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Fortunes of Texas: The Missing Fortunes #4
Fortune's Just Desserts
Atlanta heiress Wendy Fortune was used to being overlooked by the rest of her powerful family. But when a last-ditch job at Red Rock's best restaurant revealed her hidden talents in the kitchen, she was determined to prove to everyone she could handle the pressure. Especially her tall, dark and sexy boss…Marcos Mendoza had always lived by one never, ever mix business with pleasure. It was bad enough he'd been pressured into hiring pampered playgirl Wendy Fortune. Now he had to fight his growing attraction to his sexy new pastry chef…an attraction Wendy was doing everything to encourage! Maybe a spoonful of sugar was just what the workaholic needed….
221 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
20 people are currently reading
127 people want to read
About the author
Marie Ferrarella
1,227 books277 followersMarie Rydzynski-Ferrarella
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella
Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.
Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.
Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.
After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.
In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
aka Marie Charles, Marie Michael, Marie Nicole, Marie Ferrarella
Marie Rydzynski was born on March 28 in West Germany to Polish parents. She moved to America at the age of four. For an entire year, Marie and her family explored the eastern half of the country before finally settling in New York.
Marie swears she was born writing, "which must have made the delivery especially hard for my mother." From an early age, Marie's parents would find her watching television or tucked away in some private place, writing at a furious pace. "Initially, I began writing myself into my favourite shows. I was a detective on '77 Sunset Strip,' the missing Cartwright sibling they never talked about on 'Bonanza' and the 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' before there was a 'Girl from U.N.C.L.E.,' not to mention an active participant in the serialized stories of 'The Mickey Mouse Club.'" Marie began to write her first romance novel when she was 11 years old, although she claims that, at the time, she didn't even realize it was a romance! She scribbled off and on, while dreaming of a career as an actress.
Marie was only 14 when she first laid eyes on the man she would marry, truly her first love, Charles Ferrarella. During her days at Queens College, New York, acting started to lose its glamour as Marie spent more and more time writing. After receiving her English degree, specialising in Shakespearean comedy, Marie and her family moved to Southern California, where she still resides today.
After an interminable seven weeks apart, Charles decided he couldn't live without her and came out to California to marry his childhood sweetheart. Ever practical, Marie was married in a wash-and-wear wedding dress that she sewed herself, appliqués and all. "'Be prepared' has always been my motto,"the author jokes. This motto has been stretched considerably by her two children, Nikky and Jessi, "but basically, it still applies," she says.
In November of 1981, she sold her first novel for Harlequin. Marie, who now has written over 150 novels, has one goal: to entertain, to make people laugh and feel good. "That's what makes me happy," she confesses. "That, and a really good romantic evening with my husband." She's keeping her fingers crossed that her reader's enjoy reading her books as much as she enjoyed writing them.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 28, 2011
bland. The hero was a jerk for no reason because the heroine was written as totally different than she should have been. The hero was reacting to the way that I think the author intended the heroine to act but she totally missed that boat. And then, the 21 year old heroine with absolutely no experience in the kitchen any kitchen started whipping up brand new haute cuisine desserts. Not buying it.
September 13, 2022
This was an okay, formulaic romance. Nothing new or special here, but nothing horrible that makes me actively dislike it either. Just kind of a popcorn book. The main characters, Marcos and Wendy, were almost comically immature at times. I wanted to facepalm several times throughout this story, but it provided some nice (if unintentional) humor.
Marcos, a classic romance hero who can't admit that he might be in love (although it makes more sense here in that he is Wendy's boss and he feels it would be inappropriate to dally with an employee), spends most of the book trying to distance himself with Wendy or come up with reasons to dislike her.
Wendy meanwhile is just pretty bland. She has a history of a bad relationship with a man, but it is barely discussed and does not contribute all that much to the story. She also has a conflict with her family over "being enough", but that does not have much effect on the romance and thus the main plot. It was annoying how long Marcos held a grudge against Wendy for being wealthy and from the Fortune family, when she clearly demonstrates that she is a hard worker and not entitled. He came off as an asshole for most of the book.
To be honest, I am not really sure why Marcos and Wendy fall in love other than that Ferrarella said so. They did not seem to emotionally bond at all and really only had cooking in common. I mean, maybe that's enough to build a relationship on, but I doubt it.
I think another major reason why this book fell flat for me was that a lot of its charm relied on the food-centric plot. Wendy is really good at making desserts and a considerable amount of time is spent on her cooking. I never find cooking in stories interesting, possibly due to my eating disorder and inability to really connect with a character that could actually enjoy eating and cooking. That experience is so alien to me that I find it boring.
I wish the trope of a vapid, self-centered bitch for the "other woman" would not have been used. That trope often feels like lazy writing to me. Additionally, this trope screams "I'm not like other girls" energy, which is subtly misogynistic.
The sexual tension did not seem very strong, but Ferrarella has never been able to write compelling sexual tension or sex scenes (imo) so I am not surprised.
For all my critiques, this was a nice, fluffy book to listen to while doing other things. It is unoriginal, but I was not bored. I would not recommend this, but I did not dislike it. This book is the definition of meh.
cw: none?
Marcos, a classic romance hero who can't admit that he might be in love (although it makes more sense here in that he is Wendy's boss and he feels it would be inappropriate to dally with an employee), spends most of the book trying to distance himself with Wendy or come up with reasons to dislike her.
Wendy meanwhile is just pretty bland. She has a history of a bad relationship with a man, but it is barely discussed and does not contribute all that much to the story. She also has a conflict with her family over "being enough", but that does not have much effect on the romance and thus the main plot. It was annoying how long Marcos held a grudge against Wendy for being wealthy and from the Fortune family, when she clearly demonstrates that she is a hard worker and not entitled. He came off as an asshole for most of the book.
To be honest, I am not really sure why Marcos and Wendy fall in love other than that Ferrarella said so. They did not seem to emotionally bond at all and really only had cooking in common. I mean, maybe that's enough to build a relationship on, but I doubt it.
I think another major reason why this book fell flat for me was that a lot of its charm relied on the food-centric plot. Wendy is really good at making desserts and a considerable amount of time is spent on her cooking. I never find cooking in stories interesting, possibly due to my eating disorder and inability to really connect with a character that could actually enjoy eating and cooking. That experience is so alien to me that I find it boring.
I wish the trope of a vapid, self-centered bitch for the "other woman" would not have been used. That trope often feels like lazy writing to me. Additionally, this trope screams "I'm not like other girls" energy, which is subtly misogynistic.
The sexual tension did not seem very strong, but Ferrarella has never been able to write compelling sexual tension or sex scenes (imo) so I am not surprised.
For all my critiques, this was a nice, fluffy book to listen to while doing other things. It is unoriginal, but I was not bored. I would not recommend this, but I did not dislike it. This book is the definition of meh.
cw: none?
February 24, 2020
Wendy doesn't understand why she has to work or find her own way because her family has plenty of money which means she does too. She is the youngest in the family and her parents are trying to teach her to stand on her and find her way like the other children have. They put her working at the Foundation but that does not go well so they sent her to Red Rock to a Mexican Rest called Reds.
Marco's is against it when his Aunt and Uncle tell me that she will be working for them. They own the restuarant but he runs it for them. Marco's does not like spoiled little rich girls and that is how he feels about Wendy. She realizes that he knows she isn't going to succeed so she sets out to prove to him that she can.
A really good book that made me laugh a couple of times
Marco's is against it when his Aunt and Uncle tell me that she will be working for them. They own the restuarant but he runs it for them. Marco's does not like spoiled little rich girls and that is how he feels about Wendy. She realizes that he knows she isn't going to succeed so she sets out to prove to him that she can.
A really good book that made me laugh a couple of times
June 12, 2020
Wendy Fortune was the newest employee at Red Rock's best restaurant, much to the dismay of the manager of said restaurant. Marcos was ready to quit, but the owners were his Tia and Tio, family, and he was no quitter. It's going to be an epic war in the kitchen, until Wendy sweet talks the picky head chief into teaching her how to cook, and they all discover she's a natural genius at desserts. Soon Marcos is fighting a whole different battle with the young heiress. Great tie ins to the rest of the series while remaining a stand alone romance with a HEA ending.
February 28, 2012
Don't bother. I usually like Marie Ferrarella, but not this one. Marcos is an ass. Wendy has no depth. I could care less about her. It wasn't boring enough to not finish, but don't bother starting.
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December 24, 2014Miniseries: The Fortunes of Texas: Lost…and Found
December 21, 2011
Good Book!
May 25, 2013
The guy was a jerk though, but the book got better.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews