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Public Marriage, Private Secrets
Four years ago Gianna made a whirlwind marriage to the man she loved—Raúl Velez-Saldaña was the father of her baby. But, tragically, her pregnancy didn't last and neither did their marriage. Discovering Raúl's infidelity, Gianna left.
But the Spaniard who stole her heart has returned!
As far as Raúl is concerned, his marriage to Gianna was simply postponed—now he wants his wife back! In public they are the perfect society couple; in private the secrets of their past still haunt them both and their desire is just as strong as ever....
But the Spaniard who stole her heart has returned!
As far as Raúl is concerned, his marriage to Gianna was simply postponed—now he wants his wife back! In public they are the perfect society couple; in private the secrets of their past still haunt them both and their desire is just as strong as ever....
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
79 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Helen Bianchin
380 books229 followersHelen Shirley was born on February 20 1939 in New Zealand, where she grew up, an only child possessed by a vivid imagination and a love for reading. She wrote stories for amusement in her early teenage years, and when she left leaving school, she took a secretarial job at a father-and-son legal firm.
At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.
It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.
With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!
Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.
She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."
Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.
At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.
It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.
With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!
Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.
She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."
Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
October 27, 2018
Welcome to the Helen Bianchin Theater. This evening’s interpretive dance of Public Marriage, Private Secrets is sponsored by these quality brands of yogurt, cosmetics, luxury goods, shower stalls and silk dresses. *list of brands flash across the screen above the stage*
Stage set: a luxury boutique – stage left. A bedroom and shower stall – center upstage. A public powder room stage right.
Columns indicating public places flank the downstage.
The Dancers:
Heroine – fine boned flighty blonde with many many costume changes
Hero – muscular with dark hair and no expression on his face.
OW – crazy eyes with poorly dyed blonde hair so she looks like the heroine
Hero’s mother – in a wheelchair to represent her terminal illness
Act I: Boutique in Australia
Heroine dashes around in a frenzy
Hero arrives and stands still
Heroine dashes around in a frenzy.
Hero stands still.
Heroine shrugs and dances with hero across the stage to Spain
Act II Bedroom and Shower stall in Spain
Heroine dashes around in a frenzy. Sometimes using the shower stall. Sometimes lying and writhing on the bed.
The OW dances about as the heroine lies on the bed remembering the hero’s betrayal.
Hero stands with his arms crossed over the his chest during these solos.
Act III Downstage in Spain
The H/h dance around with champagne glasses and the H’s mother in a wheel chair joins them for parts of the dance and then retreats.
The OW dances about menacingly.
The heroine dances with a cell phone, her eyes widen as she discovers the OW lied.
Hero never leaves the stage even during the solos. He stands throughout the act, watching.
Act IV
The H/h dance to the bed and writhe around.
The hero’s mother hands heroine heirloom diamonds
The H/h repeat the dance with champagne glasses
The heroine dances to the powder room where she and the OW throw each other around
The hero stands throughout the act, watching.
Act V
Heroine dances toward her boutique, but changes her mind.
She kneels in front of the hero in the bedroom as if seeking forgiveness.
They writhe on the bed.
The OW dances in agony and retreats off stage.
The heroine dances in a wedding gown.
The hero stands with a smug look on his face.
Epilogue
The heroine dances with a baby.
The hero stands with a smug look on his face.
Thank you for attending our show. Hopefully the dancers conveyed the many, many inner thoughts of the heroine as well as the abundant use of italics and the lack of dialogue.
Stage set: a luxury boutique – stage left. A bedroom and shower stall – center upstage. A public powder room stage right.
Columns indicating public places flank the downstage.
The Dancers:
Heroine – fine boned flighty blonde with many many costume changes
Hero – muscular with dark hair and no expression on his face.
OW – crazy eyes with poorly dyed blonde hair so she looks like the heroine
Hero’s mother – in a wheelchair to represent her terminal illness
Act I: Boutique in Australia
Heroine dashes around in a frenzy
Hero arrives and stands still
Heroine dashes around in a frenzy.
Hero stands still.
Heroine shrugs and dances with hero across the stage to Spain
Act II Bedroom and Shower stall in Spain
Heroine dashes around in a frenzy. Sometimes using the shower stall. Sometimes lying and writhing on the bed.
The OW dances about as the heroine lies on the bed remembering the hero’s betrayal.
Hero stands with his arms crossed over the his chest during these solos.
Act III Downstage in Spain
The H/h dance around with champagne glasses and the H’s mother in a wheel chair joins them for parts of the dance and then retreats.
The OW dances about menacingly.
The heroine dances with a cell phone, her eyes widen as she discovers the OW lied.
Hero never leaves the stage even during the solos. He stands throughout the act, watching.
Act IV
The H/h dance to the bed and writhe around.
The hero’s mother hands heroine heirloom diamonds
The H/h repeat the dance with champagne glasses
The heroine dances to the powder room where she and the OW throw each other around
The hero stands throughout the act, watching.
Act V
Heroine dances toward her boutique, but changes her mind.
She kneels in front of the hero in the bedroom as if seeking forgiveness.
They writhe on the bed.
The OW dances in agony and retreats off stage.
The heroine dances in a wedding gown.
The hero stands with a smug look on his face.
Epilogue
The heroine dances with a baby.
The hero stands with a smug look on his face.
Thank you for attending our show. Hopefully the dancers conveyed the many, many inner thoughts of the heroine as well as the abundant use of italics and the lack of dialogue.
September 10, 2018
What a beautiful love story. I loved it. The heroine left her husband three years before because she thought he cheated. She had moved on and made a life for herself but it seemed empty to me. The hero's Mother who was so awesome got cancer and asked to see the heroine one last time. She goes and the hero slowly woos her back with the incredible strength of his love. And he truly loved her. The book was very emotive and you really felt their connection. And for once the hero remained faithful to her through their three year estrangement. I just love books that have that. They both still wore their wedding rings too. The heroine did irritate me a little with her pushing away but she finally saw the light. The ex lover of the H was totally evil. I can't believe he stayed with her for three months ever. It was way before he met the h and he did not like her. She physically assaulted the h and I wish she would have been arrested for it. But the ending was beautiful and this book will become a forever friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2015
Heroine and hero were blissfully married but after she suffered a miscarriage, she felt depressed and abandoned her husband Raul cause an evil OW made her believe he was cheating on her which wasn't true. In fact he stayed celibate during their separation.
Three years later hero's mother is dying and her final wish is to see Gianna again. Gianna visits her mother in law and spends time with Raul. She realizes she was wrong about him. He never cheated and he never stopped loving her.
Good angsty read. Both hero and heroine were likable and the evil OW a real bitch. Short epilogue was adorable!
Three years later hero's mother is dying and her final wish is to see Gianna again. Gianna visits her mother in law and spends time with Raul. She realizes she was wrong about him. He never cheated and he never stopped loving her.
Good angsty read. Both hero and heroine were likable and the evil OW a real bitch. Short epilogue was adorable!
October 15, 2018
This is really not my kind of book. It had a lovely ending and that's the reason I am giving it three stars. To be honest I am not a fan of other woman or other man drama and to make it worse he had been in a three-month affair with the OW before meeting the woman he fell in love with and married. She was evil personified and worked hard to separate the two. She did! Thankfully there was a very wonderful HEA that saved it for me.
August 19, 2011
WTF???!!!
That was my reaction when the heroine bolted after learning of her husband infidelity – without CHECKING OUT ALL THE FACTS! Taking the word of a beautiful skank for scared without bothering to confront her husband? I don’t think so. Is everything all right with her?
WTF???!!!
That was my reaction when the heroine, AFTER FOUR YEARS, finally decided to discover the truth about whether her husband had really cheated on her before or not. Uhm, couldn’t she have done that when she learned of the supposed cheating? Is everything all right with her?
WTF???!!!
This is usually my reaction while reading (and after finishing) a Harlequin Presents story, and this one was no different.
The married because of the baby, but she thought she trapped him into marriage, and her confidence was at a very low point, she lost the baby, a skank told her she was boining her husband, her confidence plummeted even more, and she left. After four years, he comes back – NEITHER OF THEM FILED FOR DIVORCE – to take her to see his dying mother...And of course, try to win her back, because he genuinely loves her (which she never knew), was never unfaithful – not even in the four years they were separated (I guess his hand doesn’t count, huh?), which she also never knew – BECAUSE SHE NEVER BOTHERED TO CHECK OUT THE FACTS, they resume their marriage, though the doubts and secrets still plague them etc.
The usual HP spiel. I loved Raul, though the idiot male could’ve tried harder to get his wife back during their separation, and I really wished for him to have a proper heroine. Alas, that wasn’t the case, and the book simply tanked for me.
That was my reaction when the heroine bolted after learning of her husband infidelity – without CHECKING OUT ALL THE FACTS! Taking the word of a beautiful skank for scared without bothering to confront her husband? I don’t think so. Is everything all right with her?
WTF???!!!
That was my reaction when the heroine, AFTER FOUR YEARS, finally decided to discover the truth about whether her husband had really cheated on her before or not. Uhm, couldn’t she have done that when she learned of the supposed cheating? Is everything all right with her?
WTF???!!!
This is usually my reaction while reading (and after finishing) a Harlequin Presents story, and this one was no different.
The married because of the baby, but she thought she trapped him into marriage, and her confidence was at a very low point, she lost the baby, a skank told her she was boining her husband, her confidence plummeted even more, and she left. After four years, he comes back – NEITHER OF THEM FILED FOR DIVORCE – to take her to see his dying mother...And of course, try to win her back, because he genuinely loves her (which she never knew), was never unfaithful – not even in the four years they were separated (I guess his hand doesn’t count, huh?), which she also never knew – BECAUSE SHE NEVER BOTHERED TO CHECK OUT THE FACTS, they resume their marriage, though the doubts and secrets still plague them etc.
The usual HP spiel. I loved Raul, though the idiot male could’ve tried harder to get his wife back during their separation, and I really wished for him to have a proper heroine. Alas, that wasn’t the case, and the book simply tanked for me.
October 1, 2018
Hero coveted by another woman + other woman is a bitch stalker and psychotic + describes parties and clothes of the rich in detail.
The explosive meltdown had come when she had called his cellphone one evening while he was on a business trip in Argentina and Sierra had answered, almostpurring with delight as she‟d revealed that „now is not a good time…comprende?‟ As if the implication might be misunderstood, Sierra had sharpened the verbal barb with unvarnished clarity. „Raúl is filling the spa-bath. Need I say I‟m about to join him?‟
Bittersweet words, Gianna reflected, given she’d suffered a miscarriage within seven weeks of becoming Gianna Velez-Saldaña.
Grief, sorrow…dammit, hormones, had succeeded in providing an altered reasoning. Together with the sweetly delivered but nonetheless heartless words from Sierra, one of Raúl’s ex-lovers, who had essayed it might have been prudent to wait until closer to the child’s birth before rushing into marriage.
Raúl. Ex-lover, estranged husband…and a man she had fervently hoped never to see again.
When she had left Madrid, she’d only taken what she had brought into the relationship. All the gifts he’d generously bestowed…clothing, lingerie, jewellery…had been left behind.
No longer would she toy with the idea of divorce. As soon as she returned to Australia she’d consult her lawyer and have him file the necessary papers.
‘Rafaela.’ His acknowledgement held polite warmth, but little more.
‘Gianna.’ ‘Another cousin, querido?’ ‘My wife.’ Rafaela’s eyes flashed momentarily, although to give her credit she recovered quickly. ‘The marriage is over, sí?’
‘Sierra is holidaying on the island.’
Sierra visiting Argentina at the same time as Raúl had been in Rio on business. Coincidentally staying at the same hotel or so she’d said. When Gianna had called him, it had been Sierra who had answered the phone in his suite.
‘So…what prompted you to return? His billions? Or his ability to make you feel like the kind of woman no other man can?’ Oh, boy. She held Sierra’s vindictive gaze, and evinced quietly, ‘I’m in Mallorca at Raúl’s request.’
‘Raúl should move on to a woman who is fertile.’
Sierra leaned in close and voiced in a hideous whisper, ‘Watch your back. It doesn’t pay to be too clever.’
Her accidental pregnancy had delighted him, precipitating the wedding. But the unforeseen miscarriage had been followed soon after by Sierra’s damnably false innuendos…and Gianna had slipped to a place where he’d been unable to reach her.
He caught hold of her chin and tilted it so she had no recourse but to meet the darkness in his eyes. ‘There has never been anyone since you. No one.’ No one? Not even…
January 8, 2011
After Gianna's miscarriage, she felt alone and emotionally detached from husband Raul Velez-Saldana. But when the beautiful Sierra's answer's his phone when she calls him while he's out of town for business and insinuates things are going on between closed doors she packs up and leaves. She refused to answer his calls and the one time he flew out to see her refused him then too. Claiming the next move was hers.
Now four years later, Gianna has her own successful business and a quiet life. That changes though when her husband, for neither filed for divorce, shows up wishing to take her back to Madrid to see his mother who has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Gianna can't not go see Teresa who to this day still treated her like a daughter. So, making arrangements, they both head home.
Through time spent with Raul, his mother, and social events, Gianna begins to question whether she had justifiable reasons to leave Raul. While he's away she decides to do the digging she should have done four years ago and finally learns the truth. Her only choice now is too decide how to combine her life in Gold Coast with her new one.
Although there wasn't a lot of thoughts in Raul point of view, it was nice to know that he honestly loved her from the beginning, remained faithful through their separation, and fought for her when the opportunity came to him.
Now four years later, Gianna has her own successful business and a quiet life. That changes though when her husband, for neither filed for divorce, shows up wishing to take her back to Madrid to see his mother who has been diagnosed with inoperable cancer. Gianna can't not go see Teresa who to this day still treated her like a daughter. So, making arrangements, they both head home.
Through time spent with Raul, his mother, and social events, Gianna begins to question whether she had justifiable reasons to leave Raul. While he's away she decides to do the digging she should have done four years ago and finally learns the truth. Her only choice now is too decide how to combine her life in Gold Coast with her new one.
Although there wasn't a lot of thoughts in Raul point of view, it was nice to know that he honestly loved her from the beginning, remained faithful through their separation, and fought for her when the opportunity came to him.
September 19, 2010
Ok. Let me get this straight. You're in a deliriously happy marriage. You call your husband. Some skank answers and insinuates that he's in the tub for a rendez-vous later and you bolt? WTF Who ARE these women in these stories??
Where's the rest of my review??? Oh, well. I can't remember it now, but I KNOW it had something to do with being fed up with stupid heroines who don't even bother to check out all the facts. Although...
She had just suffered a divorce, and the H could have attempted to contact her in some way in THREE YEARS!
Where's the rest of my review??? Oh, well. I can't remember it now, but I KNOW it had something to do with being fed up with stupid heroines who don't even bother to check out all the facts. Although...
She had just suffered a divorce, and the H could have attempted to contact her in some way in THREE YEARS!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2019
2.5 stars. This wasn’t great, but it could’ve been a whole lot worse. It’s one of those stories that could’ve been avoided easily, had the heroine only done the mature thing and think things through instead of knee-jerking it to another continent and staying there for three years. Most of this story seemed like it was about the heroine being aware of how sexually attracted she still was to the H. Sort of boring. One star for a safe story, one star for a devoted H who was faithful even during the three year estrangement and half a star for the fact that the h didn’t wallow in poverty during the separation but made something of herself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2022
If you read one it feels like you’ve read them all.
December 8, 2020
I wanted a quick read to finish up my challenge for the year, and so I picked a book from my Kindle library.
This book hit the spot because it was focused on the romance and the drama without all the nonsense you'll find in serial books. It harkens back to when Harlequin was pushing out books with cheesy names, easy to follow and totally predictable plots.
Billionaire marries a nobody, misunderstandings ensue, the nobody leaves, the billionaire doesn't chase after her hard enough, the marriage fizzles on the back burner for 3 years... Suddenly billionaire needs estranged wife, they realize they made a mistake 3 years ago and that they are still in love, they have lots of implied sex, and VOILA! the recipe for the typical Big H romance.
It scratched an itch, but it didn't get rid of it completely. Unsatisfying waste of my late night/early morning hours.
This book hit the spot because it was focused on the romance and the drama without all the nonsense you'll find in serial books. It harkens back to when Harlequin was pushing out books with cheesy names, easy to follow and totally predictable plots.
Billionaire marries a nobody, misunderstandings ensue, the nobody leaves, the billionaire doesn't chase after her hard enough, the marriage fizzles on the back burner for 3 years... Suddenly billionaire needs estranged wife, they realize they made a mistake 3 years ago and that they are still in love, they have lots of implied sex, and VOILA! the recipe for the typical Big H romance.
It scratched an itch, but it didn't get rid of it completely. Unsatisfying waste of my late night/early morning hours.
July 6, 2019
This authors books are very samey and predictable but I laughed when the heroine in this book was reading a novel which she found predictable but didn't mind as she liked the author! I feel a bit like that about Helen Bianchin. Her books are predictable but I find them easy to read. Some are better than others.
This one was OK but it's one of those annoying ones where if the H&H had just taken the time to have a proper talk their marriage could have survived it's first hiccup. Again there is another woman who wants the hero for herself so causes trouble.
This one was OK but it's one of those annoying ones where if the H&H had just taken the time to have a proper talk their marriage could have survived it's first hiccup. Again there is another woman who wants the hero for herself so causes trouble.
February 24, 2021
This pattern is similar to other HB's book: a psycho OW who wants hero back, heroine believes OW accusations, there's a separation then heroine understands that it was all lies by crazy OW. The hero is a decent guy, he is faithful and loves the heroine even if she left him because she didn't trust him. Nice story, only thing I didn't like is how this supposed clever guy could have a three-month affair with a woman wich is obviously insane. Maybe a ONS could be understandable but 3 months... Not so clever indeed.
August 15, 2015
A pretty good book. Good for passing time or just for something to read. Good characters, plot, and personalities. This was good but not really page-turning. Some aggravating and exasperating parts but a good ending. Some just to read.
August 16, 2018
Eye roll
March 22, 2024
shitshow
June 19, 2017
Didn't like the heroine. Didn't finish the last two chapters of the book.
August 30, 2020
On the cusp of requesting a divorce, Gianna gets a visit from Raul after being estranged for four years. (although it says 3 years also several times throughout ??) I’m not a fan of multi-year separations, but this one doesn’t have a secret pregnancy, which was a plus… so… Whether you enjoy this one will probably depend on your tolerance for stupid, because the h takes being an ASSumer to epic proportions. She’s weak, and even gets her ass kicked by OW in the powder room… sigh… Gianna left him, because his ex (stalker Sierra) told her they were having an affair. In G’s defense, she was hormonal, and stalker Sierra answered his hotel room phone, but failing to fact check with the hubs was moronic.
I don’t take soapy-books seriously, but honestly… WHY do the h’s always have to be the dumb dumbs? They blindly believe these crazy skanks blatantly trying to steal their husbands, but never question the credibility. I realize we need conflict for drama, but the H’s get solid proof like doctored photos, body doubles, or roofie setups, while the h’s get phone calls or overheard gossip. When everyone knows in real life, we’d investigate that shit like Joe Kenda leaving no stone unturned…. Pfft 😤
Stupid-head aside, this book had some inconsistencies. Like I said above the 4/3-year separation flipped-flopped throughout from the blurb to the end. Also, towards the beginning it said she called his cell phone and Sierra answered, later it says that she picked up the room phone, because she snuck in with the room service while he was on his cellphone. Then after cycling through anger and crying she packed her bags and took a taxi to the airport. Later, it says she left after he failed to make her believe him. Regardless, he tried to call her, and flew to Australia, but she refused to speak with him.
Bottom Line- Gianna is frustrating AF; she goes on and on about how much she loves R, but won’t believe him, is a prickly pear over half the book (when EVERYONE knows she’s wrong), and after everything shakes out… she only says, “I owe you an apology.” Really?? The “conflict” was silly, and it took her like an afternoon to track down hotel receipts, media photos and phone records years later, so it made no sense that she never tried before. I love a second-chance romance, but Raul deserves better. There’s a short epilogue. **Safety- H never cheated. h went on dates; H took his mother as his +1; both celibate during the 4/3-year separation.
I don’t take soapy-books seriously, but honestly… WHY do the h’s always have to be the dumb dumbs? They blindly believe these crazy skanks blatantly trying to steal their husbands, but never question the credibility. I realize we need conflict for drama, but the H’s get solid proof like doctored photos, body doubles, or roofie setups, while the h’s get phone calls or overheard gossip. When everyone knows in real life, we’d investigate that shit like Joe Kenda leaving no stone unturned…. Pfft 😤
Stupid-head aside, this book had some inconsistencies. Like I said above the 4/3-year separation flipped-flopped throughout from the blurb to the end. Also, towards the beginning it said she called his cell phone and Sierra answered, later it says that she picked up the room phone, because she snuck in with the room service while he was on his cellphone. Then after cycling through anger and crying she packed her bags and took a taxi to the airport. Later, it says she left after he failed to make her believe him. Regardless, he tried to call her, and flew to Australia, but she refused to speak with him.
Bottom Line- Gianna is frustrating AF; she goes on and on about how much she loves R, but won’t believe him, is a prickly pear over half the book (when EVERYONE knows she’s wrong), and after everything shakes out… she only says, “I owe you an apology.” Really?? The “conflict” was silly, and it took her like an afternoon to track down hotel receipts, media photos and phone records years later, so it made no sense that she never tried before. I love a second-chance romance, but Raul deserves better. There’s a short epilogue. **Safety- H never cheated. h went on dates; H took his mother as his +1; both celibate during the 4/3-year separation.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 6, 2011
This was a quick, light read with a few hot sex scenes. I liked Raul very much and Gianna. I would have given this one 4 stars if there had been more dialog and less explanation.
January 17, 2021
I feel bad giving this less than three stars, because it is a Helen Bianchin book, so basically every aspect was foretold from the very beginning. Crazy stalker other woman obsessed with hero? Check. Showdown (pre-book) in which stalker told heroine that hero was committing adultery with her and heroine stomped off in a cheated-upon huff without bothering to verify with hero? Check. Hero forces himself and heroine back into proximity with a combination of emotional and financial manipulation? Check. Heroine is unable to overcome her passion for the hero? Check. Heroine is confronted by the other woman and lies are revealed? Check. Heroine begs forgiveness from the hero for believing the stalker's lies and the hero says it's fine, it was totally plausible? Check. I mean, Bianchin's books are pretty paint-by-numbers, and there's nothing unusually awful here. I will say that for some reason - probably current events - I had more difficulty than usual with the heroine's circle of pleasant, charity-running friends; when they're all married to corporate tycoons who could e.g. fund a new wing of the hospital with their own money, one has to assume the reason the Mrs. is throwing a charity ball is because she wants an excuse to throw a big party rather than that she actually wants to throw money at the hospital.
January 21, 2026
an unconvincing MMC
This is a marriage in crisis story with a 3 year separation and perceived cheating (no actual cheating). The thing I really disliked was the MMC did basically nothing to fix things, as far as I could tell. If he ever came to try and convince her to come back during their three year separation, I completely missed it. If he ever did anything publicly to say “hey this OW is crazy and I have a restraining order against her” well… I missed that too.
No real angst here, the OW is barely present, there’s an epilogue baby but not much mention of the miscarriage… I just never got the impression the MMC really wanted to fight for *her.* He certainly wanted to fight for their marriage, but not necessarily her. It seemed more like he wanted to protect his reputation.
This is a marriage in crisis story with a 3 year separation and perceived cheating (no actual cheating). The thing I really disliked was the MMC did basically nothing to fix things, as far as I could tell. If he ever came to try and convince her to come back during their three year separation, I completely missed it. If he ever did anything publicly to say “hey this OW is crazy and I have a restraining order against her” well… I missed that too.
No real angst here, the OW is barely present, there’s an epilogue baby but not much mention of the miscarriage… I just never got the impression the MMC really wanted to fight for *her.* He certainly wanted to fight for their marriage, but not necessarily her. It seemed more like he wanted to protect his reputation.
December 10, 2023
After Gianna suffered a miscarriage she felt a drift, and that her husband have been gone an affair with one of his old mistresses. Three years later, Raul walks into her boutique, informing her of his mothers terminal cancer diagnosis. Teresa, his mother, wish to see Janna and Raul was there to make sure, this meeting took place.
Raul never stopped, loving his wife, and although Janna made every attempt, she, too loved him.
The story of their reconnection is filled with ups and downs. And easy read with Characters that hold your attention, and for whom you wish the best.
I enjoyed this book and rapidly read through the entertaining pages. As love stories go, this is a good one.
Raul never stopped, loving his wife, and although Janna made every attempt, she, too loved him.
The story of their reconnection is filled with ups and downs. And easy read with Characters that hold your attention, and for whom you wish the best.
I enjoyed this book and rapidly read through the entertaining pages. As love stories go, this is a good one.
April 19, 2024
If you like a simple romance with a bit of OW drama but a loving hero who had every intention of reconciling their marriage, this is that story. I guess the learning and growth of the heroine was the main lead. Everything was all too obvious for any kind of suspense. One thing I thought was irritating but never resolved was the heroine's lonely nights with the husband working all the time. That bothered her in retrospect but nothing came of his rather indifferent attitude. But it was written well.
August 25, 2017
Meh.
Too much waffling. I could skim half the book and not miss a thing.
Plus The writer doesnt know how to write emotions. The tempo is the same throughout the book, never increasing with anger, fear or other heightened emotions and never decreasing with the calmer.... just same through out.
Too much waffling. I could skim half the book and not miss a thing.
Plus The writer doesnt know how to write emotions. The tempo is the same throughout the book, never increasing with anger, fear or other heightened emotions and never decreasing with the calmer.... just same through out.
January 2, 2019
Nice read.
I'm not a massive fan of retries of marriage but this was sweet.
I didn't understand why she believed the lies so easily and he seemed a very good guy to put up with almost bratish behaviour before hand..
I'm not a massive fan of retries of marriage but this was sweet.
I didn't understand why she believed the lies so easily and he seemed a very good guy to put up with almost bratish behaviour before hand..
April 26, 2022
Any feminist will cringe at the protagonist. Starts out as an independent strong woman but the moment a man (her ex, whom she left because of cheating) touches her, she melts and feels completely filled and whole again!
January 10, 2024
So, Raùl keeps thinking of his brilliant strategy to win Gianna back. His strategy is .... to be obnoxious until that somehow makes her fall in love with him? He really seemed to have no strategy at all.
October 26, 2025
Not bad and fairly well written. Raul is unyielding in what he wants for his wife while Gianna desires as much independence as possible.
Gianna is estranged from her husband after a miscarriage a few years ago. Now, many years later, Raul returns, intent on reclaiming his wife.
Gianna is estranged from her husband after a miscarriage a few years ago. Now, many years later, Raul returns, intent on reclaiming his wife.
January 29, 2022
Good story. But it would have been better is heroine grovelled a bit. I mean she turned her back on her husband with absolutely no proof except the words of a scorned woman.
July 4, 2022
Excellent
Lovely story about a marriage destroyed by a ex. The truth finally comes out and a happy ending. You will enjoy this book.
Lovely story about a marriage destroyed by a ex. The truth finally comes out and a happy ending. You will enjoy this book.
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