Playboy prince meets his match. Love Antoinetta, she is brave yet innocent, boldly inexperienced, humble and so practical. I felt sorry for her because of how her family treated her, he's arrogant of course but I felt sorry for him as well for how his family treated him. Their attraction is so strong that they both throw caution to the wind and discover that their temporary fling has become so much more. I stayed glued to the pages wondering how their dilemma/family drama would pan out and who would they would be spending Christmas with, forever. Enjoyed reading this. I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Carol Marinelli is one of my very few ‘automatic buy’ romance authors and I love linked series books. I spent a very happy few hours of escapism with a classic incognito prince/ Cinderella story and catching up with Nico and Aurora from The Sicilians Surprise Love Child. A perfect Christmas treat.

It has been a while since I have read such an enticing and tantalizing tale, filled with all the sexy goodness of a hot romance. Antonietta may have been an innocent young lady, but she had a firm and decisive way about what and who she wanted in her life. This book evokes past dreams of what romance was all about when you have found your one true love. I love how Prince Rafe and Antonietta heated up the sheets, they are just delectable couple. This one goes in my SSS, Sweet, Sexy and Sizzling category.

Shunned by her family when she ran away from her wedding five years ago, Antonietta Ricci works as a chambermaid in her hometown Silibri in one of Nico's hotels. The same Nico and Aurora from The Sicilian's Surprise Love-Child which I haven't yet read. Her father was the Chief Fire Officer and is a prominent landowner there. She is also training as a part-time massage therapist. And that is how the story opens, with a prologue, where Aurora and Antonietta are discussing the latter's past. Twenty-six years old Antonietta is still hopeful that her family will take her back. She is holding on to it, at least till Christmas, which is a few months away.

The story then starts six months later, a few days before Christmas. A VIP guest under an alias is staying there at one of the exclusive suites to recover from some serious bruising and this time Antonietta is in-charge of that suite. Being the centre of gossip herself, Antonietta usually doesn't want anything to do with it. But, Rafe's sexy French accent made her want to know more about him, as did his bruises. Even I was curious about him, I mean who wouldn't. But Antonietta waiting for a summons from Rafe through her pager was amusing.
... the bruises, for they really were shocking—purple and black, they covered his arms and chest and one eye, and his top lip was swollen. Signor Dupont, or whatever his real name was, had thick black hair that was rather messy, and also very matted—Antonietta guessed with blood.

First time in HPland I've come across a not-so-put-together hero being introduced.

Their subtle flirtations, first conversation, it was rather dreamy. Rafe was pulled in by her sad eyes. And this dreamy vibe is there throughout this Christmas story of opening up your heart and falling in love. It was also cute to see them wanting to see the other the next day, even if Rafe never involved himself with a maid's histrionics and Antonietta usually avoided men. He was Crown Prince Rafael of Tulano after all.

I love story with girly friendships and strong women. And Aurora and Antonietta were just that. Though it is tough to stand up to your family, and I felt really bad for all the taunts Antonietta had to listen to from her relatives.

I have never said this before about a book but the care with which Rafe initiates her into sex was magical. What I mean is that the author has done a really beautiful job with writing their first time together. Especially after Sylvester Ricci, her second cousin and her ex-fiance is a creepy piece of crap. He put the fear of sex in her with his harrowing advances.

It has a romantic ending and a wonderful epilogue. The perfect read for this Christmas!

Also, this is my eighteenth read by Carol Marinelli and I absolutely adore her writing. Especially her medical titles.

Thank you to Harlequin Presents and NetGalley for an e-ARC of the book.

Oh my! this was a great story
I thought that the characters played off each other well and that the author presented the facts in an easy to understand way! It has a bit of mystery to it which it right up my alley.

Overall a okay book by Carol Marinelli. It was well written and easy to follow. I just found it lacked the draw, that draws me into a book. The story was about Rafe and Antonietta, the story lacked the excitement, it felt like it was missing something.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Antonietta is back home to make amends with her family who wants nothing to do with her. She gets a job and is assigned to clean a VIP room where she meets Rafe. They meet and start a relationship that can go nowhere due to who he is. They fall for each other and he must decide does he want his future or Antonietta.

A heartwarming Christmas romance that is sure to sweep you off your feet and tug at your heartstrings. Full of drama, romance and the sweet magic of the holiday spirit making this a wonderful addition to any ones Christmas books collection. Happy reading!!

I really enjoyed this book. I love Carol Marinelli’s work. Her stories are so well written and her prose just flows beautifully. Dialogue and inner thoughts are beautifully constructed and there is always lots of real emotion running through her stories. The characters have heart and depth.

We had met Antonietta in the previous book which told Nico and Aurora’s story, so it was nice to find out what happened to this sad heroine.

Her parents had disowned her after she jilted the horrible Sylvester, but she had come back to Sicily to work in Nico’s brand new hotel in the hope of building bridges with her family. (Personally, I would have just left them to it.)

Rafe is a playboy Prince, recovering from an accident and he is staying under a pseudonym in the hotel where Antonietta works. They share a deep, mutual attraction which is beautifully developed and which I found really well done and very sweet. We could see them falling in love even though they both knew they had no future together.

The story really shows us how his cold upbringing has affected him, and how even now his father intends him to marry an approved bride before he is allowed to shoulder some royal responsibilities. I loved how he made his father accept him marrying Antoinettta - the woman he loved; and I loved the way everyone participated in the surprise celebration and marriage at the end. My only complaint was how fast the denouement occurred and the lack of an epilogue.

I would have liked to see them a few years down the line, settled into their royal duties with a happy family and still friends with all the folk who had become Antoniettta’s real family.

Antonietta is a quiet heroine but was well worth getting to know. I found this book a really lovely romance and the only reason I have given it 4 stars rather than 5 is because it doesn’t quite reach the level of my favourite Marinell books such as “The Irresistible Russian Tycoon” and ‘The Russian Billionaires’ series.


I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review. Unusually, the quality of the copy was really poor - dropped lines, single words on a line, page numbers in the middle of the page - all of which made reading the book somewhat difficult - but I still managed to enjoy it.


https://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Princes-Christmas-Seduction-Modern-ebook/dp/B07R5L6TP5/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Secret+Prince%27s+Christmas+seduction&qid=1571394025&s=digital-text&sr=1-1

The Secret Prince's Christmas Seduction was very good! It reminded me of why I have always been a fan of the Harlequin contemporary romance stories. Antonietta and Rafael are both each having a troubled relationship with their families. She works as a maid at the hotel he is staying at while he is recuperating from an accident he suffered. Plus, he's using a fake name while staying there since he is a prince. I liked that he immediately was honest about his name. They are both are attracted to each other and decide to have relationship in which they are both aware that it is not a long term one. I loved them together and especially how he treats her. He immediately begins to treat her differently than from his previous relationships. He is also very aware of how unique and special she is. He kind of becomes her "prince charming" which now and days it is hard to find in contemporary romances. It was nice to see that he and her friends filled that void her family left when they stopped talking to her.
This was a great story from start to finish and I loved their HEA scene. It was very sweet!

I look forwards to reading more from this author.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved this book. It is well written and has a refreshing hint of "Cinderella" to it. Will the Prince defy the King? Will love be enough? As a playboy prince and virgin come to a meeting of wills and ways you will have to read to find out.

I always enjoy Carol Marinelli's harlequin romances. They are filled with angst, misunderstandings, big love stories and over the top characters. This story is definitely tamer than some of the others I have read, but I still found it angsty and could not put it down before finishing it. I did not really buy into the relationship, I think it was a bit short and we couldn't really see their feelings develop before they were already in love with each other.

A sexy romantic story of love discovered, recognised and cherished.

Overcoming passed hurts and disappointments. To flower and burst forth, making new traditions with happiness and love.

With a happy ever after ending.

Cute romantic story for the holidays. Girl with a broken heart not by a man, learns to love and grow. Love holiday stories and a great romance

Firstly, before I review this story, I have to really complain to Mills and Boon/Harlequin about the quality of their ARCs. I have read quite a few now that have had the same issues and the slapdash formatting is very disappointing, considering these books are distributed from a large publishing house. Example - the first few chapters were fine, then in the next, dialogue ran together so you didn't know who was talking. A single sentence would be spaced over say - three to five or six lines. On some lines only one or two words were printed. Then the next chapter would be fine, and so forth. This did NOT enhance my reading experience at all, in fact it made it difficult to concentrate and enjoy the ARC when I had to literally read down the page and guess who said what. Not acceptable is it? Now let me get on to the review:-

I really enjoy reading Carol Marinelli's stories and this was no exception. It was well written and the romance was slow burn and really sizzled when the H/h finally connected. The character development was good and I liked the back story. This author really focusses on the relationships of her couples and though there were lots of secondary characters that appeared, they didn't intrude on the romance. I give it 4.5 stars for an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Sicilian chambermaid Antonietta prides herself on her discretion, so she’s mortified by her inappropriate reaction to her hotel’s newest guest.When I started reading I couldn't put it down.Carol Marinelli is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

A quick fun and easy read. The story line will definitely suck you in. As a long time Harlequin Presents reader this is a definite 4 star book.

Of you are a fan of Cinderella type romance then the Secret Prince's Christmas Seduction is the perfect read for you. I can't really say anything bad about this novel. It hit all the HEA moments that make a good romance great! The writing is well done with an easy flow. The characters are like able and we'll written. If you can find more novels by this author in this series I would recommend reading them. A quick read with a satisfying ending-which is what we all want. If you like hunky hero's (that are a prince in disguise) and a gorgeous heroine all tied together in a lovely romance bow then this Christmas novel is for you.

I used to read these Harlequins all the time. However, this is the first one I've read in years. I really enjoyed it.

It was a quick, fun, easy read. However, as brief as it was, I was drawn into the story and thought it was really sweet.

it was a nice story and really I finished it in one day, Carol Marinelli is one of my favorite writers but I don't know. It just didn't' move me. I didn't really like Rafe, just never really warmed up to his character. Antonietta was just too much of a... doormat? No not really a doormat but just not funny or fun, she was kinda boring. The story did have a nice ending, and I'm a sucker for nice endings. This one won't disappoint but I still feel there were loose ends, I wanted to see her parent's reaction when she walked in with a prince. That part was disappointing and felt unfinished.