Status
Available
Call number
Collections
Publication
Bantam (2013), Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
Description
Fiction. Chick Lit Fiction. Romance. HTML: "Irresistible and satisfying . . . addictive and sexy romance at its best."--New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery "Molly O'Keefe is a unique, not-to-be-missed voice in romantic fiction.". HTML: NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR In this poignant and deeply sensual new contemporary romance--perfect for readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson--Molly O'Keefe proves that lost loves don't have to stay lost forever. Dallas TV morning show host Madelyn Cornish is poised, perfect, and unflappable, from her glossy smile to her sleek professionalism. No one knows that her iron will guards a shattered heart and memories of a man she's determined to lock out. Until that man shows up at a morning meeting like a bad dream: Billy Wilkins, sexy hockey superstar in a tailspin--still skating, still fighting, and still her ex-husband. Now the producers want this poster child for bad behavior to undergo an on-air makeover, and Billy, who has nothing to lose, agrees to the project. It's his only chance to get near Maddy again, and to fight for the right things this time around. He believes in the fire in Maddy's whiskey eyes and the passion that ignites the air between them. This bad-boy heartbreaker wants a last shot to be redeemed by the only thing that matters: Maddy's love. "Irresistible and satisfying . . . addictive and sexy romance at its best."--New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery "Molly O'Keefe is a unique, not-to-be-missed voice in romantic fiction."--New York Times bestselling author Susan Andersen From the Paperback edition..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Books007
Morning show host Madelyn Cornish has it together. She has kept her past marriage to Billy Wilkins, sexy hockey player bad boy, a secret and tried her best to forget her one true love and best friend. When producers want Billy for a "bad bay" makeover series, she reluctantly agrees to the project.
Billy loves hockey, fighting, and most of all, he still loves Maddy. After an accidental run in with her, he can't get her off his mind. And if this morning show makeover is the his only chance to get near her and to fight for second chance, he'll do it.
Thing are going good the show producers drop a surprise on Billy AND Madelyn. Along they have gotten closer up until that point, Maddy has still kept Billy at arm's length. But with this new "surprise", things change. Billy faces losing what little is left of his hockey career and is fighting to get his life together for not only Maddy now but so much more. She has to decided on whether a second chance is worth it.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was really good and the love scenes between Maddy & Billy were smokin' hot. Billy is definitely alpha male and Maddy isn't a pushover by any means. The power struggle between these two is fun to read. If you like contemporary romace, you will definitely enjoy this book. I can't wait to read more by this author.
I received this ebook in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
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Billy loves hockey, fighting, and most of all, he still loves Maddy. After an accidental run in with her, he can't get her off his mind. And if this morning show makeover is the his only chance to get near her and to fight for second chance, he'll do it.
Thing are going good the show producers drop a surprise on Billy AND Madelyn. Along they have gotten closer up until that point, Maddy has still kept Billy at arm's length. But with this new "surprise", things change. Billy faces losing what little is left of his hockey career and is fighting to get his life together for not only Maddy now but so much more. She has to decided on whether a second chance is worth it.
I really enjoyed this book. The story was really good and the love scenes between Maddy & Billy were smokin' hot. Billy is definitely alpha male and Maddy isn't a pushover by any means. The power struggle between these two is fun to read. If you like contemporary romace, you will definitely enjoy this book. I can't wait to read more by this author.
I received this ebook in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
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LibraryThing member ReadYourWrites
Crazy Thing Called Love is the third book in the Crooked Creek Series. I’ve read the entire series and can tell you without a doubt, this is the BEST book by far. If you want a book where the hero has a tortured soul and a less than perfect past, this is the book for you. I found myself holding
Billy Wilkins and Madelyn Cornish aka Maddy Baumgarten are both from the the same working class neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Neither one of them grew up with money, but they both dreamed of getting far away from Spruce Street. Their love affair started out when Billy was eight and Maddy was six. Well, at least for Maddy, it started then, with a little girl’s crush.
Both Billy and Maddy have bad memories of living on Spruce. Maddy, an only child, had an idyllic family, who may not have been able to give her what her heart desired, but she had a mother and father who both loved her tremendously. Billy, on the other hand, had an older and younger sister, an abusive drunken father, who left the family, and a mother who used alcohol to dull all of her pain. In Billy’s house, he was the one who took care of everyone, even though he was only a child.
When Billy was eighteen, he was drafted by an NHL hockey team. When he was twenty, he married the love of his life, eighteen year old Maddy. By the time he was twenty-two, he lost the love of his life, due to his inability to treat her properly. Billy Wilkins is a man full of anger and rage but rightfully so. His background and the things that he’s had to endure over his life have made him nothing but angry and a fighter. There was a time during his hockey career when being the number one fighter in the league was what his team needed. But as things started to change in the league, Billy didn’t. He just got angrier and caused more and more fights. His anger and brutality is what brought him back face-to-face with the love of his life Maddy, who now calls herself Madlyn Cornish, the host of Dallas, Texas’ AM Dallas.
For Maddy’s part, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with Billy. He truly was and still is the love of her life. But for Maddy, that love cost her herself and her identity. She’s overcome and sacrificed a lot to become the host of Dallas’ number one daytime talk show. She believes because Billy is still the fight first type of guy that he hasn’t changed. And if he hasn’t changed, then her admitting that she’s still in love with him will cost her everything all over again.
But Billy isn’t truly the same guy. True, he keeps his feelings close to his chest, but he’s a better man than anyone has ever given him credit for. While on the set, taping a live segment of Maddy’s show, Billy comes face-to-face with members of his family. Members he hasn’t seen in years. What ensues forces Billy to come to terms with the person he has become and gives him the strength and courage he needs to become the man he and his family needs him to be.
Maddy realizes her life isn’t what she wants it to be. She has to truly have a heart-to-heart talk with herself and realize that Billy is offering her everything she has always wanted. She has to realize that he's willing to give himself to her and love her the way love is supposed to be.
If you're a fan of the Crooked Creek Series, you will be happy to know Luc and Tara Jean make several appearances throughout the book. You're allowed to catch up with them a little bit.
Sadly, I’ve been told this is probably the last book in the series. If this is truly the case than Molly did an excellent job. The Crooked Creek Ranch series doesn’t get any better than Crazy Thing Called Love.
Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
Source: NetGalley
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my breath one minute and crying the next. Billy and Maddy are two people you actually want to root for.Billy Wilkins and Madelyn Cornish aka Maddy Baumgarten are both from the the same working class neighborhood in Pittsburgh. Neither one of them grew up with money, but they both dreamed of getting far away from Spruce Street. Their love affair started out when Billy was eight and Maddy was six. Well, at least for Maddy, it started then, with a little girl’s crush.
Both Billy and Maddy have bad memories of living on Spruce. Maddy, an only child, had an idyllic family, who may not have been able to give her what her heart desired, but she had a mother and father who both loved her tremendously. Billy, on the other hand, had an older and younger sister, an abusive drunken father, who left the family, and a mother who used alcohol to dull all of her pain. In Billy’s house, he was the one who took care of everyone, even though he was only a child.
When Billy was eighteen, he was drafted by an NHL hockey team. When he was twenty, he married the love of his life, eighteen year old Maddy. By the time he was twenty-two, he lost the love of his life, due to his inability to treat her properly. Billy Wilkins is a man full of anger and rage but rightfully so. His background and the things that he’s had to endure over his life have made him nothing but angry and a fighter. There was a time during his hockey career when being the number one fighter in the league was what his team needed. But as things started to change in the league, Billy didn’t. He just got angrier and caused more and more fights. His anger and brutality is what brought him back face-to-face with the love of his life Maddy, who now calls herself Madlyn Cornish, the host of Dallas, Texas’ AM Dallas.
For Maddy’s part, she doesn’t want to have anything to do with Billy. He truly was and still is the love of her life. But for Maddy, that love cost her herself and her identity. She’s overcome and sacrificed a lot to become the host of Dallas’ number one daytime talk show. She believes because Billy is still the fight first type of guy that he hasn’t changed. And if he hasn’t changed, then her admitting that she’s still in love with him will cost her everything all over again.
But Billy isn’t truly the same guy. True, he keeps his feelings close to his chest, but he’s a better man than anyone has ever given him credit for. While on the set, taping a live segment of Maddy’s show, Billy comes face-to-face with members of his family. Members he hasn’t seen in years. What ensues forces Billy to come to terms with the person he has become and gives him the strength and courage he needs to become the man he and his family needs him to be.
Maddy realizes her life isn’t what she wants it to be. She has to truly have a heart-to-heart talk with herself and realize that Billy is offering her everything she has always wanted. She has to realize that he's willing to give himself to her and love her the way love is supposed to be.
If you're a fan of the Crooked Creek Series, you will be happy to know Luc and Tara Jean make several appearances throughout the book. You're allowed to catch up with them a little bit.
Sadly, I’ve been told this is probably the last book in the series. If this is truly the case than Molly did an excellent job. The Crooked Creek Ranch series doesn’t get any better than Crazy Thing Called Love.
Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
Source: NetGalley
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LibraryThing member jbarr5
Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe
Book first starts out with Maddy Baumgarten and Billy 14 years prior to the present day where she's walked away from him for the last time...
Present day: Billy Wilkins has just been benched at the end of the hockey season for the team he plays for in Dallas,
She works as a reporter and hopes to move up to The Today Show and needs more big stories. The crew come up with one and she hates it: having a Billy total makeover.
What have they gotten themselves into as they spend some time together to work it all out. He knows what he did wrong in the past and she doesn't want a repeat of it.
Passionate love scenes help to tell the tale of their relationship and his hockey career along with her TV career. Brutal and honest at times...
She has no idea of what he's made of himself..The book returns to their past lifes' several times so you can understand what had happened to bring about such a response in the present day.
Very few characters in this book it's very easy to keep track of who is who.
On one TV appearance they spring a surprise on him and her, the one doing the show. There are many ramifications and the fallout is huge to all their lives...
Book first starts out with Maddy Baumgarten and Billy 14 years prior to the present day where she's walked away from him for the last time...
Present day: Billy Wilkins has just been benched at the end of the hockey season for the team he plays for in Dallas,
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TX.She works as a reporter and hopes to move up to The Today Show and needs more big stories. The crew come up with one and she hates it: having a Billy total makeover.
What have they gotten themselves into as they spend some time together to work it all out. He knows what he did wrong in the past and she doesn't want a repeat of it.
Passionate love scenes help to tell the tale of their relationship and his hockey career along with her TV career. Brutal and honest at times...
She has no idea of what he's made of himself..The book returns to their past lifes' several times so you can understand what had happened to bring about such a response in the present day.
Very few characters in this book it's very easy to keep track of who is who.
On one TV appearance they spring a surprise on him and her, the one doing the show. There are many ramifications and the fallout is huge to all their lives...
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LibraryThing member Dotland101
The third in the "Crooked Creek" series, but most enjoyable. Maddy and Billy, married 14 yrs ago, childhood friends and high school sweetheart, classic 'puppy love' so sure of their love and passion for each other, but they soon found out a career as pro NHL and superstar didn't just come with all
When an opportunity opened up and offered that second chance Billy's been looking for, or rather the opportunity forced him to take it by participating in a TV show series hosts by Maddy herself, both were forced to work together on this 'makeover' show for Billy while keeping their once-upon-a-time marriage secret, but Billy vowed to do whatever he could to get Maddy back even if that meant humiliating himself on national TV show, he would do it. But things couldn't go smoothly on the shows as they'd hoped, their past was threaten to come back to haunt them, or rather him, ruining his public image further instead of improving, repairing it through this 'makeover' show series.
What about the hope of getting back together again? While Billy wanted it so badly, not so with Maddy or at least that's what she told herself, sex without attachment or emotional involvement... could she do it, was that possible? I found myself rooting for Billy to get his girl back the whole time, the whole book through.
Although, there is an novella: "All I want for Christmas is You", part of an anthology in "Naughty and Nice" which is a prequel to this story of Maddy and Billy, it's their earlier yrs together, and two more books prior in this series, "Crazy Thing Called Love" is still a standalone novel, rich in its own story, one of Molly O'Keefe greatests, I love this book even more than the first two in this series.
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the fame, money and attention, but came with a price for a young couple, their marriage ended up quickly in divorce and heartbreak. Maddy moved on and put Billy out of her life (or so she thought), made something of herself, became a famous TV show host in Dallas, while Billy's career in NHL has gone steadily worse and on the blink of being trade to minor league. Then they met again accidentally at the opening night party for the Crooked Creek spa Billy's best friend ("Luc" from the first book) co-owned with his sister (from the second book). Billy's been wanting to get Maddy back ever since.When an opportunity opened up and offered that second chance Billy's been looking for, or rather the opportunity forced him to take it by participating in a TV show series hosts by Maddy herself, both were forced to work together on this 'makeover' show for Billy while keeping their once-upon-a-time marriage secret, but Billy vowed to do whatever he could to get Maddy back even if that meant humiliating himself on national TV show, he would do it. But things couldn't go smoothly on the shows as they'd hoped, their past was threaten to come back to haunt them, or rather him, ruining his public image further instead of improving, repairing it through this 'makeover' show series.
What about the hope of getting back together again? While Billy wanted it so badly, not so with Maddy or at least that's what she told herself, sex without attachment or emotional involvement... could she do it, was that possible? I found myself rooting for Billy to get his girl back the whole time, the whole book through.
Although, there is an novella: "All I want for Christmas is You", part of an anthology in "Naughty and Nice" which is a prequel to this story of Maddy and Billy, it's their earlier yrs together, and two more books prior in this series, "Crazy Thing Called Love" is still a standalone novel, rich in its own story, one of Molly O'Keefe greatests, I love this book even more than the first two in this series.
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LibraryThing member JenniWindsor
I received this book through Library Thing's early reviewers. I had not read anything by this author previously but didn't have any issues with not having read others in the series - actually I'll probably go back and read them! I loved the characters in this book. I'm usually not a fan of books
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that flash back either but unlike other books I didn't have any problems following it. Also, I love romance novels with some kind of sports as the setting. I will definitely add this author to my "must read" list! Show Less
LibraryThing member VmpGirl
I picked up a copy of this book in LibraryThing's Early Reviewer give away. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I had a hard time keeping myself interested. I felt like the book (and the characters) flipped around a lot, which kept me from every really diving in to the story.
LibraryThing member Conkie
This book is a delightful read. Outwardly, this story appears to be ('just' or 'only') a fun, romantic story about a hockey player and a morning TV personality. Not far into the story, the reader begins receiving glimpses into the deeper connection that existed between the two.
Yet, when not quite
I admit to feeling a bit disappointed the ending arrived so soon after the "reveal," but not enough to feel it was trite.
I look forward to reading more of Molly O'Keefe's stories, especially the two and one-half offerings preceeding "Crazy,,,"
Yet, when not quite
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half-way through the book, both H/H act/react to a major plot twist in ways seemingly incongruent with their personalities, I wondered if the ambitious undertaking by Ms. O'Keefe to tell their story was going to fail. Hang in there, Reader! All will be revealed, and I believe most readers will say it worked.I admit to feeling a bit disappointed the ending arrived so soon after the "reveal," but not enough to feel it was trite.
I look forward to reading more of Molly O'Keefe's stories, especially the two and one-half offerings preceeding "Crazy,,,"
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LibraryThing member beckymmoe
I loved this book. LOVED it. I didn't always love the characters--grown-up Maddy in particular rubbed me the wrong way through a lot of it--but I loved the story. The flashbacks were handled well, and fleshed out Maddy and Billy's early story that started in the novella "All I Want for Christmas is
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You" and made me so want to read this book in the first place. Grown-up Billy, once he gets his head out of his butt, is awesome. Loved him. Wanted to take him home myself, and not just because he's a hockey player (though that sure as heck didn't hurt!) What totally sold me about this book, though, were the kids. The really young Maddy and Billy (the story of how he got his scar just killed me. Killed me, I tell you!) and Billy's niece and nephew, Becky and Charlie, were wonderful. Their stories were fresh and heartbreaking. Really, this whole book took the romance novel genre in places I just wasn't expecting, and it was great. When I got near the end I kept putting it down for a minute or two, just because I didn't want it to end too soon--only I needed to keep going, so two minutes was about as far as I got. I've already downloaded the audio of book one in the series, and it's the next up on my TBR list when I finish the book I'm listening to now. Book two is sure to follow.... Show Less
LibraryThing member jenniandtony
I received this book from the LibraryThing's Early Reviewers group. While I rarely turn down a good romance novel, I can honestly say that I wasn't very excited about reading a story featuring a bad-boy hockey player. Maybe because football players are more my thing. But it was hard to work up the
The first chapter of the book had me in tears! The raw emotions that this author captured, made me feel like I was living the story instead of just reading from the sidelines. I felt the characters pain and wanted the story to get better. So I kept reading on hoping that things would improve for Maddy and Billy.
Unfortunately, after a slow start and two stubborn characters that didn't show any signs of improving I was ready quit on this book and find something better. Maybe it was their hopeless situation, but I just felt too bummed about this book to go on. Fortunately, knowing I had to write a review, I read on into another chapter.
And that's when the most shocking, unexpected plot twist creeped its way onto the pages. Don't worry, i wont give anything away, but lets just say, there's one page in this book that left my mouth hanging wide open and me thinking to myself "Did that really just happen?" From there it was a whirlwind of emotions and heart and I couldn't put the book down for a single second. It took over two weeks to read the first half of the book, and less that two hours for me to finish.
Describing the book as slow to start out, wouldn't be fair. The book has very good pacing, but the first half is so sad and painful that I didn't want to go on. But if you find yourself reading this book thinking the same thing, hold on. This emotional rollercoaster is a fantastic book and it gets better and happier with every page. I fell in love with the characters. They felt real and the story left me hoping for their continued happiness. I hope they come back in another one of Molly O'Keefe's books so I can check up on them!
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enthusiasm to read this one.The first chapter of the book had me in tears! The raw emotions that this author captured, made me feel like I was living the story instead of just reading from the sidelines. I felt the characters pain and wanted the story to get better. So I kept reading on hoping that things would improve for Maddy and Billy.
Unfortunately, after a slow start and two stubborn characters that didn't show any signs of improving I was ready quit on this book and find something better. Maybe it was their hopeless situation, but I just felt too bummed about this book to go on. Fortunately, knowing I had to write a review, I read on into another chapter.
And that's when the most shocking, unexpected plot twist creeped its way onto the pages. Don't worry, i wont give anything away, but lets just say, there's one page in this book that left my mouth hanging wide open and me thinking to myself "Did that really just happen?" From there it was a whirlwind of emotions and heart and I couldn't put the book down for a single second. It took over two weeks to read the first half of the book, and less that two hours for me to finish.
Describing the book as slow to start out, wouldn't be fair. The book has very good pacing, but the first half is so sad and painful that I didn't want to go on. But if you find yourself reading this book thinking the same thing, hold on. This emotional rollercoaster is a fantastic book and it gets better and happier with every page. I fell in love with the characters. They felt real and the story left me hoping for their continued happiness. I hope they come back in another one of Molly O'Keefe's books so I can check up on them!
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LibraryThing member tmommy4
Another new author to add to my follow list. When I requested the book I was not aware there were 2 other books before this one so I had to go to the beginning and read the other 2 first. Having read all three books in the series I can say this one was the best. Ms. O'keefe writes with such
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emotion, humor and heart I know I will be looking for more of what she publishes. Show Less
LibraryThing member deirdrebeth
I have a thing for hockey romances, so this was right up my alley.
I will admit that in the first few chapters I was almost ready to put it down. The interactions were so cliche (So in love she's given up everything to be with him, big dumb hockey player gets into fight and in trouble because of
Not only do the characters develop, the entire plot takes a huge left turn that while still sweet and (because it's a romance) you know it'll turn out all right makes you tear up with worry.
It's an excellent read. I always hope you'll hear more about well written characters in later books, for this one I'm hoping for a Becky's First Love, as painful as that will be!
I will admit that in the first few chapters I was almost ready to put it down. The interactions were so cliche (So in love she's given up everything to be with him, big dumb hockey player gets into fight and in trouble because of
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it) but I kept reading, because it's what I do.Not only do the characters develop, the entire plot takes a huge left turn that while still sweet and (because it's a romance) you know it'll turn out all right makes you tear up with worry.
It's an excellent read. I always hope you'll hear more about well written characters in later books, for this one I'm hoping for a Becky's First Love, as painful as that will be!
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LibraryThing member dcw888
Two high-school sweethearts marry and prepare for a life together. Billy Wilkins is a rising star in the hockey league with a bright future playing his dream, but the cost he ends up paying is his wife, Madelyn. They grow apart until one day Madelyn decides to divorce him. Over the next 15 years,
This is the first of Molly O’Keefe’s books that I have read, and I must confess, I had thoughts of not reading another as I read the first half of this book. I was bored with story of lost-ex-husband-chasing-popular-and-self-sufficient-yet-pathetic-ex-wife. I found the characters to be flat and uninteresting, and the continuing self-imposed prison Madelyn put herself into due to the pain Billy put her through 15 years ago was tedious. I wanted to scream “get over it already”.
I felt this until, midway through the book, Ms. O’Keefe threw her readers a little curveball. This little curveball (which would be a spoiler, so I won’t divulge) brought a plot to the book that I then found myself liking the characters and the growth I was now seeing. This situation change seemed to give the author more to work with and opened up doors for Billy and Maddy to evolve and become more interesting. I began to wonder what was going to happen next, which kept me turning the pages.
All in all, I would say don’t judge this book by the first 100 pages. The author is setting a scene, which is valuable, however, I do believe it could have been accomplished in fewer pages. How the author wraps up this story does make the book worthwhile.
I believe I will read another of Ms. O’Keefe’s books.
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Madelyn builds her dream in a journalism career and Billy succeeds as a famous hockey player. Fifteen years later, Billy Wilkins has reached the end of his career and agrees to a guest spot on Madelyn’s popular morning show, much to Madelyn’s dismay. This is the first of Molly O’Keefe’s books that I have read, and I must confess, I had thoughts of not reading another as I read the first half of this book. I was bored with story of lost-ex-husband-chasing-popular-and-self-sufficient-yet-pathetic-ex-wife. I found the characters to be flat and uninteresting, and the continuing self-imposed prison Madelyn put herself into due to the pain Billy put her through 15 years ago was tedious. I wanted to scream “get over it already”.
I felt this until, midway through the book, Ms. O’Keefe threw her readers a little curveball. This little curveball (which would be a spoiler, so I won’t divulge) brought a plot to the book that I then found myself liking the characters and the growth I was now seeing. This situation change seemed to give the author more to work with and opened up doors for Billy and Maddy to evolve and become more interesting. I began to wonder what was going to happen next, which kept me turning the pages.
All in all, I would say don’t judge this book by the first 100 pages. The author is setting a scene, which is valuable, however, I do believe it could have been accomplished in fewer pages. How the author wraps up this story does make the book worthwhile.
I believe I will read another of Ms. O’Keefe’s books.
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LibraryThing member Readsalot81
*****Posted over at ParanormalHaven.com as a Guest Review*****
I had overheard on Twitter a few bloggers talking about Molly O’Keefe’s latest book, Crazy Thing Called Love, and immediately emailed my blogmate asking her to request the book so I could review it. I’ve never read any of her
I should probably clarify that I’m not a fan of the re-united lovers trope. Given my druthers, I’d totally go for a different storyline, but the chatter on Twitter was pretty positive and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. Well this Doubting Thomas was made a very happy reader. I thought the relationship between Maddy and Billy was very well done. The author uses flashbacks (and me, again, not a fan of that particular device) to illustrate how the relationship came to be, and how it went south. In those flashbacks, Billy is portrayed as a young man who is often selfish and careless but not irredeemable. He knew that he had made some serious mistakes with his ex-wife when he was younger and this colors his actions towards her as he tries to show her how he’s changed throughout the years. On the opposite side of the coin, Maddy is desperate to keep her distance from Billy but can’t quite manage to do so. I felt and believed in Maddy’s determination to not let herself lose her identity and everything she’s worked so hard for in the past years since she and Billy split up. O’Keefe does a remarkable job with the emotion and angst, but she keeps it subtle, yet poignant.
When Billy is on AM Dallas, unbeknownst to Maddy, his past returns to haunt him. This was the only part of the book I felt was a bit heavy handed. The ambushing of Billy and Maddy really didn’t work for me, but how Billy handles the revelations about his family was spot on. He doesn’t always say the right thing, although his heart is certainly in the right place. He still has his infamous temper that escapes him at inopportune times. This made him come across as real and accessible to me and kept me rooting for him throughout the entire book. If you’re looking for a smart, sweet romance, I think Crazy Thing Called Love would certainly fit the bill.
I had overheard on Twitter a few bloggers talking about Molly O’Keefe’s latest book, Crazy Thing Called Love, and immediately emailed my blogmate asking her to request the book so I could review it. I’ve never read any of her
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previous novels, an oversight which I intend to fix ASAP. As the book opens, we meet Billy Wilkins, a hockey star who has been sidelined because of his penchant for fighting on the ice. Madelyn Cornish, Billy’s ex-wife, is the morning show host on AM Dallas, and the producers on her show want to give her ex an on-air makeover in order to boost their ratings. Billy, to Maddy’s chagrin, immediately agrees to the makeover for the chance to be near Maddy again. He wants desperately to make up for the way things ended between the two of them, but Maddy has serious doubts when it comes to her ex-husband.I should probably clarify that I’m not a fan of the re-united lovers trope. Given my druthers, I’d totally go for a different storyline, but the chatter on Twitter was pretty positive and I wanted to see what the fuss was about. Well this Doubting Thomas was made a very happy reader. I thought the relationship between Maddy and Billy was very well done. The author uses flashbacks (and me, again, not a fan of that particular device) to illustrate how the relationship came to be, and how it went south. In those flashbacks, Billy is portrayed as a young man who is often selfish and careless but not irredeemable. He knew that he had made some serious mistakes with his ex-wife when he was younger and this colors his actions towards her as he tries to show her how he’s changed throughout the years. On the opposite side of the coin, Maddy is desperate to keep her distance from Billy but can’t quite manage to do so. I felt and believed in Maddy’s determination to not let herself lose her identity and everything she’s worked so hard for in the past years since she and Billy split up. O’Keefe does a remarkable job with the emotion and angst, but she keeps it subtle, yet poignant.
When Billy is on AM Dallas, unbeknownst to Maddy, his past returns to haunt him. This was the only part of the book I felt was a bit heavy handed. The ambushing of Billy and Maddy really didn’t work for me, but how Billy handles the revelations about his family was spot on. He doesn’t always say the right thing, although his heart is certainly in the right place. He still has his infamous temper that escapes him at inopportune times. This made him come across as real and accessible to me and kept me rooting for him throughout the entire book. If you’re looking for a smart, sweet romance, I think Crazy Thing Called Love would certainly fit the bill.
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LibraryThing member MinDaf
I haven't had the pleasure to read very much of Molly O'Keefe's work but I really enjoyed Crazy Thing Called Love. I have not read the other two books in the Crooked Creek Ranch series but I didn't feel like I was missing anything important. I would like to read the other two books in the series
I really liked Maddie even though she has a really tough outer lining that she created to avoid pain,.I could see her sweet and caring side under the rough exterior she puts off. Maddie thinks she has the perfect life that she needs to protect her from the pain of loving someone again.
Billie is the bad boy of Hockey, he's missing something in his life and he knows what it is.... Maddie. I loved when he was given a chance to go on her morning show. My goodness the sparks these two throw off when they are in the same room is almost combustible. I really enjoyed watching Maddie & Billie try to work around each other without showing their feelings. He is in for some major lifestyle changes. I loved the family aspect in this book. I want to expand more on my feelings here but I really hate to give anything away so I'm going to say click on the link on the bottom and go get this book for yourself so you can read all about.
Maddie and Billie have a lot of obstacles to overcome together and they each have to learn to trust the other with their heart. They have both grown a lot over the years but there is still a bond there that has never went away. I found this to be a sweet story with some spicy scenes. There is some drama, some laughter, and some really touching scenes through out the story.
I know I would most certainly enjoy reading more of Molly O'Keefe's work, I found her writing style to be very pleasant to read with an interesting storyline to keep me turning the pages quickly.
I was extremely excited to win a copy of this book on Librarything in exchange for an honest review. It has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on this book.
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because I did enjoy this one. This book was a classic case of a second chance with a first love.I really liked Maddie even though she has a really tough outer lining that she created to avoid pain,.I could see her sweet and caring side under the rough exterior she puts off. Maddie thinks she has the perfect life that she needs to protect her from the pain of loving someone again.
Billie is the bad boy of Hockey, he's missing something in his life and he knows what it is.... Maddie. I loved when he was given a chance to go on her morning show. My goodness the sparks these two throw off when they are in the same room is almost combustible. I really enjoyed watching Maddie & Billie try to work around each other without showing their feelings. He is in for some major lifestyle changes. I loved the family aspect in this book. I want to expand more on my feelings here but I really hate to give anything away so I'm going to say click on the link on the bottom and go get this book for yourself so you can read all about.
Maddie and Billie have a lot of obstacles to overcome together and they each have to learn to trust the other with their heart. They have both grown a lot over the years but there is still a bond there that has never went away. I found this to be a sweet story with some spicy scenes. There is some drama, some laughter, and some really touching scenes through out the story.
I know I would most certainly enjoy reading more of Molly O'Keefe's work, I found her writing style to be very pleasant to read with an interesting storyline to keep me turning the pages quickly.
I was extremely excited to win a copy of this book on Librarything in exchange for an honest review. It has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you on this book.
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LibraryThing member scoutmomskf
Good reunion story. It begins fourteen years in the past, as Maddy and Billy's marriage falls apart and then moves to the present with a few other flashbacks to fill in their backstory.
Maddy is host of a morning TV show, with a reputation of being cool and unflappable. She's worked hard to
Billy has continued his hockey career and has gained quite a reputation for his wild behavior. He finally takes it a bit to far and is told by team management that he has to make some changes or he'll find himself off the team. His agent comes up with the idea of a makeover. Billy wants nothing to do with it, until he finds out he'll be on Maddy's show. That's enough to change his mind. Billy has never forgotten Maddy or his love for her. He's grown up some over the last few years and realizes that he made a lot of mistakes during his marriage. He wants a chance to apologize and see if there is anything left between them.
Maddy isn't at all happy with the project. She wants Billy kept firmly in her past. She doesn't want to talk about the past with him, and she definitely doesn't want to get sucked into the drama of his life. She remembers what it was like and still has the emotional scars. She keeps her emotions under very tight control at first because of it. She's very cold toward him, but it's an attempt to hide the attraction she can't deny she still feels for him.
I didn't like Maddy much at the beginning. She was so cold and pretty nasty to Billy that I wondered if there was any chance for them. Even when she admitted that the attraction was still there, she just wanted to use him for sex and not let her emotions get involved. The way she treated him was just terrible. I know she was just trying to protect herself, but it still made me mad. I was happy to see her start to lose some of those walls around her heart in the face of Billy's persistence.
I liked Billy a lot more. He started out as the bad boy of his hockey team, in trouble for his fighting. At the same time, he is starting to see the emptiness of his life and feel the regrets for the things he'd done in the past, especially what happened with Maddy. When he's offered the chance to go on her show, he grabs it. I really liked the way he tried so hard to get Maddy to see how sorry he was for the way he had treated her. He is determined to turn over a new leaf, and become more like the man he thinks she wants.
I loved seeing the makeover process. Though it was hard for him to do it, I loved the way that Billy opened up on the show about some of his past and its influence on the man he is. It was funny and heartbreaking to see the reactions of people to the idea of his makeover. The part with the clothes was pretty amusing.
The building of the new relationship between Billy and Maddy was not an easy one. Billy had to overcome the problems of the past and show Maddy that he really had changed. It wasn't easy for him because he wasn't used to sharing his real feelings. Maddy had to find a way to believe that she could be with him without losing herself the way she had when she was younger. She also had to see that he really had changed. That began to happen the night of the charity function. I loved seeing how hard he was trying to behave, and felt for him as he had to make that speech. Maddy was surprised to see him there, and it was fun to see her try to fight the way he made her feel. I loved the way that his reason for being there had her looking at him differently and beginning to see that he had changed.
When things blew up on the show with the arrival of the two kids, both Maddy and Billy had to deal with a lot of turmoil. I loved the way that Maddy was there to support him and help him through it. I loved seeing that caring side of Billy. This brought the two of them closer together. I loved seeing how each of them handled the kids and what it said about who they were. I loved seeing Billy step up and be something he never expected. And Maddy learned some things about herself that made it possible for her to believe in a future for her and Billy.
I loved the final makeover show and the surprise twist that it took. It was exciting and heartwarming. I also liked the epilogue, which had its own fun bit to it. I liked seeing how everyone was doing a couple years later.
The secondary characters were terrific. I liked Maddy's coworker Ruth and her part in the various makeover details. I enjoyed seeing the changes in her and in the relationship between her and Maddy. I also loved Billy's niece Becky. The things she went through and her wariness were heartbreaking to see. I loved seeing her learn to trust Billy.
Maddy is host of a morning TV show, with a reputation of being cool and unflappable. She's worked hard to
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overcome her past, and shows only her best to the outside world. Her work is her life and everything is going great until one of her producers comes up with a makeover idea for her show.Billy has continued his hockey career and has gained quite a reputation for his wild behavior. He finally takes it a bit to far and is told by team management that he has to make some changes or he'll find himself off the team. His agent comes up with the idea of a makeover. Billy wants nothing to do with it, until he finds out he'll be on Maddy's show. That's enough to change his mind. Billy has never forgotten Maddy or his love for her. He's grown up some over the last few years and realizes that he made a lot of mistakes during his marriage. He wants a chance to apologize and see if there is anything left between them.
Maddy isn't at all happy with the project. She wants Billy kept firmly in her past. She doesn't want to talk about the past with him, and she definitely doesn't want to get sucked into the drama of his life. She remembers what it was like and still has the emotional scars. She keeps her emotions under very tight control at first because of it. She's very cold toward him, but it's an attempt to hide the attraction she can't deny she still feels for him.
I didn't like Maddy much at the beginning. She was so cold and pretty nasty to Billy that I wondered if there was any chance for them. Even when she admitted that the attraction was still there, she just wanted to use him for sex and not let her emotions get involved. The way she treated him was just terrible. I know she was just trying to protect herself, but it still made me mad. I was happy to see her start to lose some of those walls around her heart in the face of Billy's persistence.
I liked Billy a lot more. He started out as the bad boy of his hockey team, in trouble for his fighting. At the same time, he is starting to see the emptiness of his life and feel the regrets for the things he'd done in the past, especially what happened with Maddy. When he's offered the chance to go on her show, he grabs it. I really liked the way he tried so hard to get Maddy to see how sorry he was for the way he had treated her. He is determined to turn over a new leaf, and become more like the man he thinks she wants.
I loved seeing the makeover process. Though it was hard for him to do it, I loved the way that Billy opened up on the show about some of his past and its influence on the man he is. It was funny and heartbreaking to see the reactions of people to the idea of his makeover. The part with the clothes was pretty amusing.
The building of the new relationship between Billy and Maddy was not an easy one. Billy had to overcome the problems of the past and show Maddy that he really had changed. It wasn't easy for him because he wasn't used to sharing his real feelings. Maddy had to find a way to believe that she could be with him without losing herself the way she had when she was younger. She also had to see that he really had changed. That began to happen the night of the charity function. I loved seeing how hard he was trying to behave, and felt for him as he had to make that speech. Maddy was surprised to see him there, and it was fun to see her try to fight the way he made her feel. I loved the way that his reason for being there had her looking at him differently and beginning to see that he had changed.
When things blew up on the show with the arrival of the two kids, both Maddy and Billy had to deal with a lot of turmoil. I loved the way that Maddy was there to support him and help him through it. I loved seeing that caring side of Billy. This brought the two of them closer together. I loved seeing how each of them handled the kids and what it said about who they were. I loved seeing Billy step up and be something he never expected. And Maddy learned some things about herself that made it possible for her to believe in a future for her and Billy.
I loved the final makeover show and the surprise twist that it took. It was exciting and heartwarming. I also liked the epilogue, which had its own fun bit to it. I liked seeing how everyone was doing a couple years later.
The secondary characters were terrific. I liked Maddy's coworker Ruth and her part in the various makeover details. I enjoyed seeing the changes in her and in the relationship between her and Maddy. I also loved Billy's niece Becky. The things she went through and her wariness were heartbreaking to see. I loved seeing her learn to trust Billy.
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LibraryThing member Marcella1717
Again, flawed characters, which Molly O'Keefe really seems to excel at. Billy and Maddy messed up in the past and have to work out their relationship. Their journey is wonderful and at times emotional.
Simply wonderful.
Simply wonderful.
Awards
RITA Award (Finalist — Contemporary Romance — 2014)
NPR: Books We Love (2013)
Language
Original publication date
2013-01-29
Physical description
368 p.; 4.17 inches
ISBN
0345533690 / 9780345533692