Linda Howard Book Junkies discussion

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Archive > June's Book of the Month-To Die For

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message 1: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments Anita third time's the charm. I am having problem's with the computer and am not sure if I can write the synopsis. I don't have the book with me. (I'm in Tucson).


message 2: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments Blair Mallory lives the good life. She’s pretty, confident, and the owner of a thriving up-scale fitness center. But in the shadow of success, a troubled member of the club develops a strange fixation on Blair, imitating her style and dress. Matters take a darker turn when the look-alike is shot dead–and Blair witnesses the horror.

As the media speculates on the tawdry details of the homicide and pushes Blair into the harsh spotlight, she locks horns with police lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth. He wants to lead an investigation without interference, while Blair is determined to probe the dead woman’s life on her own. But when someone begins to menace Blair with mounting threats, Wyatt takes notice: Was this murder indeed a lethal case of mistaken identity–and was Blair the intended victim?


message 3: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments I love this book and i love Blair Mallory's character. She's pushy but endearing, aggressive but funny.. and sooo sexy.


message 4: by LeiCa (last edited May 31, 2013 10:16AM) (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments i love how she pretended not to remember him lol... and i love how he wouldn't let her get away with her act :)

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. And I don’t buy your earlier act, either. You remember me, all right. I’ve had you naked.”


message 5: by Sandra J (new)

Sandra J Weaver (sandraweaver) | 149 comments I love this book, and I'm not usually a fan of first person POV. Blair's mind is an interesting and somewhat scary place to be, and she's funny.


message 6: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments yep. she can carry on interesting conversations all by herself.

what's a pov?


message 7: by Wanda (new)

Wanda Hamad | 144 comments Point of View....

I love Blair and Wyatt. I don't like first person books either,...but these two ( To Die For & Drop Dead Gorgeous) work for me!


message 8: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments am reading it again right now.. i love wyatt too.. though the name is just too pretentious for me.. jefferson wyatt bloodsworth? wow .. sounds pompous, not the say it like it is hunk that he is!


message 9: by Gabrielle (new)

Gabrielle (gabrielle23) | 374 comments i love this book. The interactions are so funny. I love Blair's character, she's no pushover and knows just how to use her feminine wiles. I love that scene where she pretended not to recognize Wyatt. I would do that too!!

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

“I wasn’t happy to see him. I wanted to kick his shins, and I might have if I hadn’t been pretty sure he’d arrest me for assaulting a police officer, so I did the only thing any self-respecting woman would do: I pretended not to recognize him.

“Blair,” he said, coming over to stand way too close. “Are you all right?”

What did he care? I gave him a startled, faintly alarmed look, like the one women get when some strange man is getting too close and too familiar, and discreetly hitched my chair just an inch away from him.
"Uh. . . yes, I’m fine,” I said warily, then subtly changed my expression to one of puzzlement as I stared at him, as if I half-recognized his face but couldn’t pull a name out of my memory”


message 10: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments Sandra J wrote: "I love this book, and I'm not usually a fan of first person POV. Blair's mind is an interesting and somewhat scary place to be, and she's funny."

lol.. yes, it's probably a scary place to be!


message 11: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments Wanda wrote: "Point of View....

I love Blair and Wyatt. I don't like first person books either,...but these two ( To Die For & Drop Dead Gorgeous) work for me!"


Thanks, so many acronyms i still have to learn! I've barely mastered lol, roflmao, afk .. :)


message 12: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments Gabrielle wrote: "i love this book. The interactions are so funny. I love Blair's character, she's no pushover and knows just how to use her feminine wiles. I love that scene where she pretended not to recognize Wya..."

absolutely!

i also like that scene where she woke up at the beach whilehe was carrying her to her room. i found that really romantic!


message 13: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments this one:

“Putting my book aside, I stretched out on the towel and went to sleep. The next thing I knew, someone was picking me up. I mean literally. The odd thing was, I wasn’t alarmed, at least not that I was being kidnapped by some beach maniac. I blinked my eyes open and stared up at a hard, angry face that I knew very well. But even before I’d opened my eyes I’d known, whether by some weird skin chemistry or subconsciously recognizing the scent of him; my heart did that crazy dance.”


message 14: by Gabrielle (new)

Gabrielle (gabrielle23) | 374 comments oh yes! i know how that feels.. when you want something you know you shouldn't have.. and your body betrays you


message 15: by Anita (new)

Anita (anitanodiva) | 1619 comments I love Blair and Wyatt. Their journey is both so romantic and so funny. What is not to love about this pair? I read this book last year and will read it again because they are a great romantic couple.


message 16: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments Anita wrote: "I love Blair and Wyatt. Their journey is both so romantic and so funny. What is not to love about this pair? I read this book last year and will read it again because they are a great romantic co..."

Am reading it again, too!


message 17: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments I am starting it right now


message 18: by Laylatusakeena (new)

Laylatusakeena (ladyreira) | 4 comments First time I read it, I like the way Linda Howard brought Blair and Wyatt character. Blair became the center actor of the book and I already hate her because she is blond and ex-cheers and so selfish, but I love Wyatt for him being though to conquer Blair (lol) I read it translated to my own language. I try to look for the English version. Once I've got it, well, it's better to read. Somehow I more like to read books in its own language than the translated one.


message 19: by Wendy (new)

Wendy Kalthoff (wkalthoff) | 132 comments I can't wait to read it.


message 20: by Wanda (new)

Wanda Hamad | 144 comments My favorite book!!
“I wasn’t going to kiss you. Not yet, anyway. There might not be anyone around to see at this time of night—or morning, rather—but since your clothes tend to come off when I kiss you, we’d better wait until we’re more private and have both had some sleep.”


message 21: by LeiCa (new)

LeiCa | 1081 comments Wanda wrote: "My favorite book!!
“I wasn’t going to kiss you. Not yet, anyway. There might not be anyone around to see at this time of night—or morning, rather—but since your clothes tend to come off when I ki..."


i love that 'your clothes tend ti come off when i kiss you part! '


message 22: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments I just started reading the book, and I forgot how much I like it. I just don't like the way it ended with WHO the killer was. I mean that is low.


message 23: by Anita (new)

Anita (anitanodiva) | 1619 comments Dee wrote: "I just started reading the book, and I forgot how much I like it. I just don't like the way it ended with WHO the killer was. I mean that is low."

I agree. The only think that would have made this book better would have a different killer.


message 24: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments I'm half-way and it is really getting good. There have been a lot of great laughs. I loved the part where Blair is yelling for a cookie.


message 25: by Sandra J (new)

Sandra J Weaver (sandraweaver) | 149 comments Some of the things she says/does seem rather off the wall; but then she explains her thinking, and it all makes a scary kind of sense. I think this book would have read completely differently if it had been written in third person POV. I think this is an example of how the first person POV works best. Of course it helps that I like Blair, so I enjoy being in her mind.


message 26: by Anita (new)

Anita (anitanodiva) | 1619 comments Agree. I was about half way through the book when I realized that everything was from Blair's perspective. I have not read many books written in the first person lately. It was really different.


message 27: by Anita (new)

Anita (anitanodiva) | 1619 comments Laylatusakeena wrote: "First time I read it, I like the way Linda Howard brought Blair and Wyatt character. Blair became the center actor of the book and I already hate her because she is blond and ex-cheers and so selfi..."

I don't think that anyone or anything can conquer Blair. She is like a cork - She will always pop back up.


message 28: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments I have been having computer problems the last few days, so I haven't been able to make any comments. Right now I am on the library computer. I am looking for a Microsoft 7 (I refuse to get an 8.)

I really like Blair's character. I love a strong woman who is not afraid to play a trump card as a dumb blond, and yet being really smart. Any woman who is able to own a successful business and be as young as she is has to be smart. I think Wyatt is a good match to Blair.

I also liked the first person POV. It made this book different than most books I have read. I agree with you Sandra J. Some of the things Blair does seem off the wall. Yet when you listen to her perspective...

That being said, I don't like the ending. (view spoiler)


message 29: by Sandra J (new)

Sandra J Weaver (sandraweaver) | 149 comments Let's face it, Jason was stupid and had a track record of doing dumb things. After all, (view spoiler), didn't he?


message 30: by Nay (new)

Nay | 10 comments Blair makes me laugh so much. Her reasoning behind her actions always makes sense scarily. Luckily, Wyatt is man enough to be an equal partner in their relationship. She would run roughshod over a weaker man and I can bet she would hate being in a relationship with a wuss.


message 31: by Wendy (new)

Wendy Kalthoff (wkalthoff) | 132 comments just getting ready to start it


message 32: by Wanda (new)

Wanda Hamad | 144 comments Nay wrote: "Blair makes me laugh so much. Her reasoning behind her actions always makes sense scarily. Luckily, Wyatt is man enough to be an equal partner in their relationship. She would run roughshod over a ..."

Of course, that's why after two years, she still hadn't forgiven him for just dropping her..

"I wasn’t happy to see him. I wanted to kick his shins, and I might have if I hadn’t been pretty sure he’d arrest me for assaulting a police officer, so I did the only thing any self-respecting woman would do: I pretended not to recognize him...“Wyatt,” he said curtly. I backed up a little more. “Why what?” I leaned to the side and looked around him, as if making certain there were still cops within calling distance to protect me if he turned violent—which, to be honest, he looked as if he might."

I just love that: "Why, what?"


message 33: by Gabrielle (new)

Gabrielle (gabrielle23) | 374 comments Right there with you, Wanda! I just love how her devious mind works, lol


message 34: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments I loved that, and another one was when she had info for Wyatt and he hung up on her so she called Detective MacInnes. When he wanted to transfer her to Wyatt she said, "Oh there's no need. I'll just talk to you. The thing is, I was just talking to my assistant manager, Lynn Hill, about her taking over Great Bods when it reopens tomorrow-it is reopening, isn't it? You'll have all that ugly yellow tape down?"

"Uh-let me get back to you on that-"

"Never mind. I'll find about that later. Anyway, Lynn is the one who mentioned that she thought that Nicole had a thing for married men....

She tell MacInnes everything that she wants Wyatt to know. She hangs up and five minutes later Wyatt calls her and is royally pissed. "If you have information about the case, you call me, not one of my men," he said very tersely.

"Are you the same man who has hung up on me twice now? I can't imagine ever calling you again about anything>"

That was classic!


message 35: by Sandra J (new)

Sandra J Weaver (sandraweaver) | 149 comments I loved that, especially when Wyatt realizes that she's going to get around him but still manage to cooperate with the cops. Blair is definitely not TSTL.


message 36: by Wanda (new)

Wanda Hamad | 144 comments I like the part when he hears the message Jason left on her answering machine:

"He put his hands on my waist and pulled me to him. “Don’t you dare call him back. The bastard.” His green eyes were narrow, and his face had that hard look a man gets when he’s feeling territorial.

“I wasn’t going to.” Now was the time for mildness, not for zinging him, because I knew how I’d feel if his ex-wife suddenly got in touch with him and left a message like that. I put my arms around him and nestled my head in the hollow of his shoulder. “I’m not interested in anything he has to say, anything he feels, and when he dies, I won’t go to the funeral. I won’t even send flowers. The bastard.”

He rubbed his chin against my temple. “If he calls you again, I’ll give him a call.”

“Yeah,” I said. “The bastard.”

He chuckled. “It’s okay, you can let up on the bastard s. I get the idea.” He kissed me and patted my butt."


message 37: by Dee (last edited Jun 15, 2013 12:54PM) (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments That was so cute. She is a really smart cookie. I remember when I first read TDF some of the things Blair said about the clothes and hair etc. My first impression was she was a bimbo. I really liked how LH made Blair a multi-dimensional person.

BTW I got to thinking when I read this book how many SMART and business savvy women their are out there that are very clothes and hair conscious. Some of them are in my family. It really goes to show you how you can stereotype people.


message 38: by Eve (new)

Eve (everf) | 815 comments As I usually like novels that are pretty much written from the heroine's perspective, then i did not miss hero's POV at all (there was quite a bit conversation between the two main characters to compensate for this and you are never at a loss for what he is thinking, so you can get the feel of him as the story develops).
The characters seem real - the story was exciting -- with much humor and I just loved the bantering dialogue style.
Ms. Howard can sometimes make you cry (e.g Cry No More or Death Angel) but this time she makes you laugh out loud :)
Another good scene that made me laugh:
“My God,” he said, “what are you thinking this time?”
“Why? What do you mean?” Like I was going to tell him what I was thinking.
“You’re blushing again.”
“I am? Oh. Sorry. I’m going through premature menopause, and I have hot flashes.” Anything to regain lost ground.
He grinned, a quick flash of white teeth. “Hot flashes, huh?”
“Premature menopause isn’t for sissies.”

Well, this book is definitely a keeper for me.


message 39: by Dee (new)

Dee Sauter (indeathaddict) | 7583 comments For me too. I really liked the book. I have to reread Drop Dead Gorgeous. Lh's one and only sequel. I wonder if we are going to want for next month


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