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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
I really love this book. Agnes is fabulous! ESPECIALLY when she's Cranky Agnes!
I was in shock when I started this book because it appears that I hadn't read it since moving to Arizona over SIX YEARS AGO! I don't understand how that is possible, especially seeing as how I still remembered so much of this story!
But I have finally reread this book. Not much surprised me, but I found that some things did and it was so fun seeing how Agnes comes through everything that happened. ❤
I love Shane, her love interest, and Rhett, her Bloodhound. All of the other characters were fantastic, too!
In closing, can I just say again how much I love this book? I really REALLY love it! ❤❤❤
I was in shock when I started this book because it appears that I hadn't read it since moving to Arizona over SIX YEARS AGO! I don't understand how that is possible, especially seeing as how I still remembered so much of this story!
But I have finally reread this book. Not much surprised me, but I found that some things did and it was so fun seeing how Agnes comes through everything that happened. ❤
I love Shane, her love interest, and Rhett, her Bloodhound. All of the other characters were fantastic, too!
In closing, can I just say again how much I love this book? I really REALLY love it! ❤❤❤
My favorite Crusie--this time I was listening on audio. Funny book, engaging characters you care about. I wasn't crazy about the audio book reader, though. Bit too cutesy for Agnes, and I didn't like how she voiced the love interest.
Narrator: Sandra Burr
Length: 12 hours and 9 minutes
Published by Brilliance Audio, August 2007
We all know a narrator can make or break an audiobook. What I didn’t know was that studio effects can do it too. Narrator Sandra Burr does a decent job with the characters here. I can tell who is who and that is always a bonus when a book contains too many zany characters. Burr’s narration of Agnes is a little too upbeat at times (Agnes is supposed to be cranky) but for the most part she is pretty spot on. The light-hearted tone definitely fits in well with the story. I don’t blame the narrator. I blame the person(s) who thought it might be a nifty idea to add an “echo chamber” effect to Agnes and Shane’s inner musings. This person deserves to get stabbed a little with one of Agnes’s meat forks. See, this echo effect makes it very difficult to hear what the characters are thinking when one is driving in a loud car. And Agnes thinks to herself quite often. Fortunately Shane doesn’t think much at all. If I turned up the volume my ears nearly blew off when the echo was shut off. This was more annoying than words can express and went on until the very end of the audio. I will forever be left to wonder if I missed out on some life-changing utterance. And surely I did, right?
So on to the actual story. Cranky Agnes is a food writer baking cupcakes and raspberry sauce when a punk busts into her home and points a gun at her doggie’s head. She grabs the pan of hot fruit and konks him over the head with it. Well, wouldn’t you? But apparently she does this sort of thing often because she has anger issues and even had to see a court appointment shrink because of it. Chaos ensues and the bad guy falls through a swinging door that leads to a basement without stairs. He presumably dies. No one really cares. Too bad for you, sucker.
This is the beginning of a series of madcap events in Agnes’s world. Worried for Agnes, an older friend sends his nephew, a handsome hit man named Shane, to watch over Agnes and keep her out of trouble. Even though Agnes is engaged to someone else, Shane basically moves in and puts the moves on Agnes. And she likes it. Her fiancé is aloof and refuses to spend time with her and Shane is hunkier. Later on we discover the reason the fiancé is MIA. It’s ridiculous but you just have to go with the flow here. Trouble continues to arrive in droves as Agnes attempts to plan a wedding for a friends’ daughter, more bad people get hit with frying pans and stabbed with forks, the wedding is continually sabotaged by the WWF’s Vickie Guerrero in a blond wig (not really but that’s who I pictured whenever the troublemaking Brenda appeared all screechy, bossy and annoying), more people die, flamingos honk and Shane and Agnes fall in lusty-love.
The premise this story is built upon, a sketchy mortgage and a hidden fortune, isn’t worth picking apart. It’s nutty and it’s supposed to be. I’ve read several Jennifer Crusie novels and loved them for their witty, intelligent characters and genuinely funny dialogue. Anyone But You? Oh, how I loved that book. But this book is different. She co-authored this with Bob Mayer and it doesn’t read like a typical Crusie novel. Having never read Mayer, I can only guess that his input perhaps was more on the madcap end of the spectrum? Disappointingly I didn’t find the book very funny or heartwarming. Parts of it were cute but mostly it was all over the place crazy. I liked Agnes who has some nicely sarcastic dialogue. But Shane? Shane is just sort of there. He’s a big, burly man good for offing the wrong people and helping Agnes control her temper with some angry sex but other than that there isn’t much to him. The two didn’t even get to interact very much because they were too busy reacting to the madness around them. It’s a shame because their banter, what little there was of it, was fun.
In the end it was sadly “meh” and the mob and action stuff was terribly boring for me because I’m not interested in that stuff. My notes are scribbled with “will it never end?” Somewhere around disc 5 or 6 I was ready for it be over and done but it lingered on, finally sputtering to a long overdue conclusion on disc ten. And how was I paid back for my persistence, you ask? By a final visit to the echo chamber of death on the last track, forcing me to rewind no less than four times in a fruitless attempt to hear Agnes’s last thought. Alas, I will never know what it was because I became Cranky Reader and hit eject. If you know what she said to Shane, can you please post it in the comments?
Length: 12 hours and 9 minutes
Published by Brilliance Audio, August 2007
We all know a narrator can make or break an audiobook. What I didn’t know was that studio effects can do it too. Narrator Sandra Burr does a decent job with the characters here. I can tell who is who and that is always a bonus when a book contains too many zany characters. Burr’s narration of Agnes is a little too upbeat at times (Agnes is supposed to be cranky) but for the most part she is pretty spot on. The light-hearted tone definitely fits in well with the story. I don’t blame the narrator. I blame the person(s) who thought it might be a nifty idea to add an “echo chamber” effect to Agnes and Shane’s inner musings. This person deserves to get stabbed a little with one of Agnes’s meat forks. See, this echo effect makes it very difficult to hear what the characters are thinking when one is driving in a loud car. And Agnes thinks to herself quite often. Fortunately Shane doesn’t think much at all. If I turned up the volume my ears nearly blew off when the echo was shut off. This was more annoying than words can express and went on until the very end of the audio. I will forever be left to wonder if I missed out on some life-changing utterance. And surely I did, right?
So on to the actual story. Cranky Agnes is a food writer baking cupcakes and raspberry sauce when a punk busts into her home and points a gun at her doggie’s head. She grabs the pan of hot fruit and konks him over the head with it. Well, wouldn’t you? But apparently she does this sort of thing often because she has anger issues and even had to see a court appointment shrink because of it. Chaos ensues and the bad guy falls through a swinging door that leads to a basement without stairs. He presumably dies. No one really cares. Too bad for you, sucker.
This is the beginning of a series of madcap events in Agnes’s world. Worried for Agnes, an older friend sends his nephew, a handsome hit man named Shane, to watch over Agnes and keep her out of trouble. Even though Agnes is engaged to someone else, Shane basically moves in and puts the moves on Agnes. And she likes it. Her fiancé is aloof and refuses to spend time with her and Shane is hunkier. Later on we discover the reason the fiancé is MIA. It’s ridiculous but you just have to go with the flow here. Trouble continues to arrive in droves as Agnes attempts to plan a wedding for a friends’ daughter, more bad people get hit with frying pans and stabbed with forks, the wedding is continually sabotaged by the WWF’s Vickie Guerrero in a blond wig (not really but that’s who I pictured whenever the troublemaking Brenda appeared all screechy, bossy and annoying), more people die, flamingos honk and Shane and Agnes fall in lusty-love.
The premise this story is built upon, a sketchy mortgage and a hidden fortune, isn’t worth picking apart. It’s nutty and it’s supposed to be. I’ve read several Jennifer Crusie novels and loved them for their witty, intelligent characters and genuinely funny dialogue. Anyone But You? Oh, how I loved that book. But this book is different. She co-authored this with Bob Mayer and it doesn’t read like a typical Crusie novel. Having never read Mayer, I can only guess that his input perhaps was more on the madcap end of the spectrum? Disappointingly I didn’t find the book very funny or heartwarming. Parts of it were cute but mostly it was all over the place crazy. I liked Agnes who has some nicely sarcastic dialogue. But Shane? Shane is just sort of there. He’s a big, burly man good for offing the wrong people and helping Agnes control her temper with some angry sex but other than that there isn’t much to him. The two didn’t even get to interact very much because they were too busy reacting to the madness around them. It’s a shame because their banter, what little there was of it, was fun.
Shane: “What did Taylor want?”
Agnes: “He brought the health inspector out to shut down the wedding”
Shane : “Did you kill him?”
Agnes: “No. So how was your day? You kill anybody?” She stopped, realizing with horror that he might have.
In the end it was sadly “meh” and the mob and action stuff was terribly boring for me because I’m not interested in that stuff. My notes are scribbled with “will it never end?” Somewhere around disc 5 or 6 I was ready for it be over and done but it lingered on, finally sputtering to a long overdue conclusion on disc ten. And how was I paid back for my persistence, you ask? By a final visit to the echo chamber of death on the last track, forcing me to rewind no less than four times in a fruitless attempt to hear Agnes’s last thought. Alas, I will never know what it was because I became Cranky Reader and hit eject. If you know what she said to Shane, can you please post it in the comments?
This book has earned its place among my favorite reads of the year. Lots of laugh-out-loud moments, a strong/independent female character, and a swoon worthy man. What more could you ask for? This book is worth the read!
Romance novels are my secret pleasure to some degree but Jennifer Crusie (especially when paired with Bob Mayer) makes hilarious books that I'm willing to read in public!! Plus, this one is about a cook!
There are very few books in the world that get me laughing within the first page and even fewer that keep me laughing thoughout it. This book is one of them.
It starts out with mild tempered (or so we think) Agnes getting robbed in her kitchen in the beautiful house that she and boyfriend bought together. However, before the robber can really try to um, rob her, she cracks him over the head with a cast iron skillet and thinks to herself "Oh, dear, not again". With that one scene and that one thought, you are completely sucked into this book and the many, many, MANY twists it takes you. Hitmen, the mob, cheating boyfriends, dangerous southern women and more are all in the books in such a intricate and fantastic way that by the end of it, you are just left smiling and ready for more.
It starts out with mild tempered (or so we think) Agnes getting robbed in her kitchen in the beautiful house that she and boyfriend bought together. However, before the robber can really try to um, rob her, she cracks him over the head with a cast iron skillet and thinks to herself "Oh, dear, not again". With that one scene and that one thought, you are completely sucked into this book and the many, many, MANY twists it takes you. Hitmen, the mob, cheating boyfriends, dangerous southern women and more are all in the books in such a intricate and fantastic way that by the end of it, you are just left smiling and ready for more.
I have noticed that I am a fan of romantic comedy books, and not the full blown romance novels. Just saying.
Getting back to the review.
“Agnes and the Hitman” is a must read for readers who wish to read a romance book where the characters are unconventional, and the plot, a total refresher to the tradition “I love you, you love me, we break up, and then come back together” format of romance books.
The characters in this book are:
Agnes, the heroine of the book, and the most sassiest woman I’ve ever read in a romance book. With a temper that’s infamous among her ex-boyfriends, she really knows how to take care of herself with a frying pan. (Ahem, ahem, you need to read the book to understand this reference.)
Shane, the gun-toting kill machine who can make momentous decisions about who should live and who should die in a split second. The ideal Prince Charming.
Lisa Livia, Agnes’s best friend and the mother of the bride. Brenda, Lisa Livia’s mother from hell. Maria, the nineteen year old daughter of Lisa, who plans to get hitched to Palmer, a rich billionaire.
Taylor, Agnes’s love interest. Or ex-love interest? I’m not giving any spoilers.
Joey, Shane’s uncle, and a former mob leader. Carpenter, Shane’s partner in crime. Quite literally.
Doyle, Agnes’s friendly painter, who plans to repair the house and make it look bedazzling for the wedding.
What I liked about this book is that it’s a very unpredictable and fun read. The authors totally involve you into the lives of the characters, and you can’t wait for each of them to get the payback/romance/money/property/anything they need. All the characters have their own motives (ulterior or otherwise), and their own ways and means of achieving their motives. The clash of their personalities and the motives is what makes for a hilarious read.
Also, I loved the descriptions of Agnes cooking for everyone staying in her house. Her cooking repertoire ranges from pecan pancakes, banana muffines, rack of ribs, and every other homely dish that will remind you of the good old Enid Blyton days.
I give this book a 4.5/5 stars. The story is a fun read, and will interest readers who like the romance genre, as well as readers who like the mystery genre. And also readers who want to have a hearty laugh while reading a book.
You can read the entire review here: https://mithilareviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/agnes-and-the-hitman-by-jennifer-crusie-and-bob-mayer/
Getting back to the review.
“Agnes and the Hitman” is a must read for readers who wish to read a romance book where the characters are unconventional, and the plot, a total refresher to the tradition “I love you, you love me, we break up, and then come back together” format of romance books.
The characters in this book are:
Agnes, the heroine of the book, and the most sassiest woman I’ve ever read in a romance book. With a temper that’s infamous among her ex-boyfriends, she really knows how to take care of herself with a frying pan. (Ahem, ahem, you need to read the book to understand this reference.)
Shane, the gun-toting kill machine who can make momentous decisions about who should live and who should die in a split second. The ideal Prince Charming.
Lisa Livia, Agnes’s best friend and the mother of the bride. Brenda, Lisa Livia’s mother from hell. Maria, the nineteen year old daughter of Lisa, who plans to get hitched to Palmer, a rich billionaire.
Taylor, Agnes’s love interest. Or ex-love interest? I’m not giving any spoilers.
Joey, Shane’s uncle, and a former mob leader. Carpenter, Shane’s partner in crime. Quite literally.
Doyle, Agnes’s friendly painter, who plans to repair the house and make it look bedazzling for the wedding.
What I liked about this book is that it’s a very unpredictable and fun read. The authors totally involve you into the lives of the characters, and you can’t wait for each of them to get the payback/romance/money/property/anything they need. All the characters have their own motives (ulterior or otherwise), and their own ways and means of achieving their motives. The clash of their personalities and the motives is what makes for a hilarious read.
Also, I loved the descriptions of Agnes cooking for everyone staying in her house. Her cooking repertoire ranges from pecan pancakes, banana muffines, rack of ribs, and every other homely dish that will remind you of the good old Enid Blyton days.
I give this book a 4.5/5 stars. The story is a fun read, and will interest readers who like the romance genre, as well as readers who like the mystery genre. And also readers who want to have a hearty laugh while reading a book.
You can read the entire review here: https://mithilareviewsbooks.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/agnes-and-the-hitman-by-jennifer-crusie-and-bob-mayer/
I absolutely loved this book. Cranky Agnes is such a fun character. I am really glad that a friend in one of my college classes recommended it to me. I couldn't put it down and plowed through the 419 pages in two days, which is fast for me. I don't want to give spoilers, but I must say, flamingos became rather funny to me. :-)
Agnes has a lot to deal with, she's fighting to keep her house, plan a wedding that isn't hers, deal with a dead body in her cellar and if all that wasn't enough, someone keeps trying to kidnap her dog.
I really loved Agnes and Shane. Agnes is quirky and independent and Shane is sensible and practical and very honest. The two together set some serious sparks going and their dialogue was just right. Chemistry wise this book was spot on.
The story started off promising but was just a bit too far into zany with so much going on that I found it hard to keep track of the plot, who was falling out with who, who was falling for who, who had been killed off, and who all the suspects were. It got way too messy for me to keep up with. It could with maybe fewer characters, or, even though I hate to say it because I love a good murder mystery, a few less deaths.
There is no lack of interesting and colourful supporting characters but again, way too many of them so the story felt cluttered with subplots. I would have liked more time with Agnes and Shane, their romance was overwhelmed by all the other stuff going on. I wanted more of them and their funny arguments!
I did enjoy this one though, Jennifer Crusie has long been one of my favourite romance writers and while this isn't one of my favourites by her it still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the romance field.
I really loved Agnes and Shane. Agnes is quirky and independent and Shane is sensible and practical and very honest. The two together set some serious sparks going and their dialogue was just right. Chemistry wise this book was spot on.
The story started off promising but was just a bit too far into zany with so much going on that I found it hard to keep track of the plot, who was falling out with who, who was falling for who, who had been killed off, and who all the suspects were. It got way too messy for me to keep up with. It could with maybe fewer characters, or, even though I hate to say it because I love a good murder mystery, a few less deaths.
There is no lack of interesting and colourful supporting characters but again, way too many of them so the story felt cluttered with subplots. I would have liked more time with Agnes and Shane, their romance was overwhelmed by all the other stuff going on. I wanted more of them and their funny arguments!
I did enjoy this one though, Jennifer Crusie has long been one of my favourite romance writers and while this isn't one of my favourites by her it still stands head and shoulders above the rest of the romance field.