A BRIDE'S TANGLED VOWS – Dani Wade
Mill Town Millionaires , Book 1
Harlequin Desire #2322
ISBN: 978-0-373-73335-4
August 2014
Contemporary Series Romance

Black Hills, South Carolina – Present Day

Wealthy art dealer Aiden Blackstone left home rather than be around his hated grandfather. When Aiden gets the call that his grandfather is dead, he heads back to Black Hills—not to claim an inheritance, but to secure guardianship over his comatose mother. But when he arrives, one of the first people to greet him is his grandfather…very much alive. The old man devised a plan to lure Aiden back and uses his invalid daughter as leverage to force his grandson to remain in Black Hills…and marry for a year. Aiden's mother's nurse, Christina Reece, steps forward and offers to be the bride.

Christina considers Aiden's mother like a second mother to her, and when she was injured in an accident that resulted in her coma, it was Christina who stepped forward to take care of her as the Blackstone men do not get along with their diabolical grandfather. She agrees to marry Aiden so that they can protect his mother, but she wants it to be a platonic marriage even though they will be forced by his grandfather to share a room at the mansion. There is a past history between Aiden and Christina, and he doesn't trust her because he thinks she is using his mother. But what he doesn't realize is that she has been in love with him since they were teens. Will living in close quarters lead to a passion neither expects?

From the first few pages, A BRIDE'S TANGLED VOWS reads like a gothic novel. There is the mansion occupied by the sinister man who owns the company which dominates Black Hills. Aiden thought he'd escaped his grandfather's control, but now he's forced back or face having his mother sent to a county medical facility where care would be suspect. His grandfather has power of attorney for her and holds all the strings. Christina might be the one person to help Aiden, but he doesn't trust her and thinks she's trying to take advantage of the situation.

Christina has her own family issues, and when Aiden's mother took her in and treated her like a daughter, she did the one thing to help pay her back—take care of her. She feels trapped by the situation, yet deep down is her attraction for Aiden that never died. She figures by requesting that they not consummate their marriage she can keep better control of her emotions. Alas, the more they're around each other, the greater the desire grows…until passion explodes. But can they save Aiden's mother and plan for a future together? They're going to have to get past the mutual distrust issues first…

If you love a deep, dark, and emotional romance, then A BRIDE'S TANGLED VOWS is the book for you. It's the first tale in the Mill Town Millionaires series, and I assume the other books will focus on Aiden's brothers. By the end of A BRIDE'S TANGLED VOWS, much of the drama will be resolved satisfactorily for readers.

Patti Fischer