Customer Reviews

Demon Rumm

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This book is about a famous heart-throb (Rylan) who moves in with a woman (Kirsten) who wrote the screenplay for his latest movie. The movie is about her late husband's life and death. Rylan moves in to learn more about him and in the meantime, he falls in love with Kirsten.

The problem is, the story and the characters lack depth. The reader never gets to understand why these two people liked each other. They never even got to know each other. Every chapter is the same scenario; Kirsten avoiding Rylan and Rylan rethinking his every move like a 16 year old boy in heat.

I am no longer going to blindly purchase a book because Sandra Brown's name is on the cover.

Unlike most other people that reviewed this book, I could hardly put it down. I was surprised, actually, when I came to review it how little everyone liked it. I thought it was a downright sexy romance novel and I loved both of the characters. Rylan North is the most coveted actor in Hollywood and he's supposed to be arrogant and sure of himself. Kirsten Rumm is a widow with some issues and he's the perfect antidote for her. What I really liked about this book was his genuine kindness toward her, even when she was constantly pushing him away. I loved the dialogue and the storyline. I loved the whole book from start to finish.

This was one of Sandra Brown's earlier books before she made it big and it was reprinted in hardcover. Rylan North is the famous actor chosen to act the part in Kirsten Dumm biographical portrait of her husband. When he asked to come and stay with her so he can channel her husband she is against it, and so begins this tug and war between the starcrossed lovers. She eventually allows him to stay with her. He then starts to fall for her but he is not sure if her feelings for him is real or if she is channeling her husband's love on him. Interesting read, I have read better titles by the author, but I enjoyed this because I always like seeing the hero fighting for the woman. Unlike my fellow reviewers I did not buy it i borrowed it from the local library and even if I did buy it I think it would be worth the cash.

Demon Rumm was a stunt pilot that perished in the air. His late wife Kirsten has written a book on his life, and is not happy when Hollywood wants to turn it into their next blockbuster. After negotiations are complete, she is resigned to having the lead actor underfoot for a time. Ryland North is the actor chosen to play Demon, and he feels that to get in character, he must live and breathe his life.

I liked the story, but didn't feel the emotion or chemistry between Ryland and Kirsten. It felt forced.

Having just read the highly informative "Why We Read What We Read" by Lisa Adams and John Heath where I learned that 20% of all romance novels are read by men, I have been cautiously dipping my literary toe into a wide range of what the genre has to offer.

"Demon Rumm" by Sandra Brown is what she herself would describe as a "traditional" romance. Ms Brown in recent years has moved away from the formulaic writing she displays in this book into what she calls her more "mainstream novels".

But what is this book like?

I have been listening to the unabridged CD version and the best way to describe it is "Audio Playgirl". All the men are handsome. All the women are slender. All the loving is steamy. There is lots and lots of kissing with lots and lots of tongues being involved and there is absolutely NO SWEARING. Most of the "encounters" are graphically described in loving "above the waist" detail, but the actual dirty deed is glossed over in usually a very perfunctory way with both protagonists having their best ever experience in the bed department that did not involve buying a new mattress.

The two main characters misunderstand each other throughout the whole book before they realize they can't live without each other because "we just damn well fit so well together".

Cue Marriage Bells.

The End.

I guess the hardcover format led me to expect more than this early Sandra Brown reprint could deliver. I became impatient with the smouldering looks, hints at secrets and other lures to spice up the romance potential. This is a pretty ordinary formula romance.

I found the "bad boy" actor incredibly pushy and to me that just wasn't sexy. Maybe worth a nostolgia reading for Sandra Brown's diehard fans who will overlook its shallowness.

Sandra Brown's "Demon Rumm" is a tedious romance with basically unlikable characters. It centers on Ryland North, a famous top Hollywood movie actor researching a movie on stunt pilot Demon Rumm. North moves into the Rumm beach house with Rumm's widow Kirsten. From the very first glance, North desires Kirsten. Kirsten has some strange baggage that isn't revealed until the last few pages. As the male romantic hero, North is obnoxious. He parades around nude soon after arriving at the Rumm residence. Brown has about 12 different places in the 214-page tale where the size of North's private part and what direction it points is detailed. It wasn't interesting when Brown first brings it up & becomes tediously less interesting as the novel progresses. For some unknown reason, Kirsten who asks North to leave her house is unable to get him to do so. Then also inexplicably, she appears to have feelings for North. None of this is reasonably communicated to the reader. Brown's failure to understand the male psyche is further revealed when because of an impotence problem, Rumm decides to solve the problem by crashing his plane. Of course, the reader is led to believe that death is easier than seeing a doctor. The tale goes beyond improbable to downright tacky. This book is a must to avoid. Taxi!

OK is about all I can say. Yes, this is an early Brown but not even up to the standard she set early on. I was bored thoughout most of the book and put-off by how Rylan kept advancing into personal space even when asked specifically not to.

I am glad that I have this to add to my Sandra Brown hardback collection but unless you are a collector...wait for the paperback.

I ordered this book not realising it was nearly 20years old. Misleading to state it's publishing date as 2005. It's a re issue and I only read it hoping it would improve along the way. Which it didn't. Save your money and time. Give this one a miss!!!

A reprint of Sandra Brown's Loveswept romance, Demom Rumm is sheer escapism with an almost implausible romance forming between hot-shot actor Rylan North and Kristen Rumm the wife of the deceased aeronautical daredevil Demon Rumm. Yet Ms. Brown manages to acquit herself with crackling sexual tension between Rylan and Kristen. Rylan is the alpha-male bad boy actor who stays with widow Kristen Rumm to mold his screen role as her husband. He ends up falling for her while learning her struggles as Demon's wife. The deft dialogue and pacing helps to bolster the formulaic premise and as usual, Brown's acumen in seizing the emotions of romance readers renders this a serviceable read.