Headhunters

Rating:
Summary: I gave up
Review: I read 20 pages - hated the writing - and just gave up. It was too confusing and I didn't feel it was worth the energy to keep reading.

Rating:
Summary: I wish I had borrowed it rather than bought it.
Review: I really feel bad writing negative reviews. After all, the author put time and effort into writing, and gave a piece of himself to the public. I'm also taking into consideration that this was his first book.

But--even that can't excuse this book. I don't believe the author poured his heart and soul into this one--it read like he slammed it out in a weekend; like it didn't take him any longer to write it than it does to read it. It's awful. I'm sorry.

Having said that, I believe the author CAN write--he just needs a better story. His style was great, the story was terrible. I may even pick up his next book--but only after reading the first chapter to see if it's more of the same.

This is a weekend read. It has a few gems, some good spots that will keep you turning the page in hopes the next chapter will be good too. Sadly, your hope will fizzle--the story becomes predictable (one character speaks with the woman she's impersonating and learns that even the rich and famous have problems), yet in the same breath, it's so unbelievable you want to choke. Come'on..these gals run up bills beyond belief, they use and abuse men who use and abuse them back, they are guilty of fraud, the men try to rip them off blind--yet in the end they all end up happy with their bills paid (through the lucky chance of their professional jewel thief turning 'good'), and they all get married and live happily ever after.
Whatever.
Immature was a great way to describe the storyline. The previous one-star reviews were absolutely correct. Check this book out of the library if you must read it. Save your money---you'll be happy you did.

Rating:
Summary: thinking of very boring!
Review: I really thought the sounds of the novel of Headhunters would be fun and different to think about. The writer Jules Bass makes it sound like a fun very unreasonable things for middle aged women to enjoy reading about. I was wrong about the novel hard to keep my train of thoughts on when reading.
When the coffee shop seen of the four women, Eleanor, Irene, Carla, and Darlene meet to help deal with there personal life. The writer trys to make it seem as if the novelis about your everyday middle aged women, helping support each other with thier poblems. Bass make it seem like the support group is to help each of the four womens problems and try to meet new people. Bass makes this seem like four women enjoying the single life, he sets the seen about the four who plan a yearly vacation just to try to get away seem like good ideal at first.
Bass trys to use different types of career women uses such as, a avon lady, lawyer, booker at modeling agency and a women going to be a nurse. These four different careers are like the seen of women working to make a living on there own. Bass makes the jobs of an average paying job where they only can go on a small vacation each year.
The writer Bass what was he thinking about making up the unreasonable ideal of the vaction to Monto Carlo a very expencive and very much unaffordable for the four women.
Then thiers the seen about were the four Eleanor, Darlene, Irene and Carla go to a Hollywood Castaway like that would really happen, then play dress up get excited about dressing in the gowns, jewery very much not real and the cocktail dresses. How they knew someone to help the four ladies dress out of this world.The seen of a dream is as if that would only be a dream not real.
The writter Bass there goes to the four men Julio, Thevor, Mariuce and Jean. That there just happen to be four men doing the same crazy ideal, wear outfits out of this world too, the name brands and it all. How he thinks they would do the same thing.

Then the writter Bass trys to see a very unreal seen where they go to Monto Carlo. The name of the vacation places make it seem very rich and famous dressed up place. The only place where the women would only meet the rich and famous. The writter makes it seem to be a very high class place to where you could only use big money and where fancy dresses to be worn in the hotel and casinos.
Bass uses a seen like king and queens would only be seen, the entreces of the hotel needs to get real about this. Does Bass think that anyone would ever think that a place that has never seen the four women in that part of thier town. And that thier going to be introduced like a rich and famous person whos known. Then Bass writes about four men who are going to be done the same way.
I'm sorry but the part of the novel where they keep buying and playing the games, use of the credit cards. Bass makes them seem so unreal with the great deal of about the amount the women spend you can not even think of spending that much money. Bass makes the money spend so unreal with big amounts of money.
I really hate to down a writer about there work. But Bass could have made the novel more real or a more likely amount of money spent instead of millions of dollars he makes it seem that the four women spend. Then the ending of the book where the four go to jail and the they think of another ideal about a band. The writer does make me want to read the book somewhat. But he could make it more interesting. I don't like to down writers because I know it take a lot of great deal of talent to be a writer who get thier own books published and they are really trying to get the point that they are thinking across. I think I can speak by saying this novel was very boring and very hard to read the whole novel with much interest at all. I would suggest to anyone who plans on reading this novel to go check it out at a liberary not to buy it. But in my oppinion don't waste your time. The only person I would suggest to read this novel if they are looking for a novel very unreal to think about. I think anyone else who has read this novel would agree to what I have wrote about this novel not good to read at all. So my final review of the novel is do not waste the time or energy on reading this novel you lose interest at about one-third the way through the novel. Wish I could give a better reason to for readers to read this, but theirs not one . Sorry not a good novel at all to read.

Rating:
Summary: Not only is it sexist . . .
Review: I'm no flaming feminist or anything but the idea that four women dreamed up this ridiculous "adventure", sort of grates. That was the main characteristic of sexism in Bass' plot. That ordinary women are apt to dream of marrying well and etc. and in doing so, we're just desperate enough to achieve this goal by risking the law, our pride, honesty and our credit history. One thing that I don't think is sexist is the part about marrying money. Bass makes both the women AND the men "headhunters", so accolades to him for that. It's just that all four women willingly and almost EAGERLY agreed to this adventure of theirs which induces my scorn.

And almost every other thing about this book was also irritating to me. The way Bass begins the book with four female friends in a coffee shop for their "support group" meeting. This makes them sound jaded and weak but Bass doesn't stop there. Maybe Bass was trying a writing technique that flew over my head or something but the way that he never specified who exactly was speaking in a conversation between more than one person made me want to burn the book. If this is a writing technique, it's the worse I've ever seen, it causes his characters to have very little personality of their own. In my opinion, even though the female characters are very different with interesting personalities, Bass didn't write well enough to display their differences so they were underdeveloped.

An example of the characters' nonexistent individual personalities is that not one character objected to the ridiculous -- and I mean outrageously RIDICULOUS -- plot even though their personalities seemed more practical than to agree to a lifetime of paying off debt. Technically, this is exactly the plot. Four women who are "headhunting" for rich husbands in Monte Carlo, ordinary women if you can call women in their mid to late forties who commit fraud to obtain wealthy husbands ordinary. I know the book is meant to be over the top but I still think that Bass would have pulled this off better if the men weren't a bit past their prime and the women were about ten or fifteen years younger.

One thing that I agree with other reviewers is that it is witty and original, as well as humorous -- but still so are a lot of books and then some. I don't highly recommend it but if it still sounds appealing, everything worth a chance.

Rating:
Summary: Kinda Lame
Review: I'm sorry, but this book lacked bite for me. It was dragging from the beginning. I had to force myself to finish the book to see how it all ended. If I could've, I would've returned it.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Charming
Review: Jules writes with such a charismatic style that captivates your mind and makes you wish you were there with the women embarking on a journey. It takes you through so many of the emotions of us women have about wanting to get out and take chances. And lets not forget about the men in the book... this book is a must read you wont be able to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Charming
Review: Jules writes with such a charismatic style that captivates your mind and makes you wish you were there with the women embarking on a journey. It takes you through so many of the emotions of us women have about wanting to get out and take chances. And lets not forget about the men in the book... this book is a must read you wont be able to put it down.

Rating:
Summary: Self-Congratulatory Words From The Author
Review: Ron Bass, Academy Award winning screenwriter says: 'Humor, heart and style, in one of the best romantic comedy ideas I've ever seen.' Publishers Weekly called Headhunters '(A) Stylish romantic caper...the set-up is perfect...will sell exceptionally well.' 'Headhunters' is the story of four New Jersey women who go to Monte Carlo, pretending to be four of the richest widows in the world, in search of adventure. There's just one problem: They've pulled off their scheme so perfectly that they've attracted four charming, elegant, well dressed men - who have a very similar plan in mind: Scamming wealthy heiresses. Pub Wkly said: "Love is inevitable, but less predictable is what happens when the truth is finally laid bare." The publisher refers to the novel as " The First Wives Club meets Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (and says it's hilarious and entertaining.) I hope you find it so. If, after reading the book, there are those of you who may be considering repeating the escapades of the four women - all I can say to the disbelieving ladies among you is: Rent a room at the Hotel de Paris, borrow some expensive jewelry from Bulgari, dress to kill, and sit in the bar - facing front - on a Friday evening at around eight-thirty. Some charming gentleman will definitely send you a bottle of champagne and some white caviar. Trust me; it happens all the time.

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read
Review: This book is excellent for a plane ride to a vacation. Although Bass uses f*** excessively, and there are quite a bit of sexual references, this is great as a light-hearted read or as a gift for a good girlfriend. It can also make a funny add to a bridal shower gift. I'd recommend it to my friends if they wanted a good laugh.

Rating:
Summary: Hilarious and entertaining
Review: This book was a blast to read! Headhunters is pure and wonderful entertainment. Mr. Bass captures a spirit and heart in Monte Carlo that bridges between the fantasy world of super-wealth and the dreams of individual shortcomings. The style fits the narrative (I don't agree that it's confusing nor do I think it's sexist). It's plain fun, a fantasy reminiscent of 1950's sensibility (with a modern sexual appeal) captured in a Cinderella spirit that works for both the male and female reader (guys will get a kick out of the 'debonair' ladies-men who are just as sad, shallow, hopeful and full of life as the female protagonists). In the end, Headhunters is unapologetically entertaining, not something to read too seriously but with an eye towards laughter and relaxation.