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Under the Italian's Command
UK title: Laying down the Law
An innocent mouse
Sheltered and mousy Carly Tate is out of her depth. Dark, dangerous Lorenzo Domenico is the first man to make her heart race, but she knows the gorgeous Italian will never see past her frumpy clothes and awkward shyness.
She's his for the taking!
Little does she realize that, to Lorenzo, sweet, endearing Carly is a breath of fresh air. He's sure that underneath her disastrous fashion there's a voluptuous figureand he's going to be the one to discover it .
An innocent mouse
Sheltered and mousy Carly Tate is out of her depth. Dark, dangerous Lorenzo Domenico is the first man to make her heart race, but she knows the gorgeous Italian will never see past her frumpy clothes and awkward shyness.
She's his for the taking!
Little does she realize that, to Lorenzo, sweet, endearing Carly is a breath of fresh air. He's sure that underneath her disastrous fashion there's a voluptuous figureand he's going to be the one to discover it .
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
15 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Susan Stephens
742 books133 followersUSA TODAY best-selling author Susan Stephens' books have captivated readers worldwide with over 11 million copies sold. Her work crosses cultures and continents, having been translated into 26 languages and reaching readers in 109 countries. This year marks a milestone as Susan's 100th book is slated for publication.
NEW SERIES!
ACOSTAS RAW Ranchers, rodeo and passion
1. BEAU
2. COLT
3. BLAKE
4. CHRISTMAS WITH ANGEL
BLOOD AND THUNDER
1. ALEXEI
2. DANTE
3. DIEGO
4. CESAR
5. CONNOR .
- BOX SET books. 1-4
6. ELIJAH Coming soon
NEW SERIES!
ACOSTAS RAW Ranchers, rodeo and passion
1. BEAU
2. COLT
3. BLAKE
4. CHRISTMAS WITH ANGEL
BLOOD AND THUNDER
1. ALEXEI
2. DANTE
3. DIEGO
4. CESAR
5. CONNOR .
- BOX SET books. 1-4
6. ELIJAH Coming soon
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 2, 2020
This was …bizarre. The heroine was written from the Kristen Ashley school of writing. Nothing she did or said made sense. She’s on the fast track to get the Unicorn scholarship in Law (I didn’t make that up. Unicorn. Law. Huh?) but she’s not smart enough to put two words together, or show up on time for class or any of the other attributes that are supposed to show how charming and scatty she is.
The H starts out a close-mouthed, tough Italian hunk/mentor then morphs into the most supportive, the most wonderful man ever with crazy socks.
The sex is detailed. I don’t think fruit salads and sex are sexy. Or romantic. Just messy.
The moving into three star romance took a sharp dysfunctional turn when the heroine’s MOTHER and family came into the picture. Yikes!
This wasn’t how I wanted my first romance of 2020 to go.
The H starts out a close-mouthed, tough Italian hunk/mentor then morphs into the most supportive, the most wonderful man ever with crazy socks.
The sex is detailed. I don’t think fruit salads and sex are sexy. Or romantic. Just messy.
The moving into three star romance took a sharp dysfunctional turn when the heroine’s MOTHER and family came into the picture. Yikes!
This wasn’t how I wanted my first romance of 2020 to go.
January 4, 2017
3 Bridget Jones type stars ✨ ⭐️ ✨
Loved the start of this book. It reminded me of Bridget Jones' Diary - "Mr. Fitzpervert".
Also loves the tread of humor that ran through the book. The h is a chubby, somewhat clumsy, but endearing woman who isn't the most liked person on campus. The H is a sexy visiting American lawyer/law professor. He saves her from a bumbling introduction a la Bridget Jones. She then learns later on that he is to be her mentor/professor.
When I started this book I knew I was going to love it. The characters were lovely, the story was great, it had me chuckling and really loving the h. Then about three quarters of the way through I wondered why I was still reading it. It just seemed soooo long. The tasked that the h had to complete were silly. The H's desire for her and then his hot and cold were annoying. It all just seemed to drag. Then the visit to her home and her mother - could have done without that too.
I loved these two and wanted to see them with their HEA but it just seemed to take sooo long to get there. Which is why I am giving the book 3 stars. I enjoyed but wanted to LOVE it and I didn't.
Loved the start of this book. It reminded me of Bridget Jones' Diary - "Mr. Fitzpervert".
Also loves the tread of humor that ran through the book. The h is a chubby, somewhat clumsy, but endearing woman who isn't the most liked person on campus. The H is a sexy visiting American lawyer/law professor. He saves her from a bumbling introduction a la Bridget Jones. She then learns later on that he is to be her mentor/professor.
When I started this book I knew I was going to love it. The characters were lovely, the story was great, it had me chuckling and really loving the h. Then about three quarters of the way through I wondered why I was still reading it. It just seemed soooo long. The tasked that the h had to complete were silly. The H's desire for her and then his hot and cold were annoying. It all just seemed to drag. Then the visit to her home and her mother - could have done without that too.
I loved these two and wanted to see them with their HEA but it just seemed to take sooo long to get there. Which is why I am giving the book 3 stars. I enjoyed but wanted to LOVE it and I didn't.
June 10, 2019
Protagonistas: Lorenzo & Carly
Profesiones: Abogados
Pais: Londres
Profesiones: Abogados
Pais: Londres
June 8, 2015
comenzó siendo un libro muy entretenido y cargado comicidad, empatia y tensión. Los personajes estaban bien constituidos y se disfrutaba bastante de lo que le pasaba a Carly con Lorenzo, pero luego de que estuvieron juntos sexualmente las cosas comenzaron a descontrolarse y los personajes ya no parecían ser los mismos. De pronto un tipo gruñón y frío se volvió cálido y dulce, dejando de lado a un excelente personaje para pasar a otro que me dejó muchas dudas.
Carly da la impresión de una virgen son experiencia en la sinopsis que nos pinta la autora, pero no es cierto. Ella no es ni virgen, ni inocente, ni tonta. Es algo atolondrada, pero no con mala intención.
Es una novela que no recomendaría, con sinceridad, porque tiene muchas inconsistencias dentro de la lógica que usa la autora. No creó que sea lógico que un héroe acostumbrado a ser un playboy de repente se enamore pérdidamente de una mujer porque se acostó con ella. Que deje su vida, su buena posición en una presidencia educativa de su carrera por una chica con la que solo ha tenido un maratón sexual.
En cierta manera, se le llega a entender a Carly por lo amargada que es la madre y por todas las inseguridades a las que la somete. Lo que no me parece realista es que por pasar unas cuantas semanas o días con Lorenzo a ella se le quiten todos esos fantasmas...
El libro me parece una muy buena idea, pero muy mal ejecutada.
Carly da la impresión de una virgen son experiencia en la sinopsis que nos pinta la autora, pero no es cierto. Ella no es ni virgen, ni inocente, ni tonta. Es algo atolondrada, pero no con mala intención.
Es una novela que no recomendaría, con sinceridad, porque tiene muchas inconsistencias dentro de la lógica que usa la autora. No creó que sea lógico que un héroe acostumbrado a ser un playboy de repente se enamore pérdidamente de una mujer porque se acostó con ella. Que deje su vida, su buena posición en una presidencia educativa de su carrera por una chica con la que solo ha tenido un maratón sexual.
En cierta manera, se le llega a entender a Carly por lo amargada que es la madre y por todas las inseguridades a las que la somete. Lo que no me parece realista es que por pasar unas cuantas semanas o días con Lorenzo a ella se le quiten todos esos fantasmas...
El libro me parece una muy buena idea, pero muy mal ejecutada.
September 6, 2019
Something about how he just knows what's right for her and manipulates her into it makes me uncomfortable
August 2, 2020
Nothing happens! This girl thinks about being fat and lusts after her professor. They have sex. They marry. That's the whole story.
August 17, 2023
Enjoyed this quite a bit but it was plain wrong of him to sleep w his student/protégé.
August 30, 2024
Nice ending.
December 7, 2024
This is just…impossibly silly.
November 8, 2023
This was an odd mix. Parts of it were simply brilliant - Lorenzo was just amazing and I was rooting for him from the get-go. The way he dealt with her self-esteem issues, looked after her, made love to her, encouraged her and challenged her - was fascinating.
The problem was the heroine. We were supposed to believe this Uber-successful scholarship candidate was so clever and so intelligent in terms of her law studies - and yet in everything else she was naive, inept, borderline stupid, gullible, innocent and with no idea of her innate gorgeousness and believing herself to be fat. It takes Lorenzo a long time to convince he finds her beautiful and this became really old, really fast. I can’t abide women who can’t see for the,selves what makes them attractive. Yes, her mother had done a number on her but seriously!
Are sex scenes meant to be funny? The removal of 10 or was it 11 layers of clothing in his office and sex on the desk - elicited more chuckles from me than any sense of a loving sex scene. The author tends to write heroines who have very noisy sex with loads of shrieking, moaning and crying out. I find myself worrying about the neighbours (or in this case the other party-goers) and anticipating intruders!
The sex scenes were not what I expect in a romance. I don it want to be amused by them!
The story went from laugh-out-loud romantic comedy to utter tragedy (that mother!) and I kept being distracted from what was supposed to be the main story. I certainly wanted a comeuppance for the mother from hell.
It was Interesting, with some really enjoyable elements, but weakened by the absurd caricature of the heroine. But Lorenzo? Yes please!
The problem was the heroine. We were supposed to believe this Uber-successful scholarship candidate was so clever and so intelligent in terms of her law studies - and yet in everything else she was naive, inept, borderline stupid, gullible, innocent and with no idea of her innate gorgeousness and believing herself to be fat. It takes Lorenzo a long time to convince he finds her beautiful and this became really old, really fast. I can’t abide women who can’t see for the,selves what makes them attractive. Yes, her mother had done a number on her but seriously!
Are sex scenes meant to be funny? The removal of 10 or was it 11 layers of clothing in his office and sex on the desk - elicited more chuckles from me than any sense of a loving sex scene. The author tends to write heroines who have very noisy sex with loads of shrieking, moaning and crying out. I find myself worrying about the neighbours (or in this case the other party-goers) and anticipating intruders!
The sex scenes were not what I expect in a romance. I don it want to be amused by them!
The story went from laugh-out-loud romantic comedy to utter tragedy (that mother!) and I kept being distracted from what was supposed to be the main story. I certainly wanted a comeuppance for the mother from hell.
It was Interesting, with some really enjoyable elements, but weakened by the absurd caricature of the heroine. But Lorenzo? Yes please!
October 15, 2013
I remember liking this one a lot more earlier on in my life....probably before I started reading quite so heavily and so now this one tends to pale.... I really do enjoy the spunk of Carly, and the crazy chemistry and banter that she and Lorenzo have with one another. She may have a screwed up view of herself, but she has a lot of fire in her and it was so nice for Lorenzo to see it. I even really enjoyed that Lorenzo wasn't a typical Presents jerk hero that becomes better...it was so refreshing. I guess I just found the writing of the heated scenes kind of corny, and it was harder to see past. So, a mixed bag.
May 28, 2008
This has a very realistic heroine who isn't dressed in the highest fashion or have a super skinny body. She's a real woman. The hero says everything you hope a man would. He accepts her just how she is and helps her self-esteem issues. The sex isn't as intense as I normally like, but this is a series romance afterall.
December 14, 2010
Good book read on iPhone.
August 6, 2013
So sweet...
February 27, 2014
Bueno, he ido encontrando Harlequin que son para varia un poco innovadores que no hay tanto Drama. Este me encanto
April 7, 2016
The legal/mentor stuff was appalling and the "romance" wasn't any better.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews