Series: Happily Ever After Inc. (Book 2)
How could she be his perfect match?
Prince Alain "Finn" Phineas pledged his love to
Juliet Villere once -- and she betrayed him. Despite the desire he still feels,
Finn would never act on those feelings again. Not even when Juliet is chosen
for him by an elite matchmaker. Then fate, in the form of the royal family,
intervenes.
Trapped alone on a beautiful island, they are held
"captive" until Finn can convince Juliet to marry him and end a
political nightmare. His motives should be about serving his country. So why
does his heart yearn for a second chance with Juliet…a real chance this time?
What happens when a rock meets a hard place? Finn and Juliet had known and loved each other a year ago, until her brother died in an accident. Juliet blamed his mandatory service in the military and was furious and hurt when Finn didn't support her in her calls for change. At the same time, Finn felt betrayed that Juliet couldn't see that he had to stand with his king and his country. So they parted ways, each brokenhearted but unable or unwilling to do anything about it.
Finn has spent the last year trying to forget Juliet. He's gone a bit overboard, earning the nickname "Party Prince", until his father insists that it's time for him to settle down. Since he won't risk his heart again, he agrees to use a matchmaker to hook him up with a woman he can at least be friends with. He's furious when the program matches him to Juliet, but intrigued enough by the changes he sees to at least have dinner with her.
When Juliet heard that Finn's engagement would soon be announced, she knew she couldn't stay in Delamer any longer. In spite of what he had done, she knew she still had feelings for him and it would hurt too much to see him with someone else. So she signed up with the matchmaking service in hopes of finding a husband that could help her forget. She wasn't at all happy to discover she had been matched to Finn, who she never expected to see again.
Their dinner together showed that their connection was still as strong as ever, but it also showed that neither had forgotten what tore them apart in the first place. They admit that their differences won't allow for a future together, but before they can part ways they are kidnapped and left stranded on an island together. Finn discovers that the kidnapping was orchestrated by his father, who wants Finn to romance Juliet out of her convictions and over to their side of the issue. Finn wants that second chance with Juliet, but not for those reasons. He also wants a chance to feel like he's actually doing something important for his country and his father, not just being the "spare".
Finn and Juliet are so stubborn I had to wonder how the author was ever going to get them to work out their differences. Neither one seemed able to give an inch in their views, to consider finding a compromise that would work for both of them. Once they got to the island and were alone together, things started looking up a little. If they avoided talking about that one issue, they were fantastic together. The attraction was intense and had a tendency to overpower their good intentions. They had so many other things in common including a love for their country and a desire to help their people. But every time they tried to talk about that one thing their emotions took over. It wasn't until they had parted again that each one actually thought about points that the other made during their arguments. I loved seeing how things came together for them in the end. The ballroom scene was fantastic.
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