Monkey Love

by Brenda Scott Royce

Holly Heckerling is a single New Yorker whose stand-up comedy career doesn’t quite pay the rent. To make extra money she’ll do … well, just about anything, from preparing tax returns to removing a cast for a desperate dancer. Holly’s misadventures leave little time for love, but she finds herself drawn to two vastly different a mysterious writer who leaves his impassioned prose in Holly’s pantry, and a single dad who is the personification of normal … or is he? Contributing to the craziness are Holly’s eccentric aunts and her cousin Gerry, whose obsession with famous people’s footwear lands Holly in hot water. Holly’s life is already spiraling out of control when Tallulah, a monkey with a penchant for pickpocketing, lands on her doorstep. Can she manage the meddlesome monkey while also balancing career and romantic entanglements—or will she go bananas? Some things just can’t be domesticated… “Delicious as a jelly doughnut!” —Janet Evanovich “Attitude and eccentric characters abound in this rollicking novel.” —Publishers Weekly "With clever writing and an incredible sense of pace, Royce sets her novel apart from the multitude of chick lit books available on the shelves ... Witty, engaging and thoroughly entertaining, Royce's novel satisfies from the first page to the last." — BookLoons Monkey Love is heavy on slapstick comedy and mistaken identity, and continues its breathless and very funny pace right to the happy ending." —Fiction Nation, XM Satellite Radio "The cute story of single New Yorker Holly Heckerling, struggling to get by with little money and dramatic friends. A little more interesting than the usual pink-cover heroine, Holly is a typist, a carpenter and one half of a comedy duo. Throw in a pickpocketing monkey and, as you might expect, chaos ensues." —OK! Magazine (5 stars)

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Humor, Romance, Animals, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary

326 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 7, 2006

About the author

Brenda Scott Royce’s books, like her life, mix monkeys and mayhem. Her novels MONKEY LOVE (2006) and MONKEY STAR (2007) chronicle the misadventures of Holly Heckerling, a stand-up comedienne who befriends a monkey while juggling career and romantic entanglements. A former chimpanzee caregiver, Brenda is editor of the Los Angeles Zoo's award-winning magazine, ZOO VIEW. She has contributed to the Huffington Post and penned several episodes of the Disney Junior series, CHUGGINGTON. Brenda's children's books include two titles in the ASPCA's Pet Rescue Club series (CHAMPION'S NEW SHOES and BAILEY THE WONDER DOG) and nonfiction animal books for the Smithsonian Institution, Discovery, Animal Planet, and NatGeo Kids.

Reviews

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

a few weeks ago when my head was throbbing from the onset of a new york city heatwave, i suddenly craved something light, fluffy, and a bit girly; the tiramisu just wasn't enough. sure, i've had my fair share of romantic comedies in film (ie currently friday nights after the kid is in bed and hubby still at work), but it's altogether a different thing to read them. it just wasn't my thing. so when i went to my books, i'm not sure why i was surprised and even a tad saddened in realising i didn't have a single contemporary chicklit.

luckily www.barnesandnoble.com was having a clearance. and really, this was just what my bookshelves lacked (ugh, i just typed nookshelves twice - damn you, bn!), espeeeecially having just finished this. the quick-paced, modern, and unequivocally humorous tone was the on-the-other-side-of-the-spectrum book my silly and mooshy self needed. set in the city i know so well, this had giggly women, squabbly women, all sorts of animals from of course a monkey to a boa constrictor to a kitty to a bunny (and more!), lattes & frappuccinos, used celebrity socks, hairy meatballs, and let's not forget romantic intricacies. i didn't even feel guilty reading this on the subway, snickering most of the time.

[Corinna Bechko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think "laugh out loud funny" is just a phrase? This book will prove you wrong. Everything about Holly and her tribulations rings true, despite the zaniness of the plot. Monkeys, snakes, a chaotic love life, socks, socks, socks! This book has it all, yet it never feels sulky, rushed, or snarky like so many modern romantic comedies. Instead it harkens back to the best of the screwball films, like The Lady Eve and Bringing Up Baby. By the end I was rooting for Holly just as I would for a good friend. And when the emotional heart of the story was laid bare at last it was an entirely satisfying surprise. I can't wait to read more from Brenda Scott Royce!

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Similar in tone to Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, but without the sex and crime-solving/mystery angle, this book was fun to read. It made me grin, chuckle, and laught out loud at parts. The main character (and narrator), Holly Heckerling, is klutzy, neurotic, a force of nature--and completely likable. The characters that surround her are funny and flesh out the storyline effectively.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly hilarious! This is a winter vacation sort of book--something you read when you don't have school and it's cold outside and you can spend all day loafing around and laughing.

[Sammiey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tend to read light-hearted/funny novels right after a dark thriller to lighten my mood a bit before moving on to the next book... never go into that expexting a literary masterpiece, just some light entertainment. I was quickly drawn into Monkey Love though and couldn't put it down!

This book I found hilarious and entertaining and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel. It was silly, sweet, funny, and touching. The illustrative writing takes you along with the characters through all the chaotic fun.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm kinda glad I read the second book first because this was not great. It was entertaining and even sometimes funny, but Holly is just such a push over in her own life. She let a lot of her "friends and family" make jokes at her expense and did very little about it. Near the end again is when the book actually became enjoyable. If Brenda Scott Royce could just write more about that Holly the book would be more enjoyable.

[Amber Meade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, funny, easy read. My husband picked it out for me at a used book store. After reading a lot of murder mystery/ thrillers, this was a nice change of pace for before bed reading. One complaint I have is that I never was able to picture the characters. Not much description of character's appearance, but oh well. Still a cute book.

[HLJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a light and fun read!

[Colleen Isele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great writer. A couple of twists that didn't guess.

[Kristin Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was too chaotic. Everything that happened to the main character is because she was a pushover.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious story! This book was so well-written and I can't wait to read Monkey Star!

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holly Heckerling is a Jane-of-all trades: she cuts hair, watches other people’s pets, does some typing and a bit of construction, and has a part-time job as a stand-up comedian. It takes all of these jobs to make it in New York City. Add to this a madcap assortment of friends, family, and acquaintances, and Holly’s life is almost too full for a relationship—almost.

Holly meets a man in Starbucks who has potential, but he’s going through a messy divorce and custody battle—is that something she really wants to deal with? She’s recently added her cousin’s girlfriend’s boa constrictor to her pet menagerie, and now she’s been asked to pet-sit a helper monkey. And what about the mysterious man she’s been doing typing for? His book manuscript appears to be based on a true story, and that tale is tugging at Holly’s heart. Throw a passel of odd relatives into the mix, and Holly doesn’t know which way to turn.

Monkey Love is delightful chick lit full of quirky and unusual characters (both human and otherwise) and is sure to please readers bored by stock formulaic single-girl novels. There are definite laugh-out-loud moments and situations so strange they just seem to fit (Holly’s cousin’s celebrity sock collection for one). The story is fast-paced and difficult to put down; I definitely wanted to keep reading about these people to see what on earth would happen.

The only thing that got on my nerves is that Holly tends to be too much of a pushover with others. Instead of standing up for herself, she lets others railroad their own agendas through without much of a protest. When faced with the dilemma of caring for the boa constrictor when she absolutely detests snakes, she lets herself be forced into it time and time again. I would have liked to see her develop a little more backbone. Overall, Monkey Love is enjoyable and Tallulah, the monkey, is the total star of the show!

[Kristan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have seriously never laughed out loud so much while reading. And then, just when you think it's all silly fun, the emotional impact sends you reeling. There's a twist that really took me by surprise concerning a mysterious writer. Anyone who loves animals, especially monkeys, will enjoy the pet-sitting adventures. Other readers will just enjoy the sweet, screwball romantic comedy.

[Chrissy Wissler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as funny as the second book, this one was still extremely enjoyable. Holly gets into so many embarrassing situations, so out of control and unreal, the entire cast of characters simply adds to the craziness. If you want a good laugh with a slight mixture of romance, I suggest tracking this one down. For even more laughs though, pick up Royce's "Monkey Star."

[Terri London Mabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was about 1/4 into this book, I almost decided to speed read it (and I did skip a whole chapter) because I just didn't feel engaged with the heroine's life. But then the monkey arrived, and that drew me back in. Then the rest of the book was great! I really enjoyed it, and might track down the 2nd one. (I think both are out of print.)

[Blair Conrad · Rating 2 out of 5]

A few chuckles, but ultimately disappointing. The characters were all caricatures - usually there's at least one normal person in these kinds of books. And there was no flow - the whole thing seemed to be just a succession of unrelated skits, barely tied together by the fact that they happened to the same person.
It was a quick read, though.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was as light and fluffy to read as cotton candy. I finally get the term chick-lit. The humor was clever and the characters were interesting. The best part of the book was the mysterious Writer and he provided the best ploy twist of the whole book.

Good for a laugh and great for a rainy weekend, this lighthearted book is sure to please!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book and a fast read. It didn't make me laugh out loud, but it was amusing. There's not really an exciting or strong plot, but I still found myself not able to put this down! I bought the second one at a used book sale so I am looking forward to reading that. This was a good, quick, light-hearted read.

[Kourtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. As much of the book strongly advised against owning a monkey for a pet, I have to say I really really want a monkey! My dog won't allow it but I can dream. I can't wait to read the second book!

[Starla B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The main character annoyed me at times by really letting everyone walk all over her, but she eventually won me over. I loved all of the animals, and the wacky situations that seemed to occur every five minutes. I am excited to see what will happen in the next book.

[Rebekkila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not read a silly chick lit book in a long time. Maybe it is a 3 star book, but I haven't read something like this in months. I wish there was a spin-off with some of the characters in this book. It was a nice light read.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

obviously I bought this book for its cover. it was entertaining and a fast read but a bit shallow and predictable.

[Megan Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy, fun book

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very funny book about a pet sitter, hairdresser, carpenter nd transcriptionist that cannot stay out of trouble.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. It took me some time to get to know the characters, but once I did I really enjoyed the book.

[Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was really easy to read and a fun book. I liked the main characters crazy life and the twists in the plot.

[Chipmonkey79 Shampton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't get very far into this book. It felt like I was reading a sub-par Tina Fey movie, and there is just too much really good stuff out there I would rather read.

[Dawn]

silly, but cute.. liked it

[Jessica Mallow · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! [breath:] ha ha ha ha ha ha hee heeeee heee ha ha {inhale} {gasp} hahahahahaha...

Nothing 'learned' but a great guffaw body cleanse...... I'm still smiling........