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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very hot, May 7, 2008
This review is from: Heartland (Paperback)
This is the second Julie Cannon book I have read. The first was 'Come and Get Me' which I enjoyed.
This book I loved. The characters were so well defined and developed. I like the way you could feel as Shivley and Rachel move through their feelings and wrestle with their own special demons. Ms Cannon's characters, whether the lead characters or supporting, are three dimensional. This was well discussed by a previous reviewer.
Ms Cannon's scenes are well developed and made visual -- the description of the ranch, barn, the campground, the evening ride to find Jasmine -- all very well done. There were a few things that didn't fit as well as they could have. For example, why would the ranch have a plane to bring the guests such a short distance from the town to ranch? That seems very expensive when a van would work quite nicely. The ranch hands, Gina and Bart (I think that was their names.) did not play much of a role and would have been needed much more than indicated. There were a couple more things -- just some logical 'stuff' that didn't make sense to me. But, heck, it is fiction after all.
In this book, much more so than in 'Come and Get Me', the sexual content was more explicit and very hot, almost combustible. Please continue with that, Ms Cannon, and feel free add more. I sure wouldn't mind.
I'm looking forward to Ms Cannon's next release in the fall.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good- but eludes greatness., June 13, 2008
This review is from: Heartland (Paperback)
Julie Cannon tells a good story. Her characters are intersting and have potential, but I just couldn't help feeling that the story lacked an essential element. I can't really describe what it is. Perhaps, because her story is so low-key. The truth of matter is that what happens to the characters BEFORE they meet seems like a much more interesting story. The conflict was just not great enough, that I could fully commit myself to the characters. I think Ms. Cannon has potential, hey she wrote a book and mine is in the idea/initial chapters phase, so what do I know? Give it a try, definately not a waste of money, just don't expect to be blown away.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good story, likable characters: a fine read, April 27, 2008
This review is from: Heartland (Paperback)
My copy of this book follows the publisher's description above in all but names. Rachel Stanton is a political strategist who decides on a dude ranch vacation remembering foster care on a ranch in Montana fondly. Shivley McCoy started the dude ranch after personal tragedy left her with the will and the way. Strongly drawn to one another from their first chance meeting, each woman resists the pull for their own reasons, but give in to the love, overcoming the emotional obstacles their respective pasts present.
I like Julie Cannon as an author. I agree with other reviews that she has a knack for creating three-dimensional characters, with consistent motivations and detailed histories so that we care about what happens to them, and pull for them to get together. In addition, she shows considerable skill at handling the deep, weighty emotions well, and usually builds her stories around important "issues" (in this case foster care, but also dealing with the aftermath of personal loss). She is good at plumbing the depths of human emotions, presenting both the pleasure and the pain of falling/being in love. In addition, I like how she set the scene for this story, and described life at the ranch.
However, I'm a bit frustrated that she doesn't seem to be growing much as a writer. At least, the same things that bugged me about her previous novels persist. She can write really good scenes, but they all seem to be strung together rather haphazardly. It's difficult to explain, but the narrative line often seems choppy or jerky as characters experience rapid extremes of emotion that could be realistic if they were better supported by the author. Instead it seems to be left to the reader to assume that these actions/reactions make sense for the characters. It's not too difficult a leap, given the overal strength of the characterizations, but it still takes effort as a reader. It affects the pacing a bit.
I would like to see her close these gaps. As it is, she's a solid enough writer, and I'll check out her next work hopefully. This book has some adventure, some romance, and addresses some important issues about love and living. It wasn't as gimicky as Heart 2 Heart, and will likely entertain most, particularly fans.
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