Stolen Moments: Sizzle

It seems every author has one--the book they'd rather forget. This one is Crusie's. Emily Tate is a marketing whiz. She's very good at her job, but has a tendency to go for results and forget about the cost. Then the company hires Richard Parker whose job is to keep the budget under control. Which puts them in direct opposition on Emily's latest perfume marketing campaign. The chemistry between them sizzles, the ad campaign sizzles, and the perfume itself, thanks to Emily's brilliant idea and leaning on the R & D guy, sizzles (think warming massage oil). Emily and Richard would have been able to deal with their professional differences except for one problem: Richard doesn't listen. And that's really the only problem with this novella--Richard doesn't listen, Emily calls him on it, he promises never to do it again, then something comes up, and Richard doesn't listen, rinse, and repeat. Thing is, that's such a realistic problem, I wish there'd been a more dramatic solution to it. Otherwise, it's vintage Crusie. Great fast-paced, witty dialogue, a wonderful best friend, and, well, sizzle. It's obviously not Jenny's best work, but I enjoyed it, and am glad I got it, beyond just making my collection complete.

The whole story is only 92 pages long, so I guess that classifies it as a novella. This is apparently a very early work by her, but even so, all of her classic elements are there - intelligent women, a gorgeous guy, witty dialogue and a sexy romance.Emily Tate is a brilliant marketer and is in charge of a new perfume campaign. Her last project, though wildly successful, went way over budget so (gorgeous and extremely sexy) Richard Parker has been hired by the firm as a number-cruncher to keep the various projects under budget. Also involved in the story is Emily's best friend/secretary Jane, who's been with her since their school days, knows all the skeletons, and who helps to keep her on track. Needless to say, there is immediate attraction between Emily and Richard, but there are also some major obstacles, such as his stubborness and seemingly inablility to listen to her.This book mainly consists of dialogue and witty repartee between the various characters. Example: "You're looking very chipper this morning." "Thank you." "Your underpants are on your desk." "What?" "The cleaners found them in the conference room and put them on the lost-and-found bulletin board. Real clowns, those cleaners." "Does anybody know?" "Absolutely not. I was the first one here. And I only knew they were yours because I bought them for you." "You get a raise." "Thank you. I deserve one. Who was the lucky man?"I rated this book four stars instead of five because the story is only told from Emily's viewpoint - we never share Richard's thoughts. I guess that that's one of the drawbacks of the short format, and one that isn't present in Ms. Crusie's later books. If you're a fan of Ms. Crusie's writing, then this is one that's definitely worth searching for. If you've never read her before and the cost of the used version is too high for you, then try her in-print books - you're sure to enjoy them too.

Emily Tate, a marketing manager who has a heck of time keeping her projects in line with the company's budget, is assigned a partner to keep her spending in line. Even though she makes millions for her company -- it's not enough for them. So they hire Richard Parker, an anal as can be budget advisor to keep her spending on track. She despises him sight unseen. But he's an irritatingly handsome guy who manages to charm his way into her heart. So what's an independent and intelligent woman to do when she learns that the one man who she wants to spend the rest of her life with has an annoying habit of ignoring everything she says? She turns the tables on the oaf and what follows is one of the sexist, smartest and wittiest little books I've ever read. And it most definitely lives up to its title!