Manga Maniac Cafe

4.75 stars

Angela Bissell knocked it out the park with this story. Its multi layers kept me engrossed from page one. I enjoy second chance at love romances, and Surrendering to the Vengeful Italian delivered on so many levels. A touching exploration of the pain and guilt after the loss of a child, as well as the desperate need to keep a dysfunctional family safe, I could not put my Kindle down.

After Leo takes over her father's business, Helena is forced to beg him for a favor. Leo isn't too keen on listening to her, though; seven years ago she heartlessly broke off their relationship, and he hasn't forgiven her. He also holds a grudge against her father for destroying a business deal Leo needed to succeed so he could take care of his own family. He doesn't trust Helena, but circumstances force him to allow her father a short grace period before he sells off the company and its interests.

Helena has never gotten over Leo, but she left him for his own good. Her father is a violent, bitter man who doesn't hesitate to use physical force to get his own way. After watching him victimize her mother, and after being on the receiving end of his rage, she has one goal. She needs to convince her mother to leave before she comes to harm. Helena thinks that if Leo will give her a little time, she can convince her mother that she deserves better than being a punching bag for a hateful man.

Wow. I really loved this story. Helena and Leo have trust issues sabotaging their reunion, as well as Helena's guilt over the painful secret she has kept from Leo for seven years. Both protagonists have matured since their breakup, and they needed that growth to set the groundwork for a successful relationship. Helena has become independent, having been cut off completely by her father, and she's become a stronger person for it. Though the past has subdued her exuberance for life, being with Leo again brings back some of the joy that she thought she no longer deserved. And Leo, after losing his parents, and almost losing his sister, realizes that he can't control everything, and that sometimes, things just happen, that nobody is at fault.

Highly recommended