A Little Love Story

by Roland Merullo

In A Little Love Story, Roland Merullo—winner of the Massachusetts Book Award and the Maria Thomas Fiction Award—has created a sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious tale of attraction and loyalty, jealousy and grief. It is a classic love story—with some modern twists.

Janet Rossi is very smart and unusually attractive, an aide to the governor of Massachusetts, but she suffers from an illness that makes her, as she puts it, “not exactly a good long-term investment.” Jake Entwhistle is a few years older, a carpenter and portrait painter, smart and good-looking too, but with a shadow over his romantic history. After meeting by accident—literally—when Janet backs into Jake’s antique truck, they begin a love affair marked by courage, humor, a deep and erotic intimacy . . . and modern complications.

Working with the basic architecture of the love story genre, Merullo—a former carpenter known for his novels about family life—breaks new ground with a fresh look at modern romance, taking liberties with the classic design, adding original lines of friendship, spirituality, and laughter, and, of course, probing the mystery of love.

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Novels, Relationships, Ebooks, Chick Lit

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

ROLAND MERULLO is an awarding-winning author of 24 books including 17 works of fiction: Breakfast with Buddha, a nominee for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, now in its 20th printing; The Talk-Funny Girl, a 2012 ALEX Award Winner and named a "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Library Association and the Massachusetts Center for the Book; Vatican Waltz named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly; Lunch with Buddha selected as one of the Best Books of 2013 by Kirkus Reviews; Revere Beach Boulevard named one of the "Top 100 Essential Books of New England" by the Boston Globe; A Little Love Story chosen as one of "Ten Wonderful Romance Novels" by Good Housekeeping, Revere Beach Elegy winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for nonfiction, and Once Night Falls, selected as a "First Read" by Amazon Editors.

A former writer in residence at North Shore Community College and Miami Dade Colleges, and professor of Creative Writing at Bennington, Amherst and Lesley Colleges, Merullo has been a guest speaker at many literary events and venues and a faculty member at MFA programs and several writers’ conferences. His essays have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, Outside Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Newsweek, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Magazine, Reader's Digest, Good Housekeeping, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. Merullo's books have been translated into Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, German, Chinese, Turkish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Slovenian, and Czech.

Reviews

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. Just want I needed, a bit of fluff. This story is the title, A Little Love Story. There is some sadness though, one of the main characters has a terminal disease and there is a tie-in to the 911 tragedy. I didn't cry though. I guess I'm not in a weepy phase right now. The main character, Jake, has a best friend, Gerard, who had me chuckling out loud at times. The ending probably pisses some people off :-). Not a bad read if you're looking for this type of story.

[Jan Risher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stranger sent this book to me. I thought it was because he or she thought I would like the book. In that sense, she was right. I enjoyed the book much more than I expected. The story shouldn't work, but it does. When I got to the last page of the book, much to my surprise, the stranger who sent it has written a note, in a type of handwriting that can only be described as "grandmotherly." The appearance of the note jolted me. I had no idea it was there until I turned the page.

It said:
In the spring of 2007, our sweet, granddaughters, Elyse and Alaina, were diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. May they witness a cure in their lifetimes.

If you've read the book, you get it. I write a weekly column for my local newspaper. This grandmother was doing what she could -- through a simple book -- to help educate others about the plight of her grandchildren. Her effort touched me deeply. And I pray that someone out there does find a cure for cystic fibrosis for all the little Elyses and Alainas out there.

[Read It Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

My very favorite love story. Unsentimental, without cliche, Roland Merullo's novel goes to the heart of what it means to love someone. A great choice for book groups - lots to discuss, including the male narrator, who presents his love with a raw honesty that's moving and absolutely unique.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth or so book I have read by Merullo. I was not particularly find of Golfing With God. I really liked American Savior, and I would have to say that this book probably ties for first place as my favorite Merullo book, Breakfast With Buddha.

This book was not as heavy on spirituality as some of his other books and didn't hold a lot of answers, but it reminded me that no matter how hard the situation is, no matter how hard the battle, you cannot give up.

I literally had to go back and read the first page of the book 3 times after finishing it to make sure that I got the ending right.

Another great thing is that Merullo books are quick reads. Started and finished in one day.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorites. Very touching story with great characters. I found it difficult to put down. The surface story about two lonely people who almost seem desperate develops to expose a painful history and joy filled albeit quirky relationship in the present. If you've ever wasted time dwelling on the past or over planning the future this book can help show you how to be grounded and appreciative of the present.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but it was also torture. The story itself is heartbreaking and to top it off, the ending really left me hanging.

[Joana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book on my TBR list for years and years, not expecting much from it but sometimes that's when you find the jewels. I loved the way this was written and, although it was sad, it wasn't depressing. There was hopefulness and love. I felt really connected with the characters.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the face of it, and given the title, this would normally be the type of book I would shy away from. The last two books by Roland Merullo were so outstanding though, that when this was on the shelf at the library, I just had to take it home. I am so glad I did. Jake is a painter/carpenter with a tragic past. Janet is one of the governor's top aides with a seemingly tragic future. Sounds like time to reach for the Dramamine, right? And in other hands, that might be the case. In Merullo's grip, however, the reader can relax and be entertained. His descriptions of physical things, as well as emotional ones are humorous, real, and true. When he describes a season, you want to look out the window to assure yourself of the reality of our own world. Often when he describes a common human emotional situation the reader is startled to recognize themselves, and to identify with the character on a level where they might otherwise have felt they were alone. He takes the small, everyday feelings, and the big, sort of cosmic ones, and expresses them in a way that makes one feel as if that was exactly the way they had always wished to explain things. This is not smack-you-upside-the-head writing but rather slice of life, simple and satisfying. Interesting characters, an uncommon twist to a perhaps familiar story-line, and nice Boston setting all add up to another winner for Merullo.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I really loved this book.
I am always skeptical about books that sound as if they could be maudlin or overly sentimental and this one almost scared me off by its title, but I really like Merullo's writing style so I thought I'd give it a try. This is a love story, but it's also a story about friendship and families and just making one's way through life. I think it is beautifully written and well worth the read.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely little.

[Michelle Samis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little story. The ending feels like it leaves you hanging, you get some answers to the ending in the prologue but I wanted more.

[Sherri Rudnick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Forty pages in and I can’t finish this. It’s not a good love story.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half way through this story, I realized I was reading the wrong book. Now how bad is that? Somewhere last week I read an accolade about Breakfast with the Buddha by Roland Merullo. To make a long story short by the time I plucked it off our library shelves, I had A Little Love Story in hand. Right author, wrong title.

Jake has sworn off sex for a year after his girlfriend is killed in the Pennsylvania 9/11 flight. Stepping out for a donut his car is hit by Janet, an aide to the governor. Jake immediately becomes besotted with Janet and asks her out on a date. Janet calls Jake her Joe Date and their first outing is a head over heels disaster, but in a funny way. They agree to see each other again and a romance begins. Establishing trust, Janet shares with Jake that she has CF, Cystic Fibrosis. Under less skilled narration this could have been just one sad story. Like real life, Merullo faces the challenges of these two lovers. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me think. Somewhere within its' pages I started thinking Love Story by Segal but then, I said, no; better! Merullo has a nice way with words, with humor, with feelings, with life. Satisfying.

So though I thought I got the wrong book, I actually got the right book. Funny how that happens.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Although some of the reviews I read equated it to Erich Segal's "Love Story" from the 70s (which I read ages ago and even saw the movie), I think it has so much more to offer. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the first opening chapters, but found myself eventually glued to the story. I loved the quirky sense of humor of the main character, the several references to Greek Americans, the medical aspects of the book, as well as how the story took place in Boston (lots of references to Beacon Hill, Newbury Street, the Charles River, etc). It is a sad love story of a man overcoming the loss of his girlfriend after 9/11 and a young woman who has battled cystic fibrosis her entire life. It's interesting how the relationship of these two souls develops into something that is truly remarkable. After finishing the book, you have to go back and reread the prologue. I highly recommend this one and am curious about other novels by this local author.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was hard for me to get fully into. Perhaps it has more to say about me than it does the author. Personally, I could not be on a date with someone who was coughing so badly that they required long enough in the restroom for me to think they've left me mid-date and not ask a single question upon their return. I couldn't suspend my disbelief that Jake was that pure a soul.

However, by the end I was drawn in - and again, perhaps it has more to say about me and my experiences. I know a live organ donor, and I cannot imagine doing it (Am I inherently selfish? Who knows). The last part about the donor was interesting to me as it was a bit of insight into someone I know.

Overall though, I think I preferred Breakfast with Buddah and The Talk Funny Girl over this one.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read a few of Merullo's books and have always enjoyed them very much. I think that Merullo is a wonderful writer and really brings his characters alive. This book did not disappoint. Jake meets Janet Rossi after a year of grieving for his girlfriend who died on 9/11. He and Janet fall in love, but Janet is very ill with cystic fibrosis. After a few months together it is clear that her lungs are giving out. This is the kind of story that could be very sappy or become a soap opera, but it never does. The story comes across as very real. I thought that the ending was really effective too.

[Rita Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick, satisfying read that is just as the title suggests. The twist is that the woman in the love story has Cystic Fibrosis. I loved that the first page of the story had no identifying title and made very little sense. But I finished the book fast enough to think to go back and read it again which gave both an Aha moment and a sense of completion. The story is set in Boston, need I say more?

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read through 172 pages of a 270 odd pages of this book when a vague memory surfaced..
That I had indeed read this book a few years back, disliked it at precisely the same page !

There are parts of the book that read well and I had suffered the protagonists up to a point..
till I told myself, that I was under no compulsion to finish the book.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, Loved, Loved this book will not be getting rid of it !!I just read it about 2 weeks ago and alreay I am ready to read it again .In fact I am going to try some of Merullo's other titles !!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not drawn to the formula love story. I never would have stumbled over this title, except that I read Roland Merullo's Breakfast With Buddha and enjoyed it.

Jake Entwistle is our tragic hero, grieving for his girlfriend who died on Flight 93 in Shanksville PA on 9/11.

Janet Rossi is our tragic heroine, living with the terminal diagnosis of cystic fibrosis.

They meet literally by accident, with a parking lot fender bender.

Jake is understandably skittish. Janet is predictably frail and fading. And yet, love.

The writing is gorgeous. It was a pleasure to read. Sample from Chapter 7: "What I'd liked was that, after the first few dates, we hadn't had to talk about certain things and could just rest in some deep agreement about the way to be in the world. We thought it was right to leave lavish tips at restaurants, to let people cut in line in traffic, to make fun of arrogance and of ourselves, to be goofy and affectionate with children, to do our work well, to be unembarrassed about our bodies, to take what we really needed and then give and give, to fight honestly and without waiting and without being ugly about it."

[Rrshively · Rating 5 out of 5]

If from the title you're thinking this is just another romance novel, think again. First the writer is a male not known for writing romance novels. Second, the people in this story seem so real, like people I might know. Third, the ending may or not be a happily ever after ending. Jake has spent a year with no dates because his ex girlfriend died, and doesn't want to go through that pain twice in one year. As soon as the year is over, he goes to a doughnut shop to celebrate, and an attractive woman crashes her car into the back of his truck. They exchange information, and a few days later, he calls for a date, and they quickly seem to mesh. What's this about avoiding pain? He finds out she has cystic fibrosis and is at the far end of her expected life span. This tender and tough love story shows what real love can be. After you get to the end, reread the page just before chapter 1. I have to thank my husband for getting me involved in carpenter work because as I read I knew what a sole plate and miter saw were and how a lock set was installed. This is not necessary for enjoying the book, but it added to my enjoyment. I could almost smell the freshly sawn wood!

[IndreBite · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's no doubt the author has a way with words. I ended up underlining several nicely worded sentences, but that's about as much good I can say about this book.

Being only about 200 pages long, it took me forever to read. It's a typical "knight in a shiny armor" book probably written with the intent of generating February sales. There are so many things wrong with this book that I'm finding it hard to find where to start.

The main character (male) is depicted as a mature, funny, generous, hard-working, yet creative 30 y.o. with the wisdom of an old man. Yes, so many 30 y.o. people have their life all sorted out.

Damsel in distress.

Evil boss.

Cashing in on 9/11 ?

Cashing in on terminal illness? I know that representation matters, but it is only useful when it's realistically depicted.

Also, if you happen to have lost a loved one due to a Covid-19 related lung colapse, you might want to skip this book.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several other books by this author (including the entire Breakfast with Buddha series) that I really loved. This one is quite different, a love story between a man, Jake, who has just gone through a year of celibacy after the death of a girlfriend (cause revealed later) and a woman he meets randomly, Janet, who is dying of cystic fibrosis. The problem I had with this story is that I could never really get a good feel for either of the two main characters, and given this, their motivations and emotions were murky and confusing to me. Plus, the book starts with an ending and then ends unfinished, both of which I found fairly unsatisfying.

[Peter Gibb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, sad, hopeful. A fine writer at his best.

At times I had to stop and revel in the beauty of the language. At other times, i had to race along to find out what was going to happen. All the time, I cared about the characters. I am not generally a fan of romance novels, but this book is so much more. Roland Merullo is a national treasure, a profound, witty writer with a great sense of story. I am richer for having read A Little Love Story.

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a homesick Bostonian, I wanted to live this book. I wanted it to remind me that my city, my blood, is the shining place I have longed for since I left. And the Boston part of this book did peck at those emotions for sure. But the book itself is soooooo boring. You never feel a strong connection to anyone really. There was no page turning sympathy. It just felt so flat. My beautiful city and he couldn’t do any of it justice.

[Hannah Petosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don’t know how I feel about this book as I got towards the end. I loved the story and the author’s writing style is pure talent! I would recommend this to anyone who needs a love story without complete mush and sadness. I am unhappy with the ending, but I understand why it ended the way it did.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. A mix of love, tragedy, and humor. The characters are greatly expressed. The realism regarding families and illnesses is a positive for me. I did not expect the events in the ending to fold out how they did, and really I don’t think I would have minded any way it would have ended. The prologue helped fill in the gaps, so I went back to reread this once I finished the book.

[Judym · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a lovely story about two lonely people who date, have difficulties and fall in love. The characters are quirky. There is something to learn from all of them. This is the fourth book I have read by this author.

[Jessica Gerrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it up till the last page and then you are left with more questions than answers.
P.s after reading some reviews I had to go searching for a copy that had the prologue in it and feel a little better.

[Susan Belvo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. It kept me involved….interested…and sort of confused….I do like the author’s way of weaving the story…and the characters were real and very likable….tragic tale of what one will do for one they love!