Customer Reviews

Talk Nerdy to Me

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This book is such a riot. It is the first Nerd book that I've read, and I immediately went out and bought all the others. So far I've read Nerds like it Hot, and My Nerdy Valentine, and this one is still the funniest.

This author writes with so much humor, that you are almost laughing at every page. The secondary characters are funny. In this case, there is a kinky neighbor, who tells people she was abducted by an alien and learned other-wordly sexual techniques. At the same time all the characters are 'normal' in the sense that they have normal human faults and insecurities. That's part of what makes the series so enjoyable - the very humanness of the characters.

The premise of the story is that there is this beautiful model, who is also a genius at aerodynamics, who gets into a little bit of trouble with her advanced design on a hovercraft. The dichotomy between her being so gorgeous, and so nerdy at the same time was wonderful. Highly recommended. I've never laughed so much reading a romance novel.

Good parts: The characters are a hoot. While many were farfetched, they were believable enough to suspend disbelief and just enjoy. The book was fun, and I laughed many times.

Not as good parts: The plot behind it was kind of predictable, but that wasn't a major problem because the people were interesting. However, the "nerdy talk" during sex was just too over the top. It was just kind of . . . icky, for lack of a better word, and really turned me off the book every time I got to one of those scenes.

New York fashion model, Eve Dupree dreams of being an inventor. Modeling is what pays the bills; inventing is what feeds Eve's soul. Eve is currently working on a top secret project in her garage. But she needs a little help from the local nerd to get her invention off the drawing board and into the air.

Engineer Charlie Shepherd finds Eve's intellect incredibly sexy. Add that to her great looks and Eve presents Charlie with quite a complication. For Charlie has big plans. Plans to move away to pursue a goal he can never achieve in small town Middlesex, Connecticut. But Charlie finds Eve a temptation he cannot resist.

Eve finds Charlie pretty irresistible too. But someone is trying to shut down Eve's project and Eve doesn't know who to trust. She has to question the loyalty of everyone around her. Including her sexy nerd, Charlie.

Talk Nerdy to Me is my first "nerd" experience. The title caught my attention and I decided to give it a try. I enjoyed my afternoon with the nerds, Eve and Charlie. This is, however, a book that will not appeal to all readers as it is very quirky with quite a few unbelievable elements. Lucky for me, I don't let reality interfere with my reading experience.

I found Ms. Thompson's humor delightfully flakey. The characters were engaging and well-rounded. The plot, however, was a little over the top. If this book were a straight contemporary romance, I'd be completely unforgiving and unable to suspend disbelief. What saves this book is it's comedy element. Comedies allow me to accept elements that normally would cause me to roll my eyes. If you enjoy comedy in your romance, you'll enjoy Talk Nerdy to Me.


Annabelle
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Heroes in contemporary romance all stem from the common mold of Navy SEALs, bodyguards, sports athletes, billionaires and detectives. Known for amusing yet uniquely sensual "nerdy" books, Vicki Lewis Thompson's TALK NERDY TO ME managed to strike a fresh appeal with its 6-foot-5 electrical engineering hero (tall, dark and handsome of course) and fashion model with very creative aspirations building inventions. Common interests in science and technology, yet profoundly contrasting backgrounds and personalities, weld the attraction in TALK NERDY TO ME and shortly thereafter, the love. I found all the characters in TALK NERDY TO ME very endearing and the h/h chemistry crackled with a resounding electricity. The sexual innuendo in the technical jargon was generally funny and sexy too, though a bit cheesy at times. I overlooked some of the technical inconsistencies mainly because Vicki Lewis Thompson definitely has a knack for making brainy talk sound like an aphrodisiac. I really enjoyed the first half of the novel, but I thought much of the later parts in this 357-page paperback failed to maintain the first half's excitement and engagement. The resolution to the primary plot at the end was quick and empty, and I found the Where-Are-They-Now epilogue four years after-the-fact, extremely on the cornball cheesy side. Over-the-top careers were handed out to everyone in the epilogue. Much of the novel takes place over the course of one night, and it felt like a draining, episodic marathon: pizza, fix washer, take Manny and Kyle to see Rick and Eunice next door, eat, drop off Rick, block off damaged back door, make love, head over to mom & Aunt Myrtle's, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, you get the point. The plotting and pacing are subpar, the settings deficient, the prose below average. Still, the likable, refreshing characters and light-hearted tone relays an entirely readable experience, and for half the time, an entertaining fare. The sensuality isn't bad, but Anne Stuart's INTO THE FIRE (***) still takes the prize for the most sizzling contemporary romance I've read to date (admittedly, that list is limited).

Why oh why didn't Vicki Lewis Thompson's editor veto this plot idea?

I never really got excited about this one from the back cover description, but I was willing to give it a try because I liked "Nerd in Shining Armor" and especially "The Nerd Who Loved Me." I should have trusted my instinct on this one. As one reviewer mentioned, this book requires its readers to suspend way too much disbelief. But that may have been acceptable had the book been entertaining. Unfortunately, I skimmed through the last half, because I just couldn't stay awake to finish the book.

The main problem with "Talk Nerdy to Me" is the fact that VLT seems to have gotten a little too carried away with the nerd theme. Way too much of the novel revolves around the dynamics of Eve's hovercraft--not what I want to read about when I pick up a romance novel. The reason I like the "Nerd" series is because I find intelligent men attractive--that doesn't mean I'm going to go listen to a dissertation to get me in the mood.

But that's exactly what these characters do. Every time Eve and Charlie get intimate, they have to talk "nerdy," which means really cheesy double entendres about engineering mechanics. And not just a comment or two, but a whole running dialogue about "pistons firing," etc. Yuck.

And MAYBE that all might have been acceptable if Charlie had been a much more interesting hero. But it seems like VLT set out to make Charlie as normal and as nerdy as could be. He's reserved, repressed, only slightly funny, and an overall nice, fairly handsome guy.

The only thing to explain Eve and Charlie's lust for one another is their love of each other's mechanical "genius." And apparently that's so strong that they fall in love in the space of a few days. Riiiight....

Hopefully, VLT's next novel will feel more like a romance novel and less like some Star-Trek-lovin'-engineering-undergrad's fantasy.

Eve Dupree's relationship with Charlie Shepherd begins explosively when she accidentally causes one to occur in her garage and he comes to her rescue. On the surface, Eve is not a nerd, but inwardly, she rejoices in her nerdiness. The fashion model wants to be known for her brains, and is working on inventing a hovercraft like might be seen in a sci fi movie for real life. She needs Charlie's help to figure out a few kinks in the project, and as time goes on, he will introduce a few not related to the project. There are at least two major problems with their relationship, however. First, someone wants to steal the invention, and is willing to hurt people to get it. Second, Charlie is only in town for a visit, not for life. Eve wants a long term relationship. Can they solve the mysteries, both personal and professional, to get a happily ever after?

** What could have been a fun read was flawed with somewhat forced humor and entirely too much sex. The characters and plot felt shallow. If you just want light escapism, then this may be what you want, but if you want something with depth, go elsewhere. **

Amanda Killgore

The sexual innuendos in this story really got to be too much, one after the other after the other, they just weren't funny anymore. My feeling is that the author had a so so story to tell so she had to fill in the balnks with something, she chose more sex, more innuendos, very boring. I thought the best part of the book was the last page Where Are They Now "four year's later." I skimmed the book until the end because I was stuck on an airplane for many hours, if not I would have passed this book to someone else.

I bought this book for something to read while I'm waiting on some of my favorites to come out. I liked this book, it made me laugh. I thought it was cute. It was a nice light read after so many books that are intense and detailed. I will most likely buy the rest of her "nerdy" books. I enjoyed the characters also. Eunice and her aliens...lmao.

I also picked this book up as soon as I saw the title. I love it when the female character in a book doesn't fall into predictable patterns of either being too soft and needy, or being over-the-top fiery and rebellious and putting up walls between herself and the man the author is trying to get to love her. Eve is a very lovable character. She believes in herself, and she knows what she wants. I like Charlie too. He is responsible, cares for his family, but he also has a big dream he wants to chase. I thought the sex scenes between them were funny and sexy at the same time. I agree the mystery plot was not all that involving (we all know from the beginning who is after the hovercraft) but the real mystery is how will Eve and Charlie both get their dreams, and each other. You really want to see them be happy together, which made it a very fast read for me. I can't wait to read more books in the Nerd Series.

As a long-time fan of Ms. Thompson's, her latest book wasn't quite as good as my expectations for it, but I still enjoyed the story. The heroine and hero are both unique and supported by a quirky cast of secondary characters. If you are first-time reader of Ms. Thompson's I wouldn't suggest starting with this book, but do pick it up for a fun afternoon read.