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Writer Friends #1
Sex, Lies, and Online Dating
She explained the trouble with Valentine's Day (as if you didn't know!) Now Rachel Gibson tells all about . . .
Sex . . .
What is it about men anyway? Bad cars, bad jobs, even bad teeth—nothing convinces them that they can't snare a Size Two Babe with a D-cup chest. And after way too many internet dates with men named "luvstick" and "bigdaddy182," Lucy Rothschild should know.
Lies . . .
But sitting across from her now is "hardluvnman," and he seems different—sensitive, honest, and hot! He says he's a plumber, while Lucy claims she's a nurse! She's really a mystery writer, dating online while researching her next book. Hey, everyone lies a little, don't they?
And Online Dating . . .
But Quinn's really an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer, and he sees Lucy as his top suspect. And while he could really go for this smart, sexy woman with the killer bod—if that's the only thing "killer" about her—he knows he needs to wine and dine her and discover the truth. Hey, he realizes the dating scene can be deadly—but this is ridiculous!
Sex . . .
What is it about men anyway? Bad cars, bad jobs, even bad teeth—nothing convinces them that they can't snare a Size Two Babe with a D-cup chest. And after way too many internet dates with men named "luvstick" and "bigdaddy182," Lucy Rothschild should know.
Lies . . .
But sitting across from her now is "hardluvnman," and he seems different—sensitive, honest, and hot! He says he's a plumber, while Lucy claims she's a nurse! She's really a mystery writer, dating online while researching her next book. Hey, everyone lies a little, don't they?
And Online Dating . . .
But Quinn's really an undercover cop hunting down a serial killer, and he sees Lucy as his top suspect. And while he could really go for this smart, sexy woman with the killer bod—if that's the only thing "killer" about her—he knows he needs to wine and dine her and discover the truth. Hey, he realizes the dating scene can be deadly—but this is ridiculous!
384 pages, ebook
First published January 24, 2006
About the author
Rachel Gibson
71 books5,176 followersRachel Gibson is a New York times and USAToday bestselling author of 22 books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 752 reviews
January 3, 2016
Wow, I loved this book! Absolutely exceptional!
When I picked up this one, I didn't know that I was going to read a Romantic Suspense story. But it was ok, I was just a little bit surprised considering most of Rachel Gibson’s books, especially the other books in this series that I already read, are Contemporary Romance. (I got the same feeling I got when I started reading her book, Lola Carlyle Reveals All.) And as always happens when I read her books, I was hooked from the first page and totally engrossed in the story. I found the plot immediately engaging and intriguing. It's so obvious the author always knows what the readers want.
Lucy Rothschild is a mystery writer. She had decided to online date as research for her new novel. She used her dates as the victims for her book. When she finally needed one last victim, she accepted a date with Quinn just to see if he would fit.
Quinn McIntyre is an undercover cop working on a serial murder case. He was ordered to go on dates with the women who were suspected of being ‘Breathless’, a female serial killer. And there was an evidence linking Lucy to this case, so he kept pursuing her in an attempt to find out the truth.
Both of them started this relationship with lies. Lucy pretended to be a nurse and Quinn gave false information to her that he is a widowed plumber. While Lucy was starting to have strong feelings for Quinn, he was trying so hard not to get attracted to her. Even though he had believed that she was Breathless, he still couldn’t stop thinking and wanting her.
I felt like I could connect with these two characters almost instantly and the chemistry between them were so hot. When Lucy knew the truth about Quinn, that he had believed she was a crazy killer all the time they were dating, and that everything he'd said and done to make her fall in love with him, (she thought) he was just doing his job. It was so emotional and I loved it! I loved this drama! LOL
The further I got into the story, the more it kept getting better and better until I was completely wrapped up in this and it became apparent that I couldn’t stop turning page after page until late into the night!
All in all, this was hilarious, sweet, emotional, and a bit exciting near the end. Highly recommended to all Romantic Suspense fans!
When I picked up this one, I didn't know that I was going to read a Romantic Suspense story. But it was ok, I was just a little bit surprised considering most of Rachel Gibson’s books, especially the other books in this series that I already read, are Contemporary Romance. (I got the same feeling I got when I started reading her book, Lola Carlyle Reveals All.) And as always happens when I read her books, I was hooked from the first page and totally engrossed in the story. I found the plot immediately engaging and intriguing. It's so obvious the author always knows what the readers want.
Lucy Rothschild is a mystery writer. She had decided to online date as research for her new novel. She used her dates as the victims for her book. When she finally needed one last victim, she accepted a date with Quinn just to see if he would fit.
Quinn McIntyre is an undercover cop working on a serial murder case. He was ordered to go on dates with the women who were suspected of being ‘Breathless’, a female serial killer. And there was an evidence linking Lucy to this case, so he kept pursuing her in an attempt to find out the truth.
Both of them started this relationship with lies. Lucy pretended to be a nurse and Quinn gave false information to her that he is a widowed plumber. While Lucy was starting to have strong feelings for Quinn, he was trying so hard not to get attracted to her. Even though he had believed that she was Breathless, he still couldn’t stop thinking and wanting her.
I felt like I could connect with these two characters almost instantly and the chemistry between them were so hot. When Lucy knew the truth about Quinn, that he had believed she was a crazy killer all the time they were dating, and that everything he'd said and done to make her fall in love with him, (she thought) he was just doing his job. It was so emotional and I loved it! I loved this drama! LOL
The further I got into the story, the more it kept getting better and better until I was completely wrapped up in this and it became apparent that I couldn’t stop turning page after page until late into the night!
All in all, this was hilarious, sweet, emotional, and a bit exciting near the end. Highly recommended to all Romantic Suspense fans!
September 3, 2016
Lucy was a writer. She worked with words. She filled each of her books with a hundred thousand of them. But only two words cam to mind. Holy Crap! Not eloquent but fitting.
When I went to read this one I saw that my Kindle was at 100% so I had read it already. It did sound a bit familiar but hey, better to re-read a good book than to read a mediocre new book? Right.
She pulled out a pair of jeans and a woman’s marathon T-shirt from the time she’d signed up to run but had accicentally on purpose slept in until after the starting gun.
LOL, sounds like something I would do
Loved both characters. Strong, independent, knew what they wanted. Bit of suspense, bit of humour, bit of sex. It had it all.
She promised God that if he would just help her out with the hangover, she’d never drink red wine again.
Ha ha, yeah right, I have heard that one many times before.
Will definitely continue with this series, even if I have read them all before!
May 19, 2021
4 Estrellitas para éste libro que he disfrutado bastante. Hacía tiempo que no leía a Rachel Gibson. Ningún libro suyo me ha decepcionado, y en éste caso creo que ésta serie cumple las expectativas.
El libro "Sex, lies and online dating" es el primero de la serie Amigas Escritoras. Como dice el título, son cuatro amigas escritoras de la ciudad de Boise, en Idaho. Cada una de estas particulares amigas escribe sobre un género distinto.
Nuestra protagonista, Lucy Rothschild escribe novelas de misterio de bastante éxito y es una entusiasta colaboradora en librerías y tertulias de escritores y lectores. Pero algo gordo va a ocurrir en la vida de Lucy, que la va a cambiar completamente.
Quinn McIntyre es un detective de homicidios que está persiguiendo a una peligrosa asesina. Una asesina que conoce y queda con hombres por internet, para luego asesinarlos. De momento, todas las pistas que tiene la policía, van dirigidas hacia una sospechosa, Lucy Rothschild.
Da la casualidad de que Lucy está actualmente enfrascada en la escritura de su nueva novela, donde la protagonista es una asesina que mata a hombres que conoce por internet. Sus tacticas son tan parecidas a las de la asesina del mundo real, que enseguida Quinn cae sobre ella.
Ambos protagonistas se conocen por internet, Lucy intentando encontrar prototipos de hombres perdedores que pueda "asesinar" en sus novelas, y Quinn se presenta como un simple fontanero. Ambos mienten sobre sus respectivas vidas y aunque Lucy admite que Quinn está muy bueno, sabe que no debería seguir quedando con él.
Pero Quinn es insistente, Lucy es la sospechosa número uno, y tiene que seguir haciendo todo lo posible para desenmascararla. La persecución llegará a tal punto de tensión, que cuando la verdadera asesina aparezca, la química entre Lucy y Quinn será totalmente explosiva.
Sí, tenemos una novela 100% de Rachel Gibson, ligera, divertida, muy sensual y con unos protagonistas geniales. Aunque todo empieza lleno de líos y mentiras, la historia ha estado muy bien llevada y el romance ha sido convicente.
He quedado bastante satisfecha con éste libro, y me ha dejado con muchas ganas de leer los siguientes de la serie.
El libro "Sex, lies and online dating" es el primero de la serie Amigas Escritoras. Como dice el título, son cuatro amigas escritoras de la ciudad de Boise, en Idaho. Cada una de estas particulares amigas escribe sobre un género distinto.
Nuestra protagonista, Lucy Rothschild escribe novelas de misterio de bastante éxito y es una entusiasta colaboradora en librerías y tertulias de escritores y lectores. Pero algo gordo va a ocurrir en la vida de Lucy, que la va a cambiar completamente.
Quinn McIntyre es un detective de homicidios que está persiguiendo a una peligrosa asesina. Una asesina que conoce y queda con hombres por internet, para luego asesinarlos. De momento, todas las pistas que tiene la policía, van dirigidas hacia una sospechosa, Lucy Rothschild.
Da la casualidad de que Lucy está actualmente enfrascada en la escritura de su nueva novela, donde la protagonista es una asesina que mata a hombres que conoce por internet. Sus tacticas son tan parecidas a las de la asesina del mundo real, que enseguida Quinn cae sobre ella.
Ambos protagonistas se conocen por internet, Lucy intentando encontrar prototipos de hombres perdedores que pueda "asesinar" en sus novelas, y Quinn se presenta como un simple fontanero. Ambos mienten sobre sus respectivas vidas y aunque Lucy admite que Quinn está muy bueno, sabe que no debería seguir quedando con él.
Pero Quinn es insistente, Lucy es la sospechosa número uno, y tiene que seguir haciendo todo lo posible para desenmascararla. La persecución llegará a tal punto de tensión, que cuando la verdadera asesina aparezca, la química entre Lucy y Quinn será totalmente explosiva.
Sí, tenemos una novela 100% de Rachel Gibson, ligera, divertida, muy sensual y con unos protagonistas geniales. Aunque todo empieza lleno de líos y mentiras, la historia ha estado muy bien llevada y el romance ha sido convicente.
He quedado bastante satisfecha con éste libro, y me ha dejado con muchas ganas de leer los siguientes de la serie.
March 24, 2008
I can't particularly think of much good to say about this book. I wouldn't say it was downright horribly bad...well, maybe not. It was a waste of $7, though.
The plot isn't exactly original - A serial killer meeting victims online. I've read a number of books with a similar theme. Which isn't a bad thing, necessarily, if the author can make their work stand-out from the rest, but for this book, there was nothing to this storyline to separate it from anything else out there. It was all pretty basic and lacking a hook to really draw a reader it. Then again, this was mostly a romance, not a suspense. The plot was secondary. Even so, it wasn't a great plot.
The romance wasn't too bad. But pretty average. Nothing special. The characters were okay. I didn't love them, but I didn't hate them. They were just there. No particular draws either way. The sex scenes were average. They seemed to start off hot, but then kind of fizzled. There were some comedic points, but - to use the word again - they were average.
By far the worst part of this book was the writing itself. At times it made me want to bash my head against a wall. It was like reading a step-by-step manual. Gibson had this awful habit of describing each and everything thing a character did. Sort of like:
He turned off his car and grabbed his notebook and laptop off the passenger seat. He carried Lucy's suitcase with his free hand, and she followed him into the house. He set his files and computer on the kitchen table and turned on the lights as they moved down the hall to the spare room. He tossed her suitcase on the queen-sized bed...
There were so many scenes like that in the books...he did this, he did that, she did this, she did that. Always stated in the same, dull, trite way. It was so irritating and boring. I don't need to know the details of how a person got out of their car and walked to a store, or how they got dressed in the morning. And even so, her sentence struture had no variety or complexity in these scenes. There are so many better ways to convey scenes like that. I just couldn't keep my head in the book when the writing was so uninspiring.
Overall, a completely lackluster book. Not worth the time or the money. I read one of her books before, and I remember enjoying it, but that was over a year ago, and I wasn't quiet so critical then.
The plot isn't exactly original - A serial killer meeting victims online. I've read a number of books with a similar theme. Which isn't a bad thing, necessarily, if the author can make their work stand-out from the rest, but for this book, there was nothing to this storyline to separate it from anything else out there. It was all pretty basic and lacking a hook to really draw a reader it. Then again, this was mostly a romance, not a suspense. The plot was secondary. Even so, it wasn't a great plot.
The romance wasn't too bad. But pretty average. Nothing special. The characters were okay. I didn't love them, but I didn't hate them. They were just there. No particular draws either way. The sex scenes were average. They seemed to start off hot, but then kind of fizzled. There were some comedic points, but - to use the word again - they were average.
By far the worst part of this book was the writing itself. At times it made me want to bash my head against a wall. It was like reading a step-by-step manual. Gibson had this awful habit of describing each and everything thing a character did. Sort of like:
He turned off his car and grabbed his notebook and laptop off the passenger seat. He carried Lucy's suitcase with his free hand, and she followed him into the house. He set his files and computer on the kitchen table and turned on the lights as they moved down the hall to the spare room. He tossed her suitcase on the queen-sized bed...
There were so many scenes like that in the books...he did this, he did that, she did this, she did that. Always stated in the same, dull, trite way. It was so irritating and boring. I don't need to know the details of how a person got out of their car and walked to a store, or how they got dressed in the morning. And even so, her sentence struture had no variety or complexity in these scenes. There are so many better ways to convey scenes like that. I just couldn't keep my head in the book when the writing was so uninspiring.
Overall, a completely lackluster book. Not worth the time or the money. I read one of her books before, and I remember enjoying it, but that was over a year ago, and I wasn't quiet so critical then.
December 28, 2016
Ah, the trials of online dating in the 2006 frontier. The primitive matchups made a good backdrop for this pseudo-suspense romance. Although the story was kind of basic, I found myself intrigued by the dynamic of two people dating undercover, one for research for her book, the other a cop on a case. And while I thought Quinn was a bit obtuse in thinking Lucy might be the killer because she wrote so evocatively I had to remind myself that a lot of people don't understand how writers work and that it's literally their job to think things through that most people don't even consider.
I've had a string of romances lately where the negative motivation and damaged men served a big role. So it's little surprise that this one was a huge relief as both Quinn and Lucy have conflict that arises naturally from their background. It helps, of course, that both are lovely in their own right, but that they just felt so right together is no small thing, either. Which is to say that I really enjoyed reading this and found it a delight but have to acknowledge that at least part of that may be in contrast to a string of hard reading that proceed it.
Anyway, the plot is simple but it also hung together pretty well and made sense. The pacing is excellent and pulled me right in. And the relationship worked for me as Quinn and Lucy fit very well together and I enjoyed their romance. So this may have rated the five stars even without the sense of relief of coming from a string of samey badreads.
A note about Steamy: There's one explicit sex scene and one almost sex scene. And some references to other fooling around. So this is on the border of low to middle of my steam tolerance. I do like how it played out with the investigation and the complications of intimacy under false pretenses. And I liked how the conflict between necessity and need worked and the interactions/reactions as a result.
I've had a string of romances lately where the negative motivation and damaged men served a big role. So it's little surprise that this one was a huge relief as both Quinn and Lucy have conflict that arises naturally from their background. It helps, of course, that both are lovely in their own right, but that they just felt so right together is no small thing, either. Which is to say that I really enjoyed reading this and found it a delight but have to acknowledge that at least part of that may be in contrast to a string of hard reading that proceed it.
Anyway, the plot is simple but it also hung together pretty well and made sense. The pacing is excellent and pulled me right in. And the relationship worked for me as Quinn and Lucy fit very well together and I enjoyed their romance. So this may have rated the five stars even without the sense of relief of coming from a string of samey badreads.
A note about Steamy: There's one explicit sex scene and one almost sex scene. And some references to other fooling around. So this is on the border of low to middle of my steam tolerance. I do like how it played out with the investigation and the complications of intimacy under false pretenses. And I liked how the conflict between necessity and need worked and the interactions/reactions as a result.
December 1, 2021
I listened to this via audiobook. Overall a sweet story but also cringe lmao. The smut was not good, descriptive words that I just do not enjoy. As far as the murder mystery aspect to this story that kept me interested and the ending was cute.
July 4, 2016
3,8, casi 4. Me lo he pasado pipa, me encantan estas historias de la Gibson. Lo que disfruto yo con estas lecturas xDDDD.
Quiero un Quinn
Quiero un Quinn
February 11, 2019
“You said ‘Mr. Snookums.’”
A slow grin turned up the corners of his lips. “I must be in love with you,” he said. “The name of your cat doesn’t shrivel my sac anymore.”
Her chest got all achy and she blinked away the sudden stinging in her eyes.
“Well, I must be in love with you, because hearing you talk about your shriveling sac doesn’t make me want to stab my ears.”
I don't think I've read a Rachel Gibson book that I haven't loved. This one, was no exception. It was published in 2006, I believe, so it was a wee bit dated, or even corny (as compared to more recent romances). But I didn't care one bit. I smiled my way through the whole book. And I'm anxious to move on to the next in the series.
"This is the best date I've ever had."
...sigh 🥰
September 3, 2022
Mystery writer Lucy Rothschild is working on her next book which includes a serial killer who is meeting her victims through online dating. For research, Lucy is also seeing various men who she meets online. After a series of duds, Lucy meets Quinn McIntyre who is different from the others. He is friendly, smart, and hot. But what Lucy doesn't know is Quinn is actually an undercover cop hunting for a serial killer who meets her victims online. He has met with several women while trying to discover the killer. But after meeting Lucy, she is Quinn's top suspect.
This is the first book in Rachel Gibson's Writer Friends series. It is a romantic comedy with a little bit of suspense thrown in. It's a fast-paced story with a lot of humor. I loved when Lucy would meet with her friends who are all writers. Their conversations were hilarious. I enjoyed this story, even though Lucy had a TSTL moment near the end. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is the first book in Rachel Gibson's Writer Friends series. It is a romantic comedy with a little bit of suspense thrown in. It's a fast-paced story with a lot of humor. I loved when Lucy would meet with her friends who are all writers. Their conversations were hilarious. I enjoyed this story, even though Lucy had a TSTL moment near the end. My rating: 4 Stars.
November 14, 2022
So refreshing! Definitely a rereadable. Romcom lovers will like it.
March 11, 2017
3.5 stars.
Fun plot and Lucy finally became interesting by the middle of the book. She felt pretty blah to me in the beginning for some weird reason. Quinn was great throughout the whole book so he saved the story.
Fun plot and Lucy finally became interesting by the middle of the book. She felt pretty blah to me in the beginning for some weird reason. Quinn was great throughout the whole book so he saved the story.
April 10, 2019
Although I was disappointed that the heroine became a cliche damsel in distress and was saved by the handsome, muscular hero, this book served its purpose for me: I needed a palate cleanser after devouring too many serious books, great books, but still. This fact still doesn’t convince me to give more than two stars to Rachel Gibson’s book though. If Lucy had participated in solving the crime and if she had saved herself, then I would have considered three stars :-))
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2016
3.5 Stars
Funny in places, good story with plenty of tension between H/h......More than a 3 but not quite 4 stars.
Funny in places, good story with plenty of tension between H/h......More than a 3 but not quite 4 stars.
April 26, 2020
10 sayfalık polisiyeyi yok sayarsak okunabilir bir aşk kitabı daha azına elim gitmedi.
December 6, 2020
Great Rom-Com! Our heroine is writing a book and uses her on-line dates as research. She claims to be a nurse which leads to some hilarious stuff. Our hero is an undercover cop searching for a serial killer. He quickly decides that is the secret our heroine is hiding. Which is funnier than it sounds. Lol!
February 19, 2017
Lucy Rothschild, mystery writer, is doing a research on online dating. Her next book is about a serial killer who kills people she met online so Lucy is doing the same, minus the murders. She is just doing her job.
Quinn ('hardluvnman') is also doing his, dating women who are the most likely suspects in the serial killer case. Someone has already killed three men and Quinn's job is to find the killer. He didn't expect to be this attracted to one of the suspects though. Neither did Lucy expect to be attracted to her latest test subject.
What kind of relationship based on lies could the two have anyway? It takes a while for Quinn to be a hundred percent certain Lucy is not the killer. Not that it made any difference to him the way he gets crazy around her.
This book is an entertaining story, but neither of the characters is anything special. They are sort of judgemental towards the people who use online dating sites. They both believe something is wrong with the other one. Their lust at first sight was a bit over the top, but it didn't distract from the story much.
And there is that TSTL moment near the end.
Lucy has three friends who are also authors (different genres). Each book in this series features one of them. The way this one ends regarding one of Lucy's friends is pretty weird.
Quinn ('hardluvnman') is also doing his, dating women who are the most likely suspects in the serial killer case. Someone has already killed three men and Quinn's job is to find the killer. He didn't expect to be this attracted to one of the suspects though. Neither did Lucy expect to be attracted to her latest test subject.
What kind of relationship based on lies could the two have anyway? It takes a while for Quinn to be a hundred percent certain Lucy is not the killer. Not that it made any difference to him the way he gets crazy around her.
This book is an entertaining story, but neither of the characters is anything special. They are sort of judgemental towards the people who use online dating sites. They both believe something is wrong with the other one. Their lust at first sight was a bit over the top, but it didn't distract from the story much.
And there is that TSTL moment near the end.
Lucy has three friends who are also authors (different genres). Each book in this series features one of them. The way this one ends regarding one of Lucy's friends is pretty weird.
March 13, 2018
2.5
This was an okay book - I liked the element of a mystery writer thought to be a serial killer and a police officer getting tangled up together.
I liked the characters and the plot but there still seemed to be some substance missing from it that I couldn't quite put my finger on (which is why I took away half a star).
An easy read if you're looking for something short and cute.
This was an okay book - I liked the element of a mystery writer thought to be a serial killer and a police officer getting tangled up together.
I liked the characters and the plot but there still seemed to be some substance missing from it that I couldn't quite put my finger on (which is why I took away half a star).
An easy read if you're looking for something short and cute.
December 30, 2015
After a very long time, a male lead forced me to sympathise with him. Poor guy was simply trying to do his job. Falling in love with a suspect while you’re in an under-cover job was bound to be a miserable mess. I suppose the heroine’s allowed to feel indignation at having been considered a suspected serial killer, but give the poor guy a break. He couldn’t have disclosed any information to her. Until she was categorically absolved of any kind of suspicion, he couldn’t have done much to help her. Really a comically sad set of events.
I liked the breezy writing. I also adored how the characters were fleshed out. They had no unnecessary emotional hang-ups and thank God they weren’t egoistic, proud fools.
Similar book- You don’t know about Jack. (another wonderful chick lit.)
I liked the breezy writing. I also adored how the characters were fleshed out. They had no unnecessary emotional hang-ups and thank God they weren’t egoistic, proud fools.
Similar book- You don’t know about Jack. (another wonderful chick lit.)
June 9, 2022
This book cannot decide if it is a mystery or a rom com and I couldn't be more happy about that! A great mystery, lots of confusion, witty banter and spicy heat in the romance arena make this book the entertaining listen that you have been waiting for! A gorgeous female mystery writer is online dating for research purposes, a homicide detective is online dating to catch a serial killer and the two together are an entertaining explosion waiting to happen! The audiobook was fantastic as the narrator really brought these characters to life and amped up an already fun plot. I am excited to find that this is the first in the series and I can't wait to hear what happens in the next book!
February 2, 2020
Rachel was one of the first romance authors that I read and was feeling nostalgic. This was a bit dated and not my favorite of hers, but it was narrated by one of my faves, Kathleen Early, and so I enjoyed it nonetheless.
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May 19, 2012
4 Stars
Consistently Rachel Gibson. Another enjoyable read.
Happy Reading!
Consistently Rachel Gibson. Another enjoyable read.
Happy Reading!
Read
July 1, 2019”People met under unusual circumstances all the time.”
Okay so this book is both good and bad for me. I was also grumpy while reading it so I might be being pickier than I need to be.
Lucy is a mystery writer, working on her next book about erotic asphyxiation. Quinn is a cop dating women undercover to find a woman who is murdering men by the same method. They clash and ofc, lovey doveys ensue.
I am a super stan of a protective dude trope, when it’s not creepy. Here it wasn’t creepy, and Quinn gave off many daddy vibes that I greatly appreciated. I can 500% get behind scenes where Quinn protects Lucy. There wasn’t enough of that. I also loved that they spend time talking about pets for no real reason in this book, just because, and I love that shit.
My problem is that a lot of the writing in this book felt hollow. We spent a lot of time on the “red herring” of this plot which is, of course, the idea that Lucy might actually be a murderer. I felt it was too long and it made some of the scenes cringy for me. I also really can’t stand when a book gets meta about writing, while using weak narrative tools. The MC is a writer, and gives writing advice while complaining about not making the money she deserves. The writing talk felt pretty pointed and since this is my first book by her, it didn’t leave me craving another.
Another pet peeve is when a book constantly has a paragraph summing up what has happened so far, it makes you wonder why you even spent the time reading the actual book of the author is going to remind you constantly of what happened. The writing choices, paired with the dialogue and the cringiest murderer lines, pulled me out a lot.
This book sets up for a series following Lucy’s writer friends, but the appeal to this one rested entirely on the protective cop LI trope, so I don’t see myself reading the others.
I enjoyed my time reading this, I really did. I always sound like a whiner about writing in romance novels, but even the mystery element was lame (if you only name two options for a killer, that’s no fun). The story idea could 300% be my fetish, but the delivery was so corny and rushed at times that I just found myself wishing the friend who recced it to me had written it instead, with daddy Hopper at the helm.
Okay so this book is both good and bad for me. I was also grumpy while reading it so I might be being pickier than I need to be.
Lucy is a mystery writer, working on her next book about erotic asphyxiation. Quinn is a cop dating women undercover to find a woman who is murdering men by the same method. They clash and ofc, lovey doveys ensue.
I am a super stan of a protective dude trope, when it’s not creepy. Here it wasn’t creepy, and Quinn gave off many daddy vibes that I greatly appreciated. I can 500% get behind scenes where Quinn protects Lucy. There wasn’t enough of that. I also loved that they spend time talking about pets for no real reason in this book, just because, and I love that shit.
My problem is that a lot of the writing in this book felt hollow. We spent a lot of time on the “red herring” of this plot which is, of course, the idea that Lucy might actually be a murderer. I felt it was too long and it made some of the scenes cringy for me. I also really can’t stand when a book gets meta about writing, while using weak narrative tools. The MC is a writer, and gives writing advice while complaining about not making the money she deserves. The writing talk felt pretty pointed and since this is my first book by her, it didn’t leave me craving another.
Another pet peeve is when a book constantly has a paragraph summing up what has happened so far, it makes you wonder why you even spent the time reading the actual book of the author is going to remind you constantly of what happened. The writing choices, paired with the dialogue and the cringiest murderer lines, pulled me out a lot.
This book sets up for a series following Lucy’s writer friends, but the appeal to this one rested entirely on the protective cop LI trope, so I don’t see myself reading the others.
I enjoyed my time reading this, I really did. I always sound like a whiner about writing in romance novels, but even the mystery element was lame (if you only name two options for a killer, that’s no fun). The story idea could 300% be my fetish, but the delivery was so corny and rushed at times that I just found myself wishing the friend who recced it to me had written it instead, with daddy Hopper at the helm.
October 19, 2016
This was good! I listened to the audio for about 60% until my library loan expired and I needed to purchase the book to find out what happened. I really liked both main characters.
March 29, 2021
4.5 ✨💛
October 30, 2019
Finished this one a few days ago but didn't leave a very strong impression on me and I've been dragging my feet to review it :( The murder mystery was good and there were a few cute/funny moments that made me crack a smile but the romance was just lukewarm for me.
There was just too much lying and misleading between both MCs that didn't go over well with me. With both of them starting off on the wrong foot I was honestly expecting more grovelling. Lucy played the betrayed victim but I didn't really see why she was so bent out of shape over Quinn being undercover when she could clearly see how her own actions would have appeared to a him. his conclusions wouldn't be completely outside the realm of possiblity so her OTT reaction didn't fit, IMO.
Quick Summary:
Lucy is a mystery writer, she uses her numerous online dates as inspiration for her writing. When someone starts to leave a trail of bodies left and right, Lucy becomes a prime suspect for detective Quinn. All the suspects share the same MO and have all been serious online daters. To top it off, they've all come into contact with Lucy, either through the chats and online sites or have been on dates with her at one point. As a mystery writer, Lucy also has an extensive knowledge of crime scenes, police procedures and (obviously) a vivid imagination.
Once he gets to know the real Lucy, Quinn finds it harder and harder to imagine her as their killer. He'll have to juggle his job with his growing feelings for his most promising suspect. All while the clock is ticking and the body count keeps rising.
Overall a good listen, the audio flowed well and it was easy to follow but the story itself was just okay.
SAFETY INFO:
There was just too much lying and misleading between both MCs that didn't go over well with me. With both of them starting off on the wrong foot I was honestly expecting more grovelling. Lucy played the betrayed victim but I didn't really see why she was so bent out of shape over Quinn being undercover when she could clearly see how her own actions would have appeared to a him. his conclusions wouldn't be completely outside the realm of possiblity so her OTT reaction didn't fit, IMO.
Quick Summary:
Lucy is a mystery writer, she uses her numerous online dates as inspiration for her writing. When someone starts to leave a trail of bodies left and right, Lucy becomes a prime suspect for detective Quinn. All the suspects share the same MO and have all been serious online daters. To top it off, they've all come into contact with Lucy, either through the chats and online sites or have been on dates with her at one point. As a mystery writer, Lucy also has an extensive knowledge of crime scenes, police procedures and (obviously) a vivid imagination.
Once he gets to know the real Lucy, Quinn finds it harder and harder to imagine her as their killer. He'll have to juggle his job with his growing feelings for his most promising suspect. All while the clock is ticking and the body count keeps rising.
Overall a good listen, the audio flowed well and it was easy to follow but the story itself was just okay.
SAFETY INFO:
June 4, 2015
Wonderful romantic-suspense lite. Heavy on the romance and lite on the suspense. Even though this book is mostly romance, the suspense plot is great and the baddie isn't revealed until the end.
Lucy is a mystery writer and in doing research for her latest book, she is online dating. It seems that she also has an admirer that she could live without.
Quinn is a cop and there have been three men who have been suffocated and it appears that they have also been online dating. Quinn trolls the internet looking for suspects and Lucy pegs the top of the suspect board. Big problem, they have instant lust for each other and Quinn has to battle his lust for Lucy and his suspicion that she is a murderer. Meanwhile, the murderer claims another victim and Lucy becomes the object of the murderers obsession.
Lucy is a mystery writer and in doing research for her latest book, she is online dating. It seems that she also has an admirer that she could live without.
Quinn is a cop and there have been three men who have been suffocated and it appears that they have also been online dating. Quinn trolls the internet looking for suspects and Lucy pegs the top of the suspect board. Big problem, they have instant lust for each other and Quinn has to battle his lust for Lucy and his suspicion that she is a murderer. Meanwhile, the murderer claims another victim and Lucy becomes the object of the murderers obsession.
March 20, 2018
This was good up until the secret came out about him being a cop. After he treated her like sh*t an was rude to her for no reason. He was the one that lied to her for so long and took it to far. Then he said he only did it for his job as in he didn't care about her at all. And what does she do? Falls at his feet the moment he does something remotely nice. PATHETIC! Is all the heroines of this author this weak? and is all her hero's a**holes?
February 25, 2013
Una muy buena historia de amor tejida con misterio, diversión, pasión, drama.
July 2, 2019
Sex, Lies, and Online Dating is about a writer named Lucy who dates online to meet men to kill. In her mystery novels, that is. On a date with a man named Quinn, they hit it off and Lucy thinks she found one that is different than the others. While he says he is a plumber, Quinn is actually an undercover cop on the hunt of a female serial killer who targets men online and then kills them- and he thinks Lucy might be her.
I've never been so shocked to enjoy a book. Honestly. While it had some issues, I loved the set up and the two main characters. It was literally an episode of a police procedural mixed with a light-hearted romance and weirdly that was something I never thought I wanted until I got that. It was just so fun and I was into that. I have to admit the main thing I liked was the cop love interest protecting the writer and I wish the book had been more of that. Also he's been a cop for a long time but damn he was so unprofessional the whole time. Lucy was just so dumb a times too.
The romantic tension and chemistry between Lucy and Quinn was good and I loved their banter. I do wish the relationship had time to develop because while I get that it happened while drama was happening, a week is way too short to be dropping "I love you", especially when Lucy had just been saying she didn't believe in love at first sight but lust at first sight? Make up yo mind woman. Also there were a ton of side characters and I would have been interested to know them better, but we never really get to. There is set up for sequels following them but yeah... I'm good. My enjoyment of this book is purely because I liked the set up of this one because of my own taste and not really the writing.
I actually had no idea when this was published but when I was reading it, some things felt so weirdly dated at times so I had no idea when this was supposed to take place. After finding out this was published in 2006 (but the audiobook made in 2015, thank god), that explained it. It wasn't horribly dated but it was just a little thing that I noticed.
But for what this book is, I just had fun even though it was super corny and at times, cringe.
I've never been so shocked to enjoy a book. Honestly. While it had some issues, I loved the set up and the two main characters. It was literally an episode of a police procedural mixed with a light-hearted romance and weirdly that was something I never thought I wanted until I got that. It was just so fun and I was into that. I have to admit the main thing I liked was the cop love interest protecting the writer and I wish the book had been more of that. Also he's been a cop for a long time but damn he was so unprofessional the whole time. Lucy was just so dumb a times too.
The romantic tension and chemistry between Lucy and Quinn was good and I loved their banter. I do wish the relationship had time to develop because while I get that it happened while drama was happening, a week is way too short to be dropping "I love you", especially when Lucy had just been saying she didn't believe in love at first sight but lust at first sight? Make up yo mind woman. Also there were a ton of side characters and I would have been interested to know them better, but we never really get to. There is set up for sequels following them but yeah... I'm good. My enjoyment of this book is purely because I liked the set up of this one because of my own taste and not really the writing.
I actually had no idea when this was published but when I was reading it, some things felt so weirdly dated at times so I had no idea when this was supposed to take place. After finding out this was published in 2006 (but the audiobook made in 2015, thank god), that explained it. It wasn't horribly dated but it was just a little thing that I noticed.
But for what this book is, I just had fun even though it was super corny and at times, cringe.
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