1: Irritating start, not-so-bad finish
Carole Mortimer is a hit-and-miss author for me. Her heroes are so often bullheaded (a trait that is often called "arrogance," but is really just an incredible determination not to consider any evidence or opinion that doesn't match his) and this book is no exception. It helps, however, that the bullheadedness is his determination to have revenge -- not some misguided notion that she's a whore.
The book opens with an over-the-top scene where two young people (unknown to each other) commit suicide. They are the heroine's brother and the hero's sister. The brother was a wastrel and the sister had been carrying on a secret affair with a married man, producing a son.
Never believing his sister could have been part of the accident's cause, Cesare decides that he will take revenge on Robin's father...until he sees Robin. What follows is a maddening bit of emotional blackmail, in which he forces Robin to marry him so that she can be a mother to his sister's baby and a fixture in his bed. If not, Cesare will destroy her father's business.
I'll admit that I'm tired of the heroine martyr who gives into these kind of ridiculous demands in order to save a family member. It helps that her reasons for agreeing turn into something for herself when she meets the baby.
Despite gritting my teeth through some of the set-up, the resolution made it worth the earlier frustration. When Cesare finds out the truth, his reaction and response is satisfying, and the book ends on a much better note than it started.
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