The Italians Convenient Wife by Catherine Spencer

The Italians Convenient Wife Reviews

• 
  StMargarets

  This started off so well. Heroine got pregnant after a one night stand the night of her sister's wedding to the hero's brother. She was 18 at the time and had to change her plans for university. She had twins and gave them to her sister and husband to raise as their own.
  
  Hero did such a number on her that she hasn't had sex since. Hero was a womanizer for many years, but finally grew up and is now a functioning member of society.
  
  H/h meet again when the twin's adoptive parents are both killed. Heroine comes to Italy for the funeral and plans to bring the nine year-old twins back to the US. This does not go over well with the hero or the grandparents or the children.
  
  At this point I began to lose patience with the heroine. She said all she cared about were the children, but she made things ten times worse by not telling the hero the truth about his status as baby daddy. Weeks go by where she could have spoken up, but she didn't.
  
  By the time everyone had bonded and new plan had been implemented, the heroine blew it up. Worse - she ran away and the children had to chase after her from Italy to the US.
  
  WTH? That's fine for a hero to chase down the heroine, but no child should ever have to chase after their mother or mother-figure. The ending was just so gross. The heroine sulked and caused so much new pain for those grieving kids and they had to convince her to come back to Italy. I don't know how they're ever going to feel secure with this new mommy and daddy after the crap they pulled.
  
  The angst in this was great. Same with the writing. The romance was fine. I believed that the hero turned over a new leaf and was sincere in his feelings for the heroine. I just can't forgive the lying heroine and her sulking at the end.
  Preeti has more details in her review, if you're interested.
• 
  Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves

  It started out so well and I was so hopeful!
  *With Spoilers*
  A bonafide manhoeing Italian bad boy and an 18 y.o. virgin. He makes no promises while seducing his brother’s sister-in-law on the (his brother and her sister's) wedding day. She finds herself pregnant and loses out on an Ivy League education. (But why could she go to a Calif. University and not Smith’s with the bump was a mystery!) Anyways the sister and the husband adopt the twins and pass them as their own to his family.
  
  Now nine years later, the older couple dies (but of course!) and the h travels to Italy to bring back ‘her kids’. But she gets side tracked by the H (reformed and responsible now!).
  They are all chummy and practical, and agree on a moc but…
  
  The H was suitably despicable to begin with but loses steam within a few pages, and turns tame and boring (and so did the book!).
  The real problem was the h not telling the H the truth till the very end and she had NO EXCUSE for it! It would still be ok if there was a plot to amuse the reader till then but apart from them resuming their bedroom (formerly beach) activities and preparing for the wedding, nothing much happens. The kids were grumpy and cheerless, and brought out at necessary points. Can’t blame them as this h can do that to anybody. Only the disapproving father of the H causes some waves.
  And sadly I felt no connection between the h/H. It was more about negotiating and doing the right thing for the children than a romance (interspersed with sex).
• 
  Jenny

  If you love a smitten noble flawless hero who is willing to shout his love for the heroine from the rooftops then this is the book for you!
• 
  Roub

  i remember reading this one as well !dat was last year n the twins were actually paolo n caroline's ;p
• 
  Kay

  4 Stars! ~ All of the pain from nine years before, is thrust once more at Caroline as she travels to Rome to claim her orphaned niece and nephew. She's braced for a fight with their Italian uncle, Paolo, a man she had given her innocence to, only to be dismissed. But Paolo today is not the callous playboy she'd known, now he is a man with a deep sense of family responsibility. Yet from their first reunion, Paolo is aware there is more grief in Caroline than that of her sister and brother-in-law's tragic death, and he finds himself wanting to protect her. Caroline's concern is for the twins, and yet, she realizes that she has never really stopped loving Paolo. The passion they once shared still burns between them. Paolo proposes they marry for the sake of the children and the promise that he will be faithful. Caroline agrees, yet continues to carry the burden of secrets from nine years before; secrets that threaten to shatter Paolo's whole family.
  
  Very nicely written. This was rather unique because Paulo's misdeed had happened in a time before the story begins and his character has already been redeemed before their reunion. This was critical to the story, for Paolo as he had been, would not have been appealing. Caroline's character becomes the focus as she must face decisions she made when she was 19. She's tragic in many ways, haunted. Finding that Paolo has tender feelings for her, as well as a passionate desire, Caroline's scars begin to fade except for that secret she carries. A very enjoyable read!
• 
  Leona

  Wow...this is my first book by this author and definitely not my last.
  
  This is an incredible love story about second chances in not only love, but life, and that sometimes we are given an incredible gift to fix our past mistakes and ultimately forgive those who have hurt us the most. This author takes you on an incredible journey into the heart and soul of Paolo and Callie where you see all their pain and human frailty.
  
  This is so unlike any HP I have ever read. I was so wrapped up in watching how Paolo and Callie were going to come to grips with their past and put the pieces of their life back together again, that I became absolutely mesmerized. Sometimes, when I read these HP's I get angry because the hero is depicted as an arrogant macho jerk and the heroine as a spineless doormat. But in this story, I realized that people are simply human and oftentimes just make mistakes....Unfortunately those mistakes have the ability to hurt the people who matter the most.
  
  It was an incredible read. I won't forget this story.
  
  
• 
  Victoria

  It started off really good. I was addicted from the start. But somehow, as it reached the end, it wasn't really very convincing to me. I dunno, but somehow the part where they quarreled wasn't impactful enough to me. And how they made up felt just too little. Like, there wasn't enough substance. In my mind, Italians are hot :P, arrogant and just not so forgiving. But instead of him really blaming her, he kinda just asked for her forgiveness?
  
  I know I don't make a lot of sense but somehow the climax of the book just didn't do it for me. I'm someone who swoons over the declarations of love from the guy to the girl. But somehow that scene just didn't strike a chord in me.
  
  However, I must say watching them fall in love was sweet:) however, I felt that he should have taken more time before discovering his love for her. Cliché yes. But to me, it's just so sweet and more in character for guys like this. Especially Italians.
  
  All in all, it was a pretty good book and I did enjoy reading it. It's definitely worth a try. Perhaps you'll love it more than I did. I did love it at the beginning yes, but not the last few chpts. A pity really..
  
  P.S. I did enjoy it, I just couldn't love it. It could just be my mood though..
  
  <3
• 
  MaryD

  Caroline's sister and her brother-in-law died in a boat explosion, leaving twin children behind. Paolo lost his brother and sister-in-law in the explosion, but at least his family still has the children. What no one in his family, including Paolo himself, knows is that Caroline has a closer tie to the children than they realize.
  
  There was a lot of angst in this story but not over-the-top as in many stories with this plot. I thought this was well-handled and flowed through the emotions realistically. I loved that both put the children's welfare ahead of everything, and each struggled with their emotions through that filter. There were no extreme scenes except when the secret was revealed, and even in that context it made sense.
  
  I really liked this story and would recommend it.
• 
  Nell

  The plot was so far-fetched only the writing saved the book
• 
  Nikki

  Not too interesting considering everything that went on. The hero changed just cause. The heroine was making mistakes because she had to make choices alone. Eh. No one to really root for. Not even the dumb kids.
• 
  Sansho Shine

  No really connection between the H and h nor between h and her kids ! I fell bored and I had so much relief whene I finished this book !
• 
  Xai Xai

  Nice read! Light and fluffy ! Wanted some angst and Frank Sinatra motions from hero.
• 
  More Books Than Time

  Good except h is an emotional coward and put the three people she claimed to love in a horrible situation.
• 
  Ladyacct

  Really good story of a couple who met when they were young and immature, reconciled due to circumstances beyond their control when more mature and nine years older (yep that short of time can make a big difference in an arrogant - well to do - butt hat of a hero).
  
  Tear jerker, really well written.
  
  no typos/editing issues either!!!
• 
  RomLibrary

  When Paolo Rainero's niece and nephew are orphaned, he arranges to marry Caroline Leighton, the twins' American aunt, to protect them. But first he must show Callie that he's changed since their affair nine years ago. As their convenient marriage becomes real, and old desires are rekindled, Paolo can't help feeling that Caroline's hiding something. A secret involving him
• 
  Suzane

  2.5 stars