Customer Reviews

Honeysuckle Rose [3 1/2 Diskette, HTML]

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By TT reviewer Briana Lambert [Full review on our website]

Rose DeAngelo is at the end of her rope. Nothing seems to be going right. Her job working for an insurance agency is extremely high stress, her boyfriend wants to discuss their upcoming marriage while she is working and her boss is frustrated by all the claims into their agency. It seems that someone is targeting long distance truckers and hijacking them. The incidents have been getting more frequent, causing the stress to increase exponentially. Suddenly, it is all too much for Rose and she storms out of the office, leaving her secretary, boss, fiancé and future mother in law staring after her. Rose just has to get away from it all. As she drives, a storm crops up and in an instant her car is engulfed in flames.

Department of Transportation investigator Mike Ramsey jumps into action when he sees the accident. He manages to extricate the barely inured woman, though her car is a total loss. Investigator Mike is shocked when he discovers that the prime suspect in the case he is investigating is sitting right in front of him. Ever since Rose gained a promotion at the insurance agency, the hijackings began occurring. A few incidents to start, the hijackings have increased with alarming frequency and violence. Mike is certain that the beautiful career woman is at the heart of the criminal organization. He agrees to carry an attractive shipment to the west coast, in the hopes that he can break the ring himself.

When Rose asks to accompany Mike on his trip, the man readily agrees. He can get to know his chief suspect and only she will know the impulsive changes in route that he will make. If he is still hijacked, he will have his proof that she is some how involved. Mike never plans on falling in love with his beautiful suspect though. How will his feelings complicate his investigation? Will his suspicions destroy their love?

Honeysuckle Rose was an intriguing story. I felt unending sympathy for Rose and the stress of her day to day life. It was a treat to see her as she became free of the shackles that bound her. Mike is an understated romantic hero, both suspicious and drawn to Rose at the same time. Romance and mystery collide in Honeysuckle Rose, and the ensuing blend is a delight.

Honeysuckle Rose promises a romantic mystery with a twist, and this exciting new novel by Kate Douglas delivers. From the first page to the last, the reader is engaged and committed to traveling with the titled heroine along her turbulent, sometimes dangerous path. Accompanied by a friendly, protective - not to mention charismatic - "truck driver" on a cross-country road trip while fleeing her now ex-fiancé, Rose soon realizes that Ramsey has a hidden agenda that could very well collide with her own at any moment. With a cast of intriguing characters to move it along, the sweet scent of honeysuckle lingers long after the last paragraph of this book!

HONEYSUCKLE ROSE moves at a fast clip, immediately drawing the reader into sympathy with the beleagured heroine as she is fired from her job, breaks up with her fiance, and wrecks her car--all in one day. She's pulled from her wrecked car by a Dept. of Transportation investigator who is trying to prove she's the mastermind behind a ring of hijackers. The mystery unfolds with satisfying twists and turns as the romance between the two heats up. This is well-written: fast-paced and entertaining, and the villain's identity may surprise you.

Rose DeAngelo has had one of the worst days of her life. She has walked off her job, called off her engagement with her rich fiancé, and now she finds herself in a car accident being pulled out by a handsome and kind stranger. Mike Ramesy, the stranger, asks himself what he should do with the woman he is investigating who now needs his help. He, Department of Transportation investigator working undercover, offers her help in the way of a ride in his truck of California from Pittsburgh to visit her psychic aunt. This should give him time to find out how she is committing her crimes of stealing truck shipments insured by the company she works for. This is also gives them both time to fall in love, regardless of the fact that she is his chief suspect. Ms. Douglas does an excellent job of heightening the suspense so the reader wonders all along if Rose really is hijacking the shipments. She also gives just enough supporting characters to redirect the suspicion to them, but not so many the reader is frustrated. Ms. Douglas also gets high marks for showing and telling the personality of her characters. We see how they both react to stressful events and other people in need in humane and honest ways, such as listening to a father explain how his son had been doing worse since his wife left. Some of the events are a bit over the top, such as a pregnant teen having a baby in the middle of a snowstorm with only the two of them to deliver it. Also, the history of Mike is missing. The over reliance on italics caused confusion. With many of the romance novels today focused on sex and large and frequent sex scenes, this romance focuses on two people falling in love and solving a crime.