Review - The Auction by Lyn Austin

The Auction

by Lynn Austin

Publisher: Borroughs Publishing

Release Date: August 30, 2012

Buy Links:  

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About the book:


Katherine Blake wants a baby. At thirty-three, she has a home and an antique business that she loves, but she is running out of time. Kat hasn’t had a man in her life that she would even consider fathering her child…except her ex-husband.

Michael Blake is for sale. In support of special-needs children, he offers himself up for one week as a prize at a New Year’s Eve local celebrity bachelor auction. The result? His ex-wife buys him to finish the restoration of the hundred-year-old home they bought shortly after their marriage. Or so he thinks.

Katherine does expect the remodeling to be finished, but the rest of her plan is more devious. She doesn’t need him to rekindle the one-of-a-kind love that led to their fairy-tale wedding and he doesn't have to atone for the mistakes that led to their divorce, but he does have to...well, deliver.

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My Review 

While it's an old saying; two wrongs don't make a right is one of the key thoughts in Lyn Austin's contemporary romance, The Auction.  Likable characters, good dialogue and sweet and spicy romance, had me turning the pages to discover what was going to happen next.  Set in Utah's ski country, the beautiful setting becomes it's own character in this second chance romance.

Beautiful divorcee Katherine Blake has a successful business, her own home and a loving relationship with her grandfather.  What she doesn't have is the man she married, or the family she thought they would have.  When her doctor tells her time is running out to have a baby, Katherine decides to have a baby on her own - even if she has to lie to get one.

Successful businessman Michael Blake got talked into putting himself up for sale at the local celebrity bachelor auction.  Raising money for one of his favorite charities, the Make a Wish Foundation, Michael never expected to be purchased by his ex-wife, the woman who "threw him out".  She claims she only wants him to finish restoring their the house, the one they bought when they first got married.

The scenes between Katherine and Michael are full of emotional angst, sharp dialogue and smoldering attraction.  While it's evident to everyone else that they're still in love, Katherine and Michael have a lot of unresolved issues.  Ms. Austin does a good job pointing out that it takes two people to let a marriage fail; their lack of communication, the business priorities they placed before their marriage and their lack of concern or willingness to fight for what they had, not only led to the end of their marriage, it led to their current loneliness and lack of happiness.  

While Ms. Austin makes both characters face their part in their failure, I found it easier to connect with Katherine because she was more "emotionally available". The physical attraction between them was never a problem; it's evident from the very beginning and when they finally do give into their attraction - it's both sweet and hot.  While there aren't more than a handful of secondary characters, they all play an important part in Katherine and Michael's relationship.  From Katherine's grandfather Homer, who  is both a delight and an occasional pain in the neck, to Rona, Michael's business associate, who pushes Michael to acknowledge his part in the failure of his marriage.

Will Katherine's underhanded plan to have Michael father her child work out in the end?  Or will it drive a larger wedge between two lovers whose romance should last to the end of time?  You'll have to read The Auction to find out.  I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

My Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

FTC Disclosure:  I received a complimentary copy of this book as a part of a book tour in exchange for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for the review, it is simply my opinion of the material I read.