Review: Mistress By Blackmail (International Billionaires #1) by Caro LaFever

Print Length: 243 pages

Publisher: VivaPub (December 28, 2015)

From Goodreads.com: A cold-hearted business tycoon. A strong-willed starving artist. A battle for each other’s heart both must win. 

Determined to save her best buddy from an arranged marriage, Darcy Moran marches into Marcus La Rocca’s boardroom intent on forcing him to release his younger brother from the commitment. Yet she’s up against a formidable foe who’s not only sure the marriage should happen, but takes one look at her and wants her far away from his brother. 

Blackmailed into being his pretend mistress, Darcy finds herself transported into a world of luxury and high society, something a poor artist knows nothing about. Still, she’s not a girl to be intimidated by anyone or anything, and she manages to reject all of Marc’s lures even though lust for him threatens to overcome her will. 

Marcus knows women and he knows what they like. But no matter how many gifts he showers on Darcy, she refuses them all. And him. Frustrated with lust and entranced by her charms, he finds himself falling in love. An emotion he promised himself he’d never feel again. 

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My Rating: 2 stars out of 5

I have had this novel sitting on my kindle for a year now. It was one of those things that looked good at the time, so I downloaded it. Unfortunately, after reading it, I wish I had never bothered. 

The concept of the story sounded interesting. However, it was presented in a way that was a classic definition of manipulation and Stockholm Syndrome. Sure, I expected there to be some "shady" things going on as the title is Mistress by Blackmail after all. However, Marcus goes above and beyond, doing things for Darcy just to later hold them over her head, taking his anger out on her with harsh words. Refusing to listen to her even when she repeatedly tries to tell him the truth. 

All things considered, I'm sure there are people this story will still appeal to. I already had the second novel on my kindle before I read this one, so I will give this author a second chance. 

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                                Mistress By Blackmail is available from Amazon.com