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The Italian in Need of an Heir
The tension has never been higher in this dramatic marriage of convenience romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Lynne Graham!He’s negotiating the deal of a lifetime…and everything is at stake!No one rejects Raffaele Manzini. Gorgeous, ruthless and successful, he gets what he wants. But strong-willed math prodigy Maya Campbell is his biggest challenge yet. Because if he’s to acquire the company he most desires, they must marry and have a child…At first, Raffaele’s proposal shocks Maya. But her beloved family is in financial ruin, and this is her chance to save them. Maya’s head might be saying no to the wildly attractive Italian, but her body—and her heart—are saying a very emphatic yes!From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.Read both Cinderella Brides for Billionaires books by Lynne 1 — Cinderella’s Royal SecretBook 2 — The Italian in Need of an Heir
171 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2020
286 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,778 books1,452 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 2, 2020
This is the second novel, in the duology that started with Cinderella's Royal Secret.
The first book had been saccharine gooey sweet, with minimal angst and tension, but in it, the author had hinted that this, the second sister's story, would be more drama filled.
It's unsurprising then, that as a huge Lynne G fan, I'd be racing off to read this the very day it's released...
Maya and Raffaele, are both strong willed and combative MC's with exceptionally high IQ levels. In fact, the heroine's IQ is actually higher than the H's. That's probably the first, for a LG couple, because her heroines usually suffer from dyslexia or experience milder learning disabilities.
In this marriage of convenience trope, Lynne G uses an ancient family feud to bring these MC's together. Raffaele's estranged great grandfather Aldo, who is rumoured to have Mafia connections, is suffering from early onset dementia and has one final wish before he succumbs to Alzheimers: he wants to acquire the Parisi's business empire.
He's spent his entire life trying to buy this business but due to an iron clad clause in a Parisi ancestor's will, there's only one way for this to happen: a male Manzini must marry a female Parisi descendant and produce an heir. The old man knows that the H won't willingly agree to this marriage, unless he sweetens the deal...
The H, who's already a multi billionaire in his own right, is offered up the chance to inherit his estranged grandfather's empire as well as the Parisi's technology firm:
‘And if you want to acquire the other company, which will dovetail perfectly with mine, you marry the beauty. I know that nothing less than a beauty would tempt a man of your...shall we say...appetites?’ Aldo savoured, delighted by the reality that he had contrived to freeze Raffaele in his tracks and that the homework he had done on the nature of his great-grandson had paid off.
It was a well baited trap, that the stone cold H was more than willing to walk into.
♦️ Firstly, he didn't have to stay married to the heroine forever. They could separate as soon as the child was born.
♦️ Secondly, he was bored and desperately in need of a new business challenge.
♦️ Thirdly, the heroine was the most naturally beautiful woman he'd seen and he was looking forward to their sexual relationship:
He didn’t like how she turned him on hard and fast. Such reactions didn’t come naturally to him—at least they never had before with any other woman.
This is the H, Raffaele:
He's not one of Lynne G's conventional H's who are usually attired in bespoke suits, chinos and expensive buttoned down shirts. He's a maverick type of elite billionaire businessman and empire builder, who wears jeans to the office, just because he can.
He was feared, flattered and feted wherever he went. Needless to say, that got tedious.
He's also determined to ensure that, unlike his father, he'll not ever be controlled, henpecked, manipulated and bullied by his wife...
Maya, the heroine, is drowning in debt because her parents are financially incompetent, but lovable, morons. Her father's so optimistically inane, he'd look for a silver lining in a category 7 hurricane cloud. Her mother's so ditzy, she'd flick a fan over her husband's crotch and call that a blow job.
This is the heroine, Maya:
Maya, despite her genius IQ and various high paying jobs, is unable to dig them out of this financial mess...
The MC's clash from the get go, because the heroine's not one of Lynne G's insecure and timid little ingenues. Their battles range from verbal sparring to a scene where she throws milk in his face and onto an anti climactic incident where he stops her from slapping him !
She's also one of few heroines who insist that the H gets his STD test before she sleeps with him. She fights against her desires for him, at first, while he tries to convince himself that their sexual chemistry will burn itself out, so that his life can return to normal.
Despite their conflicts and the minor misunderstandings caused by mutual insecurity and fears of rejection, both MC's bond during their honeymoon and even confide in each other. But everything falls apart when the heroine rejects his comfort, after her miscarriage. She pushes him away but gets angry when he gives her space.
Maya's also, as the H says, an alpha woman. They make quite a sexy couple, because he's all alpha male himself. One of the best scenes in the novel, is when she strolls into the nightclub, dressed up to the nines, sees him surrounded by a triad of bimbos and calmly informs him to get rid of them, before saying:
‘Were you planning to sleep with another woman tonight?’ Maya asked bluntly.
‘No. I still feel way too married to consider any form of infidelity,’ Raffaele admitted with convincing cool. ‘I just couldn’t face staying in tonight, so close to you and yet not being free to touch you. It plays on my nerves.’
It's a rather unusual move for a Lynne G heroine. In the vintage LG era, the heroine would've misinterpreted the scene, rushed off to hide and cry at a cabin in the woods somewhere and not returned until a few years have elapsed. But Maya had no qualms about publicly asserting that this man was hers.
And the H himself affirmed, in case anyone's wondering, that he'd not gone out to the nightclub to pick up another woman:
‘If the “doing something really stupid” involves me going off with other women, that was never a risk. I don’t cheat and I haven’t wanted anyone but you since I first laid eyes on you at that hen party and you pretty much told me to go to hell,’ Raffaele advanced rawly.
Maya and Raffaele are both proud and prickly MC's, who don't yield easily to others. He sees submission as a reversion to his childhood years when he was at the mercy of his abusive, unhinged mother who had even shot his dogs in a fit of anger. Maya's become used to being the alpha female in her family; the genius and chief breadwinner who is expected to solve everyone's problems.
The heroine's tragic miscarriage worked as a plot device to soften both MC's, because each realized that the lost child was more than just a clause in a marriage contract. The H was even shocked at his own sense of loss, because he'd not expected that it would hurt this much. Perhaps the one complaint I have, is the ease with they immediately decided to try again for another baby. In real life, women often need a slightly longer time to mourn.
They got their HEA, obviously, with their 3 kids and a pair of beautiful doggies, named Primo and Luna. The puppies were the heroine's gift to the H; her way of replacing what his mother had destroyed when he was a child. And the H's very simple admission of love, was one that speaks to me, as a dog lover and an eternal romantic, because it's exactly the sort of thing I'd want my man to say:
‘I love you, I’ll love our child and I’ll love our dogs.’
These are the pups, Luna & Primo:
And, Lynne Graham gives the reader a couple of lovely cameo appearances, from the MC's of Cinderella's Royal Secret.
Safety: No OW, no OM, no separation and no cheating.
The first book had been saccharine gooey sweet, with minimal angst and tension, but in it, the author had hinted that this, the second sister's story, would be more drama filled.
It's unsurprising then, that as a huge Lynne G fan, I'd be racing off to read this the very day it's released...
Maya and Raffaele, are both strong willed and combative MC's with exceptionally high IQ levels. In fact, the heroine's IQ is actually higher than the H's. That's probably the first, for a LG couple, because her heroines usually suffer from dyslexia or experience milder learning disabilities.
In this marriage of convenience trope, Lynne G uses an ancient family feud to bring these MC's together. Raffaele's estranged great grandfather Aldo, who is rumoured to have Mafia connections, is suffering from early onset dementia and has one final wish before he succumbs to Alzheimers: he wants to acquire the Parisi's business empire.
He's spent his entire life trying to buy this business but due to an iron clad clause in a Parisi ancestor's will, there's only one way for this to happen: a male Manzini must marry a female Parisi descendant and produce an heir. The old man knows that the H won't willingly agree to this marriage, unless he sweetens the deal...
The H, who's already a multi billionaire in his own right, is offered up the chance to inherit his estranged grandfather's empire as well as the Parisi's technology firm:
‘And if you want to acquire the other company, which will dovetail perfectly with mine, you marry the beauty. I know that nothing less than a beauty would tempt a man of your...shall we say...appetites?’ Aldo savoured, delighted by the reality that he had contrived to freeze Raffaele in his tracks and that the homework he had done on the nature of his great-grandson had paid off.
It was a well baited trap, that the stone cold H was more than willing to walk into.
♦️ Firstly, he didn't have to stay married to the heroine forever. They could separate as soon as the child was born.
♦️ Secondly, he was bored and desperately in need of a new business challenge.
♦️ Thirdly, the heroine was the most naturally beautiful woman he'd seen and he was looking forward to their sexual relationship:
He didn’t like how she turned him on hard and fast. Such reactions didn’t come naturally to him—at least they never had before with any other woman.
This is the H, Raffaele:
He's not one of Lynne G's conventional H's who are usually attired in bespoke suits, chinos and expensive buttoned down shirts. He's a maverick type of elite billionaire businessman and empire builder, who wears jeans to the office, just because he can.
He was feared, flattered and feted wherever he went. Needless to say, that got tedious.
He's also determined to ensure that, unlike his father, he'll not ever be controlled, henpecked, manipulated and bullied by his wife...
Maya, the heroine, is drowning in debt because her parents are financially incompetent, but lovable, morons. Her father's so optimistically inane, he'd look for a silver lining in a category 7 hurricane cloud. Her mother's so ditzy, she'd flick a fan over her husband's crotch and call that a blow job.
This is the heroine, Maya:
Maya, despite her genius IQ and various high paying jobs, is unable to dig them out of this financial mess...
The MC's clash from the get go, because the heroine's not one of Lynne G's insecure and timid little ingenues. Their battles range from verbal sparring to a scene where she throws milk in his face and onto an anti climactic incident where he stops her from slapping him !
She's also one of few heroines who insist that the H gets his STD test before she sleeps with him. She fights against her desires for him, at first, while he tries to convince himself that their sexual chemistry will burn itself out, so that his life can return to normal.
Despite their conflicts and the minor misunderstandings caused by mutual insecurity and fears of rejection, both MC's bond during their honeymoon and even confide in each other. But everything falls apart when the heroine rejects his comfort, after her miscarriage. She pushes him away but gets angry when he gives her space.
Maya's also, as the H says, an alpha woman. They make quite a sexy couple, because he's all alpha male himself. One of the best scenes in the novel, is when she strolls into the nightclub, dressed up to the nines, sees him surrounded by a triad of bimbos and calmly informs him to get rid of them, before saying:
‘Were you planning to sleep with another woman tonight?’ Maya asked bluntly.
‘No. I still feel way too married to consider any form of infidelity,’ Raffaele admitted with convincing cool. ‘I just couldn’t face staying in tonight, so close to you and yet not being free to touch you. It plays on my nerves.’
It's a rather unusual move for a Lynne G heroine. In the vintage LG era, the heroine would've misinterpreted the scene, rushed off to hide and cry at a cabin in the woods somewhere and not returned until a few years have elapsed. But Maya had no qualms about publicly asserting that this man was hers.
And the H himself affirmed, in case anyone's wondering, that he'd not gone out to the nightclub to pick up another woman:
‘If the “doing something really stupid” involves me going off with other women, that was never a risk. I don’t cheat and I haven’t wanted anyone but you since I first laid eyes on you at that hen party and you pretty much told me to go to hell,’ Raffaele advanced rawly.
Maya and Raffaele are both proud and prickly MC's, who don't yield easily to others. He sees submission as a reversion to his childhood years when he was at the mercy of his abusive, unhinged mother who had even shot his dogs in a fit of anger. Maya's become used to being the alpha female in her family; the genius and chief breadwinner who is expected to solve everyone's problems.
The heroine's tragic miscarriage worked as a plot device to soften both MC's, because each realized that the lost child was more than just a clause in a marriage contract. The H was even shocked at his own sense of loss, because he'd not expected that it would hurt this much. Perhaps the one complaint I have, is the ease with they immediately decided to try again for another baby. In real life, women often need a slightly longer time to mourn.
They got their HEA, obviously, with their 3 kids and a pair of beautiful doggies, named Primo and Luna. The puppies were the heroine's gift to the H; her way of replacing what his mother had destroyed when he was a child. And the H's very simple admission of love, was one that speaks to me, as a dog lover and an eternal romantic, because it's exactly the sort of thing I'd want my man to say:
‘I love you, I’ll love our child and I’ll love our dogs.’
These are the pups, Luna & Primo:
And, Lynne Graham gives the reader a couple of lovely cameo appearances, from the MC's of Cinderella's Royal Secret.
Safety: No OW, no OM, no separation and no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2020
Very sweet low angst
I really liked the story about a broken playboy being tamed by a math genius. She was a very cute heroine and I really loved the hero. He tried to be an alpha but he wasnt. I liked the open and honest relationship they had. They married so he could take over some companies that he thought would relieve his boredom. From the get go she was a real firecracker. I loved that. She had a backbone and she stood up to him. He had a terrible childhood and I really felt like he was a good man. You could see him falling in love with her and vice versa. I was pretty scared when he went out without her and thought on no, but she followed him and staked her claim. He didn't want anyone else though. Only her. I loved the epilogue five years forward and I liked seeing what a great Father he was. The best scene was when she gave him a special gift of puppies and everyone was worried how he'd react and they looked around and found him rolling on the floor with them. Such a cute scene. I added a star for that scene alone. Really glad I read it.
I really liked the story about a broken playboy being tamed by a math genius. She was a very cute heroine and I really loved the hero. He tried to be an alpha but he wasnt. I liked the open and honest relationship they had. They married so he could take over some companies that he thought would relieve his boredom. From the get go she was a real firecracker. I loved that. She had a backbone and she stood up to him. He had a terrible childhood and I really felt like he was a good man. You could see him falling in love with her and vice versa. I was pretty scared when he went out without her and thought on no, but she followed him and staked her claim. He didn't want anyone else though. Only her. I loved the epilogue five years forward and I liked seeing what a great Father he was. The best scene was when she gave him a special gift of puppies and everyone was worried how he'd react and they looked around and found him rolling on the floor with them. Such a cute scene. I added a star for that scene alone. Really glad I read it.
September 12, 2020
Started out promising enough. Hero was cruel and focused on his goals. Heroine was angry about being blackmailed into marriage. Unfortunately, the angst and drama evaporated as the H/h settled in to married life.
LG tried to up the angst with a miscarriage but the two points of view diluted the impact as did the reappearance of all the minor characters and a house buying diversion.
Not a bad read, just a bit uneven in tone. By the end miracles abound. Puppies are procured. The ancient family feud is settled. The boy in the wheelchair walks again.
Must brush my teeth now.
LG tried to up the angst with a miscarriage but the two points of view diluted the impact as did the reappearance of all the minor characters and a house buying diversion.
Not a bad read, just a bit uneven in tone. By the end miracles abound. Puppies are procured. The ancient family feud is settled. The boy in the wheelchair walks again.
Must brush my teeth now.
June 3, 2020
First half was kind of boring. Lots of narration and zero dialogue. Second half was so much better. Heroine was a sweetheart and hero was vulnerable and lovable. Heroine's miscarriage was so sad but I admit I liked the angst. Adorable couple. Safety: heroine is a virgin, hero is a player until he meets the heroine. No cheating. Cute epilogue with their 3 kids.
Also there is animal abuse from hero's mother. When hero was a child he had two puppies but his mother killed them. As an animal lover I find animal abuse disgusting so that part bothered me. I loved that our sweet heroine gifted the hero with 2 cute puppies at the end.
Lynne Graham never disappoints ❤️
Also there is animal abuse from hero's mother. When hero was a child he had two puppies but his mother killed them. As an animal lover I find animal abuse disgusting so that part bothered me. I loved that our sweet heroine gifted the hero with 2 cute puppies at the end.
Lynne Graham never disappoints ❤️
December 17, 2021
Although this is a safe book I struggled throughout with the hero's major man-whore past. He was only celibate for two weeks or so before he met and married the heroine. I just didn't care much for him and their communication was lacking to say the least.
I loved the first book in this duo but I could have done without this one. I found it all over the place and quite depressing.
I'm sorry but I cannot recommend this one.
I loved the first book in this duo but I could have done without this one. I found it all over the place and quite depressing.
I'm sorry but I cannot recommend this one.
June 15, 2020
Review pending.....
June 5, 2020
I need more angst.
June 5, 2020
Just good nothing special, a little bit boring in the beginning, the ending was ok , I miss LG'S old books !
July 15, 2020
just meh. The conflict was pretty vague and unfocused. I know most people liked it but I just need more than two pretty nice people falling in love. I keep reading LG but I miss her old style.
July 26, 2020
Ah, misunderstandings galore. I forgot how much of this is a staple of marriages of convenience, but it was rather believable given how short the marriage and overall relationship had been.
I actually really enjoyed the story - the relationship between the pair was fun, and they both suffered from an intense attraction that surprised each other. The setup was just as believable as was the case with Izzy's story (which was, that it really wasn't); and being in either Maya or Raffaele's head was a bit too much sometimes, given that they had huge insecurities. I did believe why Raffaele was why the way he was, though Maya annoyed me sometimes.
Still, it was a fun diversion, and I rather enjoyed their story, as well as the epilogue.
I actually really enjoyed the story - the relationship between the pair was fun, and they both suffered from an intense attraction that surprised each other. The setup was just as believable as was the case with Izzy's story (which was, that it really wasn't); and being in either Maya or Raffaele's head was a bit too much sometimes, given that they had huge insecurities. I did believe why Raffaele was why the way he was, though Maya annoyed me sometimes.
Still, it was a fun diversion, and I rather enjoyed their story, as well as the epilogue.
November 12, 2020
I just didn't buy that the H really loved her. Also, there were two occasions at the end of the book where he allowed women to fawn all over him in front of her and didn't do anything to extricate himself. She did all the chasing to get to the mutual love declaration. That's not an HEA to me.
July 22, 2021
Está bien, pero Lynne Graham no es lo que solía ser. Sus últimos libros no repuntan y todos parecen iguales, ya no recuerdo cuál es cuál como sí me ocurre con sus novelitas viejas. Una penita ;_;.
June 9, 2020
King of all the hedgehog heroes.
Poor H had no idea what to do with all these things happening inside him. Bad dinner? Too much champagne? WHO KNOWS but it certainly can't be lurve because he doesn't do...that.
Poor H had no idea what to do with all these things happening inside him. Bad dinner? Too much champagne? WHO KNOWS but it certainly can't be lurve because he doesn't do...that.
June 7, 2020
Ivy H wrote an excellent review, so I’ll only add some remarks...
Loved both MC’s. His growth was a great thing to see! His POV was awesome.
Didn’t really understand her decision to keep the wedding a secret from her family. He was a well-known womanizer and ultra-wealthy man getting married... did she imagine it wouldn’t be newsworthy? The internet is forever. Her decision on that seemed wrong since she was supposedly so close to them... They could’ve made up a story that worked.
Loved the whole nightclub scene with the other women.
If anything, the book could’ve used another descriptive scene or two instead of a vague overview beyond their first time. We were kept out of a lot.
Loved the ending. Loved the Epilogue — extremely well-done.
LG isn’t one of my go-to favorites but if every book were like this, she sure would be! Excellent read.
Loved both MC’s. His growth was a great thing to see! His POV was awesome.
Didn’t really understand her decision to keep the wedding a secret from her family. He was a well-known womanizer and ultra-wealthy man getting married... did she imagine it wouldn’t be newsworthy? The internet is forever. Her decision on that seemed wrong since she was supposedly so close to them... They could’ve made up a story that worked.
Loved the whole nightclub scene with the other women.
If anything, the book could’ve used another descriptive scene or two instead of a vague overview beyond their first time. We were kept out of a lot.
Loved the ending. Loved the Epilogue — extremely well-done.
LG isn’t one of my go-to favorites but if every book were like this, she sure would be! Excellent read.
August 16, 2020
For the most part, this book was flat and boring, even clinical in parts. The best part was the last chapter... because of the adorable puppies. Oh, and the epilogue was also cute. Overall, average.
July 8, 2020
He’s negotiating the deal of a lifetime
and everything is at stake!
No one rejects Raffaele Manzini. Gorgeous, ruthless and successful, he gets what he wants. But strong-willed math prodigy Maya Campbell is his biggest challenge yet. Because if he’s to acquire the company he most desires, they must marry and have a child…
At first, Raffaele’s proposal shocks Maya. But her beloved family is in financial ruin, and this is her chance to save them. Maya’s head might be saying no to the wildly attractive Italian, but her body—and her heart—are saying a very emphatic yes!
and everything is at stake!
No one rejects Raffaele Manzini. Gorgeous, ruthless and successful, he gets what he wants. But strong-willed math prodigy Maya Campbell is his biggest challenge yet. Because if he’s to acquire the company he most desires, they must marry and have a child…
At first, Raffaele’s proposal shocks Maya. But her beloved family is in financial ruin, and this is her chance to save them. Maya’s head might be saying no to the wildly attractive Italian, but her body—and her heart—are saying a very emphatic yes!
July 27, 2021
The Queen did it again.
A wonderful story with great characters and fantastic scenes. Nice, sassy with a good dose of angst. Hero is a pure alpha —take note, HP aspiring writers!—, with an aching past that made me love him. The heroine is sweet but fiery (in the good sense) at the same time. Great chemistry between them.
The reading has a decent rhythm, although it was a little slow at the beginning. Not enough dialogue, maybe? Also, the relationship between the heroine and her twin has too much distance for my liking. Hey, I know both sisters have their special circumstances because their stories took place at the same period of time, but I wanted more interactions between them. At least ms. Graham knew how to justify the sisters' distance... And the Queen always pays attention of the details. Fabulous epilogue and great storytelling. Lynne Graham always sets the bar extremely high.
A wonderful story with great characters and fantastic scenes. Nice, sassy with a good dose of angst. Hero is a pure alpha —take note, HP aspiring writers!—, with an aching past that made me love him. The heroine is sweet but fiery (in the good sense) at the same time. Great chemistry between them.
The reading has a decent rhythm, although it was a little slow at the beginning. Not enough dialogue, maybe? Also, the relationship between the heroine and her twin has too much distance for my liking. Hey, I know both sisters have their special circumstances because their stories took place at the same period of time, but I wanted more interactions between them. At least ms. Graham knew how to justify the sisters' distance... And the Queen always pays attention of the details. Fabulous epilogue and great storytelling. Lynne Graham always sets the bar extremely high.
January 5, 2025
It was great, maybe too much slow burn and (of course) not telling each other that they wanteto stay together, not just divoooorce.
It starts with bored hero 😀 He has everything. Money, looks, women...
And crazy grandfather who tells him story about his father who was supossed to marry "Parisi" and have a company together.
Main H is rich enough, but the opurtinity to rise another company - it wasn't exactly nex - was exciting. So he was like...we will see.
Main h is clever, like REALLY CLEVER, So when comes the letter about her family to move or pay for their house - which was loaned twenty years ago - She goes to solve it.
And here we are with the main H.
He Is like that he will pay off the depts of her parents IF She marries him and have a child...
She is like that he's crazy, but after some thinking, She knows that it may be the only way.
I loved, that she read the contract from cover to cover, has something to add - like excklusivity with each other until she gets pregnant and healthy check before they do it for the first time etc...
Don't like main h who just scribes everything Hero gives them, not reading it at all.
Well, she finds out about his horibble childhood, how his mother killed his own puppies, beated him etc...and starts to see 'a human' in him.
He looks like someone who doesn't have a feelings. He wasn't horibble to her, but sometimes it looked like she talked with the robot...
After their 'talk' about puppies, he tries to make the honeymoon good for her. 🙂
What she wants, She gets.
She fell in love with his gestures. He shouldn't have to go with her to Egypth to see some history, but he did, because it pleased her or that or this. 🧚♀️
It wasn't about the money, but they talked, he cared, sex was great...🎆
She miscaradge and she feels that he had the baby just for the contract but she already fell in love so is depressed. He tries to give her space, but she feels like that he already wants out...
So she tells him that she wants baby and HE will give deliver it to her. They have contract! 🫢😀
In the end, She buys him a puppies, she wanted to give it to him to his birthday, but they deliver them when they fight 🤯🫣
-----
‘I was desperate because I love you,’ she told Raffaele flatly, assuming that that would end the humiliating dialogue. ‘Having another baby was only an excuse to hang onto you. (That really WAS desperate, but she wanted BOTH then. Baby and HIM) It was the only excuse I could come up with in the time I had. And you went for it. You went for the sex, which is OK...you are a man and you do like things simple. Excuse me...could you stay in here for a while? I have something to sort out.’
What on earth was she going to do with the puppies? 🐶🐶
Chaos! 🫢😎
‘Nobody has ever wanted me for me but you,’ Raffaele breathed grimly. ‘I’ve been wanted a hundred times over for my wealth, my looks, my body, for the publicity I attract. I’ve never been wanted just for me.’
-----
It was kind of mushy in the end, told each other how they loved each other etc....everything would be solved if there wasn't a lack of communication...
But it wouldn't be a long story, right?... 😏
HEA
It starts with bored hero 😀 He has everything. Money, looks, women...
And crazy grandfather who tells him story about his father who was supossed to marry "Parisi" and have a company together.
Main H is rich enough, but the opurtinity to rise another company - it wasn't exactly nex - was exciting. So he was like...we will see.
Main h is clever, like REALLY CLEVER, So when comes the letter about her family to move or pay for their house - which was loaned twenty years ago - She goes to solve it.
And here we are with the main H.
He Is like that he will pay off the depts of her parents IF She marries him and have a child...
She is like that he's crazy, but after some thinking, She knows that it may be the only way.
I loved, that she read the contract from cover to cover, has something to add - like excklusivity with each other until she gets pregnant and healthy check before they do it for the first time etc...
Don't like main h who just scribes everything Hero gives them, not reading it at all.
Well, she finds out about his horibble childhood, how his mother killed his own puppies, beated him etc...and starts to see 'a human' in him.
He looks like someone who doesn't have a feelings. He wasn't horibble to her, but sometimes it looked like she talked with the robot...
After their 'talk' about puppies, he tries to make the honeymoon good for her. 🙂
What she wants, She gets.
She fell in love with his gestures. He shouldn't have to go with her to Egypth to see some history, but he did, because it pleased her or that or this. 🧚♀️
It wasn't about the money, but they talked, he cared, sex was great...🎆
She miscaradge and she feels that he had the baby just for the contract but she already fell in love so is depressed. He tries to give her space, but she feels like that he already wants out...
So she tells him that she wants baby and HE will give deliver it to her. They have contract! 🫢😀
In the end, She buys him a puppies, she wanted to give it to him to his birthday, but they deliver them when they fight 🤯🫣
-----
‘I was desperate because I love you,’ she told Raffaele flatly, assuming that that would end the humiliating dialogue. ‘Having another baby was only an excuse to hang onto you. (That really WAS desperate, but she wanted BOTH then. Baby and HIM) It was the only excuse I could come up with in the time I had. And you went for it. You went for the sex, which is OK...you are a man and you do like things simple. Excuse me...could you stay in here for a while? I have something to sort out.’
What on earth was she going to do with the puppies? 🐶🐶
Chaos! 🫢😎
‘Nobody has ever wanted me for me but you,’ Raffaele breathed grimly. ‘I’ve been wanted a hundred times over for my wealth, my looks, my body, for the publicity I attract. I’ve never been wanted just for me.’
-----
It was kind of mushy in the end, told each other how they loved each other etc....everything would be solved if there wasn't a lack of communication...
But it wouldn't be a long story, right?... 😏
HEA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2022
The Italian in Need of an Heir, Book 2 of the Cinderella Brides for Billionaires series, was about Maya Campbell, a math prodigy, and Raffaele Manzini.
Raffaele's estranged great-grandfather, who was 91 and in bad health, had called him to his home in Naples, Greece, to offer him a deal. Agree to marry Maya, get an heir, and the man would immediately sign over all of his businesses to him on the spot. He even had a dossier on Maya, including a picture. There were reasons the man wanted Raffaele to do this, and none of them had anything like kindness directed towards Maya. He wanted to crush her family. Raffaele, sorely tempted to do so just to get his hands on the business, decided to meet her. he expected her to be easy to win...a pushover, in fact.
To say that Raffaele was an A$$ would be putting it mildly. To say that he was ruthless would be like calling a spade a spade. The man had no heart and he treated Maya with all the cruelty his great-grandfather had shown everyone in his life. He was no better than the man, perhaps even worse for the way he blackmailed Maya into doing what he wanted. He had only married her to acquire a business...and to alleviate his boredom. Who does that?!
The longer I read the book, the more my opinion of it changed. I hated it at first. I detested the way Raffaele treated Maya. But then reading about his history (I'll let you find that out on your own), seeing what all he had endured in his life, while it didn't excuse or condone his treatment of her, it did give the reader an incite to the man and what had made him the way he was. Maya was a very strong character. She withstood so much and endured such heartaches that she made for an excellent Heroine.
The storyline was a bit different from most books of the genre. However, the plot was typical of old-school Harlequin books, which was a bit of a turnoff. When an author decides to write the main male character as an arrogant, controlling, foreign, rich S-O-B, it turns most readers off. No one likes to read about a man who enjoys verbally, mentally, and/or emotionally abusing a woman he supposedly desires and/or wants to marry. That's how this author portrayed, Raffaele, and that's why this particular reader started out detesting him. While the passion and chemistry in this book were good, it was still a bit lackluster, almost as if the author wanted the two main characters to come across as inhibited.
As with its predecessor, this book was short and missing an important element. It was like being dropped in the middle of an action-packed movie, and not knowing what it was about and, thus, being completely lost to the end. Although it had a touch more meat than the first book in the series, it still plateaued too quickly, had very little conflict, and just plain fell flat. The novella did not merit a five-star rating, unfortunately, though it was good.
Raffaele's estranged great-grandfather, who was 91 and in bad health, had called him to his home in Naples, Greece, to offer him a deal. Agree to marry Maya, get an heir, and the man would immediately sign over all of his businesses to him on the spot. He even had a dossier on Maya, including a picture. There were reasons the man wanted Raffaele to do this, and none of them had anything like kindness directed towards Maya. He wanted to crush her family. Raffaele, sorely tempted to do so just to get his hands on the business, decided to meet her. he expected her to be easy to win...a pushover, in fact.
To say that Raffaele was an A$$ would be putting it mildly. To say that he was ruthless would be like calling a spade a spade. The man had no heart and he treated Maya with all the cruelty his great-grandfather had shown everyone in his life. He was no better than the man, perhaps even worse for the way he blackmailed Maya into doing what he wanted. He had only married her to acquire a business...and to alleviate his boredom. Who does that?!
The longer I read the book, the more my opinion of it changed. I hated it at first. I detested the way Raffaele treated Maya. But then reading about his history (I'll let you find that out on your own), seeing what all he had endured in his life, while it didn't excuse or condone his treatment of her, it did give the reader an incite to the man and what had made him the way he was. Maya was a very strong character. She withstood so much and endured such heartaches that she made for an excellent Heroine.
The storyline was a bit different from most books of the genre. However, the plot was typical of old-school Harlequin books, which was a bit of a turnoff. When an author decides to write the main male character as an arrogant, controlling, foreign, rich S-O-B, it turns most readers off. No one likes to read about a man who enjoys verbally, mentally, and/or emotionally abusing a woman he supposedly desires and/or wants to marry. That's how this author portrayed, Raffaele, and that's why this particular reader started out detesting him. While the passion and chemistry in this book were good, it was still a bit lackluster, almost as if the author wanted the two main characters to come across as inhibited.
As with its predecessor, this book was short and missing an important element. It was like being dropped in the middle of an action-packed movie, and not knowing what it was about and, thus, being completely lost to the end. Although it had a touch more meat than the first book in the series, it still plateaued too quickly, had very little conflict, and just plain fell flat. The novella did not merit a five-star rating, unfortunately, though it was good.
March 10, 2021
So I was going to take a break from LG....but every time I read a premise of her book, I can’t help myself.
This story had a nice amount of angst without any ott dramatics. Our Hero had such a troubling childhood ....it broke my heart! However, our heroine was able to forge her way into his heart while still sporting a spine and what can only be described as gumption!
What I have liked about LG’s books is that even though they are set in the modern day she still delivers the old time feel of an older HP.
I am again going to refer people to Ivy’s review. She is really good at reviewing the story and inserting some humor.
I guess there was a first book(Cinderella’s Royal Secret), so now I need to dig that one up and read Izzy’s story. Although based on reviews this may have been the better of the 2.
This story had a nice amount of angst without any ott dramatics. Our Hero had such a troubling childhood ....it broke my heart! However, our heroine was able to forge her way into his heart while still sporting a spine and what can only be described as gumption!
What I have liked about LG’s books is that even though they are set in the modern day she still delivers the old time feel of an older HP.
I am again going to refer people to Ivy’s review. She is really good at reviewing the story and inserting some humor.
I guess there was a first book(Cinderella’s Royal Secret), so now I need to dig that one up and read Izzy’s story. Although based on reviews this may have been the better of the 2.
November 14, 2022
The connection felt genuine but I wasn't a fan of hero demanding heroine marry him and have a baby but planned to sleep with other women. She had to put her foot down and compromise on him not sleeping with other women until she got pregnant. He was getting bored of sex so he thought going a couple weeks without was awhile, so I can only imagine his body count could be in the thousands. I liked how he treated her for the most part however after the miscarriage and him putting distance between them he decided to go to a nightclub and partying with other women. He said he didn't plan to sleep with them but I feel like he only didn't because his libido wasn't cooperating, I feel like he wanted to want to be with other women. Heroine wasn't my favorite, I don't really love the whole she's so pretty but wears ugly clothes plotline. P.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2020
The Italian in Need of an Heir is the second book to Cinderella's Royal Secret. While Izzy was married to a Prince and carrying twins, Maya was being forced into a marriage with an Italian billionaire. If she married him and produced him with an heir, all of her parents financial troubles would be over. Maya and Raffaele are like oil and water. Would they be able to set aside their differences long enough to produce an heir? Read this book in one sitting. Loved the story line. The author is Irish and uses terms like nappies for diapers and I'm not sure what swotting means. Also there are some Italian phrases.
October 9, 2022
It was.....meh. Not anything special. Or believable. Had ALOT of logic holes and most of it looked like it needed editing, a lot of it. Shity writing style - jumping from one person and time to another without "bridges", telling more than showing and even then its not making any sence.
I also didnt get the characters, how they changed so fast and like with jumps. The most wtf was how the male character was like 5 different people in this short story. And wtf was it about her sister and her brother in law beeing royalty??????????so random......Not that all this marry me so that I can buy a company has more logic.
But it was entertaining for a simple no-brainer bed time story. So its ok.
I also didnt get the characters, how they changed so fast and like with jumps. The most wtf was how the male character was like 5 different people in this short story. And wtf was it about her sister and her brother in law beeing royalty??????????so random......Not that all this marry me so that I can buy a company has more logic.
But it was entertaining for a simple no-brainer bed time story. So its ok.
August 2, 2022
Not bad. A bit bland and unbelievable at the start with how the couple is thrown together, but you root for these two despite their dumb choices. Our hero, emotional closed off(aren’t they all?) but for good reason, his childhood was an emotional rollercoaster of crazy behavior. The heroine super smart math genius who doesn’t get to do anything in this book with that. She also loves her family and they are the reason she does anything in life. And very small side characters. But nothing too crazy. I say give it a read.
September 27, 2021
My Mum still reads these books the second they are released and when she is done she passes them to me to take to my local charity shop. Every now and then a blurb will catch my attention, but I admit it has been a long time since I read one.
What caught my attention in this was that the lead female was not some naive, docile 26 year old virgin, but a maths prodigy (who turned out to be a 27 year old naive virgin???) and I was intrigued to see what the writer would do with this character. Needless to say her maths skills were all about trying to come up with a formula for her relationship with the alpha male (Really? That is what you are going to use those maths chops on? Sigh).
Like most of these books, this was just TOO MUCH - we had tragic background which was revealed in an info dump (someone say overshare much!), bankruptcy, forced marriage, brother with disability, twin relationship, miscarriage, abusive parent, mental illness, alpha male who basically sleeps around indiscriminately, sister married to a prince of some other country from a spin-off book who makes a guest appearance and all of this and going from enemies to lovers in 254 small pages written in large font. There is no way you can get any form of connection with characters when you are cramming all that into one tiny book. These books use to provide me with a guilty pleasure, satisfied feeling....now they just make me a bit grumpy. Time to move on.
What caught my attention in this was that the lead female was not some naive, docile 26 year old virgin, but a maths prodigy (who turned out to be a 27 year old naive virgin???) and I was intrigued to see what the writer would do with this character. Needless to say her maths skills were all about trying to come up with a formula for her relationship with the alpha male (Really? That is what you are going to use those maths chops on? Sigh).
Like most of these books, this was just TOO MUCH - we had tragic background which was revealed in an info dump (someone say overshare much!), bankruptcy, forced marriage, brother with disability, twin relationship, miscarriage, abusive parent, mental illness, alpha male who basically sleeps around indiscriminately, sister married to a prince of some other country from a spin-off book who makes a guest appearance and all of this and going from enemies to lovers in 254 small pages written in large font. There is no way you can get any form of connection with characters when you are cramming all that into one tiny book. These books use to provide me with a guilty pleasure, satisfied feeling....now they just make me a bit grumpy. Time to move on.
July 16, 2022
Well Written
Although well written, I simply did not like the female character in this story. She was arrogant and self serving. Even though brilliant she had not accomplished much. She needed the male character yet was dismissive of him and his real and potential contributions. I simply did not like the way this story evolved.
Although well written, I simply did not like the female character in this story. She was arrogant and self serving. Even though brilliant she had not accomplished much. She needed the male character yet was dismissive of him and his real and potential contributions. I simply did not like the way this story evolved.
July 20, 2022
Misunderstandings
There are so many misunderstandings between Maya and Rafaelle. It made for a very interesting story that managed to really tug at my heart strings. Rafaelle comes off as cruel and calculating, and Maya kind of comes off as smart but completely naive. You discover as you get to know them better that this isn't strictly true. I think you'll enjoy the story.
There are so many misunderstandings between Maya and Rafaelle. It made for a very interesting story that managed to really tug at my heart strings. Rafaelle comes off as cruel and calculating, and Maya kind of comes off as smart but completely naive. You discover as you get to know them better that this isn't strictly true. I think you'll enjoy the story.
April 4, 2022
Excellent story
This is an example of what I most enjoy in a romance; two strong individuals who recognize that strength and at times fight because of it as well as admitting the attraction.
This is an example of what I most enjoy in a romance; two strong individuals who recognize that strength and at times fight because of it as well as admitting the attraction.
April 30, 2025
Raefarle is very rich, handsome and arrogant but he's loves a challenge. His grandfather is a bitter man and tells Rafael to marry Maya and receive his fortune and the failing business of Maya's family. Raf is into the challenge but ends up with a love match with Maya
July 6, 2020
Raffaele Manzini wants his grandfathers company. In order to get it he has to marry and impregnate Maya Campbell. Luckily, they find each other attractive.
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