Customer Reviews

Staying Single (Harlequin Flipside)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Francesca had been engaged three times, and each time was a disaster - she ended up leaving each groom at the altar as she literally ran away. After standing up her third prospective groom, Francesca has decided that she's staying single, no matter how her mother tries to push her into another marriage! The third groom, however, has a step-brother who wants to serve up a little revenge to Francesca. If Mark Felding, a photographer for the AP, has his way, Francesca will become engaged once more, except this time, SHE will be the one left at the altar!

I loved the idea behind the book - if this had happened to our relatives (or heaven forbid, happened to us), who wouldn't fantasize about a little revenge? I don't know anyone irl who would go THROUGH with it, but in the book, Mark was determined to try! The thing that bothered me most about the book, however, was how Francesca just let her mother bowl her over and bully her into a decision as monumental as marriage. You'd think after the first, or even the second time, around, she'd tell her mother that it was her life and she would live it the way she wanted and marry who she wanted, if she married at all. I never liked Francesca, because she never really thought about the consequences of her actions, and she seemed like an airhead. Personally, I would have liked it better if Mark really had ditched her at the altar ;)

Nevertheless, I did get a few laughs out the book, and things all turned out happily in the end. Still, the book warrants three stars only in my opinion, and I'm not keeping this book around.

I've been looking for something different to read and stumbled across The Harlequin Flipside series. Never one to read books like this, I decided may be this is what I've been looking for. The book reminded me of Runaway Bride at the beginning, but soon took a turn to become more original. Parts of the book seemed far-fetched, but overall I was not disappointed. I plan to continue reading more of the Flipside books.

When she leaves her third groom standing at the altar, Francie Morelli knows her mother will dole out yet another guilt trip. Rather than endure, she flees for two weeks to the destination selected by her roommate Leo. While Niagara Falls might be the last place her mother will look for her, it is also the last person Francie really wants to be. All those couples remind Francie of what she really wants in a man, including a man with chemistry and fire. Little does she suspect that she will find just that combination in the one man who is determined to secretly teach her a lesson.

When his brother is left at the altar, Mark Fielding decides to give the jilting bride a taste of her own medicine. With deferent last names and a completely different look than his step-brother, Mark knows that Francie will never suspect his connection to her former fiancé. So Mark springs for an extended vacation for this brother and parents, sending them to Hawaii and makes his plans. But he does not expect to be genuinely attracted to Francie, or for his plans to backfire.

Fans of Millie Criswell's THE TROUBLE WITH MARY and WHAT TO DO ABOUT ANNIE will cheer the debut of Harlequin's Flipside line with STAYING SINGLE. Criswell has established herself as memorable with her strong heroines and meddlesome mommas. Certainly STAYING SINGLE showcases her talent with wonderfully realized hero and heroine, but I confess that Francie's huge family and gay roommate add the zest that characterizes Criswell's work. Hilarious antics outrageous characters make STAYING SINGLE a stunning debut for Flipside. Very highly recommended.

Francie Morelli will have Julia Roberts make a run for her money. She has become the proverbial Runaway Bride -- and she has done it for the third time. But Mark Fielding won't let her get away with hurting his jilted stepbrother. He has a plan of seduction that will lure Francie to the altar... and then he will turn the tables on the heartless witch. However, things don't go as smoothly as he had planned...

Millie Criswell's Staying Single has all the right ingredients for a lighthearted romantic comedy -- humor, wit and, of course, tender romance. This book is quite the entertaining little gem -- another winner from Harlequin Flipside. I highly recommend this to all romance enthusiasts.

Francie Morelli just could not make that walk down the aisle so she left the groom standing at the alter - and he's the third man she's done this to. It's just a coincidence, but it seems she has a problem with guys whose names begin with the letter `M', the latest being Matt Carlson. The poor grooms have all loved Francie and were humiliated and hurt, Matt maybe even more than the others.

Matt's brother Mark (another `M' name) is really angry and plots revenge. He was Matt's best man and late to the `almost' wedding and hasn't met Francie, but he's going to stick around, seduce her and make her fall in love with him. Then he's going to drop her at the aisle to give her a taste of what she's been dishing out to these poor guys.
He's going to teach her a lesson alright - HA! He hasn't met her yet and has no idea
who he's dealing with <grin>.

I found Francie Morelli a little too much on the `flaky' side to be realistic, but maybe
it's my background and environment talking. She's gorgeous, sexy, and passionate
and is so sweet she draws Mark to her like a bee to honey. True, her Italian mamma
is a steamroller who has weddings planned before Francie even meets the prospective
groom and she doesn't hear Francie saying No, No, No! I think after two trips to the altar though Francie could have asked her mamma what part of No she doesn't understand and refused to take the walk a third time. After this third time she vows never again - She is staying single!! What is it they say about never say never? Hmmm ... Francie will soon find out.

Mark Carlson is a great leading character; smart, handsome, great sense of humor, loyal to his family, loving, and rich. Secondary players introduced are not what you call your
everyday folks and are on the outrageous side, all of which make STAYING SINGLE a fun, sensuous read that will bring chuckles throughout the story. It will remind Ms. Criswell's fans of her `Little Italy' series with the dialogue and culture. It's a great debut to introduce Harlequin's new line called Flipside, which is replacing the current Duet line. Watch for it this month and take it home for a fun time.

Carol Carter - As posted at Romance Reviews Today

The third time proves not to be the charm for Francesca Morelli. On her way to the altar, she realizes she is not in love with the groom, and walks out, just as she has the last two times her grandchild craving mama arranged a wedding.

Frannie's flight is witnessed by the best man, who thinks he is later than he realized, until he finds out there is no wedding, and learns about Frannie's heartbreaker history. Mark immediately decides to avenge all the men she has left standing alone. Determined to romance her to the point of marriage then turn the tables, Mark sets out on a grand campaign, moving into her apartment building, using her business to promote his work, dating her, etc. However, as he comes to know Frannie and her odd assortment of family and friends, the desire for revenge fizzles to be replaced by sheer desire. As Mark realizes that it's her he wants, not revenge, he realizes she will learn the truth eventually, and does not know how she will take it.

*** This lightweight comedy will bring a smile to your face. Frannie's gay best friend, Leo, comes close to stealing the show from the lovers. Though there is little substance, there are plenty of laughs. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore.

Staying Single is a wonderful blend of romance and comedy. Our leading lady, Francie, seems to find herself at the alter on quite a few occasions (three!), but can't seem to go through with getting married. After leaving her third beau at the alter, Francie decides to get away for awhile to avoid another talking-to from her mother.

Enter Mark, a photographer and step-brother of the third man Francie left at the altar. Mark has decided that he is going to teach Francie a lesson. He plans to sweep her off her feet, ask her to marry him, and then leave her at the altar! The last thing on Mark's mind is that he actually may be attracted to Francie...

Staying Single was a fun book to read and had me laughing out loud in a few spots. A five star book all the way!

Perennial runaway bride Francie Morelli picked the wrong groom to leave standing at the altar on her third attempt down the aisle. His step-brother, AP photographer Mark Fielding decides to help mend his bro's heart while teaching her a lesson by wooing, bedding, proposing, then dumping her at the altar. Sounds like a simple enough plan; but Mark doesn't count on falling for the woman who he plans to deceive.

Criswell's ode to Julia Roberts is a funny and romantic story. Readers familiar with Criswell's work will find Mama Morelli a little too similar to her other Italian mother - Mama Russo from the Baltimore books, but ths one is a gem of a story and the plot is executed well. It is followed up by "Suddenly Single" featuring her sister Lisa.

I saw the cover of this paperback with the sewing form (hour-glass figure) on a stand like my coatrack. This was the first in a series for Harlequin, a new "Flipside" line by different writers, using romantic comedy 'with an attitude.'

This is another Francesca (the original was in Waller's BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY), but this one is only 29+ years old. She'd been engaged already three times due to Josephine's arrangements and Francie's inability to say "No" -- until she gets cold feet. Well, she doesn't ride a Greyhound bus from Atlanta to Albuquerque, but always manages to get out of the mess in which she finds herself. She had vowed to 'stay single,' until Mark decided to use his own, modern way to lure her. Will she take the bait? The tables are turned on him as he never meant to fall in love. She'd decided that 'staying single' was highly overrated.

Millie Criswell has more titles available on Amazon than anyone else I've looked up. She went on to write SUDDENLY SINGLE as a follow-up. The cover has a burgundy stand underneath the dummy form. Lisa, 27-yr. old sister of Francie, had eloped but got cold feet 'after' the wedding and returned home to find herself in 'hot water.' This Morelli family is peppered with colorful characters.

Millie has written over twenty-five romance novels (fluff, mostly) and has two million books in print. Quite prolific for a late-starter. She won the "Maggie" award and the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence.

Staying Single by Millie Criswell
Harlequin Flipside # 1 - October 2005
Morelli Sister #1

Francesca has a problem --- she can't seem to get herself to walk down the aisle. Three times now she's become engaged, worn the dress, and wammo, can't do the walk. She has a meddling Italian mother who keeps pushing men on her and setting wedding dates. Mark is astonished that Francie has so little regard for her grooms, esp. groom number three, his step-brother. So he vows to get even. The plan is, move into her apartment building, hire her PR firm, and seduce her into walking down the aisle. And once she does the walk, he'll do the running. But as Mark gets to know Francie, he sees she's torn up about hurting her three fiancé's and that she means it when she says she's going to stay single. There's alot of heart to Francie and alot of sex appeal. He needs to recruit Momma Morelli to help push her daughter down the aisle and when she gets there he doesn't want to run.

I really enjoyed this one. At first when I read the "Runaway Bride" scenario I went argh, but this one came through. Although this wasn't the laugh out loud kind of book I expected, Ms. Criswell definitely had me grinning.

see also .... Suddenly Single by Millie Criswell for Lisa Morelli's story