Blackmailed Bride, Inexperienced Wife

Innocent Wives #3

by Annie West

Hard-hearted magnate Dario Parisi will reclaim his stolen birthright—even if it means forcing the granddaughter of his family's sworn enemy to marry him.

Alissa Scott is certainly not the biddable wife Dario wanted—yet he's consumed by red-hot desire for his unwilling bride. So when she tries to change the rules, he demands she honor all her vows. Finally he has exactly the kind of wife he a virgin bride!

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Harlequin Presents, Contemporary Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Fiction, Contemporary

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published November 11, 2009

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Hello! I love writing passionate, intense love stories about sexy alpha men and the women who are their perfect match. Look out for my books with Harlequin (Presents) or Mills & Boon (Modern/Sexy) and for my indie stories, full of passion and intense emotion with a touch of glamour. My latest stories are my Hot Italian Nights series including 'Bound to the Italian Boss' June '17, 'The Italian's Bold Reckoning' July '17, 'At the Italian's Bidding' August '17 and 'Falling for the Brooding Italian' September '17.
Yes, I do like a dark, handsome hero!

You can catch up with my news at www.annie-west.com (where you can also sign up for my exclusive reader newsletter with giveaways and behind the scenes info). I'm on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/anniewest.au... and I adore hearing from readers. You can also contact me at annie(at)annie-west(dot)com

I live with my family at beautiful Lake Macquarie on the east Coast of Australia and my favourite things when not writing are good food, good company, great books, getting outside in nature and travel.

Bookwise, I'm a multi USA Today bestselling author with millions of books sold, in English as well as in lots of other languages. I've won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award and the Romantic Book of the Year (Romance Writers of Australia). One of my favourite review quotes is from Romantic Times which said in its review of The Sheikh's Ransomed Bride 'This is what a love story could be.'.

Reviews

[Alicia (is beyond tired of your *ish) · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could give zero stars this would get Zero. Fucking. Stars.

There's going to be a lot of cursing and spoilers. Beware.

This book right here is everything I fucking hate about Presents and much more. I mostly skimmed the entire thing. Within the first few pages I hated the "hero" Dario Parisi. I wanted to commit violence unto him. Alissa Scott I didn't have as much of a problem with at the start, but at a certain point it turned and I wanted both of them to die a fiery death.

Dario Parisi was a horrible, horrific, manipulative, abusive bully. He was incredibly judgmental and cruel. He wouldn't let Alissa speak, or defend herself against his accusations, taunts and cruelty. He had her "investigated" but didn't know shit about her and would still sling unjustified hate at her. And the things he thought about her were infinitely worse. His attraction to her pissed him off because he wanted a 'better class of woman'. Not a slutty druggie party girl who lived off other people's money and had the easiest of easy lives (note the sarcasm, that's what he thought but not a word of it was true — about Alissa at least).

Alissa Scott was weak, pathetic, and maddeningly passive. She barely even attempted to defend herself against Dario and set him straight. Her protests against him were weak at best. She grew up with an abusive grandfather, who tried to control everything she did and was. So she stayed away from men because of him. Dario was EXACTLY like him. Yet she trailed after him. Her attraction to him made her let him treat her like utter shit. You could maybe, MAYBE make a "cycle of abuse" argument for her being so idiotic over this guy, but it wasn't presented that way, and regardless that wouldn't be a fucking romance. Period. Not that this was. Dario may not have raised a hand to her, but he was an abusive bully nonetheless.

Alissa kept telling herself she stood up to his demands when in reality she didn't. Not to a single one. She didn't even put up a nominal protest at his demand she move to Sicily, thus leaving her job and life in Australia, and moving farther from her sister. She let him roll over her from the moment he barged in to destroy her original plan — marring a gay friend to fulfill the terms of her grandfather's will that she be married and live with the man for six months to inherit an estate in Sicily, then sell her share for cash to help save her sister's life. (For real, my ass would have been at a homeless shelter picking up any random dude before I capitulated to his machinations.) She never called him out on his actions and the way he spoke to and treated her. Mostly her thoughts were about how sexy he was and her attraction to him, some thoughts to her sister (who was terminally ill and needed money for experimental treatments in the US), a few to how awful he was, but mostly it was the attraction. I wanted to rip out my goddamn hair. I don't give a flying fuck how sexy a man is, he'd lose that real quickly in the face of the way he treats me. I don't care if Matt Bomer gets up in my space. I'd lose my lady boner real damn quick if he treated me even a fraction as badly as Dario treated Alissa and I'd have no problem kicking his very pretty ass. It's not cute. It's not sexy. It's not romantic. And yet West goes on and on and on about their attraction. Let me tell you, lady, I don't give a fuck. I skimmed through it before I resorted to self harm.

And for the love of all that is holy, Alissa, STOP FUCKING SHIVERING. If everything makes you shiver you may need to see a doctor.

I don't remember the circumstances why, but at least twice Dario assured Alissa that he has never had to nor ever would force a woman. And yet at some point he threatens to rape her. Of course it's not called that, but that is exactly what it is — plain as day. And instead of calling him on it, she feels a ~flash of desire~ and dares to hope. What in the fuck? Are you kidding me with this shit? I guess I'm supposed to be happy that this is the modern Presents where it's just a threat. In the olden days he would have just raped her.

But never fear, this brings its own brand of disgusting sexual exploit.

Dario ends up extorting sex out of her. You can't dress it up to make it something else. That is exactly what it was.

He turned her into a whore.

And she let him.

Her sister was getting sicker so she again asked for an advance on the money she'd get upon inheriting the estate and selling her half (she had asked once before they married, but of course he verbally abused her and refused). Since he couldn't deal with his attraction and thought she was lying about her sister needing help he tells her he'll give her the money if she fucks him right then and there and then any time he wants it for the rest of their time together. What in the bloody fucking fuck? What the fuck kind of piece of shit psycho demands something like that? He thought at the time she wanted the money to help save her sister's farm. Like, somehow that would have made it okay, and the fact that she needed it to save her sister's life made him awful. I just . . . what in the fuck? It was written like a misunderstanding. Not about what it was, but she thought he knew about her sick sister and was still demanding this, while he's thinking she wants the money for her sister's farm. I was so disgusted that West wrote it as an actual romance sex scene. I was so fucking angry and disgusted I started tearing up. I don't remember the last time I angry-cried. Then I pushed that down and got so pissed I actually beat the book against the wall. Now I have to clean that! (Who knew book covers could do that? Crap.) I also scraped my knuckle. It hurt for days. I had a book rage injury, you guys.

I've never wanted to do violence to a book more. I would have set it on fire were it not for the fact it was in the same book with another story that I actually did like. I skipped the scene. I only read a few lines and wanted to throw the fuck up so I only read enough to know when it was over. Alissa never thought the term "whore" – I was hoping at some point she'd throw that in his face. But somehow it was okay for her because there was sexual attraction between the two. The next day she worries she wanted it and used it as an excuse for having done it. The only one who thought the word "whore" was Dario later on when he was feeling guilty and berating himself. She never really held it against him the way she should have. Not to mention SHE SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT. (She shouldn't have married him either, but . . .) Yes, she felt up against a wall but come the fuck on now, really? And Dario, that shit fuck asshole, gets pissed when she asks about getting the money the next morning. Like because he gave her so much pleasure she would forget about what it was for. Then he thinks she's nothing but a slimy little whore who fucks for money like lowlife trash, never mind it was clear to him she was a virgin and that the money wasn't even for her. And WHAT IN THE SHIT DID HE EXPECT? He made the terms clear. He knew she was doing it for the money. How was he so fucking off that he'd think it would suddenly become romance because there was pleasure?? Aaaaaaaaargh!

Near the end he told her about his past and why he was on this quest for "family honor" and that made everything okay for her, apparently. He had it rough so that excuses his heinous behavior. It never occurred to either of them that he wasn't honoring his family by becoming what he was just to get what they used to have instead of building a new legacy as a good man. Honoring them by making the name worth something decent, rather than something to be feared. He finally learned of Alissa's past and felt more like the piece of shit he is for all his assumptions and the way he treated her. He still wasn't worth anything to me in the end because there was no change in him. The truth changed his mind about Alissa, but he was still an assuming, judgmental, bullying asshole when it came to everyone else. Thank Jebus they were in "love" so he wouldn't eventually inflict himself on another woman.

It wasn't actively in the book much, but I didn't like the sister dynamic at all. Alissa had endured two abusive men and a slew of other bullshit including a drug conviction and prostituting herself to protect and help Donna. All Donna did was hare off and act like an asshole necessitating these actions later on (silly "I had a crappy childhood" behavior. Her illness was brought on by her own idiocy). And in the end she gets the loving, sweet husband and nice life? While Alissa gets what? Crapped on time and time again? Screw that.

The second I skimmed the last line I literally threw the book across the room. I'm not exaggerating that in the slightest.

I can't believe the same author wrote this book and Captive in the Spotlight. There was nothing okay about this book. I almost wish there was a tort for book induced rage and injury now.

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

The hero is a real oinker until Chapter 10, maybe 11. The typical cruel, OTT monologuing about what worthless, gold-digging slut blah, blah the h is. I would consign it to the outer rims of Harlequin hell with a negative billion, but for one thing. When Signore Fathead wakes to the fact he’s married to Sister Teresa instead of Chesty La Rue, he goes into one of the best hero declines ever.

Dario thinks Alissa is an insert-vile-adjective-to-describe-a-bad-girl. She’s a druggie, she’s promiscuous, she’s so spiteful she won’t marry a complete stranger because she wants to keep him from ye olde Sicilian castello that she never knew anything about. When he finds out that she’s a virgin for starters, his little ball of wax starts to melt.

The hits keep coming when he finds out that he blackmailed this VIRGIN into having sex when all she wants to do is save her little sister from the un-named life-threatening disease that can only be cured in the States. Then he finds out that her grandfather abused her then he….It’s ugly and awesome as the H feels shame, remorse, lust, more shame. He gets pale, loses weight, gets quiet and works nineteen to twenty hour days. Works nineteen to twenty hour days!!!!! I love it.

The h is in a lust-filled cloud over the H and wants to stay. He wants her too but in his H Sicilian tycoon stupidity, he first asks her to stay because it’s logical to make it permanent, then he throws out how the passion is out of this world, next up in his roto are the luxuries and lifestyle he can offer, then all cute little mini-tycoons she can hold and cuddle. All she wants to hear are those three little words, Forget the pre-nup.. No, I kid. She wants fathead to say I LOVE YOU!!!!! He ends his less than romantic proposal with a seduction attempt then pouts. Of course, this is the same tycoon that didn’t hire the right PI to vet all the nuances of the h and her sister. HP PI’s are THE worst.

They finally both get a clue and HEA.

There is more than a hint of a Lynne Graham hero about Dario. Like he said he’s a cruel and vile, but when he turns it around it’s a 100%.

P.S.

I’ve read this twice and ranted both times.

[StMargarets · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read. April 19, 2019. Rating stays the same. I enjoyed all the misunderstandings and angst.

Ah, a lovely old school vibe really made this an enjoyable read. The Sicilian H forces the h to marry him after running off the gay friend she was going to marry in order to fulfill the terms of her abusive grandfather's will. The H wants the castle in Sicily she will inherit (it was his family's for generations until the grandfather stole it) and she wants cash for her sister's liver treatment. They agree to stay married for six months.

H thinks the h is a party girl with a drug conviction. (She took the fall for her sister) Heroine thinks the hero is abusive like her grandfather. They marry, go to Sicily from Australia, heroine befriends the servants and hero starts changing his mind about her. He rescues her when she gets caught out in a kayak during a storm, triggering his own memories of his tragic past. When the sister's medical needs are critical, the h asks for the cash before the six months deadline. He thinks the sister is trying to buy a farm for her husband, the heroine thinks he knows this is life and death. Hero offers the cash if she'll have sex with him.

Heroine says yes - a good time is had by all until the next morning when the heroine asks the hero to call the bank. Hero is angry and they have a cold war for awhile. Until heroine asks about a man he supposedly ruined. He tells her his family backstory, which is actually compelling - he was the only survivor from their family when the ferry sank and he ended up in an orphanage. Heroine also opens up about her sister's medical needs. Hero is full of guilt because of the way her forced her into sex. When he tells the heroine he wants to stay married, she doesn't think he loves her. She leaves and comes back. HEA.

It's a simple story, but there is a lot of charm in the telling. Neither the H/h wallow in their backstories. The hero is suspicious enough and outrageous enough with little lapses into kind behavior to keep up the tension for most of the story. Both the H/h have some interesting revelations that are sprinkled throughout the plot. The misunderstanding at the end was kind of anti-climatic, but page count.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dario and Alissa have both suffered in their lives. Dario lost all the family he ever had, and vowed to get back his family's property, which was swindled away from his family. His complete focus was on becoming a powerful, rich man who no one crossed, living up to the Parisi name. Alissa strived to be dependent to no man, and to see that her younger sister was happy and well. These personal vows lead them to be absolutely driven in their lives.
Their paths intersect through Alissa's grandfather, who wrote in his will that the only way that Dario could get back his property was by marrying
Alissa. After years under the cruel yoke of her strict, abusive Sicilian grandfather, the last thing Alissa wanted was to marry another controlling Sicilian. Dario sees Alissa as poison, a drug-abusing, party girl who has squandered her inheritance, and is standing in the way of his lifetime goal of getting his family's castle back. So, he has no problem being ruthless to get her right where he wants her. He fouls up her chances of having a platonic marriage with her friend to meet the qualifications of her grandfather's will: six months living as a man's wife, and she inherits the castle, which she can sell to get money to pay for treatment for her younger sister's life-threatening illness.
When she goes to the courthouse to meet her friend, she finds he has stood her up, and Dario is there to take his place. At this point, she has no further options but to agree to the marriage, even though they clearly hate and have no respect for each other. The six months of living together promises to be miserable. But, there is a powerful attraction between the enemies turned spouses. Dario believes the absolute worst about Alissa, yet he still wants her badly. Alissa counts herself as a fool to be attracted to the ruthless, powerful man she married. However, passion doesn't listen to logic.
This was a very good story. It was intense and angsty, perhaps a little too angsty when I read it. I wanted to see more tender moments between Dario and Alissa. It seemed like that didn't start until the book was halfway over. We slowly see the walls come down between this couple, and they both fight it fiercely.
I enjoyed this story, and I did feel the chemistry between Dario and Alissa. I would have liked it more if there was a quicker development of their love relationship, and a little less antagonism. But, if a reader wants a story where the couple really is enemies for most of the book, this would be a good book to read. As always, Miss West has delivered an enthralling story full of passion. So enthralling, that I ended up sleep-depriving myself the night before last to keep reading it. I was happy to see these two lonely, sad, heartsore people find their happy end together.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided to give this a try even though I am not a fan of this author and I am so glad I did. What an amazing story. I adored Dario and Alissa. Dario was an alpha hero all the way, ruthless and harsh but still vulnerable. They don't make them like this anymore. He was cruel with Alissa at first but I liked how hurt and insecure he felt when she left him and how he renounced the birthright/castle he desired so much. Alissa was a survivor. She suffered so much abuse, she did everything to save her sister's life and with her goodness and gentle spirit she changed Dario's life. I really felt that these two were soul mates and destined to be together forever!!!

[Kiki]

I read ALL my friend's reviews, and then I read the following review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
when i compare the reviews, they are saying the EXACT same thing, but I believe Alicia's analysis more. So this is going to be on avoid pile. I really do love my sanity more than anything else.

[KatieV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Several tried and true tropes done well.

A stipulation in the will of Alissa's evil Sicilian grandfather means she will not inherit his estate in Sicily unless she married within a certain amount of time and remain married for six months. The twist is, she doesn't care about the estate. After her grandfather's abuse she has no intention of putting herself under the power of a man. Then her sister gets sick and needs money for treatment and Alissa will do anything to save her younger sis. She has no choice but to wed Dario Pariso, a ruthless, arrogant tycoon whose family once owned the Sicilian estate she is to inherit and despises her family because granddad swindled the estate from them and had refused to sell.

There are misunderstandings galore on Dario's side. He believes Alissa is a gold digger, a former drug addict, and promiscuous. Typically, he's a real asshat. However, he's attracted to her despite these "facts" and decides the marriage in name only isn't going to work for him. Alissa, however, wants to stick to the original plan: 6 months of platonic marriage and then a divorce in which she will sell the unwanted estate to Dario and fund her sister's medical care.

Dario ends up blackmailing Alissa into bed by denying her an advance on the divorce settlement. She needs that money for her sister who cannot wait 6 months, so she has to go along. Dario is horrified at himself when he realizes Alissa was a virgin and learns the true reason behind her need of funds.

The rest is a nice look at two people getting to really know one another, put aside their misconceptions, and fall in love. Of course there are insecurities and misunderstandings on both sides about the permanency of the marriage.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even 15 years ago, HP authors were writing decent mean heroes. lol.

[Leona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book...Annie West is one of my favorite HP authors because she genuinely writes some spectacular female heroines. Heroines who are ready and capable of taking on the world and their men. This story is another forced marriage plot. Yet the author makes it fresh, exciting with unexpected twists and turns. I also like that she leads you through their dance of getting to know each other and peels away the misconceptions. Each page they draw one step closer to falling in love with one another. I found myself cheering them on. Though Dario is horribly macho and somewhat brutal in the beginning, he truly evolves into a wonderful knight in shining armor!

[Emona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense emotions, fiery passions, and ardent chemistry;
virgin heroine, dark alpha hero.........this one's surely a favourite.
Dario vowed to get back what was his, even if that meant marrying his enemy.
His family died, because of the Mangano family, and ever since revenge and hate was in his blood.
Alissa, vowed never to marry the man, whom she thought was as controlling as her grandfather.
Alissa's grandfather abused both her and her younger sister Donna; and ever since Alissa never expressed her feelings (because she knew her grandfather revelled in seeing her in pain), while Donna rebelled and became wild, until her sister took all the blame for her casual lifestyle (that meant including drugs); but consequences followed, and Donna fell very ill, if not treated, it could well be fatal.
Alissa again came to her rescue, and was about to marry someone, for the money (which she would get when she would inherit the castle which originally belonged to Dario), until Dario interrupts.
But Alissa will do anything, to save her sister, even if it means marrying Dario, the man she hates.
Knowing her life will be hell - her only option remaining is to stay married to Dario for six months, nevertheless she agrees.
Can foe turn lover?
Can sworn enemies put aside hatred and embrace reality?
How can one be fuming with rage, and yet lust for the same person they are mad at?
Only these pages can tell....
Enjoyed this one, but it really missed an epilogue....!!

[Jacqueline J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one the whole. There was plenty of hard headed hero asshatery. Plenty of the heroine keeping secrets. A nice blackmailed into marriage plot. Oh if only those old men wouldn't feud about possession of an old castle/vineyard/island/whatever so that the young 'uns didn't have to marry up to get them back in the right family...

This might have been a 4 star read but I felt the misunderstandings a the end were a little too contrived.

I am liking Annie West. She seems the closest to the vintage harley writers of this new crop. The story is allowed time to develop instead of hinging on only a few very log scenes.

[SandraIsAMoodyCowWhenSheCan'tRead · Rating 2 out of 5]

It starts of interestingly enough when she's trying to get into a MOC with someone else to get her hands on an inheritance to help save her sister. She encounters the H who has foiled that attempt because he needs to marry her instead since that inheritance is rightfully his. It turns into one of those eye-roll moments where you realise the conflict could have been resolved by page 5. All she had to do was tell him the truth about her sister's sickness. With all his money and powers, he could simply have checked out her story and both come to a rational agreement about their MOC.

Of course they have their preconceived notions about each other and other silly judgemental misunderstandings but there was not enough witty exchanges, dramatic twists or romance build-up to sustain my interest. I hated how they came together for the first time. It was fraught with warped micsonceptions so it spoilt what was otherwise a nicely written first-time sex scene.

There were some beautiful moments where they shared their previous traumas and a touching HEA but for me it wasn't enough to save a lackustre story.

[Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful Emotional Intense story,adored Dario-Alissa both are courageous,warm and strong persons,though they had a rocky start cause of the misunderstandings but as it is cleared Dario regrets his action and tries to make it upto Alissa.Both heal each other from their past and have their HEA.

Overall a good read
Recommend it

[Fanniny Moreno Zavaleta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check reviews by Emona, StMargarets and Vintage 😉

[Tonya Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dario finally has the last of his family's lost legacy within his grasp. All he has to do is marry the conniving granddaughter of his enemy. Alissa was not what he considered worthy of being a permanent Parisi wife, but he found she definately stirred his blood.

Alissa would do anything to save her sying sister. Marrying Dario is not anything she wanted, but was the only way to get the inheritance she needed.

A fast paced, romantic story.

[Roub · Rating 2 out of 5]

too much introspection ruined the book for me. i wanted more interaction, more dialogue. the plot (hero mistaking heroine for a bad girl, yet can't help but lust after her, even believing she had been wid so many other men, had been in drugs and all dat) is really one dat i usually enjoy and love. however this one bored me and i had to skip pages to finish it.

[Sudakshina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one a lot. Loved the beginning, specially the hero Dario Parisi contrives to marry Alissa Scott. :D Annie West's books never disappoint me.

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was on a Harlequin Presents bender. This book managed to kill it dead.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alissa Scott is all set to marry for convenience, earn her grandfather's inheritance and then pay for her sister's treatment (for some life threatening disease). But she is thwarted when Dario Parisi, the man her grandfather had tried to force her to marry, pays off her soon-to-be-husband and insists she marry him instead, so that he can get back the castello which is part of her inhertiance, but which used to be his birthright before her grandfather ruined his family. Dario believes that Alissa is all that makes up the worst women ever - spoiled, entitled, promiscuous, a drug addict, irreverent, a liar, wild partier, etc. He also believes she refused to marry him those other times because she hated him enough to deny his birthright (rather than just not wanting to get married to a complete stranger). He's adamant in his hatred for her. But Alissa has no choice, so she agrees to marry him. He soon begins to realize that she's not who he thought she was and has to focus on his hatred for her. But before long, Dario realizes he's entirely in the wrong and that he's just ruined this woman's life....but he's not sure he can give her up. For her part, Alissa sees the man beneath the revenge and hatred and believe she's falling in love with him. But will he ever get past his hatred to see beyond her heritage and her family's role in his family's downfall?

A surprisingly well executed revenge plot here. Dario is your classic revengey douchebag who despises himself for his attraction to such a woman as he thinks Alissa is, but who also can't resist throwing that sexual attraction right in her face. He uses his strength and position to force her into marriage, then he uses the attraction they both feel to shame her and show her how much power he has over her. He's a perfect asshole and poor Alissa just can't catch a break. Dario eventually realizes if he keeps hanging around to torture Alissa, he's gonna break down and have sex with this woman he shouldn't want...so he steps back and leaves her alone for a while. And he starts to catch glimpses of the woman she really is, which kinda floors him (but he's still certain of her duplicity).

And his case is proven when Alissa gets a call from her ailing sister and realizes she needs money now. She agrees to sex with him for the money for her sister's treatment...although he doesn't know that...he thinks she wants money for drugs or something. Well Dario agrees because he gets what he wants and he's now more certain than ever that she's a lying bitch. The sex is phenomenal, for both of them. Dario realizes that Alissa is a virgin and has to shift his mindset...until Alissa wakes up the following morning, disgusted with herself for enjoying sex with a guy who would hold his sister's life up for sex and she demands the money now. But this is just when the cards start falling in Dario's pre-constructed bias towards Alissa...he discovers what the money was for and the fact that she believes he'd actually be evil enough to do that. And he's appalled with himself...and the fact that his behavior led her to believe the worst of him. He gets a hint at how much he's ruined this poor, innocent woman's life and his guilt over it is perfect!

But it gets better because then she drops the bombshell that her grandfather was an abusive, domineering and controlling son of a bitch who did everything he could to control poor Alissa's life. In fact, after she refused Dario's marriage offer the first time, her grandfather pushed her down the stairs and broke her wrist. Dario begins to realize that his own selfishness and his drive to get back his birthright, put Alissa in even more danger and caused her harm. He starts to see that he isn't so different from the controlling asshole that ruined his life by destroying his family. It's a delightful insight and it really made me feel the change in him. His turn around is wonderful and although he can't undo what he's done, he understands that he can't control her life anymore. Even though he wants to keep her around forever, he has to let her make her own decisions if he loves her...which is why he almost loses her again. He fails in the whole love declaration arena and almost pushes her away before she realizes that by setting her free, he doesn't get the castello . And that's the perfect moment for him to tell her that SHE is more important than a stupid inheritance and that he can't live without her and her love...because he loves her more than anything.

This was very well handled...I often don't care for when heroines take back a vengeful hero without thinking about the fact that he was willing to ruin her life. This hero though, he made growth. He saw what he was and what he was willing to do and he hated himself for it. He didn't get grovelly, but his guilt and remorse was quite delicious...could have taken a bit more though...just a tad. I also very much appreciated that he was willing to give up his very ambition to prove his love and remorse. Would have probably liked an epilogue for this one as well...

[Paula Legate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The emotions were intense. The story line reminded me of fire, and ice. The emotions were raging, and it was a toss up to see what emotion won out. Alissa, and Dario thought they knew the other. The assumption they had about one another was so far from the truth. They didn't trust each other, but at the same time chemistry was pulling together.
Dario thought Alissa was a spoiled rich kid. She was raised by her grandfather. Her grandfather owned the castle that should have belonged to his family. Dario made a promise to his father, before his father died that he would get the castle back and all that was ripped away from Dario and his family.

The only way he can own it, is to marry Alissa. She has vowed never to marry that man. He was too much like her controlling grandfather. She needs money to save her sisters life. Donna needs medical treatment. The hospital will not start the treatment until they are paid. Alissa's only option is to marry Dario, and stay married to him for 6 months. She would do anything for Donna, her sister is the family she has left.

Can hate turn into love? How can one be mad, but at the same lust after the person they are mad at? This is a book I hope you enjoy as much as I did.

[RomLibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard-hearted magnate Dario Parisi will reclaim his stolen birthright--even if it means forcing the granddaughter of his family's sworn enemy to marry him.Alissa Scott is certainly not the biddable wife Dario wanted--yet he's consumed by red-hot desire for his unwilling bride. So when she tries to change the rules, he demands she honor all her vows. Finally he has exactly the kind of wife he wanted: a virgin bride! (less)

[SassyLeg · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Enemies to lovers romance: family feud with our hero obsessed by vengeance against heroine's relatives. She needs to marry in order to save her inheritance and obtain the money for her sick sister; hero discovers her ploy and replaces the groom. Actually, they were meant to have an arranged marriage a long ago, but she refused her part of the bargain.
He hates her - he considers her a tramp (misunderstandings galore!!) - he treats her horribly.....
She hates him - she tries to flee and treats him bad at every turn.....
Conclusion: insta-lust, smitten hero, confused heroine, seduction - hot lovemaking.
She discovers his horrible past - he discovers that she sacrificed her reputation and accepted all the lies because of family loyalty.
HEA

[Desi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Leído el 13/05/2010

RESUMEN: Obligada a casarse… y compartir su lecho. El despiadado magnate Dario Parisi reclamará el legado familiar que le fue arrebatado incluso si para ello tiene que obligar a la nieta de su más acérrimo enemigo a casarse con ella. Alissa Scott no es en absoluto la esposa dócil y sumisa que Dario deseaba, y sin embargo el ardiente deseo que siente por ella lo domina por completo. Por eso, cuando ella intenta cambiar las reglas, él le exige el cumplimiento de sus votos matrimoniales…

[Lori P. Arnold-Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a little bit missing...

I almost enjoyed the story. There were a few loose ends at the end. While the story had a lot of emotions, therewere a lot of under developed parts of the story lines.
Dario's character feels a bit less than 3 dimensional as does Alissa's. I'm leaving the story with a lot of open ends. Is she pregnant. Question was brought up but not answered. As I said I liked it but not enough to re-read for a happy feeling. Kind of like eating a piece of candy. I know its sweet but i couldn't taste it to enjoy it.

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy Annie West's stories and this is yet another of her fabulous romances. This was entertaining, romantic and sexy with an alpha hero who has a tortured past and a feisty heroine who is desperate to help her sister. Forced Marriage of convenience which turns physical and the development of a fabulous love story - plus a great location. Loved it.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this book because sometimes I just can't help myself. Because of something he experienced with his father he treated her like crap when she never gave him any reason. She was too good for him hands down.

[Diana P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7

[Cathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

wtf did I just read?

[Pauline Destinugrainy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alissa terpaksa menikahi Dario demi warisan sebuah kastil dari mendiang kakeknya. Dalam waktu enam bulan setelah menikah, mereka akan mewarisi kastil itu, dan Alissa akan menjualnya kepada Dario. Alissa membutuhkan dana yang besar untuk pengobatan adiknya.

Tapi pernikahannya dengan Dario tidak berjalan mulus. Sejak awal pertemuan mereka, baik Alissa dan Dario sudah mengetahui ketertarikan di antara mereka. Hanya saja keduanya berusaha menyangkal. Sampai kemudian, Alissa mendapatkan kabar kesehatan adiknya semakin memburuk, Alissa meminta sebagian harga penjualan kastil di awal. Dario yang mengira Alissa hanya mengincar uang untuk bersenang-senang, menuntut kesepakatan bahwa Alissa harus menjadi istri sepenuhnya jika menginginkan uang itu. Dengan berat hati Alissa memenuhinya.

Komunikasi antara Alissa dan Dario ini benar-benar buruk. Keduanya dipenuhi asumsi berdasarkan keadaan masa lalu. Padahal chemistry-nya kuat banget. Kasihan Alissa yang sepanjang hidupnya selalu di bawah tekanan. Yang sedih ketika semua bebannya terangkat, justru dia menjadi rapuh. Nice story.

[Raffaella · Rating 3 out of 5]

H has to marry heroine to have his family's castle back. She's his enemy's granddaughter, he thinks she's a druggy socialite, a gold-digger with no morals, they have to stay married for 6 months to have the castle as inheritance. She was a victim of her grandfather's cruelty instead, and she tried to protect her little sister who is now seriously ill and need money to have a cure. She agrees to marry the H. He despises her, verbally abuses her and even blackmails her to have sex when she needs money for her sister. Obviously he doesn't know all this but anyway I found disturbing when a man is rude and abusive to a woman, no matter what she did. This is a behaviour I can't stand. In the end he grovels, all is well and everybody's happy. Things I liked: the passion between them, the powerful attraction and the love that is not insta love but builds month after month when they are together. Things I didn't like: the hero is cruel, rude, arrogant, opinionated. I prefer if the hero is gallant to women, no matter what they do.