Review: Great Reading!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 29, 2014
Looking for a fun book with a sweet romance? Look no further than The Meatball Mistress.While not necessarily “laugh out loud” funny, it consistently kept a smile on my face as I read. And though it might have technically been a story about Cara and Ryan, the secondary characters frequently steal the show. There are half a dozen of them who are just as fully fleshed out as the main ones. I loved Dino (so morose about his wife putting him on a diet … and the scene with him and his friends at the restaurant was a hoot), and Oz and …well, you get the idea.Despite Ryan’s love ‘em and leave ‘em reputation, I knew he was a good guy from the start. He does his best to be completely honest (honesty is a big thing with him) and is mystified when women think he’s going to change, because he puts everything right out there from the beginning. And, you know he’s decent because of how he treats the staff of his place, never mind taking Cara in off the street when she faints. It’s no wonder every person he dates wants forever. I would, too.Cara is a hoot. Voluptuous (and her curves thrill one of the girls at the restaurant who’s starting a lingerie company … Cara is the perfect model), intelligent, a little sassy and so much fun, I really enjoyed watching her slip into a perfect rhythm with the rest of the folks who worked at Ryan’s restaurant.The writing is solid, descriptions complete without being boring, the characters real, flawed and interesting. I had a few issues with the last couple of chapters and how both characters behaved (don’t worry … it’s a HEA!) that I don’t want to detail because I don’t want to give spoilers, but they’re the only thing that kept this from being a full five stars.For a thoroughly entertaining read with a satisfying and sigh-worthy happy ending, check out The Meatball Mistress. I can’t wait to read more by this author.originally posted at long and short reviews