Customer Reviews

Fast Women (Jennifer Crusie 2004)

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(40)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I was reading FAST WOMEN at the beach--yes! it's a beach book--and I was laughing so hard that other women, total strangers, kept stopping by to see what I was reading with such enjoyment.

I've read all of Crusie's novels. While all of them were good (obviously, or I wouldn't have bothered to keep buying them), FAST WOMEN is in a class by itself. Either Crusie has matured as an author, or her editors finally are allowing her to tell her tales as she sees fit.

FAST WOMEN also could have been named SMART WOMEN. For a change, the heroine and her friends are middle-aged, and sort of battle-scarred by life--exactly as most real people are, too.

This is a fast-moving story, with mystery...ex-husbands... retribution...true love...and great sex. The novel is compelling and all's well that ends well. In the process of getting to that end, yes, you'll have some good laughs.

Jennifer Crusie is one of those writers I buy the second she comes out with a new book, and this was no exception. I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. For Crusie fans, it's not as good as "Welcome to Temptation" (what could be?), but it's better than "Tell Me Lies." Crusie's trademark writing is as good as ever - hilarious dialouge, hot love scenes, well-drawn cast of leading and secondary characters, fast-paced plot. Nevertheless, this is something more than the usual contemporary romance. I thought that the mystery at the core of the plot was exceptionally good. They are usually so predictable in romance novels, but this one had some twists that kept me guessing. Second, this book is really a pretty good study of the emotional chaos created by infidelity and divorce. It takes a very honest look at the various stages women go through, including the immediate post-divorce insanity. While all of this makes for a well-rounded book, serious romance novel addicts will be disappointed that there isn't more focus on the relationship between the two lead characters.

A fairly common complaint is that FAST WOMEN is not WELCOME TO TEMPTATION. Personally, I think that's a good thing. True....TEMPTATION is an excellent book. So is WOMEN. They're very dissimilar, thank heavens. Frankly, I get tired of the "cookie cutter" characters when an author finds a format that's selling and refuses to stray from it. Crusie gets edgy and isn't afraid to break away from the pack and FAST WOMEN reflects that break.

Nell Dysart has been dumped by her husband of 22 years and with the help of her two sister-in-laws, is groping for a new life. Due to a few twist and laughable turns she finds herself working for a couple of detectives in their antiquated office that she immediately decides to update,(the office, not the detectives) but not before she has innocently managed to create even more damage. By the time she has made changes in the office she has also dug through the tough shield that the #1 detective, Gabe McKenna has shrouded himself in.

Crusie developed a novel that is pure feel-good entertainment and serves up plenty of opportunities to laugh out loud. As an added bonus the reader gets to try and figure out the mystery that is brewing throughout the book. It's not heavy reading, but who wants that on lazy hot summer days? If I want to dig into WAR AND PEACE again, I'll save that for those long, dreary winter months. Until then, I'll grab every Crusie book as fast as she can turn them out.

Posssible spoilers!!!

First of all, I want to assure anyone who may be wondering that Ohio is full of nice, normal people. This is not the German Village in Columbus, Ohio that I know!

Fast Women starts out just fine, with a hilarious job interview. I was thinking YES!, this is vintage Crusie! Then it all went downhill.

This is the first Cruise book I've read where I just didn't like the characters very much. Nell starts off as appealing and vunerable, but became unsympathetic for me quickly. As for her two best friends, the less said the better.We have a muddled alcaholic, Margie, who has kept a less than steller boyfriend on the back burner for years. Then there is Suze, who had an affair with a married man when she was a teenager, but is astonished when the same thing happens to her after years of marraige to a jerk. These are not women I could identify with or feel any real sympathy toward. They all act as enablers for each other's most unattractive traits.

The hero, Gabe, is really nothing special, and his cousin is a man who helps an older woman feel better about herself by sleeping with her. What a prince! I wanted to like Riley, but couldn't get past the fact that he has lusted for years over a teen-ager he spied on for an irate wife. Yuck!

Jennifer Crusie is a brilliant writer. FAST WOMEN is extremely well written, and very funny. But I couldn't help but feel an undertone of bitterness all through this book. Reguardless of the humor, well written as it is, I just plain didn't like these people.

I must agree, WELCOME TO TEMPTATION is very hard to top. Having enjoyed all of the Crusie books up to now, I am really looking forward to her next novel.This one just didn't work for me.

Things you can count on from Jennifer Crusie: one-liners no one else in the world would think of, let alone say ... characters that make you just wring your hands for them ... inventive plots that in themselves set you up for laughter ... all with a worldly view of life that makes you come away from her books feeling a little wiser somehow than when you started.

The extras in FAST WOMEN: the most complex, interesting love relationship Crusie has ever put on paper ... hilarious one-liners that fit so neatly into the story you almost miss them, then do a double-take, go back for them, and enjoy them twice as much (or just simply burst out laughing because you can't believe he/she SAID that)... a crazy, funny murder mystery with more cold bodies--ice-hard cold bodies!--than you'd find in the Clondike ... laughter somehow eeked out of the toughest stuff of life, starting with the pain for divorce. Oh, and I should mention she writes some darn fine love scenes--a surprising combination of sexy and funny, both.

Crusie knows life. She milks it for its joy and doesn't pass on the sorrow--she knows how to make you laugh at all of it. Buy this one, her best yet! Read it first before all the other books sitting on your nightstand! This one will entertain you into the wee hours.

Since I have been laid up on bedrest due to my pregnancy ~~ I was glad that I had already bought Jennifer's newest paperback last spring ~~ she really helped me escape the doldrums with this fun, fast-paced and steamy, ... novel! I admit that I am a Jennifer Crusie fan (it helps that she is from Ohio!) and reading this book reminds me why I enjoy reading her stuff so much!!

Nell Dysart was floundering from a bitter divorce and struggling with a loss of appetite as well when she stumbles into a job interview at a shabby detective agency in German Village. She never knew that this job was just perfect for her ~~ as well as the owner of the agency was going to be her soulmate ~~ Gabe McKenna isn't your typical suave guy ~~ nope, he's rough around the edges hiding a sensitive heart. And this is their story as they both work on a murder case that had happened years ago, involving Nell's ex-inlaws and Gabe's father. It is full of twists and turns, snappy comments and fun characters ~~ all that makes a good afternoon reading worthwhile!

If you're looking for a perfect read to take to the pool or the beach ~~ this book would be just the pick for you! It's light, funny and steamy! Jennifer Crusie has yet to disappoint me!!

...

'Fast Women' is not as tightly edited as some of Crusie's previous works. That said, even with loose editing Crusie can keep me up all night reading from cover to cover. The primary couple are mighty appealing: Nell, a hilariously disaster-prone dynamo who reminds me of Kate from 'Manhunting'; and Gabe, who is more macho than any of her heroes I've read to date but most definitely not in a bad way ;-). The secondary couple are fun to read too: Suze, who manages to be both drop dead gorgeous and likable without stealing Nell's thunder; and Riley, who - well, there's a hot little surprise I won't give away. I haven't seen Crusie use this plot element before, but I hope she does it again :-D.

The plot begins when Suze and Margie help Nell, their former sister-in-law who's still shell-shocked from the divorce, get a job with Gabe's detective agency. Nell proves to be so efficient at her job that she uncovers a twenty-odd year-old mystery that might involve Gabe's father and her ex-inlaws. Gabe starts investigating. Nell gets in touch with her anger. Margie loses touch with reality. Suze starts to wonder about her own marriage, not knowing Riley's been carrying a torch for her because of interesting circumstances. It's all genuine Jennifer Crusie, complicated, hilarious and real as only she could make it.

Fast Women is my second book by Jennifer Crusie. I read Crazy for You and thought it was amusing. However, this second one started off well and seemed to trickle off. It wasn't just that the plot was a bit far-fetched or that there were some strange dynamics between some of the characters. Crusie handles that fairly well and there was a nice pace to the book. The extended cast of characters became hard to keep track of at times and I found it difficult to get my hooks into some of the players; Margie, the rather ditzy friend who was close by at her mother's violent death and who was dumped by her husband is a prime example.

Crusie has a formula that works: as in Crazy for You there are two brothers, one difficult and brooding and almost gothic while the other is more handsome but more of a lightweight, at least on the surface. A dog becomes an important and appealing part of the supporting-cast in both books. But she handles these in deft fashion, so I'm not objecting to the formula. The writing overall is witty. And there was some good suspense.

I will still look forward to reading more of Crusie's books.

But...what can I say? If it were a child's toy top, Fast Women could have done to be wound just a little bit tighter.

Welcome to Temptation is a hard act to follow, but Crusie holds her own in this winner. This thinking woman's romance will give you something to smile about - it is smart, hot and a whole lot of fun. And like all of Crusie's books it contains that one perfect chapter that you will read over and over.

The story starts as Nell, recently divorced, interviews for a job in a small detective agency. She manages to put a hole in the carpet, break a window, and I won't even go into the blinds ... but Gabe the owner needs help and just can't resist Nell.

Against Gabe's wishes, Nell does a major clean up at the agency and stumbles on to a 20 year old secret that people are willing to die for. Like gasoline and a blow torch ... Nell and Gabe can't help but ignite. Throughout the mystery, we follow Nell's return to sanity after divorce. And learn that real women do have sex after 40 and they like it hot.

There a number of excellent secondary relationships in this story ... Nell and Ramsey ... Nell and Suze ... Ramseey and Suze ... not to mention the kids and the cases at the agency.

I smiled all through this page turner -- and still smile just thinking about it! Many reviewers have said that this is no Temptation... I agree ... it is Temptation Grown Up. Thank you Jennifer Crusie.

A friend from work loves this book so much she said she loans it out to all her friends and if they don't return it she buy a new copy. Lucky me. I now think I might know why they weren't returning it, they were trying to save future friends.

Where to start? It was funny at first. The whole job interview where she destroys his office had me giggling. From there, it all went down hill.

Let's start with Gabe, he is sleeping with his ex-wife and treats her like a stupid whore. Literally. He just wants her to spread her legs and shut up. Their whole relationship made my hackles rise. I was very glad when she left. My opinion of him however did not improve. I could understand his frustrations with Nell undermining his authority in his own business however that is no excuse for the way he treated her or the things he said. He might be a loyal spouse but he wasn't a very good guy.

Nell. She slept with Riley on the 3rd day (does this explain the title "Fast Women"?). Class act that one. Knowing she was going to end up with Gabe and that she slept with Riley just bothered me. By the end of her first week she was acting like she owned the place. Being yelled at turns her on. Mmmkay. She was bossy, always thought she was right and she didn't listen any better than those she accused of the same crime. Not someone I would want working for me or as a friend.

Suze. Hated her. I had no sympathy for her character at all. I admit I was disgusted with the whole 18 year old cheerleader bit for dirty old man Jack and their entire relationship in general. She was so conceited. It bothered her that Riley wasn't flirting with her? As a friend I supposed she was fine however as a person in general, horrible. The whole kissing Nell thing was strange as well.

Riley was at least a funny guy and honest. I might have liked him more if he didn't sleep with anything that moved and if there wasn't a foreced connection between him and Suze. His obsession with Suze just confirmed her conceit.

Speaking of forced connections, Lu and Jase? Overkill. Margie and the whole murder and blackmail mystery was crazy. Almost as crazy as Margie herself. In the end, I still am not completely clear on who did what to whom and when.

China obsession, yawn. The dog was annoying. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if it had more focus.