Customer Reviews

The Misconception

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Biology professor Dr. Marietta Dalrymple planned her pregnancy carefully. She advertised in an academic journal and screened the prospects on the basis of such considerations as their IQ and family medical history. Unconcerned with the prospective sperm donor's physical appearance, Marietta wants her baby to have the best advantages possible for a successful future with health and intellect. Marietta selects Harold McGinty to be the donor, with his high IQ, excellent medical history, and position as a biochemist at a pharmaceutical research facility. She does not know that just before boarding the plan, Harold will have second thoughts. A chance encounter with a high school friend sends Cash Jackson, Jax, in his place.

The exact terms of Harold's proposed encounter with Marietta were not made clear before Jax boarded the D.C. bound plane. Nor does he appreciate Marietta's conviction that sexuality is a biological function and never one truly of the heart. Events sweep him along and he finds himself spending an extraordinary afternoon in Marietta's arms, leaving them both stunned by their connection. Business interrupts Jax, and before he can return to the hotel, Marietta slips away. Jax hires a private investigator, and two months later learns he is about to be a father. Unfortunately, he is under the misconception that Marietta might want him to be a father. And she is under the misconception that he might give up. Indeed, Jax will challenge every concept Marietta believes regarding marriage, relationships, and fatherhood.

Be aware of your surroundings when you read THE MISCONCEPTION. I am not one to laugh out loud while reading very often, but not only did author Darlene Gardner have me giggling and chortling, but by the end of THE MISCONCEPTION I was howling! Gardner captures the heroine's stuffy attitudes of academia and the dialogue of an intellectual with pizzazz, and then contrasts it with a wonderfully sexy, down to earth hero who supports his mother and puts his brothers through college. These characters achieve a remarkable depth even as their secrets and fears keep the plot moving quickly. The secondary plot, of an attempt at reuniting a couple of the verge of divorce, adds a touch of spice that will keep the pages turning. As one outrageous event follows quickly on the heels of the next, readers will find themselves wondering what could happen to top this one, and the laughing at the hilarity of the next. A wonderfully entertaining read that belongs on the keeper shelf, THE MISCONCEPTION wins the WordWeaving Award of Excellence.

Scientist Marietta Dalrymple wanted to be a mother. But, as a scientist (and a woman), she did not believe in monogamous males or marriage. So, she makes a contract with an unseen man, who meets all the requirements for the fathering of her future child.

Cash Jackson (Jax) meets up with an old classmate at the airport. The classmate asks Jax to do him a favor. Would Jax let Marietta Dalrymple know he's not coming. And, as Marietta and Jax meet, there's confusion, and consumation...

With the help of a private eye, Jax locates the pregnant Marietta. He then trys to convince Marietta to allow him to be a father to her baby, and her husband. Sceptical scientist, Marietta, wants no part of his plans.

Ms. Gardner does a wonderful job of making the sparks fly between Jax and Marietta. And, she has a very interesting subplot about a secondary couple, which is almost as tantalizing. While, there are light touches of humor, for me, touches of tears, too.

THE MISCONCEPTION could have used a more sensuality, and I wish the book had been longer. I really enjoyed the secondary couple. Finally, the ending was a bit over-the-top, for me.

I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I purchased this book. Easy read. Cute story. I wasn't expecting to be blown away by either the story or the writing but it was entertaining.

Logic and love collide in this comedy of two of the most mismatched people ever...people who turn out to be utterly perfect for each other!

A fun story!

I wasn't sure about this book. I've never read this author but, if this is any example, I look forward to her future work. I laughed out loud in more than one place.

Other reviewers have already given the synopsis so I won't bother. Let me just say I'm in love with Jax. What a very differnt hero he is. As opposed to stubborn cowboys, brooding heros, and other anti-commitment guys. His occupation is wonderful (even tho I'm not a fan) and I won't give it away here. Get the book and find out for yourself. I don't think you'll be sorry.

One reviewer said the book needed more sensuality. I disagree. It's perfect just as it is. There's plenty of books around with all the sensuality anyone could want. I like that but I love a sense of humor also. Ms. Gardiner done good!

Let's start with the mechanics: the structure of this novel was above standard and there was definitely a flow that didn't appear as stilted or forced.
However, the personality of the heroine was annoying at times and infuriating at others. At no time did I remotely thought she deserved the love of the hero. Mostly she was an idiot right up to the end. All I wanted to ask as I read this book was:
Didn't scientist these days take courses in statistics and critical and creative thinking? How do you associate these opinions on the entire male gender with only three solid examples. I mean I know it's fiction but no scientist is that idiotic and painfully stubborn.
It's almost like the character was created to be cold, objective and robotic, but then the author recalls that there's an unborn baby involved. So that wouldn't really add up.
it was an okay book but it takes patience. I think that really keep me reading was finding out what slippery slope of a fallacy the heroine's character was going to employ and overreact to when she found out the hero's tiny tiny secret.

Biology professor Dr. Marietta Dalrymple believes that males cannot be monogamous. Feeling the natal need to have a child to raise by herself, Marietta meticulously plans her pregnancy to the most minuscule detail. She advertises in a scientific journal for male donors, establishes a valid checklist, and evaluates each candidate based on her criteria. High on her list are the attributes family health history and genius IQ. After careful consideration, she chooses biochemist Harold McGinty to serve as the sire.

Unable to do what he agreed to with Marietta, Harold struggles with his feelings of guilt. At the airport, Harold meets his friend Cash "Jax" Jackson and asks Jax to tell Marietta he is not "coming". Jax agrees, but before he can inform her, he finds himself sharing the best lovemaking of his life. Forced to leave for a while, he returns to their hotel room only to find she is gone, but two months later learns she is pregnant. Jax plans to prove to his beloved that he will remain faithful and jointly raise their child and future children. That is if he can overcome her stereotyping MISCONCEPTION that men will leave. Of course his professional wrestling persona, The Secret Stud, does not help his cause.

MISCONCEPTION is an amusing romantic romp that is character-driven. The story line contains a zany plot as Marietta refuses to believe Jax can think with his brain though the anecdotal empirical evidence shows he can use both heads quite compassionately. At times Marietta's stubbornness can become frustrating, yet fans of jocular romances will take pleasure in this laugh a minute novel.

Harriet Klausner

I should start by saying that Darlene Gardner is a very good writer. She uses the language well, she knows how to write dialogue, and her plot is well planned-out.

Unfortunately, Gardner relies too much on tired, unrealistic stereotypes (all female scientists are agnostic, cold eggheads with no common sense) and romance formulas (the baby daddy who begs to marry his child's mother, the woman who despite being a Ph.D. in science is less intelligent than any random man) and not enough on original characterizations. Her heroine decides to get pregnant while unmarried, but does she do what 99.9% of women in her circumstances would do and visit a sperm bank? No, she finds some random guy to impregnate her *who later falls in love with her*. How unrealistic is this?

Sometimes I worry that this type of romance novel could have a bad influence on girls. These novels teach girls that a man will immediately love them and beg to marry them if they become pregnant with his child. They teach them that they naturally aren't as capable, intelligent, or useful as any random man, no matter who, so they shouldn't even try to achieve anything in life. They teach them that women who are achievers are cold soulless Borgs (to use an allegory from another genre) who can only become true, full human beings by abandoning their goals and pushing out brats, whether they are married or not.

I don't recommend this book.