A Crazy Kind of Love [Mass Market Paperback]

Maureen Child (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 2004

Lucas Gallagher is the geek who bought the land Michaela "Mike" Marconi wanted for her dream house. She thinks he's infuriating, annoying and totally rude. Yet, he gets to her more than any other man ever has. But though Lucas may be a scientist, he's the rock star of scientists. His inventions have made him millions, his research is reshaping the study of medicine and he holds patents for numerous technological marvels. But now, when it means everything, he's failed. His younger brother, the family's 'golden child' is dying of cancer and Lucas, despite his brilliance, can't help him. In Chandler, he tries to hide from the world he knows.

Mike tried running away from her problems when she was a kid. When her mother lay dying, Mike ran. When her world crumbled, Mike hid. And she's learned that the only way to win is to stand your ground and keep trying. She doesn't understand what Lucas is talking about half the time, but she knows exactly what he's feeling. And while criticizing his complete lack of architectural ability, and remaking the house he's trying to build, Mike finds herself slipping into Lucas Gallagher's life.

She wakes him up and he shakes her up: the two of them are complete opposites, and nothing can keep them apart. Until Lucas's brother Justin comes home to die.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An author of 75 books in various genres (paranormals, Victorians, Wild West romances, etc.), Child is at her most charming in the contemporary romance series that began with 2004's And Then Came You: Sam's Story, the first in a trilogy about the three Marconi daughters (all workers in their family construction business) and involving several emotionally volatile—and very funny—Italian families in the fictional all-American town of Chandler, Calif. This second installment follows ace plumber Michaela "Mike" Marconi, who's a wisecracking extrovert professionally but mysteriously skittish about long-term love relationships. When equally career-driven scientist Lucas Gallagher buys what a miffed Mike considers her personal dream house, she inserts herself into his house-planning with what the "Rocket Man" considers infuriating confidence, but shies away almost pathologically from their growing mutual attraction. In truth, there's little suspense about the pair's personal secrets and, title notwithstanding, nothing particularly crazy about their love. But it's sassy repartee, not psychological depth, that's the plot's strong point; as a lighthearted read that's as heavy on humor and warmth as it is light on complexity (aside from subplots involving four additional love relationships), the book is a frothy delight. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

For years, plumber Michaela "Mike" Marconi has run from her problems, escaping into daydreams of the perfect home on "her" property. She has built the place over and over in her mind and knows just how it will look. So when she discovers that an outsider has already purchased the land and is building his house there, she is unable to resist the chance to turn the place into the vision she sees so clearly. Amazingly, scientific genius Lucas Gallagher doesn't seem to appreciate her well-meaning interference. But Lucas is fighting his own demons, and his confusion and frustration are palpable as Mike proceeds to make herself at home in his house while her curious combination of brashness and vulnerability sneaks its way into his heart. Child's latest contemporary romance set in Chandler, California, captures with careful, layer-by-layer revelations the personal histories of these two unhappy characters and their slow march toward trust and an all-encompassing love. Lynne Welch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (December 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312997531
• ISBN-13: 978-0312997533
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #906,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

USA Today best selling author Maureen Child is the author of more than ninety romance novels and novellas. Maureen is a five time nominee for the prestigious Rita award from Romance Writers of America.

One of her novels, A POCKETFUL OF PARADISE, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.

Maureen was not only on the Texas set to watch her characters come to life in front of the cameras, she was also tossed into the last scene by her husband and the producer, who both thought this would be a fun way to humiliate an author!

When her kids were small, Maureen started writing as not only a way to stay sane, but in the hopes of finding a job she could do and stay at home with them. Sanity is still an issue, but she did manage to write her way into a career she wouldn't trade for anything.

Over the years, she's written under lots of different names and she prefers the term 'pseudonym' to 'alias'. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing.

Under her own name, Maureen writes short contemporary novels for Silhouette Desire--books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling. Maureen is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances for NAL and darker paranormal stories for Silhouette Nocturne.

Life is busy but when she isn't writing you can find Maureen sitting under her 'thinking tree', coming up with new ideas for even more stories. When she isn't dreaming up a new book or writing a current one, Maureen loves to travel. Her favorite vacation spot is Ireland, with Scotland coming in a very close second. She and her husband love a good road trip and Maureen's looking forward to the day when she can actually drive to Ireland. Talk about the best of both worlds!

Maureen lives with her family in Southern California and loves to hear from her readers. Visit her online at www.maureenchild.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fine contemporary romance, November 29, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Crazy Kind of Love (Mass Market Paperback)

For two months the plumber has driven Lucas Gallagher crazy as he has his dream house built in Chandler. Lucas confronts Mike insisting he had the best San Francisco architect draw up the plans that she constantly modifies without his permission. Inside he knows her changes have been for the better, but cannot help but continually challenge her. For her part Michaela "Mike" Marconi cannot comprehend why she" stalks" him, but enjoys baiting her client though she wonders if it has to do more with the property she covets than the hunk she desires.

As Mike and Lucas fuss and fight over every turn of the wrench, they fall in love. However, Mike always runs away from potential love since her mother died when she was a child; she also has other secrets that she believes will drive men away even if she stayed. Lucas has never been a lady's man, leaving those pursuits to his twin brother while he relates better with scientific research. Even though they share delightful lovemaking, neither changes their mind that this is a brief affair though neither want to be the one to end it.

This fine contemporary romance begins as an amusing battle of the sexes, but with the turn of a wrench becomes a serious family drama. Mike is a fabulous lead protagonist fearing love because of people die while Lucas avoids relationships as he knows first hand how easily they collapse. Fans will appreciate the second Marconi tale (see sister's Sam's story AND THEN CAME YOU for the first novel) and salute Maureen Child for her clever interweaving of the next daughter's tale into this solid story line.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love It!!!, August 3, 2008

By 

Romance Fan (Tulsa, OK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Crazy Kind of Love (Mass Market Paperback)

I was vey glad to had found this book finally. I like Maureen Childs' books because of the deep bonds of family, friendships, and love. I was thrilled with this book and the other two on the Marconi series. I laughed and cried equally reading all 3, and unlike other series' books that involve families I loved the fact that the characters from one book do not disappear on the next ones and you still see them all interact and continue to learn what happens in their lives after their own story (or book) ends. I highly recommend A Crazy Kind of Love, and you can't read this one without reading the other two on the series And Then Came You and Turn My World Upside Down. For a light fun reading full of romance, laughter, likeable characters, and even some heartbreak this is the book>

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Youngest Marconi Sister Finds Love, May 14, 2007

By 

Jennifer Wardrip (Bloomington, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Crazy Kind of Love (Mass Market Paperback)

In the second installment of Maureen Child's Marconi Sisters Trilogy (after And Then Came You: Sam's Story (The Marconi Sisters), the story focuses on the youngest sister, "Mike" Michaila Marconi. All ready reeling from the fact that her dream property was bought by someone else, Mike has insinuated herself into the owner's life--by changing the way things are constructed in his house, and dropping by constantly to make helpful suggestions.

For Lucas Gallagher, the owner of the property Mike still considers her own, Mike is a thorn in his side. She's bossy, demanding, and somehow gets him to make changes on his own house that he never even considered. Added to that is the mutual sexual attraction that seems to ignite sparks whenever she's around, and the whole situation is a messy one.

I loved this second installment of the series! Mike's wild past comes back to haunt her, Lucas's brother Justin is barging back into his life, and the secondary characters truly make this book enjoyable. As Lucas and Mike fight to discover if they have the kind of sparks that can last a lifetime, lives are changed forever for each and every member of the Marconi family--and their added friends and community members.

I can't wait to get started on the final book in the series, Turn My World Upside Down: Jo's Story (The Marconi Sisters), which centers on oldest sister Jo!!