Amazon.com
In the wake of the success of The MacGregor Brides and The MacGregor Grooms, New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts has repackaged and reissued the sagas of earlier generations, beginning with Serena and Caine, daughter and son of family patriarch Daniel MacGregor. Daniel's romantic machinations embroil Serena and Caine with another brother and sister team, Justin and Diana Blade. In Playing the Odds, Comanche gambler Justin Blade finds himself on a vacation cruise to the Bahamas where he is instantly attracted to a violet-eyed casino dealer. Only later does he learn that the lissome Serena is one and the same as the much-degreed Rena MacGregor, daughter of his longtime silent business partner, Daniel MacGregor. Serena makes it her practice to never get involved with gamblers, but the predatory gaze of Justin Blade steals her breath and steels her resolve to ignore his overtures. When Justin makes her an offer she can't refuse--the position of casino manager in his Atlantic City hotel-casino--Serena finds herself drawn to the man who worked his way up from nowhere, never swerving in his pursuit of financial success and possession of Serena. In this contemporary drama, the house (and the heart) always wins! Once settled as Justin's partner in business and in life, Serena invites Justin's sister Diana to visit. To Diana, Justin is the beloved older brother who abandoned her 20 years earlier, after their mother's death, leaving Diana to be raised by her cold Aunt Adelaide who demanded absolute obedience from her. Now a Harvard-educated lawyer in Boston, Diana is a cool operator, her emotions packed tightly away, until Caine MacGregor, her new sister-in-law's brother and infamous rogue of Harvard Law's ivied halls, greets her at the airport on her visit to get to know the brother she loved so long ago. Diana finds herself in turmoil, trying to deal with her hurt and anger toward her brother and the attraction that she feels for Caine who just happens to be near whenever Diana's well-guarded shell cracks. Caine works inexorably to overcome the much-exaggerated tales of his law school peccadilloes, slowly changing Diana's mind about his playboy reputation and teaching her to trust her heart and him. No one builds romantic tension better than Nora Roberts; even the second (or third or fourth) reading is every bit as exciting as the first! --Alison Trinkle
Book Description
Playing the Odds
No more well-intentioned family meddling! Serena MacGregor was on her own and looking for a challenge. She found it in the arms of roguish gambler Justin Blade. His charm and ruthless good looks invaded her every waking moment, but she was wary of a man who seemed to have secrets to hide. No way was this a setup -- what were the odds?
Tempting Fate
Attorney Caine MacGregor had a reputation for being a demon in the courtroom -- and in the bedroom. He yearned to break down Diana Blade's icy wall of control and release the passionate woman within. When he offered Diana a partnership -- in both business and pleasure -- could he entice her to risk everything for the love of a MacGregor?
Customer Reviews:
McGregors series.......2007-09-29
Have read all of the McGregors books, loved the series, look forward to more from Nora Roberts, would recommend to everyone who is a romantic at heart to read about the McGregors.
The MacGregors are the best...........2007-05-22
family I have read. I love the way Serena was able to handle Justin yet there were times Justin was able to handle Serena. They make one of the perfect couples I have read. Daniel (Serena and Caine's Dad) is the funniest dad I have ever read. He is all about family and wants grandbabies to bounce on his knee, Anna frets!!!. Diana and and Caine's story was great too. If you dont know, Diana and Justin are brother and sister and havent seen each other in about 15yrs so Serena askes Diana to come to The Commache and meet her and see Justin. She comes even though I dont think she wants to but Caine says she is curious. I agree. They both are a stuborn couple and are not afraid to admit that Diana is afraid to admit she loves him even though Caine admit is first. I am always in the mood for a argument and theirs is just as good, you always find out more about the couple that way. I cant wait to read Alan-Grants story. I have read the Macgregors so many times that creases in the page. Love Them...
IRISH BLOOD .......2007-03-12
THIS BOOK IS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND CAPTIVATING FROM BEGINNING UNTIL THE END . THE AUTHOR NORA ROBERTS IS ABLE TO SHOW US WHAT IS THE REAL MEANING OF IRISH PRIDE AND ALSO THEIR FAMILY VALUES WHICH I PERSONNALLY APPRECIATE A LOT . READING THIS BOOK ALSO GAVE ME A BETTER INSIGHT ON THE MORALS OF HOW CLANS USED TO OPERATE FOR THE MCGREGORS CLAN IS A FANTASTIC ONE WITH A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY WHERE LOVE AND RESPECT FOR ONE ANOTHER IS A DAILY HABIT . THIS BOOK ALSO ALLOWED TO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW BETTER WHAT I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IN A FAMILY TO BE BUILT . IT IS A ROMANTIC BOOK BUT SO WELL WRITTEN THAT THE STORIES OTHER THAN THE LOVE PART ARE ALSO CATCHY.
The MacGregors: Serana ~ Caine.......2007-02-01
Loved reading this book again I read it in the 1990's. Nora Roberts is the best.
NORA ROBERTS BOOK.......2007-01-27
I FOUND THAT MY PURCHASE WAS A GOOD ONE. I HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK YET BUT ALL NORA ROBERTS BOOKS ARE GREAT! THE SERVICE, DELIVERY AND CONDITION OF THE BOOK WAS EXCEPTIONAL. I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER SERVICE.
Product Description
4 NORA ROBERTS Books: 3 MACGREGOR: Alan~Grant [All The Possibilities, One Man's Art] / Daniel~Ian [For Now, Forever, In From The Cold] / Serena~Caine [Playing The Odds. Tempting Fate] / 1 MacKade Brothers: The Heart of Devin MacKade (Unboxed Set of Romance Novels from Various Series), Shipped in one package
to save on shipping costs.
Customer Reviews:
did she get paid by the word?.......2004-08-18
i've never read a book with so much banal chit-chat! the dialogue was just plain bad. the book could have been about 200 pages shorter and maybe i'd have been able to get through it. as it was, half way through , i realy didn't care who killed who!
You Can't Do Without This One.......2001-03-28
Vance Randolph and Gershon Legman are the Johnson and Boswell, Lewis and Clark and Will and Ariel Durant of coarse and vulgar humor as a literary subject. Randolph's Pissing in the Snow is the standard popular introductory work on the subject, just as Legman's two volume masterpiece No Laughing Matter sets the standard for deeper historical, semantic and psychological consideration of dirty jokes. Here, Randolph and Legman do for the dirty song (or vulgar version of a standard song) what those works did for the dirty joke, namely provide an exposition of the funny material along with a discussion of its historical context, how the information was collected and some comparisons with other similar treasures. As the other reviewer in this thread noted, the irony of this as a subject of serious study is entertaining in and of itself. While this book is a bit pricey, I will vouch that it is worth every penny and might be the finest thing to come out of Arkansas in the 1990's.
Dirty Songs and Jokes as Folklore and Literature.......2000-06-01
When the Univesity of Arkansas Press published this Vance Randolph classic it almost completely made up for giving us Clinton and that admits a lot. This is another portion of Randolph's work on Ozark mountain folklore and generally follows up on his more popular paperback classic Pissing in the Snow. Without saying anything more, this book, although apparently not intended primarily to amuse, is very, very damn funny. It's expensive but worth every penny. No collection of Dirty Jokes as literature can afford to be without it and it deserves the highest recommendation.
Roll it on your shelf!.......2000-03-27
I enjoyed this book so much! The irony of an academic study of something usually ignored drew me to the work, but its bawdy and fascinating content kept me reading all the way to the end. I've heard some of the versions of the hymns and bluegrass songs parodied by the Ozarkians interviewed, but some were totally new and entertaining. Read it and you'll be laughing silently every time you hear the "usual" versions of Casey Jones, Frankie and Johnny, At the Cross, Ida Red, and so many others.
Average customer rating:
- A Great Book!
- Some of the funniest and most x-rated roast moments
- everyone loves a secret
- great read!!
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The New York Friars Club Book of Roasts: The Wittiest, Most Hilarious, and Most Unprintable Moments from the Friars Club
Barry Dougherty
Manufacturer: M. Evans and Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Comedy | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Performing Arts | Entertainment | Subjects | Books | Dance | Magic & Illusion | Theater
Social Services & Welfare | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Culture | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0871319608 |
Book Description
Ths is a hilarious compilation of tales, anecdotes, and historical information about the Friars Club, featuring funny and moving moments from hunderds of stars.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book!.......2004-06-16
I came across this delightful tome in the B&N bargain bin a few weeks back and what a bargain it was!! Mr. Dougherty has managed to do something that no one else has done before him: capture the humor, drama, class and uniquenees of the legendary New York Friars Club.
Contained within its pages are hundreds of fascinating and obscure behind-the-scene tidbits about the Club itself (we get all of the history of how it came to be), and the great men and women who have been immortalized at Friars events over the years: Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Humphrey Bogart, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Lewis, and Dianna Ross to name just a few!
I can only imagine what a treat it must have been for Mr. Dougherty (and his research team) to go back through the Friars voluminous archives, listening to all of the legendary roasts and dinners and flagging the most interesting and funny moments. Not to mention all of the amazing black & white photos that were taken through the years!!
In logging on to write this review today, I see that Mr. Dougherty has a new book about the Friars Club - a celebration of their 100th Anniversary! And in 1-2 shipping days I am confident that I will be in for another treat!!
Some of the funniest and most x-rated roast moments.......2002-04-04
The only reason why I almost didn't give this five stars is that this wonderful book actually isn't just a collection of the funniest roast moments from the New York Friars Club. It is partially a HISTORY of various roasts through the years. Well-written and well-organized, from the standpoint of LOTS of zingers the fun truly begins about 75 pages into the book. Before that there are wonderful accounts of the early roasts but not a lot of jokes.
Not all of these laugh-out-loud (I mean REALLY laugh out loud) lines in this book are x-rated, but quite a few of them are. Dougherty also offers memories from some of the celebrity participants, which put some of the ribbing and behind the scenes stories (and egos) in focus. It's a GREAT approach...and it does work.
But don't expect a mere collection of jokes listed by subject -- the emphasis here is on a given roast and the participants. In fact, in the index you will find names of performers, not subjects. Roast victims included such names as Al Jolson, Sophie Tucker, Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Phillis Diller, John Travolta, Stephen Seagal, Drew Carey and many many more.
The three roasters who made me roar the most were comedians Milton Berle (he will be missed -- something about Berle was a running joke at the club for years), Red Buttons and Buddy Hacket.
I highlighted the jokes I liked as I read them so when I want a big (and guilty r-or-x-rated) laugh I can go back and re-read them. There were LOTS of markings in this book, and almost every line I marked is a winner. But be forewarned: this is not just a book of jokes and one-liners, but a fascinating history as well as a laugh-packed volume.
everyone loves a secret.......2001-01-03
If you happen to be one of the unfortunate souls who hasn't heard of the Friars Club, then buy this book and get with the program! This book is guaranteed to make you the most popular person at those boring cocktail parties, supplying you with some of the funniest, totally true moments in Friars Club Roast history. Now you can tell people what really happened at the Whoopie Goldberg Roast... or which woman snuck into the once all-male roasts dressed as a man... and who got mad at whom for saying what.Finally, some of show business' best kept secrets and juiciest behind-the-scenes tidbits are revealed in one of the funniest books on shelves today. Author Barry Dougherty somehow manages to turn a show business history lesson into a rip-roaring riot of a read in this easy-to-read-while-you're-waiting-for-your-laundry-to-dry book. The anecdotes are priceless and guaranteed to make you laugh for days later. And Dougherty has such a delightful writing style you'll find yourself passing this gem on to friends and foes alike. There are few secrets in show business... and now, there are even fewer!
great read!!.......2000-10-09
What a fun, funny book! Picked it up after seeing the author on TV--I think Entertainment Tonight. Not just for those interested in the history of The venerable NY Friars Club, but for anyone who gets a kick out of those ribald comics who inhabit it ...
The dinners and roasts over the decades haven't changed ALL that much except for the progressivly risque language and other verbal hi-jinx, according to the knowledgeable Dougherty(and pretty amusing guy too), but what he captures in the interviews he seems to have personally conducted with some recent attendees--from Jason Alexander to Red Buttons--is the 'spirit' of the Friars' fetes and the laugh-outloud insider-type anecdotes they provide.
I think anyone who likes comedy--from the Seinfeld era to Berle era, -- old & young --well not too young there's some blue material in the book!--will really like NY Friars Club Book of Roasts...
Book Description
The author of Crown's
A Dictionary of Euphemisms and Other Doubletalk has fun at the other end of the language spectrum in this witty, anecdote-filled guide to the many impolite, insulting, and just plain "bad" words with which the English language is blessed.
Line drawings.
Customer Reviews:
Hey, kid. Forget the turkey and bring me more vodka.......2006-04-06
Kudos to wicked words, for being able to answer all kinds of bizarre questions!
I often go a-googling and discover some interesting facts. However, this book explains many qirks and eccentricities of English language in a posh bohemian style ;-)
Go Scabble!
serious swearing.......2000-09-09
I gave this book to a friend of mine for his birthday and pretty soon everyone at the party was flipping through it to learn where all "those" words actually come from. It worked out great!
An excellent resource and enjoyable reading.......2000-03-15
I purchased this text when it first came out and have never been sorry. I always find it useful for discovering the perfect word for a snappy come back, translating the cursings of my foreign friends, or brushing up on my linguistic history. This book never lets me down when it comes to reference or entertainment and I highly recommend it to everyone in hopes to create a more linguistically intelligent society.
Great for linguistics buffs & anyone curious about language.......1999-01-06
If you've ever wondered where some of our "bad words" come from (or even what they meant!), then this is the book for you. Highly readable, extremely comprehensive, and always entertaining, Hugh Rawson's 'Wicked Words' is a must-have for anyone curious about language, society, history, and the fine art of insulting your fellow man. There's careful research (lays to rest the old rumour about 'For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge' being the source of a well-known dirty word) mixed with sly humor. A word of caution: Rawson covers even the most taboo words in the English language, so an open mind is a necessity. And you'll want to think twice before letting your kids look at it. Other than that, I say buy it and put it on the shelf next to your dictionary and your encylopedia!
Book Description
It is possibly the most repugnant piece of fiction in all of England. So why is Plumtree Press, one of the country's most respectable publishing houses, about to add the hotly controversial new novel to its list? Publisher Alex Plumtree isn't talking. Hardly anyone knows he has taken on the project as a favor to the Prime Minister.
Forget the bad press and hateful reviews. Alex swiftly finds himself on the wrong side of a lawsuit, bugged, betrayed, roughed up, and implicated in murder. Suddenly Alex doesn't know who to trust. For someone is clearly determined to stop the presses at any cost. The only thing Alex does know for certain is that going to press with this book may cost him more than just his reputation...it may cost him his life.
Customer Reviews:
Wow! Un-put-downable!.......2002-10-31
This book is the third in the entertaining series that starts with UNSOLICITED. UNPRINTABLE is an expertly crafted mystery-thriller that reads much faster than its 381 pages would indicate. Kaewert brings back her interesting characters and combines love, envy, obsession, and violence with a plot as big as the EU, an election in Britain, more fascinating printing history, geography, ecology, and more! If you love a solid, fully plotted mystery, you DON'T want to miss this amazing series. Beautifully done, with a lot of excitement and masterful subtlety. A real page-turner!
Staying alive in the British publishing industry.......2001-09-17
This is the middle book in the "Un" series of 5 Booklover's Mysteries thus far. Having now read all 5, it's clear that the author's style involves a plot that twists and turns right up to the end. Plumtree Press, the protagonist's family business, takes on something uncharacteristic of them by publishing a novel of a political nature, and a highly controversial one at that. It is proposed that this piece of fiction could affect the outcome of the national election called by the Prime Minister, if the limited, special edition of it hits the streets on time. Those of a certain political persuasion do everything they can, bar none, to stop this from happening. Alex Plumtree and his special edition printer, Amanda of Amanda's Print Shop, are in constant danger as they are threatened by union activists and someone with a special interest in insuring the UK's involvement in the Economic and Monetary Union of Europe.
Instead of rare books and book collecting, Unprintable's book-related specialty is the art of hand set type and manual platen press printing. It was rather nostalgic for me as one who learned that art many years ago. It is apparently not a lost art, as I had supposed, since we are taught here that special editions are sometimes printed in this painstaking fashion.
Kaewert's "Un" series makes a fun read overall, especially for those interested in books and the combination of books and British mystery. In each volume though, her story line is quite protracted and includes a lot of non-mystery elements that may not interest some, as well as some highly unrealistic elements (but that's often the stuff of fiction). I would give a minimum rating of 7 on a scale of 10 to each book of this series if Amazon's scale allowed for odd numbered ratings. If I were to read just one in the series, the best choice by far would be Untitled (the fourth in the series), the most like an Agatha Christie story and the most masterful of all 5 books in throwing in a major twist on several occasions just when you think you have things figured out. I look forward to book number 6, Uncatalogued, due out in the spring of 2002.
Thrilled UNPRINTABLE Wasn't Unprintable.......2001-07-31
As a mystery author with my first novel in initial release, I read a wide variety of mystery fiction. I'm an admirer of Julie Waller Kaewert's previous works, and I found UNPRINTABLE to be another enjoyable read. The Prime Minister secretly requests that Alex Plumtree of Plumtree Press publish CLEANSING. CLEANSING seems like a total mismatch for Plumtree. Plumtree is among the most respectable British publishers and CLEANSING is a highly controversial and sensational work. Once the book's publication is announced, Alex Plumtree finds himself entanlged in all sorts of troubles--some violent, some legal. Someone is trying to stop the presses, and Alex must find out who it is. UNPRINTABLE is another fine work by Ms. Kaewert.
What a disappointment!.......2001-02-18
I had never planned to write a review of this book, but feel duty bound to do so because it is a sterling example of what can go wrong in a series.
I loved "Unsolicited," the first book in this series about a book publisher in London. Being a bookaholic, I enjoyed learning about the printing and collecting of fine books. Although a bit stiff, I liked Alex Plumtree, the protagonist, and found the mystery interesting and fast moving. The book also met another criteria I have for reading a series - an interesting ongoing story line.
I was a bit disappointed in "Unbound," the second book in the series because I thought it was a bit too long.
Along comes "Unprintable," the third installment in this series. All I can say about this book is that if you read either the first or second book, don't bother buying the third. It appears that Ms. Kaewert found a formula she feels comfortable with and insists on repeating it in her subsequent books. In addition, the Alex we met in the first book has not changed one iota in the subsequent books. It would appear that neither he nor any of the other characters have any layers to strip away. I am finding both the pattern of the mysteries and the stagnation of the characters and story line rather tedious. Ms. Kaewert would be well advised to take a lesson from the great Elizabeth George who knows how to keep a series fresh and the reader begging for more.
The poison is in the tail.......2000-05-30
Yes, this book is well written; yes, the printing details are apt to delight every book lover, but I know I am not the only one who threw away this book in disgust nearing the end (I talked to several other people lured by the interesting printing subject.). Rather sneakingly, it turns suddenly to be a very anti-European, anti-Catholic, anti-socialist (yes; European=Catholic=Socialist=Very Bad) right-wing conspiracy theory book. The European Union as the anti-Christ, a plot for the Vatican and Labour Parties to take over the world from God-loving American Conservatives; there might be Americans who love this stuff, but nobody with any intelligence.
Product Description
Paperbacks
Average customer rating:
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But That's Unprintable
Manufacturer: Bantam Books 1330
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000CSZ3DE |
Customer Reviews:
Simply Hilarious!.......1999-12-15
I have never purchased a 'joke' book before. But this one made fall off my seat. Rosebuns holds nothing back with his politically incorrect jokes. It's about time somebody told it like it really is. Howard Stern has found a soul mate in Rosebuns. Keep em coming!
Laugh outloud funny!.......1999-08-24
Great joke after great joke presented in a very interesting format. Couldn't put it down - read it start to finish in one sitting.
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- The Rapture of Canaan
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- The Reverse of the Medal
- The Rose: An Illustrated History
- The Runaway Jury
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The MacGregors: Alan & Grant: All The Possibilities\One Man's Art (STP - Mira)
The MacGregors: Daniel & Ian: For Now, Forever\In From The Cold (Macgregors)
The MacGregor Brides (Macgregors Series)
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Rebellion
![4 NORA ROBERTS Books: 3 MACGREGOR: Alan~Grant [All The Possibilities, One Man's Art] / Daniel~Ian [For Now, Forever, In From The Cold] / Serena~Caine [Playing The Odds. Tempting Fate] / 1 MacKade Brothers: The Heart of Devin MacKade (Unboxed Set of Romance Novels from Various Series)](http://www.germanelectronics88.com/noimage.gif)
