A classic and delightful Trilogy, 14 Jul 2007
Claibourne and Faraday's is the most stylish department store in London, founded in 1932 by Charles Claibourne and William Faraday, it is rumoured that both founders agreed a rule of succession that hands the `golden share' and total control to the oldest male heir of either family, a rule that has caused a rift between the two families.

Meet the Claibourne sisters, - Romana, Flora and India. On the retirement of their father the three talented Claibourne sisters were set to take the store into the twenty first century: Romana as the head of public relations, Flora as a designer and India the eldest sister as the Managing director.
Enter the Farraday cousins -Niall, Bram and Jordan-three dynamic business men with their very own plans for the store, who were determined to take full control of the store and place it back into Faraday hands in accordance with the `golden share agreement'

The Claibourne girls did not want to handover management of the store to the Faraday men because the store was more than a job to them, it was their lives. To buy time for their lawyers, India invited the Farradays to `work- shadow' the sisters in three successive months in order to see what it takes to run a department store.

The Cooperate Bridegroom - the story of Romana and Niall Farraday Macaulay. Niall is a grieving widow and a top investment banker, as far as he was concerned C&F sat on prime property site and should be sold off as soon as the Faradays got control and the money invested into better things. As Niall followed Romana around in the month of April, contrary to his initial assessment of her as an `air head blondie' he came to realise how hard Romana worked. Romana's warm and sunny nature broke through the barriers Niall had erected to shut everyone out in his grief, and in the process thawed his frozen heart. Before they could say `C&F', they were head over hills in love. So what now, falling in love with the enemy was not on the cards?

The Marriage Merger - the story of Flora and Bram Farraday Gifford. Reserved and shy Flora did not want to be shadowed, to get out of the shadowing arrangement she accepted the invitation of the Saraminda government to visit, their tropical Island and inspect and write about a newly discovered archaeological artefact `the lost princess', in her capacity as a writer and jewellery expert. Her plans backfired when India sent Bram to shadow her on the trip. In getting to unravel the mystery that was Flora Claibourne, Bram became enthralled and shared his deepest secrets with Flora, and Flora opened up to him about her own secrets and fears. Strike two, cupid's arrow had hit again.

The Tycoon takeover - the story of India and Jordan Farraday - the two eldest who were vying for the CEO of'Clairbourne and Farradays. With the disappearance and marriage of India's sisters and Jordan's cousins, it was now left to these two eldest to fight it out. Closely monitored by the press, the stakes were high. For Jordan it was not just restoring the control of C&F into Farraday hands, it was a personal vendetta, for what he assumed Peter Clairbourne did to his mother when she wanted to keep control of C&F after his grandfather retired. With media scrutiny and speculation at fever pitch, will a June wedding be on the cards or will vengeance prevail?

This trilogy is a classic and a delight to read, one that I have read over and over and keep wishing there will be a sequel. It reads like one continuous novel as all the characters are encountered in all three books. This is a definite keeper.