A review by theeditorreads
A Baby to Bind His Innocent by Michelle Smart

5.0

Recently, Carmen posted a glowing review of this book and Carmen saying yes, please to a Harlequin means I have to read it. And you have to read it too!

This is the third book I'm reading by [a:Michelle Smart|6941538|Michelle Smart|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1496147454p2/6941538.jpg] and by far my favourite of her works.

Book One of The Sicilian Marriage Pact, the story starts with a prologue where brothers Ciro and Vicenzu Trapani have just lost their family business and family home, along with their father. Ciro tries to engage Vicenzu in avenging their father's archenemy, Cesare Buscetta, who stole from them and gifted the business and home to his eldest Immacolata and youngest daughter Claudia respectively. They needed to do it for their grieving mother.

The story then starts a week later with Ciro trying to get their house back. Meanwhile, Claudia, who's led a sheltered life is enjoying the cosiness of her new home. At twenty-one years old, she's a wallflower.

I love a good revenge story. Though the love at first sight and marriage in two months without any courtship gave me a knockout punch, I still loved that the story just jumped in without dragging!

I loved the bonding Imma and Claudia shared, sisters who are five years apart in age. Claudia being severely dyslexic was evident from the beginning. I never realised how important audiobooks can be, and this book made me appreciate them more.

The [b:Pride and Prejudice|1885|Pride and Prejudice|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320399351l/1885._SY75_.jpg|3060926] references throughout the story was wonderful. How I loved this doormat gaining a spine, and Ciro and Claudia's confrontation scenes were just perfect. She standeth for herself. The timeline of both the books of this duology run parallel to each other. It sometimes felt like a spoiler for the second book, not having read it yet. But the best thing was Claudia running on her own steam and sometimes leaving behind (a bumbling...) Ciro. And when she returns with the news of her pregnancy, her level-headed stance made me burst into applause!
Despite everything, she was proud of herself for holding her ground and not caving in.

The author put the sexy back into plaits. And as hot as the story is, it is also sensitive in its discussion of different abilities that different people have. As much as I love my alphas, Ciro was that and gentle too. The epilogue was all sunshine and flowers a few years down the lane. Can't wait to read the next book - [b:The Terms Of The Sicilian's Marriage|54013676|The Terms Of The Sicilian's Marriage (The Sicilian Marriage Pact, #2)|Louise Fuller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592116304l/54013676._SY75_.jpg|84386318].