From Publishers Weekly
Why can't a woman be more like a man? Be careful what you ask for, as Lynn Wyman learns in Heller's (Sis Boom Bah; Name Dropping) rollicking new comedy, a sendup of female-centric pop therapy and alpha male behavior. Lynn is the linguist mastermind behind the Wyman Method, whereby manly men are taught the fine art of communicating in Womenspeak. Her husband, Kip, seems to be the poster spouse for what she preaches he has lasagna on the table when she returns home, asks how her day was, cries at the drop of a hat. But then Lynn discovers he's been unfaithful, and her ensuing loss of credibility results in a sharp decline in her multimedia fortunes. What's a Wyman to do? Humbled by her error in judgment, Lynn remains committed to the Method and hatches a plan. Hunky but boorish Brandon Brock has just made Fortune's cover for a feature on "America's Toughest Bosses"; if Lynn can turn him into "America's Most Sensitive Boss," she figures she'll be back on top. How she goes about it, particularly once she realizes that she's falling for him, is the stuff romantic comedies are made of. Good lines plus precision timing add up to a lot of laughs as the author trains her sense of cultural irony on the complex contradictions between what women say they want, what they think they want and what they really want. Heller has always been adept at devising clever premises, and this is no exception. Agent, Ellen Levine. Author tour. (Apr. 21) Forecast: Sis Boom Bah was just optioned by Julia Roberts's Shoelace Productions. If produced, the film will boost sales of all of Heller's titles, including this one; meanwhile, Female Intelligence seems ripe for the plucking by a production company. Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
Linguist Dr. Lynn Wyman becomes a media celebrity and best-selling author by teaching men to speak to their spouses and female co-workers in "Womanspeak." She's flying high until she discovers that her husband (and prize pupil) is having an affair with another woman and their subsequent breakup hits the papers. How can a professional communicator justify such a major personal failure? Suddenly, there are no Good Morning America bookings for her. Not ready to concede defeat, Wyman sets her sights on the biggest male chauvinist boss in the business world, lines him up as a client, changes his behavior Pygmalion-style, and falls in love. But can she master "Menspeak" well enough to tell him? This first-person narrative is a breeze to read, full of laughs, and solidly built upon an intricate, suspenseful plot. Heller (Sis Boom Bah) weaves messages about style, substance, and loyalty to oneself and one's friends into the humorous dialog. Enthusiastically recommended for public libraries.DJoyce Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, NJ Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
Psychologist-linguist and proclaimed relationship specialist Dr. Lynn Wyman teaches men how to communicate with women. She's got a spot on the radio, appears on early morning TV, has a booming practice, and finally lands a husband. But when trouble brews between her and that husband, the media have a field day, and Dr. Wyman's career spirals downward in a hurry. Donna Rawlins has fun with this narration. With tongue-in-cheek innuendoes and humorous cliches, Rawlins becomes Lynn Wyman and reveals her self-discovery as she relates the doctor's last-ditch effort to climb back up to the top. Funny, charming, kooky, and intelligent, Donna Rawlins is spot-on as Dr. Lynn Wyman. B.J.P. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Heller's novel takes its cues from Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus (1992). Her heroine, Dr. Lynn Wyman, has developed a unique approach to repairing damaged male-female relationships. Unfortunately, her celebrated and lucrative program dive-bombs when news of her husband's infidelity is leaked to the tabloids. After months of scraping by and existing on iceberg lettuce, she devises a plan to snag America's Toughest Boss, Brandon Brock, as a client and restore her former reputation. Brandon proves resistant, but Lynn perseveres and ingratiates her way into his business acumen and his heart. His only request is that she not disclose to the press that he is her client. When once again her private life becomes public, Lynn woefully acknowledges that one of her best friends is betraying her. What's worse, Brandon assumes she's the one who betrayed him. Can Lynn and Brandon resolve this loss of trust? Although her primary character is whiny and mean-spirited, Heller's style is witty and lighthearted, and her observations about men are dead-on and hilarious. Deborah Rysso
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


USA Today
"...the dialogue is hilarious."


Kirkus Reviews
"Entertaining..."


Review
"Heller writes briskly and cheerfully . . . light fiction with a decidedly contemporary theme." --Publishers Weekly



Book Description
As all of the early reviews indicate, Jane Heller is a writer at the top of her game. Her sixth novel Sis Boom Bah, was the first book to be optioned for a feature film by Julia Roberts's production company, Shoelace Productions. It also made the USA Today bestseller list in its St. Martin's Press paperback edition. Her seventh novel, Name Dropping, published in paperback by St. Martin's in March, earned her the best reviews of her career, including a rave from People magazine (she's the only author with four "Book of the Week" nods from People). Now comes her eighth and most ingenious romantic comedy, Female Intelligence. An alternate selection of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club, with audio rights already sold to Audio Renaissance, Female Intelligence is a modern twist on "My Fair Lady" - the perfect combination of witty, sparkling dialogue and fast-paced, page-turning plotting. In the classic film, Rex Harrison was a linguist who taught street urchin Audrey Hepburn how to speak like a lady and then fell in love with her. In Female Intelligence, Lynn Wyman is a linguist who teaches macho CEO Brandon Brock how to speak with ladies and falls in love with him. Lynn has a successful practice in sensitivity training, instructing alpha males in the language of Womenspeak so they can relate better to the women in their lives. When her personal life becomes the stuff of tabloids and her professional reputation is sullied, she must do something - anything - to resurrect her career. After spotting Brock on the cover of Fortune magazine's "America's Toughest Bosses" issue, she bets her friends that, by tinkering with his words, by adjusting his speech patterns, by putting him through her Wyman Method, she can turn him into "America's Most Sensitive Boss" and climb back on top. Little does she know that by winning her bet she will lose her heart. Female Intelligence is a hilarious look at our inability to bridge the communication gap between men and women, despite all the Mars/Venus books on the market. Brimming with Jane's inimitable humor, it also features her trademark mix of romance and suspense, including a surprise ending in which one of the heroin's friends turns out to be anything but. A sure-fire bestseller to be backed by a major marketing campaign, Female Intelligence confirms Jane's status as a wry, knowing writer with a keen eye for popular culture.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Bestselling author Jane Heller delivers a charming romantic comedy about the way men and women communicate with each other—or don't!

In a modern twist on My Fair Lady, Lynn Wyman is a linguist who teaches alpha-males how to talk with women. A specialist in sensitivity training, Lynn has a successful practice, supportive friends and a devoted husband. Life is grand—until she learns that her hubby isn't so devoted after all. Splashed in the tabloids, his betrayal ruins her career; the expert on male/female relationships failed to keep her own male from straying! Now, she must claw her way back. But how? The answer dawns on her when she sees impossibly macho Brandon Brock on the cover of Fortune's "America's Toughest Bosses" issue. She thinks, if I can transform this guy into 'America's Most Sensitive Boss;' I'll be back on top. Can Lynn tame this beast, who is incapable of sharing his feelings? Can she share her own feelings and admit that he has won her heart?

About the Author:Jane Heller is the author of seven novels. She lives in Stuart, Florida.

FROM THE CRITICS

USA Today

...the dialogue is hilarious.

Publishers Weekly

Why can't a woman be more like a man? Be careful what you ask for, as Lynn Wyman learns in Heller's (Sis Boom Bah; Name Dropping) rollicking new comedy, a sendup of female-centric pop therapy and alpha male behavior. Lynn is the linguist mastermind behind the Wyman Method, whereby manly men are taught the fine art of communicating in Womenspeak. Her husband, Kip, seems to be the poster spouse for what she preaches he has lasagna on the table when she returns home, asks how her day was, cries at the drop of a hat. But then Lynn discovers he's been unfaithful, and her ensuing loss of credibility results in a sharp decline in her multimedia fortunes. What's a Wyman to do? Humbled by her error in judgment, Lynn remains committed to the Method and hatches a plan. Hunky but boorish Brandon Brock has just made Fortune's cover for a feature on "America's Toughest Bosses"; if Lynn can turn him into "America's Most Sensitive Boss," she figures she'll be back on top. How she goes about it, particularly once she realizes that she's falling for him, is the stuff romantic comedies are made of. Good lines plus precision timing add up to a lot of laughs as the author trains her sense of cultural irony on the complex contradictions between what women say they want, what they think they want and what they really want. Heller has always been adept at devising clever premises, and this is no exception. Agent, Ellen Levine. Author tour. (Apr. 21) Forecast: Sis Boom Bah was just optioned by Julia Roberts's Shoelace Productions. If produced, the film will boost sales of all of Heller's titles, including this one; meanwhile, Female Intelligence seems ripe for the plucking by a production company. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Protagonist Lynn Wyman has her own business teaching men "Womenspeak" so they can communicate with the females in their lives. Her career is blossoming until her stud of a house-husband's affair is reported in the tabloids. Poor Lynn; her consulting business is close to failing, so she sets out to land a macho, politically incorrect Fortune 500 CEO as a client to get back on track. Her plots and schemes to get this (handsome, single, rich) man get Lynn started on a series of learning experiences about women friends, men, ambition, and romance, along with some misunderstandings that are cleared up by the end. Reader Donna Rawlins gives the perfect voice to Lynn and her adventures through the minefields of men-women relationships. A fine addition to public library light romantic comedy collections. Barbara Valle, El Paso P.L., TX Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

AudioFile

Psychologist-linguist and proclaimed relationship specialist Dr. Lynn Wyman teaches men how to communicate with women. She's got a spot on the radio, appears on early morning TV, has a booming practice, and finally lands a husband. But when trouble brews between her and that husband, the media have a field day, and Dr. Wyman's career spirals downward in a hurry. Donna Rawlins has fun with this narration. With tongue-in-cheek innuendoes and humorous cliches, Rawlins becomes Lynn Wyman and reveals her self-discovery as she relates the doctor's last-ditch effort to climb back up to the top. Funny, charming, kooky, and intelligent, Donna Rawlins is spot-on as Dr. Lynn Wyman. B.J.P. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine

Kirkus Reviews

The author of Name Dropping (2000) spins a feminist plot with a few decidedly retro twists. Gorgeous linguist Lynn Wyman teaches men how to communicate with women, and her methods get results. She's rich, famous, and married to a sensitive, caring, hunky carpenter who likes to chat about his feelings . . . but not only with her. Lynn throws hubby out after she picks up an extension phone and overhears his whispered conversation with a ladylove. She's crushed, but at least the whole world won't know her perfect mate has been fooling around. Then a tell-all article appears in a supermarket tabloid, and Lynn is furious. She assumes her soon-to-be-ex wrote it for revenge and for the money she's not about to give him. Her career is in jeopardy, until she accepts the professional challenge of a lifetime, egged on by four loyal girlfriends. America's Toughest Boss," Finefoods CEO Brandon Brock, has just made the cover of Fortune. But his multimillion-dollar company is losing prized female executives right and left because Brandon believes in speaking his mind. Full-speed-ahead-and-damn-the-torpedoes has always been his philosophy, and it's gotten him where he wants to go. Normally, Lynn wouldn't give someone this arrogant the time of day. True, he's handsome, sexy, and masterful, but those macho qualities don't interest her. Well, maybe they interest her just a teeny bit. In fact, she doesn't mind going out with him now and then to unbelievably expensive restaurants and being treated like a queen, even if he doesn't like her friends. Actually, Brandon seems to think that one of them wrote the article, and all hell breaks loose when Lynn finds out he's right.Entertaining,lightweight satire. Author tour