Money Doesn't Always Make the Man: "Maid for the Billionaire" by Ruth Cardello

Dominic Corisi knew instantly that Abigail Dartley was just the distraction he was looking for, especially since having her took a bit more persuading than he was used to. So when business forces him to fly to China, he decides to take her with him, but on his terms. No promises. No complications. Just sex.

Abby has always been the responsible one. She doesn't believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men - until she meets Dominic. He's both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination. Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat to bring down Dominic's company. With no time to explain her actions, Abby must either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him enough to risk losing him for good?


This author is new to me so I really wasn't going into reading this book with any kind of preconceived notions about either the quality of the writing or the story. It certainly started out like lots of other stories involving men of commerce who had more gold than Midas and who took on the "services" of a female "assistant" during international travel. What changed in this story--and what made it come much more alive for me--was the fact that this woman learned some important facts about herself and made some critical discoveries about her inner strengths. We all simply plan on her falling in love with her billionaire. That's almost a given. What is unexpected is the way she handles herself in some very sticky international business circumstances that could ultimately make or break her guy's business empire. It's hard to believe that one business transaction could decimate an entire empire but when considering the size and amount of money involved, it become very believable.


I found this to be a very interesting story, with some serious political, business and sexual tensions throughout. It was not the "creampuff" kind of romance I initially thought it to be and felt it ultimately had some genuine substance that gave this book its tensile strength. Dominic was the usual suave, gorgeous, and self-centered magnate with his "it's my or the highway" manner of conducting both business and personal relationships. Abby is a woman who has subjugated her own personal issues and needs to care for others in her family and professionally. She even took on the job of housemaid so her sister wouldn't lose her job. But she is a woman with far greater depth and with a spirit that genuinely cares about people, even if, in the end, she must sacrifice her most treasured relationships. Her honor and integrity are her hallmark, and while I know there are characters in stories that come across as being way too saintly, Abby isn't one of those, IMHO.

This was a free read that turned out to be a very good acquisition. I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.

This book is a Kindle e-publication and was released in April, 2011.