Loves Me, Loves Me Not

by Libby Malin

After a car crash spoils Amy Sheldon's happily-ever-after, she realizes it's a long road to recovery…

The house she rents is being sold and the flower shop she manages in downtown Baltimore is going out of business, which leaves her with devoted cat Trixie, best friend Wendy and a razor-sharp wit to keep her sane.

Though Amy's trying to make a comeback, it isn't easy. The accident left its mark on every aspect of her life. And just when it seems she'll be stuck in neutral forever, in walks the slick and sexy Henry Castle.

But Henry's not just a hotshot lawyer who knows his way around the sheets. He's one of Amy's steadiest flower shop customers, sending weekly bouquets as thanks for "incomparable evenings." Amy knows smart girls don't fall for flower-sending gigolos, and though she can't quite figure him out, she also can't shake the feeling that Henry's exactly what she needs.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction

312 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2005

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I haven't read a RDI book in awhile that I enjoyed as much as this one. Once I started it, I couldn't put it down. It was a quick, one-day read. Well done.

[Sarah Snelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the back of this book I thought it was going to be really boring and cheesy and rom-comy. It was a little bit of those things but I was surprised at how much I liked the main character. She was weird in a not main-character kind of way, like quirky but a normal amount. Also not super cheesy in terms of the romance. Overall it surprised me in a good way.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the last two years Amy Sheldon has been stuck. Stuck in self-pity, stuck in a dead end-job and most of all stuck in a relationship that no longer exists. The reason for Amy's stand still is due to a tragic car accident that killed her fiance Rick and left her seriously injured. To make matters worse Amy was the one driving the car on that ill-fated night. Now two years later all of her physical wounds have long since healed but her heart is still broken. She has not yet dared to venture into the world of dating again, but how could she when she'd already found the perfect man? That is until the brash and audacious Henry Castle ventures into her flower shop. Henry, a loyal customer to Amy's flower shop, is known as a serial flower sender, he sends dozens of yellow roses to various women thanking them for an "incomparable evening" on a weekly basis. Amy knows in her head that she should stay clear of this sexy Don Juan, but her body is telling her something very different.

After a very "incomparable evening" with Enrico Castellano aka Henry Castle Amy can't seem to get him out of her mind and much to her surprise Henry seems to be interested in her as well. After a series of unfortunate events such as loosing her home and her job Amy ends up staying in the spare-bedroom of Henry's plush condo. But where is this relationship going? Why is Henry sending out mixed signals? And most importantly why can't Amy get over a man who unbeknownst to her friends and family wasn't all that he was cracked up to be?

'LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT' is a whimsical and appealing novel about life, love and what a man's character is really made of

[Antof9 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I got this book from a "book of the month"-type club before I remembered to cancel it (after getting two books free). Knowing myself, I won't take the time to return it, so I just kept it and its travelling companion and chalked it up as more books for BookCrossing :)

This book was just fluff. It had potential, but never met it. Although I really liked Amy, the main character, there was nothing in the book to make us believe that Henry would fall for her. That's the problem with writing in the first person, I think. We cared about her, and what had happened in her life, but couldn't really see what Henry might see in her. I also never did get the whole Henry thing. He sends flowers to all these women, but we never find out why. Consequently, the reader is as distrustful of him as Amy is (or should be).

This actually might have been a better story without Henry. I really liked Amy's relationship with her friend Wendy and her sister. Those story lines had a lot going on, too. But Amy's nomadic life and naive acceptance of Henry bothered me.

Anyway, it was ok for part of a plane ride on the way to NJ/NY for work, as it helped pass the time. I left this on the book swap shelf.

(and yes, I've cancelled any future auto-book-mailings with these people!)

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's not to love about the sparkling Amy Sheldon? The 26-year old flower shop manager is beyond humorous and keeps her readers entertained with her snappy comebacks and comical outlook.

Ever since Amy lost her fiance Rick in a car accident, that was deemed her fault, she's been in a slump. She's become vigilant towards men, her landlord is kicking her out, and the flower shop is being sold, leaving her with no money, no roof and agonizing migraines.

While retreating to her modest flower shop with all intentions of getting her paperwork all cleaned up, Amy laughably gets tangled into a relationship with Henry Castle, her most faithful customer. Henry's a hot and spicy Latino who makes her tingle in all the right places, and also sends hordes of flowers to a flock of women.

Amy surprisingly finds herself falling head over heels in love with him, and despite his supposed playboy status, he may be exactly what she needs in her life.

I thoroughly enjoyed LOVES ME, LOVES ME NOT. It was refreshing, engaging and comically written. Her best-friend Wendy and big sister Gina also add some flair and delight to the story which made for an extra treat.

Amy is definitely a character I wouldn't mind seeing in the future.

[Ashley]

This Book Is About A Girl Named Amy And How Her Life Goal Is To Own Her Own In-ground Pool.All Until The Apartment She Rents Is Being Sold And The Flower Shop She Works At Is Going Out Of Bussiness.Then She Meets This Guy Named Henry And How He Turns Her Life Around.Henry Is A Big Shot Lawery And Has Alot, And Is A Big Ladies Man.To Me Henry Is Good Guy, But He Needs To Stop Bringing All Those Woman Aroung Her If They Are Dating. And Amy Needs To Learn How To Get Her Feelings Out. Then They Have A Fight About One Of Amy Ex In The Pass And They Dont See Each Other No More. But They Talk On The Phone All The Time Acting Like They Dont Like Each Other, But They Really Do. Then At The End They Get Back Together, Just Like Other Love tory Do.

[Jenger · Rating 2 out of 5]

It started out promising but became extremely tedious after awhile. The heroine became so annoying that I could't dredge up any empathy for her. There wasn't any self-deprecating humor to lighten her repetitive inner monologue. Then after all the pages of tedium the end was quite rushed. I'm also not sure if the past reflection prior to each chapter added much to the story. I was very glad to finally reach the end of the book. The most disappointing thing about the book is that it had a good storyline, something a bit left of your basic chick lit so it was disappointing to be so bored by the way the story was told. It felt like I'd wasted my time reading this one.

[tc · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I didn't love the characters at first, they grew on me. The little stories about Amy's relationship with Rick and the flower meanings were cute and fun to read about. It was a clever way to keep the reader engaged. I really liked how the book ended. It was sweet and sort of perfect. This book was alright. I had a more difficult time finishing this book than I do normally. The flower meaning thing was really sweet though. I think that was my favorite thing about this book.(:

[Rebecca]

Scattered, not well written but cute story of a girl who's lost purpose. After her fiance dies in a car crash where she was driving, Amy finds herself aimlessly working in a flower shop. When she meets charismatic Henry, life becomes more complicated.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

very slow

[Erica]

I enjoyed this one...it was a good mix of silly and serious. The characters seem to be very real-life...

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun, light read set in Baltimore. Made me laugh out loud at times.

[Shana · Rating 2 out of 5]

It worked as entertainment while working out and on airplanes, but was a pretty predictable story. Hope the person I left it for on my last flight will enjoy it more.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick light read, with some interesting characters, inner dialogues, and other nice touches.

[Sasha Strader · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Yawn* Typical romance novel, complete with "twist" and headpalming stupidity.