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C.J.'s Fate
Kay Hooper delivers a funny, sexy, heartfelt story about breaking free, taking chances - and finding the last thing you're looking for.
Librarian C. J. Adams thinks marriage is a fine tradition for others. Her love is history, and she finds few men to compare with the heroes who shaped civilization. Well-traveled, well-educated, and content to stay single, C. J. is convinced she isn't missing anything. But her close friends disagree. When they resolve to find her soul mate during a trip to Aspen, C. J. stays a step ahead of them by enlisting a gorgeous stranger as her lover. But the man proves to be far more charismatic - and convincing - than she expected, and C. J. soon discovers a side of herself she didn't know existed.
182 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
About the author
Kay Hooper
109 books2,459 followersKay Hooper (aka Kay Robbins) was born in California, in an air force base hospital since her father was stationed there at the time. The family moved back to North Carolina shortly afterward, so she was raised and went to school there.
The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.
Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.
Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.
The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.
Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.
Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
July 22, 2008
This book was okay but a little hard to swallow. I couldn't really get over the fact that here was this girl, C.J., who all her life had never been intersted in relationships. Then she goes to a her friends wedding, meets a man by pulling him into her room and in less then a week they decide they should be married.
On top of that the story provided a way to easy solution to all of the problems that would keep them apart. He was a partner at a firm, well... that's okay he can transfer and they don't need any money because all of a sudden the story reveals in a by the way kind of thing that she is rich with a company that she doesn't need to have anything to do with. Convinient. On top of that, and maybe it's just me, I couldn't stand the dialogue between C.J. and fate. It sounded to corny. It was a good book to fill up empty time but it just quite didn't do it for me.
On top of that the story provided a way to easy solution to all of the problems that would keep them apart. He was a partner at a firm, well... that's okay he can transfer and they don't need any money because all of a sudden the story reveals in a by the way kind of thing that she is rich with a company that she doesn't need to have anything to do with. Convinient. On top of that, and maybe it's just me, I couldn't stand the dialogue between C.J. and fate. It sounded to corny. It was a good book to fill up empty time but it just quite didn't do it for me.
July 24, 2017
This is a reprint of a Loveswept Romance (I think, it was a serial romance and I think it was Loveswept). It is very typical of the genre in its constraints on the length and content. It also is now dated as I am pretty sure it was originally published in the late 1980's. No cell phones, no computers, and when C.J. when on a shopping spree, she had to call a bank to get money. (What no credit card?????)
Now to the story, I found CJ's friends, cruel and mean. With friends like hers, who needs enemies. Her friends are constantly putting her down. They make derogatory comments about her looks, her make up, her clothes, and her attitude. She didn't just need a boyfriend; she needed a new she needed to dump her friends and find a new set.
Now to the story, I found CJ's friends, cruel and mean. With friends like hers, who needs enemies. Her friends are constantly putting her down. They make derogatory comments about her looks, her make up, her clothes, and her attitude. She didn't just need a boyfriend; she needed a new she needed to dump her friends and find a new set.
September 14, 2020
Has almost all the tropes in the 80’s that are thankfully out of fashion. I own this book and plan on keeping it as a relic since it is so short (only 200 pages)
I will continue to give Kay Hooper more chances. 1984 was a rough time for romance
I will continue to give Kay Hooper more chances. 1984 was a rough time for romance
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September 7, 2022Egy amolyan romantikus limonádé könyv. Sablonos, néha már nevetségesen, de unaloműzésként vittem magammal, utazásra, arra megfelelt. Nem adok értékelést.
September 7, 2022
Every cliche under the sun lol
August 22, 2011
Ugh! Enough with the purple eyes already!
March 29, 2021
3 to 3.5 Stars. An easy, uncomplicated romance.
My rating guide: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= Yes, it was Sweet; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= A favorite, it was great!
CJ’S FATE is an early romance novel by Kay Hooper written in the Faked Fiancé trope. Originally published in 1984, at times the language/choice of words seemed somewhat dated, but overall I enjoyed this standalone romance with its sweet HEA ending. I listened to the audio version narrated by Traci Svensgaard and felt she did the the various voices nicely. The light tone allowed me to unwind & decompress as I commuted to/from work.
CJ Adams/FMC, 26 yrs, petite, and contained, comes from a well-to-do Bostonian family, has a major in history, and is currently working on her PhD. CJ speaks 6 languages fluently, enjoys travel, has maintained a tight friendship with her 5 best childhood friends, and is employed in Boston as a research librarian. Four of CJ’s best friends have recently married and the 5th friend is soon to wed. Together the women have turned their attentions toward CJ and her lack of romance. In defense, while on a girls get-away in Aspen, CO, CJ grabs a total stranger, smiles, calls him “Darling,” then hooks her arm in his elbow. CJ is astonished when the gentleman not only plays along with her impulsive act but also devises a detailed plan to fool her friends during their 2 week stay. A vacationing Denver lawyer, Fate Weston/MMC, 34 yrs, barely has time to notice the 6 women in the hotel hallway when one of them grabs him by the arm. Her eyes have a desperate appeal in them so he immediately decides to play along. As a lawyer, playing to an audience is nothing new and this particular situation looks rather interesting.
I recommend CJ’S FATE to readers who enjoy an occasional truly light and uncomplicated romance with a sweet HEA, the Fake Fiancé trope, and low-angst characters. I enjoyed the light tone and easy listening (similar to a “Beach Read”) during my daily commute. Interestingly, in the closing notes, Hooper mentions she selected Fate’s name from from one of her ancestors.
READER CAUTIONS* -
VIOLENCE - None.
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used occasionally.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - Yes. The MMC is instantly attracted to the FMC at the time of their first meeting. Within 2wks vacationing at the same lodge, their relationship becomes intimate, with commitment by both parties occurs before the end.
* NOT RECOMMENDED TO readers who prefer Clean novels or to readers who consider themselves the PC police. ;)
My rating guide: 1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= Yes, it was Sweet; 4= I liked it a lot; 5= A favorite, it was great!
CJ’S FATE is an early romance novel by Kay Hooper written in the Faked Fiancé trope. Originally published in 1984, at times the language/choice of words seemed somewhat dated, but overall I enjoyed this standalone romance with its sweet HEA ending. I listened to the audio version narrated by Traci Svensgaard and felt she did the the various voices nicely. The light tone allowed me to unwind & decompress as I commuted to/from work.
CJ Adams/FMC, 26 yrs, petite, and contained, comes from a well-to-do Bostonian family, has a major in history, and is currently working on her PhD. CJ speaks 6 languages fluently, enjoys travel, has maintained a tight friendship with her 5 best childhood friends, and is employed in Boston as a research librarian. Four of CJ’s best friends have recently married and the 5th friend is soon to wed. Together the women have turned their attentions toward CJ and her lack of romance. In defense, while on a girls get-away in Aspen, CO, CJ grabs a total stranger, smiles, calls him “Darling,” then hooks her arm in his elbow. CJ is astonished when the gentleman not only plays along with her impulsive act but also devises a detailed plan to fool her friends during their 2 week stay. A vacationing Denver lawyer, Fate Weston/MMC, 34 yrs, barely has time to notice the 6 women in the hotel hallway when one of them grabs him by the arm. Her eyes have a desperate appeal in them so he immediately decides to play along. As a lawyer, playing to an audience is nothing new and this particular situation looks rather interesting.
I recommend CJ’S FATE to readers who enjoy an occasional truly light and uncomplicated romance with a sweet HEA, the Fake Fiancé trope, and low-angst characters. I enjoyed the light tone and easy listening (similar to a “Beach Read”) during my daily commute. Interestingly, in the closing notes, Hooper mentions she selected Fate’s name from from one of her ancestors.
READER CAUTIONS* -
VIOLENCE - None.
PROFANITY - Yes. Strong language is used occasionally.
SEXUAL SITUATIONS - Yes. The MMC is instantly attracted to the FMC at the time of their first meeting. Within 2wks vacationing at the same lodge, their relationship becomes intimate, with commitment by both parties occurs before the end.
* NOT RECOMMENDED TO readers who prefer Clean novels or to readers who consider themselves the PC police. ;)
March 18, 2023
DNF-Abandoned on page 11. This author usually writes mysteries/thrillers. This book is a romance, not my genre at all. All the women are gorgeous, redheads, blondes, unique coloured eyes, fabulous figures, etc. CJ is a real babe but of course doesn't realize it, she is more interested in history than men, goes to a ski lodge for a wedding, pretends some gorgeous guy is her partner so her married and engaged friends will stop their match making, and that was enough for me. The women are in their early twenties but say things like "could you change into something a little more presentable? You look like an urchin, damnit". My mother may have spoken to me like that, but never my girlfriends. The plot and dialogue seem far too contrived. This book is a huge miss for me.
July 25, 2023
Okay, but who the heck has purple eyes?
This was an easy read, I wanted something fast and I think its about 20o pages or so, so don't expect anything crazy to go on. As someone else stated, they had a few big issues to work out and EVERYTHING was an easy fix to her suddenly (to us readers) being rich, and job transfers and everything in-between.
I hated her friends and thought they were very toxic as hell. I would have dropped them a long time ago.
I wasn't a fan of this book, it was too insta love especially on his side. I just couldn't get into it.
This was my first and probably my last read of a Kay Hooper book.
I was not impressed.
This was an easy read, I wanted something fast and I think its about 20o pages or so, so don't expect anything crazy to go on. As someone else stated, they had a few big issues to work out and EVERYTHING was an easy fix to her suddenly (to us readers) being rich, and job transfers and everything in-between.
I hated her friends and thought they were very toxic as hell. I would have dropped them a long time ago.
I wasn't a fan of this book, it was too insta love especially on his side. I just couldn't get into it.
This was my first and probably my last read of a Kay Hooper book.
I was not impressed.
June 26, 2018
A cute little romance that is good entertainment for an evening. I had forgotten that this author got her start in romance stories as I follow her mystery/paranormal books. This was a fun diversion from the norm with interesting characters and interpersonal relationships. A little light on the reality factor, but then I highly doubt that most people read romance stories for the reality! The heat was definitely present, but not in your face so should be enjoyable by most romance readers without bothering the more straight-laced readers.
November 1, 2020
I love that the character of CJ owns how crazy the odds are for this sort of unrealistic love at first sight connection between her and her Fate. it's her acknowledgement of it that grounds the story just enough in reality that it frees the reader to simply enjoy the adventure of a modern adult fairy tail like story. Full of laughter and introspection I couldn't put it down... And than I read it again.
February 2, 2025
My grandma gave me a few Kay Hooper books to read and this was the first one I read. Not great… the concept was cute but the execution was… meh? I didn’t like the characters that much. Fate was weird and I hated the nickname pixie he gave to cj. And cj was an okay character until she randomly changed her whole personality and fell in love all of a sudden lol. Not the worst book I’ve read but not the best
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2018
I enjoyed the book. The writing was smooth, and the characters were endearing. C.J finds more than a sexy man to trick her friends with. She discover another side of herself. So this book while fun, and entertaining, is also a book of discovery and romance.
May 11, 2017
Not my favorite Kay Hooper book
November 17, 2017
Loveswept #32
library
July 30, 20210
May 23, 2025
This was such a cute book. Absolutely loved it.
May 25, 2025
Beware of the trouble of being implausive. C.J.'s fate was a very good funny read.
January 22, 2026
dnf @ 7%. This book is dated in a way that's too difficult to look past.
June 1, 2026
An enjoyable story about a group of friends. The pocket edition is perfect for relaxing and reading on the beach.
March 19, 2017
Not as good as some of the other stories.
May 21, 2012
I picked up C.J.'s Fate because it was on my list of "to read" books by Kay Hooper.
Single librarian, C.J. Adams, is on a trip to Aspen for the wedding of one of her 5 best friends. Not long after they arrive, her friends are already harping on her about her fashion sense and her lack of a man. Even though she knows that the girls honestly want her to be happy, she's been listening to the same critiques for 20 years and it's starting to wear thin. In order to silence their nagging for one evening, C.J. accosts perfect stranger, Fate Weston, in the hallway outside her hotel room acting as though he's her lover in view of all of her friends and drags him into her hotel room. Hilarity and hijinks ensue.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'm always a little wary when picking up a romance novel, because so many times the female characters are vapid and the male characters are a little too "alpha-male". That was not the case with C.J.'s Fate. The characters were hilarious and endearing. Fate's story at the beginning of the book was laugh-out-loud ridiculous, but that was part of the charm.
If you're in the mood for a good laugh and can suspend your disbelief at some of the more ridiculous parts for a little while, I highly recommend C.J.'s Fate.
Single librarian, C.J. Adams, is on a trip to Aspen for the wedding of one of her 5 best friends. Not long after they arrive, her friends are already harping on her about her fashion sense and her lack of a man. Even though she knows that the girls honestly want her to be happy, she's been listening to the same critiques for 20 years and it's starting to wear thin. In order to silence their nagging for one evening, C.J. accosts perfect stranger, Fate Weston, in the hallway outside her hotel room acting as though he's her lover in view of all of her friends and drags him into her hotel room. Hilarity and hijinks ensue.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'm always a little wary when picking up a romance novel, because so many times the female characters are vapid and the male characters are a little too "alpha-male". That was not the case with C.J.'s Fate. The characters were hilarious and endearing. Fate's story at the beginning of the book was laugh-out-loud ridiculous, but that was part of the charm.
If you're in the mood for a good laugh and can suspend your disbelief at some of the more ridiculous parts for a little while, I highly recommend C.J.'s Fate.
October 23, 2011
I love Kay Hooper's Bishop series, but I was a little reluctant to pick up CJ's Fate. The blurb didn't sound like her usual, tense Bishop series...but still, it's Kay Hooper. So I took a chance.
It isn't something I would have taken a chance on, so I'm thrilled Kay's name is on the cover and I decided to give it a try. I adored this quick and quirky story. CJ is a likeable young woman that is at odds with her friends on what is best for her in the area of romance. To get them to lay off, she grabs an unsuspecting stranger and acts as if he is her secret lover..and oh does she open up a can of worms!
The story is not to be taken as 'reality'. The chances of anything even remotely similar happening in real life is slim to none, but if you read it with that in mind, it is throughly entertaining.
Fate is full of fun, spontanity, romance and charm...and ultimately, he is a man with a plan. He sees what he wants and goes after it.
If you are they type of person that can suspend reality for the sake of being charmingly entertained, this is the book for you. If you have to have everything believeable and realistic, look elsewhere...I would recommend this to anyone that is a romantic at heart. Loved it!!! I've read it multiple times and plan on reading again!
It isn't something I would have taken a chance on, so I'm thrilled Kay's name is on the cover and I decided to give it a try. I adored this quick and quirky story. CJ is a likeable young woman that is at odds with her friends on what is best for her in the area of romance. To get them to lay off, she grabs an unsuspecting stranger and acts as if he is her secret lover..and oh does she open up a can of worms!
The story is not to be taken as 'reality'. The chances of anything even remotely similar happening in real life is slim to none, but if you read it with that in mind, it is throughly entertaining.
Fate is full of fun, spontanity, romance and charm...and ultimately, he is a man with a plan. He sees what he wants and goes after it.
If you are they type of person that can suspend reality for the sake of being charmingly entertained, this is the book for you. If you have to have everything believeable and realistic, look elsewhere...I would recommend this to anyone that is a romantic at heart. Loved it!!! I've read it multiple times and plan on reading again!
April 4, 2012
3.5/5 (B-)
I liked the beginning very much however... C.J. is up in Aspen with 5 friends whom have known each other for about 20 years... C.J. is the least sophisticated of all, as in she doesn't really care about her appearance, and her friends are a bit desperate... now that they're all married, they wish for C.J. to find happiness as well. To avoid any matchmaking, C.J. walks up to Fate Weston, a total stranger, and "acts" as a couple... Fate goes along and together, they act as a couple in love. My problem is that Fate went along way too easily... actually, no, my problem is that he fell in love and decided he was going to marry her immediately. This book however is a great show of friendship and seriously, I wished I had friends like C.J.'s. Anyway, other complaints are 1) there was a definite 80's feel to this book, not that it's bad, but... I don't know... 2) the writing style is very flowy, and Ms. Hooper goes over a lot of things without exploring them and 3) I wish Ms. Hooper would have explored the friends a bit more, but I guess she didn't have space.... by the way, Fate's attempts to guess what C.J. stood for were funny :D
I liked the beginning very much however... C.J. is up in Aspen with 5 friends whom have known each other for about 20 years... C.J. is the least sophisticated of all, as in she doesn't really care about her appearance, and her friends are a bit desperate... now that they're all married, they wish for C.J. to find happiness as well. To avoid any matchmaking, C.J. walks up to Fate Weston, a total stranger, and "acts" as a couple... Fate goes along and together, they act as a couple in love. My problem is that Fate went along way too easily... actually, no, my problem is that he fell in love and decided he was going to marry her immediately. This book however is a great show of friendship and seriously, I wished I had friends like C.J.'s. Anyway, other complaints are 1) there was a definite 80's feel to this book, not that it's bad, but... I don't know... 2) the writing style is very flowy, and Ms. Hooper goes over a lot of things without exploring them and 3) I wish Ms. Hooper would have explored the friends a bit more, but I guess she didn't have space.... by the way, Fate's attempts to guess what C.J. stood for were funny :D
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2016
Delightful modern day romance. Absolutely loved the story line. Characters are strong and well written. Dialogue is good but gets a little bogged down and boring near the end. Ending was okay but not what I expected. C.J. is on vacation with her childhood girlfriends whose other halves will join them later. Not wanting her girls to fix her up with a guy again as they are want to do, while in the hallway of hotel near her room, she sees handsome Fate. She snags him and pretends he is her man and she is so glad he could make it. She pulls him into her room and waits for her girls to leave. Fate is intrigued and is game to play along despite her efforts to get rid of him. The fun begins when he persuades C.J. their pretending to be lovers will work.
August 22, 2009
So, C.J.- to curtail her friends curiousity and meddling her love life- takes a daring decision when she grabs hold of the handsome and quite "bored" lawyer Fate into her room to create a romance on the spot. Of course, now that she had entered her own trap, she has to live through it all- with a willing partner beside her. Fate does something to her; change her into a whole other person. Is she ready to begin her transformation and fly and reach out? What if she truly has found something- or someone- worth keeping?
Interesting story, short read. Definitely humor-filled; love the reactions of C.J.'s friends, their husbands, Fate, and C.J. herself. Short novel, but still very intriguing.
Interesting story, short read. Definitely humor-filled; love the reactions of C.J.'s friends, their husbands, Fate, and C.J. herself. Short novel, but still very intriguing.
June 15, 2015
At the beginning of the novel, it is clear that the main character, CJ, has zero interest in developing her own love life. She stands by, supportive, as her best friends marry and get wrapped up in their own happy ever afters, while her own interest is solely on her reading and research. Luckily for her, her friends are meddlesome, and in an attempt to get them to leave her alone, CJ enlists the help of a complete and total stranger. This stranger, of course, turns out to be CJ’s knight in shining armor.
I found that this was a quick read, and although quite cliché as romance novels are, it was highly entertaining!
I found that this was a quick read, and although quite cliché as romance novels are, it was highly entertaining!
January 19, 2015
Sweet love-at-first-sight novella. CJ is a Boston librarian, who is in Aspen with her five girlfriends & their guys for one's wedding. She's tired of her besties' attempts to matchmake & simply wants to be left to her own devices so she can work on her doctoral thesis, but she gets a wild hair to grab some good-looking stranger outside of her room to give her friends a hint. Fate Weston is a Denver criminal attorney vacationing in Aspen, who decides to play along. Fast read, fun interaction between CJ & Fate.
June 14, 2009
This book was pretty interesting. CJ goes to a lodge with some friends as they await their friend's wedding. CJ knows her friends will try and hook her up with someone so she sees a guy in the hall and pretends she knows him, pulling him into the room so they can play their charade. It's cute to see how quickly in love they fell and it was nice to see that romance isn't dead, at least in this book. Fate is a great guy who knows how to take care of his woman.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2013
I found this book at a library sale and had to buy it because first, it was only 50 cents and second, because my name is also Cj. It was an impulse buy but, a surprisingly good one. I immediately fell in love with the story line and the banter between the characters. A definite quick, lovable read for anyone who likes a good, quirky romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews