The Brazilian's Blackmailed Bride (Mills & Boon Modern) [Paperback]

This is book is part of a trilogy the -The Ramirez brides. A collaboration by three M&B authors -Emma Darcy (The Ramirez bride), Michelle Reid (The Brazilian's blackmailed bride) and Sandra Marton (The Disobedient virgin). The trilogy is about three half brothers born to a rich Brazilian international polo player - Enrique Ramirez, scattered on opposite sides of the globe and unaware of each others existence. Each must find a bride in order to find each other.
This is the second book of the trilogy set in England. Anton Luis Scott-Lee the only son of the Brazilian beauty Maria Ferreira and the wealthy English banker Sebastian Scott -Lee has just received a packet from Brazil that has thrown his world into turmoil. When he first read the letter from a Brazilian called Enrique Ramirez claiming to be his real father, Anton had thought that was some kind of sick joke until his explosive confrontation with his mother and his uncle Max, which confirmed it all and pulled the rug from under his feet. A hush-hush adoption had secured his legal place in Sebastian Scott-Lee's life along with the abiding wish that Anton should never find out the truth. In all his 31 years, he had lived in the knowledge of his noble parentage and privilege of his birth, loved and revered his father above all men, only to discover now that he was the product of an extra marital liaison between his mother and `some globe trotting Brazilian polo -playing stud' His father Sebastian Scott-Lee was unable to father any children and saw his birth as a gift. He loved Anton and gave him every thing and all the love a parent could give a child. One would ask - so why is Anton kicking up such a fuss? Anton's one question is -`if you all loved me and I was such a gift why the secrecy?' But that was not all he found out from the letter, he found out that he has two other half -brothers who are not aware of his existence and to meet them and collect his inheritance he has to fulfil certain conditions. Enrique Ramirez was loaded, not with a few paltry millions but several diamond mines, emerald mines, and some of the richest oil fields in Brazil. The three brothers stand to inherit the lot and to do so certain conditions have to be met. For him the conditions were `.... to amend his philandering ways and make reparations to the woman he ran out on six years ago leaving her in dire straits' What also shocked him was the fact that Enrique Ramirez had been keeping tabs on him (and his brothers) all these years and knew intimate details about his personal life. He felt violated in more ways than one.

Anton felt betrayed and wanted desperately to meet his brothers. Having confirmed that indeed Ramirez was a Portuguese, revenge loomed in his mind. Six years ago, Anton had been humiliated by Christina Marques, who had coldly turned down his marriage proposal on the ground that he was not good enough for her and that diluting her pure Portuguese blood with his half English blood will be Sacrilege to her ancestors.
Christian Marques has fallen on had times. Her father's cattle ranch and estate `Santa Rosa' is in serious disrepair and will need a massive injection of funds to save it. Anton tracked her down to Rio and was on his way to exact vengeance. The deal was he will settle all her debts and for the non negotiable price of marrying him, bearing his name and having his children. Exacting vengeance is often a problem when cupid's arrow is still buried deep in your heart.

This is a very delicate and intricately woven story. Nothing is what it seems but everything gets revealed in the end. There seems to be a delicate thread of fate linking all the key characters in the book, making for great suspense and tension. What I like best is Anton's sharp tongue, the sarcasms and wit lacing his dialogues is awesome. The is a great story, and a definite keeper.