Title: His Brand of Beautiful
Author: Lily Malone
Genre: Romance
The Blurb:
Christina Clay only wants the best when it comes to her family’s iconic Australian wine company, and Tate Newell has the best marketing brain in the business. But there are some people in the world Tate doesn’t want to work for and Clay Wines’ eccentric chief executive is high on his list. Christina collects causes like some women collect shoes, and every time she opens her mouth, he’s reminded of the one person he wants to forget.
Sometimes, to get a woman out of your head, you have to let her in.
Before Christina can say Crocodile Dundee, she’s in a two‐seater plane flying into the heart of central Australia to visit Tate’s childhood roots: the remote cattle station his family still own and run. It’s a ‘research project’ he says, to see just how ‘wild’ she wants her new wine brand to be.
Battling the demons of a previous miscarriage, Christina soon has a project of her own in mind when it comes to Tate, and less than a day into her outback research trip, her ovaries are ticking. She wants a baby and a brand. And in Tate, she’s found the one man who can give her both.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed reading this debut novel by Lily Malone. HIS BRAND OF BEAUTIFUL was often light-hearted, sometimes full of drama, and very Australian. I do like my wines and found the story line being set around the development of a marketing strategy to be both informative, and fun. When I first started out drinking wine the bottles would get chosen simply because of the label. In my opinion, if the label looked good the wine must taste good! I am a bit more discerning now – but still have my let’s pick a new wine by its label moments – and these labels would be top notch!
Christina is very focused on her own needs and that she knows what is best for her (insert borderline selfish here). To be fair though, it is not a surprise when the reader learns that in the past when Christina depended on someone she had been badly let down. Her sister-in-law keeps Christina’s attitude mostly in check and is one of the few people not afraid to stand up to Christina. Tate has personal baggage as well; he has taken on the blame for his young sister’s death in Africa. While the two of them are out to prove different things, and often lock horns, the relationship does progress to its much anticipated HEA.
One thing in the book really, really annoyed me – the condom scene – when he raises the fact that he doesn’t have one, she says don’t worry I’m safe and on they go!! I felt that it was such an irresponsible event in this ‘safe sex’ day and age. I know Christina wanted to get pregnant (as that is in the blurb) but boy-oh-boy this was not the way to do it. I’m not sure what the answer is, but it does bother me that as parents we are preaching to the young boys and girls of today about using condoms as protection from STDs that kill you and many romance novels are not encouraging it.
Having got that off my chest, don’t let it hold you off from reading HIS BRAND OF BEAUTIFUL, it is a perfect book to curl up with on a Sunday afternoon – with a large glass, or two, of Australian red near at hand.
Rating: C – Above average. Was very readable and enjoyable
For more about the author – Click Here
With thanks to Harlequin Enterprises Australia and the author via Netgalley.
His Brand of Beautiful is book # 13 for AWW2013
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