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Buchanan-Renard #9
The Ideal Man
Dr. Ellie Sullivan has just completed her residency at a large urban hospital. While jogging in a park nearby, she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of wanted criminals, a couple identified as the Landrys. The only person to see the shooter’s face, Ellie is suddenly at the center of a criminal investigation.
Agent Max Daniels takes over the Landry case. A no-nonsense lawman, he’s definitely not the ideal man that Ellie has always imagined, yet she’s attracted to him in a way she can’t explain.
Agent Max Daniels takes over the Landry case. A no-nonsense lawman, he’s definitely not the ideal man that Ellie has always imagined, yet she’s attracted to him in a way she can’t explain.
344 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
1835 people are currently reading
5603 people want to read
About the author
Julie Garwood
151 books12.6k followersWith more than 35 million books in print and 26 NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers, Julie Garwood has earned a position among America's favorite fiction writers.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
Born and raised in Kansas City, MO, Ms. Garwood attributes much of her success to growing up in a large family of Irish heritage. "The Irish are great storytellers who relish getting all of the details and nuances of every situation. Add in the fact that I was the sixth of seven children. Early in life, I learned that self expression had to be forceful, imaginative, and quick," says Ms. Garwood.
She began her writing career when the youngest of her three children entered school. After the publications of two young-adult books, she turned her talents to historical fiction. Her first novel, GENTLE WARRIOR, was published by Pocket Books in 1985. Since then, she has branched into other genres including contemporary romantic suspense. Today, her name appears regularly on the bestseller lists of every major publication in the country, and her books are translated into dozens of languages around the world. Her bestselling novel FOR THE ROSES was adapted for the HALLMARK HALL OF FAME television movie ROSE HILL.
Ms. Garwood lives in Leawood, KS and is currently working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,091 reviews
October 1, 2018
Oh. My. Freaking. Goodness! What can I say? (maybe this would be a good time for a warning)
*WARNING* Hair pulling, foot stomping, red-face screaming, hissy fit tirade about to commence...
Are you kidding me? ARE YOU STINKING KIDDING ME?!?!? THIS is what happens once a talented author hits superstardom and is content knowing her adoring hordes will never leave??? (Listen up, Janet Evonovich, Iris Johansen, Catherine Coulter and the rest.) They sit back and write CRAP?! (No that's not a swear word - it's the word used instead of the swear word.)
Case in point: Ellie Sullivan is written as a (supposedly) incredible, intelligent (a prodigy in fact) highly capable surgeon. She is kind, compassionate yet strong, she doesn’t do one night stands or casual relationships. Family and commitment are very important to her. Max Daniels is a one-night-stand-only type of guy and tells her this the first night they meet. Yet, that VERY SAME NIGHT and the very FIRST TIME he kisses her, she loses all self control and decides casual sex is just fine, then proceeds to tear off his clothes... WHAT?!?!
But wait! she isn't the only one losing brain cells at an alarming rate!
The only explanation I can give for this odd phenomena is that somehow Garwood is regressing as she ages and believes evolution is reversing itself. The medieval heroines from her past were sweet, fiesty women who stood by their convictions and demanded better of their men, despite the low standards of the times in which they lived. Now, when women are actually allowed to be strong and choose their own path, they've become sex-craved bimbos who can't control their responses long enough to have a conversation!
If that were all, this book would still have rated a higher star but it's not. The story is completely surface only, the writing standard at best, and the villains so generic they're laughable. Admittedly, I would have gone easier if the author were a first-timer and not a former hero of mine, but even if her name were erased, "The Ideal Man" just doesn't hold water.
*WARNING* Hair pulling, foot stomping, red-face screaming, hissy fit tirade about to commence...
Are you kidding me? ARE YOU STINKING KIDDING ME?!?!? THIS is what happens once a talented author hits superstardom and is content knowing her adoring hordes will never leave??? (Listen up, Janet Evonovich, Iris Johansen, Catherine Coulter and the rest.) They sit back and write CRAP?! (No that's not a swear word - it's the word used instead of the swear word.)
Case in point: Ellie Sullivan is written as a (supposedly) incredible, intelligent (a prodigy in fact) highly capable surgeon. She is kind, compassionate yet strong, she doesn’t do one night stands or casual relationships. Family and commitment are very important to her. Max Daniels is a one-night-stand-only type of guy and tells her this the first night they meet. Yet, that VERY SAME NIGHT and the very FIRST TIME he kisses her, she loses all self control and decides casual sex is just fine, then proceeds to tear off his clothes... WHAT?!?!
But wait! she isn't the only one losing brain cells at an alarming rate!
The only explanation I can give for this odd phenomena is that somehow Garwood is regressing as she ages and believes evolution is reversing itself. The medieval heroines from her past were sweet, fiesty women who stood by their convictions and demanded better of their men, despite the low standards of the times in which they lived. Now, when women are actually allowed to be strong and choose their own path, they've become sex-craved bimbos who can't control their responses long enough to have a conversation!
If that were all, this book would still have rated a higher star but it's not. The story is completely surface only, the writing standard at best, and the villains so generic they're laughable. Admittedly, I would have gone easier if the author were a first-timer and not a former hero of mine, but even if her name were erased, "The Ideal Man" just doesn't hold water.
August 5, 2015
Update: 2/4/15
So...funny story...
While stuck at work last night for over 15 hours, with a dead smart phone and no computer access (*gasp* oh, the horror), I decided to grab one of the cast-off paperbacks that always end up in a stack in our...we'll call it a "ladies' lounge...Emphasis on cast off.
Now, being that I normally won't read ANYTHING without first checking GR for reviews and - perhaps most importantly - to MAKE SURE I HAVEN'T READ IT ALREADY, I took a leap ofcomplete desperation faith and just grabbed one. Because I was: Just. That. Fucking. Bored.
Well, color me not so surprised when about 50+ pages in, I started thinking to myself...
Self, have we read this already?
Methinks we have, Self.
So fast forward to getting off work at o'dark nothing last night/morning.
What is the first thing I do when I get home?
Take a shower?
Kiss my dogs?
Go to sleep?
I say nay nay, Self.
We logged on to GR ASAP.
And LOL'd over our own review of this book (cause I'm classy like that) which - yes, we have read - and which - yes, we loathed JUST as much the second time around.
But hey, at least I'm consistent. High five Self!
Original Review:
WTF did I just read?
If you don't like sarcasm and profanity, don't read this.
Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE Julie Garwood. Her historicals are some of my all time favorite books.
ALL TIME, people.
Her more recent forays into contemporary romantic suspense (I use these terms loosely) I will admit, have been increasingly...lackluster; but I read the reviews for this. I saw that it was not rated highly. And I went into this with super low expectations--So I expected it to at least be ok, considering my SUPER LOW expectations.
All I can say is Holy shit, Julie Garwood, what happened?!
Did you phone this one in?
Are you ill?
Have you lost your mojo?
Did someone write this and pay you to put your name on it?
Please tell me that's it.
This just plain sucked.
The story line was a snooze, the main couple had no chemistry, but mostly, the characters were fucking ridiculous.
Not only is Max a Special Agent with the FBI, he's also a lawyer, a graduate of Vanderbilt, and (along with 5 of his six brothers) was adopted after his own parents were tragically killed in an accident when he was 5. His older brother is a quarterback in the NFL and, in his spare time, he talks little boys down from the ledge because he has a "special touch" that apparently no other law enforcement officer in all of St. Louis possesses.
And Ellie? Jesus.
This paragon of perfection is like fucking super woman, people. She's a prodigy genius who started high school at ten years old, schooled math geniuses as a pre-teen, saves choking men in restaurants, and discovers melanoma on gang bangers in police stations just whilst "passing by."
She is also so drop dead gorgeous (of course) that every man present notices her (unbeknownst to her, of course) and was so captivating as an 11 year old that she picked up a stalker from whom she has been running her whole life. And while she's not earning prestigious medical awards that haven't been given out in over a decade prior to her awesomeness, she's giving prenatal advice to wives of FBI agents via phone, and threatening doctors to give people without insurance medical aide.
Holy shit, someone give me the Heimlich Maneuver, because I'm choking on the pretentious bullshit that is this character.
And what about Annie's random little side story that just got thrown in there out of the blue? What the hell was that?
I don't know what flabbergasts me more: the fact that an author I love churned this crap out or the fact that I finished it.
So...funny story...
While stuck at work last night for over 15 hours, with a dead smart phone and no computer access (*gasp* oh, the horror), I decided to grab one of the cast-off paperbacks that always end up in a stack in our...we'll call it a "ladies' lounge...Emphasis on cast off.
Now, being that I normally won't read ANYTHING without first checking GR for reviews and - perhaps most importantly - to MAKE SURE I HAVEN'T READ IT ALREADY, I took a leap of
Well, color me not so surprised when about 50+ pages in, I started thinking to myself...
Self, have we read this already?
Methinks we have, Self.
So fast forward to getting off work at o'dark nothing last night/morning.
What is the first thing I do when I get home?
Take a shower?
Kiss my dogs?
Go to sleep?
I say nay nay, Self.
We logged on to GR ASAP.
And LOL'd over our own review of this book (cause I'm classy like that) which - yes, we have read - and which - yes, we loathed JUST as much the second time around.
But hey, at least I'm consistent. High five Self!
Original Review:
WTF did I just read?
If you don't like sarcasm and profanity, don't read this.
Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE Julie Garwood. Her historicals are some of my all time favorite books.
ALL TIME, people.
Her more recent forays into contemporary romantic suspense (I use these terms loosely) I will admit, have been increasingly...lackluster; but I read the reviews for this. I saw that it was not rated highly. And I went into this with super low expectations--So I expected it to at least be ok, considering my SUPER LOW expectations.
All I can say is Holy shit, Julie Garwood, what happened?!
Did you phone this one in?
Are you ill?
Have you lost your mojo?
Did someone write this and pay you to put your name on it?
Please tell me that's it.
This just plain sucked.
The story line was a snooze, the main couple had no chemistry, but mostly, the characters were fucking ridiculous.
Not only is Max a Special Agent with the FBI, he's also a lawyer, a graduate of Vanderbilt, and (along with 5 of his six brothers) was adopted after his own parents were tragically killed in an accident when he was 5. His older brother is a quarterback in the NFL and, in his spare time, he talks little boys down from the ledge because he has a "special touch" that apparently no other law enforcement officer in all of St. Louis possesses.
And Ellie? Jesus.
This paragon of perfection is like fucking super woman, people. She's a prodigy genius who started high school at ten years old, schooled math geniuses as a pre-teen, saves choking men in restaurants, and discovers melanoma on gang bangers in police stations just whilst "passing by."
She is also so drop dead gorgeous (of course) that every man present notices her (unbeknownst to her, of course) and was so captivating as an 11 year old that she picked up a stalker from whom she has been running her whole life. And while she's not earning prestigious medical awards that haven't been given out in over a decade prior to her awesomeness, she's giving prenatal advice to wives of FBI agents via phone, and threatening doctors to give people without insurance medical aide.
Holy shit, someone give me the Heimlich Maneuver, because I'm choking on the pretentious bullshit that is this character.
And what about Annie's random little side story that just got thrown in there out of the blue? What the hell was that?
I don't know what flabbergasts me more: the fact that an author I love churned this crap out or the fact that I finished it.
April 29, 2011
3 ½ stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense
Ideal Man is my first read by popular romance author Julie Garwood, which is surprising considering how many romances I've read. It's a good, not great, romantic suspense read that focuses more on the character relationships, and is therefore rather light on the suspense element.
Dr. Ellie Sullivan is a prodigy surgeon finishing her residency in the trauma center of a major urban hospital. While out running in a nearby park, she witnesses a shootout that makes her a target in need of FBI protection. So it's a good thing that rugged FBI agent Max Daniels is the perfect man for the job. Ellie's career is on the rise, and the last thing she wants is to be the star witness in a high profile FBI investigation, especially if it means drawing unwanted attention to herself and her family. A traumatic incident in Ellie's past involving a crazed stalker has forced her to stay away from her hometown and those she loves. And being sexually attracted to a rough around the edges, dominating man like Max, who's not interested in commitment and is nothing like the "Ideal Man" she's looking for is another complication she doesn't need.
Max is attracted to Ellie's beauty, intelligence, and strength as a doctor from the start and the glimpses into her caring nature intrigue him all the more. When he uncovers the painful events of her past, his protective instinct takes over and he's determined to keep her safe and stick by her side 24/7, even if it means posing as her boyfriend when she goes back to her South Carolina hometown for her sister's wedding.
Ideal Man has a very promising beginning that immediately drew me in, but it lost steam when it became more of a family drama. I started losing interest when the focus shifted from Max and Ellie to her relationship with her family, which is estranged because of past events involving one of her sisters and ex-fiancé and also the threat of her stalker. I really liked Ellie's character, and it was hard to accept her transition from strong, smart, take charge surgeon to the role of family outcast and doormat. The plot meandered too much, especially the scenes involving the wedding planning of her b*tchy, self-centered, bridezilla sister, and the drama distracted from the romance and main suspense storyline.
My main criticism is that there wasn't nearly enough insight into Max's character to make him a memorable romantic hero, which is ironic and disappointing considering the book's title "Ideal Man". There were also a few random plot points that felt somewhat disjointed. Although I enjoyed it well enough, there really isn't anything remarkable about it, and I would have liked more dialogue and heat between the H/H and a bit more action and suspense. 3 ½ stars.
I've heard wonderful things about Julie Garwood's novels, particularly her historical romances, so I'm sure this won't be the last book I'll read by this author.
I received this as an ARC galley, courtesy of NetGalley.com.
Ideal Man is my first read by popular romance author Julie Garwood, which is surprising considering how many romances I've read. It's a good, not great, romantic suspense read that focuses more on the character relationships, and is therefore rather light on the suspense element.
Dr. Ellie Sullivan is a prodigy surgeon finishing her residency in the trauma center of a major urban hospital. While out running in a nearby park, she witnesses a shootout that makes her a target in need of FBI protection. So it's a good thing that rugged FBI agent Max Daniels is the perfect man for the job. Ellie's career is on the rise, and the last thing she wants is to be the star witness in a high profile FBI investigation, especially if it means drawing unwanted attention to herself and her family. A traumatic incident in Ellie's past involving a crazed stalker has forced her to stay away from her hometown and those she loves. And being sexually attracted to a rough around the edges, dominating man like Max, who's not interested in commitment and is nothing like the "Ideal Man" she's looking for is another complication she doesn't need.
Max is attracted to Ellie's beauty, intelligence, and strength as a doctor from the start and the glimpses into her caring nature intrigue him all the more. When he uncovers the painful events of her past, his protective instinct takes over and he's determined to keep her safe and stick by her side 24/7, even if it means posing as her boyfriend when she goes back to her South Carolina hometown for her sister's wedding.
Ideal Man has a very promising beginning that immediately drew me in, but it lost steam when it became more of a family drama. I started losing interest when the focus shifted from Max and Ellie to her relationship with her family, which is estranged because of past events involving one of her sisters and ex-fiancé and also the threat of her stalker. I really liked Ellie's character, and it was hard to accept her transition from strong, smart, take charge surgeon to the role of family outcast and doormat. The plot meandered too much, especially the scenes involving the wedding planning of her b*tchy, self-centered, bridezilla sister, and the drama distracted from the romance and main suspense storyline.
My main criticism is that there wasn't nearly enough insight into Max's character to make him a memorable romantic hero, which is ironic and disappointing considering the book's title "Ideal Man". There were also a few random plot points that felt somewhat disjointed. Although I enjoyed it well enough, there really isn't anything remarkable about it, and I would have liked more dialogue and heat between the H/H and a bit more action and suspense. 3 ½ stars.
I've heard wonderful things about Julie Garwood's novels, particularly her historical romances, so I'm sure this won't be the last book I'll read by this author.
I received this as an ARC galley, courtesy of NetGalley.com.
March 15, 2011
Julie Garwood is one of my guilty pleasures. I've read almost every book she's ever written, and I've liked 'em! But if I'm being honest, I'd have to admit that I like her historical romances way better than her contemporary books. But even so, I raced through the Buchanan-Reynard series, and I was expecting to feel the same way about The Ideal Man. Tragically, it was not meant to be.
After SFF and YA, romantic suspense is probably my favorite genre. I love the dual tension, between the characters, and in the developing plotline. I'm a huge fan of authors like Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Linda Howard. I think they do a great job balancing the hard grittiness required for crime fiction and the soft tenderness expected of romances. Julie Garwood, who is used to writing silly-but-fun historicals, unfortunately does not manage this balancing act quite as well.
The Ideal Man revolves around Dr.Ellie Sullivan, a trauma surgeon who gets caught in the middle of an FBI shoot-out. The perpetrators escape, and Ellie is put in danger because of the possibility that she may be able to identify the crime lords behind the shooting. But that's not the only danger stalking Ellie. She's due to go home soon for her sister's wedding, and a childhood stalker, who is now out of confinement, may also be targeting her. Her protection comes in the form of tough, sexy FBI agent, Max Daniels, but he too poses a threat... to Ellie's heart! (Ooh, I had fun writing that last sentence! Cheese, anyone?)
The writing is typical Garwood, with lots of 'nodding vigorously' and too-good-to-be-true moments from the heroine, who likes to 'state' her words, rather than say them. This book is eighty percent romance, ten percent silliness and ten percent suspense. It's like watching Head Over Heels.
The thing that irritates me the most about Garwood's heroines is the unrealistic levels of self-sacrificial nobility that they display. Let me put this hypothetical situation before you. You bring your fiancé home to introduce him to your parents and sisters. They day after you arrive, you go upstairs and discover your fiancé and your sister in bed with each other. And your parents don't say anything because they don't want to get into the middle of this 'girl fight'! They don't kick your sister and your cheating boyfriend out of the house. They just let you leave, hurt and furious. Would you really be willing to forgive and forget and come back to your parents' house for your sister's wedding? And worse, not only have your parents not supported you against your bitchy, man-stealing sister, they now actually expect you to be in the wedding to show people your support for the marriage. Your sister first assumes you will fall in with her wishes and be one of her attendants. Then she tells you not to come to her wedding at all. Then she calls and says, no, you will have to spend hideous amounts of your own money and come after all. Will you just meekly fly back and be a part of this farce? Apparently, Ellie Sullivan, girl-genius and surgeon par excellence, being born without a spine, will.
The entire 'suspense' element of the story is a joke. It takes about two pages to dispose of the two men stalking Ellie, and the rest of the book is devoted to Ellie's romance with Max, her involvement in her sister's wedding and a completely unnecessary additional plotline involving her other sister, who is pregnant and in love with a missing marine.
This book was just so all-over-the-place, and unoriginal. Also, badly written and completely uninteresting. Even my general tolerance for Garwood's silliness was tested by the lack of depth in this book. My recommendation: don't bother!
After SFF and YA, romantic suspense is probably my favorite genre. I love the dual tension, between the characters, and in the developing plotline. I'm a huge fan of authors like Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Linda Howard. I think they do a great job balancing the hard grittiness required for crime fiction and the soft tenderness expected of romances. Julie Garwood, who is used to writing silly-but-fun historicals, unfortunately does not manage this balancing act quite as well.
The Ideal Man revolves around Dr.Ellie Sullivan, a trauma surgeon who gets caught in the middle of an FBI shoot-out. The perpetrators escape, and Ellie is put in danger because of the possibility that she may be able to identify the crime lords behind the shooting. But that's not the only danger stalking Ellie. She's due to go home soon for her sister's wedding, and a childhood stalker, who is now out of confinement, may also be targeting her. Her protection comes in the form of tough, sexy FBI agent, Max Daniels, but he too poses a threat... to Ellie's heart! (Ooh, I had fun writing that last sentence! Cheese, anyone?)
The writing is typical Garwood, with lots of 'nodding vigorously' and too-good-to-be-true moments from the heroine, who likes to 'state' her words, rather than say them. This book is eighty percent romance, ten percent silliness and ten percent suspense. It's like watching Head Over Heels.
The thing that irritates me the most about Garwood's heroines is the unrealistic levels of self-sacrificial nobility that they display. Let me put this hypothetical situation before you. You bring your fiancé home to introduce him to your parents and sisters. They day after you arrive, you go upstairs and discover your fiancé and your sister in bed with each other. And your parents don't say anything because they don't want to get into the middle of this 'girl fight'! They don't kick your sister and your cheating boyfriend out of the house. They just let you leave, hurt and furious. Would you really be willing to forgive and forget and come back to your parents' house for your sister's wedding? And worse, not only have your parents not supported you against your bitchy, man-stealing sister, they now actually expect you to be in the wedding to show people your support for the marriage. Your sister first assumes you will fall in with her wishes and be one of her attendants. Then she tells you not to come to her wedding at all. Then she calls and says, no, you will have to spend hideous amounts of your own money and come after all. Will you just meekly fly back and be a part of this farce? Apparently, Ellie Sullivan, girl-genius and surgeon par excellence, being born without a spine, will.
The entire 'suspense' element of the story is a joke. It takes about two pages to dispose of the two men stalking Ellie, and the rest of the book is devoted to Ellie's romance with Max, her involvement in her sister's wedding and a completely unnecessary additional plotline involving her other sister, who is pregnant and in love with a missing marine.
This book was just so all-over-the-place, and unoriginal. Also, badly written and completely uninteresting. Even my general tolerance for Garwood's silliness was tested by the lack of depth in this book. My recommendation: don't bother!
April 13, 2011
A surprisingly good romance suspense with a perfectly matched H/h, the kind I love to route for. Loved them both. Garwood did a great job of balancing a steamy romance, honest passion, and a suspenseful storyline with plenty of twists -- just how I like my romance suspense books.
The first few paragraphs sucked me in and I never lost interest. We learn quickly that Ellie is a prodigy surgeon who witnesses a crime that nearly killed a man, and Max is an FBI agent determined to keep her safe - and in his bed. Their attraction is honest and real, and easily the best part of the book. The dialog between these two was sharp and even humorous at times, including some great teasing banter.
The suspense part of the story was multi-tiered, as Ellie's past issue with a stalker who tried to kill her years ago resurfaces. So now Ellie and Max find themselves faced with two dangerous elements to contend with, both past and present dangers. I enjoyed the clever way Max and Ellie were able to unravel the mystery aspects in order to stay safe, but if I am being honest I would say the storyline of the stalker from her past did feel a bit over the top. It just left me with a lot of little questions about its plausibility. Luckily, it's not a big part of the story so this issue is minor.
Max is a rough around the collar kind of guy, says what he means, and wants to keep his personal life simple and uncomplicated. He begins the affair with Ellie believing it's to scratch an itch, but he is unprepared for the intensity of what happens between them. Ellie is ready to begin a new chapter in her life, but she is smart enough to realize that falling for Max is out of the question for many reasons - yet she can't resist him.
Overall, this a great romance suspense story with steamy passion, great characters, and clever twists. And while I thought the main romance and suspense storyline was 5-star worthy, I only gave it 4-stars mostly because of the secondary plot lines with Ellie's sisters. They were identical twins who are polar opposites - a nice twin and a self-centered twin. While it worked in the context of staging and solving the mystery, the individual story lines (especially the one with the 'good' twin sister Annie) were both given super-speedy resolutions that didn't jive for me.
And on a funny note, I can't help but finding it a bit odd that the book is titled "The Ideal Man" when the storyline is primarily focused on Ellie, including her safety, her past issue with a deadly stalker, and her family members trying to pull off a wedding with minimal drama. Not that Max wasn't the Ideal Man, because he really was, but the story wasn't even centered around him so we don't get to know him nearly as well as we do Ellie.
I've read, re-read and loved all of Julie Garwood's historicals, but I only read one contemporary by her (Killjoy) and swore never to read more. I am so glad I broke that rule! She really can write a great romance suspense, and I will continue to read more.
This is a stand-alone book not related to her other Buchanan series. I received it as an ARC copy by Netgalley.com.
The first few paragraphs sucked me in and I never lost interest. We learn quickly that Ellie is a prodigy surgeon who witnesses a crime that nearly killed a man, and Max is an FBI agent determined to keep her safe - and in his bed. Their attraction is honest and real, and easily the best part of the book. The dialog between these two was sharp and even humorous at times, including some great teasing banter.
The suspense part of the story was multi-tiered, as Ellie's past issue with a stalker who tried to kill her years ago resurfaces. So now Ellie and Max find themselves faced with two dangerous elements to contend with, both past and present dangers. I enjoyed the clever way Max and Ellie were able to unravel the mystery aspects in order to stay safe, but if I am being honest I would say the storyline of the stalker from her past did feel a bit over the top. It just left me with a lot of little questions about its plausibility. Luckily, it's not a big part of the story so this issue is minor.
Max is a rough around the collar kind of guy, says what he means, and wants to keep his personal life simple and uncomplicated. He begins the affair with Ellie believing it's to scratch an itch, but he is unprepared for the intensity of what happens between them. Ellie is ready to begin a new chapter in her life, but she is smart enough to realize that falling for Max is out of the question for many reasons - yet she can't resist him.
Overall, this a great romance suspense story with steamy passion, great characters, and clever twists. And while I thought the main romance and suspense storyline was 5-star worthy, I only gave it 4-stars mostly because of the secondary plot lines with Ellie's sisters. They were identical twins who are polar opposites - a nice twin and a self-centered twin. While it worked in the context of staging and solving the mystery, the individual story lines (especially the one with the 'good' twin sister Annie) were both given super-speedy resolutions that didn't jive for me.
And on a funny note, I can't help but finding it a bit odd that the book is titled "The Ideal Man" when the storyline is primarily focused on Ellie, including her safety, her past issue with a deadly stalker, and her family members trying to pull off a wedding with minimal drama. Not that Max wasn't the Ideal Man, because he really was, but the story wasn't even centered around him so we don't get to know him nearly as well as we do Ellie.
I've read, re-read and loved all of Julie Garwood's historicals, but I only read one contemporary by her (Killjoy) and swore never to read more. I am so glad I broke that rule! She really can write a great romance suspense, and I will continue to read more.
This is a stand-alone book not related to her other Buchanan series. I received it as an ARC copy by Netgalley.com.
September 17, 2023
Reread 09/16/2023 - I love this series as much the second time around as I did the first time I read it. Ellie is a take charge, kick ass heroine who more than holds her own against hero Max. She fell for him at first sight but was not going to be a push over for this love em' and leave em' guy. She is remarkable.
07/26/2012 - Dr. Ellie Sullivan is a trauma surgeon and something of a child prodigy. She is also the object of a stalker who almost killed her when she was 12 and no one knows where he is now. Added to that, Ellie has witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent by a duo who don’t leave witnesses alive. Max Daniels is an FBI assigned to the case and the spark is definitely there when these two meet. Max is the love em and leave em type. Ellie isn’t, but is sorely tempted by Max, really, really tempted. But, Max is only in St. Louis chasing the bad guys (he lives in Honolulu) and Ellie is at the end of her fellowship and is not sure if she will stay in St. Louis. Anyway, Max follows Ellie to her hometown because he fears for her safety, on his own dime. It looks like Max can’t bear to leave this one.
Julie Garwood can tell a story like few other authors. The pace on The Ideal Man is slow to begin with, but the buildup is well worth the payoff.
07/26/2012 - Dr. Ellie Sullivan is a trauma surgeon and something of a child prodigy. She is also the object of a stalker who almost killed her when she was 12 and no one knows where he is now. Added to that, Ellie has witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent by a duo who don’t leave witnesses alive. Max Daniels is an FBI assigned to the case and the spark is definitely there when these two meet. Max is the love em and leave em type. Ellie isn’t, but is sorely tempted by Max, really, really tempted. But, Max is only in St. Louis chasing the bad guys (he lives in Honolulu) and Ellie is at the end of her fellowship and is not sure if she will stay in St. Louis. Anyway, Max follows Ellie to her hometown because he fears for her safety, on his own dime. It looks like Max can’t bear to leave this one.
Julie Garwood can tell a story like few other authors. The pace on The Ideal Man is slow to begin with, but the buildup is well worth the payoff.
March 5, 2012
3.5 Stars
Julie Garwood is one of my fav HR authors! Some of my best reads are from this very talented writer. Therefore, when I open one of her books, I'm looking forward to great.
Unfortunately, The Ideal Man never reached that status. I enjoyed this book and from the very first page I wanted more of Max and Ellie's story. But her magic was missing, making this very good, but not great.
Julie Garwood is one of my fav HR authors! Some of my best reads are from this very talented writer. Therefore, when I open one of her books, I'm looking forward to great.
Unfortunately, The Ideal Man never reached that status. I enjoyed this book and from the very first page I wanted more of Max and Ellie's story. But her magic was missing, making this very good, but not great.
October 16, 2023
Ellie Sullivan has lived an unconventional life. A stalker nearly killed her when she was eleven years old. Since he was released from jail and disappeared, Ellie's parents sent her to live with some friends, hoping her stalker would never find her. Now a trauma surgeon in St. Louis, Ellie is jogging in a park when she witnesses the shooting of an FBi Agent. Ellie saves his life; but finds herself in the middle of a criminal investigation. FBI Agent Max Daniels interviews Ellie about the shooting. Both he and Ellie are instantly attracted to each other. Max decides that she is going to need around the clock protection...and he is the man to do it.
This is another romantic suspense story from Julie Garwood. It's a little lighter on the suspense than I usually like, but it was still a good story. Ellie returns to her hometown to see her family who are gathering for her sister's wedding. She doesn't want anyone to know that she may be in danger. But when Max turns up in order to keep her safe, everyone learns about the danger she is in.
Both Ellie and Max are very appealing characters. They had great chemistry. I loved some of their conversations. Ellie's sister is the ultimate Bridezilla. She and Ellie do not get along at all. Their scenes made the story entertaining. My rating: 4 Stars.
This is another romantic suspense story from Julie Garwood. It's a little lighter on the suspense than I usually like, but it was still a good story. Ellie returns to her hometown to see her family who are gathering for her sister's wedding. She doesn't want anyone to know that she may be in danger. But when Max turns up in order to keep her safe, everyone learns about the danger she is in.
Both Ellie and Max are very appealing characters. They had great chemistry. I loved some of their conversations. Ellie's sister is the ultimate Bridezilla. She and Ellie do not get along at all. Their scenes made the story entertaining. My rating: 4 Stars.
March 15, 2011
This was an enjoyable story. I enjoy Ms. Garwood’s suspense more than her historicals. For a romantic suspense book however, it wasn’t very suspenseful. There were two completely different suspense story lines so neither one was really done justice. Neither one was particularly suspenseful. There was a lot going on in her relationship with her sisters and other family members. The scenes with them concerning her sister’s wedding seemed to slow down the story and negate any suspense that was gathering.
There was this bad guy who had terrorized her her entire life. The first time he shows up, they capture him and eventually shoot him. Problem over. Same with the second suspense plot. The bad guys decide she is not a threat so they cancel the hit on her. Even though the assassin decides to ignore the cancellation, he is pretty lame and gets caught.
After that, there were several unnecessary chapters that felt like epilogues. There was a small side story with one of her sisters being pregnant and not being able to find the Navy SEAL father to tell him. And I thought aha! next book! But no, in the weird epilogish final chapters, she has the baby and he shows up and apologizes and they get married. The side story was not developed enough to carry much weight and it was just odd that it was wrapped up at the end of the book.
The book felt like it meandered a bit and the plot was not as tight as others of Ms. Garwood’s that I have read. The characters were pleasant but not well developed. The hero especially seemed a bit one dimensional. The love between them happened without a lot of development. The love scenes were nicely done however. It was a pleasant story and kept my interest but was not, in the end, very memorable.
This book was provided to me free from the publisher for review.
There was this bad guy who had terrorized her her entire life. The first time he shows up, they capture him and eventually shoot him. Problem over. Same with the second suspense plot. The bad guys decide she is not a threat so they cancel the hit on her. Even though the assassin decides to ignore the cancellation, he is pretty lame and gets caught.
After that, there were several unnecessary chapters that felt like epilogues. There was a small side story with one of her sisters being pregnant and not being able to find the Navy SEAL father to tell him. And I thought aha! next book! But no, in the weird epilogish final chapters, she has the baby and he shows up and apologizes and they get married. The side story was not developed enough to carry much weight and it was just odd that it was wrapped up at the end of the book.
The book felt like it meandered a bit and the plot was not as tight as others of Ms. Garwood’s that I have read. The characters were pleasant but not well developed. The hero especially seemed a bit one dimensional. The love between them happened without a lot of development. The love scenes were nicely done however. It was a pleasant story and kept my interest but was not, in the end, very memorable.
This book was provided to me free from the publisher for review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2017
October 2017 Series Reread and Review
3.5 Stars!
Dr. Ellie Sullivan is a child prodigy and completing her trauma surgery residency when while jogging in the park, she unwittingly witnesses a crime and saves the life of an FBI Agent who was shot during a sting operation gone wrong.
Max Daniel's is a FBI Agent attempting to catch a husband and wife in the arms dealing business, but, the sting goes wrong and an agent on his team is shot. Now Max needs to keep Ellie safe, since witnesses against the Landry's tend to disappear.
On top of that Ellie has a deranged childhood stalker who brutally assaulted her twice as a young girl which had her leaving home at the age of eleven to live with others to keep her safe. Now she's going home for her sisters wedding with a stalker at large and a hitman on her trail. It's up to Max to keep her safe from a fanatic and get her to the trial in one piece. Another great couple, storylines, and reread!!
* Narrated by Christina Traister, who does a fantastic job!
* Originally read: October 2011
3.5 Stars!
Dr. Ellie Sullivan is a child prodigy and completing her trauma surgery residency when while jogging in the park, she unwittingly witnesses a crime and saves the life of an FBI Agent who was shot during a sting operation gone wrong.
Max Daniel's is a FBI Agent attempting to catch a husband and wife in the arms dealing business, but, the sting goes wrong and an agent on his team is shot. Now Max needs to keep Ellie safe, since witnesses against the Landry's tend to disappear.
On top of that Ellie has a deranged childhood stalker who brutally assaulted her twice as a young girl which had her leaving home at the age of eleven to live with others to keep her safe. Now she's going home for her sisters wedding with a stalker at large and a hitman on her trail. It's up to Max to keep her safe from a fanatic and get her to the trial in one piece. Another great couple, storylines, and reread!!
* Narrated by Christina Traister, who does a fantastic job!
* Originally read: October 2011
March 11, 2011
After the Buchanan series, I've waited for ages for another JG's suspense book. And seems that I have to wait some more. This book was of romantic-suspense genre, being 70% romance, 20% suspense and 10% about the damn wedding.
Ellie was a brilliant gorgeous surgeon who met Max, a brooding hot FBI agent at a shoot-out near her hospital. They kinda reminds me of Vishous and Doc Jane of JR Ward's book a bit. Anyhoo, after the mishap, Max was assigned to protect Ellie from the bad guys. So Max went to Ellie's hometown with her for her sister's wedding and things went pretty boring from there. I just skimmed through the pages to get to the suspense part.
Since the tittle was THE IDEAL MAN (and not DEATH of THE IDEAL MAN), I shouldn't have misinterpreted the book to be more of a romance-adventure-suspense book. It really was a romance-relationship book. But with a book cover like that, I just couldn't help but to expect it to be about some hot FBI agent going on a shooting rampage to save the heroine.
But still, I had an enjoyable time reading it. And would've had even a greater time with a lesser wedding fiasco and more shooting binge.
Ellie was a brilliant gorgeous surgeon who met Max, a brooding hot FBI agent at a shoot-out near her hospital. They kinda reminds me of Vishous and Doc Jane of JR Ward's book a bit. Anyhoo, after the mishap, Max was assigned to protect Ellie from the bad guys. So Max went to Ellie's hometown with her for her sister's wedding and things went pretty boring from there. I just skimmed through the pages to get to the suspense part.
Since the tittle was THE IDEAL MAN (and not DEATH of THE IDEAL MAN), I shouldn't have misinterpreted the book to be more of a romance-adventure-suspense book. It really was a romance-relationship book. But with a book cover like that, I just couldn't help but to expect it to be about some hot FBI agent going on a shooting rampage to save the heroine.
But still, I had an enjoyable time reading it. And would've had even a greater time with a lesser wedding fiasco and more shooting binge.
April 2, 2011
Blog post: http://happilyeverafter-reviews.blogs...
Nice romance, ok suspense. I loved Ellie. A successful trauma surgeon, she deals with a past trauma of her own that won't let her fully live her life. She's everything I enjoy about a leading heroine - smart, take charge, strong. She doesn't make dumb choices (one of my huge pet peeves with characters) and she was very enjoyable to read.
Max was a nice balance to Ellie. He's a FBI agent who, due to Ellie being in the wrong place at the wrong time, is protecting her from the criminals who got away. The best way to describe Max is a good guy. He's solid and is one of few people that gives Ellie a sense of safeness in her life.
The good: Ellie, the relationship between Ellie and Max is very sweet, with good build up, the first half of the book with good pacing and story progression.
The not so good: The last half of the book felt like it jumped around, a lot. One paragraph Ellie's talking about going to a wedding, the next paragraph is a description of the wedding, the next paragraph she's back home and at her apartment. Yes, it was meant to fast forward through the wedding, but the way it was written was very choppy. The last few chapters read this way, like everything needed to be crammed in to get to "the end."
It seemed that her sister Annie was being set up for the next book (I had no idea when reading the book if this is the beginning of a series or a stand alone, and couldn't find any info about it). I was intrigued with Annie's story and looked forward to more about her. Well I got it in the form of about 2 pages at the end that wrapped her story up completely.
Overall it's a good story, I enjoyed Ellie and Max's relationship, but the suspense was a lot of build up with very easy resolutions at the end and no real suspense.
Nice romance, ok suspense. I loved Ellie. A successful trauma surgeon, she deals with a past trauma of her own that won't let her fully live her life. She's everything I enjoy about a leading heroine - smart, take charge, strong. She doesn't make dumb choices (one of my huge pet peeves with characters) and she was very enjoyable to read.
Max was a nice balance to Ellie. He's a FBI agent who, due to Ellie being in the wrong place at the wrong time, is protecting her from the criminals who got away. The best way to describe Max is a good guy. He's solid and is one of few people that gives Ellie a sense of safeness in her life.
The good: Ellie, the relationship between Ellie and Max is very sweet, with good build up, the first half of the book with good pacing and story progression.
The not so good: The last half of the book felt like it jumped around, a lot. One paragraph Ellie's talking about going to a wedding, the next paragraph is a description of the wedding, the next paragraph she's back home and at her apartment. Yes, it was meant to fast forward through the wedding, but the way it was written was very choppy. The last few chapters read this way, like everything needed to be crammed in to get to "the end."
It seemed that her sister Annie was being set up for the next book (I had no idea when reading the book if this is the beginning of a series or a stand alone, and couldn't find any info about it). I was intrigued with Annie's story and looked forward to more about her. Well I got it in the form of about 2 pages at the end that wrapped her story up completely.
Overall it's a good story, I enjoyed Ellie and Max's relationship, but the suspense was a lot of build up with very easy resolutions at the end and no real suspense.
January 10, 2012
This review is going to spoil quite a bit of the book because I can't rant properly without spoilers.
I hated this book, which really surprised me because I started reading Garwood's historical romances 20 years ago and still go back to reread some of them. This book, though, good grief is it L-A-Z-Y.
First, we begin with a huge exposition dump as our heroine, Ellie, ponders her entire life story while jogging. During this we learn that her main (turns out, only) character flaw is that she's clumsy. Joy. Haven't heard that before. The beautiful, kind, moral, inhumanly brilliant, size 6 with large breasts, trauma surgeon is clumsy. And yet, not once through the entire book does Ellie stumble, bump into tables, or drop anything, even while confronting the bad guys.
Second, the dialog is often clunky enough to take me right out of the book. The heroine is prone to saying "It's all good," which I haven't heard unironically in years. And Ellie's father, a man from South Carolina, offers his daughter "iced sweet tea." No. Just no. Those are nitpicky, yes, but they led to much face palming.
The villains are completely phoned in and dispensed with neatly within a chapter or two. And I never once felt like I knew anything about the hero. So much so, that after finishing the book only yesterday, I can't remember his name.
What I do remember is that he told Ellie that they were going to get married. Not asked. Just unapologetically told. Twice. When he told her they were going out on a date, it came off as being charming enough. But the "marriage proposal" did not. It was incredibly creepy and stupid. And of course, our modern day, independent heroine just swooned over it.
Finally, the tacked-on resolution to her sister's story was a waste of paper, and had the same creepy male-dominance vibe as the hero's proposal.
I've never liked Garwood's contemporaries as much as her historicals, but "The Ideal Man" reads like bad harlequin.
Oh, and I have to say that the plot summary on the book jacket contained 2 factual errors in the description. I'm not sure how much that matters other than that these errors make the book sound like it will be a suspense thriller when it is decidedly not.
I hated this book, which really surprised me because I started reading Garwood's historical romances 20 years ago and still go back to reread some of them. This book, though, good grief is it L-A-Z-Y.
First, we begin with a huge exposition dump as our heroine, Ellie, ponders her entire life story while jogging. During this we learn that her main (turns out, only) character flaw is that she's clumsy. Joy. Haven't heard that before. The beautiful, kind, moral, inhumanly brilliant, size 6 with large breasts, trauma surgeon is clumsy. And yet, not once through the entire book does Ellie stumble, bump into tables, or drop anything, even while confronting the bad guys.
Second, the dialog is often clunky enough to take me right out of the book. The heroine is prone to saying "It's all good," which I haven't heard unironically in years. And Ellie's father, a man from South Carolina, offers his daughter "iced sweet tea." No. Just no. Those are nitpicky, yes, but they led to much face palming.
The villains are completely phoned in and dispensed with neatly within a chapter or two. And I never once felt like I knew anything about the hero. So much so, that after finishing the book only yesterday, I can't remember his name.
What I do remember is that he told Ellie that they were going to get married. Not asked. Just unapologetically told. Twice. When he told her they were going out on a date, it came off as being charming enough. But the "marriage proposal" did not. It was incredibly creepy and stupid. And of course, our modern day, independent heroine just swooned over it.
Finally, the tacked-on resolution to her sister's story was a waste of paper, and had the same creepy male-dominance vibe as the hero's proposal.
I've never liked Garwood's contemporaries as much as her historicals, but "The Ideal Man" reads like bad harlequin.
Oh, and I have to say that the plot summary on the book jacket contained 2 factual errors in the description. I'm not sure how much that matters other than that these errors make the book sound like it will be a suspense thriller when it is decidedly not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2011
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit The Romanceaholic.
Expected Release Date: August 9, 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Dutton
Author’s Website: http://juliegarwood.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Steam Level: Steamy
**REVIEWER’S NOTE** This was an uncorrected advanced copy, so it’s possible that some details may be changed by the publication date.
I do believe that I am now officially a Julie Garwood fangirl. *nods decisively*
Ellie was a child prodigy, with a tortured past. Intelligent beyond her years, she attracted a deranged stalker at the tender age of 11, making her life a living hell; multiple attacks, restraining orders, and finally being sent out of state to live with strangers in order to protect both her and her family has left a mark on her that no amount of education or professional success can erase. When she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent, she’s suddenly thrust into danger yet again, despite the fact that she cannot make a positive identification.
Max bursts into her life as an FBI agent attached to the case, and the sparks fly between them. They both know that nothing can come of a relationship — she lives in the midwest while he lives in Hawaii — and yet neither can resist the other. When she flies back to her childhood home for her sister’s wedding, she faces not only the threat of being silenced before she can take the witness stand, but also of having to face her childhood nemesis, the deranged stalker who has until that point dropped off the face of the earth.
Overall, I absolutely adore it. There was enough action to keep me on my toes, blended beautifully with just enough romance and steam to keep me intrigued.
The ending was also absolutely lovely. After reading the last line I literally said “awwww” and closed the book with a smile, and that more than anything is why I cheerfully give this book 5/5 Stars
Expected Release Date: August 9, 2011
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Dutton
Author’s Website: http://juliegarwood.com/
My Source for This Book: Netgalley
Part of a Series: No
Steam Level: Steamy
**REVIEWER’S NOTE** This was an uncorrected advanced copy, so it’s possible that some details may be changed by the publication date.
I do believe that I am now officially a Julie Garwood fangirl. *nods decisively*
Ellie was a child prodigy, with a tortured past. Intelligent beyond her years, she attracted a deranged stalker at the tender age of 11, making her life a living hell; multiple attacks, restraining orders, and finally being sent out of state to live with strangers in order to protect both her and her family has left a mark on her that no amount of education or professional success can erase. When she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent, she’s suddenly thrust into danger yet again, despite the fact that she cannot make a positive identification.
Max bursts into her life as an FBI agent attached to the case, and the sparks fly between them. They both know that nothing can come of a relationship — she lives in the midwest while he lives in Hawaii — and yet neither can resist the other. When she flies back to her childhood home for her sister’s wedding, she faces not only the threat of being silenced before she can take the witness stand, but also of having to face her childhood nemesis, the deranged stalker who has until that point dropped off the face of the earth.
Overall, I absolutely adore it. There was enough action to keep me on my toes, blended beautifully with just enough romance and steam to keep me intrigued.
The ending was also absolutely lovely. After reading the last line I literally said “awwww” and closed the book with a smile, and that more than anything is why I cheerfully give this book 5/5 Stars
March 23, 2011
There is just something about Garwood’s men that just makes you want to rip them off the pages and pull them into the real world. *sigh* If only.;)
Some girls have all the luck. In Ellie Sullivan’s case it’s all bad. Stalked at age 11 by a 17 year old psychopath and left for dead, she is a survivor. Still looking over her shoulder after all these years she’s learned to be cautious and go on living knowing he‘s still out there somewhere. Now she’s the possible target of a hit-man. In the wrong place at the wrong time she witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent and the killers mean to make sure no witnesses are left.
Max Daniels is the FBI agent assigned to protect her. He is totally (in Ellie’s opinion) not the ideal man for her. He lives in another state, has a dangerous job, and doesn’t believe in more than a casual relationship. He’s also devilishly handsome. Why is it we always want what we shouldn't?
Action, romance, and suspense with a touch humor are packed into this one. I absolutely loved it. If you’re a Garwood fan like me you won’t be disappointed. I have yet to meet a book of hers I didn’t like. Yes, I’ll definitely be buying a copy when the book hits the shelves. It’ll be going on my keeper shelf. The ebook version just won’t do.
Some girls have all the luck. In Ellie Sullivan’s case it’s all bad. Stalked at age 11 by a 17 year old psychopath and left for dead, she is a survivor. Still looking over her shoulder after all these years she’s learned to be cautious and go on living knowing he‘s still out there somewhere. Now she’s the possible target of a hit-man. In the wrong place at the wrong time she witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent and the killers mean to make sure no witnesses are left.
Max Daniels is the FBI agent assigned to protect her. He is totally (in Ellie’s opinion) not the ideal man for her. He lives in another state, has a dangerous job, and doesn’t believe in more than a casual relationship. He’s also devilishly handsome. Why is it we always want what we shouldn't?
Action, romance, and suspense with a touch humor are packed into this one. I absolutely loved it. If you’re a Garwood fan like me you won’t be disappointed. I have yet to meet a book of hers I didn’t like. Yes, I’ll definitely be buying a copy when the book hits the shelves. It’ll be going on my keeper shelf. The ebook version just won’t do.
August 9, 2011
I am NOT a contemporary genre type of girl. I'm also not into heroines that overcome tremendous adversity to become a brilliant success in their adult life. Call it jealousy.
Nevertheless, in The Ideal Man you have a contemporary romantic suspense novel that has Ellie, the wonder surgeon, who can not only practically perform surgery with her hands tied behind her back but also is kind and caring and an excellent teacher to the upcoming future brilliant surgeons. She's overcome a horrible past, the type that would break a normal girl. It's a good thing she is Ellie, the wonder surgeon! I was waiting for her to leap tall buildings or to spin around and turn into Linda Carter with the most impressive pointy boob costume!
So why did I give this almost 4 stars if I'm ripping apart one of the main characters? Wait, I'm getting there! I have a bit more ripping to do.
Of course, Ellie, the wonder surgeon is running through the park (because even after her long 18 hour days performing brilliant trauma surgeries and gently teaching her little pet students, she finds the energy and time to go running) when she witnesses a very bad act. Darn it, Ellie the wonder surgeon, where was your super powered scapel when you needed it?
Ok, so seriously, I gave this book 3.5 stars because, after I got over the unbelievable characters (the characters were perfect- I don't care if Ellie's past was horrible, if you come through it the way she came through it, you are a perfect specimen of a female and deserve recognition in the unbelievable character hall of fame), I found the Max/Ellie hook up kind of fun, and the actual storyline interesting enough to keep me hooked.
Because I finished the book, I have to give it at least 3 stars. I rarely finish contemporary books. Because I smiled in a few places, I have to up it a half star! Meaning if you like contemporary suspense romance novels, you’ll probably love this!
Nevertheless, in The Ideal Man you have a contemporary romantic suspense novel that has Ellie, the wonder surgeon, who can not only practically perform surgery with her hands tied behind her back but also is kind and caring and an excellent teacher to the upcoming future brilliant surgeons. She's overcome a horrible past, the type that would break a normal girl. It's a good thing she is Ellie, the wonder surgeon! I was waiting for her to leap tall buildings or to spin around and turn into Linda Carter with the most impressive pointy boob costume!
So why did I give this almost 4 stars if I'm ripping apart one of the main characters? Wait, I'm getting there! I have a bit more ripping to do.
Of course, Ellie, the wonder surgeon is running through the park (because even after her long 18 hour days performing brilliant trauma surgeries and gently teaching her little pet students, she finds the energy and time to go running) when she witnesses a very bad act. Darn it, Ellie the wonder surgeon, where was your super powered scapel when you needed it?
Ok, so seriously, I gave this book 3.5 stars because, after I got over the unbelievable characters (the characters were perfect- I don't care if Ellie's past was horrible, if you come through it the way she came through it, you are a perfect specimen of a female and deserve recognition in the unbelievable character hall of fame), I found the Max/Ellie hook up kind of fun, and the actual storyline interesting enough to keep me hooked.
Because I finished the book, I have to give it at least 3 stars. I rarely finish contemporary books. Because I smiled in a few places, I have to up it a half star! Meaning if you like contemporary suspense romance novels, you’ll probably love this!
April 11, 2011
I thoroughly enjoyed this latest by Julie Garwood, which I received as an ARC from Netgalley. I thought that the main characters were very likeable, and the storyline caught and held my attention. There were some good secondary characters and the author even gave us one of those characters we love to hate in one of the heroine's sisters. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.
Just after finishing her shift at the hospital where she practices as a surgeon, Ellie Sullivan witnesses a murder. The victim is an FBI agent, and several agents are working the case when the shooting takes place. As Ellie makes her statement, she becomes acquainted with Max Daniels, one of the FBI agents on the case. Max is immediately protective of Ellie, and when he finds out that she may be in danger because of what she witnessed, he joins her in South Carolina where she has gone for her sisters wedding. As wedding preparatinos ensue, and Ellie and Max get to know one another better, Ellie is threatened by someone from her past. Max is determined to keep her safe from those who wish to harm her.
I liked this book better than any of Garwood's other contemporary work. Ellie was a great heroine - strong and resilent even though she had experienced a lot of trauma in her life. Max was also a great character. He was protective and sweet. I liked the way that these two genuinely liked one another once they started to really get acquainted. Their was great chemilstry between the two. The book was fast paced and kept me interested. I enjoyed every minute that I spent reading it.
Just after finishing her shift at the hospital where she practices as a surgeon, Ellie Sullivan witnesses a murder. The victim is an FBI agent, and several agents are working the case when the shooting takes place. As Ellie makes her statement, she becomes acquainted with Max Daniels, one of the FBI agents on the case. Max is immediately protective of Ellie, and when he finds out that she may be in danger because of what she witnessed, he joins her in South Carolina where she has gone for her sisters wedding. As wedding preparatinos ensue, and Ellie and Max get to know one another better, Ellie is threatened by someone from her past. Max is determined to keep her safe from those who wish to harm her.
I liked this book better than any of Garwood's other contemporary work. Ellie was a great heroine - strong and resilent even though she had experienced a lot of trauma in her life. Max was also a great character. He was protective and sweet. I liked the way that these two genuinely liked one another once they started to really get acquainted. Their was great chemilstry between the two. The book was fast paced and kept me interested. I enjoyed every minute that I spent reading it.
February 18, 2020
3.5!
Recommendation for Nora Roberts's fans.
It can be read as a standalone.
Recommendation for Nora Roberts's fans.
It can be read as a standalone.
May 2, 2011
What happened to Julie Garwood?
The Ideal Man is several books in one … and I don't mean that in a good way. It reads more like a comedy than a romantic suspense, and I have so many issues with the plot and characters it's hard to know where to start.
Let’s begin here:
Garwood gave the main female character, Ellie, way too much back story.
- Ellie witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent and is now being hunted by a hit man even though she did not see the suspects well enough to identify them or testify against them (main plot story).
- Ellie is being stalked by a man who has repeatedly attempted to abduct and kill her since she was eleven years old.
- Ellie has been separated from her family for years due to her stalker.
- One of the few times Ellie did reconnect with her family, her sister (who is an unfeeling drama queen and total b****) slept with and stole her fiancé.
and on and on and on ...
Feeling bad for Ellie? Don't. Garwood also made her too perfect (practically a martyr).
- Ellie was a child genius and prodigy.
- Ellie is (of course) gorgeous and desired by just about every male that meets her.
- Ellie is a brilliant, award winning doctor who has little to no ego and instantly cares for and dispenses medical advice to anyone who crosses her path.
and on and on and on ...
Some of the other stereotypical characters I had issue with were:
Ellie's parents - who are bizarrely cheap/obsessed with bargain shopping and went back and forth between being extremely worried about Ellie's well being (to the point her Dad is becoming ill from the stress of it all) and harassing Ellie for not being more visible in her wicked sister's wedding (uh ... hello? She's a target and people are trying to kill her!)
Ellie's wicked sister, Ava - the self-obsessed, fiancé-stealing sister I mentioned above who manages to somehow redeem herself by not changing at all in the end (I'm still not sure how that happened).
Ellie's good sister, Annie - who is Ava's twin (but really sweet and caring), a lawyer (inspired by everything Ellie has dealt with over the years with her stalker), and ... pregnant! (Annie was one of the few characters I actually liked and the pregnancy side plot had all the making of a sequel, but ... no. Sadly Garwood decided to cram all the explanation of what happened there and resolve it in less than a chapter at the end.)
And I'm not going to even touch the stalker, the hit man, the school yard bully/delinquent turned hero, etc.!
The only character I really had no issues at all with was the main male character, Max. He was a classic Garwood male - tough and domineering with a softer side, but as much as I liked him, he wasn’t enough to redeem the book for me.
In the end the only thing this book left me feeling was disappointed and yearning for Garwood’s earlier writing back in the days when she was writing historical gems like Ransom, Saving Grace, and The Wedding.
My advice: Re-read something she wrote prior to 2000 and don't waste your time on this one.
The Ideal Man is several books in one … and I don't mean that in a good way. It reads more like a comedy than a romantic suspense, and I have so many issues with the plot and characters it's hard to know where to start.
Let’s begin here:
Garwood gave the main female character, Ellie, way too much back story.
- Ellie witnessed the shooting of an FBI agent and is now being hunted by a hit man even though she did not see the suspects well enough to identify them or testify against them (main plot story).
- Ellie is being stalked by a man who has repeatedly attempted to abduct and kill her since she was eleven years old.
- Ellie has been separated from her family for years due to her stalker.
- One of the few times Ellie did reconnect with her family, her sister (who is an unfeeling drama queen and total b****) slept with and stole her fiancé.
and on and on and on ...
Feeling bad for Ellie? Don't. Garwood also made her too perfect (practically a martyr).
- Ellie was a child genius and prodigy.
- Ellie is (of course) gorgeous and desired by just about every male that meets her.
- Ellie is a brilliant, award winning doctor who has little to no ego and instantly cares for and dispenses medical advice to anyone who crosses her path.
and on and on and on ...
Some of the other stereotypical characters I had issue with were:
Ellie's parents - who are bizarrely cheap/obsessed with bargain shopping and went back and forth between being extremely worried about Ellie's well being (to the point her Dad is becoming ill from the stress of it all) and harassing Ellie for not being more visible in her wicked sister's wedding (uh ... hello? She's a target and people are trying to kill her!)
Ellie's wicked sister, Ava - the self-obsessed, fiancé-stealing sister I mentioned above who manages to somehow redeem herself by not changing at all in the end (I'm still not sure how that happened).
Ellie's good sister, Annie - who is Ava's twin (but really sweet and caring), a lawyer (inspired by everything Ellie has dealt with over the years with her stalker), and ... pregnant! (Annie was one of the few characters I actually liked and the pregnancy side plot had all the making of a sequel, but ... no. Sadly Garwood decided to cram all the explanation of what happened there and resolve it in less than a chapter at the end.)
And I'm not going to even touch the stalker, the hit man, the school yard bully/delinquent turned hero, etc.!
The only character I really had no issues at all with was the main male character, Max. He was a classic Garwood male - tough and domineering with a softer side, but as much as I liked him, he wasn’t enough to redeem the book for me.
In the end the only thing this book left me feeling was disappointed and yearning for Garwood’s earlier writing back in the days when she was writing historical gems like Ransom, Saving Grace, and The Wedding.
My advice: Re-read something she wrote prior to 2000 and don't waste your time on this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2012
Either this was a short book or it was a fantastic book!! I have a sneaking suspicion that its BOTH!!
The Ideal Man is a story about a woman, Dr. Ellie Sullivan, who witnesses a crime and then the shit hits the fan! At the start, when we meet Ellie, she is finishing up her residency at a St Louis hospital. She's a trauma doctor and I think she's also a surgeon. Either way, she's one hell of a doctor! She has the respect and admiration of the students under her and her boss, the Chief of something or other really wants her to sign a contract and stay on at the hospital. Ellie doesn't really want to. But why? Well, when Ellie was a child, she was a victim of a crime. It has stayed with her and haunted her for her whole life and now, at this crossroads, she's sort of stuck. It seems to me that she's frozen into indecision due to her fear. Anyways, after she's done with her last official day, she decides to go for a jog in the park across the street... bumm, bumm, bummmmm! Yes, its a decision that changes her life!
She "witnesses" 2 bad guys shoot an FBI agent and take off. Now "witnesses" is in quotes because she doesn't QUITE see what happens but being an ER doc, she knows what's up. She races over to the fallen agent and patches him up until the paramedics get there. He insists that Ellie do the surgery on him and she agrees. After the surgery, he's all fine and good and she goes to let his people know and she sees Max. Gorgeous Max! She has this crazy, immediate reaction to him: Overwhelming LUST!!! Her heart is pounding wildly and she's thinking things that she hasn't thought about in a LOOOOOONG time... know what I mean?? Wink, wink!
She and Max hit it off and she has to do the normal witness rig-a-morole with giving statements and looking at photos and whatnot. Over the course of the two days (I think) for all of this to get wrapped up, Max takes her out on a date, she makes her statement and we all realize that she didn't get a good look at the bad guys. So she probably won't be asked to testify, which is good because every time these bad guys (The Landry's) get indicted, witnesses wind up missing or murdered!! Also over this time period, Max finds out about Ellie's past. She was a child prodigy and when she went to a science camp at age 11, a boy there noticed her... in a bad way. The boy, Evan Patterson, snapped and began stalking her. He tried to kidnap her several times and finally succeeded and she ended up almost beaten to death. Evan and Evan's parents have great lawyers and Evan gets off every time or he's forced into psychiatric institutes where he's released early. Right now, Evan is in the wind and that's why Ellie seems so hesitant to make a decision about her work.
So that's the start. I could go on and give more and more details but I feel like that would ruin the story. There's lots more, trust me! I think the best thing about this story was the pacing. I know that sounds boring but it was just the right amount of tension throughout the whole book and it comes from different places. I was riveted. I think I read this in like 2 days, it was so good. My only complaint about the story is that Ellie's bitch of a sister, Ava, doesn't get what she deserves. Which is a smack in the face, at least. But that's about it.
This was my first Julie Garwood book and I will be going back for more. A little romance, a little hot nookie, some mystery and a dash of a man saving a woman and her saving herself as well! I recommend!!! :)
The Ideal Man is a story about a woman, Dr. Ellie Sullivan, who witnesses a crime and then the shit hits the fan! At the start, when we meet Ellie, she is finishing up her residency at a St Louis hospital. She's a trauma doctor and I think she's also a surgeon. Either way, she's one hell of a doctor! She has the respect and admiration of the students under her and her boss, the Chief of something or other really wants her to sign a contract and stay on at the hospital. Ellie doesn't really want to. But why? Well, when Ellie was a child, she was a victim of a crime. It has stayed with her and haunted her for her whole life and now, at this crossroads, she's sort of stuck. It seems to me that she's frozen into indecision due to her fear. Anyways, after she's done with her last official day, she decides to go for a jog in the park across the street... bumm, bumm, bummmmm! Yes, its a decision that changes her life!
She "witnesses" 2 bad guys shoot an FBI agent and take off. Now "witnesses" is in quotes because she doesn't QUITE see what happens but being an ER doc, she knows what's up. She races over to the fallen agent and patches him up until the paramedics get there. He insists that Ellie do the surgery on him and she agrees. After the surgery, he's all fine and good and she goes to let his people know and she sees Max. Gorgeous Max! She has this crazy, immediate reaction to him: Overwhelming LUST!!! Her heart is pounding wildly and she's thinking things that she hasn't thought about in a LOOOOOONG time... know what I mean?? Wink, wink!
She and Max hit it off and she has to do the normal witness rig-a-morole with giving statements and looking at photos and whatnot. Over the course of the two days (I think) for all of this to get wrapped up, Max takes her out on a date, she makes her statement and we all realize that she didn't get a good look at the bad guys. So she probably won't be asked to testify, which is good because every time these bad guys (The Landry's) get indicted, witnesses wind up missing or murdered!! Also over this time period, Max finds out about Ellie's past. She was a child prodigy and when she went to a science camp at age 11, a boy there noticed her... in a bad way. The boy, Evan Patterson, snapped and began stalking her. He tried to kidnap her several times and finally succeeded and she ended up almost beaten to death. Evan and Evan's parents have great lawyers and Evan gets off every time or he's forced into psychiatric institutes where he's released early. Right now, Evan is in the wind and that's why Ellie seems so hesitant to make a decision about her work.
So that's the start. I could go on and give more and more details but I feel like that would ruin the story. There's lots more, trust me! I think the best thing about this story was the pacing. I know that sounds boring but it was just the right amount of tension throughout the whole book and it comes from different places. I was riveted. I think I read this in like 2 days, it was so good. My only complaint about the story is that Ellie's bitch of a sister, Ava, doesn't get what she deserves. Which is a smack in the face, at least. But that's about it.
This was my first Julie Garwood book and I will be going back for more. A little romance, a little hot nookie, some mystery and a dash of a man saving a woman and her saving herself as well! I recommend!!! :)
October 8, 2011
Read only if you like Pollyanna "turn the other cheek no matter what someone says or does to you" B.S. The book is filled with terrible/evil people and gutless/spineless weenies. By the end I was rooting for everyone to get murdered. The characters were weak. The suspense was weak. The romance was exceptionally weak.
This was the first Julie Garwood book I've read and I don't think I'll be reading another if she writes more characters that get away with behaving this way. I only kept reading because I thought Ava would get hers in the end. I truly think Garwood owes all of us who have had the misfortune of reading this an explanation for this rage-inducing drivel.
This book put me in an incredibly bad mood, which is actually the exact opposite of what I was attempting to achieve by reading it.
This was the first Julie Garwood book I've read and I don't think I'll be reading another if she writes more characters that get away with behaving this way. I only kept reading because I thought Ava would get hers in the end. I truly think Garwood owes all of us who have had the misfortune of reading this an explanation for this rage-inducing drivel.
This book put me in an incredibly bad mood, which is actually the exact opposite of what I was attempting to achieve by reading it.
April 16, 2024
I went back and forth between 4 stars or 5.
4 stars because the romance fell just a little short for me. I liked what was there, but I’m greedy. I wanted more. A moment or two of tenderness. A hint of commitment during the time Max and Ellie spent together, not just at the end. (Although Max’s proposal at the end was fun. Very much to the point, was Max.)
5 stars because both Max and Ellie were intelligent, dedicated in their work, and communicated like adults. Yay! 5 stars because I found myself engaged in the story, to the point that I blew off an entire day’s plans to keep reading. 5 stars because I just loved Ellie’s dad and his deals.
But about Ellie’s sister Ava: if any of you reading this review have a sister like Ava, God bless you. How have you kept from killing her?
4 stars because the romance fell just a little short for me. I liked what was there, but I’m greedy. I wanted more. A moment or two of tenderness. A hint of commitment during the time Max and Ellie spent together, not just at the end. (Although Max’s proposal at the end was fun. Very much to the point, was Max.)
5 stars because both Max and Ellie were intelligent, dedicated in their work, and communicated like adults. Yay! 5 stars because I found myself engaged in the story, to the point that I blew off an entire day’s plans to keep reading. 5 stars because I just loved Ellie’s dad and his deals.
But about Ellie’s sister Ava: if any of you reading this review have a sister like Ava, God bless you. How have you kept from killing her?
July 23, 2017
Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a big Julie Garwood fan but this one just didn't quite make it for me. It started out great and promising but somewhere along the way it seem to fizzle. It felt as if someone else came along about midway through and finished it for her. The action/suspense was lacking and had more of a feel of a contemporary romance. But even the romance portion seemed to suffer at times. I didn't feel the chemistry and sexual tension I normally feel in Ms Garwood's stories. That said, it wasn't a terrible book. It just didn't hold up to Ms Garwood's normally high standards.
Read
February 18, 2023Ava is a bitch to Ellie and I'm sick of everybody accepting her shit and the way she treats Ellie.
I can't even enjoy the story because I'm annoyed at that spoiled brat that everyone makes excuses for!
I can't even enjoy the story because I'm annoyed at that spoiled brat that everyone makes excuses for!
August 12, 2011
Charmed by the Characters
Surgical resident Ellie Sullivan went for a jog in the park near her hospital to unwind from a harrowing day, her thoughts on her future now that her fellowship was almost over. The sound of gunshots snaps her out of her musings and focuses her attention on a man and a woman hurrying out of the woods. While Ellie watches, the man turns and fires off a shot at a pursuing FBI agent before the pair make it to their car and get away.
Jumping into action, Ellie races over to assist the downed agent and comes face-to-yummy-pectorals with FBI agent Max Daniels. As a witness, Ellie is marginal, the man and women were wearing disguises and she knew she couldn't identify them, but as a surgeon she's the best. Max watches with a critical eye, then follows the surgeon and potential witness to the hospital. When it becomes clear that Ellie's identity has been compromised and the Landrys have put a hit out on her, a harmless attraction to a beautiful doctor turns into a burning need to protect and Max follows Ellie to her hometown where she'd gone to visit her family preceding her sister's wedding.
With a hitman out to kill her and a childhood stalker still terrorizing her, the woman needs a keeper, and Max is determined to fill that role until he can guarantee her safety. While he protects her, though, and she grudgingly accepts his protection, neither one is prepared for the greatest threat of all...the threat to their hearts.
Garwood has tossed a little bit of everything into her new romantic suspense. There are enough plot points to fill about three books in two different genres. As if the Landrys weren't enough, Ellie's past is brutal and complex, she's a brilliant child prodigy who finished college when most her age were finishing high school, has been terrorized by a stalker from the age of 11, almost killed before she was 12, hidden from the psychopath most of her life since, and has an ex-fiance who became her ex-fiance the night she brought him home to meet her family and he hopped into bed with her younger sister. And the lovely couple is not only still together, but they're now getting married, which is why Ellie is visiting her home town.
And that's just Ellie's backstory. Max's isn't quite as chock full of angst, but it's no waltz through the tulips, either.
In part because there's so much going on in Ellie's life, and in part because the Landrys and her stalker are such divergent threads, much about the suspense aspects of this book didn't quite work for me. It felt a little messy and all over the place. What did work for me though were the main characters and their evolving relationship.
I totally fell for Ellie and Max. Ellie is a survivor and a woman who, despite everything and after living a life of fear, still manages to be a strong, independent woman who refuses to put her family at risk and is determined not to let fear stop her. Nor does she shy away from a virile, handsome man like Max. She accepts her attraction to him, accepts the consequences, and acts on it, even though she knows the potential dangers. And Max was just a gruff, protective steamroller with moments of tenderness and acute understanding that were very appealing.
I loved them together, loved how it started and was highly amused by how it ended. The sparks flew hot and heavy between them and there were moments of humor and passion that were thoroughly entertaining.
I could have done without Ellie's sister Annie's ancillary storyline. Again, it felt like just one more plot thread to toss onto an already huge pile, and I ended up perplexed as to what need it filled in the big picture when such a large part of the last chapter or two was given over to tying it up instead of focusing on Ellie and Max. I would also have preferred a slightly larger portion of crow served to Ava, who was about as irredeemable a character as I've ever read. Seeing her squished like a bug would have been more appealing.
The Ideal Man seemed more heavily focused on the lighter aspects of the developed plot than it did on the suspense, with all the pre-wedding family/sister conflict to go along with the romantic threads. There was precious little in the way of actual investigative or police procedural scenes. My personal reading preferences lie in a better balance between the two in the romantic suspense genre. Despite that, I couldn't help but thoroughly enjoy the main characters, both individually and together as a couple. Ellie and Max completely won me over early into the book, and as the story progressed I was continually charmed and entertained by their antics. I ended up liking the book because of it...and them.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Surgical resident Ellie Sullivan went for a jog in the park near her hospital to unwind from a harrowing day, her thoughts on her future now that her fellowship was almost over. The sound of gunshots snaps her out of her musings and focuses her attention on a man and a woman hurrying out of the woods. While Ellie watches, the man turns and fires off a shot at a pursuing FBI agent before the pair make it to their car and get away.
Jumping into action, Ellie races over to assist the downed agent and comes face-to-yummy-pectorals with FBI agent Max Daniels. As a witness, Ellie is marginal, the man and women were wearing disguises and she knew she couldn't identify them, but as a surgeon she's the best. Max watches with a critical eye, then follows the surgeon and potential witness to the hospital. When it becomes clear that Ellie's identity has been compromised and the Landrys have put a hit out on her, a harmless attraction to a beautiful doctor turns into a burning need to protect and Max follows Ellie to her hometown where she'd gone to visit her family preceding her sister's wedding.
With a hitman out to kill her and a childhood stalker still terrorizing her, the woman needs a keeper, and Max is determined to fill that role until he can guarantee her safety. While he protects her, though, and she grudgingly accepts his protection, neither one is prepared for the greatest threat of all...the threat to their hearts.
Garwood has tossed a little bit of everything into her new romantic suspense. There are enough plot points to fill about three books in two different genres. As if the Landrys weren't enough, Ellie's past is brutal and complex, she's a brilliant child prodigy who finished college when most her age were finishing high school, has been terrorized by a stalker from the age of 11, almost killed before she was 12, hidden from the psychopath most of her life since, and has an ex-fiance who became her ex-fiance the night she brought him home to meet her family and he hopped into bed with her younger sister. And the lovely couple is not only still together, but they're now getting married, which is why Ellie is visiting her home town.
And that's just Ellie's backstory. Max's isn't quite as chock full of angst, but it's no waltz through the tulips, either.
In part because there's so much going on in Ellie's life, and in part because the Landrys and her stalker are such divergent threads, much about the suspense aspects of this book didn't quite work for me. It felt a little messy and all over the place. What did work for me though were the main characters and their evolving relationship.
I totally fell for Ellie and Max. Ellie is a survivor and a woman who, despite everything and after living a life of fear, still manages to be a strong, independent woman who refuses to put her family at risk and is determined not to let fear stop her. Nor does she shy away from a virile, handsome man like Max. She accepts her attraction to him, accepts the consequences, and acts on it, even though she knows the potential dangers. And Max was just a gruff, protective steamroller with moments of tenderness and acute understanding that were very appealing.
I loved them together, loved how it started and was highly amused by how it ended. The sparks flew hot and heavy between them and there were moments of humor and passion that were thoroughly entertaining.
I could have done without Ellie's sister Annie's ancillary storyline. Again, it felt like just one more plot thread to toss onto an already huge pile, and I ended up perplexed as to what need it filled in the big picture when such a large part of the last chapter or two was given over to tying it up instead of focusing on Ellie and Max. I would also have preferred a slightly larger portion of crow served to Ava, who was about as irredeemable a character as I've ever read. Seeing her squished like a bug would have been more appealing.
The Ideal Man seemed more heavily focused on the lighter aspects of the developed plot than it did on the suspense, with all the pre-wedding family/sister conflict to go along with the romantic threads. There was precious little in the way of actual investigative or police procedural scenes. My personal reading preferences lie in a better balance between the two in the romantic suspense genre. Despite that, I couldn't help but thoroughly enjoy the main characters, both individually and together as a couple. Ellie and Max completely won me over early into the book, and as the story progressed I was continually charmed and entertained by their antics. I ended up liking the book because of it...and them.
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Dutton, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
August 17, 2011
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Julie Garwood was my gateway to the romance world: a classmate of mine lent me The Secret and Ransom (which remains one of my top favourites of all time) in what must've been sixth grade and I was forever hooked. I favoured historicals until relatively recently, when I made the transition to romantic suspense, and own every single JG historical. I have read and re-read said historicals (except Shadow Music, but I hold out hope that that was an anomaly) to the point where I can practically recite them verbatim. Tears were shed while reading For the Roses (what? there's some heart-wrenching moments there!). There are some great (and some not-so-great) stories and lovable characters in her historical collection, and JG became an auto-buy for me.
Then she began writing for the more far-reaching (audience-wise) romantic suspense genre. I approached her Buchanan series with the wariness of someone who knows not what to expect, but devoured the first six books while being cooped up at home after having my wisdom teeth out. Heartbreaker, Mercy, and Murder List were page-turners heavy on the suspense, with great and relatable characters, and written with JG's trademark wit; Killjoy was good; Slow Burn and Shadow Dance were meh and were starting to get a bit repetitive; and Fire and Ice was vastly more suspenseful and enjoyable (Sophie is legend!) than previous instalments. Then came Sizzle, which along with Shadow Music a couple of years before it marked the beginning of the "who in bloody hell is actually writing these books??" phase in JG's career that seems to be continuing. These two novels were almost unrecognisable as JG works-- they lacked the trademark wit, the somewhat exasperating but utterly lovable characters, the pacing, the heat... everything that made a JG novel a JG novel. And they were trite-- I swear I could've changed a few words in Sizzle and made any of the previous seven Buchanan series novels. Thus JG went off the auto-buy list for me.
I was hopeful for The Ideal Man, despite the idiotic title (seriously, I wouldn't be caught dead buying a book with that title at the book shop... thank you Kindle borrowing!): it wasn't a Buchanan book, and it had been a few years since the last unsatisfactory books. My hope was short-lived, however. The characters are wooden, the suspense plot is nigh-nonexistent despite theoretically boasting two such subplots (it reads almost like a mediocre contemporary with underpinnings of suspense and a big, fit bloke with a gun), the prose lacks any wit or pizazz, and the story seems to be a rehash of elements from her Buchanan series. For the entirety of the ridiculously short novel [I read it on a two-hour flight, followed by a little more reading at home], I felt like I was merely a distant observer watching poorly-written events pass me by without eliciting any interest in or emotional attachment to the well-being of the protagonists. I kept waiting for something to happen , but it never really did and the inevitable HEA was thus lacklustre. It's sad to admit that the highlight of the novel was recognising the St. Louis locales mentioned.
Julie Garwood is clearly capable of delivering a much better novel, so what gives? Don't her fans deserve her best effort? Another disappointment for me, which means that JG remains off the auto-buy list and on the I'll-borrow-the-book-from-somewhere/one-but-will-still-approach-it-with-wariness list. Such a shame for one of my once-favourite authors.
Then she began writing for the more far-reaching (audience-wise) romantic suspense genre. I approached her Buchanan series with the wariness of someone who knows not what to expect, but devoured the first six books while being cooped up at home after having my wisdom teeth out. Heartbreaker, Mercy, and Murder List were page-turners heavy on the suspense, with great and relatable characters, and written with JG's trademark wit; Killjoy was good; Slow Burn and Shadow Dance were meh and were starting to get a bit repetitive; and Fire and Ice was vastly more suspenseful and enjoyable (Sophie is legend!) than previous instalments. Then came Sizzle, which along with Shadow Music a couple of years before it marked the beginning of the "who in bloody hell is actually writing these books??" phase in JG's career that seems to be continuing. These two novels were almost unrecognisable as JG works-- they lacked the trademark wit, the somewhat exasperating but utterly lovable characters, the pacing, the heat... everything that made a JG novel a JG novel. And they were trite-- I swear I could've changed a few words in Sizzle and made any of the previous seven Buchanan series novels. Thus JG went off the auto-buy list for me.
I was hopeful for The Ideal Man, despite the idiotic title (seriously, I wouldn't be caught dead buying a book with that title at the book shop... thank you Kindle borrowing!): it wasn't a Buchanan book, and it had been a few years since the last unsatisfactory books. My hope was short-lived, however. The characters are wooden, the suspense plot is nigh-nonexistent despite theoretically boasting two such subplots (it reads almost like a mediocre contemporary with underpinnings of suspense and a big, fit bloke with a gun), the prose lacks any wit or pizazz, and the story seems to be a rehash of elements from her Buchanan series. For the entirety of the ridiculously short novel [I read it on a two-hour flight, followed by a little more reading at home], I felt like I was merely a distant observer watching poorly-written events pass me by without eliciting any interest in or emotional attachment to the well-being of the protagonists. I kept waiting for something to happen , but it never really did and the inevitable HEA was thus lacklustre. It's sad to admit that the highlight of the novel was recognising the St. Louis locales mentioned.
Julie Garwood is clearly capable of delivering a much better novel, so what gives? Don't her fans deserve her best effort? Another disappointment for me, which means that JG remains off the auto-buy list and on the I'll-borrow-the-book-from-somewhere/one-but-will-still-approach-it-with-wariness list. Such a shame for one of my once-favourite authors.
August 19, 2011
The Ideal Man is the first novel I've read by Julie Garwood, but if more of her novels are like this one was then I'll be reading many more. This novel wasn’t just good, it kept me up until 3am reading. I couldn’t put it down.
Ellie is a wonderful heroine. She’s smart, extremely attractive and one of the nicest people you’d ever read along with. She’s also the best surgeon on staff at the St. Vincent Hospital. Ellie meets Max during a shooting with a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. From the first time she meets him, she knows he’s not her type, but she wants him to be.
Max is a agent with the FBI and he’s been trying to get the Landry couple for a while, they almost got him at the park, but they underestimated them. He didn’t expect to meet the beautiful Dr. Sullivan and he certainly doesn’t have the time for a relationship that she deserves, but he can’t seem to stop thinking about her.
As a witness Ellie is in danger of being put to ‘silence’ by the Landrys and if that isn’t bad enough Max finds out about her horrible past with a evil man. He wants to strongly protect her and he’ll do anything to see her safe. Did I mention Max is extremely handsome? Well, he is. He’s loyal, smart and downright dreamy. He was the hero of the novel and is now my hero!
I highly recommend this novel to mystery, suspense and romance novels. You’ll be kept on your toes and have many twists to keep you begging for more. I’m going to be picking up more of Julie Garwood for certain.
Ellie is a wonderful heroine. She’s smart, extremely attractive and one of the nicest people you’d ever read along with. She’s also the best surgeon on staff at the St. Vincent Hospital. Ellie meets Max during a shooting with a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. From the first time she meets him, she knows he’s not her type, but she wants him to be.
Max is a agent with the FBI and he’s been trying to get the Landry couple for a while, they almost got him at the park, but they underestimated them. He didn’t expect to meet the beautiful Dr. Sullivan and he certainly doesn’t have the time for a relationship that she deserves, but he can’t seem to stop thinking about her.
As a witness Ellie is in danger of being put to ‘silence’ by the Landrys and if that isn’t bad enough Max finds out about her horrible past with a evil man. He wants to strongly protect her and he’ll do anything to see her safe. Did I mention Max is extremely handsome? Well, he is. He’s loyal, smart and downright dreamy. He was the hero of the novel and is now my hero!
I highly recommend this novel to mystery, suspense and romance novels. You’ll be kept on your toes and have many twists to keep you begging for more. I’m going to be picking up more of Julie Garwood for certain.
March 28, 2011
Julie Garwood delivers again! Her latest suspense was a thrill to behold.
Max and Ellie are thrown together when she witnesses a shooting of a federal agent while she was out for a jog. Although she finds Max rather rude, it doesn’t cool her intense attraction to him.
There was true chemistry between Max and Ellie. Their relationship took time to develop and progress in a manner that was believable and not rushed. Both Ellie and Max were great characters. You wanted Max in your bed and Ellie as your best friend.
I loved the two of them together. His need to protect her was so sweet and enduring. And when they weren’t disagreeing about something, they were laughing or loving.
The story offered the perfect mix of romance and suspense. It was more than enough to hold me enthralled to see how it all played out. The storyline flowed well, with enough action and laughs to keep me turning the pages.
The secondary characters as well were great. I loved Ellie’s dad and all of the shopping “deals” he loved to receive. However I didn’t like Ellie’s sister Ava, which Garwood did a great job in accomplishing that. I ended up liking the hitman more than I liked Ellie’s sister Ava.
The lead characters and secondary characters all were as believable as the family next door. Even the additional love story between Ellie’s other sister Annie and her Navy SEAL was delightful treat.
Another 5 star read by Julie Garwood!
Max and Ellie are thrown together when she witnesses a shooting of a federal agent while she was out for a jog. Although she finds Max rather rude, it doesn’t cool her intense attraction to him.
There was true chemistry between Max and Ellie. Their relationship took time to develop and progress in a manner that was believable and not rushed. Both Ellie and Max were great characters. You wanted Max in your bed and Ellie as your best friend.
I loved the two of them together. His need to protect her was so sweet and enduring. And when they weren’t disagreeing about something, they were laughing or loving.
The story offered the perfect mix of romance and suspense. It was more than enough to hold me enthralled to see how it all played out. The storyline flowed well, with enough action and laughs to keep me turning the pages.
The secondary characters as well were great. I loved Ellie’s dad and all of the shopping “deals” he loved to receive. However I didn’t like Ellie’s sister Ava, which Garwood did a great job in accomplishing that. I ended up liking the hitman more than I liked Ellie’s sister Ava.
The lead characters and secondary characters all were as believable as the family next door. Even the additional love story between Ellie’s other sister Annie and her Navy SEAL was delightful treat.
Another 5 star read by Julie Garwood!
February 3, 2013
I guess my expectations were low, because I liked this one despite it's obvious weakness as a novel.
The Ideal Man follows the Garwood suspense template closely. Dr. Ellie Sullivan goes for a quick run and manages to witness a shooting. FBI agent Max Daniels puts himself in charge of her safety. They're instantly attracted to each other and they're playing kissy-face within two days of meeting each other.
There's plenty of Garwood's trademark humor and the chemistry was boosted by their casual banter. At times the book felt more like a slice-of-life family drama, but that was all okay, too. For some reason what might have driven me crazy at another time didn't really bother me this time.
Anyone who's read Garwood's other suspense novels will be able to predict pretty each move in the plot line. But there's something to be said for familiarity from time to time. :)
PS: One star was automatically deducted from this review for Agency 6 pricing. I was lucky. I got the hard cover at the Goodwill book store for $2.99. Anyone buying it on e-book will be fleeced by the publisher as usual.
The Ideal Man follows the Garwood suspense template closely. Dr. Ellie Sullivan goes for a quick run and manages to witness a shooting. FBI agent Max Daniels puts himself in charge of her safety. They're instantly attracted to each other and they're playing kissy-face within two days of meeting each other.
There's plenty of Garwood's trademark humor and the chemistry was boosted by their casual banter. At times the book felt more like a slice-of-life family drama, but that was all okay, too. For some reason what might have driven me crazy at another time didn't really bother me this time.
Anyone who's read Garwood's other suspense novels will be able to predict pretty each move in the plot line. But there's something to be said for familiarity from time to time. :)
PS: One star was automatically deducted from this review for Agency 6 pricing. I was lucky. I got the hard cover at the Goodwill book store for $2.99. Anyone buying it on e-book will be fleeced by the publisher as usual.
September 5, 2011
I liked this book; however, it doesn't come close to the caliber of Ms. Garwood's earlier historical romances. But, as I've read and heard repeatedly, Ms. Garwood has no intention of writing any historical romances in the future. Until that time, if ever, I will continue to re-read all of her historical romances in my personal collection and get her contemporaries from my local library. That's right. I won't purchase one of her contemporaries. The main reason being, of course, because they just don't measure up to her earlier work and are not considered keepers, IMHO. And, I will continue to wait and hope that, sometime, someday, Ms. Garwood will give her hundreds of thousands of fans what we have been craving for years. For her real talent to come to the forefront again in her amazing historical romances. One can always dream. Sigh.
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