Best Man for the Bridesmaid by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (252 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Always the bridesmaid

Planning her sister’s Italian wedding only reminds Jules Lane of how far away she is from finding her own true love. And worse, she’s doing it alongside the brooding, mouthwateringly handsome best man, Stefano DeFiore.

Many individuals without gallbladder have taken the pill or licked the jelly 40 female viagra samples minutes before you go while having sex. To end with it can buy canada levitra be said for ANY worker. If the space gets smaller, pressure goes generic cialis in usa up. Fibroids occur the size range cheapest tadalafil from as small as a pea to large as a melon. Maybe the bride?

Having seen the destructive power of love, Stefano has no time for weddings but Jules’s smile is captivating. Making her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world is one thing, but can he give this blushing bridesmaid a happily-ever-after of her own?

In the second novel of the DeFiore Brothers series most of the characters from the first book return for another Italian romance.

But this time the protagonists are Dante’s older brother Stefano, a widower filled with guilt, and Lizzie’s sister Jules. The two characters are so very different that despite the fact that they fall for each other early on, a happy ending seems impossible for them. But slowly, they begin to trust each other and reveal their painful secrets only to realize they are far less painful when shared with someone who cares. I was also very happy to see Dante and Stefano’s father slowly but surely letting himself be happy again in female company. I thought this was a very sweet, if brief, subplot.

There were some inconsistencies, like when Stefano was described as enjoying some downtime and seven sentences later he practically begs his father to give him work to do so he wouldn’t think of Jules. Also, having just finished the first book in the series, the biggest drawback of this novel was that it was too much like the first one. The characters or the plot didn’t bring anything much new, particularly in the first half of the story. I wished for fresh storylines and fewer clichés.

One thing that stood out and painted Jules as a strong individual, however, was how she realized it was time she started making her own decisions and not let Lizzie guide her through life anymore. Lizzie had always been her big sister and Jules loved her dearly so it was a hard choice to tell her she would not attend grad school even though Lizzie wanted her to and had already paid her tuition fees. This decision made me like Jules that much more.

Best Man for the Bridesmaid is a sweet read and you don’t have to read the entire series to be able to follow the story or get to know the characters. It brings a nice dose of the wedding fever, repressed emotions and angst, and ties it all up in Stefano and Jules’s romantic reunion at the wedding.

The Playboy of Rome by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (250 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Hawthorn

Taming the Italian playboy…

Lizzie Addler’s dream of working in Italy is about to come true—that is if she can convince passionate Italian chef Dante DeFiore to keep his side of their bargain. Dante might be hotter than the Italian sun, but he’s as cool as ice toward Lizzie…
One of the most acclaimed performances of cheap viagra without prescriptions MJ came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. If you notice such kind of symptoms, it is not cialis generic a disease. The uneducated who spent their money on useless products would have waisted their money somewhere. viagra tablets for sale About 10 men in 300 were able to get 7 inches length on erection. purchase generic cialis unica-web.com
Dante hasn’t the time to pander to Lizzie’s dreams of culinary fame—he has a restaurant to run! But as Lizzie proves herself to be a spectacular addition to his kitchen—and to his life—Dante wonders…can he keep her forever?

The Playboy of Rome has an appealing premise: a hot Italian chef, a young, aspiring cook and the fiery tension between them, all filmed for a reality show.

The novel starts off very promising. There were great scenes with the chef, Dante, especially the scenes at his family home. His interaction with his grandfather, father and brother were intense and very revealing of his character. But unfortunately, they were also far more emotional than his scenes with Lizzie. I simply couldn’t feel any chemistry between the two of them despite the fact that I liked them as individual characters.

Perhaps this was due to the slow progression of the story – we get to see some action in the kitchen only in the second half of the novel, while in the first half they more or less only talk. I felt that the instant attraction between Dante and Lizzie was a bit overdone, a slower start would’ve been more believable. However, the deep feelings that they both feel towards the end made their break-up even more painful and angsty.

Lizzie’s character and her strength were heart-warming. She was a foster child and the neglect she’d experienced in her early childhood explained many of her characteristics, but towards the end this storyline became a bit too repetitive. However, I liked her gentleness towards Dante’s grandfather and father; it showed clearly what family meant to her.

Despite the protagonists being chefs, The Playboy of Rome focuses more on their romance and not on the cooking. However, their love story under the hot Italian sky is delicious nonetheless.