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Ex, Why, and Me
Who knew that horseradish was an aphrodisiac?
Not Michelle Nelson. She signed up again to help promote her hometown's annual Horseradish Festival out of the goodness of her heart. No one said anything about a major publicity stunt, a romantic local legend, and prize money for the team voted "sexiest couple." And she is absolutely sure no one mentioned her new partner in this dubious event: Ryan Slater, a guy rumored to be an aphrodisiac for a lot of satisfied women. Yeah, right.
Michelle and Ryan shared one disastrous evening together--a romantic catastrophe if ever there was one. There's no way this former Miss Horseradish is going to suffer that humiliation again. But Ryan--every denim-clad muscle and wicked, grinning, I-know-what-you're-thinking inch of him--is equally determined to get another chance with Michelle. And once the hunt is on, there's no turning back...
Not Michelle Nelson. She signed up again to help promote her hometown's annual Horseradish Festival out of the goodness of her heart. No one said anything about a major publicity stunt, a romantic local legend, and prize money for the team voted "sexiest couple." And she is absolutely sure no one mentioned her new partner in this dubious event: Ryan Slater, a guy rumored to be an aphrodisiac for a lot of satisfied women. Yeah, right.
Michelle and Ryan shared one disastrous evening together--a romantic catastrophe if ever there was one. There's no way this former Miss Horseradish is going to suffer that humiliation again. But Ryan--every denim-clad muscle and wicked, grinning, I-know-what-you're-thinking inch of him--is equally determined to get another chance with Michelle. And once the hunt is on, there's no turning back...
261 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2006
2 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Susanna Carr
151 books327 followersReaders throughout the world find Susanna Carr's award-winning contemporary romances a delightful escape that has often helped them through difficult times. Reviewers frequently describe her work as "fun", "sexy" and a "must read".
Susanna Carr lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. When she isn’t writing, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online. Visit her website at susannacarr.com.
Susanna Carr lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family. When she isn’t writing, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online. Visit her website at susannacarr.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 6, 2012
The premise of this story is good, but the delivery was not there. There was too little romance, not enough background about our couple, way too much about a stupid and poorly planned scavenger hunt, and a very anti-climatic ending.
As a former Miss Horseradish Queen, our heroine Michelle is asked to return to her small hometown to help out with the annual Horseradish festival. She finds herself entered in a "couples only" scavenger hunt, but needs a partner. Ryan, the man Michelle lost her virginity to years earlier in a horrible one night stand, finds himself volunteering to be her partner for the hunt. His goal is to apologies about their horrible one night of love making years earlier, and make up for his past mistake by taking her to bed once again.
Ryan has to be one of the most unappealing heroes I've read in a romance novel in years. He is a highly unmotivated slacker type, still works at his first and only job at mom and dad's bowling alley (and I imagine still lives with mom & dad too), he doesn't have an athletic bone in his body (but yet some how has the body of a star athlete), and he doesn't have much of romance life except some long ago past reputation of being a great lover. He is afraid of heights (wimpy), and doesn't know how to be charming or sexy. His character was not well developed at all. We never learn much about him, not even his age.
Michelle is just annoying, she is either complaining about EVERYTHING or she is harping like a motivational speaker trying to get Ryan to believe in himself. Bottom line, I didn't feel these two were likable leads for a romance novel, and they didn't work as a couple. The ending was disappointing and rushed. Very anti-climatic. Their second chance of love making was about as disappointing as their first - not very hot at all. And for this author, that is surprising. I would not recommend this book, but would highly recommend her other book "Lip Lock". I loved that book. What a difference this book was from that one!!
As a former Miss Horseradish Queen, our heroine Michelle is asked to return to her small hometown to help out with the annual Horseradish festival. She finds herself entered in a "couples only" scavenger hunt, but needs a partner. Ryan, the man Michelle lost her virginity to years earlier in a horrible one night stand, finds himself volunteering to be her partner for the hunt. His goal is to apologies about their horrible one night of love making years earlier, and make up for his past mistake by taking her to bed once again.
Ryan has to be one of the most unappealing heroes I've read in a romance novel in years. He is a highly unmotivated slacker type, still works at his first and only job at mom and dad's bowling alley (and I imagine still lives with mom & dad too), he doesn't have an athletic bone in his body (but yet some how has the body of a star athlete), and he doesn't have much of romance life except some long ago past reputation of being a great lover. He is afraid of heights (wimpy), and doesn't know how to be charming or sexy. His character was not well developed at all. We never learn much about him, not even his age.
Michelle is just annoying, she is either complaining about EVERYTHING or she is harping like a motivational speaker trying to get Ryan to believe in himself. Bottom line, I didn't feel these two were likable leads for a romance novel, and they didn't work as a couple. The ending was disappointing and rushed. Very anti-climatic. Their second chance of love making was about as disappointing as their first - not very hot at all. And for this author, that is surprising. I would not recommend this book, but would highly recommend her other book "Lip Lock". I loved that book. What a difference this book was from that one!!
January 26, 2021
Fun and light-hearted romp
3 stars
This was a light-hearted and fun story about two opposite people with a disastrous past who are forced to spend time together. Both Ryan and Michelle were likeable characters if not particularly deep or well-developed. I enjoyed their banter and interactions even if their chemistry was a little fleeting and the sex a little tame.
The story itself of a scavenger hunt was enjoyable despite being quite unbelievable. It was still fun to read what they were put through and you kept turning the pages to see what would happen next.
My main problem with the book was that there wasn't enough romance for me. I was never sure why Ryan and Michelle weren't together and towards the end their feelings and the conflict were all a big muddle. The ending was also less dramatic than I would have liked but everything worked out well so it wasn't too bad!
Overall, this wasn't a bad story and if you are looking for a nice, light read that takes your mind off things for a while then I would recommend this book to you. 3 stars.
January 20, 2010
This was a very cute book. It was very light, funny, and romantic. The book opens up with glance at 5 years earlier when the main character, Michelle, is finally losing her virginity to her boyfriend that she has been after all summer long. She decides that she wants to lose her virginity to him before she leaves for France for culinary school the next morning. She has been in love with this guy, Ryan, secretly all through high school. While on the cement floor in the back of the bowling alley she is on top of him enjoying herself and then he goes limp. He, obviously embarrassed tries to put the blame on her and succeeds in making her think so.
Fast forward to 5 years later and Michelle is living in Chicago working at a restaurant as a pastry chef. Her best friend who is dating her older brother back home in a little town, begs Michelle to come home and take part in the scavenger hunt at the horseradish festival. She is trying to save the annual festival so she wants Michelle there cause she won the Miss Horseradish 5 years earlier before she left (used the scholarship money for culinary school). Also it doesn't help that Michelle's mom is telling everybody that she is a celebrity chef! Last minute changes happen while her friend was desperately working on angles to get more media coverage for the festival. She comes across some crazy claim that horseradishes are aphrodisiacs so she makes it so that the scavenger hunts have to be romantic couples only. Then almost everybody drops out, and Michelle has to have her brother beg everyone under the age of 45 to be her partner once she gets there. Michelle flies in late the night before the festival starts and immediately heads to the start of the hunt right when she wakes up with no time to find out if she has a partner or not. Oh she has a partner. It's Ryan, the limp dick!
He decided that he wants to apologize to her and spend some time with her. After spending some time with her he decides to not just apologize but show her that his little stage fright was a one time occurrence. The scavenger hunt is an all weekend deal and you have to stay with your partner at all times. At one point Michelle and Ryan even get handcuffed to each other for a night! Lots of funny little parts in this book. Not a book that makes you laugh out loud but a book that makes you smile a lot.
Fast forward to 5 years later and Michelle is living in Chicago working at a restaurant as a pastry chef. Her best friend who is dating her older brother back home in a little town, begs Michelle to come home and take part in the scavenger hunt at the horseradish festival. She is trying to save the annual festival so she wants Michelle there cause she won the Miss Horseradish 5 years earlier before she left (used the scholarship money for culinary school). Also it doesn't help that Michelle's mom is telling everybody that she is a celebrity chef! Last minute changes happen while her friend was desperately working on angles to get more media coverage for the festival. She comes across some crazy claim that horseradishes are aphrodisiacs so she makes it so that the scavenger hunts have to be romantic couples only. Then almost everybody drops out, and Michelle has to have her brother beg everyone under the age of 45 to be her partner once she gets there. Michelle flies in late the night before the festival starts and immediately heads to the start of the hunt right when she wakes up with no time to find out if she has a partner or not. Oh she has a partner. It's Ryan, the limp dick!
He decided that he wants to apologize to her and spend some time with her. After spending some time with her he decides to not just apologize but show her that his little stage fright was a one time occurrence. The scavenger hunt is an all weekend deal and you have to stay with your partner at all times. At one point Michelle and Ryan even get handcuffed to each other for a night! Lots of funny little parts in this book. Not a book that makes you laugh out loud but a book that makes you smile a lot.
April 1, 2011
I hate the idea of a big misunderstanding in a romance novel and seeing that this is the basis of the novel, I had a hard time from the beginning of it. Something happened between the main couple several years previously and while it is alluded to, you never actually know what happened. There were so many times during the book that I just wanted to give up on it, and if I wasn't using it to fill a challenge category I probably would have. However, the writing style of the author was good and easy to understand, it was just the overall plot that I had problems with.
June 13, 2012
Typical formulaic romance, without much depth. Heroine is afraid of horses, bats, spiders, insects, and standing up to her mother. Some sections of book are porn, but writing style is mostly competent.
October 26, 2009
This book was a fun and easy read. I really like the way Susanna Carr tell a story.
September 21, 2010
It was cute, light and a fast read. But the scavenger hunt was insanely too hard. If I'd been Michelle, I would have strangled Vanessa.
Want to read
January 13, 2012Horseradish always makes a story funnier;)
August 18, 2014
Cute book, fast read
July 3, 2016
2.5* Review up later.
July 14, 2012
great quick easy romantic read!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews