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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
“Don’t you think she’s hot?”
He sighed. “Yeah, I think she’s hot.” In fact, he thought she was hotter than hot; she was scorching. The problem was, he’d already suffered third-degree burns in the relationship wars, and he didn’t have any skin to spare in another losing round.
When I initially discovered the goldmine that is Linda Howard novels, I went a little crazy and binge read everything I could get my hands on and never regretted the fact. Well, I regret it a bit because authors like Ms. Howard are scarce and few authors can live up to her exceptionally well written books featuring heroes of the kind that makes you swoon and palpitate in equal doses. For some reason, I had missed out on reading Dying to Please during my initial bingeing phase eons back, and I was glad for the fact too, because I could enjoy a novel from Ms. Howard and revel in the first time feels as if I were discovering her writing anew.
30 year old Sarah Stevens is butler/security guard to a retired judge who is 85 years of age. Having spent three years with the judge, Sarah is fond of him and looks upon her vocation as more than just her job. With no commitments in her life otherwise to tie her down (which she has worked hard to keep that way), Sarah dreams of traveling the world in style once she is no longer needed in her position.
Things turn a bit harrowing however, when a burglary attempt at the judge’s home is thwarted by Sarah, bringing her to the limelight via a feature done on television following her act of heroism. Amongst those admiring from afar is the villain, who wants Sarah to be his, and he is not going to stop until he fulfills his need to have her, even if it means dispensing of people along the way if need be.
When the judge is killed, leaving Sarah devastated and Detective Thomson Cahill after her as the prime suspect, it takes Sarah everything she has to move past the grief and get herself back together. Cahill whom she had fell instantly in lust with the moment they meet initially after the attempted burglary, Sarah who has no intention of embarking on any serious relationship, especially not with a man who is bitter about his ugly divorce just a year back, finds herself entangled with Cahill in a way that is all consuming.
Fate always seems to have the last laugh as Cahill is drawn to Sarah in equal fervor and before long, they are heating up the sheets and then some as the fire that burns between them consumes them both. Things come to a head however, when Sarah is lured into the lion’s den by the machinations of none other than the killer, who courts Sarah with every intention of making her his, because he is the only one who deserves a diamond like Sarah. Cahill has his work cut out for him as he comes to the realization of the massive blunder he has made when it comes to Sarah, and that it might already be too late for him to make amends if the killer were to have their way with Sarah.
Dying to Please is the kind of novel that offers engrossing characters both main and secondary, and a villain who makes the hair at the back of your neck stand up. The romantic elements are strong, giving the reader the perfect balance of suspense and romance, alongside with sex scenes of the kind that makes your insides hum. I swear to God that authors like Ms. Howard does a better job in rousing the emotions of readers with their love scenes than authors of the most explicit erotica can, and that is certainly saying something. The scenes of passion in this one were off-the-charts hot and it is definitely an experience I would not be forgetting anytime soon!
Sarah was a lovely heroine; equal parts strength and gentle femininity that was appealing on every level. Cahill on the other hand is the kind of hero that you fall for and hard, and at the same time, makes you want to bash your head against the wall as well. But ain’t that the fun part of reading a romance that is well done? Cahill is delicious, undoubtedly so – and the scars he carries from his marriage are all too real and one can understand why he puts up such a fuss when he falls so badly for Sarah. I just wish that Sarah had gone traveling as she had wanted all her adult life, and given the cocky Cahill something to really chew on as he stews back home, dying to grovel at Sarah’s feet to beg for her forgiveness. Now that, would have been fun!
Recommended for fans of finely balanced romantic suspense. Ms. Howard is a master storyteller!
Final Verdict: In Dying to Please, Ms. Howard offers a unique amalgam of elements that makes this romantic suspense stand out in every sense imaginable!
Rating = 4.25/5
For more reviews and quotes, please visit A Maldivian's Passion for Romance
I love books about strong women...reading the back cover that's what it sounds like this book is about and she is. The whole story just conspires against her...good story though!!
The narrator gets 5 stars. The story....well, the author has a great gift for making characters seem like real people. The book was well written and edited and flowed smoothly at a fast pace. What I didn't like was the man. No way should he have for even a minute considered her a suspect the second time. Like she told him, "You don't know me." So I found that part hard to believe. But other than that, great story. 4 stars.
Gotta love the psycho and the star-crossed couple here. I mean, even though they meet in the worst of situations and they both initially refuse to admit that they're attracted to one another, they always find themselves looking for the other and that's plain adorable.
Dying to please will certainly have you smiling and laughing. You can't not feel for Cahill and Sarah and that's what makes it such a great time filler. It felt realistic, nice and a worth-while read.
Dying to please will certainly have you smiling and laughing. You can't not feel for Cahill and Sarah and that's what makes it such a great time filler. It felt realistic, nice and a worth-while read.
This is my 3rd read of this book, the first thriller/romance I EVER read (thanks Cosmo!). This book is STEAMY, but with a strong story too. I found this book when it first came out via the sexy blurb featured in Cosmo magazine. I really enjoyed Sarah and Cahill, the disturbing story, and the action/tension. Pacing was a little inconsistent, especially for Sarah and Cahill's relationship, but all in all this is a super entertaining read!
I recommend to fans of the genre as well as fans of Linda Howard - this is one of her best!
I recommend to fans of the genre as well as fans of Linda Howard - this is one of her best!
No surprises and not as fresh as I have come to expect from her
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
FMC: 4.25
MMC: 3 🤬
💕: 3
Plot: 3.25
🌶️: 3.75
MMC: 3 🤬
💕: 3
Plot: 3.25
🌶️: 3.75
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No