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Oct 13, 2011

Nymphetamosa rated it:

* contains spoilers, but I'm not going to cut it. Just skip over if you really don't want to know *

WHAT A FUCKING HUNK OF SHIT THIS WAS.

Lately, I've hit a run of substandard novels. Everything I've tried to read since the last novel on my 'read' shelf has just sounded so stupid, or shallow or completely unrealistic. There's no tension or action, and there's nothing gripping. They're just going through the motions, and this book takes the cake.

Honestly, if this More...

2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 08, 2012

Vanessa rated it:

I was given this book in Malawi, by someone who was heading home and trying to make room in her suitcase. It sat on my desk for a while, wedged underneath a monitor lest my co-workers see it and think their new IT technician was also a connoisseur of romance novels.

One day, the power in the office went out for, well, most of the day. As I sat there in the stifling heat, my work sitting out of reach on a dead laptop, this book cried out to me. It begged to be cracked open, its mysterie More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Nov 04, 2009

Debbie rated it:

Knowing she needed to find a way to support herself and her children, Lizabeth Kane made the rounds applying for jobs. Majoring in history was not a big help, so she took a chance and decided to apply for a job as a carpenter at Matt Hallahan’s construction site. Matt knew she wasn’t qualified or built for the job, but he couldn’t find it in himself to tell her no. He quickly found himself completely consumed by her, her kids, her frustrating dog Ferguson, and even her ever observant Aunt Elsie. More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 08, 2011

Hannah rated it:

This is a short, funny novel. The characters are rather endearing, especially the Lizabeth's formidable Aunt Elsie, but there is not much character development. Still, I enjoyed the interactions between Matt and Lizabeth. The dialog was often clever, but occasionally it didn't sound quite believable. For instance, at one point Matt calls one of Lizabeth's chick flicks a "sissy movie." Do grown men really refer to things as "sissy?" That sounds more like something a four More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

May 04, 2011

Tara rated it:

Yanno, I started this audio book in my way to work this weekend, and then I had 3 days off. It was due back tomorrow so this afternoon while I was getting organized I finished listening. I ended up re-listening to 2 chapters because they were all so similar that I thought that it was just getting more repetitive.

I love romances, I do. Usually if the characters are silly, the plot is good, or maybe the plot is contrived but the characters are great. Sometimes the plot and the char More...

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Sep 24, 2009

Heather rated it:

Smitten (audio book) by Janet Evanovich

Genre: Romance, Audio Book

Now this was what I was looking for in a romance and I found it in a very unexpected place (a random pull off of the library shelf)!

Lizbeth is a newly single mother of two young boys who needs to find a way to make a living. She tries looking everywhere – but she is either over or under qualified. She makes a last ditch, rash, effort and applies for a job as…a carpenter? Now who saw that com More...

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Oct 08, 2010

Kring rated it:

Lizabeth Kane, 32 years-old, separated for 18 months, divorced for six and a mother of 2, will work for whatever job there is for her to pay her bills and support her growing kids.

After having been through 14 job interviews and receiving no response, she finally had been accepted on a construction project. Not as a secretary but a laborer.

She was hired by Matt Hallahan. Not because he had known her great need of job but because of lust. Attraction was there from their ve More...

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Apr 23, 2010

Jess rated it:

Very cute story. But it's really, really hard not to notice the similarities between characters in these romance books and her Plum books. In this book the character of Elsie (the crazy aunt) was so similar to Grandma Mazur that it was almost reading the same story line, down to the blue caddy.

I realize that these romances were written long before the Plum series, maybe all these characters are based on the same "Real" person. Who knows? But it is a little frustrating to read More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 18, 2009

Chelsey rated it:

Typical romance novel... girl meets boy. They pretty much immediately fall in love. In this case, girl tries to resist, but can't. Overall, a cute story with some funny aspects. It was nice that the romance parts of it were not overly descriptive or trashy. But in the end, not a very memorable book.

I listened to this book on CD as I drove from UT to CO. It passed the time well, but I don't know that I would pick up another Janet Evanovich book. (Although, the Lehi library does More...

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Apr 11, 2010

Lindsay rated it:

This book was a very cheesy wannabe romance novel. It was a romance novel for the mormons. Where the author doesn't go into great detail of the loving that the man and woman have, which was fine by me. But it was pretty lame. The whole time I was reading it, which I read because I was in a reading stump and my mom had this lieing around, the whole time, I just kept thinking to myself, stuff like this doesn't really happen. You don't fall in love with your boss on the first day that you meet him, More...

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Apr 28, 2011

Jodi rated it:

A friend of mine loves books by Janet Evanovich so when I saw this one on the freebie shelf at the library, I picked it up to read. It took me a year to get around to it but it was cute enough - fluffy, light, feel good, what I would term as complete "mind candy." I don't know if I'll pick up another one by this author because I usually prefer a little more plot but who knows?

I do think things moved along a little too quickly in the relationship between Matt and Lizbeth f More...

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Nov 11, 2011

Amy rated it:

I can definitely see where some of the Stephanie Plum ideas came from. The aunt in this novel is similar to Grandma Mazur, there is a big dog that eats everything, and there is a flasher (I can't remember what number it was, but one appeared in the Plum series too). The book was fun and definitely humorous. I laughed all the way through it. The romance was somewhat obvious, within the first few pages you know who will be together at the end, but the characters were likable enough and made the bo More...

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Jul 26, 2010

Barbara rated it:

Surprisingly enough I loved this book! I'm not a Janet Evanovich fan, or should I say I'm not a Stephanie Plum fan, so I was leery of reading anything by Ms. Evanovich. However, I'm so glad that I did because like I said I loved this story. This is a seriously cute love story. It reminds me of Maureen Child's Marconi Sisters trilogy. Same writing style, a quick read, instant lust between hero and heroine, humorous and flirty.

Matt Hallahan is a great guy who really needs a family More...

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Jul 18, 2010

Elizabeth rated it:

More like 2.5 stars. It was good and your basic Evanovich book. They all have the same plot, just different character names. Basically, it is marshmellows for the brain. This one wasn't quite as good as some of the others. Other books have made me actually laugh out loud. This one gave more of a chuckle. (Of course, it could totally be the place that I am in and maybe if I read it at another time, I would feel different about it.)

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Aug 16, 2009

Becky rated it:

Sometimes I am annoyed that people write stories where individuals fall madly, unconditionally in love w/in 3 seconds of meeting. The characters then go through a brief trial/tribulation and then realize they will live happily ever after - together. Today was one of those days that I was annoyed at the unreality of the story.

With all that complaining said, I still thought the story was cute and had I been in a less bitter mood, know that I would have enjoyed it more.

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Jan 27, 2009

Cam rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Dec 11, 2011

Carrie rated it:

Originally read January 2009.

Listen to the audio version narrated by C.J. Critt December 2011.

I didn't enjoy this book quite as much on audio as I did when I read it the first time. While the narrator got some things right (like Aunt Elsie), Lisbeth was more irritating than I remembered her. I think that was in part due to the narrator's voice inflections and delivery. Her delivery made Lisbeth sound more flippant than I'd pictured her. The narrators voice for Matt was we More...

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Feb 19, 2011

~KarenH~ rated it:

This book was just plain fun - typical Janet Evanovich. This is one of her pre-Stephanie Plum books, and it's pretty obvious (to me at least) that several of the characters in this book were the inspiration for some of the characters in the Plum books. Matt has some definite similarities to Joe Morelli, Ferguson the dog reminds me of Bob, and Aunt Elsie IS Grandma Mazur. Even Lizabeth has a resemblance to Stephanie, although not as strong as some of the others. There's a food-stealing dog, w More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 17, 2010

Erica rated it:

This is a typical love story. I was a little annoyed with the guy. He feels as though he needs to take care of her and he really doesn't. Not sure why, but I really didn't care for this book. I think it was that the guy was smothering the girl and the story was weak. I would not recommend this book. I was surprised since I usually enjoy Janet Evanovich books.

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Jun 30, 2009

Linda rated it:

While this is your typical romance novel in both plot and characters, it's a cut above the ordinary. The wit for which Janet Evanovich is so justly famous is starting to peek out in this book written early in her career. It's peopled with a cast of zany characters that are pure Evanovich.

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Jun 11, 2008

Bethie rated it:

Thanks to Sandy G. for loaning me this book. I read this one in one day.

Elsie and her blue '57 Cadillc make an appearance in this book as well, she is the Aunt of Lizabeth. Elise makes a reference to her running into the drug dealer from the pervious book.

Lizabeth is a struggling single mother of two who is recently divorced. She has bought a fixer-upper Victorian house and is need of a job. She stumbles upon an ad for a construction worker and is able to walk to the More...

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Aug 10, 2011

Kari rated it:

I'm listening to the audio book, and it annoys the heck out of me! I don't know if it's the reader or the actual story, but I'm going to return it. The main character is highly annoying. REVISION: I got halfway through and returned it. I feel less annoyed now.

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Mar 25, 2010

Brooke rated it:

This was my first Evanovich non-Plum series read. Read it in 2 hours -- easy read & I can definitely see her writing style & the beginnings of the Stephanie Plum characters to come later. Okay read, not great, but another super easy & somewhat entertaining book.

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Jul 17, 2009

Lisarenee rated it:

There or 8 or 9 former Loveswept books that Evanovich wrote before the by the number series. This one is definitely more like the Stephanie Plum series. Very funny and I thought this would be what Stephanie would be like if she had 2 kids when she divorced her hubby.

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Mar 02, 2009

Heather rated it:

First off, this book was great from the start! I know I sound like a broken record but Evanovich's books are really good! I could totally relate to Liz and how she felt. I liked how she was on her own and doing the best she could, she was strong and independent yet wanting that real MAN in her life! Matt....well he's a god sent. I loved his tenderness and loving towards Liz right off the bat. He was just sweet from day one. I liked how he was sweet yet persistent. He knew what he wanted and he k More...

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May 04, 2010

Danielle rated it:

eh. the crazy aunt was HILARIOUS but the main characters were underdeveloped and *again* with the overprotective male lead? am i the only girl who doesn't find this attractive? anyhoo, clearly an early book of evanovich's but worth the 75 cents i paid for it at a thrift shop :)

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Apr 26, 2009

Jan rated it:

Fast read on Lizabeth's and Matt's romance. Lizabeth needs a job after 10 years as a Mom. Matt is smitten from the first and starts her off painting trim--four times. Standard fare of odd relatives, odd situations and appropriate rescues for both of them.

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Sep 05, 2010

Jody rated it:

Another great romance from Janet Evanovich. What I liked about some of her early romances is the male characters seem so sure about their feelings for the female. It is refreshing to me from the brooding male figures. It is nice for a change up. :)

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Jul 25, 2010

Beverly rated it:

A young single mom is smitten by the hunky guy she starts working for. He constructs houses, so she starts out trying carpentry, then painting, and finally ends up being the office manager. Funny hijinks, typical of Evanovich's writings.

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Nov 10, 2011

Angela rated it:

The author's humor hooked me right off the bat. Unfortunately, it was mostly on the front end of the book and faded away about halfway through. This type of romance isn't my cup of tea, but it was a pleasant and short read.

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