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Christmas with a Tycoon #1
The Italian's Christmas Child
A Christmas consequence
Italian tycoon Vito Zaffari is waiting out the festive season while a family scandal fades from the press. So he's come to his friend's snow-covered English country cottage, determined to shut out the world.
Until a beautiful bombshell dressed as Santa literally crashes into his Christmas! Innocent Holly Cleaver sneaks under Vito's defenses—he wants her like no other before and decides he must have her.
When Vito finds her gone the next day, he's sure she'll be easy to forget…until he discovers that their one night of passion has a shocking Christmas consequence!
Italian tycoon Vito Zaffari is waiting out the festive season while a family scandal fades from the press. So he's come to his friend's snow-covered English country cottage, determined to shut out the world.
Until a beautiful bombshell dressed as Santa literally crashes into his Christmas! Innocent Holly Cleaver sneaks under Vito's defenses—he wants her like no other before and decides he must have her.
When Vito finds her gone the next day, he's sure she'll be easy to forget…until he discovers that their one night of passion has a shocking Christmas consequence!
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
Lynne Graham
1,537 books1,407 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
Lynne Graham was born on July 30, 1956 of Irish-Scottish parentage. She has livedin Northern Ireland all her life. She grew up in a seaside village with herbrother. She learnt to read at the age of 3, and haven't stopped since then.
Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide.
Lynne always wanted a large family and has five children. Her eldest and heronly natural child is 19 and currently at university. Her other fourchildren, who are every bit as dear to her heart, are adopted. She has two9-year-olds adopted from Sri Lanka and a 5- and a 3-year-old adopted fromGuatemala. In Lynne's home, there is a rich and diverse cultural mix, whichadds a whole extra dimension of interest and discovery to family life. Thefamily lives in a country house surrounded by a woodland garden, which iswonderfully private. The family has two pets. Thomas, a very large andaffectionate black cat, bosses the dog and hunts rabbits. The dog is Daisy,an adorable but not very bright white West Highland terrier, who loves beingchased by the cat. At night, dog and cat sleep together in front of thekitchen stove. Lynne loves gardening, cooking, collects everything from oldtoys to rock specimens and is crazy about every aspect of Christmas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 16, 2016
FACTORING IN BOOK 2, THIS IS A 3 STARS BOOK.
After reading book two in this series, I was able to see that these two characters do indeed love each other. Also, I got the knowledge that they make it work and that he was now an amazing father and husband.
Please note that without reading book 2 in this series, my review below still stands!
2 VERY DISAPPOINTING STARS
This is a case of yet another Virgin turned slut the minute some rich hot guy who turns the heroine's head. This is why I have almost completely stopped reading these books.
It's total garbage!
What Woman waits 24 years to have sex, hoping for it to be something special but give it up to a guy in a totally cheesy cheap One night stand!
And he give her no real name no way to contact him again so of course you know she ends up pregnant.
And him being the total player asshole could not even be bothered to look her up. She is just some virgin he banged once. Sooo romantic here guys.
CAN'T YOU JUST FEEL THE LOVE!!?
His love declaration comes out of left field with him never doing anything to show it. He is just there having sex, Minding his own business.
It felt more like he was making the best out of the current situation and NOT the "can't go on without you" moment.
His marriage proposal was sooo Romantic also,
"Lets see if we can make it work and if not we will just divorce...all good here!"
Man I am so over this crap!
Harlequin needs to wake its ass up here people! It needs to have FAITHFUL ALPHAS THAT PROTECT THEIR LOVERS! Not a smooth talking manwhore who can't keep it zipped and has loads of issues but has basically lived a charmed life of the super rich.
And the heroine's need to stop giving into these assholes so easy!
REALLY HONEY YOU ARE WORTH MORE!
If you don't make him work for it, then he won't think your worth it!
But what really Pissed me off is that if she had NOT COME TO HIM, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN CARED ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR HER.
I am going to be way more selective about HP and authors now. Just because they were good in the past does NOT mean they are now!
After reading really great books with strong characters that leap from the pages, this was more than just disappointing, it was a complete flop!
Final thoughts: if you are looking for a holiday read look somewhere else and if you are looking for a faithful guy, you have come to the wrong place in my books.
Safety: Not safe guys! He does not see it being wrong cause she is just a cheap ONS so it's all good. DONE! He does say it's been months since his last sexual encounter but I seriously doubt a player like him was celibate for 15 months!? He was just not that invested in their relationship at all.
Still love this author and her other works. It's why I blindly bought this one. She was my go to HP author. NOT ANYMORE!
After reading book two in this series, I was able to see that these two characters do indeed love each other. Also, I got the knowledge that they make it work and that he was now an amazing father and husband.
Please note that without reading book 2 in this series, my review below still stands!
2 VERY DISAPPOINTING STARS
This is a case of yet another Virgin turned slut the minute some rich hot guy who turns the heroine's head. This is why I have almost completely stopped reading these books.
It's total garbage!
What Woman waits 24 years to have sex, hoping for it to be something special but give it up to a guy in a totally cheesy cheap One night stand!
And he give her no real name no way to contact him again so of course you know she ends up pregnant.
And him being the total player asshole could not even be bothered to look her up. She is just some virgin he banged once. Sooo romantic here guys.
CAN'T YOU JUST FEEL THE LOVE!!?
His love declaration comes out of left field with him never doing anything to show it. He is just there having sex, Minding his own business.
It felt more like he was making the best out of the current situation and NOT the "can't go on without you" moment.
His marriage proposal was sooo Romantic also,
"Lets see if we can make it work and if not we will just divorce...all good here!"
Man I am so over this crap!
Harlequin needs to wake its ass up here people! It needs to have FAITHFUL ALPHAS THAT PROTECT THEIR LOVERS! Not a smooth talking manwhore who can't keep it zipped and has loads of issues but has basically lived a charmed life of the super rich.
And the heroine's need to stop giving into these assholes so easy!
REALLY HONEY YOU ARE WORTH MORE!
If you don't make him work for it, then he won't think your worth it!
But what really Pissed me off is that if she had NOT COME TO HIM, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN CARED ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR HER.
I am going to be way more selective about HP and authors now. Just because they were good in the past does NOT mean they are now!
After reading really great books with strong characters that leap from the pages, this was more than just disappointing, it was a complete flop!
Final thoughts: if you are looking for a holiday read look somewhere else and if you are looking for a faithful guy, you have come to the wrong place in my books.
Safety: Not safe guys! He does not see it being wrong cause she is just a cheap ONS so it's all good. DONE! He does say it's been months since his last sexual encounter but I seriously doubt a player like him was celibate for 15 months!? He was just not that invested in their relationship at all.
Still love this author and her other works. It's why I blindly bought this one. She was my go to HP author. NOT ANYMORE!
April 16, 2017
THE ITALIAN'S CHRISTMAS CHILD is the 1st book in Lynne Graham's Christmas with a Tycoon Duet and I just loved it!!!!
The story's beginning is totally adorable. The rich tycoon, Vito Zaffari is looking forward to a quiet Xmas time in a friend's country cottage, where he's run off to escape a family scandal that has rocked his family back in Italy.
But he's in for a huge and unexpected surprise!!
Holly Cleaver is on the way to spend Christmas with her foster mother and finds herself stranded near Vito's cottage when her car is stuck in a ditch. It's snowing and she seeks refuge at the cottage.........she's a waitress and loves Xmas (the reason for the Xmas outfit and tree)....he hates Xmas!!!
Naturally things get a bit heated between the two. He finds her refreshing and fascinating. She finds him totally irresistible............
The next morning, she leaves to carry on with her life and he with his. But within 2 months, she discovers she's pregnant with his baby. But she has no way to contacting him about the news because he had given her a false name.
So two years later, she sees a picture of the man she had spent the night with but he has a different name.
She contacts him. He's shocked. He demands that she marry him so that he can make their son, Angelo, his legitimate heir!!! You know those Italian men!!! And their heirs!!!
I loved Holly........
I found Holly and Vito an endearing couple and their little son, Angelo, an absolutely cute and sweet kid.
I so enjoyed the Italian backdrop!!! One of my favorite settings for love stories!!!!
Some really interesting and engaging characters...I liked Vito's mother and loved Pixie, Holly's!!! And yes, I did find Vito's friend Apollo a bit of a twit at times...I just can't wait for his book. I hope Pixie gives him a "run for his money".........
Once again, Lynne Graham has given us another fabulous HEA!!!!!
The story's beginning is totally adorable. The rich tycoon, Vito Zaffari is looking forward to a quiet Xmas time in a friend's country cottage, where he's run off to escape a family scandal that has rocked his family back in Italy.
But he's in for a huge and unexpected surprise!!
Holly Cleaver is on the way to spend Christmas with her foster mother and finds herself stranded near Vito's cottage when her car is stuck in a ditch. It's snowing and she seeks refuge at the cottage.........she's a waitress and loves Xmas (the reason for the Xmas outfit and tree)....he hates Xmas!!!
Naturally things get a bit heated between the two. He finds her refreshing and fascinating. She finds him totally irresistible............
They spend an evening chatting and soon it leads to them spending a night of passion with some unexpected consequences.
The next morning, she leaves to carry on with her life and he with his. But within 2 months, she discovers she's pregnant with his baby. But she has no way to contacting him about the news because he had given her a false name.
So two years later, she sees a picture of the man she had spent the night with but he has a different name.
She contacts him. He's shocked. He demands that she marry him so that he can make their son, Angelo, his legitimate heir!!! You know those Italian men!!! And their heirs!!!
I loved Holly........
...she was sweet and kind and loving and spunky....... She stood up for herself and was not prepared to let Vito off the hook when it came to making adjustments in his married life and to spend more time with their son. and watching Vito fall under her spell was a total treat.
I found Holly and Vito an endearing couple and their little son, Angelo, an absolutely cute and sweet kid.
I so enjoyed the Italian backdrop!!! One of my favorite settings for love stories!!!!
And the moors of Dartmoor with snow was stunning.
Some really interesting and engaging characters...I liked Vito's mother and loved Pixie, Holly's!!! And yes, I did find Vito's friend Apollo a bit of a twit at times...I just can't wait for his book. I hope Pixie gives him a "run for his money".........
Once again, Lynne Graham has given us another fabulous HEA!!!!!
October 14, 2016
Very sweet story about a rich banker and a poor innocent woman who is a waitress but dreams of becoming an interior designer. Its your typical Presents story, they spend one night together, she finds out she is pregnant and they get married for the sake of their baby. Holly falls for him but she is afraid Vito is still in love with his glamorous ex fiance and how can she plain Holly ever measure up?
Both hero and heroine are loving warm people and you will adore them both! Hero may be a tycoon but he is not a jerk or a womanizer. I cant wait for Pixie's and Apollo's story! They both seem super feisty so that book will be intense!
Edit to add that I will change my rating to 5 stars because I can't stop thinking about this cute couple!
Both hero and heroine are loving warm people and you will adore them both! Hero may be a tycoon but he is not a jerk or a womanizer. I cant wait for Pixie's and Apollo's story! They both seem super feisty so that book will be intense!
Edit to add that I will change my rating to 5 stars because I can't stop thinking about this cute couple!
December 13, 2016
This was such a cute book with an even cuter couple and baby.Standard LG fare that I enjoyed.I am fully prepared to dislike Apollo, the hero's best friend who's book is up next.
November 17, 2016
I liked it. It was standard LG marry me cause of the baby tropeyness, but the H was nice and not horrible and the h was nice and not horrible and he just did not get the h's note. It isn't her best, but it isn't her worst by a long shot and was a nice little happy read.
December 24, 2016
Totally underwhelming romance. I Dnf'd at page 138. At that point the hero & heroine was having a grand wedding even though they were strangers. The heroine was miffed the hero's friend didn’t like her...hello...she & hero are strangers having a big wedding celebration....heroine should be focused on getting to know the hero and not annoyed by the reaction of the hero's friend.
What a disappointment to dnf a graham due to the hero & heroine having no connection & lukewarm storytelling & a limpdick hero.
What a disappointment to dnf a graham due to the hero & heroine having no connection & lukewarm storytelling & a limpdick hero.
December 11, 2022
3'5 Estrellitas. Creo que es lo primero que leo de Lynne Graham, y no soy muy dada a leer novelillas de éste tipo de harlequin, pero no me ha disgustado. Se lee fácil y rápido porque es cortita, pero por eso tampoco da mucho más de sí la historia.
Vito Zaffari, es un millonario banquero italiano que pertenece a una prestigiosa familia. Un escándalo ha salpicado su buen nombre y su prometida lo ha dejado. Así que lejos de ser la comidilla de los paparazzis, Vito decide pasar las próximas navidades lejos de la prensa, en una casita que ha alquilado en Inglaterra.
Holly es una chica pobre que nació en un ambiente conflictivo. Es Nochebuena y cuando acude a casa de su madre de acogida para pasar las navidades tiene un pequeño accidente durante una nevada. Sólo el dueño de la casita donde su coche se ha averiado podrá echarle un cable.
Al ser Navidad, los talleres no trabajan, y Vito no está dispuesto a dejar en la calle en plena campiña inglesa a una joven hermosa y vestida de Papá Noel.
Será esa noche, oscura, fría y maravillosa la que desencadenará la trama de la novela. Al día siguiente, Holly desaparece con su coche sin decir adiós y Vito no vuelve a saber de ella en catorce meses.
Holly no puede lamentar la noche que pasó con Vito, pues esta le trae lo mejor de su vida. Pero Holly le dejó una nota con su número de teléfono y él nunca se puso en contacto con ella.
Tras catorce meses, Holly descubre la verdad sobre Vito y ésta vez no lo dejará escapar, hasta que sepa lo que ocurrió ésa noche y se responsabilice de ello.
No hay que ser un genio para averiguar qué ocurre en la novela, pues tengo la impresión de que casi todas las novelillas de harlequin son iguales. Parece un tópico que la chica sea siempre virgen, ingenua e insegura, y ellos siempre muy machotes y seguros de sí mismos.
En el fondo y pese a que han sido apenas 140 páginas, el libro ha estado bien y él no es un neandertal, por ello le he dado más de 3 estrellas, que podrían haber sido 4 si hubiese habido un par de capítulos más para desarrollar un desenlace creíble y un par de tramas que quedan descolgadas. Porque el final ha sido demasiado rápido y abrupto y muy flojo.
No me ha disgustado y por ello tomaré nota de la autora por si alguna vez me viene bien leer algo suyo para otro reto literario.
Vito Zaffari, es un millonario banquero italiano que pertenece a una prestigiosa familia. Un escándalo ha salpicado su buen nombre y su prometida lo ha dejado. Así que lejos de ser la comidilla de los paparazzis, Vito decide pasar las próximas navidades lejos de la prensa, en una casita que ha alquilado en Inglaterra.
Holly es una chica pobre que nació en un ambiente conflictivo. Es Nochebuena y cuando acude a casa de su madre de acogida para pasar las navidades tiene un pequeño accidente durante una nevada. Sólo el dueño de la casita donde su coche se ha averiado podrá echarle un cable.
Al ser Navidad, los talleres no trabajan, y Vito no está dispuesto a dejar en la calle en plena campiña inglesa a una joven hermosa y vestida de Papá Noel.
Será esa noche, oscura, fría y maravillosa la que desencadenará la trama de la novela. Al día siguiente, Holly desaparece con su coche sin decir adiós y Vito no vuelve a saber de ella en catorce meses.
Holly no puede lamentar la noche que pasó con Vito, pues esta le trae lo mejor de su vida. Pero Holly le dejó una nota con su número de teléfono y él nunca se puso en contacto con ella.
Tras catorce meses, Holly descubre la verdad sobre Vito y ésta vez no lo dejará escapar, hasta que sepa lo que ocurrió ésa noche y se responsabilice de ello.
No hay que ser un genio para averiguar qué ocurre en la novela, pues tengo la impresión de que casi todas las novelillas de harlequin son iguales. Parece un tópico que la chica sea siempre virgen, ingenua e insegura, y ellos siempre muy machotes y seguros de sí mismos.
En el fondo y pese a que han sido apenas 140 páginas, el libro ha estado bien y él no es un neandertal, por ello le he dado más de 3 estrellas, que podrían haber sido 4 si hubiese habido un par de capítulos más para desarrollar un desenlace creíble y un par de tramas que quedan descolgadas. Porque el final ha sido demasiado rápido y abrupto y muy flojo.
No me ha disgustado y por ello tomaré nota de la autora por si alguna vez me viene bien leer algo suyo para otro reto literario.
April 16, 2017
I can't really be bothered with a long rant.
Have a look at Chantal's review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just reaffirm her point: "if she had NOT COME TO HIM, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN CARED ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR HER."
Any declaration of undying love after this is kinda moot. Also I absolutely do NOT feel the love or believe he was celibate. Deal breaker to the power infinity. 2 stars was really generous!
Safety: He CLAIMS he hasn't been able to sleep with anyone after heroine.
He also never thought of looking for her.
Have a look at Chantal's review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just reaffirm her point: "if she had NOT COME TO HIM, HE WOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN CARED ENOUGH TO LOOK FOR HER."
Any declaration of undying love after this is kinda moot. Also I absolutely do NOT feel the love or believe he was celibate. Deal breaker to the power infinity. 2 stars was really generous!
Safety: He CLAIMS he hasn't been able to sleep with anyone after heroine.
He also never thought of looking for her.
October 16, 2016
I love this. This is such a cute story.
I also liked that he made breakfast for her on her birthday... That was so sweet. Holly and Vito are absolutely adorable together, you cannot help but love them!
Their baby... Aww... I liked baby Angelo. Honestly, I could go on and on about everything in this book.
Definitely 5 stars because LG is amazing as always. Yes, I did think she played safe in this book but the next book has a notorious H with long hair... Can't wait to read how Pixie is going to bring the arrogant Appolo down.
I also liked that he made breakfast for her on her birthday... That was so sweet. Holly and Vito are absolutely adorable together, you cannot help but love them!
Their baby... Aww... I liked baby Angelo. Honestly, I could go on and on about everything in this book.
Definitely 5 stars because LG is amazing as always. Yes, I did think she played safe in this book but the next book has a notorious H with long hair... Can't wait to read how Pixie is going to bring the arrogant Appolo down.
October 21, 2016
Nothing really bad about this book but nothing really great either. The story line is one we've all read many times. Brief relationship resulting in baby. They find each other again 2 years later. The man convinces the woman to get married in order to give the baby a nice home life. There was no real conflict in the entire story. The heroine was reasonable, the hero was nice. There was no other woman and the man's family was welcoming. So if you've read any secret baby stories, you know exactly what the bones are. No spoilers there. So note to authors: you've gotta put something else in there. And let's face it. We read HPs for the drama. There wasn't any here so just meh....
LG is my favorite HP author and I already has the next book preordered. Here's hoping it's more riveting than this one.
LG is my favorite HP author and I already has the next book preordered. Here's hoping it's more riveting than this one.
October 21, 2016
I'm really skipping on writing a review, because I'm going to burst out and state that which was obvious to me, which, of course, would not be nice!
I hope LG has a better comeback on her next book.
If there was any review that aligns with my views it is this one:
Check out Chantal's review of "The Italian's Christmas Child"
I hope LG has a better comeback on her next book.
If there was any review that aligns with my views it is this one:
Check out Chantal's review of "The Italian's Christmas Child"
Read
December 31, 2016I read this one and now my review is list!! I enjoyed it though!
December 28, 2016
I still have trouble with her repetitive plots, but at least LG has started somewhat showing us the hero's feelings instead of just telling us. This shift in writing style, slight though it is, has made me read the book from cover to cover instead of just skimming it like I had to do with some of her previous ones.
P.S. I read on her website that she is "revisiting" her older plots in the books she is working on right now. I am not sure I like that.
I would truly like to see her write the following themes:
* The Beauty and The Beast
* Friends To Lovers
* Heroine who is ALSO a tycoon
* virgin hero & virgin heroine
* unrequited love hero - she used to be soo good at writing a pining hero
* hero in hot pursuit
P.S. I read on her website that she is "revisiting" her older plots in the books she is working on right now. I am not sure I like that.
I would truly like to see her write the following themes:
* The Beauty and The Beast
* Friends To Lovers
* Heroine who is ALSO a tycoon
* virgin hero & virgin heroine
* unrequited love hero - she used to be soo good at writing a pining hero
* hero in hot pursuit
October 27, 2017
Two and a half stars rounded up to three because the hero was a nice guy and trusted the heroine enough not to ask for a pre-nup and the heroine didn't keep things bottled up and communicated quite well. And probably because these are such reasonable characters, the secret baby leads to marriage story line was just okay. The hero's cynical best friend caused the angst and ended up being the most intriguing characters.
Still, if you're looking for a bit of fluff and need to have your faith in humanity restored, this story is a nice place to start.
Still, if you're looking for a bit of fluff and need to have your faith in humanity restored, this story is a nice place to start.
February 20, 2018
La protagonista aparece vestida de Santa Claus, se encuentra con un italiano en la noche de navidad y tienen sexo ese mismo día. Tiene muchas fallas y es de los peorcitos de Lynne Graham, hay que decirlo.
Aparece mi amor Apollo Metraxis, y a pesar de que leí primero esa historia y luego esta, cuando terminé este libro sin penas ni gloria, volé de nuevo a releer la de Apollo y Pixie, que son muy lindos ^^/.
Aparece mi amor Apollo Metraxis, y a pesar de que leí primero esa historia y luego esta, cuando terminé este libro sin penas ni gloria, volé de nuevo a releer la de Apollo y Pixie, que son muy lindos ^^/.
October 26, 2016
This review also appears at Harlequin Junkie: http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-the...
The Italian's Christmas Child is the first of the Christmas with a Tycoon duology, and is the story of Vito Zafarri, a wealthy Italian businessman and Holly Cleaver, a waitress, who ends up stranded at his cottage over Christmas. Vito had hoped for some peace and quiet from the scandal rocking his family back in Italy and had headed to a friend's cottage to lay low. When Holly, en route to surprise her foster mother for Christmas ends up crashing into a ditch near Vito's cabin due to the poor driving conditions, he's got to do the gentlemanly thing and let her stay the night while she waits for a tow truck. Holly's the complete opposite of the women Vito has dated - she's petite, curvy and brunette, but also quite fascinating. She speaks her mind, is open with her emotions and loves the Christmas season (as her outfit and her giant box containing a Christmas tree attest to). One thing leads to another and they share a passionate night together, forgetting all about the outside world. But in the morning, Holly's tow truck driver shows up while Vito is out for a walk, and she leaves him with a note, hopeful that he'll call but under no illusions that their night together will have meant anything to him. And indeed when she doesn't hear from him, she accepts the inevitable. But there's a catch, a big one actually, when she discovers that she's pregnant! She makes an effort to find him, but he never told her his whole name and she is unsuccessful. Several months after baby Angelo is born, she sees a newspaper picture of Vito and is able to track him down. Vito is shocked to see her again, and even more so to find out that he's a father. But he's determined to do the right thing and be a proper father to the boy, persuading Holly to marry him. Can what started out as a one night stand, become more than just a marriage of convenience?
I really enjoyed how this story began, with the obvious differences between Holly and Vito's upbringing immediately obvious. Vito comes from a very wealthy, high society family. He's got a cold father, but a good relationship with his mother. He's very intelligent when it comes to numbers and banking but not so much when it comes to relationships with the working class, which Holly definitely belongs to. Holly makes him uncomfortable, even as he's attracted to her. He's not used to being around someone so open and honest, so free with her emotions. He's been taught to be suspicious of women as they are usually after his money, so Holly's innocence and guileless behaviour make it clear that she has no idea who he really is. That's refreshing to him, and combined with her natural physical beauty add to her attraction.
Holly grew up with a single mother who abandoned her to the foster care system. She was therefore raised by a succession of different families, in and out of homes until she finally found one foster mother who gave her the love and affection she needed. Her best friend is Pixie, a foster sister who had a similar childhood. She works as a waitress but is taking classes to become an interior designer. She never imagined meeting a handsome foreigner like Vito, but he's clearly attracted to her and gives her the confidence to meet his passion equally. When their night is over though, she's the one left with the consequences and once the baby is born and she figures out who Vito really is, she believes that telling him about the baby is the right thing to do. She never knew her father, and she wants to give Vito the chance to help raise his son. Though marrying Vito is not what she'd ever expected, she's determined to give their marriage a chance.
Adjusting to married life is a challenge for both of them. Holly must get used to the opulence of Vito's lifestyle. She's got nannies for her son, a full wardrobe of clothes she never shopped for, and a workaholic businessman for a husband. It's not the life she expected. Plus, Vito's best friend Apollo treated her very poorly at their wedding and has done nothing to show his support for their marriage, a sore point between them. Thankfully, Vito's mother is much more welcoming (surprisingly actually, as I'd expected her to be disdainful of his marriage to a working woman) and a true ally for Holly as she adjusts to her new life. Vito, though attracted to his wife and keen to spend time with her in the bedroom, has his work cut out for him to in accepting that the lifestyle he led up to now is not going to cut it now that's he's married. I loved seeing Holly stand up for herself and challenge Vito to do better for them. In the end, we get a happy ending for this couple who come to realize how strong their feelings for each other really are. Since Apollo is not the most pleasant character in this story, I'm intrigued to see how the author will redeem him in the follow up to this one, The Greek's Christmas Bride.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
The Italian's Christmas Child is the first of the Christmas with a Tycoon duology, and is the story of Vito Zafarri, a wealthy Italian businessman and Holly Cleaver, a waitress, who ends up stranded at his cottage over Christmas. Vito had hoped for some peace and quiet from the scandal rocking his family back in Italy and had headed to a friend's cottage to lay low. When Holly, en route to surprise her foster mother for Christmas ends up crashing into a ditch near Vito's cabin due to the poor driving conditions, he's got to do the gentlemanly thing and let her stay the night while she waits for a tow truck. Holly's the complete opposite of the women Vito has dated - she's petite, curvy and brunette, but also quite fascinating. She speaks her mind, is open with her emotions and loves the Christmas season (as her outfit and her giant box containing a Christmas tree attest to). One thing leads to another and they share a passionate night together, forgetting all about the outside world. But in the morning, Holly's tow truck driver shows up while Vito is out for a walk, and she leaves him with a note, hopeful that he'll call but under no illusions that their night together will have meant anything to him. And indeed when she doesn't hear from him, she accepts the inevitable. But there's a catch, a big one actually, when she discovers that she's pregnant! She makes an effort to find him, but he never told her his whole name and she is unsuccessful. Several months after baby Angelo is born, she sees a newspaper picture of Vito and is able to track him down. Vito is shocked to see her again, and even more so to find out that he's a father. But he's determined to do the right thing and be a proper father to the boy, persuading Holly to marry him. Can what started out as a one night stand, become more than just a marriage of convenience?
I really enjoyed how this story began, with the obvious differences between Holly and Vito's upbringing immediately obvious. Vito comes from a very wealthy, high society family. He's got a cold father, but a good relationship with his mother. He's very intelligent when it comes to numbers and banking but not so much when it comes to relationships with the working class, which Holly definitely belongs to. Holly makes him uncomfortable, even as he's attracted to her. He's not used to being around someone so open and honest, so free with her emotions. He's been taught to be suspicious of women as they are usually after his money, so Holly's innocence and guileless behaviour make it clear that she has no idea who he really is. That's refreshing to him, and combined with her natural physical beauty add to her attraction.
Holly grew up with a single mother who abandoned her to the foster care system. She was therefore raised by a succession of different families, in and out of homes until she finally found one foster mother who gave her the love and affection she needed. Her best friend is Pixie, a foster sister who had a similar childhood. She works as a waitress but is taking classes to become an interior designer. She never imagined meeting a handsome foreigner like Vito, but he's clearly attracted to her and gives her the confidence to meet his passion equally. When their night is over though, she's the one left with the consequences and once the baby is born and she figures out who Vito really is, she believes that telling him about the baby is the right thing to do. She never knew her father, and she wants to give Vito the chance to help raise his son. Though marrying Vito is not what she'd ever expected, she's determined to give their marriage a chance.
Adjusting to married life is a challenge for both of them. Holly must get used to the opulence of Vito's lifestyle. She's got nannies for her son, a full wardrobe of clothes she never shopped for, and a workaholic businessman for a husband. It's not the life she expected. Plus, Vito's best friend Apollo treated her very poorly at their wedding and has done nothing to show his support for their marriage, a sore point between them. Thankfully, Vito's mother is much more welcoming (surprisingly actually, as I'd expected her to be disdainful of his marriage to a working woman) and a true ally for Holly as she adjusts to her new life. Vito, though attracted to his wife and keen to spend time with her in the bedroom, has his work cut out for him to in accepting that the lifestyle he led up to now is not going to cut it now that's he's married. I loved seeing Holly stand up for herself and challenge Vito to do better for them. In the end, we get a happy ending for this couple who come to realize how strong their feelings for each other really are. Since Apollo is not the most pleasant character in this story, I'm intrigued to see how the author will redeem him in the follow up to this one, The Greek's Christmas Bride.
Note: a copy of this story was provided by the publisher for review.
November 25, 2016
This was a great Lynne Graham book for the holiday season. It was a great story, and I was pretty much captured from the beginning of the story and onwards. I liked that it setup the Christmassy scene with the snow, the cottage, fireplace, and a Christmas tree. It felt very Christmassy and just added so much flavor to the book. I could feel the holiday season very much present in the first half of the story, which was great because sometimes book present themselves as Christmas reads, but they don't feel like Christmas reads. This one very much did. And it didn't hurt that the story started on Christmas Eve so that was a bonus.
I loved that fact that Vito and Holly were stuck in a snowstorm in a remote cottage on Christmas Eve, and were complete strangers. Now the set up felt very familiar and had probably been done thousands of time, but I didn't feel like I was reading the same story over and over again. It felt new and fresh and exciting. A big part had to do with Vito and Holly and their insane chemistry, which felt very natural and not contrived like some stories came seem to be it. The story just flowed and developed in a nice easy pace that it was easy to get through in one sitting.
I enjoyed that there was build up between Vito and Holly before they ended up in the bedroom. It kept me on the edge of my seat with all that sexy tension going on between them. I could really feel their attraction to one another and again it felt real. Natural. So when their chemistry took it to the bedroom or more accurately the rug in front of the fire (which I loved that scene by the way and felt very hot and Christmassy) it was satisfying and enjoyable to see it play out on the page. If they just hopped into it right away I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I need the build up and Vito and Holly had a lot build up going on. I will say I wish they spent more time in the cottage and had more sexy time scenes there, but I understood from the premise that time needed to pass in order for more conflict to arise.
Then the second half, though not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just slowed down a tad for me. Hence why I couldn't give this a five stars. There was still a lot of tension and chemistry between them when they met again 14 months later, but that Christmassy magic kind of disappeared. Granted that the second half didn't take place at Christmas, but still I was just so engrossed with that Christmas feel that I missed it when it wasn't there.
I also wished that Vito stood up to his friend Apollo to show that he put Holly before Apollo, making her believe that she was priority to him. I understood why Vito said what he said about Apollo, but I still would have liked to seen it because let's face it Apollo was a big old jackass to Holly when she did nothing wrong. He'll get his in the end after his book is coming up next. I hope he suffers a little.
Their chemistry and love scenes were good all the way through. There was no doubt in my mind that they had any chemistry issues. I wish there might have been a little more emotional intimate scene between them because there was just so much chemistry going on it took away from the fact that they did indeed have an emotional bond too. With that being said, I loved all the love scenes. They were very delicious, hot, sexy, and just hard to peel my eyes away from. They had a lot of heat going on. Let me tell you.
I thoroughly did enjoy this book. It definitely got me in the holiday spirit with all those Christmassy feels. I loved the cottage scenes. They were my favorite of the entire book. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved that their first time was in front of the fireplace. I had a very, detailed scene in my head while reading. It was like I was there. Once the Christmas season ended in the book, it was good, but I wasn't as enthralled as I was in the previous half of the book. I did enjoy the second half though, there was lots of good tension, angst, hurt feelings, and sexy time moments that got me whisking through the pages and whipping through the story. I hurt for Holly during this book and all she had to endure not only with Vito but in her past. She had some issues going on but that didn't keep her down for long even though I could very well feel her pain. Overall it was just a really good story with really likable characters with Christmas playing a huge part in the story. This really felt like a holiday romance, and it was really good. This really set up my expectations for other holiday books I read this season.
I hope I'll get my hands on Apollo's book soon, and I hope he blows me away because right now not so happy with him and not rooting for him at the moment. We will see.
I loved that fact that Vito and Holly were stuck in a snowstorm in a remote cottage on Christmas Eve, and were complete strangers. Now the set up felt very familiar and had probably been done thousands of time, but I didn't feel like I was reading the same story over and over again. It felt new and fresh and exciting. A big part had to do with Vito and Holly and their insane chemistry, which felt very natural and not contrived like some stories came seem to be it. The story just flowed and developed in a nice easy pace that it was easy to get through in one sitting.
I enjoyed that there was build up between Vito and Holly before they ended up in the bedroom. It kept me on the edge of my seat with all that sexy tension going on between them. I could really feel their attraction to one another and again it felt real. Natural. So when their chemistry took it to the bedroom or more accurately the rug in front of the fire (which I loved that scene by the way and felt very hot and Christmassy) it was satisfying and enjoyable to see it play out on the page. If they just hopped into it right away I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. I need the build up and Vito and Holly had a lot build up going on. I will say I wish they spent more time in the cottage and had more sexy time scenes there, but I understood from the premise that time needed to pass in order for more conflict to arise.
Then the second half, though not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just slowed down a tad for me. Hence why I couldn't give this a five stars. There was still a lot of tension and chemistry between them when they met again 14 months later, but that Christmassy magic kind of disappeared. Granted that the second half didn't take place at Christmas, but still I was just so engrossed with that Christmas feel that I missed it when it wasn't there.
I also wished that Vito stood up to his friend Apollo to show that he put Holly before Apollo, making her believe that she was priority to him. I understood why Vito said what he said about Apollo, but I still would have liked to seen it because let's face it Apollo was a big old jackass to Holly when she did nothing wrong. He'll get his in the end after his book is coming up next. I hope he suffers a little.
Their chemistry and love scenes were good all the way through. There was no doubt in my mind that they had any chemistry issues. I wish there might have been a little more emotional intimate scene between them because there was just so much chemistry going on it took away from the fact that they did indeed have an emotional bond too. With that being said, I loved all the love scenes. They were very delicious, hot, sexy, and just hard to peel my eyes away from. They had a lot of heat going on. Let me tell you.
I thoroughly did enjoy this book. It definitely got me in the holiday spirit with all those Christmassy feels. I loved the cottage scenes. They were my favorite of the entire book. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved that their first time was in front of the fireplace. I had a very, detailed scene in my head while reading. It was like I was there. Once the Christmas season ended in the book, it was good, but I wasn't as enthralled as I was in the previous half of the book. I did enjoy the second half though, there was lots of good tension, angst, hurt feelings, and sexy time moments that got me whisking through the pages and whipping through the story. I hurt for Holly during this book and all she had to endure not only with Vito but in her past. She had some issues going on but that didn't keep her down for long even though I could very well feel her pain. Overall it was just a really good story with really likable characters with Christmas playing a huge part in the story. This really felt like a holiday romance, and it was really good. This really set up my expectations for other holiday books I read this season.
I hope I'll get my hands on Apollo's book soon, and I hope he blows me away because right now not so happy with him and not rooting for him at the moment. We will see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 5, 2023
HOLY JALAPEÑOS!!!! Houston, we have a non-manwhore LG hero!!!! I nearly fucking fainted!!! And it’s a secret baby?! I loved this one! I loved that their first time was without condoms although it grinded my gears that condoms were used in subsequent times—after they’re married! Like, COME ON!!! Someone needs to knock some sense into the editors at HP and put a stop to these old lady sex scenes.
I freakin loved this hero. He was cold, reserved, unemotional and scared of what he felt for the heroine. Seeing him slowly discover his feelings for the heroine made my heart do a happy dance. He also was celibate during their separation!
I thought the heroine was cute, but it was the hero who made this story.
Safe. Hero’s past is mentioned, he was engaged in a bloodless union, but he wasn’t a manwhore. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No others, faithful during separation, no cheating or sharing. HEA with epilogue
I freakin loved this hero. He was cold, reserved, unemotional and scared of what he felt for the heroine. Seeing him slowly discover his feelings for the heroine made my heart do a happy dance. He also was celibate during their separation!
I thought the heroine was cute, but it was the hero who made this story.
Safe. Hero’s past is mentioned, he was engaged in a bloodless union, but he wasn’t a manwhore. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No others, faithful during separation, no cheating or sharing. HEA with epilogue
February 15, 2017
I wanted the hero to atleast make an effort to search for the heroine.I found him too cold!
June 9, 2019
Everything happen so quickly.
November 20, 2016
Again another so so read
I love HP's. I have always loved them except for cheating ones but in still love them but not so much lately. This is a lynn Graham for goodness sake but it was like it was called in. Vito was boring. And the love declaration was like 'can I have ranch with that salad?' Nooo! It could have been so much better. I think I might have to stop reading these. They just aren't as good as they used to be. But then again I am not as young as I used to be!! Maybe maturity means....maturity?
I love HP's. I have always loved them except for cheating ones but in still love them but not so much lately. This is a lynn Graham for goodness sake but it was like it was called in. Vito was boring. And the love declaration was like 'can I have ranch with that salad?' Nooo! It could have been so much better. I think I might have to stop reading these. They just aren't as good as they used to be. But then again I am not as young as I used to be!! Maybe maturity means....maturity?
August 11, 2020
I do wonder why I keep bothering with this author. When she's on her game - her books are brilliant, but too often she phones them in and I find myself getting really annoyed at th way either (or both) the h/H behave. I know Mills and Boon are escapist fun, but I do like a touch of reality. So many of these girls put up with utter abuse from the hero and it's not sensible or understandable.
I liked the start of this - beautifully developed ONS but after they meet up again - he is an absolute jerk.
I liked the start of this - beautifully developed ONS but after they meet up again - he is an absolute jerk.
May 2, 2018
Seharusnya sih baca yang ini dulu sebelum membaca The Greek's Christmas Bride - Lamaran Sang Miliuner Yunani, karena di sini diceritain awal mula Pixie dan Apollo ketemu.
Holly dan Vito terlibat dalam one night stand, tepat di malam natal. Mobil yang ditumpangi Holly terjebak dalam salju, dan dia malam natalnya berakhir di villa milik Apollo yang sedang ditempati Vito. Singkatnya (dan memang singkat), keduanya saling tertarik, dan tidak ingin menyia-nyiakan malam itu. Keesokan harinya Holly meninggalkan villa dengan sepucuk surat ucapan terima kasih beserta nomor telponnya, yang mana tidak pernah ditemukan oleh Vito.
Empat belas bulan kemudian, Angelo lahir. Secara tak sengaja, Holly menemukan gambar Vito di sebuah majalah bisnis, dan memutuskan untuk memberitahukan tentang Angelo kepada Vito. Begitu tahu kabar tentang anaknya, Vito segera memutuskan mereka harus menikah.
Dari gadis biasa, yang harus berjuang mengumpulkan setiap sen, Holly berubah menjadi istri seorang bankir sukses. Vito yang menganggap Holly seharusnya bisa membiasakan diri dengan kemewahan membiarkan Holly beradaptasi sendirian.
Kalau dibandingkan dengan kisahnya Pixie, kisah Holly memang too good to be true. Makanya Apollo dengan mudahnya menghakimi Holly. Dan Vito meski kesal dengan tingkah sahabatnya yang mempermalukan istrinya, tidak berusaha maksimal membuat perasaan Holly menjadi lebih baik. Saya sih berharapnya Holly lebih tough dalam menghadapi Vito. Tapi ya karena Harlequin, kesenggol dikit aja udah luluh. :)
Holly dan Vito terlibat dalam one night stand, tepat di malam natal. Mobil yang ditumpangi Holly terjebak dalam salju, dan dia malam natalnya berakhir di villa milik Apollo yang sedang ditempati Vito. Singkatnya (dan memang singkat), keduanya saling tertarik, dan tidak ingin menyia-nyiakan malam itu. Keesokan harinya Holly meninggalkan villa dengan sepucuk surat ucapan terima kasih beserta nomor telponnya, yang mana tidak pernah ditemukan oleh Vito.
Empat belas bulan kemudian, Angelo lahir. Secara tak sengaja, Holly menemukan gambar Vito di sebuah majalah bisnis, dan memutuskan untuk memberitahukan tentang Angelo kepada Vito. Begitu tahu kabar tentang anaknya, Vito segera memutuskan mereka harus menikah.
Dari gadis biasa, yang harus berjuang mengumpulkan setiap sen, Holly berubah menjadi istri seorang bankir sukses. Vito yang menganggap Holly seharusnya bisa membiasakan diri dengan kemewahan membiarkan Holly beradaptasi sendirian.
Kalau dibandingkan dengan kisahnya Pixie, kisah Holly memang too good to be true. Makanya Apollo dengan mudahnya menghakimi Holly. Dan Vito meski kesal dengan tingkah sahabatnya yang mempermalukan istrinya, tidak berusaha maksimal membuat perasaan Holly menjadi lebih baik. Saya sih berharapnya Holly lebih tough dalam menghadapi Vito. Tapi ya karena Harlequin, kesenggol dikit aja udah luluh. :)
January 6, 2020
قرأتها بعنوان عذراء الايطالي من ترجمة منتدى روايتي
احببت القصة مليئة بالرومانسية
هولي شخصية جميلة
واحببت فيتو
هذا الجزء الاول من عذراء اليوناني
احببت القصة مليئة بالرومانسية
هولي شخصية جميلة
واحببت فيتو
هذا الجزء الاول من عذراء اليوناني
June 8, 2021
A Christmas consequence
Italian tycoon Vito Zaffari is waiting out the festive season while a family scandal fades from the press. So he's come to his friend's snow-covered English country cottage, determined to shut out the world.
Until a beautiful bombshell dressed as Santa literally crashes into his Christmas! Innocent Holly Cleaver sneaks under Vito's defenses—he wants her like no other before and decides he must have her.
When Vito finds her gone the next day, he's sure she'll be easy to forget…until he discovers that their one night of passion has a shocking Christmas consequence!
Italian tycoon Vito Zaffari is waiting out the festive season while a family scandal fades from the press. So he's come to his friend's snow-covered English country cottage, determined to shut out the world.
Until a beautiful bombshell dressed as Santa literally crashes into his Christmas! Innocent Holly Cleaver sneaks under Vito's defenses—he wants her like no other before and decides he must have her.
When Vito finds her gone the next day, he's sure she'll be easy to forget…until he discovers that their one night of passion has a shocking Christmas consequence!
December 3, 2016
A kind of sweet story about a Christmas one night stand that resulted in a baby.
I always wondered what would happen if the characters in one of these stories just discussed their problems like adults instead of the drama. Now I know. It makes for a boring read! I appreciate Ms. Graham's attempt at making these characters more mature in their relationship, but begs her to please never do it again. I need ALL the dramas!!
A sweet story, but darned boring.
I always wondered what would happen if the characters in one of these stories just discussed their problems like adults instead of the drama. Now I know. It makes for a boring read! I appreciate Ms. Graham's attempt at making these characters more mature in their relationship, but begs her to please never do it again. I need ALL the dramas!!
A sweet story, but darned boring.
December 22, 2016
Nothing...I respect nothing like a Harlequin at this time of year. I love my HEA's.
December 16, 2017
HIJO DE LA NIEVE (Navidad con el Magnate #1) (Spanish Version)
April 15, 2018
Baca ebook di #GramediaDigital
Menurutku, buku ini ceritanya standar.
Holly sebagai seorang pramuniaga yang dibesarkan dalam banyak keluarga asuh. Dengan ibu yang menolaknya sebagai anak. Hanya satu yang diinginkannya yakni memiliki keluarga yang hangat bersamanya dan merayakan natal bersama-sama.
Holly bertemu dengan Vito Zaffari, taipan miliuner Bank Zaffari dari Italia ketika mobilnya, Clementine, terperosok di jalan masuk villa (di Inggris) tempat Vito sedang melarikan diri dari skandal. Vito tidak percaya kepada natal. Vito, sebagai seorang anak yang di tolak kehadirannya oleh ayahnya membuat kehadiran Holly yang mendadak didepannya membawa arti sendiri.
Dari sini ceritanya sudah tertebak...
Ketika hubungan satu malam menghadirkan seorang anak laki-laki, Angelo. Mau tidak mau, Holly mencari Vito setelah membaca surat kabar yang memuat berita siapa Vito sebenarnya. Ini demi kelangsungan putranya di masa depan. Asli, ya.. Angelo tuh lucu banget. (Diceritakan sekilas di dalam bukunya 😆)
Holly yang dari kalangan biasa ketika di lamar oleh Vito dari kalangan atas. Terjadilah gegar budaya. Beradaptasi dengan lingkungan baru itu benar-benar butuh perjuangan...
Kalau mau bertahan di kalangan atas, aku sarankan siapkan energi dan amunisi yang banyak untuk menangkis semua serangan huehehe..
Apakah Holly mampu mendapatkan apa yang dia impikan?
Baca sendiri bukunya yakk 😂😂😂
Yang aku suka dari buku ini :
*Aku suka semangat Holly dalam mengejar mimpi dan cita-citanya sebagai seorang desain interior dengan mengikuti kursus desain interior secara daring. Yang pasti di Indonesia sudah ada universitas terbuka. . Untuk kursus daringnya, aku akan cari tahu melalui mesin pencari.
Suka juga sama kutipan-kutipan didalamnya :
Holly, (halaman 32-33)
Terkadang aku terlalu cepat memaafkan kesalahan orang karena aku selalu memikirkan yang terbaik tentang mereka, atau aku ingin memberikan mereka kesempatan kedua.
Holly (halaman 73)
Hidup lebih dari menghemat waktu. Hidup itu untuk dinikmati..
Ah iya.. aku penasaran dengan Pixie, sahabat Holly sewaktu sebelum menikah. Dia memiliki andil cukup besar dalam memberikan nasehat-nasehat bijak untuk Holly. Ketika Holly menikah. Tokoh ini langsung menghilang dari tengah cerita 😆
Menurutku, buku ini ceritanya standar.
Holly sebagai seorang pramuniaga yang dibesarkan dalam banyak keluarga asuh. Dengan ibu yang menolaknya sebagai anak. Hanya satu yang diinginkannya yakni memiliki keluarga yang hangat bersamanya dan merayakan natal bersama-sama.
Holly bertemu dengan Vito Zaffari, taipan miliuner Bank Zaffari dari Italia ketika mobilnya, Clementine, terperosok di jalan masuk villa (di Inggris) tempat Vito sedang melarikan diri dari skandal. Vito tidak percaya kepada natal. Vito, sebagai seorang anak yang di tolak kehadirannya oleh ayahnya membuat kehadiran Holly yang mendadak didepannya membawa arti sendiri.
Dari sini ceritanya sudah tertebak...
Ketika hubungan satu malam menghadirkan seorang anak laki-laki, Angelo. Mau tidak mau, Holly mencari Vito setelah membaca surat kabar yang memuat berita siapa Vito sebenarnya. Ini demi kelangsungan putranya di masa depan. Asli, ya.. Angelo tuh lucu banget. (Diceritakan sekilas di dalam bukunya 😆)
Holly yang dari kalangan biasa ketika di lamar oleh Vito dari kalangan atas. Terjadilah gegar budaya. Beradaptasi dengan lingkungan baru itu benar-benar butuh perjuangan...
Kalau mau bertahan di kalangan atas, aku sarankan siapkan energi dan amunisi yang banyak untuk menangkis semua serangan huehehe..
Apakah Holly mampu mendapatkan apa yang dia impikan?
Baca sendiri bukunya yakk 😂😂😂
Yang aku suka dari buku ini :
*Aku suka semangat Holly dalam mengejar mimpi dan cita-citanya sebagai seorang desain interior dengan mengikuti kursus desain interior secara daring. Yang pasti di Indonesia sudah ada universitas terbuka. . Untuk kursus daringnya, aku akan cari tahu melalui mesin pencari.
Suka juga sama kutipan-kutipan didalamnya :
Holly, (halaman 32-33)
Terkadang aku terlalu cepat memaafkan kesalahan orang karena aku selalu memikirkan yang terbaik tentang mereka, atau aku ingin memberikan mereka kesempatan kedua.
Holly (halaman 73)
Hidup lebih dari menghemat waktu. Hidup itu untuk dinikmati..
Ah iya.. aku penasaran dengan Pixie, sahabat Holly sewaktu sebelum menikah. Dia memiliki andil cukup besar dalam memberikan nasehat-nasehat bijak untuk Holly. Ketika Holly menikah. Tokoh ini langsung menghilang dari tengah cerita 😆
August 14, 2020
3 to 3.5 stars but not going to round up because of the H.
He didn’t value what she’d gone through, due to his giving a false name.
He was horrible when she tracked him down about their secret baby. And he didn’t do anything to defend or protect her once he knew.
He didn’t appreciate her best friend, who’d been there when he hadn’t.
She didn’t confront him enough on where his behavior had caused problems.
It’s one of those stories where you doubted his sincerity because he was only with her for the cute baby. Nothing was revealed to make you believe otherwise.
His celibacy or lack of remained murky. He’d been out publicly with women in the 15-month separation, but then he told her it had been a long time for him, but he didn’t state that it was since their ONS. Later he made it sound like he hadn’t slept with them (or had eventually stopped trying with other women because of her?), but it was just nonspecific and I guess I think if it were cut-and-dried, it would’ve been stated that way. My final reaction is he was not or he would have specifically stated that. My impression was that he would’ve eventually just moved on to someone else if she hadn’t tracked him down, because he didn’t seem to feel that strongly about her, just the baby.
Them still being together and expecting baby 3 in Book 2 of the series was nice to read... but this book on its own was not convincing on the HEA. With some subtle adjustments, LG could’ve pulled it off here, but missed the mark.
He didn’t value what she’d gone through, due to his giving a false name.
He was horrible when she tracked him down about their secret baby. And he didn’t do anything to defend or protect her once he knew.
He didn’t appreciate her best friend, who’d been there when he hadn’t.
She didn’t confront him enough on where his behavior had caused problems.
It’s one of those stories where you doubted his sincerity because he was only with her for the cute baby. Nothing was revealed to make you believe otherwise.
His celibacy or lack of remained murky. He’d been out publicly with women in the 15-month separation, but then he told her it had been a long time for him, but he didn’t state that it was since their ONS. Later he made it sound like he hadn’t slept with them (or had eventually stopped trying with other women because of her?), but it was just nonspecific and I guess I think if it were cut-and-dried, it would’ve been stated that way. My final reaction is he was not or he would have specifically stated that. My impression was that he would’ve eventually just moved on to someone else if she hadn’t tracked him down, because he didn’t seem to feel that strongly about her, just the baby.
Them still being together and expecting baby 3 in Book 2 of the series was nice to read... but this book on its own was not convincing on the HEA. With some subtle adjustments, LG could’ve pulled it off here, but missed the mark.
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