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What The Lady Wants
Mitch Peabody was learning pretty fast that the life of a private detective was nothing like the movies. He'd envisioned a world of tough-talking detectives and smart-mouthed, stunning dames. Instead he saw case after case of cheating husbands, suspicious wives and unsuspecting mistresses…until she walked through the door.
Right down to her stilettos, Mae Sullivan was a knockout with a lethal body and a lethal family to go with it. There was something not quite on the up-and-up about her, but she came with a case he couldn't afford to refuse…and left him with a case of lust he hadn't had since high school. It didn't take long for him to fall for her, hook, line and sinker. But was Mae interested only in catching the double-crossing crooks who murdered her uncle…or did the lady want to catch him?
Right down to her stilettos, Mae Sullivan was a knockout with a lethal body and a lethal family to go with it. There was something not quite on the up-and-up about her, but she came with a case he couldn't afford to refuse…and left him with a case of lust he hadn't had since high school. It didn't take long for him to fall for her, hook, line and sinker. But was Mae interested only in catching the double-crossing crooks who murdered her uncle…or did the lady want to catch him?
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 15, 1995
205 people are currently reading
2361 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Crusie
80 books7,788 followersJennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 371 reviews
March 1, 2016
Many readers are familiar with Crusie’s wonderful later work, but they may have missed this perfect little gem from her days writing series romance. One of the best ever!
July 12, 2021
3 ☆
What the Lady Wants is a fast, lighthearted romp inspired by The Maltese Falcon. Mitch Peatwick has hung his P.I. shingle in order to win a year-long bet. Mitch has visions of being quick-thinking tough guy Sam Spade, but these hopes have been dashed by a long series of cases investigating cheating spouses.
So he's got Spade's cynicism down pat when Mae Sullivan strolls into his shabby office. Dressed to impress from her veiled hat down to her stiletto heels, Mae paints a story of a rich uncle who has been murdered. The police believe that her uncle had died from a heart attack brought upon his regular visits to Stormy, his much younger and ethereally beautiful mistress. Mae is a rich heiress, whose two remaining relatives, also uncles, have powerful connections, one of which is the mob.
Mitch may not have been in the PI game for long but all his instincts tell him that Mae is hiding her true agenda. With dreams of being Sam Spade still lingering, Mitch wonders whether Mae is really a duplicitous Brigid O'Shaunessy whose claim of looking for her deceased uncle's diary is nothing more than a ploy to hide her true objective. But what would that be?
While this author is not generally known for writing mysteries, I believe that fans of cozy mysteries with a comedic touch will enjoy What the Lady Wants. I had finished a couple of life-and-death nonfictions, so this was an entertaining mental perk-me-up.
What the Lady Wants is a fast, lighthearted romp inspired by The Maltese Falcon. Mitch Peatwick has hung his P.I. shingle in order to win a year-long bet. Mitch has visions of being quick-thinking tough guy Sam Spade, but these hopes have been dashed by a long series of cases investigating cheating spouses.
The first rule in life is "everybody lies."
So he's got Spade's cynicism down pat when Mae Sullivan strolls into his shabby office. Dressed to impress from her veiled hat down to her stiletto heels, Mae paints a story of a rich uncle who has been murdered. The police believe that her uncle had died from a heart attack brought upon his regular visits to Stormy, his much younger and ethereally beautiful mistress. Mae is a rich heiress, whose two remaining relatives, also uncles, have powerful connections, one of which is the mob.
Mitch's take on humanity had deteriorated to the point where he assumed someone was lying if her lips were moving.
Mitch may not have been in the PI game for long but all his instincts tell him that Mae is hiding her true agenda. With dreams of being Sam Spade still lingering, Mitch wonders whether Mae is really a duplicitous Brigid O'Shaunessy whose claim of looking for her deceased uncle's diary is nothing more than a ploy to hide her true objective. But what would that be?
While this author is not generally known for writing mysteries, I believe that fans of cozy mysteries with a comedic touch will enjoy What the Lady Wants. I had finished a couple of life-and-death nonfictions, so this was an entertaining mental perk-me-up.
April 26, 2021
This was what I needed. Something simple and light with a happy ending. I know happy endings don’t exist. But I wish they did.
November 2, 2022
Another splendid fun from Jennifer Crusie. I love her style. Sexy, fast, hilarious. I have even enjoyed a mystery - what isn't typical for me. And Mitch's, a man who needed to lay pipeline and open the West, speeches were ridiculously brilliant -> I laughed out loud.
It was almost half shorter than her longest novels, so there wasn't much place for deeper development of characters or story, but I have not even one complaint about this little gem of the genre.
This is just biology. Men need multiple breasts in their lives. Women need to make a commitment to one penis
It was almost half shorter than her longest novels, so there wasn't much place for deeper development of characters or story, but I have not even one complaint about this little gem of the genre.
September 17, 2017
It wasn't bad, but the story just never grabbed me. I was honestly bored through most of it. I've read other, better stories by Crusie, this one just wasn't for me.
March 31, 2014
Like other "middle" Crusie's (mid 90s), this one is seriously flawed, even though I enjoyed reading it. Mitch is simply dreadful at the start with little redeeming value—certainly nothing that should attract Mae. I rather liked Mae, on the other hand, but she's as close to a stereotype as Crusie gets (which, admittedly, isn't terribly close). So yeah, I was entertained. But mostly because Mitch changed drastically around the middle and Mae didn't...
A note about Steamy: Lightly steamy with one and a half explicit scenes of about average length. And not much canoodling, either, as who would want to be with the early Mitch? Wisely, not Mae...
A note about Steamy: Lightly steamy with one and a half explicit scenes of about average length. And not much canoodling, either, as who would want to be with the early Mitch? Wisely, not Mae...
August 5, 2019
I love Jennifer Crusie! I'm always sure to find a funny romance that is going to lighten my day and give me a few chuckles. It's like an 'I Love Lucy' episode.
In this episode our hero has become a temporary private detective on a bet. He loved the Mickey Spillane novels and the Sam Spade stories. So this is his chance to live out the fantasy. Unfortunately his cases are mostly cheating spouses and other boring stuff. No long legged babes, until our heroine walks in bringing trouble.
Our heroine tells him she thinks her uncle was murdered and wants him to help her find the culprit. He joins her on his last and most Humphry Bogart job yet. There are gangsters everywhere.
A fun story with some laugh our loud moments.
In this episode our hero has become a temporary private detective on a bet. He loved the Mickey Spillane novels and the Sam Spade stories. So this is his chance to live out the fantasy. Unfortunately his cases are mostly cheating spouses and other boring stuff. No long legged babes, until our heroine walks in bringing trouble.
Our heroine tells him she thinks her uncle was murdered and wants him to help her find the culprit. He joins her on his last and most Humphry Bogart job yet. There are gangsters everywhere.
A fun story with some laugh our loud moments.
January 26, 2012
Not my favorite Crusie, normally I love her crazy characters from the get go but I don't why there was just something missing for me it was still fun but not as much fun.
The hero is a PI thoroughly bored with the job, he thought it would be glamorous instead he chases cheating spouses and such and then in walks the heroine, who looks rich and classy and is a total liar, but the money she gives him helps him win the bet he made, he's actually a stock-broker.
The heroine tells him her uncle was murdered and he kept diaries, she needs him to find the latest one but things are not as simple, the uncle who died everyone hated him, he was a liar and a cheat, then there are her other uncles, the financial shark, the mob boss and the cousin all of whom want him to go away.
Then there are the couple who helped raise her and for whom she wants the money and her uncle's mistress and newly discovered wife plus all the money which seems to have disappeared.
The book had many characters and it was funny, kind of.
I am now going to soon read Strange Bedpersons since the couple in that make an appearance here.
The hero is a PI thoroughly bored with the job, he thought it would be glamorous instead he chases cheating spouses and such and then in walks the heroine, who looks rich and classy and is a total liar, but the money she gives him helps him win the bet he made, he's actually a stock-broker.
The heroine tells him her uncle was murdered and he kept diaries, she needs him to find the latest one but things are not as simple, the uncle who died everyone hated him, he was a liar and a cheat, then there are her other uncles, the financial shark, the mob boss and the cousin all of whom want him to go away.
Then there are the couple who helped raise her and for whom she wants the money and her uncle's mistress and newly discovered wife plus all the money which seems to have disappeared.
The book had many characters and it was funny, kind of.
I am now going to soon read Strange Bedpersons since the couple in that make an appearance here.
October 18, 2009
I am heartbroken. I can't believe I had to give Jennifer Crusie one star. But What The Lady Wants was just awful.
The two main characters were flat. The relationship between the two main characters was forced. The dialogue was repetitive. The sexual chemistry was described, but not really there. As a romance novel, zero stars were earned. There were one or two funny dialogue bits, but these were the only hints of Crusie's true talent.
The underlying mystery was it's only redeeming quality. It was intriguing, and I never truly knew if Mae (the main character) was an innocent bystander, victim, or perpetrator. The character descriptions of the uncles and other secondary characters were interesting. Crusie fell short on the maid and butler, but it was sort of explained later in the book, but I never had a true handle on June and Harold.
As someone else said in another review, if you are not on a quest to read every one of Crusie's books, skip this one. Really.
The two main characters were flat. The relationship between the two main characters was forced. The dialogue was repetitive. The sexual chemistry was described, but not really there. As a romance novel, zero stars were earned. There were one or two funny dialogue bits, but these were the only hints of Crusie's true talent.
The underlying mystery was it's only redeeming quality. It was intriguing, and I never truly knew if Mae (the main character) was an innocent bystander, victim, or perpetrator. The character descriptions of the uncles and other secondary characters were interesting. Crusie fell short on the maid and butler, but it was sort of explained later in the book, but I never had a true handle on June and Harold.
As someone else said in another review, if you are not on a quest to read every one of Crusie's books, skip this one. Really.
December 27, 2008
This book gives a nod to the hard boiled detective genre with the main character being a disillusioned private eye whose head snaps and pants tent when "SHE" walks in the door. The mystery of who killed her Uncle is secondary to the romance between Mitch and Mae. Formulaic yet fun.
January 2, 2024
This was so so fun. It was funny and dramatic and sexy and so entertaining. It was exactly what I was looking for and I can’t wait to read more from this author!
November 9, 2023
Một cuốn sách tạm ổn để đọc giải trí.
Cái kết hơi lãng
Có nhiều thứ chưa được nói rõ
Cảm giác hơi sơ sài sao đó
Cái kết hơi lãng
Có nhiều thứ chưa được nói rõ
Cảm giác hơi sơ sài sao đó
June 20, 2019
This is yet another book that has languished on my TBR list for years and years because I got it in an e-book sale and then forgot about it. Jennifer Crusiee has written some of my favourite amusing comfort reads, so every time I see one of her early books on sale that I don't already own, I get it. I don't necessarily feel any pressing need to read it right away, though, and so it likely gets forgotten about until it fits into some reading challenge or other that I'm doing, in this case, the Monthly Keyword Challenge.
This is also another book that while it was fun and diverting while I read it, is reduced from four to three stars by the time I review it, since I can barely remember the name of the protagonists less than three months later, let alone the intricacies of the plot (of which, there are a lot in this book, to be fair). Mitch Peabody works as a private detective (but only because of a bet, and as long as he can make a certain amount of money from his last job this year, he'll win and whichever judgmental friend and/or relative he was betting with (see, I really do NOT remember the finer details here or what Mitch used to do for a living before he became a PI) will be proved wrong. His possibly last case as a detective arrives in the form of bombshell Mae Sullivan, who needs to find the diary of her dead uncle. She won't tell Mitch WHY the diary is so important, though and as he starts investigating, it becomes clear that while it seems like the uncle died of natural causes, there were a LOT of people around with a motive to kill him.
Mae wanted a private detective she could easily manipulate, but Mitch proves to be not only much better at his job than she was hoping, but more attractive than she's entirely comfortable with. Since everyone seems to either fancy Mae or want to aggressively protect her, she doesn't seem unused to male attention. She's not very nice to Mitch to begin with, and he's downright rude to her. It's not a great basis for a romance, but I think it's supposed to evoke that old timey Hollywood banter, and a lot of (crazy, wrong) people seem to absolutely adore the verbal abuse that Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn fling at each other in Bringing Up Baby, so what do I know?
The uncle who died was only one of Mae's influential and scary uncles. There's no end to the threats Mitch gets while he's working for and with her. He's stubborn, though, so it just makes him more determined to solve the case and win Mae over.
There's a truly ludicrous amount of twists and turns in the case. For quite a bit of the book, it's really not clear whether Mae's uncle died of natural causes or was murdered. If he was murdered, Mae is one of the chief suspects, but there's a lot of other candidates who might have offed him too. The mystery part of the story was probably more satisfying than the romance, but as I said, I had fun while I read it, and got through it in less than a day, so while it's not going to join the Crusie novels I re-read every now and then, I also don't regret paying money for it.
Judging a book by its cover: I genuinely don't even know what's going on with this visual assault of pastels and various fonts. So much yellow and pink, it's like an Easter basket. The original cover appears to have a film noir vibe with cartoony silhouettes against the window in the door of a detective's office, which seems a lot more appropriate. Disembodied leg and lady carrying a briefcase doesn't exactly scream light hearted detective romp, or romance, for that matter.
This is also another book that while it was fun and diverting while I read it, is reduced from four to three stars by the time I review it, since I can barely remember the name of the protagonists less than three months later, let alone the intricacies of the plot (of which, there are a lot in this book, to be fair). Mitch Peabody works as a private detective (but only because of a bet, and as long as he can make a certain amount of money from his last job this year, he'll win and whichever judgmental friend and/or relative he was betting with (see, I really do NOT remember the finer details here or what Mitch used to do for a living before he became a PI) will be proved wrong. His possibly last case as a detective arrives in the form of bombshell Mae Sullivan, who needs to find the diary of her dead uncle. She won't tell Mitch WHY the diary is so important, though and as he starts investigating, it becomes clear that while it seems like the uncle died of natural causes, there were a LOT of people around with a motive to kill him.
Mae wanted a private detective she could easily manipulate, but Mitch proves to be not only much better at his job than she was hoping, but more attractive than she's entirely comfortable with. Since everyone seems to either fancy Mae or want to aggressively protect her, she doesn't seem unused to male attention. She's not very nice to Mitch to begin with, and he's downright rude to her. It's not a great basis for a romance, but I think it's supposed to evoke that old timey Hollywood banter, and a lot of (crazy, wrong) people seem to absolutely adore the verbal abuse that Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn fling at each other in Bringing Up Baby, so what do I know?
The uncle who died was only one of Mae's influential and scary uncles. There's no end to the threats Mitch gets while he's working for and with her. He's stubborn, though, so it just makes him more determined to solve the case and win Mae over.
There's a truly ludicrous amount of twists and turns in the case. For quite a bit of the book, it's really not clear whether Mae's uncle died of natural causes or was murdered. If he was murdered, Mae is one of the chief suspects, but there's a lot of other candidates who might have offed him too. The mystery part of the story was probably more satisfying than the romance, but as I said, I had fun while I read it, and got through it in less than a day, so while it's not going to join the Crusie novels I re-read every now and then, I also don't regret paying money for it.
Judging a book by its cover: I genuinely don't even know what's going on with this visual assault of pastels and various fonts. So much yellow and pink, it's like an Easter basket. The original cover appears to have a film noir vibe with cartoony silhouettes against the window in the door of a detective's office, which seems a lot more appropriate. Disembodied leg and lady carrying a briefcase doesn't exactly scream light hearted detective romp, or romance, for that matter.
September 17, 2013
One of the earlier stories by one of my favorite writers, this short novel, a blend of mystery and romance, is sweet and funny, although its romantic twist is rather abrupt.
Mitch is a shabby, less than intelligent PI in a seedy office in a dilapidated building. Or so it seems at first glance, when Mae first approaches him with her made-up case of her uncle’s murder. All she wants him to do is to stir up some noise.
Mae comes out of Mitch’s dreams of being a Sam Spade, with his own femme fatale. Or so it seems at first glance, when she walks into his office wearing a borrowed pink skirt and lying through her teeth.
As the two wade among the multiple lies, searching for the truth, they learn that despite their initial deceptions, they can rely on each other. Trust builds, and lust explodes, and the layers of inventions and evasions fall away. Even Mae’s criminal family can’t deter Mitch from his growing attraction to Mae. He would just wing it to get the lady he wants. Or more to the point, to get her what she wants.
The story is fast, even though it could use more details; the protagonists are extremely likable, and the dialog is fantastic, a typical Crusie. No inner conflicts complicate the heroes of this straightforward tale of mayhem, mafia, and murder, but the reader can’t stop smiling at the absurdity of the situations the author piles up.
Delightful.
And I love the cover art. It’s tasteful and humorous and subtly romantic, much better than some of the modern romance covers, blandishing naked girls and muscled hunks.
Mitch is a shabby, less than intelligent PI in a seedy office in a dilapidated building. Or so it seems at first glance, when Mae first approaches him with her made-up case of her uncle’s murder. All she wants him to do is to stir up some noise.
Mae comes out of Mitch’s dreams of being a Sam Spade, with his own femme fatale. Or so it seems at first glance, when she walks into his office wearing a borrowed pink skirt and lying through her teeth.
As the two wade among the multiple lies, searching for the truth, they learn that despite their initial deceptions, they can rely on each other. Trust builds, and lust explodes, and the layers of inventions and evasions fall away. Even Mae’s criminal family can’t deter Mitch from his growing attraction to Mae. He would just wing it to get the lady he wants. Or more to the point, to get her what she wants.
The story is fast, even though it could use more details; the protagonists are extremely likable, and the dialog is fantastic, a typical Crusie. No inner conflicts complicate the heroes of this straightforward tale of mayhem, mafia, and murder, but the reader can’t stop smiling at the absurdity of the situations the author piles up.
Delightful.
And I love the cover art. It’s tasteful and humorous and subtly romantic, much better than some of the modern romance covers, blandishing naked girls and muscled hunks.
September 5, 2017
This is an interesting romantic mystery involving Mitch Peabody, stock-broker turned private eye, and Mae Belle (Mabel) Sullivan, an orphaned neice of a recently deceased uncle whom she was slated to inherit a great deal of money from.
Mabel's living relatives are less than reputable and will do anything to protect her. She hires a private eye to help her find her uncle's diary (containing daily entries about the details in his life), by claiming her uncle was murdered.
Together they determine that almost everyone had a motive to murder Uncle Armand. The quagmire of events in the book are comparible to the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
This unlikely pair are drawn together by circumstances and feelings they can't control. The result of their search is reached, after multiple twiests and turns, with an unexpected conclusion.
Mabel's living relatives are less than reputable and will do anything to protect her. She hires a private eye to help her find her uncle's diary (containing daily entries about the details in his life), by claiming her uncle was murdered.
Together they determine that almost everyone had a motive to murder Uncle Armand. The quagmire of events in the book are comparible to the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich.
This unlikely pair are drawn together by circumstances and feelings they can't control. The result of their search is reached, after multiple twiests and turns, with an unexpected conclusion.
August 12, 2010
This was a re-read for me. I love anything Jennifer Crusie writes and will go through phases where I re-read all of my favorites. I like this book because of Mitch. I love the way he looks out for Mae even if he doesn’t think that’s what he is doing. I also love the secondary characters - the slutty housekeeper, the mistress, the mobster, etc. They make the story funny and keep the plot flowing perfectly. This book is perfect for a spring day when you want something light, funny, and quick to read.
December 18, 2016
This is apparently the second time I've read this book. I couldn't remember reading it the first time though so I'm not sure what that says about the book.
I enjoyed it. It's a nice, light read that was perfect for vacation.
I enjoyed it. It's a nice, light read that was perfect for vacation.
July 9, 2020
So enjoyable to read. Good pacing, no boring bits, everything is exciting. Banter between the MCs, Mae and Mitch, is excellent. Perhaps the romantic feelings developed too quickly but I am too in love with the story to consider that a shortcoming.
February 3, 2022
Esta novela de 1995 está traducida al español, con el título de Una mujer peligrosa y la misma portada horrenda que el original. Siempre me he preguntado por qué las portadas de la Crusie son tan feas. Ahora le pondrían una portada colorinchi y por lo menos sabríamos que aquí hay algo de humor.
Esta es una novelita harlequinera de las que voy leyendo por ir tachando títulos de su bibliografía; creo que las mejores de Crusie ya las he leído. Es una especie de parodia de El halcón maltés, aunque a ritmo de comedia de los años treinta, con su ritmo alocado y los diálogos ingeniosos. Mitch Peatwick sería el Sam Spade de la historia y Mae Sullivan, la mujer fatal. Solo que las cosas no son lo que parecen y ninguno de ellos es digamos del todo sincero.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
Esta es una novelita harlequinera de las que voy leyendo por ir tachando títulos de su bibliografía; creo que las mejores de Crusie ya las he leído. Es una especie de parodia de El halcón maltés, aunque a ritmo de comedia de los años treinta, con su ritmo alocado y los diálogos ingeniosos. Mitch Peatwick sería el Sam Spade de la historia y Mae Sullivan, la mujer fatal. Solo que las cosas no son lo que parecen y ninguno de ellos es digamos del todo sincero.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
June 14, 2020
Originally read May 2010
Reread June 2020
3.5 stars
Crusie is one of my top 3 favorite authors. Snarky, witty, adult fiction at its finest.
Assumptions (like always) gone awry and a death to deal with.Everyone's holding their cards close to the vest and trying to get help with only bits of truth.
Not my favorite of hers but I LOVE her writing and style it was fun to revisit this one.
Reread June 2020
3.5 stars
Crusie is one of my top 3 favorite authors. Snarky, witty, adult fiction at its finest.
Assumptions (like always) gone awry and a death to deal with.Everyone's holding their cards close to the vest and trying to get help with only bits of truth.
Not my favorite of hers but I LOVE her writing and style it was fun to revisit this one.
November 5, 2017
The family stuff made me crazy. Reread.
February 2, 2023
Kept waiting for things to get interesting but I was bored through most of the book. Held on to the end to solve the mystery.
January 15, 2023
Wow, I love this book, I couldn’t put it down.
August 19, 2010
Crusie just has the ability to write the most dynamic character interactions. These two, Mae and Mitch, were absorbing from the get go.
The story starts with Mitch in a seedy detective agency, no AC, sweltering, in a cheap suit, fantasizing about how his life as a PI was supposed to be. It would be like The Maltese Falcon and the sexy femme fatale would walk in and turn his world upside down....
Then, of course, in walks Mae. She is determined to con this PI into helping her solve a murder that didn't actually happen...
These characters are immediately fun, witty, and the chemistry is present from the get go.
This is Crusie at her best. However, this was a shorter, earlier category romance of Crusie's so I wouldn't rate it as my favorite Crusie novel, but it is very close to the top. I need a little more meat in a novel. But as short novels go, this Crusie was indeed excellent.
The frenetic pacing that is present in most Crusie novels was present here as well. Sometimes I just wish the action would take a breather so that we could deal a bit more with the relationship. The relationship is always building DURING the action in Crusie's novels, but it's all happening too fast. It's exhausting.
The story starts with Mitch in a seedy detective agency, no AC, sweltering, in a cheap suit, fantasizing about how his life as a PI was supposed to be. It would be like The Maltese Falcon and the sexy femme fatale would walk in and turn his world upside down....
Then, of course, in walks Mae. She is determined to con this PI into helping her solve a murder that didn't actually happen...
These characters are immediately fun, witty, and the chemistry is present from the get go.
This is Crusie at her best. However, this was a shorter, earlier category romance of Crusie's so I wouldn't rate it as my favorite Crusie novel, but it is very close to the top. I need a little more meat in a novel. But as short novels go, this Crusie was indeed excellent.
The frenetic pacing that is present in most Crusie novels was present here as well. Sometimes I just wish the action would take a breather so that we could deal a bit more with the relationship. The relationship is always building DURING the action in Crusie's novels, but it's all happening too fast. It's exhausting.
April 27, 2012
Actually 2.5 stars. Rounded up for Goodreads, because it's Jennifer Crusie, after all.
I love the absurd situations and witty dialog in Crusie's books, and What the Lady Wants was full of both. What it lacked, however, was that undercurrent of hard-hitting realism found in most of Crusie's best works. This book was pure fluff; there was no depth. I wasn't particularly interested in the plot, and I didn't feel connected to the characters. I wasn't even happy about the HEA; I don't expect it to last, considering the antics of Mae's crooked family and Mitch's philosophy about men's physiological inability to commit to a single pair of boobs.
I probably wouldn't be as hard on What the Lady Wants if it hadn't been written by Jennifer Crusie. I'm used to her giving me something Deep and Significant to ponder at the same time I'm laughing at her humor. This just wasn't a Deep or Significant kind of book, so it felt a bit off to me.
I love the absurd situations and witty dialog in Crusie's books, and What the Lady Wants was full of both. What it lacked, however, was that undercurrent of hard-hitting realism found in most of Crusie's best works. This book was pure fluff; there was no depth. I wasn't particularly interested in the plot, and I didn't feel connected to the characters. I wasn't even happy about the HEA; I don't expect it to last, considering the antics of Mae's crooked family and Mitch's philosophy about men's physiological inability to commit to a single pair of boobs.
I probably wouldn't be as hard on What the Lady Wants if it hadn't been written by Jennifer Crusie. I'm used to her giving me something Deep and Significant to ponder at the same time I'm laughing at her humor. This just wasn't a Deep or Significant kind of book, so it felt a bit off to me.
October 16, 2012
It really surprises me that this book doesn't have higher ratings. This story was such a fun and wild ride I couldn't put it down! I loved every character even down to Bob the dog:)
I enjoyed every minute of it. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a fun easy read-- just try not to take it seriously. I'd also like to recommend you imagine the story in black and white with tints of red on Mae's lips cuz that's what was in my head for some reason and it played out like an old black&white detective film (much like the hero's idol). It's just more fun that way :)
I would like to add that this is the first book I've read where the hero isn't good looking which is nice to read sometimes because they always have the heroine 'plain' looking but then becomes 'beautiful' to the hero's eyes but its never the reverse so I just thought that was a nice touch.
This is my second J Crusie book and I'm really glad I found her. On to book #3...
I enjoyed every minute of it. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a fun easy read-- just try not to take it seriously. I'd also like to recommend you imagine the story in black and white with tints of red on Mae's lips cuz that's what was in my head for some reason and it played out like an old black&white detective film (much like the hero's idol). It's just more fun that way :)
I would like to add that this is the first book I've read where the hero isn't good looking which is nice to read sometimes because they always have the heroine 'plain' looking but then becomes 'beautiful' to the hero's eyes but its never the reverse so I just thought that was a nice touch.
This is my second J Crusie book and I'm really glad I found her. On to book #3...
April 8, 2017
I read it and I don't remember this book and I gave this 4 stars.. damn that's why I should write a review as soon as I finish a book.
Well I remembered the book in the first 10 pages but not quite so decided to read it as I was smiling and enjoying. Now I know why I loved this book. It's cute, fun, and had good moments which were funny.
Mitch says something which made my smile go broader. " it feels like Tinker Bell just married Donald Trump". I felt pity for that particular character. I love how he explains about men not being able to stick to one pair of breasts. It's actually quite a good book with a mystery (good one at that) thrown in. With loads of interesting characters and none of them are irritating. I don't mind read it again. Anything which makes me smile goes under my fav books. This is one of those.
Well I remembered the book in the first 10 pages but not quite so decided to read it as I was smiling and enjoying. Now I know why I loved this book. It's cute, fun, and had good moments which were funny.
Mitch says something which made my smile go broader. " it feels like Tinker Bell just married Donald Trump". I felt pity for that particular character. I love how he explains about men not being able to stick to one pair of breasts. It's actually quite a good book with a mystery (good one at that) thrown in. With loads of interesting characters and none of them are irritating. I don't mind read it again. Anything which makes me smile goes under my fav books. This is one of those.
August 27, 2009
I don't normally give a book two stars unless it has obvious editing errors or just plain bad writing, but What the Lady Wants really feels like a rehearsal for Crusie's later private investigator novel, Fast Women which, unfortunately, I read immediately before this one. This is another early Crusie novel and, though you can still find hints of her magic, it's not all there yet. The sex scenes, especially, are worth skimming over, and the dialogue isn't as snappy as I'm used to with Crusie. If you're not on a quest to read every one of her books, I'd skip this one.
December 28, 2014
Still got the flu. Another Jennifer Crusie. I'm going to see how many I can get through before the flu leaves.
A little more mystery than the last one. Actually this one was pretty fun. But still a little disappointing for a Jennifer Crusie. I guess after previous books of hers I expect more from the men.
However this one was certainly funny. I kept on laughing! If you're down in the dumps try this out!
A little more mystery than the last one. Actually this one was pretty fun. But still a little disappointing for a Jennifer Crusie. I guess after previous books of hers I expect more from the men.
However this one was certainly funny. I kept on laughing! If you're down in the dumps try this out!
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