Can one last night in New York
Lead to a new beginning in Rome?
When Leon Cassanetti is called on to perform pioneering
surgery on conjoined twins, he knows who he wants by his side—his ex, Lizzy
Beckley. Their history is complicated…but Lizzy is honored to join Leon in Rome
to save these babies. Only first she must deliver a baby bombshell of her own
to this career-driven bachelor!
I really enjoyed this book. Leon and Lizzy first met when
they were interns in New York. There they were friendly competitors and later
became lovers. Both focused mainly on their careers with no interest in a
long-term relationship. They agreed that when their internships ended, Leon
would return to Italy and Lizzy to Australia. Lizzy didn't count on falling in
love with Leon. With no indication he felt the same, she took her broken heart home
and channeled her pain into her work.
Years later, Leon and Lizzy met again at a conference in
New York. To their surprise, the sparks between them burned just as hot as they
used to. One night of passion, for old times' sake and closure, should have
been the end of it. Then the little smiley face showed up on the pregnancy
test. Ironically, Lizzy got a phone call from Leon shortly after that, asking
her to come to Rome for three months. He wants her expertise in treating conjoined
twins. There's no way she can say no to the opportunity, but the baby
complicates matters.
I admired Lizzy. She remembers that Leon didn't want
children or marriage, and she only wants him to be available when the child
wants to know about its father. She doesn't expect anything else. I loved that
she didn't beat around the bush or put off telling him, informing him almost as
soon as she got off the plane. To say that Leon was stunned would be putting it
mildly. He surprises himself and Lizzy by not only insisting on being part of
the baby's life but proposing marriage. Lizzy refuses, of course, as she won't
marry him without love. Leon insists on her staying at his home rather than a
hotel, hoping to convince her over time.
I enjoyed the development of the relationship between
Lizzy and Leon. Both of them have pasts that make them cautious. Leon's father
left him and his mother when Leon was very young. His mother became bitter and
taught Leon that love was trouble. Lizzy's mother loved her father obsessively,
to the point he could do no wrong. She gave up everything to be what he wanted.
Her father was very controlling, and nothing Lizzy did was ever good enough for
him, so she is wary of men who "take charge." There are some instances
where Leon and Lizzy butt heads, usually when she thinks he's overstepping, and
she calls him out on it. I liked watching them spend time together, getting to
know who they are now. I liked the scenes of Leon showing Lizzy around Rome and
seeing both workaholics discover the benefits of having fun.
While Lizzy knew from the beginning that her feelings for
Leon hadn't gone away, Leon took longer to admit to his. I enjoyed seeing his
transformation from a committed bachelor to a man yearning for the family he
didn't know he wanted. It wasn't an easy transition, and Leon fought hard at
first. But once he hit that "aha" moment, he was all in. He just
needed to convince Lizzy. It went pretty well until Lizzy misunderstood an
overheard phone call and ran instead of confronting Leon about it. I loved his
way of finding her and seeing Leon reveal his vulnerability. The ending was
great, with one unexpected complication. I hope to see more of them in Giovanni
and Autumn's story.
One of the other things I enjoyed about this book was the
story of the twins and their parents. The details of the treatment and surgery
fascinated me and kept my interest through those parts of the book. The intensity
of Lizzy's surgery on baby Hope had me glued to the pages until it was done. I
can't wait to read the rest of their story in the next book.
