Charlie All Night

By: Jennifer Crusie

Narrated by: Sandra Caldwell

Length: 7 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

Dumped by her boyfriend and demoted from WBBB's prime-time spot, radio producer Allie McGuffey has nowhere to go but up. She plans to make her comeback by turning temporary DJ Charlie Tenniel into a household name. And if he's willing to help cure her breakup blues with a rebound fling, that's an added bonus.

Charlie just wants to kick back, play good tunes and eat Chinese food. He's not interested in becoming famous. But he is interested in Allie. And after all, what harm is a little chemistry between friends?

But suddenly, their one-night stand has become a four-week addiction. Night after night on the airwaves, his voice seduces her...and all the other women in town. He's a hit. It looks as if Charlie's solved all Allie's problems...except one. What is she going to do when he leaves?

©2004 Jennifer Crusie (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Jennifer Crusie "has a wicked sense of humor, keen insights into the complexities of modern relationships, and a way of making her characters seem genuine and her stories real." ( Booklist)

One-Note Narration

This story isn't as engaging and exciting as most of Jennifer Crusies novels that I've read. However, the narration is what really ruined this for me. The narrator seemed bored, and, as a result, bored me. The characters aren't given distinct voices, and there just isn't much life breathed into them.

As for the story, the B plot seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought. Not the well-thought-out, funny "mystery" I'm used to from her books.

Typical early Crusie

Story is good, but the narration is boring. It is just a rather bland reading of the book. All of the characters sound much the same.

Synopsis doesn't get it...

While the synopsis is factual, its not accurate. And while this is an early Crusie, this book is a great example of how good Jennifer Crusie is. Allie is demoted, she is dumped; and we know she is not the looser this makes her look like because the book opens with every person at her radio station asking for and receiving her help and advice. Crusie does not have to say Allie is a smart, strong, dependable woman, because people depend on her and she is strong enough to support them. So when she is told to produce a late night talk and music show, with an oddly inexperienced D J the reader can settle down understanding how this make sense.

Even though this book is light, it is not completely predictable. The supporting characters are truly supportive with personalities of their own, not just cardboard cutouts for the main people to "talk at".

Very few books as early as this one holds up as well, and reading this and a few of her early books there is a glimmer of her more mature work.

Jennifer did it again.

Good story hard to get into at first. Don't know what it was but never had this problem with Jennifers books before. Good story good listen was fun listen. Made great travel time. Just slow start.

Jennifer Crusie at her best!

Would you listen to Charlie All Night again? Why?

I have listened to this book more than once already. It makes me laugh out loud at times. I thoroughly enjoy the internal and external dialogue. Jennifer Crusie has a way of making her characters so real, easy to relate to.

What did you like best about this story?

I loved the radio station, how everyone one - except for a few notable exception ( and even then they came around eventually) - worked together. How Allie was the driving force behind that place and didn't want or need the credit. And the puppy...I am a sucker for the puppy.

What does Aimee Jolson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Aimee Jolson did a very good job. I love it when I can easily determine who is speaking based upon the narrators ability to give each character their own voice. There is a lot of dialogue in this book and it can be fast paced at times and Aimee preformed very well. I can't really say that I wouldn't have enjoyed this book as much if I had read it for myself but I do know now that if I do read it for myself then I will be hearing the characters as Aimee narrated them.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Not particularly. It wasn't really gripping, and I wasn't thinking about it while I was trying to do something else. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it but for me to want to listen to it in one sitting - well 7 hrs is a long time.

Decent story, but boring narration

The story was decent, but definitely nothing special. I'm actually writing this review before I have finished listening because I am having trouble getting myself to finish it. All the voices sound the same, and the narrator just sounds disinterested and has no voice inflection. We'll see if I make it to the end.

Not a favorite

I'm still not sure if it was the story, the narrator or a bit of both that made this audio a difficult and unsatisfying listen. I have come to enjoy Jennifer Cruise's books, so this audio was a bit of a disappointment.

Get the book instead

Would you try another book from Jennifer Crusie and/or Sandra Caldwell?

I love Jennifer Cruise books, however the narrator of book is not the greatest. I could not continue to listen to book because it was soo bad. The storyline was great, but I could not continue to listen to book. I ended buying the book so I can finish the book on my own.

If you’ve listened to books by Jennifer Crusie before, how does this one compare?

I have enjoyed listening to her other books. The other narrators are alive and are "feeling" the story not just reading the page.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Sandra Caldwell?

The narrator who read "Welcome to Temptation " she was awesome.dis

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointed

Fun radio station setting

Fun light hearted romance with minor mystery element. Great characters. Think WKRP with sex. Crusie writes such fun books.

So good I listened to it twice in a week

I love Charlie, and I love this book.

The characters are well written and very likable. Crusie lets you draw your own conclusions about the individuals by the way they treat each other...and especially by how they take care of the station puppy!

Charlie haunted me...so I had to listen to it again. Charlie had an impact on me because of the way his feelings for Allie developed; how he embraced his admiration for her, his attraction to her, and his loyalty to her. Even though he was not looking for a long term relationship, he did not put up walls to keep her out. He let himself feel his feelings and he celebrated Allie as an unexpected gift.

This may be the best crafted of the Jennifer Crusie books that I have listened to. It was written earlier in her career than most of the Crusie titles I've listened to...so perhaps she had to work harder on her writing before she got popular. The very likable characters develop in stages, the action has a good pace and the story stays focused on the necessary progression (no blind alleys).

Sandra Caldwell's performance was good. She kept the action moving and her reading in no way interfered with my enjoyment of the story. She succeeded in creating one voice for Allie and another for Charlie...but there were a couple of fast-paced conversations where it became difficult to tell which of those two characters was speaking. Otherwise her performance was very good.