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The Big Bad Wolf Tells All
Tanzy Harrington is the ultimate Alpha Female. As the Bay Area's most-read single-scene columnist and self-proclaimed love-'em-and-leave-'em artist, she's not about to tie herself down to one man—especially when "settling down" seems awfully close to simply "settling." But when all of her friends are happily married—and reproducing—she's starting to feel a little bit like she's missing something important. What is it about those dependable guys—the sheep who follow along—that makes Tanzy want to prowl the hot spots looking for a wolf to take home to her lair?
And then there's Riley Parrish, her eccentric aunt's mysterious new employee. He's a sheep, all right ... right? But under his polite, good-provider exterior, she catches a glimpse of something decidedly wolfish lurking in his eyes.
With a deranged fan stalking her, her friends cooing over china patterns and baby outfits, and a deadline her editor won't extend, Tanzy's experiment in wolf-taming may be ill-thought, but it sure is a howling good time.?
And then there's Riley Parrish, her eccentric aunt's mysterious new employee. He's a sheep, all right ... right? But under his polite, good-provider exterior, she catches a glimpse of something decidedly wolfish lurking in his eyes.
With a deranged fan stalking her, her friends cooing over china patterns and baby outfits, and a deadline her editor won't extend, Tanzy's experiment in wolf-taming may be ill-thought, but it sure is a howling good time.?
448 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
13 people are currently reading
484 people want to read
About the author
Donna Kauffman
148 books1,800 followersUSA Today bestseller and award winning author of the Cupcake Club series and the Blueberry Cove series, DONNA KAUFFMAN has been gratified to see her books get rave reviews in venues ranging from Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal to Entertainment Weekly and Cosmopolitan. She lives in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in southwestern Virginia, where she is happily working on the next book in her brand new Blue Hollow Falls series, set right in her mountain home area. When she's not writing, she can be found recapping the popular tv show NCIS for USA Today, or escaping into her garden to play in the dirt. Donna also works as a volunteer wildlife transporter for two local sanctuaries, giving orphaned and injured wildlife a second chance at survival. You can catch up on all of her adventures via her author page on Facebook, or on Twitter, or Instagram @writerchick. Donna loves to hear from readers!
Donna Kauffman passed away on April 9, 2020 of pancreatic cancer.
Donna Kauffman passed away on April 9, 2020 of pancreatic cancer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 27, 2020
awful. every two sentences we, the readers, are reminded about her 'witty' euphemisms for assholes and nice guys: wolf and sheep.
everything about this book was just awful.
awful
and if you think reading awful in my tiny review is annoying, try reading sheep and wolf a million times ....it's even more awful
everything about this book was just awful.
awful
and if you think reading awful in my tiny review is annoying, try reading sheep and wolf a million times ....it's even more awful
August 28, 2013
It took me a little bit to get into this book. Right off the bat we meet not only our heroine, Tanzy, but her whole group of zany friends, which for me was confusing and too much at one time.
Tanzy writes a very popular romance column wherein she amusingly spouts her opinions and compares men to wolves or sheep. It’s her latest theory, that men all fall into one or the other category. Women date wolves, but marry sheep, and she does not understand the attraction to the sheep and is trying to figure it out. I personally thought it was kind of a dumb theory, and I think that’s part of what made it hard for me to get vested in the story too quickly.
When her great-aunt Millicent needs to go out of town just before the Christmas holidays, she asks Tanzy to house sit for her. All the staff will be on vacation, except her new personal assistant, Riley. Tanzy can write her column from anywhere she has computer access, so she grudgingly packs a bag and moves into her aunt’s huge home.
Tanzy is a serial dater, proclaiming to the world that women think about sex just as much as men, and as long as a woman uses safety precautions, there’s nothing wrong with her having a healthy sex life. And she practices what she preaches. Love? No, thank you. She’s not interested in that, or marriage or kids. And she is very unimpressed with Riley, noting that when he shakes her hand at their first meeting his grip is limp. That’s how she describes it. He’s a dull, boring sheep and she avoids dinner with him in her aunt’s kitchen every night by eating in her room while she works.
Tanzy has been getting emails from an obsessed fan who goes by the name SoulM8. She’s had crazy fans before, but this one is starting to worry her a little. Not enough to do anything about it though or let it interfere with her life and her fun. Besides, she now has something new on her mind. For some odd reason, she finds herself intrigued by the resident Riley sheep, and even wondering what it would be like to kiss him. What the heck is wrong with her?
Riley of course is not who or what she thinks he is. He’s got a job to do, and is determined to be professional and detached while maintaining a low profile.
There’s a lot going on in this book, but the best parts of the book are when the huge cast of supporting characters fade into the background and we’re with just Tanzy and Riley, watching them get to know each other. I loved the banter between them, with many exchanges that made me not just smile, but grin or even laugh out loud.
Finding out who SoulM8 is becomes a large plot point, and while I certainly didn’t figure out the stalker’s identity, I did figure out more than either Riley or Tanzy did long before they did, which was disappointing and made the big reveal a bit of a let down for me. When SoulM8 finally made a personal appearance, our hero and heroine were both shocked to their cores, while I was asking them how they could be so stupid.
But the journey to that point was fun and well worth my time.
Tanzy writes a very popular romance column wherein she amusingly spouts her opinions and compares men to wolves or sheep. It’s her latest theory, that men all fall into one or the other category. Women date wolves, but marry sheep, and she does not understand the attraction to the sheep and is trying to figure it out. I personally thought it was kind of a dumb theory, and I think that’s part of what made it hard for me to get vested in the story too quickly.
When her great-aunt Millicent needs to go out of town just before the Christmas holidays, she asks Tanzy to house sit for her. All the staff will be on vacation, except her new personal assistant, Riley. Tanzy can write her column from anywhere she has computer access, so she grudgingly packs a bag and moves into her aunt’s huge home.
Tanzy is a serial dater, proclaiming to the world that women think about sex just as much as men, and as long as a woman uses safety precautions, there’s nothing wrong with her having a healthy sex life. And she practices what she preaches. Love? No, thank you. She’s not interested in that, or marriage or kids. And she is very unimpressed with Riley, noting that when he shakes her hand at their first meeting his grip is limp. That’s how she describes it. He’s a dull, boring sheep and she avoids dinner with him in her aunt’s kitchen every night by eating in her room while she works.
Tanzy has been getting emails from an obsessed fan who goes by the name SoulM8. She’s had crazy fans before, but this one is starting to worry her a little. Not enough to do anything about it though or let it interfere with her life and her fun. Besides, she now has something new on her mind. For some odd reason, she finds herself intrigued by the resident Riley sheep, and even wondering what it would be like to kiss him. What the heck is wrong with her?
Riley of course is not who or what she thinks he is. He’s got a job to do, and is determined to be professional and detached while maintaining a low profile.
There’s a lot going on in this book, but the best parts of the book are when the huge cast of supporting characters fade into the background and we’re with just Tanzy and Riley, watching them get to know each other. I loved the banter between them, with many exchanges that made me not just smile, but grin or even laugh out loud.
Finding out who SoulM8 is becomes a large plot point, and while I certainly didn’t figure out the stalker’s identity, I did figure out more than either Riley or Tanzy did long before they did, which was disappointing and made the big reveal a bit of a let down for me. When SoulM8 finally made a personal appearance, our hero and heroine were both shocked to their cores, while I was asking them how they could be so stupid.
But the journey to that point was fun and well worth my time.
February 14, 2014
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! I have read it at least a dozen times and each time that I read it, I love it even more! It's fun, flirty and the tension between Tanzy and Riley is tantalizing! Who doesn't love a sheep/wolf hybrid?? If you love romance, please go and grab this book NOW! ;-)
April 8, 2023
It has taken me for-ev-er to read 25 pages. I cannot get into this homage to self-absorption and conspicuous consumption.
I cannot face 400 pages of this. It's time to move on to the next novel.
I cannot face 400 pages of this. It's time to move on to the next novel.
February 20, 2025
sigurna sam da nimalo nije bilo lako strpati zabrinjavajuće veliku količinu (američkih) klišea u jednu knjigu, ovo stvarno ne može svako da izvede
September 9, 2022
FOR WHAT IT WAS, this book was not bad. I kept having to remind myself this wasn’t a serious piece of literature but a fun, sexy romp where the trope was the two main characters initially hating each other and then falling in love. This was accomplished.
There was a serious problem with the ending (I.e., blatant transphobia) and it was a cop-out from what could’ve been an otherwise exciting ending. I was somewhat able to guess what was happening after the internet service provider staff member was identified BUT……. To blame it on them being trans? Wtf.
There was a serious problem with the ending (I.e., blatant transphobia) and it was a cop-out from what could’ve been an otherwise exciting ending. I was somewhat able to guess what was happening after the internet service provider staff member was identified BUT……. To blame it on them being trans? Wtf.
August 5, 2009
Yes he does. Whew. This is an AWESOME book. But don't take my word for it. Read it yourself
August 27, 2010
It was entertaining enough to keep me from being bored at work. I didn't realize it was a "trash" book though, so that's always a fun surprise. The ending was very anticlimactic (hahaha) though.
September 14, 2018
Whoooweeee! There is nothing sexier than a man that gets all alpha male while handing you tissues.
Tanzy Harrington is a columnist that writes about her love life. Sex in the city motif here. And she is tired of pansy ass men, aka sheep sex. She wants a wolf to take what he wants. At least she thinks she does. So when her great aunt asks her to house sit her mansion while she is gone, she reluctantly agrees. But she finds out that she has a roommate Riley Parrish. Bookworm look kind of guy. Yet, Tandy hasn’t really looked behind the glasses. And when she starts seeing him in his low-hung sweats and muscle hugging shirt, she quickly is changing her tune. Riley is the first man who doesn’t fall at her feet even though deep down he wants too. Self control is a must. Tanzy sees him as a challenge to get him to like her. But circumstances throw them together and it is becoming harder and harder to resist the sexual tension. In the end, Tanzy sees she really wants the wolf in sheeps clothing.
It was a quick read. It was funny as well. The words really painted a picture. You can feel the heat.
Tanzy Harrington is a columnist that writes about her love life. Sex in the city motif here. And she is tired of pansy ass men, aka sheep sex. She wants a wolf to take what he wants. At least she thinks she does. So when her great aunt asks her to house sit her mansion while she is gone, she reluctantly agrees. But she finds out that she has a roommate Riley Parrish. Bookworm look kind of guy. Yet, Tandy hasn’t really looked behind the glasses. And when she starts seeing him in his low-hung sweats and muscle hugging shirt, she quickly is changing her tune. Riley is the first man who doesn’t fall at her feet even though deep down he wants too. Self control is a must. Tanzy sees him as a challenge to get him to like her. But circumstances throw them together and it is becoming harder and harder to resist the sexual tension. In the end, Tanzy sees she really wants the wolf in sheeps clothing.
It was a quick read. It was funny as well. The words really painted a picture. You can feel the heat.
January 4, 2021
If you like a sassy woman who knows what she does and doesn't want and isn't afraid to speak her mind for the world to hear, then this may be a book for you. As someone who (mildly) identifies with Tanzy on not wanting to settle and is the last of her friend group that isn't in a committed relationship, I feel for her and get it lol. But then here comes Riley who is the one that you think...well what if about. Only to find out that everything isn't so black and white and exclusive. I enjoyed the bit of mystery balanced with humor and romance. I didn't feel like one overpowered the other at all. I personally did not predict who Soulm8 was which I really enjoyed.
It's definitely a book I will keep on my shelf to occasionally go back and read again.
It's definitely a book I will keep on my shelf to occasionally go back and read again.
January 28, 2020
I have never wanted to throw out a book after I finished reading it ( don't ask me why I finished it!) until I read this piece of literary garbage!!! It took me months to read it because it never got interesting, not even one little bit. Do not waste your time! I don't know how anyone could consider this a good book and wonder how it ever got published. It makes me think I could be a writer. I didn't even want to give it one star.
June 16, 2020
I love this author but almost stopped reading in the first chapter. I'm so glad I picked it back up again. This is actually now my favorite book by her and is such a sweet, romantic story about love when you're not looking for it.
June 28, 2017
Lots of fun!
July 14, 2018
I loved this book! This was the first book that I have read by Donna Kauffman and I want to read all of her books now. Her writing was so good that I felt like I was in the story.
June 23, 2018
The beginning & blurbs at the start of chapters, reminded me of sex & the city, with the female MC being Carrie AKA Sarah Jessica Parker.
This is a low burner it's funny & realistically portrayed, but it's not full of action & intense passion, if your not in the mood for this kind of bk you may get a little impatient.
P.S Hugh Grant may be a sheep in the movies, but he's definitely a wolf in reality. Superman/Clark Kent isn't a wolf, I'm almost sure he never officially lost his virginity - unless he married Lois Lane in the comic bk series.
This is a low burner it's funny & realistically portrayed, but it's not full of action & intense passion, if your not in the mood for this kind of bk you may get a little impatient.
P.S Hugh Grant may be a sheep in the movies, but he's definitely a wolf in reality. Superman/Clark Kent isn't a wolf, I'm almost sure he never officially lost his virginity - unless he married Lois Lane in the comic bk series.
February 10, 2022
I found this old copy at my mom's house over the holidays, and thought it'd be fun to reread a romance novel I read back in 2005. Parts of the beginning were fun, but the ending was a major yikes. I'd completely forgotten how the stalking case unravelled. This book did NOT age well.
May 29, 2012
Oh how I could not STAND this book!!! Reading it was so difficult! Totally reselling this ASAP! In fact, I believe I already have! Our "heroine" Tanzy writes for an online magazine about her sexcapades and theories about men and women in general, particular that men are either wolves or sheep. And Tanzy likes her wolves.
She is so successful that she receives quite a bit of hate and fan mail combined. Though she's been getting quite a bit of mail from a certain someone and it's been throwing her off enough to where she mentions it to her great aunt. Her great aunt is of course loaded and decides that she's worried and hires a security company to watch out for her niece. She then tricks Tanzy into house sitting for her so the she can be easier or Riley, the security man to watch her.
In order not to get too close to Tanzy, Riley decides to pretend he is a sheep man instead of a wolf man. Which works at first.
I'm all for cute romances, I used to read them all the time before I met my husband, but this was just plain stupid. It may have been better if Tanzy weren't so freaking annoying. I think the best and most surprising part of the book was when her stalker ended up being a he-she.
She is so successful that she receives quite a bit of hate and fan mail combined. Though she's been getting quite a bit of mail from a certain someone and it's been throwing her off enough to where she mentions it to her great aunt. Her great aunt is of course loaded and decides that she's worried and hires a security company to watch out for her niece. She then tricks Tanzy into house sitting for her so the she can be easier or Riley, the security man to watch her.
In order not to get too close to Tanzy, Riley decides to pretend he is a sheep man instead of a wolf man. Which works at first.
I'm all for cute romances, I used to read them all the time before I met my husband, but this was just plain stupid. It may have been better if Tanzy weren't so freaking annoying. I think the best and most surprising part of the book was when her stalker ended up being a he-she.
October 20, 2012
(I wrote this review after I read it in 2007)
The Big Bad Wolf tells all is a wonderfully done novel by Donna Kauffman.
The novel centers around internet columnist Tanzy Harrington (who writes funny "relationship" columns, very much sex-and-the-city), and her novel idea of men, relating to two animals: Wolves (bad guys) and Sheep (good guys). She thinks guys can only be one of the other, until she is conveniently stuck sharing a house with a Wolf in Sheeps clothing, Riley Parrish.
This book is a fun read, nothing too serious, about a girl falling in love with a guy she never saw herself falling in love with- or falling in love at all! The best character, in my opinion, was Aunt Millicent, and you will see why when you read this book.
The Big Bad Wolf tells all is a wonderfully done novel by Donna Kauffman.
The novel centers around internet columnist Tanzy Harrington (who writes funny "relationship" columns, very much sex-and-the-city), and her novel idea of men, relating to two animals: Wolves (bad guys) and Sheep (good guys). She thinks guys can only be one of the other, until she is conveniently stuck sharing a house with a Wolf in Sheeps clothing, Riley Parrish.
This book is a fun read, nothing too serious, about a girl falling in love with a guy she never saw herself falling in love with- or falling in love at all! The best character, in my opinion, was Aunt Millicent, and you will see why when you read this book.
October 4, 2007
Very entertaining. Although you know what's going to happen the whole time relationship-wise, who the stalker is - that's a surprise! I liked that the fluff of the love story was offset not only by the mystery but also by the truly amazing writing that makes you feel cold when she feels cold and makes the characters so accessable with their feelings and views about life.
The way the chapters start are very "carrie bradshaw" but the literary styling in the chapters helps lend depth to the story. Within the chapters the pov of the story switches between Tanzy and Riley. Very fun, especially when they both tell their views of what just happened.
The way the chapters start are very "carrie bradshaw" but the literary styling in the chapters helps lend depth to the story. Within the chapters the pov of the story switches between Tanzy and Riley. Very fun, especially when they both tell their views of what just happened.
October 1, 2013
Good...it's good. I loved the characters and the plot was great. This was well written and kept flowing all the way to the end. There was a little suspense toward the end, but that was pretty much it. It had emotions, great dialog and personalities, some steamy scenes, plenty of humor, a great overall feeling, and a totally UNexpected twist at the end. I sooo totally didn't see THAT coming! I smiled, laughed, sweated and got a little emotional (but not too much). I wouldn't mind reading this again and would like to read more about the other characters. This would be great for reading pretty much anytime. Enjoy
February 1, 2016
Boy, I sure did enjoy this book. It was filled with humor and a journalist who did not believe in love until she met Riley Parrish. Tanzy Harrington wrote a column for the newspaper where she tried to explain her theory on love or relationships and the difference between the two. She was the last bridesmaid among her four friends and she liked it that way. No one was going to tie her down or at least that was what she thought.
Great read, fun hook
Great read, fun hook
October 15, 2010
I cant figure out why this book got so many bad reviews. I loved it! It was really cute and really funny. I loved that there wasn't really any drama between Tanzy and Riley once they decided to get together. The whole romance formula of: Guy gets girl, Guy loses girl over misunderstanding. guy gets girl again is really annoying. I liked this book.
July 4, 2013
Just a fluffy airplane read, not much depth to the characters but I liked that it was the kind that highlighted all the tension and anxiety of initially getting together, and then once that happened everything just fit for them instead of having some reason to drive them apart just for dramatic purposes
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May 16, 2015Read this just because I really want to read the rest of her Maine trilogy but cannot get my hands on the books yet.
So this was @ the store & got picked...this one was readable..yes a 3.5 is my rating too. Had to stick with it..it got better.
Tanzy H (a bit hard 2 identify with this very rich socialite/provocative columnist) & Riley's story.
So this was @ the store & got picked...this one was readable..yes a 3.5 is my rating too. Had to stick with it..it got better.
Tanzy H (a bit hard 2 identify with this very rich socialite/provocative columnist) & Riley's story.
May 14, 2009
predictable, cutesy, sassy, mind numbing, why did i read this? because i wanted to give the romance chick lt a fair chance before i resigned myself to never read something from that catagorie again. well i gave it a chance... gonna have to pass from now on in the future.
April 29, 2010
This book was really not very good. It took me forever to finish it because I would read one page and put it down. I could not get into it or care for the characters. I finally started skimming the last 3 chapters just to get it over with.
August 8, 2014
This book was pretty good. Tanzy was entertaining, as was Aunt Millie. I didn't see the ending coming; it shocked me. One thing that kinda annoyed me about the book was the obligation Riley felt to his father...he just kept going on about it.
November 3, 2007
Yet another book I had a real tough time being able to stop reading.
September 7, 2008
Funny stuff.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews