Heart of Thunder [Hardcover]

Johanna Lindsey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1983

1983

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Avon Books; Book Club (BCE/BOMC) edition (1983)
• ASIN: B000P1FJZU
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,789,579 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

johanna Lindsey is one of the most popular authors of romantic fiction, with more than sixty million copies of her novels sold. World renowned for her novels of "first-rate romance" (New York Daily News), Lindsey is the author of forty-three previous bestselling novels, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. Lindsey lives in Maine with her family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly Enjoyable, July 3, 2004

By 

Dakota "daxydakota" (Southern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heart of Thunder (Mass Market Paperback)

I thoroughly enjoyed "Heart of Thunder" and was all set to write a glowing review when I noticed a reader mentioned the plot of "Heart" mirrored that of Lindsey's first novel, "Captive Bride." All right, I thought: I'll bite. So I spent a torturous week reading "Captive" just so I can now say "Heart of Thunder" is 1) nothing like it and 2) far, far superior in every way possible.

The plot of "Heart": To force an American rancher off his ancestral land, Mexican hottie and bandito Hank Chavez orders the kidnapping of the rancher's daughter, not knowing that the daughter is the same girl who jilted him.

The plot of "Captive": Jilted desert Chieftain Philip tricks comely Christina into coming to Egypt so he can kidnap and steal her away to his desert camp, where he can make her his love slave.

Okay, the common denominators are "jilted" and "kidnap." But that's about all these books have in common. "Heart" is passionate, with spirited, likable characters who show gumption and can barely keep their hands off one another. "Captive" is an exercise in patience, so wooden that it's difficult to feel anything for the characters - even when they are hurt.

In typical Lindsey fashion, both books have key elements: good guy gets hurt, bad guy comes after girl, baby is involved. Most of her novels follow this pattern (like "Brave the Wild Wind," "When Love Awaits," "Warrior's Woman," etc.). So those don't count as similarities, in my opinion. But, in "Heart," these elements are exciting and keep you turning the pages. In "Captive," you wail, "Will this EVER end??"

All in all, "Heart of Thunder" is a sexy, steamy story with lots of appeal. Be warned: it is a sequel. Be further warned: its prequel "Glorious Angel" is pretty blah, but I won't go into it here (read more about me to see my review on "Glorious"). I would never put "Heart" in the same category as something as pedestrian as "Captive," and heartily recommend it as an extremely enjoyable read.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Lindsey Novel, October 10, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Heart of Thunder (Mass Market Paperback)

When she is good, she is very, very good. And, this one is very, very good. Hated to finish this book as it was so engrossing and had me emotionally invovled. This is the sequel to Glorious Angel, which introduced Hank Chavez, the hero, as a roguish outlaw. His appearance in that book, though fairly minor, was so strongly drawn, he almost stole the storyline. Apparently Johanna Lindsey's mother thought the same thing, since in the dedication to this novel, JL thanks her mother for "falling in love" with Hank Chavez in the previous novel. She wasn't the only one to do so! This is a superb love story between two very strongwilled people. Sometimes JL makes such relationships too strong and too stubborn--almost always they require a year of living apart once married to realize they cannot live without each other-- a theme she develops over and over in many of her books. In this book she has again created some minor characters that would lend themselves to books of their own, Lorenzo, Hank's faithful outlaw/rancher friend and Sheldon, Samantha's brother. The latter closely resembles the Malory caracter of Warren. This book ranks in my top 5 favorites of JL and is worth re-reading many times.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sequel to Glorious Angel, November 18, 2000

By 

J. Austin "jodylync" (Dublin, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Heart of Thunder (Mass Market Paperback)

Samantha Kingsley is in love with her best friend's brother Adrien and travels with them on her way home from school in the East to Mexico. Along the way, their stagecoach picks up a handsome stranger. Hank Chevez is a reformed bandit trying to regain his childhood home. After losing his horse, he hitches a ride on a stagecoach and meets Samantha. Samantha sees the attractive stranger as an opportunity to make Adrien jealous, but her plan backfires. Hank appears to be falling for her. After learning the truth, he becomes sullen and hateful. Samantha responds in kind and they part ways. When she arrives home, she discovers that a violent Mexican bandit is trying to run her father off. Then she is kidnapped and discovers Hank is somehow involved and her hatred for him grows. Can their hate ever turn to love?

This story is one of my least favorite by Lindsey. Samantha is spoiled, willful, and vengeful. Hank is no prince, but could probably have done better. There is so much hate between these two characters that it is impossible to imagine them in love. If you are a die hard Lindsey fan, you should add it to your collection, but you will probably not wish to read it again.