Vito comes off as one of those "arrogant I am always right" men and kind of cold in his determination to seduce her in his revenge plot. He really believes she is guilty and does little to see the otherside or question the irregularities. In the end he does redeem himself a little in his new found love for Ava but I never felt like he was truely sorry for what she suffered or fully believed in her. She truely deserved to be treasured, his personality being what it was ("arrogant"), didn't allow for that. Also, Vito didn't seem to want to believe the best of Ava. All along, he was willing to think she was everything that the past seemed to dictate, but he didn't consider how much his brother Olly loved and respected Ava and take that seriously enough. Let me put it this way, if my sister has a high opinion of someone, I take it very seriously. I guess that's why I was not 100% satisfied with this book. When it is revealed how badly Ava was wronged, I wanted to feel more remorse and regret for what she went through from Vito. The hero wasn't bad too- yes he blamed the heroine occasionally, but also believed that she had paid her due and hence stood like a wall for her whenever possible. He is enamored by her, and pursues her relentlessly. He also helps her find the truth in the end. I love revenge stories, (I think this might be one of my favourite tropes, second only to secret babies!) and this on has the added surprise of a heroine whom has been in prison. Whilst reading I actually found that it isn't actually very revengey, but still an enjoyable book. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Within a week or two she was living with him...so she could prepare the company and neighborhood Christmas party...but he also joined her in bed most nights. The man made sure every female within shouting distance knew he never wanted to marry or have a family. He told her many times and she acted as though she didn't want it either. But fell hard he did! Her sisters eventually visit her after they see her name linked with the hero's in the tabloids. Hero invites them to his party so heroine can get to know them better. Heroine thinks their affair will only lasts to the Christmas party, but hero has other ideas. The heroine was bent but not broken- she goes through a lot heartbreak at 18, from being punished to being an outcast; and takes on not just the blame, but also works on making amends. I loved her tattoo, her love for Harvey the dog, her passionate spirit and her strength.

Unlocking Her Chapter 1

Three years ago, Ava was imprisoned, when a drunk driving incident followed by amnesia left her best friend Olly dead, and soon the world around her collapsed. Her family abandoned her, and the man she had loved forever, Vito Barbieri and Olly's older brother resented her. She then suffered. Heroine is devastated that her mother let her go to jail rather than tell the truth. Hero is sorry he caused her pain. He asks her to marry him with the ring wrapped in many boxes. Heroine isn't sure but he shows her the receipt, he bought the ring before he knew she was innocent. HEA with the dog living with them and in the epilogue, acquiring another. Also in the epilogue, H/h have a daughter, heroine went to medical school and they are expecting another child. Given the nature of the original premise, that the h was responsible for the H's younger brother's death due to a drunk driving accident, this had surprising little angst and arm twisting. As in none. The H is a veritable saint, a lust-filled, arrogant, 6' something H with commitment issues, but a saint nonetheless in regard to forgiving the girl responsible for his half-brother's death. I know some readers might be annoyed by the fact that the plot is slightly recycled. I wasn't. I think that in a long writing career, that's bound to happen to a prolific writer. I know that in my own writing I work out issues I see in life and that affect me on a deep level. So I'm not dismayed to see this in writers I follow.

It is an incredible coincidence that I read two Lynne Graham books within days of each other, and each has a hero named Vito and a heroine who is a redhead and who has a strangely similar family history (with a few differences). Honest to goodness, I didn't do that deliberately. It was just one of those serendipity things.

Graham only skimmed along the surface of experiences that would destroy many people. Did we need so much pain? Lynne first met her husband when she was 14. At 15, she wrote her firstbook, but it was rejected everywhere. Lynne married after she completed adegree at Edinburgh University. She started writing again when she was athome with her first child. It took several attempts before she sold herfirst book in 1987 and the delight of seeing that first book for sale in thelocal newsagents has never been forgotten. Now, there are over 10 million ofher books in print worldwide. Then a party guest from the night of the crash recognizes the heroine in the tabloid photo. He witnessed her mother driving the car and not the heroine. Both the h and the H's brother were trying to stop her, but to no avail. The party guest never realized there was a crash or a trial because he was out of the country. Now the lawyers will work to clear her name. Heroine thinks this is a bad idea because it will put her in the vicinity of her family who has disowned her and will cause people to talk. Her alcoholic mother died while she was in prison and she is also estranged from her sisters and father. Hero doesn't care about the gossip and thinks she should reconcile with her family. From left: Her Excellency, Gloria Guevara Manzo, Chantal Khoueiry, Dr Iman Bibars and Desiree Bollier. Photo: Courtesy of The Bicester Collection