Customer Reviews

False Pretenses: A Novel (Secrets of Roux River Bayou)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The characters are fairly well developed, and except for two are believable. Kathy Herman has a terrific way of designing scenes where you can hear the dishes clinking, and smell the coffee and bacon or the gumbo and fresh bread. It brought back so many good memories for me. She draws a small town community is a loving way, and it is clear that somewhere along the way Herman has experienced small town. However...

The back cover promises a terrific read; and Herman has written and published numerous novels, so you'd think this would be a "wowser", and yet somehow this particular novel falls a little flat. Perhaps I was expecting too much, or perhaps because this Cajun-flavored storyline doesn't ring true. The problem is definitely the storyline; it doesn't flow well. Something happens--an event--then all the characters must talk about the event for a few pages and even a chapter or two, then another event, and the characters talk about it, and so on. It is studiously plodding, and in the end is completely unbelievable. Frankly, it reads more like a soap opera drama than a suspense or finely crafted mystery.

I grew up in Louisiana; and I spent decades living with, being friends with, conversing with Cajuns. There is no way a person who is born and raised in Texas can suddenly shed the Texas accent, Texas thought process, and Texas loyalty and suddenly change their name and become Cajun... a believable Cajun with a Cajun accent, and mentality. It would be like someone who grew up in Germany, speaking German trying to become a Southern Bell and speak Southern. Can't be done.

Right away I was completely lost. The author jumped from one couple to the next (and past events as well with some of the same characters that had a different name!), back and forth, and didn't explain much at all about them so I was so confused. It took me 1/4 of the way through the book to finally get a handle on what was going on. VERY poor writing, in my opinion. It was very floppy and not organized and so it was just so easy to get lost.

But after I figured everything out, it went along smoothly and it was enjoyable to read. I was very annoyed by the main character though, so I just couldn't get into the novel! I've read others by Ms. Herman that I loved, so I was totally surprised that this was such a dud for me.

The plot became interesting AND suspenseful (although not completely believable) as it went along, and turned out to be a good read nonetheless.

After a recent trip to Louisiana, I've been a bit obsessed with all things from that state. Therefore I was quite excited that this book was set there and included all sorts of culture from the area. I was quite geeked that I had actually visited one of the cities mentioned in the book as well. This is my first foray into Herman's books and I was looking forward to a good suspense read.

The story alternates between two women, Vanessa whose family has just inherited a plantation house and Zoe, who runs a Cajun restaurant with her husband. Both women have bright hopes for the future but things are soon thwarted as an unseen visitor keeps trespassing at the house and Zoe receives notes threatening to tell a secret about her past. Plus a lynching has also occurred stirring up tension and feelings of unease amid the otherwise quiet town. Throughout the book we see why it's a good idea to not go into a marriage lying to your spouse.

While the story for the most part was interesting, I felt that Zoe's secret was revealed far too soon and wasn't as big as I thought it would be. From the summary, it makes it sound like she had a huge secret but when it's finally revealed, my first thought was "oh is that all?" I also found the book a little too Christian-y for my tastes. While more power to them, the constant talk about verses and conversion was rather repetitive and coming on too strong at times. It seemed to overwhelm the suspense part of the story. There were also two minor pet peeves that bugged me a little. One was how Adele kept saying "hon" all the time. I realize that people from the south do this but it's just a term of endearment that annoys me. The other was how during a certain scene, people seemed to be very trusting immediately. I just felt that the situation was a potential dangerous one with unknown outcomes and the characters just gave in very quickly.

If you haven't read any of Herman's books before, I feel that this is a good introduction. The suspense is quite good and I didn't know what was going to happen. I really enjoyed the Louisiana setting and learning more about the culture. There were some bits I had problems with but most of those are due to my personal preference. I'm not sure if I want to return to this series but I do think I will check out other books by the author.

The story itself is quite good. There is plenty of suspense to keep the reader guessing and reading, but there is also much more going on that makes the story interesting. Kathy is a master at creating suspense and drama that made this book go by very quickly for me. She is very good at leaving readers wanting more.

The only downside I can think of is that sometimes the dialogue dragged a little. I didn't feel that this affected my overall enjoyment of the book as a whole. Overall, False Pretenses is a very good read. I do recommend this books and her other suspense books

This was a great read for me - I finished it in a day! This is my first time reading one of Kathy Herman's books, and I'm impressed. The suspense was gripping, the plot interesting and the characters well-developed. Zoe Broussard, the main character, is a very intricate character (they're always more interesting to read about) and I felt myself easily drawn into her story. Unlike a lot of Christian contemporary fiction, I can honestly say this story was far from sappy or unrealistic. Go for it!

Zoe is the owner of a restaurant in Louisiana, along with her husband Pierce who is the cook. It is a Cajun restaurant known for miles around for the great food they serve. Zoe and Pierce have been happily married for five years. Zoe feels more loved than she has in her entire life and loves everything about her life. The only thing that casts a dark shadow on her storybook romance is her hidden life before she met Pierce. She fears every day of her life that her secret will be exposed. When Zoe begins receiving threatening notes she believes she has lost everything she holds dear. Her first thoughts are to try and fix it, so she goes about doing so all on her own. This story lends itself to the power of forgiveness and trusting in the Lord.

This is the first book I have read by Kathy Herman and I absolutely loved it. She spun a wonderful tale of suspense and intrigue that drew me in and kept me thrilled all the way to the ending. I would definitely recommend any book by Kathy Herman, as this one has shown me the quality of her writing and I enjoyed reading it.

FALSE PRETENSE was a good read with some interesting twists, but not the page-turner I have come to expect from Kathy Herman.

Zoe Broussard is an eatery owner in the Cajun culture of Louisiana. Along with her husband, Pierce, she has created for herself a wonderful lifestyle, the only problem . . . it is just that, a world she has created. We soon find out that Zoe is not who she says she is, and her past is about to catch up with her.

FALSE PRETENSE is the first book in the Secrets of Roux River Bayou Series, FALSE PRETENSE combines new characters, and old characters from The Sophie Trace Trilogy. I didn't know that going into it, but soon put two and two together regarding the characters of Vanessa and Ethan Langley.

I enjoyed FALSE PRETENSE, but somehow did not feel the fluidity or the absolutely can't put it down mentality I usually associate with a Kathy Herman book. Like other readers, I found the Cajun dialect to be a bit intrusive. I know realism is essential, but I found myself not bothering to flip back and forth to the glossary because I didn't want to take the time and it took away from the flow of the story. I enjoyed some of the unique characters, and some of the incredible plot twists, but I was easily distracted when the pace slowed and some of the dialogue dragged. I did appreciate the book enough that I will buy the sequel. One- because I know Kathy Herman can deliver amazing stories, two-because I can't wait to see how the Bed and Breakfast the Langley's are working on turns out.

The characters in this book are engaging and far from perfect. Zoe (AKA Shelby) has gotten herself and the people closest to her into a tight spot. Rather than being honest about her abusive past, she tells one lie after another. The problem with lying is that it becomes difficult to remember who you told what. Zoe also makes some very bad decisions that put her husband and friends in mortal danger. I have very mixed feelings about the Zoe character. On the one hand, I definitely understand what it's like to feel ashamed and to hide, but on the other hand, I find it difficult to understand why she chose to handle the situation the way she did. It seems like she was selling her husband and the townspeople short. Zoe had basically rejected herself, and assumed other people would also reject her if they knew the truth. Ultimately, this is a book about Grace, both given and received.

Then there is Ethan and Vanessa Langely, close friends of Zoe and her husband Pierce. They have an adorable four year old son who provides some much needed innocence and comic relief to the story. The Langleys are willing to risk their own lives to help Zoe and Pierce. They are there when Zoe and Pierce need them the most.

Then there are the other people in town. Each person has their own little quirk.

This book is definitely a page turner. I hated to put it. The story is full of suspense and keeps you guessing until the very end. In general, I found this book to be well written, with a great lesson, and a satisfying ending.

I do however, have one complaint about this book. I found the Cajun dialect somewhat distracting. Throughout the book, there were phrases or words that I didn't know or understand. So I had to keep flipping to the glossary in the book. A little bit of dialect or local "flavor" can be interesting, but in my opinion, there was a bit too much in this novel. I also feel that the story did tend to lag at times. Not enough to make me want to quit reading, but I did find my mind wandering a few times and wishing the story would move along a little more quickly and smoothly. That said, I think I will definitely read other works by this author. I am definitely interesting in finding out what happens next to these characters.

I have this bad habit. Fellow book lovers, you'll probably relate to this. I love to buy books, to collect books, but often times I buy them faster than I can read them. I'm sure I'm not alone in this, but I do miss out on a lot of good books because of this. I have a few of Kathy Herman's books on my shelf that are yet unread, but I was really looking forward to finally reading her newest book, False Pretenses.

I liked this book a lot. I don't know what I was expecting exactly, but I liked the cozy, small-town feeling Kathy created while at the same time, there is tension, suspense and secrets. I know from reading her posts on Facebook and such that she did a lot of research for this book, especially for the location. She must have done a very thorough job because the details and mood she creates brought me and will bring other readers to this charming Louisiana town. Everything from the people and the Cajun accents to the food served in Zoe's cafe, it all comes to life in this book.

The story itself is quite good as well. There is plenty of suspense to keep the reader guessing and reading, but there is also much more going on that makes the story interesting. Kathy is a master at creating suspense and drama that made this book go by very quickly for me. All those hours of watching 24 have paid off! She is very good at leaving readers wanting more.

The only downside I can think of is that sometimes the dialogue dragged a little. There were just a few times I found my mind wander a little, but I didn't feel that this affected my overall enjoyment of the book as a whole. Overall, False Pretenses is a very good read, a must for suspense fans.

I was in heaven when I got the notice this book was in the line up for reviews. It had everything that makes this mid-west gal squeal: Cajuns, suspense, Cajuns, food, Cajuns, a bit of Southern history, Cajuns, more suspense, oh and did I forget to mention Cajuns! <};^) All right I'm a nut, but seriously it's a great book!

Zoe Broussard isn't who she says she is. And if her Cajun husband finds out, her marriage won't be the only thing she loses. As threatening letters begin to stack up, Zoe starts piling on the lies to cover the lies. But it all backfires on her. Now Zoe, her husband, and their friends are on the run. Can she stop running from God and her past long enough to see what's been there all along?

Kathy spins a wonderful web to keep you turning the page to find out what happens next. Filled with the sights and sounds and most of all the Taste of the Cajun culture, this book will take you into the heart of Cajun country. You'll be introduced to a great cast of characters and reintroduced to some previous characters. Not a book to miss in this new series by Kathy Herman.