A Quick, Romantic Read

Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie was a Valentine's Day weekend pick-me-up for this single lady. Curled up on my couch with a glass of Cupcake Wine and this hilarious tale, I was able to forget my singleton woes for hours on end.

When 40-year-old Nina Askew divorces her uppity husband Guy, she moves into an apartment in an old Victorian building and decides it's time to get a dog. While playing with puppies at the pound, she can't ignore the older gentleman staring her down from across the room... Aka, Fred the basset hound. He's old, smelly and everything is drooping (a phenomenon to which Nina can relate). Nina takes pity on Fred and takes him home, where he promptly brings his new owner together with her hot (and younger) downstairs neighbor, Alex. And so begins a romance filled with wine, Oreos and Old Hollywood films.

Crusie uses Fred throughout the book to continually bring the two together as they try to deny their feelings for one another. Fortunately, he's a scrappy basset, and he isn't easily deterred.

The characters in this story are alive with wit and humor, from the obtuse best friend Charity to the stud-of-a-brother Max. But the best part about Crusie's books is that the end always brings reconciliation - You're inevitably left with a warm and fuzzy feeling and a smile on your face.

A quick and funny read, Crusie always has me hugging my sides with laughter. Take this book to the gym with you, and I promise, your workout will be finished before you even realize you've broken a sweat. Oh, and have some Oreos on hand for afterward.