Married to the Boss (Maitland Maternity) [Mass Market Paperback]

R.J. has been accused of being the father of the mysterious baby that showed up on his doorstep. His reputation, as well as the reputation of the clinic, is suffering badly. Due to his father, the black sheep of the family who abandoned his children, R.J. cannot stand others thinking he is the same. His plan? Marry his secretary to rid the public's perception of him as a carefree bachelor. He offers Dana a position as his wife...in name only. She agrees, but with one stipulation: she wants him in bed as well. He is dumbfounded by her unexpected assertiveness but he agrees. Together the two must learn to balance a professional and personal relationship as they race to save the clinic as well as his reputation.

I did not read the first two in the Maitland series and I had no problem following along this storyline. It was truly a great book, but I did have to check and make sure that it was a book by Lori Foster. The trademark humor and quirkiness was missing (in other words, there were no naked men in the kitchen--check out SAWYER). The emotion and insight into the characters, both R.J. and Dana, was great though, and perhaps even stronger than previous Foster books. R.J. might sound a little thick-headed, but he thoroughly redeems himself. The sexual tension was there, and perfectly balanced: the scenes advanced the storyline very well. I wasn't disapointed at all, and it was a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

R.J. Maitland has been accused of being the father of an abandoned child. He knows he is not the father but cannot convince others of it and it is hurting his family's business. He decides to ask Dana Dillinger, his loyal secretary, to marry him for convenience. She agrees, but wants a real marriage including sex. She has been in love with him for years and sees this as a way to fulfill a fantasy. Fot both of them, what happens with that is not what they expected. Also, both have self-image perceptions due to the influence of a parent when they were young. This book subtly helps them overcome this. I loved the interaction between the main characters and I could imagine what they were feeling.At the end, R.J. realized he loves Dana and they both now understand they are really deserving of the love they have.

Even if you have not read the first two books of the Maitland Maternity series, you will not have any trouble understanding what is going on. This book could easily stand on its own, without the other books in the series. It is an excellent read and I highly recommend.

Lori Foster breathes life into this series once again as two friends struggle to deal with the ramifications of sharing a personal as well as a professional relationship. Dana is unflagging in her support of R.J. whom she has loved for years. Judging from Foster's illustration of their working relationship, Dana is not merely his secretary but his other half. She anticipates his needs and "coddles" him and he allows it because of their friendship and her faith in him. R.J. cares for Dana but he is sure that he would never make a good husband or father. The issue of the abandoned baby is, for once, implemented in a meaninful way by Foster. R.J. and his sister were also abandoned by their father and when he is accused of abandoning the baby on the doorstep, he takes grave offense at the attack. Foster also does a good job of developing the friendship these two strongly drawn characters share into love in a credible manner.