Young widower Gabriel McQueen has just arrived back to his childhood town on military leave to see his young son and his father the sheriff. Gabriel had hardly put a foot in the door when his father informs him of an incoming ice storm. In Maine, this is dangerous news and he is quick to do as his father tasks.
The task: To go deep up into the mountains and bring back long time resident Lorelei Helton to safety. Gabriel know Lorelei (Lolly) all to well and she was rather a pain in his back side back in High school and basically there is no love lost between them. Begrudgingly he heads up into the mountains to bring her to safety before the storm hits and leaves her stranded.
After abandoning his truck when the roads get too bad and taking the last mile on foot, Gabriel finds Lolly being held captive in her home by a couple of strangers hell-bent on keeping her or killing her, it didn’t matter which… and now Gabriel unarmed has more to deal with then just the enraging Lolly.
Well now…. *clears throat*… its been a while since I have brought out the bag of snarky. Ok actually that’s new… I thought of it when I was planning this review, but I am keeping it.. in the case I need to pull it out again.
My one previous experience with Linda Howard was in 2001 when our very small book club at the time read Mr. Perfect. I loved it. I thought it was hilarious and a bit scandalous… (in 2001 I was not much of an adventurous reader…), I have always meant to read her again… but alas, it never happened.
Then recently at my library I seen this audio… the synopsis sounded good… ice storm, bad people, a mountain top rescue and a sheriff’s son… good enough for Sheila!
But wait… lets start with the cover. In my defense… the audio book I checked out from the library had a big Kitchigami Library sticker over that picture, or I can tell you if I would have seen that cover I never would have chosen this book.
Why not?
Yes, yes, you in the back waving your arm wildly – that’s right… I don’t like romance books. And honestly I would have read the synopsis, looked at the cover, looked at the synopsis again, and said “huh?” It doesn’t make sense to me….
and now to dig into that bag of snarky…. hang on, it’s going to be a bumpy ride…
Right from the start there is an exceptionally LLLLOOOONNNNNGGGGG description of how Gabriel would rather rescue anyone than Lolly. How she bugged him so much in school and he just found her irritating. I think I groaned out loud…. right then you knew it was going to be love.
And now if you are thinking, “Sheila, you are spoiling the book!” …. nope… trust me, within the first 5 minutes you get this scene and many more like it. Honestly with this kind of writing throughout the book time and again… hinting of what is to come… I am not spoiling the book… the book is spoiling the book. 😯
The people in Lolly’s house are not scary, they are laughable… but I don’t think they were meant to be… they are just so dumb…. and in the end… ugh…. don’t get me started…. I seriously think I rolled my eyes… hello? Who ordered the clichés? Would you like to super size that?
Finally I thought this book must be Linda Howard’s early writing as it just isn’t well-developed…. imagine my surprise when I noticed it was released in 2009!
My advice is do not buy this book… if you are curious or think it sounds like a good read, I recommend picking it up from your local library. Save a tree.
My choice of theme songs for Gabriel and Lolly:
Book Journey 
You make me laugh with your bag o’ snark. Sometimes, a review can’t be written without it. In this case, I think it fit. Well done, and thank you for your honesty!
As the book continued on Alison I started looking forward to this review… I knew what I wanted to say and know that the author is well established and me having a little fun with the book wouldnt hurt 😀
LOVED your review! ;o). I started listenting to her latest book Prey and I have not finished it although I do want to find out if the rogue bear kills an annoying character!
It makes me wonder Nise if I re-read Mr. Perfect if now I would find much of that eye rolling as well 😀
Great review! I hate when a book gets too predictable with writing that seems like it has not ever seen an editor. I’ll be sure to avoid this one!
Stacy it was so bad… so obvious… I thought it just cant be…. 😀
Chances of two people hating each other when they first meet and then falling in love in the real world: 2%
Chances of two people hating each other when they first meet and then falling in love in make-believe worlds: 97%
Luckily my husband and I hit it off right at the start!
ML that is fantastic and I believe it! 😀
Hahaha… I’m surprised you finished it. I would have bailed out on that one, especially since it’s a library book.
It was short – only 4 cds and as it got into it I just thought this would be fun to review… 😀
Love the bag of snarky and definitely think you should keep it! And only you would think 4 CDs was short! To me, that would be a major commitment! 😀
Its not often the snarkt bag is needed but uhhh… yeah 😀
I loved the snarkiness of this review…it was just right!!
Thank you Staci 🙂
This is the problem with reading so much. At a certain point, you’ve read all the cliches and see them coming a mile away. This is why I’m not allowed to go to movies with anyone. I have the entire plot sussed out within 15 minutes, usually lean over and tell whoever I’m with and proceed to ruin the movie for both of us.
LOL – I bet you are a riot at the movies Ryan 😀
I’m a firm believer in snark…sometimes you just have to have it to write a post!
I think a little snark sprinkled on a review just adds flavor! 😀
Our committment as reviewers is to call ’em as we see ’em. It is our opinion after all. This does sound just too awful to bear.
The joy of reviewing Barbara, they are not all going to be wins 😀
Linda Howard’s earlier books were much better than this newer stuff, if you ask me. I’ve tried a few and was so annoyed I couldn’t finish it. And, LOL, you always know it’s true love when they hate each other.
That could be the case Laurie, my only experience with her was an older book that I read in 2001.
“the book is spoiling the book”
I’m with you on the cover; definitely wouldn’t have done anything for me, and I’m thinking that my eyes would have been rolling far too much for me to finish it 🙂
Yes, a few eye rolls were to be had…t hat is for sure.. 😀 I liked that line too, the book is spoiling the book…. it was true 😀