A Deal with Di Capua by Cathy Williams: Rosie had ever been to one other funeral, that of her father – but when she learned of her ex-best friend’s death, she felt they had enough history that she should attend her service. She knew that Amanda’s husband would be there, but surely she could avoid him. She didn’t relish the idea of getting close to the man who broke her heart.
When Angelo saw Rosie in the crowd as he received platitudes and sympathy from people who had no idea what his married life was like he was livid. She had no right to be there. She’d been duplicitous and conniving from the word go, and he still felt the pain from her deceit. One could argue that she was the cause of what had become a miserable life for the last three years. But even he couldn’t deny how attracted he’d always been towards her.
Rosie wanted nothing more than to escape and get back to her life. Struggling to make ends meet, striving to move from her job as a cook up to owning a catering business in London. She knew very little about why Angelo had never questioned her motives when she pawned a few pieces of jewelry – that is, until she learned that he married her best friend mere months after he severed their relationship. She’d lost her friend and her lover in one swoop and it wasn’t something she wanted to revisit.
Rosie was about to retreat from the confrontation Angelo had initiated at the service when they were waylaid by Amanda’s lawyer. It seemed that Mandy had left her cottage to her. Since it was something she had insisted Angelo put in her name only, there wasn’t much he could do about it. But that didn’t stop him from insisting she relinquish her claim to it. The last thing he wanted was for her to profit from his wife’s folly. What he didn’t count on was Rosie’s determination to not only keep the cottage, but start a new life mere steps away from his property – which abutted his late wife’s land.
Angelo did the only thing he knew. He found her weakness and tried to exploit it. But when Rosie said no, he found that he wanted more from her. He wanted her out of his system, and there was only one way to do that. And he wouldn’t let finding out that she wasn’t exactly what he’d assumed her to be confuse the situation. Not even when exhausting his mind of her seemed further away than he had planned.
The love scenes in “A Deal with Di Capua” were pretty hot, and I enjoyed the incredibly descriptive writing. I think I would have gotten more invested in the characters if they’d been fleshed out more though. And the entire premise of the story was based around Rosie’s ex-friend being a horrible person, so when things tied up neatly in the last few pages, I found myself wishing there had been more exploration of the situation they’d been put in by her. Perhaps if the truth had come out gradually instead of just allowing Angelo to see glimpses of the ‘real’ Rosie?
But I have to say, Ms. Williams knows her way around a word or two. The writing was exquisite. And one of my weaknesses is a couple that love to hate each other and fall into bed anyway. However, I thought that even though Rosie’s decision about Angelo’s ‘offer’ was a good one, she could have stood up to him more – and forced the talk that NEEDED to happen – even if that meant he walked out the door. But that’s real life stuff – and this is fiction.
A good solid read. Super hot Alpha-male and a not-so-simpering heroine. How could you go wrong with that?
Book Info:
Published July 23rd 2013 by Harlequin Presents (Book 3166)
Never make the same mistake twice
Behind Rosie Tom’s angelic face and sinfully delicious body, Angelo Di Capua knows there is a deceitful gold digger. But his late wife has left Rosie a cottage on his country estate, and if she wants to stay, she’ll have to make a deal with the devil!
Rosie must accept her ex lover’s offer to save her struggling business. But while she longs for his touch, she can’t trust the man who betrayed her by marrying her best friend. If her resolve fails, she will lose more than her worldly possessions. She’ll lose her heart to Di Capua. Again.
Debra A.
I have read that and found that the deceased had a lot to atone for. She lied to both her husband and her girlfriend. I found the story line very real and sad that two people were torn apart due to a very jealous person.
KarenL (@Aleveria)
Yeah, I agree. Amanda was kinda the villain of the piece.