His Enemy’s Italian Surrender had potential—forced proximity in a storm, an intense dynamic between Kelly and Romano, and the promise of a fiery push-and-pull. But the execution left me frustrated. Kelly started with a backbone, only to lose it the moment Romano turned his attention to her. I wanted more resistance and fire from her, but she folded far too quickly instead.
Romano, for his part, was the standard brooding billionaire with a cold heart, but his sudden shift from resentment to desire felt rushed rather than earned. The chemistry existed but lacked the depth to make their connection believable. The power imbalance and how Romano controlled the situation didn’t help.
Sarah Kempton’s narration was a highlight. She gave Kelly an engaging voice and conveyed Romano’s arrogance well. But even a strong narration couldn’t fully save a story that leaned too heavily on tropes without fleshing them out.

This book was just fun. Enemies to lovers with great conflict and some really great angst.
Kelly comes to the castle. She’s good friend’s with Romano’s sister. They both definitely have thoughts about each other. Kelly is in need of money so Romano employs her as his cleaner.
I enjoyed this one. This is my first book by this author and won’t be my last!

The audiobook narrator did a great job of bringing this story to life! This copy was provided by NetGalley and Harlequin audio for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Waitress Kelly is stranded in a Tuscan castle with her longtime crush: her best friend’s brother Romano. Though he’s initially resistant to Kelly’s presence, Romano’s control is shattered by her innocence, leading to a fiery clash of wills fueled by undeniable passion.

I love the way Kelly handles Romano. He makes some wrong assumptions about her, and instead of correcting him, she lets him find out for himself and realize what a jerk he’s been. It’s a fun, romantic read. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.