Girls Night (Stp - Mira) [Mass Market Paperback]

Stef Ann Holm (Author)

Book Description

Series: Stp - Mira | Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Knowing their mom deserves some happiness, Jillene McDermott's teen daughters, Claire and Faye, write a personal ad for her. But their good intentions go wrong when Vince Tremonti, a crime writer who returns home to Blue Heron Beach, steps in as Jillene's "boyfriend." Thrown together, the two can't deny their mutual attraction, and they realize there is more between them than a summer fling.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Stef Ann Holm jumps from writing historical romance to contemporary romantic comedy with a yummy, exuberant splash-in-the-latté in Girls Night. Jillene McDermott is a widowed mom with few assets except her struggling coffee shop on Blue Heron Island, Java the Hut; her late husband's car, which she refuses to drive; and a winsome zest for success that defrosts the iced-over heart of true-crime writer Vince Tremonti. Vince has his own trauma to face--the living nightmare of a serial killer who has committed a dozen murders just to get a book deal authored by Tremonti. Lured by Jillene and her daughters, Claire and Faye, Vince fears his grotesque situation will taint the sweetness and light he finds with them. Add in the daughters' determination to find a new daddy for their mama, and Girls Night is tastier than a cinnamon-whipped, cream-laced frothy mug of small-town Americano. This one's a genuine winner--the McDermott girls, all three, will steal your heart, just as they do for the once-jaded Vince Tremonti!

From Publishers Weekly

Single working moms will be drawn to the fairy tale element of Stef Ann Holm's Girls Night, which depicts the relationship between a wealthy true crime author and a middle-aged widow who owns a failing coffee shop. Jillene McDermott needs someone to save her from financial ruin and loneliness, and gorgeous Vince Tremonti may be the perfect man for the position. Vince, a confirmed bachelor, is only in Blue Heron, Wash., for a short stay, but he's inexplicably attracted to the featherbrained Jillene and charmed by her sunny, adolescent daughters. Holm throws Vince and Jillene together as often as possible, but their lack of chemistry hampers the story nearly as much as her trite, awkward prose ("Time stopped moving," "Their eyes clung"). While there isn't much to recommend here in the way of romance, Holm does offer some insights on the true-crime writing profession.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Mira; First Thus edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551669498
• ISBN-13: 978-1551669496
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,800,076 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad, but not what I had hoped for..., May 4, 2003

By 

M. I. "krushedvelvet" (Old Bridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Girls Night (Stp - Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)

"Girls Night" had its charms, but it failed to really hold my attention. I found that I was flipping forward again and again to see how much more I had left to read. I felt that the sub plot overshadowed the romance. I had a very hard time connecting with Jillene and especially Vince. I did however absolutely love Jillene's daughters Claire and Faye. Vince's father Al was also a delight with his lady love Ianella. "Girls Night" was certainly not a bad read, but I wouldnt necessarily recommend it.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Save your 8 bucks, July 17, 2003

By 

C. Young (Maryland United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Girls Night (Stp - Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)

I started reading this book with high expectations due to the good reviews and can only say that I have not been so bored with a book in a long time. I found the plot formulaic, the heroine unlikeable, and, even though the book was marketed as a romantic comedy, it failed to tickle my funny bone even once during the entire reading. Despite the author's efforts to make the heroine seem tough, to me she came off as unreasonable and extremely incompetent. The only redeeming quality of the book was the likable hero but even that wasn't enough for me to recommend anyone to spend 8 hard earned bucks on this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Impressive!, November 22, 2002

By 

Sarah W "Sarah W" (Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Girls Night (Stp - Mira) (Mass Market Paperback)

I really enjoyed Girls Night. I haven't ever read anything by Stef Ann Holm, so when a friend recommended this book, I was a little leery, as I am with any new author. But, be assured, this book was in no way a let down! Girls Night is the story of Jillene McDermott is a widower living with her two daughters, Faye and Claire, and their dog, Sugar. Jillene runs a coffee shop called Java the Hut (I laughed when I first read this) that was originally opened by her late husband David. Jillene is really struggling to make ends meet. She has no money for anything, food, shoes, repairs for her shop. She is considering bankruptcy, but doesn't want to give in.

Then she meets local celebrity Vince Tremonti, a prolific true crime writer who has come back to Blue Heron Beach to get past some of his own demons. They meet in her coffee shop, and instant sparks. I loved the way they were atracted to each other right from the first, but Jillene was very shy, and neither thought it was the right time to get involved.

Vince was a great guy. He really struggled in this book. I won't say why, but the portrayal of his struggles, and his what he had to go through was very realistic. He didn't want to get involved with Jillene and her family, but he couldn't help himself. Love happens and there is not much you can do.

I was very happy with this book. It was a great story. It really portrayed Jillene as a strong, capable, modern day woman, who didn't have to rely on a man to fix things for her. She came up with her own solutions. Her daughters were great additions to the story too. They made wonderful characters. The side romance of Vince's father, Al, and a neighbor lady he had been in love with for a long time was just another great piece to this story. True, old fashioned romance was definitely alive in Blue Heron Beach. A well written story with good character development and plenty of chemistry.