Book Review: A Daring Proposition (Jennifer Greene)

Leigh Sexton is desperate to have a baby, and Brian Hathaway would be the perfect bio-dad. One of Chicago's most notorious playboys, Brian is no family man, which suits Leigh just fine. An heiress and successful CPA, she is more than capable of raising a child alone. Now all she has to do is work up the nerve to ask Brian to impregnate her...artificially. Leigh has no interest in conceiving the old-fashioned way, despite how her heart races whenever she's near him.

Brian is intrigued by Leigh's request. He's not into commitment, even with a woman as attractive as Leigh, but he's also not the type to make a deposit and then disappear. If he goes along with her scheme, he's got one demand of his own: marriage before conception. He agrees to keep things clinical—he can get sex elsewhere—but having a wife at home will keep the husband-hunters at bay.

It seems like the ideal compromise—until they start falling in love.

I hardly ever think contemporary romance genre is a worthwhile read, and whilst I appreciate being proven wrong, I am terribly disappointed I am proven right once again. The premise of A Daring Proposition sounds romantic and comedic enough to entice my interest, but it more than failed me.

I hoped for a good set of characters for this book, as the plot felt like something that can only orchestrated by strong characters. However, even that was a failure. While both the heroine was given sufficient background story to build up her present character, it was only one-sided ; hence the hero is as lifeless as a rock. Characterisation in the present tense is empty at best. The narrative is in the third person but is unconventionally one sided, so it not only feels unbalance, characterisation becomes searingly lifeless. Furthermore, although I think it could have been interesting how the narrative is used, it did not deliver.

The plot itself is nothing special. The premise, as I have mentioned, sounds particularly intriguing. However, while it does exactly what it says on the tin, it stops right there. There are no thrills, no surprises, no twists. There were hardly ever any notable scenes. The only thing that surprised me perhaps, is the fact that it is already a new scene, as my arc copy does not distinguish where one scene ends and another begins. There is also quite a lengthy monologue that is not only confusing but one that dragged on and transformed into annoying - despite ambling on and finishing the book, I wish I had not bothered.

Really a disappointing read, I'm afraid.

One star.


* Galley copy courtesy of Net Galley.