This Time for Keeps

Doctors of Rittenhouse Square #3

by Jill Blake

A random act of violence...
When a senseless act of violence shatters her perfect world, Dr. Isabelle DiStefano struggles to rebuild: new life, new job, new man.

A second chance at love...
But sometimes the past can be hard to let go of, especially when old flame Luca Santoro reappears in her life and decides he wants to start over...this time, for keeps.

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Jill Blake loves chocolate, leisurely walks where she doesn’t break a sweat, and books with a guaranteed happy ending. A native of Philadelphia, Jill now lives in southern California with her husband and three children. During the day, she works as a physician in a busy medical practice. At night, she pens steamy romances.

The Doctors of Rittenhouse Square :
Pursued by the Playboy (Kate & Marc) - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B1S1EJQ
Taking a Chance (Samantha & Alex) - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FG936YC
This Time for Keeps (Isabelle & Luca) - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I6SYS60

The Santa Monica Trilogy :
Without a Net - (Eva & Max) - http://amazon.com/dp/B00LDVF1VS
Coming Home - (Grace & Logan) - http://amazon.com/dp/B00OZR19C2
Balancing Act - (Angie & Zach) - http://amazon.com/dp/B00VUKNZ60

The Silicon Beach Trilogy :
Beyond the Ivory Tower - (Anna & Ethan) - http://amzn.to/1FQQceo
Sweet Indulgence - (Becca & Leo) - http://amzn.to/1ndlclu
A Matter of Trust (Klara & Vlad) - http://amzn.to/2cvDqvv

Reviews

[Melody Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Isabelle DiStefano is an OB/GYN and has just survived a violent attack which has placed her physical ability to continue with her career in jeopardy. She is struggling as she tries to move forward, panic attacks, depression and fear are her constant companions. Could a second chance at love be her saving grace?

Luca Santoro, is a gorgeous Italian living and working in the US, the man who broke Isabelle's heart several years ago and now wants a second chance after running into her at a friends home.

After being so hurt and distraught after Luca walked away without an explanation, Isabelle has no desire to allow him back into her life. She has enough on her plate and cannot handle any more. She knows a reunion would be fruitless, that he would eventually walk away as soon as any conflict would arise. But to her surprise, Luca is very determined to win her back and he is not willing to let anything stand in his way.

I loved this book as well as the series and I highly recommend all three books.

I sure hope there is more to come because I would love for Jake to get his HEA!

[Jill Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t escape it: we live in a violent world. Open a paper, turn on the news, and there it is. Another shooting, or stabbing, or bombing. At school, at the mall, at a political rally, at a medical office.


In this third book of the Doctors of Rittenhouse Square trilogy, Isabelle DiStefano falls victim to a random act of violence. A former “wild child” who has come into her own as a highly-skilled doctor, she suddenly finds her perfect world shattered.


Left with a career-ending injury, she struggles to rebuild her life. The last person she expects to help her is old flame Luca Santoro.


Set against the backdrop of old Philadelphia and Italy’s Amalfi coast, with a rich cast of supporting characters (whom readers may recall from the first two books of the series), This Time for Keeps is a story about love, second chances, and the triumph of the human spirit.

[Rekha Seshadri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this a 3.5 rating and would've loved to give this a 4, but for the points mentioned in the review.

I haven't read the other books in the series but presume (based on the book description) that they revolve around secondary characters that grace the pages of this romance novel. The title gives you a clear idea of the setting and the occupation of at least one of the lead characters.

Isabella, a gynaecologist/obstetrician, from the affluent DiStefano brood, is ruing the lack of romance and passion in her life when she meets handsome Luca, a professor at Princeton, at her friend's wedding. Light flirting gives way to something more intense as sparks fly between them. A passionate affair ensues while they spend a well earned vacation in the charming Italian countryside.
While neither appear to be serious about each other, their affair ends abruptly when Luca belatedly discovers she is a career woman and pushes her away. They meet four years later, and sparks still fly, but something has changed the Doctor's life in the interim.

A shoot-out as the hospital leaves her injured both physically and emotionally. Family friend Jake, a tragic victim himself, guides Isabelle into an alternate career of clinical research when she loses the motor skills needed to perform surgeries.
Will Luca's re-entry into her life triggers changes for better or worse? Is she wiling to give him a second chance? Will he redeem himself or will his painful past separate them once again?

The book is an entertaining read. The author's professional experiences as a doctor, her eye for detail and the interesting supporting characters adds authenticity to the story. While Isabella's struggles and her strength of character touches you, the transformation of her anger, hurt and lust into love for Luca is not dwelt with, as the romance is built up from the flawed-hero's end. His lack of knowledge about her career is hard to accept as he is a business partner of the spouses of her best friends Jane and Sam, and knows them well enough. Isabelle's frequent and long monologues mar the pacing of the book.
The romance sequences are clearly in the "spicy" category. If you enjoy Harlequin style novels and chicklits, you will enjoy this breezy tale.

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Time for Keeps by Jill Blake is the third book in the Doctors of Rittenhouse Square series which opens with a deadly shooting at the Women's Health Clinic in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia, where Dr. Isabelle DiStefano, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology, was treating a patient. A gunman entered the clinic and shot Dr. DiStefano, a nurse and a patient before fleeing. The patient was fatally injured and died en route to hospital, while the nurse suffered minor injuries. Dr. DiStefano was transported to a hospital where she underwent surgery, but left her arm permanently damaged.

Moving back in time two and a half years earlier, Isabelle had met Luca Santoro at a wedding and both hit it off immediately. Though they hardly knew each other, they were unable to resist each other and spent over a week in Italy, making love and enjoying the best time of their lives. But when Luca came to know that Isabelle is a physician, he started behaving oddly and distanced himself from her. Isabelle had no choice but to live her own life but a twist of fate bring them together again many years later. Will it be for keeps this time?

This Time for Keeps by Jill Blake is much more enjoyable than I first anticipated. The chemistry, passion and desire for and between Isabelle and Luca is something out of this world. Jill Blake effortless writing combined with an entertaining story makes this book a worthwhile read. What is particularly striking is the meticulous care taken to create well-defined characters who are truly likeable. It is also important to note that this is not just another contemporary romance driven by sex and passion alone. It is a story about trust, forgiveness, mending-broken relationship and hope.

[LJT · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Time for Keeps is a well-written, emotional, contemporary romance. The characters are well defined and the quick-paced plot flows effortlessly from beginning to end. This is the third book I have read by Ms. Blake and I can't wait for the next one. In addition, this book has a wonderful and engaging ending.

The prologue opens with a gut-wrenching scene, where Dr. Isabelle DiStefano gets shot in the arm while she is examining the shooter's ex-girlfriend. As a result, her arm is permanently damaged and she can no longer deliver babies or perform surgery. In a flash, her entire world collapses.

Prior to the shooting, Isabelle met researcher and academic Luca Santoro at a mutual friends' wedding, and after knowing each other for less than a day, they hop on a plane and spend the next ten days in Italy together. Their chemistry is off the charts, even though they don't know each other very well, and each night they experience the best sex of their lives. Luca cuts their time short when he learns that Isabelle is a physician, because he does not want to be involved with anyone he perceives may be like his ex-wife, a career-driven cheater.

Years later both Isabelle and Luca have a second chance at love. As they slowly renew their friendship and romance, they learn to trust and forgive. They challenge each other and prove that the past does not always repeat itself.

This is a realistic, sexy read. I love the way Ms. Blake evolves Isabelle's story, with compassion, honesty and love. I always enjoy books that encompass a group of really good friends and this book does it well.

ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

[Olga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tall, dark, handsome…and Italian? Oh, my!
First off, let me say, I love Italy. Part of the action in this book takes place on Italy’s Amalfi coast, which is one of the most gorgeous places on earth. And the hero is Italian. Totally swoon-worthy, even if he is kind of a jerk, at least in the beginning. (Don’t worry, he makes up for it later.)
The rest of the action takes place in the ritzy Philadelphia neighborhood of Rittenhouse Square. The heroine is Isabelle DiStefano, whom we’ve met in the first two books of this series as a minor character. (For those of you keeping track of this sort of thing, she’s the youngest sister of Marc, from book #1, and the best friend of Samantha, from book #2.)
While this is still a romance, the story is darker than the previous two books. It touches on issues that are very true-to-life and disturbing, and deals with them in a realistic way. Gun violence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few. The author also manages to take aim at some of the clichés that riddle a lot of post-Fifty Shades of Gray romance/erotica. Like the BDSM stuff, which gets mentioned in passing as something the hero isn’t into. (Seriously, am I like the only one experiencing BDSM fatigue?)






Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to more from Ms. Blake.

[Catherine Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about Isabelle DiStefano and Luca Santoro. If you read these books in order (which I didn’t, but it didn’t really matter), Isabelle is Mark’s younger sister. This story spans 5 years. Originally, Isabelle is a fun, outgoing surgical OB/GYN and Luca is a college professor who has just been burned by a cheating ex wife. They have a passionate fling. Fast forward five years and a lot has changed. This is where the majority of the story occurs. It was really cool to catch up on the characters from the previous book and see how they were doing. I also really liked how the author really developed the characters in this story. There were parts of both the hero and heroine, as well as some of the supporting characters that I could relate to and found myself empathizing with. If you have read Book 2 and are wasting your time reading this review, quit twitching and buy the book. If you haven’t, buy the book. And save yourself the trouble and buy the earlier two. You won’t regret any of them. But don’t expect to accomplish anything until you’ve finished reading all 3. For me, it was going to bed at 4:30 am on a work night.

[Julesjr · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars


Well-written, nuanced romance that makes for a nice finish to the author's Doctors of Rittenhouse Square series. We also get a glimpse into the lives of the characters from previous books (so if you haven't read those books, do yourself a favor and get them!).


This book is darker than the previous two. The central event, which is the heroine getting shot, could have been ripped from today's headlines. In fact, the book begins with a news article outlining this pivotal event around which the rest of the plot turns. Everything that follows is similarly realistic.


The hero starts out as a real jerk. He does grovel (though not enough IMHO, which is why it's 4.5 instead of 5 stars), and eventually comes around to a more enlightened point of view. The heroine is also somewhat shallow in the beginning, but matures with time. I love their chemistry. Overall, the character arcs are very well done and believable.


As a side note, I know this was billed as a trilogy, but I wish Ms Blake would consider giving Jake his own story!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

Sometimes we make choices and sometimes others make choices for you, then life happens and before you know it your entire world has been turned upside down.

Isabelle DiStefano has it all, a great career, loving family and friends. She meets a great guy and he invites himself along on her trip to Italy. After 10 days in paradise, he blows her off once they are back home. Turns out Luca Santoro isn't looking for a woman with a career. He'd been there, done that, and wasn't willing to try again. He wanted someone who wanted home, hearth and family.

Luca's rejection stung, but not as much as his failure to to tell her the truth before walking away.

When they meet up almost 4 years later, both Luca and Izzy have changed. Can they re-connect or will their differences be to great to overcome?

[Ruthie Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third in the series, but stands out for me as a particularly good read. It shifts the style around a bit by starting in the now and then travelling back a few years before coming back to today. That works well, and gives us more insight into the two main characters and their relationship with each other. Once again we meet old friends from the previous books, and catch up on their adventures, always in the context of the current couple.

The author has outdone herself in bringing forward the thoughts and desires of two people, and the changes that events can force upon dreams. I highly recommend this book to you.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.

This Time for Keeps is the third book in the Doctors of Rittenhouse Square series. I enjoyed all three books but I found this one a little different. I didn't really like our male lead at first but I also felt that he was the most real male lead of the 3 books because he was flawed. In the end Luca grew on me.

This story isn't much more than 100 pages but it, like the two books before it are an enjoyable grown up romantic read.

If you are after a more adult but nothing too brain taxing read I'd recommend this book and this series.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the whirlwind romance that the two lovers portrayed at the beginning of the book where Isabelle and Luca hook up at a wedding and then zoom off to Rome to spend a holiday together. But then Luca drops Isabelle and she suffers a trauma in her life that leaves her career in shambles and when he finds her again he has to be worthy of her love and trust.
I liked the sweet tender way he cared for her and he was always a gentleman and he seemed to adore her and helped her move forward towards their future. I enjoyed their families and friends embracing their relationship once they were sure of Luca's intentions and their uncertainties were finally overcome by trust and patience by Luca sticking by Isabelle's side and proving his worth to her.
I received a free review copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabelle and Luca meet at her friend, Sam's wedding five years ago. They didn't part on friendly terms. He didn't want to get involved with another career driven female. Once was enough. She didn't understand what his problem was. Now she has caught his notice now that she seems not to be so career motivated. He doesn't know about the true reason she is not practicing her original job. Once he finds out het reasons will he want her now? But what if she can get her job back? Will he dump het again? Will look for more books by Jill Blake.