Knock Me Off My Feet

by Susan Donovan

Autumn Adams never planned to follow in her mother's footsteps as Chicago's answer to Martha Stewart--she can't cook, doesn't clean, and would rather play soccer than discuss the joys of white bathtub grout. Then some lunatic starts sending her threats in the mail and Audie finds herself under the protection of simmering, sexy Detective Stacey Quinn, a man determined to examine her every nook, cranny, and ex-boyfriend in his effort to find the stalker. A disarming combination of macho cop and sweet charmer, Quinn is hard to resist. But with Audie's bad luck at finding and holding on to Mr. Right, she think it's best to keep her distance...

Quinn soon discovers that the real Audie is an alluring blend of fantasy babe and tender-hearted female all wrapped up in what he can only hope is leopard-print underwear. She's not what he's always pictured for himself, but could she be everything he'll ever need?

Digging through Audie's many layers could turn out to be the hottest, craziest, sexiest bit of detective work Quinn has ever attempted...if it doesn't kill him first.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult, Fiction, Humor

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 15, 2002

About the author

SUSAN DONOVAN's novels have won accolades for being witty, sexy, and entertaining. A former newspaper reporter with journalism degrees from Northwestern University, Susan is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author whose novels have been translated into dozens of languages. Susan is a two-time RITA Award finalist, and her novel TAKE A CHANCE ON ME was named Best Contemporary Romance of 2003 by RT Book Reviews magazine. She lives in New Mexico with her family and dogs.

Reviews

[Blacky *Romance Addict* · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was me while reading:





I confess, I haven't read an oldie for a while, but damn! This had all kinds of great surprises in it :)




I'm gonna keep it short and just say why I loved it so much :)



- The hero




He isn't some larger than life ultra-badass dude who doesn't know how to communicate other than with swearing and saying the word: MINE!!!!!!!!!
He's a cop, he's really smart, and he's a normal guy!
And I loved the hell out of him!!!!!
OMG he is perfect <3
How he was with her and what he did and just everything <3
I love that he has a girl's name and it was made fun of throughout the book (Stacey), but luckily, Quinn is a great surname so it works for him :)



- The heroine




Gotta confess, she was OK to me, a nice character who brought out the best from Quinn XD
Yes, I'm obsessed with him, deal with it!!!!
She was fun at times, and at others vulnerable, but I didn't mind her being that way, though I do wish she cried just a bit less XD
Anyway, she's got a psycho dude sending her creepy letters and everything is revolving around that :)



- The story

Like I said, psycho dude with creepy letters threatening to kill her, in comes Quinn, the uber-smart and handsome police detective in charge of her case.
There is an instant attraction between them, they both know it and dance around each other, eventually trying something out ehehehehhe
But it ain't eazy, 'cause she's got some commitment problems :(((



- The sex




You won't get 10 sex scenes here just so you know XD
And with some terms you can tell it was written a while ago.
BUT!
Dayumn it was hot! Especially the first sex!
Seriously :) The talking in the car... great, great foreplay, loved it :)
That's one of the things that surprised me, I didn't expect it to be hot, just some fade-to-black sex XD




- Overall




I loved it :)
It took me a while to totally get into it, after the first 30% I really started to enjoy it and it turned to absolutely loving <3
The emotional part was amazing, especially concerning Quinn <3
And yes, I loved how he was always attuned to everything she was feeling <3 Yes I am gushing about him again even in the overall but honestly I don't care!!!! He is that good <3


So yes, even though the cover is screaming in that pink color and everything, I absolutely recommend it, if you want to read about a great romance that is actually believable, and with no angst, this is the one for you.


I'm so glad I picked it up, I can't tell you how much <3

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. Nice, light read with a quirky heroine and a sexy (Irish) hero - OK he was born in the USA but he was still Irish to me. My kids were born in Belgium but they have their Irish passports.

There was something about Quinn that completely unnerved her. He was a very basic man ... What he was, she decided, was incredibly male. He oozed it. He knew it.

"I don't know much about Ireland. I suppose you're Catholic."

Most of us are!!


We had a little bit of a mystery element. A little bit obvious, I thought! But then again, I am a regular Miss Marple!

"You can never know a woman until you go through a Chicago winter with her."

I really liked Quinn (not going to call him Stacey) ... and his family were great too.

He wanted the kind of love that was beautiful and resilient and funny. He wanted passionate love. He wanted love that would challenge him, complete him, make him a getter man ...

I will definitely check out more by this author.

Just hope she get the Irish "accents" on her words correct the next time! I know, I know - I am such a fusspot.

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 9/17/13! I love this book as much, maybe even more than when I read it the first two times. Stacey Quinn is a man's man, but even better he's a woman's dream man, my dream man!! There is something about him that touches me deep in my soul and takes my breath away. He treats Audie like she's a precious gem. He is at the top of my all-time favorite heroes list. I can't get enough of him! This is without a doubt, my favorite Susan Donovan book!

5 Stars...WOW!!! I loved this book. It had everything…humor, mystery, heartache, and some steamy sex. Knock Me Off My Feet, KNOCKED ME FOR A LOOP!! It was not at all what I expected. I’m still wiping away the tears from a very heart wrenching scene. You will be overcome with the emotion that you feel for these two characters. Audie is a real guy’s girl; vibrant, athletic, and sassy. Quinn is the ultimate alpha male; he’s protective, says what’s on his mind, and when he loves he loves deeply…Oh Quinn!! The sparks start to fly almost immediately. Their bond continues to grow and he draws her into his world that includes his tight knit loving family. Their relationship escalates to a very touching, passionate, and well written sexual encounter. As they become closer Audie begins to panic, because she feels that she cannot love Quinn as he loves her. Loads of fun, a nice little mystery and at the heart of it all a wonderful love story.

My favorite scene...takes my breath away every time!

“Usually I’m cautious. But with you . . .” He pulled on her hands. “Oh, hell, Audie. Not with you. Come here to me.”
He gathered her up in his arms and she felt him cradle her, protect her, give her a place in the world to stand for a moment, a place where she seemed to fit just fine.
Audie tucked her head into his shoulder and heard the lake stop rippling and the breeze stop blowing and her own heart stop beating. There was only Quinn, and he was a heady mixture of scents— water and wind, beer and sunscreen, and Quinn himself— and his body was warm and steady and sure against hers. She let the feel of Stacey Quinn sink into her bones.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “It’s been a long time since someone just . . . hugged me.”
He chuckled softly and heard himself say, “I could hug you like this till we both dry up and blow away.”
She pulled back and examined his face. There was no self-satisfied look in his eye— just surprise. Apparently this was something out of the ordinary for him as well. The destruction was complete.
“What are you doing to me, Quinn?” she breathed.
The smile started small and spread slowly but eventually engulfed his whole handsome, sunburned face. “I’m not sure, but I hope to God it’s something like what you’re doing to me.”

*sigh* I love you Quinn!

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite frankly, I'm surprised that I enjoyed this book. This is the type of book that you have to read in order to be lazily entertained and it did a good work, in my opinion. The characters are fun and I didn't even roll my eyes with the romance bits.

Will read more Donovan in the future.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, just wonderful. This hot romance works on so many levels and it has a pretty good mystery element too. The characters come alive and their problems make you feel for all children and adults caught in homes without love.

Autumn Adams is a syndicated columnist known as Homey Helen. Homey Helen was Audie's mother who was killed in a random mugging in a bad area of Chicago. Helen's last wish was for Audie to take over the column. So, Audie quits the job she loves as teacher and soccer coach for at risk youth and does as her mother wished. Her domestic diva skills would barely fit in a thimble, but it was mommy dearest's last wish. Can you earn the love of a dead women? Well, Audie is giving it her best shot with the help of Helen's best friend, Marjorie and, an ex-boyfriend. Audie has been receiving nasty letters and gifts and finally contacts the police. Audie finds herself under the protection of simmering, sexy Detective Stacey Quinn and, well, is it lust at first sight, for both of them.

Audie doesn't think there is such a thing as love and Quinn comes from a Irish family where love and acceptance were a birthright. It is quite a journey as these two find their way to each other and there are several obstacles along the way. Oh, yeah, Audie has to stay alive after she realizes that Quinn is the real deal.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read and a nice change of pace after all the UF and PNR I've been reading lately. Audie became Homey Helen after her dying mother guilted her into it and has been miserable since. Now she's getting threatening letters and Det. Stacey Quinn is assigned to the case.

What I enjoyed:
* All the characters. I love that Quinn came from a big, warm family that totally contrasts with Audie's cold upbringing.
* Seeing the characters fall in love instead of it just happening in an instant.

What could have been better:
* I would have liked to have seen more of Griffin.

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling story with delicious erotica. I was swept away by the chemistry between Audie and Quinn.

The problems and past of the characters are not exaggerated, but credible. I loved to follow the development of Audie and Quinn’s relationship: how they learn to trust each other, adapt to each other.

Pretty good mystery plot, with a surprising twist.
A steamy and emotional read!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Packed a Heck of a Punch
Autumn Adams is Homey Helen, the Chicago maven of helpful home tips, like how to clean anything and what tricks to use to polish the floor. She inherited the job from her imperious mother as a death-bed commitment and has been miserable in the roll ever since. She's the antithesis of Homey Helen, with her horrible cleaning habits and her disregard for order and neatness, her spaz-girl ways, and her tomboy recreations. She's a mess and she knows it; horrible at relationships, a loss with details, at home in chaos.

When the creepy letters started to come to her at the office, she blew them off. It was her good friend Griffin and her assistant and long-time surrogate mother, Marjorie who convinced her to call the police when the tone of the letters went from vaguely threatening to outright dangerous, her tires got slashed, and dead flowers started arriving for her. Someone not only hates Homey Helen, he wants her dead.

They're not going to get what they want, if Chicago Police Violent Crimes Detective Stacey Quinn has anything to say about it. He and his partner are on the case, and his captain has cleared their other cases until this high profile death threat is resolved. Quinn's more than okay with that, as the longer he spends with Audie, the more he wants with her - until what he wants can be summed up in one word: everything.

She's flighty and messy and a total spaz. He's solid, organized, and always thinking before he speaks. And if he can convince the emotionally damaged Audie, he's thinking about forever. With her. If a madman doesn't put a deadly crimp in his plans first.

My first experience with Susan Donovan's books is definitely not going to be my last. I enjoyed Knock Me Off My Feet, which is a romantic suspense that leans more towards the lighter side of entertainment thanks to the lead characters, spasmodic Audie and bagpipe-playing Quinn. Despite the lighter tone, there's plenty of true pathos with the quagmire that is Audie's neurosis about her incapacity to love and Quinn's guilt and issues with his baby brother's death and a previous relationship that ended very badly. Donovan has also filled this book with a rich and full cast of secondary and ancillary characters with whom it was a true pleasure to spend time.

I wasn't totally sold on everything in the book, though. I can appreciate that Audie was definitely a unique character, but I struggled with her now and then. She was a bit too much of a spaz for me at the beginning, and even after she grew on me I had some issues with her very serious case of emotional ADD, wildly swinging emotions without much impetus behind them. A question asked or a comment made to her and she was foot-stomping mad one moment, teary-eyed and down the next, and a few moments later was back to her playful, more sunny self. It was a bit like watching a family reunion in Sybil's head at times. One scene in particular, during Quinn's bagpipe concert, she went from abjectly horrified and furious to cozy and seductive in a jarringly short amount of time. From a character perspective, it made her seem inconsistent to a sometimes disturbing degree.

The suspense aspects of the plot arc were another part that gave me some trouble. There didn't seem to be much realistic police procedure during the investigation, and Quinn's behavior was highly inappropriate on more than one occasion. My preferences, even in a lighter or comedic romantic suspense, tend towards a more accurate representation of a criminal investigation. But that's simply a personal preference and didn't effect my enjoyment too much. What did, however, was the identity of the perpetrator of the crime. Not the fact that I had figured out early on who was responsible (that's more common than not), but the depth of unsubstantiated hatred the villain had for Audie and the questionable reasons for it. I didn't feel like there was enough development to satisfactorily explain the villain's behavior being directed at her in such vitriolic fashion, so that behavior seemed more of a contrivance than genuine aberrant behavior from a sociopathic personality.

From a more technical standpoint, there were a few places where the dialogue lost a natural conversational flow and seemed stilted...and sometimes just odd. There were also some grammar and several punctuation issues, but I wonder if that was more the Kindle formatting that got messed up than actual errors.

But there was also the good stuff...and it was really good stuff. I loved every aspect of the relationship development plot threads. That's where this book really shined for me. I was quite happy with the pacing in the evolution of their relationship and the manner in which their feelings for each other developed. I adored the characters while it was developing. There were times when Quinn just melted me. In fact, every time he murmured, "Come to me, Audie," it sent warmth right through me. I thoroughly enjoyed his character, and I liked Audie very much when she was with him. In that regard, this book was one of the better lighter-themed romances I've read lately.

And the sex scenes? Wow. Talk about being knocked off my feet. They were the perfect blend of tasteful eroticism and gut-clenching emotion, and it wasn't until I read one of the featured scenes in here that I realized how infrequently it seems lately that the depth of emotion in a sex scene is given enough attention...or maybe I'm just not reading the right books. Knock Me Off My Feet was the right book. It clarified for me that describing or writing a sex scene is one thing, drawing your characters together into a sensory onslaught, a physical and emotional maelstrom that shudders through the pages and into the readers hearts is something else entirely, and in my opinion, Donovan managed that to exquisitely devastating results. Loved that, and applaud Donovan for it. Knock Me Off My Feet definitely won't be the last I read of Susan Donovan, but I'm sure glad it was the first.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finish reading this book and left me all nice a warm such a great book. The Quinns make you a part of there family. You know how when you enjoy a book so much after you finish it you just want to take the time to take it all in that's what I am doing now, I highly recommend this book, so put it on your pile to read :) I was sorry to see it end but it will be with all of my keepers and maybe one day it will Knock Me Off My Feet once again ~


Happy Reading Lisa

[Nereyda (Nick & Nereyda's Infinite Booklist) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book years ago and loved it so much, it went on my shelf for my favorite romance books. When I was in a slump last month, I decided to pick this up again since I remember loving it, but don’t quite remember all the details. I loved falling in love with this book and these characters all over again! Autumn is one of the funnest yet frustrating heroines I’ve read in a while. After her mother, who was basically the local equivalent of Martha Stewart, is murdered she makes Autumn promise that she will take over as the new Homey Helen. Problem is that Autumn is not one bit domestic and she doesn’t give a shit what removes tough kitchen stains or how to properly braise a turkey. Autumn cares more about her own hobbies like playing soccer and going to baseball games, but she puts on a front as the new Homey Helen. When threatening letters start coming in and get sicker and sicker (like telling her the best ways to keep human flesh fresh) Autumn finally panics and calls the cops.

She gets help from a detective Stacey Quinn who thinks he’s met his dream girl in Autumn: half Carmen Electra, half Martha Stewart. When he finds out that she is nothing like her tv persona, he only falls more for her quirky personality which works out just fine since Quinn is more Martha Stewart than he’d care to admit (he has his alphabets and soaps alphabetized and knows the best methods to clean and make food). As much as he likes to spend time with Autumn, acting as her bodyguard and interviewing the people in her life, he can’t help falling more and more for Autumn. But he also has to find the stalker before it’s too late. All the while trying to break Autumn out of her shell and proving to her that true love is real, if only she let herself trust enough to give it a try.

Lovable characters, an amazing slow burn romance, great chemistry, a stubborn but lovable heroine and an equally stubborn but determined hero are things that I always look forward to in romance books and this one had it all. The suspense element of Autumn’s stalker was a nice added touch and I remember the first time I read it, it had me guessing as to who the stalker was. It’s getting harder and harder for books like this to have a good mystery, but I thought this one was done well. I loved Autumn and Quinn and his crazy but lovable family and the epilogue was the right amount of perfect. If you are ever in the mood for an oldie but goodie romance book, Knock Me Off My Feet is a great book to try. Some of my other favorites from Susan Donovan include The Kept Woman, and I Love Lucy. If you have any recs of old school romance books, let me know!

***
Read more of my reviews at Nick &
Nereyda’s Infinite Booklist

[Andréa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author but I’ll definitely check out her other works. I had a great time. Really entertaining story that made me guess and doubt for a long time. Audie got on my nerves a lot of times even if I could understand where she was coming from. I loved Quinn determination. A great mix for a great story.

[Nefise · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Even though I know that it's a nice story, I couldn't get in the story. I stopped reading and started again a few times because I know it was worth to try. I think it was about my mood or we didn't click...

[Arch · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a day shy of being a month that I have finished this book and I am just writing a review. Sorry!

Someone is sending Homey Helen threatening letters. Who could it be?

The heroine is Autumn Adams b.k.a. Audie and Homey Helen. She inherited her mother's company, after her mother died. The company was a Martha Stewart type of show. She would provide viewers with help on how to do "?". Her mother was the real Homey Helen. Helen wanted Audie to take over her company, so Audie did. She wanted her mother to be pleased with her. Growing up, she was invisible to her mother. I hate when parents take the color away from their children, so that they don't see them. Money can't buy love. Audie had a better relationship with her father. He truly loved her. He spent time with her and showed her what love was. But not that mother.

Audie had started receiving threatening letters. The cops have gotten involved. Irish cop, detective Stacey Quinn was assigned to the case.

Quinn, as he likes to be called - had gone to her company to ask her questions. He was impressed how she was dressed, after she came from the stage, after doing a segment. Her upper body was dressed up and her lower body was dressed in soccer shorts - she's a soccer player. The lady even fell to the floor. Yes, Audie is best friends with the floor. She tends to fall a lot. She's clumsy.

I like how Audie and Quinn had that instant friendly connection. These two weren't afraid to laugh at themselves or each other. They were comfortable around each other. They were themselves around each other. I like when the hero isn't afraid to show his silly side.

As I have stated above. Someone was sending Homey Helen some threatening letters. But, who? Was it one of Audie's previous boyfriends? (One of Audie's previous boyfriend and Quinn had a past.) Was the person one of Audie's employees? (One of her employees was an ex-boyfriend of hers as well. She was in an interracial relationship at one time. They both up, but they remained best friends.) Was the person a someone that didn't like her advices? - Quinn had to find out. Time was ticking. The threatener had given Audie a deadline and on this deadline, she was gone to die.

What I liked about the hero and heroine is their fun connection. What I didn't like is that although Audie had feeligns for Quinn, she was scared to be with him. He scared her, his family scared her. She felt that since she didn't grow up with love. Well, from her mother. She didn't deserve to be loved. If I am not mistaken, her father had died, when she was young (8 maybe) and that's why she didn't know what a family was.

Quinn does something to Audie that made her open her eyes up to the fact, what her mouth was saying is not what her heart was saying. He gave her time to think about that.

Another thing, I didn't really read the sex scenes. I don't have a problem skipping over sex scenes, especially if I start to read them and they are detailed or start to get out of hand. I didn't like that Quinn wanted to, how should I say this, because I don't cuss. He wanted to connect with her - have sex with her. He told her that he wanted to connect with her.

Sex and making love are two different things in my eyes. I don't like when a hero wants to have sex with the heroine or even tell her that he wants to have sex with her.

The threatener was predictable. I like to read books and even watch movies that have me saying, wow! at the end. I don't like guessing who the bad guy is in the beginning and finding out that I was right at the end.

To me this book was a contemporary chick lit book. I've given it three stars, because of the things that I've liked.

[Noémi nykyriana Molnár · Rating 5 out of 5]

Először is muszáj elmondanom, hogy ezt a könyvet még csak véletlenül se ítélje senki a borító alapján :) :) :) Ennek a borítónak az égvilágon semmi köze nincs a könyvhöz…. el sem tudom képzelni, hogy hogy kerülhetett rá a könyvre XD XD XD

Viszont… a könyv… húúú, imádom, amikor puszta véletlenségből akadok rá ilyen gyöngyszemekre :)))
A történet lényegében… gazdag, elfoglalt szülők gyermekeként felnőni… de hiába a sok pénz, ha az ember nem ismeri meg még a feltétel nélküli szülői szeretete sem :( és így később tartózkodik, sőt egyenesen retteg attól ha valaki szereti és fél őt viszont szeretni :( kb. ez jellemzi a főszereplő csajt, Autumn-ot :(
de akkor…. jön Stacey Quinn (egyébként imádtam, hogy így hívták a pasit, és hogy Audie mennyit viccelődött vele – megismerkedésükkor a fejéhez is vágta: „De hiszen ez női név!!„ XD XD XD) egy chicagói ír nyomozó, az ő fergeteges nagy ír családjával együtt, akik között Autumn végre megtalálhat mindent, ami eddig az életéből hiányzott. Ja, és nem mellesleg… Quinn!!! Húúú, TÖKÉLETES!! :D :D :D :D :D
Rögös volt az út odáig, de nagyon izgalmas kis történet kerekedett belőle :)
A végkifejlet – hogy mégis ki küldhette a fenyegető leveleket Audie-nek… hát én nem gondoltam volna pont erre a személyre :O
Lényeg a lényeg, aki tudja olvassa!! :D

[Susan (susayq ~) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Audie. She was spunky, sporty, witty, wanting to be loved all the while putting on a show being someone she wasn't in public. She tried to be tough while getting threatening letters. She did a good job of it till she met Detective Stacey Quinn....he broke through and found the vulnerable side of Audie. I was totally surprised by who was sending her the letters and the revelation and conclusion to that kept me on the edge of my seat.

I'm looking forward to reading more books by Susan Donovan

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book. But... not a "gobbler" read. Whats a gobbler read? A book you just can't put down until you have read every last word.

Like I said, it was good, just not great. I did enjoy the story, but not enough that I will read it again just to relive the high's and low's of the characters.

[Haylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

really good...Audie really got on my nerves when she was convinced that she didn't know how to love Quinn and his family. I wanted to go into the book and smack her! it had a good ending though. it really surprised me who was writing those letters to Audie, never would have guessed.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. Donovan can write some awesome heroes and seriously messed up heroines. But I like how steady and good Quinn was. And I found myself tearing up over Quinn's family too!

I have to say the bad guy took me by surprise. I was not expecting it to be who it was!

[JOCA]

Interesting premise but the pacing was slow and I wasn't overly convinced by the 'suspense' angle because everything else felt very rom-commy. Like the idea, but the execution didn't work for me. DNF.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this more than I thought I would. The mystery was well-written and I honestly hadn't figured it out until the reveal.

[Cherise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my radar forever and after reading it I could kick myself for waiting so long to read it. I flippin' loved it! This book is definitely a keeper!!!!

[Nadia · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad. Entertaining enough. It was missing something though. I can't put it into words, but the characters were a bit flat for me. I give it 3.5 stars.

[Anne]

Abandoned at about the 10% mark.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute any funny contemporary romance.

[BookWorm · Rating 2 out of 5]

The characters were likeable enough and I particularly enjoyed Quinn's big Irish family. Things got a little silly and the drama was overdone. The story dragged on a bit and it lacked spark.

[Zev · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to wonder if this is a "I want to offend everyone" satire. This is three hundred pages and more of misogyny, sexism, bigotry, and a huge plot twist involving massive homophobia. Plus ableism in the form of Kiley. She's a stereotype right down to Autumn crying over the fact that she exists. I'm stunned the word "inspirational" wasn't used. People sometimes cry when I briefly mention my own health issues (not the same thing Kiley has) and I am regularly called inspirational for doing totally normal things, such as waking up to my alarm and looking for work. Apparently having hip and leg problems means I can't wake up to an alarm or look for work. Hm. Basic biology states those things are totally unrelated! Patrick, one of Quinn's brothers, is a priest because this book rams in a lot of Irish-American stereotypes. He...even wears a priestly collar to a family cookout. WHY. His stereotype could have been waaaay worse, though. For the constant yammering about Catholicism in this book, not a single character goes to church or talks about what their faith means, so why mention it? What was the reason? Autumn's Protestant, and they bicker. Why is this in here? It adds nothing because they never talk about what it means to them!

Part of the romance genre is the appeal of imagining yourself as one of the characters. The endless harping about Catholics and Protestants from Quinn's family had me instantly realize this family would have a coronary each if they ever figured out that Jewish, Muslim, modern-Pagan, atheist, and agnostic people exist, and their brains would short-circuit if they met a Jewish atheist, of which I am friends with several. I think the Quinn family's heads would explode if they ever met someone who didn't believe in Jesus, and ooooh someone would get kicked out of the family for dating one. This family is so narrow-minded..

The two leads in this book have zero chemistry. The author clearly tries for Enemies to Lovers but went too hard and too fast into insta-love. It was painful to read. They act like inexperienced teens despite having life and relationship experience and being in their 30s. The lack of Quinn's professionalism from start to finish blew my mind. They sleep together after a few weeks and he says he loves her within a month. Too fast! Seriously, build up to it! Build up to it, have him feel tons more inner conflict, and I'd be fine. Angst and unresolved sexual tension are some of my favorite, favorite tropes. THIS BOOK HAS NONE OF THAT. Autumn's just a weepy Not Like Other Girls fake-clumsy gal. Fake-clumsy so she can fall into her fella's arms in the literal sense, as this trope always goes. Barf. I have balance issues IRL and this is a portrayal that makes fun of people like me. Apparently the constant blushing, weeping and fake-clumsy tripping are super common heterosexual romance tropes. I don't read it often and this book reminds me why.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book that took me awhile to get through. I did like it but it wasn’t that engaging for me.

Audie Adams has taken over a housekeeping column from her mother. Her mother was murdered and now she is receiving threats from someone. And now the police have gotten involved in the case. Detective Stacey Quinn is trying to figure everything out but he didn’t think he would fall for Audie. Something about her beauty mixed with her clumsiness is endearing to him. But Audie is not used to be loved and when she gets invited to Stacey’s family events she gets overwhelmed real fast. But she wants to be with Stacey so she’s stuck. And Stacey wants to make her see how family could actually be but when she keeps pulling away he doesn’t know how much longer he can stay with her.

This had good chemistry between the two characters and I liked the tension between them. It was funny and a light read. Beach read.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has not aged well. It would have been dodgy even pre-#MeToo with the hero sexually assaulting the injured heroine after absolutely no come on directly after re-victimising her and that's practically the meet cute. I nearly DNFed multiple times.

The heroine is a wet blanket who isn't even happy with her late mother's leather sofas she inherited, but does nothing to change them or anything else in her life that's miserable. Her wild mood swings are very confusing to the reader. The hero is a grade A A-hole, who gaslights the heroine when she disagrees with him and ignores her when she says no, which is just as well because the heroine gets turned on by every non-consensual attack and the hero always knows what's best for her, whatever she says.

This is NOT a book that should still be in circulation. I have another book by the same author on my TBR pile and I hope that's better.

[MaggieReadsRom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ingredients for Susan Donovan's KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET are a hunky, Irish police detective and threats by mail to a Martha Stewart-esk columnist who'd much rather spend her time on the soccer field. Furthermore, there is mention of kilts and what is worn beneath them and bagpipes and their possibilities, there’s a bunch of ex-boyfriends who are suspects, an associate with a questionable taste in clothing, lots of bed talk by the otherwise quiet detective, quite some touching and feeling and a smoking hot scene on a porch.

Stacey Quinn is a Chicago PD detective. He is Quinn to his friends and family and if you want to stay on his good side, you'd better not call him Stacey. He is straightforward and direct but not very talkative, however, there are some nice exceptions to the latter, which I will address later in this review. Subtlety is lost on him and he oozes masculinity. He is a confident and sweet man who’s a bit rough around the edges but has a heart of gold.

After her mother’s death, Autumn (Audie) Adams took over her “Homey Helen” column. It is something she does out of guilt towards her mother, although why she felt guilty is beyond me after reading how Audie's family life was while she grew up. Audie is clumsy, disorganized, outspoken and impulsive. She would rather play women soccer than give homemaker tips. She is lonely and sometimes lashes out because of insecurities that come from her messed up childhood but considering her upbringing she turned out pretty well and she too, has a heart of gold.

Audie and Quinn are really sweet together in the way that, despite their immediate attraction, they both take their time to gradually open up to each other. They are opposites in many, many ways, which causes a lot of awkward situations and fun dialogues between them to go along with the fiery and instant chemistry. He is neat, she's messy. He grew up in a warm and close family, she grew up in a dysfunctional one. He is very much in control of everything, she is clumsy. He is the silent type, she is talkative. But I do need to rectify that last one a bit because Quinn can be talkative on a few subjects. One is his family, he can talk a lot about his family when he's gets into his stride and he is also oh so very talkative in bed and I loved that. My dear old heart goes into overdrive when a hero talks the talk during love scenes and Quinn definitely talks the talk and he does it quite well. My favorite talkative hero used to be Butch (J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood) but Quinn has definitely dethroned him.

There are enough secondary characters to provide a nice number of suspects for the suspense thread of the book, but still it is Quinn and Stacey who take center stage in this wonderful contemporary story. Supporting characters like Quinn's partner, Quinn's family and Stacey's friend Griffin are essential for the humor that runs through the book. I especially liked the scene with brotherly talk at the pub with Quinn and his brothers and the banter between Quinn and his partner. Actually, in all the dialogues, no matter in which situation and no matter between which characters, the humor shone through. Sometimes it was subtle and in the background, other times it was laugh-out-loud funny.

Susan Donovan is great with humor and wit. Her writing is easy to grasp and fluent. She fleshes out her characters in a thorough way, making it able to really get to know them and go through all the motions with them. She provides her hero and heroine with extensive backgrounds and although I had some trouble with the pace of the book in the beginning, when it seemed like the book was crawling forth, it is that slow pace that makes it possible for the romance to develop gradually in a realistic way and for the characters to really grow on you as the reader.

Having read some extremely fast-paced paranormal and suspense books right before reading this book, I think I just had to make a little adjustment in order to appreciate the slower pace in the beginning of this book. And rest assured that Susan Donovan does make up for the slow starting pace because what starts as a mellow, slow paced and sweet romance novel changes completely and for the better when Donovan takes it up a notch both with the pace and with the romance. When Quinn and Audie decide to act on their mutual attraction and budding feelings, it really changes the tone and pace of the book. It turns sizzling hot when Quinn starts to get all touchy feely and talkative and when Audie lets her inhibitions and insecurities go. It was an unexpected change that gave the book an extra dimension and which made it shoot a few places up my list.

Susan Donovan sure knows how to write sensual build-up and how to heat things up in the bedroom to such a peak that if I wore glasses, they would've steamed up real good. She proves that explicitness doesn't equal hotness because one of the hottest scenes in the book is one where Quinn and Audie aren't even having sex, though they are talking about it.

In the beginning of the book Donovan tricked me into this comfortable, non-too impressive lull, just to end it with very hot romance and some surprising twists in the suspense plot. She did have me sweating for a bit with the suspense plot because I thought there was going to be an unforgivable plot inconsistency but she saved it just in time to give me the great ending she had been working up to.

KNOCK ME OFF MY FEET is a contemporary romance just the way I like them. Smooth and fluent and filled with fun, chemistry, the right amount of resistance to the attraction and a suspense plot that stays in the background just enough not to make it a romantic suspense. I will definitely be reading more of Susan Donovan's work soon.

[Lovey Dovey · Rating 2 out of 5]

[2,5 stars]

I really, really enjoy reading oldies rom-com books. There’s something old-school comedic about them that I find very refreshing.

Knock me off My Feet started very sexy and sweet. I liked the fact that there was a mystery involved in all of it even though I thought it was obvious who the sender of those letters was. I don’t know why it took the detectives so long to figure it out. It was right there.

Maybe this is part of the book being written in the early 00s, but Audie Adams reminded me a lot to that Gone Girl monologue. This perfect girl, with beautiful face and body who stuffed hot dogs and beer and enjoyed soccer and football and she was something else. Audie was talking about how embarrassing it was to only have six guys in ten years (all these guys were famous btw) + hookups, and I was rolling my eyes, because, please get over yourself, girl… specially when she was the one walking away from the relationships. I’m not going to lie, even though I felt sorry for her at moments, she annoyed me a little.

I really tried enjoying the rest of the book but around 50 and 60% of it I was already bored. Audie couldn’t make up her mind, Quinn was doing a bad job at solving the case and the side characters weren’t entertaining me enough.

Sex scenes were sexy, though, and I liked that there was a detectable connection between Audie and Quinn since the beginning.