Book Description
Thought-provoking questions that challenge and inspire couples to build a lasting, intimate relationship.
When Susan Piver's husband, Duncan, proposed, her first impulse was to break up with him. "How does one enter into marriage knowing that almost half of all couples these days get divorced?" she thought in a panic. "Suppose he wants to live somewhere I hate? What if I wish we had ten times more money than he wishes for, or he wants to spend more time with his family than I do?"
One by one, she and Duncan answered these questions and many more, alternately delighted, appalled, infuriated, and mystified by the other's responses. In exploring each area of uncertainty, Piver learned something about her husband-to-be, herself, and their relationship. Focusing on key areas of married life, such as home, money, work, sex, community and friends, family, and spirituality, her list of questions became the basis for this book.
The Hard Questions should be required reading for engaged couples, newlyweds, and those in long-term relationships. It is a simple yet profound tool that will challenge and inspire couples to gain a deeper understanding of each other and build a lasting, intimate relationship.
"This book of hard questions and exercises for couples is innovative and exciting." --Andrew Weil, M.D.
"Susan Piver is a deeply intuitive and innovative thinker. She has both tenderness and acuity regarding what concerns us. I could not recommend her more highly." --Julia Cameron
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-06-26
I have read many of the comments and I would disagree with those that 'say' this is not a 'good book'. This is probably one of the best 'pre-marriage' books because the average couple has not discussed every topic in this book i.e. 'Where will you spend your holidays?". Believe it or not, this has spoiled many a new couple's marital bliss and they appear as deers in the headlight behind the question.
For those that think it was a waste of time, then pass the book on to your friends who did not have as much knowledge about getting to know someone, especially those that spent their courtship in bed vs getting to really know their potential spouse!
What a waste of time!.......2007-04-10
I picked up this book from the library for my fiance and I to read together, and it was extremely disappointing. I totally agree with other reviewers who write that the questions included in the book are not as stimulating as the author thinks them to be.
The questions in this book are things that, really, should have come up in conversation by now if you are in any kind of serious adult relationship. Plus, they are too specific and not open-ended enough to truly stimulate any kind of conversation. Most of the questions can be answered with a single-word answer. The relatively open-ended questions are usually follwed by numerous suggestions by the author. ("What surrounds the house? Neighbors? Trees? Shopes and museums? The ocean? A gated community? Acres of underdeveloped land?") It's as if the author is instructing an activity for a group of kindergarteners, as if she doesn't trust us to come up with any good ideas of our own.
Speaking of the author, she introduces each chapter (though they are very self-explanatory) with a lengthy explanatory section that is over-the-top spiritualized and poeticized. It's really annoying.
Really, it's just not a good book!
From a Wedding Consultant.......2007-04-06
As a wedding consultant, I like to give this book to couples as I first meet with them. Most of them are surprised at the gift, but this is a great book for making sure that the couple has discussed some of the things that are going to come up in their marriage.
I like how the book brings up questions that the couple might not have thought about or thought through. The questions are an easy way to open discussions without finger-pointing.
After all. . . the wedding is a day, the marriage is a lifetime.
The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say "I Do".......2007-01-09
Great book!
Worst relationship book ever.......2006-08-11
I agree with the last reviewer, the questions in this book are ones that maybe you would ask someone in the first month or so of dating but after that if you have any type of conversation skills you would have already found out the answers to 99% of the questions. Don't waste your money.
Average customer rating:
- From one teen lit author to another
- Dedicated to Those Whose First Love was a Hard Love
- Great Story... not Hard to Love!
- Good Book
- A very good book
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Hard Love
Ellen Wittlinger
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
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ASIN: 068984154X |
Amazon.com
John Galardi is a loner, unable to express his feelings except in the pages of his zine, "Bananafish." He finds inspiration in another zine, "Escape Velocity," created by Marisol Guzman, a self-proclaimed "rich spoiled lesbian private-school gifted-and-talented writer virgin." Her sharp observations make John laugh out loud and he decides he must meet this witty author. By planting himself in Tower Records the day she drops off the latest issue, John manages to arrange a coffee date that extends over several Saturday mornings. They discuss everything from John's inability to feel and his parent's divorce to Marisol's problems with her suffocating adoptive parents. When Marisol casually tells John that she likes him, he is flabbergasted: "Honest to God a shiver ran through my body... Nobody ever said that they liked me. Ever. Not even [my friend] Brian, who probably actually doesn't." After a disastrous "just friends" junior prom date and a weekend zine conference spent together, John realizes that his feelings for Marisol are more than platonic. And Marisol, who is exploring her identity as a young lesbian, has no idea how to let John down gently without losing her new best friend.
Like Barbara Wersba's Whistle Me Home, Hard Love tackles the delicate issue of unrequited love between a straight and gay teen. But what sets this novel apart from similarly themed books is Wittlinger's choice to present the story from John's straight male point of view. Funny and poignant first-person narration will engender empathy for John as he attempts to connect with his emotionally distant parents and an understanding of how his need for their affection has manifested itself in romantic feelings for a girl he knows is unavailable to him. Hard Love is a thoughtful and on-target addition to the growing canon of gay and lesbian coming-of-age stories. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert
Book Description
Since his parents' divorce, John's mother hasn't touched him, her new fiancé wants them to move away, and his father would rather be anywhere than at Friday night dinner with his son. It's no wonder John writes articles like "Interview with the Stepfather" and "Memoirs from Hell." The only release he finds is in homemade zines like the amazing Escape Velocity by Marisol, a self-proclaimed "Puerto Rican Cuban Yankee Lesbian." Haning around the Boston Tower Records for the new issue of Escape Velocity, John meets Marisol and a hard love is born.
While at first their friendship is based on zines, dysfuntional families, and dreams of escape, soon both John and Marisol begin to shed their protective shells. Unfortunately, John mistakes this growing intimacy for love, and a disastrous date to his junior prom leaves that friendship in ruins. Desperately hoping to fix things, John convinces Marisol to come with him to a zine conference on Cape Cod. On the sandy beaches by the Bluefish Wharf Inn, John realizes just how hard love can be.
With keen insight into teenage life, Ellen Wittlinger delivers a story of adolescence that is fierce and funny -- and ultimately transforming -- even as it explores the pain of growing up.
Customer Reviews:
From one teen lit author to another.......2007-05-03
While shopping at the Colorado teen lit conference a fellow writer suggested Hard Love to me. I thought, after the first couple of pages, that I would not like it. John is a tough character to get to know and love. I keep reading it and boy was I wrong! I LOVED the book. The characters stepped off the pages and really came alive! The innovate use of zine was a neat twist and and I truly loved the pathos, the absolute agony, of the unrequited love story. The back story and ultimate growth of the main character was convincing and a joy to read. Hard Love is very well written. I will definitely recommend it to everyone, and am looking forward to reading more Wittlinger books!
Dedicated to Those Whose First Love was a Hard Love.......2007-04-02
From the first paragraph you can tell HARD LOVE is a different kind of book. It opens with a teenage boy named John, struggling between his divorced parents and the teenage romantic values his parents don't seem to have. None of which bothers him in he least, as he has been raised with no feeling or sense of emotion.
Day to day, John coasts through life, trying to forget about his father who doesn't talk to him and his mother who doesn't touch him. He occasionally reads zines from time to time, and was infatuated with "Escape Velocity" so he is determined to meet the writer.
Marisol is the character who changes this story around. John spends time with her and falls in love, but there's a problem, Marisol is gay. He starts hurting inside, hoping and wishing for her affection. Ms. Wittlinger tenderly shows how she takes over his heart and I really like the way this is shown from John's point of view.
This is a fine story with characters so well drawn you start to think you know them. I highly recommend this book to teens and even adults, who want to show what goes on in a mind of an adolescent. Also, I'm sure anyone who has had a difficult love would appreciate this novel, after all it's dedicated to those whose first love, was a hard love.
Great Story... not Hard to Love!.......2007-01-13
I read this story a couple of years back and loved every bit of it then. Donated my copy to the library and then recently bought the book again thinking I had not read it. I loved the book the second time around, which is rare for me. The fact that peeps are still reading and raving about this book 5 years after it was published is a testament to its greatness. Besides a good story, it tells kids/teens how they can create their own zine. Definately a bonus for creative types and writers. The book is funny, read it and find out for yourself!
Imagine a story about a boy (John) with divorced parents who thinks life sucks. He creates his own homemade zine and ends up meeting another writer (Marisol) of a zine he really likes. She's a lesbian. She's hard edged and eventually, John gets to know her as she helps him create a better zine. Perhaps John learns that his life is not the only one who sucks or perhaps he learns that his life doesn't really suck. In all this, John falls for Marisol... and she has to learn how to "Dear John" John without losing him as a friend. Difficult times.
Good Book.......2006-12-03
This was a very good book, but I thought it was very sexist towards men. But Ellen Wittlinger had a very appealing style which made me want to keep reading, it was also very inspiring.
A very good book.......2006-12-03
Hard Love was a very good book, but I thought it was kind of sexist towards men. But I still thought it was a good book. But personally I thought that Ellen wittlinger had a very appealing style in writing. This was one of the few good books I have read lately.
Book Description
The timeless, magical story of one woman's return to life and love when she thought she had lost it all.
Customer Reviews:
Inspiring and Heart Felt.......2007-06-10
Melody Beattie tells of her exeperience of great human tragedy with integrity and brutal honesty. Her book ends with a greater understanding of the human heart and with a message of hope.
The Lessons of Love: Rediscovering Our Passion for Life When It All Seems Too Hard to Take.......2007-03-09
Melody Beattie has great infornation in this book to help you help yourself
THe Lessons of Love.......2007-01-04
This book has been the most helpful book that I have read since my 15 year old son died of suicide in May 2006. She knows exactly how we who have lost children feel. It gave me hope. She made me feel more "normal". I have read Melody Beattie for years and was deeply touched by this book. I would highly recommend it to all bereaved parents.
Extraordinary Journey From Loss to Love and Living Again. 10.......2004-04-13
Melody Beattie's book is a profoundly poignant, honest, courageous, heartfelt, and inspiring journey from being shattered at the loss of her precious 12 year old son, to learning how to embrace life again, and how to love and live fully.
It is not an easy journey, and takes time to adjust, and plunge wholeheartedly into the life circumstances you are facing NOW, so that you can re-claim the love in your heart that you can give both to yourself, and others who do need you.
I was deeply touched at how Melody shares generously with depth, and inspiration that anyone who is suffering from loss will gain tremendous benefit from reading this beautiful gift to humanity.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who is in grief, as well as to grief support groups, so you can re-gain your life set by Melody's example. It is a beautiful and genuine one.
Highly recommended! Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'
Extraordinary Journey From Loss to Love and Living Again. 10.......2004-04-13
Melody Beattie's book is a profoundly poignant, honest, courageous, heartfelt, and inspiring journey from being shattered at the loss of her precious 12 year old son, to learning how to embrace life again, and how to love and live fully.
It is not an easy journey, and takes time to adjust, and plunge wholeheartedly into the life circumstances you are facing NOW, so that you can re-claim the love in your heart that you can give both to yourself, and others who do need you.
I was deeply touched at how Melody shares generously with depth, and inspiration that anyone who is suffering from loss will gain tremendous benefit from reading this beautiful gift to humanity.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who is in grief, as well as to grief support groups, so you can re-gain your life set by Melody's example. It is a beautiful and genuine one.
Barbara Rose, author of "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" and 'If God Was Like Man'
Editor of inspire! magazine
Average customer rating:
- Painful Truths
- Why not on Oprah's List?
- A self proclaimed "bitch's" take on Bastard...
- Great book, fast shipping
- A few stories are amazing and most are good reads
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The Bastard on the Couch: 27 Men Try Really Hard to Explain Their Feelings About Love, Loss, Fatherhood, and Freedom
Daniel Jones
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
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ASIN: 0060565357
Release Date: 2005-05-31 |
Book Description
The husband of The Bitch in the House responds with a collection of original essays in which male writers describe what men desire, need, love, and loathe in their relationships and in the world today.
Cathi Hanauer's bestselling The Bitch in the House: 26 Women Tell the Truth about Sex, Solitude, Work, Motherhood, and Marriage spurred a national conversation about the level of friction in contemporary marriages and relationships. Now her husband, Daniel Jones, has rallied the men for the "literary equivalent of The Full Monty," in which twenty–seven thoughtful, passionate and often hilarious men, lay it bare when it comes to their wives and girlfriends, their hopes, and fears.
Enough with pop psychiatrists telling us why men lie, cheat, and want nothing more than to laze around the house in front of the TV. Enough with women wondering aloud–at increasing volume–why the men in their lives behave the way they do. The time has come for men to speak for themselves.
Many of the husbands and fathers in these pages contemplate aspects of their personal lives they've never before revealed in print–they kick open the door on their marriages and sex lives, their fathering and domestic conflicts, their most intimate relationships and situations. Yet unlike the average meat–and–potatoes father who still rules the roost, these men are grappling with new ideas of manhood –– some they are going after and grabbing, and others that are being thrust upon them by a changing world.
Powerful, heartfelt and irreverent, The Bastard on the Couch is a bold, unprecedented glimpse into the dark corners and glaring truths of modern relationships that is guaranteed to amuse, entertain, enrich, and provoke.
Customer Reviews:
Painful Truths.......2007-02-18
I bought this book because I wanted to know what married men elsewhere were really going through. Just about every married man I know lies about his married life either out of shame or some perverse pleasure in seeing me make the same mistake. Anyway, this book features 27 tales by 27 different men on their relationships and lives. Apparently, most are prolific writers which explains the highly descriptive (sometimes overly descriptive) and humourous literary styles. It's almost as if you are reading exactly what is going on in their minds... word for word. The tales are interesting but after reading about 20 or so, it might seem repetitive to some. The book picks up toward the end, though. There is not much 'substance' in terms of what a bachelor (or other married men) could learn from all this except some simple truths:
1) Women tend to outearn men these days and men generally don't like it
2) Men are relegated to housework and they generally don't like it
3) Men aren't getting enough sex from their girlfriends/wives and generally don't like it
4) Women want the same rights as men but not the same responsibilities and men generally don't like it
5) Men will soldier on no matter what life throws at them and they like that about themselves
I haven't read, 'The Bitch in the House' which is the predecessor to this book on the same theme except written by women and don't intend to. It's not that I'm not sympathetic to what women are also going through in relationships and life but being a man, I really don't need an additional dose of bitching in my reading material. Overall, I recommend 'The Bastard on the Couch' if you are a guy looking to learn the truth about how other men feel about the stuff they wouldn't ordinarily talk about. Here's a hint: it's not very different from how you feel. Don't expect to put this book down feeling cheerful, though.
Why not on Oprah's List?.......2006-04-27
OK. I'll admit this review might be unfair. I didn't even finish the book. I might have missed some real gems. But, since I didn't finish it, I thought I should explain why.
I found the essays to be well written but the guys I just couldn't have a lot of empathy for or really understand the point behind many of the essays. The Boy Toy, the guy who was proud of his "threesome" affairs (as a regular fare), the man looking for a "Female John Wayne", the guy whose wife had an affair that he "forgave" her for and then spent 7 years wallowing in the relationship, had an affair of his own and returned to find her in the arms of a woman", these are "typical" guys? Maybe on Jerry Springer.
Not all of the essays were completely bad. The 47 year bachelor had some interesting things to say. The guy with the open marriage was refreshingly honest (even though he didn't use his real name) about the inherent problems with "open" relationship (although I still think he's fooling himself). The essay about the guy who was short-tempered with his children almost actually hit home. But, overall the book is not worth my time to finish.
I am a 45 year old, happily married father of 2. I have been married for 15 years. I had a pretty decent life before marriage and can actually remember those days pretty well. I picked up this book looking for some light reading and maybe some insight as to what makes men tick. I freely admit, I'm not your typical guy. I thought it would interesting and entertaining.
I made it through the first five or six essays. I didn't keep count. Normally, I'll plow through a book no matter how bad it starts off. But, I decided to put this one down last night and probably won't pick it up again. Maybe my wife will read it when Oprah decides to put it on her list. Women would just love to bash men with this one.
A self proclaimed "bitch's" take on Bastard..........2006-02-25
I found "Bastard on the Couch" an engaging collection of viewpoints, some that made me laugh, rage and cry all in one story. It definitely waved things in my face that I had taken for granted in my own relationships with men throughout my life that definitely added a depth to my understanding of those dynamics, even answered some lifelong questions for me. I recommend it with enthusiasm to both women and men. I even read exerpts from it to my husband so many times that he started to say, "Not something ELSE from that Bastard book again...."
Great book, fast shipping.......2005-09-21
Received my book quickly, book in the exact shape it was described. Highly recommend this seller!
A few stories are amazing and most are good reads.......2005-08-29
This book is a collection of 27 essays written by men on the topics of love, honesty, lying, desires, family, and needs. Most of the essays provide a fascinating read, some more riveting than others. Only a couple are tedious.
The essays evoke many emotions with the funny, heartwarming, sad, curious, and intriguing tales. Human nature comes through as these pages pour out the men's thoughts, the kind few human beings would share with their loved ones and friends.
Topics cover the woman making more money than the man, the stay-at-home Dad, a marriage of equals, an almost 50-year-old man who remains a bachelor, a man who prefers older women, an open marriage, affairs, and less "Mood for Love" in a marriage.
It's easy to dislike some of the men while respecting others, but their prose and candor provide impressive insight into otherwise ordinary situations in their lives. Hearing a story about a man who after 17 years of marriage and two kids isn't as chivalrous as he was when he first met and married his wife doesn't sound like much. However, "I Am a Man, Hear Me Bleat," is a captivating tale in which one of his kids ends up in the emergency room under his care.
The book doesn't completely answer, "What is he thinking?" While each essay addresses the question, there isn't enough diversity in these men's backgrounds. In fact, almost all of them are writers from New York or California. One author stands out because he's in jail.
The book finishes with a bang with "Father of the Year" by Trey Ellis who is black, adding a little diversity (he's a writer, though) talking about fatherhood and his crumbling marriage. If another edition comes out, more diversity in terms of location, experiences, and careers will turn a fine book into a superb one.
Book Description
A highly sensitive and invaluable reference guide for those in crisis. (1992)
Customer Reviews:
Really Understands.......2007-07-07
Of all the books I have read on this topic, this one is by far THE BEST.
This author really gets it. The author understands the emotions that the
one left behind goes through. He further gives excellent suggestions on
how you can best deal with those emotions.
I'm still crying, but at least I know it's OK.......2006-08-17
I think that this is the first book that I have read, that is truly meant for the person that's grieving. My husband has recently passed away from aggressive brain tumor, after two and a half years of fighting. We both were only 26, and not even three years married, when all of a sudden I was alone. I still don't understand why he died; I'm still angry and confused. But reading this book, helped me realized that I have a right to feel that way. That there should be no expectations from me, as to how am I grieving. The author goes on explaining in detail how the loss of a loved one, will emerge to be an individual journey. No two are the same. You should listen to your body and let yourself feel the pain, let yourself grieve...for as long as your body, mind and heart need it.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone, who has lost a loved one. It would be a great book for those that know somebody, that's grieving and want to learn of the best way to help them with their process. - many very valuable lessons to learn.
I finally stopped Crying.......2001-12-21
I found this book when my lifepartner died two years ago. THis book helped me so much then and now, when certian days come along and I start feeling sad and don't understand. I am in a new relationship and still sometimes find myself missing my former life-partner and I realize through this book that it is entirely normal and to some degree expected.
I recommend this book to anyone who has lost someone they love. It will help you get a handle on your emotions and is very easy to read.
What is the "Love"? What is the "Alive#? -It's on this book........1998-12-03
Firstly,I found this title is in the The Journal of Emergency Medical Services of Japan. This book has introduced with activity of the Metro Toronro Ambulance.This story has told about how to reduce Paramedician's stress and how to inform the "Lover's death" to the family or relatives.I really had caught warm heart from this story this is because The Metro Toront Paramedician has present this book to the person who lost the lover.And,this book provides how to accept one's saddness and how to go ahead one's life.I think,from this book is able to learn what is the realy love and what is alive. I reccomend this book ,especially medician,paramedician,emagency case cordinator, government officer,student and,simply for all.
Customer Reviews:
Nice to have Britt back but..............2007-10-07
I re-read all the Britt Montero stories before reading this one. I was really excited to have another book after so long. I really didn't care for this one, especially after the taut story in "The Ice Maiden". This seemed like it was just thrown together and disconnected. The word "crisp" was seriously overused (crisp toast, crisp maternity blouse, etc.). Britt doesn't seem like the same person, even accounting for the hormones. Oh, and religion suddenly gets dragged in by the heels, too. However, the narrative shift between Britt and the Cold Case squad did work, and the cliffhanger ending will keep everyone awaiting tne next book. Any possibility the baby is Dennis Fitzgerald's and not Kendall McDonald's? (Read "The Ice Maiden" and you will understand that question).
An Unexpected Pairing.......2007-09-05
First Sentence: Operating the huge machine that groaned and howled like a prehistoric monster as it savaged everything in its path was what he enjoyed most about the job.
Reporter Britt Montero was the last person to see an infamous kidnapper alive. Now that his skull has been uncovered by a bulldozer, the Cold Case Squad, headed by Lt. K.C. Riley, wants to talk to Britt. Britt has been recovering from the death of her fiancée, who was previously the long-time lover of Riley, on a remote island. While a visiting friend entices Britt to come back to her job at the newspaper, they found a disposable camera. Wanting to return the camera, they have the photos developed only to find the owners match a news story of a honeymooning couple lost while sailing. The husband is found alive, but the bride had drowned. However, Britt discovers this groom has a history of brides who have died. In spite of the uncomfortable connection between the two women, they need each other to solve these cases.
I was not certain about this book, going into it. But Buchanan pulled off the combined story with great skill. The two women are strong and interesting; particularly Britt who is determined to follow the story through to the end as her life is about to change. K.C., and Britt's friend Lottie, play pivotal roles in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed how she built the story bit by bit. The three plot lines were skillfully woven to a suspenseful climax. Even though the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, I didn't mind as justice is done.
Meeting Britt Montero..........2007-09-03
I realize now, and, much to my regret, that I should have read Buchanan's older novels first, because I've just been introduced to Britt Montero, the news reporter. However, I didn't get my hands on Buchanan's first Britt Montero novel until later. Now, after acquiring all of EB's books, I'm going back to read them in chronological order. Over the last four days, I've finished three of the books. In fact, I haven't done much of anything else but read. So, does that tell you anything? Yep, that's right, EB's books are "un-put-downable". She truly is the "Queen of Crime", bar none.
In "Love Kills", the end leaves the reader hanging (sort of), and thinking they can't wait for Buchanan's next book to be released. The Cold Case Squad and Lt. K.C. Riley are entwined with Montero's reporting adventures, as well as the reporter's relationship in dealing with Lt. Riley, which is quite interesting.
This is an excellent mystery novel. Buchanan appears to be one of a kind. Get the book, you won't regret it.
Wow!.......2007-08-19
I have always been an Edna Buchanan fan, but this book is head and shoulders above the rest. First, she incorporates both Britt Montero and the Cold Case Squad into her novel. Second, there are corpses everywhere. I am not going to spoil the plot of the novel for you. But I will tell you that, if you're going to read it, to reserve some time, because every page will leave you turning the page. Before you know it, you'll be entranced in the novel. Excellent show, Edna!!!
Alaska errors.......2007-07-11
Good book, however some of the descriptions regarding the Fairbanks Alaska location . . . Oak trees??, fireweed are not vibrant red but rather pinkish/lavender. Your new friend in acknowledgements did you wrong.
Customer Reviews:
Better than McCumber's.......2003-10-12
John Hubner's book the second to cover the Mitchell fratricide(and probably the last, since there's very little left to cover). Hubner's book, unlike SF journalist David McCumber's awful "X-Rated," is objective and sociological. He has obviously read "X-Rated" and is careful to gloss over the parts McCumber covered in depth. Hubner comes across as an experienced journalist who has relatively little experience with the porn industry and sticks to the facts.
I worked as a doorman at the Mitchell Brothers' O'Farrell Theatre in the mid-1980s and got a sense of how their world worked. I can imagine how difficult it must have been for Hubner and McCumber, trying to find insiders who would speak to them. Reading through both books, I saw the familiar names: Jeff Armstrong (laziest worker on Earth), Charlie Benton (most temperamental worker), Phil Brady (meanest human), Luanne Buckelew (token woman), Jim Gish, Vaughan Melendy (horniest doorman alive), Richard Mezzavilla (conscience of Mitchell Brothers), Jack Palladino (ugliest man alive and now America's most expensive private eye), Vince Stanich (always stoned) and knew that these folks weren't going to talk, period. So what the reader learns comes from the small number of former Michell employees who were willing to tell about "the Boys" and their fun.
Hubner mentions Megan Leigh, the Oakland native who ran away from home at 14 and worked at a Guam massage parlor by 17. I remember her well; she danced at the O'Farrell as Eve. A tall, pimply, emaciated girl who couldn't dance to save her own soul, she had a heroin habit and quit the O'Farrell to undergo detoxification and a complete makeover. She reemerged as Megan Leigh and appeared in 117 hardcore adult movies from 1987-90. Along the way she became readdicted to drugs and, sick of being sick all the time, left an apologetic note to her mother and stuck a gun in her mouth, thereby virtually ensuring that she would never be completely forgotten.
Average customer rating:
- Disappointing - should have been better
- A sensual delight
- A sensual treat
- fine ranch resort romance
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A Hard Man to Love
Kathleen Lawless
Manufacturer: Pocket
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1416507523 |
Book Description
Montana Blackstone has big plans for the deluxe spa resort she's building at Black Creek Ranch. They don't include letting her know-it-all new foreman take the reins, even if tall, broad-shouldered Steele Hardt looks mighty capable of showing her how blissful it can be to surrender control -- in and out of the bedroom. As the sizzling chemistry between them erupts in one mind-blowing encounter after another, Montana finds that Steele has a knack for knocking down her defenses and seeing through to the vulnerable core she's tried so hard to hide.
Once a pro poker player, now a renowned business troubleshooter, Steele came to Black Creek to give investors a covert report on the spa's potential -- not to give its gorgeous owner such very personal attention. And once she learns the truth about why he's there, Steele stands to lose Montana forever. Convincing her that the heat between them is more than a diversion means taking the biggest gamble of his life. But Steele has never been known to take the easy way out -- and he's not about to start now. . . .
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing - should have been better.......2007-06-23
Widow Montana Blackstone plans to open a deluxe spa resort at her Black Creek Ranch. Steele Hardt has come to the ranch under false pretenses - Montana thinks her mother-in-law has hired Steele to help with the ranch. In reality, Steele is a business troubleshooter checking out the spa and writing up a report for the investors.
From the moment Montana and Steele meet, they are attracted to each other and basically can't keep their hands off of each other. Montana needs to be in control at all times - can she let go and let Steele in her life?
I feel like I read a different book than the other reviewers. I didn't feel that this book was any type of sensual treat. Yes, the characters immediately have sex and continually have sex, but I didn't feel like there was any chemistry between them. That may be because I never felt like I knew the characters. There really wasn't much there about the characters - we read again and again about Montana having control issues, but what else about her - for example, what's the story on Charlie, her late husband? We get hints of what happened to their relationship, but nothing more. And I have no idea why Steele is so attracted to Montana.
This is my first Kathleen Lawless book, so I don't know if this is a typical book. I would read another one, but I won't be rushing out to buy it.
A sensual delight.......2006-08-04
A Hard Man To Love by Kathleen Lawless is one wickedly sensual tale.
Montana Blackstone has her heart set on making the Black Creek Resort and Spa a success. She is used to depending only on herself, so when her former mother in law hires a new foreman it doesn't sit so well with her. Montana soon realizes that she could use some help in shouldering the burden of opening up the spa. But Montana can't seem to keep her mind or her body on business while Steele Hardt is around.
Steele Hardt is the man with the magic touch. His visions and actions have turned many of businesses around. But Montana thinks he is there as her new foreman. Will she still want or need him when she finds out the real reasons why he is at the ranch.
Montana and Steele set the room on fire from their first glance. Their chemistry is so hot your hands will be burnt from reading their scenes. They both realize that they have found something so much deeper that they must cherish it.
A Hard Man To Love is a treat from page one. The tantalizing scenes between Steele and Montana will make you want for more. Its one hot book but also a deeply moving one as well.
A sensual treat.......2006-08-02
When a beautiful widow hires a professional gambler to run her ailing ranch/spa, she soon wonders if she is the one who has gambled . . . with her heart.
Widow Montana Blackstone has struggled to keep her ranch afloat, deciding to open an exclusive spa on the property for high-paying guests. Her mother in law hires former gambler Steele Hardt to bring the ranch back to life. After she and Steele have a heated disagreement, Montana immediately fires him, but the attraction between them has already been struck and they're both helpless against it. Montana is excited at the way the spa is coming together, but when she learns that she has been deceived about the true reason behind Steele's appearance, she brokenheartedly orders him to leave.
When Steele and Montana first meet, they immediately become lovers, and their affair continues to heat up from that point. Steele knows that if Montana finds out the truth she will send him away, but he is willing to risk it for the chance to be with her. The unthinkable happens when Steele falls in love with Montana; about the same time he realizes that he loves her, she discovers the secret behind his employment and demands that he leave.
Kathleen Lawless has written a real keeper with A HARD MAN TO LOVE. Montana and Steele are excellently written as fiercely independent characters that come to heavily rely upon one another. Montana has struggled for her independence and to keep her ranch in the black; it's only natural that she would buck against Steele's smooth, seductive nature, as a businessman and as a lover. Love scenes are passionately erotic while remaining romantic and sweet, and the author delves deep into the emotional insecurities that make these characters seem very real. The secondary characters are equally well-written and are a wonderful complement to the story. I highly recommend this book for lovers of contemporary, erotic love stories.
COURTESY LAURIE/ROMANCE JUNKIES
fine ranch resort romance.......2006-08-02
Widow Montana "Monty" Blackstone plans to convert part of her Black Hills Ranch into the Black Creek Resort, a spa for people to escape from their daily lives. Her mother-in-law Helen hires Steele "Midas" Hardt, a former professional gambler, to run the ranch which has seen some neglect. Monty fires Midas within seconds of meeting him, but he convinces her to retain him before he kisses her. To their shock that kiss leads to them making love in the not opened spa.
As Monty and Midas work together to make her dream come true, he hides his real agenda from her. Soon he finds himself in love and believes Monty reciprocates, but as he ironically tells his brother Sloan he will need all the luck in the world to pull off this deal without losing his girl.
Steele definitely has the Midas touch as he goes from fired to sex in minutes. The story line is a lighthearted contemporary romp starring an independent woman who follows her dream and the man who can help her make it happen if she gives up some of her obsessive need for autonomy. Fans will enjoy the lead couple's differing dilemmas as they fall in love but she fears the loss of her freedom and he worries about what will occur once she learns the truth. A HARD MAN TO LOVE is a fine ranch resort romance.
Harriet Klausner
Amazon.com
Texas musician Friedman writes mysteries the way he sings -- lots of humming, head-scratching and general fooling around. There are always plenty of cigars and an inevitable cat. But his loyal fans lap up his books and will certainly welcome this newest addition. The Kinkster's boozy reporter (is there any another kind in mystery fiction?) friend McGovern is being plagued by FBI agents disguised as aliens, so Friedman sets off on a journey of discovery to Washington and Al Capone's old Chicago haunts.
Book Description
"DEAR KINKY: I HAVE NOW READ ALL YOUR BOOKS. MORE PLEASE. I REALLY NEED THE LAUGHS."
--Bill Clinton
A beautiful woman, a missing husband, and a private eye with eyes for his comely client. It's the classic hardboiled-mystery setup. But in the grip of Kinky Friedman, expect one of the wildest, wackiest, and weirdest rides of your life!
"A novel to be read for the sheer joy of it."
--
The Baltimore Sun
Customer Reviews:
Kinky, you're great!.......2007-01-11
I read everthing that Mr. Friedman puts out and am always very amused. This book is no exception.
Offbeat enough to just hit the spot!.......2005-12-13
This is my first foray into Kinky Friedman's strange little world of cats, puppet heads, cigars and a host of strange characters. I found this book on tape to be an enjoyable bit of listening - full of odd turns of phrases and turns of events. A nice change of pace. A cleansing of the palate.
I doubt if I'll seek out Mr. Friedman's work in the future, but I'll be sure to consider it if I happen across it on Amazon.com or at my local bookseller.
One-Note 'Love Song'.......2002-02-25
You can tell that the title of Kinky Friedman's ninth novel, "The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover," hints at an educated author who is also a humorist with a flair for the politically incorrect. The title is a take-off of T.S. Eliot's poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and the story was written by the man who fronted a band called the Texas Jewboys and penned country songs like "Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed" and "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore" (which is not as offensive a song as you'd think.) Obviously, Kinky Friedman is a man who is not afraid to offend. You have been warned.
Friedman's novels are the most unconventional in detective fiction. His hero is a carbon copy of himself who becomes an amateur detective after saving a woman's life during a robbery attempt at an ATM. He lives with his cat in a badly heated warehouse loft on 199B Vandam St., New York City, and surrounds himself with an unconventional set of friends like journalist Michael McGovern, who has both a drink and a chicken dish named for him, Ratso, who sometimes wears a coonskin cap complete with head and Rambam, a mercenary "wanted in states whose names begin with an I."
They're an eccentric group of friends, so when McGovern says he's seeing little green men and receives threatening phone calls from an old friend named Leaning Jesus, it's understandable why Friedman wants to avoid him, especially since he has been hired by a beautiful woman to find her missing husband. The case becomes troublesome after Friedman is caught in a narcotics raid in D.C. and a flaming limo in Chicago. His sleuthing uncovers a clue that McGovern's troubles might be connected to the missing husband.
This is not the best book in the series. Friedman seems to be going through the motions here. While first-time readers will be either enchanted or repelled by Friedman's stream-of-consciousness prose and wicked, frequently scatological wit, regular readers will sense a flagging of energy. Friedman's plots are usually simple frameworks on which he hangs his jokes, but here it becomes annoying that the story doesn't begin moving until halfway through the book. Too little is too much this time; this is one love song that strikes a sour note.
If you're still interesting in sampling Kinky's work, I would suggest his Hank Williams Jr. tribute "A Case of Lone Star," or his more recent "Roadkill," featuring Willie Nelson.
Amusing, Offebeat, Politically Incorrect and Entertaining.......2000-09-28
...I stumbled across this book on a bargain rack, and it was also my first experience reading the "Kinkster". However, I must confess that I found this novel to be well worth the couple of bucks I paid for it, and well worth my time in reading it (although it surely won't take very long, Friedman's books are a very quick and painless read).
Friedman's writing style is infectious- you either like it right from the start, or it's not for you. Virtually every page has a wisecrack and witty retort, and the author throws in references to such diverse characters as Charles Dickens, Tom Bodet (of Motel 6 fame), Martin Luther King, J. Edgar Hoover and mass murderer John Wayne Gacy. No topic is off-limits. The narrator lives in a 4th floor apartment in NYC, and a lesbian dance instructor lives over him. He mentions, as he goes through the papers of a missing man, that one check stood out "like a Jew with an antfarm." Friedman pokes fun of everyone, but in a playful and witty manner that I really enjoyed.
The novel's main storyline revolved around a missing person, the husband of Kinky's client, as well as a secondary theme involving suspicious characters that seem to be following Kinky's Irish journalist friend McGovern. I am unfamiliar with the author's prior works, but I understand that many of his usual cast of characters are here, as well as the habits and style that have made his loyal fans look forward to Friedman's annual novel.
I should add a word or two about the rating, since I gave the book 4 stars yet I certainly don't think Friedman is a better novelist than say John Irving or Howard Norman, whose books I have given 3 stars. I think you have to judge a book like this in the context of his genre, and for those looking for a witty mystery novel with an occasional unexpected plot twist, interspersed with humor and biting sarcasm, I think this book ranks up there with similar novels by Carl Hiassen.
ZZZZZZZZZ!.......1998-06-19
Admitedly this is my first Friedman book and I bought it because it was in the bargain bin for $1.96 and I've heard of him. Maybe his books are an acquired taste, but I think I got about $1.93 of my money's worth. Yes, the author can ramble and rant and turn a phrase with the best writers, but the whole "mystery" turns into a red herring and leaving me with a big "huh?" on my face. A lot of comments on everything around the wry detective with what little plot there was used as an excuse to pontificate some more. Sorry, fans. I can read Dennis Miller's comedy rants in book form or, better yet, watch him on HBO. No need for "the Kinkster" in my life but at least I gave it a shot. Perhaps his other books are better.
Book Description
All three books are written with an enduring view of the dark corners of the American psyche. Cain hammered high art out of the crude matter of betrayal, bloodshed, and perversity.
Customer Reviews:
Serenade.......2005-02-23
I have only read Serenade out of the three novels in this book, so that is what this review concerns.
James M. Cain wrote in the first person, from the criminals perspective. His storytellers are not usually hardened criminals, yet through circumstances commit the most atrocious of crimes. He writes about down trodden, out of luck schmucks, who fall for the wrong kind of girl. Interestingly, it is usually his women who are tough, manipulative, and full of lust for crime. The men tend to be suckered in by their seductive charms.
Serenade centers around a down and out opera singer, John Howard Sharp. He is so down on his luck that he's been singing in a small club in Mexico, before, even they, kick him out. His luck seems to change when he meets a cheap whore, whom he falls with. His love for her causes his once faultering voice, to come back. What follows is a transcontinental series of adventures cataloging John's skyrocket rise in both movies and the New York opera, and his subsequent fall.
There is plenty to like about Serenade. Cain's terse, cynical prose moves across the page like a song. He accurately portrays John's love and hatred for his Mexican whore. There are plenty of nice character moments. Moments that give just the right details that give meaning to ordinary events. Much of the "action" of the story revolves around the little moments of life: sitting in a room talking to friends, stroking the hair of a girl, listening to music. Cain understands that much of life is filled with these types of moment and that great changes and meaning can be found in them.
Before Cain became a writer, he was trained as a singer. In part, this novel seems to be an attempt for him to allow his musical knowledge and training come to some use. Throughout the book John converses about, or describes internally, music he likes and hates, musicians, and his own singing. Some of this is vitally important to the story, for he is a professional singer, and the plot concerns his successes as such. Yet it is so infused with information that it, at times, feels more like a trade magazine than a proper story. At only 136 pages, it is superfluous to fill so many with discussions on Puccini and Mozart.
There is a revealing moment about John's character in the last third of the book. Even while reading this in 2005 it seemed shocking. Yet it is treated with aplomb, handled with an experts hand. The feelings that arise out of the character seem true, if no entirely kind. It is also interesting to see how that particular issue was handled at that time.
Overall, Serenade is an interesting read. It is well written and the characters are well drawn. However, if you have never read anything by James M. Cain, I would recommend picking up The Postman Always Rings Twice and then Double Indemnity before I began reading this
[...]
Books:
- The House Next Door
- The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove
- The Malloreon, Vol. 2 (Books 4 & 5): Sorceress of Darshiva, The Seeress of Kell
- The Misfits
- The Nanny Diaries: A Novel
- The Nature of Alaska, 2nd: An Introduction to Familiar Plants and Animals and Natural Attractions (Field Guides - Waterford Press)
- The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (National Book Award for Young People's Literature (Awards))
- The Photoshop CS2 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter)
- The Power of One (Young Reader's Edition)
- The Sight (Warriors: Power of Three, Book 1)
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