August 15, 2007 | Uncategorized
Careful What You Wish For by Lucy Finn
Back Blurb:
RAVINE PATTON ALWAYS LET HER HEAD RULE HER HEART–UNTIL SHE FOUND HERSELF PLAYING A MAGICAL GAME OF SPIN THE BOTTLE.
A smart lawyer and practical single mom, Ravine’s no dreamer. So when a big, male, and undeniably attractive genie materializes in her kitchen from a puff of smoke, she’s not sure if she should pinch herself or call 911. Having someone to cook and babysit definitely comes in handy, but does he have to be so . . . sexy? Ravine can’t afford to be swept away by her feelings, especially for a guy who’s been living in a bottle for sixty years. All she has to do is make three wishes and he be gone forever, but somehow she’s not quite sure what to wish for . . .
I’d like to think that I wouldn’t have freaked out like Ravine did when she first discovered Gene (yes, that’s the genie’s name), but I probably would. Then my overactive imagination would kick in and I’d think “This is too cool for words.” Especially if my genie was as H-O-T as Gene, Aussie accent and all.
I loved Ravine’s humor, the obvious love for her son, her boldness (I never would’ve had a one night stand with a motorcycle riding stranger…no matter how gorgeous), and the fact that her baby son’s favorite movie was Walk the Line. (Get’em while their young, I say. No one is too young–or old–for Johnny Cash). I loved the way Gene spoke (”That’s bollocks!”) and how the accent wasn’t overdone, his patience, and that he was a more modern genie. In past stories I’ve read, genie’s have been trapped for centuries; Gene was trapped for only 60 years. The reference to contemporary bands such as the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Garbage and Metallica was like rifling through my own CD collection. I love alternative music so I get a personal kick out of seeing bands that I know mentioned in books (I’m pretty sure I had a reader orgasm when Jill Shalvis mentioned Linkin Park–my all time fav band–in one of her books. Even though it was spelled wrong. LOL). And the little history lesson regarding Native American land rights was an added bonus.
I’ve always enjoyed reading stories about the djinn (Hey, one of my favorite shows used to be I Dream of Jeannie). There’s the usual typical plot points:
~ Gorgeous genie
~ Process of integration into modern society is, more often than not, hilarious.
~ Final wish is used to free the genie from enslavement
~ First two wishes are for material things.
While Careful What You Wish For had a few of the usual plot points, there were other aspects that set it apart from all the other stories I’ve read:
~ Ravine’s first wish was material, but it was practical. It was a necessity, something she needed, because people kept coming to her for her services.
~ Her second wish was for someone else. Someone who was in dire need of a genie’s wish
(and I’m so glad Peggy Sue’s husband got what he deserved. It’s called karma, people, and what goes around, comes around).
~ Ravine wanted to use the third wish to free Gene, but then a tragic accident occurred and she was forced to use it on someone else.
~ For once, there was no evil person after the genie! In all the stories I’ve read, there’s usually some “supernatural” fanatic/nosy reporter/former owner/menacing presence that’s suspicious of the newcomer and wants to use it for their own gain. Or some such nonsense. It was gratifying to read the main character garnering unwanted attention and the genie was there as “back-up.”
This was a truly great read and I found myself laffing aloud a lot: especially during the Queen Nefertitty (I can’t even type that without laffing) incident. That was crazy. I don’t do well with snakes, either.
Careful What You Wish For by Lucy Finn is available now.
Be sure to visit Lucy Finn’s website at www.lucyfinn.com
Review: 4 1/2 Bookmarks
Technorati Tags: Walk the Line, Johnny Cash, Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Garbage, Metallica, Jill Shalvis, Linkin Park, I Dream of Jeannie), Careful What You Wish For, Lucy Finn
Gaby says:
I think that’s an interesting book. Maybe I’ll read it someday. Lately I’ve been sticking to the classics.