Not Another Bad Date (Avon Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: bad date, broken condom, skin sandwich, Cedar Creek, Cindy Ann, Zach Zemaitis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This yummy lovefest from Gibson (after Tangled Up in You) focuses on a familiar dilemma: how to end bad luck in love. At 35, successful Idaho SFF novelist Adele Harris has had it with losers who make fun of her big fat ass. She feels cursed—and she was, by old rival Devon Hamilton-Zemaitis, who stole Adele's first love, football star Zach Zemaitis. When Devon dies following an accident, she must remove the curse that's prevented Adele's happiness so she can go to heaven. Meanwhile, Adele gets a frantic call from older sister Sherilyn, who's divorcing her husband and has moved back to their old hometown of Cedar Creek, Tex.—where Zach now coaches high school football, and where Sherilyn needs help with her 13-year-old. Gibson keeps the action light but dead-on delicious in Adele's and Zach's sizzling second-chance-at love. (June)
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Product Description

What does a gal have to do to get a good date in this town?

Adele Harris can't even begin to answer that question. She's had so many lousy dates that she's sure she's cursed. Why else would every man she goes out with suddenly act like he's lost his mind—and his manners? Adele thought life couldn't get any more confusing . . . until she learns the marriage of her seemingly Miss Perfect sister is on the rocks. So she goes back to their hometown to give her a shoulder to cry on, only to run smack into Zach Zemaitis . . . the one who got away.

Texans love God, family, and football, though not always in that order

Zach, a former pro star, knows all about football. As for the other two, well, he's doing his best. But when Adele comes charging back into his life—still all lush curves and beautiful, big blue eyes—he wonders if his best is good enough. After all, he did her wrong. Can a woman with her track record ever really believe that he's serious this time . . . or is he destined to be another bad date?

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (May 27, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061178047
• ISBN-13: 978-0061178047
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,166 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whenever I date a guy, I think, "Is this the man I want my children to spend their weekends with?-Rita Rudner, May 30, 2008

By	Cherise Everhard (Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

14 years ago Adele Harris gave her heart and virginity to Zach Zematis, up and coming football star. He took both, and then returned her heart broken. She left college mid term, unwilling to face him day after day. She got over him, eventually, but unfortunately she has been unlucky in love ever since. For the past three years she has gone on dates that start off good than turn to just plain bizarre. Convinced she is cursed to make all potential suitors nutty, she has sort of given up on love.

When her sister phones her to come home to Texas to help her during her pregnancy and divorce, Adele does so. She doesn't want to be in Texas again, but she knows her sister needs her. When she bumps into Zach all she wants to do is run in the opposite direction. She has no feelings, good or bad, left over from her first love, but that doesn't mean she wants to create any new ones, either.

I really, really enjoyed this story. Having enjoyed Adele's crazy dating disasters and weird stalking ex boyfriend from the previous stories in this series, I loved finally knowing the reasoning behind all of it. I thought it was extremely clever and humorous idea and it added an interesting mix to this story.

The relationships in this story, not just Adele and Zach's, were compelling in their own right, and extremely realistic. Zach and his teenaged daughter, Adele's niece and friends, the sisters, I teared up a few times and laughed a whole lot. I think this is my favorite story out of the series and I found it really hard to put down; I struggled between one more chapter and responsibility several times, luckily I'm not that big on responsibility. I love books that make you giggle and this one had me belly laughing quite a few times. I thought this book was equal parts sweet and charming, sexy and sassy, fun and hilarious... Not a bad combo.

Although it's part of a series, it's written in a way where you can easily read this one on your own and not be lost. Enjoy!

Sex, Lies, and Online Dating
I'm In No Mood For Love
Tangled Up In You

Cherise Everhard, May 2008

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Why the ghost?, May 27, 2008

By	Cheryll Falcone "Cfalcone "middle brow bo... (Fort Worth, Texas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What has happened to Rachel Gibson? She used to be one of my favorite Romance authors. I have read "See Jane Score" too many times to count.
The main complaint I have is the ghost of the hero's wife seems tacked on. Why try to be paranormal when the rest of the book clearly isn't? I liked the hero, as he was a man with flaws just like a real man. The heroine was OK, but her character needed lots more development to make me care more about her. The teenagers were sweet, but also needed more devolpment. I'd skip this.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 stars. Another great sexy read by Gibson. Yeah!, May 27, 2008

By	KarLynP "spicyromancefan" (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This was another fun and hot read by Rachel Gibson. I read it yesterday and couldn't put it down. While not a paranormal book, this book does have a ghost as a secondary character who meddles with Adele's life. A great twist, loved it. Adele finds herself going back to her hometown in Texas to help her pregnant sister out for a few months, and runs into her first love (Zach) that once broke her heart into a million pieces. A former NFL quarterback now retired and working as a high school football coach, he has never forgotten Adele. Forced to marry another when an ex-girlfriend shows up pregnant, he has lived a very unhappy marriage and was an absentee dad for much of his daughters first ten years of life. Now single and a full-time dad, he is finally happy and doesn't want to change anything. Until he sees Adele -- but she wants nothing to do with him.

This book is filled with great Texas humor, and really pokes fun at their obsession with all things football. Zach is a wonderful hero. He is sexy and funny but a bit jaded from his past. Adele is a successful author who has had a string of terrible dates. She can't help but feel the sparks with Zach after all these years, but she is rightfully cautious. They made a great couple.

I've read everything published by Rachel Gibson, and she really is one of my favorite authors. While this book will not go down as my all-time-favorite, I really did enjoy it a lot.

***Small spoiler***
I will warn readers that the hero was not a faithful husband during his first marriage. I know this can be a big turn off for some romance fans, but given the full story of that marriage (they were separated...etc.) I felt it made sense and didn't take away from his character. I thought he was so great and sexy! Funny and hot. However, I know some readers are staunchly against this no matter what the situation may be.