The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella was a good read. Dante and Aislin were great characters and I loved how confident Aislin was and her caring nature. She was trying to find a way to get help not only for her sister but also for her nephew but that was not the only thing it was also to give her sister the opportunity to know her brother. Dante was a jerk in the very beginning and I didn’t want for him to have his happily ever after with Aislin because she was too good for him. It wasn’t until the very end when he pushes her away from him and the love he has for her that’s when I felt sorry for him. He thought the world of his father didn’t think his father would lie to him about him having a sister. I felt sorry for him in the end because he deserved love to love someone and have her love him back.

As I've learned to expect, a beautifully written and fun read. Smart writes wonderfully believable stories with flawed but truly good heroes and heroines

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I enjoyed this book. There were some things I found odd, but that's ok. It's a great quick beach read. It's always nice to know that there are families out there more screwed up then mine. Aislin is a hoot, loved her personality. DAnte is a tortured soul. Good read. 3.5 stars

Intensely passionate, wonderfully emotional and simply irresistible, The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella continues to cement Michelle Smart’s standing as one of Harlequin Presents’ most gifted and most talented writers.

There is absolutely nothing that Aislin O’Reilly wouldn’t do for her family. With her little nephew Finn desperately in need of help and her sister Orla with barely two pennies to rub together, Aislin has taken it upon herself to ensure that her family get what is rightly owed to them. Armed with plenty of courage and determination, Aislin goes to Sicily and breaks into a derelict cottage owned by Dante Moncada – her sister’s half brother! Aislin is sure that she can make Dante see sense and provide Orla and Finn with the money which they so desperately need. However, Aislin hadn’t counted on the sinfully seductive Sicilian billionaire – or on the shocking proposition he was going to make to her.

Dante is on the verge of signing the deal of a lifetime, but the only thing standing in his way is his notorious reputation as a lothario. Dante needs to convince a prospective business associate that he is not a love them and leave them playboy, but a family man who has been forever changed by the love of a good woman. Dante has got a lot of his plate and the last thing he needs is to have a fiery Irish beauty trespassing on his land demanding money! His first instinct is to throw her out and have her locked up in jail, but when he realises that she is telling the truth and that he has a half sister he knew nothing about, Dante’s conscience has him digging deep into his pocket – and asking Aislin to accompany him to a wedding and pose as his fiancee for a million euros!

One million euros could change her sister’s life forever and Aislin reluctantly agrees to be Dante’s convenient fiance. But when she is thrust in close proximity to Dante, Aislin soon realises that there is nothing convenient about her attraction to the commanding billionaire! As desire gives way to a passion that simply cannot be denied, does Aislin and Dante’s relationship stand any hope of surviving?

Michelle Smart is a writer who never disappoints and pens passionate and provocative contemporary romances full of intensity, emotion and heart and The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella is certainly no exception! I absolutely loved feisty, intelligent and resourceful Aislin and sexy Dante is a gorgeous Sicilian hero who is sure to sweep readers off their feet.

A fantastic tale Presents fans are going to love, The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella should not be missed!

Fast paced and delightful! I was quickly drawn into the story and didn’t want to put it down. The characterization was pleasant and easy to connect with and the general telling of the story was believable and left us with a satisfying outcome. Enjoyed it!

Billionaire Dante Moncada is less than thrilled when he hears he has an intruder on his property, but when he finds a beautiful woman who sends tingles throughout his body with just a look, he’s intrigued!

Aislin O’Reilly will do just about anything in order to take care of her sister and sick nephew. She has approached Dante regarding a family connection and gotten blown off time and time again, so she decides to take matters into her own hands. He can’t very well ignore her if she’s taking up residence in one of his houses! She finally gets to tell her story, and in return for his eventual fairness, she agrees to help him out with a business deal and pretends to be his fiancee at a weekend wedding. All would be fine if they weren’t entirely too tempted by each other and suddenly getting up close and personal!

It’s always a fun ride when deals are made to become a pretend couple. Sparks are sure to fly, the push/pull ensues and chaos rules. It’s all a perfect storm, and Aislin and Dante do not disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I think you will as well.

3.7 STARS
The Sicilian's Bought Cinderella was a charming romance that is perfect for that afternoon getaway
Dante and Aislin were well-crafted characters that easily captured my heart and the story line was smooth and well crafted keeping the reader engaged and entertained from the opening scene (which had me snickering) to the closing HEA
Dante was raised in a world where social status, real or perceived, was highly prized. He had first-hand experience with "love" and knew that he wanted no part of it. He found himself "needing" a fiance' for an upcoming event the same time he found a spitfire Irish goddess squatting on his land.
Aislin. She has faced a lot of hurdles in her life and has learned to approach things with a gusto that made her character enjoyable and easy to connect with. Her wit was so much fun to read. Wait for the dinner party scene, couldn't help but smile.

It has been some time since I loved a book as much as I loved this book. I've given it five stars and it's something I rarely do. Alessio I thought was a big cold hearted fish, when he used Beth's love for Dom to force her into marrying him I hated him. Boy Oh Boy was I ever wrong. He might have acted as cold as Siberia but he was absolutely wonderful. When he fell in love with Beth she's all he thought about and even his beloved company took a back seat to her. The fact that he would set her free because she deserves to be happy and fall in love with someone was genius. I loved the way the author described how his heart was breaking while setting her free, and how he cried in his brothers home. Beth character was well done too. She wasn't related to the two people that died but was willing to put her life on hold to raise a child that wasn't hers. I think Alessio fell in love with her just from the reports he read about her, fantasticly well done. This book left nothing unsaid or undone, all lose ends were very well taken care of, I recommend this book highly. It's the kind of book you want to reach the end of and at the same time don't want it to end, ever!!

Just when I think I’m done with the HP, Michelle Smart comes along with The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella and hauls me back in …

The HP is romance at its most undiluted and when it’s good, it’s totally sigh-worthy immersive. The last two greats I read were Sarah Morgan’s Playing By the Greek’s Rules (possibly my favourite HP ever) and Caitlin Crews’s Bride By Royal Decree. Smart is a contender thanks to this latest. In typical HP fashion, the premise is ludicrous, the trope-ishness over the top … and reading it, sheer delight. Bought Cinderella opens with hero Dante Moncado in Palermo. He’s fuming over an aborted business deal. Billionaire Riccardo D’Amore won’t let his son, Alessio, sign a deal with Dante because Dante lives fast and loose with women. He’s a player and a playboy. He’s also grieving his father’s death, conflicted though he is about a dad who was both loving and loyal, yet gambled and needed Dante’s constant bailouts. Dante’s called to his abandoned childhood home, a cottage he can’t seem to give up, because an intruder was detected.

Said intruder turns out to be a shower-head-as-weapon-yielding beautiful banshee, Aislin O’Reilly, bearing news for Dante. Turns out Dante’s father had a daughter and that daughter happens to be Aislin’s older sister, Orla (it’s convoluted, but Orla and Aislin share a mother, while Orla and Dante share a dad). Orla, Aislin, and Orla’s son, Finn, are in dire straits. Orla had an accident, gave birth to Finn prematurely, was in a coma for months, Finn has cerebral palsy, and they’re broke. Aislin cared for them these past months. She’s here to ask Dante to give Orla and Finn their modest due of Dante’s father’s family estate. Dante is shocked at Aislin’s revelations and reluctantly agrees to give Orla half the estate’s worth. He also offers Aislin an opportunity to help her tiny, precious family even more: by agreeing to pose as his respectable fiancée when he attends the D’Amore wedding this weekend, thus redeeming his reputation with the D’Amores, thanks to Aislin’s fresh-faced beauty and brainiac ways. Of course, the proximity of sharing a room and pretend fiancé(e)-touching lead to giving in to their attraction, getting to know each other, love feelings surfacing, and emotional intensity between them stretching to the breaking point.

It sounds mundane and HP-typical, but Smart’s masterful hand draw Aislin and Dante in at times hilarious, at times heart-wrenching, at times, incredibly sexy, lines. Aislin is a hoot of integrity, throwing truths like spitballs onto Dante’s arrogant, gorgeous face and physique. Dante, in turn, is as vulnerable as he is an overbearing eschewer of love and commitment. Smart constantly surprises and delights with droll writing and by turning many an HP-convention on its head (more thoughts on that later). Firstly, here’s a funny bit I loved, Aislin’s thoughts on Dante’s superb looks: “She would hazard a guess that, if he asked a roomful of women if any wanted to go with him, ninety-nine per cent of them would bob their heads up to agree like over-caffeinated meerkats”. When Aislin tells Dante about Orla and Finn’s circumstances, though he wants some proof, he also reasonably agrees to help, “She had expected an arrogant monster and found, instead, an arrogant man who could be compelled to listen to reason.” So many surprises.

More tropish upending occurs when we realize Aislin doesn’t possess the HP-required virginal state, but sports a healthy attraction to Dante: “Aislin was attracted to Dante Moncado. Properly, heart-beatingly, swoon-makingly attracted.” They’re so funny together, especially Aislin who has a way of speaking that is no-nonsense and a hoot. Witness their conversation at Dante’s offer of a million euros to pretend to be his fiancée:

“Am I to assume you’re going to accept my offer?”

“A million euros to act as your arm candy for a few days? Yep, I can do that … But before I can accept your deal, I should point out that no one is going to believe we’re engaged. You’ve only just dumped your last girlfriend.”

He winked, sank onto the sofa and stretched his legs out. His legs were so long his feet slid under the coffee table. “Anyone who knows me knows I’m a fast mover.”

“That’s nothing to be proud of,” she said tartly.

“Trust me, I know when to go slow.”

Heated colour spread like wildfire over her cheeks. “I won’t accept any funny business.” She needed to make that very clear. Just because her body reacted so strongly to him did not mean she had any intention of allowing anything to happen between them. She would not be one of those overcaffeinated meerkats.

This pretty much sets the tone for Dante and Aislin and Aislin really makes the book. She’s funny, honest, open, and boy, can she scream and fight and make her point. It’s quite marvelous. Dante’s a good match for her, laconically funny and smoldering. He gives as good as he gets. But he’s no match for her wit, smarts, and chutzpah. She doesn’t wilt, or resign herself, or play the dewy-eyed innocent. She’s simply a good person, loving to her family, giving of herself, but she doesn’t suffer fools or hypocrites. Inevitably, Dante will run scared. He puts a time-end to their affair and doesn’t admit to his feelings. In Aislin’s immortal words in one of their earlier fights: ” ‘You, Moncada, are an eejit.’ ”

The discourse around romance these days is that it needs to prove itself to so many, to gain legitimacy, to convince that it’s worthy, that it’s intellectually healthy to consume it. But no one bothers to say how much fun it can be, until a romance like Smart’s comes along. Yet, it still has something to say. I’ve thought long and hard about the HP and the scorn that is often heaped upon it, rightfully so when its practitioners hide behind the tired, droopy tropes like overblown Polonius fools. Or you can use it in a lively, thoughtful, tongue-in-cheek way, without losing sight of the HP’s raison d’être, the confrontation of corruption with innocent goodness.

The HP hero is a man who lived and is living in a corrupt, rapacious world of venal values. He’s a survivor, keeping a tiny core of standards (Dante’s are he won’t gamble, sleep with married women, or cheat at business), but he can navigate this world just fine. He can’t, however, navigate the heroine’s decency, too often focused on her virginity. Thank goodness for Aislin: she can debate and defeat Dante and therefore, in time, when he returns for a truly humble grovel, win him. Dante describes his corrupt world:

“I look at my extended family and see nothing but misery; siblings hating and bitching about siblings, spouses cheating, hypocritical parents moralising, all pretending that their lives are great, when underneath it’s all rotten.” [Emphases mine.]

Instead of soothing him and “there, there”ing him, Ailsin laces into Dante with his own participation in that corrupt world, a world that knows “the other” only by transaction:

“You’re just another selfish bastard but you have the money to throw at your problems and make them go away. Ooh, I need to fake an engagement … let’s pay someone. Ooh, a sister I’ve never met … have some money. Job done, because obviously that’s all they would ever want from you, and it’s a good thing that’s all you have to offer because you’re not fit to lick my sister’s shoes.”

I loved Aislin’s moral truth-telling. Dante’s life can’t be redeemed, nor his heart resurrected, unless he realizes and acts on giving of himself. Happily, this hero rises to all occasions beautifully and Aislin gets the committed husband and father she deserves. With Miss Austen, we say that Smart’s The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella is evidence of “a mind lively and at ease,” Emma.

Michelle Smart’s The Sicilian’s Bought Cinderella is published by Harlequin Books. It was released on January 15th and may be found at your preferred vendor. I received an e-ARC from Harlequin, via Netgalley.

The Sicilian's Bought Cinderella by Michelle Smart is the story of Aislin O'Reilly and Dante Moncada.
Aislin looking to help her sister and nephew confronts Dante to get him to act on their needs. Dante turns the table and makes a bargain if Aislin will pretend to be his fake fiancé he will help them and her. So a deal is struck but what they both end up with is more than they planned on.
A classic Harlequin story that turned me into a Romance Reader so many years ago...loved their story.

I have to say, THE SICILIAN’S BOUGHT CINDERELLA surprised me in a good way! I really enjoyed this quick novel. Dante is a wealthy Sicilian businessman dealing with the recent loss of his father when he finds Aislin, a feisty and smart Irishwoman, is squatting on one of his properties. Aislin is just trying to get his attention so she can take care of her family. Dante needs a fake fiancé for a wedding he is attending, so they strike a deal.

Once Aislin and Dante get over their rocky first start, I really began getting into this story. It was so refreshing reading about two characters who just genuinely like each other. They enjoy each other’s company, and it was fun watching them become acquainted. Aislin is such a likable and down-to-earth heroine. She balanced out Dante who is a little out of touch with reality, but he is also kind and generous. I love that he appreciates Aislin precisely the way she is.

The chemistry and longing in this book are expertly portrayed. I felt for the main characters as they figured each other, and themselves, out. The romance was beautiful and the steamy times were fun. Both the beginning and the end were a little melodramatic and jumbled, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

Overall, I absolutely recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun escape for a few hours. I am officially a Michelle Smart fan. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

What happens when you do a favor and pose as a fiancé as you need the money for your ill nephew. Ms. Smart puts these two together as a pure job and favor and watch out what happens. Love knows no bounds.

Formulaic modern romance that is okay, nothing more, nothing less. Aislin needs to get millionaire Dante Moncada’s attention on behalf of her sister, who happens to be Dante’s illegitimate half-sister seeking a share of their deceased father’s non-existent fortune. Conveniently, Dante needs a fake wife to play happy families for a weekend to seal a lucrative business deal, and so offers Aislin a million dollars in exchange for her compliance. Of course, Aislin gets a make-over, there’s lots of money splashed around, the two have an irresistible attraction to one another, and you get where this is going, but it is pleasant enough for the duration. -- Megan Osmond

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #4

Thanks to NetGalley for this title in exchange for an honest review

Our girl, Aislin O’Reilly, just wants to see her sister and nephew taken care of and she's willing to do anything for them, even entering a fake engagement with a stone hearted man that just recently lost his father.

I love Aislin, she's strong and not scared to stand up for herself and what she believes is right. When she loves someone, she gives them her all, going to the far reaches of the earth for them. I love how selfless she is.

Dante Moncada is tired of being left so he closes his heart to everyone. He has no one left now but he keeps pretending that's what he wants, until his feelings for our girl become too much for him to deny and he has to make her his.

I love this book but there was some weird words used to describe things that really took me out of the story and made me laugh my butt off. I even read a passage to my partner and he busted a gut laughing. So I had to knock a star for that.

Overall, it's a cute read, a fun time, just not my personal favorite.


Will go live on my blog: 1/13/2018

Dante is disappointed with the idea of family due to some family secrets he has come to learned about. Therefore, he does not see himself in a relationship that will eventually end up in a family. The heroine (Aislin) is strong and sweet and teaches the hero some good lessons on love, family, and relationships. I enjoyed this read quite a lot because Dante behaved well and treated the heroine with respect. Aíslin was a very strong person and always knew her worth as a person.

ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.


LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! I took it on vacation with me....was a prefect story to read on the beach.
Aislin broke into the cabin on Dante's property to get his attention so he would help their sister and nephew who are both ill. (they are not related). Aislin and Dante come to a mural deal, where Aislin would act as his fiancé.
And so then fun begins. They are both attracted to each other, with amazing chemistry.

I though the storyline was great, with a good flow.

When Aislin O'Reilly breaks into a cottage on Dante Moncada's estate, all she wants is his undivided attention to make her plea. Nothing else has worked to get her into his presence so she takes things to the extreme. Her half sister, it turns out, is also Dante's half sister, and she needs money to support her son, whose traumatic birth resulted in cerebral palsy. Aislin's love for her sister and nephew drive her to confront Dante, because the recent death of his father resulted in no more funds coming in for her sister.

Dante is stunned by what the red-haired, gorgeous woman tells him, but is even more stunned by his reaction to her. He decides that she will work very well for his purposes, and offers her a million pounds to pose as his fiance for a weekend. Now, all he has to do is keep his hands off of her for three days.

When their passion for each other explodes on their first day together, can they both walk away with their hearts intact?

Michelle Smart has written a new take on the Cinderella story, with a strong woman pitted against an even stronger man. This was great fun to read.

I liked this one, I love when we have the POV of the male lead also. He was genuinely confused and god smacked about learning his father had a secret child. And most of all he was quite contrite that he had acted like an ass and hurt the heroine as much as he had.

Likeable characters and a believable plot-good read!

Rating 3.5

Our heron and heroine meet, Aislin and Dante, at a cabin that Dante own. Aislin broke into the cabin on his property to get his attention so he will help their sister and nephew who are both ill/health issues (no they are not related, it's explained in the story). Dante has been ignoring all of Aislin correspondents so this was her way of getting his attention. She lets him know that he needs to help financial. Dante is so not into family and is closed off. But he's got is own dilemma. His parents were scandalous, affairs, cheating, etc... Dante's reputation is so great either. Well known playboy. And of course he has a business proposition that's in jeopardy, the gentleman is old fashion and has issues with Dante's life style.

Aislin and Dante come to a mural satisfying deal. She poses as his fiancé (she is nothing like his past, lose and unacceptable woman) and he'll help their sister as well as her.

And so the fun begins. The two are very attracted to each other (of course) and work really hard in keep it business only. Well that doesn't last long and all. And all bets are off when the two give in to their mutual attraction.

I did have some issues with the storyline and their character development. Found the build up to be too quick and almost too much (sick sister, sick nephew, terrible parents for hero). But then again I guess this is HP land, but even that this was a little over the top. And both seemed to be determined and resilient in their not scumming to their attraction, but you blink and they are both all in. It was a nice read but nothing great.

Needing to secure money for an ill nephew, Aislin O'Reilly agrees to pose as playboy billionaire Dante Moncada’s fiancée at a society wedding. Their strictly business deal soon turns steamy hot when the attraction between the two explodes. A quick but enjoyable read.