REVIEW: Treasured by Thursday by Catherine Bybee

In Treasured by Thursday (The Weekday Brides #7) by Catherine Bybee, Gabriella Masini has started over after the disastrous end to her short-lived marriage. Working with Alliance, she’s now able to use her mad math skills to help others find their romantic match. But when Gabi has to tell billionaire Hunter Blackwell they won’t assist him in his search for a wife, he has a new proposition: he wants her to marry him. The money is very tempting, but it’s the information Hunter holds over her that has Gabi saying yes. Certainly not the overwhelming attraction she feels for him. Or so she tells herself.

“I don’t even like you.” One of her legs lifted and rubbed against one of his.
“I don’t trust you.” His hand moved from her lip to the side of her neck.
“You blackmailed me.”
“You tricked me into cooking with your mother.”

Hunter is used to getting his way in all things. So when Gabi turns him down as a client, he comes up with a new plan. One involving the Italian beauty and some dirt he dug up on her. But Hunter soon realizes that she’s a truly wonderful woman who has been through a traumatic ordeal. Switching gears again, he focuses on how he can help Gabi while still accomplishing his own agenda. An enemy they have in common, however, has other ideas, forcing Hunter and Gabi to trust in each other in order to remain safe.

“Smooth talker.”
“Is it working?” He kissed the back of her hand.
Yeah…her stomach had settled and she was no longer shaking. “Well,” she started, “I haven’t told you to jump in front of a bus for at least an hour.”

Treasured by Thursday was the exciting seventh book in Catherine Bybee’s popular Weekday Brides series. When the sparks flew between Hunter and Gabi upon their first meeting, I knew their story was going to be a wild but entertaining ride.

Even though I’m so sad that the Weekday Brides series is coming to a close, I am happy to say that fans will be getting a spin-off series to enjoy titled The Holiday Brides. Can’t wait to see what that entails! If it’s anything like Treasured by Thursday, we’ll be in literary heaven with all of the romance, witty dialogue, and intense action scenes.

So this was basically a marriage of convenience trope, which I’ll be honest, isn’t one of my favorites. However, it worked perfectly for Gabi and Hunter’s situation and started their relationship off with tons of tension along with their instant chemistry. Bybee completely rocked their transition from strangers to partners and ultimately to lovers. I really enjoyed the snippy little barbs Gabi threw at Hunter and how they also morphed from being said in anger to then becoming a joke between them. So much fun.

Hunter and Gabi turned out to be an extremely likable couple. He was a self-assured businessman who ended up getting all growly and possessive over her when they became aware of their feelings, which was so comical. And Gabi found that she could trust again, letting Hunter protect her (unlike her ex). I loved the caring side they both had and how Hunter especially grew as a person, learning to take a few moments to think things through and do what was right for loved ones.

Blackmail, deceit, family drama, passion. Treasured by Thursday had it all. This was a lovely conclusion to what has become one of my favorite series. You can always count on Bybee for pulse-pounding suspense along with a heartfelt love story.

Book Info:

Publication: Published August 18th 2015 | by Montlake Romance | The Weekday Brides #7

The seventh and final tale in the dazzling, heartwarming, pulse-racing Weekday Brides series.

Gabriella Masini: She’s a woman haunted by her past, with the scars to prove it. She believes that fairy tales are for other people. An elite matchmaker at Alliance, she’s great at crunching numbers, but something doesn’t add up with her latest prospective client: a billionaire bad boy with his own secrets. When Gabi refuses to be his temporary wife, Hunter forces her hand with an offer she can’t refuse. But marriage to a man like that could never last…or could it?

Hunter Blackwell: Only his bank account is bigger than his ruthless ability to obtain anything he wants. These days, he has a secret reason to settle down, at least for a while—and he thinks the sensual and sassy Gabi will fit the bill perfectly. But when their marriage of convenience becomes downright dangerous, Hunter must decide how far to take his vow to honor and protect Gabi forever.