What do you think?
Rate this book
Charlie All Night
A hilarious and heartfelt tale by the master of romantic comedy, Jennifer Crusie!Dumped by her boyfriend and demoted from WBBB's prime-time spot, radio producer Allie McGuffey has nowhere to go but up. She plans to make her comeback by turning temporary DJ Charlie Tenniel into a household name. And if he's willing to help cure her breakup blues with a rebound fling, that's an added bonus.Charlie just wants to kick back, play good tunes and eat Chinese food. He's not interested in becoming famous. But he is interested in Allie. And after all, what harm is a little chemistry between friends?But suddenly their one-night stand has become a four-week addiction. Night after night on the airwaves, his voice seduces her…and all the other women in town. He's a hit. It looks as if Charlie's solved all Allie's problems…except one. What is she going to do when he leaves?
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 18, 1995
113 people are currently reading
2734 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Crusie
80 books7,786 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 581 reviews
September 3, 2014
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4 STARS⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was recommended to my by my good friend, Lana... She must have read all 90s CR out there... lol
Anyway, this book was really what I was looking for, short, funny, and real dialogues along the way!
This was recommended to my by my good friend, Lana... She must have read all 90s CR out there... lol
Anyway, this book was really what I was looking for, short, funny, and real dialogues along the way!
May 4, 2010
I tried to give this 3 stars, but just couldn't. Crusie is one of my absolute favorites, but if this book hadn't been on my Kindle, I know I never would have finished it. It lacked Crusie's usual well-drawn characters, full of quirks and insecurities. It definitely lacked the fun and funny banter she is known for. The hero and heroine didn't have much chemistry whether they engaging in brand new lust or falling in love. Plus, they seemed to spend most of the story apart due to a silly "celibate bet." Their motivations throughout the book were largely a mystery to me. The plot was slow and vague. By the end, I just wanted the story to be over. I've read a few other early books by this author and found them by and large to be fun and charming. Charlie All Night is more like a first draft in need of serious fleshing out, better dialogue and characters to care about.
December 13, 2013
That moment when you realize what the title of the book means...
Radio producer Allie has been dumped by her boyfriend, and demoted to the 10 pm - 2 am spot on the radio. When temporary DJ Charlie comes in, he awakens in her this go-getter attitude of making him famous, (and boosting her career in the process). What she wasn't expecting, was to fall in love... Too bad Charlie is only around for a short four weeks.
Charlie isn't interested in being famous. As a matter of fact he isn't even a real DJ. He has been assigned to spy on one of the other DJ's who is suspected of giving marijuana to cancer patients, (oh the horror!).
I liked Charlie up until I realized he was hell bent on arresting a peaceful old hippy who was helping cancer patients... I mean really Jennifer Crusie?? Couldn't you have made the "crime" a bit more serious? You managed to turn your "hero" into a "villian" and you didn't even realize it. You lost me. :(
I love Jennifer Crusie's books but she lost me with this one. I gave it three stars because minus the pot bust, it was a nice little story.
July 4, 2018
2018 reread
I needed a laugh, and something light, and this just popped into my head. This is one of those books I should probably just buy, because I really enjoy it. It just makes me happy. It's utterly ridiculous and charming, in just about the best way.
I have nothing of substance to add; I just enjoy the heck out of this one.
---
Giggle.
Seriously, that's pretty much it. That's pretty much the review. This was generally just charming.
I really enjoy the ridiculous cast of characters at the small town radio station. Snarky Charlie and Allie and their on-air arguments! (Although, I've suddenly realized that "he's the on-air talent, she's his producer pushing him to reach his potential" is a trope I seriously enjoy. I adored Harry, and his matchmaking technique. Actually, I adore how pretty much everyone tried to play matchmmaker. Allie's best friend Joe was also great. Grady, the talk show guy who came on after Charlie was great, with his love for life and tendency to play whale song. I love how Allie and Charlie did better on latenight because they both liked the weirdness. I love how they accidentally stumbled on controversial stories. I love how Allie pretty much produced everyone at the station and they all loved her.
It's not perfect, but I was solidly entertained.
So, really, just giggle.
I needed a laugh, and something light, and this just popped into my head. This is one of those books I should probably just buy, because I really enjoy it. It just makes me happy. It's utterly ridiculous and charming, in just about the best way.
I have nothing of substance to add; I just enjoy the heck out of this one.
---
Giggle.
Seriously, that's pretty much it. That's pretty much the review. This was generally just charming.
I really enjoy the ridiculous cast of characters at the small town radio station. Snarky Charlie and Allie and their on-air arguments! (Although, I've suddenly realized that "he's the on-air talent, she's his producer pushing him to reach his potential" is a trope I seriously enjoy. I adored Harry, and his matchmaking technique. Actually, I adore how pretty much everyone tried to play matchmmaker. Allie's best friend Joe was also great. Grady, the talk show guy who came on after Charlie was great, with his love for life and tendency to play whale song. I love how Allie and Charlie did better on latenight because they both liked the weirdness. I love how they accidentally stumbled on controversial stories. I love how Allie pretty much produced everyone at the station and they all loved her.
It's not perfect, but I was solidly entertained.
So, really, just giggle.
October 21, 2021
I've enjoyed a few of the more recent Crusie books and have been checking out her backlist now that it is in eBook form. Unfortunately, I think she was still finding her way in her early books. What I enjoy about her more recent books is the realistic, humorous voice of her characters, primary and secondary. That humor is still in evidence here, but she's also trying to mix in suspense, and I think it results in just too much going on. As a result, character development suffers.
Allie is interesting - we meet her as she wakes up to her stupid decisions of the past, and she makes a few rash, uncharacteristic decisions that could go either way. Charlie is also interesting, but we don't get to delve into him as much as necessary to like him as a hero, because the suspense plot and ex-boyfriend take up too much of the story. In this case, the suspense provide the whole reason for the hero to meet the heroine, so it was integral to th eplot, but still a distraction.
The other usual formulas of Crusie are present - snarky best friend (this time a gay man, rare in romance), forlorn dog, tight knit circle of small town people. I'm assuming this was written for one of the category suspense lines., but it's just one of those books that I think it could have been so much better with some careful pruning and losing the suspense.
Allie is interesting - we meet her as she wakes up to her stupid decisions of the past, and she makes a few rash, uncharacteristic decisions that could go either way. Charlie is also interesting, but we don't get to delve into him as much as necessary to like him as a hero, because the suspense plot and ex-boyfriend take up too much of the story. In this case, the suspense provide the whole reason for the hero to meet the heroine, so it was integral to th eplot, but still a distraction.
The other usual formulas of Crusie are present - snarky best friend (this time a gay man, rare in romance), forlorn dog, tight knit circle of small town people. I'm assuming this was written for one of the category suspense lines., but it's just one of those books that I think it could have been so much better with some careful pruning and losing the suspense.
July 12, 2015
So I liked this a lot, but I also feel like it was just slightly off from the Crusie ideal. Like all the pieces were there, there was that great story flow, the fun, and great characters, but I feel like it didn't get all the way there.
More specifically,
More specifically,
July 26, 2017
(3.5 stars) Charlie All Night is not my favorite Jennifer Crusie book and like a few of her other earlier ones feels more like a novella than a full-length novel. Regardless, it is an enjoyable read and very entertaining. The chemistry between Allie and Charlie is great and they have some fantastic dialogue, there are several humorous scenes, and the secondary characters are wonderful - especially Joe, Allie's gay roommate. All in all, the book is definitely worth checking out from the library (which is what I did).
In Charlie All Night, like in Anyone But You, Crusie features a heroine who is both older than usually found in the genre (Allie is 36) and than the hero (though only by two years here - not the ten that separates the hero and heroine of Anyone But You).
My favorite Crusie books so far are: Bet Me (5 stars - amazing!!), Manhunting (4 stars), and Getting Rid Of Bradley (4 stars). They are all both read- and buy-worthy!
In Charlie All Night, like in Anyone But You, Crusie features a heroine who is both older than usually found in the genre (Allie is 36) and than the hero (though only by two years here - not the ten that separates the hero and heroine of Anyone But You).
My favorite Crusie books so far are: Bet Me (5 stars - amazing!!), Manhunting (4 stars), and Getting Rid Of Bradley (4 stars). They are all both read- and buy-worthy!
February 22, 2019
3.5
Likeable characters, believable chemistry (a bit rushed but who cares since they're both over 35 or something like that) and low to non-existent angst are the top three features of this book.
Also, there's a tiny dog somewhere in there, so it's lovely.
Likeable characters, believable chemistry (a bit rushed but who cares since they're both over 35 or something like that) and low to non-existent angst are the top three features of this book.
Also, there's a tiny dog somewhere in there, so it's lovely.
February 14, 2018
Finally a Jennifer Crusie book I liked! I hated Bet Me so much that I never tried her again. She's such a beloved author in romance that I always hoped I'd find one that fit and it looks like Charlie All Night was the ticket. I loved the hero and heroine. The secondary characters all had personalities. Even though the plot was a little thin, I didn't mind. I even laughed out loud twice! Which is awesome because I'd never found her funny before. Anyway, Charlie All Night has emboldened me to try more. Welcome to Temptation awaits me at my local library.
If I have one quibble (a completely unfair one) it's that there was a secondary character in this book that I loved so much I wanted him to have his own book. Now, that wasn't done in the mid-90s for gay characters in an m/f series, but I loved Joe so very desperately that I want to imagine him happily married to a man who loves flamin' hot Cheetos. He would be so horrified. More HEAs for 90s era gay BFFs!
If I have one quibble (a completely unfair one) it's that there was a secondary character in this book that I loved so much I wanted him to have his own book. Now, that wasn't done in the mid-90s for gay characters in an m/f series, but I loved Joe so very desperately that I want to imagine him happily married to a man who loves flamin' hot Cheetos. He would be so horrified. More HEAs for 90s era gay BFFs!
July 9, 2015
Ahhhh this was so good. Crusie at her best - it might actually be my favorite Crusie. I highlighted a bunch of lines - that first conversation in the bar, and then with Joe, and then with Mark, it's all so, so wonderful. I also liked the overall radio plot, even though obviously Allie and Charlie were the most compelling part. It's hilarious and also very sexy, way more than other Crusies. Really, a ton of fun.
And now I'm sad because this was the last book in my "Jennifer Crusie Book Bundle" and I feel like I don't have enough Crusies left to read.
And now I'm sad because this was the last book in my "Jennifer Crusie Book Bundle" and I feel like I don't have enough Crusies left to read.
February 8, 2016
My first foray into romance wasn't a huge hit but I could sense this wouldn't be quite my thing. I actually read a few books by Crusie in the early 2000's, and they aligned with this one - light plot, lots of breathless throbbing desire, and a somewhat unique setting of a late night radio show.
I would say Crusie saves her best writing for the sex scenes and she isn't nearly as descriptive in her writing about the radio station or the Chinese food, although those also make multiple appearances.
I would say Crusie saves her best writing for the sex scenes and she isn't nearly as descriptive in her writing about the radio station or the Chinese food, although those also make multiple appearances.
October 27, 2012
Well, I obviously didn't like that book. I do enjoy chick-lit, so it's not that I didn't know what I was getting into, but. But. What is this plot? I didn't like the main plot, which is their love-story but I'll get into this later... Because the "subplots" were even worst: 1) he, Charlie, is investigating some mystery, but I didn't understand if he was a detective or he was just doing it to make his father happy (which makes no sense because he hates him), and it's the most stupid mystery in the world (I know it's meant to be a light novel, but some real drugs or a murder or something would have spiced things up)... 2) a puppy, true story. There's a hole subplot that only exists to make Charlie more sexy. I-I-I-mean-WHAT? 3) the radio program making, which I couldn't care less.
This novel is about telling you things and you believing them. They tell you that Allie is the best producer in town, but I have NO IDEA of what she does. They tell you Mark is a jerk, but he's the flattest character in the universe so that's the only thing I know about him. They also tell you not only that Joe is Allie's best friend (although he only appears when needed by the main love-story plot), but that Joe and Charlie become really really good friends... REALLY? WHEN?? WHY?? HOW??? After knowing each other for two weeks, they keep saying "that's not your style", or "he's not like this" or "you know that's not my style", "grady's the best guy on earth". WHAT. YOU DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER.
I feel like the author doesn't know how to build up the climax, and for me the best part of romances is THE GETTING THERE. I may be too romantic and asexual for those books, I don't know. But the climax, that is the sex-scene and also de love-confession, always are more exciting when you've been waiting for them the whole book, and when, fighting against all odds, they take place in the end. But in this book they have amazing out-of-body-experience sex in the second page, and you know, and they know, they love each other in the third page, even if they don't say it. I think that even if I hadn't liked the book, the ending could've make up for it... but you have 40 end-worthy scenes prior to it, so no.
It's not only in their romance that there's no building up though, it's the whole book. For example, that's an scene:
Something I hated a lot too was the bet. Charlie is only going to be in town for 1 month, and after 1 week of crazy unearthly sex, they make a bet ON AIR to see if they can live without sex for a month. I mean. REALLY? He is leaving IN A MONTH and you have fantastic sex, why would you do that?! I hate when in books the couple creates the odds they have to fight against themselves. WHYYY. But well, you think: at least I'm finally gonna get some scenes with UST. But no, because the narrator says "one week later". And they kiss. Then the narrator says "Three weeks later" and of course the month has passed and they can ~~make love again. Not only is all this premise stupid, but at the end they don't even talk about the bet on the program. The bet was highly popular and all the town was betting against them and the papers talked about it. But once they can have sex, all this doesn't matter anymore. PEOPLE HAD MONEY ON THIS!
And I have left the WORST for last. And that is: ALLIE!! Why do we women keep writing women like these? I mean, I understand her emotions and feelings, even when they are silly and irrational, but her actions? the things she says? is she 12?! No, she is 36. She wants to have casual sex so much, and then she gets angry with Charlie because they only have sex and never talk (I though they did talk, I mean, they spent 1 week together and sometimes in public, so they must have talked). And the bet is "perfect" because as they don't have sex, they can finally talk (perfect sense). But as we don't actually see how these three weeks happen, we have to believe the narrator again. The narrator says: "Now they talked all the time, about politics, about music...". And you say: Okay, because you say so. I'll believe you. I'll also believe you when they say that Joe's jokes are the best, because he doesn't joke in the entire book, so...
I don't know why my reviews are so much extensive and coherent (if you can call this coherent) when I don't like the book. I think that when I like it it's like: "OMGG I LOVE ITTTT!! FEELS!!", but when I don't, I try to rationalise it. So here you have it. I'm sorry for the rant.
TL;DR: Don't read this book unless you like romances about stupid, horny and stupidly horny 36 year olds.
This novel is about telling you things and you believing them. They tell you that Allie is the best producer in town, but I have NO IDEA of what she does. They tell you Mark is a jerk, but he's the flattest character in the universe so that's the only thing I know about him. They also tell you not only that Joe is Allie's best friend (although he only appears when needed by the main love-story plot), but that Joe and Charlie become really really good friends... REALLY? WHEN?? WHY?? HOW??? After knowing each other for two weeks, they keep saying "that's not your style", or "he's not like this" or "you know that's not my style", "grady's the best guy on earth". WHAT. YOU DON'T KNOW EACH OTHER.
I feel like the author doesn't know how to build up the climax, and for me the best part of romances is THE GETTING THERE. I may be too romantic and asexual for those books, I don't know. But the climax, that is the sex-scene and also de love-confession, always are more exciting when you've been waiting for them the whole book, and when, fighting against all odds, they take place in the end. But in this book they have amazing out-of-body-experience sex in the second page, and you know, and they know, they love each other in the third page, even if they don't say it. I think that even if I hadn't liked the book, the ending could've make up for it... but you have 40 end-worthy scenes prior to it, so no.
It's not only in their romance that there's no building up though, it's the whole book. For example, that's an scene:
"Allie wanted to see Mark to talk about X. A wild Mark appears.
-We have to talk.
They are in the bar. They sit and order.
-X -says Allie.
End of scene."
Something I hated a lot too was the bet. Charlie is only going to be in town for 1 month, and after 1 week of crazy unearthly sex, they make a bet ON AIR to see if they can live without sex for a month. I mean. REALLY? He is leaving IN A MONTH and you have fantastic sex, why would you do that?! I hate when in books the couple creates the odds they have to fight against themselves. WHYYY. But well, you think: at least I'm finally gonna get some scenes with UST. But no, because the narrator says "one week later". And they kiss. Then the narrator says "Three weeks later" and of course the month has passed and they can ~~make love again. Not only is all this premise stupid, but at the end they don't even talk about the bet on the program. The bet was highly popular and all the town was betting against them and the papers talked about it. But once they can have sex, all this doesn't matter anymore. PEOPLE HAD MONEY ON THIS!
And I have left the WORST for last. And that is: ALLIE!! Why do we women keep writing women like these? I mean, I understand her emotions and feelings, even when they are silly and irrational, but her actions? the things she says? is she 12?! No, she is 36. She wants to have casual sex so much, and then she gets angry with Charlie because they only have sex and never talk (I though they did talk, I mean, they spent 1 week together and sometimes in public, so they must have talked). And the bet is "perfect" because as they don't have sex, they can finally talk (perfect sense). But as we don't actually see how these three weeks happen, we have to believe the narrator again. The narrator says: "Now they talked all the time, about politics, about music...". And you say: Okay, because you say so. I'll believe you. I'll also believe you when they say that Joe's jokes are the best, because he doesn't joke in the entire book, so...
I don't know why my reviews are so much extensive and coherent (if you can call this coherent) when I don't like the book. I think that when I like it it's like: "OMGG I LOVE ITTTT!! FEELS!!", but when I don't, I try to rationalise it. So here you have it. I'm sorry for the rant.
TL;DR: Don't read this book unless you like romances about stupid, horny and stupidly horny 36 year olds.
April 14, 2024
I first read this book in 2011 and enjoyed it as much then as now. Crusie has a talent for sarcastic, loveable heroes it’s impossible not to fall in love with!
Charlie Tenniel rolls into small town, USA, to help his dad’s best friend who has received a distressing letter against his radio station. Charlie takes on the late-night DJ spot in order to check out the situation. And his new producer, Allie McGuffey.
Allie has just been dumped by her primetime boyfriend and demoted to late-night with the new kid on the block. She’s bitter, hurt, and out for vengeance. Knowing the best way to get back at the ex is to create a star out of the new guy, she sets to work. With stunning success. Charlie is a born entertainer, and his lovemaking skills are even better!
It doesn’t take long before she’s falling for him and he seems to feel the same way, but then trouble comes to the WBBB.
Can Charlie solve the mystery and keep the girl? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
I give Charlie All Night 5+ lovely kisses- This one is a keeper 🙂
Charlie Tenniel rolls into small town, USA, to help his dad’s best friend who has received a distressing letter against his radio station. Charlie takes on the late-night DJ spot in order to check out the situation. And his new producer, Allie McGuffey.
Allie has just been dumped by her primetime boyfriend and demoted to late-night with the new kid on the block. She’s bitter, hurt, and out for vengeance. Knowing the best way to get back at the ex is to create a star out of the new guy, she sets to work. With stunning success. Charlie is a born entertainer, and his lovemaking skills are even better!
It doesn’t take long before she’s falling for him and he seems to feel the same way, but then trouble comes to the WBBB.
Can Charlie solve the mystery and keep the girl? You’ll have to read the book to find out!
I give Charlie All Night 5+ lovely kisses- This one is a keeper 🙂
August 17, 2012
Cruise must be an animal lover. Of the books I've read from her they all contained dogs. This one isn't an exception. It's a lethal mix: cute animals, humour & a love story. Everything that a good rom com movie has which is what makes her books so addictive.
I never used to read romance or chick lit books coz the ones my aunts used to read we're sooooo stupid! But thank god there are now writers like Crusie that can write intelligent & funny chick lit.
So yeah I give this book a perfect score. When I was reading it I forget that these people aren't real. The dialogue is written well & the characters have normal every day sounding names. It's a pet peeve of mine that characters in books often have ridiculous outlandish names. I also like Crusie's sense of humour. And being an animal lover myself I love reading about animals as a character too. Another thing I liked was that the heroine of the story isn't some supermodel, high fashion skinny lady. Rather she sounds more like a real woman with curves. Kudos to Crusie for that!
I never used to read romance or chick lit books coz the ones my aunts used to read we're sooooo stupid! But thank god there are now writers like Crusie that can write intelligent & funny chick lit.
So yeah I give this book a perfect score. When I was reading it I forget that these people aren't real. The dialogue is written well & the characters have normal every day sounding names. It's a pet peeve of mine that characters in books often have ridiculous outlandish names. I also like Crusie's sense of humour. And being an animal lover myself I love reading about animals as a character too. Another thing I liked was that the heroine of the story isn't some supermodel, high fashion skinny lady. Rather she sounds more like a real woman with curves. Kudos to Crusie for that!
April 2, 2014
Wow. That was a nice upshift in quality. Still a 90s book (not even that late at 1996) but much closer to her 2000s in quality. I really liked both protagonists, not least because they fit so very well together (but maybe that's my crush on Charlie speaking). Crusie's strengths are all manifest here, if not in absolute top form, then at least firmly in their zone.
A note about Steamy: In the mid range with three explicit scenes of moderate length (and that third is a doozy). Not a lot of fooling around, though.
A note about Steamy: In the mid range with three explicit scenes of moderate length (and that third is a doozy). Not a lot of fooling around, though.
June 20, 2019
This was a really good read. Interesting, fun, sweet and a good HEA. Good for an anytime read and something on the lighter side. Great (and varied) characters, a rollercoaster ride to read, bantering, friends, conspirators and pretty much intriguing. I enjoyed reading this and laughed a few times throughout. Totally Enjoy
August 1, 2014
It got better when the radio show started, but it still didn't do it for me. I thought it wasn't plausible, which is hilarious, considering it's contemporary romance.
I've had better.
August 5, 2019
Our hero has taken a temp job as a DJ on a night time radio show. He is surprised by how well he likes the job, especially since DJing is not why he is there. Our heroine is his new producer. She was dumped by her last on air talent, as a producer and as a girl friend. Now she still has to work around him and his new girlfriend. Ugh!
A good story with an interesting subplot or two.
A good story with an interesting subplot or two.
November 5, 2017
This might have been my favorite of this book bundle. Reread.
Read
February 4, 2020DNF. You know that old joke about going to a fight and a hockey game broke out? Well, this is a series of sex scenes where a story intermittently appears.
Not worth sticking with it...
Not worth sticking with it...
May 29, 2020
Sweet and sexy little romance with Crusie's trademark jolly banter about a small-town radio producer who has just lost her show and has to break in a new radio guy at the dreaded 10-2 night slot...only the new guy has reasons of his own for moving to that radio station.
Great radio life details, fun DJ personalities, a little over-the-top with the puppy love.
Great radio life details, fun DJ personalities, a little over-the-top with the puppy love.
April 20, 2017
Excellent story.
Every once. in a while an avid reader stumples on a story that pulls them into the love of the couple. It catapults them into the characters. That was me, (The Old Vicarious Reader), this time. There was something about this couple that called to me. I was there laughing with them and falling in love. I was there, I was with them, and it felt real.
Best line in a scene. . . “You know, it’s a shame you’re gay. You’re probably the perfect guy for her.” Joe grinned at him. “It’s a shame you’re not. You could be the perfect guy for me.”
Best line in the book. . . “She would pick a month with thirty-one days."
An author can't always hit the target for their reader. But, this story sure hit the target for me. Excellent read.
Every once. in a while an avid reader stumples on a story that pulls them into the love of the couple. It catapults them into the characters. That was me, (The Old Vicarious Reader), this time. There was something about this couple that called to me. I was there laughing with them and falling in love. I was there, I was with them, and it felt real.
Best line in a scene. . . “You know, it’s a shame you’re gay. You’re probably the perfect guy for her.” Joe grinned at him. “It’s a shame you’re not. You could be the perfect guy for me.”
Best line in the book. . . “She would pick a month with thirty-one days."
An author can't always hit the target for their reader. But, this story sure hit the target for me. Excellent read.
September 2, 2020
Extremely 90s (the major conflict revolving around marijuana for cancer patients, lmao) but I had a good enough time.
August 23, 2021
Very light well-written funny romance that didn't make a whole lot of sense. Why the no sex bet? Why is Charlie even going on with the investigation? Why is he even there for his father to begin with? When he found out the "drug dealing" was not for profit, but a matter of a kind compassionate man giving out free marijuana to elderly chemotherapy patients, it didn't change his mind to see the "perpetrator" arrested and sent to prison. WTF? "The law is the law" indeed. Maybe so, in the context of the times, but I could have done without the hero's lectures on the subject. The antagonist was such a wet noodle that I couldn't even hate him. Allie wanted a connection to Charlie that was more than sex, but it didn't happen. They're getting married at the end, but it was all about great sex. She hated what he did to the old pot grower, but it's true love. Who cares about fundamental worldview differences? This is one of Crusie's early category romances re-packaged. So it is what it is, but until the threads did not come together at the end, it was fun.
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
https://rebekahsreadingsandwatchings....
September 19, 2012
Though I'm normally a paranormal romance reader Crusie came highly recommended for her characters' witty banter. There was some in Getting Rid of Bradley, but none here.
Not only was the conversation dull, but sometimes it made no sense. Charlie says he's going to miss someone's jokes when I can't remember a single punchline being delivered. Allie reminds Charlie not to be controversial, then gets into a long discussion about sex on air with few reservations. It didn't add up.
Nor did the hijinx at the radio station. I was taken out of the story multiple times when I asked myself, would that really happen? Are studios really set up that way? Why is the news on a cassette, wouldn't someone be reading that live? And so on.
For leaving me frustrated, sometimes confused, and not entertained, one star.
Not only was the conversation dull, but sometimes it made no sense. Charlie says he's going to miss someone's jokes when I can't remember a single punchline being delivered. Allie reminds Charlie not to be controversial, then gets into a long discussion about sex on air with few reservations. It didn't add up.
Nor did the hijinx at the radio station. I was taken out of the story multiple times when I asked myself, would that really happen? Are studios really set up that way? Why is the news on a cassette, wouldn't someone be reading that live? And so on.
For leaving me frustrated, sometimes confused, and not entertained, one star.
April 25, 2021
Jennifer Crusie's romances are always "on speed". Fast, funny, a bit swoony, and sexy. It is a reason, that there are sometimes a little unrealistic (in other words, there is sometimes too little between a couple to believe their relationship would for sure survive).
Rebekah pointed out pefectly what went bad with this book. But, like she, I have had a good time.
PS When I try to forget about the shortcomings of the story/plot (mostly concerning a mystery) I see it as a 4-star-pleasure.
Rebekah pointed out pefectly what went bad with this book. But, like she, I have had a good time.
PS When I try to forget about the shortcomings of the story/plot (mostly concerning a mystery) I see it as a 4-star-pleasure.
September 16, 2009
I like just about anything by Crusie, but this wasn't my favorite. These earlier plots seemed to tip heavily around mis-communication between hero/heroine and I just NEVER buy it. She writes these strong, feisty protagonists who refuse to ask simple questions that any woman would ask on a first date, like, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP? Basically, the protagonist of this novel knows NOTHING about the hero and falls in love with him anyway. It's fun and cute and ridiculously difficult to put down, but flimsy when it comes to reality. Her later books are MUCH better.
July 10, 2015
The first half is quippy and funny and fast-paced, and then the second half mixed escapism with politics - and worse, it dragged and had a cookie-cutter ending, an ending I didn't believe.
Obviously I am a persnickety person who is impossible to please, though.
Obviously I am a persnickety person who is impossible to please, though.
October 18, 2022
So much fun. Love the late-night call-in radio show. The friendships and food are, as always, key parts. There’s only one thing that could have been better: .
May 23, 2017
4.5 stars
Alice "Allie" McGuffey is the best radio producer WBBB in Tuttle, Ohio has ever had and it's pretty much the unspoken truth that she's the reason the radio station runs as well as it does. She loves her job and thrives on it, so when the radio station's current Drivetime star, Mark King, who up until two months ago was her lover, tells her that she's been moved to a different time slot, and from now on, he'll be using Lisa, her former intern as his producer, Allie is not happy. It's not like Bill Bonner, the radio station's owner would be fool enough to fire her (the place would go under), but she's been relegated to the 10pm-2am slot, previously occupied by a conspiracy nut who ended his career at the station two weeks earlier by shooting up the console. Angry and hurt, she walks into the local bar, determined to pick up someone, anyone who can make her forget about Mark.
Allie is not going to be broken. She has a plan. First she's going to find someone to sleep with, who will make her forget about Mark King once and for all. Then she's going to make her new DJ so famous that the station owner will beg her forgiveness and give her any choice producing gig she wants. Of course, the man she sits down next to and propositions is none other than Charlie Tenniel, the station's new DJ. Except, unbeknownst to anyone but Bill Bonner and his wife, Charlie has no radio experience whatsoever. He's there as a favour to Mr. Bonner because Charlie's father and Bill are old friends, and there have been some threatening letters sent to WBBB. Charlie is just going to pose as a DJ (borrowing the reputation of Ten Tenniel, his drug-dealing DJ brother) while he investigates the threats. He's unlikely to stay in Tuttle for more than about six weeks, and therefore isn't exactly looking to make an impression.
Yet Allie is so charming and determined, and after being invited to dinner with her and her gay roommate Joe, Charlie goes against his better judgement and agrees to stay on their sofa. And when Allie later at night asks him to seduce her, he initially tries to refuse, but when she persists, he doesn't resist for long. She also tells him about her plan to make him a big name in Tuttle, something he adamantly refuses to agree to. Nevertheless, despite his continued attempts to make bad and boring radio broadcasts, he keeps getting more and more listeners, and despite promising himself he's not going to stay on the sofa and not keep ending up in Allie's bed every night, the two continue their trysts. That is, until they inadvertently reveal their fledgling relationship on air, and make a public bet to stay celibate, both determined to prove that their gender is better at going without sex. They will need to spend their days keeping their hands off each other and their nights sleeping apart.
Of course, getting to know one another better, without allowing sex into the equation builds up the tension between them to an unbearable degree and makes them aware of how compatible they are on all sorts of other levels too. But Charlie was never meant to stay in Tuttle for too long, what will Allie do when and if he actually leaves?
This is yet another romance I got in an e-book sale absolutely ages ago and never got round to reading. Jennifer Crusie tends to write really enjoyable and fast-paced contemporaries, and I have yet to come across one I didn't enjoy. For someone who's struggling with involuntary infertility, it's nice to read books where there is no pregnancy epilogues, and in several of her books, the heroines aren't interested in ever having children. Her heroine are always smart and capable, and frequently not in the first blush of youth. Allie is 36, and actually two years older than Charlie, the hero. She's extremely good at her job, but not to an unbelievable degree and it's clear that she's had to make sacrifices along the way and that her best friend and roommate, Joe, is actually worried about how much of her self-worth and identity is tied up in her job at the radio station. She's clearly never had a particularly satisfying romantic or sexual relationship, and seems more upset about losing her job as Mark King's producer than by the fact that he dumped her two months' earlier. A little bit too career driven, she needs some distractions.
We're never given a clear back story for Charlie, except that he's not really one for settling down and seems never to stay in one place for too long. I don't think he's actually a detective, even though he's sent to Tuttle to help investigate a suspected threat, and it seems as if his nomadic lifestyle is quite a frustration to his parents. Strangely, his brother seems to be much more of a black sheep, having been arrested for drug-dealing and quite possibly also left a pregnant wife behind when he fled to whereabouts unknown. Quick to adapt and very charming, Charlie becomes a popular and proficient DJ, even though he tries his very best to remain unnoticed. He feels very protective of Allie and keeps doing his best to make Mark jealous, since the guy never appreciated her when he had her.
As is also the case with a lot of Crusie novels, there is a dog as part of the plot, in this case a tiny runt of a puppy, near death, who has to be hand-reared back to health by various radio station employees. While Charlie initially believes the puppy, Samson, to be a goner, he sees how invested Allie is in making it eat and survive and through the determined efforts of most of the various night time DJs and hourly feedings over several weeks, the puppy pulls through and becomes something of a mascot for Charlie and the radio station.
Crusie says in her introduction of the book that she wanted to see what a relationship that started with a one night stand and later became less physical might look like and in this book she basically has lovers to friends to lovers once more and manages it excellently. This is a really quick read, with a great main couple and a lot of fun and quirky supporting characters. I'm so glad I finally read it and really should do my best to chase down the rest of the books I have left unread in Crusie's back catalogue.
Judging a book by its cover: This book has a pretty cute and fairly simple cover. Two sets of lower legs and feet, belonging to people who are clearly snuggling up together. I'm going to assume that they're on some sort of giant blanket on the floor, because no bed I've ever seen has that much room at the foot of the bed once two grown humans are lying down on it. I'd say that perhaps they were half sitting, but the angle of the legs is all wrong for that. Still, as romance covers go, not bad at all.
Alice "Allie" McGuffey is the best radio producer WBBB in Tuttle, Ohio has ever had and it's pretty much the unspoken truth that she's the reason the radio station runs as well as it does. She loves her job and thrives on it, so when the radio station's current Drivetime star, Mark King, who up until two months ago was her lover, tells her that she's been moved to a different time slot, and from now on, he'll be using Lisa, her former intern as his producer, Allie is not happy. It's not like Bill Bonner, the radio station's owner would be fool enough to fire her (the place would go under), but she's been relegated to the 10pm-2am slot, previously occupied by a conspiracy nut who ended his career at the station two weeks earlier by shooting up the console. Angry and hurt, she walks into the local bar, determined to pick up someone, anyone who can make her forget about Mark.
Allie is not going to be broken. She has a plan. First she's going to find someone to sleep with, who will make her forget about Mark King once and for all. Then she's going to make her new DJ so famous that the station owner will beg her forgiveness and give her any choice producing gig she wants. Of course, the man she sits down next to and propositions is none other than Charlie Tenniel, the station's new DJ. Except, unbeknownst to anyone but Bill Bonner and his wife, Charlie has no radio experience whatsoever. He's there as a favour to Mr. Bonner because Charlie's father and Bill are old friends, and there have been some threatening letters sent to WBBB. Charlie is just going to pose as a DJ (borrowing the reputation of Ten Tenniel, his drug-dealing DJ brother) while he investigates the threats. He's unlikely to stay in Tuttle for more than about six weeks, and therefore isn't exactly looking to make an impression.
Yet Allie is so charming and determined, and after being invited to dinner with her and her gay roommate Joe, Charlie goes against his better judgement and agrees to stay on their sofa. And when Allie later at night asks him to seduce her, he initially tries to refuse, but when she persists, he doesn't resist for long. She also tells him about her plan to make him a big name in Tuttle, something he adamantly refuses to agree to. Nevertheless, despite his continued attempts to make bad and boring radio broadcasts, he keeps getting more and more listeners, and despite promising himself he's not going to stay on the sofa and not keep ending up in Allie's bed every night, the two continue their trysts. That is, until they inadvertently reveal their fledgling relationship on air, and make a public bet to stay celibate, both determined to prove that their gender is better at going without sex. They will need to spend their days keeping their hands off each other and their nights sleeping apart.
Of course, getting to know one another better, without allowing sex into the equation builds up the tension between them to an unbearable degree and makes them aware of how compatible they are on all sorts of other levels too. But Charlie was never meant to stay in Tuttle for too long, what will Allie do when and if he actually leaves?
This is yet another romance I got in an e-book sale absolutely ages ago and never got round to reading. Jennifer Crusie tends to write really enjoyable and fast-paced contemporaries, and I have yet to come across one I didn't enjoy. For someone who's struggling with involuntary infertility, it's nice to read books where there is no pregnancy epilogues, and in several of her books, the heroines aren't interested in ever having children. Her heroine are always smart and capable, and frequently not in the first blush of youth. Allie is 36, and actually two years older than Charlie, the hero. She's extremely good at her job, but not to an unbelievable degree and it's clear that she's had to make sacrifices along the way and that her best friend and roommate, Joe, is actually worried about how much of her self-worth and identity is tied up in her job at the radio station. She's clearly never had a particularly satisfying romantic or sexual relationship, and seems more upset about losing her job as Mark King's producer than by the fact that he dumped her two months' earlier. A little bit too career driven, she needs some distractions.
We're never given a clear back story for Charlie, except that he's not really one for settling down and seems never to stay in one place for too long. I don't think he's actually a detective, even though he's sent to Tuttle to help investigate a suspected threat, and it seems as if his nomadic lifestyle is quite a frustration to his parents. Strangely, his brother seems to be much more of a black sheep, having been arrested for drug-dealing and quite possibly also left a pregnant wife behind when he fled to whereabouts unknown. Quick to adapt and very charming, Charlie becomes a popular and proficient DJ, even though he tries his very best to remain unnoticed. He feels very protective of Allie and keeps doing his best to make Mark jealous, since the guy never appreciated her when he had her.
As is also the case with a lot of Crusie novels, there is a dog as part of the plot, in this case a tiny runt of a puppy, near death, who has to be hand-reared back to health by various radio station employees. While Charlie initially believes the puppy, Samson, to be a goner, he sees how invested Allie is in making it eat and survive and through the determined efforts of most of the various night time DJs and hourly feedings over several weeks, the puppy pulls through and becomes something of a mascot for Charlie and the radio station.
Crusie says in her introduction of the book that she wanted to see what a relationship that started with a one night stand and later became less physical might look like and in this book she basically has lovers to friends to lovers once more and manages it excellently. This is a really quick read, with a great main couple and a lot of fun and quirky supporting characters. I'm so glad I finally read it and really should do my best to chase down the rest of the books I have left unread in Crusie's back catalogue.
Judging a book by its cover: This book has a pretty cute and fairly simple cover. Two sets of lower legs and feet, belonging to people who are clearly snuggling up together. I'm going to assume that they're on some sort of giant blanket on the floor, because no bed I've ever seen has that much room at the foot of the bed once two grown humans are lying down on it. I'd say that perhaps they were half sitting, but the angle of the legs is all wrong for that. Still, as romance covers go, not bad at all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 581 reviews