Customer Reviews

Italian Prince, Wedlocked Wife (Harlequin Presents)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

So if you have read the other reviews for this book you saw that most of the reviewers did not like this book. There is some credence to what they write. The hero of the story Prince Maximo is so very harsh in the beginning of the book (and really he stays that way for most of the book) and Lucy does let him run her life to a degree. However, I think that the author does a wonderful job of showing the growth of Lucy and her character development. I loved this story because of her. As the reader, you really feel for Lucy. You want to cry with her and cheer for her. Maximo was a jerk, but its a harlequin romance that's typical and to be expected.The reason's for Maximo's revenge do finally come out at the end of the book and I thought they were pretty solid, if not a little rushed through in the description. Lucy on the other hand does everything she does for her baby. She puts Chloe first through the whole book and I thought that was wonderful. She had fallen in love was a horrible man who broke her heart and denies that he is Chloe's father and after he left Lucy she promises that she will never fall in love again. Maximo does sweep in and save Lucy from a bad place in life, a place where she has to work two and three part time jobs to get by, never having enough money for anything. Maximo comes into Lucy's life promising 30 million dollars to become his wife for three months. He does this for revenge against Lucy's grandfather and ex-boyfriend, but she does not know this at the time. She thinks that she is completely alone in life destine to be poor, that is until this unknown man comes in and offers her an opportunity of a lifetime. She agrees to Maximo's plans but once they are back in Italy Maximo's plans become all the more clear and lies about who Lucy is and what Maximo really want start to come out. Through the whole book Lucy's morals and character shine through. She it totally lovable and yes even though Maximo is so very cruel throughout most of the book it is not really directed at Lucy. He is actually really nice to her and treats her really well. That is were a lot of the conflict comes into play because Lucy has such a difficult time meshing the man who is so cruel to a dieing man (her unknown grandfather) and the man who treats her as though he loves her.
There was a lot of back story that weaves in and out of the book but that aside this book was wonderful. I know that there are those who don't like the typical Harlequin Heroes who throw their money around just to get revenge and are supper mean but if you know that going into it and know what to expect this book is very very very very good.

Most definitely a Cinderella story literally from rags to wealth beyond imagine for Lucy Abbott and her daughter Chloe. Add revenge, desire and mystery; it's an incredible love story and journey as wonderfully written by author Jennie Lucas.

For most of her life Lucy and her mother lived from payday to payday and moved from town to town. Her mother died at an early age leaving Lucy to survive in foster care. Now on top of everything else, Lucy finds herself nearly destitute trying to support herself and an infant. She's working at a gas station convenience store, with a letch for a boss, working more than one job just to support them. On top of everything else, the father of her child denies his paternity and wants nothing to do with either of them.

Lucy is determined to provide and care for Chloe and will go to any lengths to do so. As one will learn she is a woman of honour and extreme strength and wants the family she never experienced for her daughter and herself. A father for Chloe is at the top of her list since she never knew her own father nor experienced the warmth of family.

The handsome and wealthy Prince Maximo has a grudge and seeks revenge. He returns to the US and has a plan, one in which will benefit him in a business sense but it all revolves around Lucy. He sits waiting to make his move, gets Lucy fired from her job, takes Lucy and Chloe to his hotel and in the end forces Lucy to sign documents with the pretence she will get revenge from her daughter's father. He takes them with him to his palace in Italy and guarantees her security and financial support in return for the signed documents. Unknown to her, she is giving up more than she's aware and you will be shocked to learn the truth.

The Italian Prince, Wedlocked Wife is an amazing love story full of lust, lies, deceit and revenge. It's also about healing, coming home and the true lessons that money isn't everything. Maximo with his blindness for revenge softens when he actually gets to know Lucy and Chloe. He is brought to his knees and your heart will melt when you read how love creeps into his heart. Jennie Lucas's talent shines through in this very intense and beautiful love story!

I disagree with the previous reviewer. The story is compelling, although you always have to take romance novels with a grain of salt. Romance novels by their very definition are a means of escapism, so they are not meant to be completely realistic. The main characters' interactions were smouldering. The ending could have been better, but what romance novel can you find that doesn't have its share of explanations for how and why the characters feel the way they do? It's standard Harlequin, but I could not put this one down.

PS: Finally, a story where the woman is not a virgin! That alone ought to be worth the small amount of money to own this book.

O.K. I know this is not Shakespeare. Its a Harlequin. I get it. But cooome on! This could be the silliest book I have ever read.

True, as the other reviewer mentioned, the heroine was not a virgin. That was the only bit of realism in an otherwise almost farcical story.

I am not going to go into the plot because I do not want to spoil others who are brave enough to attempt to make sense out the foolishness that is this book. I hope it is suffice to say that I found this book to be completely absurd.

This book is really an insult to the reader. I guess you can't blame a writer for letting someone publish your work, so I will save my recriminations for Harlequin. Shame on you all. You should have more respect for your readers/customers than this.

Before I get into the reviewing of this book I'm going to ask the two questions that was paramount in my mind while reading this: Where did Ms. Lucas go wrong with this story and the second is Who edited this darn book, that being said this plot was just to ridiculous even for a faithful harlequin reader like myself whom buys all 8 books in the series each month and hopes for the best.

The story of Lucy Abbott aka Lucia Ferrazzi and Prince Maximo d'Aquilla was just ludicrous for words, first off the story opens up with Maximo sitting outside of Lucy's job in his Mercedes Benz in a seedy neighborhood in Chicago, where Lucy works as a store clerk in a liquor store. She is described by Maximo in his minds eye as homely and bookish looking and looks as though she could be easily manipulated; if this statement isn't the tell-all to this entire book I don't know what is. Maximo proceeds to enter the store where he basically rescues Lucy from her lecherous boss whose all but sexually assaulting her, and then proceeds to tell her that he (Maximo) is there to take her away from the poverty and doldrums of her life, oh and that he will help her get revenge on the guy who fathered her child and basically left her cold before the child was born. Okay I have to stop here and say: You've got to be kidding me right? I mean who hasn't ever dreamed of a guy playing the white knight in shining armor role and whisking us away from our ordinary lives? But lets be real if some stranger came out of the blue and promised you the world you would think they were two bricks short of a full load and then proceed to call the cops right? Well Lucy didn't do that she proceeded to hold a conversation with Maximo and then in a fit of sanity and common sense she bolts out of the store and runs to her car which is frozen shut and then tries to high-tail it away from him, but only manages to get tackled by him and then threatened by him and told that he has her nearly one year old child at his hotel room. Instead of I don't know trying to get away from what appears to be a mad man she goes with him to his hotel room, where she finds her daughter and the babysitter there happily watching television while her daughter sleeps in the other room, mind you the batty woman tells Lucy "oh he told me he's here to rescue from your circumstances, so I thought it was okay to go with him". At this point in the story my mouth just fell open in shock.

And the plot goes on.....Lucy once again doesn't embrace common sense she continues to stay at this hotel and goes with Maximo into another suite of rooms where there is a new years eve party commencing (most people would have grabbed there kid and been half way to the local police station by now). She knows as much about Maximo as I know about my mail man, which ain't much but continues to be in his presence where she is verbally attacked by some unknown socialites, Maximo once again "rescues" her from the clutches of evil, only to drop the bomb on her that she must marry him in order to get the riches and good life that he claims he can give her and get this she has to do so before the stroke of midnight with no explanation as to why and who the heck he is, but only knowing that he is suppose to be a "Prince" of some sort or other, and if she doesn't marry him she'll get nothing and go back to a life of poverty where she is struggling to feed, cloth and shelter herself and her child....he's such a "Prince" isn't he? Well Lucy decides that after a total of about 30mins of being in this man's company she'll marry him.

I know that I should have at this point thrown the book in the rubbish bin and co-signed it to the nearest land fill, but it became like a grotesque accident that even though it sickens you, you're compelled to keep watching it until its ghastly conclusion. In short this book is just horrible with an out of this world and all over the place plot, weak and under developed characters.

This isn't the first Jennie Lucas book I've read, it perhaps the 4th and each one of them share some of the same characteristics or all total that I've mentioned above. Let me just say that I'm not into author bashing not by a long chalk because I commend those who attempt writing and get published, but in this instance I have to say this is probably the last of Ms. Lucas's books I'll be reading because in my opinion her writing, plot character development etc has not gotten better with time. If someone has a different opinion please share. Happy Reading!