I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Wanted: Mistress and Mother
in Paperback edition on March 1, 2007 and has 186 pages.
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A contemporary Harlequin Australian romance.
My Take
I liked this one for its twist on how Matilda and Dante meet. She’s a landscape designer who has created a lovely rooftop garden for the hospital. An expense that Dante sees as wasteful.
There are some blips that detract from the story. Dante blows hot and cold, but there’s an abruptness in this that doesn’t feel right. Then there’s Matilda’s vacillations. Oh, brother. Why do we always have to endure the heroine who can’t stick to her guns? He keeps telling her that there can be no relationship, and then she wimps around because the sex is so great and then he turns cold. Well, duh… The only feelings guys generally have about sex is the joy of getting off. They don’t need the romantic aspect as much as women do.
No, I don’t object to her falling for him, I simply object to her expecting that he will fall in love with her since the sex was good. Gimme a break.
I did enjoy Dante’s demand that she stop apologizing. How many times have you wanted to tell someone to stop. To not keep saying “I’m sorry” as it doesn’t do any good, or it’s not their fault anyway. We often say it as a way of sympathizing and not as an apology.
I liked that Matilda was brave enough to say what she thought. To hold to her pride without letting her hurt Alexis. That Dante could admit he was wrong.
The garden sounds absolutely gorgeous…sigh… I miss my garden.
The Story
Rudeness in the hallway. A clash in an elevator. A disagreement over a garden’s benefits. Matilda hopes she’ll never have to endure his company again. Only to be enticed by Hugh into agreeing to create a special garden for his emotionally damaged granddaughter. Too bad she hadn’t realized the granddaughter’s father was Dante.
The Characters
Matilda Hamilton is a landscape designer who recently left her jerk of a boyfriend, Edward. Most of her work had come through his real estate business and winning this commission from the hospital is a coup.
Dante is a renowned Italian barrister specializing in criminal defense whose wife, Jasmine, recently died in a car crash. His daughter Alexis, who was in the crash as well, is turning inward, having tantrums.
Hugh is a hospital administrator and Dante’s father-in-law. Katrina is his cold, standoffish wife determined to keep the memory of her daughter, Jasmine, alive.
The Cover and Title
The cover is sweet with Matilda and Dante gazing into each other’s eyes with a backdrop that is reminiscent of the Mediterranean with a touch of rocky shore.
The title is a bit odd. Yes, Dante would want a mother for his daughter, but he’s certainly not looking. Mistress? Probably as he prefers a relationship in which both sides know there will not be one. So to call this one Wanted: Mistress and Mother is a bit confusing. It’s more as though this one was up for grabs in the spare titles jar and no one wanted to spend the time coming up with something.
