Amita4ever's manga / #Overcoming(587)

It was an sweet story, but the ML was a bit of a contradiction and frustratingly self focused. On one hand he says he won't get married because there is one critical thing he knows he can't give a wife, and the next he is condemning the FL for suggesting there are solutions that could would let them marry and still give her what she wants. He takes it personally that she has this very common dream he can't fulfill, and if she won't give up that dream, she doesn't love him. That's not the way its supposed to work. Luckily the girl had a good head on her shoulders and she helps him see their problem is even more basic than just fulfilling her dream and he understands.

It was a hard sell to give this 3 stars, but the final page tipped it. You won’t find a more tyrannical, callus ML, but his transformation also felt more realistic as his time with the FL and her child awakened suppressed memories that helped him reconnect with his mom’s love and heal his heart. I also liked that this kid wasn’t instantly, “DADDY!” Made the ML work for it :D And LOVED that we had a way, way-post wedding ending to show a true happy ending.

I once heard it said that hate is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. The truth is all the stress, anxiety, frustration, and a host of other negatives hurts you while the other person hurts not at all. So many people in this story were vindictive and angry, but in the end - when they could finally let go of their anger and jealousy - they were so much happier, and the FL led the way. God wasn't mentioned, but maybe she learned some good things in the nunnery. I was rather miffed with the ML pretending to be seduced even if he didn't actually cheat. You think he'd realize the only person it would really hurt was his wife, but he still had revenge on the brain at that point. It was nice seeing growth and change not just in the ML and FL, but in all the characters. It was a good story.

I really liked this one. Both leads are strong and respectable (but I'll give the FL top billing). It was honest issues that drove them apart, but the FL paved the way for their reconciliation with her independance and her wisdom, and I liked that too. I also liked - A LOT - that the ML showed that men are in control of their hormones and NOT the other way around! There was a lot to like in this story and the art was icing on the cake! Worth reading!

SUMMARY: Shortly after signing a contract to exchange her record label for a hotel, April, a famous Jazz singer, is in a violent car crash. The driver, Jessie, with whom she had made the exchange, was killed. The other casualty was her memory, and now Jessie's brother, Seth, has arrived to contest the exchange. Not knowing why she traded away her label, she stubbornly refuses to trade it back until her memory returns, so asks Seth to take her to the hotel in hopes it might jog her memory. That is something Jessie's handsome brother is quite willing to do.

The heroine has a strong `when life gives you lemons, make lemon lollipops' attitude, and life has given her enough lemons to start a candy store, which is exactly what she's done.

This has to be one of the best Harlequin I ever read. If you're one of those that likes the convoluted drama of OM /OW /manipulating families/ relationship wrecking misunderstandings and such, this one might not be for you, but if you like a straight forward romance of a man and a woman being thrown together by circumstances and developing a strong, lasting bond, then you should like this one. And best yet, this bond is not based on BBV (Bed Before Vows). Even better, the heroine knows WHY she doesn't want a marriage starting with BBV, and the hero, in spite of having been a playboy, respects/ loves her enough to honor her choice! (I wonder if there is a story out there where the desire to wait is two-sided?. It’d be nice if the hero weren’t always playboys. Contrary to Harlequin opinion, guys CAN control themselves) This is a marriage with a high likelihood of success, even based on RL statistics! We need more romances like this.

Loved the art. Liked the theme (you are more beautiful to me than you know), but was disappointed by the fact that he seems to be trying to prove he loves her using her body rather than trying to convince her heart. It could have been a better story if he had actually pursued her on a emotional level before taking her to bed. Better yet, instead of taking her to bed.

It was cute, but had a contradiction in it that I'm not sure how to resolve. As far as the ML and FL, there is no BBV (Bed Before Vows), but at one point two of her previous boyfriends, the two who just happen to be there, acknowledge their relationship with Rae was a 'one-sided' and 'physical'. In the same panel, as he reviews what they said, the ML considers she is NOT promiscuous. Huh? Out of 'random' sampling of 12 boyfriends, she slept with at least 2 of them without loving them. We don't get to hear about the other 10, but you can't help but wonder. If that isn't promiscuous, I'm not sure what is, so I'm wondering if there is a translation error here, but I'm not inspired to buy the novel to find out, so it will remain a mystery. Other than that, it was a cute story.

Its not an original story - European woman taken to an Arabian land where she and the sheikh falling love - but the author gives the plot a little twist that's a little unique. Between that, the fact there is no BBV (Bed Before Vows) and the art, it edged up into the 4 star category.