Key West

Rating:
Summary: Convoluted mess of a romance
Review: Sonnie Giacano enlists the aid of Chris Talon, a private investigator, to help unravel her own past. But Sonnie's head injury, hallucinations, and odd behavior make many believe she is mentally ill, not the victim of a conspiracy.

This is the most convoluted plot I've seen in a while. Is Sonnie crazy? Is she part of a plot? And a plot for what exactly? While the first half of the book was intriguing, Cameron simply doesn't deliver. The devious half-sister, bizarre brother-in-law, and other random characters whose roles are never clearly defined made me wonder, how did Cameron organize this book? Did she read it over when she was done to make sure it made sense? I'm thinking she did not.

Rating:
Summary: Convoluted mess of a romance
Review: Sonnie Giacano enlists the aid of Chris Talon, a private investigator, to help unravel her own past. But Sonnie's head injury, hallucinations, and odd behavior make many believe she is mentally ill, not the victim of a conspiracy.

This is the most convoluted plot I've seen in a while. Is Sonnie crazy? Is she part of a plot? And a plot for what exactly? While the first half of the book was intriguing, Cameron simply doesn't deliver. The devious half-sister, bizarre brother-in-law, and other random characters whose roles are never clearly defined made me wonder, how did Cameron organize this book? Did she read it over when she was done to make sure it made sense? I'm thinking she did not.

Rating:
Summary: Stella Cameron has a blockbuster hit!
Review: Sonnie Giacano has returned to Key West with a mission. To find out what really happened to her eight months earlier on the night she almost died? Chris Talon, an ex-cop, is a man haunted by his own nightmares but is drawn to Sonnie, despite his desire to keep her at a distance. Soon situations arise which leave Sonnie questioning her sanity or is something more sinister happening? Now it is even more urgent for Sonnie to discover the truth with Chris' help before they both lose their lives.

WOW! KEY WEST is an action packed tale that is romantic suspense at its best. Stella Cameron transports the reader to steamy Key West then takes us in a roller coaster ride as we try to figure out what happened to Sonnie and who was responsible. We are also introduced to a secondary character and his "barbie mobile" whose story will be told in Glass Houses, a July 2000 release.

Rating:
Summary: A rollercoaster ride.
Review: Sonnie Keith Giacano didn't remember much of the accident that killed her unborn daughter and put her in the hospital, only what people told her. And what she dreamed or imagined. According to her overbearing half-sister, Billy, she needs help. Her brother-in-law, Romano Giacano has also hinted that Sonnie would be better off with him. All Sonnie knows is that her husband was supposedly kidnapped eight months earlier, causing Sonnie to drive her car at high speeds, hitting a wall on the beach road. No ransom was ever received. Desperate to find out the truth, Sonnie returns to Key West and demands the assistance of burned-out ex-cop Christ Talon. As danger mounts, so does the sexual tension between Chris and Sonnie.

Cameron has crafted an enthralling read that keeps you guessing to the very last chapters. Not about the enemies Sonnie has, but about her mental state, about the cause of her near fatal accident, and about her missing husband. And, despite the reviewers who would prefer to miss the mushy stuff, the romantic suspense is an important part of the story.

Rating:
Summary: A rollercoaster ride.
Review: Sonnie Keith Giacano didn't remember much of the accident that killed her unborn daughter and put her in the hospital, only what people told her. And what she dreamed or imagined. According to her overbearing half-sister, Billy, she needs help. Her brother-in-law, Romano Giacano has also hinted that Sonnie would be better off with him. All Sonnie knows is that her husband was supposedly kidnapped eight months earlier, causing Sonnie to drive her car at high speeds, hitting a wall on the beach road. No ransom was ever received. Desperate to find out the truth, Sonnie returns to Key West and demands the assistance of burned-out ex-cop Christ Talon. As danger mounts, so does the sexual tension between Chris and Sonnie.

Cameron has crafted an enthralling read that keeps you guessing to the very last chapters. Not about the enemies Sonnie has, but about her mental state, about the cause of her near fatal accident, and about her missing husband. And, despite the reviewers who would prefer to miss the mushy stuff, the romantic suspense is an important part of the story.

Rating:
Summary: Key West is Sensational!!!
Review: Stella Cameron has always had a talent for bringing a place and time alive. Whether you are reading one of her historical novels set in Regency England or a contemporary, Cameron can make you feel like you are there. However, in Key West Cameron perfects, if it is even possible, something I first noticed in her French Quarter. The location becomes a third main character. I have never been to Key West but in this book I was there. It breathed and had substance that permeated the book. I was blown away. The Key West chamber of commerce should make this book required reading for its members and sell it in every bar as well as every bookstore. Sonnie Giacano and Chris Talon, the heroine and hero respectively, are running in different directions. Sonnie is running to try and capture her past. Chris is running away from his. These runners collide in Key West. Eight months ago Sonnie lost her husband, her unborn child and her memory of how it all happened. Friends and family tell her to leave the past buried and move on. She cannot. Voices invade her mind and provide mere suggestions of a horror so profound it may push Sonnie over the edge. When she starts seeing things she cannot possibly see Sonnie wonders if maybe she has already lost her mind. Still, she wants to discover what really happened that night eight months in the past. Will the reluctant Chris Talon help her? Chris is a former police detective who suddenly retired at age 36 and is hiding out in his brother's bar in Key West. Unlike Sonnie, he does not want to face his demons. He also does not want to help her. He cannot help himself. Something about Sonnie draws him to her. He is not sure that he can both keep his past in the past and assist the troubled woman who is so desperate for that assistance. As he is inevitably drawn to Sonnie's side he discovers not only a strength he thought he had lost but also a nightmare with which he hopes Sonnie can cope. Make sure you have a fan and plenty of ice at the ready when you sit down to read this book. No matter where you are, you will be in Key West.

Rating:
Summary: PAGE-TURNING SUSPENSE
Review: The publisher of this novel markets it as "Romantic/Suspense, although there is some romance (this can easily be ignored without disturbing the plot), the main theme is suspense.

Sonnie Giancano has settled in Key West to try and put her life back together. Eight months earlier her husband was kidnapped and she was in a horrible accident, injuring herself and killing her unborn child. Sonnie can't remember much about the accident, but she is plagued with nightmares of the incident. When she begins hearing and seeing things, she begs for the help of Chris Talon, an ex NYC cop. At first Chris refuses to help (for reasons that become clear as the story unfolds), after spending some time with Sonnie, he agrees.

As the two main characters investigate what happened, they realize Sonnie's life was built on lies and deception, and the accident was actually a carefully thought out plan.

Stella Cameron keeps the pace fast and the storyline moving.

Anyone looking for entertainment (ignore the sappy love scenes) will enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: PAGE-TURNING SUSPENSE
Review: The publisher of this novel markets it as "Romantic/Suspense, although there is some romance (this can easily be ignored without disturbing the plot), the main theme is suspense.

Sonnie Giancano has settled in Key West to try and put her life back together. Eight months earlier her husband was kidnapped and she was in a horrible accident, injuring herself and killing her unborn child. Sonnie can't remember much about the accident, but she is plagued with nightmares of the incident. When she begins hearing and seeing things, she begs for the help of Chris Talon, an ex NYC cop. At first Chris refuses to help (for reasons that become clear as the story unfolds), after spending some time with Sonnie, he agrees.

As the two main characters investigate what happened, they realize Sonnie's life was built on lies and deception, and the accident was actually a carefully thought out plan.

Stella Cameron keeps the pace fast and the storyline moving.

Anyone looking for entertainment (ignore the sappy love scenes) will enjoy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly the most Frustrating Book I've Ever Read
Review: This book started out so good, and then I don't know what happened! Nothing was consistent in the entire plot. First of all, every time characters would be explaining something, their conversation would take some tangential turn, and the explanation was just forgotten mid-way. Then, in the parts that would follow, characters would act in ways that didn't make any sense considering what had been revealed thusfar. This happens A LOT, which brings me to my next point: the characters themselves do not make sense. First Chris wants nothing to do with Sonny, then out of nowhere he'll help her no matter what she says AND has decided he's completely in love with her. Fine, for romance sake, I can go with that...But throughout 3/4 of the book Chris is convinced that Sonnie's the victim of some plot against her - hence the whole point of his elaborate investigation - and then all of a sudden he's thinking things like "he had to face the very real possibility that she is just mentally ill." Huh? Like other reviewers have mentioned, KEY WEST's villains are revealed early on, but they don't make all that much sense either. Especially one in particular, who seems to have this air-tight agenda the entire time when it comes to Sonnie, then out of nowhere, goes completely ballistic (& with witnesses!)...which afterward, Cameron treats as if it's all just part of his master plan and needs no clarfication. The worst, of course, is Sonnie. It didn't bother me at all in the beginning how meek she was; I thought Cameron did a nice job introducing her as a wounded, unsure woman with a good heart. But then, even after it's SO OBVIOUS who are 'enemies' are, Sonnie keeps playing out the same victimizing dramas with these people OVER AND OVER (and frequently thinks to herself later, "I know [blank] really cares about me" What??). Most annoying was the way Sonnie was a completely predictable sap with everyone in the book EXCEPT Chris, the one person she says she can trust. It's like in every other chapter she's being different with him: he'll save her life and she'll tell him to just go away b/c she needs to be alone; then he'll go to work & she'll sit there thinking how much she misses him and would spend every second with him if she could; he'll try to get answers from her and she'll be like "I'm a burden, just forget me," then she'll snap at him "why's everyone treating me like a victim?!!" right before she bursts into tears helplessly ... It just goes on and on! Anyway, I only finished this book b/c the beginning had sucked me in, and then the bulk of it made me so frustrated I just wanted to feel some vindication after (I hoped) everything gets revealed and Sonnie toughens up at the end. I wouldn't recommend this book, as I guess is obvious by now!

Rating:
Summary: I agree with the author of "Don't Bother"
Review: This could have been a great read. Lot's of potential - exotic background, interesting plot. But, just when something was getting interesting, the author resorted to trashy "romance" for no reason at all. These two people new each other 2 days and they think they are madly in love? The dialogue was stilted and unrealistic. I'm half way through the book and I was wondering if it was just me or did anybody else seem frustrated with the poor writing, dismal plot and character development. After checking with the reviews posted on Amazon, I've been validated! I'll slog my way through to the finish because I hate to leave a book unread once started. But, I won't be buying any more Stella Cameron books if this is an example.