For the Sake of His Heir
The McNeill Magnates #6
Joanne Rock
Harlequin Desire
Harlequin Desire
Blurb
When a marriage of convenience is the only answer…things get inconvenient.
Gabe McNeill is done being manipulated. By
everyone from his ex-wife who abandoned him and their baby to the grandfather
forcing him to remarry. Now the only way Gabe can ensure his son’s inheritance
is if Brianne Hanson agrees to be his bride. They’ve always kept things
strictly business and this is no different…until she falls into his bed and all
bets are off!
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In For the Sake of his Heir (The McNeill Magnates #6) by Joanne Rock, Gabe McNeill knows he must marry and stay married for a year, if he wants to inherit part of the McNeill wealth. However, with his first marriage not working out, Gabe isn't interested in marriage. Yet, he'll do anything for his son including asking his best friend Brianne Hanson to be his wife for a year. But the closer they get, the more Gabe is determined to prove to Brianne that he wants forever. Will Gabe be able to convince Brianne that she's the one for him, or will Brianne walk away because Gabe can't give her what she wants?
What a wonderful set of stories this series contains where the McNeill men are absolutely enthralling and find their lives changing for the better when they meet their Ms. Right, and I've got to say that this story does not disappoint. Really, I liked the way this story started, as Brianne and Gabe have such strong chemistry and it's easy to see why the pair are very close. However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine come face-to-face for the first time that had me intrigued, as it's palpable the hero would do anything for heroine, which is proven by what he does for her when it comes to her grandma.
Both the main characters entertained me from start to finish with their back stories and their growing relationship, as every interaction between them had me smiling, even though there are times it seems Gabe can't do a thing right in the heroine's eyes, especially in the moment when he makes a huge decision without telling her. However, in saying that, the heroine is resilient and I liked how she faced everything she goes through including the reappearance of someone that was once important to Gabe. Yet, what I liked most of all about the heroine is how she fit in with the hero's family like she was a missing piece of a puzzle and also how she would do anything for her grandma; a grandma that had me laughing at her determination to make sure Brianne makes the most of her marriage with Gabe.
While the hero, he's already had one failed marriage, but he knows he has to marry for his son's sake since his son deserves to be able to inherit part of the McNeill wealth. Furthermore, the hero is confident in his pursuit of the heroine because the pair marrying is win-win for the both of them. I also liked that he would do anything for his son, even if it means doing the one thing he never thought he would again -- get married. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero is the realization he comes to towards the end when it seemed like he could lose someone that means a lot to him.
Overall, Ms. Rock has delivered a wonderful read in this book where the chemistry between this couple is powerful and had me hooked to see how things would work out for this pair; the romance was delightful; and the ending had me loving the hero's determination to make things right between him and Brianne after their relationship goes awry. Really, his words and actions go a long way to proving to Brianne that she's the one for him. However, it was the epilogue that wrapped this story up nicely, as Brianne and Gabe have such a great relationship and it's only going to get better for them. I would recommend For the Sake of his Heir by Joanne Rock, if you enjoy the friends to lovers trope, the marriage of convenience trope, or books by authors Andrea Laurence, Catherine Mann, Karen Booth and Kat Cantrell.
Excerpt
The curtain of hazy snow and steam around
them gave the sense that they were all alone in the world, a veil of cold mist
separating them from everything but one another.
Or maybe the wine was going to her head.
She felt a sweet happiness all over to be with Gabe. It was dangerous, perhaps,
to feel that way. But she’d never been with a man like him, someone strong and
noble, kind and warm hearted.
And so very sexy.
Her eyes dipped to the top of his chest
above the water as he drained his glass and set it aside, his triceps flexing
in a way that made her want to take a bite.
“I certainly didn’t expect a wedding gift.”
He shook his head, a wry smile kicking up one side of his mouth. “We’ll have to
make our own rules for this marriage since the regular conventions aren’t going
to apply.”
“Like tonight, for example.” She hadn’t
meant to say it out loud, but there it was, floating on the cold breeze before
she could take it back. Drawing a steadying breath, she explained herself. “I
don’t need to worry about your expectations because—”
“Because there are none.” He cupped her
shoulders with his hands, a warm weight that anchored her in the swirling
water. “I thought we deserved this time together to get to know each other as
more than friends, but I will be glad just to talk to you tonight. To learn how
to make you happy.”
“I know that.” She wanted to close her eyes
and concentrate on how his hands felt on her. To soak up all the sensations of
being with him. “You never made me feel like you brought me here for more than
that, but still…it’s a wedding night. I can’t deny I’ve been thinking about the
possibilities of what that means.”
His thumbs skated a slow circle over the
tops of her shoulders, a subtle touch that set the rest of her on fire.
“I’ve been doing plenty of thinking of my
own,” he admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we have to act on it.”
If he kept touching her, though, the
possibility of her launching across the hot tub to kiss him was very real.
“When I said I wasn’t all that experienced,
I didn’t mean to suggest I’ve never been with a guy. Of course I have.” Though
she had kept her virginity longer than any of her friends, haunted by her
stepmother’s taunts long after they should have lost their power to hurt her.
“I just don’t feel like I ever got high marks. You know?”
“Sex shouldn’t be a graded assignment.” He
said it with one-hundred-percent seriousness.
But she laughed anyway, because it was a
strange conversation for a wedding night. “Right. I get that.” She flipped a
damp piece of hair out of her eyes as she warmed to the discussion. “But when I
decided to lose my virginity, I think I was probably…too determined. I did some
research and felt well-prepared, but in the end—epic fail.” She shook her head,
remembering the expression on her boyfriend’s face afterward. It hadn’t been
blissful pleasure.
More like being shell-shocked, maybe.
“The thought of you researching to the
point of being over prepared is going to animate some very good dreams for me.”
He never stopped touching her. His thumbs trailed down the satin straps of her
bra in the back. Then in the front. Over and over. “It’s my turn to be
intrigued.”
“I think I was studying techniques that
were too advanced for a beginner.” She shrugged, the water around her splashing
with the movement. “But I don’t like looking foolish, and I’d waited so long to
give sex a try that I put a lot of pressure on myself not to make it obvious
that I was a first-timer.”
“What about afterward?” Gabe’s knee grazed
hers under the water and she didn’t skitter away because it felt too good.
“Didn’t things get better once the first time was out of the way?”
“I wasn’t keen to repeat the experiment at
the time.” She retrieved her wineglass and took another small sip. “But now, I
think maybe I’d like to.”
Author Bio
Four-time RITA
nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn't like. The author
of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently
focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by
nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her
life outlook perfectly--love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at
regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing
community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree
in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing
skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite
sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded
sons.
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