Southern Comfort

Rating:
Summary: Crude and unrealistic!
Review: ***Contains spoilers***

I do not remember the exact quote (I've tried to block it out), but when I read a line in this novel that was something akin to "it smelled like a whorehouse in the summer... she really hated tuna fish" I knew that my suspicions had been confirmed: This book was a bust!

I don't understand how anyone is expected to believe that a couple who have sex within the first three minutes of meeting one another (after the woman had held up the man at gunpoint) can go on to find everlasting love.

Towards the middle of the book I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that this would just be one of those books I complete simply so I could review it here without bias. Whatever suspense Ms. Kelley was trying to convey was completely over-shadowed by the fact that she was obsessed with sex.

Add that to the fact that the heroine is supposed to be scarred with years of issues and suddenly she loses all of these fears in a week and a half and the reader is left empty.

I like sex in a novel as much as the next guy. And I'll be the first one to say that these romances shouldn't be 100% realistic (it takes the fun out of it). However, I fell like I lost several valuable brain cells finishing this one and I feel like the author took her readers for granted in expecting them to believe such far-fetched drivel!

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH THIS ONE!!!



Rating:
Summary: Wade is so sexy!!!
Review: Fallon Hargis is running for her life, literally. A chance meeting with Wade Tanner and suddenly running is not as important. Maybe she will hide out for awhile instead. Their first meeting has a big oops, an unforgettable oops. A little R & R back in Wade's hometown is just what she needs to recuperate. Together they work on solving the puzzle of who betrayed Fallon. Southern Comfort is a sexy novel with a bit of mystery and danger... It has everything. I look forward to many more stories by Karen Kelley, especially a follow-up to Southern Comfort.

Rating:
Summary: Not So Comforting
Review: I had my eye on this book for a few weeks while I browsed around at Barnes and Noble. Finally I broke down and bought it. Big mistake! I found the plot to be completely unbelievable, and repetitive. As I was reading it, I found that certain details just seemed to "happen" instead of giving enough background information to support it. This book was based more on the love affair between Fallon and Wade then it did the actual point of their characters. I did not find the plot to be relatable or the characters for that matter. DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK if you are looking for a good plot.

Rating:
Summary: A Strong and Sassy Read!
Review: Ms. Kelley's debut effort is a strong romantic suspense which will keep the reader coming back for more until the final page. Although this is not a long read (it totals 237 pages) Ms. Kelley has managed to pack a lot into very little and the reader will come away satisfied.

Fallon Hargis is an undercover DEA agent that has had her cover blown by an insider. Barely escaping with her life she runs from her would be killers right into the strong arms of Wade Tanner. Under the threat of gun point she forces the handsome man into bed in order make do her skin of the teeth escape. Where this action leads to is far from what she planned on but it's the one thing she needs.

Wade can not believe what is happening to him. One moment he's on vacation trying to enjoy himself, the next he's in bed with one sexy lady who just so happens to be bleeding all over him. Fallon is everything that he has walked away from but she is also the one thing he can't forget. She's sassy, fun, stubborn, and ill-tempered. She has also brought him back to life. Can he turn his back on a damsel in distress? Heck no and before either of them knows it they are in it together for the long haul, or at least until Fallon can determine who sold her out to the bad guys.

This was a fun read with great characters. Fallon although stubborn and at times over the top will be a character that will stay with the reader long after you finish the book. Wade is your typical southern gentleman and he is a perfect complement to Fallon. I look forward to reading Ms. Kelley in the future she is a talent we can look forward too.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Rating:
Summary: Southern Comfort has it all
Review: Southern Comfort is a must read by new author Karen Kelley.

Fallon Hargis, Dea Agent is on the run after her cover is blown. She sees a man entering his hotel room and seizes the chance to hide out. Wade Tanner is on vacation and didn't expect to be told to strip at gunpoint by a beautiful woman. What happens next is passion that neither will ever forget.

Small town Sheriff Wade Tanner takes an injured Fallon home to recover and hide out from the criminals chasing her. He can't seem to keep his mind or his hands off of Fallon.

Fallon has never let anyone close since her family was killed when she was young. But she finds her self-adjusting to small town life and unable to stop wanting to get close to Wade.

Southern Comfort is an amazing novel. The characters are smart and witty. Their passion is tantalizing and so hot it scorches. Karen Kelley is on my auto-buy list now.


Rating:
Summary: Over Priced - Over Rated!
Review: The reviews on this book sounded so good, and the plot sounded interesting. Given the higher retail price for this paperback, I thought for sure it HAD to be a winner - WRONG. The book starts off with a "bang" and ends in a "whimper." It's not a bad book, but it certainly doesn't justify the glowing reviews or the higher price. I compare this book with a boring Harlequin. Save yourself some money...if you can't get this at your local library, just go to your local book store and read the first and last chapters. That's pretty much all this book has to offer. Such a let down. This same plot written by someone like Nora Roberts or Julie Garwood would have ROCKED!

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful love story
Review: Undercover DEA agent Fallon Hargis has experienced a close call. At a meeting with a dangerous dealer named Cavanaugh, Fallon was shot by two thugs, and now she's vying for her life. Though she's hiding, she quickly realizes the thugs have a passkey to all the rooms at the hotel. Fallon grabs a man entering his room - at gunpoint. She tells him to strip, and to get into bed. She figures when the thugs enter the room, what they'll see is a dark-haired woman making vigorous love. As she wore a blonde wig the entire time she was on this case, she is certain she won't be recognized. Her ruse works. However, the pretend love she's making with the handsome stranger quickly turns into a powerful moment of passion.

Now safe, but not knowing who to trust, Fallon has to figure out where to go, and how to find the mole that is certain to be the one that got her shot. Fallon has information that she knows Cavanaugh will go to any extreme to retrieve, even killing her. The guy Fallon accosted, Wade Tanner, feels much more than intense passion for the woman. She identifies herself as DEA, and tells Wade that she doesn't know who at the agency has blown her cover. Wade's protective instinct takes over, and the suddenly, Fallon is headed to his small town of Two Creeks.

Wade is a small-town sheriff, and can do no less than help the bold, beautiful Fallon. Attracted to her beyond belief, while impressed with her brutal honesty, he'll do what he can to help her find Cavanaugh, while trying to keep her alive. First order of business is to get to his hometown, and get her gunshot treated.

Wade's got his work cut out for him. For one thing, he's determined to break through her tough exterior. Fallon is a fiercely independent woman whose emotions run deep. Kudos to Ms. Kelley with writing Fallon's character. I felt her pain, and I also felt whenever she shut down around Wade. When you pick up Southern Comfort, no doubt you will feel the same.

As mentioned, Fallon's character was written with such tremendous flair, but that is only part of what makes Southern Comfort such a fantastic book. The action is never ending. In the meantime, it is quite humorous to enjoy Fallon's introduction to small-time life, and her reactions to some of Wade's friends and family.

Delightfully, Fallon's one rule of never sleeping with the same man twice, is broken before she can blink, because the attraction she and Wade share is utterly combustible. All the while, with the intrigue continuing, Fallon's past shading her present, and is determined to harm her future, is something that Wade picks up on. This indeed makes Wade a wonderful hero. He sees right through her tough exterior, and does his best to teach this woman about trust.

When you watch Fallon grow, all while Wade's tender nature wins out, it is quite touching. There's also a minor player in Southern Comfort who makes an incredible impact on Fallon. I thank Ms. Kelley for including her, along with the other members of the cast of characters, in order to flesh out Fallon's personality, which allows her to grow. Karen Kelley has written a wonderful love story! Every element - the story, the characters and the stunning conclusion - blends together just perfectly.

(For In the Library Reviews, September 2004)

Rating:
Summary: A very fast, enjoyable read...
Review: When all of the sex died down, and it was very well written, this book was very good. I just wish it was longer than 237 pages. Can't wait for Ms. Kelley's next book.

Rating:
Summary: Too hot for comfort...
Review: With her cover thrown, bullets flying, and no way to contact her boss, undercover DEA agent, Fallon Hargis is on the run. Trying to escape two angry goons while trapped in a crowded hotel is hard, but the stranger she forces to masquerade as her lover is even harder. In order to get out of there alive, she accepts the stranger?s offer of help and goes back with him to his small town to hide. But even though she?s concealed from the bad guys, Fallon finds herself revealing more to this man than she ever planned.

Wade Tanner retired from undercover work when the stress got to be too much. Now he works as Sheriff in the small town of Two Creeks. When he meets Fallon he?s immediately attracted to her, but after the first time they make love she informs him it will be their last. While trying to get past her physical and emotional boundaries, Wade learns that Fallon isn?t the only one who needs more in their lives. In an attempt to keep Fallon safe and help her bring down the drug dealer who killed her family, Wade goes undercover and back into The Pit that almost destroyed him years ago.

?Southern Comfort?, Karen Kelley?s debut book, has not only one of the best and most imaginative first meetings between the main characters, but also some great sizzle, action, and romance. It is a story about facing your fears and getting beyond your past. With some fun side characters, the best being Josh who I think needs his own story, ?Southern Comfort? is a true delight.

Emily Flippin Maruna