Guilty Pleasures

April 18, 2016
Sexy sports stars, family bonds, and luxurious settings star in this cross-cultural romance. Former pro basketball star Alexander Barrett is celebrating the grand opening of his posh new Boulder, Colo., sports club. The last thing he needs is to have his famous fraternal twin brother, Zachary, using it to train for his next mixed martial arts bout. The two haven't spoken since Zachary stole away Alexander's college sweetheart years ago. Tensions worsen when Alexander meets lovely Sarai Montri, a former Miss Thailand and expert in exercise physiology who's helping Zachary train. With help from Sarai, Alexander and Zachary make peace and renew their brotherly bond, and Alexander successfully romances the beauty. But when Alexander and Sarai decide to follow Zachary back to Thailand for his title bout, the lovers must decide whether their relationship is serious enough to lead to marriage, especially given the harsh scrutiny of Sarai's very traditional father and the demands of Thai custom. Mello's highly emotional characters are a perfect match for the gorgeous settings and lavish lifestyles, and will please fans who like their love stories on a cinematic scale.

April 15, 2016
Alexander and Zachary Barrett have been estranged for years due to a woman who left them both burned, but the twins seem ready to mend their relationship; Sarai, Zach's best friend, wants to help but may complicate things when she and Alex begin to fall for each other. Alex and Zach grew up close yet competitive, which drove them both to excel in their respective fields--Alex becoming an NBA star and Zach a champion mixed martial arts fighter. But after Zach married Alex's college sweetheart, their relationship fell apart. Retired after a career-ending injury, Alex is opening a state-of-the-art gym in Boulder when his now-divorced brother waltzes back into his life, claiming he wants to train at his facility and heal their connection. Already wary of his brother's intentions, Alex becomes even more confused when he discovers that Sarai Montri, a personal trainer he recently hired and is attracted to, is his brother's best friend, has traveled from her native Thailand to support Zach's training for an upcoming match, and is living in his house. Sarai is adamant that she and Zach are just friends, but Zach doesn't seem so clear on the point. Airing out old emotions leads to forgiveness and love for the brothers, but before Alex and Sarai can find peace together, they'll have to deal with his parents' initial distrust of a woman they see as playing the brothers against each other and some unexpected cultural differences--the twins are African-American while Sarai had a traditional Thai upbringing. A trip to Thailand helps smooth their path, despite an awkward start and some misunderstandings with Sarai's father and extended family. There's a lot going on in this book, and some of it is handled strangely or practically ignored until suddenly there's a scene where it's plugged in: for instance, Sarai is a former Miss Thailand, but this barely comes up until she's suddenly at a photo shoot in Hong Kong; she also went to school in Paris but at times shows a surprising lack of cultural sophistication. Though flawed, the book offers a sexy, satisfying romance about two people from very different backgrounds finding common ground.

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