Customer Reviews

Your Bed or Mine?

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

 

 

Zada and Rick Clark are absolutely stunned when the judge refuses to issue their divorce decree until they spend another 90 days working out the property settlement. Both want the house and custody of Simon, their blind dog. Rick issues the ultimate challenge to Zada: a Survivor-like contest where the winner gets both the house and Simon. Now, Zada and Rick find themselves living in the same house while each discovers what marriage truly entails.

YOUR BED OR MINE? is a hoot! From the quirky characters to the outlandish antics, Candy Halliday has crafted a story sure to leave the reader in stitches. The pigheadedness of both Zada and Rick is charming while the secondary characters provide additional fodder for laughs. The meddling but sexy neighbor Alicia Greene is the perfect complement to the story as she adds an additional layer of humorous depth.

Candy Halliday's superb blend of the sensual with the comedic is ever present in YOUR BED OR MINE? The twists and turns make this book unique as it never takes the turn one expects but instead gets zanier while maintaining the overall sensuous storyline. Just when this reviewer expected YOUR BED OR MINE? to be just another War of the Roses rehash, Ms. Halliday took a different turn with the plot! The creation of the Housewives Fantasy Club was a streak of sheer genius and this reviewer looks forward to more tales from the fiendishly clever mind of Ms. Halliday.

YOUR BED OR MINE? is a phenomenal comedic tale emphasizing the value of marriage, love, and friendship. This poignant but humorous story has a bit of the unexpected in it that keeps the plot moving along smoothly. Candy Halliday's clever storyline will leave readers laughing out loud while providing a heartwarming tale of love.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Your Bed or Mine? by Candy Halliday is the first book of the Woodberry Park series. In this book Zada and Rick are the middle of divorce and forced to live with each other again for 60 days. This book has dash of mystery, sprinkle of fantasy and cup of love that is cooked over a very high flame. The next book of the series is 'Dinner First, Me Later?' Coming out - Jun 1, 2007. Check out more by this author 'Dream Guy' and 'Mr. Destiny'.

Rick and Zada married impulsively after a brief but passionate courtship. When they get into a fight, Rick starts to walk out and Zada, who still has not forgiven her mother and sister for taking back their errant spouses, tells him if he leaves... keep walking. Both stubborn, they separate and are reunited in court after six months to await the property settlement verdict of the judge. Both want custody of Rick's dog, a blind former explosives sniffing dog who was retired after being blinded while saving Rick's life. The judge decides that rather than he determine who gets Simon and the "$800,000 dog house," the two must work for an amicable solution and return to court in 90 days.

The problem is that Rick was convinced he would be victorious, and gave up his apartment. So he decides to move back into the home and drive her out, as the two agree to a "survivor"-like arrangement - to outwit and outlast each other. Both still care for each other, so being in close quarters will drive them both nuts, especially when the sexy divorcee across the street sets her sights on membership in the Housewives Fantasy Club, and sees flirting with Rick as a means to an end.

Halliday writes some memorable and humorous dialog. But the self-involved heroine is not an easy character to like. Rick makes a sexy leading man, and the other housewives are hysterical as they get involved in Zada's mayhem. Jeers to Halliday's epilogue - I hate them to begin with because I would rather use my imagination for their happily ever after. This one is just a sales pitch to schlock the further adventures of the Housewives Fantasy Club, lending nothing to the adventures of Zada and Rick.

STORY BRIEF:
The book begins at the courthouse. The couple expects the judge to decide who gets the house and dog. The judge does not grant a divorce. Instead he "orders" them to make their own decision within 90 days. Rick still loves Zada and doesn't want the divorce, but he doesn't tell her that. Zada is holding onto a grudge and won't forgive or forget. Rick's attorney suggests they live together during the 90 days. Somehow they end up taunting and challenging each other and agree to live together with the idea that one of them will get fed up and leave. The one who stays wins the house and dog.

Rick likes neatness so Zada overdoes the messiness hoping he will leave. Zada gets turned on just by looking at Rick. He hopes he can tempt her with thoughts of sex.

A second story is the neighbor Alicia who is divorced and has no female friends. She wants friends badly. Zada is part of a threesome of girlfriends who spend a lot of time together, evenings and during the day. Alicia wants to be part of the group. She flirts with Rick to make Zada jealous. She then tells Zada that she will leave Rick alone if Zada includes her in the threesome.

The threesome claim that once a week they meet for a "Housewives Fantasy Club" where they tell each other their sexual fantasies. They never told fantasies. They just said they did. But now in this story they have to tell a few to keep up their cover story. They also tell some fantasies to mess with Rick's mind.

The second story about Alicia is a major part of the book, almost equal to the Zada and Rick story in time spent.

REVIEWER'S OPINION:
One of the fun things about romances is watching a relationship grow. With this story's premise we don't get that. So I would hope that the rest is interesting, clever, or funny, but it didn't do anything for me. It felt like TV sitcom writing. Not enough emotional development. Rick is likeable and honest. Most women will love him. I had no desire to know Zada. She is unlikeable.

I was not engaged or entertained. There were a few sexual fantasies told, but they were not sensual or hot. They felt more like bait to get the reader to buy the book.

Apparantly Rick and Zada had a fight over something minor six months ago. Rick left the home and stayed elsewhere. Since Zada'a father had left her mother when she was young, this is the worst thing to do to her. She will never forgive a man who leaves her. Later in the story they have another disagreement causing Rick to leave (the typical romance formula). The cause and resolution felt contrived. Someone sends false evidence to Rick about Zada. It is not true, but he believes it. Instead of Zada offering proof, she makes a big deal out of wanting Rick to blindly trust her without the proof. I didn't like her actions. It was an unreasonable demand. I was shaking my head and saying "come on Zada, give a little, care about somebody else for once."

DATA:
Story length: 303 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: mild. Sexual content: 4 fantasies told, not shown about 12 pages, plus 1 sex scene 3 pages long, but most of it was her tempting him with a dance. Setting: current day Chicago area suburb, Illinois. Copyright: 2006. Genre: contemporary romance.

Your Bed or Mine was my first candy Halliday book it was so good im running to get all her others, it's sexy & funny i could not put it down its that good.

Over a year ago Zada met Rick when she went to the hospital to visit his explosives dog blinded in an incident at O'Hare. After a whirlwind courtship, they married. The sex was great, but except for caring for Simon, they had nothing in common. During a squabble, he threatened to leave; she told him if he does do not come back. Both hit their respective button as she knows men leave like her dad did and he does not handle ultimatums well. Now one year from their marriage they are in divorce court.

However Judge Parkins becomes exasperated with both of them, as both of them demands custody of Simon. He tells them they will remain married until they work out their differences especially over Simon. Rick's lawyer Bob Thompson pushes him to move back into their home figuring that will drive Zada out. However, as the two combatants battle over a matchmaking dog who loves both of them, their love for one another remains strong even as each pulls dirty tricks to drive the other out.

YOUR BED OR MINE? Is a humorous battle of the sexes between opposites who share two things in common, a love for one another and love for Simon. The story line is fun to follow though many readers will doubt the judge's ruling and the consequential arrangement. Still Candy Halliday provides an amusing second chance at getting right romance.

Harriet Klausner