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tani's review against another edition
4.0
I kept hearing about Jennifer Crusie, so I picked up this book yesterday when I was at the library. It was a lot of fun: interesting characters, snappy dialogue, and a fast-moving plot. I do believe I'll be reading more Jennifer Crusie in the future.
januaryf's review against another edition
3.0
This isn't my favourite book by Jennifer Crusie, but I did enjoy it. The crazy stalking ex-boyfriend was a little more intense than I usually like in my chick-lit, but the characters and fantastic dialog more than made up for it.
burbgur's review against another edition
Got boring and repetitive. Will prolly finish eventually
jaga119's review against another edition
4.0
Ah, what a pleasure, a book for which I have gladly suffered a day after an almost sleepless night - really I can't recall the last time when I went to sleep at 4 am, because I just wanted to finish the book.
What else can I say, is there a need for more praise? Well, maybe the thing that it was funny and sexy and even smart. Every one of us have that time when we feel that we need change, and sometimes there comes the situation which triggers this change and after some perturbations everything gets all right.
The love story was also very sweet - wasn't Nick cute, when he reasoned with himself and decided that he liked Quinn best, when she had a boyfriend, because he felt safe then? Or his Church and State division analogy - something maybe common for romance books, but delivered in a different, but a really nice package. But the best thing was the emotions and tension between Quinn and Nick, that is just what I like in my romance.
The worst thing (really, it took much pleasure away from the reading of this book) was the translation. I've read a Polish edition and there were parts where I had to stop and reread a part because I didn't understand the meaning or the connection between the sentences. It seemed to me as if the first part of the translation was done through the google translator and then clumsily corrected. Or done by someone for whom Polish wasn't a first language. I really wish I had read this book in English, if that were the case, I would probably go to sleep about 3 am and with much more satisfaction.
What else can I say, is there a need for more praise? Well, maybe the thing that it was funny and sexy and even smart. Every one of us have that time when we feel that we need change, and sometimes there comes the situation which triggers this change and after some perturbations everything gets all right.
The love story was also very sweet - wasn't Nick cute, when he reasoned with himself and decided that he liked Quinn best, when she had a boyfriend, because he felt safe then? Or his Church and State division analogy - something maybe common for romance books, but delivered in a different, but a really nice package. But the best thing was the emotions and tension between Quinn and Nick, that is just what I like in my romance.
The worst thing (really, it took much pleasure away from the reading of this book) was the translation. I've read a Polish edition and there were parts where I had to stop and reread a part because I didn't understand the meaning or the connection between the sentences. It seemed to me as if the first part of the translation was done through the google translator and then clumsily corrected. Or done by someone for whom Polish wasn't a first language. I really wish I had read this book in English, if that were the case, I would probably go to sleep about 3 am and with much more satisfaction.
downtown_kb's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Quinn brings home a stray dog she wants to adopt but her current boyfriend isn’t having it. So Quinn decides she’s had enough and moves out with her new dog. Her now ex doesn't take it well and things escalate quickly.
Jennifer Crusie has become my palette cleanser books for after I read a real dud or am in a slump. They are fun and lighthearted. A bit over the top in that romcom movie way and really not meant to be taken too seriously. The side cast is always well flushed out and adds an extra layer of chaos to the mix and I love her fmc’s.
This book was published originally in 1999. I felt it held up fairly well. There’s still a lot of conversations about a man taking care of a woman but the fmc is breaking out from under that mold. (Though, the side characters Max and Darla, did not learn a single thing).
I love the movement when the mmc sees the fmc differently all of a sudden, gets totally freaked out about it, but then just becomes totally gone for her. I think its my favorite thing about Crusie’s formula. In the past her books feel like the “I love you” comes from no where but in this one it worked well since these two were already best friends. There is a bit of suspense elements to this book and the stalking gets pretty intense.
This was a fun one.
Jennifer Crusie has become my palette cleanser books for after I read a real dud or am in a slump. They are fun and lighthearted. A bit over the top in that romcom movie way and really not meant to be taken too seriously. The side cast is always well flushed out and adds an extra layer of chaos to the mix and I love her fmc’s.
This book was published originally in 1999. I felt it held up fairly well. There’s still a lot of conversations about a man taking care of a woman but the fmc is breaking out from under that mold. (Though, the side characters Max and Darla, did not learn a single thing).
I love the movement when the mmc sees the fmc differently all of a sudden, gets totally freaked out about it, but then just becomes totally gone for her. I think its my favorite thing about Crusie’s formula. In the past her books feel like the “I love you” comes from no where but in this one it worked well since these two were already best friends. There is a bit of suspense elements to this book and the stalking gets pretty intense.
This was a fun one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Sexual content, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Domestic abuse
bethanyread's review against another edition
4.0
Really liked this book. Interesting story about how a woman decides to change her life by dumping her boyfriend and the people around her realize they need to change their life too. Good story
rinn4's review against another edition
2.0
Didn't finish I don't like how the main character is pertending to be someone she's not and her husband and the dog just plain creep me out.
bibliozabs's review against another edition
3.5
Keep in mind this was written in 1999. I’m writing this in 2023 and that when I first read it.
The very bad - dog abuse, super stalking, domestic violence. The not great - a lot of “she’s mine” (from both hero and villain), some questionable relationship dynamics from a lot of people in the book, off hand homophobia from townspeople. So to me, the good outweighed the bad.
But I still stayed up all night to finish it (partly bc it was compelling, partly bc I’m sick and stuffed up). The good - chemistry btwn the couples, supportive and real female friendships, small town dynamics, realistic toxic masculinity, realistic reaction to someone you love turning into a monster, HEA.
This isn’t my first Jenny Crusie. I’ve read a couple of her books. This is one of her earlier ones and you can see how her later ones change with the times. So read it with the time period in mind.
The very bad - dog abuse, super stalking, domestic violence. The not great - a lot of “she’s mine” (from both hero and villain), some questionable relationship dynamics from a lot of people in the book, off hand homophobia from townspeople. So to me, the good outweighed the bad.
But I still stayed up all night to finish it (partly bc it was compelling, partly bc I’m sick and stuffed up). The good - chemistry btwn the couples, supportive and real female friendships, small town dynamics, realistic toxic masculinity, realistic reaction to someone you love turning into a monster, HEA.
This isn’t my first Jenny Crusie. I’ve read a couple of her books. This is one of her earlier ones and you can see how her later ones change with the times. So read it with the time period in mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Animal cruelty
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 STARS
"High school art teacher Quinn McKenzie's life is perfectly normal--and it's making her insane. She's living with Bill, the nicest guy in Tibbett, Ohio, and he's crazy about her. Really crazy. Quinn is already having serious doubts about the future of their relationship when Fate intervenes, in the form of the scrawniest, squirmiest scrap of a dog you'd ever want to lay eyes on. She figures if the dog has the good sense to detest Bill on first sight, she ought to pay attention. And besides, there's Nick Ziegler, local mechanic and totally unsuitable love interest. Of course, that only makes Nick all the more appealing, not to mention his phenomenal aptitude between the sheets, and against the wall, and in the car, and... But getting rid of Bill is harder than Quinn ever expected. In fact, Bill was the last person she would have thought would try to hurt her. Thank God Nick is as capable with a two-by-four as he is with an automobile engine!" (From Amazon)
My first Jennifer Crusie contemporary romance and I loved it. It is very funny and has charming characters. (For fans of Carly Phillips and Janet Evanovich)
"High school art teacher Quinn McKenzie's life is perfectly normal--and it's making her insane. She's living with Bill, the nicest guy in Tibbett, Ohio, and he's crazy about her. Really crazy. Quinn is already having serious doubts about the future of their relationship when Fate intervenes, in the form of the scrawniest, squirmiest scrap of a dog you'd ever want to lay eyes on. She figures if the dog has the good sense to detest Bill on first sight, she ought to pay attention. And besides, there's Nick Ziegler, local mechanic and totally unsuitable love interest. Of course, that only makes Nick all the more appealing, not to mention his phenomenal aptitude between the sheets, and against the wall, and in the car, and... But getting rid of Bill is harder than Quinn ever expected. In fact, Bill was the last person she would have thought would try to hurt her. Thank God Nick is as capable with a two-by-four as he is with an automobile engine!" (From Amazon)
My first Jennifer Crusie contemporary romance and I loved it. It is very funny and has charming characters. (For fans of Carly Phillips and Janet Evanovich)
sejacobson14's review against another edition
4.0
A good, fast, fun read. I laughed out loud a few times.