Has the search for her past…
…guided her toward her future?
Gia Bartolini's determinedly searching for her real father. First stop on the enchanting Italian island of Lapri? A mysterious abandoned mansion…where, rescuing a trapped puppy, she falls straight into the arms of alluring Riccardo Moretti! Her passion for the all-business CEO burns bright, leaving Gia with a question: In uncovering her true roots, has fate led her to true love?
A sweet story of love and family. Gia is reeling from two blows. First is the loss of her beloved parents in an accident. Second is the revelation that she does not share the same father as her two siblings. Suddenly she doesn't know who she is. An entry in her mother's journal sends Gia off to the island of Lapri in search of her biological father. While investigating an abandoned mansion, Gia found a trapped puppy and the property's owner, Ric.
Ric is a CEO and software genius. He keeps to himself as much as possible and avoids relationships altogether. When he gets a call about a strange woman poking about the property, he expects to find a thief or someone out for what they can get. Instead, he encounters an attractive young woman and an injured puppy.
I loved the first meeting between Gia and Ric. He arrives, ready to toss her off the property, only to find himself falling under her spell. It never crossed Gia's mind that Ric wouldn't help; she simply included him in her efforts, and he followed along. He thought of all the things he should say to get rid of her, but what came out of his mouth were offers to help.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Gia and Ric. They began as cautious acquaintances, bonding over the care of the puppy, which quickly grew into friendship. Ric offered to help Gia with her search, as he is empathetic to her cause. Not one to take without giving something in return, Gia puts her talents to use helping Ric with the renovation of his uncle's house. The more time they spend together, the more their feelings for each other change. There are some sweet scenes of them together. Gia's thoughts frequently wander to what a future with Ric would be like. Ric's do likewise, but those thoughts scare him, thanks to the issues from his past. I ached for Gina when those fears made him push her away. I thought he deserved every bit of the misery he felt after she left until he realized that he didn't like the look of his future without her. I thoroughly enjoyed how he had to get past Gia's protective siblings before he made his peace with her. His reunion with her was sweet and romantic.
Family was a big part of this book. It wasn't just Gia's search for her father, but also Ric's feelings about his family. His mother was a piece of work and never missed a chance to make the young boy feel like he was a mistake. She finally dumped him on his uncle. Ric's life was more stable, but he never thought that he was truly wanted. I liked how Gia opened his eyes when helping him go through his uncle's papers.
Meanwhile, Gia was desperate to find her father and hoped
that would restore her sense of family. I loved that Ric worked so hard to help
and support her along the way. While her search didn't turn out the way she
hoped, on her return home, she realized that blood doesn't always mean family.
Family is what you make of it.
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