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Life in Icicle Falls #3
Vad hon vill ha
What do women want?
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot—their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.
When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking—Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot—their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.
When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking—Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!
ebook
First published January 1, 2013
160 people are currently reading
1856 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Roberts
109 books1,982 followersWith fifty books to her credit, both fiction and non-fiction, Sheila Roberts is a frequent USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller - and a fan favorite. Her books have sold over three million copies and have been turned into movies for the Hallmark, Lifetime and Great American Family channels. Before settling into her writing career, Sheila owned a singing telegram company and played in band. When she's not traveling, Sheila can be found hanging out with friends, playing tennis, and, of course, writing and reading. Sometimes she even remembers to post books she's read!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 188 reviews
May 17, 2013
This is book three of the Life in Icicle Falls series. I didn’t read the other two and do not feel like I needed to. This book took me completely by surprise. Most romances center around the angst of women trying to find true love. This book centers around men! It was very refreshing to read a story from the man’s perspective.
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies are single, married, separated, height challenged, balding, overweight and geeky. Not your typical romance heroes! But they all have good hearts and no knowledge on how to get the love of their lives, or keep the loves of their lives.
The main character of this book is Jonathan who has been in love with his childhood neighbor his whole life. She only sees him as her “good friend”. Their 15 year high school reunion is coming up and he is determined to change from geeky, skinny, computer nerd, to stud-muffin he-man. He’s also determined to learn how to talk to women and learn what they want. His poker buddies also have their women challenges from Adam who thinks he’s in love with someone at work, to Kyle whose wife kicks him out for taking her for granted, to Vance who has known love and lost love and has quite the surprise! Ms. Roberts deftly weaves their stories and other secondary characters around Jonathan’s. Jonathan’s sister starts planting the seed of reading romance novels to learn about women. They attend their local library’s book sale and Jonathan ends up buying a ton of romance novels. He approaches reading them as if they were textbooks, highlighting passages and taking notes. He ends up actually enjoying them! His poker buddies accidentally come upon his new hobby and he hooks them into reading the romance novels too. It is quite interesting, humorous and thoroughly engaging to watch these men transform.
This book will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for the underdog. It is very well written, with great character development and scene setting. You’ll fall in love with the Town of Icicle Falls and all its characters!
- Reviewed by Linda http://cheshirelibraryblog.wordpress....
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies are single, married, separated, height challenged, balding, overweight and geeky. Not your typical romance heroes! But they all have good hearts and no knowledge on how to get the love of their lives, or keep the loves of their lives.
The main character of this book is Jonathan who has been in love with his childhood neighbor his whole life. She only sees him as her “good friend”. Their 15 year high school reunion is coming up and he is determined to change from geeky, skinny, computer nerd, to stud-muffin he-man. He’s also determined to learn how to talk to women and learn what they want. His poker buddies also have their women challenges from Adam who thinks he’s in love with someone at work, to Kyle whose wife kicks him out for taking her for granted, to Vance who has known love and lost love and has quite the surprise! Ms. Roberts deftly weaves their stories and other secondary characters around Jonathan’s. Jonathan’s sister starts planting the seed of reading romance novels to learn about women. They attend their local library’s book sale and Jonathan ends up buying a ton of romance novels. He approaches reading them as if they were textbooks, highlighting passages and taking notes. He ends up actually enjoying them! His poker buddies accidentally come upon his new hobby and he hooks them into reading the romance novels too. It is quite interesting, humorous and thoroughly engaging to watch these men transform.
This book will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for the underdog. It is very well written, with great character development and scene setting. You’ll fall in love with the Town of Icicle Falls and all its characters!
- Reviewed by Linda http://cheshirelibraryblog.wordpress....
July 6, 2018
A cute, fun romance from the perspective of some bumbling men who are clueless about how to romance a woman. They meet for poker every Friday night, occasionally commiserating about their love lifes, or lack thereof. So one of them decides to look for the answers to win the heart of the woman of their dreams by reading romance novels. What ensues are some epic failures along with successful attempts that made me smile and route for them to find forever love.
An easy, light read.
3.5 stars
An easy, light read.
3.5 stars
April 22, 2013
The synopsis of a guy turning to romance novels to learn what the female half of the species wants intrigued me after I read another of her books. I had received Shelia Roberts's Better Than Chocolate as part of the Tell Harlequin reader panel.
After Jonathan Templar starts reading romance novels in an effort to turn himself into the hero who could win the woman his heart's been set on since middle school, he starts getting his poker night buddies in on it.
Kyle is looking in all the wrong places for love. His substory is cute and plausible.
Adam is the modern busy guy. Taking his wife for granted until he misses one too many things and gets kicked out of his own house. He must learn how to woo back his wife.
And then they discover who their favorite writer really is.
One thing about this book really annoyed me. You don't see Jonathan's lady interest interact with him until over 80% through the book except for flashbacks to their childhood. You only get Jonathan's view of her and it's very one sided. You see her in flashbacks and on TV, that's it. I was horribly disappointed in Jonathan's story.
Cross posted: Ramblings of a Lost Dancer
After Jonathan Templar starts reading romance novels in an effort to turn himself into the hero who could win the woman his heart's been set on since middle school, he starts getting his poker night buddies in on it.
Kyle is looking in all the wrong places for love. His substory is cute and plausible.
Adam is the modern busy guy. Taking his wife for granted until he misses one too many things and gets kicked out of his own house. He must learn how to woo back his wife.
And then they discover who their favorite writer really is.
One thing about this book really annoyed me. You don't see Jonathan's lady interest interact with him until over 80% through the book except for flashbacks to their childhood. You only get Jonathan's view of her and it's very one sided. You see her in flashbacks and on TV, that's it. I was horribly disappointed in Jonathan's story.
Cross posted: Ramblings of a Lost Dancer
March 28, 2013
There were several times while reading this book that I thought I could see this made into a TV movie on the Hallmark Channel! A group of Friday night poker playing men are baffled at their inability to understand women. While at the local library fund drive, one of them sees romance novels as a way to enlighten themselves. From the pages of romance these men soon embark on ways to better understand women! Suffice it to say, there is a 15 year high school reunion to go to, a marriage to save, and all the men try to find ways to connect with the women in their lives. The hero in this book is the town's resident computer geek, and no one can really see him for the hunk he really is under the title of "Chess Club" president. Hilarity ensues as he sets out to win his high school crush, a women who was his neighbor growing up. Gym membership, dancing lessons, with his sister no less, and new clothes buying.....all in an attempt to get his friend to notice him.
I love reading Sheila Roberts. She never disappoints and her new series in Icicle Falls is perfect for an afternoon of comfort reading!
I love reading Sheila Roberts. She never disappoints and her new series in Icicle Falls is perfect for an afternoon of comfort reading!
April 13, 2017
What a lovely read this book was.
It focuses on what women want, and the complexities of how to give them what they want.
Sounds confusing? It seems that it might be.
But the answer it seems lies in romance novels. The best of which everyone involved feels are written by Vanessa Valentine. But Vanessa Valentine is not all that she appears to be.
Why, and how this comes to light are a mystery until the story unfolds.
The interwoven relationships between the residents of Icicle Falls are always interesting. But this story is slightly different to the usual Icicle Falls adventures because an unusual twist prevails.
Each of the residents has their own story to tell. All interesting in their own way.
Some sad, and some seemingly too good to be true. But all adding to this lovely book.
Some of the residents go through wonderful transformations to become a better version of themselves. All to get or keep the woman of their dreams.
Their stories are sad, happy, thought provoking, and almost every emotion in-between.
A good read if you like something lightly different, and an excellent read if you are a fan of the other books about Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts.
It focuses on what women want, and the complexities of how to give them what they want.
Sounds confusing? It seems that it might be.
But the answer it seems lies in romance novels. The best of which everyone involved feels are written by Vanessa Valentine. But Vanessa Valentine is not all that she appears to be.
Why, and how this comes to light are a mystery until the story unfolds.
The interwoven relationships between the residents of Icicle Falls are always interesting. But this story is slightly different to the usual Icicle Falls adventures because an unusual twist prevails.
Each of the residents has their own story to tell. All interesting in their own way.
Some sad, and some seemingly too good to be true. But all adding to this lovely book.
Some of the residents go through wonderful transformations to become a better version of themselves. All to get or keep the woman of their dreams.
Their stories are sad, happy, thought provoking, and almost every emotion in-between.
A good read if you like something lightly different, and an excellent read if you are a fan of the other books about Icicle Falls by Sheila Roberts.
December 26, 2022
Different tone in this book as we meet 3 guys trying to find love or make up with love. Several men in a poker group talk about love or lack of. Jon is a geek who has loved his childhood friend forever. Their 10 year reunion is coming up. He tends to judge himself for the man he is. A computer geek. Still he over hears his sister and other women talking about romance novels. He is going to get his woman. Kyle also short and nerdy. He is after the goddess at work. He learns a valiant lesson. Adam, who is married but a man who spends too much time with his toys and boys finds himself locked out after forgetting an anniversary. They read romance novels searching for an answer.
May 6, 2013
Men are clueless. Men are pathetic. Men are like puppies that need to be trained. But, once they are trained and trained well? Women, watch out because those men become irresistible!
Seriously, think about how long it takes to get any cute animal to do tricks, even if it’s only to sit or beg. Although, begging seems to come naturally to both species. Ms. Roberts takes the time to really show a reader exactly how far from perfect the three men in this story are. They listen but do not hear, they interpret what they don’t understand and jump to conclusions because men know everything – at least, they think they’re supposed to. What Jonathan, the computer geek, Adam, the guy with the hots for a co-worker, and Kyle, the husband whose wife kicked him out, learn during the telling of this story is beautiful. The journey itself encompasses humor, sadness, joys, disappointments, setbacks, hopes, dreams and even more humor. The most impressive element of the whole book is that while the men are learning about wooing women, they’re learning about themselves and what it truly means to be a man.
I thought the beginning of the book was slow. The author took a very detailed journey to express to me the foibles of each man who would eventually become a heroine’s hero in the story. At first I was annoyed that it was taking so long but my advice is to bear with the author. Watch for the clues and continue on. I later realized that without that background, what comes later wouldn’t have had the power to affect my emotions as strong as it did. Those were the warm-up laps like they do in racing. Once that flag comes down the storytelling picks up at a fast clip because each man gets hit with his shortcomings. They’re in shock! They’re desperate! They’ll do anything to win the hearts of the girls they love. And I do mean ‘anything’. That’s where the humor comes in, and a reader gets to see why they’re eventually going to be wonderful heroes. If a man can humble himself to dance with another guy to understand how to dance, if he’s willing to go out on a limb and read something he would never touch with a ten mile pole, and if he’s willing to finally listen to the mushy sappy romantic that he’s buried way down deep inside himself, all for the serious pursuit of a woman, then he’s a keeper. There is hope and a happily ever after is a reachable goal.
Truly, What She Wants is a wonderful, heartwarming story told from the male point of view. When I said earlier that men were clueless, Ms. Roberts showed me just how much in hilarious detail. Their thought processes are different, their ways of dealing with unpleasant things are different and their approach to tackle problems are as opposite from women as night from day. That perspective is what initially interested me in the story but I never would have guessed as to the surprises the author had in store for me. They weren’t all funny. Some were sad and were an effective emotional hook. But there was one element that made this book top notch and that was the identity of a certain person. I never guessed, never suspected the turn this tale took. It was a stroke of genius and I laughed out loud when it was revealed. That twist was awesome. I’m giggling in remembrance.
One scene comes to mind that embodies the journey these three men take. It happens at the poker table. Watch how things progress. Momentous ideas and plans come to fruition during those games. For these men, the poker table is the place where all the significant conversations take place. The poker game was like a snapshot – appearing when the author wanted to illustrate the dramatic growth of each man as he progressed. It was an effective technique and I liked it.
Secondary characters abounded and they were effective in showing off the men’s weaknesses, their strengths and lending a hand when needed. They were personable, affable and made the book read like I was visiting family. Dot was a hoot. Then there were other characters that were not so nice. There were no spies or intrigue in this book. The external conflict comes from real people and the personal politics that can haunt a person long after they’ve graduated high school. For many people bullying can leave lasting emotional scars. The author touched on that too. Ms. Roberts was respectful and in a way helpful in letting people know that some bullies can change, wrongs can be righted or at least healed by reaching out and facing the past. That was another nice touch that made this book so special and emotional.
What She Wants reads like a snapshot of a small town community where the pursuit of love and happiness is just as powerful, poignant and special as one would expect in an exotic location. Anytime people are falling in love is exotic, because no two experiences are the same and there are always elements of the unknown. Reading about falling in love 100% from a man’s perspective was an amazing and interesting experience that I highly recommend. Get to know Adam, Kyle and Jonathan, and a reader will be rewarded with a wonderfully well-written and love-filled romance. Every happy ever after is unique and in this book a reader is blessed with three. I’m very glad I read this book.
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...
Seriously, think about how long it takes to get any cute animal to do tricks, even if it’s only to sit or beg. Although, begging seems to come naturally to both species. Ms. Roberts takes the time to really show a reader exactly how far from perfect the three men in this story are. They listen but do not hear, they interpret what they don’t understand and jump to conclusions because men know everything – at least, they think they’re supposed to. What Jonathan, the computer geek, Adam, the guy with the hots for a co-worker, and Kyle, the husband whose wife kicked him out, learn during the telling of this story is beautiful. The journey itself encompasses humor, sadness, joys, disappointments, setbacks, hopes, dreams and even more humor. The most impressive element of the whole book is that while the men are learning about wooing women, they’re learning about themselves and what it truly means to be a man.
I thought the beginning of the book was slow. The author took a very detailed journey to express to me the foibles of each man who would eventually become a heroine’s hero in the story. At first I was annoyed that it was taking so long but my advice is to bear with the author. Watch for the clues and continue on. I later realized that without that background, what comes later wouldn’t have had the power to affect my emotions as strong as it did. Those were the warm-up laps like they do in racing. Once that flag comes down the storytelling picks up at a fast clip because each man gets hit with his shortcomings. They’re in shock! They’re desperate! They’ll do anything to win the hearts of the girls they love. And I do mean ‘anything’. That’s where the humor comes in, and a reader gets to see why they’re eventually going to be wonderful heroes. If a man can humble himself to dance with another guy to understand how to dance, if he’s willing to go out on a limb and read something he would never touch with a ten mile pole, and if he’s willing to finally listen to the mushy sappy romantic that he’s buried way down deep inside himself, all for the serious pursuit of a woman, then he’s a keeper. There is hope and a happily ever after is a reachable goal.
Truly, What She Wants is a wonderful, heartwarming story told from the male point of view. When I said earlier that men were clueless, Ms. Roberts showed me just how much in hilarious detail. Their thought processes are different, their ways of dealing with unpleasant things are different and their approach to tackle problems are as opposite from women as night from day. That perspective is what initially interested me in the story but I never would have guessed as to the surprises the author had in store for me. They weren’t all funny. Some were sad and were an effective emotional hook. But there was one element that made this book top notch and that was the identity of a certain person. I never guessed, never suspected the turn this tale took. It was a stroke of genius and I laughed out loud when it was revealed. That twist was awesome. I’m giggling in remembrance.
One scene comes to mind that embodies the journey these three men take. It happens at the poker table. Watch how things progress. Momentous ideas and plans come to fruition during those games. For these men, the poker table is the place where all the significant conversations take place. The poker game was like a snapshot – appearing when the author wanted to illustrate the dramatic growth of each man as he progressed. It was an effective technique and I liked it.
Secondary characters abounded and they were effective in showing off the men’s weaknesses, their strengths and lending a hand when needed. They were personable, affable and made the book read like I was visiting family. Dot was a hoot. Then there were other characters that were not so nice. There were no spies or intrigue in this book. The external conflict comes from real people and the personal politics that can haunt a person long after they’ve graduated high school. For many people bullying can leave lasting emotional scars. The author touched on that too. Ms. Roberts was respectful and in a way helpful in letting people know that some bullies can change, wrongs can be righted or at least healed by reaching out and facing the past. That was another nice touch that made this book so special and emotional.
What She Wants reads like a snapshot of a small town community where the pursuit of love and happiness is just as powerful, poignant and special as one would expect in an exotic location. Anytime people are falling in love is exotic, because no two experiences are the same and there are always elements of the unknown. Reading about falling in love 100% from a man’s perspective was an amazing and interesting experience that I highly recommend. Get to know Adam, Kyle and Jonathan, and a reader will be rewarded with a wonderfully well-written and love-filled romance. Every happy ever after is unique and in this book a reader is blessed with three. I’m very glad I read this book.
Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.com/bo...
June 21, 2013
This book tell the story of 5 poker buddies; Jonathan, Kyle, Vance, Bernando and Adam and their conflicts and problems in their love relationship. Jonathan has been in love with his neighbour cum school mate throughout his life, a popular tv host, Lissa. He have not found his courage to confess his love for her but their high school reunion is coming up soon. He wanted very much for Lissa to look at him differently and to accept him. One day, he came to realisation that the only way to understand a girl is thru romance books and according to his sister and everyone, Vannessa’s book are the best book for guidance. He started reading on one and soon he found himself hooked on it. It is there he jot down notes on the ways a girl think and expect from love. Soon, his other buddies; Kyle who have a crush on his colleague eventhough she have been given him cold shoulder; Adam, got thrown out by his wife for taking her for granted and is staying with Jonathan, Bernando who complaint mostly on the way his wife putting him on diet started on reading Vanessa’s books except Vance. It was thru these books, they understand and acknowledge their mistakes and started to rectify their way in treating the women that they love.
This is the first romance story that tell the story from guys’ perspective and I really like the way the author has written it. Fun and quirky is the word that I summed up about this book. It actually make you laugh and cry together with the characters. I didn’t expect to say this but it is nice if guys would pick this book and read. ;)
This is the first romance story that tell the story from guys’ perspective and I really like the way the author has written it. Fun and quirky is the word that I summed up about this book. It actually make you laugh and cry together with the characters. I didn’t expect to say this but it is nice if guys would pick this book and read. ;)
June 21, 2013
No interaction between the main character and his love interest until the last 50 pages of the book, and there wasn't any depth to the characters. Meh.
Read
April 5, 2018Miniseries: Life in Icicle Falls
March 31, 2016
I thought this was a good book. I didn't think Jonathan should have ended up with Lissa.
August 23, 2016
This is a hard review to write. As I close this book, I'm not really certain how I feel about it. I really, really wanted to love this book, and there were moments when I did, but it was a rocky relationship and I almost bailed on it a couple times.
While I adore the set up and the premise, and heaven knows I love me an unconventional hero, the book sags and lulls badly in the middle, and I almost didn't stick with it. (I ended up skimming/skipping the second half of Adam's and Kyle's stories, just to save myself some leg work.) It did pick up when it came to the actual reunion, but then it wrapped up so quickly I felt a bit cheated! This book had so much potential, it's a shame it didn't quite have enough steam to make it all the way.
I'm not even sure what this book is, to be honest. I don't think it's a romance, really. As a piece of general fiction, about a man on a rather neurotic individual quest, it still works, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Jonathan was pretty compelling, though readers who don't appreciate a good beta will not care for him; I did, and found him rather endearing in places. I wish we could have seen him confident and satisfied with himself, as is, a bit more; the opening of the book, where we see him shine in his geeky glory, were lovely in that sense. I was sorry there were so few moments like that, and we mostly saw him mopey and bitter after that.
And, as the majority of the book focused on his quest to become a conventional hero, it took some of my delight out of it.
The reason it doesn't work as a romance, for me, was that this is really a book about a man and his "posse" of clueless dudes. There isn't really a heroine in this book - the object of Jonathan's affections doesn't count, because she never becomes a real person. She doesn't even appear in the book for the first 350 pages or so! What we get is snatches of his memory and a fake persona on video, and the stories he tells himself about her, but not a real person, ever. Just an image with which Jonathan beats himself. When she does appear, she's just a prop and a cypher. That kind of thing works better in lit fic than in romance, a genre that really only works if we know and love the two people falling in love.
Lissa's non-existence is part and parcel with the larger, more troubling dynamic to this book, which is, sadly, the taint of sexism. At first, I was worried it would be all about MRA woman-haters, though this was not entirely the case, though all the guys kind of end up falling into "Nice Guy" rants at some point. Happily, the book doesn't linger too long on tired tropes involving women wanting chocolate and flowers, etc, though "Women want a guy who can dance," etc, got way too much traction. "Women want a guy to take charge!" (Vomits forever.) Might it be possible that different women want different things? Shocking, I know! Here's a secret: You know how you can find out what a woman wants? You talk to her like she's a damned human, jackhole, because, you know, she kinda is a damned human! Luckily, Jonathan does kind of come to this conclusion near the end, finally acknowledging that Lissa had some agency in this thing, and it wasn't 100% just about him wooing and winning her, but that was a little too little, a little too late, and it spoiled a lot of the enjoyment I might have had in this book.
Further, a lot of the comedy in this book depends on us sharing a laugh about how silly women are - how embarrassing for a man to read romances! How awkward is it to dance like a girl! Hardy har har, right? For unconventional heroes, these guys sure have bought into some pretty narrow and sad conventions of gender, and I felt badly for them. It would have pleased me to no end to see some gender play mixed in with the unconventional hero, though this was not really to be. Certainly, there is a role reversal in the Cinderella story, but beyond that we get a lot of the same-old-same-old.
I'm very sorry I didn't love this. I really wanted to!
If the book had had the couple in actual contact, and if Jonathan's transformation had been in conversation with a real woman (rather than just a mirage twisted by sexism and desperation), and if the story had been about Jonathan liberating himself instead of merely learning to perform conventional masculinity, this would have been much more enjoyable. Even a touch of Jonathan's quest really being about him maturing past his middle school desires would have helped! Even better, if he had pursued his vision, but been blindsided by a real lady who was actually capable of seeing him for what he was, and who demonstrated depth and value, this would have been a great book.
As it is, it's a great concept that never lived up to my hopes for it, and that makes me a bit sad. I wanted to love it; instead, I merely liked it (and, even then, only in spots). What a disappointment!
Still, kudos to the author for trying something quite different (especially in writing it entirely from the male POV, which was intriguing - not particularly different from the majority of literature, but different for romance) and offering up a really memorable unconventional hero. This concept would work very nicely for a film, and the book felt cinematic to me. In fact, it might have worked better in a 90 minute format than this nearly-400 page treatise on how to obsess over someone who doesn't really exist.
While I adore the set up and the premise, and heaven knows I love me an unconventional hero, the book sags and lulls badly in the middle, and I almost didn't stick with it. (I ended up skimming/skipping the second half of Adam's and Kyle's stories, just to save myself some leg work.) It did pick up when it came to the actual reunion, but then it wrapped up so quickly I felt a bit cheated! This book had so much potential, it's a shame it didn't quite have enough steam to make it all the way.
I'm not even sure what this book is, to be honest. I don't think it's a romance, really. As a piece of general fiction, about a man on a rather neurotic individual quest, it still works, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Jonathan was pretty compelling, though readers who don't appreciate a good beta will not care for him; I did, and found him rather endearing in places. I wish we could have seen him confident and satisfied with himself, as is, a bit more; the opening of the book, where we see him shine in his geeky glory, were lovely in that sense. I was sorry there were so few moments like that, and we mostly saw him mopey and bitter after that.
And, as the majority of the book focused on his quest to become a conventional hero, it took some of my delight out of it.
The reason it doesn't work as a romance, for me, was that this is really a book about a man and his "posse" of clueless dudes. There isn't really a heroine in this book - the object of Jonathan's affections doesn't count, because she never becomes a real person. She doesn't even appear in the book for the first 350 pages or so! What we get is snatches of his memory and a fake persona on video, and the stories he tells himself about her, but not a real person, ever. Just an image with which Jonathan beats himself. When she does appear, she's just a prop and a cypher. That kind of thing works better in lit fic than in romance, a genre that really only works if we know and love the two people falling in love.
Lissa's non-existence is part and parcel with the larger, more troubling dynamic to this book, which is, sadly, the taint of sexism. At first, I was worried it would be all about MRA woman-haters, though this was not entirely the case, though all the guys kind of end up falling into "Nice Guy" rants at some point. Happily, the book doesn't linger too long on tired tropes involving women wanting chocolate and flowers, etc, though "Women want a guy who can dance," etc, got way too much traction. "Women want a guy to take charge!" (Vomits forever.) Might it be possible that different women want different things? Shocking, I know! Here's a secret: You know how you can find out what a woman wants? You talk to her like she's a damned human, jackhole, because, you know, she kinda is a damned human! Luckily, Jonathan does kind of come to this conclusion near the end, finally acknowledging that Lissa had some agency in this thing, and it wasn't 100% just about him wooing and winning her, but that was a little too little, a little too late, and it spoiled a lot of the enjoyment I might have had in this book.
Further, a lot of the comedy in this book depends on us sharing a laugh about how silly women are - how embarrassing for a man to read romances! How awkward is it to dance like a girl! Hardy har har, right? For unconventional heroes, these guys sure have bought into some pretty narrow and sad conventions of gender, and I felt badly for them. It would have pleased me to no end to see some gender play mixed in with the unconventional hero, though this was not really to be. Certainly, there is a role reversal in the Cinderella story, but beyond that we get a lot of the same-old-same-old.
I'm very sorry I didn't love this. I really wanted to!
If the book had had the couple in actual contact, and if Jonathan's transformation had been in conversation with a real woman (rather than just a mirage twisted by sexism and desperation), and if the story had been about Jonathan liberating himself instead of merely learning to perform conventional masculinity, this would have been much more enjoyable. Even a touch of Jonathan's quest really being about him maturing past his middle school desires would have helped! Even better, if he had pursued his vision, but been blindsided by a real lady who was actually capable of seeing him for what he was, and who demonstrated depth and value, this would have been a great book.
As it is, it's a great concept that never lived up to my hopes for it, and that makes me a bit sad. I wanted to love it; instead, I merely liked it (and, even then, only in spots). What a disappointment!
Still, kudos to the author for trying something quite different (especially in writing it entirely from the male POV, which was intriguing - not particularly different from the majority of literature, but different for romance) and offering up a really memorable unconventional hero. This concept would work very nicely for a film, and the book felt cinematic to me. In fact, it might have worked better in a 90 minute format than this nearly-400 page treatise on how to obsess over someone who doesn't really exist.
June 20, 2025
Definitely one of my favorites of this year. A romance novel where the men are trying to learn how to get the girl of their dreams by reading romance novels. So good. ❤️❤️
April 25, 2020
Two-haiku review:
Geeky guy in love
She doesn't know he exists
He vows to change self
All guy points of view
They all read romance novels
Trying to find love
Geeky guy in love
She doesn't know he exists
He vows to change self
All guy points of view
They all read romance novels
Trying to find love
April 14, 2013
Originally published at Reading Reality
Any trip to Icicle Falls is a treat. It reads like an almost perfect small town, one of those places where everyone knows your business, and wants the best for you.
But like most places, under the surface, things aren't always what they seem. Not all the marriages are perfect, and not everyone's experience in high school was happy. Certainly everybody hasn't figured life out by the time of their 15th high school reunion!
Reading about Jonathan Templar and his Friday-night poker buddies turning to romance novels to figure out what women really want definitely turned out to have its share of hilarious moments...but it also ended in some lessons learned for the men involved.
They did figure it out, even if their source of advice turned out to not exactly be the person they thought she was!
Five guys play poker: the town nerd, the successful businessman, and the cubicle dweller, along with one happily married man and one divorced middle-aged cynic. The happily married man knows that the secret is to treat his wife like she's the most important person in his world, because she is.
Jonathan, Kyle and Adam need to learn that lesson, for various reasons of their own. It's Jonathan, the computer guru of the group, who overhears women at the library book sale telling each other that if only men read romance novels they might have a chance at getting a woman and keeping her satisfied.
Jonathan is desperate enough to try, even if he is so embarrassed that he keeps it a secret. Along with his not-so-secret life-long crush on Lissa Castle. But Lissa (of course!) only ever saw him as a friend. Jonathan hopes that, armed with the advice from the books and a complete makeover, he'll be able to sweep Lissa off her feet at their 15th high school reunion at the end of the summer.
His friends Kyle and Adam are equally desperate for reasons of their own. So they all dive headlong into the world of romance novels, hoping that they will be able to find their own happy ever afters with the women of their dreams.
Even if they have to get hit by a clue-by-four to get their dreams on the right track!
Escape Rating B: There are three love stories packed into this one book, but they are woven together by the constant of the Friday night poker get-together. It was neat to have a romance told pretty much from the point of view of the guys in the story. And it worked!
Adam needs a wake-up call, and he takes a long time to get one. He doesn't want to grow up and realize he's been selfish. Kyle's problem is that he's been lusting after a bimbo instead of paying attention to a woman who is pretty and terrific and good for him. He's another boy who needs to man up.
Jonathan is the anchor, because he's the one who most wants to change. His is kind of an "ugly duckling" story, although he isn't really ugly--but he thinks of himself that way. He's just geeky, but very successful at it. His problem is that life-time crush on the former girl-next-door. He needs to get her or get over her, so he decides to get her. And he uses the romance novels as a textbook for what women want. It's really kind of sweet. He even gets to be a hero.
But because the story is told from Jonathan's point of view, we really don't get to see why he loves Lissa. We know that he does, but we don't know what makes Lissa so special. Jonathan is a terrific guy, and a lot of women would be happy to find someone like him. He goes to a tremendous amount of effort to make himself over for someone who has never noticed him. I wish we had a chance to get to know her better.
I loved the scenes where the poker buddies meet the romance writer who was their inspiration. Those scenes were fantastic!
Any trip to Icicle Falls is a treat. It reads like an almost perfect small town, one of those places where everyone knows your business, and wants the best for you.
But like most places, under the surface, things aren't always what they seem. Not all the marriages are perfect, and not everyone's experience in high school was happy. Certainly everybody hasn't figured life out by the time of their 15th high school reunion!
Reading about Jonathan Templar and his Friday-night poker buddies turning to romance novels to figure out what women really want definitely turned out to have its share of hilarious moments...but it also ended in some lessons learned for the men involved.
They did figure it out, even if their source of advice turned out to not exactly be the person they thought she was!
Five guys play poker: the town nerd, the successful businessman, and the cubicle dweller, along with one happily married man and one divorced middle-aged cynic. The happily married man knows that the secret is to treat his wife like she's the most important person in his world, because she is.
Jonathan, Kyle and Adam need to learn that lesson, for various reasons of their own. It's Jonathan, the computer guru of the group, who overhears women at the library book sale telling each other that if only men read romance novels they might have a chance at getting a woman and keeping her satisfied.
Jonathan is desperate enough to try, even if he is so embarrassed that he keeps it a secret. Along with his not-so-secret life-long crush on Lissa Castle. But Lissa (of course!) only ever saw him as a friend. Jonathan hopes that, armed with the advice from the books and a complete makeover, he'll be able to sweep Lissa off her feet at their 15th high school reunion at the end of the summer.
His friends Kyle and Adam are equally desperate for reasons of their own. So they all dive headlong into the world of romance novels, hoping that they will be able to find their own happy ever afters with the women of their dreams.
Even if they have to get hit by a clue-by-four to get their dreams on the right track!
Escape Rating B: There are three love stories packed into this one book, but they are woven together by the constant of the Friday night poker get-together. It was neat to have a romance told pretty much from the point of view of the guys in the story. And it worked!
Adam needs a wake-up call, and he takes a long time to get one. He doesn't want to grow up and realize he's been selfish. Kyle's problem is that he's been lusting after a bimbo instead of paying attention to a woman who is pretty and terrific and good for him. He's another boy who needs to man up.
Jonathan is the anchor, because he's the one who most wants to change. His is kind of an "ugly duckling" story, although he isn't really ugly--but he thinks of himself that way. He's just geeky, but very successful at it. His problem is that life-time crush on the former girl-next-door. He needs to get her or get over her, so he decides to get her. And he uses the romance novels as a textbook for what women want. It's really kind of sweet. He even gets to be a hero.
But because the story is told from Jonathan's point of view, we really don't get to see why he loves Lissa. We know that he does, but we don't know what makes Lissa so special. Jonathan is a terrific guy, and a lot of women would be happy to find someone like him. He goes to a tremendous amount of effort to make himself over for someone who has never noticed him. I wish we had a chance to get to know her better.
I loved the scenes where the poker buddies meet the romance writer who was their inspiration. Those scenes were fantastic!
February 14, 2014
What do woman want?
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot...their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.
When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking...Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night...and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!
Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot...their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.
When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking...Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night...and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!
April 12, 2013
I finished the book last night. I had a hard time putting it down. It made me laugh and cry. Poor Jonathan had to go through so much to get the girl of his dreams. Kyle you would have thought he would wake up and see what is right in front of his face. I knew.I loved watching what Adam had to go through. I t was kind of cool seeing the book from the guys perspective which I already knew but it was fun any way. Looking forward to the next book in the Icicle Falls series. I just love getting to know the people there. Thanks Sheila for an awesome book. I will post reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble for you.
August 8, 2013
Got about 1/2 way through this one and wasn't into it enough to continue. It's a shame because I thought it was a cute concept...three men with women troubles start reading romance novels to try and figure out what women want. Unfortunately the men IMHO were unlikable. I just like my men much more alpha than these guys, and the women really weren't introduced until close to halfway through the book so I didn't feel much was happening at the beginning of the book.
A good, sweet read for some I'm sure but just not my cup of tea.
A good, sweet read for some I'm sure but just not my cup of tea.
January 25, 2019
Another of the Icicle Falls books...Icicle Falls is a small town where everyone knows you , knows your business, and knows what's best for you. Most people, once they graduate high school, go on to college and move on to the larger Seattle area.
Jonathan Templar is not one of those people, and he still has a few buddies from high school that have also stuck around. It's a nice place to live, but for some, (Jonathan and his buddy Kyle) the right girl hasn't come along. Well, she may have come along, but she's not aware that she's the "right person".
For Jonathan the right person lived right next door to him. He loved her since he was just a kid. They were best friends...and that may have been the problem. He's still in love with Lissie, girl next door, but she has moved on to Seattle to become a fairly well known local television celebrity. Jonathan is still the same gangly, non-athletic computer geek that he was back in high school, and it's that that is keeping him from attending his 15th year high school reunion. What can he do this time to get her to notice him?
Kyle, Jonathan's buddy, has found the right girl where he works. She's gorgeous, but she is much sought after by the bigger, more handsome, more successful coworkers. He needs to get her attention.
Now, Adam, lucky guy is married. He has it made...until his wife kicks him out of the house. Say, what? What did he do? How can he prove that he loves her? He thought everything was just fine.
Jonathan, at a library book sale with his sister, hears her raving over the romance novels by Vanessa Valentine. The are soooooo romantic. ~Sigh~ It seems that this Valentine lady writes books where the guy always gets the girl. Maybe if he read one..or two...or a bunch? Maybe he could figure out just what a woman wants in a man.
At first, Jonathan keeps his extra reading a secret; but at poker night with his buddies and a couple of older guys in town, his secret gets out. At first, there is speculation; but hey, maybe Jonathan and this Valentine lady are on to something. The three turn poker night into a book club. It gets even better when Jonathan has a chance to meet Vanessa Valentine at a book signing and he invites her to be a guest speaker at the poker meeting. She actually accepts! She arrives as promised, but not exactly.....
The book is kind of predictable, but there is a surprise or two. The guys are hilarious in the attempts they make to fix up their love lives. In the end, they finally figure out what women want, but not exactly according to Vanessa.
I love small town stories and books that make me smile or laugh. It's unusual to find a book that dwells mostly on male characters that aren't super macho or crime-fighting or highly successful and powerful in a corporate world. These guys were just ordinary, down to earth guys looking to find a soul mate. They were adorable, even if clueless.
Jonathan Templar is not one of those people, and he still has a few buddies from high school that have also stuck around. It's a nice place to live, but for some, (Jonathan and his buddy Kyle) the right girl hasn't come along. Well, she may have come along, but she's not aware that she's the "right person".
For Jonathan the right person lived right next door to him. He loved her since he was just a kid. They were best friends...and that may have been the problem. He's still in love with Lissie, girl next door, but she has moved on to Seattle to become a fairly well known local television celebrity. Jonathan is still the same gangly, non-athletic computer geek that he was back in high school, and it's that that is keeping him from attending his 15th year high school reunion. What can he do this time to get her to notice him?
Kyle, Jonathan's buddy, has found the right girl where he works. She's gorgeous, but she is much sought after by the bigger, more handsome, more successful coworkers. He needs to get her attention.
Now, Adam, lucky guy is married. He has it made...until his wife kicks him out of the house. Say, what? What did he do? How can he prove that he loves her? He thought everything was just fine.
Jonathan, at a library book sale with his sister, hears her raving over the romance novels by Vanessa Valentine. The are soooooo romantic. ~Sigh~ It seems that this Valentine lady writes books where the guy always gets the girl. Maybe if he read one..or two...or a bunch? Maybe he could figure out just what a woman wants in a man.
At first, Jonathan keeps his extra reading a secret; but at poker night with his buddies and a couple of older guys in town, his secret gets out. At first, there is speculation; but hey, maybe Jonathan and this Valentine lady are on to something. The three turn poker night into a book club. It gets even better when Jonathan has a chance to meet Vanessa Valentine at a book signing and he invites her to be a guest speaker at the poker meeting. She actually accepts! She arrives as promised, but not exactly.....
The book is kind of predictable, but there is a surprise or two. The guys are hilarious in the attempts they make to fix up their love lives. In the end, they finally figure out what women want, but not exactly according to Vanessa.
I love small town stories and books that make me smile or laugh. It's unusual to find a book that dwells mostly on male characters that aren't super macho or crime-fighting or highly successful and powerful in a corporate world. These guys were just ordinary, down to earth guys looking to find a soul mate. They were adorable, even if clueless.
May 1, 2018
This book was so good! It was a romance from a man's point of view. But not your typical romance. You see romancing happening for not one but several of the people in the story. It is told from Johnathan's point of view and you see him grow through out the whole story. Then at times it switched to show you the other people's stories. From a married couple that have one of the people taken for granted, to a man who falls for what he thinks is perfect. They all find truth and advice in reading Romance novels. Advice that works to help them all work on themselves. When it switches you are not left with the feeling of "Wait now whose story is this?" it is the opposite very easy to follow. One thing I loved about it was that there was no steaming sex scenes. There was no "passionate kisses" that you felt the need to grab a tall glass of ice water for. It was romance pure and simple. Romance you want to read more of about characters you want to be friends with. This is my first time in Icicle Falls and I hope to be back again and again. I could not put it down!
I rate books differently than others. I use my stars a:
(*****5) can’t stop talking about it will do all of #4.
(****4) Will keep, reread, buy and pass on another copy and promote the author as best as I can.
(***3) Will pass on and share with others it was a great book keep as a reread as well when I get it back.
(**2) Will donate it to thrift store. Glad I read it but not worth reading again.
(*1) Not worth reading, great for a fire starter though.
For me this was not only a 5***** but a I hope there is much more!
I rate books differently than others. I use my stars a:
(*****5) can’t stop talking about it will do all of #4.
(****4) Will keep, reread, buy and pass on another copy and promote the author as best as I can.
(***3) Will pass on and share with others it was a great book keep as a reread as well when I get it back.
(**2) Will donate it to thrift store. Glad I read it but not worth reading again.
(*1) Not worth reading, great for a fire starter though.
For me this was not only a 5***** but a I hope there is much more!
October 30, 2018
(4.5) This book is absolutely terrific. It's so unique to get an entire book like this from the male perspective. The story is mostly hilarious with some very important moments in it as well that are more on the serious side (but it's mostly very funny).
The main idea of the story is that there is a group of guys who hang out and play poker. They are all quite different in looks, social standings, relationship statuses, and things like that but are great friends. When one of them discovers his sisters romance novels and realizes that the girls swoon over the men in these books he decides to read them and learn from them. He can't keep this secret for long and soon his friends join him in his reading to learn how to apply these books in their own lives. So much happens in this book that you don't need to know more than that to get in there and start reading. This is the third in the series but honestly could be read by itself or with the others (the other two before this one are also very good). I really enjoyed this book and seeing how it all turned out was exciting. It was hard to put this one down because you just needed to know what was going to happen if so and so did such and such. Really good book and so much fun to read!
The main idea of the story is that there is a group of guys who hang out and play poker. They are all quite different in looks, social standings, relationship statuses, and things like that but are great friends. When one of them discovers his sisters romance novels and realizes that the girls swoon over the men in these books he decides to read them and learn from them. He can't keep this secret for long and soon his friends join him in his reading to learn how to apply these books in their own lives. So much happens in this book that you don't need to know more than that to get in there and start reading. This is the third in the series but honestly could be read by itself or with the others (the other two before this one are also very good). I really enjoyed this book and seeing how it all turned out was exciting. It was hard to put this one down because you just needed to know what was going to happen if so and so did such and such. Really good book and so much fun to read!
April 6, 2018
This was a super sweet read. I enjoyed the fact that the focus of the story was on the men and their search for redeeming their love lives. I liked the side romances that were focused on, it showed us two different men with two different issues and how they dealt with it. Jonathan was a great character. I didn't like Lissa's actions at the end when they finally have the chance to meet again. She came off as a push-over at the reunion, and leaving with her old boyfriend like that made her appear weak. I kept hoping throughout the book that he would meet someone else to be happy with. That said, I suppose the story wasn't really about them being together, but his journey to get his girl. That part was a great story.
The writing was clean and interesting, and I definitely wanted to keep reading to see how it all worked out for everybody.
The writing was clean and interesting, and I definitely wanted to keep reading to see how it all worked out for everybody.
June 17, 2021
The premise of this book is a fun twist on most romance novels. Roberts does a good job telling the story of 3 couples at once. However, the excessive & degrading ways she chose to describe characters’ physical appearance damaged her storytelling. I think she was trying to show that appearance isn’t the most important thing but instead came off as an extremely judgmental, shallow, & rude narrator.
July 4, 2022
This was such a cute book. I enjoyed the reading from the guy’s perspective. Jonathan, Kyle, Adam and Vance were so funny and intriguing and romantic. They all had fun story lines. I did enjoy reading more of Kyle’s and Adam’s storyline because Jonathan was more predictable.
This was a nice, light read.
The nerdy characteristics reminded me of my boyfriend 🥹.
This was a nice, light read.
The nerdy characteristics reminded me of my boyfriend 🥹.
December 8, 2016
Happy I read this one!
It was nice to read a love story from the other point of view! I loved how all the guys had their own challenges and eventually found their way. A feel good book with a happy ending.
It was nice to read a love story from the other point of view! I loved how all the guys had their own challenges and eventually found their way. A feel good book with a happy ending.
September 30, 2017
Sweet story
I love the characters in this book. They experience the same ups and downs as everyone else and they also find their way thorough their difficulties learning something about life as nd themselves in the process. Thanks Shiela!
I love the characters in this book. They experience the same ups and downs as everyone else and they also find their way thorough their difficulties learning something about life as nd themselves in the process. Thanks Shiela!
April 4, 2018
I enjoyed reading this, although the stereotypical descriptions of men and women bothered me a bit. A group of poker buddies decide to read romance novels to find out how women think and try to win over the ones they want. Lots of laughs.
August 26, 2018
Well the beginning put me off but I kept on reading and the twist was a shocker 😆 for me, but in the end all’s well that ends well. Also I was surprised to know this was a series as I had picked it off at BBW Sri Lanka.
January 5, 2019
Lots of back and forth between characters; it worked but was difficult getting a grasp of the characters in the beginning.
The build up to Lissa was worth it with a classic romantic ending. Predictable but good.
The build up to Lissa was worth it with a classic romantic ending. Predictable but good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2019
This was a good read, it took me a few chapters to get in to it as it’s written from the guys perspective which doesn’t happen in romance books! By the end I was routing for them all to get their happy ever afters! Great easy summer time read
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