Series:
Dynasties: Tech Tycoons (Book 4)
The stranger is everything she needs:
Handsome. Interesting. And ready for
marriage…immediately!
Ronnie Moss is in trouble. The heiress needs a
last-minute husband to fulfill her family's marriage mandate -- before she
turns thirty at midnight! So when sexy stranger Wes Brody volunteers himself,
she's quick to say “I do!” But their glitzy, impromptu Vegas wedding may be too
good to be true. Wes has secrets that are tied to his new in-laws. Ronnie never
expected happily-ever-after. But what happens once the truth -- and a baby! --
are thrown into the mix?
Terrific conclusion to the series. Elaine Moss laid down
an edict that her three grandchildren had to be married by a certain age or
lose the family company to their detested Uncle Jerome. The first three books
in the series were their stories. Their cousin Veronica, Jerome's daughter, was
not included because she was already engaged. But, furious at her father's underhanded
actions at the end of the previous book
(How to Marry a Bad Boy), Ronnie begged
her grandmother to include her in the mandate to stick it to her father.
The day before her 30th birthday, Ronnie and her fiancé are
in Vegas for a conference. They plan to marry that night to fulfill the
mandate. At the last minute, Jareth decides they should attend some big wig's
party instead. I hadn't liked Jareth from his first appearance in an earlier
book. I thought he was selfish and obnoxious, so I wasn't surprised when he
bailed. I also suspected that her father had a hand in the situation. Devasted,
Ronnie despairs of fulfilling the mandate and preventing disaster for her
cousins. Then she is approached by a man she noticed during her presentation.
Wes Brody first appeared in the series' opening volume,
Their Marriage Bargain. In that story, he was the bad guy with information that
could ruin the Moss family business. But his co-conspirator ended up marrying
the oldest Moss and destroying the information, wrecking Wes's plans for
revenge. I had a feeling that we'd see him again. Sure enough, he showed up at
this conference, hoping to find a way to get close enough to Ronnie to get the
information he needed. He never expected to marry her.
The sparks between Ronnie and Wes are incendiary from the
start. In addition, Wes can be a charming and romantic guy. The backstory of
his life after his father's death was heartbreaking, and his need to clear his
father's name was understandable. He leaps at the chance to marry her but also
feels guilty about the deception. Ronnie is bowled over by Wes's charm and
willingness to help her and takes him up on his offer for a marriage of
convenience.
I enjoyed watching the development of Ronnie and Wes's
relationship. Their attraction was undeniable and irresistible from the beginning.
Wes's charm and attention filled a hole in Ronnie's life, left by her mother's
death and her father's actions. She fell hard for him very quickly. Wes doesn't
expect to fall in love with Ronnie, but he does, and the guilt of his deception
eats away at him. He wants to come clean but is afraid of her reaction. There
are some sweet scenes between them as their love grows, but Wes always has that
feeling of a sword hanging over his head.
Wes's secretive search for the information he needs continues.
He knows his time is limited because as soon as Ronnie's cousin Caleb and his
wife return from their honeymoon and see him, the jig will be up. But before he
can confess to Ronnie, a family emergency brings everyone together, and the
truth comes out. I ached for Ronnie and her pain at Wes's betrayal and for Wes,
who only wants to love her. There is painful fallout from the revelation and a surprise
that complicates their future. I loved the ending; an unexpected discovery
changes everything and brings Wes and Ronnie back together. The epilogue,
including a twist involving Ronnie's father, Jerome, was terrific.
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