Review: Getting Rid of Bradley

Getting Rid of Bradley
Jennifer Crusie
Contemporary Romance
Harlequin Temptation #480/February 1994
Reissued/Harlequin/December 2008
Library ebook

From the author's website ~

Lucy Savage is finally getting rid of Bradley—and his hideous green recliner. Bradley is out of her life for good. Or so she thinks. Turns out Officer Zack Warren wants to arrest the very same Bradley for embezzlement and figures the lovely Lucy can lead him straight to his target.

Good thing there’s a cop around. Because someone shoots at Lucy and then blows up her car. Zack insists she needs twenty-four-hour protection. What does he think her three dogs and attack cat are for? Still, he insists on moving right in to Lucy’s house.

Now there’s danger lurking outside and in her own kitchen, bathroom—and bedroom. Or maybe Zack is just what Lucy needs.…

I picked this one up, really downloaded it, because Nath said she liked it. If Nath says she likes a book, there's a good chance it's a very good book. In the case of Getting Rid of Bradley she was spot on!

The story opens with Lucy and her sister Tina at the courthouse waiting for Lucy's now ex-husband to show up. It was the day her divorce was finalized and Bradley was suppose to be there. He doesn't show so they head over to a diner where Lucy said Bradley might show up. It's at the diner things get crazy. There's bad food, poor service and a couple of hot guys that turn out to be cops. Which is a good thing since it turns out Lucy needs the police.

After getting shot at and grabbed by what she thought was a drug dealer, Lucy finally goes home to her three pound puppies. I absolutely loved the personalities Crusie gives to these adorable dogs. Heisenberg, Maxwell and Einstein are unique characters that add so much flavor to the story. The roles they play in Lucy's life is so important that I can't imagine her falling in love with someone who doesn't love her dogs. Or at the very least like them.

Detective Zack Warren is in for a surprise when the crazy woman from the diner turns out to be linked to a big case he's been working on. He tracks her to her home and after assuring her that he is indeed a cop, he gets down to questioning her. Lucy isn't at all what Zack expected to find after their first encounter. She sexy and sweet and yes, a bit crazy but there is a definite attraction between these two. Zack is not what I would call likable until you get to know him, especially after Lucy's positive influence takes hold. It's not that he's mean or a jerk, he's just gruff, grumpy and unapproachable. Both in looks and manner. But underneath all that he's a real sweetheart.

The more time Zack spends with Lucy and her dogs the more she, and the dogs, drive him crazy but in a good way. :) Crusie had me laughing a lot at the comedic situations Lucy, Zack and yes, the dogs, find themselves in. In between all the witty and sharp dialogue is the threat of pain and possible death as Lucy's life becomes more complicated as the search for Bradley continues. Zack has moved in to Lucy's house, offering protection and the very willing use of his very sexy body. Lucy isn't a pushover and makes Zach work for it. She truly drives him crazy. It's great!

When Lucy divorces Bradley she also decides it's time for a change. She's tired of playing it safe and wants to make her own mistakes and not have her sister Tina bail her out. This makes her more open to Zach and his idea that oh, he can watch over her better from say, her bed. LOL I really liked these two together. The dynamics of their relationship had both of them changing. Sort of a meeting in the middle type of situation. With Zach softening up and Lucy becoming more independent.

The mystery surrounding where Bradley is and what trouble he's gotten into was fun to try and figure out. Even the criminals got in on some of the comedic scenes. This was truly a cute, funny and sweet romance. Definitely a favorite Crusie.

Rating: A-

February Reads...

Why Batman? IDK, never was a fan but maybe if he looked like this...

February was short and sometimes a very sweet month. I managed a total of 12 books and only one audio because, *sob*, my mp3 player broke. I'm suffering withdrawal while dealing with trying to get a replacement. So tempted to go to Sam's Club and get an IPod. Anyway... here's the list. ~

Slow Heat/Jill Shalvis/Contemporary ~ A
Hunting Ground/Patricia Briggs/Urban Fantasy ~ B+
Tell Me Lies/Jennifer Crusie/Contemporary (audio) ~ C
Crazy Beautiful/Lauren Baratz-Logsted/YA Contemporary ~ A
My Soul to Lose/Rachel Vincent/YA Fantasy ~ B+
My Soul to Take/Rachel Vincent/YA Fantasy ~ A
Kindred in Death/J. D. Robb/Futuristic ~ B+
Lord Ruin/Carolyn Jewel/Historical ~ B
Open Season/Linda Howard/Romantic Suspense ~ A-
The Iron King/Julie Kagawa/YA Fantasy ~ A (review to come)
The Texan's Wager/Jodi Thomas/Historical ~ A
Shades of Midnight/Lara Adrian/PNR ~ B (review to come)
What the Librarian Did/Karina Bliss/Contemporary ~ A (review to come)

Overall a very good month. Lots of wonderful reads. I attribute that to the great reviews from all of you book pimping bloggers. So I thank you and my ever growing TBR pile thanks you. :D

Oh, I almost forgot. Bookcases - Abby got a new one and I managed to be good for nearly 2 weeks, then I got a new one too. I swear I didn't plan it, it just happened. :)

March looks to be a great month for new releases. Take a peek at the Slide widget on the right side bar and see what I'm looking forward to for March.

Review: Anyone But You

Title: Anyone But You
Author: Jennifer Crusie
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: Harlequin/July 1996
Reissue: November 2006
Source: Library

From the author’s website ~

For Nina Askew, turning forty means freedom—from the ex-husband whose career always came first, from their stuffy suburban home. Freedom to have her own apartment in the city, freedom to focus on what she wants for a change. And what she wants is something her ex always vetoed—a puppy. A bouncy puppy to cheer her up. Instead she gets…Fred.

Overweight, smelly and obviously suffering from some kind of doggy depression, Fred is light years from perky. But for all his faults, he does manage to put Nina face-to-face with Alex Moore, her gorgeous, younger downstairs neighbor.

Alex looks great on paper—a sexy, seemingly sane, surprisingly single E.R. doctor who shares Fred’s abiding love for Oreos—but a ten-year difference in age, despite his devastating smile, is too wide a gap for Nina to handle. Ignoring her insistent best friend, some interfering do-gooders and the ubiquitous Fred—not to mention her suddenly raging hormones—Nina thinks anyone but Alex would be a better bet for a relationship. But with every silver-haired stiff she dates, the more she suspects it’s the young dog-loving doctor she wants to sit and stay!

Fun, fun, fun! That's what comes to mind when I think of Crusie's Anyone But You. It was funny and sweet and sexy as hell. It's sort of a friends to lovers story, which is one of my favorite tropes. I say sort of since they are both attracted to each other right from the start. Usually a friends to lovers scenario might have one of the characters attracted to the other with the other oblivious to the attraction. This time around they tried to ignore that attraction with Nina thinking she's too old for Alex and Alex thinks Nina isn't interested in him because he isn't mature enough.

Nina Askew just turned 40. A big milestone and one she celebrates by getting a dog. Not just any dog but Fred. Little did Nina know, but Fred is cupid in disguise. He's an adorable character who's personality shines through. With her divorce final and her house sold, Nina has settled into an apartment and a new job. She started working as a secretary for a small publishing company and has since been promoted to editor. There's an interesting subplot regarding Nina's friend Charity and a book Nina encourages her to write about her past love life. Charity's life is full of men but Nina isn't looking for a man, she's enjoying living on her own and doing what she pleases. When she first meets Alex she notices how good looking he is but he looks, and acts, way too young for her. He's just her sexy, too young neighbor that she really shouldn't be fantasizing about. :)

Alex comes from a family of doctors, specialist. Alex isn't a specialist, he's an Emergency Room doctor and loves it. His family doesn't and are always trying to get him to choose a specialty. When Alex meets Nina he finds her attractive and likable. She's fun to hang out with, easy to talk to and he enjoys just being with her. The only problem is that he's attracted to her and she doesn't seem to think of him in that way. So he sets out to change her mind. What I liked about Alex was that he was this sweet, wonderful guy that cared a great deal about Nina and didn't give up on her and their relationship.

The relationship Nina and Alex create starts with friendship and evolves from there. They get to know each other, their likes and dislikes, quirks and habits. What they don't realize is the attraction each has for the other. They both assume that their not each other's type; Nina thinks Alex wants young, beautiful women with bodies equally young and beautiful. Alex thinks Nina wants someone who can give her a wealthy lifestyle of an expensive home filled with equally expensive things. What takes them a while to conceive is that they are perfect for each other. That their friendship was only the beginning and was meant to be more.

I really liked the fact that Alex was younger than Nina and still saw Nina as a very attractive woman. He didn't let the age difference come into play when it came to being sexually attracted to her. The age hang up was all Nina's. She couldn't believe that a young, sexy and sweet guy like Alex could possibly be attracted to her. The way Crusie showed Nina's thought process and how she came around to thinking that Alex enjoyed her company in and out of bed was like another freedom that Nina gave herself.

The secondary characters are a very eclectic group of friends and family that give Nina and Alex different perspectives on their lives and relationship. The interactions with Fred were cute and funny and at times I got the feeling that Fred might be the smartest one in the room.

I will say that Alex was acting like an idiot towards the end when he tries changing careers to please Nina. Everything got sorted out and Nina and Alex realized they were happy together, regardless of the age difference or Alex's income. This was a fun, quick story with colorful characters and an interesting twist on a common plot. A very enjoyable read!

Jenny Crusie and her books can be found here.

Rating: A-