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Just the Way You Aren't
Commissioned to paint a mural on the ceiling of New York's finest hotel, Sunny Anderson falls for Michael, the gorgeous project manager who thinks she is just one of the guys, until she crashes a black tie affair as "Sonja," a gorgeous woman who leaves the party at midnight and leaves Michael yearning for more. Original.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
About the author
Lynda Simmons
12 books233 followersI'm a writer by day, college instructor by night and a late sleeper on weekends. I grew up reading Greek mythology, bringing home stray cats and making up stories about bodies in the basement. From an early age, my family knew I would either end up as a writer or the old lady with a hundred cats. As luck would have it, I married a man with allergies so writing it was.
I started out writing romantic comedy for Harlequin and Kensington, and made the leap to mainstream in 2009 with Getting Rid of Rosie, a paranormal comedy.
When I'm not writing or teaching, I like to canoe, cross-country ski and watch movies. I usually have three books on the go as well -- one by the bed, one in the bathroom, and one in the family room. At least two of those are usually research books for whatever I'm working on at the time. I think that half the appeal of writing is the research!
I started out writing romantic comedy for Harlequin and Kensington, and made the leap to mainstream in 2009 with Getting Rid of Rosie, a paranormal comedy.
When I'm not writing or teaching, I like to canoe, cross-country ski and watch movies. I usually have three books on the go as well -- one by the bed, one in the bathroom, and one in the family room. At least two of those are usually research books for whatever I'm working on at the time. I think that half the appeal of writing is the research!
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 27, 2015
I was provided with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story revolves around Sunny Anderson, a mural painter by interest and profession, and has a simmering fire inside for excitement and making it big in the world. Her undying thirst for getting to see her handiwork in full glory, at Manhattan's new sensational boutique hotel, makes her recklessly adorn an out-of-reach gown and a mask to go with it to attend the biggest ball of her life. Things take a turn when she catches the eye of the dashing Michael Wolfe, the project manager in charge of the ball. Having no clue that the lady he is mesmerised with is the same one who painted the ceiling mural, he allows himself to get enchanted by her. When their short and enticing moments of togetherness comes to an end, Sunny whisks herself away, leaving Michael with nothing but a pair of her earrings. Clutching the earrings, Michael is determined to find this intriguing damsel at any cost. Does he realise who his mural painter is, and does Sunny allow herself to be found, is what the book takes us through.
This modern take on Cinderella has a plot that fits very nicely with the current world. The narrative is handled well and the conversations and exchanges leave the reader with a smile in many instances. Sunny's characterisation was captivating, but I would have loved to read more in-depth descriptions of her thought processes and idealogies. Although reading about her life makes the reader understand why she insists on doing things in a certain way, reading about her idealogies would have helped the reader empathise with her decisions further. Michael's character forms a solid supporting pillar to uphold the story. The pace of the book was just right and engaging.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend this to lovers of modern takes on classic romance tales!
My rating: 4 stars
The story revolves around Sunny Anderson, a mural painter by interest and profession, and has a simmering fire inside for excitement and making it big in the world. Her undying thirst for getting to see her handiwork in full glory, at Manhattan's new sensational boutique hotel, makes her recklessly adorn an out-of-reach gown and a mask to go with it to attend the biggest ball of her life. Things take a turn when she catches the eye of the dashing Michael Wolfe, the project manager in charge of the ball. Having no clue that the lady he is mesmerised with is the same one who painted the ceiling mural, he allows himself to get enchanted by her. When their short and enticing moments of togetherness comes to an end, Sunny whisks herself away, leaving Michael with nothing but a pair of her earrings. Clutching the earrings, Michael is determined to find this intriguing damsel at any cost. Does he realise who his mural painter is, and does Sunny allow herself to be found, is what the book takes us through.
This modern take on Cinderella has a plot that fits very nicely with the current world. The narrative is handled well and the conversations and exchanges leave the reader with a smile in many instances. Sunny's characterisation was captivating, but I would have loved to read more in-depth descriptions of her thought processes and idealogies. Although reading about her life makes the reader understand why she insists on doing things in a certain way, reading about her idealogies would have helped the reader empathise with her decisions further. Michael's character forms a solid supporting pillar to uphold the story. The pace of the book was just right and engaging.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend this to lovers of modern takes on classic romance tales!
My rating: 4 stars
September 26, 2018
JUST THE WAY YOU AREN'T is the most amazing book, y'all! In fact, I was surprised at just how much I enjoyed it. Let me tell you a little about it.
What captured my attention first was the cover. Isn't it great?!? It shows Sunny, as "Sonja," in disguise for the masquerade ball. She's wearing that fabulous butterfly mask to hide her face, a blond wig to hide her exuberant red hair, as well as a gorgeous figure-flaunting gown, so she can go incognito to promote her just-completed mural on the ballroom ceiling. How "Sonja" drew peoples' attention to the mural was very clever; read the book and find out!
It didn't take me long to realize that author Lynda Simmons' content is as great as the cover. I fell in love with the main characters Sunny and Michael, just as they fell in love with each other. [No, that's not a spoiler. This is a romance. Of course they fall in love.] The supporting characters are all great, also. Lynda describes everyone with just the right amount of detail, and makes everyone quite likable.
Some of the interactions between characters are just hilarious - really LOL moments. Others are very touching. Lynda is adept at emotional scenes. The world she creates in this boutique hotel is believable; I can picture it easily in my mind. There's also a wee bit of a mystery here, in that the reader is wondering just how long it takes before Michael realizes that Sunny is "Sonja."
I highly recommend this one, y'all. If you like romance, I think you'll love JUST THE WAY YOU AREN'T.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of Just the Way You Aren’t from the author, in exchange for a voluntary and honest opinion of the book.
Originally published on my blog Jane Reads.
What captured my attention first was the cover. Isn't it great?!? It shows Sunny, as "Sonja," in disguise for the masquerade ball. She's wearing that fabulous butterfly mask to hide her face, a blond wig to hide her exuberant red hair, as well as a gorgeous figure-flaunting gown, so she can go incognito to promote her just-completed mural on the ballroom ceiling. How "Sonja" drew peoples' attention to the mural was very clever; read the book and find out!
It didn't take me long to realize that author Lynda Simmons' content is as great as the cover. I fell in love with the main characters Sunny and Michael, just as they fell in love with each other. [No, that's not a spoiler. This is a romance. Of course they fall in love.] The supporting characters are all great, also. Lynda describes everyone with just the right amount of detail, and makes everyone quite likable.
Some of the interactions between characters are just hilarious - really LOL moments. Others are very touching. Lynda is adept at emotional scenes. The world she creates in this boutique hotel is believable; I can picture it easily in my mind. There's also a wee bit of a mystery here, in that the reader is wondering just how long it takes before Michael realizes that Sunny is "Sonja."
I highly recommend this one, y'all. If you like romance, I think you'll love JUST THE WAY YOU AREN'T.
Note: I received a complimentary copy of Just the Way You Aren’t from the author, in exchange for a voluntary and honest opinion of the book.
Originally published on my blog Jane Reads.
February 6, 2015
"4 out of 5 stars! Since there are bunches of subtle "fairy Godmothers" in this novel I was thoroughly curious to find out who would be marked as the bad guy or "evil step-mother." The main candidates to be crown the behind this scenes title of "evil step-mother" was either going to be Judith (Michael's boss) or Moyra (Sunny's mom). Yet as this novel progressed, you find that both Judith & Moyra are not evil in any way, they are just two very determined women who are set in their ways. And while this compelling story has the buildup of a fairytale, it isn't one, it’s based on a man who's lost the ability to dream and a woman who has the strength to show him the way.
Sunny & Michael are an intriguing couple from their first real meeting at the masquerade to their playful banter with each other to their easy relationship around Sunny's daughter. It all held me spell bound, wanting to read more but also sad to see it end."
Read more of this review, a teaser, and an excerpt here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2015/02/blog-tour-feasted-on-just-way-you-arent.html
Sunny & Michael are an intriguing couple from their first real meeting at the masquerade to their playful banter with each other to their easy relationship around Sunny's daughter. It all held me spell bound, wanting to read more but also sad to see it end."
Read more of this review, a teaser, and an excerpt here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2015/02/blog-tour-feasted-on-just-way-you-arent.html
December 23, 2016
Cute older romance which was a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews