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By the Book
Shari Wilson would love nothing more than to have a wild night with her downstairs neighbor, Luke Lawson. When she accidentally discovers that he's bought a how-to manual on "pleasing" women, she knows a wild night is out of the question! But when Luke asks her for lovemaking lessons, Shari knows she must do her part for all women and make him the best lover ever—and she'll do it all by the book....
Embarrassed just doesn't describe how Luke feels when his sexy neighbor sees his first book, Sex for Total Morons. He knows he's a master in the bedroom, but judging by Shari's sudden pitying expression, she doesn't. Fortunately for him, Luke isn't about to let this opportunity pass by him. Shari's a teacher, so there's no way she'd refuse to teach him all the ins and outs of sex!
Embarrassed just doesn't describe how Luke feels when his sexy neighbor sees his first book, Sex for Total Morons. He knows he's a master in the bedroom, but judging by Shari's sudden pitying expression, she doesn't. Fortunately for him, Luke isn't about to let this opportunity pass by him. Shari's a teacher, so there's no way she'd refuse to teach him all the ins and outs of sex!
249 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2003
39 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Warren
361 books1,887 followersNancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 novels.
She’s known for writing funny, sexy and suspenseful tales. She’s an avid hiker, animal lover, wine drinker and chocolate fiend. Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times, being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada’s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards. She has won the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine.
Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancy's newsletter at www.NancyWarrenAuthor.com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books, knitting, pets & life.
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She’s known for writing funny, sexy and suspenseful tales. She’s an avid hiker, animal lover, wine drinker and chocolate fiend. Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times, being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada’s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards. She has won the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine.
Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancy's newsletter at www.NancyWarrenAuthor.com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books, knitting, pets & life.
www.facebook.com/groups/NancyWarrenKn...
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 6, 2016
2 hilarious moments.
Some hot scenes.
I liked it but I didn't love it.
Some hot scenes.
I liked it but I didn't love it.
February 9, 2011
4 Star Harlequin Blaze
28 year old Luke Lawson is a journalist who works from home and the only son from his parents 4 children. His father’s lifestyle isn’t one conducive of a committed man and he is about to get married for the 5th time when the story begins. The combination of Luke’s charming smile, tall, rangy body and the twinkle in his green eyes with a hint of devilry in them makes Luke a definite hit with the ladies and he is quite comfortable with his happy and carefree lifestyle as the cynic inside of him believes that he is just like his father and would never have the potential to be in a committed relationship of any sort.
Shari Lawson is an English teacher for high school kids and lives above her totally hot neighbor Luke Lawson whom she has been eying for quite some time now. A dyslexic postal worker who keeps mixing up their mails lends both Luke and Shari the opportunity to drop in and see the other and all the while the sexual zing between them is hard to ignore for both of them. The night Shari decides to take matters into her own hands so to speak, she encounters Luke with a how-to-guide on sex, i.e. Sex for Total Morons – A How to Guide written by a Lance Flagstaff which makes Shari do a total 180 degree turn on acting upon her attraction towards Luke.
Luke doesn’t know whether to fall at a heap at his feet in embarrassment about being caught with a book that he has authored and he has no clue as to why he doesn’t own up to the fact that when it comes to women and hitting the sheets, he is quite the ladies man. Luke who has been hankering for Shari for quite sometime decides to hit 2 birds with one stone and make use of the opportunity to test out whether his philosophy published in the book works in real life and get Shari into his bed, and thus strikes up a deal with Shari to help him along from Chapter 1 – 4 in the book in return for his presence at the wedding ceremony of her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend; all the while never owning up to the fact that the how-to-guide was authored by Luke himself.
What follows is funny, endearing and so very hot that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, sigh over every now and then and find myself unbearably flushed from one moment to the next as the story progressed. Both Shari and Luke who are reluctant to look for anything more with the other than just their attraction towards each other finds more than each of them bargained for as things heat up between them. Shari takes it upon herself to tutor the shy Luke in the art of pleasing a woman and finds herself totally overwhelmed when Luke hits all the right spots, in and out of bed. And the extremely commitment phobic Luke finds himself slowly and irrevocably falling in love with the wonderful woman he finds in Shari who changes his views about love, life and commitment once and for all.
Head onto http://bit.ly/gDdBZv to read the full review which contains the reasons why I liked this book and what if any are the changes that would have made this story a solid 5 star read.
28 year old Luke Lawson is a journalist who works from home and the only son from his parents 4 children. His father’s lifestyle isn’t one conducive of a committed man and he is about to get married for the 5th time when the story begins. The combination of Luke’s charming smile, tall, rangy body and the twinkle in his green eyes with a hint of devilry in them makes Luke a definite hit with the ladies and he is quite comfortable with his happy and carefree lifestyle as the cynic inside of him believes that he is just like his father and would never have the potential to be in a committed relationship of any sort.
Shari Lawson is an English teacher for high school kids and lives above her totally hot neighbor Luke Lawson whom she has been eying for quite some time now. A dyslexic postal worker who keeps mixing up their mails lends both Luke and Shari the opportunity to drop in and see the other and all the while the sexual zing between them is hard to ignore for both of them. The night Shari decides to take matters into her own hands so to speak, she encounters Luke with a how-to-guide on sex, i.e. Sex for Total Morons – A How to Guide written by a Lance Flagstaff which makes Shari do a total 180 degree turn on acting upon her attraction towards Luke.
Luke doesn’t know whether to fall at a heap at his feet in embarrassment about being caught with a book that he has authored and he has no clue as to why he doesn’t own up to the fact that when it comes to women and hitting the sheets, he is quite the ladies man. Luke who has been hankering for Shari for quite sometime decides to hit 2 birds with one stone and make use of the opportunity to test out whether his philosophy published in the book works in real life and get Shari into his bed, and thus strikes up a deal with Shari to help him along from Chapter 1 – 4 in the book in return for his presence at the wedding ceremony of her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend; all the while never owning up to the fact that the how-to-guide was authored by Luke himself.
What follows is funny, endearing and so very hot that I couldn’t help but laugh out loud, sigh over every now and then and find myself unbearably flushed from one moment to the next as the story progressed. Both Shari and Luke who are reluctant to look for anything more with the other than just their attraction towards each other finds more than each of them bargained for as things heat up between them. Shari takes it upon herself to tutor the shy Luke in the art of pleasing a woman and finds herself totally overwhelmed when Luke hits all the right spots, in and out of bed. And the extremely commitment phobic Luke finds himself slowly and irrevocably falling in love with the wonderful woman he finds in Shari who changes his views about love, life and commitment once and for all.
Head onto http://bit.ly/gDdBZv to read the full review which contains the reasons why I liked this book and what if any are the changes that would have made this story a solid 5 star read.
January 20, 2020
By the Book by Nancy Warren
Shari Wilson loves her mailman who keeps mixing up her mail with her downstairs, hunky neighbor’s mail. For a few months now she’s been exchanging mail and heated looks with the man. His eyes say that he wants her, but his body is making no moves towards doing so. And then she delivers his package...and her fantasies about him are shattered.
Luke Lawson AKA Lance Flagstaff is rather embarrassed when the book he wrote falls out of the envelope and his sexy neighbor actually believes he needs it. And runs as fast as she can back to her apartment upstairs. Sex for Total Morons, the how-to guide he wrote has ruined everything. Or has it? If she believes him to be so inept, then maybe he can test out his book and see if it works.
Keeping secrets never ever ends up as a good thing. Things have been moving along so well with Luke and Shari that he just doesn’t quite find the right moment to tell her he wrote the book. He figures he has plenty of time. Right. This book gets pretty heated as this couple go through the how-to sex guide.
**Sexual content
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
Shari Wilson loves her mailman who keeps mixing up her mail with her downstairs, hunky neighbor’s mail. For a few months now she’s been exchanging mail and heated looks with the man. His eyes say that he wants her, but his body is making no moves towards doing so. And then she delivers his package...and her fantasies about him are shattered.
Luke Lawson AKA Lance Flagstaff is rather embarrassed when the book he wrote falls out of the envelope and his sexy neighbor actually believes he needs it. And runs as fast as she can back to her apartment upstairs. Sex for Total Morons, the how-to guide he wrote has ruined everything. Or has it? If she believes him to be so inept, then maybe he can test out his book and see if it works.
Keeping secrets never ever ends up as a good thing. Things have been moving along so well with Luke and Shari that he just doesn’t quite find the right moment to tell her he wrote the book. He figures he has plenty of time. Right. This book gets pretty heated as this couple go through the how-to sex guide.
**Sexual content
http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
January 5, 2018
This is a fun and fast paced read. Luke write a book about sex under another name and gets his neighbor Shari to help him prove it works. So the adventure begins. Read the book to see how it all turns out!
Want to read
October 31, 2019I found this book very funny, ranging from some out loud laughing to some snorts 😄. Conflict resolved quickly and the story was well written and flowed nicely. It entertained me the whole way through. Overall, a great Harlequin novel.
March 18, 2018
Funny!
Its funny that I can't stop chuckling at every situation. But overall, I see that great chemistry, love and humor that made the characters so endearing. I like the realization on Luke's part that he is not like his father and acceptance that they are in love. ☺
Its funny that I can't stop chuckling at every situation. But overall, I see that great chemistry, love and humor that made the characters so endearing. I like the realization on Luke's part that he is not like his father and acceptance that they are in love. ☺
April 24, 2018
For me, there were a lot of pros and cons for this book. I loved the chemistry between Luke and Shari. The plot was often funny, and there were some really sweet parts. The cons? It was all things ridiculous- why didn't he just tell her he wrote the book? That he wanted to date her? Obviously she was interested. It drove me mad. Was Shari really supposed to be okay with being his Guinea pig? Some of her decisions ticked me off too, but in all honesty... mostly it was Luke. For me, this is a three star book. It was good, but I could not get over the cons.
January 26, 2018
Luke wrote this book about sex, and when it falls out of the packaging right in front of Shari, he is quick to pretend he ordered the book and asks Shari to help him become a better lover. Surprisingly, school teacher Shari agrees. As they practice, they start to fall for each other. What will happen when Shari finds out that Luke actually wrote the book? This book was full of humor, and I really enjoyed it. A must-read!
October 26, 2021
Shari Wilson and Luke Lawson keep having to exchange misdelivered mail. Nancy Warren’s By the Book is an entertaining Harlequin Blaze about a self-possessed teacher and a novelist who’s penned a how-to who have a sizzling chemistry and some initial miscommunication to overcome.
Definitely a fun and funny story.
Definitely a fun and funny story.
October 9, 2019
What a fun read!
While trolling on Amazon looking for a new read i came upon this book. What a delightful surprise. Different. Unique. A fresh concept. The title does say it all "...good romantic comedy" .
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I.
While trolling on Amazon looking for a new read i came upon this book. What a delightful surprise. Different. Unique. A fresh concept. The title does say it all "...good romantic comedy" .
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I.
May 1, 2020
A fun quick read. I did enjoy the interaction between the characters and the humor in the book. I did like how the author set up the story then the rolling stone effect that happened after that. I would recommend the book if wanted a afternoon to just get away.
June 15, 2022
I liked this book, but it certainly isn't a new fave. I felt like something was missing for me and there were certainly quite a few problems I had with it. I love Shari and Luke though and was glad they got their happy ending.
January 23, 2018
Great read! Perfect characters. Book flowed well, wish the end wasn’t rushed, it needed an epilogue, lol
But other than that, it was a good read!
But other than that, it was a good read!
July 26, 2020
This is a fun, hot read.
November 27, 2022
Non sono riuscita a farmi coinvolgere dalla storia che ho trovato scialba, non mi ha preso e gli stessi personaggi mi hanno stancato dopo due capitoli a malapena. Superficiale e banale.
November 29, 2024
Some great scenes, but a bit of a lackluster ending.
December 7, 2011
By the Book by Nancy Warren (Blaze #85). Now this one was fluffy, fun and just what I needed to read at the time. Shari decides she's going to have a hot date and maybe a night with the hunky downstairs neighbor, but when she sees that he sent for a book with the title "Sex for Total Morons" she changes her mind. Luke is not about to let her, so he asks her to help him get through part of the book, and hmm.. she becomes his tutor -- just for the first few chapters. Riiiight! Of course, we all know who wrote the book, yes?
This one turned out to be a book where characters have lots of preconceived ideas on all sides, with lots of fun dialogue, funny situations and sexy circumstances. As I said above, fluffy, light and sexy category romance that turned into a fun, quick read read at just the right moment. Enjoyable.
This one turned out to be a book where characters have lots of preconceived ideas on all sides, with lots of fun dialogue, funny situations and sexy circumstances. As I said above, fluffy, light and sexy category romance that turned into a fun, quick read read at just the right moment. Enjoyable.
January 16, 2012
Bought this book on Saturday, finished it on Sunday. It was nicely written. The sex was hot and all the words meant what the author thought they did. The ending was rushed, but (as usual) I think it was the limitations of the publisher not the lack of story still to tell that forced the happily ever after in a hurry.
This book was a fun way to stay warm on a cold winter's weekend.
This book was a fun way to stay warm on a cold winter's weekend.
April 25, 2011
Completely ridiculous and over the top. But cheesy fun for sure. I almost enjoyed it four stars worth. But we'll round down on this one.
Neighbors harbor deep lust for each other. Then she thinks he needs some sexual tutelage. Turns out he wrote the book on it (literally).
Neighbors harbor deep lust for each other. Then she thinks he needs some sexual tutelage. Turns out he wrote the book on it (literally).
July 1, 2012
Great quick read. There were several laugh-out-loud moments that really got me going.
April 6, 2011
Updating my "read" books. I reviewed this for All About Romance years ago. The review is archived HERE .
October 11, 2011
Enjoyable book with good plot, plenty of action, humor, steamy scenes, and exciting ending. Teacher Shari accidentally gets her neighbor Luke's mail, a book called Sex for Total Morons.
November 3, 2012
This was a wonderful read!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews