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Paradise County (2001)

Paradise County (2001)

Book Info

Author
Genre
Rating
3.8 of 5 Votes: 4
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ISBN
0671786466 (ISBN13: 9780671786465)
Language
English
Publisher
simon & schuster inc

About book Paradise County (2001)

I wish I could put it into words how much I loved this book! I read it in a day and-a-half, it was that good. I could't put it down, even though I was trying to force myself to- ah I just couldn't!The rolling fields of Shelby County are home to some of the finest horseflesh and bluest blood in Kentucky. With it's rural beauty and tranquil lifestyle, it is easy to see why the locals call it Paradise County. But beneath the serene exterior lies a dark underside, and an evil that threatens everyone who touches it.Alexandra Haywood and her younger sister, Neely, have always loved Whistledown, the family's magnificent Shelby County horse farm. After their billionaire father's sudden and tragic death, the devastated Alex returns to Whistledown to try to make peace with her memories- and to oversee the sell of their gorgeous home. For the family fortune is now a shambles and, like everything else the Haywoods own, Whistledown has to go. But Joe Welch, the sexy, handsome farm manage, refuses to cooperate. When Alex fires him, he tells her he has an unbreakable contract that can't be let go.For years Joe has worked to make Whistledown's stables flourish while he struggled to keep his own dreams alive, and no rich rhymes-with-witch is going to threaten his livelihood- or his family life. Ever since his wife betrayed him years ago, Joe has raised his three kids alone and did it damn well. Now, his always dependable sixteen-year-old son Eli has become hopelessly infatuated with teenage while child Neely. Joe refuses to let his boy get caught up with Neely- a nose stud and penchant for illegal substances among her less desirable traits- and he tells Alex in no uncertain terms.Sparks of rage give way to a fiery attraction when Joe and Alex meet head-on. But just as a volatile passion begins flaring up between the, the discovery of a shocking murder with ties to the past rocks the county- and cuts frighteningly close to home when Neely and Eli disappear.Alex and Joe have only each other to rely on as they search frantically for their loved ones. What they don't know is that they are racing against time, too. Because the evil that lurks beneath the bucolic surface of Paradise County has once again raised its gruesome head- and now Alex is targeted as the next victim.Plot - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ As you can see by how many stars I gave it, I loved the plot! I loved the plot big time! The plot, it was something I had never read before and that was refreshing to me. It was nice to read something that was original, well to me anyway. I give the plot five stars!Writing - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ The writing was good, but it was missing that certain something, that usually is missing in a lot of books. I can't really put my finger on it, but something was missing... I give the writing four stars!Characters - ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Okay I can only say I loved all the characters BIG time! The characters were real to me and I loved them for that! It's always a plus in a book when you feel as if you know the characters and you feel as if your in the story with them...! I give the characters five stars!Alexandra 'Alex' Haywood - I loved Alexandra for her pride and her stubbornness! When she didn't want to do something, or she set her mind to something, no one could change her mind.Joe Welch - The farm manager of Whistledown. Handsome, sexy and strong...enough said. I loved him for his hardheadedness and loving nature towards his family!Eli Welch - Joe's oldest and near look-at-like. Hot (well to Neely anyway) athletic and strong. I loved him for just cute and adorable!Cornelia 'Neely' Haywood - I liked her cocky attitude and always thinking she knew best, and that she was never wrong about anything. Even though she did get on my nerves a little I still couldn't help liking her!Joshua 'Josh' Welch - Joe's second oldest and the attitude of the Welch family. Joe is worried that Josh will end up getting into trouble when he is older, and to be honest...I don't blame him.Jenny Welch - Joe's youngest and only little girl. She's sweet and kind and one smart ass kid!Cary Welch - Father of Joe and ex-horsetrainer. A Drunk and a very loving grandpa!Overall I give this book ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ - nothing more and nothing less!

Do You like book Paradise County (2001)?

I bought this for merely 25 pesos, and for its price, this surely was a very decent read. I wanted to read some romance and perhaps a bit of a thrill, and apparently Paradise County is the only romantic suspense that I have left. (I do need to start buying new books.)Let's start with the romance. The tension at the beginning was nice, and as a reader, it really made you want to go on reading to see how things would end up. With the way Joe and Alex disliked each other when they first met (or technically, their second meeting), you'd think they wouldn't plausibly have fallen in love with one another anytime soon. But somehow or another they did, and it was interesting to read about the things that happened in between that gap. Indeed, the tension was too thick, especially in that shower scene. Alex's sexual awakening and the way her thoughts went were suspenseful, since it made me curious the entire time whether she'd actually act out on her impulses. The way her desires and thoughts were presented then was quite realistic and forceful, and I really could feel what she was feeling. And, days later, when she actually walked to Joe and kissed him, I was shocked and at the same time impressed with her courage. However, when the two finally began to be aware of each other (primarily after the scene mentioned above), the tension had dropped immensely, and I didn't find the romance between them as interesting as before. This continued until the end of the novel.Now let's move to the suspense. Well, I was disappointed. Apart from the occasional scenes from the killer's point-of-view, there was hardly any thrill at all. I didn't get the sensation that I was seeking--that fingers-ramming-on-the-table and heart-hammering-against-the-chest kind of suspense. Too bad. It was mainly about Alex and her attraction to Joe, her paranoia in Whistledown, and so on. I was thoroughly disappointed that the romance and the suspense wasn't balanced, which should have been the case.The characters? I didn't like Alex most of the time. I think she was a bit dull in the head, especially in times of distress. Neely could be very annoying, definitely not the kind of person I wish I knew. Eli and Josh were too 2-dimensional for my taste, and there was little development on their part. I think I like Joe best.I have a few other comments. It was very predictable when Paul called her that the reason had something to do with their break-up. Or maybe that's just me, but I was able to guess it outright. Oh, and the way the universe just seems to favor Alex? It was plain annoying (as I've said, the break-up; and then the fact that they suddenly had to stay to the country for at least three weeks to develop her chemistry with Joe). I had some trouble with her prose, too. It was too flowery, and I believe Karen Robards could have done a great job eliminating those unnecessary description and adjectives. Which brings me, she has this tendency to spend a very lengthy paragraph just to describe the physical appearance of her characters. Okay. How many times did you think you have to mention about Alex being so gorgeous, beautiful, sexy, and Joe being so "mouthwateringly handsome," and "sex on a stick", before we understood? We got the gist already.But despite that, I think Paradise County is okay because in some instances it got me hooked, and perhaps a bit excited about the romance too. I just thought that the conclusion messed up the whole thing. Sure, it was nice that Neely had a time to prove herself and to showcase her courage, but...the ending could have been better. It was very anti-climactic, especially when the killer just suddenly decided to set his lair on fire and escape (which was pretty stupid for him, too, if he really were as evil and cunning as he appeared to be). Then, in the next chapter, everything was okay. All of a sudden, things were already back in place. I could do with more suspense, I suppose. And the ending was just too abrupt. I was expecting more, I was wishing she'd tie the loose knots in the conclusion, but Karen Robards didn't. Anyway, I think I've been torturing this little paperback way more than I should have, but well, I was just hoping that I would really, really like this one.
—Anne

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