The Brazilian's Blackmail Bargain (Harlequin Presents)

The Brazilian's Blackmail Bargain - Abby Green As a Harlequin Presents fan, I’ll sometimes find myself thinking, “I crave a story about an alpha guy who thinks the innocent heroine is a gold-digging whore and then feels terrible when he finds out he’s wrong... but I don’t want to read the same old crap.” If you find yourself in a similarly schizophrenic mood, here’s a great story to try. The basic plot is very much the classic formula, but it has a verve that hits me in all the right places. This is one of those books I’m often drawn to reread sections of for a catharsis fix.As I reread it this time, I tried to pinpoint what works so well. I think it’s that so much attention is paid to emotions, both for the hero and the heroine. They feel a lot, most of it ambivalent -- so drawn to each other, yet so convinced the other is cold/heartless/greedy/what have you. The emotions really draw me in. And of course the hero Caleb is tender and loving towards Maggie, despite how badly he thinks of her -- because he just can't help himself. Gotta love it!The feelings are so well drawn, that despite the main characters being at odds for much of the book, it doesn't feel like a bickerfest. Just some lovely angst and suffering, culminating in a perfect happy ending. Happy sigh.