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33rd out of 1,795 books
—
4,041 voters
Anyone But You
by
Jennifer Crusie (Goodreads Author)
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom--from the ex-husband, freedom from their stuffy suburban home, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed--a puppy. A bouncy, adorable puppy. Instead she gets...Fred.
Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does...more
Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does...more
Mass Market Paperback, 283 pages
Published
December 1st 2006
by Harlequin Books
(first published January 1st 1996)
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Opening Line: “The last thing Nina Askew needed was Fred.”
Newly divorced Nina Askew has just turned forty and found her freedom. Of course freedom from her stuffy husband and suburban home comes at a cost and Nina now finds herself a tad on the lonely side. Rambling around her apartment, watching old movies and drinking Amaretto milkshakes with her BFF just aren’t cutting it anymore. She needs something else. What she needs is a puppy; a perky, rambunctious, adorable puppy. What Nina gets is Fre...more
Newly divorced Nina Askew has just turned forty and found her freedom. Of course freedom from her stuffy husband and suburban home comes at a cost and Nina now finds herself a tad on the lonely side. Rambling around her apartment, watching old movies and drinking Amaretto milkshakes with her BFF just aren’t cutting it anymore. She needs something else. What she needs is a puppy; a perky, rambunctious, adorable puppy. What Nina gets is Fre...more
Loved it! I have a new favorite author. :-) This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Crusie and it will not be my last. I read most of this book with a smile on my face. What a terrific sense of humor! The print is very easy to read--double space--and the style has it flowing beautifully. This was a book I didn't tire of reading and remained engrossed in both the story and the characters.
There were actually three main characters: Nina, Alex and Fred (the dog). What a character the latter wa...more
There were actually three main characters: Nina, Alex and Fred (the dog). What a character the latter wa...more
11 likes · like · see review
Dec 03, 2012
Duchess Nicole
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Lovers of sweet, funny contemporary romance
A sweet, funny, lighthearted romance...Jennifer Crusie's standard fare.
Nina is newly divorced after fifteen years of marriage. So she's still finding out who she is by herself. But she's lonely, and decided that she needs companionship NOT of the human kind and goes to adopt a dog from the local shelter. While she wants a young, perky puppy, its the old smelly basset hound mix that steals her heart. Enter Fred, the comic relief and matchmaker of the story.
Fred inadvertently sets up a meeting be...more
Nina is newly divorced after fifteen years of marriage. So she's still finding out who she is by herself. But she's lonely, and decided that she needs companionship NOT of the human kind and goes to adopt a dog from the local shelter. While she wants a young, perky puppy, its the old smelly basset hound mix that steals her heart. Enter Fred, the comic relief and matchmaker of the story.
Fred inadvertently sets up a meeting be...more
3 likes · like · see review
I haven't finished this book. I'll start the review with the last line I read before giving up. Nina is speaking with Alex, who said he would have slept with his date if she wasn't drunk, even know he didn't like her.
'Did you ever think of showing some moral constraint?' I asked him icily.
'No,' Alex said, 'I'm male.'
The whole 'I didn't sleep with her because she was drunk' line seems to be an attempt at some sort of chivalry, but honestly, doesn't this line, all by itself, buy into the stereotyp...more
'Did you ever think of showing some moral constraint?' I asked him icily.
'No,' Alex said, 'I'm male.'
The whole 'I didn't sleep with her because she was drunk' line seems to be an attempt at some sort of chivalry, but honestly, doesn't this line, all by itself, buy into the stereotyp...more
1 like · like · see review
I had this one sitting in my TBR pile waiting for me. I love books with humor but I have to be in the right frame of mind to enjoy them. This was a cracker of a day.
Crusie has a wicked sense of humor and I love her heroines but the hero, Alex, is scrumptious. We would call him the 'nice' guy, but I won't. Nice is a generic, blah, kinda word you'd use to describe a maiden aunt or your best friend's brother. Alex is kind to animals, old ladies, women in general, and terrific at his job as an ER do...more
Crusie has a wicked sense of humor and I love her heroines but the hero, Alex, is scrumptious. We would call him the 'nice' guy, but I won't. Nice is a generic, blah, kinda word you'd use to describe a maiden aunt or your best friend's brother. Alex is kind to animals, old ladies, women in general, and terrific at his job as an ER do...more
This was my first Jennifer Crusie novel and it was a fun easy read. It is easy to get into and Nina is a character who is easy to love. I think the thing I liked most about this novel was the realness of Nina, she is like your average woman with all the same insecurities about herself and her body.
Alex is an interesting character and doesn't seem to be your typical 30 year old hero. They are a perfect couple it just takes them a while to figure it out. Fred, of course, regularly steals the show....more
Alex is an interesting character and doesn't seem to be your typical 30 year old hero. They are a perfect couple it just takes them a while to figure it out. Fred, of course, regularly steals the show....more
A quick, cute read, though this is definitely an early Crusie: there isn't a plot so much as a series of convenient and rather repetitive excuses to draw the book out to its required length. I'm also beginning to wonder why it is that Crusie is so insistent that none of her heroines have or want children: trying to buck genre constraints, or something else? Still, this was very funny, Fred the depressive beagle was adorable, and it's got an older woman/younger man romance—definitely worth the co...more
4 likes · like · see review
What a geat story, September 25, 2008
My first Jennifer Cruise book and I loved it. I found the audio version available at my local libary and decided to check it out. I really it less than a day finding it hard to turn off. A really nice story about a 40 year old newly divorcee, Nina looking to live a simplier life instead of the corporate life she had with her successful husband.
She meets her neighbor Alex, a 30 year old doctor, who isn't so much into long term relationships. Both are almost i...more
My first Jennifer Cruise book and I loved it. I found the audio version available at my local libary and decided to check it out. I really it less than a day finding it hard to turn off. A really nice story about a 40 year old newly divorcee, Nina looking to live a simplier life instead of the corporate life she had with her successful husband.
She meets her neighbor Alex, a 30 year old doctor, who isn't so much into long term relationships. Both are almost i...more
I listened to this on a car trip, and it definitely made the drive a bit more fun. Someone told me that hhis is a reissue of Crusie's first novel. Made me want oreos and a dog. I already have the love of my life!
From the Publisher
A timeless tale from the first name in romantic comedy -- Jennifer Crusie!
Part basset, part beagle, all Cupid . . . can a matchmaking hound fetch a new love for his owner?
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom -- from the ex-husband whose career always came first,...more
From the Publisher
A timeless tale from the first name in romantic comedy -- Jennifer Crusie!
Part basset, part beagle, all Cupid . . . can a matchmaking hound fetch a new love for his owner?
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom -- from the ex-husband whose career always came first,...more
PROS:
- I loved the relationship between Nina and Fred. Fred reminded me so much of my own dog that I ended up going out into the hall in the middle of the night to nuzzle Gershwin's (my dog) neck. He didn't take very kindly to be woken up, but reading about Fred made me miss my baby.
- There was more to this book than your typical romance. There was a lesson to be learned. While most romances make it a lesson for the specific characters, this was a lesson that can be useful to all. Believe in unc...more
- I loved the relationship between Nina and Fred. Fred reminded me so much of my own dog that I ended up going out into the hall in the middle of the night to nuzzle Gershwin's (my dog) neck. He didn't take very kindly to be woken up, but reading about Fred made me miss my baby.
- There was more to this book than your typical romance. There was a lesson to be learned. While most romances make it a lesson for the specific characters, this was a lesson that can be useful to all. Believe in unc...more
I liked, but didn’t love this book. I really enjoy Ms. Crusie’s books and her humorous writing style, which shined throughout the book. Compared to many other contemporary romances, I’d rate this book highly (even though it was written in 1996,). Compared to her other books, however, I wouldn’t rate it quite as high.
My main beef with the book is that the attraction between the two characters seemed too quick. I’m guessing the rather instant attraction was dictated by the need to fit within a ce...more
My main beef with the book is that the attraction between the two characters seemed too quick. I’m guessing the rather instant attraction was dictated by the need to fit within a ce...more
Let me start off by saying I love Jennifer Crusie and anything negative I have to say about this book only comes from a place of very high expectations for her work. First, the good things: traditional Jennifer Crusie set-up (without being boring or retrod): independent, funny heroine, hilarious dog, fun house, humor and realistic emotion all the way through. What sets this book apart is that it is only a romance--not also a murder mystery of some kind. The essential conflict in the story is bet...more
This book was adorable. It was quick, it was fun, the characters were cute, and the underlying issues were dealt with a light hand that seemed fitting for the general tone of the book.
Anyone But You is a fast read. Nina is fresh out of a divorce, but she's content with herself and her life (for the most part), and is a rather centered person who feels rather real with her insecurities. Still, her attitude and the way she tries to make her situation better just makes me smile and rooting for her...more
Anyone But You is a fast read. Nina is fresh out of a divorce, but she's content with herself and her life (for the most part), and is a rather centered person who feels rather real with her insecurities. Still, her attitude and the way she tries to make her situation better just makes me smile and rooting for her...more
If I keep reading Jennifer Crusie, I'm going to have to change the statement in my profile that says, "Chick-Lit gives me a rash." After reading Agnes and the Hitman, I found that I really enjoyed Crusie's writing style (and in that book, Bob Mayer's, too). I followed that up with Dogs and Goddesses, and now here I am with a third Crusie novel in just under two months.
If you've read more than 5 reviews of mine, you'll know that humor in a book can make up for a lot of shortcomings. The fact tha...more
If you've read more than 5 reviews of mine, you'll know that humor in a book can make up for a lot of shortcomings. The fact tha...more
Okay, I get the Crusie thing now. The first book I read by her was Welcome to Temptation, which was so-so. Then Bet Me, which kept me up late into the night, compulsively reading, and inspired a blog post in which I navel-gazed in my customary fashion. I liked Bet Me a lot, though I never could put my finger on why, exactly. But oh, oh, oh, I loved this third one.
Note to anyone who ever wishes to write an older-woman, younger-man romance novel: This is how you do it. Just exactly like this. Anyo...more
Note to anyone who ever wishes to write an older-woman, younger-man romance novel: This is how you do it. Just exactly like this. Anyo...more
This was a very quick, very cute read. A quick run-down of the plot: Nina is forty and recently divorced, and she adopts a dog. The dog has a run-in with her cute neighbor, Alex, a thirty-year-old ER doctor. They tiptoe around their feelings for each other for a while -- she has hang-ups about their age difference and her body; he worries about her perception of their age difference and thinks their nights of hanging out and watching movies together means she isn't interested in anything else. B...more
When I read a story like this, I'm reminded why so many put Jennifer Crusie in their "favorite author" category. What a great story! I fell in love with Alex upon first meeting. Nina was a little tougher. While I could appreciate a little self-consciousness, I couldn't get past her age thing. When did 40 become old? Maybe since I'm not there yet I don't get it. But for me, age has always been just a number--for me and those in my life. I dont care about it.
Anyway, I fell in love with them both a...more
Anyway, I fell in love with them both a...more
With my last couple of reads being on the darker side, I thought this one would make a nice change of pace.
It was really refreshing to see a different premise than the traditional romance fare - 40-year-old divorcee Nina finds herself attracted to her new neighbor, 30-year-old Alex.
What was ever better? The word 'cougar' was nowhere in sight. Oh, how I abhor that term.
Throw in an adorable part basset, part beagle, match-making dog, and we should be on a winner.
Nina took one long last glance at...more
It was really refreshing to see a different premise than the traditional romance fare - 40-year-old divorcee Nina finds herself attracted to her new neighbor, 30-year-old Alex.
What was ever better? The word 'cougar' was nowhere in sight. Oh, how I abhor that term.
Throw in an adorable part basset, part beagle, match-making dog, and we should be on a winner.
Nina took one long last glance at...more
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 mana...more
Overweight, smelly and obviously suffering from some kind of doggy depression, Fred is light-years from perky. But for all his faults, he does mana...more
So after a couple of years of having an on-and-off love affair with the Bitches over at Smart Bitches, Trashy Books - I finally decided to commit. So I went with one of their must-read Romance Authors - Jennifer Crusie
I chose to start my Harlequin education with Anyone But You because I figured worst comes to worst, I would love the dog. Needless to say, Fred (the canine protagonist), made the book come to life from page 1. I absolutely loved the hero, Alex, despite the fact that he was self-con...more
I chose to start my Harlequin education with Anyone But You because I figured worst comes to worst, I would love the dog. Needless to say, Fred (the canine protagonist), made the book come to life from page 1. I absolutely loved the hero, Alex, despite the fact that he was self-con...more
This was one of my favorite romance novels back in the 90's and, being all burned out and jaded, I decided to pick it up again to see if I'd enjoy it as much as I did back before I became so grouchy.
Much to my surprise, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Though a few of the pop references are dated, the humor and the romance were both a delight to read and it brought me back to those days when I looked forward to spending an afternoon reading to my hearts content.
This book is about Nina, a newl...more
Much to my surprise, I enjoyed it from beginning to end. Though a few of the pop references are dated, the humor and the romance were both a delight to read and it brought me back to those days when I looked forward to spending an afternoon reading to my hearts content.
This book is about Nina, a newl...more
10 likes · like · see review
Anyone But You is a hilarious story about a 40 year old divorcee, her dog, Fred and her downstairs neighbor, who happens to be a doctor and happens to be only 30.
The cast of characters is absolutely hilarious, from Nina and her hangups about dating a much younger guy, to her friend Charity who she convinces to write a book about her dating experiences, to Alex the neighbor she's falling for and his crazy family of doctors. Oh but the real star of the show is Fred, the bassett/beagle mix with a f...more
The cast of characters is absolutely hilarious, from Nina and her hangups about dating a much younger guy, to her friend Charity who she convinces to write a book about her dating experiences, to Alex the neighbor she's falling for and his crazy family of doctors. Oh but the real star of the show is Fred, the bassett/beagle mix with a f...more
(3.5 stars) Crusie wrote Anyone But You in 1995 and it was a great read and highly enjoyable, but it felt more like a short story than a full-length novel. Her book, Bet Me, that I just read recently and absolutely loved, was written about 9 years later and I think she has definitely come a long way between the two.
Anyone But You still has her trademark great characters (both main and secondary - loved Charity and especially Max, Alex's brother), wonderful humorous scenes, and great romance and...more
Anyone But You still has her trademark great characters (both main and secondary - loved Charity and especially Max, Alex's brother), wonderful humorous scenes, and great romance and...more
I'm a huge fan of pretty much anything Jennifer Crusie writes and this book was no exception.
But...
I'm not apparently a huge fan of the miscommunication plot device. (Potential non-fatal spoilers follow). I had a really hard time believing that the hero/heroine could spend hours and hours watching movies and hanging out and talking together A) without jumping each others bones and B) not ever talking about the fact that she didn't ever want the big house/ambitious man thing ever again. I mean, E...more
But...
I'm not apparently a huge fan of the miscommunication plot device. (Potential non-fatal spoilers follow). I had a really hard time believing that the hero/heroine could spend hours and hours watching movies and hanging out and talking together A) without jumping each others bones and B) not ever talking about the fact that she didn't ever want the big house/ambitious man thing ever again. I mean, E...more
May 24, 2009
Jennifer
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone looking to waste an hour in mindless fluff
Recommended to Jennifer by:
Sara
Shelves:
read-2009
Though I'm not a big romance reader, I always enjoy Jennifer Crusie because she's studied the genre (go English Professors!) and seems to having a fun time with it . This is a book originally published in 1999 but that got repackaged in 2006, and it feels like Crusie is working out some of the themes that she'll go on to do more with in later books.
It's the typical Crusie formula--the future couple meet, sparks fly, but both deny their feelings because . . . this is where each book differs. In A...more
It's the typical Crusie formula--the future couple meet, sparks fly, but both deny their feelings because . . . this is where each book differs. In A...more
The Barnes & Noble Review
Jennifer Crusie's many fans will be delighted to discover (or rediscover) her wonderful debut novel. It's an exuberant, romantic, and occasionally goofy comedy, with two unlikely love stories. The first is between 40-year-old Nina, happily divorced and looking for a puppy companion, and Fred, an overweight, grumpy basset/beagle spending his last day in the shelter. It's fortunate for everyone that Nina adopts him, since Fred ends up playing unwitting Cupid, introduci...more
Jennifer Crusie's many fans will be delighted to discover (or rediscover) her wonderful debut novel. It's an exuberant, romantic, and occasionally goofy comedy, with two unlikely love stories. The first is between 40-year-old Nina, happily divorced and looking for a puppy companion, and Fred, an overweight, grumpy basset/beagle spending his last day in the shelter. It's fortunate for everyone that Nina adopts him, since Fred ends up playing unwitting Cupid, introduci...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Sep 23, 2009
Shawna
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Fans of light/humorous contemporary romance
Shelves:
contemporary-romance,
jennifer-crusie,
humorous-at-times-or-fluffy-fun,
2009-reads,
hero-beta,
i-read-own-faves-keepers,
quick-read-romance,
older-gal-younger-guy-cougar,
hero-im-gaga-over,
hero-i-wanna-marry,
doctor-or-nurse-in-the-house-shrink,
aar-top-100-romances-2007-2010,
animals-matter,
sweet-romance-left-smile-on-my-face,
5-stars,
feel-good-read-pick-me-upper,
hero-too-yummy-perfect-to-be-true,
romance-doesnt-end-at-40,
humor-fall-off-the-couch-funny
5 stars – Contemporary Romance
40-year-old divorcee Nina is feeling free at last, but a little bit lonely, so what does she do? She adopts a part basset, part beagle, fully morose, and middle-aged dog from the pound, but surprise, surprise, her woman’s best friend Fred turns out to be cupid in disguise and exactly what the doctor ordered. After all, without Fred, she wouldn’t have met her hottie ER doctor neighbor Alex, and that would have been a damn shame ‘cause the yumtastic hunk who’s 10 year...more
40-year-old divorcee Nina is feeling free at last, but a little bit lonely, so what does she do? She adopts a part basset, part beagle, fully morose, and middle-aged dog from the pound, but surprise, surprise, her woman’s best friend Fred turns out to be cupid in disguise and exactly what the doctor ordered. After all, without Fred, she wouldn’t have met her hottie ER doctor neighbor Alex, and that would have been a damn shame ‘cause the yumtastic hunk who’s 10 year...more
12 likes · like · see review
Anyone But You was a wonderful fun read that is perfect for the summer. Nina Askew is a divorced 40-year old living on her own for the first time in years. A bit lonely, she heads to the animal shelter and finds Fred who is everything she wasn't looking for in a dog. Fred is droopy, less than energetic and looks depressed most of the time but Nina falls in love and brings Fred home. Training Fred to use the fire escape for bathroom breaks leads Nina to meet the neighbor donwnstairs. Alex is a se...more
Okay romance between a recently-divorced older woman and a skittish younger man. Alex is skittish because women automatically start making wedding/baby plans when he asks them out—and, yes they make their intentions clear to him—does this really happen on a regular basis to doctors??? He loses points (with me) because he comments that he would never get serious with a woman who had sex with him on the first date—he’d have sex with her, sure, but he couldn’t respect her. His love-interest, Nina,...more
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Jenny Crusie is the NYT bestselling author of twenty some novels and lots of other stuff. Her latest novel, Maybe This Time, hit shelves in August, 2010.
Jenny lives on the Ohio River where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.
More about Jennifer Crusie...
Jenny lives on the Ohio River where she often stares at the ceiling and counts her blessings.
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