her-italian-aristocratThe blurb

On a mission to buy a prestigious shoe company, Australian career girl, Gemma Parkinson, arrives in Italy determined to succeed. But when she falls ill, effortlessly handsome local aristocrat, Luca Andretti, is on hand. Suspicious about Gemma’s presence in his town, he offers to let her recuperate in his amazing palazzo. Surrounded by the lavish trappings of the rich—servants, designer clothes, fine food and wine—Gemma is completely out of her depth…

The Review

This moving love story involving two people from very different backgrounds is a delightful, contemporary romance in a gorgeous Italian setting.

If you like shoes, romance and all things Italian, you’ll like Her Italian Aristocrat. In the interest of declaring personal bias up front, the author, Louise Reynolds, is a friend, but this reviewer can still offer an objective opinion.

Her Italian Aristocrat will appeal to anyone who’s looking to spend an enjoyable few hours curled up with a glass of wine and a good read. We meet the heroine, Gemma, in a hospital in Italy. She’s laid up with badly swollen ankles, no Italian speaking skills and a doctor brandishing a needle. Since there’s every chance she might be allergic to whatever’s in it and no way to say so, enter the hero, Luca Andretti, to the rescue.

Readers in the category romance genre will no doubt know how things go from here. But it’s not about the ending—and who doesn’t love a happy ending, anyway?—it’s about the journey, and this one is delightful. A heroine who’s hiding her street kid background behind designer clothes and attitude; a hero with background problems of his own and the expectations of an entire town resting on his shoulders; some gorgeous minor characters (including the venerable Marco, who hasn’t forgotten how to flirt in true, Italian tradition and does it with style) and a fabulous setting. A palazzo in a beautiful hill town of the Marche, characters with heart, good food, even better wine, great sex: Her Italian Aristocrat has them all.

Her Italian Aristocrat is Louise Reynold’s debut novel, for a debut Penguin line, Destiny Romance. Both are well worth a look.

Publisher: Penguin, Destiny Romance
Format: eBook
ISBN: 9781742538747
Published: 14/11/2012

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Chris photographs 0401A former high school teacher, Christine submitted her first novel to Pan Macmillan in 2009. Getting even with Fran, a humorous story about the power of friendship, was released in April, 2010, re-released in paperback in February, 2011. Her second novel, It takes a Village, was released in May, 2011. She is currently working on her third.