Customer Reviews

Hey, Good Looking: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Does anyone bother to edit for Ms. Michaels anymore? From the very first paragraph the book begins to disappoint. ("A torrential torrent"? Really?) Anyway- the characters were half developed, the plot line skimpy, the dialogue trite, and the spelling errors abundant. It reads as is Fern Michaels is trying to be Janet Evanovich and cannot pull it off. She's just not funny. I have been reading Michaels for years and stayed loyal even through the downward spiral of her writing in the "revenge" series, but I have lost all faith in her now. I doubt I will bother to read her books again.

The first line in the book talks about rain as a torrential torrent. It gets worse. But who am I to say? I quit on page 39, shortly after the black belt 72 year aunt old scares the traumatized dog into the bath by putting on a ninja mask and jumping into the kitchen screeching, "Eyowwww." Beyond awful.

Darby comes home to bury her steadfast best friend since childhood, Russell Gunn. Ten years ago, she was overwhelmed that he made her the executrix of his will. He had made up his mind for personal reasons that he did not want to donate any organs in the event of his death. Darby had been away in Scotland when Russ died. She is devastated to learn that his stepmother Bella had signed papers to donate his organs. Darby's quirky aunts, Dodo, Diddy, Ducky Lane were surrogate mothers to Darby and the Gunn children growing up. It becomes their mission to stop Bella Gunn from trying to irrevocably change their neighborhood. The dialogue and narrative at times was uneven; but the main characters kept things interesting. By and large a very good romantic read.

Sometimes it takes an unhappy event to make families and friends look at things in a different light. This is exactly what happens when Russell Gunn passes away and Darby is responsible for carrying out her best friends last wishes.

Although things did not go as Russell had wanted due to Bella Gunns involvement (his step mother) we see that even thru errors in judgement things can turn out for the better.

Darby and Ben become more then just the childhood friends they were when he returns for his brothers funeral and the wonderful Lane sisters who have helped to raise the Gunn children become more involved in helping to free a family member who has been trapped for way to long. (Way to go Harriet, Lydia and Vivian)

Of course along the way we find secrets and love when we might least expect it and once again Ms Michaels shows us it is never to late to love and forgive. This story is wonderful and the characters are so real we just feel like we know them personally.

Thirty-three years old Darby Lane comes home to Baton Rouge to attend the funeral of her long time best friend Russ Gunn, who died in an accident. Darby and her three septuagenarian aunts, Dodo, Diddy, and Ducky are upset that Russ' stepmother Bella donated all his organs to donors. Though it seems like a kind gesture, the Lane brood know that the deceased was adamant not to have that happen to him because of an incident at college involving a friend and that Bella is using this to enable her to finally join the elitist "Rougies". Russ' siblings Ben and Mary also arrive, but she leaves almost immediately unable to deal with their estranged father.

When Ben sees Darby for the first tin years he knows why he never got married or that involved with another woman; he loves her, but she has always been Russ' woman. As they and the aunts plot to destroy the evil stepmother and rescue the father, Darby begins to fall in love with Ben.

This interesting contemporary romance emphasizes that the end does not always justify the means as the Lane females and Russ' siblings are horrified that his wishes were ignored by his wicked stepmother though his organs provide life to others. The ensemble cast for the most part is solid yet eccentric with fans realizing you don't mess with the three Ds. Bella on the other hand is so selfish she is a caricature of the wicked stepmother as every action she does is to further her personal objectives (perfect traits for Congress or the White House, but not for a mom and wife). Fans will enjoy this fine tale of matchmaking, rescuing, and honoring loved ones.

Harriet Klausner

I always make it a point to finish every book I start, and this was a chore.

Russ Gunn is anti organ donation and when he dies unexpectedly his step mother donates ALL his organs. His best friend Darby who is pro organ donation is torn throughout the book since she feels she has let him down. The author could have pursued a very moving plot line where all the recipients and their stories were told rather than just a quick look at 3 of the patients. The author also could have pursued a compelling legal drama about the living will being violated.

The author told a disjointed story about a woman who makes doll houses for a living. (Who in their right mind would pay 50K for a doll house - let's get real) She has a cast of aunts who could have been the heroine's of their own novels. She has the evil Bella who runs away never to be heard from again with millions of dollars she stole from her husband.

I plowed through descriptions about doll houses, and family dinners and then ran through speedy plot advancements about relationship development.

I was not impressed by this book and would not read this author by choice again.

Darby's parents died when she was three years old and was raised by her aunts, Dodo, Diddy and Ducky Lane. Russ and his siblings, Ben and Mary grew up with Darby living on the same street known to everyone as "the shoe".

Russ and Darby have been best friends forever. When Russ made his living will he made her the executrix. He told her he did not want to be an organ donor and he made Darby his sole beneficiary, which would give her real estate and approximately nine million dollars.

Ten years after signing the will, Russ is killed in an accident and Darby's life is falling apart at the loss of her best friend.

Marcus and Bella Gunn--Russ's father and step mother--lived on the shoe along with the Lane sisters for a time but the town roughies never accepted Bella into their clubs, so the Gunns moved to a big modern house a short distance away leaving the two houses they own to fall apart. Now Marcus is ill and incapacitated from a stroke and Bella is trying to weave her way once again into the clubs. When Russ died, Bella had his organs donated and when Darby finds out she is furious. Darby is going to fight Bella with everything she has. Her biggest weapons turn out to be her aunts.

Russ' brother Ben is back in town for the funeral, though his relationship with his father Marcus is very strained. Ben has been in love with Darby since he was a kid, but it was always Darby and Russ. Darby always imagined that she would someday marry Ben and live in one of the old houses in "the shoe". But Ben never knew that. When they reveal their feelings for each other, it doesn't take long before their old friendship grows into a new love.

As Darby, Ben and the aunts try to find out what Bella is up to, they gain more than just answers. They aren't outright looking for it, happiness and fulfillment just may find each of them anyway.

Hey, Good Looking is a delightful story. Ben is adorable. This quote from the book says it all for me: "He'd given his heart to Darby Lane, and he had never taken it back." Darby is lovely. She is kind and compassionate. The aunts are outrageous and hilarious. Hey good Looking is a lighthearted, fun and tender story that had me captivated right from the start with its emotional storyline and endearing characters.

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

This was my first book by Ms. Michaels and I must say that I expected more from an author with so many published works. I found it hard to follow, too much going on in my opinion. One dead best friend, Darby, best friend's brother, Ben, 3 crazy aunts, Ben's father, sister & stepmother were all competing for page time and that doesn't even take into account the many other minor characters in the plot. Once I was about a third of the way into the book I did start to like it a little which was the only reason I didn't abandon it all together. I also noticed that the author gave very detailed descriptions alot. The color of the carpets, the types of flowers in the garden, etc. to the point of going overboard for me. I'm sure some people enjoy this kind of mental imagary but for me it becomes a total yawnfest, I'd much rather have interaction between the characters then know the tinest details about what color the bedspread is.
I am planning to give Ms. Michaels another chance to win my loyalty by reading another of her novels as I have had other occasions where I've been luke warm on one book by an author but loved all of her others. Hopefully Ms Michaels next book won't dissapoint.

This was the first Fern Michaels book I have read and will definitely be the last.

The list of flaws is rather long but let's start with the cover: whoever designed it and wrote the brief description on the back clearly didn't read the book. The lead female character was never described as a gauzy dress and heels wearer, nor did she waste her time posing on a porch railing. The story included a dog, but not a kitten, so why the book cover includes one is beyond me - and the title of the book bears no relation to the story.

The dialogue is awkward, and the thoughts of the characters are artificial and not believable. The characters described on the back cover, Darby and Ben, get together quickly and almost immediately both think they will marry each other. There is no anticipation, no tension, and no need to continue reading.

Darby's three aunts are juvenile (despite being near 70 years old) and as annoying as their names (Dodo, Diddy and Ducky). Reading their dialogue was like hearing nails on a blackboard.

I strongly recommend NOT buying this book. It is the WORST one I have read in years. I put it down after the first chapter but I finished all the other books I had taken on vacation, so I picked this book up again out of desperation.

Since I listened to the CD abridged version, it's possible I missed something that would have made this book at least mediocre. Not likely though. The title and the picture on the cover seem to have been for another book entirely. This was one time when an abridged version was better, because if I had to hear "Dodo, Diddy, and Ducky" just one more time, I'd have been tempted to burn the CD's. "Dodo, Diddy, Ducky and Darby"...just plain Dumb. If the author ever writes another book with the Aunts, Please use their given names.