"enjoyable second Marcelli sister tale"

In Santa Barbara, research student widow Francesca Marcelli fakes being pregnant as part of an experiment to see if people would help her deliver packages. Males ignore her and females nod in empathy, but no one stops to assist her. When she reaches the empty offices of Malcolm and White Data Tech, she meets the CEO of Security International, Sam Reese. He takes her into his office, feeds her, and offers to hold the packages for now. She admits that she is a social psychology grad student wearing a fake device to emulate pregnancy.

Sam takes Francesca to dinner as they are attracted to one another. However, neither wants a long-term relationship though both their families encourage the widowed Francesca and the divorced Sam to marry. Even love may prove too weak to keep this couple together.

Though his ex returning seems only to raise unnecessary tension, fans will enjoy the second Marcelli sister tale. The story line is fun as the estrogen is at a fever pitch as it was with the first novel(see THE SPARKLING ONE). The lead couple is a fine pair, who claims they're not in love, but we, the families and Susan Mallory know better.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted September 25, 2003

For the Marcelli sisters of California wine country, the season is ripe for romance!

Summary

Francesca Marcelli married at eighteen -- right on schedule, according to her warm, colorful family, who have always said a beauty like Francesca need never worry about finding love. But a few years later, finding herself on her own with a wide open future ahead of her, she pursues her educational passions -- with a risky experiment that takes her straight into the arms of playboy CEO Sam Reese. Delighted by Francesca's interest in a no-strings relationship, Sam suddenly finds himself needing her outside the bedroom when a secret from his past lands on his doorstep. But Francesca soon has a secret of her own to tell -- a bombshell that will force the diehard bachelor to show his true colors. Are there "I do"s in Sam and Francesca's future? Only if she can persuade him that home truly is where the heart finds happiness.