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A review by theeditorreads
Il gusto del proibito by Sarah Morgan
3.0
This one starts with a meeting where we have Cristiano from Book 1, big brother Chairman, and the hero, the younger Ferrara, Santo. They are discussing with other Board members present about adapting their hotel business to appeal to the younger generation for which they have to get extra land. And that is where our heroine comes in, not her, but her family, the Baracchis. There is some family feud between the Ferraras and the Baracchis. Moreover, Fiammetta Baracchi (Fia) and Santiago Ferrara (Santo) had had a hot one-night-stand three years ago, which nobody knows nothing about.
She's scared of her own feelings as far as Santo is concerned, because:
"Never love a Sicilian man had been the last words her mother had flung at her eight-year-old daughter before she’d walked out of the door for ever."
She hasn't told him that their one night together resulted in their two-year-old son, Luca. And then they come face-to-face, identical father and son.
What is it about the Baracchis that Santo says:
"Not once had he considered that he would have to fight for the right to be a father to his own child. Nor had he dreamt of his child being raised in a family like the Baracchis. He wouldn’t have wished it on anyone. It was a nightmare almost too painful to contemplate."
"The first time they’d met properly she’d been eight years old and hiding on the far side of the beach. His side, where no Baracchi was supposed to tread. She’d taken refuge in the disused boathouse, amongst jagged planks of wood and the acrid smell of oil. He’d been fourteen years old and totally at a loss to know what to do with his wild-haired intruder. Was he supposed to hold her captive? Ask for a ransom? In the end he’d done neither. Nor had he blown her cover."
Santo is going mad about the safety of his son, coz he had seen everything, seen the marks of abuse on young Fia's body, marks put there by her own father. Coming from a loving and protective family, he just couldn't help but feel overprotective of his own son. He is even nasty with her about her painful childhood. Her justification was that Luca would have been exposed to the hatred between their families.
I loved the Ferrara brothers' stories. Sarah Morgan is an all-time favourite. Both the brothers had strong familial ties, were born into and grew up in loving families. While the heroines were broken and had lots of baggage. I loved that Sarah Morgan reversed the situation in this duet, where in most of the M&Bs the heroes are the angtsy ones.
I loved how the first book's name was used in between:
"I’m very traditional. I believe that marriage is for ever. Once a Ferrara wife, always a Ferrara wife. We will not be getting a divorce.’" There's a reference to Cristiano and Laurel as well.
Santo, in spite of being so overtly emotional (both the Ferrara brothers are), was not giving the feeling of emotional warmth to Fia. No wonder she couldn't trust him, not with her feelings. But, Luca is a darling, especially the way he copies all the important words spoken by his father. Their misunderstandings grow by the dozen due to her closed up nature, and thinking she needs time to adjust, Santo doesn't say anything to her.
Hmm...the title of the book doesn't make sense. Santo was never forbidden. Well, he was banned from entering Baracchi territory, so maybe that's that. Also, the Baracchi-Ferrara animosity confused me. Was it after the mentioned event, or was it there from before. An epilogue would have been nice. It seemed a hurried ending.
P.S. The blurb on Goodreads mentioned Santino, but it's Santiago Ferrara in the first book. Not once his full name is mentioned in this book.
She's scared of her own feelings as far as Santo is concerned, because:
"Never love a Sicilian man had been the last words her mother had flung at her eight-year-old daughter before she’d walked out of the door for ever."
She hasn't told him that their one night together resulted in their two-year-old son, Luca. And then they come face-to-face, identical father and son.
What is it about the Baracchis that Santo says:
"Not once had he considered that he would have to fight for the right to be a father to his own child. Nor had he dreamt of his child being raised in a family like the Baracchis. He wouldn’t have wished it on anyone. It was a nightmare almost too painful to contemplate."
"The first time they’d met properly she’d been eight years old and hiding on the far side of the beach. His side, where no Baracchi was supposed to tread. She’d taken refuge in the disused boathouse, amongst jagged planks of wood and the acrid smell of oil. He’d been fourteen years old and totally at a loss to know what to do with his wild-haired intruder. Was he supposed to hold her captive? Ask for a ransom? In the end he’d done neither. Nor had he blown her cover."
Santo is going mad about the safety of his son, coz he had seen everything, seen the marks of abuse on young Fia's body, marks put there by her own father. Coming from a loving and protective family, he just couldn't help but feel overprotective of his own son. He is even nasty with her about her painful childhood. Her justification was that Luca would have been exposed to the hatred between their families.
I loved the Ferrara brothers' stories. Sarah Morgan is an all-time favourite. Both the brothers had strong familial ties, were born into and grew up in loving families. While the heroines were broken and had lots of baggage. I loved that Sarah Morgan reversed the situation in this duet, where in most of the M&Bs the heroes are the angtsy ones.
I loved how the first book's name was used in between:
"I’m very traditional. I believe that marriage is for ever. Once a Ferrara wife, always a Ferrara wife. We will not be getting a divorce.’" There's a reference to Cristiano and Laurel as well.
Santo, in spite of being so overtly emotional (both the Ferrara brothers are), was not giving the feeling of emotional warmth to Fia. No wonder she couldn't trust him, not with her feelings. But, Luca is a darling, especially the way he copies all the important words spoken by his father. Their misunderstandings grow by the dozen due to her closed up nature, and thinking she needs time to adjust, Santo doesn't say anything to her.
Hmm...the title of the book doesn't make sense. Santo was never forbidden. Well, he was banned from entering Baracchi territory, so maybe that's that. Also, the Baracchi-Ferrara animosity confused me. Was it after the mentioned event, or was it there from before. An epilogue would have been nice. It seemed a hurried ending.
P.S. The blurb on Goodreads mentioned Santino, but it's Santiago Ferrara in the first book. Not once his full name is mentioned in this book.