Rebel's Bargain

By Annie West

When the thrill-seeker returns!

Five years ago, Poppy Graham married Orsino Chatsfield beneath a confetti of paparazzi flashbulbs. But in her darkest hour, he let her down. Their split was bitter, and Poppy has strived for her independence and acceptance ever since. But now her arrogant husband is back…

Injured in a climbing accident, there's only one person Orsino can turn to…his wife! They have unfinished business, and he'll face it before he walks away forever. But the blazing passion between them reignites in an instant, leaving Orsino to wonder whether it will kill or cure!

Welcome to The Chatsfield, London!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Nov 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781488704505

Annie West

Annie has devoted her life to an intensive study of charismatic heroes who cause the best kind of trouble in the lives of their heroines. As a sideline she researches locations for romance, from vibrant cities to desert encampments and fairytale castles. Annie lives in eastern Australia with her hero husband, between sandy beaches and gorgeous wine country. She finds writing the perfect excuse to postpone housework. To contact her or join her newsletter, visit www.annie-west.com

Reviews for Rebel's Bargain

[grandmacootie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Couldn’t stop reading Rebel’s Bargain! This is Book Seven of The Chatsfield series. All books are stand-alone and by different authors, with The Chatsfield being the common thread. I won this book in an online contest.This is one of those books that just draws you in and never lets go. At the end of the excerpt I knew I had to read the full story – right now! And once I started the story I couldn’t put it down. We hear Orsino’s point of view first. He’s been injured, he needs care, and he is very vulnerable beneath that suave, sexy exterior. I was very interested. Then we hear Poppy’s point of view. She and Orsino are no longer together, and she has as many bad memories and trust issues as he does. But it’s like there is a magnetic force field pulling her to him. By this point I wasn’t just interested, I was hooked. And all in about the first 10 pages.Just as I sat down to write this review I saw this quote somewhere: “Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm you heart or burn down your house, you can never tell. – Joan Crawford.” This could have been written about Orsino and Poppy. It is so obvious (to us anyway, if not to them) that they still love each other. But they are both hurt, damaged, impulsive, impatient, and maybe a little bit selfish. They haven’t always made the best choices or stopped to think about or explain what is going on. They have primed themselves not to expect love. So they can’t figure out what is happening to them and why they feel as they do. In their own way they are each very tender and protective of the other, but also very, very, wary. They believe they can live together while Poppy nurses Orsino, and enjoy a physical relationship without any strings or references to what has gone between them. Orsino says, “I’ll cut you a deal, Poppy. I won’t mention the past if you don’t. It has no bearing on this. The past is behind us. But the physical attraction isn’t. Why not enjoy it? Why not let it run its course so when we part this time it will be completely over? There won’t be any lingering shreds of . . . connection.” Why not, indeed? Well, after witnessing the energy between these two, and the underlying emotion, you know this physical-attraction-only thing isn’t going to work. But it is delightful watching them traverse this minefield.Orsino reminds me a little bit of Roarke (as in Eve & Roarke). Not a bad thing at all. Kind of a developing Roarke, not as savvy or as able to take care of himself, but developing that social conscience and with that same fire and desire to possess and care for his woman. He wants to be cool and calm, because after all, this is just an interlude before they part forever, but his feelings keeping erupting. And erupting.Annie West has a gift for portraying characters that seem so real you can almost imagine the rest of their lives. They are stubborn and sweet, and the romance is exciting and leaves you breathless. You are impatient for what comes next but don’t want it to end.This was a very enjoyable read that I recommend without reservation, and a new to me author that I will follow.