Customer Reviews

Manhunt

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This is a short and simple, well-written romance. If fluff offends you, steer clear of "Manhunt," written in the days when Janet Evanovich was developing the talent that authored the terrific Stephanie Plum series, i.e., "One For The Money," etc. However, if you're looking for an entertaining read to wile away a few hours, this could be it.

Alexandra Scott, a New Jersey resident with a high powered Wall Street career, is burnt out. She cannot take another 80 hour work week, and she doesn't want any of the perks that go along with it. She is tired of speeding through her rat race life before she has Lived it - with a capital "L." So, she of the analytic brain and practical mind, trades in her luxury condo for a cabin in the backwoods of Alaska - sight unseen! She always knew that Alaska, where men outnumber women by a large percentage, would be the place where she could find the perfect husband. And she wants to get married and start a family before it is too late.

Alex, an upbeat, self-sufficient woman, travels with small sports car and large dog across the country and heads due north. She eventually finds her Alaskan wilderness cabin, which needs a lot of work before the deep freeze sets in, and she meets her nearest neighbor, Michael Casey, an incredibly hunky pilot. Sparks fly but he is a confirmed bachelor. She is as undaunted by his resistance as by the frequent disasters that befall her while learning to be a wilderness woman.

This is a good, fun read. It is also interesting, if you are an Evanovich fan, to read one of her early novels and compare it, and her humor, with her latest work. Enjoy!!

This really was a cute story. I can see a lot of the same in her Plum series...food and accident prone!!!
This was cute story...short too!!! Something from Evanovich early days. But worth reading.
I am glad she re-released this one...have enjoyed all of them...looking forward to Smitten.
This would be a great stocking stuffer!!!

`Manhunt' by Janet Evanovich is a quick amusing romantic treat. Alex leaves her high stressed job to find a husband and new life in Alaska. She finds handsome confirmed bachelor Casey who turns out to be Mr. Right or Mr. Right now? This novel keeps a smile on your face and you will enjoy every funny adventure.

At the point of mental exhaustion after finishing a 600-page novel of intrigue in Victorian England, I felt in need of lighter fare. Yup, this was it.

As author Janet Evanovich explains in a preface written just inside the front cover, MANHUNT was one of twelve short romances - "red hot screwball comedies" - written in her pre-Plum days, nine of which are being re-released. This book in particular was inspired by a 1-year residence with her husband, two kids, cat and beagle in a cabin deep in the woods outside Fairbanks, AL.

Here, Alexandra Scott, the 29 going on 65, burned-out, junior VP of a large New York corporation, trades her elegant city condo even-steven to an old Alaska hand for his cabin in the woods and country store - sight unseen - outside Fairbanks. So, looking forward to a simpler life and hoping to find a committed relationship, i.e. husband, Alex arrives in the outback with her dog Bruno to find that the cabin is a one-room hovel with no plumbing or electricity and the store is a scruffy bait shack. But, on the plus side, her nearest neighbor in the woods is the hunky and affluent Michael Casey, who owns his own air freight business and a comfortable mountain house with all the amenities. Since Casey has no desire to marry and is a housekeeping slob, you'd think he and Alex would have nothing in common. But that doesn't take into account hormonal tides.

The storyline follows a simple formula. Tension builds between Casey and Alex to the point that they have tempestuous sex, after which they're mad at each other for awhile. Then the cycle repeats two or three times. It's the Battle of the Sexes at its most elemental (and monotonous) interspersed with the occasional humorous episode, as when Alex burns down her new outhouse and almost gets lost in the season's first snowstorm. The narrative also has the interesting perspective of jumping back and forth between the two principals: he thinks and says, she thinks and says. Bruno's thoughts remain unpolled.

MANHUNT is soft porn for the ladies:

"The skirt to her dress had ridden high, exposing the skimpy lace panties. His hand moved across the lace, tracing tantalizing circles. Then his mouth followed the path of his hand and Alex was lost to his touch."

The book's chief usefulness to the average reader is as a time capsule of the author's early writing career as she evolves her characterization and plot development skills to the level of her ongoing and very successful Stephanie Plum series (currently on its twelfth installment), to which I'm addicted.

I think I'm done with Janet's early romances; my manly self-image is suffering from reading this stuff.

Janet Evaonvich always seems to write such witty and fun stories. This was a hoot and I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. I enjoyed the quirky Alex and I found her to be likeable. The romantic sparks between her and Casey lept off of the page. I look forward to reading much more of Evanovich in the future, as she has become one of my most favorite authors.

Manhunt is a fun, fast, quirky little love tale. Alex,a young woman, makes some major changes in her life, moving across the country from a big city life to the wide open country with the goal being to find the "perfect" husband.
In typical Evanovich style there are a constant series of comical mishaps along the way and in the end Alex discovers that you don't always find what you are looking for...........sometimes you find something even better!!!

Before I start I have to disclose I bought this book by mistake. I love her Stephanie Plum series, and I just assumed her other books were in the same genre (detective/bounty hunter).

I bought Manhunt at an airport bookstore. I got halfway through it before realizing I was reading a romance novel. I don't normally read romance novels but I have nothing against them. Even though they have a stigma of being trashy, there's nothing wrong with them and they are immensely popular.

Manhunt is written in the same lively style as her Stephanie Plub series. Evanovish shows her talent, and the story moves along. What I liked best is the point of view suddenly changes from Alex to Casey and back again suddenly, giving the reader an understanding of what both people are thinking -- which was both entertaining and enlightening since we all know men and women often seem like two completely different species.

As for the downside, the story was a bit insipid. There were no suprises and the plot moved predictably toward the inevitable conclusion. And the passages involving intimacy were largely glossed over or skipped, and not terribly sexy. (At least that's my male perspective.) I found Stephanie Plum's sexual escapades more stimulating.

I trust Evanovich is a popular romance writer, but I think you can do better than Manhunt.

If you are in need of a great book to sit by the ocean and read, try Manhunt. It is about a woman giving up her stressful life in New Jersey to find a man in Alaska. It is a quick predictable read, but it is great for those mindless trips to the beach. A little romance and a big margarita. What more could you need?

Of the Janet Evanovich's early romances that I've read, Manhunt, with its spectacular setting, well-drawn plot and likeable charaters, is by far my favorite. The concept of escaping New York's rat race and simplifying one's life greatly appeals to me. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the vast landscape and harsh lifestyles in the Alaskan Wilderness alongside Alexandra, a strong woman who was not to be defeated by circumstances and situations beyond her control. Casey was a good man, a rare find, and the sexy and sassy way he interacted with Alex was highly engaging.

"Manhunt" is a sexy, smart, fast read by Janet Evanovich. The book begins with Alexandra Scott also known as a work-a-holic who works 12-hour days and goes home to her pathetic nightlife of eating Oreos and drinking milk.

Alex, as she's called, becomes tried of her life in New Jersey and something in her snaps. She, on the spur of the moment, trades in her fancy condo for a cabin on seven acres of land in Alaskan wilderness. Oh and one more thing she's never even seen a picture of the place.

She packs up and drives to Alaska on the way there she makes a pit stop and accidentally almost breaks a man's nose. The man is macho man Michael Casey who just goes by 'Casey'. After their meeting, she can't get him out of her mind, and when she finally reaches Alaska they inevitably meet again. This time, however, she finds out he's her one and only neighbor.

She discovers the cabin is a joke but the seven acres of land makes her stay. She makes due with what she has and goes back to her original plan: to find a husband. However, the likely candidate, Casey, is immediately deemed a `lost cause' and not husband material because he never plans on getting married.

The two then become friends but the physical attraction between them exists and the passion between the two finally collides. But Casey realizes that the two can't be together because he never plans on tying the knot. Though, marriage is only one of the reasons.

The other reason is revealed in the book and the question is answered will Casey be able to move on with his life and make Alex his wife? Or will he send Alex back to New Jersey and resist his heart? Well you'll have to read the book, which I highly recommend, to find out.

In conclusion, the book is sexy, smart, and fast. It's a great read if you're one of those readers like me who reads all the "classics" and other wordy books that go over the 500-page marker. This was my first book by Janet Evanovich, and it certainly won't be my last.