Rating: 
Summary: Take a chance on this book it's a sure bet!
Review: I read this author's first book and very much enjoyed it but wanted to read another before getting excited. I am now officially excited. The plot was good and the cast were people I liked and could care about. Like her first offering I was sorry to see it end. Pick this up as well as her first book so you can enjoy the beginning of a big successful career. This writer is going to be big.
Rating: 
Summary: had my doubts, but...
Review: i really enjoyed this one! yes there were a few too many cliches in the way things and people were described at times, but the sexy, fast paced style really made up for it. this was a lot of fun, especially the stuff with hairy the chinese crested. part of this might be that i'm a dog lover and i have three little cute dogs myself :) i definitely recommend this book, not for a thought-provoking read but definitely for a lighthearted sexy fun one!
Rating:
Summary: I loved this book.
Review: I really loved all the books I've read by Susan Donovan. This one was not an exception. Like all her books it is wity and very very hot. I definately recommend it for fun reading.
Rating:
Summary: Don't pass this great book up
Review: I really loved Donovan's first book, Knock Me Off My Feet, so I've been anxiously awaiting this book. Boy, was I not disappointed. This book is great. I won't do a snyposis of the book because other reviewers have done a good job of that. I'd just like to tell you that the characters are very well developed. Emma is a very believable character, she could be your best freind who has been going through rough times. Thomas is the kind of man most women fantasize about, very macho but a pushover underneath. I also want to say that the dog, Hairy, is worthy of Jennifer Cruise. I liked the way Ms. Donovan brought the dogs thoughts into the book. We really was a great character. Take a chance on this book, you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Read Even If You're Not A Pet Person
Review: I tend to stay away from books where a pet is featured as a main character (or even worse, a co-detective!) but I had read Susan Donovan's earlier book on a whim and loved it, so I decided to "take a chance" on this one. A wise decision on my part. This was just such a fun and romantic book, it has definitely made Susan Donovan one of my favorite authors. A previous reviewer made a comparison to Jennifer Crusie, and I would say that if you like Crusie's work (which I do) you'll enjoy this book. Once again, Ms. Donovan has managed to create well-rounded primary and secondary characters who are really interesting and who have real-life concerns and problems. The push-pull of the relationship between the hero and heroine seemed both realistic and romantic, the subplot concerning her "daughter" was well done, and she has a deft hand with comedy. The murder mystery, while no suprise to the reader, was a neat way of tying various plot threads together. And I even wound up liking the dog in the story, since the author gave us insights to his thoughts and made him a character in his own right (how can you not like a tiny dog who refers to his owner as "Big Alpha"?).
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, but crude start
Review: I was tempted to throw this book in the garbage after about 5 pages. Things like "his look went straight to her ovaries", or "flames poured out of her underpants" don't exactly endear me to the characters. I only kept reading because there was a dog involved. But surprisingly, all the childish crude stuff disappeared. It was like a different author wrote the first chapter. I'm not typically wild about modern romances, but this one was quite exceptional. Had a great story, wonderful sex and lots of romance.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT Worth The Chance!!
Review: I'm an avid reader of romance novels and I wasn't impressed with this one. On the positive side, it looks like Ms. Donovan is a new author and I do see potential for improvement in future works. Hairy the dog, a 6 1/2 pound, hairless, Chinese Crested was quite funny. Plus, she did a good job of giving him "a voice" periodically. My actual rating would be 2 1/2 stars if this were possible, because of Hairy. Despite the funny moments surrounding Hairy, the remainder of the book was way too unrealistic and events too coincidental. I don't expect a whole lot of realism in a romance novel, but this romance was just too cheesy. I found myself groaning aloud at phrases like "...great arcs of heat lightning shooting from the guy right into her ovaries", "He wanted to open her up like a new Wal-mart", and the term "whoop-ass" which is used more than once! Ugh!! By halfway through, I had to force myself to finish it. By the last few pages, I could care less what happened. I cannot recommend this book. Instead, for a great contemporary read, try Rachel Gibson, Jennifer Crusie or Susan Elizabeth Phillips.
Rating:
Summary: Still Smiling
Review: I've read about 40 very good books this summer--most of which I bought because of the reviews written here on Amazon (this is my first review). All the books were excellent just as reviewed by other Amazon members, but this is my favorite to date! Parts were so funny that I couldn't keep to my self and read out loud to my husband and we both laughed. If you ever talk to your dog and talk for your dog you'll especially like the words of "Hairy". Great book, great ending! Made me feel like dancing!
Rating:
Summary: The story line is fast-paced and action-packed
Review: In Baltimore, Thomas Tobin inherited the six pound canine Hairy when the dog's owner was murdered. Feeling a bit of guilt, as the victim was his informant, Thomas takes in the furball, but has no idea how to care for the creature. However, he notices how Hairy becomes frightened whenever he sees a blender so he wonder is perhaps the dog has associated that kitchen gadget with the homicide. Thomas takes his pooch to animal behaviorist Dr. Emma Jenkins who lectures him about how to take care of a tiny dog as Thomas treats Hairy as if he was a Doberman. As Emma and Thomas become better acquainted, they fall in love though neither wants those feelings and both struggled mightily to control their libido. She is still recovering from her ex plus is taking care of LeeLee, the daughter of a recently deceased friend. He has enough on his plate between an unwanted canine and a killer on the loose who just might be targeting those that matter to Thomas: Hairy, Emma, and LeeLee. Fans who take a chance on this novel will feel rewarded as Susan Donovan deftly combines humor, suspense, and romance into a delightful tale. The story line is fast-paced and action-packed, but also insures the characters are fully developed including the frightened little Chinese Crested canine. Thus the audience receives a strong novel in which the stalking killer is often forgotten while the quartet of interrelationships form. TAKE A CHANCE ON ME is a fun, funny frolic. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: Another great one from Susan Donovan!
Review: Last year I read Donovan's "Knock Me Off My Feet," and really enjoyed it a great deal. I didn't learn that it was her first book until afterwards, and then I was even more impressed! So it was with great anticipation that I greeted the arrival of "Take a Chance on Me" at the bookstore. And whoah, was my anticipation justified! "Take" is a great contemporary romance, with wonderful secondary characters, a dog you just want to take home yourself, and a well-paced romance between characters you can really love. I must admit it took me a few minutes to get into "Take," but once I did, I enjoyed it thoroughly. That's not to say that it's a perfect book... Donovan still does a much better job with characters and relationship development than she does with the whole "suspense/mystery" element. Some of the book's "coincidences" are a bit too much to be believed, and the romantic development was so well-crafted that sometimes the whole suspense plot seemed tacked-on. Not only that, but Donovan moves between Thomas' and Emma's voices a great deal, which can be confusing. I wish the people laying out the book had put a bit of whitespace in whenever she switched, because it took my brain awhile to catch on. Still, if you're into contemporary romances, especially ones with a sense of humor, you'll definitely want to "Take a Chance on Me." (Bad pun, but I couldn't resist!)
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