Bronze Mystique [Mass Market Paperback]

Barbara Delinsky (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1997

Writer Sasha Blake met him by accident--literally. She crashed her motorcycle into his sports car. But she must have hit her head harder than she thought, because he looked exactly like the hero from her latest novel. Handsome, kind and caring--Doug Donohue was just too good to be true. There had to be a catch. He wasn't a hero from one of her novels. How could he possibly live up to her expectations? Reissue.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

With over sixty-five novels to her credit, Barbara Delinsky is truly one of the shining stars of contemporary romance fiction. This New York Times bestselling author has over 28 million copies of her books in print worldwide.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Mira (November 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1551664232
• ISBN-13: 978-1551664231
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,784,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Barbara Delinsky, author of ESCAPE (2011), NOT MY DAUGHTER (2010), WHILE MY SISTER SLEEPS (2009), THE SECRET BETWEEN US (2008), and FAMILY TREE (2007), has written more than twenty bestselling novels with over thirty million copies in print. She has been published in twenty languages worldwide. Barbara's fiction centers upon everyday families facing not-so-everyday challenges. She is particularly drawn to exploring themes of motherhood, marriage, sibling rivalry, and friendship in her novels.

A lifelong New Englander, Barbara earned a B.A. in Psychology at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology at Boston College. As a breast cancer survivor who lost her mother to the disease when she was only eight, Barbara compiled the non-fiction book Uplift: Secrets From the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors, a handbook of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes. She donates her proceeds from the sale of this book to her charitable foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Barbara enjoys knitting, photography, and cats. She also loves to interact with her readers through her website at www.barbaradelinsky.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bdelinsky, and on Twitter as @BarbaraDelinsky.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bronze Mystique & Secrets in Silence, November 12, 2001

By 

Penny Griffin ([e-mail]) (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bronze Mystique / Secrets in Silence (Paperback)

Harlequin's latest 2-in-1 collection is a combination of a 1984 Harlequin Temptation, "Bronze Mystique," by Barbara Delinsky and a new Harlequin Intrigue by Gayle Wilson, "Secrets in Silence." I'm always skeptical of these collections. They usually exploit the better selling author, in this case Delinsky, by reprinting one of her older books that is dated and nothing like the books she's writing now, while drawing attention to the newer author who might not get it otherwise. Since the newer author's book is more contemporary and suited to today's readers, it comes off better than the reprint and makes the old favorite look weaker. That was the case in the last one of these 2-in-1 Intrigue collections, with Delinsky's "Threats and Promises" and the then-new "Her Secret Past" by Amanda Stevens. The difference is more noticeable here since "Bronze Mystique" was not even an Intrigue. Why not reprint an actual Intrigue in an Intrigue collection? Nora Roberts's "Night Moves" seems a perfect fit with this book. Anne Stuart's "Catspaw" fits even better, with her Wilson collaboration on a new "Catspaw" sequel coming out next month. Wilson's book is so good only something like those books would have been able to withstand direct comparison in a collection like this.

I found the book inexplicably chosen instead, Delinsky's "Bronze Mystique," to be a solid read. Anyone reading it in 1984 might like it even more. But the series romance novels of 1984 were very different than most of what we see today and I don't think it's fair to completely judge it in today's terms. Readers may want to keep in mind that the book is seventeen years old and does read like it. Those more familiar with Delinsky's current work and bestsellers will find something far different here. The romance is good, though the story is very slowly paced and the subplot takes a while to develop. Ironically, that would normally make it a perfect companion for a Wilson story.

Wilson's "Secrets in Silence," though, is nearly worth the price of the collection by itself. I've had a wide range of responses to this author's Intrigues over the years. One thing has remained the same for all of them: I've never understood why her books were Intrigues and not Intimate Moments. None of her Intrigues have been plot heavy or mystery oriented whodunits, the two elements that typically separate Intrigues from Intimate Moments. I've never been able to tell the difference between her brand of romantic suspense and the Intimate Moments version.

"Secrets in Silence" is a first. For me, it's the first Wilson contemporary that is unmistakably an Intrigue and doesn't feel like it could be an Intimate Moments. Most of her books to feature a whodunit ("Echoes in the Dark," the Home to Texas books, "Her Private Bodyguard," "Never Let Her Go," "Heart of the Night") failed as mysteries because there were too few suspects and so few developed secondary characters that it was too obvious who the villain had to be (like most Intimate Moments). "Secrets in Silence" is the first to feature a large cast of characters and a number of suspects to keep readers guessing to the end. It's the first Wilson Intrigue to feature a heavily plotted, intricate mystery that's as important as, if not more than, the romance. This has to be the best contemporary murder mystery Wilson has ever written. So of course, it's not being published as an Intrigue. What irony.

The story: Ten years after a little girl was murdered in a small Alabama town, Callie Evers has come to investigate. She found a connection that links this case to the murder of another little girl. No one seems willing to discuss the murder that tore the town apart, especially not former police chief Ben Stanton. Stanton was torn apart for bungling the case and failing to charge the killer. Now he may have a second chance. Callie has become a target of someone who doesn't like the questions she's asking. Can Stanton finally close the case that's haunted him all these years and save one more victim from a deadly killer?

If "Bronze Mystique" was dated in a bad way, "Secrets in Silence" reminds me of old Intrigues in a good way. It's a throwback to the kinds of books the line used to publish. Dark, atmospheric, full of small town secrets, it's the kind of story I've missed. Some category readers may want to be warned that this story contains some mainstream elements not everyone will be comfortable with. The murder of children is not an easy topic to read about, and I found some parts of the story unsettling (and rightfully so). This may not be a story for everyone. Those that do try it will likely find a wonderfully engrossing and suspenseful tale you won't want to read in the dark. It's one of the best Intrigues of the year.

Normally, I wouldn't recommend paying a higher price for a category-sized novel and a reprint. In this case, "Secrets in Silence" is worth the price all on its own. One of the very best by the author.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of Ms. Delinsky's best, September 30, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bronze Mystique (Mass Market Paperback)

I throughly enjoyed this story. An earlier Delinsky, and less complex than her bigger books perhaps, but one of her best romances.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Pure sugar fluff, couldn't wait to get to the end., August 6, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bronze Mystique (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first book of Barbara Delinsky's I've read that I didn't like. It was so predictable. I can't believe men really talk like that in real life. I couldn't wait to finish it.