REVIEW: The Innocent’s Emergency Wedding by Natalie Anderson

The Innocent’s Emergency Wedding by Natalie Anderson is a sexy and entertaining modern marriage of convenience romance.

Katie Collins has lived under the thumb of her authoritarian foster father Brian for years and is reluctant to leave as it will abandon her ill foster mother Susan without an advocate for her care. When she finds out that an arranged marriage is being planned for her by Brian, she takes matters into her own hands and seeks out the one man whom she hopes will help her – her step cousin Alessandro Zetticci.

Alessandro remembers the shy girl whom he’d seen when he’d visited White Oaks Hall with his father and new step-mother, Brian’s sister. He’d not thought much of Brian then, and having separated himself from that family after his father’s death, he doesn’t think any better of them now. When Katie comes to him as a last resort, being the only person with enough money who might be able to blunt Brian’s plans, he decides to acquiesce to her request, partly in sympathy of her position and for a bit of revenge. With a short term plan to support Katie and her foster mom, he’s not averse to pursuing the attraction that flares up between them. But can their marriage of convenience turn into the real thing?

Alessandro is a very likable romance hero! He’s rich but not arrogant, flirtatious but also passionate when it comes to defending Katie’s right to choose things for herself. He agrees to marry her to help her gain her independence from Brian and lets her make the decisions for how far their relationship will go in terms of intimacy. He’s attracted to her and the feeling is mutual though Katie has a hard time convincing herself that Alessandro’s interest in her is real since she knows he agreed to their marriage out of pity. Alessandro is adamant that she doesn’t owe him anything for his help, least of all any sexual favours.

‘My payment is the pleasure I get from seeing you like this.’ He gazed into her eyes. ‘Confident and smiling,’ he explained softly. ‘ Nothing more. You don’t have to please me. You only have to please yourself.’

Alessandro gives Katie plenty of opportunities to consent to their lovemaking and this helps Katie gain confidence with him. Their love scenes are sexy and foster deeper feelings between them.

There’s a bit of a Cinderella theme in this romance too, as Katie has always been aware of how much of a ‘burden’ she was on her foster father. Alessandro takes the opportunity to lavish her with clothing and food, a lovely honeymoon location and the chance to experiment with some cooking and consider making a small sauce company that she’s developed on her own at White Oaks into something bigger. But giving his heart is another matter after experiencing his own losses in life and only when he realizes he could lose Katie does he take the steps to make their marriage permanent. It’s a lovely romance that will leave you smiling.

Book Info:

Publication: Sep 17, 2019 | Harlequin Presents | Conveniently Wed

His name might save her…

But his touch will undo her!

Katie Collins can’t believe she’s standing in front of notorious playboy Alessandro Zetticci asking him to marry her—immediately! She’s frantic to escape the unwanted wedding her ruthless foster father is planning for her. Her solution? Finding her own husband!

Alessandro can’t ignore Katie’s desperation—he’ll agree to marry her if it’s strictly temporary. Yet when their self-imposed boundaries are tested, one delicious caress at a time, Alessandro must ask himself: Will walking away from his virgin bride really be possible?