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Royal and Ruthless #2
Veretti's Dark Vengeance
Arrogant Italian nobleman Salvatore Veretti is furious to hear that a young, beautiful model has inherited the company that was rightfully his. Clearly she's after the family gold! Salvatore will heartlessly reclaim what he's owed—and he'll show this impudent female just how out of her depth she is.
But after meeting naively determined Helena, Salvatore changes tactics…. No longer satisfied with throwing her out of the business, he'll take his vengeance between the sheets!
But after meeting naively determined Helena, Salvatore changes tactics…. No longer satisfied with throwing her out of the business, he'll take his vengeance between the sheets!
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 2009
About the author
Lucy Gordon
713 books90 followersChristine Sparks was born in England, UK. She wanted to be a writer all her life, and began by working on a British women's magazine. As a features writer, she gained a wide variety of experience. She interviewed some of the world's most attractive and interesting men, including Warren Beatty, Richard Chamberlain, Charlton Heston, Sir Roger Moore, Sir Alec Guiness.
Single life was so enjoyable that she put marriage, and even romance, on the back burner, while she went about the world having a great time. Then, while on vacation in Venice, she met a tall, dark handsome Venetian artist, who changed all her ideas in a moment, and proposed on the second day. Three months later they were married. Her friends said a whirlwind romance would never last, but they celebrated their 25 anniversary, they are still married, still happy and in love.
After 13 years on the magazine Christine decided that it was now or never if she was ever going to write that novel. So she wrote Legacy of Fire which became a Silhouette Special Edition, followed by another, Enchantment in Venice. Then she did something crazy gave up her job. Since then she has concentrated entirely on writing romances for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette and has written over 75 books. Her settings have been European and her heroes mainly English or Italian. Christine now claims to be an expert on one particular subject. Italian men are the most romantic in the world. They are also the best cooks.
A few years ago she and her husband returned to Venice and lived there for a couple of years. This proved the perfect base for exploring the rest of Italy, and she has given many of her books Italian settings: Venice (of course), Rome, Florence, Milan, Sicily, Tuscany. She has also used the Rhine in Germany for Song of the Lorelei, for which she won her first RITA Award, in 1991. Her second RITA came in 1998, with His Brother's Child, set in Rome.
Eventually Christine Fiorotto and her husband returned to England, where they now live. She write and he paints, they have no children, but have a cat and a dog.
Single life was so enjoyable that she put marriage, and even romance, on the back burner, while she went about the world having a great time. Then, while on vacation in Venice, she met a tall, dark handsome Venetian artist, who changed all her ideas in a moment, and proposed on the second day. Three months later they were married. Her friends said a whirlwind romance would never last, but they celebrated their 25 anniversary, they are still married, still happy and in love.
After 13 years on the magazine Christine decided that it was now or never if she was ever going to write that novel. So she wrote Legacy of Fire which became a Silhouette Special Edition, followed by another, Enchantment in Venice. Then she did something crazy gave up her job. Since then she has concentrated entirely on writing romances for Mills & Boon, Harlequin and Silhouette and has written over 75 books. Her settings have been European and her heroes mainly English or Italian. Christine now claims to be an expert on one particular subject. Italian men are the most romantic in the world. They are also the best cooks.
A few years ago she and her husband returned to Venice and lived there for a couple of years. This proved the perfect base for exploring the rest of Italy, and she has given many of her books Italian settings: Venice (of course), Rome, Florence, Milan, Sicily, Tuscany. She has also used the Rhine in Germany for Song of the Lorelei, for which she won her first RITA Award, in 1991. Her second RITA came in 1998, with His Brother's Child, set in Rome.
Eventually Christine Fiorotto and her husband returned to England, where they now live. She write and he paints, they have no children, but have a cat and a dog.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 23, 2010
This was a reread for me and I loved it even more than I did the first time. Everything just worked for me in this story. The plot was good, the pacing was good, the writing was smooth, the dialogue was clever, and the setting was marvellous. I loved the details of the Venice setting and the ceremony of "marriage" to the sea. The glassmaking details were fun but not overwhelming.
Salvatore and Helena are at odds because she has inherited her dead husband Antonio's (Salvatore's father's cousin) share of the Veretti family's glass factories. Antonio was much older (it's made clear early on that he and Helena never slept together, for those who might be squicked). Salvatore starts off as an angry, vengeful man who believes that Helena is a gold-digger who doesn't deserve her inheritance, but he soon comes to realize otherwise. She challenges him and neatly turns the tables on him once or twice, and he learns that he cannot bully her into leaving Venice and eventually that he really doesn't want to. He becomes oddly protective of her, and despite himself wants her to succeed. He's still a HP hero so he resists falling in love for a time, but he's never a jerk and mellows out quite a bit before he alphas up again at the end and kidnaps the heroine to keep her from leaving.
Helena is strong without being bitchy or foot-stompingly "feisty". I liked that she's tall and voluptuous, and intelligent too - she shows that she is a fast learner but doesn't unrealistically take over the whole factory and become an overnight expert. Her flair for the dramatic makes her seem more real and not too perfect. The only thing I didn't like about her was that she could eat all she wanted and not gain weight (hey, I got issues ok?). It seemed like she and Salvatore were always having dinner together, and I spent way too much time imagining all that fantastic Venetian cooking (see issues mentioned above).
Which brings me to my next point. For 2 people who start off disliking each other and are business rivals, Salvatore and Helena spend a lot of time in each other's company. There is a lot of chemistry and tension between them, and while they banter ostensibly about business, the sexual undercurrents are blazingly obvious. This is a steamier HP than most, and Salvatore and Helena do a lot of lovemaking as well as fine dining. It's very tasteful and sensuous, and fits in naturally with the story. I liked their one-upmanship, which never veers into cruelty. The devil's head was funny! There's a misunderstanding near the end of course, but even it makes more sense than these misunderstandings usually do.
With the focus so much on the hero and heroine, there aren't a lot of secondary characters. Salvatore's snobby old grandma makes an attempt to drive the wedge between them deeper at the end, explaining to Helena that Salvatore distrusts all women and sees them all as tramps. Antonio despite being dead is the strongest secondary character, coming across vividly as a charming, pleasure-loving old reprobate with a kind heart. I'm not going to say more about the ending except that it is very sweet :-)
Salvatore and Helena are at odds because she has inherited her dead husband Antonio's (Salvatore's father's cousin) share of the Veretti family's glass factories. Antonio was much older (it's made clear early on that he and Helena never slept together, for those who might be squicked). Salvatore starts off as an angry, vengeful man who believes that Helena is a gold-digger who doesn't deserve her inheritance, but he soon comes to realize otherwise. She challenges him and neatly turns the tables on him once or twice, and he learns that he cannot bully her into leaving Venice and eventually that he really doesn't want to. He becomes oddly protective of her, and despite himself wants her to succeed. He's still a HP hero so he resists falling in love for a time, but he's never a jerk and mellows out quite a bit before he alphas up again at the end and kidnaps the heroine to keep her from leaving.
Helena is strong without being bitchy or foot-stompingly "feisty". I liked that she's tall and voluptuous, and intelligent too - she shows that she is a fast learner but doesn't unrealistically take over the whole factory and become an overnight expert. Her flair for the dramatic makes her seem more real and not too perfect. The only thing I didn't like about her was that she could eat all she wanted and not gain weight (hey, I got issues ok?). It seemed like she and Salvatore were always having dinner together, and I spent way too much time imagining all that fantastic Venetian cooking (see issues mentioned above).
Which brings me to my next point. For 2 people who start off disliking each other and are business rivals, Salvatore and Helena spend a lot of time in each other's company. There is a lot of chemistry and tension between them, and while they banter ostensibly about business, the sexual undercurrents are blazingly obvious. This is a steamier HP than most, and Salvatore and Helena do a lot of lovemaking as well as fine dining. It's very tasteful and sensuous, and fits in naturally with the story. I liked their one-upmanship, which never veers into cruelty. The devil's head was funny! There's a misunderstanding near the end of course, but even it makes more sense than these misunderstandings usually do.
With the focus so much on the hero and heroine, there aren't a lot of secondary characters. Salvatore's snobby old grandma makes an attempt to drive the wedge between them deeper at the end, explaining to Helena that Salvatore distrusts all women and sees them all as tramps. Antonio despite being dead is the strongest secondary character, coming across vividly as a charming, pleasure-loving old reprobate with a kind heart. I'm not going to say more about the ending except that it is very sweet :-)
October 5, 2017
An operatic enemies to lovers story - that's the only way I can think of to describe this. The H/h were larger than life. Heroine was "Helen of Troy" a woman of great beauty who hated men. The hero was a man to be feared because of his cunning and ruthlessness, who hated women. This is a matched pair in firepower and in their love of game playing.
I say operatic because of the Venetian setting and how the H/h spar with each other. Some of their staccato conversations could be set to music as they thrust and jab and then echo each other for a bit of harmony.
So plot line - the quasi-virgin widow heroine overhears the hero talking about buying her late husband's glass factory for peanuts because she is a bimbo and doesn't deserve the true value or some such thing. The super model heroine was going to sell but now she is going to stay and fight to keep the glass factory open. The H/h have many, many skirmishes that are described as one or the other "winning." They eventually have sex. Feelings toward one another gentle. Then the hero's glass factory puts out a sculpture called "Helen of Troy" and the heroine feels betrayed.
Why the heroine feels betrayed by a glass sculpture - or why it was considered scandalous - really didn't ring true. But that's the black moment and the hero resolves it in true operatic fashion by kidnapping the heroine so they can finally declare themselves.
So larger than life characters and an amazing Venetian backdrop make for a spectacle of a story which I enjoyed. I didn't feel moved by either character or their problems, however. I think because they were both out of my realm of understanding. Being a super model who can eat anything and never gain weight will never be one of my super powers. :)
I say operatic because of the Venetian setting and how the H/h spar with each other. Some of their staccato conversations could be set to music as they thrust and jab and then echo each other for a bit of harmony.
So plot line - the quasi-virgin widow heroine overhears the hero talking about buying her late husband's glass factory for peanuts because she is a bimbo and doesn't deserve the true value or some such thing. The super model heroine was going to sell but now she is going to stay and fight to keep the glass factory open. The H/h have many, many skirmishes that are described as one or the other "winning." They eventually have sex. Feelings toward one another gentle. Then the hero's glass factory puts out a sculpture called "Helen of Troy" and the heroine feels betrayed.
Why the heroine feels betrayed by a glass sculpture - or why it was considered scandalous - really didn't ring true. But that's the black moment and the hero resolves it in true operatic fashion by kidnapping the heroine so they can finally declare themselves.
So larger than life characters and an amazing Venetian backdrop make for a spectacle of a story which I enjoyed. I didn't feel moved by either character or their problems, however. I think because they were both out of my realm of understanding. Being a super model who can eat anything and never gain weight will never be one of my super powers. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2011
I really liked this but I preferred them fighting over their playing nice. And I dont know where the "Dark Vengeance" part took place. Unless you count giving a woman multiple orgasms as punishment. If so I wish someone would pursue some "Dark Vengeance" towards me. lol
April 9, 2012
I never thought I would write this in an HP review, but I wish the author had put more angst, revenge, and ruthlessness into the story. It could have helped heat up the pages a bit. This was a nice love story, but frankly a little boring. It felt like it was just one big date in Venice. Even the misunderstanding was watered down.
The positives are: the heroine was not TSTL or a doormat. In fact, she was brilliant in business, gorgeous, and could manipulate against the best of them! The hero was a hunk and alpha, but not a jerk. In fact, he was very "Venetian" in his ways...sexy, charismatic, and very very suave. The best character was the dead husband....and the author did a wonderful job in portraying love, commitment and generosity to each other.
The positives are: the heroine was not TSTL or a doormat. In fact, she was brilliant in business, gorgeous, and could manipulate against the best of them! The hero was a hunk and alpha, but not a jerk. In fact, he was very "Venetian" in his ways...sexy, charismatic, and very very suave. The best character was the dead husband....and the author did a wonderful job in portraying love, commitment and generosity to each other.
October 2, 2018
This book reminds me of that joke, “How do porcupines mate? -- Very Carefully.” That’s basically what you have here as Helena, a former model and now a widow, holds all men in contempt because they see only her beauty and the profit they can make from it (and other very good reasons). Meanwhile, Salvatore, believes all women are basically monsters...he goes through life believing they’re soulless whores, seduces them and then walks away triumphant in having his belief validated. So when he learns that Helena has inherited a glass factory from her dead husband (his cousin), which he believes should have stayed in the family, he can only assume that a woman who marries a 60-year-old man must be a money-grubbing slut and he’ll take her to the cleaners when he buys this factory. Helena, however, overhears the conversation and swears she’ll never sell, no matter what he does to try to force her hand. So the competition starts and it’s a constant battle, not only to one-up the other, but to get the other to succumb to the attraction that simmers between them. But as they get closer, become quasi-friends and lovers, it becomes much more difficult to distinguish between what is real and what is part of the competition. And neither is ready to risk their hearts to clear the air.
This really is a very well-written story. When it comes down to it, it has a lot of things that I like to see in a story. I, for one, have always been intrigued by the “mean” hero. He’s not an asshole, but he’s not exactly nice all the time either and he can have some absolutely spectacular asshole moments, but these heroes aren’t frequently written well...as in their frequently totally unlikeable. But this one was done right. Salvatore crosses the line numerous times and for all intents and purposes, should be considered an asshole. But the author also balances out some real charm, some genuine kindness and a sense that he is beyond perplexed by the feelings he’s having for the heroine. The struggle to cope with those feelings and the confusion and imbalance it causes in his life make him a very sympathetic hero despite his asshole moments. Likewise, the heroine isn’t exactly nice. She is strong, she is powerful and she is in Salvatore’s face. She does not take his bullshit. And although his sexual allure does make her melty, she ends up approaching the actual consummation of their relationship as a choice and fully understanding what she’s getting herself into (at least so she thinks). Neither character is particularly soft, yet the vulnerabilities are evident beneath the surface, which makes them likeable despite the tough exterior. I liked that I never struggled to believe that they were falling in love. That’s a pretty tough sell when you’ve got too prickly characters like this, but it was gradual enough and there was enough time spent between them that it was easy to believe. And, yes, although the hero does get a little wacky with the whole kidnapping thing, his and her mutual grovel/revealing of secret histories, really does wrap up this story quite satisfactorily and I didn’t feel like anybody got off too easy.
Now this is where I have to put out there that I don’t love power games between my characters. I like the initial set up of competition, but once it starts becoming the prevailing theme in their romance, it started to bug me a bit. I think this sort of stuff makes me uncomfortable or something. It’s just personal preference really. The constant battle to one-up the other or to demand submission from another (not much of that actually happening, but there’s a perception of it on the part of the MCs), is just tough for me. But I honestly can’t see that this story could have been tackled without it. It’s still a great story even with the power struggle because that constant uncertainty and second guessing as to whether this latest maneuver is genuine or a just another play for dominance in their competition really ratcheted up the angst and the suspense for whether these two could ever finally settle down together.
This really is a very well-written story. When it comes down to it, it has a lot of things that I like to see in a story. I, for one, have always been intrigued by the “mean” hero. He’s not an asshole, but he’s not exactly nice all the time either and he can have some absolutely spectacular asshole moments, but these heroes aren’t frequently written well...as in their frequently totally unlikeable. But this one was done right. Salvatore crosses the line numerous times and for all intents and purposes, should be considered an asshole. But the author also balances out some real charm, some genuine kindness and a sense that he is beyond perplexed by the feelings he’s having for the heroine. The struggle to cope with those feelings and the confusion and imbalance it causes in his life make him a very sympathetic hero despite his asshole moments. Likewise, the heroine isn’t exactly nice. She is strong, she is powerful and she is in Salvatore’s face. She does not take his bullshit. And although his sexual allure does make her melty, she ends up approaching the actual consummation of their relationship as a choice and fully understanding what she’s getting herself into (at least so she thinks). Neither character is particularly soft, yet the vulnerabilities are evident beneath the surface, which makes them likeable despite the tough exterior. I liked that I never struggled to believe that they were falling in love. That’s a pretty tough sell when you’ve got too prickly characters like this, but it was gradual enough and there was enough time spent between them that it was easy to believe. And, yes, although the hero does get a little wacky with the whole kidnapping thing, his and her mutual grovel/revealing of secret histories, really does wrap up this story quite satisfactorily and I didn’t feel like anybody got off too easy.
Now this is where I have to put out there that I don’t love power games between my characters. I like the initial set up of competition, but once it starts becoming the prevailing theme in their romance, it started to bug me a bit. I think this sort of stuff makes me uncomfortable or something. It’s just personal preference really. The constant battle to one-up the other or to demand submission from another (not much of that actually happening, but there’s a perception of it on the part of the MCs), is just tough for me. But I honestly can’t see that this story could have been tackled without it. It’s still a great story even with the power struggle because that constant uncertainty and second guessing as to whether this latest maneuver is genuine or a just another play for dominance in their competition really ratcheted up the angst and the suspense for whether these two could ever finally settle down together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
Interesting!
June 8, 2011
I enjoyed the fact that Helena was a strong heroine and was ready to go up against the hero, Salvatore. And that she was able to pull one over on him because he underestimated her by thinking that he knew her type! I liked that she seemed to understand and make an effort to learn the business instead of just selling out to him. Of course, I think that is because of what she overheard him saying on the phone while she was touring the facilities. Salvatore was nice as well because even though he thought he had her pegged he soon changed his mind on things when he learned the truth and it wasn't last minute! I thought the misunderstanding was a little OTT but I could see her point after all it did make sense. Yet I liked the way he handled that as well. The way they picked at each other w/ their business fights seemed all in good fun - no one really got hurt anyways. Instead they had a sense of humor about things. Those were some good LOL moments there. Snotty Grandma was a POW and true to form trying to stir up trouble. She didn’t want Helena there and she was only too glad to see the back of her. Yet I didn’t think Helena was intimated by her either. Both characters carried baggage from the past but Salvatore didn’t seem so intent on punishing Helena for things and neither did she. I think Antonio helped her w/ some of hers and Salvatore finished the job as she helped him w/ his. I really liked that the icky guy from h’s past didn’t succeed either. Salvatore laid himself bare even though he wasn’t sure of her. This seemed to be hard for him given he is such a strong, arrogant man. These two seemed perfectly matched. Not one of them stronger than the other like so many other HP characters. I like that they will still be business rivals as well and that he is honest about the future as well. An epilogue showing the telling off of Grandma and perhaps children would have been nice. Oh yeah and maybe a few more antics dealing w/ their separate businesses showing how they would try to say something subtle to each other as they tried to one up the other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 2, 2011
This story is a bit lacking in passion. It was a bit boring for me.
I liked both of them, normal and intellingent people. I like her not a doormat and he not a bully, they were really nice.
I found the plot not spontaneous though, they were acting strangely here and there for being people using their brains. And I didn't like the ending.
I loved her late husband. My favourite character of the story!
But I didn't understand the title. What was that Veretti's dark revenge?
I liked both of them, normal and intellingent people. I like her not a doormat and he not a bully, they were really nice.
I found the plot not spontaneous though, they were acting strangely here and there for being people using their brains. And I didn't like the ending.
I loved her late husband. My favourite character of the story!
But I didn't understand the title. What was that Veretti's dark revenge?
March 12, 2018
Arrogant Italian nobleman Salvatore Veretti is furious to hear that a young, beautiful model has inherited the company that was rightfully his. Clearly she's after the family gold! Salvatore will heartlessly reclaim what he's owed--and he'll show this impudent female just how out of her depth she is.But after meeting naively determined Helena, Salvatore changes tactics.... No longer satisfied with throwing her out of the business, he'll take his vengeance between the sheets!
September 18, 2010
Different kind of romance from start to finish. Kept me interested from the first page.
November 20, 2011
3.5 Stars
July 16, 2025
"Veretti's Dark Vengeance" is the story of Salvatore and Helena.
Heroine is mourning the loss of her recently deceased husband, with whom she shared a loving relationship and fond memories. She soon realizes she has inherited his glass factory, and comes at loggerheads with the hero- her husband's cousin.
A battle of wills begins between the devious hero and our equally determined heroine. Instead of the usual damsel trope, this is a very smart, beautiful and confident heroine- both in her decisions and her sexuality. Her past as a supermodel gives her strength, and at no moment do we see her bend to the hero's will. The sex scenes are well written, the characters behave maturely and it has a satisfying end.
Safe
3/5
Heroine is mourning the loss of her recently deceased husband, with whom she shared a loving relationship and fond memories. She soon realizes she has inherited his glass factory, and comes at loggerheads with the hero- her husband's cousin.
A battle of wills begins between the devious hero and our equally determined heroine. Instead of the usual damsel trope, this is a very smart, beautiful and confident heroine- both in her decisions and her sexuality. Her past as a supermodel gives her strength, and at no moment do we see her bend to the hero's will. The sex scenes are well written, the characters behave maturely and it has a satisfying end.
Safe
3/5
September 20, 2018
Se oli hyvä!!
August 3, 2021
not memorable enough.
February 1, 2023
Liked story, didn’t relate to the h or H as much as I would have liked. They both played games constantly.
November 1, 2020
This was a 3.5 to me, so I rounded it up to 4 as I noticed there were slightly more 3 stars. Hopefully this will keep it 3.5. I think the biggest thing that kept me going on this story was wanting to know what made the hero and heroine so afraid of love in general. I especially wanted to know the heroine’s story and you won’t get her whole story til the last 10 pages of the book. The Hero, through his thoughts, really lets us in on the fact that our h buried her feelings deep. I could sense/feel her pain and that’s what gave me the most angst. A myriad of ideas flooded my head as to what happened to her 16 years earlier. She is slightly older than your typical heroine(32) but has basically sworn off sex since she was a teen. Our H has misconceptions of our h early on, but overall you could tell he had general concern for her. He was your typical alpha male who did not want emotional ties, but his personal affairs were not plastered in the tabloids as previous heroes. In fact there is no evil other woman, no other man(unless you count the deceased cousin, which was threatening to the H), and no interfering family members(the grandmother had opinions about h, but didn’t pose as a barrier).
The h and H really were it as far as characters were concerned. There was some very good sparring between them in and outside the bedroom. Unfortunately, I am an epilogue kind of gal and although the ending was fulfilling due to the H’s tenacity, I would have liked to have seen this couple a few years down the road! Oh well..
The h and H really were it as far as characters were concerned. There was some very good sparring between them in and outside the bedroom. Unfortunately, I am an epilogue kind of gal and although the ending was fulfilling due to the H’s tenacity, I would have liked to have seen this couple a few years down the road! Oh well..
February 22, 2014
I really enjoyed this story of a woman battling against male dominated Venetian society, trying to succeed in her inherited glass empire. There was a lot of open and also sexual conflict between the main characters that I loved. Well worth a read!
December 17, 2013
Very, very nice. I liked it. But the author needs work hard building the sex scenes because are very very simple.
April 30, 2017
Another wronged nobleman when he doesn't inherit. I love the tension between the characters.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews