Rating: 
Summary: MAGNIFICENT, AMAZING!!!!
Review: I haven't heard of this author before reading this book. But one day, in the book store, I saw "The Ugly Duckling", the cover is very attracting, so I read a bit about the book, and I was hooked. I bought it and I couldn't put it down, I spent all my time that night to finish it. This book is amazing, the way Ms. Johansen describe the characters, so powerful, so real, the appearance of the characters, the details about the environment, the feelings of the characters. When you are reading the book, you can actually see the image running over your head. The way she developed the suspense, it really makes you hooked and just keep reading. This book has suspense, romance, everything. And I just keep recommending this book to all of my friends. Trust me, read this book, and you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Fails to satisfy
Review: On the face of it, this book sounded appealing--unattractive woman becomes transformed into a great beauty consumed by the desire to revenge her murdered child. What's not to like? However, this book simply missed the mark. It felt like a blend of "Lives of the Rich and Famous" mixed with a James Bond movie. Everyone lives in rich splendor, is very attractive, and yet there is no real conflict or emotional depth to this book. Lots of action, yet it all seems so superficial and contrived. The main character, Nell, seems to wring her hands a lot and go through a lot of emotional trauma, and yet I just don't seem to care... Her character starts out so meek and submissive that even when she gets rolling, she still isn't very appealing. I was frustrated because I could see glimmerings of a great book in there somewhere, but ultimately it just failed to satisfy.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Book
Review: The book "The Ugly Duckling" I thought was good, had a lot of suspense and mystery. It's about a young woman name Nell Carter, who was very ugly who wanted to change her appearance. She was thinking of getting surgery to make her face look better, so she did but she did not know it was going to get her in trouble. She was not a problem before she had surgery but after she had the surgery she was gorgeous. Her best friend was Nicholas Tanke tried to rescue her from the kidnapper but he ended up getting killed and she got rescued from her sister.
Rating:
Summary: One of Johansen's best!
Review: The Ugly Duckling is one of those rare books you can read over and over and never grow tired. The strength of Nell Calder as she works to overcome and avenge her daughter's murder, and the relationship between Nell and Nicholas Tanek keep the pages turning. The characters are intriguing, the story suspenseful, and the ending to the conflict is very surprising and well-done. This book made Iris Johansen one of my favorite authors. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Beauty Fights the Beast....
Review: What if you had lived a life of suppression and been constantly passed over? Suddenly, your comfortable world and everything that you hold dear are stripped away from you and you are brutally attacked. Through cosmetic surgery you are given an exquisite face and seek nothing but revenge. This is the premise that Iris Johansen presents in THE UGLY DUCKLING. This was really a good book. It was not quite as "gruesome" in terms of the specific details as some of her novels, which I appreciated. I especially enjoyed that she referred to a scene (that reminded me of the movie as well) as remeniscent of the movie, TRUE LIES. I also really enjoyed the singleness of purpose as Nell strives to make herself strong. So many things work with this novel. We are given an insight into Nell Calder's childhood as to why she is so submissive; we are given a glimpse into the dynamics of her marriage; we are even a party to the horrible dreams that she endures night after night. The supporting characters are some of the best from Johansen. Tania, a woman who truly understands what Nell has been through and Peter, the young man who stands by her through adversity were two of my favorites. A great book from a great author.
Rating:
Summary: Love it!!
Review: Really enjoyed this book - this was my first book from iris johansen, and I've continued buying her books ever since. its the right blend of fantasy, romance, intrigue. Read it!
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