Romance Books

My fiance and I are going through this book before we get married, and its been alot of help. We're learning a few new things about each other, but mostly it is getting us talking about our views and what we want for the future.

This book is really great. It asks questions that we wouldn't normally think of and gave us alot of insight to one another and they are serious questions that every couple should ask one another. It has really helped us communicate about some serious subjects. Thanks!

This book of 1001 questions steps you through the inquiries all couples should discuss before walking down the aisle. Whether it is asking questions relating to the past, significant others (which many couples do not care to banter about), personal perspectives, or daily routines - author Monica Mendez Leahy understands the foundational essence of talking through these subjects.

You and your spouse-to-be have probably discussed a few of the run-of-the-mill questions contained in this book (e.g., Do you want children?). However, many of the chapters pinpoint pet-peeves, how often you like to dine out, what your stance is on separate vacations, and your reaction to tough times. Many chapters end by offering thoughts on the answers each of you gave and urges reconciliation where differences were unearthed.

This book should not be purchased with dread, but should be viewed as an opportunity to enrich your relationship and learn more about the person you love. It is a must-read for any couple even throwing around the idea of marriage and it also is terrific for pastors and pre-marital counselors who are looking to toss in a few a-typical questions for couples.

I really hope that if you are getting married, you have discussed most of the topics in this book before. If not, then the book should be helpful...but you might also reconsider getting married if these things haven't been discussed. There are a few topics that aren't obvious to discuss and if the book prompts that discussion, then it has done its job.

If I'd read this book before my first marriage I wouldn't have said "I do"! It covers everything that can come up at some point in a relationship. It is very time consuming. But be patient it is worth the time. I am also happy to report that the love of my life has been so great at working thru this book. And it has really confirmed for us that we are truly meant for each other!

engrossing... it leaves the reader satisafied yet craving more from the enriching tale. the author has a way of explaining the autmosphere so that the reader can feel the emotions as though they are in the story.

The tone of this fourth installment in the series is a little different, and while our goth-girl heroine, sharp-tongued Raven Madison, might be juggling her qualms and excitement over the junior prom with helping her "knight of the night" Alexander trace an especially tricksy young vampire named Valentine (who has his fangs set on her geeky younger brother), she's clearly growing up and reaching that stage where she's starting to question herself, the persona she's established, and her own place in the world. You get the feeling she's growing past the "kindergothen" stage and into the deeper aspect of the Goth mentality, going from a consumer of Goth kitsch to a person unafraid to stare down the dark things that the average person tends to shuffle past, whistling. She's even questioning if she's really meant to be Alexander's true vampire-mate, and while I felt a little let-down at the cliff-hanger end, I'm still looking forward to seeing where she goes and where her self-awareness takes her and her relationship with Alexander.

The book was delivered on time. My daughter wants to read the series in order, but she didn't receive book 2 yet, so she hasn't read the book yet.

Great books gave them as a present to my younger sister and she loved them.

The book is great, just a little short but that is ok the author is writing more in the nest book. With this being the fouth book is the series, it is not critical that you read the first three, but it makes the story a lot fuller. Good price, great shipping.

This is the second series of books that I am reading by Beverly Lewis. Abram's Daughters was my first series and that was FANTASTIC! This series starts off rather boring with The Parting. There isn't enough character development. With Abram's Daughters, you not only knew the main character, but you also go insight into the secondary characters. With this series, the Courtship of Nellie Fisher, you barely know Nellie, yet alone her sisters or her brothers. The brothers have pretty much zero role in the book and the sisters pretty much ignore Nellie. Caleb isn't described nearly well enough. I'm going to to on to Book 2 because I borrowed it at the library, but I'm not going to continue if things don't pick up.

Like the rest of her books I could not put this book down! Love how there are other stories among the main one happening.

I must say the cover of this book pulled me in. My parents came from NE PA and I grew up eating chicken & waffles, chicken pot pie (made in a pressure cooker of all things) and shoo-fly pie. While my roots aren't linked directly with Lancaster County, I have always been very interested in the Amish. I am also a proud New Yorker with a lovely hex sign displayed on my home!
Please take the time to read this book. I am sure you will enjoy it every bit as much as I did. Is it a "youth fiction", well maybe, but does everything always have to be thrown in our faces? It is a lovely book and very suitable for the teen in your life who enjoys reading and learning.

I enjoy Lewis's books for the most part, mainly for the interesting characters, simple way of life, and storylines that are palpable for their emotions and challenges that the characters face. But this book really was a turkey. All I found was Lewis's overwhelming urge to convert all her readers to be born-again Christians. I am a happy Catholic, thank you, and I just want to read a good story, not be bombarded with the "right" way to live my life.

The part that upset me the most was when the father never cried when his daughter Suzy died, yet once he discovers "the good word," he is constantly weeping. And it's not because this means his daughter has been saved and is now in heaven (as other characters start to believe); it's only for himself and knowing that's he's better than everyone else because he knows "the truth." I just can't swallow that.

But, of course, I'll have to read the rest of the books in this series because they're like potato chips: once you read one, you can't stop! But if you're looking to read some of Lewis's series, I would forget this one and go for any of her other novels (esp. Abram's Daughters).

As someone who does not believe in the simplistic concept of "being saved", I found this book obnoxious. I just wanted a light summer read, and instead this book was a preachy tome about an Amish family finally seeing the light and being "born again." Fundamental Christians will most likely love it. Those of who believe that salvation is by grace and good works (sorry, you can't buy yourself into heaven by good works, but you also can't talk yourself in, either...) will probably find it insufferable, like I did.

Very enjoyable read. I read all three in the series in less than a week. Too bad there isn't a fourth.

I enjoyed Poison Study immensely, but was not happy with Magic study. It seemed to me that Leif was very duplicitous, and unnecessarily angry as well as unlikable. It also seemed to me that Yelena was getting into more trouble just by refusing to work with others. The characters that were posing as her enemies were not credible, so the tracker (I don't remember his name) and the first Magician (I also don't remember her name) were just a bunch of prejudiced fools who never even had a character development that was due enemies. They were just people trying to find a reason to kill Yelena with a justification (granted the tracker just wanted to kill her for not reason at all). Yelena was reckless in an environment (the school) where she needed not be. I kept on reading thinking there would be something to redeem the book, but the interesting character that was developed in poison (Yelena) just became over-zealous, suspicious and ungrateful (by refusing and not seeking support). This put me at odds with how I felt about her. Her loyalty and love to Valek was commendable, but her humility was not credible, nor was it implied. She became obnoxious with her powers and I nearly wanted her dead for everything she got herself and others into in the second part of the book.
If you feel that you need to see what Yelena has done after leaving Ixia, then by all means do read it, yet after this, I am disinclined to read fire study.

This book is excellent! I fell in love with Poison study after only a few chapters so I had high hopes for her follow up, Magic Study. This book exceeded my expectations. Fast paced, adventurous, romantic and funny. I loved Yelena's conversations with Kiki! Hilarious.

This was a really good follow up to Poison Study. I really enjoyed learning about the different cultures in the Study world.
If you liked Poison Study this is a must read...

Magic Study picks up very shortly after the end of Book 1 - Poison Study. Yelena and her companions have journeyed to the land of Sitia, reuniting the stolen children with their parents. Yelena meets up with her own family but this is an awkward reunion. She doesn't stay with them long before journeying on to the Magician's Keep where she must begin her training as a magician. Unfortunately it seems nothing in Yelena's life is fated to go smoothly. Once again, she needs to use her magical abilities to sort everything out and once again it's her own life that's on the line.

There's a lot going on in this story: - Yelena's reunion with her family - the fact that her brother seems to despise her, Yelena enrolling in Magic School, a serial killer, a visit from the Ixian ambassador and the exiled heir of Ixia turns up. It's quite busy plotwise and Yelena is at the centre of it all - which leads to my problem with this book.

I'm not saying I didn't enjoy the story because I did (though not as much as Poison Study). But somewhere in between Book 1 and Book 2, Yelena became a little too arrogant for me. When four master magicians don't know what to do but Yelena does and they're looking to her for help it annoyed me a little. Apart from this her character is still well drawn and you want to read about her and her adventures. It's just grating that she's always right. Even when events spiral beyond her control, things still have to be done Yelena's way, because she knows best. It's a positive thing that she's so independent, but you can't help thinking at certain points that if she had just stopped and asked for help the outcome may have been resolved differently.

Saying that, there were plenty of other things I enjoyed about the story.

Yelena's time in the Magician's school.

The complex relationship she develops with her brother, who was the most interesting character in the book for me.

The visiting Ixian dignitaries because this means Valek, Janco and Ari are in town. Though Valek is not as present in this story as in Poison Study. Which makes sense as this one really is more about Yelena, but it was great to have him turn up. And Maria V. Snyder maximizes the impact of his appearances.

It quickly becomes apparent that Sitia is just as dangerous a place, if not more so, than Ixia, but in different ways.

I think middle books in trilogies can be tricky. So I am left wondering how fair it is to grade this book on its own, without knowing how the third book goes. I am heartened by reading other reviews that consider this the weakest of the three, as hopefully that means Fire Study is a return to form. I will be getting Fire Study but I don't have the desperate urge to immediately get it, that I did for Magic Study.

This book is a classic staple of dark fantasy/paranormal and romance genres! Extremely developed characters, good plot (not too complicated, not too shallow), good romance (both in bed and out!), over-all excellent book. Worth every penny, you won't be disappointed!! Please note that while you can read this book without reading any of the other "Dark" series books, you may enjoy this book even more if you have read the preceeding books. A book you can definitely read over and over!

I have come to love Feehan's Dark series. This one is among my favorites. Desari through Julian gives a much needed wake up call to the arrogant views carpathian males hold. Some scenes were quite hilarious. I especially like the scene betwix julian and darius where desari breaks them apart. I won't give you the details on that. Read for yourself. I do recommend you read this novel.

Write on, read on
N.M. Phillips

The first book that I read in this Dark series was Dark Symphony. This is not the type of book I usually read but I was on vacation and the little bookstore was offering slim pickings. Nonetheless, having gotten back to my guest house and having settled in for a read I found myself being pleasantly surprised as I went along. Antoninette, the book's protagonist, was well characterised. She felt herself to be a little heavier than she ought to be, was blinded in an accident at five years old that killed her parents, was a genius and celebrated pianist, had strong business acumen, had a love hate relationship with her family members who were interesting in and of themselves, and took lovers but never let anyone get too close. She was real, and every Creative Writing professor's dream.

Then enter Byron, the hero, who poses a mystery to Antoinette's family: nobody ever sees him come or go, knows where he lives, why he is always on the scene to rescue Antoinette and her grandfather, and what he does for a living.

Cue fantasy...Byron is yet spell-bindingly handsome; won't look at any other woman, though such as Antoinette's cousin tries to arrest his attention to stroke her ego, Antoinette is blind after-all, shouldn't he be looking at her; he is a mind reader (yummm); has money; seems more or less physically invincible; courts his woman patiently; thinks Antoinette is the most beautiful woman on earth; and he's a wonderful lover. Okay...what's not to love.

Nothing. So much so, that upon learning that the Carpathians are a race of people and that more of the yummy men and their stories could be enjoyed in the Dark series, I immediately bought four-five more books in the series.

Yet with every successive read I have become more disappointed. There is a strong enough back drop story to flesh out this series: a race on the brink of extinction and all that that entails... wonderful, good read, ought to keep me on the edge of my seat, no?

NO.

For the author chose instead to take the route so many other mass-producing 'writers' have opted to take instead. There is now no story line in these books, ridiculously repetitive sex scenes that occupy altogether too much of the books' pages and thin characters. I say that figuratively and literally. The women have all become paper dolls with ribs protruding that their mates find sexy to count en route to their impossibly small waists. Their wrists are all fragile, their bone structure small, and their frames delicate. I'm a slim woman myself but this set up of the helpless female and domineering male is so obvious and patriarchal and chauvinistic I wonder if Feehan has forgotten that her audience is mainly female. Granted most women, including myself, like a man that's bigger and stronger, but must a woman be rendered a child to be thought sexy.

In line with that childlike innocence that Feehan is now promoting, why are more and more of the women in these books turning up virgins? I could write a dissertation on the cliches etc being enlisted here they are so apparent and archaic.

But moving on...yes woman light to males darkness, gotcha, Feehan only repeats it every page, ad verbatim. But are we to be so light, so compassionate that we endure rape lovingly (Gregori and Savannah in Dark Magic), willing to give up our careers (Jaxon and Lucian in Dark Guardian) and become comfortable with never letting another male in our proximity again (each book)? Granted these books allow the indulgence of unexpressed fantasies: many women want their man to be a little possessive, a little domineering, a little aggressive, a little a lot of things, but it seems that Feehan rather than express these desired traits has chosen to exaggerate them. Ridiculously so.

None moreso than the men's neediness and devotion. If I read, that the male needs the woman to tame his inner beast, to remove the stains on his soul, and to keep him from seeking the dawn or "You are my lifemate I can do nothing but secure your happiness" just one more time...oh my god! But then again, I shan't be reading those words anymore. This shall be my last in the series.

Julian and Desari's story is the same as all the others. They become involved impossibly fast, need "slams" into him (another of Feehan's favourite words repeated ad nauseum), she resists initially, but caves inevitably, he protects her, as his light and his life, from threatening evils, she bristles at his heavy-handedness but ultimately obeys, he is nearly invincible yet toward the end his arrogance gets him into some trouble from which the seeming weaker-sex woman saves him, she unearths his dark secret burdening his soul and she loves and accepts him in spite of it though he doesn't feel himself worthy of that love. They live happily ever after. Same Plot x 11= series.

To Ms. Feehan, less cut and paste, more time writing. And if you must make most of the book about the lovers' sexual encounters, find some new adjectives for the sake of those who haven't yet vowed to find better reading material elsewhere.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love all Christine Feehan's stories. I have all her books and intend acquiring them on audio form eventually. They are well done and follow the book closely. I enjoyed the interplay between Julian and Desari and the added bonus of the family members along with the interplay with outsiders. Loved hearing from Gregory re: his "lost family" being alive. Wish the author could write them faster because I'm anxious to hear more about other characters. Loved it!

Aidan's twin brother Julian is a wonderful hero, and Dara can give just as good as she gets. Together the couple makes for a great read, and continues a great series. Can't wait for more.

Laugh out loud FUNNY!
I found myself laughing out loud so much while reading this book. Good thing I was not out in public!
I loved it!
I love Janet's style of writing. Even this is pre-Plum you can feel her writing style in the characters.
It was a fast, funny and easy read.
Just the kind of book you need for a quick pick me upper.
It features just the types of characters you have come to expect and hopefully love from Janet.
The dog, Bob, is so much like the dog named Bob in the Plum series.
Great book for vacation or the beach.

This book is alot of fun to read. It goes fast and it's funny. Altho a bit of fantasy goes on in this book. Steve walks in to the pound to get a dog and 10 min he's outta there. Nowadays, MOST shelters want 25 pages of documents to prove you can take care of this dog (this is a GOOD thing); then in a car dealership and walks out in less then 30 min (or so) with a new SUV.. it CAN happen, but the odds are unlikely; Drives down to a realtors and within 30 min or an hour, has talked to the realtor, picked out and bought a house, arranged for a move that will have your house set up the next day in this house you just purchased, maybe without seeing, inspecting, etcc. Now really, they don't even turn the water or gas on for a few days. LOL

Over all, Yes I would buy this book again and I loved reading it. The sawed off shotgun toting granny reminds me of me; Bob, the dog, is just too cute and wonderful; and the sex in this book wasn't as explicit as people say.
You want good ole smutty sex? Read Skye O'Malley by Bertrice Small. You get the good stuff. hehehe

I'm surprised by the large number of positive reviews for this book, as I consider it one of Janet Evanovich's most disappointing works thus far. The characters had no chemistry, the plot was ridiculous, and I actually felt disgusted reading about their "romance", as the leading man was a compulsive liar and creepy stalker in a completely uncharming way! Stick with Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series!

I love Janet Evanovich's writing style and her keen ability to create humorous characters and engaging dialogue. Clearly, "The Rocky Road to Romance" was pre-Stephanie Plum period and the characters and dialogue are not nearly as developed. However, for a quick, mindless read for pure escapism, it definitely delivers.

Daisy Adams is a very busy lady, but she thinks it may be her lousy time management. When she gets up in the morning she delivers papers, then is a crossing guard to protect children on their way to school. She has a temporary job at WZZZ Radio Station doing traffic reports, after which she waitresses at Rogers Steakhouse part-time, and then she moonlights as a taxi cab driver! In her spare time, she wrote a doggie cookbook called Bones for Bowser and has been asked to write another. On top of all her other commitments, she is working on her doctorate in geriatric psychology, and has an internship at a nursing home. Her little brother Kevin is also staying with her while their parents are out of town.

Steve Crow is the owner of WZZZ, and although he hired Daisy to do Bowser spots on Mondays, he had really not noticed her until he hired her to do the traffic reports. Now that he has he wants her bad, but she has no time for anything or anyone. Daisy does need a dog to do taste tests on her doggie meals, so Steve does the only thing he can think of to be near her - he gets a dog named Bob. When Daisy unintentionally hits a drug dealer with her car while doing the traffic report, she is targeted for retribution. Steve has fallen for Daisy, and takes it upon himself to protect her.

This was a fun read. Steve and Daisy have chemistry, are good together, and Bob is just loveable. Who wouldn't be absolutely smitten with a dog that requires pop tarts as motivation to go running in the morning?

Simple stated, factual and sprinkled with personal anecdotes, this offers a great way to hold up a mirror to your present relationship and see if you are a good fit, both personally and together, before a trip to the altar, especially if you have any doubts.

was sent promply and the book was in VERy , well brand new shape. thanks

I just finished reading the book and feel it provided some good lessons and a generally good read. I think the book is best suited for people who are not yet married or those who have had relationship trouble in the past that they would like to move on from.

The book was a little long-winded in some ways but provided great scenarios from (what I assume to be) her clients from marriage counseling. That was what I liked most about the book. Instead of talking about imaginary scenarios and results, it provided real situations she had seen couples go through during conflict. This helped me visualize the situations of conflict in my own engagement and I felt able to relate to some of the people she mentioned, whom are people going through the typical things to cause conflict... Money, beliefs, past wounds, whether or not to have children..

She discusses the reasons many conflicts arise, and how many conflicts are much deeper than the surface. For example, she writes about a couple who are fighting over how much the wife pampers her 23 year old son whom is out of the house (doing his laundry, stocking his fridge), and how the anger the husband felt was evoked by having it hard when he moved out and not having the support of his parents (as well as being raised to believe that a person should be able to take care of him/herself after moving out). The author also explains how to turn cycles of blame and anger into understanding, through use of mostly the technique of mirroring; repeating back what the other partner said to be sure that anger doesn't twist the other partner's words to cause misunderstanding or resentment.

Honesty and maturity is a huge theme of this book. Looking past the flowery words and lovely dress, and thinking deeper about a marriage's future. Creating vows that really speak what you intend, instead of vows that have hidden intentions. (For example, saying that you will always 'be by your side' when you intend to go off on your own for days. Or perhaps saying that you will always be there for your partner, but only when they're considerate.)

The intended audience for this book is women. This must be understood. Men can also benefit from this book but it is mostly an empowering book for women. It encourages women in bad relationships to have the courage to make change or realize that they deserve to be happy. It encourages people in good marriages to embrace each other and their current state of being, to look deeper into the disagreements that may arise so they can understand the background it is created by.

Made me think more about how I feel about life and what creates my beliefs.

The 'questions before marriage' weren't a big thing for me, because we already know almost everything listed about each other already. We were comfortable enough with each other that we discussed children, finances, religion, sexuality, politics, how to raise a kid, etc before we even got engaged. But it would be very valuable for most couples who may overlook important questions, or cringe at the thought of discussing deeply about beliefs (it's well worth doing).

A good book for couples who want a healthy mature relationship free of the cycles of stress and blame that so many couples go through. Offers valuable advice.

I heard about this book from a relative who had read it. I didn't think that I would like it so I checked it out at the library. After reading through it over several weeks, I had to buy a copy of my own. There are some very helpful tips in this book. I have recommended it to several friends.

This is easy to read basic review of what ingredients need to be in a good, commited relationship. This book will not save a cracked relationship and will not prevent divorce. It is not about "how to" (speak to each other), but about "what" (the content of the conversations should be). I highly recommend it also to the people facing divorce, seeking for affirmation what the content of a relationship should be, what they have missed or couldn't get with the current partner they are splitting with.

The excercises consist of a series of questions or better topics the partners need to discuss. As some questions might not be applicable to discuss or answer or you might find it completely uninteresting, most of suggestions are very interesting and important. The questions are not put up front to discuss who is right and who is wrong, but to make couples learn how to make compromises on important issues and accept each other's different points of view.

In the ubiquitous gloryfing of the marriage ritual, many people have forgotten that the person they are marrying is more important than the color scale of your grand event. Havin second thoughts before the wedding? Read this! It will not destroy the relationship, but it will help you evaluate it. This book helps to prevent ignoring the right gut feelings. It is your companion and on your side. You don't need to consult a relative that probably wants to see you nicely dressed at your wedding and will not listen to your worries properly as the wedding preparations heaten up.

Unfortunately, dr. Smith's writing contains some religious elements at times, which is not surprising given the fact she teaches as an adjunct professor at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. This might be disturbing to some, but my advise is to ignore it. Ironically, she is quoting Sartre (an atheist) at one occasion to support a bit of spiritualistic point of view. Referrals to God are, however, not the foundation of the book and can be overlooked if you posess a bit of a tolerance (and if you don't, better not get married). I believe dr. Smith's experiences from her practice are very valuable and the book is worth buying.

I benefited from dr. Smith's positive encouragement to independent thinking for women. There is this gentle feministic touch that may empower women to look behind the farirytale role of stuffing themselves in a white dress for one single day, smiling for cameras until it hurts and then suffering entire life due to emotional or physical abuse just becase divorce is unacceptable.

Apparently, we all bring some lies in front of the altar and the book helps you find yours as well.

If you have a close friend who is getting married in a few months, consider this as a gift way in advance! I had some fun discussing the topics with my close friend (and at times bitching about men and life in general, hahaha).

Zoe Chandler is renting a place in Ely for seclusion and finishing up her first draft of an expose manuscript on art collectors. It may be completed as early as next month. Joe, the man who does her leg work, has found a whole lot of evidence about the Willerbys' collection and Zoe intends to tell all in her book. Roberto Fiorilli is her contact in the Tutela Patrimonio Culturale (TPC). The Italian TPC is charged with protecting Italy's cultural heritage and pursues any case of found artifacts to get them back from private collectors. The Willerby couple has the largest collection of ancient artifacts in the world. Knowing Zoe is digging for information on them, and finding it, they are determined to get Zoe to cease the project. Buying Zoe off is useless. So they will have to send people to shut Zoe up permanently. Needing a bodyguard, Zoe decides to hire the guy next door for the job. She can tell simply by looking at him that the guy could easily do the job.

Nick Mirovic still has nightmares since the NATO peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. He walked out afterward, refusing to do anything more with Harry Miller, who is now on the short list for C.I.A. director. Nick knows that the odds are extremely good that Harry will attempt to kill him. It is not as though Harry did not try once before, and almost succeeded. Nick knows too much about all the accidental deaths in Kosovo, and Harry does not like loose ends. But Nick learned a lot while dealing with the C.I.A. He is now very skilled in booby-traps for one thing.

When Zoe approaches him for the position as her bodyguard his first thought is that she is a plant by Harry. Her story about the Willerbys' "diplomatic ambassadors" sounds plausible and Zoe never once showed any tell-tale signs of lying. Nick knows he should flat out say no. He even tries to scare her off by letting her know that some bad men may be after him too. In the end, Nick's libido has him agreeing to protect her, but she would need to travel with him to an outpost he has in Ontario. The two strike a deal and dice are rolled.

***** Novels by Susan Johnson are more addictive than chocolate! This one is no exception. The story opens up with a scene that grabbed me immediately and held on tighter than Super Glue until the very end. Even the scenes where the characters are meeting and telling about themselves are written in such a way that the element of danger constantly vibrates underneath. Unlike many Suspense and Thriller novels, this one does not slow down toward the middle. This is non-stop and fast paced. Brilliant! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

When Susan jumped into writing contemporary romance, I decided to read Hot Property, which is about a former CIA agent who happens to be a tortured soul, and the woman he longs to protect. I am a sucker for these types of stories. Unfortunately Hot Property was such a disappointment, especially when the jackass hero does something so horrible in my eyes; he tries to kill the heroine during sex. Can we say major trust issue and perhaps the need for some form of therapy? And I couldn't stand how the TSTL heroine basically forgives him because she wants to get off by his intense and forceful sex that gives her the "Big O". Some may find enjoyment in reading this book, but as for myself I am placing Hot Property as one my worst reads of 2008.

The heroine Zoe Chandler has rented a cabin by the lake where she is busy at work writing a tell all book where she has exposed some shady dealings with some high-class art collectors. The Willerbys', the subject of her book, would like nothing better to make this problem go away. Zoe is playing hard to get, so after trying to pay her off countless times, which she says "no dice" to, Papa Willerby will send some of his men to talk some sense into her.

The jackass hero, Nick Mirovic used to work for the CIA as an interpreter, but ever since one of the CIA agents he worked with found enjoyment in killing the men he interrogated, Nick decided to get out. And now since evil CIA baddie is up for CIA director, he is pulling out all the stops so nothing gets in his way of gaining the position, even if that means taking Nick out for good. Nick is on edge and always looking over his shoulder, because he thinks someone is going to come out of the woods and kill him. The poor guy needs a Zanex or some form of medication. He doesn't trust anyone and that includes his new next-door neighbor, Zoe. Zoe decides Nick would be the best bodyguard even though he told he to get lost and is a bit broody. But that doesn't stop her from asking for his protection against the two goons Willerby sent. Nick of course thinks this may be a set up by evil CIA baddie because Zoe's story seems too convenient. He tricks himself in believe that Zoe is a mole even though he would like nothing more than having her horizontal on his bed. Zoe welcomes Nick's touch because, well, she is alone in the woods with no other man around and I don't think Grizzly Adams will cut it. So, what if Nick wants to handcuff her to his bed because of his trust issues. Suddenly these two are all over each other, having sex every which way, even as they go on the run because the evil CIA baddie has found them.

Hot Property should have been a hot and heavy thriller because of the amount of lust and sex both Nick and Zoe have for each other. It falls flat mainly because of my dislike for Nick who doesn't trust Zoe has far as he can throw her. But he still doesn't mind getting down her pants every chance he can get. When the so-called hero is in the middle of having sex with the heroine and begins to strangle her because he thinks she is about to kill him, well that makes me wonder if these two have any chance of a future with one another. I also have an issue with the way Zoe acted after being strangled and almost passed out from lack of air. I would have ran for the nearest exit or gave Nick a good kick in the balls, but no, Zoe forgives and forgets and let's Nick finish what he had started. I simple couldn't find any valid reason why Nick and Zoe were so attracted to each other because there was no trust between them. Because Nick constantly thought Zoe was a mole from his enemy who is out to kill him, any possible love that could grow between them was not believable in the least. Perhaps I am an old-fashioned type of girl, but I find myself wanting a more compassionate hero and one that will not try and kill his own true love while they are in the middle of making love because he is afraid she may stab him in the back.

Katiebabs

Zoe Chandler believes she has enough to write an exposé on art collectors. To complete the task, she secludes herself at an isolated lake house.

After watching the abuse by our CIA agents in the Balkans especially in Kosovo, former field civilian interpreter Nick Mirovic knows that even after all these years he still suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, albeit the nightmares are less frequent. He avoids the pharmaceutical solution as he felt that messed up his head. Instead he has isolated himself near a remote lake. However, though the hermit tries to distance himself from his beautiful new neighbor, he fails as he wants her. When danger comes stalking their lake as Zoe's art collector portrayal has placed her in peril, Nick's protective juices flow as much as one particular male bodily fluid since he met his new neighbor.

This fast-paced exciting romantic suspense is filled with sex, sex, and the lead couple on the lam; with more sex while running for their lives. Nick is the more fascinating character as his experience in the Balkans still eats at his soul in many ways such as trust issues with other people including the woman he is falling in love with and an obsession to help the underdog. The heat is on figuratively and literally as Susan Johnson provides her fans with a HOT PROPERTY.

Harriet Klausner

I buy mostly for my retail customers. In this case my customer was very happy with both the book and the prompt service. As a result, this was a "win-win" for the three of us: the original seller, the buyer (me), and my customer. And thanks to Amazon for bringing us all together.

This book is great, the dynamics between all the characters has been done really well. All 3 stories in the book are what I would expect a Nora Roberts book to be and I wasn't disappointed.

This book is part of A series about the MacGregor family. I loved every single one of them.

The MacGregor Brides (Macgregors Series) Thank goodness the early Nora Roberts' novels are being republished. They are warm and funny stories about people that you learn to love. The MacGregor series is comfortable. It is like sharing the evening with old friends.

This book was my introduction to the MacGregor Family. I instantly fell in love with every single one of them; so much so that I am now going back to the beginning and reading "Rebellion" to fully understand the how and why of the MacGregor clan. In "Brides," Nora Roberts takes us through the romantic journey and subsequent pairings of the three MacGregor granddaughters - Laura (the attorney) and the man grandpa hired to keep the home the cousins shared security-tight, Royce Cameron, Gwendolyn (the doctor), matched by grandpa with writer, Branson McGuire, and Julia (the real estate mogul), fighting all the way to the altar with builder/contractor, Cullum Murdoch, and, on this one, a two-fisted match made unknowingly not only by Daniel, but Cullum's own father, Michael, as well. Daniel MacGregor, Sr., begins each story with his memoirs as to the manner in which he had a working hand in each matching. The chosen three men were strong and handsome with exemplary values and great genes (according to the MacGregor)! Even though each story was quite similar where boy pursues girl, girl puts up a fight and finally gives in, hook, line and sinker, the stories are told in a captivating and interesting manner so that even the most unsympathetic romance reader has no choice but to delve into the lives of this fabulous family. I have read earlier romance books by Nora and felt they were just your typical soap-opera, happy ending stories, however, I believe the MacGregors themselves give the romance stories the strength and attention that encourages the reader to want to be a part of the family, albeit the amorous and idealistic worlds that only fiction can unfurl. I thoroughly enjoyed the stories and look forward to future MacGregor adventures.

Super book! This is a detailed account of the cycle that the vulverable party creates by continually accepting/condoning inapproprriate behavior!

It gives a detailed description of the hard choices that must be made - to invoke "Tough Love"

Lots of examples from real life!

While the main points of this book seem sound, the heavy Christian emphasis may be too much for some people. Basically, the book deals with infidelity and says that in order to save the marriage, the wronged party must stand firm on what he or she wants. It is time to stand strong on what you will not tolerate. Seems like good sense to me, but to someone who is not that involved in a church, the religeous overtones may overshadow some of the common sense approaches in the book.

I have lived a year with a spouse engaged in infidelity. Shock and despair have been my constant companions. All the crying, pleading, yelling, begging, and reasoning did no good at all - my spouse kept relapsing into the affair. At last he was talking of moving out and really taking up with the lover. Once I took the advice of the book, that very first week my spouse went into a tailspin and I felt much more centered and stronger. It was a week from hell for my spouse and a week where various people told me how great I looked! I have discovered that you really have to act in the opposite way that your feelings are telling you to act in this kind of a crisis. Be calm and firm in expressing your boundaries (you are free to leave or stay as you like but if you stay you cannot be in contact with the lover). Open the cage door and have backbone. You have to be willing to back it up. My process in not finished but things are looking up for the first time in a year. It has been almost a month since I took the advice and my spouse is still at home, appologised for all he has put me through and says he thinks he can resist the tempation to be in contact with the lover while he lives under the same roof with me. I read this book together with the book "Not Just Friends" by Shirley Glass which helped me to understand extramarital affairs very clearly. I strongly recommend reading both. I am not a practicing Christian and this orientation in the book is not a problem - the advice is very sound from a psychological standpoint.

I encourage you to read this book if you are willing to fight for your marriage, no longer fight with your spouse! If your life has been touched by any addiction,this book will be a great guide for you! It sure has been for me, Thanks Dr. Dobson!!

I bought this book while my wife was having a 9 month affair and it's basically bought when someone is grasping for straws trying to save something that's worthless. I learned from my mistakes and filed for divorce instead! When their spouse cheats on you, file for divorce, your marriage isn't worth saving! So save your money and get a good attorney instead! If you are not married, keep it that way!