Customer Reviews

Five O'clock Shadow (Zebra Contemporary Romance)

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

 

 

I wanted to like this book--it came highly recommended as a humorous romance. Unfortunately, the heroine of the book is having head-banging sex with a guy she's known for about five minutes and two days later she's got him moving in with her because .......she's a modern, independent woman who knows how to move when the time is ready? More like she's a brainless twit who hasn't heard of STD's, unplanned pregnancies, rapists, serial killers, abusers, or anything else that could possible deal with reality. There's a back story in which this same woman decides to run for city council so she can oppose the zoning laws which might close down a coffee bar she likes which is run by a friend. The other characters running for office made me laugh, but I mostly wondered when this woman actually worked to earn enough money to run for office, the romance was rushed and too forced, the mystery line was pretty weak & ended with a very convenient criminal and windup. Pretty dopey, overall. Can't recommend it.

Okay, there is already a lot of background info provided for this book, so I'll just add my opinion. I just finished reading Five O'Clock Shadow with a huge smile on my face, it was just such a feel-good, delightful romance. Funny, twisted, dry humour that had me smiling throughout. Fast paced dialogue, great relationship between the two lead characters (that moves along quickly!), and an engaging mystery. I picked this one up on a whim and boy am I glad I did. And with a hero named Chuck who can resist? Great book!

Genie Davis works her magic again with characters that pop right off the page and into your head, a mystery that keeps the pace brisk and the action compelling, and a healthy infusion of wry reality that makes the fiction feel all too real. If you have ever dabbled in local politics (or wished you had, or been glad that you hadn't), fallen in love with someone even though your rational mind was telling you to run in the opposite direction, dealt with a challenging boss, or invested way too much effort trying to be nice to people you can't stand--in other words, if you're a unique but otherwise typical human being--this book will resonate with you.

From jacarandas to the Pacific Coast Highway, the story exudes Southern California charm and sensibility. But what makes the book sizzle is Jessie, a quirky, spontaneous, fiercely loyal and passionate person who feels like a close friend almost as soon as you meet her.

Genie truly has the gift of transforming the mundane into the memorable, and I eagerly await her next book.

Indie Rock DJ, Jesse, hears that her friend Lisa's beach-side music club The Sea Shack is about to be shut down. In a frantic bid to save it, as a spur of the moment favour to Lisa, she unadvisedly finds herself standing for election to the City Council. Grave mistake! Unfortunately, someone is playing psychological games and intimidating the candidates. When bodies start to fall, strangely so do their chances of winning the election. For a short while, Jesse's chances of winning are looking extremely good, but for how long?

Soon quirky Jesse is also getting those harassing calls to stand down or be killed, but luckily the delicious Detective Chuck Jackson is on the case, and hers, too. Prepared to do anything to protect his new-found love, Jesse, he's not giving up that easily. Or will he? Although they appear to be madly in love, and Chuck is making all the right moves, (I mean, the music is not the only thing that is pumping!) Jesse is not 100% sure of his intentions. Does he really love her as much as he says he does, or is he just using her to get closer to the next scene of crime? When he sees his chance, will Chuck run off into the Playa Vista sunset with his police badge in one hand and his ticket to freedom in the other, never to be seen again?

I've read Genie Davis before and I like her style of writing, and admire her ability to tell an engrossing story in first person point of view. A lot of this, if I may say so, is not only down to personal preference, but Genie's own wry sense of humour that I feel she injects into her characters. Once again, I was labelled a loon, as I giggled out loud in my local coffee house. Embarrassing when in public you are so engrossed and don't realise, until it's too late, that everyone around you had gone quiet. And it's you they are looking at! (But on the positive side, how's that for advertising?)

As far as I can see, she has given The Five O'clock Shadow her best shot, and come out a winner, just like her protagonist Jesse hopes to. No contest!

Sassy Brit
Alternative-Read
October 2007

Jessie Adams is a part-time musician, an alternative/indie music DJ and a sucker for blond longhaired musicians. Her friend's business, The Sea Shack, is being threatened with rezoning by the local city council; she decides to run for public office. Unfortunately, the candidates are all being threatened. Fortunately, she has run into (literally) tall, sexy Detective Chuck Jackson. Will she be lucky in love or win the election?

Five O'Clock Shadow is an amusing tale of small town politics and love. I enjoyed reading it, but I did find that the story dragged in places mainly due to the main character's habit of over describing her quirks and life in general. These descriptions could be funny, but they did drag the book down a bit. However, that said, it is a good book for a quiet night or day when you want an amusing story to keep you smiling.

Barb reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Five O'clock Shadow
Genie Davis
Reviewer Pamela Ackerson (author Home of the Braves trilogy) A funny and gripping tale. An enjoyable novel where you can laugh with the characters and hold your breath during the dramatic scenes.

This is a sharp, smartly written contemporary for those of us tired of all the novels with fabulously wealthy ad execs, lawyers, clothing designers, winery owners, etc. Consider this more of a blue collar romance with crisp dialogue, a good mystery, loads of pets and lots of messy unspoken feelings just like real life. I especially liked how smoothly the male lead moved into our female leads' life. She feels kinda dumbfounded at how quick everything has happened, how right it all seems and how she REALLY couldn't come up with a good offense--so she picks a fight! Sometimes a person just needs to do SOMETHING with mis-placed emotions. Living close to the CA Central Coast the entire book plays out in a natural way. Grab this one up and be happy for a new author on the radar to watch for at last!