Book Description
Dark, proud and sinfully gorgeous, Guido Corsentino is determined to reclaim his wife! Outwardly, Amber is perfect and untouchable, but Guido knows the passionate woman inside. One kiss and he's certain she'll give him whatever he demands.
But Guido is also certain of something else: Amber ran away from him once—so she won't be given the opportunity to run again. He'll protect her from the consequences of her actions…in his bed!
Customer Reviews:
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride .......2007-06-28
Months ago, Amber Wellesley married Guido Corsentino after a whirlwind week of romance during which the two were inseparable. Amber knew she was marrying the man of her dreams and couldn't wait for them to start their new lives together.
Months later Amber finds herself once more standing in front of the altar. This time she is marrying a man of her family's choosing for the benefits he would bring to the marriage as well as the prestige it will bring them to have such an influential and high standing son-in-law. The marriage ceremony doesn't go as planned because the one man she thought she was no longer married to is now standing in the church proclaiming differently. It seems the lowly photographer she fell in love with, is anything but penniless.
In typical Harlequin Presents style, Kate Walker has penned a romantic tale of burning desire and tempestuous love. Guido wanted Amber from the first moment he saw her and those feelings were reciprocated. I found myself wincing from Guido's forcefulness but then a moment later his feelings for Amber would be tender and poignant. Amber's despair at being in love with him and feeling as if he didn't care made me upset more than once.
Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride had me hook, line, and sinker. Just call me a fool for love because I couldn't put this book down!
Talia
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed
Book Description
Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciano di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background and being ignored.
But Luciano's sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy--until she discovers that Luciano ruthlessly married her…for convenience!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book !.......2007-05-09
Well I think all the other reviews have said it, this book was a gem I loved both the Hero and the Heroine. Hope was a sweetheart you didnt get the impression she was a just a poor little rich girl whinning about not being loved you or rather I felt genuine sympathy for the way she was treated by her grandfather and other characters in the book...Enters Luciano big time alpha-male and sicilian to boot. He made me laugh alot because he believed in everything he was saying and doing even if it seemed archaic to Hope herself who although shy and laid back was no doormat when she was pushed to her limits. I loved that this book didn't start like so many Harlequin Presents with the main characters at odds with one another from the word go. You got to see their affection and then ultimately love for one another grow, shift and change through the progression of the story. Which in a lot of cases with these stories are the exact opposite where you have the characters going for eachothers throats at the word "go" and then the author has to tell this complete back story of how they once were lovers and are now mortal ememies and how they get back to be lovers once more. This story was a breath of fresh air. Kudos to Lucy Monroe!
Funny, Romantic, Enjoyable........2007-05-01
Funny, Romantic and Enjoyable. This is how I describe "The Sicilian's Marriage Arrangement". Hope Bishop was not your usual virginal heroine. She was strong and knew her own limitations. And although she had been secretly in love with Sicilian tycoon Luciano di Valerio since her teen years, she did not allow him to walk all over her.
In this book the hero, Luciano is taken down a peg or two when he expects Hope to just fall over in gratitude when he shows her attention and she doesn't. She is innocent, but as the saying goes, she "was not born yesterday.
Great Romantic Read.
Sweet and full of passion. Another Monroe great!.......2007-03-04
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is to love and be loved in return.
~ From "Unforgettable with Love"Natalie Cole
A strong alpha, a young girl who for years loved this sexy Italian! Blackmailed into marriage! Secrets! Passion! How much better can it get? Again, another Lucy Monroe book I couldn't put down once I began. This is such a powerful and intense love story.
Hope Bishop had been raised without parents and by her wealthy grandfather who only had time for his business and business associates. For Hope, life was very lonely and as she matured and first set eyes on the sexy millionaire Luciano de Valerio she was smitten. For years she had loved this man from afar and when he turns up at a New Years Eve party and kisses her at midnight, she's sure of her love for this man.
Luciano iis not only handsome and wealthy, he's a successful businessman. He is very loyal to his family and family business so when Hope's grandfather approaches him with a deal, a deal to get his families business back by marrying his granddaughter, what choice does he have? Luciano thinks Hope is sweet, loving and tender and that she will make him a wonderful Sicilian wife but he doesn't count on the attraction between them. Lucy takes this attraction and makes it a dance, a dance and journey you won't want to miss.
I wonder how many women have had crushes or loved for years without that person realizing it?.. If you had the chance and someone could make it possible, what would be your choice?
Another great book by Lucy!.......2007-02-24
This is another great book by Lucy. I just loved Luc even though there were times that I wanted to "shake" him. Because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone, I will just say that my favorite part of this was that Luc realized that he loved Hope and wanted his marriage before he found out that she did not plot with her grandfather.
Anyone who loves HPs will definitely love this one!
Lucy Monroe Delivers.......2007-02-07
Lucy Monroe writes another sensual tale in the Sicilian's Marriage Arrangement.
Hope Bishop is a quiet, reserved young woman. She is floored when her crush of several years kisses her on New Year's Eve. But six months later Luciano di Valerio pops back into her life. He is pursuing her life no man has ever done before. Hope cannot believe a man such as Luciano is interested in her and she begins to fall head over heels in love.
Luciano di Valerio is a touch as nails Sicilian tycoon. When Joshua Reynolds Hope's grandfather backs him into a corner over a business deal, he feels he has no way out. He needs to get Hope to marry him in order to keep the family owned shipping business safe.
The sexual tension between Hope and Luciano burns up any time they are together. But both will have their love tested when Luciano's deal comes to light. Can these two overcome this obstacle?
The Sicilian's Marriage Arrangement is another keeper by Lucy Monroe. Her male characters like Luciano are strong alphas but have a tender side for those they love. Hope though young and inexperienced has a backbone that is perfect for dealing with Luciano.
This book is another feather in Lucy Monroe's great writing career.
Customer Reviews:
A Sicilian Husband by Kate Walker (Italian Husbands).......2006-12-29
Warm and passionate ... a man who never thought he'd love again and the woman who wound herself around his heart ... it's not a perfect book but it's definitely one you should make the time for - and leave your schedule open because you're not going to want to stop until you find out how their story ends ... Recommend!
Description from the book back cover:
One night: The time it took Terrie Hayden to fall in love with a stranger. One night: Was all that Gio Cardella thought he wanted from her. However, one night proved not to be enough. The proud Sicilian had thought his heart was totally insulated, that he would never let himself feel anything again. But Gio was being driven by desire, a need to possess ...
ITALIAN HUSBANDS: Tall, dark, and ready to marry!
Glorious Love Story - Warm, Wonderful, Charming.......2004-11-15
This is one of Kate's best. A glorious love story, full of warmth to be read in one sitting so as not to miss a thing! A book to read many times and a keeper! Highly recommend this book!
This book has just about everything........2004-04-28
This book has just about everything. Attraction, desire, lust! Amazing sex, conflict, passion - compassion, resentment, hurt, confusion, guilt and painful love. From page one I was in and didn't come out again until I reached the end.
Michelle Reid
A glorious story.......2004-04-28
Kate Walker takes the reader through the touching tale of a man coming to terms with the passing of one love and the beginning of another. . . Mrs. Walker draws the reader into this glorious story wringing heartstrings along the way. By the time you finish this book, you will feel like you've taken a ride on an emotional roller coaster. And I for one, can't wait to get back on.
~ Cat Cody - Romance Junkies
Another winning romance.......2004-04-28
Once again, Kate Walker has done an outstanding job of pushing an intense hero, Gio, who denies his deep capacity for love in the right direction on a path to a soul deep love. This path will not only force Gio to let go of the past and accept his growing feelings for Terrie, but to admit it aloud for all to hear. This heartwarming and emotional storyline, one of one man's incredulousness over being allowed a second chance at love when many others don't even get one, combined with the sexual tension between the two, makes for another winning romance from the remarkably gifted and talent Kate Walker.
Book Description
In A Sicilian Romance (1790) Ann Radcliffe began to forge the unique mixture of the psychology of terror and poetic description that would make her the great exemplar of the Gothic novel, and the idol of the Romantics. This early novel explores the cavernous landscapes and labyrinthine
passages of Sicily's castles and convents to reveal the shameful secrets of its all-powerful aristocracy.
Download Description
Having ceased to sing, her fingers wandered over the lute in melancholy symphony, and for some moments she remained lost in the sweet sensations which the music and the scenery had inspired. She was awakened from her reverie, by a sigh that stole from among the trees, and directing her eyes whence it came, beheld--Hippolitus! A thousand sweet and mingled emotions pressed upon her heart, yet she scarcely dared to trust the evidence of sight.
Customer Reviews:
A good start for an author who will just get better..........2001-07-27
My favourite novel of Ann Radcliffe's is The Mysteries of Udolpho, but I think A Sicilian Romance is a promise of what Mrs. Radcliffe will be able to accomplish in her later books. For Ann Radcliffe and Gothic romance fans, this novel is a must because it plays on all of the classic themes of the genre. This is also great escapist reading to a world very much unlike our own. Radcliffe's heroines and heroes do suffer greatly and go through some extraordinary (perhaps sometimes unbelievable) events, but I find it thoroughly enjoyable to read about their adventures as I am a true romantic at heart. It's good to read about a world where when virtuous people are put through struggles at the hands of villians, the heroines and heroes are able to triumph.
Mrs. Radcliffe and Monk Lewis.......2001-07-27
I've read all of Mrs. Radcliffe's novels, except for her last one. I must admit that this novel is not as good as The Mysteries of Udolpho. But I think when reading this novel it's important to keep in mind why Ann Radcliffe wrote it in the first place.
It's impossible to appreciate Ann Radcliffe's intentions in writing this book and the complexities of The Italian without having first read Matthew "Monk" Lewis' The Monk. Lewis was so inspired by The Mysteries of Udolpho that he wrote The Monk, which has characters engaging in activities that are horrifying. (Lewis became so identified with his book that he was nicknamed Monk Lewis.) Mrs. Radcliffe was very upset that Lewis was inspired by her book to write his. In response to The Monk, Mrs. Radcliffe wrote The Italian. Mrs. Radcliffe "corrected" in The Italian what she felt was wrong and horrifying about The Monk.
For anyone who finds The Italian lacking at all, I highly recommend he or she read The Monk to gain a better understanding of what Ann Radcliffe was trying to accomplish. And for anyone who has not read The Italian yet, read The Monk first- then I'm sure you will find The Italian a much more enjoyable read.
Messy Gothic.......2000-12-01
Ruined castles, secret passages, evil plotting nobles, things going bump in the night - it's all there. Even the heroines faint every six pages (what was it about females in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries - why did they faint at such regular intervals??! - Only joking). This is a book which promised much - the first thirty pages were fairly tedious, designed to set up the characters and plot for the rest of the novel. After that, the story did pick up pace, only to fall apart amid a welter of outrageous coincidences (one does expect this in eighteenth and nineteenth century literature, but this was taking things much too far, to the point where one either became irritated beyond endurance, or as I did, treat it as funny). The main protagonists spend most of the novel chasing each other around various parts of Sicily, discovering long-lost or supposedly deceased relatives and lovers. The book has not put me off reading more of Ann Radcliffe's work, on the basis that this was an early novel: it certainly reads as such. I hope there is better to come.
Not a great gothic novel........1999-04-15
This is the first book I have read by Radcliffe, and only the second gothic novel I have read. It is, by all standards of style and method, a gothic novel--so I doubt there is any need to elaborate on the moods, the romanticized environmental settings, or the literary devices found in the novel. As far as the writing itself goes, it becomes clear that the author is a very young and relatively inexperienced writer. The two major flaws of the novel that bothered me the most are: 1.) There is a great deal of redundancy in how the events unfold. For example, several times various characters would find themselves lost in the woods, suddenly see a faint light in the distance, follow the light, then find themselves in a perilous situation, only to escape by a similar means. This type of formulated plot was prevalent throughout the entire novel. 2.) Radcliffe seldom utilized transitional phrases. Often, paragraphs would shift from one location or person to another location or person with no transitional phrases such as "meanwhile", or "back at the castle", etc. The next sentence would just be about something different.
In the simplest description, the plot was about a tyrannical, ambitious father who tries to marry off his daughter to regain his social standing and wealth. His daughter, whose heart belongs to another, escapes the castle, and proceeds to experience one perilous adventure after the other. But this is not really what the novel is about. It appears to me that it is more about the difference between men and women. In Radcliffe's world, the majority of men are to some degree corrupt, power-hungry, ruthless, debauched, selfish, insensitive, and tyrannical--and the effect these men have on the persons and environment around them is usually tragic. Even the presence of the few virtuous men in her novel seems to create in the women around them feelings of turmoil and anxiety. Even when they evoke the feelings of love, it is always bitter-sweet and agonizing. When men are present all is awry; violent thunderstorms cloud the sky, and even the natural environments are treacherous, gloomy or desolate. But not so with women! All women but one in this novel are virtuous, pious, demure, pure, innocent, submissive, and noble, and the natural environments that surround them are serene, beautiful, inviting, and sublime-at least until a man arrives. Throughout the novel women are constantly victimized by men, and Radcliffe seems to suggest that only when left to themselves can women be find peace and happiness in this world. Of course, considering the few rights and privileges enjoyed by women during her time (1764-1823), one can hardly blame her.
Overall, I found the book a bit too tedious to really be enjoyable. Reviews site her novel The Mysteries of Udolfo as be her best, though I have not read this one. I would only recommend this book if you are serious about reading all the gothic novels you can get your hands on.
Customer Reviews:
Sexy, Entertaining - a great read.......2001-07-05
I loved this story. The characters are full of life, 3-dimensional with many character traits. Whilst the plot was far-fetched,the reader will find themselves going along with it, because you want to see what happens to these characters. Definitely one of Graham's best novels.
Sparks fly.......2000-11-28
I loved it when the heroine, Milly throws plates at the hero, Gianni. This was a fabulous read and I'd recommend it to everybody.
Forever Excellent!.......2000-11-28
Lynne Graham has excelled with The Sicilian's Mistress. This book has it all- romance, a passionate but vulnerable hero and mystery and tension as well. I sat up until dawn to finish this book. What more can I say?
A great, fast read!.......2000-11-07
I really enjoyed this book. It was a pretty unbelievable story I will admit, but the characters were very good. It was pretty emotional. I felt feally bad for Milly when she found out about her true identity. Gianni wasn't always the most sensitive guy, but I think he was still a good character. If you like Lynne Graham books, you will enjoy this story.
Customer Reviews:
A Bought Bride? (3.5 stars).......2007-02-26
Book Description: She will marry him at his convenience ... One night of tragedy brings Rico Mancini back into Catherine Masters' life. Now he's demanding that she be his bride. And the bride price...? If Catherine says no, she gives up custody of her orphaned niece. But if she says yes, will she be losing her heart to a man who wants her only in his bed?
This book was better than "OK" but not quite a "4"; filled with mis-impressions and false conclusions. The story is a man meets woman, hit it off, sparks fly, major misunderstanding before sparks can turn into flames. Of course they meet again through tragedy; add more wrong impressions, misunderstandings, lots of hurt feelings, and drama, perhaps. It was an entertaining Saturday afternoon read.
Customer Reviews:
good book, not the characters.........2007-01-28
I love Jane Porter, but the heroine in this book really disappointed me. I mean, cmon! The guy cheated on his wife, and she was in a coma..! I thought the heroine was pathetic, weak woman. She went back to him even though he betrayed her so many times. He basically forced her to admit she still loved him. The ending was also a little corny (not the black and white wedding theme, I actually think that's cute)..Overall, I think this was a good book but not I would read over and over again.
this book held me in its grip ; ).......2006-07-21
first: I don`t usually cry when I read these books but when I read Jane Porter`s The Sicilian`s defiant mistress tears run through my cheeks...it was so full of emotions...I really lived through Cass`s pain...
second: Max`s excuse for doing what he did wasn`t enough. It was a disappointment though afterwards I think he loved Cass VERY VERY MUCH!
third: I think the story is worth 4 stars but because of its unique quality (Casses emotions` very talented description) I gave it all 5 stars : )
:0).......2006-06-28
Great story with loveable characters..towards the end to have a man cry for his woman its worth the read..I enjoy reading it there were highs and lows that they both went through but it came out wonderfully towards the end...
WARNING if you don't like constant arguing between couples then isn't for you...in this book they are trying to resolve the past to move on to the future hence the arguing
Good read..
Jane Porter at her best!!!.......2006-04-21
I strongly agree with the reviewer that compared this book with a ride on a roller coaster! Cassandra is a lovely character that has gone through a lot. At first, I was mad at Max, but the way the author made up for him towards the end was great. You truly get to put yourself in his place and understand. I loved that Cassandra finally learned to stand up for herself. I could not put it down; the day I read this book no one at home got my attention. I strongly recommend it.
Take a Sensational Ride on a Roller Coaster.......2006-03-11
While reading The Sicilian's Defiant Mistress, I felt I was on an emotional roller coaster. It's passionate, sensitive, and emotional; it's Jane Porter, at her best! This book was exceptional because it shared and described emotions women feel and men or some men never admit. Passion, lust, attraction, hurt, anger, betrayal and secrets. However, the emotional ride reading The Sicilian's Defiant Mistress was well worth it!
Max and Cass are dynamite, dynamic, sensual, volatile, passionate, and explosive is all I can say. I read this in one sitting and when finished, I felt emotionally drained yet privileged to have read such a wonderful and incredible story.
Back Cover:
Cass can't continue with a relationship that involves just her body when her heart is breaking.... But the deal she made with Sicilian tycoon Maximos Borsellino was for sex - and when that fails to be enough for Cass, Maximos ends the affair. Cass is completely destroyed. Worse, she discovers she's pregnant
Customer Reviews:
Slow.......2000-05-04
Vito Velardi had done everything in his power to ruin Jolanda's father and Jolanda had got caught in the crossfire. When Vito came back in Jolanda's life..she's scared to trust him. This book was very slow to read. I got to a point where I just flipped to the end.
Slow.......2000-05-04
Vito Velardi had done everything in his power to ruin Jolanda's father and Jolanda had got caught in the crossfire. When Vito came back in Jolanda's life..she's scared to trust him. This book was very slow to read. I got to a point where I just flipped to the end.
Book Description
Emily Lawton never expected to see him again. But Vito Corsentino has tracked her down and he wants Emily. This time he'll take her, and he'll be the one to leave when it's over!
But Emily has one last secret for Vito—. She's having his baby, and if he finds out he'll want more than revenge!
Customer Reviews:
50 books later...Walker only gets better!.......2007-08-08
In Kate Walker's 50th book for Harlequin, Emily Lawton just wants a day away from her overwhelming responsibilities. She doesn't expect to meet someone...especially not someone like Vito Corsentino. They don't just have a spark...but a blazing fire between them. But things that aren't said leads to misunderstandings, leads to them parting ways. Five months later Vito's back, looking for revenge, but something totally different. Could it be love?
Walker is a must-buy author!
Kate's 50th Book and oh what a love story! Powerful!.......2007-06-21
This is Kate's 50th book and oh what a book! It's a very powerful and passionate love story with another of Kate's "hot" Italian men and this time it's Vito! THE SICILIAN'S RED-HOT REVENGE exemplifies a Harlequin Presents book at its very best! Vito is drop dead gorgeous, spirited, stubborn at times, and very passionate. And when he's angry, well watch out!
As you learned in Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride, Guido has a brother Vito and they are in business together. For years they worked non-stop and promised each other on their 30th birthday they would take a year off and this is Vito's year. As he comes from a shipbuilding family, his passion is carving; so he rents a flat near the shore in England. In this same book, you also learn that at a wedding a woman faints and of course this is one introduction in meeting Emily.
On one very particular day Vito is out walking and sees a beautiful Englishwoman on the beach and is immediately captivated by her and while watching her from afar, he realizes she is in danger of drowning in the ocean and he comes to her rescue. Their attraction is immediate and Vito insists that Emily accompany him back to his flat to get warmed up and out of her wet clothes. After a short kiss on the beach, Emily realizes she is in trouble, but in the end goes home with Vito.
Of course, any hot blooded Italian who is so desperately attracted to a woman like Emily...not just her simple beauty but her spirit and the passion he sees in her eyes can't control himself. Once they come together all is lost for them both. However, the tables are turned when Vito retrieves Emily's personal belongings and answers her cell. There he finds out that she is married and anger doesn't even describe his emotions. Emily flees back home and Vito returns to Italy. One evening while dining with his brother and sister in-law he learns that at the wedding his brother broke up there was a woman who fainted and her name was Emily Lawton. Vito is shocked and reacts quickly, flying to England and to Emily.
Vito and Emily's reuniting was very painful for me to read. It so depicts how miscommunication or lack of it can destroy a relationship. Honesty finally prevails, a lesson we can all learn and their passion, longing and yearning will take your breath away.
Congratulations to Kate Walker on this 50th book. However, I would personally like to say, thank you to Kate for the wonderful hours of reading you have personally provided this reader and please keep those books coming! Perhaps we can find another Corsentino sibling out there so we can see how Vito and Guido are doing?
Books:
- Silent Moments
- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Patience, Pearl: Verse Translations
- So What: New & Selected Poems (With a Story) 1971-2005
- Thank You for Arguing: What Aristotle, Lincoln, and Homer Simpson Can Teach Us About the Art of Persuasion
- The Alexandria Link: A Novel
- The Ambassador's Son (Josh Thurlow Novels)
- The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
- The Color Purple
- The Complete Guide to Home Wiring - 3rd Edition: Includes Information on Home Electronics & Wireless Technology (Black & Decker Complete Guide To...)
- The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- The Great Chile Book
- Surgical Recall
- Moon Handbooks: Hawaii 6 Ed: The All-Island Guide
- Street Fighter Volume 3: Fighter's Destiny
- The Ultimate Gift
- The Badgers of Ashcroft Woods
- Accounting Theory: Conceptual Issues in a Political and Economic Environment
- Model Financial Statements for Public and Private Companies
- Macroeconomic Policy, Credibility and Politics: Harwood Fundamentals of Applied Economics
General
| Romance
| Subjects
| Books
The Italian's Inexperienced Mistress (Harlequin Presents)
The Secret Baby Bargain (Harlequin Presents)
At The Greek Boss's Bidding (Harlequin Presents)
The Sheikh's Unwilling Wife (Harlequin Presents)
The Marriage Possession (Harlequin Presents)
