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Sicilian Spring
He must think he's God's gift to women! Rich, successful and extremely confident of his effect on the opposite sex, Rafe Cavalleri was accustomed to getting what he wanted. And he wanted Bryony. But for once his famous Italian charm seemed to be getting him nowhere. Because Bryony had come to Sicily to get over a disastrous love-affair and had no intention of getting emotionally involved, however attractive the man. But Rafe wasn't used to taking no for an answer.
- GenresHarlequin Presents
Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Sally Wentworth
106 books94 followersDoreen was born on 1936 or 1937 in Watford, Hertfordshire, England, UK. She married Donald Alfred Hornsblow, with whom she has a son Keith, in 1968. The family lived in Braughing, England.
Doreen began her publishing career at a Fleet Street newspaper in London, where she thrived in the hectic atmosphere. She started writing after attending an evening class and sold her first novel to Mills & Boon in 1977, she published her novels under the pseudonym Sally Wentworth. Her novels were principally set in Great Britain or in exotic places like Canary Islands or Greece. Her first works are stand-alone novels, but in 1990s, she decided to create her first series. In 1991, she wrote a book in two parts about the Barclay twins and their great love, and in 1995, she wrote the Ties of Passion Trilogy about the Brodey family, that have money, looks, style, everything... except love.
Doreen was an accounts clerk at Associated Newspapers Ltd. in London, England, and accounts clerk at Consumers' Association in Hertford, England. In 1985, she was the founding chair of the Hertford Association of National Trust Members, and named its life president. She also collected knife rests and she was member of The Knife Rest Collectors Club.
Doreen Hornsblow died from cancer on 30 August 2001, at 64 years of age.
Doreen began her publishing career at a Fleet Street newspaper in London, where she thrived in the hectic atmosphere. She started writing after attending an evening class and sold her first novel to Mills & Boon in 1977, she published her novels under the pseudonym Sally Wentworth. Her novels were principally set in Great Britain or in exotic places like Canary Islands or Greece. Her first works are stand-alone novels, but in 1990s, she decided to create her first series. In 1991, she wrote a book in two parts about the Barclay twins and their great love, and in 1995, she wrote the Ties of Passion Trilogy about the Brodey family, that have money, looks, style, everything... except love.
Doreen was an accounts clerk at Associated Newspapers Ltd. in London, England, and accounts clerk at Consumers' Association in Hertford, England. In 1985, she was the founding chair of the Hertford Association of National Trust Members, and named its life president. She also collected knife rests and she was member of The Knife Rest Collectors Club.
Doreen Hornsblow died from cancer on 30 August 2001, at 64 years of age.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 22, 2024
Not a romance, more like a Study Guide on How to Become a Harlequin OW :(
The heroine is, by her own admission, a rather spoiled, only child of loving, doting parents. She had no real ambition to do anything but drift through life. It was easy to fall for the first guy who came along and move in with him as his kept mistress for a couple of years, until he tired of her and walked out. Instead of taking a good long hard look at herself and deciding to turn her life around, she lets herself drift into a new job for a total stranger, an older woman she met by chance at a family wedding. The older woman employs her as a cook and tour guide at a Sicilian villa that she hopes to turn into a B&B.
Unfortunately for the heroine, it turns out that her employer does not own said Sicilian villa, she only has a life interest in it as the widow of her elderly husband. The true heir and owner of the villa is her late husband's nephew, aka the "hero" of this piece. He is an arrogant, womanizing, snobbish, and condescending Alpha. His goal is to kick out the merry widow, and the heroine, out of his villa. The heroine naturally takes the side of her employer against her nephew. The younger and older woman have some nauseating, extremely cynical conversations about life, men, and romance. It really sounded like the older woman was mentoring the heroine on how to become a professional golddigging hall of famer like herself and the heroine was avidly taking notes!
The heroine initially smacks the hero down very satisfyingly when he tries to use his oozy charm to seduce her. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before she succumbs to his dubious advances. She lets herself once again drift into an affair, letting the hero treat her as his bought-for mistress, showing she has learned nothing from her previous experience. Then, she gets mad when he treats her like a sugar baby looking for her next daddy. She felt used, well, she let herself be used!
The Merry Widow ultimately finds someone else to leech on, solving the feud over the villa. The heroine's wormy ex-boyfriend returns with a belated marriage proposal. The hero, instead of getting jealous, scorns heroine for trying to play one man against the other. Fed up, the heroine makes the only good decision she has ever made in her life, which is to kick both awful men to the curb.
Then, after a couple of weeks, she decides to speak to the hero again. He promptly invites her to a swanky society party where he introduces her as his betrothed, signaling that she will be accepted into his social circles as his legitimate wife and not hidden away like a dirty secret as his illegitimate mistress. How romantic :(
The hero was gross for mistreating his uncle's widow over a stupid villa, for sending the heroine a pair of earrings and thank you card after they had sex (omg), and for giving her one of the worst "I love you despite myself even though I should not really misalign myself with someone so low class and of dubious moral character" love declarations since Darcy proposed to Bennett. The heroine was an idjeet, drifting through life from one bad decision to another, including letting herself fall for an admitted and proud of it womanizer who collects mistresses like other people collect stamps.
The only thing positive about this book is the detailed travelogue to Sicilian sights like Mount Etna and the unintentionally comical, purpletastic love scenes like the one where they make love at sea while a volcano is pouring steaming lava down around them LOL.
The heroine is, by her own admission, a rather spoiled, only child of loving, doting parents. She had no real ambition to do anything but drift through life. It was easy to fall for the first guy who came along and move in with him as his kept mistress for a couple of years, until he tired of her and walked out. Instead of taking a good long hard look at herself and deciding to turn her life around, she lets herself drift into a new job for a total stranger, an older woman she met by chance at a family wedding. The older woman employs her as a cook and tour guide at a Sicilian villa that she hopes to turn into a B&B.
Unfortunately for the heroine, it turns out that her employer does not own said Sicilian villa, she only has a life interest in it as the widow of her elderly husband. The true heir and owner of the villa is her late husband's nephew, aka the "hero" of this piece. He is an arrogant, womanizing, snobbish, and condescending Alpha. His goal is to kick out the merry widow, and the heroine, out of his villa. The heroine naturally takes the side of her employer against her nephew. The younger and older woman have some nauseating, extremely cynical conversations about life, men, and romance. It really sounded like the older woman was mentoring the heroine on how to become a professional golddigging hall of famer like herself and the heroine was avidly taking notes!
The heroine initially smacks the hero down very satisfyingly when he tries to use his oozy charm to seduce her. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before she succumbs to his dubious advances. She lets herself once again drift into an affair, letting the hero treat her as his bought-for mistress, showing she has learned nothing from her previous experience. Then, she gets mad when he treats her like a sugar baby looking for her next daddy. She felt used, well, she let herself be used!
The Merry Widow ultimately finds someone else to leech on, solving the feud over the villa. The heroine's wormy ex-boyfriend returns with a belated marriage proposal. The hero, instead of getting jealous, scorns heroine for trying to play one man against the other. Fed up, the heroine makes the only good decision she has ever made in her life, which is to kick both awful men to the curb.
Then, after a couple of weeks, she decides to speak to the hero again. He promptly invites her to a swanky society party where he introduces her as his betrothed, signaling that she will be accepted into his social circles as his legitimate wife and not hidden away like a dirty secret as his illegitimate mistress. How romantic :(
The hero was gross for mistreating his uncle's widow over a stupid villa, for sending the heroine a pair of earrings and thank you card after they had sex (omg), and for giving her one of the worst "I love you despite myself even though I should not really misalign myself with someone so low class and of dubious moral character" love declarations since Darcy proposed to Bennett. The heroine was an idjeet, drifting through life from one bad decision to another, including letting herself fall for an admitted and proud of it womanizer who collects mistresses like other people collect stamps.
The only thing positive about this book is the detailed travelogue to Sicilian sights like Mount Etna and the unintentionally comical, purpletastic love scenes like the one where they make love at sea while a volcano is pouring steaming lava down around them LOL.
September 12, 2020
This book is a classic romance and the reason why I started reading Harlequin books. The handsome, rich, powerful, charming man who is smitten and relentlessly pursues the woman.
I like the dialogue between the man and woman. He says all the right stuff that makes your heart melt. The stuff that you - as a woman - would want to hear from a man.
The reason I take one star off is because the woman is kind of childish and naive. She believes blindly everything an old woman says whom she has know for one week. And the second reason: some scenes are very abrupt: the woman tells the man she never wants to meet him again, but the next time she sees him, she runs to him and they have passionate sex. I first thought she was dreaming about the sex, but no, it really happened. And the third reason: I like the woman to be virginal, but this woman was not because prior to going to Italy she had lived with a man for two years.
I like the dialogue between the man and woman. He says all the right stuff that makes your heart melt. The stuff that you - as a woman - would want to hear from a man.
The reason I take one star off is because the woman is kind of childish and naive. She believes blindly everything an old woman says whom she has know for one week. And the second reason: some scenes are very abrupt: the woman tells the man she never wants to meet him again, but the next time she sees him, she runs to him and they have passionate sex. I first thought she was dreaming about the sex, but no, it really happened. And the third reason: I like the woman to be virginal, but this woman was not because prior to going to Italy she had lived with a man for two years.
February 10, 2014
Sicilian Spring was such AN AMAZING BOOK!!! Sally Wentworth is the godess of love/erotic stories I seriously love all her stories. This was omg RAFE IS THE PERFECT MAN! I was and still am jealous of Bryony to have met such a beautiful mannn ;________; !! THIS BOOK DESERVES 10/10!! ♥
September 28, 2019
.He must think he's God's gift to women! Rich, successful and extremely confident of his effect on the opposite sex, Rafe Cavalleri was accustomed to getting what he wanted. And he wanted Bryony. But for once his famous Italian charm seemed to be getting him nowhere. Because Bryony had come to Sicily to get over a disastrous love-affair and had no intention of getting emotionally involved, however attractive the man. But Rafe wasn't used to taking no for an answer.
November 17, 2023
I have mixed feelings about this book because it shows how naive the girl can be and how indecisive she is, yet at the same time I cannot deny the power of this book in making the reader feel involved in this emotional roller coaster. Also, I love how this book shows the beauty of Italy through its descriptions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews