The Greek Tycoon’s Green Card Groom

Archimedes Katsaros braucht einen Finanzspritze um seine taumelnde Immobilienfirma zu retten. Diese hat er von seinem Vater übernommen, der jedoch nicht mit der Zeit ging und so die Firma mit unpassenden Entscheidungen an den Rand des Ruins gebracht hat. Ondrej Kovac kommt aus Europa und hat in Katsaros Firma ein Praktikum gemacht. Wider Erwarten gefällt ihm das Leben in den USA sehr gut, doch seine Aufenthaltsbewilligung läuft ab und er muss zurück in die Tschechische Republik. Seine Chefin heckt dann einen Plan aus, damit Ondrej doch bleiben kann. Er soll Archie finanziell unter die Arme greifen und dieser heiratet ihn. Eine Greencard-Ehe, die nach einem Jahr sowieso wieder geschieden werden kann.

Eine Win-Win-Situation also – so scheint es zumindest. Archie, wie auch Ondrej sind homosexuell und fühlen sich durchaus zueinander hingezogen. Aber keiner von ihnen würde die zweite Tatsache aussprechen. Aus unterschiedlichen Gründen hüten sie diese Gefühle und versuchen diese Ehe als wirtschaftliches Arrangement zu betrachten. Allerdings ist ihr Zusammenleben erst etwas merkwürdig und Ondrej fühlt sich ziemlich verloren. Doch langsam kommen sie sich auch näher und landen auch zusammen im Bett. Aber ist Sex genug?

Die Geschichte wird sehr nett erzählt und zwischen Archie und Ondrej knistert es immer wieder. Allerdings gibt es einige Längen und viele Mißverständnisse, die einfach ein bisschen zu konstruiert wirken. Außerdem sind Archie und Ondrej ein wenig unterkühlt und distanziert. Natürlich sind die Umstände etwas ungewöhnlich und sie brauchen Zeit um sich aneinander zu gewöhnen. Allerdings hätte man ihnen als Leser schon gern ein paar Mal einen Tritt in den Hintern verpasst.

Dennoch ist es eine amüsante Geschichte, die die Helden auf eine Achterbahn der Gefühle und in die Untiefen der New Yorker High Society schickt.

Both of these men are smart and interesting and are slightly attached to each other but they don't even have a chance to explore their feelings before they are thrust together in mutual need. I like that in this story while both of them know they have developing feelings they each suffer from their own self-doubt and fear that the other doesn't feel the same way.

Nothing was onesided as each man brings out something better in the one. Archie has to learn to be his own man instead of his father's shadow and Ondrej is able to help in this process. Ondrej on the other hand has to move beyond being the man who is just running away from home. There is give and take as they work through their feelings for each other.

Meh.  I kept waiting for something...anything to happen.  There were hints of potential plot lines...failing company, corporate takeover, immigration investigation....but then nothing. Everything was peachy keen.  Everything resolved as if by magic.  All that was left was the whining of the main characters, and a supposed language barrier which didn’t come across at all. I felt sorry for Archie, because his character had the potential to be so much more.  It all fell flat. 

Reviewed by Erin for Diverse Reader

A marriage of convenience, two sexy guys, and a company on the brink of collapse are the premise of Kate McMurray's newest book, The Greek Tycoon's Green Card Groom. This is the next book in Dreamspinner Press's Dreamspun Desires line and while I loved the blurb and the idea of this, unfortunately this one fell just a bit flat for me. Which is so disappointing because I absolutely adore Kate McMurray's books.

Archimedes (how fabulous is this name, though?!) Katsaros or Archie as he's called is in trouble. His family's company, the one left to him by his beloved deceased father, is about to go under. The poor economy coupled with years and years worth of less than savvy business decisions has Archie struggling for a way to right the sinking ship. Enter gorgeous, and suddenly without a valid green card, Ondrej Kovac ... who just happens to be quite wealthy. As you can guess, a plan is hatched, the two get hitched, and everyone wins ... or do they? While Archie and Ondrej are definitely attracted to one another, there are plenty of road blocks on their way to wedded bliss.

For me, this is where the issues arise. There is little, and I'm talking close to zero, chemistry between Archie and Ondrej. I liked both these guys, separately, and for the most part, but when they're together, there's something off. Maybe it was Ondrej's inner dialog that left me confused most of the time and the rest with a bit of a bad taste in my mouth. Some of his thoughts and his feelings toward Archie were pretty cold. And Archie ... his Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde flip flopping did little to endear me to him, either. One minute Archie can't imagine his life without Ondrej, and the next, he's telling Ondrej he needs space and wants to sleep alone.

The ending though, that saved the book for me. Sweet and romantic and what I wanted from a Dreamspun Desires book. As always, Kate's writing is stellar, it's just too bad this story didn't quite have that usual McMurray touch.

It read like a Mills & Boon plot, with a twist and I loved it!!! Instead of girl meets boy, we have boy meets boy.
Boy 1 is on the brink of losing his company and Boy 2 is about to be deported. A fraudulent marriage is put in play that leaves even me frustrated.

In true M&B fashion, Archie, instead of confronting Ondrej about his feelings, continues to assume what his husband is thinking and feeling. And Ondrej, (just as invested in the company he is trying to save and his marriage) is so blinded to a fault, has difficulties approaching his husband about matters of the heart. "Just told my mother I married a man. She said not to come home." --Ondrej

The whole concept is a modernized 80s read and I got into it. Integrating Ondrej into his world, getting the system to approve that their marriage was not a means to deceit (yeah right!!) and falling for each other was hard. I cheered the men on, shout out loud at their stupidity and sighed when they made the right decision. I am slowly making my way through the series and give it a thumbs up.

ARC provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.
Reviewed by Cee from Alpha Book Club