Just Finished:
Synopsis: Of all the Marcelli sisters, the one who dreams of running the family's winery is Brenna -- and she's about to get her chance. But taking the helm at Marcelli Winery is tougher than she bargained for -- especially when she butts heads with her grandfather, whose Old World ways dictate that a male should inherit the business. In need of some fast capital in order to prove her grandfather wrong, Brenna turns to Nic Giovanni, her family's nemesis....Years ago, she ended her secret relationship with Nic, choosing loyalty to her family over the hot passion they shared. But now he's back in her life, he's loaned her a million dollars, and their feelings for each other are stronger than ever. Brenna must find out for herself: is Nic the love of her life? Or the schemer who could topple the Marcelli dynasty -- and break her heart?

My Thoughts ***CONTAINS SPOILERS***: I enjoyed this one maybe most out of the series so far. Anyone who knows me at all knows I’m a sucker for an unrequited love / lost love kind of story. Brenna and Nic secretly dated 10 years ago and fell in love. Because they come from families that are mortal enemies of each other, they reached the point in their relationship where they needed to choose their future. Nic chose Brenna; Brenna chose her family. Nic was kicked out of the family and went to Europe while Brenna married a man she didn’t love.

Brenna finds herself working with Nic and the more time she spends with him, the more the old feelings surface. And when the old feelings surface, new conflicts arise. Such as Brenna finding out Nic had betrayed her. How she and her family handle this betrayal is great story telling by Susan Mallery, in my opinion.

I also enjoyed that the long-lost brother Joe makes an extended appearance in this story and I found myself really liking him. I enjoyed the reluctant, uncomfortable bond he formed with his sisters and how he soon adapted to being a bit of a protective older brother, especially to Brenna.

Verdict: This was Very Good. I enjoyed Brenna’s story very much and was happy to see that the conflicts that had been hinted at in the previous books came to a very satisfying conclusion. And I have to say, I found myself really liking that old crusty man, Lorenzo Marcelli, by the end of this story.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery

Just Finished:
Synopsis: Francesca Marcelli married at eighteen -- right on schedule, according to her warm, colorful family, who have always said a beauty like Francesca need never worry about finding love. But a few years later, finding herself on her own with a wide open future ahead of her, she pursues her educational passions -- with a risky experiment that takes her straight into the arms of playboy CEO Sam Reese. Delighted by Francesca's interest in a no-strings relationship, Sam suddenly finds himself needing her outside the bedroom when a secret from his past lands on his doorstep. But Francesca soon has a secret of her own to tell -- a bombshell that will force the diehard bachelor to show his true colors. Are there "I do"s in Sam and Francesca's future? Only if she can persuade him that home truly is where the heart finds happiness.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Marcelli series is a great way to spend a day. I enjoyed Francesca and Sam’s relationship, starting from the unusual way they met. And of course, the writing’s on the wall as soon as they agree to have sex with no strings. They soon formed a friendship that turned into a relationship, unbeknownst to them.

The only thing I couldn’t forgive about the book and something that still bugs me is how Kelly (Sam’s secret daughter) traveled to Santa Barbara from New York. The 12-year-old girl ran right up to the counter, late for the flight and they let her right on??? No ID? No parent? A child claiming to be 15 and they didn’t question it? The way airport security is now? That was a stickler for me and still bugs me.

Okay, maybe a second thing bugged me a bit too. The use of the word “panties”. Maybe it’s a regional thing, I don’t know. But I don’t think grown women wear panties, do they? Underwear? Yes. Lingerie? Yes. Panties? Again, maybe it’s just a regional thing. But that left me with a bit of an ick factor.

Verdict: This was Good. Mallery’s writing is very good in this one, I just couldn’t get past the few things that bugged me. All in all, though, I did enjoy the read and was happy to spend some time with my favorite Irish-Italian family again.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Good, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery

Just Finished:

Synopsis: A party planner extraordinaire, Katie Marcelli loves her big, boisterous family -- even when their chronic matchmaking drives her crazy! In the Marcelli household, fine wine and good food are as celebrated as true love, so when her eighteen-year-old sister announces her engagement, Katie promises her the perfect wedding. There's only one hitch: the father of the groom, Zach Stryker, who is adamantly opposed to his son marrying so young. Now, despite her instant attraction to the handsome, arrogant attorney, Katie must approach with caution: Zach, who hired Katie for a major fundraiser, holds the fate of her business in his hands -- and how can she trust a man who is willing to break her sister's heart? It will take a passionate battle of wills to determine if wedding bells will ring for a Marcelli bride, and to unlock the deepest desires -- for family, love, and home -- inside a strong-willed man's heart.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. I’ve had the Marcelli books in my stacks for quite awhile now, but after talking to Nath and Anne over at Anne’s blog, I was motivated to whip these out and start reading them. And can I just say, I had an uber-crush on Zach from the very beginning???

This book is not only about Katie and Zach, but also encompasses the entire Marcelli Irish-Italian clan. I enjoyed the family aspect of the story, and I think SM did a wonderful job of world building for the future Marcelli books. I enjoyed Francesca, Brenna, and Mia almost as much as I did Katie and Zach (notice I said almost). Did I enjoy the grandfather, Lorenzo’s, male chauvinistic views?? No. Not so much, but it gives great groundwork for Brenna’s story and I can’t wait to see how she resolves this conflict.

As far as the much coveted ILY, I thought it came too soon. I was just starting to actually believe in Zach and Katie as a couple and then in the last two pages, it was over. I wouldn't have minded if the story would have been a little longer, but I suppose 326 pages is long enough. I have no suggestions on what could have made this better. It's just my opinion.

Verdict: This was Very Good. This was a wonderful starter book for the series and I’m looking forward to reading the rest soon (hopefully).

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Marcelli series, Pocket, Susan Mallery, Very Good

Just (Didn't) Finish:
Synopsis: Is there anything sweeter than a first love?

Don''t ask Claire Keyes. The twenty—eight—year—old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family—which is just part of the reason she hasn''t seen the family bakery or her two sisters in years.

But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can''t boil water, she''s determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to—do list…along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.

Ruggedly sexy Wyatt just might fit the bill. Although he keeps saying that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet—talk him into her bed…and her life.

My Thoughts: I couldn't get past page 50. I tried. I just couldn't. I hated Nicole (the sister), Jessie (the other sister) just disappeared, I didn't like Wyatt (the love interest), and after 50 plus pages I didn't feel like I'd gotten to know Claire (the heroine) enough to care one way or the other.

Verdict: This was Awful. I've enjoyed the few Susan Mallery books I've read in the past, so I'm not giving up on her; but I am doubtful I'll read the rest of the series.

Labels: Contemporary Romance, Did Not Finish, Harlequin, Susan Mallery

Just Finished:



Why I Read It: Because I’m still on my Christmas kick.

From the Back Cover: Holly Garrett was in trouble. The handsome stranger who'd saved her from a storm was now asking her for help. And he was inviting her to live with him. Sure, she could prepare evening meals and give him sponge baths, but nothing had prepared her for those sexy glances he threw her way...Jordan Haynes couldn't let Holly be alone for Christmas. Not when visions of her were dancing in his head night after night. No, he could play the needy patient as well as anyone...and convince her to keep him company through the holidays-- if not longer.

My Thoughts: I loved the first half of this book. The chemistry between Holly and Jordan practically leapt off the pages and I loved how they connected as friends. I enjoyed how Jordan’s family immediately embraced them into their clan and treated her like one of their own, since she no longer had a family.

Then, about halfway into the book, the story changed and focused more on their attraction and with that, more on Holly’s virginity. She’s 28, but as innocent as a child. She doesn’t understand the physical relationship between men and women. She didn’t know what an erection was. I found it hard to believe that even though she was a virgin she didn’t understand the basic biology of sex. Human reproduction is taught in high school, for goodness sakes. I found this a bit hard to believe that she didn’t understand/know anything about this.

I also didn't like that I couldn't ever really figure out how old Jordan was. Susan Mallery didn't include this in the book. I don't have an answer to why, but it just irritated me. Probably because I don't like books with huge age gaps between the H/H.

I’d rate this one Okay. It started out good, but took a turn south towards the middle of the book. I’ll still read the rest of the books in the series (there are 5 Haynes brothers, plus a friend considered a surrogate brother and then the newly discovered half-sister ~ this makes 6 other books in the series) ~ just because I’m a bit of a series whore and need to read all of them. Of course, I usually read them in order but since this was my first Susan Mallery and it was a Christmas book I didn’t know it was part of one.

Labels: Holiday Romance, Okay, Susan Mallery