Not Quite Crazy (Not Quite, #6) by Catherine Bybee  


There's a sanity to the madness that is Catherine Bybee. At the heart of it all is the characters she creates. They dare us to be human. Encourage us to be empathetic and shine a light on what life has to offer whether ideal or heartbreaking. As an author she pulls back the curtain and guides readers with a profound sense of wisdom and wit. Not Quite Crazy is a nod to one life lesson we all take for granted. To get the most out of life, it has to be savored. Appreciate the little things and don't let the fast lane throw us off course. Jason and Rachel are the image of love could be. If given the chance to grow. Fresh and funny are a fabulous way to describe Rachel and Jason in Not Quite Crazy.
 
 


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I am hooked on the Not Quite series. This one was like a fairy tale. Girl works while raising her best friends son, stops to help a stranger during a snow storm, and stranger changes her life. The catch? The stranger is her boss and CEO of a private jet company.

The stranger is Jason Fairchild. He lives to work. Until a fateful night when Rachel Price gives him a ride after is Audi swerves into a snow ditch. Immediately when these two met the reader could feel the attraction. I knew their story would be interesting, fun, and sexy. I loved that Jason immediately took into account that Rachel was a mom. He made plans, dates that included Owen. He connected with Owen just as quickly as he connected with Rachel.

Not Quite Crazy is a fun and fast read. The storyline was enjoyable, quick, and easy to follow. There was flirting, sexy fun, and family time. Add in some drama, some family discord, and some scary mom moments and it is the perfect story. There are twists and turns throughout the story that changes some of the storylines from where I thought they were going to go but the ending was perfect. I ended with hope for Owen to be happy and a full heart for Rachel to be living life her way with Jason who is going to give her the world.

I definitely recommend picking up your own copy of Not Quite Crazy. ( )

Not Quite Crazy was an enjoyable read. I loved how Jason and Rachel met--her driving about as slow as her car could go in the snow, and him running his Audi into a ditch trying to pass her--and their relationships with Owen (Rachel's BFF's son, who she raising and the reason they're in Connecticut instead of California) were some of my favorite parts of the book (outside of the romance, of course!)

Probably just having the boss/employee angle would have given us enough conflict for a story, but naturally Ms. Bybee had to take things several steps further and throw in all kinds of complications--with Jason's business, with Owen's family and court drama--yikes. The first 2/3 is all cute starting-a-relationship material, the last keeps you on the edge of your seat, hoping everything is going to work out okay. (Spoiler alert--it does! Phew :))

Somehow I missed books 4 and 5 in the series ( Not Quite Perfect is Jason's brother Glen's book--the last one I'd read was their other brother Trent's) but this would have worked just fine even if I'd never read any of them before. Since the brothers all run the business, they're all here--but you don't have to have read their books (yet!) to enjoy this one.

Rating: 4 stars / B+

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. ( )

Catherine Bybee saved the best for last! The final installment in the Not Quite series features the oldest Fairchild son, Jason. Jason was surprised by a snowstorm when he was at work & drove home on slippery roads. When he went to pass a slow moving car, he lost traction & ended up in the ditch. When the other driver stopped to help him, he fell for her bright blue eyes, her light brown hair, her lips. He was mesmerized like "a teenage kid with an instant crush". After calling for help, Jason went with the other driver to her house to wait for help.

Rachel had moved herself & her best friend's son, Owen, across country from California to New York. Before her friend died, Rachel promised to take care of Owen. She agreed to the move hoping his grandparents would leave him be. Now she's dealing with the move, a new job, a smart kid, & his grandparents that thought he should be with them. She's anxious about taking the train into work so she's been driving everyday. She's never driven in snow though. After her near miss, she couldn't leave the other driver in the ditch without helping. She went to help him out of the car & the attraction & chemistry were instantaneous.

I enjoyed this book so much! The bond between Owen & Rachel was immediately apparent. They relied on each other for everything. Ms. Bybee's descriptive style of writing enables the reader to feel everything the characters went through from the attraction between Rachel & Jason, Owen & Rachel's grief, Owen's despair & dislike of his grandparents & even his grandparents apparent snobbishness. The interactions between Owen & Jason detailed Owen's wishes for a guy in his life & his feelings for Rachel to have a complete life. The interactions between Owen & Rachel were emotional, sweet, witty & loving. Rachel didn't want to take Em's place but you could tell what Owen felt for her. The interactions with Owen, his father (TJ), & his grandparents add even more depth & emotion to the story. This was a wonderful book to read & I would recommend it to everyone. There are even moments that the author made me cry! ( )