Crazy for You [Paperback]

Jennifer Crusie (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 30, 2010

On Wednesday, Quinn McKenzie changes her life. On Thursday, she tries to get somebody to notice. On Thursday night, somebody does.

Quinn McKenzie is dating the world’s nicest guy, she has a good job as a high school art teacher, she’s surrounded by family and friends who rely on her, and she’s bored to the point of insanity. But when Quinn decides to change her life by adopting a stray dog over everyone’s objections, everything begins to spiral out of control. Now she’s coping with dognapping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy . . . for her.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

High school art teacher Quinn McKenzie's life is perfectly normal--and it's making her insane. She's living with Bill, the nicest guy in Tibbett, Ohio, and he's crazy about her. Really crazy. Quinn is already having serious doubts about the future of their relationship when Fate intervenes, in the form of the scrawniest, squirmiest scrap of a dog you'd ever want to lay eyes on. She figures if the dog has the good sense to detest Bill on first sight, she ought to pay attention. And besides, there's Nick Ziegler, local mechanic and totally unsuitable love interest. Of course, that only makes Nick all the more appealing, not to mention his phenomenal aptitude between the sheets, and against the wall, and in the car, and... But getting rid of Bill is harder than Quinn ever expected. In fact, Bill was the last person she would have thought would try to hurt her. Thank God Nick is as capable with a two-by-four as he is with an automobile engine! Jennifer Crusie's second contemporary romance is a smash--literally! You'll laugh while you're tucking the covers around you a little tighter. --Alison Trinkle --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Small-town life in Tibet, Ohio, is just an updated, rollicking version of Peyton Place in romance novelist Crusie's (Tell Me Lies) zany second novel about a 35-year-old high school art teacher's chance at love. Quinn McKenzie leads a prosaic, dull existence until a stray mutt crosses her path and becomes the catalyst that changes her priorities. Suddenly, her safe relationship with reliable Bill Hilliard, the school sports coach, takes a downturn when Bill forbids her to keep the dog. Crusie delves into the amatory machinations of the town through the sparkling, gossipy dialogue that takes place at the local hair parlor where Quinn's best buddy, Darla, works. While Darla tries to ignite her slumbering marriage to Max, Quinn decides to muscle her way into the heart of Max's brother, Nick, who also happens to be her sister's ex-husband. Is it possible to keep romance in a lasting relationship? That's the question that drives the droll narrative. Using zingy one-liners ("Nick is tall, dark and detached from humanity"), Cruise explores the underlying core that keeps couples together, detailing her characters without stereotypes. The local flirt is well-meaning and oblivious to her role in breaking up shaky marriages?she just wants her house taken care of; the solid, Rock of Gibraltar coach, Bill, actually goes off the deep end when Quinn moves out on her own; and Nick, the town bachelor, learns that love and lust don't necessarily cancel each other out. Crusie manages to infuse a great deal of humor about human nature into this contemporary romance, deploying as well an engaging cast of characters who progress through various contretemps to a fittingly happy ending. $150,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1 Reprint edition (March 30, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312640722
• ISBN-13: 978-0312640729
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (157 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #906,678 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jennifer Crusie was researching her dissertation on the differences in the way men and women tell stories when she got sidetracked into writing romance novels.

Her first book was published in 1993 (which pretty much finished off any hope of her getting that PhD) and her twenty-second book, Maybe This Time, came out in August of 2010, all of which she considers a minor miracle, especially since she is also a New York Times, USA Today and Publisher's Weekly bestseller and a two-time Rita award winner.

Jenny is currently working on her new Liz Danger mystery series. She is a very happy woman.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 42 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars What a fun, fun read! March 19, 2001

By Busy Mom VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This was my first Jennifer Cruise book I have ever read. It was a pleasant surprise to read that she is an Ohio State University professor and it was even nicer to read that this book is set in Ohio too! I thoroughly enjoyed this book ~~ light, funny and sexy. Who ever says small towns are boring need to read this book!

It all starts with a dog. Quinn McKenzie rescues a small dog and falls in love with her. She decided to keep her in spite of her boyfriend's objections. Then her "beige" life (where she's dating the nicest guy, has a good job, surrounded by friends and family ~~ only to realize that she was bored to tears) suddenly changed into a life of color (there's even a huge red couch in her new life). Between dog-nappings, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, secrets and suddenly two men who were crazy for her ~~ it's enough to keep you interested in the book.

It is a quick read and funny as heck. There are some scenes in there that reminded me too much of my experiences with a stalker ~~ Cruise writes that vividly! I would wait till the last minute to go to work because I was so caught up in the book. Then the first chance I would take, I would grab it and start reading it again!

Even if you don't need a reason to buy this book, I recommend it anyways. It's fun, sexy, terrifying all rolled into one ball. Since I have read two of Cruise's books, I will be keeping an eye out for the rest of her collection. Once you start reading this one, you're hooked. And it's a ride that you won't easily forget.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Book I have read in a while! February 22, 2000

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

I absolutely loved this book. I read "Tell Me Lies" last year and did not purchase this book until it came out in paperback. What a suprise! After reading this I will not even wait for her next book to come out in pb. I am running to the store for "Welcome To Temptation" in March!The reason I loved this book were the characters and Ms. Crusie's wonderful writing style. Funny and sexy go well together! Also I love the fact that Quinn and Nick seem like normal people. Not perfect, yet still attractive to each other. They are not super rich or super thin or super models! A nice change from all those other romances where the hero and heroine have perfect looks/bodies/money, blah, blah, blah.And Quinn's family and friends are as intersting as she is. Not to mention hard headed. I loved them all! I only wish it didn't have to end! Bravo Ms. Crusie. You are a terriffic writer and my favorite new author!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Crazy for this book! July 14, 2001

By mirope VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Jennifer Crusie is at the top of her game in this charming and hysterical contemporary romance. All of her trademark elements are here - witty dialogue, amuzing secondary characters, a hot romance. This is the story of a small town art teacher, Quinn McKenzie, who adopts a stray dog and decides to finally take control of her life. She breaks up with the steady but dull school coach, gets her own place and tries to initiate a romance with her ex-brother-in-law and close friend, Nick. The problem is that the rest of the town thinks she lost her mind. The coach refuses to accept their break-up and her boss blames her for the team's loosing streak and threatens to fire her. Inspired by Quinn's new attitude, her Mom comes out of the closet and her best friend leaves her happy but unexciting 20 year marriage. As if things are bad enough, Nick refuses to sleep with her! There's one amusing plot twist after the other, and the dialogue is priceless. One of the things I love best about Crusie's novels is the way she makes the lives of ordinary people - Quinn is a teacher and Nick is an automechanic - funny, exciting, sexy and romantic. This is a great novel that you will read again and again, laughing all the while.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wicked Funny! May 15, 2002

By L. Quido VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Crusie really succeeds here with the tale of a young teacher who gets tired of her mundane life in a small town and tosses it over, only to find the excitement she craved at her doorstep.

There are all manners of plot devices represented here; the notable theme being long-term relationships and can two people ever stay together for a long time without growing in different directions. Great insight into the teaching profession and "office politics" in public school academia, as well!

Crusie is lighthearted and unafraid to have her books fall into the "beach trash" category, and, in the manner of Evanovich, (without the mystery) goes way over the top with some of the plot twists. This book, like her others, just cannot be put down!

One caution for new readers - Crusie makes the sex scenes in her books hot enough to need a small firefighting device close to the place you choose to read. She has an incredible touch in describing how both men and women feel in their most passionate moments.

Look for Crusie to score big with her big with her next new novel...she has really developed a following!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars _Crazy_ is the perfect feel-good romantic read October 11, 2004

By Nicholas' Mom

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I don't read a lot of romance novels because the cliched plots, bad dialogue and over-the-top prose usually all drive me nuts. But Jennifer Cruise writes romantic novels that are funny without being too cute; romantic without being completely improbable; sweet without being cloying. _Crazy For You_ has a classic plot-line (lifelong best friends suddenly find themselves in major lust with each other) but the story still kept me guessing and very interested throughout. I liked the main characters and rooted for them to get together. The kissing/sex scenes were also steamy and fun.

The supporting charaters and storylines entertain (and that's a rarity in this genre) while taking away nothing from the central love story. All the characters, in fact, are appealing and believeable, with only one exception: Bill, the heroine's ex-boyfriend. We know he's doomed to be dumped from the start, but his increasingly erratic behavior doesn't fit with what we know of him early in the book (he's sensible, dependable, and deadly dull) and his downward spiral into scary stalker territory didn't ring true to me.

But that's only a very minor criticism of a book that is a joy to read. Jennifer Cruise is a talented writer who knows how to create engaging love stories and this is the book that made me want to read everything she has written. I recommend _Crazy For You_ to anyone who enjoys love stories but may sometimes turn their noses up at romance novels. It's perfect for beach reading or as something to relax with in the tub.