Review: His Convenient Virgin Bride, by Barbara Dunlop

I love my Kindle, but sometimes, I really hate walking out of our local Borders with nothing in my hands for me (as opposed to the family). Last week, in the checkout line, I grabbed this book off the rack.

This Silhouette Desire (April 10, 2009) is part of the Montana Millionaires series: The Ryders. Ryder International is a huge corporation run by three siblings. The two brothers have had their own HEAs  (in Seduction and the CEO and In Bed with the Wrangler), and now it is little sis Stephanie’s turn. Twenty-three years old, she is in charge of the Ryder Equestrian Center, where she both competes in horse jumping and trains other jumpers.

Stephanie’s brothers are having some money troubles, due in part to the twelve million dollars they have paid out to a blackmailer to keep Stephanie’s true parentage a secret. Yes, twelve million dollars. If I were Stephanie, I would rather find out I was sired by a one night stand between Lucifer and Sarah Palin than lose twelve million bucks, but I’m not a Ryder, so what do I know. Enter Alec Creighton, Chicago millionaire and “troubleshooter”, hired to streamline the family’s portfolio and investigate the blackmailer.

Stephanie is young and impulsive. Not stupid, just leads with her heart. If there’s a character arc in this book at all, it’s hers. Alec is pretty much perfect. He has no issues except for failing to wear a glove when he loves.

There is an immediate attraction between Alec and Stephanie, and an almost immediate consummation. I had not read a Silhouette Desire in a while, and found myself surprised, especially in comparison to Harlequin Blazes, how little sexual tension there was and how brief and nonexplicit the intimate scenes were. If this had been a Blaze, there would have been at least 20 references to Alec’s erection and Stephanie’s wet panties prior to any consummation. I found the change refreshing.

This turns out to be  a marriage of convenience story. Although that term is odd, since there could be nothing less convenient for a Chicago businessman than to have to marry a Montana woman he has just met. The blackmail plot is resolved off screen, and Stephanie’s reaction to her true parentage gets little play. I am sure you can guess why Alec marries Stephanie.

I find “marriage of convenience due to pregnancy” a very hard sell in the twenty first century in the US.  It would be one thing if the couple was religious or from a traditional community (maybe Orthodox Jewish or Saudi immigrants to the US or something), which they never are in these books. I suppose the motive is that they are such good people that they want the best for this child. But then I never understand why “we’ll just stay married until the baby is born and then divorce” is better for the child than not marrying.

The conflict on Alec’s part becomes “I can’t allow us to fall in love because I have to divorce her because that is The Plan”, and on Stephanie’s part is “I don’t really like this guy (Cause he knocked me up? Cause he’s from Chicago? Cause he’s nosing around my family’s business? Not sure.) so I can’t allow myself to fall in love”.

So, as you can see, I found most of the conflicts in this book underdeveloped or not believable. But this is the third Dunlop category I have read and I have, on balance, enjoyed them all, mainly because of the interactions between the hero and heroine. Alec and Stephanie are both very likable, and have genuine, compelling interactions. I also liked the Montana/equestrian center/competition setting, and enjoyed the rivalry between Alec and the younger Wesley, a jumper Stephanie is training, which lent the story a fun old school feel.

I’ll end with a short passage:

Alec bunched his napkin and tossed it on the table. “So what did you get me?”
“I was supposed to buy a gift?”she feigned alarm.
He nodded. “It is our anniversary.”
“What anniversary is that?”
“Fifteen days.”
“Ahh,” she nodded. “The little known fifteen-day horse-themed anniversary.”
“Celebrated from Iceland to Estonia.”
“We’re in Kentucky.”
“So, no present for me?”
She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I saw a ten-gallon hat in the gift shop downstairs.”
He grinned. “Not my style.”
“A silver long-horn steer belt buckle?”
He rose from his chair. “Try again.”
“I’ve got a nice riding crop in the trailer.”
“Did you mean that to be sexy?”
“Nooo,” she chuckled as she shook her head.
“Thank goodness.” He made his way around the table. “I mean, ouch.”