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madladym's review against another edition
4.0
This book is what I'd call Romantic Suspense. A beautiful woman is the mistress of a drug dealer. The drug dealer 'gives' her to a hit man for a day as a reward. After the encounter with the hit man she steals $2m from her drug dealer and runs away. He hires the hit man to find her and kill her. The story gets better from here. It's not a believable story, but it's lots of fun to read.
katrinabrage's review against another edition
2.0
So far, this book is one of the goofiest I have ever read. We go from drug lord, assassin, bimbo to assassin finding God, Bimbo death experience and psychic visions, love all around, and stopping bad drug lord. What???? I'm enjoying just because I don't have a clue what will happen next. This is ridiculous! Can't wait to see how it ends. My guess is she gets to have a baby, too!
cekisha's review against another edition
3.0
A very interesting and promising premise that is quite different from its usual a 'good girl falls for the bad guy' trope.
The heroine is introduced as a bimbo and gold-digger, which is already enough to put off many fans who are looking for the pure romance; however, Linda Howard manages to give us a glimpse of the heroine's other qualities that surpass her good looks and that remind us that not everything is black and white in this world.
I enjoyed the first part of the book very much because the character development was more than obvious. I must admit that I disliked the balcony scene because it was just too much and unnecessary imo even though it will serve as an important element later on as the story progresses (sounds unconvincing, but it's true).
The second half of the book is what made me lower my rating because even though there was a huge character development going on, I didn't like the results. As a 'bimbo', the heroine was strong-willed, smart and cunning. As a woman who survived tragedy, she turned into a love-sick puppy. Having in mind the way they parted ways at the beginning, I was unconvinced of their new romance and feelings and found it a bit cheesy.
All in all, it wasn't a terrible read, but I wish the author put more effort in writing it because it could have turned into a really great love story with thriller vibes.
The heroine is introduced as a bimbo and gold-digger, which is already enough to put off many fans who are looking for the pure romance; however, Linda Howard manages to give us a glimpse of the heroine's other qualities that surpass her good looks and that remind us that not everything is black and white in this world.
I enjoyed the first part of the book very much because the character development was more than obvious. I must admit that I disliked the balcony scene because it was just too much and unnecessary imo even though it will serve as an important element later on as the story progresses (sounds unconvincing, but it's true).
The second half of the book is what made me lower my rating because even though there was a huge character development going on, I didn't like the results. As a 'bimbo', the heroine was strong-willed, smart and cunning. As a woman who survived tragedy, she turned into a love-sick puppy. Having in mind the way they parted ways at the beginning, I was unconvinced of their new romance and feelings and found it a bit cheesy.
All in all, it wasn't a terrible read, but I wish the author put more effort in writing it because it could have turned into a really great love story with thriller vibes.
plurabelle's review against another edition
2.0
As many other reviewers have pointed out, this book had a great premise. And it certainly got off to a great start. The first 3 chapters grabbed me right away, and i was anxious to see what would happen next.
Unfortunately, this book quickly went downhill. The storyline came to a complete standstill after the first few chapters. Suddenly, the author decided to fill page after page with details about the female lead's hairstyle and wardrobe. I found myself literally skimming entire chapters waiting for something interesting to happen. I ended up giving up on the book about 200 pages in.
Unfortunately, this book quickly went downhill. The storyline came to a complete standstill after the first few chapters. Suddenly, the author decided to fill page after page with details about the female lead's hairstyle and wardrobe. I found myself literally skimming entire chapters waiting for something interesting to happen. I ended up giving up on the book about 200 pages in.
blessedwannab's review against another edition
4.0
That Vital, Rhythmic Surge
(ahem... probably some slight spoilers down there. Just warning you...)
I went into this book with trepidation. I'm not sure why. I think because even with as much as I enjoyed Mr. Perfect I still feel a block inside when it comes to reading more Contemporary suspense romances. Perhaps it's the covers? Maybe it's because I feel like if you've read one, you've read them all. I mean, I do think that's true. Sometimes these types of books bleed together for me and I can't remember which Contemp Romance is which. I'm sure that when it's time to pick up another of Linda Howard's books I'll still feel a sense of trepidation. It's probably not fair, but I just can't help it.
Here's what I say, I think that makes my four stars that much more of a compliment! Because I go into these on a sigh, when I really like them it's like the book has gotten over a hurdle. And I did really like this one! Maybe it's Linda Howard. I told my friend Leea that I think it's because Howard knows how to write one reaaaaaally hot man. Whatever the reason, I started this book and was hooked! I read 98% of this book yesterday because I just couldn't put it down. I was on a freight train that was flying straight to the end.
That's not to say I didn't have issues with Death Angel, because I did. I think if I had to pick between Mr. Perfect and Death Angel as which one was a better all around book I'd go with Mr. Perfect. (Just like if you asked me which male MC I'd want in my bed, I'd go with Simon over Sam for sure, YUM.) Death Angel started in a very strange place. It felt wrong to root for this man who seemed to have such disregard for the heroine of the story, but I did. Right from the start I hoped he'd be the hero of the story, even though he wasn't a very good man. Then, after that first strange but sexy scene, the ball started rolling and I liked where it was going. The cat and mouse between 'assassin' and Drea was fun and full of adrenaline. Then it stops. And like the flip of a switch it felt like I was reading a whole different book. It was disconcerting and I wasn't sure how to take this abrupt subtle genre change, and the insertion of spirituality. It threw me for a loop, and it wasn't a fun loop either. I felt duped. If it hadn't been for the ending, and the build up to the ending, it wouldn't be a four star rating. But luckily after a few odd chapters, and a few odd interspersed sentences, the story got back on track and in the end I was happy.
It doesn't have your typical 'romance novel' ending. For me, though, that made it even better. I've read a million romances where the character sees the light and they go to the good side and live happily ever after with their white picket fences. This felt more like the end of Fast & the Furious. It ended as it should for these characters, keeping them true to who they are. Or at least who Simon is.
And that is why it went back up to 4 stars. Well, that and the fact that I'd love to pull Simon right out of the book and into my arms. Delicious! Shhh, don't tell my husband.
Forget about Smith and Jones; they were Butts and Goodnight, and if that didn't sound like a vaudeville team she didn't know what did.
(ahem... probably some slight spoilers down there. Just warning you...)
I went into this book with trepidation. I'm not sure why. I think because even with as much as I enjoyed Mr. Perfect I still feel a block inside when it comes to reading more Contemporary suspense romances. Perhaps it's the covers? Maybe it's because I feel like if you've read one, you've read them all. I mean, I do think that's true. Sometimes these types of books bleed together for me and I can't remember which Contemp Romance is which. I'm sure that when it's time to pick up another of Linda Howard's books I'll still feel a sense of trepidation. It's probably not fair, but I just can't help it.
Here's what I say, I think that makes my four stars that much more of a compliment! Because I go into these on a sigh, when I really like them it's like the book has gotten over a hurdle. And I did really like this one! Maybe it's Linda Howard. I told my friend Leea that I think it's because Howard knows how to write one reaaaaaally hot man. Whatever the reason, I started this book and was hooked! I read 98% of this book yesterday because I just couldn't put it down. I was on a freight train that was flying straight to the end.
That's not to say I didn't have issues with Death Angel, because I did. I think if I had to pick between Mr. Perfect and Death Angel as which one was a better all around book I'd go with Mr. Perfect. (Just like if you asked me which male MC I'd want in my bed, I'd go with Simon over Sam for sure, YUM.) Death Angel started in a very strange place. It felt wrong to root for this man who seemed to have such disregard for the heroine of the story, but I did. Right from the start I hoped he'd be the hero of the story, even though he wasn't a very good man. Then, after that first strange but sexy scene, the ball started rolling and I liked where it was going. The cat and mouse between 'assassin' and Drea was fun and full of adrenaline. Then it stops. And like the flip of a switch it felt like I was reading a whole different book. It was disconcerting and I wasn't sure how to take this abrupt subtle genre change, and the insertion of spirituality. It threw me for a loop, and it wasn't a fun loop either. I felt duped. If it hadn't been for the ending, and the build up to the ending, it wouldn't be a four star rating. But luckily after a few odd chapters, and a few odd interspersed sentences, the story got back on track and in the end I was happy.
It doesn't have your typical 'romance novel' ending. For me, though, that made it even better. I've read a million romances where the character sees the light and they go to the good side and live happily ever after with their white picket fences. This felt more like the end of Fast & the Furious. It ended as it should for these characters, keeping them true to who they are. Or at least who Simon is.
And that is why it went back up to 4 stars. Well, that and the fact that I'd love to pull Simon right out of the book and into my arms. Delicious! Shhh, don't tell my husband.
"I don't expect much," he murmured, staring at the ceiling while he stroked her hair. "At the end. If remorse is a requirement for redemption, then I'm not there. I don't imagine I ever will be. All I can offer is... revenge, maybe, and retribution. I can offer restraint-unless you're threatened, and then all bets are off. But I don't feel remorse. Some people need killing, and I did the job. So... this life with you is probably all I'll have, but it's enough, sweetheart. It's enough."
paulabrandon's review against another edition
1.0
And why did I decide it was a good idea to read another Linda Howard book?
Drea Rousseau is the play-thing of drug lord Rafael Salinas. As payment for a job well done, he hands her over to his assassin-for-hire, Simon Cross (his name isn't revealed until the end, with absolutely no reason to do so), as Simon wants a little rumpy-pumpy with Drea. Despite the shockingly murky questions around consent involved, Drea loves having sex with Simon and perhaps is even in love with him!
This book was pretty sick-making from the get-go.
Drea is absolutely furious with Rafael for giving in to Simon's demand and handing her over. I guess Simon is forgiven for demanding sex (i.e. rape) because the sex was really good or something? Yuck, yuck, yuck! Anyhoo, Drea decides to rip off Rafael to the tune of two million dollars and run off to start a new life for herself. When Rafael finds out what she's done, he's furious, too! He hires Simon to kill Drea.
But Simon feels something for Drea, too! She's smart and feisty! Can he really kill her? He follows her around, and when she sees him, Drea is certain he means to carry out a hit. There's a car chase, and Drea crashes her car, gets impaled on a tree...and DIES! But she winds up in heaven, where she meets her now-just-mentioned son, who was stillborn when Drea was just fifteen. He and a tribunal of angels decide the time isn't right for Drea, and send her back to Earth for a second chance.
Yes, you read that right!
Drea is grateful for her second chance and is determined to live her life doing good so that she deserves the gift the angels gave her. She's also been blessed with fortune-telling style abilities, and uses that for good, too. As for Simon, he discovers Drea is still alive, and spends most of the time stalking her creepily rather than, say, picking up the phone. (He knows her number, for goodness sake!)
Drea wants to do good with her two million buckeroonies, maybe give it to charity. She also wants to bring down Rafael, because he's a bad, bad man! When Drea and Simon finally reunite and declare their love, he isn't thrilled about Drea wanting to use herself as bait to catch Rafael. But that's okay! Simon does the job for her in the space of a couple of pages so that she never has to worry about Rafael again.
This was awful. What I've outlined above may sound entertaining in its ridiculousness, but it's really not! That simple plot is padded out with endless introspection, and hardly any dialogue to show why Drea and Simon are so hot for each other. Like I said in a review of another book by Linda Howard, Shadow Woman, the author is simply throwing words at a page to reach her required word count before handing it over to her publisher. I swear she made this up as she went along! I'm flummoxed as to how any editor could trawl through this and declare, "Folks, we have a winner here!" But nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the general public, eh?
If there really is a Good Place, I hope dreck like this can't be found there!
Drea Rousseau is the play-thing of drug lord Rafael Salinas. As payment for a job well done, he hands her over to his assassin-for-hire, Simon Cross (his name isn't revealed until the end, with absolutely no reason to do so), as Simon wants a little rumpy-pumpy with Drea. Despite the shockingly murky questions around consent involved, Drea loves having sex with Simon and perhaps is even in love with him!
This book was pretty sick-making from the get-go.
Drea is absolutely furious with Rafael for giving in to Simon's demand and handing her over. I guess Simon is forgiven for demanding sex (i.e. rape) because the sex was really good or something? Yuck, yuck, yuck! Anyhoo, Drea decides to rip off Rafael to the tune of two million dollars and run off to start a new life for herself. When Rafael finds out what she's done, he's furious, too! He hires Simon to kill Drea.
But Simon feels something for Drea, too! She's smart and feisty! Can he really kill her? He follows her around, and when she sees him, Drea is certain he means to carry out a hit. There's a car chase, and Drea crashes her car, gets impaled on a tree...and DIES! But she winds up in heaven, where she meets her now-just-mentioned son, who was stillborn when Drea was just fifteen. He and a tribunal of angels decide the time isn't right for Drea, and send her back to Earth for a second chance.
Yes, you read that right!
Drea is grateful for her second chance and is determined to live her life doing good so that she deserves the gift the angels gave her. She's also been blessed with fortune-telling style abilities, and uses that for good, too. As for Simon, he discovers Drea is still alive, and spends most of the time stalking her creepily rather than, say, picking up the phone. (He knows her number, for goodness sake!)
Drea wants to do good with her two million buckeroonies, maybe give it to charity. She also wants to bring down Rafael, because he's a bad, bad man! When Drea and Simon finally reunite and declare their love, he isn't thrilled about Drea wanting to use herself as bait to catch Rafael. But that's okay! Simon does the job for her in the space of a couple of pages so that she never has to worry about Rafael again.
This was awful. What I've outlined above may sound entertaining in its ridiculousness, but it's really not! That simple plot is padded out with endless introspection, and hardly any dialogue to show why Drea and Simon are so hot for each other. Like I said in a review of another book by Linda Howard, Shadow Woman, the author is simply throwing words at a page to reach her required word count before handing it over to her publisher. I swear she made this up as she went along! I'm flummoxed as to how any editor could trawl through this and declare, "Folks, we have a winner here!" But nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the general public, eh?
If there really is a Good Place, I hope dreck like this can't be found there!
skaiste's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
nicosaurus_rex's review against another edition
1.0
Not quite what I was expecting from a Linda Howard book. It was good, but it'll be easily forgettable. Not my favourite by her. I wanted more story, it moved too quickly so the relationship wasn't very believable for me.