The Vineyards of CalanettiSaying âI doâ under the Tuscan sunâ¦
Deep in the Tuscan countryside nestles the picturesque village of Monte Calanetti. Famed for its world-renowned vineyards, the village is also home to the crumbling but beautiful Palazzo di Comparino.
Empty for months, rumors of a new owner are spreading like wildfireâ¦and thatâs before the village is chosen as the setting for the royal wedding of the year!
Itâs going to be a roller coaster of a year, but will wedding bells ring out in Monte Calanetti for anyone else?
Find out in this fabulously heartwarming, uplifting and thrillingly romantic new eight-book continuity from Mills & Boon>® romance!
A Bride for the Italian Boss by Susan Meier
Return of the Italian Tycoonby Jennifer Faye Available August 2015
Reunited by a Baby Secret by Michelle Douglas
Soldier, Heroâ¦Husband? by Cara Colter
His Lost-and-Found Bride by Scarlet Wilson
The Best Man & the Wedding Planner by Teresa Carpenter
His Princess of Convenience by Rebecca Winters Saved by the CEO by Barbara Wallace
Have you heard?
Thereâs a new 8-book linked mini-series starting in
Mills & Boon Cherish this July, called The Vineyards of Calanetti, featuring a stellar line-up of wonderful authors and even more fabulous storylines!
To help us celebrate, we hope you enjoy
this exclusive short story, A Marriage Made in Monte Calanetti by Susan Meier
Step into this Tuscan world and prepare
to be swept off your feet!
Michele Patruno walked into the kitchen of Manciniâs, the new Tuscan restaurant in Monte Calanetti owned by his friend Chef Rafe Mancini. The scents of risotto, sweet sausage, succulent lamb hit him as he stepped into the ultra-modern, stainless steel kitchen.
At the sound of the door closing, Rafe spun from the prep table. His silver-gray eyes widened. His turned-down lips lifted into a rarely seen smile.
âMichele!â
He bounded over, enfolding Mic into an embrace that could only be described as the hug of a bear. Then he pushed him away. âWhat are you doing here?â
âYou donât think my favorite mentor could open a restaurant and I would stay away?â
Rafe studied him, those gray eyes always astute. âIt took you long enough to come by.â
Michele deliberately avoided the unspoken question of why he never returned to his hometown. âI wanted to make sure you had at least one Michelin star before I tested the food.â
âOne?â Rafe batted a hand. âBah! You underestimate me. Everyone underestimates me.â
No one underestimated Chef Rafe. Aspiring chefs emulated him. Apprenticing chefs wanted to be him. Secretly in love with the tall, handsome chef, critics worked to find things wrong with his food, his restaurant, so they wouldnât be accused of favoritism. Chef Rafeâs star was on the rise ⦠as long as he could keep his temper in check.
âSo you are here for food?â
âMy aunt and uncle moved south. While I have a little time, I told them Iâd stay in their condo until it sold.â He glanced around. âBut that risotto does smell nice.â
âNice! I will have you arrested for insulting me.â
Mic laughed. A feeling of normalcy, rightness, rippled through his blood and muscles. He loved teasing his friend. âOkay. It does smell amazing.â
Rafe dropped his arm to Micâs shoulders. âIt is good to see you, Mic.â He turned them to the door. âNow, we find you a table. And I will treat you to food so tempting, so brilliant, you will fall to your knees and thank your maker.â
Mic laughed again.
He followed Rafe to the dining room. It was exactly as Mic pictured it would be. Though Rafe had added a modern kitchen to the back of the old farm house heâd renovated, heâd kept the dining room true to the houseâs origins. Antique tables covered in white linen cloths sat on earth-tone ceramic tile floors. The rustic shutters on the huge window in the back were open, revealing the resting countryside of Tuscany in January. The bar by the kitchen bustled with business as waitresses shouted wine orders.
