This romance has some sweet moments, some funny dialogue and scenes and some emotional connections. Cory is a social worker who helps dysfunctional families, sometimes working far into the night when her clients need help. Nick is the typical Harlequin rich, gorgeous hero, except that he’s wise enough to realize that charm and beauty and sex appeal are not as important as a loving heart and strong character.

Nick never committed before and he has let Cory know this, and she, being rather emotional insecure and full of self-doubts, does not realize that this time NIck is committed, that he has committed himself to her. It is so refreshing to read a story where he says “I love you” before she does.

Plot Synopsis – Click to Skip Spoilers

Cory takes her aunt’s big, untrained dog Rufus to the park and makes the mistake of letting Rufus off his leash. Rufus instantly takes off, runs after all the other dogs and knocks Nick right off his feet. Cory is horrified, especially when Rufus then runs back and starts eating Nick’s expensive cell phone. Cory insists that she pay for the cell phone and Nick’s suit; he refuses but recognizes that Cory is determined that she owes him and that she pays her debts. Nick needs a date for a business meeting he is hosting that night. Will Cory accompany him to atone for Rufus’s damage?

Cory reluctantly accepts, tells him that if he finds someone else to not feel obligated to take her. (I think this is when Nick realizes he has found a most unusual lady.) Her aunt insists on buying Cory a designer dress which makes the most of Cory’s looks, which combines with her personality and character to completely blow Nick away. Nick kisses Cory when he takes her home which sets the world on fire for both of them.

They date. Nick eventually worms it out of Cory that she had dated an older, rich guy once before who only wanted to sleep with her, and that she’s frightened of falling for rich, handsome guys as a result. She’s also emotionally insecure, convinced she’s not lovable because her parents never gave her attention or cared.

Nick takes it very very slowly, but steadily works his way into her heart and mind. Cory realizes she loves Nick, but is still convinced he’s a love ’em and leave ’em type and she knows she would be devastated if she sleeps with him then he dumps her.

Cory gets a migraine one night, a very bad attack, and Nick puts her to bed, then stays to make sure she’s ok. She’s still not getting the picture that Nick wants all of her, not a short term sleeping arrangement. Cory is even more terrified when Nick tells her he loves her; she cannot believe he means anything permanent.

The big blow up happens when Nick takes her to his country home, then to his mom’s birthday party. Cory meets his sisters and his mom, all of whom like her, but she also meets Margaret, his mom’s goddaughter who hunts Nick. Nick’s sister tells her that Margaret and Nick had a short no-strings affair a few years earlier, that neither wanted commitment, now Margaret wants Nick back. Nick rejects Margaret, but even this doesn’t clue Cory in.

The next afternoon Cory tells Nick that she cannot keep dating him, that they need to break it off. He breaks all the speed limits to dump her back home where she stews whether she should have taken what she could get, even a short affair, vs. the misery of no Nick. Nick shows up at 3 am, she throws herself into his arms and they end up agreeing to marry and have lots of kids.

Emotional and Character Development

The Millionaire’s Prospective Wife works because Nick gently keeps pushing. First he finds out why Cory is so afraid of dating, then he discovers her parents’ cold attitude, then he realizes she’s a caring, genuine person with a great sense of humor and determination. He never stops pushing Cory to realize she loves him.

Despite the heavy sounding emotions this story has relatively little angst. Nick is never cruel, he never tries to seduce Cory (although he has a hard time stopping himself), he clearly respects her and values her. Cory is also not mean, or vindictive or hateful, she’s simply afraid and knows herself well enough to realize she could not survive an affair. She never dreams that Nick intends marriage.

There is no Other Man except for the cad Cory dated a few years before, and he never appears except in dialogue. Margaret is not a Other Woman because Cory heard Nick tell her no. The other minor characters are good but not particularly fleshed out.

The story is set in London, in Cory’s head, and at Nick’s country home. Author Helen Brooks uses various dogs and cats mostly for humor, first Rufus who brings Nick and Cory together, then the dog in the apartment below Cory’s, then Nick’s mom’s menagerie of dogs and cats, all of whom are a little goofy.

Overall

The Millionaire’s Prospective Wife is a sweet, mostly happy story with a little bit of plot, some humor and some character growth. It’s good and I enjoyed it.

3 1/2 Stars, rounding to 4

I got my ebook copy from Harlequin.com to read on Glose and you can borrow the pdf version from Archive.org here or buy the paperback at Thriftbooks and likely other used book sites. At the moment Amazon does not have this.