__'Kidnapped!

Or that’s what it feels like to Kizzy Dean when a business disagreement with arrogant Greek lawyer Andreas Lazarides leaves her no choice but to accompany him to the Greek Isle of Rhodes. It doesn’t help matters this sexy brooding stranger, who is unaccustomed to the word No and the very idea of commitment, shows her what it feels like to be truly desired.

Amidst the ancient myths and alleyways, tensions run high as Kizzy feels an immediate attraction for the man she wants to both ravage and strangle.

Accustomed to gold-digging women, Andreas is mesmerized by Kizzy’s feisty nature and Gypsy beauty. Guilt and sorrow have been his only bedfellows since his sister’s death, but Kizzy stirs up a desire he’s unwilling to succumb to... until she makes him an offer he simply can’t refuse.'

Kizzy Dean is desperate: she’s in danger of losing everything if she can’t get hold of her boss, a very handsome, wealthy and powerful Greek lawyer named Andrea Lazarides. She’s never met him, but she’s already formed a rather bad opinion of him through his business dealings involving the restaurant he owns and Kizzy manages and lives above.

Kizzy has no partner and no family left, her life focuses on this restaurant which Andreas is going to close down. Kizzy needs to convince Andreas that she can save the business; the problem is that Andreas isn’t interested in her ideas, he has his own, very private, reasons for closing the business, and he is completely unwillingly to change his plans.

In return for her co-operation in not telling certain people about what’s going on with the restaurant, Kizzy is promised a job – only she doesn’t get a chance to check what the job will be before she’s whisked off by Andreas to Greece, where Andreas shows that he’s more than a little interested in becoming closer to Kizzy – by making her his mistress. Kizzy knows that she could never bring herself to be just his lover and so vows not to become emotionally attached, but it soon becomes apparent that this is one vow that will not be easy to keep.

Both of the main characters are brilliantly infuriating, and it’s only towards the end of the book that the reader understands completely why they are this way. Andreas is most women’s idea of a tall, handsome, brooding hunk: it’s no wonder that Kizzy falls for him so quickly. Kizzy, meanwhile, is immediately likeable for the way that she stands up to Andreas, determined not to allow herself to become his mistress, despite her feelings for him; she wants to work and be able to support herself, something that Andreas finds hard to cope with.

It would have been nice to have seen Kizzy in her home environment, which might have further emphasised how quickly and dramatically her life changes once Andreas is on the scene. But one of the challenges of writing romance is keeping to the very strict guidelines on length, meaning that it just isn’t possible to include everything

The book contains some truly inspired locations, including a wonderfully dramatic scene on the London Eye. What makes these settings even more spectacular is that Rachel Lyndhurst’s descriptions of the landscapes are so very good; you can practically feel the heat of the sun blistering over the beautiful Greek landscapes.

Romance books are not perhaps my favourite genre, but I have been known to indulge from time to time, and ‘Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire’ is certainly one of the best I have read. . Something I particularly loved, and my favourite aspect of the romance genre, is very apparent in this novel – the perfect happy ending! If pure escapism is what you’re after then you really can’t do much better.

And finally, a word of warning to readers: there are some very, shall we say, racy scenes in this book. Be wary of Chapter 6 if you tend to go very red when embarrassed in public places – it even made my husband blush when I read some out to him!

4 stars

‘As a producer on a reality dating show, Abby Edwards knows that true love is a myth. Her career and her friends are all she needs. Right?

When her screenwriter ex makes a hit movie based on their relationship, Abby's faults are projected on screens across the country. Suddenly the fact that her job depends on orchestrating hot tub hook-ups doesn't seem so impressive.

Her friends rally to help. Zoë thinks she needs to meet a guy. Stephanie suggests an attitude adjustment. Nancy wants her to get in touch with her inner Goddess. Abby knows they mean well, but she prefers to focus on her work. Unfortunately, she's already embarrassed herself in front of her new boss, Will Harper, who she would find totally crush-worthy if he weren't so irritating.

Abby's about to be reminded that life doesn't follow a script—and good things happen when you least expect it...’

Abby Edwards, a lowly reality TV producer, is feeling pretty disillusioned with her life: her job’s unstable, not fantastically paid and often puts her in embarrassing situations; her ex-boyfriend’s written a movie about their time together, depicting Abby as a raving lunatic; and her relationship with her best friend has hit very rocky ground. When Abby’s latest job finds her working for Will Harper, a gorgeous and talented executive producer, she finds herself falling for him, but bossy supermodel look-alike Lisa is determined to get her claws into Will before Abby can win him over.

As the novel’s title suggests, life doesn’t have a script and Abby has no idea what’s waiting just round the corner….

This book was precisely what I want from chick lit: the heroine was likeable and I could relate to her; her lifestyle was interesting but not out of the realms of possibility; and the authors made good use of their own experiences in Abby’s profession to make the situation both realistic and genuinely amusing.

Abby’s love interest, Will, was successful, good-looking, clever, witty and kind – a killer combination. The scenes towards the end of the book where Abby and Will finally get to know each other outside of work were so sweetly written that I had a big grin spread over my face whilst reading them. The dialogue between the two was fantastic and had me totally hooked.

I would have liked to have seen more of Lisa and found out why she behaved the way she did, and, in particular, why she disliked Abby – I assumed that this was because Lisa was also after Will, but I couldn’t really work her character out.

Abby, her friends, and their escapades made for some humorous reading. I liked that despite the fact that she worked in such a superficial industry, Abby didn’t let it affect her and was very down-to-earth. Her phobia of cardboard was an inspired, and very original, character trait.

I enjoyed the humour of the novel and particularly liked seeing behind the scenes of how a really television show is produced - it can be quite a brutal profession to be in! The ups and downs of Abby’s life kept me entertained and she was a great protagonist. Her friends were colourful characters whose interests led poor Abby into some hilarious situations, none of which she’s keen to ever return to! ‘Unscripted’ is an impressive debut from two clearly very talented writers.

4 stars

Many thanks to the authors for sending me a print copy of this e-book to review.