Romeo, Romeo

by Robin Kaye

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a ChapterRosalie Ronaldi is doing just fine on her own. She doesn't need or want a man to make herself feel complete. Rosalie has always avoided commitment in a relationship and she has NEVER let anyone stay at her apartment. Ever. Who wants to share a bed with someone who will most likely take up all the available space? There isn't anything that a man could offer that would make her change her mind about marriage either. Rosalie figures that with the divorce rate at 50% and the percentage of unhappy marriages that won't end in divorce because of family or religion the odds are in her favor NOT to take the trip down the aisle.

Nick Romeo's father married his mother, stuck around long enough to create a genetic legacy and then hightailed it. As did Nick's grandfather and his great-grandfather. Nick is determined to end the Romeo line with himself. He doesn't want to pass on that sort of legacy. Nick hasn't had the best experience with women either. He's a self made man who owns several car dealerships and has made a fortune doing what he loves. He's also able to expand a little each year. Nick has had a LOT of women knocking down his door. He's gorgeous and he's rich! What woman wouldn't want to try and land him? It's made Nick just a little cynical. Between his past and lack of a father while growing up and women who only want him for his money, Nick swears he'll never get married.

After a rather disastrous family dinner, where Rosalie's many failures where discussed at length, she gets stranded on her way home. She had given her brother money to buy her a spare and lo and behold, there isn't even a donut tire in her trunk! The day couldn't possibly get any worse. Nick had spent most of his Sunday in one of his garages working on his Viper. He can't drive it home so he throws on a mechanic's uniform to drive one of the wreckers home. Nick considers it a lucky thing indeed when he happens upon an irate and beautiful woman kicking and cursing her car in three languages. Hopefully she's not crazy. When Rosalie assumes he's a mechanic and nothing more, Nick doesn't correct her. It's a change of pace from the women who just want him for his money.

Rosalie and Nick decide to date and from the beginning Rosalie has laid her ground rules. Nick couldn't agree more but he thinks there's a catch. After all, most women want to get married and can't help themselves. As Rosalie and Nick get closer and closer, their relationship changes. But they can't change the rules, can they?

Romeo, Romeo was actually recommended to me by a good friend and I'm glad that she mentioned it to me. I may not have found Robin Kaye otherwise. Kaye writes a wonderful novel. It's filled with lots of laughs, a lovable dog who as a reader you find yourself bonding with, a big Italian family in all of their dysfunctional glory and tenderness. With a combination like that, you can't go wrong!

Rosalie and Nick are so against relationships that they don't even realize they're in a serious one until everything around them comes crashing in. It's a great reading experience to watch this relationship develop while the people in it are oblivious. There are a lot of conflicts going on in this book: corporate espionage, hostile takeovers, and mistaken identity just to name a few. Kaye does a wonderful job balancing them all. I never felt that the plot was weighed down too much or that it dragged. There were some things that might have seemed a little far-fetched but they weren't beyond the scope of reality.

If you are in need of some light and funny escapism with a healthy dose of good times I highly suggest that you check out Romeo, Romeo! It is the first book of what promises to be a series you don’t want to miss!