Thursday, July 22, 2021

Reawakened by the Italian Surgeon - Scarlet Wilson (HMED #1172 - May 2021)


Top surgeon, devoted single dad… the doctor to open her heart?
 
Flying to Rome to separate conjoined twins is just the fresh start that Autumn needs. Her latest breakup has proved that her heart belongs only to surgery. But lead surgeon and widower Giovanni Lombardi has her pulse racing, and his adorable daughter awakens a longing for a family Autumn never thought she wanted -- until now…

 
Good follow-on book to A Family Made in Rome. Giovanni and Autumn are part of a team of doctors brought together to treat conjoined twins. In the first book, Leon and Lizzy's part involved in utero surgery to repair a hole in one girl's heart. Giovanni and Autumn's jobs are to surgically separate the twins after they are born and do the surgery necessary for each girl to live.
 
As the book opens, Autumn and her boyfriend have parted ways, realizing that they are not in love. Giovanni's call to Autumn came at the perfect time to give her a fresh start. Autumn looks forward to the challenge of the surgery and exploring the city of Rome. She never expected to be drawn to her fellow surgeon and single father, Giovanni.
 
Autumn is a woman who keeps tight control of her emotions. Raised by academic parents, Autumn and her brother were discouraged from showing excess emotion and expected to focus all their energy on being the best. Autumn never had the typical childhood activities of playing in the dirt or the rain or doing any other impulsive things kids do. Being around Giovanni and his daughter stirs up feelings she's never experienced before.
 
Giovanni has been a widower for four years. His daughter, Sofia, is the light of his life and the center of his universe. He also carries around a feeling of guilt because his marriage was falling apart before his wife's death. Getting involved with another woman was not on his radar until he met Autumn.
 
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between Autumn and Giovanni. The connection between them was immediate and undeniable. I loved seeing the little things Giovanni did for her, from helping her find the right places to replace her wardrobe to showing her around the city. Autumn even met Sofia, who immediately treated her like a best friend. Autumn is more than a little freaked out because she can only think of the bad things that can happen with kids. There are some sweet scenes where you can see Sofia wiggling her way past Autumn's walls and into her heart.
 
The more time Autumn and Giovanni spent together, the more they got to know each other, and their feelings grew. But when Giovanni tells Autumn the truth about his marriage, she pulls back, accusing him of lying to her. Autumn fears that by letting go of control, she's opened herself up to heartbreak. I liked the conversation she had with her brother, who gave her much to think about. The awkwardness between Autumn and Giovanni takes a back seat when the twins experience a crisis. I loved Autumn's "aha" moment and what she did about it. I laughed at Giovanni's shock and surprise and cheered at seeing Autumn let go of her fears. The epilogue was sweet.
 
I enjoyed getting the rest of the story about the conjoined twins. The separation surgery and follow-on were intense and made more vivid by the details provided by the author. 


 
 

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