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Slightly Foxed
They say you’ll know when you’re in love. What if you don’t?
Alys, a single parent and certified romantic disaster area, is always falling for unattainable men—the latest one being the dead author of a “borrowed” book of poetry. When she reluctantly returns the book to its rightful owner, she meets Leo. He’s very much alive, very much attracted to her and, well, it’s love at first sight.
Isn’t it?
After all, she’s a single mum with a boring job in a bookshop and, as her daughter puts it, gravity’s not going to hold off forever. Leo’s got the financial stability she’s been craving and he looks like an aftershave advert. So it must be love.
Mustn’t it?
Then there’s Piers, whose spontaneity draws her like a magnet. But is it love she feels, or just his infectious love of life? Before she can choose, an unexpected source threatens to lay bare the lie she has been living for the last sixteen years.
With happiness close to slipping out of her grasp, Alys is forced to ask herself whether she’s ever really been in love at all.
Alys, a single parent and certified romantic disaster area, is always falling for unattainable men—the latest one being the dead author of a “borrowed” book of poetry. When she reluctantly returns the book to its rightful owner, she meets Leo. He’s very much alive, very much attracted to her and, well, it’s love at first sight.
Isn’t it?
After all, she’s a single mum with a boring job in a bookshop and, as her daughter puts it, gravity’s not going to hold off forever. Leo’s got the financial stability she’s been craving and he looks like an aftershave advert. So it must be love.
Mustn’t it?
Then there’s Piers, whose spontaneity draws her like a magnet. But is it love she feels, or just his infectious love of life? Before she can choose, an unexpected source threatens to lay bare the lie she has been living for the last sixteen years.
With happiness close to slipping out of her grasp, Alys is forced to ask herself whether she’s ever really been in love at all.
- GenresRomanceContemporary
ebook
First published January 1, 2008
About the author
Jane Lovering
38 books231 followersJane Lovering was born in Devon, England but, following extradition procedures, now lives in Yorkshire. She has five children, four cats, two dogs and doesn't believe in housework so the bacteria and dust are approaching sentience and now rank among the pets. Incidentally, she doesn’t believe in ironing either, and the children all learned self-defensive cookery at early ages. She works in a local school and also teaches creative writing, which are extreme ways of avoiding the washing up.
Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA.
Published since 2008, she writes romantic comedies which are often described as ‘quirky’. One day she's going to find out what that means. Jane is a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and has a first class honours degree in creative writing. In 2012, her novel Please Don't Stop the Music won the Romantic Novel of the Year Award by the RNA.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 11, 2012
Loved the sarcasm in this book and the twists & turns of the plot line. Some great laugh out loud moments - which was a bit awkward as I read this in one sitting (really couldn't put it down) and waking your other half at 2am because your book is funny doesn't go down well. ;)
September 17, 2012
I have absolutely no idea what to write about this book. On one hand, it's true it does deserve four stars because it did leave me quite happy with the ending and the sense of complete resolution.
On the other hand, my god it was such a frustrating irksome journey. Never mind that I twigged to Alys' big secret almost instantly, I wanted to shake her almost all the way through the book ... which is a bit unusual for me cos normally I tend to sympathise with more than judge a protagonist, especially in a first person narrative. It's pretty rare when I want to groan and thump my narrator. Secondly, I very quickly twigged to the total unsuitability of Leo and that irritated me even more because she took so damned long to see what I saw and be as bored with him as I was. I kept wanting to scream at her, "He is SO wrong for you, get over it, move on, omigod you foolish woman!"
Oof.
Naturally that was because Piers was quite clearly so much better as a rewarding relationship. That made for some rather delicious inner conflict for me as a reader in terms of the "Ewww but he's her stepson, ewww ewww" but only in the first half or so. Once I realised that yep, that's clearly where we're heading and now I just have to read along to the point where Alys gets out of her thickwitted fog and realises the same, that irked me even more.
And frankly the second sex scene pissed me right off as a writer. I was halfway through the damned paragraph before I realised "Oh my god, is this a sex scene? Wait, what?" and then had to go back to the start of the paragraph. That felt like total cheating and put me in a severely bad mood until the happy ever after.
Still I was so relieved and so happy that it did turn out the way I wanted and in a beautifully romantic way too that yes, four stars with a star taken off for that totally shortchanged sex scene.
I do know this is a book earlier in Jane Lovering's career and that yes, the sex scenes definitely aren't shortchanged in terms of length --- hur hur --- later but this book definitely left me rather annoyed. And unfortunately I'm going to think twice before I buy another one. *sigh*
On the other hand, my god it was such a frustrating irksome journey. Never mind that I twigged to Alys' big secret almost instantly, I wanted to shake her almost all the way through the book ... which is a bit unusual for me cos normally I tend to sympathise with more than judge a protagonist, especially in a first person narrative. It's pretty rare when I want to groan and thump my narrator. Secondly, I very quickly twigged to the total unsuitability of Leo and that irritated me even more because she took so damned long to see what I saw and be as bored with him as I was. I kept wanting to scream at her, "He is SO wrong for you, get over it, move on, omigod you foolish woman!"
Oof.
Naturally that was because Piers was quite clearly so much better as a rewarding relationship. That made for some rather delicious inner conflict for me as a reader in terms of the "Ewww but he's her stepson, ewww ewww" but only in the first half or so. Once I realised that yep, that's clearly where we're heading and now I just have to read along to the point where Alys gets out of her thickwitted fog and realises the same, that irked me even more.
And frankly the second sex scene pissed me right off as a writer. I was halfway through the damned paragraph before I realised "Oh my god, is this a sex scene? Wait, what?" and then had to go back to the start of the paragraph. That felt like total cheating and put me in a severely bad mood until the happy ever after.
Still I was so relieved and so happy that it did turn out the way I wanted and in a beautifully romantic way too that yes, four stars with a star taken off for that totally shortchanged sex scene.
I do know this is a book earlier in Jane Lovering's career and that yes, the sex scenes definitely aren't shortchanged in terms of length --- hur hur --- later but this book definitely left me rather annoyed. And unfortunately I'm going to think twice before I buy another one. *sigh*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 1, 2013
Slightly Foxed started out great with a healthy dose of British humour I so adore. Unfortunately, I soon realised that while certain passages were incredibly funny, some major parts didn't turn out to my liking at all. First of all, the heroine's daughter is a bitch. I know she's 16, a teenager which excuses a lot of hormone-driven bad behaviour. But through all the 40% of the story I have read, she treated her mother at times abominably which, of course, didn't endear her to me at all.
Secondly, I had some major problems with Alys, the thirty six years old heroine. Alys has some serious insecurities and while I understand (though I don't deem it normal, at least not in real life) that she put her sex life on hold, I really started getting annoyed with her because she constantly belittled herself. Often in a humorous way, but JEZUZ, she's thirty six not fourteen. She has a bad paying job in a book shop and a boss who doesn't appreciate her skills. She's as poor as a church mouse which isn't a shame, but why stay at the same job for ages and not trying to move on if it's so lousy? Her ex-husband is rich and I take it the separation wasn't hunky dory, but talk about false pride and missing self respect. DNF
Secondly, I had some major problems with Alys, the thirty six years old heroine. Alys has some serious insecurities and while I understand (though I don't deem it normal, at least not in real life) that she put her sex life on hold, I really started getting annoyed with her because she constantly belittled herself. Often in a humorous way, but JEZUZ, she's thirty six not fourteen. She has a bad paying job in a book shop and a boss who doesn't appreciate her skills. She's as poor as a church mouse which isn't a shame, but why stay at the same job for ages and not trying to move on if it's so lousy? Her ex-husband is rich and I take it the separation wasn't hunky dory, but talk about false pride and missing self respect. DNF
June 11, 2012
I was a fan of this author after reading Please Don't Stop the Music and hoped this read would be as good and I wasn't disappointed. Ally is a quick witted single mum with quite a dull love life. The book takes you on her journey of finding Mr Right. I loved the supporting characters in the book especially Jacinta and Piers. And call me a romantic but I love a happy ending and a 'one year later' postscript !! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a light hearted, funny romance :0)
April 1, 2012
A laugh out loud read.
November 12, 2011
Set in York - which makes a welcome change from London! Brilliant one liners and lovable characters make this something out of the ordinary.
February 22, 2015
Fun, entertaining and a bit odd. In a good way.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews