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Mr. Love
The pen name is deadlier than the sword.
Desperate for money, literary author Gordon Rushworth writes a romance novel and self-publishes it under a female alias. To his astonishment it becomes a mega-bestseller, sparking a feeding frenzy in New York publishing and hit-hungry Hollywood. Soon a gorgeous and ambitious young Manhattan agent, Jane Cooper, arrives in Gordon's Vermont village hunting the mysterious "female" novelist, forcing him to concoct a desperate plan to conceal his identity--a plan that pitches him into an increasingly hilarious spiral of lies, lust and love.
Sally Mason grew up on a diet of romantic comedies and is happiest when she has a tear in her eye and a smile on her face.
Other romantic comedies by Sally Mason: Rent A Husband & Gone Hollywood
International readers please note: this book is available on Kindle via Amazon US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Canada, India, Brazil & Mexico.
Desperate for money, literary author Gordon Rushworth writes a romance novel and self-publishes it under a female alias. To his astonishment it becomes a mega-bestseller, sparking a feeding frenzy in New York publishing and hit-hungry Hollywood. Soon a gorgeous and ambitious young Manhattan agent, Jane Cooper, arrives in Gordon's Vermont village hunting the mysterious "female" novelist, forcing him to concoct a desperate plan to conceal his identity--a plan that pitches him into an increasingly hilarious spiral of lies, lust and love.
Sally Mason grew up on a diet of romantic comedies and is happiest when she has a tear in her eye and a smile on her face.
Other romantic comedies by Sally Mason: Rent A Husband & Gone Hollywood
International readers please note: this book is available on Kindle via Amazon US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Canada, India, Brazil & Mexico.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 11, 2013
427 people are currently reading
404 people want to read
About the author
Sally Mason
15 books24 followersSally Mason grew up on a diet of romantic comedies and is happiest when she has a tear in her eye and a smile on her face.
Her romantic comedies, RENT A HUSBAND, GONE HOLLYWOOD & MR. LOVE are available on Kindle.
Her romantic comedies, RENT A HUSBAND, GONE HOLLYWOOD & MR. LOVE are available on Kindle.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
November 14, 2013
I hope my review doesn't provide any spoilers for anyone. I'm unsure what the tone of this novel was really supposed to be. Was it supposed to be light and funny? Judging from the ending, it seems like it was intended to be written in the style of a Romantic Comedy movie. The problem though, is that "Mr. Love", Gordon, is pretty much a pretentious jerk and I didn't feel any chemistry between he and Jane at all. I saw no spark to make them interested in each other. The situation with Jane's fiance made this book darker than I think it was intended to be, and the situation with Bitsy was never resolved at all. Was that guy a con artist, or not? Did she do the smart thing and put a stop payment on that massive check? Her hasty departure made no sense - and Gordon never even bothered to worry about her. Everything between Gordon and Jane was tied up far too quickly, and I never felt there was real, complete character development here. Almost like this was a draft of a book that hasn't been completed yet.
November 24, 2013
I started off hating this book. I wanted to quit and pretend I hadn't opened it. Not even give it the one star it didn't deserve. I'd just come off some dark, heavy dystopia, and I needed fluff, and... well, I didn't see that this was what I was looking for. It says 'A Romantic Comedy', but it was really pretentious farce, from what I saw.
But I decided to stick with it. Yes, Gordon is an emotion-less arse. Yes, Jane is a desperate, ladder-climbing problem child. Yes, the writing feels like a Brit is trying to write an American comedy. It feels like an intellectual is at the helm of this... or maybe someone trying to come of as an intellectual, and really is just a shoddy replica. Yes, the secondary characters are all stereotypes. Yes, the author is a sex-o-phobe and skips all the juicy scenes.
But then... I don't know. Something happens. The mother has heart. The obese brother has heart. Jane has heart. And even Gordon - I think something cracks, there. And I ended up thinking that maybe it wasn't as bad as I originally thought.
Gordon is a scholarly intellect who wrote a massive tome about life and death, eulogizing his childhood friend, that nobody wants to publish. His sister tells him people want chick-lit, so as a sarcastic swipe at her suggestion, he re-writes his tome into a chick-lit version and uploads it to the 'Net... and it's a mega-hit. They want to make a movie out of it. But nobody knows who the author is, and when they find out it's a guy...
Oh, it's not a fluffy, fun read like I was seeking. It's not even good writing. But I think it pinged a little, and that was worth slogging thru the crappy bits. If you want this done FAR better, try "Weekend with Mr. Darcy". But if you've got it free on your reader... you might just want to stick with it and see what happens.
But I decided to stick with it. Yes, Gordon is an emotion-less arse. Yes, Jane is a desperate, ladder-climbing problem child. Yes, the writing feels like a Brit is trying to write an American comedy. It feels like an intellectual is at the helm of this... or maybe someone trying to come of as an intellectual, and really is just a shoddy replica. Yes, the secondary characters are all stereotypes. Yes, the author is a sex-o-phobe and skips all the juicy scenes.
But then... I don't know. Something happens. The mother has heart. The obese brother has heart. Jane has heart. And even Gordon - I think something cracks, there. And I ended up thinking that maybe it wasn't as bad as I originally thought.
Gordon is a scholarly intellect who wrote a massive tome about life and death, eulogizing his childhood friend, that nobody wants to publish. His sister tells him people want chick-lit, so as a sarcastic swipe at her suggestion, he re-writes his tome into a chick-lit version and uploads it to the 'Net... and it's a mega-hit. They want to make a movie out of it. But nobody knows who the author is, and when they find out it's a guy...
Oh, it's not a fluffy, fun read like I was seeking. It's not even good writing. But I think it pinged a little, and that was worth slogging thru the crappy bits. If you want this done FAR better, try "Weekend with Mr. Darcy". But if you've got it free on your reader... you might just want to stick with it and see what happens.
May 6, 2019
1.5 stars because I finished it.. I was going to round up to 2 but then I got to typing this review and decided that it would be dishonest. I just hate giving one star reviews. So I'm super confused by this title and the blurb was basically a lie. I have been on a "romantic comedy" book binge of late and read some really good ones. Books that leave me in stitches or cause bladder malfunction.. those are the greats. This was not funny.... like at all. It was mostly just kind of sad and there seemed to be a ton of underlying anger and hostility. Not only that but in the book the MC, Gordon, a writer himself, gives some REALLY super harsh judgments and criticisms about the romance genre in general and the demographic that reads them that in all honesty MADE ME FEEL BAD ABOUT MYSELF. He goes on an on about how silly and basically stupid we all are for wanting to read such drivel when there are really philosophical and mind expanding works out there. All the while hes cashing them checks and making that chedda using those same "silly" readers out there.. The whole thing made me kind of sick to my stomach and not going to lie the dude HURT MY DAMN FEELINGS.
I would not recommend this book for any readers since instead of being something entertaining and uplifting it made me feel bad about how I like to spend my time and wouldn't want that for anyone else. I will say the MC does get called out on his BS and seemingly gets made to see the error of his ways by the FMC, Jane a book agent herself who knows better than to listen to his pretentious nonsense, but for me, the damage was already done. I wanted that woman to smack his face and tell him to take his book and shove it while going out and finding someone with whom she could find some real chemistry.. but its not my story.
I would not recommend this book for any readers since instead of being something entertaining and uplifting it made me feel bad about how I like to spend my time and wouldn't want that for anyone else. I will say the MC does get called out on his BS and seemingly gets made to see the error of his ways by the FMC, Jane a book agent herself who knows better than to listen to his pretentious nonsense, but for me, the damage was already done. I wanted that woman to smack his face and tell him to take his book and shove it while going out and finding someone with whom she could find some real chemistry.. but its not my story.
August 1, 2018
When Jane comes home to find her perfect boyfriend in bed with not one but two other women, it starts off a cascade of events that bounce from fantastic to catastrophic.
Meanwhile, unemployed professor Gordon has finally achieved the literary success he's been dreaming of. The only problem is that it's under a pen name, with a piece of chick lit he considers "trash." When Jane is sent to sign this fabulously new successful author for her literary agency, sparks fly. But will the truth come out?
"Mr. Love" has a lot of interesting aspects, although not all of them jell for me. Most prominently, it's full of musings on the divide between "literary" and "genre" fiction. Gordon wants to write "literary" fiction and is trying to publish under his own name a lengthy tome examining the loss of his childhood friend. Currently unemployed and sleeping on his sister's couch, he sits down and pours out a piece of the "chick lit" he despises, also on the same topic, and self-publishes it under an assumed name on Amazon, instantly becoming a bestseller.
Whoa! I always wish that characters who do that would share their secrets with me. As far as I can tell Gordon does zero promoting of his book, which he also must not have spent much time editing and revising, and he uses a cover he threw together on the spur of the moment. Not that I'm judging, but either he's a staggering genius who also got incredibly lucky, or this is a complete wish-fulfillment.
Probably the latter, since elements of the book certainly have that wish-fulfillment feel. Which is not so much a criticism as it is a remark that this is a book about down on their luck people suddenly having all their dreams come true, often in improbable ways. So it's a fun, feel-good sort of thing.
On the other hand, it also does examine some pretty interesting questions about literature, such as why topics like love, marriage, divorce, and family are considered "serious literature" when they're covered by male authors, but are looked down on as "just" romance or chick lit when covered by female authors.
This is an important question. Unfortunately, the book is quick to dismiss "serious literature" as boring, suggesting that maybe the author has never read much of it ("War and Peace" is 1000 pages of battlefield scenes and illicit affairs), while also being the kind of light fare that doesn't take itself or its readers seriously enough to provide a good rebuttal to the problems that it raises.
So all in all, this will probably appeal mainly to chick lit and romance readers who want to feel vindicated in their choice of reading material and who want to contemplate literary theory--but not too much.
Meanwhile, unemployed professor Gordon has finally achieved the literary success he's been dreaming of. The only problem is that it's under a pen name, with a piece of chick lit he considers "trash." When Jane is sent to sign this fabulously new successful author for her literary agency, sparks fly. But will the truth come out?
"Mr. Love" has a lot of interesting aspects, although not all of them jell for me. Most prominently, it's full of musings on the divide between "literary" and "genre" fiction. Gordon wants to write "literary" fiction and is trying to publish under his own name a lengthy tome examining the loss of his childhood friend. Currently unemployed and sleeping on his sister's couch, he sits down and pours out a piece of the "chick lit" he despises, also on the same topic, and self-publishes it under an assumed name on Amazon, instantly becoming a bestseller.
Whoa! I always wish that characters who do that would share their secrets with me. As far as I can tell Gordon does zero promoting of his book, which he also must not have spent much time editing and revising, and he uses a cover he threw together on the spur of the moment. Not that I'm judging, but either he's a staggering genius who also got incredibly lucky, or this is a complete wish-fulfillment.
Probably the latter, since elements of the book certainly have that wish-fulfillment feel. Which is not so much a criticism as it is a remark that this is a book about down on their luck people suddenly having all their dreams come true, often in improbable ways. So it's a fun, feel-good sort of thing.
On the other hand, it also does examine some pretty interesting questions about literature, such as why topics like love, marriage, divorce, and family are considered "serious literature" when they're covered by male authors, but are looked down on as "just" romance or chick lit when covered by female authors.
This is an important question. Unfortunately, the book is quick to dismiss "serious literature" as boring, suggesting that maybe the author has never read much of it ("War and Peace" is 1000 pages of battlefield scenes and illicit affairs), while also being the kind of light fare that doesn't take itself or its readers seriously enough to provide a good rebuttal to the problems that it raises.
So all in all, this will probably appeal mainly to chick lit and romance readers who want to feel vindicated in their choice of reading material and who want to contemplate literary theory--but not too much.
April 20, 2018
Good read
I couldn't put the book down. As far as I am concerned the story was a five 🌟 story.
I had to keep reading to see how things would pan out.
I loved the story it had everything except no one was murdered but there was a great deal of mayhem.
I will tell my friends and family about this story.
I couldn't put the book down. As far as I am concerned the story was a five 🌟 story.
I had to keep reading to see how things would pan out.
I loved the story it had everything except no one was murdered but there was a great deal of mayhem.
I will tell my friends and family about this story.
July 25, 2020
Very fun beach read! It was a much needed lighthearted book for summer of 2020.
July 7, 2014
I kept reading and reading, waiting for the romance OR the humor. I'd have settled for either one, but got neither. Jane, the heroine, is just blah. And she's the better half of the H/h pair. The hero is a pompous, arrogant, self-important jerk, pining for decades over his dead first girlfriend.
Jane's character actually moves backward in terms of growth and development. She goes from being a rather weak figure to being downright pathetic when things begin to fall apart.
I kept waiting, hoping Gordon would change. I wanted him to have a big moment of self-realization, but he didn't really. Oh, he did finally realize his too-long novel was as self-aggrandizing as everything else about him, but only after Jane, in a moment of drunken honesty, points it out to him. This arrogance is all in spite of the fact that he comes across as a huge loser, being denied tenure at one university, then fired from another, until he ends up bunking on his mousy sister's sofa. Oy, what an annoying character.
And shouldn't a romantic comedy have some chemistry? This had none. Oh, sure, they had sex (not described in detail), but it's like it just kind of happened because they were in a hotel room together. Again, blah.
The problems I've mentioned don't even begin to address the tense issue. This story shifts from present tense to past, sometimes in the same paragraph. And by present tense, I mean things like, "Jane opens the door. Gordon comes inside and sits down." Obviously that's made up, but it's that type of writing, which comes across as very amateurish and unpolished.
I'm sorry, I just don't think I'd recommend this book to anyone. :-(
Jane's character actually moves backward in terms of growth and development. She goes from being a rather weak figure to being downright pathetic when things begin to fall apart.
I kept waiting, hoping Gordon would change. I wanted him to have a big moment of self-realization, but he didn't really. Oh, he did finally realize his too-long novel was as self-aggrandizing as everything else about him, but only after Jane, in a moment of drunken honesty, points it out to him. This arrogance is all in spite of the fact that he comes across as a huge loser, being denied tenure at one university, then fired from another, until he ends up bunking on his mousy sister's sofa. Oy, what an annoying character.
And shouldn't a romantic comedy have some chemistry? This had none. Oh, sure, they had sex (not described in detail), but it's like it just kind of happened because they were in a hotel room together. Again, blah.
The problems I've mentioned don't even begin to address the tense issue. This story shifts from present tense to past, sometimes in the same paragraph. And by present tense, I mean things like, "Jane opens the door. Gordon comes inside and sits down." Obviously that's made up, but it's that type of writing, which comes across as very amateurish and unpolished.
I'm sorry, I just don't think I'd recommend this book to anyone. :-(
December 3, 2013
At first I thought it was just silly. But then I realized it was just not good.
December 29, 2013
I should write a book. Surely it can't be as bad as that.
March 15, 2019
This Book Is A Gem
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. For me, the beginning was sad and I wasn't in the mood for sad. But, I'm not a quitter and I continue to read. As I read, my mood began to lighten and I found myself smiling more and more. I'm not going to recount the storyline. Others have already done that for me. I'm just going to say that I'm very glad I read this book. It's a gem. I felt what the characters were feeling. That's my measure of a book worth reading.
I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. For me, the beginning was sad and I wasn't in the mood for sad. But, I'm not a quitter and I continue to read. As I read, my mood began to lighten and I found myself smiling more and more. I'm not going to recount the storyline. Others have already done that for me. I'm just going to say that I'm very glad I read this book. It's a gem. I felt what the characters were feeling. That's my measure of a book worth reading.
October 28, 2020
MR. LOVE
A Romantic Comedy
SALLY MASON
Review by Author Roy Murry
This book hit my funny bone in the right way. I laugh every time I think of the plot, characters, and how opposites attract.
Gordon unusually meets Jane, a Literary agent. She is hunting another person, a woman, and finds Gordy, a man who uses Viola Usher as a pseudonym for his racy novel.
He self-publishes digitally, and it has gone viral, making Gordy a lot of money. Agents are going crazy trying to find Viola to sign her to a book deal. Jane is the only one who finds him/her.
But Gordon, who wants to sell his American Novel (Trash), convinces his sister to be Viola. And the fun begins - twists and turns that bring a "Pompous and liar," Gordy and, sweet, diligent Jane together.
The writing is intelligent, with funny and literary conversations bringing out Jane, Gordon, and his sister Betsy's real character.
A Romantic Comedy
SALLY MASON
Review by Author Roy Murry
This book hit my funny bone in the right way. I laugh every time I think of the plot, characters, and how opposites attract.
Gordon unusually meets Jane, a Literary agent. She is hunting another person, a woman, and finds Gordy, a man who uses Viola Usher as a pseudonym for his racy novel.
He self-publishes digitally, and it has gone viral, making Gordy a lot of money. Agents are going crazy trying to find Viola to sign her to a book deal. Jane is the only one who finds him/her.
But Gordon, who wants to sell his American Novel (Trash), convinces his sister to be Viola. And the fun begins - twists and turns that bring a "Pompous and liar," Gordy and, sweet, diligent Jane together.
The writing is intelligent, with funny and literary conversations bringing out Jane, Gordon, and his sister Betsy's real character.
November 8, 2019
Hilarious? No. A couple funny parts. Beginning was rough and wasn’t sure I would like it but I gave it a chance. Do I regret it? No.
It was overall an enjoyable and light quick read.
A lot of complex words which were not bad but Gordon I just had a hard time liking.
I’m glad I read it, it was enjoyable so please don’t read this review and think better to pass on this book.
Just was expecting a lot more humor as the the description of the book read.
It was overall an enjoyable and light quick read.
A lot of complex words which were not bad but Gordon I just had a hard time liking.
I’m glad I read it, it was enjoyable so please don’t read this review and think better to pass on this book.
Just was expecting a lot more humor as the the description of the book read.
December 27, 2019
I started this book skipped to the end twice, not realizing I’d done the same thing before. I was completely turned off by the MC’s attitudes toward her cheating bf (kick him out for cheating, yes! decide he’s mentally ill because he has some kinks? nope nope) and by the love interest’s personality. Everything felt manufactured, too easy, and not at all like the kind of people I’d want to watch fall in love. Bleh
March 1, 2021
Cute but not funny
I enjoyed this in moderation. The story was cute, and as a struggling indie author, I can relate to Gordon's situation - except I hope my writing isn't crap! However, for a book labelled as a romantic comedy, I didn't find it funny, except the setting itself being amusing. I didn't laugh once. The writing is poor, but I still wanted to know how the events unfolded, making this a 2.5 rounded up to 3.
I enjoyed this in moderation. The story was cute, and as a struggling indie author, I can relate to Gordon's situation - except I hope my writing isn't crap! However, for a book labelled as a romantic comedy, I didn't find it funny, except the setting itself being amusing. I didn't laugh once. The writing is poor, but I still wanted to know how the events unfolded, making this a 2.5 rounded up to 3.
February 10, 2019
Yes, it was a smart story. Also a breath of fresh air, in the sense that it does not follow the same story patterns of most contemporary romances. The characters, for once, are not a copy of so many others. You have to read the whole book to appreciate how well it is constructed. The ends are tied very nicely.
November 3, 2017
Delightful!
An absolute pleasure to read! It's adorably cute, funny and truly well written. The characters are charming and quirky and so much fun! I look forward to reading more of Sally Jason's writing. She is a true artist!
An absolute pleasure to read! It's adorably cute, funny and truly well written. The characters are charming and quirky and so much fun! I look forward to reading more of Sally Jason's writing. She is a true artist!
February 15, 2018
Mr. Love
I'm now addicted to this author. I've read all three of them and highly recommend them all. Chick lit they may be but you will definitely place this book among those you'll read again.
I'm now addicted to this author. I've read all three of them and highly recommend them all. Chick lit they may be but you will definitely place this book among those you'll read again.
April 15, 2018
Sally Mason a New Fave!!
Must read!!! Characters come to life right of the page or Kindle. Don't wish to spoil. Couldn't put down. Mason hits all elements one would expect with doses of reality thrown in the mix.
Must read!!! Characters come to life right of the page or Kindle. Don't wish to spoil. Couldn't put down. Mason hits all elements one would expect with doses of reality thrown in the mix.
June 15, 2018
Don't waste your time
Poorly meditated and written by someone with a dictionary and little knowledge of grammar. I am glad I got this book at an extreme discount. Otherwise, I would be seeking a refund.
Poorly meditated and written by someone with a dictionary and little knowledge of grammar. I am glad I got this book at an extreme discount. Otherwise, I would be seeking a refund.
July 18, 2018
A woderful, entertaining, and humorous read. Her first one I read, Rent A Husband, got me hooked, so now I am on to her third novel, Gone Hollywood. These are all definitely romantic comedies, not wannabes.
January 21, 2019
Absolutely Awesome
I totally forgot to put my kindle down and is 4:55am and so worth the missed sleep!I love this book and totally recommend it to anyone who wants a great read and a good laugh.
I totally forgot to put my kindle down and is 4:55am and so worth the missed sleep!I love this book and totally recommend it to anyone who wants a great read and a good laugh.
April 11, 2019
Another FUN read!!!!!
Sally has done an incredible job of turning chaos and failure into joy and success; however, voracious readers want to know more about Bitsy and her dilemma with that cult leader.
Sally has done an incredible job of turning chaos and failure into joy and success; however, voracious readers want to know more about Bitsy and her dilemma with that cult leader.
August 29, 2019
A witty satisfying romp
A light hearted but intelligent story with likable but far from perfect characters. The story drags in a couple places and leaps in others, but the plot moves along well and everyone is satisfied with the HEA.
A light hearted but intelligent story with likable but far from perfect characters. The story drags in a couple places and leaps in others, but the plot moves along well and everyone is satisfied with the HEA.
July 13, 2020
Cute
A cute story. Predictable, yet still very enjoyable. The one thing hanging? The sister's investment. This could be very interesting story. Hope Ms Mason finds a good set of twist and turns, a interesting hero, and the newer stronger Bitsy stays on forever.
A cute story. Predictable, yet still very enjoyable. The one thing hanging? The sister's investment. This could be very interesting story. Hope Ms Mason finds a good set of twist and turns, a interesting hero, and the newer stronger Bitsy stays on forever.
December 21, 2022
Well this was a surprise…
I didn’t know how this read would go when the very first paragraph was one sentence, but I forced myself to soldier on through. What a crazy story! So well crafted with zany characters and a plot that was all over the place. I was thoroughly entertained.
I didn’t know how this read would go when the very first paragraph was one sentence, but I forced myself to soldier on through. What a crazy story! So well crafted with zany characters and a plot that was all over the place. I was thoroughly entertained.
August 20, 2017
Ugh
Couldn't finish it. This is the biggest piece of drivel I've ever attempted to read. Thank God it was free.
Couldn't finish it. This is the biggest piece of drivel I've ever attempted to read. Thank God it was free.
October 5, 2017
I thought it was a comedy?? I always wonder why the very"posh" writing style is set in NY?? Doesn't work
November 3, 2017
Absolutely charming. I thought the ending was a bit rushed, but maybe that's just because I was enjoying the read so much.
December 18, 2017
Although the grammar sometimes seems awkward, the story works quite well for me, at least up to the epilogue ... where too much is wrapped up too quickly, too easily.
March 29, 2018
This was a typical little romance story. Fun, but nothing spectacular.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews