"In the series Park Avenue Scandals, Lewis' latest is splendidly written and deliciously scandalous"
Reviewed by Jude Davis
Posted October 6, 2008
Romance Series
Sebastian Stone is not only the Prince of Caspia, but also
the temptation of many a young beauty queen in Manhattan.
Handsomely etched features and dynamic charisma, he has it
all including money. The one thing he needs is his
assistant, Tessa Banks to keep his business running
smoothly. What he doesn't bank on is her quitting and moving
to California to be with a sleazy lawyer!
Tessa Banks can't take it anymore. She has been Sebastian's
loyal servant for far too long. Her desire to have him as
more than her boss is absurd. It's high time she start
thinking of her future in a realistic manner. A safe man, a
good home and children -- that's what she needs. And she
certainly won't get that with her boss.
Sebastian is determined to keep Tessa no matter what it
takes. Two weeks notice should be enough to prove he could
be a prince charming. Sweeping her away to his homeland in
Caspia should do the trick. It's beautiful there and he
falls in love with it every time he goes home. What he
didn't plan on was falling in love with so many other
things!
Jennifer Lewis has a scandal worth its weight in gold in
PRINCE OF MIDTOWN. There is no way to read this book without
falling in love with Sebastian and Caspia. The land is
majestic and the characters are splendid. Calgon isn't even
this good! Take me away PRINCE OF MIDTOWN.
SUMMARY
Crown Prince and billionaire businessman Sebastian Stone
needs assistant Tessa Banks to hold his life together. But
being around her gorgeous and charming boss all day is the
last thing Tessa needs in her quest for a normal life. When
she tries to quit, Sebastian insists she stay long enough
to come to Caspia and arrange a meeting, sure that his own
charms, combined with those of his beautiful and ancient
nation, will win her back. Tessa’s worst fears are realized as their relationship
turns shockingly unprofessional and she falls hard in love
with Sebastian—and his magical country. There’s just one
problem: the heir to the throne of Caspia must take a bride
of noble blood—not an American girl from a blue collar
background.
Excerpt"You can't leave." Sebastian Stone, Crown Prince of Caspia, spoke with such
authority and conviction that for a moment Tessa Banks
actually believed him. Her boss's hard, handsome features seemed taut with
stronger emotion than usual. He shoved a hand through his
black hair and rose from the wide antique desk in his
Midtown Manhattan office. Tessa's stomach contracted with anxiety—and with the
infuriating heat of arousal he always stirred in her. Hang tough. This is your life. She took a deep breath. "I've been your personal assistant
for almost five years. I appreciate the freedom and
responsibility you've entrusted me with, but it's time for
me to move on." "Move on?" He blew out an exasperated breath. "This is not
a gypsy caravan. It's a business. I'm counting on you to
help me sort out this mess that's been dumped in my lap." Tessa resisted the urge to point out that Caspia Designs
might well have more in common with a gypsy caravan than an
actual business. The conglomerate of luxury brands was
colorful, extravagant and weighted with tradition. A
crystal ball might reveal more lucid information than
accounting ledgers that could only be described
as "creative." It was obvious, however, that her boss was not in a joking
mood. He strode across the office and grabbed the pile of papers
from his in-box. "Please schedule a meeting tomorrow
morning with Reed Wellington. I wish to consult him about
my plans for Caspia Designs." He paused and flicked through
the mail, a frown on his majestic brow. "And you must find
me a new house sitter." What? Did he plan to simply ignore her resignation? Tessa's skin prickled with a combination of fury and
desperation as she stood in speechless silence. Her boss shook his head as he studied one paper. Accounts
receivable, probably. It wasn't a pretty sight. She wished she wasn't leaving at a time when Sebastian
needed help pulling Caspia Designs together. He'd been
handed the reins of the once-prestigious company by his
father, the king, only to discover it was in a shambles. But if this was how little concern he showed for her needs,
she should be glad to leave him in the lurch. Things must be serious, though. For one thing, he was
wearing a suit. Usually his broad chest bore the insignia
of whatever luxury brand he'd most recently convinced to
open a boutique in his beloved Caspia. Fendi, Prada, Gucci—
if there was a T-shirt with the logo on it, Sebastian
cheerfully wore it to celebrate the new partnership. Today fine gray wool draped his powerful physique. She
should heave a sigh of relief that at least she didn't have
to tear her gaze from his impressive biceps. Right now she was too damn angry to care. She laid her company PDA on the desk. "I'm moving to
California in two weeks. If you prefer, I can leave
immediately." Sebastian muttered a curse, but still didn't look up. He
flipped over a page of the report she'd put together and
traced a column of numbers with a sturdy finger. Tessa blinked, struggling to keep her breathing under
control. After all this time she was another office fixture, like
the Aeron chair, the platinum penholder or the rack of
servers. A simple, functional object without a will of its
own. "Goodbye." Her voice shook as she took a step toward the
door. She had to climb over one of the cardboard crates of
dusty papers that had consumed most of this last month,
including three solid weekends. She'd given enough of her
life in service to the Crown of Caspia. "Where are you going?" Sebastian's voice rattled the antique floor-to-ceiling
windows that flooded the nineteenth-century brownstone with
light. "If you'd cared enough to listen, you'd know I'm leaving
for California!" She'd never raised her voice to him
before. Sebastian put the file on the leather surface of the
desk. "Tessa, you can't be serious?" "Why not?" She wished her voice didn't sound so whiny and
uncertain. "Because I need you." Spoken in his deep voice, the words echoed through her. She steadied herself with a hand on the door frame. If only he did need her, not just a faceless assistant who
took care of everything so efficiently that she rendered
herself invisible. But he didn't. He had celebutantes and supermodels and
starlets from Hollywood to Bollywood hurling themselves at
him every minute of the day. She should know. She fielded their calls. "Tessa." He stepped toward her, skillfully negotiating an
open box of papers. "You do realize I'd be lost without
you." His eyes fixed on hers with penetrating intensity. Large,
dark and slightly almond shaped, those eyes had the power
to make her do almost anything. Her toes curled inside her shoes. He's just saying it to stop you from leaving him in the
lurch. Still… She lifted her chin. "I'm turning thirty in a month." She
hesitated. Her personal life wasn't his business. "What does that have to do with anything?" Typical. Why would he care that she wanted a husband,
children, a real life? No need to mention that, she told herself. Better to leave
with a shred of dignity. "It's time for a change." "Tessa." He crossed his arms and stared at her. "If you
were dissatisfied with your position in any way, you should
have come to me immediately. Is it your job title? Your
salary? We'll change them right now." "It's neither of those things." She hesitated, anxious not to reveal that he was part of
the reason she needed to leave. Sebastian Stone, christened The Prince of Midtown by the
New York tabloids who tracked his every bold move, was a
constant reminder of everything she was missing. Especially since he barely knew she was alive. "I feel as if I'm stuck in a rut. My life is slipping
through my fingers…" Could she come up with anything that
wasn't a soggy cliché? "And California is the golden land of opportunity?" "I know it isn't, but I need to shake things up." She
shrank from his forceful black gaze and paced across the
room. Her heart hammered beneath her designer dress. "What's the job you've been offered?" She shoved her hair behind her ear. "I don't have a job
lined up yet. I'm sure I can find one when I get there." "Then why California? You're not running off after some
man, are you?" Tessa froze. Her stomach lurched. "There is someone, yes." Sebastian hesitated. An unfamiliar sensation crept over
him. "I didn't know you were seeing someone." "Well." Tessa blinked. "You're my boss." "But we're friends, too, are we not? You could have told me
you were being swept off your feet and were preparing to
run away and desert me." "You've been in Caspia for the last three months. I haven't
seen you." True. "And it's not as if he's asked me to marry him or anything,
so there wasn't that much to tell." She shoved a hand into
her hair. Long, golden hair. Rumpled, as if she'd been
running her fingers through it all day. Unexpected desire mingled with the irritation in his
blood. "So he's asked you to move clear across the country
for him, but he's not even proposed to you?" Her high-boned cheeks colored. "No. It's not like that." "Who is this man?" Tessa blew out a breath. "His name's Patrick Ramsay. He's a
lawyer." She picked up a paperweight off the desk and held
it poised in her elegant fingers. "We've been seeing each
other for a few months. He's joining a practice in L.A.
and, two days ago, he asked me if I'd like to move there
with him." "And you said yes?" Disbelief and indignation made him
splutter. She spun on her long, slender legs and strode across the
room. "I told him I had to think about it. Now I've thought
about it." She kept her face turned away from him. "And
I've decided it's just the change I need." "You're wrong." He'd never been so sure of anything. She turned to face him, her green eyes wide. "I feel bad
leaving, especially now that you've taken over Caspia
Designs. I know there's a lot of work to do. But what if
this is my one chance?" Her voice rose to a high note that tugged at something in
his chest. How could such a beautiful and talented woman be
willing to throw her whole life away on a gamble? "The name Patrick Ramsay rings a bell." An alarm bell. "He's quite well known. He represented Elaina Ivanovic in
her divorce from her husband Igor." Sebastian's hackles shot up. "The divorce lawyer?" He'd
seen that smarmy hustler on TV. Patrick Ramsay didn't know
the meaning of the term low blow. She nodded, jerked her imploring gaze from him and started
across the far end of the room. "He's very nice, really.
Busy, as you'd expect, but kind and thoughtful and— Oh!" She tripped on an open box and sprawled forward. Adrenaline
surged through Sebastian and he leaped across the
room. "Are you hurt?" "No! I'm fine. How silly of me." She blushed charmingly as
he helped her up, her hand hot inside his. On her feet, she pushed her hair back. "It's my fault for
leaving these boxes everywhere. I'll stack them against the
wall before I go." "You'll do no such thing." He still held her hand. He
didn't want to let go of it. To let go of Tessa. She was the best assistant he'd ever had. Since he now
spent most of his time in Europe, he needed someone he
could count on to show up for work even with no one else
there. Tessa had proven herself a sharp-minded self-starter
and—until now—as steadfast as the rocks in the ancient
harbor at Caspia. He trusted her with everything, from his personal affairs
to the embarrassing state of Caspia Designs's financials. She tried to pull her hand back. He held it fast. "Tessa, you are indispensable to me. What can I say that
will make you stay?" Her gaze skittered over his face and he sensed the swell of
her emotion. Her muscles tensed, as if she wanted to say
something but couldn't form the words. Why had he never noticed how mobile and expressive her
mouth was? Or that her skin had an iridescent sheen, like a
haze of gold dust? In that moment of contemplation she jerked back and tugged
her hand from his grasp. Cool air assaulted his palm. She turned and strode away, her slim body held stiff. "I
don't want anything." "I do." The words fell from his lips before he'd formulated the
thoughts to go along with them. It pained him to see her pacing the floor like a nervous
colt, ready to gallop off to disaster. She belonged here, with him. His own conviction surprised him. Was some primal masculine
jealousy aroused by the thought of her with another man? Possibly. She bent over a box filled with hanging files. Her back
strained under the weight as she tried to lift it. "Put that down." He marched over, hefted the box off the
floor and shoved it against the wall. The exertion felt
good. Then he heaved another into position next to it. He
glanced at Tessa. "I don't want you injuring yourself." A brow shot up and her green eyes flashed. "I may be
skinny, but I'm strong." She picked up a box, dumped it next to his, then dusted her
hands and placed them on her hips. Which had the
unfortunate effect of drawing his attention to the
hourglass waist hidden inside her simple gray dress. Desire heated his blood. "You know you're only making it more impossible for me to
let you go." He smiled. She flashed back a defiant grin. Then it faded. "I can't
stay." Her pulse fluttered at her neck and he resisted a sudden,
fierce urge to press his lips to the quivering, warm skin. "I'm afraid I can't let you go." She let out a sharp laugh. "You can't let me? Off with her
head? Those days are over, even if you are a prince." He laughed. "A beheading does sound counterproductive. But
I do insist you give the ancient, sovereign nation of
Caspia at least the customary two weeks'notice." A plan
blossomed in his mind. "You must come to Caspia with me.
Immediately." "Oh." A tiny fire lit inside her eyes. Good. "I need you to arrange an immediate meeting of the
principals of Caspia Designs. The chief executives of each
of the subsidiary brands must be there, no matter what it
takes to bring them." He watched for her reaction. The prospect of cajoling
pleasure-seeking European plutocrats into attending to
actual business might make some people quit on the spot. But not Tessa. A glow of appreciation filled him as she
simply nodded. "To be honest, when I took the job, I hoped it would
involve some travel. I'd be glad to come to Caspia before I
go." Had he truly never taken her to Caspia before? Surely he'd
remember the vision of all that golden hair being tossed by
the sea breeze. He'd grown to think of travel as a tiresome
necessity. He clapped his hands together. "We'll fly
tomorrow in my private plane. Arrange for a 2:00 p.m.
departure." Energy surged through him as his plan took shape. This trip
would take Tessa's mind off that divorce-mongering cad who
wanted to steal her away from him. Not that his interest in her was personal, of course. He
took both business and pleasure very seriously, which meant
keeping them strictly separate. But the charms of Caspia—combined with some judicious charm
on his part—would soon make Tessa realize she'd been crazy
to ever think of leaving.
What do you think about this review?
Comments
No comments posted.
Registered users may leave comments.
Log in or register now!
|
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy