The Side of the Angels: A Novel [Hardcover]

Christina Bartolomeo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 7, 2002

From the author of CUPID AND DIANA, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, comes a romantic comic novel that's serious at heart. Nicky Malone, a public relations flack, hasn't seen ex-beau Tony Boltanski in five years, until a contentious, high-stakes and slightly nutty nurses strike brings them together again. Despite their separation and the fact that they're both seeing other people, they still share the same interests: fighting for the little guy - in this case, the beleaguered nurses at a small Catholic hospital that has just been taken over by a giant health care organisation - and fighting each other. While struggling with the strike and her growing feelings for the still exasperating, pigheaded Tony, Nicky also tries to cope with her nagging widowed mother who desperately wants Nicky married, a slick boss who promises clients more than Nicky can possibly deliver, and a scattered assistant who has read too many articles about cutthroat career women. But for Nicky, those troubles pale in comparison to dealing with a bumbling romance between her cousin Louise, a professional matchmaker with a chaotic love life, and her cousin Johnny, whose love for Louise hasn't stopped him from becoming engaged to someone else.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

An engaging cast of characters sometimes finds itself muddling through an unfocused plot in Bartolomeo's second novel. Like her first romantic comedy, the acclaimed Cupid and Diana, her sophomore effort features a fractious Catholic clan in Washington, D.C., and a feisty 30-ish heroine beset by two completely opposite men. In this case, it's clear from the beginning that Nicky Malone, a tough-talking red-haired PR agent, will reunite with "the man who got away," charismatic union organizer Tony Boltanski, while they work on a nurse's strike in Rhode Island. But the political strafing of the campaign overwhelms the novel's more interesting subplots, including a thwarted romance between Nicky's cousins, Louise and Johnny (who are not related by blood), which is heartfelt but problematic: even though Johnny loves Louise, he is engaged to someone else. Nicky wants them matched partly to get Louise off her back about her own love life but the strike takes her so far off-scene that the plot thread gets lost. Sarcastic wit (quite a bit of which Nicky directs toward her meddling mother) and abundant charm propel the novel to its somewhat rushed conclusion, but some readers may get lost in long expository passages and the thicket of labor infighting at the novel's core.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Bartolomeo's first novel, Cupid and Diana, was made into the Hallmark movie Cupid and Cate. Her latest work once again features a strong, independent woman trying to figure out love, romance, and family relationships. Nicky Malone works for a public relations firm, where she's assigned to helping the union during a nurses' strike. Also assigned to this strike is Tony Boltanski, a union man, champion of the little guy, and Nicky's ex-boyfriend. Having just broken up with her latest flame, the last thing Nicky wants is to work with Tony. Central to the story is Nicky's cousin Louise, who's in love with her other cousin Johnny, who happens to be engaged to someone else. Add to the mix Nicky's mother, who is desperate for her to get married, and Nicky's assistant, who is after her job. Bartolomeo has a way of making the reader feel a part of the story. She captures all the nuances of one's quirky relationships with one's mother, one's best friends, and the guy who got away. Highly recommended for public libraries. Kathy Ingels Helmond, Indianapolis-Marion Cty. P.L.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Scribner (May 7, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743204611
• ISBN-13: 978-0743204613
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,726,084 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another brilliant book by Bartolomeo, May 5, 2002

By 

Dave (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Side of the Angels: A Novel (Hardcover)

A refreshing departure from the stale "Sex and the City" genre, "The Side of the Angels" offers a warm, witty look into modern day romance. Author Bartolomeo displays yet again that she has an unrivaled gift for storytelling that will keep the reader turning the page; personally, I found myself absorbed by the book's engaging story (set against the backdrop of a nurse's strike in Rhode Island) and lovable, scrappy cast of characters. This is a plucky novel with heart, even better than Bartolomeo's award-winning "Cupid and Diana." I strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, intelligent, and memorable read.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Just Chick Lit, November 1, 2005

By 

M. Williams (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Side of the Angels (Paperback)

It is clear that Ms. Batolomeo is a wonderful writer. Her descriptions of people and places are so vivid that you easily conjure up a mental image, so I was surprised at the lack of connection I felt to her main character. Nicky Malone is fallible and realistic but bears no traits that make her especially appealing, or unappealing for that matter. I found myself feeling apathetic about whether she got her man or not, particularly since there was nothing in the description of their relationship that made me root for them. The subplot involving nurses on strike was infinitely more interesting, despite my having generally little or no interest in labor disputes. I was much more emotionally invested in the outcome of the strike than I was in the relationship between the heroine and the "man that got away". I suspect that the author herself may have been less invested in creating a believable romantic relationship than she was in depicting the behind-the-scenes machincations of a strike, and as a result, it read as though the romance was the subplot to the strike, not the other way around. Toward the end of the novel, it appeared as though Ms. Bartolomeo realized this imbalance and compensated with a few mawkish descriptions of the depth of feeling between Nicky and the object of her affection, none of which were consistent with the way she thought about or behaved toward him throughout the first two-thirds of the novel. I think the author tried to provide a crowd-pleasing chick lit ending when it is clear from the nature and quality of her writing that her tendency is toward material of much greater depth.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book in every way, August 30, 2004

By 

Bill Lerner (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Side of the Angels: A Novel (Hardcover)

This was a fun read. I loved the innovative and intricate plot, the engaging cast of characters, and the evocative setting (an old RI mill town). I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to root for the underdog. It was especially fun to root for Nicky Malone, the novel's smart, sexy, feisty, and fearless heroine. I'm looking forward to Bartolomeo's next novel, "Snowed In," which is due out this fall.