Guest Review: The Marriage Trap – Jennifer Probst

WIFE WANTED…
Italian billionaire seeks faux fiancée. Willing to agree to anything in return…
In order for his sister to marry, Italian billionaire Michael Conte has to find himself a bride – and fast! When he learns that photographer Maggie Ryan is going to be in Milan, Michael hatches a plan to introduce her to his family as his “fiancée.” Never mind that Maggie is confident, independent, and a control freak. Never mind that she’s everything he doesn’t want in a wife… and everything he wants in his bed!
Convinced that Michael is in love with her married gal pal, Maggie agrees to keep up the ruse if he’ll keep away from her friend. Besides, she’s not attracted to charming, ridiculously hot billionaires who drive her nuts. Once they’re in Italy, however, everything changes – and the sexual tension between Maggie and Michael goes from simmer to naked nuclear meltdown!
But have they found the perfect arrangement… or are they trapped in a make-believe marriage?

Series:  Marriage to a Billionaire #2
Release Date:  October 1, 2012
Publisher:  Galley Books
Source:  Edelweiss
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

Michael Conte has taken over the role of protector to his Italian family since the passing of his father, he has built on to the family business and made it International, he things he is doing a great job in his role until he finds out his dying father made the family swear to live by “”the old ways”” and that means as the oldest he MUST marry first.  His sister is desperately in love and wants to marry her long time sweetheart but can’t until Michael does, whats a man to do?   Well, you make a deal with a sexy photographer to pretend to be your wife of course.

Maggie Ryan is convinced that Michael is in love with her sister-in-law and will eventually break up her brothers marriage. No amount of protest on the part of Michel or Alexa will convince her they are just friends so when Michael needs her help she uses this chance to make him stay far away from her brother and his wife. That’s her conditions take it or leave it.

Once in Italy the attraction that has always been between Michael and Maggie and the necessity of making the marriage seem real puts them in a situation where they decide that maybe they should just have a no strings/over when we leave Italy affair.

The Marriage Trap is book two in a series, in book one we meet Alexa and Maggies brother.  This book does work as a stand alone and provides enough background to be able to read it without having to read the first.

The marriage of convenience is a plot line as old as romance novels have been around, it is also the plot line of all 3 of the Marriage to a Billionaire books in the series, so how does Jennifer Probst make it new and exciting? Well you start with it being a modern version with the woman being just as powerful as the man and not being thrown into something by a father or guardian. The heroine isn’t doing this for money of to make a name for herself she is doing it to protect her brothers happiness.  Throw in some hot underwear models, a sneaky Italian mama, a sister who is growing up and a man who has never dealt with the loss of his father and you have the makings of the fun and sexy book.

With steamy sex scenes, hunky Italian men and a sassy heroine The Marriage Trap has everything it needs to be a great book, there are a few issues I had with flow and dialog that brings my rating down a bit but over all I give The Marriage Trap a 4 out of 5 cocktails review.

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