Feeling responsible for the murder of his informant, undercover investigator Thomas Tobin took responsibility for the weirdest dog he's ever seen, the mostly bald Chinese Crested named, ironically, Hairy. Unfortunately Hairy's got some big issues, and Thomas can't seem to pawn the trembling, urinating, rat-looking thing off on anyone. To save his sanity, he finally takes Hairy to veterinarian and animal behaviorist Dr. Emma Jenkins, but one look at the lush beauty and the normally dour and forbidding Thomas can't seem to keep his mind out of the kennel. Only problem is, Thomas knows he's got nothing to offer Emma, certainly not what she deserves.Still recovering from a disastrous marriage that rocked her self esteem, Emma Jenkins doesn't have much faith in her own appeal, though when Thomas Tobin brings Hairy to see her, he proves that at least all her female parts are working just fine. One look at the tall, dark, and brooding man and all her juices more than flow, they do a do-si-do and a quick two step, too. But Thomas has a disturbing habit of not being altogether truthful with her, and he's the master of mixed signals. Frankly, Emma's life would be far less complicated if she just focused on her clinic and raising the daughter of her deceased best friend.As wounded as he is by a rocky past and a dark life of undercover work, Thomas recognizes a great thing when he sees it. He just has to convince Emma to give him a chance. And maybe Hairy is more than the key to catch a killer, maybe he's the key to winning a woman's heart, as well.Take a Chance on Me is a cute, quirky romance with lead characters with a surprising amount of depth. They tote around a fair amount of realistic baggage and have a ton of insecurities, their responsibilities aren't always comfortable or easy, and the damage from their past is well represented in their developing relationship. Secondary and ancillary characters are nicely fleshed out, as well, especially LeeLee, who I found to be very genuine and very believable given her past. Hairy the Chinese Crested was a total trip. I loved how he was given his own voice. It could have been easily overdone, but Donovan kept it from tripping over into the absurd.I wasn't totally on board with the suspense aspects of the plot, but as it wasn't the driving force of the book by any means, it didn't overly affect my impressions. My main issue with it is strictly based on personal preference, anyway, so it's purely subjective. I prefer when antagonists in suspense aren't revealed quite so soon, because it often makes plot twists too easy to spot as they approach, and that was the case here. On the bright side, I found the killer's descent into desperation well written.The evolution of the relationship between Emma and Thomas was the core of the book, and there were lots of good things there. Not only were the characters given individual identities and a full, rich sense of history and personality on their own terms, they were featured in situations beyond their relationships (more Emma than Thomas, actually), so readers get a very clear idea of what their lives are like outside of the burgeoning romance. That was a nice touch that really appealed to me.To be honest, though, there was a conflict between Thomas and Emma that really bothered me. Thomas acted in a manner that I found pretty unforgivable and the resolution of that situation didn't really address the core issue. As a result, a pretty egregious lack of trust got glossed over after the melee that followed, and it really bothered me that it was so quickly accepted and forgiven.That was the only real problem I had with this cute, humorous romance with its suspense subplot. I've enjoyed both Susan Donovan books I've read, and that certainly bodes well for future reading opportunities. And I continue to be very impressed with the dimension and depth provided to primary and secondary characters. For quickly paced, mostly lighthearted, humorous romance with a pleasing amount of sizzle and a pinch of suspense, Donovan is a good bet.~*~*~*~Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Emma Jenkins is conflicted when Thomas Tobin walks into her office. He's huge, a hulking viking-like guy with a quivering mess of a Chinese Crested, Hairy, tucked into his arm. She's instantly attracted to him, but his complete lack of humor stymies her. When she receives a call of help from him a few days later and meets him at the emergency vet that she realizes Thomas has a very hard exterior but very soft interior. Thomas recognizes his attraction to Emma right away, but he tucks it aside and focuses on getting his newly inherited dog taken care of. His former informant was murdered, leaving behind his dog with no one to take care of him. Thomas takes Hairy in, and he quickly finds himself questioning his sanity of having such a dainty dog. When he realizes that Hairy is wicked smart and might be able to help track down his former owner's killer, he enlists the help of his sexy veterinarian to help. This was a really sassy and cute contemporary romance. I really like Susan Donovan's style. It's silly and quirky, and oh-so-sensual. Her love scenes are fairly raunchy, but the romance is there too. Her characters are flawed in very human ways, and you can't help but like them. The villains tend to be a bit over the top, but it works. I warmed quickly to this story because of the dog, Hairy. Our hero & heroine are very likable, though they each have some issues they have to work through, Thomas especially. Toward the end, there were some moments I found myself rolling my eyes - just your typical over-exaggerated romance stuff...I-LOVE-YOU-SO-MUCH-I-CAN'T-HELP-MYSELF- but overall I really enjoyed this book.
What do You think about Take A Chance On Me (2003)?
This book was different than what I expected although it contained the typical insecure fat girl/hot guy who see beyond general aesthetics premise...Yawn. I am so tired of this hackney approach to gain empathy from the reader.Here is what I liked. I enjoyed the pet therapist back story with the adopted kid. I liked the rugged wounded gruff man who had shied away from life. He was not the typical Alpha male. I liked the interaction with the dog and the inclusion of the dogs thoughts. The ex-husband subplot was undeveloped but I do not mind. It had the potential to be very tedious so I applaud the author for not being obvious in that story line development. The little girl and the father and velvet were very minor characters but I guess they were needed so the story line did not grow to trite. I was really excited to read this that I paid for the book. The library did not have an eBook. I enjoyed it but now I understand why the library did not have a copy. Worth the price? Hard to say I rarely pay for books so this is a book I cannot say I was overwhelmed that I paid for it.
—Dawn
Somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars. This was a feel-good, cute romance. The characters were likeable and pretty well developed. I had a few problems with the storyline that kept it from 5 stars. The story itself tied into a bow too neatly-too much intertwined to be believable (don't want a spoiler so I'll stop there). I did like the who-dun-it portion though. Also, I wish Emma had been divorced a bit longer. A little down time between relationships! I had a bit of trouble with the discomfort and comments about Slick's (hope that was his name!) sexuality-the characters made a bit too much of a big deal about it. Overall, I did like it even though I'm picking on some things that bugged me! I see most people loved it so give it a try if you like funny romances.
—Shelly
When an informant is killed, Thomas gets stuck with his butt ugly, bald, neurotic Chinese Crested dog - hoping that somehow the dog could ID the murderer. But the dog is totally freaked so Thomas brings him to Dr. Emma Jenkins, a doggy psychiatrist. The interest is immediate (between Emma and Thomas, not the dog) but they both have serious relationship issues. The ensuing courtship (if you could call it that) is beyond funny.The first chapter sucks you right in and the hilarious actions (and thoughts) of the dog keep you reading. It's one of those books that you have to know how it ends but don't want it too. I laughed myself silly reading this and the people in the laundromat must have thought I was crazy. Even is you don't like animals, this is one great read.
—Barbara ★
