THE FORTUNE HUNTER - Jasmine Haynes

Berkley Sensation

ISBN: 0-425-21917-8

November 2007

Erotic Contemporary Romance

Silicon Valley, California - Present Day

As she watches all the beautiful people at the party, Faith Castle can't help but feel out of place. Oh, she has every right to be there as heiress to a fortune 500 company, but she doesn't look or feel the part. Faith is content as an elementary school teacher, although she longs for children of her own. A dream she fears will never bear fruit because of her looks. All that changes though when she meets Connor Kingston, a handsome businessman who is actually interested in her. But is his interest in her purely personal? What Connor proposes is not what Faith would ever expect, but she feels that a marriage of convenience is the best way for her to get what she wants.

Connor Kingston needs Faith Castle...and not just for business. Though she's the daughter of the man whom Connor works for, he feels that a marriage between the two of them will satisfy both their needs. And let's be honest, after Connor saw her playing peeping tom with a couple at the party, he's more than positive that Faith will be one hell of a lover. Now, all he has to do is convince her that he can be the husband she's looking for but with one condition: in exchange for his fidelity, she will come to his bed, willing to try anything.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a female lead who has low self-esteem, because throughout the course of the book she will gradually become confident with herself. But when the character constantly bemoans her lack of beauty, it becomes a bit annoying. Such is the case with the heroine in THE FORTUNE HUNTER. From the very first page, Faith tells readers that she's no classic beauty; then proceeds to say it again and again and again. A fish out of water, yes...but that point doesn't need to be hit home in nearly every chapter. And that's not the only problem Jasmine Hayne's latest book suffers. I find the idea of Connor wanting Faith so he can climb higher up the corporate ladder highly unromantic. He believes that the lust they have for each other is enough, and wants to base a marriage on that.

With a bit more character development, THE FORTUNE HUNTER could have been a steamy romance about two people who need each other in more ways than one. But their lack of  growth kept it from being just that.

Courtney Michelle