I totally judged this book by its cover...

We are all guilty of it…judging a book by its cover.

As a librarian I know this is true because the books with more appealing covers fly off the shelves faster than a book with a simple cover. I myself am prone to checking out the mass paperback historical romances based on how lovely the heroine’s big ball gown is. I never thought I would find myself rejecting a book based on the cover though.

For over a year now, Wallbanger by Alice Clayton has been popping up as a recommended read for me. Based on the title, the cover, and the synopsis I immediately brushed this book off as a 50 Shades/Bared to You angsty rip off.

The first night after Caroline moves into her fantastic new San Francisco apartment, she realizes she's gaining an intimate knowledge of her new neighbor's nocturnal adventures. Thanks to paper-thin walls and the guy's athletic prowess, she can hear not just his bed banging against the wall but the ecstatic response of what seems (as loud night after loud night goes by) like an endless parade of women. And since Caroline is currently on a self-imposed dating hiatus, and her neighbor is clearly lethally attractive to women, she finds her fantasies keep her awake even longer than the noise. So when the wallbanging threatens to literally bounce her out of bed, Caroline, clad in sexual frustration and a pink baby-doll nightie, confronts Simon Parker, her heard-but-never-seen neighbor. The tension between them is as thick as the walls are thin, and the results just as mixed. Suddenly, Caroline is finding she may have discovered a whole new definition of neighborly...

In a delicious mix of silly and steamy, Alice Clayton dishes out a hot and hilarious tale of exasperation at first sight...

I seriously thought I had this book pegged. Girl, driven wild by her neighbor’s nightly escapades,  becomes part of his harem in a no-strong-attached relationship in which she quickly realizes that she is madly in love with the wallbanger. Add in lots of angst, some major pity parties, and I knew I would be pulling my hair out if I ever started this book.

I.was.so.wrong.

I mentioned before that this book had been creeping into several of my recommended reading lists. Several of my favorite lists are for humorous romance novels, like Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ books. I love a good laugh in my romances, so I’m always on the lookout for new witty romance authors. Well Wallbanger kept scoring in the top 5 of all these lists. I immediately thought this was because it was so ridiculous that it was funny…not because it was ridiculously funny.

Shame.on.me.

After seeing Wallbanger over and over again on many different recommendation lists, I finally placed it on hold. Remember, just because I check a book out from my library does not mean it will get read. I have on average about 50 books checked out and only a handle get read before guilt sinks in and I returned them. I unexpectedly had to leave town one weekend and threw a few books in my suitcase before rushing out the door, which is how Wallbanger got read.

I didn’t expect much. I certainly didn’t expect to discover two witty and loveable characters in Simon and Caroline. I never expected these two to develop a true friendship and I certainly never expected myself to fall in love with their romance. There was no erotic domineering relationship. No angst-filled torment or weak females. This was a true romance that blossomed out of an awkward beginning and ultimately friendship. Throw in a horny cat, some zucchini bread, a trip to Spain, and you have a witty heart-warming romance that will leave you smiling. 

Have you ever read a book you had originally brushed off?