Although Dr. Angelina Martin, the heroine of this story, is a certified genius, I think author Candace Vianna may be the real genius. How else do you explain the ability to make a female PhD biology wizard with the ability to rebuild classic cars and an alpha rebel architect with as many muscles as brains relatable to little ole me?
The geek love theme drew me in, then the brilliant, insightful internal reflections and delicious dirty-talk kept me there. Terrific, irreverent characters and lightning-quick banter were highlights, too. Plus, who would have thought I would like an introverted cry-baby and a bossy bad-a** with tattoos quite so much?
Told in dual POVs, the reader gets the luxury of seeing some scenes from both Angie's and Mat's perspectives, which I LOVED! Vianna had a knack for switching POV at just the right time. It made the story just that much more satisfying.
Angie is the resident genius, mapping genetic codes for fruit flies and trying to get laid on the side. Apparently this is pretty tough for someone with an off-the-charts IQ, but I would think the muscle car would help. She is shy and dislikes crowds and has amazingly poor self-esteem for someone so smart. But then again, a critical mother who is monumentally precise with well-aimed digs at a daughter's insecurities could easily shred her sense of self-worth over time. Like I said - relatable. "Mommie Dearest" becomes the person you love to hate, and hero Mat leads the charge. Quite a bit of this book is consumed with Angie's horrid relationship with her mother and her nurturing connection to her father. Due to the James family corralling around Angie, the story never sinks to maudlin. The prolific snarky commentary helps keep the tone light, too.
Mat James, of the bald head and beefy build, is the prototypical alpha, even down to the insta-love he has for his new-found geeky sweetheart. You know in the first moments that he opens his mouth that his brains match the brawn. I knew I loved Mat only 10% of the way into the book when he said:
"I'd rather stick a fork in my brain then [sic] be forced to design these pricey cookie cutter developments."
I have to admit that Mat is quite unlike any architect I've ever met, but they do tend to have a bit of edge and universally appreciate art. It was totally believable (and endearing) that he would allow his sister to use his skin as her practice canvas for her tattoos. He is unutterably handsome, and it does Angie's self-esteem no favors that women endlessly hit on him, even when she is sitting there. Fortunately, Mat is the master of put-downs. This is one of those over-the-top elements that verged on ridiculous, but being the mother of a muscly and younger-than-he-looks teenage son, I actually have witnessed the cougar comments in action. Like I said, relatable.
Even the physical side of Angie's and Mat's relationship was filled with humor. Angie is shy and Mat is domineering, so the exploration of a little bondage was not unexpected. Angie's internal reflection of comparing her situation to "an unwelcome image of a frog ready for dissection" had me roaring with laughter. It was like reading A Geek's Guide to BDSM. Hilarious. Or at least it was hilarious when you weren't fanning yourself. These two are as verbal with their bedroom talk as they are the rest of the time. Regrettably, there is one scene where I wish they had also been a little more discreet.
Anytime a new character is introduced, there is great observational commentary that brings he or she to technicolor life.
"Thank God for Leslie....She'd whisper snarky observations on everything from wardrobe choice to sexual orientation. It was like a bizarre stream of consciousness, unpredictable, funny and occasionally uncomfortable."
This book is filled with larger-than-life characters. Angie's co-workers are adorably inept yet sharply observant. We all can feel good about loving to hate the plastic Scream Queens that constantly hit on our hero. Mat's family is singularly unique. The parents remind me a little of Sandra Bullock's character's parents in Two Weeks Notice: slightly Bohemian, wonderfully kind and ferociously smart. Luckily, they adopt Angie and help fortify her emerging confidence. Mat's sister Danny is the matchmaker and does everything she can to put Angie and Mat together. The dress-up scene before the faculty/work luncheon is priceless.
"I'm gonna get you in touch with your inner skank. I mean goddess. No, I was right the first time."
As if the characters aren't enough, Ms. Vianna manages to squeeze in a little suspense near the end of the book.
Finally, I really should be dropping this a star for the unrelenting grammar and punctuation mistakes (Kindle Unlimited version downloaded on 9/23/15), but I won't. I liked it that much. I loved this author's voice and hope to see more of it. Comedy and characters trump copy editing!