Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.
Fiction
2000 Harmony Books
Finished on January 27, 2001
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
A deliciously funny and wickedly sexy novel of love found (finally!) and love threatened (inevitably) by the families who claim to love us best. Romeo Cacciamani and Julie Roseman are rival florists in Boston, whose families have hated each other for as long as anyone can remember (what they can't remember is why). When these two vital, lonely people see each other across a crowded lobby at a small business owners' seminar, an intense attraction blooms that neither tries to squelch. They're not sure what fate has in store for them, but they're not about to let something as silly as a generations-long feud stand in the way of finding out. That is, not until Romeo's octogenarian mother, Julie's meddling ex-husband, and a cast of grown Cacciamani and Roseman children begin to intervene with a passionate hatred that matches their newly found love, stroke for stroke. Think Montagues and Capulets, think wise and witty and thoroughly modern. Julie and Romeo is a love story for the ages.
My Original Thoughts (2001):
A cute, sweet story about love between two 60-year-olds. Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with a modern twist. Rival florists and feuding families. Refreshing. A page-turner. Read it in two days.
My Current Thoughts:
I remember how much I enjoyed this novel, which I've read a couple of times. I went on to read a few others books by Jeanne Ray (mother of Anne Patchett, btw) and may go back and reread all of them. They're quick, light, and as I remember pretty funny, too.
I remember reading this book (I loved it that the characters were so old...haha...they don't seem quite so old now) but I must have read it before I was writing reviews. I remembered that Jeanne Ray was the mother of another author, but I had forgotten that person was Anne Patchett.
ReplyDeleteDeb, funny how the characters were considered old. I was 40 when I read it the first time, but even then, they didn't seem like seniors.
DeleteI do like rewrites of famous stories and Romeo and Juliet is a great one to modernize. Glad you liked this one.
ReplyDeleteHelen, this is an entertaining read. She wrote a sequel to the book, which was pretty disappointing, in my opinion.
DeleteI didn't know Anne Patchett's mother was also a writer. Now I may have to find this book! :)
ReplyDeleteJen, I've enjoyed a couple of her books, but not all of them. This one and another called Step.Ball.Change are my favorites.
DeleteI remember really enjoying this, and Step.Ball.Change. Sometimes I just need light, entertaining books. :-)
ReplyDeleteLaurel, they are certainly light and entertaining. I also read the follow-up to this one (Julie and Romeo Get Lucky), which wasn't very good. Step.Ball.Change was fun, though!
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