Tracey Bateman's That's (not quite) Amore ~ Reviewed

That's (not quite) Amore
By Tracey Bateman
Published by Faith Words
ISBN-13: 978-0-446-69895-5

Description:

As interior designer and part-time baker for Nick Pantalone's coffee shop, Laini thinks she can juggle two jobs and two men. Can she do it all or will she just get burned?

When Laini Sullivan lands a job designing Nick Pantalone's coffee shop, there are two problems: one, Nick's nephew Joe hates all of her ideas, and two, Laini has to admit he's right—she's a disaster at design. Still, she can't risk losing the job. To compromise, Joe brings in help on the project, while Laini continues to bake the goodies that keep his customers lining up.

Their relationship is moving along until new guy Officer Mark Hall implies that Joe's family is tied to the mob. Things spin out of control when Laini meets the family, including "the uncles," who seem to confirm Mark's suspicions. To make things worse, Nana Pantalone makes it clear Laini isn't the kind of girl she has in mind for her grandson. Laini's not sure if she should give Joe the benefit of the doubt or set her sights on Mark and just fuhgetaboutit.

Review:

Grab a white chocolate latte and send the kids to the neighbors, 'cause you're in for a fab fun read! That's (not quite) Amore is perhaps the most hilarious romance I've read, bar none. Set in Manhattan and Long Island, you can feel the vibes so indigenous to New York. Laini is self-deprecating (can we all say "been there"?) as she finds herself alone in the apartment she once shared with her friends. They've all gotten engaged and married, leaving Laini alone with a ticking biological clock. The third in the Drama Queen series, That's (not quite) Amore gets Novel Reviews and my highest recommendation.

Reviewed by Ane Mulligan

Bonus Review:

This is my first Tracey Bateman novel. It won't be my last. Fun characters run amok through food, coffee, design, hormones and drama.

Italian grandmothers, "the uncles," crime drama, angst, angst and more angst plague Laini while she struggles with the fact that she can't figure out who she is and what she wants to do with what she's got. Bateman masterfully manages a huge and very eclectic cast of characters. Humor is laced throughout, yet there is a touch of melancholy for those who like a hint of it in their chick-lit.

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer