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The Ugly Duckling
If fate suddenly made you more beautiful that you ever dreamed possible, would it be the beginning of a fairy tale, or your worst nightmare?
The brutal attack should have killed anybody, but Nell Calder did more than survive. She emerged a woman transformed, with an exquisite beauty found only in fairy tales. Nell Calder deserved a happy ending. Instead, her descent into te...more
The brutal attack should have killed anybody, but Nell Calder did more than survive. She emerged a woman transformed, with an exquisite beauty found only in fairy tales. Nell Calder deserved a happy ending. Instead, her descent into te...more
Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
Published
May 4th 2011
by Bantam
(first published 1996)
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not one of the best of her's that i've read so far, but certainly WELL worth reading! very gripping "tale"!!
i must admit, tho, i'm beginning to wonder if the woman (Iris Johansen) has had some unpleasant dealings w/ the CIA or something in her life?! except for 2 of the books of her's i've read, she's involved some governmentally abc'd agency, if not more, in her plots, and they've not all been "clean" characters that are SUPPOSED to be protecting us and are SU...more
i must admit, tho, i'm beginning to wonder if the woman (Iris Johansen) has had some unpleasant dealings w/ the CIA or something in her life?! except for 2 of the books of her's i've read, she's involved some governmentally abc'd agency, if not more, in her plots, and they've not all been "clean" characters that are SUPPOSED to be protecting us and are SU...more
First Johansen novel I ever read, and I was hooked. I think this was the first time I'd read a novel solely about a woman making it on her own, and I found I liked it.
Nell suffered a great deal before her transformation, but I loved her determination to exact revenge on those who started the suffering. She wasn't about to be bullied, and she was going to use her new face and figure to her advantage, come Hell or high water.
That she didn't need to put herself in mortal dan...more
Nell suffered a great deal before her transformation, but I loved her determination to exact revenge on those who started the suffering. She wasn't about to be bullied, and she was going to use her new face and figure to her advantage, come Hell or high water.
That she didn't need to put herself in mortal dan...more
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This is one of the worst books I ever read. I stuck with it to the end, though, because it was a best-seller and reviewed well, so I had to try to find out why. I then passed it to a friend without telling her my opinion of it, telling her we'd discuss it after she finished; she then tortured her sister the same way.
We were never able to figure out if Johanssen was writing tongue-in-cheek, or if she were trying to write seriously. She stumbled back and forth across the line so may ti...more
We were never able to figure out if Johanssen was writing tongue-in-cheek, or if she were trying to write seriously. She stumbled back and forth across the line so may ti...more
Linda
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The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen is a highly enjoyable novel. This well-written book shows grieving mother Nell's tragic fall from a plain, humble wife into a destroyed wreck, and then eventually into a beautiful and deadly avenger. Along the way Nell grows stronger physically and mentally, finding a possible new love with her deadly protector, Nicholas. Despite how complementary these two characters are to each other, Nell resists Nicholas in order to prioritize finding and punishing the man ...more
This was unique. The heroine of the story has some serious psychological, mother-inflicted damage before the circumstances of her transformation ever arrive. She goes through what I can only imagine is the worst horror inflicted on someone, the loss of a child coupled with the loss of her spouse. Because of scars received during the attack on her family, she's transformed physically into a stunning woman. But her mind is conflicted by the internal vision she has of herself. So she goes on a viol...more
3 1/2 stars.
This is a story that shows a woman's transformation from an unattractive, submissive wife, into an assertive and lovely woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it.
Nell Calder wasn't born beautiful, a fact that her unfeeling mother informed her about. How she was able to grow normally in a home with an unloving mother was a tribute to an inner strength that she didn't know she had.
She married well but at a party on an island on the Aegean Sea, h...more
This is a story that shows a woman's transformation from an unattractive, submissive wife, into an assertive and lovely woman who knows what she wants and how to achieve it.
Nell Calder wasn't born beautiful, a fact that her unfeeling mother informed her about. How she was able to grow normally in a home with an unloving mother was a tribute to an inner strength that she didn't know she had.
She married well but at a party on an island on the Aegean Sea, h...more
Harmonybites
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Thrillers with Romance
Recommended to Harmonybites by:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
Johansen, like Roberts and Coulter, is one of those that has made it onto the bestseller lists and can be found in other than the romance section--in this case, this novel was found in general fiction and works as a thriller and mystery, and it has a fairly clean style that can hold point of view. It fits in the standard revenge plot, as the titular heroine, Nell, works to avenge her family's death--plastic surgery upgrades her from ugly duckling to swan. Well-paced, often suspenseful, this stor...more
Plain housewife married to a handsome husband with a lovely little girl - tragedy strikes when a dinner party is interrupted by mayhem and death. Nell is brutally attacked and shouldn't have survived, but manages to do just that. She undergoes a miraculous change from 'The Ugly Duckling' she was before to a beautiful and fit woman set on revenge.
Despite the stretch the imagination has to take, this was a well-written and entertaining adventure. I enjoyed the strong characters, their...more
Despite the stretch the imagination has to take, this was a well-written and entertaining adventure. I enjoyed the strong characters, their...more
I have a bunch of Iris Johansen books, just trying to read them in order. I heard her being labelled as a mystery/suspense author so I was eager to collect some of her books. For the most part I am happy with the first book read. I think it's a great starting point to get to know the author's style. The writing itself is well structured, heavy dialogue and sometimes you may lose track of who is saying what. The big problem I have with the book is that it is oriented towards women, after all...more
This isn't a book that I was dying to read. It was one that I had kind of left behind because it didn't sound that great. However, I was pleasantly surprised to have really liked it! In fact, I liked it enough that I read it in 2 days.
Tanek is the perfect savior for Nell. He's determined and driven, but soft and caring when he's needed to be. Nell is also driven and a little stubborn to boot. They work well together once they lay it all out there! There is one part of the story that ...more
Tanek is the perfect savior for Nell. He's determined and driven, but soft and caring when he's needed to be. Nell is also driven and a little stubborn to boot. They work well together once they lay it all out there! There is one part of the story that ...more
Easy-read thriller... I've read other Iris Johansen that I liked much more than this (the Eve Duncan series in particular)...but this was a decent, easy read that kept me interested throughout. I think though that I just was a little tired of the weak, helpless women who becomes strong with the help of a big, strong, silent, non-committal type man. And then they fall in love and live happily ever after. The last I read (actually listened to via audiobook) of hers had the exact same theme...s...more
I was really surprised that I enjoyed this book. I don't usually go for romance-ish types of book. I typically like the tragic Romeo and Juliet to a sweet "happily ever after book" or ones too crammed with sex. But this one was nice and light. the romance wasn't heavy at all and I enjoyed the budding relationship between the two. I liked the plot (which was not about them just getting together) but was actually a type of mystery "who done it" more than romance. It was a great...more
To be honest, I only got this book because it was in the 15 cent bin at my local thrift store. I had heard the author wrote thrillers but I am always a little nervous reading a new author. I also read some of the reviews from other people. I do like the way the author kept me reading by not fully forming all the characters right away, I was still learning about them at the very end. I also really enjoyed the way she sort of "broke up" the stories in their own little sections throug...more
Iris Johansen has created and romance, mystery,and thriller all combind into one work of art. The story plot is amazing the why she plans out everything to be reveald just at the right moment.
Nell Calder tricked herself into believing she loved Richard. So she settled as being a trophey wife. She thought she could not get better. She loved being home with her daughter Jill. Jill was and will always be Nell's life. After Jill and Richard had died, she had no reason to live. Tanek d...more
Nell Calder tricked herself into believing she loved Richard. So she settled as being a trophey wife. She thought she could not get better. She loved being home with her daughter Jill. Jill was and will always be Nell's life. After Jill and Richard had died, she had no reason to live. Tanek d...more
The best Johansen's book I read so far!!
Even if some general traits of this book are quite common among other books of the same genre and, most of all, other books of the same author, I think in this case the storyline and the characters were developped with more care and attention to the details and it really paid off! All the secrets machinations and intrigues that linked one character with the others made this book even more enjoyable and intriguing.
Even if some general traits of this book are quite common among other books of the same genre and, most of all, other books of the same author, I think in this case the storyline and the characters were developped with more care and attention to the details and it really paid off! All the secrets machinations and intrigues that linked one character with the others made this book even more enjoyable and intriguing.
This is the first Johansen book i've read and I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It's not really that suspenseful to keep your heart beating fast most of the time but it's enough to keep you hanging. The writing is better than most suspense writers, there wasn't a moment where I felt it draggy. I give it 4 stars though because I did not expect it to end that way. It was all too easy. But then, you can't put so much suspense in only one book, could you?
Iris Johansen is another of my favorites. The only problem I've ever had with anything she writes -- this book in particular -- is I don't get the chemistry between the hero and heroine. But that's just me. The romance aside, this is an excellent book with an excellent and surprising reveal. The surprise ending's makes Romantic Suspense good or bad IMO, and this one is really good. Didn't see it comming.
I really liked this one. I felt like she toned down her usual "KID IN TROUBLE/DEAD, MOM MUST FIND A WAY TO HELP/COPE" meladrama that Iris Johansen does in order to focus more on the revenge plot. There was a lot of internal struggle with the main character that I liked, but it was obvious to me that the author didnt do a ton of research on many of the small things like: self defense the character learns, drug wars, the native americans, and plastic surgery. She always writes in vague n...more
Lady Danielle "The Book Huntress"
rated it
This book marks a turning point in Iris Johansen's writing. She doesn't write romance anymore, publishing suspense/mystery books now. Another good romance author bites the dust. I enjoyed this book, but it focused on the suspense a little more than I liked. It was still very good. I liked the heroine's transition from passive to empowered. I especially appreciated the scenes where Nell trains to become a badass so she can get her revenge. I enjoyed the interactions between Nell and Nicholas a...more
Enjoyable mystery/thriller/romance novel. It was written a while ago so it feels a little out dated as a contemporary book. It does make you think about how our appearance affects us and how people treat us. At times the writing was a little generic/cheesy (thus 3 stars instead of four) but worth your time as a easy summer read.
I was reading another book while at work one day at a gas station. An officer that frequented the store saw me reading and brought to me this book that he had just finished. It was my first Iris Johansen and definitely not the last! I love her! This book was amazing! I read it in one day!
i thought this book was great it was sad and alil slow at frist but i fell in love at the end of it... i think the book was great and that the man deserved to die from hurting the lil girl when she didnt really do anything...that pist me off a lil but it still was worth it in the end.
I really enjoy this author. I can never put any of her books down. There is a perfect amount of romance and suspense, with a clear plot. I highly reccommend this book to those that love a suspenseful book with a twist of romance!
A total guilty pleasure but I couldn't put it down. You have to make a few leaps when it comes to suspending disbelief but, if you just let yourself enjoy it, it's a face-paced, exciting read. Perfect for summer.
Amazing book, first one of Iris' I had ever read. As long as you stay away from the romance side of her repertoire, she's good though sometimes she doesn't trust the intelligence of her readers but always a good yarn.
This is part of my auditioning for new writers who have a slew of books I can enjoy. This one, not so much.... this is a kind of mystery/romance
genre. Not for me. I like it a little more involved with complexities of character.
genre. Not for me. I like it a little more involved with complexities of character.
Nell Calder is a plain looking, mousy wife of a successful international businessman. All she really cares about is her daughter but she tries to be the trophy wife. Then her daughter and husband are killed by terrorists and she is horribly maimed. A brilliant plastic surgeon gives her a traffic stopping new face and she uses it for revenge. I'd never heard of this author before - found the book on a table at a charity sale. It was a really good story - different but good. Then I did some resear...more
I just finished reading the book. Very strong and slightly complicated main character. What really amazes me that she had the drive and guts to get herself prepared to face her daughter's killer. I was expecting a different ending, but it wasn't. Overall a good read.
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Johansen began writing after her children left home for college. She first achieved success in the early 1980s writing category romances. In 1991, Johansen began writing suspense historical romance novels, starting with the publication of The Wind Dancer. In 1996 Johansen switched genres, turning to crime fiction, with which she has had great success. She had seventeen consecutive New York Times b...more
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