Knock Me for a Loop [マスマーケット]

I have been waiting anxiously for this book, the 3rd installment in a series, by Heidi Betts. The main characters have had their relationship explained through the first 2 books, although I believe this would work as a stand alone.

Zack and Grace were engaged, but due to a misunderstanding are now apart. Knock Me for a Loop is their journey to reconnection. I loved Zack...he was very well drawn. I felt his pain, and his frustration with Grace's unwillingness to even give him a chance to explain. As he moves toward actual depression, he suffers a series injury, and Grace is enlisted to help him recover. As he recovers, he and Grace get a chance to explore their still explosive feelings and desire for each other.

I really like Heidi Bett's writing style. She weaves (or knits, as the case may be) a terrific story, flawless and funny dialogue, good POV, but you have to be willing to accept a few far fetched plot vehicles. I was willing to suspend belief because I like her writing style, but I got hung up on 2 points, which is why this is rated 4 stars and not 5.

***************SPOILERS FOR KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP AND TIE ME UP, TIE ME DOWN***********************

Grace kind of made me crazy. In Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, Grace surprises Zack in his hotel room at an away game. Turns out there is a barely dressed woman in the bed. Grace storms out, and serious freaking mayhem ensues as she destroys most of Zach's property and steals his dog. Never mind that he has been portrayed as totally devoted to her for most of 2 books by this point, never mind that she shuts him down and assumes the worst without giving him a chance to explain. Let's be honest, would he have really let Grace in the room if he knew there was a strange woman in the bed? I think Zack forgave Grace too easily. We get a decent background on her, which helps to explain her trust issues, but I still think she was way over the top in her reaction.

2nd point - Grace's reaction and continued reaction. I can see that running off and not answering Zach's calls for a few hours, days even, MAYBE weeks, could be a believable reaction. But eventually the anger would wear off and logic would take over. Again, WHY would he have let Grace in the room in the first place, with no hesitation, if Zack had known the other woman had taken up residence in his bed while he was showering? In Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down, I was kind of hoping Zack would have Grace arrested for all of the damage she caused. I would not have been surprised if Zack had said good riddance to the crazy woman Grace became. Instead, we find out he has tried everything he could think if to just get her to talk to him. Zack seems too good for Grace, and I never really got past that.

It was nice to catch up with the other couples from the first 2 books, both of which I really enjoyed. I really liked a lot about this book, too, when Grace and Zack were getting reaquainted. They sizzled. But everytime the past events was alluded to, I found myself getting a little irritated. All in all, though, enjoyable book and a good end to a great trilogy.

anybody would put up with Grace's behavior or want her back. Even harder to believe that she wouldn't face any criminal or civil charges for what she did. Amazing that her friends and Zacks friends seem to accept her violent behavior and nobody worries about Zacks well being. Grace's upset was at first understandable but not for the entire length of the book. Since we've all understood from the beginning that Zack is innocent it gets a little tired by the end of the book that Grace hasn't admitted it. Even worse is the way the book ends. After leaving Zack completely clueless for weeks, he thinks she's left him, she has the nerve to say "he doesn't get to write me off just because I needed a little time to think." Since she can apparently treat him however she wants & he'll still limp back begging for more I don't get why he can't drop her when she abandons him without a word for weeks. Who would put up with that? When she finally apologizes Zack notes that begging for absolution isn't his Grace's style even though he begged for weeks over something he didn't do. Of course he immediately forgives Grace after her 1 short apology. Betts would never write this exact story in reverse because who would forgive a hero who behaved like Grace or approve of a heroine as spineless and whipped as Zack?

I hate Grace with a passion. I tried really really hard to like her. I really did, but she's a...not a good person. She's selfish. She hurts people. She's self centered.
I CANT STAND HER.
Who gets engaged to someone and then just turns around and leaves because another woman is in your mans bed and doesn't let him explain AT ALL? In reality it probably be exactly what it looked like, and in reality when he says that he didn't sleep with another woman he's probably lying. But the whole thing that gets me is that she just walked away without listening to him. And she doesn't even look into the facts. Zack let her into the room. Wouldn't a guilty man try and keep you away from the other woman. And even if you are going to do something like that it does not give you the right to turn around and crush his property. And all the while he DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG. He's a poor say who's in love with a woman with whom I cannot stand. Not only does she do all of this but she comes back into Zack's life and acts like they dont have this big issue in which she thinks he's a scum bag. And dont even get me started on the fact that she stole his dog, and changed his name. Not to mention the fact the she does admit that her boyfriend might not have cheated and it doesnt seem to bother her in the least that she destroyed his car among other item's he owned when he might not have done anything wrong.
I also dont find Zack that funny. He says something and the characters laugh and I just dont find the humor. I dont think he has much of a backbone. If you find your ex in your apartment after all that she's put you through then you should just kick her butt out. He almost acted like he derserved all of this and he didn't even sleep with another woman.
I don't know how the book ends because I had to stop reading it.
Maybe some people find this kind of book to be funny but I dont, and I dont think I'll give another one of her books a shot either. Maybe they are good, but anyone who can write characters like this... Nope. She's on my DO NOT BUY list.