His 7-Day Fiancée

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques The last thing Luke Montgomery needs is more scandal attached to his name and his casino empire after the murder that rocked Vegas so recently, for which he was the prime suspect. Especially right now when he is about to close on a deal he's been dreaming about for most of his life... to get vengeance on Harold Rothchild for kicking Luke and his mother out of their home when Luke was just a boy. Amanda Patterson is out of her element in Las Vegas. Having escaped from her abusive ex-husband, Amanda hopes to make a new life for herself and her daughter. Her ex swore he would get back at her after she found the courage to leave him. But he's still in jail on the other side of the country, isn't he? When Amanda is threatened on her first night in Las Vegas, inside Luke's casino, he knows he needs to protect her at least until his deal on the new casino is finalized. All he asks is that she pretend to be his fiancée to help him reach his goal with his new project. However, the forced proximity of Amanda living in his house takes its toll on both of them, until they begin to wonder if they found everything they need... in each other's arms. I only recently discovered Gail Barrett's writing but I have become a fan from the first book I read. So when His 7-Day Fiancée was released, I just knew I had to read it. As expected, I loved this book! Gail Barrett does a wonderful job of interweaving nerve-wracking suspense with a tender love story between flawed individuals. Amanda has been through hell ever since her marriage to a violently abusive man and even knowing she is free and clear of him, the fear still lingers that one day he will find her again. She is more than a little lost among the diamonds and dealers of Las Vegas. Luke, too, has his emotional baggage. He may be rich and successful now, as a result of adopting a ruthless veneer he presents to everyone, but underneath it all, he is still the little boy living in the slums who vowed to destroy Harold Rothchild for his careless treatment Luke and his mother when they were his tenants. Luke and Amanda are both broken souls who find what they are missing in each other. The mystery surrounding Candace's murder in the first book in the Love in 60 Seconds series is seamlessly entwined into the story of Luke and Amanda. This adds another layer to the already well-done suspense surrounding who is after Amanda and why. We know part of the story, but there is much more to it than we have already uncovered. I especially love when a continuity series takes some of the same scenes and showcases them from the perspective of a different character, as occurs in both The Heiress's 2-Week Affair and His 7-Day Fiancée. While a few threads are tied up nice and neat by the end of this installment in the series, plenty more is left to be resolved in future books. I look forward to reading future books and can't wait to see just how the murder mystery will be solved. © Kelley