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Animal Instincts

by Gena Showalter

3.82 · rating details · 1,026 ratings · 69 reviews

Unleashing your inner tigress isn't easy when you're a doormat by nature! Still, after escaping a wretched marriage to a cheating SOB, Dallas party planner Naomi Delacroix isn't about to let another man sweet-talk her into sheathing her protective claws. Not even hunky millionaire Royce Powell, who's hired her to arrange his mother's surprise party. Even if he does make he...more

Mass Market Paperback, 329 pages

Published May 1st 2006 by Harlequin Books (first published 2005)

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Dec 17, 2008

L8blmr rated it

· review of another edition

This was a fun, light and sexy read, featuring a rich, hot hero pursuing a divorced, insecure career girl. Not much new or original, but enjoyable in the way it was constructed, and no stupid misunderstandings (always a plus for me). This story is told in first person, which may be an imediate turn-off for some, but I found it tolerable. If you need a spicy break from heavier fare, give this romance with a sweet HEA a try.

like 4 likes

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Mar 27, 2009

Elisa Ramblings added it · review of another edition

Naomi is a newly divorced event planner who has decided to unveal her inner tiger. She is tired to be used by men and now her life will be different... but then she meets Royce, a multimillionar hunk who says he loves her and wants to marry her. What a bastard, isn't he?

Royce is the perfect man: rich, handsome, gentle, clever... you really can hate him, too perfect!

Naomi instead is not so perfect: average beautiful, no a success working girl, not very rich... you really...more

like 1 like

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Apr 05, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, non-series-stand-alone-novels

Loved the First Half, The Second...Not So Much
I was looking for a light, fun, romantic read - taking a break, actually, from a book that defines heavy reading. Of course I went to Showalter - she's usually a sure fire gem in that arena. And in Animal Instincts, she was as well...for the first half of the book.

Naomi, burned first by the biological father who did her mom wrong then again by her own husband, sees love and marriage as the most insidious sorts of traps and thinks all m...moreLoved the First Half, The Second...Not So Much
I was looking for a light, fun, romantic read - taking a break, actually, from a book that defines heavy reading. Of course I went to Showalter - she's usually a sure fire gem in that arena. And in Animal Instincts, she was as well...for the first half of the book.

Naomi, burned first by the biological father who did her mom wrong then again by her own husband, sees love and marriage as the most insidious sorts of traps and thinks all men are utter snakes. She's taking a hands off approach to those snakes in general and love in particular when she accepts a job planning a birthday party for the fabulous Royce's mother's birthday. From the moment she walks into Royce's office her life starts resembling a tilt-a-whirl on meth - while she's ecstatic at the attention and the hard core romance and lust Royce is full court pressing her with, she's terrified with it as well, and when he tells her he loves her...and she's the woman of his dreams...Naomi goes from terrified to frantic with fear. She can't let herself love again - ever - or she'll be destroyed. She's convinced of it, and no amount of yummy bedroom games will convince her otherwise. Can Royce convince her he's everything he seems to be or will the flighty Naomi fly the coop?

For the first half of Animal Instincts, I was amused at the role reversal - the stubborn and sharp tongued Naomi willing only to risk a purely sexual fling with Royce and Royce desperate to drag Naomi to the alter and love her for the rest of their long lives. I found the first half to be light, sweet, funny, and fun. Then came the crippling waves of panic that at first lapped at, then crashed upon Naomi's mental beach. I had a hard time staying in the story from that point on because frankly, I felt the book went from fun to disturbing. Naomi's problems were written to such a deep-seeded and pathological level that all I kept hoping for was for her to seek some serious therapy. I've read about commitmentphobes in the past, but this woman was severely damaged. And that damage spiraled further and further out of control until it just wasn't funny any more, it was sad.

Royce, however, was a darling throughout, and while I didn't totally buy the love-at-first-green-dress motivation, if Naomi had been less damaged and had been even the smallest bit nice to the man, I would've forgiven the reach of the depth of his feelings. There's definitely a line between a great guy and a cartoon character (like Royce is Wiley E. Coyote and Naomi's the Roadrunner who kept dropping anvils on his head, but Wiley E. keeps coming back again and again), and unfortunately, Showalter crossed it. Because that aspect of the book didn't work for me in the second half, several other issues started nagging at me - issues that I can easily ignore in other chick lit romance novels because I'm reading for light fun, and I'm very forgiving if I'm enjoying the romance. In this book, though, those aspects really started to wear on me. The two dimensional secondary characters - like Naomi's cousins and her mother, for example. The cliched face off with the jealous secretary and the resolution with her step father, as well. If I'd been invested in the story at that point, those things wouldn't have bothered me at all.

I'm a little disappointed in Animal Instincts - though it did keep my mind off the heavy reading I'm doing with another book...it's just...now I feel like I need more light reading to help me recover from this one.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another. (less)

· see review

Feb 20, 2011

Manuela rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: venduto

Mi è difficile esprimere un giudizio chiaro e definitivo su questo romanzo. Un 50 % di cose mi sono piaciute, ma un altrettanto 50 % mi ha fatto storcere il naso.
Il pretesto iniziale, le domande per sposare Royce per intenderci, l'ho trovato francamente demenziale, al limite del ridicolo; le schermaglie dialettiche e mentali tra i due protagonisti sono ben scritte, con uno stile fresco e diretto che diverte e non annoia mai, ma in generale l'intero intreccio, lo svolgersi della trama e i ...more

· see review

Jun 10, 2010

May rated it

· review of another edition

Recommends it for: nobody. It's a guilty pleasure read, I couldn't guess who would/wouldn't be loving it...

Shelves: mushy-romance-stuff, guilty-pleasure

Know how sometimes you read a book and think "oh, there was so much I should fault here... yet I totally loved it."? I call this a guilty pleasure read, and Animal Instincts totally qualifies.
The heroine is a plain jane doormat turned "tigress", the hero a very rich handsome man. She goes to work for him (she plans parties) only to find out he's already totally smitten with her and it scares her. Why? She had a yuck dad + jerk ex-husband.
Now, I feel like I could ...more

· see review

May 19, 2010

Crista rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, 2-star

This one had some promising aspects. I was laughing out loud during this first part of this book, but then all of a sudden it just became to "over the top" and unrealistic for me to even be able to suspend belief for a moment...which is funny because this a romance novel!

Here's what I disliked:
1. I don't prefer to read books written in the first person. These kind of books usually leave out to much of what others are thinking. This book is a perfect example of just ...more

· see review

Apr 19, 2011

Liza rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance

I must wrote this here because it's so funny, it's about Royce's parents.. I really did LOL at this and I sooo like the writing of Gena Showalter! :)

"I've never met two people more in need of a divorce. They bickered and fought all evening.
Royce said that's how they express their love. I don't believe him. I mean, please. You tell me if you feel
the love from this conversation (written word for word as I remember it):

Linda: Elliot, be a dear and get me ano...more

· see review

May 02, 2010

Paige rated it

· review of another edition

I won't go into plot details, as they've been covered very well by previous reviews. Instead, I'm going to focus more on Showalter's writing, because she consistently delivers books that are an absolute blast to read.

Untold numbers of writers, particularly in this genre, attempt to create heroes and heroines that are chock full of sarcasm and witty banter. Unfortunately, most of their efforts feel forced and fall flat. Showalter, on the other hand, has a gift for delivering truly fu...moreI won't go into plot details, as they've been covered very well by previous reviews. Instead, I'm going to focus more on Showalter's writing, because she consistently delivers books that are an absolute blast to read.

Untold numbers of writers, particularly in this genre, attempt to create heroes and heroines that are chock full of sarcasm and witty banter. Unfortunately, most of their efforts feel forced and fall flat. Showalter, on the other hand, has a gift for delivering truly funny and clever verbal sparring matches, not only between her heroes and heroines, but between virtually all of her characters. Even better, that banter feels completely natural and organic, which makes it even more entertaining to read.

In this case, the heroine (Naomi) is not only super-witty when it comes to conversing with Royce (the uber-hot hero) and her cousins, and also pretty much everyone else she encounters, but her inner-dialogue is absolutely hilarious, more often than not. Her thoughts about men and her reactions to them are things with which almost everyone can relate. What's more, she recognizes her flaws, and is taking active steps (for the most part) to try to combat them and/or get past them. Her tools for doing so come, in large part, from a self-help book (brief excerpts of which appear at the beginning of each chapter), and while they may not always work exactly as she hopes they will, the results tend to be amusing, to say the least.

As for our hero, Royce is pretty much a dream-man: incredibly handsome and sexy (of course), rich and successful, funny and clever, and can be very, very sweet and endearing. Arguably his most important trait, though, is how take-charge he is - once he focuses his attention on something, he tends to get what he wants, and when his focus is directed at Naomi (as it is for the entire book), we are treated to lots of super-hot, intense scenes.

Naomi and Royce's journey toward couple-dom makes the reader experience pretty much every emotion known to man. Their sexual tension is palpable from the first time they meet in his office, and it only builds and intensifies from there. Their relationship is both fun and hot, but it's not perfect, and here's what kept me from giving this book the full five stars (I'd give it 4.5, actually).

We are told early on and then throughout the book about Naomi's issues with men, and they are certainly understandable. However, even though we see her trying to get past them, it does get frustrating to see her rehash those issues quite frequently, and it takes a very long time until she has her inevitable epiphany. For his part, Royce is nearly perfect, except it seems almost like he takes too much from Naomi in terms of being hurt and disappointed. He's understanding and devoted to her, almost to a fault, but for me, there are times that it seems like he gives and gives, and all he gets in return is heartache and frustration.

As the piece goes on, this pattern comes fairly close to getting old, but the characters' charm (both individually and collectively) keeps the reader interested and invested in them, and rooting for their happily-ever-after.

Additionally, the secondary characters are great, particularly the aforementioned cousins (twins Kera and Mel) - they clearly love Naomi and support her, and it is an understatement to say that their discussions are merely funny. There is a rather brief sublot featuring Mel and Colin (who works with Royce), and since both characters are enjoyable, I would've liked to read more about them.

All in all, this book is by turns super-funny and hot. It does not contain elements of the paranormal, for which Showalter is primarily known; rather, it is a straightforward romance containing likable characters, a dashing hero, hilarious situations and dialogue, and some steamy love scenes. If you're looking for an entertaining read, this is the book for you! (less)

like 1 like

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Apr 06, 2011

K.R.Caldwell rated it

· review of another edition

3 stars! Let me just start out by saying I love Gena Showalter. I like her paranormal stuff better though. So this entire book was written in first person, which I’m not totally a fan of. It always ends up being very one sided. We never really get an insight to Royce. Who he is, how he feels, etc… It was just, oh I want to hire this woman to plan a party, and then BAM I’m in love with her, always have been since the day I laid eyes on her. I was kind of like, ‘OK, when was that?’ (This is the o

...more

· see review

Oct 25, 2011

Melodie rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: good-read, contemporary

I love this book! Even though it's not the kind I would normally enjoy; I usually don't enjoy those novels where the characters felt in love so early. For once, I actually enjoyed reading the guy pinning after the girl. Typically, it's the girl who secretly crushes after the guy. I often find that I like contemporary novels where there are a love/hate relationship but Gena Showalter did an awesome job with this one and I love it.

I've only started reading Gena's novel a month ago, and ...more

· see review

Sep 08, 2011

Kathleen added it · review of another edition

Well I'm smitten!Gena Showalter sure knows how to write a perfectly druel-worthy Alpha male.
I'm in love with you Royce!I things don't work out with Naomi I'm VERY Available.(sigh)
I couldn't put this down. Animal Instincts had me laughing outloud in the library and earnt me a few weird looks.Naomi's resistance and wariness towards Royce was understandable and she had me nodding my head in agreement with the repercusions that comes when someones trust and self-esteem is destroyed by chea...more

· see review

Jun 29, 2010

Mιss •kαthєяίиє• rated it

Shelves: funny

One of Gena Showalter's funniest books. I loved it!
In this book, we learn about Naomi, an ex-doormat who now tries to unleash the tigress within her. After everything her ex-husband (and I agree here, may he find a one-way ticket to hell) has done to damage her self-esteem, she now tries to become fearless and brave. And when she sees Royce... All she must now do is think about her wants and her fears and at the same time find out if all (?) men are like her father and SOB ex. Poor Naomi,...more

· see review

Apr 29, 2011

Anzu ZombieHazard rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romance, humor, my-reviews

I must admit that this is my first Gena Showalter book. I really don’t know what made me pick this one, but I was glad I did. It was really fun to read, relaxing and fast. I guess I finished it in two days. But it was like a breath of fresh air. Too much seriousness gets to you in the end.

Now, I really liked the story. It was light but the best part of it was the humor. I really enjoyed the whole Tigress thing. I gathered some quotes that I thought hilarious, but there were too many ...moreI must admit that this is my first Gena Showalter book. I really don’t know what made me pick this one, but I was glad I did. It was really fun to read, relaxing and fast. I guess I finished it in two days. But it was like a breath of fresh air. Too much seriousness gets to you in the end.

Now, I really liked the story. It was light but the best part of it was the humor. I really enjoyed the whole Tigress thing. I gathered some quotes that I thought hilarious, but there were too many so I had to do some serious selecting. I’ll post them at the end of this review.

Naomi Delacroix is the main character here. I found her really funny; in many moments I was lolling and my mum was staring at me while having a strange expression. God only knows what she was thinking… but I find this as being a good sign. It’s really been a while since I laughed like this from reading a book. Royce was a sweetheart. Even though he was filthy rich, he still remained modest (at least to a point). He fought for what he wanted and eventually got it. Go for it my man!

Anyways, I have to tell you to give this book a try. I don’t think it’s too popular even though it deserves more attention than it has right now.

In the end, here are the quotes I gathered. Have fun!

TOP TEN LIST
Ten Things You Shouldn't Say on a Date
1. You're wearing that?
2. Something smells funny.
3. Where's the Tylenol?
4. And to think, I first wanted to date your brother.
5. I have a confession to make…
6. My dad has a suit just like that.
7. That man is hot. Look at him.
8. My ex, may he rot in hell forever…
9. You're going to order that? Seriously?
10. You're how old?

"What's that smell?"
I froze. What? Did I really smell so distasteful he had only to lean in my direction to catch a putrid whiff of me? I stayed the urge to break his freaking nose for pointing out my stinkiness.
He sniffed again. "I can't place it."
"How bad is it?" I asked, my cheeks heating.
"It's good. Some kind of flower."
My first thought: Hurray! I don't stink.
My second: Ohmygod!

My ex—may he soon discover tiny worms have invaded his body and are slowly eating him alive—once told me God made men so perfect because He'd wanted to make up for the inadequacies of women.

He'd asked me to marry him. He'd kissed me. Twice. He said he loved me. What a scum, rat, dog bastard. I wouldn't sleep with him now if I was dying and the only thing that could save me was a penis injection from him.

Neighbor… was that the word for "whoring tramp" nowadays?

I cast a glance in my new admirer's direction. "You may call me Your Highness," I said. "Or Empress Beauty."
He chuckled. I wasn't kidding.

Me: I think we should have sex again.
Royce: Bad idea.
Me: Why?
Royce: I want more from you than sex.
Me: Goodbye, you prudish bastard.(less)

· see review

Jan 07, 2010

The Pleasures Chest rated it

· review of another edition

Description:

Unleashing your inner tigress isn't easy when you're a doormat by nature! Still, after escaping a wretched marriage to a cheating SOB, Dallas party planner Naomi Delacroix isn't about to let another man sweet-talk her into sheathing her protective claws. Not even hunky millionaire Royce Powell, who's hired her to arrange his mother's surprise party. Even if he does make her purr like a kitten with one heated glance... Royce claims he's been in love with her ever since she...more

· see review

May 06, 2007

liz rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: cheesy-romance-novel

You know the drill, feisty woman falls for the "wrong man"... in this case it's actually a contemporary setting (Dallas), with the protagonist steadfastly refusing to learn to trust men again after her divorce from her asshole ex-husband. This also involves trying to fight her relenteless attraction to a sexy local captain of industry, whose mother's surprise party she's trying to plan. The plot moves forward in spite of stubborn characters who are mostly amusing. And can I just say, I...more

· see review

Oct 04, 2010

Vivianne Endimione Birches rated it

· review of another edition

WARNING! THIS BOOK IS ADDICTIVE!
BEAUTIFUL
Indeed, the female protagonist is unique, funny, nerd, hurried, messy ...
I love Showalter, really! Sa always tear a lot of laughs!
Showalter's strong point it's her really fancy, you laugh like a fool - alone - when you read her books.
The relatives - friends - boyfriend - sisters look at you wrong.
This book will raise morale and improve your day!

· see review

Jan 26, 2009

Jenny Rebecca rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, romance-novels, super-steamy

Fun read. It was disconcerting reading in the first person, but I got over it pretty fast. I sometimes really wished I could hear the hero's thoughts though.

It had a bit of a sappy ending, but I guess all romance novels end sappily, it's just this one more than others.

Not my favorite of the Gena Showalters I've read, but since I've only read one other, that's not too shabby.

· see review

Jul 06, 2011

Laura rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: pleasantly-surprised

4.5*. I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up in an Oxfam shop having never heard of the author before and, after starting it yesterday, finished it before turning out my lights that night. The main characters were largely well developed and the storyline progressed quickly. I will be looking for more books by this author in the future.

· see review

Aug 28, 2011

Elizabeth rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: romance

A great story while you're reading it. I did enjoy the first half much more than the second half. Once the heroine begins to go crazy it kind of went downhill for me. Fortunately, Showalter picked it up to have a nice ending. Perfect for light reading, but I'm not so sure if I'd recommend this particular title to anyone.

· see review

May 26, 2011

Zarinah rated it

· review of another edition

I loved this book!!! The sweet read of non trilogy. Gena showalter at her non paranormal best! She creates a character with total spunk! I laughed so much while reading this book that I'm glad I read at home versus a public spot. The love scenes were A+++++ and the chemistry was wonderful. The characters were very believable and never did feel bored during the story. So read and enjoy!

· see review

Oct 02, 2009

Bridget rated it

· review of another edition

I discovered this book because the character mentions her T-Tapp workouts, so Teresa Tapp gives her a plug on the T-Tapp website. I love Teresa and her workouts and her informative newsletters. The author did not use her usual fantasy/supernatural elements; she stuck to the real world. It was entertaining but not spectacular.

· see review

Feb 07, 2012

Paige rated it

· review of another edition

This is one of the best contemporary romance books I have read in a good while. I only wished Ms. Showalter wrote more contemporaries. I thoroughly enjoyed Naomi's struggle to overcome her fear of men and their faith to her. This one is definitely a keeper!

· see review

Oct 25, 2010

Tatiana Vila rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

What a sweet sweet story. I mean, this is why we need to read books, men like Royce don't exist in real life...I totally fell in love with him in the book, and Naomi is a very cute character!!
Read this book! u're going to love it!

· see review

Nov 19, 2009

Circa rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I couldn't stand the whole "Inner Tigress" mantras that the female protaganist based her life around. It seemed like a cheap way of carrying on all her stupid decisions and defining her otherwise nonexistant personality.

· see review

Nov 11, 2011

Pallak rated it

· review of another edition

The start is good. Like realllly funnyy.. I was laughing out loud reading this book. But then at the end, it started losing its humor... Even then it's a fun read ! Not boring at all !!

· see review

Apr 25, 2011

Jen Forbes rated it

· review of another edition

loved it, flirty fun, sexy!! I laughed out loud. this was the first showalter book I read and loved it so much I had to read another and now I want to read all of her books.

· see review

Sep 19, 2008

Jen rated it

· review of another edition

Ugh. This author could really do interesting things if only she could get a little depth into her heroes. They're so one-dimensional. Do all her books have a slightly damaged woman getting bossed around by sexy man until she falls for him? Do they all have to end with marriage and babies? It just seems so forced.
If you're a single or divorced self-help-book lover who is convinced all men are evil but really deep down inside just wants a white horse and a walk down the aisle with lot...more

· see review

Dec 25, 2011

Krys rated it

· review of another edition

I like that she adjusted the plot a bit and made the main female character self conscious and klutzy unlike most of her other books

· see review

Sep 29, 2011

=^☺^=mskitty rated it

· review of another edition

Cute "light" read. Although I can't imagine anyone being as klutzy as Naiomi, or any woman putting off Royce as long as she did.

· see review

Jul 28, 2011

Diane rated it

· review of another edition

Cute and funny. Very Katie McAllister-ish. I do prefer her alien huntress series though....by far!

· see review

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About Gena Showalter

Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Sevente...more

More about Gena Showalter...

Books by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)

The Darkest Kiss (Lords of the Underworld, #2)

The Darkest Pleasure (Lords of the Underworld, #3)

The Darkest Whisper (Lords of the Underworld, #4)

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld, #5)

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Trivia About Animal Instincts

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Quotes from Animal Instincts

“Ten Things You Shouldn't Say on a Date.
1. You're wearing that?
2. Something smells funny.
3. Where's the Tylenol?
4. And to think, I first wanted to date your brother.
5. I have a confession to make…
6. My dad has a suit just like that.
7. That man is hot. Look at him.
8. My ex, may he rot in hell forever…
9. You're going to order that? Seriously?
10. You're how old?” — 712 people liked it

“Leap out the window, my inner Tigress cried. You aren't ready to face such a powerful Tiger. I frowned. I thought a true Tigress never backed down from a fight. Don't you know anything? When she's in heat, she avoids everything male. Now run!” — 61 people liked it

More quotes…

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