Customer Reviews

By the Book (Harlequin Blaze, No 85)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What is a stud like Luke Lawson doing with a book called Sex for Total Morons: A How-To Guide in his mail? That's what neighbor Shari Wilson wants to know. Shari and Luke's mail has been getting mixed up. When Shari goes to Luke's door to give him his mail, the aforementioned book falls out of the package. Funny, because just before she took the mail to Luke, she was prepared to seduce him. Well, what about now? Is Luke the moron?

Wow! Luke is speechless. He's had seduction on his mind, too. However, now that Shari has seen this book, he can tell by the look on her face that she thinks he is sexually inept. Shari is flabbergasted. After all, Luke is just too sexy for his own good. He exudes sensuality. He needs love lessons? Well, she is a teacher, after all. She starts to get an idea. Shari knows Luke is a writer, but she has no idea that the writer of the book, Lance Flagstaff, is Luke, his pseudonym. Well, Luke gets creative. He decides to use this opportunity to ask Shari to teach him the ins and outs of sex.

Luke and Shari strike up a deal - Luke is to go to Shari's ex-friend's wedding with her, and Shari will give Luke four weeks of love lessons, by the book. What's interesting is that Luke convinces Shari that he'll read the book, and that they'll practice chapter by chapter. You've got to remember that Luke felt that attraction in the beginning, too. So, after their first "lesson", Luke devises a way to double-up on the lessons.

How can Luke, lover extraordinaire, keep hiding the fact that he's very good at what he does? Well, actually, as a result of some embarrassing moments, it seems to Shari that he really does need the lessons, that he is perhaps shy, and so she takes her role of teacher quite seriously.

Let me tell you. I didn't want to put BY THE BOOK down. The attraction between Luke and Shari evolved quite nicely. First it was sexual, and then moved on to teacher/pupil, then it finally began to grow to more intimate levels to each of them. BY THE BOOK was an emotional read. As a reader, I "needed" to see the two of them recognize the deepness of their feelings, while allowing neither of them to get hurt.

Ms. Warren never disappoints. Page after page, I was yelling to Luke, "TELL HER", and whispering to Shari, "Please understand." It was very interesting to see how long this would go on between the two of them. BY THE BOOK was extremely sensual, with quite an emotional tug. The characters were wonderful, as well. Luke was a serious writer, with the typical nuances of many of the writers I talk to everyday, while Shari was a wonderful, sincere woman, who, in thinking she was doing Luke a favor, endeared herself to me. Ms. Warren is an autobuy for me, without a doubt. I know each time I pick up a book of hers, that I will have a wonderful reading experience.

A sensual treat! Highly recommended

A dyslexic mailman brings neighbors Shari Wilson and Luke Lawson together frequently. The night Shari finally works her nerve up to ask Luke out, however, things go badly wrong when the package she is bringing to Luke falls open, revealing the startling book title: SEX FOR TOTAL MORONS: A HOW-TO GUIDE. Mortified that she had been fantasizing about a man who needs a how-to book for steamy encounters, Shari makes a quick exit.

Determined to repair bridges with his flustered neighbor, Luke devises a plan. As the author of the book, Luke certainly knows how to please his partner. But Shari is a high school English teacher, and would be the perfect woman for helping Luke to experiment and see first hand how valid his own advise can be. So he makes plans to follow his own advise in the book, asking Shari to help.

Imperfect but steamy encounters combine the humorous with the risqué in BY THE BOOK. I couldn't resist a chortle when Luke suffers from sleep depravation and low blood sugar, passing out at the sight of Shari's naked body. Indeed, Duets fans will easily recognize author Nancy Warren's quirky, irreverent humor in every page, even as she turns on the heat in this sensual treat. Shari and Luke certainly discover that nothing works exactly by the book when the heart is involved! BY THE BOOK comes highly recommended.

High school English teacher Shari Wilson has been fantasizing about her downstairs neighbor Luke Lawson for quite awhile and since he hasn't asked her out, she decides to take matters into her own hands. And she has been helped out by an unwitting mailman, who has been mixing up their mail. So armed with a packaged addressed to Luke, she heads downstairs to give him his mail and to ask him out.

Luke Lawson writes sex advice columns for men's mags under the name Lance Flagstaff. He's also written a book and is waiting for a copy in the mail. And, of course, he has noticed the girl upstairs, how could he not.

Shari brings Luke his package and when the book fall out and she sees the title "Sex for Total Morons" by someone named Lance Flagstaff and she believes Luke has problems in that department. Since they have been flirting for awhile, Luke doesn't tell her that he's Lance, instead he acts like he really needs the lessons and Shari is a teacher, after all.

So Shari begins to teach Luke all about sex by the book and you know, I think maybe I might have learned a thing or too as well. Ms. Nancy warren has delivered a book with nifty and witty characters that I couldn't put down. But then I figured that once I started it, that I'd be stuck in place for an afternoon, because I've read Ms. Warren before and she never disappoints.

"By the Book" was a fun read, aside from being a BLAZE, which I almost always enjoy. I laughed through the whole thing, especially since I felt like it told was more from Luke's side. We get to see the humour in his little deception because we don't get quite as much from Sheri; I could feel the smirk behind some of the scenes. I loved the bit of charecter that feeling lends to the story.

Luke and Sheri have the greatest chemistry between them, and they have tenderness and friendship, as well as great sex. You know that their conflict will be quickly resolved because of the easiness between them. This one's a keeper!

He's going to love her, chapter by chapter...

Shari Wilson would love nothing more than to have a wild night with her downstairs neighbor Luke Lawson. When she accidentally discovers that he's bought a book called Sex for Total Morons: A How To Guide, she knows the wild night is out of the question! But when Luke asks her for lovemaking lessons, Shari decides to do her part for all women and make him the best lover ever -- and she'll do it all by the book...

When Luke wrote Sex for Total Morons he wondered if a how to book can really work. Now he's got the perfect opportunity to find out. In an ego crushing moment, he discovers that his sexy neighbor believes he's sent for the book. Luke isn't about to let this opportunity pass. Shari's a teacher and he can't wait to be her willing student all night long.

Misunderstandings and chemistry lead to a relationship between Shari and Luke. But when chemistry leads to some deeper feeling, can they untangle the misunderstandings in order to discover just what the feeling is that's growing between them?

Nancy Warren's ability to mix humor and sexual chemistry truly hits home in this story that will steam up your summer even as it makes you chuckle! A great story!!

Nancy Warren's By the Book sizzles from cover to cover. When Shari Wilson discovers Luke Lawson, her hot neighbor, with a book called Sex for Total Morons: A How-To Guide, she cannot hide her disappointment. How could someone so gorgeous need a sex guidebook? But Luke is no inexperienced dud. It's all part of a master plan to seduce the beautiful and sensual Shari...

By the Book is as funny as it is steamy. There are some comic moments in the novel. This is a great installment from the Blaze series. The author does a good job developing the characters, storyline and sexual tension between the protagonists. I highly recommend this little gem...

I just had to get this book after reading its blurb on Amazon. Nancy Warren shot into the list of authors to be definitely checked out time and time again after I read and reviewed her book My Fake Fiancee which was my first Nancy Warren and an unforgettable one at that. So taken away by the blurb, I found myself with the book loaded onto my Kindle, ready to indulge in a story many have reviewed to be hot, hot, hot and then some more hot and this title definitely lived up to my expectations in that area.

28 year old Luke Lawson is a journalist who works from home and the only son from his parents 4 children. His father's lifestyle isn't one conducive of a committed man and he is about to get married for the 5th time when the story begins. The combination of Luke's charming smile, tall, rangy body and the twinkle in his green eyes with a hint of devilry in them makes Luke a definite hit with the ladies and he is quite comfortable with his happy and carefree lifestyle as the cynic inside of him believes that he is just like his father and would never have the potential to be in a committed relationship of any sort.

Shari Lawson is an English teacher for high school kids and lives above her totally hot neighbor Luke Lawson whom she has been eying for quite some time now. A dyslexic postal worker who keeps mixing up their mails lends both Luke and Shari the opportunity to drop in and see the other and all the while the sexual zing between them is hard to ignore for both of them. The night Shari decides to take matters into her own hands so to speak, she encounters Luke with a how-to-guide on sex, i.e. Sex for Total Morons - A How to Guide written by a Lance Flagstaff which makes Shari do a total 180 degree turn on acting upon her attraction towards Luke.

Luke doesn't know whether to fall at a heap at his feet in embarrassment about being caught with a book that he has authored and he has no clue as to why he doesn't own up to the fact that when it comes to women and hitting the sheets, he is quite the ladies man. Luke who has been hankering for Shari for quite sometime decides to hit 2 birds with one stone and make use of the opportunity to test out whether his philosophy published in the book works in real life and get Shari into his bed, and thus strikes up a deal with Shari to help him along from Chapter 1 - 4 in the book in return for his presence at the wedding ceremony of her ex-best friend and ex-boyfriend; all the while never owning up to the fact that the how-to-guide was authored by Luke himself.

What follows is funny, endearing and so very hot that I couldn't help but laugh out loud, sigh over every now and then and find myself unbearably flushed from one moment to the next as the story progressed. Both Shari and Luke who are reluctant to look for anything more with the other than just their attraction towards each other finds more than each of them bargained for as things heat up between them. Shari takes it upon herself to tutor the shy Luke in the art of pleasing a woman and finds herself totally overwhelmed when Luke hits all the right spots, in and out of bed. And the extremely commitment phobic Luke finds himself slowly and irrevocably falling in love with the wonderful woman he finds in Shari who changes his views about love, life and commitment once and for all.

I liked the gradual build in Shari and Luke's relationship and the fact that they didn't just straightaway jump into bed, but rather built up the sexual tension in a believable manner which does great things for the reader as well. I found myself totally caught up with Shari and her best friend Therese's conversations - because they were so funny and I couldn't help but laugh on Therese's logic when it comes to men and their prowess in the bedroom. The side characters were wonderfully done for a novel such as this one and the sensuality just rocked at all levels and went totally off the charts when both Luke and Shari try to seduce the other. Totally dig the love scenes in this one. And I won't read a "Chapter 7' after this without getting a little hot around the collar after this one! *grin*

Though I loved so many things about this story, I found myself a bit disappointed in the abrupt manner it ended. Everyone knows that I am always a sucker for a good epilogue and I just know that an epilogue would have done wonders for this one. Would have loved to see Luke and Shari and their happily ever after sometime after the last chapter in the story ended.

I also didn't get to see how Luke resolved his issues with being commitment phobic as a result of his father's carefree nature when it comes to relationships, marriage and women. I would have loved to see Luke interact with his father and maybe see Luke's father through his eyes, maybe at his father's wedding so that I would have felt better about Luke's total turnabout towards the end of the novel.

Reviewed by: Maldivian Book Reviewer

Luke Lawson is a hunk. He's a journalist who also writes sex advice columns for many men's magazines under the name of Lance Flagstaff. As Lance, he has just published his first book, Sex for Total Morons. Luke's mail keeps getting mixed up with his upstairs neighbor's, Shari Wilson. When Shari brings down a padded envelop addressed to Luke, she plans on asking him out. They've been flirting for weeks and she's ready to take things up a level. Then, Luke's book falls out of the envelope she's handing to him and she thinks he's a real loser. Luke convinces Shari that he needs her help to work through the sex manual he received and since she's attracted to him, she agrees.

The sex scenes in this book are hot. It is a little far fetched that Shari keeps believing that Luke needs the sex manual after the way he heats up the sheets, but overall it's a good book.

To know "what" the book is about, read other reviews. To know "how" the book was, read this review.

Usually, I assess reviews online, then buy books, just as I did with this one. I liked the beginning and was very excited while reading, as I kept recalling the great reviews from this page. But I must say I found it between okay and likeable, about 3 1/2 stars. When I simply cannot recall much about a story, it means there wasn't much to it in the first place, or it wasn't that good. Of course, some parts were pleasantly realistic, the hero was certainly nice and likeable. It all takes place in an apartment building that has kind of a "miserable loser" feeling radiating from it, so how could I find the setting romantic? Even it's dwellers, the hero and heroine, were... nice but kindda lame. I liked the hero more than the heroine. I didn't appreciate the setting because I live in a "miserable loser" place with matching people, and this book kept me from immersing myself in a more favorable environment, atleast mentally. If I remember correctly, the couple did go out to dinner but got food poisoning and ran back home sick. There went the one chance to see them in a somewhat nice place on a real date. Thank you, food poisoning, for nothing. Not a book I'd recommend.