Title: Burn
Author: Linda Howard
Publishing Date: July 2009
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: B
Sensuality: Warm
Jenner Redwine is twenty-three working second shift in a meat packing plant. On her way home from work as she stops to buy a six pack for her moocher boyfriend she also buys a few lottery tickets. Believe it or not, Jenner wins the lottery. Jenner knows that her life is about to change drastically. Even though she might not be well educated, she is no dummy. She takes the proper precautions to ensure the safety of her winnings before claiming the winning ticket. Fast forward seven years later and Jenner is traveling on a charity cruise to Hawaii with her best friend, Sydney. Only Sydney is kidnapped and held captive to ensure Jenner's participation in the surveillance of the cruise's owner without any missteps.
Burn is classic Linda Howard, maybe not at her best, but damn entertaining that's for sure. The first part of the book tells the story of how Jenner went from poor white trash, to hob knobbing with the filthy rich. What is so awesome about Howard's writing style is that the reader is not just told how diligent and smart Jenner is, but shown through the actions she takes to prepare herself for the changes to her new life after she claims her winning lottery ticket. This part of the book has clearly shown the reader what type of person Jenner is and what she is capable of.
Then Jenner is thrown into a stressful situation on the cruise and she doesn't panic at all. Instead she gets angry and fights back. Cael Traylor needs access to Jenner's suite in order to keep tabs on what the ship's owner is up to. He is impressed and yet annoyed with Jenner's prickly personality. These two are like two dogs in a kennel circling each other, snipping and snarling and waiting for an opportunity to pounce. The dynamic between Cael and Jenner is laced with lots of sexual tension and is a lot of fun to read.
I found the suspense to overshadow the romance to a certain degree. The suspense is the main momentum for the story and the most important aspect. I prefer it to be the other way around with the romance leading the way. But even with this as the case, Burn was a very enjoyable read. Jenner has definitely made the top of my list of favorite heroines by Ms. Howard.
This book can be purchased in hardcover or kindle by Amazon
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8 comments:
Great review Jill!!
Hmmm...I haven't read a Howard novel in a long time. Of course I've devoured all her classics like 'Mr. Perfect', 'Shades of Twilight' and my all time favorite Howard novel, 'After the Night'. But lately I've been shying away from romantic suspense even from proven authors like Howard. I will say that I am very intrigued by her upcoming release 'Ice'. The cover keeps drawing my eye.
Thanks for the recommendation and have a great weekend!
;) VFG
Hey Jill!!! Thank you so much for the review! I've been waiting for one! I'm glad to hear that it was similar to a classic Howard.
I'm still not sure enough to buy it, but I've reserved it at the library (god knows how long it will take though).
Thanks so much for the review!! :)
I just got this one yesterday from the library. I will probably start it this weekend. Great review, glad you liked it, makes me more anxious to read it.
VFG - I haven't seen that she has another release coming out. I will have to look into it! I love Linda Howard and I will keep reading anything she chooses to write.
Nath - I bought it, but I didn't by Death Angel when it came out. I figured I was due :) I noticed nobody had reviewed it yet. Glad I could help you out!
Kris - It's good, I am sure you will have it read in a day!
I'm planning on getting this one in DC. I LOVE Linda Howard. I've noticed on the teeter totter of her writing the suspense part is higher then the romance - more so now then in her books of a few years ago. I'd like to see the teeter totter move a bit back towards the romance but I still really do love her books regardless.
Thanks for the review of this one - I think it's the first one I've seen.
I'm on the fence about trying this one as I've been underwhelmed by Linda Howard's last few books and I actively disliked 'Death Angel'. Thanks for the review - it's the first one I've found!
Kristi - You lucky dog you! Wish I could meet up with you in DC. Maybe next year. Is Linda Howard going to be there. Well, I'll be following your trip closely so if you meet her I am sure we will all hear about it. Have fun!
Sarah - LOL, I actually enjoyed Death Angel a little more than this one. It was an unusual story with unusual characters, plus I thought it was more passionate. If you do decide to read it you might end up liking this one more than I did :)
Ooh, sounds like a good read! I like when the h/h are snarly or prickly with each other. LOL
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