Customer Reviews

Merciless

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

There are no words to describe the overwhelming disappoint I felt while reading this story. Palmer's writing has slacked in recent years, but this is taking it to a whole new level. There was no relationship development between the hero and heroine which is the most important element of any romantic book.. I felt like they were brother and sister. The book consisted of lame jokes by the heroine that did not make any sense and seemed really forced. I read this book because I want to know all the characters' stories from the Jacobsville books, but I could have done without this one. Do not waste your money. You will be disappointed.

I have read many of DP's books and am a huge fan butthis book was a huge disappointment! There was no relationship development or chemistry whatsoever between the main characters. The slow building passionate sensuality that we have come to love and expect from DP was totally nonexistant! Sorry DP, I am still a fan but I think your older books are much better :( Better luck next time

I have never written a review before, but after reading this book I felt the need to. This novel is standard Diana Palmer--lots of talk about chastity and old fashioned morals, stereotypical hero and heroine, law-enforcement subplot. Unfortunately, this book didn't have much of a spark for me. The characters lacked the sprited back and forth that most of Palmer's books contain--in fact, the dialogue was pretty sub-par with most of the historical details sounding like they were copied straight from an encyclopedia instead of flowing from conversation--and the hero wasn't even upset at the ubiquitous secret that the heroine was keeping from him. The denoument had less to do with the development of the couple's relationship and more with wrapping up the somewhat lame subplot started in Harley Fowler's book and continued in Kilraven's.

If you are upset by Palmer's occasional preaching on topics she is ill-informed about, avoid this book. The opinions and "information" on ADD/ADHD and proper treatments for those conditions is horrendous.

On top of that, I really find the lack of editing in regards to continuity annoying. At one point the characters reference happenings from another book by Palmer, but they get the main characters incorrect. A small thing, but irritating none the less.

In San Antonio, FBI agent Jon Blackhawk is handling the usual cases--drug trafficking, human trafficking, and more, and his capable administrative assistant Joceline Perry is at his side, aiding in his investigative work. A criminal named Monroe has a vendetta against Jon for putting him in prison, and now that Monroe is free, everybody but Jon thinks that he should be on the lookout for retribution. Jon insists that Monroe is not a threat because he's such a dumb criminal, but Joceline is not so convinced. In addition to worrying about her boss' life, Joceline has to deal with her growing feelings for Jon. But she's a single mother, and she's pretty sure that even if Jon could overlook the employer/employee stigma, he'd have a tough time taking on parenting duties for an active 4-year-old. Jon is unaware of her admiration, and is more concerned with the shady dealings of local Texan criminals who can be downright...Merciless.

First, the good stuff. Joceline is a fairly strong and sassy person. She's a conscientious parent, always looking for the best care for her son's chronic asthma, despite her lack of funds. She also insists that Markie doesn't need hyperactivity medication just to fit in with his quieter classmates. She plays video games with her son and makes sure they have have fun time as a family to balance out all the worry that characterizes their daily lives. Joceline's very good at her job, she has a quick mind, and she's independent enough to point out that she's not a secretary--she does filing and research, but never picks up takeout for the boss or makes him coffee.

Jon's a fairly solid hero, too. He's nowhere near as grumpy as his brother Kilraven was in his own book, and he treats Joceline a lot better than Kilraven treated Winnie. Jon's adamant about not marrying any of the silly women his mother picks out for him, but he still treats his overbearing mom with respect. Jon's weird moments happen when it becomes clear that he is only just now aware that Joceline, his administrative assistant and friend of 5+ years, is an impoverished, overworked single parent. He even remembers that she nearly died in childbirth, with a certain detachment that doesn't match his thoughtful personality in other places.

There are some difficulties with the book. Merciless seems to take a few good issues and push them a little farther than necessary. Joceline having child out of wedlock is the subject of gossip and/or speculation for almost every character in the book. It would be very timely for the book to address the difficulty of single parenting and the emotional issues of both the child and the mother in a situation where there isn't a dad in the picture, but Merciless goes on to make Joceline a virtual social pariah. Maybe it would have made more sense if she'd had Markie in her mid-teens instead of her mid-twenties. But the story is focused more about creating maximum dramatic emotional impact, rather than portraying a realistic slice of life in Texas, so everyone treats Joceline horribly.

To me, the huge issue with the book is Markie's parentage. In a regular contemporary novel, Markie's dad would be exactly who Joceline says he is--an old friend of hers who was missing in military action overseas. In a very dramatic novel, Markie's dad might be someone villainous, like a drug dealer or a crime boss. But in this book, the revelation about Markie's father is so very unusual and hard to believe, it takes away from the rest of the story and makes a few of the characters look less strong and smart than they previously appeared.

There are a few other downsides. 1. Whenever the characters talk about their hobbies (Jon, Kilraven, and Marquez like video games online games, Joceline and Kilraven are Scottish history mavens), they tend to include a lot of specific details, delivering several factoids in a row with little to no prompting. 2. The good guys are very, very, very good. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem, but almost every non-villain character is described as being "conservative". I'm conservative; these characters are in another class altogether. 3. Repeated phrases and repeated conversations. More than once, a villain is said to be so dumb he can't walk and chew gum at the same time, and Jon's eyes are frequently said to be "glittery". Several people have essentially the same conversation with Jon about how he should be concerned about Monroe's revenge plans. 4. There's a certain issue with time in the story. Characters keep referring to "these modern times" and "in this day and age" and "young women these days", and the characters are in their twenties and early thirties.

At any rate, if you've liked the previous books in this series, there's no reason you shouldn't like this one. It has threats and shootings, criminals with vendettas, legal terminology and law enforcement terminology, and a guy and girl who get their happily-ever-after only once they've been through a world of hurt and turmoil. If you're interested in picking up the series for the first time, just be aware of what you're getting into.

Diana Palmer is an autobuy for me, but I did read the reviews posted here before I read it on my kindle. I am sure glad that I had bought it and paid no attention to the reviews; because I read this book in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it.

First I would like to discuss the book and then the ADD discussion. I had been looking forward to Jon's book and the hints of their relationship in Dangerous (Kilraven's book) made me think it would be one of Diana's nice pairings and I was really pleased with the couple. I loved Jocelyn's quick repartee and her insistence on not making coffee. Her devotion to her son was wonderful. I normally hate books with 'secret babies'--I feel it is irresponsible in general not to at least seek financial support. But, in this case I could understand why Jocelyn kept it to herself and I loved Jon's reaction--none of the standard raging, stomping and storming around that too often accompanies these 'revelations'. Jon accepted it like an intelligent man and I loved his new found relationship with Markie. I don't regard disclosing Markie's parentage as a 'spoiler' because it is pretty obvious from the very beginning--Markie's black hair was a dead giveaway! I admit that Jon's Mom was a bit much, but then I hadn't liked her much before and loved it when Winnie Sinclair put her in her place in Dangerous.

I have enjoyed the murder storyline that Palmer has threaded through her last few books and have thoroughly enjoyed all of her books released since Fearless. Lest you think I just love everything she writes, I loathed Fearless and was so disappointed as I had looked forward to Rodrigo's story for several years. Luckily, as in the case of Harley Fowler (The Maverick), Palmer delivered Jon's story and I love the gaming elements and Jon's relationship with his half-brother Kilraven. It was also nice to see that McKuen Kilraven had finally found peace with Winnie and even when more suspects of his daughter's murder emerge he didn't go off the deep end again.

As for the ADD issue, reading the reviews from readers on their ADD soap boxes one would think Palmer dealt with it at great length--NOT!!! It is mentioned early in the book and again in the epilogue and only a few paragraphs in between as Jocelyn tries to decide what is best for Markie. Their reviews over-rated the importance in the book about ADD and was greatly over stressed in their reviews. I also felt their slam of Diana Palmer as being ignorant and wrong was wrong. I will admit it was wrapped up a bit too easily in the epilogue, but it is true that a calm, less stressed and more routine environment will help kids with ADD--in fact it is strongly recommended.

I am an expert On ADD!!! I have ADD--miserable childhood in school where I never paid attention and in my open classroom I wondered what subject we were even studying; but no one knew about ADD 60 years ago. I have two sons who have ADD and we dealt with them differently. The older one had more trouble in school and was medicated till 7th grade when he refused to take it any more. My younger one only had trouble in the class room and because he was so bright he was able to grasp the material on the first go round and so when he tuned out it didn't hurt (this one is getting a PHD in Physics at the present).

Sadly my older son took the path that Palmer mentions and the other reviewers said doesn't happen; he went on to use drugs. Self medicating is the medical term, but he nearly lost his life and had many horrible years. He hated ritalin and said that since one pill helped him in school, maybe another would make him feel better too. Sadly, he is not an isolated case--in the program he was in during his teens there were 8 of us in my support group and 5 of us had ADD kids. Just think about it--a kid who has trouble deferring gratification and is impulsive is naturally more likely to do drugs. I am sorry if this angers some, but I spent 10 miserable years watching my child destroy himself and can only thank God that after his last OD, he has remained sober for 10 years---but it is a daily struggle.

Obviously every kid with ADD doesn't end up on drugs--I grew up in the 60's and never touched them and neither has my youngest son, but sadly Diana is not wrong to say that it happens more often then any of us wants to admit. None of the reviewers mentioned Ritalin rebound either---which was a problem for us and others in the ADD support group I attended for several years. I am sorry if my relating my experiences distresses those dealing with ADD kids now--but I still deal with it--it isn't something you outgrow--you just learn how to cope. I really hope for the same success my younger son has had as he coped with ADD and that none have to watch their kid suffer through addiction.

Readers have been fans of Diana Palmer for quite a while now. This is a woman who writes romance novels that have made the New York Times and USA Today's bestseller lists. Her characters have become beloved in many romance sectors, however, this new one is a bit...dull.

Jon Blackhawk is one of those stunning, rigid, quiet lawmen who really wants to be left alone in his home of Jacobsville. He is an FBI agent who specializes in helping children and throwing kidnappers and child traffickers in prison as fast as he possibly can. This is a man who is truly - well, the way he's written - a saint, apparently. He is the ultimate bulldog when it comes to his job, and the rumor around town is that he has `saved himself' for marriage.

His rich mother, Cammy, is a true bulldog as well. All she wants is for her son to marry and give her grandchildren. In order to do this, she sends some of the most ridiculous women straight into his office to try and woo him in order to get him down the aisle. These women want the big, tough guy, but all they seem to know about for conversation is haircuts, the latest fashion in Paris, and other things that Jon couldn't care less about. On top of that, they all want to change Jon and make him stop playing so many video games like Halo, World of Warcraft, etc. Jon is fed up with his mother, especially since his half brother has just gotten remarried with a baby on the way; and as far as Jon is concerned, that should be enough.

Joceline, pretty much the only character with some serious backbone and sense of humor, is Jon's paralegal and administrative assistant. There is no one smarter and no one better at her job. There is also no one better at sarcasm that she uses to get the little `princesses' Cammy sends, out of Jon's office, and has the ability to banter with her boss until he becomes so frustrated he can barely speak. But he puts up with her (even though she refuses to do menial tasks like make the office good coffee).

Joceline has her own difficulties. She is a single Mom of a little boy and she is shunned by most of the town. Rumors and gossip abound where Joceline's private life is concerned, so she keeps speaking the story about how she was engaged to a military man who went off to war and never came back; that's why she is a single mother. But, of course, Joceline has a secret that she can never tell.

Cammy despises Joceline. She is always coming to the office or calling and saying hideous words about this wonderful young woman who is completely in love with her boss, but is struggling to make sure that her asthmatic son is well, and there is enough money in the bank to take care of him.

When a monster that Jon put away gets out of prison and threatens everyone who was involved with putting him there in the first place, Jon and Joceline are in the path of his rage and must leave town in order to make sure that they remain safe. Add in a seven-year-old murder that happened to Jon's half brother's first family, and the story does it's best to add a `thrill' into the plot.

This book would've worked a great deal better if the setting had been about fifty-years-ago and not present-day. The reason for this is that all the characters in the book are amazingly self-righteous, and make the subjects of single parenting, sex before marriage, and racial issues into something huge, which is definitely not twenty-first-century thinking.

If you are a Diana Palmer fan you will love the book. But for some readers the story is just a bit too outdated, and the characters all seem to be running for "saint of the year."

Jon Blackhawk isn't ready to settle down, certainly not with any of the prospects his manipulative mother Cammy selects. Fortunately, his administrative Assistant Joceline Perry has his back. She also has a secret she cannot reveal to anyone, especially her good-looking boss who is typically tall, dark and aloof. However, when a revenge-seeking criminal targets Jon, his family, and finally Joceline and her son, the two must work together...and try to deny the attraction simmering between them.

For five years, Joceline has worked for Jon, determined not to let her feelings for the handsome Cherokee/Lakota man show. Joceline is efficient, indispensable to Jon, and willing to dish out the banter, but she's very private about her personal life. The story she tells people is that Markie's father was a soldier who left for Iraq and never came back. As a single mother of an asthmatic boy who may have ADD, Joceline's number one priority is to Markie, to care for him and protect him as best she can. On the job she has an uncanny ability to ferret out information needed for Jon's cases, but she's adamant: about not doing menial tasks such as making coffee--not in her job description.

Jon works out of the San Antonio office on the violent crimes squad and specializes in human trafficking crimes, sometimes with his older brother McKuen Kilraven, another federal agent, and Detective Sergeant Rick Marquez. Both Jon and his brother are ultra-conservative. Rumor has it that Jon has never had a woman, but it not for their lack of trying. It seems his mother is determined to find a wife for her youngest son, and she knows it's not going to be anyone as immoral as Jon's assistant who has an illegitimate son. Jon meanwhile, is discovering that he's quite attracted to Joceline.

When a known criminal, Harold Monroe, is released, threats begin, first toward Joceline and Markie, then toward Jon and his family, Jon seeks the help of Rourke, who seems to be a mercenary with South African origins, to guard Joceline and Markie. Eventually, Jon decides they'd be safer at his ranch. What Jon doesn't realize is the killer is after more than just Joceline and Markie. Jon is shot and lands in the hospital. Joceline rushes to his side. They return to the ranch where Cammy Blackhawk descends. Finding Joceline there, Cammy vents her rage on Joceline who now realizes any possibility of a life with Jon is but a dream. Cammy's anger sets off an asthma attack in Markie, and Joceline rushes him to a hospital, only to be followed by a repentant Cammy who now shares a few secrets of her own.

Despite a plot that seems to have been done to death (a drop-dead gorgeous Texan who happens to be Native American, who happens to be rich as Croesus, who happens to have a spectacular ranch and an opinionated overbearing mother), I enjoyed Merciless. Especially after Cammy revealed her own secrets and became human. Early in the story, we're told Cammy Blackhawk is really a nice person, but in the first half of the story she seems more caricature than character. Then she transforms into a gentle and caring woman. The manner in which Ms. Palmer handled Cammy's confession pulled it from the brink for me. At this point I was invested in both the characters and the outcome. There is much more to come, but mentioning any of it would be a spoiler.

Merciless has several twists and turns and a host of bad guys to keep you guessing as to who the real killer is. There are numerous secrets revealed along the way. There are a couple of love scenes that I would label lightly sensual.

Ms. Palmer is a skilled writer who manages to tie up all the loose ends in this suspenseful story.

This was my first cowboy romance book and I almost trashed the thing. Jon and Joceline are so mismatched and the idea she kept her secret from him all those years is amazing. Joceline is obnoxious and no ones idea of the ideal assistant, so why would Jon give her a second look, or third? He should have scalped the woman, instead. Yes, opposites may attract but it is sometimes a recipe for disaster. Jon's mother didn't like Joceline and others had problems with her mannerisms as well. In the real world, she would have been shown the door. I don't understand the mentality of these books because the characters seem to live outside the reality bubble. Its ashamed because this book had a plot that was interesting.

I can't really describe the feeling I got reading it...most romance fiction is unrealistic at best, some of the dialogue and main character situations were corny(?) far-fetched(?) not sure if that's the right words either...not sure why the book was titled the way it was and the cover with a cowboy on a horse threw me for a loop. All I could say as I read the last few words and closed it was "stupid". I guess I was hoping it would get better-just seemed like a patched together book.

This is the first time I do believe I've ever read a Diana Palmer novel were the lead male was not a jerk to his lady.

Jon was a very likable character throughout the and not just at the end when he got the girl. He even managed to stay that way when he found out about something Joceline had been keeping secret. Not once do I recall Jon saying one mean, degrading thing toward Joceline. I wondered if I was truly reading Diana Palmer.

The storyline was very good and kept me enthralled. I managed to get sucked into the characters lives, even Jon's mother.

Upon introduction of the bad guy in this one, I knew something was off about this person. So I knew from the start who it was, I just didn't know why.

Jon and Joceline managed to workout their problems without any fuss, which was truly refreshing.