Heartbreaker

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author Linda Howard takes white-hot passion to the limits . . .

Michelle Cabot has inherited her father's Florida cattle ranch -- and a mountain of debt. To make matters worse, a huge chunk of that debt is owed to the neighboring rancher, her nemesis John Rafferty.

Nothing shocks Rafferty more than discovering that the spoiled, pampered rich girl he once despised is painstakingly trying to run the Cabot ranch herself, working the land with desperation the only thing she has left. He likes this new Michelle and decides to make her his woman. What he doesn't know is that underneath Michelle's cool, polished façade lies heartache, secrets and the raw determination to live life as her own woman. But Rafferty isn't about to take no for an answer.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT READ.......2007-08-24

I really enjoyed this book. It was one of the first books I read by Linda Howard and I loved it. John is super sexy and truly loves Michelle. Michelle is thought of as "a snotty high class girl", but you find out how she really is. The book is very passionate and steam is coming off the pages as you read!

Dated but entertaining .......2007-07-07

Suffice it to say that after reading twenty one of her books, Linda Howard is one of my favorites in her genre. However, as I have been spoilt with some really good novels, I do have high expectations from her. HEARTBREAKER is one of her older novels and while it is rough around the edges, it does have its good moments.

Having recently escaped a violent marriage, Michelle Cabot is slowly starting to pick up the pieces when her father unexpectedly dies. Returning to the ranch that she once despised, she is stunned to find that it is not only thing she has inherited, but also a mountain of debt. To make it worse, she is now indebted to her nemesis John Rafferty. Once upon a time, she worshipped him from afar. As an eighteen-year-old, she fell in love with the town heartbreaker whose mere presence both excited and frightened her. Afraid to let him know her real feelings, she hid behind a carefully manufactured haughtiness and built a wall around her to keep him at a distance. Now a decade later, she must face him again, the man who she had secretly yearned for.

From the moment they met, John has been in the opinion that Michelle was nothing but a pampered spoilt brat who thought of nothing but her self. Yet there was no denying his intense attraction for her. As much as he hated it, he spent years watching and wanting her, at the same time wondering why her hostility seemed only directed at him and not to anyone else. Now with the death of her father, she is back in town. But having inherited her father's debts, it appears that the little society queen's kingdom had crumbled around her. And he'll be damned if he doesn't take advantage of her current situation. However, after seeing her again for the first time in years, he is shocked to find a completely different woman. Gone is the haughty socialite; standing before him is a desperate woman who has been working herself into the ground to save the only thing she has left. And as John sees exactly what a good fight Michelle has been putting up to work her ranch, admiration soon turns to intense protectiveness. Never has the need to care for a woman been stronger. But if he were to make her his, he must first break down the wall that Michelle has carefully erected around her.

Linda Howard is known for creating sizzling stories with engaging characters. Unfortunately, these were a bit lacking in this book. Whenever I pick up one of her novels, I expect fiery and passionate interaction between the hero and heroine. While I saw this between John and Michelle, the romance lacks the intensity of her other novels like AFTER THE NIGHT. I believe it has to do with John's character as his feelings for Michelle could have been better explored to make the romance more poignant. However, as both characters are strong-willed, you can expect some blazing encounters that provide some entertainment.

Heartbreaker .......2007-04-28

I think this is the best romance book that I have ever read! I personally like the "main male" (John)in this story. He acts like a man!! We might not like it, but most men see themselves as smarter, stronger, etc.. than women. Let 'em think it; I don't care how long ago the story was written, men haven't changed that much. Men still feel the way John did. I think that most women want a man to feel that they are soft and feminine and need them to protect us. If they only knew!! When all is said and done, it is a beautiful story with a man that is a bit pushy but trys in every way to provide everything that that lady wanted.

Dated melodrama, but better than most of her early stuff.......2007-02-20

Michelle Cabot has lost her father and inherited the family ranch which is run down and deeply in debt. In order to make a go of it, she has to swallow her pride and ask next door neighbor John Rafferty for help. Rafferty bailed her father out years ago, and if the payment is not made, the ranch will revert to him. He's always thought Michelle was a pampered princess and intends to make her sweat - in more ways than one.

What neither realizes is how they truly feel about each other, and neither will admit to those feelings. As Rafferty takes control of the ranch and Michelle's life, her past and a very abusive ex-husband comes back to haunt her. Will they be able to put their pasts aside and make a go of it? Will she ever grow a backbone?

While Howard's story is dated, it was not as bad as some of her older works (like Diamond Bay, All that Glitters, etc.) But controlling heroes like Rafferty and all too delicate heroines like Michelle make us all glad that the era of Dynasty is over. While there is definite chemistry between the two, his Neanderthal tendencies kept this reader wondering how different he was than the ex. If you are a fan of later Howard writing, you might want to skip this watered down 80's melodrama; if you like her pre-1990 stuff, this is right up your alley.

Rough around the edges.......2006-03-18

I normally don't like books about pushy, overbearing men, but this one just pushed me in the right direction. I would have given this a 4.5 stars because I would have liked a little more suspense. But the sex was hot but not too graphic and I liked the stubborn heroine - stubborn, not stupid. I must like it, I've read it 3 times over the years!

Average customer rating:

Julie Garwood is among the finest in romantic fiction
Heartbreaker
A keeper, one of Garwood's best!
Pleasantly surprised!
Fun Reading and great characters

Heartbreaker
Julie Garwood
Manufacturer: Atria
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0671032992

Amazon.com

Setting: Holy Oaks, Iowa, present day
Sensuality rating: 4

New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood breaks new ground in her first contemporary suspense novel. Long-time fans of Garwood will be amazed at the way the queen of historical romance weaves this tale of love as it blossoms in the face of extreme danger. FBI agent Nick Buchanan is about to take his first vacation in three years when he receives a phone call from his best friend and former college roommate, Father Tom Madden. Tom relates the horrifying tale of a confession that he heard from a killer seeking absolution for a gruesome crime he has yet to commit. Worse yet, the madman, who calls himself the Heartbreaker, confesses that his intended victim is Laurant Madden, Tom's gorgeous younger sister. The Heartbreaker is crazy about Laurant--really, really crazy.

When Tom and Nick break the news to Laurant, she is furious at the disruption the psycho is causing in her very busy life. With her best friend's wedding rapidly approaching and Laurant's own business set to open in two weeks, there couldn't be a worse time to be stalked. But when she learns that the Heartbreaker has already broken into her home and watched her sleep, she reluctantly agrees to Nick's protection, even if it means that she's thrown together with her brother's all-too-sexy friend all day--and all night. Nick, posing as Laurant's fiancé, heads back with her to Holy Oaks. There he encounters a strange cast of characters, the likes of which are grown only in small towns where everybody knows everybody's business--except whether one of them might be a serial killer. Along the way, Nick and Laurant also discover their own hunger for each other. Readers will love the change of pace for perennial favorite Garwood. She creates a sensational story with a truly explosive conclusion. --Alison Trinkle

Book Description

In the still shadows of the confessional, the penitent kneels and makes a bone-chilling disclosure: Bless me father, for I will sin.... Slowly, tauntingly, the man describes his murderous past -- how he stalked his victim, worked his way into her life, and then took that life in a violent rage -- and his plan to kill again. Only this time, he has raised the stakes in his twisted game, daring authorities to catch him if they can. This time, he has revealed the name of his next intended victim. I'm a heartbreaker. And I do so love a challenge....

Agent Nick Buchanan has come face-to-face with society's worst monsters and depraved minds in his work for one of the FBI's most elite units. He's about to take a much needed vacation from his high-stress job when he's called on to stop the killer who has mockingly confessed to the deadly crime he's to commit. Nick can't refuse --for this time the threat has hit close to home. The intended victim is his best friend's sister. Soon he is caught up in an intricate chase with one of the most devious psychopaths of his career -- in a case that suddenly, unexpectedly, pulls him in like no other.

Laurant Madden found a home and a sense of security when she moved into the small Iowa town of Holy Oaks -- but her contented life is shaken to the core as a cagey predator closes in on her. Her brother, Tom, insists that she turn to the only man he trusts to help her: Nick Buchanan. As an electrifying attraction grows between Laurant and Nick, so does the danger -- and one false move will cost both of them everything that matters.

Download Description

Bestselling author Julie Garwood brings her storytelling powers to an electrifying new level in her first contemporary novel. A headstrong young woman becomes the target of a deranged killer in this heart-pounding page-turner that sparks with gripping suspense and passionate twists.

Bless me father, for I will sin.... The penitent knelt in the confessional and breathed the taunting confession that he has killed before -- and that he plans to shatter the calm of a small Iowa town with his next strike. Only this time, he raises the stakes, daring authorities to catch him if they can. This time, he has revealed the name of his intended victim: beautiful Laurant Madden.

When Nick Buchanan is called in to intercept the killer, the seasoned FBI agent can't refuse: Laurant is his best friend's sister. Placing himself by Laurant's side day and night, Nick finds himself falling for this courageous, spirited young woman who refuses to be shaken by a killer's threats.

Customer Reviews:

Julie Garwood is among the finest in romantic fiction.......2006-12-25

writing and I wouldn't boycott her for anything :)

She had me sitting up till the wee hours of the morning reading about Nick Buchanan and Laurent Noah and Tommy etc etc I loved this book and am reading every single Buchanan brother and sister related novel :)

Julie never is boring in her storytelling bravo Julie keep up the great work can't wait for your new novel to hit the stores this Tuesday and have Noah finally get his own story :)

Heartbreaker.......2006-07-24

This book was awesome! It kept me guessing until the end and the suspense made me gasp and I was about to cry and I laughed and I just couldn't wait to get done with it! I loved this book and it was just so wonderful! YAY!!!

A keeper, one of Garwood's best!.......2006-06-29

I read this 2 years ago, but it has stayed with me and I find myself comparing other books to it. It is the first in Garwood's suspense series about the Buchanan family and it is by far the best of all of them. In fact, each book after has been gradually less what she does so well. It is definitely a keeper, which I determine by scenes or characters or stories that stay ingrained in my mind. I still remember the hospital scene and the wonderful dialog practically word for word. The hero and heroine had instant chemistry that was palpable and jumped off the pages. The suspense was edge of your seat. That is what makes a great romantic suspense. I only hope JG's newest will be as good. Would like to see more of Noah, who was missing in her last few books. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Don't miss this one!

Pleasantly surprised!.......2006-06-18

Since this was my first Julie Garwood, I didn't know what to expect but I liked what I got and would certainly read more by this author especially her historicals. Heartbreaker is not a thriller but it has a good storyline with a decent amount of suspense and excitement. This book had excellent characterization which I think is half the battle won because if you don't like the characters, you just cannot get involved in a story no matter how interesting. The dialogues were witty and even funny at times and overall, it was a very easy and entertaining read even though the romance was a bit limited. Looking forward to more by this excellent author!

Fun Reading and great characters.......2006-03-18

This was my first Julie Garwood novel and it was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed this authors descriptive characterization. The playful bantering had me laughing uncontrollably and falling in love with the characters even more with every page I read.

With all the other reviews, I don't need to explain the plot. It isn't anything new for the romantic suspense genre, but very entertaining and an enjoyable read. It has mystery, intrigue, suspense, action, and romance. What more can a reader want?

Is it worth the money? Definitely. Can't wait to read more.

Average customer rating:

It's ok
What a jerk!!
Exactly what I'd expect from a Palmer book
Decent book
Disappointed

Heartbreaker (Silhouette Desire)
Diana Palmer
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Lacy

ASIN: 037376748X

Customer Reviews:

It's ok.......2007-05-21

I LOVE DIANA PALMER'S BOOKS, but this one was not what I expected. The heroine is loveable, but the hero.....My Gosh! what I didn't think was beliaveble was when Tellie goes to college again after all JB did to her, and he suddenly appears and she forgives him..... come on!!! and he went there out of the blue, and they live happily everafter.... hmmmmm.
Anyway, it was ok if you like sad stories, because trust me, this one is!
I would love to hear more about the secondary characters, like Marge and Grange.

What a jerk!!.......2007-04-11

I have read a few of Diana Palmer's books and have liked them. This one however was not worth the pages it was printed on. J.B. is an awful man. He was not your typical alpha male, he was cruel and emotionally abusive. I couldn't find an ounce of sympathy for him and I found myself angry that Tellie didn't feel that she deserved better than him. Like I said, I like Diana Palmers books but this one isn't worth the read.

Exactly what I'd expect from a Palmer book.......2007-03-09

Tellie [...]worshipped J.B. Hammock for years before she realized that her feelings went beyond that. Feeling that she is continually running her head into a brick wall, Tellie gives up on J.B. and tries to look forward.

J.B. Hammock has been anything but lucky when it comes to love. Wanting more from Tellie, but seeing that she is unable to give it, J.B. lashes out with the anger he is known for. When his anger causes her to get in a car accident and lose her memory, J.B. is determined to take advantage of the situation.

This is a classic Diana Palmer with the older hero and the virgin heroine. When Tellie regains her memory, she flees J.B. thinking that he was using her for his own personal amusement. Anytime she thinks of the words he hurled at her, she feels sick to her stomach. What she doesn't expect is for J.B. to come after her. Vintage Palmer, HEARTBREAKER is a fast read that will make you cringe and laugh at times. Overall, I got exactly what I was expecting when I picked up the book.

Decent book.......2007-02-15

I like Diana Palmer books, but I have to space them out a little bit. They seem to have pretty much the same storyline characteristics (texan, rich, handsome, cowboy with a past that haunts him which is an excuse as to why he has never acted on the attraction that he has always had for this heroin--young virgin, plain ordinary in appearance or not real attractive, pining after the same man who is emotionally abusive). I still like to see the characters and how they get there. Its kinda like a little adventure.

Disappointed.......2007-02-13

This is my first Diana Palmer book, and will be my last. The story was very predictable, and bad boy and sweet girl get together. I didn't like the moral character of J. B., one mean individual, and after a couple of days of Tellie getting her memory back, things change. Sorry, maybe I'm a realist, but a leopard doesn't change his spots over night. Anyway, sorry...I was hoping for a much better read.

The Heartbreaker (The Chandler Brothers, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

The Heartbreaker
Great Hero, Not So Great Heroine
Most intriguing of the brothers; least intriguing story
One of the worst romance novels I've ever read
Third Book of the Chandler Brothers trilogy

The Heartbreaker (The Chandler Brothers, Book 3)
Carly Phillips
Manufacturer: Vision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446610569

Book Description

Chase Chandler is head of the town newspaper, a role he took over when his father died. In doing so he sacrificed any hopes and dreams he had for himself. Still, he gladly watched as his younger brothers found wives and started families. But when their mother falls seriously ill, Chase realizes how lonely he's become and that it's time to find a wife-and life-of his own. When he promises to look out for a family friend's daughter who is visiting, he is shocked to discover that this is the young woman with whom he shared one secret night of passion. Now, this loner is determined to try again with a woman he fell in love with on first sight-and find out if a second chance might lead to forever......

Download Description

"eBOOK SPECIAL FEATURE: ? 2 articles written by Carly Phillips titled ""The Infinite Appeal of Small Towns"" and ""A Step in the Right Direction"" ? Sneak a peak at Carly Phillips' additional books about the Chandlers! Includes excerpts from THE BACHELOR and THE PLAYBOY. Chase Chandler is head of the town newspaper, a role he took over when his father died. In doing so, he sacrificed any hopes and dreams he had. He gladly watched as his younger two brothers did as their mother requested and found wives-even after discovering she was faking illness. But when their mom falls ill for real, Chase reevaluates and decides to find a wife of his own. He promises the wife of a senator-an old friend of his mother's--to watch over her husband's daughter, Sloane Carlisle, who's in town trying to track down the truth to her family's past. But he is shocked to realize that Sloane is the woman he had one secret night of passion with and thought he'd never see again. Now he's determined to give himself a second chance with a woman he fell in love with on first sight.and hope that chance will lead to forever. "

Customer Reviews:

The Heartbreaker.......2007-09-28

I really like Carly Phillips as a writer. She has nice flow from one book to another. Looking forward to getting some more of her series. The Bachelor, The Player, and The Heartbreaker, follow the three Chandler brothers, not looking for love, but ultimately finding it. Thanks in part to their mother. All three of these are fast and light reading. If you are looking for a laugh, go get this series.

Great Hero, Not So Great Heroine.......2007-04-08

Concluding the trilogy with the oldest Chandler brother was an eventful read.

Chase was the brother I was most looking forward to. So since I like going in order, needless to say, I was a little impatient to get to the Heartbreaker. While I can't say it was worth the wait, it wasn't a complete disappointment.

Chase was as I expected plus a lot more. As in the first book with the hero, I found I could not like the heroine that well, Sloane. Although I enjoyed her story, I didn't like her too much, and could not see her with Chase at all. Again it seemed more sex than substance. While I could tell he cared for her, I thought she would be better suited for another type of guy.

All in all it was a good story with a great hero.

Most intriguing of the brothers; least intriguing story.......2006-05-18

Newspaper publisher Chase Chandler had to grow up fast. When his father passed away, Chase gave up his dreams to become a foreign correspondent so that he could help raise his brothers and run the family paper. While Chase is in DC visiting his brother and sister-in-law, he heads into a bar for a nightcap, There he spots a sexy vision in pink and after a torrid night of sex, she has left him without a trace, but with plenty of memories...

That vision happens to be Sloane Carlisle - the privileged daughter of Senator Michael Carlisle - who has just found out that he's not her biological father. She flees to her mother's home town in search of answers. Chase is asked by the senator's current wife to keep an eye on Sloane since she will be in his neck of the woods; if he agrees, Carlisle will promise him an exclusive. Imagine his surprise when Chase discovers that his siren and the senator's daughter is the same woman. But someone does not want Sloane to dig into her background, and Chase must protect the woman he lusts from evil-doing.

Phillips conclusion to the Chandler brothers trilogy has plenty of steam, and a sexy hero, but the heroine is kind of flat, and the story contains such trite and unrealistic dialogue, resulting in an uneven and disappointing end to the series.

One of the worst romance novels I've ever read.......2006-01-03

First of all, this book was horribly written. All the lines coming out of the characters mouths were cheesy and predictable. This woman is not a writer. Next, the whole premise for the book is unrealistic. The big secret a presidential candidate had to hide was that he'd adopted a child... Wow, what a horrible thing to do. The idea that the politician's staff would then try and kill the biological father to erase the problem is stupid. After many books read, this is the first time I've felt compelled to write a review. This is how bad this book is.

Third Book of the Chandler Brothers trilogy .......2005-11-27

'The Heartbreaker' by Carly Phillips is the third book of the Chandler Brothers trilogy. This novel tells the final story of the oldest Chandler brother, Chase who becomes the bodyguard (of sorts) to the Vice President Candidate daughter. This novel has more mystery and emotions then the first two. I have decided that Carly Phillips is fantastic writer and I will read anything she writes. This novel can stand on it's own but is wonderful ending to the trilogy. The Chandler Brothers trilogy is Bachelor (1), Playboy (2) and Heartbreaker (3).

Average customer rating:

Susan Howatch does it again
Buckle up for an exhilarating ride.
Heartbreakers
A very good read
Heartbreaker is a marveous read

The Heartbreaker: A Novel
Susan Howatch
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

The High Flyer
The Wonder Worker (Ballantine Reader's Circle)
Absolute Truths
Scandalous Risks
Glamorous Powers

ASIN: 0345466284
Release Date: 2005-07-26

Book Description

Deftly combining the sacred and the profane—the unmistakable hallmark of her fiction over the past decade—Susan Howatch gives us a spellbinding, suspenseful and psychologically intense new novel.

The financial heart of London—the City—is an adrenaline-charged square mile deep in recession in the 1990s, a place where sex is just another commodity to be bought and sold in the marketplace. And the City is where the life of Gavin Blake, who sells sex to high flyers, is finally about to unravel.
In the center of the City is St. Benet’s, a church that ministers to the casualties of this affluent but amoral society. Carta Graham, the St. Benet’s fundraiser, is at once attracted to Gavin when they meet through a mutual friend, but slowly she realizes that she has entered a relationship far more complex than she could ever have imagined.

Gavin is desperate to escape from his world of prostitution, pornography and violence, but as his involvement with Carta and St. Benet’s deepens, the dangers that encircle him escalate until his life itself is on the line. Carta is determined to help him—but will their mysterious journey together be lifesaving or soul-destroying? All she can do is fight her hardest to help Gavin survive.

Consistently surprising and powerfully moving, The Heartbreaker is Susan Howatch’s most gripping novel yet.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Susan Howatch does it again.......2006-07-08

Great characters that stay with you. It's been a few years since I read the last installment of her Church of England books, but I could remember enough about the characters to easily pick up the story in Heartbreaker. Gavin Blake calls himself a "leisure worker," and lives his life encased in multiple layers of denial. The two voices in the book are Gavin's and Carta Graham's (from High Flyer). The book is about sin, redemption, and Christianity as a path to that redemption. It's not a morality play, but an intense study in human psychopathology. Since Gavin's a prostitute who services wealthy gay men, there are lots of discussions about sex, but there's no explicit, graphic sex. Howatch is not a romance novelist. She creates interesting complex characters that need spiritual rescue - and get it. I laughed and cried reading this book.

Buckle up for an exhilarating ride........2006-06-30

This novel is great fun to read, as are Howatch's novels. The narrative technique she pioneered ---with key characters picking up the story from one another at the most suspenseful moments-- works well here, intriguing us into staying for "just one more chapter." The two main characters are finely drawn and all too human, though the male prostitute's predicament becomes creepier and creepier as self-awareness begins to take hold of him. (Though the sex itself isn't creepy, his dehumanized attitude toward it most certainly is, and I guess that's the point of the book.)

Only the ending, overwrought, overlong and unbelievable, fails to meet expectations. Read it for the enjoyable, mildly shocking rollercoaster ride it offers and leave at least two nights free to burn the midnight oil.

Heartbreakers.......2006-03-16

The title is accurate - the heartbreak of a young man forced by his past and his need for money into the life of a male prostitute.
It is, I think, too grisly, too mixed up with the young man's past. However, the Nicholas Darrow series deals with this kind of thing. In general the Starbridge series was far more preferred by me, being the intellectual, emotional and spritual progress and tribulation suffered by priests (which could be just as bloody, but with explanation of suffering of the protagonist). The blood, gore, and general horrendousness that this series indulges in makes this series inferior. The people do not understand in the slightest what is happening to them and they suffer just as much as the priests in the Starbridge series, but with less understanding.
Linda Sheean

A very good read.......2006-03-10

This is a book that is unusually in this age, brave enough to confront head on the psychological damage caused by the sex industry and in a wider sense the sexual revolution. Gavin, the principle narrator is a male prostitute. Initially he portrays himself as an adorable, cheeky bundle of sexual relief. He describes his physical attributes and the attention he gives to taking care of them with loving detail. However, as the novel progresses and Gavin recounts the indignities of his life as an escort with an increasingly forced gaiety, the reader witnesses his gradual realisation of his emotional and physical enslavement in a manner which is truly heart-rending.

Hope comes in the form of an accidental meeting with Carta Graham a business associate of one of Gavin's former clients who was also damaged by Gavin's female pimp, the erstwhile psychic Elizabeth Mayfield. This meeting allows Gavin to finally see an escape route from his life. However Elizabeth Mayfield has exceedingly powerful and rather evil friends so the crux of this novel is whether Gavin will manage to extricate himself alive, literally.

It sounds trite to say this is a novel about redemption but redemption is its main theme. It is through the support and love of Rev. Nicholas Darrow et al., that Gavin is able to rediscover his worth as a human being from being valued simply as an attractive piece of flesh. The power of this novel comes from the dramatic contrast between the insidious but very 'grand guignol' evil of Gavin's pimp and her henchmen and the innate goodness of the characters in Nicholas Darrow's healing ministry. This contrast reaches its zenith in a dinner party conversation about the merits of Christinaity vis á vis the occult between Nicholas Darrow the charismatic reverend and Elizabeth Mayfield's principal ally, a very sinister character described by Gavin as a Westminster mandarin whose name escapes at present.

Heartbreaker is a marveous read.......2005-09-16

I expected some "preachy" content-- but found nothing to complain about in this fascinating character-driven story of Gavin, a high-class prostitute with his hip, cocky self-delusion about his "ideal life". Susan Howatch does a great job of portraying Gavin's downward spiral into hell- and redemption.

The interaction between Carta and Gavin- actually- everyone and Gavin- is fascinating, with a few twists and turns that were unexpected. This book will have you squirming in your seat, sometimes due to the sexual content, sometimes the tense scenarios Gavin works his way through to escape the evil Elizabeth, Gavin's pimp. Elizabeth will do anything for the bucks- including hand her boys over to a butcher.

What the plot lacks- and it doesn't lack that much- Howatch makes up with her characterizations. Gavin is exasperating- and delightful- and sexy as anything. I'm not sure just how realistic Gavin is; after all he's supposedly a totally straight man -- not a bisexual, mind you -- working as a homosexual prostitute. But Howatch does a good job of convincing me it's the truth.

I found this novel good from start to finish.

Average customer rating:

Nobody Puts Babymouse In the Corner
I Love Babymouse
Babymouse Rocks!!

Babymouse #5: Heartbreaker (Babymouse)
Jennifer Holm , and Matt Holm
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375837981
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

AHHH, VALENTINE'S DAY! Babymouse loves Valentines Day! A day for pink hearts! Flowers! Candy! School dances and romance . . . sweet
romance! WAIT! Romance? Ew! And what's this about a school dance? Does that mean Babymouse needs a date? Uh-oh! Looks like this
Valentine's Day may turn into a Valentine's dud! Will Babymouse go to the school dance? Will she get any Valentines? Will she find true love? Find out in . . . Babymouse: Heartbreaker!

Customer Reviews:

Nobody Puts Babymouse In the Corner.......2007-02-20

Here is a typical day in my library. I set out four or five copies of the newest "Babymouse" series around 10:00 a.m. on the graphic novel shelf. Around 11:00 a.m. a patron of the girl-like persuasion will ask if we have any copies of "Babymouse" in. With falsely swelled head I will lead the patron to the place I last put the series, only to find every single last stinking copy is gone gone goneski. I'm trying to give you some kind of an idea of just how popular this series has proved to be. Whether your patron is a newbie to the series and wants, "Babymouse: Queen of the World", or has read every last single installment in the series up to "Babymouse: Rock Star", I can assure you that if you purchase, "Babymouse: Heartbreaker", you're simply setting yourself up to loose your copy to a fanatic fan pronto. Are you a librarian desperately in need of higher use stats? Meet the solution to all your woes. In this particular book in the series we see our plucky heroine doing what she does best. Eating cupcakes (though not as many as she might have), thinking about boys in an off-hand fashion, and dreaming up impossible fabulous dreams.

It's Babymouse's faaaavorite holiday of all time. Can you guess what it is? Here's a hint: It involves pink. That's right. Valentine's Day is nigh and Babymouse has a lot on her mind. For one thing, it seems that her elementary school is having a dance and trusty standby Wilson is going with someone else. Suddenly Babymouse needs a date, but nobody is coming to mind. Either everyone's already taken or they're not interested in going. Even the creature that lives in her locker is giving her grief on the subject. In the end, Babymouse decides to go to the ball all by herself. Fortunately for her, there's somebody there who thinks she's absolutely fabulous. Someone she may have overlooked (or vice-versa).

I think part of the reason I love the "Babymouse" books as much as I do is that they've converted me to pink. I used to think that pink was a girly color. In the 1980s I was all about the hot pink (preferably paired with electric blue or just black) and even had a Pogo Ball in that color. Then I got older and eschewed my earlier love of the shade. Now the team of Holm & Holm have come up with a way of making me love pink all over again. And unlike other children's books of limited palettes (like the "Olivia" books, for one), at no point does Matthew Holm betray me and introduce another color like, oh say, electric blue. There's also the fact that when it comes to the art, "Babymouse" books are misleadingly simple. They look easy enough. But as you can see by "Heartbreaker", there's a fabulous moment when Babymouse has a crises of confidence and the page is just of her curled up from a distance with the only light a pinkish hue crosshatched through her bedroom window. It's pink noir at its finest.

Why You Should Buy This Book: In one of her dream sequences, Babymouse is dancing with Duckie on a dance floor. Duckie, at the same time, is saying (and I am not making this up), "Nobody puts Babymouse in the corner". Come ON, people! How can you resist that? And did I mention the peculiar fact that in her fantasies Babymouse sometimes ends up as a guy? When she decides to go to the dance by herself she suddenly envisions a "Gone With the Wind"-type situation in which one character is Scarlett O'Hara and Babymouse is, oddly enough, Rhett. I'd say that raises the bar on original characterizations, wouldn't you?

As with the other "Babymouse" books, there are the old standbys. Cupcakes. A snarky narrator who discusses various situations with our heroine. Dream sequences ah-plenty. And, of course, the locker creature who gets quite a lot of page time in this book. In the end it doesn't matter if this is the first Babymouse book a kid reads or the last. It'll definitely whet their whistle for future installments. Babymouse forever!

I Love Babymouse.......2007-02-13

Babymouse is an indomitable girl mouse who attends school (apparently early middle school) with a variety of other animals and has an adoring younger brother at home. Babymouse also has a rich fantasy life and a wry sense of humor. She has contentious relationships with the monster in her locker and with the narrator of her stories.

As this installment begins, Valentine's Day is approaching. Babymouse dreams of romance - flowers and candy and cupcakes and "cute heart outfits". When she learns that her school will be having a Valentine's Day dance, she puts all of her optimism and energy into getting a date. The results, sad to say, are less than impressive.

Even in her own fantasies, Babymouse is the kind of girl who falls when running down the steps of the palace at midnight and, bruised and battered, mutters "Typical". She kisses a frog, and he turns into ... a snake. She tries to become more feminine, with make-up and freshly curled whiskers, and she looks ridiculous. Even her own "mirror mirror on the wall" laughs at her.

Babymouse has to watch all of the other girls get dates, while there is, apparently, no one for her. But the thing about Babymouse, the thing that makes her stories so worth buying for all of the 7 to 10 year old girls in your life, is that she never quits. And in the end, she triumphs.

As in the other books, the illustrations (all pink and white and black) are hilarious. My favorite from this one is after Babymouse has her makeover. There's a random picture of space creatures, in a spaceship, watching video from earth. And one of them is lying on his back, feet high in the air. The caption is "I don't know, Commander - he was looking at something on Earth and he just fell over." And you see a tiny picture of Babymouse, on the viewscreen, looking dejected. It's priceless! There's also an amusing riff on the movie Dirty Dancing (I'll bet if you think about it for a minute, you can guess).

Underneath the over-the-top graphic novel format, Babymouse: Heartbreaker tackles issues that every girl can relate to. Who hasn't wanted to be invited to a school dance, but not been asked? Who hasn't daydreamed about receiving flowers, cards and chocolates, but gone home empty-handed? But Babymouse doesn't give up, and neither will her readers. This installment of the series is a must-read for Babymouse fans. And if you know any young girls out there who aren't familiar with Babymouse, I ask you to think seriously about introducing her to them. Happy Valentine's Day!

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on February 12, 2007.

Babymouse Rocks!!.......2007-02-13

"Babymouse: Heartbreaker" is No. 5 in the rockin' Babymouse series.

Young Babymouse is at it again--daydreaming, struggling with her locker, and trying to fit in with her peers at school.

This time, however, in the fifth installment of the Babymouse series, the Holms have thrown the worst of school indignities--the school dance--Babymouse's way.

A school dance leads to plenty of good daydreaming. Cinderella, handsome princes, makeovers, spectacular feats on the dance floor. It also leads to plenty of real life heartbreak when a "Glamourmouse" makeover fails and no one asks Babymouse to the dance.

Now what I really love about the Babymouse series is that Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm don't reach for the easy solutions. And, they don't pander to their audience by choosing romantic, cliched endings. Instead, an off-panel voice suggests to Babymouse that she might ask someone to the dance. And she gives it a go. And FAILS, as one might fail in real life. Then, an off-panel voice suggests she attend the dance by herself. Babymouse scratches her head and says, "Myself? I can do that?" Yes, she can and does. You go, girl! (Or, er, mouse.)

My favorite parts of the Babymouse books are always those set in school. In this Valentine's Day offering, we're told "School was not a very romantic place" and Matthew Holm's characteristic pink and black panels show glum-looking "children" getting off the bus, hands on backpack straps. Indeed. At least there's Babymouse to brighten the day. Every school library should have multiple sets.

Average customer rating:

Least Favorite Robards Book
Excellent Romantic Suspense Novel!
Good start-bad ending
Dynamite and chilling
Robards' best, by far...

Heartbreaker
Karen Robards
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Romance | Subjects | Books

Romantic Suspense | Romance | Subjects | Books

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

One Summer
Walking After Midnight
The Midnight Hour
Ghost Moon
Paradise County

ASIN: 0385310382
Release Date: 1996-12-01

Book Description

A woman.  Her teenage daughter.  A handsome, laid-back, chauvinistic rancher.  And the savagery of unseen forces at large in the mountain wilds of Utah.  New York Times bestselling author Karen Robards is here at her passionate best as she tracks the perils of the wilderness, the hidden face of violence, and--most awesome of all--the powerful feelings that evolve between men and women when lives are at stake.

Lynn Nelson is beautiful, harried--and divorced.  A thirty-five-year-old single mother, she agrees to help chaperone her teenage daughter Rory and nineteen other girls on a wilderness trip.  It seems pretty simple at first: the trip is sponsored by Adventure Incorporated, the weather is fine, and nothing is more troublesome than the minor skirmishes that sometimes flare up between girls and their mothers.

Except that there's more lurking along these mountain trails than adolescent hormones.  Lynn and Rory find themselves set apart from the rest of the group, with only outfitter Jess Feldman for protection--he with the blazing baby blues, and the more than slightly macho attitude that women can't handle the outdoors.  Normally Jess would be protection enough, but surrounding the trio is a danger far more menacing than any of them realizes--the face of an unknown and all too real evil is at large.  As this terrifying ordeal plays itself out, the sparks that fly between Jess and Lynn make for a passion every bit as dramatic as the twisted trails of the majestic Uinta mountain range.

Customer Reviews:

Least Favorite Robards Book.......2006-08-21

I bought this book after reading the reviews here and also because I've enjoyed the last three Robards books I've read. This one was not at all as enjoyable to me as the other three I read (Superstition, Whispers at Midnight and Paradise County). Maybe I'm just not a wilderness or cowboy kind of girl because the romance aspect was just ok to me, and the supense, while some parts were pretty good, mostly bored me. I just didn't care for this one, but I love Karen Robards normally so I'll continue to keep reading herbooks.

Excellent Romantic Suspense Novel!.......2003-08-01

Karen Robards is one of my favorite authors and this is one of her best books in my opinion. I was hooked from the first page.

This review is short and sweet. If you like romantic suspense, check this book out!

Good start-bad ending.......2002-06-26

This Robard's book was a disappointment. The first half held me in its grasp, making me want to read faster and faster but I could only shake my head once the good guys and bad guys met. From that point, it became unrealistic. Did not care for the "end of the world" scenario and how conveniently everything happened for the good guys. For example, when the good guys were cornered and going to be killed, oops, the rock plateau falls and all but one terrorist is killed and this one happens to think that maybe his associates might have been mistaken in their beliefs. Get real! Sorry Karen, I love most of your action/thrillers but this was a major dissapointment.

Dynamite and chilling.......2002-05-08

This is my favorite type of book ~ romantic suspense with a slightly religious element, and a sexy hero that I fell in love with.

My friend told me I would love this book and she was 1000% right. It's awesome.

Karen Robards wove her spell around me so that I couldn't stop reading. I almost missed a day of work I was up so late reading to the very end.

She interlaces story, character, and style with such ease that I didn't merely read the book, I lived and breathed it.

Robards' best, by far..........2002-04-07

A hometown fan, I've read all of Robards' books in a few months after discovering "Paradise County" in our local Target store. "Heartbreaker" is the best -- a delicious, fast-paced read with rich characters and delightful banter. I've actually given this book to several friends as gifts.

Also consider my second favorite, "Walking After Midnight." Both are what I call "pursuit" books, where the main characters are on the run, making for a heart-racing read where the main characters are better developed (the storylines focus on survival, street-smarts and the steamy romances that can grow in the process).

One in a Million (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1543)
Average customer rating:
One in a Million (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1543)
Susan Mallery
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Silhouette Special Edition | Series | Romance | Subjects | Books
Mallery, Susan | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Quinn's Woman (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1557) Quinn's Woman (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1557)

Good Husband Material (Hometown Heartbreakers)

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Part - Time Wife (That Special Woman) (Hometown Heartbreakers)

Hometown Heartbreakers (By Request 3's) Hometown Heartbreakers (By Request 3's)

ASIN: 0373245432

Quinn's Woman (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1557)
Average customer rating:
Quinn's Woman (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1557)
Susan Mallery
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Silhouette Special Edition | Series | Romance | Subjects | Books
Mallery, Susan | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

One in a Million (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1543)

Completely Smitten (Hometown Heartbreakers)

Good Husband Material (Hometown Heartbreakers)

Part - Time Wife (That Special Woman) (Hometown Heartbreakers)

Hometown Heartbreakers (By Request 3's) Hometown Heartbreakers (By Request 3's)

ASIN: 0373245572

Average customer rating:

Great stories about a great family!

Hometown Heartbreakers (By Request 3's)
Susan Mallery
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Romance | Subjects | Books
Mallery, Susan | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Part - Time Wife (That Special Woman) (Hometown Heartbreakers)

Quinn's Woman (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1557) Quinn's Woman (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1557)

Good Husband Material (Hometown Heartbreakers)

One in a Million (Hometown Heartbreakers) (Silhouette Special Edition, No. 1543)

Completely Smitten (Hometown Heartbreakers)

ASIN: 0373185154

Book Description

The men next door never looked so good!

Who are these local heroes who are proving irresistible to these just-passing-through women?

He's a sexy sheriff who's avoided commitment all his life -- until he finds himself captivated by a single mother with a tragic secret, in The Best Bride.

He's a former bad-boy-turned-deputy who meets his old high school crush -- and her three kids! -- in Father in Training.

He's an undercover agent posing as a captivating drifter -- not to mention the "husband" of his biggest, most beautiful nemesis -- in Husband by the Hour.

HOMETOWN HEARTBREAKERS:
They're homegrown and ready to steal your heart . . .

Customer Reviews:

Great stories about a great family!.......2003-06-21

This book has 3 great romances is it.
The first book is about Travis Haynes, the sherriff of Glenwood. He helps a single mom in distress and despite his past, falls in love with her and her daughter.

The second book is about Kyle Haynes, deputy of Glenwood. He is the youngest Haynes brother and when his high school crush (with her 3 kids) buys the house near him he sees his second chance.

The third book is about the long-lost half sister of the Haynes clan. She goes to Glenwood with a hired husband, thinking that her mother is dying. When she gets there she is surprised that the entire Haynes clan is there to welcome her and her mother is far from ill. She starts to fall for the hired husband who she thinks is a criminal but is really an undercover cop.

The things I liked about these books were that every character has some issues and they all fight to overcome them. Despite their troubled childhood they come together as a family and their love for each other shines through. I know that there are other books in the series and I think they belong in between these books. I'm not sure of the order they go in but I think there are probably one or two in between the second and third books in this 3 in 1 Hometown Heartbreakers.

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