Limecello’s review of Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
Contemporary Romance released by Avon on 27 May 08
I’ve read every book Ms Gibson has written, and was so excited to get my hands on this book. I read it in one day – actually, in only a few hours. I’ve loved the quartet of books about the author heroines. I thought the first was my favorite. Then the third. But this fourth book joins them to form a triumvirate of book love.
Adele Harris is a heroine I think all of us can relate to. She’s cursed with bad dates. The poor thing has to suffer to a degree I hope most of us never do, and to top it all off, her personal nemesis is gunning for her from the dead. Ok actually, I didn’t like that part. I tend to not like the “supernatural” I’m going to be goofy and eff up your life from the dead/above or little angels or fairy godmother type things. However, this book didn’t irritate me that much. My one beef, is that Sears was lower on the chain than Wal-Mart. (Read it to find out what I’m talking about – because yes, it does make sense. And this is a book you should read.)
Adele is just so normal that you sympathize with her immediately – even though she’s gorgeous and every man wants her, as evinced by the fact that she goes on so many dates. She has to put her life on hold to help her sister. Her perfect sister with the perfect life, who just had everything crumble down around her. Adele is happy to help, and luckily her career allows her to do so. Fate also deals her a funny hand, and leads her straight back to “the one who got away.” She’s also beginning to think she’s cursed because every date she goes on ends horribly, but she’s still willing to get out there and find true love.
Zach Zemaitis is a great romance hero. He’s the golden boy. Star high school quarterback. Star college quarterback – and it’s a big deal, because he was a Longhorn. Most everyone knows that down in Texas, football is close to a religion, but not just that, UT has a great football program. Zach also wasn’t a wash out -and played pro, until he turned 32. Then, he was going to work for ESPN – but his estranged wife died, and he changed his plans to take care of his thirteen year old daughter. Let’s pause for the “aww” moment.
He’s a little stupid about relationships and emotions – and I did have to wonder why he stayed married to his evil deceased wife for so long – but this isn’t an issue that’s ever really addressed in the book. Mostly, he just doesn’t care. He also has a few Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moments, but unfortunately, they’re necessary to resolve the conflicts in the book. They’re also good because – well, in real life, people have idiotic moments and say things they really regret. Real life is messy, and sometimes (oftentimes) events and words occur that you wish didn’t.
I really like how Zach and Adele had history, but the book doesn’t rely on that to make their current relationship work. They become reacquainted, and find out who the other person truly is. I loved the interplay between Zach and Adele, and how Adele attempts to resist him. She holds her own when pitted against his charm and overwhelming sex appeal. Their dialogue was snappy and fun, and the situations they found themselves in were humorous, but not kitschy.
When the worst thing you can say about a book is that you don’t particularly love the cover, you know you’ve got a winner. And that’s just what Not Another Bad Date is. This is a great contemporary romance, that’s a fun and light read, that focuses on the emotions of the characters and the development of their relationship. Very enjoyable, and definitely recommended.
Grade: A-
Adele Harris has never had a problem finding a man- it’s finding a good man that’s damn near impossible
Adele Harris has dated them all-geeks, nerds, liars, losers. Egomaniacs, nymphomaniacs, and just plain maniacs. She’s been set up and stood up, and now she’s had it up to here with the jerks of the world. It’s enough to make a girl give up dating forever. If only she could find a guy that made her heart flutter like her first love, Zach, the college quarterback who swept her off her feet senior year… before dumping her to marry someone else. Okay, so he wasn’t perfect. But when Adele heads back to Cedar Creek, Texas, for a family emergency, she discovers that her hometown heartthrob is still as sexy as ever-and now he’s single.
It could be the end of Adele’s streak. After all, forgiving Zach for breaking her heart years ago and learning to trust him again will take everything she’s got, but Adele can handle anything… anything but another bad date.
