Loved the First Half, The Second...Not So MuchI was looking for a light, fun, romantic read - taking a break, actually, from a book that defines heavy reading. Of course I went to Showalter - she's usually a sure fire gem in that arena. And in Animal Instincts, she was as well...for the first half of the book.Naomi, burned first by the biological father who did her mom wrong then again by her own husband, sees love and marriage as the most insidious sorts of traps and thinks all men are utter snakes. She's taking a hands off approach to those snakes in general and love in particular when she accepts a job planning a birthday party for the fabulous Royce's mother's birthday. From the moment she walks into Royce's office her life starts resembling a tilt-a-whirl on meth - while she's ecstatic at the attention and the hard core romance and lust Royce is full court pressing her with, she's terrified with it as well, and when he tells her he loves her...and she's the woman of his dreams...Naomi goes from terrified to frantic with fear. She can't let herself love again - ever - or she'll be destroyed. She's convinced of it, and no amount of yummy bedroom games will convince her otherwise. Can Royce convince her he's everything he seems to be or will the flighty Naomi fly the coop?For the first half of Animal Instincts, I was amused at the role reversal - the stubborn and sharp tongued Naomi willing only to risk a purely sexual fling with Royce and Royce desperate to drag Naomi to the alter and love her for the rest of their long lives. I found the first half to be light, sweet, funny, and fun. Then came the crippling waves of panic that at first lapped at, then crashed upon Naomi's mental beach. I had a hard time staying in the story from that point on because frankly, I felt the book went from fun to disturbing. Naomi's problems were written to such a deep-seeded and pathological level that all I kept hoping for was for her to seek some serious therapy. I've read about commitmentphobes in the past, but this woman was severely damaged. And that damage spiraled further and further out of control until it just wasn't funny any more, it was sad.Royce, however, was a darling throughout, and while I didn't totally buy the love-at-first-green-dress motivation, if Naomi had been less damaged and had been even the smallest bit nice to the man, I would've forgiven the reach of the depth of his feelings. There's definitely a line between a great guy and a cartoon character (like Royce is Wiley E. Coyote and Naomi's the Roadrunner who kept dropping anvils on his head, but Wiley E. keeps coming back again and again), and unfortunately, Showalter crossed it. Because that aspect of the book didn't work for me in the second half, several other issues started nagging at me - issues that I can easily ignore in other chick lit romance novels because I'm reading for light fun, and I'm very forgiving if I'm enjoying the romance. In this book, though, those aspects really started to wear on me. The two dimensional secondary characters - like Naomi's cousins and her mother, for example. The cliched face off with the jealous secretary and the resolution with her step father, as well. If I'd been invested in the story at that point, those things wouldn't have bothered me at all.I'm a little disappointed in Animal Instincts - though it did keep my mind off the heavy reading I'm doing with another book...it's just...now I feel like I need more light reading to help me recover from this one. ~*~*~*~Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Naomi has been burned by a cheating husband, and now that she's divorced she's determined to never trust another man. No dating, no falling in love, and definitely no getting married again. Royce saw Naomi across the room at an event she planned for his friend's sister, and six months later he still can't get her off his mind. He arranges for his mother to contact her to plan her “surprise” birthday party, and from the minute he gets her into his life he's determined to keep her there permanently. I felt for Naomi. I empathized with her, I was right there beside her, agreeing with all her internal thoughts and reasonings. Neither of my exes (one marriage, one long-term relationship) cheated on me (that I know of anyway!), but cheating isn't the only way a jerk of a man can screw you over. Naomi narrates the story, so we are privy to all of her thoughts and emotions. Watching her deal with Royce, put up walls only to have him knock them down, was incredibly entertaining. She's fun, and funny. She's embarking on a career that she loves, and is good at, but in her personal life she's unsure of herself. She's reading a self-help book, about unleashing your inner tigress, which causes her to have some funny internal conversations with her own tigress. I really liked Naomi. There's a subplot about Naomi and her mother believing her step-father is cheating and Naomi trying to get proof that was also pretty funny, especially when Royce unwittingly inserted himself into her investigation. Ah, Royce. What can I say about him besides, Yummy. He's cool and sexy, wickedly charming, and sweet all at the same time. He's pretty perfect and I was in love with him almost immediately after meeting him. Naomi's interactions with Royce's assistant are hilarious. Actually much of the book is hilarious, and I laughed out loud a lot. All of the secondary characters are wonderfully written.I'll admit I'm not that crazy about the cover, and if it'd been written by some author I was unfamiliar with or wasn't a huge fan of I may have passed it up. I've only read one other book by Gena Showalter, but I loved it (THE STONE PRINCE), and ever since I've been snatching up anything I come across with her name on it. ANIMAL INSTINCTS is a bit on the chick lit side, which may not appeal to everyone, but don't let that put you off if chick lit isn't your thing. It's a genre I used to read a lot of in my 30's, but as I've aged I began to feel I'd outgrown it. But you never outgrow fun, breezy writing with fantastic and believable characters and a story that keeps you up way past your bedtime two nights in a row!
What do You think about Animal Instincts (2007)?
Mi è difficile esprimere un giudizio chiaro e definitivo su questo romanzo. Un 50 % di cose mi sono piaciute, ma un altrettanto 50 % mi ha fatto storcere il naso. Il pretesto iniziale, le domande per sposare Royce per intenderci, l'ho trovato francamente demenziale, al limite del ridicolo; le schermaglie dialettiche e mentali tra i due protagonisti sono ben scritte, con uno stile fresco e diretto che diverte e non annoia mai, ma in generale l'intero intreccio, lo svolgersi della trama e i passaggi emotivi li ho trovati decisamente poco lineari e in parte poco approfonditi. Lui è irreale, troppo perfetto, troppo innamorato fin da subito, senza un apparente motivo...Posso capire i suoi sentimenti nella seconda parte, ma nella prima metà i suoi comportamenti sono esagerati! Sarà poi che gli uomini zerbini non è che mi facciano impazzire... Le scene hot sono piccanti al punto giusto, anche se forse troppo sbrigative... Anche il il comportamento di lei a volte incomprensibile... Non so, alla fine mi ha lasciato con l'amaro in bocca questo romanzo, come se lo sviluppo dei sentimenti non fosse stato del tutto omogeneo. L'autrice, secondo me, è da rivedere, per poter esprimere un giudizio più completo.
—Manuela
I enjoy the book over Valentines, and found it a cute standalone contemporary romance. Although after a while I was rather equally frustrated with Namoi as I'm sure Royce was. I found some of the communication and dialog rather humorous, and some of the scenarios rather outrageous. I found some what much of Namoi was going through rather relatable for most ladies. I always love a happy ending and this book had just that.
—Tiffany Borys
I must wrote this here because it's so funny, it's about Royce's parents.. I really did LOL at this and I sooo like the writing of Gena Showalter! :)"I've never met two people more in need of a divorce. They bickered and fought all evening.Royce said that's how they express their love. I don't believe him. I mean, please. You tell me if you feelthe love from this conversation (written word for word as I remember it):Linda: Elliot, be a dear and get me another drink.Elliot: Get it yourself.Linda: Get up and fix me a drink, you lazy man.Elliot: Woman, don't push me on this. I've finally gotten comfortable.Linda: (sugary sweet smile) I'll push you only when you're standing on a bridge.Elliot: If I were standing on a bridge and saw you coming, you wouldn't have to push me. I'd jump. See?Does that sound "loving" to you? Really, the man had worn a shirt with If You See My Wife Coming, Shoot Me printed on the front."
—Liza
