Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable easy read
Review: Cupid & Diana is definately a story for women. An enjoyable story about love and family relationships that doesn't get sappy/gushy. Short easy read that gets better with each chapter. Any woman raised by or around Catholic families (especially Italian) will definately identify with the family/relationship dynamics. The book is full of good laughs and had me reminiscing about my own past and present relationships. I enjoyed the local references and also liked the strength and diversity of the women characters and the sensible perspective they provided on some unpleasant life circumstances.
Rating:
Summary: A Sweet if Somewhat Vapid Read
Review: Diana Campanella is in her 30s when she realizes that her shop is floudering, as is her less-than-passionate relationship with her finace Philip. Throughout the course of Cupid and Diana, we are introduced to Diana's love-hate relationship with her large Catholic family, and follow along as her life changes upon meeting Harry Sandburg, a recently separated lawyer who has just moved to D.C. The novel is predictable in all aspects, but an easy read. Bartolomeo makes some interesting observations about life that make the book shine every now and then, but as whole, it's largely forgettable. A comfortable look at a life of a woman who manages to shake the cloak of inertia off of herself, something that, as we all know, is harder and harder to do as the years pass.
Rating:
Summary: Nice beach read
Review: Having graduated Dickinson College along with Christina, I can humbly say that the writer did fictionalize certain aspects of her own life. While it's hard to like or admire a main character who two-times her fiancée, the Christina I remember was a kind-hearted, very likeable person, who showed signs even then of becoming a talented writer. When she dramatizes her own life in her first novel, it is only for the sake of a good story. Novelists, by my definition, should have the ability and wherewithal to reflect upon themselves in the way that she has done. I'm looking forward to her next novel. Good job, Chris!
Rating: 
Summary: Painful
Review: How can such a short book take so long to read? I hate to say that, because the first chapter sucked me in. Just when I thought the plot was going to move along, she starts to get into a bunch of backstory. Okay, fine, we need a little expostion. Then the book turned out to be more whiny backstory than any real plot. The book lacked any real character development and Diana just couldn't stop whining to save her life. To top it all off, the author used Tom Waits in vain. It didn't sound like she was really into Tom Waits, just using crib notes in the hopes that it would make the book sound "edgy." It only made her look like a poseur. If this book had a soundtrack, Tom Waits wouldn't fit the bill. Try some Dan Fogelberg next time, Ms. Bartolomeo.
Rating:
Summary: Painful
Review: How can such a short book take so long to read? I hate to say that, because the first chapter sucked me in. Just when I thought the plot was going to move along, she starts to get into a bunch of backstory. Okay, fine, we need a little expostion. Then the book turned out to be more whiny backstory than any real plot. The book lacked any real character development and Diana just couldn't stop whining to save her life. To top it all off, the author used Tom Waits in vain. It didn't sound like she was really into Tom Waits, just using crib notes in the hopes that it would make the book sound "edgy." It only made her look like a poseur. If this book had a soundtrack, Tom Waits wouldn't fit the bill. Try some Dan Fogelberg next time, Ms. Bartolomeo.
Rating:
Summary: Nice, light, romantic comedy
Review: I picked up this book on a whim (it was on sale). I don't regret the purchase. Bartolomeo writes with a light, breezy style that is enjoyable and will have you snickering at some of the scenarios. The one drawback in the book to me was that it was a bit too overwritten. There were barely any pages that didn't have the main character reminiscing about an event long past. Overall, I recommend reading this book if you're looking for a light read for a Saturday. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Such a nice surprise...
Review: I really enjoyed reading this book and have reread it at least twelve times. It has a spunky everywoman of a heroine whose many endearing quirks (I flat-out adore any fiction heroine with unruly curly hair like mine!) include a tendency to remember special occasions in her life by the outfit she had on at the time. This vintage clothing store owner has to make the usual choice between two men - but this time with a twist. Both men have the same potential (only in different ways) to become Diana's perfect soulmate. Cupid and Diana is, in my opinion, a cut above most "chick lit" not just for its story, or even its heroine, but for the author's prose. She has an amazing gift for adding profound statements about life and love in a sweet and fresh way that just blows me away every time I read this book. My favorite example of this is when Diana states that her taste in men runs to guys who have had to wear glasses at an early age - because it "instills sweetness and empathy" - as opposed to her sister's cookie-cutter handsome jerk of a boyfriend. I loved the characterization in this book, though they hit perhaps a little too close to home in some cases, and the story played out really well. All in all, I give this book five stars. I would recommend it to someone who wanted more story and character in their love story than simply steamy boot-knockin' (although there is some of that in here too!).
Rating: 
Summary: A refreshing book; this is a great "summer read."
Review: I sort of "backed into" this book; while trapped in a doctor's office I found a bit of it in a magazine. Intrigued, I ordered it from Amazon.com, and was glad I did. I don't usually enjoy fiction; it too often seems, well, unbelievable. I was pleased to find this one an exception. The protagonist is a sympathetic character, and the reader can easily "see" the people with whom Diana shares her world. The author deftly explores an old theme -- how we can love our family members without always liking or understanding them. Ms. Bartolomeo also writes enjoyable love scenes without making the reader feel that (s)he ought to hide the book! I really enjoyed this one, was glad I bought it, and have recommended it to friends.
Rating:
Summary: A satisfying romance
Review: I've read this book twice, once before and then again after moving to DC. Diana's comments about the men in this town, and the southern power influence over it were right on target, so if you're in the dating scene in DC, you'll especially enjoy it.Otherwise, it's still a great book. Diana is forced to make that classic decision of security v. passion, but it's not the typical gorgeous/dangerous v. serious/rich plot. Bartolomeo's characters are more dimensional than that, and Harry (the passion guy) feels like that guy best friend that you want to protect. And Diana's sisters are hilarious. All in all, a really good read.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying
Review: It won't light the world on fire, but Cupid and Diana will satisfy anyone with a taste for the new, lightly comic women's fiction books that have taken the book world by storm of late. (Please don't use that gross term "Chick-Lit" in my presence. How condescending can you get?!) Unless, that is, the reader is squeamish about women having more than one sexual partner, in which case, he or she probably won't appreciate Diana's realistic dilemma. However, anyone who's been caught between two people will emphathize, and maybe learn something about relationships, faithfulness, and being true to oneself. The book is worth reading for Diana's letter to Harry alone. The descriptions of clothing are icing on the cake. One question for Ms. Bartolomeo--why is Annette in the book? She serves no purpose. Get thee to an editor!
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