Customer Reviews

A Great Catch

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

 

 

Two years ago, Tessa Jardine and Coast Guard officer Lucas Hall were lovers. However, during a rescue attempt that went bad, Tessa's brother and three other individuals died in the subsequent explosion. Though acquitted of any wrongful doing, Lucas lost Tessa who blamed him for her sibling's death due to what she believed was his mishandling of a hatch.

However, Tessa has no choice, but to work for Lucas, the new captain of a Port of Milwaukee based, century old, but renovated steamship. However, an unknown person has an agenda of their own with the owner, her shipping company, or perhaps the captain being the target of revenge. As they sail Lake Michigan, Tessa and Lucas struggle between their attraction and their demons, not yet aware that someone has deadly plans in store for the twosome.

A GREAT CATCH is a warm romantic suspense tale that provides readers with a strong story because of the baggage carried by the emotionally scarred lead characters. The story line is filled with action as Lucas plans to reel in his beloved who previously escaped him when fate interceded. This time he refuses to allow a tragedy to deter him from his greatest catch, Tessa. This novel works because the audience feels the pain suffered by Tessa and Lucas who still mourn what happened to her brother and their love. Michelle Jerott provides a fresh catch with this second chance at love novel.

Harriet Klausner

If you have read Michelle Jerott's previous two books you really don't need to read what I want to say about her newest offering. You already know that she writes romances with heroes and heroines who are just that bit different from the usual, stories full of warmth, touches of humor and hot, hot, hot and sexy! "A Great Catch" won't disappoint you. For those of you who have never read her books...well what a treat is in store for you! It's a rare and wonderful thing to discover an author who writes books like this and I envy you reading her for the first time. In Tessa and Lucas you will find two ex lovers reunited despite themselves. Tessa is fighting the sizzling attraction for all she is worth. After all he never explained his sudden termination of their romance 10 years earlier and his involvement in the death of her brother has made any reconciliation impossible. Or has it? Lucas is that most wonderful and rare romance hero: an alpha male with sensitivity. Suffering with his own demons since the accident that killed Tessa's brother, Lucas decides that since he can't resist the woman he'll break down her defences and win her back. The ensuing clashes and clinches will keep you entertained enough to read the book in one sitting - I know I did! And I'll bet you will all be out in the kitchen measuring the height of those counters too....you'll know what I mean when you read the book <g>!

A Great Catch by Michelle Jerott Review by Barb Deane, Barb's All Romance Book Store

Michelle Jerott's third book, her latest Avon contemporary, is entitled A Great Catch. What a perfect title for this book - be sure not to miss this one!

A Great Catch is set in and around Milwaukee, Wisconsin but most of the action takes place on the Taliesen, a grand old steamer that has been reconditioned and newly christened as a cruise ship travelling Lake Michigan between Milwaukee, Chicago, and various ports in Michigan. Something about drama on the high seas, even when the "sea" is one of our great lakes, takes the overall level of intensity up a notch from the very first pages of this book. And of course, throw in great characters as well and you have a riveting story.

Tessa Jardine has been hired on as the First Mate of the Taliesen, the kind of job she has been dreaming of since her early academy days and throughout her career in shipping. Being a woman, and a young woman at that, has never been easy in her male world, but Tessa has learned to deal with the snide remarks and sexist jokes. What she didn't expect to deal with, however, is the fact that Lucas Hall is the Taliesen's captain. Not only was Lucas her first lover before leaving her high and dry, more than ten years ago, he is also the man responsible for the death of Tessa's younger brother Matt in one of Lake Michigan's greatest shipping disasters.

Lucas Hall has had a hell of a life. His work in the Coast Guard was not only challenging but, at times, overwhelming. Being the closest thing to a cop on water, he dealt with all of mankind's evils and inhumanities while keeping the various shores of our country safe. While visiting the Coast Guard station while on vaction, Lucas ends up commanding the rescue attempt on the McKee, which exploded and sank, plunging five men to their deaths on the bottom of Lake Michigan. When given the chance, he becomes the captain of the Taliesen to face his fears and continuing nightmares in an attempt to redeem himself and lay old ghosts to rest. However, having Tessa as his first mate, and the close quarters that come with life on board, does nothing for his peace of mind.

Michelle has created very realistic, believable characters who are both drawn together and pulled apart by life and circumstance. Their struggle to find a way through the pain and past the protocol of shipboard romance is well crafted and, often, heart wrenching. Carefully drawn suspense elements add to the sexual tension and on-going conflicts to create a sizzling page-turner. Truly, this is a book you should not miss - positively A Great Catch.

AFTER her sophomore effort in ALL NIGHT LONG, Michelle Jerott steers new frontier with the romantic suspense A GREAT CATCH. Her maiden voyage in narrating a tale between Lucas Hall and Tessa Jardine is buoyant and gripping. Ms. Jerott gives readers a pleasant surprise as she launches into great details in navigation, ships and her description in Tailesen is simply vividly detailed. Tessa Jardine and Lucas Hall after a short affair reunites and chemistry flies like that of the past. However shadows obliterate their romance as Tessa comes to terms with the death of her brother Matt caused by the alledged Lucas in a submarine mishap, while Lucas battle with the demons of his guilt. His job as a erstwhile coastguard makes his life even more complexed as he faces the traumas of death in the past.

Ms. Jerott's writing is powerfully raw, engaging and majestic as the liner charting new frontiers. The romance is sensuous and heartbreaking, complimented by an aura of vulnerability in the two flawed characters. Meanwhile, the mystery and suspense falters in contrast to ALL NIGHT LONG, where the beguiling chase and threat notes starts only until half of the story is told. However, Ms. Jerott gives readers a blasting finale where Lucas must face his own battle by rescuing the beleagueredpassengers on Taliesen. It excites and pulsates.

A GREAT CATCH is indubitably catchy and a must-read for romance fanatics for the waves of emotions amid troubled waters and the irresistibly sexy heroes and heroines. This voyage anchors her firmly to the grounds and establish her as a fine writer.

ok, so i found this book disappointing. i found the writing style weak and some what lacking. the story didn't pull me in very much, and neither did the characters.

i found both lucas overbearing and annoying, and i think i would have been annoyed by him if i had to deal with him. he doesn't seem to give tessa much credit, and i just didn't get attached to him the way i like to. i couldn't have cared less what happened to him, and i didn't get the impression that he and tessa would last much past the end of the book.

to be honest, i just couldn't figure out what tessa and lucas had other than lust. and like i said earlier, nothing in the writing style makes up for the lack of characters. in addition, there weren't a lot of good secondary characters to help prop the story up. over all, i would skip this book. although i will point out that i am in the minority, i really would recommend skipping this book.

Tessa Jardine has a slight problem. She just got hired as a First Mate on the glamorous passenger ship, The Taliesen. After working very hard to prove herself in a male dominated shipping industry, she can't let anything go wrong. Things get a little complicated when the captain of the Taliesen turns out to be Lucas Hall- who's got two strikes against him. He is not only her ex lover who ran out on her 10 years ago (without a word) but also a man who's been involved in the death of her brother and 4 other men in an accidental ship explosion. Of course, this is just the beginning. Things start to sizzle when unfinished love business creep up between Tessa and her captain, Lucas. Tessa does her best trying to fight off their mutual attraction but circumstances beyond their control seem to get in between them- making their affair even more complicated. Don't worry, there is a happy ending! This is a romance novel, after all!

Of course, I would have a difficult time fighting off a sexy captain like Lucas, myself. Lucas Hall is definitely A GREAT CATCH! Wow... what a STEAMY book! I haven't read a good romance with a kick in a while and I'm glad for the refresher! This book is worth every 5 stars given by the reviewers.

09/28/00

I have wrote reviews about books being good and given them 5 stars, but boy I didn't know what a good book was until I read A Great Catch. This could have been just about a love story between two people with a past, but it was so much more than that. There were a dozen stories going on in this book that all tied together. The mystery was Excellent and helped define the characters. Instead of it being a simple mystery of trying to figure out 'who is behind the threatening notes' it became more about 'what the notes mean' and none of the mystery took away from the powerful and hot love story between Lucas and Tessa. If anything the mystery added to it. All of the characters in this book were well written, even the crew on the boat. This is one darn fine book that I will enjoy reading again and again.

Tessa Jardine thought her life was comfortable as first mate of the luxury ferry Taliesen. When former Coast Guard Captain Lucas Hall showed up, he threw things in a complete tizzy. Their romance had been ancient history until now. Lucas wants to make amends and regain Tessa's trust. Interesting people in interesting professions with real people and situations, make this emotional book a real winner. Michelle Jerott takes a unique turn to the reunited lovers story with a lot of class and sizzle, and it shows. Wonderful!

This was my first Michelle Jerott book. What a lusty book it was! It has been a number of months since I read A Great Catch and I still remember all the wonderful little details. Considering that I read usually a minimum of eight books a week, that is really saying something. Most romance novels seem to sink into nothingness as they tend to all be the same old storylines. Or, the author fails the fervor to write a great romance even utilizing some of those overused storylines. And then - thank goodness - sometimes we actually get a unique romance or such a spicy mix of hero and heroine that it stays in our memory when most are long forgotten. A Great Catch is outstanding on three of these points. The author is certainly fervent in her writing, the book has many unusual elements for romance writing, and the chemistry between the leads is absolutely irresistible and seductive.

Lucas Hall and Tessa Jardine had a tremendous love affair ten years earlier. Lucas had left Tessa without a word and she had never quite recovered from the emotional damage Lucas had inflicted on her. Now, ten years after he had left suddenly, he is back and very much a part of Tessa's life. He has spent years serving in the Coast Guard and has now taken a civilian position as captain of a luxury liner. Tessa has also spent years working on various ships (boats) within the shipping industry and now holds a coveted position in the marine world for a woman. She has been chosen as first mate for a luxury liner and, yes, Lucas is her captain. This is the setting for a heart wrenching, beautiful, and very sensual romance.

This is a very tender love story between two mature individuals. They both carry a lot of emotional baggage and share a tragedy of disastrous proportions that occurred two years earlier. This tragedy has affected each of them dramatically. Although this is not a dark book, it is certainly a serious tale. The author successfully integrates a lot of facts about the shipping industry throughout the story. I was not bored once as we learned about the ship this hero captains and the heroine who is its first mate. As Lucas and Tessa begin to work together, Tessa can hardly keep her hateful attitude towards the captain at bay even while on the job and in front of other officers of the ship. Lucas confronts Tessa about her unprofessional behavior and soon she begins to work out her anger. Then, we see a real relationship developing between the two despite Tessa's broken heart, the emotional baggage and their shared tragedy. It is certainly a moving story.

The story - although not deeply descriptive - was erotic in a very tasteful manner. I would rate the sensual scenes a solid 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). The leads' relationship is dripping with chemistry and their interaction is always remarkably interesting reading. This book does not have a single page that is dull. I can't remember when I have read a contemporary novel that had such a good combination of an interesting setting, suspenseful content, well-written mature leads, great sensual scenes, and such tenderness in the love affair. Lucas, as the hero, is absolutely wonderful and very deep for a male lead in a romance novel. Tessa is strong but not too strong. Luke insists that they confront their problems - past and future. As their relationship develops further, we savor page after page of interaction between them. As readers, we are allowed a significant amount of time to experience the growth of their relationship. This depth of their relationship is another strong reason for this book's high rating.

I did not want to finish this book! I wanted to continue to relish it. A Great Catch is so beautifully written and most moments between the leads are very poignant. If I could rate a book higher than 5 stars, this certainly would be one of the few. This book is definitely on my keeper shelf and is at the top of my list for another read in the future!

A friend turned me on to Michelle Jerott recently and boy, am I grateful! In the same contemporary romance vein as the author's also terrific All Night Long, A Great Catch is simply a great romance novel about the growing/changing relationship between two adults with history, and personal baggage to deal with. Quite simply, THIS is the kind of book that makes me read romance. These are the kinds of relationships I want to read about, the kinds of people I care about, and root for.

Luke and Tessa are terrific, well-developed imperfect characters - gasp, they're humans! I've seen some reviews comment negatively about Luke's persistence in pursuing Tessa and suggest that it smacks of sexual harassment since he is her boss. I would like to humbly suggest that those reviewers reread this book, because I think they missed the point. To me, these two characters were very clear about wanting each other, and about wanting to fight the attraction. When Tessa rejects Luke, it's not because she really doesn't want him. It's because she doesn't WANT to want him. There's a huge chasm in my mind between this type of tension-building relationship tango and sexual harassment.

Because of the "will they-won't they" dance going on, the sexual tension in this book is HOT. Actually, so is the sex once they get around to having it. The buildup of tension and earthy, honest quality of the exchanges reminded me of Susan Andersen, which I mean as a compliment.

I can't remember the last time I enjoyed reading a contemporary romance more than A Great Catch, unless it was when I read Ms. Jerott's All Night Long. I'm looking forward to catching up with Absolute Trouble.

I hope Ms. Jerott's publishing woes with Avon don't continue because she is an author to watch who deserves a devoted following, and a spot on keeper shelves everywhere. And Avon, PLEASE kill the horrible covers which have no resemblance to the actual characters! What are you thinking?!