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The Italian's Inexperienced Mistress
Angelo Riccardi didn't do love. Because he'd been denied it a long time ago....
When Angelo sought revenge Gwenna Hamilton added another, delicious dimension. Innocent and pretty, she had no chance when the Italian tycoon offered her the devil's bargain: pay for her father's freedom with her body.
In her naiveté, Gwenna thought that Angelo would tire of her and her innocence very quickly. But he had more in mind than just one night...
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 17, 2005
347 people are currently reading
2555 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,763 books1,448 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
January 21, 2019
Hero Angelo Riccardi takes revenge on Donald Hamilton (the man who wronged Angelo's mother in the past) by forcing Donald's daughter (26-year-old heroine Gwenna Hamilton) into being his mistress for as long as he wants her. But things don't go as smoothly as Angelo would like them to when he begins to fall for Gwenna.
Gwenna was a sweet and caring heroine, though she was a bit naive at times. She seemed happiest spending time in her garden and being with her dog Piglet, who she adored.
I loved Piglet! The little dog was sooo cute and adorable. I liked Gwenna. She was quite spirited at times, standing up to the hero. Women usually fawned over Angelo and did anything he wanted so Angelo didn't know what to make of Gwenna, she was different from the rest. She wasn't impressed with his wealth. I enjoyed his jealousy over Gwenna's friend Toby. Gwenna and Angelo made a good couple and had great chemistry.
This was a terrific read by Lynne Graham with a great main couple and a cute little dog who managed to steal the book away from the main couple!
Gwenna was a sweet and caring heroine, though she was a bit naive at times. She seemed happiest spending time in her garden and being with her dog Piglet, who she adored.
I loved Piglet! The little dog was sooo cute and adorable. I liked Gwenna. She was quite spirited at times, standing up to the hero. Women usually fawned over Angelo and did anything he wanted so Angelo didn't know what to make of Gwenna, she was different from the rest. She wasn't impressed with his wealth. I enjoyed his jealousy over Gwenna's friend Toby. Gwenna and Angelo made a good couple and had great chemistry.
This was a terrific read by Lynne Graham with a great main couple and a cute little dog who managed to steal the book away from the main couple!
May 21, 2021
Oh, this is a fun story that should be titled "The one with the diva dog at doggy daycare." Piglet, the heroine's dog, and the hero's nemesis stole the show when he gave an award-winning performance for the doggy hotel's cameras. Even the hero was touched by the dog's sadness at being away from his mistress.
So backing into this review. The hero is a tough guy, descended from not one but two Mafia crime families. Lucky for him, he grew up in England in poverty and obscurity. He's a self-made man in electronics.
The heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a social climbing liar and thief who stole the hero's mother's money (as well as a lot of other people's money). The action begins when the hero decides to take tardy revenge on the heroine's father. His added revenge bonus is to make the heroine his mistress, since he fell in insta-lust for her when they met cute when Piglet tried to bite him.
And so it goes - another LG where the virgin heroine wins the hero's heart. Poor heroine also has to deal with her father's betrayal and the hero's less than stellar quality of needing revenge.(As an aside, more HP stories should have the hero getting hit by a car to save the dog.) It all works out, of course. And Piglet never sees the inside of another doggy hotel. HEA.
So backing into this review. The hero is a tough guy, descended from not one but two Mafia crime families. Lucky for him, he grew up in England in poverty and obscurity. He's a self-made man in electronics.
The heroine is the illegitimate daughter of a social climbing liar and thief who stole the hero's mother's money (as well as a lot of other people's money). The action begins when the hero decides to take tardy revenge on the heroine's father. His added revenge bonus is to make the heroine his mistress, since he fell in insta-lust for her when they met cute when Piglet tried to bite him.
And so it goes - another LG where the virgin heroine wins the hero's heart. Poor heroine also has to deal with her father's betrayal and the hero's less than stellar quality of needing revenge.(As an aside, more HP stories should have the hero getting hit by a car to save the dog.) It all works out, of course. And Piglet never sees the inside of another doggy hotel. HEA.
November 11, 2015
I am so ashamed, but I really like this book. I really do. I'm not sure why.
Okay, I know why. Angelo is such a delicious fantasy hero. He's in so over his head he doesn't know what hit him. Gwenna is pretty cute as well, and has somewhat of a spine. Yeah, she becomes Angelo's mistress to save her worthless father, but, what the heck, apparently A has a way with women.
There are some very funny parts, and she leads him on a merry chase. I would have liked the father and Gwenna's evil half sisters to get a real comeuppance, but apparently that is simply not done in Harley-land.
Yes, it is old school and quite silly, but it is fun and romantic.
Okay, I know why. Angelo is such a delicious fantasy hero. He's in so over his head he doesn't know what hit him. Gwenna is pretty cute as well, and has somewhat of a spine. Yeah, she becomes Angelo's mistress to save her worthless father, but, what the heck, apparently A has a way with women.
There are some very funny parts, and she leads him on a merry chase. I would have liked the father and Gwenna's evil half sisters to get a real comeuppance, but apparently that is simply not done in Harley-land.
Yes, it is old school and quite silly, but it is fun and romantic.
March 12, 2021
4.5 stars
God, I love this book. And even more than the hero or heroine, I love Piglet! Heroine's super-cute dog stole the show at times with his antics. Oh, how I want a Piglet of my own.
So on to the romance. . . . I wore a big grin on my face after finishing this romantic, Cinderella-like fairytale. The equal doses of drama, humor, and passion kept me entertained while both Angelo and Gwenna appealed as lead characters.
I loved how Angelo was so smitten with Gwenna. I also loved how she placed him on emotional eggshells even without trying. In spite of his power and many charms, Angelo never felt certain where he stood with the spunky Gwenna. Her spell over him definitely evened the playing field.
Gwenna's sweet nature blinded her to her nasty family's faults, but she realized the truth in due time so I couldn't hold it against her.
My favorite romance novel by Lynne Graham!
God, I love this book. And even more than the hero or heroine, I love Piglet! Heroine's super-cute dog stole the show at times with his antics. Oh, how I want a Piglet of my own.
So on to the romance. . . . I wore a big grin on my face after finishing this romantic, Cinderella-like fairytale. The equal doses of drama, humor, and passion kept me entertained while both Angelo and Gwenna appealed as lead characters.
I loved how Angelo was so smitten with Gwenna. I also loved how she placed him on emotional eggshells even without trying. In spite of his power and many charms, Angelo never felt certain where he stood with the spunky Gwenna. Her spell over him definitely evened the playing field.
Gwenna's sweet nature blinded her to her nasty family's faults, but she realized the truth in due time so I couldn't hold it against her.
My favorite romance novel by Lynne Graham!
January 4, 2018
Review of book read years ago.
This heroine, Gwenna, was the beautiful, angel faced martyr type complete with a love for nature and an adorable little dog. She's also that rare breed of woman who ( gasp ! ) is unaware of her spectacular beauty. I am getting so skeptical of authors who are sketching heroines with this level of humility. This is so weird in this day and age. Does Gwenna not have a mirror ? She's also pining after her gay best friend. Duh? Yes, you read it correctly. The idiot is pining after a gay man. That immediately annoyed the shit out of me. Why pine for a guy who will never want you? It's the same reason I don't bother sighing and mooning over gay hottie actors like Wentworth Miller ( Prison Break ) and the SUPER SEXY Matt Bomer ( White Collar ). One can appreciate their good looks from an aesthetic perspective but that's all that really remains for me. Just my opinion.
Angelo, the hero, was definitely a hottie but somehow he didn't exactly inspire my book boyfriend imagination the way other Lynne Graham heroes have done ( I'm talking about SERGEI, Nikolai, ALL her sheikhs ! , Rauf and that hottie guy Blaze from Indecent Deception and many others ).
I think Lynne could have made this novel hotter and sexier. After all it was a novel with the words "inexperienced mistress" in its title. A little too much time was spent on the heroine's introspection about her vile stepmother and horrible stepsisters, her disgusting father and her gay best friend. These people were so mercenary and horrendous that they did not deserve to have Gwenna sacrifice herself to save them. If Lynne G had to focus so much time on other characters I would have preferred to read about what Gwenna's little dog was eating for supper.
This heroine, Gwenna, was the beautiful, angel faced martyr type complete with a love for nature and an adorable little dog. She's also that rare breed of woman who ( gasp ! ) is unaware of her spectacular beauty. I am getting so skeptical of authors who are sketching heroines with this level of humility. This is so weird in this day and age. Does Gwenna not have a mirror ? She's also pining after her gay best friend. Duh? Yes, you read it correctly. The idiot is pining after a gay man. That immediately annoyed the shit out of me. Why pine for a guy who will never want you? It's the same reason I don't bother sighing and mooning over gay hottie actors like Wentworth Miller ( Prison Break ) and the SUPER SEXY Matt Bomer ( White Collar ). One can appreciate their good looks from an aesthetic perspective but that's all that really remains for me. Just my opinion.
Angelo, the hero, was definitely a hottie but somehow he didn't exactly inspire my book boyfriend imagination the way other Lynne Graham heroes have done ( I'm talking about SERGEI, Nikolai, ALL her sheikhs ! , Rauf and that hottie guy Blaze from Indecent Deception and many others ).
I think Lynne could have made this novel hotter and sexier. After all it was a novel with the words "inexperienced mistress" in its title. A little too much time was spent on the heroine's introspection about her vile stepmother and horrible stepsisters, her disgusting father and her gay best friend. These people were so mercenary and horrendous that they did not deserve to have Gwenna sacrifice herself to save them. If Lynne G had to focus so much time on other characters I would have preferred to read about what Gwenna's little dog was eating for supper.
April 23, 2017
To be honest, I'd prefer little more grovelling.
However,
1) hero gets hit by a car while trying to save a dog that doesn't particularly like him
2) heroine dumps him TWICE without any indication of possible romantic feelings involved
And
3) heroine tells him her heart forever belongs to her gay best friend.
I think this guy deserved co-custody of the dog along with the heroine! He can definitely be forgiven!
However,
1) hero gets hit by a car while trying to save a dog that doesn't particularly like him
2) heroine dumps him TWICE without any indication of possible romantic feelings involved
And
3) heroine tells him her heart forever belongs to her gay best friend.
I think this guy deserved co-custody of the dog along with the heroine! He can definitely be forgiven!
July 20, 2010
If I could give this book negative stars, I would.
This book is being offered for free electronically as part of Harlequin's 60th anniversary celebration. I decided to snag it for a couple of reasons. First, my dad used to have a subscription to the Presents line when I was a teenager (they were giving away free Norman Rockwell glasses and he wanted them, I don't get it either) and second, I read a handful of romance blogs and occasionally titles from this line would get positive reviews. And I figured that if Harlequin were offering it for free as part of a celebration of 60 years of romance novel publishing, it would be one of their stronger titles.
Ha. How wrong I was.
Angelo is a self-made billionaire. He grew up in abject poverty after his mother left his father and she was disowned from her Mafia family. She ended up being swindled out of all her money by the father of our heroine, Gwenna. Gwenna is, basically, Cinderella. She has an evil stepmother, evil stepsisters, and a foolishly weak father. She was also born out of wedlock and apparently this was still a big scandal in England in the mid-80's--who knew?
So Angelo is bent on revenge and buys the company Gwenna's father works for--and discovers he's an embezzler and has him arrested at a big charity event (for maximum humiliation!). Gwenna is distraught and goes to Angelo to find out what she can do to get him to back off. She tells Angelo that her father will sign over all the rights to his property. Angelo agrees, but with one condition: that Gwenna also become his mistress. Because she is stupid, she agrees. (Honestly, she is too stupid to live--why has she not kicked her family to the curb? They're all uniformly pretty awful.)
So then Angelo pretty much takes over her life--after slagging her off for liking to garden because apparently he has issues around people working with their hands--and installs her in a huge fancypants house and makes her put her beloved dog (who has separation anxiety issues) in a pet hotel.
So then he tells her he wants to have dinner with her and after some confusion, dinner happens. And then he takes her back to the house and rapes her.
I mean, there's really no other way to put it. He wants to have sex. She doesn't. Because of the power inequity between them, he is able to force her to comply with his wishes. She does not consent.
She then retreats to the bathroom and locks the door. He wants to rape her again or something, so kicks the door in and corners her in the bath tub. And then tells her that he doesn't want to hurt her.
And that's the point at which I had to stop reading. Because I don't want to read rape apologia, which this, in my opinion, is.
I need a unicorn chaser after reading half of this book.
This book is being offered for free electronically as part of Harlequin's 60th anniversary celebration. I decided to snag it for a couple of reasons. First, my dad used to have a subscription to the Presents line when I was a teenager (they were giving away free Norman Rockwell glasses and he wanted them, I don't get it either) and second, I read a handful of romance blogs and occasionally titles from this line would get positive reviews. And I figured that if Harlequin were offering it for free as part of a celebration of 60 years of romance novel publishing, it would be one of their stronger titles.
Ha. How wrong I was.
Angelo is a self-made billionaire. He grew up in abject poverty after his mother left his father and she was disowned from her Mafia family. She ended up being swindled out of all her money by the father of our heroine, Gwenna. Gwenna is, basically, Cinderella. She has an evil stepmother, evil stepsisters, and a foolishly weak father. She was also born out of wedlock and apparently this was still a big scandal in England in the mid-80's--who knew?
So Angelo is bent on revenge and buys the company Gwenna's father works for--and discovers he's an embezzler and has him arrested at a big charity event (for maximum humiliation!). Gwenna is distraught and goes to Angelo to find out what she can do to get him to back off. She tells Angelo that her father will sign over all the rights to his property. Angelo agrees, but with one condition: that Gwenna also become his mistress. Because she is stupid, she agrees. (Honestly, she is too stupid to live--why has she not kicked her family to the curb? They're all uniformly pretty awful.)
So then Angelo pretty much takes over her life--after slagging her off for liking to garden because apparently he has issues around people working with their hands--and installs her in a huge fancypants house and makes her put her beloved dog (who has separation anxiety issues) in a pet hotel.
So then he tells her he wants to have dinner with her and after some confusion, dinner happens. And then he takes her back to the house and rapes her.
I mean, there's really no other way to put it. He wants to have sex. She doesn't. Because of the power inequity between them, he is able to force her to comply with his wishes. She does not consent.
She then retreats to the bathroom and locks the door. He wants to rape her again or something, so kicks the door in and corners her in the bath tub. And then tells her that he doesn't want to hurt her.
And that's the point at which I had to stop reading. Because I don't want to read rape apologia, which this, in my opinion, is.
I need a unicorn chaser after reading half of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2016
Dog named Piglet, heroine who loves gardening and could give 2 shits about fancy clothes/jewelry...and is totally unimpressed with her fancy-pants Italian blackmailer/lover. Sexy hero who saves her dog's life and says the most romantic things ever--in ITALIAN.
It's like she wrote this book JUST FOR ME.
Grade: A
It's like she wrote this book JUST FOR ME.
Grade: A
January 17, 2013
The hero was nice and all but I didn't feel the romance like at all. What there even a romance? I'm not sure...
January 6, 2018
I first read this book when it was released in 2007 and decided to re-read it yesterday and write a review. I'm a HUGE Lynne Graham fan and will openly admit to the fact that she has standard tropes that she uses in all of her books. However, this book stood out to me because...GASP...there was no surprise pregnancy which is the biggest trope she uses in all her books. It was a welcome change and she wrote a nice little story.
This book is about the romance between Angelo and Gwenna which originally starts off as revenge/blackmail affair, as Angelo wants Gwenna to be his mistress to get revenge on her father. I really liked Gwenna as a heroine. Yes, I thought at times she was TSTL when it came to how awful she was treated by her family however, considering how she was falsely lead to believe that her father raised her for truly altruistic reasons when her mom died when she was a child, I could understand her reasons for only wanting to think the best of her father. I was proud of the fact that she finally realized how her father was and wanted him to suffer the consequences for his actions. I did want Gwenna to have a backbone when it came to her stepmother and step-sisters but of course a heroine with a backbone, when it comes to her family, is a rarity in Lynne Graham books. Angelo has a unique and interesting backstory that plays out nicely in this book. I liked the story and background of his family especially his grandfather. To my knowledge it was unique to any other Lynne Graham book. You could tell that Gwenna and Angelo had fallen for each other and had real feelings for each other once the decision was made that Gwenna would go to Sardinia with Angelo on her own free will.
Every author gets inspiration from someone or something and I couldn't help think that EL James, the author of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, got some inspiration from this book. Christian Grey, like Angelo, sleeps by himself and has nightmares of past abuse with cigarette burns. This book by Lynne Graham was published in 2007, years before 50 Shades of Grey hit the market. If you've read the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy you can't help but acknowledge that there are some startling similarities between Angelo's history of abuse and Christian Grey's, along with their nightmares and both men wanting to sleep alone at first. If I hadn't re-read this book I would have never realized the similarities HOWEVER, that's where the similarities begin and end. In no way is this book anyway like 50 Shades outside of those plot points.
I give this book 3.5 Stars but rounded it up to 4 Stars because Lynne Graham did not use the surprise pregnancy trope.
This book is about the romance between Angelo and Gwenna which originally starts off as revenge/blackmail affair, as Angelo wants Gwenna to be his mistress to get revenge on her father. I really liked Gwenna as a heroine. Yes, I thought at times she was TSTL when it came to how awful she was treated by her family however, considering how she was falsely lead to believe that her father raised her for truly altruistic reasons when her mom died when she was a child, I could understand her reasons for only wanting to think the best of her father. I was proud of the fact that she finally realized how her father was and wanted him to suffer the consequences for his actions. I did want Gwenna to have a backbone when it came to her stepmother and step-sisters but of course a heroine with a backbone, when it comes to her family, is a rarity in Lynne Graham books. Angelo has a unique and interesting backstory that plays out nicely in this book. I liked the story and background of his family especially his grandfather. To my knowledge it was unique to any other Lynne Graham book. You could tell that Gwenna and Angelo had fallen for each other and had real feelings for each other once the decision was made that Gwenna would go to Sardinia with Angelo on her own free will.
Every author gets inspiration from someone or something and I couldn't help think that EL James, the author of the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy, got some inspiration from this book. Christian Grey, like Angelo, sleeps by himself and has nightmares of past abuse with cigarette burns. This book by Lynne Graham was published in 2007, years before 50 Shades of Grey hit the market. If you've read the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy you can't help but acknowledge that there are some startling similarities between Angelo's history of abuse and Christian Grey's, along with their nightmares and both men wanting to sleep alone at first. If I hadn't re-read this book I would have never realized the similarities HOWEVER, that's where the similarities begin and end. In no way is this book anyway like 50 Shades outside of those plot points.
I give this book 3.5 Stars but rounded it up to 4 Stars because Lynne Graham did not use the surprise pregnancy trope.
May 28, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars -
Well, I’ve found myself a new author to follow 📖📚💕
I just loved this fun, easy-to-read, romantic story. It was all of these things, plus it had the bonus of being well-written. Lynne Graham gained a new fan and follow. I will be looking for more of her recommended books, and I’ll let you all know when I find the next good one 😉
Anyone that’s been following me knows that I have been enjoying reading these older HQ’s lately. This story isn’t the older of the bunch, since it was more recently published in 2007; but I still sourced my copy from eBay. You might be able to get a copy elsewhere since it’s still fairly new, but check eBay since used booksellers abound there with great prices.
Fun fact about me: I don’t really enjoy watching television shows anymore - there’s just not any good network sitcoms like there used to be, so I’d rather spend my evenings wrapped up in books. A great source of relaxation has been reading a book in the evening in my favorite chair; often paired with a nice relaxing cuppa. An extra bonus has been that since I read fairly quickly, I can read one of these HQ’s in one sitting. I read this book in about three-something hours.
Now, back to “The Spaniard’s Inexperienced Mistress”…
Side note: I wish they would do something about these cheesy titles, but this is Harlequin, so I guess it’s expected 💁♀️ These titles just crack me up, though 😂
I really enjoyed this one. It was well-written, well-plotted, and nicely paced. Did I wish it had more substance in places? Yes, I did, actually. Graham is a fairly talented writer, and I can definitely see her beefing up some of these stories to make longer novels. She’s certainly capable, but since these are Harley’s she’s writing for, the story is condensed in many places. Did it detract from the story? Yes and no. Yes, because I would’ve loved to have read more since I was enjoying these characters. No, because it’s meant to be a quick-and-easy read, and Graham completed that task to the letter.
Here’s what I loved about it:
✔️ strong, capable heroine
✔️ hot, sexy Hero
✔️ sexy, romantic times - yes, please and, thank you 😉
✔️ the Cinderella trope - one of my favorite tropes *le sigh - although, this wasn’t played up enough for me lol. I would’ve like to have seen our h love all the bling, but it’s not her personality to do that, even though I would’ve liked it, but that’s me - haha
✔️ adorable pet steals the scene! I just LOVED the fact that our Hero unwillingly falls in love with the h’s small dog, and had a scene where he rescues him from being hit by a car. LOVED that! 💕🐶
✔️ romantic hea with declarations - my entire reason for reading these stories
Overall, this is a quick and easy HQ I would recommend to my fellow romance reader. I personally will be reading Graham again, and have already sourced a few of her other more popular titles.
Once again, the recommendations here on Goodreads from fellow reviewers found me a gem. Thanks for that! 😊👍📚
Four solidly romantic stars.
Well, I’ve found myself a new author to follow 📖📚💕
I just loved this fun, easy-to-read, romantic story. It was all of these things, plus it had the bonus of being well-written. Lynne Graham gained a new fan and follow. I will be looking for more of her recommended books, and I’ll let you all know when I find the next good one 😉
Anyone that’s been following me knows that I have been enjoying reading these older HQ’s lately. This story isn’t the older of the bunch, since it was more recently published in 2007; but I still sourced my copy from eBay. You might be able to get a copy elsewhere since it’s still fairly new, but check eBay since used booksellers abound there with great prices.
Fun fact about me: I don’t really enjoy watching television shows anymore - there’s just not any good network sitcoms like there used to be, so I’d rather spend my evenings wrapped up in books. A great source of relaxation has been reading a book in the evening in my favorite chair; often paired with a nice relaxing cuppa. An extra bonus has been that since I read fairly quickly, I can read one of these HQ’s in one sitting. I read this book in about three-something hours.
Now, back to “The Spaniard’s Inexperienced Mistress”…
Side note: I wish they would do something about these cheesy titles, but this is Harlequin, so I guess it’s expected 💁♀️ These titles just crack me up, though 😂
I really enjoyed this one. It was well-written, well-plotted, and nicely paced. Did I wish it had more substance in places? Yes, I did, actually. Graham is a fairly talented writer, and I can definitely see her beefing up some of these stories to make longer novels. She’s certainly capable, but since these are Harley’s she’s writing for, the story is condensed in many places. Did it detract from the story? Yes and no. Yes, because I would’ve loved to have read more since I was enjoying these characters. No, because it’s meant to be a quick-and-easy read, and Graham completed that task to the letter.
Here’s what I loved about it:
✔️ strong, capable heroine
✔️ hot, sexy Hero
✔️ sexy, romantic times - yes, please and, thank you 😉
✔️ the Cinderella trope - one of my favorite tropes *le sigh - although, this wasn’t played up enough for me lol. I would’ve like to have seen our h love all the bling, but it’s not her personality to do that, even though I would’ve liked it, but that’s me - haha
✔️ adorable pet steals the scene! I just LOVED the fact that our Hero unwillingly falls in love with the h’s small dog, and had a scene where he rescues him from being hit by a car. LOVED that! 💕🐶
✔️ romantic hea with declarations - my entire reason for reading these stories
Overall, this is a quick and easy HQ I would recommend to my fellow romance reader. I personally will be reading Graham again, and have already sourced a few of her other more popular titles.
Once again, the recommendations here on Goodreads from fellow reviewers found me a gem. Thanks for that! 😊👍📚
Four solidly romantic stars.
April 28, 2020
Heroine tamed the hero. A lovely marriage proposal with him on bended knee....an epilogue with a baby...perfect!
July 18, 2010
I am gonna try some sort some short review thing for this one...but first, harlequin presents titles crack me up, lol.
Characters:
Angelo Ricardo: Italian playboy tycoon out after revenge, coldhearted.
Gwenna Hamilton: Totally naive, and a sweetheart.
Her dad: An idiot who swindles money.
Plot:
Seek revenge on Hamilton and make him pay, and in comes Gwenna, new plan, destroy her in search of revenge by making her his mistress.
Good parts:
It was really short, and took now time at all to read, which I needed since it has been hectic.
And she did tell him like it was now and again, she wasn't meek, just silly.
Bad parts:
Really?! A virgin and she decides to become a mistress to save her dad?! Not to mention that she is more or less his slave then, but of course he falls for her cos she is so sweet, and naive. And of course she falls for him. And how can she be so clueless in this day and age. She is just too sweet.
Final thoughts:
But then Harlequin is silly, and the plots do not have to make sense. I am just saying, half way through it I said that it would totally end with a pregnancy and..well find out.
So, if you want something short then this is it.
Characters:
Angelo Ricardo: Italian playboy tycoon out after revenge, coldhearted.
Gwenna Hamilton: Totally naive, and a sweetheart.
Her dad: An idiot who swindles money.
Plot:
Seek revenge on Hamilton and make him pay, and in comes Gwenna, new plan, destroy her in search of revenge by making her his mistress.
Good parts:
It was really short, and took now time at all to read, which I needed since it has been hectic.
And she did tell him like it was now and again, she wasn't meek, just silly.
Bad parts:
Really?! A virgin and she decides to become a mistress to save her dad?! Not to mention that she is more or less his slave then, but of course he falls for her cos she is so sweet, and naive. And of course she falls for him. And how can she be so clueless in this day and age. She is just too sweet.
Final thoughts:
But then Harlequin is silly, and the plots do not have to make sense. I am just saying, half way through it I said that it would totally end with a pregnancy and..well find out.
So, if you want something short then this is it.
August 2, 2015
Working my way through some Lynne Graham titles which I've put on the back burner as not sounding so interesting. So the hero comes from a mafia family but has totally rejected them and prides himself on making his billions legally. But unfortunately for the heroine he still has that revenge gene.
The heroine is totally too sweet and here is another example of a heroine getting into trouble with the hero to save her totally undeserving family. Boy I wish more HP writers would write decent families that have to be saved.
It's LG so decent writing, plenty of tiaras and Italian villas. ;-)
The heroine is totally too sweet and here is another example of a heroine getting into trouble with the hero to save her totally undeserving family. Boy I wish more HP writers would write decent families that have to be saved.
It's LG so decent writing, plenty of tiaras and Italian villas. ;-)
February 26, 2019
"The Italian's Inexperienced Mistress" is the story of Gwenna and Angelo.
A typical HQN plot in which an innocent heroine sacrifices her body and gives in to be the mistress of a rich billionaire, only to save her father.
This one however, has a super obsessed hero who is bowled over by the heroine's simple beauty, confused by her lack of excitement towards his materialistic showerings, enamored her by smiles, and in heavy lust with her body. Throughout the book, there are many instances where the h threatens to leave, but it's the H who compromises and gives in to the h's demands.
The h is a sweet belle with an adorable tiny dog "Piglet" and a super shitty family, who consist of a "father", stepmother and two stepsisters- who gave her nothing; no love, no comforts- but when it comes to making sacrifices it is she who ends up making them. She loves gardening, is fiercely passionate and caring, but also emotional. Refreshing to read a heroine with equal parts backbone and innocence.
I really, really enjoyed this one.
Relentless pursuit, angst, drama, hot sex and HEA- it has it all.
Safe
4/5
A typical HQN plot in which an innocent heroine sacrifices her body and gives in to be the mistress of a rich billionaire, only to save her father.
This one however, has a super obsessed hero who is bowled over by the heroine's simple beauty, confused by her lack of excitement towards his materialistic showerings, enamored her by smiles, and in heavy lust with her body. Throughout the book, there are many instances where the h threatens to leave, but it's the H who compromises and gives in to the h's demands.
The h is a sweet belle with an adorable tiny dog "Piglet" and a super shitty family, who consist of a "father", stepmother and two stepsisters- who gave her nothing; no love, no comforts- but when it comes to making sacrifices it is she who ends up making them. She loves gardening, is fiercely passionate and caring, but also emotional. Refreshing to read a heroine with equal parts backbone and innocence.
I really, really enjoyed this one.
Relentless pursuit, angst, drama, hot sex and HEA- it has it all.
Safe
4/5
April 20, 2013
This was pretty good! I read it one sitting last night and only wanted to throw my Kindle twice :) What I liked most was that Angelo fell for her before she fell for him and he realized that he had screwed up in the beginning with the reason he found her and started the relationship. Gwenna should have dumped her family a long time before she ever met Angelo. They were selfish, spoiled, mean people who didn't deserve her love and attention. Too bad it took Angelo to make her see that.
February 28, 2022
First read, 2009
Update
February 28/2022
My personal rating scale from 1 to 10: 8.0
I don't remember too much of the story.
Update
February 28/2022
It surprises me that many of my Goodreads friends liked this book, I don't remember too much about the story. Another one to add to my reread pile 🤭📚.
May 17, 2012
The Harlequin Presents line is like fried food for my brain: I know it's really bad for me, and I should be appalled that I'm indulging in it, but I do it occasionally anyway. If you don't get a sneaky thrill out of uber-rich alpha male, stay away from this line, and definitely stay away from this book.
As an act of revenge, Angelo, the hero, sets Gwenna, the heroine, up as a mistress in a house in London. It's an old school arrangement: she has no life other than looking pretty and hanging out with him (though to be fair, she didn't really seem to have much of a life beforehand). It's pretty offensive if you think about it at all.
However, this book was not as bad as some in this line. Gwenna does demonstrate that she has a backbone, occasionally. There is some decent sexual tension. You see Angelo slowly evolve into a better boyfriend, so his character arc is somewhat believable. Oh, and it's free from Harlequin.com. Overall, you know what you're getting - this is not fine dining, but as far as fast food goes, it's quite edible.
As an act of revenge, Angelo, the hero, sets Gwenna, the heroine, up as a mistress in a house in London. It's an old school arrangement: she has no life other than looking pretty and hanging out with him (though to be fair, she didn't really seem to have much of a life beforehand). It's pretty offensive if you think about it at all.
However, this book was not as bad as some in this line. Gwenna does demonstrate that she has a backbone, occasionally. There is some decent sexual tension. You see Angelo slowly evolve into a better boyfriend, so his character arc is somewhat believable. Oh, and it's free from Harlequin.com. Overall, you know what you're getting - this is not fine dining, but as far as fast food goes, it's quite edible.
August 30, 2012
Hah, I actually just saw the "Ruthless" part in the title of this and... it makes sense.
I have a little weakness for these types of stories, people.
Don't Judge Me.
However, whilst reading this novel a thought popped into my head.
So I picked up my phone and whatsapp'd my coblogger, Autumn.
I was all: you-know-who read this shit before THAT book was written. This is THAT book, but a watered down version. And this chick is HER, but a slightly tougher version. Slightly.
Her reply: Meh, I don't really care.
My reply: I'm telling you. She HAD to have read this before!
I mean, this dude was filthy ass rich and was burned with cigarettes as a child! Also, he was a douche. A douche who was demanding and RUTHLESS, but he never spanked his lover. And there was no s&m mentioned.
Thank you, SWEET BABY JESUS for that!
All in all, the basic characteristics were the same. The writing was waaay better, though and there was an actual plot - even though it was cheesy.
Not bad for a freebie I grabbed from Amazon.
May 1, 2012
Cute.
July 4, 2022
3,5 stars
Was quite annoyed at the naive h. Got me exasperated at times bcs of her sheer stupidity and naivety. The H was a huge pompous ass at first, very arrogant. There’s thing one thing that bothered me. I don’t have a pet dog, never have but I thought dogs can’t eat chocolate? Since it was poisonous for them or sth and they could get heart attack? But the h said the dog love chocolate and she shared chocolate treats with him several times. I’m confused. But overall a good read to pass time. The dad was a real pain in the ass and the step mom and siblings were dreadful. They were married with 6 month old baby as the ending.
Was quite annoyed at the naive h. Got me exasperated at times bcs of her sheer stupidity and naivety. The H was a huge pompous ass at first, very arrogant. There’s thing one thing that bothered me. I don’t have a pet dog, never have but I thought dogs can’t eat chocolate? Since it was poisonous for them or sth and they could get heart attack? But the h said the dog love chocolate and she shared chocolate treats with him several times. I’m confused. But overall a good read to pass time. The dad was a real pain in the ass and the step mom and siblings were dreadful. They were married with 6 month old baby as the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2021
This was lovely because even if in the beginning the hero blackmails the heroine and forces her to become his mistress, it's clear that he's more smitten than she is. She's so in love with her gay bf and he's so jealous that he's really cute! And the dog, the nasty little dog is worth the book! One of LG best book, where a potentially angsty story is a fun and cute one instead.
April 21, 2017
I really liked that the H was so possessive of the h. It was great to see him lose control over her. I also liked that this wasn't a story where the H was insulting and cruel to the h.
March 19, 2018
I really enjoy Lynne Graham´s works.The only thing that disturbed me when i first started reading Harlequin was the instalove and the heros OVER THE TOP arrogance and ego.But when i got more in to the world of hplandia i am already used to it,and the arrogance of the Ruthless and Self-centered Tyccons really amuse me now and makes me grin of smugness,cuz i just long for the heroines to wrap them around their finger..MUHAHA!!!
Gwenna Hamilton and Angelo Riccardo had HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE chemistry only Graham can create in her own talented way.Poor Angelo gets stuck in his own revenge-plot and it totally backfires him,as he becomes a smitten hero totally devoted and obsessed with his heroine.Through his cruel-hearted heart and insillence passion and the undenyable love he himself can`t make himself to understand he grovels throughout the story and becomes a worthy hero of our heroine.I really liked her stubborness and how she had a backbone..well even if she melted when he always touched her (as it was the same to him hehe).I love their passionate romantic love-story in its own intensity that always earns a 5-star from me of Graham´s stories.
Gwenna Hamilton and Angelo Riccardo had HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE chemistry only Graham can create in her own talented way.Poor Angelo gets stuck in his own revenge-plot and it totally backfires him,as he becomes a smitten hero totally devoted and obsessed with his heroine.Through his cruel-hearted heart and insillence passion and the undenyable love he himself can`t make himself to understand he grovels throughout the story and becomes a worthy hero of our heroine.I really liked her stubborness and how she had a backbone..well even if she melted when he always touched her (as it was the same to him hehe).I love their passionate romantic love-story in its own intensity that always earns a 5-star from me of Graham´s stories.
April 8, 2013
I didn’t think I would like this story. The first few pages were hard for me to get into, but they are important to the story line. After the first few pages, I couldn’t put the book down. This book is kind of like a Cinderella love story. Gweena was always treated like an outsider compared to her step mom, and sisters. She was sent to a boarding school when she was little, while her step sisters lived the good life. Gweena was shocked that any man would notice her , especially a rich, handsome man like Angelo. She hated him when she first met him, but didn’t understand why her body reacted the way it did, when she was around him. I’m thankful I kept reading getting past the first few pages. This was a beautiful, emotional story.
December 11, 2010
This was a surprisingly good book! I really liked it. I loved how irresistable Gwenna was to Angelo. I also loved how Gwenna was able to realistically separate herself from him time and time again even though she was drawn to him. I loved the way love transformed Angelo from a cold robot to a big gooey mess of love for his woman. It was also very steamy. Liked that too!!! Would probably read again.
August 9, 2010
For me the book was just okay. I don't have a problem with not having a sex scene but it greatly confused me when in one paragraph they are about to and the next its just done. I needed a break somehow to let my mind wonder through the imaginary sex scene.
That was my biggest issue with the book.
That was my biggest issue with the book.
May 21, 2016
The heroine's father was a complete and utter pig, same with the step family that the heroine grew up with, they all deserved to be tortured slowly, then murdered. I liked the hero and think he went about things the wrong way but he was a great character. The heroine was brave, strong and pigheaded, she deserved better and eventually got it.
January 9, 2018
A good book with a mafia family members, a thieving, lying father, an innocent h blackmailed to save her father from jail and a alpha H who thought he was above it all.
My favorite character was Piglet.
My favorite aspect of the book was the way the h stood up to the H. She let him have it every chance she could.
A fun Lynne Graham read.
My favorite character was Piglet.
My favorite aspect of the book was the way the h stood up to the H. She let him have it every chance she could.
A fun Lynne Graham read.
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