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Easily Amused

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Karen McQuestion deftly blends romance and comedy in this delightful romp where love is discovered in the most unexpected of places.

When twenty-nine-year-old Lola Watson unexpectedly inherits a rambling house in the suburbs, she thinks her life just couldn't be more perfect—until her new neighbors make her their “project,” a heartbroken high school friend crashes indefinitely at her house, and her younger sister announces she's getting married, on Lola's thirtieth birthday. Suddenly Lola's not so keen on her newfound domestic bliss. But when she meets handsome, mysterious Ryan Moriarty, Lola dares to hope she's found the perfect guy to one-up her sister and add a little spice back into her life.

This lighthearted romantic comedy from Karen McQuestion is headlined by a charming cast of characters, led by the self-deprecatingly funny Lola. Breezy and fun, Easily Amused serves as a gentle, often amusing reminder that love can often be found in the place we least expect—under our very noses.

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2009

1380 people are currently reading
5651 people want to read

About the author

Karen McQuestion

50 books2,626 followers
Karen McQuestion is an Amazon Charts bestselling author whose books have sold over three million copies. Some of her titles include The Moonlight Child, Dovetail, and A Limited Run.

Her publishing story has been covered by the Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and NPR. Additionally she appeared on ABC's World News Now and America This Morning.

Her website:www.karenmcquestion.com\

Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-M...

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5 stars
2,160 (24%)
4 stars
2,678 (29%)
3 stars
2,882 (32%)
2 stars
956 (10%)
1 star
293 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews
Profile Image for Marc.
Author 9 books59 followers
October 21, 2011
Easily Amused had a lot of potential. I'm 29 and I'm single and I'm a bit of a loner. Sure, I'm a guy who doesn't have a job he likes, a house, or a couple of women fawning over him, but everything else I can relate to. Basically, I liked the main character, but Lola was the only thing I liked.

My biggest problem was the friend, Hubert. A huge chunk of the book involved him and I didn't like him. He was a mess after a bad breakup and he seemed to be a bit of a freeloader and kind of creepy in a stalker way. Yet everyone loved him for some reason. I guess it was because he cleaned, cooked, and knew everyone's name. To me he was annoying and he seemed kind of gay. I think I would have liked it if he was gay less chance of a romantic angle with him.

So the 1st part of the book dealt with him and how he was so distraught with his ex. Suddenly that was dropped and some weird love triangle/fawning happens when the book was half way over. It made no sense. I seem to be talking about a lot about Hubert even though it wasn't his book. But in a way, it was.

Then Ryan got screen time. And I kind of liked him. He seemed all right, but then things with him got real shady and made no sense.

What sucks is that not all the plot points were concluded, whether it be the dairies, Ryan, Mindy, Chad. Then I realized, the book was over and things just wrapped up. I expected some final climatic scene, but what I got was a lot of telling in a page or two. Things were glossed over and it was over. I didn't feel satisfied at all.

It's a shame. I thought this book started out good enough and had a lot of potential, but then it just faltered much like this review.
90 reviews
November 3, 2011
In the midst of a snowstorm and a blackout, I needed to read something that would require not thinking. At all. This was it. I really, truly disliked the main character - she was so self-absorbed and callous, no real emotion, who acts like humanity is an inconvenience. The neighbors seemed like they could have been developed into a more major part of the story (thus moving the focus away from Lola, which would have been a good thing) - I was sad to not get to see more of Brother Jasper and the crew.
Profile Image for Cat.
2 reviews
October 12, 2010
I found the characters childish and shallow. I've finished the book, and while I love to read about anything, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. It feels like it's written by a teenager. The characters are so petty and childish and the ending was predictable. Also, it started really slow...like, really, really slow, and then all of a sudden was in super fast mode at the end. Feels like it skipped a lot, and the plot wasn't substantial.
Profile Image for Shweta Padma Das.
Author 1 book38 followers
October 1, 2017
3.5. A fun, easy read. Great setup, but payoff not so much. The two rivals vying for the leading lady's attention are called Holmes and Moriarty. But there isn't much in the name of mystery here, making one question the usage (just to be diff? Darcy and Wickham would have done just fine). I couldn't help but feel that it could have been better exploited to further the plot.

While most of the characters are well defined, Moriarty, the Wickham in this tale, is underdeveloped. His actions make little sense. I kept hoping it would all come together for one satisfying ending, but that didn't happen. However, the breezy, conversational style of writing does manage to keep you engaged and entertained. And I wouldn't mind reading another of her stories.
Profile Image for Leslie.
13 reviews6 followers
October 19, 2010
Normally I am satisfied with any silly chick lit book when I'm in the mood for it. I bought this book because it was cheap on the kindle. The writing was textbook and the story totally predictable but also incomplete. It felt like she ran out of time so just wrapped up the whole story in the last few pages. Overall pretty disappointing even when I went in with low expectations. Luckily it was over quickly and now I'll move on to much more inspired silly chick lit.
Profile Image for Elisa Brienza.
154 reviews12 followers
June 2, 2014
Lola is the main character and completely unlikable, her moments of redemption in the final hurried pages are unbelievable. I enjoy chick lit as much as the next person, but I found this book to be superficial and lacking character development.
Profile Image for Charlene.
91 reviews13 followers
June 2, 2022
2.5 stars round up

The heroine was to annoying and frankly O hated her attitude more than I could enjoyed it. Hubert and the neighbors saved this book for me and obviously the need to know what the man was doing. Totally hate the sister 🤬🤬

Not a re-read material for me… Great narration though
Profile Image for Vanessa Sumner.
242 reviews2 followers
July 11, 2024
What a weird book. It had so much potential but blew it. I normally really like this author so maybe this was an early book.
Profile Image for Cynthia Harrison.
Author 22 books57 followers
January 14, 2012
Recently Karen McQuestion did an amazing thing. She shot through all the roadblocks writers usually encounter on the way to publishing a book and brought two of her manuscripts out on the Kindle, where they are selling briskly.

Over the weekend, I downloaded Karen’s romantic comedy, Easily Amused, onto my husband’s iPhone through a free Kindle app and read it Sunday. I had to finish it for two reasons: one, I couldn’t put it down and two, my husband would be taking his phone to work on Monday.

And I had to know how the situation between Lola and Hubert and Ryan worked itself out. Also, I was waiting for Lola to smack her bratty sister, who deliberately plans her wedding on Lola’s 30th birthday, the better to rub it in that she’s younger and getting married first.

Her sister and the guys aren’t Lola’s only problems. She has recently inherited an old house from her aunt, and the neighbors are just a tad too friendly. Lola likes her privacy, but she’s not getting any, and the situation does not improve when her best friend temporarily moves in.

The one bright spot is the cute guy across the street. Lola’s wise-cracks and the comic situations she finds herself in almost allowed me to forget I was reading off a phone screen. But after the last laugh, I did hint strongly to the man who lost his phone for a day that the Kindle would be a perfect Christmas present.
Profile Image for Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com.
2,204 reviews94 followers
September 26, 2012
4.5 stars
My Review: I absolutely loved this novel. McQuestion captures the true essence of what Wisconsin neighborhoods are like. It seems like all neighborhoods are made up of; the nosey rosy neighbor, the mystery neighbor, the helper neighbor and the antisocial neighbor along with many others. McQuestion brings together a neighborhood filled with some unforgettable characters in an outstanding novel about family, love and friendship. When Lola inherits a house in the suburbs she has no idea what is in store for her. But her neighbors know things about Lola and her family and they all help guide Lola through her crazy day-to-day life. This lighthearted, enjoyable romantic comedy will have you rooting for love and will have you laughing aside Lola and her crazy cast of neighbors, family and friends.
Profile Image for Shelli.
9 reviews1 follower
May 31, 2012
This book sounded adorable. Your typical unmarried, almost thirty woman finds herself with a few love interests, quirky neighbors and a total brat of a sister.
It was adorable and funny for 2/3 of the book. I found myself laughing during the sister bantering and the way Lola described her kite date with Ryan.
Then it all went downhill... A discovery was made towards the end and the book just ended. Everything was resolved in a few sentences but I felt the ending was rushed. Why spend so much time building these characters, scenes and storylines and end them in a few pages. Disappointing.
However, if the author decided to write a sequel I would check it out in hopes of reading more about the adventures of Lola and her friends.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Edwards.
5,546 reviews9 followers
February 1, 2019
read or listen option, the cover totally pulled me in ... love those shoes! romance, great listen ... i wonder? McQuestion ... really? is that a real name? really? it is funny, newbie author 2 me, curious about that last name? ... great a drink and listen or read ..whichever you do prefer ... look forward to more from Karen soon enough. a newbie author to me ... well written, interesting characters and plot.
Profile Image for Ritu Bhathal.
Author 6 books152 followers
April 23, 2022
A cute story about a woman thrown into a community she wants no part of, when age inherits a house from a great aunt.
Lola moves in, intending to keep herself to herself, but things are never that simple.
Well-meaning neighbours, coupled with an unexpected house guest, a meddling best friend and a sister hell-bent on always one upmanship, make for an easy read about how sometimes you don't realise that what you need has always been right in front of you.
Profile Image for Naomi Krokowski.
506 reviews14 followers
July 4, 2019
Easy and fun, this was a lovely way to ignore the wretched state of much of the world. I prefer the better developed Hello, Love by the same author, but I still enjoyed this sweet story.
Profile Image for Kayla.
1,648 reviews17 followers
March 18, 2020
Why did I take so long to start this?

This was definitely an easy read that was funny, charming and absolutely worth the read. I'm surprised at how much I liked it.
Profile Image for dawn Negron.
15 reviews
August 14, 2021
Summer read

I thought the book was just ok. Predictable and not as funny as it was made to sound. It was good though
Profile Image for Jessica .
99 reviews1 follower
February 4, 2023
Predicable but still really good

This is a good quick read, I enjoyed it and the characters including Mindy.. I love the family drama as well..
Only reason I took off one star off was because of how predictable it was..
I would recommend if you want something quick, drama, and quirky..
Profile Image for Julie.
114 reviews
May 1, 2024
so fun and light

Somehow I could relate to the main character so perfectly, it was insane. Side character development wasn’t good, but didn’t need to be- it was really all about the main character’s antics. I had an immensely good, quick read.
Profile Image for Sara.
543 reviews7 followers
February 27, 2025
The premise is good but it seemed to lag in places. A woman moves into a home (and a nosy neighborhood) her aunt leaves to her; she feels inadequate (in all things) next to her sister and one of her BFFs comes up with a plan for a “fake engagement” with a stranger who is eager to be involved. Twists and turns later, she realizes who she has in her life and exactly how well she has it.
Profile Image for Kati.
45 reviews
September 19, 2018
Okay... wow. This book. Well, I tweeted a bunch of reactions to it, so I'm writing my review based on that, because this book was baaaaaaaad. I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I hate being mean to books and their authors. I know they work hard. And I also hate it because I got this book in a giveaway. But I gotta be honest, right?

So first off, the premise of this book seemed fun. I'm always here for a fluffy romance to have a little fun in life. But yeesh, Lola is a terrible main, shes cranky, shes mean, she's ungrateful, and she's written to be "cynical, yet lovable". Nope. Not at all. She's always complaining. About her looks. About her neighbors, who really are only terrible because oh my god they're so nice and concerned for her well-being. The horror. Complains about her friends. Complains about her sister (who is really just a one-dimensional mean girl). Complains about her love life. Come on Lola, lighten up a little, please? She was also very insulting towards other women in this book. Claimed guys only noticed a character "for her long legs and big bazongas... they never seemed to notice that she was only pretty in a horsey-faced kind of way." She claimed it was "empowering" to force her thin sister to eat a brick-sized piece of cheesecake. Lola, I worry for you.

The plot? Confusing. She spends the first 35 chapters going out with one person and overdescribing every date/moment with him. She also describes him at one point as "easy on the corneas", which, what...? What kind of description is this? And then in the last 2, yes, the last two (very short) chapters she has ditched the original plan and this guy, and basically wraps it all up with another guy. It was super over described plot for so long and then just kind of a slapdash finish to the book.

There were also some confusing errors that just frustrated me. For instance, she mentions at one point the wonderful line from Back to the Future, "Lorraine, my density has popped me to you." Iconic line, and she quotes it as "Lorraine, my destiny has brought me to you." This probably only upset me because I love that line and have watched that movie countless times, BUT STILL. She also had Lola wear a pair of "slip-on sandals" that had an ankle strap digging into her feet and were difficult to get off. Huh? Just weird errors that shout have been caught.

I wanted to like this book. Really. I love a good funny, fluffy romance. But I got a book that frustrated me and was just not fun. I'm sorry. I hate being mean. But sometimes, I have to. And this time, I had to.
176 reviews
July 23, 2012
7/19- I just started reading this book and I'm wondering if it's going to go in a good direction or a "roll my eyes" direction. I'm hoping for the former, but I'm getting a sense it might go in the latter. Will update.

7/21 - finished. I don't recommend this book. Lola went from being ok at best to completely unlikeable with the way she thought everyone was a bother to her. Why would anyone (especially someone as nice as Hubert) want to be her friend when all she did was complain about people, think people were intruding on her time and just generally be a Debbie Downer? Hubert was the nicest person in the whole book. And how could she not believe Ryan was fishy from the very beginning? If her shady, lazy co-worker Drew thought he was "too good to be true" that should have given her a clue -- Leopards recognize spots on other leopards. The book could have told a lot more about the neighbors and why they were such a close knit community and why they cared so much about each other, but we got dribs and drabs, nothing concrete or interesting until the very end.

This book is better than A Scattered Life because I guess Lola does show some sort of growth -- going from being an antisocial person who wants to avoid talking to her nice neighbors and doesn't support her friends (she doesn't like Piper's husband or Hubert's girlfriend - comes off as jealous and petty to me) and doesn't even try to get along with her sister, to someone who decorates for the Block Party.

I was very disappointed in this book and do not recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jeff Raymond.
3,092 reviews210 followers
July 9, 2014
Sometimes the most frustrating reads can be the ones that take basically no chances at all, telegraph the ending from miles away, and end up being perfectly readable and serviceable while leaving you knowing the book could have been so much more.

Such is the case with Easily Amused (a title that I don't feel makes a ton of sense at all), which is largely a paint-by-numbers love triangle romance. You have the loveable, flawed everywoman protagonist, one quirky person, one terrible person, and then the side players to go along with it. Throw in some hijinks and a plan that is obviously unworkable, and there you have it.

This wasn't a terrible book to read. It's not without its fun, it's not without its charms. The problem for me is that there are so many books that do this better in either direction - going full-on romance or going the quirky chick-lit route. I just wanted a lot more out of it than I got, and that's just a shame, I guess.

Definitely worth looking up if you're looking for a beach-style read, but that's about it.
Profile Image for Anita.
790 reviews208 followers
February 28, 2011
This was the second book I read by McQuestion, and I enjoyed The Scattered Life so much more. I really didn't know where this book was headed for the first half to 2/3 of it. I liked the main character Lola, she's approaching 30, her younger sister is getting married and she feels a bit like an old maid. Lola has two wonderful friends, Piper and Hubert...lifelines from her youth that support and love her. Lola inherited her Aunt's home on King Street, and the neighbors and their quirkiness make for laughs and insights, and the reader learns along with Lola how a house is where you physically live, but I home is so much more. I won a Kindle copy of this book from the author, thanks again Karen!!
Profile Image for Laima.
210 reviews
January 4, 2012
***I won this book from Goodreads as First Reads giveaway***

Thank You to author Karen McQuestion for sending me a copy of her book "Easily Amused". I really enjoyed the story and think it would make a great movie as a ROM COM. Sometimes when you are busy looking for that PERFECT someone the person you end up with is the one right under your nose the whole time. After chasing her pretend fiancee Ryan just to get even with her wicked sister Mindy, Lola is terribly hurt and discovers that lesson before it's too late. I particularly like the character Herbert who is a kind, loyal and sympathetic friend to Lola. I also like how the novel ends - there is an ending that ties up the main loose ends but the story still has potential for sequels. Well Done!! 4.5 stars
Profile Image for Melissa.
134 reviews1 follower
August 5, 2012
I grabbed this book while it was free. I hate to be the pooper in this but this is not my type of 'must read' stories. I'm not a fan of 'user/cheater' stories and I didn't feel for any of the characters in the story. I actually hated them all. Except for Hubert maybe. I just feel pity for him.

However, the writing was excellent! The character build up was good (even though I hated them). The dialogue was wonderful. I just didnt like the story. There was no romantic feel to it. So this rating is not based on the author at all but just the storyline :)
29 reviews
September 19, 2010
This book was written like a high school writing assignment. Extremely predictable, yet unrealistic plot; copious references to movies in lieu of detailed descriptions ("he leaned on the car like John Travolta in Grease..."); and a generally unlikable protagonist.

This book was really cheap on the Kindle because the author isn't signed with a publishing house. I bought it because it was cheap and it got good reviews. I guess there's a reason this author is unsigned.
106 reviews
June 20, 2014
Another free book... Only like 5% in, and not optimistic.

Finished. So glad I didn't spend money on it. It's like a Lifetime movie in book form. Two-dimensional characters, predictable plots, uninteresting writing. Easy reading though. Aside from the groan-inducing points. I can't believe it was intended as a book club book, with discussion questions at the end. Or maybe that means it was intended for high school students taking reading comprehension classes? That would be more appropriate.
Profile Image for Shari.
42 reviews3 followers
December 30, 2010
A light and quick chick lit. It was free on kindle so I read it. I felt like it ended VERY abruptly, and wished there had been more to it. Some parts were just weird and slightly crude - I am warning you now. However ultimately cleaner than a lot of chick lit out there. If you have a kindle I say go for it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 556 reviews

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