2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Oh, the Pain..., January 10, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Easy Loving (Her Protector, Book 8) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #467) (Mass Market Paperback)
Sheryl Lynn's latest book, "Easy Loving," contains some crisp, taut storytelling and a relentless pace that keeps you turning the pages. I really wanted to like it, but no matter how much I admired the craftsmanship, it really just left me with a sour taste in my mouth. Private eye E.Z. Martel has just been hired to prove that a suave real estate agent killed his wife. But then he learns something startling--the agent has already moved on and is now engaged to Catherine St. Clair, E.Z.'s high school sweetheart. He's determined to save her from making a big mistake, except that Catherine is just as determined not to listen to him, since she harbors a secret of her own...
One of the main problems is that I couldn't decide how I felt about Catherine. One minute, I'm sympathizing with this woman who was an ugly duckling in high school, who was rejected by her parents, yet who became a successful illustrator of children's books. The next, I'm thinking what an idiot she is. Early on, she switches sides constantly, believing everything E.Z. tells her, then everything her fiance says, then back again. As much I felt everything she had gone through, I thought she was just too stupid for words at times.
The secret of her and E.Z.'s past is handled rather cavalierly, and by the time she figures out that E.Z.'s right (there's never any doubt who the bad guy is here), the book is only half done. The last half basically amounts to the villain doing one bad thing after another to our protagonists--though it was well-written, it got to the point where it was just as painful to read about it as it must have been for them to experience it. Now, it's a given that these kinds of books will have a happy ending, but in this case, I didn't feel the ending was enough to alleviate all the pain that came before it. If anyone has read this book, ask yourself if you actually thought justice was served, considering the way Catherine's life was thoroughly decimated. By the time I turned the last page, I wasn't left basking in the triumph of love. I was just really depressed. The only thing I got from this book was an appreciation for Amazon.com, since there is sure no way I ever could have gone into a bookstore and bought a book with a title like "Easy Loving."
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An emotional reunion story with a nice layer of danger, August 23, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Easy Loving (Her Protector, Book 8) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #467) (Mass Market Paperback)
Sheryl Lynn is one of my favorite Intrigue writers--she never neglects the emotional angle of the romance, and there is no one who writes better heroes. Easy Martel has to be one of her best heroes ever. Wry, sexy, but ultimately always a good guy.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing, August 18, 2010
This review is from: Easy Loving (Her Protector, Book 8) (Harlequin Intrigue Series #467) (Mass Market Paperback)
Easy Martel is a private investigator in Colorado who's been making his living proving that people are cheating. Something his sister Trish finds incredibly sleazy. So when Trish's friend, John, tells her that he believes his sister was murdered by her husband for insurance money, they seek to enlist Easy's assistance. The catch is that the man they fear murdered John's sister (Jeffrey is his name), has already moved on to another woman. Chances look good that Jeffrey is going to marry and murder this woman as well. Another catch is that this new woman is Easy's high school sweetheart and first love, Catherine!
The plot gets thicker when Easy confronts Catherine with this news and discovers that she had had a baby and put it up for adoption. Easy's baby. Seeing each other again brings up all the old emotions for both of them. In fact, Catherine hasn't allowed herself to love anyone since they broke up all those years ago. "Easy Loving" is a good story that will keep you turning the pages until the end. Easy is the perfect tough guy exterior/softy inside character. All in all, this Harlequin Intrigue novel is a nice way to spend an afternoon.
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