1 to 5 of 5
Review Date: 4/9/2015
I have to say I have become very disappointed in this series. The mystery itself was the only thing that kept me coming back. One of the most irritating things is the poor dialog between the characters. And the use of the word "ain't". What a poor reflection of the the American education system. The oldest brother is supposed to be a business tycoon and yet talks like a yokel with hayseed in his hair. The increase of poor English and the amount of cursing has increased proportionately from the first book to the second and now the third. Cursing should be used when the moment calls for a person to be upset or something explosive happens, not used in generic speech. All of Ms. Wright's characters are successful in what they do but we hear less and less about their careers and what is important to them and more and more about how tight the women's sweaters are or some other physical attribute again and again. She lost the story line with the clutter of constantly describing what ever the new 'attraction' was that they saw or noticed. These are professional people that all began to sound like teenagers with raging hormones. The topics that could have been addressed; wild mustangs being killed, families facing long term care for relatives and family relations after a horrible crime, were used only as stepping stones to more of the same. She had the topics and the strong characters but made them less than they could have been.
Review Date: 5/23/2011
Helpful Score: 1
First I want to say, I loved all the I-team books and couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. I do have my favorites out of the other 4 books but all were a great read. You don't want to put this one down, and I wished there was another 100 pages, at least, when I got to the end. That to me is a 5 star book. I always like to get re-acquainted again with the previous characters and they are an integral part of this book. You may want to refresh your memory on who's who before reading this book. It was a page turner from the first and it never let you down..My kind of reading!
Review Date: 10/27/2012
I can only guess why no one else has taken the time to write a review on this book. In 2 words, it stinks.
I had been looking forward to the book on this character because I enjoyed him in other books. A brave caring, honorable man, a soldier. But I have to tell you, IF this had been the first book I had ever read by Diana Palmer, I would Never buy another.
The tired, worn out and over used formula that she has been using is in dire need of a transfusion of ideas. The characters were hollow, unbelievable and you just didn't care about them. There was no attraction or build up of interest to bring the two main characters together. I found no real attraction for these two, common interests, things they shared to help the romance along. Everyone, where ever they were, knew every thing and everyone was always giving advice or smiling and plotting to get them together. You had to force yourself to get through many parts as the story was stretched with 'fill'. I guess it needed to be a certain number of words in length. There were long parts of writing in explaining history, famous people, how things worked, why they did what they did at that time. Boring! The entire book would have made a very small series paper back, Not a hard cover.
The heroine is 19 and ignorant of all things sexual yet she talked about it endlessly, throwing out sexual conversation that had nothing to do with whatever topic they were actually discussing. She decided she wanted our hero. That's it? I read enough 'oh gosh', 'my heavens', 'good grief' to last me a life time. The hero is an older man, Again, and would 'teach' her all she needed to know. There's more to this which I will not tell you about, you have to draw your own conclusions.
I have to say a good editor would Never have let this story go to print without some major re-writing. There are too many new and up and coming writers that have fresh ideas and better stories than to let Ms. Palmer's devoted fans be so disappointed. It's a waste of your money and a waste of your reading time.
I had been looking forward to the book on this character because I enjoyed him in other books. A brave caring, honorable man, a soldier. But I have to tell you, IF this had been the first book I had ever read by Diana Palmer, I would Never buy another.
The tired, worn out and over used formula that she has been using is in dire need of a transfusion of ideas. The characters were hollow, unbelievable and you just didn't care about them. There was no attraction or build up of interest to bring the two main characters together. I found no real attraction for these two, common interests, things they shared to help the romance along. Everyone, where ever they were, knew every thing and everyone was always giving advice or smiling and plotting to get them together. You had to force yourself to get through many parts as the story was stretched with 'fill'. I guess it needed to be a certain number of words in length. There were long parts of writing in explaining history, famous people, how things worked, why they did what they did at that time. Boring! The entire book would have made a very small series paper back, Not a hard cover.
The heroine is 19 and ignorant of all things sexual yet she talked about it endlessly, throwing out sexual conversation that had nothing to do with whatever topic they were actually discussing. She decided she wanted our hero. That's it? I read enough 'oh gosh', 'my heavens', 'good grief' to last me a life time. The hero is an older man, Again, and would 'teach' her all she needed to know. There's more to this which I will not tell you about, you have to draw your own conclusions.
I have to say a good editor would Never have let this story go to print without some major re-writing. There are too many new and up and coming writers that have fresh ideas and better stories than to let Ms. Palmer's devoted fans be so disappointed. It's a waste of your money and a waste of your reading time.
Review Date: 7/21/2012
First I'd like to say I am an Iris Johansen fan. I have read her from when she first started in Loveswept and the early small series books, her Delaney series, you name it. I have followed her into her large romantic suspense books and feel she is an exceptional writer. With that said, I have to say I was disappointed in Dark Summer. I really liked the beginning, I was hooked and was ready to sit for a long, lovely read.
Marrok, the male lead, was very abrupt and commanding in the beginning and it was understood. Pressure, worry and trying to protect so many. Short sentences, vague referrals, not forthcoming. He continued like this to a point about 1/2 through the book and then he couldn't stop talking. He explained All the background to the mystery and now we knew what they're facing and why. He then, at some rambling point in all of his hindsight and inner musings, decided he wanted Devon, the female lead. Hint, suggest and then plain speaking that I'm going to have you and you know you want me and it's just a matter of time before we do it. He is described as going out and joining the SEALS. You don't join. You give it your all and then you give more to become a SEAL. There are other parts that grate like being on a ranch in Nevada but people come and go like it's in downtown Burbank. It's supposed to be a secret hide-out yet people drive in and fly in from all over. And cell phones that work Everywhere, even in the middle of nowhere!?
Devon, a vet that uses her dog to help with rescues, has saved Marrok's dog. He disappears leaving her a note telling her to take him home and he'd see her later. So she takes Ned, the dog, home and tries to get back to her vet practice. We are introduced to 3 very likeable characters that I personally would definitely like to hear more about, with their wit and humor. We do not get the chance. Her practice is destroyed, her home and buildings burned to the ground. Her ex-husband can call her anywhere, making threats to torture her, even admitting to killing people that have helped her, and she tries to talk to him and deny his claims? How many years has she tried this and it's never worked? And no one can tape these calls for proof that he is psycho. She can control her mask and her feelings, then boom, she can't control her mask or feelings. First this way and then that way.
Both the main characters seemed dis-connected. I never got the attraction between them. There was no sexual tension building, or pull, or love. He wanted. NO she didn't. Then again, boom she decided she did want. After he kept telling over and over it's going to happen, she decided, okay, lets get it on, Now. Ugh. The sex scenes were short and clinical yet this was supposed to rock their worlds. "It was great for me, was it great for you?" "Yeah" "Are you ready for another go?" "Yeah." Really???
If this had been the first IJ book I had ever read, I would not rush out to get another one. I loved the dogs in the story and felt they were key to the glue that kept this story going. The secondary characters were very important adding to the context but deserved more. There was a little paranormal but it also helped not hindered.
I know Ms. Johansen can write a great book but this was okay, not great.
Marrok, the male lead, was very abrupt and commanding in the beginning and it was understood. Pressure, worry and trying to protect so many. Short sentences, vague referrals, not forthcoming. He continued like this to a point about 1/2 through the book and then he couldn't stop talking. He explained All the background to the mystery and now we knew what they're facing and why. He then, at some rambling point in all of his hindsight and inner musings, decided he wanted Devon, the female lead. Hint, suggest and then plain speaking that I'm going to have you and you know you want me and it's just a matter of time before we do it. He is described as going out and joining the SEALS. You don't join. You give it your all and then you give more to become a SEAL. There are other parts that grate like being on a ranch in Nevada but people come and go like it's in downtown Burbank. It's supposed to be a secret hide-out yet people drive in and fly in from all over. And cell phones that work Everywhere, even in the middle of nowhere!?
Devon, a vet that uses her dog to help with rescues, has saved Marrok's dog. He disappears leaving her a note telling her to take him home and he'd see her later. So she takes Ned, the dog, home and tries to get back to her vet practice. We are introduced to 3 very likeable characters that I personally would definitely like to hear more about, with their wit and humor. We do not get the chance. Her practice is destroyed, her home and buildings burned to the ground. Her ex-husband can call her anywhere, making threats to torture her, even admitting to killing people that have helped her, and she tries to talk to him and deny his claims? How many years has she tried this and it's never worked? And no one can tape these calls for proof that he is psycho. She can control her mask and her feelings, then boom, she can't control her mask or feelings. First this way and then that way.
Both the main characters seemed dis-connected. I never got the attraction between them. There was no sexual tension building, or pull, or love. He wanted. NO she didn't. Then again, boom she decided she did want. After he kept telling over and over it's going to happen, she decided, okay, lets get it on, Now. Ugh. The sex scenes were short and clinical yet this was supposed to rock their worlds. "It was great for me, was it great for you?" "Yeah" "Are you ready for another go?" "Yeah." Really???
If this had been the first IJ book I had ever read, I would not rush out to get another one. I loved the dogs in the story and felt they were key to the glue that kept this story going. The secondary characters were very important adding to the context but deserved more. There was a little paranormal but it also helped not hindered.
I know Ms. Johansen can write a great book but this was okay, not great.
Review Date: 10/11/2012
I have to search for sci-fi romances. C. J. Barry is my absolute favorite and Linnea Sinclair is another favorite. This book is not up to par with those 2 authors but I found it a quick, entertaining and easy read. I did go searching to find the prequels.
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