Rating: 
Summary: D'Alessandro Means You'll Love It
Review: I've just completed both of Ms. D'Alessandro's novels and have to say that she is a rising Star in the Romance genre. This her first novel is a wonderful story that had all the elements I look for. Handsome hero, Lord Stephen, only our heroine Hayley ALbright doesn't know it. She thinks he's just a tutor who was wounded as a result of a botched robbery. The truth is he has just narrowly escaped the second attempt on his life and doesn't trust anyone. Narrowly escaped and survived, thanks to Hayley who comes upon his wounded body and nurses him back to health.
The Albright household, is just superb with characters you'll just fall in love with. This book is a definite keeper. Loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: OK but not memorable
Review: No doubt if anyone bothers, I shall receive a few "not helpfuls" for this review. Usually I only comment on books I really enjoyed or those which sadly disappointed me, having expected much better. Based on the comments here about RRML, I expected rather more of this book and it did not, in my view, add up to much more than a reasonable read and an average first effort. However, there is too much about it that smacks of first book and sloppy editing. Sometimes I think that editors deserve more criticism than writers for the sometimes silly final results we see in romantic historical fiction.The problem with RRML is that it is full of silly little errors which either the author or editor should have picked up. These add up to enormous distraction. Some examples of this are met on the very first page of the book. The setting is described as a pine forest with the sounds of chirping crickets. Pine forests do not and did not exist on the "outskirts" of London (try the Scottish Highlands for that!) and crickets do not feature in the natural fauna like they do in the author's home of Georgia. A "three piece orchestra" is referred to; it should be a string trio. A house has "tall Palladian windows"; the house is a brick London townhouse. Palladian architectural style is really best used in connection with large country mansions. The main characters get married in St Paul's Cathedral rather than their own parish churches as required then under English canon and secular law. The silliest folly is in suggesting that a woman could, by writing short stories, afford to keep a large family. Jane Austen received only pin money (perhaps only £100 or so) for Pride and Prejudice. Writing during the Regency era was not a career option which would provide any sort of reasonable income for either men or women. Even Sir Walter Scott had a day job! I could go on and on. Unfortunately, the above merely accentuates the problems with the story because the characters cannot rise above them. Hayley Albright and Stephen Barrett are very one dimensional cardboard cutouts. They don't really seem to have adult emotions, conflicts or feelings. The peripheral characters, especially the old family retainers, are burlesques of reality. The conversational language used by the H/H and virtually everyone else is out of synch with the time period the author wishes to place them in. They are all boisterous, they flop and plop into chairs, their hearts "slam against their ribs"; words "erupt from his lips like steam from a boiling kettle". Sorry this is just to silly to swallow! The plot line is not too bad although mixing a murder with the slapstick behaviour of the main characters is jarring and I was left not sure if the author was writing a comedy or a mystery. The book was plainly a labour of love - look at all of the thanks and so on the author has included. But, she needs to get a grip on her research, make sure she has a better understanding of the physicallity of her timeframe and settings and learn to round out her characters into people one can believe in (and care about). Unfortunately, I had to force myself to read this book to the end and although it was pleasant enough, the errors and lack of sharp development was annoying and in the end I was just simply bored. When I think what Carla Kelly or Mary Balogh or Edith Layton can do with a 60 page short story in terms of characterisation, conflict and plot development, I wondered why everyone seems so taken with this book. It is, ultimately, at least 100 pages too long. C+ for the author for a first effort; D- for the editor.
Rating:
Summary: Good Book
Review: This is one of the best books I've read this year. Cassie is a marvelous character and worth the price of the book. Pure entertainment!
Rating: 
Summary: A Charming Read...
Review: R.R.M.L. is overall a charming and an entertaining read. I specially enjoyed reading about the meanings/definitions and origins of different kinds of flower. I never thought about these things and now it made me want to learn more about it. Interesting, indeed. I admit, the initial plot was somewhat thin for my liking. Also, I find the mystery twist a bit too predictable. However, the detailed and lovable characters made up for this fluff. In my opinion, both Stephen and Hayley are interesting couple. They have their flaws, which I prefer to have in all my hero/heroine. Their flaws makes them more realistic in my eye. Stephen is cold, arrogant, impulsive and very detach. He grew up with rules and propriety. His family was too stiff that touching was even considered improper. Showing of emotions or giving compliments wasn't encourage, instead it's considered inappropriate... And then he met Hayley and her family. They made him feel different. He felt something new/strange emotions he had never felt before. This confuses him that is why he makes lots of annoying decisions. Meanwhile, Hayley grew up in a loving home. Her parents died and left her to carry on the responsibility for her family. So that puts a lot of burden in her life... since then, she merely went on and forgot her own happiness. Yes, she is a bit too good hearted, too forgiving perhaps. Normally, I would hate a heroine like this but in Hayley's case, I understand her character. I understand why she forgives and accepts Stephen too quickly. I think this is mostly because she is very lonely and very much in love. She took care of everyone and have forgotten her needs until Stephen fired that "Longings"... Finally, here is a man who makes her feel pretty, makes her feel special. Despite the misunderstandings and Stephens insensitivities towards her, she can't deny the way she feels for him. I think it takes a lot of courage for someone to be so open and honest about their feelings despite the consequences. Her honesty made me admire her more. No pretentious for Hayley. I love you and that is that. Aside from the primary characters, I love each and every one of the secondary characters in this book. Their conversations, their antics and the humors (although, there were some humor that got kindda old towards the end) will warm your heart and will make u smile. I love the sweet and innocent Callie the most. Her tea parties and her heart warming words. Indeed, A child's love can touch and soften even the most hardened heart. The ending of this book was charming but there were parts I find a bit too unimaginable---the abrupt improved changes of Stephen's parents and Gregory's all of a sudden change from being a drunk to a well, responsible man... hmmm... I would think this kind of change takes more than just couple of months! Nevertheless, this book is worthy of your time. Lots of laugh, smile and sigh. Jacquie D' Alessandro was suggested to me by two of my Amazon friends. Her book ratings were mostly high so I went out and bought two of her works. I wasn't disappointed at all. I've read and enjoyed the WHIRLWIND WEDDING just as much as this one, RED ROSES MEAN LOVE. I do believe Ms. D'Alessandro have lots of potentials. She is indeed talented and I will buy more of her works in the future.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome book
Review: I couldn't believe it when I found out that this was her first book. It made me want to research how to get a hold of her. I found her website which led me here! I wanted to let everyone know that I have read thousands and thousands of romance novels and this one rates WAAAY up there. I was seriously hooked by page 4! You can't beat that! It is a great read. You really get to know and like all the characters, including the household staff!!!! A must read!
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorites
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed Jacquie D'Alessandro's book, RED ROSES MEAN LOVE. Her characters were people that one could relate to and understand. Hayley and Stephen's story had me laughing, crying, and smiling. I sincerely hope that Jacquie D'Alessandro continues writing books such as R.R.M.L. and Whirlwind Wedding, which I liked even more than R.R.M.L. Keep up the wonderful stories!
Rating:
Summary: This book will make you laugh AND cry at the same time...
Review: I adore historical romance and do read voraciously, but it's rare that a book touches me as much as this one did. I adored the characters, the story, and the ambiance of this book. Ms. D'Alessandro has an engaging, delightful style that made me feel as though I, too, were a part of the book. I admired and identified with the characters, and was only sad when the story ended. I truly hope that these characters will be seen in a series of books someday ! I can't wait to know what happens NEXT !
Rating:
Summary: Charming!
Review: Hayley Albright cares for her younger siblings and a house full of eccentric "staff." She's got a full plate and then some. But she can't walk away from the injured man she finds on a trip home from London, so she simply adds him to her responsibilities, and soon he's like a member of the family. Only she's never wanted to kiss a member of the family in quite the same way she enjoys kissing Stephen Barrattson, the simple tutor who's stumbled into her life. Stephen doesn't know what to make of this odd household where children are seen and heard with regularity, where hugs, kisses and smiles are given away without a thought, where a simple tutor is made to feel at home. With all his heart he wishes he was a tutor, so he could stay in the warm embrace of this family...of this woman. But Stephen has a secret. He's no tutor. He has a title, and has someone trying to kill him. For everyone's sake, he has to walk away. The only problem is, he's leaving his heart behind. Stephen has a few really stupid moments, but as much as I wanted to smack him, they fit his character, and he did redeem himself in my eyes in the end. And Hayley was one of my favorite types of heroine--able to take on the world, and yet willing to open her herself to love. This was a delightful book, full of unique characters and a love story that twisted my heart.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfies on every level
Review: RED ROSES MEAN LOVE was not my first Jacquie D'Alessandro book - I rushed out and bought it after reading WHIRLWIND WEDDING. I am happy to report that I was not disappointed - except that the book had to end! Stephen Barrett, Marquis of Glenfield, meets Hayley Albright when she saves his life. However, because someone is trying to kill him, he tells her that his name is Stephen Barrettson and that he is a tutor. Initially upon accepting her hospitality, the austere lord is appalled by Hayley's living conditions - shabby manse, impertinent staff, rowdy children, and overbearing dogs. But as the weeks wear by, he not only grows accustomed to his surroundings, he experiences the one thing a man who has everything never had - love. He's head-over-heels with Hayley and her unconventional family, but there are two problems: he doesn't realize it well enough to call it love, and Hayley loathes deception. How can he tell her the truth without turning her away from him? As for Hayley, she doesn't know what to make of the tutor who doesn't know Latin and cannot shave himself. She finds him compelling, even as he's lecturing her on propriety. She realizes that she - and her whole family - is falling in love with him, but she suffers no delusions about her desirability (she thinks) since her betrothed deserted her three years previously when she became responsible for her irrepressible siblings. Can she make Stephen care for her enough to take a tutoring position in the area and stay with her forever? The emotion between these two very strong, determined, likable leads is palpable. Stephen and Hayley's communications, both direct and through the language of flowers, are witty, insightful, and very readable. The plot is believable, and the madcap adventures of the Albrights, from the sea-dog footman repairing the chicken coop to the nearsighted butler losing his spectacles in the stew to the temperamental French chef's threats of putting the cat in a pie to the sensitivity of grown men attending a six-year-old's tea party, will keep readers amused throughout the book. I now count Ms. D'Alessandro among my favorite authors. After reading RED ROSES MEAN LOVE, you will too.
Rating:
Summary: Fabulous New Author!
Review: This book was recommended to me from a friend and I am very happy I took her advice. It is a refreshingly witty and charming to a fault. I look forward to Whirlwind Wedding and future reads from this talented author!
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