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2011: #53 – 22 Indigo Place (Sandra Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, romance; Tagged with ; September 9th, 2011

indigoplaceBook #53 was 22 Indigo Place by Sandra Brown. The back of the book reads:

To beautiful Laura Nolan, the mansion on Indigo Place wasn’t just a home—it was her life’s passion. Now old family debts were forcing her to sell and, much to her surprise, James Paden was the prospective buyer. Once the high school bad boy, he’d been too dangerous to flirt with, but too gorgeous to ignore. Now he was all man, and he still had the devastating power to seduce Laura’s senses, to make her shiver with emotions she dared not confess…. He was a rebel millionaire on the wrong side of the tracks. Years ago, James Paden skipped town, leaving behind Saturday-night drag races for the thrill of the professional race circuit. He’d burned rubber in the fast lane of beautiful women and big money, but now he’s back, a millionaire tycoon with a dream—to lay claim to 22 Indigo Place and its alluring owner. In his mind Laura had always been the girl he couldn’t have, the rich man’s daughter for whom he’d never be good enough … until that moonlit night when the fierce touch of his lips branded her forever his….

This was an okay romance from Sandra Brown’s early years, but it comes from the era of romance novels where it was okay for the man to force himself upon the woman until she submitted, because he knew better than her what she really felt. It’s not the violence of rape, but it still doesn’t sit well with me and it puts a shadow over the entire story. I’m sure there are better romances out there.

Other reviews:

Danielle’s Book Thoughts: 22 Indigo Place by Sandra Brown

Page count: 224 (’11 total: 14,302) | Approximate word count: 56,000 (’11 total: 5,177,870)

2010: Worst Case (James Patterson & Michael Ledwidge)
2009: Tripwire (Lee Child)
2008: Murder on the Links (Agatha Christie)
2007: Mimosa Grove (Dinah McCall)
2006: Biting the Moon (Martha Grimes)
2005: High Five (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011; What’s in a Name 4 Challenge;

2011: #33 – Ricochet (Sandra Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in audio, featured reviews, romantic suspense, suspense; Tagged with ; June 4th, 2011

ricochetBook #33 was Ricochet by Sandra Brown. The back of the book reads:

When Savannah detective Duncan Hatcher is summoned to an unusual crime scene, he knows discretion is key. Influential Judge Cato Laird’s beloved trophy wife, Elise, has fatally shot a burglar. She claims self-defense, but Duncan suspects she’s lying, and puts his career in jeopardy by investigating further. Then, in secret, Elise makes an incredible allegation, which he dismisses as the lie of a cunning woman trying to exploit his intense attraction to her. But when Elise goes missing, Duncan finds that trusting the wrong person could mean the difference between life and death for both of them.

This wasn’t Sandra Brown’s best, but it’s not her worst, either. The good was Brown’s ability to build suspense – she’s one of the best. But not all of the characters worked for me. Duncan was a little too ruled by his hormones, and sometimes had mood swings that didn’t make much sense. His partner, DeeDee, was essentially the stereotypical homely girl who automatically hates anyone who is pretty whether she has a reason to or not. Elise is intended to be a mystery. You’re never quite sure which side of the equation she’s on, even at the end.

Also, the revenge plot that is the reason for everything made absolutely no sense to me. Without giving away too much, I don’t know what the person wanting revenge was thinking – they had no exit strategy. For a supposedly intelligent person, it was weak.

But, Brown does make you think hard about who you suspect and why, and that’s one of the reasons why I read her books.

Other reviews:

The Good, The Bad and The Unread » Review: Ricochet by Sandra Brown
Aneca’s World: Ricochet – Sandra Brown

Audiobook length: 12 hrs 40 min | Approximate word count: 136,000 (’11 total: 3,202,802)

2010: A Stab in the Dark (Lawrence Block)
2009: The Kiss Murder (Mehmet Murat Somer)
2008: Those Who Trespass (Bill O’Reilly)
2007: The Monkey’s Raincoat (Robert Crais)
2006: Origin in Death (J.D. Robb)
2005: I is for Innocent (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2011; 2011 Audiobook Challenge; Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge 2011;

2010: #74 – Smoke Screen (Sandra Brown)

3 comments By Jaime Filed in audio, featured reviews, romantic suspense; Tagged with ; September 8th, 2010

smokescreen Book #74 was Smoke Screen by Sandra Brown. The back of the book reads:

When newswoman Britt Shelley wakes up to find herself in bed with Jay Burgess, a rising star detective in the Charleston PD, she remembers nothing of how she got there…or of how Jay wound up dead.

Handsome and hard-partying, Jay was a hero of the disastrous fire that five years earlier had destroyed Charleston’s police headquarters. The blaze left seven people dead, but the death toll would have been much higher if not for the bravery of Jay and three other city officials who risked their lives to lead others to safety.

Firefighter Raley Gannon, Jay’s lifelong friend, was off-duty that day. Though he might not have been a front-line hero, he was assigned to lead the investigation into the cause of the fire. It was an investigation he never got to complete. Because on one calamitous night, Raley’s world was shattered.

Scandalized, wronged by the people he trusted most, Raley was forced to surrender the woman he loved and the work to which he’d dedicated his life. For five years his resentment against the men who exploited their hero status to further their careers — and ruin his — had festered, but he was helpless to set things right.

That changes when he learns of Jay Burgess’s shocking death and Britt Shelley’s claim that she has no memory of her night with him. As the investigation into Jay’s death intensifies, and suspicion against Britt Shelley mounts, Raley realizes that the newswoman, Jay’s last sexual conquest, might be his only chance to get personal vindication — and justice for the seven victims of the police station fire.

But there are powerful men who don’t want to address unanswered questions about the fire and who will go to any lengths to protect their reputations. As Raley and Britt discover more about what happened that fateful day, the more perilous their situation becomes, until they’re not only chasing after the truth but running for their lives.

Friends are exposed as foes, heroes take on the taint of criminals, and no one can be trusted completely. A tale about audacious corruption — and those with the courage to expose it — Smoke Screen is Sandra Brown’s most searing and intense novel yet.

Another pretty good one from Sandra Brown, though I made the mistake of reading this too closely to the poorly done Standoff, which also featured a reporter and the man she (inadvertently?) harmed. There’s generally not a lot to be surprised about in these sorts of books — you know the male and female leads (Raley and Britt, in this case) are going to eventually join together both for their crusade and for their libidos — but I still enjoy the journey we’re taken on.  Though I had some suspicions about what was really going on, I was still surprised by what exactly happened and who exactly was in charge. There was just one detail that bugged me. At one point, Britt decides to waylay the men who are chasing them by removing the valve covers from their tires, which then go flat as soon as the men try to go anywhere.  Maybe tires were made differently (ahem) two (ahem) years ago, but I recently (inadvertently) drove for a few months with no valve cover on one of my tires, and it did not go flat. That seems like one of those details that a veteran writer and her editor should have picked up on.  Sloppy!

Other reviews:

LORI’S READING CORNER: Smoke Screen

Audiobook length: 14 hrs 16 min | Approximate word count: 140,000

2009: Fluke (Christopher Moore)
2008: The Face of a Stranger (Anne Perry)
2007: Love and War (John Jakes)
2006: Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
2005: Hornet Flight (Ken Follett)

Used in these Challenges: Countdown Challenge 2010; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Audiobook Challenge;

2010: #66 – Standoff (Sandra Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, romantic suspense; Tagged with ; July 15th, 2010

standoff Book #66 was Standoff by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

Ambitious TV reporter Tiel McCoy is driving through New Mexico when she hears over the radio that Sabra Dendy, the 17 year-old daughter of Fort Worth multimillionaire Russell Dendy, has been kidnapped.  Tiel calls her editor and learns that Sara was "kidnapped" by her boyfriend Ronnie and is pregnant.  Tiel is at a gas station store when an armed couple robs the cashier and orders all the customers to the floor.  The girl goes into labor and Tiel realizes that she has a huge story on her hands.

A tense standoff begins as the FBI and Russell Dendy wait outside.  Tiel learns that Sabra and Ronnie are more afraid of her father-who plans to put the baby up for adoption-than of the FBI and would rather die together than surrender and be kept apart.  Now it is more than just a story to Tiel as she fights to prevent these two kids from becoming a tragedy.

This was more a novella than a usual Sandra Brown novel, and as such, was pretty blah.  The story never fully develops beyond the actual standoff situation, and we’re never given a chance to really connect with our main characters.  Brown also uses a main character combo (a successful tv reporter and the man she has mistakenly wronged) that she returns to in a later novel, Smoke Screen. We get the obligatory sexual tension between Tiel and Doc, followed by the obligatory sex scene, but it all feels very… obligatory. Step 1: Woman finds herself in life-threatening situation with mysterious, handsome man. Step 2: Woman and Man band together to escape situation and bring it to a happy ending. Step 3: Woman and Man have life-affirming sex to cope with traumatic situation. This could have been great if it had been written with the complexity you usually find in a Brown novel.  Instead, it just left me wanting more.

Page count: 261 | Word count: 55,535

2009: I Smile Back (Amy Koppelman)
2008: Homeport (Nora Roberts)
2007: The Double Bind (Chris Bohjalian)
2006: Plain Truth (Jodi Picoult)
2005: Bridge of Birds (Barry Hughart)

Used in these Challenges: The Four Month Challenge – Part 4; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #52 – Pay Dirt (Rita Mae Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in cozy, featured reviews; Tagged with ; June 9th, 2010

paydirt Book #52 was Pay Dirt, the fourth book in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series.  The back of the book reads:

The residents of tiny Crozet, Virginia, thrive on gossip, especially in the post office, where Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen presides with her tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy. So when a belligerent Hell’s Angel crashes Crozet, demanding to see his girlfriend, the leather-clad interloper quickly becomes the chief topic of conversation. Then the biker is found murdered, and everyone is baffled. Well, almost everyone…Mrs. Murphy and her friends, Welsh corgi Tee Tucker and overweight feline Pewter, haven’t been slinking through alleys for nothing. But can they dig up the truth in time to save their humans from a ruthless killer?

This book was an improvement over the last Mrs. Murphy novel. The danger and the crimes got personal again, as the lives of more than one Crozet resident are affected. There was also less of the animals waxing rhapsodic about human nature. The true identity of the missing Malibu wasn’t that much of a secret to me, but I enjoyed watching everyone else try to figure out what was going on. We get a little more about Harry’s personal life here, as Blair and Fair (a name combo that drives me insane) are both actively vying for her affections, but I’d like to see that storyline move a little faster.  I’m curious to see Harry in a real relationship. This series was on life support, but this one has redeemed itself enough for me to continue reading.

Page count: 288 | Approximate word count: 72,000

2009: Sunny Chandler’s Return (Sandra Brown)
2008: Sharp Teeth (Toby Barlow)
2007: The Apprentice (Tess Gerritsen)
2006: The Winds of War (Herman Wouk)
2005: Four to Score (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2010: #40 – Murder at Monticello (Rita Mae Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in cozy, featured reviews; Tagged with ; May 6th, 2010

monticello Book #40 was Murder at Monticello, the third book in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series.  The back of the book reads:

Mrs. Murphy digs into Virginia history–and gets her paws on a killer.

The most popular citizen of Virginia has been dead for nearly 170 years. That hasn’t stopped the good people of tiny Crozet, Virginia, from taking pride in every aspect of Thomas Jefferson’s life. But when an archaeological dig of the slave quarters at Jefferson’s home, Monticello, uncovers a shocking secret, emotions in Crozet run high–dangerously high.

The stunning discovery at Monticello hints a hidden passions and age-old scandals. As postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and some of Crozet’s Very Best People try to learn the identity of a centuries-old skeleton–and the reason behind the murder–Harry’s tiger cat, Mrs. Murphy, and her canine and feline friends attempt to sniff out a modern-day killer. Mrs. Murphy and corgi Tee Tucker will stick their paws into the darker mysteries of human nature to solve murders old and new–before curiosity can kill the cat–and Harry Haristeen.

My second disappointing book in a row! What a bummer. I liked learning a little bit about Monticello and Thomas Jefferson, but the book was a little too focused on it.  I read this series for the personal danger that faces the citizens of Crozet and how they come together to deal with it, and a mystery from 1803 didn’t do it for me.  You do get that sense of danger eventually, but it’s past the halfway point of the book. And while I don’t normally mind the commentary offered by Mrs. Murphy, Tucker, and Pewter, the pages of them waxing rhapsodic about American history kinda crossed the line for me. I can buy them observing and making comments about human nature (you know, as much as I can buy that animals talk to each other in this way), but I can’t credit them with an extensive knowledge of historical fact. I’m sure I’ll read more of the books in this series, but I’m hoping we get back to the usual mysteries.

Page count: 320 | Approximate word count: 80,000

2009: Undead and Unappreciated (MaryJanice Davidson)
2008: 20th Century Ghosts (Joe Hill)
2007: Plum Lovin’ (Janet Evanovich)
2006: All the Flowers Are Dying (Lawrence Block)
2005: A Kiss of Shadows (Laurell K. Hamilton)

Used in these Challenges: 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2010 Reading From My Shelves Project; Pages Read Challenge Season 2; The TwentyTen Challenge;

2010: #27 – Rest in Pieces (Rita Mae Brown)

3 comments By Jaime Filed in cozy, featured reviews; Tagged with ; April 6th, 2010

restinpieces Book #27 was Rest in Pieces, the second book in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series.  The back of the book reads:

Mrs. Murphy thinks the new man in town is the cat’s meow…. Maybe she should think again. Small towns don’t take kindly to strangers–unless the stranger happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous and seemingly unattached male. When Blair Bainbridge comes to Crozet, Virginia, the local matchmakers lose no time in declaring him perfect for their newly divorced postmistress, Marry Minor "Harry Haristeen." Even Harry’s tiger cat, Ms. Murphy, and her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, believe he smells A-okay. Could his one little imperfection be that he’s a killer? Blair becomes the most likely suspect when the pieces of a dismembered corpse begin turning up around Crozet. No one knows who the dead man is, but when a grisly clue makes a spectacular appearance in the middle of the fall festivities, more than an early winter snow begins chilling the blood of Crozet’s very best people. That’s when Ms. Murphy, her friend Tucker, and her human companion Harry begin to sort throughout the clues . . . only to find themselves a whisker away from becoming the killer’s next victims.

I enjoy this series, even if the discussions between the animals about the moralities of humans are a little tiring. The whole "what makes humans so civilized when they go around killing each other" theme could stand to be a little less blatant.  Regardless, what you end up with here is a humorous, entertaining, well woven story. Maybe a little more humorous than the author intended, because the climax of the novel comes off a little like the Keystone Cops.  Though I wasn’t surprised by who the murderer was, I was completely surprised by the reason. And I like to be surprised. I’ll continue with this series.

Page count: 384 | Approximate word count: 96,000

2009: Vampire Academy (Richelle Mead)
2008: Ice Trap (Kitty Sewell)
2007: The Time Traveler’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
2006: Betrayal in Death (J.D. Robb)
2005: Open Season (Linda Howard)

Used in these Challenges: The Four Month Challenge; Random Reading Challenge; 2010 100+ Reading Challenge; 2nd Reading Challenge; E-book Reading Challenge; Pages Read Challenge Season 2;

2009: #129 – Chill Factor (Sandra Brown)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, romantic suspense; Tagged with ; December 11th, 2009

chillfactor Book #129 was Chill Factor by Sandra Brown. The back of the book reads:

Suspense abounds in this gripping new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown, in which a successful magazine editor is trapped in her remote cabin with a man believed to be a serial killer.

Cleary, North Carolina, is a sleepy mountain town — the kind of place where criminal activity is usually limited to parking violations. Not so, lately. Four women have disappeared from Cleary over the past two years. And there’s always a blue ribbon left near the spot where each of the women was last seen. There are no bodies, no other clues, and no suspicion as to who their abductor might be. And now, another woman has disappeared without a trace.

It is to this backdrop that Lilly Martin returns to close the sale of her mountain cabin, marking the end of her turbulent eight-year marriage to Dutch Burton, Cleary’s chief of police. Dutch’s reluctance to let her go isn’t Lilly’s only obstacle. As she’s trying to outrun a snowstorm, her car skids on the icy road and strikes a man who emerges from the woods on foot. She recognizes the injured man as Ben Tierney, whom she’d met the previous summer. They’re forced to wait out the storm in the cabin, but as the hours of their confinement mount, Lilly begins to wonder if the greatest danger to her safety isn’t the blizzard outside, but the mysterious man right beside her.

Is Ben Tierney the feared abductor? Or is he who he claims to be…her rescuer from harm and from the tragedy that haunts her?

The compelling characters, sexual tension, and stunning plot twists in Sandra Brown’s Chill Factor combine to create a page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

This book has stolen the "my favorite Sandra Brown" title from Envy.  It is an extremely well crafted thriller, where everyone has a secret and even nature is the enemy. This book has it all.. secret affairs, drugs, washed-up-middle-aged-bullies, a serial killer, divorce, unwanted pregnancy, the FBI, a whole lot of snow and ice, and a red herring to beat all red herrings. Brown had me fooled through the entire novel, and even when I knew I was wrong I still couldn’t quite believe it. To me, this is the mark of some masterful character crafting. There’s not as much romance as you usually find in a Sandra Brown, but there’s enough to whet your whistle. And enough secrets to last a lifetime. There are a few holes in the police procedural parts of the plot (say that 5 times fast), but with all the intrigue, I just didn’t care.

Other reviews:

Review: Chill Factor by Sandra Brown « Reactions to Reading

Page count: 416 | Word count: 122,504

2007: Lucky You (Carl Hiaasen)

Used in these Challenges: Read Your Own Books Challenge;

2009: #120 – A Whole New Light (Sandra Brown)

3 comments By Jaime Filed in romance; Tagged with ; November 11th, 2009

wholenewlight Book #120 was A Whole New Light by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

From the heat of an Acapulco night…

Cyn McCall knew she could always count on her late husband’s friend and business partner, Worth Lansing. He could make her laugh and forget her problems. She could tease him about his many romantic entanglements. The last thing Cyn expected was to find herself longing for a man who could never settle down.

This was just your basic formulaic romance… Man and woman are best friends, man and woman end up on vacation alone together, man and woman discover mutual attraction, but of course, don’t know how to handle it, etc, etc, etc.  Throw in a dead husband, a young son, and a prying yet well-meaning mother, and you have a party! That being said, it was a very enjoyable formulaic romance. Sandra Brown sure knows how to give you likable characters that you want to see together in the end.

Page count: 256 | Word count: 45,186

2007: Deja Who? (Julie Stone)

Used in these Challenges: none

2009: #102 – Wish You Were Here (Rita Mae Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in amateur sleuth; Tagged with ; October 9th, 2009

wishyouwerehere Book #102 was Wish You Were Here, the first book in Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series.  The back of the book reads:

Curiosity just might be the death of Mrs. Murphy–and her human companion, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen. Small towns are like families: Everyone lives very close together. . .and everyone keeps secrets. Crozet, Virginia, is a typical small town-until its secrets explode into murder. Crozet’s thirty-something post-mistress, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen, has a tiger cat (Mrs. Murphy) and a Welsh Corgi (Tucker), a pending divorce, and a bad habit of reading postcards not addressed to her. When Crozet’s citizens start turning up murdered, Harry remembers that each received a card with a tombstone on the front and the message "Wish you were here" on the back. Intent on protecting their human friend, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker begin to scent out clues. Meanwhile, Harry is conducting her own investigation, unaware her pets are one step ahead of her. If only Mrs. Murphy could alert her somehow, Harry could uncover the culprit before the murder occurs–and before Harry finds herself on the killer’s mailing list.

I’ve long meant to read Rita Mae Brown’s Mrs. Murphy series, for two reasons — 1. one of the main characters is a cat, and 2. they’re set outside of Charlottesville, VA (not so far from where I live). Despite a few faults, I enjoyed this.  Though I like the conversations the animals have amongst themselves, I think I could have done without the philosophical discussions of how humans are not as good as animals because they kill each other for no good reason.  I just don’t buy animals as philosophical creatures, no matter how intelligent they are. The depiction of small-town life is, I think, fairly accurate, and the mystery was sufficiently mysterious enough.  I was unable to guess who the killer was, and I had no clue why until the big reveal.  I think I’ll continue on with this series.

The one big problem with this book is that every time I read the title, I get Pink Floyd stuck in my head.

Other reviews:
Joy’s Blog: Review: Wish You Were Here

Page count: 320 | Approximate word count: 80,000

2008: Swallowing Darkness (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2007: 16 Lighthouse Road (Debbie Macomber)
2006: A Death in Vienna (Daniel Silva)

Used in these Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge 2009;

2009: #52 – Sunny Chandler's Return (Sandra Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in featured reviews, romance; Tagged with ; May 21st, 2009

sunny Book #52 was Sunny Chandler’s Return by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

Sandra Brown has won over fans and critics throughout the world with more than fifty New York Times bestselling novels. Her early works were hailed by Rendezvous magazine as stories with “larger than life heroes and heroines [who] make you believe all the warm, wonderful, wild things in life.” Here is the unforgettable story of a woman who returns to her small hometown in the South—and finds that the sins of her past are right where she left them.

Never. Sunny Chandler always said she’d never go back to the tiny town where she grew up. It was just three years ago that she was at the center of a notorious scandal—and the good folks of Latham Green, Louisiana, made it clear they’d never let her forget it. So Sunny packed up and headed for New Orleans, and now she wouldn’t give up city life for the world. But when she’s invited to her best friend’s wedding, Sunny has no choice but to go home. And with her return come the whispers…the looks…the rumors she tried to escape. It doesn’t take Sunny long to see that Latham Green has nothing new to offer. Except maybe Ty Beaumont.

The moment Ty and Sunny first meet at a party, he can see she’s no ordinary woman. With her dazzling hair, and eyes the color of gold, she’s a flesh-and-blood fantasy—and Ty vows he’ll have her in his bed before the week is out. Yet even when he turns on his southern charm, Sunny makes it clear she’s not interested. Sure, a night with Ty would be wilder than Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras. But Sunny’s not in town to become some good ol’ boy’s latest conquest, no matter how sexy he is. Little does she know that Ty isn’t used to taking no for an answer—and he isn’t about to start now.

Soon what began as an innocent flirtation becomes a tantalizingly slow, skillfully deliberate, and overwhelmingly seductive pursuit that even Sunny finds hard to resist. But resist him she will. For Sunny is harboring an agonizing secret—the painful truth of why she left Latham Green the way she did. What she really needs now is a friend—and that’s when she discovers there may be more to Ty Beaumont than meets the eye. Despite his roguish facade, Sunny comes to see he has a heart of gold. Still, she doesn’t know if she can trust another person with her secret heartbreak—not even the one man who may be able to heal it.

I think there’s yet to be a Sandra Brown book I haven’t liked.  Her non-suspense romances even manage to be complex and sexy without being sickly sweet or cliché. Sunny may have over-reacted a bit to her wedding that didn’t happen, but I understand small towns and how news, accurate or not, travels fast. Ty was straight-forward and pushy, but seemed to know exactly what she needed, right from the start.  Brown is one of the best at creating sexual tension, and that’s what really sells a romance for me.

Page count: 256 | Approximate word count: 51,200

2008: Sharp Teeth (Toby Barlow)
2007: The Apprentice (Tess Gerritsen)
2006: The Winds of War (Herman Wouk)
2005: Four to Score (Janet Evanovich)

Used in these Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; Read Your Own Books Challenge;

2009: #31 – Breath of Scandal (Sandra Brown)

1 comment By Jaime Filed in audio, featured reviews, romantic suspense; Tagged with ; March 22nd, 2009

scandal Book #31 was Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

On a rainy Southern night, Jade Sperry endured a woman’s worst nightmare at the hands of three local hell-raisers. Robbed of her youthful ideals, and at the center of scandal, she ran as far away as she could. But now she has returned to exact a just revenge and perhaps fulfill a lost promise of love.

This is a story of revenge, redemption, healing, and a little romance. I’m still fairly new to Sandra Brown, but this was a really good one.  Both the highs and the lows in the story are equally great.  The only issue I had is that she uses the “sudden tragic event” as a plot device a little bit too much.  There’s a lot that happens in this story… rape, betrayal, pregnancy, suicide, AIDS, terminal illness, allergic reactions, accidental death, car accidents, heart attacks… it’s a lot to take in. And I found myself getting frustrated with Jade when she wouldn’t share what happened to her with those that cared about her.  I wanted to yell, “For cripe’s sake, just tell them already!” Yet, I could hardly stop myself from listening. Brown knows how to write sexual chemistry.

Audiobook length: 15hrs 52min | Word count: 148,658

2008: Seduction in Death (J.D. Robb)
2007: Exile (Richard North Patterson)
2006: The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog (Elizabeth Peters)
2005: H is for Homicide (Sue Grafton)

Used in these Challenges: 100+ Reading Challenge 2009; 2009 Audiobook Challenge; The 999 Challenge;

2008: #80 – Fat Tuesday (Sandra Brown)

2 comments By Jaime Filed in audio, romantic suspense; Tagged with ; September 21st, 2008

tuesday Book #80 was Fat Tuesday by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

Burke Basile is a cop with nothing left to lose. Haunted by his partner’s death, his marriage and his career over, he focuses on his nemesis, Pinkie Duvall, a flamboyant attorney who helps killers evade justice. Burke’s shocking revenge centers around kidnapping Remy, the lawyer’s trophy wife. But Burke hasn’t planned on the electric attraction he’ll feel for this desperate woman, who rose from the slums of New Orleans to marry a man she can never love. Nor can he predict the fierce duel that will explode as the clock ticks toward midnight on Fat Tuesday, when all masks will be stripped away–and Burke must confront his own terrifying secret.

This wasn’t my favorite Sandra Brown.  While Pinkie Duvall makes an especially dastardly bad guy (I don’t think he had even one redeeming characteristic), I wasn’t that taken with Burke Basile.  Frankly, I thought his revenge “plan” was a little ridiculous. But there are some bright spots… I did like Remy, and Brown does a good job with the red herrings and keeping you guessing.  Though I did guess who the police mole was, I was doubting myself before the final reveal.  This wasn’t a horrible book, but it was certainly no Envy.

Page count: 480 | Word count: 130,140

2007: The Killing Game (Iris Johansen)
2006: Strip Tease (Carl Hiaasen)

2008: #46 – A Treasure Worth Seeking (Sandra Brown)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in audio, romance; Tagged with ; May 28th, 2008

13793785 Book #46 was A Treasure Worth Seeking by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

Erin O’Shea searches for her older brother from whom she was separated by adoption. She learns he lives in San Francisco and makes a surprise visit–only to discover that he is missing and suspected of embezzling funds from his employer.

This is just a run-of-the-mill romance, with all of the proper elements… instant attraction followed by a personality conflict, reluctant surrender, a situation that makes it impossible for romance to continue, a dramatic event where true feelings are revealed… all that’s missing is the ripping bodice. A fun read if you’re into that sort of thing.

Page count: 288| Word count: 58,263

2007: Manhunt (Janet Evanovich)
2006: Myths, Lies & Downright Stupidity (John Stossel)
2005: In the Cherry Tree (Dan Pope)

2008: #21 – Mirror Image (Sandra Brown)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in romantic suspense; Tagged with ; March 2nd, 2008

13922379.JPGBook #21 was Mirror Image by Sandra Brown. The back of the book reads:

A jet crash handed Avery Daniels a golden opportunity. Mistaken for Carole Rutledge, the badly injured Avery has found that plastic surgery has given her Carole’s face, the famous senatorial candidate for a husband, and a powerful Texas dynasty for in-laws. She makes the shattering discovery that someone close to the senator plans to assassinate him. Now to save the life of the man she loves, Avery must live another woman’s life-and risk her own.

I had to work really hard to make peace with the premise of this book. I mean, if I found myself in Avery’s position, I certainly wouldn’t try to fake it and pretend to be Carole. If I didn’t fess up, at the least I would act like I had amnesia!

Once I got past that ridiculousness, I actually enjoyed the story. I had part of it figured out by the end, but I didn’t know who was actually going to pull the trigger or who was ultimately behind it all.

Page count: 442 | Word count: 141,882

2007: The Cater Street Hangman (Anne Perry)
2006: A Caress of Twilight (Laurell K. Hamilton)
2005: The Ersatz Elevator (Lemony Snicket)

2007: #136 – Texas! Sage (Sandra Brown)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in romance; Tagged with ; December 29th, 2007

13922859 Book #136 was Texas! Sage, the 3rd book in Sandra Brown’s Tyler Trilogy.  The back of the book reads:

He was everything she despised in a man. So why couldn’t she stay out of his arms?

This had to be the worst night of Sage Tyler’s life. First her fiancé jilts her. Then she has to fly home with Harlan Boyd, the arrogant, drop-dead gorgeous stranger who overheard every word of that humiliating episode—and enjoyed it! All Sage wants is for this sexy, no-account drifter to keep his distance—and keep her broken engagement a secret. But Harlan Boyd has desires of his own…

She was the most beautiful, exciting, unpredictable woman Harlan had ever met, and he could barely keep his hands off of her. Yet he tried to stay away, tried to remember that Sage Tyler needed a man who’d convince her of her own worth, not a man who’d be moving on.

Then Sage’s family business, the Tyler Drilling Company, came under the threat of ruin, and Sage and Harlan suddenly found themselves fighting side by side to save it… in quarters too close to keep passion at bay. Can spoiled, headstrong Sage find love with a man who seems so easy to get and so hard to keep?

There’s not even a pretense of suspense in this one. Pretty much a straight, predictable romance, complete with silver-screen caliber ending and a sappy everyone-lives-happily-ever-after epilogue.

Page count: 352 | Approximate word count: 67,382

2007: #135 – Texas! Chase (Sandra Brown)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in romance; Tagged with ; December 27th, 2007

13854177 Book #135 was Texas! Chase, the 2nd book in Sandra Brown’s Tyler Trilogy.  The back of the book reads:

All he wanted was enough whiskey to forget…

Ravaged by grief after a car crash took his cherished wife and unborn child, Chase Tyler had abandoned his family business. He’d hit the rodeo circuit and the bars with equal disregard for his life, unwilling to face his pain and move on—until a bad-tempered bull and a lady from the past forced him to….

All she wanted was his love…

Marcie Johns had known Chase all her life, had been driving the car when it crashed and his wife was killed. She still wondered if Chase blamed her for his loss. But she was willing to gamble her pride and happiness to give the man she’d adored since childhood something to live for. When she offered Chase a brazen proposition to save his company, he was shocked by her plan—and he hated himself for being tempted by the fire smoldering in her gorgeous eyes! Could a once-shy bookworm seduce the rugged cowboy of her dreams into letting her love heal his heart?

Another that’s light on suspense and heavy on romance. I actually found Marcie’s story to be a little creepy — she falls in love with him in high school so she buys the house his wife wants after she dies? It was hard to believe that she planned everything she did. But we don’t read these for plot, do we?

Page count: 352 | Word count: 67,382

2007: #134 – Texas! Lucky (Sandra Brown)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in romance; Tagged with ; December 27th, 2007

13922849 Book #134 was Texas! Lucky, the first book in Sandra Brown’s Tyler Trilogy.  The back of the book reads:

Lucky Tyler attracted trouble–and women–like a lightning rod. But the night he stepped in to rescue a mysterious redhead in a seedy bar, he got more than he bargained for!

The lady excited him, challenged him, drove him wild with desire–then vanished without a trace. Lucky was desperate to find her, to brand her with his heat–and when the police were called in to investigate a suspicious fire at Tyler Drilling, his family business, he needed her for an alibi!

Torn between anguish and ecstasy, Devon Haines tried to refuse Lucky’s pleas for help, but the reckless blue-eyed devil wouldn’t take no as an answer from her… not when his touch could make her burn, could make her his.

Framed by old enemies, Lucky knew his only hope to clear himself rested on solving the crime, but Devon feared when his innocence was proved, she would lose the handsome cowboy who possessed her heart and soul Would the tragic vow that made their love forbidden cost her forever in his arms?

Heavy on romance, light on suspense, but pretty good. The resolution of the arson story was pretty weak, like "oops, I’ve got this other story line out there, gotta wrap it up now!" The set-up for the next book is pretty transparent, too — but as expected.

Page count: 288 | Approximate word count: 55,130

2007: #126 – Envy (Sandra Brown)

0 comments By Jaime Filed in audio, suspense; Tagged with ; December 4th, 2007

13793831 Book #126 was Envy by Sandra Brown.  The back of the book reads:

New York book editor Maris Matherly-Reed knows a bestseller when she sees one — even if it is a tantalizing partial manuscript submitted by a writer identified only as P.M.E., with the return address of an obscure island off the Georgia coast. Maris is intrigued enough to search for him.

Her trip to Georgia to meet the mysterious author takes her to an eerie, ruined cotton plantation, where Maris finds Parker Evans, a man confined to a wheelchair who carefully hides his past. Coaxing his novel from him chapter by chapter, Maris gets caught up in his tale of two friends who rent a boat with a young woman for a night of sex and drinking. Only one person will return from that trip.

Disturbed about her sexual attraction to Parker and worried about her marriage to author and her co-publisher Noah Reed, Maris returns to New York where the delivery of Parker’s newest chapters convince her they are more than fiction. She wonders how well she knows her husband and begins a harrowing search for a truth that ties back to a terrifying crime and a will use her, or anyone, to get his revenge.

Envy explores the way love and hatred shape lives in a breathtaking story of suspense.

This book really should have been called Vengeance.  Regardless, it was fabulous.  This is my first Sandra Brown book, and what a way to start! There’s so many twists and turns that I was afraid of getting whiplash.  Brown’s characterizations paint vivid pictures of her characters in your mind, right down to the smallest mannerisms.  By the end, I liked everyone in the book except Noah, even Nadia, and I didn’t suspect Mike’s involvement until right before it was revealed.  Parker’s book is easily woven into the story.  He drops a clue as to the true nature of his story fairly early on, and I’m not sure why Maris didn’t catch it, but the final draft ends up being much worse, and much more, than you expect.  And if all of Brown’s sex scenes are so well done, I’m going to keep reading.  My one complaint has to do with the audio version of the book I listened to — the southern accents are a bit overdone.  I’ve heard some pretty thick accents, and I don’t know anyone who talks like Parker, Mike, Roarke, and Todd.

Page count: 480 | Approximate word count: 123,740

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