Customer Reviews

Knock Me Off My Feet

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This was a book that I picked up on a whim while in the bookstore because I had a few extra dollars and I thought that it might be mildly entertaining. It has one of those pink cartoony covers that seems to denote a certain style of romance that is usually rather light. As a result of that impulse, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself reading a very entertaining book and discovered a new favorite author.

Autumn Adams is an unloved daughter who makes a death-bed promise to her journalist mother to carry on her helpful hints column. Audie, as she's known to her friends, has no homemaking skills whatsoever, but she is photogenic and becomes a star in her own right. Unfortunately for her, someone is planning to kill her. Into the story enters Detective Stacey Quinn, and the story traces their mutual attraction, his family, the threats on her, and the family history that has stunted her emotions.

The main characters are engaging, the dialogue is fast-paced and realistic, the secondary characters are sufficiently developed to make them interesting, and the mystery works well to drive the plot (even though I guessed early on who the bad guy was). I wound up liking the characters in the book, liking the way the relationship developed, liking their quirks and foibles. It's one of those books that once you start it, you have to finish it. And, based on the included teaser for Ms. Donovan's next book, I'll be buying that one also.

Autumn "Audie" Adams was known as "Homey Helen" of Chicago. She ran a household hints column. Her mother, the original Helen, was mugged and murdered a little over a year before. With her dying breath, Helena made Audie promise to take over the column. It was NOT a job Audie enjoyed, but she was very good at it. Shortly after Helen's death, Audie began to receive threatening letters. They were easily ignored, until they became violent.

Detective Stacey Quinn was of the Chicago Police's Violent Crimes Division. He and his partner, Stanley Oleskiewicz, were given the job of catching Audie's stalker. They decided to begin with her ex-boyfriends. The number of them surprised the detectives. (Audie never could hold a relationship together.) The names on the list were famous too. However, one name in particular jumped off the list to smack Stacey.

To Stacey, Audie was the perfect woman for him. Convincing HER of that fact would NOT be easy though.

***** I could not stop reading this one. I found it to be full of wit, terrific secondary characters, and some very hot love scenes. I cannot think of a better way to begin my reading of the new year! I have hopes that Stanley will get his own novel. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch.

Autumn "Audie" Adams was following in her mother's footsteps as "Homey Helen" Chicago's answer to Martha Steward. But this wasn't who Audie really wanted to be in life. Audie had made a promise to her mother that she would carry on with Homey Helen after her mother was gone. Things were going fairly smoothly until her life was threatened. Enter ... Detective Stacey Quinn. Quinn is determined to get to the bottom of who is stalking this fantastic woman. Quinn draws Audie into his boisterous Irish family, the likes she has never seen before but always wanted.

The suspense over who is after Audie will keep you glued to trying to figure out the who done it. What you really will remember about this book is the hot, sizzle between Audie and Quinn. This is a fantastic first book, looking forward to more from this author.

With a bold title like "Knock Me Off My Feet", I couldn't help but guess whom it was going to be, the female character, Audie, or the male character Quinn. Little did I know it would be me, the reader!
From the beginning I was hooked by the author's fast paced writing and funny situations. Beginning with Audie, who is `Homey Helen," a purported cross between Martha Stewart and Heloise, whom in reality is a soccer kicking tomboy in prim clothing. Since she's received several death threats, a touchy detective is assigned to investigate the situation. Quinn is also a dichotomy, appearing all silent, business-like and macho-cop. Don't we just love when those facades fade and reveal a big-hearted, romantic-talking, larger-than-life male! After Audie basically falls at Quinn's feet during their first meeting at her T.V. station, it's Quinn who falls fast for the pseudo-domestic beauty.
Quinn has to keep a close eye on Audie and doesn't mind a bit. He quickly becomes infatuated and takes her to meet his very loving and crazy Irish family. Never close with her own mother, the original and true "Homey Helen," family is really an alien concept to Audie, and she struggles at the Quinn family gatherings and their obvious show of love and devotion for every member of the family, especially for the women.
I also love the role reversal between Audie and Quinn, who is so domesticated that not only does he possess an extremely clean home, he cooks a meal for Audie, who can't boil water, and has no desire to. It's extremely humorous that he's secretly worshipped "Homey Helen," knowing every cleaning tip and even keeps them in a journal.
Audie is every guy's dream, a beauty that enjoys and plays sports, but enjoys sex more! Her idea of a perfect winter afternoon is to have, "wild sweaty sex on the floor and then popping out to a sports bar for a Guinness." It's talk like this that drives Quinn wild. One of the best scenes is the very original sex conversation while Quinn's driving on the expressway! Once out of the car, it's Quinn's turn to pillow talk, or should I say, floor-talk, and it's not about how to properly clean ceramic tile! He makes Audie crazy with his explicit language and lovemaking. There's plenty more sexy scenes, but before Audie can commit to Quinn, he's got to find out who's trying to rub-out "Homey Helen."
I highly recommend this debut book by Susan Donovan. You'll just have to ignore the ironing and vacuuming and order pizza for the family until you've finished being knocked off your feet by this saucy, sexy romp.

What a terrific book, along with a refreshing story line. There's a lot going on in this book, aside from the police investigation, as to who's responsible for the threats to Homey Helen. We have the baseball and soccer events, the great Irish family get-togethers, and of course the romantic angle. For a new author, keeping all this in balance and still remain unequivocally entertaining, says a lot!

As the relationship develops between Audie and Quinn, you find yourself rooting for them to succeed as a couple. Audie needs a real family, and who better to give that to her than Quinn? I fell in love with Quinn and his family. The background characters were well developed, and were almost a story within a story. Also, given the intensity of the threats against Homey Helen, the humor in the other parts of the story keep this book from becoming too bogged down. Plus, the finger points in more than one direction as the identity of the stalker, and keeps you guessing right up to the end. Can't wait for Susan Donovan's next book!!

Maybe I was having a bad day or something, but this book certainly didn't help. The author was able to push all my buttons. It started out with that wacky heiress, Audie. I couldn't stand her. She was loud, she changed clothes in the car right after she met Quinn, and she had a ton of emotional baggage. She also had many previous relationships. If a woman in a book has a lot of men in her past, what's to stop her from having lots more in the future? I always look at it that way-it doesn't seem to me that the hero is that special. He's just one in a long line. Anyway, Quinn was great. I think instead of wanting to get close to Audie, he would be taking off fast in the opposite direction. She and her wacky hijinks would wear thin after a while, I am sure. Anyway, in my opinion, this book( and I refer mainly to Audie) is a stinker. I had read Take a Chance on Me, but this same author and I loved that book. The characters in that hit just the right note. And the little dog in that book, Hairy, was adorable. His owner, Thomas, was a keeper, too. Plus, I really liked the heroine, Emma, in that one. Pass on Audie's antics and pick up Take a Chance on Me. It's a lot better book.

You are going to love this book. There is nothing not to like really. Audie is fun, sassy, and likable, and Detective Stacey Quinn is YUMMY! These two people are so opposite in personality, social situation, and family that it is fun to read about them falling in love.

Audie is being stalked by someone that reads her "Homey Helen" column. She does not know who the stalker is and finally takes the advice of her friend and co-worker to get the police involved.

Detective Stacey Quinn is brought on to the case and he can't believe that he is looking at his dream girl a Martha Stewart/Carman Electra cross. He basically falls in love with her as she falls at his feet literally on the first meeting.

These two people soon find themselves not only hunting for Audie's stalker, they are also trying to solve Audie's mother's murder, and trying to do their best to fall in love.

This was a fast paced page turner full of laughs, tears, and good old fashion chemistry. This one will Knock You off Your Feet!

The publisher of this book has messed up the last and final chapter in the kindle version. One minute the hero is racing to the rescue and then bingo you end up with text from a previous chapter so you never get to know how the book ends! This is very frustrating for me because this is the second time I have tried it. After my first complaints they removed the book. Now it is back up at a larger price and I thought it had been fixed but NO! This is not Amazon's fault but the publisher.

If you like Rachel Gibson, you will like Susan Donovan. This is one of the more funny, entertaining, romances I have read. I loved it. Another one of those books you read in one sitting.

Autumn Adams (aka Audie) has taken her mother's place as Homey Helen, an advice guru to the Martha Stewart crowd. But someone has been sending her threatening notes. Finally she calls in the police. Sounds familiar right? WRONG!

Detective Stacy Quinn (aka Quinn) is unlike most other detective characters I have read. He is funny, steady, neat, and has a wonderful family. All the things Audie thinks she is not, and his family fills her with envy.

The search for her stalker, leads to several ex-boyfriends. And a wonderfully humorous attraction between her and Quinn. You will be wishing to have a loving family like the Quinns, too.

As the stalker gets more violent in his notes, we are truly mistified as to why any one would want to harm Audie.

From the wonderful characters to the twisting plot, I was enthralled. Great entertainment. Don't miss this book.

I look forward to more of these books by Susan Donovan!

Autumn Adams inherited her mother's helpful hints column. She is Martha Stewart crossed with Lucy Ricardo, and has no homemaking skills at all. She would rather kick around a soccer ball than be the face and voice of "Homey Helen."

She starts to receive death threats from a not-so admiring admirer, and soon a detective is called in to investigate. Chicago police Detective Stacy Quinn is not happy about the assignment which he sees as a fluffy waste of time, but soon he is intrigued by Audie (as she is called by her friends). At their first meeting, she literally falls at his feet when she trips on the camera cords. The two act on their mutual attraction, while he tries to figure out who is trying to kill her.

Audie has a lot of relationship issues, and is not used to the intense feelings that Quinn has, and how easy it is for him to express them. When her stalker becomes more diligent, she inverts even further into her own insecurities, compromising their relationship. The two are polar hysterical together and so different. I thought it was hilarious how the roles were reversed - him with the spotless home and loving to cook, while she could manage to set off the smoke alarm while boiling water. He has the big, loving family, while she spent most of her childhood in isolation from her distant mother.

The dialogue is crisp and so refreshing (unlike so many books out these days) and you can actually imagine the conversation being real. The secondary characters are fleshed out. And the chemistry between Audie and Quinn is sizzling, with just the right steam quotient.

Makes us all curious what men really wear under those kilts!