As far as Daria Marshall is concerned, being a
gypsy in the modern world just isn't all it's cracked up
to be. Sure, she's always been free to pick up and move
on when a place no longer suits her, and she's enjoyed
adventures all over the world, but there have been some
nasty bumps along the way, too. Neither of her parents has
ever been there for her, with her mom flitting from
husband to husband since before Daria was born, and her
father remarried and living in Europe. Daria's own
attempt at marriage after a whirlwind courtship ended with
a bitter day in front of a judge, which has made her
fearful of any future entanglements. Unfortunately, the
one constant in her life seems to be an unending
loneliness that keeps growing stronger no matter how many
times she moves on. Oh, and did I mention she sees dead
people?
During an extended visit with her half-sister
Tammy in New York City, Daria is approached by the spirit
of an older Italian gentleman who obviously wants her
help. Daria is tired of the trouble that always seems to
result from getting involved with wayward spirits, and
she's determined to ignore this one, but things get a
little complicated when she meets the handsome and
troubled Ralphie Chickalini at a New Year's Eve party, and
discovers that the spirit is Ralphie's recently deceased
father, Nino. Ralphie carries the grief of his father's
passing like a shroud, unable to face a future in which
both his father and his childhood home are gone. Daria
understands all too well the emptiness that Ralphie is
feeling, but she resists the powerful attraction she feels
for the hunky Italian because any involvement will only
bring him more pain when she leaves, as she always does.
But Ralphie isn't about to let Daria out of his
life so easily. He may not know what he wants for his
future, but for his present he wants Daria, the one woman
who helps him forget his pain and enjoy life for a while.
But convincing her to give up her gypsy ways and take a
chance on a future with him in NYC will require the
youngest Chickalini to face the spirits that haunt him.
THAT'S AMORE is a poignant, touching, sweet story.
The intensity of the pain and heartache that Ralphie is
forced to face brought me to tears, but his character
development was so well timed and so honest that the
necessity for his journey was never in doubt. Daria had
her own troubles to confront, and I loved watching the
interplay between her and her sister Tammy. Anyone who
has met the Chickalini family in Markham's earlier novels
will be delighted by the continuation of their stories and
the chance to see the youngest Chickalini find a happily-
ever-after of his own.
The only gripe I have with this book has nothing
to do with the author, but with the art department at
Grand Central. Don't put a dog on the book cover in three
different locations if there isn't a dog in the book.
It's distracting and annoying.
Ralphie Chickalini is on the verge of living happily ever
after with the perfect woman. His fiance Francesca Maria
Buccigrossi of Astoria Boulevard is a curvaceous, fun-loving
brunette. His late father, whose recent death the family is
still mourning, adored Francesca's homemade pesto sauce and
declared her a "keeper," his brothers think she's a hoot,
his sisters adore her, and his nephews and niece already
call her "aunt." But as the wedding date approaches, Ralphie
begins to question his love. When Ralphie bumps into two
psychic sisters at a New Year's Eve party, his life will be
thrown in an unexpected direction. Daria and Tammy might not
look alike, but they do have more than just a maternal
bloodline in common. They both have a psychic gift. Tammy or
"Madame Tamare" is a storefront psychic who predicted the
marriage between Ralphie's brother Dominic's marriage and an
unlikely bride. Now, Daria is channeling a spirit with a
message for Ralphie: his father has returned to guide him to
true love. But Daria has her own life to live, and she plans
to move back to Arizona, messages from another world aside.
Despite contrary inclinations, Daria and Ralphie will soon
realize that their paths are destined to collide.
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