REVIEW: Bound by a One-Night Vow by Melanie Milburne

In Bound by a One-Night Vow by Melanie Milburne, Heiress Isabella ‘Izzy’ Byrne should have found someone to marry by now, especially since she wants so much to claim her inheritance. However, with the deadline looming, she has no choice but to accept Andrea Vaccaro’s proposal, even though he’s the last person she thought she would ever marry. Yet, the more time she spends in Andrea’s presence, the more she finds herself unable to resist the strong chemistry between them. Will Isabella be able to handle that their marriage will ever only be a marriage of convenience or will she walk away from Andrea because she wants the one thing he can’t give her – love?

”Isabella.” Andrea released a long-suffering sigh. “Your future freedom depends on you abiding by the terms of your father’s will. I’m making that possible for you so the least you can do is be grateful.”
Her plump lips thinned to a sneer. “Would you like to drop to my knees in front of you and demonstrate my gratitude right now?”

This was an enjoyable story right from the beginning, as the heroine is in desperate need of a white knight, but the only man that comes to her rescue is the one man she knows shouldn’t allow to help her. However, it was from the moment the hero and heroine comes face-to-face for the first time where this story gets really interesting, as the hero has a solution and isn’t about to take no for an answer. Then again, the heroine is quite independent and stubborn and I liked how she pushes the hero’s buttons. Will the hero get his way? Will the heroine make things easy for herself and the hero?

As for the dialogue, it was interesting and intense due to the main characters back stories, which made me sympathize with the heroine’s situation because her dad sounded like a real piece of work and it’s understandable why she was so unruly growing up. Certainly, feeling like she didn’t live up to her father’s expectations was bound to have an effect on her. Still, she’s resilient, courageous and I liked that she took the hero up on his offer, even though it’s hard for her to put her trust in a man after all that she’s been through. While the hero, he’s confident, arrogant, hard-working, driven and I liked how determined he was to win the heroine over to his plan. Then again, he doesn’t leave her much of a choice because she needs him if she’s to claim her inheritance.

”Your father was the one who put you on the chessboard, not me.” His lips were so flat they turned white. “You should be grateful I was prepared to step in to help you. No one else was going to.”
“Is that what I’m supposed to feel? Grateful?” Izzy threw him an embittered glare. “For what, exactly? That you fancied me? But how long is it going to last? Another week or two? A month? You don’t stay with a lover longer than a few weeks. I can’t live like that. I won’t live like that.”
“Go, then.” He jerked his head towards the exit. “Leave, and see how far it gets you. You’ll be crawling back to me, begging me to take you back, before a day goes past.”

Overall, Ms. Milburne has delivered a really good read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was intense and tangible from the moment they come face-to-face for the first time, even though the heroine sees Andrea as the enemy because of something that happened in the past; the romance was nicely-detailed and had me liking that these two couldn’t resist each other, even when they insisted their marriage would be in name only; and the ending had me loving what the heroine does to show the hero she deserves love and what the hero does to win the heroine back after their relationship goes awry. For so long he’s had feelings for her and there’s no way he’s going to continue to deny that he wants her forever. I would recommend Bound by a One-Night Vow by Melanie Milburne, if you enjoy the enemy to lovers trope or books by authors Penny Jordan, Cathy Williams, Lucy Monroe and Trish Morey.
 

Book Info:

Publication: September 18th, 2018 | Harlequin Presents |

“Marry me or lose everything.”…The Italian’s outrageous proposal.

Heiress Isabella Byrne is on a deadline. She has twenty-four hours to wed or she’ll lose her inheritance! Her father’s protege, hotel magnate Andrea Vaccaro, knows she can’t refuse his arrogant proposition for a temporary union. They’ll seal the deal at the altar that very night. But with their ever-smoldering attraction bursting into flames, can Izzy risk surrendering to the temptation that awaits her between Andrea’s sheets? Indulge in this passionate marriage of convenience!