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      "For the Marcelli sisters of California wine country, the season is ripe for romance!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."

From the very first line, this book caught me ("Francesca Marcelli had only been pregnant for twenty minutes and already her back hurt.") The book itself is a worth reading, not-going-to-put-down kind of book, but what really kept me reading was the strength of the characters. I loved Francesca's quick-witted, bubbly personality and I loved that right from the start Sam was a gentleman and not the cynical, to-be-converted type that we read about oh-so often. The characters' attraction was instant and there relationship only flourished throughout the book, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading their interactions.

This is a book I'd definitely recommend it was humorous, passionate and comically romantic, both characters have promised not to wed again, yet both find themselves falling for the other. I'd give this book 4 stars out of 5 and a B+, while I enjoyed it thoroughly, A(s) are for my absolute top-favorite books.  
 
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I decided to review The Sparkling One as it was first published quite awhile back, but has been recently republished, and so, will gain more publicity, attracting more buyers.


  "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 fund-raiser, 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."

Katie and Zach are both strong-willed and stubborn so, when paired, it's almost always a fight-to-the-death match. It's comical, the way how both character's interact, and from the first instance Katie and Zach collide, sparks fly.

I loved Katie's character, right from the beginning, she was funny, smart and caring, just one side-effect of growing up in a crazy Irish-Italian household, not to mention being smothered with love and food by both her grandmothers, how could a girl not weigh 500 lbs? I loved Zach as well, although I loathed him for a bit in the beginning for using his work relationship with Katie to try and break Mia's engagement to his son but, despite that, he was a pretty lovable fellow.

I also loved the Marcelli family, although I disliked their primal belief in Alpha-males in a household, although that belief was mostly diminished by the end of this book. I would recommend this book for a romance lover or for a quick read, I would recommend it for someone who savors every romantic gesture, as the romantic gestures in this book comes in smaller, more subtle ways. I give this book 4 stars, maybe a B+.

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    March 2010