Review: Italian Affair by Annie Seaton
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 10, 2013
Brianna Ballantyne had barely arrived in Australia when the letter from Italy finally caught up with her. She had until the end of the week to meet the lawyer on Lipari Island - with her fiance - and claim her inheritance. Only one little problem? The disorganized sex-therapist-slash-writer has misplaced the letter, doesn't know where the lawyer can be found, and doesn't even have a boyfriend.Okay, more than one little problem.Tomas Richard, hyper-organized financier, has closed his business, sold his apartment, and bought a hotel and marina on Lipari Island. With one brother married and the other engaged, Tom is ready to be a little footloose and worry-free. Then, he finds himself on a plane to Italy, next to a chattering writer who's afraid of flying and has a little problem.Okay, more than a little problem.Despite his best intentions, Tom finds himself agreeing to pose as Brianna's fiance and help her claim her inheritance. But, once they meet with the attorney, things get very complicated, very quickly. Before either of them can blink, they're standing in a church and saying vows.Will their marriage remain one of convenience or will two commitment-allergic people manage to find love despite themselves?~*~*~I must point out, before I go any further, my copy of 'Italian Affair' was an uncorrected ARC. It appears that some names have changed slightly, and there were a few oopses and typos.With that said, this was a wonderful way to spend a few hours. It never even made it to my Kindle. I just inhaled it, like a breath of fresh sea air, straight from the PDF.As a fan of romance fiction, I get a certain 'feeling' at the beginning of a novel - what's the writer going to put the main characters through in this one? Yet, there is rarely an excitement, an overwhelming sense of anticipation. Happily, 'Italian Affair' was different.It didn't feel like a formulaic romance, not even in the beginning. The writing was tight, the characters incredibly well-drawn, and the descriptions so vivid that I expected a sunburn after four hours on Lipari Island with Brianna, Tomas, and their families.Whether you love the genre, have moved away, or never read it - 'Italian Affair' will make you happy you fired up your reader. And the ending?Let's put it this way - don't get too far from the tissues.~*~*~Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own