Customer Reviews

On the Couch

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

 

 

I read this one on an airplane, and I have never laughed so hard or annoyed so many other passengers...

"On the Couch" is cleverly told from two points of view - each chapter is either told from Marlowe's or Joe's perspective. Joe is a recently divorced detective assigned to identify the killer of a prominent businessman who died in an auto-erotic manner. A mis-dialed telephone number brings him to Marlowe, a psychologist who he mistakes for a hooker. Marlowe is also reticent about romance.

She plays along with it for a thesis project on the behavioral effects of disguising one's identity. She meets with him and is taken with how attracted she is to him, Soon she is doing more than research when she actually beds down her "patient/john" and they embark on a full blown affair.

There are so many humorous situations, misunderstandings and so much witty banter between the two of them that the story flows so quickly - you can read it in one sitting (provided you have flight attendants bringing you plenty of soda). It is one of the funniest stories I have read and cannot wait to read the others by this author!

Chick Lit at its best. (I really hate that something so warm and tender is called Chick Lit. It should be called Fun.) Funny careing novel, with an off center heroine and hero.

Marlowe Riddle is a psychologist. A wrong phone number printed in an ad leads to romance and danger. Marlowe has given up on finding a mate, friend or date of the opposite sex.

Joe Kain is a detective with the NYPD who is investigating a suicide/homicide. He dials the number in a magazine at the site of the death and gets Marlowe. He thinks she is a hooker and she thinks her life is so dry why not play the part over the phone.

Needless to say both are surprised when they meet. Marlowe tries to tell him she is not a prostitute but he is busily following clues, hating the man who kicked him off the Task Force, and recovering from a divorce 6 months ago.

The story is humerous, as well as sensitive, and I thought it was a great way to spend a few hours. I intend to find her other books on Amazon as soon as possible.

As "chick lit" books go, this is decent fare. The storyline is certainly different than any other books in this particular genre (if you can call it that): psychologist is mistaken for call girl, and plays the part because she's interested in the cop who made the mistake. Oh, she's also supposed to be doing it for the book she's writing, but that's a pretty weak part of the book.

The side storylines are a little distracting, because the interaction between Joe and Marlowe is the best part of the book. For example, I didn't care at all about the client of Marlowe's who's killed - it was just filler. However, I think the main characters are enough to keep you interested.

I was reading this on the train, and while I didn't miss my stop because of it, I did hope that I'd have a few minutes before getting picked up to finish it off. Worth your time if you like this type of book.

I started reading this book and it was so hard to put it down. It was clever, witty, and most certainly sexy. Finally I have found a book of my liking. A single woman in New York, who has a hunk going after her as so she does for him. I would definitely recommend this book to my girl-friends.

First off, I have to mention how much I enjoy Alisa Kwitney's books. AK writes with the emotion and passion that keeps my interest throughout her stories. Now, with that said, the following is my review of her latest endeavor:

New York City cop Joe Kain is a lonely recently divorced Jewish man with a mother that is riding his back to find a nice Jewish girl to marry. Unfortunately for Joe's mother, Joe is a bit gun-shy due to the fact that his ex-wife threw him a curve ball when she left him to ostensibly pursue her budding career. Joe has basically lost his joie de vivre for life...until he meets Dr. Marlowe Riddle.

Marlowe, much like Joe, is at loose ends with her life as well. She is a moderately successful psychologist without much drive as she is also a trust fund baby. It isn't until she meets Joe that she comes to realize what she really craves from life and herself.

What I most like about the novel is the characters. Marlowe and Joe are real. They are not cut-out Ken and Barbie fairy tale characters. The dialogue is always fresh and witty without being smarmy or overly sappy. There is real passion and chemistry between the protagonists and AK has a way of developing her characters in a mature yet emotional manner that keeps the reader emotionally as well and intellectually involved in the story.

Moreover, I have to emphasize the sizzling passion. Sex thrown into a book just for the "taboo factor" is boring and irritating to say the least, but AK knows how to incorporate sex/passion so that it enhances the story and gives it just the right amount of "oomph".

I truly hope that it does not take AK too long to publish her next book, because I find it increasingly difficult to find books that can keep my interest after the first few chapters.

Thanks for reading this review.

I really liked this book. It is funny, sexy and a very quick read. However, I found the first fifty or so pages to be rather slow, because they are, for the most part, unnecessary. Other than that, it is a great buy.

I'll suffer at work today for having stayed up all night reading On the Couch--I couldn't put it down. As in her other books, Alisa Kwitney serves up surprising plot twists and a heroine I can relate to--and a sexy hero who makes me root for speedy consummation! Spicy and witty, this book it tons of fun--but beneath the breezy style, it has plenty to say about intimacy and human vulnerability. It's far deeper than the day-glo cover makes it seem. Kudos to Kwitney for reaching into her own heart and fantasy life and sharing something from deep within.

Did it bother anyone else who finished this book that Marlowe drove herself to the horse farm after it mentions TWICE earlier in the book that she doesn't know how to drive? A minor thing, but it really bugged me.

It's so refreshing, and such a relief, to read Kwitney's latest. I just think she's in a class of her own. No-one else seems to be writing romance fiction that's really intelligent, has great dialogue, and plots that count for something. Keep it up, Alisa! I can't wait for the next one.

Psychotherapy and police work are two of the "sexiest" professions around--and this clever and entertaining novel
brings them together for a delightful, fast-paced ride. The
alternating chapters from male and female points of view are
superb--and the sex is hot! Just what you want for a summer
read.