Throwback Thursday: Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie

 

Author: Jennifer Crusie

First published in 1997 by Loveswept 

As soon as Alec Prentice spotted the spicy brunette in red silk, he vowed that the tempting con woman would not escape him! Dennie Banks was prepared to do anything to get her story, even flirt her way into the arms of a man who promised to help; but when the feisty reporter dared him to kiss her, his mouth scorched hers with wildfire yearning.

Could two passionate partners in crime get their man and each other?

In the introduction to the book, Ms. Crusie states that she had always wanted to write a screwball comedy. And write one, she did!  Trust Me on This was a pretty funny madcap adventure.  In a way, it reminded me of an old black and white comedy.  It's filled with mistaken identity, hijinks and major misunderstandings.  Among all of these adventures, there are two very sweet romances.  There are some big laugh out loud moments that kept me wanting to keep listening in my car long after I had arrived home from my commute. If you missed this early work by Ms. Crusie, why not try out the audiobook? It's a pretty quick listen and a ton of fun!

Throwback Thursday - Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie

Author: Jennifer Crusie

First published in 1994 by Harlequin

Tess Newhart knows her ex-boyfriend Nick Jamieson isn’t the right guy for her. He’s caviar and champagne; she’s take-out Chinese pot stickers. He’s an uptight Republican lawyer; she was raised in a commune. He wants to get ahead in business; she just wants…him. But there’s no way Tess will play second fiddle to his job.

Yet somehow she finds herself agreeing to play his fiancée on a weekend business trip that could make or break Nick’s career. And while he’s trying to convince Tess that he needs her in his respectable world, Tess is doing her best to keep her opinions to herself and her hands off Nick.

 I have read a lot of books by Ms. Crusie and for the most part I have really enjoyed them.  They are filled with a lot of humor and sweet romance.  When it came to this book, I didn't love it.  The main problem that I had with the book was Tess.  She was kind of a bitch.  She had to argue and lecture about everything. It got tiring after a while. Often she made people feel so badly about themselves with her opinions.  While I'm sure she meant well, she really needed to learn how to shut up.  While I am all for fun and games, I thought that her need to have sex in public all the time was a little much. 

Nick was a nice guy.  He really bends over backwards for Tess.  She took way too long to see how he really cared for her. I wasn't really sure what he saw in her.  The thing that saved the book for me was the peripheral characters.  I thought they added a lot to the book and made Tess more tolerable.  There were also some laugh out loud moments and the HEA in the end was somewhat satisfying.  If you are a Crusie fan and missed this earlier work, try it out.  You might like it more than me.

Throwback Thursday - Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie

Author: Jennifer Crusie
First published in 1995 by Harlequin

Dumped by her boyfriend and demoted from WBBB's prime-time spot, radio producer Allie McGuffey has nowhere to go but up. She plans to make her comeback by turning temporary DJ Charlie Tenniel into a household name. And if he's willing to help her cure her breakup blues with a rebound fling, that's an added bonus. 

Charlie just wants to kick back, play good tunes and eat Chinese food. He's not interested in becoming famous. But he is interested in Allie. And after all, what harm in a little chemistry between friends?

But suddenly their one-night stand has become a four-week addiction. Night after night on the airwaves, his voice seduces her. . .and all the other women in town. He's a hit. It looks as if Charlie's solved all Allie's problems. . .except one. What is she going to do when he leaves?

Charlie All Night is one of Ms. Crusie's older novels.  I have read a lot of her works and have always enjoyed the humor and the characters in them.  While I liked this one, I didn't love it.  There was something missing from this story.  I just can't seem to put my finger on it.  I think there was some of her usual humor missing from this one.  I also felt like the book became a campaign advocating the legalization and use of medical marijuana.  That turned me off a bit.  The love scenes were very steamy, which I liked.  I also liked the relationship between Allie and Charlie.  The rest of the characters, who usually add such life to her books, were just so so.  The only one that really stood out to me was Samson the puppy.

Fans will want to read this one, but I wouldn't start with it.

Throwback Thursday - Anyone But You

Author: Jennifer Crusie
First published in 1996 by Harlequin

For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom—from the ex-husband whose career always came first, from their stuffy suburban home. Freedom to have her own apartment in the city, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed—a puppy. A bouncy puppy to cheer her up. Instead she gets…Fred.

Overweight, smelly and obviously suffering from some kind of doggy depression, Fred is light years from perky. But for all his faults, he does manage to put Nina face-to-face with Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger downstairs neighbor.

Alex looks great on paper—a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor who shares Fred’s abiding love for Oreos—but a ten-year difference in age, despite his devastating smile, is too wide a gap for Nina to handle. Ignoring her insistent best friend, some interfering do-gooders and the ubiquitous Fred—not to mention her suddenly raging hormones—Nina thinks anyone but Alex would be a better bet for a relationship. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it’s the young dog-loving doctor she wants to sit and stay!

Anyone But You is a really cute love story. Nina is smart, funny and a bit insecure about her body. I think that is what drew me to her. She wasn't perfectly toned and "pert". She seemed very real to me. Alex, while 10 years younger, is the perfect match for Nina. He has his own insecurities, but they only make him more endearing. I love how the couple become friends first and really get to know each other before succumbing to lust. Nina's adventures in dating while denying her feelings for Alex, make for some pretty funny scenes. The peripheral characters, especially Fred, help round out the plot. Any fan of Jennifer Crusie will love this one. If you missed it, try it out!

--Kari