One Night with His Rival
By Robyn Grady
“Wanting something doesn’t make it good for you.”
Wealthy horse breeder Ajax Rawson can have any woman he wants. So why can’t he keep his hands off the one woman he can’t have? Beautiful, independent and passionate, Veda Darnel is the daughter of his family’s biggest competitor. Years of bad business blood makes their affair dangerous…and forbidden. But will accusations of foul play end their star-crossed romance before it even begins?
"For years, she had dreamed of Ajax Rawson telling her she was beautiful, making her blush. But that night he'd done so much more than that."
Veda Darnel, the one woman Ajax could not have. A long and bitter family feud between his father and Veda's ensured that the two of them had no business being together. But, when he kissed her, when he made love to her, the feud seemed irrelevant, stupid even.
Ajax Rawson was all kinds of wrong. He was renowned for his beautiful women, and it was well-known that the chase was his thing — even his sister agreed with that. And what would happen if her father found out? And yet, when Ajax looked at her, when he smiled just for her, Veda found it increasingly difficult to stop herself from wondering if the two of them had a future — a real happy-ever-after future.
However, before their relationship had even begun, a scandal hits the Rawson horse breeding and racing ranch which could have disastrous consequences for not only the Rawson family but the Darnel's as well.
From an illicit night of passion to a promise of forever, One Night with His Rival by Robyn Grady is what romance stories are all about.
With a narrative that is comfortingly familiar and enough obstacles for the dashing hero and determined, yet insecure, heroin to overcome, One Night with His Rival was everything I had hoped this book would be.
Grady has given us a ruggedly handsome cowboy in Ajax Rawson. He has a reputation of being a bit of a lady’s man and has been bestowed by the rather cringe-worthy name of Stud. And although he shies away from serious commitment, he does this out of fear, and not because he disrespects women. Ajax suffered deeply when his mother died when he was younger, but as his father crumbled beneath the weight of his grief, Ajax had stepped up, taken over and got his family through it. Ajax is a man of deep emotion, but he never wants to find himself in the same position as his father had been — if he should love, and for whatever reasons, he lost her, how would he survive it? But along came Veda, and all the promises he had made to himself seem somewhat irrelevant, for his heart is telling him, in no uncertain terms, that she is the one. I really adored Ajax, he is honourable and so incredibly compassionate, that it was no wonder that Veda almost swooned every time she saw him. He is also a character who is willing to not only listen to another's point of view, but also make judgements on his own life, because of that point of view. I thought he was a wonderful hero, that really drove this story forward.
Veda has many demons to slay through the course of this novel. Her childhood was not a happy one, and even now, she is still paralysed by panic attacks. Veda has been fighting her own demons all her life, and I thought the way Grady portrayed her anxiety, and how it affected not only the mind but the body was particularly well-drawn. Veda is also incredibly insecure, and spends the whole of this book thinking the worst of Ajax — she is convinced he will become bored with her and to avoid a hurt that may come later, she tries to guard her heart by convincing herself that what she feels for Ajax is just a physical reaction. I really felt for Veda, she is such a lovely, wonderful heroine, who at the end of the day, just wants to be loved. Her attempts to push Ajax away, was understandable, considering her past. But, with small steps, she comes to realise that love doesn't quite mean what she thought it was.
One Night With His Rival is a classic romance, with everything a reader would come to expect from such a book. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, and I simply could not put it down. In fact, I read it in one sitting.
If you are looking from some wonderful escapism romance, then check out One Night with His Rival by Robyn Grady.
I Highly Recommend.
Review by Mary Anne Yarde.
The Coffee Pot Book Club
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One Night with His Rival
Robyn Grady
Robyn Grady's stories have been published in 29 languages with millions of copies sold worldwide. Her books have appeared at award ceremonies including the National Readers’ Choice, the Booksellers Best, and Australia's prestigious Romance Book of the Year.
Connect with Robyn: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads.
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