The Italian's Token Wife : Italian Husbands (Presents)

Rating:
Summary: Well-written, okay read.
Review: I've never read Julia James before but the back cover sounded interesting - basically an update of Cinderella. Julia James is a capable writer and the basic premise has promise. But I cannot abide weak and powerless heroines. Not having an education or piles of money does not automatically make a woman a door-mat. I would have liked to see the heroine go nose to nose with the hero rather than just have everything happen to her. But I will keep an eye out for Julia James' future books.

Rating:
Summary: I felt sorry for her
Review: The hero has to marry because of his father's demands. He marries the first woman he sees and she is poor, plain, and a single mother. He exploits all of these attributes and ultimately the heroine is embarassed by her new father in law, the hero feels bad and gets her a makeover. Once she is beautiful he starts to like her and once he realizes that she's still a virgin he falls in love. The first half of the book I was ready to cry for the heroine the last half I felt sorry for her that she had married such a superficial hypocritical guy. Even though he's slept with tons of women his thought processes in the book are that he wants a virginal wife. How typical. I gave it 3 stars because I had to finish it just to find out if he redeemed himself, but really it was kinda depressing.