Billion Dollar Bride (Maitland Maternity, Book 8)

The Cahill-Lamont wedding would have been a coup for wedding planner Anna Maitland if she wasn't so certain that the bride and groom, two good friends, weren't making the biggest mistake of their lives. Anna's priority was making the day a dream for Caroline Lamont but when she discovered that wealthy businessman Austin Cahill sought this marriage for the sake of producing an heir to leave his fortune to, she couldn't help but disapprove despite claims from both parties that they were certain that this was what they wanted. Still another problem arose when her brilliant son Will found a kindred spirit in Austin. And yet, the more Anna comes to know and understand what motivates Austin, the more she finds herself drawn to him. For Austin Cahill, marriage to his friend Caroline is ideal. Neither of them is capable of love and all he wants is a child to leave everything to. But when he meets their wedding planner, he can't help but admire Anna for her poise, her wit, and her incredible son. As he becomes more involved in making decisions regarding the wedding, he unexpectedly finds himself falling in love with Anna and her son. Muriel Jensen's installment of the Maitland Maternity series is the best yet. The story is fluid and the characters are engaging. She turns what could be clichéd into something creative and endearing. Austin is a hero who isn't heartless despite the circumstances involving his intent to wed. His decision to marry Caroline is not a dispassionate one because he knows that the two of them truly are good friends. And though Jensen could have employed a love triangle as a tool, she doesn't. Instead, Anna comes to respect both Austin and Caroline despite her misgivings about preparing this wedding. Anna is a strong heroine who has endured a loveless marriage so her concern for Caroline becomes sincere and admirable. She is also able to relate to Austin and his need for family. But she never behaves unprofessionally and always displays her utter sense of responsibility. One of the best things about this story is the fact that it is not their immediate attraction that pulls Austin and Anna together so much as a grudging friendship whose potential for love is explored with the help of Will, the ten-year old financial wizard who is Anna's pride and a source of mild envy for Austin. There is a secret that Anna does keep from Austin that is paramount to the story but it is worked through thoroughly and without breaking the fluidity of this story. In addition, Jensen also juggles the secondary plots incredibly well, integrating them into the story without detracting from the appeal of Austin, Anna, and Will's story.