Rating: 
Summary: A rose by another name smells sweet, tastes like saccharin
Review: Two words... guilty pleasure.I read this book because it was chosen for my beloved book club. At the outset, I had mixed emotions. I wasn't too interested in (what I thought would be) a trite knock-off of a classic; however, I was compelled to read the first-time published work of a fellow Nashvillian. In a million years, I would have never picked up this book on my own. After the first couple of chapters zipped by, I couldn't help myself. I read til I finished the whole thing. It was pretty obvious from the very beginning how things would unfold (star-crossed lovers and all that) without the tragedy of death (the tone was way too light from the beginning). What was most interesting are the characters: the star-crossed pair are 60 years old! Now, there's something different. A red-hot, carnal love affair between 60-year-olds who "should" know better. I'm only 30 myself, but I hope I still have this much passion and openness to love at that age. From that standpoint, the book was quite irreverent and fun. There's also lots of great dialogue in the book. Funny episodes that will work great as a movie, but for the life of me I can't decide who will play the leads. If the truth be known, I will probably like this work better as a film. It has better screenplay possibilities in my mind, which is a rare conclusion for me. The book ends like a pretty box of candy all wrapped up in a gingham bow. You're glad someone thought enough to bring you candy, but you know if you eat more than a couple of pieces, you'll end up in a diabetic coma. Jeanne Ray manages adroitly to put a fresh, light face on such a tragic story. I thought it would [stink], and it didn't. I was glad.
Rating: 
Summary: "Love is lovelier..etc"
Review: Love is lovelier the second time around..go the words of the old song and this tiny book is just about that!! Old rivals in the floristry world,the Italian Cacciamani's and the Jewish Roseman's are still feuding after 3 generations of hatred and revenge.Divorced Julie Roseman meets widowed Romeo Cacciamani and as the Sicilians say--are struck by the thunderbolt! Their mad,intense love affair horrifies the members of both their families who go to incredible lengths to break up the couple. I found this to be a wonderfully warm and engaging story which shows that it's not only the young who can love,suffer and enjoy all the aspects of love.
Rating: 
Summary: A Rare Gem
Review: I originally read the review for this book in a magazine and decided to wait for it to come out on paperback before buying it. That was a BIG mistake.
Once I bought the book, I could not put it down. The storyline is wonderfully intriguing! So much so that I was holding it up in the back of the car to read using the cars behind mine's headlights. It was that good. Its a wonderful story of enduring love and letting go of the past. It may not be as memorable as its similarly titled Shakespearean sister-novel, but I definitely won't forget what a wonderful book it is.
If you're looking for one of those books that you can't seem to get your nose out of and when its over you wish it wasn't, then this is it.
Rating:
Summary: Charming and Funny!
Review: THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE READ IN A LONG TIME. iT WAS A GREAT ROMANCE STORY WITH A TWIST. IT IS A MUST READ...NOT BORING LIKE ROMEO AND JULIET. A VERY FUNNY STORY THAT IS SURE TO MAKE YOU LAUGH.READ IT!
Rating:
Summary: I Adore this Book!
Review: Why did I wait so long to read this book? Well, I finally righted that mistake. Julie and Romeo was such a fun book to read. I was totally immersed in their world. Great writing, great plot, great sense of humour, and characters I loved. I just wanted to put my 2 cents in! I loved this book. If you are looking for some great escapism, read this book. It will be on my top 10 of the year. It also gets my personal award for best book cover! I will be reading all of Ms. Ray's work. Brava!
Rating:
Summary: 4 stars for story - 2 stars for narration
Review: This is a pleasant, amusing light romance - more interesting because the characters are older and older men and women are not usually characterized as having... desire ... It's a sweet story that will make you laugh. While other reviewers have praised the author for her narration, in my view, it is why I gave the book only 3 stars. Her voice is extremely pleasant - sweet and charming - just like Julie Roseman's voice should be - however, she does not change her voice or tone at all when reading the other characters and it is difficult at times to distinguish who is speaking. Also, in the recorded book version I was listening to, the balance and loudness of the narration swayed - at times I could barely hear what she was saying - at others, I was forced to turn down the volume. I've read (listened) to other recorded books where the author is the narrator and they almost always fall short. It pays to spend the money to get a professional book reader to narrate your book. But, even with the above comments, this is a recommended title for a quick, easy listen.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple entertainment
Review: This was a novel of simple plot, characters, and narration. I must start out by saying that what kept me reading this book was that I kept visualizing Somerville and other landmarks mentioned in this book since I live there. However, this was really one of the most ridiculous stories/plots I have read in a long time. (Come to think of it, I can't remember any.....) Most of the time I felt like I was reading a Harloquin romance novel. Although the idea of a 60 year old couple finding romance is nice, the cheesy narration seemed like it should have come out of a 16 year old. The other characters had very little depth and seemed way too one or two dimentional. I give this two stars for Somerville and it being written by a nurse.
Rating:
Summary: Adorable confection about star-crossed lovers.
Review: Jeanne Ray has a cure for what ails you. It is her delightful novel, "Julie and Romeo," and it is both hilarious and poignant. Romeo Cacciamani and Julie Roseman are rival florists in Boston. Their families have despised one another for years, although no one knows exactly how the feud started. Years ago, Sandy, daughter of Julie, and Tony, son of Romeo, fell in love. The feuding families forcibly separated the young lovers, who went their separate ways. The feud seemed to be on hold until one day, the divorced Julie and the widowed Romeo, now both grandparents around sixty years of age, meet at a small business seminar. Romeo and Julie are instantly attracted to one another, and their friendship blossoms (pun intended). In one hilarious vignette after another, Julie and Romeo clandestinely try to carry on their affair without their families' interference. However, if you have read the Shakespearean play with a similar name, you know how hard that can be. Jeanne Ray gives credence to the idea that people in their sixties can still experience desire for the opposite sex (what a radical notion!) and she shows how mindless prejudice can poison relationships. Her scenes of family mayhem are priceless. With Julie's overprotective daughters on one side and Romeo's thuggish sons and formidable mother on the other, can these star-crossed lovers ever find happiness? At a time when cleverly written light romances are few and far between, "Julie and Romeo" stands out as a small gem.
Rating:
Summary: I really wanted to like this book...
Review: I feel lost in a sea of glowing reviews, but I have to agree with ramson, I just didn't like this book. I couldn't see how decades of hatred could be changed in so short a period of time, it didn't ring true. The characters had no life on the page unless they were fighting with each other, and I found myself skipping paragraphs to get to some plot movement.
I did like the location, and many of the author's touches worked regarding the New England location, except for one. In Massachusetts we never go "up the Cape," as was stated in the book. We only go "down the Cape," no matter where we are.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I've ever read.
Review: I passed this title over several times because it sounded so hokey. Am I ever glad I finally got to it. Listened to the tape as I did the W2s and was laughing out loud at 3AM as I completed the world's most boring job without one transposition. So very true to life. I've given copies to my sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers and friends and everyone loves it. A "must read" for everyone over 50. Super gift for birhtdays and Christmas. Fun, funny, poignant. Great character development without all the superfluous filler copy. I actually see members of my family and friends in this book. Full of truth and life! I can't wait for her next. She's set herself a hard act to follow!
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