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Random Acts of Crazy

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I never intended to pick up a naked hitchhiker wearing nothing but a guitar. A guitar. Really. I don't collect guys like that (don't ask what kind of guys I do collect), but when you spot a blonde, tanned, sculpted man with a gorgeous smile and his thumb poking up and practically begging you to stop – you stop.

And I definitely never thought I'd be staring into the bright blue eyes of Trevor Connor, the lead singer for Random Acts of Crazy, an indie rock star I followed like the slobbering fileshare fangirl I am. How he came to be nude and lost six hundred miles from home is quite the tale, but how we fell in love is even more unreal.

Because someone like Trevor Connor, headed to Harvard Law next year, isn't supposed to want someone like me, a rural Ohio chick majoring in Boredom at Convenience Store University who is all curves and frizzy blonde hair and manners so unpolished they have sharp edges that make you bleed.

But he did.

When his best friend, Joe Ross, the bass player for Random Acts of Crazy and a man who makes Calvin Klein models look like Shrek, drove eleven hours through the night to rescue him, though, it got real complicated. It's one thing to like two different guys and be torn.

What do you do, though, when maybe – just maybe – you don't have to choose?

As my Aunt Josie says sometimes, "It's always complicated."

* * * * * *
Random Acts of Crazy is a standalone, full-length novel (300+ pages, 85,000 words) featuring Darla Jo(sephine) Jennings, the 22-year-old niece of Josie Mendham from the Her Two Billionaires series. It has, like many New Adult novels, an exploration of sexuality for the three main characters, doesn't shy away from mature content, and Darla has a sailor's mouth.

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2013

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About the author

Julia Kent

106 books7,936 followers
Sign up for my newsletter at: https://jkentauthor.com/newsletter/

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 5 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire in a rom com).

She also writes romantic suspense as Meli Raine, sexy shifter romances as DJ Jennings, billionaire shifters as half of the author team Diana Seere, and co-authors with Elisa Reed.

She lives in New England with her husband and three children in a household where she is the only person with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

She loves to hear from her readers by:

Email at jkentauthor@gmail.com

Twitter @jkentauthor

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor

Instagram @jkentauthor

Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

FORTHCOMING:


Love You Again (Love You, Maine, #2), July 19, 2022

Ten First Kisses (anthology with my story, Shopping for a Booty Call), August 12, 2022

Love You More (Love You, Maine, #3), October 11, 2022

Love You Now (Love You, Maine, #4), January 3, 2023


Author photo credit: Felix Rust http://www.felixrust.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 717 reviews
Profile Image for Sara.
733 reviews352 followers
May 25, 2013
WTF did I just read?? I'll let you know. This book never really sparked an interest for me. I struggled all the way through. It started off interesting. Cute naked guy with only a guitar on the side of the road. But from there on out, I was not impressed. Darla is a trailer park girl, blonde and chunky? Fat? Hard to tell. She lives with her fat mom who has one foot. Her mom stays in their trailer while Darla lives outside in her decorated 8x8 shed. Trevor is the lead singer of an indie band. Not a signed band, but one that has followers on the Internet. He's high as a kite and has no idea where he is, how he got there, and why he's naked. They are from two diff worlds completely. But not only is he in a band but he's headed to law school. So they instantly like each other. Decide to screw. He liked little trailer park girl. His band mate and BFF Joe comes to get him. Then the story turns into a big clusterfuck. That's where the story "twist" is. The ending fell flat and awkward. Wasted my Saturday reading time.
Profile Image for SueBee★bring me an alpha!★.
2,417 reviews14.8k followers
Want to read
December 18, 2016
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FREE on Amazon US today (12/18/2016)

Stand-alone book 1.

BLURB:
I never intended to pick up a naked hitchhiker wearing nothing but a guitar. A guitar. Really. I don't collect guys like that (don't ask what kind of guys I do collect), but when you spot a blonde, tanned, sculpted man with a gorgeous smile and his thumb poking up and practically begging you to stop – you stop.

And I definitely never thought I'd be staring into the bright blue eyes of Trevor Connor, the lead singer for Random Acts of Crazy, an indie rock star I followed like the slobbering fileshare fangirl I am. How he came to be nude and lost six hundred miles from home is quite the tale, but how we fell in love is even more unreal.

Because someone like Trevor Connor, headed to Harvard Law next year, isn't supposed to want someone like me, a rural Ohio chick majoring in Boredom at Convenience Store University who is all curves and frizzy blonde hair and manners so unpolished they have sharp edges that make you bleed.

But he did.

When his best friend, Joe Ross, the bass player for Random Acts of Crazy and a man who makes Calvin Klein models look like Shrek, drove eleven hours through the night to rescue him, though, it got real complicated. It's one thing to like two different guys and be torn.

What do you do, though, when maybe – just maybe – you don't have to choose?

As my Aunt Josie says sometimes, "It's always complicated."


FREE: https://www.amazon.com/Random-Acts-Cr...


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Profile Image for J.A. Owen.
Author 2 books25 followers
July 26, 2013
Within ten pages of this book, my jaw dropped more than it did in all the 50 Shades books combined, and not in a good way. I do not consider myself an angel, I swear about as much as a trucker, but the amount of F bombs dropped in each sentence was too much. What at first I considered charismatic wording soon became run on sentences and confusing wordplay. I thought it would be a cute, romantic story about meeting the love of your life naked on the side of the road, not at all. The actions and thoughts of the characters were extremely inappropriate, the term "knob gobbler" should be made illegal and never be used in a novel. The other thing I found disappointing was the character of Darla, she lives in a trailer and has accepted that her life is miserable but instead of doing something about it she stays there to rot and completely fits the mold of "trailer trash," yet somehow two amazingly gorgeous guys find her irrisistable. Apparently in order to win over the hearts of two rock stars I need to gain 50 pounds, have no manners, no ambition in life and lose all self respect.
Profile Image for *J* Too Many Books Too Little Time.
1,921 reviews3,708 followers
May 27, 2013
3.5 Stars!

I enjoyed this one. For me, the book started out going in one direction and then about 50-75% in it went in a different direction (the mentioned twist from the blog). And I kind of wish it wouldn't have gone in that direction.

The story was very funny. It was told in alternating POVs--between Darla, Trevor and Joe. Trevor finds himself naked....with only his guitar, wearing a cowboy hat and a dog collar.....hitchhiking in Ohio. Never mind that Trevor lives outside of Boston. Darla stumbles upon Trevor and picks him up....and so their adventure begins. Trevor also happens to be the lead singer of the internet band Random Acts of Crazy.

Joe, his bandmate is summonsed to get Trevor. Trevor and Joe are rich, educated, and hot. Darla works at a convenience store, lives in a trailer and is considered full-figured. While Trevor and Joe feel stuck in their planned privileged lives...conforming to all of their parents wishes.....Darla would give anything to get out of small town America.

Trevor and Joe are both drawn to Darla's laid back, care free nature. They experience all kinds of random acts together. But what will happen when Trevor and Joe head back to Boston? Will Darla ever make it out of Ohio?

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. A few of the story lines felt a little incomplete....but it looks like Darla's adventures will continue. It did drag a bit in the middle....but it also had some sweet and sexy times that made up for it.
Profile Image for Sara.
62 reviews
December 6, 2013
When I got this book I didn't really know what it was about. I had read a review in which someone likened this book to the style of Wallbanger, which is one of my favorite books.

This was nothing like Wallbanger.

This book centers around a girl named Darla. She is from a small, poor town in the middle of nowhere Ohio. The author gives great detail of the trailer park this girl is from, and it is just bad. This girl really doesn't have much going for her. I can understand what the author was trying to do here. She wanted to portray the story of this girl who was from the wrong side of the tracks, but she had a heart of gold and was doing everything she could to get by. But I just didn't get that. Instead the girl came off as sleazy and trashy. She had no problems picking up a man off the side of the road, and sleeping with him within a few hours. She kept saying things like she knew she should feel guilty but she didn't. She had her own mind... blah blah. I felt like this character had no respect for herself. I have no problem with a girl being from the wrong side of the tracks, but this girl kept saying she didn't want to get stuck there and still she presented herself in a bad light and did things that weren't going to get her away from there.

I was glad to see that she did finally make up her mind to leave the place. I can understand her reasons for wanting to stay, she was loyal to her family. She just didn't seem to want to go anywhere or do anything differently to me. Everything changed for her because of some guys she met. One she picked up naked and high on the side of the road, the other his best friend. She winds up having a threesome with these men,(Both men feel the need to "share" this woman, weird). And here is a kicker for me to, she wakes up in her hotel room thinking that they have left and paid her $600 for her services. She gets upset and calls her cousin/aunt and decides to move to Boston (which is where said men are from, and this option has been available to her for quite some time, her cousin/aunt has been asking repeatedly for her to move in with her). While she is talking to her aunt/cousin she thinks maybe she should move and start a new life and maybe things could still work out with her and the boys. HELLO!?! You thought they just paid you like a hooker and left town (which it turns out they didn't, but at the time she didn't know that, see what I mean about self respect!!There isn't any there!!)

This book just didn't work for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2013
I can honestly tell y'all, I freaking LOVED this book, it was truly fantastic
the entire book was some of the funniest shit I have ever read, and I am relatively difficult to impress. The part of the book where Uncle Mike explains what happened before Darla found the rocker on the side of the road was so funny I cried with laughter.
I honestly wasn't expecting the book to take the twist that it did, in which they had a menage a trois - but I was VERY happy that it happened. I liked the relationship in the characters, it was easy to feel their connection.
The writing style was actually very good, it continually built my interest and I didnt feel let down by the description or the characters. 5 Awesome - if slightly perverted - stars.
Profile Image for Kellie Maddox-Ward.
743 reviews519 followers
June 1, 2013
This story is about Trevor, Darla and Joe.

Darla lives in Peters, Ohio.
She works in the gas station.
She attempted College.
She looks after her Mama and she has always wanted more.
She is realistic though. She will never be more. You need money for that.

While driving home from work one night she see’s a naked man with a collar and a guitar on hitchhiking on the side of the road.

The last everloving fucking thing I expected to see as I drove down I-76 towards my hometown was a buck naked man wearing a spiked collar and a guitar. How could I not stop a d offer him a ride? Seriously? Where was he going to hide a weapon?

So what does she do? Picks him up of course!

Pretty soon it becomes clear this guy is not from around here.
But they hit it off instantly, not just in witty banter, but they have chemistry.

BAM-I WANT-TO-RIP-OFF-MY-PANTIES-AND-FEAST-ON-YOU-TYPE-PF-CHEMISTRY

THE Mystery Man turns out to be the lead singer of the indie online viral sensation “Random Acts of Crazy”
Darla’s favourite band!

Also turns out that Trevor is 600 miles from home and calls his best friend and band mate Joe to come and pick him up.

"let me get this straight. Last night, sometime after midnight I was naked in the basement and high as a kite. I just to come around an hour ago and find myself naked, by the side of the road, carrying an acoustic guitar and wearing a spiked collar and a straw cowboy hat. That's the complete inventory of my possessions."

While Joe is driving to get him, Darla and Trevor become “acquainted.”
When Joe gets there in the morning Darla is insanely attracted to him.
But he is a snob!
And is clearly looking down on Darla and her trailer park home.
He can see why Trevor is so into her.

But Joe’s over controlling Mum is going to kill him if he doesn’t get home soon.
As will Trevor’s.
Os phone is blowing up between the Mum’s and they both know he is lying through his teeth.

Trevor isn’t ready to go home and leave Darla just yet so sabotage’s Joe’s 2013 BMW.

Seeing how they are in the middle of nowhere, there isn’t exactly a BMW Dealership around who can fix it.
Darla is pretty sure her truck driving Uncle Mike can fix it when he gets home.
He can fix anything.
But he won’t be home until tonight.

So Darla, Joe and Trevor end up hanging out…

That night Uncle Mike completely forgets about fixing the car, he is at the bar pretty darn drunk so they go to get him.

The night definitely turns interesting!

Between:
- Trevor singing at an open mike night – not only her fav song but also a song he wrote about her.
- Joe kissing her and making her more turned on then ever.
- Trevor catching them kissing and strangely not feeling angry or jealous but lustful
- Mike stating he had a conversation with Trevor last night while he was on Peyote
- Cathy Darla’s Mum telling Trevor that he needs to take Darla away from there.
- Cathy also telling Darla it is time she went to Boston with her fav cousin Josie and live!

Then throw in the fact that Darla wants Joe AND Trevor!

After Joe and Trevor have left forever… Darla realises he will never get this chance again. .she has always wanted MORE, but can she get it?
Her?
A full figured country bumpkin?
With 2 music gods?
At the same time?

How will it all turn out?

You’ll have to read and see..

My Honest Opinion

This made me laugh a lot…

With lines like….
Sure you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t still be reading this. You’d flip over to some other story on your kindle, like one of those Cum for the Loch Ness Monster Bass Player, or Fifty Shades of billionaire Hoo-Haw.

And

One bad decision is like building a long line of dominoes and then just sneezing and not turning your head.

Or

”I’d like to know you,” I said, the words oozing out like slime. Sexy slime. Like sensual slime designed to cover her and draw her into my world of primordial arousal ooze.

Or

”Sorry it’s not an iphone 69 complete with asslicking app and a reacharound. ‘round here all I have is my little cheapy flip phone that doubles as a horse whip in an emergency.”

Some of that was said was hilarious..
Some of it. Was just trying too much…

I honestly didn’t read up about anything about this book before I bought it.
What can I say I have a “one click addiction” and Amazon suggested it so I tried it.

I HAD NO IDEA it was going to be about a threesome so I was a bit shocked as to why we go from Trevor and Darla’s POV to including the snob that is Joe.

Honestly at times I skimmed in this book. It did go on a bit too long, especially when they were going over the same things again and again..
Ie –The way Trevor only wanted to sing and didn’t want to go to Law School.
How Joe’s parents controlled his life.
About how Darla had always wanted more but never went for it.

I mean yes, I understand it was all a huge part of the story but after mentioning it once or twice it didn’t really need to be said 3-4-5 times.

Darla’s cousin Josie was weaved into the story just enough to make you intrigued about her so great to read at the end she gets her own book!
I really want to know about the job offer!
So yes I will be reading the next one when it comes out…

Now I’m off to check out the Julia’s other stuff…
Profile Image for Katie.
634 reviews169 followers
October 10, 2017
I didn't particularly enjoy this book. I didn't get on well with the writing and I was skim-reading for the majority of the book. I could happily have stopped reading at only a few pages in. I kept reading though with the hope that it would improve. To me, the story was a bit sketchy until about three quarters of the way through where it slightly improved.

The storyline didn't really work for me, especially what occurred at the beginning of the book: Darla finds a naked hitchhiker and decides to give him a lift. He is high on drugs and doesn't recall how he got to the side of the road. They get horny and stuff starts to happen.
Seriously? She picks up a high, naked guy off the aide of a road in the middle of nowhere and isn't too concerned about the fact that that could be very dangerous. Then add onto that, the situation gets all sexual between them. It also turns out that he is a lead member of a band she loves and yet she doesn't recognise who he is until she learns his surname. It might just be me, but I had trouble processing all of that and being able to find it believable.
Profile Image for Marian.
74 reviews7 followers
June 5, 2013
Oh my, what to say about Random Acts of Crazy..... well.... From laugh out loud funny, to flat out crazy, sweet and romantic, and sexy hot, I have to say I liked this one!

My first reaction to this book was to crack up, then a bit further in I was like Oh. My. Gosh. Then I was like I can't believe they did that! Then I was like, didn't see THAT coming! And then I was like OH NO THEY DIDN'T! And then, well I can't say that part. It would give too much away.

That about sums it up nicely, don't ya think? :)

I have to share that I bought this book purely on the title alone, I didn't read the blurb. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I really enjoyed this one, especially for the funny factor. I liked the concept of the trailer park girl bringin it home for these yuppies from Boston. Yes, it was out there. A bit over the top, sure. Totally unlikely to EVER happen in real life. Not for everyone. But I liked it anyway. Actual rating 3.75 stars

My favorite excerpts from the book...

*I realized I live in a world of full-of-shit people who don't know they're full of shit and they just perpetuate the shit by making...more shit.*

*Except for Trevor, who was suppressing a grin and grabbing my ass like it was discontinued and would not be available in stock for ages.*

I especially liked the title of this book and how the author incorporated it into the story. (Aside from the obvious things, of course) You'll have to read it to get what I mean.
Profile Image for Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~.
497 reviews184 followers
May 29, 2013
This one has potential. It started out great - funny, unique, sexy, but hit a slump around 30%. I almost DNF, but I'm glad it kept going. It picked back up around the 70% mark again, and finished strong. I think my issue was I didn't like Joe at first. I don't have an issue with ménage (be warned, that's where this goes, in case you missed it in the summary). It took a long time to get warmed up to him, so I just wanted him to go away. I was also frustrated with how immature both if the guys were. They were 22, but far from "men". I am curious enough about how this will all play out that I'll be on the lookout for the next book. I haven't read anything by this author before, but I'm going to check her out. She has wrote some really unique, and despite this issues, likable characters in this one.
Profile Image for Lauren.
400 reviews
June 8, 2013
Sorry, this one missed the mark for me. When people wrote reviews saying 'funny' and 'hot' I expected something along the lines of 'Wallbanger' or 'Seduction and Snacks'. This was not those. I did the research that I usually do before I download a book. The ratings and comments were decent but somewhere along the way I assumed this was a romance, which is what is mostly starts off as. I don't want to include any spoilers but I will say this book does not go the way you think it will, especially if you like the traditional 'couple lives happily ever after'.
Profile Image for Sienna Logan (Lost to Books).
1,057 reviews20 followers
June 27, 2015
Yeah ... I don't know what I just read ...

This book started off well--cute, naked hitch hiker needing a ride. It looked like it was going to be a comical, sweet read. However, all of that was ruined from the moment Darla took Trevor home, and then it just got worse and worse.

I'm not going to go into too much detail, but there is no story to this book. It's all about sex. There are no feelings, no romance, and I didn't find it funny. I really have no idea why I kept reading. I guess I hoped that the meaning behind the book would become clear. However, it never really did. By the time I realised that, I'd spent so long with it I decided to read to the end and boy I wish I hadn't.

There was little to no chemistry between the characters and it really missed the mark for me.

Overall this is one I should have DNF. It got worse as it went on and I wish the author had added in more detail what 'mature content' means in regards to the last 20% of this book. I'm no prude, but I like to be warned about certain sexual scenes that vary from the norm because had I known it would end this way I probably would have avoided it.
Profile Image for Tori.
313 reviews6 followers
July 12, 2015
Lol WHAT. It started off in a really clear, alright direction and it ended just... Like what? Okay. I don't know how to explain it. I don't know if I'll write a proper review, but here's a little mini review.

What I liked:
• the beginning. Although Darla's weird way of wording things, I liked the beginning.
• Trevor, because he's cute and adorable and he tried to break Joe's BMW to stay with Darla. Cute.
• the BMW, because yes, I enjoy cars.
• Aunt Josie, because she's funny. "Did you fuck him?" She's very blunt. I like it.

What I didn't like:
• the ending. It was really expected to be honest and it's unrealistic that two guys would fall so in love with one girl in two days. Seriously.
• everything past Joe showing up. He was annoying, ungrateful, and I hated him.
• the weird way that Darla thought. She had the weirdest analogies and just... At first they were funny but the sentences ended up being run ons.

I honestly won't be reading on. I have about 10 OTHER free smutty books I downloaded from Amazon to get to.

In conclusion, don't bother unless you have a lot of free time and you're okay with threesomes.
Profile Image for Pauline (Passionate About Books).
789 reviews14 followers
June 12, 2017
Losing all your marbles in under 48 hours!
"Random Acts Of Crazy" is exactly what the title implies... CRAZY! From page one, a string of frenzied events happen one after another making this book hilariously entertaining and highly addictive. Two strangers meet under extremely wild circumstances and in a matter of 48 hours their entire lives shift from what they had planned... their odd sense of connectivity, freedom and compassion changes everything. Jump on this frantic adventure and see where it leads you... Trust me, you WILL NOT BE disappointed! It took me less than 24 hours to read... Yah... THAT addictive and THAT insane! 5 Unhinged and Wacky Stars for "Random Acts Of Crazy"... one helluvan eccentric story!
Profile Image for Tammy Barnes.
27 reviews18 followers
December 2, 2020
Random Acts of Crazy one of the best if not the best books I've read in a long time. Could not put it down. I laugh so hard my side hurt. Thank God I didn't pee myself!! Congratulations on such an awesome read. I will tell everyone this is a must read. God I'm sooo in LOVE with this one! It's that great. 5 out of 5 stars easy <3 :) <3
Profile Image for Mya.
1,468 reviews54 followers
June 30, 2020
I was just not feeling this book, it was really confusing. I'm not going to lie, I skimmed a lot (and that is just not like me). The story just did not hold me.
Profile Image for Lisabet Sarai.
Author 170 books176 followers
June 24, 2021
Darla Jo Jennings lives with her disabled, diabetic mother in a broken-down trailer in rural Ohio. She drives a rusty Toyota with holes in the floor and makes her living at the local gas station. Though Darla’s got dreams like every young woman in her twenties, she’s enough of a realist to know her future will probably be as uninspiring as her present. Then she encounters a gorgeous but confused young man by the side of the road, wearing nothing but a straw hat and a guitar covering his privates. When she picks him up (because obviously she couldn’t just leave him there), she realizes, through her fog of lust, that he’s Trevor Connor, lead singer for her favorite indie band Random Acts of Crazy.

Music is Trevor’s escape from his regimented, privileged life in Massachusetts. Supposedly he’s headed for Harvard Law School in the fall, fulfilling his family’s expectations, but the band is what brings him joy. When he steals and consumes his friend and band mate Joe Ross’s peyote, he’s making one grand gesture of protest against his pre-determined yuppie fate. How he manages to transport himself more than 600 miles to Ohio is a mystery. Perhaps it’s destiny.

Darla’s hard-scrabble world is so different from what he’s used to, it might as well be another planet. And Darla herself – lush and curvy, frizzy-haired, funny and blunt – is like no woman he’s ever met. Their mutual attraction leads to a coupling both intimate and intense. They’re both dreading the inevitable, soon-to-arrive moment of good-bye, when Joe shows up to rescue Trevor, only to fall under Darla’s spell himself. The energy flowing among the three of them feels real, powerful and strangely healthy and Darla’s honest enough to give in to her feelings, even if a threesome with two men from a different universe seems totally crazy.

Julia Kent doesn’t need another rave review for Random Acts of Crazy. Eight years after its original publication, the book is ranked 811 in the entire Kindle store, number 6 in Comedy and number 18 in Women’s Humorous Fiction. Nevertheless, having snagged a free copy of this novel in a recent promotion, I have to add my voice to the overall chorus of praise.

I loved Random Acts of Crazy, from beginning to end. It’s billed as a comedy, and it does have its funny moments, but what impressed me most was the out-of-the-box yet thoroughly believable characters and the steamy yet tender sex. Trevor’s and Joe’s culture shock is stark and vivid. Darla’s attempts to remain practical while falling ever deeper in love touched and moved me.

This is definitely Romance with a capital R. At the same time, the book is fresh, original and not afraid to take risks. Reverse harem is all the rage now, but when Ms. Kent penned Random Acts of Crazy, I believe this sort of three-way scenario was far less common.

And did I mention the love scenes? ;^) I found them gorgeously erotic, at least partly because we get an up-close view of what the characters are feeling as well as what they’re doing.

I’ve read at least one of the later books in the Random series, and to be honest didn’t like it as well, because it portrayed Darla as too ditzy to be believable. That’s not the Darla we see in this book. She may be prone to gaffes and have little social finesse, but she’s a strong, resourceful woman, a deeply appealing character. It’s no wonder both Trevor and Joe fall in love with her.

Profile Image for Lauren.
30 reviews22 followers
May 30, 2013
The "naked hitchhiker" description is what initially made me one-click this book but the quick wit of Darla and Trevor kept me in.

Though, I feel I should preface: I didn't read past the "naked hitchhiker" description so I had no idea what to expect with this book.

That being said, I don't know if I can say I loved this book. I'm not even 100% sure of what I just read. But this kind of book may have been exactly what I needed. My life's predictability tends to bleed into what I read, which is unfortunate, but it happens. Random Acts of Crazy was nothing like anything I could've ever predicted - it was unlike anything I'd ever read before.

And I don't just mean the scene. You know the one. I mean the whole idea behind it. It was emotional and deep and Julia Kent made it work. It was not your cookie-cutter romance and I'm so glad I read this when I did.

I laughed and I felt and I grew with these characters. Though there were times I didn't understand their choices, I understood it was what they thought was best for themselves (if that makes any sense at all). The added perspective about a quarter into the book was jarring - I questioned that decision when it happened, but it makes total sense. Joe's POV rounds out the story and, frankly, I can't think of a better way to structure the last third of the book.

The ending...the ending happened how it should have happened. But it happened like I never saw coming. Does that make me narrow-minded? Am I intolerant or not understanding? I'm not sure. But one thing I do know - the author somehow crafts everyone's emotions and states of mind in a way that it makes sense. I don't know how she does it and I want to camp out in her brain to find out, but it just works.

If you're looking for a light summer beach read, I wouldn't choose this one. But if you're sick of the boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back structure that's become way too prevalent in contemporary romance, PICK THIS SHIT UP. Note the mature content warning, put on your big girl panties and try something new.
July 4, 2013
I can't forget to mention the hot rockstar wearing only his guitar on the side of the road, so I'll get that out of the way first! This is the book that took me away from it all recently. It had me laughing and enjoying the little world that Julia Kent invited me into. If you've grown up in a small town, woke up in one with no idea how you got there, been stranded in one or felt trapped in one, you will totally get this book. If you've grown up semi-privilaged, stuck under your parents thumbs, always doing what was expected of you for fear of being cut off with no escape in sight, you will totally get this book. This is a story of what happens when these 2 worlds collide. While nearly everything that happened in this book didn't have a snowballs chance at happening in real life, it made you laugh at real life and reminded me that life is short and worth enjoying as much as possible. I had no probalems reading this as a stand alone. There are other books that are tangents/continuations of and for these characters, but there were no issues as far as understanding who the characters were and what their roles were. This book has a bit more of an isolated demographic than most mainstream books, but that's OK because the characters in the book have a demographic all their own. If you want an easy, laid back read for a lazy summer day, pick this book up! If you read it, you will understand that I want my own shed, Julia!
Profile Image for Heather andrews.
9,520 reviews159 followers
May 23, 2013
Yeah, Darla and I are gonna get along great we both have potty mouths, "the man was barefoot for goodness sake. On the highway. In May, in Oh-effing-hi-o, where winter isn't a season but a state of mind." She speaks her mind as well I like her a lot, "I am no one's Ma'am. That's my grandma. Hell, my mom doesn't even go by Ma'am, so shut down that talk right there." Trevor, that boy is a hoot and a holler, "trying very obviously not to stare at my package. I liked her for that. Then I was offended, because what's wrong with my manhood? It deserved to be ogled." He obviously thinks highly of himself haha. Trevor is just so honest, "it's not a line. I mean it. I've never slept with anyone outside at a rest area while hitchhiking naked." Trevor's mind is an interesting place, "she's umm..." Darla sighed. "she's..." what? my mind filled in. she's what? Drunk? Crazy? Fat? Schizophrenic? A criminal? A murderer? Really a man?" Darla's mama is a character as well, "with his twinkie hanging out?"
Profile Image for Taryn Elliott.
Author 64 books1,066 followers
June 1, 2013
This was a total impulse buy. My friend sent me the link and I read the blurb and BAM. CLICK.

I don't do that too often. I'm pretty stingy lately on the buy button. I'll do the sample and then buy, but rarely just go for broke.

So glad I did.

Truly engaging characters and an unexpectedly thoughtful book. I figured it was just going to be a bit of fluff with a quick witted voice. But what I got was 3 very different characters that were on the cusp of being grown ups.

Messy and sometimes uncomfortable it took two different cultures...Well-to-do Massachusetts college boys and a girl stuck in nowhere'sville Ohio with barely two pennies to scrape together...and smashed them together.

It wasn't your typical love story, more of a realization that you don't have to do what people assume you should do. And the ending rocked. Some might go crazy with it, but I loved how it ended.

Not everything worked, but it left a lasting impression that will definitely make me put Mz. Kent on my watch list.
March 7, 2018


If sombody has any idea what I just read please tell me, because I do not have the slightest clue ... at about 40% I started skimming through the pages and even gave that up to just take a look at the end. Then I found myself staring out of the window and shaking my head alternating between trying to clear mind or getting myself something strong to drink. Because alcohol induced fog would explain a lot ...

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Profile Image for Tracy Lundy-Munn.
1,483 reviews
July 23, 2013
Holy crisp that was a train wreck starting at page one, but it was a FANTASTIC train wreck!! I've never laughed so hard while reading a book. The entire thing from storyline to characters was awesome!! Definitely had twists and turns I wasn't expecting. Looking forward to more books from this author:))
Profile Image for Ela.
596 reviews
August 20, 2018
I've had better... UM I meant I've read better...
Profile Image for BrandyD.
524 reviews73 followers
August 25, 2020
I don’t care for Darla. I understand she has had a rough life and she is poor, but just because someone is poor, they don’t have to be trashy. Jeeeeeze. 😳
* Read audiobook version.*
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