Why are authors so afraid of angst these days? The hero in this one caused the heroine to be labeled a prostitute and things got so bad for her that she changed her *last name* in order to get a job.
Now that is angsty, right? It is unless:
*the author put it three years in the past
*told us about it and didn't show it
*barely has the heroine mention or even remember those desperate times
*shows a hero with good intentions, who half-heartedly plays hardball with the heroine's new company.
The hero did the heroine a huge wrong but we never experience it *with* her, so the heroine comes off bitter and unreasonable when forced into a marriage with the hot guy she is still in love with.
So I wanted the angsty,dramatic scenario and instead I got a forced marriage of the H/h learning to trust each other and embrace their new life of wealth and twins. Interesting enough, but not the thrill ride of an angsty HP.
*sigh*
Ivy has an excellent review if you want more details. The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2)
This was an eye opening HPlandia story for me, because it was so different from what I'm accustomed to from this author. Lynne G made a huge departure from her usual style of character development, in this novel ! It's a bit risky and I predict that some readers are gonna hate this book, loathe the heroine and call her an awful mean bitch.
But, this worked for me ! Maybe it's because I'm very moody myself these days but I totally understood why this girl should be cut some slack, after all the shit she'd been put through in her life. Her aggravation was only compounded by the fact that it was the H himself who'd ( inadvertently ) made her life a living hell.
If you're searching for insta-love, counting all the sex scenes and a hoping for cheesy romance or a throwback storyline with predictable MC's, then you'll be very disappointed and probably end up being bored with this book. If that's the case, then maybe you should avoid this book and concentrate on simple, basic cute-sexy stories with stock characters. I enjoy insta-love, adore hot sex scenes and cheesiness sometimes. I also love the vintage throwback tropes in old world HPlandia. But lately, I've been searching for modern romance stories with decent prose, solid plot development and realistic dialogue; stories that have a greater emotional impact on me:
This novel is proof of the fact that the HP template does indeed evolve over time. In this story, we get a snarky, brooding heroine who's paired with an Italian billionaire duke H who works hard to get into her good graces after he realizes what an ass he'd been to her 2 years ago. That's revolutionary in HPlandia ! I almost wonder if LG has been reading all the comments from readers who've been bashing her sexy asshole H's for years.
Raffaele starts off as an asshole but he changes by the 30% point of the novel. He acknowledges his culpability in the destruction of Vivi's life ( 2 years ago ) and is ready to make amends. This shocked me; I've never before encountered a H in a LG novel who controls his alpha male temper in an effort to communicate with, and understand, the prickly heroine. This H actually learns to think before he speaks and some might see him as a mild mannered beta type but I view him as a strong, buttoned up, sexy and communicative alpha male.
I think the definition of the alpha male H needs to be extended to include guys like this, because too often it's the awful, mean but super hottie assholes who are the lucky ones that get the designation of alpha. It's true that those guys are the archetypal alphas in conventional Romancelandia, but there's a lot to be said for this newer type of hero who doesn't need to bray like a jackass, growl like a lion and stomp like an elephant when he's having a ManTantrum.
This is the H, Raffaele:
His cropped hair reflected the light above as dark as the black-as-sloes eyes welded to her in silence. He had perfect symmetrical bone structure, as perfect as a Michelangelo carving in marble.
Anybody who's got spare time to return and ogle more of this guy's sexiness can check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RfOs...
The taming of the shrew trope...
I LOVED the unapologetic bitchy heroine ! However, Vivi wasn't the stereotypical shrewish bitch heroine. In nearly all previous HP novels I've read with a bitchy female lead character, authors hardly ever attempted to explain conclusively to the reader why a heroine was such a snarky little shrew. In most instances, little effort was made to show a softer side to the heroine, until the very end when she finally got her HEA and could afford to soften up a little. And that often aggravated me in the past because I felt that such a heroine was undeserving of her H.
In this novel, Lynne G introduced something that I'd like to refer to as Justifiable Bitchery. This is my definition of Justifiable Bitchery: it's when a heroine has just cause to behave like a bitch to a hero. In most other HP's with bitchy female main characters, authors have depicted heroines who are merely sulky, uncommunicative shrews who are rather stingy with their inner monologues.
This made it difficult for me to empathize with them, because I couldn't get a grip on the inner workings of their minds. Theirs is what I call Petulant Bitchery. Petulant bitchy heroines don't possess any self awareness either. They're often oblivious and don't seem to understand that such behaviour can make their situations worse.
Vivi is different because she's self aware; there are a few instances in this novel where she immediately acknowledges that she had just behaved like ( in her own words ) a selfish cow. That's a big first for me because bitchy heroines don't feel this type of remorse after they've had a meltdown or acted badly. Or, if they do feel remorseful, their pride prevents them from acknowledging it.
This is the second novel in LG's 2019 trilogy and Vivi is the second Mardas sister. Like her 2 siblings, she grew up in a series of horrible foster homes where she'd been the victim of verbal, emotional and almost sexual abuse. Her other sisters responded differently to this experience. Winnie, the heroine from The Greek Claims His Shock Heir, was the peacekeeper and the most sensible and well adjusted of the trio while Zoe is the shy, extremely introverted one who's afraid of her own shadow. It's interesting to see how LG is attempting to show the different ways that 3 women handle the consequences of a similar upbringing.
Vivi is the sister who is the most reactive. I responded to Vivi a lot because I'm also very sensitive, reactive and very distrustful until I get to know people. I've learned to temper my reactions by pure will power and practice but Vivi is still a little immature with a huge chip on her shoulder. She's a bit rebellious, feels insecure and unloved after the traumatic experience as an orphan. And, like most fiery rebels, she hits out verbally when she's hurt, threatened or feels that her space is being invaded. She's like a feisty red haired orphan Annie, all grown up !
This is the heroine, Vivi:
Hair that glittered like copper wire in the sunlight but which felt like spun silk. A tall, beautiful redhead, who could look impossibly elegant in anything she wore, even jeans. Skin like translucent porcelain and eyes as brilliant a blue as the Italian summer sky.
The heroine's life was practically destroyed 2 years ago and the H, Raffaele, had done nothing to assist her. In fact, he'd done the opposite: he'd wrongfully accused her, misjudged her, slut shamed her and left her alone to deal with the fallout after the tabloid media had labelled her as a high class prostitute !
All of this drama happened after the H chose to protect his silly but good hearted little sister, at the expense of the heroine's reputation. Ariana, the H' s sister was a flighty young lady who wanted to become a model. Vivi had just gotten a job as a receptionist at a a modelling agency. It was the heroine's first job after graduating from university. She'd not even been there for a month when Ariana had asked her for an introduction to one of the agency's photographers.
The naive airhead Ariana ended up posing for nude photographs. Neither the heroine nor Ariana had realized that the modelling agency was also a legal front for an escort and brothel ! This is so weird, because of all the stuff in the media right now about Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots NFL football team, who was recently arrested for using prostitutes in a massage parlor that was a cover for a brothel.
Anyway, the cops soon busted the modelling agency and the heroine was photographed running away from the back door. She was dressed in designer clothing that had been given to her by Ariana. Raffaele knew nothing about the source of the designer clothing so he inaccurately concluded that the tabloids were telling the truth and that Vivi was indeed a whore. Their burgeoning romance was destroyed due to his mistrust and the heroine was totally disillusioned when he stopped his sister from talking to her and ejected her from his life, without bothering to investigate the situation properly !
Vivi was forced to change her surname in order to get a new job - the fallout of the scandal was that bad for her. This is why I didn't begrudge her her bitchiness when he re-entered her life. The woman had been through hell, been savaged by the tabloids and had grown to despise the man she had been in love with. That's why she was so mean to him when he returned.
Raffaele re-entered Vivi's life because her wily newfound billionaire grandfather had blackmailed him. Grandfather Stam wanted to repair the damage that had been done to the heroine's reputation. The tabloids had painted a terrible image of the heroine and underscored it by suggesting that it was the illustrious H ( a billionaire Italian duke ) who believed that a prostitute was not good company for his goody 2 shoes sister.
Grandfather Stam felt that the damage to Vivi's image would be reversed if it became public knowledge that a good, upstanding, moral, non manwhoring guy like Raffaele married her. The cunning old man threatened to provide the tabloids with a dossier on Ariana, filled with scandalous information and skanky secrets, unless the H married Vivi.
The heroine refused to marry him until he bought the small tech company she worked for and threatened to do some downsizing. He didn't trust her enough to confide the truth about her grandfather's blackmailing scheme, so the heroine's opinion of him didn't improve. When she realized that her co-workers might lose their jobs, she agreed to marry him.
By that time, she was already pregnant because these two had been unable to keep their hands off each other. The H was a major improvement on the conventional HPlandia hero because he went out of his way to make amends and he tried his best to make her life comfortable after their marriage.
Vivi was the one who kept her distance at first and fought her feelings because she was the one who was afraid to be hurt once again. In her experience, after living in so many unhappy foster homes, rejection was the ultimate response whenever she opened her heart to another human being. Vivi was prickly on the outside and sometimes argumentative but it was very clear that it was her defense mechanism.
That part was made clear via her internal monologues. She was also a very realistic heroine because of her self awareness. If a reader doesn't read this novel properly, then it's difficult to appreciate all the important nuances that help with understanding LG's portrayal of these MC's. I say this because I started this on Friday and took my time to complete it.
If I had rushed through these pages or skim read this book, my final analysis would probably be different. I know many readers hate reading internal monologues but the very essence of this novel will be lost if you skip through these parts and focus only on the dialogue and the sexy scenes. If you do this, then you might leave with the impression that the heroine is an unlikable bitch and that this novel is a stupid story. That's because the heroine's image is redeemed in her internal monologues because that's when the reader sees her vulnerable and softer side.
Did she annoy the H and this reader a lot ?
- Yes, she did ! And she's not the type of heroine I usually like either. I tend to prefer the sweet Mary Sues because they're just too good to be true.
Did he have the patience of a saint with her ?
- Yes he did and I loved those parts ! Raffaele was a spectacular and wonderful H who tried so hard to understand what made her tick. How many men are willing to lower their alpha male pride and compromise like that ? Not many. He compromised, he adapted his busy schedule to meet her needs after their marriage and he was a doting father to be.
This H went from a guy who'd been a total asshole to the most communicative and caring man. He also did this quite early in the story too. If you're a reader who's tired of the manwhore H's who never compromise and never communicate then maybe you should give this book a try. Every harried wife, who knows the value of an understanding husband during the times when she's weepy , PMSing and grouchy will appreciate this guy. LOL.
Sometimes, it takes an awesome guy to cope with a snarky gal who is really soft and lovable inside. Raffaele had the patience to wait for Vivi to lower her defenses because he was man enough to know that his masculinity wouldn't be threatened by having to compromise with his wife. Maybe he realized that a man can only become an improved version of himself if he looks beyond his ego and learns to communicate with his lady. After all, in the words of the singer Meredith Brooks, from her epic song I'm a Bitch...
So take me as I am
This may mean
You'll have to be a stronger man
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv4q4...
Does this mean I don't want to see anymore of the cold, asshole bad boy H's in future HPlandia novels ?
NO ! NOPE ! NADA ! I will become depressed if HPlandia authors stop writing about the cold, ruthless bad boys that I love to hate. LOL. That's because I enjoy seeing them tamed by the love of a good woman. And yes, I'm aware of the ultra tackiness of that final comment...
And in case my close Goodreads friends are wondering, this review doesn't mean I've suddenly transitioned from a traditional conservative Catholic into a radical feminist. LOL. It simply means that my value system, while still being core conservative, is fluidly inclusive of selected forward thinking ideology that I find important to myself as a woman.
So, on a lighter note and because it's been ages since I've written a book review, Harold Mongrelpup and I give our happy dancing dog stamp of approval to this novel:
For those who need to know:
1. The MC's shared intense sexual chemistry throughout the story.
2. The epilogue was beautiful. It's set a couple years in the future and the MC's have twin toddler sons. Vivi is still a strong woman with a mind of her own but she's not snarky or bitchy anymore. She's comfortable with her new roles in life and feels safe enough in her relationship, to let her husband see her true inner self. Winnie and Eros from The Greek Claims His Shock Heir also make a cameo appearance with their kindergartner son and baby daughter.
3. Grandfather Stam is happy because he's got four adorable great grandchildren but he's still scheming because he's gotta find a husband for Zoe. Her novel will be the last in the trilogy.
Safety: No OW but the heroine had been dating a guy called Jude when the H re-entered her life. She'd never been intimate with Jude since she was a virgin when she finally had sex with the H. Jude was an off page character and it appeared as if the relationship had been based more on friendship rather than romance. The MC's had not had an actual relationship 2 years earlier. They had shared one kiss. It's true that the heroine had been close to falling in love with him and he with her but one kiss does not constitute a relationship to me. Therefore, the fact that the hero was not celibate during this 2 year period didn't bother me. The author didn't give me the impression that the H was a manwhore either and there was no OW in his life when he met the heroine again. The heroine dated other guys but didn't sleep with anyone.
I haven't yet decided how this novel compares to the other 7 that were released by HP this month. I'll make that decision later this week when I'm finished writing all my reviews. The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) Heroine had the all rights to be bitter imo. If she didn’t suffer from treacherous body syndrome, I’d have given more stars. But that’s an LG heroine even if she had a tongue. I love Ms. Graham btw. 💜 The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) I really hated the heroine. She's irritating, vindictive, whiny, spineless bitch. She totally ruined the book for me. She was not worthy of the hero and she was not worthy of a HEA. Poor hero was a saint. The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) I liked this story quite a bit but the arguing and bickering was a little excessive for my taste.
This is the second book in the series 'Billionaires at the Altar.' The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2)
A night in the Italian’s bed…
Now she’s pregnant with his babies!
To counter a media scandal, billionaire Raffaele di Mancini must marry fiery Vivi Mardas. But when she rejects his convenient proposal, he’s stunned. How can she deny their searing chemistry? Determined to convince Vivi to be his temporary bride, Raffaele’s not above using one night of seduction! But when Vivi discovers she’s carrying his twins, Raffaele demands she meet him down the aisle—for real!
Lose yourself in this passionate marriage of convenience! The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2)
review The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2)
Middle of the road read. Didn't hate ot but will probably never reread it. Meh. The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) I liked this LG book; I didn't find it mind blowing but it was good ...
Strong h who had trust issues, a H who quickly figured out that he had treated h wrongly and tried to make up for it .... fast storyline
I just didn't feel the chemistry between them ... it was there but not intense and scorching like LG sometimes does ...
but definitely worth reading ... The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) Better than expected.
I loved the chemistry between the Vivi and Raffaele.
After having been branded a prostitute by Raffaele 2 years earlier, I did not blame Vivi for being a absolute byotch to him. He’s lucky she spoke to him at all.
I also felt badly for Raffaele. Vivi’s grandfather has him by the short hairs and he had no choice but to do what was demanded of him or his sister’s life would be ruined.
It was a quick and entertaining read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Lastly, if I had a grandfather like Stam, i’d run for the hills. That old man is savage! The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) Can't believe this is LG's ! It was boring , annoying and flat ! I hated it and hated both the MC's !😖 The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2) Tengo un problema con leer reviews de antemano y eso es que me condiciona terriblemente. El primero que leí fue el de Jenny, donde decía que la protagonista era insoportable, entonces fue toda la lectura tratando de excusar a Vivi, cosa que no pude seguir sosteniendo.
No hay química entre Raffaele y Vivi, ella es una mujer que hace la suya pero sin demasiada lógica, y él un perrito faldero. The Italian Demands His Heirs (Billionaires at the Altar #2)
