Bet Me
Page 37
—Rocky Mountain News
“With multiple references to Chicken Marsala, Krispy Kreme donuts, and Midwestern brats . . . Crusie’s latest should delight romance readers with a penchant for sinful foods.”
—Publishers Weekly
“New York Times bestselling Crusie maintains her winning streak in another wickedly witty, deliciously sexy contemporary romance. Finding exactly the right balance between cynicism and optimism, Crusie deftly blends snappy dialogue; quirky, irrepressible secondary characters; and two beautifully matched protagonists struggling against their romantic fate.”
—Booklist
“Utilizing her own unique brand of humor and panache, Crusie delivers yet another amazingly fun and funny novel. Eccentric characters abound in this book, making each new situation slightly offbeat, touching, and always hilarious.”
—Romantic Times
“A sure bet . . . Jennifer Crusie’s rollicking romance hits the jackpot.”
—BookPage
“A cast of immensely appealing characters and smart dialogue . . . enthusiastically recommended.”
—Library Journal
“Crusie has another hit on her hands with this romantic comedy, a novel in the madcap vein of the films of George Cukor and Billy Wilder—updated with plenty of modern-day spice. Witty, sharp, and wickedly funny, Bet Me is eminently satisfying.”
—Book Sense
“The incomparable Crusie skillfully uses humor to gain insight into her characters’ foibles and insecurities . . . a fun, sexy tale not to be missed.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette
“This story is solid gold! As much as I enjoyed this author’s previous books, this one is the best yet! There is no doubt in my mind that it will hit the bestsellers list AND win awards. Yes, it IS that good! Jennifer Crusie, you deserve a standing ovation for this little gem. Highly recommended!”
—Huntress Reviews
Faking It
“Art, orgasms, identities, affection. If it can be faked, the characters in Crusie’s snappy new novel will do it . . . Crusie has a gift for concocting nutty scenarios and witty one-liners . . . genuine laughs.”
—People
“A funny, fast-moving, densely plotted comedy/caper. Crusie clearly has studied vintage screwball film comedies. Faking It is an unabashed homage to such classics as The Philadelphia Story and His Girl Friday. The dialogue, which is peppered with movie references, is arch and smart-alecky, and moves the story at a rattling pace.”
—Boston Globe
“Hard to resist . . . [a] roller-coaster ride . . . perfect escapist fare!”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Bestseller Crusie takes readers on another smooth ride in her latest romantic caper . . . the whole Goodnight clan and supporting cast are enormously engaging.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The action is fast, the characters are quirky and the one-liners never stop . . . fast-paced and sexy . . . should solidify Crusie’s place in the big leagues of women’s fiction.”
—The Columbus Dispatch
“A smart, sexy story of intrigue, seduction, blackmail, and art forgery that will have readers laughing out loud and racing through its pages.”
—Sullivan County Democrat
“Delightful . . . could be likened to skinny-dipping in a cool pond on a muggy, hot summer afternoon: risqué, yes—maybe even a little kinky—but, oh, so refreshing.”
—Roanoke Times
“One of the brightest stars in romantic comedy delivers her sequel to the very popular Welcome to Temptation.”
—DallasNews.com
“A hoot. Oh, go ahead. Indulge.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Crusie’s madcap tale of stolen art and mayhem contains more laugh-out-loud lusty living than a sudsy-bubble Oktoberfest.”
—BookPage
“Crusie’s talent [is] for writing wacky romantic plots that shine with generous amounts of humor and enormous good cheer.”
—Library Journal
“This laugh-out-loud romp is one to treasure! Nobody combines wit, irony, and sexy, sizzling plots better than Jennifer Crusie.”
—Romantic Times
“This sassy novel is hilarious!”
—Walden Book Report
“Faking It is a hilarious, warm novel with a cast of quirky and wonderful characters that endear while they charm.”
—Amazon.com
“Crusie’s fifth novel is an entertaining, fast-paced romp with a pleasing love story at its heart.”
—Booklist
“These bantering anti-heroes are clearly made for each other, and the way that they get back at their tormentor is as refreshing as a mint julep in the summer heat.”
—BookStreet USA
“No one else writes like she does—not Romance, not Women’s Fiction, but her own distinct, ‘bent’ view of the world with its Runyonesque characters and arch dialogue . . . the novel’s last fifty pages are simply divine.”
—TheRomanceReader.com
Fast Women
“Fast Women is bright and fresh . . . it tells the complete truth about falling in love and the people who do it. Jennifer Crusie has written another wonderfully funny novel.”
—Luanne Rice, author of Firefly Beach
“A beach book for your brain . . . a sexy, intellectual read.”
—Redbook
“Aglow with the sparks of wit and romance. Move over, Susan Isaacs. Crusie is just as smart and sassy about the things a woman has to do to make love work, and a lot funnier to boot.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“A detective agency may be a sure setting for mystery and adventure, but in Crusie’s latest, a likable cast of characters also finds sex, love, and empowerment . . . the novel’s provocative title says too little about this entertaining romantic caper which will satisfy fans and new readers alike.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Hilarious . . . Crusie’s great gift is her ability to make readers laugh at the inanities of life with her spunky women and strong yet compassionate men: Imagine a combination of Nick Charles from The Thin Man and the women of The First Wives Club.”
—Booklist
“With humor, irony, and a whole lot of wit, Jennifer Crusie straps in her readers and takes them on a memorable ride . . . a masterful storyteller.”
—Romantic Times
“Fast Women is her best work to date . . . a spectacular read you will no doubt savor more than once.”
—newandusedbooks.com
“An extraordinary romantic comedy . . . fascinating . . . hilarious situations, strong characters, and a powerful message.”
—The Belles and Beaux of Romance
“Wise and witty.”
—TheRomanceReader.com
“Absolutely hilarious . . . dialogue is witty and fast-paced . . . one of those stories you can read over and over without it getting stale.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“Perfect entertainment for a lazy summer afternoon.”
—modernmag.com
Welcome to Temptation
“Crusie charms with her brisk, edgy style . . . a romantic comedy that adds luster to the genre, this effervescent tale will please readers.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Crusie blends a combination of likeable characters, gossipy small-town life, and a plot spiced with some steamy sexual situations into a highly entertaining read.”
—Library Journal
“Funny and inventive, this is sure to please Crusie’s enthusiastic fans and attract new converts.”
—Booklist
“A book you’ll want to read again and again and recommend to your friends . . . a masterpiece of sensationally wicked humor and spicy sex . . . one bite and you’re hooked. If you only buy one [book], let it be this one. It’s phenomenal!”
—The Belles and Beaux of Romance
“Crusi
e is a master of characterization . . . Welcome to Temptation is filled with twists and turns that will give much pleasure to an adoring audience that will demand sequel after sequel.”
—Affaire de Coeur
“Crazy, funny, and sexy . . . the host of uniquely unusual characters and the engaging plot will have fans eagerly awaiting this author’s next masterpiece.”
—Rendezvous
“Jennifer Crusie is on her way to becoming the Michael Jordan of the genre.”
—Borders.com
“Wickedly delicious.”
—Contra Costa Times [Walnut Creek, CA]
Crazy for You
“A delight! She’s certainly the heir to the beach-reading throne.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Her characters have sharp edges that lend themselves to both comedy and villainy.”
—The New York Times
“The story comes together with just the right touches of humor and some pretty sexy dialogue. Crusie hasn’t yet achieved the name recognition of Sandra Brown or Nora Roberts but this effort proves she is every bit as good.”
—Library Journal
“An updated, rollicking version of Peyton Place . . . Crusie infuses a great deal of humor about human nature into this contemporary romance, deploying as well an engaging cast of characters.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A sexy, humorous romp with complex relationships and entertaining characters.”
—Rendezvous
“Funny and entertaining, Crusie’s novel presents a lively cast and an exciting conclusion.”
—Booklist
“Romance has a new star in Crusie . . . one of the few in the genre who can make you laugh out loud.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Hold on to your seat for a hysterical look at relationships . . . Crusie has you laughing and crying as these special people struggle to find that elusive something within themselves.”
—Old Book Barn Gazette
Tell Me Lies
“Jennifer Crusie presents a humorous mixture of romance, mystery, and mayhem. A winner!”
—Susan Elizabeth Phillips
“A ferociously funny, sexy read.”
—Redbook
“Smart, sexy, romantic suspense.”
—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Lovers of Susan Isaacs mysteries take heart: There’s a new author on the block!”
—Woman’s Own
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
JENNIFER CRUSIE
Fast Women
Nell Dysart’s in trouble. Weighed down by an inexplicable divorce and a loss of appetite for everything, Nell is sleepwalking through life until her best friend finagles a job for her with a shabby little detective agency that has lots of potential and a boss who looks easy to manage.
Gabe McKenna isn’t doing too well, either. His detective agency is wasting time on a blackmail case, his partner has decided he hates watching cheating spouses for money, and his ex-wife has just dumped him…again. The only thing that’s going his way is that his new secretary looks efficient, boring, and biddable. But looks can be deceiving and soon Nell and Gabe are squaring off over embezzlement, business cards, vandalism, dog-napping, blackmail, Chinese food, unprofessional sex, and really ugly office furniture, all of which turn out to be the least of their problems. Because shortly after that, somebody starts killing people. And shortly after that, they start falling in love…
“Aglow with the sparks of wit and romance…smart and sassy.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Entertaining!”
—Publishers Weekly
“A beach book for your brain…a sexy read.”
—Redbook
ISBN: 0-312-98015-9
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS
FW 1/03
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of FAST WOMEN and BET ME
JENNIFER CRUSIE
Faking It
Meet the Goodnights, a respectable family who run a respectable art gallery—and have for generations. Matilda, the youngest daughter, has inherited the secret locked down in the basement of the Goodnight Gallery, the secret she’s willing to do almost anything to keep, even break into a house in the dead of night to steal back her past. Meet the Dempseys, or at least meet Davy, a reformed con man who’s just been ripped off for a cool three million by his financial manager, who then gallantly turned it over to Clea Lewis, the most beautiful sociopath Davy ever slept with. Davy wants the money back, but more than that, he’ll do anything to keep Clea from winning, including break into her house in the dead of night to steal back his future. One collision in a closet later, Tilda and Davy reluctantly join forces to combat Clea, suspicious art collectors, a disgruntled heir, and an exasperated hitman, all the while coping with a mutant dachshund, a juke box stuck in the sixties, questionable sex, and the growing realization that they can’t turn their backs on the people they were meant to be . . . or the people they were born to love.
“Light, funny, witty, stylish…a rare find!”
—Boston Globe
“Art, orgasms, identities, affection. If it can be faked, the characters in Crusie’s snappy new novel will do it…Crusie has a gift for concocting nutty scenarios and witty one-liners…genuine laughs.”
—People
ISBN: 0-312-98382-4
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS
FI 12/02
WELCOME TO TEMPTATION
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR
Jennifer Crusie
Sophie Dempsey is content living a quiet life filming wedding videos until an assignment brings her to Temptation, Ohio. From the moment she drives into town, she gets a bad feeling; Sophie is from the wrong side of the tracks and everything in Temptation is a little too right. And when she has a run-in with the town’s unnervingly sexy mayor, Phineas Tucker, making a little movie turns out to be more than a little dangerous.
As events spiral out of control, Sophie and Phin find themselves falling deeper and deeper in trouble…and in love.
“Bright, funny, sexy, and wise.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Crusie charms with her brisk, edgy style…a romantic comedy that adds luster to the genre, this effervescent tale will please readers.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
ISBN: 0-312-97425-6
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS
WT 10/01
New York Times bestselling author
Jennifer Crusie
Tell Me Lies
Maddie Faraday’s life would be perfect—if it weren’t for her cheating husband, her distrustful daughter, her gossipy mother, her secretive best friend, her nosy neighbors, and that sexy guy she lost her virginity to twenty years ago…
In Tell Me Lies, Jennifer Crusie dishes up a funny, sexy, suspenseful novel about small-town secrets, big-time betrayals, and the redemptive power of love, laughter, and chocolate brownies.
“A ferociously funny, sexy read.”
—Redbook
“Jennifer Crusie presents a humorous mixture of
romance, mystery, and mayhem.”
—Susan Elizabeth Phillips,
New York Times bestselling author of
Nobody’s Baby But Mine
Visit Jennifer Crusie’s Web site at: www.jennycrusie.com
ISBN: 0-312-96680-6
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS
TML 04/04
Crazy
For You
Jennifer Crusie
New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Lies
Quinn McKenzie has always lived what she calls a “beige” life. She’s dating the world’s nicest guy, she has a good job as a high school art teacher, she’s surrounded by family and friends who rely on her, an
d 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. Now she’s coping with dognapping, breaking and entering, seduction, sabotage, stalking, more secrets than she really wants to know, and two men who are suddenly crazy…for her.
“The story comes together with just the right touches of
humor and some pretty sexy dialogue. Crusie hasn’t yet
achieved the name recognition of Sandra Brown or Nora
Roberts but this effort proves she is every bit as good.”
–Library Journal
“A gem of a story—fresh, funny and wickedly sexy.”
—Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
“Engaging…Fun and a little wild.”
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Visit Jennifer Crusie’s Web site at: www.jennycrusie.com
ISBN: 0-312-97112-5
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD
FROM ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS
CFY 04/04
BET ME
Copyright © 2004 by Jennifer Crusie Smith.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2003058182
eISBN: 978-1-429-90334-9
Date of eBook conversion: 07/17/2010
St. Martin’s Press hardcover edition / February 2004
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / September 2004
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.