With Christmas season in full swing, baker Regina San Valentino is up to her elbows in cake batter and cookie dough. Between running her own business, filling her bursting holiday order book, and managing her crazy Italian family, she’s got no time to relax, no room for more custom cake orders, and no desire to find love. A failed marriage and a personal tragedy have convinced her she’s better … off alone. Then a handsome stranger enters her bakery begging for help. Regina can’t find it in her heart to refuse him.Connor Gilhooly is in a bind. He needs a specialty cake for an upcoming fundraiser and puts himself–and his company’s reputation–in Regina’s capable hands. What he doesn’t plan on is falling for a woman with heartbreak in her eyes or dealing with a wise-guy father and a disapproving family.Can Regina lay her past to rest and trust the man who’s awoken her heart?
more
3.75 stars–CHRISTMAS AND CANNOLIS by Peggy Jaeger is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, romance story line focusing on thirty-two year old, bakery owner Regina San Valentino, and thirty-six year old, businessman and owner of a web and app design company Connor Gilhooly.
Told from first person perspective (Regina San Valentino) CHRISTMAS AND CANNOLIS focuses on the building business and personal relationship between thirty-two year old, bakery owner Regina San Valentino, and thirty-six year old, businessman and owner of a web and app design company Connor Gilhooly. Angie’s Bakery came highly recommended by a friend. When his holiday caterer fell through, Connor Gilhooly set his sites on the small Italian bakery owned by Regina San Valentino, the woman with whom Connor would fall in love. With only a few short weeks before the holiday rush, Regina agrees to make a special cake for the fund raiser Connor is sponsoring for Pearl’s Place, a place Regina knows only too well What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Regina and Connor, and the potential fall-out as Regina’s tight-knit Italian family becomes obsessed with Connor’s history, and the secrets he has yet to reveal.
Regina San Valentino knows heart break and loss but getting through the holidays means pushing aside her own happiness for the happiness of others. As the owner of a popular bakery, Regina spends a good portion of her life baking and ensuring everything runs well. Meeting Connor Gilhooly stirs something within our story line heroine, something Regina shut show years before.
The relationship between Connor and Regina is one of immediate attraction but a relationship that began with a promise and a business deal for a local fund-raiser. Regina had no idea how much Connor’s presence would affect her life, a presence that is all but destroyed when her well-meaning but controlling family begins to hunt for sins of the past. The Sex scenes are passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including Regina’s busy Italian family: her parents Sony and Ursula, brother GianCarlo and Trixie, Petey and Penny, Aunt Frankie, Uncle Joey, Aunt Gracie, several cousins, as well as Connor’s mother Molly Gilhooly.
CHRISTMAS AND CANNOLIS is a story of family, of loss, of heartbreak and love. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is sexy and sweet; the characters are energetic, bold and colorful
This is a great read where you have mystery, confusion, over protective family, loss, hope and plenty of good food. The way things unfold for Regina and Connor is great, its not rushed but a good pace and keeps you wanting to know them more as well as hoping they will see what they can have, the story each of them have that connects them to Pearl’s Place is heart breaking but wills you to see them together even more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Connor and Regina’s story is a delightful heart warming story that will have you wanting more. She is a divorcee who runs a bakery and Connor has a dilemma when the venue he had booked for a charity goes belly up. They are captivated with each other and the emotional drama will have you all over the place.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Christmas and Cannolis is the first book I have read Peggy Jaeger. After reading this she has earned herself a new fan. I enjoyed this fun and delightful Christmas romance. It had me laughing out loud at times. Regina and Connor had perfect chemistry together, making it easy to turn the pages to find out what would happen with them.
I give Christmas and Cannolis four and a half stars. I look forward to more by this author in the future. Great read!
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Loved it!
What I liked:
The writing style
The characters
The humor
Standalone
HEA
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC from NetGalley.
Another heart-warming romp of a romance from Peggy Jaeger. As always, her stories are strong on voice, that distinctive quality that makes the characters real enough to step off the page fully formed. This short Christmas romance is perfect for reading in those rare moments of peace we get between holiday chores and celebrations. I love the way Jaeger portrayed an Italian-American family Thanksgiving and Christmas in all their foodie glory without ever sinking into saccharine holiday clichés. In fact, this novella incorporates many romance tropes—the heroine’s a baker, the hero is rich, there’s a big misunderstanding—but handles each in a way that’s surprising and satisfying.
Regina, known as Reggie to family and friends, defied her parents’ old-world expectations by running off with a boy they hadn’t chosen for her. He wasn’t even Italian—horror of horrors. That spurt of bad judgment results in tragedy. Afterward, Reggie’s family embraces their prodigal bellissima figlia, and she loves them dearly, even if their interference sometimes makes her want to pitch a plate of pasta at the wall. You’ll love the colorful characters and realistic teasing banter in this famiglia. They’re loud, funny, pushy, but always loving. You’ll also learn lots of Italian phrases along the way.
So many romance heroines get bogged down in their tragic pasts that I get sick of their whining, you know? Reggie’s grief is palpable, but her balance of determination and humor make her someone I’d want to have coffee with, along with one of her marvelous cannolis.
The chemistry between Reggie and Connor, the rich philanthropist who orders a magnificent cake for a charity event, delivers a satisfying slow burn. The ending is truly touching, so have tissues ready.
As soon as I finished this one, I made a big pot of beef ragù and uncorked a bottle of Chianti, to celebrate a satisfying ending to a tasty tale. Buon appetito e buon Natale!
Such a nice holiday story! There were so many humorous points in this book! Loud Italian family, very protective brothers, and sisters-in-law who never seem to quite measure up-make for some funny times! I loved all the family banter!
Regina’s parents just want her to be happy-preferably with a nice, cute Italian boy who loves his momma! The clock is ticking to give them grandbabies for gosh sake!
Connor Gilhooley meets Regina at her bakery. Instant sparks for both of them! So much so Regina talks about the humidity…. But the holidays are Regina’s busiest time. He knows it’s very late in the game, but Conner begs her to take his custom cake request as it’s for a specialbenefit. When Regina finds it’s for a place that has so much meaning to her, she can’t say no. But so many feelings swamp her, she is having a difficult time. Feelings not only from the past, but feelings for Connor himself. Can she maybe find peace and love at this magical time of the year?
I really enjoyed this holiday short! Definitely not short on story or emotions, Penny Jaeger has crafted an inspiring story! I could feel Regina’s sadness and the light Connor brought to her life. I am glad she opened herself to him and all the possibilities he presented. This is an amazing book!
I enjoyed this book very much. I love a holiday romance, and this is a terrific one. As usual with Jaeger’s books, Christmas and Cannolis has very vivid characters––multi-dimensional people with both faults and strengths, they feel like real people who draw you into their world and the story. And the description of Reggie’s bakery––the aromas and tastes of her baked goods––made me want to hop on a train to New York City to go her shop and buy a cake!
The story is moving at times, especially as it relates to Reggie’s tragic backstory, and funny at others, especially when Reggie’s loud, outspoken family are involved. The phrase “I laughed, I cried” is overused, but is really true about this book.
I was really rooting for Connor and Reggie to get their happy-ever-after, and Jaeger does not disappoint. Christmas and Cannolis is a satisfying holiday read.
(Note: I was given an ARC for an honest review)
I liked this story. A lot. I love stories about bakeries, and it had a sad touch with Reggie’s past. I love a story about crime families and Italian families. The story was funny, sweet and romantic. I loved Reggie and all of her family. Connor is hot and very sweet. I recommend this story.
Now having said that. I listened to this on audio and usually recommend the audio over the book. In this case I am going to say the narration was just ok. It was just a person reading the book and quite choppily at that. If you just want to listen to a good story while you do other stuff, it still is ok because the story is awesome.
A big loud Italian family and a holiday romance! Great chemistry between the characters, family moments you can relate too and delicious food that makes you want Italian food real bad.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Another great book by Penny Jaeger. She once again brings strong characters and sets out to bring an emotional story. It’s a heartwarming read filled with ups and downs , good and bad , happy and sad and has many obstacles for them to overcome to reach their HEA. I enjoyed and would recommend this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.
Heartbreaking, hopeful, romantic, feel good story. Wonderfully complex main characters and hilarious secondary characters. Highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Regina is a baker with a loud controlling Italian family and since she married young and is now divorced at the age of 32 they want to her find a good Italian boy to marry and start having babies. Enter Connor who isn’t Italian but comes from a wealthy family and needs a large cake for a charity and since this is the Christmas season she is hard pressed to get it done but for the charity and him she agrees. The more time they spend together the more she thinks she may be ready to try love again.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This holiday season I gave myself the gift of another great read from author Peggy Jaeger—Christmas and Cannolis! Baker Regina San Valentino is deep in the holiday rush and totally unprepared when businessman Connor Gilhooly lands in her shop. She has enough on her plate without heaping on more work. But an instant attraction to this charming, handsome philanthropist has her wondering what she’s missing. The busy bakery is Regina’s life, aside from her overly-protective family. Plus, she’s dealing with painful memories and deep loss, compounded by the holidays. Are these feeling the last thing she needs? No spoilers here, but Connor shows his true heroic nature, capturing my heart when he comes to the rescue.
Christmas and Cannolis is a heartwarming, emotional, second chance at love story, full of laugh-out-loud moments, and BIG Italian family drama. Keep the tissues handy and prepare to be hungry.
Brush up on your Italian and wipe the flour from your hands—this is a five-star romantic read any time of the year!
My honest review based on reading the ARC.