THE HARD BARGAIN (Love and the City #3) by Julie Tetel Andresen-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 26, 2019.

The curtain goes up on an unforgettable contemporary when Arthur Wexler is forced to protect his birthright after his aunt triggers “the marriage clause.”

An old-fashioned clause in the Wexler corporate documents requires Arthur to either get married within the year or forfeit his inheritance. Upon being ambushed by his aunt and the company lawyers with the news the clause will be invoked, he acts as if he has everything in control. He calmly assures his aunt he’ll bring his fiancée to the next family dinner.

Now he has to scramble. With the help of his best friend – a theater producer – Arthur hires Carla Pereira, a talented but currently unemployed actress, to play his fiancée-for-a-day. Carla performs perfectly, but real life doesn’t come with a script, and Arthur and Carla have to adapt to unforeseen circumstances.

When one simple dinner turns into an invitation for Carla to join the family on a week-long Caribbean cruise, the question becomes: How long can Arthur keep up the charade before the lines start to blur between acting and real feelings?

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REVIEW:  THE HARD BARGAIN is the third instalment in Julie Tetel Andresen’s contemporary, adult LOVE THE CITY romance series. This is businessman Arthur Wexler, and stage actress Carla Pereira’s story line. THE HARD BARGAIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. You do not have to have read the previous stories in the series.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Arthur and Carla) THE HARD BARGAIN follows the fake fiancé relationship between businessman Arthur Wexler and stage actress Carla Pereira. Arthur Wexler’s Aunt Jeanette, the family matriarch, has called in the ‘clause’ forcing Arthur to marry before his next birthday or risk losing his inheritance but Arthur isn’t currently dating anyone, and finds himself at the local auditions for an off-Broadway show his best friend Jason is about to direct. Enter stage actress Carla Pereira, and the woman with whom Arthur will fall in love. What ensues is the fake fiancé relationship between Carla and Arthur that turns into something more.

Carla’s introduction to Aunt Jeanette is filled with lies and secrets that force Carla into the best acting role of her life, but Carla and Arthur are blindsided when Aunt Jeanette invites Carla on the family’s yearly cruise, a cruise that forces Arthur and Carla to keep up the ruse of friends and lovers. Together and alone, Carla and Arthur act on their attraction that quickly turns their fake relationship into something more.

The relationship between Carla and Arthur begins as a business arrangement in which Carla is paid to act as Arthur’s fiancé but Carla has many secrets, that if revealed, may force Arthur to walk away before getting too involved. Carla must play the part of a well-travelled fiancé, a fiancé whose real life is less than glamorous, bordering on heart break and ruin. The $ex scenes are mostly implied.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Arthur’s brother Frederick and his fiancé David; Arthur’s friend and director Jason; Aunt Jeanette, Carla’s mother, and her Uncle Gabe.

THE HARD BARGAIN is a story of family, friendships, obligations and lies. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the characters are energetic and sassy; the romance is a slow build into love and a happily ever after.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy