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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed and a bit confused, July 20, 2010
This review is from: Crush on You (Three Kisses) (Mass Market Paperback)
I am on the lookout for new authors as I am traveling in a couple of weeks and am saving my favorite authors for the trip: Nora Roberts, Lisa Kleypas, Gena Showalter, Mary Balogh and a few others. (I read fast). The reviews looked good and I liked the premise of this book so I thought I'd try it. First off, I very rarely write reviews because it all comes down to personal taste. But I have to say, I'm quite confused. Did I read the same book as everyone else? I could not find anything likable about Penn and Alessandra. I would almost go as far as say I hated Alessandra. I know that for romance novels, you have to suspend reality a bit. Actually, that is why I like them. There was just too much in here that was too hard to swallow. Especially Alessandra's reaction to her friend's wedding towards the end of the book. Actually, a lot of the reactions in this book had me rolling my eyes or laughing in disbelief. And then the resolution? Really, that's it? Where is the dunk tank every time I make bad choices? There were several things about the writing that kept throwing me off. Everyone was referred to as bride-to-be and groom-to-be. Okay once or twice, but several times in a given description and in every description? Lying alone in her bride-to-be bed? really? What happened to the term fiancé(e)? Why couldn't the author just use bride/groom? I will admit, that is just me being picky. But it was really annoying. Next...Penn Bennett from a home improvement show, Build Me Up. For whatever reason, it kept reminding me of Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover Home Edition. And then a superfluous character adding to a superfluous conflict was named Lana Lang. Wasn't she Clark Kent's high school girl friend? (smallville anyone?). Regardless of the fact that I had a feeling of borrowed names, I thought Penn's background story was interesting enough without the drama with this Lana character and should have been developed more. I don't know. Maybe I thought the whole story seemed to lack focus. The only reason I gave this book any stars is because I liked the secondary characters Clare and Gil. I was also interested in Guiliana and Liam's story...but I don't think I can actually sit and read their book. I read all types of romance novels: historical, contemporary, paranormal, & um...spicier ones (some with little plot). Ones that make you laugh out loud, some that make you want to cry,and some that are just quick fluff reads. This was probably one of the hardest for me to get through. Again, reviews are all subjective, and this is just my opinion. And, admittedly a harsh one. I'm just surprised no one else had any issues.
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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's the Nun of Napa vs The Hollywood Hottie..Something's Bound to Get Crushed Besides...Grapes, June 24, 2010
This review is from: Crush on You (Three Kisses) (Mass Market Paperback)
Crush on You is the first book in a new trilogy by Christie Ridgway set in Napa Valley wine country. I loved her previous series about knitting so it wasn't a stretch that this book (and the series) would be equally enjoyable and entertaining. Alessandra Baci's grand plan to restore the Baci wedding cottage to it's former glory and rent it out for wedding ceremonies, seems like just the ticket to bring in extra revenue and save Tanti Baci from certain bankruptcy. But her plan hits an unexpected roadblock when the contractor she hires to do the work bails on her at the last minute for a better paying job. How convenient is it then, that Penn Bennett, TV personality, Hollywood Hottie and star of his own wildly successful home renovation show Build Me Up is home visiting his half brothers Liam and Seth Bennett, who also just happen to own their own winery and are the Baci sisters biggest rivals. From the moment Penn spies Alessandra complete in her wedding dress (and pajamas), rubber soles of her flip-flops slapping against the heels of her feet, flying across the yard towards him, he can't help but be captivated by the youngest Baci sister. And after a few fake tears (yes he knows they're fake and calls her on it), no one is more surprised than Penn himself when he offers up his handyman services in order to get the renovations done on time. Alessandra may not like the Bennett's (but does Penn really count since he's the newly discovered bastard son?), but she knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth - or in this case a Bennett and so she accepts his helping hand. A hand attached to the end of a very infuriating, exceedingly hot Bennett that makes her girl parts tingle. Neither Penn nor Alessandra is looking for a long term relationship. After all she's not called the Nun of Napa for no reason after her own wedding day ended tragically five years earlier when her fiancé didn't make it to his own "Big Day". And Penn is only home for a short time and has no intention of giving up his bachelor ways in LA. Yet neither can deny that they definitely throw off the sparks whenever they are around each other. Makes for some fun and muy caliente reading! No review would be complete without mentioning Gil. It's always an unexpected pleasure when the secondary characters in a book are almost as interesting as the main ones. I fell just a little bit in love with him and his storyline is what made Crush on You more than worth reading for me. Gil is Alessandra's cousin, but also more importantly the best friend and "Maid of Honor" for Clare who's own impending nuptials are scheduled to be the first at the Baci Wedding Cottage. Mmmmm wonder how that turned out? Gil and Clare's story deserves its own book! Maybe a prequel? Crush on You will certainly make you laugh, may even make you tear up and it's the perfect summer read for a lazy day at home or the beach.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Really liked the secondary plotline, July 18, 2010
This review is from: Crush on You (Three Kisses) (Mass Market Paperback)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Crush On You was a fun contemporary romance with a bit of everlasting heartbreak on the side. What I found most interesting about this book was that besides the main romance between Alessandra and Penn there was a secondary romance between Alessandra's best friend and her cousin, and to me that secondary romance completely stole my heart. It was the story between two best friends, one of whom is about to be married when the other realizes he's completely in love with her but it's basically too late to do anything. It was fantastic and I found it to be a lot more emotional than the main plotline. But onto the main plotline, I liked how Alessandra carried around this heartbreak about her wedding that never happened 5 years ago and because of this, the entire town treats her as the "Nun of Nana" and they handle her with kid gloves. She likes it, she likes it until Penn (a la Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover Home Edition) shows up in town and shows her she's able to get over this past tragedy and move on as a woman instead of a girl. Their relationship becomes a sort of experimentation in the sexual department, basically to show Alessandra what she has been missing. And on that note it's rather steamy. I found the story to be a pretty straight on contemporary romance not really delivering anything groundbreakingly new but it was still fun to read. I love the idea of the trilogy exploring all three Baci sisters finding love. So I will definitely be watching out for the second book, Then He Kissed Me, from the sample at the end of the book it looks like a lot of fun.
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