Susan F. (scoutmomskf) -
Good book. Tia and Antonio first met when he brought her and her mother word of her brother Nathan's death in action. Tia was not impressed, as Antonio was brusque and cold in his delivery, and barely stayed long enough to deliver the news. He claimed that Nathan was his friend, but didn't show up for his funeral. So when Tia saw him again at a charity gala where she was working, she was not inclined to be friendly.
When Antonio saw Tia, he was wracked with guilt. Nathan's death had devastated him, but as a member of the royal family, he had been taught to keep his emotions under control at all times, so he knew he hadn't handled the visit to the family well. To make things worse, he was immediately sent on another mission, so he hadn't been able to attend Nathan's funeral. He knew how much Nathan loved his mother and sister and felt terrible that he hadn't checked up on them.
I liked seeing Antonio try to get Tia to talk with him. I liked that he understood her attitude, yet persisted in requesting her presence. Tia tried to resist, but when Antonio invoked Nathan's name, she gave in. I loved that encounter in his rooms, as he didn't behave at all like she expected a prince to behave. I was glad that she finally listened to his reasons and forgave him. Her own grief and empathy made it easy for her to give him a comforting hug. What was unexpected was the passion that flared between them, and the form that their comforting of each other took.
Six months later, Tia shows up in Casavalle, after trying for months to reach Antonio. She has been stonewalled all along the way, mostly because she won't tell anyone WHY she needs to talk to him. After all, that kind of news should be delivered in person, not through a third party. I liked that Tia stood her ground until she finally got to see him. To say he was shocked would put it mildly, and not too happy that she had so much trouble reaching him. Unfortunately, the timing of her news isn't the greatest, as the royal family has already been rocked by several scandals. While Antonio tries to figure out how best to handle it, he and Tia head for his private hideaway.
I loved the time that Antonio and Tia spent at his chalet. It was mostly just the two of them, giving them a chance to get to know each other. I loved the effect that Tia had on Antonio, helping him open up to his emotions, learning how to show them. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together, being almost like ordinary people. I loved how the people of the village, although aware of his royalty, treated him (mostly) as just another man. That said, I enjoyed their surprise when he filled in as Santa at the village holiday party. Even better was Antonio's surprise at how much he enjoyed it. It didn't take long for Tia to realize that she had fallen hard for Antonio, but she was determined to stand on her own two feet. The last thing she wanted was to feel like yet another duty to him. I ached for Antonio because it took him so long to realize that what he felt for Tia was love. Then he had to figure out how to convince her of his feelings. I liked the advice he got from both his brother and his mom. The ending was sweet and romantic. I can't wait for the third book and the story of the surprise sister.
When Antonio saw Tia, he was wracked with guilt. Nathan's death had devastated him, but as a member of the royal family, he had been taught to keep his emotions under control at all times, so he knew he hadn't handled the visit to the family well. To make things worse, he was immediately sent on another mission, so he hadn't been able to attend Nathan's funeral. He knew how much Nathan loved his mother and sister and felt terrible that he hadn't checked up on them.
I liked seeing Antonio try to get Tia to talk with him. I liked that he understood her attitude, yet persisted in requesting her presence. Tia tried to resist, but when Antonio invoked Nathan's name, she gave in. I loved that encounter in his rooms, as he didn't behave at all like she expected a prince to behave. I was glad that she finally listened to his reasons and forgave him. Her own grief and empathy made it easy for her to give him a comforting hug. What was unexpected was the passion that flared between them, and the form that their comforting of each other took.
Six months later, Tia shows up in Casavalle, after trying for months to reach Antonio. She has been stonewalled all along the way, mostly because she won't tell anyone WHY she needs to talk to him. After all, that kind of news should be delivered in person, not through a third party. I liked that Tia stood her ground until she finally got to see him. To say he was shocked would put it mildly, and not too happy that she had so much trouble reaching him. Unfortunately, the timing of her news isn't the greatest, as the royal family has already been rocked by several scandals. While Antonio tries to figure out how best to handle it, he and Tia head for his private hideaway.
I loved the time that Antonio and Tia spent at his chalet. It was mostly just the two of them, giving them a chance to get to know each other. I loved the effect that Tia had on Antonio, helping him open up to his emotions, learning how to show them. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together, being almost like ordinary people. I loved how the people of the village, although aware of his royalty, treated him (mostly) as just another man. That said, I enjoyed their surprise when he filled in as Santa at the village holiday party. Even better was Antonio's surprise at how much he enjoyed it. It didn't take long for Tia to realize that she had fallen hard for Antonio, but she was determined to stand on her own two feet. The last thing she wanted was to feel like yet another duty to him. I ached for Antonio because it took him so long to realize that what he felt for Tia was love. Then he had to figure out how to convince her of his feelings. I liked the advice he got from both his brother and his mom. The ending was sweet and romantic. I can't wait for the third book and the story of the surprise sister.
