Lynne Connolly’s review of The Italian’s Ruthless Marriage Command by Helen Bianchin
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin Presents 1 Mar 09

The real skill of a HMB author is to take an old trope and make it fresh, and the key seems to be to work with the characters, to make them real people. The first strike against this book was to call the hero Dante – is it me, or have there been a lot of Dantes recently? No, it’s not just me. I checked an email from Raelene Gorlinsky with a list of names she’d rather not see in future books, and yes, Dante is there. Not that you can’t use the name, just that there have been a lot of them and it makes editors at Ellora’s Cave groan a bit. In this book, I sucked it up and read on. 

The heroine is taking care of a child, but the child seems real enough, and doesn’t do the cutesy stuff I detest and seemed age-appropriate, so I put up with it. The heroine, Taylor (and what kind of name is that for a poor heroine?) seemed engaging enough, so I read on. Good job I did.

After their initial antagonism, and Taylor’s feelings that she is being railroaded (duh, Harlequin Presents, doesn’t she realize?) this couple talked. They discussed things. I loved it. When they had some disagreements over the care of the child, they talked about it and came to a decision they were both happy with, or at least could both live with. Wowser.

At first, Taylor is upset, but wow again, she thinks about the benefit of the child, and Dante has actually thought about her life and career, and made it possible for her to continue it. I liked that. She fancies him like mad, and hates herself for doing so, because she knows he’s an organiser, and someone who will take over her life, but he’s the tall, sexy Italian, so we know she has no chance. But watching them fall for each other, (and you do get to see both sides, another thing I enjoyed), was fun.

Taylor has a trauma in her past (see what I mean about tropes?) but it’s the way she copes with it that’s refreshing. She deals with it, and when Dante asks, after a little persuasion, she tells him. She doesn’t deny she has a problem, and she doesn’t refuse to let him help. Their love story is told beautifully, and although the expected tropes are there, there are no awkwardnesses, or times when you think “No one would do that!” or “For heaven’s sake, just sit down and talk!” It progressed well and there was enough time for you to believe that the couple were truly in love and not just together by circumstance. This book was a real help in a very trying day, and I’m glad I read it. It was a pleasant story about a couple forced together by circumstance and falling in love. The title doesn’t do it justice, it really doesn’t. Dante is kinda ruthless, but he’s endlessly patient with Taylor when she needs it, and he doesn’t force her into anything.

A well earned…

Grade: B+

The Italian’s Ruthless Marriage Command is out in March 2009 as a Harlequin Modern Romance and April 2009 as a Harlequin Presents title.

Summary:

Taylor Adamson has just come face-to-face with the man with whom she must share custody of her orphaned nephew–the infamously arrogant Dante d’Alessandri. And he won’t let Taylor out of his sight.

At first Dante sees Taylor as just a nanny. But soon he realizes this ripe young beauty could fill another, more pleasurable role–in the bedroom. The ruthless Italian wants to see how far Taylor will go to keep caring for her little nephew. Dante is going to raise the stakes.

Read an excerpt.