Customer Reviews

Heart of Thunder

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

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Despite what the other reviews say, this book is quite good. I first read about Hanks character in Glorious Angel and always wanted to know more about his story. I liked the character of Samantha because she made mistakes! Also loved the setting!

There was nothing memorable about this book. Hank was OK, Samantha was Ok, the plot was OK, but it was not a true JL romance.

I bought this book years ago and read it and was underwhelmed. I picked it back up to reread it as I forgot most of the plot line and now I'm right back to what I remember feeling so long ago...these characters don't belong together! My main problem with Samantha, our heroine, is that she hates Hank all throughout the novel, except in the beginning where she is attracted but not in love. Then once Hank kidnaps her and rapes her repeatedly she somehow falls in love. Even the sex scenes don't really show emotion, they just show Samantha giving in to her needs and then clawing or biting him and drawing blood. What would have helped the story was to have more internal struggles for Samantha where we see her feelings for Hank, or stronger inklings that maybe she really does love him. But no. Even after the "passion" when Hank takes her, she still refuses him every time and it turns into this book about him having his way with her while she is unwilling. I don't mind that plot line so much when you can tell that the heroine really does want the guy but I never got that feeling from Samantha. What's more is that when Hank forces her to marry him somewhere deep down the author should have mentioned that Samantha was somewhat happy or....something! But no, Samantha hated the fact that she was married to him, hated the thought of a baby with him, and tried to leave any chance she got. The turning point I kept waiting for never came. She hated him up until the end when she is seeing him nearly beat to death. The love between them seems a little unbelievable and forced.

Hank isn't my type of hero, but that's just my opinion. Yes, Samantha is really attractive and strong-willed but it ends there. What really draws him to her? Not his brain, not his heart, but some other member entirely, and that doesn't build the foundation for a relationship, least of all love. I find it hard to believe that people loved this book. After reading Johanna Lindsey's other novels this really falls short. In fact, I much preferred the prequel: Glorious Angel to this because at least I felt like the characters belonged together!

Bottom line, if you're looking for a page turner, keep looking. If you're looking to complete your JL book list, then go ahead and read. It's not unpleasant, I just happen to hate when I feel that I could have come up with better plots or dialogue than the author. But I did finish it, and it's certainly not the worst book. It's just average.

This is the very first book that I have read from Johanna Lindsey and let me say that I am very happy that I started off with this book. I am already on her third book, and I still haven't read better than Heart Of Thunder. I also noticed that alot of JL's readers did not like the stubborness between Samantha and Hank. I think that their stubborness brought such an exciting challenge to the story. It's kind of boring when the charactors get along too well!

This book and Lindsey's "Captive Bride" are so similar in plot and characters that I felt I was reading the same book twice.

Samantha is stunningly beautiful and extraordinarily willful and controlling. She is mostly English, ends up in America, and seems to be flitting across the Wild West for no real good reason, in the company of two friends after spending a stint in an east coast ladies school. Enough to take in, yeah? Don't even try remembering the history of the hero, Hank Chavez, who is also English, American, Spanish, partly Indian and comes from Mexico. WHEW! Ok, that's not a complaint now...it's more or less funny out of its absurdity.

Hank is also an ex-thief-turned-good-guy who wants nothing more than to make it back to his ranch in Mexico. He crosses paths with Samantha and falls for her. Of course he does- she's absolutely stunning and he thinks this to himself a lot. He stares at her in a carriage and she stares back. He desires her and she desires him. Then later they connect over dinner one night when they discover they both have half a dozen types of blood in their ancestry as well as siblings in England. Eh, seems promising. Not bad for an intro.

That's the last you'll see them happy. This pair spend the next 250+ pages hating each other.

Also, I cringed through the awkwardness of Samantha being in love with her best friend's gay brother (Adrian) and the oddity of her best friend not being honest with her about Adrian's tastes. Adrian, also, is in love with the hero, Hank. I felt like JL was being tactless with the idea in the story. For example, there are numerous references to the gay friend throwing himself at men abruptly, like his sexual appetites are out-of-control because he's gay. The hero even has to "pull a gun" on him to thwart his advances, even though he seems like a sweet, quiet guy in every other aspect.

Oh back to the hating stuff. I get exhausted reading romances where there is no romance. These two can't stand each other- except when Hank is forcing himself on the heroine and then she responds like a cat in heat. I can't say which character was more hateful to the other! I couldn't forgive Hank for the many times he scorns and hurts his love, however, I almost couldn't blame him because Samantha is conniving, spoiled, manipulative, stubborn and selfish. I think this is one of those tales where they really deserved each other! If you're looking for a firey romance, this might be for you!

Two Thunderous Souls Melting into one Rapturous Boom.
JL always strikes a cord in us, with her stories of Passion, Hate,Love and Ultimately the Surrender Ones Will.

In Heart of Thunder you meet a strong-will gun slinging free spirited woman and a strong-will ex bandito man who's only desire is to buy back his family's land. Instantly the Heat spreads and the passion melts as the guns fire into a Love/Hate affair.