Remember the Night (Intimate Moments, 1008)

Rating:
Summary: Remember the Night
Review: "Remember the Night" is a wonderful debut novel from a fine new writer sure to have a long career if she keeps turning out books this good. A prominent New Orleans attorney has been found murdered in Michelle Pelletier's apartment. She was there when it happened, but can't remember exactly what did happen. That makes her the prime suspect to the police, including Detective Phillip Betancourt. But as Betancourt finds himself drawn to the fiery Michelle and increasingly convinced of her innocence, the evidence against her builds. Someone wants to make her look guilty, even if it means getting rid of her for good.

I don't usually read Intimate Moments and I'm pretty tired of amnesia stories, but I decided to get this one when I saw that it won the Golden Heart. I'm glad I did. "Remember the Night" is the kind of polished work that makes it hard to believe this is Ms. Castillo's first book. Simmering with sultry energy and a consistently high level of suspense, it's a fine example of the genre. Both of the leads were well-defined, and Michelle was especially complex: alternately angry, weepy and tough as nails. I highly enjoyed several encounters where she fought back against anyone who was pressuring her or being just plain cruel.

"Tense" is the word I think best describes the book. It's one of those novels where the characters' angry confrontations keep you turning the pages, the dialogue flies and suddenly you realize you've zipped through the chapter and you need to stop gripping the book so tightly! Castillo keeps raising the stakes all the way to the end, putting her characters against insurmountable odds and letting them triumph through the strength of their personalities. It's true that the mystery won't surprised seasoned readers, and there's very little here that we haven't seen in one form or another. What makes it special is the author's sharp writing, strong characters and ability to create loads of sexual and emotional tension, all of which combine to make the story feel fresh and engaging.

There are two things that keep me from giving it five stars. While I admired Michelle's self-reliance early on, toward the end I started to get irritated. Her early distrust for Betancourt made sense, but after he put his job on the line and bent over backward to help her, wasn't it about time she started trusting him? At one point, she's confident in their love. There is a time lapse, and as the next paragraph starts, she's sure he never loved her and it was all an act, or some nonsense like that, for a ridiculous reason. I just wanted to shake her. Also, the end left me a little unsatisfied. Some of the people in the book were just awful toward her, and I wanted to see their reactions once she was cleared of the crime. She also learned some things that changed her relationships with the people around her and her own future, yet we never get to know how those people responded to the revelations, or even how Michelle's life would change. In the last chapter, we find out about Betancourt's plans for the future, but nothing about Michelle's. I read it three times to see if I missed anything, but the information wasn't there. I read the book in one sitting, partly because I wanted to see those reactions and find out those answers, and was disappointed not to find them. It probably says something about how much I liked it that I cared enough to want to know.

But those are just nitpicky things. "Remember the Night" is still an excellent book I highly recommend to romantic suspense fans.

Rating:
Summary: All I can say is -- WOW!
Review: "Remember the Night" is a wonderful debut novel from a fine new writer sure to have a long career if she keeps turning out books this good. A prominent New Orleans attorney has been found murdered in Michelle Pelletier's apartment. She was there when it happened, but can't remember exactly what did happen. That makes her the prime suspect to the police, including Detective Phillip Betancourt. But as Betancourt finds himself drawn to the fiery Michelle and increasingly convinced of her innocence, the evidence against her builds. Someone wants to make her look guilty, even if it means getting rid of her for good.

I don't usually read Intimate Moments and I'm pretty tired of amnesia stories, but I decided to get this one when I saw that it won the Golden Heart. I'm glad I did. "Remember the Night" is the kind of polished work that makes it hard to believe this is Ms. Castillo's first book. Simmering with sultry energy and a consistently high level of suspense, it's a fine example of the genre. Both of the leads were well-defined, and Michelle was especially complex: alternately angry, weepy and tough as nails. I highly enjoyed several encounters where she fought back against anyone who was pressuring her or being just plain cruel.

"Tense" is the word I think best describes the book. It's one of those novels where the characters' angry confrontations keep you turning the pages, the dialogue flies and suddenly you realize you've zipped through the chapter and you need to stop gripping the book so tightly! Castillo keeps raising the stakes all the way to the end, putting her characters against insurmountable odds and letting them triumph through the strength of their personalities. It's true that the mystery won't surprised seasoned readers, and there's very little here that we haven't seen in one form or another. What makes it special is the author's sharp writing, strong characters and ability to create loads of sexual and emotional tension, all of which combine to make the story feel fresh and engaging.

There are two things that keep me from giving it five stars. While I admired Michelle's self-reliance early on, toward the end I started to get irritated. Her early distrust for Betancourt made sense, but after he put his job on the line and bent over backward to help her, wasn't it about time she started trusting him? At one point, she's confident in their love. There is a time lapse, and as the next paragraph starts, she's sure he never loved her and it was all an act, or some nonsense like that, for a ridiculous reason. I just wanted to shake her. Also, the end left me a little unsatisfied. Some of the people in the book were just awful toward her, and I wanted to see their reactions once she was cleared of the crime. She also learned some things that changed her relationships with the people around her and her own future, yet we never get to know how those people responded to the revelations, or even how Michelle's life would change. In the last chapter, we find out about Betancourt's plans for the future, but nothing about Michelle's. I read it three times to see if I missed anything, but the information wasn't there. I read the book in one sitting, partly because I wanted to see those reactions and find out those answers, and was disappointed not to find them. It probably says something about how much I liked it that I cared enough to want to know.

But those are just nitpicky things. "Remember the Night" is still an excellent book I highly recommend to romantic suspense fans.

Rating:
Summary: Leaves you waiting for the next one...
Review: Linda Castillo really turns up the heat in the big easy! This is a really sexy, fast-paced book that you won't want to stop reading. Forget work. Forget the kids. You gotta get this book!

Rating:
Summary: All I can say is -- WOW!
Review: Linda Castillo's book, REMEMBER THE NIGHT, is awesome! I couldn't put it down, and I can't think of a better recommendation for a book. Set in steamy, sensual New Orleans, the story offers everything I look for in a keeper: sizzling sexual tension, lush,visual description and breath-stopping suspense. Ms. Castillo even manages to throw in a few twists and surprises, making the story anything but predictable. Homicide detective Phillip Betancourt doesn't believe murder suspect Michelle Pelletier when she claims to have no memory of the events leading up to the murder of her boss, a prominent New Orleans attorney. It seems too convenient, considering the murder took place in her apartment, with her gun, with her apparently present at the scene. A struggling law student from the "wrong side of the tracks", and with a police record, Michelle knows she can never prove her innocence, especially to a tough cop like Betancourt; especially when he begins to probe into her shady past. Phillip knows he can't trust the beautiful, beguiling suspect, knows his attraction to Michelle is forcing him way over the professional line. But fate and passion seem bent on compelling them into each other's arms. Add a devious--and surprising--villian, heated sexual tension, tender love scenes, and spine-tingling suspense, and you have a keeper in REMEMBER THE NIGHT. I can't wait for Ms. Castillo's next book.

Rating:
Summary: Stellar debut!
Review: Prepare to stay up late reading this one! REMEMBER THE NIGHT beautifully combines a fast paced intrigue with a heart tugging romance. A great read from start to finish!

Rating:
Summary: Make room on your keeper shelf!!!
Review: REMEMBER THE NIGHT by Linda Castillo simply knocked my socks off. It's hard to image this is the author's debut novel -- the story reads like the highly polished, complex work of a New York Times Best Selling veteran! Set in the Big Easy, this highly evocative story of murder, betrayal, and doubt is a true testament to the power of love. The characters feel like people we know, and we quickly find ourselves immersed in their lives, rooting for that all-important happy ending. I have no doubt we'll be seeing a lot more of Ms. Castillo!!!

Rating:
Summary: Make room on your keeper shelf!!!
Review: REMEMBER THE NIGHT by Linda Castillo simply knocked my socks off. It's hard to image this is the author's debut novel -- the story reads like the highly polished, complex work of a New York Times Best Selling veteran! Set in the Big Easy, this highly evocative story of murder, betrayal, and doubt is a true testament to the power of love. The characters feel like people we know, and we quickly find ourselves immersed in their lives, rooting for that all-important happy ending. I have no doubt we'll be seeing a lot more of Ms. Castillo!!!

Rating:
Summary: A Big Easy Sizzler
Review: Remember the Night captures the sexy steam of New Orleans and the sizzle of a new romance. Michelle and Phillip are memorable characters whose story you won't forget. Terrific dialogue and a fast pace combine to make this a slick debut novel for author Linda Castillo.