Skinny Dipping

by Connie Brockway

Go skinny dipping with Connie Brockway IN her latest NOVEL

Mimi Olsen is crushed to learn that her family's Minnesota retreat is up for sale. Unless someone can get the cash to save it, the house that's served as a peaceful anchor for generations will go under the hammer. A free spirit like Mimi has the will, what she needs is a way. Moving back into Chez Ducky is a start. But when she meets the man next door, her life is going to change direction in ways she never imagined.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Fiction, Adult

432 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 2, 2008

About the author

New York Times and USAToday best selling author Connie Brockway has twice won the Romance Writers of America's Rita award for best historical romance as well as being an eight time finalist. After receiving a double major in art history and English from Macalester College, Connie entered grad school with an eye to acquiring her MFA in creative writing. Soon enough she jettisoned the idea of writing serious literature for what she considered (and still considers) the best gig in the world, writing romance.

Connie has received numerous starred reviews for her romances in Publisher's Weekly and Library Journal. Library Journal also named her Her 2004 romance, My Seduction, one of the year's top ten romances.

In November of 2011, THE OTHER GUY'S BRIDE (a sequel to the perennially popular AS YOU DESIRE) was Amazon's Montlake Publishing's launch title. Here next book, NO PLACE FOR A DAME will be published September, 2013. A regency set romance, it is also the sequel to ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT.Today Connie lives in Minnesota with her husband David, a family physician, and two spoiled mutts.

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one from the romance sector. First, let me say that I've read (and liked) a LOT of romance, and this book is anything but typical. It was one of the rare ones I hand over to my husband after I finish and say, "You'll like this." The characters were quirky and likable, but very flawed, and very funny. Not flawed to the point of dangerous obsession or moral depravity, but just interesting. What drew me to this book to begin with was the back cover that described the heroine Mimi as "Queen of slackers." I decided within the first few pages she is my hero. Unfortunately, she did experience a lot of character growth during the course of the book and could no longer claim that title by the end. :-) All I can say, as a mom of 5 kids, is that her no-responsibility, no-stress lifestyle is my fantasy most days. On the other hand, my husband's first comment was about how pathetic Mimi was at the beginning. Ha. Anyway the rest of the cast had real depth, real problems, and real growth. I never knew where the story was headed (except that, hello, romance novel, so it will end well - one of the best reasons to read the genre!), and I laughed out loud many times. It's pretty low on the steamy scale, and really high on character development (not that those are mutually exclusive!). I have another Connie Brockway novel on my shelf now that I can't wait to read!

[Teresa Medeiros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book! I thought Mimi was a great character. I loved the way she matured during the course of the book to show HER true character but I also think she was a bit of "wish fulfillment" for all of us women who are trying so hard to do and have it all in this life only to find ourselves exhausted and burnt out. I'd love to spend a day floating in an inner tube on the lake with Mimi!

I fell in love with the delightful cast of characters, especially Joe, Prescott and "Bill". Every scene with Prescott (who would fit in wonderfully with the cast of THE BIG BANG THEORY) was a hoot. I laughed out loud several times. The romance between Joe and Mimi developed beautifully and I could honestly see these two having a joyful future together.

This book with its wacky and warm humor reminded me of the best of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jennifer Crusie. Connie Brockway really hit her contemporary stride with this offering and I highly recommend it.

[Linda Christianson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Uff-da, I made it halfway and couldn’t keep going. I tried to like it - it’s set in my home state of Minnesota after all. But, the storyline was not engaging, the romance was silly, and the characters were just so over-the-top. I felt the author did a fair amount of criticism of body weight, acne, hairstyles - she was trying to be funny but it just came off as mean.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mimi Olsen is an easygoing, 'let-things-slide' kind of person with as little responsibility as possible. She's a medium-spiritualist who loves summers with her extended family, the Olsens, at Chez Ducky off Fawn Lake, Minnesota. But now the family is talking about selling Chez Ducky which has been in the family over 100 yrs, new money people are buying up land and building bigger homes at Fawn Lake. Mimi's encounter with Joe Tierney and his grown son, Prescott, bring about a change in life she never ever thought would happen - getting involved with people and losing her detachment. Connie Brockway's book is a nice contemporary romance with humor, likeable characters, and three dogs that'll catch your heart.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? I really like this kind of story. Interesting, quirky characters, a real-life dilemma, and great story telling made this an enjoyable read. Mingonette (Mimi to her friends and family) is content to let life flow by, remaining on the sidelines , even when her summer refuge is threatened, until she realizes that family is what is truly at stake. Yeah, it's a love story, but there are some real societal concerns helping to drive the narrative and make it relevant, too.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up in a Little Free Library in northern Minnesota and just finished reading it at our family cabin on a wee lake, listening to the rain falling on our metal roof. The underlying issues of inherited family cabins vs. McMansions and all the noisy toys that arrive with them are true here as well. This book was a light read, with quirky characters in a setting and situation that is all too familiar to me.

[MB (What she read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read 2/11/08: Like "Hot Dish" this is a funny, quirky, & engaging novel! I especially enjoyed the fascinatingly odd characters. And it is so rare to find a romance novel that moves away from the typical cookie-cutter plots. For once, I couldn't guess what was going to happen about 25 pages in. Thanks Ms. Brockway for this enjoyable read.

[Lisa Rochon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Connie Brockway and I'm so glad I found it!

Mimi lives a carefree life, going out of her way to ensure she isn't bogged down with obligations. Of course, Fate has other plans. Through a series of events, Mimi gets pulled into a situation where she's forced to reconsider what makes her soul happy. The story takes place in Minnesota on Mimi's family Lake, Chez Ducky, which has been handed down from generation to generation.

I absolutely loved each and every character and found them all relatable in one way or another. Maybe not Debbie, she was (I believe intentionally) annoying, but every big family has at least one of "those" relatives, am I right? The author was so descriptive I felt like I was lounging around the lake at Chez Ducky myself, and wished my own family had something like it to retreat to! It was a pleasure watching each of the characters grow and change, while I mentally cheered them on from the sidelines.

I'm sad the book is over, and look forward to reading more from this author!

[Peggy Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by this author and a great one it is. But will not be my last one. Love the charactor of Mini and how she grew thur out the whole book. Ms. Brockway really hit her contemporary stride with this book and I highly recommend this book,

[Gail · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is both a "coming of age" story and a romance. The heroine has spent her life avoiding responsibility, and her summers at the family "resort," Chez Ducky, a big old house (with a couple of ramshackle cabins) on a second rate lake in Minnesota. The oldest woman in the family is, by default and family tradition, the one in charge of the family place. But Aunt Birgie doesn't want the responsibility either. She wants to maneuver the heroine, Mimi, into taking over. Chez Ducky is threatened by the discovery of the lake by the new rich, as exemplified by the Gigantic "lake house" built next door. In the opening, Birgie is trying to manipulate Mimi, who avoids her by deciding to go skinny-dipping in broad daylight. Except then her swimsuit is lost, so she decides to swim out through the lilypads/mud and sneak back to her cabin through the trees. Then she stumbles across a car--which seems to be abandoned, and while rifling the trunk (which is open) for a blanket as clothing, is startled by the driver who was changing a flat and out of sight. She takes him home with her, and he's absorbed into the vast clan, until they learn that he's the father of the guy who built the hated Gigantic monstrosity of a rich kid's house. Father/hero has no idea how to connect with his kid, but he's here to try yet again. Sounds convoluted, but it works. It's a quirky, funny book about family and growing up, and love and all sorts of great stuff. It's a good read. I liked it.

[Shae Bright · Rating 2 out of 5]

The parts that I liked, I really liked. Was 420 pages, could have left about 100 pages out and I would have been fine with that. Ok book, not great.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

By page 29 I was enjoying a quality belly laugh. This is unusual. I LIKE to laugh, but it is not easy for me to find books that really make me laugh. Usually they end up feeling stupid or forced or juvenile ... but not this book. Ms Brockway nails it - ludicrous situations that feel completely natural ... and hysterical.

*
The belly laughs didn't continue for the entire book (but did at times reappear), but I enjoyed this book quite thoroughly. It felt more like a mystery novel than a romance (the mystery being what the plucky heroine, Mimi will do with her life, and whether she'll end up with handsome Joe Tierney - I truly wasn't certain).

[JoAnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny and engaging story with a full cast of interesting characters. I picked this up thinking it was a romance, but well into the book I still wasn't sure because the romance is only part of a host of relationships in the story.
I had issues with the heroine's job but the way it was handled and the way it played into the development of her character made it workable for me.
"Moo, Baa, La La La" reference at the end. *smile*

[Bree · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book late last night after taking a few weeks to read it (this is due to my 2 year old not the book's inability to keep my attention). It was a good book but like all books I found some flaws. My peeve was the repetative descriptions of Mimi's "carefree" lifestyle that drove Joe crazy but yet intrigued him. The good was that it was not rushed, the scenes weren't cheesy in anyway, and the story felt real. It is not a chick-lit nor romance book. It is simply a novel for women.

[Cheer Papworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for a "Bridget Jones" type of book and ended up with this wacky story. I had a difficult time relating or even liking the heroine, but there were some really wild characters in this book. I did appreciate the idea of a family retreat with a wonderful, nostalgic history.....my family has such as place.

[Jane]

This is a fun read with characters you like with a little bit of everyone in them, or a little of what you would like to have in them. An interesting group of whacky people who we all know someone just like. The banter is fresh and funny with good insight into how our relationships effect who we are. I will read another one of hers.

[Terripatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skinny Dipping by Connie Brockway – Full of great visuals, quirky characters, pampered dogs, a few voices from beyond, and the reader gets to stay with them through all four seasons. I liked that because it offered a greater level of character development than many novels set in a time frame of a few weeks.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is something wrong with being able to describe a novel as a coming-of-age story when the main character is 41-years-old. Being someone who doesn't shirk responsibility, I just wanted everyone to grow up. Many of the most interesting aspects of the story felt unexplored or unfinished. I struggled to finish this one.

[Doris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi Olsen is a fun, engaging character. I thoroughly enjoyed Skinny Dipping. Joe is a lovable, germaphobic, workaholic. Watching an agoraphobic genius blossom, obtain new friends and repair his relationship with his father is not necessarily a new tale, but it is beautifully written. If you're looking for a light, easy read, this is an excellent novel for you.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A free English book what a treat, I didn't even realize this was set in England.
Sophie is an advertising executive trying to meet with a client who won't return her calls.
Matthew Silver sort of ran away for 18 months after a terrible tragedy.
This is a very sweet romance, they have to fight hard throughout this story but I loved the characters. Sophie made me laugh a loud.

[Jenny Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

After all the vampire/magic books I've been reading, I needed something to clear the head. I love Connie Brockway's historical romance novels. I have to say, so far, I'm unimpressed with her foray into modern times. This one was better than "Hot Dish" But still not my favorite.

[Freda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am having a really hard time getting into this book. I don't know if I should put it down and try again later; keep going and hope it finally grabs me; or decide it's just not doing it for me and move on.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still wish Connie Brockway would go back to writing historical fiction (though I understand why she isn't). Still, this was entertaining and a good way to spend a couple hours, but it was light-hearted and I like her darker, historical tone better.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked parts of it, and I hated parts of it. So middle road for me. I liked that they keep it rather ambiguous as to whether she's really a medium, so that was cool, and I found her a frustrating character, which is part of the reason why I didn't like it.

[Bernie Craig]

Liked it a lot since we are preparing for our own family reunion in June. Made me think a lot about family connections, distant and close and how important family is in this increasingly electronic world.

[Kimber · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a 3.5 star.

I knew it was going to have a happy ending (based on a friend's review and the genre), but the twists and turns to get there were enjoyable to read. A little unbelievable, but very cute characters.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm giving up the ghost. I'm never going to finish this book. I should probably modify my policy on reading EVERYTHING that comes into the house. I just couldn't generate enough interest in the heroine, the hero, his son, or Michigan.

[MK · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this unusual, quirky romance. Also, bonus points for the (para)phrase "My family didn't know what to make of my career choice, so in good Scandinavian tradition, they ignored it." I laughed myself silly at the utter truth of it.

[Carol Wells]

It took me a while to get through this one, but in the end I really enjoyed it.

[Tammy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never finished it. Not a bad book, but just didn't keep my interest. I really didn't care what happened to the characters.