Review: Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie

Posted April 18, 2008 by Rowena in Reviews | 10 Comments

Review: Manhunting by Jennifer CrusieReviewer: Rowena
Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie
Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: October 15th 2012
Pages: 384
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four-half-stars

Kate Svenson may be a dynamite businesswoman—but after three failed engagements, she's decided she's hopeless at romance. What she needs is a Business Plan to help her find Mr. Right. The Cabins resort is ripe with eligible bachelors, all rich and ambitious—just her type. But they're dropping like flies, and after fishing Kate's latest reject out of the swimming pool Jake Templeton is convinced that Kate is nothing but trouble. Especially for him. A man who's sworn off ambition and a woman hanging from the top of the corporate ladder don't have much in common. But in that unpredictable territory known as the heart, anything can happen…

So here’s the thing, I want all of my reviews on one site…and since this is my book blog where all of my reviews are posted, I’m going to start bringing over my reviews from Sanctuary’s Finest, my old book blog…so some reviews over time may look familiar…you’re not crazy, you HAVE seen these reviews before but it’s always good to revisit old favorites, right?

Alright…now on with the review…

Hero: Jake Templeton
Heroine: Kate Svenson

Another winner for Jennifer Crusie.

I enjoyed this book so much that I browsed right over the fact that Jake Templeton had a mustache. Because usually, I don’t take well to heroes who have a mustache but because I enjoyed the hell out of Jake Templeton’s character, his mustache was not a problem for me. Gosh, this book was funny. Kate Svenson was a great heroine too, she proved to be my favorite heroine of all of the JC heroines that I’ve read lately, she holds the top spot right now, she’s even better than Min Dobbs in my opinion, which is saying something since I hecka liked Minn Dobbs.

Kate Svenson set out for Toby’s Corner because her best friend, Jessie pretty much forced her to go. Kate is tired of being alone, she wants to find a husband who’s successful and handsome and he’s got to want to have kids and start a family but he’s also got to want a partner and not a slave for a wife. So, off Kate goes to The Cabins in Kentucky with a plan to meet and fall in love with the many men that will be swarming the Cabins Resort. She’s going to go and have herself a good time, meet gorgeous men, go on plenty of dates and she’s going to find herself a fiance’ dammit.

The Hotel’s Events Coordinator is Valerie and she’s likened to a barracuda. She’s forever trying to lure all of the hotel guests to partake in the many festivities that she has planned for the day and the only way to escape being gunned down by Valerie the Barracuda, Kate rushes off with Jake Templeton, the lazy grounds keeper who is in charge of making sure the lawns get mowed. Jake Templeton is actually a partner in the entire Resort and everyday that Kate runs away to the lake with Jake is a day that they get closer and closer….as friends.

Jake lets Kate come along on his boat, everyday because she doesn’t talk much and she lets him be, she’s good company and when she does talk, he actually listens. They talk about anything and everything and Jake is content with his new friendship. But as each of her dates go down for the count, Jake gets happier and happier because it gives him more and more to razz her about.

As their story progresses you see the light finally alert them that they’re actually perfect for each other, they’re both what the other has been waiting for and what I liked about Kate is that when she came to the conclusion that she was indeed in love with Jake, she didn’t shy away from him, she didn’t pretend she wasn’t feeling what she was feeling, she was upfront with Jake about it and she let him do what he would with her news….she had balls for standing up to Jake and laying her heart on the line, for him to either take or leave. I loved the fact that she called him out for the things he held against women because of the women of his past, I loved the way that she threw the truth at him and beat those facts into his brain until he realized that she’s the best thing that will ever happen to him and if he won’t appreciate her and give her what she wanted then she was gone, it’ll hurt like all get out but she knew that it would doubly if she stayed, so she did what she thought was best for herself and I really admired that in her.

Jake on the other hand was such a funny cat that he made the story run by. My favorite scene in this book was the scene toward the end when they’re fighting and then she’s manipulating him in the boat.

“I was wrong,” He lay back against the cushions, exhausted and happy. “You’re not going to kill me with sex. You’re going to drown me.”

“Jake, the boat is going down.”

“So did you.” He smiled at her in the moonlight. “Have I mentioned that was great?”

She grabbed the front of his shirt and shook him. “Jake!”

He sat up slowly. “What do you want me to do? Sing ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee?”

“You, fool,” she said and started to laugh. “Where’s my underwear? It cost a fortune.”

There was a good two inches of water in the boat now and it was sinking faster. Jake fished around and handed her underpants and bra to her.

…He reached for his pants. “It was a good boat. I’m going to miss it.”

….You killed my boat.

LMAO, this scene had me laughing my butt off. Especially since in Church yesterday, we sang that very same song! LOL. My friends sang that song and when Jake said that I couldn’t stop laughing.

The book was a great book and it was good fun to read and I enjoyed the heck out of it and I know you will too. I didn’t hate much of anything in this book, not even Jake’s mustache, I loved the guy!

Read it, you’ll like it!

4.5 out of 5

four-half-stars


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10 responses to “Review: Manhunting by Jennifer Crusie

  1. I don’t take well to heroes who have a mustache.

    LMAO – My husband is currently sporting a mustache. He has had it for about two weeks now and I hate it! The only man I have ever known to look good with a mustache is Tom Selleck.

    My husband comes home from work the other day and tells me one of his co-workers (a woman) tells him he looks like Tom Selleck. I told him that she is just trying to get in his pants. He looked at me like I was crazy. He said she was old. I just laughed. I think he is keeping it only because he knows how much I hate it. I really hope he gets rid of it soon!

  2. Oh, this is on my list of reread books. I look at it constantly. The pacing is AMAZING, and the dialogue is hilarious.

    What about all of Kate’s hideous dates? “The town was lovely; Donald was awful.” The fork stabbing is just delightful!

  3. Dev

    I love this book! I read it not so long ago. I may have to reread it, if I can ever dig my way out of Mt. TBR.

  4. Ana,

    Seriously..you get over the mustache, I surprised myself so I’m sure you will too. Give it a go, it’s a great fun read!

    Nath,

    Isn’t this book great? I LOVE JAKE!

    Cheryl,

    Welcome to the blog! This is one of those books that you reread every time you’re feeling down about your latest catastrophe of a date…just reading about Kate’s dates makes everything better because you can’t possibly get worst than those, right? haha.

    Katie,

    Read this book now! I promise you won’t regret it! 😉

    Jill,

    Oh goodness…not the mustache, can you bribe him to get rid of it? Beg him, anything…I’m telling you, I don’t do well with mustache’s but then again, remember that scene in Julie Garwood’s Honor’s Splendour with Duncan’s beard, you think it’s the same with a mustache? Cause if so, I might have to rethink this whole no mustache thing…hehe.

    Sarai,

    Oh Sarai! You must try Jennifer Crusie, she writes the perfect beach reads…her books are always witty, fun and sexy. Try her out!! =)

    Kate,

    I totally agree!

    Dev,

    I always want to reread this book, can you blame me though?

  5. Anonymous

    Just want to say, I gave this book a try based on your review. It was definitely a FUN read – love the humor. Got the sense of it from the author’s introductory letter.

    But is it just me or that that the sex and breakup scene just not powerful enough? I mean, the sex scene is great fun but I didn’t loose my breathe. The break-up is also perfect in that it didn’t mess around with misunderstanding and cheap tear-jerking tricks. But my heart didn’t break – not even bruised.

    OMG! I hope I’m not getting immune to romance and have to turn to hardcore stuff to get my kicks. I’m too young to have to resort to kinky!!!bahhh!

    mph

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