TAKEN BY THE HIGHEST BIDDER - Jane Porter
For Love or Money miniseries
Harlequin Presents #2508
ISBN: 0-373-12508-9
December 2005
Short Contemporary Romance

Monaco and Nice, France - Present Day

Baroness Samantha van Bergen is desperate to stop her husband, Johann, from gambling.  He's already lost nearly everything -- and Sam doesn't know what he will lose next.  When she learns exactly what he has lost, she is terrified, because Johann has lost HER to Cristiano Bartolo.  Sam flees with her stepdaughter, four year old Gabriella, to the only home she ever had.

Cristiano Bartolo is a man of wealth and privilege.  He never loses, and always gets what he wants -- and right now he wants the Baroness van Bergen.  But Cristiano's game is deeper than anyone knows, and he is determined to win no matter what.  When Sam flees from him, Cristiano follows and brings her back to his home.  But what is the real motive behind Cristiano's outrageous bet, and can a woman who has never known true passion possibly guard her heart from the man who won her?

Passionate and romantic are often words heard in relation to Ms. Porter's novels.  Add heartbreaking and deeply emotional to the list and you have an apt description of TAKEN BY THE HIGHEST BIDDER.  While on the surface Sam seems to be the victim and Cristiano the ruthless conqueror, that is not the complete picture.  Sam is a woman who has weathered many tragedies in her life and it has left her afraid; afraid of opening up, afraid of trust and most of all afraid of love.  Cristiano has also known his share of heartache, but he hides his pain beneath a tough, sophisticated exterior.

I was fascinated by both characters but I must admit to a total absorption in learning what makes Cristiano tick.  He's a hero, and yet his initial actions are anything but heroic.  The relationship between Sam and Cristiano is a well choreographed dance that rings with realism and romance.  Secondary characters are very much in the background, except for the precocious young Gabby, who brings out the tender side in both protagonists.

TAKEN BY THE HIGHEST BIDDER is at once a simple romance that will entertain fans of the genre and simultaneously a wonderful example of deep characterization and a fascinating story that goes beyond simple romance to truly touch the heart.  Don't miss the latest enchanting and tear-inducing tale from the talented pen of Jane Porter.

Terrie Figueroa