The Jake Ryan Complex follows Mackenzie Huntress who is a 39 year old obstetrician who has been unlucky in the dating department. Her friends get her to realize that she has been comparing men to the movie character Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles. She has also been lying to her family, especially her mother, by telling them that she is in a relationship with another doctor named Michael. When she has to produce "Michael" as a date to her sister's wedding, Mac goes on the hunt for a real date and we get some funny scenes with men who are a long way from Jake Ryan. In the mean time Mac is getting her house worked on and is immediately attracted to the contractor, JT, who is unfortunately wearing a wedding ring. JT turns out to be single, but their path to happily ever after has a few bumps in it.

I have to admit that I was drawn to this book by the title. I am of the right age to understand the allure of Jake Ryan. The references to Sixteen Candles were fun to read and there were some that were not as obvious but there for true fans of the movie. There are some cute blind date scenes that made me laugh and JT does come across as sweet. He and Mac have some heart to heart talks, but I was wishing for more in terms of relationship building. After seeing Mac with the horrible dates, we don't see her and JT really date and fall in love. We basically see them briefly interact when she is going to and from her home to work. Their relationship happens over a short period of time and mostly off page. A few twists and surprises keep the story interesting and the ending gives one last crazy surprise and sweet moment.

Overall, this was a cute story that gave me some nostalgic feels. It was definitely different from a lot of the romance books out there. I've given it a 3.5 rating because I truly think it could have been so much more. ( )