Dee Holmes - Kay Hooper - Linda Howard
Holmes, Dee - WHEN NICK RETURNS (Avon - 1997) (4+)
When in college, Nick and Eden had an affair that lasted for six months. He was the one who broke it off after he'd shattered his knee and his chance at being a pro hockey player as well. For thirteen years, Nick wandered, coming home when there was a crisis to help, then leaving. He drank, did drugs, did women, and sunk to low depths until he woke up and started rebuilding his life again. Coming home, he faces his older brother—Cal, the brother who was all his father wanted Nick to be. Cal, whose girlfriend is now Eden.
Wow, this book was good! It hit me like gangbusters. I never expected such dynamite between these pages. It is sensuous, hot, steamy and wonderful! I am tempted to give this the highest rating. Guess just a few tiny things bothered me. Details. Oh well, you'll love it! ~Review provided by Romance Reviews
Hooper, Kay - AFTER CAROLINE (Bantam - 1997)
I've only read a few of Hooper's novels, but in my opinion this is the best. AFTER CAROLINE is a well-written mystery with a healthy and mature dose of romance/lust, but with the "waves and waves of throbbing pleasure" from her previous novels toned down. ~Kim A. (kaermano@cgo.wave.ca)
Howard, Linda - DREAM MAN (Pocket - 1995) (4)
Psychic heroine a la EYES OF LAURA MARS; sexy policeman hero. A bit too violent and sleazy—a problem I often have with Howard's books. But she remains a master of sexual tension, and I found this to be one of her most fast-paced and exciting romantic suspense yarns. ~Elena P.
Howard, Linda - DUNCAN'S BRIDE (3+)
Reese Duncan wants a wife, but not for reasons of love. He has a strong sex drive, and he wants children and a strong woman to help him rebuild his ranch. In the heroine's words, he wants a brood mare. He was burned by his ex-wife, who wasn't willing to rough it out as a ranch wife and took half of everything he owned in the divorce settlement. So he places an ad for a wife. Madelyn Patterson is the only applicant who sets his blood boiling, but she's all citified and completely wrong for the job, or so he thinks. His lack of choices, her determination and sex appeal win her the job, and they marry.
The remainder of the book is spent watching Maddie prove to Reese that all women aren't like his ex-wife. He's got a lot of baggage to deal with, but Maddie handles him with humor and tenderness—two things he isn't used to, but learns he desperately can't live without. He is an extreme alpha man—one who wants his wife to give him babies, cook dinner, clean the house, and jump when he snaps his fingers—all without a complaint. He is overbearing and sometimes he annoyed me, but as much as I wanted to give him a swift kick in the rear, I understood why he was this way. He'd been hurt and destroyed, and he was only protecting himself and his future children. So, I could deal with all of his chest pounding. I liked the fact that Maddie handled him maturely and never lowered herself by giving into wimpy fits or "poor me's." She didn't come right out and tell him off, which wouldn't have worked with this guy anyway, but she handled him in more subtle ways, getting under his skin and teaching him to love again. I liked this book. The characters were three-dimensional, the love scenes were steamy, and most importantly, it made me feel. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
Howard, Linda - NOW YOU SEE HER (Pocket - 5/99) (5)
When she began seeing ghosts, Paris Sweeny decides to move from Clayton, New York to the Big Apple because she found it difficult to live amidst spirits that she once knew when they were mortal. Though she still encounters shades, they are individuals she did not previously know when they were alive. In the big city, she can become the observing artist as opposed to the observed oddity.
Sweeny's feelings to limit any social contact abruptly change, due to the continual growth of her psychic powers that make her sexually aware of Richard Worth. He happens to be the estranged spouse of Chandra, owner of the art gallery that displays Sweeny's paintings. Richard is also falling for Sweeny, but he is unaware of the danger she soon will face, and nothing he can do can stop that from occurring.
It has been long overdue, but now that it has finally arrived, Linda Howard's hardcover debut is the pinnacle achievement of an already great career. NOW YOU SEE HER crosses romance, suspense, and paranormal genres to become an active story line that is humorous and intense. Ms. Howard has brilliantly merged aspects of romantic suspense with the psychological thriller, redefining both sub-genres to the point that she is on a level with such luminaries as Mary Higgins Clark and Barbara Parker. ~Harriet Klausner
Howard, Linda - TEARS OF THE RENEGADE (SIM 92) (3+ or 4)
The story centers around the return of the family black sheep and his instant attraction to the widow of his late cousin. The heroine is torn between her loyalty to her husband's family and her feelings for the "renegade", who wants to take over the family business. It's a good book, though not my favorite by Linda Howard. ~Ruth T. (rthomp@bulloch.com)
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