Aiming for silly, sarcastic, witty, and hot, Clayton’s clumsy contemporary, inexplicably popular in its 2012 digital edition, misses the mark and comes off as ridiculous, immature, and irritating. Caroline’s first night in her new apartment is interrupted in the early hours by the moaning and thumping coming from the other side of the wall. Caroline has a great job as a designer; two best friends who are caricatures of disempowered, desperate young women obsessed with sex and drinking; and a KitchenAid mixer. Her only problem in life? “O,” her missing orgasm (she named it, as she nicknames just about everything else, including her neighbor Wallbanger and his girlfriends, Spanx, Purina, and Giggler). Her quest for O involves endless attempted witticisms, text message transcriptions, and behavior so juvenile and “beyond ridiculous” that even the characters admit they sound like fourth graders. Agent: Pamela Harty, Knight Agency. (Aug.)
We all know romance novels are fun and sexy: it’s why we love them. But some romance authors are so downright hilarious, you can’t read their novels on the subway because you know you’ll look like an idiot when you inevitably have to put the book down from laughing so hard. Then again, even if wiping away tears […]
William Shakespeare was the original craftsman of the Romantic Comedy genre. It might not be a scientific or mathematical fact, but in our minds it is indisputable. Some of our favorite Romantic Comedy movies derived inspiration from the Bard’s revered and praised story lines—Much Ado About Nothing, Notting Hill and When Harry Met Sally are […]
This week’s romance roundup features soldiers returning home from battle, a cowboy named Hank, and a vile rogue who convinces an amnesiac member of the aristocracy that she is his housekeeper. Fetch the smelling salts! Screwdrivered, by Alice Clayton First, Alice Clayton gave us the delightful Wallbanger. Then, lucky for us, she followed it up […]
This week’s roundup finds a pair of lovebirds playing at playing house, a beautiful model who’s a magnet for danger, and a cooking school under siege. Rusty Nailed, by Alice Clayton Readers who fell in love with Caroline Reynolds and Simon Parker in Clayton’s witty smash hit Wallbanger, rejoice! The two are back in long-awaited sequel Rusty […]