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Im Schutz der Dämmerung
YOU CAN LOOK . . .
Threatened by underworld boss Michael Trotta, Alessandra Lamont is nearly blown to pieces in a mob hit. The last thing she wants is to put what's left of her life into the hands of the sexy, loose-cannon federal agent who seems to look right through her yet won't let her out of his sight.
BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH . . .
FBI agent Harry O'Dell's ex-wife and son were tragic casualties in his ongoing war against organized crime. He'll do whatever it takes to bring Trotta down--even if it means sticking like glue to this blonde bombshell who unwittingly married into the mob. She needs him if she wants to stay alive. But staying alive is nothing next to the explosive attraction that threatens to consume them both--and puts them into the greatest danger of all . . . falling in love.
From the Paperback edition.
Threatened by underworld boss Michael Trotta, Alessandra Lamont is nearly blown to pieces in a mob hit. The last thing she wants is to put what's left of her life into the hands of the sexy, loose-cannon federal agent who seems to look right through her yet won't let her out of his sight.
BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH . . .
FBI agent Harry O'Dell's ex-wife and son were tragic casualties in his ongoing war against organized crime. He'll do whatever it takes to bring Trotta down--even if it means sticking like glue to this blonde bombshell who unwittingly married into the mob. She needs him if she wants to stay alive. But staying alive is nothing next to the explosive attraction that threatens to consume them both--and puts them into the greatest danger of all . . . falling in love.
From the Paperback edition.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 7, 1999
56 people are currently reading
1447 people want to read
About the author
Suzanne Brockmann
202 books3,589 followersAfter childhood plans to become the captain of a starship didn’t pan out, Suzanne Brockmann took her fascination with military history, her respect for the men and women who serve, her reverence for diversity, and her love of storytelling, and explored brave new worlds as a bestselling romance author.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
Over the past thirty years she has written sixty-three novels, including her award-winning Troubleshooters series about Navy SEAL heroes and the women—and sometimes men—who win their hearts. Her personal favorite is the one where her most popular character, gay FBI agent Jules Cassidy, wins his happily-ever-after and marries the man of his dreams. Called All Through the Night, this mainstream romance novel with a hero and a hero hit the New York Times hardcover fiction bestseller list. In 2007, Suz donated all of her earnings from this book, in perpetuity, to MassEquality, to help win and preserve equal marriage rights in Massachusetts.
In addition to writing books, Suz writes and produces indie movies and TV including the award-winning romantic comedy The Perfect Wedding. Her recent feature, Out of Body, is streaming on Amazon Prime.
In 2018, Suz was given the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Her latest projects are Blame It on Rio (Tall, Dark & Dangerous # 14), available in print and e-book from Suzanne Brockmann Books, and Marriage of Inconvenience, a six-episode LBGTQ rom-com TV series, streaming on Dekkoo in April 2023.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
November 15, 2019
reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2019/...
#retorita
Engancha.
Me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba. NO es un novelón, no es una lectura indispensable. Pero para cambiar de la rutina lectora me ha venido de perlas.
Es una novela que combina acción romance pero en el que la acció NO lleva el peso de la trama. Creo que eso es lo más destacable, el problema está siempre ahi, pues es el motivo por el cual los protagonistas están juntos, pero.... tiene su peso al principio y al final dejando toda la parte central al desarrollo, tanto de la relación entre los protagonistas, como a la solución de ciertos problemas que acompañan al protagonista
Ambos tienen que dar un giro en su vida y me ha gustado la forma de hacerlo
Quizás el único pero es que los problemas se dan por solucionados, la autora opta por lo fácil y eso da un poco de rabia
No conocía a la autora pero leeré algo más de ella
Tiene un estilo muy ágil y una forma de describir la acción entre ruda y real que me ha gustado mucho
#retorita
Engancha.
Me ha gustado más de lo que esperaba. NO es un novelón, no es una lectura indispensable. Pero para cambiar de la rutina lectora me ha venido de perlas.
Es una novela que combina acción romance pero en el que la acció NO lleva el peso de la trama. Creo que eso es lo más destacable, el problema está siempre ahi, pues es el motivo por el cual los protagonistas están juntos, pero.... tiene su peso al principio y al final dejando toda la parte central al desarrollo, tanto de la relación entre los protagonistas, como a la solución de ciertos problemas que acompañan al protagonista
Ambos tienen que dar un giro en su vida y me ha gustado la forma de hacerlo
Quizás el único pero es que los problemas se dan por solucionados, la autora opta por lo fácil y eso da un poco de rabia
No conocía a la autora pero leeré algo más de ella
Tiene un estilo muy ágil y una forma de describir la acción entre ruda y real que me ha gustado mucho
December 9, 2019
#RitaSusi #RetoRita2
De momento lo dejo sin puntuar porque así en caliente le suelto 1 estrella pero quizás se merezca 1'5 o 2, lo tengo que meditar.
De momento lo dejo sin puntuar porque así en caliente le suelto 1 estrella pero quizás se merezca 1'5 o 2, lo tengo que meditar.
January 6, 2017
#RetoRita
Con lo que a mi me gusta la Brockmann, no sé cómo no había leído este libro antes.
En este caso Harry, el protagonista, no te "mata" de guapo a la primera. Es un hombre a primera vista duro, uraño y obsesionado con la venganza, muy perdido y con poca esperanza.
Alessandra a primera vista parece una mujer superficial, poco inteligente y frágil.
Tengo que decir que los dos protagonistas sorprenden, ninguno de los dos es lo que parece a primera vista, porque gracias a Allie, Harry se da cuenta de que hay esperanza tras la pérdida, de que tienes que seguir luchando por las personas que quedan, de que no debes darte por vencido ante el rechazo y aprovechar las segundas oportunidades
Es una historia con acción e intriga, pero principalmente me ha parecido una historia de amor preciosa y llena de ternura.
Momentos en los que ves lo perdido que está Harry en cuanto a los sentimientos por sus hijos, por Allie, agotado físicamente y asumiendo que no puede darles nada.
Shaun, el hijo de Harry, maravilloso.
George, compañero de Harry en el FBI, estupendo.
Me ha encantado, me ha sorprendido y la recomiendo muchísimo.
Le doy las 5 porque me ha enganchado desde el primer momento, me han encantado los personajes y he disfrutado muchísimo la lectura.
Me encantan las historias de la Brockmann y para mi, esta es una de las más me ha gustado.
Con lo que a mi me gusta la Brockmann, no sé cómo no había leído este libro antes.
En este caso Harry, el protagonista, no te "mata" de guapo a la primera. Es un hombre a primera vista duro, uraño y obsesionado con la venganza, muy perdido y con poca esperanza.
Alessandra a primera vista parece una mujer superficial, poco inteligente y frágil.
Tengo que decir que los dos protagonistas sorprenden, ninguno de los dos es lo que parece a primera vista, porque gracias a Allie, Harry se da cuenta de que hay esperanza tras la pérdida, de que tienes que seguir luchando por las personas que quedan, de que no debes darte por vencido ante el rechazo y aprovechar las segundas oportunidades
Es una historia con acción e intriga, pero principalmente me ha parecido una historia de amor preciosa y llena de ternura.
Momentos en los que ves lo perdido que está Harry en cuanto a los sentimientos por sus hijos, por Allie, agotado físicamente y asumiendo que no puede darles nada.
Shaun, el hijo de Harry, maravilloso.
George, compañero de Harry en el FBI, estupendo.
Me ha encantado, me ha sorprendido y la recomiendo muchísimo.
Le doy las 5 porque me ha enganchado desde el primer momento, me han encantado los personajes y he disfrutado muchísimo la lectura.
Me encantan las historias de la Brockmann y para mi, esta es una de las más me ha gustado.
December 5, 2017
Nuestra reseña en A la cama con... un libro
Teleflín total (y de los mñes)
Teleflín total (y de los mñes)
February 6, 2017
De Suzanne Brockmann solo había leído anteriormente Un auténtico príncipe, que me gustó sin más. Este libro me ha parecido mucho mejor. Sus protagonistas me han gustado mucho y me han parecido muy auténticos, con sus defectos, sus miedos y sus cagadas. Y toda la trama policiaca está bien hilada, aunque ese homenaje a Dos hombres y un destino esté un poco fuera de lugar. También me ha gustado cómo la autora ha resuelto, de manera bastante realista, las historias secundarias de George y Shaun. Muy entretenido.
Otro libro del #RetoRita en mi haber.
Otro libro del #RetoRita en mi haber.
July 20, 2017
(15ª lectura del #RetoRita)
Primer libro que leo de esta autora y no creo que lea más. Está bien, pero...
Una novela que más parece una película de acción estilo superproducción de Hollywood que una romántica contemporánea de suspense. Estructura claramente cinematográfica de escenas cortas en distintos espacios, con situaciones que resultan un tanto inverosímiles, ya que los protagonistas salen prácticamente ilesos de persecuciones, atentados y tiroteos.
La trama principal está bastante bien hilada, pero la autora juega varias veces con el factor sorpresa, basándose en ocultar información al lector y no en introducirla de modo sutil en el momento preciso, como debería ser en un buen suspense.
La trama romántica deja mucho que desear. Hay sexo, sí, pero ¿dónde está el amor? Ni siquiera he percibido auténtica química entre Allie y el constantemente desaliñado agente del FBI (característica que ha llegado a resultarme molesta y poco atractiva para un protagonista masculino). Como personaje, está bien construido, a diferencia de ella que, salvo en los últimos capítulos (cuando se transforma de repente -?-) adopta actitudes contradictorias, y sus pensamientos resultan a menudo incoherentes en la grave situación en que se halla. Me han gustado mucho más los secundarios y sus historias particulares, sobre todo el hijo de él, sus relaciones y su modo de afrontarlas, aunque en algunos momentos, por su forma de dialogar, parece que tenga 18 o 20 años en lugar de 14.
Por todo esto y por la abundancia de tópicos de la romántica (me gustan si están bien colocados y justificados, pero aquí, la mayoría no lo están) la dejaría en 2 estrellas, pero le concedo una más porque la novela engancha, lo reconozco, cuesta soltarla cuando has pasado del cap. 4. Aun así, la recomendaría solo a las que os guste el suspense romántico con mucha acción.
Primer libro que leo de esta autora y no creo que lea más. Está bien, pero...
Una novela que más parece una película de acción estilo superproducción de Hollywood que una romántica contemporánea de suspense. Estructura claramente cinematográfica de escenas cortas en distintos espacios, con situaciones que resultan un tanto inverosímiles, ya que los protagonistas salen prácticamente ilesos de persecuciones, atentados y tiroteos.
La trama principal está bastante bien hilada, pero la autora juega varias veces con el factor sorpresa, basándose en ocultar información al lector y no en introducirla de modo sutil en el momento preciso, como debería ser en un buen suspense.
La trama romántica deja mucho que desear. Hay sexo, sí, pero ¿dónde está el amor? Ni siquiera he percibido auténtica química entre Allie y el constantemente desaliñado agente del FBI (característica que ha llegado a resultarme molesta y poco atractiva para un protagonista masculino). Como personaje, está bien construido, a diferencia de ella que, salvo en los últimos capítulos (cuando se transforma de repente -?-) adopta actitudes contradictorias, y sus pensamientos resultan a menudo incoherentes en la grave situación en que se halla. Me han gustado mucho más los secundarios y sus historias particulares, sobre todo el hijo de él, sus relaciones y su modo de afrontarlas, aunque en algunos momentos, por su forma de dialogar, parece que tenga 18 o 20 años en lugar de 14.
Por todo esto y por la abundancia de tópicos de la romántica (me gustan si están bien colocados y justificados, pero aquí, la mayoría no lo están) la dejaría en 2 estrellas, pero le concedo una más porque la novela engancha, lo reconozco, cuesta soltarla cuando has pasado del cap. 4. Aun así, la recomendaría solo a las que os guste el suspense romántico con mucha acción.
November 24, 2017
#Retorita
Es una gran sorpresa este libro. Desconocía a esta autora, y ha sido gratificante poder leer este libro. Gracias al Reto Rita la Cantaora, por sugerirlo.
Un libro que ha sido escrito hace 20 años, sigue siendo tan bueno y actual en estos días. Eso demuestra lo bueno que es, lo directo, sincero, con personajes reales y completos, y muy complejos. Muy bien descritos.
Desde el primer momento me enamoré de Allie, es sinceramente, una demostración de lo crueles que somos la sociedad, al catalogar y enjuiciar a una persona por su aspecto. Ella siempre ha sabido de su belleza, pero no con prepotencia o soberbia, sino con humildad. Como hace frente a todo lo que la sucede, es una auténtica valiente. Y además de enfrentarse valientemente, lo hace con una dulzura, una serenidad que es de envidiar.
Harry es tánnn perfecto en su imperfección. Un hombre fuerte fisicamente, pero con unas inseguridades en su alma tan profundas. El mayor juez y verdugo de todo lo que hacía, bien o mal, era el mismo. Siendo completamente sincero, sabiendo que actuaba mal, y aún así, lo hacía porque el pobre no sabía como hacerlo de otra manera. Un padre y un hombre normal.
El hijo de Harry, Shaum, es maravilloso. Que cosa más linda. Que bien ha conseguido la autora expresar esas inseguridades de la adolescencia. Muy muy creíble.
Greorge, ha sido todo una revelación. No sé tiene libro pero sinceramente se merece uno porque es fantástico.
Me gustado la trama, las escenas de acción, las explicaciones técnicas. Todo.
Lo leeré de nuevo seguro, pero antes espero leer el libro George.
Es una gran sorpresa este libro. Desconocía a esta autora, y ha sido gratificante poder leer este libro. Gracias al Reto Rita la Cantaora, por sugerirlo.
Un libro que ha sido escrito hace 20 años, sigue siendo tan bueno y actual en estos días. Eso demuestra lo bueno que es, lo directo, sincero, con personajes reales y completos, y muy complejos. Muy bien descritos.
Desde el primer momento me enamoré de Allie, es sinceramente, una demostración de lo crueles que somos la sociedad, al catalogar y enjuiciar a una persona por su aspecto. Ella siempre ha sabido de su belleza, pero no con prepotencia o soberbia, sino con humildad. Como hace frente a todo lo que la sucede, es una auténtica valiente. Y además de enfrentarse valientemente, lo hace con una dulzura, una serenidad que es de envidiar.
Harry es tánnn perfecto en su imperfección. Un hombre fuerte fisicamente, pero con unas inseguridades en su alma tan profundas. El mayor juez y verdugo de todo lo que hacía, bien o mal, era el mismo. Siendo completamente sincero, sabiendo que actuaba mal, y aún así, lo hacía porque el pobre no sabía como hacerlo de otra manera. Un padre y un hombre normal.
El hijo de Harry, Shaum, es maravilloso. Que cosa más linda. Que bien ha conseguido la autora expresar esas inseguridades de la adolescencia. Muy muy creíble.
Greorge, ha sido todo una revelación. No sé tiene libro pero sinceramente se merece uno porque es fantástico.
Me gustado la trama, las escenas de acción, las explicaciones técnicas. Todo.
Lo leeré de nuevo seguro, pero antes espero leer el libro George.
February 7, 2017
Vamos a por el siguiente #RetoRita. A esta autora no la conozco, a ver si me sorprende después de las dos últimas lecturas fallidas.
Bueno, al final le doy 2,5/5 porque a partir de la mitad se ha ido poniendo más interesante y me ha metido más en la historia, pero toda la primera parte es bastante peñazo. No es para echar cohetes, está todo como cogido con alfileres, no termina de convencerme. Aunque a Harry y Allie he terminado por cogerles cariño les falta algo.
Bueno, al final le doy 2,5/5 porque a partir de la mitad se ha ido poniendo más interesante y me ha metido más en la historia, pero toda la primera parte es bastante peñazo. No es para echar cohetes, está todo como cogido con alfileres, no termina de convencerme. Aunque a Harry y Allie he terminado por cogerles cariño les falta algo.
October 16, 2017
Me costó un poco al principio pero ha ido mejorando a medida que avanzaba la historia. Los protagonistas me han gustado mucho por sus imperfecciones y su capacidad de lucha. Los secundarios también han estado a la altura. Para mí Premio Rita merecido
September 30, 2018
Una historia demasiado simple, unos personajes sosos, nada rescatable.
June 22, 2017
3 Estrellitas. Creo que esperaba más de éste libro y conforme pasaban los capítulos se me ha ido desinflando la historia.
Es una buena historia de suspense, de hecho tiene un comienzo trepidante que te deja los pelillos como escarpias, pero estuvo interesante hasta la mitad del libro. La segunda mitad se me ha hecho muy farragosa y embrollada y siento que la autora no ha profundizado lo que debiera.
Los personajes me han gustado bastante, me han parecido muy humanos, sobre todo Harry, que no es descrito como un sex symbol y es una persona traumada por los problemas del pasado, la pérdida de su ex mujer y de su hijo mayor, que lo hizo alejarse de los menores y centrarse en su venganza particular contra el jefe de los mafiosos, que casualmente es el mismo que va tras Alessandra.
A su manera, Alessandra también me ha gustado mucho. Es una mujer hermosa que fue criada con un único objetivo, convertirse en un objeto decorativo. Un mafioso ha matado a su ex marido, y ahora van tras ella pese a que cumplió con el encargo que le mandaron. Es una princesita de hielo que de golpe se ve despojada de su forma de vida y tiene que cambiarla drásticamente si quiere sobrevivir. Al final ha sido Alessandra el personaje que más ha crecido y madurado, y es lo que más le ha gustado.
Quizás lo que más me ha desagradado, y me ha dado más pereza leer, son los capítulos del trío, George, Nicole y Kim. No me han gustado y su historia secundaria me ha parecido muy enfermiza, pese a que su intervención en la trama principal de la novela tiene su por qué.
Y otro de los motivos por los que se me ha desinflado la novela es que no he visto el romance muy presente, tarda en aparecer y me ha resultado más físico que emocional, así que me ha costado creérmelo, sobre todo por parte de Harry, que necesitaba pensar mucho y recapacitar sobre sus errores e intentar arreglar sus problemas con Shaun y Emily, sus hijos. La intervención de Shaun con su amiga Mindy me ha resultado enternecedora y anecdótica para darle algo de dulzura a la historia.
Sé que es una buena novela, pero me ha faltado algo para tenerla entre las imprescindibles. Imagino que si se llevó un Rita fue por algo, pero no he sentido el gran romance que esperaba, ni me ha gustado que todo se resolviera tan fácil y rápido y apenas sin explicación. Me han faltado emoción y empatía y la autora podría haberle sacado más jugo a resolver los problemas de Harry y Shaun, además de un mejor final, que siento que no ha estado a la altura del principio del libro y que sin duda Pamela Clare habría sabido cómo arreglarlo, pero las comparaciones son odiosas.
No creo que sea la única novela de Suzanne Brockmann que lea, pero la próxima me gustaría que tuviera más romance y mejor suspense, o por lo menos que todo esté más equilibrado y tenga más profundidad.
Es una buena historia de suspense, de hecho tiene un comienzo trepidante que te deja los pelillos como escarpias, pero estuvo interesante hasta la mitad del libro. La segunda mitad se me ha hecho muy farragosa y embrollada y siento que la autora no ha profundizado lo que debiera.
Los personajes me han gustado bastante, me han parecido muy humanos, sobre todo Harry, que no es descrito como un sex symbol y es una persona traumada por los problemas del pasado, la pérdida de su ex mujer y de su hijo mayor, que lo hizo alejarse de los menores y centrarse en su venganza particular contra el jefe de los mafiosos, que casualmente es el mismo que va tras Alessandra.
A su manera, Alessandra también me ha gustado mucho. Es una mujer hermosa que fue criada con un único objetivo, convertirse en un objeto decorativo. Un mafioso ha matado a su ex marido, y ahora van tras ella pese a que cumplió con el encargo que le mandaron. Es una princesita de hielo que de golpe se ve despojada de su forma de vida y tiene que cambiarla drásticamente si quiere sobrevivir. Al final ha sido Alessandra el personaje que más ha crecido y madurado, y es lo que más le ha gustado.
Quizás lo que más me ha desagradado, y me ha dado más pereza leer, son los capítulos del trío, George, Nicole y Kim. No me han gustado y su historia secundaria me ha parecido muy enfermiza, pese a que su intervención en la trama principal de la novela tiene su por qué.
Y otro de los motivos por los que se me ha desinflado la novela es que no he visto el romance muy presente, tarda en aparecer y me ha resultado más físico que emocional, así que me ha costado creérmelo, sobre todo por parte de Harry, que necesitaba pensar mucho y recapacitar sobre sus errores e intentar arreglar sus problemas con Shaun y Emily, sus hijos. La intervención de Shaun con su amiga Mindy me ha resultado enternecedora y anecdótica para darle algo de dulzura a la historia.
Sé que es una buena novela, pero me ha faltado algo para tenerla entre las imprescindibles. Imagino que si se llevó un Rita fue por algo, pero no he sentido el gran romance que esperaba, ni me ha gustado que todo se resolviera tan fácil y rápido y apenas sin explicación. Me han faltado emoción y empatía y la autora podría haberle sacado más jugo a resolver los problemas de Harry y Shaun, además de un mejor final, que siento que no ha estado a la altura del principio del libro y que sin duda Pamela Clare habría sabido cómo arreglarlo, pero las comparaciones son odiosas.
No creo que sea la única novela de Suzanne Brockmann que lea, pero la próxima me gustaría que tuviera más romance y mejor suspense, o por lo menos que todo esté más equilibrado y tenga más profundidad.
August 25, 2017
Estuve entre tres y dos. Y le he dado dos porque al final ha sido un teleflín. Un poco más de historia entre la pareja hay que en otro Rita, "Escándalos privados", la cual no dejaba de ser una thriller policíaco sin más y el amor no pintaba nada. Aquí influye la relación de los protagonistas en que cambien sus vidas, pero todo lo demás es muy peliculero y la resolución algo chorra. Es una novela que, si la coge SEP, hubiera sido más redonda, creo yo. Él por lo menos no es el tiazo de turno, aunque sigue el tópico de agente de vuelta de todo, desaliñado y con un pasado trágico. Ella, pues un poco igual, la rubia tonta que luego no es tal. Lo mejor es que a él le gusta cuando no va de despampanante, pero hay un instalust por parte de ella que pffff...
February 14, 2009
This book was published before the Troubleshooters series, so I had low expectations going into it, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Harry O'Dell is a great character. I love that he's not the typical romance hero: he's not particularly attractive (at least at first), he's gruff and curses a lot, he's kind of an asshole. (I was thinking that he was kind of a proto-Sam Starrett from the Troubleshooters series; there are enough similarities that I made the comparison, but they're different enough, too, that it's not obvious. For one thing, Harry is much less macho than Sam and a lot more damaged.) And Harry is Damaged. It's probably what makes his character compelling, as he works through his Issues in his own way.
The subplot involving Harry's partner George was also very well done. I was reading the book with Romance Novel Expectations, so as soon as George's attractive ex-wife was on the scene and it was clear that George was still hung up on her, I just assumed they would get back together. This was an outcome I was actively rooting against, because the ex (Nicole) sucks. It's a shame, actually, that she wasn't more fleshed out, because all we ever really see of her is her completely insane ambition. (She's more desperate to catch the mob boss after Alessandra than Harry is, when Harry has more obvious motivation—said mob boss killed his wife and son and is after the woman he loves now, but Nicole's only motivation seems to be... career advancement? Anyway, the outcome of that storyline really surprised me, but in a way that totally made sense, so that was very well done.
It's not the most suspenseful Brockmann novel I've read. She does sometimes kill of likable characters in unexpected ways in the Troubleshooters series, but I never felt like any of the main characters in this novel were ever in real danger.
And the end is a little too neat and sappy, but it is a romance novel, so I'll let it go.
Harry O'Dell is a great character. I love that he's not the typical romance hero: he's not particularly attractive (at least at first), he's gruff and curses a lot, he's kind of an asshole. (I was thinking that he was kind of a proto-Sam Starrett from the Troubleshooters series; there are enough similarities that I made the comparison, but they're different enough, too, that it's not obvious. For one thing, Harry is much less macho than Sam and a lot more damaged.) And Harry is Damaged. It's probably what makes his character compelling, as he works through his Issues in his own way.
The subplot involving Harry's partner George was also very well done. I was reading the book with Romance Novel Expectations, so as soon as George's attractive ex-wife was on the scene and it was clear that George was still hung up on her, I just assumed they would get back together. This was an outcome I was actively rooting against, because the ex (Nicole) sucks. It's a shame, actually, that she wasn't more fleshed out, because all we ever really see of her is her completely insane ambition. (She's more desperate to catch the mob boss after Alessandra than Harry is, when Harry has more obvious motivation—said mob boss killed his wife and son and is after the woman he loves now, but Nicole's only motivation seems to be... career advancement? Anyway, the outcome of that storyline really surprised me, but in a way that totally made sense, so that was very well done.
It's not the most suspenseful Brockmann novel I've read. She does sometimes kill of likable characters in unexpected ways in the Troubleshooters series, but I never felt like any of the main characters in this novel were ever in real danger.
And the end is a little too neat and sappy, but it is a romance novel, so I'll let it go.
March 18, 2014
da www.sognipensieriparole.com
Il primo istinto, quando ho letto la fascetta (Lei è in pericolo di vita, lui la sua guardia del corpo, il vero rischio l’amore) è stato quello di pensare a una trama fritta e rifritta, e confesso che ero lievemente prevenuta.
Invece no, fermi tutti.
Questo “Bodyguard” è una boccata d’aria fresca, con una interessante coppia di agenti FBI (di cui uno, ancora innamorato dell’ex-moglie, a capo della sua stessa squadra, e l’altro, non troppo alto e massiccio, che sembra sempre appena alzato dal letto), un boss dai modi garbati (che tiene un cane per sbranare accanto alla propria scrivania e che chiama affettuosamente Pinky) e con infine, lei, Alexandra, una quasi divorziata e di colpo vedova, che di mestiere faceva la moglie bella statuina e si ritrova con la casa ipotecata, le auto in leasing non pagato e il pesante sospetto di nascondere i soldi dei narcotrafficanti.
Primo punto a favore: la trama non s’inchioda sui soliti lui e lei, sempre tirati e magnifici, ma ci permette di conoscere vari personaggi minori, non poi così poco rilevanti, come la famiglia che l’agente Harry si è lasciato alle spalle e il suo compagno di squadra George.
Altro punto a favore: l’imperfezione dei protagonisti, appunto, due persone molto molto normali che finiscono di malavoglia nel mezzo di un gioco da cui vogliono assolutamente uscire e che risultano, con i loro difetti, credibili e simpatici.
Integrate il tutto con lo stile della Brockmann, sempre frizzante e godibile, e avrete una storia mai sopra le righe, romantica al punto giusto, con cambi scene e ritmo avvincente, come una commedia che si recita davanti ai vostri occhi.
Avete presente la sensazione di leggere e di farvi il film nella testa? Ecco qui un buon esempio di giallo/rosa (ops…romantic suspense) che potrebbe piacevolmente stupirvi.
Il primo istinto, quando ho letto la fascetta (Lei è in pericolo di vita, lui la sua guardia del corpo, il vero rischio l’amore) è stato quello di pensare a una trama fritta e rifritta, e confesso che ero lievemente prevenuta.
Invece no, fermi tutti.
Questo “Bodyguard” è una boccata d’aria fresca, con una interessante coppia di agenti FBI (di cui uno, ancora innamorato dell’ex-moglie, a capo della sua stessa squadra, e l’altro, non troppo alto e massiccio, che sembra sempre appena alzato dal letto), un boss dai modi garbati (che tiene un cane per sbranare accanto alla propria scrivania e che chiama affettuosamente Pinky) e con infine, lei, Alexandra, una quasi divorziata e di colpo vedova, che di mestiere faceva la moglie bella statuina e si ritrova con la casa ipotecata, le auto in leasing non pagato e il pesante sospetto di nascondere i soldi dei narcotrafficanti.
Primo punto a favore: la trama non s’inchioda sui soliti lui e lei, sempre tirati e magnifici, ma ci permette di conoscere vari personaggi minori, non poi così poco rilevanti, come la famiglia che l’agente Harry si è lasciato alle spalle e il suo compagno di squadra George.
Altro punto a favore: l’imperfezione dei protagonisti, appunto, due persone molto molto normali che finiscono di malavoglia nel mezzo di un gioco da cui vogliono assolutamente uscire e che risultano, con i loro difetti, credibili e simpatici.
Integrate il tutto con lo stile della Brockmann, sempre frizzante e godibile, e avrete una storia mai sopra le righe, romantica al punto giusto, con cambi scene e ritmo avvincente, come una commedia che si recita davanti ai vostri occhi.
Avete presente la sensazione di leggere e di farvi il film nella testa? Ecco qui un buon esempio di giallo/rosa (ops…romantic suspense) che potrebbe piacevolmente stupirvi.
December 27, 2010
I really liked Harry O'Dell! He's crazy all right, but a gorgeous crazy and funny man! And I think Sarcasm is his middle name! I found myself laughing at his every sarcastic comment to Alessandra Lamont! And they're so aware of each other; they’d spontaneously combust if they didn’t do something about it soon!
February 19, 2019
This was a wonderful audiobook. It sucked me right in and I couldn’t stop listening. There were a lot of tense moments and I just knew there would be no way out alive. I liked the romance part and I’m curious as to whether George will pursue Kim after this. The only thing I didn’t like was toward the end, there was just so much usage of GD . I can handle just about any language except that, especially when a kid says it. I understand why he did at first, but the next time I cringed.
The narrator was excellent. Really knew how to bring a book to life.
The narrator was excellent. Really knew how to bring a book to life.
June 28, 2019
3.5 Stars
February 28, 2017
As soon as I read that one of the characters asked if Harry was insane, that he was pretending to rob the store, and his partner said to watch, that it got better I was like oh boy. I could see where it was going. And sure enough, it was lame. It was going for funny and missed. Harry came off as stupid and that shouldn't have happened.
"What do you mean I can't hit this place? You got some kind of agreement with the owner says you're the only ones can rip him off?"
"Damn, you shot this guy in the ass. What, were you afraid he was going to sit on you?" Harry laughed uproariously at his own joke."
"Screw you. I'm here now! What gives you the right to come in here ten minutes too early and screw up my job anyway?"
I pictured this fool laughing like crazy over a stupid joke.
It was funny though when one of the robbers said he didn't look like a professional because he was wearing a suit that looked like he slept in it.
"Oh," Harry said quietly. "Perfect. Now you're slamming me for getting caught in the rain." He began to shout again. "When I planned this job, I didn't plan for it to rain, all right? Can you give me a fucking break here—”
It was so annoying to hear about this baby out of nowhere. Alexandra volunteers at the hospital and works with unwanted babies. I guess that was supposed to make her likable. There was no mention of her wanting to adopt a baby with a heart defect. I don't care. It's good in real life. I don't want to read a book about. I'm reading a romance. I want romance.
I find it incredibly aggravating when romance authors throw reality and professionalism out the window because the heroine has to be sooo good-looking. The first instant she meets Harry (and could he have sounded worse? His partner was the height of fashion and our guy wore a rain slicker, had messy hair, a nose too big and rounded, and rumpled clothes) he was staring at her body. Come the f on. He's an FBI agent. On a case to take down a mob leader. And he's staring at her body like he's picking her up in a bar. He's working for f's sake.
And omg. Quickest way to make a woman unlikable.
"She knew what he saw, knew he liked what he saw. With her movie-star-perfect features and softly lidded blue eyes, with her thick blonde hair and perfectly proportioned body, with her elegant clothes and perfectly applied makeup, she was a 15 on a scale from one to ten. She was drop-dead beautiful."
Brockmann, there is no such thing as perfect. Not one person on this earth is perfect. Much less everything about their looks. And already she had used the word perfect 3 times to describe Alessandra.
And why don't you take those looks to the big screen then? Why waste it away volunteering at the hospital? If you're going to make the best-looking human being in creation than share her good looks by giving her a profession in the public. Why have her waste away in little Farmingdale? And how many women do you know, regular, everyday women that can claim to be off the charts, out of this world beautiful, a 15 out of 10? I'll give you some time to think about that one.
"Too beautiful to have any friends."
Wtf does that mean? Looks like looks aren't everything then, are they? And are you saying beautiful people should naturally have a bunch of friends, and ugly people aren't expected to have any? What do looks have to do with having friends??
"But he wanted her. Yes, if she had held out her hand, he would've taken it and followed her right upstairs. No further questions."
Because you're so irresistible? Does she think everyone with a penis would go off with her as soon as they look at her? Don't like her. And what does that say about him, that he's investigating her husband's very recent death and would have sex with her the first time he laid eyes on her? Scratch that, don't like either one of them.
I hate the sordid bullcrap authors put in there that's totally unnecessary. His partner George dates exotic dancers and we got to hear in detail about him at the strip club, watching a woman dance and gyrate and expose her perfectly formed breasts. It's so disgusting it makes me want to vomit.
Books shouldn't piss you off, but that's exactly what this did. Idk how many books I've come across where authors write sick shit about men getting with women that look like their ex-wives. Nicole came to the club and saw one of the dancers, and George said she's good, isn't she? What a jerk. Then she saw Kim, who has the same hair and looks like her and knows he's getting with someone that looks like her but does sexy crap, so she punched him, which he deserved. He told her sex with FBI agents sucked, which he lied about, but he said he's with Kim for the sex. How disgusting. And I was so pissed that he had sex with Kim that night--after what he talked about with Nicole, he saw that she was sad, she found out that he was dating a dancer that looked like her, which is sick, so how could he be with her after that? It served him right that she was using him for Michael Trotta. And were we supposed to feel sorry for her that she got caught up with a man like that and had to sleep with George even though she didn't like his type? Uh, that's laughable.
I came to really hate how it was written in short scenes. I hate when books are written in scenes and not straightforward chapters. And I really hate when authors put you in too may point of views. There was George, then his slutty, double crossing Kim, and Harry's son (and it should've been specified on the back that he still had kids. A 14 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. Only one of his kids died and it should've said that). They all lasted just a few pages and it was so annoying how we'd cut to a new scene. Find a way to bridge them together so it flows continuously and isn't so stop and start.
62 ..her body damn near perfect.
63 Her breasts were small but perfect..
“That left only her world-class body and perfect, beautiful face, with her perfect, beautiful, empty blue eyes.”
Alessandra was so freaking unlikable. And this plot, omg. Michael threatens to kill her if she didn't find the $1 million her husband stole from him in 24 hours. So she "smartly" put together that it was hidden under the azalea bush, the one she crazily set on fire because her husband loved it, found the money and turned it over to him. But he has her house blown up, which didn't make any sense because he'd gotten his money back. So only then is she put into protective custody as this mystery was explored. Harry and the FBI planned to use her as bait to draw Michael out and didn't tell Alessandra that.
You think someone that just got their house blown up and had a near-death experience would be in touch with what really matters. Not our gal Alessandra. No, she's requesting that the government buy her not one, not two, but three types of lotion. One for day with a sunblock, one for night, and one for hands. You know, the important stuff. She had a list a mile long, one item being a book. It almost makes me snort the way authors make their characters readers, when it's totally uncharacteristic of them to read. Yeah, I can really see supermodel Alessandra claiming a book is a need.
"He was married, and she--she was only a temptation. Forget about the possibility of forming a simple friendship. She was too beautiful for that. Men--even married men--either wanted to posses her or to keep their distance. There was no in-between."
Hahaha.
Every time she mentioned "baby Jane" it was completely random, did not fit in any way. It felt like the author was putting it in there because she thought she had to, that readers would cry foul if Alessandra wasn't thinking of her. It wasn't natural or believable in any way. And I'll tell you what else it wasn't: it wasn't needed. Alessandra had a divorce, a dead husband, death threats from the mob, a blown-up house, FBI guards, and the witness protection program to deal with. One thing this plot didn't need was a baby of any kind, esp one with a defect. And do I really feel any emotion when we've never even met the baby? No. How could she think of a baby at a time like this? Why would we care about a baby we've never met when all of this other life threatening stuff was going on? This is a classic example of taking on too much.
It was so incredibly sick that he snuck away to call Kim on a pay phone and she was promising to do stuff to him and he's all full of list and can't wait for the week to pass, knew he would close his eyes with her and picture Nicki. Ew. Nicki totally deserves someone better than a scumbag hooking up with a slut that looks like them.
When she said "If loving that baby makes me crazy then I definitely am" I wanted to vomit.
127 "She was far too perfect to kiss."
129 ..makeup perfectly applied.
..t-shirt that showed off her perfect body.
132 a small furrow creased her perfect brow
133 her perfectly manicured fingernails
143 It was sheer perfection, and he came into contact with sheer perfection so infrequently in his life..
144 his hand was still against the perfect smoothness of her back.
Is there no body part this author wouldn't apply the word perfect to?
So stupid how Alessandra was mad that the FBI put her life in danger, when she had been wanting to call Michael the entire time and go back home. That made her hypocritical and stupid. She was a complete dumbass for wanting to call a mob man, thinking there must have been some kind of mistake that he was still trying to kill her after she handed over the money. What. An. Idiot.
157 "He liked that she snored. Liked that beneath her facade was a real, flawed human being."
Oh, were you trying to make a flawed character? I missed it with all the perfect comments.
"..her perfect body tucked next to his"
And on the same page that the author tried to claim she was flawed! Bahaha
Ivo, Michael's henchman, showed up in the store for a shoot-out and the FBI gives up like there's no way to identify him and because Alessandra and Harry aren't credible witnesses that there's nothing to pin Michael with. No one even mentioned the invention of these things called security cameras that are conveniently situated in shops so as to catch just such an occasion.
It was nice when George was in the hospital after his surgery and had asked for Nicole, wanted her there. That's why it made me so mad that Harry told the agents to call Kim, and when George expected Nicole to walk in it was Kim instead.
"..one of the ten most beautiful women on earth.."
On earth? Dang. I guess you've met everyone on earth to make that statement?
"You make it sound as if I'm Helen of Troy? I'm not that beautiful."
I'm so f'ing sick of hearing about her f'ing looks. And her saying that admits she thinks she's beautiful, so making her be "surprised" that Harry was saying all this about looking so sexy in her clothes wasn't working. She isn't humble. She thinks she's beautiful. If it's one thing I can't stand it's people that act like they're so pretty.
"The entire outfit--if you could even call it that--made her look skinny rather than slender, her arms and wrists bony instead of elegantly graceful."
And heaven forbid your wrists don't look elegantly graceful. F those people whose wrists are always bony no matter what they wear. But not you, once you take that oversized t-shirt off you'll go back to being elegantly graceful once more and the sight of bony wrists will be but a memory.
I was so pissed off when Kim wouldn't take no for an answer and had to touch him in the hospital, and of course Nicole walked in and broke it up, knew that she'd given him a blow job.
I was so glad when the baby was adopted by someone else. It was unexpected, and I’m glad it wasn’t the fairytale ending, because no way was it realistic that she would get custody in her condition.
This book was determined to give me a heart attack. I was losing my shit as he was with Kim, who kept offering to have oral sex with them. And what pissed me off even more was that he was getting aroused. He shouldn't have wanted her there. He was embarrassed when Nicole showed up, but after she sent Kim out of the room his eyes were warm when he told her he was hoping she'd come. He said he kept wishing that Kim was Nicole when he looked at her. So, why would he go on to have Kim there, wanting to hold her and talk to her? And why the hell was she almost naked sleeping at the hospital? What kind of person gets naked at a hospital? I got so pissed off hearing about her perfect breasts. And all he wanted was to hold her and talk to her. And what did they talk about? Oral sex of course. Because that's all she can do. Anyone give a shit about why she doesn't like having regular intercourse and can only do oral? I know I don't. Who writes this shit? Instead of romance go right to gutter trash.
"Her relentless belief that she was imperfect was her biggest imperfection."
wtf. This is a complete joke. Having someone comment on their looks every second of the day isn't leading me to believe they're imperfect. She thinks she's perfect and Harry commenting on everything about her being perfect isn't leading me to believe that he thinks she's imperfect either.
I only got this because it was a bodyguard story. I knew better than to read this author. I don’t like her characters or her plots and I don’t enjoy romance authors that don’t actually write out full sex scenes in great detail. This is so lacking in that department, so it’s too much romantic suspense.
I wasn’t attracted to Harry, didn’t like his looks or him. And if Alessandra was so beautiful, why did she get with him? I didn’t understand the attraction. He sounded like a slob. Hardly showered, rarely changed his clothes, looked haggard, bags under his eyes, barely slept, wore wrinkled clothing and his hair was always a mess. Yeah, I understand what she saw in him. The scene where his son Shaun said he didn’t want him for a dad and wanted Marge to adopt him (Harry’s not really step-sister) Harry just left the scene, wanted to leave before even Alessandra could get in the car, took off as soon as she got in and drove like a madman, speeding and driving recklessly. Then when she said she didn’t want to die in the car and commented on the speed, he told her she could get the f out if she didn’t like it, and actually ended up dropping her off at a restaurant. And when he asked if the dog scared her that much, and she held up her hand and said “No, I always shake like this,” and he said he liked “her attitude, her bitchiness, if you will.” No, we will not. Just because she’s standing up for herself doesn’t make her a bitch. I’m shocked a woman actually wrote that.
This should come with a trash warning. A side character was hooking up with a stripper at every opportunity. He had sex more than the main characters. Literally every time they were together they did it. The scene where he taught her to enjoy sex made me want to hit something. George was actually crying that he was sharing the experience with her and giving her something she’d never had. As if I care about the slutty stripper who doesn’t like sex. As if I was rooting for her to get with George. The only good thing I can say that came out of it was George kicking her out of his house after she ratted him out to Michael. And I despised George even more because he knew the entire time she was in league with Michael and using him, and was using her too, purposely talking on the phone knowing she would hear and run back to Michael with the info and end up right where the FBI wanted him. When he said that he loved Kim I almost lost it. And she was in love with him and jealous of Nicole, saw their photo album and found out that they had been married, and was mad at George thinking he was cheating on her. She knew he wasn’t over his ex. And by the way, you spend an entire book having George talk about Nicole every day, trying to make her jealous (which is such a low thing to do by sleeping with another woman, esp a stripper that looks like her, and making asshole comments that Kim can cook, and sew, and they’re having kinky, wild sex—he was disgusting, a real asshole) wanting her to come when he was hurt, wishing that Kim was Nicole—and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, at the end, he realized he’d been over her for some time and that he loved Kim, and now had to get over her too. And I was so mad that Kim escaped charges for working with Michael. She deserved to go to jail for that crime. Alessandra and Harry could have been killed. He actually threatened Nicole's job if she didn't drop charges on Kim. And solely blamed Nicole for Harry and Alessandra being in danger. He was the one that told her where they were, and his slut ratted them out. So it's all 3 of their faults, not just Nicole for not having enough backup.
The ending was completely annoying. I just wanted it to be over. After all the crap we go through, there was still yet more crap. After the wild ride with Harry being mad about his kids, he dropped her off and she got a job cleaning houses. They were fighting and not speaking but Harry was following her around all day, a bad feeling about things and wanting to protect her. I was so sick of hearing about him being tired and slovenly-looking, living in the car, not eating and everything. It made him sound like a hobo, not an FBI agent. Ivo came to town, found her and there's a car chase in which Alessandra was convinced that Harry had set her up again, and no matter how many times he told her he hadn't, she didn't believe him. So they were fighting as they were running for their lives. But then all of a sudden he asks her to marry him as they're on the cliffside being shot at and have to go in a raging river to escape. Great time for that. And we don't even get the scene with the river, it's skipped over and we come to to them at the FBI office in Colorado. Where there's a convenient picture of the FBI agent, the Mexican that Alessandra met at Michael's when he threatened her life, he had been bleeding and told her to help him. It turns out he was killed and they can pin that murder on Michael now. That's why he put such a high price on Alessandra, she has proof that he killed an FBI agent. The epilogue was totally unsatisfying. It was in his son's POV. I can't stand when authors don't have us with the main characters. Like we are about his son. They had to leave town for their safety, but Michael was killed in prison (conveniently) and it's been 4 years since they were in town. Michael's acting and he meets Mindy McBlubbers or something that he used to call her, but now of course she's hot and in shape and gives him his phone #, because she's so forgiving and makes a stupid comment like I still have a crush on you. And Alessandra and Harry had adopted a baby, props for not having her be able to miraculously have a baby with Harry like most authors do. But they felt like side characters in their own book and Shaun's dating life was more important. I didn't like the ending which matched the rest of the book. Not a fan and will never read her again.
some of the typos
126 Is it more stream of consciousness?
150 Damnit
314 She done it..
338 Damnit
354 He shook his head interrupting himself.
"What do you mean I can't hit this place? You got some kind of agreement with the owner says you're the only ones can rip him off?"
"Damn, you shot this guy in the ass. What, were you afraid he was going to sit on you?" Harry laughed uproariously at his own joke."
"Screw you. I'm here now! What gives you the right to come in here ten minutes too early and screw up my job anyway?"
I pictured this fool laughing like crazy over a stupid joke.
It was funny though when one of the robbers said he didn't look like a professional because he was wearing a suit that looked like he slept in it.
"Oh," Harry said quietly. "Perfect. Now you're slamming me for getting caught in the rain." He began to shout again. "When I planned this job, I didn't plan for it to rain, all right? Can you give me a fucking break here—”
It was so annoying to hear about this baby out of nowhere. Alexandra volunteers at the hospital and works with unwanted babies. I guess that was supposed to make her likable. There was no mention of her wanting to adopt a baby with a heart defect. I don't care. It's good in real life. I don't want to read a book about. I'm reading a romance. I want romance.
I find it incredibly aggravating when romance authors throw reality and professionalism out the window because the heroine has to be sooo good-looking. The first instant she meets Harry (and could he have sounded worse? His partner was the height of fashion and our guy wore a rain slicker, had messy hair, a nose too big and rounded, and rumpled clothes) he was staring at her body. Come the f on. He's an FBI agent. On a case to take down a mob leader. And he's staring at her body like he's picking her up in a bar. He's working for f's sake.
And omg. Quickest way to make a woman unlikable.
"She knew what he saw, knew he liked what he saw. With her movie-star-perfect features and softly lidded blue eyes, with her thick blonde hair and perfectly proportioned body, with her elegant clothes and perfectly applied makeup, she was a 15 on a scale from one to ten. She was drop-dead beautiful."
Brockmann, there is no such thing as perfect. Not one person on this earth is perfect. Much less everything about their looks. And already she had used the word perfect 3 times to describe Alessandra.
And why don't you take those looks to the big screen then? Why waste it away volunteering at the hospital? If you're going to make the best-looking human being in creation than share her good looks by giving her a profession in the public. Why have her waste away in little Farmingdale? And how many women do you know, regular, everyday women that can claim to be off the charts, out of this world beautiful, a 15 out of 10? I'll give you some time to think about that one.
"Too beautiful to have any friends."
Wtf does that mean? Looks like looks aren't everything then, are they? And are you saying beautiful people should naturally have a bunch of friends, and ugly people aren't expected to have any? What do looks have to do with having friends??
"But he wanted her. Yes, if she had held out her hand, he would've taken it and followed her right upstairs. No further questions."
Because you're so irresistible? Does she think everyone with a penis would go off with her as soon as they look at her? Don't like her. And what does that say about him, that he's investigating her husband's very recent death and would have sex with her the first time he laid eyes on her? Scratch that, don't like either one of them.
I hate the sordid bullcrap authors put in there that's totally unnecessary. His partner George dates exotic dancers and we got to hear in detail about him at the strip club, watching a woman dance and gyrate and expose her perfectly formed breasts. It's so disgusting it makes me want to vomit.
Books shouldn't piss you off, but that's exactly what this did. Idk how many books I've come across where authors write sick shit about men getting with women that look like their ex-wives. Nicole came to the club and saw one of the dancers, and George said she's good, isn't she? What a jerk. Then she saw Kim, who has the same hair and looks like her and knows he's getting with someone that looks like her but does sexy crap, so she punched him, which he deserved. He told her sex with FBI agents sucked, which he lied about, but he said he's with Kim for the sex. How disgusting. And I was so pissed that he had sex with Kim that night--after what he talked about with Nicole, he saw that she was sad, she found out that he was dating a dancer that looked like her, which is sick, so how could he be with her after that? It served him right that she was using him for Michael Trotta. And were we supposed to feel sorry for her that she got caught up with a man like that and had to sleep with George even though she didn't like his type? Uh, that's laughable.
I came to really hate how it was written in short scenes. I hate when books are written in scenes and not straightforward chapters. And I really hate when authors put you in too may point of views. There was George, then his slutty, double crossing Kim, and Harry's son (and it should've been specified on the back that he still had kids. A 14 year old son and a 4 year old daughter. Only one of his kids died and it should've said that). They all lasted just a few pages and it was so annoying how we'd cut to a new scene. Find a way to bridge them together so it flows continuously and isn't so stop and start.
62 ..her body damn near perfect.
63 Her breasts were small but perfect..
“That left only her world-class body and perfect, beautiful face, with her perfect, beautiful, empty blue eyes.”
Alessandra was so freaking unlikable. And this plot, omg. Michael threatens to kill her if she didn't find the $1 million her husband stole from him in 24 hours. So she "smartly" put together that it was hidden under the azalea bush, the one she crazily set on fire because her husband loved it, found the money and turned it over to him. But he has her house blown up, which didn't make any sense because he'd gotten his money back. So only then is she put into protective custody as this mystery was explored. Harry and the FBI planned to use her as bait to draw Michael out and didn't tell Alessandra that.
You think someone that just got their house blown up and had a near-death experience would be in touch with what really matters. Not our gal Alessandra. No, she's requesting that the government buy her not one, not two, but three types of lotion. One for day with a sunblock, one for night, and one for hands. You know, the important stuff. She had a list a mile long, one item being a book. It almost makes me snort the way authors make their characters readers, when it's totally uncharacteristic of them to read. Yeah, I can really see supermodel Alessandra claiming a book is a need.
"He was married, and she--she was only a temptation. Forget about the possibility of forming a simple friendship. She was too beautiful for that. Men--even married men--either wanted to posses her or to keep their distance. There was no in-between."
Hahaha.
Every time she mentioned "baby Jane" it was completely random, did not fit in any way. It felt like the author was putting it in there because she thought she had to, that readers would cry foul if Alessandra wasn't thinking of her. It wasn't natural or believable in any way. And I'll tell you what else it wasn't: it wasn't needed. Alessandra had a divorce, a dead husband, death threats from the mob, a blown-up house, FBI guards, and the witness protection program to deal with. One thing this plot didn't need was a baby of any kind, esp one with a defect. And do I really feel any emotion when we've never even met the baby? No. How could she think of a baby at a time like this? Why would we care about a baby we've never met when all of this other life threatening stuff was going on? This is a classic example of taking on too much.
It was so incredibly sick that he snuck away to call Kim on a pay phone and she was promising to do stuff to him and he's all full of list and can't wait for the week to pass, knew he would close his eyes with her and picture Nicki. Ew. Nicki totally deserves someone better than a scumbag hooking up with a slut that looks like them.
When she said "If loving that baby makes me crazy then I definitely am" I wanted to vomit.
127 "She was far too perfect to kiss."
129 ..makeup perfectly applied.
..t-shirt that showed off her perfect body.
132 a small furrow creased her perfect brow
133 her perfectly manicured fingernails
143 It was sheer perfection, and he came into contact with sheer perfection so infrequently in his life..
144 his hand was still against the perfect smoothness of her back.
Is there no body part this author wouldn't apply the word perfect to?
So stupid how Alessandra was mad that the FBI put her life in danger, when she had been wanting to call Michael the entire time and go back home. That made her hypocritical and stupid. She was a complete dumbass for wanting to call a mob man, thinking there must have been some kind of mistake that he was still trying to kill her after she handed over the money. What. An. Idiot.
157 "He liked that she snored. Liked that beneath her facade was a real, flawed human being."
Oh, were you trying to make a flawed character? I missed it with all the perfect comments.
"..her perfect body tucked next to his"
And on the same page that the author tried to claim she was flawed! Bahaha
Ivo, Michael's henchman, showed up in the store for a shoot-out and the FBI gives up like there's no way to identify him and because Alessandra and Harry aren't credible witnesses that there's nothing to pin Michael with. No one even mentioned the invention of these things called security cameras that are conveniently situated in shops so as to catch just such an occasion.
It was nice when George was in the hospital after his surgery and had asked for Nicole, wanted her there. That's why it made me so mad that Harry told the agents to call Kim, and when George expected Nicole to walk in it was Kim instead.
"..one of the ten most beautiful women on earth.."
On earth? Dang. I guess you've met everyone on earth to make that statement?
"You make it sound as if I'm Helen of Troy? I'm not that beautiful."
I'm so f'ing sick of hearing about her f'ing looks. And her saying that admits she thinks she's beautiful, so making her be "surprised" that Harry was saying all this about looking so sexy in her clothes wasn't working. She isn't humble. She thinks she's beautiful. If it's one thing I can't stand it's people that act like they're so pretty.
"The entire outfit--if you could even call it that--made her look skinny rather than slender, her arms and wrists bony instead of elegantly graceful."
And heaven forbid your wrists don't look elegantly graceful. F those people whose wrists are always bony no matter what they wear. But not you, once you take that oversized t-shirt off you'll go back to being elegantly graceful once more and the sight of bony wrists will be but a memory.
I was so pissed off when Kim wouldn't take no for an answer and had to touch him in the hospital, and of course Nicole walked in and broke it up, knew that she'd given him a blow job.
I was so glad when the baby was adopted by someone else. It was unexpected, and I’m glad it wasn’t the fairytale ending, because no way was it realistic that she would get custody in her condition.
This book was determined to give me a heart attack. I was losing my shit as he was with Kim, who kept offering to have oral sex with them. And what pissed me off even more was that he was getting aroused. He shouldn't have wanted her there. He was embarrassed when Nicole showed up, but after she sent Kim out of the room his eyes were warm when he told her he was hoping she'd come. He said he kept wishing that Kim was Nicole when he looked at her. So, why would he go on to have Kim there, wanting to hold her and talk to her? And why the hell was she almost naked sleeping at the hospital? What kind of person gets naked at a hospital? I got so pissed off hearing about her perfect breasts. And all he wanted was to hold her and talk to her. And what did they talk about? Oral sex of course. Because that's all she can do. Anyone give a shit about why she doesn't like having regular intercourse and can only do oral? I know I don't. Who writes this shit? Instead of romance go right to gutter trash.
"Her relentless belief that she was imperfect was her biggest imperfection."
wtf. This is a complete joke. Having someone comment on their looks every second of the day isn't leading me to believe they're imperfect. She thinks she's perfect and Harry commenting on everything about her being perfect isn't leading me to believe that he thinks she's imperfect either.
I only got this because it was a bodyguard story. I knew better than to read this author. I don’t like her characters or her plots and I don’t enjoy romance authors that don’t actually write out full sex scenes in great detail. This is so lacking in that department, so it’s too much romantic suspense.
I wasn’t attracted to Harry, didn’t like his looks or him. And if Alessandra was so beautiful, why did she get with him? I didn’t understand the attraction. He sounded like a slob. Hardly showered, rarely changed his clothes, looked haggard, bags under his eyes, barely slept, wore wrinkled clothing and his hair was always a mess. Yeah, I understand what she saw in him. The scene where his son Shaun said he didn’t want him for a dad and wanted Marge to adopt him (Harry’s not really step-sister) Harry just left the scene, wanted to leave before even Alessandra could get in the car, took off as soon as she got in and drove like a madman, speeding and driving recklessly. Then when she said she didn’t want to die in the car and commented on the speed, he told her she could get the f out if she didn’t like it, and actually ended up dropping her off at a restaurant. And when he asked if the dog scared her that much, and she held up her hand and said “No, I always shake like this,” and he said he liked “her attitude, her bitchiness, if you will.” No, we will not. Just because she’s standing up for herself doesn’t make her a bitch. I’m shocked a woman actually wrote that.
This should come with a trash warning. A side character was hooking up with a stripper at every opportunity. He had sex more than the main characters. Literally every time they were together they did it. The scene where he taught her to enjoy sex made me want to hit something. George was actually crying that he was sharing the experience with her and giving her something she’d never had. As if I care about the slutty stripper who doesn’t like sex. As if I was rooting for her to get with George. The only good thing I can say that came out of it was George kicking her out of his house after she ratted him out to Michael. And I despised George even more because he knew the entire time she was in league with Michael and using him, and was using her too, purposely talking on the phone knowing she would hear and run back to Michael with the info and end up right where the FBI wanted him. When he said that he loved Kim I almost lost it. And she was in love with him and jealous of Nicole, saw their photo album and found out that they had been married, and was mad at George thinking he was cheating on her. She knew he wasn’t over his ex. And by the way, you spend an entire book having George talk about Nicole every day, trying to make her jealous (which is such a low thing to do by sleeping with another woman, esp a stripper that looks like her, and making asshole comments that Kim can cook, and sew, and they’re having kinky, wild sex—he was disgusting, a real asshole) wanting her to come when he was hurt, wishing that Kim was Nicole—and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, at the end, he realized he’d been over her for some time and that he loved Kim, and now had to get over her too. And I was so mad that Kim escaped charges for working with Michael. She deserved to go to jail for that crime. Alessandra and Harry could have been killed. He actually threatened Nicole's job if she didn't drop charges on Kim. And solely blamed Nicole for Harry and Alessandra being in danger. He was the one that told her where they were, and his slut ratted them out. So it's all 3 of their faults, not just Nicole for not having enough backup.
The ending was completely annoying. I just wanted it to be over. After all the crap we go through, there was still yet more crap. After the wild ride with Harry being mad about his kids, he dropped her off and she got a job cleaning houses. They were fighting and not speaking but Harry was following her around all day, a bad feeling about things and wanting to protect her. I was so sick of hearing about him being tired and slovenly-looking, living in the car, not eating and everything. It made him sound like a hobo, not an FBI agent. Ivo came to town, found her and there's a car chase in which Alessandra was convinced that Harry had set her up again, and no matter how many times he told her he hadn't, she didn't believe him. So they were fighting as they were running for their lives. But then all of a sudden he asks her to marry him as they're on the cliffside being shot at and have to go in a raging river to escape. Great time for that. And we don't even get the scene with the river, it's skipped over and we come to to them at the FBI office in Colorado. Where there's a convenient picture of the FBI agent, the Mexican that Alessandra met at Michael's when he threatened her life, he had been bleeding and told her to help him. It turns out he was killed and they can pin that murder on Michael now. That's why he put such a high price on Alessandra, she has proof that he killed an FBI agent. The epilogue was totally unsatisfying. It was in his son's POV. I can't stand when authors don't have us with the main characters. Like we are about his son. They had to leave town for their safety, but Michael was killed in prison (conveniently) and it's been 4 years since they were in town. Michael's acting and he meets Mindy McBlubbers or something that he used to call her, but now of course she's hot and in shape and gives him his phone #, because she's so forgiving and makes a stupid comment like I still have a crush on you. And Alessandra and Harry had adopted a baby, props for not having her be able to miraculously have a baby with Harry like most authors do. But they felt like side characters in their own book and Shaun's dating life was more important. I didn't like the ending which matched the rest of the book. Not a fan and will never read her again.
some of the typos
126 Is it more stream of consciousness?
150 Damnit
314 She done it..
338 Damnit
354 He shook his head interrupting himself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2017
This was weak and dull. I'll stick to the Troubleshooters.
January 13, 2015
First, I'll reiterate as I have in other reviews of Brockmann's books, I LOVE her books and her writing. This one was painful for me to finish, mostly because I wanted to throw it across the room so many times!! It's the story of FBI agent Harry O'Dell who is trying to protect Alessandra Lamont from an underworld boss. The premise was good, the characters...not so much. It's been awhile since I've actually HATED a heroine!
The way Harry was described made him sound like a Columbo-type character, and not attractive at all. Alessandra spent the whole book talking about how fabulous she looked. Seriously, I put the book down many times because of my irritation with the heroine.
The way Harry was described made him sound like a Columbo-type character, and not attractive at all. Alessandra spent the whole book talking about how fabulous she looked. Seriously, I put the book down many times because of my irritation with the heroine.
October 17, 2012
BODYGUARD is simple romance escapism and I liked it. The hero, Harry O'Dell, works for the F.B.I. He doesn't look perfect: large nose, thin lips, but full of muscles. He is fortyish in age, wears rumpled clothes, has a potty-mouth, his fuse is short and he has made a royal mess of his relationship with his kids. Oh, and he is not tall. In fact, just slightly taller than the heroine, Alessandra Lamont, if she doesn't wear heels. Or Al, as Harry likes to call her.
Now she is a different story. Blonde bombshell, trophy wife or should I say trophy widow, slim and perfect. One out of two isn't bad. I NEEDED to read a romance where everyone wasn't beautiful. It is too common nowadays when you read books and I ask you, how many people look perfect in real life?
So, back to the book. Though first published in 1999, the story is not dated. Al or Allie has a hit put on her after her ex-husband stole some money and then hid it. then he is murdered for it. Harry and his partner George get involved and become her bodyguards. But that is not all. There are some secondary stories that drive this romance. And it seems all the characters are fractured in some way. Again, it was nice to see that not everyone was perfect.
For the most part, the pacing of the storyline is good. It is our hero, Harry, who has some TSTL moments but that was sort of refreshing. Usually, it is the heroine in the story who does this. There are some times where you are rolling your eyes. And, especially towards the end, a few situations feel glossed over but all in all it was a pretty good romance.
Now she is a different story. Blonde bombshell, trophy wife or should I say trophy widow, slim and perfect. One out of two isn't bad. I NEEDED to read a romance where everyone wasn't beautiful. It is too common nowadays when you read books and I ask you, how many people look perfect in real life?
So, back to the book. Though first published in 1999, the story is not dated. Al or Allie has a hit put on her after her ex-husband stole some money and then hid it. then he is murdered for it. Harry and his partner George get involved and become her bodyguards. But that is not all. There are some secondary stories that drive this romance. And it seems all the characters are fractured in some way. Again, it was nice to see that not everyone was perfect.
For the most part, the pacing of the storyline is good. It is our hero, Harry, who has some TSTL moments but that was sort of refreshing. Usually, it is the heroine in the story who does this. There are some times where you are rolling your eyes. And, especially towards the end, a few situations feel glossed over but all in all it was a pretty good romance.
December 31, 2011
First of all I love flawed characters. Second of all I really loved these flawed characters. I love that the hero wasn't perfect and that maybe the heroine wasn't either. Together though they were a forced to be reckoned with. My favorite part though was that this wasn't some wham bam love story where the couple falls in love in a couple days but that it was this budding friendship, obviously one full of lust but a budding friendship none-the-less, that evolved into something so much more, so much deeper. It was really nice to read about a slow building love like that. It's not something I often find in a read.
I loved this book. I loved all the back stories and the other characters. I loved that in my head I could picture everything perfectly even the fight sequences which sometimes for whatever reason don't usually choreograph themselves very nicely in my head but this one did. I loved that it played like a movie and that I had to actually hope and root for these characters, because I didn't always know how they were going to find their way out.
I'm so glad I picked this up. I'm so glad I didn't put it down after the first few pages like I maybe almost did but that I turned another page which finally grabbed me by my collar and wouldn't let me go.
I loved this book. I loved all the back stories and the other characters. I loved that in my head I could picture everything perfectly even the fight sequences which sometimes for whatever reason don't usually choreograph themselves very nicely in my head but this one did. I loved that it played like a movie and that I had to actually hope and root for these characters, because I didn't always know how they were going to find their way out.
I'm so glad I picked this up. I'm so glad I didn't put it down after the first few pages like I maybe almost did but that I turned another page which finally grabbed me by my collar and wouldn't let me go.
November 28, 2010
I have to say that most of the plot to this book I could see a mile away, but the characters were so much fun that it didn't matter.
Harry was so serious stuck in his crap. You really just wanted to yell at him, telling him to get over it, or at least deal with it. I was glad when Allie did just that. And Allie, she changed so much over the book. Not very likable at first, but the more her life spun out of control the more she lost who she was and became someone you wanted to be friends with.
I felt sorry for George, I thought maybe he knew what was going on, but it still has to hurt. Nicole was horrible, I sure didn't like her at all and am glad that things didn't work out for her and that people were there to twist the knife a little for her each time.
The kids were adorable! But I can see where Shaun was coming from and I was happy to see him yell at Harry. I also liked it when he told him if he was going to try he had to try for good, not just for a little bit. I loved what Harry said to him.
I also really liked the ending, that we got to know just how things ended and how everyone was.
Harry was so serious stuck in his crap. You really just wanted to yell at him, telling him to get over it, or at least deal with it. I was glad when Allie did just that. And Allie, she changed so much over the book. Not very likable at first, but the more her life spun out of control the more she lost who she was and became someone you wanted to be friends with.
I felt sorry for George, I thought maybe he knew what was going on, but it still has to hurt. Nicole was horrible, I sure didn't like her at all and am glad that things didn't work out for her and that people were there to twist the knife a little for her each time.
The kids were adorable! But I can see where Shaun was coming from and I was happy to see him yell at Harry. I also liked it when he told him if he was going to try he had to try for good, not just for a little bit. I loved what Harry said to him.
I also really liked the ending, that we got to know just how things ended and how everyone was.
April 28, 2009
I usually really like Suzanne Brockmann novels but as Randy Jackson would say this one was just "awright." The characters were okay and I didn't develop affection for them like I usually do for her characters. The story seemed to lack depth and was more predictable than her Troubleshooter stories. I had trouble with the fact that one of the villians was named "Griffin" but that is my own hang up since that is my son's name. I wouldn't recommend this one.
March 24, 2012
3.5 to 4 stars
I liked this book, but it wasn't that memorable. Actually the book and the heroine were memorable, but the "hero" was kind of a short, messy, loser. He's a good cop, but as a love interest and as someone with an estranged family, he's can be lacking. (especially with his family)
I did like this and struggled to give it less than 4 stars. The plot and the romance are pretty juicy.
Recommended.
I liked this book, but it wasn't that memorable. Actually the book and the heroine were memorable, but the "hero" was kind of a short, messy, loser. He's a good cop, but as a love interest and as someone with an estranged family, he's can be lacking. (especially with his family)
I did like this and struggled to give it less than 4 stars. The plot and the romance are pretty juicy.
Recommended.
May 7, 2023
I would have given this book 5 stars because of the fantastic story and super ending, however instead I gave 4 because of all the language and sex (really not necessary). The story would not have lacked without these!
September 19, 2021
Entertaining read and characters.
January 8, 2019
Premetto che questo libro é stato pubblicato in USA nel 1999, é uno dei primi romanzi scritti dell’autrice e quindi fra i primi romantic suspance . Infatti, nonostante il libro parta con un ritmo incalzante e un alternarsi di vicende dei protagonisti che rende la lettura scorrevole ed adrenalinica, a metà libro la suspance viene mancare. Le azioni dell’ FBI sono ingenue e poco credibili. Harry ricorda i personaggi interpretati da Mel Gibson, trasuda testosterone ed é geniale nel trovare le soluzioni se pur all’apparenza folli, gli abiti eleganti gli vanno stretti e sulle spalle si porta il peso di un passato molto doloroso. Allie per contro é la classica bella donna che ha sempre fatto affidamento sulla propria avvenenza per cavarsela, e ora invece deve ritrovare quella parte di sé che ha tralasciato per sopravvivere.
I protagonisti, i figli di Harry, la coppia non protagonista sono ben caratterizzati e le problematiche affrontate con adeguata profondità psicologica. Il libro mi é piaciuto molto per l’umanità dei personaggi e per l’amore che trionfa anche sulle situazioni più complicate.
I protagonisti, i figli di Harry, la coppia non protagonista sono ben caratterizzati e le problematiche affrontate con adeguata profondità psicologica. Il libro mi é piaciuto molto per l’umanità dei personaggi e per l’amore che trionfa anche sulle situazioni più complicate.
January 10, 2011
A pretty good romp of a read.
I enjoyed the arc of the storyline- Boy meets girl, they hate each other on sight (big clue here) and of course he runs away with her as her bodyguard.
There is one scene where they have to jump off a cliff and that scene from Butch Cassidy springs to mind immediately, I am surprised the author didn't reference it in the banter between the two as they were discussing what they should do at this point.
There is also the relentless search by the mafia bad guys who never give up (again like Butch Cassidy).
There are tender moments between the H/h and some insight into family relationships when he (Harry) tries to re-connect with his kids. I did think it a bit strange that they should go into hiding from the mob in the town where he has secreted his kids and (step) sister years before, seems inevitable that they would get found and why risk putting them in danger.
All in all a good read even with the small faults.
I enjoyed the arc of the storyline- Boy meets girl, they hate each other on sight (big clue here) and of course he runs away with her as her bodyguard.
There is one scene where they have to jump off a cliff and that scene from Butch Cassidy springs to mind immediately, I am surprised the author didn't reference it in the banter between the two as they were discussing what they should do at this point.
There is also the relentless search by the mafia bad guys who never give up (again like Butch Cassidy).
There are tender moments between the H/h and some insight into family relationships when he (Harry) tries to re-connect with his kids. I did think it a bit strange that they should go into hiding from the mob in the town where he has secreted his kids and (step) sister years before, seems inevitable that they would get found and why risk putting them in danger.
All in all a good read even with the small faults.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2014
un RS che ha tutte le qualità per essere un ottimo libro... Ci sono i protagonisti ben descritti e sviluppati con delle personalità talmente ben strutturate da sembrare vivi... niente super eroi niente uomini fantascientifici...Il protagonista Harry è un uomo normale non un ideale d'uomo, vero contraddittorio, debole e forte nello stesso tempo incasinato perchè a volte troppo umano... Allie dopo essere stata una moglie trofeo, prende consapevolezza di se lasciando indietro poco a poco l'armatura costruitasi e diventa una una splendida donna che vuol vivere libera di esprimersi...la parte suspense tiene con il fiato sospeso data la minaccia che incombe continua... gli altri protagonisti del libro sono anch'essi favolosamente descritti... e spero di leggere un libro con Nic e George... complimenti alla Brockmann per questo splendido libro sperando che la Mondadori continui la sua pubblicazione...
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