Come Lie with Me by Linda Howard
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Classic Howard

FINAL DECISION: I enjoyed this story although the lack of insight into Blake’s thoughts made this less memorable than other similar stories.

THE STORY: Dione Kelley is a physical therapist who is dedicated to her profession. She also uses it to keep a distance between herself and other people. Having a miserable childhood followed by a disaster of a marriage, Dione keeps herself apart. Her newest client is Brent Remington, a handsome adventurous man until a horrible accident leaves him unable to walk. Dione and Brent begin to have a connection which undermines Dione’s walls even as she knows that it is wrong to get involved with a client.

OPINION: I liked the premise of this story. And I really liked Dione’s story arc. Especially for the time, the story feels relevant. I also really enjoyed the story of Brent’s recovery from his injuries. It demonstrates what a professional Dione is, how smart and clever she is. My only complaint is that because the story does not give us anything from Brent’s perspective, he feels distant to me throughout the story. I prefer books that give both points of view because it makes both characters relatable. I liked the story but it did not feel memorable to me.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book was originally published in the early 1980s as a category romance. However, the book feels less dated (except for no cell phones) because Dione is so independent.

CONNECTED BOOKS: COME LIE WITH ME is a standalone.

STAR RATING: I give this book 3.5 stars.

Against the Rules by Linda Howard
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Second Chance at Love

“I want you to stay this time.”

FINAL DECISION: An older book which shows its age in the acceptance of a sexual relationship between a 17 year old and a man of 28 but also because the heroine’s annoyingly passive actions. At the same time, I liked the well paced story and the hot romance.

THE STORY: Cathryn Ashe inherited the ranch from her father but has stayed away for years. Eight years ago, she ended up giving her innocence to Rule Jackson, the ranch foreman, and she has been running from their torrid relationship ever since. Now a widow, Cathryn intends on settling her business at the ranch quickly and returning to her life in Chicago. Rule has other ideas including a second chance with the woman that he has always wanted.

OPINION: I remembered this book fondly from when I read it years ago. Unfortunately, this book, unlike other classic Linda Howard books, has not aged gracefully. First, I was a bid appalled by the fact that Cathryn and Rule had their first sexual encounter when Cathryn was just seventeen years old and Rule was twenty-eight. I thought nothing of it years ago, but now it just feels creepy to me. But I put that aside because it was not uncommon to see such things in classic books of the time.

I really liked the intense romance between Rule and Cathryn. I thought they were always meant to be and I liked how these two finally came together. My biggest complaint about this book was Cathryn herself. She seemed incapable to acting like an adult despite her claims to now be mature. She owns the ranch and yet she refuses to act as an owner and yet is resentful about Rule’s taking charge. I wanted to scream at her “If you want to be the boss, stop acting like a wimpy child.” Her passive nature towards these things probably would not be written this way in a current book. Cathryn make so many bad choices that I can’t figure out why Rule wants her at all.

For me, this is one of those books that was better in the past.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book was original published as a category romance in the 1980s.

CONNECTED BOOKS: AGAINST THE RULES is a standalone book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 2 stars.

Overload by Linda Howard
My rating: 1.5 of 5 stars

Banal Characters and Storyline in this Novella.

FINAL DECISION: Pretty pointless story with characters that seemed two dimensional. I could guess the big secret from the beginning and it the heroine keeping the secret seemed pointless and neither character seemed to change during the story enough to make their happy ending seem earned.

THE STORY: Elizabeth Major broke off with Tom Quinlan six months ago because she felt he was controlling. An interior designer, Elizabeth’s business happens to be across the hall from Tom’s private investigation across the hall. During a blackout the two end up stranded and trapped together in the building. Tom wants another chance and intends on getting Elizabeth to divulge the secrets she is keeping.

OPINION: This story had promise but the characters were not interesting enough and their story not dramatic or emotional enough to justify the story. The entire drama comes from Elizabeth not telling Tom about her ex-husband and his treatment toward her. Once the secret is disclosed, the characters quickly resolved their problems. The story is one that I will probably forget by tomorrow. The only intriguing part of the story is the two main characters being locked in together in their office building during a heat wave and blackout. Good concept but the execution didn’t do anything with that great concept.

WORTH MENTIONING: I’ve got nothing.

CONNECTED BOOKS: OVERLOAD is a standalone novella.

STAR RATING: I give this book 1.5 stars.