Of course, it only took Monday afternoon to finish it, but that is neither here nor there.
The concept is simple: four friends sitting around drinking after work come up with the list of things that would make a man Mr. Perfect. Before long, people at work get ahold of the list, start emailing it, and it becomes an internet and news sensation. The ladies then start getting threatening phone calls, and Someone Starts Killing Them.
The book focuses on Jaine Bright, a... er... bright thirtysomething with three broken engagements behind her, who just bought a house next door to the hottest cop in books since Marc Chastain. Or Dane Hollister. Linda Howard writes hot cops. But I digress.
The banter is joyous, the sex really good, and he's a cop, so he saves her from the Big Bad, all while admiring her Dad's precious car and helping her take care of her mother's cat. Talk about Mr. Perfect.
The real refreshing thing about Mr. Perfect, though, is it is the first time I have a real memory of liking the heroine and relating to her, flaws in all (subsequent Howard heroines, in fact, possibly all except Milla Edge, have not fared as well). Jaine is sarcastic, swears like a sailor, jumps into situations without thinking, has realistic relationships with her siblings, and a successful career that she does not even discuss giving up when she meets Sam Donovan. They snap-crackle-pop their way through the proceedings and then live happily ever after. And not that cheesey happily ever after, the kind where she occasionally threatens him with a butcher knife when he makes PMS jokes.
Plot- .5 (gutsy to kill half of the ladies, but I've read it so many times I don't remember if the killer is predictable or not)
Characters- 1+ (Jaine and Sam are among my favorite couples)
Sex- 1 (there's not a lot, but it's good)
Style- .5 (typical Howard, but with more curses, because Jaine has a potty mouth)
Consumption- 1 (did I mention I read it in an afternoon?)
TOTAL- 4+
Wendy Pan:
Okay, so not fair! Marc Chastain is, like, the all time sigh guy! He kept it on while he was dancing, HELLO! That being said, Sam is right up there. The whole scene where they are washing the car... nice. Can't disagree with you about any of it. Really like the relationship Jaine has with her girlfriends, all real people and real friends who also happen to work together. But I have to disagree about your plot score - really - the end is so not what you expect! (And I do remember that!) Gonna give that a 1, so I'm coming up with a total of 4.5+
Kate:
No hijacking my review. Write your own.
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