GRR Reviews Captured by Love Books 1-3 (The Unwilli by Miranda P. Charles

Captured By Love Vol 1 contains three full-length romantic suspense / romance novels, and they are of rather consistent quality except the middle volume, but the dip was so slight it still averaged out to 4/5. There are 6 MORE books in this series.

The Unwilling Executive -- Lucas Renner just want to be left alone, as he knew he was a bastard and his family had been threatened before. When his father suddenly is trying to contact him, he only saw trick or subterfuge, but the latest messenger, Jade Tully, was so honest and innocent it broke through his defenses... Jade was lucky to land the exec assistant job to a wealthy CEO, but she didn't count on getting stuck in the struggle between the CEO and his unacknowledged son... a man that rattled her heart. Will working for the CEO destroy her chance with the gorgeous Lucas? Or will her "meddling" actually bring them together?

Nice twist, but a predictable one. A conspiracy 30 years in the making, IMHO, was resolved a bit too quickly, but the struggle between the two of their hearts and their responsibilities was quite good.

The Unyielding Bachelor -- Rick Donnelly, in order to save her step-sister's inheritance, has a contract with his stepmom to remain unattached for six more years, in order to manage the money and save it from his stepmom's squandering. If he loses... he'll also lose 20% of his own company. Normally this isn't a problem, as he's a playboy, but Lexie Mead is tempting his heart like no other. Lexie wanted the hunky Rick for a long time, but she's not the kind to flaunt. But Rick cannot tell her the truth. When Rick found that there is yet another level of deception going on, is there a way for Lexie and Rick to be together after all?

The twist is actually quite good, though it's almost unrelated to the romance plot other than it complicated Rick's life. But it folds back on itself quite nicely.

The Undercover Playboy -- Detective Carter Garrett is undercover as a handsome electrician not afraid of being seen with a lot of women. Few knew his real job, and he needs it that way to investigate a blackmailing ring that is ruthlessly eliminating potential witnesses. Cassie Stephens was tired of getting passed over when her old boss retired and her promised promotion did not come through, even though her responsibility had expanded. She resigned and found a job at a gallery and there were generous salary and benefits. And her roommate's brother is the hunky Carter. What she didn't know was the gallery owner was one of the suspects on Carter's list. When Carter falls for the beautiful Cassie, he can't tell her about his investigations... or how he had to flirt with other women to maintain his cover... or how being seen with her can jeopardize her safety. But when a betrayal arrived from an unexpected direction, can Carter really keep Cassie safe without breaking her heart?

The twist was actually quite good, but I think the hints planted earlier are not quite explicit enough for it to all make sense. Still, it's quite good.

All in all, a good collection of romantic suspense novels where the couples are caught between conflicting desires and responsibilities. I'd recommend the entire series.

Category: Romantic suspense

Primary Plot: N/A, collection, see individual book summaries in review

Tropes: different worlds, hot for boss, evil parents, disguise, law enforcement, family secrets, scars, conspiracy, blackmail, betrayal, protector

Overall Rating:  4/5