The small town of Chandler, California is the home
of the large, boisterous and close-knitted Candellano family. The family members include:
Angela, the matriarch, who rules her big Italian brood with love; Tony the oldest son and
town sheriff; Nick, the famous football player who’s a die-hard lothario; his twin
brother Paul, the quiet, unassuming computer whiz; and last, but not least, Carla the
daughter whom Mama is still trying to fix up.
‘Finding You’ is Carla’s story. A
painful incident in her past has left Carla embittered and without any faith in herself,
and no one has been able to penetrate the wall she’s built around herself, not even
her loving family. She has no interest in her career let alone her love life, though this
doesn’t in the least deter her loving but meddling Mama from trying to fix her up
with any male unlucky enough to come within sight. Jackson Wyatt comes to Chandler in a
last desperate attempt to bring his six-year old daughter Reese, who hasn’t spoken
since her mother died last year, back to her normal and mischievous self. Reese and Carla
form an instant bond, largely due to Carla’s adorable golden lab. Jackson and Carla
arouse feelings in each other that they’d both believed dead, but can they ever
untangle their complicated lives to trust and love each other? A side story runs parallel
to this main one and it’s about the marital difficulties that Tony and his wife are
having.
‘Knowing You’ is Paul’s story. Paul has
spent most of his life living in the shadow of his famous twin brother, Nick. He’s
never begrudged his twin for hogging the limelight and in fact understands Nick’s
insecurity as the reason behind it. But there is one thing he’s always resented Nick
for, and that is Stevie, Nick’s ex-girlfriend, and the girl whom Paul has loved all
his life. For Stevie, who’d never known a stable family life, being Carla’s best
friend and thus getting sort of adopted into the Candellano family, is the best thing that
could ever happened to her. When somehow she and Paul end up spending one magical night
together, Stevie is horrified and panics thinking that Mama will never forgive her for
giving up on Nick. Meanwhile Nick, whose career is rapidly going south, suddenly decides
he wants Stevie back. A complicated situation arises. What will Mama Angela do?
Delightful romances involving colorful and yet realistic characters
make these two stories by Maureen Child, a veritable feast for the eyes. The large Italian
family of the Candellanos is very convincing and the characterizations are so mature and
honest that the author is to be applauded for such skillful crafting and accurate
portrayal. While the stories are nothing new and the plot is ordinary, it is the heartfelt
emotions that leap from the pages, and the delicately blended humor and pathos, which
render these stories memorable. The readers are advised to set aside quite some time to
read this double book for one story immediately segues into the other and after the
exhilarating first story, the readers will feel compelled to read the other one too, and
neither disappoints. Maureen Child is an author to watch out for and coming soon is her
next installment in the Candellano family series.
Reviewed By Rashmi Srinivas for The Road to Romance
April 8, 2003 |
