HIRED: THE ITALIAN’S BRIDE – Donna Alward
Heart to Heart Miniseries
Harlequin Romance #4104
ISBN-13: 978-0373-17594-9
June 2009
Contemporary Series Romance

Canadian Rockies, Canada – Present Day

Mariella Ross does not let her dark past bring her down. After years of therapy, she’s put it behind her, keeping her secret from everyone around her. As hotel manager for the The Bow Valley Inn, her needs are simple. She does her job and confides in no one. She has no friends, nor companions. There is only Tommy, her loyal Labrador retriever, who waits patiently each day for her to return to the little stone cottage where they live just down the road from the inn. Here, in the pristine landscape of the Canadian Rockies, Mari has carved out a life that suits her just fine...until today, when the outside world intrudes in the person of rich Italian playboy, Luca Fiori.

Luca is here to re-make the Bow Valley Inn into The Fiori Cascade, the newest luxury resort in the worldwide Fiori hotel chain. Determined to carve his own niche out in the family business, Luca intends to personally oversee the renovations of The Fiori Cascade. He will work hand in hand with hotel manager, Mariella Ross; but for reasons he cannot fathom, she is quite reluctant to cooperate with him. Mari, as she calls herself, is as prickly as a spiked cactus. She seems only concerned with how much money Luca is spending rather than about the necessary ambience required in Fiori hotels, which to Luca is priceless, and he plans to spare no expense.

Mari is frightened. She cannot lose this job. Where would she go? There is no safe place left for her to hide from the man who terrorized her and nearly killed her. Here, at the hotel, she is safe, but this morning she received news about the man who hurt her. He might be released from prison, which is enough to have her snapping Luca's head off the second he speaks to her. Luca is mystified at Mari’s attitude. He is only attempting to build a friendship with her; after all, he needs to work beside her to accomplish the company goals. Mari is very good at her job, and Luca has no intention of dismissing her, but she seems to think that he’ll push her out by spending too much money on the renovations. Ah, if only Luca knew the real reason that Mari is distant. She knows no other way after living a childhood filled with fear and uncertainty. She doesn’t want any type of relationship with any man, but Luca has awakened the butterflies of awareness that lie deep inside her, and Mari wonders what it would be like to be loved just for herself and not as a man’s possession. The stakes are raised when Mari gives Luca the key to the hotel attic. Inside is a Pandora’s Box of secrets and wonders that just might lead to love.

Passionate romance and dark secrets from both Luca's and Mariella’s pasts line the pages of HIRED: THE ITALIAN’S BRIDE. Mari is afraid that any spark of interest from Luca might lead to a relationship and, in her eyes, men are dangerous. Too many hurts in the past have given Mari a damaged blueprint of the male population, and she’s afraid to trust. She keeps her secrets close to her heart, fearing retribution if anyone learns about her past. In her role as the hotel manager, she’s a professional at all times, but her demeanor is always somewhat stiff and unbending. She’s always polite, but never at ease. When Luca checks into the hotel for the duration of the renovations, he tries to find a way to get to know Mari. He has secrets of his own that steer him far away from any romantic interlude, but still, he would like to be Mari’s friend; he would like to earn her trust. And so, with a lot of ground to cover on their uncertain path, both Mari and Luca find they must overcome a mountain of obstacles to get to their final destination.

It was hard to get connected with Mari in the beginning of the book. HIRED: THE ITALIAN'S BRIDE is a hugely complicated and tough story, but Ms. Alward has done a fantastic job of telling a thoroughly engaging tale with passion and sincerity. There are several minor secondary characters, and Luca’s sister, Gina, joins him at the future Fiori Cascade with plans of her own. Confronted with a woman she really would like to be friends with, Mari finds herself melting toward Gina.

HIRED: THE ITALIAN’S BRIDE has all the right elements, love and passion, a little bit of suspense, and lots of humor that lead both Luca and Mari toward a promising and enlightened future.

Diana Risso