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Jayne Denker
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By Design Kindle Edition

by Jayne Denker (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 48 ratings
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Emmie Brewster has a few choice words for whatever demon spreads the notion among women that life is over if you don't have everything locked down by the time you're 30. Its insidious message has gotten to her, because at mumble-mumble-mutter-something past that deadliest of deadlines, Emmie feels like she's about to turn into a turnip.

Lousy job? Check. Although she's an interior designer, Emmie isn't allowed to do anything more at the studio than answer the phone and make coffee, thanks to her testy boss. Sketchy boyfriend? Double check. Kyle is perfectly content to treat their relationship like one long booty call. Neglectful family? Well, she'd love to confide in her dad...if she could catch him between his endless vacations. With a life like this, cutting her own bangs and collecting cats must be in her very near future.

Emmie, however, is not going down without a fight, and she decides to make some changes in her life. Starting with taking charge of her career. And dislodging that particularly tenacious tick, Kyle. Unfortunately, life fights back, and Emmie finds it's not so easy to rise above it all...until hottie architect Graham Cooper walks into the office, seeking an interior designer to work on an important project.

Graham is kind, charming, funny, and, most surprising of all, believes in Emmie more than she believes in herself. Can Emmie push past her insecurity and take charge of her life once and for all? Well, slap on the goggles and the hard hat, vacuum up the plaster dust, and dislodge the demon, because Emmie's sure going to try.

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  1. Print length
    270 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    June 30, 2020
  5. File size
    1584 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"This was a great book with some well-developed, interesting characters....Most people will probably be able to relate to Emmie on some level. It's well worth a read." - Chicklit Club

"By Design was a great contemporary romance and a perfectly delightful book" - Tome Tender

"It is a fun contemporary romance with a cast of really likable and fun characters that have led really interesting lives." - Chick Lit Plus

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B089FMDV7Q
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ KDP (June 30, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 30, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1584 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 270 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 48 ratings

About the author

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Jayne Denker

Jayne Denker

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Jayne Denker divides her time between working hard to bring the funny in her closed-door, low-spice romantic comedies, raising a son who’s way too clever for his own good, and wrangling two demented (but in a good way) felines. When she’s not hard at work on another novel, the social media addict can usually be found frittering away startling amounts of time on Facebook (Jayne Denker Author), Twitter (@JDenkerAuthor), and Instagram (@JayneDenkerAuthor). Visit her there, or at her blog, JayneDenker.com, and tell her to get back to work!

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
48 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kookaburra
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertainment, By Design
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book cracked me up. Ms. Denker's talent for spinning a yarn full of quick, witty dialogue, endearingly human characters, and insanely funny -- bordering on absurd -- situations has produced a very funny, very readable, very entertaining book. Take a break and get to know Emmie, Graham, and the other delightful characters in this book.
4 people found this helpful
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Jessica T.
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2014
Verified Purchase
I finished this book last night and I have to say, I enjoyed it. Emmie Brewster was a regular woman with a life that was fine but kind of monotonous, and after meeting the captivating Graham (and reuniting with the still-frustratingly all-together former high school classmate Juliet) she starts to shake things up a bit.

I loved the humorous tone of the book; that helped to make it a much easier and more enjoyable read. One thing that intrigued me was just how 'every day' Emmie was...she was attractive, but not glamorous...she was in a field she loved, even though she didn't get to utilize her talents much at first thanks to her restricting and domineering boss...she had a selfish boyfriend in Kyle that she put up with far longer than she should have...all of these are things I can relate to. Relatable characters keep me more engaged. And Lord knows I've spent my share of time lusting after someone who I deemed somewhat out of my league, or who was already snagged by someone else. When 'New Emmie' (as she often referred to herself) took the initiative with Graham, I internally cheered. When she pushed him away after one too many calls from his former flame, I cringed, even though I got the reasoning behind it. (Really, I thought the link between Juliet and Graham was going to be some kind of red herring, but it turned out not to be).

Another element of the book I enjoyed was Emmie's friendship with Trish and later, Avery; and her rebuilding of her relationship with her father, Bob, after her mother (and buffer) passing away.

Overall, it was a good read. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Denker.
One person found this helpful
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Nadine Christian
5.0 out of 5 stars that did not taint my view on this book -- either in a good or bad way
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2014
Verified Purchase
Firstly I have to say that this author is a fellow writer who is with my literary agency, however, that did not taint my view on this book -- either in a good or bad way.

I loved this right from the first chapter -- because Emmie is an every-girl. She acts and says things just as I would, and is thoroughly beleiveable, althought I did want to kick her butt a few times for letting herself being walked over. In saying that, I loved her, and laughed my way through the book. Jayne has a great sense of flow, knowing just how to hook in a reader, and I have to say that I'd love just a tad of her talent.

Great romance, great book!
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Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2015
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I enjoyed this book.
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Kindle Customer ebsierra
4.0 out of 5 stars Well Written and Fun
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
I was not too thrilled with the first few chapters, because the main character was so childish, even ridiculously whiney. I didn't like her at all. However, after that, the story picked up, she matured, and I enjoyed the way the plot moved along. This was written with humor and a light romantic style, not like a steamy Harlequin romance. This is a much nicer story than those. Even the design aspects were interesting. Sometimes the characters were too juvenile for words, not believable thirty-somethings, but in all, this is a nice diversion; a light, quick read.
3 people found this helpful
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Becs
1.0 out of 5 stars I've suffered for the author's art, no need for you to.
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
In a nutshell, run, don't walk away from this book. You're not missing anything and will be much happier for never having read it. How to say this without giving too much away? Completely self centered leads and I'm not just talking about Juliet who, FYI, isn't the only manipulator in the group. Emmie is quite the contradiction as she veers from doormat into bossy and manipulative and back to doormat. Not to mention delusional, in terms of both romances we're shown though her delusions are different in each romantic entanglement. Sophie is presented as a happy, well adjusted child but one wonders how that's possible with a spineless father who uproots her and almost renders her homeless for a woman he clearly doesn't know well enough. A man who will compromise his morals for said woman and does so quite easily until he's shamed into somehow having them again? Because that's how personal morals work. Sure thing. Now, if these challenged individuals had more redeeming qualities and/or experienced personal growth, it might have worked. Yes, there was a smidgen of this happening for the leads, but not enough to matter. On the plus side, several of the ancillary characters were interesting, witty and fun to read about but they certainly don't make up for the leads/their story which I couldn't finish. Read about one third then began skimming, quickly and in large chunks, hoping the book would get better. No such luck. I've deleted it, written this and will move on; you should too.
One person found this helpful
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Connemara
5.0 out of 5 stars A fun way to escape from the world for a while!
Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2013
Verified Purchase
It's been a while since I've had time to read anything, let alone fiction. "By Design" is the first book I picked up when I finally got some time to kick back and relax. I'm so glad that I chose it!

Sometimes light romantic works of fiction can be overly-formulaic to the point where I can predict what is going to happen throughout the entire book; at that point, I pretty much lose interest and end up not finishing the book. Every time I thought something was going to go down the "formulaic" path in "By Design", I was pleasantly surprised.

I really like that the characters were not created to be perfect human beings. I like that they have their flaws and weaknesses; this made them real and interesting to me. I wanted to know more about them as I read. This is what I want when I'm trying to escape from the world for a few hours! When I closed the book, I felt refreshed after my little vacation from reality.

I am really looking forward to reading more from this author. In fact, I've already pre-ordered her other two books that have not yet been released.
5 people found this helpful
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seriously
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read
Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
While the story behind this book was exactly what you would expect from a romance novel, the writing was really great! I thought the dialogue between the characters was hilarious and reminded me of the way my friends and I talk and interact with each other. If you want a quick, fun read, give this one a try!
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

L.Kat
4.0 out of 5 stars A great weekend read!
Reviewed in Canada on October 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book was the perfect weekend read. If you want a nice light read to escape to this is an excellent choice. The characters were easy to relate to and I enjoyed following them throughout the novel. I look forward to checking out more of this author's work.
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