Impulse

by Catherine Coulter

SIZZLING CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE from the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

When a journalist learns that her real father is a powerful arms dealer, she travels to his private Caribbean island?where her attraction to a resort manager spirals out of control.

Genres: Romance, Suspense, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Mystery Thriller

422 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 28, 1990

Reviews

[Babyjanee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite author and my favorite of her novel,Impulse! I would really like to see it as a movie! page turning book! I think I had read this book for the 10th time already! I like the characters of Rafaella and Marcus Devlin. I'd really love to read Catherine's book!!! Amazing!!!

[Jeanne Adamek]

dnf on page 131

[E W · Rating 1 out of 5]

I continue my reread of the various mass market paperbacks I have been hauling around for my adult life and well, this one- it's a stinker. I last read it probably 2002 or so and honestly I have no idea why I didn't get rid of it then.

The characters are shallow and unlikeable, and the plot is a hot mess. One of the problems is that it doesn't want to be a romance, but it does at the same time, so it fails on both accounts. Most of the book is telling, not showing, so while I'm supposed to believe that the villain is scary, he shows no sign of it. Period. The threats of violence are muted, so instead the pages are filled with skeevy sex. Like truly, I need brain bleach to make the yuckiness go away. The banter between characters is supposed to be witty and sexy, but it's not. Ever. The adults all talk like middle schoolers pretending to be sophisticated, which, again is off putting. The plot structure drags too often and too many scenes exist with no greater story purpose. Point of view hopping happens in pretty much every scene possible to the point that paragraph to paragraph you cannot be sure who is thinking whatever inane thought is being shared. I'm still baffled why so many characters got a POV because they were not necessary (that's right Merkel, Sylvia, Charles, DeLorio, Link and I think once the employee at the healthclub- I don't care what you are thinking. Also, Dominick's POV seemed to be confined to musing on the color of women's pubic hair, so I could have lived without that too.)

I remember either loving or hating Catherine Coulter's books when I read them when I was younger, and Impulse was a solid hate read this go. I still have four other books of hers on the shelf and I suspect that only one may survive a re-read, given how I am feeling about her writing today. Below are my reactions as I was reading, though about two thirds through I was tired of picking out flaws, which should tell just how unfun of a read this was.

Prologue- Just eww. Who writes a diary addressed to their infant daughter detailing mom losing her virginity. Yuck.
p 27- why is Marcus important enough to the feds that they are keeping his Uncle Morty out of prison in exchange for whatever this mess is? Also, editing fail- Soviet spy in ~1998 does not compute. Headhopping with Merkel commences. The guns in this scene are ludicrous. An 9mm automatic pistol? The conveniently appearing AK-47. The noise of the rifle like a toy gun because of spinning helo rotors? Has this author ever handled a rifle? For shame. Oh wow- apparently multiple 7.62 rounds to the torso isn't enough to keep disposable villain #1 down. This is going to be a very long book...
p 62- Marcus was just sexually assaulted and it's played off as no big deal/for laughs. WTF?
p 69- Rafaella's friend with benefits just pointed out why her intrepid reporting was in fact messed up (it was, btw and playing off the old Italian grandmother's prejudices as a-okay was odd) and she's getting self righteous about it. She doesn't have a leg to stand on. I'm not especially fond of this heroine.
p 102- the sexytime is not sexy. the motives are murky and I'm not feeling these two together as the chemistry is not there. Sorrynotsorry.
p 118- 9x19 shell casings can tell you which of a bazillion 9mm pistol models fired it? Not without running the forensics, which would tell you which barrel fired it, but otherwise, you just know that it was a 9mm. The gun fails hurt my soul.
Wait on p124 we are assured Marcus' cover will hold up no matter what but on p148 it could fall like a house of cards. Which is it?
p 215- what is the deal with carrying on about Rafaella being illegitimate? This doesn't even read of the right century. To be scandalized by a child of a single mom in 2001 is ridiculous. Also the various sex scenes are all cringe worthy. I still have two hundred more pages of musings on big breasts and I just can't stand it.
p 259- another date fail. Did anyone edit this before republishing? too many errors abound.
p 266- oh Lord, more sexual assaults. As if there hasn't already been enough of those in this book, now the half brother is feeling rapey. ::gag::
p 346- Miscarriage huh? Chapters back we determined that she was on the pill and now it turns out Marcus has super sperm. And he's proud of this? Also, he is dumb enough to use his real name? How on Earth am I supposed to believe that he has survived over two years undercover prior to this. FFS. He is solidly in too stupid to live territory.

So the mystery wasn't much of a mystery in the end, and frankly was stupid. Lots of ineptitude of the point of the various no named assassins and bad guys. I still haven't figured out where Marcus was supposed to fit into this criminal enterprise, and the hokey dream connections between characters are too goofy for words.

Last note, what is with the author's obsession with ethnic stereotyping in this book? Marcus' primary descriptor is Irish, the weird Italian criminality thing, and don't get me started on the WASP characters. It's as subtle as a vaudeville production.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the mysteries where I never saw it coming! Good one. I don't know how I missed this book by Catherine Coulter. Better late than never!

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

1 1/2 stars. I've definitely read better books by Catherine Coulter. This would have been better if the plot had been more fast paced. The events seemed to drag from bad to worse.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have most of Catherine Coulter’s books and Impulse is probably one of my favorites.
First published in 1990, it still holds its own and even after reading it a few times it continues to captivate me.

A fast paced, suspenseful and gripping story that from the first sentence “He was a wonderful liar”, grabs hold of you until the very last page, filled with entertaining, clever and witty dialogue

Raffaella Holland has put her career on hold to look after her dying mother, whose secret and hidden diaries she discovers by accident. Unable to stop herself, she begins to read about her mother’s secret life before she had met Charles Rutledge, who Raffaella had always believed was her father. Shocked at finding that Dominick Giovanni, a billionaire arms dealer is her real father and how he mistreat her mother, is determined to meet him and bring him down as revenge for the callous way he treated her mother.

On the pretense of being interested in writing Dominick’s biography, she travels to his private island, where she meets the dangerous Marcus Devlin, who just happens to work for her “real” father and devastatingly gorgeous and so very sexy that both, within their first encounter, feel the most incredible attraction and the chemistry is so sizzling that you know that they will not be able to keep away from each other, despite the mistrust they have for one another.

Nothing has prepared Raffaella for what will happen in this place, that on the outside creates a feeling of serenity, wealth, beauty but underneath, she senses a dark and dangerous place with secrets that will be blown open in the most shocking and frightening way.

No one seems to be what she thinks they are. Her father’s son – her half-brother, who is a cruel, sadistic and spoilt man with some really bad traits and the relationship between him and his rather air-headed wife, is somewhat a bit sick and perverted. Coco, her father’s beautiful and long suffering lover, who I really liked a lot, by the way. The author’s characterization is absolutely incredible. Murderers, assassins, bodyguards, lovers, betrayers…who can anyone trust in this place???

Marcus Devlin is such a fabulous ultra alpha-male…sexy, mysterious and so so good at lovemaking…the first and second time he seduces Raffaella is so incredibly sexy, steamy sensuous and so burning hot…had me panting for a while I have to say. He’s James Bond mixed with Jason Bourne, just so much hot, hotter and dangerous and …pant…pant…do I need to go on??? Or does one have the picture of this epic guy???? More than just a hot romance, it’s filled thrilling and suspenseful plots, taking you on a fast paced and tension filled ride which ends with a clever and unexpected twist.

If you love romance, suspense and some fabulous characters and settings, Impulse is just the right book for you. It’s definitely one of my favorite books.

Synopsis: When wealthy, beautiful Rafaella Holland puts her dazzling newspaper career on hold to care for her ailing mother, she learns of a long-held family secret; the true identity of her real father, whom she never knew. Wanting to exact revenge upon this notorious, world-famous man who had wronged her mother, Rafaella is determined to find him and face him. Her search takes her to an exclusive Caribbean island, a carefully protected sanctuary for the rich and powerful. There she meets Marcus Devlin, a handsome Irish daredevil who appears to have a secret agenda of his own. As they grow closer, they are drawn into a seductive world that threatens to spin wildly out of control--imperiling not only their love, but also their very lives....

[Hunter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried so hard to like this book because elements of the plot were so intriguing, but overall it wasn’t a good book. I don’t know how much of it was simply because the book was incredibly dated, but I’ve never read a story with so many powerful women who are utterly objectified and treated like trash. Every single male character sucked, leading to a hard to read romance between Rafella and Marcus to the point where I started skipping forward page if they started to get steamy because I found their relationship more offensive than romantic. Not to mention the heavy handiness when it came to devaluing girls and womens contributions throughout the story. And frankly, what was with the author having Marcus repeatedly call a woman in a literal Rembrandt painting fat? Like I get this was 2001, but even then this was one of the most beautiful works of art and it made a terrible book even more annoying.
Also what was up with Rafella’s sudden miscarriage and Marcus leaving her in a lurch to go off and suddenly decide he wants to marry her as she’s in pain and bleeding?? Who wrote this book and why was the author so terrible to women while romanticizing men who suck?? Also why is it that any women - even one on birth control whose only had penetrative intercourse with the man once - immediately gets pregnant????? Make it make sense!!
This book is not one I’d recommend. It was too long and had too much blatant sexism and misogyny. I only got through it because I wanted to say I did, and because I naively kept hopping it would get better. It didn’t. In fact it got worse, the last act was by far the least believable and most confusing.

[Bindu Pamulapati · Rating 5 out of 5]

One amazing book. Catherine takes you through a maze of adventure. A must read

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think Obsession would be a better title for this one than Impulse. Rafaella Holland is an investigative reported for the Boston Tribune. She is also the bastard daughter of black market weapons dealer Dominick Giovanni. Marcus Ryan O’Sullivan (aka Marcus Devlin) is working undercover for U.S. Customs as a resort manager for Giovanni.

Rafaella’s mother Margaret is in a coma after an accident with a drunken driver. Rafaella finds her mother’s secret journals and discovers her parentage was not what she had been told. She heads to the Caribbean to find out about Dominick. The plot diverges into multiple lines and directions. There are assassination attempts, family discords, affairs, jealousy and greedy characters. Rafaella is both attracted by Marcus and repelled by who she thinks he is.

Margaret is obsessed with the man who seduced and abandoned her. Charles is obsessed with Margaret. Dominick is obsessed with his fortune and legacy. Eventually, most of the strings are disentangled and the story lines resolved. Several endings are at least comfortable if not completely happy. Complex and recommended.

Readalikes/Similar Authors:
Julie Garwood - Wired; Sandra Brown - Sting; Karen Robards - Shattered; Jackie Collins - Poor Little Bitch Girl; Jayne Ann Krentz - Fired Up; Iris Johansen - The Treasure; Linda Howard - Death Angel; Amanda Quick - The River Knows; Karen Rose - Don’t Tell.

Pace: Fast
Characters: Well-developed; some likeable, some vicious: strong women
Story: Intricately plotted
Language: Engaging, compelling
Tone: Steamy, suspenseful
Frame: Boston; Long Island; Giovanni’s Island, Caribbean; 2001

[Stacy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so confused and bewildered right now and I don’t know what to say about this book or how I feel about it. I love morally gray characters and characters that aren’t quite what they seem and this book was full of them. We have Charles, who seemed like the perfect husband and doting stepfather, who had helped plan a murder and didn’t think twice about it. We have Coco who seems like the perfect meek and mild mistress, always prepared to do anything to keep Dominick happy, but again, she was helping to kill him and had some deep rage and resentment she was hiding. I just didn’t understand the end of this book either. It’s not normal to want to have revenge so badly on someone that you want them killed. I mean sure, I’ve fleeting thought it would be fun to see my abusive ex-boyfriend dead, but I’ve never honestly planned his murder and followed through with it. Because normal, mentally healthy people don’t do that! I just don’t get how they can just go back to normal in the epilogue and just act like everything’s fine and everyone lives happily ever after. These people need some serious therapy.

With all that being said, I did enjoy the book as entertainment and was intrigued to find out how everything would end up (although I did totally call the twist at the end).

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strange things are happening

This book is a little bit out there. Coming home one night a woman runs out in front of Dillon she gets she needs his help because her husband wants her dead and she is afraid for her daughter's life. He takes her back home to a mansion in the hill. When they get there the lights are all in she runs back into the Mansion. Dillon comes in the house it is not what you would expect a mansion in the Twenty Century to look like. He hunts for the women he hears moaning and crying he gets knocked out and when he comes to all he sees is a dilapidated house and no women or daughter. She was a 👻. Enjoy!

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my what a book. I am surprised it was not made into a movie. There was romance, suspense, intrigue, arms dealing, mystery and murder. I have read her whole FBI series and this was the best storyline so far. The author uses a diary to bring everything together, every character and every location. Marcus Devlin was not what he claimed to be but neither was Rafaela Holland except she was a journalist for the Boston Tribute and a Pulitzer Prize winner. They both had plans that included arms dealer Dominick Giovanni but for different reasons. This was a great story. Could not put it down.

[William Bentrim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impulse by Catherine Coulter
Rafaella is a journalist with a murky background. Marcus is a resort manager who may or may not be a criminal. Dominick is a amoral arms dealer. The interaction of these three in sex and treachery provides the meat of this plot.
This was the sultriest of the Coulter books I have read. There were times I thought I had grabbed a romance novel by mistake. The plot was really a pie filling love story between Rafaella and Marcus with all the rest being the dough for the pie.
I enjoyed it but it was my least favorite Coulter so far.

[Scott · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up Catherine Coulter’s book on impulse and clearly, I should have thought though it more. This book is a mess. It can’t decide what it should be when it grows up. And maybe that is the problem, the book never grows up. I found the characters superficial and one-dimensional. And the mystery wasn't a mystery at all. I found the entire book rather senseless. If you get an impulse to read Impulse, my suggestion is to ‘just say no’.

[mylenvee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t sleep, so I finally decided to finish this book. You have no idea how many times I cringed throughout—it’s your typical contemporary romance, the kind of writing that was popular about 25 years ago. And yet, it still managed to hold my attention. I especially loved how the ending was neatly wrapped up, with no loose ends (I usually hate open endings). That said, I’m not exactly eager to pick up another book from this author. Still, I have to admit—I somehow enjoyed it.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Romance and Suspense, Rafaella finds out that her biological father is a black market arms dealer and has held her mother's attention all these years, even though her mother is now married to another man. Now that her mother is in a coma, Rafe wants to find her father and destroy him, only others are trying to do the same. Who is friend and who is foe. No one is sure til the last page

[Michaela | Reading in the Heartland · Rating 5 out of 5]

After the first book in the series I was sorely tempted to not continue the series, but that book was so far from what I had been expecting that I held out hope. I was a tad reluctant when I started this book but was quickly reeled in. It has no connections to the first of the series. Action and adventure and subterfuge. A good island thriller. There is steam.

[Adam Barnes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Impulse was certainly readable, but full of cliche, stereotypes, and improbable scenes. It was amusing, but not intentionally so, and the ending was so comically over the top, I actually laughed out loud. It was reminiscent of some of a cringe-worthy James Bond rip-off. I am not upset I read it, but there are certainly better books out there to spend time with.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version of this and loved it. The narrators were fambulous. The story was one with many twists and turns as well as the characters internal turmoil. It kept me interest to the very end.

[nancy hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

IMPULSES!!! Delightful...... or Dangerous???

A romantic suspense filled with protagonists who are , in turn, filled with mistrust, deceit, evil, vengeance, desire, and intelligence ! Can you ask for anything more ?

[Nanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this book before, but forgot what it was about so re read it.. Very good as all her books, are
lots of twist and turns and intrigue. I have read a lot of Catherine Coulter and love all her books.
if you want romance, suspense with great characters this is the book for you.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a mystery!! Definitely didn’t guess the ending until just before it was revealed!

Has all the best parts - romance, mystery, who done it!

A little more risqué than I recall from ms Coulter but a good page turner!

[Jonell Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Awesome story

This story is very fast paced and keeps me reading for 6 hours straight. So many twists and turns. Classic Catherine Coulter style. If you can't tell. I loved it completely. Now onto the third book in this trilogy.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took a while to pick up, but had some good suspense as it went on. I had to keep remembering when it was written- some of the romantic dialogue was a little cheesy. Overall though it was a good read with a satisfying ending.

[Fran Andres · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really like Catherine Coulter but just couldn't get into this, even after 150+pages so this is one of the few books I couldn't finish.

[Jbgreendawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main characters in this novel really have that same kind of vibe that the main characters in the Savich/Sherlock characters do of the FBI series.

[Patty Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

What an exciting read! Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Full of action and intrigue, mystery and romance! Surprising down to the very last page!

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Story line. I only read it at little bit at a time. Glad to finish it.

[Nancy Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impulse

Would recommend this Thriller as well as the first one in this series. Can't wait for th next one to be released.

[Brenda Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book