Reviewed by Hope C.
January 21, 2010
"...a unique story that left me eagerly turning the pages..."
Ms. Mayo has done it again! In The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal, she has been able to capture a unique story that left me eagerly turning the pages to find out what would happen between Elena and Vidal...and their unique situation! While there were a few flaws that I address in this review, I must say that I was totally fascinated by this book. I would recommend you read it with an open mind and the realization that not all families and customs are the same and some children would do anything for their parents or at their parent's request.
When Elena Valero is summoned home to Spain by her parents, she had no idea the reason. Never did she dream it would be because her sister had runaway from a man she was being forced to marry in order to save her parents' fledgling bank. But that's exactly what her parents expected her to do. She was to take her sister's place and marry arrogant financial tycoon, Vidal Marquez.
Vidal had grown up with the Valero sisters. The only reason he was marrying Elena's sister was to make the merger between his bank and the Valero family more solid. But when the oldest sister, his friend, Reina decides she can't go through with the farce, he let her go without protest. He'd planned to still help her parents even though he'd not told them as much.
That was until he set eyes on the very grown up Elena. The years she'd been gone from Spain had certainly changed...and made her totally irresistible! Forgetting that he was an honorable man, he demanded what her parents had already asked of her—to take her sister's place!
The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal is filled with strong, well written characters. So the only flaw to the story I had was that Elena—a strong, intelligent heroine— seems to settle into her predicament a little too easily for me. While stressing her mother out and possibly causing the older woman's heart issues to worsen might be a strong motivation for something, I had a hard time believing the succesful business woman from Los Angeles (Elena) would be so meek about putting everything on hold she'd worked for aside. Which was followed up by her selling the business after having kids in the epilogue. Their seemed to be something missing from her backstory, I kept imagining she'd always longed for Vidal growing up (which in my mind would explain how she could easily give up one dream for one she'd had much longer), but he always seemed more interested in her sister. Kind of that long lost love opportunity finally seized type of story. I'm not sure that's the case as it wasn't mentioned. Though it would have made her acceptance of the situation easier to follow.
There were many more points outside of the heroines motivation that added to the depth of the story and made it one you couldn't put down. For instance, and I would like to note that while I read a lot of books that have love scenes in them, this book contained some truly imaginative and spectacularly written ones. Vidal is definitely the kind of Spanish hero you want. I couldn't get Anthony Bandaros out of my head when I was reading about Vidal!
And that brings me to the gorgeous hero. He was a little unclear as to why he'd marry someone in the first place. A strong, independent fellow like him would giving up his freedom for something small like this business deal, I'd think. I could see him blackmailing her into being his mistress before marriage. Uniting her family with his, even for a short time, seemed strange. I missed the whole reason for the marriage, I think.
But the reasoning for the marriage aside, the two were perfect together and so was their journey into falling head over hills with each other. I would like to see Reina have her own book now, though. That's one I'd like to read!
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Book Description for The Twelve-Month Marriage Deal
Forced bride...
Called home unexpectedly, Elena not only finds her sister has fled her own wedding, but that she must take her place as the bride if the family business is to be saved from ruin!
Willing on her wedding night!
Arrogant billionaire Vidal Marquez is shocked - the ugly duckling has become a swan! Elena is furious about the marriage, so he makes a deal: twelve months in his bed as his wife, and then she can simply walk away...
But Vidal's bed is not a place any woman chooses to leave!
