Customer Reviews

Mad About Mia

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Millie Criswell's entire Little Italy series, starting with The Trouble With Mary has been delightful. Mad About Mia is a wonderful addition to the series and I only hope that we haven't seen the last of the Russos, DeNeros and their Little Italy companions.

Mia DeNero is the ne'er do well sister of Angela (The Trials of Angela) who is now married to John Franco. Mia has opened a Bodyguard service, just the latest in a string of jobs her parents didn't approve of.

Nick Caruso hires Mia to guard him while he writes a novel about the Mafia. Mia moves him into her apartment and proceeds to introduce him to all of her family and friends in Baltimore's Little Italy. Which suits Nick as he is actually an undercover FBI agent investigating a money laundering scheme that may be run by Mia's Uncle Al.

Mia is a strong woman who also has a severe inferiority complex about her own femininity and choice of men-not to mention her many jobs. She reminded me in some ways of Robert on Everybody Loves Raymond, when she mutters "everybody loves Angela"-I immediately thought of poor Robert who always feels second best.

Nick is a man who is afraid to let people too close as he was a foster child who learned the hard way never to get too attached or place to much trust with people. Nick fights falling in love with Mia, as he doesn't think there could be a future for them when Mia learns who he is and how he has decieved her.

Criswell has created a delightful community with people one wants to meet again and again. My particular favorite is
Mia's father Sam, a retired cop/transvestite who enjoys lounging around in gold lame'. While Sam is a funny character, he is also portrayed as the great father and husband he is;when it would have been easy to just make him the butt of jokes.

I highly recommend Mad About Mia and it stands well on it's own, but do yourself a favor and read all 4 books in the series in order.(The Trouble With Mary, Much Ado About Annie and The Trials of Angela). Each was a quick and fun read with characters that are extremely memorable.

FBI agent Nick Caruso goes undercover in Baltimore's Little Italy. Nick posses himself off as a nerdy-looking author writing a book on organized crime. In truth, Nick is trying to locate and shut down a money laundering operation out of Little Italy. One of the suspects is known to dine very often in the restaurant called Mama Sophia's. That is where Nick's idea to hire a bodyguard comes in.

Mia DeNero has just opened The Guardian Angel for business. She is officially, on paper at least, a trained bodyguard. However, being such a petite lady, it is hard to believe Mia could be anyone's protector. She is getting desperate for business when Nick walks in her office door. To protect Nick from the mob, she must be near him constantly. So Nick moves into her little apartment, located above Mama Sophia's.

**** Mia knows little about being a bodyguard. Nick knows little about dealing with a spitfire who is determined to protect him. It all adds up to fun and mayhem. Mia's family is huge and loaded with colorful characters that will tickle your fancy.

The only real draw back I found was that it took almost one hundred pages before I ever met the real bad guys. During this time though, I was treated to Mia's extended family. If you have read Millie Criswell's previous books, then you will see many cameos of those past characters, and find out how they are fairing. A very good read! ****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Mia DeNero has always lived in the shadow of her successful sister, Angela. A job hopper by nature, she thinks that she might have found her niche - as a bodyguard. No one is calling since they are put off by her petite stature. But soon she is hired by Nick Caruso, an author who has received death threats by the mob due to a book he is writing.

Nick is actually an FBI agent investigating whether a good friend of Mia's family has mob connections. He figures the best way to get close is through Mia, who he deems as a little ditzy, but soon finds that appearances can be deceiving. He does not count on falling for the quirky pint sized Mia, who takes her job as bodyguard quite seriously. He convinces her that they only way he can stay safe is to move in with her in her apartment above Alfredo's hangout, Mama Sophia's Restaurant. Soon they are sharing close quarters, and fighting the chemistry between them.

Nick does not do relationships. A self-described loner, he grew up in foster care, and has never managed to allow anyone to get close to him. But Mia and her quirky family, including cross-dressing ex-cop pop Sam, soon carve a place in his heart. Trying to maintain his cover is getting more difficult as his heart becomes engaged, and he is not sure how Mia will react to the truth.

This is a cute conclusion (though Donna deserves a story of her own) to the Little Italy series, which includes plenty of zing from perennial over-bearing mama Sophia and her mother in law Flora, who in a show of defiance, still refers to Sophia by her maiden name.

Mia is the younger sister of Angela from Criswell's previous book, The Trials of Angela. I enjoyed this story much more than some others in this series, because of the chemistry between Mia and Nick Caruso. Nick is an undercover FBI agent who hires Mia as his bodyguard; yes, it's implausible that a small little Italian girl could bodyguard a strapping guy, but Nick needs entry into Mia'a family and social circle. Under the guise of a nerd/author, he lives with Mia and it all develops from there. The romance was cute although towards the end I thought Mia turned a bit.. Maddening and immature. Donna's presence seemed to become more of a focus this time, so it seems likely that her story with Lou is forthcoming. Overall, recommended.

Mia DeNero has made some unorthodox career choices in her life like driving a bulldozer on a highway construction crew. When she hangs her new diploma on the wall, Mia is determined to make a success of her new business Guardian Angel Protective Services. So when geeky Niccolo Caruso shows up in her office offering three thousand a month for her services, she gladly offers him a her apartment couch while he finishes writing his book, an expose of the Mafia.

Mia does not know that Nick is actually working undercover for the FBI Organized Crime Investigation Unit. Nor does she realize that she lives live right above Mama Sophia's Restaurant which will allow Nick to keep close watch on his suspect who frequents the establishment. Also, Mia's sister is married to the Russo family and will provide an opportunity to interview family members and obtain other information he would not otherwise have access to.

Nick chooses Mia because she is naive and she is new to the bodyguard business. But Mia's inexperience does not make her unobservant. Once they fall in love, Mia may not overlook Nick's deceitfulness. Moreover, Nick is usually up front about women's place in his life. They are for friendship and sex, and never long term. So learning that he does not need her protection, but is using her bodes ill for Mia, regardless of Nick's sex appeal.

Fans of Mia Criswell will love her newest romantic comedy. While elements of intrigue underlie this delightful read, it is the marvelous characterizations that make MAD ABOUT MIA such a treasure. With Criswell's characteristically spunky heroine and sexy hero, MAD ABOUT MIA provides plenty of amusement. Although she is a bit flighty, Mia's determination and tenacity challenge Nick's determination to protect his investigation. Moreover, the background draws on the best of Baltimore's Little Italy, resulting in a flavorful read. A quick and entertaining story that fans will not want to miss, MAD ABOUT MIA comes highly recommended.

In Baltimore, Mia DeNero received her diploma from a bodyguard school after almost accidentally killing the instructor and needing her sister the lawyer to receive it. She opened the Guardian Angel Protective Services, but has no clients perhaps because no one can picture a midget like Mia keeping someone safe. True crime writer Niccolo Caruso hires Mia when he claims he is in danger because he is writing a Mafia expose. To keep him safe she allows him to move into her apartment with her.

Nick is actually undercover as a member of the FBI Organized Crime Investigation Unit trying to crack a money laundering scheme. He is using Mia to get at the uncle of her brother-in-law Alfredo Graziano who claims mob connections as he frequents the restaurant beneath his bodyguard's apartment. As he and Mia become better acquainted they fall in love, but he knows that once she learns the truth she may never trust him let alone forgive him for his duplicity.

Though Mia is a dingbat, fans will appreciate this amusing romantic suspense though the intrigue appears late. The story line is humorous as Mia does nothing right even when she protects her client because the assaulter is a kid with a water gun. Still she believes in herself so much that Nick admires her spunk and dedication as much as her body. Fans of the Baltimore based series will go MAD ABOUT MIA, a lovable kook.

Harriet Klausner

I have read the first four of Ms Criswell's books and they are a genuine good, happy read. Her characters are wonderful and familiar. Each romance is sweet, amusing and predictable. No huge problems - just an afternoon's delightful pasttime.

These books will make you smile. On to more of her books.