Ruth Cardello
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author!
New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author!
Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption (Book 6 of the Legacy Collection)
Release Date: 13.01.2014
My Review:
We all have our favorite type of books and our favorite authors. Ruth Cardello is a favorite of mine to be sure. Her strong and confident male characters and the female leads who have a strength of their own, make her books easy to read, and the strong sense of humor she injects into her books make them equally fun.
Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption (Book 6 of the Legacy Collection) is no exception to that rule. This is hands down my favorite of all of the books in the Legacy collection.
Marc is the ultimate Alpha male who wants to protect his woman. Alethea is a strong willed and self confident who will do anything for the people she loves and is determined to test him at every turn.
We all have our favorite type of books and our favorite authors. Ruth Cardello is a favorite of mine to be sure. Her strong and confident male characters and the female leads who have a strength of their own, make her books easy to read, and the strong sense of humor she injects into her books make them equally fun.
Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption (Book 6 of the Legacy Collection) is no exception to that rule. This is hands down my favorite of all of the books in the Legacy collection.
Marc is the ultimate Alpha male who wants to protect his woman. Alethea is a strong willed and self confident who will do anything for the people she loves and is determined to test him at every turn.
Synopsis
Alethea is at a crossroad. For as long as
she could remember, it was her and her best friend, Lil, against the world. Now
that Lil has met Prince "I have my own helicopter" Charming and
reconnected with her family, Alethea is on the outside looking in, justifying
who she's always been to people who have never understood her. When she
uncovers a looming threat to Lil's family, she's determined to save them, even
after they tell her not to get involved and assign their best man to stop her.
Marc Stone has been watching Alethea ever
since she waltzed through his security system and right into his late night
fantasies. As a decorated Marine, he's seen war, but nothing could prepare him
for this wild redhead. Strong. Beautiful. Flawed, and fiercely protective. Hard
to love, and impossible to deny.
If she'll stop fighting him long enough,
he'll show her just how perfect they are for each other. That is, if she
doesn't get them both killed first.
Excerpts
Tame
Excerpt:
There wasn’t a day that went by that Marc
wasn’t grateful for the faith Dominic had shown him, and his loyalty had never
wavered. He’d found his confidence again and enjoyed a lifestyle most envied.
Money bred money. Although he wasn’t in the same financial league as his boss,
he was wealthy beyond what he’d ever expected. He would have said that nothing
was more important than his job.
Until now.
With a sigh, Marc looked back at Alethea.
He should have squeezed out every bit of information he could while she was
vulnerable. It would have been easy enough to manipulate her and she likely
wouldn’t have even remembered it the next day.
But he couldn’t.
Not even for Dominic.
Beneath her tough talk and confident smile,
Alethea was hurting, and he couldn’t ignore that any more than he could have
left his men behind on the battlefield. In the past, they may have been
adversaries, but they were more alike than different when it came to what he
considered most important.
He wanted her.
Needed her.
Would find a way to have her.
He’d dated many women—even come close to
loving a couple of them before things fell apart for one reason or another. But
none had ever gotten under his skin the way Alethea had. None sent his blood
pounding at the mere thought of touching her.
But it was more than that.
He respected her.
Wanted to hold her to him and comfort her.
Or shake some sense into her.
The temptation to crawl into bed beside
her, hold her in his arms, and kiss away the pain he’d seen in her eyes was
strong, but, however much he wanted to protect her, it was his job to outsmart
her. He hoped to God she had nothing to do with the trouble at Corisi
Enterprises.
Tomorrow. He’d figure out what to do
tomorrow. For now, all he could do was watch over her.
A few hours later, she stirred in her sleep
and moaned. Her eyes flew open and she asked into the darkness, “Marc?”
He fought and won against the urge to go to
her. Instead he answered quietly, “Yes?”
“What are you still doing here?” she asked,
sounding surprised and confused.
“Making sure you’re okay.”
She laid her head back on her pillow and
closed her eyes, falling back asleep even as she spoke, “I told you I don’t
need you.”
I know, he thought. But you’re wrong.
Spicier
Excerpt:
She couldn’t take any more. She shifted
until she broke their connection, then continued to squirm until he released
her enough so that her feet were firmly back on the floor. “Don’t. Don’t
pretend this is anything but what it is. This isn’t a date. You’re being paid
to keep me out of the way and that—” she waved her hand in the air beside
her—“that was just the result of two people being thrown together in a
stressful situation.”
He studied her face, then broke out in his
cocky smile. “Your job must be more exciting than mine, because this is not the
norm for me.”
She shoved him back a step. “You’re not
funny.”
He closed the distance between them and was
suddenly serious. “Well, now you’ve hurt my feelings. Looks like I’ll have to
do my best to impress you with my other qualities.”
The evidence of the quality he was
referring to nudged her sex, hard and ready, as he swept down and plundered her
mouth with another deep kiss. A part of her clung to the knowledge that none of
this was real, but the rest of her felt it was too good to pass up. These
memories would have to sustain her, because she would never put herself in this
situation again.
He stopped, raised his head with a funny
expression on his face, and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
She tried to pull his mouth back down to
hers and said, “It doesn’t matter.”
“Tell me,” he demanded.
“No.”
Alethea wasn’t sure what reaction she
expected to her refusal, but she didn’t expect him to pick her up, swing her
over his shoulder, and carry her to his bedroom. He tossed her down on his bed.
Oh, no, he didn’t.
Oh, yes, he did.
This isn’t one of my fantasies. This is
real.
Still naked, she was on her knees and
scrambling past him, but he caught her, flipped her onto her back and, before
she knew what he was doing, he’d secured both of her hands above her head with
handcuffs.
Lying beside her, he said, “I know what
you’re thinking—what man has handcuffs under his bed, right? They were a gag
gift from a buddy of mine. I figured I should keep them here in case I had to
ride out the apocalypse. In case things got boring.” He smiled down at her as
if he couldn’t see the fury in her eyes. “Not that you’re boring. Trust me,
you’re the opposite of boring, but you need to learn to trust people.”
Pulling against the cuffs angrily, Alethea
snarled, “And you think this will do that? All it’s going to do is be my
defense for why I strangled you the second I was set free. ‘Your honor, look at
the bruises on my wrists. He had it coming.’”
Marc ran a hand up one of her arms to just
below where the metal met her wrist. “You won’t have a single mark on you if
you don’t fight it.”
She tried unsuccessfully to whip her arm
away from his touch but was impeded by the restraint. “You might as well tell
me not to breathe. I’m going to free myself and when I do, you will regret
this.”
“I see the problem.”
“Thank God. You’re coming to your senses.
Get the keys now and maybe, just maybe, I’ll forget this ever happened.”
Propped up on one elbow, Marc looked down
at her as if she were a puzzle he was solving. “You can’t turn it off, can you?
Everything is a fight to you.”
“Do these handcuffs come with earplugs?
Because there are laws against torturing people with your psychobabble.”
Instead of rising to her taunt, he laughed.
“I’m beginning to get you. Really get you. You’re scared right now, aren’t you?
That’s why you’re on the attack.”
I’m not afraid of anything, but I’ll go
along with this if it has the potential to provide a window of opportunity.
“You don’t think that locking someone in a bunker, then tying her to a bed, is
cause for concern?”
“I would never hurt you, Alethea. Do you
believe that?”
She looked away. “Then let me go.”
He turned her face back to his and those
beautiful blue eyes seemed to see her soul. “Just this once, let yourself be in
a situation where you’re not in control.”
She shook her head.
He leaned down and whispered in her ear.
“What’s the worst thing that could happen? You find you enjoy it?”
She glared at him.
When she didn’t say anything, he said, “If
you really want me to take off the cuffs, I will. All you have to do is say
it.” He ran a lazy finger over her collarbone and down the side of one breast.
“Or you can trust me to take care of you. That’s what the cuffs are about.
Trust. Yes, they leave you vulnerable, but everything that matters in life
leaves you vulnerable. And sometimes you win by not fighting.”
His words washed over her, filling her with
a warmth she couldn’t deny.
All I have to do is tell him to remove the
cuffs and this is over.
No man controls me, not even for the sake
of sexual experimentation.
I don’t do restraints.
So why am I not demanding my freedom?
He didn’t gloat as she would have expected
a man to. Instead, he quietly waited for her decision.
An unexpected tear came to her eye and in a
thick voice she said, “If you hurt me, I’ll kill you. Literally. Slowly. In the
most painful way I can think of.”
Real shock showed on his face and he
touched her cheek with a gentle hand. “Hey, it’s okay to be scared. Trusting
anyone is always scary.”
He leaned down, took one of her breasts
between his teeth, and pulled ever so gently on her nipple, sending a rush of
heat straight through her. There was no denying how his touch affected her. She
gasped with pleasure when he ran a hand down her stomach and cupped her sex
possessively.
Tempting her.
Teasing her.
Waiting for her to say the words she didn’t
want to say: “I hate you right now.”
He raised his head. “I can’t tell if that
means, ‘Yes, keep going,’ or ‘No, get the hell off me, you pervert.’”
She rubbed her pelvis against him and
moaned. To hell with being in control. Just this once, she wanted to be taken.
Author Bio
NY Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author
of the Legacy Collection and the Texan Nights Series
Ruth Cardello lives on a small farm in
Northern Rhode Island with her husband, three kids, three dogs, two horses, and
some assorted chickens. If there is a happier place on Earth, she hasn't found
it.
If you'd like to email her directly, you
may contact her at Minouri@aol.com
Connect
with Ruth
Website: http://www.ruthcardello.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthieCardello
Other books in this series
Book
1: Maid for the Billionaire (Legacy Collection)
Dominic Corisi knew instantly that Abigail
Dartley was just the distraction he was looking for, especially since having
her took a bit more persuading than he was used to. So when business forces him
to fly to China, he decides to take her with him, but on his terms. No
promises. No complications. Just sex.
Abby has always been the responsible one.
She doesn't believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men - until
she meets Dominic. He's both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination.
Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat
to bring down Dominic's company. With no time to explain her actions, Abby must
either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or
accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him
enough to risk losing him for good?
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maid-for-the-billionaire-ruth-cardello/1100737499?ean=2940032938170
Book
2: For Love or Legacy (Legacy Collection)
Nicole Corisi will lose her inheritance if
she doesn't find a way around the terms of her father's will, but she will have
to partner up with her estranged brother's rival to do it. As pretense becomes
painfully real, Nicole will have to choose between Stephan and the family he is
driven to destroy.
Stephan Andrade has been planning his
revenge ever since Dominic Corisi unscrupulously took over his father's
company. With Corisi Enterprises gambling its reputation on the success of a
new software network for China, Stephan finally has his chance to take back his
legacy. Dominic's younger sister, Nicole, asks Stephan for his help and
provides him with an opportunity to exact his revenge on a personal level.
It all goes smoothly until he falls in
love.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/For-Love-Legacy-Book-Collection-ebook/dp/B005IB03NA/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/For-Love-Legacy-Book-Collection-ebook/dp/B005IB03NA/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-love-or-legacy-ruth-cardello/1105028038?ean=2940013033979
Book
3: Bedding The Billionaire (Legacy Collection)
Lil Dartley's life is upside down. Her
previously steadfast and predictable sister is marrying an influential
billionaire and needs help planning the wedding of the century in less than a
month. Years of middle class rebellion have not prepared Lil for handling
diplomats or paparazzi.
Jake Walton knows a train wreck when he
sees one. Lil was trouble from the first day he met her, but since her sister
is marrying his best friend, he has no choice but to help her or this wedding
will be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Teaching Lil how to fit into
high society would be a whole lot easier if she didn't drive him insane both in
and out of the bedroom.
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bedding-the-billionaire-ruth-cardello/1111922306?ean=2940014652599
Book
4: Saving The Sheikh (Legacy Collection)
Rachid bin Amir al Hantan is fighting for
the sovereignty of his small country. He needs to find some powerful allies -
and fast. Attending the wedding of Dominic Corisi is as much about reconnecting
with old friends as it is about celebrating nuptials. The last thing he needs
right now is the distraction of a woman.
Zhang Yajun is a self-made billionaire who
can’t believe she accepted her friend’s dare to kiss Sheikh Rachid before the
end of the wedding.
When impulsive words lead to even more
impulsive actions, these two will discover that sometimes the last thing you
were looking for is the one thing that can save you.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Saving-Sheikh-Book-Legacy-Collection-ebook/dp/B00A6IEN04/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Saving-Sheikh-Book-Legacy-Collection-ebook/dp/B00A6IEN04/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-the-sheikh-ruth-cardello/1113786284?ean=2940148734741
Book
5: Rise Of The Billionaire (Legacy Collection)
Dreaming of Alethea gave Jeremy Kater the
strength to survive a difficult childhood. Now that he has influential friends
who owe him some big favors, he’s determined to become the kind of man Alethea
would be interested in: rich and dangerous. Jeisa Borreto was hired to help
Jeremy morph into that man. It’s a job she would enjoy, if it weren’t tearing
her heart to pieces.
How can she help him change once she’s
realized she’s fallen in love with the man he’s always been?
Hint: Sleeping with him doesn't help.
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rise-of-the-billionaire-ruth-cardello/1115374552?ean=2940148784760
Looks great!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove all of Ruth's books!! Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteRuthie sent me :)
love this. Ruthie Sent me
ReplyDeleteruthie sent me
ReplyDelete(Donna Cheatle)
ReplyDeleteJust finished this last night! What a great book!!
Ruth's books are always a pleasure to read. I fall in love with her heroes every time and want to be friends with her heroines.
ReplyDelete