The Trials of Angela [Mass Market Paperback]

Millie Criswell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2002

Bestselling author Millie Criswell has charmed her way into the hearts of readers everywhere with delicious romances, spiced by sparkling characters, delectable passion, and a generous helping of fun. Now, in her most irresistible book yet, a feisty lawyer is about to meet the man of her dreams...er...nightmares.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The humor Criswell employed so skillfully in her previous offerings (The Trouble with Mary; What to Do About Annie?) strikes a discordant note in her latest book, the third in a series of contemporary romances chronicling the lives and loves of a close-knit community of Italian Americans in Maryland. This strident entry follows the romance between Angela DeNero and John Franco, two attorneys who are engaged in an ugly custody battle that has their relatives up in arms. Against his better judgement, John is representing a powerful and underhanded lawyer whose new trophy wife is seeking to regain custody of her son, whom she abandoned. Unfortunately, Dan, the boy's father and a relative of John's through marriage, has hired Angela, a prim and proper Harvard grad who captured John's heart in high school and is poised to do so again. Angela and John are both well-drawn, likable characters, but the "villains" in this story serve no purpose other than to stir up a little conflict and push the plot along. Although the lawyer jokes that preface each chapter are cute, characters like Angela's cross-dressing father, her underwear-deprived friend and John's kleptomaniac grandma are piled on, and the story about two scarred individuals finding love with one another is lost in the cacophony.

From Booklist

Angela DeNero, the lawyer from What to Do about Annie? [BKL Jl 01], has moved back to the old neighborhood, Baltimore's Little Italy, only to land right in the middle of a family feud. She's handling a custody case for her friend Mary, and the opposing attorney is Mary's cousin, John Franco. Angela harbored a secret crush on bad boy John during high school, and he's still devastatingly attractive, not to mention a tough opponent. Always the good girl, Angela fights her desire, believing that romance is unethical during a trial, but it's hard not to like the man that John has become. She finds herself defending him to his family and worrying about her own, a group that definitely puts the "fun" in "dysfunctional." Her father is a macho ex-cop cross-dresser, her mother believes the end of the world is imminent, and her sister is seeking a career in all the wrong places. A terrifically enjoyable performance spiked with great lawyer jokes, this tale will leave readers waiting eagerly for the next installment, which will not come soon enough for Criswell's steadily growing audience. Patty Engelmann
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books; 1 edition (April 30, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804119937
• ISBN-13: 978-0804119931
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,016,363 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, July 16, 2002

By 

mahikahn (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trials of Angela (Mass Market Paperback)

I love this series, especially the fact that many of the unique characters carry forward into each book!

Angela is not having a good time! Her cheating ex-fiance left her to move to London with his new girlfriend, her strange parents have just moved back to town and she has to argue a case against annoying (but gorgeous) John Franco. John isn't having a swell time either. His grandmother keeps getting arrested, his family is mad at him for representing clients who are fighting against his own family and he has to argue a case against annoying (but gorgeous) Angela DeNero.

Needless to say, sparks fly, in all kind of ways! Don't know how many times I've woken my husband when laughing out loud through these books! I lend all the books of this series to friends and we pass them around. They always come back dog-eared and this won't be any exception! Millie Criswell has done it again!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I don't know how she does it!, May 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Trials of Angela (Mass Market Paperback)

Millie Criswell just gets better and better. In "The Trials of Angela," Ms. Criswell has done the impossible--she has made two lawyers charming and irresistible.* With characters like Angela's cross-dressing father and John's shoplifting grandmother, this book is laugh-out-loud-pee-your-pants funny. The chemistry between Angela and John isn't bad either. Millie Criswell fans will not be disappointed with her latest release. The real disappointment is waiting for the release of Ms. Criswell's next book, "Mad About Mia."

*Because I am a lawyer, I feel I've earned the right to laugh at my profession. That is also why I don't take personally the lawyer jokes printed at the beginning of each chapter.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't miss The Trials of Angela!, May 16, 2002

By 

Cricket (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Trials of Angela (Mass Market Paperback)

Millie Criswell gives us a return trip to Baltimore's Little Italy with her new book, THE TRIALS OF ANGELA. Angela DeNero and John Franco are attorneys on opposite sides of a custody trial. John is the ultimate hero and Angela is absolutely the sweetest heroine ever. This delightful book kept me riveted to the pages from the start, to the point that when I misplaced my first copy, I had to rush out and buy a second --- I could not wait any longer to finish the story!

With something for everyone, THE TRIALS OF ANGELA is just plain good fun! Millie Criswell has outdone herself, introducing innovative new plot lines and exploring life's realities in her amusing and original style, wrapped up in an excellently crafted story. The sometimes-quirky characters show us how to sweeten the sour times of our lives and live on the wild side. A funny book that will have you gasping at its audacity and doubled up in laughter as the story takes you on a roller coaster ride behind the closed doors of everyday people like you and I.

The third book in Ms. Criswell's Little Italy series, THE TRIALS OF ANGELA is a wonderful story, guaranteed to be a keeper, and one that you will read again and again.