BRUNO - Delaney Diamond
Family Ties (Book #4)
Garden Avenue Press
BUY
Cheryl McNeil (A)
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
REVIEW: BRUNO is the continuation of the Family Ties Series. Bruno Santana has successful restaurants with Michelin star ratings and a food company that continues to expand. He’s attractive (that’s an understatement!) but is having trouble finding someone that keeps his interest. He’s skeptical about “forever” but feels he needs a wife. Marissa Liburd is a professional matchmaker who is good at what she does. She’s at the top of her game. She strives for the best for herself and her son and has put her personal life on the back burner.
Bruno hears about Executive Match from his brother and Marissa is assigned to be his matchmaker. The scene where the pair meet is very well written. Bruno’s first impression of Marissa is of a sexy librarian. His mind immediately goes to a place that it shouldn’t, and he envisions being with her. Her goal is, of course, to match him with someone who has similar interests. Marissa remains professional but has a subtle awareness of Bruno that she doesn’t expect. He makes her anxious with his flirtatious banter and she is eager to end their introductory interview. They are drawn to each other, and their physical attraction jumps off the page.
Marissa and Bruno are both passionate about their work. She looks forward to spending time with Bruno more than she should and the feeling is mutual. They genuinely like each other, and it feels natural. Personally, Marissa sometimes has feelings of inadequacy that she isn’t a good parent because of her upbringing. She also has insecurities about whether she is the right woman for someone like Bruno. That is a stark contrast to Bruno who doesn’t ’t have an insecure bone in his body. Early on Bruno mentions a specific deal breaker. Later, it is refreshingly clear that it doesn’t matter when he is there for Marissa when she needs it.
I enjoyed how Ms. Diamond incorporates the descriptions of interesting cuisines and locations throughout the story. This is a theme in her work that I’ve come to expect. It was good to see characters from prior books sprinkled throughout. This included a brief appearance by Ivy Johnson from The Johnson Family series. There were also updates from rest of the Santana and Connor clan, including the side story related to the parents. From Marissa and Bruno’s first meeting, I looked forward to seeing where the story went, and it was a page turner. I highly recommend BRUNO.
30th June 2024 | romcol@gmail.com
Bruno hears about Executive Match from his brother and Marissa is assigned to be his matchmaker. The scene where the pair meet is very well written. Bruno’s first impression of Marissa is of a sexy librarian. His mind immediately goes to a place that it shouldn’t, and he envisions being with her. Her goal is, of course, to match him with someone who has similar interests. Marissa remains professional but has a subtle awareness of Bruno that she doesn’t expect. He makes her anxious with his flirtatious banter and she is eager to end their introductory interview. They are drawn to each other, and their physical attraction jumps off the page.
Marissa and Bruno are both passionate about their work. She looks forward to spending time with Bruno more than she should and the feeling is mutual. They genuinely like each other, and it feels natural. Personally, Marissa sometimes has feelings of inadequacy that she isn’t a good parent because of her upbringing. She also has insecurities about whether she is the right woman for someone like Bruno. That is a stark contrast to Bruno who doesn’t ’t have an insecure bone in his body. Early on Bruno mentions a specific deal breaker. Later, it is refreshingly clear that it doesn’t matter when he is there for Marissa when she needs it.
I enjoyed how Ms. Diamond incorporates the descriptions of interesting cuisines and locations throughout the story. This is a theme in her work that I’ve come to expect. It was good to see characters from prior books sprinkled throughout. This included a brief appearance by Ivy Johnson from The Johnson Family series. There were also updates from rest of the Santana and Connor clan, including the side story related to the parents. From Marissa and Bruno’s first meeting, I looked forward to seeing where the story went, and it was a page turner. I highly recommend BRUNO.
30th June 2024 | romcol@gmail.com
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