A good read. That's all I will say...a good read. ( )

This review contain spoilers.

I like reading Carol Marinelli's books because they usually have an added depth that many other Presents don't have, and this book is no exception.

My favorite parts of this book are the little details about the characters. Emma Stephenson doesn't have a female role-model growing up, so she relies on magazines for advice most children get from their mothers. On the other hand, Luca D'Amato is like all of Presents' signature workaholic, billionaire businessmen, except he also cares for a pet "geriatric poodle with dementia" he took in three years ago when his ex left him behind.

But what doesn't work for me is this: Luca doesn't want to marry and have children because he is afraid he will be violent towards his family like his father, grandfather and uncle (or uncles) were. He doesn't want to hurt Emma, so he pushes her away without realizing that he is hurting her anyway, just not physically. Only when he learns from his mother that the doctor—and not the person whom his mother married—is his real father does he finally end both his and Emma's misery and have their HEA. To be fair, he is beginning to realize that he is not like the other males in his family, but it's the fact that he doesn't carry any violent genes that propels him to Emma's side. I think the story would have been stronger if Marinelli had Luca accept that he will never become violent towards Emma, instead of making it okay for him to be with her because he doesn't share the same genes as his mother's husband. Seriously, if this weren't fiction, how likely is it that one in a similar situation finds out they have a different father? Besides, what about nature vs. nurture? Since Luca grew up in a violent household, he could have become violent, anyway, despite the different genes because he could have grown up thinking violence and abuse is normal behavior. Sorry for the rant, but I feel like Marinelli took the easy way out by going down this route. This isn't her best work, but I still like reading her books. ( )

Emma Stephenson lands a job to work for Luca D'Amato, a charming billionaire who goes through women so fast that he can't keep the position of assistant PA filled for long. Sparks fly, but Emma's determined to resist him, because she needs this job to meet her bills. But, of course, it's harder and harder to resist him the more time she spends with him, especially when he sees vulnerabilities that he keeps so carefully concealed from the rest of the world.

This is one of those books where the title and the cover don't do justice to the story. Sure, it's a Harlequin Presents, and therefore it has a virginal heroine, a rich and domineering alpha male with an accent who happens to be her boss, an accidental pregnancy, and sex. But the story of how child and spousal abuse affects generations is very good, as well as contrasting Emma and Luca's relationships with their respective fathers (Emma, in spite of being neglected for most of her life by her father, pays for him to be in a good nursing home after his stroke, even though it's a financial hardship for her; Luca hates his father with a passion and avoids his entire family because of it). The last few twists at the end were a little hokey, but Carol Marinelli sure knows how to crank up the drama, so I can't complain too much.

Altogether, if you like the Harlequin Presents line, you'll enjoy this book too. There's a bit more depth to this book than most HP offerings, which is a good thing. ( )