Customer Reviews

Heartbreaker

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

HEARTBREAKER was one Linda Howard book I had not read yet and I have been anxiously awaiting its re-release. Although not a stellar written book, it was one that once I got into it, could not put down.

The storyline is this: Michelle Cabot has returned to her now deceased father's rundown ranch to try and salvage it. John Rafferty is her next door neighbor and her nemesis. Each think they know about the other and their opinions are not high of one another.
Michelle is trying to rebuild her life after a failed marriage to an abusive man. To help do this, she wants to make a success of the ranch. Enter John, who thinks she cannot. This is the basis for this book, and one that has been told many times by other authors, but one that Linda Howard can tell well.
Like many of her heroes, John is an alpha male extraordinaire and Michelle is the heroine who seems weak, but is really quite overpowering to the hero and it is fun watching him falling in love with her...hard.

I thought the story started out slow, but once I got into reading it, I could not put the book down! It has it all: love, romance, suspense, colorful characters and of course, steamy lovemaking scenes that typify Linda Howard. HEARTBREAKER is not her best work, but if you enjoy her writing as much as I do, not one to miss.

Note: this book goes along with Diamond Bay, Midnight Rainbow and White Lies. Although it is not necessary to have read the other books, the characters from Diamond Bay are mentioned.

Ms. Howard gives readers a hero to remember in John Rafferty. After ten years, John finally has Michelle where he wants her--in debt to him. However, when he offers her a simple "arrangement" she stubbornly digs in her heels, determined to hold on to her independence. Rafferty is the epitome of the romance hero--tough and tender, protective and sexy. John and Michelle fight their feelings only to lose their hearts in that once-in-a-lifetime love to melt readers hearts and bring tears to their eyes. Brava, Ms. Howard.

The heartbreaker of the title is a perfect Howard hero - John Rafferty, big, handsome, quite arrogant, and a "my way or the highway" kind of guy. The heroine, Michelle Cabot, is another typical Howard creation, a woman who's abilities are seriously misjudged by the hero, who looks at her with his hormones not his heart! These two make a splendid pair, and their romance kept me spellbound - even though I am not particularly fond of a plot which involves abuse and stalking themes. Linda Howard's dynamic writing style and wonderfully sensual love scenes dominate this tale of courage and discovery - I very much enjoyed it, and didn't realize until toward the end that it was indeed a continuation of Diamond Bay. It goes with the rest of the Linda Howards on my keeper shelf.

Note: This is a reprint of an early work by Howard.

Linda Howard is a powerful writer, creating memorable characters and really stunning passion. "Heartbreaker" is no exception.

However, those readers only familiar with Howard's most recent work might have a little trouble accepting Rafferty, the alpha male hero of "Heartbreaker." He is harsh and unforgiving, and his misconceptions about Michelle's personality haunt most of this book. Like many of Howard's earlier heroes, he is drawn to Michelle despite himself, and he takes a lot of that frustration out on Michelle.

Still, despite Rafferty's harsh nature, and Michelle's inability to resist him, this is a powerful story -- one of the better of her earlier works. Enjoy!

Readers who love Linda Howard will enjoy this title. However, kepp in mind that it is a reprint from her Silhouette days.

This story started off slowly, with a lot of annoying hostility borne out of misplaced passions and gross misundertandings. It's hard to warm up to the main characters when they start off so angry at each other for matters that could have easily been resolved by better communication instead of stubborn secrecy. However, both Michelle and John were such intrinsically good individuals that it was hard not to find them likable. The story picked up a great deal of depth when Michelle's abusive ex-husband starts harrassing her again, and John becomes as fiercely protective of her as he is tender towards her. I couldn't help cheering for them as they conquered their enemy, softened the hardened stances they had put up against each other, and created for themselves newer happier lives together.

I agree, this is a great love story with wonderful characters. If you have never read Linda Howard, don't miss this one. You will laugh and cry. One thing for sure, you will not be able to put the book down until you finish and then you want the story to just go on and on.

I wasn't expecting the suspense in the story. I was under the impression this was a straight love story; vintage Linda Howard, but nope, she brought in a bit of her trademark suspense she is famous for today.
It's not riddled with suspense like her newer books, but it has enough to keep you wondering and a little on edge. Mainly a love story peppered with suspense.
The heroine Michelle was great. She is strong and interesting and the typical Howard heroine. Inheriting her father's ranch in Florida is not her idea of a great time, especially when she finds out it has been so deep in debt that it may never survive year's end.
The main problem? Most of that debt is owed to the broody neighbor John. John is a hard working rancher that turned nothing into an empire but also hates Michelle's guts. A few years older than her, he detests the ground she walks on.
Ten years have gone by since they last saw one another, yet the hate and anamosity has not disapated, its grown. Grown into something too big for the both of them to handle.
Michelle must swallow her pride and hate and offer John something to save the ranch in place of the debt since she cannot pay it. But what John has in mind just fans the flames.
Hate turns to unbridled passion and need, but something is lurking in her past that threatens to come to light. Can she stop it in time? And will John put aside his anger with her enough to honor her father's friendship over the years enough to give Michelle a break?

Tracy Talley~@

Michelle Cabot has lost her father and inherited the family ranch which is run down and deeply in debt. In order to make a go of it, she has to swallow her pride and ask next door neighbor John Rafferty for help. Rafferty bailed her father out years ago, and if the payment is not made, the ranch will revert to him. He's always thought Michelle was a pampered princess and intends to make her sweat - in more ways than one.

What neither realizes is how they truly feel about each other, and neither will admit to those feelings. As Rafferty takes control of the ranch and Michelle's life, her past and a very abusive ex-husband comes back to haunt her. Will they be able to put their pasts aside and make a go of it? Will she ever grow a backbone?

While Howard's story is dated, it was not as bad as some of her older works (like Diamond Bay, All that Glitters, etc.) But controlling heroes like Rafferty and all too delicate heroines like Michelle make us all glad that the era of Dynasty is over. While there is definite chemistry between the two, his Neanderthal tendencies kept this reader wondering how different he was than the ex. If you are a fan of later Howard writing, you might want to skip this watered down 80's melodrama; if you like her pre-1990 stuff, this is right up your alley.

Rancher John Rafferty refuses to deny his passion for white-bred jetsetter Michelle Cabot no longer. He sees the opportunity when Michelle's father owes him a debt of one hundred thousand dollars and his ranch is plundered by negligence after his death. Michelle teeters on the brink of humiliation when she requests selling part of the assets to him while she consolidates effort to revive her ranch, but John has another treaty of his own when he wants her for himself as part of the deal...

HEARTBREAKER is a reprint edition of Linda Howard's earlier efforts which bears her trademark of an obstinate chauvinistic male protagonist who unleashes his passions and protective streak and a wounded Michelle who craves his love. Though not her best effort to date, it is nonetheless of heartbreaking intensity. Theirs is a road of love detoured by pride and 10 years of miscommunication. Michelle at her young age then did not know how to express her love and married while loving him secretly. To her, he is a heartbreaker who is constantly grabbing woman's attention. To John, Michelle is ever too much a high-flyer for a rough and tough rancher. This mistake costs Michelle an abusive husband who scarred her until John steps in to save her from inmpending boom. Their path is enriched by trust, tolerance and ultimately a fierce and abiding love. HEARTBREAKER is a heartening romance in Linda Howard's classic passionate style. It is a souvenir from the past and a fond reminder to many fans as to the magic behind her silver pen.