Sweet Liar

Rating:
Summary: This Book is Ok
Review: I've heard this said before about other books, but now it is something that has actually happened to me - with this book. I remember reading the preview before this novel came out & I was so excited to read it. However, now it is the year 2002 and I started to read this book, I thought for the first time. However, when I came to about page 250, the scene when Samantha meets Michael's family at the huge picnic, where all 100, no 200, no 300, no 400, congregated so they could all meet Samantha, i realized I had actually read this book. Nothing in this novel stood out in my mind, except the family picnic. And now that I think about it, I think it stood out in my mind because Dougless & Reed were mentioned, who are the characters of my FAVORITE Deveraux novel, Knight in Shining Armor, and I wish & wish & wish I could read more about them. But anyways, for my review of this book, I would have to give it 3.5 stars. The book seemed to lag. It didn't really flow. It felt like it took me forever to finish. The last 75 pages or so sped up, I wish the whole novel would have been written with the same action and interest that the last part of the book had. I really like Michael Taggert, he is a total dream and a half, but Samantha's character seemed really self-righteous and bratty and totally oblivious. Her life was extremely sad, but I don't think that gives us an excuse to be self-righteous. However, her character started to change, a little, and she became more bearable. I think this story just tells us how much men appreciate a challenge. But one thing i REALLY liked about this novel was the setting! Living in NYC would be soooooo totally an amazing experience. I have mixed feelings about this book. It was extremely sad and painful in some parts. And it was totally sweet and amazing and awesome in some parts. All in all, I believe it is an average job for Ms. Deveraux; however, average for Deveraux is quite good in the wide world of female romantic fiction. This isn't a rave review, but it's not a rotten one either. It's an average review. But I guess I expect a lot when I am reading a Jude Deveraux novel. :-) I didn't like "High Tide" either. That one is a skipper. But this was much better than that novel. So if you read "High Tide" and liked it, you'll really like "Sweet Liar". (And does anyone know of families like the Montgomerys and Taggerts where all the men are gorgeous, all the women are drop dead beautiful, and everyone of them has, or ends up having, lots and lots more money than the average American? Why am I complaining though, this is FICTION!)

Rating:
Summary: Intriguing...
Review: In my opinion, the whole story & plot of this book is simply intriguing. Makes me turn each page with suspense... I especially wanted to know the true account of the night of April,1928 that changed the lives of Samantha & her family. The search for her grandmother and the emotional roller coster made me cry. The love story of Sam & Mike are both sweet & heart warming. Sam's slow realization of herself & the transformation into her true identity is somewhat frustrating, sad, interesting then relief follow. Mike's love and patience to help her in any way he can is just as heart warming. I am a fan of the Montgomery Saga (as well as the Taggert) eversince I read the Velvet series, that is why the mention of the Montgomeries (& Taggert family) also made the book more interesting. If you are a J.D. fan & have enjoyed reading about the Montgomeries & Taggert in her previous books, then this is one you have to read. It contains many lovely characters. She even mentioned updates of previous couples from her other books stories. The family helping each other also made it more appealing to my taste. A keeper!

Rating:
Summary: Naive College Graduate
Review: I've read a number of books by Jude Deveraux, most recently The Summerhouse and Wild Orchids (on audio) and found this one to be not what I expected. I found it amazing that a 28 year old college graduate (who is a wiz with computers) thought that "passing the bar" meant you took a test to become a bartender!! There were times I wanted to shake the heroine and tell her to quit being so stupid. A computer wiz in the information age shouldn't be so naive and clueless. The book actually got better toward the end, maybe because by the end of the book Sam's character seemed to be more mature and less flighty. A decent read if your looking for something light and airy.

Rating:
Summary: not one of my favorites
Review: I've read many Deveraux books over the years and pulled this one out of my pile of previously read books to re-read. I had a hard time relating to a "heroine" that was so naive. She had no idea of the cost of her clothes and her not understanding the meaning of "passing the bar" was outlandish. She was supposed to be a computer whiz and really smart.

Michael had the fairy tail prince thing going, but the charmed life got a little annoying as well. He obviously had more money than he knew what to do with. And his loving family fit a little to conveniently to her story of needing one. It bothered me how many times he put himself out there only to have her reject him again.

The gangster element was wonderful. I began wishing that the entire book had been about Maxie and her life and only dipping occasionally to the present with Sam.



Rating:
Summary: Mike... Mike... Mike...
Review: I love this modern story about love,at first i was hesitated to read this,coz i was mostly reading historical romances,but it became one of my favorite ones,Montgomery-Taggert decendent...Mike Taggert and Sam Eliot,this care free guy,fell inlove with Sam who has this big wall against everyone,never letting anyone in her life,due to death and heartache...

Rating:
Summary: Divine hero. So-so story
Review: This book is very sweet. I'm not sure where the 'liar' came from unless you think that holding things back from someone, is considered lying.

Anyhow, this book is actually a great read. While I wouldn't actually say it's fast-paced, since it did get kind of winding half-way through; especially when Sam repeatedly pushes Mike away from her despite him being such an exceptionally sweet guy to her. Well, the reasons for those are revealed and they did satisfy me, but I felt that Ms. Deveraux took too long to get there. Mike is a dream as the heroine of the story, no tempers, no alpha-male arrogance or indifference. I seem to be using this word a lot for this book, but its fitting: sweet. Mike Taggart is very, very sweet towards Samantha. And that's something I always enjoy to read in a romance novel. How she treats him, is another matter and at the end is justified, so I can't grumble too much about that.

One thing that bugged me was the ending. One thing in the book: Sam's gone through so much crap in her life that she cannot bring herself to cry anymore. I was waiting for a touching, moving ending that when she would, it would be a big part of the story. I was a bit dissapointed when it was short and rushed but not too displeased by it to be turned off the whole book. And the revelation of her grandmother's life was written poorly and it wasn't of much intrest in the book itself. It just seemed like a common interest to bring Mike and Sam closer, by way of more interaction if they had a base for it.

Overall, this book was one of Deveraux's better books. Not by any means another one of her average 'nice' one or her very memorable ones, but somewhere up there. The storyline was just OK, but the interaction between characters and dialogue was delightful to read. Sweet, and infinately romantic throughout.


Rating:
Summary: great romance novel
Review: I love romance novels. It seems that in todays day and age a young woman beleives that she should be reading "War and Peace" rather than a great, titillating, romance novel. First I have read "War and Peace", but often times I just want a fun, never in a billion years could this story be true book. For this Ms. Deveraux is your gal. I love her books and I love her stories, this one in particular. I fell for the characters and for the tale. I do not agree with the reviewer that the plot was convuluted, I mean I read this book in a couple of hours and had no trouble following the plot. This is a great book and Ms. Deveraux writes great stories. For other good reads try Nora Roberts, Carla Neggers and Iris Johansen. They are all distinctly different authors, with Neggars and Johansen being, I believe of the action adventure/romance genre, but great nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: Not really pleased with the story
Review: I do love her books because I so love the mongemerys and taggerts. I don't like women who are whinny, and have no self-worth. I do love JD books, however, I can't really get into this one.

Rating:
Summary: No ... thats all I can say ... No
Review: I've been a fan of Mrs Deveraux, she writes most captivating novels to make my imagination in utter delight, but unfortunately this novel did not do it for me this time.
I tried so hard to get into this book and give it a chance, after all it has 4 1/2 stars
but Samantha just so totally got on my nerves she was too dis-trusting and just such a flake! I found myself half way thru the book skipping paragraphs and just quickly scanning the pages for anything interesting ...

I did not enjoy this book unfortunately, but it got 2 stars from me cause it still had passion and that thing we call love


Rating:
Summary: Deliciously sensual a PERFECT intro to well written romance
Review: I first read this book when I was 14 and I must say, all the abstinence propaganda in the world is not as effective as reading stories about the treatment women SHOULD expect in a relationship. Somehow, it makes one reluctant to settle for being mistreated or jerked around. I bought the book one afternoon and hibernated away in my room, snarling at anyone who dared to interrupt, I didn't even eat. 444 pages later, it was the first large book I'd ever read in under a day. I was desolate when I finished it, I almost wish I could have an amnesiac event so that I could reread Sweet Liar and not know what will happen next.