2.5
The Italian's Runaway Bride
ByPublisher Description
Gianfranco asked Kelly to marry him, after her holiday affair with him left her pregnant! But, once married, Gianfranco was often away on business, and his family made Kelly's life a misery. Then she heard that Gianfranco didn't want her at all—he just wanted their baby. . . .
Kelly had no choice but to run away . . . However, one thing was certain. Gianfranco would find her—but why? Because he wanted to reclaim his bride . . . or his child?
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesThe Italian's Runaway Bride Reviews
2.5
“كتاب معفن”
“The couple: Gianni and Kelly
Romance trope: Runaway wife
Series: Harlequin Presents
Length: 192 pages
Plot: Kelly is a part-time nanny for a (kind of) friend of hers in Italy, and while her employers are on vacation, she meets someone (she initially thinks he's breaking into the house) who lives in the area. He isn't completely honest about who he is though; he's actually a wealthy playboy Count who is inexplicably attracted to this English commoner. They spend time together, but he is shocked when he finds out that and then has to deal with the repercussions. They marry and as you might expect, not all is well in paradise.
Commentary: Classic Harlequin with the hyperbole right from the beginning: Kelly almost knocks Gianni out at the beginning because of course she's a kickboxing champion! It's never "I took some kickboxing classes" - it's "I'm a world champion!!" Anyways...
When I checked the publication date, it made a little more sense - 2001. There are cell phones, but the heroes in Harlequins are still as chauvinistic as possible, and the more European, the more chauvinistic. Gianni knows that Kelly knows nothing about him, but when she insults him, he's all "how dare she insult my honor" as though she should know he would do/say/think that. He's a classic snob, and the fact that he lets Kelly name their child after the maid is only due to his guilt over not being there when the baby was born. But this is my favorite about his snobbery:
Surely he deserved a hearing, or was she the inverted snob he had intimated?
Lol, there's no such thing as an inverted snob. Being irritated by rich people who treat you badly because you're not rich is not being a snob, it's being someone who doesn't like to be treated badly.
His family undermines her right away, so her worrying about snobbery is not an errant thought. The mother doesn't welcome her into the family and the sister-in-law whispers cruel rumors and plans in her ear every chance she gets. When Kelly brings this up to Gianni, he blows her off. In fact, he blames her for whatever the problem is. He will apologize and tell her she's right only after his mom tells him that Kelly was right. I would have blown up at that moment.
The best part though is when he finds out she is pregnant again and has some advice for her. Her response:
He was still talking, and Kelly saw red. Her fingers curled into fists and her free hand swung though the air. She punched him straight on the nose. ‘Take that, you no-good scum of the earth,’ she yelled; it had hurt her hand but it was worth it, as Gianfranco reeled back, letting go of her arm in the process.
Finally!
His grovel was okay - it was more of an explanation, as there was a reason behind his behavior (well, the reason that he gave and his general arrogance). They seem like they'll actually make a good couple if they just remember to communicate.
Also, I never could figure out what the deal with the spider painting in the nursery was. Kelly acted like it was significant but there was no explanation.”
About Jacqueline Baird
When Jacqueline Baird is not busy writing she likes to spend her time travelling, reading and playing cards. She enjoys swimming in the sea when the weather allows. With a more sedentary lifestyle, she does visit a gym three times a week and has made the surprising discovery that she gets some of her best ideas while doing mind-numbingly boring exercises on the weight machines and airwalker. Jacqueline lives with her husband Jim in Northumberland.
Other books by Jacqueline Baird
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