You Drive Me Crazy

I like books by Carole Matthews. They are fast easy reading that relax the brain without engaging it, and they take place in the UK, which is a nice relief from all the USA settings. Having said that, I was disappointed with “You Drive Me Crazy”. The male protagonist is Mr Nice Guy, and, while that is supposed to be a good thing, I couldn’t find him sexy. Perhaps it’s just me, with my unhealthy attraction to arrogant bastards (come on, admit it, they are irresistible!), or perhaps the Romance genre has had it right all along with their insistence on Alpha Males as their heroes (you know the ones: big-headed millionaires with big anatomy and bigger hearts, gorgeous womanisers subconsciously waiting for The One, boardroom sharks, the Heathcliffs and the Rhett Butlers), but I found it difficult to stomach a whole book about a nice car salesman (sic!) who gets shafted by customers, conmen and ex-wife.

Average writing, average characters and not a single new situation or resolution. “More to life than this” by the same author was miles better.

Not to mention “We need to talk about Kevin”. That book is going to stay with me for a while, despite its USA setting, so prepare to meet it time and time again. And, for goodness’ sake, read it if you haven’t.