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Believe It or Not
Do you believe in…accounting?
Numbers never lie, so Violet McGinn found safe haven in the most boring profession she could find. Until her renowned psychic mother lands in the hospital and Violet has to run her business. Now you can have your taxes filed and your aura read, in one convenient location.
Do you believe in…music?
Drew Watson is the jaded owner of the local hot spot next door, and doesn't need a single thing except a good crowd to dance to what he's spinning on Saturday night.
Do you believe in…love?
The only thing Violet and Drew seem to have in common is that neither believes in that psychic hoo-hah. Except Drew seems to play exactly the right song at exactly the right time. And truth be told, it makes Violet's heart dance just a little…
Numbers never lie, so Violet McGinn found safe haven in the most boring profession she could find. Until her renowned psychic mother lands in the hospital and Violet has to run her business. Now you can have your taxes filed and your aura read, in one convenient location.
Do you believe in…music?
Drew Watson is the jaded owner of the local hot spot next door, and doesn't need a single thing except a good crowd to dance to what he's spinning on Saturday night.
Do you believe in…love?
The only thing Violet and Drew seem to have in common is that neither believes in that psychic hoo-hah. Except Drew seems to play exactly the right song at exactly the right time. And truth be told, it makes Violet's heart dance just a little…
370 pages, Paperback
First published March 6, 2012
28 people are currently reading
363 people want to read
About the author
Tawna Fenske
74 books1,618 followersWhen Tawna Fenske finished her English lit degree at 22, she celebrated by filling a giant trash bag full of romance novels and dragging it everywhere until she’d read them all. Now she’s a RITA Award finalist, USA Today bestselling author who writes humorous fiction, risqué romance, and heartwarming love stories with a quirky twist. Publishers Weekly has praised Tawna’s offbeat romances with multiple starred reviews and noted, “There’s something wonderfully relaxing about being immersed in a story filled with over-the-top characters in undeniably relatable situations. Heartache and humor go hand in hand.”
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.
Tawna lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband, step-kids, and a menagerie of ill-behaved pets. She loves hiking, snowshoeing, standup paddleboarding, and inventing excuses to sip wine on her back porch. She can peel a banana with her toes and loses an average of twenty pairs of eyeglasses per year. To find out more about Tawna and her books, visit www.tawnafenske.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
March 29, 2015
http://gamzeninkitapdunyasi.blogspot....
Violet, annesinin anormallikleri içinde büyüyen ve bunlar yüzünden her şeyi geride bırakıp sırf normal bir hayat yaşamak uğruna arkasına bakmadan yaşadığı yerden giden birisidir. Ve en sonunda da bir muhasebeci olarak hayatını idare eder. Devamlı çalışır, tatillerin bile ne demek olduğunu bilmez.
Drew ise tıpkı Violet gibi özelliklere sahip olan aşırı zeki olan karısı ile yollarını ayırmıştır. Ortağı Sam ile bar işletir, haftanın iki günü de erkek dansçılar sahne alır. Yani Violet için normallikten çok uzak olan bir karakterdir Drew.
Kitaba ilk başladığımda yani ilk sayfalarda eğlendim, komik diyaloglar vardı. O kısımları keyif alarak okudum. Sonra sayfalar ilerledikçe belli bir hizada gitti kitap ve ben oralarda acayip sıkıldım.
Kitap türü romantik komedi. İçinde kurguya dair pek bir şey yok. O yüzden yağmurlu bir günde koltuğa gömülüp birkaç saatte bitirebileceğiniz türden bir kitap.
Son dönemlerde yazarın adına goodreadste devamlı rastlıyordum. Bir merak okudum. Ancak henüz bir sonuç elde edemedim. Şöyle ki yazarın kalemi iyi mi yoksa kötü mü emin değilim. Eğer kitap başladığı gibi bir tempoda bitseydi tereddüt etmeden yazarı okumaya devam ederdim ancak şimdi çok kararsızım. Yani okusam da olur okumasam da olur diyorum.
O nedenle karar tamamen sizin :)
Violet, annesinin anormallikleri içinde büyüyen ve bunlar yüzünden her şeyi geride bırakıp sırf normal bir hayat yaşamak uğruna arkasına bakmadan yaşadığı yerden giden birisidir. Ve en sonunda da bir muhasebeci olarak hayatını idare eder. Devamlı çalışır, tatillerin bile ne demek olduğunu bilmez.
Drew ise tıpkı Violet gibi özelliklere sahip olan aşırı zeki olan karısı ile yollarını ayırmıştır. Ortağı Sam ile bar işletir, haftanın iki günü de erkek dansçılar sahne alır. Yani Violet için normallikten çok uzak olan bir karakterdir Drew.
Kitaba ilk başladığımda yani ilk sayfalarda eğlendim, komik diyaloglar vardı. O kısımları keyif alarak okudum. Sonra sayfalar ilerledikçe belli bir hizada gitti kitap ve ben oralarda acayip sıkıldım.
Kitap türü romantik komedi. İçinde kurguya dair pek bir şey yok. O yüzden yağmurlu bir günde koltuğa gömülüp birkaç saatte bitirebileceğiniz türden bir kitap.
Son dönemlerde yazarın adına goodreadste devamlı rastlıyordum. Bir merak okudum. Ancak henüz bir sonuç elde edemedim. Şöyle ki yazarın kalemi iyi mi yoksa kötü mü emin değilim. Eğer kitap başladığı gibi bir tempoda bitseydi tereddüt etmeden yazarı okumaya devam ederdim ancak şimdi çok kararsızım. Yani okusam da olur okumasam da olur diyorum.
O nedenle karar tamamen sizin :)
March 6, 2012
This book manages to be an entire romantic comedy starring John Cusack, with a ton of music references, a touch of magical realism, and a heavy dose of swoon thrown in for good measure.
I first discovered Tawna on Twitter because she shares an agent with Kiersten White (PARANORMALCY), and then I found her daily blog. I knew that if Tawna was half as funny and charming in her books as she is on Don't Pet Me, I'm Writing--where she routinely makes me snort completely unladylike and spit drink onto my computer screen--then I was gonna be in for a treat. And y'all, she's even better.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT is a funny, music-filled adventure filled with psychics, butt rock, male strippers, kooks, and hippies. It also touches your heart. It’s about a woman, Violet, who has run from her family legacy of spiritual enlightenment to become a boring accountant across the country. When she returns to run the store after her mother’s hospitalization, she meets the sexy, not-gay owner of the bar next-door that happens to spotlight male strippers several nights a week. She also discovers an interesting connection between his music of choice, 80’s butt rock, and her newfound spiritual gift.
This story hooked me from the very beginning and I loved every minute of it. I had no clue where Tawna was gonna take me, but I knew it would be entertaining. What I didn’t expect was all the warm gooeyness buried inside, the real journey each of the characters went on, the almost innocence threaded through the lives of all the minor characters. Who’d a thunk a book about male strippers could be so endearing? That’s the magic of Tawna Fenske, and the magic embedded in BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
Tawna’s voice is straight-forward and honest, and the pacing is fast—though she does know when to slow it down, gifting us with a twenty page love scene that is not only steam up my Kindle screen hot, but involves an unfortunate (and unforgettable) stripper pole accident. Really, does it get any better than that?
BELIEVE IT OR NOT is told via third person with both Violet and Drew being equal narrators. We really get to know them both, and they are both extremely likeable and relatable. I completely rooted for them to get together, but for once I actually also enjoyed the many roadblocks thrown into their path. Normally that drives me nuts and gets tiresome, and feels like an excuse just to keep tension and extend the length of the book—but in this case, every start and stop, every hiccup the couple encountered, not only made story sense, but it peeled back another layer. And it was freaking hilarious.
For fans of romantic comedies, swoony romance, magical realism, 80s butt rock, male strippers, psychics, and funny one-liners, BELIEVE IT OR NOT is a must read that will have you laughing out loud and grinning from ear to ear. Just a bit of a warning—be careful eating or drinking while reading. You never know when you may come across something that’ll make you spew in hilarity. Friends don’t let friends drink and read a Tawna Fenske novel.
I first discovered Tawna on Twitter because she shares an agent with Kiersten White (PARANORMALCY), and then I found her daily blog. I knew that if Tawna was half as funny and charming in her books as she is on Don't Pet Me, I'm Writing--where she routinely makes me snort completely unladylike and spit drink onto my computer screen--then I was gonna be in for a treat. And y'all, she's even better.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT is a funny, music-filled adventure filled with psychics, butt rock, male strippers, kooks, and hippies. It also touches your heart. It’s about a woman, Violet, who has run from her family legacy of spiritual enlightenment to become a boring accountant across the country. When she returns to run the store after her mother’s hospitalization, she meets the sexy, not-gay owner of the bar next-door that happens to spotlight male strippers several nights a week. She also discovers an interesting connection between his music of choice, 80’s butt rock, and her newfound spiritual gift.
This story hooked me from the very beginning and I loved every minute of it. I had no clue where Tawna was gonna take me, but I knew it would be entertaining. What I didn’t expect was all the warm gooeyness buried inside, the real journey each of the characters went on, the almost innocence threaded through the lives of all the minor characters. Who’d a thunk a book about male strippers could be so endearing? That’s the magic of Tawna Fenske, and the magic embedded in BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
Tawna’s voice is straight-forward and honest, and the pacing is fast—though she does know when to slow it down, gifting us with a twenty page love scene that is not only steam up my Kindle screen hot, but involves an unfortunate (and unforgettable) stripper pole accident. Really, does it get any better than that?
BELIEVE IT OR NOT is told via third person with both Violet and Drew being equal narrators. We really get to know them both, and they are both extremely likeable and relatable. I completely rooted for them to get together, but for once I actually also enjoyed the many roadblocks thrown into their path. Normally that drives me nuts and gets tiresome, and feels like an excuse just to keep tension and extend the length of the book—but in this case, every start and stop, every hiccup the couple encountered, not only made story sense, but it peeled back another layer. And it was freaking hilarious.
For fans of romantic comedies, swoony romance, magical realism, 80s butt rock, male strippers, psychics, and funny one-liners, BELIEVE IT OR NOT is a must read that will have you laughing out loud and grinning from ear to ear. Just a bit of a warning—be careful eating or drinking while reading. You never know when you may come across something that’ll make you spew in hilarity. Friends don’t let friends drink and read a Tawna Fenske novel.
February 19, 2014
Yazarın eğlenceli bir kalemi, mizahi yönü güçlü bir anlatımı var.Açıkçası sık sık bu tarz kitaplara ihtiyaç duyan birisi olarak her zaman takip etmeyi düşündüğüm bir yazar.Bir kitap beni güldürüyorsa, korkutup meraklandırıyorsa,hem kızdırıp hem ağlatıyorsa o kitap benim nezdimde iyidir.Tabi bütün bu özellikler aynı kitapta zor bulunur orası ayrı.Söylediğim gibi eğer kitap beni kendine çekiyorsa, konuda akıp gidiyorsa ben ÇOK göze batmadıkça çeviriye takılmam ya da içeriğindeki "sahneler" beni çok da rahatsız etmez.Bunu neden şimdi söylüyorum bende bilmiyorum.Aklıma geldi sanırım :)
Kitaba gelirsek....Açıksa sevdim kitabı, karakterler her zamanki gibi eğlenceli ve FARKLIydı.
Bir bina, iş yeri düşünün.Yan yana üç dükkan.Bir dövmeci, bir medyum ve haftada birkaç defa Drew'in tabiriyle egzotik dansçılarında -yada erkek striptizci siz ne derseniz- sahne aldığı bir bar...Fazlasıyla normal!Dolayısıyla burada yaşanan olaylar da bununla bağlantılı olarak normal bir güzergahta devam ediyor.Demek isterdim ama buna kim inanır ki?
Violet bir muhasebeci.Ve normal olmakla kafayı birazcık bozmuş.Aslında hak vermedim değil.Benimde medyum bir annem olsa -çatlak bir anne- ve ergenliğin o yıllarında çevrem tarafından dışlansam bende biraz normallik isterdim hayatımda.
Drew ise barımızın sahibi.Medyum ailemizle de komşu.Şu medyum olayından nefret etmekle birlikte kesinlikle inanmıyor.Zaten bu olay başını yeterince ağrıtmamış gibi bir de Violet meselesi var..Kız akıllı, zeki, eğlenceli kısacası çıkmayı düşündüğü boş kızlardan değil.Zaten birbirlerine uygun olmamalarını geç tipi bile değil.Ama bütün bunları bilmek aralarındaki çekime engel değil.
* * *
Tuhaf olaylar dizisi bu kitapta yakamızı bırakmıyor.Çalan şarkılardan yola çıkarak tabiri caizse görüde bulunmak da buna güzel bir örnek.Hikaye güzel başladı ama ortalara doğru biraz bocaladı gibi.Yani çabuk ve hızlı bir hikayeydi ama biz birbirimize uygun değiliz durumunu fazla uzattılar sanki.Hem neredeyse aşık olduklarını düşünüp hemde başkalarıyla çıkmaları bana biraz itici geldi.Bilmiyorum hoşlanmadım bu durumdan.Birde hikaye güzel bitti ama bir iki unsur tam olarak halledilmedi yada çözüme kavuşturulmadı gibi geldi.Bunun nedeni Drew'in bunu takmaması da olabilir bilmiyorum :)
Bunlar dışında komik ve eğlenceliydi.Gerek ana karakterler gerekse yan karakterler beni cezbetti.Peki hem eleştirip hemde neden 4 puan derseniz konunun başındda söylediğim gibi.Eğer bana güzel şeyler hissettiriyorsa olumsuz yönlerine çok da takılmam.
http://minikbirduss.blogspot.com/2014...
Kitaba gelirsek....Açıksa sevdim kitabı, karakterler her zamanki gibi eğlenceli ve FARKLIydı.
Bir bina, iş yeri düşünün.Yan yana üç dükkan.Bir dövmeci, bir medyum ve haftada birkaç defa Drew'in tabiriyle egzotik dansçılarında -yada erkek striptizci siz ne derseniz- sahne aldığı bir bar...Fazlasıyla normal!Dolayısıyla burada yaşanan olaylar da bununla bağlantılı olarak normal bir güzergahta devam ediyor.Demek isterdim ama buna kim inanır ki?
Violet bir muhasebeci.Ve normal olmakla kafayı birazcık bozmuş.Aslında hak vermedim değil.Benimde medyum bir annem olsa -çatlak bir anne- ve ergenliğin o yıllarında çevrem tarafından dışlansam bende biraz normallik isterdim hayatımda.
Drew ise barımızın sahibi.Medyum ailemizle de komşu.Şu medyum olayından nefret etmekle birlikte kesinlikle inanmıyor.Zaten bu olay başını yeterince ağrıtmamış gibi bir de Violet meselesi var..Kız akıllı, zeki, eğlenceli kısacası çıkmayı düşündüğü boş kızlardan değil.Zaten birbirlerine uygun olmamalarını geç tipi bile değil.Ama bütün bunları bilmek aralarındaki çekime engel değil.
* * *
Tuhaf olaylar dizisi bu kitapta yakamızı bırakmıyor.Çalan şarkılardan yola çıkarak tabiri caizse görüde bulunmak da buna güzel bir örnek.Hikaye güzel başladı ama ortalara doğru biraz bocaladı gibi.Yani çabuk ve hızlı bir hikayeydi ama biz birbirimize uygun değiliz durumunu fazla uzattılar sanki.Hem neredeyse aşık olduklarını düşünüp hemde başkalarıyla çıkmaları bana biraz itici geldi.Bilmiyorum hoşlanmadım bu durumdan.Birde hikaye güzel bitti ama bir iki unsur tam olarak halledilmedi yada çözüme kavuşturulmadı gibi geldi.Bunun nedeni Drew'in bunu takmaması da olabilir bilmiyorum :)
Bunlar dışında komik ve eğlenceliydi.Gerek ana karakterler gerekse yan karakterler beni cezbetti.Peki hem eleştirip hemde neden 4 puan derseniz konunun başındda söylediğim gibi.Eğer bana güzel şeyler hissettiriyorsa olumsuz yönlerine çok da takılmam.
http://minikbirduss.blogspot.com/2014...
March 24, 2012
3 ½ stars. It’s better than ok. It’s a cute story for contemporary romance with a few chuckles.
STORY BRIEF:
Violet is an accountant. Her mother Moonbeam does psychic readings in a small shop next to a bar. Drew owns the bar. The bar has male stripper/dancers on weekends which is popular with women. Moonbeam falls and breaks some bones. She won’t consider surgery and modern medicine unless Violet agrees to run her psychic business while Moonbeam is out. Moonbeam claims Violet is psychic and wants Violet to give psychic readings to her clients. Violet does not believe she is psychic but reluctantly agrees.
During the readings, Violet gives advice in two ways: 1. using common sense and facts and 2. she hears a song Drew is playing next door and gives advice based on the song. For example, when she hears a song with the word “baby” in the title, she tells the client she is pregnant.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The set up is kind of comical with a facts-and-figures-accountant giving psychic advice. I was chuckling a few times, but it wasn’t as funny as the author’s first book. The conflicts were reasonable. I was pleased that the author didn’t use weak plot devices. There is some good relationship development. I would have liked more development of the happy ending. It was too abrupt
Don’t expect hot, sensual sex scenes. When they finally have sex, it’s more of a conversation than passion. I don’t mean to criticize - just letting you know what to expect. Not every story needs hot sex.
DATA:
Story length: 361 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total Number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Portland, Oregon. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance with a touch of paranormal.
OTHER BOOKS:
So far the author only has two books. I gave 4 ½ stars to “Making Waves” which had lots of laughing.
STORY BRIEF:
Violet is an accountant. Her mother Moonbeam does psychic readings in a small shop next to a bar. Drew owns the bar. The bar has male stripper/dancers on weekends which is popular with women. Moonbeam falls and breaks some bones. She won’t consider surgery and modern medicine unless Violet agrees to run her psychic business while Moonbeam is out. Moonbeam claims Violet is psychic and wants Violet to give psychic readings to her clients. Violet does not believe she is psychic but reluctantly agrees.
During the readings, Violet gives advice in two ways: 1. using common sense and facts and 2. she hears a song Drew is playing next door and gives advice based on the song. For example, when she hears a song with the word “baby” in the title, she tells the client she is pregnant.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
The set up is kind of comical with a facts-and-figures-accountant giving psychic advice. I was chuckling a few times, but it wasn’t as funny as the author’s first book. The conflicts were reasonable. I was pleased that the author didn’t use weak plot devices. There is some good relationship development. I would have liked more development of the happy ending. It was too abrupt
Don’t expect hot, sensual sex scenes. When they finally have sex, it’s more of a conversation than passion. I don’t mean to criticize - just letting you know what to expect. Not every story needs hot sex.
DATA:
Story length: 361 pages. Swearing language: strong, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: 2. Total Number of sex scene pages: 12. Setting: current day Portland, Oregon. Copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance with a touch of paranormal.
OTHER BOOKS:
So far the author only has two books. I gave 4 ½ stars to “Making Waves” which had lots of laughing.
January 6, 2012
First up, i would just like to say a big thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book! I loved everything about this story, from Violet and her determination to be "normal" to Drew with his 80's clothes and managing a bar that also happened to have male strippers. But most of all i LOVED the nod to 80's big hair bands....the music really resonated with me and it was like trip down memory lane. This book is a wonderfully humorous contemporary romance with a big dash of sexy thrown in; just the way i like it!
February 8, 2014
Severim chick-lit romanları, ama bu sefer sıkıla sıkıla bitsin diye okuduğum bir roman oldu. Kurgusu zayıf, karakterleri de zayıftı bence. Bir de bütün gariplikleri bir kitapta toplayayım diye baya zorlamış yazar. Kısacası Tawna, bizimle deyılsın.
September 15, 2017
🍻 Yalancı Aşık || Tawna Fenske 🍻
#kitapyorumu
Her şey Violet'in annesinin hastalanması ve bir süre onun yerine medyumculuk yapması ile başlıyor. Violet, aslında mantıklı bir kadın. Muhasebeci. İşi sayılarla ilgili. Yani medyumluk ile uzaktan yakından ilgisi yok. Ama annesinin durumundan dolayı onun yerine geçiyor ve şans mıdır, kader midir bilinmez medyumluk işini kıvırıyor. Tabi bu süreçte yan komşusu bar işletmecisi Drew ile yolları kesişiyor.
Kitabın tanıtımını okuduğumda bir aşk üçgeni olacağını sanmıştım ama öyle olmadı. Diğer karakterin sadece adı geçiyor. Yani kitap Drew ve Violet odaklı. 😊
Kitap tatlı bir başlangıç yaptı aslında ama zaman zaman sıkıldığım yerlerde oldu.
Yazarın daha önce "Dalgalar Hep Aşk Getirse" kitabını okumuş ve beğenmiştim. Yalancı Aşık kitabına da bir şans vermek istedim. Ama diğer kitabı daha çok sevdiğime karar verdim.
Yalancı Aşık'ın kurgusu güzeldi aslında ama karakterlerin dengesiz ve ne istediklerini bilmeyen halleri beni rahatsız etti. Yani işi yokuşa sürmenin ne anlamı var? 😒
Gerçi Drew karakterini sevdim. Ama Violet'e uyuz oldum biraz.
Yazarın kalemini seviyorum. Akıcı ve kendini okutan bir kalemi var. Fakat Yalancı Aşık pek beklediğim gibi çıkmadı. Bilmiyorum, belki de beklentiyi yüksek tuttuğum içindir..
Okurken, keşke yazarın diğer kitaplarını da okuma şansımız olsa diye düşündüm. 😆 Sonuç olarak orta karar bir kitaptı. Chick-Lit türünde kitapları sevenler bir şans verebilirler. 😊
#kitapyorumu
Her şey Violet'in annesinin hastalanması ve bir süre onun yerine medyumculuk yapması ile başlıyor. Violet, aslında mantıklı bir kadın. Muhasebeci. İşi sayılarla ilgili. Yani medyumluk ile uzaktan yakından ilgisi yok. Ama annesinin durumundan dolayı onun yerine geçiyor ve şans mıdır, kader midir bilinmez medyumluk işini kıvırıyor. Tabi bu süreçte yan komşusu bar işletmecisi Drew ile yolları kesişiyor.
Kitabın tanıtımını okuduğumda bir aşk üçgeni olacağını sanmıştım ama öyle olmadı. Diğer karakterin sadece adı geçiyor. Yani kitap Drew ve Violet odaklı. 😊
Kitap tatlı bir başlangıç yaptı aslında ama zaman zaman sıkıldığım yerlerde oldu.
Yazarın daha önce "Dalgalar Hep Aşk Getirse" kitabını okumuş ve beğenmiştim. Yalancı Aşık kitabına da bir şans vermek istedim. Ama diğer kitabı daha çok sevdiğime karar verdim.
Yalancı Aşık'ın kurgusu güzeldi aslında ama karakterlerin dengesiz ve ne istediklerini bilmeyen halleri beni rahatsız etti. Yani işi yokuşa sürmenin ne anlamı var? 😒
Gerçi Drew karakterini sevdim. Ama Violet'e uyuz oldum biraz.
Yazarın kalemini seviyorum. Akıcı ve kendini okutan bir kalemi var. Fakat Yalancı Aşık pek beklediğim gibi çıkmadı. Bilmiyorum, belki de beklentiyi yüksek tuttuğum içindir..
Okurken, keşke yazarın diğer kitaplarını da okuma şansımız olsa diye düşündüm. 😆 Sonuç olarak orta karar bir kitaptı. Chick-Lit türünde kitapları sevenler bir şans verebilirler. 😊
September 2, 2019
Violet is an account who left home when she got the chance. She moved from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. Her mother is Moonbeam, psychic and into anything alternative. She is back home to help her mom out after she falls and breaks a few bones. Drew owns the bar next door. His bar also happens to have (male) exotic dancing for a few night a week.
This was a fun story of opposites attract. I liked Violet's knowledge of trivia and recognition of various songs Drew would play which would cause her to blurt out things during reading that were true. I liked Drew's attraction to Violet, even though she was similar to his ex-wife (and what he didn't think he needed).
I did think the ending was a rushed and abrupt and an epilogue would have helped.
This was a fun story of opposites attract. I liked Violet's knowledge of trivia and recognition of various songs Drew would play which would cause her to blurt out things during reading that were true. I liked Drew's attraction to Violet, even though she was similar to his ex-wife (and what he didn't think he needed).
I did think the ending was a rushed and abrupt and an epilogue would have helped.
February 27, 2012
Believe It or Not is a fun, cute contemporary romance story. Violet is a woman at odds with herself, she grew up with an eccentric "psychic" mother. Her mother, named Moonbeam, is in the hospital and Violet takes over her mother's business while she recovers. As an accountant, and not believing in psychic ability, Violet has mixed feelings about pretending to be a psychic, but she feels she has no choice. The business next to the psychic shop is a bar that features male strippers on the weekends, and Drew is the hottie who runs it. Violet and Drew develop an attraction, but business and hesitations get in the way of developing a relationship. As Violet begins acting as a psychic, she begins to think maybe psychics aren't as fake as she once thought.
I really enjoyed this book, it is a very fun read and I was thoroughly entertained by the hippie/naturalist nature of Violet's mother and her friends. I like Violet as a character, she is trying to be a "normal" person despite her abnormal upbringing. I also like Drew, who has his own issues to overcome. He had been hurt by his ex-wife and has relationship issues, not to mention his distaste for the "psychic" business next door.
Believe It or Not is a delightfully amusing book. I was immersed in the story with zany antics, psychic stories, and colorful characters. The pacing is excellent, there is a good balance between the funny moments and the more serious times. Both Violet and Drew have to come to terms with their pasts and make decisions for the future, and I love how the story wound up.
I enjoyed reading Believe It or Not so much that I added other books by Tawna Fenske to my to-read list. I am very happy to have enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to reading Tawna Fenske's other stories. Contemporary romance readers, I highly recommend reading Believe It or Not.
I received this book for review*
I really enjoyed this book, it is a very fun read and I was thoroughly entertained by the hippie/naturalist nature of Violet's mother and her friends. I like Violet as a character, she is trying to be a "normal" person despite her abnormal upbringing. I also like Drew, who has his own issues to overcome. He had been hurt by his ex-wife and has relationship issues, not to mention his distaste for the "psychic" business next door.
Believe It or Not is a delightfully amusing book. I was immersed in the story with zany antics, psychic stories, and colorful characters. The pacing is excellent, there is a good balance between the funny moments and the more serious times. Both Violet and Drew have to come to terms with their pasts and make decisions for the future, and I love how the story wound up.
I enjoyed reading Believe It or Not so much that I added other books by Tawna Fenske to my to-read list. I am very happy to have enjoyed the book and I am looking forward to reading Tawna Fenske's other stories. Contemporary romance readers, I highly recommend reading Believe It or Not.
I received this book for review*
December 11, 2013
Nemesis Kitap’tan çıkmış olan , Tawna Fenske’nin Yalancı Âşık kitabını , okuyup bitirmiş bulunmaktayım.
Öncelikle, kitabın çevirisi çok akıcıydı. Yazı puntosu tam istediğim gibiydi. Tabi arada tek tük yazım hataları vardı , ama bunu nazar boncuğu olarak görüyorum.
Kitabımız, tam bir romantik komedi ve film tadında.Kitapta ; Violet adlı bir kadının, günün birinde annesinin bir olay sonucunda sakatlanması üzerine annesinin mesleğini kısa süreliğine devralması ki annesinin mesleği , medyumluk. Violette’in asıl kendi mesleği ise muhasebecilik. Ama gelin görün ki annesinin hatrı için kısa süreliğine medyumluk yapmaya ikna oluyor. Ve asıl olaylar onun medyum olmasıyla başlıyor . Kızımız hiç medyumluktan anlamıyor ve başına bir sürü iş açıyor , aslında acemi şansı da var kızımız da yok değil . :)
Medyumluk işini devr almasından sonra bir adamla tanışıyor adı Drew .Drew de bar işletiyor . Aynı zaman da yakışıklı bir doktorumuz da var , adı Chris. Violet bu iki adam arasında zaman zaman gelgitler yaşıyor, kalbini mi yoksa mantığını mı seçmesi konusunda .Fakat en sonunda bir tanesinde karar kılıyor , tabiî ki de . Ama genede yaptığı ufak bir hata sonucu ilişkisi tehlikeye girebiliyor. Bakalım Violet , bu olaydan sıyrılabilecek mi ve aşkı bulabilecek mi ?
İşte bunların bütün cevabı , okurken yüzünüz de tebessüm oluşturacak , bu kitapta saklı. Okuyun, görün ;)
Şahsen ben çok beğendim . Kesinlikle tavsiye ediyorum . Ve Nemesis Kitap’a bu kitabı bizlerle buluşturduğu için çok teşekkür ediyorum. Bir puan verecek olursam da on üzerinden dokuz puan veriyorum.Saygılarımla…
Öncelikle, kitabın çevirisi çok akıcıydı. Yazı puntosu tam istediğim gibiydi. Tabi arada tek tük yazım hataları vardı , ama bunu nazar boncuğu olarak görüyorum.
Kitabımız, tam bir romantik komedi ve film tadında.Kitapta ; Violet adlı bir kadının, günün birinde annesinin bir olay sonucunda sakatlanması üzerine annesinin mesleğini kısa süreliğine devralması ki annesinin mesleği , medyumluk. Violette’in asıl kendi mesleği ise muhasebecilik. Ama gelin görün ki annesinin hatrı için kısa süreliğine medyumluk yapmaya ikna oluyor. Ve asıl olaylar onun medyum olmasıyla başlıyor . Kızımız hiç medyumluktan anlamıyor ve başına bir sürü iş açıyor , aslında acemi şansı da var kızımız da yok değil . :)
Medyumluk işini devr almasından sonra bir adamla tanışıyor adı Drew .Drew de bar işletiyor . Aynı zaman da yakışıklı bir doktorumuz da var , adı Chris. Violet bu iki adam arasında zaman zaman gelgitler yaşıyor, kalbini mi yoksa mantığını mı seçmesi konusunda .Fakat en sonunda bir tanesinde karar kılıyor , tabiî ki de . Ama genede yaptığı ufak bir hata sonucu ilişkisi tehlikeye girebiliyor. Bakalım Violet , bu olaydan sıyrılabilecek mi ve aşkı bulabilecek mi ?
İşte bunların bütün cevabı , okurken yüzünüz de tebessüm oluşturacak , bu kitapta saklı. Okuyun, görün ;)
Şahsen ben çok beğendim . Kesinlikle tavsiye ediyorum . Ve Nemesis Kitap’a bu kitabı bizlerle buluşturduğu için çok teşekkür ediyorum. Bir puan verecek olursam da on üzerinden dokuz puan veriyorum.Saygılarımla…
March 7, 2012
Here's something to think about: How come you never see a headline like 'Psychic Wins Lottery'? - Jay Leno
Both Violet McGinn and Drew Watson would agree with Jay Leno. They come into contact, and share this opinion, when Violet's mother, Moombeam, has an accident. Moonbeam offers psychic services in a studio next to Drew's bar. But not just a bar, but a hot spot featuring exotic male dancers on the weekend.
Moonbeam, believing her daughter has the gift, blackmails Violet - she'll consider modern medicine for recovery if Violet takes over her psychic business. Granted, Violet fled to the other side of the country to pursue a "normal" life as an accountant. Yet Violet accepts, assuming she can bluff her way through appointments while her mother recovers under the care of a medical doctor (not a witch doctor).
The bar's wall thumping music from 80s hair bands seem to give Violet clues to solving local mysteries that satify Moonbeam's customers. Likewise, Violet's heart thumping body distracts Drew - he has no intention of getting involved with a straight laced accountant, especially if she is his cooky neighbor's daughter.
Ah, love works magic on these mismatched lovers. BELIEVE IT OR NOT delivers pop culture, sexual inneundos, quirky characters, and laugh out loud moments that make it an entertaining read.
Fenske follows up her successful debut, MAKING WAVES, with another charming story of love conquers all. Sourcebooks provided an ARC for this review.
Both Violet McGinn and Drew Watson would agree with Jay Leno. They come into contact, and share this opinion, when Violet's mother, Moombeam, has an accident. Moonbeam offers psychic services in a studio next to Drew's bar. But not just a bar, but a hot spot featuring exotic male dancers on the weekend.
Moonbeam, believing her daughter has the gift, blackmails Violet - she'll consider modern medicine for recovery if Violet takes over her psychic business. Granted, Violet fled to the other side of the country to pursue a "normal" life as an accountant. Yet Violet accepts, assuming she can bluff her way through appointments while her mother recovers under the care of a medical doctor (not a witch doctor).
The bar's wall thumping music from 80s hair bands seem to give Violet clues to solving local mysteries that satify Moonbeam's customers. Likewise, Violet's heart thumping body distracts Drew - he has no intention of getting involved with a straight laced accountant, especially if she is his cooky neighbor's daughter.
Ah, love works magic on these mismatched lovers. BELIEVE IT OR NOT delivers pop culture, sexual inneundos, quirky characters, and laugh out loud moments that make it an entertaining read.
Fenske follows up her successful debut, MAKING WAVES, with another charming story of love conquers all. Sourcebooks provided an ARC for this review.
October 16, 2012
Much better effort than 1st book by author. This had a workable plot & quirky characters that have basis in reality.
Spoiler Alert:
Most of us have mother issues so it was fun to read about the heroine's growth in trying to resolve in a positive way her differs & sames with her view of her mom. In this book mom does know best.
Liked the paranormal twists. Never have heard glam rock called butt rock but I was into new wave, punk & country at the time.
Spoiler Alert:
Most of us have mother issues so it was fun to read about the heroine's growth in trying to resolve in a positive way her differs & sames with her view of her mom. In this book mom does know best.
Liked the paranormal twists. Never have heard glam rock called butt rock but I was into new wave, punk & country at the time.
December 28, 2013
Bu kitap tam bir romantik komedi.Biraz bana hafif geldi kurgu bakımından.Tam da deniz kenarında şezlongunuza kurulup da okuyacağınız tipte bir kitap.
Yazarın kalemi hakkında bir kitabını daha okursam karar vereceğim.Ama Romantik Komedi severlerin seveceği tipte bir kitap...
Yazarın kalemi hakkında bir kitabını daha okursam karar vereceğim.Ama Romantik Komedi severlerin seveceği tipte bir kitap...
Want to read
August 28, 2015I wantz its now!!
January 2, 2012
What a cute read! I loved the 80's music and how it went along to make a story that made me laugh. Great characters.
July 31, 2017
Very funny character interactions and well written. However, the story is predictable and romance between the characters is annoying. I'm not a fan of romance where heroine strings along other guys for the majority of the book (80% for this book). The majority of the romance in this book is: I want you but I can't have you, I want you but you're not right for me, I want you but you're not that person, I want you but you're dangerous and blah blah blah. Repeat that for 80% of the book, and I'm fucking bored and annoyed. Seriously, there's just too much repeating the same time: date this guy but want another guy. The author has great and funny writings with her pen (I just love the banter between the characters) but the story and character developments are disappointing.
July 16, 2020
Fun, light contemporary romance, although you're getting exactly what you're getting - despite the heroine's professed concerns about the ethics of her mother's psychic business, she has no compunctions about taking over for her to keep her in business while she's in the hospital. How convenient that she doesn't actually exploit/lie to anyone while she's doing it, right? I get it, that's not what this novel wants to deal with, but it's a little shady.
March 28, 2012
Tasty Bite of Brain Candy
Violet McGinn has a...complicated relationship with her mother, a self-proclaimed psychic who calls herself Moonbeam and gives psychic readings out of her shop in Portland, Oregon. And yes, that's a large reason why Violet is an accountant. In Portland, Maine. About as far away as she could get from her loopy mother in both career and location. Violet doesn't believe in psychics. She believes in statistics. She believes in facts. She believes in all things normal.
Be that as it may, when her mother suffers a serious injury after a fall and ends up in the hospital, Violet returns to Oregon to help her. She agrees, very reluctantly, to keep the store open and take on her mother's clients so Moonbeam will consent to having traditional surgery. Acting as a psychic makes Violet very uncomfortable given her absolute lack of belief, but there is one perk to the job. The man who runs the strip club next to Moonbeam's shop. It's a pity he's gay, because he's definitely a very big perk.
He owns a bar, but convincing people of that has been hit and miss since Drew Watson started featuring male strippers two nights a week. People keep calling it a strip club. People like the daughter of the crazy lady who runs the woo-woo shop next door. She sure is pretty, though. And her eyes, an unbelievable color that matches her name, do something to him in all the best places. Flirting with her is as natural as breathing and twice as fun. Almost as much fun as proving to her that he is decidedly not gay.
They're perfect for each other, except for one tiny problem. Running a strip club...er...bar is not exactly the definition of normal. In fact, Drew is wonderfully, fantastically, sexily not normal. Violet can't deny the deep attraction she feels for the man, but a childhood being raised by Moonbeam makes her more than yearn for normal - she needs it like air.
Which is probably why she freaks so bad when she starts to notice a peculiar connection between the music she heard Drew playing in his bar...and the accurate fortunes she is "psychically" providing to her mother's clients. And caring for Drew on top of the terrifying possibility she's starting to contemplate, is just way too far outside the realm of normal for her.
~*~
Ah, brain candy. I do love it so. You know the sort, the light, fluffy reads that don't take themselves too seriously but offer up a couple of fun characters, some entertaining banter, a healthy dose of sexual sizzle, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After without too much angst between the beginning and the end. Sure, a steady diet of brain candy might be a bit much, but I've always enjoyed delectable snack or a sweet-as-sin dessert between weightier reads as sort of a mental palate cleanser, and Fenske's Believe It or Not fit the bill nicely.
Not only are Violet and Drew perfectly enjoyable characters, but the storyline was breezy and fresh, and the woo-woo bits were kept subtle and inconclusive in a rather brilliant manner that kept this little gem from tripping over into any sort of paranormal or supernatural realm. Instead, it stayed more a character-driven tale of two people who think they want very different things and how they come together despite that silliness.
Violet thinks she's normal (she's not) and craves a steady, normal guy with a steady, normal job (snore). Drew thinks Violet is too much like his ex-wife (ha!) and believes the only commitment he wants is bringing a different date to the same restaurant every Monday night (which would be a bit more convincing if he could remember the name of the girl he's with on the first Monday after meeting Violet). And of course neither Violet nor Drew can keep their thoughts, eyes, or mouths off each other. Poor deluded fools.
It's so much fun watching them struggle to fight their attraction and follow the paths to what they think they want!
Besides that, there are a couple of other plot threads going on to keep things interesting. Nothing too strenuous, but it adds some depth to the story. Secondary characters add some fun, but they don't have much depth or presence beyond being foils for the romance. I don't mind that, especially as I didn't particularly care for the fanatical hippie-dippy Moonbeam and her pot-smoking, incense-burning, holistic-healing-loving friends.
There was a moment late in the book where Violet made a decision and did something that I found questionable - at best - and I was worried that the book was taking a more serious turn. I wasn't happy with her actions, but I have to admit, the conflict was relatively quickly resolved and done with a minimum of angst.
This book started as a light, fun read and despite that one blip, it mostly stayed that way. I can't say it's the most compelling or memorable book I've ever read - but it's not meant to be. It's meant to be funny, sexy, and light. It's brain candy...and there's nothing wrong with that at all. I recommend it to readers who need to satisfy their mental sweet tooth.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Sourcebooks Casablanca publisher Sourcebooks via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Violet McGinn has a...complicated relationship with her mother, a self-proclaimed psychic who calls herself Moonbeam and gives psychic readings out of her shop in Portland, Oregon. And yes, that's a large reason why Violet is an accountant. In Portland, Maine. About as far away as she could get from her loopy mother in both career and location. Violet doesn't believe in psychics. She believes in statistics. She believes in facts. She believes in all things normal.
Be that as it may, when her mother suffers a serious injury after a fall and ends up in the hospital, Violet returns to Oregon to help her. She agrees, very reluctantly, to keep the store open and take on her mother's clients so Moonbeam will consent to having traditional surgery. Acting as a psychic makes Violet very uncomfortable given her absolute lack of belief, but there is one perk to the job. The man who runs the strip club next to Moonbeam's shop. It's a pity he's gay, because he's definitely a very big perk.
He owns a bar, but convincing people of that has been hit and miss since Drew Watson started featuring male strippers two nights a week. People keep calling it a strip club. People like the daughter of the crazy lady who runs the woo-woo shop next door. She sure is pretty, though. And her eyes, an unbelievable color that matches her name, do something to him in all the best places. Flirting with her is as natural as breathing and twice as fun. Almost as much fun as proving to her that he is decidedly not gay.
They're perfect for each other, except for one tiny problem. Running a strip club...er...bar is not exactly the definition of normal. In fact, Drew is wonderfully, fantastically, sexily not normal. Violet can't deny the deep attraction she feels for the man, but a childhood being raised by Moonbeam makes her more than yearn for normal - she needs it like air.
Which is probably why she freaks so bad when she starts to notice a peculiar connection between the music she heard Drew playing in his bar...and the accurate fortunes she is "psychically" providing to her mother's clients. And caring for Drew on top of the terrifying possibility she's starting to contemplate, is just way too far outside the realm of normal for her.
~*~
Ah, brain candy. I do love it so. You know the sort, the light, fluffy reads that don't take themselves too seriously but offer up a couple of fun characters, some entertaining banter, a healthy dose of sexual sizzle, and a guaranteed Happily Ever After without too much angst between the beginning and the end. Sure, a steady diet of brain candy might be a bit much, but I've always enjoyed delectable snack or a sweet-as-sin dessert between weightier reads as sort of a mental palate cleanser, and Fenske's Believe It or Not fit the bill nicely.
Not only are Violet and Drew perfectly enjoyable characters, but the storyline was breezy and fresh, and the woo-woo bits were kept subtle and inconclusive in a rather brilliant manner that kept this little gem from tripping over into any sort of paranormal or supernatural realm. Instead, it stayed more a character-driven tale of two people who think they want very different things and how they come together despite that silliness.
Violet thinks she's normal (she's not) and craves a steady, normal guy with a steady, normal job (snore). Drew thinks Violet is too much like his ex-wife (ha!) and believes the only commitment he wants is bringing a different date to the same restaurant every Monday night (which would be a bit more convincing if he could remember the name of the girl he's with on the first Monday after meeting Violet). And of course neither Violet nor Drew can keep their thoughts, eyes, or mouths off each other. Poor deluded fools.
It's so much fun watching them struggle to fight their attraction and follow the paths to what they think they want!
Besides that, there are a couple of other plot threads going on to keep things interesting. Nothing too strenuous, but it adds some depth to the story. Secondary characters add some fun, but they don't have much depth or presence beyond being foils for the romance. I don't mind that, especially as I didn't particularly care for the fanatical hippie-dippy Moonbeam and her pot-smoking, incense-burning, holistic-healing-loving friends.
There was a moment late in the book where Violet made a decision and did something that I found questionable - at best - and I was worried that the book was taking a more serious turn. I wasn't happy with her actions, but I have to admit, the conflict was relatively quickly resolved and done with a minimum of angst.
This book started as a light, fun read and despite that one blip, it mostly stayed that way. I can't say it's the most compelling or memorable book I've ever read - but it's not meant to be. It's meant to be funny, sexy, and light. It's brain candy...and there's nothing wrong with that at all. I recommend it to readers who need to satisfy their mental sweet tooth.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Sourcebooks Casablanca publisher Sourcebooks via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
June 26, 2020
Take an accountant filling in for her psychic mom who meets up with the bar owner next door and see what develops. Violet and Drew discover there maybe something to all that psychic stuff and to falling in love.
April 5, 2012
I’ve been looking forward to Tawna Fenske’s second book since I read her debut, Making Waves, a number of months ago. She sold me on that book and any future works with her humor and her lovable and quirky characters. Is the sequel as good as the original, so to speak?
Almost, but not quite. Even after all these months I still remember Alex and Juli from Making Waves, their unique and hilarious first meeting, their high sea adventures, their steamy love scenes, and the unusual use of that black thong. While I like Drew and Violet in this book, and the quirkiness is still there, all told Believe It or Not just doesn’t have the same punch as MW.
Violet has come home to Portland, Oregon from Portland, Maine to help at her mother’s psychic shop while she goes through surgery and subsequent recuperation. Mom is a psychic, though Violet doesn’t believe in them, but she agrees to take over as resident psychic until her mother is home. That’s even though she knows she doesn’t have a psychic bone in her body. She’s an accountant, for heaven’s sake. Her life is orderly and she thrives on repetition and off-the-wall facts and trivia. But because it’s her mother, she’s determined to do what it takes to keep the business afloat.
Having gotten rid of one high-maintenance, high-strung woman, Drew isn’t ready for another one, especially the daughter of Miss Moonbeam, the quacky psychic who’s been against his two-night-a-week exotic male dancers from the start. His club isn’t a strip joint, so he gets a bit agitated when people refer to it as such. Even Violet gives him grief over it. Another reason to stay very far away from her. Wonder why he’s unable to do that?
These two are so different from one another and they want different things. And they’re each wrong for the other. Or so they think. As Violet goes through her days giving readings to her mother’s clients and taking care of new clients’ books. Drew goes through his hiring a new dancer to be trained, choosing accompanying music for their routines, and continuing to date the bimbos he’s gotten used to since his divorce. He also can’t help rummaging through the mutual storage closet situated between his place and Moonbeam’s just to get a look at Violet. When she begins to see Moonbeam’s boring doctor, that doesn’t sit well with Drew at all.
Violet does enjoy her time with the doc, however. He’s normal. Something she’s wanted her entire life, something she finally has on the East Coast – away from her mother. Why then doesn’t her heart stutter and her blood pump like it does when Drew is near? After a bit of success with her readings – all due to the music Drew plays next door – suddenly everything begins to go wrong. Blackmail, threats, and the possible loss her mom’s business are just the tip of the iceberg. Her problems even cascade over into Drew’s business, and he’s not a happy man when he finds out.
I expected to laugh out loud a lot while reading this book, just like I did with Making Waves. Mostly I had smiles, maybe a few chuckles, and only a couple of really laughter-filled moments. One of those I do have to share with you. Because Violet has one of those brains that has a lot of crazy and useless info running around in it, this scene is priceless and gives an example of the banter between her and Drew at times.
After a long silence, Violet sighed. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It wasn’t your job to tell me about Frank.”
“I know.”
“I’m just scared.”
“I know.”
Moonbeam trusts me to keep her business running. It’s my job to protect it…to make sure everything goes okay.”
“I know.”
She looked at him. “Is there anything you don’t know?”
Drew thought about it for a minute. “I don’t know what that blue stuff is in the Magic 8 Ball. That’s always perplexed me.”
“It’s alcohol with blue dye dissolved in it.”
Drew grinned. “Now my life is complete.”
Violet sighed again. “I’m going to bed.”
“Okay. Need company?”
I have to say that I did laugh at that for several minutes. This is Violet to a T, as you’ve come to know her throughout the book. Actually, same for Drew. He’s the happy-go-lucky guy who’s out for a good time before it all changes for him later on. They are a cute, fun couple. For me, what’s lacking is the charm Alex and Juli have. Drew and Violet take their individual reasons for not starting a true relationship too far, there’s too many interrupted love scenes. Sexual tension can only go so far before that very taut string just breaks, and by the time they actually do the deed, the string had been broken for a number of chapters for me.
Maybe it’s not fair to compare this book to the previous one. But that’s something readers do all the time when they find that gem of a book that’s remembered for a long time. Believe It or Not has its moments. The quirkiness and humor are still a plus. Ms. Fenske does both well, and she gives me a good time reading, despite my issues with this story. I do look forward to her next book.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
Almost, but not quite. Even after all these months I still remember Alex and Juli from Making Waves, their unique and hilarious first meeting, their high sea adventures, their steamy love scenes, and the unusual use of that black thong. While I like Drew and Violet in this book, and the quirkiness is still there, all told Believe It or Not just doesn’t have the same punch as MW.
Violet has come home to Portland, Oregon from Portland, Maine to help at her mother’s psychic shop while she goes through surgery and subsequent recuperation. Mom is a psychic, though Violet doesn’t believe in them, but she agrees to take over as resident psychic until her mother is home. That’s even though she knows she doesn’t have a psychic bone in her body. She’s an accountant, for heaven’s sake. Her life is orderly and she thrives on repetition and off-the-wall facts and trivia. But because it’s her mother, she’s determined to do what it takes to keep the business afloat.
Having gotten rid of one high-maintenance, high-strung woman, Drew isn’t ready for another one, especially the daughter of Miss Moonbeam, the quacky psychic who’s been against his two-night-a-week exotic male dancers from the start. His club isn’t a strip joint, so he gets a bit agitated when people refer to it as such. Even Violet gives him grief over it. Another reason to stay very far away from her. Wonder why he’s unable to do that?
These two are so different from one another and they want different things. And they’re each wrong for the other. Or so they think. As Violet goes through her days giving readings to her mother’s clients and taking care of new clients’ books. Drew goes through his hiring a new dancer to be trained, choosing accompanying music for their routines, and continuing to date the bimbos he’s gotten used to since his divorce. He also can’t help rummaging through the mutual storage closet situated between his place and Moonbeam’s just to get a look at Violet. When she begins to see Moonbeam’s boring doctor, that doesn’t sit well with Drew at all.
Violet does enjoy her time with the doc, however. He’s normal. Something she’s wanted her entire life, something she finally has on the East Coast – away from her mother. Why then doesn’t her heart stutter and her blood pump like it does when Drew is near? After a bit of success with her readings – all due to the music Drew plays next door – suddenly everything begins to go wrong. Blackmail, threats, and the possible loss her mom’s business are just the tip of the iceberg. Her problems even cascade over into Drew’s business, and he’s not a happy man when he finds out.
I expected to laugh out loud a lot while reading this book, just like I did with Making Waves. Mostly I had smiles, maybe a few chuckles, and only a couple of really laughter-filled moments. One of those I do have to share with you. Because Violet has one of those brains that has a lot of crazy and useless info running around in it, this scene is priceless and gives an example of the banter between her and Drew at times.
After a long silence, Violet sighed. “I’m sorry I yelled at you. It wasn’t your job to tell me about Frank.”
“I know.”
“I’m just scared.”
“I know.”
Moonbeam trusts me to keep her business running. It’s my job to protect it…to make sure everything goes okay.”
“I know.”
She looked at him. “Is there anything you don’t know?”
Drew thought about it for a minute. “I don’t know what that blue stuff is in the Magic 8 Ball. That’s always perplexed me.”
“It’s alcohol with blue dye dissolved in it.”
Drew grinned. “Now my life is complete.”
Violet sighed again. “I’m going to bed.”
“Okay. Need company?”
I have to say that I did laugh at that for several minutes. This is Violet to a T, as you’ve come to know her throughout the book. Actually, same for Drew. He’s the happy-go-lucky guy who’s out for a good time before it all changes for him later on. They are a cute, fun couple. For me, what’s lacking is the charm Alex and Juli have. Drew and Violet take their individual reasons for not starting a true relationship too far, there’s too many interrupted love scenes. Sexual tension can only go so far before that very taut string just breaks, and by the time they actually do the deed, the string had been broken for a number of chapters for me.
Maybe it’s not fair to compare this book to the previous one. But that’s something readers do all the time when they find that gem of a book that’s remembered for a long time. Believe It or Not has its moments. The quirkiness and humor are still a plus. Ms. Fenske does both well, and she gives me a good time reading, despite my issues with this story. I do look forward to her next book.
See my complete review at http://www.goodbadandunread.com
May 7, 2017
Gahhhh I read this a while ago and don't know why I haven't given it 5 stars--it is Tawna Fenske after all!!!!
August 13, 2017
Enjoyable
This was an enjoyable read. The characters were funny and their predicaments were funny. I laughed out loud several times.
This was an enjoyable read. The characters were funny and their predicaments were funny. I laughed out loud several times.
April 28, 2018
So. Much. Fun. Exactly what I needed! Light-hearted, full of bad puns and quirky characters and weird scenarios, and totally sweet.
February 4, 2022
Quirky and new agey. Was a fun read.
March 28, 2022
The plot and the characters are Kooky, funny and different.
March 4, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. The push and pull between Violet and Drew was delightful but I did feel the ending was a little abrupt.
September 9, 2014
I like relationship/character focused romances, and Believe It or Not does focus on our two leading characters. Unfortunately I just had a hard time with it, I think it was more personal preference than anything. Some author's humor works for me and some don't. This author had some funny and amusing moments but more often then not I was going Wha? Really?! I mean how do you confuse B and E with B & D - especially that conversation? And I have a headache.
This book had quirky characters, awkward situations, some rather blatant stereotypes (because strippers have to be not quite bright, and "psychics" have to be new age hippie types) and a lot of interaction between the two main characters. It will probably appeal to quite a few people, it just didn't quite hit the right note with me.
Drew the hero of our story is, well, a guy. He makes mistakes and he's human and a skeptic and yes at times a jerk about Violet and Moonbeam's "psychic" stuff. But I got him. Him - I get, I understand where he's coming from (well mostly). At times he's a bit of a butt (I mean not knowing the name of your date after having gone out with her on three dates?), at other's he can be well, maybe not a sweetheart but a nice guy.
Violet the heroine of our story is absolutely maddening and I just had trouble understanding her at times. Family loyalty, I get. The whole wanting to be normal when you've clearly had such an abnormal upbringing, I get. The kinds of situations she gets into and the things she does - I don't. She doesn't believe in Psychics but agrees to pretend to save her mom's business. Baffling. But she gets away with it by sheer luck (or perhaps some secret undiscovered psychic song wave she's in tune too). Or maybe her's her smell.
"Maybe if she smelled nice, no one would notice she didn't know what the hell she was doing."
But then there's this:
"It's not like you haven't spent the last couple weeks making stuff up for everyone who comes to see you, Violet told herself.
But that wasn't the same thing. What she'd been doing before was harmless, a carnival act.'
This irritated me beyond measure. I believe in the possibility of things I don't understand. But these people who have no idea what the hell they're doing, or doing it on a whim or so cavalierly can ruin lives. And this aspect about Violet (and even Moonbeam) irked me. Her cavalier attitude toward these people who actually believe in psychics (while she claims not to) just pissed me off. She doesn't seem to get there are repercussions to what she tells people unless it directly affects her (like Frank). I mean if a guy is acting suspicious of course he's cheating. And see a suspiciously "familiar" tattoo (that police have been unable to identify for days) on a suspect's arm in a grainy picture, of course it must be the new ex-con stripper at you're neighbor's/love interests bar (BTW - the tattoo wasn't on the right arm, and it wasn't what she thought it was). I mean what if Jerry (the "criminal" she told police was the guy) had died (I imagine most people being hit by a bus would die - though I don't know how fast this bus was moving but okay).
Don't even get me started on Jamie and how Violet's "reading" was influencing him to go to a war zone to build schools. This dude cries if someone calls him a Wuss. Seriously. I can't help but wonder how he survived elementary school.
I don't know if Violet and Moonbeam were psychics, fake psychics or what. I don't like the thought of them manipulating people's lives even by suggestion (because lets face it some people are highly suggestible). And this was enough to make the rest of the story just not as enjoyable as it could've been. I didn't need the psychic issue between them. Partly because I agree with Drew and partly I didn't get Violet's jumping to random conclusions with minimal information with her "readings". So psychic aspect ruined it for me, though it was a unique twist on Violet's "psychic ability". Stereotyping didn't help. Too much crazy, eccentric and madcap situations/characters also not great, there needs to be more of a balance.
I think the only normal person in here was Sam. Drew's business partner. Possibly Drew.
There were some genuinely amusing moments and dialogue (like the innuendo regarding Drew's tools), and Violet's failed attempt at seduction nearly ending with a concussion.
It was overall an okay read, "cute" (I can't think of another word for it, madcap maybe) with humor and eccentric characters but it didn't really work for me.
This book had quirky characters, awkward situations, some rather blatant stereotypes (because strippers have to be not quite bright, and "psychics" have to be new age hippie types) and a lot of interaction between the two main characters. It will probably appeal to quite a few people, it just didn't quite hit the right note with me.
Drew the hero of our story is, well, a guy. He makes mistakes and he's human and a skeptic and yes at times a jerk about Violet and Moonbeam's "psychic" stuff. But I got him. Him - I get, I understand where he's coming from (well mostly). At times he's a bit of a butt (I mean not knowing the name of your date after having gone out with her on three dates?), at other's he can be well, maybe not a sweetheart but a nice guy.
Violet the heroine of our story is absolutely maddening and I just had trouble understanding her at times. Family loyalty, I get. The whole wanting to be normal when you've clearly had such an abnormal upbringing, I get. The kinds of situations she gets into and the things she does - I don't. She doesn't believe in Psychics but agrees to pretend to save her mom's business. Baffling. But she gets away with it by sheer luck (or perhaps some secret undiscovered psychic song wave she's in tune too). Or maybe her's her smell.
"Maybe if she smelled nice, no one would notice she didn't know what the hell she was doing."
But then there's this:
"It's not like you haven't spent the last couple weeks making stuff up for everyone who comes to see you, Violet told herself.
But that wasn't the same thing. What she'd been doing before was harmless, a carnival act.'
This irritated me beyond measure. I believe in the possibility of things I don't understand. But these people who have no idea what the hell they're doing, or doing it on a whim or so cavalierly can ruin lives. And this aspect about Violet (and even Moonbeam) irked me. Her cavalier attitude toward these people who actually believe in psychics (while she claims not to) just pissed me off. She doesn't seem to get there are repercussions to what she tells people unless it directly affects her (like Frank). I mean if a guy is acting suspicious of course he's cheating. And see a suspiciously "familiar" tattoo (that police have been unable to identify for days) on a suspect's arm in a grainy picture, of course it must be the new ex-con stripper at you're neighbor's/love interests bar (BTW - the tattoo wasn't on the right arm, and it wasn't what she thought it was). I mean what if Jerry (the "criminal" she told police was the guy) had died (I imagine most people being hit by a bus would die - though I don't know how fast this bus was moving but okay).
Don't even get me started on Jamie and how Violet's "reading" was influencing him to go to a war zone to build schools. This dude cries if someone calls him a Wuss. Seriously. I can't help but wonder how he survived elementary school.
I don't know if Violet and Moonbeam were psychics, fake psychics or what. I don't like the thought of them manipulating people's lives even by suggestion (because lets face it some people are highly suggestible). And this was enough to make the rest of the story just not as enjoyable as it could've been. I didn't need the psychic issue between them. Partly because I agree with Drew and partly I didn't get Violet's jumping to random conclusions with minimal information with her "readings". So psychic aspect ruined it for me, though it was a unique twist on Violet's "psychic ability". Stereotyping didn't help. Too much crazy, eccentric and madcap situations/characters also not great, there needs to be more of a balance.
I think the only normal person in here was Sam. Drew's business partner. Possibly Drew.
There were some genuinely amusing moments and dialogue (like the innuendo regarding Drew's tools), and Violet's failed attempt at seduction nearly ending with a concussion.
It was overall an okay read, "cute" (I can't think of another word for it, madcap maybe) with humor and eccentric characters but it didn't really work for me.
March 16, 2012
first published at: www.apprentice-writer.blogspot.com
Premise: Non-believer accountant agrees to run her mother's psychic business while she is in hospital, meets neighbour who runs a bar with male exotic entertainment.
Cover: Title - Belief (what it's based on, how it changes) is the theme for the whole story, so this title makes a lot of sense. Art - Dreadful. Apprentice Writer hoped the cover would change from the Advanced Reader Copy she received, but judging from the Goodread listing it didn't. Blurry background beachy boardwalk has nothing to do with anything, foreground couple look like they spend too much time in a subpar tanning salon, and the tarot card in the woman's hand looks badly photoshopped. AW's unsolicited advice to the author: insist that future covers be done by artist responsible for fellow Sourcebook Author Amy Thomas' debut, which was one of the best ever by this publisher.
What Works: AW liked the premise, which promised much potential in the form of a straight-laced, super pragmatic character who moved across a continent to get away from her new age, paranormal-open upbringing being forced to masquerade as a psychic or risk seeing her mother go bankrupt. Equally promising was the conflict between modern day heroine and hero who makes a living by having men get naked. As novel building goes, the author came up with a great pair of sources for narrative tension.
AW also really liked the hero. Amiable and believable as he strove to build up his business, look out for his naive ex-brother-in-law, and work through some issues leftover from marital breakup. He also got all the best lines:
"You don't understand,"she slurred. "Psychics don't exist."
"Oh. Okay. Well, then, you're a pleasant figment of my imagination."
and:
"Chris is a normal guy. A safe guy. A wholesome, healthy guy," (she said).
"You make him sound like a salad."
What Doesn't: Often in romantic-comedy type stories, the secondary characters are exaggeratedly one-dimensional. This serves a purpose for the sub genre, and AW accepts this. Even so, she had some trouble with how often and persistently both the hero's dates and his exotic dancers were shown as stupid.
She also struggled with some of the heroine's behaviour. She couldn't quite buy the straight laced accountant heroine drunkenly falling off tables and smacking the dancers on their behinds. Especially it felt like she was judgmental about the hero's dates having a specific pair of physical assets. It made the former out of character, or the latter hypocritical; either way, it distanced this reader from the protagonist.
What AW Changed her Mind About: AW is not fond of popular culture references in novels. Partly because half of the time she isn't familiar with it and then spends the rest of the story irked that she's missing something, partly because of how often they make the book seem passé. Her favourite illustration of the latter is a character who wished for a relationship as romantic and committed as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
So when the many glam rock band names and song titles started and just kept on coming, she was not impressed. However she warmed up to them more as it because clear that rather than mood-setting window dressing, they were a integral part of the plot.
One of the criticisms of the romance genre is that it relies too much on stereotypes. There is some truth to this, and fans of the genre will laughingly talk about favourite and least favourite
tropes. AW's view is that she gets impatient with seeing the same situations over and over, but adores it when an author manages to tweak it in a new way. One overused standbys involves the heroine stumbling or starting to fall and the hero saving her. AW is DYING for a heroine to catch a stumbling hero, for once, or for the hero to try and actually miss.
So the Gentle Reader can imagine that when this heroine is - wait for it! - saved from a fall by the hero, it was not a high point. However, when the heroine had been in the same type of situation three times by page 40, AW decided this met the criteria of successful stereotype tweak and it moved from "Doesn't Work" to "Works".
Overall: Breezy and lighthearted, this is an example of the kind of story usually described as "romp" with the term "hijinks ensue" attached. If the reader usually enjoys that type of story, including exaggerated secondary characters and physical comedy, then this is a good choice.
Premise: Non-believer accountant agrees to run her mother's psychic business while she is in hospital, meets neighbour who runs a bar with male exotic entertainment.
Cover: Title - Belief (what it's based on, how it changes) is the theme for the whole story, so this title makes a lot of sense. Art - Dreadful. Apprentice Writer hoped the cover would change from the Advanced Reader Copy she received, but judging from the Goodread listing it didn't. Blurry background beachy boardwalk has nothing to do with anything, foreground couple look like they spend too much time in a subpar tanning salon, and the tarot card in the woman's hand looks badly photoshopped. AW's unsolicited advice to the author: insist that future covers be done by artist responsible for fellow Sourcebook Author Amy Thomas' debut, which was one of the best ever by this publisher.
What Works: AW liked the premise, which promised much potential in the form of a straight-laced, super pragmatic character who moved across a continent to get away from her new age, paranormal-open upbringing being forced to masquerade as a psychic or risk seeing her mother go bankrupt. Equally promising was the conflict between modern day heroine and hero who makes a living by having men get naked. As novel building goes, the author came up with a great pair of sources for narrative tension.
AW also really liked the hero. Amiable and believable as he strove to build up his business, look out for his naive ex-brother-in-law, and work through some issues leftover from marital breakup. He also got all the best lines:
"You don't understand,"she slurred. "Psychics don't exist."
"Oh. Okay. Well, then, you're a pleasant figment of my imagination."
and:
"Chris is a normal guy. A safe guy. A wholesome, healthy guy," (she said).
"You make him sound like a salad."
What Doesn't: Often in romantic-comedy type stories, the secondary characters are exaggeratedly one-dimensional. This serves a purpose for the sub genre, and AW accepts this. Even so, she had some trouble with how often and persistently both the hero's dates and his exotic dancers were shown as stupid.
She also struggled with some of the heroine's behaviour. She couldn't quite buy the straight laced accountant heroine drunkenly falling off tables and smacking the dancers on their behinds. Especially it felt like she was judgmental about the hero's dates having a specific pair of physical assets. It made the former out of character, or the latter hypocritical; either way, it distanced this reader from the protagonist.
What AW Changed her Mind About: AW is not fond of popular culture references in novels. Partly because half of the time she isn't familiar with it and then spends the rest of the story irked that she's missing something, partly because of how often they make the book seem passé. Her favourite illustration of the latter is a character who wished for a relationship as romantic and committed as Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston.
So when the many glam rock band names and song titles started and just kept on coming, she was not impressed. However she warmed up to them more as it because clear that rather than mood-setting window dressing, they were a integral part of the plot.
One of the criticisms of the romance genre is that it relies too much on stereotypes. There is some truth to this, and fans of the genre will laughingly talk about favourite and least favourite
tropes. AW's view is that she gets impatient with seeing the same situations over and over, but adores it when an author manages to tweak it in a new way. One overused standbys involves the heroine stumbling or starting to fall and the hero saving her. AW is DYING for a heroine to catch a stumbling hero, for once, or for the hero to try and actually miss.
So the Gentle Reader can imagine that when this heroine is - wait for it! - saved from a fall by the hero, it was not a high point. However, when the heroine had been in the same type of situation three times by page 40, AW decided this met the criteria of successful stereotype tweak and it moved from "Doesn't Work" to "Works".
Overall: Breezy and lighthearted, this is an example of the kind of story usually described as "romp" with the term "hijinks ensue" attached. If the reader usually enjoys that type of story, including exaggerated secondary characters and physical comedy, then this is a good choice.
March 30, 2017
Freaking Hilarious
Okay the likelihood of any of this is fairly low, but sometimes that really doesn't matter because you're laughing so hard that you can't help but enjoy a ridiculous story for what it is.
Okay the likelihood of any of this is fairly low, but sometimes that really doesn't matter because you're laughing so hard that you can't help but enjoy a ridiculous story for what it is.
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