Return to Monte Carlo by Cate C. Wells
A runaway wife, a surprise baby, and a dark secret.
MONTE CARLO, 1982
The odds of a man like Marco de Noli falling for a girl like me were a million to one.
He’s old money, classic European jet set, a master of the universe.
When we met, I was a shy girl from Oklahoma, pretty enough, but nowhere near his league.
One year later, after he stands me up on our first anniversary, I have to face facts. Our marriage was a mistake. My in-laws think I’m a gold digger, Marco lives at the office, and nights of passion aren’t enough. There’s nothing keeping me in Monte Carlo.
But when I run, I don’t realize that I’m taking the de Noli heir with me —
Or that our love wasn’t what I thought it was at all.
Return to Monte Carlo is a retro romance with a spicy, modern twist. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.
- File Name:return-to-monte-carlo-by-cate-c-wells.epub
- Original Title:Return to Monte Carlo
- Creator:Cate C. Wells
- Language:en
- Identifier:uuid:133fc721-5967-4ae8-89dd-74d6525beaef
- Date:2023-09-26T18:30:00+00:00
- File Size:263.103 KB
Table of Content
- 1. Title Page
- 2. Copyright
- 3. Contents
- 4. Dedication
- 5. Chapter 1 – DIANE, 1982
- 6. Chapter 2 – DIANE, FIVE MONTHS LATER
- 7. Chapter 3 – MARCO
- 8. Chapter 4 – DIANE
- 9. Chapter 5 – DIANE
- 10. Chapter 6 – DIANE
- 11. Chapter 7 – MARCO
- 12. Chapter 8 – DIANE
- 13. Chapter 9 – DIANE
- 14. Epilogue
- 15. About the Author
It was interesting, different time era than we're used to seeing in these stories.
Return to Monte Carlo was about 32-year-old Marco de Noli and his wife, 20-year-old Diane (Byers) de Noli. It had been a year since Marco and Diane met in Dallas and married. They were celebrating their first anniversary with a family dinner. However, Marco was over four hours late to his own celebration, leaving his young bride alone with his family who did not accept her. In fact, they went out of their way to make her as unwelcome as they could without his knowledge, only to make it seem as if she was the one unwilling to fit in whenever he was present. When they pushed her too far and she snapped, not only slapping her sister-in-law but also breaking an expensive vase, Marco, who had walked in immediately afterward, made it out to be all her fault and sent her to her room like an unruly child. Things went from bad to worse after that. He left immediately when he left again after confronting her with what happened, demanding she straighten up her act and be the wife she was supposed to be. That was the last straw for Diane, who immediately packed her bags and silently fled back to her family in America. Five months after leaving him and returning to her family and friends in Dallas, and after losing the only job she could find to support herself, Diane knew she needed to contact him because, after leaving him, she learned she was pregnant. She placed the call to his office since the time difference between the countries would be during his working hours, she spoke to his personal assistant (whom Diane believed he had been, and perhaps still was, having an affair with), the other woman told her he wasn't in the office. However, Diane heard his voice in the background and hung up without leaving a message or a callback number. Less than 24 hours later, Marco was at her door. Seeing her for the first time in almost six months, Marco realized she was pregnant. He demanded she pack and return with him. Life did not get easier for the couple upon returning to Monte Carlo. Diane still had to deal with a family who did not want her, and Marco was treating her like a fragile piece of fine China that he was too terrified to touch. But they were together, and he wanted to "fix it"...whatever had gone wrong. He thought he knew what it was. He thought it was their intimacy that had pushed her away. So he decided that he wouldn't treat her like a wh*re, that he needed to be gentle with her. Basically, this was a story about a married couple who. in the 1980s, were having their first foray into a BDSM lifestyle. Marco, who knew he was into some pretty over-the-top kink, felt as if he had forced his innocent wife (who had been a virgin when he first "forced" the lifestyle onto her) into doing things she didn't really enjoy, or want. While both admitted they had never tried such things with another person, it was something they both enjoyed. Except Marco felt guilty for making his young wife cater to his desires. He never asked her if it was something she wanted even though she never complained, and sometimes she even forced the issue in order for him to engage in such activities. Was the FMC a tad selfish spoiled, and irresponsible? Yes, but again she was only 19 when they married and he took her to a foreign country to live with people who didn't welcome her. No matter how much she tried to fit in, they refused to accept her, so she withdrew into herself. Whenever she attempted to talk with her husband, it didn't end well, so she withdrew from him. Did the MMC withdraw from his new wife, leaving her at the mercy of his horrible family? Yes, but upon returning from their honeymoon, he had been confronted with things that were out of his control. He also never had anyone interested enough in him as a person to want him to open up to them and share his burdens, so he didn't do it with Diane. He was used to taking the load heaped onto his shoulders by everyone and having to deal with them alone. Yes, this was a marriage in deep trouble, but it was also a marriage of two people who desperately wanted...and needed...to be accepted by their partner. It was about two people who were exploring an intimacy not yet fully acknowledged or accepted in polite society, something that was to be ashamed and embarrassed of. It was about a husband and wife living with family and trying to be a couple while at the same time trying to get along with everyone. It was about a couple who needed to learn how to communicate with each other and not accept what other people had to say over what each other had to say first. This story was rife with angst, drama, and a whole lot of spiciness. The twists and turns of the plot kept the reader on their toes and on the edge of their seat to find out what would happen next. It was heartbreaking, it was thrilling, and it created an emotional wreck at times. After reading so many of the reviews, I wasn't certain how I would feel about this story, yet, I gave it a five-star rating, and I intend to purchase the book so I can read it as often as I want. It was a very well-written story and it deserves all the accolades it can receive.
Such a good story.