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The Sabbatini Brothers #2
Shock: One Night Heir
When Maya met Giorgio Sabbatini, he married the penniless waif and stray despite her inferior breeding. So her decision to divorce him now is made with a heavy heart. Giorgio belongs to a notorious blue-blooded family, and their duty to maintain its lineage is unquestioning. Unable to give him the heir he craves, Maya knows she has to walk away.
But the ink on their divorce papers isn't given the chance to dry; after one last reckless night of passion, there's a very shocking announcement....
192 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2010
63 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Melanie Milburne
1,167 books394 followersI grew up on a small farm on the outskirts of Sydney and as a keen horse rider, often competed in local gymkhanas and even broke in a few horses from time to time. As I was surrounded by animals, I decided at an early age to become a nurse, however I couldn’t stand the sight of blood and so opted for a career in teaching. It’s a bit ironic that I married a surgeon.
I read my first Mills & Boon novel when I was 17 and that encouraged me to continue reading romance novels; the lure of the tall dark handsome hero, who in reality I fell in love with and knew I was going to marry on our second date! After marrying a year later, we moved to Scotland with our six week old baby so my husband could work and study for his MD in surgery. After the birth of our second son we came back to Australia to settle in Tasmania.
I went back to University and up-graded my teaching diploma to a degree and then went on to do a Masters but still I felt as if something was missing. I sat down one day and began writing and everything clicked into place - I had finally found ‘my brilliant career’! I used to write from instinct rather than a specific plan, but now, so many books later I find a loose plan doesn't go astray. An idea will pop into my head, sometimes it will be just a simple phrase or a what if question and I'm away.
Writing is a skill that can be learned and the best way to learn it is to read and to write. So many people feel they have a novel in them and very probably they are right-the only trick is to get it out. My advice to ‘would be’ writers is to write, write, and write even more. Carry a notebook at all times and jot down ideas. And like any other activity the more you do, the more it feels comfortable.
I hope you enjoy my stories and look forward to hearing from you.
I read my first Mills & Boon novel when I was 17 and that encouraged me to continue reading romance novels; the lure of the tall dark handsome hero, who in reality I fell in love with and knew I was going to marry on our second date! After marrying a year later, we moved to Scotland with our six week old baby so my husband could work and study for his MD in surgery. After the birth of our second son we came back to Australia to settle in Tasmania.
I went back to University and up-graded my teaching diploma to a degree and then went on to do a Masters but still I felt as if something was missing. I sat down one day and began writing and everything clicked into place - I had finally found ‘my brilliant career’! I used to write from instinct rather than a specific plan, but now, so many books later I find a loose plan doesn't go astray. An idea will pop into my head, sometimes it will be just a simple phrase or a what if question and I'm away.
Writing is a skill that can be learned and the best way to learn it is to read and to write. So many people feel they have a novel in them and very probably they are right-the only trick is to get it out. My advice to ‘would be’ writers is to write, write, and write even more. Carry a notebook at all times and jot down ideas. And like any other activity the more you do, the more it feels comfortable.
I hope you enjoy my stories and look forward to hearing from you.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 7, 2018
Second chance story of an estranged couple who had a One Night Stand after the hero's brother's wedding, which resulted in a pregnancy. Since fertility was an issue for this couple, the heroine doesn't have a lot of hope that she will carry the baby to term or that they will heal their relationship.
The hero had to work hard to get the heroine back, which was a nice change. However, he was so shut-down emotionally, even in his own thoughts, that I could never warm up to him. He admits (in his thoughts) that didn't love the heroine when he married her, but then he really didn't know what love was after his infant sister was found dead in her crib and the whole family shut down. (This is the excuse - 30 years of examined grief) He also set himself up to cheat on the heroine during their separation, but didn't go through with it.
This is not the guy you want when you are in a tight corner. But the heroine is happy for her HEA with the hero and her sweet baby.
The hero had to work hard to get the heroine back, which was a nice change. However, he was so shut-down emotionally, even in his own thoughts, that I could never warm up to him. He admits (in his thoughts) that didn't love the heroine when he married her, but then he really didn't know what love was after his infant sister was found dead in her crib and the whole family shut down. (This is the excuse - 30 years of examined grief) He also set himself up to cheat on the heroine during their separation, but didn't go through with it.
This is not the guy you want when you are in a tight corner. But the heroine is happy for her HEA with the hero and her sweet baby.
November 17, 2022
Revision of Review:
I think I am going to write a list of some of the things that transpired. Maybe that will be best since my keyboaaard is not workingg well. See wht I mean. It has gone crazy!
Giorgio is the hero and he is a very unlikable character; rude, cruel, self-absorbed, thoughtless, unfeeling, and uncaring. I feel he was left woefully unredeemed in this story and lacked understanding of all the hurt and pain he afflicted on his wife. He was clueless, yet never wrong!
Family:
Paternal Grandfather - old, ill and soon to pass.
Father who was deceased at beginning.
Mother who I believe was close to being certifiably crazy and causes her daughters-in-law hurt, pain and grief which causes trouble in the marriages which the sons are blind to.
Three sons who are the light of their mother's life and who fail to see how their mother treats their wives and the trouble she causes.
One daughter deceased at three months.
Now let me move to the deceased daughter. She died of SIDS at three-months of age. Giorgio, the hero (to me he is a zero) of this book is the one who found his dead sister at the age of six. The whole family never moved on, the mother wouldn't let them. They practiced their grief every day. It has been thirty-two years since the baby passed and I know losing child has to be horrible but she set in and refused to heal or let her children heal.
This long gone child is the focus of their days. She is talked about and grieved as though she only passed two weeks ago over and over and over.
To deal with grief Mother of family went to bed to grieve for years abandoning her other live children. Giorgio's father dealt with his grief by bed hopping with every available female who would spread her legs. Poor little six-year-old Giorgio was made Head of Household. He got on with the task of raising his brothers. Bathed them, cooked their meals, put them to bed...the whole shebang!
What a horrible sad shame his parents were too selfish to care for their children who remained instead of only focusing on the one who had passed. It was awful. I was so angry all the way through this book.
We see through all of this that Giogio has developed many misconceptions of life, some at the hands of his mother. Example:
1. If your wife acted or felt emotional when chatting with you that meant she was immature, a bit$h and was hormonal. You then tell her to grow up.
2. If there was a problem in the family the man should just go and have affairs and it would bring your family back together. He came close to doing that to Maya, very close.
3. Your wife married you young therefore she must be immature and desires to steal all your fortune...he again calls her ugly names.
4. You feel guilty that you didn't love your wife when you married her. His parents arranged this MOC. She loved him...he cared nothing for her except he liked the sex since he taught her exactly what to do. It has been five years since they married and he has never once told her how he feels about her...again immature because it has to do with emotions.
5. He had been still whoring around until two weeks prior to their wedding.
6. Also wanted to add in here that Giorgio's mother was obsessed with him having a baby asap. We find out near the end that she wanted him to have a child so she could substitute it for the one she lost 32 years ago.
7. Five years after he married Maya now he is worrying about a prenuptual agreement and is plotting to leave her destitute. He really shows the love!!
I think I am going to write a list of some of the things that transpired. Maybe that will be best since my keyboaaard is not workingg well. See wht I mean. It has gone crazy!
Giorgio is the hero and he is a very unlikable character; rude, cruel, self-absorbed, thoughtless, unfeeling, and uncaring. I feel he was left woefully unredeemed in this story and lacked understanding of all the hurt and pain he afflicted on his wife. He was clueless, yet never wrong!
Family:
Paternal Grandfather - old, ill and soon to pass.
Father who was deceased at beginning.
Mother who I believe was close to being certifiably crazy and causes her daughters-in-law hurt, pain and grief which causes trouble in the marriages which the sons are blind to.
Three sons who are the light of their mother's life and who fail to see how their mother treats their wives and the trouble she causes.
One daughter deceased at three months.
Now let me move to the deceased daughter. She died of SIDS at three-months of age. Giorgio, the hero (to me he is a zero) of this book is the one who found his dead sister at the age of six. The whole family never moved on, the mother wouldn't let them. They practiced their grief every day. It has been thirty-two years since the baby passed and I know losing child has to be horrible but she set in and refused to heal or let her children heal.
This long gone child is the focus of their days. She is talked about and grieved as though she only passed two weeks ago over and over and over.
To deal with grief Mother of family went to bed to grieve for years abandoning her other live children. Giorgio's father dealt with his grief by bed hopping with every available female who would spread her legs. Poor little six-year-old Giorgio was made Head of Household. He got on with the task of raising his brothers. Bathed them, cooked their meals, put them to bed...the whole shebang!
What a horrible sad shame his parents were too selfish to care for their children who remained instead of only focusing on the one who had passed. It was awful. I was so angry all the way through this book.
We see through all of this that Giogio has developed many misconceptions of life, some at the hands of his mother. Example:
1. If your wife acted or felt emotional when chatting with you that meant she was immature, a bit$h and was hormonal. You then tell her to grow up.
2. If there was a problem in the family the man should just go and have affairs and it would bring your family back together. He came close to doing that to Maya, very close.
3. Your wife married you young therefore she must be immature and desires to steal all your fortune...he again calls her ugly names.
4. You feel guilty that you didn't love your wife when you married her. His parents arranged this MOC. She loved him...he cared nothing for her except he liked the sex since he taught her exactly what to do. It has been five years since they married and he has never once told her how he feels about her...again immature because it has to do with emotions.
5. He had been still whoring around until two weeks prior to their wedding.
6. Also wanted to add in here that Giorgio's mother was obsessed with him having a baby asap. We find out near the end that she wanted him to have a child so she could substitute it for the one she lost 32 years ago.
7. Five years after he married Maya now he is worrying about a prenuptual agreement and is plotting to leave her destitute. He really shows the love!!
February 12, 2018
1. Hero ALMOST wasn't celibate. Now I wouldn't have blamed him if he was actually divorced because SHE left HIM (God! He deserved it!) BUT HE made a point of not wanting to divorce her because of loss of asset, yet almost had an affair? Sorry nope!
2. Reconciliation would NOT have happened if heroine didn't fall pregnant, so in this particular one, hero DID only want the baby, the wife who can give him amazing sex was an added bonus.
3. He was absolutely clinical, he didn't trust her, didn't love her, thought she was immature and didn't handle the previous miscarriages more "gracefully", and only wanted the baby and threatened to take the baby away from her and meant it. He also let her go without a fight, just didn't wanna divorce her for practical reasons. So his declaration of love by the end was kinda moot. And sorry, I didn't buy it.
4. He was a major douche, he actually justified his father's extra marital affairs.
5. Also a fucking disgusting excuse of human, he blamed his sister in law for making his brother and THE FAMILY lose out on one year of her baby's life. By the sound of it, the brother, Luca, cut all the ties, so she tried, and failed. HOW was she responsible? He didn't for once blame his brother. He justified and made excuses for his actions. Please do tell me. Her boyfriend left her, cut all ties, doesn't wanna hear what she has to say, how is she supposed to tell him about the pregnancy? Telepathy? And when the father of her child behaves so criminally, how and why would she feel obligated or encouraged to approach his family members? Oh! So you can also take HER baby away, even if your brother doesn't want it? May be mummy can play grandmother? She doesn't owe the family ANYTHING you jackass!
2. Reconciliation would NOT have happened if heroine didn't fall pregnant, so in this particular one, hero DID only want the baby, the wife who can give him amazing sex was an added bonus.
3. He was absolutely clinical, he didn't trust her, didn't love her, thought she was immature and didn't handle the previous miscarriages more "gracefully", and only wanted the baby and threatened to take the baby away from her and meant it. He also let her go without a fight, just didn't wanna divorce her for practical reasons. So his declaration of love by the end was kinda moot. And sorry, I didn't buy it.
4. He was a major douche, he actually justified his father's extra marital affairs.
5. Also a fucking disgusting excuse of human, he blamed his sister in law for making his brother and THE FAMILY lose out on one year of her baby's life. By the sound of it, the brother, Luca, cut all the ties, so she tried, and failed. HOW was she responsible? He didn't for once blame his brother. He justified and made excuses for his actions. Please do tell me. Her boyfriend left her, cut all ties, doesn't wanna hear what she has to say, how is she supposed to tell him about the pregnancy? Telepathy? And when the father of her child behaves so criminally, how and why would she feel obligated or encouraged to approach his family members? Oh! So you can also take HER baby away, even if your brother doesn't want it? May be mummy can play grandmother? She doesn't owe the family ANYTHING you jackass!
May 26, 2011
This book is the same basic idea asThe Marcolini Blackmail Marriage (Marcolini Men, #1).
Maya and Giorgio married for babies, never had any and are now separated going to be divorced. They had a night of sex when his brother got married and now Maya's pregnant. She's suffered through many a miscarriage and has never carried a baby past 8 weeks so she's afraid to do anything to jinx this one.
They pretend to reconcile because Giorgio's grandfather is dying and he wants them to be together again. When Giorgio finds out about the baby, the pretend reconciliation becomes real, though they've solved nothing about themselves. If Maya has another miscarriage, the marriage will fail again.
So the two marry because they both want babies. Maya is in love with him and thinks that he'll fall in love with her, which doesn't happen. The reason they got married doesn't happen, despite everything they do to make it so. They are separated for 6 months and in that time Giorgio has found himself another woman, a lingerie model. Maya has gone on one blind date, and Giorgio is not happy about that.
There's room for tons of angst, or at the least, tons of honesty between the two of them, and instead they go back to life like usual, with her being somewhat upset that he'll never love her, but mostly just suspicious about the baby making it to term.
There was not a lot of love felt from Giorgio, he was more concerned about failing then about losing her. It wasn't about her going away, it was about him failing at one more thing. He failed at getting her pregnant and then he failed at his marriage. He never talked to her, he decided things and that was the way it was. They never worked out the kinks.
I liked her Marcolini book much better and in that one the hero of the story wanted to get back together with her from his own words, because she wasn't getting half of all his inherited money.
And dear author. Don't imply or foreshadow things in your book if you're going to have nothing happen.
When Giorgio leaves for a week on business, Maya wants to go with him. He tells her no, and also tells her not to go out because the press might hound her. Is anyone else suspicious? I know I am.
When he comes back she asks if he'll ever let her go with him and he says no. End of story.
Oh yes, and when the lingerie model prints a tell all about sex with him, he informs his wife that she should be prepared for old girlfriends coming out of the woodwork and also having tell alls about him. It's also mentioned that while they were together before, he'd leave on trips and the press would always print implications that he was cheating on her. Things she had to overlook and trust him about. Isn't it just a little odd that he refuses to have her go with him, everytime he leaves the press print something about him cheating on her, and when his current known girlfriend confesses what sex is like with him, he warns her that "old girlfriends" might also confess their stories, and she should be aware of that. That's just too much for me. And the heroine just goes on with her life and doesn't say anything to him.
Maya and Giorgio married for babies, never had any and are now separated going to be divorced. They had a night of sex when his brother got married and now Maya's pregnant. She's suffered through many a miscarriage and has never carried a baby past 8 weeks so she's afraid to do anything to jinx this one.
They pretend to reconcile because Giorgio's grandfather is dying and he wants them to be together again. When Giorgio finds out about the baby, the pretend reconciliation becomes real, though they've solved nothing about themselves. If Maya has another miscarriage, the marriage will fail again.
So the two marry because they both want babies. Maya is in love with him and thinks that he'll fall in love with her, which doesn't happen. The reason they got married doesn't happen, despite everything they do to make it so. They are separated for 6 months and in that time Giorgio has found himself another woman, a lingerie model. Maya has gone on one blind date, and Giorgio is not happy about that.
There's room for tons of angst, or at the least, tons of honesty between the two of them, and instead they go back to life like usual, with her being somewhat upset that he'll never love her, but mostly just suspicious about the baby making it to term.
There was not a lot of love felt from Giorgio, he was more concerned about failing then about losing her. It wasn't about her going away, it was about him failing at one more thing. He failed at getting her pregnant and then he failed at his marriage. He never talked to her, he decided things and that was the way it was. They never worked out the kinks.
I liked her Marcolini book much better and in that one the hero of the story wanted to get back together with her from his own words, because she wasn't getting half of all his inherited money.
And dear author. Don't imply or foreshadow things in your book if you're going to have nothing happen.
When Giorgio leaves for a week on business, Maya wants to go with him. He tells her no, and also tells her not to go out because the press might hound her. Is anyone else suspicious? I know I am.
When he comes back she asks if he'll ever let her go with him and he says no. End of story.
Oh yes, and when the lingerie model prints a tell all about sex with him, he informs his wife that she should be prepared for old girlfriends coming out of the woodwork and also having tell alls about him. It's also mentioned that while they were together before, he'd leave on trips and the press would always print implications that he was cheating on her. Things she had to overlook and trust him about. Isn't it just a little odd that he refuses to have her go with him, everytime he leaves the press print something about him cheating on her, and when his current known girlfriend confesses what sex is like with him, he warns her that "old girlfriends" might also confess their stories, and she should be aware of that. That's just too much for me. And the heroine just goes on with her life and doesn't say anything to him.
November 13, 2015
Very emotional touching love story with a super adorable HEA. I think this might be the author's best book so far.
August 8, 2019
3 ⭐⭐⭐ - OK decent reads
January 17, 2019
I really loved Giorgio in this story, but Maya was a straight up bitch from the get go. This story had a big black mark against it from the very beginning because irritating heroines are my biggest pet peeves, but I stuck with this hoping she'd turn around. It was impossible to like Maya when she was so snippety at Giorgio, with every encounter they had. She took everything he said out of context, and tried to turn everything into a fight. She was exhausting. Poor Giorgio Maya cowardly ran away from their marriage while Giorgio was working out of town. I didn't blame him one bit for asking her for a divorce. He deserved so much better than the bitchy wife he had. Maya was upset he didn't beg her to come back to him. I thought she was lucky he hadn’t already thrown her ass out before she ran away.
Yes, I KNOW it was an arranged marriage, and yes she had multiple miscarriages, and I KNOW the only reason they are back together is that Giorgio has discovered she's pregnant again; but to me she acted unreasonably unstable and bitchy through the entire story. I seriously detested everything about her. Yes, Giorgio had his cool and detached moments, but he treated Maya respectfully, especially given how nastily she treated him.
When Giorgio and Maya pretend to get back together for the sake of his dying grandfather, Maya was even more prickly to him than she was before, and more obnoxious as well. Honest to God, Giorgio was a saint putting up with her ass the way he did.
As the story progresses Maya was even more obnoxious.
At 57%, she slaps Giorgio across the face very hard, but blames it on pregnancy hormones. Giorgio is totally understanding. Ugh! I’ve officially started hating her now.
At 85% she’s whining about why he doesn’t love her. Really??? I can’t give her one good reason why he should.
At 91% (Yes, she’s still acting like a lunatic this far into the story) Giorgio returns from a trip with presents for the baby, and Maya has a full melt down temper tantrum, screaming at him to throw them away. Even stupidly leaning against the edge of a balcony (as a possible threat that she might fall and kill both her and the baby if he doesn’t get rid of his presents right now). Who does that shit?
I consider myself a trooper for making it to the end. I truly thought she’d become a better person, or have an extremely valid reason she acted the way she did, but the reasons given didn’t cut it for me. Giorgio was spot on when he said she acted like a “Spoilt Child”. That’s exactly how she came off through the entire story. The instant change in her demeanor that last couple of pages wasn't believable. I just know the only reason there wasn't an epilogue at the ending of this one was because the author was going to make Maya act like an immature ass all over again. I feel like I read an entirely different book from all the other reviewers who all hated Giorgio.
January 11, 2016
This was a good book and I loved the fact that he had to grovel a little to get back with her. She really was too good to believe and so sweet! How he could have treated her that way I have no idea?! He tried to redeem himself but I would have liked more grovelling after all he said to her.
May 6, 2011
Excellent read
Giorgio Sabbatini married Maya cause he wanted to secure his inherirance,his father was on death bed and his wish was to see him settled n see his greanchild,the heir of Sabbatini empire so Giorgio married Maya for his father's sake and money and Maya married him cause she loved him and hoped that he will also come to love her,its been 5 years and they both are miserable in their marriage,Maya had 4 miscarriages and she deeply mourned the death of each child and Giorgio he was also devastated with each miscarriages but never says anything cause he thought as it is Maya was sufering enough and he did'nt want to burden her see his pains and loss also which created misunderstanding between them
Maya though Giorgio does'nt loves her,it was always about the money and with each miscarriages she failed to give him the Heir which he so wanted,they even go for IVF and Maya takes hormones injections follow each instructions but its been 2 n half years and she has'nt concieved and Giorgio never confides anything in her or let Maya emotionally inside which let her to thinks she has failed as a wife and their marriage is dead
On the other side Giorgio is in love with Maya but does'nt knows it himself,he thinks he failed as a husband cause he is unable to give her a child and his inability to express his feelings and emotions makes matters worse,the death of his sister Chiara not only shattered his parents their marriage but also Giorgio cause he had found his 3 month old sister in the crib first,he was only 6 years old with his parents in their own grief they never though about how it affected him and seeing thme Giorgio shut all his emotions from that day onwards being the older brother he is always in control and likes to control
the story starts with Maya coming to know she is pregnant but now she n Giorgio have started their divorce proceedings and from there starts the journey of how their love wins with all the hurdles and the way they both try to make their marriage work and how they face their mistakes and try to rectify them,it gives us the message how lack of communication creates rifts and problems in one relationship
The story was good,characters were good even secondary characters Giorgio's brother and his mother and grandfather were good
Good read
Recommend it
Giorgio Sabbatini married Maya cause he wanted to secure his inherirance,his father was on death bed and his wish was to see him settled n see his greanchild,the heir of Sabbatini empire so Giorgio married Maya for his father's sake and money and Maya married him cause she loved him and hoped that he will also come to love her,its been 5 years and they both are miserable in their marriage,Maya had 4 miscarriages and she deeply mourned the death of each child and Giorgio he was also devastated with each miscarriages but never says anything cause he thought as it is Maya was sufering enough and he did'nt want to burden her see his pains and loss also which created misunderstanding between them
Maya though Giorgio does'nt loves her,it was always about the money and with each miscarriages she failed to give him the Heir which he so wanted,they even go for IVF and Maya takes hormones injections follow each instructions but its been 2 n half years and she has'nt concieved and Giorgio never confides anything in her or let Maya emotionally inside which let her to thinks she has failed as a wife and their marriage is dead
On the other side Giorgio is in love with Maya but does'nt knows it himself,he thinks he failed as a husband cause he is unable to give her a child and his inability to express his feelings and emotions makes matters worse,the death of his sister Chiara not only shattered his parents their marriage but also Giorgio cause he had found his 3 month old sister in the crib first,he was only 6 years old with his parents in their own grief they never though about how it affected him and seeing thme Giorgio shut all his emotions from that day onwards being the older brother he is always in control and likes to control
the story starts with Maya coming to know she is pregnant but now she n Giorgio have started their divorce proceedings and from there starts the journey of how their love wins with all the hurdles and the way they both try to make their marriage work and how they face their mistakes and try to rectify them,it gives us the message how lack of communication creates rifts and problems in one relationship
The story was good,characters were good even secondary characters Giorgio's brother and his mother and grandfather were good
Good read
Recommend it
November 20, 2014
I was about to list all the hanging threads on this one and then saw that. Marajean already did! There was some really fishy things from the hero. His father was a cheater too. It feels like the author might have been writing her usual story where hero sleeps with other women and then realized that six months plus the open lack of love would make it very unromantic. But I liked that hero was faithful and that he had a fairly decent excuse for being on the cold side. Childhood trauma (this one was pretty severe) works better for me than a bad prior romance which is a common excuse.
Realism has it's place, and I would not mind a story about a hero who openly states he didn't love heroine when he married her, and was mostly worried about losing assets in a divorce, if there were full realism-- an intelligent heroine would NOT have gone to hero's country to give birth after he threatened her with a custody fight without an ironclad custody deal in place. A college graduate who had plenty of time to study since she graduated a virgin would know enough to NOT trust the Italian legal system as applied to foreigners. Hero was a bit too practical although he was kind. without these flaws and the dropped threads Marajean mentioned, it would have been 4 stars.
Realism has it's place, and I would not mind a story about a hero who openly states he didn't love heroine when he married her, and was mostly worried about losing assets in a divorce, if there were full realism-- an intelligent heroine would NOT have gone to hero's country to give birth after he threatened her with a custody fight without an ironclad custody deal in place. A college graduate who had plenty of time to study since she graduated a virgin would know enough to NOT trust the Italian legal system as applied to foreigners. Hero was a bit too practical although he was kind. without these flaws and the dropped threads Marajean mentioned, it would have been 4 stars.
March 27, 2024
The story deals with fertility issues and loss. The hero is rich but his family went through many losses, the heroine married him when she was very young and naive, he was looking for a stable marriage and children and she kept having miscarriage. The couple didn’t last and they filed for divorce. After six months separation they have some kind of closure sex and she gets pregnant. She doesn’t want to tell him because she always lost the pregnancies before her six weeks, but he finds out anyway.
They decides to stay together because his grandfather is dying and this is his last wish, his grandson happily married and a child on its way.
This was actually a deep reading, because both deal with their previous mistakes, she was too compliant but very soon tired of being an arm candy for her rich husband and he didn’t understand her grief in losing the pregnancies.
Of course all is well because they find out they are in love with each other even after all the pain.
Both were celibate, strange in a MM book. The hero dated a model twice but nothing happened and the heroine dated a guy on the rebound but zilch, nothing for her too.
They were both decent persons, the hero showed a lot of patience and the heroine eventually behaved like herself and not like a plastic doll during her marriage.
Fertility issues can put real strain in a marriage and the numerous miscarriages were poison for them. She was the one to give up and ask for a divorce but the hero really didn’t stop her, he felt useless and powerless to give her what she wanted.
It was an interesting reading, with some triggers.
They decides to stay together because his grandfather is dying and this is his last wish, his grandson happily married and a child on its way.
This was actually a deep reading, because both deal with their previous mistakes, she was too compliant but very soon tired of being an arm candy for her rich husband and he didn’t understand her grief in losing the pregnancies.
Of course all is well because they find out they are in love with each other even after all the pain.
Both were celibate, strange in a MM book. The hero dated a model twice but nothing happened and the heroine dated a guy on the rebound but zilch, nothing for her too.
They were both decent persons, the hero showed a lot of patience and the heroine eventually behaved like herself and not like a plastic doll during her marriage.
Fertility issues can put real strain in a marriage and the numerous miscarriages were poison for them. She was the one to give up and ask for a divorce but the hero really didn’t stop her, he felt useless and powerless to give her what she wanted.
It was an interesting reading, with some triggers.
December 21, 2023
'How can you still love me even though I have let you down in so many ways?'
Because h was an idiot.
Because h was an idiot.
September 15, 2017
3.5 stars
March 7, 2017
Perfect for a quick read. I enjoyed it. Melanie Milburne has a great way of writing the exquisite tension between her characters where I was constantly expectantly waiting to see what will happen next. Plus, I adored the heroine. I admired her strength and the way she handled herself. And it’s great to get a tough heroine with a backbone that can dish it out as well as she takes it.
June 8, 2020
1.5 stars, generational cheaters whose wives excuse them.
February 28, 2023
Oh this book was amazing. Loved the way the story progressed, absolutely loved the characters as well.
However, the ending was rushed and felt forced. As if it came out of nowhere. I believed Giorgio when he said he loved her and everything else that he said. I could see it through out the book. This was the moment it was building up to from the beginning and I was enthusiastically waiting for this scene! But the scene felt flat. Like we missed the monumental moment/scene when he came to that realization. Or more like what pushed him to suddenly reveal it all to Maya.
That was a huge disappointment.
But anyways, pretty sure someone else would probably find it perfect~ Loved the book either way.
However, the ending was rushed and felt forced. As if it came out of nowhere. I believed Giorgio when he said he loved her and everything else that he said. I could see it through out the book. This was the moment it was building up to from the beginning and I was enthusiastically waiting for this scene! But the scene felt flat. Like we missed the monumental moment/scene when he came to that realization. Or more like what pushed him to suddenly reveal it all to Maya.
That was a huge disappointment.
But anyways, pretty sure someone else would probably find it perfect~ Loved the book either way.
March 30, 2017
very passionate.
February 16, 2020
Standalone/Cliffhanger: Standalone
Ages of H and h: Giorgio is 36 and Maya is 27
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: No
>>Detail: Separation for 6 months. Both spotted on dates. Giorgio might have slept with OW but changed his mind and got drunk. OW decides to tell papers about their night of passion? this upsets Maya when she reads about it in the papers.
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: No
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes
Ages of H and h: Giorgio is 36 and Maya is 27
Multi-Luv'n/Ménages:
Was There Descriptive Sex:
Descriptive Sex &/Or Drama Between H/h With OW/OM:
>>If So, Before or After H/h Hookup:
Contains Cheating:
Amount of Sex In The Book:
HEA/HFN/etc Ending:
Will This Meet My 'Safety Gang' Buddies' Approval:
Any Triggers/Warnings: No
>>Detail: Separation for 6 months. Both spotted on dates. Giorgio might have slept with OW but changed his mind and got drunk. OW decides to tell papers about their night of passion? this upsets Maya when she reads about it in the papers.
Do You Recommend This Book: Yes.
Will You Re-read This Book: No
Would You Read More Books By This Author: Yes
March 17, 2013
Maya and Giorgio Sabbatini were married for several years, when she just couldn’t do it anymore. They had married because he found it convenient and she loved him. She felt he would fall in love with her overtime – don’t they always think that? She knew that she was to provide an heir for the Sabbatini family and she was under a great deal of pressure to do so. However, Maya and Giorgio suffered 4 failures on that front and she just couldn’t take it anymore and walked away from him. Now they are in the midst of a divorce and are fighting over things – money and their dog!! They wind up having a no pressure escapade and….you guessed it…now she is pregnant again. Maya doesn’t tell Giorgio right off and as soon as he finds out the divorce is off, the marriage is on – no matter the outcome of this pregnancy! Maya, of course, is reluctant because she just wants to be loved and she doesn’t feel like Giorgio loves her.
I really felt that Giorgio loved Maya, but he didn’t show it. This standoffishness of Giorgio’s was explained in the story and seemed plausible for the situation. Giorgio continues the pattern of not discussing things with Maya because he thinks this is better for the other person, but soon he changes over the course of their romance. Maya believes a lot of things about Giorgio because she doesn’t have that assurance of love from him, yet he doesn’t know what he feels for her either.
There was a potential OM/OW spoken about in the tale and seemed that you could superimpose both situations on the other. For example, Maya just let the press run with the story of her and the OM – perhaps to show she was moving on – well why couldn’t Giorgio have done the same I wondered? However, Giorgio believed the press while Maya said it didn’t happen, yet, she believed the press about Giorgio while he claimed it didn’t happen. He had still doubted her word though even though he claimed he didn’t – he found OM to get his side. So he trusted a third party over her? Maya doesn’t completely trust Giorgio and he still doubts her feelings for him. It wavers back and forth on whether he did something with OW or not, but were there others too? Giorgio admitted to wanting to take further with OW but then finding out that she bored him.
Think the new Maya – causing more difficulties for him – is more interesting for him and holds his attention better. His not knowing where he stands with her seems to draw him to her, as well. Something else that bothered me was his warning of past GF’s coming out to say something about him – why does he mention that now after they had been together for so long? The only thing I could come up with is that he wants her to trust him as he does love her now and doesn’t want her to think poorly of him.
Even if she lost baby he wasn’t giving her up! He didn’t want her to go with him on some out of town things but really she didn’t want the press to hassle her in the beginning anyway and now she is trying to change that. Perhaps he was protecting her from that? Why can she not go with him on the charity work stuff – maybe because he is afraid of losing her?
I really felt that Giorgio loved Maya, but he didn’t show it. This standoffishness of Giorgio’s was explained in the story and seemed plausible for the situation. Giorgio continues the pattern of not discussing things with Maya because he thinks this is better for the other person, but soon he changes over the course of their romance. Maya believes a lot of things about Giorgio because she doesn’t have that assurance of love from him, yet he doesn’t know what he feels for her either.
There was a potential OM/OW spoken about in the tale and seemed that you could superimpose both situations on the other. For example, Maya just let the press run with the story of her and the OM – perhaps to show she was moving on – well why couldn’t Giorgio have done the same I wondered? However, Giorgio believed the press while Maya said it didn’t happen, yet, she believed the press about Giorgio while he claimed it didn’t happen. He had still doubted her word though even though he claimed he didn’t – he found OM to get his side. So he trusted a third party over her? Maya doesn’t completely trust Giorgio and he still doubts her feelings for him. It wavers back and forth on whether he did something with OW or not, but were there others too? Giorgio admitted to wanting to take further with OW but then finding out that she bored him.
Think the new Maya – causing more difficulties for him – is more interesting for him and holds his attention better. His not knowing where he stands with her seems to draw him to her, as well. Something else that bothered me was his warning of past GF’s coming out to say something about him – why does he mention that now after they had been together for so long? The only thing I could come up with is that he wants her to trust him as he does love her now and doesn’t want her to think poorly of him.
Even if she lost baby he wasn’t giving her up! He didn’t want her to go with him on some out of town things but really she didn’t want the press to hassle her in the beginning anyway and now she is trying to change that. Perhaps he was protecting her from that? Why can she not go with him on the charity work stuff – maybe because he is afraid of losing her?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2012
Review also available on : www.romancing-the-book.com
We have all at some point falling in love and really trusted the other person,but then it all comes crashing down and the truth and real intentions on the other person is revealed. It seems your life is over,you have failed and there is noting left and surely things cant get any worse.
This is the actual situation for Maya Sabbatini, she went from rags to riches after meeting powerful,domination and sexy Giorgio Sabbatini. She had it all and the only thing missing was a baby to complete their perfect union. Five years on Maya and Giorgio’s marriage is about to come to an end,after many miscarriages and of no hope for the future it seems all over for this couple.But a explosive one night reunion leads to some rather unexpected and thrilling consequences.
So here she is with Giorgio staying over for a few days after dropping the bombshell that his grandfather is dying and needs to see them “reunited” before he dies,Maya is torn ,their one night of explosive lovemaking as left her pregnant and telling Giorgio wont do any good. After all they are divorcing and he has moved on to dating some snobby lingerie model,and who says she will even carry the baby to full term. So Maya decides it best to keep the information to herself.
She does not account for Giorgio finding out and totally exploding ! He never loved Maya ,only married her so she could father him a heir and besides love is not in his vocabulary, when you love something it only gets taken away. So faced with Maya being pregnant yet again does he go through with the divorce or stick around and do what a father or hoping to be father needs to do?
You guessed it as always in the world of romance the men always do the right thing. So now with Maya and Giorgio reunited for the sake of the baby they both so desperately want and need their marriage takes on a new dimension. Giorgio deals with his childhood demons amongst trying to protect his wife against the hurt that will come if she looses the baby again.
Maya deals with the hurt of her husband betraying her,leaving her and now demanding she follow his orders,and the stress of not knowing if she will again loose yet another baby ,will she name this one only to see it buried along with the rest?
This is the second book in a trilogy like no other. In the story of Maya and Giorgio Melanie Milburne shows us that no matter how bad things seem life can throw you a curve ball that will change it all.
The second book links into the first one beautifully and again anticipation the third and final book is unbearable as you know it will be brilliant!
We have all at some point falling in love and really trusted the other person,but then it all comes crashing down and the truth and real intentions on the other person is revealed. It seems your life is over,you have failed and there is noting left and surely things cant get any worse.
This is the actual situation for Maya Sabbatini, she went from rags to riches after meeting powerful,domination and sexy Giorgio Sabbatini. She had it all and the only thing missing was a baby to complete their perfect union. Five years on Maya and Giorgio’s marriage is about to come to an end,after many miscarriages and of no hope for the future it seems all over for this couple.But a explosive one night reunion leads to some rather unexpected and thrilling consequences.
So here she is with Giorgio staying over for a few days after dropping the bombshell that his grandfather is dying and needs to see them “reunited” before he dies,Maya is torn ,their one night of explosive lovemaking as left her pregnant and telling Giorgio wont do any good. After all they are divorcing and he has moved on to dating some snobby lingerie model,and who says she will even carry the baby to full term. So Maya decides it best to keep the information to herself.
She does not account for Giorgio finding out and totally exploding ! He never loved Maya ,only married her so she could father him a heir and besides love is not in his vocabulary, when you love something it only gets taken away. So faced with Maya being pregnant yet again does he go through with the divorce or stick around and do what a father or hoping to be father needs to do?
You guessed it as always in the world of romance the men always do the right thing. So now with Maya and Giorgio reunited for the sake of the baby they both so desperately want and need their marriage takes on a new dimension. Giorgio deals with his childhood demons amongst trying to protect his wife against the hurt that will come if she looses the baby again.
Maya deals with the hurt of her husband betraying her,leaving her and now demanding she follow his orders,and the stress of not knowing if she will again loose yet another baby ,will she name this one only to see it buried along with the rest?
This is the second book in a trilogy like no other. In the story of Maya and Giorgio Melanie Milburne shows us that no matter how bad things seem life can throw you a curve ball that will change it all.
The second book links into the first one beautifully and again anticipation the third and final book is unbearable as you know it will be brilliant!
March 26, 2018
Kitabın tüm konusu adama " Seni Seviyorum, Maya" dedirtmekti. İnananabiliyor musunuz? Gittim 192 sayfa boyunca, ben, boş boş bunu okudum. Allahtan seçerek başlamadım, kafamı duvarlara vururdum.
Nasıl mı başlasım? Kitaplarıma bakıyordum ve bu kitap açıkldı, ilk cümleye baştım, ikinciye, üçüncüye...
Kitapta Maya ve Giorgio adlı bir çiftin boşanma aşamasıyla başlıyor, sonra Maya hamile kalıyor. Çiftimiz ilişkilerini yürütme kararı alıyor. Biz, bu arada Giorgio'nun küçükken kız kardeşini ölü bulduğunu, duygularını dizginlediğini, babasının annesini defalarca aldattığını, babasının öldüğünü, Maya'yı hamile bırakamayarak onu hayal kırıklığına uğrattığını okuyoruz.
Pek değil, hiç sevmedim. Aynı şeyler 50 defa tekrar edildi. Üstelik final de final değildi. Nerde benim büyük, şok yaratan olayım. Yok. Adam geldi "Seni seviyorum, Cara" dedi ve bitti. Hay lanet highlife. Hep böyle oluyor, zenginlik başa bela.
Okumanızı önermem, elbet daha güzel örnekleri vardır. Hayır bir kadın için 4 defa düşük yapmak çok yıkıcı bir şeydir bunu anlarım, ama bu kadarda tekrar edilmez ki! Ya Giorgio'nun başarısız oldum tavırları ne? Maya ise tam bir vur kafasına al ekmeğini tarzı bir kadın. Çocuk resmen. Neyse sinir oldum. Uzun bir aradan sonra okudum, neden harlequin tarzı kitapları nadiren okuduğumu anladım. İyi denk gelmiyor belki de. Blaze'den vazgeçmemeli
January 22, 2014
So far as i read this book Maya your more than running me hot..your making me angry and i hate being angry.Why do you have to be such a complicated women who can not see that Giorgio Loves you but its just so hard for him to express himself after discovering his little sister in her crib died when he was just six.Being the oldest and seeing his parents mourn over their lost he had to be strong for his younger two brothers.Whiles growing he push the thought of ever feeling an emotion to the side.Then there came the death of his father where he had to take over the family business and make sure that everything was in order.He had no time to mourn and if he did he did it privately.He loves you and the way he acts towards you, you should know as well but since you had such a jacked up, up bring which you always toss in his face you wouldn't freaking know.Therefore as i continue to read i hope u freaking stop acting like a little child...I hope u have this baby because i so love ella...what a delight, and the other brothers..what not to love about them..I love my playboy...hope he settles down.Over so far this book is a good read..everyone as a different view of things..i will advice others to read..
August 24, 2024
Nice enough second chance story.
March 20, 2011
What can I say...I love these books! This book focused on Giorgio and Maya...the oldest Sabbatini brother..and the stuggles they faced in their marrigage and almost divorce. I absolutely love the way Melanie Milburne weaves this tale that gives you the insight to their past as well as the heartbreaking troubles of right now that leave you wanting love to conquer all. Can wait til I can get my hands on more of Melanie's books!!!
August 23, 2019
"3 out of 5 stars! This book deals with what it takes to hold a family together while dealing with plenty of tragedies going on around them. It's a very ..."
Read more of this review and a TEASER here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2011/12/made-grade-sabbatini-brothers-series.html
Read more of this review and a TEASER here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2011/12/made-grade-sabbatini-brothers-series.html
March 7, 2015
nice one! i liked dat they dealt wid their issues and most importantly they gave each other a breathing space (the 6 months separation). they badly needed it after maya suffered 4 miscarriages. i loved how gorgio took care of his wife this second time around. der was no doubt he cared the world about her and she was important to him.
July 1, 2011
rating - 3-3.5!
I really liked this book! It was very touching!
I really liked this book! It was very touching!
March 7, 2016
4.5 Stars!
November 14, 2015
Who gives all those stars to such a book?
June 17, 2013
I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would in the beginning when I first heard about this book/mini-series, but I like Melanie Milburne as an author and it was at the library so I thought why not give it a try. And I'm glad I did, enjoying the tale of second chance love story between Maya and Giorgio.
I really loved both characters in the story with each of them having suffered losses and pains along the way that the didn't deserve at all, and I was rooting for them to get back together in the end because it was so obvious that they cared and loved one another, all that was missing was the lack of communication, and Giorgio allowing himself to be vulnerable and accept support from Maya when he was hurting in his times of need, treating her like a partner, which for much of his marriage he didn't even though partly he kept to himself to protect her and not burden her with his feels, but it was the wrong way to go about it. If they shared their pain more with one another, and leaned on one another when they needed one another I believe they wouldn't have gone their separate ways and would have become closer to each other, and maybe even make Giorgio feel more comfortable showing his vulnerable side to his wife, therefore being able to admit his feelings more readily, therefore their marriage might have been more successful the first time around. Then there wouldn't be a story would there?
The pace was good in the beginning of the book with the first chapter being where Maya discovered she was pregnant with Giorgio's baby after one night of passion at his brother's wedding despite the fact that they were separated and about to get a divorce (and were even in divorce proceedings at the time), but that didn't stop them acting on their passions and just the fact that they missed each other during the six month separation. Of coarse, Maya was shocked to learn she was pregnant especially being the last two years of their marriage when they were trying to get pregnant the couldn't, going through various methods to get pregnant because that was what they both wanted, though Maya thought for Giorgio it was just about having an heir and carrying on the family name and believed that was her job when she married Giorgio, which she failed miserable (another reason their marriage headed south) in her opinion. Aside from being shocked at learning that she was pregnant, Maya wasn't excited or hopeful like most new mothers would be in that situation, though she wanted the baby very much Maya was afraid to believe that this baby would go to term since she had four painful miscarriages in the past, which were emotionally devastating to her. And Maya couldn't live through that again, the hoping and the praying and even expecting almost that she was going to lose the baby despite having no signs to the contrary, but still she waited for bated breath for the worst to happen and did for the most part of the book despite reassurances from others. I understand why she felt that way, but a part me was like well if you keep worrying yourself to death and just waiting for it to happening and keeping worrying about it, stressing herself out wouldn't be good for the baby and perhaps could cause her to get sick and miscarry the baby again. Can you say self-fulfilling prophecy? So, I just wish she enjoyed her pregnancy a little more especially when she got farther along instead of just having this mentality that the baby wouldn't come to terms.
Anyway getting a little ahead of myself right after she found out she was pregnant, Giorgio came to her door (who I could tell totally missed her and never wanted to let her go and didn't want to be with anyone else even if she couldn't see that) which frightened Maya not only because of the knowledge that she was pregnant with his baby, but of the chemistry that seemed to suck her in whenever he was around, and boy did they have chemistry, and it was smoking hot let me tell you with them barely keeping their hands to themselves. But Maya did her best to deter him, wanting him to get out of her life so she didn't succumb to him. They discuss the divorce, and how she wanted his family villa that his family doesn't go to all that often because of the tragic death of Giorgio's baby sister Chiara so it brought up bad memories for the family so none of them used it so Maya figured why not give it to her since she loved and would put to good use. Giorgio said no, saying its part of his family's legacy and he wouldn't give it up to her because it was meant to be in the family even though they didn't use it all that often. So there were at an impasse there.
Then Giorgio invited her to his grandfather's 90th birthday, which Salvatore requested Giorgio to do because Salvatore wanted her there. She was reluctant to agree, but does, and decided to go for the kind old man that she loved while married to Giorgio. Once at the party, the chemistry as spicy as ever, Giorgio opened up a little bit to Maya at the fact that Salvatore is dying and only had a few months to live so he proposed to Maya to make Salvatore's last days happiest of his life, and what would make Salvatore better was seeing Maya and Giorgio back together and no longer getting divorced. She was horrified at this prospect not only because she felt duped by Giorgio and his motives for inviting her to the party, but also frightened because she knew that if she went back with Giorgio she would be in the same place with him pregnant, fearing not having a live child all the while loving him so completely and fully while he kept himself emotionally distant from her, not loving her. As you can imagine, she doesn't relishing going back to that, but got tricked back into it in the end. Salvatore was so happy for their reconciliation, and Maya figured she was doing a good thing.
Though now she had to act the part of being a couple with him again with him coming to her apartment intent on staying. She protested heavily at first, but to no avail. He still wanted to sleep with her, saying he missed being with her. He pointed out that they had great chemistry together that wasn't going away, and what was good in their passionate encounter the night they made the baby and he wanted that back again, using the time pretending to be together to be put to good use, knowing she wanted him and he wanted her. Of coarse, Maya believed all he was concerned with was getting laid, and making the best out a bad situation, and she didn't want to be used like that when she loved him so deeply while all he wanted was just a body not her personally in this complicated situation. So, that was another argument, a passionate argument. They had a lot of them in this book, which fueled their passions in the bedroom as well, having that heat and spark with one another, which just made this read even steamier, making the reader want them to jump into bed, knowing all this fighting is just hot foreplay anyway. But nothing happened at that moment, and they decide to go bed.
As luck would have it Maya didn't throw away the positive pregnancy test in her bathroom so that was how Giorgio found out that she was having his baby with him now insisting that their marriage would be permanent and they would live as a family again while Maya being ever negative about the situation said that she might be able to carry this baby to term like the last four and they would be back where they started (and she feared he wouldn't want to stay married to her once that happened).
So, Maya went to Giorgio's villa to move back in with him completely wary of the situation and of him and his motives. She found that he had never removed her things from his space, and found them lying there like she just used them, which shocked her because she thought she meant so little to him in the time they were together, having no soft emotions towards her.
Fights ensue as the couple go along with many of their past issues from their first shot at marriage coming to the surface. One being his lack of showing emotions while she was being negative the entire time, saying she was going to lose the baby and there was nothing to do about it. But they work at it as best as they can with Giorgio giving it a genuine shot and changing his ways while trying to be there for her even though he did try to keep his distance from her still not learning his lesson on that quite yet.
What I was a little disappointed was the lovemaking scenes because to me there had been this build up in the first half of the book that was hot and steamy, and made me want to see what would happen when they did finally get it on, figuring it would be just as steamy as the sexual tension between them, but when I read it and they had their first complete sex scene (there was one scene before this where they pleasure one another without going all the way, which I thought was the hottest scene of all the times they got it on in the book, and hoped that same hottest would be translated in the full scene as well), but I just found it lacking the sexiness that I expected to come from these two probably because it was so quick and rushed in my opinion instead of drawing it out. Now, I got that there were denied the full on lovemaking for awhile and when they finally got to do it that it was just hurry up and do it, getting their passions out of their systems, but I just felt that I just blinked my eyes at it was over already, and I was like that's it, and I felt like that for the other love scenes too except maybe the one in the bathtub where it is more drawn out and sexy and I could feel the connection between the two of them, making that scene so much more hotter than the bath they were in, but then when they got on again I felt it was just too rushed and over before I knew it. Though despite the rushness of their passions seemed to enjoy it nonetheless but still I was looking for a little bit of a bigger pay off more steamy than it was in the book, but I did like that they did reconnect in that way, and they had no complaints about their lovemaking in that aspect (though Maya did feel it was more physical on his part than on hers, but still that didn't stop them from going at it).
There were other things in this book that I thought were kind of rushed in the later half of the book and introduction of things that I didn't think quite necessary because they seemed to be solved so quickly. Like I expected there to be an interaction between Giorgio's mother and Maya about the past or perhaps that conflict still being their between the two (especially when Maya thought that his mother thought she wasn't good enough for her son since she wasn't giving him children and she was low brow), but there wasn't any and the mother just seemed to accept Maya back into the fold pretty easily once sure that Maya was carrying his baby. So, I thought there would be more there or more of a connection between the two so that was disappointing.
And then the thing with the ex-girlfriend calling the papers saying she was having an affair with Giorgio while he reconciled with Maya, I just found that a little bit random, and didn't think it was necessary, though I think it was meant to show how Maya at first believed Giorgio did cheat on her (even before that she believed he might cheat on her just like his father cheated on his mother) and just her mistrust of him while showing how the public eye can gossip and spread these lies without anything to back it up, which she wasn't use to and what she hated of the paparazzi. And I understand that, but part of me felt it was just stuck in there quickly to just add another conflict to their marriage for sake of having another conflict. I don't know, but just too me it was random because I guess I was more focused on their emotions towards one another and the baby issue, and hoping that she wouldn't lose the baby like I thought might happen since the issue was just hit over my head so many times that I thought it was probably coming and that would be another issue they had to deal with along the way, and seeing if their marriage would survive another tragedy like that one. Now, don't get me wrong I didn't want her to lose the baby especially after miscarrying four time already I knew it would seriously break her if it happened again and she, well both of them, didn't deserve that to happen again, but I just thought it was coming the way it was set up, but luckily it didn't. So, my point is I guess I was more focusing on that issue than anything else so just when all of a sudden this newspaper came out with the ex story, I was thrown for a loop not expecting it at all, and was what was that so maybe that was why I was like "why was this in here."
And the last issue that dropped in the air was the issue of the villa. Maya wanted it so bad and wanted to make it into something, but this story never went in to what happened. Did after Giorgio unburden himself with the unhappy times to Maya, could he let go off the unhappiness there and be able to return to the villa? Did he give it to Maya? Did his family ever go back to that place? Maybe that happens in the book after this one, but I just felt like the issue just dropped with no resolution in that area, though I guess when Giorgio did finally open up fully to Maya, leaving himself exposed and vulnerable and ready to tell her that he did in fact loved her and wanted her to be his wife that showed he let go and moved on, not fearing his emotions any longer, but I thought a scene of something with the villa would have been nice to show that.
So, those were my little issues with book, but they weren't that big of deal that didn't make me lose my enjoyment over the book, but things that struck me and caused me not to give it a five out five stars.
Like I said at the end, they had this sweet little scene together where they reveal their feelings to one another and say they love each other and want to be together forever like is typical in books like these (which is why I love them by the way), and they get their happily ever after together with the last scene was of Maya giving birth to a healthy son with both parents completely delighted and happy for the miracle that came from their love, and made me cheer that they finally got the child they always wanted. So, I was very with the ending.
Giorgio was great, trying the best he could in the circumstances given to him, and protecting and supporting the ones he loved while burdening himself with the worries that accompanied being the oldest son when he shouldn't have. He was trying to be strong for everyone around him, and I loved that he wanted to the rock for his family, but I also knew he needed someone too and not have that build and build until it exploded, though he tried to rein it in as much as possible. But he needed someone too, and that person was Maya and if he opened up to her sooner I do believe that they would had a stronger marriage and maybe not have to deal with some of the issues that they faced first time around. And he so deserved to have that person for him and would have if he just reached on in the beginning for her. But luckily he learned his lesson and did finally reach out for her in the end, which would build their connection and make their love grow as one would be there for the other, which is what love and marriage should be about. So, I'm glad that he did realize that at the end of the book and that he could be happy, and I think he will be with his wife and baby.
Maya I liked too, and I did feel genuinely bad for her at what she had to go through between her childhood, her miscarriages, and a marriage where she felt alone and I get why she wanted the divorce so she would be miserable living the pain of being with a man that didn't love her. And I liked how she tried to resist the chemistry between her and Giorgio not wanting to go down the same road with him, but she loved him and let's face it she couldn't resist him in the end, their connection and chemistry was just too strong for either of them to deny. The only thing I didn't like was that it seemed like every chapter she was saying that she was probably going to lose the baby then she was going to be back at square one. I get that she was afraid to hope that she would carry this baby to term after all the disappointments, but I was tired of hearing her say them to Giorgio while he tried to comfort her that it would be different this time. I just thought stop saying that already and just try not to overanalyze to much and just take it one step at a time, one day at time without obsessing about possibly loosing the baby. It was just too much stress that she didn't need at the time, and I just wanted her to stop focusing on that.
I thought the first half of the book was better than the second half partly because Maya kept saying the same things over and over again, and the issues that just seemed to pop up suddenly without being prepared for it, and I think too that the second half was just a tad rushed towards the ending, but that's just my opinion. But I did enjoy this book very much, and glad that I did pick it up at the library. I'm now curious about the books about the other two brothers. Luca's book is the one before this one, and I am curious how him and his wife came together, though I could pretty much infer from this book, and just know their story and see if the chemistry is there just as it was with Maya and Giorgio and just wanting to see how they get to their happy ending. Also I am curious about younger brother's Nic story with the conflict already being presented in this book and I pretty much am sure that he's going to end up with Jade, Salvatore's god daughter, and am curious to meet her in the next book since she was only introduced in this book but not shown. And I think sparks are going to fly between these free spirited characters, though I know Nic is going to deny, deny, deny his feelings for her as much as possible and it will be fun to see this playboy brought down to his needs and find the women he belongs with just like Salvatore wanted. So, I'm curious to see how those stories turn out and hope they are as good as this book was and the chemistry is as smoking as it was between Giorgio and Maya and look forward to finding out in the future. So good job, Melanie Milburne. Good job!
I really loved both characters in the story with each of them having suffered losses and pains along the way that the didn't deserve at all, and I was rooting for them to get back together in the end because it was so obvious that they cared and loved one another, all that was missing was the lack of communication, and Giorgio allowing himself to be vulnerable and accept support from Maya when he was hurting in his times of need, treating her like a partner, which for much of his marriage he didn't even though partly he kept to himself to protect her and not burden her with his feels, but it was the wrong way to go about it. If they shared their pain more with one another, and leaned on one another when they needed one another I believe they wouldn't have gone their separate ways and would have become closer to each other, and maybe even make Giorgio feel more comfortable showing his vulnerable side to his wife, therefore being able to admit his feelings more readily, therefore their marriage might have been more successful the first time around. Then there wouldn't be a story would there?
The pace was good in the beginning of the book with the first chapter being where Maya discovered she was pregnant with Giorgio's baby after one night of passion at his brother's wedding despite the fact that they were separated and about to get a divorce (and were even in divorce proceedings at the time), but that didn't stop them acting on their passions and just the fact that they missed each other during the six month separation. Of coarse, Maya was shocked to learn she was pregnant especially being the last two years of their marriage when they were trying to get pregnant the couldn't, going through various methods to get pregnant because that was what they both wanted, though Maya thought for Giorgio it was just about having an heir and carrying on the family name and believed that was her job when she married Giorgio, which she failed miserable (another reason their marriage headed south) in her opinion. Aside from being shocked at learning that she was pregnant, Maya wasn't excited or hopeful like most new mothers would be in that situation, though she wanted the baby very much Maya was afraid to believe that this baby would go to term since she had four painful miscarriages in the past, which were emotionally devastating to her. And Maya couldn't live through that again, the hoping and the praying and even expecting almost that she was going to lose the baby despite having no signs to the contrary, but still she waited for bated breath for the worst to happen and did for the most part of the book despite reassurances from others. I understand why she felt that way, but a part me was like well if you keep worrying yourself to death and just waiting for it to happening and keeping worrying about it, stressing herself out wouldn't be good for the baby and perhaps could cause her to get sick and miscarry the baby again. Can you say self-fulfilling prophecy? So, I just wish she enjoyed her pregnancy a little more especially when she got farther along instead of just having this mentality that the baby wouldn't come to terms.
Anyway getting a little ahead of myself right after she found out she was pregnant, Giorgio came to her door (who I could tell totally missed her and never wanted to let her go and didn't want to be with anyone else even if she couldn't see that) which frightened Maya not only because of the knowledge that she was pregnant with his baby, but of the chemistry that seemed to suck her in whenever he was around, and boy did they have chemistry, and it was smoking hot let me tell you with them barely keeping their hands to themselves. But Maya did her best to deter him, wanting him to get out of her life so she didn't succumb to him. They discuss the divorce, and how she wanted his family villa that his family doesn't go to all that often because of the tragic death of Giorgio's baby sister Chiara so it brought up bad memories for the family so none of them used it so Maya figured why not give it to her since she loved and would put to good use. Giorgio said no, saying its part of his family's legacy and he wouldn't give it up to her because it was meant to be in the family even though they didn't use it all that often. So there were at an impasse there.
Then Giorgio invited her to his grandfather's 90th birthday, which Salvatore requested Giorgio to do because Salvatore wanted her there. She was reluctant to agree, but does, and decided to go for the kind old man that she loved while married to Giorgio. Once at the party, the chemistry as spicy as ever, Giorgio opened up a little bit to Maya at the fact that Salvatore is dying and only had a few months to live so he proposed to Maya to make Salvatore's last days happiest of his life, and what would make Salvatore better was seeing Maya and Giorgio back together and no longer getting divorced. She was horrified at this prospect not only because she felt duped by Giorgio and his motives for inviting her to the party, but also frightened because she knew that if she went back with Giorgio she would be in the same place with him pregnant, fearing not having a live child all the while loving him so completely and fully while he kept himself emotionally distant from her, not loving her. As you can imagine, she doesn't relishing going back to that, but got tricked back into it in the end. Salvatore was so happy for their reconciliation, and Maya figured she was doing a good thing.
Though now she had to act the part of being a couple with him again with him coming to her apartment intent on staying. She protested heavily at first, but to no avail. He still wanted to sleep with her, saying he missed being with her. He pointed out that they had great chemistry together that wasn't going away, and what was good in their passionate encounter the night they made the baby and he wanted that back again, using the time pretending to be together to be put to good use, knowing she wanted him and he wanted her. Of coarse, Maya believed all he was concerned with was getting laid, and making the best out a bad situation, and she didn't want to be used like that when she loved him so deeply while all he wanted was just a body not her personally in this complicated situation. So, that was another argument, a passionate argument. They had a lot of them in this book, which fueled their passions in the bedroom as well, having that heat and spark with one another, which just made this read even steamier, making the reader want them to jump into bed, knowing all this fighting is just hot foreplay anyway. But nothing happened at that moment, and they decide to go bed.
As luck would have it Maya didn't throw away the positive pregnancy test in her bathroom so that was how Giorgio found out that she was having his baby with him now insisting that their marriage would be permanent and they would live as a family again while Maya being ever negative about the situation said that she might be able to carry this baby to term like the last four and they would be back where they started (and she feared he wouldn't want to stay married to her once that happened).
So, Maya went to Giorgio's villa to move back in with him completely wary of the situation and of him and his motives. She found that he had never removed her things from his space, and found them lying there like she just used them, which shocked her because she thought she meant so little to him in the time they were together, having no soft emotions towards her.
Fights ensue as the couple go along with many of their past issues from their first shot at marriage coming to the surface. One being his lack of showing emotions while she was being negative the entire time, saying she was going to lose the baby and there was nothing to do about it. But they work at it as best as they can with Giorgio giving it a genuine shot and changing his ways while trying to be there for her even though he did try to keep his distance from her still not learning his lesson on that quite yet.
What I was a little disappointed was the lovemaking scenes because to me there had been this build up in the first half of the book that was hot and steamy, and made me want to see what would happen when they did finally get it on, figuring it would be just as steamy as the sexual tension between them, but when I read it and they had their first complete sex scene (there was one scene before this where they pleasure one another without going all the way, which I thought was the hottest scene of all the times they got it on in the book, and hoped that same hottest would be translated in the full scene as well), but I just found it lacking the sexiness that I expected to come from these two probably because it was so quick and rushed in my opinion instead of drawing it out. Now, I got that there were denied the full on lovemaking for awhile and when they finally got to do it that it was just hurry up and do it, getting their passions out of their systems, but I just felt that I just blinked my eyes at it was over already, and I was like that's it, and I felt like that for the other love scenes too except maybe the one in the bathtub where it is more drawn out and sexy and I could feel the connection between the two of them, making that scene so much more hotter than the bath they were in, but then when they got on again I felt it was just too rushed and over before I knew it. Though despite the rushness of their passions seemed to enjoy it nonetheless but still I was looking for a little bit of a bigger pay off more steamy than it was in the book, but I did like that they did reconnect in that way, and they had no complaints about their lovemaking in that aspect (though Maya did feel it was more physical on his part than on hers, but still that didn't stop them from going at it).
There were other things in this book that I thought were kind of rushed in the later half of the book and introduction of things that I didn't think quite necessary because they seemed to be solved so quickly. Like I expected there to be an interaction between Giorgio's mother and Maya about the past or perhaps that conflict still being their between the two (especially when Maya thought that his mother thought she wasn't good enough for her son since she wasn't giving him children and she was low brow), but there wasn't any and the mother just seemed to accept Maya back into the fold pretty easily once sure that Maya was carrying his baby. So, I thought there would be more there or more of a connection between the two so that was disappointing.
And then the thing with the ex-girlfriend calling the papers saying she was having an affair with Giorgio while he reconciled with Maya, I just found that a little bit random, and didn't think it was necessary, though I think it was meant to show how Maya at first believed Giorgio did cheat on her (even before that she believed he might cheat on her just like his father cheated on his mother) and just her mistrust of him while showing how the public eye can gossip and spread these lies without anything to back it up, which she wasn't use to and what she hated of the paparazzi. And I understand that, but part of me felt it was just stuck in there quickly to just add another conflict to their marriage for sake of having another conflict. I don't know, but just too me it was random because I guess I was more focused on their emotions towards one another and the baby issue, and hoping that she wouldn't lose the baby like I thought might happen since the issue was just hit over my head so many times that I thought it was probably coming and that would be another issue they had to deal with along the way, and seeing if their marriage would survive another tragedy like that one. Now, don't get me wrong I didn't want her to lose the baby especially after miscarrying four time already I knew it would seriously break her if it happened again and she, well both of them, didn't deserve that to happen again, but I just thought it was coming the way it was set up, but luckily it didn't. So, my point is I guess I was more focusing on that issue than anything else so just when all of a sudden this newspaper came out with the ex story, I was thrown for a loop not expecting it at all, and was what was that so maybe that was why I was like "why was this in here."
And the last issue that dropped in the air was the issue of the villa. Maya wanted it so bad and wanted to make it into something, but this story never went in to what happened. Did after Giorgio unburden himself with the unhappy times to Maya, could he let go off the unhappiness there and be able to return to the villa? Did he give it to Maya? Did his family ever go back to that place? Maybe that happens in the book after this one, but I just felt like the issue just dropped with no resolution in that area, though I guess when Giorgio did finally open up fully to Maya, leaving himself exposed and vulnerable and ready to tell her that he did in fact loved her and wanted her to be his wife that showed he let go and moved on, not fearing his emotions any longer, but I thought a scene of something with the villa would have been nice to show that.
So, those were my little issues with book, but they weren't that big of deal that didn't make me lose my enjoyment over the book, but things that struck me and caused me not to give it a five out five stars.
Like I said at the end, they had this sweet little scene together where they reveal their feelings to one another and say they love each other and want to be together forever like is typical in books like these (which is why I love them by the way), and they get their happily ever after together with the last scene was of Maya giving birth to a healthy son with both parents completely delighted and happy for the miracle that came from their love, and made me cheer that they finally got the child they always wanted. So, I was very with the ending.
Giorgio was great, trying the best he could in the circumstances given to him, and protecting and supporting the ones he loved while burdening himself with the worries that accompanied being the oldest son when he shouldn't have. He was trying to be strong for everyone around him, and I loved that he wanted to the rock for his family, but I also knew he needed someone too and not have that build and build until it exploded, though he tried to rein it in as much as possible. But he needed someone too, and that person was Maya and if he opened up to her sooner I do believe that they would had a stronger marriage and maybe not have to deal with some of the issues that they faced first time around. And he so deserved to have that person for him and would have if he just reached on in the beginning for her. But luckily he learned his lesson and did finally reach out for her in the end, which would build their connection and make their love grow as one would be there for the other, which is what love and marriage should be about. So, I'm glad that he did realize that at the end of the book and that he could be happy, and I think he will be with his wife and baby.
Maya I liked too, and I did feel genuinely bad for her at what she had to go through between her childhood, her miscarriages, and a marriage where she felt alone and I get why she wanted the divorce so she would be miserable living the pain of being with a man that didn't love her. And I liked how she tried to resist the chemistry between her and Giorgio not wanting to go down the same road with him, but she loved him and let's face it she couldn't resist him in the end, their connection and chemistry was just too strong for either of them to deny. The only thing I didn't like was that it seemed like every chapter she was saying that she was probably going to lose the baby then she was going to be back at square one. I get that she was afraid to hope that she would carry this baby to term after all the disappointments, but I was tired of hearing her say them to Giorgio while he tried to comfort her that it would be different this time. I just thought stop saying that already and just try not to overanalyze to much and just take it one step at a time, one day at time without obsessing about possibly loosing the baby. It was just too much stress that she didn't need at the time, and I just wanted her to stop focusing on that.
I thought the first half of the book was better than the second half partly because Maya kept saying the same things over and over again, and the issues that just seemed to pop up suddenly without being prepared for it, and I think too that the second half was just a tad rushed towards the ending, but that's just my opinion. But I did enjoy this book very much, and glad that I did pick it up at the library. I'm now curious about the books about the other two brothers. Luca's book is the one before this one, and I am curious how him and his wife came together, though I could pretty much infer from this book, and just know their story and see if the chemistry is there just as it was with Maya and Giorgio and just wanting to see how they get to their happy ending. Also I am curious about younger brother's Nic story with the conflict already being presented in this book and I pretty much am sure that he's going to end up with Jade, Salvatore's god daughter, and am curious to meet her in the next book since she was only introduced in this book but not shown. And I think sparks are going to fly between these free spirited characters, though I know Nic is going to deny, deny, deny his feelings for her as much as possible and it will be fun to see this playboy brought down to his needs and find the women he belongs with just like Salvatore wanted. So, I'm curious to see how those stories turn out and hope they are as good as this book was and the chemistry is as smoking as it was between Giorgio and Maya and look forward to finding out in the future. So good job, Melanie Milburne. Good job!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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