The Marriage Merger Blog Tour

The Marriage Merger 

by Jennifer Probst

Rlease Date: July 30, 2013

Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy, wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels.

Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction?

 

*~* My Review*~*

This is my favorite of the series!  Jennifer did an amazing job on this book and I couldn't put it down.  I really enjoyed getting to know Sawyer after seeing him in Carina and Max's book.  I also loved how we got to see our couples from the previous books.  It was very well put together and every scene that Sawyer and Julietta were in together learning about the other was so intense and wonderfully done.  I laughed out loud multiple times and the sparring between Sawyer and Julietta was wonderful. This book kept my attention and pushed me to want more and more.  Sawyer was amazing at the end, and I really enjoyed getting to know Wolfe, I almost want him to have his own book!  It had a perfect ending leaving you to feel content and happy for everyone.  If you haven't read these books yet, do so now!
This is a five star book for sure!

Author Post by Jennifer Probst

How Do You Like Your Heroines?

Ah, the men. We always talk men. Who could blame us? I’m the first one to raise my hand at a workshop when the instructor asks if we want to talk hero or heroine. The crowd shouts for the hunky hero, and our poor heroine gets pushed to the back of the bus yet again.

But not today.

Today, I’m talking women. Kick ass women, to be exact. Because that’s how I like my heroines. I like them feisty, sassy, and even if they’re sweet, they need something that will connect to readers and make them worthy of my men I carefully construct. After all, I’m not giving my guys away to just anyone.

Most romance readers are women. So it doesn’t surprise me that we are hard on our heroines. Even brutal. My readers have forgiven me for alpha, dominant, angsty, brooding, men many a time. They cluck over their past problems, and give them a free pass for being an asshole now and then.

But my heroines? Hell, if I let them do anything a bit off kilter they’re called a bit bitchy, or demanding, or “I couldn’t really connect.”

Ouch.

But that’s life. We are harder on women than men. We look at clothes, shoes, makeup, weight, and assess our own assets in comparison. We don’t usually do this with any mean or ulterior motives – it’s almost an automatic thing. I’m harder on myself than my husband any day. I expect more, want to grow, achieve, prosper, love, nurture, etc.

So, in creating my perfect heroine, she has to be interesting. This can be achieved in any number of ways, but making her real is key. Real is interesting. Real is connection. I adore all types of physical heroines also. Curvy, a bit overweight, a bit plain, or hot, hot, hot. Because they are all real.

Let’s start with Alexa from The Marriage Bargain. She’s super sweet, kind, and pretty healthy. Hmm, could be boring right? But she’s real. She’s conquered her past demons, keeps working on them, and has a positive outlook. This is the perfect contrast to my issue laden hero Nick. She needed to be his light to his dark for the book to work. And how do I save her from being a paper cut doll?

Humor. She’s got a kick ass sense of humor. She’s quirky. A bit of a dynamo. Readers just like her without thinking she’s boring.

Maggie from The Marriage Trap almost killed me. She’s a bit of a bitch sometimes, so I needed to temper it with her issues and creating some sympathy for all those walls built around her heart. But she’s perfect for my hero, who needs a challenge and likes her snark. Once again, they balance each other. She’s rip roaring funny, sarcastic, and honest to a fault, unless it comes to her innermost feelings. Then she’s a big fat liar.

And that, is real.

Carina from The Marriage Mistake is my innocent heroine. A virgin. I’m not fond of writing virgins, because I like my heroines a bit more worldly, but I made this work. Her one true love of her life is Max, and when she grows up, boy, does she grow up. She’s a dynamo sex machine out to seduce him. How much fun is that! And my poor hero who is all James Bond smooth completely loses it.

Finally, Julietta from The Marriage Merger was one of my favorites. She’s a hard core workaholic. Her mind is so strong, she can’t relax her body enough to enjoy the physical. She rides a sleek, ripped motorcycle, and runs a billion dollar bakery empire. She’s the oldest out of all my heroines in her mid thirties and rich. There’s not a man alive who could challenge her until Sawyer Wells. My domineering, brilliant hero matches her sword for sword and makes for fascinating conversation and physical encounters. It simply doesn’t get any more real than watching her lose her heart along the way and fight for something slipping away right in front of her.

So, next time you read a book, think of the heroine. What do you like about her? What pisses you off? And in the overall story, is she the hero’s right match?

Thank you Jennifer for the wonderful post, and now it has me thinking about the heroines in my favorite stories!  

Pre-order links:  Barnes and Noble  Amazon.com

Jennifer's Website