The Loner

Rating:
Summary: Simply Awful
Review: It is hard to believe that Ms. Johnston has a masters degree in arts and a law degree. This book has to be one of the worst novels I have ever read, and I am an avid reader of romantic fiction. The characters are cardboardish and depthless. The plot is thin and contrived. The action is laughable and predictable. It read like a rejected Dallas or Dinasty script written by a 12 year old...It is hard to understand, or to care for the reasons behind the characters'impulsive actions. They go from liking to loving with remarkable ease and I could never get to "feel" for them. Ms. Johnston pretends to disguise her lack of writing skills with a novel full of black and white characters, subplots that don't make sense, and horrid melodrama (and no, I don't need to read the previous novels in the series to "understand" this one). The only reason I finished reading this novel was to punish myself for spending $...on trash. Don't waste your money on this one. BEWARE!

Rating:
Summary: The last bk of the blackthorne-creed trilogy!
Review: The 2nd bk of this contemporary western series is "the Texan" and while it stands alone, I think it should be a pre-requisite for this book. The series is wonderful with twists and feuds and love and deception. "Bad Billy" has paid a terrible price because of the treacherous Eve Blackthorn. You keep rooting for him to finally get a break and find some happiness and recognition. Enter Summer Blackthorn, a forbidden best friend.
Together they try to weave through the web of lies that have affected their lives. Summer initially is a weak, spoiled little rich girl trying to win her mother's love and her fathers respect. But she evolves and defies them by cancelling her engagement to geoffrey and eloping with Billy Creed. Her father does everything to undermine billy and summers relationship and his family is none too pleasant either! Summer takes the flack and learns to exist in a poor man's world. And she learns to sacrifice for Billy and his son. Although I loved the story line, the author had to repeat so much of the previous history (obviously for those who hadn't read "texan") that I found that redundant and annoying. Author Joan Johnston is definitely worth watching! She has a wonderful way with words and her characters are realistic, fiesty and the dialogue is witty. A great wrap up.

Rating:
Summary: The last bk of the blackthorne-creed trilogy!
Review: The 2nd bk of this contemporary western series is "the Texan" and while it stands alone, I think it should be a pre-requisite for this book. The series is wonderful with twists and feuds and love and deception. "Bad Billy" has paid a terrible price because of the treacherous Eve Blackthorn. You keep rooting for him to finally get a break and find some happiness and recognition. Enter Summer Blackthorn, a forbidden best friend.
Together they try to weave through the web of lies that have affected their lives. Summer initially is a weak, spoiled little rich girl trying to win her mother's love and her fathers respect. But she evolves and defies them by cancelling her engagement to geoffrey and eloping with Billy Creed. Her father does everything to undermine billy and summers relationship and his family is none too pleasant either! Summer takes the flack and learns to exist in a poor man's world. And she learns to sacrifice for Billy and his son. Although I loved the story line, the author had to repeat so much of the previous history (obviously for those who hadn't read "texan") that I found that redundant and annoying. Author Joan Johnston is definitely worth watching! She has a wonderful way with words and her characters are realistic, fiesty and the dialogue is witty. A great wrap up.

Rating:
Summary: Alicia's Review
Review: This book was very good. I could hardly put it down at times. It was a real page turner, and it always had something happening. This book was a romance with some mystery. The families in this book were a little hard to keep straight at times, and some parts of the book were a little too graphic. The book had a good plot, and I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read a little romance and mystery.

Rating:
Summary: They make ammends
Review: This book was wonderful. Joan Johnston never fails to write a book that is exciting and romantic within its intertwined plots. I reccomend this book to everyone. I cannot wait until I can read Luke Creed's story.

Rating:
Summary: Love the Series Like the Book
Review: This is the second time this year when I have been less than satisfied by an installment in a series which I was very much engrossed in. In general I have loved Joan Johnston's Blackthorne/Creed series. The characters all have flaws and yet they are all deeply romantic. However this installment seemed to not develop the richness of the characters in the same way the previous books did. I also realize that it's difficult to keep up the intensity of a series that has so many installments; and I do look forward to the next book nonetheless. Readers of the series will enjoy this book to see what has happened to some of their favorite characters and especially to see Summer and Billy finally bring and end to the family feuds.