Thanksgiving

by Janet Evanovich

Prepare to devour this delectable listen from a #1 New York Times bestselling author! Historical reenactor Megan Murphy hasn’t always been lucky in the love department. But this Thanksgiving, the smell of roasting turkey is wafting through the air… and so is the scent of romance! “Evanovich’s romantic humor is comfortably performed in Critt’s relaxed and inviting voice” (AudioFile).

When it comes to men, Megan Murphy has an aversion to “I do”. Then she meets irresistible pediatrician Pat Hunter. Add in a cozy colonial cottage, the world’s biggest turkey, two hopeful families, and a skirt-chomping rabbit, and you’ve got a feast of fabulous fun!

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

228 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich is a 1988 publication.

Normally, my holiday reading goes straight from Halloween to Christmas.

I have thought about reading a Thanksgiving centered novel on occasion, but found the offerings to be pretty slim. This book is one that usually pops up in any fictional Thanksgiving book search query- but for some reason, although I do like this author, I always passed it over.

This year, on a spur of the moment whim, I decided to give it a try.

This imprint now being sold or found on book services, or at the library, is a 2006 re-issue- but this book was originally published in 1988… and unfortunately, it shows.

It does have a certain charm if one is willing to overlook Pat’s controlling, manipulative behavior towards Megan, especially in the beginning. The plot is light as a feather, but it did make me chuckle a few times.

The book is short- only 166 pages- so it didn’t eat up much of my time, plus I finally satisfied by curiosity about it. While it wasn’t a total wash, overall, it was just okay and I couldn’t recommend going out of one’s way to read it.

2 stars

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Megan Murphy was left at the altar on her wedding day. Embarrassed, she moved away to start over in Williamsburg, VA where she met Dr. Patrick Hunter, a pediatrician, and had insta-love episodes!

The story is quick and fluffy with some funny moments. But you'll have to suspend disbelief to be able to fully enjoy this goofy romance that starts before Thanksgiving.

I felt Megan's a bit clingy and wanted to get married too soon after what happened with her ex fiance. She kept the wedding dress as a reminder so why... anyway. This was written in 1988 so I'll give it some slack and after all, it's Thanksgiving 🦃 2.5⭐

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Janet, you've done it again! A light hearted romantic romp with a crazy family, slippery turkey, pregnant horse and a rabbit, all set to Thanksgiving in a reenactment village. Tons of fun for a quick read while the turkey cooks.


Ok, I’ve reread it again (2017) and I still love it. Even though I wanted to smack the hero upside the head a few times and shake the heroine, (I may sound a bit violent, sorry) it’s still a fun romantic romp. 😊

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich is a contemporary romance that shockingly enough takes place over the Thanksgiving holiday. This one is a fairly quick read that I would warn contains a very fast paced connection between the characters so if insta-love is not your thing you may want to avoid this one.

In the story Megan Murphy finds Dr. Patrick Hunter’s pet rabbit running wild and is of course upset at his carelessness with his pet so intends to give him a piece of her mind when returning the rabbit. Instead, Megan witnesses one of Patrick’s patience drop her child off and ask him to care for the baby so instead of letting him call social services she volunteers to help him out until the mother returns.

I haven’t read too many of Janet Evanovich’s books but this one had the humorous side that I have come across before which I did like. However, I can’t say I completely loved this one with it’s fast pace and Megan being a bit too over the top for me. The plot is a cute idea tossing the couple together in the way that it did though so if it had just toned back a bit of the angst I probably would have rated higher but it was still an Ok read overall.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/

Every Thanksgiving (and if I’m going to be honest, Christmas too) I tell myself I’m going to read The Corrections because . . . . .



I mean, that is the quintessential cover for the holidays. AmIRightorAmIRight????

What I end up reading instead? Stuff like this. I’m not going to waste time ripping it to shreds. The basic plot is two strangers have a stupid meet cute involving a rabbit, then get a baby dumped on them and fall into instalove while their families visit for Thanksgiving. I’ve read approximately 874 Janet Evanovich books and enjoyed the majority of them. But I’m going to channel my inner Oprah here and say . . . . .

[Deniece · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know how I forced myself to finish this book.

Megan was the worst protagonist I've read in an adult novel, okay Anastasia(FSoG) is #1 but Megan is #2. She acted like a whiny preteen. Pat was just as bad. None of the characters were likable, I was sitting, waiting the story to get better but it never did. This really has me worried about Evanovich's other works, I'm not sure I want to read them if they're anything like this book.

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanksgiving is a pre-Plum romance by popular American author, Janet Evanovich. Megan Murphy is a potter who supplements her income dressed in period costume in her xx town. When she rescues a floppy-eared rabbit with strange appetites, its owner, paediatrician Patrick Hunter is entranced by this quirky redhead. But despite the attraction between them, neither wants to get involved: Megan is thrice-bitten and therefore involvement-shy; Pat is in no position to support a wife or the children he would love to eventually have. Sweet, sexy and funny, but just a touch too drawn out.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an oldie but a goodie, pre Stephanie Plum romance by Janet Evanovich. In this story love at first sight is in evidence. It takes place in Williamsburg, VA. Megan Murphy is a potter/historical greeter who ran away from her hometown to start over. She had been left at the alter by her previous fiancee and she wanted a new beginning. Patrick Hunter, a pediatrician with a curious rabbit has just moved to Williamsburg to take over a practice from a retiring physician. When Megan rescues Pat's floppy-eared rabbit, they end up in his house together. One of his patients, assuming they are married, leaves her baby for them to take care of for a couple of weeks, with no explanation. The two of them become quite close while taking care of Timmy. They actually become very enamoured of one another and fall in love, although they do not want to admit it. When both sets of parents show up for Thanksgiving, the plans for their wedding are by the mothers begin to take place. Although they are in love, neither of them is ready to get married. They play along in jest, but is there some truth there? I love the humor that Evanovich always uses in her books. The main characters play off each other beautifully and are easy to like. A cute romance for the holidays.

[K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another one of these books, another disclaimer: I'm only rereading them because I want to reread all the books I own and see which ones are worth keeping and which I should get rid of. Needless to say, this one goes into the second pile. Look, it had its entertaining moments. But despite Evanovich's attempts at modernising this story from the 80s, it still felt incredibly dated. Add in the fact that it features a couple meeting like a week before Thanksgiving, discussing marriage like three days later because their parents unexpectedly turn up, and then deciding to get married on Christmas Eve, and I was headed to Nope Town.

Add in a world of weird possessive bullshit and pretty dubious consent, and I'm definitely going to be getting rid of this one. It would have been one star territory if it weren't for the fact that there were a couple of scenes that made me snort laugh. So...yeah. Hello, space on my bookshelf.

[Cheri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although there were several typos in this book I still enjoyed it. It was a short fun holiday read.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some cute parts but it was too schmaltzy for me. IMO could have used a Lulu to spice things up a bit.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating standard for romance is really very low. All I ask is an interesting, not cliché plot, lovable couple and a little humor. Not much at all. I got it all in "Thanksgiving". This is a short, sweet romance about two people who smack up against each other and fall in love at a time when neither is ready for it.

Megan Murphy has a very cynical view of engagements and weddings, she has had two and neither made it to the real marriage. She works as a strumpet in Colonial Williamsburg and is also an artist. She is minding her own business when a rabbit starts eating her skirt. What follows is a wonderful, warm story of Megan and Dr. Patrick Hunter, a baby boy and a traditional family Thanksgiving. Along the way Megan decides that maybe marriage to the handsome doctor might be something to pursue and Pat realizes that even with all the demands of a new doctor, he needs Megan.

[Krissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, quick, and cheesy.

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really like the Stephanie Plum series so thought I would give this book a try. I thought this one was very hokey and predictiable. Had I not been stuck in my car listening to it on CD, I wouldn't have finished it. It was painful.

[Sidna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my! What an awful waste of paper and ink! My book discussion group read this book last November. It was chosen mainly for the title because the meeting date was near Thanksgiving. I did not read it then because I was going to be out of town on our meeting date. A friend was donating her copy to a used book sale that she and I were working so I told her I would read it since I missed it last year.

The young woman and man in the love story meet cute, immediately fall in lust, and within a couple of days he asks her to marry him. She has had a couple of broken engagements and has decided that she can never get married so she turns him down, but they have sex and sort of develop a relationship. In typical love story fashion, the course of true love does not run smooth. When she finally decides she does want to marry him (after knowing him for a week or less--the fact that he is a doctor doesn't hurt), he has decided that he has too many debts with medical school loans, etc. and he can't afford to get married. What I can't imagine is what my book club possibly discussed about this book. The next time I see my friend, I am definitely going to ask her!

Several years ago I started reading Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. I got halfway through book 10 or 11 and decided that I couldn't stand to read another word. I understand from friends who are still reading the series that Stephanie still can't choose between Ranger and Joe. This is definitely my last Evanovich book!

[Whit · Rating 3 out of 5]

This awesome story is laugh out loud good!

Megan, Patrick and his rabbit are great together until their families arrive and begin meddling in their lives.

Thanksgiving dinner reveals so much about every family member and reminds us that no one is perfect and to extend some compassion to your fellow human beings.

However, this great story was moving right along and then it abruptly ends???

[Melissa Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book escalated very quickly into a very strange story, and it never got any better from there.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This will be a progressive review of my reactions as I read the book.

8% - "Huh? What's going on? I'm confused?"

14% - Stopped reading to research publication date. Thought FOR SURE, this book must have been published in the 1990s. I was shocked to see it was published in 2009 BUT relieved to see that was only the e-book version. The original publication date was 1988, THANKFULLY. Now I can proceed without quite as much cringing judgment.

29% - Went back in the book to count how many days Megan and Pat have known one another since she was expecting him to ask her, "The Big Question." At this juncture, they've known each other for 4 days. I'm currently shaking my head and rolling my eyes, even knowing this book was written in 1988.

29% - Megan has referred to herself as a "strumpet" on several occasions at this point. Yet she doesn't even know the definition of the word.

31% - Megan has mentioned multiple times that she's never getting married and has sworn off men. Yet here we are with Megan literally SKIPPING in anticipation of her date with Patrick/Pat. Still unclear on which is his preferred name.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, heartwarming romance set in Williamsburg during the Thanksgiving season.

[Howard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars for Thanksgiving (audiobook) by Janet Evanovich read by C. J. Critt.

These early books are alright on their own but it’s hard to not compare them to the wonderful books the author has been writing for years. I keep reading these early ones looking for a gem and I keep being disappointed. I just wish that Janet Evanovich would write more books.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It all started with a roaming rabbit. When Megan Murphy finds a rabbit chewing on her skirt she returns it to its owner and Dr. Patrick Hunter changes her life.

This was a nice quick romantic, funny read for the holiday season. This is a story of love at first sight and it moves along pretty quickly, a bit too quickly for me. Megan and Patrick end up caring for a baby together during Thanksgiving and with both families showing up it turns into an engagement party. Things go south when the baby’s mom returns and what Megan does to Patrick is cruel and deceitful. He gets her back though and it’s hilarious. Megan is a smart girl who makes stupid decisions and mistakes. Patrick is a good guy who takes all she does with a smile and knows that in the end he’ll have his girl. The story does end pretty abruptly though with an unsurprising happy ending.

[Calista · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange little book. There is some humor here and the story doesn't really come off well. The characters seem trite and the set-up is strange. Not my favorite book of hers. There were a few laughs, but it wasn't even all that funny.

[Asheley T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Completely unbelievable from start to finish, and a little silly at times. If you can suspend your disbelief and if you like humor, you might like this one too. Written in 1988, so some of the interactions between Megan and Patrick are pretty outdated. (I actually gasped a time or two at how bold Patrick was.) But it was a quick, lighthearted read that fit well into my hectic schedule this week. Plus it was set around Thanksgiving, so it scratched my “seasonal reads” itch.

My first book by Janet Evanovich! Are they all this silly? 😳

Audiobook Notes: I tried the audiobook to begin with so I could listen while I drove, but it sounded even sillier than it did when I read on my Kindle. So I abandoned the audio fairly early on and blew thru my digital copy. The audio is good though. I like the narrator and have listened to some of her work before in the past.

Title: Thanksgiving by Janet Evanovich
Narrator: C.J. Critt
Length: 5 hours, 6 minutes, Unabridged
Publisher: HarperAudio

[Linda Galella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Predictable & tropey with a side of chauvinism. Oh, let’s not forget the the family, fun and crazy lengths for love.

Author, Janet Evanovich, is best known for writing a long running mystery series featuring Stephanie Plum, a lingerie buyer, turned bounty hunter, from Trenton, N. J.
Her Italian heritage and very colorful family are linchpins in the 30+ volume series.

Humor, family and quirk also appear in this seasonal novella. Because it’s shorter form fiction, Evanovich doesn’t have the benefit of time to develop the characters or the plot so she keeps things simple.

For me, it’s a bit too simple minded towards the ending with the introduction of a male secondary character that needs a swift kick in the britches. Some of the dialogue associated with that character is classic 1990’s caveman; ugh.

A quick, easy read that isn’t themed for the Thanksgiving holiday but takes place over a timeline when the holiday happens. However, the concept of giving thanks is far more than a 1 day event and for that reason, this little book is worth a read📚

[Mrs.Chardonnay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was searching for something light and fun to read for Thanksgiving season, and a book titled "THANKSGIVING" seemed like an obvious choice. If I hadn't come of age in the 1980s, I'm not sure I would have appreciated just how dated this is. We have a heroine who lounges at home in a blue velour bathrobe with matching slippers and says things like "Holy Toledo" when she crosses paths with a single, hunky doctor who has "broad shoulders, a trim waist; a hard, flat stomach, and slim hips." Oh, and that "killer behind." Swoon! He takes an instant shine to her and starts calling her his Mrs. before they've had a first date, and imagines what she would look like in "silk teddies and designer panty hose." Pass the smelling salts! Another reviewer here said that this was so ridiculous and dumb, she had to finish it -- that sums it up for me as well. This was kind of a hoot, in an awful way, and I couldn't bring myself to not see it through to the end.

[Brandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - Well. This one did involve Thanksgiving, I’ll give ChatGPT that. It also had the plot logic of an I Love Lucy episode, and the dialogue of a sexual harassment training video. “How do you expect me to behave when you’re dressed like that!?” and “He’d be willing to risk a broken nose for a kiss.” and “He liked the way she looked in his kitchen.”

I had to double check the copyright date. (It was 2006, not 1946.)

It wasn’t awful, just extremely silly.

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not a huge fan of romance novels. This was okay. Quaint. I like that it takes place in Williamsburg and around Thanksgiving. A new lady in town falls for the town doctor....pretty quickly. Listened to it on tape. D+

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars 🌟

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for my book club. I never have liked romances but I really like Janet Evanovich. I read this and I still don’t like romances. I’ll stick to the Stephanie Plum stories.

[Yankeecountess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I originally gave this 2 stars, but upon further reflection, I felt that was a bit too "generous" on my part, especially considering some of the other crap I've read this year, so went back and changed that review to a lowly 1 star rating.

It's a shame as well. I've heard positive things in regards to Evanovich, however a majority of that positive feedback I've heard has been towards her Stephanie Plum series, and not necessarily towards her...non-Plum books? I'm not sure what these are called, but basically before Stephanie Plum, I understand that Evanovich dappled in the romance genre, and so this falls into that category of her work.

**A Side-Helping of Spoilers with your Turkey**

I willingly admit that the whole reason I picked this book up was because of the title. I love reading and listening to "seasonal books" during their appropriate seasons, and there are so few Thanksgiving-themed romances, I leapt at the chance when this one landed in my lap. Megan, our heroine, is a pottery maker living in Williamsburg, VA. One day she meets Patrick Hunter, the new pediatrician in town, thanks to...a rabbit, nibbling on her colonial costume.

Nope, I'm not kidding, that is the basis for their "meet-cute". The rabbit belongs to Pat, though how it got loose was never really clear. The rabbit manages to get loose a second time (and seemingly not long after the first time it got loose) and this forces our couple together once again. I wondered if this was going to be an ongoing joke, but thankfully the rabbit was retired after that. Instead, we go onto even more outrageous plot lines: Pat and Megan being stuck caring for a baby while her unwed teenage mother goes job hunting without so much as a hint to when she might be back. Clearly this was meant to be the device to keep Megan and Pat interacting, but it really just came across as silly. I never thought that Megan or Pat needed something to "help them" come together, they were both clearly lusting after the other upon first meeting. However, the two do have their own baggage when it comes to relationships--Megan reveals she never plans on getting married or into a serious relationship, due to the fact that she was left at the altar once (and had some other dubious relationships with men who got cold feet near that "engagement mark"). Pat seems to suffer this same issue, although he admits to himself he doesn't want to just sleep with Megan or even have an ongoing-casual fling with her without the promise of *something* possibly happening down the road...yet when the opportunity arises (and it happens PLENTY of times) he can't bring himself to say the words that need to be said. or express that he wants more than just sex. Why he has this fear of marital commitment is unclear, and it just comes across as contrived and cliche: the man who's afraid of getting married.

Speaking of cliches, Megan goes from "I'm never marrying" to "I want to get married and have a baby, why hasn't Pat proposed to me, damn it!?" After spending just a few days with that baby, she suddenly wants to dive headfirst into motherhood. I'm not saying this isn't possible, but it is a cliche, especially in the realms of romantic literature. And Megan's reasoning for wanting a baby is the LAST REASON she should have a baby (the unwed teenage mom returns, and Megan missing the baby now wants to have one so she doesn't miss the baby anymore). Megan, I get that your sad and depressed, but that is not a good enough reason to rush into getting pregnant! Not to mention, you need to consider Pat into all this, especially if you're insisting he be the father of said child.

There isn't a lot of drama in this book. For the most part, it's a fluffy read, and whatever angst the characters do encounter comes across more like "middle school angst". As for the title/theme of the book, if you blink, you'll miss the whole "Thanksgiving" concept. What sounds like a major plot point (as mentioned on the back of the book) are Megan and Pat's families joining the two of them for Thanksgiving, and thinking they are engaged, and we get the whole "fake/mistaken engagement" trope. But nope, that's pretty much skimmed over. I remember the group of them making Thanksgiving dinner in one chapter, talking about Pat and Megan's possible Christmas wedding, and then the next chapter, all the relatives are packing up and leaving. Very rushed.

All in all, this isn't a great romance, and for what's meant to be a romantic comedy, I found myself rolling my eyes more than laughing along with the various antics of the characters. At the end of the day, I just couldn't care less about whether Pat or Megan got together or not. And that's missing the whole point of romance. My investment with the story retired pretty much when that mysterious rabbit disappeared after the second or third chapter.