Mr. Perfect

This is a DNF- Did Not Finish- for me.

At first, Mr. Perfect was funny and charming. Ok, the scenes between the four women was a little too Sex In the City for me, but I tolerated it. If you are going to describe your characters as laughing their asses off at their own amusing banter, then the banter should actually be amusing, amirite?

However, I loved, loved, loved the interplay between hero and heroine. I mean, sexy, funny, no-backing down verbal sparring that just ups the sexual tension to a million? Sign me up for that book! But will-they-won't-they is hard to sustain when they finally do.

And when these two do, there is a terrible misconception about the pill. Part of the reason Jaine says no to Sam is because she is not on birth show more control. So, she goes on the pill. For ONE day. And then they're all hot & heavy and Sam says, "but will we be safe?" and Jaine is all, "oh yeah, I'm on the pill."

Actually, no. You are NOT infertile taking the pill for one day. That's not safe, open, honest sex, and that means Jaime is not a smart woman. My interest in the book diminished sharply after this moment.

Combining this with the fact that I kinda saw through the serial killer from the start... I put the book down and never returned.

This is one of the books that now contributes to my Stop Serial Killer POV in Romancelandia campaign. It's just not good. Instead of being scary, it's bad pop-psychology: trite, stereotypical, and boorrring. show less

This was off the charts fantastic! If I could give it ten stars, I would. Jaine and Sam's relationship and their easy wit kept me laughing all the way through, even when I was nearly in tears. I could not put this down! I read it in one sitting by staying up until 2:00AM. The plot was amazing and I was on pins and needles by the end. The characters were very down to earth and I could easily see four friends having these conversations. Jaine is now near the top of my favorite heroines list and Sam? He was just plain HOT! If you're a romantic suspense fan, don't let this one slip by!

"What do we think a perfect man would be like? I've never thought about it in those terms."

Mr Perfect by Linda Howard

Here is the thing. I love Linda Howard and I loved this premise. Sounded like a perfect selection for me. But I did not like it, not nearly as much as some of her other b ooks. Let me explain why.

I LOVE the premise. And it is actually something my friends and I have discussed. What group of women haven't? It is a great premise.

SPOILERS:

Thing number one I disliked. The tone. It was so odd. This gets awfully dark as a book, yet the tone remains light and chirpy. It was strange. I could not understand why the tone read like Chick Lit while the book read as a dark and very VERY disturbing mystery.

I knew who the killer show more was..immediately.

The romance between neighbors failed to stir me.

I LOVED it in the beginning. As soon as the tone starts to change and shift, there went my attention.

I think had the mood been less..I am sorry but "chirpy" IS the right word, maybe I'd have liked it more. The book turns so dark. Women being killed AND sexually assaulted by another WOMAN and yet the book's tone feels so light and frothy..it did not fit. It turned me off.

I love her work still and "Death Angel" will always be one of my favorite books but this was a miss for me. show less

STOP THE PRESSES! An book found on the romance aisle that can hold a point of view. One that didn't strike me as flowery in descriptions or the sex scenes. One that actually *gasp* had witty dialogue. One that actually gave the heroine, Jaine, friends that felt real and I cared about. One that wrote a romantic hero I found appealing and sexy. (And I liked it wasn't an instant attraction for once--that Jaine's first impression of Sam was that he was a "jerk"--that for once the attraction was something that built.) Now, the book's not--well, perfect. The book revolves around this list four friends make up about the perfect man. I found it far fetched the list would kick up the fuss it did in this book, even gaining them an appearance on show more television. The villain struck me as over the top and cliched. And I thought the romantic relationship progressed way too fast. But damn this was fun to read. Fun--and often funny. show less

Mr. Perfect
4.5 Stars

Jaine Bright and three of her friends and co-workers get together one night and devise a list of the traits for the perfect man. When the list goes viral, the four women become the target of a deranged killer and Jaine turns to her sexy yet unpredictable neighbor, Detective Sam Donovan, for help. Will they be able to unmask the killer before its too late?

My initial attempt at reading this book as a teen was a dismal failure probably due to the slow build up at the beginning (which is a characteristic of the author’s writing style). However, I’ve recently read and enjoyed other books by Howard, and as this one fit into a challenge, I decided to give it another go and I’m really glad I did.

The first half of the show more book falls into the contemporary romance genre with the development of Jaine and Sam’s love/hate relationship. With their witty banter leading to numerous laugh-out-loud moments and their incredible chemistry, Jaine and Sam set the pages on fire.

The second half is more romantic suspense as Jaine and her friends are targeted by a killer. In this respect, premise of a list of the perfect man’s attributes is compelling, however, the strong negative reactions that the women receive is more suited to the eighties than the noughties when this book was published. That said, the serial killer subplot is intense (although it is easy to guess the identity of the culprit and their motive) and the climax and resolution are exciting and action packed.

In sum, Mr. Perfect isn’t a perfect read by any stretch of the imagination, but it is well written with a smart and engaging heroine, a sexy and confident hero, well developed secondary characters and an entertaining suspense story. I really need to give books a second chance more often. show less

This is one of those books that people mention all the time, so it was time to see what all the fuss is about. Mr Perfect is a very good book – one that made me put down the other things I was reading so I could finish it. It is not, however, anyth ...more This is one of those books that people mention all the time, so it was time to see what all the fuss is about. Mr Perfect is a very good book – one that made me put down the other things I was reading so I could finish it. It is not, however, anything like any other books I’ve seen classed as romantic suspense. Why? Well for starters the suspense does not arrive until halfway through the story. Mr Perfect is funny, about friendship, and also contains many aspects of a show more contemporary romance novel. The characters are interesting – if occasionally annoying – and the main relationship made for a wonderful read.

This review is full of quotes - it's one of those highly quotable books!

Jaine and her three work colleagues create a list of what constitutes the ‘perfect man’. It gets leaked to the office newsletter, and then from there – as, unfortunately the rubbish so often does in real life – the media picks up on it and the publicity gets out of control. Then one of the friends is murdered. Then someone starts stalking the others. Jaine’s neighbour Sam takes a personal interest in the case – and in Jaine.

“Let me go,” she said again.
“I can’t.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Why not?” Actually, she was afraid she knew why not. “Why not” had been growing in his wet jeans for a few minutes now.

Sam grinned, thinking of Jaine and her stubborn chin with that cute little dent in it, and her almost-dimples and sparkling blue eyes. She attacked life, rather than simply letting it happen; he’d never before met anyone so annoying and funny and sharp. He had major plans for her, the most immediate of which was getting her under him.

When the relationship begins (after quite a bit of time spent just with the heroine and her friends) it happens FAST. Yet it worked for me. Because the hero and heroine seemed like such normal people with such normal goals in life, I believed it was possible for them to rush into everything. I also think it was necessary for the story to get the two of them into something serious.

He eyed the cucumber. “Have I interrupted something?”
Jaine wanted to hit him, but she didn’t have the energy. Still, something in her lightened at his presence.
“She’s going to put it on my eyes.”
He gave her a sideways, you-gotta-be-kidding look.
“It’ll roll off.”

I didn’t like that we didn’t get anything from Sam’s point of view until more than halfway through the book. By then I’d assumed we weren’t going to hear from him. I would have preferred to have been in his head earlier, but that’s a minor issue.

“Go away,” Jaine said. “I’m busy.”
“So I see. What is this, the Produce Five Hundred? I’ve been chasing you up and down the aisles for the last five minutes.”

“Thing? I don’t do things.”
“You’ll do mine,” he said under his breath,

Sam was an excellent hero because he was so realistic and such a guy and yet he really gave a damn about Jaine and did his best to help her and her friends.

“You’re such a guy.”
“What the hell did you want me to be, a ballerina?”
No, she didn’t want him to be anything except what he was.

I had a fair idea how the story would work out, but there were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing and keep me interested. I also loved that the one Too Stupid To Live moment in the book did not come on behalf of the heroine – and not on behalf of the hero. It was Jaine’s sister who screwed up and put them in danger. There’re many authors who should take note of that!

Nothing alarming had happened, except he discovered that Jaine sang a lot when she was tipsy.

He could shake them awake, he supposed, but that wouldn’t be much fun. What was fun was finding a pot and a metal spoon and banging them together, then watching the four women bolt upright, wild-eyed.

So is this the greatest romantic suspense book ever? Probably not. As it’s not even a suspense book until halfway through I’m not sure it even qualifies as a candidate for the title. However it’s so, so good. It’s one of those books I couldn’t put down to go to bed (the sun was rising when I finished!). I fell in love with the flawed and funny characters, I laughed out loud many times, I was scared in the appropriate places, and I became the author’s newest fan. What more can you ask for? show less

4.5 "What Does the Perfect Man Mean to You" Stars for the story and 5 stars for the narration!

Proving that a great romance is timeless, Linda Howard's Mr. Perfect, first published in 2000, was pretty near close to perfect. Yes, there were the occasional markers that undoubtedly branded this romance gem with some antiquated technology device references (who remembers answering machines, when cell phones were optional, and caller id required a little machine attachment rather than being built-in to your phone?), but the witty banter and raw appeal between the hero and heroine was exactly what I look for in a top-favorite romance. Moreover, Ms. Howard works double time and also manages to mix in a good dose of suspense to further enhance show more this home library, romance shelf keeper! As if this weren't reason enough to dust off your old copy of Mr. Perfect, or indulge in purchasing a brand new copy, Laura Hick's fabulously, gifted narration makes this a story that is a fantastic audiobook pick!

Ladies the world over have at one time or another pondered the question: What kind of man would be the perfect man? But when 4 co-workers, after a few drinks imbibed after work, decide to put pen to paper with their list of Mr. Perfect attributes, "the List" sky-rockets to instant fame. Not only is their whole workplace buzzing with the gossip of what did and didn't make the list, but even the media takes notice and starts hounding the ladies for interviews and guest appearances. However, not all the attention is good, and when the Mr. Perfect list hits a raw nerve with an individual who takes the list as a personal insult, the girls' bit of fun takes a potentially deadly turn.

Fortunately, for Jaine Bright, one of the four list makers and the main heroine from the Mr. Perfect romantic arc perspective, she has one rather irritating and yet equal parts alluring neighbor (Sam Donovan) who may just be the answer to this potentially dangerous situation. Sam Donovan is the kind of alpha hero romance readers swoon over, and a police detective to boot, so he gets right on the case and makes it his top priority to ensure Jaine's safety. But will he be successful with a seriously unbalanced predator on the loose? Moreover, with the dangerous matter at hand, not too mention their volatile interactions together, does Sam stand a chance of being Jaine's Mr. Perfect?

See the full review at BJ's Reviews.

Source: Review copy provided for review purposes. eStories.com allows anyone to download audiobooks. Check out their audiobooks free trial! show less