Title: The Saint’s Devilish Deal
Author: Kristina Knight
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Publication Date: October 1st, 2012
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Review copy provided by Enchanted Book Promotions.
Esmerelda Quinn has been looking for a place to belong since her parents were killed in a car crash when she was young. The closest thing to home has always been Aunt Constance’s villa in Puerto Vallarta, so after a string of hotellier jobs, she’s coming home to run the villa.
Santiago Cruz has called the villa home for as long as he can remember. In between surfing events, Constance has always had a room for him. Color him surprised when Constance leaves him with a joint interest in the villa – along with her niece Esmerelda.
Esme isn’t thrilled to share ownership of the villa with the the youngest Cruz brother – especially as the Cruz family has been after the villa for years. But Santiago has grown up while she’s been away and soon she finds herself falling for the rich boy down the hall – all over again.
The Saint’s Devilish Deal is a decent contemporary romance novella that tells the story of Esme and Santiago, or Saint, as she loves to call him. Esme and Saint spend their childhood together as best friends, and when they spend some time in Napa, that childhood friendship turned into something more. But then Saint just up and left, shattering Esme’s heart. She spend the next four years going to university, and now she’s back home, she dreads to see him. But unfortunately, her aunt Constance is now suffering from illness, and can no longer run the hotel Esme grew up in. Aunt Constance drew up a contract in which Santiago and Esme have to run the hotel for six months – three months for each of them. But as soon as Esme lays eyes on Saint, all those old feelings come back to the surface…Will she be able to resist his charms?
This book is wickedly delicious. The characters are so vivid they practically jump off the pages. At first, Esme tries to deny her own feelings for Saint, and when he comes on to her, she brushes him off. But the longer they spend together, the more the sparks fly off the pages. Their interactions range from downright hilarious to sexy and steamy.
But this story isn’t just about romance, and that’s what made it interesting for me. It’s about love, family dramas, how to live with the sins of our parents or just their actions in general, what happens when you have to fight to keep your family home up and running, or when you’re abandoned by the only family you’ve ever known. Don’t get me wrong though – this isn’t a “heavy” book. It’s a light, enjoyable read, but it offers more issues than one, and isn’t “just” about the romance, which is always a bonus in my book.
The characters were delightful as well. Santiago is the usual, full-of-himself, confident, sexy alpha male, but still he’s a lot softer and more kind-hearted when it comes to Esme. Esme on the other hand, appears as harsh and distant at first, when she tries to push him away, but soon realizes her efforts are fruitless.
An enjoyable, quick read. If you like romance, you’ll love this.
Giveaway
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Thank you for the lovely review – I’m so glad you enjoyed the book! Best wishes,
Kristina