Veena’s Duckies Do Series review of The Billionaire’s Legacy Series by Marinell, Blake, Crews, Kendrick & Hewitt
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 01 Jul 16 through 01 Feb 17
I was in the fourth grade when I first discovered Harlequin romance novels. I saw the world and learned about relationships through the pages of these books. To this day I enjoy these stories. They are my guilty pleasure that I indulge in like other women might ice cream or a bottle of wine.
I don’t particularly read series in Harlequin Presents, but this particular one caught my attention, and after I got swept into one and then the next, I went back and grabbed all the back stories to read about the “Lost Mistresses.” I think this series is more compelling because each book is authored by a different writer, giving each character a fresh and unique voice.
Veena’s review of Di Sione’s Innocent Conquest by Carol Marinelli
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 01 Jul 16
Matteo is a middle brother who most resembles his rakish father in looks as well as in temperament. He’s pretty self-sufficient but has a soft spot for his grandfather. So when his grandfather tasks him to bring back a priceless necklace, he feels bound and determined to complete this seemingly simple task.
As it happens, the current owner doesn’t want to sell it for money but will trade favors with Matteo. Should have been pretty easy, given that women can rarely resist Matteo’s charms. But Abby is a totally different kettle of fish. Against his will, Matteo is fascinated with the world of high-speed car racing and what should have been a ruse turned out to become a true hobby. Abby’s crusty exterior hides a scared, vulnerable woman that Matteo patiently coaxes out to freedom.
A man who swore never to love and repeat the follies of his parents falls hard and fast. Can he convince Abby that he loves her for herself and not for the necklace he needs for his grandfather?
Grade: B
Summary:
“Matteo, I want that necklace. Whatever it takes, find it and bring it to me.”
Prickly, buttoned-up racing team owner Abby Ellison isn’t legendary playboy Matteo Di Sione’s type. But Abby has something he needs—a necklace prized by his grandfather—and where his lethal charm doesn’t work, sponsorship of her team does!
As they travel from Dubai to Monte Carlo to Brazil, Matteo thrives on the thrill of the racing world and the surprising allure of innocent Abby. But when he discovers the secret that drives Abby’s ambition, Matteo realises he can’t just take the necklace and walk away…
Veena’s review of The Di Sione Secret Baby by Maya Blake
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 01 Aug 16
Next up is Allegra, Matteo’s older sister. She was only six when her parents died, but she tried her best to be a mother to her younger siblings, at which task she failed miserably in her own assessment. Now she turns a successful non-profit whose goal is to empower women around the world. When her dying grandfather wants her to retrieve an antique Faberge box from a playboy sheikh in the Middle East, she’s hard pressed to refuse.
They definitely get off on the wrong foot from the get-go. Rahim has returned to his country after sixteen years in self-exile. He’s devastated at the state of his once proud and progressive country. He could definitely use someone like Allegra to help rebuild his country and empower the women. Little does he know that she only wants a trinket box that once belonged to his mother. She leaves his country after one night of unforgettable passion, like a thief in the night with two treasures.
Are they ready to be parents? They both have a lot of baggage they need to work through before they can find a happy ending.
Grade: B
Summary:
“This antique box can be my wedding gift to you.”
Charity CEO Allegra Di Sione can’t fail in her mission to retrieve her grandfather’s beloved box from Sheikh Rahim Al-Hadi, which is why she gets caught in Rahim’s sumptuous bedroom trying to steal it!
Seducing the gorgeous sheikh is her only chance at escape! But when Allegra slips away the next morning, she’s unaware she now carries something infinitely more precious—and that when Rahim finds out, he’ll have no choice but to make his enticing thief his queen!
Veena’s review of The Return of the Di Sione Wife by Caitlin Crews
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 01 Oct 16
Dario and his twin have been inseparable since birth. Unchecked by their parents who were locked in their own world, the twins were packed away to boarding school at a young age and they’ve always relied on each other, sharing a business and even women until Dario fell in love. His jealousy and distrust had him kicking out his wife and breaking all ties with his brother. Now a crazy quest for his dying grandfather brings him to Hawaii and face to face with his ex-wife and a child he never knew he had.
Dario definitely does not endear himself to me when he seduces his wife and kidnaps his son. I really enjoyed seeing him getting his comeuppance from a five-year-old child. Can Dario and Anais work their way through their hurt, betrayal, and fury and find an accommodation? I enjoyed watching Anais standing up to Dario and holding her own.
Grade: A
Summary:
“I’ll have the earrings now. Or are there more hoops to jump through?”
Dario Di Sione should be feeling triumphant—he’s about to fulfill his grandfather’s wish and retrieve the precious earrings, but all he feels is fury. The beautiful lawyer handling the sale is the woman who betrayed him six years ago…his wife!
Discovering Anais has kept their child a secret makes Dario determined to be the father he never had. But Anais’s return to his side casts a new light on past events, and now it’s not just the child he wants to claim!
Veena’s review of Di Sione’s Virgin Mistress by Sharon Kendrick
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 01 Nov 16
This is the first book in the series that I read, which started me on a quest of acquiring the back list. I am still intrigued at these lost mistresses and hope by the end of the series one of the authors will tell us how the Di Sione Nonno acquired them. Regardless of how unbelievable the plot is with the requisite Harlequin virgin, it worked and I was so intrigued that I found all the back stories and read all the published ones, as you can see.
This is a fun and flirty romance. Willow ends up with the tiara when her luggage gets mixed up with Dante’s. Once she discovers what she has, she decides to hold the handsome playboy hostage to help her get past a difficult family situation. Of course, one thing leads to another and soon they’re playing the part of an engaged couple ensconced at the Di Sione Long Island estate where Dante grew up.
Grade: B
Summary:
“I have the tiara you want and you have to pay for it.”
Dante Di Sione could forgive the beautiful blonde he kissed in the airport lounge for accidentally taking the suitcase with his grandfather’s precious tiara in it. But then she has the nerve to blackmail him into accompanying her to her sister’s wedding!
So when news of their supposed engagement breaks, Dante takes his revenge and ensures that Willow plays the part of his loving wife-to-be to the full. Only, he has no idea that Willow has faked all that bold confidence…and is a virgin!
Veena’s review of A Di Sione for the Greek’s Pleasure by Kate Hewitt
Contemporary Romance published by Harlequin Presents 01 Dec 16
Natalia is the youngest of the Di Sione siblings. She remembers little of her parents and their lifestyle. She’s been brought up by her grandfather, but after a traumatic event in her life at the tender age of seventeen, she’s cloistered herself on the family estate, rarely leaving it.
When her Nonno asks her to travel to Greece to retrieve a book of love poems, she’s unable to refuse. Her introduction to Kyrie Menas, who is supposed to be the owner, is hilarious. Her father is interviewing for a temporary nanny for his daughter, of whom he is very protective, when she stumbles in crumpled, tired, and shell shocked from her journey. Yes, you guessed it – he hires her and soon she’s living on his remote island in the Aegean, playing nanny to his daughter and healing herself, the daughter Sophia, and, most importantly, Angelos himself.
I really enjoyed this one, because Sophia, the little girl with her own share of challenges, adds a great deal of depth to the story.
Grade: B
Summary:
“Finding my book will take you on a journey in more ways than one.”
Natalia is trembling. She hasn’t left the Di Sione estate in years, but must retrieve her grandfather’s lost book of poems from formidable tycoon Angelos Menas—who’s just mistaken her for his daughter’s new nanny!
The brooding Greek and his precious daughter were scarred in the fire that claimed his wife, and Talia is drawn to the man beneath the damaged exterior. She knows the untold pleasure Angelos offers is limited, but when she leaves with the book, will her heart remain behind on the island
Overall Grade: B+
