REVIEW: Billionaire’s Bride for Revenge by Michelle Smart

Billionaire’s Bride for Revenge by Michelle Smart is a sexy and dramatic revenge romance where a kidnapping leads to a marriage of convenience and, inevitably, true love.

Ballet dancer Freya is engaged to be married to Javier Casillas. It’s not a love match, but she is willing to be the arm candy for the billionaire in return for a generous monthly allowance that will enable her to pay her mother’s medical bills. When Benjamin Guillem, a long time friend of her husband-to-be shows up to escort her to Javier, she willingly goes along – only to discover that she’s been kidnapped!

Benjamin is out for revenge after all the evidence he’s collected shows that Javier and his brother Luis took advantage of their friendship to swindle money from him. In retaliation, he’s kidnapped Javier’s fiancée Freya for ransom. Though she tries to escape, Benjamin has her well and truly trapped on his magnificent property in France. Javier refuses the ransom demand, abandoning Freya. Benjamin is not put off though, insisting on marrying Freya in Javier’s stead. Humiliating his old friend publicly is just as good as getting the money from him. Freya is desperate and agrees to the marriage, on the condition that Benjamin also agree to the same marriage settlement she had negotiated with Javier. With the deal in hand, will Benjamin and Freya discover that their marriage could be the real thing after all?

I really enjoyed this story! There are lots of details related to the world of ballet and Freya’s dancing which made the story really interesting to fans of ballet (like me) but not too technical for those not familiar with the art. Benjamin and Freya have a spark of connection the first time they see each other, which dismays Freya since she’s engaged to Javier and can’t afford to lose the money she’s been promised. When Benjamin kidnaps her, she is mostly worried about that aspect to pay her mother’s medical bills but once he agrees to give her the same allowance, she is free to admit their mutual attraction. She also eventually confides in him the real reason she needs the money, a fact which causes Benjamin to re-evaluate his initial impression of Freya.

The love scenes between them are passionate and seductive. While Benjamin would like to remain emotionally unattached, he does things for Freya, like setting up a studio for her in his mansion so that she’ll have somewhere to practice when she’s with him that show he’s got a soft heart. He exhibits some jealousy here and there, especially with Freya still dancing with Javier’s company though it’s clear from Javier’s treatment of Freya that he’s not interested in her any longer.

Benjamin and Freya get their happy ending with a few ups and downs along the way, and a passionate grovel on Benjamin’s part at the end to prove that he’ll choose Freya over vengeance. There is a lovely epilogue too. The real story behind what’s happened with Benjamin and the Casillas brothers is unresolved, leaving much to be discovered as the series continues. I’m looking forward to reading what comes next!

Book Info:

Publication: May 22, 2018 | Harlequin Presents | Rings of Vengeance #1

A billionaire seeking retribution… A bride stolen for revenge!
Billionaire Benjamin has the ultimate plan for vengeance on those who betrayed him: steal his enemy’s fiancee, Freya, and marry her himself. It’s meant to be a convenient arrangement, yet the cool, collected prima ballerina ignites a passion in his blood! There’s nothing remotely convenient about the red-hot pleasures of their wedding night–and Benjamin is tempted to make Freya his for more than revenge…