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Shameful Secret, Shotgun Wedding
His pregnant mistress
When renowned international playboy Giancarlo Vellutini invites shop assistant Cassie Summers to join him for dinner, how can she refuse? After all, she is an ordinary girl from Cornwall, and chances like this don't come round very often! Throwing caution to the wind, before she knows it unworldly Cassie is completely at Giancarlo's mercy. She finds herself agreeing to be his mistress for Christmas...But will an unexpected gift make this temporary festive arrangement last a lifetime?
When renowned international playboy Giancarlo Vellutini invites shop assistant Cassie Summers to join him for dinner, how can she refuse? After all, she is an ordinary girl from Cornwall, and chances like this don't come round very often! Throwing caution to the wind, before she knows it unworldly Cassie is completely at Giancarlo's mercy. She finds herself agreeing to be his mistress for Christmas...But will an unexpected gift make this temporary festive arrangement last a lifetime?
191 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2010
22 people are currently reading
383 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Kendrick
1,220 books454 followersI was told off as a child for making up stories—little did I know that one day I’d earn my living by writing them!
To the horror of my parents, I left school at sixteen and held a bewildering variety of jobs: I was a London DJ (in the now-trendy Primrose Hill), a decorator and a singer. After that I became a cook, a photographer and, eventually, a nurse. I waitressed in the south of France, drove an ambulance in Australia, saw lots of beautiful sights but could never settle down. Everywhere I went I felt like a square peg—until one day I started writing again and then everything just fell into place. I felt like Cinderella must have when the glass slipper fit!
Today, I have the best job in the world, writing passionate romances for Harlequin. I like writing stories which are sexy and fast-paced, yet packed full of emotion—stories that readers will identify with, laugh and cry along with.
My interests are many and varied—chocolate and music, fresh flowers and bubble baths, films, cooking and trying to keep my home from looking burglarized! Simple pleasures—you can’t beat them!
I live in Winchester, one of the most stunning cities in the world, but don’t take my word for it—come see for yourself! I regularly visit London and Paris. Oh, and I love hearing from my readers all over the world…so I think it’s over to you!
To the horror of my parents, I left school at sixteen and held a bewildering variety of jobs: I was a London DJ (in the now-trendy Primrose Hill), a decorator and a singer. After that I became a cook, a photographer and, eventually, a nurse. I waitressed in the south of France, drove an ambulance in Australia, saw lots of beautiful sights but could never settle down. Everywhere I went I felt like a square peg—until one day I started writing again and then everything just fell into place. I felt like Cinderella must have when the glass slipper fit!
Today, I have the best job in the world, writing passionate romances for Harlequin. I like writing stories which are sexy and fast-paced, yet packed full of emotion—stories that readers will identify with, laugh and cry along with.
My interests are many and varied—chocolate and music, fresh flowers and bubble baths, films, cooking and trying to keep my home from looking burglarized! Simple pleasures—you can’t beat them!
I live in Winchester, one of the most stunning cities in the world, but don’t take my word for it—come see for yourself! I regularly visit London and Paris. Oh, and I love hearing from my readers all over the world…so I think it’s over to you!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 1, 2017
What. A. Jack. Ass.
The hero is insufferable, arrogant and suspicious, surprise. Cassandra, the heroine, is actually quite adorable and does try and stand up for herself. Sadly, that only goes so far because Signore Capello Ass threatens
And, readers, why oh why, do evil OW never get a comeuppance?
Re-read
Hero is just as big of a creep as the first time. No surprise, right, it IS the same book.
Nice touch with the evil OW as she ends up married to a cat litter tycoon in the States. Now that's a downgrade. Don't know how I missed that the first time around.
The hero is insufferable, arrogant and suspicious, surprise. Cassandra, the heroine, is actually quite adorable and does try and stand up for herself. Sadly, that only goes so far because Signore Capello Ass threatens
And, readers, why oh why, do evil OW never get a comeuppance?
Re-read
Hero is just as big of a creep as the first time. No surprise, right, it IS the same book.
Nice touch with the evil OW as she ends up married to a cat litter tycoon in the States. Now that's a downgrade. Don't know how I missed that the first time around.
March 25, 2019
3.5 stars rounded up
“Her new husband was a cat-litter billionaire . . .”
Oh, Sharon Kendrick you know what we want to see happen to the evil OWs of HPs.
This is a fun story of an arrogant Italian billionaire who picks up the heroine while Christmas shopping. She’s a temporary clerk selling candles at a high-end department store just for the Christmas season. At 21, she had never been out of Cornwall and wanted to experience London.
Hero buys six candles, asks her out and then forgets the candles. Heroine brings him the candles for their dinner date the next day. Hero seduces her and is alarmed that she is a virgin. He thinks it’s a cynical ploy to hold out for the richest guy and he won that contest.
He doesn’t plan on seeing the heroine again until she calls him in a panic. Seems he forgot to pay for the candles and the store is accusing her of theft. Hero goes to her rescue and while the heroine was sacked from her job, she won’t be charged.
Heroine doesn’t want to go home in disgrace. Hero suggests she live with him until Christmas Eve.
For once the story got more interesting after the heroine found out she was pregnant and the hero insisted they marry. There is drama surrounding the hero’s family and his twin who inherited everything when they both turned 21. To add insult to injury his fiancee decided to marry the rich brother.
The hero takes the heroine to meet this charming couple and drama ensues. Poor heroine had a lot of angst and hero was cold to her.
There is a miscarriage scare and a declaration that the ultra-sound operator is privy to. Very cute. As was the epilogue.
This is just a solid Presents story with all the delights of an HP.
“Her new husband was a cat-litter billionaire . . .”
Oh, Sharon Kendrick you know what we want to see happen to the evil OWs of HPs.
This is a fun story of an arrogant Italian billionaire who picks up the heroine while Christmas shopping. She’s a temporary clerk selling candles at a high-end department store just for the Christmas season. At 21, she had never been out of Cornwall and wanted to experience London.
Hero buys six candles, asks her out and then forgets the candles. Heroine brings him the candles for their dinner date the next day. Hero seduces her and is alarmed that she is a virgin. He thinks it’s a cynical ploy to hold out for the richest guy and he won that contest.
He doesn’t plan on seeing the heroine again until she calls him in a panic. Seems he forgot to pay for the candles and the store is accusing her of theft. Hero goes to her rescue and while the heroine was sacked from her job, she won’t be charged.
Heroine doesn’t want to go home in disgrace. Hero suggests she live with him until Christmas Eve.
For once the story got more interesting after the heroine found out she was pregnant and the hero insisted they marry. There is drama surrounding the hero’s family and his twin who inherited everything when they both turned 21. To add insult to injury his fiancee decided to marry the rich brother.
The hero takes the heroine to meet this charming couple and drama ensues. Poor heroine had a lot of angst and hero was cold to her.
There is a miscarriage scare and a declaration that the ultra-sound operator is privy to. Very cute. As was the epilogue.
This is just a solid Presents story with all the delights of an HP.
April 2, 2022
There were a few things I didn't like it such as:
1. Many self-introspection by the heroine and that she always thought the wrong things.
2. The details/descriptions of how different was the heroine and the hero. I mean, she was poor, worked in a shop, her clothes and shoes were cheap, she was less sofisticated than the other women that appear in the whole story and so on.
3. The author used an "ansgty situation" to make the hero realise and say "I love you" first. The heroine and hero had a verbal discussion, so she went to the bathroom and cried a lot, then she went to bed and fell asleep. Next, she woke up and felt she was bleeding, but don't worry, she didn't lose the baby ;)
However, the cherry of the pie was the epilogue! I LOVED it! It was 13 pages and a half, and she got pregnant again with twins 😍
I also liked the age gap between the main characters, 14 years ;)
Xx
1. Many self-introspection by the heroine and that she always thought the wrong things.
2. The details/descriptions of how different was the heroine and the hero. I mean, she was poor, worked in a shop, her clothes and shoes were cheap, she was less sofisticated than the other women that appear in the whole story and so on.
3. The author used an "ansgty situation" to make the hero realise and say "I love you" first. The heroine and hero had a verbal discussion, so she went to the bathroom and cried a lot, then she went to bed and fell asleep. Next, she woke up and felt she was bleeding, but don't worry, she didn't lose the baby ;)
However, the cherry of the pie was the epilogue! I LOVED it! It was 13 pages and a half, and she got pregnant again with twins 😍
I also liked the age gap between the main characters, 14 years ;)
Xx
May 28, 2019
It took me a little time to warm up to both Giancarlo and Cassie. In the beginning, Giancarlo was kind of a wooden character, very distant and hard to relate to, and Cassie honestly gave up the goods to him WAY too easily. Giancarlo took Cassie's virginity then figured he'd use the hell out of her for the next few weeks before dumping her and moving on with his life and Cassie too easily agreed to his terms of just no strings sex for a few weeks before he set her free to go back home again. BUT THEN, these two got hot and heavy and Giancarlo became way more relatable, revealing to Cassie all of his past with the woman he loved with all his heart and soul, who threw him away for his own brother. Giancarlo explains how he had build a fortress around his heart and would never let another woman have that kind of power over him again. After their short affair ends and Giancarlo sends Cassie on her way, she discovers she's pregnant with his child a few months later. There's so much angst here as Giancarlo is clearly disgusted with the prospect of fathering a child, as well as now being tied to the baby's mother. The angst was off the charts when Giancarlo agrees to marry Cassie for the sake of the child, as well as when Cassie gets to meet Giancarlo's brother and his wife Gabriella. Cassie (full of hopelessness and despair) feels in her heart that Giancarlo could never love her like he loved his sister in law I loved all the angstiness and I loved how this author got me to fall in love with Giancarlo and Cassie, and then to pull for this awesome couple's HEA.
February 24, 2022
3.5 ⭐’s
Standard HP scenario. Broody, jaded, emotionally unavailable tycoon, meets a sweet, naive 24-yr old virgin… passion ensues followed by a surprise stork visit. Giancarlo meets Cassie while she’s selling candles at a high-end department store. One thing leads to another, and Cassie agrees to spend the Christmas holiday with him. I believe that Giancarlo is honest with her, but she hopes to thaw his ice-cold heart.
It took me a bit to get invested in the story. I found the first half a smidge slow, but things pick up, and we get some feels in the last half. There’s a teeny bit of wannabe OW drama from the ex that broke his heart, but it’s over quickly.
Bottom Line- It takes a while to get going but is a solid soapy read.
Standard HP scenario. Broody, jaded, emotionally unavailable tycoon, meets a sweet, naive 24-yr old virgin… passion ensues followed by a surprise stork visit. Giancarlo meets Cassie while she’s selling candles at a high-end department store. One thing leads to another, and Cassie agrees to spend the Christmas holiday with him. I believe that Giancarlo is honest with her, but she hopes to thaw his ice-cold heart.
It took me a bit to get invested in the story. I found the first half a smidge slow, but things pick up, and we get some feels in the last half. There’s a teeny bit of wannabe OW drama from the ex that broke his heart, but it’s over quickly.
Bottom Line- It takes a while to get going but is a solid soapy read.
March 15, 2015
Heroine is a poor shop girl and hero is an arrogant alpha Italian hero who meets Cassie when he stops by her shop. She finds herself agreeing to be his mistress for Christmas but when their time together ends she discovers she is pregnant and Giancarlo decides that marriage is the only solution. Cassie accepts but she wants his love as well. However Giancarlo is fixated on the past, his rivalry with his brother and the woman that he loved and lost cause she left him for his brother.
Loved it. The angst is delicious, the hero is very arrogant and proud and I love hard heroes. Cassie is a very sweet, loving, insecure heroine but I would be too if the love of my life was 15 years older than me and a billionaire aristocrat. Giancarlo is quite a dark hero so it was lovely to read how Cassie and their baby healed him and made him whole. But don't read this if you don't love super alpha heroes.
Loved it. The angst is delicious, the hero is very arrogant and proud and I love hard heroes. Cassie is a very sweet, loving, insecure heroine but I would be too if the love of my life was 15 years older than me and a billionaire aristocrat. Giancarlo is quite a dark hero so it was lovely to read how Cassie and their baby healed him and made him whole. But don't read this if you don't love super alpha heroes.
March 15, 2018
3.5 stars
Hero goes throughwomen life wanting no love/commitment because Mom and dad left all the millions to his two-minute older brother and said brother didn't offer a decent share, instead he stole the H's gold-digger fiancée. He earned all his money, though he already had the degree so he didn't slum it.
Heroine has had no adventure in life because she lives in a small town, plus her father passed away and mom was depressed.
Violet-eyed heroine is working in a department store in London just for the Holidays when the Uber-handsome Hero sees and wants her. They have an affair and then break up because she wants more and realizes he only wants a f**k-buddy. A few weeks after that she calls to tell him she's preggers and he goes looking for her to demand marriage for the kiddo's sake (not without asking if the baby was his first and the typical I'll-see-you-in-court threat). They marry quickly only with the heroine's besotted-with-the-hero mom and a friend. Now she's insecure because instead of an average honeymoon they go to meet his family and the gold-digging-ex-fiancée-now-sister-in-law is poisoning her while he's trying to mend old wounds with his brother and trying to be thoughtful with his new bride. They go back to London and she wants to meet his friends but everything is a mess and she's giving up on trying to fit in his world. Then to unleash to HEA.
First of all... the cover. You know I tend to not write about them (as I do with the titles) because it's pointless. BUT I approve of the model even when he doesn't have the ebony eyes. Or maybe it's my english and I didn't know ebony was a shade of blue... Anyways...
No, I wasn't fan of the H but can't blame his logic, and at least was honest with the h:
“Her words shattered his fantasy. Giancarlo’s mouth hardened with a grim kind of reality check—and not just because talking was the last thing on his mind right now. Start telling a woman about your dreams and she started seeing happy-ever-after. And what if he told her that he had no dreams left? Wouldn’t that only make her determined to prove him wrong in that way that women had—wanting to show that they and only they could change you? And they couldn’t—even if you wanted them to.”
As the heroine knew he wasn't pursuing her in a romantic way or thinking about a future together, I can't feel that outrage about his lack of caring for her and her disappointment by that:
“[...]remembering the almost indecent haste with which she had accepted Giancarlo’s offer to be his mistress.”
It wasn't all lost with the heroine. She did the typical I-don't-want-you-to-buy-me-expensive-things, which was the detonating of their break up. She knew she had to inform him of the pregnancy even if nothing could come out of it and reacted perfectly (for me) at his stupidity:
“No, it’s not yours,’ she said bitterly. ‘The baby is mine—all mine! You don’t have to do a damned thing—in fact, you can stay away from us, Giancarlo, because we don’t want you or need you! I told you because I felt that it was your right to know—that’s all.”
As I finished this last night I can't be 100% sure but I think he was celibate during their weeks apart.
BTW what happened to the good-bye-mistress gift? Thought she might sell it to get money or wear ir all the time because she adored it or something. It just disappeared.
Hero goes through
Heroine has had no adventure in life because she lives in a small town, plus her father passed away and mom was depressed.
Violet-eyed heroine is working in a department store in London just for the Holidays when the Uber-handsome Hero sees and wants her. They have an affair and then break up because she wants more and realizes he only wants a f**k-buddy. A few weeks after that she calls to tell him she's preggers and he goes looking for her to demand marriage for the kiddo's sake (not without asking if the baby was his first and the typical I'll-see-you-in-court threat). They marry quickly only with the heroine's besotted-with-the-hero mom and a friend. Now she's insecure because instead of an average honeymoon they go to meet his family and the gold-digging-ex-fiancée-now-sister-in-law is poisoning her while he's trying to mend old wounds with his brother and trying to be thoughtful with his new bride. They go back to London and she wants to meet his friends but everything is a mess and she's giving up on trying to fit in his world. Then to unleash to HEA.
First of all... the cover. You know I tend to not write about them (as I do with the titles) because it's pointless. BUT I approve of the model even when he doesn't have the ebony eyes. Or maybe it's my english and I didn't know ebony was a shade of blue... Anyways...
No, I wasn't fan of the H but can't blame his logic, and at least was honest with the h:
“Her words shattered his fantasy. Giancarlo’s mouth hardened with a grim kind of reality check—and not just because talking was the last thing on his mind right now. Start telling a woman about your dreams and she started seeing happy-ever-after. And what if he told her that he had no dreams left? Wouldn’t that only make her determined to prove him wrong in that way that women had—wanting to show that they and only they could change you? And they couldn’t—even if you wanted them to.”
As the heroine knew he wasn't pursuing her in a romantic way or thinking about a future together, I can't feel that outrage about his lack of caring for her and her disappointment by that:
“[...]remembering the almost indecent haste with which she had accepted Giancarlo’s offer to be his mistress.”
It wasn't all lost with the heroine. She did the typical I-don't-want-you-to-buy-me-expensive-things, which was the detonating of their break up. She knew she had to inform him of the pregnancy even if nothing could come out of it and reacted perfectly (for me) at his stupidity:
“No, it’s not yours,’ she said bitterly. ‘The baby is mine—all mine! You don’t have to do a damned thing—in fact, you can stay away from us, Giancarlo, because we don’t want you or need you! I told you because I felt that it was your right to know—that’s all.”
As I finished this last night I can't be 100% sure but I think he was celibate during their weeks apart.
BTW what happened to the good-bye-mistress gift? Thought she might sell it to get money or wear ir all the time because she adored it or something. It just disappeared.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2022
I loved this even more on re-read actually. Yes he was a stubborn asshole at first and his thoughts were a little squickish but boy when he finally fell, he fell. Wow. And that epilogue made my toes curl. Why oh why can't life be like that?!?? I am so glad I read this again today. It was perfect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2021
This is a story with a virgin h who is a sweet and innocent country girl in the big city (London). She meets the billionaire cynical H and they embark on an affair. When she loses her job, he offers to let her stay with him until Christmas, but lets her know that love and a relationship will never be on offer. She can be his mistress and nothing else. (I really hate the word mistress in a case like this. To me, a mistress is a woman who is having an affair with a married man. But I guess when he calls her his mistress, he is drawing a line showing where she stands with him. I hated it every time he said it and I hated her for volunteering for it). This is a story you've read a hundred times before. The h, knowing that she is going to get her heart broken, decides to be an ostrich and buries her head in the sand. She doesn't want to pass up any time she can spend with the H, even though she is falling in love with him. The H has the requisite backstory of betrayal by family and the woman he loved, so he can never trust women. When Christmas is over, the H/h go their separate ways until the h discovers she is pregnant, and the H demands marriage.
The rest of the book is filled with the h feeling insecure in her marriage and lack of communication which leads to both the H/h being miserable. Let's not forget the evil OW, the H's sister in law who is the ex that dumped him for his more wealthy brother.
I liked this book and despite the tendency to live with her head in the clouds, I liked the h. The H had an iron wall around his heart and I liked seeing the sweet h chip away at it. The ending, where they both realize that they have something precious that they shouldn't give up on, was lovely.
Safety
The rest of the book is filled with the h feeling insecure in her marriage and lack of communication which leads to both the H/h being miserable. Let's not forget the evil OW, the H's sister in law who is the ex that dumped him for his more wealthy brother.
I liked this book and despite the tendency to live with her head in the clouds, I liked the h. The H had an iron wall around his heart and I liked seeing the sweet h chip away at it. The ending, where they both realize that they have something precious that they shouldn't give up on, was lovely.
Safety
August 9, 2015
4.5 stars, rounded to 4 because the I didn't like the beginning very much, it wasn't interesting at all.
Heroine comes from a small town, is working in a department store. The moment hero sees her, he turns into Boner Man, he is super attracted to her. He invites her to dinner, she accepts, they have sex. She agrees to become his mistress until Christmas, then leave.
They have a wonderful time, during which it was super obvious that heroine is deeply in love with him - I loved the heroine, btw. She was super sweet, kind, with such a big heart, and she wasn't a doormat! She, stood up for herself, had spirit and spunk, and was basically THE MOST ADORABLE HEROINE EVER.
Anyway, so it is obvious she is in love with him. She has a lot of pride and self respect, and does not accept any of his money, and when the time comes to leave, she does not take any of his gifts with her. I really, really admired that about her!
So she comes back home, and discovers she's pregnant. She calls him because he has a right to know - I admired that SO much about her too! Heroines never, EVER do that any more! I loved her for it! She was so strong and independent, AND JUST PERFECT.
Giancarlo, of course,proposes orders her to marry him, and even though she resists at first, she doesn't go OTT refusing and throwing tantrums - HER REACTION WAS PERFECT, JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF BELIEVABLE, AND NOT BITCHY. It was perfectly in character. I LOVED HER. THE HIGH RATING IS BASICALLY ALL HER.
I also loved how she jumps in his defence, and how she is super sweet and caring and how she is caught up in insecurities, AND I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED THE 14 YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM! I SO LOVE MAY-DECEMBER ROMANCES :')
The hero was also perfect, the perfect amount of asshole, and sweet, protective husband. I loved the ending so much! :')
Overall, this book was a super sweet, fluffy, wonderful book. Recommended to anyone who loves May-December tropes!
Heroine comes from a small town, is working in a department store. The moment hero sees her, he turns into Boner Man, he is super attracted to her. He invites her to dinner, she accepts, they have sex. She agrees to become his mistress until Christmas, then leave.
They have a wonderful time, during which it was super obvious that heroine is deeply in love with him - I loved the heroine, btw. She was super sweet, kind, with such a big heart, and she wasn't a doormat! She, stood up for herself, had spirit and spunk, and was basically THE MOST ADORABLE HEROINE EVER.
Anyway, so it is obvious she is in love with him. She has a lot of pride and self respect, and does not accept any of his money, and when the time comes to leave, she does not take any of his gifts with her. I really, really admired that about her!
So she comes back home, and discovers she's pregnant. She calls him because he has a right to know - I admired that SO much about her too! Heroines never, EVER do that any more! I loved her for it! She was so strong and independent, AND JUST PERFECT.
Giancarlo, of course,
I also loved how she jumps in his defence, and how she is super sweet and caring and how she is caught up in insecurities, AND I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED THE 14 YEAR AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM! I SO LOVE MAY-DECEMBER ROMANCES :')
The hero was also perfect, the perfect amount of asshole, and sweet, protective husband. I loved the ending so much! :')
Overall, this book was a super sweet, fluffy, wonderful book. Recommended to anyone who loves May-December tropes!
November 18, 2023
С тази коледно ориентирана Арлекинска сапунка приключвам с предколедните захарчета. Сериозно - кой измисля тези заглавия?! Трябва незабавно да го тикнат зад решетките за гавра с романтичния жанр!
Иначе историята е адски сладка, без нито една-едничка политкоректна или пък вулгарна нишка, класическо guilty pleasure. Но освен това доста мило напомня, че хората трябва да си говорят, а не да се заравят в работа или да си държат притесненията неизречени (и да си фантазират цели несъществуващи сценарии). А, да, и че трябва да се учат чужди езици! 🤭
А и има ли по-хубав щастлив край от такъв в спешното отделение при изписването? 🤣💗🩼
4,5⭐️
Иначе историята е адски сладка, без нито една-едничка политкоректна или пък вулгарна нишка, класическо guilty pleasure. Но освен това доста мило напомня, че хората трябва да си говорят, а не да се заравят в работа или да си държат притесненията неизречени (и да си фантазират цели несъществуващи сценарии). А, да, и че трябва да се учат чужди езици! 🤭
А и има ли по-хубав щастлив край от такъв в спешното отделение при изписването? 🤣💗🩼
4,5⭐️
February 27, 2012
The hero Giancarlo sees the heroine Cassie working in a busy department store, finding her totally captivating he asks her to have dinner with him. Cassie is a little surprised by the offer, Giancarlo is so much more than anyone she has ever met, at first she declines his offer but then changes her mind. They end up spending the night together and Giancarlo is overwhelmed by both Cassie's innocence and her spirit. He asks her to spend a couple of weeks with him, making it clear that it is only a short term affair that he is offering, and Cassie agrees. The time they spend together is full of passion and they become close, but by the end Cassie realises that she doesn't belong in Giancarlo's world and their eventual parting is less than amicable. A few weeks later and Cassie is still thinking about Giancarlo and worried about what his reaction will be when she has to contact him to tell him that she is pregnant.
While this is a tried and tested plot, the execution of this book is pretty much perfect. I am a big fan of Sharon Kendrick, and I love it when she write the more gentle hero. The hero in this book manages to be that, as well as having all the alpha traits you would want. There is a lot of emotion and passion in all of the hero and heroine's interactions. and the whole story has a wonderful flow. The relationship actually develops over the story - by that I mean we, the readers, actually get to 'see' how the characters get to know one another and fall in love (rather than a book where the timeline jumps a lot).
This is a nice, yet passionate, read. I enjoyed it.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
While this is a tried and tested plot, the execution of this book is pretty much perfect. I am a big fan of Sharon Kendrick, and I love it when she write the more gentle hero. The hero in this book manages to be that, as well as having all the alpha traits you would want. There is a lot of emotion and passion in all of the hero and heroine's interactions. and the whole story has a wonderful flow. The relationship actually develops over the story - by that I mean we, the readers, actually get to 'see' how the characters get to know one another and fall in love (rather than a book where the timeline jumps a lot).
This is a nice, yet passionate, read. I enjoyed it.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
September 7, 2024
2.5 Stars
The hero came off as a sleazeball at first. I never warmed up to the him, but I did like how protective he was with the heroine when he found out she was pregnant. She wasn't a doormat but he still overpowered her at every turn. This was just okay, nothing exciting. The epilogue was nice, actually, but the happy family scene felt like it was about a different couple. Like, who dis? Maybe because it was all tied up too quickly for me to believe it. The characters, the romance, weren't fleshed out well.
I didn't DNF so that's something. Rounding up to 3 Stars. I'm feeling generous.
(Hoopla ebook)
The hero came off as a sleazeball at first. I never warmed up to the him, but I did like how protective he was with the heroine when he found out she was pregnant. She wasn't a doormat but he still overpowered her at every turn. This was just okay, nothing exciting. The epilogue was nice, actually, but the happy family scene felt like it was about a different couple. Like, who dis? Maybe because it was all tied up too quickly for me to believe it. The characters, the romance, weren't fleshed out well.
I didn't DNF so that's something. Rounding up to 3 Stars. I'm feeling generous.
(Hoopla ebook)
November 16, 2014
The only reason it isn't one star is that it is readable. Other than that, it doesn't work at all.
The H genuinely does not give a shit about the heroine at all. A romance has to have romance in it. This one just didn't. If she hadn't got pregnant, he would never have contacted her again. The only thing that made her stand out from all his other mistresses was her fertility. That's not romantic.
The H genuinely does not give a shit about the heroine at all. A romance has to have romance in it. This one just didn't. If she hadn't got pregnant, he would never have contacted her again. The only thing that made her stand out from all his other mistresses was her fertility. That's not romantic.
May 10, 2017
I loved those 2 .
January 28, 2012
Up front, I have to say that I'm a HUGE Sharon Kendrick fan. Her Alpha heroes sometimes tread dangerously close to the edge in their sexual arrogance, but they're always brought to their knees by her heroines.
Sharon is brilliant at writing the journey of two people who meet, the mutual physical attraction which cannot be denied (in spite of themselves)and the rocky road to true love and happy ever after.
This is a wonderful, feelgood Christmas read.
Giancarlo Andrea Vellutini is a a typical Kendrick Alpha,gorgeous, tortured, arrogant who hates Christmas and everything that surrounds it due his unhappy childhood. Especially decorations, xmas trees and goodwill to all men and women. Giancarlo's physical presence has women tossing their knickers at him, which has left him a tad jaded. I particularly love the rhythm of speech that Kendrick uses with his Italian accent, I can actually hear him speak. Great stuff.
Enter Cassandra Summers, working for the holiday season in a top London store to gain experience. She's stationed in the scented candle section and loving it. This girl knows her product and sets out to sell Giancarlo some gifts for the season. Our heroine is naive to say the least and is not equipped to deal with a man like Giancarlo. (I suspect not many woman would be!)However, Giancarlo finds himself captivated by big eyes and a smile that would melt the polar ice-cap. He asks her out and she refuses. 'It's very sweet of you, but I'm afraid I can't let my flatmates down," she said apologetically. Hehehe.
He's thrown and completely baffled. This has never happened to him before. And so it begins ...
The blurb showcases pretty accurately what the story is about so I won't labour the point. A couple of times my toe itched to give Giancarlo a good kick up the backside. And there were times when he sailed very close to wind nudging bullying, but Sharon Kendrick pulls him back from the brink. I loved the heroine and I adored the hero. I can recommend this!
Sharon is brilliant at writing the journey of two people who meet, the mutual physical attraction which cannot be denied (in spite of themselves)and the rocky road to true love and happy ever after.
This is a wonderful, feelgood Christmas read.
Giancarlo Andrea Vellutini is a a typical Kendrick Alpha,gorgeous, tortured, arrogant who hates Christmas and everything that surrounds it due his unhappy childhood. Especially decorations, xmas trees and goodwill to all men and women. Giancarlo's physical presence has women tossing their knickers at him, which has left him a tad jaded. I particularly love the rhythm of speech that Kendrick uses with his Italian accent, I can actually hear him speak. Great stuff.
Enter Cassandra Summers, working for the holiday season in a top London store to gain experience. She's stationed in the scented candle section and loving it. This girl knows her product and sets out to sell Giancarlo some gifts for the season. Our heroine is naive to say the least and is not equipped to deal with a man like Giancarlo. (I suspect not many woman would be!)However, Giancarlo finds himself captivated by big eyes and a smile that would melt the polar ice-cap. He asks her out and she refuses. 'It's very sweet of you, but I'm afraid I can't let my flatmates down," she said apologetically. Hehehe.
He's thrown and completely baffled. This has never happened to him before. And so it begins ...
The blurb showcases pretty accurately what the story is about so I won't labour the point. A couple of times my toe itched to give Giancarlo a good kick up the backside. And there were times when he sailed very close to wind nudging bullying, but Sharon Kendrick pulls him back from the brink. I loved the heroine and I adored the hero. I can recommend this!
April 18, 2016
Okay so this book really irritated me. Why is it in every HP that I read, the heroine gets pregnant even though they have been using a CONDOM the whole time?! Really? There is not a very high percentage of that happening, even though Yes, I know it can. Does everything have to be so PC? I'm a grown ass woman, I don't need an author to be so patronizingly PC. I already know that people should have safe sex. In the real world though, women usually don't get pregnant using a condom. It's usually by both parties making a mistake...
Needless to stay, this book was very unrealistic. I usually don't like it when the heroine gets pregnant and the hero has to marry her because of it anyway. This was not my favorite trope. I can never make myself believe that the hero really wants to be with her for true love and not the baby. I mean, he didn't want to marry her before, so... In this particular book, he didn't even care or concern himself about her after she left, and seemed really annoyed even when she called him. So I can safely say that no he was not thinking about marrying this chick, but somehow she gets pregnant while using a CONDOM and he marries her and has a light bulb moment in the end and loves her more than life itself! Yeah okay...
I was actually enjoying the book for the most part, until it annoyed me halfway through. I really liked the beginning of it when the couple first met. I liked the fact that he just met her in a department store and it was instant attraction, and she fell for his cheesy lines. Too bad I can't rate it higher than a 2.5 stars. I just didn't care for the execution of this book.
Needless to stay, this book was very unrealistic. I usually don't like it when the heroine gets pregnant and the hero has to marry her because of it anyway. This was not my favorite trope. I can never make myself believe that the hero really wants to be with her for true love and not the baby. I mean, he didn't want to marry her before, so... In this particular book, he didn't even care or concern himself about her after she left, and seemed really annoyed even when she called him. So I can safely say that no he was not thinking about marrying this chick, but somehow she gets pregnant while using a CONDOM and he marries her and has a light bulb moment in the end and loves her more than life itself! Yeah okay...
I was actually enjoying the book for the most part, until it annoyed me halfway through. I really liked the beginning of it when the couple first met. I liked the fact that he just met her in a department store and it was instant attraction, and she fell for his cheesy lines. Too bad I can't rate it higher than a 2.5 stars. I just didn't care for the execution of this book.
February 29, 2016
Finished 02/28/16
Started 02/28/16
3 Innocent Stars
“I don’t really matter to you, do I, Giancarlo – not as a person?”
Sweet, innocent, country girl, Cassie has a job selling candles in an upscale London department store. She meets and falls for an older, hot Italian Billionaire, Giancarlo Vellutini. After a hot affair and a painful breakup, Cassie finds out she’s pregnant. Giancarlo’s solution is to marry her to get his child. But he has a dark past and a lot of resentments and that has a negative affect on his relationship with Cassie.
Cassie was a bit too naïve and sweet for a guy like Giancarlo. But the author made it work. This is good read overall.
Started 02/28/16
3 Innocent Stars
“I don’t really matter to you, do I, Giancarlo – not as a person?”
Sweet, innocent, country girl, Cassie has a job selling candles in an upscale London department store. She meets and falls for an older, hot Italian Billionaire, Giancarlo Vellutini. After a hot affair and a painful breakup, Cassie finds out she’s pregnant. Giancarlo’s solution is to marry her to get his child. But he has a dark past and a lot of resentments and that has a negative affect on his relationship with Cassie.
Cassie was a bit too naïve and sweet for a guy like Giancarlo. But the author made it work. This is good read overall.
January 20, 2013
Im not used in buying and reading sexy imprints of harlequin books. But this one proves me that I should do read it! Gosh, I fell in love with Gian Carlo's character. I love him being arrogant turning to the sweet kind father in the end. The only thing I didnt get satisfied here is the ending---where the two told they love each other. I think its not justified that well. But anyway, its been a while since Ive read a book without putting it down while reading. The book excites me every chapter and I love it! Hope I can find more Sharon Kendrick's books.
April 11, 2021
When renowned international playboy Giancarlo Vellutini invites shop assistant Cassie Summers to join him for dinner, how can she refuse? After all, she is an ordinary girl and chances like this don't come around very often!
Throwing caution to the wind, unworldly Cassie is completely at Giancarlo's mercy before she knows it. She finds herself agreeing to be his mistress for Christmas ... But will an unexpected gift make this temporary festive arrangement last a lifetime?
Throwing caution to the wind, unworldly Cassie is completely at Giancarlo's mercy before she knows it. She finds herself agreeing to be his mistress for Christmas ... But will an unexpected gift make this temporary festive arrangement last a lifetime?
August 4, 2013
It's so nice to read a Mills & Boon novel where the heroine isn't a complete pushover. This is actually a surprisingly sweet read, with a naive but sensible heroine, Cassie, and a hero, Giancarlo, who isn't a complete b*****d. Although some part of this story are predictable - the unexpected pregnancy followed by the compulsory marriage - Kendrick doesn't make the mistake of then having Cassie become completely overcome and clingy towards her new husband despite being miserable, and she had cleverly walked the line between having Giancarlo be a proud man, rather than an arrogantly blind one. It's also quite nice that Kendrick has constructed a character who is cynical, but doesn't automatically hate all women. There are flaws of course. The happy ending and declaration of love is done in a slightly cringy way, and the issue that Cassie has with one of her co-workers is built up at the beginning and then kind of comes to nothing.
Apart from that though, this was an enjoyable and easy read with a sympathetic leading lady. 4 stars.
Apart from that though, this was an enjoyable and easy read with a sympathetic leading lady. 4 stars.
February 6, 2021
A re-read and thankfully a good one. Cassie is a small town (rather village) girl working the Christmas season in London to gain work experience. She meets Giancarlo one night and their chemistry hits off and very soon they’re tumbling in the bed sheets.
Giancarlo was quite close to his true Italian heritage. He was a thorough lover and charming to the T. He would only treat Cassie as a little trinket and won’t discuss other life issues with her. He dined and wined Cassie who tried just a little to ruffle his feathers but Giancarlo was tough. I did really not see this guy falling for Cassie or softening up for her just a bit.
Eventually there’s an MoC and Cassie with her inexperience in dealing with people, especially the upper crust kind, is a nervous mess when she’s left to handle real life.
This was SK at her very best. Cassie was a sweet girl and Giancarlo was an extremely guarded alpha lover but eventually Cassie is able to break in! Sweet epilogue as well.
Giancarlo was quite close to his true Italian heritage. He was a thorough lover and charming to the T. He would only treat Cassie as a little trinket and won’t discuss other life issues with her. He dined and wined Cassie who tried just a little to ruffle his feathers but Giancarlo was tough. I did really not see this guy falling for Cassie or softening up for her just a bit.
Eventually there’s an MoC and Cassie with her inexperience in dealing with people, especially the upper crust kind, is a nervous mess when she’s left to handle real life.
This was SK at her very best. Cassie was a sweet girl and Giancarlo was an extremely guarded alpha lover but eventually Cassie is able to break in! Sweet epilogue as well.
November 19, 2012
This is a lovely classic Italian Alpha male with a closed off heart and a sweet little virgin with no clue. Shopgirl Cassie is up from the country and a little overwhelmed by the big City and a lot overwhelmed by the devastating attentions of Giancarlo.
The finite affair may be all over by Christmas but that when the fun starts. Giancarlo may be cynical about family but when Cassie suggests she doesn't need him to father her child he has definite opinions.
How these two work through their differences and overcome the past makes for a light and enjoyable read.
The finite affair may be all over by Christmas but that when the fun starts. Giancarlo may be cynical about family but when Cassie suggests she doesn't need him to father her child he has definite opinions.
How these two work through their differences and overcome the past makes for a light and enjoyable read.
September 27, 2012
I read this back when the novel first came out and I have to say it is one of the best happy ending ever. I love how descriptive the novel is. It was well written and the characters were darlings. GREAT READ!
November 29, 2010
The book starts out very strong, but the way their doubts surface midbook just seemed a bit wishy washy.
August 16, 2011
Good book...always like Sharon Kendrick, she never disappoints.
Girl meets boy, boy seduces girl....etc :)
Girl meets boy, boy seduces girl....etc :)
July 21, 2015
It was good, the H was ok not so alpha the h had half a spine which when well with the hero’s character, overall an Ok read.
July 11, 2025
what possessed me to read this.
September 27, 2021
STmargarets has a great review with the details.➡️ https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Sharon Kendrick is one of those authors where it seems if she hooks me right away, I usually enjoy the story. If she doesn’t, I keep it on my to be read shelf for a rainy day. For example, I have this book Bought by Her Husband on my shelf, but I am just not convinced the “hero” in that book can get me past the image of him and his secretary in the first chapter😳. Maybe, some day…..
In this story, the h and H had good chemistry. The h was a little bit of a surprise. She was very innocent, not just sexually, but worldly. However, she had a spine, and she got over her country girl persona fairly quickly to sign up as a temporary mistress(never losing herself as a person or becoming a femme fatale). Our Hero is a typical “I don’t do love” type….until he does!
There is a very nice epilogue…I so appreciate epilogues!
Sharon Kendrick is one of those authors where it seems if she hooks me right away, I usually enjoy the story. If she doesn’t, I keep it on my to be read shelf for a rainy day. For example, I have this book Bought by Her Husband on my shelf, but I am just not convinced the “hero” in that book can get me past the image of him and his secretary in the first chapter😳. Maybe, some day…..
In this story, the h and H had good chemistry. The h was a little bit of a surprise. She was very innocent, not just sexually, but worldly. However, she had a spine, and she got over her country girl persona fairly quickly to sign up as a temporary mistress(never losing herself as a person or becoming a femme fatale). Our Hero is a typical “I don’t do love” type….until he does!
There is a very nice epilogue…I so appreciate epilogues!
September 22, 2018
This poor little book had grand ideas that were reduced by the length of the story. The age difference wasn't even MENTIONED until the honeymoon, but could have been a challenge for the couple. The villain did nothing but stir a little pot of drama but should have hand room to reek havoc all over the place. Glad the twin brothers batched things up a bit. But the poor heroine, she had literally nothing to do but be at the hero's beck and call and that got boring quick. She needed to have some type of goal but she didn't, even her mother who we briefly meet had things going on in her life at the end! Give our heroine the same thing, something to do!
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