This review is supposed to be for The Contract, by Melanie Moreland. but this review page is confusing, so I hope i'm reviewing the correct product!
The Contract
By Melanie Moreland
Richard, an high-flying advertising exec, an unrepentant tyrant to everyone around him, a man who despises everyone, especially his personal assistant, Katy. Katy, an all-suffering assistant, perfect at her job but unable to put her far too demanding boss in his place. She puts up with behavior that would have me telling my boss where to stuff it and send me running to Human Resources. But she has a reason for tolerating Richard’s attitude, an aunt with Alzheimer’s Disease, whose care Katy pays for. She can’t afford to be fired or to quit. Who’d ever dream these two opposites could ever fall in love?
When he doesn’t receive a coveted promotion, Richard decides to try to get a job at the only other major firm in the area. The problem is that the firm’s owner is family-oriented and would never hire Richard, due to his lack of stable personal relationships. Richard has to come up with a plan. Find a fiancé, a fake fiancé, and make the owner of the new firm believe it’s real. Who does he know who can fill the role? A woman who is loved by all who meet her, who can charm everyone, and is just the type to make anyone believe the romance is real? Katy, of course.
For Katy, this contract will help her support her aunt and improve the care her aunt receives. It will lighten the heavy burden of always trying to find the money to pay for the care. She despises Richard, but she can tolerate anything for a year, right?
So begins this wonderful story. Enemies, become friends, and then, maybe more. This sort of plot may have been done before, but never so well as in this delightful book by Melanie Moreland. The character development is believable in such a way, that I went from disliking Richard to adoring him, and from sort of sneering at Katy for putting up with him, to applauding the way she can take him on outside the job front, and put him in his place. The gradual change in their relationship took the exact right amount of time, not too fast, not too drawn out. We see it happen in ways that work absolutely, in ways I could see it happening with real people.
I love lots of characters in books, never content with just the two main protagonists, and this book has plenty of fun characters to satisfy me. The big engaging family who runs the new firm are delightful, people I’d love to know. They make the story better, as they interact with Richard and Katy. They help make this lovely romance richer and deeper with extra little details that, for me, take a story from good to great.
I’ve been reading Melanie’s work for a number of years now, and the contract is absolutely my favorite so far. She makes me want to smack Richard, then hug him. She makes me want to tell Katy to stand up to him, then applaud when she does. She makes me laugh, makes me angry, makes me smile. Everything a great story should make you feel. And she reminds me, as I’ve become cynical and scorn most romances, that love stories can still be wonderful things to read. I give my highest recommendation to The Contract. I only wish it could have gone on longer, because I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters.
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Popular Highlights in this book
A voice spoke in my head, whispering maybe what she needed all along was someone to hold her up, rather than tear her down.Highlighted by 1,151 Kindle readers- She and Katy showed me it was okay to feel, to trust . . . and to love. Because, in that one moment, I knew I was in love with my wife.Highlighted by 812 Kindle readers
- “When you get older, Richard, you realize life is made up of moments. All sorts of them. Sad ones, good ones, and great ones. They make up the tapestry that is your life. Hold on to all of them—especially the great ones. They make the others easy to take.”Highlighted by 725 Kindle readers
- With those words, he grabbed me, dragged me to him, kissing me as the doors shut, closing off the shocked gasps.Highlighted by 543 Kindle readers
- When had she become more important than I was? She was the sidekick. I was the star.Highlighted by 513 Kindle readers
From the Publisher
“Ready to dance with your husband?”
Her smile was shy, but real, as she slipped her hand into mine.
I twirled her onto the dance floor amid the laughter. She nestled into me as we moved to the music. Once again, it struck me how well she fit to me—the way her head was the perfect height to tuck under my chin. I could smell her soft scent, and enjoyed the silk of her hair on my skin. I beamed as we spun around, our steps in sync.
I had chosen the perfect fake wife.
The Contract has the tropes you are looking for
- Playboy Billionaire
- Employee/Boss Relationship
- Marriage of Convenience
- Close Proximity
- Love Reforms The Hero
About the author
Enjoying the Multifaceted Layers of, "The Contract".
I found the plot endearing. The main players and storyline were described in a way I could visualize each in my head. In reading the first few chapters, however, it was difficult to grasp the identification of the character performing the pertinent actions, but then by the author heading the chapters with a main character's name, it became clear. It was a clever method of writing in the first person from the perspective of two different characters. Well done. The story contained humor, sorrow, sarcasm, clever banter, lighthearted conversations, mean-spirited declarations, endearments, and vulgar language - none of which are out of the realm of reality. The sexual scenes were well-defined and described, however, it took a while to get to them. Overall, "The Contract" was a good read with strong characters and storyline. It flowed well and, with a bit of concentration on the reader's part, was easy to follow. I found the journey quite enjoyable.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2016
Top reviews from other countries
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- Kindle KonvertReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 22, 2018
Humorous, tension-filled, and emotional
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Madame readerReviewed in France on August 29, 2019
Thème classique - mais très bien écrit
