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Beside Myself by Ginger Simpson (Romantic Suspense/Humour)
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Featured Author: http://www.romancereaderatheart.com/picks/readers_04.html Romance Readers Top Pick 2004
Featured Author: Molly Martin http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin, http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead 20+ years classroom teacher Entertaining Read ... Recommended .. 5 stars my pick of the month for June
Opting for an exciting new life in San Francisco following finishing up her MBA Nebraska native Cynthia Freitas soon discovers high rent, low pay andlittle time for anything except work and trying to clean her less than wonderful apartment. The newspapers are filled with stories of missing petite blondes, one body has been found and more are missing. Cynthia's already frayed nerves begin to really unravel; she is a petite blonde. Meeting tall good looking Alex Carlyle encourages Cynthia toward believing maybe her life is not going to remain as boring as it has been. Little does Cynthia realize just how exciting her life is to become. Even the arrival of her brother Kevin does little to calm the recent storm of excitement caused when accountant Cynthia and police officer Alex realize they have somehow become fused in a personality transference following a sudden electrical surge. More bodies are found as the maniacal serial killer continues his mad quest.
Beside Myself is an exhilarating, fun romp through a series of events sure to tickle the funny bone of all who enjoy light hearted sci fi coupled with a little romantic suspense. The problems faced by Cynthia and Alex as they struggle to find their way in one another's bodies and jobs while searching for some way to transfer back to their own selves without any one becoming the wiser are handled with sagacity and expertise. Writer Simpson possesses an obvious good sense of humor as she weaves an acceptable and compelling tale from a dubious circumstance.
Characters are well fleshed, dialog is fitting, at times gritty, but not specious. Reading of Alex's problems in trying to comb his/her hair or wear high heels while trapped in Cynthia's body brings first a smile then a giggle and finally a belly whomping gale of laughter. Cynthia fares as badly when she faces having to dress in uniform for the first time in the station house locker room.
Reader interest is caught immediately as Beside Myself opens with a view of the murderer sitting and brooding darkly to himself. Simpson's piquant writing style moves the reader right along from the suspense filled plot ofthe serial killer to the monumental dilemma of daily living facing Cynthia and Alex and back to the search for the killer. Twists of plot, spine tingling action, well-drawn characters, profuse struggle suitably resolved, potent dialog; Beside Myself has it all.
Writer Simpson's ready wit has taken an implausible notion and created a staggering tale sure to enthrall the most picky reader.
Great book for a lazy afternoon spent in the hammock under the shade of a very large tree.
Heads up, Simpson offers enough red herrings to trap the unwary.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Featured Author: Dina Smith for Romance Junkies (http://www.romancejunkies.com/artman/publish/article_1865.shtml) RATING: 4.5
Catchy Snippet: Cynthia Freitas moved to San Francisco to start an exciting new life. What she got was the shock of her life, in more ways than one.
When Cynthia Freitas left her home in Nebraska to start an exciting new life, she soon discovered nothing in San Fransisco was as she expected.She barely made enough money to get by, the only place she could afford to live was a dumpy apartment in a complex called The Cairns, and by the time she commuted back and forth to work everyday she had no time left for a social life. When petite blonde women matching Cynthia's description started coming up missing and found dead Cynthia started thinking maybe the big city was not the place for her.When Cynthis bumps into her handsome neighbor Alex Carlyle while taking out the trash, she begins to think that maybe life in The Cairns might not be so bad after all.
Alex Carlyle was one of the police officers assigned to work on the case of the missing women and the case has Alex completely frustrated. There were no leads, one woman was already found dead, and Alex was sure there would be more to follow. When Alex and Cynthia met they both felt an immediate attraction for each other, but neither of them where prepared for just how close they were about to become.
One night while Alex and Cynthia where sitting in her living room, Alex reached for the light and accidentaly touched an exposed wire. The jolt knocked both of them out cold and when they came to they realized they where trapped in each other's bodies.Now Alex and Cynthia must learn to act like the other one without anyone suspecting things are not right until they can figure out how to transfer back into their own bodies.
BESIDE MYSELF is a truly enjoyable read that will keep you reading the whole way through. This story not only had a great suspenseful plot that kept me intrigued it also had some really great humor. When Alex was learning how to walk in heels and put on make-up I was laughing so hard it brought tears to my eyes. Ginger Simpson has done a remarkable job in creating a story that I would highly recommend.
Featured Author: Keely Skillman for Karen Find Out About New Books Cynthia Freitas is a small town girl who has moved to the big city; but, things feel safer in a small town. She lives in the neighborhood where the police keep finding dead bodies of women that fit Cynthiaâ(TM)s description. She is a little creped-out and lonely. That is until she literally bumps into her sexy neighbor while taking out the trash and invites him over for dinner.
Alexander Carlyle is a lonely cop with no living family and no friends outside the force. He spends all of his current free time getting himself frustrated over the serial murder case to which he is currently assigned. That is until bumping into Ms. Freitas gets him an invitation to dinner and a body transfer on the second date. Then both he and Cynthia have more to worry about than just the murders occurring in their neighborhood. They have to figure out how to fake doing each other's jobs.
This was a breath of fresh air! I am used to the serious, suspense building, narrative to be found in your run of the mill suspense stories. Well, Ms. Simpson delivers that plus an entire truckload of humor. By some mysterious means, she had me laughing my backside off while simultaneously setting on the edge of my seat as the tension built and the characters scrambled to figure out who done it. I laughed so hard at the repartee between Alex and Cynthia and the situations that they found themselves in that I had to keep a tissue handy to wipe away the tears. This is one of the most entertaining suspense novels that I have ever read. I do not however recommend reading it at your desk on your lunch break because it is just too difficult to hold the laughter inside.
Featured Author: Mariah for Romance Reader At Heart (http://www.romancereaderatheart.com/picks/readers_04.html) Cynthia Freitas has come to San Francisco to work and get away from her parents' divorce. Because of the expensive rents, she has settled into the Cairn’s Apartments, an old run down building with ancient plumbing and everything. She spends most of her time working or cleaning her apartment to make it look as good as possible. The newspaper headlines have been bothering her since she lives alone. There is a murderer loose and he seems to be killing women that, strangely enough, sound like her. They are all small and blonde. She has been after the super to put a new deadbolt on her door, but to no avail.
Alexander Carlyle, a San Francisco policeman working on the case of the murdered women, just happens to live in the same apartment house as Cynthia. They run into one another one day and find they are neighbors, and start to become friends and date. Where Cynthia is a ‘neat-nik’, Alexander is a slob. Although opposites in that way, they start to become closer, when a sudden bolt of electricity changes everything.
BESIDE MYSELF by Ginger Simpson is a wonderful mystery that gripped me from the first page to the last. This story kept me enthralled with not only the mystery, but the way the two protagonists have to work to keep their sanity throughout. The humor of the switched places kept me in stitches. The inner turmoil of the two trying to be what they weren’t was so descriptive, there were pages of me smiling at the idea of their predicament. I have read Ms. Simpson's books before, and I have never been disappointed. She is an excellent writer, versatile and imaginative in her plots. She has, in fact, become my favorite author and I look forward to reading anything she has published. I strongly recommend her to anyone who likes romance.
Featured Author: RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS Top Pick
When Cynthia Freitas, a mid-western girl seeks employment and excitement in the big city of San Francisco, she quickly learns that on a marginal salary, luxury living is not within her grasp. The Cairns Building, a run-down tenement, with bad plumbing, faulty wiring and archaic furnishings, is all she can afford on a meager salary. Long hours commuting and working preclude a flourishing social life, and she’s beginning to wonder if moving to the big city was one big mistake. To top it off, someone is kidnapping and killing women in her very neighborhood... and the victims bear a striking resemblance to Cyn.
By coincidence, her neighbor, a handsome police officer, is assigned to the strange and baffling case. Their chance meeting over a Hefty-bag leads to a romantic encounter that ends on a shocking note and changes the way they both view they lives. Step into The Cairns and prepare for a jolt!
Featured Author: Tammy Adams - a satisfied reader Simpson and I have to tell you this is a great book. It has everything murder, mystery, romance, and surprising twists and turns. This is one of those books that you don't want to put down. The story plot is great and the humor was unexpected. I laughed so hard while reading this. I would really recommend this book to everyone.
Featured Author: Judy Cook for The Romance Studio (http:/theromancestudio.com) Overall rating: 4 1/2 Hearts
A serial killer is stalking the women of San Francisco. Not all women, only young beauties with blonde hair. Cynthia Freitas has come to the city from a small town in Nebraska. She wanted to get away from the scandal of her parents divorce. She is just the sort of woman the killer is looking for. Alex Carlyle is a cop, divorced and lonely. Finding the serial killer is his case.
Living in the city is expensive, and Cynthia has been forced to take an apartment in the Cairns. The building is a dump, and so is her apartment. All she can do is try to keep it clean. She is backing into the hallway with the trash when she runs smack into Alex. It does not take them long to like one another. They are unaware of that someone is watching their growing relationship. One evening in Cynthia's apartment, the lights go out when Alex touches a frayed electrical cord. They are both hit with the jolt of electricity. When they come to, the impossible has happened--they now occupy one another's bodies.
Cynthia is an accountant for a big downtown firm. Alex knows nothing about crunching numbers. Alex is a policeman, with a large build. Cynthia is too tiny to be a cop, and she hates guns. Now they have to fill in for one another until they figure out how to get back into their own bodies. If they are not careful, both of them will get fired. Neither have a clue how to physically be the opposite sex. There is no one they can tell about the problem, because no one would believe them anyway. And the killer goes right on killing people--people in their neighborhood.
BESIDE MYSELF starts a little slow, but when it picks up it is a laugh a minute. The characters are well-developed, and very likable. Ms. Simpson's description of Alex learning to walk and behave like a female, Cynthia like a guy, not to mention using both public and private facilities almost had me rolling on the floor laughing. They both come out of the deal with a great deal more respect for the opposite sex. The mystery develops nicely throughout the book. I recommend BESIDE MYSELF very highly. Don't miss it!
Featured Author: Susana I recently ordered Ginger Simpson's book "Beside Myself" from Amazon books.
I started reading it Saturday night and couldn't put it down until I had finished it five hours later...man...what a treat! I did not want
it to end.
THIS BOOK IS A GREAT READ! The writing unfolds very cinematically. It is rich in details without being fussy. It is also funny.
And although the end was somewhat predictable (romance wise), there are enough turns in the plot to keep you guessing.
This is a perfect summer/beach book. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
BRAVISSIMA GINGER! WELL DONE!
Now I'll have to check out your other books.
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Margot Finke
Author of many Children's Picture Books
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