Dark Illusion

A must read! Patricia Wilson at her best! Love this book!!!

I liked this book, but didn't love it and I usually do with Patricia Wilson books. With that said it is a keeper - the main characters have good chemistry and are believable

SPOILERS INCLUDED BELOWI thought that I would love this story based on what I heard and started to read. Nick is a jealous and possessive hero. He is ruthless in his pursuit of Joanna, the heroine. He plotted and planned to make her his for years. There is nothing that he would not do to remove any obstacles to being with her including making sure the man she believed that she loved was married to someone else and millions of miles away from her.While in real life the woman of that kind of attention would need to get a restraining order in Romanceland that kind of devotion and obsession with a heroine is my ideal. (I admit it is a sickness.) Also while naive and appearing too young for her age, the heroine is likable. Also she makes Nick chase her and does not give in easily. In addition, it was not a clean romance. The story includes a few love making scenes towards the end of the story. All these things are pluses in my book and would have really enjoyed the story if not for the OW.It is bad when my enjoyment of a book is overshadowed by countless references to the Nick's OW. Multiple characters including Joanna, her father, people who work for the Nick and Nick himself all talk about the beautiful women that have gone in and out of his life since meeting the heroine. Also the heroine sees him with OW in newspapers and hanging over him in person. In addition it is printed in the newspaper that Nick is engaged and when the heroine talks to him on the phone OW was in the background. Also OW call him when the heroine is around or talk to her asking for him. In addition, characters are warning her to stay away from Nick almost the entire story because of his womanizing ways.After being bombarded with OW throughout the entire book including near the end, it turned out that the hero as probably celibate! While it is not said outright that he stopped smex OW after meeting the heroine, Nick stated that he was super busy before and after meeting the heroine and between working mega hours flying all over the world and flying to see the heroine he had no time for OW. All those OW were just eye candy or his secretary or his friend's wife and the one that said that she was engaged to him only met him once! Yet the entire book the heroine concern and focus (who could blame her) was that the hero was a playboy who hit it and quit it. It seemed to make sense based on what she had seen and everyone was telling her that he would do the same with her! However supposedly Nick has loved the heroine beyond measure and has for quite awhile. I never felt that and Nick saying it on the final couple pages of the book meant nothing to me. Sadly the main thing that I am taking away from this book is a bad taste in my mouth because of the OW flood.