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DiRinaldi Brothers #1
The Italian's Suitable Wife
A professor rushes to the side of her injured childhood crush in this classic contemporary romance by a USA Today–bestselling author.Enrico DiRinaldi wants a wife and children, even though an accident has left him unable to walk. So, he proposes marriage to Gianna Lakewood. Having secretly always loved Rico, Gianna can’t say no. . . .The passion Rico ignites in his innocent bride is explosive! But when she realizes that Rico’s full recovery is imminent, and his beautiful ex-fiancée is waiting in the wings, Gianna is sure he won’t want her anymore. However, Rico is still intent on keeping his convenient wife by his side. . . .Originally published in 2004.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2004
131 people are currently reading
621 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Monroe
607 books1,568 followersI write spicy romance books that end in an HEA. Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance…I write it all. The two things my books all have in common is lots of emotion and spice. Last year, I fell in love with a new subgenre: mafia romance. Since I write what I love to read, I started a new standalone series, Syndicate Rules where you’ll meet over the top alpha heroes in the Italian and Greek mafias as well as the Irish mob. There are arranged marriages, forced marriages, enemies to lovers, stalkers, forced proximity and lots of mafia intrigue. Morally gray is my new favorite color.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
April 14, 2012
A more appropriate title for this book would have been The Asshat's Doormat Baby Machine.
I had so many issues with this book. It only merited 2 stars because of the paralysis which was something different
Problem number one: the H. He was a selfish asshat caveman. I kept hoping for some groveling at the end to make up for how awful he was. Towards the end it only got slightly better although he still came across as a caveman.
Problem number two: the h. She was such a pathetic doormat. Anything the asshat asked of her she did. Sure she went through the motions of trying to have a mind of her own, but that only lasted like 5 seconds.
Problem 3: The premise behind the marriage. The asshat actually tells the doormat that because he broke it off with his fiancee that his mother is expecting a daughter-in-law and grandchildren so the doormat can fill the now empty spot. First of all he was never going to have get a baby out of the selfish fiancee.
Problem 4: Asshat stuck up for selfish fiancee well after he was married when his family showed him how they really felt about the former fiancee.
Problem 5: The sex scenes were so awkward and painful to read. I understand that the paralysis brought a new dimension to it, but I found myself skipping a lot of it. My main issue was in the way the h was "deflowered".
There was yet another glaring issue I had about them having sex after she underwent a very painful IUI. I'm sorry it went on for pages how much pain it caused her and they are going to have sex? Not believable or just stupid. I can actually see the doormat going along with it.
Problem 6: The h's innocence. I get that she was a 23 y/o virgin. But she apparently had no knowledge of how a penis works. Sorry not buying that in a book written in 2000's.
Problem 7: By the end of the book we find out that the H has been in love with the h the whole time, but instead of just telling her this he decided to be an asshat.
I had so many issues with this book. It only merited 2 stars because of the paralysis which was something different
Problem number one: the H. He was a selfish asshat caveman. I kept hoping for some groveling at the end to make up for how awful he was. Towards the end it only got slightly better although he still came across as a caveman.
Problem number two: the h. She was such a pathetic doormat. Anything the asshat asked of her she did. Sure she went through the motions of trying to have a mind of her own, but that only lasted like 5 seconds.
Problem 3: The premise behind the marriage. The asshat actually tells the doormat that because he broke it off with his fiancee that his mother is expecting a daughter-in-law and grandchildren so the doormat can fill the now empty spot. First of all he was never going to have get a baby out of the selfish fiancee.
Problem 4: Asshat stuck up for selfish fiancee well after he was married when his family showed him how they really felt about the former fiancee.
Problem 5: The sex scenes were so awkward and painful to read. I understand that the paralysis brought a new dimension to it, but I found myself skipping a lot of it. My main issue was in the way the h was "deflowered".
There was yet another glaring issue I had about them having sex after she underwent a very painful IUI. I'm sorry it went on for pages how much pain it caused her and they are going to have sex? Not believable or just stupid. I can actually see the doormat going along with it.
Problem 6: The h's innocence. I get that she was a 23 y/o virgin. But she apparently had no knowledge of how a penis works. Sorry not buying that in a book written in 2000's.
Problem 7: By the end of the book we find out that the H has been in love with the h the whole time, but instead of just telling her this he decided to be an asshat.
dnf
August 11, 2018“You have shared your bed with a man?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I do not agree.” He looked ready to get up out of the bed.
“I really don’t want to talk about this with you.”
“You will tell me the name of the man.”
“Are you saying you and Chiara don’t sleep together?”
“This is not under discussion.”
“No. I’ve never been with any man,”
Rico’s glare was sulfuric. “Yet you taunted me with the idea you had.”
He only told her to not show too much interest just about 2 days ago because that makes his fiancée upset. His dangling his fiancée in front of her. His sexual history is NOT up for discussion but she BETTER be a virgin, or else......Kiki throws in the towel at chapter 3.
If you can’t see the fucking double standards and aren’t bothered by it please see an optometrist and send me the bill (for the not seeing part of course, as for the not bothering part, only god can help you with that, PM me, I’ll send you a link to FB God’s page)!
*Opens a bottle of gin at 11.02 am*, it’s cocktail time somewhere in the world!
“That’s none of your business.”
“I do not agree.” He looked ready to get up out of the bed.
“I really don’t want to talk about this with you.”
“You will tell me the name of the man.”
“Are you saying you and Chiara don’t sleep together?”
“This is not under discussion.”
“No. I’ve never been with any man,”
Rico’s glare was sulfuric. “Yet you taunted me with the idea you had.”
He only told her to not show too much interest just about 2 days ago because that makes his fiancée upset. His dangling his fiancée in front of her. His sexual history is NOT up for discussion but she BETTER be a virgin, or else......Kiki throws in the towel at chapter 3.
If you can’t see the fucking double standards and aren’t bothered by it please see an optometrist and send me the bill (for the not seeing part of course, as for the not bothering part, only god can help you with that, PM me, I’ll send you a link to FB God’s page)!
*Opens a bottle of gin at 11.02 am*, it’s cocktail time somewhere in the world!
August 8, 2011
Family friend who has always loved the hero basically abandons her job at a college to rush the bedside of the hero when he's involved in an accident.
The hero is in a coma because he rescued someone somewhere and wound up yeah.
Heroine spends the days he's in a coma telling him how much she loves him and why he can't leave the family and most especially her, now. Hero also happens to be engaged to a supermodel who saw him in the hospital, asked for drugs to help her sleep and disappeared into the night after about 5 minutes by his bed. She only returns when he wakes up.
This disgusting excuse for a man and supposed love of the heroine's life has fallen hard for a shallow selfish but extremely beautiful and talented in bed woman. Despite the fact that the heroine is basically one of the family, when her father dies, he doesn't even attend the funeral, because his girlfriend/fiancee had other things to do. He's basically cut the heroine out of his life, but it's not his fault, he was led astray by this evil woman who doesn't even care about him.
When the hero wakes up from his coma, he's paralyzed.
He spends his time at the hospital using the heroine's love in order to make his fiancee jealous. So he sends horrible mixed signals to the heroine that he wants her when really it's all about sticking it to his fiancee for ignoring him. Isn't he just the greatest?
Finally he decides to ditch the fiancee, or she ditches him, whichever, and decides that he'll marry the heroine because she's such a pushover, she'll agree to anything he says, worship him, and he doesn't have to worry about the fact that he can't get it up anymore.
So the poor heroine marries the hero like a TSTL insert other bad words here. She loves him, she knows he knows she loves him. She knows he is not above using her love for him to make her do what he wants.
So he wants kids and he knows he can get them from her because she'll do IVF so they can have them.
She marries him and he still defends the other woman, blames her for chasing the other woman away, but the heroine loves him so so much.
Finally the other woman actually comes into her house and tells her that she's taking her man back because they have such spectacular sex together, and the heroine grows a backbone and tells her to vacate her house and if she wants to see her husband she'll have to make an appointment with his secretary. And then the hero walks in and basically usurps the heroine's declaration by saying the other woman can stay and talk. The heroine's new spine wavers a bit and instead of telling him off, she does the next best thing, which is to leave his sorry butt to go think about how horrible her life is.
If you read from after they settle in with marriage to the end, you can believe in the HEA. If you read from the beginning, there's no getting over how horrible all the characters are. You can't like Gianna because she's just too martyr for my love, and wait, let me lay down so you can walk all over me without putting yourself out too much. And you really can't like Rico that much because apparently he's so prideful that he refuses to ever accept that he was wrong. And because of that, he refuses to accept that he was wrong in picking his fiancee or any of his decisions. He uses Gianna horribly knowing perfectly well how she feels about him. I just couldn't like him at all, and Gianna for loving him made me not like her either.
The hero is in a coma because he rescued someone somewhere and wound up yeah.
Heroine spends the days he's in a coma telling him how much she loves him and why he can't leave the family and most especially her, now. Hero also happens to be engaged to a supermodel who saw him in the hospital, asked for drugs to help her sleep and disappeared into the night after about 5 minutes by his bed. She only returns when he wakes up.
This disgusting excuse for a man and supposed love of the heroine's life has fallen hard for a shallow selfish but extremely beautiful and talented in bed woman. Despite the fact that the heroine is basically one of the family, when her father dies, he doesn't even attend the funeral, because his girlfriend/fiancee had other things to do. He's basically cut the heroine out of his life, but it's not his fault, he was led astray by this evil woman who doesn't even care about him.
When the hero wakes up from his coma, he's paralyzed.
He spends his time at the hospital using the heroine's love in order to make his fiancee jealous. So he sends horrible mixed signals to the heroine that he wants her when really it's all about sticking it to his fiancee for ignoring him. Isn't he just the greatest?
Finally he decides to ditch the fiancee, or she ditches him, whichever, and decides that he'll marry the heroine because she's such a pushover, she'll agree to anything he says, worship him, and he doesn't have to worry about the fact that he can't get it up anymore.
So the poor heroine marries the hero like a TSTL insert other bad words here. She loves him, she knows he knows she loves him. She knows he is not above using her love for him to make her do what he wants.
So he wants kids and he knows he can get them from her because she'll do IVF so they can have them.
She marries him and he still defends the other woman, blames her for chasing the other woman away, but the heroine loves him so so much.
Finally the other woman actually comes into her house and tells her that she's taking her man back because they have such spectacular sex together, and the heroine grows a backbone and tells her to vacate her house and if she wants to see her husband she'll have to make an appointment with his secretary. And then the hero walks in and basically usurps the heroine's declaration by saying the other woman can stay and talk. The heroine's new spine wavers a bit and instead of telling him off, she does the next best thing, which is to leave his sorry butt to go think about how horrible her life is.
If you read from after they settle in with marriage to the end, you can believe in the HEA. If you read from the beginning, there's no getting over how horrible all the characters are. You can't like Gianna because she's just too martyr for my love, and wait, let me lay down so you can walk all over me without putting yourself out too much. And you really can't like Rico that much because apparently he's so prideful that he refuses to ever accept that he was wrong. And because of that, he refuses to accept that he was wrong in picking his fiancee or any of his decisions. He uses Gianna horribly knowing perfectly well how she feels about him. I just couldn't like him at all, and Gianna for loving him made me not like her either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2021
Hero is injured while thwarting a mugging in NYC. He is in a coma when hero’s brother asks heroine to be with him until he can fly in from Italy. Heroine has loved the hero since she was a child, so she is by his side for days while his glamorous fiancé stays away.
The rest of the story is a matter of waiting for the hero to:
*Wake from his coma
*Realize his fiancé is a cold-hearted liar.
*Break it off with the fiancé
*Realize he should marry the heroine if he wants a family life. (via IVF)
*Learn to walk again.
*Sustain an erection.
*Realize he actually does love the heroine.
That’s the trajectory of the action. Heroine patiently waits for the author to put the H through his paces and loves him all along.
There is a final black moment when the OW shows up and the heroine runs away for an afternoon but that’s the most initiative she shows in the entire story.
It’s not a bad read, just kind of meh.
The rest of the story is a matter of waiting for the hero to:
*Wake from his coma
*Realize his fiancé is a cold-hearted liar.
*Break it off with the fiancé
*Realize he should marry the heroine if he wants a family life. (via IVF)
*Learn to walk again.
*Sustain an erection.
*Realize he actually does love the heroine.
That’s the trajectory of the action. Heroine patiently waits for the author to put the H through his paces and loves him all along.
There is a final black moment when the OW shows up and the heroine runs away for an afternoon but that’s the most initiative she shows in the entire story.
It’s not a bad read, just kind of meh.
January 15, 2019
"The Italian's Suitable Wife" is the story of Gianna and Rico.
A typical HQN romance, but with all the right elements this time around
-The H who is paralyzed after a heroic acid that lands him in coma
-A selflessly devoted orphan h who has loved the H forever, and pulls him back from the brink of death
-A bitchy OW who is as conniving as she is selfish
-A supportive brother, who there to support the h and make the H jealous
-A marriage of convenience
-Some not-so-traditional sex scenes
-An IVF that later turns out to be an IUI?
-More drama
-HEA
I think the h's kindness grew on me, and strangely, I really liked her martyr act. I did resent the H for not noticing the h for so long, and occasionally siding with the OW; but he does have fits of jealousy regarding the H after he "falls" for her, and it seems like he would be a loyal husband.
All the tropes you can imagine are there in this one, but still this is an engaging read.
Just some notes to the author
-There's nothing called intravenous insemination. You can't put sperm in the veins.
-It's not paternal, but fraternal twins.
-IVF and IUI are different
-Paraplegia is not paraparesis, and does not always affect the penile function (if it was indeed the former, patient wouldn't be able to pee and would be on a catheter and stoma)
If not for the jarring medical mistakes, enjoyed this!
Unsafe
4/5
A typical HQN romance, but with all the right elements this time around
-The H who is paralyzed after a heroic acid that lands him in coma
-A selflessly devoted orphan h who has loved the H forever, and pulls him back from the brink of death
-A bitchy OW who is as conniving as she is selfish
-A supportive brother, who there to support the h and make the H jealous
-A marriage of convenience
-Some not-so-traditional sex scenes
-An IVF that later turns out to be an IUI?
-More drama
-HEA
I think the h's kindness grew on me, and strangely, I really liked her martyr act. I did resent the H for not noticing the h for so long, and occasionally siding with the OW; but he does have fits of jealousy regarding the H after he "falls" for her, and it seems like he would be a loyal husband.
All the tropes you can imagine are there in this one, but still this is an engaging read.
Just some notes to the author
-There's nothing called intravenous insemination. You can't put sperm in the veins.
-It's not paternal, but fraternal twins.
-IVF and IUI are different
-Paraplegia is not paraparesis, and does not always affect the penile function (if it was indeed the former, patient wouldn't be able to pee and would be on a catheter and stoma)
If not for the jarring medical mistakes, enjoyed this!
Unsafe
4/5
October 6, 2025
2.5 no drama at all ⭐️⭐️
This is a cotton candy romance! I was promised betrayal, I wanted ruthless betrayal and innocence and epic grovel when the fmc finally sets a boundary.
I didn’t get anything even close, and I am disappointed. There is a lack of courage in this story, it was close at times, to make me believe his selfishness, make me feel her pain. But it immediately went to his pov to make me know that he really does love her 🤦♀️ let me get there in the end. Don’t ruin the ride with handholding.
The fmc is almost too dumb, how can she be an assistant professor at a university, she didn’t know what an erection was!
( Insert all curse words I know)
The last minute drama was also a little impotent.
The story could have been really good, it had promise.
Should you read it? No it’s uninteresting, I expected more heartache, and grovel.
This is a cotton candy romance! I was promised betrayal, I wanted ruthless betrayal and innocence and epic grovel when the fmc finally sets a boundary.
I didn’t get anything even close, and I am disappointed. There is a lack of courage in this story, it was close at times, to make me believe his selfishness, make me feel her pain. But it immediately went to his pov to make me know that he really does love her 🤦♀️ let me get there in the end. Don’t ruin the ride with handholding.
The fmc is almost too dumb, how can she be an assistant professor at a university, she didn’t know what an erection was!
( Insert all curse words I know)
The last minute drama was also a little impotent.
The story could have been really good, it had promise.
Should you read it? No it’s uninteresting, I expected more heartache, and grovel.
October 6, 2020
This wasn't a bad story. I was originally going to give it a 3.5 rating, but it kept me glued to the ending, so I bumped it up a bit. The whole story could have been resolved early on if the H/h had just talked and been honest with each other. The angst was pretty low, but I did enjoy the feels brought onto the heroine by the H's lying, vain fiancé. The only judgement I have against this story, was it felt like the author forgot the Hero couldn't use his legs. He was up and down stairs unexplicably, getting home by himself from the hospital in a super fast and unexplained way. Nobody ever needed to help him from his wheelchair to the bed (or anywhere else really) and back into the chair again. This part of his paralyzation wasn't addressed at all.
July 28, 2020
There are some cringe worthy scenes in this for sure. Her deflowering almost made me throw up. The hero was weird. I don't understand why he was engaged to the evil OW. He said it was just sex but he asked her to marry him so I just don't get it. I didn't like the sex scenes at all. They were gross and unromantic. He just sounded like a freak too. I definitely felt her love but his not so much. And that last scene with the ex and the heroine was weird as heck. Just a total creepy vibe so why three stars? I loved the ending. And I do think he loved her. I know. I am freak. But twins? They always get to me.
November 18, 2023
Over-emotional, plays games to make beloved jealous, runs hot and cold, and is supremely insecure. Yep, we got ourselves an HP hero. Hero is the chick. Once again, let's be happy he born with a bod for sin and a head for business because he has NO common sense when it comes to human relations.
Lucy Monroe delivers another chatty duo with her signature virginal digital penetration.
Lucy Monroe delivers another chatty duo with her signature virginal digital penetration.
October 19, 2021
Entertaining enough. It was angsty with seemingly unrequited love and the angelic h nursing the H back to health. H is unreasonably j/p even when he was still engaged to the Evil OW.
I got a little annoyed at them constantly misunderstanding each other.
Loved the OW drama and satisfying ending.
Bottom line? Nice way to spend an evening. 🤷🏼♀️ 3.5 stars
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - H is engaged to Queen B*tch when the book opens… she causes problems
- OM drama - the H is jealous of his brother’s relationship with the h
- no dubcon
- h (23) is a virgin
- H (31) is experienced but his past isn’t really dwelled upon other than we know his relationship with his fiancé was largely physical.
I got a little annoyed at them constantly misunderstanding each other.
Loved the OW drama and satisfying ending.
Bottom line? Nice way to spend an evening. 🤷🏼♀️ 3.5 stars
⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- OW drama - H is engaged to Queen B*tch when the book opens… she causes problems
- OM drama - the H is jealous of his brother’s relationship with the h
- no dubcon
- h (23) is a virgin
- H (31) is experienced but his past isn’t really dwelled upon other than we know his relationship with his fiancé was largely physical.
September 30, 2014
Boring.
I thought the heroine and all her insecurities and misunderstandings were taken to the point of annoyance. The H was overbearing at times, but I balanced his behavior against the fears that any man would have at being unable to walk and perform as a man. I know the girl was a virgin, but she'd been raised around the H and his brother. She should have understood alpha male machismo and pride. I realize love makes one insecure, but she was ridiculous. Everything was about her. The fact that she couldn't understand why he didn't want to be touched sexually was absurd.
I thought the heroine and all her insecurities and misunderstandings were taken to the point of annoyance. The H was overbearing at times, but I balanced his behavior against the fears that any man would have at being unable to walk and perform as a man. I know the girl was a virgin, but she'd been raised around the H and his brother. She should have understood alpha male machismo and pride. I realize love makes one insecure, but she was ridiculous. Everything was about her. The fact that she couldn't understand why he didn't want to be touched sexually was absurd.
February 11, 2018
It should have been a superb read for me , if only the OW scenes were reduced. Especially the kissing scenes in the beginning. That too when heroine was present. Dont know why but I felt the heroine was weak character in this book. She didn’t seriously oppose or rebelled against hero. And he was mean sometimes. She always did everything he demanded. That irritated me.
Recommended as it is an engaging read.
Recommended as it is an engaging read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 11, 2013
Liked it but I thought the plot was a bit flat. I felt like it had lots of potential though...
February 12, 2017
Plain but I liked it . It was rather sweet , H all possessive and jealous .
October 20, 2014
Written in a choppy, slightly juvenile style....maybe I was just thrown by the arrogant hero referring to himself in the 3rd person (by his full name). did not like all the references to hero's devotion and protection of the fiancé and the great sex they had. Or that heroine at 23 was going to live a totally barren, lonely life because of a crush on a guy who couldn't be bothered to be there for her at her dad's funeral. Yuck.
Heroine was pretty pathetic to devote herself so thoroughly to such a user. Hero knows she loves him and utterly lacks honor to expect her to give up her life (literally her job) for him. He makes her feel like crap that he doesn't love her...after all she's sacrificed. Hero just wasn't deserving of such devotion. That being said, there were sweet moments, and interesting delving into the insecurities of a paralyzed hero.
Heroine was pretty pathetic to devote herself so thoroughly to such a user. Hero knows she loves him and utterly lacks honor to expect her to give up her life (literally her job) for him. He makes her feel like crap that he doesn't love her...after all she's sacrificed. Hero just wasn't deserving of such devotion. That being said, there were sweet moments, and interesting delving into the insecurities of a paralyzed hero.
June 12, 2011
Blech! The heroine was a doormat for the most part until practically the end. The hero was a jealous, demanding, control freak who excels at sending mixed signals. She should have gone for the brother!
I should mention that even though I despise the H and h, I keep re-reading this darn book. Sick, I know. I increased the rating because it is a good book for what it is: an HP. I may not AGREE, but it is still well written.
I should mention that even though I despise the H and h, I keep re-reading this darn book. Sick, I know. I increased the rating because it is a good book for what it is: an HP. I may not AGREE, but it is still well written.
July 26, 2013
Nice unrequited love story. Well written and the plot made sense and moved along well. No great angst or OTT drama. All around pleasant story with both a caring hero and heroine.
August 6, 2020
Debbie didn't exactly recommend this, well ... far from it. But her review assured me of a trainwreck and I'm currently loving those! And yeah, I picked it up in spite of her warning about the cringe-worthy scenes. This is the eighth book I'm reading by Lucy Monroe.
This book had a very saucy beginning, but the author just wasn't content to let me dream away. Lol. Gianna Lakewood soon gets news from his younger brother Andre that Enrico DiRinaldo has been in an accident and is in a coma. It's been eight years of unrequited love, since when she was fifteen, but that doesn't stop her from getting to him in New York immediately. Theirs was the only family Gianna now had and the feeling was reciprocated.
Thirty-one-year-old Rico comes out of the coma but his lower body is completely paralysed. He has a supermodel for a fianceé, Chiara, who's as self-centred as the other women usually are in HP. But of course, he doesn't know that and is smitten with her. Gianna is an assistant professor in Massachusetts, and Rico has no idea how in love with him she is. But he also doesn't like the idea of her with his brother, and always tries to stake a claim on her. This reaches a point where his condition drives away Chiara, with him insisting that Gianna marry him and have his babies.
Due to Rico's condition and with his advancing age, he is eager to marry and have children. For which Gianna would have to go through IVF. Gianna, the besotted woman that she is, agrees in spite of her reservations about whether Rico really loves her or not. She is too good for Rico and surprisingly, unlike other HP heroines, she knows it fully well!
This is a family-oriented kind of a romance. My first in that respect, I think. Which also deals with other medical issues and its fallouts on near and dear ones. The DiRinaldo's are very close, a strong Italian unit. Same goes for Gianna till her parents died. Rico and Gianna both want children, they have a strong bond in that respect. A classic story of two people whose mothers were like sisters settling down, a long bond of friendship being converted to lifelong togetherness.
It isn't revealed of which subject Gianna is a professor of. Also, this story would have been more heartfelt had Rico's words had less of a bite. He was all barky and that got on my nerves.
P.S. Andre, the younger brother, gets his own story in The Playboy's Seduction. But, it is a Harlequin Mini meaning, not a full-fledged story.
This book had a very saucy beginning, but the author just wasn't content to let me dream away. Lol. Gianna Lakewood soon gets news from his younger brother Andre that Enrico DiRinaldo has been in an accident and is in a coma. It's been eight years of unrequited love, since when she was fifteen, but that doesn't stop her from getting to him in New York immediately. Theirs was the only family Gianna now had and the feeling was reciprocated.
Thirty-one-year-old Rico comes out of the coma but his lower body is completely paralysed. He has a supermodel for a fianceé, Chiara, who's as self-centred as the other women usually are in HP. But of course, he doesn't know that and is smitten with her. Gianna is an assistant professor in Massachusetts, and Rico has no idea how in love with him she is. But he also doesn't like the idea of her with his brother, and always tries to stake a claim on her. This reaches a point where his condition drives away Chiara, with him insisting that Gianna marry him and have his babies.
Due to Rico's condition and with his advancing age, he is eager to marry and have children. For which Gianna would have to go through IVF. Gianna, the besotted woman that she is, agrees in spite of her reservations about whether Rico really loves her or not. She is too good for Rico and surprisingly, unlike other HP heroines, she knows it fully well!
This is a family-oriented kind of a romance. My first in that respect, I think. Which also deals with other medical issues and its fallouts on near and dear ones. The DiRinaldo's are very close, a strong Italian unit. Same goes for Gianna till her parents died. Rico and Gianna both want children, they have a strong bond in that respect. A classic story of two people whose mothers were like sisters settling down, a long bond of friendship being converted to lifelong togetherness.
It isn't revealed of which subject Gianna is a professor of. Also, this story would have been more heartfelt had Rico's words had less of a bite. He was all barky and that got on my nerves.
P.S. Andre, the younger brother, gets his own story in The Playboy's Seduction. But, it is a Harlequin Mini meaning, not a full-fledged story.
July 25, 2020
Some good and annoying elements to this story. The sex after the painful gynecology appointment creeped me out, a lot.
July 18, 2013
Gianna Lakewood has loved Enrico “Rico” DiRinaldo for YEARS! She receives a call in the early morning hours that he had been involved in a car accident and she rushes to his side. His fiancée couldn’t bother to be there all the time, but Gianna was. She spoke to him and helped him to wake for his coma as well. Rico didn’t like that Gianna was staying w/ his single brother either, and his fiancée didn’t like that Gianna was visiting Rico so much in the hospital. So she stirs up a bit of trouble and yet, Rico also does so too.
I can’t believe that he would have proposed to this OW. Perhaps we are too believe that he doesn’t think his feelings for Gianna are appropriate and he tries so hard not to feel them? Rose colored glasses!! He seemed to want his fiancée Chiara to come visit him but she never seems to show up much. However, Gianna ALWAYS there! He tells her not to push Chiara away and that she is like a sister to him – eeewww! The way he acts w/ her doesn’t imply he believes his claim either unless they are CLOSE siblings. Supposedly Rico puts others needs before his own. So it was Chiara’s need to make out that he put before Gianna, and then he believed he needed to kiss his ‘sister’ Gianna in front of his fiancée to make her jealous!!
Yes, Rico is a little manipulator. Perhaps he also likes all the attention and he did have some defense for Chiara too. However, later Chiara kicks Rico to the curb when she believes he will be crippled for life and Gianna is there to pick up the pieces. He doesn’t deny Gianna’s claim that he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life w/ her as his wife either. Rico wants children and Gianna seems a good bet. She will have to undergo IVF because stick broke. Apparently he has researched this BUT he seems surprised that it is so painful for Gianna later and won’t have her undergo that again. Now some people talk about a magic pen….this guy has a magic finger!! Of course, Gianna claims that they had made love….no that is called something else. You know it’s funny, but Gianna was willing to accept the magic finger because the pen was broken while Chiara was not. Note that Rico left hospital w/out permission to go over there and point that thing around at her and later he claims he can’t leave w/out permission!? How does she NOT question this? She was exhausted by that magic finger when he left her and that finger had proved manliness by employing it! So Gianna wants to be loved and he doesn’t appear to love her but he knows that she loves him and he wants that love! I guess that is him putting other’s needs ahead of his own. Well he also decides to remove her ability to get an annulment too with that finger too!
Rico later tries to claim that his brother and Gianna aided it getting Chiara to ditch him. Never fear ex will come on the scene once again and Gianna will buy everything she is selling. Why is Rico wanting the IVF so quickly too? When he married her he didn’t think he would walk again but she did and he was using her for that belief – but hey he loves her now. Apparently Gianna had some glasses too!! Apparently if Rico loves Gianna he will be able to perform properly to be a complete man – does that mean he loved Chiara then? LOL!! Oh, and apparently he is hung like a horse and she is afraid won’t fit but has no fear about that baby coming out….unless she believes she will lay an egg!!
I can’t believe that he would have proposed to this OW. Perhaps we are too believe that he doesn’t think his feelings for Gianna are appropriate and he tries so hard not to feel them? Rose colored glasses!! He seemed to want his fiancée Chiara to come visit him but she never seems to show up much. However, Gianna ALWAYS there! He tells her not to push Chiara away and that she is like a sister to him – eeewww! The way he acts w/ her doesn’t imply he believes his claim either unless they are CLOSE siblings. Supposedly Rico puts others needs before his own. So it was Chiara’s need to make out that he put before Gianna, and then he believed he needed to kiss his ‘sister’ Gianna in front of his fiancée to make her jealous!!
Yes, Rico is a little manipulator. Perhaps he also likes all the attention and he did have some defense for Chiara too. However, later Chiara kicks Rico to the curb when she believes he will be crippled for life and Gianna is there to pick up the pieces. He doesn’t deny Gianna’s claim that he doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life w/ her as his wife either. Rico wants children and Gianna seems a good bet. She will have to undergo IVF because stick broke. Apparently he has researched this BUT he seems surprised that it is so painful for Gianna later and won’t have her undergo that again. Now some people talk about a magic pen….this guy has a magic finger!! Of course, Gianna claims that they had made love….no that is called something else. You know it’s funny, but Gianna was willing to accept the magic finger because the pen was broken while Chiara was not. Note that Rico left hospital w/out permission to go over there and point that thing around at her and later he claims he can’t leave w/out permission!? How does she NOT question this? She was exhausted by that magic finger when he left her and that finger had proved manliness by employing it! So Gianna wants to be loved and he doesn’t appear to love her but he knows that she loves him and he wants that love! I guess that is him putting other’s needs ahead of his own. Well he also decides to remove her ability to get an annulment too with that finger too!
Rico later tries to claim that his brother and Gianna aided it getting Chiara to ditch him. Never fear ex will come on the scene once again and Gianna will buy everything she is selling. Why is Rico wanting the IVF so quickly too? When he married her he didn’t think he would walk again but she did and he was using her for that belief – but hey he loves her now. Apparently Gianna had some glasses too!! Apparently if Rico loves Gianna he will be able to perform properly to be a complete man – does that mean he loved Chiara then? LOL!! Oh, and apparently he is hung like a horse and she is afraid won’t fit but has no fear about that baby coming out….unless she believes she will lay an egg!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2010
All I can say is the heroine needed some serious psychiatric help. TSTL is putting it mildly.
November 16, 2021
“Where is my home?”
“Where I am.”
Ahww, his answer to her question was so sweet. ☺️
Anyway, this HP story was different from many other HP’s in the modern era. That’s a good thing.
After an accident, he is paralyzed from under his waist and he can’t perform sexually. So they do it in other ways.
I have to admit: what made me want to read this book was reading in other reviews about her ‘deflowering’. The steamy scenes are indeed different because he is in a wheelchair.
“Where I am.”
Ahww, his answer to her question was so sweet. ☺️
Anyway, this HP story was different from many other HP’s in the modern era. That’s a good thing.
After an accident, he is paralyzed from under his waist and he can’t perform sexually. So they do it in other ways.
I have to admit: what made me want to read this book was reading in other reviews about her ‘deflowering’. The steamy scenes are indeed different because he is in a wheelchair.
May 6, 2020
Más libros así por favorrrr, esta historia a pesar de no ser tan wow, me ha sacado de un bloqueo lector que tengo desde hace 2 meses, de verdad estoy demasiado agradecida y encariñada con todo esto.
Okay bueno, como dije antes, NO ES TAN WOW, de hecho tiene unas cuantas cositas que no a cualquiera le gustan, y debo de admitir que es demasiado machista, o sea el personaje principal; Rico, es de lo más machista que hay, les juro que había ocasiones donde me decía por favor que no esté hablando en serio, PEEEERO, aún así, esto es ficción y en verdad tiene demasiadas cosas que me gustan.
La historia es todo un cliché, de verdad que sí, pero sirve para matar el rato de la mejor manera, me ha hecho disfrutar demasiado mi día y a pesar de tener una trama de lo más equis, me hizo querer llegar al final para ver la conclusión de la pareja.
Para los que se estén preguntando, ¿de qué trata esta historia? Ya dije que es cliché pero no he dicho nada sobre su trama, pues bien, el libro habla de Enrico y Gianna, ella desde los 15 ha amado a Rico con todo su ser pero jamás lo ha confesado, por ciertas cuestiones Rico tiene un accidente y cae en coma, al salir del coma todo está bien con él menos una cosita; pierde la movilidad de sus piernas. Ya dicho esto, no quiero abarcar más de la historia ya que es breve y siento que si ya les llamo la atención hasta lo que les conté entonces necesitan leerla, de verdad pasan un buen rato a pesar de todo.
Ok, hablaré un poco de los personajes principales;
Gianna, ay tesoro, estaba medio ciega por amor pero aún así expone un poco de empoderamiento femenino, sabe que su marido es todo un machista y en ocasiones le deja tener sus pensamientos todos tontos pero en otras se pone brava y no se deja pisotear, Gianna ha sido un personaje bueno, demasiado bondadosa para su propio bien.
Enrico, ay hombre, ¿qué haré contigo? Machista a morir pero con una tenacidad que solo se ve en las mejores personas, muy trabajador y 100% devoto a lo que más quiere; su mujer y su familia. Un hombre que no se deja derrumbar mas que por él mismo, aunque no deje verlo, tiene muchos problemas de confianza gracias al accidente pero aún así no se deja caer e intenta salir adelante de la situación.
3.5⭐️
Okay bueno, como dije antes, NO ES TAN WOW, de hecho tiene unas cuantas cositas que no a cualquiera le gustan, y debo de admitir que es demasiado machista, o sea el personaje principal; Rico, es de lo más machista que hay, les juro que había ocasiones donde me decía por favor que no esté hablando en serio, PEEEERO, aún así, esto es ficción y en verdad tiene demasiadas cosas que me gustan.
La historia es todo un cliché, de verdad que sí, pero sirve para matar el rato de la mejor manera, me ha hecho disfrutar demasiado mi día y a pesar de tener una trama de lo más equis, me hizo querer llegar al final para ver la conclusión de la pareja.
Para los que se estén preguntando, ¿de qué trata esta historia? Ya dije que es cliché pero no he dicho nada sobre su trama, pues bien, el libro habla de Enrico y Gianna, ella desde los 15 ha amado a Rico con todo su ser pero jamás lo ha confesado, por ciertas cuestiones Rico tiene un accidente y cae en coma, al salir del coma todo está bien con él menos una cosita; pierde la movilidad de sus piernas. Ya dicho esto, no quiero abarcar más de la historia ya que es breve y siento que si ya les llamo la atención hasta lo que les conté entonces necesitan leerla, de verdad pasan un buen rato a pesar de todo.
Ok, hablaré un poco de los personajes principales;
Gianna, ay tesoro, estaba medio ciega por amor pero aún así expone un poco de empoderamiento femenino, sabe que su marido es todo un machista y en ocasiones le deja tener sus pensamientos todos tontos pero en otras se pone brava y no se deja pisotear, Gianna ha sido un personaje bueno, demasiado bondadosa para su propio bien.
Enrico, ay hombre, ¿qué haré contigo? Machista a morir pero con una tenacidad que solo se ve en las mejores personas, muy trabajador y 100% devoto a lo que más quiere; su mujer y su familia. Un hombre que no se deja derrumbar mas que por él mismo, aunque no deje verlo, tiene muchos problemas de confianza gracias al accidente pero aún así no se deja caer e intenta salir adelante de la situación.
Okayy, para finalizar quiero pedirles una disculpa por esta redacción toda fea, hace mucho que no escribía una reseña, jaja este bloqueo lector de verdad me afectó demasiado, si ven que la reseña está horrible y sin sentido es por la emoción, prometo hacer mejores reseñas en este próximo mes🤗💖.
3.5⭐️
July 13, 2019
4 1/2 Stars! ~ From the time 13 year old Enrico di Rinaldo comforted five year old Gianna Lakewood at the death of her mother, Gianna held Rico forever in her heart. And as she grew up she remained close to the di Rinaldo family, as Rico’s mother had been her mother’s long life friend. When Andre called in the middle of the night to announce to Gianna that his brother had been in a horrible accident, Gianna drove all night to be at Rico’s side. During the agonizing days of his coma, she declared her love for him and pleaded with him to wake up. Then Rico wakes up to discover he is temporarily paralyzed from the waist down, and that his fiancee, Chiara does not believe in his recovery. To Gianna’s surprise Rico proposes, he knows that Gianna loves him and he wishes to have a wife who believes in him and who can give him babies, no matter the method of conception. Gianna can't refuse Rico, but she fears that he will regret his decision once he can walk again.
I love Ms. Monroe's heros. Their arrogant pride is usually the wall that protects their vulnerabilities. Rico's always been strong and virile, and Gianna is young and passionate. Gianna's facing her own insecurities in her ability to satisfy her husband, esp. when Rico refuses to let her touch him in any intimate way. This is an emotional story that deals with the emotional and physical issues surrounding Rico's injuries and his recovery and Gianna's fears that she isn't enough woman to heal him. An incredible read!
I love Ms. Monroe's heros. Their arrogant pride is usually the wall that protects their vulnerabilities. Rico's always been strong and virile, and Gianna is young and passionate. Gianna's facing her own insecurities in her ability to satisfy her husband, esp. when Rico refuses to let her touch him in any intimate way. This is an emotional story that deals with the emotional and physical issues surrounding Rico's injuries and his recovery and Gianna's fears that she isn't enough woman to heal him. An incredible read!
May 28, 2023
Not quite 3stars but near enough. 1* was for, a somewhat bizarre and never have I read, popping her cherry scene. I won't go into it because really read it to believe it. The H didn't seem to know which woman he wanted but all the sexy times and the year of relationship with the OW seemed to be swept under the carpet and quite conveniently overlooked because...well because the H said so?
Lucy Monroe's writes a little more deftly, so I was surprised this seemed so juvenile in style, probably written by a 15 year old version of Lucy Monroe. For all that, it helped pass some time.
Lucy Monroe's writes a little more deftly, so I was surprised this seemed so juvenile in style, probably written by a 15 year old version of Lucy Monroe. For all that, it helped pass some time.
June 8, 2021
Enrico DiRinaldi wants a wife and children, even though an accident has left him unable to walk. So he proposes marriage to Gianna Lakewood. Having secretly always loved Rico, Gianna can't say no.... The passion Rico ignites in his innocent bride is explosive! But when she realizes that Rico's full recovery is imminent, and his beautiful ex-fiancée is waiting in the wings, Gianna is sure he won't want her anymore. However, Rico is still intent on keeping his convenient wife by his side...
July 6, 2010
Audiobook.
The title should actually be The Asshole's Doormat Wife.
The title should actually be The Asshole's Doormat Wife.
April 14, 2012
A disappointing read from Lucy Monroe.
December 14, 2017
I rarely give 5 stars but I loved this book! I loved the possessive alpha male hero willing to do whatever it takes to keep his woman!
When will the hero's brother get his book? I've searched FOREVER trying to find it.
When will the hero's brother get his book? I've searched FOREVER trying to find it.
December 2, 2021
This pair is super annoying.
She's a doormat, in love with the guy (almost a foster brother) for the past 8 years and comes rushing to his bedside because he's been in an accident, absents from her job and then even throws it away because he wants her to be at his beck and call. And he cannot keep his hands off her (with her active participation) while engaged to someone else. Over and over again.
He's jealous because she's staying with his younger brother and in a weird-comic scene even comes to the hotel suite in his wheelchair, all the way from the hospital just to check/catch them out.
The ow is a nasty piece of work but these two don't come out smelling of roses.
Also, it's seemingly all about sex with this guy. First, he was sexually obsessed with the ow and was marrying her for this reason. And now, imo, unsure of his virility post-accident, he uses the h and confuses the poor innocent girl with is off-on routine.
She's a doormat, in love with the guy (almost a foster brother) for the past 8 years and comes rushing to his bedside because he's been in an accident, absents from her job and then even throws it away because he wants her to be at his beck and call. And he cannot keep his hands off her (with her active participation) while engaged to someone else. Over and over again.
He's jealous because she's staying with his younger brother and in a weird-comic scene even comes to the hotel suite in his wheelchair, all the way from the hospital just to check/catch them out.
The ow is a nasty piece of work but these two don't come out smelling of roses.
Also, it's seemingly all about sex with this guy. First, he was sexually obsessed with the ow and was marrying her for this reason. And now, imo, unsure of his virility post-accident, he uses the h and confuses the poor innocent girl with is off-on routine.
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