From Publishers Weekly
Criswell, best known for her American historical romances, makes her delightful contemporary debut with a funny and sexy romance filled with eccentric Italians who liveAnot in New Jersey like Janet Evanovich's charactersAbut in Maryland. The trouble with Mary is that she's a 33-year-old virgin who yearns for independence from her strong-willed mother. To that end, she has opened an Italian restaurant and is looking to be "zinged." The further trouble with Mary is that the man she wants to zing with, Dan Gallagher, is the same journalist who gave Mary's restaurant, Mama Sophia, a scathing reviewAand he's a divorced father who has come to believe that a woman's place is in the home. Add into the mix an Italian kleptomaniac grandmother, an overbearing Italian mother, a father who invents accessories for the toilet, a wicked Jewish best friend, a 200-pound landlady and Matt, Dan's potty-mouthed son, and readers will have a pretty good idea of what's really the trouble with Mary. Though the 33-year-old virgin angle is somewhat effective, it's not entirely believable. And yet Mary's observations of the people around her, the scorching chemistry between Dan and Mary and the delicious recipes Criswell sprinkles throughout make this a worthwhile read. (Jan.) Forecast: With her move into modern romances, Criswell is sure to add to her following. Fans will look forward to next summer's What to Do About Annie?ACriswell's romance between Mary's Jewish best friend and Mary's brother Joe, a soon-to-be-ex-priest.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Criswell, known for her historical romances, cooks up a hilarious contemporary romance chock-full of delightful characters and wonderful-sounding recipes. When the going gets tough, Mary Russo goes for the chocolate. Her boss at the pizza parlor has just committed suicide, and while gorging on chocolate cannoli (recipe included), Mary decides to open her own Italian restaurant in Baltimore. In spite of her mother's strenuous objections, Mary manages to make it a success until the new restaurant critic, Dan Gallagher, gives it a bad review. Dan doesn't like Italian food, but when Mary comes to the paper to complain, he finds that he does like Italian women. Mary reciprocates the attraction and decides that Dan would be the ideal candidate for her first affair. But their love life is complicated by Mary's zealous family, who wants her to find a nice Italian boy, and a grandmother with kleptomaniac tendencies. Delicious and lively, Criswell's clever romance will leave readers hungry for more.
Patty EngelmannCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
