Rating: 
Summary: Not my cup of tea
Review: My apologies to the author, but I did not like this book. I started skipping pages by chapter two and finally tossed an unread new book into the waste basket.
Rating: 
Summary: The Trouble with Mary? None!
Review: She's delightful.....which I was optomistic she would be since the book has a great endorsement from none other than Janet Evanovich, the queen of one liners and sexual tension between the sexes. The only thing I had a hard time grasping is how anyone.... even if it is Dan Dallagher, the heart stopping hero, could hate Italian food! I didn't know it was possible to turn ones nose up at cannoli. Anyway, back to the subject of this book, it's funny, romantic and just a wee bit off kilter compared to your average leading character with a riotious Italian family. I loved the characters and can't wait to get my hands on another Millie Criswell book.
Rating:
Summary: A delicious treat! Very highly recommended
Review: Sophie Russo has an opinion about everything, especially her daughter, and never hesitates to point out problems, always beginning with the phrase, "The trouble with you, Mary, is..." A healthy Italian, daughter, Mary's learned to cope with her mother's advice quite well, usually with the help of chocolate. Like the day her boss, whom she loved as a favorite uncle, committed suicide, taking both their friendship and her job. While Sophie accuses of Mary of having no will power, she simply drowns her troubles in her latest creation -- chocolate cannoli. At thirty-five, Mary decides its time to take a real chance, and opens her own restaurant. And she's a smashing success.Then Dan Gallagher writes a review of Mama Sophie's. Granted, it has been a bad week. He wanted the promotion to Sports Editor, but the boss' nephew got the plumb. Dan has been appointed the Food Editor, while the current editor is out on maternity leave. Worse, Dan hates Italian. So he takes his frustration out on the newest Italian restaurant in town. Dan's scathing review inspires Mary's personal rebuttal. And when she storms out of Dan's office, having given her a colorful piece of her mind, he can only admire her fiery temperament. The trouble is...now he's gotta find a way into her heart and learn to like Italian. If you are craving a fun, witty, off the wall romance, THE TROUBLE WITH MARY by Millie Criswell will fill the bill perfectly. The lively characterizations, especially the kleptomaniac grandma, earn this tasty treat top billing! With perfectly sinful recipes, Italian stereotypes, and her own ingenious style, Criswell's contemporary romance will have readers laughing right to the very end! Very highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: A warm and witty romance
Review: The Trouble with Mary is that you can't put it down. Criswell's book alternately tugs at your heartstrings and keeps you laughing. Dan and Mary are a great pair and watching them fall in love is pure enjoyment. All the characters are wonderfully warm and funny and the book leaves you wishing you had an Uncle Alfredo and friends like Annie... Speaking of Annie, can't wait for her story. The Trouble with Mary is that you don't want it to end!
Rating: 
Summary: A read to bring smiles and laughter
Review: THE TROUBLE WITH MARY Millie Criswell Ivy Books ISBN #0-804-11950-3 January 2001 Contemporary Baltimore - Present Mary Russo is a middle child born into a stereotype Italian family where the matriarch reminds me of Sophia of The Golden Girls TV show. Sophia Russo always has a one liner to divulge and it often begins with - The trouble with Mary is ..... to fit whatever the occasion happens to be at the moment. Thanks to many of these isms, Mary believes herself a fat failure. She dropped out of school to work in a Pizza Parlor and now her boss is dead and she doesn't have a clue where or what she wants to do. Loving to cook and deciding to venture out on her own, Mary finds a new apartment over the same building where she opens an Italian restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy section of town. She looks forward to a thriving business, but the newspaper's food editor blasts her restaurant with a terrible critique. Just wait till that Dan Gallagher, whoever he thinks he is, gets a piece of her mind! Dan Gallagher was a successful sports editor for the newspaper, but nepotism enters the picture and he's asked to fill a vacancy as food editor for a spell. Dan isn't happy, but doesn't have much choice either. Dan hates Italian food and must review the new restaurant opening in Little Italy, and blasts it with a terrible critique. He has set an Italian family against him and little Mary Russo is going to burn his ears when she walks into his office a few days later. But when Dan looks at the petite woman it's more than his ears that burn. Millie Criswell steps into the arena of contemporary writing with a blast, as THE TROUBLE WITH MARY is a riot of romantic comedy. She gives readers a story to laugh with and brings a family to life when a typical Italian daughter falls for of all things, an Irishman. Dan and Mary are such fun to read about as they become friends, then lovers. Her secondary characters seem like relatives after you read a few chapters. There is the colorful Grandma Flora who never lets Sophia forget she wasn't good enough for her son, Frank, but no woman could have met Flora's expectations. The aunts and uncles and their idiosyncrasies will keep a smile on your face with their antics. Then there is Dan's precious little boy, Matthew, who doesn't want to live with Dan and is angry because his mother deserted him, but Grandma Flora and Mary will soon bring him out of the doldrums. Then, there is Mary's brother, Joe, a priest and light of his mother's eyes; and Annie, the outrageous best friend, among other characters presented. Each of the cast is fully developed and given a unique personality. Though most of the story is a comedy, there are some serious matters hidden between the lines, and the author does a great job in solving them. Mary harbors a real fear of failure in her relationship and hesitates to commit because of that fear. She's also been under her mother's thumb all of her life and enjoys her independence and doesn't want to give that up. Dan was been burned in his first marriage and isn't interested in anything more than a casual relationship - but Mary's family will have more than a little to say about that. THE TROUBLE WITH MARY is a read to pick up when you want to lift your spirits and put a smile on your face. Millie Criswell proves she can write a contemporary to equal her previous historicals as she uses imagination, wit and humor to bring a delightful story to her fans. There are steam-filled pages of sensuality as the thirty-something virgin learns about making out. This reader is hoping there is a sequel to bring this family to a conclusion since I have a strong need to know more about brother Joe. Millie Criswell left me with a grin and a satisfying conclusion to a tale I highly recommend. Carol Carter/As written for Under The Covers
Rating:
Summary: Millie Criswell has made her mark in romantic comedy
Review: The trouble with this book is that I couldn't put it down. The Trouble with Mary actually had me laughing out loud (while my poor husband was trying to sleep!). I think every woman can relate to Mary's struggle to maintain her independence and have a relationship as she also copes with her crazy dysfunctional family (thank God for chocolate!). Speaking of chocolate, I must have gained ten pounds just reading this book. The recipes printed at the beginning of each chapter were such a clever idea. Millie Criswell has certainly found her niche in romantic comedy. I can't wait for What to Do About Annie.
Rating:
Summary: The Trouble With Mary
Review: There is no trouble with Mary for this reviewer! This book was fun from start to finish! The characters are so full of life and humor, so REAL. I felt like I knew the Russo family personally by the time I finished this book. Ms. Criswell has a true gift for mixing romance with humor, a perfect blend. By the time I finished the book, I could not wait for July's installment of Annie's story! It also made me hungry for some yummy Italian food. This book gives a perfect insight to life in a real Italian family. I couldn't find one thing not to like about this book, I even liked Sophie, Mary's Mom, despite all her little digs to Mary throughout the book. Dan was a wonderful hero, and hey, he's a baseball fan, that makes him even more likable! Thanks for several hours of pure reading pleasure Ms. Criswell! I can't wait for July 31st, when Annie's story hits the stands, I will be first in line to grab my copy!
Rating:
Summary: A Delightful Novel
Review: This book was extremely humerous adn romantic. THe combination of Mary's Italian family and her quick wit made it a great novel from begginning to end. Mary and Dan's romance is quite a uh...interesting one. I hope you enjoy this book as much as i did (the recipes are excellent also!!)
Rating: 
Summary: a cute read
Review: This book was fun and sweet. I found the heroine's family a little too much, but overall, I enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and Heartwarming!
Review: This is a feel good story, a wonderful mix of poignancy and humor against a backdrop of quirky family. You'll love it!
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