Customer Reviews

The Golden Valkyrie (Loveswept #31)

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

 

 

"The Golden Valkyrie" is a reissue of a book first published in 1984 and, for this reader at least, it showed its age. I've read several books by Iris Johansen over the years and so picked up this book expecting a similar sort of tale. I was surprised to find myself reading what seemed like a rather average Mills & Boon story. It even had a Foreign Prince and a Sheik, all the classic tropes from 80s romances. There were many aspects of the plot that were completely unrealistic and simplistic and the central romance seemed very unlikely to me.

There were some good points to this book. Johansen wrote the hero, Prince Rubinoff, in such a way that despite being a womanising rake I found myself quite liking him. His relationship with his cousin Alex was well written. Unfortunately the heroine, Honey Winston, was a bit too fluffy for me, and seemed a remarkably hopeless Private Investigator at the beginning of the story. When discovered hiding in a food-serving trolley (I kid you not), she immediately tells the person whose apartment she was about to burgle the name of her client - absolutely hopeless! Her naivete was meant to be endearing but to this reader it was just a bit stupid.

This is a much shorter book than the others I have read by Johansen, with a large font and wide line spacing it's just under 300 pages. It's OK for an airport or beach read but it's clear to this reader that Johansen honed her writing skills a great deal after writing this book.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

I hope this was an old, recycled book because the author is usually a better writer than this. Honey is a tough, frail, stupid, smart, savvy, and naive heroine in bewildering succession depending on what Ms Johansen needed to further her trite and implausible plot. Gave it 2 stars because the hero at least had a bit of depth and appeal and I actually finished the book before tossing it in the recycle bin.

Ok the basic story plot is our heroine (Honey) is a PI hired by Prince Rubinoff's former mistress to get some letters back from him. Honey gets caught and the story goes downhill from there.

Honey is an awful PI and the prince is just plain awful. Honey had less depth than the prince - almost all we know about her is that she is a 24 year old virgin who was raised in an orphanage and was a cop for a few years but is still a ridiculously bad PI. We get a bit more about the prince, but neither character was well fleshed out. He was a bit overbearing for me and she was a ninny.

The story had a lot of potential, but just didn't do it for me. I rather suspect it is because it was originally published in the 80s and very much has that feel. My suggestion is to skip this one or check it out from the library.

TYPICALLY I can't wait to read a Johansen novel, I think I may have read 90 % of what she has written, but---
I grew up in the 40-50's, dime store magazines such as 'modern romance' and 'true love' were available- this would have fit right it any of those less than stellar magazines. I doubt that Ms Iris actually wrote this novel- she may have her name on the title, but I truly have my doubts... Save your time, effort, and money unless you are a beginner reader, and have a low level of expectation.

I made my teenagers watch an old (and not one of his best) Elvis movie where they doubled over with laughter at how hokey and campy they thought it was. I started reading this book knowing from the reviews that it was on the same line as that Elvis movie, but even then I wasn't prepared. I don't think I've ever read a more poorly written story plot with such unbelievable characters, but like the movie, it was so hokey that it left me shaking my head with a slight smile. Here's some of my favorite lines from the book: "(He said,) 'You're so soft and round and cushiony.' Her chuckle was a trifle breathless. 'You make me sound like Grandma's feather bed.'" --Now that's sexy...

I'm a HUGE fan of Iris Johansen's - her contemporary work as well as her older books such as Midnight Warrior and Lion's Bride but this was terrible. An avid reader, I very rarely do not finish a book, however I had to put this book down after only a few chapters. I realize Iris Johansen was trying to write a light-hearted romance but it was too hokey and painful to finish. I recommend not wasting your money on this one and buying one of her newer books.

This is a reprint of a very old story. It is also one of a series.
You should really try to read them all - as they compliment each other. Characters are revisited and it really is fun. I cannot remember all the other titles but I am sure there are other readers of this series who could.

I was glad when I rechecked the original print date and saw that this was a reprint. The story line wasn't bad, but overall the story itself was quite lame.

This audio book is excellent, it keeps you intrested, you just don't want it to end.

Feisty and beautiful private detective Honey Winston had been duped by a client into invading Prince Rubinoff's hotel suite by concealing herself in a too-small room service cart. When cigar smoke flushed her from her hiding place, Honey rose to face the mocking prince the gossip columns called "Lusty Lance".
But the man she came to know as she looked behind the glittering facade was an artist filled with longing, a man whose need was expressed in exquisite paintings the world would never see. Honey gently taught him to trust her and tried to share the dream he saw. Would the gift of her love allow Lance to escape his gilded prison for the haven of her heart?