Bless me father, for I will sin....
In the still shadows of the confessional, a madman tauntingly reveals his plan for a murder he is going to c... read full description
reviews
Dec 05, 2008
Tammy
rated it: 
In this Julie Garwood thriller, a psychopath a/k/a "the Heartbreaker" confesses to the brutal murder of a young woman to a priest. Then he makes his intentions known to kidnap, torture and murder the priest's sister, Laurent, next. The priest contacts his best friend, local FBI super agent, Nick, and a full blown whodunit takes place as Nick fights to protect Laurent.
It is fair to say that the first chapter of this book scared the unholy crap out of me. I suspect this was b More...
It is fair to say that the first chapter of this book scared the unholy crap out of me. I suspect this was b More...
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Mar 23, 2008
Isis FG
rated it: 
A true-blue romantic suspense. Some romantic suspense books are romances with suspenseful storylines, but this is one of those books that is a pure suspense books with a solid romance behind it. And overall it was a pretty good read. I enjoyed it.
Good plot...well planned, enough twists, plenty of suspicion cast about. Good characters...likeable, interesting, fairly well developed. And a decent romance...not great, but substantial enough.
If you like solid romantic suspense More...
Good plot...well planned, enough twists, plenty of suspicion cast about. Good characters...likeable, interesting, fairly well developed. And a decent romance...not great, but substantial enough.
If you like solid romantic suspense More...
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Jul 20, 2011
Shannon
rated it: 
2.5 stars
I had a hard time getting into this book. While I usually like mystery/suspense books, this one felt too formulatic and predictable: girl is target of crazy killer, agent acts as bodyguard, girl and agent hook up. I found Laurant, the lead gal, to be an insipid pollyanna of a character. I didn't connect with her and found her annoying. Nick, the agent/bodyguard, was more a bit more believable. I didn't buy into their romantic relationship. It wasn't developed enough and then, boo More...
I had a hard time getting into this book. While I usually like mystery/suspense books, this one felt too formulatic and predictable: girl is target of crazy killer, agent acts as bodyguard, girl and agent hook up. I found Laurant, the lead gal, to be an insipid pollyanna of a character. I didn't connect with her and found her annoying. Nick, the agent/bodyguard, was more a bit more believable. I didn't buy into their romantic relationship. It wasn't developed enough and then, boo More...
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Feb 23, 2009
Gina
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Sep 21, 2007
LJ
rated it:
Heartbreaker - Ok
Julie Garwood
Setting: Holy Oaks, Iowa, present day
Sensuality rating: 4
A psychopath confides his obsessions to a terrified priest, whose beloved sister is the star of the killer's homicidal fantasies: Garwood's first foray into contemporary romantic suspense.Father Tom Madden and younger sib Laurant are close, even though the untimely death of their parents meant a childhood spent thousands of miles apart. The lovely Laurant grew up in a posh Swiss boardin More...
Julie Garwood
Setting: Holy Oaks, Iowa, present day
Sensuality rating: 4
A psychopath confides his obsessions to a terrified priest, whose beloved sister is the star of the killer's homicidal fantasies: Garwood's first foray into contemporary romantic suspense.Father Tom Madden and younger sib Laurant are close, even though the untimely death of their parents meant a childhood spent thousands of miles apart. The lovely Laurant grew up in a posh Swiss boardin More...
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Aug 26, 2011
Hope
rated it:
This was my first Garwood book, but it will not be my last. The first part of this book was pretty slow to me, a lot of back story was given, and in my opinion it would have been better to scatter it around the book, which was done, so it was some redundancy. That being said, once I got to the dialogue, it was great. Laurent and Nick were witty and she gave as much as she got. She was strong but not in the alpha sense. I loved reading the struggle Nick was having when it came to matters of
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Jun 15, 2010
Nina
rated it:
This book has a lot going for it, but had a shaky start. Nick's voice at the beginning just wasn't there for me. When he was battling with himself over an old case and then hashing it out with his boss it just all felt sort of...forced. I didn't see or hear Nick yet there, and it wasn't until he got to Holy Oaks, where his friend Tom, a priest, called for his help because a serial killer sat in the confessional to declare that he was going to kill Laurant, Tom's sister. And so the stage is set w
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Jan 26, 2012
Jasmine
rated it: 
Wow! This novel is really something! I was actually planning to read this for a little while, instead I got so hooked up in the story that I've forgotten all those important things that I should have been prioritizing. For I've spent most of my time reading this novel and finishing it to the very end earlier than I thought. Yes, that's how truly addictive this novel really is. I don't know why but romantic suspense novel truly intrigues me. The main characters the beautiful Laurant and the hands
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Apr 16, 2010
Jess
rated it:
LOVED IT!!! I thought it was the perfect mix of romantic elements and suspense. I really enjoyed the mystery of it, and that some of the chapters were from the killers POV. His parts were a little chilling to read, and just plain creepy.
The book begins with a rather disturbing chapter. A priest is sitting in the confessional booth waiting for people to show up. He's about to leave when someone steps in, and asks for forgiveness for a sin he has yet to commit. Turns out this man is pl More...
The book begins with a rather disturbing chapter. A priest is sitting in the confessional booth waiting for people to show up. He's about to leave when someone steps in, and asks for forgiveness for a sin he has yet to commit. Turns out this man is pl More...
Aug 04, 2010
Sariah
rated it:
This is a great little mystery/suspense. A man confesses to a priest (Father Tom) a murder he is going to commit, and the victim is Father Tom's sister, Laurant. Tom brings in his best friend, Nick, who is an FBI agent to help protect Laurant and find this killer.
Most of the story moved well, but the writing was just okay to me. Nothing spectacular, but good enough to keep me interested. There seemed to be a lot of predictable aspects (Nick and Laurant falling in love...) and I fig More...
Most of the story moved well, but the writing was just okay to me. Nothing spectacular, but good enough to keep me interested. There seemed to be a lot of predictable aspects (Nick and Laurant falling in love...) and I fig More...
Jun 17, 2011
Manuela
rated it:
Mi aspettavo molto, forse troppo da questo romanzo della Garwood, e ne sono rimasta molto delusa.
Non che non scriva bene, o che non sia un romanzo che si legge volentieri, però non nascondo di aver trovato molte cose che non mi hanno convinta.
Fin dall’inizio lo stile della Garwood è molto verboso: troppe spiegazioni, troppi pensieri, troppe divagazioni, anche se poi nella seconda parte si risolleva, il ritmo diventa più incalzante e scorre più fluidamente.
Il vero problema di quest More...
Non che non scriva bene, o che non sia un romanzo che si legge volentieri, però non nascondo di aver trovato molte cose che non mi hanno convinta.
Fin dall’inizio lo stile della Garwood è molto verboso: troppe spiegazioni, troppi pensieri, troppe divagazioni, anche se poi nella seconda parte si risolleva, il ritmo diventa più incalzante e scorre più fluidamente.
Il vero problema di quest More...
Sep 11, 2011
Eryn
rated it:
Heartbreaker is one of Julie Garwood's 1st contemporary romances that I've read, and it looks like she's made a successful transition between sub-genres. The heroine is still charming and sweet, the hero is still gruff and something of a loner, and both characters are engaging and well-crafted---I wanted them to reach their happily ever after, I cared about what happened to them, and I was relieved when their story came to a happy conclusion. Despite that...I felt there was something missing.
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May 18, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
Girl orphaned and sent off to Switzerland and someday returns to the States to be reunited with her Catholic priest brother. As we join the story, she is investing her trust fund into saving a small midwest town's historic square one storefront at a time while simultaneously volunteering with her brother's church's 100th anniversary, running every morning with local high school boys and generally being perfect, So, of course someone wants to kill her and confesses this to her brother, who then
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Jan 25, 2011
Eva
rated it:
I enjoyed this story. There was little romance, but Garwood created characters in a stressful situation that simply know they are in love without having to go through an entire soul-searching, gut-wrenching time to figure it out. Garwood does a good job of building up the villain(s) in the story, and not blurring the personalities of the villains even when the main characters are not around.
Laurant and Nick are a cute couple, and while they are pretending to be engaged, both wish it wa More...
Laurant and Nick are a cute couple, and while they are pretending to be engaged, both wish it wa More...
Jan 28, 2012
Rebecca
rated it:
I know a number of traditional Garwood fans objected once she started on her contemporary series, but I loved this book. Let me correct that - I LOVED this story! The the humor was a bit more subtle than with her historicals, but the characters were well-developed and there were moments of humor, if not outright hilarity. I could see personality traits in some of the characters we were led to believe that were descendants from well-loved historical characters. I loved Laurent and Nick from t
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Apr 19, 2011
Kate
rated it:
Whew, it was certainly stressful and scary! But I do really like these suspense novels with the alpha male FBI agents and cops. I have only read this book and the fourth (maybe fifth?) in the series, and they both seemed to follow the same exact timeline. So, I have the second book from the library, and if the timeline is the same in that one, I'll probably stop reading the series there.
It was still an enjoyable read and I really liked Laurent, the main female character. Her brother, T More...
It was still an enjoyable read and I really liked Laurent, the main female character. Her brother, T More...
Jun 16, 2010
Judith
rated it:
In this Julie Garwood thriller, a psychopath a/k/a "the Heartbreaker" confesses to the brutal murder of a young woman to a priest. Then he makes his intentions known to kidnap, torture and murder the priest's sister, Laurent, next. The priest contacts his best friend, local FBI super agent, Nick, and a full blown whodunit takes place as Nick fights to protect Laurent.
While this book held my interest, it was predictable. The romance and the sex scenes were written with a lit More...
While this book held my interest, it was predictable. The romance and the sex scenes were written with a lit More...
Aug 24, 2011
Archeem
rated it:
This is the book that introduced me to Julie and has thus always remained a favourite for my memories with it are many. But it us not only that which makes me read it once ever few weeks, rather it is the drama,the humour, the intricate mystery surrounding one if the best couples ever that make it my favourite. Laurent to date is one of my favourite heroinnes and her chemistry and understanding with Nick is just
Mind blowing!but the best part is the end,where Nick flies to Paris just for he More...
Mind blowing!but the best part is the end,where Nick flies to Paris just for he More...
May 11, 2011
Nicci
rated it:
Loved, Loved this book. I was hooked two pages in the whole series is fantastic. I was kept guessing the entire time!
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May 27, 2010
Frankiea20
rated it:
The comment made by Noah that Nick and Laurant were hiding from there lives made me think of ways that I am hiding from my own life. . . there are so many.
This was not my favorite romantic suspence in the Buchanon series but it did help fill in a lot of blanks. (Laurant and Nick and Noah always seem to turn up in the later books or are mentioned.) I liked getting Nick's and Laurant's story. Having read almost all in the series I must say that I want to be a member of the Buchanan f More...
This was not my favorite romantic suspence in the Buchanon series but it did help fill in a lot of blanks. (Laurant and Nick and Noah always seem to turn up in the later books or are mentioned.) I liked getting Nick's and Laurant's story. Having read almost all in the series I must say that I want to be a member of the Buchanan f More...
Mar 07, 2010
Ella
rated it:
I love LOVE LOVE Julie Garwoods books. You get such a 90's bad ass rug'd sexy cop feel from the males. And each charachers is so different and the same and different.
I'm a sucker for happy ending stories. These books might be found is clichies to people because they all have the same story setting out:
girl and boy meet
they fall for each other
struggle to see it and accept it
Flirting the house down and other things
Action ending where guy saves girl with More...
I'm a sucker for happy ending stories. These books might be found is clichies to people because they all have the same story setting out:
girl and boy meet
they fall for each other
struggle to see it and accept it
Flirting the house down and other things
Action ending where guy saves girl with More...
May 10, 2010
Alexis-Morgan
rated it:
A good read. Finally, a book that doesn't go out of its way (at all) to bash Catholics. It was just a part of the storyline. Thank you for that!!
Also, a book where the heroine was beautiful but it was okay! I get tired of mousy heroines trying to prove something and beautifu heroines trying to prove their not airbrains. She's beautiful, but she got dumped then found love again.
I also liked this book even though the violence was rather disturbing. OK. For me, it was really More...
Also, a book where the heroine was beautiful but it was okay! I get tired of mousy heroines trying to prove something and beautifu heroines trying to prove their not airbrains. She's beautiful, but she got dumped then found love again.
I also liked this book even though the violence was rather disturbing. OK. For me, it was really More...
Aug 22, 2009
Tasha
rated it:
This is a little different compared to the other Garwood books I've read but different doesn't mean bad. It was really great. I love this genre... So, we have a younger lady in distress (the target of what appears to be a serial killer) and the hero (who is the best friend to her brother). The story just jumps from the very begining when the killer confesses he plans to kill the priests sister during confession. Immediately the priest calls his bestfriend, who happens to be a member of one
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Feb 04, 2011
Photojim
rated it:
Read for the February Featured Author Challenge. A decent romance/thriller. More on the thriller than on the romance. Fairly by the numbers and somewhat predictable. However, it is quick moving and not a slow part to be found.
Yes I liked it. I very well may read more in the series. But I won't rush right out to do so.
FBI agent Nick Buchanan is asked to guard his best friend's little sister (who isn't so little any more) after a very specific threat. The sheriff is th More...
Yes I liked it. I very well may read more in the series. But I won't rush right out to do so.
FBI agent Nick Buchanan is asked to guard his best friend's little sister (who isn't so little any more) after a very specific threat. The sheriff is th More...
Jan 09, 2011
Brandi
rated it:
As a fan of Garwood's for many years, when I saw her break from traditional romance I wasn't sure how I felt about it. In the end it was a vey good thing that I read it out of loyalty anyway, because Garwood is just simply a great writer IMO. My tastes were evolving at the same time as her writing, and it was a great way for me to slowly get into other genres. I haven't read this recently enough to give a detailed review, but as all of her works, this is a well told story as well as a well wr
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Jan 24, 2010
KJ
rated it:
The next book in the series... which is basically the same book with the same characters sporting different hair colors and eye colors. Decent romance novel fluff but not very suspenseful and I think that's what the aim is here. The enemies in her books are so pure evil they are almost childishly evil... like the kind of evil characters from a Disney movie. But she, as always, does the romance portions of the stories well. And those parts, of course, give you unreasonably high expectations o
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Jun 23, 2011
Ana
rated it:
I liked Julie Garwood's historicals a lot, and when I saw she wrote suspense as well, I decided to try it out. I liked the plot but I had a lot of problems.
Nick is an FBI agent who has decided (rather forced) to take a vacation. Thinking of spending the entire time fishing with a good friend of his father Tom, or Tommy. But nothing is as easy as that. Tommy is nearly hysterical - a lunatic came to confession and confessed a murder and then said that Laurant, Tommy's sister is next. N More...
Nick is an FBI agent who has decided (rather forced) to take a vacation. Thinking of spending the entire time fishing with a good friend of his father Tom, or Tommy. But nothing is as easy as that. Tommy is nearly hysterical - a lunatic came to confession and confessed a murder and then said that Laurant, Tommy's sister is next. N More...
Apr 05, 2011
Tiffany
rated it:
I have to say I was excited to read this book after the reviews I read and I was horribly disappointed. The first chapter held a lot of promise...the scene was beautifully set. I felt like I was right there with the priest as he was receiving the creepiest and most terrifying confession of a would-be serial killer. Then, we meet the FBI agent who is supposed to be the love interest for Laurant. But then, the characters never developed. The story felt flat and just rambled on without really
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Jul 21, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
I have never really been a big fan of Suspense, then I found Romantic Suspense, and then I found Julie Garwood!!! I first found her when I read Sizzle (I know out of order, and it killed me when I found out because I hate reading out of order). I fell in love with her style almost instantly, so I knew I was going to love this book.
Nick Buchanan is the best of the best, but even the best of best needs a mental break from a job like his. He felt like there was no place in his life for love More...
Nick Buchanan is the best of the best, but even the best of best needs a mental break from a job like his. He felt like there was no place in his life for love More...
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Mar 04, 2009
Trudy
rated it:
Another great read by Julie Garwood! I like how she weaves the different members of this family and their friends into each of the stories. There is a familiarity without the characters getting boring or stale. And of course there are twists and a last minute reveal that kept me reading the book as the passengers of my flight started getting off the plane... and you all know the urge to pack up and stand as soon as your plane lands defies logic!
These books are technically romantic More...
These books are technically romantic More...
