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Florentine Spring
"I'm sorry for you, Nicola," Domenico said. "Leo is not the man for you. I warned you at the start, but you wouldn't listen. You're obstinate and willful."
His words struck like icy pebbles and Nicola winced. How he must dislike and despise her!
What was the point of arguing with him? He would only believe what he wanted to believe. And it was better for him to think she loved Leo than to suspect she loved him!
His words struck like icy pebbles and Nicola winced. How he must dislike and despise her!
What was the point of arguing with him? He would only believe what he wanted to believe. And it was better for him to think she loved Leo than to suspect she loved him!
189 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 1977
1 person is currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Lamb
261 books314 followersSheila Ann Mary Coates Holland
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
aka Sheila Holland, Sheila Coates, Charlotte Lamb, Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Woolf, Laura Hardy
Sheila Ann Mary Coates was born on 1937 in Essex, England, just before the Second World War in the East End of London. As a child, she was moved from relative to relative to escape the bombings of World War II. Sheila attended the Ursuline Convent for Girls. On leaving school at 16, the convent-educated author worked for the Bank of England as a clerk. Sheila continued her education by taking advantage of the B of E's enormous library during her lunch breaks and after work. She later worked as a secretary for the BBC. While there, she met and married Richard Holland, a political reporter. A voracious reader of romance novels, she began writing at her husband's suggestion. She wrote her first book in three days with three children underfoot! In between raising her five children (including a set of twins), Charlotte wrote several more novels. She used both her married and maiden names, Sheila Holland and Sheila Coates, before her first novel as Charlotte Lamb, Follow a Stranger, was published by Mills & Boon in 1973. She also used the pennames: Sheila Lancaster, Victoria Wolf and Laura Hardy. Sheila was a true revolutionary in the field of romance writing. One of the first writers to explore the boundaries of sexual desire, her novels often reflected the forefront of the "sexual revolution" of the 1970s. Her books touched on then-taboo subjects such as child abuse and rape, and she created sexually confident - even dominant - heroines. She was also one of the first to create a modern romantic heroine: independent, imperfect, and perfectly capable of initiating a sexual or romantic relationship. A prolific author, Sheila penned more than 160 novels, most of them for Mills & Boon. Known for her swiftness as well as for her skill in writing, Sheila typically wrote a minimum of two thousand words per day, working from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. While she once finished a full-length novel in four days, she herself pegged her average speed at two weeks to complete a full novel. Since 1977, Sheila had been living on the Isle of Man as a tax exile with her husband and four of their five children: Michael Holland, Sarah Holland, Jane Holland, Charlotte Holland and David Holland. Sheila passed away on October 8, 2000 in her baronial-style home 'Crogga' on the Island. She is greatly missed by her many fans, and by the romance writing community.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 19, 2018
I love it when Charlotte Lamb picks up dusty, broken Harley tropes (the seekrit baby, the haughty in-laws, the psycho ex, the specter of the dead spouse, etc), dusts them off, puts a nice polish on them, and turns them into a shiny, new, delightful little treasure.
The only nit-picking I would do with this one is that I wish the H and h had interacted together more. h spends more time with all the other secondary characters including the suave OM so it would have been nice to see some more sparks between heroine and a remarkably subdued (by CL standards) hero.
I also think she squandered a golden opportunity to name this story The Lion of Farranze though the title she ended up choosing does lend itself more to the sweetness of the story. Nicely done!
The only nit-picking I would do with this one is that I wish the H and h had interacted together more. h spends more time with all the other secondary characters including the suave OM so it would have been nice to see some more sparks between heroine and a remarkably subdued (by CL standards) hero.
I also think she squandered a golden opportunity to name this story The Lion of Farranze though the title she ended up choosing does lend itself more to the sweetness of the story. Nicely done!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2017
I was intrigued by Naksed's review and hunted this one down. Surprise! I've read it before. I remembered it from the opening scene when the widowed heroine is very efficiently catering a private dinner party in London. The hero is a guest at the dinner party and he recognizes the heroine as the woman who married his cousin.
The heroine finds his appearance very familiar, but is sure she never met him. She is alarmed, however, because she has a son his father's wealthy Italian family never knew about and she is determined to shield him from their controlling ways. The hero tracks her down and immediately lets the boy's grandfather know about his lost heir. After some considerable pressure, the heroine agrees to go to Italy. The heroine's sister, a model, is too happy to accompany mother and son to Italy because she has her eye on the hero.
Like Naksed said, it's all standard HP tropes to this point. Even the hostile reception from the old nanny, the artist cousin and the spoiled neurotic cousin isn't surprising. But then CL begins to flesh out the spoiled sister, the cynical artist, and the possessive nanny. The heroine's father-in-law slowly loses his villain status and a real affection grows between them. The sister who seemed so selfish shows her vulnerable side as she succumbs to her feelings for the cynical artist. And the possessive nanny turns into a godsend for the heroine who now has time to sit for a portrait (making the hero jealous), tour Florence on her own (making the hero angrily worried when she's late), and cooking up a storm (making the hero wonder what her angle is).
Balancing all of these characters and their little subplots is no small feat in a short category, but CL pulls it off. The H/h don't spend a lot of page time together, but it's obvious the H has very strong feelings about her - fine line between hate and love, etc , etc . . .
It all comes together with the unveiling of the heroine's portrait, a kiss for the artist from the sister, and a confession about her true feelings for her dead husband to the hero. (It was a whirlwind love affair. Once married she realized he was a weak gambler and it was a relief in some ways when he died). Hero confesses his love. HEA for all concerned. (Except for neurotic cousin who was dispatched back to Brazil to her parents).
Food check! Cherry Jam! CL rule of thumb: if we're in Europe, there's always a mention of cherry jam.
The heroine finds his appearance very familiar, but is sure she never met him. She is alarmed, however, because she has a son his father's wealthy Italian family never knew about and she is determined to shield him from their controlling ways. The hero tracks her down and immediately lets the boy's grandfather know about his lost heir. After some considerable pressure, the heroine agrees to go to Italy. The heroine's sister, a model, is too happy to accompany mother and son to Italy because she has her eye on the hero.
Like Naksed said, it's all standard HP tropes to this point. Even the hostile reception from the old nanny, the artist cousin and the spoiled neurotic cousin isn't surprising. But then CL begins to flesh out the spoiled sister, the cynical artist, and the possessive nanny. The heroine's father-in-law slowly loses his villain status and a real affection grows between them. The sister who seemed so selfish shows her vulnerable side as she succumbs to her feelings for the cynical artist. And the possessive nanny turns into a godsend for the heroine who now has time to sit for a portrait (making the hero jealous), tour Florence on her own (making the hero angrily worried when she's late), and cooking up a storm (making the hero wonder what her angle is).
Balancing all of these characters and their little subplots is no small feat in a short category, but CL pulls it off. The H/h don't spend a lot of page time together, but it's obvious the H has very strong feelings about her - fine line between hate and love, etc , etc . . .
It all comes together with the unveiling of the heroine's portrait, a kiss for the artist from the sister, and a confession about her true feelings for her dead husband to the hero. (It was a whirlwind love affair. Once married she realized he was a weak gambler and it was a relief in some ways when he died). Hero confesses his love. HEA for all concerned. (Except for neurotic cousin who was dispatched back to Brazil to her parents).
Food check! Cherry Jam! CL rule of thumb: if we're in Europe, there's always a mention of cherry jam.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2017
Abrupt ending alert! It was an alright story, held my interest, but tbh I felt there was more romantic tension between the two secondaries (her blonde bombshell model sister and his playboy artist cousin) than the main characters! And the ending happened in quite the breathless rush.
Also, I felt like the whole thread with the crazy, mentally-unstable young female cousin was so vaguely sketched and unfinished. So there's a girl who's openly hostile and rude and jealous. Then there's a mysterious accident where the cook is sabotaged into falling down the stairs and breaking her arm- never conclusively shown whodunnit. Then the baby boy's teddy bear is mutilated and there's a lipstick-scrawled threat in the mirror- again, everybody just assumes its the crazy cousin and they pack her off. I was honestly expecting the real culprit to turn out to be the housekeeper or something, because there was never a definitive showdown/confrontation/reveal. But I guess it really was the crazy girl. Very strange and left me feeling dissatisfied.
Also, I felt like the whole thread with the crazy, mentally-unstable young female cousin was so vaguely sketched and unfinished. So there's a girl who's openly hostile and rude and jealous. Then there's a mysterious accident where the cook is sabotaged into falling down the stairs and breaking her arm- never conclusively shown whodunnit. Then the baby boy's teddy bear is mutilated and there's a lipstick-scrawled threat in the mirror- again, everybody just assumes its the crazy cousin and they pack her off. I was honestly expecting the real culprit to turn out to be the housekeeper or something, because there was never a definitive showdown/confrontation/reveal. But I guess it really was the crazy girl. Very strange and left me feeling dissatisfied.
January 12, 2018
“Florentine Spring” is the story of Nicola and Dominico.
Nicola is a young cook catering for the wealthy and lives with her sister Natasha and best friend Beth , ever since her husband Paul passed away. Paul was almost disinherited by his Farenze clan, who don’t even attend his funeral, and hence she decides to keep the identity of their young son Paul to herself.
When one day she comes across a brooding focused stranger at an event- she does not realize it’s her husband’s cousin Dominico- who wants her to come back to Florence, Italy- something he later compels her to do once he discovers Paul- in order to pump new life into Paulo’s dying Father.
They end up going there- and soon come across a surprisingly supportive FIL and nanny, a jealous sister, a thwarted teen, and a romantic painter.
This was a pretty damn good book- especially with characters and writing- my only issue was the hero and heroine virtually spent no time with each other- but significant one with OM/OW. The only time they did was a few random kisses or glaring across the table. I didn’t even believe the hero would return in the end, he was so absent (it was from the heroines POV).
I’m glad the heroine got over her ex’s death, Natasha found happiness with Leo, Bianca was gone and gramps remained alive. Now if only our H and h showed some romance, and it would have been just amazing.
Safe with exceptions
3.5/5
Nicola is a young cook catering for the wealthy and lives with her sister Natasha and best friend Beth , ever since her husband Paul passed away. Paul was almost disinherited by his Farenze clan, who don’t even attend his funeral, and hence she decides to keep the identity of their young son Paul to herself.
When one day she comes across a brooding focused stranger at an event- she does not realize it’s her husband’s cousin Dominico- who wants her to come back to Florence, Italy- something he later compels her to do once he discovers Paul- in order to pump new life into Paulo’s dying Father.
They end up going there- and soon come across a surprisingly supportive FIL and nanny, a jealous sister, a thwarted teen, and a romantic painter.
This was a pretty damn good book- especially with characters and writing- my only issue was the hero and heroine virtually spent no time with each other- but significant one with OM/OW. The only time they did was a few random kisses or glaring across the table. I didn’t even believe the hero would return in the end, he was so absent (it was from the heroines POV).
I’m glad the heroine got over her ex’s death, Natasha found happiness with Leo, Bianca was gone and gramps remained alive. Now if only our H and h showed some romance, and it would have been just amazing.
Safe with exceptions
3.5/5
May 27, 2020
This was okay. This is an older harlequin, written in 1977. Notable in that the heroine was a widow with a little son. Also its her late husband who had been one of the heirs to an old and wealthy Italian family. The Hero is a cousin, not the heir apparent (which is the heroine’s baby son) and notably not uber wealthy, unlike modern Heroes.
As is ususal with Charlotte Lamb, a lot of nice food descriptions, maybe moreso in this book since the heroine is a chef by profession. The Hero actually encounters the heroine when she is catering a meal for some of his friends. The family had been very hostile to her and disowned her late husband when he married her, so she doesn’t recognize any of them.
Anyway the Hero recognizes her and tries to talk to her about going to visit the father in law now that he is sick. When he finds out thar the heroine has a son, it becomes even more urgent since the old man wants to meet his grandson before he dies.
The heroine is finally coerced into going to Florence, Italy hence the title. They arrive at the Palazzo where the father in law is lord of the manor and a whole host of relatives live with him there. Including the Hero, his mother and another set of cousins. Lots of misunderstandings and Unrequited love among all the characters in that palazzo. Mostly a bland bunch all living on top of each other.
The most exciting character was the psycho young girl cousin who was resentful and jealous of the heroine and did a kind of “fatal attraction” bunny scene by be-heading and eviscerating the teddy bear of the heroine’s son. 😱Hero finally takes the young cousin away to her parents in South America. But returns to the heroine during a party in which he confesses that he had been in love with her for years. Ever since her late husband sent him a picture of them.
Then it ended super abruptly. 🙁
As is ususal with Charlotte Lamb, a lot of nice food descriptions, maybe moreso in this book since the heroine is a chef by profession. The Hero actually encounters the heroine when she is catering a meal for some of his friends. The family had been very hostile to her and disowned her late husband when he married her, so she doesn’t recognize any of them.
Anyway the Hero recognizes her and tries to talk to her about going to visit the father in law now that he is sick. When he finds out thar the heroine has a son, it becomes even more urgent since the old man wants to meet his grandson before he dies.
The heroine is finally coerced into going to Florence, Italy hence the title. They arrive at the Palazzo where the father in law is lord of the manor and a whole host of relatives live with him there. Including the Hero, his mother and another set of cousins. Lots of misunderstandings and Unrequited love among all the characters in that palazzo. Mostly a bland bunch all living on top of each other.
The most exciting character was the psycho young girl cousin who was resentful and jealous of the heroine and did a kind of “fatal attraction” bunny scene by be-heading and eviscerating the teddy bear of the heroine’s son. 😱Hero finally takes the young cousin away to her parents in South America. But returns to the heroine during a party in which he confesses that he had been in love with her for years. Ever since her late husband sent him a picture of them.
Then it ended super abruptly. 🙁
February 25, 2012
The heroine, Nicola, has been widowed since before her son's birth. She's made a life foe herself and her son by working as a caterer. She lives with her sister and best friend and although she doesn't have much she does ok. Then she sees her dead husband's cousin at a dinner she is catering and this brings her back in contact with the wealthy, powerful farenze family. The family that had disowned her husband and hadn't even bothered to come to his funeral. They haadn't wanted anything to do with his cheap, servant wife and she didn't want anything to with them. The cousin pursues a contact with her and finally realizes that she has hidden the fact that there is a son. He insists that she comes back to Italy so her son Paul can meet his Italian family, can see his heritage and become the heir. She reluctantly agrees and finds that most of the family is now happy to acknowledge her and apologize for past mistakes. There is an attraction between Nicola and the cousin, Domenico. She thinks that he is interested in another cousin and he thinks she is still obsessed with her dead husband.
This is a good Charlotte Lamb angst driven romance with a good HEA.
This is a good Charlotte Lamb angst driven romance with a good HEA.
August 19, 2020
I surprisingly enjoyed this book. It is About a young woman named Nikola who lives in London with her Sister, her friend Bess and her 2 year old son Paul. Nikola is a widow who works as a cook to support herself and her boy. When she is on a job cooking, someone from her dead husband's family recognizes her and on the second attempt manages to talk to her. It's an icy meeting and then he even manages to find her home and that she has a son. Her husband's family didn't agree with her husband marrying her and had shunned them. Her distaste for them is apparent as they had not been welcoming and Dominico who found her isn't very flattering at first. She wanted nothing to do with her husband's family but is talked into going to Italy so Paul can meet his Grandfather who isn't expected to live much longer and Paul is the only direct Heir that the grandfather has. It wasn't about money totally. the Grandfather adored his grandson and obviously loved him dearly. However I won't spoil the whole thing as to how the story comes out. A great read. five stars
November 19, 2021
Vintage done right! This is why Charlotte Lamb’s name was synonymous with Harlequins for years!
Some great quick overviews by Naksed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And
Stmargarets: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Let’s start with Paulo…
Paolo is what I refer to as the dead om. He is dead at the beginning of the book. He comes from a proud Italian family who basically disowned him when he decided to marry an English “cook”, our heroine…Nicola. So although he is not actively alive to cause mischief with the h and H, the memories and what he must have meant to the h causes angst.
Nicola- Our heroine(age unknown, 20’s) She felt very bitter about her husband’s family and their rejection of her and her husband. They didn’t even come to the funeral and she received a very rude letter on their behalf. Well, too bad for them, had they shown up they would have seen a very heavily pregnant h with the last direct heir to a dying Italian dynasty. Our h is proud. She doesn’t need anyone’s money. She isn’t going to beg for anyone’s acceptance. She is a bit of a spitfire, and very likable. She is still in mourning, and has poured all her love into her son. The book starts about 3 years later, with the h living with her model sister Vanessa and a school chum. They help baby sit her 2 year old son Paul
Vanessa(25) sister to heroine and very hard to like at times. The heroine loves her unconditionally, faults and all. Vanessa, is all about Vanessa and what Vanessa wants. Even the heroine admits that her sister has no qualms about throwing her under the bus if need be. CL tries to explain some of the reason for Vanessa’s behavior, but there are no details. (I think she may have been setting up Vanessa for her own story, but I could not find any indication that one was ever written)
Domenico(Nico) (I know it is Nico and Nicola…no need to blend names) He is the hero and cousin of the dead Paolo. He happens to recognize the h from photographs, and wants to bring her back to meet her dead husband’s father who is sickly. (He is unaware that she has a child)
Lorenzo- the h’s unclaimed father in law. He rejected his son when he married the h(sight unseen). He couldn’t attend funeral as he suffered a massive stroke. He isn’t sure who wrote the letter on his behalf that further enraged the h. Lorenzo is truly sorry for the way he acted. He realizes now that he is at his end days, that he was wrong. He and the h actually form a very special relationship. I liked how he was a changed man.
Bianca(the ow)-She is another cousin. Bianca is one brick short of a full load. She is most likely the one who wrote the nasty letter. You see, she was in love with Paolo herself. News of his marriage, made an already unstable person go off the rails. She is openly hostile to the h and does some real sneaky shit throughout the story. It is believed that she is to marry the H at some point. More than 1 person has indicated this to the h.
Leo(the living om)- Leo is Bianca’s brother. He and the h form an instant friendship. Of course our jealous H believes that the h has fallen in love with Leo, so therein lies the angst.
Signore Farenze- The H’s mom…she is frail but she is kind and poses no issues to the h and H getting together
So, the H finds out about the child Paul and ends up bringing the h, her sister, and plot moppet to Italy to meet the grandpa and hopefully live. Sparks are flying left and right between the H and h, meanwhile sister Vanessa is trying to get her claws into the H, so she is shooting daggers at her sister at times. The h just laughs it off. While these sparks are flying we can see the H is clearly enamored with the h through his jealousy. However, there are very few scenes between the two of them. I believe there is only one very quick hard kiss before the HEA. Yet the story works. The romance is believable. The angst is there, but I had no need for alcohol to get me through it. As the story unravels(like Bianca), the h and the grandfather form a close bond where she calls him papa…at his insistence. The h also starts to come out of her mourning as she realizes that her love for Paulo, although real at the time, was not without its cracks(Paolo like to gamble and was quite a flirt). She realizes her love for Domenico is on a different level altogether. We get to read about some of the beautiful places in Italy which is a bonus.
We find out some surprising information about Leo
The ending was super brief, but in just a couple of pages CL was able to capture the full extent of the Hero’s love for the h
I really liked that our h was strong without being a bitch. This can be a fine line at times in books. She showed a great capacity for forgiveness and understanding. I mean to put up with some of her sister’s antics alone makes her a saint. I also like that she makes it very clear to the H that he is not 2nd best.
I have read a few stories recently where I am not convinced that the h in the story is not 2nd best. Usually, when it is up to the hero, he will say, Oh yeah I will always love/remember my first wife, but I have never experienced passion like I do with you(my interpretation…passion is sex) or the h will edge out the dead wife because she can give the H children.
In this story, the h actually tells the H…..
“She framed his lean face in the cup of her two hands…..
I love you, Domenico Farenze, more than I loved Paolo, more than I thought possible for any woman to love any man……..”
And that my friends is how you assure your new love that he or she is your true love!!!
Some great quick overviews by Naksed: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And
Stmargarets: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Let’s start with Paulo…
Paolo is what I refer to as the dead om. He is dead at the beginning of the book. He comes from a proud Italian family who basically disowned him when he decided to marry an English “cook”, our heroine…Nicola. So although he is not actively alive to cause mischief with the h and H, the memories and what he must have meant to the h causes angst.
Nicola- Our heroine(age unknown, 20’s) She felt very bitter about her husband’s family and their rejection of her and her husband. They didn’t even come to the funeral and she received a very rude letter on their behalf. Well, too bad for them, had they shown up they would have seen a very heavily pregnant h with the last direct heir to a dying Italian dynasty. Our h is proud. She doesn’t need anyone’s money. She isn’t going to beg for anyone’s acceptance. She is a bit of a spitfire, and very likable. She is still in mourning, and has poured all her love into her son. The book starts about 3 years later, with the h living with her model sister Vanessa and a school chum. They help baby sit her 2 year old son Paul
Vanessa(25) sister to heroine and very hard to like at times. The heroine loves her unconditionally, faults and all. Vanessa, is all about Vanessa and what Vanessa wants. Even the heroine admits that her sister has no qualms about throwing her under the bus if need be. CL tries to explain some of the reason for Vanessa’s behavior, but there are no details. (I think she may have been setting up Vanessa for her own story, but I could not find any indication that one was ever written)
Domenico(Nico) (I know it is Nico and Nicola…no need to blend names) He is the hero and cousin of the dead Paolo. He happens to recognize the h from photographs, and wants to bring her back to meet her dead husband’s father who is sickly. (He is unaware that she has a child)
Lorenzo- the h’s unclaimed father in law. He rejected his son when he married the h(sight unseen). He couldn’t attend funeral as he suffered a massive stroke. He isn’t sure who wrote the letter on his behalf that further enraged the h. Lorenzo is truly sorry for the way he acted. He realizes now that he is at his end days, that he was wrong. He and the h actually form a very special relationship. I liked how he was a changed man.
Bianca(the ow)-She is another cousin. Bianca is one brick short of a full load. She is most likely the one who wrote the nasty letter. You see, she was in love with Paolo herself. News of his marriage, made an already unstable person go off the rails. She is openly hostile to the h and does some real sneaky shit throughout the story. It is believed that she is to marry the H at some point. More than 1 person has indicated this to the h.
Leo(the living om)- Leo is Bianca’s brother. He and the h form an instant friendship. Of course our jealous H believes that the h has fallen in love with Leo, so therein lies the angst.
Signore Farenze- The H’s mom…she is frail but she is kind and poses no issues to the h and H getting together
So, the H finds out about the child Paul and ends up bringing the h, her sister, and plot moppet to Italy to meet the grandpa and hopefully live. Sparks are flying left and right between the H and h, meanwhile sister Vanessa is trying to get her claws into the H, so she is shooting daggers at her sister at times. The h just laughs it off. While these sparks are flying we can see the H is clearly enamored with the h through his jealousy. However, there are very few scenes between the two of them. I believe there is only one very quick hard kiss before the HEA. Yet the story works. The romance is believable. The angst is there, but I had no need for alcohol to get me through it. As the story unravels(like Bianca), the h and the grandfather form a close bond where she calls him papa…at his insistence. The h also starts to come out of her mourning as she realizes that her love for Paulo, although real at the time, was not without its cracks(Paolo like to gamble and was quite a flirt). She realizes her love for Domenico is on a different level altogether. We get to read about some of the beautiful places in Italy which is a bonus.
We find out some surprising information about Leo
The ending was super brief, but in just a couple of pages CL was able to capture the full extent of the Hero’s love for the h
I really liked that our h was strong without being a bitch. This can be a fine line at times in books. She showed a great capacity for forgiveness and understanding. I mean to put up with some of her sister’s antics alone makes her a saint. I also like that she makes it very clear to the H that he is not 2nd best.
I have read a few stories recently where I am not convinced that the h in the story is not 2nd best. Usually, when it is up to the hero, he will say, Oh yeah I will always love/remember my first wife, but I have never experienced passion like I do with you(my interpretation…passion is sex) or the h will edge out the dead wife because she can give the H children.
In this story, the h actually tells the H…..
“She framed his lean face in the cup of her two hands…..
I love you, Domenico Farenze, more than I loved Paolo, more than I thought possible for any woman to love any man……..”
And that my friends is how you assure your new love that he or she is your true love!!!
February 29, 2012
Nicola fell in love with Paulo and married him, she became pregnant quickly after that. Paulo's family did not accept Nicola, so Paulo kept her away from them and did not discuss them with her. When Paulo died shortly after their marriage had only begun, Nicola was left alone to give birth to her son and raise him.
Nicola is now an impressive chef and works as one for a living, going to other peoples houses and putting on dinner services. Her sister Vanessa, a model and her other flatmate Bess, a teacher watch her son during the nights when she works. One night at a dinner party she meets Domenico and leaves quickly after her dinner service.
We learn later that Domenico is a cousin to Paulo, her deceased husband. He wants to get to know her but when he finds out she has had Paulo's child, he is determined to take her to Florence to meet "The Lion" aka Lorenzo, Paulo's father.
While in Florence after meeting the family, she grows to accept them. She meets Leo, a cousin of Domenico. Leo has a sister named Bianca who is deranged and constantly trying to kill or harm Nicola in some way. Eventually she is sent away and Nicola realizes she's in love with Domenico but will this love be enough for her and Paulo?
I quite loved Florentine Spring by Charlotte Lamb, it was a woven story of loss and love. I always love stories where love is lost and love is found. It's like a fairy tale, we all want a little happy ending in our lives. The characters were amazing and in depth surprisingly and especially Vanessa. I was a bit shocked with how she acted on the outside to whom she was on the inside. Delightful!
Nicola is now an impressive chef and works as one for a living, going to other peoples houses and putting on dinner services. Her sister Vanessa, a model and her other flatmate Bess, a teacher watch her son during the nights when she works. One night at a dinner party she meets Domenico and leaves quickly after her dinner service.
We learn later that Domenico is a cousin to Paulo, her deceased husband. He wants to get to know her but when he finds out she has had Paulo's child, he is determined to take her to Florence to meet "The Lion" aka Lorenzo, Paulo's father.
While in Florence after meeting the family, she grows to accept them. She meets Leo, a cousin of Domenico. Leo has a sister named Bianca who is deranged and constantly trying to kill or harm Nicola in some way. Eventually she is sent away and Nicola realizes she's in love with Domenico but will this love be enough for her and Paulo?
I quite loved Florentine Spring by Charlotte Lamb, it was a woven story of loss and love. I always love stories where love is lost and love is found. It's like a fairy tale, we all want a little happy ending in our lives. The characters were amazing and in depth surprisingly and especially Vanessa. I was a bit shocked with how she acted on the outside to whom she was on the inside. Delightful!
July 16, 2019
Florentine Spring by Charlotte Lamb
أطياف لشارلوت لامب
أطياف لشارلوت لامب
July 16, 2019
Florentine Spring
by Charlotte Lamb
by Charlotte Lamb
December 20, 2017
-242 أطياف:
روايات احلام
شارلوت لامب
عندما انفتح الباب فقد قلب نيكولا خفقة من خفقاته وانقلب كيانها رأسها على عقب . فالرجل الواقف في الباب هو صاحب العينين الرماديتين الغريبتين ، دومينيكو!دفعتها غريزتها الى الهرب حالا وفورا ولكن يد دومينيكو أمسكت بمعصمها .
ـ هذا ليس تصرفا حسنا أبدا .. لقد عرفت منذ أن وقعت عيناي عليك أنك تلك الفتاة ذات الشعر الاسود الطويل وذات الوجه الذي تضيئه مليون شمعة .حاولت الادعاء بأنها ليست المرأة التي يقصد فقالت له :
ـ عفوا !ماذا قلت !
ولكنها كانت تعرف انها ترجو المستحيل .. فشبح الموت عاد يلقي بظله على حياتها !
روايات احلام
شارلوت لامب
عندما انفتح الباب فقد قلب نيكولا خفقة من خفقاته وانقلب كيانها رأسها على عقب . فالرجل الواقف في الباب هو صاحب العينين الرماديتين الغريبتين ، دومينيكو!دفعتها غريزتها الى الهرب حالا وفورا ولكن يد دومينيكو أمسكت بمعصمها .
ـ هذا ليس تصرفا حسنا أبدا .. لقد عرفت منذ أن وقعت عيناي عليك أنك تلك الفتاة ذات الشعر الاسود الطويل وذات الوجه الذي تضيئه مليون شمعة .حاولت الادعاء بأنها ليست المرأة التي يقصد فقالت له :
ـ عفوا !ماذا قلت !
ولكنها كانت تعرف انها ترجو المستحيل .. فشبح الموت عاد يلقي بظله على حياتها !
January 4, 2018
-242 أطياف:
شارلوت لامب
روايات احلام
عندما انفتح الباب فقد قلب نيكولا خفقة من خفقاته وانقلب كيانها رأسها على عقب . فالرجل الواقف في الباب هو صاحب العينين الرماديتين الغريبتين ، دومينيكو!دفعتها غريزتها الى الهرب حالا وفورا ولكن يد دومينيكو أمسكت بمعصمها .
ـ هذا ليس تصرفا حسنا أبدا .. لقد عرفت منذ أن وقعت عيناي عليك أنك تلك الفتاة ذات الشعر الاسود الطويل وذات الوجه الذي تضيئه مليون شمعة .حاولت الادعاء بأنها ليست المرأة التي يقصد فقالت له :
ـ عفوا !ماذا قلت !
ولكنها كانت تعرف انها ترجو المستحيل .. فشبح الموت عاد يلقي بظله على حياتها !
شارلوت لامب
روايات احلام
عندما انفتح الباب فقد قلب نيكولا خفقة من خفقاته وانقلب كيانها رأسها على عقب . فالرجل الواقف في الباب هو صاحب العينين الرماديتين الغريبتين ، دومينيكو!دفعتها غريزتها الى الهرب حالا وفورا ولكن يد دومينيكو أمسكت بمعصمها .
ـ هذا ليس تصرفا حسنا أبدا .. لقد عرفت منذ أن وقعت عيناي عليك أنك تلك الفتاة ذات الشعر الاسود الطويل وذات الوجه الذي تضيئه مليون شمعة .حاولت الادعاء بأنها ليست المرأة التي يقصد فقالت له :
ـ عفوا !ماذا قلت !
ولكنها كانت تعرف انها ترجو المستحيل .. فشبح الموت عاد يلقي بظله على حياتها !
pback-to-read
May 7, 2022"I'm sorry for you, Nicola," Domenico said. "Leo is not the man for you. I warned you at the start, but you wouldn't listen. You're obstinate and willful."
His words struck like icy pebbles and Nicola winced. How he must dislike and despise her!
What was the point of arguing with him? He would only believe what he wanted to believe. And it was better for him to think she loved Leo than to suspect she loved him!
His words struck like icy pebbles and Nicola winced. How he must dislike and despise her!
What was the point of arguing with him? He would only believe what he wanted to believe. And it was better for him to think she loved Leo than to suspect she loved him!
February 3, 2021
Ok CL is really starting to piss me off with her writing format. It's almost a given that all her books WILL have an abrupt/lousy ending. That's probably why most of her books have such low ratings. I was literally going to give this a 5 star rating up until the LAST page. But I changed my mind. Why? Because I'm still waiting for a nice little wrap up to the story. I kid you not!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2020
Slow paced book with a family drama
August 4, 2022
Predictable but good story.
August 29, 2023
Abrupt ending !!!
February 29, 2024
A heroine that knew how to stand up for herself and a hero that was good. I also liked the story between the secondary characters - Leo and Vanessa.
September 18, 2023
Finally. A romance novel that’s good!
Nicola and her son live in a flat with her sister, Vanessa, and her best friend, Bess. Nicola is a cook that takes on assignments for people who need a cook from her boss, Drew. Vanessa is a model while her best friend is a teacher at a local school. Her husband, Paola, unfortunately passed away before the birth of their, Paul.
At her first assignment in the book, one of the guests strikes her as looking familiar. At her last assignment in the book, she finds out that she’s been someone played. Her boss had been told the assignment was for a countess and one guest. She goes and finds the guy who she’d found to look familiar. It turns out to be her husband’s cousin, named Domenico. She wants nothing to do with her late husbands family or anything they offer.
Domenico wants her and the son he eventually finds out about to fly back with him and her to Italy to his home, the Casa Farenze, as a request from her Father-in-law, Lorenzo. Eventually, she concedes and goes.
By pg 62, I thought Nicola’s sister Vanessa was a greedy, opportunistic witch, and had a love/hate relationship with her and Domenico. Domenico was disliked by me by pg 24. The only person in her life other than her son that I really liked was Bess. Drew, her boss, seemed only nice in the way the way anyone’s boss is required to be nice to them, and I felt that Nicola was a bit naive to be open with him. I wondered if she’d quit her job, would Drew give a crap?
It was so nice to read the word ‘gay’ with its original meaning; happy. Not that I mind the word being used for homosexuality; far from it. It means happy so I can definitely see why previous generations adopted it; but so many people are too afraid to use it for fear of offending the lgbt. It honestly depends how you use it. At least that’s how I think it should be. I didn’t have any problems with this story at all. In fact, I didn’t want it to end. It’s become one of my favorite books.
5 stars
Nicola and her son live in a flat with her sister, Vanessa, and her best friend, Bess. Nicola is a cook that takes on assignments for people who need a cook from her boss, Drew. Vanessa is a model while her best friend is a teacher at a local school. Her husband, Paola, unfortunately passed away before the birth of their, Paul.
At her first assignment in the book, one of the guests strikes her as looking familiar. At her last assignment in the book, she finds out that she’s been someone played. Her boss had been told the assignment was for a countess and one guest. She goes and finds the guy who she’d found to look familiar. It turns out to be her husband’s cousin, named Domenico. She wants nothing to do with her late husbands family or anything they offer.
Domenico wants her and the son he eventually finds out about to fly back with him and her to Italy to his home, the Casa Farenze, as a request from her Father-in-law, Lorenzo. Eventually, she concedes and goes.
By pg 62, I thought Nicola’s sister Vanessa was a greedy, opportunistic witch, and had a love/hate relationship with her and Domenico. Domenico was disliked by me by pg 24. The only person in her life other than her son that I really liked was Bess. Drew, her boss, seemed only nice in the way the way anyone’s boss is required to be nice to them, and I felt that Nicola was a bit naive to be open with him. I wondered if she’d quit her job, would Drew give a crap?
It was so nice to read the word ‘gay’ with its original meaning; happy. Not that I mind the word being used for homosexuality; far from it. It means happy so I can definitely see why previous generations adopted it; but so many people are too afraid to use it for fear of offending the lgbt. It honestly depends how you use it. At least that’s how I think it should be. I didn’t have any problems with this story at all. In fact, I didn’t want it to end. It’s become one of my favorite books.
5 stars
December 6, 2017
أطياف-242
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