The Italian Boss's Mistress by Lynne Graham (HP 2367)

Favourite Scene: (absolutely ADORED this scene, especially the "for the second time" and "but all that is absolutely ok!" line that the hero says to stop her from crying) 

‘Are you saying that you love me?’ Andreo shot at her incredulously.

‘To death…love you just so much,’ she stressed, suffering from emotional overload and very near to tears in her over-excitement.

Andreo focused on her with dazed dark golden eyes. ‘But you were leaving me again…’

Pippa nodded and compressed tremulous lips.

‘For the second time,’ Andreo emphasised.

Pippa nodded again, tears of regret clogging up her vocal cords.

‘Even though I’d asked you to marry me…’

The tears overflowed and streamed in a silent river down her cheeks.

‘But all that is absolutely OK!’ Andreo insisted in panic at the sight of those tears. ‘Honestly, I have no idea why I’m so full of complaints. I’m crazy about you and I’ll be crazy about our baby too. I can forgive you for anything. Please don’t cry, amore.’

My Review:

The heroine didn't get a promotion because the hero saw a picture of her looking shabby and made a comment about the importance of professional appearances.  (A manager took advantage of this as an excuse to promote his incompetent lover over her head).  The heroine was pissed off at learning that she was called "Pippa Plain" and passed over because she wasn't sexy enough, so she did a makeover and went to a company party all dolled up.  She attracted the hero's interest and he threw himself at her from the moment he saw her, wanting her as his lover.  She told him her pithy thoughts about her new boss, and the hero was appalled that she thought this of him, he didn't confess his identity.  She goes home with him because she wants to lose her virginity, he doesn't expect it to be a one-night stand and is p'o'd when he wakes up alone. 

They meet at work the next day, but not before she finds out his real identity and is justifiably very upset that he knew he was her boss and went home with her anyway (he should have told her that he was her boss!).  Even without her fancy clothes, the hero is more attracted to her than any woman. 

They have a great affair that is starting to slide towards a real relationship, but then she finds out about a lover of his.  The hero was dumb: he had a casual lover who was away on a modelling stint, and he didn't bother breaking up with her because it was so cacual a relationship he figured he could let her down easier in person next time he saw her.  Unfortunately for him, the heroine was justifiably quite pissed to find out about this other lover and worry what kind of man she was involved with who could be disloyal to one lover.  (really, if he can't treat his other lovers with respect, than will he give the heroine respect?  I don't like this lack of fidelity, even if the relationship was casual it should have been ended before he started sleeping with the heroine, it's just wrong to be so casual about who you're sharing your bed with and their feelings).

My Rating: 4/5 stars, this was an intensely passionate book with lots of surprises.  I loved so much of it.  The fact that the hero was technically still tied to his other lover turned me off though, even though it was nicely handled by the author and made to appear like a casual relationship with no expectation of fidelity (really, I wanted there to be an expectation of fidelity!  Even in a casual relationship.)