Di Sione's Innocent Conquest

The Billionaire's Legacy #1

by Carol Marinelli

"Matteo, I want that necklace. Whatever it takes, find it and bring it to me." 

Prickly, buttoned-up racing team owner Abby Ellison isn't legendary playboy Matteo Di Sione's type. But Abby has something he needs—a necklace prized by his grandfather—and where his lethal charm doesn't work, sponsorship of her team does! 

As they travel from Dubai to Monte Carlo to Brazil, Matteo thrives on the thrill of the racing world and the surprising allure of innocent Abby. But when he discovers the secret that drives Abby's ambition, Matteo realises he can't just take the necklace and walk away…

Genres: Harlequin, Harlequin Presents, Romance, Contemporary Romance, Audiobook

240 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 16, 2016

About the author

Carol Marinelli was born in England to Scottish parents, then emigrated to Australia, where there are loads of Scottish and English people who did exactly the same, so she’s very at home there.

She lives in the outer suburbs of Melbourne—pretty much in her car, driving her three children to their various commitments.

Carol writes for the Harlequin Presents and Medical lines and she also writes contemporary women's fiction (with a dark twist).
When she's not writing she's reading, when she's not reading she's writing.

Reviews

[StMargarets · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trigger warning: Rape discussion.

This is a courtship story between two damaged H/hs. They meet because of the hero's grandfather's Horcrux hunt need to be reunited with his seven "Lost Mistresses" before he dies of cancer. The lost mistresses are objects - the first one is a emerald necklace owned by the heroine's father. Thankfully, there are seven damaged grandchildren to seek out each object and have a romance.

The plot is straightforward. The hero is the youngest child of two drug addled, rich parents who died when he was five. He was the neglected poor little rich boy. Now he's a hedge fund manager who loves risk and knows he will never marry or have children because he is just like his father.

Heroine lost her mother at 15 and her father is a politician. She is the owner of a racing team and has a degree in engineering. After a date went wrong, she was violently raped 9 years before by a driver from a rival team. The creep added to her humiliation (warning: trigger) by urinating on her. For nine years he's been playing mind games with her because he got away with it and he knows it. Her father was no help at the time and told her it was her fault for being in his hotel room. And even though her father knows about the rape, he still keeps a photo of her and the driver on his wall, because he was her only boyfriend and he doesn't want people to think his daughter is a lesbian. It's pretty sick.

In a bid to obtain the necklace, the hero meets the heroine and is introduced to the thrills of car races. The hero ends up sponsoring the heroine's racing team. He tries not to get involved with the heroine, but after she has a panic attack when her rapist has a violent tantrum, the hero steps up.

There's a line early in the story where the grandfather contemplates that the hero may be a risk taker, but he is ultimately a kind person. That characteristic comes shining through in subsequent scenes. He really is a kind hero and just what the heroine needs.

What I didn't like in this story was how the rapist was handled. Yes, he lost the race and the hero beat him up - but he really needed to go to jail. The heroine can't have been his only victim.

The hero's about face on marriage was abrupt, but it didn't feel unexpected. The author didn't show the hero as a womanizer and his thoughts about woman in general and the heroine in particular were always respectful - thank goodness. The rapist and her father were evil enough without the hero having issues.

I found the rapist story thread to be very disturbing and a bit too realistic for an HP. I'm still depressed for the heroine having to deal with that scum and her father for so long. I liked the hero in this one - flawed as he was.

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't read Harlequin Presents with non virginal heroines and especially when heroine has been so cruelly abused by her ex. Disgusting and gross.

Oh and the title is very misleading. I mean "innocent?" Good thing I am not a fan of this author.

[Sarah Mac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the concept, but this felt more like a draft than a finished product. Often in modern HP it’s a lack of plot that drives me crazy, but that wasn’t the issue here; there was plenty to work with in what should have been an intensely romantic vision of hurt/comfort & sexual healing. Instead it’s the wooden characters, lackluster emoting and/or abrupt jumps in thought, & herky-jerky pacing that ruin the book, leading to an equally wooden, lackluster read—truly wasted potential.

Another bugaboo: the prose felt super basic with mostly one-sentence paragraphs, which drives me absolutely batty. Seriously, y’all—I don’t expect HPs to be Charles Dickens with whole-page paragraphs, but c’mon. 🙈 I’d estimate 80% were single sentence paragraphs, with another 15% two-sentences, while most of the remainder—that final puny 5%—were in the sex scenes. Authors, please…don’t write this way. Show the same assumption of audience attention for non-intimacy as for nipples & peens. 🙄

2/2.5 stars. It was better than my previous Marinelli, but still not great. I’m beginning to suspect this author just isn’t for me. 🤔

[Daisy Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its not right to say I enjoyed this book because it has some pretty tough stuff in it but I thought it was really well done and I surprisingly liked both characters.
The h has had a bad time of it as she was sadly raped by a man who never got his comeuppance due to her father being a massive tool. She is our for a legitimate revenge by beating his butt on the racetrack.
The H has also had a crap time of it but due to crappy parenting skills rather than attack so he spends his time and money having a lot of fun and womanising. It doesn't make him a bad guy though hes still a great H for 97% of the time. His failing is he went all 10 things I hate about you on her and lied about why he met her (He wants a necklace her dad owns and if he gets her to a party he can have it).
The h has an awakening in that she moves on from what that horrible excuse of a man did to her because of the H. Sure in real life she would need a to of therapy too but the H is solid, doesn't put any pressure on her at all and is actually rather lovely and supportive of her and she tells him pretty early on what happened to her.
Although I don't condone violence I actually loved that the H specifically went to LA to punch her ex and got in a proper ding dong with him resulting in the H receiving a chipped tooth along with a fair few bruises. Must be a first a H having a fight and receiving more than superficial injuries.
The H was a fun gut and the plot engaging I liked that they were aware that while in Dubai public displays earn you prison time esp if you aren't married and that real locations were used. Nothing worse than a HP making up its own countries and laws.
Defo some triggers here and the H should have punched her dad too. Hope we see these 2 in later books in the series.

[Beyond the Pages with Eva K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di Sione's Innocent Conquest was an unusual and complicated romance that quite simply worked. I liked this story.

Events in the female protagonist's past were not pretty. She grew up with family dysfunction, she was the victim of rape and she experienced an emotional betrayal that should never have happened. Despite that, she was still standing. This character had drive, passion, intelligence, and ambition. She was also haunted, vulnerable, and broken, in a sense. When she met Di Sione, a spark was fired in her, and suddenly these two friends set a course for forever.

Di Sione was gritty, good, and downright sexy. I liked this guy. He was raw but real. He was fiercely driven when it came to pursuing his passions. But he was so gentle and attentive to Abby. He stood up for her when and where it counted. He was an honorable despite what others believed about him.

Hunter was a world-class wimp and a narcissistic punk. He was a coward who got everything he deserved.

Pedro was gold. I'm glad that he and Abby had such a good relationship.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: Adult
Status: M
Chemistry/Intensity: Yes
Conflict/Drama: Yes
Humor/Wit: Yes
Family Dysfunction: Yes
HEA: Yes

Source: NetGalley

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do love a good mini series and this is book one in The Billionaire's Legacy and it starts with an emotional sensual all round fabulous story this one is going to keep you turning the pages.

Matteo Di Sione is the youngest of the Di Sione children who were bought up by their grandfather Giovanni after the tragic deaths of their parents Matteo was only five years old at the time and was pretty much left to fend for himself never understanding why so he has grown into a strong independent wealthy business man who is determined to stay single he leads a wild and sometimes dangerous life but he does care. When Matteo is summoned to his grandfather's residence the news is not good and Giovanni asks Matteo to reclaim something that means a lot to him one of his "Lost Mistresses" this brings Matteo in contact with the beautiful and defiant Abby Ellison and this will change Matteo's life in such a good way.

Abby Ellison is a thorn in her father's side instead of being the lady of fashion she is an engineer and runs a car racing team one that is struggling badly she lost her mother when she was young and her older sister is the apple of her hard father's eye but Abby is out spoken and determined to live her life the way she wants and although very innocent things have happened to Abby to help make her this way her father has offered to help the team on one condition and Abby is not giving in to him although when she meets Matteo things are going to change.

There is such a spark when Matteo and Abby meet but there is also so much in their way to see straight away what they mean to each other. This really is a face paced sensual sizzling emotional beautiful story that will pull at your heart strings it will bring you to tears but also have you smiling the banter between Matteo and Abby is fabulous. I highly recommend this one it is moving and so very sensual as Matteo and Abby journey such a an emotional path to an awesome HEA. I do look forward to the next one in this series.

[LadyTechie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di Sione's Innocent Conquest has a really good message. I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say I like the way the some very serious and sensitive topics were handled by the author. Abby is the daughter of wealthy parents. Her mom has passed and she is not close to her sister or her father. Her father's attitude towards her and her past is ridiculous but, it gives a good glimpse into the hero's character. Matteo also is from a wealthy family based in Long Island. He has 6 siblings to whom he is pretty close, but, his relationship with his grandfather is distant. Matteo and his siblings have had a great upbringing, however, they lost their parents when Matteo was 5 years old and his relationship now with his grandfather is a direct reflection upon how his grandfather has treated him over the years. It is a great part of the story. His grandfather is ill and he wants Matteo to find a necklace he had a special name for many years ago. He sold it many years ago and wants to have it back. Matteo tracks it to Abby's father. He meets with him and offers a great deal of money which the current owner is not interested in, however, he is interested in getting Matteo's help convincing his daughter to attend a party he has planned. Abby has no desire to attend the party. She is more interested in getting her car racing crew off the ground. She is scheduled for a big race but she does not have enough funds to take the extra step they need. She has a great driver and a backer would go a long way towards allowing her to focus more on the race and less on the finances and ego of her driver. Abby's father agrees to give Matteo the necklace if he steps in and gets Abby to attend the party. These kinds of deals can only go wrong, especially when Abby has a hard time trusting people. It is a great beginning of a story Arc about the Di Siones.

[Julie (Let's Read Good Books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75-3 stars

I feel that this author's writing style is very dry and that keeps the protagonists at arms length. I never really get to know their inner thoughts and feelings, and instead of feeling the characters' emotions, I am told what they are. I didn't care for that. I also thought Matteo was a selfish, spoiled rich kid who was using his parents' failures as an excuse for his bad behavior. I did enjoy the racing bits, and wish there had been more of that.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good romance that deals with the racing world. I liked Matteo and Abby, who is a racing team owner. Good locations, depth. I liked reading about the racing world. I felt sorry for Abby because of her abusive ex. I like stories that deal with heroines that have problems, fight the odds, and become stronger women.

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book of a series. It read as a standalone. It ended with no cliffhangers. I hate books that leave you hanging. I'm glad this book was not like that.

Matteo's was raised by his grandfather after his parents died. His grandfather is not doing well, and has one request. He wants Matteo to find a necklace that he once owned, and to get it back from him. Matteo has found the necklace. It belongs to Abby. She is part of a race team. The team itself is doing great, but needs more funds to continue to race. Matteo becomes the team sponsor. The two started falling for one another. This was a really sweet book. Some very sensitive topics was talked about throughout the book. This is one of those books that pulls at your heart strings at times, and other times makes you so mad, you want to hurt the person that once hurt Abby. Excellent book. I really liked both the hero, and heroine.

[atomickitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I didn't love it but I did like it.

I am too tired for a review but I'll say that it was a perfect read (I had the audiobook) for a few hours of cleaning.
I love me a good harlequin with a great heroine.

I only wish the hero was more possessive and realised his feelings earlier lol.
Oh, and Hunter, the evil ex deserved to have his sausage chopped off and it's a pity he didn't.

But still, a really nice read.

I'm rounding it up because I loooooved the heroine, it was soooo refreshing to see a smart girl with a passion for cars and the brains for car engines.

[Heather andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matteo is one of those men who doesn't hold anything back, and he spits things out of his mouth without thinking, ‘I couldn’t get it up.’ He was so crude and yet he made her laugh. ‘I didn’t even try,’ he admitted and then, because he was holding her, because they had missed each other, for even as his mouth moved to hers Abby was reaching for him and they kissed intensely...' Matteo could be a hard man, hiding his feeling but in the end he was a good guy.

[Loata93 · Rating 1 out of 5]

wtf? When I read these I expect a certain degree of drama but recently the MBs coming out in 2016 are so friggin dark. The h is raped by an ex and peed on in his hotel bathroom!!!!!!!!!!!!As soon as I read that I was like 'I'm out, nope, hell no, NO!' I don't know man....even the beginning was a bit off with the Hs background story...there's drama and then there's DRAMA and it just seems too much packed in to one so I'm giving this a 1.

[L H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book as the H's personality is different than most I read.
And there were some good hot scenes in that book!

[Brigitte Alouqua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorsque j’ai lu le prequel, je me doutais que cette saga serait remplie d’émotions. Je peux maintenant dire qu’avec le premier tome, c’est entièrement le cas.

Giovanni Di Sione demande à un de ses petits-fils de retrouver un de ses trésors perdus, pour Matteo, se sera un magnifique collier d’une valeur inestimable. Nous ne savons pas encore pourquoi il tient absolument à retrouver ce collier, ainsi que les autres trésors perdus, mais en tout cas, il veut absolument les retrouver avant de mourir.

Le fameux collier a changé de propriétaire depuis que Giovanni l’avait vendu, il appartient maintenant à la famille Ellison. Matteo va donc devoir faire le nécessaire auprès de cette famille pour pouvoir ramener le bijou à son grand-père.

En se rendant dans la demeure de cette famille, il va rencontrer le patriarche et lui faire une proposition de rachat, que celui-ci refuse malheureusement. En fait, le bijou, c’est un cadeau qu’il avait offert à sa défunte femme. Mais il va néanmoins faire une proposition à Matteo, une étrange proposition. Il va lui donner un délai de quelques mois pour que celui-ci fasse qu’une de ses filles soit présente lors d’une soirée qu’il organise, elle devra être présente avec le collier, et celui-ci sera à lui s’il y parvient.

Matteo est amateur de défi, c’est un homme un peu le genre tête brûlée, qui se fait souvent remarquer, et pas spécialement dans le bon sens du terme. Une des plus grandes promesses qu’il s’est faite, c’est de ne pas avoir de relation durable avec une femme.

Abby, la femme qu’il doit convaincre, est une jeune femme qui a créé sa propre écurie de courses automobiles, elle a un caractère bien trempé, mais cache une souffrance au fond d’elle. Elle semble forte aux premiers abords, mais en creusant un peu, on comprend très vite que c’est loin d’être le cas.

Matteo va donc se présenter à elle en tant que possible sponsor pour son écurie, lui qui n’aime pas les voitures de courses, elle qui ne comprend pas qu’un éventuel sponsor puisse s’intéresser à sa jeune écurie qui ne fait pas franchement des étincelles.

Leur rencontre va nous donner quelques retournements de situation, des révélations sur le passé de chacun, des émotions en pagaille.

Je suis maintenant certaine que cette saga va me retourner émotionnellement, mais que je vais adorer cela 😊

Nous verrons dans le prochain tome, ce que nous réserve Allégra, et quel sera le trésor perdu qu’elle sera chargée de retrouver.

Une saga que vous ne pouvez manquer si vous aimez les histoires pleines de secrets et d’émotions.

[Lu Bielefeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐⭐ - Meh!
============
Legados do Amor 1 de 4 (Harlequin Jessica Minissérie) (Marinelli, Carol) portuguese edition

Sem dúvida, o pai não se lembraria quem era a mulher, ao passo que Matteo sempre sabia o nome das amantes. A de sábado à noite, Lacey, era um espetáculo. Ele adorava mulheres.

Matteo sempre deixava claro sua intenção de só manter relacionamentos passageiros; seu único objetivo era o prazer, a diversão. Nunca ficara com alguém por tempo suficiente para trair quem quer que fosse.

Chegara a Dubai três dias antes e se divertira um bocado. No primeiro, fora a uma festa de boas-vindas no iate do amigo, o sheik Kedah.

E quando acabou, ela se encontrava deitada no chão frio do banheiro, sentindo-se doída por dentro e por fora. Hunter levantou e urinou em cima dela. Para humilhá-la ainda mais. Não mais.

HUNTER OBSERVOU os dois. Ao saltar do carro, viu a mulher que havia deixado, anos atrás, sangrando e machucada no piso de mármore do banheiro e em quem urinara, parecendo feliz e livre.

ELE NÃO telefonou. Ela não esperava outra atitude. Matteo era especialista em estabelecer limites, e o fato de nunca ter relacionamentos era a maior prova disso. De alguma forma, tinha de aceitar o fato. A vida seguia.

Assim que entrou no saguão, deu de cara com Matteo e Kedah, os dois parecendo playboys saindo para a balada.

Matteo, barbeado, de terno, exibia aquele brilho arrogante no olhar. Abby tinha plena consciência de que ele exerceria seu pleno direito de se esbaldar com uma mulher.

[mcb1180 · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Spoiler***
I don’t read Harlequin romance novels for their literary genius, but I do expect them to make a certain amount of sense.
I found Abby's reaction to Matteo's deception rather ridiculous. She was angry he made a deal with her father before ever meeting her, and not really being interested in her team before then. Yet he never once mentioned her father's party or tried to convince her to go to it. In fact each time it was mentioned it was by her and he was in no way leading her towards, he actually told her to attend the industry party in California instead.
Add to that, when he approached her even though she was rude and dismissive, he still backed her team. Why she would expect someone to be interested in backing her even though she was quite unprofessional prior to their first dinner, I have no idea, yet she was. Yet she was, despite knowing that without a sponsor to back them after Dubai they had no way to make it to Milan, no matter how they placed in the race. Not to mention he more than provided what they needed in a sponsor
Also she was too stupid to listen to the entire conversation before storming into her father’s office to confront the two of them. Instead jumping to conclusions, throwing around accusations, and running off into the night, only to spend the night crying. Then what does the little idiot do, but spend her time trying to call Matteo to apologize and say she now wanted to hear his side of the story.
I’m a stickler for endings and this one really left me irritated, enough to have me actually write a review, which is rare for me, and only done when a book makes a strong impression one way or another.

[Monica Cardoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great introduction to the Di Sione’s series and was able to get a small insight into the family. The importance of the jewels that their grandfather seems for them to find. Matteo De Sione is the first member of the family to get the request to find a necklace. But what he doesn’t seem to know is that he is going to fall in love with a woman that is the total opposite of the women he goes out with. Abby Ellison is going to change him but in the end she is going to overcome her insecurities. Her story is sad and I hate what happened to her. I am glad that she felt comfortable enough to let Matteo know what happened that night. But that is not it Matteo also needs to talk with his grandfather on why he was treated differently. They will have a long talk and settle family matters. Matteo and Abby are going to go through some rough patches in order for them to be happy and in the end happiness happened.

Di Sione’s Innocent Conquest was a great read. This was the first read I have read by this author. I loved her writing style. The chemistry between these two characters was sizzling, it was sensual. I can’t wait to read the third book in this series.

[Dj · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Matteo, I want that Lady Mistresses necklace. Whatever it takes, find it and bring it to me." Prickly, buttoned-up (racing team owner) Abby Ellison isn't legendary playboy Matteo Di Sione's type. But Abby has something he needs—a necklace prized by his grandfather—and where his lethal charm doesn't work, sponsorship of her team does! Her father wants him to convince her to come home, wearing the necklace, and he doesn’t have to pay, the necklace is his! As they travel from Dubai to Monte Carlo to Brazil, Matteo thrives on the thrill of the racing world and the surprising allure of innocent Abby. But when he discovers the secret that drives Abby's ambition, Matteo realizes he can't just take the necklace and walk away…

Not racing fan, but enjoyed the story and their relationship

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do Sione's innocent Conquest

This started out as a favor for his grandfather. Recover one of the Di Sione mistresses. This one happens to be a very valuable necklace. But to get it meant that he has to get her to her father's gala. Along the way he discovers that she has been used and abused by men in her life. Now it seems that he will be added to the list. Can she forgive him?

[Liba · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Carol Marinelli for sending me a signed copy .
Second, there is a mistake in the blurb, mentioning Brazil. The heroes go to Dubai, Milan and Monte Carlo.
Matteo is the youngest in 7 siblings (there is a half-brother, Nate, too -just got his story today).He is wild, a gambler,very much like his late father in looks .Matteo is afraid of riding in a race car, having bad memories from his ride with his father.Matteo and his siblings were raised by their paternal grandfather, Giovanni.Now Giovanni wants Matteo to find and bring him one of his Lost Mistresses- a platinum-and emerald necklace he has sold years ago.
Matteo approaches the necklace owner and accepts a challenge- to bring the owner's daughter, Abby, to a charity event, in a dress and wearing the necklace.
Abby has lost her mother at 15 .She hasn't seen her older sister in years and doesn't get on with her father.She owns a racing car team and plans to win the Henley Cup.She also wants revenge on her ex-boyfriend, the racing ace Hunter.
At first Abby dislikes Matteo and his wildness.Then he becomes the team's sponsor and follows the circuit from Dubai to Italy and Monte Carlo.
In my opinion, both are risk takers , both know loss of a parent.Abby is a mechanical engineer, not your typical female.She lives for her car and her team, but she is no financial genius and here Matteo enters the picture.
We get to meet his friend sheikh Kedah, who also likes wild parties and fast rides.Some of Matteo 's siblings make an appearance/ are mentioned in the book,which is the first in the series of eight,written by different authors. (I got today Natalia's story as well).Looking forward to other books in the series.

[Kiela Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting read

[M. R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

Very enjoyable read especially for those of us with a romantic heart and love a female character that is not following a traditional career path.

[Jesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. Not Carol's best.

[mer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a boring read. The story’s dull. No chemistry between Matteo and Abby. I didn’t enjoy the writing style.

Read: 28/05/2019 - 29/05/2019

[Amie Doughty · Rating 3 out of 5]

American characters who speak in a very British manner. Kind of distracting. Otherwise story was interesting.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the heroine and her profession; it made me want to read more about women in fields dominated by men.

[Misnoawl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.85***

[Mattie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't really like it, Heroine was raped by her ex (7 years before) and apparently he peed on her afterward WTF how is that in a harlequin presents? I didn't really like either hero or heroine. Np.

[Ada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mateo, Mateo