An unforgettable first kiss
An unexpected second chance…
It's been five years since the night Leandro Díaz kissed
heiress Lucía Troncoso before she left for Europe. He'd known they were from
different worlds and would have to part, yet losing her still hurt… Now she's
returned but Leo isn't the man he once was. Hardened by life, he holds Lucía at
a distance and refuses to give in to their reignited attraction. Until danger
hits and they're forced closer than ever before…
After reading Amalia's story,
Alliance with His Stolen Heiress, I looked forward to reading her sister Lucía's story. That book ended
with Amalia, her husband, and Lucía headed to Europe, where Lucía would study
music. I was half expecting to read of her life in Vienna and finding love
there. Instead, this book picks up five years later, as Lucía and the others
return home.
The book opens with a prologue that takes place the day
before Lucía leaves for Europe. She encounters a young man, Leo, who draws her
attention. Their meeting is fun, and you can see Lucía trying out her feminine
wiles on Leo. The meeting ends with a toe-curling kiss that affects both. But she
is gone when Leo returns to visit her the next day.
Fast forward five years. Lucía, Amalia, and Julian have
returned. We get the impression from Lucía's thoughts that she has given up her
music. We also learn that she and Leo exchanged letters for about a year before
he abruptly stopped writing to her. Lucía thought they had something special,
and his actions broke her heart. When she unexpectedly encountered Leo in town,
she was stunned and angry to find him cold and dismissive toward her.
The events of his life have changed Leo over the past
five years. Previously a dreamer interested in writing poetry, he is now
focused on work and earning as much money as possible. His guilt over some of
those events causes him to believe that a future with Lucía isn't feasible.
Matters become complicated when Lucía chases him after an
evening encounter. She wants an explanation, but before that can happen, they
witness some strange activity on one of the boats in the harbor. When that boat
goes up in flames, Leo and Lucía are accused of setting the fire. Barely
avoiding capture, a friend helps them escape, but they are forced into each
other's company while they look for a way to prove their innocence.
I found the progression of their relationship frequently
frustrating. There is no denying their attraction, but their stubbornness gets
in the way of exploring what's behind it. Though Leo believes he can't have a
future with her, he can't stop feeling protective of her. This leads him to go
overboard in his attempts to keep her safe, which makes Lucía more determined
to do things her way. She's tired of being looked at like a china doll, but her
frustration with Leo leads to poor choices on her part, confirming Leo's belief
that she needs protecting. It takes trouble catching up to them for Leo to
finally see Lucía as the capable woman that she is. That confrontation was well
done, and I enjoyed witnessing the bad guy get his comeuppance.
I ached for Leo and Lucía as pieces of their backstory
were revealed throughout the book. Each had self-doubts to overcome before being
ready for a future together. Fortunately, they could see past the doubts and
provide the support each other needed to move forward together. The epilogue
was good and gave an excellent update on their future.
I also enjoyed the author's vivid descriptions of the locations.
The underground lakes were especially intriguing.
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