Title: Tasting Fear
Author: Shannon McKenna
Publishing Date: July 2009
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: D
Sensuality: Hot
Three sisters each find love while trying to discover who murdered their foster mother in this collection of novellas. In Outside the Limit, Nancy meets carpenter Liam Knightly on the stoop of her Mother's house. Before she died she had hired Liam to do some remodeling. In Ask For More, Nell answers an employment ad requesting a poet to help with a video game. She discovers that her new employer Duncan is none other than the gorgeous man who she waits on at the diner where she works. Then in Ready or Not, Vivi goes to live on the property of Jack Kendrick, a former military operative and good friend of Duncan's. Vivi needs protection from the killer who has yet to be apprehended.
The biggest issue I had with Tasting Fear was that is was the same story told three times, only the names were changed. The women all had the same personality, just interchange a different focus on art. One was a poet, one a sculptor and the other a musician. The men were all grunting, cave dwellers with super-sized penises, that once they found out their woman was in danger wanted to control every aspect of their lives in order to protect them. It really was the same story told over and over again.
Because these stories were short, no real character development was able to be done. The characters very quickly fell in love and it seemed staged and unrealistic. This time McKenna's writing lacked emotion and failed to hook me. The story would have had much more appeal had it only been one couple as the focal point. Then that couple would have had the proper time to develop their relationship in a reasonable and believable time period. I am sorry to say that I can not recommend this book. Fans of Mckenna, I suggest reading an old favorite to pass the time until she publishes a full length novel.
Here is what others had to say:
The Good, The Bad, The Unread
Book Binge
Romance Book Scene
Leontine's Book Realm
And if you are a glutton for punishment, this book can be purchased in print or kindle format at Amazon
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5 comments:
LOL, it's not a harsh review, Jill :)
But I get what you're saying though. Perhaps it would have worked better if not all three novellas were in one book. Ah well, we'll never know now ^_^;
I don't read Ms McKenna, and if I ever start on her, I'll be avoiding this one :)
I am so disappointed by all the reviews I'm reading on this one. I'm such a McKenna crack ho, but I just can't see any of her stuff working in novella format. She did that other one that didn't do a whole lot for me either. (I've blacked the name of it out of my brain forever!)
I liked it better than you did! But I agree with your criticisms too. I found the first story the most frustrating. That's the one (for my money) that would have been the best as a full length novel. There were holes in it that needed to be filled in with more story. I do enjoy Ms. McKenna's books but this wasn't my favourite of hers. Still, I would have given it a C/C- myself.
Hi Jill,
It's so good to see you up and around blogoverse again :D I could only nod my head in reading your review as I practically feel the same about the three novella's, same format each time, just about same characters and the plot...how it was solved in like 1-2 pages in the end. I'll stick to full-length novels in the future!
Nath - You don't think I was harsh? I just hate to give out bad ratings, but I have to be honest. Yep, do avoid this one :)
Lori - I know, I love McKenna too and I didn't want to believe the hype. I had to read the book for myself. Personally, if you want to read the book, I say read the second story and then stop. It was the best IMO and the other two are just a repeat.
Kaetrin - Sometimes I think was was even harder on this book because I know that McKenna can write a good story. This just wasn't it, though.
Leontine - Yes, I don't think I touched on that, but the suspense was wrapped up so quickly. Also, I am not a fan of reading about the psycho bad guy. I don't like getting in his head, hearing all his dirty, nasty thoughts. Yuck! That is just a pet peeve of mine and McKenna tends to do this with her creepy villians.
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