Duel Review: 'Bedded by Passion...' by C. Marinelli

Book Blurb:

When Zarios D'Amilo meets Emma Hayes again, she is no longer the awkward teenager who tried to kiss him, but a beautiful, confident woman. Now he wants her!

To claim his inheritance, this untamed tycoon must curb his wild ways. He needs a convenient fiancée, and Emma needs a million dollars. So Zarios seizes his opportunity—he will have her! But passion soon leads to pregnancy, and suddenly, the stakes are higher….

***Spoiler Alert: Do to the coversational style of this review spoilers are present. Please read with that in mind.***

During a Twitter conversation about reading books that we would not normally pick up, I admitted that I wasn't a fan of Harlequin Presents. I decided to pick one up and to give the category another chance, although the ones I picked up in the past didn't impress me.

So I chose a Harlequin Presents that seemed to define the genre - especially since their titles are infamous for being bad. I thought Bedded for Passion, Purchased for Pregnancy would be one I should try out since it sums up the tropes in this line. Then I roped in E_bookpusher to co-review the book with me, partly in encouragement, and partly I needed someone to share the pain if it turned out to be lackluster.

The book opens up with Emma, the heroine, helping to prepare her father's birthday and an old crush of hers - who is also a friend of the family - arrives causing sparks to fly. The following chat review will have lots of spoilers so beware.

E_bookpushers: Well my first impression is that this was going to be a typical category: with the playboy hero and the so-virginal-perfect -heroine.

Smutty Lover: Yep, same here. And somehow she would get pregnant or he needed a wife and baby for his own agenda, so the opening was unexpected and a nice surprise although this was the first 20 pages.

E_bookpushers: But then the family drama starts with the brother, his wife and twins. And we get to see that part of the problem with the heroine is that she is always covering for her brother.

Smutty Lover: Yep - it was very much like the Cinderella myth with Emma being the downtrodden and unappreciative heroine.

E_bookpushers: Oh yeah, so how did we get to reading this anyways when categories are not on our normal buying list?

Smutty Lover: I hated her brother - it was like he was the villain but he couldn't be and also his wife was to blame as well and it felt like there was no real development. I thought we could give this sub genre a chance but this was definitely the wrong book to read.

E_bookpushers: Yes everyone in the family covered for the brother and didn't care about the daughter.

Smutty Lover: And the reasons too! It was like they were loving but dismissive but the author failed to captured that. It felt too schizo for me, it was like she had this idea and forced the character's thoughts and opinions to change to fit the story rather than the other way round.

E_bookpushers: Yes, and you never understood the brother's problem.

Smutty Lover: Well he was a gambler - but liked to sponge off his sister even though he knew she didn't have any money. I can understand that but he was so weak and annoying and wasn't fully fleshed out especially later at the end.

E_bookpushers: Yes, figured she was always good for doing whatever it took to get money, I still don't see how the incident at the end magically changed his outlook on life and made him decide to get help.

Smutty Lover: I know! Also the violent thing - it was like where did that come from? Again the author changing the characterisation to fit the story also made it too cluttered up and was forcing tension in a story.

E_bookpushers: He was a coward to begin with so the violence came out of left field.

Smutty Lover: Exactly and cowards usually run away. But I think she just added that bit to add tension in the story that was the problem in the book there was no tension. Sexual or story. It was all forced.

E_bookpushers: None of the characters had any chemistry with each other. Even when they were mad, hurt, upset it didn't seem believable.

Smutty Lover: Best part of the book was the beginning and Zarios saving Emma in the ocean and then their love scene, after that it all went downhill.

E_bookpushers: That part was nice. If only it stayed there.

Smutty Lover: I think if she kept the Cinderella theme and storyline it would have worked, but with the added factor of her parent's deaths and her brother's schizo personality it didn't.

E_bookpushers: But she had to have a reason for the $1 million.

Smutty Lover: And don't forget Zarios' lack of mental faculties towards Emma especially when she told him she was pregnant! And how come his company was in charge of their estate? That was like WTF.

E_bookpushers: Yeah. Now what about the whole artwork and she actually thought that her parents had hung it up.

Smutty Lover: I know!!!! I thought that was pretty sad but actually I thought throughout the whole book that was the only development about her artwork there wasn't much about the whole thing in the book. Too busy being 'fake' fiancee.

E_bookpushers: So lets talk about the artwork.

Smutty Lover: I think that was the strongest part of the book if only she developed that more but it became the weakest. There was no development or any sign of that throughout the book other than that painting. She was an artist but there was more showing of her getting her hair did than her painting.

E_bookpushers: Yes, very pitiful.

Smutty Lover: And she was like second fiddle to Zarios' meetings and business. It was very old school.

E_bookpushers: Made her seem a lot more shallow then she was supposed to be and not quite as likable.

Smutty Lover: Yes! I can understand the glamorous thing can be seductive, but not if there's no emotional content.

E_bookpushers: Yes and she put up with a ton of crap.

Smutty Lover: This just emphasized the shallowness. The thing is it could have been a good book if it was more simple and the tension between Zarios and Emma could have been good if it was just between them.

E_bookpushers: But the author decided to throw everything known to tug at heartstrings in one relatively short book.

Smutty Lover: And instead of developing that, it did the opposite. Also the thing about Zarios' mother that was just so out of the blue.

E_bookpushers: Very out of the blue. I have read other books where the mother returns and it is much better like Paradise by Judith McNaught.

Smutty Lover: It was too many plotlines that switched halfway and also characters who weren't consistent.

E_bookpushers: We all know how much readers hate characters that do not stay consistent.

Smutty Lover: I think Zarios' was weakly developed that last confrontation scene with Emma was the worse- I actually got confused about what happened there.

E_bookpushers: And where was the groveling scene?

Smutty Lover: I know! Especially how he was so dismissive of her at the end. I really wanted to give this book a chance especially since its a Harlequin Presents.

E_bookpushers: Yes, I wouldn't accept the lack of groveling personally.

Smutty Lover: Especially since I'm not a fan of HP's but after reading this, its definitely not making me want to pick up another one.

E_bookpushers: I guess the inconsistencies made it impossible for me to get into the book.

Smutty Lover: It started off well because there was history between them but it got lost.

E_bookpushers: Certainly lost.

Smutty Lover: And it wasn't even fun it really felt like too many real and serious issues which was way too short to be developed. The author could write, but was too busy with adding to the plot.

E_bookpushers: Yes.

Smutty Lover: Sad thing is this book wasn't even fun, I think that was what I was most disappointed with

the lack of real romance development. Characters acted too stupid to live and just did something out of character.

E_bookpushers: That and we couldn't even find things to poke fun at.

Smutty Lover: The title was the only good thing but was misleading to the reader.

E_bookpushers: True and it didn't even fit. The mistress ones are a better fit

Smutty Lover: def!

E_bookpushers: lol

Smutty Lover: Oh well this was our experiment of reading a harlequin presents. It wasn't enjoyable or snarkfest experience that we were expecting.

E_bookpushers: I have read a couple of good ones but this was missing all the good parts.

Smutty Lover: Yep and the sad thing this could have been a good romance even though it could have been hokey but for me I would like more oomph and meat in my romance. This was just too full of cliches and no tension only good thing was the title.

E_bookpushers: Same here. I can deal with short story but give me a story!

Smutty Lover: Yes! A story and characterization !

E_bookpushers: Yes!

We give this 1 and half bookies!