Susanne James

British Lily Patterson (who is 26) wants to spend a few days in Rome to visit her brother Sam, who is part-owner of a small hotel. She just left her job as a nanny and she doesn’t think that she is cut out for that particular profession. Now she needs a change of scenery. On the plane to Rome she is seated next to a very handsome man. They become acquainted during the flight…his name is Theo Montague, and Lily finds out that Theo is also going to Rome to attend a seminar (he lectures in pediatrics). After the flight they go their separate ways.

Once in Rome Lily visits her brother Sam. Sam is her long-lost brother (who was raised in a good foster home). Lily had less luck and was moved around a lot. She was raised in homes, foster homes, children's homes. (She discovered she had a sibling with help from the Salvation Army.) One day, while she is sitting by the Trevi Fountain, Lily meets Theo Montague again when he taps her on her shoulder. They talk for awhile, go out to dinner, and get to know each other better. Lily learns that Theo is a widower, his wife Elspeth died over a year ago, and he is now raising his three children alone. Theo finds that he is really enjoying a woman’s company for the first time since his wife died. He offers Lily a temporary job as a nanny to his children for three months. Even though Lily doesn’t really want to be a nanny again, she does eventually accept the job. She’s trying to decide what to do with her life at the moment and she genuinely likes Theo and wants to help him out.

Once they return to England Lily arrives at Theo’s house and meets his children…Tom (3), Alex (5), and Freya (9). Tom and Alex like Lily immediately. At first Freya is cool and dismissive towards Lily but she thaws out soon enough. Theo is surprised at how well the children are getting on with Lily since he has had problems with the previous nannies he’s hired. It soon becomes apparent that the children, and Theo, don’t want Lily to ever leave. But she is only there temporarily.

I liked Lily, she was a very sweet and likable heroine. She was so good for the children and Theo.

I also really liked Theo. I usually find I don’t care for books with widowers because, in a lot of books I've read, the hero ends up moping for his dead wife. But this book wasn’t like that. Theo had loved his dead wife, but he also equally cared for Lily and didn’t make her seem like second best. Both Theo and Lily got on well with each other, and respected each other, but there was still tension in the book because neither one knew that they were starting to fall for each other.

This was such a sweet, heartwarming read. It seemed more like a Harlequin Romance than a Harelquin Presents. It was one of those books where I liked the characters so much I didn’t want the book to end. A cute, warm, and fuzzy feeling clean romance.… (lisätietoja)

For those readers who prefer a quieter read, this might be for you. Very innocuous read - average plot, no domineering/wildly sexy hero who throws his weight around, stomping all over the heroine. Average heroine. So many HP heroines are so gorgeous you want to scratch their eyes out but Candida was just a nice girl. Virtually no sex. This one could have actually been a Harlequin Romance rather than a Presents. Ladies on my harlequinpresentsfans list at YahooGroups say her first HP is much, much better.… (lisätietoja)