Tag Archives: Marianne Mancusi

Flirtinis with Flappers by Marianne Mancusi – a Review

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Flirtinis with Flappers  by Marianne Mancusi – a Review

 

Flirtinis with FlappersAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / BAM

Description:
Unless Dora Duncan can stop it, it’s going to be another St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. A year ago, her (now ex) boyfriend Nick stood her up on the most romantic day of the year at the worst possible moment. In the aftermath, Dora gave up her career TV reporting on real news, and took a fluffier job reporting on such important stories as “Too Stressed for Sex.” And though such clips have a certain relevance, things in Dora’s life have been a whole lot quieter. Maybe too quiet.

Until now.

Now Dora’s suddenly being drafted for a very special assignment: she’s gotta go back in time to stop that very same Nick from making a mess of history. Dora’s first reaction? Clearly someone is playing a joke on her. But when she suddenly finds herself back in a place where everybody speaks easy and cuts a rug, she realizes the joke’s on her…and this old Chicago ain’t no musical. Here, there are tommy guns and torpedoes, guys and dolls, gin joints, flappers, stoolies, rats and a whole lot more; and prohibition means anything but no.

It’s the 1920s. Time for Dora to roar.

 

Review:

Flirtinis With Flappers by Marianne Mancusi is the third book in her Timeless Love series.  This series is a lighthearted cute story about time travel to a known era in history.  Wheras, the first two books were connected by friends, Flirtinis with Flappers is not, and can be read as a standalone. 

Dora Duncan, our heroine, was an upcoming news reporter when she was captured for a month in Iraq.  She has never forgiven her famous reporter boyfriend Nick for abandoning her.  Dora, having left her other dangerous job,  now does local  day by day TV news reporting. She is approached by the FBI to do a secret mission involving her ex-boyfriend that will have her travel back in time to stop the murder of a gangster during the Valentine’s Day Murder that will change history.  Dora laughed at the proposition, thinking this was joke, only to find herself back in the Roaring Twenties.

She is in the body of a sexy blonde, who is the girlfriend of a top gangster under Al Capone.  What follows is an adventure in a time period of guns, violence, prohibition, speakeasies in old world Chicago.  Dora has to act the part and try to discover whose body Nick is in, so she can stop him from killing Bugs Malone. 

As I said before, this was cute, and at times exciting story in a dangerous period.  There is a nice romance between Dora’s character and one of the gangster’s men.  Of course, we suspected that this was Nick.  While in danger, secrets are revealed and a love is rekindled.  There are some surprises at the end, when the truth is revealed by those who set up this mission. If you like stories centered in the past, time travel, and cute quick reads, I suggest you read the Timeless Love series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

 

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Mojitos with Merry Men by Marianne Mancusi – a Review

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Mojitos with Merry Men by Marianne Mancusi – a Review

 

Mojitos with Merry MenAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Smashwords

Description:
Chrissie Hayward, NYC fashion photographer and thoroughly modern gal, has never been one to swoon over fairytales. So when a mysterious gypsy tells Chrissie that she is a “gentle soul who would tame an outlaw’s thirst for revenge,” she’s not totally convinced the woman isn’t a couple of beans short of a frapuccino. But when Chrissie finds herself suddenly transported back in time to rescue her crazy coworker Kat, she’s ready to believe anything is possible! If only she’d known she was going to meet her “true love,” a hottie in Sherwood Forest, Chrissie would have worn better shoes!

But it turns out Robin of Locksley, aka the real Robin Hood, isn’t exactly a Prince Charming. That bit about robbing the rich to feed the poor? He evidently hasn’t gotten the memo yet. In fact, he’s less a folk hero and more a brooding bad boy. Not to mention his not-so-merry men who are under the impression that Chrissie is actually a boy. I mean, sure, she’s not exactly stacked, but still! Nonetheless, Robin is loyal, brave, and handsome as sin. If Chrissie could just get him with the program, she knows she could right his wagon and get these boyz’n the wood to be heroes of the realm instead of twerps in tights. But if she’s not careful, Chrissie may find this prince of thieves stealing her heart…

 

 

Review:

Mojitos with Merry Men by Marianne Mancusi is the 2nd book in her Timeless Love series. Chrissie Hayward, our heroine, is the photographer for Kat, our heroine in the first book, in the Medieval fair.   She gets a desperate call for help and despite Kat’s silly tail about being stuck in the future, Chrissie will go to the gypsy for help.  Shortly thereafter, Chrissie herself is whipped back in time to Sherwood Forest, and Robin Hood.  The gypsy wants Chrissie to get from King Richard a drop of blood from the Holy Grail, which will help bring Kat and her gang back to the present.

Chrissie is very pretty, but thin and flat-chested, allowing her to disguise herself as a boy, and join Robin’s team.  Chrissie is surprised to find Robin not quite the hero everyone thinks  he is, but in no time, she has him doing what he was meant to do, and becoming a hero.  In the mix, she learns that Maid Marian has left him, and she too is not who we thought she was, betraying him along the way.   But Robin begins to worry why he is having feelings for the boy, and is happy to find out she is in fact a lady.  This was somewhat humorous, as Chrissie also realizes that she is falling in love with Robin.  She has to decide if she wants to stay in the 12th century or go back home where she really has nothing.  Chrissie must also bring back the vial of blood.

This was a cute time-travel romantic comedy.  I enjoyed the camaraderie between Chrissie and the merry men of Robin Hood’s team.  If you enjoy lighthearted romance, with time travel and some fun humorous moments, then I suggest you read Mojitos with Merry Men.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Cocktails in Camelot by Marianne Mancusi – a Review

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Cocktails in Camelot by Marianne Mancusi – a Review

 

Cocktails in CamelotAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Description:
Katherine “Kat” Jones is not your typical damsel in distress. She’s an outspoken New York City fashion editor, whose job is to claw through the hype and sniff out the trends. But an assignment at a medieval fair suddenly gets out of hand when Kat finds herself not at a modern fair but back in the actual time of King Arthur’s court. Suddenly Kat needs every ounce of her 21st century wits to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity—all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos—takes some doing!

Luckily, she’s got her very own knight in shining armor, Lancelot du Lac, on her side. The honorable-to-a-fault and devastatingly handsome champion insists on helping her out, even though she’s not quite sure she wants him to. After all, shouldn’t he be off romancing Queen Guenevere or something? Will Kat manage to stay out of trouble long enough to get back to her beloved cappuccinos, cosmopolitans and cashmere? And what will Lancelot’s forbidden love mean for the kingdom of Camelot?

 

 

Review:

Cocktails in Camelot by Marianne Mancusi is a time travel story going back to the days of King Arthur’s Court.  Katherine (Kat) Jones, our heroine,   is a fashion editor in modern times.  When she is assigned to attend a medieval fair, she angers a gypsy with her flip attitude and is cursed.  When she wakes up, Kat is actually in the real medieval times, where she meets King Arthur, Sir Lancelot and Guenevere. 

At first Kat still thinks she is at the fair she attended, until she realizes she has time travelled.  Everyone there, who hears the strange language spoken by Kat, thinks she is a spy.  She manages to escape, and with Lancelot’s help she uns away, ending up meeting Nimue, the Lady of the Lake.  Nimue will proceed to tell her she must seduce Lancelot.  Why you ask?  Because Nimue and Merlin can see the future, and they want to save Guenevere from being burned as a witch traitor for sleeping with Lancelot, and betraying Arthur. 

She goes back to King Arthur’s court, with Lancelot and Guenevere and manages to make friends, and fall in love with Lancelot.  What follows is a cute story, that was funny at times with Kat use of modern day slang.  It is Lancelot and Kat’s hidden romance that will accidently lead the way of endangering Guenevere and Lancelot’s lives.

It was an interesting story, but one that I felt was overdone in some ways.  Kat’s quips and mistakes ended up being more annoying then fun to me. I did enjoy Kat and Lancelot’s romance.  I loved Guenevere, as she and Kat became fast friends. It was cute at times, and the ending was a bit exciting, as we wondered how Kat will help Lancelot and Guenevere.  We also wondered if Kat will find her way back home to the present.  If you like a nice but different romance, with a blend of modern day and time travel, you should give this a try.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author

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