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Merciless

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 810 ratings · 115 reviews

Can she convince a man to let down his defenses when he's set on guarding his heart?"Tall, dark and eligible?"

That's all that matters to the women of Jacobsville when it comes to handsome and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his efficient and reliable assistant, Joceline Perry. Withou...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published July 26th 2011 by HQN Books (first published June 21st 2011)

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Aug 16, 2011 Lynsey A rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, secret-baby-child, child-children-involved, hardcover, ping-pong, 2011-reads

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 2 stars is generous. I didn't dislike the book but it really isn't anything to write home about. Oh how do I start? I just have to make a list:

1. The book was ridiculous.

2. The reasons for keeping the truth of Markie's parentage a secret were ludicrous and the whole idea that a deeply religious woman has to decide between carrying an illegitimate child or having an abortion is dumb! Heck, I'm not deeply religious but no way in this world would I terminate a pregnancy because I was worried the fa...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Alexis-Morgan Roark rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: virgins, meddling-mom, fbi, diana-palmer, secret-baby-now-child, pregnant-after-first-try

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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May 18, 2013 Savannah rated it 1 of 5 stars

OK, I think me and Ms. Palmer need to part ways. I listen to books while at work everyday and I don't think hers are good enough for me to justify all the talking to myself and character irritation I deal with while listening.

The heroine...good grief. Her irreverantattitude with the boss/love interest was completely at odds with her prudish, stick up the butt attitude. At one point, I checked the publication date because this book is completely out of step with ANYTHING published in the last 20...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Kristi rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book had a lot of potential that was, among other things, lost in the authors insistence on putting personal beliefs above character development and plot. Did we really need to have two separate conversations about the evils of child car seats? Can we get a tally of how many times 'out-of-wedlock' and 'illegitimate' are associated with the main female character? The 'romance' is laughable since the development of any kind of 'romantic' relationship doesn't being until well past the mid-poin...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Cheryl Mclaws rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This was my first Diana Palmer book and...I had some issues with it. Generally the story was ok. I liked the characters and I was smiling at the end, but the secret that Joceline was keeping from Jon was SUPER obvious from the very beginning. I knew what was going on. Also, I found the story really redundant. Joceline was CONSTANTLY bemoaning the fact that she was poor, or that she was on a budget, or that she couldn't afford anything more than the bare mininmum. I understand what that's like. I...more This was my first Diana Palmer book and...I had some issues with it. Generally the story was ok. I liked the characters and I was smiling at the end, but the secret that Joceline was keeping from Jon was SUPER obvious from the very beginning. I knew what was going on. Also, I found the story really redundant. Joceline was CONSTANTLY bemoaning the fact that she was poor, or that she was on a budget, or that she couldn't afford anything more than the bare mininmum. I understand what that's like. I live it. But I don't bring it up in EVERY conversation or think about it ALL the time. Also, the fact that Jon's brother's wife and daughter were killed was brought up every chapter, along with how they were killed and who killed them. By the third or fourth chapter I began to wonder if the author thought we were all a bunch of idiots who immediately forgot all the important parts of the story as soon as one chapter ends and need to be reminded AGAIN in the next. Kind of annoying.

I also didn't understand why Jon only referred to his brother by his last name. That was weird for me. Along with how he only referred to his mom by her name instead of "mom." I realize now (after finishing) that there was a previous story about Jon's brother that probably explains those things, but some of the redundancy with Joceline and the previous murders could have been taken out and a note put in about that for those of us who picked up this book without reading the first one. This clearly needs to be marked as part of a series because there were things I was missing having not read the other ones.

Also, the persecution Joceline receives for being a single mom?? Was this book written in the last century? Don't get me wrong, I am a religious person and have strong values, but in this day in age having a child out of wedlock is NO BIG DEAL. Plus, the people who were giving her grief about it had NO RIGHT to be questioning her or have any business judging her. I didn't understand...

My last issue was Markie. A big fuss was put in to the book about how bad the little boy's asthma was and how he had to be hospitalized all the time. I know there are many different causes for asthma (I have multiple siblings and a nephew with it) but I found it a little odd that with how big a deal Joceline was always making out of it, that she had no thought about how it would affect her son's health when they had to go to Jon's ranch in Oklahoma for a few days. The stress of a new environment, new plants and pollen, and the animals on the ranch didn't have ANY ill effect on him?? Color me skeptical....(less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Kari rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, audiobook

Let me first say to publishers out there, PLEASE start telling us readers when a book is part of a series. This book was not clearly not a stand alone novel. There were so many references to books that came before this one that it was hard to follow it at times. There were also too many characters and it was hard to keep them straight. I didn't even have a hope of figuring out any of the mystery because I felt like I was missing too much back story. But I digress...

Honestly, I'm not sure why I f...more Let me first say to publishers out there, PLEASE start telling us readers when a book is part of a series. This book was not clearly not a stand alone novel. There were so many references to books that came before this one that it was hard to follow it at times. There were also too many characters and it was hard to keep them straight. I didn't even have a hope of figuring out any of the mystery because I felt like I was missing too much back story. But I digress...

Honestly, I'm not sure why I finished this book. I have never read a book by this author before, so I thought I would try it out. When it was finished, all I could think was how bad it was. I think I rolled my eyes after every chapter. How bad was this book? Let me count the ways. The heroine, Joceline, has a son and the father is not in the picture. The book was written in 2011. After having numerous characters mention that she has a child out of *gasp* wedlock, I had to check back to make sure this wasn't a re-issue. Really? Do people really care in this day and age? I was surprised that this was such a huge issue in a book written in this time period. The identity of the father was so obvious from the start that I can't understand why he didn't figure it out along with the rest of the world. Talk about clueless. The way he figured it out was very giggle worthy because it was so ridiculous.

I really feel like this one could have been a short story. There were so many unnecessary and boring conversations that they started to feel like filler to make the book longer. Most of them did nothing to advance the mystery or love story and really should have been edited out. That also includes all of the pop culture references. Nothing ages a book more than references to popular games or TV shows of the time in which the book is written. In my opinion, this makes it harder for it to survive the test of time. Also, the characters kept adding in small facts about things during "casual" conversations. They started to sound like walking encyclopedias. Who does that?

Let us not forget the characters. I think Markey (the son who is 4, yet acts and sounds like he is 10) was the only one who really had any personality. The mother, Cammie, was such a witch. Her hatred for Joceline was way over the top. When it is finally revealed why she felt this way toward Joceline, I was puzzled. I felt the reason should make her more sympathetic and understanding toward Joceline. Also, I had a hard time believing that a federal agent would allow his own mother to verbally abuse his administrative assistant. Especially when, later in the book, John and Jocelyn have a conversation about bullying. Isn't that just what his mother is doing to her? John was just way too passive for my taste. He wasn't even a beta male in my eyes.

I think I should stop my rant now. Trust me, I could go on and on. I always try to find something positive in a book. So, I will say that the twist at the end was a nice touch. Also, some of the banter between the Hero and Heroine was amusing. It just wasn't enough to save the book for me. Will I read another by her? Probably, but I think I'll start back at the beginning. 30+ (?) books back! *sigh*(less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Rowena rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review

I've never read anything by Diana Palmer and I've been meaning to so when this book came up for review, I wanted to give it a go. It didn't take too long for me to read this book, it was easy to jump right in and that's exactly what I did.

This book follows Jon Blackhawk as he finds himself falling for his secretary, Jocely Perry. She's a very capable secretary (administrative assistant if you prefer) but she's been going through some stuff lately, having to do with her son and so it's been getti...more I've never read anything by Diana Palmer and I've been meaning to so when this book came up for review, I wanted to give it a go. It didn't take too long for me to read this book, it was easy to jump right in and that's exactly what I did.

This book follows Jon Blackhawk as he finds himself falling for his secretary, Jocely Perry. She's a very capable secretary (administrative assistant if you prefer) but she's been going through some stuff lately, having to do with her son and so it's been getting in the way of her work schedule and Jon is starting to worry. It's not like Jocelyn to take the day off without calling him to let him know but when she does, Jon knows something is wrong.

The thing about this book was that even though it wasn't hard for me to follow along with what was going on in the book, I never really connected with any of the characters in this book. It bummed me out because the story itself isn't a bad story but the characters were hard to connect with. The way that this story is told, it doesn't leave much for you to want to connect with. The story is told at you, not once did I feel like I was a part of the story.

Far too many times while I was reading this book did I shake my head at one thing after another. The way Jon's Mom treated Jocelyn, with all of that hostility, the way that Jon forgives Jocelyn so fast after finding out the truth about Mark, the way that they all instantly became a family with no kind of well, anything. There was plenty of conflict but I didn't feel like any of the conflicts were actual conflicts because they were all written away so fast. It was like, the story was told in a, this happened and that happened and then they lived happily ever after. I kept reading the book, hoping that it would get better and it never really did.

Everything happened, everything wrapped and then the story ended. I wanted more from this book. I wanted to connect with the characters, I wanted a little more groveling from everyone before everything wrapped up nice and tidy at the end. I never got that and my enjoyment of the book suffered because of it. When I closed the book, I felt like the book could have gotten better if I was more emotionally involved with the characters but because I wasn't, the book just turned out to be okay.(less)

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Oct 31, 2011 Romancing the Book rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: western, romance, romantic-suspense

Review by Molly: I must say this first: WOW! Where on earth have I been that I haven't read a Diana Palmer novel before?! I guess I must have been in a cave, but now I'm out and am SO happy to have read this novel. When I chose it to review, I couldn't wait to jump into it. Boy, was I glad I did, too!

Merciless is a wonderfully written novel, and Palmer's characters jump at the reader and hook them into the heart of the story with them. The reader is instantly pulled in and taken on the whirl wi...more

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Oct 15, 2011 Brandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been reading about Long, Tall Texas and Jacobsville, Texas for a long time and this is the first time, in a long time, that I was pleased to be travelling back in the direction. Diana Palmer's books are like a lode stone: you can't stay away from them. As a fan, you already know the structure of the story and pretty much how everything goes down but you just keep on coming back. I picked up Merciless from the local library and thought "WTH?" I had been waiting to find out what was going...more I have been reading about Long, Tall Texas and Jacobsville, Texas for a long time and this is the first time, in a long time, that I was pleased to be travelling back in the direction. Diana Palmer's books are like a lode stone: you can't stay away from them. As a fan, you already know the structure of the story and pretty much how everything goes down but you just keep on coming back. I picked up Merciless from the local library and thought "WTH?" I had been waiting to find out what was going on with Jon Blackhawk and Joceline for a long time. Palmer manages to create these larger than life men in her books that make you always come back for more. I was not disappointed. In fact, I was surprised that I liked the book so much. Jon Blackhawk and his administrative assistant Joceline have been verbal sparring partners for several years and they would be lost without one another. They have been dancing around each other for a long time and a killer on the loose is going to finally bring them together.

Joceline has been working as Jon Blackhawk's case cracking, non-coffee-making paralegal for five years and Jon still doesn't know very much about her. She keeps her life away from the office private and he has never met her young son. He can't seem to figure her out or his attraction to her. For Joceline, Jon is the ultimate untouchable man: he's handsome, rich and powerful. And he's her boss. She knows she can't have him in her life, so she keeps her feelings well hidden behind her insults and know-it-all attitude. I love the easy chemistry that these two have; nothing seems forced and they seem more like equals that someone Palmer's other characters. There are the economic differences but Joceline is no victim, as I felt some of Palmer's other female characters have been. When a man who Jon convicted is released from prison and threatens their lives, Joceline doesn’t t take this lying down. No curling up in a corner to cry, she tries to solve the crime. She makes a wonderful hero.
In true Diana Palmer fashion, the romance is grand and the sensuality milder than most modern romances. However, it is always a satisfying and appropriate. The last book I read by Palmer was Dangerous and I didn’t even finish it. It just seemed like too much of the same but I’m coming to realize that her formula works and works very well. This book was a nice change from my current reading trend of paranormals and super steamy novels.
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Oct 15, 2011 Vashti rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: DP fans

What to say?I am a long time Diana Palmer fan since she started writing in the old Silhoute romance line.She has a formula and sticks to it,you know what you are going to read when you open the pages.That said,I brought this book to read on my Nook because it is so much cheaper than the HB version.I liked this story alot.It was old fashioned romance as only Diana Palmer can write.AT times though ,I felt that I was in infomational land as the characters tells you everything about the particular t...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Brenda Casto rated it 4 of 5 stars

It has been several years since I read anything by Diana Palmer, but after reading Merciless I am thinking I need to catch up on what she has written.
This story revolves around Jon Blackhawk and his assistant Joceline. Jon is a thirty year old FBI agent whose mother wants to help him find a wife, something he is dead set against. Joceline has been Jon's assistant for several years, and while they have a good work relationship, she is determined to keep her work life and personal life separate. S...more It has been several years since I read anything by Diana Palmer, but after reading Merciless I am thinking I need to catch up on what she has written.
This story revolves around Jon Blackhawk and his assistant Joceline. Jon is a thirty year old FBI agent whose mother wants to help him find a wife, something he is dead set against. Joceline has been Jon's assistant for several years, and while they have a good work relationship, she is determined to keep her work life and personal life separate. She has always been known as a very conservative person, but a few years back she had a son,Markie, and has always kept her son away from the office, only sharing the fact that Markie's father was killed in war before the two could get married. She is keeping a secret though, one that will change several lives. When one of Jon's enemies starts making threats against not only him and his family but Joceline and Markie as well, he wants to protect them by taking them to his ranch, and while there Jon and Joceline's feelings heat up! Can they figure out who is making the threats, and what happens when people around Jon start figuring out Joceline's secret?
This story was romance, drama, and mystery rolled into one. While I liked the characters, Joceline was a struggling single mother, whose secret really was very easy to figure out, and I was a bit surprised it took the secondary characters so long to get it. I felt that the attitude that Cammie had about Joceline being a single parent was repeated way to often, and was quite outdated as well. While I did enjoy the banter between Joceline and Jon, the bit about her not making coffee was another line that was really overused.Those few complaints aside, I found myself reading this book thru in one sitting, I always love a good romance, and the mystery and suspense of not knowing what might happen next made for an interesting story. The author does a great job of wrapping the book up nicely at the end.The author also provides the first chapter of her next book titled "Wyoming Tough," due out in Nov.2011, and if the first chapter is any indication it going to be a great book, one that I can't wait to read!
Overall if your looking for an entertaining read that will hold your attention for a few hours and are a fan of romance with a happily ever after ending then you just might enjoy this one.
rating 4/5
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Sep 22, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 2 of 5 stars

Sorry...

Readers have been fans of Diana Palmer for quite a while now. This is a woman who writes romance novels that have made the New York Times and USA Today’s bestseller lists. Her characters have become beloved in many romance sectors, however, this new one is a bit…dull.

Jon Blackhawk is one of those stunning, rigid, quiet lawmen who really wants to be left alone in his home of Jacobsville. He is an FBI agent who specializes in helping children and throwing kidnappers and child traffickers i...more Sorry...

Readers have been fans of Diana Palmer for quite a while now. This is a woman who writes romance novels that have made the New York Times and USA Today’s bestseller lists. Her characters have become beloved in many romance sectors, however, this new one is a bit…dull.

Jon Blackhawk is one of those stunning, rigid, quiet lawmen who really wants to be left alone in his home of Jacobsville. He is an FBI agent who specializes in helping children and throwing kidnappers and child traffickers in prison as fast as he possibly can. This is a man who is truly - well, the way he’s written - a saint, apparently. He is the ultimate bulldog when it comes to his job, and the rumor around town is that he has ‘saved himself’ for marriage.

His rich mother, Cammy, is a true bulldog as well. All she wants is for her son to marry and give her grandchildren. In order to do this, she sends some of the most ridiculous women straight into his office to try and woo him in order to get him down the aisle. These women want the big, tough guy, but all they seem to know about for conversation is haircuts, the latest fashion in Paris, and other things that Jon couldn’t care less about. On top of that, they all want to change Jon and make him stop playing so many video games like Halo, World of Warcraft, etc. Jon is fed up with his mother, especially since his half brother has just gotten remarried with a baby on the way; and as far as Jon is concerned, that should be enough.

Joceline, pretty much the only character with some serious backbone and sense of humor, is Jon’s paralegal and administrative assistant. There is no one smarter and no one better at her job. There is also no one better at sarcasm that she uses to get the little ‘princesses’ Cammy sends, out of Jon’s office, and has the ability to banter with her boss until he becomes so frustrated he can barely speak. But he puts up with her (even though she refuses to do menial tasks like make the office good coffee).

Joceline has her own difficulties. She is a single Mom of a little boy and she is shunned by most of the town. Rumors and gossip abound where Joceline’s private life is concerned, so she keeps speaking the story about how she was engaged to a military man who went off to war and never came back; that’s why she is a single mother. But, of course, Joceline has a secret that she can never tell.

Cammy despises Joceline. She is always coming to the office or calling and saying hideous words about this wonderful young woman who is completely in love with her boss, but is struggling to make sure that her asthmatic son is well, and there is enough money in the bank to take care of him.

When a monster that Jon put away gets out of prison and threatens everyone who was involved with putting him there in the first place, Jon and Joceline are in the path of his rage and must leave town in order to make sure that they remain safe. Add in a seven-year-old murder that happened to Jon’s half brother’s first family, and the story does it’s best to add a ‘thrill’ into the plot.

This book would’ve worked a great deal better if the setting had been about fifty-years-ago and not present-day. The reason for this is that all the characters in the book are amazingly self-righteous, and make the subjects of single parenting, sex before marriage, and racial issues into something huge, which is definitely not twenty-first-century thinking.

If you are a Diana Palmer fan you will love the book. But for some readers the story is just a bit too outdated, and the characters all seem to be running for “saint of the year.”

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Sep 22, 2011 Evelyn Bryant rated it 1 of 5 stars

Too many characters, too many mentions of other cases in other books, too much detail and not enough substance. Joceline had sex with Jon who forgot having had drugs dropped into his drink @ at party. Joceline gets pregnant but never tells Jon because it will "ruin" his FBI career.(for real? Oh please what century is this) Little Markey (hopes his name is really Mark)has asthma, possible ADD a few other health issues and poor Joceline is exactly that. Poor. Then Jon's mother hates Joceline for b...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporaryromance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 20, 2011 Charlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

A broad description of this books might read like this: Native American FBI agents, their families, and other law enforcement colleagues are threatened by an extended family of criminals, some more lawless than others. Relationships among the characters are complicated by personal situations which intrude upon, and overlap, the primary professional settings; these include but are not limited to some of the characters' past crimes and misdemeanors.

My unconfirmed impression is that this book is pa...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Molly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

Recommended to Molly by: PTA Reviewer Rewards

Shelves: book-review

I must say this first: WOW! Where on earth have I been that I haven't read a Diana Palmer novel before?! I guess I must have been in a cave, but now I'm out and am SO happy to have read this novel. When I chose it to review, I couldn't wait to jump into it. Boy, was I glad I did, too!

Merciless is a wonderfully written novel, and Palmer's characters jump at the reader and hook them into the heart of the story with them. The reader is instantly pulled in and taken on the whirl wind of action, rom...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic, suspense-mystery

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Tall, dark and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk isn't ready to settle down, certainly not with any of the prospects his manipulative mother Cammy selects. Fortunately, his administrative Assistant Joceline Perry has his back. She also has a secret she cannot reveal to anyone, especially her good-looking boss. However, when a revenge-seeking criminal targets Jon, his family and Joceline and her son, the two must work together...and try to...more Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Tall, dark and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk isn't ready to settle down, certainly not with any of the prospects his manipulative mother Cammy selects. Fortunately, his administrative Assistant Joceline Perry has his back. She also has a secret she cannot reveal to anyone, especially her good-looking boss. However, when a revenge-seeking criminal targets Jon, his family and Joceline and her son, the two must work together...and try to deny the attraction simmering between them.

For five years, Joceline has worked for Jon, determined not to let her feelings for the handsome Cherokee/Lakota man show. Joceline is efficient, indispensable to Jon, and willing to dish out the banter, but she's very private about her personal life. The story she tells people is that Markie's father was a soldier who left for Iraq and never came back. As a single mother of an asthmatic boy who may have ADD, Joceline's number one priority is to Markie, to care for him and protect him as best she can. On the job she has an uncanny ability to ferret out information needed for Jon's cases, but she's adamant about not doing menial tasks such as making coffee—not in her job description.

Jon works out of the San Antonio office on the violent crimes squad and specializes in human trafficking crimes, sometimes with his older brother McKuen Kilraven, another federal agent, and Detective Sergeant Rick Marquez. Both Jon and his brother are ultra-conservative. Rumor has it that Jon has never had a woman, but it not for the women's lack of trying. It seems his mother is determined to find a wife for her youngest son, and she knows it's not going to be anyone as immoral as Jon's assistant who has an illegitimate son. Jon meanwhile, is discovering that he's quite attracted to Joceline.

When a known criminal, Harold Monroe, is released, threats begin, first toward Joceline and Markie, then toward Jon and his family, and Jon seeks the help of Rourke, who seems to be a mercenary with South African origins, to guard Joceline and Markie. Eventually, Jon decides they'd be safer at his ranch. What Jon doesn't realize is the killer is after more than just Joceline and Markie. Jon is shot and lands in the hospital. Joceline rushes to his side. They return to the ranch where Cammy Blackhawk descends. Finding Joceline there, Cammy vents her rage on Joceline who now realizes any possibility of a life with Jon is but a dream. Cammy's anger sets off an asthma attack in Markie, and she rushes him to a hospital, only to be followed by a repentant Cammy who shares a few secrets of her own.

I enjoyed Merciless very much despite a few niggles, namely a plot that has been done and done: a drop-dead gorgeous Texan who happens to be Native American, who happens to be rich as Croesus, who happens to have a spectacular ranch and an opinionated overbearing mother. We are told that Cammy Blackhawk is really a nice person, but in the first half of the story she seems more caricature than character. Then she transforms into a gentle and caring woman. The manner in which Ms. Palmer handled Cammy's confession pulled it from the brink for me. At this point I was invested in both the characters and the outcome. There is much more, but mentioning any of it would be a spoiler.

Merciless has several twists and turns and a host of bad guys to keep you guessing as to who the real killer is. There are numerous secrets revealed along the way. There are a couple of love scenes that I would label lightly sensual.

Ms. Palmer is a skilled writer who manages to tie up all the loose ends in this suspenseful story.

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Jul 07, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: blue-reader-ebook, contemporary-romance, netgalley

I'd like to start this review with one tiny comments on the book cover. What the hell does it have to do with the story????

Anyway, Jon Blackhawk has a been a favorite character in the Long, Tall, Texan series. And I loved that his Administrative Assistant Joceline and the snide comments that went back and forth between them. I totally didn't expect their boss / subordinate relationship to go where it did!

Joceline Perry is the kind of person that I sometimes wish I was. Efficient, organized, sna...more I'd like to start this review with one tiny comments on the book cover. What the hell does it have to do with the story????

Anyway, Jon Blackhawk has a been a favorite character in the Long, Tall, Texan series. And I loved that his Administrative Assistant Joceline and the snide comments that went back and forth between them. I totally didn't expect their boss / subordinate relationship to go where it did!

Joceline Perry is the kind of person that I sometimes wish I was. Efficient, organized, snarky & sarcastic when needed (wait...maybe I am like her), but always up to the task put in front of her as the Administrative Assistant to Special Agent Jon Blackhawk. What no one sees after hours is how she struggles to care for her four year old son as a single parent raising a son with medical issues. Although having her son cost her her family, having been raised deeply religious, she can't see him as a mistake.

Jon Blackhawk is all about work. He rarely dates and seems to be more than content having his job as his mistress. But there is something about Joceline that ruffles him...in more ways than one. He can't seem to figure her out and is even more curious about the son she never talks about, brings around or displays a picture of. She claims it's separation of her work and personal life, but Jon doesn't buy it.

Mixed in with Jon and Joceline dancing around each other is the release of the man Jon helped put behind bars. As with many men Jon's put away, he makes threats towards Jon. Threats Jon doesn't take seriously. Guess he should have, when he's gunned down in broad daylight. Next, Joceline's house is broken into and someone is calling making threats against her and her son.

Everything tidies up at the end finally solving the mystery of who killed Kilraven's first wife and daughter, which we read about in Dangerous. As well as Jon and Joceline getting their HEA.

I guess my problem was the fact that Joceline hid a HUGE secret from Jon, practically right under his nose, and his response was to make love to her. WHAT? Am I hanging out with the wrong type of men? Most would be decidedly pissed off not quick to throw down in the sack!

It's a quick read with a predictable ending. I have the same reaction to every book I read in this series, but I'm always there to read the next book anyway. When will I learn?? Maybe after Marquez's story (I want his to be really, really good).

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Jun 26, 2012 Tonya rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: lunch-break-books, romance, why-do-i-do-this-to-myself

This is a horrible book. I don't recall ever having read a Diana Palmer book before and believe me I won't ever pick up another one.

Merciless has to be a book in a series, that is the only way anyone would be able to understand half the book. The characters are one dimensional, the plot is so grossly underdeveloped and yet so obvious to anyone with half a brain it's really just insulting to read.

The reader is introduced to Jon Blackhawk who is a thirty year old FBI agent who is a virgin(maybe?)...more

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Jul 09, 2011 Vivian rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Can you keep a secret? Are you willing to lie in order to maintain that secret? Joceline Perry must do just that in order to protect her secrets in Merciless by Diana Palmer.

Joceline works as an administrative assistant at the FBI and is a single mom. Her boss is Jon Blackhawk, an FBI agent, lawyer, and handsome and wealthy young man. Jon knows that he'd be lost without Joceline's assistance and their work relationship is a strange dance in comraderie and teasing. Joceline does her best to prote...more

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Oct 14, 2012 Ann Keller rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

Cammy Blackhawk is determined that her son, Jon, will marry well. Jon is an experienced FBI agent. With the Native American’s dark good looks, it isn’t difficult to find a large number of prospective brides. Luckily, Jon’s assistant, Joceline Perry, has an uncanny knack for reminding him about court appearances and important telephone calls he can’t afford to miss, diffusing their ardor. Even better, Joceline has the rare ability of finding evidence in the most unlikely places. That’s part of wh...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Holly (2 Kids and Tired) rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-finish, not-shelf-worthy

I can't do it. I usually try and be fair in my negative reviews, but I honestly can't find anything good to say about this one. The blurb sounded interesting, but the story is completely implausible and the characters shallow and one-dimensional. The big secret for why Joceline keeps the paternity of her son a secret? Predictable and lame. There is also at least one mildly explicit sex scene.

I did not care for any of these characters and felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of a soap opera...more

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Oct 06, 2012 Jane rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-struggles, romance

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Jul 26, 2012 Karla rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, death, light-steam-factor, nutty-mother, second-chance, sensless-killing

MEH! Not so much!

The story was just okay, and the narration was bad, bad, bad! The "voice" was so distracting that I could barely concentrate on the plot. I thought if I listened long enough I would get used to it. Um...didn't happen!

Did you ever see the movie To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar? Well Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes played drag queens in the movie and that was what the voices sounded like! A man pretending very hard to sound like women with a southern accents! YIKE...more

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Oct 17, 2011 Danielle rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: modern-romance

This book was a welcomed surprise for me. It is not your typical Diana Palmer. The characters were slightly more modern than the characters from her other books. Joceline, the heroine of this story, was not the typical naive young woman, that graces most Palmer novel. She is a single mother of sickly young boy, who is one of the best para legals working for the FBI. She can take care of herself and does not necessarily need a hero to rescue her financially. She was raised traditionally but circ...more

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Aug 25, 2011 Samantha Robey rated it 2 of 5 stars

I had a really difficult time getting into Merciless by Diana Palmer. The first two chapters sat well with me, but then it really went downhill from there. The two main characters, FBI agent Jon and single mom Joceline, are seemingly in love with one another but neither will admit it. When their lives are threatened and they are forced to hide out together, the two finally decide to be with one another and Joceline spills a big secret that is really pretty obvious from page one. The dialogue in...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Pamela Todd rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, read-in-2011, romance, women-s-fiction, ebook

I went into Merciless thinking it would be another romance novel. Colour me surprised when I found out it was so much more than that. Merciless is a crime novel, a mystery, a thriller with a romantic twist.

When a criminal with an appetite for vengeance is released, he doesn’t waste time making his intentions clear. Both Jon and Jocelyn receive threatening phone calls, putting all their families at risk.

Merciless is full of secrets and revenge and double-crossing…not to mention the achingly swe...more

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Sep 15, 2011 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a long time Diana Palmer fan, I was disappointed in this story. As an author I feel that she's not growing in her craft. I much prefer her earlier works when the virginal heroine was fashionable and more in touch with the times. Merciless was so convoluted that it made no sense at all to me. The story was so unbelievable. Our heroine goes to a party with her boss where he ends up going to the hospital because someone drugged his drink. But before that they apparently do the nasty and she ends...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Mindy rated it 3 of 5 stars

DP writes interesting stories about strong, honorable men and women in hard circumstances. Jocelyn works for a federal agent, Jon Blackfoot. She accompanies her boss to a soiree at the last moment one fateful night. Jon is drugged at the party by a mischievous aristocrat. He acts on hidden feelings for Jocelyn, she doesn't realize he is under the influence until the deed is done, where upon she rushes Jon to the hospital. She becomes pregnant, decides to quit her job. Jon who doesn't remember wh...more

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Aug 21, 2011 Alexis Villery rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Joceline Perry is Jon Blackhawk's administrative assistant with responsibilities that include legal research, saving Jon from desperate women, and refusing to make coffee. All the while nursing a very big secret. Jon's family has seen their share of tragedy and hopes to put the bad guys behind bars and prevent more tragedy. There have been previous books featuring Jon's brother and his romance with Winnie. If you plan to read that book, then you have to read it first because this book serves as...more Joceline Perry is Jon Blackhawk's administrative assistant with responsibilities that include legal research, saving Jon from desperate women, and refusing to make coffee. All the while nursing a very big secret. Jon's family has seen their share of tragedy and hopes to put the bad guys behind bars and prevent more tragedy. There have been previous books featuring Jon's brother and his romance with Winnie. If you plan to read that book, then you have to read it first because this book serves as a huge spoiler of everything that happens.

I love love love Diana Palmer. How many times have I mentioned her 1994 book, The Rawhide Man? I'm sure tons. I was super excited to have the opportunity to read and review Merciless and learn about Joceline and Jon. Although Jon is a FBI agent, this is not a suspense or thriller All of the action takes place off screen and the reader only hears about it after it has occurred. This worked in my opinion; it is a romance after all and the romance didn't get lost in all the drama. I felt like the story was a bit different for Diana Palmer, which is great for people who have read all of her stuff. I didn't feel like I was reading the same story with different characters.

Some of the jargon used seemed a bit unnatural especially when talking about gaming. My husband is a HUGE gamer. HUGE. He has headphones and he talks to people online. It's crazy. Thus, when the characters discussed their various hobbies, it just seemed overly technical and unnatural. In addition, I felt like I was being hit in the head with certain views. Every time I would get comfortable and settle into the story, it would be like BAM there it is again. Specifically, there is a huge emphasis on Joceline being a single mother and illegitimate children. Parentage of other characters is mentioned throughout, but the reader is always told when a child is illegitimate. Since this is a contemporary romance, this really seemed strange to me and a bit off-putting. Joceline is treated like a leper and I just don't think that happens anymore. PLEASE tell me if I'm wrong.(less)

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About Diana Palmer

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionab...more Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

(1)romance author
Susan Eloise Spaeth was born on 11 December 1946 in Cuthbert, Georgia, USA. She was the eldest daughter of Maggie Eloise Cliatt, a nurse and also journalist, and William Olin Spaeth, a college professor. Her mother was part of the women's liberation movement many years before it became fashionable. Her best friends are her mother and her sister, Dannis Spaeth (Cole), who now has two daughters, Amanda Belle Hofstetter and Maggie and lives in Utah. Susan grew up reading Zane Grey and fell in love with cowboys. Susan is a former newspaper reporter, with sixteen years experience on both daily and weekly newspapers. Since 1972, she has been married to James Kyle and have since settled down in Cornelia, Georgia, where she started to write romance novels. Susan and her husband have one son, Blayne Edward, born in 1980.

She began selling romances in 1979 as Diana Palmer. She also used the pseudonyms Diana Blayne and Katy Currie, and her married name: Susan Kyle. Now, she has over 40 million copies of her books in print, which have been translated and published around the world. She is listed in numerous publications, including Contemporary Authors by Gale Research, Inc., Twentieth Century Romance and Historical Writers by St. James Press, The Writers Directory by St. James Press, the International Who's Who of Authors and Writers by Meirose Press, Ltd., and Love's Leading Ladies by Kathryn Falk. Her awards include seven Waldenbooks national sales awards, four B. Dalton national sales awards, two Bookrak national sales awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award for series storytelling from Romantic Times, several Affaire de Coeur awards, and two regional RWA awards.

Inspired by her husband, who quit a blue-collar manufacturing job to return to school and get his diploma in computer programming, Susan herself went back to college as a day student at the age of 45. In 1995, she graduated summa cum laude from Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, with a major in history and a double minor in archaeology and Spanish. She was named to two honor societies (the Torch Club and Alpha Chi), and was named to the National Dean's List. In addition to her writing projects, she is currently working on her master's degree in history at California State University. She hopes to specialize in Native American studies. She is a member of the Native American Rights Fund, the American Museum of Natural History, the National Cattlemen's Association, the Archaeological Institute of Amenca, the Planetary Society, The Georgia Conservancy, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, and numerous conservation and charitable organizations. Her hobbies include gardening, archaeology, anthropology, iguanas, astronomy and music.

In 1998, her husband retired from his own computer business and now pursues skeet shooting medals in local, state, national and international competition. They love riding around and looking at the countryside, watching sci-fi on TV and at the movies, just talking and eating out. (less)

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