Rating:  Summary: I was grinning all day Review: I read this book in one day and couldn't stop smiling. I left a trail of confused people behind me.This story has great characterization and even better dialogue. The banter between Tilda and Davy is so funny and unstrained--you can see the characters and they're people you'd actually want to know. And honestly, I didn't think it was hard to keep track of the characters. Just the opposite--it was effortless because they were all so individual and interesting. It also made a good change of pace, switching to other's points of view. I wouldn't even have thought of it if I hadn't seen other reviews complaining about it. I think my favorite Crusie book is "Welcome to Temptation" but this is a close second and at least worth reading--and probably buying, too. I'm certainly going to.
Rating:  Summary: Wonderful Fun! Review: I canNOT understand how anyone could give this hilarious little book a bad review! It was totally fabulous and very well written. The plot was ingenious, IMHO. I loved the artsy Goodnight family with their shady past. Each quirky character left an indelible imprint on my mind. My favorite family ritual was the "Poor Baby". You must read the book to fully appreciate a "Poor Baby" event! I love all of Crusie's books and this one is my favorite so far. Keep up the good work, girlfriend!
Rating:  Summary: Overcrowded Review: Jennifer Crusie's latest romantic spin has all her trademarks stamped on: an ensemble of quirky characters, riotous humour and sassy romance. However true fans of Ms. Cruise will be astute to call off the bluff - Faking It does not measure up to her earlier attempts, lucidly missing her relaxed, feel-good style. She crams in too many characters when depicting a tale on the Goodnights who runs a respectable gallery. There is Gwen the matriarch and escapist, Eve who holds a double identity and a rambunctious daughter Nadine and finally Tilda who is the responsible one, stashing their forged paintings at the basement until panic strikes when one lands onto the lap of golddigger Clea Lewis at a spring cleaning. She attempts to steal but fate dictates she meets Davy Dempsey who plans to reclaim his 3 million from Clea after she collaborated with his financial manager Rabbit to rip him off. An unexpected alliance is formed; Davy moves into Tilda's home along with a hitman. Crusie's dialogue is snappy prose and witty movie quotes from Ben Hur to Grosse Pointe Blank. It is unabashedly a hoot with surprising revelations on relationships as deceptions are unmasked. Tilda's insecurity stems from her dad's jealousy while Eve's scarred from love when she tries to change her husband's gay identity in vain. Crusie tries too hard though to magnify a small-town mayhem into an opus. One feels unfocused as she narrates on the sprawling ensemble while missing her personal touches of character development. It is an intelligent romance of duplicity and brio that gets unneccessarily overcrowded.
Rating:  Summary: Faking It - Is not a fake :) Review: This is the follow up book to Welcome to Temptation. In this story it is a few years later and Davy Dempsy has chased Clea to another Ohio town to get his money back... In doing so he meets up with a woman artist who is trying to hold her family together. This is a fun paced light hearted romance story that will make you chuckle. I love the description of Gwen's pointy teeth showing up all over the place. Also the closet scenes are a riot. Tilde in the end survives the asthma, bad sex as well as the forgery past to come out ahead. Crusie again provives a great listen and makes you laugh.
Rating:  Summary: What a zesty read! Review: I am a fan of Jennifer Crusie's books ~~ she is definitely an entertaining writer and this book is no exception! I was able to kick back and watch the sparks fly between Tilda, the main character and Davy, her romantic interest, fly like crazy. Both are con artists ~~ Tilda forges art for a living ~~ keeping up the Goodnight tradition and Davy's a con artist ~~ and they kept the pace up throughout the whole book. They met up in Clea's closet ~~ Davy's there to recover the money she had stolen from him and Tilda's there to recover one of her Scarlet paintings and the book takes off from there. There is Nadine, the granddaughter, who is trying to figure out what her career interest is. There is Gwennie, the matriach of the family who longs to escape the art gallery and soak up the sun at a distant beach, drinking fruity alcoholic drinks. There is Eve who has a distinct second personality ~~ Louise, who performs at her ex-husband's club four nights a week. There is Clea, the amoral beauty queen whose husbands have died under mysterious circumstances and left her broke. On her third victim, she tries to snare him. Mason, the third husband-to-be, is also chasing after Gwennie ~~ and on and on. This book is a wonderful read ~~ light and funny and entertaining! I wouldn't have missed this book for the world! Crusie is a fun writer that knows how to keep the reader's attention. This book is a sure bet! 5-2-03
Rating:  Summary: Another Crusie screwball comedy extravaganza! Review: There may not be another writer of contemporary romance with a gift for sparkling dialogue to match Jennifer Crusie. She is endlessly fertile, continually hilarious, and never repeats herself. Every book is delighful. If Crusie were a 1930's screenwriter, she'd be writing for Carole Lombard and Rosalind Russell. You will laugh out loud at the impossibly absurd situations and quirky characters. How does she keep doing it? If I were a writer I'd hate her guts while I tried my best to copy her style. This is a sequel to Welcome to Temptation, but you needn't read them in order to enjoy Faking It. Did I say enjoy? I meant relish, savor, devour, like a dense, dark chocolate confection. Delicious!
Rating:  Summary: Zany but Harmless Fun Review: I really enjoyed this book, most especially the zany characters. The Goodnight Family is a hoot and a half! I read this book on a four+ hour airplane flight. I hate to fly so much I leave imprints on the chair arms but this book involved me to the point where I hardly noticed I was in the air. It's not pulizer material but it is harmless wacky fun. If you're looking for a serious romance, this book is not for you. If, however, you enjoy writers like Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum series) then I think you'll find this book a funny and refreshing break from reality. My only complaint is that there should be a sequel to this book because I HAVE TO KNOW what happens in the future between Simon and Eve/Louise!!!!! Please, please, please! We need to hear their story next!
Rating:  Summary: An Intriguing and Wild Romp! Review: I picked this up to read on the airplane and was pleasantly surprised! I expected fluff, but instead found complex, quirky characters with a lot of depth. The story will take you on a humorous and suspensful journey with romantic interludes. The reader really can identify with the characters who are all slightly damnaged, which makes them more "real". It was also a lot of fun to find out about the colorful family history. It was a lot of fun to relax and go on cruise control with Crusie (ok, bad pun!) I really got a kick out of this book, pick it up - I bet you will too!
Rating:  Summary: a bit hard to break into Review: I had a hard time getting into Faking It, was rather disappointed in it, once I got past the first few chapters I was really wrapped up in the story though. This book was so quirky! I loved the characters with all their faults and neuroses. My favorite book by Crusie is Fast Women, going to re-read it.
Rating:  Summary: A delicious cream puff! Review: Move over Janet Evanovich! This is a delicious cream puff that is so well-written and studded with memorable characters that you might end up gulping it whole in one night, rather than saving it for a depressingly disastrous week. Enough said. This is a book to save for a depression or when you need a lift. Better than your usual beach book. That's all I'm going to say - - read it! It's wonderful entertainment.
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