Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins

Skeptic scale: ♥♥♥♥

Awwwwwwwwwwwww (how many w's am I allowed). God this woman is SO good at dialogue. And her h's are always so wonderful.

I loved, loved, LOVED that the h was tall, strong, kickass and good at sports. I love that she beat everyone at running and could defend herself in various physical and other situations. I like how Kristan Higgins always has her heroines doing stuff they love. And that there's always an adorable poochie in the story who plays a "main character" role. She always makes her ladies this awesome, full people, with hobbies and interests and SO much more than a whiny little where's-my-man type. 

As always my only "complaint" about KH's stuff is that I'm just a quivering mass of yearning and I want more together-time for the h&H. But they only ever really get together AT THE VERY END. But that's the ticket, I guess. To make us want him as bad as the h does. So bad you almost can't TAKE it anymore. 

Somehow all the little plot holes and occasional irrationality of the H's actions never quite matter. For example, KH is such a magician, I simply ACCEPT the fact that the H never, NEVER acts on his apparently deep feelings for the h - we're talking radio silence for the better part of a decade. 

Why, was the phone broken that whole time? You can't write an email or a letter, buddy? NO INTERACTION AT ALL AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE YOU LOVED HER THE WHOLE TIME???? Sigh. But we do. KH makes sure we bloody well believe it all. Because she's a genius.

Re-read.

Side note on the re-read: So... I knew a moment (a mere NANOSECOND, really) of panic at the HEA here...A comment on another blog got me thinking...Why doesn't the hero just move his (hot) ass and do something about his apparently deep, abiding love for her? He never really makes the first move whenever they look like they MAY get together. He actually pursues (or is pursued by) other women when the h is perfectly unattached and available. He seems sort of passive a lot of the time. Like he waits for her to make a declaration before he actually FINALLY does something decisive. And even then until he finds out she IS unattached for reals, he was going to keep mum about it!? WTF?? Come on dude. Reach out and grab the girl. Just earn a man point, will you!!?? 

Anyway... KH fan-girl that I am, I can't straight out CRITICIZE the H - or be impartial in any way. But I will say that this element of his beta-ness is somewhat less than awesome. Argh. It hurts too much! Don't care. Still loved the book.