Helpful Score: 7
I so wanted to like this book - I mean I am a sucker to stories with dogs in them and how they impact our lives. And I love thoughtful and inspiring chick lit. But this book is the sort that gives "chick lit" a bad rap. The characters are flat, the writing is boring and so childish, and there is nothing even likeable about these people. Fred, the dog on the cover isn't in this story near enough! I got half way through, and finally decided there are too many really good books out there to be discovered to spend my time on this one. What a disappointment.
Helpful Score: 4
I don't like romance, but I have to say I really enjoyed this book. The dog was a main character. He was a normal dog (he didn't talk or anything else unbelievable)and through him the main characters in the story met. The dog is really what held this story together and made it so enjoyable. For anyone who is looking for a novel that isn't just about young perfect 20 something people, has a very believable story line, and loves animals, this will be an enjoyable read.
Helpful Score: 3
Jennifer Crusie's books always sparkle and leave a smile on your face. Her pet, "Fred", makes you want to run right out and buy a Basset/Beagle mixed breed dog. Fun read!
Helpful Score: 2
I had just finished an outstanding book and usually have problems finding a really good book after that. Picked up this one and was never sorry that I did. I LOVED it! If you like dog stories, good fast read at the beach, laughs and smiles, lots of romance and a little heavy sex thrown it then you will love this book. On a scale of one to five(with five being the best) I gave it a five. I will definitely try another by this author, this was my first.
Helpful Score: 2
This is a fun flirty fast read! I really enjoyed it and so did the friends I lent it to!
I will admit the only reason I got this book was because of the cover. Being a basset hound owner and lover the cover caught my eye! As with all Jennifer Crusie's books this one is full of mishaps, funny moments, and a few real life struggles thrown in with romance. As with real basset hounds Fred steals most of the scenes in the book which is how it should be. :-) I think it took a little too long for the heroin to realize that age doesn't matter as much as who you are with, but overall it is a cute quick read that I enjoyed.
Helpful Score: 2
This was a cute very-fast-reading story with warm light humor buried in the descriptions of the scenes, characters, and their conflicts and reactions. The characters and plot were fun, not too deep, but intesting enough. I would recommend the book for a quick, light read with lots of smiles.
Helpful Score: 2
Fast read, enjoyable characters, especially Fred!
Helpful Score: 2
Older Woman, Younger Man, You get the picture. Really liked the story, quick read
Helpful Score: 2
Forty year old Nina falls in love with younger man Alex, a handsome thirty year old ER doctor. But the real star of this story is a basset hound named Fred, who loves Oreos and whose favorite toy is a red lace Incredibra. This is a warm, sexy, laugh-out-loud book.
Helpful Score: 1
Really cute Crusie. Funny and enjoyable. Liked this one.
Helpful Score: 1
An older woman meets and falls for a younger man. The book is about working it all out. Some funny moments. I enjoyed it, and it reads very quickly. A good beach book.
Helpful Score: 1
This is a sweet story. Easy and fast reading. Plus it has my fav breed of doggie!
Helpful Score: 1
This was a quick, enjoyable, and adorable read for me. I was smiling from beginning to end; be it from the antics of 'Fred' or the cute storyline in itself, I don't think I could have laughed more. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to 'simple' read and, of course, loves dogs. But then, who wouldn't with a dog like Fred?
Helpful Score: 1
Laugh out loud funny!
Helpful Score: 1
Very funny, a classic Jennifer Cruise.
Helpful Score: 1
A fast and fun read. Will have you saying, "You go girl!" as Nina (the main character) struggles to overcome her long-held beliefs about dating/relationships.
Helpful Score: 1
Wonderful, fresh, funny, tender, and outrageous. A combination of romance and sassy sexy suspense. Easy read. Good book for older women thinking about dating a younger man.
Helpful Score: 1
Very funny and heartwarming. As Crusie says in her new introduction, this is "Fred's book". All the characters are interesting, non-cardboard, even the minor ones.
Helpful Score: 1
Typical Jennifer Cruisie book...snappy dialog, not so heavy plot, mostly romance; in other words: about as deep as a saucer. A fun, quick read. However, her sex scenes don't fit the rest of the story, they're too strongly written and feel like they got added at the request of an editor.
Helpful Score: 1
I am now hooked on Jennifer Cruise! Fun read!
Helpful Score: 1
This was a cute book and a fast read. I really enjoyed it.
Part basset, part beagle, all Cupid...
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom-from the ex-husband, freedom from their stuffy suburban home, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed-a puppy. A bouncy, adorable puppy.
Instead she gets...Fred
Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.
Alex seems perfect-he's a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor-but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young, dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!
Part basset, part beagle, all Cupid...
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom-from the ex-husband, freedom from their stuffy suburban home, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed-a puppy. A bouncy, adorable puppy.
Instead she gets...Fred
Overweight, middle-aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.
Alex seems perfect-he's a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor-but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young, dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!
Helpful Score: 1
Great book! I love all her books!
Helpful Score: 1
a cute read, the dog is a scene stealer! jennifer crusie is hilarious and you'll enjoy anthing by her.
Love this author. Her books are usually better than this one though. VERY predictable and not a great wrap up. An ok book by a great author.
A cute story and a loveable dog named Fred.
Fast paced story, held my interest, finished in 2 days. I love this book for the same reason I love some of her other titles, it makes you want to believe in the possibilities of love.
This was a great book, very easy read. If you are an animal lover you will enjoy this book.
Very cute book. loved the dog and the characters are very fun!
A quick read! Finished it in 1 day. Can it work if the women is older than the man?
Loved it...couldn't wait to get back to it each day.
very charming and funny, as most Jennifer Crusie books are!
I'm not a big "romance" book fan. Great dog in the story. If you like romance novels, this is the book for you.
Really cute story. Easy to read.
The bad: The couple in this book took forever to get to the inevitable and at some point I just thought things were just being droned out.
The good: This is the first book that's made me laugh then cry all in just the third or the fourth page. I love FRED (the DOG) he's wonderful! The author gave him so much character.
The good: This is the first book that's made me laugh then cry all in just the third or the fourth page. I love FRED (the DOG) he's wonderful! The author gave him so much character.
Very cute...loved Fred! Will definitely read this author again.
Great, fast read. Loved the storyline!!
I ordered this book based on the reccommendation on a web site. I enjoyed the book as a very easy read. Typically I like a little more "meat" in my books, but this was good during a time when I was very busy with other things. It did not require too much brain power get through.
Nina, a 40 year old divorcee, wants a dog. She finds Fred, who is anything but perky. Fred finds Alex, a 30-year-old ER doc who lives in the apartment below Nina. This book is funny, romantic, and sexy. Not the typical love story, but a very fun one. Great book -- highly recommended by this reader!
This is a weekend make you smile book. If you have a little down time and need a pick me up and a giggle this is the book for you!
quick,easy read! loved it!
being a hound owner 2 over now, I loved this book
Wonderful story. Got to love the dog!
I loved this book so much I read it in a day. Great characters and a great storyline
I really enjoyed this nice, easy read. Older woman, younger man and a cute dog...can't go wrong. I would recommend.
I am a die-hard Crusie fan, so of course I loved this book. But especially great is the way she deals with issues of aging (the heroine is much older than the hero), and honestly, it's some of the sexiest, hottest reading to be found in a romance. And of course, there's the Crusie wit and quirky character traits--old movies, oreos, drooling dogs who eat lingerie--that make the rest of the reading laugh-out-loud good.
I loved Fred! This is a very light read, nicely fluffy.
Great story of unlikely people. Funny - cute - sexy!
Very cute, some laugh-out-loud moments. A quick, easy enjoyable read. I almost didn't want to give it up!
Very good, engaging and quick read.
Really fast read. I read it in one night. I just progressed really well and there wasn't a lot of useless information in it.
Everyone MUST, MUST, MUST read this book !!!! Crusie herself mentions that this is Fred's book (the part basset, part beagle) and he certainly is the top supporting character in this story!
Realistic take on how confusing love can be and how tricky human relationships feel when our insecurities are mixed into the mess!
Realistic take on how confusing love can be and how tricky human relationships feel when our insecurities are mixed into the mess!
Crusie delivers again, with crackling dialogue, endearing characters, and a sexy, funny romance.
Good read!
This is a great story! It is Fred's story!
Cute, light reading. Romance novel.
All I can say is I love Jennifer Crusie. Fans will love this early book of hers!
Can a matchmaking hound fetch a new love for his owner? A fast, light reading.
Very cut book. I really enjoyed it.
This book is 75% dialogue---maybe more---and is a prime example about how witty, snappy, laugh-out-loud repartee can move a book along and reveal so much about the characters. At one point, the movie "My Gal Friday" is referenced---if you are familiar with it, you'll understand perhaps where Crusie learned to throw a line. Plus there was a lot of growth in the characters---and a lot of truth. This is a book I am happy to recommend!
Nina wants a puppy. Something that her ex-husband would never agree to. Now that she is on her own, she decides it is time. Instead of a puppy, she gets Fred...an overweight, smelly, depressed Basset Hound mix. Fred changes her life in more ways than she expects!
You'll love this book by Jennifer Crusie!
Nina wants a dog and decides she wants a bouncy, adorable, puppy, but instead she gets Fred...part beagle, part basset... part Cupid? He's depressed, smelly, middle-aged, and years from perky.
From a dog obsessed with Incredibras and oreos, and those are just a few of the things that make this a wonderful story. Fred steals the show, but don't discount Alex, Nina's sexy, single neighbor. When Nina didn't think it should be anyone but you (Fred)/(Alex), how could it be anyone but them?!
Nina wants a dog and decides she wants a bouncy, adorable, puppy, but instead she gets Fred...part beagle, part basset... part Cupid? He's depressed, smelly, middle-aged, and years from perky.
From a dog obsessed with Incredibras and oreos, and those are just a few of the things that make this a wonderful story. Fred steals the show, but don't discount Alex, Nina's sexy, single neighbor. When Nina didn't think it should be anyone but you (Fred)/(Alex), how could it be anyone but them?!
Nina Askew is fourty. She got a overweight dog,middle aged a little smelly and depressed.His name is Fred. She got a dog becuse her now ex-husband never wanted a dog. She does.
Alex Moore is a good looking doctor that is ten years younger then her. Let the fun begin!
Alex Moore is a good looking doctor that is ten years younger then her. Let the fun begin!
I love Jennifer Crusie's work and this was no exception. How many authors can you read where you literally laugh out loud at the dialogue. Thought this was a light, quick, hysterical read. Can't go wrong with this author. Highly recommended
Very cute! I love this author and this story is very much like the rest of her books, funny,sweet, and makes you feel good.
A simple easy read. Could not put this book down. It draws you in and won't let you go until you are finished with it.
Any book with a dog in it is ok by me! Fun story, realistic characters.
Fun and quick read. Very enjoyable with lots of chuckles.
Fun, light, quick read. Thoroughly enjoyed the story!
Nina used to be the perfect corporate executive's wife, but after 15 years she realized that she wasn't happy, got divorced and began to finally live her own life. Alex is her downstairs neighbor, an emergency room doctor, and a serial dater. However, once he meets her, his life plans change and he sets out trying to find a way to convince her that she belongs in his life. Add to this mix Alex' brother Max (a gynecologist), Nina's friend Charity (who's about to write a book on her 12-man string of failed romances), and Fred (a part manic-depressive stray dog who's got a severe Oreo jones) and there are more than enough opportunities for the humorous scenes that Ms. Crusie does so well.
Nina and Alex are obviously a couple who are meant for each other, but before true love can triumph each must overcome their own personal obstacles - Nina's problem with dating someone so much younger, and Alex' family pressures and mistaken goals. But the story doesn't bog down with angst, and everything is leavened with humor. And, I was especially glad to see Nina's 40 year old self taking center stage, rather than being relegated to being a secondary character. It's so refreshing to read a romance that doesn't contain a dewy twenty-something . This is a fun book, and it's worth searching out and buying.
Nina and Alex are obviously a couple who are meant for each other, but before true love can triumph each must overcome their own personal obstacles - Nina's problem with dating someone so much younger, and Alex' family pressures and mistaken goals. But the story doesn't bog down with angst, and everything is leavened with humor. And, I was especially glad to see Nina's 40 year old self taking center stage, rather than being relegated to being a secondary character. It's so refreshing to read a romance that doesn't contain a dewy twenty-something . This is a fun book, and it's worth searching out and buying.
A very funny quick read.Ya gotta love Fred,he definately steals the book.
My first Jennifer Crusie book and I loved it!
Loved it!
Great book about an older (but not too old) woman and a younger man. Loved Fred the dog!
A great, light read. Perfect for a lazy weekend
funny, funny, funny!
Light romance about younger er doc and older divorced woman. Fred, her dog hooks them up. Cute.
For Nina Askew, turning forty mean freedom from the ex-husband, their stuffy suburban home and freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. What she wants is a bouncy, adorable puppy, but instead she gets an overweight, middle aged, smelly and obviously depressed basset hound named Fred. This book is all about how Fred manages to get Nina involved with a sexy ER doc who is ten years younger.
Great book, laugh out loud funny!
Jennifer Crusie is the master of humorous romance. Nina is 40 year old divorced woman who wanted a lovable puppy to bring up a spirits. Instead, she ends up with Fred, a depressed hound. When he accidentally wonders into the wrong apartment, Nina meets her gorgeous neighbor, Doctor Alex Moore. They are immediately attracted to one another; problem is Alex is ten years younger. This leads to misconceptions on both sides as to what the other is looking for in a partner. As they try to find their way to true love these two, along with Fred, find themselves in many humorous situations in this sweet romance. I highly recommend this book if you're looking for a quick, fun read.
Terrific! I loved it.
Another funny Crusie novel.
Great Book about a dog matchmaker.
Another screwball comeday from Crusie, in which a recent divorcee, looking down the barrel of 40, decides she needs a perky puppy to zing up her life. And ends up with Fred, the basset/beagle/sadsack whose antics also lead her right acoss the path of a younger man with some decisions of his own to make.
From back cover:
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom-from the ex-husband, freedom from their stuffy suburban home, freedome to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed - a puppy. A bouncy, adorable puppy. Instead she gets... Fred.
Overweight, middle aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.
Alex seems perfect-he's sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor-but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!
For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom-from the ex-husband, freedom from their stuffy suburban home, freedome to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed - a puppy. A bouncy, adorable puppy. Instead she gets... Fred.
Overweight, middle aged, a bit smelly and obviously depressed, Fred is light-years from perky. But he does manage to put Nina in the path of Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger-by-a-decade neighbor.
Alex seems perfect-he's sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor-but the age gap convinces Nina that anyone but Alex would be better relationship material. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it's the young dog-loving doc she wants to sit and stay!
Great Book. Love Jennifer Crusie
I will be on vacation from April 29th til May 13th. If you are interested in this book, understand it can not be shipped during this time frame.
I like the author's writing style, but do not care for all the sexually explicit details. This is why I usually stick to Christian Fiction.
