Rating: 
Summary: A Moving Story!!!
Review: I have been a long time fan of this author. This is the first time I have read one of her older books. Previously I've only read were her SEAL team books. This book on the other hand went much deeper and really delved into a very touchy subject and that is substance abuse.In "Heart Throb" our hero is a recovering alcoholic and prescription drug abuser. This is so different from the "perfect" hero that we normally find in the romance genre. As a result we are able to see what kind of conflict comes from this kind of life. Jed or Jericho is not perfect in life, but he had been perfect on the big screen. Then he hit rock bottom and finds that his ticket back to the A list in a movie called "The Promise". Problem is the producer of the movie Kate does not trust him as far as she can throw him. This is her movie and even though Jericho is the real life version of her hero on screen she can't run the risk that he will ruin everything by taking a drink. Kate's problem though is she finds herself attracted to Jericho and she knows that this could be the biggest mistake of her life is she allows herself to act on those feelings. Ms. Brockmann does not tie up this romance all nice with a pretty bow. She allows both of them to experience a wide range of feelings one of which is mistrust on Kate's part. She would not be true to real feelings if this issue was ignored. As a result this was a much deeper romance and as a result of this much better. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is not afraid to have a touchy topic as a backdrop for a story.
Rating:
Summary: A Moving Story!!!
Review: I have been a long time fan of this author. This is the first time I have read one of her older books. Previously I've only read were her SEAL team books. This book on the other hand went much deeper and really delved into a very touchy subject and that is substance abuse. In "Heart Throb" our hero is a recovering alcoholic and prescription drug abuser. This is so different from the "perfect" hero that we normally find in the romance genre. As a result we are able to see what kind of conflict comes from this kind of life. Jed or Jericho is not perfect in life, but he had been perfect on the big screen. Then he hit rock bottom and finds that his ticket back to the A list in a movie called "The Promise". Problem is the producer of the movie Kate does not trust him as far as she can throw him. This is her movie and even though Jericho is the real life version of her hero on screen she can't run the risk that he will ruin everything by taking a drink. Kate's problem though is she finds herself attracted to Jericho and she knows that this could be the biggest mistake of her life is she allows herself to act on those feelings. Ms. Brockmann does not tie up this romance all nice with a pretty bow. She allows both of them to experience a wide range of feelings one of which is mistrust on Kate's part. She would not be true to real feelings if this issue was ignored. As a result this was a much deeper romance and as a result of this much better. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is not afraid to have a touchy topic as a backdrop for a story.
Rating:
Summary: Never wanted it to end.
Review: I have read Suzanne Brockmann's "Heart Throb" twice now. I am in love with the character Jericho Beaumont, a washed up movie star trying to find his way back from abuse. The way he is described physically and emotionally throughout the book make you want to put your arms around him. Kate O'Laughlin, Jericho's producer, is a strong woman yet still has compassion and heart. There is humor and sexual intensity. It was not predictable reading and I could not put the book down, even the second time I read it. I searched this site for her other books in hopes of recapturing her style of writing. This book is worth reading again so, sorry I will not be selling it!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best contemporary romances IMO
Review: I originally borrowed this book from the library and after taking it out again 2 more times, went out and bought a copy -- for this book is definitely a keeper. The author creates a believable story from a fantasy -- a relationship with a celebrity once voted "sexiest man alive." From the fantasy any woman might have about such a man, Brockmann weaves a poignant, funny, and ultimately credible plot with well-developed characters, good love scenes, and a point of view which does not hit you over the head -- which is the damage done to us by our families and the self-destructive paths we pursue. The male protagonist -- Jericho-- is so well written that even after you finish the book you can remember his thought processes and feelings as described. This is especially true in such scenes as the one is which his bodyguard handcuffs him to a bed and then leaves him -- the anger and anguish and embarassment just flow off the page, as do his feelings for the heroine. The secondary characters are also well fleshed and contribute to the main story line. Although I generally prefer romances with a lot of humor, this book has stayed in my own library when many humorous romances have gone to the trading pile. This book is a fine example of the writer's craft and is not to be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Skip it -----
Review: I was unsure about reading this book (especially when I saw that awful cover!), but a friend recommended I try it. I'm glad she did. This story had more depth than the typical romance. The characters were more fleshed out, more like real people. They had strengths and weakenesses. This story deals with tough issues, but not by making light of those issues. There is humor, but also sensitivity and emotion. I read it through twice the first week I bought it.
Rating: 
Summary: Romantic Times Review
Review: Producer Kate OLaughlin is determined to see her dream up on screen. Shes lined up a good director, her ex-husband Victor Strauss and although The Promise, a pre-civil war drama, is a tough sell, with the right cast, Kate knows it can succeed. Jericho Jed Beaumont was once the golden boy of Hollywood. His immense talent put his name at the top of the casting list, until alcoholism caused him to crash and burn. Desperate to get his career back on track, Jed attends an open casting call for The Promise. Kate flatly refuses to cast Jed as Virgil Laramie, but the insistence of both Victor and hot young TV star Susie McCoy finally wears her down. But before Kate will agree, she insists that Jed sign a contract that allows the production to monitor him and conduct daily drug tests. Humiliated but resigned, Jed agrees. After the overzealous marine hired to watch Jed, handcuffs him to his bed, Kate realizes she must act as the watchdog. The stresses of making a movie are always present, but the cast of this film have some major problems to overcome: their 15-year-old star, Susie, is suffering badly under the thumb of her domineering father. A lot of careers are riding on this picturecan they really pull it off? Series author Suzanne Brockmann demonstrates that drama, laced with a gritty edge, is definitely her forti. HEART THROB marks her outstanding entry into mainstream fiction. (Apr., 420 pp, $5.99)
Rating:
Summary: Heartthrob Audiobook Review
Review: Reading the actual book may have changed my review as opposed to listening to the audiobook. As it stands, the audio book was horrible. Listening to this book was a major chore. The reader sounded like a young Casey Kasem, as if he were announcing the main and secondary characters bios. He sounded like he was reading. Everything was dramatic or overly emotional.
Nor did I care for 18 year old Jamal and 15 year old Susie declaring their love for each other. Although there were no intimacies between them, it didn't sit well with me. Nor the fact that Jamal was Black and Susie White. Personally I would prefer to see it the other way around. Instead of it looking like Black men always want White women.
Overall I can't recommend this book. Suzanne Brockmann's Navy Seal books are awesome. This one is not.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: Suzanne Brockmann won me over with "No Ordinary Man", and she hasn't lost me since. While I agree with some of the more recent reviewers that Heartthrob isn't quite up to the standard of a few of her more recent novels, I would consider it on par with others--a fine accomplishment, considering that this was her very first full-length novel. SB's greatest strength has always been in the touching realness of her characters, and Jed and Kate don't fall short. This book is an apt demonstration that as much as we may resent celebrities of having "perfect" lives, EVERYONE has demons. A couple of the other reviewers expressed disgust for the way in which Jed/Jericho was "degraded", and blamed Kate. I didn't see it that way. I have read many books--especially romances--in which one or both characters is routinely degraded (usually the woman), and while both characters in this one have their moments of embarassment, it is done entirely realistically and without triumph on the other's part. Kate layed out demands (someone to watch Jed, drug testing, etc.) that WERE an invasion of his privacy. However, she did not know him at the time, and his past behavior gave her no reason to trust him. Those demands were the only way in which she could get funding to produce the movie. The most humiliating incident, the one involving handcuffs, was not Kate's fault (the guard did it on his own, and Kate fired him as a result), though she does not escape blame. As the two come to know eachother better, they earn each other's respect. The book was impressive because it manages to make clear that trust must be earned. No one owes it to you, and that makes it all the more valuable a gift. Both Kate and Jericho are haunted by their pasts, and that does not necessarily improve them. As in real life, adversity may make us stronger, but it also makes us suspicious, remote, and occasionally selfish--the traits of survivors who have learned to rely only on themselves. The beauty of this story is past hurts don't necessarily destroy your chances of future happiness. The abused are still capable of giving and receiving love, and the objectified can still find strength and self-confidence in themselves. One of the few authors who can rival Suzanne Brockmann, Mary Jo Putney, has a novel very similar to this one, with possibly even more punch. It is called "The Spiral Path", and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Heartthrob. It, too, deals with issues of abuse, so if you're squeamish, avoid.
Rating:
Summary: Heart Breaking
Review: This book made you feel the emotions of the characters! Jed's struggle with substance abuse & Kate's fear of being hurt again were so realistic. Very good book!
Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Suzanne Brockmann!
Review: This is the first mainstream romance by an award-winning series romance author, and it's well worth the wait! Brockmann delivers drama, comedy and believable, three-dimensional characterizations in this tale of Jericho Beaumont, a former a-list actor trying to rebuild his career after its flaming wreck due to his prescription-drug and alcohol abuse, and Kate O'Laughlin, a first time producer and screenwriter who is determined to get her independant movie made and made right, even if she has to demand her lead actor submit to daily drug testing and 24/7 supervision. The secondary characters also shine, particularly Susie McCoy, a 15-year-old child star who is trying to be taken seriously in her first adult role, and Jamaal Hawkes, a young, African-American man struggling to figure out how to deliver his best performance in the role of a slave when all he feels is anger and humiliation at the thought of being another man's property. Brockmann has obviously done her research on both movie production, and substance abuse and recovery. Yet, while the book deals with some very serious issues, the story and characters never wallow in self-pity or melodrama. I read very little romance, and buy even less of it new, but Suzanne Brockmann's name is at the top of my list. Read this book. Then do yourself a favor, and look into Suzanne Brockmann's backlist. Her books are well worth your time.
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