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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I've just upgraded this book from 3 stars to 4 stars because the dialogue made me laugh out loud multiple times and I couldn't put it down until I finished it even though I've read it several times before. If you like funny romantic mysteries, you will love this book and everything Jennifer Crusie has ever written. I'm just sorry it took me years to realize the second part.
I have mixed feelings about this book, there were some elements I really liked and others that got more problematic as the story went on.
Nell has had a divorce and she feels her life is in ruins. She needs a job, and her brother in law has given her a recommendation for the detective agency his law firm collaborates with. After a disastrous interview, she is hired as a secretary and immediately sets about organising the firm and updating it to her exacting standards. But her boss, Gabe, is a grumpy, distant and authoritarian man who detests change and tries to block her at every turn. But soon strange things start happening : the previous secretary stole money and was looking for something at the agency, the lawyers from the firm are being blackmailed but seem strangely reluctant to have it investigated, and a client needs her dog to be rescued but Gabe refuses to engage in dog-napping...
Themes in this story : office setting, detective agency, long marriages, adultery, divorce, large age differences, antagonistic relationships, equality in relationships, China sets, murders, embezzlement and cover-ups.
Nell is best friends with her ex-sisters in law, Suze and Margie. This is a lovely, close and supportive relationship that really sustains these characters through their trials, it's probably the best relationship in the book. It's always good to see positive potrayals of female relationships. The counterpoint to these ladies, the three brothers, their many wives and the web of lies, adultery and deceit they indulge in are at the center of the story. It was very confusing for me at first to work out who was who and what their romantic history was so here's a handy-dandy little recap of the main characters I made :
Trevor Ogilvie, senior partner at O&D : married Helena, they had Margie. Cheated on her with Audrey, who got pregnant. In the middle of their divorce, Helena committed suicide. Trevor then married Audrey and they had Olivia.
Jack Dysart, senior partner at O&D : married Abbie, cheated on her with Vicki, had a divorce. Married Vicki, cheated on her with Suze and had a divorce. Married Suze (seeing a pattern here ? Yeah, me too).Cheated on Suze with Olivia, and yup, Suze divorces him.
Stewart Dysart, also worked at O&D : married Margie,cheated on her with Kitty then embezzled from the firm and disappeared.
Tim Dysart, took over his grandfather's insurance agency : married Nell, they had Jase,he cheated on her with Whitney divorced Nell and married Whitney.
Nell Dysart : married Tim, built the insurance agency with him, had Jase with him, divorced him, slept with Riley, marrying Gabe .
Suze Dysart : married Jack, divorced him, probably going to date Riley.
Margie Dysart :dated Janice, married Stewart, cheated on him with Budge , now living with Budge. I think at the end she is separating from him ? Unsure. Yeah, lots of loose ends are left trailing at the end of this.
Gabe McKenna, co-owner of the detective agency : married Chloe, had Lu with her, divorced her but kept sleeping with her until she left. Now marrying Nell.
Riley McKenna, co-owner of the detective agency : sleeps with lots of women, has two non-serious girlfriends during the book,sleeps with Nell, probably going to be with Suze whom he has loved for 15 years.
As you can see this book is quite complex with a huge cast of crazy characters, several storylines, different elements fitting together, winding plots and subplots.
At first I thought it was rather funny how someone or other was always sleeping with the secretary but it got old by the end. I liked that the attitude to sex was rather relaxed at the agency, no slut-shaming whatsoever, with Gabe still with his ex-wife, and thenNell and Riley having a one-night stand. It was good to see the heroine have no strings attached sex with someone other than the hero and it be a positive experience and something that helped her in the process to move on. I think I found it fine because it was clear there were no feelings involved and it was over before the main romance started, so it didn't threaten it at all.
I have to say though I was a little uncomfortable when poor Riley kept walking in on them just about to or having just had sex. I get that you are all comfortable with each other but that feels very, very awkward to me, especially in a working environment. I don't know, I couldn't get rid of the sense that I would have HATED to be in such a situation.
I also felt that the scene whereNell and Suze recount their kiss was a bit overdone. I know that some men find that very hot but it's not a universal truth, and especially since they were essentially lying and blowing it completely out of proportion, I thought it should have been over much faster, but they went on and on... And the men's reactions were slightly ridiculous.
Funnily enough although there are a lot of mentions of sex and people sleeping together, there are very few sex scenes and those that are there are very quick and not very detailed. Since Crusie had been writing warmer scenes in her more recent books I was a little surprised, it felt like going back to earlier books.
About halfway through I began to realise that the book wasn't feeling as cheerful to me as the other books by Crusie I've read. There was something relentlessly cynical and bleak about the relationships in this book. Everyone is so selfish. People marry young and take advantage of each other. There is just so so much adultery and divorce. It gave a completely hopeless view of marriage and love. It was hard for me to believe in any kind of happy ending after all of this.
The book did have that sacrificial wife type of relationship down pat. It was very true to life. I have known people in such a situation, where the wife sacrifices her whole life to build a business with the man, doing all the behind the scenes work, running the house, raising the kids, meanwhile the husband gets all the glory and the benefits of the situation, and credit does not go where it is due. So that really hit home because I know it happens and it's so unfair.
I wish we had seen more love and affection between the pairs in the book. The sexual attraction was tangible, but I just couldn't see anything more there. The couples are constantly fighting and taking jabs at each other, and we never see them actually act like they like the other person. I like an enemies to lovers romance, but there has to be a relationship developing there, they have to be falling in love despite themselves, with a few moments betraying that, and I didn't see enough of it here. I think some warmth and developing regard could have gone a long way to alleviating that pessimistic feeling I was getting from the book.
I get the underlying reasons why Nell and Gabe acted how they did, but they expressed them in such over-the-top ways and blew the tiniest things completely out of proportion, everything had to be a war between them, when respectful communication and compromise could have got them so much further if they truly cared about each other and not about being right.
I didn't really connect to Gabe much. He was so commanding and domineering, it got on my nerves, and he took such a long time to begin to show even a little bit of caring towards Nell, it was too little, too late for me. Even Nell got to be just too bone-headed and obstinate after a while. I didn't really believe in the HEA for them because while I'm sure they are now more committed and will try harder to resolve their issues, we just aren't shown that they actually love each other and are able to compromise. I can see them yelling and sniping at each other for the rest of their lives, it is hard to imagine them happy together.
It got to the stage where both Gabe and Nell were being so selfish and unreasonable that I much preferred Suze and Riley, their relationship actually seemed healthier and more respectful. Sadly the book ends very abruptly, with many loose ends, including not really getting resolution for this relationship.This is all the more frustrating because these two are established as both being "kissees", unaccustomed to taking the first step and doing the pursuing. So seeing them actually take action towards being together would have been all the more meaningful. Instead we are barely given to see that they have an understanding, which is incredibly unsatisfying. I wanted to see them together dammit !
Lu and Jase were sweet, it was different having a romance with grown up children. I wish we'd had a bit more resolution for them too.
The story has an important mystery component. It's a complicated mystery with many elements. I didn't guess how it could go, but it didn't surprise me eitherexcept for the strange obsession with freezers. I'm sad about Lynnie, I really liked her, she was interesting . Unfortunately the ending was quite rushed and I felt it wrapped up a bit too quickly, leaving some loose ends. The middle could have been trimmed a bit, leaving some pages to flesh out the ending a little better, in my opinion.
There were a few very funny moments, that's always a positive for me, Crusie is always good at getting a few giggles out of me :) Unfortunately between the mystery and the negative view of relationships and marriage this book didn't really hit the tone I'm used to from Crusie.
Yet again I have to say it's frustrating that the dogs in these stories are always these so-called "cute" (in fact hypertyped) breeds and not just a normal, healthy dog. Dachshunds have a dwarfism condition that is deliberately selected for that can cause pain and discomfort and prevents them from moving freely the way a dog should. It's unfortunate to see these dogs promoted as cute as it will encourage people to see them as normal and buy more.
The bit with clothes for the dog was a bit ridiculous too, I'm sorry but I cringe when people dress dogs up (unless it is a type of dog that really needs help staying warm which is much more uncommon than people think).
This sounds very negative, and it was a heavier read than I expected, but as usual with Crusie, there were good elements too : I really enjoyed seeing the functioning of the detective agency, their inside jokes and their camaraderie were wonderful, as was the friendship between Nell and Suze. There are some very funny bits and it's definitely a meaty book with a lot going for it.
Nell has had a divorce and she feels her life is in ruins. She needs a job, and her brother in law has given her a recommendation for the detective agency his law firm collaborates with. After a disastrous interview, she is hired as a secretary and immediately sets about organising the firm and updating it to her exacting standards. But her boss, Gabe, is a grumpy, distant and authoritarian man who detests change and tries to block her at every turn. But soon strange things start happening : the previous secretary stole money and was looking for something at the agency, the lawyers from the firm are being blackmailed but seem strangely reluctant to have it investigated, and a client needs her dog to be rescued but Gabe refuses to engage in dog-napping...
Themes in this story : office setting, detective agency, long marriages, adultery, divorce, large age differences, antagonistic relationships, equality in relationships, China sets, murders, embezzlement and cover-ups.
Nell is best friends with her ex-sisters in law, Suze and Margie. This is a lovely, close and supportive relationship that really sustains these characters through their trials, it's probably the best relationship in the book. It's always good to see positive potrayals of female relationships. The counterpoint to these ladies, the three brothers, their many wives and the web of lies, adultery and deceit they indulge in are at the center of the story. It was very confusing for me at first to work out who was who and what their romantic history was so here's a handy-dandy little recap of the main characters I made :
Trevor Ogilvie, senior partner at O&D : married Helena, they had Margie. Cheated on her with Audrey, who got pregnant. In the middle of their divorce, Helena committed suicide. Trevor then married Audrey and they had Olivia.
Jack Dysart, senior partner at O&D : married Abbie, cheated on her with Vicki, had a divorce. Married Vicki, cheated on her with Suze and had a divorce. Married Suze (seeing a pattern here ? Yeah, me too).
Stewart Dysart, also worked at O&D : married Margie,
Tim Dysart, took over his grandfather's insurance agency : married Nell, they had Jase,
Nell Dysart : married Tim, built the insurance agency with him, had Jase with him, divorced him,
Suze Dysart : married Jack,
Margie Dysart :
Gabe McKenna, co-owner of the detective agency : married Chloe, had Lu with her, divorced her but kept sleeping with her
Riley McKenna, co-owner of the detective agency : sleeps with lots of women, has two non-serious girlfriends during the book,
As you can see this book is quite complex with a huge cast of crazy characters, several storylines, different elements fitting together, winding plots and subplots.
At first I thought it was rather funny how someone or other was always sleeping with the secretary but it got old by the end. I liked that the attitude to sex was rather relaxed at the agency, no slut-shaming whatsoever, with Gabe still with his ex-wife, and then
I have to say though I was a little uncomfortable when poor Riley kept walking in on them just about to or having just had sex. I get that you are all comfortable with each other but that feels very, very awkward to me, especially in a working environment. I don't know, I couldn't get rid of the sense that I would have HATED to be in such a situation.
I also felt that the scene where
Funnily enough although there are a lot of mentions of sex and people sleeping together, there are very few sex scenes and those that are there are very quick and not very detailed. Since Crusie had been writing warmer scenes in her more recent books I was a little surprised, it felt like going back to earlier books.
About halfway through I began to realise that the book wasn't feeling as cheerful to me as the other books by Crusie I've read. There was something relentlessly cynical and bleak about the relationships in this book. Everyone is so selfish. People marry young and take advantage of each other. There is just so so much adultery and divorce. It gave a completely hopeless view of marriage and love. It was hard for me to believe in any kind of happy ending after all of this.
The book did have that sacrificial wife type of relationship down pat. It was very true to life. I have known people in such a situation, where the wife sacrifices her whole life to build a business with the man, doing all the behind the scenes work, running the house, raising the kids, meanwhile the husband gets all the glory and the benefits of the situation, and credit does not go where it is due. So that really hit home because I know it happens and it's so unfair.
I wish we had seen more love and affection between the pairs in the book. The sexual attraction was tangible, but I just couldn't see anything more there. The couples are constantly fighting and taking jabs at each other, and we never see them actually act like they like the other person. I like an enemies to lovers romance, but there has to be a relationship developing there, they have to be falling in love despite themselves, with a few moments betraying that, and I didn't see enough of it here. I think some warmth and developing regard could have gone a long way to alleviating that pessimistic feeling I was getting from the book.
I get the underlying reasons why Nell and Gabe acted how they did, but they expressed them in such over-the-top ways and blew the tiniest things completely out of proportion, everything had to be a war between them, when respectful communication and compromise could have got them so much further if they truly cared about each other and not about being right.
I didn't really connect to Gabe much. He was so commanding and domineering, it got on my nerves, and he took such a long time to begin to show even a little bit of caring towards Nell, it was too little, too late for me. Even Nell got to be just too bone-headed and obstinate after a while. I didn't really believe in the HEA for them because while I'm sure they are now more committed and will try harder to resolve their issues, we just aren't shown that they actually love each other and are able to compromise. I can see them yelling and sniping at each other for the rest of their lives, it is hard to imagine them happy together.
It got to the stage where both Gabe and Nell were being so selfish and unreasonable that I much preferred Suze and Riley, their relationship actually seemed healthier and more respectful. Sadly the book ends very abruptly, with many loose ends, including not really getting resolution for this relationship.
Lu and Jase were sweet, it was different having a romance with grown up children. I wish we'd had a bit more resolution for them too.
The story has an important mystery component. It's a complicated mystery with many elements. I didn't guess how it could go, but it didn't surprise me either
There were a few very funny moments, that's always a positive for me, Crusie is always good at getting a few giggles out of me :) Unfortunately between the mystery and the negative view of relationships and marriage this book didn't really hit the tone I'm used to from Crusie.
Yet again I have to say it's frustrating that the dogs in these stories are always these so-called "cute" (in fact hypertyped) breeds and not just a normal, healthy dog. Dachshunds have a dwarfism condition that is deliberately selected for that can cause pain and discomfort and prevents them from moving freely the way a dog should. It's unfortunate to see these dogs promoted as cute as it will encourage people to see them as normal and buy more.
The bit with clothes for the dog was a bit ridiculous too, I'm sorry but I cringe when people dress dogs up (unless it is a type of dog that really needs help staying warm which is much more uncommon than people think).
This sounds very negative, and it was a heavier read than I expected, but as usual with Crusie, there were good elements too : I really enjoyed seeing the functioning of the detective agency, their inside jokes and their camaraderie were wonderful, as was the friendship between Nell and Suze. There are some very funny bits and it's definitely a meaty book with a lot going for it.
A realistic romance novel - they don't instantly fall in love and the time scale is enough to keep it moving but not ridiculously quick. The dachshund is one of the funniest characters. I laughed a lot at this book and I will definitely read another of Crusie's books.
That was long as shit, unexpectedly dark, and uneven. I’m disappointed.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Surprisingly, not really a romance. It's a divorce novel and a thriller with a significant romance plot, but that's really not the point in a lot of ways. Delightful, of course; it's Crusie.
This is actually a fun read. It has a bit of a snarky tone, and I laughed a lot during reading it. Additionally, some suspenseful elements kept my attention throughout the book.
Read full review on my blog, Beyond Strange New Words.
Read full review on my blog, Beyond Strange New Words.
Love this book. appreciate that women over thirty get to be rounded individuals and have sex lives and friends.
...and then I read this twice in 2013, because I am super, super predictable and also bad at usefully adding to my books-read-count. Lol, oops.
...and then I read this twice in 2013, because I am super, super predictable and also bad at usefully adding to my books-read-count. Lol, oops.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the central characters a lot, and it made me happy. There is humor in this book and an approach to love, romance, and marriage that is grown-up and realistic while still maintaining a sense of fun and optimism. This isn't the kind of romance novel where the leads spend the whole book trying to avoid having sex and then when they do it's just happily-ever-after. They have to work at their relationship. They have to negotiate with each other to get what they need, to avoid hurting the other person, and to learn from their past mistakes. They grow as people and will continue to grow after the book ends because that's just what people do and, as this book acknowledges, the best relationships, the ones that work and that last, leave space for that kind of growth.
There is no rape in this book. There are no man-roots or honey-ovens. Sex isn't always tied to true love, but it isn't used as a punishment or a means of control, either. This is a sex-positive book.
Finally, there are positive female relationships and meaningful male relationships. A huge part of the book, in fact, revolves around the central female characters' friendship. They support each other, joke with each other, and do far more than simply talk about men or sex. There is also at least one significant male friendship, one in which the men talk, at least sometimes, about things that are important to them personally and in which they defend each other against others who don't understand or who would hurt them. On both sides, this makes the characters more likeable and believable and shifts the focus away from fulfillment through a romantic or sexual relationship and toward a broader sense of what defines and fulfills an individual (not just sex, but work, family, friends, hobbies, pets, etc.).
The only major complaint I have about this book is that I think the title gives the wrong impression of the kind of women Crusie is writing about.
There is no rape in this book. There are no man-roots or honey-ovens. Sex isn't always tied to true love, but it isn't used as a punishment or a means of control, either. This is a sex-positive book.
Finally, there are positive female relationships and meaningful male relationships. A huge part of the book, in fact, revolves around the central female characters' friendship. They support each other, joke with each other, and do far more than simply talk about men or sex. There is also at least one significant male friendship, one in which the men talk, at least sometimes, about things that are important to them personally and in which they defend each other against others who don't understand or who would hurt them. On both sides, this makes the characters more likeable and believable and shifts the focus away from fulfillment through a romantic or sexual relationship and toward a broader sense of what defines and fulfills an individual (not just sex, but work, family, friends, hobbies, pets, etc.).
The only major complaint I have about this book is that I think the title gives the wrong impression of the kind of women Crusie is writing about.
Laugh out loud funny in places but rather disappointing overall. Definitely not Ms. Crusie's best work.
This book made me laugh in some spots, the narration was good and I liked some of the characters. However I found some of the lead women annoying. And wtf is up with the china and the meaning of it in this book?