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Wild Ride
The New York Times bestselling duo of Crusie and Mayer team up again with a hilarious paranormal novel that shows why the wildest ride at the Dreamland Amusement Park isn't the roller coaster.Mary Alice Brannigan doesn't believe in the supernatural. Nor does she expect to find that Dreamland, the decaying amusement park she's been hired to restore, is a prison for the five Untouchables, the most powerful demons in the history of the world. Plus, there's a guy she's falling hard for, and there's something about him that's not quite right.But rocky romances and demented demons aren't the only problems in Mab's also coping with a crooked politician, a supernatural raven, a secret government agency, an inexperienced sorceress, an unsettling inheritance, and some mind-boggling revelations from her past. As her personal demons wreck her newfound relationship and real demons wreck the park, Mab faces down immortal evil and discovers what everybody who's ever been to an amusement park The end of the ride is always the wildest.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 16, 2009
146 people are currently reading
1811 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Crusie
80 books7,788 followersJennifer Crusie is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of twenty-three novels, one book of literary criticism, miscellaneous articles, essays, novellas, and short stories, and the editor of three essay anthologies.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
She was born in Wapakoneta, a small town in Ohio, and then went on to live in a succession of other small towns in Ohio and New Jersey until her last move to a small town in Pennsylvania. This may have had an impact on her work.
She has a BS in Art Education, an MA in literature, an MFA in fiction, and was ABD on her PhD when she started reading romances as part of her research into the differences between the ways men and women tell stories. Writing a romance sounded like more fun than writing a dissertation, so she switched to fiction and never looked back. Her collaborations with Bob Mayer have pretty much proved everything she was going to say in her dissertation anyway, so really, no need to finish that.
For more information, see JenniferCrusie.com and her blog, Argh Ink.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 689 reviews
May 18, 2010
If you are a fan of Jennifer Cruise, you may or may not like this book. This is evident by the wide swing in reviews. Since she has begun writing with Bob Mayer things have changed a bit. Some like it, some don’t.
First let me say up front that this was a very well written book. It had an absorbing plot that kept me guessing to the end. It had an originality of ideas that is just not found these days in much of what is being published. The characters were well written. The dialogue was real. So the one-star ratings are really not deserved for this book; and are really not fair.
We tend to pigeon hole our favorite authors. Often, we want to see the same kind of work from them and then ironically complain when we think they are rehashing the same characters. But what is an author to do? The Crusie name practically guarantees a bestseller. If she were to write under a nom-de-plume, would the books be bought as readily? It’s a tough decision for an author to make to branch out.
I have read all of Jennifer Crusie’s books, and eagerly look forward to each new thing that she puts out. While I’m not a fan of chick lit, per say, she is the exception. I really enjoy her style and writing. Her characters are usually real people. Her dialog comes across as real and not trite. And above all, I enjoy her humor. I love her use of an animal, even one that is purple and green velvet, to convey her humor. I also love her throw away ‘thoughts’ that her characters have and her character’s self-deprecating humor.
I am not as familiar with Bob Mayer. And I’m not sure of how they divided the writing responsibilities. However, I would think that a lot of the weaponry and fighting scenes are probably his strong suit. And this is a great addition, because all of that rings true, as well. It may also help the men in the story to come across as, perhaps, more masculine.
This book had an originality of ideas that I found refreshing. I’m an author and a librarian. I read all the time, and to tell the truth, I often forget what I’ve read as soon as I’m done. However, I actually remembered this book, and while I was reading it, wanted to get back to it. That doesn’t happen very often with me these days.
I’m not going to re-hash the story, as people can read the blurb and the other reviews to know what it’s about. Using ‘real’ demons (yep, you can look them up) and how they came to be in our modern day world was a great idea. My favorite parts: the conversation between the demons was unexpected and delightful; Beemer; Oliver; and little demons ending up inside of the weirdest things. I especially liked the way that the characters grew and changed because of the events that happened to them.
I was delighted with this offering. I think that Mayer and Crusie have hit their stride as a writing team.
First let me say up front that this was a very well written book. It had an absorbing plot that kept me guessing to the end. It had an originality of ideas that is just not found these days in much of what is being published. The characters were well written. The dialogue was real. So the one-star ratings are really not deserved for this book; and are really not fair.
We tend to pigeon hole our favorite authors. Often, we want to see the same kind of work from them and then ironically complain when we think they are rehashing the same characters. But what is an author to do? The Crusie name practically guarantees a bestseller. If she were to write under a nom-de-plume, would the books be bought as readily? It’s a tough decision for an author to make to branch out.
I have read all of Jennifer Crusie’s books, and eagerly look forward to each new thing that she puts out. While I’m not a fan of chick lit, per say, she is the exception. I really enjoy her style and writing. Her characters are usually real people. Her dialog comes across as real and not trite. And above all, I enjoy her humor. I love her use of an animal, even one that is purple and green velvet, to convey her humor. I also love her throw away ‘thoughts’ that her characters have and her character’s self-deprecating humor.
I am not as familiar with Bob Mayer. And I’m not sure of how they divided the writing responsibilities. However, I would think that a lot of the weaponry and fighting scenes are probably his strong suit. And this is a great addition, because all of that rings true, as well. It may also help the men in the story to come across as, perhaps, more masculine.
This book had an originality of ideas that I found refreshing. I’m an author and a librarian. I read all the time, and to tell the truth, I often forget what I’ve read as soon as I’m done. However, I actually remembered this book, and while I was reading it, wanted to get back to it. That doesn’t happen very often with me these days.
I’m not going to re-hash the story, as people can read the blurb and the other reviews to know what it’s about. Using ‘real’ demons (yep, you can look them up) and how they came to be in our modern day world was a great idea. My favorite parts: the conversation between the demons was unexpected and delightful; Beemer; Oliver; and little demons ending up inside of the weirdest things. I especially liked the way that the characters grew and changed because of the events that happened to them.
I was delighted with this offering. I think that Mayer and Crusie have hit their stride as a writing team.
June 15, 2017
This story is one of the best things I've read this year. And it was difficult to find - so definitely worth the effort.
The story is set in an old amusement park which is about to be reopened. It also acts as a prison for 5 demons from hell. The Guardia are demon hunters who are jailors for these demons.
This story was like discovering a new planet because the blurb doesn't prepare you for the Wild Ride. (The title is apt. Major frappe points)
The Guardia is going through some changes but the new recruits dont have the time to be excited, bothered, invested or scared. They have their own dreams and baggages weighing them down, isolating them. The demons are not their concern and they won't think twice before walking away.
Mab is an art restorer with a detatched existence. Ethan is a former Green Beret with a bullet in his heart. Both of them have roots here but this is not where they would choose to be.
But what happens when the prison gives you hope, perspective, possibility?
The picture I've painted sounds depressing but these are just the lead characters and this book handles heavy issues with a lot of humor and an excellent plot. Even the leads don't feel bad about their lives but work with odd coping mechanisms.
Add some escaped demons for adventure, action and an adrenaline rush - you still can't imagine how incredible this was.
I'm not telling you the plot points, twists or best scenes because you deserve to experience this on your own.
All I can say is this book made me introspect, dig deep, feel a little blue, very happy and oddly inspired.
Give this a try when you're looking for something different ;)
Can you defeat demons with ice cream?”
“If anybody can, you can,”
“You have no choice -”
“I always have a choice.”
“So there are two empty trailers, but you're sleeping in the woods.”
“1 like the woods - you never know who might show up there.”
“We were attacked tonight by possessed teddy bears. A couple dozen of them.”
“Although it's also irrelevant because you're a demon.”
“Don't be a bigot.”
“I am drowning my sorrows,” Mab said, enunciating clearly.
“How's that going?”
“Not too well.” She gazed at the empty cups sadly. “The little suckers are buoyant as all hell.”
“Remember how you always wanted me to bring home a nice girl?”
Glenda looked past him to Weaver, dressed all in black with her gun under her arm.
“This isn't her,” Ethan said. “This is Weaver. The man in black.”
“A low bar benefits everybody,
The story is set in an old amusement park which is about to be reopened. It also acts as a prison for 5 demons from hell. The Guardia are demon hunters who are jailors for these demons.
This story was like discovering a new planet because the blurb doesn't prepare you for the Wild Ride. (The title is apt. Major frappe points)
The Guardia is going through some changes but the new recruits dont have the time to be excited, bothered, invested or scared. They have their own dreams and baggages weighing them down, isolating them. The demons are not their concern and they won't think twice before walking away.
Mab is an art restorer with a detatched existence. Ethan is a former Green Beret with a bullet in his heart. Both of them have roots here but this is not where they would choose to be.
But what happens when the prison gives you hope, perspective, possibility?
The picture I've painted sounds depressing but these are just the lead characters and this book handles heavy issues with a lot of humor and an excellent plot. Even the leads don't feel bad about their lives but work with odd coping mechanisms.
Add some escaped demons for adventure, action and an adrenaline rush - you still can't imagine how incredible this was.
I'm not telling you the plot points, twists or best scenes because you deserve to experience this on your own.
All I can say is this book made me introspect, dig deep, feel a little blue, very happy and oddly inspired.
Give this a try when you're looking for something different ;)
Can you defeat demons with ice cream?”
“If anybody can, you can,”
“You have no choice -”
“I always have a choice.”
“So there are two empty trailers, but you're sleeping in the woods.”
“1 like the woods - you never know who might show up there.”
“We were attacked tonight by possessed teddy bears. A couple dozen of them.”
“Although it's also irrelevant because you're a demon.”
“Don't be a bigot.”
“I am drowning my sorrows,” Mab said, enunciating clearly.
“How's that going?”
“Not too well.” She gazed at the empty cups sadly. “The little suckers are buoyant as all hell.”
“Remember how you always wanted me to bring home a nice girl?”
Glenda looked past him to Weaver, dressed all in black with her gun under her arm.
“This isn't her,” Ethan said. “This is Weaver. The man in black.”
“A low bar benefits everybody,
August 25, 2018
A reclusive woman who wants to be left alone to follow her work. She restores carnival rides. While repairing a creepy clown she unleashes demons. (That may explain why everyone thinks clowns are evil)
Anyway, she also learns she was “one of the chosen few. “ Now she and her small group stuck on the fair ground along with the demons.
Anyway, she also learns she was “one of the chosen few. “ Now she and her small group stuck on the fair ground along with the demons.
May 2, 2012
I knew in advance that I would love this book because it was by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (I really need to finally read Don't Look Down since I loved Agnes and the Hitman and this one so much) and because it was about an amusement park that is also a demon prison.
My one minor disappointment is that there were so many characters that no two of them interacted as much as I wanted them to. I especially would have liked to see Ethan and Mab spend more time together, although that's definitely my own fault for assuming that even though it wasn't a romance, it would still focus on the relationship between the two POV characters. I just love buddy-cop-type stories!
I adored every character, and the plot was fabulous. I especially loved the way the portrayal of demons started out very black/white, good/evil, and then grew more nuanced. (This is what I wanted so badly to see on Buffy and never did--yes, we got demon and vampire characters who were obviously not evil, or not more evil than humans anyway, but the ideology never changed from "stake them on sight, they HAVE NO SOUL!") I think my favorite character was Cindy, the ice-cream maker. I loved her ice cream and how her subconscious manifests as dragons and how when the demons were acting out everyone's worst fear, they chanted at her "Hungry, hungry, can't feed us!" What can I say, I'm a cook.
Plus, I loved the recurring theme of the fortune "He loves you as much as he can, but he cannot love you very much," because my mom actually got that fortune one time. While out to dinner with my dad, I think, but I'm not sure of that part.
My one minor disappointment is that there were so many characters that no two of them interacted as much as I wanted them to. I especially would have liked to see Ethan and Mab spend more time together, although that's definitely my own fault for assuming that even though it wasn't a romance, it would still focus on the relationship between the two POV characters. I just love buddy-cop-type stories!
I adored every character, and the plot was fabulous. I especially loved the way the portrayal of demons started out very black/white, good/evil, and then grew more nuanced. (This is what I wanted so badly to see on Buffy and never did--yes, we got demon and vampire characters who were obviously not evil, or not more evil than humans anyway, but the ideology never changed from "stake them on sight, they HAVE NO SOUL!") I think my favorite character was Cindy, the ice-cream maker. I loved her ice cream and how her subconscious manifests as dragons and how when the demons were acting out everyone's worst fear, they chanted at her "Hungry, hungry, can't feed us!" What can I say, I'm a cook.
Plus, I loved the recurring theme of the fortune "He loves you as much as he can, but he cannot love you very much," because my mom actually got that fortune one time. While out to dinner with my dad, I think, but I'm not sure of that part.
July 28, 2010
Jenny, Jenny, I've been watching "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and I get what you've seen in it all these years. But Bob Mayer is no Josh Whedon and if you insist on going in this direction you need a new collaborator. Better still, what about those other books you've been promising on your blog for the last few years? Your own books that are head and shoulders above any other "chick lit" writer out there. The ones I re-read and love every time that I do!
This has its moments, but mostly it's mishmosh. The one or two sex scenes are the most boring she has ever written. The funny quirky characters get lost in a ridiculous supernatural plot that goes way over the top as it piles on family complications worthy of Wagner's Ring Cycle and a dull denouement.
Please, Jenny. Drop Mayer. Meanwhile, I'm going back to read Welcome to Temptation and the rest of your GOOD stuff....
This has its moments, but mostly it's mishmosh. The one or two sex scenes are the most boring she has ever written. The funny quirky characters get lost in a ridiculous supernatural plot that goes way over the top as it piles on family complications worthy of Wagner's Ring Cycle and a dull denouement.
Please, Jenny. Drop Mayer. Meanwhile, I'm going back to read Welcome to Temptation and the rest of your GOOD stuff....
September 17, 2010
Sigh... two steps forward, one step back. Crusie and Mayer have sadly regressed from the success of "Agnes and the Hitman."
Although this book had some good laughs and twists, the Mab (Crusie) and Ethan (Mayer) storylines largely ran on parallel tracks and hardly intersected. I also think the story suffered from being overloaded with too many underdeveloped secondary characters.
I put this book down about when I was about halfway through and didn't feel any urgency to pick it up and finish it. I finally did, just to get it out of my pile of danglers. ("Audacity of Hope" has been gathering dust on my nightstand for over a year now.) Sorry - no room on the keeper shelf for this one, authors. Better luck next time.
Although this book had some good laughs and twists, the Mab (Crusie) and Ethan (Mayer) storylines largely ran on parallel tracks and hardly intersected. I also think the story suffered from being overloaded with too many underdeveloped secondary characters.
I put this book down about when I was about halfway through and didn't feel any urgency to pick it up and finish it. I finally did, just to get it out of my pile of danglers. ("Audacity of Hope" has been gathering dust on my nightstand for over a year now.) Sorry - no room on the keeper shelf for this one, authors. Better luck next time.
December 29, 2018
As a fan of other Jennifer Crusie books, I didn't feel the same warm and cozies with Wild Ride. I knew this book wouldn't be a romance, but following the plot along its paranormal lines wasn't, in fact, the best ride. Maybe it was the squad of demons, maybe it was the disjointed plot development, or maybe because the book just seemed to go on and on only to end up at a totally expected conclusion. Parts of it held my attention long enough to pass a lazy afternoon, but in a month I won't remember that I read this book.
March 25, 2014
On a personal level, this book is a layer cake of fail. I dislike amusement parks only slightly less than circuses. Mab is a wet rag, Ethan is a drunk jerk, demons are possessing all the interesting characters, and those supposedly fighting the demons are an obscene joke. Somewhere before the halfway point, I just couldn't take it any more and gave up. Sad, really. My first Crusie fail... Maybe I'll blame her coauthor to ease my pain...
June 22, 2015
I'm stretching for 3 stars because it was a lot of fun. This is humorous & goofy, but it could have been so much better if they'd get their realistic parts together. The main character is a gal that is restoring the park & it's obvious they've never fixed anything. And all the extra help is practically invisible. A real shame because the basic idea was quite different & interesting. The major characters were well done & there was a lot of action.
Well, if you can just go with it, it is a wild & fun ride. Angela Dawe did a great job of narrating the story.
Well, if you can just go with it, it is a wild & fun ride. Angela Dawe did a great job of narrating the story.
December 7, 2019
Next time I decide to read this it will probably be for Halloween bingo, because this hits a lot of squares, including Halloween itself and carnivals.
It's fall in small-town Ohio, and Mab is almost finished restoring the old rides and statues in a small amusement park that's being refurbished. Mab unwittingly sets free a demon, and then all Hell is breaking loose. There's a little murder, a lot of mayhem, sex, beer, demon-possessed teddy bears, and a nice array of weapons.
Crusie and Mayer work so well together: it's witty and clever and exciting and sweet, and flows smoothly through all of its moods without a false note.
In a perfect world, Crusie and Mayer would write more of this kind of thing, and they would all be optioned for Netflix. In a pretty good world, other writers would mine the same vein. Who doesn't want more banter and brawling with a side of hellmouth?
Library copy
It's fall in small-town Ohio, and Mab is almost finished restoring the old rides and statues in a small amusement park that's being refurbished. Mab unwittingly sets free a demon, and then all Hell is breaking loose. There's a little murder, a lot of mayhem, sex, beer, demon-possessed teddy bears, and a nice array of weapons.
Crusie and Mayer work so well together: it's witty and clever and exciting and sweet, and flows smoothly through all of its moods without a false note.
In a perfect world, Crusie and Mayer would write more of this kind of thing, and they would all be optioned for Netflix. In a pretty good world, other writers would mine the same vein. Who doesn't want more banter and brawling with a side of hellmouth?
Library copy
October 1, 2011
This book is going to be really confusing for a lot of readers who found it, as I did, in the romance section. When you find a book in the romance section, you sort of expect that if there are two pov characters they will end up together. Instead
The thing is, this is actually a quite decent book, which I think I like better than any Crusie/Mayers collaboration so far, but whatever it is, it's not a romance.
The thing is, this is actually a quite decent book, which I think I like better than any Crusie/Mayers collaboration so far, but whatever it is, it's not a romance.
April 1, 2010
Ok - I'm going to do something I don't normally do and stop reading this one in the middle because I feel brain cells dying and I have an entire stack of books waiting to be read that I think I will actually enjoy. I saw this one at the library and it had similarities to A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore which I just finished, so I figured "logical jump". However, A Dirty Job was a clever farce - this is just excrutiatingly dumb. I'm on page 174 and I've had it, so back to the library it goes.
June 24, 2010
I've enjoyed every book I've read by the Crusie/Mayer writing team. Each one is unique. This book is a paranormal, with lots a action, lots of humour, a bit of romance and a whole boatload of demons. Its the polar opposite to the dark and complex paranormal series that seem to be the norm these days. I like the fact that these two always write a book that begins and ends in one book. Very entertaining.
February 15, 2022
Gute Ideen, aber irgendwie hat es mich nicht wirklich begeistern können. Wirklich viel mehr ein Fantasybuch als eine Liebesgeschichte.
did-not-finish
February 28, 2025This was way weirder than I realized because I did not read the cover copy thoroughly enough.
July 9, 2017
I love Crusie's writing, but this was too high-octane for me. I needed the pace to let up slightly from time to time.
September 7, 2011
Jennifer Crusie finally gets around to the supernatural in WILD RIDE, and Crusie lovers may be amused. The wildest ride at the Dreamland Amusement Park isn’t the roller coaster, but the truth is way too much for Mary Alice Brannigan (AKA Mab) to believe. Mab doesn’t believe in the supernatural, despite her mother telling her she was demon spawn. But the truth of the matter is, Dreamland is actually a prison for the Five Untouchables, the most powerful demons in the history of the world.
Mab is a professional restorer of vintage amusement parks, always on the move, proud of her work and her reputation. But at Dreamland she finds herself becoming more involved with the natives than usual, plus there’s this guy she’s falling for despite the fact that something about him feels odd.
If you like Evanovich, you will probably like vintage Crusie. Mab is coping with demons, weird suitors, a crooked politician with Deep Secrets, a preternaturally smart raven, a secret government agency, an inexperienced sorceress, an unsettling legacy, and some mind-blowing revelations about her past – and her future. And when a psychic whose predictions always come true pulls out the True Love gun, and Mab finds out the geek may be a dragon, well – if you think there may be something for everyone, you’re right.
I enjoyed this book, and read it quickly. It was not as belly-laughing a send-up for me as it might be for readers who don’t usually read serious fantasy. I was smiling at how information was being leaked here, but of course I knew it all meant something important, and I was waiting for the other penny to drop, so to speak.
I should mention that I wasn’t sure about Crusie teaming up with Mayer in Don't Look Down, their first book. I liked the heroine, but got tired of the hero’s inability to think any other adjective other than the F bomb. Agnes and the Hitman was a lot more fun, and the partnership jelled better. Wild Ride is entertaining, and Mayer’s soldier returning home to die (he thinks) is a lot more original and interesting than the first Mayer hero.
So I hope Crusie is working on something of her own, or that there’s one out I haven’t heard about, because I've missed her dynamite, humorous touch. But this is sure to please people waiting for a good parody of the supernatural market. Have fun, ride a carousel pony, and always look twice at the fortunes on those penny cards.
Mab is a professional restorer of vintage amusement parks, always on the move, proud of her work and her reputation. But at Dreamland she finds herself becoming more involved with the natives than usual, plus there’s this guy she’s falling for despite the fact that something about him feels odd.
If you like Evanovich, you will probably like vintage Crusie. Mab is coping with demons, weird suitors, a crooked politician with Deep Secrets, a preternaturally smart raven, a secret government agency, an inexperienced sorceress, an unsettling legacy, and some mind-blowing revelations about her past – and her future. And when a psychic whose predictions always come true pulls out the True Love gun, and Mab finds out the geek may be a dragon, well – if you think there may be something for everyone, you’re right.
I enjoyed this book, and read it quickly. It was not as belly-laughing a send-up for me as it might be for readers who don’t usually read serious fantasy. I was smiling at how information was being leaked here, but of course I knew it all meant something important, and I was waiting for the other penny to drop, so to speak.
I should mention that I wasn’t sure about Crusie teaming up with Mayer in Don't Look Down, their first book. I liked the heroine, but got tired of the hero’s inability to think any other adjective other than the F bomb. Agnes and the Hitman was a lot more fun, and the partnership jelled better. Wild Ride is entertaining, and Mayer’s soldier returning home to die (he thinks) is a lot more original and interesting than the first Mayer hero.
So I hope Crusie is working on something of her own, or that there’s one out I haven’t heard about, because I've missed her dynamite, humorous touch. But this is sure to please people waiting for a good parody of the supernatural market. Have fun, ride a carousel pony, and always look twice at the fortunes on those penny cards.
June 8, 2010
Mary Alice Brannigan, who goes by Mab, has come back to her home town to restore an old amusement park. Strange things are happening in the park. Clown statues seem to come to life, people are being shot at and friends talk of demons. Plus, a handsome man is fawning all over her and she can't figure out why. He is irresistibly handsome and shouldn't be interested in a boring, drab woman like her.
I really like Jennifer Crusie, but this book was a major dud for me. If you continue on reading this review be prepared for a rant, for I feel one coming on. I was disappointed with Wild Ride. I was looking for a romance and what I got was slap stick horror. That is definitely not my cup of tea. Yes, there are traces of Crusies's signature style. There is quite an interesting ensemble cast, which offers up great dialogue. But that in my opinion that is about all this book had to offer, unless of course you like comedic horror, then you might enjoy this "Wild Ride".
Have you ever seen the movie Army of Darkness, or some other horror flick that was more for laughs than for screams? That is what Wild Ride reminded me of. There were stuffed teddy bears, the ones that people try to win at carnival games. These little buggers came to life and tried to kill people. Mab as a choice of heroine was definitely unusual. She dresses like a bag lady and wears a minor's hat on her head. It has a light on it so she can see when painting in the dark. Umm... okaaaaay...
The romance is a big fat let down. Romance? What romance? It was about two pages towards the end of the book. Really the only thing that kept me reading was because it's Jennifer Crusie. I just kept hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it never did. I give it points for being original, but I can't recommend this one.
I really like Jennifer Crusie, but this book was a major dud for me. If you continue on reading this review be prepared for a rant, for I feel one coming on. I was disappointed with Wild Ride. I was looking for a romance and what I got was slap stick horror. That is definitely not my cup of tea. Yes, there are traces of Crusies's signature style. There is quite an interesting ensemble cast, which offers up great dialogue. But that in my opinion that is about all this book had to offer, unless of course you like comedic horror, then you might enjoy this "Wild Ride".
Have you ever seen the movie Army of Darkness, or some other horror flick that was more for laughs than for screams? That is what Wild Ride reminded me of. There were stuffed teddy bears, the ones that people try to win at carnival games. These little buggers came to life and tried to kill people. Mab as a choice of heroine was definitely unusual. She dresses like a bag lady and wears a minor's hat on her head. It has a light on it so she can see when painting in the dark. Umm... okaaaaay...
The romance is a big fat let down. Romance? What romance? It was about two pages towards the end of the book. Really the only thing that kept me reading was because it's Jennifer Crusie. I just kept hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it never did. I give it points for being original, but I can't recommend this one.
October 17, 2010
Did not finish. Spoilers ahead.
In the first several pages, we find out our Female Main Character (FMC) is working at a creepy amusement park, apparently getting it ready for Halloween. Then a hot ex-special forces guy shows up (our Male Main Character?), just in time for a statue of a clown to be possessed (apparently) by an escaped demon and attack FMC. Then MMC gets shot in the chest, but he's smart enough to be wearing kevlar.
Then I skipped ahead to the end. All five of the demons who had been imprisoned at the theme park are loose, and apparently planning on taking over the world/eating everyone's souls. FMC, MMC, and their friends have magically become demon hunters and are trying to imprison them again. Oh yeah, and our FMC and our MMC are half-siblings... and the kids of the demons they are trying to imprison/not get eaten by. They take care of their evil demon dad, but FMC's demon mother is being problematic... until FMC reminds her that she's pregnant... by another demon(??)... And then mom, content with the prospect of grandkids, hops into her genie bottle. And everything is right with the world and FMC is actually in love with another human, and MMC is... I dunno, actually.
It's all very confusing and would probably make so much more sense if I actually read the whole thing... It doesn't seem worth the time. I love some of Crusie's older stuff, but have been less-then-impressed with everything she's collaborated on with Bob Mayer, as well as her new supernatural kick. I'm hoping she goes back to traditional romance next. She was good at it.
In the first several pages, we find out our Female Main Character (FMC) is working at a creepy amusement park, apparently getting it ready for Halloween. Then a hot ex-special forces guy shows up (our Male Main Character?), just in time for a statue of a clown to be possessed (apparently) by an escaped demon and attack FMC. Then MMC gets shot in the chest, but he's smart enough to be wearing kevlar.
Then I skipped ahead to the end. All five of the demons who had been imprisoned at the theme park are loose, and apparently planning on taking over the world/eating everyone's souls. FMC, MMC, and their friends have magically become demon hunters and are trying to imprison them again. Oh yeah, and our FMC and our MMC are half-siblings... and the kids of the demons they are trying to imprison/not get eaten by. They take care of their evil demon dad, but FMC's demon mother is being problematic... until FMC reminds her that she's pregnant... by another demon(??)... And then mom, content with the prospect of grandkids, hops into her genie bottle. And everything is right with the world and FMC is actually in love with another human, and MMC is... I dunno, actually.
It's all very confusing and would probably make so much more sense if I actually read the whole thing... It doesn't seem worth the time. I love some of Crusie's older stuff, but have been less-then-impressed with everything she's collaborated on with Bob Mayer, as well as her new supernatural kick. I'm hoping she goes back to traditional romance next. She was good at it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2010
This was a fascinating book and I loved every page!
Imagine an amusement park as a prison for demons. Now imagine what might happen when that park gets a facelift from someone who doesn't KNOW it's a demonic prison. The roller coaster starts here.
Odd coincidences are proven not to be, strangers aren't, and those who run the park are really jailers. Sound weird? It is - wonderfully so! I haven't read anything with such a unique premise in a long time, and I enjoyed every minute. It's not predictable in pretty much any fashion.
This book also answers the question of many Harry Potter fans about what became of Dolores Umbridge after leaving the Ministry of Magic. Clearly she changed her name to Ursula, and went to work for the FBI. Ursula is a wonderful antagonist and thoroughly dislikeable. A perfect foil, in other words.
It's a great, fun book, with great writing from its two authors. I couldn't really tell where one stopped and the next took over, which is not always the case in a dual-authored novel. It was by turns hilarious, suspenseful, and dramatic, but always fascinating. It dragged me right through.
I hope to see this collaboration produce a few more pieces of fun for me to read!
Imagine an amusement park as a prison for demons. Now imagine what might happen when that park gets a facelift from someone who doesn't KNOW it's a demonic prison. The roller coaster starts here.
Odd coincidences are proven not to be, strangers aren't, and those who run the park are really jailers. Sound weird? It is - wonderfully so! I haven't read anything with such a unique premise in a long time, and I enjoyed every minute. It's not predictable in pretty much any fashion.
This book also answers the question of many Harry Potter fans about what became of Dolores Umbridge after leaving the Ministry of Magic. Clearly she changed her name to Ursula, and went to work for the FBI. Ursula is a wonderful antagonist and thoroughly dislikeable. A perfect foil, in other words.
It's a great, fun book, with great writing from its two authors. I couldn't really tell where one stopped and the next took over, which is not always the case in a dual-authored novel. It was by turns hilarious, suspenseful, and dramatic, but always fascinating. It dragged me right through.
I hope to see this collaboration produce a few more pieces of fun for me to read!
March 23, 2010
I am so disappointed. I loved Agnes and the Hitman and was really anticipating this book. Granted, their first book, Don't Look Down, was not as funny, but maybe they were still working the kinks out of the team writing style or something. Anyway, Wild Ride started out very promising (don't worry, no spoilers) - a social misfit female protagonist who restores carnival art is restoring this run-down amusement park filled with the standard kooky characters you'd expect. Then the burned-out, wounded ex-green beret whose mother owns the park comes home. All is developing nicely until we learn about the demons. Then, unexpectedly, the bridge suspending my disbelief collapsed. Although the rest of the book was fun, I just couldn't get into it. Putting the doubtful plot aside, the one "supernatural" element I would've loved was missing - the characters did not become real for me. I just never really cared about them. I wanted to, but couldn't feel their feelings. Actually, I think this book would make a fabulous spoof-horror movie, but the character development was too shallow for me to love it as a book. Good book. Silly book. But not a great book.
April 2, 2013
Another depressing Crusie-Mayer collaboration. Maybe, I should have started with this book before reading the awesomeness that is Agnes and the Hitman...less disappointment that way. Their weird paranormal romance action mix is a miss.
In this book, there are demons trapped inside an amusement park and the park workers are a secret society that are tasked with keeping the demons trapped. Well, there's the paranormal part of the book. Of course, the demons are plotting and trying to escape. The entire book is leading up to a big showdown. The ENTIRE book is leading up to a big showdown. Then, the showdown takes up just a few pages. Let down. Well, there's the action part of the book. The leads jump in and out of bed with strangers with little more than a crossing, "Oooh. He's handsome and has pretty eyes. I guess that means we should have sex now" The relationships really don't progress past that very superficial level. Well, there's the romance part of the book. The end.
In this book, there are demons trapped inside an amusement park and the park workers are a secret society that are tasked with keeping the demons trapped. Well, there's the paranormal part of the book. Of course, the demons are plotting and trying to escape. The entire book is leading up to a big showdown. The ENTIRE book is leading up to a big showdown. Then, the showdown takes up just a few pages. Let down. Well, there's the action part of the book. The leads jump in and out of bed with strangers with little more than a crossing, "Oooh. He's handsome and has pretty eyes. I guess that means we should have sex now" The relationships really don't progress past that very superficial level. Well, there's the romance part of the book. The end.
March 31, 2010
So here's the thing. If I had never read anything by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer, I would have loved this book. As it stands I liked it. It's just that even when she was writing something a paranormal edge to it, Jennifer Crusie was always at the core a romance writer. And where as during previous collaborations your main characters got their HEA and you were satisfied. In this one, I felt everyone got a HEA but I never really got to know all the people involved and more importantly, I never came to really care about them. It was like they were kept at arms length. Also, I know what parts Jennifer Crusie wrote and they lacked that something that I really love about her writing. The something that made me inhaled every book she ever wrote that I could get my hands on, during last summer.
I'm not ready to give up on them yet, but it wasn't a favorite.
I'm not ready to give up on them yet, but it wasn't a favorite.
April 8, 2010
It was really a 3.5, but I love Crusie and Mayer too much to mark it down. It wasn't as good as their other 2 books (so far) together, but it was a fun ride (ha, ha). Overall it was a clever idea and I enjoyed the crossover of one of my favorite romance/humor authors (Crusie) into the supernatural genre I read so often. But the characters in the book didn't quite hit the mark for me, especially Mab. I liked her, but I didn't love her or want her to be one of my best friends. I think the book got so wrapped up in the premise and plot that the characters suffered a little. Also, I missed having a cute dog in the story, as Crusie's books usually do, but Frankie the raven was an appropriate substitute.
June 28, 2017
unlike some reviewers, I was reading this for the supernatural element more than the romance. an amusement park, decorated for Halloween, full of demons? that sounds like so much fun! and the beginning was, with descriptions of the Halloween decorations and Mab's work restoring the park. then everything descends into maudlin chaos, and the "final battle" is a dramatic conversation about a baby. not my jam!
basically I wish it had just all been about Halloween and funny dialogue, not left me with a kind of weird icky feeling.
basically I wish it had just all been about Halloween and funny dialogue, not left me with a kind of weird icky feeling.
June 13, 2019
This was weird, confusing, refreshing and seriously fun. The story is not what you'd expect, the characteres even less so, the main pov people are *not* each other's romantic interest (phew, didn't see that one coming!) and there's talking oracle booth and a flying plush dragon. Can't say more because, you know, spoilers.
May 25, 2024
This is probably one of the strangest plots ever. I'm not sure if I loved it or disliked it, it definitely is different and unexpected.
October 20, 2017
I don't know that I would call this a romance, but it is an interesting fantasy... with a really unique core idea. I enjoyed the world and really liked most of the characters, though I had some trouble with Ethan, who felt a little too ... chest-thumping, grunting man-ish to me.
***3.5***
***3.5***
July 19, 2010
This third collaboration for Crusie and Mayer takes a new direction for the authors: demon-hunting. Crusie had already ventured into the fantasy realm in her collaborative (and to my mind, unsuccessful) ventures The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes and Dogs and Goddesses, but those involved less action and a more witchcraft-like type of magic. Mayer normally writes action novels featuring military personnel, sometimes with a science-fiction element as in Synbat: A Novel. Based on this story, I would say both authors would be better off sticking with what they're best at.
This book tries to be a romance, a madcap comedy, a fantasy-with-horror-elements, and a guns-blazing action story, and doesn't succeed at any of them. I wouldn't call it an utter failure -- it was mildly entertaining and had some amusing or interesting elements, but overall the book as a whole was disjointed and underdeveloped.
Demon-infested amusement park? Not original. Female protagonist who isn't interested in romance and feeeelings (which as we all know from popular culture is just wrong) learning to be more emotional? Not original. Brave and accomplished military hero, emotionally scarred from the deaths of his comrades? Not original. Curmudgeonly-but-wise chain-smoking and hard-drinking older lady who lives in a trailer? Not original. Rich desserts that make those who eat them frisky? Not original (and in this case, not really important to the story). Jumbling all these elements together? Slightly less unoriginal, but still been done plenty of times.
Mab, our carnival-items-restorer heroine, is the only really developed character, and she seemed like a weaker rewrite of some of Crusie's earlier spunky women. Ethan, the military hero, seemed like a less-admirable version of J.T. from Don't Look Down. I did like that these two main characters don't end up romantically paired, but I can't imagine the relationships they do end up in would satisfy romance fans. Ethan and hisfuck buddy girlfriend get the most relationship development, but Weaver seems to be pretty much a male wish-fulfillment fantasy a la Angelina Jolie in any leather-and-gun-wearing action role. Mab and her True Love might have been convincing, but they get so little face time that their Love seems to come out of nowhere. Unless you buy that there is One True Love and you are Destined To Be Together they have no connection. Mab's relationship with her one-week-stand gets a lot more development, which ends up feeling a little weird when he is revealed to be Not Her One True Love.
Supporting characters (human and demon alike) were mostly weak, except maybe Glenda, whom I hated. I didn't understand why Mab, who as far as we know just got hired a few months ago for this restoration project, keeps buying into Glenda's attempt to boss her around and guilt her into things. When someone pays you, you owe them the work they paid for. You are not required to let them interfere in your personal life or demand that you join their demon-hunting brotherhood and live with them for the rest of your life. Unless that was in the contract -- read the small print, friends!
And don't get me started on the demons and magic. I'm fine with having those elements, but as a long-time fantasy reader I really expect my magical system to be better-developed. In fact, the whole demon-trapping thing was so ridiculous that it was almost funnier than the bits that were supposed to be funny.
Overall I felt that the authors had some good ideas but for whatever reason (publishing deadline, boredom, needing money) rushed them all onto the pages any-which-way instead of working out how they could really play together, polishing the plot, and developing the characters. I know both Crusie and Mayer can do a lot better, and this frustrated me.
This book tries to be a romance, a madcap comedy, a fantasy-with-horror-elements, and a guns-blazing action story, and doesn't succeed at any of them. I wouldn't call it an utter failure -- it was mildly entertaining and had some amusing or interesting elements, but overall the book as a whole was disjointed and underdeveloped.
Demon-infested amusement park? Not original. Female protagonist who isn't interested in romance and feeeelings (which as we all know from popular culture is just wrong) learning to be more emotional? Not original. Brave and accomplished military hero, emotionally scarred from the deaths of his comrades? Not original. Curmudgeonly-but-wise chain-smoking and hard-drinking older lady who lives in a trailer? Not original. Rich desserts that make those who eat them frisky? Not original (and in this case, not really important to the story). Jumbling all these elements together? Slightly less unoriginal, but still been done plenty of times.
Mab, our carnival-items-restorer heroine, is the only really developed character, and she seemed like a weaker rewrite of some of Crusie's earlier spunky women. Ethan, the military hero, seemed like a less-admirable version of J.T. from Don't Look Down. I did like that these two main characters don't end up romantically paired, but I can't imagine the relationships they do end up in would satisfy romance fans. Ethan and his
Supporting characters (human and demon alike) were mostly weak, except maybe Glenda, whom I hated. I didn't understand why Mab, who as far as we know just got hired a few months ago for this restoration project, keeps buying into Glenda's attempt to boss her around and guilt her into things. When someone pays you, you owe them the work they paid for. You are not required to let them interfere in your personal life or demand that you join their demon-hunting brotherhood and live with them for the rest of your life. Unless that was in the contract -- read the small print, friends!
And don't get me started on the demons and magic. I'm fine with having those elements, but as a long-time fantasy reader I really expect my magical system to be better-developed. In fact, the whole demon-trapping thing was so ridiculous that it was almost funnier than the bits that were supposed to be funny.
Overall I felt that the authors had some good ideas but for whatever reason (publishing deadline, boredom, needing money) rushed them all onto the pages any-which-way instead of working out how they could really play together, polishing the plot, and developing the characters. I know both Crusie and Mayer can do a lot better, and this frustrated me.
February 29, 2012
Trigger warning for discussion of rape.
Paranormal...romance-ish. This is a departure from the usual Crusie-Mayer playbook, and not necessarily a successful one.
As usual, it straddles two genres -- action and romance -- and struggles to make either work. But instead of bad guys, we get demons. And instead of romance, we get, uh, something that's not quite romance.
Don't expect our manly hero (a drunk ex-Green Beret who's wandering around Ohio carrying a handgun and wearing a bulletproof vest for reasons that are never explained) to hook up with our heroine. Which is a relief, because, due to his drunkenness and guns, I wasn't initially a fan. Unfortunately, for a long time, this also meant I was seriously confused because he was the male pov character, but it didn't seem like he was meant to hook up with our heroine.
Mab, our heroine, starts off as a romance cliche: an unemotional workaholic that needs a man to show her how to love. How original. Both characters grow through the course of the novel. Um...Ethan (I forgot his name!) never gets all that round, but Mab fills out and becomes kick-ass and awesome. I grew to love her, and she eventually has all the characteristic spunk of a Crusie lady.
What romance there is is either underdeveloped or shows up late in the book. The hero's romance has no heat behind it, possibly because the characters are kind of lukewarm themselves. Mab's romance(s) have a little more life to them, but still not the stuff of Crusie's other wonderful pairings.
The action is good; the demon stuff was well thought out. I liked the mythology of the demons and the demonkeepers. The pacing was good once we got over the constant, and irritating, DEMONS AREN'T REAL I WAS HALLUCINATING denial. This is a post-Buffy world! If it looks like a demon, it probably is!
In short! (Too late!) I was annoyed and confused by this book for the first half, but it seems to pull up its pants and get out the door in the second half. Bonus points for a non-alpha male love interest, a non-traditional romance arc, and a support system of chosen (and found) family.
Two and a half stars, rounded down to two. It was fun in the end, but it took a lot of work to get there.
UPDATE: This book uses rape as a plot device. I should have mentioned it when I first wrote this review; I didn't because Mab didn't seem too put out by it, but that's no excuse because this affected more people than just her. Wild Ride's plot hinges on demonic possession and several characters have sexual contact with the possessed or while possessed themselves.
The narrative doesn't identify this as rape, but it is, and it's all the more disturbing when compared to a similar situation in Crusie's Maybe This Time where she has the characters deny that sex while possessed is rape while simultaneously ignoring that the non-possessed partner was just as unable to give consent. Both parties, possessed and not, are having non-consensual sex -- whether they know it at the time or not -- and the authors do everyone a disservice by ignoring that.
Paranormal...romance-ish. This is a departure from the usual Crusie-Mayer playbook, and not necessarily a successful one.
As usual, it straddles two genres -- action and romance -- and struggles to make either work. But instead of bad guys, we get demons. And instead of romance, we get, uh, something that's not quite romance.
Don't expect our manly hero (a drunk ex-Green Beret who's wandering around Ohio carrying a handgun and wearing a bulletproof vest for reasons that are never explained) to hook up with our heroine. Which is a relief, because, due to his drunkenness and guns, I wasn't initially a fan. Unfortunately, for a long time, this also meant I was seriously confused because he was the male pov character, but it didn't seem like he was meant to hook up with our heroine.
Mab, our heroine, starts off as a romance cliche: an unemotional workaholic that needs a man to show her how to love. How original. Both characters grow through the course of the novel. Um...Ethan (I forgot his name!) never gets all that round, but Mab fills out and becomes kick-ass and awesome. I grew to love her, and she eventually has all the characteristic spunk of a Crusie lady.
What romance there is is either underdeveloped or shows up late in the book. The hero's romance has no heat behind it, possibly because the characters are kind of lukewarm themselves. Mab's romance(s) have a little more life to them, but still not the stuff of Crusie's other wonderful pairings.
The action is good; the demon stuff was well thought out. I liked the mythology of the demons and the demonkeepers. The pacing was good once we got over the constant, and irritating, DEMONS AREN'T REAL I WAS HALLUCINATING denial. This is a post-Buffy world! If it looks like a demon, it probably is!
In short! (Too late!) I was annoyed and confused by this book for the first half, but it seems to pull up its pants and get out the door in the second half. Bonus points for a non-alpha male love interest, a non-traditional romance arc, and a support system of chosen (and found) family.
Two and a half stars, rounded down to two. It was fun in the end, but it took a lot of work to get there.
UPDATE: This book uses rape as a plot device. I should have mentioned it when I first wrote this review; I didn't because Mab didn't seem too put out by it, but that's no excuse because this affected more people than just her. Wild Ride's plot hinges on demonic possession and several characters have sexual contact with the possessed or while possessed themselves.
The narrative doesn't identify this as rape, but it is, and it's all the more disturbing when compared to a similar situation in Crusie's Maybe This Time where she has the characters deny that sex while possessed is rape while simultaneously ignoring that the non-possessed partner was just as unable to give consent. Both parties, possessed and not, are having non-consensual sex -- whether they know it at the time or not -- and the authors do everyone a disservice by ignoring that.
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