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A Night of Living Dangerously
Like Cinderella at the ball...Lilley's fairytale wish is about to be granted.i She'll swap her grey suits for a fabulous dress and killer heels, and dance the night away with the man every other woman wants...but only for one night. When the clock strikes twelve...Alessandro Caetani does not do happy-ever-afters.i In fact his charm extends only as far as getting his Little Mouse secretary into bed.i Lilley has never taken such a risk before, but this is her night of living dangerously...Who is going to call time on the fairytale ending?
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
52 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
About the author
Jennie Lucas
559 books331 followersJennie Lucas had a tragic beginning for any would-be writer: a very happy childhood. Her parents owned a bookstore, and she grew up surrounded by books, dreaming about faraway lands. Her mother read aloud to her in French when she was little; when she was ten, her father secretly paid her a dollar for every classic novel (Jane Eyre, War and Peace) that she read. As a chubby teenager, Jennie covered her bedroom with travel posters and always had her nose in a book.
At fifteen, she went to a Connecticut boarding school on scholarship. She took her first solo trip to Europe at sixteen, then put off college and traveled around the U.S., supporting herself with jobs as diverse as gas station cashier and newspaper advertising assistant.
At 22, she met the man who would be her husband. For the first time in her life, she wanted to stay in one place, as long as she could be with him. After their marriage, she graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English, and started writing books a year later.
Jennie was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 2003 and won the award in 2005. A fellow 2003 finalist, Australian author Trish Morey, read Jennie’s writing and told her that she should write for Harlequin Presents. It seemed like too big a dream, but Jennie took a deep breath and went for it. A year later, after seven years of writing and eight finished manuscripts, Jennie got the magical call from London that turned her into a published author.
Since then, life has been hectic, juggling a writing career, a sexy husband and two young children, but Jennie loves her crazy, chaotic life. Who needs a clean house? Every day, Jennie gets swept into drama, glamour and passion. Now if she can only figure out how to pack up her family and live in all the places she’s writing about!
At fifteen, she went to a Connecticut boarding school on scholarship. She took her first solo trip to Europe at sixteen, then put off college and traveled around the U.S., supporting herself with jobs as diverse as gas station cashier and newspaper advertising assistant.
At 22, she met the man who would be her husband. For the first time in her life, she wanted to stay in one place, as long as she could be with him. After their marriage, she graduated from Kent State University with a degree in English, and started writing books a year later.
Jennie was a finalist in the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart contest in 2003 and won the award in 2005. A fellow 2003 finalist, Australian author Trish Morey, read Jennie’s writing and told her that she should write for Harlequin Presents. It seemed like too big a dream, but Jennie took a deep breath and went for it. A year later, after seven years of writing and eight finished manuscripts, Jennie got the magical call from London that turned her into a published author.
Since then, life has been hectic, juggling a writing career, a sexy husband and two young children, but Jennie loves her crazy, chaotic life. Who needs a clean house? Every day, Jennie gets swept into drama, glamour and passion. Now if she can only figure out how to pack up her family and live in all the places she’s writing about!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
January 8, 2012
I actually liked a JL book, wow I am still in shock! Lilley is a very sweet but totally unconfident woman and Alessandro is the usual JL alphahole but in this one JL finally gives him enough POV to make him understandable and really kinda likeable. He is an ass to Lilley several times in the book, but Lilley really wasn't a doormat in my view.
She was very honest and very giving and very open about how she felt and what she loved. She develops a lot of self insight over the course of the book and once she figured out her problems with how she handled new experiences she set out to have what she wanted. Alessandro made some big idiotic mistakes because of his own personal short-commings but I felt like he understood where he went wrong and I was also more forgiving of how he came to be the person he was. The usual trope of a past woman doing him wrong was given an unusual twist and I respected that and more importantly I believed it.
There is an ugly scene where Alessandro denounces Lilley with the encouragement of his former mistress and in front of a huge crowd of people but IMO that scene was Lilley's shining moment. You could see how far she had come in her own self-respect at that moment and plus you know that Alessandro will be begging for a second chance really soon.
Alessandro did act like an idiot, but he also finally figures out how to get his head out of his rear and he does come through with a really cute grand gesture at the end. Not only does he make the GG but he also explains his idiocy to Lilley and his contrition comes across as very sincere. I believed it anyway.
Overall I am still in shock that I liked this, cause usually with JL I get tired of the melodramatic angst filled internal musings and I also think her H's are just too rotten to live with. Happily none of this applied for me in this one, cause JL managed to write a tension filled emotional story with characters that were understandably human and made some bad mistakes but I still wanted to see both of them be happy with each other.
She was very honest and very giving and very open about how she felt and what she loved. She develops a lot of self insight over the course of the book and once she figured out her problems with how she handled new experiences she set out to have what she wanted. Alessandro made some big idiotic mistakes because of his own personal short-commings but I felt like he understood where he went wrong and I was also more forgiving of how he came to be the person he was. The usual trope of a past woman doing him wrong was given an unusual twist and I respected that and more importantly I believed it.
There is an ugly scene where Alessandro denounces Lilley with the encouragement of his former mistress and in front of a huge crowd of people but IMO that scene was Lilley's shining moment. You could see how far she had come in her own self-respect at that moment and plus you know that Alessandro will be begging for a second chance really soon.
Alessandro did act like an idiot, but he also finally figures out how to get his head out of his rear and he does come through with a really cute grand gesture at the end. Not only does he make the GG but he also explains his idiocy to Lilley and his contrition comes across as very sincere. I believed it anyway.
Overall I am still in shock that I liked this, cause usually with JL I get tired of the melodramatic angst filled internal musings and I also think her H's are just too rotten to live with. Happily none of this applied for me in this one, cause JL managed to write a tension filled emotional story with characters that were understandably human and made some bad mistakes but I still wanted to see both of them be happy with each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
dnf
June 11, 2017IMO
For a public humiliation THAT big
Cute grand gesture ≠ epic grovelling
Hero needed to lose a body part!
For a public humiliation THAT big
Cute grand gesture ≠ epic grovelling
Hero needed to lose a body part!
February 3, 2018
I didn't realize it, but I've read this three times. Okay, read once, skimmed it two times.
My problem with it is the hero, if that is a term that could be used.
Forget the tropes of the poor pitiful virgin, fleeing from her evil background, she seems stupid but is actually Idiot-savantly talented, OTT makeover that drives H wild, etc. These tropes all pale in significance to the fact that the H would rather listen to his his evil bitch ex than the woman he unknowingly loves.
He reject the abandoned heroine when she arrives at his engagement party to the evil ex and only takes her on when she admits she is there because she's pregnant. After a happy interlude, he rejects her again, humiliates and debases her in front of a whole party of people after the evil ex-fiancee arrives with some info. Go to hell hero.
The author does tack on a OTT cutesy knight approach that only made me dislike the H more.
My problem with it is the hero, if that is a term that could be used.
Forget the tropes of the poor pitiful virgin, fleeing from her evil background, she seems stupid but is actually Idiot-savantly talented, OTT makeover that drives H wild, etc. These tropes all pale in significance to the fact that the H would rather listen to his his evil bitch ex than the woman he unknowingly loves.
He reject the abandoned heroine when she arrives at his engagement party to the evil ex and only takes her on when she admits she is there because she's pregnant. After a happy interlude, he rejects her again, humiliates and debases her in front of a whole party of people after the evil ex-fiancee arrives with some info. Go to hell hero.
The author does tack on a OTT cutesy knight approach that only made me dislike the H more.
February 4, 2018
*wipes Kool-aid off mouth*
So many great reviews, so I'll just add my two cents. This was a fun, fast-paced story with a wide-eyed heroine and a hero who just ran with his feelings - at all times. He was the antithesis of a careful, calculating businessman hero and I really liked him. When he said that he made his first million by investing in plastic bracelets that just happened to get popular by chance, I think that summed up his whole character arc.
He just happened upon the heroine and hit the jackpot not really knowing how he got there. He had absolutely no judgment about anything. Case in point - he couldn't see how cutting edge the heroine's jewelry designs were and how marketable. He couldn't see how wrong the OW was for him. He didn't demand a pre-nup. He didn't look into the heroine's past. He constructed business rivals out of thin air. The guy was pure instinct and pure emotion and he played it all out in public from their first meeting.
So that's why when he had a meltdown in public for the black moment, I thought it was *his* humiliation to bear and not the heroine's. (And it was in character.) He was an out-of-control wounded male animal and he gets to carry around that memory for the rest of his life. If he had planned that public humiliation, I would have thought he was in the land of no return. But he didn't plan it. He just overreacted and it blew up in his face.
What he *did* plan was ridiculous - a knight in shining armor sitting in a truck? Really? Good thing he rarely plans. He's better off winging it.
Read this one if you're in the mood for an OTT hero who isn't intentionally cruel - just pure id.
So many great reviews, so I'll just add my two cents. This was a fun, fast-paced story with a wide-eyed heroine and a hero who just ran with his feelings - at all times. He was the antithesis of a careful, calculating businessman hero and I really liked him. When he said that he made his first million by investing in plastic bracelets that just happened to get popular by chance, I think that summed up his whole character arc.
He just happened upon the heroine and hit the jackpot not really knowing how he got there. He had absolutely no judgment about anything. Case in point - he couldn't see how cutting edge the heroine's jewelry designs were and how marketable. He couldn't see how wrong the OW was for him. He didn't demand a pre-nup. He didn't look into the heroine's past. He constructed business rivals out of thin air. The guy was pure instinct and pure emotion and he played it all out in public from their first meeting.
So that's why when he had a meltdown in public for the black moment, I thought it was *his* humiliation to bear and not the heroine's. (And it was in character.) He was an out-of-control wounded male animal and he gets to carry around that memory for the rest of his life. If he had planned that public humiliation, I would have thought he was in the land of no return. But he didn't plan it. He just overreacted and it blew up in his face.
What he *did* plan was ridiculous - a knight in shining armor sitting in a truck? Really? Good thing he rarely plans. He's better off winging it.
Read this one if you're in the mood for an OTT hero who isn't intentionally cruel - just pure id.
October 27, 2016
Lilley the virgin is working as a file clerk at Caetani Worldwide, and she’s having a bad day. She’s new, and she has dyslexia, so she is not speedy at the filing. What she really wants to do is design and sell jewellery. She followed her boyfriend Jeremy to San Francisco from France, where she’d been working as a housekeeper for her cousin. He definitely had a book. I haven’t found it yet, but he’s the count of St Raphael and vineyards. He’s been a pill to his wife, and Lilley left in the spirit of female solidarity.
Jeremy has turned out to be a terrible boyfriend. He was supposed to be helping the procrastinating Lilley set up her business, but instead Lilley finds him in bed with roommate Nina. And rather than being properly remorseful, Jeremy chose the moment of discovery to berate Lilley for being a terrible girlfriend. I think he may have withdrawn from Nina’s body and got dressed before the berating commenced, which was at least one thoughtful gesture.
In addition to this, Lilley’s dad rang to tell her she was disinherited. Lilley’s a little cagey about the dad because it’s a plot point of devastating conflict, but generally speaking, he issued an ultimatum that she come home and marry a manager of his choice, and she didn’t, therefore he’s done with her.
All Lilley wants is to push her file cart into a quiet office and cry.
And that’s how she meets Alessandro, billionaire company owner and Italian prince. No kingdom responsibilities, just a billion dollar company that does fashion and jewellery. And French vineyards and something in Japan. Alessandro’s greedy, and vindictive.
He’s also down because his posh girlfriend Olivia issued him an ultimatum to request her hand in marriage. Like Lilley, Alessandro doesn’t take kindly to ultimatums. Although, his version is to make big opposite ‘rub your nose in it’ gestures, while her response is passive inaction.
He calls her a mouse, quickly ascertains that she is a great beauty, and whisks her off for a makeover and a ball. One thing that I’ve grown to appreciate about a Lucas hero is that he is incredibly definite and certain that the heroine is the most beautiful creature he has, and will, ever lay eyes on. It doesn’t matter if she’s feeling a little chubby and is wearing some extraordinarily unflattering outfit. It doesn’t matter if he’s ignored her for 5 years. When the story opens, it is very quickly established that she is beautiful to him. He wants to worship her, and give her the best sex in her life. Isn’t that lovely? It’s worth holding onto some level of appreciation, because he will soon reveal his devastatingly crappy side.
Lilley and Alessandro smoulder at each other, and negotiate a single weekend of wild loving in every room of Alessandro’s mansion. Their wild weekend sex includes the shower, which is a big mistake, because it is a rule of Romancelandia that virgins get pregnant in showers.
Alessandro leaves without saying goodbye, and Lilley is taken on the drive of shame back to her flat by one of Alessandro’s employees. Nina and Lilley and Jeremy sort out their relationship, so no one has to move out and no one is left feeling crappy about cheating because that’s all swept under the ‘we were never really together anyway’ carpet.
One month later, Lilley is trying not to pregnantly throw up while she’s being fired. She then gets a call offering her job in New York. Ah ha, Lilley thinks, Alessandro must be on his way back to the city.
He is, and he’s about to propose to Olivia, when Lilley shows up to tell him she’s pregnant. That means Alessandro and Lilley get married. Olivia is super pissed at how this all turned out, and vows revenge. Alessandro is only mildly relieved, because he was grimly determined to have a terrible marriage with an awful person so he could prove to himself once again that relationships with women are a terrible idea.
Lilley feels like a slight departure from what I’m used to in a Lucas heroine. She’s not sanctimonious about some ideal family and she doesn’t make her hymen into a fetish. She recognised that she was stuck in a rut about her jewellery dreams, and I saw and really liked her character growth across the story.
Alessandro has a lot of horrible to overcome. That whole ‘don’t ultimatum me’ is a good example of his stupidly rigid thinking. He holds business grudges which I thought were a little pointless, but I also thought were probably a good demonstration of his alpha warrior nature. He has the worst friends. They are revoltingly fatuous and bitchy. His first love chose another man and her betrayal cut deep. I’m not going to snark at that, because even if it is bog standard it is heartbreaking. But it’s really not a good reason to be enemies with everyone in the business world he bests or almost bests you in a deal, or to have terrible friends, or to not call the virgin with whom you had the best sex in your life.
The action moves from San Francisco to Sardinia to Rome. There’s also a visit to somewhere else in the US, but it wasn’t an excitingly exotic location like these other ones. There’s even a guest appearance by Vladimir Zendzov. I haven’t read his book yet, but I know all about him from ‘ A Reputation for Revenge.’
A Night of Living Dangerously isn’t in quite the same outrageous territory as some of Lucas’ other books. Lilley seems a more sensible, decent person that Lucas’ usual heroines, but that isn’t necessarily saying much. Alessandro does turn out to be a satisfying hero, and I did like the way the shattering secret built to its grand revelation, and the resulting fall out.
Jeremy has turned out to be a terrible boyfriend. He was supposed to be helping the procrastinating Lilley set up her business, but instead Lilley finds him in bed with roommate Nina. And rather than being properly remorseful, Jeremy chose the moment of discovery to berate Lilley for being a terrible girlfriend. I think he may have withdrawn from Nina’s body and got dressed before the berating commenced, which was at least one thoughtful gesture.
In addition to this, Lilley’s dad rang to tell her she was disinherited. Lilley’s a little cagey about the dad because it’s a plot point of devastating conflict, but generally speaking, he issued an ultimatum that she come home and marry a manager of his choice, and she didn’t, therefore he’s done with her.
All Lilley wants is to push her file cart into a quiet office and cry.
And that’s how she meets Alessandro, billionaire company owner and Italian prince. No kingdom responsibilities, just a billion dollar company that does fashion and jewellery. And French vineyards and something in Japan. Alessandro’s greedy, and vindictive.
He’s also down because his posh girlfriend Olivia issued him an ultimatum to request her hand in marriage. Like Lilley, Alessandro doesn’t take kindly to ultimatums. Although, his version is to make big opposite ‘rub your nose in it’ gestures, while her response is passive inaction.
He calls her a mouse, quickly ascertains that she is a great beauty, and whisks her off for a makeover and a ball. One thing that I’ve grown to appreciate about a Lucas hero is that he is incredibly definite and certain that the heroine is the most beautiful creature he has, and will, ever lay eyes on. It doesn’t matter if she’s feeling a little chubby and is wearing some extraordinarily unflattering outfit. It doesn’t matter if he’s ignored her for 5 years. When the story opens, it is very quickly established that she is beautiful to him. He wants to worship her, and give her the best sex in her life. Isn’t that lovely? It’s worth holding onto some level of appreciation, because he will soon reveal his devastatingly crappy side.
Lilley and Alessandro smoulder at each other, and negotiate a single weekend of wild loving in every room of Alessandro’s mansion. Their wild weekend sex includes the shower, which is a big mistake, because it is a rule of Romancelandia that virgins get pregnant in showers.
Alessandro leaves without saying goodbye, and Lilley is taken on the drive of shame back to her flat by one of Alessandro’s employees. Nina and Lilley and Jeremy sort out their relationship, so no one has to move out and no one is left feeling crappy about cheating because that’s all swept under the ‘we were never really together anyway’ carpet.
One month later, Lilley is trying not to pregnantly throw up while she’s being fired. She then gets a call offering her job in New York. Ah ha, Lilley thinks, Alessandro must be on his way back to the city.
He is, and he’s about to propose to Olivia, when Lilley shows up to tell him she’s pregnant. That means Alessandro and Lilley get married. Olivia is super pissed at how this all turned out, and vows revenge. Alessandro is only mildly relieved, because he was grimly determined to have a terrible marriage with an awful person so he could prove to himself once again that relationships with women are a terrible idea.
Lilley feels like a slight departure from what I’m used to in a Lucas heroine. She’s not sanctimonious about some ideal family and she doesn’t make her hymen into a fetish. She recognised that she was stuck in a rut about her jewellery dreams, and I saw and really liked her character growth across the story.
Alessandro has a lot of horrible to overcome. That whole ‘don’t ultimatum me’ is a good example of his stupidly rigid thinking. He holds business grudges which I thought were a little pointless, but I also thought were probably a good demonstration of his alpha warrior nature. He has the worst friends. They are revoltingly fatuous and bitchy. His first love chose another man and her betrayal cut deep. I’m not going to snark at that, because even if it is bog standard it is heartbreaking. But it’s really not a good reason to be enemies with everyone in the business world he bests or almost bests you in a deal, or to have terrible friends, or to not call the virgin with whom you had the best sex in your life.
The action moves from San Francisco to Sardinia to Rome. There’s also a visit to somewhere else in the US, but it wasn’t an excitingly exotic location like these other ones. There’s even a guest appearance by Vladimir Zendzov. I haven’t read his book yet, but I know all about him from ‘ A Reputation for Revenge.’
A Night of Living Dangerously isn’t in quite the same outrageous territory as some of Lucas’ other books. Lilley seems a more sensible, decent person that Lucas’ usual heroines, but that isn’t necessarily saying much. Alessandro does turn out to be a satisfying hero, and I did like the way the shattering secret built to its grand revelation, and the resulting fall out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 26, 2018
12/26/18 - 2nd read
Just re-read this and I have to admit, it wasn't as good on second read. I really wish he had been a better man and not judge her so much. I know he did that epic grovel at the end but the whole Olivia thing and the things he said at the party, just not nice. Sorry I re-read it. I still love the h. She was so wonderful.
2/18/18 1st Read
I loved this book. I liked the heroine so much. I love when a heroine loves so much and is so selfless. I know I am a dissenting opinion there but I just loved how her love made him a better man. I liked her personality and I actually gave it a five star even though the H and his ex-biatch were so horrid to her at the 2nd party. There were a couple of parts that just made me cry. She loved him so much and I liked that she didn't ever waver. She was even strong enough to walk away and I loved that about her. I want to find the other stories that are related to this. I think I have read them before but it made me curious to go find them and put it all together. This was actually a reread and I gave it a higher score even. I do love Jennie Lucas however and as long as her hero's are faithful, no matter how much pain they cause, I root for them.
I really loved the ending too. It was so sweet to see the hero do that for the heroine. Whatever he had done before was forgiven.
Just re-read this and I have to admit, it wasn't as good on second read. I really wish he had been a better man and not judge her so much. I know he did that epic grovel at the end but the whole Olivia thing and the things he said at the party, just not nice. Sorry I re-read it. I still love the h. She was so wonderful.
2/18/18 1st Read
I loved this book. I liked the heroine so much. I love when a heroine loves so much and is so selfless. I know I am a dissenting opinion there but I just loved how her love made him a better man. I liked her personality and I actually gave it a five star even though the H and his ex-biatch were so horrid to her at the 2nd party. There were a couple of parts that just made me cry. She loved him so much and I liked that she didn't ever waver. She was even strong enough to walk away and I loved that about her. I want to find the other stories that are related to this. I think I have read them before but it made me curious to go find them and put it all together. This was actually a reread and I gave it a higher score even. I do love Jennie Lucas however and as long as her hero's are faithful, no matter how much pain they cause, I root for them.
I really loved the ending too. It was so sweet to see the hero do that for the heroine. Whatever he had done before was forgiven.
February 17, 2018
I adore the ONS, love at first sight trope (mostly because I don’t believe in it in real life) but this one didn't work for me.
It had the right ingredients: plain, plump heroine with a reading disability who works as a humble filing clerk in the billionaire’s office. He’s been given an ultimatum to put-a-ring-on-it by his gf and while he’s fuming in his office at her audacity, hears the h crying. Both are mutually smitten at first sight. He drags the sob-story out of her. She walked in on her boyfriend in bed with her best friend; turns out the two cheaters are in love. Insert puke here.
He decides they should do a one up on their ex-partners and show up at a charity ball together. It’s in a few hours but her fairy-god-Hero does his magic and surprise (not), she turns into a voluptuous hottie that he can barely keep his hands off and she’s like cheating-bf-who-that, I got me a real man.
Before the night is over, she wants him but she’s virginal and he has fastidious rules about ONS he’s sure she can’t keep. They succumb to passion and she keeps to the bargain but he does the Hero asshole thing and fires her in the nicest way possibly by offering her another job in a galaxy far, far away. Sorry, been binge watching Star Wars with kids.
But while Padme and Anakin had the mother of all reasons for keeping their union a secret, this one was pathetic. So you had a little office fling, it was still a major dick-move to get her to sign off on not suing for sexual harassment.
He redeemed himself a little and it was a good scene where she tracked him down to tell him of her pregnancy but they both lost me soon after. Too much sex scenes (not even steamy hot) at the expense of character development.
And I hated, really hated that she forgave her best friend for cheating with her boyfriend so quickly. She even accepted partial responsibility for it and continued to stay with them!! Guess this was supposed to show her forgiving nature but I didn’t care for it. Cheating within a relationship is complicated, there’s always layers and I dislike judging. But your best friend? Nope. Best friends are people you run to when you’ve been cheated on, not people you run into when you discover the cheating.
Unlike other readers, I enjoyed the fairy-tale knight moment at the end so it upped a star for me but it wasn’t a great read, the writing seemed amateurish and I couldn’t connect with the characters.
Note to self: Never read a HP after watching Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan. No H has enough testosterone to beat that.
It had the right ingredients: plain, plump heroine with a reading disability who works as a humble filing clerk in the billionaire’s office. He’s been given an ultimatum to put-a-ring-on-it by his gf and while he’s fuming in his office at her audacity, hears the h crying. Both are mutually smitten at first sight. He drags the sob-story out of her. She walked in on her boyfriend in bed with her best friend; turns out the two cheaters are in love. Insert puke here.
He decides they should do a one up on their ex-partners and show up at a charity ball together. It’s in a few hours but her fairy-god-Hero does his magic and surprise (not), she turns into a voluptuous hottie that he can barely keep his hands off and she’s like cheating-bf-who-that, I got me a real man.
Before the night is over, she wants him but she’s virginal and he has fastidious rules about ONS he’s sure she can’t keep. They succumb to passion and she keeps to the bargain but he does the Hero asshole thing and fires her in the nicest way possibly by offering her another job in a galaxy far, far away. Sorry, been binge watching Star Wars with kids.
But while Padme and Anakin had the mother of all reasons for keeping their union a secret, this one was pathetic. So you had a little office fling, it was still a major dick-move to get her to sign off on not suing for sexual harassment.
He redeemed himself a little and it was a good scene where she tracked him down to tell him of her pregnancy but they both lost me soon after. Too much sex scenes (not even steamy hot) at the expense of character development.
And I hated, really hated that she forgave her best friend for cheating with her boyfriend so quickly. She even accepted partial responsibility for it and continued to stay with them!! Guess this was supposed to show her forgiving nature but I didn’t care for it. Cheating within a relationship is complicated, there’s always layers and I dislike judging. But your best friend? Nope. Best friends are people you run to when you’ve been cheated on, not people you run into when you discover the cheating.
Unlike other readers, I enjoyed the fairy-tale knight moment at the end so it upped a star for me but it wasn’t a great read, the writing seemed amateurish and I couldn’t connect with the characters.
Note to self: Never read a HP after watching Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan. No H has enough testosterone to beat that.
February 20, 2018
Why can’t they do believable covers? The female model on the cover looks just that – tall leggy model – and certainly not a little mouse/sex kitten etc. Or maybe the guy isn’t as tall or broad shouldered as he’s supposed to be. Personally I still prefer and drool over the illustrations of the HPs of yore. They knew how to make all your fantasies come true!
Anyhow the h is really quite sweet and open hearted. My friend Debbie has that right. You can’t but adore her for loving so openly and selflessly. And yes, she has a personality and I liked her dignity at the walkout. But she could have ‘confessed’ a lot sooner and those but-I-thought-you-knew or I'll-tell-him-soon excuses only work (or rather don't work!) in HPs.
He's a true tstl H with zero judgment. No wonder he was losing contracts left, right and center. I won't rate him the cruellest as he wasn't intentionally so, just that he had no brains to speak of if he could be so easily led by the ow and not check out the facts first.
And all that (typically HP) emotional hurt excuses from way back in the last century don’t really wash. ..first time in nineteen years....never in sixteen years…what!! And frankly his ex from years past sounded like a street-smart practical woman and not really an evil heartbreaker. So all that misery by tortured past excuse doesn’t really wash in this book.
It annoyed me how he discourages her to follow her dream, pushes her to conform and leaves her open to malice and insult (though he acquits himself on the last one) even before he does the cherry on the top himself.
He actually dumps her twice and both times abominably!
Thinking of the humiliation scene as in RL, no relationship can really survive such a public laundry washing scene. It can only lead to eternal sniggering and asides.
So a world-class grovel was rated but he does a mini fantasy playout and she melts in a puddle at his feet. I’ve read this ‘making a fool of himself proves that he really loves her’ routine in few books but I’d say this H didn’t pass muster. If she was humiliated publically, he too should’ve done a public declaration/crawling to even out.
And no comeuppance for the ow? One star struck off!
ETA - Oh And that poor excuse for a father who never bothers to keep in touch - he gets to be redeemed?! He's so paranoid that she wants his money (with no proof ever of it being so) he disinherits her, but we're to believe he loves her ?! Just for the all's well again in la la land ending?
Anyhow the h is really quite sweet and open hearted. My friend Debbie has that right. You can’t but adore her for loving so openly and selflessly. And yes, she has a personality and I liked her dignity at the walkout. But she could have ‘confessed’ a lot sooner and those but-I-thought-you-knew or I'll-tell-him-soon excuses only work (or rather don't work!) in HPs.
He's a true tstl H with zero judgment. No wonder he was losing contracts left, right and center. I won't rate him the cruellest as he wasn't intentionally so, just that he had no brains to speak of if he could be so easily led by the ow and not check out the facts first.
And all that (typically HP) emotional hurt excuses from way back in the last century don’t really wash. ..first time in nineteen years....never in sixteen years…what!! And frankly his ex from years past sounded like a street-smart practical woman and not really an evil heartbreaker. So all that misery by tortured past excuse doesn’t really wash in this book.
It annoyed me how he discourages her to follow her dream, pushes her to conform and leaves her open to malice and insult (though he acquits himself on the last one) even before he does the cherry on the top himself.
He actually dumps her twice and both times abominably!
Thinking of the humiliation scene as in RL, no relationship can really survive such a public laundry washing scene. It can only lead to eternal sniggering and asides.
So a world-class grovel was rated but he does a mini fantasy playout and she melts in a puddle at his feet. I’ve read this ‘making a fool of himself proves that he really loves her’ routine in few books but I’d say this H didn’t pass muster. If she was humiliated publically, he too should’ve done a public declaration/crawling to even out.
And no comeuppance for the ow? One star struck off!
ETA - Oh And that poor excuse for a father who never bothers to keep in touch - he gets to be redeemed?! He's so paranoid that she wants his money (with no proof ever of it being so) he disinherits her, but we're to believe he loves her ?! Just for the all's well again in la la land ending?
January 7, 2012
This was not my favorite book by this author, his behaviour with the heroine was despicable, he found her crying in the office, took her on a date to make the heroine's cheating boyfriend jealous, took her innocence and then ignored her as he said he would, fired her and found her a job somewhere else and when she told him she was pregnant married her, told her she couldn't follow her dream of a jewellery business, never helped her out with his friends and instead tried to mold her into something else and then publicly humiliated her, calling her a cheat and questioned the paternity of their child. I found that unforgivable, so what that she didn't tell him that her father was wealthy, she should have but he should have respected her enough to talk in private.
Of course he makes a grand gesture to make up for it but in my book the heroine should have made him crawl.
Of course he makes a grand gesture to make up for it but in my book the heroine should have made him crawl.
March 21, 2015
He was total asshole. She was too good for him. If she had a spine she lost it when she met him and sleeping with him made it worst. How stupid can a girl be but then again she was a virgin!!! Wow really I hate how the hero always takes advantage of the girl! Why can't a girl say no treat me like a human being and how would you like it if I treated your sorry ass like that? However I did like the end despite what others wrote about it. It was well written and enjoyable. Warning Just part are very frustrating!
May 10, 2023
Update 11/30/18 - I read this book for the third time yesterday and the fourth time today. There is just something about this story that draws me. Every time I read it I end of reading it twice in a row. I just can't get enough of it. I love the heroine so much. There is a scene when she tells the hero that she's pregnant and it is awesome. She just wants him to be happy and she is willing to walk away so he can marry an evil woman who he says is his perfect match for a strategic business union. That took guts and it just gets better each time I read it.
This is a very good book, one I definitely recommend. It's a safe book and once the hero took out the heroine he was never with anyone else intimately. If he was with someone right before he met her at least we didn't have to witness it or even hear about it.
Our hero and major manwhore, Alessandro Caetani, does not do happy-ever-afters. He rarely, if ever, does nice. He prefers ONS or a mistress...maybe both at the same time. When the story begins he has a snake of an evil mistress, Olivia. On the way to a charity function she gives him an ultimatum...become engaged to her or it's over. He chose the later and drops her off at the ritzy hotel where she's staying. It was an impossibility to like Olivia. She was evil and wicked and determined to have Alessandro for herself. No love was involved in their relationship. Theirs was to be a match to benefit their respective businesses and fortunes.
Lilley, our lovely heroine, has a fairy tale dream and she has no idea it's about to come true. Alessandro has been noticing her as she works in his company as a cleaner. To himself he calls her Little Mouse because she's kind of plain and mousy but something draws him to her. She is not impressed when he calls her that to her face. He asks her to go the charity function as his date and waves his magic wand taking her to a stylist where she has a makeover and is adorned in a beautiful gown. Our hero is stunned when he sees her beauty and very sexy body that has always been covered up by baggy work clothing. (She does this because she is not fond of her curvy body thinking she is too heavy.)
He is positive he will let nothing happen between them because he can offer her nothing. But Lilley is hard to resist. Her sweetness, her innocence! They were so drawn to each other. He promises her one night and ends up giving her two. So he leaves town on a business deal and she awakes alone. He has her fired from the business he owns and finds her a job 3000 miles away. He's too weak to have her anywhere near him and remain a faithful partner to the awful Olivia who he has now decided to marry regardless of what he feels.
But what happens when Lilley comes to his home to tell him goodbye on her way to New York and thanks him for the little gift he has given her? Loved this scene.
I had hoped there would be legal consequences for Olivia and was sad it did not play out in the book. Otherwise, it was a memorable story. Even though I have now read this four or five times I am still bothered that there were not more consequences for evil witch, Olivia. At least a good telling off and putting her in her place.
This is a very good book, one I definitely recommend. It's a safe book and once the hero took out the heroine he was never with anyone else intimately. If he was with someone right before he met her at least we didn't have to witness it or even hear about it.
Our hero and major manwhore, Alessandro Caetani, does not do happy-ever-afters. He rarely, if ever, does nice. He prefers ONS or a mistress...maybe both at the same time. When the story begins he has a snake of an evil mistress, Olivia. On the way to a charity function she gives him an ultimatum...become engaged to her or it's over. He chose the later and drops her off at the ritzy hotel where she's staying. It was an impossibility to like Olivia. She was evil and wicked and determined to have Alessandro for herself. No love was involved in their relationship. Theirs was to be a match to benefit their respective businesses and fortunes.
Lilley, our lovely heroine, has a fairy tale dream and she has no idea it's about to come true. Alessandro has been noticing her as she works in his company as a cleaner. To himself he calls her Little Mouse because she's kind of plain and mousy but something draws him to her. She is not impressed when he calls her that to her face. He asks her to go the charity function as his date and waves his magic wand taking her to a stylist where she has a makeover and is adorned in a beautiful gown. Our hero is stunned when he sees her beauty and very sexy body that has always been covered up by baggy work clothing. (She does this because she is not fond of her curvy body thinking she is too heavy.)
He is positive he will let nothing happen between them because he can offer her nothing. But Lilley is hard to resist. Her sweetness, her innocence! They were so drawn to each other. He promises her one night and ends up giving her two. So he leaves town on a business deal and she awakes alone. He has her fired from the business he owns and finds her a job 3000 miles away. He's too weak to have her anywhere near him and remain a faithful partner to the awful Olivia who he has now decided to marry regardless of what he feels.
But what happens when Lilley comes to his home to tell him goodbye on her way to New York and thanks him for the little gift he has given her? Loved this scene.
I had hoped there would be legal consequences for Olivia and was sad it did not play out in the book. Otherwise, it was a memorable story. Even though I have now read this four or five times I am still bothered that there were not more consequences for evil witch, Olivia. At least a good telling off and putting her in her place.
August 26, 2014
Jennie Lucas is the author to reach for when you want the high drama quotient and the fairy tale vibe to your Harlequin Presents. Lilley is so starry-eyed, it will probably make a more cynical reader roll her eyes. I didn't mind it so much. I think that if I'm in the mood, it works for the story. I felt that she definitely deserved better than she got with Alessandro, but in his defense he did try to push her away initially to protect her. I didn't want her to go back to him when she has important news. I wanted her to go in the other direction. I think it's because I strongly like when the hero has to do the chasing. I don't like when the heroine falls into his arms so easily. Lilley is a true love believer. She has a heart that is so sweet and kind, I just wanted to protect her from the world. I could identify with her fear about taking risks. I think we all feel like that sometimes. Especially when the root is a sense of inadequacy and that no one truly accepts you for who you are. I hate that Alessandro contributed to that feeling of inadequacy in how he treats her when they are married. He needed and did receive a hard wake up call, but it came at a high price to Lilley.
Jennie Lucas can be a bit over the top sometimes, but in a way, I like that. I think the best Harlequin Presents are the ones that don't feel like real life, but take you away to 100% escapism. When that's combined with a story full of emotional genuineness it's a great combination. While I won't ever hang out with billionaires, I can identify with the human emotions that both Lilley and Alessandro feel, and their struggles with family and a sense of meaning for their lives.
I would have to give this four stars because it kept my eyes glued on the page, the sensuality was sizzling, and the character's emotions felt real and powerful and their story unfolded in a way that I was entranced with and didn't want to stop reading. Plus, the Cinderella vibe is very well done.
Jennie Lucas can be a bit over the top sometimes, but in a way, I like that. I think the best Harlequin Presents are the ones that don't feel like real life, but take you away to 100% escapism. When that's combined with a story full of emotional genuineness it's a great combination. While I won't ever hang out with billionaires, I can identify with the human emotions that both Lilley and Alessandro feel, and their struggles with family and a sense of meaning for their lives.
I would have to give this four stars because it kept my eyes glued on the page, the sensuality was sizzling, and the character's emotions felt real and powerful and their story unfolded in a way that I was entranced with and didn't want to stop reading. Plus, the Cinderella vibe is very well done.
January 31, 2018
The wimpy grovel scene at the end ruined this book for me. I loved it until the end. Even after the public humiliation I just knew Jennie Lucas would do something to bring everything full circle and redeem the hero for his behavior but nope! Yes, the heroine neglected to tell the hero who she really was however, the hero completely humiliated her in front of a crowd of people and he makes one lame attempt at an apology (only in front of the heroine’s father) and all is forgiven? Are you kidding me!?!?
What I do like about this author is that you will see familiar hero’s and locations (ie. The Hermitage Hotel in Las Vegas) pop up randomly in her books. Jennie Lucas really does create her own little universe with the characters she creates.
What I do like about this author is that you will see familiar hero’s and locations (ie. The Hermitage Hotel in Las Vegas) pop up randomly in her books. Jennie Lucas really does create her own little universe with the characters she creates.
March 28, 2022
Stil quite silly fairytale with a jerk prince!
June 19, 2019
Another winner for me by Jennie Lucas. I can't get enough of her stories!
October 9, 2013
Plot summary contained here
Another enjoyable story from Jennie Lucas that was filled with passion, drama, angst, longing, and full of tension that would please any Harlequin Presents fan or a romance fan.
This story was set up, at least loosely, like the fairytale Cinderella, it even stated that in the back blurb. And the beginning definitely did have remnants of Cinderella, where the heroine Lilley, who was a poor file clerk and wore ill fitted clothing, went to the ball with her boss Prince Alessandro, who happened to be prince, with Alessandro acting as her fairy godmother. Not only did he ask her to the ball when he found her crying in his office after learning her boyfriend had been cheating on her with her best friend and roommate, but he also provided her with the makeover as well. He brought her shoes, dresses, hired a stylus, and hired a make up artist all so she would be the bell of the ball and show her ex what he was missing when he cheated on her in the first place. And what sweetened the pot was the fact that Prince Alessandro was her date.
I thought this was a very clever set up, and definitely reminded me of Cinderella in the beginning, and it definitely drew me in, providing the hook that got me wanting to read more in the story as well as learn more about the characters and how their love story would shape up. It was a good beginning, but that was where the fairytale interpretation ended there at the night of the ball.
Alessandro and Lilley leave the ball at the stroke of midnight, and though Alessandro had stated quite clearly that their "date" would only last for that one night at the ball and nothing more, he decided that he did in fact want more time with her, well really he just wanted to take her to his bed because he wanted her so much and was so attracted to her and had been from the moment he first saw her with him fighting that attraction the entire night of the ball while talking himself out of whether to take her to bed or not, but at that stroke of twelve he decided to go for it and slake his lust for her even if it was just for one night, and it was almost like he couldn't help himself.
Of coarse Lilley was attracted to him as well, and decided that didn't want to play it safe anymore or not take a risk like she had for all of her life so she decided that she wanted to give into the attraction as well and find out what making love was all about. And it was fact that it was him, who made her feel beautiful and made her feel brave for the first time ever in her life, she decided that he would be her first even knowing that she would only be a fling to him and nothing more. But she was determined to go through with it because she wanted to be with him.
The scene in the limo was pretty steamy and filled with tension with the couple hotly making out, waiting to get to his villa so they could consummate their relationship. I could definitely feel the passion coming off waves on the pages with a frenzy pace going on because both of them wanted each other so much and couldn't wait to be alone. I loved that scene for just that anticipation alone because I knew if that scene was hot the lovemaking was going to be scorching, which was probably added by the tension and anticipation in the limo.
And I was right once they got to his villa and the fast paced, lovemaking began that book was on fire with lots of heating coming my way reading the passionate scene between them. Even though the scene was filled with lots of scorching passion, it was also filled with tenderness and feelings as well, showing that it was more than sex to both of them.
Lilley discovered the passionate side of a relationship and how much emotion she felt during the interlude and actually found it very freeing for her as well as pleasurable from her first experience. It helped her also feel connected to him, not only physically but emotionally as well. She never experienced what she experience with Alessandro ever in her life, never finding that closeness or passion in either of her relationships and feeling that bonded or emotionally close with a man before (since she wasn't close with her father, who she believed abandoned her and her mother when her mother was sick and felt like he never thought she was good enough ever and felt like he never had any faith in her whatsoever), and that was a real eye opening moment for her, realizing what a relationship could be and close she could be with a man or with Alessandro anyway. And she wanted to bask in it and have it in her life forever. It just opened her up to so many possibilities.
While for Alessandro, he had quite a similar experience as well never having ever felt like this with a woman ever. He didn't only feel for her physically, but emotionally as well, which was a big deal since he never let his guard down with any woman after the first time he feel in love never wanting to be vulnerable like that again, and just feeling a tenderness with Lilley that he never expected when he first took her to bed. He wanted to take care of her, be gentle with her, and just be different with her because he felt different when he was with her, and knowing that she deserved more than him for her first, yet at the same time felt honored that he was her first with her choosing to be with him in an intimate way and no other man. That made him feel very humble, and also opened his eyes to how shallow his love life was.
So, they have a weekend fling, making love so many times, which was a little unbelievable since she was a virgin and wasn't sore at all especially the amount of sex they were having, that it was ridiculous, but no less hot, passionate, and emotional with their connection deepening each moment together while the outside world disappeared around them and their only focus being each other. And some of those moments were pretty steamy for the entire weekend, and that was all they seemed to do the entire weekend and enjoying every moment of it.
But like all good things have to come to an end with Alessandro, who wanted to keep seeing Lilley because she made him feel so good (not just physically) and he loved being around her and being the light in his life when his world was so dark around him, realizing that this fling could only last the weekend and they needed to go back to employer and employee once Monday came. And even though he didn't want to let her go, he knew he had to because he deserved more than he could ever give him expecting that she would fall in love with him and even thought she was part way there from the look in her eyes so he had to nip this in the bud before she got the wrong idea about their passionate fling, knowing it was for her own good.
So, he did the cowardly thing and left her at his villa without saying goodbye, leaving Lilley to wake up in her lonesome, feeling very confused and hurt by his behavior and thought that she meant more to him than just getting the brush off, but apparently she was wrong, and now she knew she had to go back to her life without Alessandro and feel normal again.
But even after a month later, Lilley didn't feel normal, missing Alessandro since he abandoned her, and he truly did abandon her not calling or writing or sending her little gifts her or there or even just contact her in general, making her feel completely alone and hurt by his behavior. Lilley felt like he just wrote her off like she was nothing and figured he was probably seeing some other rich, beautiful socialite somewhere, forgetting all about her. And in fact he did, having gone to Mexico City to business there and hadn't returned in a month, keeping away from poor Lilley. It didn't help matters that she found out she was pregnant, she was fired from her job (thanks to Alessandro), and co-workers taunted her about being Alessandro's temporary mistress. They would leave tabloids on her desk about Alessandro with one particular one having a picture of Alessandro and Olivia, a beautiful woman that he was suppose to take to the ball with him instead of Lilley, but Olivia offered an ultimatum to him to either propose to her or she wasn't going to the ball with him. Well, we know what one happened there and why he took Lilley was in part to get back at Olivia, together and indicated that there would be a party to announced their engagement, taking another big blow to Lilley, but she also decided that she would go to the party just to tell Alessandro about her being pregnant with his child before leaving for New York (he set up a job for her there), but wasn't expecting anything else.
At the engagement party, Alessandro missed Lilley so much and wished he could be with her, missing the light that she provided in his life, and he thought about her the entire time he was away, but knew she couldn't be apart of his world that would crush her like a bug with its darkness so he knew he had to forgot her and push her out of his life forever like arranging the job for Lilley and proposing to Olivia because that was what he believed he should do. But it was a crushing blow to him and felt his world was closing on him and feeling trapped by having to announce this engagement to Olivia, who was only too thrilled by the turn of events.
But when Lilley showed up everything changed, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Lilley and he wanted to touch her the whole time just to feel her skin on his, but he denied himself and tried to push her away. But when he learned of her pregnancy then things changed, though he was suspicious of her at first, he believed he could trust her and offered her marriage so he could protect her and the child, but stated clearly that he couldn't love her while he knew she was in love with him. So, he made no empty promises to her, and even though it pained Lilley to hear his words, she did accept, vowing that she would make him love her too.
They married in Las Vegas in a quickie ceremony with bouts of quick lovemaking here and there thrown in, and took her back to his house in Sardinia. He arranged lessons for her language and such to "teach" her to be his worthy wife, and she did it even though she hated in hopes that this would please him and make him fall in love with her.
This was the part that I was mad at Lilley about, changing herself just so she could win his approval, it just wasn't right, and the fact that she allowed it to happy just irked me a bit because she shouldn't have to change herself in order to be loved, she should have just been herself, but she did it anyway and luckily in the end she learned her lesson about that.
Anyway while separated from the world, they had hot lovemaking session on the Island, which seemed like the only way that she could connect with Alessandro or get him to let his guard down with her otherwise he was pretty closed off and working all the time, leaving her to her own devices unless they were in bed. But those scenes were still hot and I enjoyed reading them even though I wished Alessandro would show more interest in her than in the bedroom because I know he had feelings for her even if he didn't want to admit it yet.
Alessandro went to Rome for business reluctantly taking Lilley with him not because he didn't want her to be with him, but because he knew how cruel his friends could be especially too a sweet novice like Lilley, but Lilley reassured him she would be fine. But it turned out that Alessandro was absolutely right and found herself drowning in that world where the woman made fun of her and dragging her self confidence down. It got so bad she had to hide in a bathroom stall to stay away from the party. Alessandro found out about this and immediately took her away, knowing this wasn't the world she was meant to be in though he was mad because another man pointed it out to him.
He vowed to her that they would have a good life as a family as long as she didn't lie to him, ever, and it happened that, though she didn't know he didn't know, she was lying to him about who her father and cousin were, who happened to be his enemies that were looking to take over his business and destroy him. So, the night of their reception, Olivia, who Lilley invited feeling sorry for the woman for loosing Alessandro, spilled the beans on this tidbit of information and relished in doing so, and Alessandro saw red and flipped out, believing Olivia's word for word then went to seek Lilley out and publicly confronting her on the information and the supposed "lies" she told. And it wasn't a pretty confrontation, he was mean to her, acting out of his anger with the realization that he loved her and trusted her, but now he felt like a fool after her lies and basically threw the book at her.
Lilley tried to explain, but he wouldn't let her, and she was devastated by his words and his disbelief in him and she came to realize that he never really trusted and would never love her since he was saying these cruel things to her. And she had enough, and enough of trying to earn his love by becoming his worthy wife by doing everything she could please him. That's when she realized he shouldn't have to change for him in order to be loved by anyone and all she needed to be was herself. Big cheers at that part. So, she took her ring off and handed it to him and left him with her poor heart dropped on the floor.
Divorce papers were on Alessandro's desk, and even though he thought good riddance to Lilley that he was better off without her, he still missed her like crazy. Lilley's cousin came to pick up her stuff and gave him the Mexico City deal and promised to back off the Tokyo deal since Alessandro wanted it so much all at Lilley's insistence. Theo, cousin, told Alessandro was a fool for being so angry at Lilley for her little while lie and said Lilley was better off with out him in her life because she didn't deserve his treatment of her and then left with her stuff.
Redeeming moment here for Alessandro as he come to realize what a big fool he truly was for questioning Lilley and not trusting her fully like he should've. He realized that she never betrayed him, but he betrayed her by withhold anything substantial from her other than sex and things, which she didn't want in the first place. And he also betrayed her by trying to change her and making her into a "worthy" wife for him, and he came to realize that she didn't need to change and just needed to be herself and loved for herself. And he did love her for herself, but he never told her or showed her that just keeping their relationship completely shallow, figuring out that he was the one hiding not Lilley, who loved him without reservation and openly and offering her love with no strings attached. But he decided he wasn't going to hide anymore and was going to do anything in his power to win her back.
Lilley went home to her father to tell him she was pregnant, but not really expecting much from him either. And there was a little confrontation there with Lilley finally standing up to him for the first time, acting brave. Lilley then learned that her father did in fact love her and it was her mother that kicked him out of her life because he was cheating on her. Lilley also found out he was dying, and once she learned all this she forgave him.
Then the big grand gesture came into play with Alessandro showing up in a suit of amour to be her Knight in Shinning Amour, which was both funny, cute, and adorable moment in the story especially when he can barely move in the heavy metal, but he did it and made a fool of himself (he would have never done that it the past, never wanting to look foolish ever in his life) to prove to Lilley how important she was to him and just how much he did truly love her and wanted to be with her. Of coarse she forgave him especially after all the trouble he went to, to prove his love for her.
And they live happily ever after. They have a son, she and her father now have a close relationship, her business was taking off, and Alessandro and Lilley were passionate and deeply in love with one another.
Like I said I really did enjoy this book with the added flavor of the fairytale twist in the beginning. It was definitely passionate with lots of love scenes thrown in there with a couple long ones with lots of hot descriptions and multiple little ones along the way just to show how much of a physical connection they truly had. At one point it seemed like that was all they did, going at it rabbits, which didn't bother me, not at all, I was just a little surprised about the amount that were in fact in there, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable to read. There was just a lot passion going on, but like I said above it was more about the emotional experience of those scenes that the physical or I should say just the physical, which was hot, but each of their love scenes just showed how their relationship was changing and their depths of feelings for one another, sharing that intimacy with one another. And it was beautiful, sweet, loving, emotional, passionate, and yes hot as well. They were never gratuitous or thrown in just to have it in their in order to up the heat level of the story, no they were just part of the growing and development process in their relationship and it just happened to be shown in a physical form. Also it allowed for emotions to be shown without having to say a word, and that was kind of the point and why there was so much in there because Alessandro wasn't ready to put his feelings into words yet, but he let go when he was intimate with her, which more or less showed how he was feeling for her. The connection and the feelings were there from almost page one and there was no question of that at least in my mind.
And liked them as a couple too, they just really worked for me, complementing on another and bringing out the best in the other. Alessandro brought out Lilley's brave side while Lilley brought out his softer emotions and making him realize that he could love and he did love her, which was absolutely beautiful to see over the course of the book. Just the whole relationship development, I thought was really well done, and it grew over time, making it believable that they were in love and falling in love with one another. Yes, their attraction was based on the physical at first, but most relationships in real life are, but they soon come to realize that their relationship was different and their was more to them than just the physical. That it was special from the beginning and though he wasn't ready to face that to the end, he still realized that having her in his life made him better and made his life better, bringing him into the light, and allowing him to grow as a person. And with her same thing, she could grow as a person because her love for him made her strong and made her believe in herself again. And their relationship made them better people and contributed also to their character growth throughout the story. And the characters became real people to me not just words on the page, and I enjoyed seeing their growth, both of them not just one over the other. I liked how they both came to realization and acted in order to improve their lives and make themselves happy instead of just accepting what was and just stood still not growing. I just really liked seeing the growth in all areas between the characters and the relationship, making this story strong and relatable to people who are reading this.
Bravo Jennie Lucas, another job well done. I just loved how Jennie Lucas's style and writing with the pacing spot on. Really liked the book. It was more than just a love story, but two character's life journeys that were able to be accomplished because of the love and caring they had for one another. This made for a beautiful, sweet romance that was filled with passion along the way that I think any romance fan would truly enjoy.
Another enjoyable story from Jennie Lucas that was filled with passion, drama, angst, longing, and full of tension that would please any Harlequin Presents fan or a romance fan.
This story was set up, at least loosely, like the fairytale Cinderella, it even stated that in the back blurb. And the beginning definitely did have remnants of Cinderella, where the heroine Lilley, who was a poor file clerk and wore ill fitted clothing, went to the ball with her boss Prince Alessandro, who happened to be prince, with Alessandro acting as her fairy godmother. Not only did he ask her to the ball when he found her crying in his office after learning her boyfriend had been cheating on her with her best friend and roommate, but he also provided her with the makeover as well. He brought her shoes, dresses, hired a stylus, and hired a make up artist all so she would be the bell of the ball and show her ex what he was missing when he cheated on her in the first place. And what sweetened the pot was the fact that Prince Alessandro was her date.
I thought this was a very clever set up, and definitely reminded me of Cinderella in the beginning, and it definitely drew me in, providing the hook that got me wanting to read more in the story as well as learn more about the characters and how their love story would shape up. It was a good beginning, but that was where the fairytale interpretation ended there at the night of the ball.
Alessandro and Lilley leave the ball at the stroke of midnight, and though Alessandro had stated quite clearly that their "date" would only last for that one night at the ball and nothing more, he decided that he did in fact want more time with her, well really he just wanted to take her to his bed because he wanted her so much and was so attracted to her and had been from the moment he first saw her with him fighting that attraction the entire night of the ball while talking himself out of whether to take her to bed or not, but at that stroke of twelve he decided to go for it and slake his lust for her even if it was just for one night, and it was almost like he couldn't help himself.
Of coarse Lilley was attracted to him as well, and decided that didn't want to play it safe anymore or not take a risk like she had for all of her life so she decided that she wanted to give into the attraction as well and find out what making love was all about. And it was fact that it was him, who made her feel beautiful and made her feel brave for the first time ever in her life, she decided that he would be her first even knowing that she would only be a fling to him and nothing more. But she was determined to go through with it because she wanted to be with him.
The scene in the limo was pretty steamy and filled with tension with the couple hotly making out, waiting to get to his villa so they could consummate their relationship. I could definitely feel the passion coming off waves on the pages with a frenzy pace going on because both of them wanted each other so much and couldn't wait to be alone. I loved that scene for just that anticipation alone because I knew if that scene was hot the lovemaking was going to be scorching, which was probably added by the tension and anticipation in the limo.
And I was right once they got to his villa and the fast paced, lovemaking began that book was on fire with lots of heating coming my way reading the passionate scene between them. Even though the scene was filled with lots of scorching passion, it was also filled with tenderness and feelings as well, showing that it was more than sex to both of them.
Lilley discovered the passionate side of a relationship and how much emotion she felt during the interlude and actually found it very freeing for her as well as pleasurable from her first experience. It helped her also feel connected to him, not only physically but emotionally as well. She never experienced what she experience with Alessandro ever in her life, never finding that closeness or passion in either of her relationships and feeling that bonded or emotionally close with a man before (since she wasn't close with her father, who she believed abandoned her and her mother when her mother was sick and felt like he never thought she was good enough ever and felt like he never had any faith in her whatsoever), and that was a real eye opening moment for her, realizing what a relationship could be and close she could be with a man or with Alessandro anyway. And she wanted to bask in it and have it in her life forever. It just opened her up to so many possibilities.
While for Alessandro, he had quite a similar experience as well never having ever felt like this with a woman ever. He didn't only feel for her physically, but emotionally as well, which was a big deal since he never let his guard down with any woman after the first time he feel in love never wanting to be vulnerable like that again, and just feeling a tenderness with Lilley that he never expected when he first took her to bed. He wanted to take care of her, be gentle with her, and just be different with her because he felt different when he was with her, and knowing that she deserved more than him for her first, yet at the same time felt honored that he was her first with her choosing to be with him in an intimate way and no other man. That made him feel very humble, and also opened his eyes to how shallow his love life was.
So, they have a weekend fling, making love so many times, which was a little unbelievable since she was a virgin and wasn't sore at all especially the amount of sex they were having, that it was ridiculous, but no less hot, passionate, and emotional with their connection deepening each moment together while the outside world disappeared around them and their only focus being each other. And some of those moments were pretty steamy for the entire weekend, and that was all they seemed to do the entire weekend and enjoying every moment of it.
But like all good things have to come to an end with Alessandro, who wanted to keep seeing Lilley because she made him feel so good (not just physically) and he loved being around her and being the light in his life when his world was so dark around him, realizing that this fling could only last the weekend and they needed to go back to employer and employee once Monday came. And even though he didn't want to let her go, he knew he had to because he deserved more than he could ever give him expecting that she would fall in love with him and even thought she was part way there from the look in her eyes so he had to nip this in the bud before she got the wrong idea about their passionate fling, knowing it was for her own good.
So, he did the cowardly thing and left her at his villa without saying goodbye, leaving Lilley to wake up in her lonesome, feeling very confused and hurt by his behavior and thought that she meant more to him than just getting the brush off, but apparently she was wrong, and now she knew she had to go back to her life without Alessandro and feel normal again.
But even after a month later, Lilley didn't feel normal, missing Alessandro since he abandoned her, and he truly did abandon her not calling or writing or sending her little gifts her or there or even just contact her in general, making her feel completely alone and hurt by his behavior. Lilley felt like he just wrote her off like she was nothing and figured he was probably seeing some other rich, beautiful socialite somewhere, forgetting all about her. And in fact he did, having gone to Mexico City to business there and hadn't returned in a month, keeping away from poor Lilley. It didn't help matters that she found out she was pregnant, she was fired from her job (thanks to Alessandro), and co-workers taunted her about being Alessandro's temporary mistress. They would leave tabloids on her desk about Alessandro with one particular one having a picture of Alessandro and Olivia, a beautiful woman that he was suppose to take to the ball with him instead of Lilley, but Olivia offered an ultimatum to him to either propose to her or she wasn't going to the ball with him. Well, we know what one happened there and why he took Lilley was in part to get back at Olivia, together and indicated that there would be a party to announced their engagement, taking another big blow to Lilley, but she also decided that she would go to the party just to tell Alessandro about her being pregnant with his child before leaving for New York (he set up a job for her there), but wasn't expecting anything else.
At the engagement party, Alessandro missed Lilley so much and wished he could be with her, missing the light that she provided in his life, and he thought about her the entire time he was away, but knew she couldn't be apart of his world that would crush her like a bug with its darkness so he knew he had to forgot her and push her out of his life forever like arranging the job for Lilley and proposing to Olivia because that was what he believed he should do. But it was a crushing blow to him and felt his world was closing on him and feeling trapped by having to announce this engagement to Olivia, who was only too thrilled by the turn of events.
But when Lilley showed up everything changed, his heart skipped a beat when he saw Lilley and he wanted to touch her the whole time just to feel her skin on his, but he denied himself and tried to push her away. But when he learned of her pregnancy then things changed, though he was suspicious of her at first, he believed he could trust her and offered her marriage so he could protect her and the child, but stated clearly that he couldn't love her while he knew she was in love with him. So, he made no empty promises to her, and even though it pained Lilley to hear his words, she did accept, vowing that she would make him love her too.
They married in Las Vegas in a quickie ceremony with bouts of quick lovemaking here and there thrown in, and took her back to his house in Sardinia. He arranged lessons for her language and such to "teach" her to be his worthy wife, and she did it even though she hated in hopes that this would please him and make him fall in love with her.
This was the part that I was mad at Lilley about, changing herself just so she could win his approval, it just wasn't right, and the fact that she allowed it to happy just irked me a bit because she shouldn't have to change herself in order to be loved, she should have just been herself, but she did it anyway and luckily in the end she learned her lesson about that.
Anyway while separated from the world, they had hot lovemaking session on the Island, which seemed like the only way that she could connect with Alessandro or get him to let his guard down with her otherwise he was pretty closed off and working all the time, leaving her to her own devices unless they were in bed. But those scenes were still hot and I enjoyed reading them even though I wished Alessandro would show more interest in her than in the bedroom because I know he had feelings for her even if he didn't want to admit it yet.
Alessandro went to Rome for business reluctantly taking Lilley with him not because he didn't want her to be with him, but because he knew how cruel his friends could be especially too a sweet novice like Lilley, but Lilley reassured him she would be fine. But it turned out that Alessandro was absolutely right and found herself drowning in that world where the woman made fun of her and dragging her self confidence down. It got so bad she had to hide in a bathroom stall to stay away from the party. Alessandro found out about this and immediately took her away, knowing this wasn't the world she was meant to be in though he was mad because another man pointed it out to him.
He vowed to her that they would have a good life as a family as long as she didn't lie to him, ever, and it happened that, though she didn't know he didn't know, she was lying to him about who her father and cousin were, who happened to be his enemies that were looking to take over his business and destroy him. So, the night of their reception, Olivia, who Lilley invited feeling sorry for the woman for loosing Alessandro, spilled the beans on this tidbit of information and relished in doing so, and Alessandro saw red and flipped out, believing Olivia's word for word then went to seek Lilley out and publicly confronting her on the information and the supposed "lies" she told. And it wasn't a pretty confrontation, he was mean to her, acting out of his anger with the realization that he loved her and trusted her, but now he felt like a fool after her lies and basically threw the book at her.
Lilley tried to explain, but he wouldn't let her, and she was devastated by his words and his disbelief in him and she came to realize that he never really trusted and would never love her since he was saying these cruel things to her. And she had enough, and enough of trying to earn his love by becoming his worthy wife by doing everything she could please him. That's when she realized he shouldn't have to change for him in order to be loved by anyone and all she needed to be was herself. Big cheers at that part. So, she took her ring off and handed it to him and left him with her poor heart dropped on the floor.
Divorce papers were on Alessandro's desk, and even though he thought good riddance to Lilley that he was better off without her, he still missed her like crazy. Lilley's cousin came to pick up her stuff and gave him the Mexico City deal and promised to back off the Tokyo deal since Alessandro wanted it so much all at Lilley's insistence. Theo, cousin, told Alessandro was a fool for being so angry at Lilley for her little while lie and said Lilley was better off with out him in her life because she didn't deserve his treatment of her and then left with her stuff.
Redeeming moment here for Alessandro as he come to realize what a big fool he truly was for questioning Lilley and not trusting her fully like he should've. He realized that she never betrayed him, but he betrayed her by withhold anything substantial from her other than sex and things, which she didn't want in the first place. And he also betrayed her by trying to change her and making her into a "worthy" wife for him, and he came to realize that she didn't need to change and just needed to be herself and loved for herself. And he did love her for herself, but he never told her or showed her that just keeping their relationship completely shallow, figuring out that he was the one hiding not Lilley, who loved him without reservation and openly and offering her love with no strings attached. But he decided he wasn't going to hide anymore and was going to do anything in his power to win her back.
Lilley went home to her father to tell him she was pregnant, but not really expecting much from him either. And there was a little confrontation there with Lilley finally standing up to him for the first time, acting brave. Lilley then learned that her father did in fact love her and it was her mother that kicked him out of her life because he was cheating on her. Lilley also found out he was dying, and once she learned all this she forgave him.
Then the big grand gesture came into play with Alessandro showing up in a suit of amour to be her Knight in Shinning Amour, which was both funny, cute, and adorable moment in the story especially when he can barely move in the heavy metal, but he did it and made a fool of himself (he would have never done that it the past, never wanting to look foolish ever in his life) to prove to Lilley how important she was to him and just how much he did truly love her and wanted to be with her. Of coarse she forgave him especially after all the trouble he went to, to prove his love for her.
And they live happily ever after. They have a son, she and her father now have a close relationship, her business was taking off, and Alessandro and Lilley were passionate and deeply in love with one another.
Like I said I really did enjoy this book with the added flavor of the fairytale twist in the beginning. It was definitely passionate with lots of love scenes thrown in there with a couple long ones with lots of hot descriptions and multiple little ones along the way just to show how much of a physical connection they truly had. At one point it seemed like that was all they did, going at it rabbits, which didn't bother me, not at all, I was just a little surprised about the amount that were in fact in there, but that doesn't make them any less enjoyable to read. There was just a lot passion going on, but like I said above it was more about the emotional experience of those scenes that the physical or I should say just the physical, which was hot, but each of their love scenes just showed how their relationship was changing and their depths of feelings for one another, sharing that intimacy with one another. And it was beautiful, sweet, loving, emotional, passionate, and yes hot as well. They were never gratuitous or thrown in just to have it in their in order to up the heat level of the story, no they were just part of the growing and development process in their relationship and it just happened to be shown in a physical form. Also it allowed for emotions to be shown without having to say a word, and that was kind of the point and why there was so much in there because Alessandro wasn't ready to put his feelings into words yet, but he let go when he was intimate with her, which more or less showed how he was feeling for her. The connection and the feelings were there from almost page one and there was no question of that at least in my mind.
And liked them as a couple too, they just really worked for me, complementing on another and bringing out the best in the other. Alessandro brought out Lilley's brave side while Lilley brought out his softer emotions and making him realize that he could love and he did love her, which was absolutely beautiful to see over the course of the book. Just the whole relationship development, I thought was really well done, and it grew over time, making it believable that they were in love and falling in love with one another. Yes, their attraction was based on the physical at first, but most relationships in real life are, but they soon come to realize that their relationship was different and their was more to them than just the physical. That it was special from the beginning and though he wasn't ready to face that to the end, he still realized that having her in his life made him better and made his life better, bringing him into the light, and allowing him to grow as a person. And with her same thing, she could grow as a person because her love for him made her strong and made her believe in herself again. And their relationship made them better people and contributed also to their character growth throughout the story. And the characters became real people to me not just words on the page, and I enjoyed seeing their growth, both of them not just one over the other. I liked how they both came to realization and acted in order to improve their lives and make themselves happy instead of just accepting what was and just stood still not growing. I just really liked seeing the growth in all areas between the characters and the relationship, making this story strong and relatable to people who are reading this.
Bravo Jennie Lucas, another job well done. I just loved how Jennie Lucas's style and writing with the pacing spot on. Really liked the book. It was more than just a love story, but two character's life journeys that were able to be accomplished because of the love and caring they had for one another. This made for a beautiful, sweet romance that was filled with passion along the way that I think any romance fan would truly enjoy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 11, 2012
The heroine Lilley has had a horrible day after finding her boyfriend and flatmate in bed together. All she wants is a little peace and quiet to try and complete the work she is badly behind on. When Alessandro, the hero and owner of the company she works for, turns up he is surprised and a little pleased to find Lilley there. He has watched her around the workplace for a while, always with her head down, and he is more than a little intrigued by her. Alessandro asks Lilley to go with him to a charity ball and although she is rather reluctant she agrees feeling the need to escape from her problems for a night. The attraction and desire between them surprises both of them and they end up spending a very passionate weekend together. But Alessandro makes it clear it is only a weekend as he can't give her more, and Lilley is all for this. A few weeks later both of them are still thinking about each other, but Lilley is about to move away and Alessandro is about to announce his engagement so there is no future for them. But before Lilley leaves she needs to tell Alessandro she is pregnant.
As expected from Jennie Lucas, the plot of this book is intense and absorbing. There is a lot of chemistry between the hero and heroine and their interactions are full of heat, which really suits the book. Although they did seem to have an abnormal about of sex!
In a way, I do wish this hadn't been an accidental pregnancy plot book, but it is well written and interesting despite this.
Both the hero and heroine are believable and likeable, and they work well together. The hero did behave a bit badly at first, but it works.
Emotional and interesting, this is an enjoyable, solid book.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
As expected from Jennie Lucas, the plot of this book is intense and absorbing. There is a lot of chemistry between the hero and heroine and their interactions are full of heat, which really suits the book. Although they did seem to have an abnormal about of sex!
In a way, I do wish this hadn't been an accidental pregnancy plot book, but it is well written and interesting despite this.
Both the hero and heroine are believable and likeable, and they work well together. The hero did behave a bit badly at first, but it works.
Emotional and interesting, this is an enjoyable, solid book.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
December 25, 2012
It was an ok book but I never felt the chemistry and connection between the characters. I enjoyed the epilogue but I wish I could care more about the hero or the heroine.
January 8, 2012
What do i say about this one by the time i finished it left me so disappointed.Lilley was such TSTL doormat and that Mean Cruel Cold Male Chauvinist Pig- so so angry at him and more angry at Lilley to let him treat her in such a bad way,the story would have been much much better if the lie was out sooner followed by such a cruel reaction of that jerk then realization and rest book should have been grovelling.
But after the truth is out everything was so rushed Lilley and her father's patch up followed by HEA,the way he treated his wife he had a lots to make up for,he was forgiven so easily.Olivia she escaped unscathed when he came to know it she who gave out deal.
Overall so-so read for me
But after the truth is out everything was so rushed Lilley and her father's patch up followed by HEA,the way he treated his wife he had a lots to make up for,he was forgiven so easily.Olivia she escaped unscathed when he came to know it she who gave out deal.
Overall so-so read for me
May 1, 2019
Μια όχι και τόσο πετυχημένη εκδοχή του παραμυθιού της Σταχτοπούτας... 🤦♀️👸
Αυτή η ιστορία είχε πολλές προοπτικές αλλά εξελίχθηκε με τόσο λάθος τρόπο. Και τελείωσε με τόσο αδέξιο και βιαστικό τρόπο.
Και από μεριάς χαρακτήρων από τους δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες μέχρι τους πρωταγωνιστές όλοι τους ήταν πάρε τον ένα χτύπα τον άλλο. Μόνο ένας χαρακτήρας ξεχώρισε (και όχι με καλό τρόπο) και αυτή ήταν η κακιά της ιστορίας. Πραγματικά η κακία που έβγαζε προς τα έξω ήταν τρομακτική. 😖😨
Αυτή η ιστορία είχε πολλές προοπτικές αλλά εξελίχθηκε με τόσο λάθος τρόπο. Και τελείωσε με τόσο αδέξιο και βιαστικό τρόπο.
Και από μεριάς χαρακτήρων από τους δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες μέχρι τους πρωταγωνιστές όλοι τους ήταν πάρε τον ένα χτύπα τον άλλο. Μόνο ένας χαρακτήρας ξεχώρισε (και όχι με καλό τρόπο) και αυτή ήταν η κακιά της ιστορίας. Πραγματικά η κακία που έβγαζε προς τα έξω ήταν τρομακτική. 😖😨
August 13, 2012
This was a book filled with sweet moments, angsty goodness moments, hit hero in the head moments and more. I liked this book even though at the end Alessandro was a class A jerk. The way he made up for it was a bit ridiculous but sweet. It fit with the heroine.
August 29, 2018
paperback
January 12, 2018
3.5 stars
I wanted more from my favorite favorite author
I wanted more from my favorite favorite author
July 6, 2018
A really sweet fun read. It’s light and funny and cuddly. A bit OTT with the fairytaleness but still really enjoyable.
Likely and Alessandro meet when she is hiding in the CEO’s office of his company, crying her eyes out because she just found her boyfriend screwing her roommate and bestie.
Alessandro just dumped his latest mistress for demanding that he marry her on the way to his company’s charity ball. So the solve the no-date problem and the make the cheaters green with envy, he convinces her to go to the ball with him.
He has always considered Lilley to be a mouse, until he see’s her transformation into a siren for the ball. Unable to help themselves, the spend a night together. Lots of hot sex ensues. She gets preggers. Crashes his engagement party to the cold, bitchy OW to let him know about the baby. He dumps the OW and marries her.
And then the book really starts. She has a secret that would make him hate her. There is lots of miscommunication. His friends are nasty SOB’s. Her cousin is awesome! He punches the hell out of the H. It was so well deserved. A knight in shining amour. Lots of reconciliations and a HEA that made me happy too.
And in between all of that, the sex was epic! I liked this book! 😍
Likely and Alessandro meet when she is hiding in the CEO’s office of his company, crying her eyes out because she just found her boyfriend screwing her roommate and bestie.
Alessandro just dumped his latest mistress for demanding that he marry her on the way to his company’s charity ball. So the solve the no-date problem and the make the cheaters green with envy, he convinces her to go to the ball with him.
He has always considered Lilley to be a mouse, until he see’s her transformation into a siren for the ball. Unable to help themselves, the spend a night together. Lots of hot sex ensues. She gets preggers. Crashes his engagement party to the cold, bitchy OW to let him know about the baby. He dumps the OW and marries her.
And then the book really starts. She has a secret that would make him hate her. There is lots of miscommunication. His friends are nasty SOB’s. Her cousin is awesome! He punches the hell out of the H. It was so well deserved. A knight in shining amour. Lots of reconciliations and a HEA that made me happy too.
And in between all of that, the sex was epic! I liked this book! 😍
January 16, 2013
This is awesome if you're in the mood for a good sultry, easy, romantic read. I don't give 5 stars very often when it comes to M&B because usually the romance and the story seems rush. But I love this one! I love the characters, especially Lilley. I like that she's not meek (as opposed to most M&B heroine) but she's not head-strong either. She's likeable all-around and she has the same insecurity as the average person in the street. But she's tough and knows how to pick her battle, and when to concede defeat. Awesome! I wish other authors in M&B can take a page out of this one.
July 4, 2020
The ending ruined it because of his cornball antics.
April 9, 2012
Just finished and my head is spinning! Tropophilia!! Just too much. Anyone not wanting trope overload must avoid this, as they're all here. Only unused tropes are "amnesia" and your're dying and I love you (although that's there too, just not for the H and h). Everything else is there. Cinderella story of a poor little rich girl with a learning difficulty, who doesn't know her beauty but has a brilliant talent, is swept away by handsome alpha male with tortuous rags to riches background (and a Prince!)who can't love. Story is complete with wicked other woman and H's protagonist who turns out not to be an enemy,, in the end. Oh did I forget to mention pregnant heroine? Just absolutely too much.
April 5, 2017
This was a very silly book. I don't mean any disrespect to the author; this is the first book I've ever read by her and I don't know anything about her. But while the mechanics of the writing in this book were fine, the plot read like it was written by a teenage girl, for teenage girls. It's all so cliched, contrived and unbelievable that it reads like fan fiction for wallflowers.
First, we've got Lilly, a painfully shy girl who considers herself fat and ugly. She wears baggy clothes to hide her "fat" body and doesn't know anything about fashion or makeup. She's also a timid little mouse with no backbone and a virgin with no sexual wiles to speak of. Basically, there's nothing about her that would ever make a man look twice. And yet the handsome prince (yes, a literal prince) finds her inexplicably attractive and irresistible to the point where he decides to break all his own rules regarding dating employees and virgins and whisks her off for a steamy, sex-filled weekend at his fabulous estate. And despite her lack of experience, she's the best sex he's ever had and he just can't get enough of her. Throw in the Evil Other Woman, an unexpected pregnancy, and a Big Misunderstanding caused by the tried and true "I have something really important to tell you," "Don't bother, I already know what it is." "Oh you do? In that case, I won't ever say what it is to double-check that we're talking about the same thing so that later on when it turns out we're not, it can cause a huge problem for our relationship" method, and I think that covers about half of the giant book of cliches!
Like I said, it was a rather silly book that fell heavily into the realm of "fairy tale" rather than modern romance because nothing about it rang true for the real world. If that's the kind of story you like then you'll love this book. Me, I prefer my heroines to have a little backbone, so I struggled to relate to our wide-eyed virgin turned princess. Her behavior was so naive, self-defeating and contradictory that I just couldn't be on her side.
I won't run through the plot of the book since other reviews have already done that. I'll just hit the highlights of things that bugged me.
First, we've got Lilly, a painfully shy girl who considers herself fat and ugly. She wears baggy clothes to hide her "fat" body and doesn't know anything about fashion or makeup. She's also a timid little mouse with no backbone and a virgin with no sexual wiles to speak of. Basically, there's nothing about her that would ever make a man look twice. And yet the handsome prince (yes, a literal prince) finds her inexplicably attractive and irresistible to the point where he decides to break all his own rules regarding dating employees and virgins and whisks her off for a steamy, sex-filled weekend at his fabulous estate. And despite her lack of experience, she's the best sex he's ever had and he just can't get enough of her. Throw in the Evil Other Woman, an unexpected pregnancy, and a Big Misunderstanding caused by the tried and true "I have something really important to tell you," "Don't bother, I already know what it is." "Oh you do? In that case, I won't ever say what it is to double-check that we're talking about the same thing so that later on when it turns out we're not, it can cause a huge problem for our relationship" method, and I think that covers about half of the giant book of cliches!
Like I said, it was a rather silly book that fell heavily into the realm of "fairy tale" rather than modern romance because nothing about it rang true for the real world. If that's the kind of story you like then you'll love this book. Me, I prefer my heroines to have a little backbone, so I struggled to relate to our wide-eyed virgin turned princess. Her behavior was so naive, self-defeating and contradictory that I just couldn't be on her side.
I won't run through the plot of the book since other reviews have already done that. I'll just hit the highlights of things that bugged me.
July 1, 2025
Kolejny romans z serii "Światowe życie Extra". Tym razem poznajemy prezesa potężnego, luksusowego, włoskiego przedsiębiorstwa. Cayetani Worldwide, dla którego liczy się głównie kariera i w jej sprawie nie cofnie się przed niczym, nawet jeśli trzeba będzie porzucić życie wiecznego kawalera i ożenić się bez miłości - czemu nie, zwłaszcza jeśli narzeczona jest spadkobierczynią olbrzymiego majątku...?
Tymczasem Lilley Smith,. która jest zwykłą księgową w firmie Alessandra, właśnie rozstała się z chłopakiem po tym jak okazało się, że Jeremy zdradza ją z jej najlepszą przyjaciółką Nadią. Zapłakaną Lilley znajduje w swoim gabinecie książę Alessandro Caetani. Zabójczo przystojny mężczyzna o zniewalającym uśmiechu i umięśnionym ciele robi na dziewczynie wrażenie. W najśmielszych wyobrażeniach nie sądziła, że ktoś taki jak on poprosi ją, żeby towarzyszyła mu na corocznym firmowym balu Prezosi di Caetani. Tym bardziej, że wszyscy w firmie wiedzą, że Allessandro to łamacz kobiecych serc, zresztą aktualnie zajęty, gdyż jego dziewczyna jest bajecznie bogata dziedziczka Olivia Bianchi. Jak ona - szara myszka - może w ogóle myśleć o jakiejkolwiek relacji z mężczyzną o takiej pozycji społecznej? Jest jednak pewna tajemnica, o której wie tylko Lilley... Co to za tajemnica? Jak rozwinie się znajomość z Alessandrem? Tego należy się dowiedzieć z lektury książki.
Sięgając po tą historię, spodziewałam się trochę bardziej zawoalowanej intrygi, tymczasem główna tajemnica już po kilku rozdziałach jest tak przedstawiona, że można już domyślić się dalszej akcji. I gdy już myślałam, że to będzie największy mój zawód, nagle zdarzają się sytuacje między tą dwójką bohaterów, które każą mi źle myśleć o tych postaciach. On - strasznie zadufany, egoistyczny dupek, ona naiwna idiotka. Rozumiem, że jest o typowy, harlequinowy romans. Sztampowy do bólu. Nawet już machnęłam ręką na opis, który wzbudził moją ciekawość i zwrócił moje oczy w kierunku właśnie tego tytułu, gdyż czytając streszczenie już wówczas można mieć takie przeświadczenie, że to nie może być aż tak dobre, żeby miało się udać. To wtedy ta książka musiałaby mieć minimum trzysta stron. Jednakże nie mogę pojąć jak można być taką zaślepioną kobietą, tak naiwną, ale też - tak bardzo wierzącą w tego faceta. Zwłaszcza nie po tym, jak ją traktował w tej historii.
Można przeczytać, książka ujdzie w tłumie, wszak jest to taka schematyczna historia na jeden raz, gdzie akcja dzieje się w tempie błyskawicznym (nawet aż za bardzo). Nie mamy tu przesadnie ostrych scen erotycznych. Plusem może być klimat Włoch, w którym jest utrzymana ta opowieść - mimo akcji w San Francisco, na chwilę mamy też Rzym, włoskie restauracje, trochę włoskich zwrotów. Jednakże uprzedzam, że można poczuć lekki niedosyt tą historią. I zirytować się głównie naiwnością Lilley, jej głupiutkim sposobem bycia w niektórych scenach, a także przesadną władczością oraz przekonaniem o swojej nieomylności Alessandra.
Opinia opublikowana na moim blogu:
https://literackiepodrozebooki.blogsp...
Tymczasem Lilley Smith,. która jest zwykłą księgową w firmie Alessandra, właśnie rozstała się z chłopakiem po tym jak okazało się, że Jeremy zdradza ją z jej najlepszą przyjaciółką Nadią. Zapłakaną Lilley znajduje w swoim gabinecie książę Alessandro Caetani. Zabójczo przystojny mężczyzna o zniewalającym uśmiechu i umięśnionym ciele robi na dziewczynie wrażenie. W najśmielszych wyobrażeniach nie sądziła, że ktoś taki jak on poprosi ją, żeby towarzyszyła mu na corocznym firmowym balu Prezosi di Caetani. Tym bardziej, że wszyscy w firmie wiedzą, że Allessandro to łamacz kobiecych serc, zresztą aktualnie zajęty, gdyż jego dziewczyna jest bajecznie bogata dziedziczka Olivia Bianchi. Jak ona - szara myszka - może w ogóle myśleć o jakiejkolwiek relacji z mężczyzną o takiej pozycji społecznej? Jest jednak pewna tajemnica, o której wie tylko Lilley... Co to za tajemnica? Jak rozwinie się znajomość z Alessandrem? Tego należy się dowiedzieć z lektury książki.
Sięgając po tą historię, spodziewałam się trochę bardziej zawoalowanej intrygi, tymczasem główna tajemnica już po kilku rozdziałach jest tak przedstawiona, że można już domyślić się dalszej akcji. I gdy już myślałam, że to będzie największy mój zawód, nagle zdarzają się sytuacje między tą dwójką bohaterów, które każą mi źle myśleć o tych postaciach. On - strasznie zadufany, egoistyczny dupek, ona naiwna idiotka. Rozumiem, że jest o typowy, harlequinowy romans. Sztampowy do bólu. Nawet już machnęłam ręką na opis, który wzbudził moją ciekawość i zwrócił moje oczy w kierunku właśnie tego tytułu, gdyż czytając streszczenie już wówczas można mieć takie przeświadczenie, że to nie może być aż tak dobre, żeby miało się udać. To wtedy ta książka musiałaby mieć minimum trzysta stron. Jednakże nie mogę pojąć jak można być taką zaślepioną kobietą, tak naiwną, ale też - tak bardzo wierzącą w tego faceta. Zwłaszcza nie po tym, jak ją traktował w tej historii.
Można przeczytać, książka ujdzie w tłumie, wszak jest to taka schematyczna historia na jeden raz, gdzie akcja dzieje się w tempie błyskawicznym (nawet aż za bardzo). Nie mamy tu przesadnie ostrych scen erotycznych. Plusem może być klimat Włoch, w którym jest utrzymana ta opowieść - mimo akcji w San Francisco, na chwilę mamy też Rzym, włoskie restauracje, trochę włoskich zwrotów. Jednakże uprzedzam, że można poczuć lekki niedosyt tą historią. I zirytować się głównie naiwnością Lilley, jej głupiutkim sposobem bycia w niektórych scenach, a także przesadną władczością oraz przekonaniem o swojej nieomylności Alessandra.
Opinia opublikowana na moim blogu:
https://literackiepodrozebooki.blogsp...
December 10, 2020
3.5 stars
Angsty but enjoyable with a typical HP Latin alpha male and a sweet shy h....
Angsty but enjoyable with a typical HP Latin alpha male and a sweet shy h....
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