Miss Crank
Miss Muse
Reva Diva
(Jove)
Rating: Like Watching Paint Dry
I picked this book to read because I was expecting it to be funny, since it’s written by self-proclaimed ‘comedy‘ writer Charlotte Hughes, BFF of Janet Evanovich. Well, I didn’t laugh once. Didn’t even smile.
Hughes’ voice is nothing like Evanovich’s. If your writing voice isn’t funny, why bother writing comedy? You can probably come up with a plot with all the ingredients for comedy (ho hum) — a psychologist with a bunch of crazy patients, a perky sidekick, a wacky mom, a soon-to-be ex-husband. But if your writing voice isn’t funny, neither is your novel.
This story felt disjointed, simply a series of vignettes as we are introduced to about a dozen nut job clients that psychologist Kate Holly is treating. Her therapy consists of questions like ‘How’s your depression?’ Yeah, right. I’ve been in therapy, and believe me, that’s not what they ask. A little research is in order.
The conflict is weak. Here’s a woman in love with her husband, but they’re getting divorced because she’s afraid he’ll die. Now who needs therapy?
Not only that, but as a dog lover, I took exception to the fact that the author allowed Runt the puppy to die. Shame on her. Doesn’t she know you’re always supposed to save the cat? Or the Runt, in this case. I was very upset. This is supposed to be a funny book.
Will somebody please write a funny book? Besides Janet Evanovich? Janet’s getting tired, her stuff’s getting old, can we please have something else? Funny? Please?
