Customer Reviews

The Man She'll Marry (Harlequin American Romance)

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THE MAN SHE'LL MARRY by Ann Roth
May 21, 2006

Rating *** ½ (3.5 stars)



In THE MAN SHE'LL MARRY, an executive Cinnamon Smith visits her best friend in Cranberry, Oregon, while she recovers from a scandal that led to her resignation from her high paying job. She's now trying to figure out what she'll do next, and is not having any success in finding a potential new employer. It seems that all her so-called friends from the company she just left weren't really friends at all, and now she realizes they were dead ends in terms of her job search.

In the mean time, her friend Fran has introduced her to the handyman, Nick. Fran runs a bed & breakfast inn, THE OCEANSIDE BED AND BREAKFAST, and Nick is the guy that does the odd job here and there to keep the place running. When the two meet there is immediate chemistry. Nick loves to flirt, and she is enjoying the attention. But when Cinnamon erroneously thinks he's married, she's understandably upset. Although she had just come off of a relationship that she's now embarrassed to talk about, she knows that she wants Nick, despite the fact that she should just take a break from men.

The two slowly get to know each other, personally as well as physically, and Cinnamon discovers that she enjoys living in this small quiet beachside town. However, she knows this is only a temporary situation. She'll be gone as soon as she finds a job. But the more she thinks about it and the man that she's becoming attached to, the more she wants to stay. The only thing that is keeping her from making her home in Cranberry is the lack of opportunities for someone like her. And while Nick could be a good reason for her to stay, he's not her type. She is usually attracted to men who are moving up the corporate ladder and have a successful career. In that regard, Nick is definitely not her type.

Nick is very attracted to Cinnamon, but he's got a secret that he feels will turn Cinnamon off once she finds out. No one knows about it, except his sister Sharon, and she's sworn to secrecy. He feels he's not smart enough to win Cinnamon over, despite the electric chemistry that neither of them can deny.

When Cinnamon is asked to get involved with the town's current crisis - the likely shutdown of their main employer, a cranberry factory - she finds that there may be a chance for her to stay in town and pursue a relationship with the mysterious Nick at the same time. But all of a sudden he's giving her the cold shoulder. Cinnamon is falling in love with him, but thinks that Nick is only looking for a one-night stand.

For those who love their romances hot and heavy, this is it. There are a number of steamy love scenes that will make the reader hot and bothered. Most of these scenes were done quite well, although not everyone may enjoy their romances on the steamy side. While the relationship between the two unlikely lovers was intriguing, and most of the story felt believable, the romance was wrapped up too abruptly for this reader, as if the author was trying to clean up loose ends in a hurry.

Many will enjoy the small-town feel to the story, including the friends that Cinnamon makes among Fran's group. It's quite a change for this city girl, and the author does a good job having Cinnamon deal with this life change and transitioning from a woman who yearns for the big city, to someone that enjoys the more slow-paced life.

One may have a problem with Nick's character, however. While he comes across as a very macho handy man, it almost seems out of character for him to do a complete turnaround when it came to his insecurities. His secret, one would think, would be more apparent and his insecurities should show through his daily interactions with the public. If nothing else, one would feel that overall he wouldn't appear as cocky and confident. Yes, he is very insecure about his secret, and he is very afraid for anyone to find out, but his outward personality does not seem to reflect this at all.

Overall, however, the novel is enjoyable for those who love romances set in small towns, and for those who love hot steamy love scenes with two people that obviously have really great chemistry. THE MAN SHE'LL MARRY is a great escape for any romance reader. - Courtesy of Love Romances

Cinnamon Smith has left her job at a top notch firm. She is a
consultant that helps businessess who are going under to rebuild
themselves and produce more effectively.

With a broken heart and in need of a job she goes to visit
her friend Fran In Cranberry at Fram's Bed and Breakfast.
A nice cozy little town where she meets many people who are
interested in her for herself before they realize just what
she can do. Of course she meets Nick the handyman and his
sister and her daughter. Nick captures her attention right
away. She has always wanted to live and work in the big city.
But here is a wonderful place to live. She is hired to help
the Cranberry Factory regain its productivity and still
provide jobs for the people who live in Cranberry. Read to
find out how she does this and What about Nick that hand-
some handyman? Can she find love here among these people??