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Sicily's Corretti Dynasty #2
An Invitation to Sin - Jerat Rayuan Coretti
Taylor Carmichael siap memulai kembali kariernya sebagai aktris. Masa lalu penuh skandal dan luka yang disebabkan orang-orang terdekatnya takkan membuatnya mundur. Untuk itu, ia harus berhatihati dan mengendalikan diri agar citra baru yang ingin ia bangun memuluskan langkahnya. Namun di tengah upayanya itu, Taylor malah terseret ke dalam skandal baru dengan Luca Coretti!
Bagi Luca Coretti, menjadi sensasi di surat kabar tak perlu dipusingkan sehingga ia tak berusaha menghentikan gosip yang merebak. Akan tetapi, kali ini ia mendapat lawan sebanding: Taylor yang merasa kariernya terancam pun menjebak pria itu ke dalam pertunangan.
Jika harus kembali menjadi sensasi, kali ini hal tersebut takkan merugikannya.
Bagi Luca Coretti, menjadi sensasi di surat kabar tak perlu dipusingkan sehingga ia tak berusaha menghentikan gosip yang merebak. Akan tetapi, kali ini ia mendapat lawan sebanding: Taylor yang merasa kariernya terancam pun menjebak pria itu ke dalam pertunangan.
Jika harus kembali menjadi sensasi, kali ini hal tersebut takkan merugikannya.
247 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 20, 2014
168 people are currently reading
693 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Morgan
683 books7,190 followersAbout Sarah
USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.
Look out for Sarah's latest novel - All Together for Christmas (UK title)/ A Merry Little Lie (US/Canadian title)
Join Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahM...
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMorgan_
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmorgan...
Website: www.sarahmorgan.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah Morgan writes romance and contemporary women's fiction and her trademark humour and warmth have gained her fans across the globe. Sarah lives near London, England, and when she isn't reading or writing she loves being outdoors.
Look out for Sarah's latest novel - All Together for Christmas (UK title)/ A Merry Little Lie (US/Canadian title)
Join Sarah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahM...
Follow Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMorgan_
Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahmorgan...
Website: www.sarahmorgan.com
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
December 28, 2018
Bad girl meets bad boy for a fake engagement that turns into the real thing. This is the second story in the Corretti family series. Heroine is a child actress who was tabloid fodder at age 17 when she fired her mother as her manager and her father sold fake stores about her. She trusts no one, but after a long hiatus she has accepted a role with the film studio that hero’s cousin runs. (He is the hero from book one)
She meets her bad boy at his cousin’s wedding. She is in attendance because the studio head wants her to have good publicity. The bride runs off with another man, so the wedding is cancelled. Hero is also supposed to be on his best behavior because he wants to be appointed as CEO of the family’s hotel firm. Hero already runs a fashion house, but he wants this responsibility. Sparks fly when they meet and hero steals a kiss, which is photographed by a disgruntled ex-girl friend.
The director is angry that his lead actress has landed in the tabloids again and is going to fire her. Heroine improvises and says she and the hero have had a secret relationship and they are engaged. Hero goes along with the charade because the board seems pleased he is settling down.
H/h have a public dinner together. Then heroine moves into his house. The next problem for the heroine is that the director has been replaced by an old nemesis who has been blackmailing her. She doesn’t feel she can trust the hero with this next problem, but they do start sleeping together. There is a cute interlude where the H/h dress down and the heroine wears a wig so they can attend a concert together. It’s all very sweet and fun.
The black moment comes when the director (who has since been fired) moves ahead with his blackmail. Hero realizes he loves the heroine and protects her. The story ends with plans for marriage so they can be “bad” together forever.
The H/h are both fairly brittle and sophisticated at the opening, but as they drop their masks and begin to enjoy each other the tone shifts to a sweet romance. I liked both characters. I think I’ve read other stories in this series, and some I liked and some I didn’t. This was one of the best in the series, from what I've read.
She meets her bad boy at his cousin’s wedding. She is in attendance because the studio head wants her to have good publicity. The bride runs off with another man, so the wedding is cancelled. Hero is also supposed to be on his best behavior because he wants to be appointed as CEO of the family’s hotel firm. Hero already runs a fashion house, but he wants this responsibility. Sparks fly when they meet and hero steals a kiss, which is photographed by a disgruntled ex-girl friend.
The director is angry that his lead actress has landed in the tabloids again and is going to fire her. Heroine improvises and says she and the hero have had a secret relationship and they are engaged. Hero goes along with the charade because the board seems pleased he is settling down.
H/h have a public dinner together. Then heroine moves into his house. The next problem for the heroine is that the director has been replaced by an old nemesis who has been blackmailing her. She doesn’t feel she can trust the hero with this next problem, but they do start sleeping together. There is a cute interlude where the H/h dress down and the heroine wears a wig so they can attend a concert together. It’s all very sweet and fun.
The black moment comes when the director (who has since been fired) moves ahead with his blackmail. Hero realizes he loves the heroine and protects her. The story ends with plans for marriage so they can be “bad” together forever.
The H/h are both fairly brittle and sophisticated at the opening, but as they drop their masks and begin to enjoy each other the tone shifts to a sweet romance. I liked both characters. I think I’ve read other stories in this series, and some I liked and some I didn’t. This was one of the best in the series, from what I've read.
April 12, 2015
Too modern for me. I prefer old fashioned stories this is why I read HP. So this book was not for me. If I wanted modern I would have read new adult books. I am definitely not a fan of SM.
December 8, 2021
HP with a bad girl. By bad, the book means she’s not a virgin and she had lovers in the past, but she acts like a good girl most of the book... 🙄
July 8, 2013
The trials and tribulations of the Carretti Family continue with Sarah Marton’s contribution to this series with An Invitation to Sin, which is my favorite book so far.
Taylor Carmichael, the former child actress now working on Santo Carretti’s movie, which she hopes, will be her comeback and also a chance to be taken seriously as an actress. She’s attending the Corretti Wedding – yes…the one with the Running Bride…..
at Santo’s instructions as she sees it as good publicity for his movie.
Luca Corretti , the groom’s cousin, runs the famous Corretti Fashion House and he’s having problems with the company board of directors taking him seriously. They see him as a carefree playboy – which he is – and don’t believe he’s serious enough to be offered a position on the board. He loves his Ferrari, women and his career!!!
Something happens when they meet at the wedding…yes that wedding!!!!…..that leads them to agree to a fake engagement which they believe will give them the “respectability” they both need in their careers.
The author has created two characters that are totally endearing and totally lovable.
Some interesting new characters but the one that stands out for me is the matriarch of the family, Teresa Corretti. She’s charming and so lovable and imo the one person that holds the entire clan together.
Despite the horrible childhood Taylor had and how many people hurt and let her down, she has not become a bitter and cynical person. She’s strong, determined and beautiful and longs to be able to be like Luca, who doesn't care what people think or say about him instead of being afraid of what the tabloids will find out about her life. She longs to be free, be the person she wants to be.
I fell in love with Luca. He’s just this amazing man…rich, arrogant, funny, serious, gorgeous and totally irresistible. His sense of humor is to “die for”…….some scenes had me laughing out so loud…
Running away from the paparazzi, he stops to pick up a “burger” for Taylor…who tries desperately not to give in to junk food…and after a bite or two of “heavenly” tasting, asks Luca what “pane con la milza (spleen)” means…..what follows is such an hilarious and unforgettable interaction. What….did she think she was eating a McDonald’s Double Cheese Burger!!!!!
..i admit that a Mc is definetly more "appealing"!!!!
And then Luca, googling the typical behavior of engaged couples
He’s so natural not some jaded rich playboy and I found his joie de vivre so appealing and infectious.
You feel their connection from the first moment their meet, AMAZING sexual chemistry… and seeing the gradual progression in their relationship is totally fabulous.
And the dialogue……that’s what really stands out in this story. IT SHINES…IT SPARKLES..IT’S WITTY…..
Oh yes..the "love" scenes are absolutely fabulicious and so filled with "hotness"...the seduction scene at the opera...whewwwww...
Taylor Carmichael, the former child actress now working on Santo Carretti’s movie, which she hopes, will be her comeback and also a chance to be taken seriously as an actress. She’s attending the Corretti Wedding – yes…the one with the Running Bride…..
at Santo’s instructions as she sees it as good publicity for his movie. Luca Corretti , the groom’s cousin, runs the famous Corretti Fashion House and he’s having problems with the company board of directors taking him seriously. They see him as a carefree playboy – which he is – and don’t believe he’s serious enough to be offered a position on the board. He loves his Ferrari, women and his career!!!
Something happens when they meet at the wedding…yes that wedding!!!!…..that leads them to agree to a fake engagement which they believe will give them the “respectability” they both need in their careers.
The author has created two characters that are totally endearing and totally lovable.
Some interesting new characters but the one that stands out for me is the matriarch of the family, Teresa Corretti. She’s charming and so lovable and imo the one person that holds the entire clan together.
Despite the horrible childhood Taylor had and how many people hurt and let her down, she has not become a bitter and cynical person. She’s strong, determined and beautiful and longs to be able to be like Luca, who doesn't care what people think or say about him instead of being afraid of what the tabloids will find out about her life. She longs to be free, be the person she wants to be.
I fell in love with Luca. He’s just this amazing man…rich, arrogant, funny, serious, gorgeous and totally irresistible. His sense of humor is to “die for”…….some scenes had me laughing out so loud…
Running away from the paparazzi, he stops to pick up a “burger” for Taylor…who tries desperately not to give in to junk food…and after a bite or two of “heavenly” tasting, asks Luca what “pane con la milza (spleen)” means…..what follows is such an hilarious and unforgettable interaction. What….did she think she was eating a McDonald’s Double Cheese Burger!!!!!
..i admit that a Mc is definetly more "appealing"!!!!And then Luca, googling the typical behavior of engaged couples
“probably called getmeoutofher.com or killmenow.org”
He’s so natural not some jaded rich playboy and I found his joie de vivre so appealing and infectious.
You feel their connection from the first moment their meet, AMAZING sexual chemistry… and seeing the gradual progression in their relationship is totally fabulous.
And the dialogue……that’s what really stands out in this story. IT SHINES…IT SPARKLES..IT’S WITTY…..
“I’m Italian. We’re an emotional, physical race.” Luca
“Then hold it in.” Taylor
“Have you ever spent the whole night with a woman?”
“Cristo, no! My mantra is “Until dawn do us part,”
“All right, let’s try this another way. What is the happiest moment you can remember?”
He didn’t hesitate. “The day they delivered my Ferrari.”
“Fine! Tonight, you are going to look at me as if I’m your Ferrari.”
“Do I get to put your top down?”
“You are so infuriating!” So why did she want to laugh? “This was such a bad idea. You’ll blow it and this will be the shortest engagement on record.”
“I am not going to blow it. I love my Ferrari. I love my Ferrari.” He muttered the words under his breath and shot her a glance. “Perhaps I’d better dress you in red, just so there’s a similarity.”
Oh yes..the "love" scenes are absolutely fabulicious and so filled with "hotness"...the seduction scene at the opera...whewwwww...
"I'm not a moaner."
He smiled as he undid the buttons of his shirt. "You'd moan if you were with me, bellissima."
"Sure of yourself, aren't you?"
"I've never subscribed to the benefits of false modesty. I can have you moaning in under thirty seconds..."
“What are you doing?”
“Testing a theory.” HIs mouth moved closer to hers and suddenly she struggled to breathe.
“What theory?”
“I want to know whether two wrongs make a right.” His smile was the last thing she saw before he kissed her.
The settings - amazing and gorgeous..makes me want to fly to Sicily ...like right now!!!
More secrets revealed….and just had a thought….where is Emily & Anton...remember from the prequel book? Where does Anton fit in? Guess we will have to wait as the stories continue.
May 15, 2019
This was a fake engagement story and at first I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I really didn't like Luca at first. He is a huge manwhore but I'd describe him as a playboy because everything was a joke to him. His attitudes about women and his many conquests that lasted no longer than 6 hours max didn't endear me to him. I'm just not a fan of this type of Hero. The casual attitude toward sex and women and the laughing charm comes off as smarmy and insincere to me. Luckily, Luca redeemed himself. He did have moments where he could be serious and he was sweet and thoughtful to Taylor. (He's also got the requisite bad childhood trauma that makes him a sympathetic H).
Taylor was an amazing h. She was perfect for Luca. With his reputation with women, not many could stand up to him and his history. But Taylor has a bad past and reputation of her own. And she is a confident, strong woman who wasn't intimidated by him or his past. And if Taylor doesn't care, why should I? Their banter back and forth was honest and funny and touching. Luca taught Taylor how to be her true self and let down her walls. And she taught him what it is to love and be loved. I completely believed in their HEA.
Safety
Taylor was an amazing h. She was perfect for Luca. With his reputation with women, not many could stand up to him and his history. But Taylor has a bad past and reputation of her own. And she is a confident, strong woman who wasn't intimidated by him or his past. And if Taylor doesn't care, why should I? Their banter back and forth was honest and funny and touching. Luca taught Taylor how to be her true self and let down her walls. And she taught him what it is to love and be loved. I completely believed in their HEA.
Safety
April 27, 2013
Another enjoyable and fun read from the talented Sarah Morgan.
In this book, Sarah has created two very loveable characters, both holding onto pain from the past, both desperate to avoid closeness at any cost.
Taylor Charmichael, a wild child star looking to restart her career, and Luca Coretti, a part of a family dynasty, find themselves in dire need of ‘respectability’. Solution: a fake engagement. What could be easier? But putting these two under the same roof is explosive – in more ways than one!
The witty banter between hero and heroine had me laughing out loud more than a few times and the chemistry between them had me turning the pages to get to the happily ever after.
Taylor envies the way in which Luca lives his life – free and unfettered from people’s opinions. She longs to let go, to be the woman she really is. I loved reading how Luca slowly peeled away the layers to reveal the real Taylor. I loved reading how Taylor finally opened Luca’s eyes to the fact that love can be constructive instead of destructive.
4 Stars from me!
November 12, 2021
Nežinau pati, ko tikėjausi, bet to negavau🙈 manęs neįtikino. Nepajutau šilumos veikėjams, pritrūko savotiškumo. Nors ir nebuvo blogai, ir negaliu įvardinti kas man taip užkliuvo, tiesiog .. na ne mano🙂
May 25, 2013
I love Sarah Morgan, she's one of my absolute must read authors for the Presents line, so I was thrilled to see she had a new book out.
Invitation to Sin, is not your usual Presents for many reasons...allow me to tell you about them.
1. Luca is not the stereotypical alpha male. He's sexy, he's fun, but he's really not all about controlling. Luca was charming and even when he was running from relationships, he was just so fun and likable, most Presents heroes don't make you like them on the spot, Luca does.
2. Taylor Carmichael...at first you think she might be the Harlequin version of Lindsey Lohan, but once you get to know her she has more substance. She's not really fighting Luca either, as much as she's fighting herself. And this poor girl has issues....lots of issues.
3. Luca isn't a golden boy..at least not in the traditional way...he's too much of a bad boy. He doesn't have the respect of his family and what family he has is dysfunctional.
This book really made me laugh at times, mostly due to something Luca did or said. I loved how his fake relationship with Taylor grew into something real without either of them knowing it.
This was the most fun Presents I've read in ages. Kudos to Sarah Morgan for delivering something different to the imprint!
Invitation to Sin, is not your usual Presents for many reasons...allow me to tell you about them.
1. Luca is not the stereotypical alpha male. He's sexy, he's fun, but he's really not all about controlling. Luca was charming and even when he was running from relationships, he was just so fun and likable, most Presents heroes don't make you like them on the spot, Luca does.
2. Taylor Carmichael...at first you think she might be the Harlequin version of Lindsey Lohan, but once you get to know her she has more substance. She's not really fighting Luca either, as much as she's fighting herself. And this poor girl has issues....lots of issues.
3. Luca isn't a golden boy..at least not in the traditional way...he's too much of a bad boy. He doesn't have the respect of his family and what family he has is dysfunctional.
This book really made me laugh at times, mostly due to something Luca did or said. I loved how his fake relationship with Taylor grew into something real without either of them knowing it.
This was the most fun Presents I've read in ages. Kudos to Sarah Morgan for delivering something different to the imprint!
April 17, 2015
This was the first book I read from the Siciliy's Corretti Dynasty despite the fact that this was book number two. Wanted to read a Sarah Morgan book so I picked this one up. Since then I have read book number one, A Legacy of Secrets by Carol Marnielli, which I fell with and loved on so many levels. It was such a great book. Gave an in depth and very detailed review on that little gem earlier this evening. And I have to say that this book doesn't even compare to that book because it was beyond words. In fact I did a review of that book first despite the fact that I read this one before that one, I just wanted to state my love for that book that I had to do that review first.
Anyway even without reading that book my thoughts on this book was that it was enjoyable. And worth a read but something for me was missing. I wasn't as connected or compel as I have by other books in the past. And then when reading Marnielli's gem of book it really didn't compare. I loved Ella and Santo as a couple while I just liked the couple of Luca and Taylor. I'm going to try and not make comparison between the two, but it's really hard after Legacy is firmly entrenched in my mind and I am still enthralled with after having just reading it a few hours before.
What I am going to do for this review is basically just do bullet points with a bit of explanation of what I liked and what I didn't like from this story and not go into too much detail because I don't want this to be a really long review like some of my other reviews in the past. Just want to give you my basic feelings and opinions on this books that was enjoyable.
Spoilers ahead: be warned
What I Liked:
The bad boy, yummy Luca, who was really entertaining with his "I don't care what other people think" attitude. Very carefree and did things on his terms only, and did things that only pleased him including kissing Taylor, which caused a boatload of scandal for poor Taylor and her comeback on a major film, which his cousin Santo's was producing and didn't want any scandal associated with it. Santo even warned Taylor to behave herself because of her scandalous reputation of the past so Taylor had to be a good girl and not revert back to her bad girl ways, but Luca fixed that.
The sexy banter between Luca and Taylor. And there was loads of it. It was making love but with words. They were very flirty with each other even though Taylor vowed to keep Luca at arm's length despite the fact that she was attracted to him as well as she told a little fib to Santo to downplay the scandal of Luca and Taylor kissing at the wedding of Alessandro and Alessia in the papers with the press basically trashing her and vowing that this was Taylor and her bad girl ways coming to the surface again. They actually kind of painted her a slutty. So combat that she pretended, and told Santo that her and Luca where engaged, after Luca refused to save her from the press ripping her to shreds as well as her reputation, an in fact have been having a secret relationship for months and they were deeply in love with one another and wanted to keep it private so it wouldn't take away from the film. And it just popped out of her mouth and she didn't mean to get Luca involved, in fact she vowed never to want to see him again, but her lie prevented that, and the sexy banter continued. It was funny and entertaining to watch them go back and forth with one another. It added to the intensity of their relationship as well as upped the sexual tension between the two of them.
Speaking of that, the hot chemistry between them was unbelievable, though I do believe that I found that Santo and Ella had a bit more chemistry that was even hotter than them, but nonetheless what Taylor and Luca had was pretty hot. It was presented pretty much from the moment they met at the wedding and were hidden away in the garden away from the hoopla of it. They just needed to get away and just be themselves. And give into their true wants. Mainly each other. And that first kiss was pretty hot and sexy, and it was just a kiss. Oh my goodness. It was practically love making, and I am sure it would have come to that if Taylor hadn't come to her sense and pushed him of with her focus on rebuilding her reputation from a bad girl to good girl who could really act and be appreciated for her acting skills not her scandalous ways. But despite the fact that she tried to downplay their attraction, the sexual tension still surrounded them that it was beyond palatable and hot beyond measure. And never really fizzled. There was always the charge between them when they were in the same room with one another.
How they pretty much were made for one another and just complimented each other so well. They were able to themselves around one another and show their true selves without fear or judgment. With Taylor liking Luca for exactly who he was and Luca liking Taylor for who she was. In fact he preferred her being her open, passionate self not the cold, control, good girl image that she portrayed to the press all the time because he knew that wasn't real and wasn't who she truly was as person, and that she should be okay with her true self not be ashamed of it, instead embrace it. He even encouraged her to do so and reveled in it when she did. He loved it. He loved the bad girl in her. It matched his bad boy side, which just made them perfect fit as a couple. They could be bad with one another, and fully enjoy it to the fullest. He loved he true self and taught her that side of her was in fact lovable and she didn't have to pretend to be something she wasn't especially with him.
And much like many Harlequin Presents stories, only they were able to heal one another of pains they had encountered in their pasts. Be there for one another, and they needed to do so in order to have a fulfilling happy relationship with one another that would be their own happily ever after. But only by healing these wounds could that accomplish that goal. It took time but because of the strength of their love for one another they could do so and be there for one another when the other could fall. They could be real and not fake especially in Taylor's case where she presented a façade to the world and the press and not show how much she truly had been hurt in her past.
The fun that they had with one another. Not only between the sheets but during the day to day life where they could truly relax and be herself. It was only time she allowed herself to just be and have fun. She could only do that with Luca because she knew that enjoyed that part of herself in a way others didn't and even discouraged her to be herself and just remain this rigid control person in order to appease of what they thought she should be instead of what she was. She could only do that with him and allow the fun to come her way. One of my favorite moments in the book was when Luca arranged for them to get away from their life for awhile by hiring a couple of lookalikes that would draw the press's attention away from Luca and Taylor and to the decoys instead so they could slip away and have fun and be "one of the crowd" as Taylor longed to do. Just do regular things and blend in the crowd, it was what she yearned to do, and he made it happen for her. It showed how much Luca cared about her and wanted to give her one of her wishes and he did. It was fun to see them "play" at being this normal couple on a date night among the crowd of a concert and just be normal people for awhile. It was fun to see, and the rendezvous on his private beach was totally hot and cool to see, but this time they weren't pretending to be other people but instead were just themselves as they gave into passion. And Taylor embraced that passion and didn't care they were on a beach and could possibly be seen by other just wanted to embrace her desire for Luca, and she did. Tenfold.
I also liked seeing her ability to relax and truly be herself with him because she was so uptight and so concerned about what other people thought about her instead of worrying about what she thought about her and what she should do and shouldn't do, and the things that she wanted to do but was seen bad in the eyes of the press got suppressed and downplayed and she kind of enveloped this icy persona almost, passionless. It was what everyone else wanted not what she wanted. But with him she could embrace who she was and not apologize for what she wanted and needed out of life. He made her feel okay with being herself and accepting her for herself, and it was really beautiful to witness. And it was beautiful to see her guard down when she was with him.
What I Didn't Like:
I didn't feel quite connected to them as characters or their relationship as much especially having just read Ella and Santo's story, which I connected to on every level and thought their love story was a class above in its own right. Now even though I am comparing the stories that I have read in this series thus far, I still felt I didn't quite connect to Luca and Taylor as much before I even read Ella and Santo's story, which I read second and read this one first. Maybe if I read them in order I would feel differently or I wouldn't compare them as harshly, but I still think that something was off that I was quite connecting with as a couple. I thought they fit well together and they had major passion along the way and I did believed they belonged together, but I wasn't rooting for them or rooting against them either. I was kind of neutral about them and didn't have a passionate opinion on them. Don't get me wrong I liked the fact that they could be themselves with one another and that Taylor could open up and not be this icy façade that she presented to the world, and I liked the fact that they were there for one another and could heal one another, but it still wasn't enough for me to be totally immersed in their love story. Or at least connect with it. Just something was missing that gave me that feeling that something was lacking to the story. Maybe there could have been a bit more angst or a little more intensity emotional that would have pulled together. Do I believe they cared for one another and were heading in that direction? Yes. Do I believe the belonged together? Yes. And he did show that he really thought the world of her when he walked away from that board meeting where the members told him to stay away from Taylor and her reputation that brought to the business, and he didn't listen and it was really sweet, but even still something was missing for me to be satisfied with it.
The character Taylor. Now don't get me wrong she had been through some pretty horrific things in her life and had been violated by people who were supposed to care about her and presented her as this bad girl to the press even though she really wasn't, but the press wanted to believe that about her. And I get that she had been through a lot of pain and I understand why she kept this controlled, cold, icy persona for the world to see and show herself as the good girl while keeping her true desires and self away from the world. And I get why she did that because she didn't want to give any one ammunition to use against her. I understand that, and I get it, but for some reason I didn't quite for her. Maybe the whole icy persona was portrayed so well by Sarah Morgan that I was buying into the fiction myself and found myself cold to her as a character. And I know she wasn't if her scenes with Luca were anything to go by, but I think I wanted to see more of her openness and liveliness than that persona that she was portraying for so long that it became part of her psyche. Again it left me cold. I needed to see a little bit more warmth from her and I am not talking about the love scenes either, but warmth that could have exude from her as she thawed more and more with Luca. I needed more of that, and just see more growth. I found myself just not quite connecting to her which was probably why I didn't connect to them as a couple since she was one half of that couple. I actually liked her better in book one when she was having a drink with Ella than the entire time that she was in this book, which isn't a compliment. In fact she seemed like two different people all together between the two books. I just didn't like her. Maybe it also had to do with the bad girl reputation, not that she was a bad girl or anything just the lies people created around her, but that also turns me off just the perception. I'm all about bad boys, but bad girls are something completely different and just brings a different feel to the story and not in a good way at least in my view, but that's just my feeling. She didn't do it for me.
I wished that she had more of confrontation with her mother at some point just to drive home the point that she grew as a person and just something to show Taylor had grown in strength and accepted herself with the help of Luca pointing it out. What Taylor's mom did to her was huge and I just wished that little confrontation would have happened. Yeah, she did stand up to her mother at one point when she left and no longer allowed her to control her anymore, but I would have liked to see another confrontation or something that showed that Taylor put the demon of her mother behind her.
Didn't like the character of Rafaelle either, not that I as a reader was supposed to since he was the antagonist of the story, but he really pushed my buttons and was totally jerk especially what he did in Taylor's youth. Now he played a role in the story and presented obstacles for Luca and Taylor, but I thought he might have a bigger role in the story he had because he had been hanging over Taylor's head for so long and affected so much that she had to flee and give up her acting career for fear of what he would do, but it was kind of threat that just hung over her head and didn't really present the danger that he was. And he was great threat to her and I could feel her scared about what he would do but I think I would have liked to seen more scenes with them alone before the encounter where Luca punched in the face to get him to stop roughing handing her in front of Luca's eyes. Glad Luca did that, but up until that point I didn't get the sense that Rafaelle was physically abusive. Emotional? Yes, but not physical because nothing prepared me for that. If there was an example from the past maybe I would have seen but it would have been effective if Luca overhead Rafaelle degrading Taylor or taunting her that Luca felt he had to step in and possible punch in the face, but like I said I didn't feel like Rafaelle was a physical threat. I guess I just wanted to understand more the relationship between Rafaaelle and Taylor, and shown an example of what it was like then I might have seen him more as the villain type, and really hate him. Because even though he was the villain he was too easily dealt with, without too much consequence of it all. I think he was just there and caused problems but not in a meaningful and threatening way that I was expect a villain to behave.
Angst. There wasn't a lot or not in my view. Needed a bit more because without that the love story aspect isn't as emotional or intense or at least in my opinion. There wasn't a lot of it. Tension, yes, but angst. That just needed to be flared up a bit so that I could feel it more in my gut. Plus it makes the story more interesting and more consuming as well. Usually angst makes me glued to the pages while with this one not so much.
Final thoughts:
There just needed to be an added edge to the book or something to up the ante for the emotional stakes to be really high, and it was missing that. There just needed to be more, and I can't pinpoint what but something. It was consuming as I would have liked and I wanted to be more emotional invested in this story, but I just wasn't. The "it" factor wasn't there for me to give it a five stars or even a four and half stars. With that being said it was definitely worth a four stars just with the book filled with lots of playfulness and sexy banter. Sexy banter made the story for me as did the sexual tension between the pair. The emotional piece was there, but it just needed to be upped by like a tenth of a degree and possibly the angst as well because I think that what was missing. Just I needed more emotional stakes in the story and I wanted to feel it pull at my heart strings and gut me along the way and it just didn't. It didn't make a bad story just made it less intense in my view, and I needed a bit more that. And again after reading Legacy and doing a review on that it was kind of hard to see beyond that at the moment because I was so in love with that one. This one I liked but wasn't in love with.
But Sarah Morgan did a good job with her contribution to the continuity. It might have been the lack of spark was due to what she was given what she had to write for her book in the series and that she was limited on what she could do. I still love Sarah Morgan as an author and I know what she can do emotional with a story and how intense her books can be, but just this one wasn't quite as intense as I am used to with her so my expectation weren't quite met. I'm spoiled with her other books, what can I say?
But it was an enjoyable and readable story that anyone that was following this continuity would enjoy and like it and give another piece to the infamous Corretti and the scandalous family. Two Corretti's down, six more to go. Can't wait to see what happens next in the family and who will next get their happily ever after. I look forward to it especially Alessandro's story like I said in my Legacy review.
Anyway even without reading that book my thoughts on this book was that it was enjoyable. And worth a read but something for me was missing. I wasn't as connected or compel as I have by other books in the past. And then when reading Marnielli's gem of book it really didn't compare. I loved Ella and Santo as a couple while I just liked the couple of Luca and Taylor. I'm going to try and not make comparison between the two, but it's really hard after Legacy is firmly entrenched in my mind and I am still enthralled with after having just reading it a few hours before.
What I am going to do for this review is basically just do bullet points with a bit of explanation of what I liked and what I didn't like from this story and not go into too much detail because I don't want this to be a really long review like some of my other reviews in the past. Just want to give you my basic feelings and opinions on this books that was enjoyable.
Spoilers ahead: be warned
What I Liked:
The bad boy, yummy Luca, who was really entertaining with his "I don't care what other people think" attitude. Very carefree and did things on his terms only, and did things that only pleased him including kissing Taylor, which caused a boatload of scandal for poor Taylor and her comeback on a major film, which his cousin Santo's was producing and didn't want any scandal associated with it. Santo even warned Taylor to behave herself because of her scandalous reputation of the past so Taylor had to be a good girl and not revert back to her bad girl ways, but Luca fixed that.
The sexy banter between Luca and Taylor. And there was loads of it. It was making love but with words. They were very flirty with each other even though Taylor vowed to keep Luca at arm's length despite the fact that she was attracted to him as well as she told a little fib to Santo to downplay the scandal of Luca and Taylor kissing at the wedding of Alessandro and Alessia in the papers with the press basically trashing her and vowing that this was Taylor and her bad girl ways coming to the surface again. They actually kind of painted her a slutty. So combat that she pretended, and told Santo that her and Luca where engaged, after Luca refused to save her from the press ripping her to shreds as well as her reputation, an in fact have been having a secret relationship for months and they were deeply in love with one another and wanted to keep it private so it wouldn't take away from the film. And it just popped out of her mouth and she didn't mean to get Luca involved, in fact she vowed never to want to see him again, but her lie prevented that, and the sexy banter continued. It was funny and entertaining to watch them go back and forth with one another. It added to the intensity of their relationship as well as upped the sexual tension between the two of them.
Speaking of that, the hot chemistry between them was unbelievable, though I do believe that I found that Santo and Ella had a bit more chemistry that was even hotter than them, but nonetheless what Taylor and Luca had was pretty hot. It was presented pretty much from the moment they met at the wedding and were hidden away in the garden away from the hoopla of it. They just needed to get away and just be themselves. And give into their true wants. Mainly each other. And that first kiss was pretty hot and sexy, and it was just a kiss. Oh my goodness. It was practically love making, and I am sure it would have come to that if Taylor hadn't come to her sense and pushed him of with her focus on rebuilding her reputation from a bad girl to good girl who could really act and be appreciated for her acting skills not her scandalous ways. But despite the fact that she tried to downplay their attraction, the sexual tension still surrounded them that it was beyond palatable and hot beyond measure. And never really fizzled. There was always the charge between them when they were in the same room with one another.
How they pretty much were made for one another and just complimented each other so well. They were able to themselves around one another and show their true selves without fear or judgment. With Taylor liking Luca for exactly who he was and Luca liking Taylor for who she was. In fact he preferred her being her open, passionate self not the cold, control, good girl image that she portrayed to the press all the time because he knew that wasn't real and wasn't who she truly was as person, and that she should be okay with her true self not be ashamed of it, instead embrace it. He even encouraged her to do so and reveled in it when she did. He loved it. He loved the bad girl in her. It matched his bad boy side, which just made them perfect fit as a couple. They could be bad with one another, and fully enjoy it to the fullest. He loved he true self and taught her that side of her was in fact lovable and she didn't have to pretend to be something she wasn't especially with him.
And much like many Harlequin Presents stories, only they were able to heal one another of pains they had encountered in their pasts. Be there for one another, and they needed to do so in order to have a fulfilling happy relationship with one another that would be their own happily ever after. But only by healing these wounds could that accomplish that goal. It took time but because of the strength of their love for one another they could do so and be there for one another when the other could fall. They could be real and not fake especially in Taylor's case where she presented a façade to the world and the press and not show how much she truly had been hurt in her past.
The fun that they had with one another. Not only between the sheets but during the day to day life where they could truly relax and be herself. It was only time she allowed herself to just be and have fun. She could only do that with Luca because she knew that enjoyed that part of herself in a way others didn't and even discouraged her to be herself and just remain this rigid control person in order to appease of what they thought she should be instead of what she was. She could only do that with him and allow the fun to come her way. One of my favorite moments in the book was when Luca arranged for them to get away from their life for awhile by hiring a couple of lookalikes that would draw the press's attention away from Luca and Taylor and to the decoys instead so they could slip away and have fun and be "one of the crowd" as Taylor longed to do. Just do regular things and blend in the crowd, it was what she yearned to do, and he made it happen for her. It showed how much Luca cared about her and wanted to give her one of her wishes and he did. It was fun to see them "play" at being this normal couple on a date night among the crowd of a concert and just be normal people for awhile. It was fun to see, and the rendezvous on his private beach was totally hot and cool to see, but this time they weren't pretending to be other people but instead were just themselves as they gave into passion. And Taylor embraced that passion and didn't care they were on a beach and could possibly be seen by other just wanted to embrace her desire for Luca, and she did. Tenfold.
I also liked seeing her ability to relax and truly be herself with him because she was so uptight and so concerned about what other people thought about her instead of worrying about what she thought about her and what she should do and shouldn't do, and the things that she wanted to do but was seen bad in the eyes of the press got suppressed and downplayed and she kind of enveloped this icy persona almost, passionless. It was what everyone else wanted not what she wanted. But with him she could embrace who she was and not apologize for what she wanted and needed out of life. He made her feel okay with being herself and accepting her for herself, and it was really beautiful to witness. And it was beautiful to see her guard down when she was with him.
What I Didn't Like:
I didn't feel quite connected to them as characters or their relationship as much especially having just read Ella and Santo's story, which I connected to on every level and thought their love story was a class above in its own right. Now even though I am comparing the stories that I have read in this series thus far, I still felt I didn't quite connect to Luca and Taylor as much before I even read Ella and Santo's story, which I read second and read this one first. Maybe if I read them in order I would feel differently or I wouldn't compare them as harshly, but I still think that something was off that I was quite connecting with as a couple. I thought they fit well together and they had major passion along the way and I did believed they belonged together, but I wasn't rooting for them or rooting against them either. I was kind of neutral about them and didn't have a passionate opinion on them. Don't get me wrong I liked the fact that they could be themselves with one another and that Taylor could open up and not be this icy façade that she presented to the world, and I liked the fact that they were there for one another and could heal one another, but it still wasn't enough for me to be totally immersed in their love story. Or at least connect with it. Just something was missing that gave me that feeling that something was lacking to the story. Maybe there could have been a bit more angst or a little more intensity emotional that would have pulled together. Do I believe they cared for one another and were heading in that direction? Yes. Do I believe the belonged together? Yes. And he did show that he really thought the world of her when he walked away from that board meeting where the members told him to stay away from Taylor and her reputation that brought to the business, and he didn't listen and it was really sweet, but even still something was missing for me to be satisfied with it.
The character Taylor. Now don't get me wrong she had been through some pretty horrific things in her life and had been violated by people who were supposed to care about her and presented her as this bad girl to the press even though she really wasn't, but the press wanted to believe that about her. And I get that she had been through a lot of pain and I understand why she kept this controlled, cold, icy persona for the world to see and show herself as the good girl while keeping her true desires and self away from the world. And I get why she did that because she didn't want to give any one ammunition to use against her. I understand that, and I get it, but for some reason I didn't quite for her. Maybe the whole icy persona was portrayed so well by Sarah Morgan that I was buying into the fiction myself and found myself cold to her as a character. And I know she wasn't if her scenes with Luca were anything to go by, but I think I wanted to see more of her openness and liveliness than that persona that she was portraying for so long that it became part of her psyche. Again it left me cold. I needed to see a little bit more warmth from her and I am not talking about the love scenes either, but warmth that could have exude from her as she thawed more and more with Luca. I needed more of that, and just see more growth. I found myself just not quite connecting to her which was probably why I didn't connect to them as a couple since she was one half of that couple. I actually liked her better in book one when she was having a drink with Ella than the entire time that she was in this book, which isn't a compliment. In fact she seemed like two different people all together between the two books. I just didn't like her. Maybe it also had to do with the bad girl reputation, not that she was a bad girl or anything just the lies people created around her, but that also turns me off just the perception. I'm all about bad boys, but bad girls are something completely different and just brings a different feel to the story and not in a good way at least in my view, but that's just my feeling. She didn't do it for me.
I wished that she had more of confrontation with her mother at some point just to drive home the point that she grew as a person and just something to show Taylor had grown in strength and accepted herself with the help of Luca pointing it out. What Taylor's mom did to her was huge and I just wished that little confrontation would have happened. Yeah, she did stand up to her mother at one point when she left and no longer allowed her to control her anymore, but I would have liked to see another confrontation or something that showed that Taylor put the demon of her mother behind her.
Didn't like the character of Rafaelle either, not that I as a reader was supposed to since he was the antagonist of the story, but he really pushed my buttons and was totally jerk especially what he did in Taylor's youth. Now he played a role in the story and presented obstacles for Luca and Taylor, but I thought he might have a bigger role in the story he had because he had been hanging over Taylor's head for so long and affected so much that she had to flee and give up her acting career for fear of what he would do, but it was kind of threat that just hung over her head and didn't really present the danger that he was. And he was great threat to her and I could feel her scared about what he would do but I think I would have liked to seen more scenes with them alone before the encounter where Luca punched in the face to get him to stop roughing handing her in front of Luca's eyes. Glad Luca did that, but up until that point I didn't get the sense that Rafaelle was physically abusive. Emotional? Yes, but not physical because nothing prepared me for that. If there was an example from the past maybe I would have seen but it would have been effective if Luca overhead Rafaelle degrading Taylor or taunting her that Luca felt he had to step in and possible punch in the face, but like I said I didn't feel like Rafaelle was a physical threat. I guess I just wanted to understand more the relationship between Rafaaelle and Taylor, and shown an example of what it was like then I might have seen him more as the villain type, and really hate him. Because even though he was the villain he was too easily dealt with, without too much consequence of it all. I think he was just there and caused problems but not in a meaningful and threatening way that I was expect a villain to behave.
Angst. There wasn't a lot or not in my view. Needed a bit more because without that the love story aspect isn't as emotional or intense or at least in my opinion. There wasn't a lot of it. Tension, yes, but angst. That just needed to be flared up a bit so that I could feel it more in my gut. Plus it makes the story more interesting and more consuming as well. Usually angst makes me glued to the pages while with this one not so much.
Final thoughts:
There just needed to be an added edge to the book or something to up the ante for the emotional stakes to be really high, and it was missing that. There just needed to be more, and I can't pinpoint what but something. It was consuming as I would have liked and I wanted to be more emotional invested in this story, but I just wasn't. The "it" factor wasn't there for me to give it a five stars or even a four and half stars. With that being said it was definitely worth a four stars just with the book filled with lots of playfulness and sexy banter. Sexy banter made the story for me as did the sexual tension between the pair. The emotional piece was there, but it just needed to be upped by like a tenth of a degree and possibly the angst as well because I think that what was missing. Just I needed more emotional stakes in the story and I wanted to feel it pull at my heart strings and gut me along the way and it just didn't. It didn't make a bad story just made it less intense in my view, and I needed a bit more that. And again after reading Legacy and doing a review on that it was kind of hard to see beyond that at the moment because I was so in love with that one. This one I liked but wasn't in love with.
But Sarah Morgan did a good job with her contribution to the continuity. It might have been the lack of spark was due to what she was given what she had to write for her book in the series and that she was limited on what she could do. I still love Sarah Morgan as an author and I know what she can do emotional with a story and how intense her books can be, but just this one wasn't quite as intense as I am used to with her so my expectation weren't quite met. I'm spoiled with her other books, what can I say?
But it was an enjoyable and readable story that anyone that was following this continuity would enjoy and like it and give another piece to the infamous Corretti and the scandalous family. Two Corretti's down, six more to go. Can't wait to see what happens next in the family and who will next get their happily ever after. I look forward to it especially Alessandro's story like I said in my Legacy review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2019
Luca Coretti adalah seorang BAAAAANNNGGGCCCIIAAATTTT!!!!
Taylor Carmichael adalah seorang aktris yg akan comeback ke dunia akting. Entah kenapa Taylor ini mengingatkan gw pada Taylor Swift. Eh dirinya malah dirayu oleh Luca yg playboy abis dan sikap Luca memang wajib ditimpuk pakai sandal (walau gitu gw ngakak terus kalau ingat ocehan-ocehannya yg nyerempet-nyerempet nakal gitu). Taylor sudah kelewat makan asam garam dgn berita negatif dirinya di media massa tetapi kali ini kasusnya unforgiven. Kepepet bakal dipecat dari film yg akan dibintanginya, terpaksa Taylor berbohong bhw dia bertunangan dgn Luca.
Luca yg memang berjiwa bujangan single sejati, tentu saja ogah banget dgn berita pertunangannya ini. Dia minta Taylor "membatalkan" pertunangannya. Eh secepat kilat Luca berubah pikiran gara-gara Dewan malah menyukai si anak bengal ini bertobat dan bertunangan, dan memberikan pucuk pimpinan yg diidamkannya. Taylor juga lega krn gak perlu melakukan "pembatalan" dan mereka lanjut main tunangan-tunangan gini.
Saya suka olok-olok dan sindiran satu sama lain dari Luca dan Taylor, hilarious dan bikin gemeeesss..... Luca ini sometimes mengingatkan saya pada Sebastian St Vincent, krn tingkat narsistik mereka nyaris pada level yg sama. Dan tentu saja, "kesamaan" perilaku orangtua mereka, yg membuat Taylor tidak percaya pada orang lain, Luca juga tidak percaya pada komitmen pernikahan, membuat mereka klop satu sama lain.
Dapatkah pertunangan bohongan ini menjadi relationship sungguhan? Apakah Luca bisa menjadi playboy yg bertobat? Silakan baca sendiri.
Taylor Carmichael adalah seorang aktris yg akan comeback ke dunia akting. Entah kenapa Taylor ini mengingatkan gw pada Taylor Swift. Eh dirinya malah dirayu oleh Luca yg playboy abis dan sikap Luca memang wajib ditimpuk pakai sandal (walau gitu gw ngakak terus kalau ingat ocehan-ocehannya yg nyerempet-nyerempet nakal gitu). Taylor sudah kelewat makan asam garam dgn berita negatif dirinya di media massa tetapi kali ini kasusnya unforgiven. Kepepet bakal dipecat dari film yg akan dibintanginya, terpaksa Taylor berbohong bhw dia bertunangan dgn Luca.
Luca yg memang berjiwa bujangan single sejati, tentu saja ogah banget dgn berita pertunangannya ini. Dia minta Taylor "membatalkan" pertunangannya. Eh secepat kilat Luca berubah pikiran gara-gara Dewan malah menyukai si anak bengal ini bertobat dan bertunangan, dan memberikan pucuk pimpinan yg diidamkannya. Taylor juga lega krn gak perlu melakukan "pembatalan" dan mereka lanjut main tunangan-tunangan gini.
Saya suka olok-olok dan sindiran satu sama lain dari Luca dan Taylor, hilarious dan bikin gemeeesss..... Luca ini sometimes mengingatkan saya pada Sebastian St Vincent, krn tingkat narsistik mereka nyaris pada level yg sama. Dan tentu saja, "kesamaan" perilaku orangtua mereka, yg membuat Taylor tidak percaya pada orang lain, Luca juga tidak percaya pada komitmen pernikahan, membuat mereka klop satu sama lain.
Dapatkah pertunangan bohongan ini menjadi relationship sungguhan? Apakah Luca bisa menjadi playboy yg bertobat? Silakan baca sendiri.
March 7, 2020
He disfrutado como una loca a pesar de una traducción discutible y con erratas. Supongo que estos libros son tratados como Fast Food, pero me supera. Al meollo: es como ver un teleflín, pero con partes eróticas muy bien narradas. La tensión sexual está presente hasta más de la mitad del libro y cuando llega la explosión, kabooom!! (*esto para madres de hijos que coleccionan Superzings). Vamos, vamos, vamos. Qué suerte ser flexible.
Él es siciliano, con carácter pero dulce (ya sabéis: mucho tesoro, mucho dolcezza, y tal). De esos personajes masculinos que me encantan, no traumados (o muy poco, superable); me recordó un poco al Rupert (my love) de la Chase. Está cañón, es simpático, y te cae muy bien aunque se comporte como un capullo a veces. Y además es un currante que a la vez vive la vida loca. Lo tiene todo.
Empatizas con ella, con sus dudas y sus miedos. Te alegras de ser una persona de infantería (y no voy a decir aquí la definición de mi padre sobre el tema, porque es escatológica, pero con la que estoy muy de acuerdo); a pesar de ello no me bañaría en bolas en una playa por la noche porque soy normal pero aún así un mirón me puede ver el culo aunque no lo tenga tan bien puesto como Charlize Theron. Me gusta que al fin pueda encontrar su lugar en el mundo y tener una familia, que no es nada perfecta pero es mejor de lo que tenía, la pobre.
Vamos, que lo recomiendo. Se lee de un tirón y aunque el final quizá es un poco precipitado, es simpático y te deja con una sonrisa.
Él es siciliano, con carácter pero dulce (ya sabéis: mucho tesoro, mucho dolcezza, y tal). De esos personajes masculinos que me encantan, no traumados (o muy poco, superable); me recordó un poco al Rupert (my love) de la Chase. Está cañón, es simpático, y te cae muy bien aunque se comporte como un capullo a veces. Y además es un currante que a la vez vive la vida loca. Lo tiene todo.
Empatizas con ella, con sus dudas y sus miedos. Te alegras de ser una persona de infantería (y no voy a decir aquí la definición de mi padre sobre el tema, porque es escatológica, pero con la que estoy muy de acuerdo); a pesar de ello no me bañaría en bolas en una playa por la noche porque soy normal pero aún así un mirón me puede ver el culo aunque no lo tenga tan bien puesto como Charlize Theron. Me gusta que al fin pueda encontrar su lugar en el mundo y tener una familia, que no es nada perfecta pero es mejor de lo que tenía, la pobre.
Vamos, que lo recomiendo. Se lee de un tirón y aunque el final quizá es un poco precipitado, es simpático y te deja con una sonrisa.
April 27, 2013
I was quite excited when I picked up An Invitation to Sin by Sarah Morgan from Netgalley. Sarah Morgan is a new-to-me author and I haven't picked up a Harlequin for a while so I thought this was a great opportunity to discover a new-to-me author and pick up a book from a publisher I loved growing up.
I wish I could say that I had a pleasant reading experience with this story, but I didn't...for the first half at least. For the first half (65% to be exact) , I was very much bored.
I just couldn't find anything about the story that pulled me in. The sexual tension wasn't there. The characters came off a bit unlikeable. Luca was a bit too cocky for my tastes and Taylor, although there wasn't anything wrong with her, wasn't a heroine that held my interest. Hence, it was quite of a struggle for me the first half of the story. Unfortunately, it took me a week just to get through the first half of the book. However, I was glad that I persisted because it was after that 65% mark that the story finally got interesting for me.
It was this half of the story that I really got a feel for the characters and their chemistry. I finally felt the sexual tension between Luca and Taylor along with the passion. This was when I came to adore the characters. I loved how sweet Luca was when he fulfilled Taylor's wish by surprising her with a trip to a charity concert at the Teatro Greco at Taormina. Taylor had openly confessed that she would love to go somewhere where she wouldn't be recognized and didn't have to constantly watch over her shoulder for the paparazzi and just be normal for a day. I think this was when I fell Luca. He planned this amazing trip for them and gone was his cockiness and in its place was this caring & protective man who was slowly falling in love, but didn't even know it...yet. I loved their interactions at this point forward and was joyfully rooting for their happily ever after and was so glad that they finally got one.
Although, the first half of An Invitation to Sin was a struggle to get through, the second half totally made up for it and I was glad I stuck it out with Luca and Taylor. From the impressions of the first half of An Invitation to Sin, this would have been a 2 star read for me. However, the second half of the story redeemed the book for me bumping my rating of An Invitation to Sin to 3 stars.
"I'm not a moaner."
He smiled as he undid the buttons of his shirt. "You'd moan if you were with me, bellissima."
"Sure of yourself, aren't you?"
"I've never subscribed to the benefits of false modesty. I can have you moaning in under thirty seconds..."
*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
I wish I could say that I had a pleasant reading experience with this story, but I didn't...for the first half at least. For the first half (65% to be exact) , I was very much bored.
I just couldn't find anything about the story that pulled me in. The sexual tension wasn't there. The characters came off a bit unlikeable. Luca was a bit too cocky for my tastes and Taylor, although there wasn't anything wrong with her, wasn't a heroine that held my interest. Hence, it was quite of a struggle for me the first half of the story. Unfortunately, it took me a week just to get through the first half of the book. However, I was glad that I persisted because it was after that 65% mark that the story finally got interesting for me.
It was this half of the story that I really got a feel for the characters and their chemistry. I finally felt the sexual tension between Luca and Taylor along with the passion. This was when I came to adore the characters. I loved how sweet Luca was when he fulfilled Taylor's wish by surprising her with a trip to a charity concert at the Teatro Greco at Taormina. Taylor had openly confessed that she would love to go somewhere where she wouldn't be recognized and didn't have to constantly watch over her shoulder for the paparazzi and just be normal for a day. I think this was when I fell Luca. He planned this amazing trip for them and gone was his cockiness and in its place was this caring & protective man who was slowly falling in love, but didn't even know it...yet. I loved their interactions at this point forward and was joyfully rooting for their happily ever after and was so glad that they finally got one.
Although, the first half of An Invitation to Sin was a struggle to get through, the second half totally made up for it and I was glad I stuck it out with Luca and Taylor. From the impressions of the first half of An Invitation to Sin, this would have been a 2 star read for me. However, the second half of the story redeemed the book for me bumping my rating of An Invitation to Sin to 3 stars.
"I'm not a moaner."
He smiled as he undid the buttons of his shirt. "You'd moan if you were with me, bellissima."
"Sure of yourself, aren't you?"
"I've never subscribed to the benefits of false modesty. I can have you moaning in under thirty seconds..."
*ARC courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
August 4, 2013
4 stars
I really liked the hero and the heroine could be a bit uptight but when she let go, it was great. Loved the relationship.
The heroine was a famous actress once but she went down in flames. We are never made of what exactly went down but her being controlled by her mother her whole life and then being on her own, affected her judgement. So, she went away from the spotlight and now she's back and she needs to remain "scandless" but an encounter with the hero spoils all of that and she makes up a story about an engagement.
Well, the hero is all about having fun and his fashion house. He doesn't want a woman or the hassle of commitment, his mom drove herself nuts over his cheating father. Then he sees the benefit of pretending to be together. Their relationship was hot, even the acting.
My one quip was with the heroine and her ex, she seemed very wimpy on that front. Overall I enjoyed this one immensely.
I really liked the hero and the heroine could be a bit uptight but when she let go, it was great. Loved the relationship.
The heroine was a famous actress once but she went down in flames. We are never made of what exactly went down but her being controlled by her mother her whole life and then being on her own, affected her judgement. So, she went away from the spotlight and now she's back and she needs to remain "scandless" but an encounter with the hero spoils all of that and she makes up a story about an engagement.
Well, the hero is all about having fun and his fashion house. He doesn't want a woman or the hassle of commitment, his mom drove herself nuts over his cheating father. Then he sees the benefit of pretending to be together. Their relationship was hot, even the acting.
My one quip was with the heroine and her ex, she seemed very wimpy on that front. Overall I enjoyed this one immensely.
February 14, 2019
Dievinu šios autorės humorą. Meilės romanai ir įprastinės, šiaip nuvalkiotos scenos, skaitosi visiškai kitaip. Juokiausi balsu ir labai pakėlė nuotaiką. Jos istorijos nėra pačios savaime išskirtinės, naudojami šablonai - turtingas gražus vyras, pritrenkianti gražuolė, šiuo atveju dar ir netikėjimas meile ir santuoka. Bet humoras viską taip išgelbėja, kad knygą norisi skaityti toliau, o ne mesti šalin kaip daugumą kitų meilės istorijų kur viskas taip nuobodu ir nuspėjama.
Galima sakyti pabaiga ir čia nuspėjama, bet kontekstas ir dialogai - niekaip. Tikrai patiko.
Galima sakyti pabaiga ir čia nuspėjama, bet kontekstas ir dialogai - niekaip. Tikrai patiko.
April 24, 2013
Another outstanding book by Sarah Morgan.
This is a second book in the series . I loved Luca and Taylor a lot.
Luca who never wanted to settle down was engaged to Taylor , I don't want to leak the story hence wouldn't say much :). Loved the way Luca calling Taylor fiancee.
There was humor,chemistry and love between Taylor and Luca.
Their relationship develops throughout the book .
This is a second book in the series . I loved Luca and Taylor a lot.
Luca who never wanted to settle down was engaged to Taylor , I don't want to leak the story hence wouldn't say much :). Loved the way Luca calling Taylor fiancee.
There was humor,chemistry and love between Taylor and Luca.
Their relationship develops throughout the book .
May 2, 2013
The verbal banter and the come back lines Luca dropped were hilarious, a fun and exciting read, with hotness loaded. No one could have complimented each other the way Taylor & Luca did. Loved every minute of this book.
January 22, 2022
Just what I needed to read when I happened to read this!
Such a fun and humor filled romance which broke the most emotionally wrought of scenes 🥰
Such a fun and humor filled romance which broke the most emotionally wrought of scenes 🥰
April 17, 2016
UPDATED APRIL 2016: Book 2 of the Corretti series. Loved it. So funny was the dialogue between head of the Corretti fashion house Luca and famous actress Taylor I loved it so much. I love Luca and his approach to life. To be the "one" Taylor is a very very lucky girl! Both are trying to live on the straight and narrow for professional reasons , Luca because he is trying to prove to his board that he can take over the running of the Corretti Hotel chain and ward off a take over but it's hard when they both love fun and laughter and trouble just seems to follow the everywhere. Commitment phobe Luca is Santo's cousin. Santo, hero from book 1. Luca's brother Matteo has gone missing, with the bride Alissa who ran out on the wedding which Luca and Taylor meet. The pinnacle event that sets everything in motion. Luca and Santo are supposed to hate each other but there is more than once they help each other out. Taylor is the heroine of book 2. She is the female lead in Santo's production and it is good to hear her side of the story which is mentioned through out book 1. I absolutely adored this story and very happy to see I gave it 5 stars. I also loved the revisit to Nonna.
ORIGINAL 2013 REVIEW: What an absolute pleasure it was to read Sarah Morgan's An Invitation to Sin, it was a completely absorbing and entertaining read mixed with loads of laughs and lots of passion.
Luca and Taylor have an explosive meeting at Luca's cousin's wedding. Before they can blink they're both caught up in a whirlwind of half-truths which they continue to flame and use each other in order to benefit in their professional lives.
The conversation between Luca and Taylor was nothing short of brilliant. Oh, how I laughed and laughed and laughed out loud. What started off as giggles turned into good and honest belly laughs.
Luca is THE most honest and upfront hero. He knows he's an ass and absolutely revels in it. I absolutely loved him for his honest and upfront look on life. Taylor compliments him perfectly and is a fascinating character to read.
Luca's cousin Santo is the producer of the film that Taylor has been hired to star in.
A prominent character in this book, Santo gets his story in the book 1, Carol Marinelli's, A Legacy of Secrets. I also cannot wait to read Alessandro's story.
This was my first introduction to the upcoming Corretti Dynasty Series and I have to say I'm hooked! I cant wait to read all the other installments and I eagerly await their upcoming releases over this year.
ORIGINAL 2013 REVIEW: What an absolute pleasure it was to read Sarah Morgan's An Invitation to Sin, it was a completely absorbing and entertaining read mixed with loads of laughs and lots of passion.
Luca and Taylor have an explosive meeting at Luca's cousin's wedding. Before they can blink they're both caught up in a whirlwind of half-truths which they continue to flame and use each other in order to benefit in their professional lives.
The conversation between Luca and Taylor was nothing short of brilliant. Oh, how I laughed and laughed and laughed out loud. What started off as giggles turned into good and honest belly laughs.
Luca is THE most honest and upfront hero. He knows he's an ass and absolutely revels in it. I absolutely loved him for his honest and upfront look on life. Taylor compliments him perfectly and is a fascinating character to read.
Luca's cousin Santo is the producer of the film that Taylor has been hired to star in.
A prominent character in this book, Santo gets his story in the book 1, Carol Marinelli's, A Legacy of Secrets. I also cannot wait to read Alessandro's story.
This was my first introduction to the upcoming Corretti Dynasty Series and I have to say I'm hooked! I cant wait to read all the other installments and I eagerly await their upcoming releases over this year.
June 26, 2013
I bought this book based on a recommendation from Dear Author, and although it felt like I was misled in the beginning, by the end, I had come to feel this was a worthwhile purchase.
Luca, playboy extraordinaire, director of a lucrative fashion house, and Taylor, actress extraordinaire, apparently a wild-child, for a moment of indiscretion, end up fake-engaged to each other - you know, for the sake of appearances, since both their careers depend on it. And of course, this being an HP, we follow their journey from being fake-engaged to falling in love.
Initially, I was bored. Luca had all the witty repartees about irresponsibility and being a bad boy and not caring about respectability blah blah blah. Taylor spent pages inner-monologuing about some terrible secret and how the world wasn't going to let her forget her past mistakes and some dude who was holding some terrible secret over her head blah blah blah. It was all well and good, but not very interesting. For a good 50-60% of the book, Ms. Morgan's narration continued thus.
For me, things took off once the nonsense about irresponsibility and the nonsense about stalkers and mistakes etc, stopped. Then we had a chance to see Taylor and Luca shine - Luca especially. The care and attention he payed to Taylor and the way she stopped feeling sorry for herself to enjoy the moment was simply beautiful. From then on, Luca's witty repartees became funny instead of trite, and Taylor seemed a more nuanced character than her previous woe-is-me persona. The big reveal about the so-called big secret was just eh. Their discovery of love in the midst of the fake engagement though, was sweet.
I can definitely recommend this HP. I wasn't disappointed in the end, and neither will you be (otherwise the problem is you, not the story, LOLZ!)
Luca, playboy extraordinaire, director of a lucrative fashion house, and Taylor, actress extraordinaire, apparently a wild-child, for a moment of indiscretion, end up fake-engaged to each other - you know, for the sake of appearances, since both their careers depend on it. And of course, this being an HP, we follow their journey from being fake-engaged to falling in love.
Initially, I was bored. Luca had all the witty repartees about irresponsibility and being a bad boy and not caring about respectability blah blah blah. Taylor spent pages inner-monologuing about some terrible secret and how the world wasn't going to let her forget her past mistakes and some dude who was holding some terrible secret over her head blah blah blah. It was all well and good, but not very interesting. For a good 50-60% of the book, Ms. Morgan's narration continued thus.
For me, things took off once the nonsense about irresponsibility and the nonsense about stalkers and mistakes etc, stopped. Then we had a chance to see Taylor and Luca shine - Luca especially. The care and attention he payed to Taylor and the way she stopped feeling sorry for herself to enjoy the moment was simply beautiful. From then on, Luca's witty repartees became funny instead of trite, and Taylor seemed a more nuanced character than her previous woe-is-me persona. The big reveal about the so-called big secret was just eh. Their discovery of love in the midst of the fake engagement though, was sweet.
I can definitely recommend this HP. I wasn't disappointed in the end, and neither will you be (otherwise the problem is you, not the story, LOLZ!)
August 15, 2014
Oh Sarah Morgan, I know understand what the SBTB ladies mean by crack reading (though I hate that term, but that’s another story). An Invitation to Sin represents the best of the Harlequin Presents series. We’re not talking high literature people, but if you’re looking for a crackling fun enjoyable read, this book is it. Escapism at its best - in this category, Sarah Morgan is becoming my favorite, even though I usually don’t like the crazy rich people stories.
One of the reasons I’m not a huge fan of the Harlequin Presents series is that I don’t find the characters relatable. Billionaires, etc., are just not part of my world view. But there was something about this book that just drew me in and kept me hooked. It must have been the chemistry and snappy dialogue between the hero and heroine - it felt like one of the old fashioned rom-coms before that movie genre fell apart.
The hero and heroine are thrown together. She’s a child movie star whose career fell apart and is trying to make a comeback. He’s the bad boy, but brilliant business man. His family can’t fully accept him into the business because of his bad boy ways, failing to recognize how his early family life scarred them. When they meet, the chemistry flies.
Seriously, I love the dialogue “Do you ever finish your sentences? You’re like a walking crossword and I’m too lazy to fill in the blanks.”
I like that he likes her because of her self-confidence. “He was fast discovering there was no greater aphrodisiac than a woman aware of her own appeal.” I like that she’s attracted to something beyond his good looks.
I think this book works because even though these characters are crazy rich people/movie star types that you’d never meet in real life, the attraction and the challenges that they face felt real.
4.5/5 on my romance scale.
One of the reasons I’m not a huge fan of the Harlequin Presents series is that I don’t find the characters relatable. Billionaires, etc., are just not part of my world view. But there was something about this book that just drew me in and kept me hooked. It must have been the chemistry and snappy dialogue between the hero and heroine - it felt like one of the old fashioned rom-coms before that movie genre fell apart.
The hero and heroine are thrown together. She’s a child movie star whose career fell apart and is trying to make a comeback. He’s the bad boy, but brilliant business man. His family can’t fully accept him into the business because of his bad boy ways, failing to recognize how his early family life scarred them. When they meet, the chemistry flies.
Seriously, I love the dialogue “Do you ever finish your sentences? You’re like a walking crossword and I’m too lazy to fill in the blanks.”
I like that he likes her because of her self-confidence. “He was fast discovering there was no greater aphrodisiac than a woman aware of her own appeal.” I like that she’s attracted to something beyond his good looks.
I think this book works because even though these characters are crazy rich people/movie star types that you’d never meet in real life, the attraction and the challenges that they face felt real.
4.5/5 on my romance scale.
May 13, 2013
In Invitation To Sin by Sarah Morgan
What is a famous actress, trying to stay out of the spotlight personally. And a Rich, handsome, I don't care what anyone thinks, playboy to do after getting caught in a passionate embrace at a wedding. Why announce their fake engagement of course.
Taylor Carmichael has been an actress since she was a small child, and it is one thing she truly loves to so. But she has been taken advantage of by everyone in her life that was suppose to either love her or protect her. She has come to realize she can trust no one. And one mistake hangs over her like a dark cloud. Never feeling as though she can relax and be herself.
Luca Corretti , is one very hot and sexy Sicilian. Growing up with an insecure mother, he knows he wants no clinging women in his life. More than six hours together is to much. And never ever will he have a woman stay overnight. But as he spends more and more time with Taylor he is having different thoughts.
I loved this second novel in "Sicily's Corretti Dynasty" series. Sarah Morgan wrote two strong main characters. While they might have fame and money, they didn't come from happy family backgrounds. I really enjoyed the humorous banter between Taylor and Luca and found myself laughing out loud a number of times. I am looking forward to finishing the entire series!
A Legacy Of Secrets by Carol Marinelli
An Invitation To Sin by Sarah Morgan
A Shadow Of Guilt by Abby Green
An Inheritance Of Shame by Kate Hewitt
A Whisper Of Disgrace by Sharon Kendrick
A Facade To Shatter by Lynn Raye Harris
A Scandal In The Headlines by Caitlin Crews
A Hunger For The Forbidden by Maisey Yates
5/5 stars
April 27, 2013
This is the second I read in the Sicily Corretti Dynasty series and I found it very entertaining! I had not really warmed up to the fashion and film world of the series in the first story and found it a bit superficial. But I'm happy to say Luca and Taylor in this story were wonderfully matched and I loved their dialogue and chemistry. I liked this story for the way the author kind of turned superficial upside down by making what starts out as a fake engagement between the characters turn into something real, which of course scares them both! The story and the characters have a lot of fun and heart. I read that the author called it her "banter book" in the interview at the back of the book and I agree!
September 4, 2014
"–Voy a dedicarme a hacer lo que mejor se me da, vivir la vida al máximo. ¿Quieres hacerlo conmigo, dolcezza?
Taylor no tuvo que pensárselo ni un segundo.
–Sí –le dijo simplemente–. Claro que sí.
–Bene. En ese caso, yo, Luca Corretti, te tomo a ti, Taylor Carmichael, para cuidarte y respetarte, para pecar contigo y hacerte el amor, vestidos o desnudos, todos los días de mi vida, hasta que no nos quede aliento o hasta que la muerte nos separe. ¿Qué te parece? Riendo e increíblemente feliz, lo abrazó con fuerza.
–Me parece perfecto."
Ohohohoh Luca, Luca♥
Yo quiero ser tu Teresa . Hoy y siempre!
Ame a este hombre, a esta pareja, todo!
Solo me falta un poco mas de interacción en la familia-aun cuando se odian.-
Taylor no tuvo que pensárselo ni un segundo.
–Sí –le dijo simplemente–. Claro que sí.
–Bene. En ese caso, yo, Luca Corretti, te tomo a ti, Taylor Carmichael, para cuidarte y respetarte, para pecar contigo y hacerte el amor, vestidos o desnudos, todos los días de mi vida, hasta que no nos quede aliento o hasta que la muerte nos separe. ¿Qué te parece? Riendo e increíblemente feliz, lo abrazó con fuerza.
–Me parece perfecto."
Ohohohoh Luca, Luca♥
Yo quiero ser tu Teresa . Hoy y siempre!
Ame a este hombre, a esta pareja, todo!
Solo me falta un poco mas de interacción en la familia-aun cuando se odian.-
January 3, 2025
Ihhh, suka deh dengan karya Sarah Morgan, jadi pengen hunting buku-buku dia yang lain. xD
Emosinya dapat! Dan yang pasti kenyes-kenyesnya setipe sama yang aku suka. Bakalan banyak baca karya dia daripada karya penulis HQ yang lain nih.
Oh, ini baca via iJak juga btw, lagi onfire sejak berhasil buka kembali. Karena sekarang sudah banyak yang baca, aplikasinya sudah seperti perpustakaan konvensional yang biasa, ramai! xD
Emosinya dapat! Dan yang pasti kenyes-kenyesnya setipe sama yang aku suka. Bakalan banyak baca karya dia daripada karya penulis HQ yang lain nih.
Oh, ini baca via iJak juga btw, lagi onfire sejak berhasil buka kembali. Karena sekarang sudah banyak yang baca, aplikasinya sudah seperti perpustakaan konvensional yang biasa, ramai! xD
April 26, 2013
This is the second book of the series. This book is really good. I really enjoyed it especially how much fun I had reading this story. Luca and Taylor had me laughing constantly. Both learning how to be in a relationship and their chemistry together opened the door for them to fall in love shocking both of them in the end.
October 15, 2014
2nd in the series.
May 24, 2023
if there’s ever been a book to describe the saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” it is this one.
i picked this book up at goodwill over a year ago i believe (it was like a dollar and i thought the premise was funny cause it looked like a shitty grandma-type romance novel), and left it to dust in my bookshelf for a long time. honestly i forgot all about it, but i found it again yesterday night and read the synopsis and was like “hold up… this sounds interesting af?”
AND IT WAS. yall. this book was so good and for what? taylor is such a relatable character and luca compliments her so well. i love them together they’re so perfect. devoured almost the entire book in one sitting (minus 30 pages). 4 stars (one taken away due to the fact that i would’ve liked more exploration on certain characters but nevertheless i really liked it🤭)
i picked this book up at goodwill over a year ago i believe (it was like a dollar and i thought the premise was funny cause it looked like a shitty grandma-type romance novel), and left it to dust in my bookshelf for a long time. honestly i forgot all about it, but i found it again yesterday night and read the synopsis and was like “hold up… this sounds interesting af?”
AND IT WAS. yall. this book was so good and for what? taylor is such a relatable character and luca compliments her so well. i love them together they’re so perfect. devoured almost the entire book in one sitting (minus 30 pages). 4 stars (one taken away due to the fact that i would’ve liked more exploration on certain characters but nevertheless i really liked it🤭)
May 24, 2017
Taylor Carmichael kembali setelah dua tahun menghilang begitu saja. Berniat memulai kariernya sebagai aktris dengan reputasi baik.
Luca Corretti harus memperbaiki sikapnya agar dapat disetujui Dewan untuk menjalankan jaringan Hotel Corretti yang ditinggal hingga waktu yang belum pasti oleh sang kakak, Matteo.
Pertemuan keduanya menyebabkan sebuah skandal yang harus ditutupi dengan pertunangan mereka. Taylor menjadi aktris yang dapat menjerat Luca, dan Luca menjadi pria yang bertanggung jawab akan keluarganya nanti dan juga jaringan hotelnya.
Cerita tentang Rafaele kurang di ekspos ya, padahal itu konflik utamanya. Seharusnya Rafaele mendapatkan hukuman atas kelakuannya.
Luca Corretti harus memperbaiki sikapnya agar dapat disetujui Dewan untuk menjalankan jaringan Hotel Corretti yang ditinggal hingga waktu yang belum pasti oleh sang kakak, Matteo.
Pertemuan keduanya menyebabkan sebuah skandal yang harus ditutupi dengan pertunangan mereka. Taylor menjadi aktris yang dapat menjerat Luca, dan Luca menjadi pria yang bertanggung jawab akan keluarganya nanti dan juga jaringan hotelnya.
Cerita tentang Rafaele kurang di ekspos ya, padahal itu konflik utamanya. Seharusnya Rafaele mendapatkan hukuman atas kelakuannya.
June 18, 2019
This was actually - dare I say it - funny at times; the hero and heroine both had Traumatic Pasts but for once (thank God!) the heroine did not suffer from low self-esteem because of it; Taylor is essentially Lindsay Lohan trying to get a movie done. You can see most of the plot twists coming a mile away and Taylor's ex is a little too loathsome, but on the other hand it's a Harlequin Presents novel.
December 22, 2016
¡Dios mío! estoy super enamorada de estos libros y vaya que son MUY buenos. No tengo palabras para describir lo hermosos que son. Me encanta que en tan pocas paginas te enamores perdidamente de los personajes que te hagan sentir emociones jamás descritas. Es un libro fresco que se lee en unas horas....y tiene muy pocas estrellas para lo que yo creo que se merece...
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