Port Of Paradise [Paperback]

Lisa Marie Rice (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 2004

Hope Winston is in Italy running a school for her best friend, Kay Summers. But helping Kay has put her life in danger. Hope doesn't want protection and she doesn't want help. She doesn't want anyone, particularly not devastatingly sexy Capitano Franco Rivers, head of the elite anti-mafia squad. Hope hates cops. So how did she end up sleeping with one? Hope Winston is the most delectable woman Franco Rivera has ever seen. There's only one problem. Hope keeps sticking her pretty little nose in trouble. She needs a keeper. And Franco Rivera is just the man to keep her... In his bed.

Product Details

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: Ellora's Cave (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141995038X
• ISBN-13: 978-1419950384
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #727,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! another winner!, June 16, 2005

By 

Andrea Roe (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Port Of Paradise (Paperback)

Once again Lisa Marie Rice has penned (or maybe PC'd) a wonderful book. The alpha hero has a polished veneer, and is even supplied with a charming mother, but when he focuses in on the heroine he may as well be Tarzan. The heroine is wary, but there is no way she will be able to evade her sexy Italian cop.

This story takes place in Italy, and has a strong sense of place.

Ms. Rice is a buried treasure. Find her, buy her books so she can write full time--I want more books!

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars When the Moon Hits Your Eye, That's Amore!, February 15, 2007

By 

Amazon thy name is credit card debt (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Port Of Paradise (Paperback)

This starts out a little oddly, with Hope dodging Franco, the charming, hunky Italian Policio. It becomes clearer as the story progresses that Hope's had some horrible experiences with law enforcement types who used their badges to belittle people and made her life hell.
Franco finally meets Hope and he discovers weird things are happening at Hope's home, which she borrows from her friend. The friend runs an English instruction school in Italy, which has some priceless broken syntax with these gentlemen trying to learn our nutty tongue and mangling it quite well. And the friend? Well, she's hospitalized and that's why Hope's even IN Italy to start with, she's dropped everything and moved to Italy to help her bud. Good trade for the inconvenience, though, since she finds the love of her life in the suave Franco.
I really liked him and meeting his Mama, who wanted her boy hitched and gave Hope a nudge with some style tips. It's not as if Hope had to have a make-over to catch Franco's attention: she's a blonde and that's rare in Southern Italy, but Ms. Rice aggravates poor old Franco by opening the eyes of EVERYONE who gets a glimpse of our girl once she gets a hair cut and some nifty clothes.
There are, as previously reviewed, some hot sex scenes and one in the police station that should have completely cured Hope's phobia about law enforcement. Yowza! Then again, in order to get a, uh, second dose of Franco's revolutionary treatment, I would have pleaded faintness, shortness of breath, dizziness and any manner of other symptoms.
Which brings me to another point: Ms. Rice can and does write strong Alpha men: police, military and ex-military men. Now, she should branch out a bit and write about at least one doctor. That's a natural for a potential love story. Romances started out with doctors and nurses or doctors and their patients, but it's not as popular these days. I have high hopes of what Ms. Rice could do with a man with a good bedside manner.
This is a previously published book that Ms. Rice has embroidered upon for fans of her books: "Midnight Man," "Midnight Run," and "Midnight Angel." While I totally love those stories, you must check out "Woman on the Run" as well. She's not written a bad book yet.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling well written romantic story, November 9, 2006

By 

M. Gaines "Romance Writer One" (Ca) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Port Of Paradise (Paperback)

This is one of the earlier books written by a very talented author. Lisa Marie Rice. The heroine goes to Italy to help her friend run her English school while the friend is recovering in the hospital following a hit and run accident. Once she arrives different strange things begin to happen which eventually put her in danger. The police chief finds himself very drawn to her as he tries to uncover the mystery of what is really going on before she gets killed.

The pages get steamy when the two people become romantically involved. Ms Rice knows how to write very erotic love scenes that will have you looking for your own mate to let off a little steam.

Her stories including this one always have a likely alpha male hero who hides a loving heart under a gruff exterior. Unlike some heros her's always respect and admire the heroine. I strongly recommend this book and her "Midnight" series.