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Celia Bonaduce

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The Merchant of Venice Beach (A Venice Beach Romance Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Celia Bonaduce (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

3.6 483 ratings

Book 1 of 3: A Venice Beach Romance

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The Rollicking Bun--Home of the Epic Scone--is the center of Suzanna Wolf's life. Part tea shop, part bookstore, part home, it's everything she's ever wanted right on the Venice Beach boardwalk, including partnership with her two best friends from high school, Eric and Fernando. But with thirty-three just around the corner, suddenly Suzanna wants something more--something strictly her own. Salsa lessons, especially with a gorgeous instructor, seem like a good start--a harmless secret, and just maybe the start of a fling. But before she knows it, Suzanna is learning steps she never imagined--and dancing her way into confusion.

68,000 Words

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00BTG44O2
Publisher ‏ : ‎ eOriginals (August 1, 2013)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 1, 2013
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 1042 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 230 pages

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3.6 483 ratings

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3.6 out of 5

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K. Mooney

I laughed. I cried. Then I laughed some more.

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2013

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"The Merchant of Venice Beach" is so much more that a great beach read. I mean, sure, throw it in your bag and take it out to the sand, hammock, what have you. But be prepared to dive into a thoughtful, exquisitely crafted novel full of characters that are so realistic that you will genuinely miss them the day after you've finished the book. In Suzanna Wolf, Celia Bonaduce has created a protagonist that could easily be a descendant of one of the Dashwood sisters or Bridget Jones' college roommate. Her imperfections and quirky insecurities are so endearing that you find yourself wishing you could friend her on Facebook . Her friends become your friends. Her heartbreak breaks your heart.
Kudos to Ms. Bonaduce for busting out of the gate with her first novel. I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

2 people found this helpful

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Granny G

Good read.

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2015

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I picked this book up because it was free on Book Bub and looked cute. But it was a major surprise. It was funny and poignant. It took me a couple of chapters to warm up to the heroine, but she was a charm. The surrounding characters were loving, but knew all her faults and loved her anyway. The hero was pretty silent, hovering in the background for the most part. It was, basically, about a near 33 year old, having a crisis of "is this all there is" and finding what really matters. Of course, this is my interpretation of what I read. But I highly recommend it. 😘

2 people found this helpful

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Mlou

fun chik lit

Reviewed in the United States on September 14, 2013

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"Merchant" is light-hearted and engaging. Love in Los Angeles - fun and familiar. This chick lit will keep your attention.

One person found this helpful

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reader rabbit

interesting lifestyle

Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2013

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This story line is very California. It's interesting to imagine the the ramifications of this alternate lifestyle. Although the ending is rather predictable it raps everything up in a satisfactory way.

3 people found this helpful

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Blue Falcon

More Women's Fiction Than a Romance

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2021

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This review is of The Merchant of Venice Beach, book #1 in the “Venice Beach Romance” series by Celia Bonaduce.

Part 1:
.
The book’s heroine is Suzanna Wolf, a 32 year-old woman from the aforementioned Venice Beach, California. Suzanna and her two best friends and roommates, Eric Cooper and Fernando Cruz, own The Rollicking Bun, a combination tea/pastry shop and bookstore. One day, while coming out of a supermarket, Suzanna is hit by a car. (She is not injured). Later, Suzanna decides to take dancing lessons from the man who hit her, a dance instructor named Rio whom she is hot for.

Part 2: Napa Valley.

In this segment, we drop back to focus on Suzanna's childhood/teenage years in Northern California. Suzanna's family consisted of: her parents, mother Virginia and father Martin, both college professors, and her older sister, Erinn, a former Broadway playwright. (Martin was killed in an auto accident many years ago). We also learn about Suzanna’s love/hate relationship with her bestie, Carla Caridi, an architect, vinter, and subject of some anger by Suzanna. This portion of the book also reveals how Suzanna, Eric and Fernando met, became friends, and later, decided to travel to Southern California to become business partners and roommates.

Part 3: Downtown.

The scene shifts back to current time. The Rollicking Bun is undergoing a renovation. Suzanna is still taking dance classes and mooning after Rio, whom she nearly has sex with. She also has her 33rd birthday, which is nowhere near a happy occasion.

Part 4: Uptown.

Change is on the horizon. Fernando is leaving to join a carpentry business, Carla is returning to the Napa Valley, and Suzanna and Eric realize they love each other. (In that same moment, an earthquake hits. Eric suffers a broken leg, but he and Suzanna become engaged). The book ends with Suzanna and Eric getting married and having their Happily Ever After.

Upside: “The Merchant of Venice Beach” is a fairly well-written book for a first-time author.

Downside: Much of what one feels about the book will be dependent on how one feels about Suzanna. My feelings toward her are mixed.

On the one hand, Suzanna is a nice enough person, and I can certainly relate to her frequent panic attacks-something I deal with as well. I can also relate to pursuing people who don’t feel the same way about me.

On the other hand, I found Suzanna to be quite neurotic, and at times a bit of a sad, pathetic figure. This is especially true when she spends most of the book pursuing Rio, a man who shows no romantic interest in her, but Suzanna, being who she is, cannot or will not see this. Ms. Bonaduce doesn’t do a great job of developing or making me truly care about her characters; “The Merchant of Venice Beach” is very much a “Readers Are Supposed to Care” because these are the characters book.

Sex: Some heavy petting and one near-sexual encounter involving Suzanna and Rio. The scene never goes further than that.

Violence: While at their senior prom, Carla’s date starts groping her; Eric punches the creep and that ends the incident.

Bottom Line: As I’ve said many times about first-in-a-series books, the purpose of the book is to make readers excited for the work that follows. Based on my views toward “The Merchant of Venice Beach”, I can’t say I’m excited to read more of Ms. Bonaduce’s work (although I own most, if not all, of her books).

Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2013

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This book is anything but predictable - It takes you on a ride with well-defined characters that keep you invested in the outcome.

I think women of all ages can relate to Suzanna's character and her search for human connection, and how we all often look for it in the wrong places.

This is not a typical romance novel in the best of ways - It has both heart and humor and values friendship as much as attraction. Yet the story is driven by the main character's yearning for erotic connection and her taking control of her own life to make it happen.

I discovered the author has a new book out called "A Comedy of Errin" and I look forward to reading more from Celia Bonaduce!

One person found this helpful

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nanmaxx

Delightful!

Reviewed in the United States on October 15, 2013

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A really fun read with wonderful camaraderie among its players....I still don't get that cover art --I mean, what is that? I know it is supposed to be sexy and carefree but I couldn't figure out who's legs went where,etc..AND it had nothing to do with the witty, sweet adventures that transpire in the book! I would love to see the character Suzanna in more novels --it took a few pages and then I was so confident of her and her humor that I totally relaxed and just let her take me on a ride ....loved her telling us about her "trip and fall" experiences in love...and Tea Shops!.. Another thing I really liked about this book is that all the characters are, even if terribly flawed, pretty great people to spend time with... will read more of this series.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

light weight love story

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2013

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the story was light weight - suitable for the beach - not much of a story - not worth the purchase