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The Innocent's Forgotten Wedding
The husband she can’t remember…
or resist!
After a terrible car crash Brooke can’t remember her own name—much less her wedding day! So finding billionaire Lorenzo at her bedside—and a gold band on her finger—is completely shocking…
137 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2020
236 people are currently reading
327 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,778 books1,452 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
March 2, 2020
Lynne Graham adds a soapy tropey twist to this novel, that's quite enjoyable but saved from trainwrecky status, by a sweet and considerate H.
A holiday was exactly what her poor sister needed at this stressful time in her life and if Milly room-sitting in some fancy hotel was all that was required, it would be utterly selfish of her to refuse to help. ‘OK. I’ll do it.’
A misguided sister swap;
A tragic car crash;
Amnesia.
Mix these 3 together and garnish it with a hunkalicious Italian billionaire and you get this novel.
Lynne Graham's newest naive, neophyte and martyr heroine is Milly.
This is the heroine, Milly:
Backstory:
Poor little Milly had a marriage wrecking mommy who got pregnant for Milly's rich daddy. But Milly's rich daddy was a very greedy man, who enjoyed mixing his dessert with the main course. This cheating creep maintained 2 separate families and he had such dominant genes that Milly and her half sister, Brooke, were basically doppelgangers.
In a weird twist of Fate, Milly ( the marriage wrecker's daughter ) ends up being kind and selfless, when compared to her half sister Brooke. Yet it's Brooke who ended up married to the hot Italian billionaire, while Milly lived in a dingy, damp bedsit at night, while slogging away at a cheap diner during the day.
This is the H, Lorenzo ( the hot Italian billionaire ):
... Proving once again that, sometimes, Evil's an investment that serves up better dividends to the selfish golddiggers of the world.
The story begins with the sister swap. Meek little Milly agrees to do decoy duty for nastybitchtastic Brooke. Brooke's just signed divorce papers and wants to go on vacation with her newest squeeze: a famous, married Hollywood actor. She's also desperate to get a film contract. But she refrains from revealing these details to the gullible Milly.
Brooke's been using Milly, as a convenient decoy, for a few years. The heroine is so eager to be loved by her half sister, that she goes along with these plans. She never really considered the fact that Brooke keeps her as a secret and refuses to introduce her to her estranged hubby ( the H ) or to her friends.
Brooke's a calculating, toxic narcissistic, adulterous and mean bitch, who only ever comes around when she needs a favour...
She's also convinced Milly that her estranged hubby ( the H ) is a penny pinching sadist:
‘That bastard, Lorenzo! He could have slung me a few million for the sake of it, but he stuck to the letter of the pre-nup. I’m not getting a penny I’m not due. Still, he’ll just be a bad memory a few years down the road. My next husband will be a fashion icon or an actor, not a banker!’
It's only during this final meeting, that Milly gets to see Brooke for the selfish witch that she is, when the latter boldly reveals that she's been deliberately using the heroine:
‘When I first went looking for you, I was curious about you. But I’m not curious any more. I’ve been very good to you too, sprucing you up, fixing your face. What more can you expect from me? It’s not as though we could ever be friends, not with your mother having slept with my father while he was still married to my mother. Do you realise that my poor mother tried to kill herself over their affair?’
A more perceptive person would've refused to go along with Brooke's plan, after these insults. But Milly's a Lynne Graham heroine, so her tolerance thermometer can take more heat than ours. Or, maybe it's just some masochistic type of pathological altruism on Milly's part ?
Nevertheless, a tiny bit of pride does lead Milly to remark:
‘This will be the last time I stand in for you, Brooke,’ Milly said quietly but firmly. ‘If I’m honest, I kind of wish I’d never started it.’
The final sister swap doesn't play out, because there's a car accident and Milly awakes, 15 months later, with no memory of her life and no clue as to the identity of the dead woman in the limo. The reader's aware that it's Brooke who'd died in the wreck and as far as I'm concerned, that's a cause for celebration !
But since it's the Holy Lenten season, some benevolence might be more tasteful, so...
The heroine's told that she's Brooke and she's amazed to meet her sexy and courteous husband Lorenzo. I confess that I was shocked to find an HPlandia H behaving so well, under the circumstances. Brooke had been an overcooked dish of slag, served cold, so I wouldn't have blamed the H if he'd behaved like an asshole to Milly.
Lorenzo lived through hell during the 2 years of marriage to Brooke and the poor guy just wanted to be free again:
It was done. Within a few weeks, Lorenzo would be free, finally free, from a wife who’d lied, cheated, slept around and created endless embarrassing headlines in the newspapers.
He'd even been celibate for a whole year, after the marriage to Brooke had broken down. He'd not wanted details of mistresses etc to put a spoke in the wheels of his divorce or mess up his prenuptial agreement. And, he had no intention of getting caught in any woman's marital trap again:
From now on, he would simply revel in being very, very rich and free of all ties. He would not remarry...
All of these wonderful plans are ruined when he's forced to look after his amnesiac *wife*. Almost immediately, he notices major changes and improvements in her behaviour:
📍 She's sweet, kind, polite and considerate to everyone.
📍 She's not materialistic and doesn't obsess about her physical appearance or her diet.
📍 She's having an unbelievable effect on his libido and making him feel things he's never felt before:
He wanted her: that was the real problem. In fact, he lusted after her more, it seemed, than he had ever lusted after her.
📍 She's very loving and maternal towards her scrappy little dog, Topsy - a dog she'd previously banished to the kitchen !
This is the cutiedorable Topsy:
And, most importantly, for the very first time in their relationship, he actually looks forward to spending time with her.
The MC's eventually consummate their relationship, even though neither realizes that she's a virgin. The H is content but confused. He believes that this romantic harmony will end as soon as she regains her memory and begins to long for her old life, in the limelight, again...
Despite his reservations, though, Lorenzo heeds the psychiatrist's warnings and treats her like a fragile flower. I guess he deserves some thumbs up, for swimming against HPlandia's conventional alpha male currents.
The author also builds their romance as if it's a brand new relationship. The H tries hard not to wallow in the bitterness of who she used to be. At the same time, though, his mind's rife with suspicions about whether or not she's faking it. After all, it's difficult to accept that stark personality changes can occur in such a short time.
I found it hard to accept that a proud, HPlandia, alpha male husband, who'd been ritually cuckolded by his mercenary, unfeeling wife, would find it so easy to bite his tongue and refrain from telling her what a vile, horrible bitch she'd been in the past.
Most men would've just paid her bills, employed live-in caregivers and packed her off to live in a different household while she recuperated. That's what I'd do if I was a man. However, Lorenzo took the words in sickness and in health to heart and treated her as a human being in need of help.
They're revelling in romantic and sexual splendor, on what seems to be a honeymoon ( of sorts ) when Milly's memory returns and everything changes. The H's unwilling to believe it, at first, because his wife had never mentioned having a half sister.
For a short while, he's in shock while his brain absorbs the implications of this revelation...
The grand revelation means that they're not married and that's when the H's defence mechanism kicks in and he agrees to her suggestion that they separate while his lawyers sort out the legalities. But the H did propose nicely, when they're reunited and he realized that she deserved her special, cute white wedding.
I found their reconciliation to be blander than Lynne Graham's usual fare and the conflict is wrapped up easily, after a brief separation. Their reunion is made more convenient by the heroine's pregnancy news. Moreover, I didn't get the idea that the H's feelings for the dead wife, Brooke, had been anything beyond a superficial attraction.
And, to my surprise, I wasn't offended that this turned out to be a keeping it in the family storyline.
Lynne Graham didn't write a longer separate epilogue chapter, this time. This seems to be a new practice, in HPlandia, because I had noticed it in a couple of the recent HP releases. In case anyone's paying attention, I'd like to add that the longer, separate epilogues are preferable to the 2 short paragraphs tacked onto the end of the final chapter.
We are told that the MC's had a son and 2 daughters, in their long term future...
Safety: No OM, no OW and obviously no cheating. I guess some might say that the heroine's dead half sister serves as a former OW 🤔. The H, although he'd been married for almost 3 years, had stopped sleeping with the slag wife Brooke, during the first year of the marriage. Furthermore, he'd been celibate afterwards, even though the slag used to cheat on him. I didn't see it as a sign of him being a pussified wuss, because it appeared that he did it to ensure that his part of the prenuptial agreement was adhered to. Actually, I think it takes a very strong man to think with his brain and not risk losing his billions, just because he couldn't keep his trousers zipped. The heroine was a virgin.
A holiday was exactly what her poor sister needed at this stressful time in her life and if Milly room-sitting in some fancy hotel was all that was required, it would be utterly selfish of her to refuse to help. ‘OK. I’ll do it.’
A misguided sister swap;
A tragic car crash;
Amnesia.
Mix these 3 together and garnish it with a hunkalicious Italian billionaire and you get this novel.
Lynne Graham's newest naive, neophyte and martyr heroine is Milly.
This is the heroine, Milly:
Backstory:
Poor little Milly had a marriage wrecking mommy who got pregnant for Milly's rich daddy. But Milly's rich daddy was a very greedy man, who enjoyed mixing his dessert with the main course. This cheating creep maintained 2 separate families and he had such dominant genes that Milly and her half sister, Brooke, were basically doppelgangers.
In a weird twist of Fate, Milly ( the marriage wrecker's daughter ) ends up being kind and selfless, when compared to her half sister Brooke. Yet it's Brooke who ended up married to the hot Italian billionaire, while Milly lived in a dingy, damp bedsit at night, while slogging away at a cheap diner during the day.
This is the H, Lorenzo ( the hot Italian billionaire ):
... Proving once again that, sometimes, Evil's an investment that serves up better dividends to the selfish golddiggers of the world.
The story begins with the sister swap. Meek little Milly agrees to do decoy duty for nastybitchtastic Brooke. Brooke's just signed divorce papers and wants to go on vacation with her newest squeeze: a famous, married Hollywood actor. She's also desperate to get a film contract. But she refrains from revealing these details to the gullible Milly.
Brooke's been using Milly, as a convenient decoy, for a few years. The heroine is so eager to be loved by her half sister, that she goes along with these plans. She never really considered the fact that Brooke keeps her as a secret and refuses to introduce her to her estranged hubby ( the H ) or to her friends.
Brooke's a calculating, toxic narcissistic, adulterous and mean bitch, who only ever comes around when she needs a favour...
She's also convinced Milly that her estranged hubby ( the H ) is a penny pinching sadist:
‘That bastard, Lorenzo! He could have slung me a few million for the sake of it, but he stuck to the letter of the pre-nup. I’m not getting a penny I’m not due. Still, he’ll just be a bad memory a few years down the road. My next husband will be a fashion icon or an actor, not a banker!’
It's only during this final meeting, that Milly gets to see Brooke for the selfish witch that she is, when the latter boldly reveals that she's been deliberately using the heroine:
‘When I first went looking for you, I was curious about you. But I’m not curious any more. I’ve been very good to you too, sprucing you up, fixing your face. What more can you expect from me? It’s not as though we could ever be friends, not with your mother having slept with my father while he was still married to my mother. Do you realise that my poor mother tried to kill herself over their affair?’
A more perceptive person would've refused to go along with Brooke's plan, after these insults. But Milly's a Lynne Graham heroine, so her tolerance thermometer can take more heat than ours. Or, maybe it's just some masochistic type of pathological altruism on Milly's part ?
Nevertheless, a tiny bit of pride does lead Milly to remark:
‘This will be the last time I stand in for you, Brooke,’ Milly said quietly but firmly. ‘If I’m honest, I kind of wish I’d never started it.’
The final sister swap doesn't play out, because there's a car accident and Milly awakes, 15 months later, with no memory of her life and no clue as to the identity of the dead woman in the limo. The reader's aware that it's Brooke who'd died in the wreck and as far as I'm concerned, that's a cause for celebration !
But since it's the Holy Lenten season, some benevolence might be more tasteful, so...
The heroine's told that she's Brooke and she's amazed to meet her sexy and courteous husband Lorenzo. I confess that I was shocked to find an HPlandia H behaving so well, under the circumstances. Brooke had been an overcooked dish of slag, served cold, so I wouldn't have blamed the H if he'd behaved like an asshole to Milly.
Lorenzo lived through hell during the 2 years of marriage to Brooke and the poor guy just wanted to be free again:
It was done. Within a few weeks, Lorenzo would be free, finally free, from a wife who’d lied, cheated, slept around and created endless embarrassing headlines in the newspapers.
He'd even been celibate for a whole year, after the marriage to Brooke had broken down. He'd not wanted details of mistresses etc to put a spoke in the wheels of his divorce or mess up his prenuptial agreement. And, he had no intention of getting caught in any woman's marital trap again:
From now on, he would simply revel in being very, very rich and free of all ties. He would not remarry...
All of these wonderful plans are ruined when he's forced to look after his amnesiac *wife*. Almost immediately, he notices major changes and improvements in her behaviour:
📍 She's sweet, kind, polite and considerate to everyone.
📍 She's not materialistic and doesn't obsess about her physical appearance or her diet.
📍 She's having an unbelievable effect on his libido and making him feel things he's never felt before:
He wanted her: that was the real problem. In fact, he lusted after her more, it seemed, than he had ever lusted after her.
📍 She's very loving and maternal towards her scrappy little dog, Topsy - a dog she'd previously banished to the kitchen !
This is the cutiedorable Topsy:
And, most importantly, for the very first time in their relationship, he actually looks forward to spending time with her.
The MC's eventually consummate their relationship, even though neither realizes that she's a virgin. The H is content but confused. He believes that this romantic harmony will end as soon as she regains her memory and begins to long for her old life, in the limelight, again...
Despite his reservations, though, Lorenzo heeds the psychiatrist's warnings and treats her like a fragile flower. I guess he deserves some thumbs up, for swimming against HPlandia's conventional alpha male currents.
The author also builds their romance as if it's a brand new relationship. The H tries hard not to wallow in the bitterness of who she used to be. At the same time, though, his mind's rife with suspicions about whether or not she's faking it. After all, it's difficult to accept that stark personality changes can occur in such a short time.
I found it hard to accept that a proud, HPlandia, alpha male husband, who'd been ritually cuckolded by his mercenary, unfeeling wife, would find it so easy to bite his tongue and refrain from telling her what a vile, horrible bitch she'd been in the past.
Most men would've just paid her bills, employed live-in caregivers and packed her off to live in a different household while she recuperated. That's what I'd do if I was a man. However, Lorenzo took the words in sickness and in health to heart and treated her as a human being in need of help.
They're revelling in romantic and sexual splendor, on what seems to be a honeymoon ( of sorts ) when Milly's memory returns and everything changes. The H's unwilling to believe it, at first, because his wife had never mentioned having a half sister.
For a short while, he's in shock while his brain absorbs the implications of this revelation...
The grand revelation means that they're not married and that's when the H's defence mechanism kicks in and he agrees to her suggestion that they separate while his lawyers sort out the legalities. But the H did propose nicely, when they're reunited and he realized that she deserved her special, cute white wedding.
I found their reconciliation to be blander than Lynne Graham's usual fare and the conflict is wrapped up easily, after a brief separation. Their reunion is made more convenient by the heroine's pregnancy news. Moreover, I didn't get the idea that the H's feelings for the dead wife, Brooke, had been anything beyond a superficial attraction.
And, to my surprise, I wasn't offended that this turned out to be a keeping it in the family storyline.
Lynne Graham didn't write a longer separate epilogue chapter, this time. This seems to be a new practice, in HPlandia, because I had noticed it in a couple of the recent HP releases. In case anyone's paying attention, I'd like to add that the longer, separate epilogues are preferable to the 2 short paragraphs tacked onto the end of the final chapter.
We are told that the MC's had a son and 2 daughters, in their long term future...
Safety: No OM, no OW and obviously no cheating. I guess some might say that the heroine's dead half sister serves as a former OW 🤔. The H, although he'd been married for almost 3 years, had stopped sleeping with the slag wife Brooke, during the first year of the marriage. Furthermore, he'd been celibate afterwards, even though the slag used to cheat on him. I didn't see it as a sign of him being a pussified wuss, because it appeared that he did it to ensure that his part of the prenuptial agreement was adhered to. Actually, I think it takes a very strong man to think with his brain and not risk losing his billions, just because he couldn't keep his trousers zipped. The heroine was a virgin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2020
Finally! Some drama. I’ve been reading several of the newest HPs over the last few days and they are all so . . . bland. At least this one has:
*Amnesia!
*A look-alike half-siter no one knows about!
*Coma for 15 months!
The H in this one is a sweetie. Heroine is, too – but she has amnesia and hero doesn’t know what to do with her new personality.
There is the potential squick factor of the hero being with both sisters, so keep that in mind before deciding to read this.
*Amnesia!
*A look-alike half-siter no one knows about!
*Coma for 15 months!
The H in this one is a sweetie. Heroine is, too – but she has amnesia and hero doesn’t know what to do with her new personality.
There is the potential squick factor of the hero being with both sisters, so keep that in mind before deciding to read this.
April 6, 2020
This easily could have been a 5 star read for me,but alas ,it has a most despised trope for me....one of the MC's had prior sexual connection to either of the MC's....in this case it was the hero who was married to the heroine's half sister.Thank goodness they had no children as that is another of my pet peeves.
Several of my Goodreads friends have read this one and did in fact find it enjoyable so I decided to take the leap and read it tonight.
Well,color me surprised!!! I liked it,but honestly the dead half sister was always in the forefront on my mind and it did take some of the enjoyment from reading.
The hero was a good guy,and by books end,I knew that the heroine was his "one true love"and he adored her.That is what I want in my romances,to know that the heroine is IT for the hero and no other will compare.
The ending is sweet as they both had the family they wanted.
Several of my Goodreads friends have read this one and did in fact find it enjoyable so I decided to take the leap and read it tonight.
Well,color me surprised!!! I liked it,but honestly the dead half sister was always in the forefront on my mind and it did take some of the enjoyment from reading.
The hero was a good guy,and by books end,I knew that the heroine was his "one true love"and he adored her.That is what I want in my romances,to know that the heroine is IT for the hero and no other will compare.
The ending is sweet as they both had the family they wanted.
March 3, 2020
"If you were perfect, you'd be boring(...)" she told him firmly
Yes and the book was boring until h gained her memory. Before that, H was nauseatingly perfect, and believe me sisters, "perfect man" is an oxymoron. Lol
Yes and the book was boring until h gained her memory. Before that, H was nauseatingly perfect, and believe me sisters, "perfect man" is an oxymoron. Lol
March 4, 2020
Lovely couple but the hero was super nice and perfect so the angst level was low. Things became really interesting towards the end when heroine regained her memory and found out she was pregnant. The final chapter was super romantic and sweet though. I loved hero's possessiveness. Safe: heroine was a virgin but hero's first wife was heroine's sister so that might bother some readers.
May 12, 2023
I don’t read a lot of the newer HP stuff because I feel they’re typically (in my experience) tamer/more realistic/better developed which is great if you’re reading for romance, but not awesome if you prefer the old school/whacktastic vibes of ridiculousness where h’s survived on breadcrusts and were mowed down by wild ponies.
This brings a bit of the vintage tropes with an evil look-alike sister, a 15-month coma, and amnesia. The only issue is that we (the reader) know exactly what the deal is, so you’re sitting around waiting for everyone to catch up.
🛑 This is all revealed in the first chapter but stop if you don’t want any plot outline.
Milly is the secret younger ½ sis of Brooke. She was the result of an affair, so Brooke treats her pretty much like crap, but uses her when convenient. The book opens with Brooke informing her sis she needs to “pose” as her… hanging out at a hotel for a weekend, so she can hookup with a married man. Brooke is a somewhat famous influencer and married to the H, Lorenzo. (they are getting a divorce) Their limo is in an accident enroute to the hotel killing the driver and “Brooke’s companion”. The rest is Lorenzo and Brooke reconnecting because she wakes up from her coma with amnesia and a new personality.
Bottom Line- Ok, easy read… both the mc’s were likable. This H isn’t jerky at all, but you will have to be ok with him having sex with the sister first… although it sounded like it fizzled almost immediately and the two hadn’t been physical in years.
This brings a bit of the vintage tropes with an evil look-alike sister, a 15-month coma, and amnesia. The only issue is that we (the reader) know exactly what the deal is, so you’re sitting around waiting for everyone to catch up.
🛑 This is all revealed in the first chapter but stop if you don’t want any plot outline.
Milly is the secret younger ½ sis of Brooke. She was the result of an affair, so Brooke treats her pretty much like crap, but uses her when convenient. The book opens with Brooke informing her sis she needs to “pose” as her… hanging out at a hotel for a weekend, so she can hookup with a married man. Brooke is a somewhat famous influencer and married to the H, Lorenzo. (they are getting a divorce) Their limo is in an accident enroute to the hotel killing the driver and “Brooke’s companion”. The rest is Lorenzo and Brooke reconnecting because she wakes up from her coma with amnesia and a new personality.
Bottom Line- Ok, easy read… both the mc’s were likable. This H isn’t jerky at all, but you will have to be ok with him having sex with the sister first… although it sounded like it fizzled almost immediately and the two hadn’t been physical in years.
September 20, 2020
I was loving it until she regained her memory; then it went from 4.5 to 4 stars. Just wanted a bit more angst before the HEA.
April 4, 2020
"The Innocent's Forgotten Wedding" is the story of Brooke/Milly and Lorenzo.
This engaging read has all the plots in a good HQN romance- sister swap, accidents, amnesia, cute dogs, hymens, hot lovemaking, confused heroes, innocent heroines and a wonderful HEA.
Don't want to write a detailed review to give the plot away, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and the h was utterly adorable! Super sweet ending.
Safe
3.5/5
This engaging read has all the plots in a good HQN romance- sister swap, accidents, amnesia, cute dogs, hymens, hot lovemaking, confused heroes, innocent heroines and a wonderful HEA.
Don't want to write a detailed review to give the plot away, but I thoroughly enjoyed this and the h was utterly adorable! Super sweet ending.
Safe
3.5/5
May 8, 2020
I didn’t know how much I needed a Lynn Graham book until after I started.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Loved loved the sweet heroine. And hero was so honorable and supportive. It also didn’t hurt that this trope is my favorite.
Loved the pace, the slow unraveling of truth and the ending.
Will reread this for sure.
Hero was intimate with heroine’s lookalike sister when they were married which made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. That’s y I couldn’t give this book full stars. May be on rereads I’ll change my mind? Who knows.
I enjoyed the hell out of this book. Loved loved the sweet heroine. And hero was so honorable and supportive. It also didn’t hurt that this trope is my favorite.
Loved the pace, the slow unraveling of truth and the ending.
Will reread this for sure.
Hero was intimate with heroine’s lookalike sister when they were married which made me feel a little bit uncomfortable. That’s y I couldn’t give this book full stars. May be on rereads I’ll change my mind? Who knows.
April 1, 2020
Traditional and Sweet. 3.5 stars
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cut my teeth on these type of books when I was young and I love to revisit them for a relaxing evening jaunt down memory lane.
The story is a delightful read written in the traditional romance style. With a bit of angst and tension, the slow undercurrents of attraction, and the burn of desire. Graham sets up a lovely story that sucks us in for the night.
The character development is beautifully done and I cannot help but say I did not care for her sister! Lorenzo is a sweet heart, honor bound to care for his wife, and yet surprised to fall for her even more so with her changes.
Tender and sweet, this love grows through the pages. A flirty romance that you will enjoy!
* Copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-innocent...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I cut my teeth on these type of books when I was young and I love to revisit them for a relaxing evening jaunt down memory lane.
The story is a delightful read written in the traditional romance style. With a bit of angst and tension, the slow undercurrents of attraction, and the burn of desire. Graham sets up a lovely story that sucks us in for the night.
The character development is beautifully done and I cannot help but say I did not care for her sister! Lorenzo is a sweet heart, honor bound to care for his wife, and yet surprised to fall for her even more so with her changes.
Tender and sweet, this love grows through the pages. A flirty romance that you will enjoy!
* Copy received for review consideration
Full Review - https://amidlifewife.com/the-innocent...
October 2, 2020
A dramatic HP!!! Accidents, Amnesia, Evil gold-digger ex-wife, look-alike half-sister... everything was there. I have enjoyed it truly.
Safety Issue: The book was perfectly safe. the hero was celibate and the heroine was a virgin.
Check Ivy's review- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Safety Issue: The book was perfectly safe. the hero was celibate and the heroine was a virgin.
Check Ivy's review- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
September 8, 2020
Vi que esta novelita gustó a muchas entendidas del género, pero no supe por dónde agarrarla para que me engache. El plot es un despropósito, mucho angst, tres cuartas partes del libro con amnesia de la protagonista, luego acostarse con el marido de la hermana que murió, quedar embarazada... Agh, too much issues como para disfrutarla. El héroe, por otro lado, se desvanece, no logra perfilarse ni siquiera en las escenas de sexo que fueron mediocres como la novela y todos ellos.
March 23, 2020
Wow! This was one best books yet I read by LG over last few years. All her last books released could not hold a candle to her early work. This was up there and after being disappointed few times with her last books this was refreshing read. I loved everything about it and to top it off the epilogue was so sweet. Loved the MC and I’m sucker for amnesia. Definitely recommend this - highly!!
April 12, 2020
I think the reason I didn't like this book is the heroine. Due to an accident heroine has amnesia. She hardly knows the hero, but she goes in pursuit of him on VERY flimsy reasoning. She "recognizes" his voice and it makes her feel safe. It also helps that he is drop dead gorgeous. Then there is the icky feeling of him having been her sister's husband as well, which didn't bother our heroine much even when she regained her memory. Hero is the saving grace of this book, a man you want in real Life.
April 17, 2025
Review from 6/18/22:
Outstanding, romantic hero in a fun, amnesia plot
Milly Taylor first met her 24-year-old half-sister, Brooke Jackson, when Milly was 18 and just released from foster care. She'd always known she was illegitimate. Her mother had been a model who'd had a long-running affair with Milly's father, a wealthy wine importer. He’d never paid any attention to Milly and had died from a heart attack when she was only nine. Her mother had died two years after her father, and Milly had been remanded to foster care for seven, long years. She had never imagined the possibility of being sought out by her father’s legitimate daughter, and was overjoyed to have a chance to bond with her sister. Lonely, alienated Milly was greatly moved by the fact that she and beautiful, vivacious Brooke were each other's only living relatives, Brooke's mother being deceased as well. Their close blood tie impressed Milly far more than the extreme contrasts between their social positions in life. Milly lived in abject poverty, and her prospects were poor, while Brooke was a jet-setting, trust-fund baby, who was constantly followed by the paparazzi.
In spite of the hard knocks that life had dealt her, Milly had retained a sweet, compassionate nature and was eager to be of service to her sister. And right from the start, spoiled, narcissistic Brooke made it perfectly plain that she had a shocking need for Milly to fill. She wanted Milly to be able to, at a moment’s notice, act as Brooke's body double, taking over for her at boring, socialite events she was committed to but could not opt out of, and also to throw the paparazzi off the scent when she wanted to be left alone. Brooke considered this switch-up completely feasible, because they both resembled their mutual father to such a remarkable degree that they could have been twins, except for two things: Millie was an inch shorter and quite a bit curvier than skinny Brooke, and Milly had a large bump on her nose. The curves could be toned down by Milly going on a diet, Brooke proclaimed, but the nose problem required a much more drastic intervention. Brooke insisted that Milly get plastic surgery at Brooke’s expense in order to make her nose look just like Brooke's. At first Milly refused her sister’s outrageous request, but Brooke threw a huge tantrum, then cut off all contact with Milly for six, nail-biting weeks. And when Brooke finally contacted her again and renewed her demand, out of a desperate desire to stay connected to her sister at any cost, Milly surrendered.
At the start of the story, this unhealthy, one-sided, stand-in arrangement has been going on for a full five years, but mild-mannered Milly is finally ready to take a stand and call it quits, ending her ongoing impersonations of her sister. It has finally gotten through her hopelessly naïve head that Brooke is cold to the bone, and nothing Milly can do will ever win the love of a sister who has no regard for anyone but herself. However, in spite of herself, Milly’s overabundance of empathy causes her to get sucked once more into Brooke’s latest sob story. Brooke informs Milly she is going through a terrible divorce from her husband, a rich, stuffy banker. She claims he has unjustly accused her of having an affair, which is his grounds for their divorce. She complains that she desperately wants to get away from all the stress the divorce has caused and enjoy a relaxing little holiday to lick her wounds—which she can only do if Milly helps her keep the nosy paparazzi away. She needs Milly, while acting the part of Brooke, to ostentatiously make her way to a ritzy hotel that Brooke will pay for, and hide out in a hotel room for a few weeks while the real Brooke, masquerading as Milly, borrows her sister’s passport and identity to go abroad incognito. Milly has grave reservations about handing over her passport but, as usual, Brooke’s domineering personality bulldozes over Milly’s much more compliant one. While speeding to the airport together in a limousine in order for Brooke to catch her flight, Brooke insists that Milly switch outfits with her, including handing Milly her wedding and engagement rings to put on, and she takes possession of Milly’s passport. Suddenly, there is a tremendous crash, and Milly’s last conscious thought is that they are in an accident, and Brooke has forgotten to put back on her seat belt after changing her clothes.
That same day, Lorenzo Tassini, a gorgeous, billionaire banker in his early 30s, is feeling enormous relief that his disastrous, two-year marriage to Brooke, his unfaithful, greedy, nightmare of a wife, is finally about to be over. Just that morning she has signed the legal documents for an uncontested divorce, there being no need to drag things out since Lorenzo had an ironclad pre-nup and has made her a massively generous settlement. Then, out of the blue, he is contacted by the police about a fatal accident. The driver, one of his own staff, is dead, as is a female passenger, and his wife is at the hospital, seriously injured. He’d already begun thinking of himself as no longer her husband but, technically, legally, he still is. Worse, he knows himself to be her only relative. If she is hurt, it is his responsibility, as a human being of basic decency, to make sure her medical needs are met.
At the hospital, a policeman informs Lorenzo that the name of the dead female passenger is Milly Taylor. Lorenzo has never heard of her before, and soon puts her out of his mind as he turns his attention to Brooke. The doctors inform him that Brooke has a serious head injury, needs surgery, and might not survive. She also has facial injuries, and knowing that her beauty means everything to Brooke, Lorenzo engages brilliant plastic surgeons to repair the damage. After brain surgery, his wife is left in a vegetative state, and the doctors inform him that even if she recovers, after such a serious injury, her personality may be changed in some ways, and she will have a very long, slow recovery process. Lorenzo is determined to, in the short term, put the divorce on hold until Brooke is fully well and able to safely live on her own.
That supposedly short-term situation drags out into 15 grueling months of Lorenzo’s estranged wife lying inert in a coma. When she, at long last, finally wakes up, she is suffering from amnesia, and her personality is completely different. No longer self-centered and abrasive, she is instead sweet-natured and soft-spoken. How can this possibly be? Lorenzo is shocked that, of all the unimaginable eventualities, he actually likes and even admires this new version of Brooke. But how long will these positive changes last? He must not allow himself to get attached to his wife, because she might very well revert to the old, nasty Brooke if, or when, she recovers her memory.
As far as I know, this is only the second amnesia plot that LG has ever written, and in the other one, The Banker’s Convenient Wife, it is the hero who has amnesia, and not the heroine. Amnesia is an evergreen trope in every genre of popular storytelling, not just the romance genre, and it can be a whole lot of fun if it is well done. Which it definitely is here, primarily because of the terrific romantic hero.
Lorenzo is an absolute gem of a male protagonist. He is compassionate, loyal, and honorable in the extreme and, of course, tremendously gorgeous and sexy. The mystery of the personality-transplanted wife is not, of course, a terribly difficult one to solve, and I don’t think it is meant to be, since just before the accident we are given a bullhorn of a hint in the form of Milly's commenting on the seat-belt situation, as well as her wearing her sister’s rings. Speaking of the latter, I chuckled with pleasure at this little homage to the adorable romantic-comedy movie, Mrs. Winterbourne.
Overall, this was a really fast, fun read for me from one of my favorite romance authors. I have read very book that LG has ever written, and this novel is a departure for her in that, in spite of the death that begins the book, and the soapy amnesia plotline, it is not very melodramatic at all compared to many of her other books. I think this is so because Lorenzo is not her typical, brusque, alpha hero, and there is no evil Other Woman, or evil, conniving mother of the heroine acting as antagonists. Those plot devices are quite common in the Harlequin Presents line, and LG does them well, but I actually like this story much better. The main plot antagonist is not an actual person, but rather the amnesia itself.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Amnesia Plot: 3 stars
Writing: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
Outstanding, romantic hero in a fun, amnesia plot
Milly Taylor first met her 24-year-old half-sister, Brooke Jackson, when Milly was 18 and just released from foster care. She'd always known she was illegitimate. Her mother had been a model who'd had a long-running affair with Milly's father, a wealthy wine importer. He’d never paid any attention to Milly and had died from a heart attack when she was only nine. Her mother had died two years after her father, and Milly had been remanded to foster care for seven, long years. She had never imagined the possibility of being sought out by her father’s legitimate daughter, and was overjoyed to have a chance to bond with her sister. Lonely, alienated Milly was greatly moved by the fact that she and beautiful, vivacious Brooke were each other's only living relatives, Brooke's mother being deceased as well. Their close blood tie impressed Milly far more than the extreme contrasts between their social positions in life. Milly lived in abject poverty, and her prospects were poor, while Brooke was a jet-setting, trust-fund baby, who was constantly followed by the paparazzi.
In spite of the hard knocks that life had dealt her, Milly had retained a sweet, compassionate nature and was eager to be of service to her sister. And right from the start, spoiled, narcissistic Brooke made it perfectly plain that she had a shocking need for Milly to fill. She wanted Milly to be able to, at a moment’s notice, act as Brooke's body double, taking over for her at boring, socialite events she was committed to but could not opt out of, and also to throw the paparazzi off the scent when she wanted to be left alone. Brooke considered this switch-up completely feasible, because they both resembled their mutual father to such a remarkable degree that they could have been twins, except for two things: Millie was an inch shorter and quite a bit curvier than skinny Brooke, and Milly had a large bump on her nose. The curves could be toned down by Milly going on a diet, Brooke proclaimed, but the nose problem required a much more drastic intervention. Brooke insisted that Milly get plastic surgery at Brooke’s expense in order to make her nose look just like Brooke's. At first Milly refused her sister’s outrageous request, but Brooke threw a huge tantrum, then cut off all contact with Milly for six, nail-biting weeks. And when Brooke finally contacted her again and renewed her demand, out of a desperate desire to stay connected to her sister at any cost, Milly surrendered.
At the start of the story, this unhealthy, one-sided, stand-in arrangement has been going on for a full five years, but mild-mannered Milly is finally ready to take a stand and call it quits, ending her ongoing impersonations of her sister. It has finally gotten through her hopelessly naïve head that Brooke is cold to the bone, and nothing Milly can do will ever win the love of a sister who has no regard for anyone but herself. However, in spite of herself, Milly’s overabundance of empathy causes her to get sucked once more into Brooke’s latest sob story. Brooke informs Milly she is going through a terrible divorce from her husband, a rich, stuffy banker. She claims he has unjustly accused her of having an affair, which is his grounds for their divorce. She complains that she desperately wants to get away from all the stress the divorce has caused and enjoy a relaxing little holiday to lick her wounds—which she can only do if Milly helps her keep the nosy paparazzi away. She needs Milly, while acting the part of Brooke, to ostentatiously make her way to a ritzy hotel that Brooke will pay for, and hide out in a hotel room for a few weeks while the real Brooke, masquerading as Milly, borrows her sister’s passport and identity to go abroad incognito. Milly has grave reservations about handing over her passport but, as usual, Brooke’s domineering personality bulldozes over Milly’s much more compliant one. While speeding to the airport together in a limousine in order for Brooke to catch her flight, Brooke insists that Milly switch outfits with her, including handing Milly her wedding and engagement rings to put on, and she takes possession of Milly’s passport. Suddenly, there is a tremendous crash, and Milly’s last conscious thought is that they are in an accident, and Brooke has forgotten to put back on her seat belt after changing her clothes.
That same day, Lorenzo Tassini, a gorgeous, billionaire banker in his early 30s, is feeling enormous relief that his disastrous, two-year marriage to Brooke, his unfaithful, greedy, nightmare of a wife, is finally about to be over. Just that morning she has signed the legal documents for an uncontested divorce, there being no need to drag things out since Lorenzo had an ironclad pre-nup and has made her a massively generous settlement. Then, out of the blue, he is contacted by the police about a fatal accident. The driver, one of his own staff, is dead, as is a female passenger, and his wife is at the hospital, seriously injured. He’d already begun thinking of himself as no longer her husband but, technically, legally, he still is. Worse, he knows himself to be her only relative. If she is hurt, it is his responsibility, as a human being of basic decency, to make sure her medical needs are met.
At the hospital, a policeman informs Lorenzo that the name of the dead female passenger is Milly Taylor. Lorenzo has never heard of her before, and soon puts her out of his mind as he turns his attention to Brooke. The doctors inform him that Brooke has a serious head injury, needs surgery, and might not survive. She also has facial injuries, and knowing that her beauty means everything to Brooke, Lorenzo engages brilliant plastic surgeons to repair the damage. After brain surgery, his wife is left in a vegetative state, and the doctors inform him that even if she recovers, after such a serious injury, her personality may be changed in some ways, and she will have a very long, slow recovery process. Lorenzo is determined to, in the short term, put the divorce on hold until Brooke is fully well and able to safely live on her own.
That supposedly short-term situation drags out into 15 grueling months of Lorenzo’s estranged wife lying inert in a coma. When she, at long last, finally wakes up, she is suffering from amnesia, and her personality is completely different. No longer self-centered and abrasive, she is instead sweet-natured and soft-spoken. How can this possibly be? Lorenzo is shocked that, of all the unimaginable eventualities, he actually likes and even admires this new version of Brooke. But how long will these positive changes last? He must not allow himself to get attached to his wife, because she might very well revert to the old, nasty Brooke if, or when, she recovers her memory.
As far as I know, this is only the second amnesia plot that LG has ever written, and in the other one, The Banker’s Convenient Wife, it is the hero who has amnesia, and not the heroine. Amnesia is an evergreen trope in every genre of popular storytelling, not just the romance genre, and it can be a whole lot of fun if it is well done. Which it definitely is here, primarily because of the terrific romantic hero.
Lorenzo is an absolute gem of a male protagonist. He is compassionate, loyal, and honorable in the extreme and, of course, tremendously gorgeous and sexy. The mystery of the personality-transplanted wife is not, of course, a terribly difficult one to solve, and I don’t think it is meant to be, since just before the accident we are given a bullhorn of a hint in the form of Milly's commenting on the seat-belt situation, as well as her wearing her sister’s rings. Speaking of the latter, I chuckled with pleasure at this little homage to the adorable romantic-comedy movie, Mrs. Winterbourne.
Overall, this was a really fast, fun read for me from one of my favorite romance authors. I have read very book that LG has ever written, and this novel is a departure for her in that, in spite of the death that begins the book, and the soapy amnesia plotline, it is not very melodramatic at all compared to many of her other books. I think this is so because Lorenzo is not her typical, brusque, alpha hero, and there is no evil Other Woman, or evil, conniving mother of the heroine acting as antagonists. Those plot devices are quite common in the Harlequin Presents line, and LG does them well, but I actually like this story much better. The main plot antagonist is not an actual person, but rather the amnesia itself.
I rate this book as follows:
Heroine: 4 stars
Hero: 5 stars
Romance Plot: 5 stars
Amnesia Plot: 3 stars
Writing: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
December 25, 2021
4.5***
I’d read an Abby Green book this week with same trope as this one --heroine ending up with amnesia after being in an accident with her sister, who dies in the accident, then due to mix up in their identities at the time of accident, heroine is mistaken as hero’s wife and goes to live with him. At first I thought of skipping this one, but since I love Lynne Graham I couldn't not read it.
Glad I did, because I loved this as much as Abby Green’s book.
Loved both H-h, Lorenzo & Milly. They were both good people.
Although Lorenzo had been finalizing his divorce from his wife Brooke (Milly’s half-sister) who had betrayed him again and again with other men, he didn’t abandon her when she was in coma for 15 months and continued to pay for her medical expenses and got her face that had been damaged beyond repair fixed with plastic surgery even if it was out of duty. Also, how bad he felt for her that she had no one beside him.
I also liked how he kept fighting with himself not to succumb to his rekindled desire for his amnesiac wife who seemed to have had a total personality change –good change—with her accident but eventually decides to give them both a second chance.
Usually I don’t like either MCs having had a sexual relationship with the other’s sibling too, but somehow it didn’t bother me here. I suppose it’s because there wasn’t any closeness between Milly & Brooke. Milly seemed just a doppelganger of Brooke’s whom she’d found and used to suit her purpose and also perhaps because Lorenzo hated Brooke so much and had no feelings for her at all.
I loved the time the two spent in Italy after they decided to give their marriage a second chance, especially when Milly cooks for Lorenzo.
Also, the shock when Milly gets back her memory and realizes she slept with her sister’s husband. And, Lorenzo’s dilemma too, his desire for Milly and the life they'd lived for one month believing to be married to each other as well his suspicions whether Milly was just like Brooke considering she helped Brooke in her deceptions
And, the scene when Milly tells Lorenzo about her pregnancy was so much fun. Had a good laugh when she said "You never mentioned you were infertile," in reply to his "Pregnant by me?" Also, how his jealousy rears when she said, "I don't have anyone to compare you to with yet" considering she was a virgin before they made love.
Epilogue was nice but I would've preferred them with their newborn or toddler baby.
Overall, a fun read.
I’d read an Abby Green book this week with same trope as this one --heroine ending up with amnesia after being in an accident with her sister, who dies in the accident, then due to mix up in their identities at the time of accident, heroine is mistaken as hero’s wife and goes to live with him. At first I thought of skipping this one, but since I love Lynne Graham I couldn't not read it.
Glad I did, because I loved this as much as Abby Green’s book.
Loved both H-h, Lorenzo & Milly. They were both good people.
Although Lorenzo had been finalizing his divorce from his wife Brooke (Milly’s half-sister) who had betrayed him again and again with other men, he didn’t abandon her when she was in coma for 15 months and continued to pay for her medical expenses and got her face that had been damaged beyond repair fixed with plastic surgery even if it was out of duty. Also, how bad he felt for her that she had no one beside him.
I also liked how he kept fighting with himself not to succumb to his rekindled desire for his amnesiac wife who seemed to have had a total personality change –good change—with her accident but eventually decides to give them both a second chance.
Usually I don’t like either MCs having had a sexual relationship with the other’s sibling too, but somehow it didn’t bother me here. I suppose it’s because there wasn’t any closeness between Milly & Brooke. Milly seemed just a doppelganger of Brooke’s whom she’d found and used to suit her purpose and also perhaps because Lorenzo hated Brooke so much and had no feelings for her at all.
I loved the time the two spent in Italy after they decided to give their marriage a second chance, especially when Milly cooks for Lorenzo.
Also, the shock when Milly gets back her memory and realizes she slept with her sister’s husband. And, Lorenzo’s dilemma too, his desire for Milly and the life they'd lived for one month believing to be married to each other as well his suspicions whether Milly was just like Brooke considering she helped Brooke in her deceptions
And, the scene when Milly tells Lorenzo about her pregnancy was so much fun. Had a good laugh when she said "You never mentioned you were infertile," in reply to his "Pregnant by me?" Also, how his jealousy rears when she said, "I don't have anyone to compare you to with yet" considering she was a virgin before they made love.
Epilogue was nice but I would've preferred them with their newborn or toddler baby.
Overall, a fun read.
March 29, 2020
I have been waiting for this book for quite awhile especially after from Lynne Graham that this had an amnesia storyline, which had been a storyline she hadn’t quite done in awhile. So, I was really anticipating this one and started reading it as soon as I got into my little hand.
The beginning started off quite promising. The setup was interesting with Brooke, Milly’s sister, who was an absolute abusive, manipulated jerk to her half sister sweet, innocent Milly. There was so much conflict between these two that really setup the intense emotional storyline that I was sure to come as the book progressed. But was more interesting was the fact that Brooke treated Milly horribly when she was doing Brooke a favor in the first place by switching places with her so Brooke could get away from her soon to be ex husband as well as the press, who followed her every move. They did a whole elaborate ruse to convince the world that Brooke was Milly and Milly was Brooke by switching clothes, jewelry, and even identification. But then tragedy happened with a devastating car accident as a result.
What made it even more interesting was the fact that as result of the car accident Milly was severely injured and took nearly 15 months to recover before ever waking up again, and not knowing who she was. In fact she was told that she was Brooke and married to Lorenzo, but Milly had no recognition not either fact. Now do the fact the girls switched places in the limo before the car accident there was a bit of mistaken identity combined with the amnesia trope, which just put whole other spin on the story than I thought was going to put on the story. That really had me intrigued to see how that played out in the story especially knowing that Lorenzo wasn’t exactly his ex’s biggest fan. Believing Milly was his soon to be ex wife, he vowed to take care of Milly and not reveal about the past since Milly had amnesia.
He did see a difference in personality as soon as Milly woke up, but figured it was due to amnesia and didn’t put two and two together that she could be someone else. He didn’t have a reason to even question it all. He had didn’t even know that Brooke had a look a like sister, let alone have a sister. So, he didn’t have a single clue that would have pointed him to that. But despite the fact that he saw who he believed was his wife acting differently, that didn’t mean he wasn’t suspicious that she wouldn’t go back to normal once her memory returned fully so he kept his distance in the beginning.
From the sound of those two tropes mixed together, it should have been an intriguing and exciting read and just something from anything that I have read in the Presents line, but to be honest it was kind of dull and boring. There wasn’t that much conflict between Milly and Lorenzo in the story. Now I understand that experts said that Lorenzo shouldn’t remind Milly of the past, even though it wasn’t Milly’s past though he didn’t know that at the time, and the fact that they were planning on divorcing because of Brooke’s cheating. So I was expecting there to be a lot of tension and friction between them because of that, but there wasn’t. Granted Milly wasn’t the reason for the tension, but Lorenzo thought that she was, however he remained very aloof and standoffish. Yes, that was due to his feelings towards Brooke while thinking it was Brooke that had amnesia not Milly, but still there should have been a little bit more tension and angst between. Some type of sparking excitement that carried the story along, but there just wasn’t. It was just flat and kind of boring. Yes, there was one blowup between them which lead to an intense emotional moment that lead to a soothing comforting moment, but that was it. Aside from the sexy times that followed that scene, there was a lot going on from an emotional standpoint or an angsty one either. There was just no thrill there. No excitement. It was just boring and not as intense or as emotional of a story as I would have liked or expected. There was just a lack of connection to the story for me.
Now their chemistry was pretty good and was what they had going for them the most. Yes, there were moments when he liked her kindness and generosity that he never experienced before from her, but for the most part it was physical attraction on his part. He just kept stated that he wanted her and was drawn to her physical way, but nothing really about her emotional pull for him. Anyway they had quite a few passionate scenes in the book. That was the most exciting part of the entire relationship. They were pretty steamy together, but it was more about the physical part than the emotional part I felt it. It didn’t felt like they made love because they wanted to just be closer to one another or bond with one another, but more about the physical release than anything else, or least that what I felt. I just wished there were more raw moments between them in the aftermath of their lovemaking then it would have been more satisfying I think. In fact aside from bedroom time they didn’t really spend a lot of time together and forging that close bond with one another.
Then when the revelation came when they found out the truth that kind of fell flat too. Yes, there was shock. Yes, there was confusion. Yes, there were emotions there, but not as many as I was expecting. I thought that when the reveal came that it would be a lot more intense. A lot more emotional. A lot more angsty. Just so much more than the flat response that it felt. There were none of the feels there. It was just there and felt more neutral. There was just so something missing there that just didn’t feel right at all.
I feel that there wasn’t enough of a transformation or growth in this book for Lorenzo. The reason being was because really wasn’t that alpha for me and didn’t really did to do these big grand sweeping changes that a typical alpha would normal do. Granted he was trying to be kind especially with Milly having amnesia and trying to take care of her, but he didn’t really display those alpha qualities that Lynne Graham usually has in her books. He just didn’t have an edge to him. His emotional conflict was weak. He didn’t really have to work though any demons throughout the book aside from the fact he was trying to fall for his “wife” again, but even was weak and not as intense as I would have liked. And on the other hand, he didn’t do some over the top romantic gestures either. I mean he did comfort Milly after his little blowup, but that was about as tender and loving of a gesture he made towards her. So, he was really bland and uninteresting hero for me. I just didn’t connect to him at all. I need my jerky hero back hence increasing the intensity between the couple.
Overall, I was expecting so much more the amnesia plot line that would have brought a spark and excitement to the story and all while adding all types of intensity to the story that would have just sucked me into the story and make me want to consume it, but I didn’t. Just the angst and emotional intensity was really missing for me throughout. There was not a lot of transformation or growth for the characters. I really didn’t feel the bond between them aside from the physical side of their relationship. I couldn’t feel the draw between them. I didn’t feel them falling in love. I just didn’t feel the connection between the two. I just really didn’t feel the connection to the story at all once the accident happened. It just felt really flat to me and boring at times that I had to skim it just to get through it. They just weren’t a compelling of a couple in my opinion. This was a disappointing read for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 2, 2020
This. Was. A. Fabulous. Read. Pinot and this book goes fabulous together....if your pairing. Loved it. So car accident...wrong girl identified... marriage.
What did I like? Only these Harlequin novels can grab me and give me a twirl. Lust...money...pleasure... it’s all here. Grab it and get your fill.
Would I buy or recommend? Yesssss....giiiirrrrrllll. Lorenzo is a banker but his soul calls for this girl. You can’t go wrong with a Harlequin.... you just can’t. HEA’s galore.
Thoughts for the author.... quickie but a good one... loved it.
What did I like? Only these Harlequin novels can grab me and give me a twirl. Lust...money...pleasure... it’s all here. Grab it and get your fill.
Would I buy or recommend? Yesssss....giiiirrrrrllll. Lorenzo is a banker but his soul calls for this girl. You can’t go wrong with a Harlequin.... you just can’t. HEA’s galore.
Thoughts for the author.... quickie but a good one... loved it.
March 8, 2020
7 boring chapters !!!!
The last 3 chapters were the best because she remembered everything, the pregnancy and the way he treated her .
But I loved Milly she is a good person , Lorenzo was ok 🙄 a little bit boring ( not mean) I love mean Heroes!!!! Yes 😁
loved the ending but....LG can do so much better!
The last 3 chapters were the best because she remembered everything, the pregnancy and the way he treated her .
But I loved Milly she is a good person , Lorenzo was ok 🙄 a little bit boring ( not mean) I love mean Heroes!!!! Yes 😁
loved the ending but....LG can do so much better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2021
So this had all the makings for something juicy but it failed to be very memorable. Twin swap, amnesia, the hero assuming the worst, surprise virgin…
The H was a good person who was faithful to his wife even when the wife was a terrible person. He never stepped over the line in any way. 🥱
The h was sweet and kind and good and selfless. 😴
Everything is talked out reasonably, like they are adults or something. 😐
She doesn’t even run away in hysterics when she finds she’s pregnant. 🤡
Anyway, if you like a little drama but want the adults to be calm and rational, this is your book. 🤷🏼♀️
For the rest of us unabashed drama-llamas, it’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️, at best. 😬
⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW/OM drama
- no dubcon 😭😭😭
The H was a good person who was faithful to his wife even when the wife was a terrible person. He never stepped over the line in any way. 🥱
The h was sweet and kind and good and selfless. 😴
Everything is talked out reasonably, like they are adults or something. 😐
She doesn’t even run away in hysterics when she finds she’s pregnant. 🤡
Anyway, if you like a little drama but want the adults to be calm and rational, this is your book. 🤷🏼♀️
For the rest of us unabashed drama-llamas, it’s ⭐️⭐️⭐️, at best. 😬
⚠️FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW/OM drama
- no dubcon 😭😭😭
March 16, 2025
So wonderful
And just a little icky. She is the half sister to the hero's wife. They look alike and the wife was an evil person too. She used her sister to.take.her place at events as her double so she could be doing something else like cheating on her husband and being a.major witch.they are getting a divorce when.the car the wife and the heroine were riding it is in an accident the wife is killed and is carrying.Molly's passport so they thonk.its her. She is in.a coma for almost two years and when she wakes up she has amnesia. Leo thinks it is his wife. But she is so different. I loved watching them fall in love.I thin this was just so lovely. There is angst but the heroine was so honest with him and I just knew it was going to work out. And the epilogue was amazing.
And just a little icky. She is the half sister to the hero's wife. They look alike and the wife was an evil person too. She used her sister to.take.her place at events as her double so she could be doing something else like cheating on her husband and being a.major witch.they are getting a divorce when.the car the wife and the heroine were riding it is in an accident the wife is killed and is carrying.Molly's passport so they thonk.its her. She is in.a coma for almost two years and when she wakes up she has amnesia. Leo thinks it is his wife. But she is so different. I loved watching them fall in love.I thin this was just so lovely. There is angst but the heroine was so honest with him and I just knew it was going to work out. And the epilogue was amazing.
July 31, 2020
LG delivers for me again after a long time. I was concerned going into this one knowing the H was married to the h’s sister, which made me squeamish, but it worked. The couple is super cute and romantic without it being boring, and writing and creating characters like that takes skill! I also liked that there wasn’t a constant battle of push and pull between H & h. They acknowledged there were things about each other that were red flags but they chose to live in the present and enjoy being together.
March 3, 2020
It's surprisingly good.
October 11, 2020
Good but average. In my opinion, LG wrote much better stories...
March 6, 2020
Oops. Review edited as original notes was for another book. Sorry about that!
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I am not a fan of "double dipping".
I'm a big fan of Lynne Graham and I will continue to read anything from her, but this one just didn't work for me unfortunately. The romance was not very believable either.
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I am not a fan of "double dipping".
I'm a big fan of Lynne Graham and I will continue to read anything from her, but this one just didn't work for me unfortunately. The romance was not very believable either.
May 31, 2020
Lynne Graham makin ke sini makin bagus bikin karakter cowoknya. Dulu-dulu kan aduduh banget cowoknya ya kadang minta digeplak pake gayung besi (emang ada gitu gayung dari besi? Wkwkwk). Kayaknya bukan cuma LG sih, Harlequin secara umum makin mendingan nyajiin karakter cowoknya dan ceweknya juga. Tapi tetep masih ada "napas" harlequin-nya.
January 18, 2022
I enjoyed this book and it was nothing like I thought it would be. The story line was interesting. My only troubled spot was what followed the h's nightmare that awakened her memories from amnesia. All the sudden the story advances a month ahead and I was thrown completely out of the story. I got back into it but it felt like something was missing since we weren't privy to the hero's reaction to finding out the truth about his wife and the half-sister.
He allowed the h to believe she had been dumped and unwanted by him. He was a bit fickle. He didn't want her and the next moment he couldn't live without her. Then he was back to not wantIng her and a breath later he wanted her desperately. (Dear Fickle Hero, make up your mind. You caused me to feel that your heroine was not truly or deeply loved or important to you.)
The h was a half sister to his now dead wife, who was killed in an accident in the first chapter. Deceased wife was a wicked, horrible person. But since they were related, even though they didn't meet until they were in their twenties and had very little to do with each other, hero automatically assumed the h would be just like her evil sister. Our hero was a beta but I liked both MC. Had a good ending but I still felt thrown off by his treatment of the heroine when her memory returned. That was all off screen and I felt like I missed a very important piece of the story.
I certainly liked it enough to recommend.
He allowed the h to believe she had been dumped and unwanted by him. He was a bit fickle. He didn't want her and the next moment he couldn't live without her. Then he was back to not wantIng her and a breath later he wanted her desperately. (Dear Fickle Hero, make up your mind. You caused me to feel that your heroine was not truly or deeply loved or important to you.)
The h was a half sister to his now dead wife, who was killed in an accident in the first chapter. Deceased wife was a wicked, horrible person. But since they were related, even though they didn't meet until they were in their twenties and had very little to do with each other, hero automatically assumed the h would be just like her evil sister. Our hero was a beta but I liked both MC. Had a good ending but I still felt thrown off by his treatment of the heroine when her memory returned. That was all off screen and I felt like I missed a very important piece of the story.
I certainly liked it enough to recommend.
March 7, 2020
The Innocent's Forgotten Wedding
Passion in Paradise Series #7
Lynne Graham
https://www.lynnegraham.com
Release date 04/01/2020
Publisher Harlequin Presents
Blurb :
The Italian husband she can’t remember
…or resist!
After a terrible car crash, Brooke can’t remember her own name—much less her wedding day! Finding irresistible Lorenzo Tassini at her bedside—and a gold band on her finger—is shocking.
Honor-bound to care for his estranged wife, Lorenzo whisks her to his luxury Tuscan villa. But Brooke’s nothing like Lorenzo remembers! Her sweetness surprises him, as does the chemistry between them, blazing like never before. Stunned to discover her virginity, Lorenzo must uncover the secrets of the woman wearing his ring…
My review :
When two strangers meet under straining circumstances, can they make things work together ...
I was looking for a short read and this one was awaiting me for some days.
It is a sweet and fast paced read of two persons who would never have meet if not for the manipulative person who played with their feelings.
Milly/Brooke used to play her half sister’s games, feeling guilty for her parents relationship. And if not for the car crash, it would have been her last time falling in her sibling’s web.
But now she awakens in a strange place, with an unfamiliar man, and she is said he is her husband.
Lorenzo was blinded by his wife beauty, why he didn’t saw at first how Brooke played him. So when is soon-to-be-ex wife comes back a very different woman, he does not know how to react. This new Brooke is everything he had wanted his wife to be. But what if it is a ruse, what if when she gets her memories back, she reverts to her old self.
So when Lorenzo tries to keep her at arms length, Brooke wants only to save her marriage as she is falling for this stranger who is so full of contradictions. But when the past collides with the present, what future will they have.
A lovely read with a bit of steam and two people who get to know one another by correcting their past mistakes.
4,5 stars, as as much I was angry at Lorenzo first reaction to the truth, I also understood his position, a bit of groveling could have been nice instead of the all caveman attitude but it was cute.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Harlequin, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
Passion in Paradise Series #7
Lynne Graham
https://www.lynnegraham.com
Release date 04/01/2020
Publisher Harlequin Presents
Blurb :
The Italian husband she can’t remember
…or resist!
After a terrible car crash, Brooke can’t remember her own name—much less her wedding day! Finding irresistible Lorenzo Tassini at her bedside—and a gold band on her finger—is shocking.
Honor-bound to care for his estranged wife, Lorenzo whisks her to his luxury Tuscan villa. But Brooke’s nothing like Lorenzo remembers! Her sweetness surprises him, as does the chemistry between them, blazing like never before. Stunned to discover her virginity, Lorenzo must uncover the secrets of the woman wearing his ring…
My review :
When two strangers meet under straining circumstances, can they make things work together ...
I was looking for a short read and this one was awaiting me for some days.
It is a sweet and fast paced read of two persons who would never have meet if not for the manipulative person who played with their feelings.
Milly/Brooke used to play her half sister’s games, feeling guilty for her parents relationship. And if not for the car crash, it would have been her last time falling in her sibling’s web.
But now she awakens in a strange place, with an unfamiliar man, and she is said he is her husband.
Lorenzo was blinded by his wife beauty, why he didn’t saw at first how Brooke played him. So when is soon-to-be-ex wife comes back a very different woman, he does not know how to react. This new Brooke is everything he had wanted his wife to be. But what if it is a ruse, what if when she gets her memories back, she reverts to her old self.
So when Lorenzo tries to keep her at arms length, Brooke wants only to save her marriage as she is falling for this stranger who is so full of contradictions. But when the past collides with the present, what future will they have.
A lovely read with a bit of steam and two people who get to know one another by correcting their past mistakes.
4,5 stars, as as much I was angry at Lorenzo first reaction to the truth, I also understood his position, a bit of groveling could have been nice instead of the all caveman attitude but it was cute.
I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Harlequin, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
October 26, 2020
4,5 estrellas
Lorenzo Tassini es un banquero multimillonario casado con una mujer frívola e infiel. Cuando al fin la convence para firmar el divorcio ella sufre un grave accidente. Cuando despierta resulta tener amnesia y ni siquiera recuerda estar casada. Lorenzo paraliza el divorcio y se la lleva a casa para que se recupere. Allí descubre a una Brooke amable y considerada, muy diferente a la mujer egoísta con la que se casó.
No quiero hablaros demasiado de la trama, aunque ya en el primer capítulo queda claro por donde va a tirar la autora. Pero el que sea previsible no le resta ni un poquito de interés a la lectura.
Los personajes son geniales y las interacciones entre ellos me han gustado mucho.
Lorenzo no ve la hora de librarse de su esposa, pero desde el momento en que le comunican el accidente se porta de manera responsable y se ocupa de ella.
Brooke por su parte no le recuerda y él apenas le cuenta nada del pasado por consejo de los médicos. Pero la muchacha pronto se da cuenta de que las cosas entre ellos no iban bien. Y pone todo de su parte para ser mejor persona y rescatar lo poco que queda de su matrimonio.
La novela es muy fácil de leer y totalmente adictiva. Te metes de lleno en la historia y no puedes parar de leer.
Lynne Graham es una de mis autoras favoritas y suele ser una apuesta segura. Y con su última publicación no ha sido diferente, me ha tenido tan atrapada que me lo he leído prácticamente del tirón. Tengo un par de series suyas sin leer y estoy deseando hacerlo.
Lorenzo Tassini es un banquero multimillonario casado con una mujer frívola e infiel. Cuando al fin la convence para firmar el divorcio ella sufre un grave accidente. Cuando despierta resulta tener amnesia y ni siquiera recuerda estar casada. Lorenzo paraliza el divorcio y se la lleva a casa para que se recupere. Allí descubre a una Brooke amable y considerada, muy diferente a la mujer egoísta con la que se casó.
No quiero hablaros demasiado de la trama, aunque ya en el primer capítulo queda claro por donde va a tirar la autora. Pero el que sea previsible no le resta ni un poquito de interés a la lectura.
Los personajes son geniales y las interacciones entre ellos me han gustado mucho.
Lorenzo no ve la hora de librarse de su esposa, pero desde el momento en que le comunican el accidente se porta de manera responsable y se ocupa de ella.
Brooke por su parte no le recuerda y él apenas le cuenta nada del pasado por consejo de los médicos. Pero la muchacha pronto se da cuenta de que las cosas entre ellos no iban bien. Y pone todo de su parte para ser mejor persona y rescatar lo poco que queda de su matrimonio.
La novela es muy fácil de leer y totalmente adictiva. Te metes de lleno en la historia y no puedes parar de leer.
Lynne Graham es una de mis autoras favoritas y suele ser una apuesta segura. Y con su última publicación no ha sido diferente, me ha tenido tan atrapada que me lo he leído prácticamente del tirón. Tengo un par de series suyas sin leer y estoy deseando hacerlo.
March 2, 2020
More like 3 and half.
I liked the story. But did not love it. Mostly because it was constantly there in the back of my mind that he was married to her half-sister and it was a real marriage of sorts.
I would have been happier if that marriage was fake. The constant comparison was also annoying.
However, both the MC's were likeable and I did want them to be together but then I would think about the dead sister and well.... Eww! Not a fan of keeping it in the family!!
That thought alone made me somewhat uncomfortable with this book. But it is good and I know most of the readers are going to love it.
I liked the story. But did not love it. Mostly because it was constantly there in the back of my mind that he was married to her half-sister and it was a real marriage of sorts.
I would have been happier if that marriage was fake. The constant comparison was also annoying.
However, both the MC's were likeable and I did want them to be together but then I would think about the dead sister and well.... Eww! Not a fan of keeping it in the family!!
That thought alone made me somewhat uncomfortable with this book. But it is good and I know most of the readers are going to love it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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