AT THE BOSS’S BECK AND CALL – Anna Cleary

Author:                 Anna Cleary

Line:                     Harlequin Presents/Mills and
                            Boon Modern

Release month       UK: Aug 2009/
                             North America: Dec 2009

The S-Factor:        Sexy

Back-Blurb:

A sexy Italian should be just the thing to liven up Lara's working life. Except this gorgeous specimen of a man is not only her new boss, he's the last person she ever expected to see again—and the father of her child!

Now Lara is at Alessandro's beck and call— but his mind is on more than just work. How is Lara supposed to tell him about their daughter? He may have asked her to step into his office, but his demands have extended to the bedroom!

Review: ♥♥♥♥♥

At the Boss’s Beck and Call by Anna Cleary is ‘An Affair to Remember’ and ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, all rolled into one spectacular and emotional romance.

I love romances with conflict and this definitely is one of those because at the end of their affair six years earlier they both agree to have a “time out”. The sexy Italian Alessandro Vencenti is going to America to finish his education and the beautiful Lara Meadows to return to her family home in Australia. They agree to meet months later back in Australia at The Centrepoint Tower if they still feel the same way about each other. Of course that doesn’t happen and now its six years later and they are fated to meet again at Lara’s publishing firm where Alessandro is going to reorganized and restructure and appoint a new Managing Director. What he doesn’t know is that he’s a father!

Alessandro sees a familiar name and wonders could this be the woman who took his breath away so many years ago? The same woman who he was sure loved him? In the meantime, Lara is on pins and needles because she know that Sandro will be at her office and she’s not sure what if he’s going to remember her after all of these years and if he does, will she tell him he has a five year old daughter? At first he plays with her and lets her feel the past meant nothing to him. But the chemistry still exists between them and it’s an emotional roller coaster for them both.

Lara is the one to take the initiative to ask questions about the past but what they don’t know about each other is that on that fateful day Laura was in the hospital due to a fire at her family home where her father died and one is not sure if Sandro showed up or not. Then Lara wonders if he’s still married because he comes from a very high powered family in Venice and he married a wealthy family friend which was published in all of magazines she read a few months later.

They feel their way around each other but it’s so very obvious they both desire each other and it was emotional when Lara finally told Sandro about his little girl for two reasons, because of his family history and also would he have a part in her life or not? And of course, when they finally agree to see each other on a personal level it’s obvious it’s only going to be a short time before they resume their affair and it sizzles off the pages.

Can there be a happy ever after for this family and can they forgive and resolve the past? The emotions one will feel while reading At The Boss’s Beck and Call and the reasons they didn’t meet up all of those years ago plus the reason Sandro married is quite the journey. But mark my word, in the end you’ll be cheering for Alessandro, Laura and Vivi.

Hero Hotness Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Heroine Lovability Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Awww Factor♥♥♥♥♥
Stickability Factor ♥♥♥♥♥
Weepy Factor♥♥

Reviewed by: Marilyn

From Anna’s Website – Behind the Book:

Do you know 'An Affair to Remember', that beautiful romantic movie so stylishly acted by the great Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr?

I was inspired by that particular story when I was dreaming up Lara and Alessandro's tale. Like the lovers in the movie, when Lara and Alessandro are separated by the demands of their lives, they make a pact to meet again, at a certain time, in a certain place.

And like the lovers in the movie, Fate intervenes. So, when they do finally meet, their reunion doesn't go smoothly. Old passions, guilt, anger and sizzling desire rise to the surface like furies.

I'm considering who to cast for their characters. For instance, I suspect Andy Garcia would make a gorgeous Alessandro. What do you think? Here he is, intense, strong, brooding and so passionate. Oh yes, he could be Alessandro.