Female Intelligence

by Jane Heller

When a renowned marriage specialist is publically humiliated by her own straying husband, she fights back by trying to soften the man who made the cover of Fortune magazine "America's Toughest Bosses" issue. 65,000 first printing.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction, Humor, Contemporary Romance, Mystery, Adult Fiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2001

About the author

Jane Heller, a New York native who recently moved from Santa Barbara, CA to New Preston, CT, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 13 novels of romantic comedy, including "Name Dropping," "Lucky Stars," and "Best Enemies." Nine of Heller's novels have been optioned for film or television, and all of them have been translated in countries around the world. Her first book of nonfiction, "Confessions of a She-Fan: The Course of True Love with the New York Yankees," is a humorous look at her passion for baseball. Her book about caregiving, "You'd Better Not Die or I'll Kill You: A Caregiver's Survival Guide to Keeping You in Good Health and Good Spirits," combines Heller's personal essays about being the wife of a man with Crohn's disease and the daughter of a mother with dementia, plus interviews with other caregivers who deal with everything from autism to Alzheimer's and advice/tips from experts. "You'd Better Not Die" is upbeat and inspirational - a cheerful companion to the over 60 million caregivers in America. Heller's new novel, "Three Blonde Mice," a spinoff of her bestselling novel "Princess Charming," was published on August 2, 2016.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

"In a nutshell, the Wyman Method was my therapy for guys who got mute at the dinner table and guys who interrupt in business meetings and guys who tell entirely to many jokes about women's breasts. It was my cure for the common cad".

Female Intelligence by Jane Heller


I adore Jane Heller and count "Name Dropping" as one of my all time favorite books but this one was a let down.

I loved it at first. It has the same light playful tone as Name Dropping and after reading many dark books, it is a breath of fresh air to read Heller.

Lynne is a linguist who trains men and women in the art of communication. She teaches them to talk to each other and to be "givers, not takers".

People count on Lynn to help them and she is kn own as THE relationship guru. She has a relationship of her own built on trust and communication and that is how it should be.

Until she overhears a conversation between the love of her life..and his lover.

So this was great..at first. It was four or five star Chick Lit. But then the book lost me.

Where I started spacing out, was after she kicks her cheating boyfriend out . Turns out..that isn't really the plot. She then gets involved in another romance and there is mystery involved and it just delves into cliches.

I really wanted to keep focused on the talk show host and the boyfriend. I think it was on its way to being a 5 star book for me but it went off the rails into such other territory..I was let down.

Still love some of her books but this was such a let down..going from 4.5 stars to 2 just like that. Oh well.

[Supriya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually enjoy light hearted stories like Confessions of a shopaholic or The devil wears Prada, and I can appreciate that sometimes cliches and predictability are even necessary for a feel-good story. So after abundant benefits of doubt throughout this book, it still turned out to be one long cringe fest.

The Female Intelligence is the literary equivalent of a Twinkie. It’s cloyingly sweet and wildly popular but lacks any actual substance or taste and it’s bad for you.

The premise was interesting; a funny and witty women-centric story about the modern woman, her career friendships and relationships. The main character Dr. Wyman has a business around her methods of getting men to “womenspeak”, and be better at communicating with women.

It turned out however, as pages filled with cliches, overstuffed with gender stereotypes, and unbearably cringeworthy dialogues and inner monologues.

I suppose this book is from 17 years ago (not that that’s an excuse for this sexist atrocity) but I’m still appalled at the irony of how a strong feminist Dr.Protagonist generously perpetrates every gender stereotype that exists, and in the end succumbs to it herself with so much glee. Her (Dr.Wyman) life is now complete because she found herself the love of the man, and figured out that her women friend was jealous of her.

Pages are filled with sexist buzzwords like “womanspeak”, and ”mr.sensitive”. They contain sentences like “I’ll make you a lamb from a lion”.
Yes you guessed right, men are lions and women are lambs. Sigh.

And the cherry on top of this Twinkie? Several times in the book, this doctor’s idea for the ideal way a man connect with a woman he is trying to be friendly with in a professional/work environment is saying phrases like “I don’t know how you metabolize desserts but that chocolate mousse cake last night went straight to my thighs”. Apparently that will make women feel like men are truly sharing with them, because, men saying words like that makes them sound like women. And the man will then get brownie points for being very down to earth and easy to talk to. I’ll let you figure out everything that’s wrong with that. Now imagine 330 more pages.

I’m so disappointed about the missed opportunity of the premise becoming a good book, however, I’m thrilled I’ll never have to read words like these ever again.

[Nicole Ristine · Rating 1 out of 5]

the characters weren't memorable and the ending lacked imagination. She did a poor job developing the chemistry between the characters so I wasn't compelled to root for them. For me, the Worst part was that villain's motives were also underdeveloped and just plain stupid.

[coconut · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like chickflick-like books and overall enjoyed this book. Although, unfortunately the author seems to be racist (making fun people that do not speak English as a first language and of Japanese culture) and that left a sour impression on me.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly this book was far from well-written...it relied on telling the reader everything rather than showing, and it was extremely predictable. I would say it's the book equivalent of a marshmallow...very light, not much substance to it, no real "nutritional value," yet oddly sweet and enjoyable. 352 pages.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Jane Heller and I really liked it. It's about the rise and fall of a woman who teaches sensitivity training to men and how she recovers. It's humorous, romantic, and entertaining.

Again, not the most thought provoking novel but perfect for a vacation read.

[Sophia Dyer • bookishly.vintage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I scored this book from a local library sale, and it did not disappoint!

There was mystery, romance, backstabbing women, and a bit of humor too! I mean, it really was the whole package.

I picked this up because I was interested in the "Womenspeak" the MC practiced, and wanted to know more about it. While that was part of the story, it was a pretty small part. But, that is not a bad thing! I kept wondering what the scandal would be or where things would go wrong, and just when I thought I had it all figured out another thing happened.

The MC spoke right to the reader a few times too, so it really made you feel like she was the one telling the story. There were definitely times where I wanted to pull my hair out and tell her to think differently about the situation, but in the end she figured it all out. I know if I was in her position I probably wouldn't see it first either, but it is all about that outside perspective.

The romance in this one is closed door, so it is there but does not really get all that steamy. I loved the grand gesture near the end, and how much they were trying to figure things out so they could stay together. I want to say the initial marriage the MC was in felt robotic and not quite right, but the author certainly makes up for that later on.

Overall, this was a good book to get me out of my slump. It is not the best book I have ever read (I rarely feel that way), but I was left turning page after page and enjoying the story at hand. I got a couple laughs in too, and the ending turned out so happy!

CW: misogyny, manipulation, unhealthy relationships, infidelity

[elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book disappointed me immensely. i was expecting a funny feminist romcom but was instead given a slow, predictable, SEXIST book with racist undertones. sure, it was made awhile ago. not an excuse for that type of thing. there was a slur within the first 5 pages, japanese stereotypes, and gender stereotypes. all in a book advertised as feminist! the difference between men and women in this book was portrayed in a very black and white fashion - "men talk like this and women talk like this." not to mention, the main character was reeaaaallllly oblivious. the "plot twist" was so painfully predictable and i figured it out less than halfway through. either there were several plot holes or she was just plain stupid. there were also several unrealistic aspects. the "villain's" motives were stupid and unrealistic; what happened in this book would most likely never happen in real life to that extent.

now, there were a few saving qualities.
1. it was fun at first (except for the slur)
2. the writing wasn't terrible; it was easy to read most of the time
3. the funny, comedic-relief character (diane)
4. the romance ended up being okay

overall, i wouldn't recommend this book. it was slow as well. 2 stars.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Im giving 3 stars not because this book was bad but I think the clichés and the predictability just made the book meh. I enjoyed the storyline just a run of the mill Dr down on her luck and figuring out a way to get back to the top but of course it gets messy. But I don’t understand why it took her so long to figure out the culprit of her misery. It was a easy beach read that made me laugh so it gets 3 stars.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich bin ganz offensichtlich nicht der Typ für einen flachen Frauenroman. Das Buch liest sich zwar flüssig, aber der Inhalt ist eher an den Haaren herbeigezogen. 2,5*

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lynn Wyman is a self-help guru who has successfully used the "Wyman Method" to train men in the correct way to communicate with the women in their lives. But her whole practice falls apart when the media prints the story about her husband's affair and her credibility goes down the drain. After reading an article in Fortune magazine called "America's Toughest Bosses", Lynn decides to salvage her career by teaching CEO Brandon Brock how to talk to the women who work for him. The plan is perfect, but Brandon wants nothing to do with it...or her.

In this book, Jane Heller uses her trademark humor to mock the self-help industry. Lynn is a single-minded career woman who wants to salvage her career by landing a famous no-nonsense CEO as her client. Brandon is a chauvinist who believes women should be home taking care of the children. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially some of Lynn's teaching methods like driving her client out into the country, getting them lost, then making them ask for directions. My rating: 4 Stars.

[Kayla Mason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light, playful and fun summer read!

Dr. Lynn Wyman teaches men how to use "Womenspeak" in order to communicate better with the women in their lives. But when her practice falls apart and she loses credibility because of her husband's affair, she has to do something to get her career back on track. That involves teaching one of America's Toughest Bosses the art of Womenspeak.

While this book didn't seem very in touch with reality on the male/female communication grounds, it did touch on the stereotypical communication tendencies in men and the way Heller addressed these made me laugh.

This was my first book by Jane Heller, and while I didn't find this book very realistic, I still enjoyed it and would recommend it for a light read.

View Full Review and others at www.lifeloveliteratureclub.wordpress.com

[Ruth Soz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gift from Abby many moons ago! The premise sounds like it could be pure chick-lit fluff and unrealistic, but it actually was a lot of fun and deeper than I was expecting it to be. I haven't read anything by her since, but she's one of those authors who is on my to-read list.

[Stephanie]

Maybe it's just me... I didn't find this book amusing in the least. I didn't feel any compassion for the main character, I didn't identify with any of her problems, and I didn't get past page 66. I have liked other books I've read by Jane Heller but this one just wasn't for me.

[R · Rating 4 out of 5]

**MEDIUM SPOILERS**
This book is a standalone.

As a child, Lynn saw her mother try to tell her father things and he would show a lack of interest. They later got divorced. She absorbed this lesson as it being her father’s fault and that he needed better communication skills.

At the beginning of the book, Lynn has translated this understanding into the Wyman Method. She teaches men to communicate with sensitive phrases and to practice saying them with the right tone. She is sure of herself in her outlook about this approach and has closed herself off from other aspects of marital communication or issues. She ignores females with communication issues, other problems marriages can have, etc. While she has good points, she misses the forest for the trees.

Her husband, Kip, expresses himself perfectly within the Wyman Method but cheats on her and lies about it. Their story ends up in the tabloids. Lynn’s audience and clientele abandon her as they see this as a failure of her method. Lynn feels that the break up of their marriage is completely on Kip’s shoulders. While I feel he carries much of the responsibility, she was oblivious to what was going on and a bit of the blame was hers as well.

Lynn decides to try to get her career back by seeing if she can get the CEO of a company to use her method. Brandon Brock is well known as being a difficult boss to work for. Lynn confronts him after he loses a tennis game and tells him he would benefit by her method. Her approach seemed ham handed and a bit superior and Brandon declines her offer. Shortly thereafter, he is told by his company to make a change to the way he speaks to people, and he does decide to work with Lynn.

Lynn and Brandon get along well and begin sharing during his sessions. They become close. When their sessions are complete, the story takes a change for the better. Lynn has an eye opening talk with her receptionist/assistant and realizes some of the mistakes she has been making. Her assistant tells her to go through her own program and it helps her realize that she needed to be better at communication as well. Brandon tells her that she should speak to her father. She does and she realizes that she was wrong about the relationship between her parents.

Lynn becomes a more likeable person in the later part of the book.

Lynn has a group of supportive and slightly stereotypical friends. Lynn goes through some growth because of them. Later, they are involved in a twist to the story.

The book is told solely from Lynn’s point of view.

This is minor: technology is a little dated. Lynn learns about her husband’s affair because she picks up an extension on her home phone and hears her husband talking to his girlfriend. Lynn uses a map rather than GPS, etc.

The book started as a lower rating, in my opinion, (Lynn was too smug) and then ended with a higher rating because of the second half of the book. I probably will not continue to read books by the author.

[Vanessa Vasquez · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the surface, I enjoyed the plot and characters that Heller created. It was encouraging to see how Lynn turned her life around after so beat downs and I was especially happy for her ending with Brandon, but there were so many plot points that left me disappointed with Lynn as a woman.

I really admired Lynn at first due to her strong stance on teaching men how to be better communicators by learning to speak more similarly to women, but as the book went on, she didn’t seem to be as much of a girl’s girl as I thought. It was definitely interesting to see her find out that one of her closest friends was the reason for her demise, but at the same time, it was disheartening to see how little she thought of her friends in the moment. She completely sided with Brandon and frankly put her friendship with others beneath him. Brandon’s growth as a character was my favorite part of this read, but I had to really look past the flaws to be able to enjoy this story.

[Sara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blech, I'm sorry, but no. This book was awful. I just got done rating a Sophie Kinsella book, which, while not necessarily my cup of tea, I can appreciate. This? Not so much. First of all, it was published in 2002, apparently, but it reads like something out of the 80's....and not in a good way. The language used by the main character (A LINGUIST) is ridiculously stilted and unnatural (on more than one occasion, she refers to another female as a....popsy? I can't even remember, it was so bad.) The "romance" is the standard fare; the whole thing makes men AND women look moronic. And the twist? Please. Spare me. The only saving grace that I can maybe come up with is perhaps the whole thing is meant ironically as some kind of satire. I don't say this often, but you're gonna want to skip this one.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I don't buy into the women want a sensitive man. A man is a man. He doesn't have to bed rude or vulgar to make him a man, but if a man told me last night's desert went straight to his hips I would wonder if he really wanted to be with me? My boyfriend was very in touch with his feminine side and would bring me a Payday candy bar when he went to 7-11 because he knew I liked them. Or cover me with a blanket when I fell asleep on the couch. He was considerate. He wore black t-shirts and blue jeans and drove a big pick-up truck. I don't think it has anything to do with being sensitive, I think it is about being polite and considerate and respectful. It said this book was copyrighted in 2001. I think it is written like something from the 50's when some men had no respect for woman.

[Page Passion · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Rom-Com with a little mystery!

Female Intelligence had a lot of predictability to it, but I was quite surprised how some of the events in the story played out. This my first novel by Jane Heller, while she can do a lot of telling not showing, I was still entertained by the protagonist Lynn Wynman and this crazy moment in her life where things take a turn for the worst.

I've read a lot of contemporary romances/women's fiction and they all have nearly the same jobs. I loved that Lynn specialized in linguistics and wanted to help men communicate with women better. This novel is from the early 2000s and it's timely in the way that women are still fighting to be heard and treated equally to men.

This story was very witty and will appeal to fans of rom-coms.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn’t think I’d find a book I hated more than The Kiss Quotient, but here we are. This book was overflowing with archaic (and gross) gender stereotypes. It was demeaning and an insult to humankind. I find it hard to believe the Wyman Method would have had any success let alone enough to warrant tabloid scandals, possible talk show deals, or a house that big. Not to mention, the protagonist is a terrible, self centered, and shallow person. From the beginning she consistently insults everyone she interacts with to the audience. Who says or thinks those kind of things about their friends?? It was uncomfortable how unapologetically bad of a friend she was. And just when I thought she couldn’t get any worse, the author had to make her racist too.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fiction. The main character, Lynn, is a linguist who specializes in teaching men to communicate more effectively with women. She thinks she has the perfect life – a circle of great friends, a successful career, and a strong marriage. Then she learns that her husband is having an affair and this information is leaked to the press which brings her consulting business to a halt. Her strategy to resurrect her life & career form the basis for the rest of the book. This novel was a disappointment; I thought it was extremely predictable and not funny. Not recommended.

[Arlene Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never read this author before While the book started out okay, it got worse and worse until there were a couple of things toward the end that made no sense at all. I don't want to give any spoilers, but it was very disappointing to read these two pillars to the plot that actually created the ending -- and made absolutely no sense at all.

[Sandy Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Womenspeak

I liked this book. I really did. But I didn't find it very realistic. The way Lynn has Brock speaking, and him willing to do it just wouldn't happen in real life. It's a fun, light read though.

[Michelle (Bookaholic Banter) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but sometimes cheesy. It was definitely not a "wickedly funny novel" nor "dead-on hilarious" as written on the cover.
It had a couple funny moments but not dead hilarious. It wasn't bad, but not great. It was an ok read.

[Suzanne Paschke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of Heller's strongest offerings by any means, but still an okay read. I didn't like the sessions between Lynn and Brandon at all and found them almost cloying at times, but I did like the slight twist with working out who the manipulative person was.

[Peggy Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous without being slapstick. Witty and unpredictable. I liked the two main characters and the side characters were well rounded out. Very, very enjoyable.

[Elle Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a no from me.

[Jenna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too wordy & dull.
Didn't like the lead characters.

[Sarah Kirkpatrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would but I would try this author again.

[Josie]

I wasn't engaged by the writing style and the sheer stereotyping that is pretty much what the author has used to carry this novel. DNF.