The Rivals

Rating:
Summary: Just not up to par
Review: A lot of reviewers have already said it - this book just isn't up to Joan Johnston's standards. If you're reading the series and following all the characters then certainly read it. If you're just looking for a good book to read, try almost any of her other novels. The research in this one, while great for the geography just doesn't do it for the characters... example, a police detective who looks to the side character/secondary hero to determine how to go find a missing person. Some detective. Also the secondary characters are so powerful in this book, probably because the fans are highly in anticipation of their story, that it was hard to remember to book was about the two main characters its written for. I suppose the one thing this book did do for me is that, I can't wait for the next one (about the side characters! :) ).

Rating:
Summary: What Happened to the old Joan Johnston?
Review: I too am a hugh Joan Johnston fan. I own all of ther other books. But I was highly disappointed with this novel. Please don't judge her by this book. This is the first thriller romance novel she has attempted. The story was not engaging, and the characters lacked depth and their relationships were not beliveable. The passion and excitement just wasn't there. I hate to give her a bad review because all of her other books are so great. Try any of her other books and see the real Joan Johnston and why she is a bestselling author.

Rating:
Summary: I have every single book she' s ever written BUT...
Review: I was a little disappointed in this book. AND I'M A HUGE JJ FAN. So it was really hard to write that last line. I don't know, it just didn't have the same magic as the first three. Even the Price wasn't that great. I mean it's not that they're bad, it's just getting too " who done it" for me. I guess I'm not a big muder mystery fan, maybe that's my problem. It's worth reading, I guess. But I threw it away after I finished it because I was so disappointed (and I have kept every single one of her other books). The Loner, The Cowboy and the Texan were awesome. I definetly suggest those. The Hawks Way books are awesome and all of her ones are awesome. Please believe me I'm a huge JJ fan, just kind of sad on this one, hate to give bad review, just being honest.

Rating:
Summary: fine police procedural romance
Review: In Jackson Hole, Wyoming no one except the families and the Teton County Sheriff Department cared about two missing teens. That abruptly changes when Kate Grayhawk never makes it home as she is the daughter of influential Texas mogul Clay Blackthorne and the granddaughter of his powerful enemy King Grayhawk.

Deputy Sheriff Sarah Barndollar, raising three kids alone since her spouse vanished last year, investigates the serial vanishings. Meanwhile the feuding families' hatred for one another interfere with her case because they suspect the other side abducted Kate and set out to prove it. Clay's cousin Drew DeWitt offers a rare dose of sanity, but insists on being part of her inquiries. As they race to save lives, they fall in love, but she is Wyoming wilderness while he is big shot urban.

This solid entry in the continuing saga of the Blackthorne family is a fine police procedural romance. The story line moves at a fast clip while readers will shake their heads at the setbacks caused by the family feud. Though a government conspiracy has been used so often that one wonders how any trees remain in the forest, Joan Johnston's latest thriller is a delightful investigative romantic suspense.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: Soooo disappointing!
Review: Sad to say, but this book was a huge disappointment. I really like her books-all but this one. The characters were flat and unbelievable; their decisions,actions and conversations were predictable and stereotypical. I was so frustrated after the first few chapters, I wanted a refund. I can't remember the last time I strongly disliked the protagonists of a book, but these characters turned me off in a big way. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come from her future books

Rating:
Summary: Very good book!!
Review: This is the first book I've read by Joan Johnston and it definitely won't be my last. I really enjoyed the story line and the characters, although trying to understand the geneology of the Blackthornes and the Grayhawks got a little confusing. I had to go back and read past reviews from Ms Johnston's previous books on the this rival family on Amazon.com to get caught up-to-date. I can't wait for her next book to be released.

Rating:
Summary: Average at best
Review: This is the first book I've read by Joan Johnston. I love similar authors like Sandra Brown and Nora Roberts, so I thought this book would be in the same vein. Instead, there are so many characters and they are jumbled all over the place, so it is very difficult to keep track of who has what relationship to another character, and so on. This is probably a decent "beach read" but it's disappointing in many ways. "The Rivals" is an average, at best, romantic thriller.