FROM ENEMY'S DAUGHTER TO EXPECTANT BRIDE is Book one in the Billionaires of Black Castle series by Olivia Gates. I normally avoid revenge themed romances -- especially when the hero is the one seeking revenge. What usually happens is that the heroine is either used as a pawn or is hurt by the hero in some devastating way. FROM ENEMY'S DAUGHTER TO EXPECTANT BRIDE is enjoyable for me because Rafael Salazar is a better hero than that.

Rather than most heroes thirsty for revenge for something as trivial as a business deal gone bad, Rafael was horribly wronged and treated cruelly in his past. He is a romantic and Gothic figure -- a man with a tragic past and no family except for a band of close comrades. Olivia Gates creates a wonderfully sensual and magical first meeting for Rafael and Eliana. I love the feeling of kismet and that both characters appear to be bewitched by the other. This is why I love reading stories by Olivia Gates. Not only does FROM HIS ENEMY'S DAUGHTER TO EXPECTANT BRIDE have an abundance of passion, but the feeling of enchantment comes through the page. One of my favorite scenes is when Eliana calls Rafael out on his flowery speech. Somehow he manages to spout many poetic and flowery endearments while still appearing very masculine and powerful.

As the title suggests, Eliana is the daughter of the man Raphael sees as his most hated enemy. However, she is not aware of that. One thing I really like about Raphael is that he never tries to punish Eliana for her father's supposed crimes or tries to use her in any way. What makes him such a fantastic hero for me and the stuff of fantasies is that once he falls for Eliana, he falls and falls hard. Even while plotting her father's destruction, he's trying to figure out how to do it in a way that she is most shielded from.

FROM HIS ENEMY'S DAUGHTER TO EXPECTANT BRIDE is exactly the kind of intensely passionate love story I've come to expect from Olivia Gates. Whether her heroes are business tycoons or desert sheikhs, they are all sexy, strong, alpha males who usually have a hidden heart of gold and this story is no exception. I eagerly await the next installment in this Billionaires of Black Castle series, as well as any other future books by Olivia Gates.