Guest Review: Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie

Ames’ review of Crazy For You by Jennifer Crusie.

On Wednesday, Quinn McKenzie changes her life. On Thursday, she tries to get somebody to notice. On Thursday night, somebody does.
Quinn McKenzie has always lived what she calls a “beige” life. She has a good job as a high school art teacher, and she’s surrounded by family and friends who rely on her. She’s dating Bill, coach of the championship high school football and baseball teams and all-around perfect guy. It’s a perfectly happy and secure life, and she’s bored to the point of insanity.

But when Quinn decides to change her life by adopting a stray dog over everyone’s objections, everything begins to spiral out of control. Soon a man from her past comes back into her life and the old attraction is ignited again. Now she’s coping with dog-napping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy…for her.

Crazy for You is one of my top favorite books ever. It’s my go-to book when I need to get out of a reading slump. This book is close to perfect for me.

Quinn McKenzie loves dogs. She’s always rescuing strays and finding good homes for them. She doesn’t keep them because her boyfriend Bill doesn’t want one. But when one of her high school students presents her with a black and white shaky stray, Quinn falls in love and makes the momentous decision to keep her. I say momentous because the dog, whom Quinn calls Katie, changes Quinn’s life and the lives of those around her.

First there’s Bill. He’s the high school’s coach and after 3 years together, he’s used to Quinn giving into his wishes. And so he lets Quinn know that he doesn’t want the dog…and even takes it to the pound. Quinn demands they get her back and they do…but when he does it back a second time, Quinn has to face the facts – Bill is not listening to her, at all. And it makes her realize that he always gets his way. She kind of reinforced this by kind of giving in to him eventually (like when he moved in…and then moved them into their beige apartment with their boring furniture). But she doesn’t love Bill and all she wants is this little dog and is that so much to ask for?

When she breaks up with Bill and moves out, her mother and her best friend Darla try and change her mind. But when she tells them what Bill did and that all she wants is that dog, it shakes something up in the other women as well and makes them examine where they are in life and decide to go after what they want. But with somewhat disastrous (and comical) results.

For Quinn, making that one decision to keep Katie has great ramifications. She becomes a home owner and it makes her realize that her friend, Nick, is the exact opposite of beige and he would be the perfect guy to put some color in her life. Temporarily of course, because Nick doesn’t do commitment. Or does he?

*sigh* I love that the story for this book all revolves around that little stray, Katie. So there’s reason 1 why this book is perfect for me. It has a cute dog in it. And she’s very much a character in this book. Quinn loves her, but the people around her consider her sly. Bill hates her. Darla thinks she’s sneaky. Nick…Nick doesn’t do commitment. And all he sees when he looks at her is something to depend on him, something to feed, and keep alive.

Another reason this book worked for me so well is friends-to-lovers. Quinn and Nick are the ultimate friends to lovers. Nick was married to Quinn’s older sister when he was 19. Quinn inherited Nick in the divorce. LOL Plus Nick’s brother is married to Darla, so they’re all a close bunch. But Quinn breaking up with Bill knocks something out of balance in Nick’s world. You see, as long as Quinn was with someone, Nick would not think of her that way. But his thoughts take a dangerous turn when Quinn is single. I like the way their relationship changes. They both recognize the possibility of losing their friendship if they take that leap over the edge. And Nick is the one who is more afraid of losing Quinn. The tension between these two is lush. Love it!

Another theme in Crazy for You that makes me love it is the marriage in trouble plot. Darla has been married to her high school sweetie Max forever. And even though she’s still super in love with him, she realizes that they’re in a bit of a rut. And when she tries to stir things up, it confuses him and makes him scared! He likes things the way they are and he doesn’t understand why Darla is acting different. Isn’t she happy with their life? Because he is!

On top of all those themes, the characters behind them all are great. Quinn was sweet but had backbone when she needed it. I like how once she threw off her beige life and got a little selfish things really started to happen for her. Nick was totally yummy and the way he felt about Quinn was very swoon-worthy. What gets me about Nick was his Fleetwood Mac move. I love Fleetwood Mac. LOL I liked the brief flashes we get of Quinn’s sister, Zoe, who lives in a different state. Darla and Max were cute in their way, and Quinn’s parents were a hoot. Quinn also has some great students.

There’s the Crusie humor as well, which always works well for me.

So really, this book is almost perfect. If you haven’t read this one, what are you waiting for?

4.75 out of 5

This book is available from St. Martin’s.  You can buy it here or here in e-format.

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