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Natalie Bocuse spends her day waitressing at her sister’s French bistro in Brooklyn, but longs for the opportunity to manage an upscale restaurant in Manhattan. To get herself one step closer to her dream, she accepts an offer from Quinn O’Brien (one of the regulars at the bistro) to waitress at his parents’ Irish pub in Manhattan. Quinn O’Brien is a legend among New York reporters; he lives for the story and lets nothing stand in his way. He’s set his sights on Natalie and is determined to woo her, but an important story threatens to tear them apart. I’ve always enjoyed Deirdre Martin’s books in the past. She has a way of writing witty, sensual stories that really get to the heart of relationships. However, I found WITH A TWIST lacked the usual depth of a Deirdre Martin book. Natalie and Quinn come off as stereo-typical characters; he the dogged reporter who’d sell his soul for the next big story and she the snobby Frenchwoman who oftentimes thinks she’s too good for Americans. And while there’s nothing wrong with that kind of typecasting, Natalie and Quinn stayed far too superficial for me throughout the book. I kept waiting for that moment when my eyes would be opened to their complex faults and fears, but other than Natalie’s shopaholic compulsion, and Quinn’s workaholic tendencies, they never became characters I could relate to. I enjoyed all the secondary characters, from Quinn’s boisterous Irish family to the crazy regulars at the pub—Deirdre Martin really knows how to bring a community of quirky characters together. WITH A TWIST contains some fun scenes, and of course, Ms. Martin’s trademark flare for snappy, sexy banter, but sadly, in the end, I felt that the heart was missing from this story. Reviewed by Cindy |
Wild Hart Saga: WITH A TWIST Rating:
Posted June 2009 |
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