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To Laney, With Love (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 516)

To Laney, With Love (Harlequin Intrigue, No. 516)

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: So-so at best
Review: To Laney with Love was an OK book, not usually one i'd bother commenting on, but the mean-spirited responses to other readers made me want to say something. The characters weren't very deep or interesting, and I had trouble swallowing a lot of it, too. If other people liked it, good for them, but to attack someone without even posting your name or address is really tacky. To Laney With Love is just an average book, with a great idea that's only adequately presented. Hardly something to be attacking each other over.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Couldn't put it down!
Review: What a delightful mix of romance and mystery. Author Joyce Sullivan has done a remarkable job of blending a complex plot, believable characters and a compelling love story. Can't wait for her next Intrigue.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good Start, Lousy Finish
Review: With _To Laney, With Love_, Joyce Sullivan returns to Intrigue with an ambitious and compelling premise. The card in Laney Dobson's mailbox was addressed "To Laney With Love"--a message that seemed to be from Laney's dead husband. Bewildered by the discovery, Laney turned to fellow single parent Ben Forbes, who had been there for her ever since her husband was killed. Ben and Laney were both attracted to each other, but what kind of a future could they have if her husband was, in fact, alive? Unfortunately, the card is just the first development as Laney begins to learn things she never knew about the man she married--things that will put all of her inner strength to the test when murder enters the picture.

The book begins pleasantly enough. The characters are sympathetic and the story interesting, and as the twists begin to pile up, it certainly keeps your interest. As with her last two books, Sullivan does a good job leading the reader-and her characters-down the wrong path time and again before revealing what's really going on. Unfortunately, it begins to completely unravel toward the end, both in terms of the mystery and the romance. It's never a good sign when a villain actually utters the words, "You will bow to my wishes." (I thought this was modern-day Canada, not some ancient kingdom.) And without giving anything away, let me just say that the ending goes over the top, with the kind of development that happens more because the writer wants to provide a dramatic finale than because the timing makes any sense.

The weakest part, by far, was the romance, which was both shallow and unconvincing. I had a hard time believing Laney would be so willing to move on after what she was finding out about her husband. What Laney and Ben decide to do at the very end isn't something any sane person would do after all they'd experienced, but for these two, it made a kind of sad sense. I enjoyed Joyce's first two books-"The Night Before Christmas (Intrigue #352) and "This Little Baby" (Intrigue #436)-but in this case, the third time definitely wasn't the charm.


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