"Sizzling chemistry and heartfelt emotions. . ."
Reviewed by Danielle Dresser
Posted September 30, 2020
Romance Contemporary | Romance Billionaire | Romance Series
Sammi Guzman has been a model for her entire life. Raised by a single mother, Sammi has always craved stability, and modeling has always brought in enough money to keep her and her mother comfortable. After an abrupt breakup, Sammi has a one-night stand with the world-renowned photographer, Oliver Lowell. They share one passionate night together, and Sammi thinks she’ll never see him again. . . until she figures out she’s pregnant.
While Oliver frantically searches for the mystery woman who has invaded every part of his brain, he’s dealing with the sudden return of his father, Vernon Lowell, the man who ruined his family’s life and the lives of countless others when he disappeared with millions of dollars from his hedge fund fifteen years ago. Back on American soil and in prison, his father’s presence looms over Oliver’s every move. But when Sammi returns to his life and tells him she’s pregnant with his child, Oliver is unsure what to do next.
Deciding to at least get to know each other better and try to figure things out, Sammi and Oliver start a whirlwind and sexy courtship. When they're together, they both feel like they’ve found a part of themselves that had been missing for so long, but neither is sure this is the real deal or simply lust. As they try to navigate their deep connection as well as their family issues, Sammi and Oliver have to decide if they can move on from their painful pasts together, and start a family of their own. . .
The penultimate story in the entertaining Dynasties: Seven Sins continuity series, UNTAMED PASSION by Cat Schield is an emotional story of two damaged people finding love. Sammi and Oliver have wildly different upbringings--Sammi is Filipina and has been working as a model as long as she can remember, and Oliver was raised in the lap of luxury but was mostly overlooked in favor of his older, more successful brothers. Oliver has never thought of himself as the type of person to have kids, but when Sammi comes to him with the news of her pregnancy, he’s eager to have a chance at a loving family of his own. Both are hesitant to start a committed relationship, but they are more than happy to explore the instant attraction neither can deny. With only one more book left in the Dynasties: Seven Sins series, UNTAMED PASSION sets the stage for the final book, where many of the characters from previous books are sure to be seen again. Sizzling chemistry and heartfelt emotions make this an enjoyable read.
SUMMARY
Feel the drama and passion in the Dynasties: Seven Sins series!
One spectacular night… with an explosive aftermath! Desire as volatile as theirs has consequences that could last a lifetime…
When a single rapturous night with Sammi Guzman leaves the intoxicating model pregnant, photographer Oliver Lowell is determined to embrace his responsibilities. But his wrath over his father’s numerous betrayals has haunted him for years and leaves Oliver feeling ill equipped for parenthood. Passion has never been his and Sammi’s problem, but will this black sheep tame his demons for good?
Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.
One man’s betrayal can destroy generations. Fifteen years ago, a hedge-fund hotshot vanished with billions, leaving the high-powered families of Falling Brook changed forever. Now seven heirs, shaped by his betrayal, must reckon with the sins of the past. Passion may be their only path to redemption. Experience all Seven Sins!
Excerpt“When we first entered the building, I thought maybe you lived here.”
“I do. Upstairs.” He indicated an open staircase off to the left. “Do you want a tour?”
The offer astounded her. Given how little was known of his private life, she guessed he guarded his privacy zealously. Should she feel honored that he’d offered her a glimpse? But at what price?
“Maybe later.”
Turning her back to him, she set her portfolio and purse on a nearby table and stripped off her jacket while she sorted through her conflicting moods. What had seemed like a daring lark at the Soho Grand Hotel no longer felt inconsequential.
“Although I’m sure your mind is racing,” Oliver said, “I can’t for the life of me tell what you’re thinking.”
That I’m completely out of my depth with you.
Sammi trembled as he strolled toward the worktable that held the cameras. What would he see? What would she betray of herself? Her inner turmoil? Her failures? All her life she’d taken for granted that she was beautiful. When he cracked her psyche and exposed her soul, would she be ugly? What could possibly be more terrifying? She wondered how many of his photographs existed. How many people were strong enough to keep a visual representation of their greatest failures and most shameful secrets?
It was a struggle to keep from rubbing at the goose bumps on her arms. “Where do you want me?” she asked, needing to get this over before her courage failed.
“Where would you feel most comfortable?”
She didn’t hesitate before striding toward the white screen. After twenty-five years there was nowhere she felt more at home than on set. Here, she became a girl next door, a seductress, a woman in love, a rag doll, a warrior, a free spirit, a crusader. Or any one of a thousand other incarnations. Finding the center of the backdrop, she turned to face Oliver and found him watching her, his right hand resting on a camera, as if halted amid the act of picking it up.
“How do you get people to open them up so that you can photograph them stripped down to their essence?”
“It’s different for every person. The key is to find the trigger that allows their guard to fall.”
“How do you make that happen?” While Sammi never hesitated when asked to pose in the nude, contemplating the exposure of her inner landscape made her woozy with anxiety. “How do you break down their walls?”
“Before the subject comes in to be photographed, I do a significant amount of research on them.”
“What sort of research?”
“Background on their personal and professional lives.”
Sammi shivered as she considered what her complicated relationship with her mother revealed about her. “I imagine you know exactly what to say to bring up all sorts of negative feelings.”
The way his expression hardened to stone at her remark told her she’d made a misstep.
“I’m not trying to hurt anyone,” he said at last, his flat tone not quite hiding his strong emotions. “The photoshoot isn’t successful if the client is unhappy.”
“That makes sense,” Sammi murmured. “So how do you use the information you gather?”
“I ask questions, get them to talk about pivotal moments in their lives.”
“What would you ask me?”
To her surprise he came away empty-handed from the table of camera equipment. “Why do you want to do this?”
“I want to see what you see when you look at me.”
As good as he was at controlling his facial expressions, her answer had obviously surprised him.
“Why do you care how I see you?”
“Because you make me feel…”
She moved in his direction, keen desire driving away common sense. She’d dated Ty for six months and never once slept with him, yet tonight she’d gone home with a virtual stranger, proving she wasn’t the frigid bitch he’d accused her of being.
“How do I make you feel?” Oliver prompted, hunger intensifying the bold blue of his eyes.
Lust tightened deep in her belly as she tunneled her fingertips beneath his bomber. Riding the hard muscles of his chest and upper arms, she slid the jacket off his broad shoulders and let it fall to the floor.
His strong fingers fanned over her hips, drawing her firmly against his hard planes. A hot ache flared between her thighs as her lower half settled against his. The hard thrust of his growing erection bumped against her as Oliver’s lips grazed along her neck. With a moan she tipped her head to the side and pressed her breasts into his hard chest, communicating her sharp need. Where she half expected anxiousness or doubts to surface, Sammi knew only the enticing shimmer of anticipation rising inside her.
“That tour you offered me earlier,” she said, one hand gliding beneath the hem of his T-shirt and discovering the hot silk of his skin while the fingers of her other hand raked into his thick hair. “I’m ready to take it.”
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