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The Italian's Forced Bride
Alice spent six passionate months asDomenico's mistress. But she knew he wouldnever love her back and would soon discardher—so she left him.
But now he wants her back in his bed, and histerms of possession are the same as before—until he makes a discovery that Alice is carrying his child.
But now he wants her back in his bed, and histerms of possession are the same as before—until he makes a discovery that Alice is carrying his child.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
18 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Kate Walker
496 books148 followersI was born in Nottinghamshire, England, but I didn't live there for very long. The family moved to West Yorkshire when I was just eighteen months old and so I have always regarded Yorkshire as my home. I grew up there as the middle child in a family of five—all girls—in a home where books were vitally important and I read anything I could get my hands on.
Even before I could write I was making up stories. My mother tells the story of me recounting the tale of the Three Little Raindrops — Drippy, Droppy and Droopy to my two younger sisters when I was four. I can't remember a time when I wasn't scribbling away at something, and I wrote my first 'book' when I was eleven, an adventure story, most of it in secret in lessons at school—particularly maths lessons, which I hated.
But everyone, particularly teachers and my parents, told me that I would never make a living as a writer, and I should work towards a more secure career. So I decided instead that if I couldn't write books, I could at least work with them and so I settled for becoming a librarian. On leaving school, I went to the University College of Wales Aberystwyth where I studied English and Librarianship for my degree.
More importantly, university was also where I met my husband who was also studying English there. We married and moved back north, eventually settling in Lincolnshire. Here I worked as a children's librarian until I left work when my son was born.
After three years of being a full-time housewife and mother, I was ready for a new challenge, but needed something I could do at home, and so I turned to my old love of writing. My first attempts at novels were written on the kitchen table, often late into the night when my son was asleep or during a few snatched hours when he was out at nursery school.
The first two novels sent off to Harlequin Mills & Boon were rejected, but the third attempt was successful. I can still remember the moment that a letter arrived instead of the rejection slip I had been dreading. I think I must have read it over and over at least a hundred times before the reality of what it said sank in, and for days I kept checking it just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. In 1984, THE CHALK LINE was published just in time to be one of my best Christmas presents ever.
Fitting in hobbies around working and being a wife and mother can be difficult, but I always find time to read. I love all sorts of fiction, especially Romance, obviously. I also enjoy historical novels, detective fiction and long, absorbing biographies about fascinating people and I can spend hours in bookshops just browsing. I enjoy knitting and embroidery, but I rarely get time to do either now that I'm a full-time writer. I also love looking round antique fairs or junk shops, hoping to add to my collection of Victorian embroidery. During my working hours my four cats, all adopted from the RSPCA, usually keep me company in my study, though they have to be dissuaded from sitting on the piles of papers that they are convinced are there just for them.
I love to travel and visit new places, especially places with an interesting history, and I always enjoy visiting old castles or stately homes and imagining how the people who used to live there spent their days.
I'm often asked if I'm a romantic sort of person because I specialise in writing Romances. Well, if being romantic means caring about other people enough to make that extra special effort, then yes, I am. Romance is about making the important people in your life feel valued and letting them know that you care. But I also write about relationships and the difficulties people sometimes have in understanding each other, or expressing affection, or overcoming problems.
Sometimes—when the right words won't come, or an idea hasn't worked out as I'd thought, I wonder why I don't have some regular nine to five job, but when the story's flowing and the characters come alive, I really can't imagine a
Even before I could write I was making up stories. My mother tells the story of me recounting the tale of the Three Little Raindrops — Drippy, Droppy and Droopy to my two younger sisters when I was four. I can't remember a time when I wasn't scribbling away at something, and I wrote my first 'book' when I was eleven, an adventure story, most of it in secret in lessons at school—particularly maths lessons, which I hated.
But everyone, particularly teachers and my parents, told me that I would never make a living as a writer, and I should work towards a more secure career. So I decided instead that if I couldn't write books, I could at least work with them and so I settled for becoming a librarian. On leaving school, I went to the University College of Wales Aberystwyth where I studied English and Librarianship for my degree.
More importantly, university was also where I met my husband who was also studying English there. We married and moved back north, eventually settling in Lincolnshire. Here I worked as a children's librarian until I left work when my son was born.
After three years of being a full-time housewife and mother, I was ready for a new challenge, but needed something I could do at home, and so I turned to my old love of writing. My first attempts at novels were written on the kitchen table, often late into the night when my son was asleep or during a few snatched hours when he was out at nursery school.
The first two novels sent off to Harlequin Mills & Boon were rejected, but the third attempt was successful. I can still remember the moment that a letter arrived instead of the rejection slip I had been dreading. I think I must have read it over and over at least a hundred times before the reality of what it said sank in, and for days I kept checking it just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. In 1984, THE CHALK LINE was published just in time to be one of my best Christmas presents ever.
Fitting in hobbies around working and being a wife and mother can be difficult, but I always find time to read. I love all sorts of fiction, especially Romance, obviously. I also enjoy historical novels, detective fiction and long, absorbing biographies about fascinating people and I can spend hours in bookshops just browsing. I enjoy knitting and embroidery, but I rarely get time to do either now that I'm a full-time writer. I also love looking round antique fairs or junk shops, hoping to add to my collection of Victorian embroidery. During my working hours my four cats, all adopted from the RSPCA, usually keep me company in my study, though they have to be dissuaded from sitting on the piles of papers that they are convinced are there just for them.
I love to travel and visit new places, especially places with an interesting history, and I always enjoy visiting old castles or stately homes and imagining how the people who used to live there spent their days.
I'm often asked if I'm a romantic sort of person because I specialise in writing Romances. Well, if being romantic means caring about other people enough to make that extra special effort, then yes, I am. Romance is about making the important people in your life feel valued and letting them know that you care. But I also write about relationships and the difficulties people sometimes have in understanding each other, or expressing affection, or overcoming problems.
Sometimes—when the right words won't come, or an idea hasn't worked out as I'd thought, I wonder why I don't have some regular nine to five job, but when the story's flowing and the characters come alive, I really can't imagine a
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 12, 2015
Mostly just an average read for me. There was some angst, but overall the H was far less of an entertaining alpha jerk than I've come to enjoy. It was obvious from the first that his feelings for the h went much deeper than he let on. He did have a few jerk moments, but she had left him and hurt his pride. Plus her method of leaving him did give him some reason to believe she was shallow and mercenary. She told him she "wasn't having fun anymore" instead of admitting that she thought he was cheating and wasn't happy with being a mistress due to her deep feelings for him.
Also, misleading title (which is a major pet peeve). She wasn't "forced" to marry him. Not really. He did pull out the 'I'll sue you for custody' nugget, but she was an English citizen on English soil and he was an Italian. Yeah, he had more money, but if she really didn't want to marry him she wouldn't have. She was smart enough to know that all he could do was cause her a big headache and she was fully ready to be reasonable and allow him access, which any judge would have been fine with. He didn't have to abduct her or threaten to ruin her family or anything fun like that. Kind of anticlimactic. It should have been titled 'The Italian's Sorta Reluctant and Resentful Bride'.
I have problems with the non-virginal mistress. To me, being a mistress is one step above being a high-class prostitute. I can overlook it when the h is a virgin and absurdly naive and truly doesn't realize what she is. But, if you've got more life experience under your belt, I expect more common sense and self respect.
I didn't dislike the heroine. There were things to admire about her. For one thing, she actually wrote the hero when she found out she was pregnant rather than pulling the secret baby angle. However, the heroine knew what she was and what the hero expected. She lived with this guy, didn't work, and let him spend all sorts of money on fancy clothes, etc. That's being a kept woman. I realize she loved him and was hoping for more, but I'd have had more respect for her if she'd kept on working and insisted on not being totally dependent on him.
Perhaps in a longer format, this could have been better explored. I'm not saying that only naive virgins are capable of foolish mistakes (holds up hand), but it's a nice shortcut in Hqn land. It takes more pages and more character development than is present in a Harley to bypass that shortcut IMHO. Plus, I admit to getting a kick out of the poor, innocent little virgin who spent her life taking care of her sick granny, rarely saw the outside world, and spent her extra time knitting booties for orphans being taken advantage of by the big bad wolf. The very OTT absurdness of it all is highly entertaining. HPs are very formulaic and there's a reason for that. The formula works. If I want more realism in my contemporary, I'll read a Lisa Kleypas Travis novel. I want and expect exactly NO realism in a HP. The crazier, train wreckier, campier, WTF-just-happened here - the better. It's like potato chips. It's crap and you know it, but you've gotta have more.
Also, misleading title (which is a major pet peeve). She wasn't "forced" to marry him. Not really. He did pull out the 'I'll sue you for custody' nugget, but she was an English citizen on English soil and he was an Italian. Yeah, he had more money, but if she really didn't want to marry him she wouldn't have. She was smart enough to know that all he could do was cause her a big headache and she was fully ready to be reasonable and allow him access, which any judge would have been fine with. He didn't have to abduct her or threaten to ruin her family or anything fun like that. Kind of anticlimactic. It should have been titled 'The Italian's Sorta Reluctant and Resentful Bride'.
I have problems with the non-virginal mistress. To me, being a mistress is one step above being a high-class prostitute. I can overlook it when the h is a virgin and absurdly naive and truly doesn't realize what she is. But, if you've got more life experience under your belt, I expect more common sense and self respect.
I didn't dislike the heroine. There were things to admire about her. For one thing, she actually wrote the hero when she found out she was pregnant rather than pulling the secret baby angle. However, the heroine knew what she was and what the hero expected. She lived with this guy, didn't work, and let him spend all sorts of money on fancy clothes, etc. That's being a kept woman. I realize she loved him and was hoping for more, but I'd have had more respect for her if she'd kept on working and insisted on not being totally dependent on him.
Perhaps in a longer format, this could have been better explored. I'm not saying that only naive virgins are capable of foolish mistakes (holds up hand), but it's a nice shortcut in Hqn land. It takes more pages and more character development than is present in a Harley to bypass that shortcut IMHO. Plus, I admit to getting a kick out of the poor, innocent little virgin who spent her life taking care of her sick granny, rarely saw the outside world, and spent her extra time knitting booties for orphans being taken advantage of by the big bad wolf. The very OTT absurdness of it all is highly entertaining. HPs are very formulaic and there's a reason for that. The formula works. If I want more realism in my contemporary, I'll read a Lisa Kleypas Travis novel. I want and expect exactly NO realism in a HP. The crazier, train wreckier, campier, WTF-just-happened here - the better. It's like potato chips. It's crap and you know it, but you've gotta have more.
March 10, 2016
Gostei do livro, foi uma boa leitura, se bem que houve alguns fatores que deixaram um pouco a desejar. Acho que esta história poderia ter ido bem mais longe, limitou-se à fórmula de sucesso do costume, em que a protagonista Acho que a autora teria ganho se introduzisse outros fatores, que poderiam, perfeitamente, ter sido muito mais desenvolvidos, mas, mesmo assim, foi uma leitura bastante positiva
March 3, 2020
Alice Howard has an unexpected but certainly not unwanted visitor. Domenico Parrisi has finally arrived, all the way from Florence to England, because she had written a letter to make him come here so that she could inform him about her pregnancy. And he's angry as hell!
A book that starts with the heroine having walked out on the hero from a relationship and not vice-versa? I'll take that one any day! Haha. It's been two months since she left Florence. But he didn't 'do marriage', so there was that!
Also, a book that starts with two months, long-awaited reunion. Which also brings forward the question of another woman, Pippa Marinelli. But after spending one night, Dom very clinically in a complete alpha male mode claims ownership over Alice and declares that no one ever leaves him, so they'll continue with their sex-fest till his lordship declares it is over.
The story explicitly stated what made this book not that likeable, that Domenico didn't care for Alice, at all. At least, not in how he conducted himself. Forget love, there literally wasn't even an ounce of care either in his gestures or his words. A thirty-four-year-old man so burdened by his past and more than half of the book spent in isolation is a combination I couldn't appreciate. There is no one else except them and it felt very odd, with the exception of her parents for a very brief time and Pippa on the phone. This one was a big tragic mess, a totally surreal experience. Even though I was impressed in the end when she was revealed to be twenty-five and yet there was no hint of that age gap, not even once. The revelations about his past, so crucial to the story and for me to have been invested in the characters, were provided last ten or so pages. While Alice shows the strength of her character exactly twice.
This is the third book by Kate Walker that I'm reading and I couldn't believe the way it turned out, because I previously loved her books. And Alice was never a forced bride, so a misleading title too.
A book that starts with the heroine having walked out on the hero from a relationship and not vice-versa? I'll take that one any day! Haha. It's been two months since she left Florence. But he didn't 'do marriage', so there was that!
Also, a book that starts with two months, long-awaited reunion. Which also brings forward the question of another woman, Pippa Marinelli. But after spending one night, Dom very clinically in a complete alpha male mode claims ownership over Alice and declares that no one ever leaves him, so they'll continue with their sex-fest till his lordship declares it is over.
The story explicitly stated what made this book not that likeable, that Domenico didn't care for Alice, at all. At least, not in how he conducted himself. Forget love, there literally wasn't even an ounce of care either in his gestures or his words. A thirty-four-year-old man so burdened by his past and more than half of the book spent in isolation is a combination I couldn't appreciate. There is no one else except them and it felt very odd, with the exception of her parents for a very brief time and Pippa on the phone. This one was a big tragic mess, a totally surreal experience. Even though I was impressed in the end when she was revealed to be twenty-five and yet there was no hint of that age gap, not even once. The revelations about his past, so crucial to the story and for me to have been invested in the characters, were provided last ten or so pages. While Alice shows the strength of her character exactly twice.
This is the third book by Kate Walker that I'm reading and I couldn't believe the way it turned out, because I previously loved her books. And Alice was never a forced bride, so a misleading title too.
June 4, 2021
Alice spent six passionate months as Domenico's mistress. But she knew he would never love her back and would soon discard her--so she left him. But now he wants her back in his bed, and his terms of possession are the same as before-- until he makes a discovery that changes everything: Alice is carrying his child.
December 11, 2016
Una amante que queda embarazada por "error", me parece inadmisible. Esta novelita no tiene ni pies ni cabeza, para colmo hay un aborto, el protagonista es un tarado, la heroína es una advenediza que logra lo que quiere. El final es apresurado e insatisfactorio, pero no podía ser de otro modo.
November 14, 2008
I can't begin to tell you how moved I was by this book. It was intense, passionate and I cried for days!
THE ITALIAN’S FORCED BRIDE by Kate Walker is magnificent; a stunning and powerful love story that I immediately had to read from cover to cover. This love story of Dom and Alice had me in tears, angry and sighing all at once.
Alice who has been Domenico’s Parrisi’s lover for months realizes that she loves him but he is incapable of returning that love. She also overhears gossip one evening that points to him having a mistress so she flees and moves back to England. However, life sometimes plays tricks and for Alice that’s the case when she finds out that she is carrying Dom’s child. She feels she needs to tell Dom of her pregnancy so she writes him a letter asking him to come to her so she can tell him the truth.
Upon Dom’s arrival in England, this story takes on emotions so powerful it leaves the reader sitting on edge. Upon hearing the news, Dom demands marriage and takes Alice back with him to Italy. All I can say so as not to give the story away, is that there are scenes which will take your breath away, secrets and tragedy and in the end a love so sweet and tender it will leave you laughing and crying at the same time.
Congratulations to Kate Walker on yet another magical love story.
Book Summary:
As long as I want you, you stay – and you only leave when I give you permission to go.’
Alice spent six passionate months as Domenico’s mistress – until she made the worst mistake of all: falling in love. She knew he would never love her back, would soon discard her – so she left him.
But now the fiercely attractive Italian is demanding her back in his bed. And this time, when Domenico finds out she’s carrying his child; he may never let her go…
THE ITALIAN’S FORCED BRIDE by Kate Walker is magnificent; a stunning and powerful love story that I immediately had to read from cover to cover. This love story of Dom and Alice had me in tears, angry and sighing all at once.
Alice who has been Domenico’s Parrisi’s lover for months realizes that she loves him but he is incapable of returning that love. She also overhears gossip one evening that points to him having a mistress so she flees and moves back to England. However, life sometimes plays tricks and for Alice that’s the case when she finds out that she is carrying Dom’s child. She feels she needs to tell Dom of her pregnancy so she writes him a letter asking him to come to her so she can tell him the truth.
Upon Dom’s arrival in England, this story takes on emotions so powerful it leaves the reader sitting on edge. Upon hearing the news, Dom demands marriage and takes Alice back with him to Italy. All I can say so as not to give the story away, is that there are scenes which will take your breath away, secrets and tragedy and in the end a love so sweet and tender it will leave you laughing and crying at the same time.
Congratulations to Kate Walker on yet another magical love story.
Book Summary:
As long as I want you, you stay – and you only leave when I give you permission to go.’
Alice spent six passionate months as Domenico’s mistress – until she made the worst mistake of all: falling in love. She knew he would never love her back, would soon discard her – so she left him.
But now the fiercely attractive Italian is demanding her back in his bed. And this time, when Domenico finds out she’s carrying his child; he may never let her go…
April 23, 2015
Passion and emotion are equally powerful in author Kate Walker's poignant romance, "The Italian's Forced Bride". Domenico Parrisi never gave his heart, and no woman ever walked out on him. What he started, he brought to a halt when the time came. He worked hard, building his own fortune in the computer industry, and when he had time, he played just as hard as he worked. When he met Alice Howard, he never expected that she would be the exception to the rule. On a working holiday in Florence, Italy, Alice met Domenico at the restaurant where she waitressed. The chemistry was instant and combustible, and an immediate, highly passionate affair ensued. Domenico made it clear from the start that he had no interest in marriage--he had no interest in commitment. Alice tried to listen, letting her body do the thinking, but her heart had a louder voice. She fell in love, and then fell prey to vicious gossip about Domenico and his "other woman". She left him and returned to England. Two months later, she sends word that she must speak with him, and soon he is angrily ringing the bell to her small cottage. Their meeting is fiery, passionate, and then changes all together when he discovers she is pregnant. He insists that they marry, but before the ceremony can take place, their child is lost to a miscarriage. Will the emotion which so often was hidden by the passion between fully bloom into a lasting love? Domenico is much more than the hard-edged business mogul known to the world, but can he let go of painful childhood secrets and trust his heart to Alice? Does she have the courage to once again take a chance on loving him? The title, "The Italian's Forced Bride", doesn't really do justice to this compelling romance from talented author Kate Walker. If you love heart-felt romance blended with sizzling passion, then you will very much enjoy this book.
June 10, 2020
leído en febrero 2014
Meh!!
Argumento:
«Te quedarás aquí mientras yo lo desee… y sólo te marcharás cuando yo te dé permiso para hacerlo».
Alice había pasado seis apasionados meses siendo la amante de Domenico hasta que había cometido un tremendo error: se había enamorado. Sabía que él jamás la amaría, por eso lo abandonó.
Pero ahora el guapísimo italiano exigía que volviera a su cama sin saber que estaba embarazada. Quizá cuando lo descubriera no la dejara marchar jamás…
Meh!!
Argumento:
«Te quedarás aquí mientras yo lo desee… y sólo te marcharás cuando yo te dé permiso para hacerlo».
Alice había pasado seis apasionados meses siendo la amante de Domenico hasta que había cometido un tremendo error: se había enamorado. Sabía que él jamás la amaría, por eso lo abandonó.
Pero ahora el guapísimo italiano exigía que volviera a su cama sin saber que estaba embarazada. Quizá cuando lo descubriera no la dejara marchar jamás…
August 3, 2023
This is the one with Alice and Domenico. Alice has been his mistress for 6 months, they have great chemistry and wonderful sex. Yet she leaves him, saying that "it's not fun any more" when really they just needed a proper chat with some honesty about
June 6, 2021
Worst book ever
I couldn't force myself to finish this book.
These characters were horrible and irritating. They were better off apart from each other
I couldn't force myself to finish this book.
These characters were horrible and irritating. They were better off apart from each other
December 28, 2021
Fairly good but author should have cut bedroom scenes and replaced with character building and setting
December 18, 2023
Excellent
This is an older book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and Kate Walker is a very good author. I love to read about Italian's and their love of family. Enjoy
This is an older book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and Kate Walker is a very good author. I love to read about Italian's and their love of family. Enjoy
May 15, 2015
Sniffle. Argh. Sweet sweet ending.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews