Open Season

by Linda Howard

Be careful what you wish for....

On her thirty-fourth birthday, Daisy Minor decides to make over her entire life. The small-town librarian has had it with her boring clothes, her ordinary looks, and nearly a decade without so much as a date. It's time to get a life—and a sex life. The perennial good girl, Daisy transforms herself into a party girl extraordinaire—dancing the night away at clubs, laughing and flirting with abandon—and she's declared open season for manhunting. But her free-spirited fun turns to shattering danger when she witnesses something she shouldn't—and becomes the target of a killer. Now, before she can meet the one man who can share her life, first she may need him to save it.

Seamlessly blending heart-pounding romance and breathless intrigue, Linda Howard delivers a stylish and provocative novel that absolutely defies readers to put it down.

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

337 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.

Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.

Reviews

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

Loved it!



I love how Linda Howard's books always follow the same formula but still end up different and unique.

This book is very entertaining, hot and engaging. The characterization is well-done, the hero is off the charts hot and the heroine is likable (despite her innocence and old-fashionedness).

If you're looking for a well-written and feel-good small town cop romance then this one is definitely for you.

QUICK REVIEW:

Enjoyment:: 4/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 3.5/5
Hero: 4.5/5
Heroine: 3.5/5
Secondary characters: 4/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 2/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 4/5
Depth of the book: 4/5
POV: multiple, 3rd person
Triggers: murder, sex trafficking

[♥Sharon♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read many Linda Howard books but for the ones that I have I did enjoy then. She is certainly a talented author. Open Season was such a fun book to read. I was hooked right from the get go and just let the story unfold ignoring some of the predictability.

The two main characters were fantastic together. Daisy Minor was a 34 year old Librarian who was about to find her inner tiger that would finally snag a guy of husband material. She was done with being plain Jane and all about becoming the new and improved Daisy. But best of all she was funny. There were some scene’s that had me laughing out loud. Whenever she decided to go to the local drug store and buy a “party-pack” box of condoms……I couldn’t stop laughing.

And there was a lot to love about Jack. He was downright sweet. He was the police chief so he was tough and burly too. There is also something sexy about a guy who appeared to be enamored with said Librarian from day one.

The banter between Daisy and Jack was perfect. There was always something swirling around Daisy which drove Jack batty but Daisy was determined to find herself a husband. Jack found his nerves on edge every time he was around her. And I mean this in a good way. ❤

When something happens that puts Daisy in some danger Jack’s protectiveness kicks in to gear. There was some mystery and a bit of suspense but this is where I found things predictable. It bugged me a bit but I was enjoying everything else about the story that in the end it didn’t matter.

This one gets thumbs up and I'm looking forward to reading more from Linda Howard!

[*TANYA* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story, granted not very original but it still had a little of everything. I very much enjoyed the banter between the 2 main characters.

[Lisa Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daisy needs some protection.

★★★★½ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Oh, I had to be bad and get this one! I know I only gave the hardcover of this one four stars, but it has some of my favorite themes along with one of my favorite authors, so I splurged and got the audiobook. I’m so glad I did, as Deborah Hazlett does a great job narrating. She handles this fast-paced Romantic Suspense with ease and perfect diction, while her pace, volume, and tone do not fluctuate. The male voices aren’t quite perfect, as her voice isn’t deep enough, but such is the case with most female readers. Still, she gets the accent and inflection of humor - and worry - just right; ditto on the accents and differentiating them, too.

Linda Howard has a habit, sometimes, of getting her characters in the sack too soon – for me, anyway. (Maybe I’m turning into a prude in my old age.) Even so, she turns me around every time. The characters are fun together; I can so easily picture them.

Daisy Minor, small town librarian, and Jack Russo, Chief of Police, make an enjoyable and charming couple - though you wouldn’t know they are a perfect match at first. Daisy decides it is time for a major make-over, and she gets in a little too deep with her sexy new look. Good thing there is the hunky, protective man-with-a-badge standing by.

The way it starts, you think it is going to be darker than it is, and certainly the topic of illegal marketing of sexual slavery is no joke. (And, this is probably why I marked it down the first time through.) Given that I’ve read it several times over, and continue to love it, I just have to increase the rating. Despite the topic, there is plenty of humor mixed in with the justice.

[Alex ♈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mix of suspense, romance and humor.
Very likable heroine. Decent hero.
Overall very enjoyable! 🤓

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Small-town librarian Daisy Minor wakes up on her thirty-fourth birthday and realizes she is tired of her life--tired of being boring, tired of her drab clothes and her mousy brown hair, tired of not having a boyfriend. She decides it's time for a change. So she gives herself a makeover--she starts using make-up, she buys new clothes, she colors her hair blonde. She looks for a home of her own (she is still living at home with her mother and her aunt). She wants to get married and start a family before it's too late. Along the way she meets Jack Russo, chief of police. He visited the library she works in once for help with his computer--I really enjoyed the banter between these two throughout the book!

This was a really enjoyable and fun read and it also had some suspense. I liked Daisy and Jack, I thought they had great chemistry. I liked how Jack liked Daisy even before her makeover--he thought she was cute, he liked her old-fashioned ways and her openness. I also liked Daisy's cute dog Midas. A very entertaining romantic suspense!

[Stacia (the 2010 club) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tis' the (Open) Season.

There isn't much more to say than what this picture will cover because the word "condom" was used a couple dozen times in this book.


There were seventy-two condoms purchased in the production of this story.

Maybe she needed to warn Chief Russo to keep a close eye on aisle five at Clud's Pharmacy, because judging by the variety offered here, there were some hinky things going on in Hillsoboro.

No, hinky was not a typo. I swore it was kinky the first time I read it, which would have been even more appropriate.

You might want me to mention something other than the copious condom usage, perhaps?

My thoughts about the success of the story itself : Open Season was a fun little small-town romance. I was surprised that the subject of sexual trafficking ended up being shoved to the background, given the seriousness of the prologue. In all honesty, I would have preferred the author to have shown more about the girls in the story and what they were going through, instead of focusing so much on Daisy's small-town adventures.

This is my fourth Linda Howard book and while it was an entertaining read, it was not up to par with the last three books I read of hers, which were all on a four to four and a half star level (really, they were all fabulous). The story itself revolves around a woman discovering that she's ready to find a husband, so she gives herself a makeover and looks for men in all the wrong ways. The local sheriff is amused by this and playfully trails her to keep her out of trouble, where (as anyone would guess right away) sparks eventually fly. The suspense element is almost an afterthought, when Daisy ends up witnessing a murder and is dropped into the middle of finding out about an organized sexual slavery trade.

But really, I should have just stuck to my game plan of showing off a wall of condom quotes because that's about all I'm going to remember from Open Season. However, I should leave some element of mystery and not give too much of it away, so I'll only leave you with one more excerpt.

A peculiar expression crossed his face. "I'm not wearing the purple condom," he said, handing it back.
"It's grape."
"What's wrong with blue?"
"It would make you look...frozen."
"Trust me, it isn't frozen."
She took out a cherry, of a particularly violent shade of red, and shook her head.
"What's wrong with that one?"
"Nothing, if you want to look infected."
He flopped back on the bed and stared imploringly at the ceiling. "Isn't there a nice pink one in there? The bubble gum flavor?"
She rooted around in the box, but couldn't find anything that could possibly be bubble gum flavored. "I've been stiffed. There's no bubble gum in here."
"Swear out a warrant tomorrow," he said in growing desperation. "Try the watermelon."
Sure enough, the watermelon condom was green. Daisy gave him an appalled look. "Gangrene."

[❤️ Dorsey aka Wrath Lover Reviews ❤️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

June 22, 2024
Revisiting Jack & Daisy, another Linda Howard favorite ❤️

5 Party Pack Stars!

Daisy Minor wakes up on her 34th birthday and has an epiphany. Daisy decides she wants to meet a man! Not just any man, she wants to find a husband and have children before it's to late.

Daisy is a small town librarian who leads a pretty boring life. She lives with her widowed mother and Aunt in the house she grew up in, hasn't had a date in a very long time, dresses drab, wears no make-up, and is basically mousey....and she's a very proper southern lady who's a bit naive.

With some help from a friend, Daisy transforms herself from mousey to much more desirable woman. She finally moves out of her childhood home and begins prowling local bars for that special someone....little does she know she's being used as a pawn by a "friend" who is looking for someone who is praying on women.

Jack Russo is Hillsboro's Chief of Police, he's a former Chicago SWAT officer who spent his boyhood summers with his great aunt in Hillsboro AL. When he inherits his Aunt's old Victorian he decided to move from the city for a quieter, slower placed lifestyle.

When Jack gets a look at the new and improved Daisy, he can't help being attracted to her. When he spots her at a bar where women have been targeted, he decides to keep an eye on her. He's definitely attracted to Daisy and loves pushing her buttons!



Daisy winds up causing havoc at the bar and Jack takes it as his opportunity to get closer to her. Daisy's definitely attracted to the crass, much too alpha for her taste Yankee, she finds him insufferable yet can't seem to shake him, every time she turns around, Jack is there!

Unbeknownst to Daisy during one of her bar nights, she witnesses a murder. Now someone wants Daisy dead and it's up to Jack to keep her safe.....and convince her he's the man for her!

I loved this book! It will keep you laughing or smiling throughout most of the book. Definitely another Linda Howard favorite!



Originally read: April 2011
Rereads: June 2019, June 2024

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Couldn't put it down. When Linda Howard nails it, she certainly does a spectacular job. I think this might have been even better as an audiobook, as the narrator had a great voice for both male and female characters, she captured the humor, and made me believe I was really listening to these characters.

Daisy and Jack were a great romance H/h pair, the suspense was really good but never over-the-top, the humor was a great surprise (their conversations around a 'party pack' of condoms was a crack up!), and the heat nice and steamy. Not to mention a pitch perfect ending. Sigh, this one I'll listen to again again.

If you are in the mood for a romance suspense that isn't overly dark, has a nice dose of humor, and a very likable H/h, this is a must read.

[-`akansha´- · Rating 5 out of 5]

I woke up one morning to a Kindle notification telling me that Open Season had landed in Kindle Unlimited, and apparently that was all the convincing I needed. My TBR got shoved aside so fast it probably has whiplash.

At this point, if Linda Howard writes it, I'm reading it.

I absolutely love her books, and romantic suspense is one of my all-time favorite genres. Give me a mystery, genuine danger, sarcastic banter, and two people falling in love while absolutely everything around them is going spectacularly wrong, and I'm sold before I've even read the blurb.

I honestly have no idea why it took me this long to pick up Open Season, but we're not judging Past Me. Present Me has significantly better priorities.

And wow... this book reminded me exactly why Linda Howard is one of the queens of romantic suspense.

Before this, Mr. Perfect was my favorite Linda Howard book. I genuinely didn't think anything would come close to it. Well... Open Season gave it some very serious competition. I'm still emotionally loyal to Mr. Perfect, but this one made me question that loyalty more than once.

What I love about Linda Howard is that she understands balance. So many romantic suspense novels lean too heavily in one direction. Either the suspense completely overshadows the romance, making the relationship feel like an afterthought, or the mystery is so paper-thin that it's basically just an excuse to throw two attractive people together.

Open Season never has that problem.

The romance and the suspense feed into each other perfectly. Every dangerous situation brings Daisy and Jack closer together, and every romantic moment raises the stakes because suddenly you care even more about what happens next.

The biggest reason this book works, though, is Daisy Minor.

I adored Daisy.

She's thirty-four, a small-town librarian, still living with her overbearing mother and aunt, and she's spent years making herself as invisible as possible. She isn't miserable exactly; she's just... existing. She's accepted that life is something happening around her instead of something she's actively participating in.

Then, on her birthday, she looks up at her bedroom ceiling and realizes she's staring at her future.

And she absolutely hates it. That's the moment everything changes.

I loved that her transformation wasn't because a man came along and rescued her or convinced her she was beautiful. Daisy changes because she decides she's tired of letting life pass her by.

She gets her own apartment. She buys colorful clothes. She changes her hair. She starts dating.

She basically declares open season on living.

What makes this makeover so satisfying is that it never feels superficial. Linda Howard isn't saying a new wardrobe magically fixes your life. The clothes aren't the transformation; they're simply the outward expression of someone who's finally allowing herself to exist the way she's always wanted to.

It felt incredibly empowering without ever becoming preachy.

And honestly, watching the entire town lose its collective mind because Daisy started wearing red lipstick and fitted clothes was hilarious. Small-town gossip is practically another character in this book. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone has opinions. Everyone is in everybody else's business.

Usually that would drive me insane, but here it creates so much humor while also making the suspense even more unsettling. Because if someone in a town that small is hiding something... they're hiding it in plain sight.

Unless he missed his guess, Daisy was looking for a man. All the signs were there: the sudden change in her hair and clothes, wearing makeup, and suddenly going to nightclubs. If a man was what she wanted, she needed to look no further. He volunteered for the job. Not that he was going to tell her; she’d likely run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. No, he’d have to play his cards close to the vest for a while, until she got over the idea he wasn’t her type.

Then there's Jack Russo.

I am such a sucker for Linda Howard's alpha heroes.

Jack is a former SWAT officer who's now the police chief in Hillsboro, Alabama. He's protective, competent, intimidating, and exactly the kind of hero Linda Howard writes so well.

But what I appreciated most is that he respects Daisy. Yes, he's protective. Yes, he wants to keep her safe. But he never treats her like she's incapable. He listens to her. He trusts her instincts. He recognizes her intelligence long before everyone else finally notices she's far more than "that quiet librarian."

Their chemistry is fantastic. The banter is sharp, the attraction feels completely believable, and once they finally stop dancing around each other... let's just say Linda Howard absolutely knew what she was doing.

I also loved that Jack noticed Daisy before her makeover.

He certainly appreciates the makeover (who wouldn't?), but his attraction isn't based solely on her new appearance. He already saw the woman underneath all the drab clothing. And, lol, how can I forget the seersucker pajamas?

The suspense itself is equally engaging.

What starts as Daisy deciding to reinvent her life quickly spirals into murder, corruption, and becoming the very unfortunate witness to something she definitely wasn't supposed to see. From there, the tension keeps building.

I guessed part of the mystery before the reveal, but that honestly didn't lessen my enjoyment. The real fun wasn't necessarily figuring out who was behind everything, it was watching Daisy navigate increasingly dangerous situations while refusing to back down.

She survives because she's smart, observant, stubborn, and capable of thinking under pressure.

I appreciated that so much.

One thing Linda Howard consistently excels at is pacing. This book never drags. Every chapter either develops the romance, moves the mystery forward, or does both simultaneously. There aren't long stretches where you're waiting for something interesting to happen because something interesting is always happening.

The humor deserves its own mention too. I laughed far more than I expected. The dating attempts. The town gossip. Jack's reactions. Daisy's buying a PartyPak condoms.

Even during the suspenseful moments, Howard finds little opportunities for humor that make the characters feel incredibly human. That's actually what impressed me most about Open Season.

The townspeople are nosy, judgmental, and occasionally ridiculous, but also strangely lovable. Even the supporting cast feels lived-in.

Considering this book was originally published in 2001, it also holds up remarkably well. Sure, there are a few little reminders of when it was written, but nothing that pulled me out of the story. The core themes—reinventing yourself, refusing to settle, finding courage later in life, and realizing it's never too late to choose happiness—feel just as relevant today.

“Remember the deal we made?”
“Which deal?”
“That I’d marry you if you got pregnant.”
Her cheeks got pink. He loved it that she could still blush. “Of course I remember. I wouldn’t have begun this affair with you if you’d said no. People have to be responsible, and if you think you can weasel out of the deal now—”
“Let’s go to Gatlinburg this weekend and get married.”
Her eyes rounded and her lips parted in surprise. “But I’m not pregnant. At least, I don’t think . . . It was just that once, and—”
“So we try again,” he said, shrugging. “If you insist on being pregnant before we get married.”
“My goodness, of course not! You mean you actually want—”
“Oh, yeah,” he said softly. “I want.”

I think that's why Daisy's story resonated with me so much. Underneath the murders and romance, Open Season is really about refusing to let your life happen by default. It's about deciding that comfort isn't enough. It's about realizing that one ordinary day can become the day everything changes if you're brave enough to make a different choice.

By the time I reached the final pages, I didn't want to leave Hillsboro. I wanted another hundred pages of Daisy and Jack just existing together because I'd become so invested in them. That's usually how I know a book has completely won me over.

Linda Howard once again reminded me why she's one of my automatic-read authors. Amazing heroine. Fantastic hero. Perfect romance. Genuinely engaging suspense. Wonderful humor. Excellent pacing. And enough chemistry to make me grin like an idiot.

This is romantic suspense done exactly right.

[Vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly charming romance with some suspense and added benefits of a besotted hero, a feisty "spinster" heroine and a golden retriever puppy bonus. You can tell Howard has had Goldens with some of the antics her puppy gets into. It's not quite the homage to Goldens that Troublemaker was but Killer has a presence. The H advises the heroine to get a dog for protection and this is what she ends up with: an 8 week old GR that will grow up into a vicious protector.
SCAREEEEEEEEY!



Published in 2001, this really reads more like a book from the 1980s with the librarian heroine breaking out of her mold to get a makeover and plot daring actions like buying condoms from a gossiping pharmacist so she'll appear available and exciting to the small dating population of her small town (HIPPA be damned) and moving out of her mother's house. The H is a great big hunky throwback that is enthralled with her prissy ways and vinegary responses to his maleness. More than a hint of Hepburn/Bogart yin/yang chemistry here.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Linda Howard's books just work for me every single time. This had one of the best endings so far!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Updated for audio: 4.5 stars (half-point lost due to major quibble with the ending, as noted below). Good audio. Solid narration by Deborah Hazlett. I have read this book and now I've listened to it. Unabridged. No matter how many times I "read" it, I always laugh. Daisy and Jack are such a kick! Plus, an audiobook makes cabinet polishing go faster.

This is one of Howard's best (even though the make-over fashion scenes went on too long). Jack Russo, a former SWAT cop from NYC, is the new chief of police in Hillsboro, a small town in Alabama (the author's home state). Daisy Minor is a naive librarian, sweet 16x2 and never-been-kissed, finally deciding it's time to live a little. Get a makeover, etc.

Heartwarming, sexy, and suspenseful. A total beach read. Best of all--funny!! Laughed out loud in several places. Daisy is a trip. The scene when she was buying condoms!! I loved watching her come into her own in the small busy-body Southern town. I loved her puppy dog, too, and even enjoyed her family.

Some reviewers question that Daisy is still almost a pure virgin at 34 years old, but I lived in a small town in Alabama for some years and had little trouble believing it.

I loved *LOVED* Jack. His bemused and delighted interactions with Daisy. Lots of laughs between those two! Loved him, so protective and passionate. (Hot sex scenes!) I gobbled up the puppy-love scenes, too -- little "fuzz-butt" the galloping golden retriever. ;-)

The mystery itself was only moderately intriguing. Not terribly inspired, and everything fell into Jack's capable hands towards the end. The crime -- sex trafficking of young girls and date-rape drugs -- is a downer. The backstory of a certain abused and alcoholic wife was depressing. I did like finding out where/ how the top thug was shot. :)

Major Quibble: I didn't care for the ending at all, when one of the villains knocks on a certain door.  What in tarnation was that all about?? What was Howard thinking? No way. Just wrong.

This book reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series.

[Saly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read on 27 Sep 2019 --- and I again enjoyed this a lot!
This book so lived up to its hype, the heroine was a stereotypical librarian, with her nose in books, living with her aunt and mother when she got up on her 34th birthday and realized her life was passing her by, she was mousy, her hair, her clothes everything sucked and that if she didn't do anything she would never have the family she wanted, so she slowly starts working on it and her aunt and mom help. I loved how she was about money and her prissy tone especially with the Yankee police chief and hero Jack. She was all about personal space and her buying condoms for show was hilarious and how horrified she was that Jack was there to witness it and make people think they were an item. And using the word "courting" also cracked me up, it was so easy for Jack to rile her up and she thought of him as a jock so it came as a surprise to her that he was attracted to her.

The heroine was really naive and innocent like her horrified reaction when she nearly castrates a guy and later tries to apologize to him and even when Jack warns her of the danger that lurk in going to bars.

Seeing her blossom was like seeing a bird stretch its wings. As all LH books this is sizzling and Jack is a delicious alpha hero. He is former SWAT and divorced and tells Daisy lets have an affair, then you can find someone to marry but from the very start they share something more. Her puppy Midas was also adorable and kind of formed a family unit.

I liked that the suspense was not such a prominent part of the story and I also liked Todd, the supposed gay guy who helped in her makeover but turned out to be not gay and FBI. I do hope LH gave him a book and the hit guy was also in a way shown to be human I guess.

The best part was the humor in the book.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a pick me up

So it hasn't yet been a year since I read this, but I desperately needed something to get me out of a four day slump because life sucks right now.

This is just as good the second time around~ The hero is awesomely forward and the heroine perfectly bashful and spitfire-y.

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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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It's official, I love this author

If you know me, you know I read all sorts of messed up things, but I avoid one thing almost like a trigger... and that's small town romances. Just the idea that a whole town knows every move I make is enough to make me break out in hives.

This book is a small town romance... and I enjoyed it 🤯

In fact,
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[MelissaB · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun book to read! I enjoy the interaction between Daisy and Jack. I was rooting for Daisy to get the life she wanted and for Jack to win her over. Daisy was very funny, I loved the condomn scene and her rational for buying them (so people would know she was on the look out for a man). I loved the small southern town atmosphere and the characterizations the author used. Great story and enjoyable romance!

[peachygirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot, hilarious romance with a touch of mystery and all things Howard. One of her best works!

[Ingie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written January 4, 2015

4 Stars - Well written, well thought out, well told and superbly well narrated - a great one!

It was once again time for a Linda Howard story. This one was once recommended by Kathleen (4.5 stars). - Hopefully a great (with a lot of high ratings) m/f CR to be experienced in a 9 hrs audiobook edition.



Glad and smiling as usual - Ms H gives me what I like..
Yet another excellent quality romance with a good thrilling suspense plot and two very lovely, or actually amusing funny, main characters from Linda Howard.

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Open Season is a adorable "old style" romance about the still single, 34 years old, quite plain, smalltown librarian Daisy Minor. A 'girl' in "need" who does her hair, buy new clothes, put on makeup and start a "manhunting" project but instead for "bar-clubbing" meets the hot cop, Jack Russo.

Jack is the quite new yankee police chief —a "stranger"— with a little gray at the temples but a really good future husband material as it turns out. ~ He shows to be Daisy's big luck in a lot of ways.

Before we get to the grand end, there're a lot of cute bickering and funny fuss between these two lovesick protagonists. But so; a kiss, a few flattering words, hot wistful glances, and then it is fine fine.

There are also some good suspense parts here about horrible trafficking (poor poor girls) and some nasty villains to hate.

In other words; You get it "all" in one well-done package in Open Season. ~ With an adorable cute puppy and a lovely pink shimmering good old small-town feeling with you completely "free" as well. Who does not want to be there?

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The audiobook...
Excellent narrated by Deborah Hazlett. Flawless and no doubt pleasurable. I'll watch for more of Ms. Hazlett's other works.

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What's not to like? — Nothing.
It's good to know there are a lot of books by writers like Linda Howard to pick up when you need something you know you will enjoy every single time.

I LIKE - sure... still smiling

[Lučka · Rating 4 out of 5]

~~~ 4 stars~~~

When in doubt read Linda Howard! That's my new motto. I loved it.

This book was funnier and cuter than the previous ones I've read by this author.

I loved both MCs, they had awesome chemistry and their dialogue was funny. No OW/OM drama.

Daisy is a 34 year old virgin. Halo!?! (she's not a nun or has a particular reason)


A bit far fetched if you ask me but, she was intelligent, independent, naive and a sweetheart. I loved her a lot.

Jack, Jack, Jack! Le-sigh. Hot AF Chief Russo!


I adore Linda's heroes. They are the BEST. Protective, determined, alpha, bossy and badass.

I didn't like the ending. The villains (who are not ant-heroes) should not have a happy ending. Especially the ones that are involved in sex trafficking. That's my opinion.

Overall, I loved this book. It was mainly very adorable.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars – Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

I loved this! It's a funny, sexy, and entertaining read about quirky, prudish librarian Daisy, whose makeover and clubbing misadventures get her into trouble when she becomes an unknowing witness to a criminal operation, and HOT, protective alpha cop hero Jack Russo who comes to her rescue (in and out of the bedroom!). It's lots of fun and the romance is steamy!

[Vivian Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️ This book surprised me in the best way! I wasn’t expecting to love it this much. I just had such a great time. LH is such a talented writer and I can’t wait to read more of her books! 🥰

I was in the mood for some romantic suspense and this one hit the spot 👌🏼 it was also pretty funny at times! And it gave me all the small-town vibes I was craving.

The star of this book for me was the heroine, Daisy. I just loved her so much. I liked Jack too, he was pretty hot 🤭 their banter had me giggling too!

And Daisy’s dog was such a cutie! I’m a sucker for pets in books and the one in this one was adorable 🥹.

Overall, this was really good. The suspenseful plot was enjoyable but I did wish that the author dug deeper into Jack’s character. We didn’t really get much information about his past. I wanted to know more about him!! Other than that, this book was pretty entertaining! 🙌🏻

[Crazy About Love 💕 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ four stars -

* update - 12/2022 - I am updating this review to four stars. I’ve re-read this story so many times, I need to just confess that I adore this story 😂💁‍♀️♥️

It’s a solid-four star read, and since I can admit when I’ve made an error, I am publicly declaring that I made a mistake on this one. This story is very entertaining, and I’ve re-read it at least a half a dozen times now 📖

This is a well-written romantic suspense from Howard, and this book is one in which she has excelled at the romance component. The telling of the romance here is very fulfilling, and since the main reason I read is to escape into romance land, i can report that you will read a highly satisfying romance in this story.

Daisy is one of my favorite Howard characters, and Jack is just so yummy. I love their romance! It’s perfectly developed, and really the fact that Jack is so smitten with Daisy just gets me - *le sigh

Highly recommend.

* original review follows…

This is the second Linda Howard book that I read this week so far - I read fast 😂📖.

I enjoyed this one, but not as much as my first read from Howard, which was “After The Night”. You can read my review of that particular five star read here 👉 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

“Open Season” was a good enough book, but missed the mark on a few points for me. Namely, the character development for our heroine and Hero. I did not feel as if they were well-fleshed out here, and I was left with a few unanswered questions about them even all the way through the finish.

For example, Howard would mention a character trait, then gloss over it and never go back to it. In particular, our heroine’s sexual status (virgin vs non-virgin) was eluded to, but was never expanded upon. During the intimate scene between our mc’s it was mentioned that our h might be a virgin, but it wasn’t out and out stated. I didn’t particularly care what our h’s sexual status was, but why mention it only to not expand upon it? Not sure if this is simply Howard’s style (not to be too in-depth about sexy times), but it was distracting to me, and I felt that a piece of our h’s overall character makeup was missing.

I also didn’t care for the fixation on the sexual orientation of a secondary character. Who cares what his personal sexual preference is? This may be due to the fact that this book was published some twenty years ago (pub. date 2001), but I found this to be a bit off-putting. This book was still published in the twenty first century, why is this even an issue? Not sure what the hang-up is. To loosely quote David from Schitt’s Creek (a favorite TV character of mine not from this book, “sometimes I like red, sometimes I like white, and once in a while, rose”). Who cares. Move past it.

All that being said, I feel that these points spoiled my overall enjoyment, but still felt the quality of a solid three star read. Howard is turning into a Danielle Steele type author for me - you know what to expect, quality is good, editing is good - you get above standard writing from a very competent author backed by a solid publishing house 📚

Three firm stars. Would recommend if you’re like me and are looking for an easy, quality read. Just ignore the slight negative sexual orientation hang ups 💁‍♀️

[Lady Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read: 23/10/10, 13/05/20


Ladies and Gents that's how it's done!
From the Prologue this author had me captivated, engaged and eager to see what would happen next.




Linda Howard has the amazing ability to switch from writing in the first person and allowing the reader to feel what the victims and the villains are feeling and thinking during prime events in the story, to writing in the third person and "see" what everyone else is doing.




It had been so long since I first read this story, that I didn't remember anything from the first time (ah, like reading a brand new book).

The characters were well developed and had amazing chemistry.
Daisy was a spit-fire. She may have been naive, but she was anything but intelligent and strong in her convictions.
Chief Russo was the perfect match for Daisy's character.
Protective, but not suffocating.




The writing was great.
And, the story was amazing!



I know this is an older book and if you hadn't read this story before, I highly recommend you give it a go if you're a fan of suspense-thriller-romance.
Enjoy! :-)

[Ann Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

On her 34th birthday Daisy had an ephipany.  She had to make some major changes in her life (makeover) to avoid being a spinster.  She's  prim and proper.  A poster child for a responsible citizen.  She wants to men to notice her.  Get married and have babies.  And so the transformation begins.

Jack Russo is the chief of police.  He is fairly new Hillsboro and thought Daisy is cute even before the makeover.  When Daisy's safety is threatened, he's very protective of her.

I love the evolvement of Daisy and Jack's relationship.  Their witty banter was also a bonus.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fav LH book come and gone again... I loved this one as much this time as I have the other several times I've read it. First time was in paperback years ago. As I've been saying all week on my LH re-read tour..no one does rom suspense like her. This one didn't have the creepy villain factor like most of her others do, and the suspense was kept to a minimal... he H/h still had the awesome chemistry going on as they smoked out the bad guys.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Linda Howard. Auto buy writer to me. Her book never disappoint.

'Open Season' feel different from her other books. I didn't expect it to be so funny with witty dialogue throughout the book. Love H/h. Really enjoyed it!

[Eastofoz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent nearly from start to finish! Howard writes with so many different tones and does so exceptionally well. The book starts out with hope, then gets creepy, frightening, horrific, light, fun, hilarious, serious and just wonderful! Some parts make you shudder at how horrible and disgusting things are and some are so funny you have tears in your eyes. For fans of Sandra Hill this is certainly a book to consider in terms of belly aching hilarity!

The love story between Daisy and Jack develops so well throughout the story you just love how they grow to love each other. He's this big tough guy who speaks his mind and is so exasperating at times with what he says and does that you can't help laughing your head off. Daisy is also a piece of work. She's like a genteel lady from the regency period at times but she can hold her own against Jack.

The steamy scenes are great and there's just enough to be satisfied.

Some minor things I didn't like: the slow build up at the beginning, but maybe it was necessary to get a feel for Daisy. I didn't particularly like the end of the epilogue that didn't seem to fit with the rest of the story, but those things aside it's still worth 5 stars.

Definitely a keeper!

[Belle · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 / 5 stars

Sadly this book just wasn't as good as I was hoping, I read another of Linda Howard's books last year and loved it. All these books tend to be a little dated now, having been written in the 90's and early 2000's, but this one read more so.

This book had a lot of similarities to Mr. Perfect, the heroine being stalked by a dangerous 'person', and the police officer/sheriff falling in love with the heroine while protecting them. This book just had a little too much going on, and I never felt much between the two main characters.

Small town librarian Daisy Minor and Chief Jack Russo were rather flat characters, predictable in nature and a little boring.

[Suzan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
Polisiye kısmı fiyaskoydu ama iki karakter ve çekişmeleri çok iyiydi benide reading slumptan çıkardı 😊

[AliciaJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this story. It's one of those that keeps me laughing out loud.