Helpful Score: 2
ROBARDS AT HER BEST.
Helpful Score: 2
bone chilling suspense - humerous and sexy romantic suspense
Helpful Score: 2
I liked the book but was hoping the ending with be more detailed. Easy reading! If you liked her other books, then this would be a good choice of reading. Definitely worth the read!
Helpful Score: 2
I give To Trust a Stranger four stars. Although the plot falls flat, the hot-n-steamy sex and the fun and sexy banter between the lovers saves the day and keeps you smiling throughout the book. The heroine is the stereotypical stubborn damsel in distress, but the P.I. hero is a memorable character with his Hawaiian print shirts and his willingness to dress in drag to catch his bad guy. This is the first book I've read by Karen Robards and it won't be the last!
Helpful Score: 1
Wife has a heart throb of a P.I investigating suspicions of her husband's infidelity - passion and murder follow and they become the hunted
Helpful Score: 1
great suspence!!!(and romance)
Helpful Score: 1
makes you want to keep reading
Helpful Score: 1
The usual ingredients bubble and boil in Robards's latest romantic suspense thriller. Julie Carlson, once a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks but now the beautiful owner of a successful boutique in Charleston, S.C., seems to have it all. As the novel begins, however, a hit man circles her suburban mansion: Julie's rich husband, Sid, has hired thugs to kill her. Unaware of the danger she is in but convinced that Sid is cheating on her, Julie slips out of the house just in time and follows her husband to the red-light district, where she serendipitously and literally runs into private detective Mac McQuarry, dressed up in drag to spy on a client's husband. Julie isn't sure whether she should trust a man in a dress, but she has no one else to turn to, and soon she and Mac are working together to get the goods on Julie's crooked husband. As it happens, Mac holds a personal grudge against Sid, a prominent builder in Charleston, because Sid was involved in the disappearance of Mac's half-brother 15 years before, and then got Mac kicked off the police force when Mac tried to prove it. Robards's fans will enjoy the machinations before Julie and Mac get together, though cliches clutter every page ("The truth hit him like a hammer over the head: He had a galloping case of the hots for his newest client, who was not incidentally his oldest enemy's wife"). Of course, true love solves past mysteries, while hot kisses get as much play as life-threatening confrontations. A bodice ripper at heart, the novel is the equivalent of a box of junk candy.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
Helpful Score: 1
Another great book from Karan Robbards!
This book was fast paced and wove a wonderful story, funny, sexy and suspenseful. Karen Robards has become one of my favorite authors.
SUSPICION. IT BURNED THROUGH EVERY NERVE AND FIBER OF JULIE CARLSON--THE HEARTBREAKING, INFURIATING SUSPICION THAT HER HUSBAND WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR. TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, SID CARLSON WAS A WEALTHY CONTRACTOR WITH FRIENDS IN HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL PLACES. BUT TO JULIE, HE WAS A MAN WHO HAD CHEATED ON THEIR MARRIAGE VOW. HEARTBROKEN BY HER HUSBAND, JULIE TURNS TO A HANDSOME STRANGER.
MAC MCQUARRY KNEW BETTER THAN TO MIX WOMEN AND WORK. AND HE HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE OF HIS OWN: THE DISGRACED FORMER COP HAD BEEN DEMOTED AFTER AN EXPLOSIVE SHAKEDOWN OF THE CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT WHEN JULIE CARLSON HIRES HIM, MAC CAN'T RESIST. NOT ONLY IS SHE DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS, BUT HER HUSBAND WAS A PLAYER IN MAC'S INGLORIOUS DOWNFALL.
BUT WHAT BEGINS AS A RUN-OF-THE-MILL ASSIGNMENT SPICED BY A FIERY FLIRTATION SUDDENLY SPIRALS INTO A HARROWING RACE FOR SURVIVAL. TRACKING THE CARLSONS' CAR DOWN A LONELY ROAD ON NIGHT, MAC WITNESSES AN INCREDIBLE HIT THAT TARGETED JULIE. SUDDENLY MAC AND JULIE HAVE BECOME THE HUNTED. WITH THE MOB AND THE POLICE IN HOT PURSUIT, THEY CAN RELY ONLY ON EACH OTHER AS THEY CRASH THEIR WAY THROUGH A MAZE OF BURIED SECRETS AND DEADLY DECEPTIONS.
MAC MCQUARRY KNEW BETTER THAN TO MIX WOMEN AND WORK. AND HE HAD ENOUGH TROUBLE OF HIS OWN: THE DISGRACED FORMER COP HAD BEEN DEMOTED AFTER AN EXPLOSIVE SHAKEDOWN OF THE CHARLESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT WHEN JULIE CARLSON HIRES HIM, MAC CAN'T RESIST. NOT ONLY IS SHE DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS, BUT HER HUSBAND WAS A PLAYER IN MAC'S INGLORIOUS DOWNFALL.
BUT WHAT BEGINS AS A RUN-OF-THE-MILL ASSIGNMENT SPICED BY A FIERY FLIRTATION SUDDENLY SPIRALS INTO A HARROWING RACE FOR SURVIVAL. TRACKING THE CARLSONS' CAR DOWN A LONELY ROAD ON NIGHT, MAC WITNESSES AN INCREDIBLE HIT THAT TARGETED JULIE. SUDDENLY MAC AND JULIE HAVE BECOME THE HUNTED. WITH THE MOB AND THE POLICE IN HOT PURSUIT, THEY CAN RELY ONLY ON EACH OTHER AS THEY CRASH THEIR WAY THROUGH A MAZE OF BURIED SECRETS AND DEADLY DECEPTIONS.
i found this book very funny i loved it
it had every thing i liked humor suspence
very good read
it had every thing i liked humor suspence
very good read
Mystery & romance. Great story
"A top-notch romantic suspense writer...a steamy novel." - Booklist
The usual ingredients bubble and boil in Robards's latest romantic suspense thriller. Julie Carlson, once a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks but now the beautiful owner of a successful boutique in Charleston, S.C., seems to have it all. As the novel begins, however, a hit man circles her suburban mansion: Julie's rich husband, Sid, has hired thugs to kill her. Unaware of the danger she is in but convinced that Sid is cheating on her, Julie slips out of the house just in time and follows her husband to the red-light district, where she serendipitously and literally runs into private detective Mac McQuarry, dressed up in drag to spy on a client's husband. Julie isn't sure whether she should trust a man in a dress, but she has no one else to turn to, and soon she and Mac are working together to get the goods on Julie's crooked husband. As it happens, Mac holds a personal grudge against Sid, a prominent builder in Charleston, because Sid was involved in the disappearance of Mac's half-brother 15 years before, and then got Mac kicked off the police force when Mac tried to prove it. Robards's fans will enjoy the machinations before Julie and Mac get together, though cliches clutter every page ("The truth hit him like a hammer over the head: He had a galloping case of the hots for his newest client, who was not incidentally his oldest enemy's wife"). Of course, true love solves past mysteries, while hot kisses get as much play as life-threatening confrontations. A bodice ripper at heart, the novel is the equivalent of a box of junk candy.
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Former beauty queen Julie Carlson hires investigator Mac McQuarry to prove her husband is cheating. Mac is elated; he has been looking for a reason to nail her husband for 15 years. But when Mac witnesses a hit on Julie (her husband hired thugs to kill her), he quickly discovers he'll do anything to keep her alive. Unfortunately, the story is not particularly compelling. While Mac is a solid hero, Julie is an unbearably weak and inconsistently drawn heroine. The overacting of narrator Laura Hicks doesn't help Julie become any deeper; Hicks doesn't trust the writing and overemotes every suspenseful or romantic moment to the point of laughter. The reading is unusually ridden with narrative stutters and replays. Robards is extremely popular, but you can pass on this one.
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Former beauty queen Julie Carlson hires investigator Mac McQuarry to prove her husband is cheating. Mac is elated; he has been looking for a reason to nail her husband for 15 years. But when Mac witnesses a hit on Julie (her husband hired thugs to kill her), he quickly discovers he'll do anything to keep her alive. Unfortunately, the story is not particularly compelling. While Mac is a solid hero, Julie is an unbearably weak and inconsistently drawn heroine. The overacting of narrator Laura Hicks doesn't help Julie become any deeper; Hicks doesn't trust the writing and overemotes every suspenseful or romantic moment to the point of laughter. The reading is unusually ridden with narrative stutters and replays. Robards is extremely popular, but you can pass on this one.
Good story.
She trusted her husbandand got burned. Now she's playing with fire and daring to trust a stranger.
Very good book .. lots of action....
Very good book .. lots of action....
Her husband having an affair Julie wnet to a private eye........then the table turns. He who hunts becomes the hunted and Julie is right by his side.
excellent story line
This mystery becomes more frantic as an ordinary assignment becomes a race for survival. A book you can not put down.
This is the first Karen Robards book I have read, and I would HIGHLY recommend it to those who are bored with most of the modern romances out there today. The heroine isn't trying to get married - but she is actually going through a divorce (once she realizes her husband put a mob hit out on her and he's sleeping around with someone she knows . . . . . ) While trying to spy on her husband she meets a VERY hunky/handsome/drool-worthy ex-cop turned private investigator, and he ends up protecting her while they spy on her soon-to-be ex-husband. It sounds complicated but the story has great twists!!! I enjoyed reading this book b/c it was an escape at it's finest - the suspenseful parts had me really creeped out, and it was a great read at night, but the connection between the hero and the heroine were great! Some people felt turned off by her attitude but I actually really enjoyed the tension between their characters. Karen Robards gets an A+++ for great plot twists and steamy tension and an all-around entertaining read! Favorite scenes include: the "Sweetwater" strip club scene, the "mace" incident, the poodle, the car assasination scene (whoa!), the swamp scene, the finale.
She trusted her husband and got burned. Now she's playing with fire and daring TO TRUST A STRANGER
Suspicion burned within Julie Carlson - the heartbreaking, infuriating suspicion that her husband, a wealthy and powerful contractor, was having an affair. Not sure whom to trust, Julie turns to a handsome stranger...Private detective Mac McQuarry ignores his better judgment about not mixing women and work when he's hired by Julie Carlson. Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but Sid Carlson was a player in Mac's inglorous downfall from the Charleston P.D. - and revenge would be sweet indeed. But when Mac witnesses an explosive hit that targeted Julie, the tables are turned - and Mac and Julie become the hunted. With their fiery flirtation sparking into full-blown passion, they must crash their way through a maze of buried secrets and deadly deceptions.
Karen Robards electrifies the page with thrilling passion and suspense in this heart-pounding New York Times bestseller.
"A top-notch romantic suspense write ... A steam nove." - Booklist
Suspicion burned within Julie Carlson - the heartbreaking, infuriating suspicion that her husband, a wealthy and powerful contractor, was having an affair. Not sure whom to trust, Julie turns to a handsome stranger...Private detective Mac McQuarry ignores his better judgment about not mixing women and work when he's hired by Julie Carlson. Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but Sid Carlson was a player in Mac's inglorous downfall from the Charleston P.D. - and revenge would be sweet indeed. But when Mac witnesses an explosive hit that targeted Julie, the tables are turned - and Mac and Julie become the hunted. With their fiery flirtation sparking into full-blown passion, they must crash their way through a maze of buried secrets and deadly deceptions.
Karen Robards electrifies the page with thrilling passion and suspense in this heart-pounding New York Times bestseller.
"A top-notch romantic suspense write ... A steam nove." - Booklist
She trusted her husband and got burned. Now she's playing with fire and daring To Trust A Stranger
Suspicion burned whithin Julie Carlson--the heartbreaking infuriating suspicion that her husband, a wealthy and powerful contractor, was having an affair. Not sure whom to trust, Julie turns to a handsom stranger...Private detective Mac McQuarry ignores his better judgement about not mixing women and work when he's hired by Julie Carlson. Not on is she drop-dead gorgeous, but Sid Carlson was a player in Mac's inglorious downfall for the Charleston P.D.--and revenge would be sweet indeed. But when Mac witnesses and explosive his that targeted Julie, the tables are turned--and Mac and Julie become the hunted. With their fiery flirtation sparking into full-blown passion, they must crash their way through a maze of buried secrets and deadly deceptions.
Suspicion burned whithin Julie Carlson--the heartbreaking infuriating suspicion that her husband, a wealthy and powerful contractor, was having an affair. Not sure whom to trust, Julie turns to a handsom stranger...Private detective Mac McQuarry ignores his better judgement about not mixing women and work when he's hired by Julie Carlson. Not on is she drop-dead gorgeous, but Sid Carlson was a player in Mac's inglorious downfall for the Charleston P.D.--and revenge would be sweet indeed. But when Mac witnesses and explosive his that targeted Julie, the tables are turned--and Mac and Julie become the hunted. With their fiery flirtation sparking into full-blown passion, they must crash their way through a maze of buried secrets and deadly deceptions.
Suspicion burned within Julie Carlson-the heartbreaking,infuriating,suspicion that her husband, a wealthy and powerful contractor,was having an affair.Not sure whom to trust,Julie turnst to a handsome stranger.....Private detective Mac McQuarry ignores his better judgement about not mixing women and work when he is hired by Julie Carlson. Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous,but Sid Carlson was a player in Mac's inglorious downfall from the Carleston P.D. adn revenge would be sweet indeed. Buth when Mac witnesses and explosive hit that targeted Julie,the tables are turned and Mac and Julie become the hunted. With their fiery flirtation sparking into full blown passion,they must crash their way through a maze of buried secrets and deadly deceptions.
The usual ingredients bubble and boil in Robards's latest romantic suspense thriller. Julie Carlson, once a poor girl from the wrong side of the tracks but now the beautiful owner of a successful boutique in Charleston, S.C., seems to have it all. As the novel begins, however, a hit man circles her suburban mansion: Julie's rich husband, Sid, has hired thugs to kill her. Unaware of the danger she is in but convinced that Sid is cheating on her, Julie slips out of the house just in time and follows her husband to the red-light district, where she serendipitously and literally runs into private detective Mac McQuarry, dressed up in drag to spy on a client's husband. Julie isn't sure whether she should trust a man in a dress, but she has no one else to turn to, and soon she and Mac are working together to get the goods on Julie's crooked husband. As it happens, Mac holds a personal grudge against Sid, a prominent builder in Charleston, because Sid was involved in the disappearance of Mac's half-brother 15 years before, and then got Mac kicked off the police force when Mac tried to prove it. Robards's fans will enjoy the machinations before Julie and Mac get together, though cliches clutter every page ("The truth hit him like a hammer over the head: He had a galloping case of the hots for his newest client, who was not incidentally his oldest enemy's wife"). Of course, true love solves past mysteries, while hot kisses get as much play as life-threatening confrontations. A bodice ripper at heart, the novel is the equivalent of a box of junk candy.
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Former beauty queen Julie Carlson hires investigator Mac McQuarry to prove her husband is cheating. Mac is elated; he has been looking for a reason to nail her husband for 15 years. But when Mac witnesses a hit on Julie (her husband hired thugs to kill her), he quickly discovers he'll do anything to keep her alive. Unfortunately, the story is not particularly compelling. While Mac is a solid hero, Julie is an unbearably weak and inconsistently drawn heroine. The overacting of narrator Laura Hicks doesn't help Julie become any deeper; Hicks doesn't trust the writing and overemotes every suspenseful or romantic moment to the point of laughter. The reading is unusually ridden with narrative stutters and replays. Robards is extremely popular, but you can pass on this one.
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Former beauty queen Julie Carlson hires investigator Mac McQuarry to prove her husband is cheating. Mac is elated; he has been looking for a reason to nail her husband for 15 years. But when Mac witnesses a hit on Julie (her husband hired thugs to kill her), he quickly discovers he'll do anything to keep her alive. Unfortunately, the story is not particularly compelling. While Mac is a solid hero, Julie is an unbearably weak and inconsistently drawn heroine. The overacting of narrator Laura Hicks doesn't help Julie become any deeper; Hicks doesn't trust the writing and overemotes every suspenseful or romantic moment to the point of laughter. The reading is unusually ridden with narrative stutters and replays. Robards is extremely popular, but you can pass on this one.
THIS IS AN AUDIO BOOK - NOT PAPERBACK
Good Robards story.
"She trusted her husband and got burned. Now she's playing with fire and daring to trust a stranger....." Julie Carlson was suspicous that her husband, Sid Carlson a wealthy and powerful contractor, was having an affair. Not sure who to trust, she turns to a handsome stranger....Private Detective Mac McQuarry. Mac ignores his better judgment about not mixing women and work when he is hired by Julie. Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but Sid Carlson was a player in Mac's inglorious downfall from the Charleston Police Dept - - and the revenge would be sweet indeed! But when Mac witnesses an explosive hit that targeted Julie, the tables are turned - and Mac & Julie become the hunted. With their fiery flirtation sparking into full-blown passion, they must crash their way through a maze of burned secrets and deadly deceptions. This is a really good and steamy novel !!!
