Helpful Score: 8
This is only the second book of Palmers that I would give a 3 or less. I did not like the hero, we was just to wishy washy and cruel. I never truly saw a clean break in his love for Sarina. I felt he was still using Glory as a substitute. To be protrayed as such a super macho guy he just never seemed to make up his mind, when he was with Sarina she was his reason for living, but when he was with Glory he "thought" he felt something but..... The heroine was too weak where he was concerned. She had backbone under all other situations but folded where he was concerned. It should have taken a lot more than taking her to a house he bought and proposing, to have made her forget all of the cruel things he said about her and the way he treated her. I love Diana Palmer but this book needed a lot more work before it was published.
Helpful Score: 2
I totally agree with the previous review. The H was cruel and obnoxious, and it should have taken a lot more than a house, as special as it was for Glory, for Rodrigo to get her back. I was looking forward to this one to get an update about Sarina and Colby, but instead it was just disappointing.
Helpful Score: 1
Thank you to the other reviewers. I'm glad I'm not the only one who was bothered by the hero's downright cruelty and borderline emotional abuse. He called her plain, dumb, a hick and "a cripple", more than once, then later tried to make it okay by saying "I didn't mean it". That doesn't make it okay in my book. I actually liked Rodrigo, which made that particular trait even more troubling. He seemed to have a good caring heart, which didn't jibe with the level of cruelty. Nevertheless, I did like this book, the writing, the characters and storyline. Just be warned that if you're a little sensitive to these things, that particular part could bother you.
I've read many Diana Palmer novels which I liked, but this wasn't one of them.
Assistant District Attorney Gloryanne Barnes comes from a troubled past. She was abused by her mother which resulted in a permanent limp and sexually tortured by her foster brothers. She is terrified of men and strangers in general. When she witnesses something that could potentially put a dangerous drug smuggler in jail for life, her life is threatened and her boss insists she retreats to her former home and hide until the trial starts. Unbeknownst to her, a secret DEA sting operation is taking place in Jacobsville and the agent, Rodrigo Ramirez is already in residence. He's a surly jerk who has nothing but contempt for Glory. She immediately finds him attractive and goes on the snarly defense of herself and her right to be there. Rodrigo wants nothing to do with Glory and actively ignores her. When suddenly at the harvest festival he asks her to dance and kisses her on the dance floor. Even knowing that Rodrigo is in love with another woman, Glory is instantly smitten and loosing her head, sleeps with him. Having never been in this situation, Glory has no defense against his seduction though you would think that with her background, that she would be terrified and fight him (even a little), nope not so, she just lays back and lets him take control.
I was ok with the story up until this point which IMHO was improbable and highly unlikely. The next thing you know, Rodrigo is ignoring her again and bad-mouthing her to the help which Glory overhears. To me this isn't romantic and her second capitulation just disgusted me. Have some pride already! At this point I lost all respect for Glory and lost interest in this story. I actually had to force myself to finish the book and honestly if it hadn't been a challenge book, I would have stopped right then and there. He sort of redeems himself in the end but it doesn't excuse his behavior and I can't see a terrified virgin just being ok with the entire situation.
Assistant District Attorney Gloryanne Barnes comes from a troubled past. She was abused by her mother which resulted in a permanent limp and sexually tortured by her foster brothers. She is terrified of men and strangers in general. When she witnesses something that could potentially put a dangerous drug smuggler in jail for life, her life is threatened and her boss insists she retreats to her former home and hide until the trial starts. Unbeknownst to her, a secret DEA sting operation is taking place in Jacobsville and the agent, Rodrigo Ramirez is already in residence. He's a surly jerk who has nothing but contempt for Glory. She immediately finds him attractive and goes on the snarly defense of herself and her right to be there. Rodrigo wants nothing to do with Glory and actively ignores her. When suddenly at the harvest festival he asks her to dance and kisses her on the dance floor. Even knowing that Rodrigo is in love with another woman, Glory is instantly smitten and loosing her head, sleeps with him. Having never been in this situation, Glory has no defense against his seduction though you would think that with her background, that she would be terrified and fight him (even a little), nope not so, she just lays back and lets him take control.
I was ok with the story up until this point which IMHO was improbable and highly unlikely. The next thing you know, Rodrigo is ignoring her again and bad-mouthing her to the help which Glory overhears. To me this isn't romantic and her second capitulation just disgusted me. Have some pride already! At this point I lost all respect for Glory and lost interest in this story. I actually had to force myself to finish the book and honestly if it hadn't been a challenge book, I would have stopped right then and there. He sort of redeems himself in the end but it doesn't excuse his behavior and I can't see a terrified virgin just being ok with the entire situation.
