Rating: 
Summary: So hideously awful there are no words to describe
Review: I can't even begin to comprehend how a book this bad could even get published. I got the unabridged audiobook from my local library for my commute, and on tape 5 out of 8 I decided if I kept listening to it I'd have to drive into a tree to end my own misery. The characters are stupid and unbelievable. The murder that you can't quite care about gets buried in the terrible love story. NOBODY has this much internal dialogue about relationships. I felt like I had to be listening to the same tape over and over, because I kept hearing the same old crap. I have no idea how it ended, because I turned it off. Silence was a relief.A comment on the audio version: the woman reading the book was awful with her ridiculous fake southern drawl.
Rating: 
Summary: You'll be pleased if you buy this
Review: This is a sensational book which is five stars for most of the journey but a little bit too quick simple ending to a major tension building situation results in it having to drop a star. I would still highly recommend purchasing this book, it has a great female character as the main heroine and is a great fast paced read. Sarah Stevens is the perfect butler and her job is to look after retired Judge Roberts, keep him healthy and safe and iron his newspapers. The usual butler stuff but unbeknownst to the outside world she is also his bodyguard. Upon thwarting two burglars Judge Roberts decides the reluctant Sarah should get fifteen minutes of fame and arranges the media to do a story on her. Unfortunately she makes herself an obsessed fan who will stop at nothing to make her his butler. If you like books with strong female characters who can take care of themselves and others try Christopher Nicole's novels with the Jessica Jones character such as The Search, The Quest, The Voyage to name a few.
Rating:
Summary: Dyng to Please
Review: Is this "today's woman"? This book was profane, lewd and anybody that handcuffed me to a pipe and had, what Ms. Howard called "making love", I call it RAPE! Perhaps, if I ahd several body piercings and tatoos I MIGHT have enjoyed it...I don't and I didn't! Do the women authors think that they have to write to the darker side of life? I usually give my books to other people so they can enjoy them also...not this one...it's going in the garbage!
Rating: 
Summary: Another Linda Howard winner..
Review: Sarah Stevens is a combination butler and bodyguard who works for a retired federal judge. One night, she stops an attempted robbery. The robbery introduces her to Detective Cahill- divorced and bitter, he is attracted to her and she to him. Unfortunately, the robbery also introduces her to unwanted publicity. Due to this, she draw the attention of a stalker who becomes fascinated and fixated upon her. The stalker will stop at nothing to get Sarah. When money and lucrative job offers don't work, he begins to kill her employers. Sarah becomes the suspect and Cahill must investigate these murders- thus putting a halt to their new romance. The relationship between Sarah and Cahill is believable and real- they have great chemistry and tension through out. Cahill, in particular is well written as a man who suspected his lover is a murderer but wants to believe in her innocence. Linda Howard has done it again- giving us a romantic mystery/suspence novel with great characters and a fast moving plot....well worth 5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: I'm a Fan!
Review: This was the first Linda Howard book I've read and I can only say that I thought this was a great book. The premise is excellent - a woman butler/bodyguard. The chemistry between Sarah and Tom was well-depicted, and above all I loved Sarah's toughness. Especially loved those scenes on the mats! Cannot wait to read the other books this fantastic author has written.
Rating: 
Summary: Dying To Please Is Death By Boredom!!
Review: I am a big Linda Howard fan, but this book is definitely not one of her best efforts. A first time reader might find it hard to believe, with this novel as an example, that Ms. Howard has written many excellent romance thrillers in the past. She could have done so much more with her unusual heroine, Sarah Stevens, who has a career as a butler. I don't think she used this unique vehicle to enhance her story, or her character. It is a shame - the idea of a woman butler is an excellent one. Sarah has been both butler and bodyguard to an elderly gentleman, a retired judge, for three years when the story opens. They have a wonderful relationship, and she is extremely fond of him. The judge's home is burgled one night, and Sarah catches the two thieves before they escape - with her karate chops & kicks. BAM! Wham! Gotcha - me, women, against two guys! Although she is a top marksman, she fortunately does not use her gun to stop the robbers. Sarah is a stereotypical tough gal, who spends much of her time honing her bodyguard skills, but she is also sensitive woman with a tender heart - and beautiful to boot! What else? Couldn't get less complex than that. But wait! The handsome, macho-man detective, who comes to investigate the robbery, is less complex than that. Embittered by a bad marriage and subsequent divorce, he doesn't care for women very much, except as one night stands. He is attracted to Sarah, however. And surprise(!), she is attracted back. So the novel goes. Nothing new, exciting, or suspenseful here. Anyway, the media is alerted by the thwarted crime. A local TV news producer comes up with the idea of an interesting feature spot starring the female butler. Sarah is interviewed, and a pathological murderer, watching the tube at the time, becomes obsessed with her. He will do anything to have her butler for him. And he does. The characters in "Dying To Please" are so shallow and flat, they could almost be cartoons. The dull narrative lacks Ms. Howard's usual flair, and there is little intelligent dialogue between Sarah and Cahill, (the detective). They mostly bicker, or he bosses her around. They do have terrific sex - but this has always been a Linda Howard strong point. However, it is difficult to appreciate the eroticism, if the participating characters are not vivid and lifelike. All in all, this book is a disappointment. I highly recommend many other of the author's novels, but not this one. Save your money!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Romance-Mystery
Review: Enjoyed thoroughly. If you like mystery and romance, you will like this. Great characters and plot.
Rating:
Summary: My first...
Review: This is my first Linda Howard book. She definitely knows how to write sensual scenes--whew! The story of a woman butler being stalked by an obsessed man is well done. I will definitely seek out other Howard books and look forward to new ones.
Rating:
Summary: Didn't Like
Review: I am a Linda Howard fan, but I honestly couldn't finish this book. It was so mind-numblingly boring that I had to stop. There was too much time spent on things that didn't matter. The relationship was nonexistent for the first quarter of the book. I do hope this isn't a shift in her writing. Her last two releases have been disappointments.
Rating: 
Summary: I am a huge Linda Howard fan - however:
Review: I have read 21 Linda Howard books. To say I am a Linda Howard fan would be would be an understatement. I love her books! I have another 8 of her books that I have yet to read. I know I will savor them each but some of her books are much better than others. Sarah Stevens has an unusual profession for a woman. She is a butler and a trained bodyguard. She demands perfection from herself and is therefore very good at what she does. Her employer's home is burglarized and Sarah meets Detective Cahill. Shortly thereafter, her employer is murdered and Sarah meets Detective Cahill yet again and gets to know him really well. I enjoyed Dying to Please. It had so many elements of classic Linda Howard. But it falls short of the excellence of many of her other books. This is written as a romance novel. However, this falls more into the mystery novel category. Linda Howard is one of the best in contemporary romance writing. She is even effective at combining romance with a little mystery writing. But this is not a good murder mystery. As mystery novels go, this could not even come in as average. And besides, when I read a romance novel, I want to read a good romance. Sarah and Cahill are two vivid characters with lots of possibilities for a great romance. Detective Cahill is a yummy hero but never gets to show his personality much. Sarah is a very strong heroine. This strength has nothing to do with her bodyguard skills. Although there is that tough part of her, she is still very much a lady. The chemistry is great between the two but they hardly have any time to solidify their relationship that we get to read. The sensual scenes rate about a four out of five (see More About Me for rating guidelines). The majority of the pages in this book are dedicated either to secondary characters or one of the lead's thoughts. I made this note to myself on page 152 out of 312 pages "I love Linda Howard books but at this point I am impatient. The leads do not spend near enough time together. The secondary characters and the leads' thoughts are not that interesting to sustain this lack of interaction." I found as I continued to read that my commment pretty much summed up the entire book. I recall feeling the same way about another of Howard's recent contemporary novels, Mr. Perfect. I hope this is not a trend of hers to take her books more towards mystery. She is unmatched in her contemporary romances and writes the best of best heroes! Her romances are always intense and very gratifying. Yes, this is a gratifying romance but there is hardly enough of it.
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