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Wanted: Mistress and Mother
AT THE ITALIAN'S BECK AND CALL ...
When ruthless Italian barrister Dante Costello hires Matilda Hamilton, he sees an opportunity. Matilda's job is to create a magical garden, in the hope it will help Dante's troubled little girl. However, since attraction between them is hot and intense, why not take Matilda as his mistress, as well?
Dante has always kept his emotions firmly under wraps when it comes to relationships. But this time will he succeed when his desire for Matilda is pushing him to the edge of control?
When ruthless Italian barrister Dante Costello hires Matilda Hamilton, he sees an opportunity. Matilda's job is to create a magical garden, in the hope it will help Dante's troubled little girl. However, since attraction between them is hot and intense, why not take Matilda as his mistress, as well?
Dante has always kept his emotions firmly under wraps when it comes to relationships. But this time will he succeed when his desire for Matilda is pushing him to the edge of control?
186 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
20 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Carol Marinelli
1,400 books450 followersCarol Marinelli was born in England to Scottish parents, then emigrated to Australia, where there are loads of Scottish and English people who did exactly the same, so she’s very at home there.
She lives in the outer suburbs of Melbourne—pretty much in her car, driving her three children to their various commitments.
Carol writes for the Harlequin Presents and Medical lines and she also writes contemporary women's fiction (with a dark twist).
When she's not writing she's reading, when she's not reading she's writing.
She lives in the outer suburbs of Melbourne—pretty much in her car, driving her three children to their various commitments.
Carol writes for the Harlequin Presents and Medical lines and she also writes contemporary women's fiction (with a dark twist).
When she's not writing she's reading, when she's not reading she's writing.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 2, 2022
2.5 - 3 stars?
Not my favourite, gotta say.
But it was decent.
I did like the storyline. It was quite interesting.
Our heroine, Matilda, is a landscape designer, 2 months after a break up. She is hired by her friend to design a garden for his son-in-law. Enter our hero, Dante.
These two have bumped into each other right at the beginning of the book and had an immediate connection but h noticed a wedding ring on his finger and decided to ignore the immediate lust she felt.
And so, turns out that the mysterious hottie from the elevator is Dante, the son-in-law and he has a daughter. But the daughter isn't well. She survived a tragic car accident that killed Jasmine, Dante's wife and they suspect Alex (the kid) may be autistic, and she suffers from 'episodes'. Generally speaking, the child is far from ok so the garden could help her find her peace.
And Dante and Matilda have a dinner to talk through the details after which Dante kisses her and Matilda is ready to jump his bones right there and then.
After a few days, Dante however, cools down her enthusiasm very quickly when he announces to her that he doesn't do relationships and the only thing he can offer to her is a no string sex.
And I liked the fact that Matilda takes a step back and despite her infatuation decides to do the garden anyway. And that's exactly what happens for about 65% of the book. They have some interactions, stolen glances and he clearly wants her.
And in a moment of temporary insanity our heroine abandons her moral code and they finally jump into bed.
Well, not a bed exactly. They do it in the garden she works on.
And we need to add that his mother-in-law is a constant person in Dante's house, she is clearly grieving but also acting like a major bitch, and Matilda is deffo not her favourite.
And so right after they finally do the devil's tango, Katrina, the evil mother-in-law almost catches them in the act and Dante's affection disappears very quickly and he gives Matilda a cold shoulder again.
And so our sis is done. She decided to find a replacement for her job and leave.
And after another episode from Alex, Matilda manages to settle her down and Dante tells her that he has feelings for her and he doesn't want her to leave blah blah blah so our sis stays, they have steamy sex and she falls asleep in his bed.
A few hours later, it turns out his daughter disappeared. And when the police ask Dante is everything was out of ordinary in the house that could provoke another episode, Katrina, the evil MIL finally adds two and two together (which wasn't that hard since our sis was wearing his robe) and calls Matilda a cheap hoe and generally acts like an evil bitch that she is.
And Dante, instead of defending her somehow, asks Matilda to leave.
And at this point I was like:
And so that's what she does (after finding out they found the girl).
And she waits for Dante to call.
And waits.
And waits some more.
And when she finally has enough, she discovers that Dante moved back to Italy without as much as a goodbye.
So she decides to fly to Italy and talk to him.
And when I thought she was the biggest imbecile ever, we find out the reason why she wanted to see him was to tell him she figured out the reason for his daughter's episodes.
And then she lets him have it.
And I did like that part.
In the end, he tells her he loves her, they do have their HEA and they get married, have a son together and move to a different house to start a new chapter for their life. And I was happy for them.
But the entire story was very uneven. Their romance was underdeveloped, and I just couldn't see that connection they had. And the time frame was ridiculously short because it all happens within what, 2 - 3 weeks? That's waaaaay to short to make a romance realistic.
Also, the pacing was off, some parts dragged mercilessly, and some felt rushed. Like the ending for example. Or their interactions.
Because of that I didn't see the reason why these two suddenly decided that they were destined to be together.
2 weeks is the time when you test the waters.
Or unpack your suitcase after your vacay.
You don't rush into a relationship with someone you clearly don't know.
And for a smart guy like Dante, a brilliant lawyer who likes to read people and plan his life, it seemed completely out of character to pop the question to a woman he knew for around 3 weeks.
And for that reason I wasn't completely sold on this one.
Hence the rating.
Not my favourite, gotta say.
But it was decent.
I did like the storyline. It was quite interesting.
Our heroine, Matilda, is a landscape designer, 2 months after a break up. She is hired by her friend to design a garden for his son-in-law. Enter our hero, Dante.
These two have bumped into each other right at the beginning of the book and had an immediate connection but h noticed a wedding ring on his finger and decided to ignore the immediate lust she felt.
And so, turns out that the mysterious hottie from the elevator is Dante, the son-in-law and he has a daughter. But the daughter isn't well. She survived a tragic car accident that killed Jasmine, Dante's wife and they suspect Alex (the kid) may be autistic, and she suffers from 'episodes'. Generally speaking, the child is far from ok so the garden could help her find her peace.
And Dante and Matilda have a dinner to talk through the details after which Dante kisses her and Matilda is ready to jump his bones right there and then.
After a few days, Dante however, cools down her enthusiasm very quickly when he announces to her that he doesn't do relationships and the only thing he can offer to her is a no string sex.
And I liked the fact that Matilda takes a step back and despite her infatuation decides to do the garden anyway. And that's exactly what happens for about 65% of the book. They have some interactions, stolen glances and he clearly wants her.
And in a moment of temporary insanity our heroine abandons her moral code and they finally jump into bed.
Well, not a bed exactly. They do it in the garden she works on.
And we need to add that his mother-in-law is a constant person in Dante's house, she is clearly grieving but also acting like a major bitch, and Matilda is deffo not her favourite.
And so right after they finally do the devil's tango, Katrina, the evil mother-in-law almost catches them in the act and Dante's affection disappears very quickly and he gives Matilda a cold shoulder again.
And so our sis is done. She decided to find a replacement for her job and leave.
And after another episode from Alex, Matilda manages to settle her down and Dante tells her that he has feelings for her and he doesn't want her to leave blah blah blah so our sis stays, they have steamy sex and she falls asleep in his bed.
A few hours later, it turns out his daughter disappeared. And when the police ask Dante is everything was out of ordinary in the house that could provoke another episode, Katrina, the evil MIL finally adds two and two together (which wasn't that hard since our sis was wearing his robe) and calls Matilda a cheap hoe and generally acts like an evil bitch that she is.
And Dante, instead of defending her somehow, asks Matilda to leave.
And at this point I was like:
And so that's what she does (after finding out they found the girl).
And she waits for Dante to call.
And waits.
And waits some more.
And when she finally has enough, she discovers that Dante moved back to Italy without as much as a goodbye.
So she decides to fly to Italy and talk to him.
And when I thought she was the biggest imbecile ever, we find out the reason why she wanted to see him was to tell him she figured out the reason for his daughter's episodes.
And then she lets him have it.
And I did like that part.
In the end, he tells her he loves her, they do have their HEA and they get married, have a son together and move to a different house to start a new chapter for their life. And I was happy for them.
But the entire story was very uneven. Their romance was underdeveloped, and I just couldn't see that connection they had. And the time frame was ridiculously short because it all happens within what, 2 - 3 weeks? That's waaaaay to short to make a romance realistic.
Also, the pacing was off, some parts dragged mercilessly, and some felt rushed. Like the ending for example. Or their interactions.
Because of that I didn't see the reason why these two suddenly decided that they were destined to be together.
2 weeks is the time when you test the waters.
Or unpack your suitcase after your vacay.
You don't rush into a relationship with someone you clearly don't know.
And for a smart guy like Dante, a brilliant lawyer who likes to read people and plan his life, it seemed completely out of character to pop the question to a woman he knew for around 3 weeks.
And for that reason I wasn't completely sold on this one.
Hence the rating.
May 14, 2015
A contemporary Harlequin Australian romance.
My Take
I liked this one for its twist on how Matilda and Dante meet. She's a landscape designer who has created a lovely rooftop garden for the hospital. An expense that Dante sees as wasteful.
There are some blips that detract from the story. Dante blows hot and cold, but there's an abruptness in this that doesn't feel right. Then there's Matilda's vacillations. Oh, brother. Why do we always have to endure the heroine who can't stick to her guns? He keeps telling her that there can be no relationship, and then she wimps around because the sex is so great and then he turns cold. Well, duh… The only feelings guys generally have about sex is the joy of getting off. They don't need the romantic aspect as much as women do.
No, I don't object to her falling for him, I simply object to her expecting that he will fall in love with her since the sex was good. Gimme a break.
I did enjoy Dante's demand that she stop apologizing. How many times have you wanted to tell someone to stop. To not keep saying "I'm sorry" as it doesn't do any good, or it's not their fault anyway. We often say it as a way of sympathizing and not as an apology.
I liked that Matilda was brave enough to say what she thought. To hold to her pride without letting her hurt Alexis. That Dante could admit he was wrong.
The garden sounds absolutely gorgeous…sigh… I miss my garden.
The Story
Rudeness in the hallway. A clash in an elevator. A disagreement over a garden's benefits. Matilda hopes she'll never have to endure his company again. Only to be enticed by Hugh into agreeing to create a special garden for his emotionally damaged granddaughter. Too bad she hadn't realized the granddaughter's father was Dante.
The Characters
Matilda Hamilton is a landscape designer who recently left her jerk of a boyfriend, Edward. Most of her work had come through his real estate business and winning this commission from the hospital is a coup.
Dante is a renowned Italian barrister specializing in criminal defense whose wife, Jasmine, recently died in a car crash. His daughter Alexis, who was in the crash as well, is turning inward, having tantrums.
Hugh is a hospital administrator and Dante's father-in-law. Katrina is his cold, standoffish wife determined to keep the memory of her daughter, Jasmine, alive.
The Cover and Title
The cover is sweet with Matilda and Dante gazing into each other's eyes with a backdrop that is reminiscent of the Mediterranean with a touch of rocky shore.
The title is a bit odd. Yes, Dante would want a mother for his daughter, but he's certainly not looking. Mistress? Probably as he prefers a relationship in which both sides know there will not be one. So to call this one Wanted: Mistress and Mother is a bit confusing. It's more as though this one was up for grabs in the spare titles jar and no one wanted to spend the time coming up with something.
My Take
I liked this one for its twist on how Matilda and Dante meet. She's a landscape designer who has created a lovely rooftop garden for the hospital. An expense that Dante sees as wasteful.
There are some blips that detract from the story. Dante blows hot and cold, but there's an abruptness in this that doesn't feel right. Then there's Matilda's vacillations. Oh, brother. Why do we always have to endure the heroine who can't stick to her guns? He keeps telling her that there can be no relationship, and then she wimps around because the sex is so great and then he turns cold. Well, duh… The only feelings guys generally have about sex is the joy of getting off. They don't need the romantic aspect as much as women do.
No, I don't object to her falling for him, I simply object to her expecting that he will fall in love with her since the sex was good. Gimme a break.
I did enjoy Dante's demand that she stop apologizing. How many times have you wanted to tell someone to stop. To not keep saying "I'm sorry" as it doesn't do any good, or it's not their fault anyway. We often say it as a way of sympathizing and not as an apology.
I liked that Matilda was brave enough to say what she thought. To hold to her pride without letting her hurt Alexis. That Dante could admit he was wrong.
The garden sounds absolutely gorgeous…sigh… I miss my garden.
The Story
Rudeness in the hallway. A clash in an elevator. A disagreement over a garden's benefits. Matilda hopes she'll never have to endure his company again. Only to be enticed by Hugh into agreeing to create a special garden for his emotionally damaged granddaughter. Too bad she hadn't realized the granddaughter's father was Dante.
The Characters
Matilda Hamilton is a landscape designer who recently left her jerk of a boyfriend, Edward. Most of her work had come through his real estate business and winning this commission from the hospital is a coup.
Dante is a renowned Italian barrister specializing in criminal defense whose wife, Jasmine, recently died in a car crash. His daughter Alexis, who was in the crash as well, is turning inward, having tantrums.
Hugh is a hospital administrator and Dante's father-in-law. Katrina is his cold, standoffish wife determined to keep the memory of her daughter, Jasmine, alive.
The Cover and Title
The cover is sweet with Matilda and Dante gazing into each other's eyes with a backdrop that is reminiscent of the Mediterranean with a touch of rocky shore.
The title is a bit odd. Yes, Dante would want a mother for his daughter, but he's certainly not looking. Mistress? Probably as he prefers a relationship in which both sides know there will not be one. So to call this one Wanted: Mistress and Mother is a bit confusing. It's more as though this one was up for grabs in the spare titles jar and no one wanted to spend the time coming up with something.
May 5, 2013
When ruthless Italian barrister Dante Costello hires Matilda Hamilton, he sees an opportunity. Matilda's job is to create a magical garden, in the hope it will help Dante's troubled little girl. However, since attraction between them is hot and intense, why not take Matilda as his mistress, as well?
Dante has always kept his emotions firmly under wraps when it comes to relationships. But this time will he succeed when his desire for Matilda is pushing him to the edge of control?
Matilda just getting over a horrible break up with her long term boyfriend and real estate investor Edward. Now she is faced with a very strong attraction to the almost to perfect to be true Dante. He lets her know in no uncertain terms that he is not looking for a relationship, merely sex. Knowing it would be the end of her and she couldn't handle anything like he was talking about, she refused. She was able to keep their feeling in check, but only for so long.
I loved the whole story/plot. The impossibility of it all. The weakness's that shone through both of them. As well as a 'controlling' mother in law. (Who wasn't so much controlling as she was grieving.
It is also the first book i have read out of the many Carol has penned. I will be reading her again.
5 stars!
March 16, 2019
The title of the book is misleading. The H did not put out an ad for a mistress and mother. The h was a landscape designer who was hired to do a garden for the H’s young daughter who experienced a horrible trauma. The H was not thrilled at the prospect, but his father-in-law hires the h, so he agreed.
The H appeared to be an austere, cold and very conservative. He is a famously brilliant criminal defense attorney. The n his opinion, a garden is just a waste of money, but for his daughter he will try anything.
The h comes in and turns his life upside down. She is brilliant at what she does and made (imho) a magical secret garden for a little girl lost in her own pain.
The MIL was a real witch. She was hurting, but damn!she was cruel to the h.
An enjoyable read. May read it again.
The H appeared to be an austere, cold and very conservative. He is a famously brilliant criminal defense attorney. The n his opinion, a garden is just a waste of money, but for his daughter he will try anything.
The h comes in and turns his life upside down. She is brilliant at what she does and made (imho) a magical secret garden for a little girl lost in her own pain.
The MIL was a real witch. She was hurting, but damn!she was cruel to the h.
An enjoyable read. May read it again.
May 10, 2022
https://celebrityreaders.com/2022/05/...
3 stars -- Wow, I really have changed. I know I read this, and kept it last time. It wasn't bad, and I'm wavering about going with 3.5 stars, but I'm in a bad mood, so this is what you get.
In some ways it was a very typical Presents. Arrogant, kind of a dick hero. Meek, insecure heroine. There was some nuance at least. Matilda had moments where she stood up for herself and was more than I expected. And Dante had the rarest moments of depth and heart (stress on the rare).
I was frustrated with how callous Dante could be, without much apology. I mean, yeah, there were mitigating circumstances, but...it wasn't enough for 2022 Lenore.
The story with his daughter was somewhat interesting, but given the title of the book, I expected her to appear in the story more.
There was chemistry, even if sometimes it made me feel uncomfortable -- again, I've changed. But they did have a connection.
The romance/relationship was fast, which is pretty typical of Presents as well.
That sums it up -- typical. *shrugs* At this point I'm reading them so that I can get rid of them...and hopefully weed out a few that are legitimate gems that stand the test of time for me.
3 stars -- Wow, I really have changed. I know I read this, and kept it last time. It wasn't bad, and I'm wavering about going with 3.5 stars, but I'm in a bad mood, so this is what you get.
In some ways it was a very typical Presents. Arrogant, kind of a dick hero. Meek, insecure heroine. There was some nuance at least. Matilda had moments where she stood up for herself and was more than I expected. And Dante had the rarest moments of depth and heart (stress on the rare).
I was frustrated with how callous Dante could be, without much apology. I mean, yeah, there were mitigating circumstances, but...it wasn't enough for 2022 Lenore.
The story with his daughter was somewhat interesting, but given the title of the book, I expected her to appear in the story more.
There was chemistry, even if sometimes it made me feel uncomfortable -- again, I've changed. But they did have a connection.
The romance/relationship was fast, which is pretty typical of Presents as well.
That sums it up -- typical. *shrugs* At this point I'm reading them so that I can get rid of them...and hopefully weed out a few that are legitimate gems that stand the test of time for me.
December 16, 2024
I bought this book because it was 50c at a charity book sale. I've read all of Carol Marinelli's medical romances (yep, all 56) so was looking for a fix. With the blurb saying that it's largely about gardening & sex, I thought it was worth a try. Wrong!
Matilda Hamilton, the garden designer FMC, has recently left a relationship with a guy who belittled her & now she's attracted to another jerk. Dante Costello, the criminal defence barrister MMC, is arrogant, rude, ruthless, callous & cold but of course good looking, successful & rich. I'm over ruthless heroes & unequal relationships. The book was written 19 years ago but some of CM's early medical romances are pretty good. Then again, some aren't. This novel is old fashioned, with purple prose. I made it to the end of chapter 3, then gave up. Other readers' reviews don't give me hope that it improves.
The title is misleading: Dante doesn't want a mistress or a mother for his daughter, he just wants to bed Matilda. Also, Costello is an Irish surname, not Italian.
Matilda Hamilton, the garden designer FMC, has recently left a relationship with a guy who belittled her & now she's attracted to another jerk. Dante Costello, the criminal defence barrister MMC, is arrogant, rude, ruthless, callous & cold but of course good looking, successful & rich. I'm over ruthless heroes & unequal relationships. The book was written 19 years ago but some of CM's early medical romances are pretty good. Then again, some aren't. This novel is old fashioned, with purple prose. I made it to the end of chapter 3, then gave up. Other readers' reviews don't give me hope that it improves.
The title is misleading: Dante doesn't want a mistress or a mother for his daughter, he just wants to bed Matilda. Also, Costello is an Irish surname, not Italian.
not-interested-in-reading
July 20, 2022Did Not Read. The title did not fit. She's neither his mistress nor a mother. Cold, distant "hero" who doesn't stand up for the heroine. A heroine who is wishy-washy in her decisions. Sounded meh, so I did not read.
April 1, 2023
I got introduced to the romance world reading the graphic novel of this book and went into the actual book itself eventually. I was originally just into young adult and popular fictional reads, but this was an opening to a door that has now led me to the romance reader I am.
May 28, 2018
I didn't think the title really fit the story well, but it was a very HQN romance. Hot Italian lawyer/hot garden designer
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2012
Came as a bonus with a Maya Banks book. Not my usual kind of read, but it was okay.
Matilda was recovering from a breakup and started her own landscaping business. She was hired to create a garden for an emotionally traumatized little girl and along the way, falls in love with the child's father.
Matilda was recovering from a breakup and started her own landscaping business. She was hired to create a garden for an emotionally traumatized little girl and along the way, falls in love with the child's father.
August 5, 2014
Wonderful i thought this to be such a great book. The characters were interesting. I work with autistic children they visit the green house and love books on plants and gardens The heroine is awesome too
May 9, 2014
This one was a little slow and boring.
May 7, 2014
Feels hurried. Appreciated the parts where Dante's views and feelings were written, but it was only at the start of the story. Not for me. I read thru it hurriedly. It just seems so bland to me.
August 7, 2012
This story was ok.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews