Loving You (Candellano Family Trilogy) [Mass Market Paperback]

Maureen Child (Author)

Book Description

Series: Candellano Family Trilogy | Publication Date: June 16, 2003

#1 bestselling author Maureen Child first introduced you to the big, boisterous Candellano family in her novels Finding You and Knowing You. Now, welcome back to tiny Chandler, California, where there's always an extra place at the table and Mama Candellano is ready to offer lots of unsolicited advice, especially in matters of the heart...

Loving You

On the surface, things always came easy for Nick Candellano with his dashing good looks, easy charm, and penchant for women. When an injury permanently sidelines the pro football running back, he's forced to start over with a new job-and trouble in the form of Jonas, a twelve year-old boy, who claims Nick is his father. If it's true, he wants to do the right thing. The problem is Tasha Flynn, Jonas' foster mother, a woman as lovely as she is defiant...

Tasha thinks Nick is bad news for Jonas and is trying to destroy the only family she's got. Tasha tries to ignore the sparks of attraction that go off every time the handsome football player is near her. She's got secrets no one knows about-and reasons she can never let her heart go unguarded. Nick Candellano is one person she should run from. But sometimes the last thing you want is the one thing you need...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Following hot on the heels of Child's two-in-one May release (Finding You/Knowing You), this formulaic novel spotlights Nick, another sibling in the boisterous Candellano clan. Like each member of his family, and each character in this novel, Nick fits a distinct mold. He's an injured football superstar who's facing an empty future now that his career is over. However, when an orphaned boy, Jonas, sues him for paternity, he realizes that Jonas and his sexy fill-in foster mother, Tasha Flynn, may be just what he needs. As a teen, Tasha ran away from her drunken parents, lived on the streets and was eventually rescued by Mimi, a kind, mystical woman who took her under her wing and later fostered Jonas. After Mimi's death, Tasha assumed Jonas's care, but she never informed social services of Mimi's passing, fearing her illicit past would preclude her from legally fostering Jonas. Now, thanks to Jonas's well-intentioned meddling, the situation could blow up in her face. The tension between Tasha and Nick is more situational than romantic: indeed, Tasha is so hostile towards Nick that it's difficult to see why he finds her appealing. This lack of true romantic conflict, combined with Child's pedestrian (and often repetitive) prose, makes for a mild, predictable read. (June) FYI: Child also writes historical romances under the pseudonym Kathleen Kane.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Maureen Child infuses her writing with the perfect blend of laughter, tears and romance. Her well-crafted characters, humor, and understanding of what it means to be part of a family makes each of her novels a treat to be savored."-Jill Marie Landis, author of Magnolia Creek

"Maureen Child always writes a guaranteed winner, and this is no exception. Heartwarming, sexy and impossible to put down."-Susan Mallery, author of Married for a Month

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (June 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312978448
• ISBN-13: 978-0312978440
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #990,712 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

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars entertaining contemporary romance, June 16, 2003

By 

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

This review is from: Loving You (Candellano Family Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

A knee injury ended Nick Candellano's professional football career. The former star misses the limelight as he starts over as a sports reporter with the ambition of working for ESPN, but currently locally covers a Chandler, California high school girl's soccer game. However, he is shocked when eleven years old Jonah Baker files a paternity suit claiming that Nick sired him based on comments his now deceased mom said.

Though he has his brother-in-law the attorney handling the legal aspects of the case, Nick tries to see Jonah's foster mother because he firmly believes he practiced safe sex with a myriad of females in his early stardom days. However, Tasha Flynn refuses to allow Nick to meet Mimi Castle or the kid. Mimi died six months ago but Tasha hides the death from local authorities so they cannot take away her beloved Jonah who she raises as her own. Surprisingly, Tasha and Nick fall in love and when he meets Jonah he cannot help but be hooked by the lad. Nick wants Tasha and Jonah as part of his family if he can persuade her that he loves both of them regardless of the DNA findings.

The sequel to the 2 in 1 novels FINDING YOU and KNOWING YOU, LOVING YOU is an entertaining contemporary romance that continues the adventures of the Candellano clan. The story line is fun though the audience will become a bit irritated with the pushiness of Nick's sister into his legal personal matters. Still the warm lead trio deserves a wonderful life together and the return of the warm-blooded Candellano brood (can anyone in Chandler survive this crowd?) make for a fine read.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nick ,Tasha & Jonas 4ever!, February 18, 2011

By 

SoCalGigi "Gigi's Nirvana" (San Marcos, CA, US) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Loving You (Candellano Family Trilogy) (Kindle Edition)

The last Candellano/ ex- jock, Nick, has been forced to retire from the sport of football, the one true love of his life, after being side-lined by a debilitating knee injury. He is being sued by Jonas Baker, an 11 yr old orphaned boy, in the foster care system. Tasha , Jonas's 27yr old -virginal-illegal -foster mom, who has loved and cared for him in the past two years after Mimi's death, initially is weary of Nick's intentions and future actions towards Jonas.Post the negative DNA results of the paternity test and a scary bout of viral meningitis, Nick realizes that he loves Tasha and wants both Jonas and Tasha in his life permanently. They,of course, ultimately become part of the very large Italian, eternally foraging, Candellano family. Great plot and well developed characters. A must in any reader's library. Maureen has done it again with this trilogy.I can't wait to read about the Marconis... Kudos M!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Last Candellano Finds Love, May 14, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: Loving You (Candellano Family Trilogy) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'll admit it--I spent the first half of this book despising the hero, Nick Candellano. Although he makes appearances in Finding You/Knowing You: Two Brand-New Novels For One Wonderful Price! (Candellano Family Trilogy), the first two books in this trilogy, it's not until we get his story in LOVING YOU that we're introduced to how egotistical and self-centered he is. Fortunately, the man changes his ways by the middle of the story, and that's good for all of us.

A former NFL running back, one bad play blew out Nick's knee--and ended his life as he knew it. For years, Nick had everything, including fame, money, and plenty of adoring fans, many of which were of the female persuasion. But now the only way he can stay in touch with football is by reporting about it for the local news station. He hates being cooped up in a cubicle, interviewing the coaches and players of girls soccer teams. How did his life come to this?

To add insult to injury, he's been served by papers claiming that eleven-year-old Jonas Baker is suing him--for paternity. His late mother, Margie Baker, always claimed that Nick was his father, and now Jonas has taken matters into his own hands. His official foster mother has passed away, and although Tasha Flynn, his unofficial mother, loves and cares for him, Jonas is determined to get his father's attention.

It's definitely got Nick's attention--and so does Tasha, the first time he meets her. But Tasha has secrets of her own (she spent two years on the street as a runaway, and she fails to mention to Nick that Mimi, Jonas's foster mother, is dead) and is scared to death that Nick will take Jonas away from her.

LOVING YOU is a great story, once I got over my aversion to Nick. He doesn't change overnight, which gives the story credibility, and as he and Tasha develop feelings for each other the story really picks up steam. Fear of losing the only family she's ever known holds Tasha back from taking a chance on love, and fear of being a good father keeps Nick from being the man the reader knows he can be.

Definitely a fine ending to the trilogy, Maureen Child has penned another winning story with true-to-life characters and situations.

***SPOILER*** ***SPOILER*** ***SPOILER***
The only thing I found hard to believe about LOVING YOU is that fact that Tasha is a twenty-seven year old virgin, especially since she spent two years living on the streats of Los Angeles. However, the author weaves it into the story seamlessly, as the only thing that Tasha had control over. Although it seemed improbable, it didn't distract from the story.