The Husband Hunt

The Bachelor #1

by Kiki Abbott

Seattle food critic Jaxie Hart is dumped by her quarterback boyfriend and hoping to show him her adventurous side, she goes on the famous reality show The Husband Hunt. When she finds out that the Bachelor is someone forbidden, Jaxie must consider taking herself out of the competition even though for the first time in her life she's actually falling in love.

Genres: Romance, Short Stories, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Novella

46 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 28, 2013

Reviews

[Njkinny (Njkinny's Blog)]

Jaxie is a food critic with her own show on TV while her boyfriend, Brent is the famous NFL quarterback. The favorite couple for the press, Jaxie is sure that she has found her true love in Brent. But apparently that is not the case with Brent who dumps Jaxie with reasons like she is not adventurous enough and that they are not suited. Determined to show him her adventurous side, Jaxie applies and gets selected for a reality show called "The Husband Hunt". Ready with a plan, Jaxie is set to show Brent and all the world her true impulsive and adventurous side. What she doesnt plan, is falling in love.

What will Jaxie do now?
Can she decide if she loves Brent and wants him back or is her new love her true love?

I just loved this short story by Kiki Abbott. My first book by her, I have fallen in love with her style of writing and recommend her to everyone. She writes under two names, Kiki Abbott for her short novellas/stories and Kim Hornsby for romantic suspense novels.

The plot is expertly conceived and carried out. I was sucked into the story right from the start and kept hooked till the very end. Thoroughly entertained, I just loved Jaxie. She is meticulous, a planner and a woman who craves a family with kids and a house with a white picket fence. Being a talented chef and a looker are a bonus! :)
Crane is classically handsome with a hint of mystery about him that instantly pulled me towards him. I loved the scenes between these two and they had me reliving the days when I too fell in love for the first time! :)

A beautifully written story with great characters, I give it a 4.5 out of 5 and strongly recommend that you go read the books by this author who writes under two names. Th next book, The Husband Hunt - Kat's Season is now in my TBR and I look forward to reading more from the author. :)

This review is also available on my blog Njkinny's World of Books

[Jheanna]

I loved it!!! I finished reading the book in almost 2 hours.. I sooo loved it!! Cute story and very nice pacing..

Can't wait to read the 2nd installment.. I really want to give this book a 5 star rating but I gave this a 4 star because I felt that this book is too short and I was left hanging hehehe..

I was hoping that book 2 will be released Asap..Can't wait to know more about Foxy and Grain hahahah..

[Savannah]

Loved this! A fun little tale where the main character, a local TV food critic, is dumped by her NFL stud boyfriend, because she's not adventurous enough. She's very aware that she may not be the spontaneous babe he was hoping for, but she decides to get back at him by making a demo tape for an audition to a reality Bachelor show, called, The Husband Hunt, that her friend pulled some strings to help her get noticed. And she’s on a mission to prove him wrong!

Jaxie is quickly shocked upon arriving to the mansion, when she learns that the Bachelor her and twenty other girls are competing for, is her ex-NFL star boyfriends greatest rivalry, the ex she is trying so hard to prove wrong!
I think this story is more of a learning experience for Jaxie, she grows up very much so the next couple weeks on the show when she realizes how childish it was for her to get herself into this mess, and to also learn that she could be herself and find love in the right place, and for the right reasons. Someone very unexpected captures Jaxies heart, and she’s willing to leave the show to make things right.

A very whimsical story, and I enjoyed every little bit of it. Laughed and Swooned all over the place reading this LOL.. Perfect for a weekend, short read!

[Liza]

7/19/23:
Apparently I read this nine years ago and didn't remember any of it. Still a cute, fluffy read. Managed it on my hour lunch break, which is good, because I realized that part of the reason I stopped reading is because I hate putting the book down, which inevitably leads to staying up until 2am and being exhausted the next day - which was okay when I was a SAHM but isn't working out so hot working 9-5. So, I've given myself permission to read fluff in bits and pieces on my lunch break and force myself to sleep at reasonable times. This was a good start. (There are still typos, and having read it previously explains why it was already highlighted in my Kindle...)

2/1/14:
Cute story, quick read. I have the second novel in the series but admit that I'm not as interested in Liam's story as I was Jaxie and Crane's. I probably could have lived with it being a stand-alone short story. Author admits to typos; wasn't too distracting.

[T.R. Horne]

I sped through this story at 100 miles per hour. I couldn't get enough of Jax and Crane! They had a great friendship first with lots of trust, playful banter and a few misunderstandings but at the core, it was a beautiful union for them. Jax coming out of a high profile relationship with her pride torn to shreds gets on a dating show that reveals more about herself than she thought. Crane is a sturdy, believable character that makes any woman with kids swoon over his love for his daughters. I loved the ending and how Abbott tied in the beginning with the end using Crane. I really enjoyed the simple, easy flow of the book and finished it in two and a half hours without leaving my bed. I left the story feeling satisfied and full of love bugs! Great read for the not-so-sappy romance lovers.
- T.R. Horne, author of Breaking Möbius and Crazy Dirty Love

[Melissa]

What a fun read! With the hit of the show, The Bachelor, Ms. Abbott has pulled readers into the story. Jaxie is looking for love and wants to be the woman that her boyfriend wanted her to be. But when he dumps her, she decides to show him by joining the show "The Husband Hunt". The story is a quick read with lots of flirting and fun. I loved Crane and Jaxie. They certainly deserve their own happily ever after.

[Char (1RadReader59)]

What a very cute idea. As a way to show her NFL ex. That she is not boring she sends in a demo tape for a game show. You guessed it looking for a husband & maybe even love. She does find it but not where you think. So, how it all gets turned around & who & why is sweet. Cute book.

[Poonam]

Wow,I loved this short cute sweet story!! It is very refreshing and I read it within an hour.Was a bit disappointed to see the short ending.Would have love to read their wedding and their own babies -- a more detailed happy ending. Anyway I enjoyed reading it.:)

[Morgan]

Editing and formatting errors that took me out of the story knocked stars off this one. Otherwise, a cute shorty.

[Andrea Dillon]

Cute

[Yasmin Vasquez]

Short but sweet

it was a very short read but a good one. It was definitely fantasy based and very sweet. Would recommend with 3 out of 5 stars

[Anne]

giving it three because i like crane! hihi

[Pea Easter-Butcher]

Worthy

this book is written to keep your attention and by it being short it doesn't bore you. best part is it has a message be honest and follow your heart.

[Lindsay]

This was a well done novella. It was well written and romantic! I would recommend others to check it out. I look forward to checking out more books from this author.

[Amaranthine]

Shallow in both character development and storyline. Juvenile writing style. No connection between any of the characters, let alone the H/h.

[Karen]

just about right...story great but short...not quite a book so i didn't star as high.

[Ashley Gregorio]

Very short but well written.

[Sharon]

Cute, lighthearted, quick read. Book based on The Bachelor TV series.

[Stephanie W]

I liked the premise of the book. None of the characters really seemed developed very well. We didn’t really get to know anything past the surface.

[Sally Hannoush]

A quick read to fix your craving for a cute romance. I liked it. It makes you want to know more about the characters and their lives next. Recipes included.

[Kelli Santistevan]

This was a cute story. I’m looking forward to reading the second book.

[Barbara Allen]

jaxie

even through this is a short story. you can feel the love grow between the main two characters. if you like short stories than you need to read this one.

[Tiffany]

Cute and sweet.

[Jessie Bee]

light read

This story is such a light hearted and funny read. Jaxie seems to be instantly to Crane. Good laugh out loud.

[Kristina Smith]

There is a reason I am not a fan of reality shows. Talk about "dumbing down" the viewing public. So, why (oh why) did I download this very (very) quick read in December 2013? I am guessing it was late at night and I was bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. I am not saying that it wasn't an ... enjoyable ... read - just not my normal cup of tea.

The heroine, Kat, starts off the book being rejected on the reality show, The Husband Hunt. She makes it to the final round - it's down to her and one other contestant - when she is rejected and the other bachelorette is chosen. But before the show's finale is even aired, Kat is approached to be the next season's "bachelorette" and she decides to go for it. What does she have to lose? She will be in the driver's seat this time. What follows is a whirlwind ... adventure ... where Kat dates her way through 25 men before settling on the final two. Does she meet the man of her dreams? Will she live happily ever after with a man that she meets under the constant filming of the television cameras and crew? I guess one just needs to "tune in" to find out.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of reality shows, particularly the one that airs (here in the US) on Monday nights on ABC.

[Victoria]

While I enjoyed the premise of the story, it fell into the same trap that so many novellas / short stories do, particularly of the romantic variety. Pacing. Short stories are supposed to move quickly, but I felt that more time could've been spent developing the characters or building the tension rather than some of the other exposition. I did like that Abbott didn't go the traditional "guy's actually a jerk" or "she lied, he's pissed (or vice versa)" route, but some of the other plot lines seemed to get lost in the shuffle even after time was spent on them rather than other areas. It's the kind of story I'd enjoy reading if it was developed a bit more.

[Courtney Giardina]

This was a cute read. I loved Jaxie and her need to show her ex that he was wrong about her. For being a novella I was still able to get into the characters and the plot. I would've loved to see this as a full length novel just because I can picture so many paths and much more drama the author could go down! Great pool read though and I look forward to reading more from Kiki! I love lighthearted upbeat stories.

[Donna]

There was lots of good stuff and basic story line but I am not your average female. I like virtue and think sex should wait till after marriage and without the detail. Call me old fashioned, but true long lasting relationships mean more when driven by respectful restraint not by the selfish need to embrace our primal desires in hopes of love.

[Rachel Kuhn]

Cute story concept but some shoddy editing and moved a little too fast. (One minute she leaves the show and the next they are in love and she's moving? Really?) But it was a good 45 min read in the car on a road trip.

[J. Kahele]

This was a very upbeat read. I absolutely adored Jaxie character, her need to show her ex that she better, that what he thought, made for a very cute and at times humorous read. This was one of those reads, your favorite kind, where you laid on the couch, relaxed and enjoyed.