Really Something

By Shirley Jump

Getting Even Just Got Even Better. . . They say you can't go home again--and when home is Tempest, Indiana, "Litter Box Capital of the World," who'd want to? Not Allie Dean. She couldn't wait to leave... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1420100351
• ISBN13: 9781420100358
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: Zebra
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 6.8" x 0.8" x 4.5"

Customer Reviews

Heartwarming and fun!

Delightfully fun! As a great fan of Shirley Jump, this one does not disappoint. If you could go back in time and change something, hoping to extract revenge and an "in your face" outcome, would you? Most would say yes, and that is what happens with our leading lady, Allie Dean - or as others once knew her as, Allison Gray. Growing up in small town Tempest, Indiana, Allison was overweight and an outcast. Living within her own lonely world, with the exception of one fellow classmate, Duncan Henry. Duncan was the town football hero, known and loved by all. However, things are not always as they appear to be. Duncan and Allison meet early mornings so that she can help tutor him and be a listening ear for him. To Allison's disbelief, Duncan asks her to the prom - only to end up breaking her heart. After fleeing Tempest, Allison returns seven years later, 170 pounds lighter, her appearance toned to perfection. She has become Allie Dean and has returned to Tempest, scouting out a location for her employer, Chicken Flicks. Not only does she find the perfect location for the film, but she finds it oh so easy to catch the eye of Duncan. After seven years, much has changed, including Duncan. He has become the caretaker of his younger sister, Katie, who has since turned herself into a recluse, after an accident leaves her paralyzed. Duncan appears to be respectable and responsible, not something that Allie had planned on - nor did her heart. Allie's plan was not working out as she had thought it would - not only was her heart reaching out to Duncan, but to his sister as well. A special bond builds, no matter how much she tries to convince herself that she is just there to "love'em and leave'em", hurting him at least a small amount as much as he hurt her, those years ago. Will Allie be able to leave behind the past or will the past continue to map her future? What will happen if and when the townspeople, and most importantly Duncan, find out who she really is? Revenge does not always taste as sweet as we believe. The characters in 'Really Something' were wonderful and so easy to connect with. This was such a fun read and one that I would recommend to anyone looking for a way to relax and take away the stress of a day. Other than the leading characters of Allie and Duncan, I really enjoyed Katie. Her development throughout the story was heartwarming and wonderful. I would truly love a story all her own. Great read - heartwarming and fun

Romantic and Heartwarming

Allison Gray left Tempest, Indiana right after high school determined to make a better life for herself. After seven years of hard work, she was on her way. Now Allie Dean, she lives in LA, works in the movie biz, and has dropped 170 pounds. Seeking revenge from those that tortured and humiliated her all her life, Allie arranges for new horror movie to be filmed in her old hometown. When Allie rolls into town, she has everyone fooled. No one recognizes her - not even the family she left behind. Everything is going according to plan until she runs into the boy that broke her heart in high school - Duncan Henry. He is a local television anchor, and is still as gorgeous as Allie remembers. Duncan is intrigued with Allie Dean, but could swear he knows her from somewhere................... Really Something is a well written multi-layered romantic drama. I don't agree with any of the other reviewers that classify this as a comedy. There are a couple of light moments, but nothing that is laugh out loud funny. Allie and Duncan have good chemistry, and I was rooting for them from the beginning. As Allie comes to terms with her past, and her family, she discovers that not everything is as it seemed so long ago. The secondary characters were also well developed and written - especially Duncan's sister Katie.

Wonderful Romance!

Shirley Jump has written a wonderful romance that made me teary and made me laugh out loud. Her hero and heroine are real people that I care about. I want them to have a happy ending and Jump delivers the perfect one. Her secondary characters are eccentric and often hilarious. I highly recommend REALLY SOMETHING to avid romance readers everywhere!

Funny and heartwarming tale of coming home

Allison Gray left her hometown as the overweight and dateless girl that everyone made fun of. Years later, she has dropped the weight and reinvented herself as Allie Dean, an assistant to a famous Hollywood producer, and plans to set the next film in her sleepy Indiana town. She bumps into first love Duncan Henry, the son of the man who turned the town into the litter capital of the world. Duncan was one of her few friends, and after he stood her up on prom night, she wants to exact revenge from him as well as the rest of the folks who made her teen years a living hell. Duncan falls for Allie - particularly when she breaks through his sister's self-imposed exile and gets her to come to terms with her paralysis. But will Duncan return her affections when he learns of her deceit? Jump's latest romantic comedy has a recycled premise, but it steps out of predictability be featuring engaging characters that ooze chemistry, and her gift for writing realistic and witty dialogue. Featuring funny secondary characters, this walk down memory lane will tug at your heartstrings as well as your funny bone.

Don't miss this entertaining read!

Allie Dean is a changed woman, so changed few in her small hometown recognize her, which fits right into Allie's plan. She's in town to settle the score for the pain of her high school years, especially with Duncan Henry, the boy who hurt her most. But Allie discovers appearances are indeed deceiving and some things are far sweeter than revenge. I highly recommend Shirley Jump's REALLY SOMETHING, a heart-warming romance laced with wit and humor. Don't miss this entertaining read.