Jessie Taylor is furious when her roommate secretly posts her picture on the dating website LDS Lookup, furious, that is, until she spends all night instant messaging Ben Bratton, a man whose wit and warmth just might make Jessie forget the train wreck of her last romantic relationship. Their first date is a smashing success (literally), but Ben's overall awesomeness can't save Jessie from having to deal with Craig, her competitive coworker whose baiting behavior sets new standards for obnoxiousness. Determined to beat Craig at his own game, Jessie spends long office hours finishing projects and putting out fires, but while her performance wows her boss, it only makes Ben skittish, after a failed engagement to an up-and-coming lawyer, he's not about to pair up with someone who's married to her job. Will Jessie figure out how to be true to herself and take her big chance at love before it's gone with a click of the mouse?
I'm going to review this 3rd grade style: A star, a wish, and a star.
STAR: Jacobson writes well. It's not knock me over gorgeous prose, but for the beach-read, romantic comedies that these books are, it's always refreshing when poor grammar and editing are not a distraction. She's funny, light, clean, and enjoyable to read.
WISH: With this third story, I wish that the main characters had different voices. I have a sneaking suspicion that the problem lies in the fact that the author uses her own voice for her characters. They all read "funny-intelligent-spunky-strong-willed-active-Mormon-girl." On the plus side, it makes for an interesting, likable character. Taken individually I love each main character, but taken as three separate novels, the heroines (and many of the supporting cast, for that matter) are starting to sound too familiar.
That said: STAR: These are fun, compelling story lines that are super difficult for me to put down. They tend to be one-day reads for me. Even if my wish is never met, I'm sure I will continue to buy and eat up Jacobson's novels.
I hadn't realized that Smart Move was a sequel to this book. Just as well I didn't because it escaped being a let-down after enjoying this one so much. This was kind of standard for Jacobson, but that's mostly a good thing.
I liked Jessie mildly, but enough to care about her as she overcomes some emotional scarring that really should have been done by this point. I loved her growth at work, though, so that balanced out fine. Jessie's eventual insights line up well with my own observations of how businesses (the successful ones, anyway) tend to work and Jessie's navigation of those waters was interesting as she learned what to pay attention to and what to ignore. I also liked her friendship with Sandy and their layered support for each other.
Ben was full of win, though, and that's what pulled me into the story most. He's probably a touch too ideal in some aspects (like with his interactions with his local church members), but there was enough depth to him to overcome any minor glitches, I think.
This was a pretty steady 3.5 stars throughout, sometimes drifting higher or lower, but the fun dialogue and humor (and a great ending) were enough for me to round up. As I said, standard Jacobson, and that's not a bad thing.
A note about LDS: As is also standard with Jacobson (mostly), this was strongly LDS with many Mormon cultural/religious elements that are simply assumed as background.
OK, I have to confess . . . I am a HUGE fan of romantic comedies! Unfortunately, most of the rom-com books are trashy and full of risque scenes. That is why I am so devoted to my LDS fiction. And Melanie Jacobson is the queen of LDS rom-coms!
There is only one word to describe this book--HILARIOUS! I found myself laughing out loud in multiple places. It was delightfully funny right from the start. These are just a few of my favorite lines:
"Turns out you still have a split personality," I said.
"That's okay. All my personalities are nice and we get along with each other pretty well." [p. 134]
I tolerated Sunday only because I threw myself into my Primary and taught it with so much energy and enthusiasm that one of my kids offered to share his ADD meds with me. [p. 185]
Her phone blared "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne, the ringtone she used for her mom. I used to think it was mean until I met her mom and realized it was merely accurate. [p. 18]
"You're a plant-killing committment phobe. That makes you a Lifetime movie waiting to happen . . . " [p. 29]
If you aren't laughing now, there is something seriously wrong with your funny bone. And the whole book is packed with snappy dialogue and hilarious details. Melanie has an amazing ability to turn simple details into hilariously witty antecdotes. For example, "I felt like my laughs were the equivalent of verbal golf claps" [p. 177]. Seriously, how does she come up with this stuff?!
Along with the hilarious situations and snappy dialogue, there are also plenty of sweet and tender moments between Jessie and Ben. Can I just say, I'm totally in love with Ben (sorry husband!) He is a doll! I love his self-deprecating, confident, witty, and totally laid-back demeanor. The sweet gestures he makes, such as spontaneously dropping off a movie and burger just because Jessie mentions it, turn him into an irresistibly-delicious, (slightly geeky) and endearing hero!
I loved this book and if you are looking for a cute, light, and laugh-out loud romantic comedy, then you should definitely be reading a Melanie Jacobson novel!
I have enjoyed every one of Melanie’s books, and Twitterpated was just as much fun as her other novels.
I liked Jessie. She’s spunky, hard-working and a good friend. I loved Ben. He’s a good, down-to-earth kind of guy with a hint of geek that I can’t resist. I don’t know how Melanie does it, but she captures the occasional awkwardness of dating without making it uncomfortable or cheesy. Sometimes I felt a little embarrassed for the character, but it only succeeded to endear them to me.
I enjoyed watching Jessie take the high road (for the most part) with her infuriating co-worker, Craig. She sticks to her guns and her morals when she has opportunity to choose otherwise. There was one scene with Craig where I almost screamed out loud in frustration for Jessie, but she manages to keep her cool. Barely. I appreciated watching Jessie’s struggle to find balance between success at work and success in life.
If you enjoy fun romance that is clean but still toe-curling, I highly recommend Melanie Jacobson’s books: The List, Not My Type and Twitterpated. She has easily earned her spot on my favorite romances bookshelf. Whatever you do, Melanie, DON’T STOP WRITING.
The book started out pretty good; I liked the witty banter between Ben and Jessie. However, by the time the real conflict unrolls and Ben kinda gives Jessie an ultimatum, which she stews over, the book just kinda lost steam for me. There's not anything in particular that really bothered me about it, but I just didn't find myself caring that much anymore. Maybe that stems from the fact that the characters in all of Jacobson's novels have that same voice and the interaction is always witty banter between characters...meaning, I've been there, done that three times now with Jacobson and would appreciate something a little different.
As a general statement, I do not enjoy reading LDS fiction or modern romance stories. And yet, I LOVE Melanie Jacobson...who only writes modern LDS romance. Go figure. Her books are fun to read and hilarious. I will read anything written by her!...haven't been disappointed yet! I enjoyed every moment spent reading Twitterpated. I think The List stands as my favorite from this author though.
Looking at the lists this book is included in, I guess what made me add it to my reading list was the fact it has some passages where characters exchange messages online. I just assumed this would happen a lot more because at the end of it, it just was more boring than what I anticipated. I actually felt more curious about the little detail, only mentioned once or twice, about how the ex of the female main character struggled to admit he had fallen in love with some else. I guess I'd have preferred to read about that. Oh well, one less in the pile.
it was fine, but I was pretty bored throughout the story. it was basically she goes to work and is always working, then goes home and picks out an outfit for a date, goes on date... rinse and repeat
Jessie's in her mid twenties with a well established career and not much time to spare considering she works 8o hour work weeks. She believes in doing her best and investing herself in things with measurable results. So, when her roommate Sandy signs her up for an online dating service she is skeptical. Jessie's love life hasn't been so hot in the past. With a failed long-term romance and a broken heart under her belt, she's afraid to take a chance. But Ben Bratton knows just what makes Jessie tick. He is attracted to women with drive. At the same time isn't willing to commit to someone not committed to carve out the most important hours for him. Can Jessie put aside her over achiever turbo drive and follow her heart and will Ben wait for her to figure out the perfect balance?
Melanie Jacobson once again left me smiling and laughing at the clever dialogue between her characters. I could relate to the storyline since I myself was knee deep in a post degree career and in my late twenties when my mother signed me up against my wishes for LDS Singles online. On the other end the story was my now husband Todd, whose co-workers signed him up. I had to chuckle at the similarities and am happy to announce ten years later (on the 23rd) I am still happily married to my online set up!
I whole heartedly recommend all of Melanie's books to readers looking for a light hearted, clean romance. She is so talented at fleshing out real life people and situations that are perfect for our generation. You will adore getting to know Melanie's style and following her blog and twitter. It's simpy brilliant!
Jessie Taylor was just a girl in her 20's looking for a husband. But she didn't know that she was trying to find one. Jessie was overcome with work, repeatedly her roommate Sandy would try and get her to do stuff but she refused. Until she finds out Sandy signed her up for an online dating site that helped her meet Ben. After their first date Jessie finds herself falling for this guy. But what is she going to do and how is she going to balance life and work and Ben all together.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was a really quick, light, fun read. The book was very captivating and is definitely on my re-read list! I just wish the book would have a sequel so you could find out what happen afterwards.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a light fun romance! It was definitely easy to get into and be instantly captivated.
I've decided I really like this author. The bantering back and forth between her main characters cracks me up. This was a cheesy, sweet, clean, fun read. It reminded me how grateful I am to be out of the "hunting, dating" game yet at the same time was a quick reminder of what I still have with my hubby and need to keep alive! :)
My first love walked off leaving me to stick around and wonder. That was 45 years ago and though I'm married now for 32 years I spent close to 15 years in a funk not knowing why she left. If I think about it still to this day it still hurts, so even though Jessie is ficticional I completely understands how she felt. This is probably why Melanie Jacobson is one of my most favorite authors, she can put into words how we feel as humans. 5 starts again definite worth the read
I admit, I almost didn’t read this because of the title, but I’m glad I did. I love Melanie Jacobson’s books because they are fun, and I laughed out loud more times than I can count. The only drawback is that sometimes the dialogue is so perfectly witty and funny that it seems a bit unrealistic, and a lot of the characters seem the same because they all share the same perfectly sharp wit and humor. But they are still fun, clean reads.
It was an LDS book so you just knew it was gonna be awkward but whoooo was it awkward. The commentary was meant to be smart and witty I guess but it just came out as weird and dumb. I didn’t like the random plot holes that would disappear after 50 pages. The details were missing and I felt like I didn’t have a connection to the characters. Plus the fighting that happened never made sense and I could tell the outcome very easily. I really didn’t like this book.
Clean romance. The main characters are both very nice people who each have a failed long-term relationship in their past. Both of them are a little nervous of a new relationship. The pace is slow to moderate. The dialogue is realistic and entertaining. Setting was okay. The plot worked and made sense. Religion factored in but wasn’t heavily pushed on the reader. There’s a happy ending with some compromises that seem to work. Minimal violence. No sex. Minimal language.
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE this book! What wit! What fun! What character interaction! This is the first book of Melanie Jacobsen's that' I've read and I can't wait to read the next one (which I already have, by the way)! She is on the fast track to becoming one of my favorite authors! You will want to read this book!
This was a cute book. I liked it a lot! Ben was so sweet to Jessie and I loved how respectful he was to her and how he always made the effort to open her door and go out of his way to make her feel special. I felt it was a little rushed at the end but other than that a great book!
Another fun book by Melanie Jacobson. I love that some of her books feature characters that we've met before. This one introduces the main character from Smart Move, so it's interesting to get a little more of her backstory.
Cute story! Sometimes I wish they wouldn't end when the makeup after the breakup happens. Hahaha but I guess that's the point of books like these. Simple, sweet and just enough of what you need! Melanie Jacobson is one of my favorite authors!
This was a cute one where the main characters learn to prioritize love while also remembering how important communication is over making assumptions. I liked the internet dating. I liked that the author also met her husband online too. Cute story. I wonder what Sandy’s story is…
A cute and fun read! Totally worth my time. My only gripe is that it all resolved on the last two pages of the book. Not enough time for me to enjoy my happy ending!