365 books in 365 days Challenge ... Book #299

The Impatient Groom - Sara Wood
Harlequin Presents
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 97803737120543
Reissue - Harlequin Treasury, 2011
eISBN: 9781459252066










My rating

From the back cover:

"Marrying in haste! 
No sooner had Sophia Charlton discovered she was the descendant of an Italian count and heiress to a fortune than she was whisked away to Venice by the sultry Prince Rozzano di Barsini—having consented to be his bride! Dazed by the strength of his desire, she'd also agreed to a lavish wedding in just four weeks' time! 
Once she could catch her breath, however, Sophia began to question Rozzano's impatience. Rumour had it that he urgently needed an heir. Was she to become his beloved wife—or just a means of making babies?"


This is another book the Harlequin Treasury line.

The heroine Sophia is shocked when she is called to meet her local solicitor and learns that she is the granddaughter of an Italian count. The hero Razzano is also there, he is a good friend of Sophia's grandfather and fills Sophia in about her mother's family. Razzano is intrigued by Sophia's innocence and honesty, and he wants to protect her from the shallow, almost seedy society she is about to become a part of. Razzano has spent his life hiding his true feelings from the cruel world he inhabits, but Sophia makes him feel happiness like he has never felt before. He decides to get Sophia to marry him, therefore not only will he be able to protect her, he also gets a 'suitable' marriage. Their whirlwind romance sweeps naive Sophia off her feet and she falls completely in love with Razzano. But when he finally takes her to Venice, she is overwhelmed by her new life, as well as confused by Razzano's constant distance from her.

There were moments in this book that I really didn't like, but overall I really enjoyed it. The hero and heroine work well together and there is a lot of entertaining interaction between them. Sara Wood's dialogue and interaction between her characters is something I have found particularly enjoyable in the two books of her's that I have read. The hero is a little bit manipulative and this did not sit well with me, as a result I didn't truly believe his love for the heroine. The heroine is a great character; refreshingly naive and amusing and at 31 years old, a much more relatable age - in my opinion!
The plot is well written and absorbing. plus there is plenty of passion. One tiny moan though - the heroine wanted to sleep with the hero but didn't want to get pregnant so she kicked him out of her bed ... ever heard of contraception?!

Anyway, a good read.

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