Melissa writes:
Ok-so, I have been looking for a book/author for maybe 6 months now and
it’s keeping me up at night! Someone suggested that I come here for help!Here’s the story:
I stumbled upon an excerpt from this particular book maybe a year ago or
so, thought it was sort of interesting, but at the time-was really not into
reading everyday contemp romance..so, I made a mental note to go back one
day and get the book….well, my mommy brain decided that was a memory that
was not important and here I am today—searching non stop for this
author/book!Here’s what I remember:
Seems to me that this particular author wrote historical and perhaps this
book was maybe even her 1st contemp-I might be wrong on that though..In the excerpt I THINK I remember the heroine living in an apartment
complex and the hero was a gorgeous hunk of a man who moved into her
building/next door. She has a friend with her in this excerpt I think
that’s trying to get the heroine to just introduce herself to him already,
because she think’s he is super sexy….and then ends up running into him
when she is looking horrible (I think maybe she is sweaty and hot from
exercising or something…)….it seems like I remember there being a dog
involved somehow ….like the heroine maybe saying “I have to go feed my
dog” or something…. anyway..this is about all I can rememberI thought maybe Susan Kay Law’s THE PAPER MARRIAGE might be what I am
looking for, but it’s not..I just read it and Im sure it’s not the book Im
looking for!Thank you so much in advance for any help you can lend me in this search!
This is Jennifer Crusie. Don’t remember the title but the dog I think was named Fred.
Have my priorities right, eh.
Oooh! I think I know this one: Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie! The hot neighbor and the dog fits. And the heroine is weirded out because she’s older than the guy. (This is one of Jenny’s earlier books, but still pretty good.)
ARGH I KNOW ONE AND TWO PEOPLE BEAT ME TO IT!!
Sorry, I’m sad now. Extra sad as I just read this book a few days ago. Thumbs up to those who beat me though 🙂
It could also be The Girl Next Door by Meg Cabot. I dunno, shot in the dark. 😀 It has the dog and the heroine with a gorgeous neighbor (who’s only around because I think his grandmother, who usually stays in the apartment, is in the hospital?). It’s also a mystery, I think.
There is a Susan Anderson book that might fit the bill.
Vegas showgirl meets neighbor in exercise clothes.
from amazon
I immediately thought of Anyone But You (aka Fred’s Book) by Jenny Crusie too. But the one detail that doesn’t quite fit is the heroine looking like crap when she meets the heroine—I know that they met when Fred the dog climbed down the fire escape into the heroe’s apartment and the hero returns him to the heroine (this is why it’s Fred’s Book—you remember the dog’s name but not the hero’s or heroine’s). I don’t remeber any emphasis being placed on the heroine looking less-than-fresh, so if Melissa is really certain about that detail, this might not be the right book.
Even if it isn’t, Melissa, you should really read this book.
BTW, although this is an older Crusie novel (maybe early 90’s), it was recently re-released in hardcover, so the timeline works.
I thought of the Susan Andersen one too – it’s called Just for Kicks and is loosely related to Skintight.
(hey, off topic, but have you heard that Susan Andersen’s third book (Ava’s story) from The Sisterhood Diaries is going to be published next year? I gather that counsumer pressure led Harlequen to rethink?)
It is FOR SURE the Anderson. Good catch Jessica!
That was actually a shout out to Teresa C. Sorry!
There’s no dog in any of them but this made me think of Lisa Kleypas’s contemporaries, at least Blue-Eyed Devil and Smooth Talking Stranger. Although the people suggesting Anyone But You are probably on the right path. That does sound like a closer match.
It sounds just like Anyone But You. Any time there’s a dog in the story, I think Jennifer Crusie.
Oooh! I think I know this one: Anyone but You by Jennifer Crusie! The hot neighbor and the dog fits. And the heroine is weirded out because she’s older than the guy. (This is one of Jenny’s earlier books, but still pretty good.) http://www.claudiudesign.org/
I always like to read something like this. That is usually a bit hard to find valuable information on the internet. And I found your post using Yahoo and I can say I the time spent was worth reading.
Jumping Castle
I’m looking forward to see what you are going to do Kai.
I’ll follow you with interest!
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