Husband by Contract

I really like this book, although it was so very sad. The plot seemed so real, that I sympathized with the misunderstanding. Donato & Grace Vittoria lost their infant son by cot death, or what we call crib death, we have come such a long way since this was written, yet crib death still happens. Donato let Grace walk out of his life, because he felt she needed time to come to grips with the death of their son Paolo. Grace left Donato because she was informed by his sister that he had turned to another woman in his grief and she couldn't cope with that along with the death of Paolo, and the treatment she received in the children's home after the death of her parents. Grace was battling 5 foes, 1.the death of her son. 2.Donato going to another woman for support. 3.Donato's crazed sister Bianca Bellini. 4. her feelings for Donato's young brother Lorenzo. 5.The ghosts of her past rejections when she was going to be adopted by the Blairs, but the family didn't want a child with any problems, she also felt that Grace had alienated her mother's affections from her, as well as Lorenzo's love Grace still had nightmares about the death of her parents. It seems that Donato had no knowledge of the hell Grace lived through by the hands of the Blairs. Now she received a telegram telling her that her beloved Mother-in-law Liliana was dead, and she was requested to come to the funeral. Grace returned to Italy, only to find Donato was the one to pick her up. There and then started another battle of love she still had for her husband, but the horror of his being with another woman couldn't be over looked, or forgotten. Almost right away Bianca started her campaign to get rid of Grace again, only this time she put the blame of Paolo on Grace, because Bianca found she couldn't have children unless she had a operation. This too she blamed Grace for. Bianca was married to Donato's best friend Romano(no one knew the horror Romano was going through). But Bianca was found out by Lorenzo's pet parrot Benito. He told Donato about the call from Bianca and Donato came after Grace, he heard why Grace believed he had been unfaithful to her and the other poisons Binaca had in her sick mind. From the back of the book: 'The jealous husband! For Donato Vittoria, marriage was a lifetime commitment. He'd chosen Grace as his bride, and he would cherish her forever. Or so Grace had believed... Until she'd discovered Donato's betrayal-with Maria, a beautiful family friend. Had he forgotten his vows so soon? Did he expect Grace to play the dutiful wife, while he continued to enjoy a bachelor life-style? The hurt had been unbearable, and Grace had fled. But Donato insisted he was still her husband-by contract-and he wanted Grace back in his life, and his bed!'