Treasured by Thursday
Weekday Brides - Book 7
By Catherine Bybee
Publisher: Montlake
Release Date: August 18, 2015
Having survived a brief but devastatingly abusive marriage eighteen months earlier, Gabriella Masini left her brother's island resort off the Florida Keys and has been living in Los Angeles where she works for the matchmaking firm, Alliance. A whiz with numbers, Gabi has been asked by the firm's owner to investigate a potential client in search of a temporary wife. Gabi rejects his application but rejection isn't something Hunter Blackwell, self-made, ruthless, billionaire businessman is willing to accept. Gabi thought she had finally put her first marriage and her louse of a husband - now deceased - behind her. But Alonzo's power seems to reach beyond the grave when Hunter uncovers information that could land Gabi in plenty of hot water. She's forced to accept Hunter's help in keeping her out of prison in exchange for a temporary marriage.
The number of women trying to trap Hunter Blackwell into marriage seems to increase with each million added to his net worth. Obtaining a wife for the next eighteen months will make that part of his life easier - so he thinks - yet his real reason for needing a wife remains a secret. Hunter isn't a man used to being told no and when Gabi rejects his application he uncovers information about her past that enables him to blackmail her into marrying him herself. He's not particularly proud of himself, especially as he spends time with Gabi and begins to know her better, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
At first, Gabi and Hunter seem a pairing destined for disaster but that slowly begins to change. With Hunter, Gabi gradually begins to rediscover her self-confidence and repair her battered sense of worth. She strengthens, coming into her own and beginning to trust again. Hunter has his own trust issues along with a history of being betrayed by those closest to him but, with Gabi, his rough edges begin to soften, he learns to laugh, and he starts to envision a happy ending to a relationship that began with blackmail. Unfortunately, a Colombian drug lord with ties to Gabi's late husband has other ideas.
As with the other books in this series, I had a hard time putting this one down until I reached the end. The banter between Gabi and Hunter is wonderful; at times, poignant but frequently filled with snap and humor. I especially enjoyed the island scenes between Hunter and Gabi's fiery Italian mama and the kitchen scene with Gabi and Hunter where they both take that first step in lowering their guard. Hunter could have easily been a jerk throughout but Bybee imbues him with just enough vulnerability, humor, and honor - qualities he tries to hide - to keep me rooting for him. Gabi is a woman who has been to hell and back. She's been damaged but not defeated. I cried for what she had been through and cheered her on from the get-go. I loved watching her rediscover her spunk, her sass, and her ability to once again learn to trust and love. The story flowed well with a suspense element that built throughout the book until it reached its fiery climax. The only issue I had a problem with was the rather abrupt - and too easy, in my opinion - resolution of Hunter's secret problem but that was a small blip in what was otherwise a very good read.
I highly recommend all of Catherine Bybee's Weekday Brides books. I'll miss these characters but I can't wait to see what she brings us next!
~PJ
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in
Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern
California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting
tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of
her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the
Weekday Brides Series and the Not Quite Series. Bybee lives with her two
teenage sons in Southern California.
CONTACT LINKS:
The Weekday Brides Series, Book Seven
Montlake Romance, Contemporary
August 18, 2015, First Edition
Paperback & Kindle
The seventh and final tale in the
dazzling, heartwarming, and 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.
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