Wanting What You Get (Stepp Sisters, Book 2) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kathy Love (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2004

- This is the second novel in a trilogy, and will be followed by Wanting Something More (2005).
- Will appeal to fans of Jennifer Crusie.
- Kathy Love was the winner of the 2002 Romantic Times "Best of the Best" contest.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Chunky and unpopular in high school, Ellie Stepp was often the brunt of hurtful remarks and other cruel behavior. Now a librarian in the very town where she had such a miserable adolescence, Ellie has resigned herself to being overweight and single. But Ellie has always had a crush on Mason Sweet, and when they find themselves paired off at her sister's wedding, Mason is flirtatious. Ellie can't imagine what a popular mayor would want with a dowdy librarian, but Mason is drawn to her curves, unruly blonde curls, and big, blue eyes. Unfortunately, both of them start this new relationship with enough baggage for several couples. Because of the secretive nature of Mason's courtship, Ellie's already low self-esteem hits rock bottom, and Mason drowns his sorrows in alcohol. This poignant and engrossing tale is the second novel in Love's Stepp Sisters trilogy, which began with Getting What You Want [BKL My 15 04] and will continue with Wanting Something More (2005). Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Kathy Love knows how to tap into the secret yearnings of the heart."

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (November 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821776134
• ISBN-13: 978-0821776131
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #679,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Loved This Read!!!, May 19, 2005

By 

Kristi Ahlers (Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wanting What You Get (Stepp Sisters, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I have had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Love and as a result was able to see her quirky nature in her great characters. This only made the read more entertaining.

Ellie Stepp is not perfect, at least not in her opinion. She's a little chubby, a little short, and a librarian. Could she be a sadder stereotype? She is living in her small Maine hometown and life is good, at least by Ellie standards. It could be better but...than at her sisters wedding reception the unthinkable happens...Mason Sweet the object of her childhood love, and Millbrook's very handsome mayor flirts with her...on purpose!! Her, Ellie Stepp. Something must be wrong. Way wrong. But actually everything is very right. At least it will be once she manages to get her act together. Than she finds out that one of the towns leading citizens wants a new football field at the libraries expense. Ellie screws up her courage and asks Mayor Sweet to help her. He will...but it's going to cost her...

Mason can't believe that he is seeing Ellie in a whole new light. She is beautiful, giving, and warms him like no one else has in a long time. When she comes to him for help, he makes a rather indecent proposal...and is floored when she agrees! Well, he can handle this...no problem. Right? Well, it won't be an easy relationship given that it must be kept secret from the town and Ellie's sister. But than nothing worth having ever comes easy right?

Ellie and Mason are wonderfully real characters. Ellie has more issues than vogue magazine when it comes to security and self-confidence. Mason has a tendency to bury his pain in a bottle. Each of them sees the best in the other, and their relationship is sweet as a result. This is a read that will speak to your emotions and one that I highly recommend.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Author manages to make an alcoholic hero likable, May 23, 2005

By 

Pam (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wanting What You Get (Stepp Sisters, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

Ellie Stepp was never a part of the 'beautiful, in-crowd' in high school, while Mason Sweet was 'Mr. Popular'. Now, Ellie is the town librarian and Mason is the town mayor. When Ellie discovers that the city council might cut the library budget in order to fund a new high school football field, she asks Mason for his help preventing it. Mason tells Ellie that he'll help her, if she sleeps with him. To his surprise, Ellie accepts his proposition. She has always had a crush on Mason and sees this as a way to finally live out her fantasies. They end up having an affair, which Ellie agrees to keep secret at Mason's request. Naturally, the fact that Mason refuses to acknowledge their relationship in public, does little for Ellie's self-esteem.

Mason has a secret of his own, he has a big drinking problem (although he certainly doesn't see it as a problem). It's very, very difficult for an author to write an alcoholic hero and still make him likable to the reader. Yet, this author managed to pull it off. I was very impressed by that.

What I wasn't impressed about was the fact that his drinking problem was so obvious and yet, both the heroine and the hero took *forever* to figure it out. Then later in the book, there is another situation (I won't tell what it is so that I don't spoil it for anyone) that again is very obvious, but the hero and heroine are totally oblivious to it. As a result, frankly, I questioned their intelligence at several points during the book. I spent way too much time waiting for them to wake and face facts, and that irritated me. Hence-less stars...

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing, October 25, 2004

By 

W. Zimmerman "misawa chick" (Fairborn, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wanting What You Get (Stepp Sisters, Book 2) (Mass Market Paperback)

I read the first one and I liked it. But I was really looking forward to this one, and I was not disappointed. I rate how much I like books on how long it takes me to read them, and this one took me 2 hours. Ellie was an amazing woman who wasn't exactly perfect but she was real, and since I am sick of thin, beautiful, waifs she was a nice departure of the mainstream. But the character I really loved was Mason. You don't get many books were the hero is perfect on the outside but is really not perfect on the inside. He has a real problem(alcoholism) and he was depicted acurratly, and not like some guy who sweeps his problem under the rug. This was one of my favorite books of the year, and I imagine the wait for the next one will be well worth it.