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Brazilian millionaire, Leonardo da Silva, is still seething from when his African-American wife, Alexa, walked out on him four months ago. Now she’s in his office asking for a business loan to help her brother. Instead of a loan, he’s willing to give her the money, but only if she resumes her role as his wife for the next two months. She reluctantly agrees, and she soon finds herself wishing their arrangement was permanent. But when she finds out about Leonardo’s betrayal, there may be no way for them to mend their broken marriage.
Delaney Diamond is the USA Today Bestselling Author of more than 60 contemporary romance and romantic suspense novels, and dozens of romance short stories. She reads romance novels, mysteries, thrillers, and a fair amount of nonfiction. When she’s not spinning tales of romantic fiction, she’s in the kitchen trying out new recipes, dining at one of her favorite restaurants, or traveling to an interesting locale. She enjoys learning about time management and ways to increase productivity and shares her recommendations on her For Authors page at delaneydiamond.com. She also offers self-publishing consultations, leveraging her extensive experience to guide and support authors through the publishing process.
Book was just ok. Just something to read. I guess from the reviews and book description I was expecting more. I cannot say I cared for the characters nor ever felt the h/h had a real personality. I felt like they had no chemistry outside of the bedroom. And with the lack of communication in their marriage I kept thinking "SAY WHAT YOU FEEL!". A marriage will not last without communication I don't care how much sexual chemistry is there. As the old saying goes "That regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place". Like I said, just an ok read.
One of my FAVORITE guilty pleasures in romance novels, is “Reluctant Arrangements”. A woman desperately needs something from a man who happens to be wealthy and attractive, (it’s usually money to help out a loved one) and of course this man isn’t going to do it out of the goodness of his heart.. NO!!! What he wants in return is…. her.
Now, the feminist in me is appalled, but the naughty girl inside of me is like… “YES!”
I was interested in Delaney Diamond’s book “The Arrangement” because it has the basic premise that I love but with a bit of a twist, since the two people involved were already married, but separated.
Leonardo was so DELICIOUS. He loved his wife deeply and was incredibly hurt that she left him. Being the proud man that he is, he didn’t tell her how much he loved her and he didn’t chase her either. Instead he just took advantage of her brother’s situation to metaphorically force her hand to come back to him. He wants her to stay, but he also wants her to want to.
The downside for me is the heroine, Alexa. Ugggh… This chick! I wanted to like her, but I just couldn’t. She was incredibly annoying and all her internal monologues were one long perpetual whine. You’re unhappy in your marriage? Feeling neglected? You don’t feel like your man is spending enough time with you? Tell him about it. Talk about your feelings. You don’t run away from home like a child who didn’t get their way. Granted, Leo wasn’t the best communicator either, but he was miles ahead of her. I was actually starting to wonder what he wanted her back for..
There weren’t many love scenes, but then again the story isn’t very long. They were hot and sensual, I wish there were more! There was great sexual chemistry between the two of them, and Leonardo had the art of seduction down pat! ;)
All in all, I think “The Arrangement” was a good read. It was well-written, but it was really short. I think if there was more detail in the plot and the characters were fleshed out more the book could have been better. I also wish that I found Alexa more likable. I like Delaney DIamond’s writing style and I would definitely read more of her books. :)
This is Book 1 of the "Hot Latin Men" series and of course, I read them out of order LOL!! I read "The Ultimate Merger" Book 3.5 and "Second Chances" Book 4 first. So now I will start reading the books the way they were meant to be read, in order *snickering*
Leonardo da Silva's wife Alexa da Silva left him 4 months ago, with nothing but the clothes on her back. Alexa didn't want anything materialistic because that isn't who she is. Alexa and her twin brother Xander were taught to work hard and to take care of themselves, they both know what its like to grow up in a household where both parents fight from sun up to sun down. Their deaths only fueled them to not ever be in that type of situation.
Alexa found herself in that very same situation that she saw with her own parents, so to save her heart and her sanity, she left. Alexa is in love with her husband still but she could no more live in that house to a man who had morphed into a complete stranger and workaholic, just like her father.
Leonardo da Silva is a shrewd business man, he took over the reins of the family business from his father and turned the family business into a worldwide conglomerate. Leonardo comes from parents who divorced when he was young, moved to Brazil with his mom and even had his last name changed to his mother's maiden name, so he is indeed familiar with loss and uncertainty. But he will damn if he loses his wife the same way, he comes up with a plan that is both cunning but will blow up in his face, but when you're desperate you pull out all of the stops.
So the opening scene brings the estranged couple face to face, with Alexa coming to her husband on behalf of her twin brother because he is about to lose his business, Alexa comes to Leonardo for a loan which he is willing to give to her but on one condition, Alexa must move back to their home for two months and pretend they have reconciled.
A great short story by author Delaney Diamond. I wanted to drop kick Leonardo but at the same time, I was rooting for them to get back together. Communication is very key and here we see how the lack of it broke down their marriage. A healthy sexual relationship in marriage is great but it will not keep a marriage together when the communication is lacking.
This book to me reminds me of a Harlequin Presents book with a little blackmail, loving, misunderstandings and money times x10 heighten. Leo is a wealthy business man whose wife lefted him for what he really doesn't know. Alexa is a ordinary woman who isn't impressed with Leo's money and just wants to connect, be held, loved and spend more time with him, without getting these things Alexa decides to leave Leo. After four months Alexa's brother has some money troubles and she is forced to ask the one person she wants to have nothing to do with which brings us to the arrangement.
I really liked this book, although this was the author's first book this is my third read by this author. It started out with the arrangement being made but after everything fell into place this took off for me, I was very much engaged by the middle of the book and the ending tore at you, you felt both Leo and Alexa's pain and trying to convey what they want and are feeling to each other is what they struggled with, communication is not as easy as some would think so for these two couple at the end it finally came full circle for them and I love it and they had some good loving that wasn't bad either. Would recommend.
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I liked this. If you seek a nice quick read, then The Arrangement it is.
When a couple who came from broken family, they tried really hard not to make the same mistakes like their parents did. While they're trying so hard, they didn't realize what they missed in their marriage. They didn't vocal about their love to each other. They just assumed from what they saw, jumped to conclusions.
I liked the idea, since this is a quick read, so I got a quick milestone from Alexa-Leonardo's story. I secretly hoped that Lexi-Leo's dialogues would explore more though. Well..it's happy ending! So yeah, you know what I meant. :)
Leo and Alexa De Silva loved each other’s so much, but whatever reason never said it to each other. Leo is married to his business and Alexa felt neglected… and that is a bad recipe for marriage, finally she left and Leonardo is a very proud and stubborn man… well, I can tell you that these two created their own misery… Really a nice read Get a copy and see
Marriage is ALL about communication...and this couple has none...well there was DEFINITELY lots of HOT/SPICY sexual communication...but can't build a lasting relationship on sex alone...glad they FINALLY got their "act" together.
This wasn't bad, it was just short, giving the impression that Leo and Alexa's story was not thoroughly fleshed out.
I loved Leonardo as a possessive alpha male. Being as proud as he was, instead of chasing his wife when she left him, he slyly went about getting her back, using her brother as a pawn.
Alexa I liked less due to her refusal to talk about her unhappiness with her husband. Your spouse is not a mind-reader. Not to mention the fact that everything he was doing business-wise was with his wife's needs as his driving force. But instead of discussing her feelings with Leo, she just leaves him.
At not even 100 pages, I just don't feel that the story was told to its completion. There was so much more potential for their tale.
I Liked "The Arrangement," but life could have been so much more simple for Leo and Alexa if they had sat down and TALKED TO EACH OTHER about their hopes and fears regarding their marriage. Problem solved, nine months no wasted!
Deliciously tropey romance, very enjoyable and easy read. Finished in a single sitting. I'm growing very fond of this author's work. She always delivers. Along with Talia Hibbert, she's one of my new go-tos for an entertaining fix!
The only reason I gave this book two stars instead of one is that I was curious enough about the end (and it’s a short read) to keep going. With the decent reviews, I was HOPING for something not so cliche. 😕
It was a decent read. I needed more background to the characters. It wasn’t fleshed out enough. And Alexa came off as childish for refusing to verbalise her issues.
I loved this 9 chapter book. It hooked me from the very first opening scene all the way to the epilogue. Let me tell ya, this story was hot and steamy! I loved all the sexual tension from the main characters Leonardo (a.k.a. Leo) and Alexa. Yeah, he was probably a controlling jerk but I found myself keep giving him passes. In fact, he was my favorite character. I enjoyed knowing that he was still in love with her (in fact never stopped) while she had her doubts. The whole time I rooted for them to get over the misunderstanding. To communicate better. It was so sweet that Leo was attentive to Alexa’s needs after she expressed what he did wrong in the past. He worked on trying to fix the future because he couldn’t change the past.
Luckily they didn’t patch up their communication problem because that read for a very entertaining story. My favorite books are the ones who share more than one point-of-view; it allows the readers to know the character’s secrets, motives before the other characters. Like we’re in on a little secret.
The author Delaney Diamond has a brilliant talent for plot, voice, and basically overall description. The way she vividly described everything and kept the tension, action going helped me get lost in the story, helped me get lost in the fantasy of it all. In fact, I read it while at a cafe and the lady near me asked what I was reading because I was intensely focused on it. After I told her what I’ve read so far, she said “Sounds juicy. Now, I see why you’re lost in it.” Did I mention all the steamy moments? I swear there may have been some drool coming out of my mouth hee hee.
I enjoyed their back and forth. My favorite lines were: “He still wanted her to the point of distraction, and despite acting as if she were being sentenced to the guillotine, he knew she wanted him too.”, “I don’t usually give orgasms to people I’m trying to get back at,” Leonardo said dryly.”, and “She had loved her husband, but it was clear she was only secondary in his life. His business was his real wife.”
After reading, I’m a huge fan of Delaney Diamond’s writing style, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. This story was definitely a fast read.
I was looking forward to reading this book, based on the book description. It didn’t disappoint.
Alexa and Leonardo didn’t seem to communicate in their marriage verbally. Where they didn’t seem to have a problem communicating was physically. I must say that Delaney Diamond did a great job translating the passion between these two into words.
It seems to me that the problem these two had is that they both struggled with inner issues that stemmed from watching their parents’ relationships sour. But unfortunately they brought these issues into their marriage. They both expected the other to understand how they felt, without ever speaking the words.
The lack of communication is what made me at times what to throw something. Alexa literally walked out on her marriage and never said a word to her husband as to why she was leaving. Then she turns up later expecting her husband just to lend her a large sum of money, without any strings, was she crazy? Leonardo wanted his wife to resume their marriage in exchange for lending the money; and expected her to just go for the idea, was he nuts? But of course enjoy this type of thing, what can I say.LOL!
My only problem with this book was that it was not long enough. I wanted MORE! I would have loved to see more of Alexa and Leonardo’s marriage prior to her walking out.
I must say, that for her first book Delaney Diamond did a great job. I look forward to more great work from her.
Delaney Diamond's The Arrangement tells the story of estranged couple Leonardo (Leo) and Alexa (Lexie) da Silva. For the sake of her brother's bakery, Lexie decides to go to her millionaire husband to ask for a business loan. Instead, Leo agrees to give her the money on one condition; Lexie must agree to move back in with him and resume their relationship for a specified time. Apprehensively, Lexie agrees to the arrangement. However, as the story unfurls, Lexie finds that she is more in love with her husband than she initially cared to admit.
One of the main aspects of the story that I enjoyed (aside from the electricity between the protagonists) is the theme of communication (or miscommunication in this instance). A crucial flaw in both characters is that they each made assumptions about each other's thoughts and feelings. Neither Lexie or Leo explicitly asked how the other was feeling or thinking in regards to specific events (e.g. Leo's busy work schedule). Over the course of the story, it becomes more apparent to the reader that if they effectively communicated how they felt about each other, then they probably wouldn't be estranged, especially since the attraction is strong.
If you're looking for a quick romance centered on likable characters with realistic relationship flaws, then I would recommend The Arrangement.
Description: With her beloved brother’s business at stake, Alexa has no choice but to ask her estranged husband, Brazilian business tycoon, Leonardo da Silva, for a loan. He agrees, but for a price: Alexa must resume her role as his wife for two months.
The Good: As glamorous as Leonardo and Alexa are, I love that their marriage is bogged down by the most common of problems: lack of communication. It made them feel like a very realistic couple. Leonardo is also very old-school alpha, so it’s great to see his emotional struggle throughout the book. This book realistically portrays the downside of marrying a driven businessman.
The Bad: As much as I loved this couple, their communication issues remain a problem throughout the story and are used to progress the plot, which at times felt like a story cheat. I wished that more time had been spent crafting Leonardo’s and Alexa’s arc as a couple as opposed to their individual arcs.
The Naughty: Remembered sexual encounters, sex tied up, a few fade-to-black scenes. Sensual.
I gave the story three stars and not four, not because i didn't really enjoy what was happening. I was and I felt the author was a bit stingy. I enjoyed the characters and all. I like the fact that the hero was Brazilian, that made it more exciting. As mush as i like the plot and the story, there are two things I wished, which are:
1.I wish the book was a bit longer. I felt this is more of a novella than a novel. With an idea that great, I wish you would have made it longer for more things to happen and take place. It all ended too soon for me.
2. I wish it took place in Brazil. I found that i liked the epilogue a whole lot more because of the Brazilian setting. That made it all the more romantic.
Lastly I think you should explore Brazil a bit more, that aspect added a tangy taste to your story.
This was a great story of never giving up on something, or in this case someone you love. Leonardo is what I call a workaholic, that allowed his job and material things to express his love to Alexa. Those things are great but the person, the love and their companionship is what should be treasured in the relationship. Leonardo's determination and unconditional love for Alexa overruled my dislike of the lesson he wanted to teach, because he too needed to be taught a lesson as well. I think Alexa and Leonardo both needed lessons on expressing and communicating, because if they knew, their separation would've probably never happened. Anyway this was a great story with an awesome happy ending. Great Read! 👍 Renee G