Cherished Invader

Rating:
Summary: NEW TO THIS KIND OF THING.
Review:
I just discovered this book - a copy was given to me as a birthday present and I really liked it. It has all the elements of good romance combined with enough twists and turns to keep me thumbing through the pages to the end. My only complaint is that the story was over too soon:(

Rating:
Summary: INTRIGUE AND MYSTERY
Review: I can't believe that I read the same books that the other reviewers did! No way on earth does this book deserve more than two stars, and that's only for effort and good intent.

Where do I start? First of all, the setting and background of the characters is very poorly established. We are told that the women are called "Forestals", but never are we told why they are called that or what exactly "Forestals" do. They *seem* to be some sort of interplanetary Charlie's Angels, but who really knows? They are supposedly telepathic, yet they can't seem to recognize that ability in others, so their silent communications are easily intercepted. They seem to be superhuman in their strength, but we don't know why. Their handler is some sort of omnipotent mystical man, whose presence and powers seem to negate the need for the Forestals to begin with. The scifi elements used show a basic lack of understanding of the genre and of science in general. The characters' behaviors were inconsistent with basic Psych 101 - one of the characters was totally adverse to having any intimate contact with males, yet she undressed completely before one in her bedroom without a second thought. The pacing of the story was off; the separate story lines weren't interwoven well. Dramatic tension in the book was negligible.

But the worst thing about this book is that the author apparently never met an adjective or an adverb that she didn't want to use. It became almost laughable as the book progressed, since she apparently tried not to repeat herself, and the descriptive phrases became stranger and sometimes seemed to even work against the scene. I mean, "puissant" and "labile" are fine words, but they just didn't flow with the story. In her quest to use new and unique descriptive terms, she made the characters' actions and statements excessively dramatic. Some of the descriptive terms used in connection with one of the heroes made his pursuit seem more like stalking and rape, rather than anything romantic. The sex scenes were neither romantic nor interesting ("shrill shrieks"? Give me a break!).

This book is definitely not worth the trade paperback price.

Rating:
Summary: Don't Waste Your Money
Review: I can't believe that I read the same books that the other reviewers did! No way on earth does this book deserve more than two stars, and that's only for effort and good intent.

Where do I start? First of all, the setting and background of the characters is very poorly established. We are told that the women are called "Forestals", but never are we told why they are called that or what exactly "Forestals" do. They *seem* to be some sort of interplanetary Charlie's Angels, but who really knows? They are supposedly telepathic, yet they can't seem to recognize that ability in others, so their silent communications are easily intercepted. They seem to be superhuman in their strength, but we don't know why. Their handler is some sort of omnipotent mystical man, whose presence and powers seem to negate the need for the Forestals to begin with. The scifi elements used show a basic lack of understanding of the genre and of science in general. The characters' behaviors were inconsistent with basic Psych 101 - one of the characters was totally adverse to having any intimate contact with males, yet she undressed completely before one in her bedroom without a second thought. The pacing of the story was off; the separate story lines weren't interwoven well. Dramatic tension in the book was negligible.

But the worst thing about this book is that the author apparently never met an adjective or an adverb that she didn't want to use. It became almost laughable as the book progressed, since she apparently tried not to repeat herself, and the descriptive phrases became stranger and sometimes seemed to even work against the scene. I mean, "puissant" and "labile" are fine words, but they just didn't flow with the story. In her quest to use new and unique descriptive terms, she made the characters' actions and statements excessively dramatic. Some of the descriptive terms used in connection with one of the heroes made his pursuit seem more like stalking and rape, rather than anything romantic. The sex scenes were neither romantic nor interesting ("shrill shrieks"? Give me a break!).

This book is definitely not worth the trade paperback price.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Incredibly Good - Sensual - Telepathy - More!
Review: I LOVED this book! It is set in a science fiction world and is full of sensuality, telepathy and just plain hard-to-put-down action. The story hints at possible sequels and future characters. I hope so!!

Rating:
Summary: Dull...cliched....dull...
Review: Not a good book! I was really disapointed in this book. The plot was slow to get started and when it did so much was left out I lost interest. I've been reading sci-fi and romance books for years and this book is so cliche ridden I had trouble getting through the first 2 chapter without laughing. I haven't read any of Miss Gail other books and may not after this.

Rating:
Summary: Wow! Incredibly Good - Sensual - Telepathy - More!
Review: OH MY GOD! Great book! Always a pleasure to read a sexy romance novel that has strong women characters! I enjoyed ALL the characters in the book, rooting for both the women and men alike. And the sex scenes...well, they curled my toes leaving me wanting more! I have read many romance novels, and this ranks right up there witht he best ones. Highly recommend it! Cannot wait to see what else Samantha Gail writes for us!

Rating:
Summary: INTRIGUE AND MYSTERY
Review: Once I began this book, I could not put it down. "Cherished Invader" is so much more than a romance story set in a far off land. It doesn't fit the typical romance formula. The author leaves many unanswered questions that (hopefully) will be wrapped up in later books. The love/sex scenes are steamy. All in all, I found the story delightfully different! A.J. Robbins

Rating:
Summary: A futuristic thought-provoker.
Review: This is the most unusual romance novel I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Everything the previous reviewers have said about it is true; and understated, in my opinion. The author has set her course and will sail on to well-deserved fame and fortune. Thank you, Samantha Gail, and please keep writing!