HIS THIRTY-DAY FIANCÉE – Catherine Mann
Rich, Rugged and Royal , Book 2
Silhouette Desire #2061
ISBN: 978-0-373-73074-2
January 2011
Series Romance

Boston, Massachusetts and off the Florida Coast – Present Day

Journalist Kate Harper is in desperate need of money to support her special needs sister, Jennifer. Forced to work for a tabloid, where the money is better, one of her latest scoops has been to expose the existence of the long lost Medina royal family. To bag even more money, she is currently on an assignment to get a picture of Prince Duarte Medina—on his own property no less. Climbing a wall to gain access to his complex, she's caught—by Duarte himself. The man is dangerously attractive and cunning. Instead of calling the police, he makes Kate an offer. For exclusive rights to photos of him and his family, she must agree to pretend to be his fiancée for thirty days.

Duarte hasn't lost his mind. He's just keeping his enemy (Kate) close while pretending to befriend her. It's the only way he can keep an eye on her and thwart his ailing father who's demanding that he marry. Even as he gets to know Kate, the more intrigued he becomes. She doesn't appear the cutthroat paparazzi type. Slowly but surely, his coldness and plans to destroy Kate begin to thaw as the heat of attraction sizzles between them. Has he fallen for a woman who is out to expose him and his family, or is she an innocent pawn in someone's game?

The moment Duarte touches Kate after he catches her on his balcony, the chemistry between them bursts into flames. Asking her to be his pretend fiancée was a spur of the moment decision, but soon proves to be the right one. Duarte watched his mother being killed by his family's enemies and then endured having to keep his identity secret all these years in fear of certain death himself. This has left him distrustful of strangers. Despite it all, he is a successful, wealthy businessman. He plans to use Kate as a shield against pressure to marry, but the more he's around her, the clearer it becomes she's a perfect fit for him. Can he convince her to extend the deadline on their agreement and make their engagement real and for infinity?

Kate isn't exactly trusting of people outside her and her sister's lives. Their father abandoned Jennifer as soon as she became of legal age, and rather than leaving her sister to become a ward of the system, Kate is paying for her care in a facility. She doesn't let on to Duarte the truth, but the man has a way of finding out. The more he does for her, well, the more she resents his help. Guess she isn't very grateful for his help. <g> Of course, the fact that he's sinfully attractive and has her exposing the sensual side of herself to him has her not wanting to lower her guard. Who will win the battle of wills between Duarte and Kate?

In HIS THIRTY-DAY FIANCÉE, part of the Rich, Rugged and Royal series by Catherine Mann, we are introduced to the second brother, Duarte . While this tale can be read alone, I highly recommend they be read in order as the first brother, Tony, appears. You can find Tony and Shannon 's story in THE MAVERICK PRINCE.

HIS THIRTY-DAY FIANCÉE is an enchanting tale that features our heroine, Kate, out to expose her quarry, Duarte , but she soon finds that he is her Prince Charming. Their love is complicated by her press background and his need for secrecy, so their tale is fraught with distrust which soon turns in to an intense attraction. An enjoyable read, be sure to pick this one up and find out what I mean.

Patti Fischer