Julie and Romeo — Jeanne Ray

The first time I heard the name Cacciamani I was five years old. My father said it, and then he spit....

Julie Roseman has known since childhood that Rosemans are supposed to loathe, despise, and distrust Cacciamanis. She's never known exactly why, but she's followed her family's advice and avoided the Cacciamanis like the plague. Now she's bumped into Romeo Cacciamani at a small-business conference. They're both running the florist shops outside Boston that have been in their families for years--and struggling to keep them afloat. They're both single, since Romeo lost his wife and Julie's husband dumped her for a scheming little 38-year-old. Actually, the dreaded Romeo Cacciamani seems sort of ...sweet.

Now this unexpected relationship is blooming into something big. Julie and Romeo think it's love. But when their families find out, it's war ....