Lynne Connolly’s review of The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement by Lucy Monroe
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin 1 Feb 07 (U.S. rls date)
I have to say that this isn’t my favourite Monroe book. I usually enjoy her books, but not this one.
My personal hot button was pushed when I learned that the hero was 42 and the heroine a young 25. When that happens I usually ‘imagine’ them closer in age. In the main HMB lines, it can be more of a problem because of the relative power. The hero is always alpha, always a powerful megatycoon or the equivalent and the heroine is usually the virginal, innocent type. Certainly in this book that was the case.
What made it worse was that the heroine was involved as a friend with the hero’s son, who was much closer to her age, and the son had feelings for her too.
Ick. She sees the son as her friend. But dude, no. As a result there is some father/son rivalry over the same woman, which made me feel distinctly uncomfortable.
Add to that, the hero and heroine keep falling out with each other and every time it happens, she runs away. I never felt that Luciano was a fully realized character, he never came alive for me.
I did like that Hope was a real waitress and proud of it, though there is a point later on in the book that made me cheer, because I was thinking “Okay, she’s a waitress” when it got to that point. And the hero actually does some work of an executive nature, which was a nice change. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is lacking, too. I didn’t really believe in their happy ending, I could see divorce maybe five years or so in their future, when he grows up a bit and he wants a bit more – well, more personality, maybe.
It won’t stop me getting more Monroe books, though. It might just be my thing, that father/son rivalry over the same woman isn’t for me. So for this one…
Grade: C-
Summary:
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Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciano di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background and being ignored.
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But Luciano’s sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy–until she discovers that Luciano ruthlessly married her…for convenience!
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Read an excerpt.
