The Burning Point

Rating:
Summary: A powerhouse contemporary novel from a master craftswoman--
Review: Do you like Mary Jo Putney's historical novels? Then you are in for a treat. Do you prefer contemporary or women's fiction? Then you are in for a treat. Ms. Putney is known for writing characters with depth and complexity, characters with very real issues, flaws, and problems to overcome, such as alcoholism or degenerative illness. In The Burning Point, she blends this talent with a contemporary setting, a fascinating current technology, and modern problem-solving techniques to create a riveting, emotionally satisfying read.

In The Burning Point, a woman comes to grips with an intense, abusive relationship and helps mend a family fractured by death and divisiveness. But Ms. Putney never gives us cardboard characters, either all good or all bad. Each character must face their weaknesses and find the inner strength to overcome them. This process is fascinating; you feel, understand and empathize with their desire to 'do the right thing' and also to grow and fulfill their potential as completely as possible. For example, rather than present the abuser as a cliched villian, Ms. Putney brings us inside him, to see (in flashbacks) his horror during his growing realization of his problem, his acceptance (including therapy, support groups, and radical lifestyle changes) and his continuing struggles with feelings of guilt, self-disgust, and hopelessness.

Seeing an issue from the inside out brings new possibilities and new insight. While this novel has romance, and a large extended family of characters, each character must privately accept and vanquish his or her own demons, finding their own path of truth and justice in a morally ambiguous world. In The Burning Point, abuse victims can see to their own healing, but they are never responsible for the redemption of the abuser. Can family rifts be healed, even after a decade of silence? Can an abuser recover, or is he or she a lost cause? Is there even room in the modern world for such notions as redemption and forgiveness? Ms. Putney gives us a hopeful 'yes', and I was left with a sense of satisfaction and promise, as well as a set of characters that I will not soon forget.

Rating:
Summary: Author's afterard does not excuse her plot . . .
Review: I just recently read Putney's other books and was impressed. After I read this book years ago, I vowed never to read another of her books. While I find the East-West books dubious, the Fallen Angels books are great. So if you're interested in this author, read those.

As others have commented, domestic violence features prominently in this story. For someone who does so much research in other aspects of her writing, she does not seem to know anything about DV. It's INCREDIBLY irresponsible to feature a batterer as a tortured romantic hero, given the fact that this is the story that many batterers and their victims tell themselves. I don't view all abusers as evil and don't like to be draconian about what makes a proper romance novel, but I'll just take a stand and say that there's no place for this kind of story in romantic fiction. The genre has been moving away from rape and battery over the years (it's come a long way from Flame and the Flower), and is only the better for it. And there's certainly no place for it in a contemporary book, perhaps misleading some readers who simply don't know better.

Rating:
Summary: Read This Book
Review: I love everything that Mary Jo Putney Writes. As she says in her Author's Note, domestic violence is wrong, wrong. wrong. It's the story and the way Kate and Donovan face themselves and their problems that make this a great story and a wonderful read! I could not put this book down! Learning about the demolition business was exciting also. There is great chemistry and passion in this story not to mention SPARKS.

Rating:
Summary: not her best. disappointing
Review: I'm a fan of Mary Jo Putney for her wonderful Regency-period novels, but I've also read her one mediaeval and loved it, so decided to give this one a chance despite the mixed reviews here. And I'm very glad I did. Putney has certainly not lost her talent for taking a seeming impossible relationship and bringing the couple back together. Here, along with forgiveness and understanding, goes redemption.

I liked Putney's way of introducing us to her two main characters. We meet Kate and Donovan when they've been divorced for ten years, but are not told what caused the break-up of their marriage. Instead, we get to meet them both and get to know them a little first. And Donovan seems to be a nice guy, considerate, understanding, regretful over the way he treated Kate. By letting her readers get to know Donovan in this way, Putney not only lets us get to know him without preconceptions and, as a result, come to like him; it means that when we do find out what happened in Kate and Donovan's marriage, the shock is all the greater.

Domestic violence is unacceptable. I have no intention of getting into the debate which has raged in these reviews about whether it is or is not a forgiveable offence. Putney herself acknowledges that it is a highly controversial theme to include in a romance. However, I did accept by the end of the book that she had shown Donovan as not only genuinely sorry for what he'd done, but also as someone who had overcome his violent impulses. He'd worked out why he was violent (violent, controlling father, the influence of alcohol), and had undergone counselling and treatment. He had unlearned the habit of violence. I was totally convinced of that. And so I was totally convinced that Kate was right to come to love him again.

What spoilt the book somewhat for me, though, was the dramatic/action/mystery plot. It took over too much for my liking: I prefer my romances to focus on the individuals. I understand that Putney was using the demolition industry as a metaphor for the characters' relationships, but that's not really what I want from a novel, and for me it overshadowed the *real* story. There were also a few too many secondary characters; I might wonder whether Putney is considering writing about some of Kate's friends, except that I hoped for similar follow-ups to Uncommon Vows and it didn't happen. I suspect Putney likes to try out different genres as experimentation, whether or not she intends to continue writing in those genres, but still finds it hard to resist introducing a whole cast of secondary characters just in case she might want to make use of them some day. (That said, I did like the secondary romance in this book).

So, while I enjoyed this book and will definitely keep it, it won't be re-read with the same enjoyment or frequency as M-J P's historical novels.

Rating:
Summary: The Burning Point, a must read...
Review: Mary Jo Putney has taken her well-honed talents for writing in-depth historical characters and tight-knit plots and applied them to the contemporary venue.

I particularly enjoyed the vision of Baltimore, the setting for the book. Perhaps, being a fellow Baltimorean, I was able to see even more than the average reader; but I'm sure the vivid descriptions in the book will soon have everyone feeling at home.

An explosive romance and a subtle mystery combine to make it a real page turner.

A long-time reader of mystery fiction, as well as romance, I've always prided myself on being able to figure out who-done-it long before the writer would have me do so. In The Burning Point, the clues were all there, but I didn't put them together until MJP revealed the answer. "Oh, of course," I said. But she stumped me!

As a writer as well as reader, I appreciate the tight construction of all her books and the fact that I always learn something new. Now I know how the new experts that "blow up" buildings get them to blow down instead. It was fascinating.

I recommend it highly to anyone who just enjoys a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Good Plot, Broing Development
Review: Putney has a good plot line. It's too bad she didn't develop it better. The characters are not endearing enough to get the reader emoitionally invovled. Also, she depends too much on the dialogue to get the story out. As a result, the characters have conversations that seem forced and unnatural. They also tend to use words and phrases every so often that people do not use today. As a first attempt at a contemporary story, this is a good effort. However, Putney needs to put away the behaviors of her period books when writing for today.

Rating:
Summary: a good book, but not an easy read
Review: The Burning Point is not a typical romance novel. It is a very difficult read, partially because it deals with unpleasant subject matter and partially because Ms. Putney does not have as solid a feel for contemporary romance and suspense plots as she does with historical romance and suspense plots. I really do like the characters, and they strike me as very believable. Abusers can change their spots, though I don't know that I could ever trust one again. At the same time, I'm still not sure that Kate was not abusive herself... It is a tough read.

I don't feel comfortable rating this book even 4 stars, yet it is well written and don't feel like I can honestly give it less. Any author who can make me buy a character like Donovan hook line and sinker has earned four stars. Yet Donovan was an abuser, and I don't feel comfortable with him as a hero. And I certainly like the book enough to reread it many times. Thus I am left with a highly ambivelent four stars.

Rating:
Summary: Give her other books a try!!
Review: There are two categories of people who will read this book: fans of contemporary romantic suspense and fans of Mary Jo Putney. The first group will probably find this to be a perfectly enjoyable read; the second will be sorely disappointed. Ms. Putney is one of the very best historical romance writers around and as a huge fan, I wish she'd stick to that genre. "The Burning Point" was OK, but if certainly didn't rise to the level of her usual outstanding books.

Like other reviewers, I was very uncomfortable with a reformed d wife-beater as the hero. We'd all like to believe that such men can reform, but unfortunately it's very rare. I'd hate to see this book feed the fantasies of victims of domestic violence that their abuser is really is a wonderful guy and if they are patient enough he will turn into a sensitive, caring mate.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Putney and dubious character device.
Review: There are two categories of people who will read this book: fans of contemporary romantic suspense and fans of Mary Jo Putney. The first group will probably find this to be a perfectly enjoyable read; the second will be sorely disappointed. Ms. Putney is one of the very best historical romance writers around and as a huge fan, I wish she'd stick to that genre. "The Burning Point" was OK, but if certainly didn't rise to the level of her usual outstanding books.

Like other reviewers, I was very uncomfortable with a reformed d wife-beater as the hero. We'd all like to believe that such men can reform, but unfortunately it's very rare. I'd hate to see this book feed the fantasies of victims of domestic violence that their abuser is really is a wonderful guy and if they are patient enough he will turn into a sensitive, caring mate.

Rating:
Summary: Read This Book
Review: This book was nauseating. As I read this book, I found myself exclaiming: 'Give me a break' and 'Oh, brother'. It was not a very good read. However, kudos to the author for her knowledge in the area of explosive demolition...very detailed.