3.5 Stars! ~~~ An emotionally intense journey to self-understanding and the acceptance that they both deserve to be loved.
The Italian’s Chosen Wife by Kate Hewitt
Harlequin Presents # 2698 – January 2008
....
Meghan Selby was drifting through Europe trying to come to terms with her past, or at least hoping to out run it. While waitressing, Meghan notices a gorgeous tycoon and recognizes disapproval in his eyes. She’s shocked when he approaches her and offers her a job, waiting on a private dinner in his home. The beautiful waitress intrigues Alessandro di Agnio, especially when she accuses him of mistaking her for a whore. He convinces her that his intentions are pure and that it is only a job he is offering; only when Meghan arrives at his villa she finds that she is his guest and not expected to work. Alessandro soon realizes that he needs to tread very carefully with Meghan; she has wounds that reach her soul. He is a man tormented by his own past actions and lives his life filled with regret and forced to face the condemnation in the faces around him. Recognizing the same guilt and regret in Meghan, he forces her to reveal her deepest secrets, understanding her fear and her pain. She makes him want to be the man he is meant to be; so he proposes marriage. Fearing that Meghan will hate him once she learns his own dark secrets, he demands that she never fall in love with him, as he himself will never feel love for her.
This is Kate Hewitt’s debut and I thought it was very well written. Alessandro is a very unusual hero. Oh, he’s alpha in grand Presents style, but he’s not been a “good” man for most of his adult life. Ms. Hewitt alludes to a very unhappy childhood for Alessandro, though doesn’t give quite enough information to show how he became the callous playboy; without this some may find him too dark a hero. He desperately wants to redeem himself, but has little faith in his own character. His self-loathing is quite strong. Meghan’s character almost comes across as too victimized but her backbone comes to her rescue and she learns to stand up and take control. Theirs is an emotionally intense journey to self-understanding and the acceptance that they both deserve to be loved. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms. Hewitt!
Excellence: Good + ~ Steaminess: Sensual
My Totals ~ Harlequin Imprint = 14 ~ Other Publisher = 0
Mini-Challenge ~ One Thing Leads to Another
- Expecting His Love-Child by Carol Marinelli
- The Surgeon’s Miracle Baby by Carol Marinelli
- The Surgeon’s Meant-To-Be Bride by Amy Andrews
- The Italian Count’s Baby by Amy Andrews
- The Italian’s Chosen Wife by Kate Hewitt
~~ KatherineT ~~ I'm a Harlequin Addict, and I'm proud of it!
~~ Quiet Canadians ~ 2008 Book Challenge Blog
