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    Manhunting
    Ebook251 pages3 hours

    Manhunting

    By Jennifer Crusie

    4.5/5

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    About this ebook

    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

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarlequin HQN
    Release dateOct 15, 2012
    ISBN9781460305119
    Author

    Jennifer Crusie

    Jennifer Crusie was researching her dissertation on the differences in the way men and women tell stories when she got sidetracked into writing romance novels. Her first book was published in 1993 (which pretty much finished off any hope of her getting that PhD) and her twenty-second book, Maybe This Time, came out in August of 2010, all of which she considers a minor miracle, especially since she is also a New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author and a two-time Rita award winner.

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    Reviews for Manhunting

    4.5/5

    70 ratings24 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Kate Svenson is your typical uptight career woman on the fast track but she has one problem. She's lonely. So Kate and her best friend devise a plan. Armed with a detailed list of qualifications for the perfect husband, she sets off for a Kentucky golf resort that is prime hunting ground for eligible bachelors.Jake Templeton is part owner of the resort and the most laid back hero I've ever come across. A former tax lawyer who has left the rat race behind, Jake is now the resort's handyman. He and Kate meet and immediately decided the other is not what they are looking for. Jake thinks Kate is too driven and too much like his ex-wife. Kate thinks Jake lacks ambition and does not meet any of the requirements on her list.Of course, Kate's plans to find Mr. Perfect go wrong time after time with one dating disaster after another with scenes that were absolutely hilarious. Her dates end up either falling in the pool, hit over the head or in the emergency room. And none of it was her fault :) I'm not a real fan of slapstick humor in romance because I think it's too visual and most authors lack the writing talent to pull it off. But this book is the exception. Crusie succeeds superbly and I found myself literally laughing out loud (and scaring the crap out of my cat, thank goodness Bob wasn't home). The only other author who can make me laugh like that is Evanovich with her Stephanie Plum books.This was a completely character driven book with a charming and engaging H/H. My favorite scenes were those that take place out on the lake. Kate invites herself along with Jake when he goes fishing in a leaky old boat. Jake fishes without bait because he is too lazy to actually want to catch anything and uses that time to nap. The sassy dialogue during these scenes practically sparkles off the page. All that banter made delightful sexual tension culminating in some yummy sex scenes. It was a wonderful moment when these two seeming opposites realize they are perfect for each other.Manhunting is a deliciously delightful book. Although Crusie's inexperience shows with a bit of head hopping, I enjoyed it from the first page to the last. It's very short so I think I finished it in a couple hours. When I found myself re-reading favorite passages, I realized I had a keeper on my hands. It ranks right up there with Anyone But You and Welcome To Temptation. (Grade: A-)
    • 5/5
      Kate, like so many Crusie heroines to follow her, is on a mission to fix her life. She's successful, but unsatisfied, so between Kate and her best friend Jessie, they come up with a plan to rejuvenate her love life. Kate makes a list of criteria for eligible men, and Jessie urges her to go on vacation at a resort catering to singles--the perfect place to meet men fitting Kate's list.So she goes, and determinedly starts dating one man after another who seems just fine on paper. And every single date ends in disaster. I'm not going to list the disasters and spoil them for you, but take my word for it--they're hilarious. Kate finds herself spending more and more time relaxing with resort handyman Jake, and proving that when it comes to love, the best laid plans of women... well, in this case, they lead to unexpected results.Even though this is early Crusie, it's still got that special something. The snappy dialogue is immediately recognizable, as is the seriousness underlying laugh-aloud humor. In this case, a lot of the seriousness comes from communication issues, and a sub-plot between Jake's brother and his girlfriend does double duty both showing Kate that maybe she doesn't really want what she thought she want, and demonstrating the follies of miscommunication.There's also the serious issue of ambition and goals and one's definition of a full life, and that's echoed in the sub-plot about new friend Penny, who's at the resort for one last fling before getting married.I've got to say something about the humor, because far too many authors just don't understand the concept. They'll take the idea of the dating disasters and throw them into a story thinking that the more outrageous they are, the funnier. But in Manhunting, and indeed in any Crusie novel, it's not just a silly situation--the silly situation means something. The disasters aren't just random disasters--they connect to the characters in specific ways. It's like watching RHPS and the difference between throwing slices of toast at and thowing spitballs; between shouting "so does Janet!" and shouting "you're an asshole!" Sorry for the digression--there was a discussion elsewhere, and this seemed to illustrate my point, which was that Jennifer Crusie does humor right.Anyway, Manhunting is just a joy to read. It's fast-paced and short enough that it can be read in one or two sittings, which you'll want to do anyway--it's hard to put down. The perfect read for a gloomy not-yet-spring day.
    • 3/5
      Needed something good to wash the taste of the Wolfe out of my head, so turned to this frothy confection. Lacks the mystery component I usually like in her work, but still an enjoyable love story between a hard-driving woman and a drifting-nowhere man.
    • 3/5
      One of the things that really turns me off in a romance is characters who act out in unrealistic and outrageous ways. In this novel, the female lead expresses her disinterest in a couple of suitors by actually assaulting them, and it's played for laughs. I didn't find that funny. I've enjoyed the other books I've read by this author, but this one was a miss.
    • 5/5
      Very enjoyable story with a good plot, lots of humor and plenty of fast paced action. I especially liked the up front heroine who knew what she wanted and went after it. Kate develops a plan to find Mr Right and laid back handyman Jake always seems to be rescuing her rejects.
    • 5/5
      If you are looking for a funny light headed book than you need to check this one out. Finding Mr. Right is not all that easy when you are Kate Svenson but it can be fun trying!
    • 5/5
      Laugh Out Loud funny! I picked this up at a local book sale and was so glad I did! I stayed awake until 1:00 am just to finish it! The characters are likable and the story is fast paced. I will definitely pick up more of her books and just added her to my favorites list!
    • 3/5
      Not one of Crusie's best, but it was okay. I didn't really like the characters and the plot was lacking. The ending felt a little rushed like she wasn't sure what to do with it. I wouldn't suggest putting it at the top of your tbr pile, but if you have to read it then check it out from the library.
    • 5/5
      After reading the first half of my thesis, my mentor suggested I read this book, primarily because both Crusie and I have heroines who go out on a series of bad dates. Well, that and the fact that Crusie is fantastic at writing romantic comedy.Kate Svenson is attractive, intelligent, successful and rich. She's also lonely and longing to find Mr. Right. So, being a woman of action, Kate devises a PLAN, and The Cabins resort in Kentucky seems like the perfect place to see her PLAN through. Why? Well, The Cabins is guaranteed to be full of rich, successful, suitable businessmen who will most likely be perfect for her.The problem, though, is that all of those rich, successful, suitable businessmen start dropping like flies around her. Kate's first date ends up in the swimming pool. Another breaks his ankle. One has a heart attack after she beats him on the golf course (he cheats, by the way). In fact, none of the business men are really all that suitable when it comes down to it. By and large they're all pompous, unethical or boring--or combinations thereof.Enter Jake Templeton.Jake seems like the very antithesis of what Kate's looking for with his ragged blue jeans, drawl and penchant for napping in a row boat out on the lake. However, there's definitely more to Jake than meets the eye. Ends up he's actually intelligent, retired, and rich, not to mention the co-owner and financial backer for The Cabins.Jake had come back home to Kentucky after a broken engagement, wanting to escape from the Wall Street rat race.As Kate soon learns--appearances can be deceiving. There's more to Jake than meets the eye, and after lazy mornings spent "fishing" the two begin to develop a friendship tinged with a strong attraction.While I'm still fairly new to Crusie's writing (which is amazing considering how much I love romantic comedy), this novel is definitely typical Crusie, meaning it's fast-paced, funny and has some great characters. Like Bet Me's Minerva Dobbs, Kate Svenson also has a somewhat less-than-skinny body. I love the fact that Crusie isn't afraid to write heroines who don't fit some unattainable ideal of beauty, but who are still attractive and lovable not to mention intelligent, strong, sexy and witty.That being said, this book wasn't without its flaws. Granted, it was also Crusie's first novel, so flaws are to be expected.The main thing that stood out to me was head-hopping. Obviously, it's a huge pet peeve of mine. Nothing draws me out of a story faster than switching POV's mid-paragraph or even mid-scene. Amazingly, though, I still really enjoyed this book, which is a tribute to Crusie's story-telling abilities.Kate's growth was especially enjoyable to watch. She goes from being a workaholic who saves the asses of unethical businessmen to finding her passion (saving small, independently-owned businesses) and leaving the corporate world behind. It's a really good illustration of how difficult it can be for women to balance having a career with having a personal life, and how sacrificing one for the other isn't always the answer.Overall this was an enjoyable read, and one that I would definitely recommend to anyone who appreciates a good, sexy romantic comedy.
    • 3/5
      Kate goes to a holiday resort with a plan to find a certain sort of man there and instead ends up with Jake. While this book was amusing in places and the audiobook was well-read, it had lots of issues for me. I never quite grasped what Kate was looking for; Jake seemed to have very little personality and no interests at all - what could they ever talk about? Did Kate love her job and living in the city or not? What exactly made Jake tick? Was he formerly an accountant, a tax lawyer or did he play the stock market? Was he bored with his life in outdoor management or not? Would he really be able to muster up enthusiasm for anything at all ever? I was not quite sure at the end that things would really work out for Kate and Jake in the long run.
    • 4/5
      When she decides to take her "perfect husband" list shopping at an upscale resort in rural Kentucky successful businesswoman Kate Svenson has no idea she'll become a one-woman walking accident-wave. Nor that the minor details on her Mr. Right list will become the most important things of all. Entertaining reading, if only for the invent ways Crusie gets rid of the eligible males Kate encounters.
    • 4/5
      You always know what to expect from Jennifer Crusie :)This book had a more serious tone than most of the ones I've read so far, but it's so funny at the same time. It's obvious to anyone but themselves that Kate and Jake are mad about each other, but it wouldn't be half as funny if it was otherwise. They just *had* to go through all that scenes before finally having sex - yeah, it's a Crusie book, what were you expecting? ;o)It's a fast paced book, unputdownable. And I had a great time reading it.
    • 3/5
      Cute, but nothing special - definitely not her best work. The funny parts weren't as funny as they usually are, the characters a little one-dimensional. It's a good book for a quick read with only half your focus on the story.
    • 4/5
      This book was a good read, not a great read. It seem to have more of a Harlequin romance novel feel to it.
    • 5/5
      BRILLIANT dialog. Crusie writes some of the best dialog ever, and I adore her.
    • 5/5
      5 stars is not enough! This is beyond great!! X
    • 5/5
      another beautiful funny book. I laughed through it. made me so happy to read. wud love to read all the books by this author. totally worth it
    • 4/5
      Hilarious take on what we think are the "best plans" for life to happen.
    • 5/5
      Loved loved loved it ?. Very engaging romance novel. I will hunt down more books by this author immediately
    • 3/5
      Crusie is one of my favourite romance writers. Though not her best, this is a light and fun read. Crusie knows how to write the most witty banter and even makes arguments entertaining. And although the idea of a woman ‘on the hunt’ for a man may seem dated, she solves this by making Kate Svenson strong and independent. Crusie has written much better books than this, but it doesn’t feel like this deserves to be completely overlooked.
    • 5/5
      I was enjoying this book and it's smart, successful heroine already when I came across this line:

      Donald screamed, and she shoved his hand away so he wouldn't get blood on her potatoes.

      And it moved from a solid four-star book to a solid five-star favorite. I loved how completely independent the heroine was, while still being aware of her own weaknesses. I loved how she wanted romance AND career success without sacrificing either, but insisted on finding her own definition of that success. I loved how the hero (Jake, definitely not Donald) respected and admired her well before he even liked her. Great book.
    • 5/5
      Great read!
    • 4/5
      This book was hilarious. You pretty much guess how it’s ending from page 5 or 6… but getting there is truly funny!
      The bantering is great, witty, and irresistible.
      This book is a quick, happy, and easy read. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a literary romantic gateway.
      There’s one xrated scene towards the end, if you’re not into that skip a few pages, the story is great anyway.
    • 2/5
      Kate is a 35 year old workaholic who wants the perfect husband after three failed engagements. Her friend suggests she goes to a resort in Kentucky where she is sure to find the man of her dreams. There she meets Jake, a man who used to be rich and powerful in the world of business before he got tired of it and gave all his money to his brother Will to open the resort. Now he manages the landscaping crew at the resort.

      The first half of the book was kind of entertaining, documenting Kate's antics with men trying to impress her and Jake looking on like her big brother. The all of a sudden, they MUST have sex, right that minute. The rest of the book is filled with them hooking up, breaking up, crying, screaming, and getting back together, which is expected in a “romantic comedy”.

      I've read other Jennifer Crusie books and enjoyed them so I thought this might be a great one to fulfill two challenges this month. If you like romantic chick lit I think it's probably a much better book that I gave it credit for. I would definitely recommend it to you. For my friend, Cris, don't touch this book with a ten foot pole or your head will explode.