Skinny Dipping

Connie Brockway always writes well, often with humor. This is the second of her contemporary romances I have tried. The first ‘Hot Dish’ left me cold. This one was more intriguing - the characters were real, not paper cutouts, with no one falling into bed in the first chapter, the storyline interesting and the entire package very satisfying. I still prefer some of her historicals but definitely recommend this too.

I really enjoyed this book but it might not be everyone's cup of tea. If you want a more typical romance novel that has frequent sex scenes and/or most of the action centering around the "hero" and "heroine," you might not like this book. If you are open to a different kind of story, you'll love it. I'm not sure it is as much a romance as a comedic love story that covers family relationships and traditions as well as a romantic relationship. One of the other reviewers called it "messy;" it is a bit messy the same way that a big family dinner is messy compared to a quiet table for two but you wouldn't want to leave any of the relatives out, even the ones that make you crazy. That "mess" is a big part of the charm of this book for me. The characters are flawed and annoy each other but still care for each other. The other reason I enjoyed the book is that I am also a Minnesotan with a life-long attachment to a "third-rate" lake and I have stayed at a friend's family cabin complex that sounds very much like Chez Ducky. The setting rang absolutely true for me. I hope Ms. Brockway brings back the Olsons for books about Prescott, Sarah and Mary.

Garrison Kiehlor, the Cohen Brothers, and now Connie Brockway have written about this state in a way that makes me want to take a road trip there. Now. Well, perhaps I'll wait until spring. This book was by turns lol funny, wise and romantic. Ms. Brockway has taken a familiar premise-- Mr Overachiever meets Miss Slacker-- and made it completely fresh and surprising. Add to that an old family cabin on a remote Minnesota lake and a cast that could have played in a Preston Sturges film, and you've almost got the picture. It's also about growing older and the ties that bind. This book just doesn't fit into any easily defined categories. Hmmm... If you like the Cohen Brothers, the Lake Wobegon monologues, Pat Gaffney and Susan Elizabeth Phillips-- then I think you might love this book. I really did. Thank you Ms. Brockway. I hope you're busy writing another one.

Brockway's Skinny Dipping has a bunch of terrific eccentric characters and quite a few laugh-out-loud moments. The main character is a professional medium, the hero sort of a neat freak. Both of their families have so many issues that "quirky" is way too tame to describe the total package. Warning: You will identify at least one of your own family members in this, and wonder if Brockway's been spying on your backyard barbecues! This book defies category. It's certainly not strict romance, although there are elements of that. I don't think it's chick lit, either. I can only say that it IS a page turner for me, and that's becoming harder and harder for me to find these days. And for those who read Brockway's first venture away from straight romance/historicals, Hot Dish, and still weren't convinced you'd love her new work, you really want to go "Dipping." It's a lot funnier and deeper, IMO.

Connie Brockway always writes a grand romance, but SKINNY DIPPING takes us deep into the heart of the Minnesota woods where the mosquitos are as big a trucks and the family cabin is a being as cherished as your dear old grandma. Mimi is one of those women no one ever talks about -- the female Peter Pan, who never wants to grow up and take responsibility for anything. Then reality slaps her in the face, she discovers she's the only one in the family who's a grown up, while at the same time she meets a guy who makes her feel like a kid again. So Mimi's caught between being the glue that holds the family together and the kid who still gets to go skinny dipping with the cutest guy in town, and after some laugh out loud moments, she learns to balance all the parts of her life. Mostly. SKINNY DIPPING is the most fun I've had with a book in ages. If you want to lose yourself in a story with characters you like, read SKINNY DIPPING.

I absolutely adored this book! I thought Mimi was a great character. I loved the way she matured during the course of the book to show HER true character but I also think she was a bit of "wish fulfillment" for all of us women who are trying so hard to do and have it all in this life only to find ourselves exhausted and burnt out. I'd love to spend a day floating in an inner tube on the lake with Mimi! I fell in love with the delightful cast of characters, especially Joe, Prescott and "Bill". Every scene with Prescott (who would fit in wonderfully with the cast of THE BIG BANG THEORY) was a hoot. I laughed out loud several times. The romance between Joe and Mimi developed beautifully and I could honestly see these two having a joyful future together. This book with its wacky and warm humor reminded me of the best of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Jennifer Crusie. Connie Brockway really hit her contemporary stride with this offering and I highly recommend it.