REVIEW: Marriage Made in Blackmail by Michelle Smart

Marriage Made in Blackmail by Michelle Smart is the second story in her Rings of Vengeance series, surrounding three friends (two of them twin brothers) caught in cycle of revenge for a faulty business deal. Along the way to sorting through what’s happened and if there is any way to fix their friendship, the men find themselves discovering lust and love in the bargain.

Luis Casillas regrets that his friendship with Ben Guillem has fallen to new lows since a business deal wrecked their once close bonds. With Ben having kidnapped his brother Javier’s fiancée (see Billionaire’s Bride for Revenge, the first in the series), it’s not really a shock that Ben’s sister Chloe would be in on the plot in solidarity with her brother. The biggest problem is the lack of confidence from investors in the Casillas brothers due to the fallout – a remedy for which remains elusive until Luis comes to the conclusion that they’ll have to somehow show that the relationship between the Casillas and Guillem’s has been repaired. His solution – a marriage joining the two families together. But Chloe would be anything but willing…

Chloe can’t believe that Luis has kidnapped her! Once a childhood friend of her brother’s that she’d looked up to, her feelings for him had changed into something new as she’d gotten older. But when the twins had betrayed her brother, she’d chosen family over friendship. Now, she’s ensconced on a beautiful island paradise with a man with whom she shares a definite attraction. With little choice, she goes along with his plan, as their proposed marriage will be a short term arrangement. But could they come to a happier conclusion all on their own?

I really enjoyed the first story in this series and was excited to pick up this one! It goes into more detail about the business deal that destroyed the friendship between the three men, and how quick tempers and rash decisions made things worse. Chloe begins to have some empathy for Luis’s position as a result, even while wanting to remain loyal to her brother. Hot days and steamy nights result in some passionate encounters for the couple as they get to know each other as adults.

Family drama, past and present, is the driving force behind the decisions the men make. The Cassillas and Guillem families are bound by tragedy and secrets. Luis and Chloe experience some twists and turns on the way to their happy ending, but it comes with a sweet epilogue too. Luis’s brother Javier appears to be the black sheep in this trilogy so it will be interesting to see how he is redeemed in the next book! Passionate, dramatic and sexy, it’s another winner from Michelle Smart!
 

Book Info:

Publication: July 17, 2018 | Harlequin Presents | Rings of Vengeance #2

The tycoon’s demand: “You have to marry me first…”
Luis Casillas’s reputation needs restoring after a scandalous business feud. Chloe Guillem will pay for her part in it–by marrying him! He’ll keep her captive on his Caribbean island until she agrees. Their explosive chemistry can only sweeten the deal, but Luis requires more than blackmail to make fiery Chloe his bride… And he’s not above using seduction to secure her surrender!