My other errands finished, I met up him at the bookstore. I didn’t want to buy another thick, historical romance. I’ve still got a couple here on my TBR pile that are feeling unloved and neglected. I needed something light and quick.
Now, I’ve read Janet Evanovich‘s old romances along with the Stephanie Plum series, but I don’t usually read contemporaries. Nothing wrong with it, it’s just habit to look at the historicals.
The comments on yesterday’s Thursday Thirteen and my recent forays into contemporary short stories got me thinking. I decided to check out Jennifer Crusie. The one that caught my eye was Jennifer Crusie’s Anyone But You. How can anyone resist picking up that adorable, sad basset face?
I finished it at midnight. I’m not as fast a reader as DH and I usually have other demands on my time. Still not bad for 8 hours in my possession with interruptions for homework, laundry, dinner and about 3 hours of television.
In the preface of the new edition (it was originally published in 1996), Ms. Crusie mentions how the dog, Fred, steals the book. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed Fred’s Book too. The opening scenes when the heroine picks him out and brings him home were fabulous. Part basset, part beagle, part scene-stealer. Awesome!
The biggest conflict in the book centers on the age difference between the hero (Alex) and heroine (Nina) — he’s ten years her junior. The subplot of the Nina’s best friend and the small press for which Nina works was extremely well done. In the end, both friends learn the importance of accepting unconditional love. There were times when I wanted to smack Alex and Nina’s heads together and tell them to wake up and smell the coffee, but Crusie managed to string along the relationship in a plausible fashion. The ending felt a little rushed and neatly tied up, but the ride was worth it for me.
Jennifer Crusie is definitely on my “to buy more of” list of authors now.