4.08

5

Aug 17, 2012

Ok, this woman has a lovely style that is funny and intelligent! This book is like a refreshing Pinot Grigio with a hint of melon bouquet. It's the equivalent of flannel pajamas and fuzzy slippers at the end of a hectic day when you can just curl up and read.

2

Jan 24, 2013

I'm puzzled by so many very high ratings for this book. The first half of this book was especially unappealing to me. Sadie, the narrator, is bitter and whiney about her divorce. I get that divorce can be a terrible thing to go through, but I just found Sadie a drag to spend time with. The humor in this book also didn't hit the mark for me. Things improved for a while in the second half, but then Sadie went back to being self-pitying and angry. Every time she mentioned her friends who never I'm puzzled by so many very high ratings for this book. The first half of this book was especially unappealing to me. Sadie, the narrator, is bitter and whiney about her divorce. I get that divorce can be a terrible thing to go through, but I just found Sadie a drag to spend time with. The humor in this book also didn't hit the mark for me. Things improved for a while in the second half, but then Sadie went back to being self-pitying and angry. Every time she mentioned her friends who never phoned her or returned her calls, I couldn't help thinking I understood their desire to avoid her. I did eventually become interested enough to want to see how the story wrapped up so I kept plugging along. I am glad this was a free book with Prime so I am only out the hours it took to read. ...more

4

Dec 07, 2018

I listened to this very cute story via audiobook. The actress did well with the voice for the protagonist, Saddie, and the eventual love interest, Desmond (Des), but doing Aunt Dodie, who is adorably eccentric, and reading the voices of the six-year-old daughter and four-year-old son were much more grating.

When Sadie can no longer put up with her husband’s philandering and endless lies, she packs the kids up and heads to Aunt Dodie’s house on the lake. The novel is filled with cute characters I listened to this very cute story via audiobook. The actress did well with the voice for the protagonist, Saddie, and the eventual love interest, Desmond (Des), but doing Aunt Dodie, who is adorably eccentric, and reading the voices of the six-year-old daughter and four-year-old son were much more grating.

When Sadie can no longer put up with her husband’s philandering and endless lies, she packs the kids up and heads to Aunt Dodie’s house on the lake. The novel is filled with cute characters and light humor. I know I’ve used the word “cute” twice in a short review, but that’s the best word I have to describe this book. It’s fun, not life altering.

For more reviews, please visit http://www.theresaalan.net/blog ...more

4

Dec 07, 2018

This book is received for my birthday from Nicoleta Banica aka Diva

4.5 Stars

This is the first book I’ve read by this author.
There were a couple of times I thought Sadie was a bit immature and jumped to conclusions about Desmond way too fast, but overall I liked her. Sadie was so negative and while I understand she got a bad rap from her ex, at some point you have to stop focusing on what “might” happen and enjoy what is in front of you.
The author has a flair with creating and developing each This book is received for my birthday from Nicoleta Banica aka Diva

4.5 Stars

This is the first book I’ve read by this author.
There were a couple of times I thought Sadie was a bit immature and jumped to conclusions about Desmond way too fast, but overall I liked her. Sadie was so negative and while I understand she got a bad rap from her ex, at some point you have to stop focusing on what “might” happen and enjoy what is in front of you.
The author has a flair with creating and developing each character. Sadie’s Aunt Dody is the perfect eccentric character to keep Sadie on her toes, while Sadie’s ex is someone readers will want to slap. I know I did.

The ending is emotional, sweet and fun all at the same time.The book had me laughing out loud in many places.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and do recommend it! ...more

5

Jan 20, 2013

Oh my goodness...I have not loved a book this much in a long time. It just made me so happy...I laughed hysterically, I cried, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face when it was over. This was one I just didn't want to end...the characters were so well written, they are all so smart, silly and quirky. A definite must read :)

3

Feb 04, 2013

This one was a bit disappointing.

Crazy Little Thing started out promising. A newly divorced, mother of 2 small children, embarks on a vacation (of sorts) to her aunt's cabin on Lake Michigan. She is recovering in the aftermath of a painful divorce from an unfaithful husband and is seeking some male free drama and a time to rejuvenate.

I think my main problem is that I was expecting a romance when in reality this book has more of a "chic lit" vibe. Here's the definition of chic lit:
Chick lit is This one was a bit disappointing.

Crazy Little Thing started out promising. A newly divorced, mother of 2 small children, embarks on a vacation (of sorts) to her aunt's cabin on Lake Michigan. She is recovering in the aftermath of a painful divorce from an unfaithful husband and is seeking some male free drama and a time to rejuvenate.

I think my main problem is that I was expecting a romance when in reality this book has more of a "chic lit" vibe. Here's the definition of chic lit:
Chick lit is genre fiction which addresses issues of modern womanhood, often humorously and lightheartedly.] Although it sometimes includes romantic elements, chick lit is generally not considered a direct subcategory of the romance novel genre, because the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationships.

I was hoping for a romance and got this instead. The secondary characters including her aunt, two cousins, ex-husband, sister, and children all play just as important parts as the yummy hero Des does.

A great read if you love chic lit, but if you are looking for a romance...average at best. ...more

1

Jan 16, 2013

There should be a "tried to read but couldn't bear it" option. I didn't even get to the halfway point in this book. I actually felt traumatized when I finally put it down. The writing was mediocre at best, but what I hated most was the the main character. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about her and reading her innermost thoughts made me want to vomit. And the story? Blah.

4

Jul 30, 2014

This was the first book I've read by this author and it is a little different than the genres that I usually read. I have had it on my to-read list for quite awhile, but kept passing it by for one reason or another. I finally gave it a shot.

I really liked that the characters were pretty normal people, with normal real-life problems. I love to read romance novels, but sometimes they can be a little extreme. I mean, come on, not everybody is a cutter/suicidal/abused/irreparable. Sometimes, you This was the first book I've read by this author and it is a little different than the genres that I usually read. I have had it on my to-read list for quite awhile, but kept passing it by for one reason or another. I finally gave it a shot.

I really liked that the characters were pretty normal people, with normal real-life problems. I love to read romance novels, but sometimes they can be a little extreme. I mean, come on, not everybody is a cutter/suicidal/abused/irreparable. Sometimes, you just want a realistic love story without the overly dramatic psychological scars. What does everybody seem to have against a hero/heroine without serious psychological scars these days??? So, thank you Ms. Brogan for giving us real characters that have managed to cope with their problems in a way that most readers can relate to.

The relationship between Sadie and Des was warm and loving. The only drawback was that it wasn't something that I would consider "steamy". I liked the story and thought it was worth reading, but it wasn't the kind of book that would make me miss sleep to finish.

Sadie was hilarious! That was my favorite thing about this book. I found myself smiling and laughing as I read along. When she jokes around about her ex luring his new, barely-legal girlfriend into the car by telling her he had Pop Rocks, I was doubled over laughing. Sadie had a way of voicing what most women would be thinking, but wouldn't say out loud.

If you're looking for a light, sweet book to read that will make you laugh, this is a great choice! ...more

5

May 14, 2013

4.5 Stars

This author has such a talent for humor. The story had me laughing out loud (yes, out loud) on so many occasions (guaranteed once per chapter at least, not to mention the neverending internal chuckles in almost every sentence!) After sitting down to read a few chapters I was always left with one of those warm, glowy feelings at the end of it. It really lifted my spirits.

The story itself was completely adorable, sweet, and believable. I loved the "dim the lights and close the door" 4.5 Stars

This author has such a talent for humor. The story had me laughing out loud (yes, out loud) on so many occasions (guaranteed once per chapter at least, not to mention the neverending internal chuckles in almost every sentence!) After sitting down to read a few chapters I was always left with one of those warm, glowy feelings at the end of it. It really lifted my spirits.

The story itself was completely adorable, sweet, and believable. I loved the "dim the lights and close the door" approach as well. Very stylishly done without sacrificing our understanding of the importance of the progression of the relationship on a physical level.

This is a feel-good read, and, believe me, you will feel good by the end of it. You'll be damn near laughing your friggin head off by the end of it!

What a talented author. Really impressed. ...more

5

Dec 11, 2012

Crazy Little Thing is a delightful book about second chances. Sadie is trying to get over a messy divorce after her husband Richard AKA "Dick" cheated on her. Sadie is 30 years old, has two super cute kids and absolutely no confidence. Her crazy aunt Doty asks her to spend the summer at her house on the beach so she can relax and try to find her way back to happiness. Doty and her cousins Fontaine and Jasper also staying at the beach house will stop at nothing to help Sadie rebuilt her life. All Crazy Little Thing is a delightful book about second chances. Sadie is trying to get over a messy divorce after her husband Richard AKA "Dick" cheated on her. Sadie is 30 years old, has two super cute kids and absolutely no confidence. Her crazy aunt Doty asks her to spend the summer at her house on the beach so she can relax and try to find her way back to happiness. Doty and her cousins Fontaine and Jasper also staying at the beach house will stop at nothing to help Sadie rebuilt her life. All this characters are crazy fun, I was either laughing out loud or smiling while reading about the adventures of Sadie trying to date a new handsome man and built a new career while dealing with the ridiculous antics of her love ones. Des is the super-Hot neighbor, he's also a doctor with a Scottish accent, he cares about Sadie and her children but it won’t be easy to be part of her crazy world. This book is very well written and incredibly entertaining, with a great message about how sometimes we lose perspective of what is really important I life. I highly recommend this book, I know I said it already but it was great fun. ...more

5

Sep 19, 2018

This book was so beautiful! Maybe even the best I’ve read this year. Des and Sadie were so great together! And Sadie’s family was such a crazy one, but it was perfect all together. This book was so beautiful! Maybe even the best I’ve read this year. Des and Sadie were so great together! And Sadie’s family was such a crazy one, but it was perfect all together. ❤️ ...more

5

Oct 13, 2012

Crazy Little Thing by Tracy Brogan is a fun and breezy read. Its set in a quaint Michigan beach town filled with characters that’ll make your own crazy relatives seem sane. The hero is sigh-worthy and the heroine is flawed in an ‘I Love Lucy Way’ that leads to some zany fun. You won’t find ‘the meaning of life’ in this book, but you’ll learn the definition of words like ‘orgasmaphobia’ and ‘flustration.’ I double dare you not to laugh.

4

May 31, 2013

4 stars. Very enjoyable first person narrative. Don’t do the audiobook - terrible narrator. Read the paperback or ebook.

Story Brief:
Sadie and her children spend the summer with Aunt Dody and cousins. Sadie is recently divorced. She doesn’t want a new relationship, but she is attracted to Dody’s gorgeous neighbor Desmond.

Opinion:
I really enjoyed this. I smiled a lot. I liked being in Sadie’s head. I loved her interaction with her cousin Fontaine, a gay interior decorator. I enjoyed the 4 ½ stars. Very enjoyable first person narrative. Don’t do the audiobook - terrible narrator. Read the paperback or ebook.

Story Brief:
Sadie and her children spend the summer with Aunt Dody and cousins. Sadie is recently divorced. She doesn’t want a new relationship, but she is attracted to Dody’s gorgeous neighbor Desmond.

Opinion:
I really enjoyed this. I smiled a lot. I liked being in Sadie’s head. I loved her interaction with her cousin Fontaine, a gay interior decorator. I enjoyed the developing relationship with Desmond. This was not a powerful wow story. It’s a pleasant, everyday people around you kind of story. There were several conflicts caused by Sadie making inaccurate assumptions and jumping to wrong conclusions. Those were nicely done. But one of them bothered me - toward the end Sadie was mad at Des for something that she should not have been mad about.

Sadie has some low self image problems and does some silly things. I was fine with that, but some readers might prefer a stronger heroine. This book has a chick lit feel, but it does have a romantic happy ending. Although I wish there were more romance and declaration of love at the end.

The narrator Lori Reyes was a huge problem. She had a terrible, high-pitched screechy voice for Dody and the children. It was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I cringed every time she used that voice. She would be a good narrator if she NEVER raised her voice to a higher pitch. Her natural voice and low voice for men was good.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Sadie. Unabridged audiobook length: 9 hrs and 18 mins. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: none. Number of sex scenes: 4 referred to, no details. Setting: current day mostly Belle Harbor, Michigan. Book copyright: 2012. Genre: contemporary romance, divorce. ...more

4

Mar 25, 2014

3.5 - 'Orgasmaphobia' & 'Rumpled Foreskin' Stars!

Crazy Little Thing is the first book I have read by Tracy Brogan, but it definitely won’t be my last. If an author/book makes me laugh I am generally a happy reader. And Crazy Little Thing delivered in spades on the humour front. The laughs started from the get-go with Aunt Dody confusing a Macchiato coffee with the actor Ralph Macchio and went from there.

Why not 5 stars then I hear you say, well for me Sadie was a little over the top when it 3.5 - 'Orgasmaphobia' & 'Rumpled Foreskin' Stars!

Crazy Little Thing is the first book I have read by Tracy Brogan, but it definitely won’t be my last. If an author/book makes me laugh I am generally a happy reader. And Crazy Little Thing delivered in spades on the humour front. The laughs started from the get-go with Aunt Dody confusing a Macchiato coffee with the actor Ralph Macchio and went from there.

Why not 5 stars then I hear you say, well for me Sadie was a little over the top when it came to jumping to the wrong conclusion, tarring-everyone-with-the-same-brush-as-her-ex-husband and in general being a total Drama Llama, and after the first couple of times is just got a bit predictable, in fact the only times I wasn’t laughing uncontrollably or smiling were when Sadie was having one of her melt-downs!



The way this book is written also displays a massive talent in my opinion, Tracy had a descriptive style that I haven’t experienced before and it was refreshing.

Richard and I signed on the dotted line and our marriage dissolved, like margarita salt on the tongue, leaving behind the bitter aftertaste of something that had started out sweet and ended sour.

My updates pretty much sum up how funny this book was, basically throw in 2 young children, a ‘Gay as a spring day’ cousin named Fontaine and a few inappropriate oldies and the laughs flowed freely.

”The doctor says I need more fibre. Three bowls of bran cereal this week and I still can’t poop for shit.”

As you can see the humour is top notch, I really want to give Crazy Little Thing 5 stars, Des was absolutely yummy as well, but –



Straight onto book 2 in this series, The Best Medicine here’s hoping I can give it a 5! ...more

5

Aug 01, 2012

Okay, yeah, sure I'm biased because Tracy rocks and I adore her, but, the woman can WRITE. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. You're going to LOVE this one!

Just edited to add: Am not surprised at all to report that Tracy nailed a 4-star review on RT Book Reviews. Pick her up now so you can be ahead of your friends :)

5

Dec 22, 2012

This book had me laughing out loud all the way through. Best line that had me gasping for breath: "To the uninitiated, a conversation with Dody was very much like playing whack-a-mole. You just never knew what would pop up next."

I'll definitely be checking out more of Tracy Brogan's novels.

5

Aug 13, 2012

This book is both funny and poignant, and Tracy Brogan's voice carries it strongly from start to finish. Sadie is easy to relate to, Aunt Dody is utterly hilarious, and Des is just a yummy, yummy hero. A strong secondary cast and a charming setting round this one out perfectly. Definite keeper!

4

Jan 10, 2013

Very funny book, loved all the characters! If you want something lighthearted to read, then read this! Its great.

Right I'm off to Starbursts to have a Ralph Macchhio! ;) (if you don't know what I mean, you have to read the book!

3

Apr 24, 2015

I did not like this narrator at all. She had the most annoying voices I have ever heard on an audiobook. But the story itself was pretty decent.

3

Oct 29, 2012

3.5 Stars

A pretty good contemporary romance about a woman who for a very good reason has trust issues. She flees her home to stay with her aunt for the summer. While there she meets her dream man, but her cheating ex-husband is the proverbial elephant in the room.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I have to say it was pretty awful. The narrator didn't really have the range to do the voices of all the characters. Sadie's aunt had a voice that could de-calcify your spine, and the 3.5 Stars

A pretty good contemporary romance about a woman who for a very good reason has trust issues. She flees her home to stay with her aunt for the summer. While there she meets her dream man, but her cheating ex-husband is the proverbial elephant in the room.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I have to say it was pretty awful. The narrator didn't really have the range to do the voices of all the characters. Sadie's aunt had a voice that could de-calcify your spine, and the voices of her children were only a little better.
I'm really uncomfortable criticising a narrator. So much can go wrong and it's often not the narrators fault. A bad audio recording can be as much a problem with the direction or the guy behind the mixing desk as much as the narrator.

Anyway, by all means read this book...it's not bad at all, but avoid the audiobook. ...more

4

Jul 11, 2017

Rated 4.5

I found this book so much fun even though the ex is a jerk.

4

Feb 06, 2013

Crazy Little Thing is one of those feel good beach read that will leave you feeling great and satisfied. Nothing like a good romantic comedy to lift up our spirit and have a good laugh.

Sadie had recently divorced her prick of a husband, Richard, and together with her 6yo Paige and 4yo Jordan, she went to a summer vacation at her Aunt Dody's house at Bell Harbour. At one glance you knew Aunt Dody is a handful and she is as eccentric as a crazy aunt could be. The things that came out of Aunt Crazy Little Thing is one of those feel good beach read that will leave you feeling great and satisfied. Nothing like a good romantic comedy to lift up our spirit and have a good laugh.

Sadie had recently divorced her prick of a husband, Richard, and together with her 6yo Paige and 4yo Jordan, she went to a summer vacation at her Aunt Dody's house at Bell Harbour. At one glance you knew Aunt Dody is a handful and she is as eccentric as a crazy aunt could be. The things that came out of Aunt Dody's mouth give any sane person aneurysm. I love both her sons, Fontaine, the gay decorator and Jasper, the straight cook. Their entire family is over the top funny and Sadie and her kids fit right in.

Of course, Sadie kind of sworn off men and she didn't realize both her cousin brothers will be at her aunt's house during her visit. To add salt to wound, there is this Running Man that kept running across their beach twice a day, armed with his sexy bod and all. Sadie would rather ogle him from a far than to actually met him in person. So when Aunt Dody had a minor head injury, Sadie was sent to retrieve the nearest doctor in the neighborhood that turn out to be Dr. Desmond McKnight aka the Running Man.

Des is a doctor, temporary assign at Bell Harbour to replace Dr. Pullman while he is on a two months long vacation. He is such a great guy that manage to put up with Aunt Dody eccentricity and her weird and random questioning, he even get along so well with Sadie's children. Naturally, Sadie is skeptical and she is waiting to unveil his ugly truth. Due to her awful experience with her ex-husband, Sadie lost faith in men and tends to think the worst of them and more than once she jump to conclusions when Des did something wrong, ie. when he cancel a dinner date with her. Des also had a failed marriage, but he divorced for an entirely different reason than Sadie, but he was as heartbroken as Sadie, if not more.

“Apparently while I was reading 'The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dating', he’d read 'The Guide to Dating a Complete Idiot'.”

In the meantime, Sadie also got help from Fontaine in getting along with her new career as a professional organizer. According to Fontaine, she should put her OCD of tidiness to good use and together with Kyle, Fontaine's gay boss, the trio was set to conquer the house decorating and organizing business.

For the humor alone, this book deserve a 4 star for making my day full of sunshine and laughter. I love the entire Dody's clan and Sadie's children, even the dogs, Fatso and Lazyboy are great. Although most of the smut between Sadie and Des was fade to black, it was still a nice little PG romantic read for my Sunday afternoon. ...more

5

Mar 08, 2013

Not since I started reading Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels has a book made me laugh out loud as much as Crazy Little Thing by Tracy Brogan. I laughed throughout the book, snorting embarrassingly at times.

The woman is crazy (funny, not psycho) and I’m not sure if I’m talking about Sadie Turner, the heroine, or Tracy Brogan the author. One thing I do know is that Dody, Sadie’s lover of life aunt is a nutcase and a half, but in a good way. So many times throughout the book I shook my head Not since I started reading Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum novels has a book made me laugh out loud as much as Crazy Little Thing by Tracy Brogan. I laughed throughout the book, snorting embarrassingly at times.

The woman is crazy (funny, not psycho) and I’m not sure if I’m talking about Sadie Turner, the heroine, or Tracy Brogan the author. One thing I do know is that Dody, Sadie’s lover of life aunt is a nutcase and a half, but in a good way. So many times throughout the book I shook my head and said out loud, “That’s horrible,” while laughing.

The first couple of chapters had me thinking that the book was chick lit especially because it is written in the first person, but then Desmond stepped into the picture and the romance was on. I thought Kyle was actually going to be a romantic contestant for a second there until…let me just say that laughter ensues with that situation.
I love Desmond. I mean I want to meet him, steal him away from Sadie by any means necessary and have his babies. He is hot, funny, intelligent, kind, and has a paying job (he’s a doctor). The attraction between Sadie and Desmond is…well, all I can do is smile.

Sadie gets herself into some embarrassing situations which turn out to be hilarious. I was proud of myself for ‘getting’ most of the pop culture references which made the book that much more interesting.

Tracy Brogan has written a funny romance story about a woman who has been so hurt by love that she is afraid to love again, not an uncommon tale, but her writing style makes me think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of it.
...more

3

Nov 15, 2019

Add this one to your beach reads list!

It was quick to read! Classic story of a newly divorce meeting someone new. Wish there was a bit more, maybe more descriptions? I couldn’t envision any of the characters (ie looks, personality traits) so I couldn’t really go deep and connect with anyone. But it was the right amount of sexy. And I really did enjoy the story.

5

Oct 24, 2012

Sadie Turner is a lovable character trying to restart her life after a divorce. She goes to live with her crazy aunt Dody and her two cousins who are constantly poking and prodding her to do things that she doesn’t think she is ready for yet—like dating! That’s when Desmond shows up. He is the mysterious runner she keeps seeing run past her aunt’s beach house who just happens to be gorgeous. Through a serious of missteps and efforts to resist the inevitable on the part of the still somewhat Sadie Turner is a lovable character trying to restart her life after a divorce. She goes to live with her crazy aunt Dody and her two cousins who are constantly poking and prodding her to do things that she doesn’t think she is ready for yet—like dating! That’s when Desmond shows up. He is the mysterious runner she keeps seeing run past her aunt’s beach house who just happens to be gorgeous. Through a serious of missteps and efforts to resist the inevitable on the part of the still somewhat insecure Sadie, the couple eventually falls famously for each other. But life is never that simple, and neither is this story. A number of calamities take place, some serious, and some simply hilarious, that put the relationship in jeopardy and cause Sadie to have to make some big choices. The ending was satisfying but left me wondering when I would be able to get my hands on another book by this author… The romance is steamy, the comedy is laugh-out-loud funny, and the emotional journey the main character goes though is moving. This book has it all--FIVE stars!

(This book is classified as a contemporary women’s fiction but might more accurately be described as a romantic comedy. This book would make a great movie!)
...more