Rating:  Summary: Steamy! Review: I just adore this book! The (reluctant) hero is a real man, not an over-the-top, too-good-to-be-true god that the reader cannot relate to. The heroine isn't perfect, either, which is why she is so realistic. The sexual tension between them leaps off the pages, and the love scenes are dynamite. Robards fans will really like this one, and those new to the author will like what they find, as well.After this one, check out "To Trust a Stranger"
Rating:  Summary: When does the suspense begin? Review: I love robards booksand after reading ghost moon I was on pins and needles waiting for this one. It's not a bad read but it's no t robards best I needed more suspense, less sex and the ending needed to tie up the loose ends. I'm not completely disappointed but neither am I happy. But, I am anticipating her next novel because I am a huge fan and everyone has a so-so day.
Rating:  Summary: Boring Review: I read half of the book and found it to be only a sex manual. The story plot is shallow and could have been written in a few pages. Why does she feel the need for detailed sexual experiences? If the story is good, such details are not necessary. Didn't she use the same type of "hidden" villian in a previous book? An earlier book with the horse farm background was much more interesting. Most earlier books were better than the recent ones.
Rating:  Summary: Entertaining Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the story, although I felt the sexual scenes overshadowed the feelings of love that were developing between Alex and Joe. The "predator" scenes were very disturbing and graphic, and I wondered two things after finishing the book. He killed a total of 30 people. I'm assuming that they were all abducted from either his motel or the rest area, and yet the characters in the books repeatedly claim that there is no crime in Paradise County. I also wondered what he did with all of the cars and trucks of the victims, including Eli's. Silly things, but they spoiled the credibility of the book for me.
Rating:  Summary: Paradise County Review: I thought this book was fantastic. I read it on one day. The characters are crisp and the romance sizzles. I felt as if I was in Paradise County. I was really suprised to see the low count of stars for this book and am hoping this will bring the rating up a bit. The writing is superb.
Rating:  Summary: The psycho killer was a little too realistic. Review: I try not to review a book based on the moral message, but rather on the quality of the book itself, but this time I just could not do it. I could not believe this book is supposed to be a romance. Ms. Robards has the talent - as usual - of making you feel that you are right there in the story - she has the ability to make her scenes come really alive. I am sorry that she uses this talent to give us the mind and feelings of a psycho - and sorry that I read it. What previous reviewers failed to mention - as far as I saw - was that the graphic violence was not limited to dogs! He abducts women, too, obviously - about twenty over ten years - or more - and there is a little too much detail for me. A lot! Yes, nothing actually happens to Alex - the heroine - but the other women were also human beings - I can't believe I read this. And I can't believe that people who read this are only bothered about the dog! I read romance to escape from all this - from the frying pan into the fire, in this case. And, yes, besides for all that, the book is good. Just not romance.
Rating:  Summary: Just another Romance Review: I was very disappointed in Karen Robards' new book Paradise County. I was hoping that she would revert to the style she used so successfully in Walking after Midnight. I found that book so refreshing, a combination of Romance ,Suspense and Humor. The characters in Paradise County seem drawn together purely through sexual attraction and have very little in common. The book does have some surprising twists, in both plot and character definition. It is not the norm for romance/suspense novels to introduce drug abuse as a sub plot even though Robards just seems to throw that in as an afterthought. Not Karen Robards at her best.
Rating:  Summary: Mixed Emotions! Review: I won't go into a description of the story, please read the editorial review on this book. The author basically used the same formula when writing Paradise County as she used in her previous novel Ghost Moon. With one exception--fewer characters. The main characters included in this story were Alexandra Haywood and her sister, Neely, Joe Welch and his three children and Joe's father, Cary. The editorial review gave this story a sensuality rating of 8 and I have to agree the story was very sexy and mostly read as a romance novel with very good interaction between Joe and Alex and their family members. Of course there is murder to be solved but once again the author chose to include a killer who preys on women and animals. Mostly I enjoyed this book but the chapters on the murderer and his activities I found to be disturbing. I enjoy a murder mystery but I can do without the graphic violence. In solving the crises, the last few chapters were rushed. A longer ending would have been more appreciated.
Rating:  Summary: Horrified and Disgusted Review: If I could give this less than one star, I would! I usually love Karen Robards' books. I have several of her books that I reread at least once a year. This one is horrifying! When I got to the villian pouring kerosene on a dog in preparation to set him on fire, I threw the book across the room. Two weeks later, I ripped the book apart and fed it into my new cross-cut shredder. I love books and this is the first and only book I've ever felt compelled to destroy so no one else had to read it. If I want something disgusting enough to give me nightmares, I'll read true-crime books or watch the news. Reading books is supposed to be an enjoyable escape, not something that you spend weeks trying to get out of your head every time you close your eyes. Especially disappointing is when the book is written by one of your favorite authors and it's supposed to be "romance." My advice: If you love animals and hate needless torture and cruelty, DON'T READ THIS BOOK!
Rating:  Summary: Excellent romantic suspense Review: In Kentucky, Whistledown horse farm manager Joe Welch finds the owner Charles Haywood dead in a barn. Joe thinks Charles committed suicide since the deceased smelled of alcohol and a gun with a discharged bullet was near him. After the funeral, Charles' daughter Alexandra fires Joe, giving him thirty days to leave. Joe refuses, intending to complete his current contract, forcing Alexandra to explain that the horse farm is bankrupt and she will have to sell its assets, the horses. Alexandra, a renowned photographer, spends the night at Whistledown for the first time in a quite a while. She gets spooked when she hears breathing in her room with no one there. She and her teenage sister Neely flee to Joe's house. At the same time, a psychopathic killer tortures a young lady who looks similar to Neely. Over the next few weeks, Alex and Joe fall in love, but happiness eludes them when her sister and his son Eli vanish. Karen Robards has a unique writing style that provides readers with a fresh voice with every new novel she publishes. PARADISE COUNTY is a high caliber romantic suspense novel featuring realistic characters struggling with a rainbow of feelings. The steamy romance between the adult couple is counterbalanced by the sweet relationship between Neely and Eli. Ms. Robards knows how to raise the temperature on several levels with a strong tale that will excite sub-genre readers. Harriet Klausne
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