Helpful Score: 7
This is a re-issue of Janet Evanovich's first published book... (originally printed under her pen-name Steffie Hall). I love her work, but you can definitely tell with this one that she's just starting out. While the story had it's funny moments, (and the character of Aunt Edna is a foreshadow of her Grandma Mazur character from her Plum series), it was mostly silly and unrealistic. I found myself shaking my head through most of it. It's cutsie, but I don't think I'd call it that great.
Helpful Score: 5
I am a huge Janet Evanovich fan but this book was just to "formulaic" for me. I felt like I'd read it before although I hadn't. Still an okay quick read but not one of her better ones in my opinion.
Helpful Score: 3
Contains a spoiler:
The story is cute and the characters are interesting - but overall it was pretty much the same old stuff from her previous romances. Cute dialog, old ladies with agendas, and a dog. Unfortunately for the dog lovers, the dog fades out about chapter 3 and is never seen again [after digging up the neighbors garden, the hero has someone elsewhere take care of him].
Probably the hardest thing to handle is the hero, who's supposed to be so smart, but doesn't get around to telling the heroine that he lied about his name and he's a wealthy construction company owner, not a down-on-his-luck carpenter BEFORE he proposes and is accepted...
When the heroine finds out [and not from him] she is understandably livid.
A read-once.
The story is cute and the characters are interesting - but overall it was pretty much the same old stuff from her previous romances. Cute dialog, old ladies with agendas, and a dog. Unfortunately for the dog lovers, the dog fades out about chapter 3 and is never seen again [after digging up the neighbors garden, the hero has someone elsewhere take care of him].
Probably the hardest thing to handle is the hero, who's supposed to be so smart, but doesn't get around to telling the heroine that he lied about his name and he's a wealthy construction company owner, not a down-on-his-luck carpenter BEFORE he proposes and is accepted...
When the heroine finds out [and not from him] she is understandably livid.
A read-once.
Helpful Score: 1
Really cute book. I found myself laughing while reading it. Janet Evanovich is so entertaining.
Classic Early Evanovich - first book she published! Fun story about a sexy man and strong beautiful woman! Enjoy!
Janet's my favorite author and I love all of her books, even the early ones. Hero At Large is worth the read.
Romance by-the-numbers. They meet cute, circumstances throw them together, and they spend the next 100 pages each secretly wanting to jump the other's bones. Then they do and very quickly after that A Complication Arises, and they spend the next hundred pages being miserable without each other until Everything Works Out. This one features a perky divorced ice skating instructor and a hunky carpenter who is more than he appears to be. Oh yeah, and there's a dog. This is Evanovich, after all.
Enjoyable book! I really Evanovich's early books as much as her numbered books.
great book
Chris Nelson is grateful when a gorgeous hunk stops to help her when her car breaks down. But things go wrong when she accidentally breaks Ken Callahan's arm and has to take him to the hospital. Since he is from out of town and can't drive, he ends up staying at her house with her seven-year-old daughter and her elderly Aunt Edna. Ken like's Chris, her daughter, her aunt, and her house. He doesn't want to leave. Ken makes a deal that he will rent the downstairs portion of the house and give them access to his truck since Chris' car can't be fixed. It's a great deal for him since he also has unlimited access to Chris, a woman who fascinates him.
This was Janet Evanovich's first book, originally published under the pseudonym: Steffie Hall. It's a light romantic comedy with some cute moments, but the whole story was unrealistic. I did get sick of hearing how Chris can't take a chance on marrying again after the disaster of her last marriage. The narrator, C.J. Critt did a good job with this book. My rating: 3 Stars.
This was Janet Evanovich's first book, originally published under the pseudonym: Steffie Hall. It's a light romantic comedy with some cute moments, but the whole story was unrealistic. I did get sick of hearing how Chris can't take a chance on marrying again after the disaster of her last marriage. The narrator, C.J. Critt did a good job with this book. My rating: 3 Stars.
