Customer Reviews

The De Santis Marriage (Harlequin Presents)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First, let me say I've read this book twice since I purchased it at the end of last month it is now apart of my "favorite Michelle Reid collection of books". To say that the audacity of the hero Luciano amazed me would be an understatement. Strange but true I liked both characters although Lizzy was portrayed as an innocent virgin she didn't have the doormat quality that some of the heroines in harlequins have. She had spunk and stood up to Luciano when she felt that he had crossed the line using some of his high-handed and "know-it all" tactics to achieve things to his own ends.

I would be the first to say that I expected it to be the typical "tycoon blackmails innocent girl into marriage" plot that plagues 85% of harlequin present's storylines but although it started out that way I was pleasantly surprised at the twist and turns and the true motive behind why Luciano married Lizzy, its not as black and white as it appears, and the journey that these two take with one another throughout the story is just a good read. I found myself laughing quite a bit at Lizzy's handling of Luciano once she got his number and thinking a few times "thata girl put him back in his place". I would recommend this as a nice cozy read when you can dedicate a few hours to it, because you won't want to put it down. Happy Reading !

I loved this book and wished it didn't have to end. The characters were great! I loved how Lizzy took on Luc and his responses back to her. They both seemed so alive and real and their reactions so understandable (though I admit I just didn't "get" Lizzy's father but that's a small beef). Very enjoyable read and very much recommended. I felt this went way beyond the normal fare here. My only regret is the book couldn't have been longer. :) Kudos Ms. Reid - this is a keeper!

I don't normally write reviews and I only bought this book because it had good reviews. This book was not good. The h/h got on my nerves. I never felt any connection or romance between the two. It was just a lot of bickering with sex thrown in between the two. After a while all the fighting just wasn't fun to read.I've read other books by this author that were great this just didn't happen to be one of them. I wish I could get my money back.

I thought this is gonna be a typical sexy rich man - innocent virgin bride but NO. It goes deep with that! I couldn't put the book down!! This is one of the best harlequin books I read. 5 stars!

There is always so much more to Michelle Reid's books than meets the eyes. A LOT of stuff goes on in the first few scenes of the story.

Liz is scared of the way that Luc makes her feel but she is still drawn to him yet won't act upon this attraction because of her loyalty to Bianca. Luc seems to have been attracted to Liz from their first meeting and believes that they can share so much more, however he will have to force Liz into a relationship because she won't go willingly. Since Luc is an opportunist and when an opportunity presents itself he takes full advantage of it.

**SPOILER** I NEVER thought that Liz stole Bianca's fiancé. Bianca ran away with another man and if that had panned out the way she wanted it to she wouldn't have ever come back. Bianca was a rich, spoiled rotten, little liar who enjoyed trying to make others feel bad. Luc knew what Bianca was up to as he had his security people watching her and he was aware of her movements as well as Liz's brother being there at the hotel. Someone called him at the party - I'm thinking his security people did notifying him of what Bianca was up too. Also what were Bianca and her cousin conferring about in the car? What was in the note? And why did Bianca want her cousin to "take care" of Liz? What was Bianca up to? She had this all planned out, she just didn't bank on Luc and Liz getting married, especially when her plans fell through. **END SPOILER**

I loved this book. I loved the depth of the characters the way they changed their thinking and even though he was arrogant he relented in some things and worked to get her and she learned that she didn't need to carry around what her mother did all those years ago that it wasn't her fault and she wasn't like her mother.

I have never read a book twice in my life this is the book that changed that. From the first page, this book grabs you and does not let go. I could not stop reading it and all the time hoped I was no where near the end. Luciano Genovese De Santis "Luc" to his friends was every girls alpha dream man and so much more. Elizabeth "Lizzie" to everyone else but Luc was infatuated with Luc, but who wouldn't be six foot three, drop dead gorgeous, suave, and mega rich but engaged to her best friend. Lizzie was in Milan the week before the wedding and all hell broke loose because Bianca Lizzie's best friend ran off with Lizzie's brother. Bianca's parents asked Lizzie to go to Lake Como and tell Luc the news of what Bianca had done. Luc told Lizzie he was getting married the following week with or without Bianca. Lizzie thought Luc had lost his grip on reality because of his grief, Luc made it clear to Lizzie that she was going to marry him, and he was prepared to blackmail her. I don't want to tell you the whole story and spoil it for you. This story is fabulous and the characters are perfect. The story is warm, sensuous, and one of the most romantic I have ever read....and I have read many. You will not be disappointed, and I recommend it highly. I'm glad I have a kindle because I can read it, whenever I want....I read it again this weekend, and I notice something I didn't get the first time I read it......so ROMANTIC!!!

Let me say one thing before I go any further. Unlike what another reviewer here thought, I did not ever think that the heroine had stolen the hero from her best friend. I was frankly shocked to read that review because the thought had not once entered my mind while reading this book. How do you steal a groom who has been abandoned by his bride-to-be the night before the wedding? I'm thinking somebody's projecting a little strenuously here....

Anyway, I loved this book. Although the circumstances that pit the heroine in marriage with the hero are more than farfetched, let's face it, this is an HP - you have a fair idea that the plot devices will likely be preposterous when you see that red band on the top of the cover. So, even with the circumstances, the heroine is not a doormat. What I like even more is that she does not shy away from her attraction to the hero. So many HP heroines try to (spectacularly, unsuccessfully) hide their ardor for the hero, get skittish and then flame up when touched. The heroine here doesn't do that. She may be inexperienced but she is brave and bold in displaying her desire and she has wit in her never-backing-down retorts to the hero.

The hero is wonderful too. I could have done without the part where the best friend comes back to lie that she's pregnant by the hero - the inevitable kink at the end to drive the h/h to declare their love to each other - but that and the sordid, almost(?) illegal way the hero saved the heroine's family from ruin actually made the ridiculous plotlines a little bit more realistic. He is devoted to her and I really enjoyed how he describes how he was attracted to the heroine from the beginning, how he is sorry, why he loves her and asks her for her forgiveness (and not just because he is frustrated but with true remorse and bemusement).

I think this was the first Michelle Reid book I read and I was so shocked by how much I enjoyed it, I have gone on to read many more. I've yet to find a MR book that comes out better than this but I will continue to search because that's how much I was impressed by Ms. Reid here.

The De Santis Marriage (Romance Large Print)I had to write this review--because I felt this book is NOT worth more than 4 stars and that some of the reviews were not helpful. This writer is good and can spin a plot...but the plot in question was difficult accept as romantic since you could not get over the feeling that both people did something morally wrong. Indeed the heroine stole her best friend's man and the explanation did not sit well with me...I wasn't persuaded that the best friend had no feelings for the hero (since the author took pains to let us know this man was worth keeping by any woman's standards). I also didn't like him, the hero, and felt he was manipulative, dishonest and didn't find what he did any way romantic. It's a hard story to spin and the writer had clear cut lines that were crossed to explain away and to make us, the reader feel satisfied that the couple were meant for each other--I left the story not at all sure. I think this writer CANNOT write a really bad novel (she's one of the better Harlequin writers)--and she loves the stories with lots of grief to be resolved and is normally able to pull them off...but this one didn't work for me. It was not really my cup of tea.

I usually enjoy books by Michelle Reid. However, although this was an interesting story I couldn't help but feel the heroine stole her best friend's fiancee. I know some readers may argue that circumstances seemed beyond her control, but I think the issue of loyalty was obvious and loyalty to her best friend (even though the friend was no innocent victim) was the bigger test that the heroine just didn't pass - thus the two stars. I would not have bought the book had I known the above.

bravo to Ms Reid, love her last two books I hope the next one will be even better than this one, this is a keeper for me.