A Moment in Time (Wheeler Large Print Book Series (Cloth))

Rating:
Summary: False Engagement
Review: Ambitious, young veterinarian Valerie Rochelle has been dating investment advisor Teddy De Mornay since college, even though she's sometimes uncomfortable with his fiery temper and evasiveness about his business dealings. But he is handsome, successful and rich and very suitable according to her mother who is very status conscious and wants her to marry into a good lineage. Teddy sweeps her off her feet with a perfectly orchestrated dinner at his home, and she nods yes to his proposal when he hands her a giant diamond ring, all the while feeling that she has been backed into a corner.

Teddy has many ugly secrets, including his drug habit, affairs with other women and mismanagement of his client's assets. He is critical of Valerie's career and expects her to be devoted to him full time. Inertia seems to be the main reason that she hasn't told him she doesn't want to marry. But when Valerie meets Wyn Conrad, the reclusive owner of the Stonelair estate where she has been called several times to treat the horses and dogs, there is an immediate attraction and she finally starts to really question her engagement to the evil Teddy.

There are many who want to thwart Valerie's relationship with Wyn including his major domo, Santo Ducci, who believes he will inherit part of Wyn's estate, as well as Wyn's estranged wife, who is impatiently awaiting her settlement so she can keep her polo-playing boyfriend in high style. Valerie's mother is also opposed to the relationship and is trying to rush Valerie into marrying Teddy before she can change her mind.

There's plenty of intrigue, nasty people and graphic sex in this novel, but the evil Teddy seems just too wicked and Valerie seems just too perfect for them ever to have been in love or even attracted to each other. All the characters are either good or bad, with no gray areas, which makes the whole plot rather unbelievable. The ending builds to a crescendo of mishaps and violence, but by then I was just glad that it was over so Valerie could go on living her life in a more normal manner.

Rating:
Summary: Lost this book, found it recently, wish it had stayed lost
Review: I picked this book up a while back, but lost it in a pile of boxes when I moved last year. I found it recently while I was taking a sick day from work; I wish it had stayed lost.

I know that these romance thrillers tend to have rather unrealistic plots, but this novel has a plot that defies even the most flexible of minds. There is no thrill in this thriller - I just plodded through the book, hoping that something would rescue it from mediocrity, but no such luck.

I was also hoping that I would care about what would happen to the characters in the story. The characters , however, have no depth whatsoever, so I did not want to cheer on any of them. A bad plot can sometimes be rescued by characters that the reader feels some connection with; in this case, bad plot and bad characters make the reading tedious.

This book is better used as a doorstop.

Rating:
Summary: Should Have Been In Oprah's Collection
Review: It's been along time waiting for a good Romance/Thriller to come along. Even though I am NOT an advid reader........I just could not put this book down. I have read at least 6 of Oprah's bookclub books and only one compared to this novel. Yes, it was a predictable Love Story but the ending was very different from most. Valerie and Wynn moved quicky in their romance but writing a book that moves from one thing to the next is what keeps me motivated to read more. I just LOVE this Author and can't wait to read more of her novels. Love a great Love story......predictable or not!