael’s doubts about Bryony, and his apparent sudden change of personality when they were together, weighs heavily on his mind and it’s a bone of contention between them. I think Maya did a fantastic job of showing how to be sympathetic to both characters at the same time.
I really liked Rafael’s best friends. They were the voice of reason — even if they were pretty harsh in some aspects — but I liked that they had Rafael’s back at all costs. I’m looking forward to their stories, and I think Ryan’s story is next. I think the ending was a little predictable, but I liked that Rafael made the big gesture in such a public way, and Bryony’s reaction was quite sweet.
Overall, I enjoyed Enticed by His Forgotten Lover despite my frustrations I had earlier on in the book. I give it a B.
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