Lynne Graham’s A Rich Man’s Whim delivers exactly the sort of emotional indulgence I crave from her older titles; an intense, wounded hero; a selfless, quietly strong heroine; and a romance built on simmering attraction, buried fears, and the slow, reluctant surrender to love.

Kat Marshall has spent most of her adult life putting herself last. With a mother who never cared enough to stay sober or faithful, Kat stepped into the role of parent for her younger half-siblings, shelving her own dreams in the process. When financial disaster strikes and she has nowhere left to turn, the last thing she expects is the arrival of Mikhail Kusnirovich, a billionaire with an icy exterior, an unexpected interest in her, and a ruthless offer she has every reason to refuse… but cannot.

Mikhail, for all his wealth and polish, is shaped by a bleak childhood. He grew up watching his father’s paranoid cruelty and his mother’s tragic, fearful devotion, an imprint that convinced him love is a trap, vulnerability a danger, and emotional attachment something to be avoided at all costs.

But from the moment he meets Kat, nothing is quite so straightforward anymore. She is older, wiser, and infinitely more grounded than the women he is used to. Her innocence isn’t naïveté; it is the stubborn resilience of someone who has survived responsibility and heartbreak without bitterness. And when she refuses to be seduced or bought, Mikhail’s fascination becomes something far more dangerous to his rigid control.

His offer? One month on his yacht to clear her debts, and a physical relationship which he believes will “fix” his inconvenient desire sets the stage for a dynamic charged with tension. Kat is understandably wary, but once she makes her decision, she does so with emotional honesty that becomes the backbone of the story.

Mikhail, meanwhile, tries desperately to compartmentalize his growing attachment, terrified of becoming he fears the most — vulnerable. The push and pull between them is deliciously Graham: passion edged with fear, tenderness buried under pride, with two people who want each other more than they dare admit.

What I loved most is how vividly their inner wounds mirror each other. Kat’s abandonment issues and Mikhail’s terror of emotional dependence collide in a way that was deeply satisfying. Their chemistry is hot; Mikhail is undeniably sexy, intense, and commanding, but what gives the story its weight is how both characters slowly strip down the emotional armor they have worn for years. Kat’s quiet courage, particularly her willingness to embrace joy when it finally comes her way, makes her a heroine easy to root for. I also loved that there were no unnecessary theatrics from her end; once she accepted her feelings, she moved with grace rather than needless drama.

The ending is heartfelt and rewarding, especially given how terrified Mikhail was to fully love someone. Watching him choose vulnerability, despite every instinct warning him away, makes their happily-ever-after feel that much more precious and coveted.

Recommended for: fans of wounded heroes, older heroines, forced-proximity, emotional scars, and intense, and sensual chemistry that softens into love.

Final Verdict: A sensual, emotionally layered romance with a wounded hero worth melting for and a heroine whose quiet strength anchors the entire story.

Favorite Quotes

‘When I say no, Mr Whoever-you-are, I mean it and the answer hasn’t changed—’
‘You’re a very strange woman,’ Mikhail gritted, outraged by her and yet curiously drawn by the challenge of her defiance.
‘Because I’m not saying what you want to hear? Well, do I have news for you?’ Kat told him angrily. ‘I’m not the Sleeping Beauty and you’re not my prince, so the kiss was a waste of effort!’

‘Look at me,’ Mikhail ground out between clenched teeth.
Against her will, affected more by that tone of command than she expected to be, Kat glanced up. Soft pink flushed her delicate cheekbones while a pulse beat out her nervous tension like a storm warning just above her collarbone. Involuntarily captivated by the brilliance of her green eyes against her pale perfect skin, Mikhail studied her with a frown. He watched the tip of her tongue slide out to moisten her lower lip and he went hard as a rock just imagining even the tip of that tongue on his body. Expelling his breath harshly, he turned his handsome head away.
‘I’ll be in touch,’ he said again in a tone of decided challenge.

‘You’re so stubborn,’ Mikhail growled in complaint against her lush mouth.
‘You’re even worse,’ Kat complained, idle fingers brushing through his luxuriant black hair while her languorous gaze admired the exotic slash of his cheekbones, the arrogant jut of his nose and the strength of his jaw line. ‘But luckily for you, you’re also incredibly sexy…’
Mikhail tilted his imperious dark head back and laughed out loud. ‘Am I?’
Barely able to credit that she could already be so relaxed in his company that she could tease him, Kat grinned. ‘I think so…but shouldn’t we be joining your guests for a farewell breakfast?’
‘Stop being so sensible,’ Mikhail urged with a frown.
‘I’m always sensible,’ Kat told him ruefully.
‘If you were that sensible you would have avoided me like the plague,’ Mikhail asserted with conviction.

In the office on the upper deck, Mikhail opened his laptop. Kat would sleep in her own bed tonight. He could get along without her for one night. He had never been dependent on a woman in his life and she was no different. Well, she was different in one aspect: he wasn’t tired of her yet, hadn’t yet had enough of that slender, soft-skinned body of hers that melted into his as if she had been created to be his perfect fit. Sex was amazing with her, everything he had ever wanted, everything he had never dreamt he might find with one woman. The pulse at his groin stirred, the stubborn flesh swelling and hardening behind his zip even at the thought of her. Three weeks and she was still turning him on hard and fast. He didn’t like it—he resented her power over him, loathed it when she tried to plunge him into the kind of meaningful dialogue he never had with women. In a sudden movement he snapped the laptop shut again and rose lithely upright, six feet five inches of powerfully frustrated and aggressive male.

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