It Started with a Diamond - Teri Wilson (HSE #2561 - July 2017)

Series: Drake Diamonds (Book 3)

Heiress Nabs Polo Star

A Page Six Exclusive Report

Stunning world-class equestrian Diana Drake's stayed out of the family business for decades. But now Diana has the inside track on a coveted diamond…not to mention a polo-playing partner in crime in Franco Andrade. And after mere weeks, the city's most eligible bachelor is engaged to the jewelry heiress! Still, this whirlwind romance may not be as glittering as the jewels in Drake's. After all, we hear that Franco's first love has always been the polo team that unceremoniously sacked him. And Diana's still recovering from the loss of the sport she's always cherished. Can the handsome Argentine help his new fiancée capture the diamond of the century…and in the process repair her shattered heart?

Good conclusion to the trilogy. Diana is working for the family business, still not ready to go back to her promising equestrian career. The loss of her beloved horse, Diamond, still haunts her. Instead, she is stuck working the Engagements section of the store, which she absolutely hates. She is there when the new "face" of the store arrives for a publicity shoot - one Franco Andrade, Argentinian polo player. She and Franco have a history and it isn't a pleasant memory. She's horrified when she gets roped into participating in the shoot.

Franco is well known as a player, both on and off the field. His off-field antics have resulted in being kicked off his polo team. Working for Drake Diamonds is an attempt to repair his image. He's surprised to see Diana working at the store and not out pursuing her Olympic dreams. He's even more surprised by the attraction he still feels for her.

Both Diana and Franco are shocked when one of the pictures of the two of them together becomes an overnight sensation. Because Drake Diamonds is in the running to be the company to cut a newly discovered large diamond, Diana's brother and CEO, asks them to pretend to be a couple for the next three weeks. This will keep Drake's in the headlines and increase their chances. Diana is reluctant, but agrees to do so in exchange for being made co-CEO of the company. Franco agrees because it will help him prove to his team management that he has changed. Diana is determined to keep Franco at arm's length and the relationship for public consumption only. She doesn't count on being even more attracted to Franco now.

I loved the development of their relationship. Franco is attracted and intrigued from the start. He remembers their one night from three years earlier, and regrets how it ended. He sees this as a chance to make amends. As he spends time with her, he also notices pain and sadness in her eyes and wants to help her. Diana has closed herself off from her feelings. Not just the loss of her horse, but also her mother's death and everything that led up to it, have left her convinced she's better off alone. However, the chemistry between Franco and Diana continues to build and begins to break down the walls around her heart. I loved how he just knew that she needed a puppy to help her start caring again. When the sparks between them burst into flame, the connection between them is amazing. That connection takes a hit when Franco announces their engagement - without telling Diana about it first. He needs her help, just as she needed his, but she's justifiably angry at the way he went about it. She gets a bit of an eye opener about Franco during a night out at the Polo Club, when she has a chance to meet his best friend. She realizes that there is more to him that she thought, and begins to look at him differently. But all her fears come rushing back when Franco is injured during a match, and she pushes him away. Both of them needed to come to terms with their pasts before they could move on to a future together. I loved the assistance they both had from those that cared about them. Franco's big moment at the end was awesome. The epilogue was great and was the perfect ending for the story.

The Princess Problem - Teri Wilson (HSE #2544 - Apr 2017)

Series: Drake Diamonds (Book 2)

A Diamond in the Rough

Always-proper princess Aurélie Marchand never flouts the wishes of her father. But when she's set to marry a man she doesn't love, Aurélie finally escapes -- to glittering New York City. And she's got a surprise for her hosts at Drake Diamonds: a magnificent secret treasure that can guide their fortunes forever. But it's the dour but dashing Dalton Drake who is the true surprise…

Despite a store built on finding true love, after one tragic try at marriage Dalton's wed only to his family's business. When the feisty princess appears on his doorstep, though, she immediately tries his patience…and charms her way into his fiercely padlocked heart. But can the secret-filled runaway royal become his forever bride?

Good book. Aurélie is a princess on the run. She desperately wants a chance to live a little before undergoing an arranged marriage to a much older man. She disguised herself as a courier and accompanied a collection of jeweled eggs to New York, where they will go display at Drake Diamonds. She also brought another treasure to use as the incentive to gain Dalton's cooperation. Dalton's world has revolved around Drake Diamonds for most of his life, even affecting his one attempt at marriage. Aurélie's arrival throws his well-ordered life into complete turmoil.

I really liked Aurélie. She suffered a blow to her outlook on life when she learned the truth about her parents' so-called fairy tale marriage. I liked how she took matters into her own hands and seized the chance to do what she wanted while she still could. I thought her methods were creative. I really liked when she came face-to-face with Dalton and stated her requirements, and didn't back down when he tried to intimidate her. It was sweet to see her enjoyment of the little things like eating a hot dog and shopping for vintage clothes.

I liked Dalton, too. He's a workaholic who has always put the company first, even though it cost him his fiancée, but he unbent enough in the first book, His Ballerina Bride, to help Artem win Ophelia. He's surprised when he is confronted by Aurélie, and hesitant to put his arrangement with her father at risk. It was fun to see him try to keep her under control and failing miserably.

I enjoyed the development of their romance. There are sparks flying between them from the start, but both have good reason to resist. Aurélie because she knows she will have to go home and marry, and Dalton because he swore never to put another woman at risk because of his behavior.  I loved how helping Aurélie with her wishes began to pull Dalton out of the shell he had built around himself. He stunned everyone around him by actually ditching work to be with her. Aurélie was able to forget what was waiting for her when she was with him, and discovered that she was happier than she had ever been. The attraction continued to build until neither could resist it any longer. I loved how Aurélie seized her chance with such enthusiasm. The connection scared Dalton a bit and he started to pull away. A family crisis intensified his need to avoid more loss in his life and he continued to push. I loved that Aurélie stepped up to help in a different crisis, which brought the two of them back together in an intense encounter. But an unexpected arrival the next morning brought everything crashing down and sending Aurélie back home. I ached for Dalton and his misery at her absence and loved seeing his sister point out the obvious. I loved Dalton's solution once he made his decision. There was still an expected twist waiting for him before he could carry out his plans and I loved what it was. The ending was great and I loved how Aurélie proved to have more courage than she expected. I'd love to see more of her and her new future.

His Ballerina Bride - Teri Wilson (HSE #2526 - Jan 2017)

Series: Drake Diamonds (Book 1)

The Ultimate Pas de Deux

A Page Six Exclusive Report

Debonair Artem Drake has had tongues wagging all over New York since he became surprise CEO of Drake Diamonds. This playboy hopes to bring new life to the storied old business before those rumored bad investments sink the family ship. He's even plucked an ambitious salesgirl out of the shadows to become the store's new star designer. But Ophelia Rose isn't the ingenue she seems. The swanlike beauty's hiding a past that glimmers as bright as a Drake diamond -- she once graced the stage as a professional ballerina…until she was forced to take her final curtsy and hide from the limelight. Now can Artem bring her back to center stage? Or will their glittering future together wither under the secrets of the past?

Fantastic book. Ophelia is a former ballerina who lost her career thanks to a devastating medical diagnosis. Now she works on the sales floor of Drake Diamonds and dreams of becoming one of their jewelry designers. A chance encounter with Artem Drake, CEO of the company, gives her the opportunity to show her designs. Artem inherited the position of CEO, but he doesn't want it. He's never felt part of the tradition. On his way to his brother's office to submit his resignation, he sees Ophelia and is immediately drawn to her. In the course of that meeting, Artem offers to look at her designs.

The chemistry between Ophelia and Artem is intense from the very beginning. Every encounter sees the sparks flying between them. Ophelia is determined to resist because of her fears about her future. Artem is attracted so much that he can't get her off his mind. I loved the night at the ballet, meant to be publicity for the company and how it turned out to be so much more. I ached for Ophelia and her sense of loss at not being able to dance, and wept at her reaction to the shoes. I loved how she seized on the chance to take one night for herself to make memories to last her in her self-imposed exile. What she and Artem experienced was incredible, both physical and emotional. But the dream came to an end the next morning, with a public exposure of her past. I ached for them both as Ophelia dealt with the consequences of the stress and Artem with the effects the news of her illness had on his feelings. I loved the way that he stood up for her against his brother and tried to protect her. The ending was awesome with Artem's determination to do whatever he had to in order to win her, and Ophelia finally willing to believe she could have a life worth living. Artem's big moment was awesome and the perfect way to bring the story full circle.

There was so much I loved about this book. At the top of the list is the realism of Ophelia and her illness. The devastation of the major changes in her life and her fears for her future are what so many experience. I loved seeing her making the best of her new reality and trying to stay as positive as she can. I ached for her and the effect her former fiancé's rejection had on her. Artem also had his demons to overcome. The stigma of his birth and his fear of being like his father had a huge impact on his life. His relationship with his brother was strained until they found a way past the issues that kept them apart. I also loved how the Drake Diamond had a connection to both Artem and Ophelia, and that Ophelia finds a way to show Artem that it is just as important to him as it is to her. I wasn't surprised by Artem's gift to Ophelia, but it was so very sweet and romantic.