Customer Reviews

Lawless

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Lawless is one of my favorite by Diana Palmer to date. I read this one in a couple of hours (one of four that day on the beach) and was very happy with it. I was glad to see the addition of a bit of mystery to the ranch theme, with two of the main characters working in law enforcement. There are some shady characters, sabotage on the ranch and even murder. Young Christabel is one of the most liberated females Palmer has written. Although she's still virginal and niaive, she's quite sassy and that's most of what kept me reading. The ending seems rushed in this one, but I look forward to reading about lawman Cash and Tippy the movie star/model.

Actually I thought Cash Grier was a much better hero then wimpy Judd any day and found myself rooting for Crissy to give him a chance instead of Judd!

Crissy and Judd's relationship starts out with him marrying her when she is sixteen in order to keep their failing ranch together with the stipulation that there will be an annullment when she turns 21. Judd secretly loves Crissy but thinks she is too young and hasn't lived her life yet.

Flash up to five years and Crissy is on the verge of turning 21. She has tried everything over the years to get Judd to notice her as a woman but has failed. While Crissy lives on the ranch, Judd has taken an apartment in Victoria near his job and to stay out of temptations way. There is also a murder/mystery inserted to liven things up, but you kind of know who the culprit is during the first part of the book.

Diana introduces a new character, the actress Tippy Moore who comes with a crew to film a movie on Judd and Crissy's ranch because the two are in dire need of funds. She is obnoxious, mean and snippy, just the right antagonist to keep Judd and Crissy apart. Like an idiot, Judd uses her to keep Crissy at a distance and Tippy has her own reasons for using Judd.We find out later that she has alot of hang ups and issues which is suppose to excuse all the nasty and spiteful things she says and does to Crissy. I wasn't buying it and felt no sympathy for her when everything was revealed. Crissy starts seeing/using Cash Grier who treats her like a queen when Judd blows her off. I really felt that these two should have been the main couple in this book because of the chemistry they had together. I really enjoyed Cash who was more sophisticated and knew how to treat a woman.

All and all this book could have been better if Judd had been written differently and Crissy less "melting"/forgiving everytime he was in the vicinity. I can hardly wait for Cash's story and hope that he is written with the same personality as he was in this book.

This book starts off well enough. Chrissy is a cute character, and Judd seems okay. We soon see that Judd is a weak, selfish, emotional cripple with a mean streak and a very poor sense of personal responsibility. Cash is a much better man, and also a much wealthier man, than Judd. Most of all he actually TREATS Chrissy like he loves her. Unfortunately, Chrissy willingly gives herself to Judd one night when Judd gets drunk and says something to the effect of "I want a woman tonight." How romantic. Chrissy lives in near poverty, barely able to pay her tuition for vocational school, wearing tattered clothes, doing manual labor on her & Judd's struggling ranch, and never gets to go anywhere, or do anything. Cash takes her out on dates and even to a ballet in the city. Judd becomes jealous and also tells Chrissy that since they're secretly married (so that they can hold a joint property), he holds the "right" to take her virginity - so she'd better not sleep with Cash first. YUCK! Not to mention Judd reagularly ignores Chrissy at all other times, is dating a very nasty model (who I might add, has a wholly unbelievable change of character later in the story), and reverts to ignoring her the morning after he takes advantage of her. And while Chrissy struggles, he buys the model a very expensive gift. Worst of all, Chrissy nearly ruins, then nearly loses her life for Judd. Cash, who truly cares about her, is left hanging. This story is downright offensive.

This was my first Diana Palmer Book and now as I read Reviews of other books realize this is her style; young girl-older guy and hero and heroine at odds with each other through the whole book. I found the relationship so frustrating that I ended up skimming towards the end. All they had going for them through the entire book, was some sexual scenes and then they were right back hurting each other. It seemed like it went on for too long. I have read a lot of Susan Wiggs, Nora Roberts, Linda Lael Miller and though their characters will be at odds with each other in part of the book, it doesn't go on and on. Maybe I just like happier books, not one that depresses me. I wanted to read "Renegade" for Tippy and Cash's story but as I read the Reviews for it, not sure it's much different than this book. No doubt a lot of readers like this style of writing as Ms Palmer has written many books and she wouldn't continue to do that if people didn't read them. I read to relax and this style just is not relaxing. I felt more like I wanted to shake Judd and Chrissy and tell them both to grow up! Will I read another Palmer book? Probably! TO be fair, I hate making a judgement on an author without reading more than one book.

I admit I had second thoughts on pre-ordering and paying for the hardback version of this book after being dissapointed with "Desperado", but being an avid Palmer fan I bit the bullet and hoped for the best. I'm glad I did. This book's style is "classic Palmer" without being stale, and repeating sayings and scenes from previous books. The story of Judd and Chrissy is a page turner! The characters each stand on their own and even though the heroine is young and innocent, as most Palmer heroines are, she does not come across as a wimp. Judd is a character who is strong-willed, but completely loveable. Coupled with the wonderful love story, hint of a story with the secondary characters and a murder mystery thrown in, makes this a wonderful read. One of the best things about this book is that Palmer managed to keep her unique writing style while updating it at the same time. Awesome read!

I don't usually like comtemporary romance, I sway toward historical. But this story intrigued me. I was not disappointed. There was some great dialog in this book and some things that made me laugh. There were also some very tender moments. Judd is a very lovable hero. Crissy is a good women, lots of sass and whit but she is also very loving and faithful. Cash Grier add a great deal of spice to the story as well. He's rough around the edges but it's hard not to love him. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. This is my first Diana Palmer book and I have already bought more.

This book is one of the books that I have reread the most. I absolutely love it. I fell in love with Judd but disliked him at the same time for the way he would treat Christabel. This book made me cry in multiple parts, but I am so glad that I have read it, it just shows what a great author Diana Palmer is. A Great Read!!!

Lawless is one of Diana Palmer's best. Some people want Cash Grier to be Christbel's love instead of Judd Dunn. However, they forget that in real life people love with their hearts instead of their mind. When you love someone, you accept the best with the worst. Because the best parts is often outweighted the worst parts, you believe it is worth it. I cannot wait to see the new book that Palmer will write about Cash Grier and Tippy. It will be a great story, too.

I think this is the only book I've ever read where I wasn't quite sure who I wanted the female lead to end up with. Very, very weird

This books is one of Palmer's full-length novels centered around Jacobsville, TX, and male law enforcement officers. The books aren't technically a series, but they have characters that are loosely connected, either as friends, or relatives. Most of the books are completely independent of each other. They might only mention a character or couple from another book. Sometimes, like in this one, there is a book closely related. There is a pseudo sequel to Lawless called Renegade.

Anyway, in this one, you've got 4 main characters: Judd Dunn, a Texas Ranger; Cristabel Gaines; Cash Grier, a man with a dark past doing black ops who is now assistant sheriff in Jacobsville, and Tippy Moore, an actress.

When Cristabel was 16, and Judd 30, her drunken father beat her severely and Judd saved her. They'd known each other for a long time, as his uncle and her father owned a ranch together. After putting her father in jail, Cristabel inherited her father's part of the ranch since her mother was an invalid. She would have lost it, but Judd married her on paper only so that when she was older she could resume part-ownerrship. Cristabel wanted it to be more than a marriage on paper because she loved him, but Judd always turned her away. They - mainly Judd - planned to annul the marriage when Crissy turned 21.

As her birthday approached, Crissy turns up the heat on Judd, but he still rebuffs her. He may want her but he won't give in. When a movie company decides to use their ranch for a film, actress Tippy Moore comes to town. Judd and Tippy become joined at the hip, and Crissy develops a friendship with Cash Grier. Lots of jealousy and hurt feelings ensue, along with danger from someone pissed off at Judd.

For most of the book, I was a bit torn over whether Crissy should be with Judd or with Cash. There's a definite chemistry between Crissy and Judd, but he does a lot of really nasty things to her. Cash is a total nice guy though, and a lot of the time, he was much more deserving of Crissy than Judd. Palmer pushes the bounds on how much of a jerk a guy - Judd - can be and still redeem himself and get with the girl.

I liked the book for the most part, but I don't think Crissy stood up for herself enough. She let Judd walk all over her and didn't give him the lashing out that he really deserved. Even so, it was a good book. Lots of tension and emotional angst. It was definitely worth reading. And if you read this one, then you really should read Renegade as well since it is Tippy and Cash's story.

Rating: 4 / 5

If you haven't already done so, read this book. Buy it, borrow it, whatever it takes...just read it! This was one of the most romantic stories I've ever read and I've read too many to count. It was nice not to be reading a book with the same old tired, done-too-death plots. Crissy was sweet, smart, beautiful,funny, and totally in love with her "husband" Judd. He is a sexy, good looking lawman. They had always agreed to divorce as soon as she reached adulthood. Crissy and Judd(when he would admit it to himself) we're in love with each other. Throw in some bad guys, a scheming movie star and an ornery sherriff and you've got yourself a laugh-out-loud, yet suspenseful romance book. Will definitely keep to reread.