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Crossroads Road: A Novel
by
Jeff Kay
Jovis McIntire's quiet life in the suburbs is turned upside down the day his mother-in-law wins $234 million in a multi-state lottery. She quickly makes an identical offer to all her children and their families: a large, custom-built home, and two million dollars cash.
But there's a catch, a nasty hook hidden inside the bait. If the deal is accepted, they will be required...more
But there's a catch, a nasty hook hidden inside the bait. If the deal is accepted, they will be required...more
ebook, 262 pages
Published
March 29th 2011
by Smoking Fish Media
(first published March 28th 2011)
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Crossroads Road by Jeff Kay is the very funny tale of what happens when the answer to all your hopes turns out to be the key to a whole new set of problems. Imagine you’re desperate to start again, to break away from the humdrum banality of life and enjoy a quieter existence. Imagine a relative wins millions of dollars and offers to buy you a house and give you enough money to make sure you can have a substantial break from work, as long as you’re careful with the money. Wouldn’t it be a dream c...more
You are at the cinema really enjoying a movie and, BAM, it is over and you are not ready for an ending. You swear the movie was only 30 minutes long even though it was two hours. Deja Vu - Crossroads Road fits this scenario completely. I was in no way ready for it to end.
This book is an insight into a hilarious dysfunctional family through the eyes of a wannabe writer Jovis (Joseph) McIntire. He is probably the only sane adult member of this extended family and is the narrator of this hopefully...more
This book is an insight into a hilarious dysfunctional family through the eyes of a wannabe writer Jovis (Joseph) McIntire. He is probably the only sane adult member of this extended family and is the narrator of this hopefully...more
Imagine being offered brand-new house, free and clear, and two million dollars to boot, would you take it? Just to make things interesting, there's a little catch. To get the money and the house, you have to move into a family-compound of sorts with a cast of crazy, egocentric, borderline-certifiable in=laws. So would you do it? More importantly, would you be able to hold on to your sanity if you did?
That's the crux of this rip-roaring journey into the land of insanity. Add to that a controlling...more
That's the crux of this rip-roaring journey into the land of insanity. Add to that a controlling...more
Crossroads Road was offered free as a Kindle edition, and for this reason alone I began reading without high hopes. However, once I started to read I couldn't stop! Jeff Kay's first novel revolves around Jovis and members of his wife's extended family. When his crazy mother-in-law wins the lottery, the entire brood moves in when she offers two million dollars and a new house per family as an incentive.
This novel is incredibly witty and humorous. I think my favorite parts were in relation to the...more
This novel is incredibly witty and humorous. I think my favorite parts were in relation to the...more
I hate the title. But then, I’m supposed to - you’ll work out why when you read this. I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy this excursion into dysfunctional family life, but Jeff Kay’s situations and the observations of the “normal” narrator of the story piqued my interest and often made me laugh out loud. As far as the plot goes, Donna, matriarch of the family wins millions on the lottery and offers all her kids a house and $2 million, if they agree to move into the new development she’s creating...more
I won this e-book from LibraryThing Members Giveaways. I was expecting this to be a highly entertaining story about adapting to life with the highly dysfunctional in-laws all living in a purpose built cul-de-sac. Yes, it was quite amusing as far as mild entertainment goes. Once again, I struggled with the writing style but this could be a 'lost in translation' thing as I am not American and I don't know the places where the book is set. Therefore I cannot judge the writing style on accuracy. Thi...more
I won this book from LibraryThing's Member Giveaways.
This is one of the funniest books I have read in a very long time! This is a book about a seemingly "normal" family of four living in Pennsylvania. Jovis (which is a name his younger brother came up with when he couldn't pronounce Joseph) and his wife Tara live with their two sons in a suburban Pennsylvania town, both working to make ends meet. Out of the blue, Tara's mother wins the lottery and makes a deal for Tara and her brother and sister...more
This is one of the funniest books I have read in a very long time! This is a book about a seemingly "normal" family of four living in Pennsylvania. Jovis (which is a name his younger brother came up with when he couldn't pronounce Joseph) and his wife Tara live with their two sons in a suburban Pennsylvania town, both working to make ends meet. Out of the blue, Tara's mother wins the lottery and makes a deal for Tara and her brother and sister...more
I picked up this short novel on the recommendation of a friend of mine, and read it in an afternoon. The premise is simple - is it worth putting up with your crazy inlaws for a free amazing house and two million dollars in the bank? That's the question that Jovis faces after his nutso mother-in-law wins $234 million in the lottery, and how he and his wife Tara live with the consequences of their decision is the focus of the book. The different characters are well fleshed out and quite descriptiv...more
Got this as a free copy in exchange for a review. Loved it! It was a lot of fun, all about a very dysfunctional family that are all coerced into living in the same cul de sac after the mother of them wins millions in a lottery. She offers 2 million to each of her children and a luxury house if they will live as her neighbours. We get to meet all the siblings and their families, and they're all bonkers in one way or another. The story narrator comes across as the most normal. Will all of the craz...more
This book reads like a blog. Not that there's anything wrong with that. :-)
The characters are broadly drawn but realistic, if the reality shows I watch are an indication of realism. I can't say that I like any of them -- not even Jovis -- but maybe I'm not supposed to.
Finished. I can't say it was a waste of time, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it. Only one scene was funny to me -- when Jovies was helping his sister-in-law move -- but it was more infuriating than funny, now that I think about it....more
The characters are broadly drawn but realistic, if the reality shows I watch are an indication of realism. I can't say that I like any of them -- not even Jovis -- but maybe I'm not supposed to.
Finished. I can't say it was a waste of time, but I'm glad I didn't pay for it. Only one scene was funny to me -- when Jovies was helping his sister-in-law move -- but it was more infuriating than funny, now that I think about it....more
An extremely humorous look a one man’s wife and her family of unique characters.
His mother-in-law wins the lottery and decides to build a cul-de-sac for her family to live next to her, and give each of the $2 million dollars. Would you be willing to pick up your family and move next to your mother-in-law knowing she paid for the house?
Add to the mix a collection of siblings and their spouses, each of whom has their own trait, earth child, obese beyond healthy, etc.
A definite read for those want...more
His mother-in-law wins the lottery and decides to build a cul-de-sac for her family to live next to her, and give each of the $2 million dollars. Would you be willing to pick up your family and move next to your mother-in-law knowing she paid for the house?
Add to the mix a collection of siblings and their spouses, each of whom has their own trait, earth child, obese beyond healthy, etc.
A definite read for those want...more
OMG! This novel cracked me up! The narrator has a twisted sense of humor, much like myself, so I appreciated it. I laughed out loud OFTEN! The story centers on a man whose mother-in-law wins a crazy amount of money in the lottery then offers her family $2 million and a custom built house with the agreement that they all move into the same neighborhood created by her: Crossroads Road. Everyone is dysfunctional to the max and the bizarre dynamics make for a hilarious read.
Everyone has heard that winning the lotto is bad luck, whether it was on Lost or in general conversation. Crossroads Road is the hilarious tale of what could happen when your crazy mother-in-law wins the jackpot.
The main character and narrator, Jovis, is like anybody you meet on the streets today. The story was written in a way that made Jovis feel as though he was sitting across a table from you, retelling the story of what happened to him in his own words. The story keeps moving and has crazy...more
The main character and narrator, Jovis, is like anybody you meet on the streets today. The story was written in a way that made Jovis feel as though he was sitting across a table from you, retelling the story of what happened to him in his own words. The story keeps moving and has crazy...more
Mother in law wins tons of money in the lottery. In order to receive a chunk, her children have to agree to move into houses she's building in her neighborhood. The siblings are nuts and craziness ensues, naturally. The book was funny enough, entertaining enough and surprisingly well written. I didn't totally love it but I did enjoy it. Could be a funny screenplay....
Some bad language, but OMGosh- between my husband's family and mine we could have cast this book. So freaking funny when you KNOW there are people who are REALLY like this. I would NEVER, EVER, NEVER, EVER, NEVER live in a neighborhood with people like this!!!! There is simply not enough money in the world to compensate!! ;-)
What Crossroads Road is, is crazy funny! I couldn't stop laughing at all the funny situations this family got themselves into and the way that the main character described every situation. This book was a real page turner and I had a hard time putting it down. I wanted to know what would happen next and how much more chaos would take over these character's lives. I would have easily rated this book four stars, but ended up dropping it down to three because there was so much going on in the chara...more
Thought the book was funny and held my attention, especially at the beginning as all the other characters were introduced. As the book progressed I disconnected from the main character, because of his actions. I felt a feeling of dread as he was slowly turning into what he disliked, his goal always out of reach. Felt it was a good short read.
Very funny all the way through. The author has an insightful grasp on what it's like to live in a cesspool of crazy. Dysfunctional has never been so fun. I'm quite sure that the character of Sunshine was based on my mother-in-law in her heyday. Highly recommended for the reader with a sense of humor.
This was a freebie Kindle download. It was not a literary blockbuster, but it was very funny--laugh out loud funny. It was a quick read and I enjoyed the outlandish humor. We all need to be entertained by funny reads from time to time and this is a good one for that purpose!
I kept putting this book down and walking away for a while. This wasn't because it's a terrible book or because I hated it. I did it for the opposite reason: I didn't want the story to end.
As a long time "Surf Reporter" (WVSR fan), I am familiar with many of the characters in this novel. Some are predictable in their insanity, others in their strength and humor. This book will remain on my shelf for years to come, and will be an old 'standby' to re-read for comfort, fun and distraction as needed...more
As a long time "Surf Reporter" (WVSR fan), I am familiar with many of the characters in this novel. Some are predictable in their insanity, others in their strength and humor. This book will remain on my shelf for years to come, and will be an old 'standby' to re-read for comfort, fun and distraction as needed...more
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I laughed all the way through this book. I didn't chuckle, or snicker - I literally laughed out loud, sometimes for several minutes. It's a fun read, and a quick one - overall a great first effort from the WVSR's Jeff Kay. (If you haven't checked out his blog, you are missing out by the way!)
The only reason I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars is the ending - the last two chapters seemed like maybe they should have been switched in order, and some of the plot lines felt a little rushed to resolution...more
The only reason I gave this 4 instead of 5 stars is the ending - the last two chapters seemed like maybe they should have been switched in order, and some of the plot lines felt a little rushed to resolution...more
Both the author and his characters are “smart alecs”. The story started off as a humorous look at the life of a middle-class fellow in a job he only tolerates with a group of in-laws, coworkers and neighbors that are, to say the least, unique. However, the continuous string of wisecracks, unlikable people and bizarre situations soon made the book tedious. Life was presented as something to be endured. The book attempted to build to a climax the central character called the “incident”, but this i...more
Fun summer read. Enjoyed it. A very quirky family with interesting characters. You won't read anything like this anywhere else. There are at least half a dozen laugh-out-loud moments. I will look for more stories from Jeff Kay.
This is a fun, light read that had me laughing and held my attention throughout. Despite the absurdity of the people and situations, the plot had substance. Beneath the craziness is the question of how much of your privacy - and sanity - you would give up for financial comfort.
The characters are well developed lunatics. Jeff Kay's writing has a great flow and I could see the scenes playing out in my mind as I read. This book has the added benefit of making you appreciate your own crazy family a...more
The characters are well developed lunatics. Jeff Kay's writing has a great flow and I could see the scenes playing out in my mind as I read. This book has the added benefit of making you appreciate your own crazy family a...more
Loved this book! I was literally laughing out loud~ I think everyone can relate to dysfunctional family members. Don't miss this one, I was lucky enough to pick this up through pixelofink.com for FREE.
I really enjoyed this book. Very funny material. Some others have mentioned the cursing/language but without it the book wouldn't be nearly as funny. As I was reading it I could clearly see this being made into a movie. The ending was a little abrupt and anti-climactic but still very enjoyable.
Could be convinced to rate it a 4. The story is absurd, disturbing at times, but entertainingly funny. Really! If you are looking for a good laugh, you'll easily find it here ... Often.
This book puts the fun in dysfunctional. Jovis is saddled with every variation of the in-laws from hell and the purse strings are held by the craziest of all.
This was such a funny book! There were moments I laughed out loud!! The family in this book puts the 'fun' in dysfunctional. It goes to show you that money isn't everything.
I got this as a free e-book for my Kindle. There is a good amount of cursing, but other than that the story is funny and well written.
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