Rating: 
Summary: Chick-lit, romance or porn?
Review: Alix, the 29 year old divorced American first-person narrator, is in London for two months to write a romance novel. If she fails she has to return to Seattle to live with her family. That part of the plot was relatively good. She is writing an atrocious pornographic bodice-ripper. There is some nice comedy as she tries reading extracts to all sorts of people she meets in London and they give their critiques.
The main plot is less satisfactory. It's the old story of an aloof man (Mr Darcy rides again) who is loved by a heroine too stubborn to overlook his rebuffs. It's very conventional uninspired romance stuff. I suppose the difference between chick-lit and romance is essentially that the heroines of romance take themselves more seriously and the action is less realistic. In chick-lit the setting is usually contemporary London or New York, with stops for jet-setting.
The amount of explicit sex alllowed varies in both genres. In this book there's quite a lot, in fact I thought it rather held up the more interesting action but maybe I just don't have a dirty enough mind.
Rating: 
Summary: A modern romp celebrating classic themes!
Review: "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like," Jane Austen declared, before sitting down in her parlor to write a novel centered upon one of her most singular and enchanting heroines--Emma Woodhouse. Two hundred years later, author Katie Macalister has updated the classic theme of a young woman realizing her naivete, learning the realities of love and sex, and achieving true independence. Like Austen's heroine, Alix Freemar has a high opinion of herself and of her own abilities; Alix's attempts at writing romantic fiction are as hilariously horrid as they are outrageously audacious. Like Emma, Alix refuses to contemplate correction, even when it comes in the darkly handsome and stubborn form of Scotland Yard inspector Alexander Black. The irresistible force between these two immovable objects, they both realize, is too strong to be denied. The whirlwind courtship between Alix and Alex that drives the delightful IMPROPER ENGLISH; is potent enough to be bottled and sold as a love charm. The love scenes between the pair simply sizzle! And tying it all together is the Macalister trademark sense of sometimes raucous, sometimes tender humor that made NOBLE INTENTIONS one of the top romance novels of 2001. Like Emma Woodhouse, her spiritual great-great-grandmother, Alix's redemption and eventual mastery of her perceptions and emotions are never in doubt, under Macalister's skilled hands. May this classic and freshly comic tale of romance blooming into true love delight as many generations of readers!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Alexandra (Alix) Freemar is a young woman who is failing at life. She can't hold down a job, her love life has much to be desired, and her mother is a domineering woman who is always criticizing Alex. So, tired of all the misery in her life, Alix decides to move to London and embark on a career as a romance novelist. In London she meets and falls head over heels for Alexander (Alex) Black. Alex is a detective inspecter with Scotland Yard and conveniently lives in her "flat" house. "Improper English" is without a doubt one of the most irritating books that I have ever read. I was mainly irritated, because Katie MacAlister is a good writer, but her protagonist, Alix, was the most obnoxious character that I have ever come across. ..., but instead Alix is just downright stupid. Alix acts like a selfish, petulant, whiny teenager throughout the entire book. To give an example, when Alex, who works in the Obscene Publications and Internet Unit of Scotland Yard, is on a stakeout/raid to apprehend a child pornographer, Alix demands that he leave the raid and come to her, because she received some bad news about her book. When Alex tells her that he and his team are in the midst of capturing the criminal, and he cannot leave right away, she throws a tantrum. Inconceivable, but true. There really was no rhyme or reason for Alex to be interested, much less fall in love with Alix. At the end of the story, when Alix makes her big convoluted confession to Alex, I just didn't care and really wished that Alex just slammed the door in Alix's face and refused to see her. Moreover, KM uses so many slap-stick cliches in her writing it became apparent to me that the cliches were thrown in in place of real humor. I could see that KM was trying to make Alix an amalgam of Holly Golightly and Bridget Jones, but her character lacks the depth and vulnerability of Holly and Bridget. With all that said, I still have hope that KM's next book will be better, because I do see real potential. Just, please, Katie, make your next heroine an adult!
Rating:
Summary: A fun, fun, fun read!
Review: Alix is a high-spirited American spending two months in London on her mother's dime with the caveat that she must prove herself as a writer. Alex is a smoldering detective in the flat upstairs, who can't help but notice the cheeky new American in his building. From the first few moments of this delightful book, MacAlister makes great work of taking an unbelievably flawed heroine and making her utterly lovable. She's self-centered, stubborn, and sometimes just silly, but Alix is the kind of heroine you can cheer for - because haven't we all been there? Alex is as anchored to the ground as any man can be, and the chemistry between him and the flighty Alix is about as intense as I've ever seen on a printed page. Cheers to MacAlister for writing a fantastic, unusual, and highly improper book... and let's just hope that Colin Firth is available to play Alex when they make the movie!
Rating: 
Summary: genial romantic romp
Review: American Alexandra "Alix" Freemar travels to England to get away from distractions in order to write a steamy romance novel. She has two months to succeed or her mother will add this on to the list of basic screw-ups that Alix has caused. She sublets a friend's London flat. She meets her upstairs neighbor in her borrowed digs when Alix struggles to open the apartment door. Scotland Yard Inspector Alexander Black catches Alix "breaking and entering' when her key fails to open the lock and so she uses an awl to "teach" the bloody lock a lesson. Sparks fly from the start, but she wants a summer spree and he wants a lifetime fling. This is an amusing Anglo-American contemporary romance that never takes itself seriously. Alex is a delightful somewhat stereotypical English stiff upper lip character. Readers will feel schizoid towards Alix. On the one hand one laughs at her antics and reactions; on the other hand want to scream at her to grow up, which she does at the end. Though profanity is used, but properly interwoven into the plot, IMPROPER ENGLISH is a genial romantic romp. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Not Worth the Wait and Anticipation
Review: First I will preface this review with the fact that I much prefer period piece books, but have been known to highly praise a contemporary when the writing, plot, and style is exceptional. Unfortunately, I find that in this case, I cannot rave about this book, and it saddens me as I read MacAlister's earlier novel - "Noble Intention's" and was so enthralled with it that I was eargerly anticipating when this second book would finally be released. Sorry but I will not rave about this book. This was a struggle to finish, but I did because I had to see if, 1) the heroine Alix, could possibly redeem herself into someone I could like, and 2) to see if the hero, Alex, who seemed pretty intelligent, would wise up and realize that Alix, was a zany, immature and self-centered loser. Well, suffice it to say, there was a happy ending but this reviewer will not reveal it, insofar as getting to it, was for me not enjoyable! I did finish this book, but found that it was just a little too, slap-sticky in the many 'wise crack' type comments that seemed to be sprinkled throughout the book for humor. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this book, but I loved MacAlister's style and humor in "Noble Intentions" which I most heartily recommend but cannot recommend this.
Rating:
Summary: Improper English is a Properly Purrr. . .fect Pleasure!
Review: First Person. No way! Not this reader. And a contemporary romance at that, I never read contemporary novels. I avoid them as if they carried a plague. . .That was this reader's point of view until I took a chance and read Katie MacAlister's Improper English. Drawn to her books by their incredibly fresh covers Ms MacAlister is fast becoming a favorite author whose name I will be looking for whenever I make another purrr. . .fectly pleasurable purchase. After reading Improper English, I will never view a contemporary novel in the same light again. Alexander Freemar(Alix) has two months to write a saleable romance novel. Can she do it? Not likely, with a very charming and distracting Scotland Yard Inspector living in the flat above stairs hanging around. Will Alix achieve her dream? Definitely no throbbing allowed in this keeper, but I did hear a motor running somewhere . . .and I think Detective Hot Pants(AKA Alex) was in the drivers seat. . .want more, read the book. Please don't tell Detective Inspector Steamy Lips(AKA Alex) that I clued you in, Ok! Oh, and by the way, I'll never view a desk in the same light again either. ~~wink~~ UHM. . .Maybe dreams really do come true, they certainly did for Alix and Alex!
Rating:
Summary: lighthearted, romantic fun
Review: I agree with the reviewer who said "lighten up!" This book is intended to be funny and if a reader became frustrated with the absolutely flawed, at times self-centered Alix, well, then Katie did her job right. Alix is not the perfect heroine to admire and wish you were her (except when she's heating up the pages with Alex!) She exhibits the characteristics all of us have - insecurities, desire to protect our hearts, emotional breakdowns! She is quite frankly, immature. But that is what she is supposed to be so that she can come full circle, find her inner self, gain confidence and fly like the phoenix! If you like a funny, sexy romance, you will love this book. Ignore the reviewers who must not see themselves clearly enough to admit their own imperfections.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it!!
Review: I borrowed this book from the library. Boy do I wish I bought it, because now I have to return it. And it hurts my heart to do so. This is definitely one of my keepers so I am on the lookout to purchase a copy. This book was absolutely delightful. The dialogue was fun. Laugh out loud funny throughout. The sexual tension was great, even to the point where I could almost groan with frustration after the "almost moment". I don't know about Alix, but I would have strangled Alex if he had done that to me. *grin* Alix may have come off a little neurotic at times, but it lead to a greater understanding of her flaws and a better appreciation of the lengths she went through to "fix" them. We all have insecurities. Even the interfering neighbors were great, so realistic that I could see my friends doing the same and causing the same exasperation. Loved them all. Not a single extraneous character among them. I did, however, think that the relationship with her mother needed to be explored a little more, outside of reflective statments, and that one singe e-mail. But even that was reasonably effective, I had one of those "Ding ding ding" lightbulb moments. All in all a well written book.
How I wish I guy like Alex lived in my building. *sigh* Katie MacAlister is now on my list of authors to look for on my library trips.
Rating:
Summary: Spot on, Katie!!
Review: I just put this book down and have to write a thank you to Katie MacAlister. This book is just so beautiful. I laughed so much, I wanted to smack Alix (well, DUH you are supposed to!! though think some will miss that...hehehe). I appreciated a lead character full of flaws, insecurities and finding out how to make her way in world. I get so tired of the perfect heroine, with her perfect logic and perfect place in the world...Alix is someone feel like I could know and maybe kick...lol I adore Alex...can I lease him? loved the secondary character especially. So many writers often fail to bring them to life, but the whole madcap bunch are a delight. Count me as a Mad for Macalister from now on!! Say no more, say no more, nudge, nudge, wink, wink!
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