Customer Reviews

Opposites Attract

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This is a compilation by four well known authors:

1st Lynn Kurland's The Icing on the Cake-This is the story of Sydney Kincaid and Samuel MacLeod. Any fan of Kurland's is familiar with the MacLeod family, but this one is a surprise in that it is set in modern times with both characters from the current era. Samuel MacLeod is a writer/chef who has gone away to a secluded Alaskan Cabin to write a book. When he meets his landlord Sydney, a female wilderness guide, he at first is turned off by her gruff exterior, but when he gets to see the vulnerable side of Sydney he knows she is for him. Sydney is not a typical female she can fix anything (mechanical or plumbing) but a meal. Samuel is not a typical male, he is useless as a mechanic but a whiz in the kitchen. How can they not be perfect for one another?

2nd Elizabeth Bevarly's the Short, Hot Summer. A big city executive, Preston, goes to smalltown Butternut,AL to supervise the take over of a new company. There is no hotel in the small town and he stays in Mamie's Bed and Breakfast. Mamie is a striking young woman, with not a urban bone in her body. When Preston gets stuck in town he finds there is more to smalltown life than he first thought. He knows Mamie is his perfect mate but can they combine their two worlds?

3rd is Emily Carmichael's Pride and Prejudice. Josie is a cartoonist who makes her living writing about her spoiled Papillion Priss. When she goes to a dog show she finds herself double booked in a hotel with Scott, a country guy who trains border collies to work for a living. Since there are no other vacancies in town they are forced to share the room with their dogs Priss and Iowa. This is a cute story in that part of its from their dog's point of view and its probably the best of the four stories. Of course, opposites Scott and Josie and Priss and Iowa all end up perfect for each other.

the last is Elda Minger's The Princess and the Adventurer. This is the story of Matthew and Isabelle who meet when Isabelle comes searching for her brother who was lost in an excavation deep in a south American jungle. Isabelle comes from a wealthy family and Matthew is a working guy trying to make a living. In their search for Isabelle's brother they fall in love. This story probably was the least interesting for me. For the type of story she was trying to write, a short story just wouldn't suffice.

What the book lacks is that ooompph or chemistry that these author's characters usually have. Its okay but I don't know if I would recommend it.

I flew to read it because Lynn Kurland. It's not very good--imaginative though. Ms. Kurland can't really write short stories--her characters always hint at something deeper which can't be brought out in a short story very well--unless you are P.G. Wodehouse. Short stories are sometimes more difficult than books. Can't wait for your next book Ms. Kurland!!!

Although all four stories would be considered more "fluff" tan "stuff", they were at least entertaining fluff!

"The Icing on the Cake" had the male as the homemaker-type and the female as Grizzly Adams. The interactions between them were fun since it was the male who got mad at such things as his cakes being eaten too soon, etc. The plot itself was pretty weak and there were all kinds of asides that were merely distracting and totally unecessary. But it got laugh or two.

"Short Hot Summer" was nice to read as the weather gets colder since the description of the heat was believable. Unfortunately the story wasn't -- believable, that is. Can a high-power business man who actually schedules every minute really decide in a week that he'll live in an un-air conditioned hotel in the middle of nowhere and do nothing? Even for love? Hmmmmmm.

"Pride and Prejudice" was the story I liked best. It was funny and I learned a lot about dog shows. Although I can't see the pampered heroines -- both girl and dog -- moving to a sheep ranch, the dialog and interactions were lively and the parts where the dogs got to have their say were great!

"The Princess and the Adventurer" was the worst of the lot. A very typical "indiana jones" type plot -- girl looking for someone/thing gets into trouble and the tough-guy has to bail her out. Neither charactor had anything new or even interesting to recommend them. Boring.

All in all, not a bad read but nothing too deep or memorable.

I'm certain that quite a few people will purchase this anthology (as I did) to read Kurland's latest novella. I hate to be the one to break the news to you, but hers is the least enjoyable of the whole book. I would have given it a 1 or 2 had it stood alone.

Kurland's story "The Icing on the Cake" reads like something out of the young adults section of your local bookstore. I love Kurland despite the fact that she is a G-rated author (a typical love scene in one of her books consists of the line "and then he loved her sweetly"), but "The Icing on the Cake" was not only devoid of love scenes, it was devoid of mature adult emotions. The interaction between the hero and heroine left me feeling as though I was reading from an old episode of "Happy Days" or something. Unfortunately, the hero is more of a Potzie than a Fonz.

Regardless, here's a short recap of the novellas for you (taken from inside the book's jacket word for word):

1. "The Icing on the Cake" - He's a writer working on his new novel, and baking cakes on the side. She's an Alaskan wilderness buff more experienced at fending off grizzlies than men. But she's about to discover the joy of coming in from the cold...

2. "The Short, Hot Summer" - He was as out of place in Alabama as she would be in Manhattan. But the temperature spikes whenever an executive stuck in town for a big-time deal and his small-time landlady are together--creating enough heat to rival the sultry summer nights...

3. "Pride and Prejudice" - A double-booked hotel room during a prestigious dog show pits a cartoonist and her pet papillon with an award-winning Border collie. What ensues is a sexy contest of wills. And its winner take all...

4. "The Princess and the Adventurer" - She stuck out like a debutante at a monster truck rally. What was a lady doing in a cantina on the border of the Mexican jungle? Little did Matthew Kincaid realize, he was just the man she was looking for...

The novella compilation is a difficult genre for an author. The story has to develop the characters and romance enough that they're believable in a much shorter length of time.

While a reader could accuse "Opposites Attract" of being "too light" and perhaps a bit unbelievable, this is a charming and entertaining collection by authors that all handle the novella genre well.

Kurland's "Icing" is probably the weakest story in the bunch, despite the fact that Kurland is the headlining author here. The characters are very appealing, and I really enjoyed the role reversal, but I didn't find their romance particularly believable.

I didn't find the romance in Bevarly's "Summer" believable, either, but as usual Bevarly's humorous, distinctive stream-of-consciousness writing style and incredibly charming characters make up for the lack of a deep romantic development.

Carmichael's "Pride" was the best of the bunch. The characters were believable, as was their romance, and the dogs definitely rounded out the whole thing. Carmichael has a real gift for adding in appealing secondary characters, be they ghosts ("A Ghost for Maggie") or dogs ("Finding Mr. Right").

Minger's "Princess" is also good, with some pathos and humor thrown into the mix, along with believable characters and a nice adventure plot.

"Opposites Attract" is not deep lasting literature, but it -is- fun and entertaining, and, in the end, I think that's what we ask of romantic novella anthologies.

I love all of Lynn Kurland's stories, and _The Icing on the Cake_ is no exception. I *loved* Sydney! A tough exterior, with a vulnerable heart. And I will grant, it's not LK's best, but it's very difficult to have a fully-fleshed out story in a novella. (There have been very few short story romances where I've felt really satisfied, and that has usually only happened when the 2 main characters already had a history before we meet them.) Read her other books! And once you get to know and love the 2 families she writes about, then grab a LK novella - hers are great for when you want just a little taste, or don't have all night to read! :)

I was really indifferent to _The Short, Hot Summer_. It wasn't bad, nor very good.

_Pride and Prejudice_ was a good story. I also enjoyed reading about behind-the-scenes at a dog show, and it was nice to see people that weren't catty! Nothing against cats, of course (my 3 would take me to task over that remark if they could read!).

There is very little I can find to recommend _The Princess and the Adventurer_. It felt like a very bad remake of _Romancing the Stone_. And then it got worse. I'm sure the author can write some very good tales, but this one must have fell through the cracks.

I hope this review helps some people. I hunted this book down in a used book store, specifically for "Icing", and found another gem in "Pride".

This is an entertaining anthology that centers on love between individuals who, at first sight, have nothing in common. Each couple fusses, fights, and falls in love, but share nothing else except participating in excellent stories that will please readers of short contemporary tales.

"The Icing on the Cake" by Lynn Kurland. Samuel is elite New York. Sydney is wilderness Alaska. They share nothing, until they fall in love.

"The Short, Hot Summer" by Elizabeth Bevarly. Manhattan's Preston IV travels to Butternut, Alabama to close a deal. Mamie owns the bed and breakfast that the IV stays in. Though he feels like a stranger in an alien land, they fall in love. "Pride and Prejudice" by Emily Carmichael. Due to a convention hotel glitch, Cartoonist Josephine and her little dog Priss share a room with outdoorsman Scott and his bruiser Iowa. The canines and the humans fall in love, but she is urban and he is field. "The Princess and the Adventurer" by Elda Minger. San Francisco's Isabelle comes to this dangerous town seeking her lost brother. Matthew is an adventurer looking for the big break to make his fortune. Their trek through the jungle leads to love and treasure, but she is going home and he dreams of the Caribbean.

Harriet Klausner

Everything arrived on time and in better condition than the seller stated. I would absolutely do business with this seller again.

I was a bit disappointed in this book. While the story lines were cute they seem to end quiet suddenly for me. I would of liked to have seen maybe less writers and longer stories or maybe 20 pages more per story. I mostly bought the book for Lynn Kurland so I could add it to the list of her other books I have. It after all contains the story of 1 of the families she so often writes about.

I love Lynn Kurland's books but this one left me feeling disappointed. I honestly think this was a waste of my money and time. Her short story "The Icing on the Cake" was, by far, the weakest in the group. The characters were flat and the situation unbelievable---even for this reader who likes time travel romance ! Sydney and Sam just didn't seem the type to fall in love, and the character of Sam (and her life story) was especially far-fetched.

The other short stories were mildly entertaining but certainly the whole book was waste of time. I can only hope that future story anthologies, like this, will be better.