Rating: 
Summary: Doesn't compare to any other JM book!
Review: Let me start by saying, I love Judith McNaught's work. I have all her books, and am waiting impatiently for the next one! BUT (you knew that was coming), this book pales next to any of the others. I never felt "attached" to any of the characters (I'm attached to all of her others, especially Jenny in A Kingdom of Dreams), and I never understood why Ramon would have wanted Katie anyhow. I could not be bothered to read this book even a second time (I barely got through it the first, but I kept reading thinking it had to get better!).
Rating:
Summary: Very jumbled, is this really McNaught?
Review: WOW, was Kate ever bigoted. She sees a Hispanic man and a pickup truck, so she figures he must be some sort of delivery boy working with produce. Never mind that Ramon is intelligent, kind, and witty. Noooo, he's Hispanic, so he can't do anything IMPORTANT, right? This book didn't make much sense to me. Ramon wanted a wife who could be happy living on a farm, and Kate seemed the antithesis of that idea to me. As far as I'm concerned, the two main characters only had one thing going for them: good sex.
Rating: 
Summary: Unrealistic story and heroin does not deserve the hero!
Review: I gave this 2 stars only for Ramon's sake. I didn't like Kate at all. Seemed too uptight and a little stuck on herself. I liked Ramon becuase he seemed so devoted and loyal (too bad she didn't seem deserving!). The plot seemed too far fetched (going from multi-milionare to being a dirt poor farmer then back to multi-milionare overnight was just way too unrealistic). And the entire story takes place in three weeks! If I can't believe a story could possibly happen in real life, I can't enjoy the story. I find that all of Judith McNaught's stories that take place in modern times seem ridiculously unrealistic and end up being dissapointing, but her historical tales, (from mid-evil times like A Kingdom of Dreams) are much much better (you can use more imagination there I suppose to make up for the unrealistic things).
Rating: 
Summary: Top-notch work
Review: Katie and Ramon in "Tender Triumph" are wonderful characters. Ramon is a man among men--intelligent, sensitive, kind. Katie exhibits a wonderful wit mixed in with her bright mind. She hits the nail on the head when she exclaims that "not all women are born with a burning desire to grate cheese and chop onions." This is my favorite of all of Judith McNaught's stories.
Rating:
Summary: The most disappointing of her books
Review: The second half of the book started getting interesting, but I didn't buy the 1950s attitude toward women and marriage. I am a big Judith McNaught fan, but I can't recommend that you buy this one. Try one of her others, especially one of the historicals. They are absolutely wonderful!
Rating:
Summary: Did someone else write this?
Review: Sorry Judith...I can't believe this is really your work. I love the characters and stories in all of your other books. I was beginning to think you an unfailing, story-telling genius. I do feel a little guilt as I type this as I didn't even finish the last part of the book but I feel a need to warn other readers of this dissappointing book. Pick up any of her other books and you can't go wrong. I kept thinking Katie and Ramon would develop and grow as the book went on but other than Katie's glorious red, gold hair and Ramon's tall, dark, handsomeness, there would be nothing to fill those endless chapters. Where are the wonderful characters filled with wit, humor and passion that you have spoiled us with? I'll still read, and probably enjoy all your future books, but I can't help but wonder, did you really write this one Judith?
Rating:
Summary: Tender Triumph not so Triumphant
Review: As an avid and loyal reader of JM's books, there are many things I have come to expect from her stories; strong characters with whom the reader may relate and an interesting and captivating story that is difficult to forget. To my sheer horror, the story of Ramon and Kate was utterly forgettable, having none of the usual characteristics of Mrs. McNaught's novels that delight and entrance the reader. Both Ramon and Kate were arrogant and I found the idea of a harmonious union between these two characters unrealistic. Kate lacked the wit of other heroines, though the constant reminders of her beauty try to distract the reader from this flaw. Ramon was a pale copy of Jordan Townsende, Jason Fielding or any other of JM's male characters. Overall a disappointing piece from an otherwise excellent author.
Rating:
Summary: Repetitive and boring
Review: I don't know about anyone else, but I got really sick and tired of hearing about Katie's red gold hair and blue eyes. The author didn't waste any opportunity to mention those particular attributes. It was as if the author was repetitively trying to describe how beautiful Katie was to make up for the fact that she was shallow, bigoted and snobby. She assumed that the hero, Ramon, drove the dumpy produce truck she saw on the street because he had a spanish accent and she continously treated like he was a stupid, uneducated moron throughout the book. And Ramon was no better. He decides that he loves her because she insults some guys in a singles bar even after she insults and offends him throughout the whole book. The overall book was boring and I started hoping that they would not end up together.
Rating:
Summary: Not Great!
Review: I read the book and I don't believe it was a gret book, like some reviews I've read. It just lacked the style and charisma like most of JM's books. I felt utterly disaapointed about this book. I love JM books, but this just wasn't in her category. When I read the climax, I just couldn't believe that, that was the climax. It just lacks deepth. Ramon and Katie's story was not at all realistic, even if the book was suppose to be contemporary. Hope book readers won't think that all of JM's books are like this. She writes very well, although I don't really know what happened to "Tender Triump."
Rating:
Summary: Please don't let this turn you off to other great JM books
Review: I am an avid reader of Judith McNaught and greatly admire allof her other books. However, "Tender Triumph" made me closeit several times just the check the cover and make sure JM had really written it. From the first 15 pages, it was easy to see the book would be a failure. Katie proved to be not only racist but very shallow and self-involved. She automatically assumes that because Ramon has a Spanish accent that he is poor, uneducated, and not worth her consideration. Judith tries to make her character redeemable by having Katie apologize after each and every one of her numerous catty and sometimes vicious remarks but I just don't buy it. Katie remarks that many of her well-to-do friends are 'shallow' when she is the very embodiment of the word. Finally, when explanations are made as to why Katie is so very unaccepting of Ramon's love, it seems to be too late and still doesn't excuse her racist and classist remarks. Ramon is also a total flop of a character. He falls in love with her on the first day because he sees her 'inner light' that sets her apart from her friends'? Please. All she has done is insult and degrade him. I wanted to shake him at one point and say, "Can you really be this pathetic?" Throughout the entire book I kept waiting for the characters to become more real, more believable, and more loveable. In JM's other works, you come to love her characters and live the love story with them but no connections were made between the reader and these characters. All I can ask is, "What happened, Ms. McNaught?" Please, if you had the misfortune to read this book first, don't get the wrong impression. JM is a fabulous writer. I suggest starting out with "Kingdom of Dreams" and if you aren't just clutching your sides with laughter at the line 'Forty is *this* many' and then sighing at the love between Royce and Jenny a few chapters later, I shall say no more to convince you. And if you are into more contemporary works, I *highly* recommend "Paradise". Read them. I promise you it will be worth the time, effort, and money.
|
