Overview
LOVE AND DECEPTION HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.Meet the Goodnights, a respectable family who run a respectable art gallery-and have for generations. There's Gwen, the matriarch who likes to escape reality, Eve the oldest daughter who has a slight identity problem (she has two), Nadine, the granddaughter who's ready to follow in the family footsteps as soon as she can find a set that isn't leading off a cliff. And lastly, 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.
THE RISKS ARE INTOXICATING.
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.
AND IF YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT THEM, THEY BOTH PAY OFF.
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.
Synopsis
"Hard to resist...[a] roller-coaster ride...perfect escapist fare!"
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
LOVE AND DECEPTION HAVE A LOT IN COMMON.
Meet the Goodnights, a respectable family who run a respectable art gallery-and have for generations. There's Gwen, the matriarch who likes to escape reality, Eve the oldest daughter who has a slight identity problem (she has two), Nadine, the granddaughter who's ready to follow in the family footsteps as soon as she can find a set that isn't leading off a cliff. And lastly, 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.
THE RISKS ARE INTOXICATING.
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.
AND IF YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT THEM, THEY BOTH PAY OFF.
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.
"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
"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
Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Crusie (Fast Women, etc.) takes readers on another smooth ride in her latest romantic caper. At the wheel this time is fab art forger Matilda Goodnight, whose chance encounter in a closet with cute con man/thief Davy Dempsey leads to madcap mayhem and breathless romance. He's trying to steal back the money he filched from Clea Lewis, ex-girlfriend (and possible husband killer), who had taken it right back. Tilda just wants her last "Scarlet" painting, which Clea has bought to impress Mason Phipps, her rich art-obsessed beau. It's the last of six forgeries Tilda did for Tony, her now deceased gallery-owner dad, and Tilda is determined to preserve her newly squeaky-clean reputation. Confused yet? It gets wackier, because the whole Goodnight clan and supporting cast are as enormously engaging as the loopy plot. There's Tilda's mother, Gwen; her sister, Eve/Louise, a split-personality teacher/diva; her gay ex-brother-in-law, Andrew; and her precocious teenage niece, Nadine. Add a host of shady characters and would-be hitmen, and the breezy plot thickens and puffs up like the light airy doughnuts all Goodnight women are attracted to but eventually forsake for muffins: "Muffins are for the long haul and they always taste good. They don't have that oh-my-God-I-have-to-have-that thing that the doughnuts have going for them, but you still want them the next morning." Finally, defying all odds, Crusie answers the burning questions she poses can liars and thieves fall in love, live happily ever after and stay out of jail? while confirming the dangers of dating doughnuts. (Aug. 19) Forecast: The paperback edition of Fast Women hit the New York Times bestseller list a week after publication look for Faking It to move just as fast on the hardcover side. Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club featured alternate.
Editorials
From the Publisher
Praise For New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Crusie And Her Novels"Move over, Susan Isaacs."-Kirkus Reviews
"Crusie charms with her brisk, edgy style."-Publishers Weekly
FAKING IT"Few popular writers handle light romantic comedy as deftly as Jennifer Crusie...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
"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: Risque, 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
"Cruisie'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 50 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
"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 Times2"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."-modemag.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
"Bright, funny, sexy, and wise."-Kirkus Reviews
"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
"Crusie 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."-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 onto your seat for an 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 Isaac mysteries take heart: there's a new author on the block!"-Woman's Own