Scan barcode
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve long said that this is my favorite romance novel and that’s probably still true. But the last time I read it was six or eight years ago, and I noticed some problems with it this time that I don’t remember noticing before.
On the plus side, the complicated plot feels like one of those old 1940s rom coms - mistaken identities, orphan origins revealed, and mob connections, with elements of farce and almost slapstick sprinkled in. It’s still one of the best examples of snappy, witty dialogue that I think I’ve ever read. And Agnes’s journey to acceptance of her own inner crazy still strikes me as remarkably wise.
But there’s also the character of Carpenter, who probably qualifies as a “magical Negro” - a trope noted by Spike Lee which I had never heard of until about a year ago. And even having said that, I still love Carpenter in this book. He has far more agency and personal power than what Lee is talking about, I think, but unfortunately it’s still there. And in a more contemporary romance, Agnes would be out there kicking ass and taking names instead of letting Shane handle it.
But it’s still an enjoyable read and still far wittier and more intelligent than most in this genre. Maybe the shine is off a smidge. I wish Mayer and Cruise would get back together and write again, because the three books they wrote together are better (imo) than the books they’ve written on their own.
On the plus side, the complicated plot feels like one of those old 1940s rom coms - mistaken identities, orphan origins revealed, and mob connections, with elements of farce and almost slapstick sprinkled in. It’s still one of the best examples of snappy, witty dialogue that I think I’ve ever read. And Agnes’s journey to acceptance of her own inner crazy still strikes me as remarkably wise.
But there’s also the character of Carpenter, who probably qualifies as a “magical Negro” - a trope noted by Spike Lee which I had never heard of until about a year ago. And even having said that, I still love Carpenter in this book. He has far more agency and personal power than what Lee is talking about, I think, but unfortunately it’s still there. And in a more contemporary romance, Agnes would be out there kicking ass and taking names instead of letting Shane handle it.
But it’s still an enjoyable read and still far wittier and more intelligent than most in this genre. Maybe the shine is off a smidge. I wish Mayer and Cruise would get back together and write again, because the three books they wrote together are better (imo) than the books they’ve written on their own.
book_concierge's review against another edition
1.0
The dialogue is trite. The sex is bland. The characters are cardboard cutouts. The plot is inane and unbelievable. It seems that the author(s) can’t figure out what kind of book this is. Is it a comic crime caper? A mystery? A romance? A mafia thriller? A cooking cozy? Bodies pile up left and right, plot lines disintegrate or appear from thin air. Even the editing is bad … the electricity goes out, thanks to a bad guy who “did something” to the power, but early the next morning Agnes is in the kitchen using her coffee grinder and CD player. The authors would have us believe that her cooking is so great that people set their guns down to feast on pancakes and ham (and where does all this food come from when she never goes to the store … and remember that the electricity was out … we’re talking South Carolina summer HEAT). Oh, and what’s with the psychiatrist (who just disappears in the middle of the book). Crusie (or Mayer) does manage to write a few humorous scenes that tickle me, but if it weren’t for a Shelfari book group Challenge I would not have finished it at all.
avocadojam's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
sallyjm's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
katyanaish's review against another edition
5.0
This was insanely fun. So much more than a romance, it had a mystery plot that was pretty compelling - a tangled knot of whatthefuckery to unravel, and it came together nicely.
There were a couple points where folks seemed a little slow on the uptake:
When she called to see if her daughter was okay there at the house, that's when I was 100% positive. And that was before Shane went to "take out the food chain" and we were told the person who hired the hitter was a she.
2. Photographer girl snapping pictures of the whole area the day before the wedding was an obvious hitman associate.
I am sorry, but no one does that, and it felt particularly weird that the experienced killers (Shane, Carpenter) wouldn't have seen through this immediately. That said, I didn't suspect that she was Casey Dean - that was a surprise - though I did think she was the sunbathing chick from the boat, in a wig or something.
3. Across the board, the police seemed to be utter morons.
Dude, she was walking with Maria like 10 seconds before Taylor was stabbed in the throat. Where did she GET the fucking meat fork? And Brenda, again, was such an obvious villain - she had all the motive, given that she wanted the wedding off so she could get the house, and given that her HUSBAND was ditching her - and she should have been in jail for fraud, along with Taylor, the moment the whole scam about the house came out.
4. Doyle was SO OBVIOUSLY the guy who had gotten the money.
Dude (which is apparently my expression for head-shaking disbelief at stupidity today), he had the damn necklace! And he was restoring the gazebo, where the secret door was! I figured he had found the door while restoring, and cha-ching. Again, though, I didn't figure everything out - I never for a second thought he was Frankie.
So there were some things I just kind of rolled my eyes over, but accepted. Because honestly, there was so much going on in this book, and it was happening on so many levels - multiple bad guys, multiple secrets, multiple agendas - that I can understand missing a few things. And the story itself was just so fun. Agnes and Shane were great, as were all the secondary characters (except Taylor, fuck that guy). And there were plenty of twists I didn't see coming, which was super fun.
And in all that, the romance wasn't lost. My heart broke for Agnes, and her history -... no wonder the girl has anger issues - and her sweet hope that Shane would be a good guy, that he wouldn't lie to her.
Will definitely re-read this one. So much fun.
There were a couple points where folks seemed a little slow on the uptake:
Spoiler
1. I feel like it was damn obvious that Brenda hired the hitters that were coming after Agnes, WAY before anyone made that connection in the book.When she called to see if her daughter was okay there at the house, that's when I was 100% positive. And that was before Shane went to "take out the food chain" and we were told the person who hired the hitter was a she.
2. Photographer girl snapping pictures of the whole area the day before the wedding was an obvious hitman associate.
I am sorry, but no one does that, and it felt particularly weird that the experienced killers (Shane, Carpenter) wouldn't have seen through this immediately. That said, I didn't suspect that she was Casey Dean - that was a surprise - though I did think she was the sunbathing chick from the boat, in a wig or something.
3. Across the board, the police seemed to be utter morons.
Dude, she was walking with Maria like 10 seconds before Taylor was stabbed in the throat. Where did she GET the fucking meat fork? And Brenda, again, was such an obvious villain - she had all the motive, given that she wanted the wedding off so she could get the house, and given that her HUSBAND was ditching her - and she should have been in jail for fraud, along with Taylor, the moment the whole scam about the house came out.
4. Doyle was SO OBVIOUSLY the guy who had gotten the money.
Dude (which is apparently my expression for head-shaking disbelief at stupidity today), he had the damn necklace! And he was restoring the gazebo, where the secret door was! I figured he had found the door while restoring, and cha-ching. Again, though, I didn't figure everything out - I never for a second thought he was Frankie.
So there were some things I just kind of rolled my eyes over, but accepted. Because honestly, there was so much going on in this book, and it was happening on so many levels - multiple bad guys, multiple secrets, multiple agendas - that I can understand missing a few things. And the story itself was just so fun. Agnes and Shane were great, as were all the secondary characters (except Taylor, fuck that guy). And there were plenty of twists I didn't see coming, which was super fun.
And in all that, the romance wasn't lost. My heart broke for Agnes, and her history -
Spoiler
her long, devastating string of people abandoning herWill definitely re-read this one. So much fun.
aranafyre's review against another edition
4.0
I loved this. It is sweet and sexy and funny. Agnes is awesome and so is Shane. This is an excellent light pick me up sort of read. Perfect for the beach.
tpatti's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0