<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: Intrigue in Texas
Review: Amanda Crowe is a mobster's daughter. A spitfire who is used to getting what she wants. Her father taught her that the world revolved around her and no one could stop her from getting what she wants. She surprises herself when what she wants turns out to be Jesse Brock McCall, her father's chauffer. Amanda and Jesse are not a likely duo, but then Amanda's daughter is kidnapped and Jesse turns out to be much more than a chauffer - he's an undercover cop whose contempt for Amanda has turned into love. The two embark on a wild adventure to get Amanda's daughter back. Along the way Jesse discovers secrets about his past, Amanda discovers her father's shady dealings and the two discover that if they stick together, they can get through anything. This Harlequin Intrigue novel is full of action, desire and unexpected plot twists. It had me on the edge of my seat page after page. I give this novel five stars due to the fact that I couldn't put it down until the last page. It also gets bonus points for being set in Texas, one of my favorite places. A Harlequin Dreamers Review by Tiffany Ann
Rating: 
Summary: Secret Bodyguard
Review: Intrigue's part of the Texas Trueblood series continues with "Secret Bodyguard." Jesse McCall is undercover as a chauffeur as he investigates a mobster. When the man's daughter reports her child has been kidnapped, he doesn't believe her. After all, a mobster's daughter has to be a liar, right? Can Amanda make this mysterious man believe her? "Secret Bodyguard" reminded me a lot of Daniels's "Love at First Sight." In that book, all the characters were connected to one another in a dozen different ways, something that was implausible in a city the size she was describing. In "Secret Bodyguard," it's even worse, especially in a state the size of Texas. "Love at First Sight" pushed the limits of believability. "Secret Bodyguard" bulldozes straight through them. For most of the book, there are two separate stories: the kidnapping of Amanda's daughter and the mystery of Jesse's birth. This isn't a very successful tactic. The stories don't progress together. The characters focus on one, then turn to the other, then back again. For a woman whose child is missing, Amanda doesn't have too much trouble forgetting about that while she and Jesse investigate his birth. I had the impression the book would have been stronger if the mystery surrounding Jesse's past was left out and the story focused on the other storyline. Jesse isn't much of a hero. He continually jumps to the wrong conclusions about Amanda and his arrogance toward her is not endearing. It does provide the book's best moment, though, when he guesses what Amanda majored in at college and she knocks him out of his seat with her answer. There's nothing like seeing an arrogant hero get his comeuppance. The story is fast-paced and full of action, but the romance is underwhelming. Jesse and Amanda have very little contact for the first 75 pages of the book, which means they have to fall in love in a very short period of time. It's not very convincing, and the love scene in particular seems forced in rather than a natural reaction on the part of the characters. Daniels does a good job setting up the next book, "Unconditional Surrender" by Joanna Wayne. "Secret Bodyguard" is an entertaining read, but is ultimately too far-fetched to be credible.
Rating:
Summary: Secret Bodyguard
Review: Intrigue's part of the Texas Trueblood series continues with "Secret Bodyguard." Jesse McCall is undercover as a chauffeur as he investigates a mobster. When the man's daughter reports her child has been kidnapped, he doesn't believe her. After all, a mobster's daughter has to be a liar, right? Can Amanda make this mysterious man believe her? "Secret Bodyguard" reminded me a lot of Daniels's "Love at First Sight." In that book, all the characters were connected to one another in a dozen different ways, something that was implausible in a city the size she was describing. In "Secret Bodyguard," it's even worse, especially in a state the size of Texas. "Love at First Sight" pushed the limits of believability. "Secret Bodyguard" bulldozes straight through them. For most of the book, there are two separate stories: the kidnapping of Amanda's daughter and the mystery of Jesse's birth. This isn't a very successful tactic. The stories don't progress together. The characters focus on one, then turn to the other, then back again. For a woman whose child is missing, Amanda doesn't have too much trouble forgetting about that while she and Jesse investigate his birth. I had the impression the book would have been stronger if the mystery surrounding Jesse's past was left out and the story focused on the other storyline. Jesse isn't much of a hero. He continually jumps to the wrong conclusions about Amanda and his arrogance toward her is not endearing. It does provide the book's best moment, though, when he guesses what Amanda majored in at college and she knocks him out of his seat with her answer. There's nothing like seeing an arrogant hero get his comeuppance. The story is fast-paced and full of action, but the romance is underwhelming. Jesse and Amanda have very little contact for the first 75 pages of the book, which means they have to fall in love in a very short period of time. It's not very convincing, and the love scene in particular seems forced in rather than a natural reaction on the part of the characters. Daniels does a good job setting up the next book, "Unconditional Surrender" by Joanna Wayne. "Secret Bodyguard" is an entertaining read, but is ultimately too far-fetched to be credible.
Rating:
Summary: Almost unbelievable
Review: This book is good for a quick read, but it didn't thrill me. The characters' stories were too conviently linked. Although I will suspend my belief in reality for a book, I just wasn't able to get wrapped up enough to truly get lost in the story and its characters.
<< 1 >>
| 
