BOOK REVIEW (72): The Wealthy Greek's Contract Wife

BOOK REVIEW:

The Wealthy Greek's Contract Wife

 The Wealthy Greek's Contract Wife is pretty self-explanatory, in a very broad sense.

We got our wealthy Greek, construction magnate Ilios Manos who finds himself in a pickle when he stands to lose his grandfather's inheritance of a beautiful Greek villa imitation of the famed Villa Emo in northern Italy to his EVIL (cue spooky noises) cousin. And the only way to ensure this doesn't happen is for Ilios to start on making a family...as per the rules of his late grandfather's will.

Sent by the Gods -- or a scam gone horribly wrong -- Elizabeth "Lizzie" Wareham answers the letter from Ilios to appear before him at a property for a new apartment buildings she owns twenty percent of; problem is, as she quickly learns, the apartments have been demolished by Ilios, and he explains how she's been drawn into a conspiracy headed by his deceitful, malicious cousin.

Picture this when you think on the EVIL cousin.

Instead of dragging her through the legal parade, and draining her of all her resources for her family, Ilios demands she compensate him by entering into a contract marriage. In return he'll PAY her to be his wife, and then sign off divorce papers once his family villa is secured.

Lizzie accepts reluctantly. Her younger sisters are relying on her, as are her twin nephews. She needs to buck up, let Ilios dress her and make her into a wife worthy of his Greek social circles and occasionally dole out the lovey-dovey displays of affection for the charade's validity.

The thing is...she's SUPER attracted to Ilios.

Seriously, the funniest and cutest part is when she tells him that she can't share a bed because she'd afraid to sleep-molest him during the night.

Not so brave to confide in his similar desire for her, Ilios keeps her at arm's length for the most part. Until he slips up and they have some hot sex.

Fast forward a couple weeks into wedded bliss, and Lizzie learns she's preggos.

When Ilios finds out, he's all "WHAT THE HECK WOMAN?! You did this on purpose to drain me of money and bind us together forever!" Like it didn't take two to tango...and two to forget Lizzie wasn't on the pill and Ilios decided to forgo the condom.

Safe sex, book people, unless you plan to take responsibility.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I got my melodrama, I got my steamy sex, and I got a HEA...even if it was a bit of a letdown.

I should be more specific: Ilio's black moment was a letdown.

After running the pregnant Lizzie out of his home and life, Ilios takes one look around his beautiful house and realizes it won't be the same -- in a bad way -- with Lizzie now gone.

*snaps fingers*

Just like that. Like they didn't have this huge blowout, and he didn't break her heart, forget about tossing her out. It was messed up of him, and that cheesy turnaround didn't endear him to me again.

But pre-black moment, Ilios is pretty cool.

Who doesn't love an Alpha who started from the ground up to attain his monies, prestige and glamorous lifestyle?

I also LOVED author Penny Jordan's writing. She has a way with words, with research...everything came together so wonderfully! It definitely helped put deep POV into perspective for me, writing-wise.

My verdict:

✮✮✮✮.5

(4.5 stars)