Review- What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie

Summary-

If he's Cary Grant, where's his Girl Friday?

Mitch Peabody was learning pretty fast that the life of a private detective was nothing like the movies. He'd envisioned a world of tough-talking detectives and smart-mouthed, stunning dames. Instead he saw case after case of cheating husbands, suspicious wives and unsuspecting mistresses until she walked through the door.

Right down to her stilettos, Mae Sullivan was a knockout with a lethal body and a lethal family to go with it. There was something not quite on the up-and-up about her, but she came with a case he couldn't afford to refuse and left him with a case of lust he hadn't had since high school. It didn't take long for him to fall for her, hook, line and sinker. But was Mae interested only in catching the double-crossing crooks who murdered her uncle or did the lady want to catch him?

Review-

I had read quite a few books by Jennifer Crusie's book list a few years ago. When I stumbled upon What the Lady Wants and saw that I hadn't read it I decided to pick it up and see if I still enjoyed her books as much as I did in the past. I am happy to report that I did. What the Lady Wants was a fun, short romance with a few elements of suspense thrown in.

Mitch is actually a stock broker who has been playing detective for the past year. Being a detective is clearly not as adventurous as he thought it would be and he's almost about to give up. Until Mae Sullivan shows up. At first I thought Mitch was an ass who didn't think very highly of women. But as we get to know him you see that is not the case. Mitch was actually quite sharp and intelligent.

Mae wants to find her Uncle's diary but to do that she has to pretend that there is a case and her Uncle was murdered. All Mae wants is a dumb detective who'll turn things around and the diary will fall into her hands. Mae was really funny with her lethal family. She does have genuine problems but she is not willing to give up so soon.

It was hilarious how both the leads at first thought the worst of each other. Their minds changed as they got to know each other and as they spent time together on the case. Jennifer Crusie writes hilarious characters and Mae's family was just that. I also found it refreshing how not good looking Mitch was and how Mae had issues all of her own.

I enjoy a little old school romance from time to time and What the Lady Wants was just that. I cannot say that there was a lot of depth to all the characters. It was a quick fun read with a light hearted plot. Mae's uncle's murder does get resolved so there was that. I liked What the Lady Wants.