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Irresistible?

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Wanted: Single women of any age to take part in a four-week clinical study.

Ellie Sutherland wasn't exactly desperate...yet. But after fourteen months, five days and two hours of being without a man, she was getting pretty close. So when she had a chance to try out a pill that attracted the opposite sex, Ellie didn't waste any time signing up. After all, she had nowhere to go but up!

Almost immediately, men started falling at her feet. She even had sexy Mark Blackwell eating out of her hand. And before long, she'd fallen head over heels in love with him, too. Ellie's life was perfect, at least for a while. But when the pills ran out, would Mark still find her irresistible?

187 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

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About the author

Stephanie Bond

271 books1,792 followers
USA TODAY bestselling author Stephanie Bond was seven years deep into a systems engineering career and pursuing an MBA at night when an instructor remarked that she had a flair for writing and suggested that she submit to academic journals. But Stephanie, a voracious reader, was only interested in writing fiction–more specifically, romantic fiction.

Upon completing her master’s degree and with no formal training in writing (her undergraduate degree is in computer programming), she started writing a romance novel in her spare time. Two years later in 1995 she sold her first manuscript, a romantic comedy, to Harlequin Books.

In 1997, with ten sales under her belt to two publishers, Stephanie left her corporate job to write women’s romantic fiction full-time. In 2011,

Stephanie launched a self-publishing business. Since that time, she has sold more than 1 million copies of her own books. To-date, Stephanie has published over 70 novels and has over 6 million copies of her work in worldwide distribution in numerous languages and formats.

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5 stars
125 (41%)
4 stars
106 (34%)
3 stars
57 (18%)
2 stars
11 (3%)
1 star
5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Meredith Schorr.
Author 15 books959 followers
March 20, 2018
I've been looking for romantic comedies that, like Jennifer Crusie, are both hilarious and swoon-worthy without being sappy and this one definitely qualifies. It's my first book by this author and I'll definitely check out another one of her romantic comedies. It was from the late 1990s, but I never really felt the twenty year difference and I did not miss the lack of cell phones and social media references.
Profile Image for Cleffairy Cleffairy.
Author 1 book16 followers
August 13, 2011
Reviewed at: Over A Cuppa Tea
Review date: 13 August 2011
Review link: http://cleffairy.com/?p=5950

‘Irresistible?’ by Stephanie Bond is a gem. I was reading it in the office and I practically had to stop reading because it is impossible to be discreet while reading this book. It tickles my funny bones and I feel like laughing out loud.

Love the heroine’s knack of getting into various troubles without even trying and love the way how the hero is always victimized by the heroine’s clumsiness.

The book ended with a big WHAM that made me laugh for a full minute non-stop. I did not have enough of this book and somehow I wish there’s more.

A very light and witty book to read. And if you have a bad day, be sure to pick up this book, it will be worth your time.

I rate this book 5 stars. I received an ARC of this book from Harlequin Publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review for this book.
Profile Image for Dalia.
482 reviews75 followers
October 12, 2012
A great romantic comedy
A quirky & lively artist, an uptight & workaholic attorney. Add lots of attraction, some phormones pills (For clinical study ) & it's a match from hell. SB does a great job in putting Ellie & Mark in a lots of awkward & hilarious situations.
Profile Image for Desi.
2,667 reviews85 followers
October 9, 2020
Leído en Feb 2015

Protagonistas: Mark Blackwell y Ellie Sutherland
Argumento:

Ellie Sutherland no estaba exactamente desesperada, todavía. Pero después de haber pasado más de un año sin un hombre, le faltaba muy poco para estarlo. De modo que cuando tuvo oportunidad de poner a prueba unas píldoras para atraer al sexo opuesto, no perdió el tiempo. Después de todo, no tenía nada que perder.

Casi inmediatamente, los hombres empezaron a caer rendidos a sus pies. Incluso tuvo al atractivo Mark Blackwell comiendo de su mano. Pero ella también se enamoró locamente de él. La vida de Ellie empezaba a ser perfecta. Pero cuando se terminaran las píldoras, ¿continuaría Mark Blackwell encontrándola irresistible?
Profile Image for Rebecca.
589 reviews34 followers
August 8, 2011
You can also read this review at Reflections on Reading Romance


Harlequin has begun re-releasing some of its “Presents” lines from the 1990s in ebook form under the name Harlequin Treasury, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how well these books hold up 16 years later. Generally I tend to steer clear of category romances, because many times the hero’s presented as an alpha male when he’s actually just a jerk, but I’ve read a couple of these re-releases and that hasn’t always been the case. In the case of Stephanie Bond’s Irresistible? I knew the book was going to be a winner when I saw that it was set in Atlanta. Like most Harlequin Presents books, this was a short read, but it had some hilarious moments that reminded me of the film Some Like It Hot and you just can’t go wrong there, can you?

The novel begins with artist Ellie Sutherland losing her job to budget cuts. She’s been working at a federally funded arts center in order to pay the bills and generate some commissions for her paintings, but the funding is decreasing and they can’t afford to keep her. Her bad day gets even worse when she’s jostled by an uptight yuppie in a coffee shop at lunch, spilling her drink all over her skirt. When she gets back to her soon-to-be gone job, she discovers an ad calling for volunteers for a scientific study. Since she needs the money, she decides to give it a try, but she manages to announce to her entire office her lack of a love life while answering the basic interview questions on the phone. Clearly, Ellie is having a rough day.

The plot thickens when Ellie presents herself at the clinical study and learns that they are conducting a trial to see if oral pheromones have any effect on a woman’s ability to attract male interest. She decides to participate in the trial, and lo and behold the first day she takes the pills she notices an overwhelming difference in the amount and quality of male attention she receives. She’s also excited because she’s received a commission to do a portrait of the newest partner for a local law firm. Unfortunately, said partner turns out to be none other than Mark Blackwell, obnoxious yuppie from the coffee shop. Sparks definitely fly between the two, but disaster seems to follow Ellie wherever she goes. The two gradually learn that neither is exactly what s/he appears, and despite Mark’s best efforts to keep Ellie at a distance, he finds himself attracted to the carefree artist.

This is a fun, lighthearted romance that’s full of slapstick moments that can be blamed equally on hero and heroine. Mark’s decision to invite Ellie as his date to the family picnic in order to horrify his mother into leaving his love life alone is hardly flattering to Ellie, but it sets up some hilarious situations. And Ellie’s decision to paint Mark in the nude, while clearly a bad decision to the reader, helps create a resolution to their romance that’s "well hung."

For me Ellie’s character was the real selling point of the novel. She’s a bit flighty at times, but she’s goodhearted and very likeable. You can definitely relate to her doubts about Mark’s attraction to her, since she’s taking the pheromones from the clinical study, but to the reader it’s clear that Ellie’s loyalty and personality are the real attraction. Mark is an appealing hero as well, since he starts out looking like a yuppie jerk but soon reveals himself to be something more complex. Despite his allergic reaction to cats, he shows a softer side when he takes in Ellie’s pregnant cat Esmerelda and helps nurse her and Ellie back to health. Both hero and heroine are engaging, and you’ll enjoy rooting for them.

The one criticism I have of the novel is that Ellie’s roommate, Manny, is little better than a stock figure. He’s a transvestite who performs in an Atlanta club, and the Some Like It Hot moment I referred to earlier takes place when Mark mistakenly sets up a double date with his boss and Ellie’s roommate, little realizing that “Molly” is the same person as Ellie’s roommate Manny he met a few days earlier. Manny’s character reminded me a lot of the character of Jack in the TV show Will & Grace. He’s outrageously flamboyant, bordering on campy, which would be fine if this were camp, but I think we’re supposed to take him seriously. Given the lack of nuance in his character, he fell a little flat and seemed like the stereotypical gay friend telling the heroine, “You go, girl!” or something equally hideous. However, given the original publication date of 1997 and the fact that the author is referred to as "newcomer Stephanie Bond” in the Letter to the Reader, I’m inclined to be a little lenient. I do like how the hero seems perfectly comfortable with Manny/Molly once he learns the truth, only getting upset about how his straitlaced boss will react if he learns of the deception. Also, Mark’s willingness to switch clothes with Manny in the bathroom so he can fix the situation is pretty darn funny. Frankly, Manny’s character is really the only thing that dates this book, and that’s pretty impressive.

Overall I feel this book was a fun read, and it certainly piques my interest in Ms. Bond’s subsequent books, especially since she favors Atlanta locales. I suspect many authors would love to be able to point to an early novel that, while flawed, is an engaging and fun read.

I received this book for review from the publisher through NetGalley.
4 reviews
September 21, 2017
Funny!

It's not the most interesting book in the world, the characters are likeable and the plot is fairly standard. But this book gets four stars because it ends with you literally laughing out loud, a good long laugh!
Profile Image for Donna Darner.
8 reviews
July 22, 2018
Left me wanting more

Great book of you like fast paced, quirky and funny love stories. Stephanie Bond never fails to entertain! I think I have read pretty much everything at
He has written.
230 reviews2 followers
July 30, 2019
Irresistible

I just absolutely love this romantic comedy. Just what I needed, I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book. I can't wait to read another Stephanie Bond novel.
236 reviews
November 26, 2017
A Very Enjoyable Read

Twists and turns and happy . Full of Love. Laughter and life. I recommend this book to anyone who loves romantic books
967 reviews2 followers
December 14, 2017
Fun book

I love it when I'm reading a book and I just laugh out load. Stephanie Bond just continues to prove what a talented writer she truly is!
Profile Image for Angela Maher.
Author 20 books32 followers
June 30, 2018
This is a fun, light-hearted book. An easy read that will make you smile. Perfect for a beach read or weekend escape.
Profile Image for Gail Gowland.
17 reviews
July 8, 2018
Loved it

A great read. Loved the ups and downs. Held my interest and really enjoyed the characters. Especially loved the ending!
22 reviews
July 18, 2018
This is a feel good read!

I loved reading Ellie and Mark's story! The characters made me laugh! Stephanie Bond wrote another funny heart felt love story!
2 reviews
March 16, 2020
Fun from stat to finish

this is one of my favorites! I never get tired of reading it over and over again from all of their mishaps to the genuine true love story it's a great read
Profile Image for Kimberly.
2,318 reviews97 followers
September 22, 2011
My review originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-r...

Artist Ellie Sutherland hasn’t had the best luck with men lately and after losing her job due to budget cuts, she’s also in need of cash. So when she discovers there’s a four-week clinical study that involves pheromone pills, she’s in. The pills seem to work better than Ellie could ever have dreamed. They even seem to work on stuffy lawyer Mark Blackwell, who commissions Ellie to paint his portrait. But the more time Ellie spends with Mark, the more she sees that he isn’t so much stuffy as sexy. But how can she get involved with Mark, knowing that it’s only a matter of time before the study ends and she’s no longer quite so irresistible?

Irresistible? is a delightful romantic comedy, featuring a heroine who is sure to capture readers’ hearts. Ellie is spunky, kind, a bit flighty, and utterly likeable. She sometimes seems to have the worst luck, which is fodder for some entertaining scenes, but mostly just made me feel bad for her. On the other hand, Ellie does get some serious compensation for what she goes through in the form of Mark. Mark’s staid exterior covers a wonderfully passionate interior. At times, Mark’s also simply adorable. I adored he and Ellie together and Stephanie Bond had me hooked as I watched their rather sprightly courtship.

Irresistible? was originally published in the 1990s and is now being digitally re-issued. I will admit, the kinds of fashion that were emphasized in the story did give Irresistible? a bit of a dated feel. Still, this didn’t detract from my reading experience; Irresistible? is a lively, charming read.
2,324 reviews38 followers
July 26, 2011
throughly enjoyed reading Irresistible by Stephanie Bond. I laughed and did not put the book down. Its a romantic comedy.
It starts off with Ellie having a bad day. She is let go of her job. goes out to lunch think the cute guy behind the counter likes her perfume she made and is told everytime she comes in gives him a migraine. than why she is sitting at table reading what jobs are listed, she is bumped coffee all over brand new white skirt and paper. she gets mad and takes his cell phone and says goodbye to his call and gets him too pay for skirt and coffee. Then Ellie calls about a job offer for clinical study answers embrassing question about last time she had sex down month, day,hours ago and finds out the intercom was on so everyone she had worked with knows too.
Ellie gets a commision to paint picture of the new partner at law office and its the guy who spilled the coffee on her.
Mark and Ellie are opposites and they keep getting thrown together because of errors. So Mark's family all the women at reunion ate her , guys like her so do the children.
I really enjoy and feel happy when I was done with the book. I was given this email in exchange for honest review.
Profile Image for Kari.
4,045 reviews97 followers
July 22, 2011
Irresistible? by Stephanie Bond is an interesting concept for a book. Ellie enters a clinical trial for pheromone tablets and suddenly men are noticing her all over the place. She falls for Mark, but doesn't know if it is the pills that are making him fall for her.

While I liked to idea, I'm not sure I liked the main characters. Ellie seemed a bit too flighty for me and Mark was kind of a jerk. I know they say opposites attract, but these 2 just didn't seem right for each other. I couldn't see much in their relationship except physical attraction. There are some amusing scenes in the book that make it worth reading. Ellie's roommate Manny is hilarious! I haven't read anything else by Stephanie Bond, but I look forward to trying another one by her.


--Kari

Note: I read a complimentary copy of Irresistible? supplied courtesy of HQN Books. I was not compensated in any way for this review. By receiving a complimentary copy, I am in no way obligated to write a good or bad review. I am an honest reviewer and my reviews are based on my own opinion and only written by me.*
Profile Image for Rosa.
259 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2013
Este libro tiene tuvo todo lo necesario para hacerme feliz.
Tuve risas, problemas para respirar en alguna que otra ocasión, culpa del irresistible protagonista. Un montón de hilarantes situaciones entre Ellie y Mark. Me tenían atragántandome con el café todo el tiempo.
Nada, nada de drama. Todo fue ligero y sencillo como respirar.
¡Me encantó!

Ellie es mi ídola. Ella es la mejor.
Mark fue la cosa más gruñona y adorable, -le sigh-.
Perfecto.
Profile Image for Short, Sweet and Cozy.
1,544 reviews
April 20, 2024
Irresistible? Is an updated romantic comedy by Stephanie Bond. It is a fun story about Ellie who is an artist and lost her daytime job. A friend suggests an artistic job painting the portrait of a man who just made partner at his law firm. Except Ellie had already run into him-literally. Ellie signs up for a trial of pills that helps with pheromones. The characters are likable and the story has humor and romance and it is an enjoyable combination. #Irresistible? #StephanieBond
Profile Image for Karen.
123 reviews
February 20, 2013
really enjoyed this book. reminded me of a doris day movie--some humor along with the romance. another fast read.
Profile Image for Diana.
16 reviews
July 18, 2013
De los libros más graciosos que he leído!!
533 reviews
August 26, 2015
A short romance read. Easy to get into and enjoy. I will be reading more of her.
Profile Image for Becky.
1,875 reviews16 followers
May 2, 2017
Fun, quick, laughed out loud. Exactly what I needed at this time in my life. Totally impractical, but humorous light hearted fluff that was enjoyable to read.
204 reviews
Read
July 11, 2018
Great and funny romance

Very funny romance. Elle was a painter and she got let go from another job, but she was hired to paint this guy's portrait as another job. All kinds of funny things happened to Elle and Mark the guy she met and they fell in love. Great story as usual.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews