The Italian's Wife By Sunset by Lucy Gordon

I don't read many books from the Harlequin Romance line. I find them a bit thin, although this one had more sex than I might have expected from this line. Surprisinly, this book felt too long, rather than too short, despite the limited page count.

The Italian's Wife By Sunset by Lucy Gordon
(2007, Contemporary Series) 3/17/08
Grade: 3

When producer Della Hadley first meets Italian archeologist Carlo Rinucci she can’t resist his charm and sex appeal. But will their age difference keep them from having a future together - or is it just Della’s insecurity? And will a tragic accident separate them forever?

I originally bought this book because I’d read a review that mentioned the ending - which is lovely and poignant, just as promised. But the rest of the book didn’t live up to it. I liked Carlo, despite his alpha tendencies, but the “conflict” keeping Della and Carlo apart just didn’t seem that significant. A six year age difference (with both the hero and heroine in their 30’s)? It seems quite trivial. And the sexy interactions between Della and Carlo gave way to a long middle section when the two were separated. The accident at the end seemed tacked on, rather than an integral part of the plot. Maybe I was expecting something different from this book, but it just didn’t do much for me, despite the touching ending.

What makes a "happy" ending in a romance? Sometimes I think romance authors go too far making their endings not just happy for the couple, but "every single problem must be fixed, no matter how implausibly". To me, it rings a little false. When I pick up a romance, I want the promise that the couple will end up together, but I'd rather know that the hero and heroine can live with their problems, rather than having the "deus ex machina" author swoop in and eliminate them. This book didn't do that, at least, despite its other problems.