Safe in the Tycoon's Arms by Jennifer Faye

Growing up, I thought Harlequin romances were great.  In a way, they were my gateway to many different genres:  romance, historical fiction, and contemporary.  However, it has been a long time since I read one.  So, when I was offered the opportunity to read Safe In the Tycoon’s Arms by Jennifer Faye, I thought I would check out how Harlequins have changed and whether they have stood the test of time for me.

            Kate needs help:  she is divorced and her daughter is suffering from a tumor.  With few financial resources, she is relieved to be offered a place to stay by a kindly hospital volunteer.  The vacant, sprawling house seems like a perfect place to stay as it is close to the hospital.  What Kate is not prepared for is the appearance of a man in the middle of the night!  It turns out that his aunt is the one who offered Kate the use of the house, and he is unexpectedly back to stay at the house.

            Lucas is a busy businessman and does not have time for the complications of Kate living in his house.  But, Kate has nowhere else to go.  She offers to help him remodel his crumbling home if he will assist her in creating a fundraiser for her daughter.

            Lucas is a complicated character—and for me, not totally likeable.  While he does understand Kate and her devotion to her daughter, he has a daughter as well.  He has not seen her for four years, since his divorce.  The reason for his distance is that when he was a child, he witnessed his parents fighting all the time, and he did not want to create that tug of war for his daughter.  So, he does not see her at all.  Umm, WHAT?  I had such a hard time rooting for Lucas, knowing that he abandoned his own daughter.  And when he showed care and concern for Kate’s daughter, I wanted to yell at him to get over himself and take care of his own kid.

            There is a bit of “the big misunderstanding” but Safe in the Tycoon’s Arms is an easy read with a happy ending.  Kate is a likeable character, as are the supporting characters.  Lucas was a speed bump in my enjoyment of this book, but for a quick summer read, I enjoyed it.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  Regina