Crazy Little Thing Called Love

By: Molly Cannon

Narrated by: Susan Bennett

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Here comes trouble….

Etta Green kissed Everson, Texas, goodbye years ago. A big city chef, she intends to return only long enough to settle her beloved grandmother's estate and then hightail it back to Chicago. But Grammy Hazel had other plans. In her will, she left Etta part-ownership of a B&B that's about to go bankrupt before it even opens. And what's worse - Etta's partner is Donny Joe Ledbetter, a handsome devil with some serious bad-boy charm. Growing up, Donny Joe didn't give Etta a second glance. Now, she's got his whole attention. A far cry from the shy bookworm he once knew, sexy, spirited Etta Green is nothing but trouble. Yet Donny Joe decides to play nice. After all, the quicker they open the B&B, the faster this exasperating - and irresistible - woman will be on her way. Donny Joe has never been a one-woman kind of man. But one crazy little moment of unforgettable desire may change his mind - if he can convince Etta to stay for good.

©2013 Marty Tidwell (P)2014 Recorded Books

Disappointed

This was not a bad book. Parts of it were enjoyable. It just didn't last. The narration was very good. But I listened to this author's debut book Ain't Misbehavin and thought it was an incredibly well written, entertaining, unique book. The characters were all well developed and quite eccentric. While they were easily recognizable as a certain type of character - a proud, native Texan from a small town, they weren't stereotypical or a caricature of the species.

I don't usually like books that focus on characters from a specific region or heritage. The author usually goes into overkill making the characters the epitome of the obnoxious Texan, or New Jerseyian or Italian, or whatever. That just makes the characters sound stupid and should be insulting to someone who comes from that region or shares that heritage. The author avoided this in Ain't Misbehavin. She doesn't in Crazy Little Thing Called Love.

I felt the characters in this book were not nearly as well developed. And when their actions seemed unbelievable, they weren't just quirky - they really were unbelievable. And they were just too Texan, from good ole boy name of the hero to the fact that every other scene takes place in the same honky tonk. Even the narrator, who is a favorite of mine seemed to spread the Texas a little too thickly. I never understood why Donny Joe was a partner with Etta's grandmother in the B&B. And I certainly didn't understand why everyone seemed to think of Etta's sister's desertion of her only child as only irritating. It went beyond irritating. It not only made Etta's sister Belle a completely unlikeable character with no redeeming qualities, it made Etta less likeable. Her reaction to her sister's actions was so mild it made me think almost as poorly of Etta as it did Belle.

Finally, this book lacked the humor and warmth of Ain't MIsbehavin. I didn't find the characters funny, engaging or particularly likeable. It is hard to like a book if you don't like the characters.

Narrator can't stay in character; story just OK

Susan Bennett does not do well with children's voices. The 3rd grade Daphne sounds older than the main character her aunt Etta. At times you cannot tell whether it is Etta or her love interest Donny Joe that is speaking. It is not disastrous but certainly not the quality we expect from Recorded Books.

The story is so-so with a few twists and turns that make it worth a sale price or a deal of the day but not a full credit. My bones to pick: Who heard of a canoe with oars? It's paddles and if the creek barely has a water flow, there sure isn't enough water for a canoe ride. Also the geography seems to change in the story. First the old house is on the way out of town and Donny Joe has to drive over from his neighboring house. By the end the old house is on Main Street and Donny Joe lives right next door so Etta can easily walk over to see him.

Not terrible. Might be for you if you like the author's other stories.