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msrxlady's review against another edition
3.0
Abridged audio version
Merged review:
Abridged audio version
Merged review:
Abridged audio version
meganh123's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
2.0
Part of me wanted to give this three stars, because I actually rather enjoyed how bananas this was. I know I have to suspend my disbelief at times as a romance reader, but this book was nuts.
So chapter one, we meet our central pair and learn they are working together. The hero, in some really jarring stream of consciousness type exposition, has decided he totally needs to bang the heroine. The heroine has decided she totally needs to fire the hero for being an arrogant dismisser of everything. Both put forward their points of view, and because of reasons (still not entirely sure what they are) the hero wins and their 'affair' (their word, not mine - seems odd as they are both single but ok) begins.
And then we get about eighty five family members from the hero's warring dynasties he has descended from - carnival workers on one side, tycoons on the other - all introduced with a litany of problems that only Harry the hero can help with. The few members of Molly's family and friends we meet pretty much all agree that they find her relationship with Harry weird and recommend caution. In real life, that would be a red flag all over the place. In this book, she proposes marriage to this oddball and he's like "sure, whatevs" and then they're engaged. Like halfway through the book.
And I haven't even mentioned Harry's psychic abilities, often alluded to without ever quite being explored unless for plot purposes, as on top of all this insanity, Molly is also dealing with a stalker who may or may not want to kill her.
I think I am destined to struggle with pre-2000s romance, because the genre appears to have come on leaps and bounds since then. The vivid description of clothing throughout had me guessing this book was from the 80s, but it's actually mid-90s. Molly's red dress with military style buttons, and the awful ex and his natty waistcoat will be fond memories. The writing was so strange, we would leap from dialogue to detailed history of life stories, to random outfit descriptions and then back to dialogue that I couldn't quite believe real humans would say, but despite the oddness being alienating at times, I still wanted to know what was coming next.
So I probably enjoyed this more than two stars worth. Amidst all the weirdness there was a really fun story. It's a shame books don't get rebooted like movies, because with some slightly more modern sensibilities, this story could have been a winner.
So chapter one, we meet our central pair and learn they are working together. The hero, in some really jarring stream of consciousness type exposition, has decided he totally needs to bang the heroine. The heroine has decided she totally needs to fire the hero for being an arrogant dismisser of everything. Both put forward their points of view, and because of reasons (still not entirely sure what they are) the hero wins and their 'affair' (their word, not mine - seems odd as they are both single but ok) begins.
And then we get about eighty five family members from the hero's warring dynasties he has descended from - carnival workers on one side, tycoons on the other - all introduced with a litany of problems that only Harry the hero can help with. The few members of Molly's family and friends we meet pretty much all agree that they find her relationship with Harry weird and recommend caution. In real life, that would be a red flag all over the place. In this book, she proposes marriage to this oddball and he's like "sure, whatevs" and then they're engaged. Like halfway through the book.
And I haven't even mentioned Harry's psychic abilities, often alluded to without ever quite being explored unless for plot purposes, as on top of all this insanity, Molly is also dealing with a stalker who may or may not want to kill her.
I think I am destined to struggle with pre-2000s romance, because the genre appears to have come on leaps and bounds since then. The vivid description of clothing throughout had me guessing this book was from the 80s, but it's actually mid-90s. Molly's red dress with military style buttons, and the awful ex and his natty waistcoat will be fond memories. The writing was so strange, we would leap from dialogue to detailed history of life stories, to random outfit descriptions and then back to dialogue that I couldn't quite believe real humans would say, but despite the oddness being alienating at times, I still wanted to know what was coming next.
So I probably enjoyed this more than two stars worth. Amidst all the weirdness there was a really fun story. It's a shame books don't get rebooted like movies, because with some slightly more modern sensibilities, this story could have been a winner.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
4.0
3.5* but I'm rounding up this time for Goodreads. I sometimes round down, it just depends on how the book felt overall. Sometimes it doesn't do to over-analyze why I enjoy some books more than the writing and plot dictates I should, but there you go. I enjoyed this book, really loved the main characters even though Harry was a bit too uptight. ;-) I generally hate obnoxious, manipulative relatives, but I have to say, Krentz pulled it off here because of the great way Molly and Harry handled them. I also felt Krentz added some depth and details to this book that are sadly missing in her newer ones.
so...no over-analyzing this one for me. I really enjoyed reading it.
so...no over-analyzing this one for me. I really enjoyed reading it.
cadence26's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
nixwhittaker's review against another edition
5.0
If you have read any of her Arcane Society novels you will see straight away the links in this one. Harry is very collected and calm but that hides deep passions.
amyiw's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it in the end but only because of the ending and how she dealt with the family. That was so great. Whereas the rest of it was only OK. I did see the "bad" guy way ahead. I had it narrowed to two and pretty much eliminated one with the story, and then there was one.
So I just couldn't take Molly's dismissiveness of the "tricks" and then the truck that put her in danger. "Oh, it might be a drunk driver." What? When you have figured out that there is something wrong and somebody targeting you? Nope. And then the chemistry, there was one point that there was some chemistry when they came together the first time but... leading up to that, I just couldn't get their attraction. And then during the investigation, it felt more of them trying to work it out not getting pulled together by chemistry. And the end, it seemed to fall into place without them even agreeing. Olivia asks, "did he tell you he loves you?" And you have to wonder, how did their relationship become so solid without that.
What makes this at all good was the family, and the family members with all their problems, not the mystery or the romance. His family is great, a big problem, especially for him, but great. All the characters were so fun to dislike, like, or find intriguing. How Molly deals with them all in the end, really made it worth the while. Still only a better than OK, to good book for me.
It is dated and this 2018 is my first read. This was written in the 90tys.
So I just couldn't take Molly's dismissiveness of the "tricks" and then the truck that put her in danger. "Oh, it might be a drunk driver." What? When you have figured out that there is something wrong and somebody targeting you? Nope. And then the chemistry, there was one point that there was some chemistry when they came together the first time but... leading up to that, I just couldn't get their attraction. And then during the investigation, it felt more of them trying to work it out not getting pulled together by chemistry. And the end, it seemed to fall into place without them even agreeing. Olivia asks, "did he tell you he loves you?" And you have to wonder, how did their relationship become so solid without that.
What makes this at all good was the family, and the family members with all their problems, not the mystery or the romance. His family is great, a big problem, especially for him, but great. All the characters were so fun to dislike, like, or find intriguing. How Molly deals with them all in the end, really made it worth the while. Still only a better than OK, to good book for me.
It is dated and this 2018 is my first read. This was written in the 90tys.
saschadarlington's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, blurg! As I was preparing my review to you, I had a dismal finding. My audiobook, of Absolutely Positively, was abridged. We will count that as a disclosure and you can decide how much it means as to whether you would enjoy this book or not. For me? Well, I think I want to read the entire book!
https://saschadarlington.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/5785/
https://saschadarlington.wordpress.com/2016/08/16/5785/