Wife for Hire Reviews

• New Jersey Meets Vermont

  
  By A19JGPUJAX048H on 2002-01-03
  Hank Malone was the town bad boy. He's returned to take up his inheritance - an apple orchard in Vermont. He has plans to turn it into a serious organic business, but in the town's eyes, he's still the same troublemaking stud he used to be, and the bank won't take him seriously for a loan. To change his image, he decides to hire a wife for six months, to give the illusion of stability and hopefull get the business loan. He hires Maggie Toone in New Jersey and brings her to his farm. She's eager to escape her small town life and job as a teacher, and relishes the chance to fulfill her dream of writing a book based upon her aunt's diaries. One small problem - her aunt was the local madam.

  This is a very funny and witty book. Hank and Maggie's relationship is romantic and sexy. The dialogue is classic Evanovich - she easily writes in the rhythm of natural speech so the reader feels as though he/she could step right into the conversation. Hank falls in love with Maggie right off the bat and plots to make their marriage a real one; she is not so sure that she wants to be stuck in another small town. Elsie Hawkins, a reoccuring character in Ms. Evanovich's romances, is present here as a temporary housekeeper. She is the prototype of the Grandma Mazur character of the Stephanie Plum series - a feisty, blunt-speaking senior who drives a '57 Cadillac, packs a gun, and is in serious pursuit of the male species (in her age group, they tend to drop dead unexpectedly so she tries to act quickly).

  Hopefully, someday these early Evanovich books will be reissued, but until then, this definitely one used-book worth finding.
  
  

• Good early Evanovich, even tho a nearly plotless love story

  
  By A1XGJ7TLP5Y3XC on 2002-03-30
  I didn't know Janet Evanovich wrote romance stories earlier in her career, but I stumbled across this title and couldn't resist seeing how she did before she got famous with her Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series. The good news is: Janet is just as funny and whimsical here as are her better known recent works. The bad news is, the plot synopsis can be stated in about 20 words: man hires woman to pose as wife, they immediately fall insanely in love, and will they stay together after the gig?? Bet you can guess! Between the heated blood coursing through their veins at every touch, to -- well you get the drift. I guess that's why they call these bodice rippers! For a nice easy read, no mental stress, little doubt about the story line, and some heart warming (I guess) relationship study (with no explicit sex), coupled with that great Evanovich sense of humor, give it a try. Supposedly she did a few others for Loveswept, but I'll take my chances on missing those.
  
  

• Not Real Deep, But Cute

  
  By A37E6RW5BUX4U0 on 2007-11-25
  This is a re-release of a book originally published in 1990.
  
  Maggie is a New Jersey girl and a little unconventional; she drives her mom and aunt crazy with her ways. She quits her teaching job in the hopes of writing a book about the family Madame.
  
  Hank was a bad boy growing up and now he is fighting to shake off that reputation. He has returned to his hometown in Vermont and just wants a loan to help with his organic apples. But his father, the bank president, won't give him the loan because he feels he isn't grounded or responsible enough. So Hank hires Maggie to be his fake wife on his Vermont orchard for 6 months, just long enough for her to finish her book and for him to prove his stability.
  
  OK, so this isn't the most emotionally deep or content heavy book on the planet... but it's cute. I hate that word but that is really the one word that popped up in my head over and over while reading... cute.
  
  Longtime Janet Evanovich fans will recognize some similarities between the characters in this book to some of those in the Plum series. Elsie Hawkins is a character in this book as she is in a few of the other early romances written by Ms. Evanovich.
  
  The mystery portion of this book was weak and beyond silly; I think I had it solved as soon as it began, but it does add a few chuckles here and there. This book won't win any literary awards, but I found it enjoyable just the same. Hank and Maggie have some chemical attraction and there are some sexy and sweet moments between them. It helped me pass a gloomy Saturday afternoon curled up on the couch; it was short and sweet and just what I needed.
  
  
  
  

• Wife For Hire

  
  By A1OGPR0AKZ4K7D on 2008-04-06
  Maggie Toone is taking a sabbatical from teaching to write a book based on her Aunt Kitty's diaries. Aunt Kitty was a madam, so this book would be great in Maggie's opinion. Since she still needed some type of income to pay bills, she was looking for something she could do that would allow her to concentrate most of her time on the book. Hank Malone needed a wife. He didn't want to get married or do anything drastic like that, so he contacted an employment agency about hiring a wife. As it turns out, Maggie was the only one willing to move up to Vermont and pose as Hank's wife. He was trying to secure a loan to help his business Malone Apple Orchards, and needed to prove his stability. Hank had grown up in the area, and was quite the hell raiser, so he needed to prove to the community that he had indeed settled down. To make matters worse, his own father was the bank president, so he needed to prove himself to his father also.
  
  As Maggie settled into her new temporary home, she found herself incredibly attracted to Hank. The feeling was mutual, and left Hank wondering if he had make the right decision bringing her to his home. He introduced her to everyone as his new wife, and had the entire town fooled including his family. As the weeks went by, both started feeling guilty about their deception, and even guiltier because they wanted their marital status to become reality.
  
  This was a good light read. An earlier work of JE that doesn't compare to her work today, but it was enjoyable.
  
  
  

• Pure crap

  
  By A3312IPRZK57H4 on 2007-11-09
  I fell for it; went and bought this book. Read it in no time flat, though very soon into the book I already knew it was a piece of junk. Stupid, unbelievable characters. We're supposed to believe that Hank (the main guy character) in madly in love with the girl character in a single day.
  
  I love the Plum series, even though I am getting sick of it, too, since it never advances, but these little previous books of Evanovich's show the practice work before she came up with Stephanie Plum. Every character and setting and even the dialogue is the same in all the books. The only exception is that by the Plum series, Evanovich finally got it right.
  
  Don't waste your money or time.
  
  
• Last try for early Evanovich
  By A1HZ19159SF7EI on 2007-12-13
  Like most of the other reviewers here, I bought Wife for Hire because I love Evanovich's Plum Series. I have tried other of her earlier romance stories and been disappointed but, ever the optimist, thought I'd give it another go. This is the last attempt. The situation was highly artificial--a guy pretending to be married so his father will loan him money, though it turns out the orchard would have survived without it--and the guy falls for the girl in less than one day. There was no build up for it, as the girl responds pretty immediately to him, too. There was no attempt to distinguish between sexual attraction and love or to build from one to the other. The story was really rushed. The only high point was the madcap comedy involving the townspeople.
  
  
• Are You Kidding Me?
  By A1XM4Z4O9TY8DG on 2007-11-06
  $7.99 for a 200 page book (with big print and even bigger margins) is insane. Especially when it's a reprint. The story isn't bad, but it isn't great -- you can tell it's old. It certainly isn't worth $7.99.
  
  
• Don't waste your time...
  By A31Z6Q7MRXH5UI on 2007-11-09
  This book was silly and a waste of time. The characters (with the exception of Elsie Hawkins) were absolute idiots - not believable at all. The humor fell flat. This was not up the usual standard to which I hold most Janet Evanovich novels.
  
  
• No-Brainer
  By A3TG4CREAZY71R on 2007-12-25
  How does a limited author like this ever get to be a best seller?? I should strike my pen to paper or my fingers to a keyboard. Very poor context and content. No plausability. Predictable, and adolescent.. I have read books intended for younger readers and found more merit. First book I have read by this author, and certainly my last. $7.99 I could have spent much more wisely. Only simple minds should take note or spend thier dime.
  
  
• Strong Premise Leads to Keystone Kops Antics and a Weak Ending
  By A1K1JW1C5CUSUZ on 2008-02-15
  Wife for Hire will mainly appeal to those who want to see what kind of a writer Janet Evanovich was before she began writing about Stephanie Plum. The deftness of the Stephanie Plum numbered novels becomes more apparent when you see Ms. Evanovich struggling to find a way to conclude Wife for Hire.
  
  Hank Mallone, a young man with a reputation for not being serious, cannot convince his family, friends, and acquaintances that he's determined to make a success of being an organic apple farmer in Vermont. His solution? Pretend to be married. How? Hire someone to act as his wife.
  
  Maggie Toone, a Jersey product, wants to escape from her life as a teacher to write a novel about her Aunt Kitty's career as a madam. She mainly needs peace, quiet, and some low-cost living. On a whim, she takes up Mallone on his offer.
  
  From there, the story becomes an expected romance punctuated by some funny misunderstandings. I thought the most interesting part of the book came in reading about a Grandma Mazur prototype, Elsie Hawkins, who is Mallone's housekeeper/cook.
  
  Misunderstandings abound, and some fun arises in the process. If you decide to read the book, focus on the fun.
  
  The book gallops along at a nice pace until near the end where it takes an inauspicious turn away from being interesting. My impression is that Ms. Evanovich ran out of ideas for making the story interesting and simply limped to the finish.
  
  If you like lots of schmaltz and predictability mixed in with your humor, you'll probably think this is a good romance novel. I was not amused enough to feel that way.
  
  
• Just OK
  By A18X6RQNTE3V0I on 2007-11-14
  I really like Janet Evanovich But I was really disappointed with this one she seemed rushed getting this one out it was to short and not well written.
  
  
• OK
  By A1GDI7LJAHCN79 on 2007-11-25
  All Stephanie books are great. I have read about 90% of the rest and they are just not the same standard. Janet has come a long way since she wrote these early books. Early versions of Stephanie's grandmother are well developed, but I have been disappointed by other aspect - plots, plausability, quality of romance. She does still manage to capture the cities and the people who live in them
  
  
• Wife for Hire
  By A2T94TCQIMX4ND on 2007-11-30
  I love Evanovich and this was an early book but a classic. She always comes up with quirky characters that are fun and over the top. It's always a kick to read her stuff.
  
  
• Great light-hearted audio book
  By A1YAB2PTB0QLJU on 2008-03-17
  I love most of Janet Evanovich's books and this is no exception. It was quirky, had lots of LOL humor and a nice romance story as well. It was so good, I would hurry out to my car to listen during my lunch breaks from work! With most of Evanovich's books, you need to read or listen for entertainment value -- it is fiction that will relieve stress and keep you coming back for another book.
  
  
• Humorous
  By A8ERLI505M4KI on 2008-03-28
  Janet has done a great job in writing this book. She has taken a writer, job, love, breaking and entering (illegal) and kept you on the edge of your seat or rolling in the floor laughing. All her books are so humorous.
  
  
• A Janet Evanovich fan
  By A1ZI4C7NGZM1T4 on 2008-04-20
  I am a big fan of Janet Evanovich. I love Stephanie and all her crew. But I also like the light romances Janet started out with. This one is pure fun!
  
  
• Fun Reading
  By AFXY7WCOVFRVS on 2008-05-31
  Wife For Hire is one of Janet Evanovich's lighter books. At the same time it is side splitting funny in spots. A great read.
  
  
• Good One
  By A1CQON0P01BITL on 2007-11-06
  This is a fast read cute funny romance...And Elsie is in this one also and she has her gun...get ready to crack up!!!
  
  Great Stocking Stuffer!!!
  
  
• Light, fun read
  By A22A65ZD7WTWGJ on 2007-11-12
  I really enjoyed this madcap romance. It was entertaining, sweet, and it just made me happy. The protagonists are likable and it's fun to watch them navigate through the charmingly absurd circumstances that are signature Evanovich. If you're in the mood for something light, fun, and romantic--this book would be an excellent choice.
  
  
• Cute little story
  By A36GCIE97M55YX on 2007-11-23
  I like these books by Janet Evanovich as they are cute little stories , easy to read, and you can see some of the traits of Janets early stories that carried over into the plum series.
  
  
• Very Funny but Light Romance Novel
  By A2VZP50FSYD6CO on 2007-12-05
  Maggie Toone has always been a bit of a problem child. Even now, at age 27, she is driving her mother and aunt crazy because she refuses to settle down - both in a relationship and in her job. She has quit her teaching job (which she wasn't all that good at) and wants to write full time. Her late Aunt Kitty was a Madame and Maggie thinks her diary will make a perfect book. But she needs to earn some money while writing, so she agrees to pose as Hank Mallone's wife for six months. Hank too has been a bit wild in the past but needs to prove to his father, president of the local bank, that he is settled down with a wife so his father will lend him money for his beloved apple crop. The arrangement is supposed to be no strings attached and in name only, but that's far easier said than done as sparks fly whenever Maggie and Hank are near each other.
  
  "Wife for Hire" is a very funny but extremely light romance novel. It is an early Janet Evanovich novel, written before her success with the Stephanie Plum series, but you can see hints of the Plum series even in the early books. Housekeeper Elsie especially reads like a Plum character - she's a pistol carrying older woman who will remind readers of Grandma Mazur. The main characters - Maggie and Ben - are okay but largely forgettable as characters. Neither one of them has any characteristics to make them stand out. The same is true with the rest of the townspeople, and it is hard to understand why Maggie takes a dislike to the town and its inhabitants including Bubba, Ben's best friend. The romance between Maggie and Ben feels rushed and not very believable. One plot line - why someone is trying to steal Aunt Kitty's diary - could have been better. It comes too late in the novel and when the reason why everyone is trying to steal the diary is revealed it is quite a let down.
  
  What makes the novel worth reading at all is the slapstick humor throughout it. There are lots of laugh out loud moments including a dinner party that Maggie and Ben have (which will remind readers of dinner at the Plum house); the various burglary attempts; and a couple of kidnapping attempts. All of the townspeople are very funny characters. However, the humor doesn't disguise the fact that there is little plot to the book.
  
  "Wife for Hire" is short on plot and long on humor.
  
  
  
• WIFE FOR HIRE A WONDERFUL READ
  By ANJBU16ITRA93 on 2007-12-07
  WIFE FOR HIRE is a Janet Evanovich hit story. The characters and the plot are very interesting, and just as I assumed I had the plot all figured out, it changed. Good read for the holidays.
  
  
• a quick read
  By A2VTFS52MDFT7O on 2007-12-08
  fun but short story. typical of evanovich a love story with a fade to black style.
  
  
• Wife for Hire
  By A3SV336I75YKFT on 2008-01-23
  Very quick read. I finished it in a matter of hours. I do wish the story could have been a bit longer at the conclusion. However; I understand it was one of her short stories re-issued. She's a brilliant writer, I laughed out loud.
  
  
• Wife for Hire
  By AGZ6LAZQFTEC7 on 2008-02-09
  Howdy..
  This is a sweet little romance novel. This shows how far Janet Evanovich has come in her Stephanie Plum books. I am not usually a romance novel reader. Sometimes you can see the ending coming, but the trip to that ending can be fun. I would recommend this book .. like I said a sweet little romance novel
  Micki
  
  
• Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich
  By ANU016JASA4J2 on 2008-02-10
  Although I prefer audio books, I very much enjoyed this imaginative free spirited story of love and adventure. The author writes some great and intriging stories.
  
  
• Predictable, but a nice read
  By ABVETFVV6O9TR on 2008-02-10
  Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
  
  Hank Mallone is looking for a wife, but only for six months or until his bank loan is approved. Whichever comes first. Hank has a bad boy reputation in his small home town and thinks a wife will lend him some credibility.
  
  Maggie Toone needs to get out of town. Feeling smothered by her life, getting out of New Jersey seems like the thing she needs to do. This could be a great opportunity for her to write the book she's always wanted to. As long as they keep it strictly business, no problems, right?
  
  I'm the first admit that I haven't been a big fan of Evanovich's earlier works. I adore Stephanie Plum, and I keep trying these others in hopes of discovering a gem. Well, maybe this isn't a precious diamond, but it's at least a cubic zirconium.
  
  There is definitely a formula to these romances, but it can be a comforting kind of predictability. While there were aspects that were far-fetched, I found that if I didn't take it too seriously, I enjoyed it a lot more. Unfortunately I wasn't always able to accomplish that. The characters fell so deeply in love in such a short period of time and I had a hard time swallowing it. Faking a marriage in such a small town where everyone knows everything about everyone else was dubious at best, but to try and convince his father, the bank president? That was just unbelievable.
  
  Overlooking the blatant unconvincing parts to the story, I did love the characters. Evanovich has a wonderful talent for creating lovable characters and that goes a long way to forgiving implausible storylines.
  
  Overall, I enjoyed Wife for Hire and thought it was a good read. The relationship made the story worthwhile. Just have a glass of water handy for the bits that are harder to swallow.
  
  
  
• Easy reading
  By A1PCZ747QV3OT8 on 2008-03-11
  I enjoy Janet Evanovich's books and this was no exception. It was fun, lighthearted and enjoyable. I plan on reading all of her books.
  
  
• Enjoyable reading
  By AYCXW4119IXTV on 2008-07-07
  I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't put it down! It's fun and light reading.
  
  
• New fan!
  By A38T3T3JH63LPF on 2008-07-12
  A friend recommended I read Janet E's book. I was reluctant, simply because she's so overrated (too commercial, I thought). Boy was I happily surpirsed! A fan for life!
  
  

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• The Grand Finale