Heartless

I must as usual, begin my review of Diana Palmer's latest body of work with a "sigh".

To any one who purchased this book and expected to get a new and exciting book...well shame on you. For those of us who purchased this book despite the fact that we already knew the begining, middle and end of the story...well shame on us.
We knew the heroine would be a pale blond, shrinking violet with some sort of handicap ( be it physical or mental)...and we got it.
We knew that the hero would be a dark, brooding, rich, class A jerk...with a yen for younger women ...and we got it.
We knew that thered be missunderstandings, snotty girl friends, and characters who are somehow all related to spanish royality....
and you know what...ladies...we got it.
Diana Palmer delivers as always. And yet the majority of us readers are still miffed.
We should know better by now.
If nothing else at least the story is a little more fleshed out. Although I must say the book was about 50 pages too long for me. But it wasnt as trite and rediculous as the last few books ( please see my review for winter roses and heartbreaker..or anyone elses review for that matter)
After I put the book down, I was frustrated and had a literary break down. WHY WHY, I SCREAMED to the heavens
WHY in jesus's, buhdah, and krishna's name cant this woman come up with a new story line!!!!!
WHY must the heroine always be a simpering ball of lilly liveredness ( except when she single handledly rescues her husband from a dictator... but SHE cant stand up to a waif like model?)
ISNT this the 4th story MS PALMER'S told where the heroine has hooked up with her own stepbrother?
WHY cant the female lead be pretty? (and not just have a pretty mouth and a nice figure with small breasts SEE LAST 8 BOOKS) or is it just the adversary that gets the honor of being beautiful....but then shes usually a mean spirited "man-eater" as ms palmer would phrase it. Is beauty always synonomous with nastyness?
WHEN IS HARLEY FOWELER finally going to get a life, and stop popping up as every book's every man? This poor character has been through more changes then RUPAUL.
DOES she really think we dont see another book comming, but with the dictator in this book being the lead. Didnt she do the same in ONCE IN PARIS AND LORD OF THE DESERT? where the lead character falls in love with the pale blond woman hes confined with and then meets another woman who looks just like her? Do we not see this happening again with this book?
AND LASTLY....WHY DO I KEEP BUYING IT? I keep hoping, upon hope that she will use her powers of romantic writing and create a new story, with new characters, and new hijinks...but she ...just...wont. Why....because MS PALMER AKA SUSAN KYLE ET AL knows that people like me...and those of you who purchased this book despite its preordained plot and characters will continue to buy it.
If thats not heartless....what is?

The more a man loves you, the angrier he will get with you.

The way to win a fight is to sidestep any question asked and then make your own accusation. Accusations are especially effective if they revolve around the other person wanting someone else, them using you for money, or lying about their past.

A man really wants you if he can't touch you without completely losing control.

It's just "immaturity" to hurt lots of people you care about when you're angry.

Have a PI investigate your loved one's secret past if they don't tell you everything. You have the right to know.

Horniness will almost instantaneously overcome years of abuse and negative sexual programming.

Great sex naturally equals having kids. Great sex also makes any amount of verbal abuse immediately forgivable.

Raising concerns about someone else's actions will "damage" your relationship with them.

Men can "let" women do things like keep their job and drive a car.

Apologizing makes everything better even if you continue to do mean things you have to apologize for.

Words speak louder than actions.

First, I want to say that I bought this book because I was bored and wanted an old-fashioned romance novel to curl up with. I was looking for an author I hadn't read before and I have to say that I doubt I'll ever read another of Diana Palmer's books again.

The description of this product on this site laid it out pretty honestly and it kind of put a grin on my face: "Palmer, a romance veteran, knows how to concoct a savory chicken-fried love plot, but sometimes the gravy's laid on a little too thick." Never were there words truer spoken.

The 'love' scenes were a little ridiculous, truthfully. I actually had to stop reading it for a little while because I was a bit put off with it. Example (p 253)..."feel me exploding inside of you!"

Just...no. I'm all for the romance stories out there--I harbor a secret love for them, in fact. But this was laid on a little too thick for me.

And when I re-read the book, I realized how big of a jerk Jason is and that Gracie really is a doormat. It's kind of sad, really. He hired a private investigator to dig up the truth about her past because she was holding things back from him on top of essentially calling her incompetent and she just forgives him? I felt like banging my head against the wall.

This book was thoroughly disappointing. I wish Amazon would allow half-point reviews because I didn't feel that it necessarily deserved only one star, but then again, it really doesn't deserve two, either.

Unless I am desperate, I highly doubt that I will ever purchase another Diana Palmer book again. One bad apple spoils the bushel...

I thought the story was lame. All the issues and problems were perfectly resolved. Even when Gracie was kidnapped. the kidnapper turned out to be so kind and her escape was so perfect. It just didn't keep you guessing, it was so pathetic it's hard not t guess what was going to happend. The sex scenes were very explicit, I've read very nice romance books and the goods ones never really got into that much detail. Overall I would not recommend it.

I love Diana Palmer, I always look foward to her books. I espically love her cowboy books, but over the years her writing has changed. I was a little hesitant to buy this book, but I broke down and got it. It's better than her recent stories. I thought the characters were great, and not over-bearing. I gave the book a three, because I could have gone without the whole FBI/drug-lord/covert operations storyline. A lot of her books are like that; once and a while it's ok, but after a while it gets a little old. Like I said I love her cowboy books, and her Jacobsville, TX books. I just wish we can get one that doesn't have the mercenary feel to it.

It was a good book, much better than the last years hard cover release. I love the whole Jacobsville setting, it makes me dream of small town Texas. DP is a great author.

Boy howdy. There is fiction, then there’s DP’s world.

I honestly don’t know what to say.

SPOILERS below...

The hero who is so hung up on his stepsister that after one kiss gone wrong goes out and gets engaged to an OTT evil OW model with bad decorating skills, but enough evil OW talent to scare off the heroine and ALL the family retainers.

Hero impotent with evil OW and just blames it on work related stress.

The heroine who struggles with …everything.

The kidnapping, guitar playing, singing potential OM General of unnamed country that wants to Kiss her and love her and squeeze her and hug him and call her George..

And I’m barely halfway through the book!

Had to read in 1 day and was impressed with the story. It is a page turner and had waited for weeks for this book. Can hardly wait for any and all new books from Miss Palmer.