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The Italian's Innocent Bride
A marriage in tatters. A life half-lived.
Jane Lang, innocent and starved of love, was an easy target for a man like Carlo Santini. He swept into her life and made her love him. How could she not? Apart from his obvious physical attributes (tall, dark and handsome on speed) he was commanding, powerful, intelligent and interesting. And he claimed to love her too.
It hadn't taken long for Jane to realise she didn't have what was necessary to hold Carlo's interest. After months of being ignored and rejected, Jane finally saw that their marriage was a farce.
Three years later, Jane thinks she's over Carlo. But a freak accident brings them together again, and this time, Carlo isn't letting her walk away. As their passionate flame reignites with a greater strength than ever before, Jane slowly begins to unravel a web of lies and deceit - with Carlo at the centre. Everything she thought she knew about her husband is shaken to the core. So how can she believe that he ever loved her? That he might love her again?
Jane Lang, innocent and starved of love, was an easy target for a man like Carlo Santini. He swept into her life and made her love him. How could she not? Apart from his obvious physical attributes (tall, dark and handsome on speed) he was commanding, powerful, intelligent and interesting. And he claimed to love her too.
It hadn't taken long for Jane to realise she didn't have what was necessary to hold Carlo's interest. After months of being ignored and rejected, Jane finally saw that their marriage was a farce.
Three years later, Jane thinks she's over Carlo. But a freak accident brings them together again, and this time, Carlo isn't letting her walk away. As their passionate flame reignites with a greater strength than ever before, Jane slowly begins to unravel a web of lies and deceit - with Carlo at the centre. Everything she thought she knew about her husband is shaken to the core. So how can she believe that he ever loved her? That he might love her again?
191 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2015
174 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Clare Connelly
517 books406 followersFor all things Clare Connelly, please see www.clareconnelly.co.uk, the official home of Clare Connelly on the web.
Clare Connelly grew up in a small country town in Australia. Surrounded by rainforests, and rickety old timber houses, magic was thick in the air, and stories and storytelling were a huge part of her childhood.
From early on in life, Clare realised her favourite books were romance stories, and read voraciously. Anything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, to Mills & Boon and (more recently) 50 Shades, Clare is a romance devotee. She first turned her hand to penning a novel at fifteen (if memory serves, it was something about a glamorous fashion model who fell foul of a high-end designer. Sparks flew, clothes flew faster, and love was born.)
Clare has a small family and a bungalow near the sea. When she isn't chasing after energetic little toddlers, or wiping fingerprints off furniture, she's writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she were writing.
Clare Connelly grew up in a small country town in Australia. Surrounded by rainforests, and rickety old timber houses, magic was thick in the air, and stories and storytelling were a huge part of her childhood.
From early on in life, Clare realised her favourite books were romance stories, and read voraciously. Anything from Jane Austen to Georgette Heyer, to Mills & Boon and (more recently) 50 Shades, Clare is a romance devotee. She first turned her hand to penning a novel at fifteen (if memory serves, it was something about a glamorous fashion model who fell foul of a high-end designer. Sparks flew, clothes flew faster, and love was born.)
Clare has a small family and a bungalow near the sea. When she isn't chasing after energetic little toddlers, or wiping fingerprints off furniture, she's writing, thinking about writing, or wishing she were writing.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 9, 2022
It's been weeks since the last time I read a book. So I told myself to stop being lazy and decided to pick this one. Well, I honestly don't know if I like it or not. I mean, I do like it, but I think it's not enough to give it more than 2 stars. Many things in the book weren't clear, and I think they weren't resolved properly. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed this book, and I do like the hero. I might disagree with how he handled things, but he really loved his wife and still loves her.
September 25, 2022
Side note....heroine had a lover after the divorce from her husband. She was on the whiny side.
Liked the hero..I believed he truly loved the heroine and was celibate after the divorce...he put her above everything and was always on the lookout for her safety.
Liked the hero..I believed he truly loved the heroine and was celibate after the divorce...he put her above everything and was always on the lookout for her safety.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2015
I spend a good majority of this book rolling my eyes at how utterly implausible it sounded, a young virgin bride orphaned and brought up in a children's home marries and very wealthy extremely good looking Italian, who just so happens to be the son of a mafia boss in Italy the man who killed the heroines Father, although we never learn more than that including who her mother is and what happened to her and the heroine doesnt too interested to find out.
Divorced from her Roman God of a husband Jane lives a lonely life in London living of the money she earned in the divorce, her only friend her neighbour Lis she finds her when an unknown assailant hits her across the head with an heavy object (apparently trying to kill her)
Set the scene now for the ex to walk back in and sweep her off her feet and take her back to the safety of Rome, where they lived as a married couple, when she spent a miserable year being ignored and taken for granted by her husband, who she also believes cheated on her.
We hear about an Alessandra who managed to outsiders of his fidelity in her head but we never actually see her she is left as a memory summoned upon a couple of times and really that brings nothing to the story line.
What I find idiotic about this story is the fact they story line seemed so forced why would, the cousin of the hero be after revenge with him for the murder of his own father at the hands of his uncle (the hero's father) if the hero left home as a child detached himself from the criminal way of life, then to pay back the uncle decide what better way for revenge than to kidnap and murder the ex wife of his cousin, the estranged son of the uncle he hated so much, the man had never met her why would it affect him, how is this revenge.
If I am honest the worst kind of hitman ever bludgeoning someone over the head, then kidnapping someone in broad daylight in busy Rome and from what I could understand try to strange her in view of everyone (and this no one notices).
I am completely over hero's who are so devastatingly gorgeous that no women can keep their eyes and hands off them, damaged emotionally by someone in their past they don't believe or want to love and I am so through with heroines that seem to have no self respect, self control or intelligence it is boring and bland.
The story had promise but it didn't fulfil that promise.
Divorced from her Roman God of a husband Jane lives a lonely life in London living of the money she earned in the divorce, her only friend her neighbour Lis she finds her when an unknown assailant hits her across the head with an heavy object (apparently trying to kill her)
Set the scene now for the ex to walk back in and sweep her off her feet and take her back to the safety of Rome, where they lived as a married couple, when she spent a miserable year being ignored and taken for granted by her husband, who she also believes cheated on her.
We hear about an Alessandra who managed to outsiders of his fidelity in her head but we never actually see her she is left as a memory summoned upon a couple of times and really that brings nothing to the story line.
What I find idiotic about this story is the fact they story line seemed so forced why would, the cousin of the hero be after revenge with him for the murder of his own father at the hands of his uncle (the hero's father) if the hero left home as a child detached himself from the criminal way of life, then to pay back the uncle decide what better way for revenge than to kidnap and murder the ex wife of his cousin, the estranged son of the uncle he hated so much, the man had never met her why would it affect him, how is this revenge.
If I am honest the worst kind of hitman ever bludgeoning someone over the head, then kidnapping someone in broad daylight in busy Rome and from what I could understand try to strange her in view of everyone (and this no one notices).
I am completely over hero's who are so devastatingly gorgeous that no women can keep their eyes and hands off them, damaged emotionally by someone in their past they don't believe or want to love and I am so through with heroines that seem to have no self respect, self control or intelligence it is boring and bland.
The story had promise but it didn't fulfil that promise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2018
Jane Lang was 19 when she was approached by a 29 y/o Carlo Santini who seduced her into marriage. A miserable year of him ignoring her except at night when they had sex, so she demanded divorce. 3 years later, she was attacked at London. Carlo came and demanded to take care of her. They had sex again and she told him about her miscarriage after their divorce. Liz her neighbor, was a bodyguard hired by Carlo to look after her at London. He was furious when she told him she had sex with a man a year after their divorce. She was mad at him and left. She was kidnapped by Carlo’s cousin who wanted to seek revenge because Carlo’s father killed his father. With the self defense moves taught by Liz, Jane managed to knocked her kidnapper. Carlo begged her forgiveness and told her why he married her. It’s to atone his father’s sin who killed her father. But he really fell in love with her. She cannot trust him and 3 weeks later, she sold her house at London to start anew. But she found out that she was pregnant, so she called Carlo. He was disheveled and broken. He begged her again to start new of their relationship and she gave him another chance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2018
These books are similar to Mills and Boon's but without the hero being so cruel. It's a second chance story.
This story is full of misunderstandings. What it refreshing is the hero really loved his wife from the start but he neglected her so she felt lonely and didn't believe him. There were reasons why he acted the way he did and due to a lack of communication partly due to her youth, their relationship fell apart.
I enjoyed it, it had angst but was not cruel and vindictive. You do have the virgin girl who can't resist him aspect but otherwise it's good.
This story is full of misunderstandings. What it refreshing is the hero really loved his wife from the start but he neglected her so she felt lonely and didn't believe him. There were reasons why he acted the way he did and due to a lack of communication partly due to her youth, their relationship fell apart.
I enjoyed it, it had angst but was not cruel and vindictive. You do have the virgin girl who can't resist him aspect but otherwise it's good.
April 12, 2021
This was a different story. It is a very short book, and sometimes facts are a little confused and not very well explained, anyway there's a big secret/ misunderstanding. The hero is the son of a mob boss who run away when he was 12 because he didn't want to be like his evil father. He became a successful businessman and met the heroine, who was the daughter of one of his father's victim and fell in love with her. They got married but he always left her alone and went out to events without her. She thought he was tired of her and had other women, and one of their friend, a woman he had an affair years before, jealous of her, told her he was having other women, so she left him and asked for a divorce. Years later she's attacked and hurt and he takes her to his home because he thinks she's been targeted by one of his father's enemy (in fact it was his cousin) Anyway during this time they speak to each other and he reveals his past and tells her he left her home alone because he only wanted to protect her from his enemies and he was afraid for her safety. Then when he finds out she had a lover when they were estranged he is furious and she leaves him. Eventually she finds out she's pregnant and accepts to be with him again. Some facts are not clear: he is jealous of her one partner after they were divorced, does that mean he was faithful to her even after the divorce? Because in the beginning it seems that he had several affairs when they were divorced, but when they have sex the first time he tells her he waited for so long to be with her, so is it a double standard or not? And anyway they were divorced and not only separated, so she was free to be with all the men she liked. Then the Alessandra woman, an ex lover of him, where was she? Why did he allowed her to be "friend" to his wife? And then the miscarriage after she left him the first time had little sense. Was it to add some angst? Then again, he tells her he always loved her so why instead of letting her go away he didn't try to save their marriage? Anyway I liked the book, a quick and entertaining reading.
January 2, 2023
This had a lot more depth than these books usually do. The H, Carlo, was fairly typical for HP-esque hero. He’s pushy and acted without all the facts at times. However, he was wimpy for not trying harder to keep h either time she left and his whole pushing her away for her own good bullshit was nauseating.
This h had more backbone than most HP-esque heroines but still melted for h physically nearly every time he touched her. Only once did she push him away when he got physical.
I know this isn’t a Harlequin Presents book but this author does write those books and this book falls very much in line with that style.
H was obviously and predictably a manwhore before h. I do believe he didn’t cheat on her despite her belief he did. She was being manipulated by a jealous OW. All those parts are told as recollections. We never see this catty OW in real time.
What is left intentionally vague is if he banged OW during the 3 year separation. We shockingly learn h had one intimate partner (once) during their separation. This inspires intense jealousy from H. The h never asks him about his time during their separation and he never offers. I would have liked this more if he’d screamed from the mountain top he’d been celibate but since it’s not addressed I assume he was back to his manwhoring ways.
This h had more backbone than most HP-esque heroines but still melted for h physically nearly every time he touched her. Only once did she push him away when he got physical.
I know this isn’t a Harlequin Presents book but this author does write those books and this book falls very much in line with that style.
H was obviously and predictably a manwhore before h. I do believe he didn’t cheat on her despite her belief he did. She was being manipulated by a jealous OW. All those parts are told as recollections. We never see this catty OW in real time.
What is left intentionally vague is if he banged OW during the 3 year separation. We shockingly learn h had one intimate partner (once) during their separation. This inspires intense jealousy from H. The h never asks him about his time during their separation and he never offers. I would have liked this more if he’d screamed from the mountain top he’d been celibate but since it’s not addressed I assume he was back to his manwhoring ways.
March 20, 2024
Was to shallow. We get in the middle of their story . we get pieces of their lives from before but that's it. The explanation , though real ,was a pathetic excuse . Why marry her if you were going to tear her apart? We get no in-depth view of these two people .He married her treated her like a goddess then took her to his home where he proceeded to ghost her ,go out without her basically had a life ,A WHOLE life that she wasn't even a part of in passing. She just stagnated. He sends an ex lover to .......befriend bride . Destruction I was told but not shown .This could have been a very good 5 star book .Except I felt nothing. Not even for her miscarriage ,him leaving her to go out to parties ,being pictured with other woman hanging on him ...bla bla bla bla bla bla. Even the danger was glossed over and obviously very easy to upset mafia man's plan to kidnap you by beating them up ....yea right
2 stars Caus I was hoping for sparks all over but got a prank hand buzzer joint instead. But I finished it .
2 stars Caus I was hoping for sparks all over but got a prank hand buzzer joint instead. But I finished it .
October 26, 2024
Pretty good
Slight spoiler. This was a pretty good book. I liked that the author had a good flow between scenes, dialogue, and thought life. The author portrayed this couple as having a special bond between them so it was disappointing that the lead female had an encounter while they were apart. I get most authors want to make it seem like women can be liberated but sometimes characters come together and apart but are so entwined no one less has a chance. Realistic? No but it sometimes makes a story better. These seemed to be that couple but that's just me. It was still a good read.
Slight spoiler. This was a pretty good book. I liked that the author had a good flow between scenes, dialogue, and thought life. The author portrayed this couple as having a special bond between them so it was disappointing that the lead female had an encounter while they were apart. I get most authors want to make it seem like women can be liberated but sometimes characters come together and apart but are so entwined no one less has a chance. Realistic? No but it sometimes makes a story better. These seemed to be that couple but that's just me. It was still a good read.
July 20, 2018
The Italian's Innocent Bride
In this story he had to keep himself in control. Due to his families corruption. He married her but found out that she was too young and precious to him. She left when she figured he didn't really care for her. But after she was attacked he came back and took her back to his compound. In order to keep her safe. But will all be the same of a or will he be able to open up to her?
In this story he had to keep himself in control. Due to his families corruption. He married her but found out that she was too young and precious to him. She left when she figured he didn't really care for her. But after she was attacked he came back and took her back to his compound. In order to keep her safe. But will all be the same of a or will he be able to open up to her?
March 19, 2023
Liked it but...
...as is characteristic of the author's tales, a lot of editing needs to be done. Intimacy kept them together until it didn't. He thought it was enough that he kept her safe; she wanted a real family. Years apart don't ease the reason for his actions. Someone is lurking in the shadows, intent on hurting her. He will keep her safe no matter what, even from the family she doesn't know he has. Steamy AF and a good story.
...as is characteristic of the author's tales, a lot of editing needs to be done. Intimacy kept them together until it didn't. He thought it was enough that he kept her safe; she wanted a real family. Years apart don't ease the reason for his actions. Someone is lurking in the shadows, intent on hurting her. He will keep her safe no matter what, even from the family she doesn't know he has. Steamy AF and a good story.
December 15, 2022
Beautiful!
Why do men think that women needs protection all the time? I have never understood this. Worrying for someone is understandable but making decisions on behalf of someone thinking it is best for them is ridiculous.
Women need love and honesty, we can protect ourselves.
Loved this story. It's beautifully written.
Why do men think that women needs protection all the time? I have never understood this. Worrying for someone is understandable but making decisions on behalf of someone thinking it is best for them is ridiculous.
Women need love and honesty, we can protect ourselves.
Loved this story. It's beautifully written.
April 23, 2018
The Italian’s Innocent Bride
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the story line was good. I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the story line was good. I couldn’t put this book down until I finished it.
August 12, 2019
Love
Love and lies always make for a angst filled story. Clare gives us just that wish Carlo and Janes story. Filled with secrets and hurt can they over come? Well worth the read.
Love and lies always make for a angst filled story. Clare gives us just that wish Carlo and Janes story. Filled with secrets and hurt can they over come? Well worth the read.
January 8, 2020
Really Cute
Really enjoyed this. I am always looking for story lines similar to The Unwanted Wife. This had that feel. Thank you for the story.
Really enjoyed this. I am always looking for story lines similar to The Unwanted Wife. This had that feel. Thank you for the story.
Want to read
May 16, 2022🎁 Part of Summer Beach Reads anthology which is FREE on Amazon today (5/15/2022)! 🎁
January 4, 2016
Good book
This was a good book to read. I liked the characters and their story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
This was a good book to read. I liked the characters and their story. I cannot wait to read more from this author.
July 2, 2015
Long winded
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews