What to Do About Annie? [Mass Market Paperback]

Millie Criswell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 31, 2001

After winning awards for her delightful historical romances, author Millie Criswell has now turned her talents to contemporary fiction, whipping up delicious confections of romantic mischief filled with refreshing wit and charm. In What to do About Annie? a provocative game of revenge turns into a most unexpected date with destiny.

WHAT TO DO ABOUT ANNIE?

She’s outspoken and outrageous. She’s tired of swimming in the dating pool. And most of all, Annie Goldman has played bridesmaid for the last time. Of course no one would ever suspect that she still carries a torch for Joe Russo. Fourteen years ago, Joe ruined her with seductive promises of love and a future. That was right before he became a priest. But seeing Joe at her best friend’s wedding makes Annie realize: it’s time to forget Father What-A-Waste and grow up.

Even as a teenager, Annie had a body made for sin. And young Joe had been willing to break a few commandments. Now, more than a decade later, Joe is ready to quit the priesthood and is prepared to face the delectable woman he tried to pray out of his system. He wants her forgiveness–what he gets is an unholy torture that’s impossible to resist . . .

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The eccentric Russo clan from Criswell's first contemporary romantic comedy, The Trouble with Mary, delights readers once again with their insatiable wit and boundless spirit. This time, however, the Russos share the stage with the Goldmans. Having grown up in Baltimore's Little Italy with a Jewish father and an Italian mother, Annie Goldman feels caught between two worlds and is determined to flaunt her individuality. She dyes her hair a different color daily and drives Father "what-a-hunk" Joe Russo crazy with her curve-hugging clothes. Annie once dreamed that she would have a future with Joe, but her hopes were dashed when he left her to join the priesthood. Now, 15 years later, Joe has decided to hang up his rosary beads and give love another try, but Annie isn't sure if she can trust him again. While the two attempt to rekindle their romance, Annie becomes a part owner of her father's outdated clothing store and an unwilling host to her cousin Donna. Joe has his own problems to contend with as well namely, his domineering mother and her matchmaking machinations. Criswell's dialogue is sharp and humorous, and her colorful characters liven up the narrative. Although Criswell is better known for her westerns, this is a tantalizing tale that her fans will eagerly embrace.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Annie Goldman and Joe Russo were in love as teenagers; they had even planned to get married. Then Joe became a priest. Now 15 years later, Annie is as beautiful, outrageous, flamboyant and single as ever, and Joe (Father What-a-Hunk) is leaving the priesthood because he can't get Annie out of his mind. But Annie hasn't quite forgiven Joe for deserting her; in fact, she is still furious and getting even is sounding better all the time. Fast-paced, hilarious, and thoroughly delightful, this spin-off from Criswell's best-selling The Trouble with Mary (Ivy, 2001) is a winner that will have fans waiting to see what she will come up with next. Criswell is a popular writer of various types of romance, most recently upbeat romantic comedies, and lives in Fredricksburg, VA.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ivy Books (July 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804119511
• ISBN-13: 978-0804119511
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,458,090 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deliciously Humorous Romance, August 17, 2001

By 

Sheri Melnick (Enola, PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What to Do About Annie? (Mass Market Paperback)

Annie Goldman is not in the best of moods. First of all, she is a maid-of-honor in her friend Mary's wedding, and she's "dressed like an rose-tinted marshmallow". Secondly, the priest officiating is none other than Joe Russo, Mary's brother, "Father What a Hunk". Joe was the love of Annie's life when he broke up with her fifteen years ago to enter the priesthood.

Joe has never totally gotten over Annie. When Annie miscarried fifteen years ago after Joe had promised to marry her, he felt that he was being punished by God and left her to become a priest. Now he has decided to leave the priesthood-his heart is not fully committed to it.

But Joe isn't ready to give Annie up now, even though she wants nothing to do with him. When he gets a job working as a youth counselor in the building next to Goldman's Department Store, where Annie works, the two can't help but run into one another. Sparks fly, and ex-priest Joe and unconventional Annie become an item. Obstacles get in the way as Sophia, Joe's mother, dislikes Annie and wants her son to marry a more conventional Italian girl. And Annie is only half-Italian, with ever-changing hair colors and flashy clothes. Will their love endure these tests, and can Annie ever learn to trust Joe again?

For a delightful read, with a healthy dose of humor interspersed with enigmatic characters, this is a sure winner. The conflicts between Annie's family and Joe's family are hysterical as each parent is only trying to do the best for their child in their own quirky way. The supporting characters are as developed as the main characters thereby making this novel more than superficial and definitely an entertaining read. Readers may recognize Mary from Ms. Criswell's previous work, THE TROUBLE WITH MARY and can look forward to lawyer Angela's story in THE TRIALS OF ANGELA.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Didn't quite meet my expextations, but is an engaging love story, August 10, 2005

By 

Tracy Vest (Northern California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What to Do About Annie? (Mass Market Paperback)

When Annie was 18 and Joe was 20, they planned to get married due to a surprise pregnancy. After losing their baby, Joe felt such guilt that he committed himself to the church and became a priest (known fondly by his parishioners as Father What-a-Hunk). Annie took his abandonment hard and became a bit loose, never giving her heart when she gave away her body.

Joe, now 35, has never been able to commit himself fully to the church, as he still has feelings for Annie. His decision to leave the church was not taken lightly, though his mother and grandmother give him a hard time about it.

Joe pursues Annie with vigor (particularly funny is when he sings "Annie's Song" to her at his best friends wedding, much to her mortification) and he tries to reconcile with her. But Annie has never forgiven him for deserting him when she needed him most. He takes a job that will put him in close proximity of her, and sparks fly. Of course, Joe's Mother, Sophia has plans for her now single son - to marry a nice Italian girl, and Annie does not fit into her plans.

As they slowly get to know each other again, and Joe constantly professes his love to a very reticent Annie, both realize that they cannot relive the past if they are to carve out a future.

The premise of this book had me so looking forward to it, but I was a little let down - I was expecting more tension between the leads, and more challenges to overcome besides their meddlesome parents. I also got a little tired of all the Yiddish and the overuse of the term "oy" - I found it annoying and somewhat stereotypical.

Overall, they are likeable characters and it is a fun book to read, and provides readers with an update on Mary and Dan from "The Trouble With Mary."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun and Sweet, August 13, 2001

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"[e-mail]" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What to Do About Annie? (Mass Market Paperback)

After reading The Trouble with Mary which I thought was hilarious I bought Annie's story and read it in one afternoon. Altho it was amusing, it was not as hilarious at Mary's story. It is however enjoyable, and you root for Annie and Joe (especially Joe) all the way thru. Joe's faimily is a riot. Ethic humor is great; Joe is delicious and Annie was a tug at a mother's heartstrings (and patience). Altho 15 years was a long time for them to finally get together, and Joe's leaving the priesthood was a bit too quick and easy for reality, everything turned out the way one would expect this type of book to end. A nice, comfortable read for a rainy afternoon.