Rating: 
Summary: The characters are not believable.
Review: I've read all of Linda Howard's books twice yet this is one I choose not to read again. The characters of Sallie and Rhys are somewhat far fetched. Sallie vacillated between very strong negative feelings towards Rhys one moment to being completed captivated by him in another. For an "Independent Wife" Sallie has little or no backbone. Linda Howard's talent as a writer has progressed far beyond this early book.
Rating: 
Summary: Misogynistic and Disturbing
Review: I've really enjoyed many of Linda Howard's more recent books--particulary the passionate style--so lately, I've been going back and reading some of her older work. Most of it, I loved. But, this one was disappointing in the extreme (from any author!). Quite simply, the story is misogynistic, disturbing, and literally sickening. Rhy is not "the alpha male" (as one reviewer dubbed him); he is completely cruel to Sallie over and over again throughout the story. He continues to be cruel, and never gets redeemed. Did anyone notice that every sexual contact Rhy initiates comes with a violent adverb (he yanks her harshly, brutally takes her mouth, etc. etc. - i swear they are everywhere, but quite honestly i blocked most of them out, thank God!). At one point, Howard even writes that Rhy grabs Sallie's wrist so hard he can feel the bones shifting... what?? It would take a miracle of writing to redeem that anyway, but the truly disturbing part, is that the book doesn't even try to ... it is overwhelmingly uncritical of Rhy's abusive behavior. This is why I am convinced that this story was marketed incorrectly. The only thing that makes sense to me, is that Howard wrote this as a story about an abusive relationship (which it truly is, and if you read it, you'll see that's undeniable), and the only way it got published was as a paperback romance, or something like that. Do not read this book unless you want to (A) be depressed at the kind of abuse and degradation (verbal AND physical on both counts) that some women endure; (B) be depressed that there are actually men like Rhy out there who relish in dominating a woman in every aspect of her life (sex, home, work, and even hobbies - he steals the manuscript she's been writing on the side, reads it, then immediately insults her when she tells him he invaded her privacy: "stop spatting at me, you little cat!" Is it just me, or is that awful and nauseating??); or finally (C) be made so furious you don't know where to turn, that you have to write a long, winding amazon review like this one. Your Choice. Zero stars, horrifyingly awful, unbelievably bad.
Rating:
Summary: Linda Howard? Is that You?
Review: It is and I am saddened. I am being generous when I give this one 2 stars, because it deserves one, but in seeing how it was well written and the only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that the characters were unlikeable and the storyline was bland, I couldn't bring myself to completely trash it. I am a HUGE Linda Howard fan so you see why I am surprised and reluctant to toss this one, even if it's her worst IMO.
The brutish 'hero', if you want to actually call him that, is so overpowering that I felt smothered by his presence in the book, never-mind the heroine. He was completely irrational and borderline stalker/nutcase. He had nothing worth liking and I couldn't fathom why the heroine even thought much of him, never-mind loved him at all.
They marry 7 years before and only live together, if that, for like a year at most. Most of that time he is gone on journalism assignments in Africa and South America doing God knows what while she is at home and worried to death, but I wont go into that irritating part of the story.
He dumps her without a backward glance because in his words, 'you aren't woman enough for me.' Again, I won't go into it, I don't want devulge the storyline too much.
He calls her a sorry 'kid' and pretty much breaks her heart to pieces and leaves her alone without a backward glance for over 7 years. Not only is she alone now, but she has no job and no education.
Thinking to better herself, she enrolls in school and becomes a reporter for a famous magazine. She is well respected and loved in her circle. Life begins again for her and she is happy once again never thinking her estranged husband would destroy her newfound peace.
All this time passes without one word from him and he doesn't even worry how she was or if she was even dead or alive while he runs around the world with models and so forth, using his being married as an excuse to not get serious with these unsuspecting women.
Then Fate steps in and comes crashing her new life like a tornado. Her husband has purchased the magazine she works for not knowing she works there.
Well, soon he finds out and boom, suddenly she belongs to him and wont give her a divorce. He takes her off assignments and refuses to let her work. She must become his sex slave for his enjoyment simply because how dare she refuse her 'husband' his marital rights??? Not to mention he still is dating a model in the open...
The heroine Sallie is weak and far from 'Independant Wife' material. She caves in on every issue and makes excuses for his behavior over and over again to the point of agony to the reader. She never stands up for herself or even tries to put this loser in his place.
Even in the end when he tries to redeem himself I found it really hard to swallow. I was left feeling sorry for Sallie because he will never let her go and she is like a trapped animal.
Stalker. Nutcase. Creep. Only words that can convey how I felt about him. At times he is mean and downright violent to the point of being borderline abusive and crazy. Obsessive and wacko.
Take a look-see if you are a diehard Howard fan, if not, skip it!
Tracy Talley~@
Rating:
Summary: Linda Howard? Is that You?
Review: It is and I am saddened. I am being generous when I give this one 2 stars, because it deserves one, but in seeing how it was well written and the only thing I didn't like about it was the fact that the characters were unlikeable and the storyline was bland, I couldn't bring myself to completely trash it. I am a HUGE Linda Howard fan so you see why I am surprised and reluctant to toss this one, even if it's her worst IMO.
The brutish 'hero', if you want to actually call him that, is so overpowering that I felt smothered by his presence in the book, never-mind the heroine. He was completely irrational and borderline stalker/nutcase. He had nothing worth liking and I couldn't fathom why the heroine even thought much of him, never-mind loved him at all.
They marry 7 years before and only live together, if that, for like a year at most. Most of that time he is gone on journalism assignments in Africa and South America doing God knows what while she is at home and worried to death, but I wont go into that irritating part of the story.
He dumps her without a backward glance because in his words, 'you aren't woman enough for me.' Again, I won't go into it, I don't want devulge the storyline too much.
He calls her a sorry 'kid' and pretty much breaks her heart to pieces and leaves her alone without a backward glance for over 7 years. Not only is she alone now, but she has no job and no education.
Thinking to better herself, she enrolls in school and becomes a reporter for a famous magazine. She is well respected and loved in her circle. Life begins again for her and she is happy once again never thinking her estranged husband would destroy her newfound peace.
All this time passes without one word from him and he doesn't even worry how she was or if she was even dead or alive while he runs around the world with models and so forth, using his being married as an excuse to not get serious with these unsuspecting women.
Then Fate steps in and comes crashing her new life like a tornado. Her husband has purchased the magazine she works for not knowing she works there.
Well, soon he finds out and boom, suddenly she belongs to him and wont give her a divorce. He takes her off assignments and refuses to let her work. She must become his sex slave for his enjoyment simply because how dare she refuse her 'husband' his marital rights??? Not to mention he still is dating a model in the open...
The heroine Sallie is weak and far from 'Independant Wife' material. She caves in on every issue and makes excuses for his behavior over and over again to the point of agony to the reader. She never stands up for herself or even tries to put this loser in his place.
Even in the end when he tries to redeem himself I found it really hard to swallow. I was left feeling sorry for Sallie because he will never let her go and she is like a trapped animal.
Stalker. Nutcase. Creep. Only words that can convey how I felt about him. At times he is mean and downright violent to the point of being borderline abusive and crazy. Obsessive and wacko.
Take a look-see if you are a diehard Howard fan, if not, skip it!
Tracy Talley~@
Rating:
Summary: This story reads like a stereotype of romance.
Review: It was easy to see this was a reprint, readers today would not put up with an overbearing male boss forcing his will on the heroine. Although the story has emotional impact, the amount of backstory and the demanding "hero" detracted from the effect.
Rating:
Summary: The most distressing romance so far
Review: Journalist Salle Baines finds out that her husband has returned to claim her as his rightful wife after he walked out on her several years earlier. Her resolve is present but her mind is weak, unguarded against the primal attraction that still materializes between the two of them - and with Rhy's despicable model girlfriend to fester the wounds, it would prove insurmountible for their relationships to restore again....Linda Howard's An Independent Wife is by far the most distressing romance I have ever encountered. Rhydon Baines as the main character is despotic and a male chaunvinist; Sallie is branded submissive and feels violated by his violent manner, yet refuses to counter his sexual harrassment. His jealousy extends to even restricting her in her job and her social circle - and that's supposed to be in the name of love? Sallie's independent image is ruined by her weak submission to the flesh - and the descriptions of her fear makes me feel irritated over Rhy. He doesn't even deserve Sallie in the end. An independent wife coming from the pen of Linda Howard is implausibly astounding - it is violent as it is utterly unromantic and disturbing. This story should be one relating to spousal abuse - not laborious love.
Rating:
Summary: Independent Schmindependent
Review: Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors, so I bought this book in spite of the bad reviews. While an interesting comment on what was selling in the romance genre in the early 1980's, this book screamed the message JEALOUSY IS NOT LOVE (without meaning to, I'm sure). The fact that the hero is controlling, jealous and manipulative, and the fact that the heroine thinks this was normal and loving, illustrate the need for intense therapy for both parties -- not a continuation of the "romance". I also wanted the heroine to BE independent, get a spine, leave this jerk in the dust, and get a restraining order against him. A book on abnormal behavior? Maybe. A romance? No way. I truly wish Ms. Howard had re-worked this book, not just re-published it, as it cheapens her considerable talent.
Rating: 
Summary: sadly dated
Review: Not sure why this is listed as a Calhoun Woman novel - the heroine is Sallie Jerome! I utterly adore alpha males, and read this book when it came out 22 years ago. My how attitudes change! Strange, to think this was accepted male-female dynamics just two decades ago. I am sure the readers in their mid-twenties who did not grown up in the 70's and 80s, and are use to women being independent will wonder where Howard is coming from with this book. As a child who grew up with the "expected" house-mum, who stayed home to raise the kids and be a house maker, where a wife working was an INSULT to a man, I have seen women make great strides in being a strong figure that can take care of herself. So go into this book knowing that attitudes of the 80's were different. Remember this is a period where Coulter wrote about her heroine being whipped with a riding crop because she DARED follow him to his mistresses home and threw a shoe at him.
Sallie Jerome is a hotshot reporter for a big NYC magazine. She loved the travel, loved the danger she often finds herself in, but now she has a more immediate danger: her estranged husband Rydon Baines. Rys married her almost 9 years ago - out of pity, we learn. She was 18, he 28. He was the nephew of the woman next door. After her parents die, and then his aunt dies, too, Sarah (Sallie)is in a mental depression. Rys quickly courts her, marries her. Rys is a hotshot reporter, working for big news organization and he, too, was often sent into dangerous situations. An insecure Sarah did not like this and demanded he change his job to where he was home every night. Rys likes dropping in between assignments, having his laundry done, and having a hot time in the sack before he cuts out again. When Sarah became pregnant, he accused her of trying to trap him into staying at home. He was not there when she went into early labor, he was not there when she delivered a still birth, he was not there when she buried their son. When he finally comes home, he offers her little support (though he now claims he wanted the son, too), and they get into a row over his leaving again, he departs with a final shot saying he was leaving permanently and when she decides she is "woman enough for him" look him up. He sends monthly support checks.
Sarah starts out using his money to educate herself. She gets a college education, and comes out of the shell of the shy retiring woman. She is now called Sallie, and she has taken that education and put it to good use. Once she got her first job, she sent Rys checks back saying she no longer needed his support. So it has been seven years since she has seen the man face to face, though she has kept up with his fame on the evening news.
So Sallie is horrified to learn Rys is giving up investigative reporting and has bought the magazine where Sallie works. Rys shows up with a gorgeous model in tow. Sallie tries to hide out form Rys, but he finally forces a showdown. She presumes he will want a divorce, but Rys says there will be no divorce. He tells her she is trapped. He will fix it she cannot work anywhere else, that he wants her as his wife again and get used to it. Rys at times physically hurts Sallie - nothing major, just pulling the braid (saw this devise used in Jayne Ann's Stephanie James re-release of Stormy Challenge, so it's just not Howard's book but the TIMES that saw this caveman routine as ok), he left bruises on her wrists. Sorry, today he would be considered a bully. Worse, while claiming he wants his marriage, he still keeps is model around as a thorn to Sallie's side to make her jealous.
Sigh, it just dated. Read it to see Howard's early talent, or don't read it at all because this type of brutishness just won't play for today's reader.
She was a talent then, she is a talent now. Something the dynamics of a situation don't date well. That is this case.
Rating:
Summary: A letdown?
Review: Okay, after re-reading this post, I decided it's a bit of a spoiler...... but don't worry you DON'T want to read the book anyway!!!!! I was shocked plum down to my toes by this one! It's still hard to accept that Linda Howard wrote this book! Unfortunately, I now have to say that I have read a LH book that I couldn't stand..... sad, but true.
The heroine, Sallie, described herself as 'foolish & weak'..... I not only agreed with her, but added a few adjectives of my own! Without telling too much of the story, (which wouldn't matter, cause you wouldn't want to read it anyway!) - This man, Rhy, walked out on her 7 yrs earlier saying she wasn't 'woman enough' for him AND that he only married her out of pity !!!!!!!!, never sees her for 7 yrs., then after she has worked hard as heck to make herself a really good, successful, fulfilling life, loses weight & becomes all beautiful, he walks back into her life, says she 'belongs' to him, takes away everything that she enjoys AND SHE LETS HIM GET AWAY WITH IT!!!!
Next she falls for the oldest lie in the book by a woman she already KNOWS is a conviving witch.... give me a break!
I did not find one redeeming quality in our so-called hero (or the entire book actually)..... he was a self-centered, selfish, egotistical, heartless jerk - with VERY violent tendencies! Even his supposedly heartfelt discussion at the end of the book did nothing for me.
After reading this one, I had to run out & pick up 'All the Queen's Men' real fast & read it - just to assure myself that I still liked LH! (which I did! lol)
Anyway, I DON'T recommend it!!! (did you guess that already????)
Rating:
Summary: NOT a Linda Howard book, surely!!!!
Review: Okay, after re-reading this post, I decided it's a bit of a spoiler...... but don't worry you DON'T want to read the book anyway!!!!! I was shocked plum down to my toes by this one! It's still hard to accept that Linda Howard wrote this book! Unfortunately, I now have to say that I have read a LH book that I couldn't stand..... sad, but true.
The heroine, Sallie, described herself as 'foolish & weak'..... I not only agreed with her, but added a few adjectives of my own! Without telling too much of the story, (which wouldn't matter, cause you wouldn't want to read it anyway!) - This man, Rhy, walked out on her 7 yrs earlier saying she wasn't 'woman enough' for him AND that he only married her out of pity !!!!!!!!, never sees her for 7 yrs., then after she has worked hard as heck to make herself a really good, successful, fulfilling life, loses weight & becomes all beautiful, he walks back into her life, says she 'belongs' to him, takes away everything that she enjoys AND SHE LETS HIM GET AWAY WITH IT!!!!
Next she falls for the oldest lie in the book by a woman she already KNOWS is a conviving witch.... give me a break!
I did not find one redeeming quality in our so-called hero (or the entire book actually)..... he was a self-centered, selfish, egotistical, heartless jerk - with VERY violent tendencies! Even his supposedly heartfelt discussion at the end of the book did nothing for me.
After reading this one, I had to run out & pick up 'All the Queen's Men' real fast & read it - just to assure myself that I still liked LH! (which I did! lol)
Anyway, I DON'T recommend it!!! (did you guess that already????)
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