My Own Mr. Darcy Blog Tour

  My Own Mr. Darcy After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough. Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

Review:

I am an unrepentant lover of all things Jane Austen, with special emphasis on all things Mr. Darcy. Unlike the Elizabeth of this book, however, my preference lies nearly completely with Colin Firth's Darcy, although I wouldn't necessarily turn down Macfadyen's.

This is what I'd call a Cute Romance Novel, emphasis on cute. Lizzie is utterly adorable, largely because she trenchantly is who she is. She will not change or adjust for anyone, not even if it's to her benefit to do so. She believes she will meet and marry a Macfadyen-like Darcy, and she will not be deterred.

We all know that Chip is perfect for her. We also know that Mr. Dawson is not, although to Karey White's credit, she crafts both men with pluses and minuses. At some points in the book, we even find ourselves sort of hoping that Mr. Dawson becomes Lizzie's Mr. Darcy. Still, though, like Lizzie, we are torn. Chip is a good guy; he's devoted and kind and loyal and a heck of a kisser. Dawson, meanwhile, shows us that underneath his imperious exterior, he's a man hoping to connect with a woman. He occasionally lets us see the cracks in his facade, that there is a warm, loving, lovable man in there somewhere.

As Lizzie struggles with her heart, she also has to battle a Miss Bingley-esque character, although thank goodness there are no Wickhams. In fact, it could be argued that Lizzie's determination to have her Darcy is the Wickham in this book.

If you enjoy sweet, cute romances, you will love this one. You'll love it even more if you're a Darcy girl.

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Author Karey White Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.  

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Adam's Boys

Adam's Boys
by Anna Clifton
Published by Harlequin Australia
157 pages
Genre: romance; chick lit
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
2.5 / 5


Okay, so. This book. It's cute, it's entertaining, it's sweet. But it's missing something, perhaps a couple of somethings.

Abbie and Adam had a three-week fling four years ago, fresh on the heels of the death from cancer of Adam's beloved wife. Adam credits his time with Abbie for giving him the emotional strength he needed to return home to England from Australia and be a father to his new son.

But now, four years later, it appears that Adam has more than one son. When Adam and his older boy return to Australia, he is in for a bit of a shocker: Abbie is his baby mama, and they share a son.

This being a romance novel, you know that nothing will be resolved quickly. Our happy couple has to deal with Issues in their lives, both involving their respective families. And that's not all. Adam is irked that Abbie kept his second son a secret, and Abbie is hurt that Adam didn't return to her as he promised.

So with all of this drama, why isn't there more tension? It's as if the outcome is a given from the first page, and all the words in between are just words.

That isn't to say that this is not a sweet little book. It is. Abbie and Adam are enjoyable - Adam more so, because Abbie does some dumb stuff - and the little boys are adorable. Perhaps it's the slim length of the story; maybe that's why it feels so slight. I'm not sure. But just when the conflict and drama would start to get interesting, it would get resolved.

And don't go looking for hot sexy times, because there is not one bit to be found. None. Nada.

Maybe that's the problem? Maybe what heat is lacking in the story could have been made up for with some headboard rockin'?

This is a good choice for those of you who prefer your romance chaste, clean, and nice.

Plus One is a Lucky Number

Plus One is a Lucky Number
by Teresa F. Morgan
Published by HarperCollins U.K., Harper Impulse
Genre: romance; chick lit
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3.5./ 5


Weddings bring out the best or worst in people. There really is no in between. You either are impressed by someone or completely turned off.

Even more insufferable are those occasions when you are a guest at a wedding - a solo guest. You know that "plus one" on the invitation? Isn't it far more comforting and satisfying to pen in the name of your plus one than it is to leave it blank?

Sophie agrees. When invited to her cousin's wedding, Sophie dreads returning home single, without a plus one. So she checks the box and hopes for the best. With just a few days to go, however, Sophie realizes she either needs a miracle or needs to not show up.

Fortunately, the former obliges in the comely form of Adam, a coworker who also happens to be quite the heartbreaker.

Adam agrees to accompany Sophie not out of any great kinship or kindness but rather because he's guilted into it by a mutual friend of theirs. He hardly knows Sophie, and even though it turns out that the low key look she sports at work does not reflect the gorgeous woman she is, Adam nonetheless is a little nervous. The more time he spends with her, the more he likes her. The same goes for Sophie, who's heard the rumors about Adam. But he's nice to her, he plays the game in front of her friends and family, and on those occasions he "has" to kiss her? Those are quite, quite nice.

Adam and Sophie are far more alike than they would care to admit. Both of them are focused on work, both move about life avoiding romantic entanglements, and both protect their hearts. Which means they clearly are made for each other.

You can tell that this is one of those Cute Romance Novels, can't you? It's all cute, from Sophie to Adam to their families and friends. They're both so darn likable that you almost need an insulin shot. In fact, that's perhaps my biggest complaint: I needed a little something to cut the sugar, and by "a little something," I mean a hot sex scene.

For a while there, it looks like you're going to get one. Or more. But just as the action heats up, there is either coitus interruptus or the curtain comes down.

Still, for all its predictability and cuteness overload, it's a fun, quick read.

Just don't expect anything hot.

The Rebound Guy

The Rebound Guy
by Fiona Harper
Published by Harlequin Kiss
224 pages
Genre: chick lit; romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3 / 5


Kelly is a divorced mother of two young boys and she needs a good job. When she lands a temporary position with Jason Knight's athletic apparel company, she hopes for the best. What she gets is a hot boss who has no problem checking out her cleavage. The thing is, he is hot. And kind. And creative. And fun. So when business takes the two to New York, would anyone blame Kelly if she took "dictation"?

This is a flimsy, frothy book with little going for it aside from cute characters you will absolutely enjoy. We understand Kelly. She has two sons, her marriage was not a success, and she just wants security for her family. But she also needs love and romance, even as it scares her. Jason Knight is a man with a reputation for loving the ladies, yet he seems to enjoy her boys. And he treats her respectfully (once he stops staring at her cleavage). He's also a man trying to prove something, whether it's that he can run his company successfully or that he is not a womanizer.

Don't go looking for sexy times, because you won't find them here. The love scenes are fairly tame, especially considering the vast quantity of smut that I read. There were times I wanted more explicit writing, but that might diminish the cutness factor. And this book most certainly is cute.

I enjoyed it, I have to say. It is not without its flaws, but it's an enjoyable, quick read.

All Dressed Up

All Dressed Up
by Lucy Hepburn
Published by Diversion Books
331 pages
Genre: chick lit; romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3.5 / 5


We all know someone, whether it's a sibling or a parent or a friend, who thinks the world revolves around them. That they are the center of the universe. Aren't we so lucky that we get to spend time with them? Aren't we? Sure we are.

For Molly Wright, that center is her older sister Caitlin, who is in Italy preparing to marry her somewhat older, far wealthier, and extremely famous fiance. Despite Molly being an aspiring fashion designer, her sister hired a Parisian haute couture genius to do the job. Molly's dream is to live in Paris and design clothes, but her initial visit to the city proves to be less than fulfilling: she gets dumped by her boyfriend of five years, a man she thought was going to propose.

When Caitlin calls in a fit of hysteria over her dress not having been shipped to Italy, Molly volunteers to pick it up and take it herself. She and Pascal, the designer's assistant, hop on a plane and head to Venice.

Alas, things go horribly awry.

But the good news is that Simon, the hot Englishman sitting next to Molly on the plane? He might make all of this awfulness go down a whoooole lot better.

This is a book that alternates between slapstick silliness and dramatic sadness. In the midst of all of that overwrought emotionalism, though, are some sweet moments. Molly and her mother share a heartfelt talk in the back of a car, allowing Molly to say things she should have said years before. Her mother, too. The quiet moments between Molly and Simon are lovely, as are those between Molly and Pascal. There is a fantastic auction scene that tells us more about the characters than any of the frivolous scenes.

The romance is sweet. Molly and Simon are adorable, and Simon helps Molly see the difference between someone who appears to be good and someone who truly is. He and the ex-boyfriend are in the same line of work, but whereas Reggie makes movies based on fictional stories, Simon makes documentaries. He's real. And Molly needs real. If it all wraps up a little too neatly, then so be it. This isn't a book that wants to leave you with a cliffhanger. It wants to leave you happy and warm and fluffy and all that sort of stuff.

Fortunately, the scenes that matter and that affect us most are able to overpower the scenes that drive us nuts.

Love, Technically

Love, Technically
by Lynne Silver
Published by Entangled Publishing
95 pages
Genre: chick lit
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3.5 / 5


Mistaken identity is a common motif in books, and as done here, it's cute and fun.

Michelle has come to the big city of Chicago from her podunk Iowa hometown, searching for ... well ... she's not quite sure what. Something that isn't her podunk Iowa hometown, that much she knows. She wants to see things and experience things and live a life she knows is out there, somewhere. After a week as a call center rep at a software company, she is about to kick the printer to the curb. When a cute coworker helps her out, she's intrigued. Turns out that he's not just a coworker, he's the CEO of the company. But he doesn't tell Michelle that right away. He likes that she likes him for him, and he wants to keep it that way.

A breezy, fun read, this book doesn't ask more of you than to enjoy it. There is some headboard rockin', not the wildest or most explicit, but good.

One caveat: Michelle is almost unspeakably naive, and her obliviousness occasionally induced a little eye-rolling. But she's adorable, so you accept it. I did have a HUGE issue with the whole University of Chicago thing. That's a pretty good school, and Michelle is not presented as a genius, so that part was a bit of a head scratcher.

Along Came Trouble

Along Came Trouble
by Ruthie Knox
Published by Loveswept
Genre: romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3.5 / 5

It's one thing to have a famous brother, one known as much for his good looks and womanizing than any discernible talent. It's something else entirely when your famous brother falls in love with your pregnant neighbor, dumps her, and then leaves you and the ex-girlfriend to manage the horde of paparazzi that descends on your otherwise quaint little burb.

Such is the situation for single mother Ellen Callahan, whose quiet Ohio life gets knocked off kilter by her pop star brother's fame, so much so that her brother hires a security guard.

Girls. We should all be so lucky as to need a security guard if they come looking (and acting and thinking and kissing and ... uh ... yeah) like Caleb Clark, an Iraqi war vet. The two aren't exactly smitten at first sight, largely because Ellen is irate that her brother hired a security firm without consulting her first. Worse, Caleb appears inclined toward digging up a beloved tree that Ellen planted.

Ellen happens to like her life with her preschooler son, having made peace with her painful divorce. It isn't that Caleb is wrong for her, either. He's actually exactly what she needs. Only in true romance novel fashion, it takes Ellen a while to figure that out for herself. Meanwhile, her brother and neighbor have to work things out, and then there is the matter of that pesky ex-husband.

Sure, it's predictable. But it's fun, and I'll take fun predictability over dull anything else any day. The love scenes are good - not the hottest I've read, but nonetheless steamy and with just the right amount of detail. After reading them, you will want to clobber Ellen upside the head.

As we enter beach reading season, consider this one a good option. Fun, romantic, and escapist.

The Best Man

The Best Man
by Kristan Higgins
Published by Harlequin
432 pages
Genre: romance, chick lit
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview.
4 / 5


I have a well documented girl crush on Kristan Higgins. Her books always seem to cure what ails me, showing me happy, quirky families, flawed heroines, hot heroes, and true love conquering all. Fairy tales, yes, but believable fairy tales, the sort that might come true. I regularly loan her books to my high school students, and when the girls do not return the books, I replace them. Between Kristan Higgins and Megan McCafferty, I have spent a fortune raising their sales numbers.

And now we have the latest Higgins book, The Best Man. Her books follow a general formula: girl from a boisterous, nosy, noisy family falls for a boy who loves her, but there are complications, usually on his side. They come together, get broken apart, come together, rinse, repeat. What makes the books so enjoyable, though, is Higgins' writing style. She respects her characters, but with a wink and a smile. They are not perfect, their tales occasionally break your heart, but you will always enjoy a laugh (or several) as they go through their ups and downs.

For this one, the first in a series of sorts set in the same whimsical New England town, our heroine is Faith Holland, a landscape architect who bolted to San Francisco when her wedding was called off at the altar. By the groom. Who announced he was gay. And for which Faith holds local sheriff Levi Cooper somewhat responsible. Not for making Jeremy gay, but for failing to tell Faith his suspicions. Yet as we get to know Faith, we also can see that Jeremy left clues, even if he himself apparently had no idea.

Her career thriving in California, Faith returns home to help her family, who own a winery. The very first person she runs into is Levi, and Faith immediately feels herself propelled backwards to that fateful wedding day. She never got the sense that Levi cared much for her, and that sentiment seems to continue to hold true. Faith has trust issues - not surprising, given how the most important romance of her life worked out - and Levi has problems of his own.

As the two come together, their relationship is beset with various conundrums and problems. Typical of a Higgins book, most of the problems are Levi's, and we feel Faith's frustration in dealing with him. Somewhat atypical of a Higgins book, this is told in the third person. We spend most of our time in Faith's head, but we do get into Levi's every now and then. It helps us understand where each is coming from and what motivates them. Too often in Higgins' novels, the book ends without giving us much clarity or insight into the hero (and I'm looking at you, Malone, in Catch of the Day). Here, we do have a greater understanding of Levi, which makes us care about him even stronger, which makes us cheer for him and Faith even harder.

This is not my favorite Higgins book - that slot is reserved for My One and Only - but I enjoyed the heck out of reading it. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love a little with the characters. And my girl crush on Kristan Higgins remains unabated.

No Mistletoe Required

No Mistletoe Required
by Jeanette Murray
Published by Carina Press
71 pages
Genre: romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3 / 5 cupcakes


Yeah. This one. Um ... well ... it's cute.

But.

We have Anna, a petite little thing who enjoys volunteering at the hospital, particularly at Christmas time. She is determined that the children there get to visit Santa and have a few minutes of peace outside of their illnesses, so she gathers together sorority girls from the local university to help out. Dan shows up to help out and is drawn to Anna. He finds himself unable to stay away from her. But Anna doesn't make it easy for him. But unlike Anna, Dan hates Christmas, associating it with the death of his parents.

These two have a push and pull relationship, drawn to each other yet uncomfortable with it. They have to work past their own hang-ups to get close - especially Anna. Not that she doesn't have a good reason for being reluctant, but still. STILL.

The romance here is cute and sweet, if not occasionally frustrating. Don't go looking for anything hot, because all you'll find is hot chocolate. That isn't to say that this is a bad book. It isn't. It's a fun, enjoyable read. It just isn't terribly compelling. When I put it down, I didn't miss it. And I enjoy missing a book.

His Larkville Cinderella

His Larkville Cinderella
by Melissa McClone
Published by Harlequin Romance
192 pages
Genre: romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3 / 5 cupcakes


So much about this book is predictable and rings of "haven't I read that somewhere before?" Yet it's fun! It's cute! And you won't have a diabetic attack while reading it!

Megan aspires to be a costume designer in Hollywood and realizes that starting at the bottom is what she must do. Her current job, as an assistant to a domineering designer, may not be glamorous, but it's another rung on the ladder. Some day, Megan believes, she will showcase her own designs in a film.

On this particular movie set, she meets cinematic heartthrob Adam, the object of many women's desire. Megan is not so much unimpressed as apathetic toward him. She recognizes that he's good looking, but she is focused on her career. Her very lack of fawning adoration attracts Adam, and he soon is in hot pursuit.

Yeah, you know what's going to happen. And you know there will be obstacles to their true love. But as much as you know exactly how this will play out, you'll still keep reading. Adam is more than just a hot actor; he is soulful (of course he is) and he really likes Megan. She resists him as much as she can, but she succumbs (of course she does). They're just so cute.

This is a sweet romance. Don't go looking for hot and steamy, because you won't find it here. But sometimes we need a little sweetness in the day, and this fits the bill nicely.

Lean on Me

Lean on Me
HelenKay Dimon
Published by Carina Press
111 pages
Genre: chick lit; romance
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3 / 5 cupcakes


What happens when a professional mountain climber meets a guy afraid of heights?

Well, you know exactly what happens, don't you?

Cassidy has come home, and not one person is happy to see her. This could have something to do with her having said some not so nice things about the old hometown. The reasons behind her disparaging words come out later, but suffice it to say, there are people who won't like her anyway, jealous little minds that they are. Unfortunately for Cassidy, her stepfather acts strangely and it is clear she can't stay with him. But she's running low on money, and she has nowhere to stay, so she camps out in a remote corner of a nursery's fields, nestled in at the edge of the plants.

The nursery happens to be owned by Mitch, a former high school crush. Mitch still arries a torch for Cassidy, and when he discovers where she's been staying, he offers her his nice warm home. And his even warmer bed.

Cassidy is no fool, and she knows better than to turn down Mitch's offer - both of them. There are some pretty good sexy times in this book, but - go ahead and say it with me - I wanted more. That's a compliment, HelenKay Dimon, because it means that you write good sex scenes.

There is no real conflict here, at least nothing overly dramatic. Yes, we want to find out what's up with Cassidy's stepfather, and yes, we want to know the details on Cassidy's snarky comments about her hometown, but there isn't a whole lot of tension. As heroes go, Mitch is pretty good. He's hot, for one thing, and he's loyal. He sticks by Cassidy even when everyone in his life - and I do mean everyone, because this is one nosy, judgmental town - tells him he's making a mistake.

This is a decent book, if not a memorable one. It just needs more ... more sex and more conflict.

Sugar Rush

Sugar Rush
by Rachel Astor
Published by Bliss
158 pages
Genre: romance; chick lit
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3 / 5 cupcakes


I realize I court disdain when I say that this book is very sweet, but it is. It's sweet. It's also cute and adorable. Yet it will frustrate you because you will want recipes for all of the chocolate you read about - or at least a place where you can buy it.

Dulcie (yep - that's her name) wants to be everything to everyone. She wants to be a good granddaughter to her grandmother, a good daughter to her deceased mother, a good boss to her employees, a good friend, a good citizen (she tries to help a homeless girl), a good student and a good business owner. In short, she wants to be what other people want her to be, as opposed to knowing what she wants to be for herself.

She is struggling, though. She's trying to complete her Masters degree while operating Candy Land Confections, a chocolatier business that also is struggling. Her competition is How Sweet It Is, which is owned by a man with whom her grandmother is locked in a long standing feud.

But then one day, Dulcie meets Nick Sugarman (yep - that's his name), the heir to How Sweet It Is. Nick isn't all that interested in chocolates; he'd rather create cupcakes, for what it's worth, but he feels some obligation to his father. Like Dulcie, he exists in a world in which no one asks him what he wants to do.

The two decide to compete in an annual chocolatier competition, one that How Sweet it Is would like to win but that Dulcie needs to win. She needs the financial boost that the winning check would bring, not to mention the new customers that would come.

Meanwhile, though, she and Nick like each other, even if her grandmother and his father disapprove.

This book ... I don't even know how to discuss it. It's sweet (there I go again) and adorable, but there isn't much substance to it. Dulcie is not a terrible person, but yet I didn't like her all that much. I mostly wanted to shake her and beg her to tell me what she thinks she needs to be happy. I don't think we ever really got a sense of that. Yes, she wants Candy Land Confections to be successful, but that's more out of duty to her mother than her own desires. She wants romance, but when Nick comes offering it, she initially rebuffs him.

Then there is Nick, who is more likable than Dulcie, but still not a hot hero or anything. He allows his father to push his buttons, and he's only in it because he doesn't want someone else to take over the business. Neither one of these people appear to want what they are working so hard to keep, professionally that is.

In terms of hotness, well, you won't get a whole lot. It's a book about chocolate, so if you're going for hot, the chocolate will melt. GET IT? Plus, it's too sweet to be hot.

This isn't to say that I did not enjoy the book; I did. Just not enough to fall in love with it. Now, I did fall in love with some of the candy described in there. Oh, that I liked quite a bit.

The Runaway Princess

The Runaway Princess
by Hester Browne
Published by Gallery Books
448 pages
Genre: chick lit; romance
Thanks to edelweiss for the preview
3 / 5 cupcakes


When you watched Prince William marry Kate Middleton, did you wish you were a princess? Just a teensy tiny bit? The dress? The tiara? The carriage? All those cameras trained on you, all those eyes?

For Amy Wilde, such fantasies do not exist. She just wants to meet a nice man who loves her. He doesn't have to be a prince or a lord or even a court jester. Just be kind, loving, supportive. So when she meets Leo at a party she and her friend throw, she thinks that she might have found what she's looking for. He's gorgeous, he shows interest in her, and he seems to like her.

Now, most girls, when the man they are interested in turns out to be a prince, would be thrilled. And Amy is, to some degree. Leo, it turns out, is actually Leopold William Victor Wolfsburg of Nirona, a fictional kingdom near Italy. The good news is that Leo's father is second in line to the throne, so there isn't any potential of Leo becoming king or anything. The pressure is off ... a little, anyway. Leo's mother, a former super model, demands a certain amount of princessy perfection from Amy, demanding that her wardrobe be suitable and that she appear poised and regal. Meanwhile, Amy's business, a horticulture landscaping company she co-owns with a pal, demands her attention, as do her parents. How can she be the future bride Leo appears to want?

This is a cute, sprightly book, but don't let that cuteness fool you. At its crux, Hester Browne's book asks an important question: just how much are you willing to give up in exchange for the person you love? What if you need to change the essence of who you are, even if just a little?

Leo loves Amy, we do not question that, and he's a good man. But Leo, it turns out, is what bothers me most about this book. He's dull. Not that Amy Wilde is all that wild; she's actually a fairly modest, conservative girl who happens to enjoy a glass of wine or three. She's hard working and focused, and she needs someone less buttoned up, otherwise she risks being dull. And dull she becomes, the more she hangs out with Leo. He's all about family duty, and although he cares deeply for Amy, I didn't want them together. His rafish brother Rolf is the family's wild child, and, likewise, a lot more interesting. I'm not saying Amy needs a bad boy, but she needs someone with some edge to him. And Leo does not.

As far as a fun, cute read is concerned, this is a decent one. Its hotness quotient is nearly nonexistent; there is some snogging but all shagging is kept away from us. Maybe if Leo turned out to be a scorching lover, he would have kept my interest. But we don't know, because Hester Browne never tells or shows us.

What we're left with, then, is a capable, cute story that does ask interesting questions. Unfortunately, it lacks an interesting hero.

Against His Will

Against His Will
by Trish Jensen
Published by Bell Bridge Books
230 pages
Genre: romance; chick lit
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3 / 5 cupcakes


Okay, it's cute. Cute story, cute characters, cute cute cute. There is even a cute bulldog named Muffin. Cuteness overload.

But is it hot?

Weeelllllll .....

Jake Donnelly is an FBI agent who inherited some money and property, including a beloved mountain cabin, from his Aunt Sophie. Actually, Jake didn't inherit anything. Muffin, an overindulged bulldog accustomed to spending two weeks of his summer vacation at a dog spa, inherited the whole thing. When Jake learns that he is muffin's designated caretaker, he also discovers that the mountain cabin can be his - provided he takes exemplary care of Muffin. So it is that Jake winds up at the dog spa with Muffin, where he encounters comely dog psychiatrist LeAnne Crosby. He views her with suspicion and disdain, suspecting that she might have tried to fleece his aunt. And a pet psychiatrist? Seriously?

LeAnne realizes that Jake is suspicious of her, but that does nothing to dampen her desire for him. Or his for her. They sniff around each other (GET IT?), pushing and pulling against their attraction. And then a witness Jake and his FBI partner are protecting shows up, and some bad guys show up, and we have a different chase on our hands.

The subplot is just a ridiculous farce. It's almost as if Trish Jensen knew it was silly, but she couldn't stop herself from including it. The reason for it becomes quickly apparent (let's just say that it might involve that cabin in the woods), but you can't help but think that there would have been a more plausible way to make that magic happen.

Oh, yeah. The magic. The sex scenes are ... cute. A lot more cute than hot, let's just say. After all the teasing, I wanted a bigger payoff. The sexy times definitely fit in with the rest of the cuteness of the book, though, so if that pulls your engine cord, then you will love this book.

A word about the cover: what is up with THAT? An apple with a bite out of it? I don't recall apples being a central motif of this thing, nor is there an Adam-and-Eve theme going on. That cover is a head-scratcher.

That's Amore

That's Amore
Wendy Markham
Published by Forever
352 pages
Available on Amazon.com
Thanks to NetGalley for the preview
3.5 / 5 cupcakes

Are you? Are you singing the song? Do you hear Dean Martin waxing romantic about the moon hitting your eye like a big pizza pie?

When you read That's Amore, however, you will find yourself singing "Has Anybody Seen My Gal." I know that sounds odd, to say the least, but Wendy Markham quotes that song in the book, not the one that first springs to mind.

Daria Marshall, all 5'2" of her (GET IT NOW?) is what you might call a runner. She does not like to stay put for long periods of time and has speedy departures down to an art form. She packs light, doesn't get attached to anything - not belongings, not people - and is always itching for a new place to be. When we meet her, she's in New York, staying with her sister Tammy, a psychic with whom Daria has maintained a long distance relationship. Tammy and Daria share certain psychic abilities, only rather than seeing into the future, Daria sees dead people.

For reals.

Her complete opposite is Ralphie Chickalini, who has lived in the same house all his life, even after the deaths of his parents. His family is close by, together they all have a hand in the running of the family's pizza parlor, and Ralphie is nothing if not entrenched in Queens. Sure, he thinks about moving, but he can't bring himself to leave his home. He feels his father's presence there. But one thing he doesn't feel is peace. Ralphie is engaged to Francesca, a woman his family adores more than he does. When she breaks up with him, Ralphie is not exactly heartbroken.

Naturally, Daria, the girl who can't stand still, and Ralphie, the boy who can't move, meet. They have an instant attraction, one that strikes Daria most fearfully. She knows she can't - or really won't - stick around, but Ralphie. Oh, Ralphie. He begins to mean something to her. That he cares for her concerns him, but only because he is afraid she'll leave.

There are some pesky ghosts, both those whom Daria sees and the more emotional variety, that must be dispensed with before these two can truly come together.

This is a cute, sweet story. Ralphie is instantly likable; Daria takes some time to warm up to, only because she gets a bit annoying with her insistence that she MUST move and frequently. Ralphie's family, straight out of Central Casting for "big Italian clan", is likable as well. Not all is as it seems within the Chickalini herd, however, which adds a little unexpected zest to the story.

In terms of hot romance, it is here, albeit briefly. There is a scene that entails rocking the headboard, and while it is not particularly spicy or likely to linger in your mind, it is very fitting for a cute, sweet book such as this.

My biggest beef is the way Markham spells Chickalini. It's so .... un-Italian. Ciccialini seems to be the more traditional, not Americanized way to spell it, but even I know this is a ridiculous thing to complain about.

Cute, sweet, nice. That's That's Amore.