Long and Short Reviews

Holly and the Millionaire

Holly and the Millionaire by Margaret Tanner
The Wild Rose Press Champagne Rose
Contemporary
Full Length, Spicy
Review by Chamomile

Fleeing from her ruthless English in-laws who are intent on stealing her child, Holly Kirwan boards a flight home to Australia and meets Justin Devereux. They are instantly attracted to each other.

Justin doesn’t want a permanent woman in his life, particularly one with a baby in tow. Holly, still grieving for her soldier husband who was killed in Iraq, doesn’t want to be disloyal to his memory.

Can the young widow and the commitment shy tycoon ever find happiness together?

♥ ♥ ♥

Holly and the Millionaire is a touching story about a young woman's struggle to survive and to find love. I was so involved in Holly and Justin's journey that I could not put this book down.

Holly is simple yet complex at the same time and I absolutely loved her. She is strong and sad and feisty and honorable and vulnerable and determined and loyal, and she just wants to love someone and someone to love her. I was so affected by her plight that my stomach was in knots with all of the turmoil that Holly goes through. She is continuously barraged with challenge after challenge but she lifts her chin and carries on. I sensed a quiet desperation motivating Holly, and I was moved by her dedication to her daughter and her willingness to do whatever necessary to care for and protect her. Even though she has fairytale dreams about her situation, her strength impressed me as she pulls herself back and is able to stay rooted in reality.

Justin could have been one of those characters that annoyed me, but he didn't. He behaves like a jerk a lot, but the author wisely gives his point of view when he's doing it so I knew why he was being a jerk. Not that it was always a good excuse, but because of the way his story is told, I felt like he was a friend that sometimes behaves badly rather than just an idiot trying to hurt Holly. Tainted by ill will toward women due to events in his past, he wrestles with his feelings for Holly, but this made me more sympathetic to him and gave me a clearer understanding of why he did some of the things he did and I had no choice but to like him. The growth of this man is amazing as the story progresses. His change occurs slowly and realistically and I was totally wrapped up in his metamorphosis from selfish playboy to committed family man.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Holly and Justin are richly developed and I felt like I knew them both well. Heart-wrenching, sensual and thoroughly romantic, Holly and the Millionaire is a treasure to be savored.