[19 Jan 2024] Jayne Castle's Harmony series is one of my guilty pleasures. Formulaic. Not in any way literary. A little bit sci-fi, a little more roman[19 Jan 2024] Jayne Castle's Harmony series is one of my guilty pleasures. Formulaic. Not in any way literary. A little bit sci-fi, a little more romance but not obnoxious, a little paranormal, a little suspense, a little mystery. In this one the heroine is a matchmaker who falls for her client. Totally predictable.
But I still enjoyed it. A light fantasy to lighten a grey winter day....more
[1 Sept 2023] Fairly standard Nora Roberts romantic suspense. The heroine's life suffers a major upset when a brief boyfriend steals her identity and h[1 Sept 2023] Fairly standard Nora Roberts romantic suspense. The heroine's life suffers a major upset when a brief boyfriend steals her identity and her savings, and murders her roommate instead of her. She moves to Vermont to live with her mother and grandmother while she rebuilds her life. She gets a job with a local family owned resort and falls in love with the scion of that family. Meanwhile the murderer/thief keeps killing other women but is obsessed with the one who got away. Of course, everything works out in the end. The heroine regains her confidence, finds love, and defeats the killer when he finally comes after her.
It's an enjoyable read, but nothing unusual....more
[9 Apr 2023] Okay, I'm pretty tired of Morgan and Lance. They didn't come close to figuring out this case until the murderer tries to kill them. They'r[9 Apr 2023] Okay, I'm pretty tired of Morgan and Lance. They didn't come close to figuring out this case until the murderer tries to kill them. They're both too distracted by their over the top emotions, and they keep making bad -- even dangerous -- decisions. And I didn't even really believe it. The whole plot solution seemed contrived. ...more
[5 Apr 2023] TW: torture, abuse, but not rape Again, I felt that the romance in this book took over the plot too much, and the sex was more explicit tha[5 Apr 2023] TW: torture, abuse, but not rape Again, I felt that the romance in this book took over the plot too much, and the sex was more explicit than I like. But it was a pretty good suspense story, complex and unusual. I enjoyed it more than the first Morgan Dane book, so I will also give the next one a try....more
[3 Apr 2023] I read this book after reading and enjoying the Bree Taggert series by the same author. But this book was written earlier and does not ref[3 Apr 2023] I read this book after reading and enjoying the Bree Taggert series by the same author. But this book was written earlier and does not reflect the same maturity and writing skill as the Taggert series. It has more of a romance vibe to it. The sex was not explicit but it seemed to take over the plot in the way of a romance novel. Also, the solution to the central mystery did not work for me. It came out of nowhere, without any foreshadowing in the book. However, the characters were likeable and, for the most part, believable....more
[16 Jun 2021] TW: Some violence at the beginning and end, not too graphic; some sex, also not too graphic
This was better than some of Nora's other rece[16 Jun 2021] TW: Some violence at the beginning and end, not too graphic; some sex, also not too graphic
This was better than some of Nora's other recent books. It was also quite long. Maybe that's why the romance worked so well -- it was allowed to develop gradually over the course of years. But the suspense was a little tame until the very end. The main characters were likeable, but I didn't really identify with them. And I missed Nora's occasional humor.
I enjoyed this book but I doubt I'll read it again....more
[31 May 2020] I had to force myself to finish this. It seemed to take forever to get to the point. And it was almost totally predictable after the firs[31 May 2020] I had to force myself to finish this. It seemed to take forever to get to the point. And it was almost totally predictable after the first chapters. The main characters were likable enough, but it was just a fairly routine romance with some minor suspense. Not one of Nora's best....more
TW: family abuse; some violence, not gruesome; some sex, not explicit
[10 July 2019] Fairly typical Nora Roberts fare. Heartwarming romance, predictableTW: family abuse; some violence, not gruesome; some sex, not explicit
[10 July 2019] Fairly typical Nora Roberts fare. Heartwarming romance, predictable suspense. I was not surprised by the ending. Liked the characters and their development. The abuse was handled pretty well; it seemed true, but she did not dwell on it unnecessarily. The important thing was the way the characters were able to overcome that experience.
I may or may not read it again.
[11 April 2021] I think I actually liked this better the second time around. There are actually three plot lines, sort of following one after another, so it's almost like three books with the same characters. None of them super suspenseful, but enough danger and change to keep me interested late into two nights. ...more
This is the second in the Paradox trilogy and I enjoyed it better than the first book. This one surprised me, which is something I really like in a boThis is the second in the Paradox trilogy and I enjoyed it better than the first book. This one surprised me, which is something I really like in a book as long as it's not a stupid surprise. This book contained several major plot shifts that I didn't see coming but that still made sense in the context. The heroine also surprised me a couple times with her ability to refuse to accept mistreatment and treachery despite her emotions. The last part of the story was very exciting. The only real criticism I have is that some of the "magic" was a little hard to accept. But I was willing to go along because it's a good story....more
[June 3, 2018] I was a little wary of this at first, worried she would sensationalize the shooting. But I was wrong. She handled the shooting pretty we[June 3, 2018] I was a little wary of this at first, worried she would sensationalize the shooting. But I was wrong. She handled the shooting pretty well, suspenseful, but respectful, not gruesome. And I think her treatment of the long term effect on the survivors was pretty thoughtful. What was lacking, I think was the romance. It seemed to develop a little too quickly, which is often the case with romance novels. And the final capture of the killer seemed to happen too quickly; I could barely follow what happened in that scene. Worth reading, but I doubt I'll read it again....more
[5 September 2017] Not one of her best. Although there were some interesting aspects to the crime and the solution, there was no empathy with the victi[5 September 2017] Not one of her best. Although there were some interesting aspects to the crime and the solution, there was no empathy with the victim and the puzzle seemed somehow boring. Not the first time the victim is unappealing, but this time it seemed for Eve -- and for the reader -- the solving was more of a chore than a gripping exercise. And, although there were some good moments between Eve and Roarke, again there seemed to be no developments among the other members of Eve's "family".
[2 June 2019] I actually enjoyed this better the third time. Although the final resolution seemed to come too easily, Eve's struggles to understand the victim and the potential killers kept me engaged. And I really liked the amount of interaction between Eve and Roarke....more
**spoiler alert** The treatment of Alice's captivity was powerful and her recovery was moving, if a little fast for belief. But the rest of the story **spoiler alert** The treatment of Alice's captivity was powerful and her recovery was moving, if a little fast for belief. But the rest of the story was only okay. I had trouble identifying with these people. My favorite character was Sundown, the horse. But it's a lifestyle I just don't relate to. Probably as much or more my fault as the author's. ...more
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