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Misbehaving
When Alex Gray finds her boyfriend in bed with her gym instructor, she turns to her best friends, Emma and Serena, for advice. They challenge her to a competition to seduce as many men as they can within two months. But Alex can't seem to find anyone worth her while. That is until she meets Jake.
374 pages
First published February 1, 1999
4 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Harvey
26 books16 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Sarah Harvey, geboren 1969, lebte viele Jahre in einem alten Herrensitz in Cornwall. Vor Kurzem ist sie wieder zurück in ihre Heimat Northhampton gezogen, wo sie heute gemeinsam mit ihren Hunden in einem Cottage wohnt. Mit ihren atmosphärischen Romanen, die häufig den Schauplatz Cornwall haben, feiert sie seit vielen Jahren große internationale Erfolge.
She publishes also as Sarah Monk
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Sarah Harvey, geboren 1969, lebte viele Jahre in einem alten Herrensitz in Cornwall. Vor Kurzem ist sie wieder zurück in ihre Heimat Northhampton gezogen, wo sie heute gemeinsam mit ihren Hunden in einem Cottage wohnt. Mit ihren atmosphärischen Romanen, die häufig den Schauplatz Cornwall haben, feiert sie seit vielen Jahren große internationale Erfolge.
She publishes also as Sarah Monk
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 6, 2012
I read this book about 12 years ago; I got it free from a magazine and remember loving it. My copy got lost somewhere over the years of university, house moves, marriage, etc… I forgot the title but never forgot this book. I finally found it again thanks to the brilliant Smart Bitches, Trashy Books site and their HaBO (Help a Bitch Out) feature and a wonderful commenter who knew the book I described! (My HaBO. N.B. Spoilers!)
When this finally arrived I was so excited about getting to read it again. What I found is that this book is every bit as fund as I remembered it being, as well as sweet and moving… but, boy, does this feel dated! Can you say ‘90s’!!
The central story holds up well, just the details do make you cringe a bit; it brought back some memories of my early adulthood exploits that’s for sure!
The heroine’s journey is both fun and emotional, the author really engages you every step of the way. The characters feel real and believable, and I think any woman would be able to relate to them. The little bit of romance added in is just the cherry on top of a really nice cake. This is classic chick-lit.
A fun, warm, and engaging read – I’ll try not to lose my copy again!
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
When this finally arrived I was so excited about getting to read it again. What I found is that this book is every bit as fund as I remembered it being, as well as sweet and moving… but, boy, does this feel dated! Can you say ‘90s’!!
The central story holds up well, just the details do make you cringe a bit; it brought back some memories of my early adulthood exploits that’s for sure!
The heroine’s journey is both fun and emotional, the author really engages you every step of the way. The characters feel real and believable, and I think any woman would be able to relate to them. The little bit of romance added in is just the cherry on top of a really nice cake. This is classic chick-lit.
A fun, warm, and engaging read – I’ll try not to lose my copy again!
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
May 19, 2024
I'll start by saying chick lit is not my normal genre, but this is a really lovely book that explores friendship, break ups and discovering who you are.
I loved the journey of the characters who are really relatable, and the friendship between them 😁
I started this book properly at 7am and finished it at 2pm so it might not be my genre but it clearly kept my interest long enough to do a straight read through!!
I loved the journey of the characters who are really relatable, and the friendship between them 😁
I started this book properly at 7am and finished it at 2pm so it might not be my genre but it clearly kept my interest long enough to do a straight read through!!
July 30, 2008
This is one, if not my only, favourite chick-lit/romance novel. I love a bit of romance, but chick-lit and "girls on the town" books are not usually my thing. I more often than not prefer a bit of tense backstory with romance thrown in.
Misbehaving starts with travel writer Alex coming back from a trip to find her male-chauvinist-pig of a boyfriend in bed with her disgustingly fit and althetic gym instructor. Suddenly, Alex's life as she knew it has shattered. We then follow Alex through her life after the break-up as her friends try to engage her in a game of who can sleep with the most men in a certain time-frame. Alex's heart just isn't in the game and whilst her friends notch up score after score, Alex feels she just isn't cut out for promiscuity. That is, until a passionate night with a sexy stranger called Jake. But after him, no one else is good enough, surely? We then follow Alex as she finds out that night might catch up with her, in a way she never expected!
I love this book, even though I probably shouldn't. I can half relate to Alex and yet I'm very different from her. It is laugh-out-loud funny, with unmissable quotes from Alex, her friends and her typically boyish brother, and yet it is extremely real and relevant to a lot of women these days. There are characters which everyone has met or knows in their lives. This book warms my heart, and to be honest, I wouldn't mind a night with Jake myself!
Misbehaving starts with travel writer Alex coming back from a trip to find her male-chauvinist-pig of a boyfriend in bed with her disgustingly fit and althetic gym instructor. Suddenly, Alex's life as she knew it has shattered. We then follow Alex through her life after the break-up as her friends try to engage her in a game of who can sleep with the most men in a certain time-frame. Alex's heart just isn't in the game and whilst her friends notch up score after score, Alex feels she just isn't cut out for promiscuity. That is, until a passionate night with a sexy stranger called Jake. But after him, no one else is good enough, surely? We then follow Alex as she finds out that night might catch up with her, in a way she never expected!
I love this book, even though I probably shouldn't. I can half relate to Alex and yet I'm very different from her. It is laugh-out-loud funny, with unmissable quotes from Alex, her friends and her typically boyish brother, and yet it is extremely real and relevant to a lot of women these days. There are characters which everyone has met or knows in their lives. This book warms my heart, and to be honest, I wouldn't mind a night with Jake myself!
June 25, 2018
J'adore ce livre et l'ai relu plusieurs fois. Des situations souvent très drôles et un héros viril à croquer...
September 14, 2025
Great rom com. Funny, and light hearted
February 11, 2016
If I could describe this novel in one word it would be ‘garish’. It was written like a parody of a modern romance. A caricature. Some unnecessary elements were exaggerated and over-bright and yet important elements – like, I don't know, the plot - were unfocused and badly paced.
The writing style read like a stand-up comedy gig. Slapstick events upon puns upon pithy comments. Sometimes this worked and was genuinely funny, but for the most part it was tiring. ‘Humour’ for the sake of being a rom-com.
I liked that the novel started with a few bad dates and culminated in meeting Jake, a welcome relief and break from the drama of the 90’s dating scene. These early events went on for far too long and were just a repeated cycle of drinking, flirting and a disaster. It worked once, particularly the Mickey mouse sock and luminescent condom incident. That was funny, but three failed dates? All the same set up? Too boring.
I liked Jake and I wanted to see more of him, particularly once Alex’s new boss was revealed. That would have been great drama and could have developed the romance beyond the lust. But it was forgotten. Instead we spent more time with Max and alcohol and Jake just fell into the shadows until the last chapter when he was rammed back into the storyline.
While I liked most of the characters, again, they felt very garish. Big personalities with little lasting development. Fairly flat characters, stereotypically written. Just enough to get you through the story but I didn’t really care about them.
Another pet hate was the names of the characters. Every character had a name, and then a nickname. Serena was Serena and Ren. Alex and Lex. Emma and Ems. Jeremy and Jem. Erica and Rics. It really started to bug me as well because both forms were used throughout. A small thing but hey, it’s my review and I’ll whine if I want to.
Overall I suppose that it killed a few hours but I wouldn't pick up another Sarah Harvey.
The writing style read like a stand-up comedy gig. Slapstick events upon puns upon pithy comments. Sometimes this worked and was genuinely funny, but for the most part it was tiring. ‘Humour’ for the sake of being a rom-com.
I liked that the novel started with a few bad dates and culminated in meeting Jake, a welcome relief and break from the drama of the 90’s dating scene. These early events went on for far too long and were just a repeated cycle of drinking, flirting and a disaster. It worked once, particularly the Mickey mouse sock and luminescent condom incident. That was funny, but three failed dates? All the same set up? Too boring.
I liked Jake and I wanted to see more of him, particularly once Alex’s new boss was revealed. That would have been great drama and could have developed the romance beyond the lust. But it was forgotten. Instead we spent more time with Max and alcohol and Jake just fell into the shadows until the last chapter when he was rammed back into the storyline.
While I liked most of the characters, again, they felt very garish. Big personalities with little lasting development. Fairly flat characters, stereotypically written. Just enough to get you through the story but I didn’t really care about them.
Another pet hate was the names of the characters. Every character had a name, and then a nickname. Serena was Serena and Ren. Alex and Lex. Emma and Ems. Jeremy and Jem. Erica and Rics. It really started to bug me as well because both forms were used throughout. A small thing but hey, it’s my review and I’ll whine if I want to.
Overall I suppose that it killed a few hours but I wouldn't pick up another Sarah Harvey.
December 4, 2012
It was okay.
The plot have great potential but unfortunately nit much substance. The heroine, Alex Gray, didn't do much to improve the plot.
A bit too prudish and felt she was quite unable to relax. Not a good thing that she and her besties seems to be forever intoxicated.
The story felt to me was flat. Not much chemistry between Jake n Alex.
The part about max wedding could have been very exciting . Unfortunately even with Alex tauting Ax, it was still flat.
The plot have great potential but unfortunately nit much substance. The heroine, Alex Gray, didn't do much to improve the plot.
A bit too prudish and felt she was quite unable to relax. Not a good thing that she and her besties seems to be forever intoxicated.
The story felt to me was flat. Not much chemistry between Jake n Alex.
The part about max wedding could have been very exciting . Unfortunately even with Alex tauting Ax, it was still flat.
November 15, 2015
Als ich es vor 12,5 Jahren gelesen hatte fand ich es glaube ganz schön. Heute aber nicht mehr so wirklich. Die Hauptperson Alex hat einfach ständig zu viel Alkohol getrunken und reagierte auf alles irgendwie ziemlich überdreht und naiv.
Ich hatte wirklich überlegt, das Buch nicht zu Ende zu lesen, hab es dann aber doch gemacht. Nu werde ich es aber aus meinem Regal aussortieren. Bye Bye Wachgeküsst.
Ich hatte wirklich überlegt, das Buch nicht zu Ende zu lesen, hab es dann aber doch gemacht. Nu werde ich es aber aus meinem Regal aussortieren. Bye Bye Wachgeküsst.
November 13, 2016
Love love love this book. One of the best feel good chick lits I've ever read. I've also had the privilege of speaking to Ms Harvey and since we have become friends and I've read her other works as well.
I read this book at a time where I needed a distraction. It was funny and witty and very well written and has got a special place on my bookshelf. Sometimes a book can be a turning point and this was mine.
Please find, read and enjoy!
I read this book at a time where I needed a distraction. It was funny and witty and very well written and has got a special place on my bookshelf. Sometimes a book can be a turning point and this was mine.
Please find, read and enjoy!
March 6, 2011
Die Story ist nicht neu und zum Teil sehr vorhersehbar. Kurzfassung: Frau lernt Mann kennen, schläft mit ihm und verschwindet dann. Mann wird plötzlich ihr Chef. Aber die Art, wie sie geschrieben wurde ist super - habe zum Teil auf der Couch gelegen und schallend gelacht. Ich kann das Buch also auf jeden Fall empfehlen!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2012
This was a cool chic lit read for the holiday, there were a few moments when the age of the book became apparent but for most of it it could have been written this year.
There was something nice about the fact that the central character was a bit old fashioned at heart even though she lived in a very contemporary world.
There was something nice about the fact that the central character was a bit old fashioned at heart even though she lived in a very contemporary world.
May 7, 2015
Total chic flick. Loved it. But I wish there was more of a story. The writing style of Sarah Harvey is something I love and try to inspire in to my writing. And good lord. Except for that one mention that the book was written in the 1990s I would totally have thought it was written this year in 2015..
May 30, 2015
I probably would have really enjoyed this book 20 years ago. Which is probably when I first got it; I randomly pulled it from my bookshelf this week, in need of something lightweight and requiring no thought whatsoever. And that's exactly what I got. Adequate for its genre, but not really my type of story these days.
April 18, 2008
Fun and easy read, but that's about it.
June 18, 2012
So funny!.. Great read for any chick lit fan!
June 27, 2013
Typical chick-lit stuff. Very easy reading but not much substance. Throw-away holiday material.
October 27, 2015
J'ai beaucoup aimée ce livre pas le plus drôle que j'ai lu, mais vraiment sympa. J'ai rigoler pas mal de fois. On passe un bon moment!
January 30, 2017
It was funny. Predictable but interesting.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews