Rating: 
Summary: A Great Contemporary Debut For Julie Garwood
Review: Julie Garwood has entertained readers for years with her historical romances. Her long awaited contemporary debut does not disappoint!If you enjoy suspense, plot twists and a good romance, HEARTBREAKER is a must read. When a killer confesses to Father Tom that his next victim will be the priest's own sister, Father Tom calls his good friend FBI agent Nick Buchanan to protect Laurant. Headstrong Laurant does not want to sit back and be protected...she wants to use herself as bait to catch the Heartbreaker. HEARTBREAKER has enough romance to satisfy Julie Garwood fans and enough plot twists to keep the reader intrigued and wondering. The main characters, as well as secondary characters, are human and likable. I have a feeling we may be seeing secondary character Noah in the future. Good job, Julie!
Rating:
Summary: HEARTBREAKER
Review: NY Times Bestseller, Julie Garwood's romantic suspense, HEARTBREAKER is a true rollercoaster ride of thrills, action and romance. After a psychopath confesses the gruesome details of his previous murders, he reveals to Father Tom that he will sin once again and that he has already staked out his next victim. This time, however, he needs more of a challenge..."Catch me if you can." Father Tom calls in his best friend, Agent Nick Buchanan. Nick is a member of a special elite unit that tracks down missing children. He has seen every atrocity known to man and is bordering on the edge of burnout and is ready for a much needed vacation. Nick can't refuse Tom's plea for help because the intended victim is...Tom's sister, Laurant. Laurant Madden has made a peaceful life for herself in Holy Oaks, Iowa, but with a sadistic killer after her, she and Nick must pretend to be lovers in order to bait the trap--only the pretending becomes a sizzling love affair that grows hotter has the killer draws nearer. Garwood brings Laurant's and Nick's world vividly alive. We care about them, understand them and want them to prevail. HEARTBREAKER is focused, gritty and yes, humorous. You laugh at the same time you get goosebumps. This book is pure Garwood which is storytelling at its finest. If you read only one book this year, make it HEARTBREAKER! YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED!
Rating:
Summary: Great Thriller
Review: Now everyone has their favorite author, one of mine is Julie Garwood. I have enjoyed her historical romances immensely and now she has switched to more contemporary fare. Father Madden, while taking confession, receives a horrible message from a madman. He tells Father Madden he is a killer and he has already chosen his next victim, Father Madden's sister, Laurant. Father Madden telephones the only person he knows who can help protect his sister, one of his best friends, FBI agent, Nick Buchanan. Nick Buchanan meets Laurant and while trying to protect her, and stay one step ahead of the killer, finds himself very attracted to her. This is your typical "hunted heroine" novel, with the hunky FBI agent keeping the heroine safe while they are on the run, and a demented killer stalking their every move. Still, the story flows, the characters connect, and I loved the story. I would highly recommend.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't read it before bed!
Review: Julie Garwood is by far my favorite author, and I have been a devoted fan from the first chapter of "The Bride." Unfortunately, I was not fully prepared for the turn her new book has taken. This book is not the type of thing I enjoy reading (particulary before bed), because to be honest it scared the heck out of me, and that's not what I'm looking for. I take the blame for not taking the storyline more seriously, but truthfully, I thought the scary stuff would be secondary. It's not, and it's exactly the type of thing that young women fear. My favorite qualities of Garwood's past work have always been her ability to tell the story through the woman's eyes. To show her heroines as bright and witty individuals. I do not think that this story, told from the omniscient perspective, achieves the same respect for and closeness with the heroine I have previously enjoyed. My main point in writing this review (having never written one before) is simply to warn readers that this book may not be what you expect. So, double check before you lay down the money for the hardback copy. Personally, I'm hoping she goes back to historical romances. No one can write them like she does.
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Summary: Touche
Review: Being an avid reader of Julie Garwood's books, I was absolutely thrilled to discover that she had written a new novel. Yes, we all know that Garwood can write wonderful historical romances, but could she do the same with a contemporary novel? After reading Heartbreaker, there is no doubt. Julie Garwood is the queen of romance and a master over the written word. The plot of her new book, Heartbreaker, does take a few chapters to unfold. But once it does, watch out! You'll find yourself drawn into the book faster than you can blink an eye. The characters, like in many of Garwood's novels, were very easy to like. The hero, Nick, was the possessive male with a "heartbreaking" smile and a knack for sarcastic humor. Laurant was of course an absolute beauty. And hurray to Garwood for countering that detail by giving her heroin a modest attitude and a witty retort for all those innocent jokes thrown her way. Accompanying the dynamic duo is Tommy, Laurant's brother, and Nick's FBI buddy Noah. Keep an eye on those two ladies. They're hilarious. All and all, I was most impressed. This book has got to be one of Garwood's finest. It contains all the parts that a good romance novel should: intriguing plot, captivating characters, and undeniable love. "Bravo, Julie!"
Rating: 
Summary: Loved it!
Review: I really loved this book!! This book is all about suspense, thriller with a touch of romance. I am a fan of Julie Garwood and I have read all of her books with no exception. With her historical romances, she enchanted me into reading more and more, however this book was different and she proved to be a master as always. I would like Ms. Garwood to write more of this style of romantic suspense thrillers, regardless of some of the other reviews. Go ahead and read this book and you be the judge! The characters are well defined especially the killer. His thoughts and feelings are perfectly portrayed. The secondary characters, Noah and Tommy were very interesting. They kept me laughing... Noah is the best!!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Julie Garwood
Review: i'm sorry...what were we reading again!? A romance, suspense, murder mystery thriller...what?!? because i couldnt tell from the book!
I love julie garwood. I've read every one of her books. I have every one of her historicals. This one was a major disappointment. While the plot seemed interesting, i didnt feel the characters were so developed nor the story line. Nick, the FBI agent was supposed to take care of the herione and also fall in love with her in the meantime. He did the first well enough but the other part, im not too sure. Anyway if you're thinking of picking this one up because its written by Garwood, dont! It'll only upset you. If you've never read a Garwood before and want to try this out, stop and pick one of her historicals like The Prize, Honor's Splendour, The Bride etc.
Rating:
Summary: Just okay
Review: I had heard good things about Julie Garwood, so I looked forward to this book. What a disappointment! The story is obvious, and Laurant and Nick are cardboard characters. They have no chemistry, yet we're supposed to believe there's this love between them that they have to fight to resist. Plus, the use of cliches is distracting - at one point, she stated Nick "had the body of a Greek god" and a few minutes later when Laurant tried to seduce him, Nick "looked like a deer caught in the headlights." For some reason, I kept picturing a Greek god caught in the headlights. And the humor with the old ladies fell awfully flat. I heard her historical romances are better, so maybe I'll try that. And the FBI in this book seemed awfully unprofessional.Finally, the "false suspects" - the property buyer who was foaming with rage and the kid who flattened the tires, were so obviously false as suspects they seemed ludicrous.
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously Different!
Review: I have been a long time fan of historical romances. I put off reading this book for over a year, even though it is written by one of my favorite authors. Now that I have read it I am looking forward to reading Mercy and Killjoy, Garwood's other suspense-romance novels. I was very pleased with this book. I was able to guess the ending about three quarters through the book...but I still enjoyed it! A good read!
Rating:
Summary: An easy read with a nice plot twist.
Review: This was my first Julie Garwood book after exploring, and devouring, the contemporary romantic suspenses of Linda Howard, Heather Graham and Karen Robards. While Ms. Garwood's romantic heat between the leads could be more developed, the story is fast-paced and a plot twist at the end was unexpected. Readers will enjoy the secondary characters of Noah and Tommy as well as the fiesty female lead, Laurant, and the alpha male, Nick. Don't hesitate to read if you're looking for something light on a rainy weekend.
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