I wouldn't have normally picked this up, but I did after I learned that Ivan is distantly related to Tami Hoag back when we first started dating. As I'm systematically clearing out the audiobooks on my Rhapsody, I finally arrived at this one, over two years later.As romances go, this one had some elements that I could relate to. The female protagonist worked with teenagers (and was often mistaken for a teenager herself), suffered migraines, and threw herself into her work so that she wouldn't have to deal with larger emotional issues. The way she was described even made me think she sounded quite attractive.I couldn't really get behind her romance with Senator Eric Gunther, though, maybe because I'm just totally turned off by the idea of dating a politician, or maybe because he was pretty two dimensional. There was nothing too spectacular about this book; the relationships and central conflict were pretty simplistic, and it was a little hard for me to swallow the sweeping declarations of love when the whole book took place within the space of a week. There was one unexpected twist at the end, but the book was weakened by the fact that it went on much longer than it needed to, and I got REALLY tired of the pity party the MC kept throwing for herself, convinced that she didn't "deserve" Eric because she'd been a troubled teen who'd made some mistakes, blah, blah, gag me why-is-lack-of-self-esteem supposed to be sexy?But, it was a romance, and it followed the tropes of romance, and I don't really like romances, so it gets three stars despite its shortcomings because it was nice to have a short, light read after "The Informant," and because it won't stick in my head for being awful, either.
3 STARSLynn Shaw has been working to atone for her messy past. She's a successful counselor for a group home for runaway teenage girls. Girls that have problems that she could relate to. But difficulties arise when she and the homes' caretakers make a move into a new neighborhood. The residents, particularly one man with a mission, are against the safehouse's relocation. That's until state senator, Erik Gunther makes it his mission to stand behind the safehouse and it's occupants. He's intrigued by Lynn, drawn to her, but she's refusing to let him in. Over a course of a few weeks Erik and Lynn work closely together and she soon realizes that her feelings for Erik threaten to undermine her determination to never let him in. But he's persistent and knows what he wants, now if only to convince Lynn of the same.This was sweet, easy to read and had a very fairytale-ish vibe going on. 3 stars for me means I liked the book, nothing extraordinary but I still thought it was good. Erik was a very determined man, never giving up on a hard as nails Lynn. He defined for her what it meant to want something. But her fear held her back, at times ridiculously so. Her reasons for trying to stay away from him were understandable, but eventually I became tired of her stubbornness. Thank goodness Erik didn't! It really paid off for them in more ways than one. There was a thread of suspense weaved through the book and I was shocked to see how it played out and who the culprit was.This was also a fast read, about 200 pages or so. It flowed well but lacked what I would imagine would make a book a 4 or 5 star read. Still, enjoyable and sweet with a touching HEA.
Do You like book The Last White Knight (2006)?
The good thing about this book, is that it is quick to read. This however does not distract from the utter dated dross it is. The main character is weak and wet. The "hero" is 2 dimensional and "hunky". This book was written in the early nineties and the complete lack of Girl Power is overwhelming.I picked this up at the library looking at the author's name, rather than the cover (I was in a rush!). I've enjoyed her suspense novels previously, and I'm pleased she moved on from this awful mess to doing what she does so well.Horrible. Awful. Weak
—Nicola
Horizon House would have to close, and causes are many, ranging due to housing shortages. Protesters were lined up outside Horizon...sets out with the beginnings-with a darkest narrative and from the plot of being in counselor Lynn Shaw’s-life-throughout this story, I feel, though I never protested in Citizens for Family Neighborhoods, by opinion (I would feel nimble, with it’s thin filled character outlines, i.e. Father Bartholomew is a surprising and supportive character, one who mettles; Gunther is one who’s showing intimately Lynn Shaw’s acknowledging of his dedication towards Horizon House breaking trend his social work as senator; Lynn Shaw lost her mother while young, but had her father and sister’s comfort, she organized a life of her own;) it fits into a perfect setting with more than normal situations that infatuated the reader about personal relationship. And without refining for the important molten components of this story, it had its good points, and also oddly its not as bad good points. How can someone in a situation in saving a house be so impaired then a woman, who flutters at her first seeing—Erik Gunther a state senator?
—Arthur
