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Planet of the Creeps
Planet of the Creeps is a twisted Cinderella story set in modern day NYC about blind dating, deceit, and the struggle to find true love in a sea of creepy men. 'Creeps' is a comedy more so than a romance novel. Or dare say, an anti-romance novel? This is a book for the rest of us. Cindy has been looking for love through Smitten, an online dating app, only to encounter one creep after another. She has a happy life living in NYC with her gay roommate, Barry, but she feels he’s putting his own love life on hold for her sake. Then her younger sister gets engaged. She decides it’s time to try again to find her own true love. The CEO of Smitten, Lance, is facing declining subscribership and the Board wants his ouster. Lance truly believes women can’t find matches because they’re too picky. As a last-ditch effort, he develops a marketing scheme involving a contest for female users. A few lucky women will go on a series of blind dates for a hefty sum, in the hopes of improving Smitten’s matching algorithm. He decides to pose as a waiter at the restaurant hosting the experiment to find out the truth and validate his position. Cindy accepts the invitation to participate. Lance is a terrible waiter and the patrons treat him horribly. But Cindy becomes his beacon of happiness as the contest progresses. She treats him like a person and not a servant. He watches how she maintains a positive attitude despite several hilariously awful blind dates with the creepiest men. Soon, Lance starts to fall for her—hard. Only, she doesn’t know his true identity. Can Lance win Cindy’s love? Or will he turn out to be the worst creep of them all? (Without giving away too much, most likely YES)
- GenresChick Lit
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 7, 2020
4 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 14, 2020
***spoiler free zone***
I received a free copy of this book through BookTasters in exchange for a review. This book could be triggering for anyone who has had an experience with stalking and abuse.
There is a lot going on in this book.
Cindy is in her mid-thirties and having a hard time finding a decent man to settle in a relationship with. She's been using Smitten and (true to real life), there are too many (fish) men who are scum. Cindy has had a rough life over the past 20 years, and dreams of taking six months off to venture to Italy for an art retreat.
Smitten is a multi-million dollar dating organization and its CEO, Lance Stone is convinced women are the issue. Lance believes women are too picky when looking for their Mr. Rights and has to come up with a plan to save the company. He decides to come up with a contest to determine what is happening. His team identifies a group of women who have been using Smitten and offers them each $25,000 for going through ten dates.
Cindy is one of those women.
The dates all take place at an established restaurant owned by a friend of Lance's. In order to aptly observe and research, Lance disguises himself as a waiter named Lee. During his time as a waiter, Lance comes to realize that he was gravely mistaken as to how awful men can be. As Cindy spends multiple nights a week at the restaurant, she and "Lee" connect and form a bond.
Through a series of events in this novel, readers follow Lance and Cindy on their journey. Lance becomes enthralled with Cindy, and struggles with coming clean about his identify. Cindy has a few terrible dates before connecting with Brian and her participation in the contest ends early. Due to some manipulation, Cindy and "Lee" spend more time together, and their connection increases.
***spoiler zone***
This novel had too much going.
Cindy's first two dates were likely very accurate representations of how awful men can be but it was clearly just to set-up for Lance and Cindy. The other issue was Cindy's gambling ex-husband's appearance. It seemed like his only role was to show why Cindy was broke, and to establish her connection to 9/11. There was no real need for it, and bringing in a surprise obsessed ex-husband seemed unnecessary.
It was also unnecessary to turn Lance into an obsessed stalker of Cindy. His manipulations and behaviour seemed to come out of nowhere and could be triggering for a lot people.
***spoiler zone ends***
The ending had a bit of a twist but I felt there was enough going on in this book that it could have been three separate novels. None of the plots came to a satisfactory ending, and the only character I was really interested in was Cindy's gay roommate and best friend, Barry.
I received a free copy of this book through BookTasters in exchange for a review. This book could be triggering for anyone who has had an experience with stalking and abuse.
There is a lot going on in this book.
Cindy is in her mid-thirties and having a hard time finding a decent man to settle in a relationship with. She's been using Smitten and (true to real life), there are too many (fish) men who are scum. Cindy has had a rough life over the past 20 years, and dreams of taking six months off to venture to Italy for an art retreat.
Smitten is a multi-million dollar dating organization and its CEO, Lance Stone is convinced women are the issue. Lance believes women are too picky when looking for their Mr. Rights and has to come up with a plan to save the company. He decides to come up with a contest to determine what is happening. His team identifies a group of women who have been using Smitten and offers them each $25,000 for going through ten dates.
Cindy is one of those women.
The dates all take place at an established restaurant owned by a friend of Lance's. In order to aptly observe and research, Lance disguises himself as a waiter named Lee. During his time as a waiter, Lance comes to realize that he was gravely mistaken as to how awful men can be. As Cindy spends multiple nights a week at the restaurant, she and "Lee" connect and form a bond.
Through a series of events in this novel, readers follow Lance and Cindy on their journey. Lance becomes enthralled with Cindy, and struggles with coming clean about his identify. Cindy has a few terrible dates before connecting with Brian and her participation in the contest ends early. Due to some manipulation, Cindy and "Lee" spend more time together, and their connection increases.
***spoiler zone***
This novel had too much going.
Cindy's first two dates were likely very accurate representations of how awful men can be but it was clearly just to set-up for Lance and Cindy. The other issue was Cindy's gambling ex-husband's appearance. It seemed like his only role was to show why Cindy was broke, and to establish her connection to 9/11. There was no real need for it, and bringing in a surprise obsessed ex-husband seemed unnecessary.
It was also unnecessary to turn Lance into an obsessed stalker of Cindy. His manipulations and behaviour seemed to come out of nowhere and could be triggering for a lot people.
***spoiler zone ends***
The ending had a bit of a twist but I felt there was enough going on in this book that it could have been three separate novels. None of the plots came to a satisfactory ending, and the only character I was really interested in was Cindy's gay roommate and best friend, Barry.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2020
Easy and Light Read
I picked up this book as the weekend read. This story is about the online dating apps and the travails of the people using it. Its a new premise for me and I wasn't sure how much entertaining or engaging the book would be for me. But this book is full of subtle humor that one can't miss.
The main protagonist Cindy gets selected for an online dating campaign, which she accepts despite having a lot of reservations about the blind dates. From then onwards Cindy gets to meet various people who are wierd and funny at times. I liked the way she keeps up her positive spirit despite all the disastrous blind dates she has to undergo.
The authors love for food comes through the story in the way she describes the food and those tastes. Cindy keeps enjoying the best dinners irrespective of the unsuccessful dates. Among all this, one can see a tiny love story brewing between Lance and Cindy, which keeps the readers intrigued. Lance character could have been more detailed, so that the readers can start empathizing with him. But the sudden twist in his character and the twists in the tale makes the story more interesting.
The final love story could have been sketched better, as at that point of time everyone is with Cindy and wanted to read further as to how she is moving ahead with her life. So felt that the story got ended little abruptly. But on the whole this book is for an easy and light read for those days where you just want to relax. Enjoyed the book.
I picked up this book as the weekend read. This story is about the online dating apps and the travails of the people using it. Its a new premise for me and I wasn't sure how much entertaining or engaging the book would be for me. But this book is full of subtle humor that one can't miss.
The main protagonist Cindy gets selected for an online dating campaign, which she accepts despite having a lot of reservations about the blind dates. From then onwards Cindy gets to meet various people who are wierd and funny at times. I liked the way she keeps up her positive spirit despite all the disastrous blind dates she has to undergo.
The authors love for food comes through the story in the way she describes the food and those tastes. Cindy keeps enjoying the best dinners irrespective of the unsuccessful dates. Among all this, one can see a tiny love story brewing between Lance and Cindy, which keeps the readers intrigued. Lance character could have been more detailed, so that the readers can start empathizing with him. But the sudden twist in his character and the twists in the tale makes the story more interesting.
The final love story could have been sketched better, as at that point of time everyone is with Cindy and wanted to read further as to how she is moving ahead with her life. So felt that the story got ended little abruptly. But on the whole this book is for an easy and light read for those days where you just want to relax. Enjoyed the book.
August 21, 2020
A Rollercoaster of Emotion
My personal ranking of this is 3 1/2 stars, but I always like rounding up instead of down so... let's get into a very ranty review of Planet of Creeps.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I hate Lee, Lance whatever he wants to be called! I also feel like their romantic 'connection' is so forced. SPOILER! That kiss in chapter 13?14?, so unwarranted and not even rewarding a s a reader, because it feels forced into the writing. I literally was so upset, I prefer Brian a million to one times over. I liked everything until the forced relationship between Lee, Lance whatever and Cindy. The characters side characters were interesting, their stories and interactions, I loved. I'm sad to have started losing my intrigue in the book as soon as the forced plot line entered, but I kept reading to give it a fair shot at maybe convincing me. There were a few issues with characters names swapping, but that is common in self edited work. SPOILER I will say setting her up with Roberto was too easy, but I could see the build up to them potentially having a relationship, but it was still so... easy? Thrown in for the happy ending factor?
Overall, a majority of the story was enjoyable, particularly the first half. I just have a strong disdain of Lance and his entire arc, because honestly there was none. I didn't get many laughs from this, but it wasn't boring so that was nice. I wouldn't say I'd reccomend it to many friends, but if they wanted to read it, I would surely let them and see if we shared similar thoughts.
My personal ranking of this is 3 1/2 stars, but I always like rounding up instead of down so... let's get into a very ranty review of Planet of Creeps.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I hate Lee, Lance whatever he wants to be called! I also feel like their romantic 'connection' is so forced. SPOILER! That kiss in chapter 13?14?, so unwarranted and not even rewarding a s a reader, because it feels forced into the writing. I literally was so upset, I prefer Brian a million to one times over. I liked everything until the forced relationship between Lee, Lance whatever and Cindy. The characters side characters were interesting, their stories and interactions, I loved. I'm sad to have started losing my intrigue in the book as soon as the forced plot line entered, but I kept reading to give it a fair shot at maybe convincing me. There were a few issues with characters names swapping, but that is common in self edited work. SPOILER I will say setting her up with Roberto was too easy, but I could see the build up to them potentially having a relationship, but it was still so... easy? Thrown in for the happy ending factor?
Overall, a majority of the story was enjoyable, particularly the first half. I just have a strong disdain of Lance and his entire arc, because honestly there was none. I didn't get many laughs from this, but it wasn't boring so that was nice. I wouldn't say I'd reccomend it to many friends, but if they wanted to read it, I would surely let them and see if we shared similar thoughts.
August 21, 2020
I've got to link my Amazon to right link so, this review is the same thing just on my proper account.
A Rollercoaster of Emotion
My personal ranking of this is 3 1/2 stars, but I always like rounding up instead of down so... let's get into a very ranty review of Planet of Creeps.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I hate Lee, Lance whatever he wants to be called! I also feel like their romantic 'connection' is so forced. SPOILER! That kiss in chapter 13?14?, so unwarranted and not even rewarding a s a reader, because it feels forced into the writing. I literally was so upset, I prefer Brian a million to one times over. I liked everything until the forced relationship between Lee, Lance whatever and Cindy. The characters side characters were interesting, their stories and interactions, I loved. I'm sad to have started losing my intrigue in the book as soon as the forced plot line entered, but I kept reading to give it a fair shot at maybe convincing me. There were a few issues with characters names swapping, but that is common in self edited work. SPOILER I will say setting her up with Roberto was too easy, but I could see the build up to them potentially having a relationship, but it was still so... easy? Thrown in for the happy ending factor?
A Rollercoaster of Emotion
My personal ranking of this is 3 1/2 stars, but I always like rounding up instead of down so... let's get into a very ranty review of Planet of Creeps.
SPOILERS AHEAD
I hate Lee, Lance whatever he wants to be called! I also feel like their romantic 'connection' is so forced. SPOILER! That kiss in chapter 13?14?, so unwarranted and not even rewarding a s a reader, because it feels forced into the writing. I literally was so upset, I prefer Brian a million to one times over. I liked everything until the forced relationship between Lee, Lance whatever and Cindy. The characters side characters were interesting, their stories and interactions, I loved. I'm sad to have started losing my intrigue in the book as soon as the forced plot line entered, but I kept reading to give it a fair shot at maybe convincing me. There were a few issues with characters names swapping, but that is common in self edited work. SPOILER I will say setting her up with Roberto was too easy, but I could see the build up to them potentially having a relationship, but it was still so... easy? Thrown in for the happy ending factor?
July 16, 2020
Planet of the Creeps is a great comedic escape from the world around us. If you have ever been caught up in the world of online dating, Cindy will become your new best friend.
Cindy is 35 and still hasn't found Mr. Right. She is a survivor of domestic violence and is a creep magnet! After being chosen to participate in the Smitten dating contest, the dating app she has been a member of for years, she has to go on dates selected by the company. At the end of her trouble, they will reward her with $25,000, and she will finally have enough money to go on the artist retreat in Italy she has always dreamed of.
Just a few dates in a controlled environment, how bad could it be?
A disaster.
This book had me laughing and calling my best friend to recount old "creeps" of our past. I highly recommend this book as a comedy and an cautionary tale to women experiencing similar situations with dating or dating apps. The age range I think this would be best suited for is 23-45. (This is only my opinion as a reviewer.)
Trigger Warning: This book does contain stalking and elements of domestic violence. Reader discretion is advised.
Cindy is 35 and still hasn't found Mr. Right. She is a survivor of domestic violence and is a creep magnet! After being chosen to participate in the Smitten dating contest, the dating app she has been a member of for years, she has to go on dates selected by the company. At the end of her trouble, they will reward her with $25,000, and she will finally have enough money to go on the artist retreat in Italy she has always dreamed of.
Just a few dates in a controlled environment, how bad could it be?
A disaster.
This book had me laughing and calling my best friend to recount old "creeps" of our past. I highly recommend this book as a comedy and an cautionary tale to women experiencing similar situations with dating or dating apps. The age range I think this would be best suited for is 23-45. (This is only my opinion as a reviewer.)
Trigger Warning: This book does contain stalking and elements of domestic violence. Reader discretion is advised.
July 14, 2020
I think this makes for an enjoyable read if you don't take it too seriously. The first round account of the dates are shocking (although I loved how security were so quick to handle that each time), but there are also some good laugh-out-loud moments. I particularly enjoyed the relationship with her roommate, encouraging her to take risks whilst also been there for the fall-out. I found the situation with Lance a bit too far-fetched for my liking. It was sweet at the beginning, with the waiter scenario, but he seemed to go into full-on stalker mode a bit too abruptly. The "proposal" scene would have been more shocking but it was so hard to take seriously, I found it quite funny (which I'm not sure was the intention at all).
I won't go into details on typos, etc... I had to read a formatted pdf of this book, so while the formatting was very weird in places and there were a few typos, etc... I don't know how much was to do with the editing and how much was the converting.
All in all, not bad. Ideal for a light summer read.
I won't go into details on typos, etc... I had to read a formatted pdf of this book, so while the formatting was very weird in places and there were a few typos, etc... I don't know how much was to do with the editing and how much was the converting.
All in all, not bad. Ideal for a light summer read.
December 2, 2020
Wild RomCom
I really liked this book! Cindy is a sympathetic character who's seen a lot in her life and has had to work hard to get by. Her lack of luck with finding love is rather pitiful, but with encouragement from her overtly (sometimes too stereotypical) gay roommate Barry, and the cool worker Laura who's on the team to find her romance, she gets this lighter part of her life into gear.
Blind dates aren't a new concept, but this story does wonders at keeping each date entertaining and at times gripping. There are suspenseful moments that make you step back from the humor to really root for the safety and well being of Cindy.
I recommend this to anyone who likes to laugh, loves a light-hearted romance, and who has time to spare. Take note, this is a longer piece than what one might expect from its concept. Not necessarily something you would read straight through - breaks in between chapters are recommended.
I really liked this book! Cindy is a sympathetic character who's seen a lot in her life and has had to work hard to get by. Her lack of luck with finding love is rather pitiful, but with encouragement from her overtly (sometimes too stereotypical) gay roommate Barry, and the cool worker Laura who's on the team to find her romance, she gets this lighter part of her life into gear.
Blind dates aren't a new concept, but this story does wonders at keeping each date entertaining and at times gripping. There are suspenseful moments that make you step back from the humor to really root for the safety and well being of Cindy.
I recommend this to anyone who likes to laugh, loves a light-hearted romance, and who has time to spare. Take note, this is a longer piece than what one might expect from its concept. Not necessarily something you would read straight through - breaks in between chapters are recommended.
October 1, 2020
It’s a light hearted story about Cindy, the protagonist, who has been selected for a blind date contest by Smitten, an online dating company. The story is sweet and easy going. A girl in her thirties, her unsuccessful marriage, her love for food, a little financial crunch and the wait for love, and not to forget the weird encounters on blind dates.
I liked the author’s way of conveying things but as a reader, I am very unhappy with the ending. Neither Lance, nor Brian was given any chance to explain themselves. And what Cindy did to Lance was unforgivable. He was nothing but nice to her.
This book could be kept on your light-read section, but it’s not a feel-good one, esp. the last two chapters. Liked the writing style, would like to read more from the author.
I liked the author’s way of conveying things but as a reader, I am very unhappy with the ending. Neither Lance, nor Brian was given any chance to explain themselves. And what Cindy did to Lance was unforgivable. He was nothing but nice to her.
This book could be kept on your light-read section, but it’s not a feel-good one, esp. the last two chapters. Liked the writing style, would like to read more from the author.
July 4, 2020
Made for the fans of 1989's HEATHER'S and the Bachelorette!!
I enjoyed reading Planet of the Creeps so much, it was definitely needed during these trying times! If you're a serious or not-so-serious contender on online dating sites, definitely add this to your TBR list! This novel is hilarious, jawdropping, and emphasizes the importance of friendship and taking risks (with caution)! Additionally, the best friend and potential dating candidates the main character had, had been my favorite moments of the novel, they were hilarious, interesting, very real, and unique! Planet of the Creeps is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a shocking plot twist!
I enjoyed reading Planet of the Creeps so much, it was definitely needed during these trying times! If you're a serious or not-so-serious contender on online dating sites, definitely add this to your TBR list! This novel is hilarious, jawdropping, and emphasizes the importance of friendship and taking risks (with caution)! Additionally, the best friend and potential dating candidates the main character had, had been my favorite moments of the novel, they were hilarious, interesting, very real, and unique! Planet of the Creeps is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a shocking plot twist!
November 27, 2020
It was an okay read. It's a typical American rom-com. The story begins interestingly but gets a bit off as it keeps going. I felt that a few characters didn't get justice like Brian. It seemed like he had a major role but he got cut off just like that in one line. He deserved a genuine explanation from Cindy, being the only non-creepy man she dated.
Also, the stalker side to Lance was sudden and a big surprise because he was shown as a spoilt person who dates multiple women but not as a psycho. That was a bit unfair to his character.
It was a light and easy read. And, I would recommend you to read it if you're bored.
Also, the stalker side to Lance was sudden and a big surprise because he was shown as a spoilt person who dates multiple women but not as a psycho. That was a bit unfair to his character.
It was a light and easy read. And, I would recommend you to read it if you're bored.
September 5, 2020
It’s a cute easy read. It was entertaining and enjoyable. I laughed out loud at some parts, and couldn’t put it down. I’m glad the main character ended up with who she did ♥️ I do wish there was a little more about how they ended up together but it was a nice ending
My favourite characters have to be Barry and Henry though, I like their energy and Barry’s flamboyance, I also appreciate Roberto’s sweetness 😊
My favourite characters have to be Barry and Henry though, I like their energy and Barry’s flamboyance, I also appreciate Roberto’s sweetness 😊
Read
December 16, 2020This was a really interesting book. Not your average romantic novel for sure. I definitely like Barry most of all the characters! He is best friend anyone can ask for and definitely a hoot! It's a really fast paced and out of the ordinary book that makes you wonder what will happen next. This book is best suited for young adults that want a casual but odd book. The only thing I didnt like was that it made Cindy seem a little too eager in terms of men. Still, I liked it overall. Recommended!
February 11, 2020
Love at it's craziest
Mixing a dating service with calamity this book is frankly hilarious. If you like th Stephanie Plum series you'll like this. You are less by the author through the sometimes crazy world of a dating service through the eyes of one woman. This is a great book for everyone to read.
Mixing a dating service with calamity this book is frankly hilarious. If you like th Stephanie Plum series you'll like this. You are less by the author through the sometimes crazy world of a dating service through the eyes of one woman. This is a great book for everyone to read.
Read
August 19, 2020The slow introduction to the book, I felt the characters at the beginning should've had more of an introduction, rather than just jumping right in. However, during chapter 2 things did improve and I got used to the authors writing style. Loved the dating scenes, some you could not have made up. The book is an easy read, chick flick light read. Would definitely read more from this author
July 12, 2021
I'm always up for a DS Whitaker novel. I wanted something light and funny and this book did the trick. I just love it when I run across great lines and need to highlight them: "I don't care how much you hide; I'm not painting you in the buff", etc.
Good summertime read or just a fun escape. And true to form, the ending was unpredictable. A keeper.
Good summertime read or just a fun escape. And true to form, the ending was unpredictable. A keeper.
November 3, 2020
*Thank you to BookTasters and DS Whitaker for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I will remember Planet of the Creeps as that book that kept me company during my trip in Rome this summer. I think it fits quite nicely given the fact that my friend and I met our fair share of creeps there. I must say though that it’s quite hard to beat Cindy when it comes to it. Cindy is the main female character of the novel and she’s quite the unlucky type in the dating field, especially if you throw in the mix a dating app, a contest and a couple of psychos.
Leaving to you readers the occasion to find out more about the book itself, I will now talk about the reasons why I only gave it 3 stars. Firstly, I really expected something more. The story had so much potential, but it was lacking the sort of humour I was looking forward to. It was overall a novel based on stereotypes and people’s tragic pasts. Of course, that doesn’t mean that for other readers it couldn’t be the perfect combination for a good laugh, but it wasn’t it for me. Despite it all, people, give it a chance: everyone is different.
Secondly, I’d like to go over the writing style of the author, which was simple, straightforward and quite nice. There is an abundance of speeches but that was to be expected since it is a novel about dating and going on untold dates. Nevertheless, there were some deep reflections across them like for example “If I’m looking for a happy person, I need to be a happy person, right? It’s the only way to harness positive forces in the universe”.
Moreover, I really liked the quotes put at the beginning of each chapter and the concept of the story itself. To wrap it up, I look forward to reading more by the author and to seeing the way she will keep blossoming in the future.
I will remember Planet of the Creeps as that book that kept me company during my trip in Rome this summer. I think it fits quite nicely given the fact that my friend and I met our fair share of creeps there. I must say though that it’s quite hard to beat Cindy when it comes to it. Cindy is the main female character of the novel and she’s quite the unlucky type in the dating field, especially if you throw in the mix a dating app, a contest and a couple of psychos.
Leaving to you readers the occasion to find out more about the book itself, I will now talk about the reasons why I only gave it 3 stars. Firstly, I really expected something more. The story had so much potential, but it was lacking the sort of humour I was looking forward to. It was overall a novel based on stereotypes and people’s tragic pasts. Of course, that doesn’t mean that for other readers it couldn’t be the perfect combination for a good laugh, but it wasn’t it for me. Despite it all, people, give it a chance: everyone is different.
Secondly, I’d like to go over the writing style of the author, which was simple, straightforward and quite nice. There is an abundance of speeches but that was to be expected since it is a novel about dating and going on untold dates. Nevertheless, there were some deep reflections across them like for example “If I’m looking for a happy person, I need to be a happy person, right? It’s the only way to harness positive forces in the universe”.
Moreover, I really liked the quotes put at the beginning of each chapter and the concept of the story itself. To wrap it up, I look forward to reading more by the author and to seeing the way she will keep blossoming in the future.
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