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The Barnes & Noble Review
Author Jennifer Crusie, whose novels have been USA Today and New York Times bestsellers, scores again with a hilarious romp through the lives of several headstrong women and the men who love (and sometimes hate) them. Crusie spices up her pages with some of the most intriguingly complex and quirky characters in fiction, then mixes in some murder and mayhem just for fun -- the perfect recipe for a delightful read.
It's been more than a year since Nell Dysart's husband walked out on her. Since then, Nell's been going through the motions of life. But now she's determined to get back on track, and she goes at it with a vengeance. First, she lands a temporary position as a secretary for a family-owned private detective agency. It doesn't take her long to butt heads with one of her new bosses, Gabe McKenna, who finds Nell's bullheaded stubbornness and unwavering determination highly annoying. Still, she does clean up the office, uncover an embezzling scheme perpetrated by her predecessor, and retrieve the stolen money on her own, all in the first couple of days. What's more, there is something about Nell's endless enthusiasm that begins to rub off on Gabe.
Sometimes it rubs the wrong way, however, particularly after he offers to make Nell's position permanent and then discovers that she's stolen a dog, trashed her ex-husband's office, and slept with the firm's other partner, Gabe's cousin Riley. Then there's the little matter of an investigation into the secret doings of the wealthy Dysart family, Nell's former in-laws, two of whom remain among her best friends. By the time Gabe and Nell's libidos finally mesh, things in the office have become downright explosive, though that doesn't stop them from engaging in a bit of mind-boggling sex (in fact, in some cases the fireworks enhance things). Though neither one is sure where the relationship is going, one thing is certain: Life is never dull in the offices of McKenna Investigations, where adultery, blackmail, and sex on a desk are standard everyday fare.
Once again, Crusie finds the perfect mix of thigh-slapping humor, mysterious doings, and sizzling sensuality. This one zips along with all the breathtaking fun of an exhilarating amusement park ride. Just be sure to hang on tight. (Beth Amos)
Beth Amos is the author of several novels, including Second Sight, Eyes of Night, and Cold White Fury.
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
A detective agency may be a sure setting for mystery and adventure, but in Crusie's latest (after Welcome to Temptation; Crazy for You; Tell Me Lies), a likable cast of characters also find sex, love and empowerment. At 42, recently divorced Nell Dysart starts a new life by becoming a secretary for Gabe McKenna, a gruff private investigator la Sam Spade; McKenna runs an old-fashioned family business in German Village, Ohio, with his cousin and partner, Riley. The new job provides distraction for Nell, and with the support of her china-collecting former sisters-in-law, Suze and Margie; her son, Jase; and a stolen dachshund named Marlene, she gets back on her feet. Gabe is less than thrilled with Nell's sassiness, and they clash over her attempts to clean and redecorate his office. But where there is friction, there are also sparks, and as bull-headed as Gabe and Nell are, they finally acknowledge their mutual attraction. To make things more complicated, Gabe's biggest client is the Dysart clan, Nell's former in-laws, and the history between them becomes confused with present investigations of embezzlement and bribery when Nell discovers the title to a Porsche and a bag of diamonds in her boss's office. After more than one character is found stuffed in a freezer, Gabe, Riley, Nell and Suze set out to solve a 20-year-old murder case. Crusie's snappy dialogue and skillful plotting more than make up for some uneven pacing and one-dimensional villains. The novel's provocative title says too little about this entertaining romantic caper, which will satisfy fans and new readers alike. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Continuing a successful switch from series romance to contemporary hardcover fiction, this latest effort by the author of Welcome to Temptation is sheer reading enjoyment. At 42, Nell Dysart is divorced and job hunting. Landing a temporary position as the office manager for McKenna Investigations is the best she can do while she figures out how to put her life back together. The McKenna office is a shambles, and Nell's boss, Gabe McKenna, seems unpleasant, disorganized, and very rigid. Nell knows she has the organization skills and business know-how to turn the place around, yet the major stumbling block is that Gabe likes things pretty much the way they are. Crusie's two main characters, as well as a host of secondary characters, convincingly guide the slightly complicated plot, which involves a long-ago murder and family cover-up, to a satisfying conclusion. The real plot, of course, is the growing attraction between Gabe and Nell. Crusie is hopelessly romantic and hilariously funny. Highly recommended for all public libraries with romance or fiction readers. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 1/01.] Margaret Hanes, Sterling Heights P.L., MI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A dispirited divorcée goes to work for a detective agency, with all the resulting comedy and romance you'd expect from Crusie (Welcome to Temptation, 2000, etc.). "I'm dead. And I don't think I'm coming back," says Nell Dysart. And in truth Nell hasn't done much but mope since her husband Tim left, on Christmas Day, 18 months ago. But all that changes when Tim's brother Jack tells Gabriel McKenna that she'd be a great temporary replacement for the ailing secretary Gabe shares with his cousin and partner Riley. Nell replaces the cousins' antique coffeemaker, spruces up the office, cleans the bathroom, sets the files in order, and incidentally finds evidence of recent embezzlement and ancient fraud. Why did Patrick McKenna, Gabe's late father, accept a 1977 Porsche as a gift from Jack's law partner Trevor Ogilvie? If he was covering up something suspicious about the suicide of Trevor's first wife Helena, then what do Nell's best friends, Jack's wife Suze and Helena's daughter Margie, know about the case? There's just enough present-day menace to convince Nell that the past isn't really dead and buried—and just enough to add spice to the real business at hand, which is to get Nell detached from the hopeless man in her past—the multiple kiss-off scenes are scabrously entertaining—so that she can start worrying about the very real problems of commitment to a man actually worth bedding down with. And Crusie, who can make something special out of a scene in which Nell and her friends unpack her china, seems incapable of writing a boring page, or one that's not aglow with the sparks of wit and romance. Move over, Susan Isaacs. Crusie is just as smart and sassy about thethings a woman has to do to make love work, and a lot funnier to boot.
From the Publisher
"Entertaining."--Publishers Weekly
"Aglow with the sparks of wit and romance...smart and sassy."--Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A beach book for your brain...a sexy, intellectual read."--Redbook
