Linda Howard
Dream
Man
Author:
Linda Howard
ISBN:
978-0671019754
Genre:
Romantic Suspense/Mystery
5
Hearts
As
part of an experiment this weekend I decided to find a good romance book that I
could purchase over the internet in audio version. The idea was to try and kill
two birds with one stone, as the saying goes. Since I waste hours on the
internet playing games on Facebook and My Space, I thought instead of listening
to music like I usually do why not listen to an audio book. After a quick
search I found one of my favorite authors, Linda Howard, and decided on a book
I hadn't read yet. Dream Man was the one.
For
six years Marlie Keen has not had any psychic episode. She has been able to
have a relatively normal life, until one night on her way back from a late
movie she has a vision from a killer's eyes of him raping and killing a woman.
When she goes to the police, of course, they are skeptical. She didn't expect
anything less. After all when she was younger she had worked with skeptical
police before.
Detective
Dane Hollister at first thinks Marlie is a quack after media attention, but
after he gets to know the young woman he realizes that she isn't what he
thought she was. Now he needs Marlie's help to find a serial killer before he
strikes again.
Linda
Howard is great at piecing together a good mystery. She leads her readers on a
path to finding the answers to her mystery right to the end filling scenes with
suspense and erotic love making. She was also one of the original erotic
writers in the suspense genre. Dream Man is an action packed suspense novel
that isn't perhaps as gory in the crime scenes as other books that Linda has
put out, but it doesn't take anything away from the story.
One
note on the audio version. I'm sorry but listening to this book on audio really
takes away from the suspense style in the book. I'd have to give it very low
ratings. The male voice trying to imitate the female lead was at time just so
bad I was laughing out loud. She sounded so pitiful when he tried to voice her
emotions that she came off sounding like a real wimp, even when the character
was supposed to be mad or being stubborn. It might have been better to have a
female read this particular book.
As
far as listening to the audio book while I was playing my Facebook game and
such, that part really worked a little too well. I wanted to keep listening to
the story, but I didn't have anything else to do on the games. So I wound up
putting a picture slide show and watching the pictures pass while I was
tethered to my laptop.
Description:
Marlie
Keen was trying to lead a quiet, ordinary life. She thought the knowing - the
clairvoyance that allowed her to witness crimes as they happened - had been
destroyed in the nightmare of her past. Then one night it returned with a
vengeance, and she desperately needed to find someone to make it stop.
Detective
Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department had never met anyone like
Marlie. He had doubts about her clairvoyance, but there was no doubt how much
he desired her. Her soft, sweet scent set his blood afire, and he wanted to
wrap her in his arms and chase the sadness from her eyes. To Marlie, Dane was
all heat and hard muscle, and he made her body come alive as it never had before.
But not even she could foresee where their passion would lead: a hungry quest
for the elusive, dreamy ecstasies of love...and a dangerous journey into the
twisted mind of a madman who would threaten their happiness and their lives. .
.
Tears
of a Renegade
Author:
Linda Howard
ISBN-13:
978-0373200030
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
4
Hearts
Description:
Susan has
never known anyone like Cord Blackstone. His pale blue eyes shine with
temptation -- and dark menace.
Cord has a
score to settle with his family—the same genteel clan that sheltered
Susan after her husband's death. He will stop at nothing to punish the
Blackstones—even if it means ruining the one woman who can't stop loving
him.
From the
author's publisher's Website:
Linda
Howard is an award-winning author whose New York Times bestsellers include Open
Season, All the Queen's Men, Mr. Perfect, Kill and Tell, and Son of the
Morning. She lives in Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.
My View:
We all love
bad boys, but I found bad boy Cord just a bit to on the rough side for Susan's
good girl image. That said I think this book was filled with strong characters
and a good story line. Cord Blackstone feels he's been done wrong by his family
and he is out for revenge. His motives are made quite clear from the start,
even though most of the book is told from Susan's point of view. From what
little the readers share from Cord's side he doesn't ever seem to redeem
himself.
Susan is no
wall flower, but she is definitely too soft a heroine. I find the biggest
character flaw that no one trusts her, yet she is loved by all. That really
doesn't match. Even those who seemingly know that she is a good, honest,
trustworthy person don't really know her at all. She's stuck in the middle with
both sides pushing her too far.
To the
author's credit this book was written in 1985. A lot has changed in romance
books in nearly 25 years, except for the fact that readers love their bad boys.
Many times I hear readers complain that books like this seem unrealistic.
Perhaps in today's world someone like Cord wouldn't get by, but 25 years ago
women loved him. Okay, so maybe even today there are some who will find him
irresistible. Just don't tell anyone.