Customer Reviews

Ain't Myth-behaving: Two Novellas

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My best friend lent me this book (even though she knew that I didn't normally read romance novels) because she said it was unbelievably funny. When I read it, I laughed so hard that I kept dropping the book. My husband, who was often in the same room as me, had to stop working on his college homework because he couldn't concentrate with me laughing so much. He is reading it now, and he thinks it is just as funny as I did. Overall, I thought this book was creative, light, and a lot of fun. Note: This book has has a lot of adult content, always presented in a humorous way.

There are some late night cartoon network type guffaws here, pure Katie MacAlister "puniness", and light romance. If that's what you're looking for, you will not be disappointed. Both novellas read like the cover of the book itself; buff, dumb, sex crazed dudes, perky heroines, vain and silly gods/goddesses.

Since I did get what I paid for (a little fun, easy reading), 3 stars would be more in keeping with my personal point system, but for some reason the author switched genres mid-guffaw, and tried a touch of grim reality. I'm perfectly fine with comic characters dodging flying Acme safes and anvils, but the rather cavalier treatment of Ovarian Cancer, and it's flippant use to create a sterile heroine in her first selection, "Stag Party", effectively stopped the joke.

After being turned off by the first novella, the second reads like forced and mediocre fluff.

Not a keeper, but there are a few good quips you might want to remember in an "Aren't I witty?" contest.

PG-13 for mild sexual content

Stag Party:
The minor Celtic god Cernunnos has to find a wife in a week or GASP! he'll lose his immortality and his position as god of the hunt and god of a small section of the underworld. This is the rather dire premise that the protagonist of Stag Party finds himself in. So why, after all of this set up, do I get the impression that Dane (aka. Cernunnos (aka. Nooney)) has spent a few too many hours in front of a microwave? Well, let's just say he's not the brightest bulb in the lawnmower. MacAlister explains away Dane's lackluster intellect by remarking on the "brain fog" that overcomes him every time he transitions between the underworld and Ireland (for the record, I will now be using "brain fog" as my default misbehavior excuse). Unfortunately, after a few days of love-at-first sight shenanigans, Dane still seems as dimwitted as ever. He devotes himself to wooing a reluctant maiden whose career as a travel show host has landed her at Dane's castle (hubba hubba). Maybe I could forgive Dane his idiocy if his female counterpart wasn't such a dud. Megan St. Clair just didn't have enough life in her to balance out Dane's puppy-like exuberance. I kept hoping for more of a back-story for Meg, but it never showed. And for a novella that should have been cute popcorn entertainment, the plot managed to plod along in a way that seemed paradoxical to its supposed brevity.
I give this one 3 stars!

Norse Truly:
This story was so much better! Brynna is in Sweden attending a family reunion. Things are going alright (well, as alright as they can go since most of her relatives don't speak English), but during an errand she manages to drive her cousin's car into the ocean (oh dear). Luckily, a bunch of ghost vikings save Brynna from her imminent doom. If I tell you any more I'll give away the best part! Let's just say that this was a really adorable story that I wish had lasted much longer. Norse Truly is probably only worth about 4 stars, but because I couldn't stop smiling after I read it, I'll give it 4 and a half stars.
So where does that leave us? Well, if you believe in algebra then Ain't Myth-Behaving is a 3.75 star book. Unfortunately, I just can't justify rounding up on this one.

I have to agree with the other reviews. I am a HUGE Katie Mac fan and she is on my auto buy list, but I can seem to finish this set of stories. I mildly enjoyed Stag Party, but I had to seriously make myself finish Norse Truly.
If you must read this wait for the used copies.

I usually don't like when there is more than 1 story in a book but the cover looked cute and the stories on the back sounded intriguing so I bought it. I couldn't get done with it fast enough. Granted, I did laugh out loud at several lines in this book and the first time the hero and heroine make love in Norse Truly is hysterical, but that was not enough to save it. Because the stories are shorter, there's no real backstory developed. You don't feel like you know any of these characters and therefore don't care about them. Towards the end, I was just flipping through pages just trying to get it over with. I hate when I spend money on a book like that.

Very funny and entertaining. the stories could be real if you use your imagination. They hold you interest to the very end. It's a change from the regular romance stories--with a funny twist to it.

Ain't Myth-Behaving contains two novella's, Stag Party and Norse Truly and I have to say Stag Party was laugh-out-loud funny. The things Dane said were cute, romantic and hilarious! I really liked that it was narrated by him instead of Megan, it gave the reader insight into his mind, and what a mind it was! But when I started reading Norse Truly I kept thinking about the other books that I had that I wanted to read- and honestly, it wasn't as funny as Stag Party. I also didn't really feel anything for the main characters, they seemed to one-dimensional. Overall, I would recommend Stag Party to anyone who loves humor, romance, and paranormal all mixed together with Katie MacAlister's signature flair.

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Normally I wouldn't give 5 stars to a fantasy/paranormal romance novel, but this one was just so darn much fun! Katie MacAlister has a wicked sense of humor and the ability to put everyday, modern women in the wackiest of situations believably. The first novella is "Stag Party," in which Celtic god Cernunnos, also known as Dane, has one week to find a new bride, or he'll spend eternity in the Underworld. When an American filmmaker comes along, Dane knows she's the one he wants to spend his eternity with. The question is, can he get her to feel the same way...in a week?

The 2nd novella is "Norse Truly," in which Brynna, an American in Sweden, falls into the longboat of five centuries-old Viking spirits. A witch's curse keeps them from Valhalla, and only Brynna can break the spell. She finds herself falling in love with Norse-a-licious Alrik. (If Eric is your favorite Charlaine Harris character, you'll love Alrik. He's like a not-scary Eric.)

The two novellas add up to 2 tons of mythological fun. I've enjoyed Katie MacAlister's vampire novels in the past, but this is my favorite of her books so far.

Ain't Myth Behaving by Katie MacAlister has two stories in it. The first is called Stag Party and the second is Norse Truly. The first story is about Dane Hearne, an Irish god, who must meet and marry someone within a week. In comes Megan St. Clair who is staying at Dane's castle to do some work. Dane literally runs into Megan and decides then and there that she is the one for him. His attempts at wooing Megan are hilarious and are the best part of the whole story, but there are some over-the-top silly moments that made me cringe as well. At some point, an author has to draw a line somewhere so as to not to try to make every situation hilarious in an off-beat romantic story. My main problem with the story was that it was in first-person with Dane narrating. I just have never liked first-person narration especially with romantic novels.

The second story is about an American, Brynna, who goes to Sweden to visit some of her relatives. While there, she crashes a car into the ocean and is rescued by Viking ghosts led by the Viking Alrik. They have been cursed to sail the seas and never go on dry land by a Valkryie. Their curse though can be broken by a Valkryie, and Brynna soon finds out that she is that Valkryie. But to end the curse for good, Brynna and Alrik must marry. This story was not as funny, was more rushed, but I liked that it wasn't in first-person. The romance was somewhat marginally better than in the first story. I pushing it a little here, but I'll give this book 4 stars!

Wow, what a disappointment. I normally love Katie MacAlister's books - I read a really apt description somewhere. A critic referred to her stories as "screwball romances". Her typical story includes funny situations, people that have weird personality quirks, and a chemistry between the main two characters that (if not always totally believable) at least makes you smile, chuckle, and continue reading.

These two novellas were forced, trite, and more on a level with Catherine Coulter's sludge. I forced myself to finish the second one as I really hate to not finish a book. I was REALLY glad I got this on paperback swap - I think if I had paid good money for it I would have been ticked off enough to consider only one star.