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Riccardo's Secret Child
He wanted to be a father to his child...
Millionaire businessman Riccardo Fabbrini was furious that his child had been kept a secret from him! He blamed his daughter's guardian - the very pretty Julia Nash. And he intnded to use seduction as his revenge! After all, no woman had immunity against the full force of his charm....
But with each searing kiss he shared with Julia, Riccardo's passion drove him to consider a new, more permanent course of action....
185 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2004
20 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Williams
1,329 books201 followersCathy Williams, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is a British author who has written romance novels for Mills & Boon since 1990. She lives in Chiswick, London, with her three daughters and continues to craft engaging, heartfelt love stories.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 15, 2018
It too me forever to finish this book. The characters were tepid. The story was meh. It couldn’t hold my attention at all.
The h meets the H when she tells him that his ex-wife, now deceased, gave birth to his child five years ago. He, of course, doesn’t believe her until he see’s the child for himself.
With his wife no longer available, he takes his anger out on the h. He’s at times cruel to her, referring to has a a little brown sparrow or a little bunny rabbit. The H is a condescending ass.
The h does her best to stay neutral towards the H, but soon finds herself madly attracted to him and fighting for all its worth. That fight didn’t last too long before they find themselves having sexy time in the garden of a nightclub, then finishing off in his car.
In spite of the undeniable sexual attraction, the h does her best to put a stop to her relationship with the H because he wants a fling and she wants luuurve.
In between all of this is the daughter, who is really sweet. The H is really good with her and does all he can to build a relationship with her. Including moving into the h’a house while she’s at work.
He used getting to know his daughter as the excuse to move in, lock, stock and barrel. It makes his daughter so happy to have a dad, but makes the h out of her mind to have him in her space.
The H’s confession of love after showing up on a date the h was on made me all mushy. He fought the love bug but he got bit anyways.
This wasn’t a horrible book, it was just too slow and the characters were not all that exciting. The dialogue between them was not stimulating. They repeated the same thing over and over.
The H was like an overgrown toddler at times. He kept blaming his ex-wife for everything, not taking responsibility for the failure of their marriage. It got tired really fast.
The h meets the H when she tells him that his ex-wife, now deceased, gave birth to his child five years ago. He, of course, doesn’t believe her until he see’s the child for himself.
With his wife no longer available, he takes his anger out on the h. He’s at times cruel to her, referring to has a a little brown sparrow or a little bunny rabbit. The H is a condescending ass.
The h does her best to stay neutral towards the H, but soon finds herself madly attracted to him and fighting for all its worth. That fight didn’t last too long before they find themselves having sexy time in the garden of a nightclub, then finishing off in his car.
In spite of the undeniable sexual attraction, the h does her best to put a stop to her relationship with the H because he wants a fling and she wants luuurve.
In between all of this is the daughter, who is really sweet. The H is really good with her and does all he can to build a relationship with her. Including moving into the h’a house while she’s at work.
He used getting to know his daughter as the excuse to move in, lock, stock and barrel. It makes his daughter so happy to have a dad, but makes the h out of her mind to have him in her space.
The H’s confession of love after showing up on a date the h was on made me all mushy. He fought the love bug but he got bit anyways.
This wasn’t a horrible book, it was just too slow and the characters were not all that exciting. The dialogue between them was not stimulating. They repeated the same thing over and over.
The H was like an overgrown toddler at times. He kept blaming his ex-wife for everything, not taking responsibility for the failure of their marriage. It got tired really fast.
November 9, 2017
The child is not really a secret, as the heroine confronts the hero on Page 1 itself and reveals that he has a child.
His dead ex wife apparently ran off because she found the hero too "male", too sexually over powering. Phew , what a reason to leave the husband for !! She was pregnant when she ran away.
So who's the heroine then. Well, she is the sister of the guy the wife ran off with !
She is a mousy, almost virginal school teacher. Perfectly adhering to the M&B stereotype, so does the hero for that matter. Did I mention that he is Italian and rich , how original !
OK, now comes the most important question. Can the mousy heroine handle the "too hot to handle" male. Duh, of course. She is a sex kitten deep within. But she still does hold out for marriage. And obviously she gets it.
There is a true caveman scene in the end where the hero barges into the girl's date and evicts her date !!
I thought the author could have paid more attention to the character of the child. Nothing endearing, nothing to relate to. Just a series of cliches - drawing, going to the zoo and so on.
3 stars mainly for well written sex scenes.
His dead ex wife apparently ran off because she found the hero too "male", too sexually over powering. Phew , what a reason to leave the husband for !! She was pregnant when she ran away.
So who's the heroine then. Well, she is the sister of the guy the wife ran off with !
She is a mousy, almost virginal school teacher. Perfectly adhering to the M&B stereotype, so does the hero for that matter. Did I mention that he is Italian and rich , how original !
OK, now comes the most important question. Can the mousy heroine handle the "too hot to handle" male. Duh, of course. She is a sex kitten deep within. But she still does hold out for marriage. And obviously she gets it.
There is a true caveman scene in the end where the hero barges into the girl's date and evicts her date !!
I thought the author could have paid more attention to the character of the child. Nothing endearing, nothing to relate to. Just a series of cliches - drawing, going to the zoo and so on.
3 stars mainly for well written sex scenes.
November 16, 2023
Historia simple e inverosímil, los personajes se enamoran en dos días, desde el primer párrafo del libro se nos informa lo rico y atractivo que es el protagonista (puede ser más cliché?). No sé si alguna mujer rubia lee los libros de esta autora porque, siempre las presenta como hermosas pero sin personalidad y siempre siempre son con quien el autor se divierte hasta que encuentra a una mujer "diferente " con una personalidad "fuerte" ( según el libro, porque las protagonista son todo menos fuertes), y son las únicas que en ciertos momentos le dice NO al protagonista.
Algo bueno a destacar finalmente el protagonista no tiene traumas de la infancia que arreglar. Por otro lado no se desarrolla nada el personaje de la hija, tiene 5 años si, pero sólo tiene unas pocas palabras, y ningún tipo de reacción cuando le cuentan la verdad acerca de su verdadero padre. Esta debería ser una parte más desarrollada para darle más profundidad al libro, pero como siempre espero más de lo que una autora mediocre puede dar.
Algo bueno a destacar finalmente el protagonista no tiene traumas de la infancia que arreglar. Por otro lado no se desarrolla nada el personaje de la hija, tiene 5 años si, pero sólo tiene unas pocas palabras, y ningún tipo de reacción cuando le cuentan la verdad acerca de su verdadero padre. Esta debería ser una parte más desarrollada para darle más profundidad al libro, pero como siempre espero más de lo que una autora mediocre puede dar.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2020
This was an ok book. I think my frame of mind isn't how it used to be and these aren't really my scene as much anymore. That, or I've read too many for this decade ... or two. Good characters, written well, plenty of angst and emotions, stubbornness and strength, and a good ending. Great for passing time or just something to read. Good luck.
February 18, 2022
So to gear up for valentine’s day I’m reading through harlequin romances I have lying around. Now personally, I love these because they are all just so dramatic and good for a laugh. This book offered the laughs in spades!
First, this is under harlequin’s expecting series where more of our love-lore heroines are pregnant, but this one isn’t, she just the “auntie”.
Second, you have your classical boy billionaire (with a secretly soft and loving side) a.k.a. our beast, who is told by our sweet and mousy (though secretly feisty and fiery bombshell) a.k.a. our beauty that she has custody of his five-year-old daughter. So you can imagine the drama that ensues.
Third, this book defines all “real” men as cavemen. If you are loud, brash, aggressively confident, pre-historically possessive, and have uncontrollable amounts of jealousy, you are a real man…probably a real Italian man (according to this book it’s all Italian men) and no woman in her right mind could ever withstand you.
In the first chapter there is this line when our beauty meets her beast that goes, “Riccardo leant forward, hands firmly planted on the table so that his eyes were on her level and provided Julia, up close, with a vision if such disconcerting masculinity that she flinched back, an automatic response to his aggressive invasion of her space.” Yep, pretty much sums up the entire book.
I laughed a lot.
First, this is under harlequin’s expecting series where more of our love-lore heroines are pregnant, but this one isn’t, she just the “auntie”.
Second, you have your classical boy billionaire (with a secretly soft and loving side) a.k.a. our beast, who is told by our sweet and mousy (though secretly feisty and fiery bombshell) a.k.a. our beauty that she has custody of his five-year-old daughter. So you can imagine the drama that ensues.
Third, this book defines all “real” men as cavemen. If you are loud, brash, aggressively confident, pre-historically possessive, and have uncontrollable amounts of jealousy, you are a real man…probably a real Italian man (according to this book it’s all Italian men) and no woman in her right mind could ever withstand you.
In the first chapter there is this line when our beauty meets her beast that goes, “Riccardo leant forward, hands firmly planted on the table so that his eyes were on her level and provided Julia, up close, with a vision if such disconcerting masculinity that she flinched back, an automatic response to his aggressive invasion of her space.” Yep, pretty much sums up the entire book.
I laughed a lot.
July 21, 2019
Riccardo is a condescending arrogant ass and a bully.
Sometimes he is like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
I was looking forward to this secret child story as it was a bit different than most. I tried to like this story but i could not get past how much of a jerk this dude was.
Sometimes he is like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
I was looking forward to this secret child story as it was a bit different than most. I tried to like this story but i could not get past how much of a jerk this dude was.
June 2, 2023
Well, I enjoyed the story
Despite the published reviews I decided to try this story and I’m glad I did. Yes, the hero is a total chauvinist who trampled right over the top of the heroine at every opportunity but she gave as good as she got. Worth a read.
Despite the published reviews I decided to try this story and I’m glad I did. Yes, the hero is a total chauvinist who trampled right over the top of the heroine at every opportunity but she gave as good as she got. Worth a read.
November 13, 2012
I didn't find this novel as welcoming as the other secret child novels. In fact I found the hero to be arrogant and overbearing in the worst way possible. He railroaded everything. Not to mention the whole story wasn't too catchy for me.
December 28, 2019
There was not one thing likable about this man. He was rancid from the start and stayed on being an asshole until the very end when he suddenly confessed to being in love. He is a vile sexist ass who should be shot into the sun.
The woman was an idiot.
The woman was an idiot.
February 4, 2016
Yummmm~~~ that's all i can say!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews