The Italian's One-Night Baby

4 Stars!

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The Italians One-Night Baby is the second book in Lynne Graham’s Brides for the Taking series. I haven’t read the first book, which in no way affected my enjoyment of this book, although I am interested in doing so now, as the heroine ends up with a Desert King (one of my particularly favorite tropes).

"Once met, never forgotten…"

Rio Benedetti and Ellie Dixon’s first meeting didn’t end on the friendliest of terms. He in particular with a slap to the face and Ellie left feeling every inch of her inexperience with men. Two years on and their second meeting doesn’t get off to the greatest starts either, when Rio initially believes that Ellie, has nefarious designs on his godfather.

Rio wasn’t the forgiving and forgetting sort…

The title pretty much sums up the main trope of this story, and as you would expect with a typical M&B hero, Rio is dauntless in getting what he wants from Ellie.

"Take a risk on me."

I remember reading a lot of Lynne Graham’s books before the days of the e-reader, and she sticks true to form with The Italians One-Night Baby, alpha-male, virginal-inexperienced-female, a little sexy interaction, and a bit of flowery prose. As you would expect there is the inevitable stumble in the proceedings towards the end, but I read this book in an evening, which is exactly what I expect to do when I am enjoying a title from this publisher.

ARC provided via Netgalley as part of the Mills & Boon Insiders review programme, in exchange for the above honest review.

I received this copy through NetGalley. My opinions are my own.
Lynne Graham is a go to author at Mills and Boon for me, up there with Liz Fielding, Kate Walker and Kate Hardy. She writes beautifully. Exciting characters, sizzling scenes, and meaty plots. The HEA is a given, but the ride is fantastic - and keeps you reading. I didn't quite buy the virgin part of this book, which is why it is 4 stars. I didn't feel it was necessary. This is part of a series, but I haven't read the other one, and read this as a standalone in its own right. I would recommend this book, I really enjoyed reading it. Lynne Graham is an auto buy author for me.

Comfort read and love scene masterclass.

Lynne Graham is a comfort-read voice for me. Reading her is slipping into memories of previous favourites with echoes of Lynne Graham heroes and heroines that enhance the reading experience.

That same voice kept me turning the pages–despite not being a fan of the playboy-trope–when I was suspicious of Rio’s motivations for thinking the worst of Ellie, who isn’t my favourite Lynne Graham heroine, but holds her own with other Mills and Boon Modern heroines.

If voice and character carry the beginning, then I also loved how she delivers un-skippable love scenes….

The first love scene felt like an extension of how gorgeous the hero is and who’s going to say no to a Lynne-Graham hero…? SPOILER I loved how Ellie tells Rio to just get it over with and he’s affronted. END OF SPOILER

So we have triple helpings of backstory/conflict, misunderstanding and suspicion, overridden by high emotion and sexual tension, and a love scene where SPOILER Rio discovers that Ellie’s a virgin END OF SPOILER

A lovely emotional mess. *rubs hands together gleefully*

The second love scene almost made me *peer through fingers* and think: "Oh, no, I’m afraid this is going to be page-filler and skippable." But it isn’t. It comes in the angry aftermath of falling out during their wedding. I won’t go into details as there’ll be more spoiler tags than review if I’m not careful! And it ends on an emotional low note. Low note for the relationship, not for the writing.

Third love scene–"I’m definitely going to skip this, aren’t I?" but thought with a lot more uncertainty and a lot more willingness to read on and be proved wrong again. This time we’re eased into it with dialogue and see a different side of their relationship. A what-their-marriage-could-be-like side. Again, the love scene ends on an emotional turning point, making it impossible to look away.

The flipside of reading a voice where previous characters still share the pages with you, is that it creates high expectations and I found myself measuring this against the Mills and Boon Modern line, and against other Lynne Graham’s, one of the authors who IS the line.

And I think 'The Italian’s One-Night Baby' meets the expectations of readers already in love with her books, but there’s enough of where the line is at now to satisfy newer readers. Such as, the areas that I’d been suspicious of being too older-Presents (misunderstandings shoring up conflict and the trigger for the black moment), but which are borne of the hero and heroine’s pasts, particularly the hero’s.

Four out of five Lynne-Graham stars

Arc received from NetGalley and Mills and Boon courtesy of Mills and Boon Insiders

Another hit from Ms Graham, 4 ½ stars 🌟 :

The Italian’s one night baby is the second book of Lynne Graham's Brides for the Taking trilogy which are based on three sisters who are all linked by letters left by their late mother enclosing details of their biological fathers and a significant ring which connects each daughter to their father.
The first book tells the story of Polly the eldest sister who meets her match in the desert, the second book picks up on Ellie the middle sister who we meet in Polly's story. Ellie is a dedicated junior doctor, who has put her career before her personal life and therefore has had very limited experience with men. We start the book with Ellie on extended leave in Italy following up on the letter her mother left for her to find her biological father but Rio Benedetti the cynical handsome billionaire, who happens to be the godson of Beppe Sorrentino the man Ellie has come to Italy to speak with, finds her first. The past history between Ellie and Rio means fireworks from the start, there first meeting left a lasting impression on both Rio and Ellie and things only heat up from there, with amazing chemistry, Rio's distrust issues and ex girlfriends making an appearance Ms Graham has written another outstanding story although perhaps it was just me who was left wanting more but i felt there was scope to expand the characters further.

Although a trilogy you can read each book as standalone and still enjoy, I will say Ms Graham is one of my favourite authors and this book doesn't change my opinion in fact I am even more looking forward to the third story in the trilogy as we finally meet and learn the background of the third sister Lucy, who is the most mysterious and has never met her sisters…

Fyi I received my copy from NetGalley and Mills and Boon via Mills and Boon Insiders, although this does not influence my opinions.

A steamy, sizzling story of passion between Rio, a handsome, sexy Italian, and Ellie, who has come to Italy to try and find her father.
Misunderstandings had caused distrust between the two at a previous meeting, and Rio is suspicious of Ellie’s motives, considering her a gold-digger!
Lynne Graham writes with warmth, passion and humour, telling a story of increasing passion between the two main characters as their feelings develop.
Interesting escapism, a well told story which is a delight to read.