Book Review

Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie: A Guest Review by Carrie S.

B+

Title: Maybe This Time
Author: Jennifer Crusie
Publication Info: St. Martin's 2010
ISBN: 978-0-312-30378
Genre: Contemporary/Other

Maybe This TimeA few weeks ago, I gave away ARCs of Jennifer Crusie’s Maybe This Time, and asked that, if the winners were so inclined, the lucky ARC-getters would send me their thoughts on the book.

Carrie was the first to send me her review, and I’m including it here – with a bonus at the bottom. See? It’s sometimes worth it to read all them there words.

I am still writing my review – it’s both a good thing and a bad thing that this book has given me so much to think about – but Carrie hits on a lot of the things I’ve been thinking about, too.


Maybe This Time, by Jennifer Crusie, is Crusie’s attempt to “fix” Henry James’ classic tale of horror, The Turn of the Screw.  In The Turn of the Screw, a young, repressed, isolated governess attempts to protect her two charges from the ghosts of their previous governess and manservant.  Crusie keeps the ghosts, but her governess, Andie, is tough, smart, liberated, unflappable, and surrounded by people whether she wants to be or not.  Also, unlike the governess, Andie doesn’t need anybody’s approval and is totally outspoken about everything that happens.  On her website, Crusie describes this as “a ghost story with a romance”, and readers should be aware that the actual romance is very much secondary to the story, although themes of loss, longing, and desire are central.

Maybe This Time opens with so many Crusie tropes that a drinking game is in order.  Take one drink for each favorite accessory, i.e, Fiestaware, amaretto, butterflies; and chug for every returning character (Hi Gabe!  Hi Simon!  Love ya!).  Andie herself has her own unique and wonderful personality, but is clearly a close relation of Min, Mare, and Agnes, of, respectively,  Bet Me, The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, and Agnes and the Hitman.  All of these touches make the book feel familiar and safe, even a bit derivative – until the ghosts appear and the story turns into something completely unexpected.  

There is no need to be familiar with Turn of the Screw to enjoy Maybe This Time, but it does explain why Crusie uses so many horror cliches to tell her story.  Not a door goes uncreaked in the house which was been imported, brick by haunted brick, from England to rural Ohio.  Some readers may experience this book as a fun lark, since it certainly contains ample touches of humor and hilarious chaos.  Personally, I’m an easy scare.  One good rocking chair rocking by itself sends me diving under the bedcovers.  Also, I have a daughter about the same age as the little girl in the book, who looks and acts very much like the little girl, so the menace hit home at a very visceral way for me.  I can honestly say that as soon as the ghost of Miss J appeared at the foot of the little girl’s bed, I was absolutely terrified until the book ended.  But, my guess is that most readers are a bit (OK, a LOT) more hardened than I am.  Also, I understood why Crusie used the trappings of gothic horror to tell her story, since she was trying to rework a gothic story.  But by using so many cliches (the creepy house, the creepy housekeeper, the creepy – well, everything) the reader is very aware that this is just a story, and not a new one.

The romance aspect of the book involves Andie and her ex-husband, North.  When the book opens, they have been divorced for ten years.  Andie is about to remarry when North asks her to take care of two children who have been left in his care for one month.  This will allow Andie to enter her new marriage debt-free and put some closure on what is clearly an unfinished love affair with North.  Ta-da, situation set for romantic mayhem.  

Andie and North are the old standby, opposites who attract.  They married after knowing each other for only twelve hours (which consist mostly of sex) and they set up house in the attic of North’s family house.  When North had to save the family law firm, he became a secretive workaholic, leaving free-spirited Andie basically trapped in the attic.  Although Andie left the marriage, it’s clear that Andie and North are haunted, pun fully intended, by their memories of each other, a fact which one of the ghosts exploits.  Does the romance work?  Well, aspects of it do.  The fact they still long for each other is made vividly clear, as is the fact that they have great sex.  The problem is that we don’t get a good enough picture of what their happy times were like, other than that they involved sex and dancing, to see why they want to be together.  The relationship doesn’t really build up in the present, either.  I liked to see that they had both grown up and become more honest with each other, but there just wasn’t enough to hang a romance on.  We know they are in love because they say so, and that’s it.  They aren’t a bad couple, they just aren’t developed enough to make me invested in their relationship.  Also, the culmination of the romance wasn’t that important to the plot.  In a really successful romance, while the reader hopes that everything will be fine for everyone, the reader really cares first and foremost about the fate of the main couple.   But in this book, it was nice that Andie and North got together and all, but what I really cared about was whether the kids were safe and the ghost eliminated.

Like every other Crusie book, much of the joy of the story comes from its richly drawn and hilarious characters.  Andie is a joy to spend time with, and I warmed to North as soon as he sent Andie a new oven so she could bake without scorching the cookies.  The moms are fun characters in their own right, but they also serve as parallels for Andie and North.  Andie’s mom wears Iron Maiden T-Shirts, and North’s mom wears impeccable suits, but neither mom has any patience with stupidity, self-destructiveness, or boundaries.  The kids are well-written, although I was sure the little girl is six, until I re-read the book and saw that she is eight.  She sure would make a dead-on six year old, as I should know, since I have one who bears an eerie resemblance to the one in the book, right down to the sparkle fetish and the temper tantrums.  I also enjoyed the medium, Isolde, and the skeptic, Dennis (Jennifer, is that a Whedon shout-out?  Because, if so, good one!).  Sadly, Andie’s fiancee and an evil reporter are one-dimensional and serve only to introduce extra conflict to the book.

In short, Maybe This Time is the classic example of the whole being more than the sum of its parts.  I read this book, flipped back to the beginning, and read it again just for fun.  I loved the humor, the tension, the imagery, the crazy cast of characters, and the themes.  For pure enjoyment, I’d give it an A.  However, the book may disappoint lovers of the paranormal in it’s use of cliche, and it may disappoint romance readers because the romance is secondary to the ghost story.  I loved the book and would read it again and again, but I wish it had gone a little deeper and maybe even a little darker.  Maybe North shouldn’t have replaced the old oven, so that Andie was beset by a house that fought her attempts to domesticate it by burning all the cookies.  Maybe this should have been a story in which the real life lovers have to let go of the memory of their love, just as the ghosts have to let go of the desires and needs they had when they were alive.  But then we wouldn’t have our happy ending, and we might as well read Turn of the Screw instead.  I did re-read it after I read Crusie’s version, and I don’t know which one has more merit as Lasting Literature, but I can tell you that I’d rather read the Crusie story any day!
 
Jennfer Crusie quote from:  http://www.jennycrusie.com/books/fiction/maybe-this-time/


You want a copy? Thinking hardcovers are outside the budget right now? No worries. I have 8 hardbacks and a postage scale in my dining room (which is sign #253 that you might be a blogger). Just leave me a comment here and tell me why you want to try to read this book, and yes, your review would be welcome after you’ve read it, should you be so inclined. Contest ends midnight Sunday 29 August 2010. I’ll pick eight winners, and announce them next week.

Standard disclaimer: no, I am not possessed. No, I am not being compensated for this giveaway. Yes, I do spend a lot of money on postage. Yes, I have my own postage scale and stamp printer, which I love even more than my luggage and my microwave. Yes, I do believe in life after love. No, I do not have a first aid kit handy. Yes, I remember that one time at band camp.

Comments are Closed

  1. brit says:

    I have been slowly building my Crusie collection as I can afford it and this would be awesome.

  2. Amanda S. says:

    Hey! ok..
    1. I’m a Crusie fan.
    2. I loooooove Ghost stories!
    3. The Governess deserves a name and a story too and I would love to read it 🙂
    4. Hello, my name is Amanda and I’m a book addict….its a sickness but I read good books so that has to count for something 😉
    Happy Reading!
    Amanda S.

  3. Lora says:

    Ooh Ooh Pick Me Pick Me!!! {raises hand obnoxiously and bounces in seat}
    Here’s why:

    I teach second grade and school just went back into session so this may be my best chance to read a book without a cute animal as the mc for a loooong time. (Not that I’m dissing Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed by Mo Willems which rocked my socks off)

    I love to talk and write about what I read and, since God is in the details, I wallow around in those in all my bitchy glory.

    The last nonschool book I read was Mockingjay and while I loved it, you cannot say much for the romantic element.

    I still have nightmares about that movie, The Frighteners, which probably would not scare an 8 year old. But I actually adore ghost stories (Read More than You Know. Right. Now.) despite the fact they scare the livin crap out of me.

    So I would love the opportunity to read this book although it may make me pee my pants in sudden terror and I will write a review which I will try to keep short and entertaining.

  4. Lisa Richardson says:

    Hmmm…I guess I you can call me Sofa King Re Todd Ed!  I sent an email to you because I couldn’t find a way to reply IN THE EMAIL….ding ding ding.

    I would love to read this book!  Crusie is a favorite of mine and I love paranormal as well.  My books are stacked up surrounding the bed, as the shelves are all overflowing.  But way up on top is my little postage scale, lol. 

    Yes, I’d love to win a copy!

    Thanks for a continually interesting blog!!

  5. Moon1006 says:

    I’ve read one Cruise novel and it was hilarious. I’d love to read this.

  6. Jessi says:

    Well there are two things I love – Cruise and ghost stories. I’m reading Peony in Love right now in fact (which is not a happy ghost story, but which is very interesting). I’m a librarian and I actually discovered Cruise because I have a patron with a visual impairment that comes in weekly to order audiobooks and who has an obsession with Cruise books. I’ve been a fan ever sense and I can’t wait to get my hands on this new book!

  7. Kelly S says:

    I remember Gabe from Fast Women but where is Simon from – Faking It?

  8. Mickey Macdougal says:

    Never read any Crusie books til just recently…AGNES and the HITMAN!!!  IT WAS GREAT!  Am adding her as one of my fav authors now!!!  can get her books thru library but would love to win her newest book!  She keeps you right there with her in the story!

  9. Chelsea B. says:

    Love Jennifer Crusie and I’m really looking forward to reading this one!

  10. SonomaLass says:

    I was planning to borrow this book from the library. Don’t want to buy it in hardback, don’t want to pay 12 bucks for the e-book, and since it’s a Macmillan imprint, stupid agency pricing means it WILL cost 12 bucks. Alternatively I will, as I have with so many other books in similar circumstances, just wait until it comes out in MMP and then maybe remember, maybe not, that I wanted to buy it.

    Winning a copy would be awesome avec sauce; guilt-free sauce!  I plan to re-read Turn of the Screw (last read in college, I think) so that I can fully appreciate the parallels.

  11. Castiron says:

    I’m interested in this book because I loved Agnes and Min (haven’t read The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes yet), so hearing that the lead is like them whets my interest.

  12. Malin says:

    I would love to get a copy of this book! And if I do, I will review it on my blog. That is, if this contest is open to people outside the US and Canada.

  13. Keziah Hill says:

    I too would love this book because the whole premise fascinates me. The film of TTOTS terrified the he’ll out of me when I first saw it and I always wanted a romance ala Jane Eyre for the governess.

  14. Melissa H. says:

    Oooh! I would actually love to read a paranormal that’s not too scary—yes, I’m a bit of a coward what can I say.

  15. Keziah Hill says:

    That’s hell. Bloody auto correct.

  16. Janet S says:

    I can’t not read Crusie’s books. Winning the book from smart bitches would make it a cherished item forever.

  17. Nemo says:

    I’ve avoided romance my whole life.  When other girls had pretend boyfriends I had pretend dragons.  We played baby dolls and I was the only single working mom.  I never understood the lure of those rose hued covers or the complex system of when cheating was okay – because he was a bastard and when it wasn’t because he was really a sweetheart.

    But…I cried during Ghost, giggled madly at Overboard, and read Jane Eyre obsessively.  I’m thinking I might give romance its fair chance.

    I’ve read the review and it sounds like “Maybe this time” might have the one thing that I look for in a book:

    Characters.  A book, I don’t care if it’s so expertly plotted it makes my head spin, has such vivid detail it burns pictures into my retinas, has diction that makes men and women fall over themselves at it’s beauty, if it doesn’t have good characters it’s sunk.

    Plus (and I cover my face in shame as I type this) I’m writing a ghost story romance for Nanowrimo.  I can call this research.

    (Also, I love to lend out good books, giving one to me is like giving it to five people at once!)

    So as my pitiful plea is sent out onto the internet I make this pathos infused last attempt:

    Don’t you want to be the one to fully convert someone on the subject of whether all romance is badly written, lust driven mush or talented, thoughtful writing with carefully sculpted characters and tasteful settings?

    (Note: No pressure at alllllll!)

  18. ashley says:

    What a nice review. It was very through which made happy on werther to give it a chance or not. Thanks for the contest. This would be a nice book to win because I have enjoyed other books by jennifer crusie,I like paranormal in books and humor also. And I enjoy reading.

  19. Natalie's Mama says:

    I cannot resist a book with a ghost and I love Jennifer’s books plus I love to win things which rarely happens.

  20. Abbie says:

    I’d love to read this! I’m a big Crusie fan, plus I have a huge weakness for “ghosty” romances, probably because they were some of the first ones I read. “Tryst” by Elswyth Thane and “The Sherwood Ring” by Elizabeth Pope. What can I say, my first romances were from my grandmother’s bookshelf circa 1950. (and I’m a child of the ‘80s, just so you know)

  21. Heathermara says:

    Very nice review.  I would be very interested in getting a copy of this book since I have never read Jennifer Crusie, and all the comments are intriguing.  I would also like a copy because Turn of the Screw was always one of my favorite stories and I would like to see how this author reinvents this tale. Thanks!

  22. Emily says:

    As a long-time fan of gothic romances (stolen from my mother) and a recent fan of Crusie (“borrowed” from a friend) I think this book sounds amazing! I love reading new Jennifer Crusie books and I can never find the ones I haven’t read at the library (a universal constant for my life…). I would love to win this book! If only to put off doing homework.

  23. Vicky says:

    I would love to win a copy of Crusie’s new book. I enjoy her books and usually find myself laughing out loud throughout them. I think it was meant to be for me to win one. I was checking her website out and clicked on the Moxie Girls link to find out about them, which in turn lead me here! I look forward coming back to checkout your site and won’t be taking the long way to get here.

  24. Rechelle says:

    I love spending time with Jennifer Crusie’s characters- when I finish one of her books I always feel like I just went on vacation in a small town in Ohio with some of the funniest people I’ve ever met and that we became great friends in a couple of weeks packed with all kinds of crazy adventures- and then I miss them terribly and want to send them all postcards telling them I’m coming back-
    I actually miss characters in a book-
    as if they were real people-
    I love that her writing is that great-

  25. Carrie says:

    @Kelly S, yes, you are correct – Simon is from “Faking It”.  I should prob say that both his appearence and Gabe’s are blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameos

  26. Katherine says:

    I’d love to win this. I am a Cruise-virgin and have been looking for an excuse to start reading her books. (I’m obsessive that way – find a book, like it, proceed to devour the author’s back catalogue.)

  27. AB says:

    I would love to read this book! Bet Me is one of my favorite novels ever, and it’s mainly due to Jennifer Crusie’s characters and characterization. I turn to it when I’m feeling down because it’s laugh out loud funny and breathtakingly sweet in turns. Her last few books have been collaborations, so I really want to read this one where she returns to writing solo. I love the opposites attract trope AND the reunited lovers trope so this should be right up my alley!

  28. Annie L says:

    Ooooh! I would just love this book! Crusie’s Crazy for You was my first romance (I picked it up at a library sale while on a family road trip) and I’ve since faithfully read all of her work. Pick me, please!

    And I’d love to try my hand at a review, too!

  29. Cat S says:

    Oooh, I would luuuuurve a hardcover.  I read Turn of the Screw in High School and I loved it.  It hooked me on gothics and is actually one of my favorite book.  I discovered Jennifer Crusie only lately.  I used to be a historical romance purist.  I wouldn’t dream of reading a contemporary until I read a review of Bet Me.  Now I’m a contemporary addict.  I love Crusie, Kristan Higgins, VIctoria Dahl & Julie James, to name a few.  This book would be great to have because for me it’s the best of both worlds! Jennifer Crusie’s spin on Turn of the Screw, complete with her zany characters?  Are you kidding me?

  30. I remember reading Jennifer Crusie when I was first branching out in romance novels. My Mom raved about how amazing they were and, I must say, I’ve never been disappointed with a Jenny Crusie book, and I have a feeling that this one will be no different. I would absolutely love to review it as well!

  31. Sycorax says:

    I read the Turn of the Screw in first year uni, and it creeped the hell out of me. I’m not sure which interpretation creeped me more – ghosts or a crazy governess. It remains the only Henry James novel(la) I’ve finished, as I’m usually put off by his sentences that go on for pages and his arrogance. TToTS Cruisie style is a premise I absolutely cannot resist. Her governess wouldn’t hallucinate ghosts and be responsible for the death of a child, and I’m sure her governess also wouldn’t combat a ghost by preaching Christianity nonstop at a child until he expired. Bring her on!

  32. Helen R-S says:

    I want to try reading this book to see whether I still get creeped out by ghost stories, and because I love Jenny Crusie!

  33. Alexis says:

    Top 5 Reasons I SHOULDN’T Ask to be Entered Into the Crusie Giveaway, BUT WILL ANYWAY:

    1)  I am a teacher.  I have 67 essays to read this week.  If you send me the Crusie, I’d read it instead.  Medium-sized children will be neglected and continue to confuse loose/lose for the rest of their natural lives.  I don’t care—PICK ME ANYWAY!

    2) I am single.  I really should stop comparing the men I meet to my favorite male heroes (and to my dad, who is wonderful.)  Will North be just one more fictional man I fall in love with?  It’s sad.  I don’t care—PICK ME ANYWAY!

    3)  I need more sleep.  Really, don’t we all?  And with Crusie, I’m always all “just ONE more chapter. (read)  Well, maybe one more.  it’s only midnight.  (read)  Um…I’m almost done.  I might as well finish it.”  And then it’s 3:00 in the morning and I have to get up in three hours and face high school kids who are so demanding.  Really, they expect me to teach something today?  I only slept three hours last night!  I don’t care—PICK ME ANYWAY!

    4) I’m trying to be better with my budget.  I MUST use my library more often and stop spending my “fun” budget on books that I am too impatient to wait for.  It would be GOOD for me to put my name on the list at my library and wait six months for it to become available for me to read.  Waiting builds character. I don’t care—PICK ME ANYWAY!

    5)  Forget it.  I’m out of reasons you should not send me the book.  I’m desperate.  I have wild eyes and that look of Romance-Crack addiction, in particular for a Crusie because she’s just so smart and fun.  I am that kid in that back of the class waving her hands madly and saying “ooh ooh!  Pick me Pick me Pick me pickmepickmepickme!”  It’s really annoying and you should shut me up.  So please pick me!

  34. Sarah says:

    Count me in for getting some free stuff!

  35. lunarocket says:

    As I have mentioned before (probably) I am still fairly new to the genre of romance having spent most of life reading science fiction. In fact it’s been barely 2 years since I started reading romance. Consequently, there are hundreds of romance novels and possibly as many authors out there I have yet to read. As my library is doing an excellent job of acquiring books for me if they aren’t on its shelves, and I see many, many posts of desperate romance readers here, I do not want to be the cause of any angst or gnashing of teeth by winning one of the books. Therefore I would like to say I DO NOT WANT nor NEED this book.

    I have yet to encounter a Crusie novel so I really don’t know what I am missing and so feel no angst whatsoever about not having a copy of her new book. I also don’t remember reading the Henry James book though I have seen the movie as a teenager and have a vague memory of being mildly scared by it. Thus I have no need to compare the two. Also, horror is not my favorite thing so again I feel no need to have the book.

    So should you feel the need to award me this book I request that you give it instead, to that person who you would have given it to otherwise.

    😉 (No, that is not a tongue in cheek smiley saying I really, really do want the book. It is merely a smiley to show I wish to cause no offense.) 🙂

  36. Lindz says:

    I would happily take a shot at reading & reviewing this book.

  37. Yellssej says:

    I’ve been keeping up with her updates on the blog with bated breath. Jennifer Crusie is one of my favorites and I can’t wait to read this book!

  38. Liviania says:

    I’d like to read this one because I found TURN OF THE SCREW endlessly dreary and would like to read a slightly humorous, happy ending version.

  39. Beth K says:

    I’d like to read this because I’ve just finished The Turn of Screw (I’m on a gothic horror thing at the moment – next up: Elizabeth Gaskell’s Gothic Tales) and it sounds interesting!

  40. Lauren says:

    I’d love a copy of this book!

    I rarely read modern books, and hardly anything scary (I only made it about 10 minutes into the Amityville Horror), hell, I almost didn’t finish this review when I heard it was about a ghost story.  But I did!  And I need to toughen up a bit.  This book could be an important step in curing my chronic wussieitis.  It’s not indulgent reading, it’s therapy!

    But, say, if I was to get a free book, I wouldn’t feel so bad about throwing it across the room and into my closet in fear and never touching it until I gather up the courage to stuff it in a box and mail it to a friend. 

    So the moral of the story is this: If you give me a book, you’re not only helping me self-improve, but you’ll solve the issue of what to get my friend for her birthday.  Ahem.

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