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Passion in Paradise #7
A Passionate Reunion in Fiji
A remote island paradise...
A chance to rekindle their marriage!
Nothing fazes workaholic billionaire Massimo Briatore. Not even the idea of his estranged wife, Livia, accompanying him to Fiji for a family celebration. He's sure he'll have no problem pretending for one weekend that their whirlwind marriage is still intact. Until he lays eyes on her again...
Trapped in paradise, Livia can't escape from the memories of the tenderness and heat that once bound her to Massimo. An explosive reunion is on the cards, but only if their passion can burn away their past!
A chance to rekindle their marriage!
Nothing fazes workaholic billionaire Massimo Briatore. Not even the idea of his estranged wife, Livia, accompanying him to Fiji for a family celebration. He's sure he'll have no problem pretending for one weekend that their whirlwind marriage is still intact. Until he lays eyes on her again...
Trapped in paradise, Livia can't escape from the memories of the tenderness and heat that once bound her to Massimo. An explosive reunion is on the cards, but only if their passion can burn away their past!
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published September 17, 2019
About the author
Michelle Smart
828 books261 followersMichelle Smart is a Publishers Weekly bestselling romance author with a slight-to-severe coffee addiction. With over four million copies of her books sold worldwide, Michelle is now embracing the indie book world to write the passionate romance books she knows her readers love whilst continuing to write for Harlequin Mills & Boon. She is also the author of Butterflies, a standalone romantic and humorous time travel novel set in the 1990s.
A bookworm since birth, Michelle can usually be found hiding behind a paperback, or if it’s an author she really loves, a hardback.
Michelle loves hearing from readers and can be contacted directly via her website.
A bookworm since birth, Michelle can usually be found hiding behind a paperback, or if it’s an author she really loves, a hardback.
Michelle loves hearing from readers and can be contacted directly via her website.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 8, 2019
Their marriage had disintegrated to such an extent that the nights he had made it home, they’d slept back to back. A man could take only so much rejection from his own wife before he stopped bothering.
https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
Meet...
Massimo: An uncommunicative, caring and super workaholic husband.
Livia: An overly emotional, but loving and very opinionated wife.
This is the H, Massimo:
This is the heroine, Livia:
A combination of the marriage in peril and second chance romance tropes, is the basis for this story. In this novel, both MC's truly loved each other when they got married, but their failure to compromise soon became the death knell that ruined a once harmonious relationship. The author also develops a lovely minor storyline about the H's strong and happy extended family.
A self made Science/Tech billionaire, Massimo viewed life through the eyes of a pragmatic scientific genius. Livia, a former palliative oncology nurse, was ruled almost entirely by emotions. Once the honeymoon period of marriage had dissipated, these MC's found it impossible to co-exist peacefully. They realized that their goals were different and that great sex wasn't a strong enough bandage for the fissure that was widening their relationship.
Theirs wasn't a marriage that was wrecked by adultery, external factors or by the machinations of devious individuals. Massimo and Livia destroyed their relationship all on their own. This flows against the norm in HPlandia and it's nice to read a marriage in peril romance, where there's no OW or OM.
When the novel opens, our MC's are seeing each other for the first time in months. They're on their way to the H's private island in Fiji, to celebrate his dying grandfather's final reunion with relatives and friends. Their relatives have no idea that they're separated and they're pretending to be together, so that grandfather Jimmy's final birthday celebration will be happy and drama free.
They're still in love with each other, as seen from their respective internal monologues, but both are determined to maintain an emotional distance whenever they're alone together. Massimo lives for his work. He loves his family, but bears some resentment for them because he blames his loving, but unambitious parents for his extremely impoverished childhood.
It soon becomes clear that work is not just a vocation for Massimo; it's an extension of his persona. It's also an instrument he uses to keep people at a distance. Close, emotional and human interaction, makes him uncomfortable. This is why Livia had left him. Each time she attempted to bridge the gap in their relationship, he would pull away and increase his already humongous work load.
Massimo shows his love by providing material assets for, and lavishing spending money on, his loved ones. He can't understand why that's inadequate and he was intolerant of the heroine's desire for more attention and fewer gifts. In another respect, he reminded me, a little, of my own husband, because the latter also shares the same obsessive propensity to micro-manage, instead of trusting that subordinates would do what's expected of them.
That's why I totally felt Livia's anger, when she kept telling him to let other qualified colleagues do what they're being paid to do ! But Livia, wasn't entirely without blame. She kept nagging and arguing, like a fishwife and never saw the signs that this aggressive loudness just alienated a sensitive, conflict avoider personality like Massimo. In her mind, arguments are emotionally healthy, because feelings need to aired.
On the island, they fake being happy, whenever they're around his relatives, but their shared living quarters make it impossible for them to avoid each other. It soon culminates in unplanned, passionate sex, that results in the heroine wanting to give the marriage another chance. Livia seemed more emotionally courageous, because she's willing to risk heartbreak again.
Massimo, meanwhile, is not receptive to her suggestion because he thinks it's just a matter of literal sexual chemistry ( dopamine and serotonin etc ) that's not gonna last after they've floated down from the high of reunion sex. He wants order and stability in his life and Livia symbolizes chaos and confusion.
In his scientist's mind, his love for her isn't enough because it doesn't cancel out all their recurrent problems and issues. Massimo was a Beta H. He loved the heroine, was bitterly jealous of her moving on with some faceless future husband, but kept telling himself that it's all for the best since he's just not cut out to be the type of spouse she needs.
He convinces himself that he's being selfless and only realizes, when it's almost too late, that he's just acting like a selfish coward. My heart broke for the heroine when she was the one who made a final stance to fight for the marriage. Maybe some readers will see this as a negative, because it's a popularly held notion that men should do all the heavy work in Romancelandia relationships - if only so that the heroine doesn't appear to be "chasing" after him...
That might be true, when Romancelandia relationships are premarital or where no tangible commitment exists, but I think it's OK for a wife to fight to save her marriage. What's the use of "equality" if a wife can't use her voice to assert her desires and stake her claims ? What's the use of Pride, if she's all alone, knowing full well that she'd done nothing to save her relationship ?
It takes 2 to sustain a marriage and most often, it's unfortunately the wife who has to be emotional champion. When Massimo responds negatively to her suggestion, Livia is wrecked with disappointment, but at least she's content with the knowledge that she did her part; that she opened her heart to another chance...that she tried...
The H does get his comeuppance, though. He realizes that he's an emotional coward, apologizes and begs for another chance. But the heartbroken heroine coldly rejects him, thinking that his change of heart is an aberration; that he's just depressed because of his grandfather's sudden death. And, for the first time in his life, the proud and stoic H broke down and bawled his eyes out !
That scene provided some balance to their relationship, because it proved that he's finally willing and able to change. Their HEA was totally believable, because the workaholic Massimo made significant sacrifices and monumental changes. No, he didn't sell his multi billion conglomerate and become a house-husband. Instead, he re-organized his system of operations, placing less emphasis on micro-management, in order to spend more time with his wife and future children.
And, in the words of Si, my favourite Duck Dynasty character, Massimo finally learned the true value of a wife...
In the epilogue, the MC's are enjoying some family time, on their private island, with their extended family and their son and baby daughter. It's also very sweet that they've named their son after the H's late grandfather. The old man had been responsible for them meeting each other.
This was a different type of romance, that's very gut wrenching, especially if you're a married reader who's experienced bouts of exasperation with a workaholic spouse. It makes you aware that constructive communication is always the key, even when you're itching, like Livia, to let loose the verbal diarrhea and gave free reign to loud sarcasm. LOL.
Safety: No cheating, no OM, no OW and both MC's are celibate during their 2 separations.
https://bookshout.com/store/books/220...
Meet...
Massimo: An uncommunicative, caring and super workaholic husband.
Livia: An overly emotional, but loving and very opinionated wife.
This is the H, Massimo:
This is the heroine, Livia:
A combination of the marriage in peril and second chance romance tropes, is the basis for this story. In this novel, both MC's truly loved each other when they got married, but their failure to compromise soon became the death knell that ruined a once harmonious relationship. The author also develops a lovely minor storyline about the H's strong and happy extended family.
A self made Science/Tech billionaire, Massimo viewed life through the eyes of a pragmatic scientific genius. Livia, a former palliative oncology nurse, was ruled almost entirely by emotions. Once the honeymoon period of marriage had dissipated, these MC's found it impossible to co-exist peacefully. They realized that their goals were different and that great sex wasn't a strong enough bandage for the fissure that was widening their relationship.
Theirs wasn't a marriage that was wrecked by adultery, external factors or by the machinations of devious individuals. Massimo and Livia destroyed their relationship all on their own. This flows against the norm in HPlandia and it's nice to read a marriage in peril romance, where there's no OW or OM.
When the novel opens, our MC's are seeing each other for the first time in months. They're on their way to the H's private island in Fiji, to celebrate his dying grandfather's final reunion with relatives and friends. Their relatives have no idea that they're separated and they're pretending to be together, so that grandfather Jimmy's final birthday celebration will be happy and drama free.
They're still in love with each other, as seen from their respective internal monologues, but both are determined to maintain an emotional distance whenever they're alone together. Massimo lives for his work. He loves his family, but bears some resentment for them because he blames his loving, but unambitious parents for his extremely impoverished childhood.
It soon becomes clear that work is not just a vocation for Massimo; it's an extension of his persona. It's also an instrument he uses to keep people at a distance. Close, emotional and human interaction, makes him uncomfortable. This is why Livia had left him. Each time she attempted to bridge the gap in their relationship, he would pull away and increase his already humongous work load.
Massimo shows his love by providing material assets for, and lavishing spending money on, his loved ones. He can't understand why that's inadequate and he was intolerant of the heroine's desire for more attention and fewer gifts. In another respect, he reminded me, a little, of my own husband, because the latter also shares the same obsessive propensity to micro-manage, instead of trusting that subordinates would do what's expected of them.
That's why I totally felt Livia's anger, when she kept telling him to let other qualified colleagues do what they're being paid to do ! But Livia, wasn't entirely without blame. She kept nagging and arguing, like a fishwife and never saw the signs that this aggressive loudness just alienated a sensitive, conflict avoider personality like Massimo. In her mind, arguments are emotionally healthy, because feelings need to aired.
On the island, they fake being happy, whenever they're around his relatives, but their shared living quarters make it impossible for them to avoid each other. It soon culminates in unplanned, passionate sex, that results in the heroine wanting to give the marriage another chance. Livia seemed more emotionally courageous, because she's willing to risk heartbreak again.
Massimo, meanwhile, is not receptive to her suggestion because he thinks it's just a matter of literal sexual chemistry ( dopamine and serotonin etc ) that's not gonna last after they've floated down from the high of reunion sex. He wants order and stability in his life and Livia symbolizes chaos and confusion.
In his scientist's mind, his love for her isn't enough because it doesn't cancel out all their recurrent problems and issues. Massimo was a Beta H. He loved the heroine, was bitterly jealous of her moving on with some faceless future husband, but kept telling himself that it's all for the best since he's just not cut out to be the type of spouse she needs.
He convinces himself that he's being selfless and only realizes, when it's almost too late, that he's just acting like a selfish coward. My heart broke for the heroine when she was the one who made a final stance to fight for the marriage. Maybe some readers will see this as a negative, because it's a popularly held notion that men should do all the heavy work in Romancelandia relationships - if only so that the heroine doesn't appear to be "chasing" after him...
That might be true, when Romancelandia relationships are premarital or where no tangible commitment exists, but I think it's OK for a wife to fight to save her marriage. What's the use of "equality" if a wife can't use her voice to assert her desires and stake her claims ? What's the use of Pride, if she's all alone, knowing full well that she'd done nothing to save her relationship ?
It takes 2 to sustain a marriage and most often, it's unfortunately the wife who has to be emotional champion. When Massimo responds negatively to her suggestion, Livia is wrecked with disappointment, but at least she's content with the knowledge that she did her part; that she opened her heart to another chance...that she tried...
The H does get his comeuppance, though. He realizes that he's an emotional coward, apologizes and begs for another chance. But the heartbroken heroine coldly rejects him, thinking that his change of heart is an aberration; that he's just depressed because of his grandfather's sudden death. And, for the first time in his life, the proud and stoic H broke down and bawled his eyes out !
That scene provided some balance to their relationship, because it proved that he's finally willing and able to change. Their HEA was totally believable, because the workaholic Massimo made significant sacrifices and monumental changes. No, he didn't sell his multi billion conglomerate and become a house-husband. Instead, he re-organized his system of operations, placing less emphasis on micro-management, in order to spend more time with his wife and future children.
And, in the words of Si, my favourite Duck Dynasty character, Massimo finally learned the true value of a wife...
In the epilogue, the MC's are enjoying some family time, on their private island, with their extended family and their son and baby daughter. It's also very sweet that they've named their son after the H's late grandfather. The old man had been responsible for them meeting each other.
This was a different type of romance, that's very gut wrenching, especially if you're a married reader who's experienced bouts of exasperation with a workaholic spouse. It makes you aware that constructive communication is always the key, even when you're itching, like Livia, to let loose the verbal diarrhea and gave free reign to loud sarcasm. LOL.
Safety: No cheating, no OM, no OW and both MC's are celibate during their 2 separations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2019
This one was full of angst and some intense scenes.
Husband and wife separated due to the husband being a workacholic.
He's brilliant and driven to provide for all and I mean all of his family members. He's very heady and his mind is always whirling. He comes from a very loving family that's hold "family" in the highest esteem.
Heroine came from a horrible family of mob, gangsters. She was able to get away and make something of her life. She became a nurse and was working for the hero's ill grandfather. They because of the grandfather. They fell in love and married.
The beginning of their marriage was wonderful but real life intruded and each didn't really know how to cope. Both handled their problems in a non productive way. Heroine left and they are discussing divorce. But they had one last event they needed to do together. Non of the family new they were separated. The event was a grand and celebratory party for the grandfather honoring his life. So they had agreed to play a couple for three days.
When they meet again the emotions are intense and a lot of bubbling issues start to surface. Boy was it an emotional read, the heroine put her heart out there and the hero was cold and a jerk. But things happen and he does a one eighty. He realizes what a major error he committed and goes all out to win the heroine heart again.
I loved how this was real, but yet romantic. The way the heroine fought for their marriage. The hero made me mad at first but redeemed himself for sure. It was a beautiful reconciliation and the epilogue was beautiful.
Lovely and intense read.
Husband and wife separated due to the husband being a workacholic.
He's brilliant and driven to provide for all and I mean all of his family members. He's very heady and his mind is always whirling. He comes from a very loving family that's hold "family" in the highest esteem.
Heroine came from a horrible family of mob, gangsters. She was able to get away and make something of her life. She became a nurse and was working for the hero's ill grandfather. They because of the grandfather. They fell in love and married.
The beginning of their marriage was wonderful but real life intruded and each didn't really know how to cope. Both handled their problems in a non productive way. Heroine left and they are discussing divorce. But they had one last event they needed to do together. Non of the family new they were separated. The event was a grand and celebratory party for the grandfather honoring his life. So they had agreed to play a couple for three days.
When they meet again the emotions are intense and a lot of bubbling issues start to surface. Boy was it an emotional read, the heroine put her heart out there and the hero was cold and a jerk. But things happen and he does a one eighty. He realizes what a major error he committed and goes all out to win the heroine heart again.
I loved how this was real, but yet romantic. The way the heroine fought for their marriage. The hero made me mad at first but redeemed himself for sure. It was a beautiful reconciliation and the epilogue was beautiful.
Lovely and intense read.
September 12, 2019
I like this author's writing style usually but this time she used quite a lot of narration and less dialogue so I was bored. Hero is a workaholic and heroine wants to save their marriage but he doesn't seem to care. Hero and heroine are celibate during separation so it's a safe read but not my favorite MS book. I was bored to death sadly.
September 10, 2019
If she failed, at least she could look herself in the eye and say she’d tried. At least she’d be able to move on rather than being stuck in the awful limbo she’d spent the past four months existing in.
After she failed, she cut him from her life her pride intact! She was really great heroine with her fight for her marriage and her compassion, pride & love.
After she failed, she cut him from her life her pride intact! She was really great heroine with her fight for her marriage and her compassion, pride & love.
October 2, 2019
So much pain
This book gutted me! I bought it and then I saw it was Michelle Smart and I said no way!!! Her books usually are bad for me and her heros/heroines aren't celibate or faithful 80% of the time. But this one is safe. But the pain is intense. He was such a jerk. Such a mean unfeeling man. And he had a beard. Just yuk. I hate beards. I cried through much of this. He treated her so badly and his thoughts were so egregious I just hated him. So why four stars? I loved his family and I loved the heroine. She was so amazing. I know she almost lost herself when she left him, but she still did it. She suffered so much because she loved him and he was such an uncaring asshole I just wanted to throw the book against the wall many times. For the heroine, for Jimmy his Grandfather for his family. He was so cold and isolated from them. By the time he figured it out it was too late. Way too late in some cases. I tell you this book was amazing. I hated the hero and even the end when he did a 360, I still didn't believe he changed. The epilogue was good, but the hero never really redeemed himself in my eyes. I know he cried but I still can't believe how mean he was to her. Even after they had reunion sex. It was hot but he was too cold when all is said and done. I still loved it for many reasons but I caution people to know that the hero is almost unredeemable. It was a painful read for me. So Just be warned.
This book gutted me! I bought it and then I saw it was Michelle Smart and I said no way!!! Her books usually are bad for me and her heros/heroines aren't celibate or faithful 80% of the time. But this one is safe. But the pain is intense. He was such a jerk. Such a mean unfeeling man. And he had a beard. Just yuk. I hate beards. I cried through much of this. He treated her so badly and his thoughts were so egregious I just hated him. So why four stars? I loved his family and I loved the heroine. She was so amazing. I know she almost lost herself when she left him, but she still did it. She suffered so much because she loved him and he was such an uncaring asshole I just wanted to throw the book against the wall many times. For the heroine, for Jimmy his Grandfather for his family. He was so cold and isolated from them. By the time he figured it out it was too late. Way too late in some cases. I tell you this book was amazing. I hated the hero and even the end when he did a 360, I still didn't believe he changed. The epilogue was good, but the hero never really redeemed himself in my eyes. I know he cried but I still can't believe how mean he was to her. Even after they had reunion sex. It was hot but he was too cold when all is said and done. I still loved it for many reasons but I caution people to know that the hero is almost unredeemable. It was a painful read for me. So Just be warned.
December 17, 2019
Sweet second chance story of a nurse heroine and closed-down billionaire hero who is a addicted to his work. They are meeting for the first time in four months for hero's grandfather's birthday in Fiji.
They are both convinced their differences are intractable, but heroine fights to save their relationship.
I found their family backgrounds interesting - heroine is from a Mafia family and she got out on her own steam. Hero is from a loving, but poor family, and he got out of poverty by his own steam. This kind of independence and past coping skills didn't do them much good when their marriage hit tough times. (Heroine hated living in LA where she didn't know the language and hero worked most of the time.)
The author manages to convey the angst of a marriage in trouble that is extra angsty since they truly cared about each other.
This is more of a Kate Hewitt realistic angst than the high drama I crave, but it was still an enjoyable story.
They are both convinced their differences are intractable, but heroine fights to save their relationship.
I found their family backgrounds interesting - heroine is from a Mafia family and she got out on her own steam. Hero is from a loving, but poor family, and he got out of poverty by his own steam. This kind of independence and past coping skills didn't do them much good when their marriage hit tough times. (Heroine hated living in LA where she didn't know the language and hero worked most of the time.)
The author manages to convey the angst of a marriage in trouble that is extra angsty since they truly cared about each other.
This is more of a Kate Hewitt realistic angst than the high drama I crave, but it was still an enjoyable story.
September 16, 2019
I loved this !
I am not married and never have but I think if you love your spouse, want and need him/her in your life you should be patient , you will make Sacrifices (both of you ) of course if he/she deserves ( that's up to you to decide)
Livia did all that with Massimo because she loves him .
Very enjoyable and intense read , good job MS👍
I am not married and never have but I think if you love your spouse, want and need him/her in your life you should be patient , you will make Sacrifices (both of you ) of course if he/she deserves ( that's up to you to decide)
Livia did all that with Massimo because she loves him .
Very enjoyable and intense read , good job MS👍
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2019
A Passionate Reunion in Fiji by Michelle Smart is a sexy ‘marriage in trouble’ romance for a couple on the verge of divorce who find themselves with one last chance to reconcile.
Workaholic billionaire Massimo Briatore knows that it was a mistake to get married to vivacious but too tempting Livia. Right from the start their tempestuous relationship started going downhill, especially when they moved to Los Angeles from their native Italy and her increased isolation and his long working hours drove them further and further apart.
As Livia is a former caregiver for his grandfather, a man who had been delighted by their marriage, Massimo knows he must invite her to the 90th birthday party he is throwing for his dying grandfather on an island in his native Fiji. For their family they must pretend to be happily married even though no one knows they’ve been living apart, preparing to get divorced. Livia has even been keeping up the pretense while visiting Massimo’s family, explaining his absence as unavoidable work commitments. Under romantic skies and in a lush tropical locale, will Massimo and Livia find a way to rekindle the passion that first brought them together and give them a second chance to start again?
I love this story, mostly because everything isn’t automatically fixed just because the couple is thrust back together to pretend they are happily married. The circumstances that drove them apart haven’t changed. Massimo is still a workaholic, and even at this family celebration he spends a lot of time on his laptop and phone. He’s always felt that he must make up for his family’s poverty when he was younger and even though he’s very successful now, the drive to succeed hasn’t dwindled.
Livia comes from a much different background than Massimo, one damaged by her father’s association with the mafia. She had gotten herself out of tough circumstances and worries now for her brother that she left behind. She has a hard time asking for help, and Massimo never really understood the difficult and stressful life she lived before she got out. But what changes for them this time around is they are both willing to admit that they made mistakes and dealt with their problems poorly. Livia wanted arguments to hash things out while Massimo needed time to think things through and wouldn’t engage with her. And once they stopped being intimate things got a lot worse.
They both still have a strong attraction to each other and when their enforced isolation brings out those feelings, they share some passionate scenes that make them rethink their positions on the marriage. Having resumed their sex life, they figure out a way to get beyond their feelings of hurt and anger and seriously consider a second chance, though Massimo takes longer than Livia to come around. Eventually they get their well deserved happy ending. If you’re a fan of passionate romances where the couple must admit to their faults and work at fixing their relationship, I definitely recommend this story!
This review also appears at Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-a-...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
Workaholic billionaire Massimo Briatore knows that it was a mistake to get married to vivacious but too tempting Livia. Right from the start their tempestuous relationship started going downhill, especially when they moved to Los Angeles from their native Italy and her increased isolation and his long working hours drove them further and further apart.
As Livia is a former caregiver for his grandfather, a man who had been delighted by their marriage, Massimo knows he must invite her to the 90th birthday party he is throwing for his dying grandfather on an island in his native Fiji. For their family they must pretend to be happily married even though no one knows they’ve been living apart, preparing to get divorced. Livia has even been keeping up the pretense while visiting Massimo’s family, explaining his absence as unavoidable work commitments. Under romantic skies and in a lush tropical locale, will Massimo and Livia find a way to rekindle the passion that first brought them together and give them a second chance to start again?
I love this story, mostly because everything isn’t automatically fixed just because the couple is thrust back together to pretend they are happily married. The circumstances that drove them apart haven’t changed. Massimo is still a workaholic, and even at this family celebration he spends a lot of time on his laptop and phone. He’s always felt that he must make up for his family’s poverty when he was younger and even though he’s very successful now, the drive to succeed hasn’t dwindled.
Livia comes from a much different background than Massimo, one damaged by her father’s association with the mafia. She had gotten herself out of tough circumstances and worries now for her brother that she left behind. She has a hard time asking for help, and Massimo never really understood the difficult and stressful life she lived before she got out. But what changes for them this time around is they are both willing to admit that they made mistakes and dealt with their problems poorly. Livia wanted arguments to hash things out while Massimo needed time to think things through and wouldn’t engage with her. And once they stopped being intimate things got a lot worse.
They both still have a strong attraction to each other and when their enforced isolation brings out those feelings, they share some passionate scenes that make them rethink their positions on the marriage. Having resumed their sex life, they figure out a way to get beyond their feelings of hurt and anger and seriously consider a second chance, though Massimo takes longer than Livia to come around. Eventually they get their well deserved happy ending. If you’re a fan of passionate romances where the couple must admit to their faults and work at fixing their relationship, I definitely recommend this story!
This review also appears at Harlequin Junkie: https://harlequinjunkie.com/review-a-...
A copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
September 10, 2019
Massimo Briatore is a billionaire who puts all he is into his business. Totally absorbed by his work his wife Livia who loves him to distraction can no longer deal with the loneliness. She loves him so much but finds herself arguing to the point where she finally walks out on the marriage. Before they file for divorce Massimo needs her to put up a front for his grandfathers 90 birthday. He has arranged so much for his birthday as he is dying so he doesn't want it known that he and Liv are divorcing. Liv who was his grandfathers nurse till they married agrees as she loves Jimmy. What happens from here is one of the best books I have read. Ms. Smart has written a book with everything a romance reader would love and even though at times you will cry and want to smack Massimo it will all be told in the HEA. I would give it 5 stars and it is going on my keeper shelf. loved it.
November 11, 2019
This book gave me heartbreak feels.
It was intense. It was painful. It was a great read.
I think the H may be on the spectrum and undiagnosed. That boy had some serious issues dealing with emotions and feels.
The h was wonderful. The H’s family was big, loving and wonderful. But he distanced himself because they wanted his time, not his money, and he just didn’t understand that. He wasn’t being cold or cruel, he’s just built differently.
The h did all she could to try and salvage her marriage. The H didn’t want it fixed because it was inconvenient. He needed a clear head for work and marriage cluttered it up.
This was a really great read. Sometimes walking away from the person you love is the only option.
It was intense. It was painful. It was a great read.
I think the H may be on the spectrum and undiagnosed. That boy had some serious issues dealing with emotions and feels.
The h was wonderful. The H’s family was big, loving and wonderful. But he distanced himself because they wanted his time, not his money, and he just didn’t understand that. He wasn’t being cold or cruel, he’s just built differently.
The h did all she could to try and salvage her marriage. The H didn’t want it fixed because it was inconvenient. He needed a clear head for work and marriage cluttered it up.
This was a really great read. Sometimes walking away from the person you love is the only option.
October 28, 2019
The 3 stars are for the plot and the h ... H was nothing to get happy about ...
h is remarkably brave and smart; H is a wishy washy fellow who seems to have some grudges because his parents were not wealthy ... the plot was actually great ... I just felt the H was just too cold and when he thawed out ... well, he got off lightly ...
h's pregnancy seems to be his get out of jail card ...
I loved that the H had Fijian ancestry (an extra star for this) ... I am a Fijian (of Indian descent) and it felt so cool to read about a book that was set here and a H whose mixed heritage contained a Fijian grandparent ...
h is remarkably brave and smart; H is a wishy washy fellow who seems to have some grudges because his parents were not wealthy ... the plot was actually great ... I just felt the H was just too cold and when he thawed out ... well, he got off lightly ...
h's pregnancy seems to be his get out of jail card ...
I loved that the H had Fijian ancestry (an extra star for this) ... I am a Fijian (of Indian descent) and it felt so cool to read about a book that was set here and a H whose mixed heritage contained a Fijian grandparent ...
September 13, 2019
A Second chance romance with mixed races and passion to burn the eyes. Massimo is the perfect hero highly intelligent (dumb when it comes to love), handsome, wealthy and Generous. Livia was a h with compassion and empathy. She grew up with a mafia background and escaped. She longed for a family life and found it in Massimo's family. Massimo was messed up because of his dislike in being poor and needy. He forgot his family and neglected his wife. The story revolves around how Massimo ignored her and neglected her by replacing her with work, he didn't like his life changing to accommodate her so he punished Liv for being his weakness They attend the bday party, then the pretense melted away after a tragedy happen. I loved the angst between the MC the fought against each other fought for each other and fought and fought until passion won. I love this book! Every emotional and the passion was soul deep and not corny not cheesy. One of my favorite authors has done it again. Looking fwd for my whetted reading appetite.
September 12, 2019
I had high hopes for this book but it was disappointing. The book was slow paced, bordering on boring in a lot of places. I didn't like the hero, Massimo. Perhaps the author wanted to portray him as cold, which is a staple for HP heroes, but he came across as disinterested and a little selfish. I liked the heroine, and while I respected that she was fighting for her marriage, she was practically begging the hero to try again... only to be rejected once more. I didn't like this.
April 26, 2021
The hero is slightly schizoid, that is he avoid relationships as much as he can. He tried to stay married to the heroine but when he realized she was distracting him from his work he became aloof and distant. She left him. Now they are together for three days and of course they have sex because they both suffer from tbs ( treacherous body syndrome) she wants to try again, he doesn’t. I don’t understand why she wants him back again since he’s such a a creep and a control freak. He will never be able to be a person who is involved with feelings and not because he had some kind of child trauma, no he had a wonderful childhood and wonderful parents, this is really his nature. So I did not understand her efforts to have him back again and his sudden change is not even slightly believable. Their hea is far from what the author would like.
April 16, 2021
A remote island paradise…
A chance to rekindle their marriage!
Nothing fazes workaholic billionaire Massimo Briatore. Not even the idea of his estranged wife, Livia, accompanying him to Fiji for a family celebration. He’s sure he’ll have no problem pretending for one weekend that their whirlwind marriage is still intact. Until he lays eyes on her again…
Trapped in paradise, Livia can’t escape from the memories of the tenderness and heat that once bound her to Massimo. An explosive reunion is on the cards, but only if their passion can burn away their past! Hq
A chance to rekindle their marriage!
Nothing fazes workaholic billionaire Massimo Briatore. Not even the idea of his estranged wife, Livia, accompanying him to Fiji for a family celebration. He’s sure he’ll have no problem pretending for one weekend that their whirlwind marriage is still intact. Until he lays eyes on her again…
Trapped in paradise, Livia can’t escape from the memories of the tenderness and heat that once bound her to Massimo. An explosive reunion is on the cards, but only if their passion can burn away their past! Hq
October 11, 2019
I don’t know what it has been as of late but I’m kind of having a love-hate relationship with the Harlequin Presents line. Not to say that I hated this book, but I wasn’t particularly thrilled with it either. I thought this one was going to be so much better than it actually was, and I was really looking forward to reading it especially when I read the back cove, but it fell really flat for me. I had to force myself to get through it at parts because I just wasn’t connecting to it like at all. I just wanted to get to the good stuff, but it just took so long to get there I thought.
My issues with this book practically started from the very beginning. Yes, we jump right into the action with Massimo and Livia having being reunited after a four month separation with the intents and purposes of keeping up a ruse that they were still a happily married couple to his family as they celebrated Massimo’s grandfather’s 90th birthday. That wasn’t problem for me it was the flow and pacing of it that started from the beginning and continued on through a majority of the book. It didn’t flow as nicely as I would have liked. It felt kind choppy and kind of stop and start kind of thing and didn’t feel natural at all. Now maybe the chaotic flow of the pacing was suppose to reflect the chaotic relationship between the Massimo and Livia as they came face to fact again, but the problem with that was it was really hard to connect to because it felt so all over the place and didn’t feel very natural to me. It made it hard to read.
Another thing I didn’t connect with in this story were the characters of Massimo and Livia. I didn’t care for them at all. I didn’t feel sorry for them even though they had both had some painful moments in their lives. I didn’t root for them as individuals or as a couple. I just didn’t really care about either one. Massimo was very cold and robot like, , which I know was the point, but I didn’t like it. To me he wasn’t a three dimensional person and was very flat to me. I didn’t like him as a hero at all. For a majority of the book I don’t swoon for him at all. He was too analytic and too emotionless for my liking (I get that was the point, but I didn’t like it). As for Livia, she was more emotional than him, but definitely kept that wall up in order to protect herself, which I understand, but by having that wall up it felt very hard to connect to her. She was very flat to me as well. I couldn’t get attached to her for whatever reason.
As for them as a couple, I just didn’t like them together. There was no real spark between them. Even though there was tension between them, It wasn’t that all consuming, gut wrenching tension that I was looking for especially in a Harlequin Presents. I felt they lacked chemistry. They really didn’t set the pages on fire nor could I feel the passion between them. Yes, they had some passionate moments near the end, but it wasn’t that scorching, fiery passion that I was expecting especially after the four month separation. There was just something missing in their relationship. There have been so many great Presents couples in the line, but Massimo and Livia weren’t one of them. There were just blah and kind of boring to be honest.
And I wasn’t expecting to be bored with this couple especially considering the premise, but I was, There was angst, but it wasn’t angsty enough. I didn’t feel the angst coming off the pages as they fought this pretense of a happy couple around his family. There should have been a lot more sparks flying and tension going on during the facade they were trying to portray it there wasn’t. It was very analytic and cerebral type of romance, instead of a romance that brought out the feels. Yes, they needed to have conversations about things that went on in their marriage as well as what the other was feeling or they reacted the way they did during certain aspects of the marriage, but that didn’t mean that it had to be so literal. There needed to be things that needed to be felt by showing different things of what was going on in their heads at the time. It just felt like one big conversation that happened over and over, instead of having more action.
Even the love scenes were kind of lackluster for me, even though that was the moment they showed off the most of their connection. It was the first time that sparks actual flew and actually intimacy was built between them unlike a majority of the book. They weren’t really exciting though and some of them were kind short and summarized. I think there should have been more exploration there where finally there emotional connection could be explored. It could have shown what they had as couple and why they worked as one. But in reality this could be anyone going at it, instead of a truly loving and connected couple that needed one another. They should have been so much more than they actually were, but there were some of the better moments of the entire story.
The part that kind of saved it for me and is the reason I’m giving it a three starts instead of a two or a one was the ending. It was the first time that I felt Massimo and Livia as a couple. I felt there connection and love and support for one another as they faced this sad even together. This where they truly shined because they finally woke up, or at least Massimo did. I think if this Massimo was presented throughout the book or even just shown shade of, I would have liked him a lot more if I saw more of that side of him, instead the emotionless robot that he was for a majority of the book. This was were he became human. That’s side of him I wanted to see more of. What he did at the end was a major show of his feelings for Livia, more than he showed the entire time in the book. He groveled it just the right way to warm my heart. In fact the entire ending warmed my heart and made me finally feel the connection that I was looking for throughout the entire book.
Overall, a majority of the book I just didn’t connect with. The flow felt very unnatural to me. I didn’t feel the tension or angst between them despite there being angst there after all the miscommunications and misunderstandings and fights that they endured during their marriage. There was a disconnection in their marriage, which I did feel, but I didn’t feel the pain or gut wrenching emotions that I expect to be feeling in this type of story, which was a second chance romance type of story. I expected a lot more emotionally then I actually got. I didn’t connect with Livia and Massimo, nor did I care for either one of them. I couldn’t root for them as a couple or as individuals. They just fell flat to me as did a majority of their romance. I just wasn’t expecting so much more than was actually in there. The ending was the only highlight for me because for the first time that was when the story really came alive and didn’t feel quite as flat. I wish that been present for the rest of the story because I would have liked it a whole lot better if it did.
My issues with this book practically started from the very beginning. Yes, we jump right into the action with Massimo and Livia having being reunited after a four month separation with the intents and purposes of keeping up a ruse that they were still a happily married couple to his family as they celebrated Massimo’s grandfather’s 90th birthday. That wasn’t problem for me it was the flow and pacing of it that started from the beginning and continued on through a majority of the book. It didn’t flow as nicely as I would have liked. It felt kind choppy and kind of stop and start kind of thing and didn’t feel natural at all. Now maybe the chaotic flow of the pacing was suppose to reflect the chaotic relationship between the Massimo and Livia as they came face to fact again, but the problem with that was it was really hard to connect to because it felt so all over the place and didn’t feel very natural to me. It made it hard to read.
Another thing I didn’t connect with in this story were the characters of Massimo and Livia. I didn’t care for them at all. I didn’t feel sorry for them even though they had both had some painful moments in their lives. I didn’t root for them as individuals or as a couple. I just didn’t really care about either one. Massimo was very cold and robot like, , which I know was the point, but I didn’t like it. To me he wasn’t a three dimensional person and was very flat to me. I didn’t like him as a hero at all. For a majority of the book I don’t swoon for him at all. He was too analytic and too emotionless for my liking (I get that was the point, but I didn’t like it). As for Livia, she was more emotional than him, but definitely kept that wall up in order to protect herself, which I understand, but by having that wall up it felt very hard to connect to her. She was very flat to me as well. I couldn’t get attached to her for whatever reason.
As for them as a couple, I just didn’t like them together. There was no real spark between them. Even though there was tension between them, It wasn’t that all consuming, gut wrenching tension that I was looking for especially in a Harlequin Presents. I felt they lacked chemistry. They really didn’t set the pages on fire nor could I feel the passion between them. Yes, they had some passionate moments near the end, but it wasn’t that scorching, fiery passion that I was expecting especially after the four month separation. There was just something missing in their relationship. There have been so many great Presents couples in the line, but Massimo and Livia weren’t one of them. There were just blah and kind of boring to be honest.
And I wasn’t expecting to be bored with this couple especially considering the premise, but I was, There was angst, but it wasn’t angsty enough. I didn’t feel the angst coming off the pages as they fought this pretense of a happy couple around his family. There should have been a lot more sparks flying and tension going on during the facade they were trying to portray it there wasn’t. It was very analytic and cerebral type of romance, instead of a romance that brought out the feels. Yes, they needed to have conversations about things that went on in their marriage as well as what the other was feeling or they reacted the way they did during certain aspects of the marriage, but that didn’t mean that it had to be so literal. There needed to be things that needed to be felt by showing different things of what was going on in their heads at the time. It just felt like one big conversation that happened over and over, instead of having more action.
Even the love scenes were kind of lackluster for me, even though that was the moment they showed off the most of their connection. It was the first time that sparks actual flew and actually intimacy was built between them unlike a majority of the book. They weren’t really exciting though and some of them were kind short and summarized. I think there should have been more exploration there where finally there emotional connection could be explored. It could have shown what they had as couple and why they worked as one. But in reality this could be anyone going at it, instead of a truly loving and connected couple that needed one another. They should have been so much more than they actually were, but there were some of the better moments of the entire story.
The part that kind of saved it for me and is the reason I’m giving it a three starts instead of a two or a one was the ending. It was the first time that I felt Massimo and Livia as a couple. I felt there connection and love and support for one another as they faced this sad even together. This where they truly shined because they finally woke up, or at least Massimo did. I think if this Massimo was presented throughout the book or even just shown shade of, I would have liked him a lot more if I saw more of that side of him, instead the emotionless robot that he was for a majority of the book. This was were he became human. That’s side of him I wanted to see more of. What he did at the end was a major show of his feelings for Livia, more than he showed the entire time in the book. He groveled it just the right way to warm my heart. In fact the entire ending warmed my heart and made me finally feel the connection that I was looking for throughout the entire book.
Overall, a majority of the book I just didn’t connect with. The flow felt very unnatural to me. I didn’t feel the tension or angst between them despite there being angst there after all the miscommunications and misunderstandings and fights that they endured during their marriage. There was a disconnection in their marriage, which I did feel, but I didn’t feel the pain or gut wrenching emotions that I expect to be feeling in this type of story, which was a second chance romance type of story. I expected a lot more emotionally then I actually got. I didn’t connect with Livia and Massimo, nor did I care for either one of them. I couldn’t root for them as a couple or as individuals. They just fell flat to me as did a majority of their romance. I just wasn’t expecting so much more than was actually in there. The ending was the only highlight for me because for the first time that was when the story really came alive and didn’t feel quite as flat. I wish that been present for the rest of the story because I would have liked it a whole lot better if it did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2019
Separated but putting on a front for a visit to the dying grandfather.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
During separation both are not with anyone else.
No cheating or other woman/man drama.
I'm not sure about him.
He is cold, work driven, work obsessed. He makes a lot of statements about why they shouldn't try again and he becomes quite cruel about it.
I felt at one point that the heroine shouldn't degrade herself by almost begging to try again.
He has a change of his non existent heart and they reunite.
I'm not sure I believed he suddenly found his heart, it was a drastic change but it's well written.
It feels quite sad and a bit depressing.
Quite a lot of narration at times explaining their history and past feelings.
HEA.
No intimate scenes with anyone other than the Hero and heroine.
During separation both are not with anyone else.
No cheating or other woman/man drama.
I'm not sure about him.
He is cold, work driven, work obsessed. He makes a lot of statements about why they shouldn't try again and he becomes quite cruel about it.
I felt at one point that the heroine shouldn't degrade herself by almost begging to try again.
He has a change of his non existent heart and they reunite.
I'm not sure I believed he suddenly found his heart, it was a drastic change but it's well written.
It feels quite sad and a bit depressing.
Quite a lot of narration at times explaining their history and past feelings.
HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Did Not Finish
June 28, 2023I'm at 30% and I'm going to cut my losses. The characters freely admit that they basically got married in a haze of lust, and their marriage fell apart at the first time of asking. They don't talk to each other, and each assumes pretty horrible things about the other. All the sexual chemistry in the world can't fix that.
This author also apparently has a tendency to write really cruel heroines, which is not my bag at all, so a huge chunk of Mount TBR is about to land at PBS.
This author also apparently has a tendency to write really cruel heroines, which is not my bag at all, so a huge chunk of Mount TBR is about to land at PBS.
October 15, 2019
A PASSIONATE REUNION IN FIJI by author Michelle Smart is a Harlequin Presents series release for October 2019.
Livia Briatore is separated from her husband, billionaire Massimo Briatore. But she agrees to accompany him to Fiji for a family celebration. She has to pretend to be still together with him in front of family and friends.
Acting the roles of a couple with family and friends bring them closer and Livia remembers how they first fell in love. The chemistry between them still sparks. Will they be able to forge ahead and get to their happy ever after?
A PASSIONATE REUNION IN FIJI is a sizzling hot romance set in the exotic location of Fiji. I loved the setting. (Of course, I would, as I live in Fiji!) The story and the setting comes alive on the pages. Author Michelle Smart did wonders weaving this story with warmth, emotions, and family relationships. Livia was real to me. Her struggles and her triumphs, her strengths and her weaknesses and ultimately her heart. This story had it all: characters, story and emotions. There was love, laughter, surprises and tears that would keep a reader glued till the last page.
Highly recommended for all readers of romance.
Livia Briatore is separated from her husband, billionaire Massimo Briatore. But she agrees to accompany him to Fiji for a family celebration. She has to pretend to be still together with him in front of family and friends.
Acting the roles of a couple with family and friends bring them closer and Livia remembers how they first fell in love. The chemistry between them still sparks. Will they be able to forge ahead and get to their happy ever after?
A PASSIONATE REUNION IN FIJI is a sizzling hot romance set in the exotic location of Fiji. I loved the setting. (Of course, I would, as I live in Fiji!) The story and the setting comes alive on the pages. Author Michelle Smart did wonders weaving this story with warmth, emotions, and family relationships. Livia was real to me. Her struggles and her triumphs, her strengths and her weaknesses and ultimately her heart. This story had it all: characters, story and emotions. There was love, laughter, surprises and tears that would keep a reader glued till the last page.
Highly recommended for all readers of romance.
July 12, 2020
I feel like the title really exemplifies the book, in this case. It's such a weird title - it's like what you would title an online photo album or something, although if it were an online photo album there would be a twist at the end like the passionate reunion is your Fijian-expat husband's reunion with his favorite bar or something. It's just so... dull. There was nothing wrong with this book, it was perfectly competent in every way I expect of a Harlequin contemporary romance novel. It was maybe a little too complicated - the heroine is the scion of a mafia family who had to escape and then work her way from the ground up as a nurse, the hero is not only an overworked billionaire but a half-Italian, quarter-Fijian, quarter-English overworked billionaire, and it's a second chance romance. Also, there are a billion secondary characters, which doesn't really work well in category romances given the word count. Anyway, it was fine but it was just kind of boring - like, I didn't finish it but I also didn't skip ahead to the end because there was nothing I was really wondering about. It does have a set-up that I tend to really dislike, where the heroine (warm, loving, emotional) really wants the hero (cold, emotionally withholding, rich) to give their marriage a second chance - that's a scenario that doesn't play out well in real life particularly well and at about seventy percent of the book I still wasn't seeing any signs that the hero was actually going to be able to recommit to his marriage, or that he even wanted to.
July 8, 2024
La storia tra Livia e Massimo è stata travolgente ma purtroppo Massimo ha sempre messo davanti a tutto il proprio lavoro e il benessere della famiglia trascurando la moglie.
Ora Livia e Massimo sono arrivati al punto di rottura e sono sul punto di divorziare.
La famiglia però è all'oscuro e vengono invitati ad una riunione di famiglia alle Fiji per festeggiare il compleanno del nonno.
Lì i due riscoprono il loro amore e complice la malattia del nonno dovranno stare molto vicini.
Altro libro super veloce e con una trama abbastanza banale e scontata.
Non è che pretendevo chissà che cosa...
Se poi il protagonista si chiama Briatore abbiamo capito come andrà a finire.
Senza infamia e senza lode, si legge velocemente e si dimentica ancor più velocemente.
Sotto con un altro.
Ora Livia e Massimo sono arrivati al punto di rottura e sono sul punto di divorziare.
La famiglia però è all'oscuro e vengono invitati ad una riunione di famiglia alle Fiji per festeggiare il compleanno del nonno.
Lì i due riscoprono il loro amore e complice la malattia del nonno dovranno stare molto vicini.
Altro libro super veloce e con una trama abbastanza banale e scontata.
Non è che pretendevo chissà che cosa...
Se poi il protagonista si chiama Briatore abbiamo capito come andrà a finire.
Senza infamia e senza lode, si legge velocemente e si dimentica ancor più velocemente.
Sotto con un altro.
April 21, 2020
4 stars. I really enjoyed this book; I don’t understand why it doesn’t have a higher rating. I loved this book from the start. All the angst in the opening scene between Livia and Massimo was the best way to get my attention. This book was so entertaining to read, I couldn’t put it down. It was a one sitting read for me. I had never read a book that took place in Fiji, so I loved the moments they spent there in the yacht. The only issue I have with these kinds of books is that I’m always left wanting more, but I definitely enjoyed it.
August 17, 2020
I liked this one a lot. The heroine was amazing, she was strong willed and I just absolutely loved her speech to him near end when he rejected her for the final time. I didn't like when she first kept him on island for extra day because I normally don't like heroines to chase after the hero however it really worked and it made sense she had to give her all into trying to make it work if she were to ever move on. Hero wasn't my favorite throughout but he did really well in the end and taking action in changing what needed changing. I Liked that both were faithful during 4 month separation. P.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2020
this one bored me, and I felt the chemistry lacking and almost felt like the hero had something wrong with him and can’t function like a normal human. I like my heroes charismatic and well-liked—not distant to everyone, even his family. i just didn’t believe he would really be different the second time around in their marriage.
March 31, 2023
I love a good grovel. I loved how Livia tried to fight for her marriage and then decided to walk away and made Massimo show her he had changed. And the man steps up.
This was sweet and cute. Steamy love scenes too!
The ending is adorable.
This was sweet and cute. Steamy love scenes too!
The ending is adorable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2019
Michelle Smart is one of my favorite HP writers but this book bored me to trears.
Read
October 1, 2019Categories
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Passion in Paradise (Book #6)
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Passion in Paradise (Book #6)
Read
October 1, 2019Categories
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Passion in Paradise (Book #6)
Romance, Contemporary Romance
Miniseries
Passion in Paradise (Book #6)
October 2, 2019
I have read many, many romance novels, have cried while reading very few, this one (for whatever reason) brought tears to my eyes...enough said.
May 31, 2021
3.5 stars
Library..... May 2021
Library..... May 2021
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews