A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Diana Coyle
In this anthology, you’ll find four stories written wrapped around April’s Fool Day and the curse placed against the Franklin Family because of this crazy holiday. Each author has penned two stories each.
In Cam’s Catastrophe, Ms. O’Reilly opens the book up by telling us how this curse has been placed against the Franklin Family in the eighteenth century set on April Fool’s Day. Through the generations since, this curse has caused mischief beyond any one mind could fathom. Cam’s luck seems no better than anyone else’s. Each year on April 1, it seems he ends up having to visit the local ER. During his yearly visits, he always seems to run into Dr. Jenna Ferrar and enjoys seeing her while he’s there. Finally, not being able to control her feelings anymore, Jenna decides to take matters into her own hands this year and goes to Cam’s apartment. What are Jenna’s intentions? How does Cam react to seeing Jenna and hearing what she has to say to him?
The next story, Darcy’s Dark Day, Ms. Kenner explains how Darcy, the youngest of the Franklin brood, didn’t see how the family’s consequences had anything to do with a curse at all. In her mind, everything happens for a reason and in an order. Being the mathematician that she is she can prove her theory many times over. Trying to prove to her family that she isn’t going to go into hiding on April 1, she decides to head to Cam’s apartment in NY and show them that she will be free of the curse when she gets there. As she arrives at Union Station, all doesn’t go as planned for her. The only good thing that comes out of her situation is that she gets to spend some time with Evan Olsen, Cam’s best friend and the guy who Darcy has had a crush on now for years. Does Evan help Darcy get through her mishaps while she’s visiting in NY? Does he ever find out that she has had a crush on him since she was a teenager?
The third story, Devon’s Dilemma, explains to us how Devon deals with the yearly Franklin curse – by hibernating in bed on April 1 until midnight the next morning. Her family laughs at her, but it seems to have prevented any broken bones for her thus far even though trouble still seems to find her on this wicked day. This year is no exception. While hiding out in bed, the door bell rings at 3 a.m. She feels that pulling the covers over her head seems the best solution at this point in time. But the door bell doesn’t stop ringing. Finally, getting out of bed, she answers the door. Standing, drenched on the other side is Squadron Commander Chance Cooper from the local Air Force base. He seems to have gotten himself a bit drunk at his friend’s bachelor party and now has a fifty pound ball and chain wrapped around his ankle. Needing some assistance, Devon’s house was the closest one to go knocking on. Does Devon allow Chance into her home? Is he some part of this crazy curse too?
In Ms. Kenner’s final story, Reg’s Rescue, she tells us about Reg, the Oxford Archeology Professor of the family and what he thinks of this Franklin curse. It seems that Reg is the only one that will go to any length to find the solution to the family’s problem. Since the curse is known to go back to the eighteenth century it has made him enter into his field of study with a purpose. He even has found the love of his life in the process, Anne Dawes, a fellow professor. But when things get serious enough between them that Anne starts mentioning marriage, Reg is panic stricken because he knows that the Franklin curse extends to spouses too. He loves Anne too much to put her life in danger just to be married to him. Unfortunately, his reasoning isn’t enough for Anne and she decides she must move on though it will break her heart into a million pieces. Ironically, a few years pass and it seems that a fellow friend of theirs, Jean Michel, an antique dealer, has come across something that he thinks both Reg and Anne will find most fascinating. What antique has Jean Michel stumbled across that has made him call Anne and Reg to see it together? How do they react to one another after not seeing each other for years? Could this be the catalyst that brings them back together or further apart?
Overall, I enjoyed these four stories and laughed out loud with some of the Franklin members. Their beliefs were complete opposites of each other and I liked how these two authors made each family member unique in their own way. Each story was different from the next one and all along I wondered if this family would ever break the infamous Franklin curse once and for all. I found that both author’s writing styles seemed to work well with one another and because of this, the story melded together with ease. If you want a good laugh, pick up a copy of this book and sit back and relax for a bit. You’ll feel bad for the Franklin’s too when you finish reading their story!
Mar 30, 2010 | 9780373795352
5 = Rare - Top Pick | 4.5 = I Loved It - Top Pick | 4 = Good Solid Read
3.5 = Enjoyable | 3 Stars = OK - Needs a few changes | 2 Stars = It just didn't click / DNF
Book Blurb for Just Fooling Around
No fooling: hot sex is about to happen! Cam's Catastrophe A reckless adventurer, Cam is about to take the wildest April Fool's Day plunge ever: jumping into bed with Dr. Jenna! But it's her own recklessness that fools them both.... Darcy's Dark Day The clouds lift when Darcy has a sudden opportunity to reel in her longtime crush, Evan! Who'd have guessed that a foolish curse could set up some amazing sex...? Devon's Dilemma She's about to take a sexy Chance...but will it be a lucky one? It's a dangerous gamble. But it could transform Devon's devilish dilemma into a delicious one! Reg's Rescue Anne desperately wants Reg in her life--for good! But for that to happen, the curse has to be lifted. So she intends to help him break the jinx--just as soon as they get out of bed....
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