Farelli's wife [Paperback]

FARELLI'S WIFE is a wonderful relationship drama that fans of the sub-genre will gain much pleasure from reading. The story line is entertaining and poignant as everyone poorly copes with the death of Rosemary. The lead couple is a divine duo and the secondary cast augments the tale. However, what makes Lucy Gordon's novel so hauntingly superb is Rosemary, who was a good, kind person loved by anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her. This, in turn, makes for a dilemma as no one, including Franco and Joanne, want to do anything to hurt Rosemary. This great novel refreshingly does not depend on an ugly former relationship to bring the lead couple together. Instead their love must honor, yet overcome, the healthy loving previous relationship.

Harriet Klausner

What do you do when "the other woman" in the life of the man you love is his wife, your cousin, hard to live up to -- and dead? Rosemary is, to say the least, a hard act to follow. But when Joanne is called upon to step in after her cousin's death and take care of her small son and, incidentally, his father, this is exactly the situation in which she finds herself. She loves Franco, Rosemary's husband -- and he loves her. Yet Rosemary still seems to come between them. How they resolve this dilemma, how they work through their grief at her death and finally find the courage to move on makes for a beautiful, tender, moving story. It brings a lump to your throat, tears to your eyes and, ultimately, joy to your heart. This is a wonderful, haunting book. Be sure to turn the last page and read the short epilogue. It's easy to miss.

Joanne fell in love with Franco Farelli when she went to stay with her friend, Renata who is Franco's sister, at their home in Italy. She believes he may have started to have feelings for her when he offers to help her decide which heart she wants. She believed her dreams are finally coming true. However, her cousin, Rosemary, then walks through the door and Franco is lost to her forever after. Or so she believes. Eight years later, Joanne has finally returned to Italy. She hasn't come to see her cousin, husband and son in all that time because she was secretly in love with Franco and she didn't want to take anything away from Rosemary. Franco is upset because he was so in love with Rosemary and Joanne is the spitting image of her. Joanne has never bothered to visit their home before and now she shows up love after Rosemary is dead.

The soon begin to fight an attraction between the two of them, but they both feel as though they are betraying Rosemary. Joanne, the imitator, believes that Franco only wants her because she resembles Rosemary in looks. She feels that she will always be second best to her cousin, at least in Franco's eyes. This was such a sweet romance. Franco truly comes to love Joanne for herself and soon sees her as looking different that Rosemary. They just needed Rosemary's blessing of any growing relationship with one another. IMO Franco would have eventually fallen in love with Joanne first if Rosemary hadn't come along. It just wasn't their time when she was younger. He seemed to have some feelings for her they just weren't all in alignment at that age. Be warned: this book does bring a few tears to your eyes!