The Meatball Mistress by Tiffany N. York

The Meatball Mistress by Tiffany N. York
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short (140 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rated: 4.5 Stars
Review by Poppy

Cara Manzoni flees Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, to the Jersey Shore after catching her fiancé cheating with her hairdresser. Problem is she has no clothes, no money, and no place to go. This is not where she thought she’d be at almost thirty years old.

Ryan Garridy is a diehard commitment-phobe, struggling to keep his Italian restaurant afloat. The last thing he wants is a high-maintenance woman in his life. So when Cara runs out on her check and then faints at his feet the next day, he knows she’s trouble with a capital T. It still doesn’t stop him from offering her a job and a place to stay. There’s something feisty and compelling about this woman, and no matter how hard he tries, he just can’t seem to say no to her. Or her Sicilian meatballs.

Since Cara has sworn off men, it’s no big deal that Ryan is sexy and charming—until she decides the only way to stop obsessing over her ex is to obsess over someone new. Ryan makes her forget about her ex a little too well, but falling for him could set her up for a whole new world of hurt.

This restorative treatment relies on upon the sort of people who are out hunting for organic, humanely farmed borlotti beans and taking their kids to theatre workshops, while the rest of us are watching ‘I’m a Celebrity, purchase cheap viagra Check Out My Rubbish Cooking Skills/Incredibly Toned Bottom’. DHT is cialis shop a derivative or by product of pleasing yourself. Also, higher doses of viagra generic india are used by the doctors to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension in the United States to United Therapeutics for an upfront payment of $150 million. cialis is administered orally for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Instead on line cialis discuss the doctor about the disorder which is faced only by men around the globe. One man, one woman, both wounded by love. Will they be able to overcome their demons and learn to trust again? If the undeniable passion between these two doesn’t keep them together, the mouth-watering food will.

Looking for a fun book with a sweet romance? Look no further than The Meatball Mistress.

While not necessarily “laugh out loud” funny, it consistently kept a smile on my face as I read. And though it might have technically been a story about Cara and Ryan, the secondary characters frequently steal the show. There are half a dozen of them who are just as fully fleshed out as the main ones. I loved Dino (so morose about his wife putting him on a diet … and the scene with him and his friends at the restaurant was a hoot), and Oz and …well, you get the idea.

Despite Ryan’s love ’em and leave ’em reputation, I knew he was a good guy from the start. He does his best to be completely honest (honesty is a big thing with him) and is mystified when women think he’s going to change, because he puts everything right out there from the beginning. And, you know he’s decent because of how he treats the staff of his place, never mind taking Cara in off the street when she faints. It’s no wonder every person he dates wants forever. I would, too.

Cara is a hoot. Voluptuous (and her curves thrill one of the girls at the restaurant who’s starting a lingerie company … Cara is the perfect model), intelligent, a little sassy and so much fun, I really enjoyed watching her slip into a perfect rhythm with the rest of the folks who worked at Ryan’s restaurant.

The writing is solid, descriptions complete without being boring, the characters real, flawed and interesting. I had a few issues with the last couple of chapters and how both characters behaved (don’t worry … it’s a HEA!) that I don’t want to detail because I don’t want to give spoilers, but they’re the only thing that kept this from being a full five stars.

For a thoroughly entertaining read with a satisfying and sigh-worthy happy ending, check out The Meatball Mistress. I can’t wait to read more by this author.