Customer Reviews

High Intensity

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

First of all, let me start off by admitting that out of all of Joy's books, "High Energy" was the one I least wanted to read a sequel to. It was pretty good, it's just that I much prefer her futuristics and her sole historical over her contemporaries. *However*, if you loved "High Energy" then you will probably also like "High Intensity" a lot more than I did.

The best thing that "High Intensity" has going for it is its humor. In that respect, I enjoyed the book a lot and the dialogue is what took this book from a 3 to a 3.5 for me. But I'll be honest, if Joy's name wasn't stamped on the cover, I never would have known she'd written it. For one thing, her trademark *hot* *hot* *hot* sex scenes were not there. It was very much a PG-13 read and not what I've come to expect and want out of Joy.

Another reason I was less than thrilled with "High Intensity" is because it just sort of lacked a certain "oomph". I buy Dara Joy romances because I enjoy reading about the hunt, the way she pens a hero finding and claiming his heroine. Zanita is claimed from before page 1, so there is no hunt to speak of. Had Joy focused on Mills and Gregor instead of Zanita and Tyber, perhaps this book would have been a solid 4 - 5 read.

Since there is no hunt, "High Intensity" instead focuses on a case Zanita and Tyber embroil themselves in involving an allegedly haunted house. The main focus of the story is on this case instead of on the romance. Unfortunately, I wasn't drawn in enough to care very much for the case itself. It read a lot like a Scooby Doo mystery, only in this episode, Fred and Daffney are finally getting it on (at a PG-13 level).

To be honest, I don't know if I rated "High Intensity" a 3.5 because of or despite of the fact that Joy wrote it. Had anyone else written this book, I probably would have given it a 3 at best. I purchased this book expecting to like it, wanting to like it, and was disappointed when it took me five days to get through it.

But let me stress again that tastes are subjective. If you enjoy wacky "who dunnits" and if "High Energy" blew you out of the water, then do not let this review dissuade you from buying "High Intensity". If, however, you are like me and prefer books that concentrate on the romance and "High Energy" was just an okay read for you, then you can take this review to the bank.

LOL if you haven't read High Energy you won't follow this book. It is a continuation of that book and there is no prologue or any type of explanation of the characters. There are several conversations relating to the previous book but unless you read it you are lost. The sex is hot and heavy and it would almost be gross if it wasn't so funny. For example in one scene, the heroine is leaning out a window of a quaint inn in New England and the hero takes her from behind, but somehow the only thing you can imagine is that her head turns completely around because he embrasses her face for an agressive kiss. I laughed trying to figure out how he did this. Another is they are in bed making love, in the next paragraph he picks her up and puts her in the bed. I asked how did that happen. The love scene under the bed is also full of questions since it does not tell you how high the bed is and he is over six feet and built, some of his postions were quite impossible. Another describes him holding her hands over her head yet his hands are all over so I envision he has at least three arms. Obviously once you are known and a good author the editors just accept whatever else you write. This book was not intended as a comedy but it certainly was.

I hate to be the " rain on the parade, " but after reading "Mine to Take" and waiting for almost two years for something from Dara Joy, ( who really is one of my favorite authors ) I was sorely disappointed in this book. I did not read the prequel,High Energy,but after reading the reviews, I don't think that it would have helped. This book was, to me, a combination of Clue,Ghostbusters, I Love Lucy and One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest. Where was the romance? The boy already had the girl and what was left was a sitcom masquerading as a romance novel. The hero and herione (Zanita and Tyberius-Where did she get some of the names in this book? )had no chemistry whatsoever, and their love scenes had all the passion and sizzle of George Burns and Gracie Allen. I am certainly not opposed to humor in a romance novel, but some of the charachters in this book were just too zany and unbelievable. For instance , Auntie who always wears three hats, all at the same time! I do believe that I read the names Yaniff and Rejar at the beginning of this book. Where was the tie in to the Matrix of Destiny charachters that was hinted at? I gave this book two stars because it did hold my interest, if only to see " whodunit." Dara Joy is a very versatile and talented author and I know that she can do much better. Her Matrix of Destiny series is proof of this. They are some of the best romance novels that I have read and even re-read. Please give us more Matrix of Destiny, Dara, and stick to "familiar" territory.

This is a fun read and I am reminded of the "Thin Man" series of yore, Nick and Nora Charles along with their dog, Asta. In "High Intensity", we have the wonderfully romantic sleuths, Tyber and Zanita, their cat, Hambone, and their "over the edge" cook, Blooey (a former Mathematician who now thinks he is a Pirate). We met Tyber, the Physicist-Genius and Zanita, the Reporter in "High Energy". This time, they are asked to investigate another mystery at an Inn on Martha's Vineyard, boasting a culinary-obsessed Ghost, secret passages and a variety of other odd characters who are believers or non-believers in the paranormal. We know Tyber and Zanita to be absolutely made for each other, however, Tyber is inspired to sensual inovation and delectible seduction in order to prove to marriage-wary Zanita that what they feel for each other will not suffer just because they say "I do". This is a wonderfully lighthearted story, not weighted down with the burden of history, nor the complicated world of Joy's Matrix Series (much as we love those books). One can only hope that there will be a new Tyber and Zanita adventure in our future.

I purchased this book approximately 3 days ago. I have not finished it yet. Normally I would be re-reading a Dara Joy book for about the 10th time. ...I will confess that High Energy is about the least likely book that I would want a sequel to. I am having a hard time reading this book, it is a little too out there for me, and I don't find the relationship that humorous. What I do like is the referals to Rejar and Yaniff and wondering how they are going to eventually tie in to this. If you liked High Energy, this will probably do it for you. High Energy was the book she wrote that I thought was O.K., but was not my favorite. The other thing I dislike about this book is the way she refers to Tyber as Doc, or The Captain, or her Husband. Pick one or 2 and stick to them, but I practically have to reread the paragraph to figure out who they are talking about. Dara Joy seems to be very intimate with this couple and I feel like there is some inside conversation going on that I know nothing about, but would find hilarious if I did. Well I will continue to persevere and hope that this gets better, or I understand it more.

Dara Joy has had a number of hits - but sadly this wasn't one of them! The storyline will leave readers who haven't read "High Energy" confused and wondering who these people are, why we should care about them, and what the inside joke is. I found I didn't care much for Zanita and Tyber and nearly gave up on this novel several times because I just couldn't follow the storyline.

If you want to read Dara Joy at her best, I suggest reading "Rejar". There, you'll see Ms. Joy sparkle!

Zanita is just as ditzy,Tyber is just as hunky and the entire cast of supporting characters is just as eccentric as they were in High Energy. What's missing is the element of sexual surprise that was so entertaining in the first book, and the conclusion just seemed too much of a reach to tie everything together. Still, I'd rather read Dara Joy than just about anybody. I love her heroes, her dialogue and her imagination. Her books are EXTREMELY entertaining. I'm hoping her next will be Traed's story in the Matrix of Destiny series.

I'm probably going to get bashed by Dara Joy's fans, but this book is pretty bad. I loved High Energy, the first book in this series. The lead characters Tyberius Augustus Evans and Zanita Masterson sizzled in the first book and sizzle out in the second book. Ms. Joy spent around half of High Intensity recapping what had happened in High Energy. As wacky as the lead characters are, even they couldn't support such a lame plot in High Intensity. The only redeeming quality about this book is some new scenes between Tyber and Zanita and the reappearance of some wonderful secondary characters from High Energy.

Will I buy the third book in this series if there is one? Probably in hopes it recaptures the spirit of the first book. Dara Joy has created a captivating couple in Tyber and Zanita--but please--give them a better plot!

I found this book to be lighthearted and funny...I burst out laughing so many times my assistant at work probably thought I was nuts! We read many romance novels by most popular authors during our breaks and I enjoyed Dara Joy's High Intensity much more than most. The characters were all realistic in an absurd way and the plot filled with twists and turns...I especially loved the "surprise" endings...never what I expected!

I couldn't wait to read Dara Joy's new book. I began scouring the book stores (sorry, Amazon) well before it was due to be released (hey, sometimes they're early). But I was really somewhat disappointed this time around. This sequel (and they can work in the romance genre, see Jayne Ann Krentz's "Gold" series), seemed quickly thrown together, no character development to speak off. The kookiness and fun of the first book here became inane and, well, boring at times. It was not as sexy as Joy's books usually are; and maybe a little more would have helped the rather lame story line. I have to assume that Joy is working on a Traed story (please!), and hope that it will follow the quality that marked "Knight" and "High Energy."