Romeo, Romeo [Mass Market Paperback]

Robin Kaye (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

"A sparkling new voice! If you love witty dialogue, great characters and a lot of fun in your books, this is the writer for you!"
- Maureen Child, USA Today bestselling author

Rosalie Ronaldi doesn't have a domestic bone in her body ...

All she cares about is her career, so she survives on take-out and dirty martinis, keeps her shoes under the dining room table, her bras on the shower curtain rod, and her clothes on the couch ...

Nick Romeo is every woman's fantasy - tall, dark, handsome, rich, really good in bed, AND he loves to cook and clean ...

He says he wants an independent woman, but when he meets Rosalie, all he wants to do is take care of her. Before too long, he's cleaned up her apartment, stocked her refrigerator, and adopted her dog ...

So what's the problem? Just a little matter of mistaken identity, corporate theft, a hidden past in juvenile detention and one big nosy Italian family too close for comfort ...

(20080903)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Debut author Kaye provides a pleasing romantic romp mixing Italian Brooklyn family values, hot sex and plenty of food. Gorgeous millionaire bachelor Nick Romeo and high-powered corporate turnaround expert Rosalie Ronaldi know what they want from each other: no strings, no heartbreak. When Rosalie falls seriously ill, their casual intentions are tested, though secrets and their mutual business interests threaten to derail the budding romance. Nick, at times almost too perfect, demonstrates that his domestic skills extend far outside the bedroom, astonishing decidedly imperfect Rosalie, whose awe will be familiar to every professional woman who's too busy for perfect housekeeping. Kaye's portrayal of modern romance against the background of an old-fashioned, gossipy extended family rings true, and Nick's efforts to wow Rosalie with fabulous home cooking are endlessly entertaining. (Nov.)
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From Booklist

Rosalie Ronaldi is never getting married, no way, no how! But convincing her Italian mother and family is easier said than done for this financial executive. After leaving another hectic Sunday dinner at her parents’ in Brooklyn, Rosalie gets a flat tire and curses her brother, who borrowed the car, in three different languages, impressing Good Samaritan Nick Romeo. Nick is considered Brooklyn’s equivalent of Donald Trump: he owns several car dealerships and dates beautiful gold diggers. Driving a tow truck and wearing overalls, he decides to help Rosalie, who he thinks is crazy and very attractive in a Sophia Loren style. As they start a relationship, Rosalie has no idea that this Nick is the Nick Romeo. She lays down her ground rules, including nothing serious and no marriage talk, and Nick agrees until their relationship heats up. Now he must work up the nerve to tell Rosalie who he really is. Kaye’s debut is a delightfully fun, witty romance, making her a writer to watch. --Patty Engelmann

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402213395
• ISBN-13: 978-1402213397
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (127 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #117,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Robin Kaye grew up in the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge next door to her Sicilian grandparents.

Living with an extended family that's a cross between Gilligan's Island and The Sopranos, minus the desert isle and illegal activities, explains both her comedic timing and the cast of quirky characters in her books.

She's lived in half a dozen states from Idaho to Florida, but the romance of Brooklyn has never left her heart.

Robin has won numerous awards including the Golden Heart for Best Contemporary Single Title, back-to-back Holt Medallions for Best Romantic Comedy, and the Golden Leaf award for Best Single Title.

She currently resides in Maryland with her husband, three children, dog, and a three-legged cat with attitude.

Please check out her website at www.RobinKayeWrites.com for information on all her books, recipes, and great pictures of her haunts in and out of Brooklyn.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Frantic, Fun, and Fiesty Romance Novel -- A+++, December 27, 2008

By 

Jean A.T. "mom, wife, attorney, reader, writer" (Miami Springs, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romeo, Romeo (Mass Market Paperback)

I read a lot. Really. And, A LOT is probably understating it, but this is the first novel that has motiviated me to write a review.

I would recommend this novel to anyone who would like a fast, fun story that is nearly impossible to put down. Even before I was 100 pages into this book, I was already telling anyone who would listen (the manicurist, my husband, my friends, my co-workers) the basic plot and how much I enjoyed the writing style.

I won't restate the plot, but I will say this is just a good ole CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE. No vampires, witches, aliens or time travel -- thank goodness, just a great story and great writing. Can't wait until Ms. Kaye's next novel is published. It won't be soon enough.

31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun storyline., October 7, 2008

By 

Monica Garcia "ReadingWithMonie.com" (Arlington, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Romeo, Romeo (Mass Market Paperback)

Dominick Romeo is Brooklyn's version of Donald Trump without the comb over and oh yeah... he's hot and rich! Nick owns numerous car dealerships throughout Brooklyn which is how he came to be driving a wrecker home, in coveralls over his business suit, when he came upon Rosalie Ronaldi on the side of the road with a flat tire and no spare. Being the nice guy that he is, Nick offers Rosalie a ride home promising to have her car fixed by the next day. Nick doesn't exactly lie to Rosalie about his identity but she has no idea that she's riding with a self-made millionaire and agrees to a dinner date the next night. Nick's relieved that Rosalie has no idea who he is because now he knows that Rosalie won't be after him for his money like so many of the revolving girlfriends he's had in the past.

Rosalie is a turnaround expert who temporarily takes over as the CFO of failing businesses to bring them back to life. Rosalie's new project is the one dealership that Nick has always coveted but could never buy out. Now Nick knows that he has to come clean about who he really is before Rosalie finds out the truth. Somehow he just can't bring himself to do it because he knows it'll bring an end to their relationship and somehow Rosalie has made it past his "tough guy who runs from marriage" exterior and into his heart.

The resulting story is a heart-warming tale told with a lot of hot sex and sarcastic humor. I laughed at the tables being turned on Nick when Rosalie kicks him out of her bed and sends him packing because one of her rules is to never let a guy spend the night. Kaye's writing is a refreshing change from the typical contemporary romance. I could see all the characters as real people showing real feelings with an ending that is truly believable unlike many stories where the characters don't fit the happily ever after ending that's par for the course in contemporary writing. I highly recommend this read to all romance lovers.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Funny light romp with an Italian heroine and billionaire boyfriend, November 25, 2008

By 

KarLynP "romance books rule" (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Romeo, Romeo (Mass Market Paperback)

Cute light romance romp. Started off with a bang and a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, but about halfway the story lacked the humor and energy it started with. I finally found myself skimming the last 100 pages just to finish it. I simply got tired of the repetative, stereotype Italian cliches -- including all the complaining. They were not nice to each other, and after a while it was too much. It was really funny in the beginning, but quickly got old and repetitive. The secondary characters were an interesting bunch, but they were all fairly one-dimensional.

I think this book is geared toward a younger audience who like romantic fluff stories without much depth or realism. The steam was only so-so too. A few quick hot scenes with only moderate chemistry between H/h. I loved the concept of the Italian heroine and the billionaire boyfriend, and will keep an eye out for more books by this author as the first half of this book rocked.