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Classic Murder: Mr. Romance
[BookStrand Romantic Suspense] Adam enjoys a lifestyle most men only dream of. Then one day he wakes up to find the morning headlines blaring, "Another victim falls prey to Mr. Romance. Who is next?" He suddenly realizes his way of life is not only frivolous, but deadly. Dubbed Mr. Romance by New York society for his romantic adventures, Adam Fernando Russo loves women. But lately he realizes how lonely it is coming home to an empty house. Can he settle for only one woman? After he makes a list of qualities worthy enough to merit giving up his desirable existence, suddenly recipients of his coveted attention mysteriously fall prey to a murderer. The murders seem unrelated with one exception--all the victims have recently returned from a fabulous weekend rendezvous with Mr. Romance. Adam's assistant, Katie Sinclair, knows Adam is innocent with airtight alibis. The police are at a loss, so Adam and Katie work together to discover the link between the murders. As luck would have it, their plan to prove the murderer is copying classic Cary Grant movies goes astray just as Adam realizes his perfect woman has been by his side all along. ** A BookStrand Mainstream Romance
320 pages, Paperback
Published February 6, 2016
5 people are currently reading
568 people want to read
About the author
Mary Martinez
30 books261 followersMary lives in Magna, a little town west of Salt Lake City, Utah. Together with her husband, she has six grown children, and six wonderful grandsons and five beautiful granddaughters. She loves to spend time with family and friends--she includes good books as friends!
Mary writes mostly romantic suspense, romance, women's fiction, and she has just begun to dabble in young adult mystery. During her writing career she has been a conference coordinator, workshop presenter, and chapter president for the Utah Chapter of Romance Writers of America. In 2007 she was presented with the Utah RWA service award in acknowledgment and appreciation for outstanding service.
Mary and her husband love to travel, especially to the Caribbean for relaxing, and Italy for the wine. And most recently she discovered she was Irish and Scottish, of course they had to visit Ireland and Scotland. Mary fell in love with both, but the green hills of Ireland felt like home. With the experience from the exotic places she has visited, she is able to fill her books with colorful descriptions of cities, painting a colorful backdrop for her characters.
They are avid concert ‘Ho’s’! Yes, they pretty much want to do them all. They love outdoor amphitheaters the best and attend as many during the warmer months as possible.
Mary and her husband are also enthusiastic college football fans. They have season tickets to the UTES, University of Utah Football and they tailgate every game. They love tailgating so much, that they were married at a tailgating in 1999.
GO UTES!
Mary writes mostly romantic suspense, romance, women's fiction, and she has just begun to dabble in young adult mystery. During her writing career she has been a conference coordinator, workshop presenter, and chapter president for the Utah Chapter of Romance Writers of America. In 2007 she was presented with the Utah RWA service award in acknowledgment and appreciation for outstanding service.
Mary and her husband love to travel, especially to the Caribbean for relaxing, and Italy for the wine. And most recently she discovered she was Irish and Scottish, of course they had to visit Ireland and Scotland. Mary fell in love with both, but the green hills of Ireland felt like home. With the experience from the exotic places she has visited, she is able to fill her books with colorful descriptions of cities, painting a colorful backdrop for her characters.
They are avid concert ‘Ho’s’! Yes, they pretty much want to do them all. They love outdoor amphitheaters the best and attend as many during the warmer months as possible.
Mary and her husband are also enthusiastic college football fans. They have season tickets to the UTES, University of Utah Football and they tailgate every game. They love tailgating so much, that they were married at a tailgating in 1999.
GO UTES!
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 19, 2018
Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com
CLASSIC MURDER: MR. ROMANCE by Mary Martinez is a fun contemporary romantic mystery. Even with a murder to be solved, the budding romance is humorous and entertaining.
Adam Russo is a billionaire who enjoys saving worthy companies, is a philanthropist and entertains a different beautiful woman on her dream trip on his off time with the understanding that he has no plans to settle down. It has earned him the title of “Mr. Romance” on the New York society pages.
Katie Sinclair is Adam’s executive assistant. She loves working for Adam and discussing business with him and setting up his various romantic trips. She hides her own beauty behind ugly clothes and glasses to be taken seriously on her job, but she falls in love with her boss and wants to shed the disguise.
Adam’s dates suddenly start turning up dead, but Katie knows he is innocent because she is his alibi. As Adam and Katie work to help the police solve their case, Adam becomes more and more convinced that Katie is “the one” he wants to finally settle down with, but can they find the killer before Katie becomes his/her next victim?
At first, I was not sure if I could like Adam, but when he turned his romantic ways towards Katie he grew on me. I always enjoyed Katie, her clumsy nervousness, her dog, her girlfriends and I cheered her on. I enjoyed Katie and Adam’s romance. It grew at a believable pace and was romantic, not sexual. They don’t have sex until later in the story and it was well written. The murders are based on classic Cary Grant movies and the H/h are like the rich boss and his girl Friday from classic movies. It made the murder mystery even more entertaining. An overall enjoyable read.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
CLASSIC MURDER: MR. ROMANCE by Mary Martinez is a fun contemporary romantic mystery. Even with a murder to be solved, the budding romance is humorous and entertaining.
Adam Russo is a billionaire who enjoys saving worthy companies, is a philanthropist and entertains a different beautiful woman on her dream trip on his off time with the understanding that he has no plans to settle down. It has earned him the title of “Mr. Romance” on the New York society pages.
Katie Sinclair is Adam’s executive assistant. She loves working for Adam and discussing business with him and setting up his various romantic trips. She hides her own beauty behind ugly clothes and glasses to be taken seriously on her job, but she falls in love with her boss and wants to shed the disguise.
Adam’s dates suddenly start turning up dead, but Katie knows he is innocent because she is his alibi. As Adam and Katie work to help the police solve their case, Adam becomes more and more convinced that Katie is “the one” he wants to finally settle down with, but can they find the killer before Katie becomes his/her next victim?
At first, I was not sure if I could like Adam, but when he turned his romantic ways towards Katie he grew on me. I always enjoyed Katie, her clumsy nervousness, her dog, her girlfriends and I cheered her on. I enjoyed Katie and Adam’s romance. It grew at a believable pace and was romantic, not sexual. They don’t have sex until later in the story and it was well written. The murders are based on classic Cary Grant movies and the H/h are like the rich boss and his girl Friday from classic movies. It made the murder mystery even more entertaining. An overall enjoyable read.
Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.
September 24, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, with it's twists and turns, engaging characters, and a different kind of romantic mystery that was not disappointing. I look forward to reading more by this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.
July 30, 2011
From a publisher that is often equated with over-the-top erotic fiction comes a very mainstream love story wrapped within a compelling murder mystery. For someone like me who loves romance fiction just about as much as mysteries, this is the best of both worlds. This is also the first novel by this author that I have read and I have to say that I am impressed!
On the other hand, I was not initially very impressed with Adam . . . what a self-absorbed dude that seemed to think that women were just willing to put their lives on hold in order to become the object of his desire, even for a night or a weekend. Perhaps that was true for many women in Adam's circle. Katie was not one of them. In fact, arranging for Adam's trysts was not the favorite part of her job and while she may not have made her opinions known to any great extent, she was royally tired of being a procurer for this spoiled man.
But as can often become true, and it certainly was true in Adam's case, his free-wheeling, love-them-and-leave-them lifestyle began to come back to bite him in the butt. And it wasn't doing much for the women who he was now setting up as candidates for the Perfect Wife. They were all turning up dead. Can't have been fun for them. That Adam was the first suspect wasn't good for him either, but fortunately he had an iron-clad alibi, even though here as in much mystery fiction, his alibi didn't really remove him from the suspect list in the minds of some of those in law enforcement. Thanks to the creative thinking of Katie Sinclair, she and Adam together realize that all the murders are mimicing classic murders in Cary Grant movies. Finding clues that would identify the murderer wasn't any easier but at least it was a start.
I really liked this novel!! It was fresh and well-written, its characters unique and a change from the often classic "beleagered heroine and the frumpy detective who saves the day" -- sort of the Mike Hammer formula. Not so here. Getting to like Adam was a push for me, but I adored Katie who was a woman who really wasn't hung up on herself, who wasn't afraid to think her own thoughts and be creative in her processing this problem. The novel was long enough to allow the character and story development that gave the novel its dimension and made it such an enjoyable reading experience.
And I must comment that I found Ms Martinez's writing style and her literary craftsmanship to be so very good and one which testifies that, like many who write the books we review here at The Book Binge, the joy of writing and the love of a sentence well-written is not dead, even in a country where linguistic education, IMHO, is not nearly as important as computer skills or science/math. (Don't get me started.) I thought the narrative was proof-read to the extent that so many of the small grammatical errors that seem to crop up in hastily written novellas and novels just weren't there. So much nicer to read a carefully prepared text. But most of all, I appreciated that the plot and story line moved along in a way that, while complicated, was not difficult to follow and which allowed the mind of the reader to become absorbed in the story instead of trying to keep all the characters straight. (I hate it when there are so many characters that it becomes really confusing.)
So I commend the publisher for giving us this very good read, and I hope that this novel will find its way into the libraries of many of you who love a good love story that has been melded to a compelling mystery.
I give this novel a rating of 4.75 out of 5.
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.
On the other hand, I was not initially very impressed with Adam . . . what a self-absorbed dude that seemed to think that women were just willing to put their lives on hold in order to become the object of his desire, even for a night or a weekend. Perhaps that was true for many women in Adam's circle. Katie was not one of them. In fact, arranging for Adam's trysts was not the favorite part of her job and while she may not have made her opinions known to any great extent, she was royally tired of being a procurer for this spoiled man.
But as can often become true, and it certainly was true in Adam's case, his free-wheeling, love-them-and-leave-them lifestyle began to come back to bite him in the butt. And it wasn't doing much for the women who he was now setting up as candidates for the Perfect Wife. They were all turning up dead. Can't have been fun for them. That Adam was the first suspect wasn't good for him either, but fortunately he had an iron-clad alibi, even though here as in much mystery fiction, his alibi didn't really remove him from the suspect list in the minds of some of those in law enforcement. Thanks to the creative thinking of Katie Sinclair, she and Adam together realize that all the murders are mimicing classic murders in Cary Grant movies. Finding clues that would identify the murderer wasn't any easier but at least it was a start.
I really liked this novel!! It was fresh and well-written, its characters unique and a change from the often classic "beleagered heroine and the frumpy detective who saves the day" -- sort of the Mike Hammer formula. Not so here. Getting to like Adam was a push for me, but I adored Katie who was a woman who really wasn't hung up on herself, who wasn't afraid to think her own thoughts and be creative in her processing this problem. The novel was long enough to allow the character and story development that gave the novel its dimension and made it such an enjoyable reading experience.
And I must comment that I found Ms Martinez's writing style and her literary craftsmanship to be so very good and one which testifies that, like many who write the books we review here at The Book Binge, the joy of writing and the love of a sentence well-written is not dead, even in a country where linguistic education, IMHO, is not nearly as important as computer skills or science/math. (Don't get me started.) I thought the narrative was proof-read to the extent that so many of the small grammatical errors that seem to crop up in hastily written novellas and novels just weren't there. So much nicer to read a carefully prepared text. But most of all, I appreciated that the plot and story line moved along in a way that, while complicated, was not difficult to follow and which allowed the mind of the reader to become absorbed in the story instead of trying to keep all the characters straight. (I hate it when there are so many characters that it becomes really confusing.)
So I commend the publisher for giving us this very good read, and I hope that this novel will find its way into the libraries of many of you who love a good love story that has been melded to a compelling mystery.
I give this novel a rating of 4.75 out of 5.
This review was originally posted on Book Binge by Judith.
September 30, 2019
3 1\2 stars
Classic Murder: Mr. Romance is a traditional romance story with a mystery thrown in to give the characters a reason to be together.
The story has a decent flow but the story tries to pull off a Carey Grant style characters but he falls just a little flat. It has the feel of Dial M for murder but doesn't quite pull off the charm of that the author might have been hoping for. At least with this review>
The author tries to create humors moments which work but also some fall flat. The story is cute, with sex after the characters have developed a relationship.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Mary Martinez Classic Murder Romance
Classic Murder: Mr. Romance is a traditional romance story with a mystery thrown in to give the characters a reason to be together.
The story has a decent flow but the story tries to pull off a Carey Grant style characters but he falls just a little flat. It has the feel of Dial M for murder but doesn't quite pull off the charm of that the author might have been hoping for. At least with this review>
The author tries to create humors moments which work but also some fall flat. The story is cute, with sex after the characters have developed a relationship.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of Mary Martinez Classic Murder Romance
March 18, 2020
Received this book in a Goodreads giveaway. This was my introduction to Mary Martinez and I'm impressed, if this is typical of her books, I'll need to read more of hers.
Adam Russo, Mr. Romance, has known since high school that her didn't want to marry and settle down. However, he enjoys romancing women and giving them the weekend of their dreams. But, recently his enjoyment has palled and he realizes he wants that one women after all. He makes a wish list and realizes he already knows the woman who checks all the boxes, his executive assistant Katie Sinclair.
Katie, after a bad experience in high school, compounded in college, hides her beauty behind ugly glasses and bohemian clothing. She got her job on merit and has long been in love with Adam.
Now when Adam is trying to win Katie over and Katie has decided to come out of hiding and win Adam over, someone has started murdering Adam's romantic weekend recipients. Can Adam and Katie discover the murderer so their romance can succeed and turn into their happily ever after?
Adam Russo, Mr. Romance, has known since high school that her didn't want to marry and settle down. However, he enjoys romancing women and giving them the weekend of their dreams. But, recently his enjoyment has palled and he realizes he wants that one women after all. He makes a wish list and realizes he already knows the woman who checks all the boxes, his executive assistant Katie Sinclair.
Katie, after a bad experience in high school, compounded in college, hides her beauty behind ugly glasses and bohemian clothing. She got her job on merit and has long been in love with Adam.
Now when Adam is trying to win Katie over and Katie has decided to come out of hiding and win Adam over, someone has started murdering Adam's romantic weekend recipients. Can Adam and Katie discover the murderer so their romance can succeed and turn into their happily ever after?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 9, 2019
A big thank you to NetGalley and Backlit PR for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I believe this is the first book I have read by this author. It's a fun book! A romantic mystery. I had a few issues.with the plot but overall I liked it. The characters are extremely likeable 3.5 stars
May 25, 2016
For someone like me who loves romance fiction just about as much as mysteries, this is the best of both worlds. This is also the first novel by this author that I have read and I am impressed!
Mary Martinez has a way of pulling her readers into the story and keeping them there. I usualy figure out the mystery when I read a book, but I confess, I couldn't figure it out this time. Mary did a wonderful job on the suspense.
Katie is a hidden beauty. She is very intelligent and extremely business savvy, but because of her looks, men in the business world and out can’t see past her outward appearance. She dresses in ugly ill-fitting clothes and horrific glasses, puts her hair in a bun and viola, she’s a plain Jane. I adored Katie who was a woman who really wasn't hung up on herself, who wasn't afraid to think her own thoughts and be creative in her processing this problem.
Adam Russo, better known in the news papers as “Mr. Romance” is every woman’s dream man. He’s good looking, sexy, rich, thoughtful, honorable, charitable, generous and known for knowing how to treat a lady.
Katie has been in love with her boss Adam who happens to be the infamous “Mr. Romance” for so long. So when his “women” start dying and he is suspected of murder she jumps in to help try and solve the case. This makes for a much closer working environment and pretty soon Adam is seeing Katie in a different light.
The novel was long enough to allow the character and story development that gave the novel its dimension and made it such an enjoyable reading experience.
I had received a free copy of this book from Goodreads giveaway,and I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I recomend you to put this book on your to-read list, you won't regret it.
Mary Martinez has a way of pulling her readers into the story and keeping them there. I usualy figure out the mystery when I read a book, but I confess, I couldn't figure it out this time. Mary did a wonderful job on the suspense.
Katie is a hidden beauty. She is very intelligent and extremely business savvy, but because of her looks, men in the business world and out can’t see past her outward appearance. She dresses in ugly ill-fitting clothes and horrific glasses, puts her hair in a bun and viola, she’s a plain Jane. I adored Katie who was a woman who really wasn't hung up on herself, who wasn't afraid to think her own thoughts and be creative in her processing this problem.
Adam Russo, better known in the news papers as “Mr. Romance” is every woman’s dream man. He’s good looking, sexy, rich, thoughtful, honorable, charitable, generous and known for knowing how to treat a lady.
Katie has been in love with her boss Adam who happens to be the infamous “Mr. Romance” for so long. So when his “women” start dying and he is suspected of murder she jumps in to help try and solve the case. This makes for a much closer working environment and pretty soon Adam is seeing Katie in a different light.
The novel was long enough to allow the character and story development that gave the novel its dimension and made it such an enjoyable reading experience.
I had received a free copy of this book from Goodreads giveaway,and I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. I recomend you to put this book on your to-read list, you won't regret it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2011
Lisa's Review
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Katie is a refreshing change from your ever day heroine. She is a hidden beauty, literally. She is very intelligent and extremely business savvy, but because of her looks, men in the business world and out can’t see past her outward appearance. Does she take advantage of that fact? No, instead she dresses in ugly ill-fitting clothes and horrific glasses, puts her hair in a bun and viola, she’s a plain Jane. This makes for a very interesting tale.
Adam Russo, better known in the news papers as “Mr. Romance” is every woman’s dream man. He’s good looking, sexy, rich, thoughtful, honorable, charitable, generous to a fault and known for knowing how to treat a lady. (wink) Ladies, need I say more? Is he a little too good to be true? Well, aside from the fact that he hardly ever dates a woman more than once and never ever more than twice, I’d say he’s ideal.
Katie has been in love with her boss Adam who happens to be the infamous “Mr. Romance” for so long she knows him better than she knows herself. So when his “women” start dying and he is suspected of murder she jumps in to help try and solve the case. This makes for a much closer working environment and pretty soon Adam is seeing Katie in a different light.
Great book. I couldn’t put it down and was disappointed when I finished it because I wanted more. I love that!
5 Tea Cups!
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Katie is a refreshing change from your ever day heroine. She is a hidden beauty, literally. She is very intelligent and extremely business savvy, but because of her looks, men in the business world and out can’t see past her outward appearance. Does she take advantage of that fact? No, instead she dresses in ugly ill-fitting clothes and horrific glasses, puts her hair in a bun and viola, she’s a plain Jane. This makes for a very interesting tale.
Adam Russo, better known in the news papers as “Mr. Romance” is every woman’s dream man. He’s good looking, sexy, rich, thoughtful, honorable, charitable, generous to a fault and known for knowing how to treat a lady. (wink) Ladies, need I say more? Is he a little too good to be true? Well, aside from the fact that he hardly ever dates a woman more than once and never ever more than twice, I’d say he’s ideal.
Katie has been in love with her boss Adam who happens to be the infamous “Mr. Romance” for so long she knows him better than she knows herself. So when his “women” start dying and he is suspected of murder she jumps in to help try and solve the case. This makes for a much closer working environment and pretty soon Adam is seeing Katie in a different light.
Great book. I couldn’t put it down and was disappointed when I finished it because I wanted more. I love that!
5 Tea Cups!
April 15, 2011
4.5 out of 5. A Romance all wrapped up in a mystery--that's my idea of a great read. Didn't like Mr. Romance himself very much at first -- that's the nickname given him by the media -- as he not only seemed self-absorbed, but he WAS self-absorbed and was of an opinion that he was "doing all these women a favor" by inviting them to spend a weekend with him. But he was becoming a victim of his own excesses when this novel begins -- he is now hoping to find "the perfect woman" -- how like a self-absorbed man to demand perfection. Only these candidates for "perfect wife" were turning up perfectly dead. Not good, either for Mr. Romance or for the victims. Just a very engaging love story between unlikely lovers and a compelling mystery that holds the reader's interest from start to finish. One of my favorite reads in resent weeks.
Read
February 25, 2011I really enjoyed this romantic mystery story. Adam is perfect in his role as “Mr. Romance” and Katie is his perfect “girl Friday.” The classic movie theme is ideal for the plot and the author takes full advantage. Cary Grant movies provide many great opportunities for mayhem. The killer is pretty mysterious at first, but diligent readers will be able to figure it out with the help of the author’s clues. Appealing characters and an intricate plot make for a very enjoyable mystery, especially for fans of Cary Grant and his movies.
Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Book...
Maura
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
Full Review: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Book...
May 18, 2012
This is one you do not want to miss. Author knows how to keep you guessing until true culprit is revealed. Like to glimpse some travel sites & get vacation ideas? You will get a teaser of some fun sounding trips. Characters have emotions which are clearly described. If this is not your cuppa take a look at author's other offerings which are of same high quality.
Was my second time reading and enjoyed even more this time as picked up on some nuances had missed earlier.
Was my second time reading and enjoyed even more this time as picked up on some nuances had missed earlier.
July 17, 2013
This is one you do not want to miss. Author knows how to keep you guessing until true culprit is revealed. Like to glimpse some travel sites & get vacation ideas? You will get a teaser of some fun sounding trips. Characters have emotions which are clearly described. If this is not your cuppa take a look at author's other offerings which are of same high quality.
Was my second time reading and enjoyed even more this time as picked up on some nuances had missed earlier.
Was my second time reading and enjoyed even more this time as picked up on some nuances had missed earlier.
May 16, 2012
Classic Murder: Mr. Romance has a very nostalgic feel to it. The settings are elaborate and the characters make you chuckle with delight as Adam discovers the Katie hidden behind the exterior. I have been a big fan of Mary Martinez works and this story is another tantalizing read. Loved it.
Full review on Sensual Reads
http://sensualreads.com/?p=5883
Full review on Sensual Reads
http://sensualreads.com/?p=5883
March 16, 2011
If I could give this story 5 1/2 stars I would. Mary Martinez has a way of pulling the reader right into the story and keeping them there. Her characters were very well developed, and the plot was excellent!! I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves mystery and romance.
October 28, 2011
This book was surprisingly good. The intrigue was great and so was the romance between Katie and Adam.
May 28, 2018
LOL, I loved writing Katie and Adam, what can I say. I'm a bit prejudiced.
July 17, 2013
Friend recommended said it was comparable to some of my favorites. Highly recommend if you are looking for something different in genre.
October 4, 2019
(2 to maybe 2.5 stars) - a fun premise disappointingly handled
I really liked the premise for this story, so it was all the more frustrating that it wasn't as well done as it could have been.
Katie is likeable enough, though I couldn't figure out why she was so fixated on Adam. Sure the romantic weekend thing sounded swoony in the abstract, but in concrete specifics? Every weekend for years? Mr Romance is Mr prime candidate for venereal disease - yuck. Romance is just window dressing on a shallow player.
The main characters constant lusting after each other gets old fast. The characters are obviously physically attracted to each other, but their interactions are so superficial for the most part that being in love seems questionable - "I'm attracted to him and I like him, ergo, I must be in love". Even making the argument from them having become close friends over the years, there's just not a whole lot to hang "true love" on to what we're given.
The repetitive drumbeat of "I'm so hot for him/her" , "so in love" , "if only he/she felt the same way" that went on for too much of the book. Main characters that can't see the obvious that everyone else is seeing plainly are just frustrating
***SPOILERS***
Where were the other cops who were supposed to be providing security for Freda in Katie's apartment?
Why would Katie be so stupid as to come out to the empty office because of an impersonal email when she knew it was exactly what she was supposed to be looking out for & avoiding? Duh - call the detectives, at least verify. That was just a little too stupid to live at that point & I nearly gave up in disgust.
Adam's thing of waiting for Katie to come to him made no sense since she had already tried to take him to bed, for pete's sake, & repeatedly demonstrated her willingness. Meanwhile, his stopping things without explanation kept sending her the message of "no". So it ends up looking like a blatant effort to keep stringing things out longer.
***END SPOILERS***
So, the book wasn't so bad that I didn't finish it (something I rarely do), but it had multiple issues that really put me off from the story & left me feeling disappointment instead of happily-ever-after warm fuzzies at the end.
*Clean romance level: crude language, and some graphic descriptions of sexual intimacies
*Religion: repeated use of God's Name in vain
*Language: repeated use of d*mn & h*ll, a few uses of sh*t, at least no f-bombs
I really liked the premise for this story, so it was all the more frustrating that it wasn't as well done as it could have been.
Katie is likeable enough, though I couldn't figure out why she was so fixated on Adam. Sure the romantic weekend thing sounded swoony in the abstract, but in concrete specifics? Every weekend for years? Mr Romance is Mr prime candidate for venereal disease - yuck. Romance is just window dressing on a shallow player.
The main characters constant lusting after each other gets old fast. The characters are obviously physically attracted to each other, but their interactions are so superficial for the most part that being in love seems questionable - "I'm attracted to him and I like him, ergo, I must be in love". Even making the argument from them having become close friends over the years, there's just not a whole lot to hang "true love" on to what we're given.
The repetitive drumbeat of "I'm so hot for him/her" , "so in love" , "if only he/she felt the same way" that went on for too much of the book. Main characters that can't see the obvious that everyone else is seeing plainly are just frustrating
***SPOILERS***
Where were the other cops who were supposed to be providing security for Freda in Katie's apartment?
Why would Katie be so stupid as to come out to the empty office because of an impersonal email when she knew it was exactly what she was supposed to be looking out for & avoiding? Duh - call the detectives, at least verify. That was just a little too stupid to live at that point & I nearly gave up in disgust.
Adam's thing of waiting for Katie to come to him made no sense since she had already tried to take him to bed, for pete's sake, & repeatedly demonstrated her willingness. Meanwhile, his stopping things without explanation kept sending her the message of "no". So it ends up looking like a blatant effort to keep stringing things out longer.
***END SPOILERS***
So, the book wasn't so bad that I didn't finish it (something I rarely do), but it had multiple issues that really put me off from the story & left me feeling disappointment instead of happily-ever-after warm fuzzies at the end.
*Clean romance level: crude language, and some graphic descriptions of sexual intimacies
*Religion: repeated use of God's Name in vain
*Language: repeated use of d*mn & h*ll, a few uses of sh*t, at least no f-bombs
April 18, 2025
Decent read. Boss and assistant romance. Plus murders that link back to Mr Romantic. I like how they based the weekend dates on classical movies.
A lot of emphasis on wanting-each-other-but-not-admitting-it that they lack details on the passion behind the murders
A lot of emphasis on wanting-each-other-but-not-admitting-it that they lack details on the passion behind the murders
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews