The Ruthless Groom by Bronwyn Jameson (SD 1691)

Back Cover:

He needed a wife.  And he needed her tonight, if not sooner. 

Enter Zara Lovett.  His ex-fiance's best friend.  Her hair a spill of honeyed silk framing whiskey eyes.  Zara, who'd strode into Alex Carlisle's life on killed legs and lit a powder keg in his gut.  It was chemistry, the kind of powerful, explosive mix Alex made a habit of avoiding - until today.  Because the fireworks between them changed nothing.  He still needed to satisfy the terms of his father's will. 

That was his goal.  That was his duty.  That was what mattered.  And he'd make sure Zara said yes. 

My Review:

Yum yum!  This was the third and final "Princes of the Outback" story.  It was about Alex, the older brother, who as soon as he learned about the will's clause had a woman chosen and was set on heading down the aisle and doing this right, making his baby have a steady family environment.  It's ironic the way the series concludes, and who ends up being the first one to knock their woman up is quite funny.  The revelation scene had me choking with laughter at the indignity of it. 

I think this book was my favourite, because it seemed very cohesive and we got our resolution at the end.  (I didn't like reading the other two love stories and not knowing whether the couples ended up having the babies they wanted).  The chemistry was intense here, the conflict that kept Zara from committing to Alex was reasonable, Alex switched from his ex-fiance to Zara with honour, and this was just a feel good read. 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars, definately read this one and get the conclusion to the series.  (btw, there's a spin off for the character of Susannah, "The Tycoon's One Night Revenge" if I remember correctly)