Title:  The Tycoon’s Forced Bride
Series:  Bad Boy Short Stories #2
Author:  Jane Porter
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Published:  January 28, 2016
Publisher:  Tule Publishing
My Rating:  5 stars
Source:  NetGalley
Cover Description:

Malcolm McKenzie will never forget that night in New York when he put Ava Galvan in a taxi following a heated argument, and the Argentine beauty was involved in an horrific accident—one that ended her career as an acclaimed soloist with the Manhattan Ballet, and impaired her memory and ability to live an independent life.

The Scottish tycoon and philanthropist lives with his guilt, and another consequence: Ava was pregnant with his child the night of the accident. Ever since that night, Malcom has raised Jack as a single father.

But Ava is stronger now, and Jack wants his mommy to come home. Malcolm has never stopped wanting her and he’s determined to do whatever it takes to claim Ava—with or without her consent.

Read on for my thoughts on The Tycoon’s Forced Bride.  No true spoilers, promise.

I am often in awe of the ability of a writer to take words and create such a heartfelt, emotional and completely satisfying glimpse into their character’s lives.  Jane Porter is one of my “go to” authors, yet in The Tycoon’s Forced Bride she has created such an emotional read that has enough reality, consequences and passion in such a short length that I am simply blown away.

After a heated argument where things that should never have been said were spoken, Malcolm put Ava in a taxi and send her back home.  It only takes an instant for our lives to be changed forever – that one, beyond their control moment happened when Ava’s taxi was involved in a life changing accident.

Ava survived, along with her unborn child – but the consequences of that night would linger on for this couple.  Ava’s injuries would strip away her ability to dance with the Manhattan Ballet.  Eventually she would be able to teach dance, but her career was over.  Yet more devastating is the brain injury – the one that affects her short and long term memories.  The one that will place her son in danger.  The one that will make the decision to stay away from the man she loves and the child she’d give her life for a necessity.

Malcolm has kept watch over Ava from a distance.  She’s getting stronger and it’s time.  Their son, Jack, wants his mom.  Malcolm needs the love of his life back with him – he needs his family whole again.

Put aside the money and prestige of this couple, those are beside the point.  Look at what changes a brain injury has done to them.  There are thousands of people living their life every single day with a brain injury.  All that we really are, what makes us “us” are our experiences and our memories of those events.  I cannot fathom not having those bits and pieces of what makes me unique in all the world stripped away from me… or the precious memories gone forever.  Battling back from something like that would be exhausting, frightening and heartbreaking.  Yes, they are a fiery couple who argue a lot, but some couples are like that – not abusive, simply they feel and express through words and emotions that get very heated, but the love remains.

Before I picked up this story, I believed I had read Jane Porter’s best – I was wrong.  In a short story, with very decisive words and emotions, Ms Porter has given us a glimpse into the hell of dealing with, living with, and loving someone with a brain injury.  Something beyond control is made clear and real.  And I have to thank her for that experience.  I don’t think I can give a rating or a recommendation high enough to fit what this story delivers.

*I received an e-ARC of The Tycoon’s Forced Bride from the publisher, Tule Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. That does not change what I think of this novel.*

Available for the Kindle