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mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
2.0
This was a cheesy, cliched, obvious romance that was both cringey and yet satisfying all in one go. It felt very polite and nice and pat and everything fell neatly into place. The characters were very rigid in that if a character was a goodie goodie, she was a horrific goodie goodie If the character was a judgmental arse they were really judgmental and a major arse.
It was all of the characteristics listed above, and yet still one of the more satisfying books that I've read this year. Fingers crossed this slump comes to an end soooooon.
It was all of the characteristics listed above, and yet still one of the more satisfying books that I've read this year. Fingers crossed this slump comes to an end soooooon.
takethyme's review against another edition
3.0
LED ASTRAY was an older contemporary romance originally released in 1985 under one of several pseudonyms Sandra Brown used earlier in her career: Erin St. Claire. Hands down, it is a 'wonk' romance.
Typical of the 1980's, Cage Hendren was a man with money, power and common sense. Well, most of the time. His father was a preacher and his mother was a housewife and they raised two boys that were as different as could be. Cage was the rowdy one. Always seeking attention in the most unusual places but earning scorn as his reward from his dysfunctional parents.
Hal, the younger son, had similar beliefs as his father. He had a calling that would take him to a war-torn country in Central America to serve others. But it quickly lead to his death leaving behind a bereaved family trying to pick up the pieces. His live-in fiancee and his parents' adopted daughter, Jenny Fletcher, was caught in the middle. All of this happens within the first few chapters of the story.
Loaded with secrets, self-esteem issues, the ick-factor and more, it is the rough journey of two young people hoping for better things. Although he is 32, Cage still has some growing up to do. As long as he can remember, he has loved Jenny from afar. But no more.
Jenny is 24 years-old. Since she first came to the Hendren household she had been a quiet do-gooder. She was content, until recently, not to rock the boat. But her feelings for Cage gradually changed. And at times, I felt like I was in the middle of a frustrating soap-opera.
Ms. Brown blended tension, some internally-tortured souls and a yearning for acceptance by those you care for. She added the 'forbidden love' element. The story ended up becoming a stew of struggling risk and emotional justice. With the exception of some dated material (smoking, mention of the Vietnam war and riding in Corvettes), it was about moments of angst leading to unconditional love.
Typical of the 1980's, Cage Hendren was a man with money, power and common sense. Well, most of the time. His father was a preacher and his mother was a housewife and they raised two boys that were as different as could be. Cage was the rowdy one. Always seeking attention in the most unusual places but earning scorn as his reward from his dysfunctional parents.
Hal, the younger son, had similar beliefs as his father. He had a calling that would take him to a war-torn country in Central America to serve others. But it quickly lead to his death leaving behind a bereaved family trying to pick up the pieces. His live-in fiancee and his parents' adopted daughter, Jenny Fletcher, was caught in the middle. All of this happens within the first few chapters of the story.
Loaded with secrets, self-esteem issues, the ick-factor and more, it is the rough journey of two young people hoping for better things. Although he is 32, Cage still has some growing up to do. As long as he can remember, he has loved Jenny from afar. But no more.
Jenny is 24 years-old. Since she first came to the Hendren household she had been a quiet do-gooder. She was content, until recently, not to rock the boat. But her feelings for Cage gradually changed. And at times, I felt like I was in the middle of a frustrating soap-opera.
Ms. Brown blended tension, some internally-tortured souls and a yearning for acceptance by those you care for. She added the 'forbidden love' element. The story ended up becoming a stew of struggling risk and emotional justice. With the exception of some dated material (smoking, mention of the Vietnam war and riding in Corvettes), it was about moments of angst leading to unconditional love.
booksdogsandjess's review against another edition
3.0
Do you remember Amanda Seyfreid’s character Karen from Mean Girls?
Well imagine she grew up and was also a Christian, then you would have our leading lady in Led Astray, Jenny.
Yep, a bit of a dumb dumb. Why does innocent have to equal stupid in these romance novels? Why????? Argh! A conversation for another day and a bit of a deep conversation for this waiting pool of a story.
Anyways the romantic leading man is Cage, a hot alpha male bad boy who has been in love with Jenny from afar for years, but Jenny is oblivious (understatement of the century) and has always been involved with his younger brother (the goody two-shoes), so afar he stays. Until the younger brother Hal decides he is going on a trip to save poor people in South America or something it is some dangerous Bible thing.
Break it down: Jenny is not his priority.
Cage decides he will steal her away while younger brother is off missioning (or whatever it is called). Kind of a shitty thing for Cage to do but in all fairness Hal seems like a shitty brother.
Here is where the book gets a bit…I don’t know.... it could definitely sink the story for many. Jenny is upset the night Hal is to leave and is given a valium, 1 Valium. She then decides to throw her virgin self at him to encourage him to stay he is not into it (I am not a dude but this did not ring true to me) any way devastated and a bit stoned from the valium (the 1 Valium) she is sobbing in bed and our “Hero?” Cage comes in to “comfort her” and she mistakes him for goody two shoes and they have sex. When it becomes clear the next day that Jenny has no clue she "cheated" on Hal, Cage does not tell her what’s up and then tries to woo her and what not for the rest of the book until it all comes back to blow up in his face.
If the drug haze (from the 1 Valium) sex had been handled differently it may have made this book, more enjoyable but the fact that this girl came off as so oblivious to everything made it hard to get into.
Well imagine she grew up and was also a Christian, then you would have our leading lady in Led Astray, Jenny.
Yep, a bit of a dumb dumb. Why does innocent have to equal stupid in these romance novels? Why????? Argh! A conversation for another day and a bit of a deep conversation for this waiting pool of a story.
Anyways the romantic leading man is Cage, a hot alpha male bad boy who has been in love with Jenny from afar for years, but Jenny is oblivious (understatement of the century) and has always been involved with his younger brother (the goody two-shoes), so afar he stays. Until the younger brother Hal decides he is going on a trip to save poor people in South America or something it is some dangerous Bible thing.
Break it down: Jenny is not his priority.
Cage decides he will steal her away while younger brother is off missioning (or whatever it is called). Kind of a shitty thing for Cage to do but in all fairness Hal seems like a shitty brother.
Here is where the book gets a bit…I don’t know.... it could definitely sink the story for many. Jenny is upset the night Hal is to leave and is given a valium, 1 Valium. She then decides to throw her virgin self at him to encourage him to stay he is not into it (I am not a dude but this did not ring true to me) any way devastated and a bit stoned from the valium (the 1 Valium) she is sobbing in bed and our “Hero?” Cage comes in to “comfort her” and she mistakes him for goody two shoes and they have sex. When it becomes clear the next day that Jenny has no clue she "cheated" on Hal, Cage does not tell her what’s up and then tries to woo her and what not for the rest of the book until it all comes back to blow up in his face.
If the drug haze (from the 1 Valium) sex had been handled differently it may have made this book, more enjoyable but the fact that this girl came off as so oblivious to everything made it hard to get into.
catniprocks's review against another edition
2.0
Ugh. Didn't enjoy it. It is a 'contemporary romance,' written in 1985 (?), so maybe not very contemporary for my brain. I probably should have known better. This was my first Sandra Brown, I'll be sure to pick up one of her mystery-romances next. I'm not really in to romance-only books and this one had the addition of being, well, a bit churchy. Look, I grew up in a smallish town in Texas, I know what it is to be surrounded by all things Baptist. But it was just too sweet, too judgmental, and too, well, too much small-town, rosy-viewed, romancy for me. I'm not giving up on Sandra Brown, I'll just try something a bit more mystery-based next time.
More coherent thoughts to come, I'm cooking dinner.
More coherent thoughts to come, I'm cooking dinner.
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