Customer Reviews

Night Magic (Oeb)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

There is nothing slow about this book. It starts out with action. Clara is a romance author, single, and appears to be settled in her dull and quiet life. But all that changes one night when the KGB show up at her home breaking down her door wanting to know where he is- where Magic Dragon is hiding. Her lastest book Magic Dragon is dedicated to the real Magic Dragon (her cat "poof"). She is now on the run for her life with a man she has never met but is thought to be her lover, Jack McClain, code name Magic Dragon - a CIA agent that is on the run for his life after coming across information of Russian spies in government positions. Jack is rough and tough, military all the way, 38 and single. He has had his share of women- and his "type" has never been like Clara- or has it and he just didn't know it. There is never a dull moment in this story. The cat plays an important part in the story, too. If you are a cat lover you'll enjoy it. Lots of fun, adverture, romance... I highly recommend it! Being my first Karen Robards book to read- I look forward to reading more by her.

This book was pretty good--fast paced, suspenseful, romantic--until the author lapsed into purple prose and contrived conflict. I never really saw a valid reason for the heroine's animosity toward the hero. All the internal and external man-bashing--typical of the Karen Robards novels I've read so far (only 2 to date) makes me cringe. I felt so sorry for this hero. If a woman begged a man to make love to her and then so brutally rejected him afterwards, he'd likely devastated. And why? Because *she* refused to take responsibility for her part in it! Not the mark of true womanhood or heroism, imo. But I suspect this is an old novel (1980s?) pandering to the editors' calls for angry conflict instead of story conflict. Sigh. Well, I'll read one of her later ones, but if she hasn't evolved with the times, then it'll be my last Karen Robards novel.

This story starts out with action and really doesn't stop until the last few chapters of the book. Thats the main reason I liked it, also the male character was very masculine and came across very appealing. The cat who goes along on the adventures with Jack and Clara really made the story even more fun to read! The story is not deep it is just sizzling romance and tremendous adventure. I really like a good page turner, even if some parts were a bit unbelievable who cares, if you have a good imagination this book is worth your time!!

Lisa Nary

I love this book!!! Like another reviewer here, I too read this book several times every year!! It always makes me laugh out loud! The humor, sexual chemistry, adventure & danger are just the perfect combination! Karen Robards is a great writer, I have read all of her books. This is her best and again my most favorite book of all time!!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed this book. Like all of Robards other books it had great love scenes, but it also had a great deal of mystery and suspense, and it was so funny! I laughed and laughed at the adventures involving Clara, Jack and Puff. I enjoyed it so much I read it in one afternoon- I just couldn't put it down once I started.

This book was the first romance novel I ever read, and I have been hooked by Robards ever since. This book still remains my favorite contemporary romance of all time. Robards writes excellent historical romances, but her contemporary romances with their believable characters are tops. If you like this one, try also her "Wild Orchids" and "To Love A Man".

This book is full of adventure and fun . Clara and Jack make a wonderful pair . The best parts are when they are kidnapped by the KGB . Anyone looking for fun , mystery , romance , and intrigue should definitly read this book.

Wonderfull mix romance, suspense, and humor. Anyone with cats can identify with Puff. I have all of Karen's books in paperback and I like to "revisit" old friends. Especially this one!

I was once a romance snob. You know, one of those people who turns their noses up at romance novels and insists that all romances are alike except for names of characters. I used to openly deride my romance-loving sisters and cousins for their choice of reading material, asking, "How can you read that stuff? It's so dumb."

And then...and then I stumbled onto a couple of books, quite by accident. One was Julie Garwood's 'The Lion's Lady' and the other was 'Night Magic'. Those two books instantly converted me from snob to insatiable devourer of romance.

That was many years ago, but as we never forget our first loves, I've never forgotten 'Night Magic'. After reading it many, many times, my own dog-eared copy disappeared after lending it to someone, so when I spotted a brand-new re-release in the grocery store yesterday, I knew I had to have it. It's one of the very few books I would consider buying after having read it so often. To this day, I tend to compare all of Ms. Robards' books (and indeed all romances) to this one.

It reminds me a bit of the movie 'Romancing the Stone'. I'd say if you enjoyed that movie, you'd definitely enjoy this story.

Author Karen Robards is a NY Times bestseller and one of the best known names in romance today. She has won numerous awards, including three Affaire de Coeur Silver Pen Awards for favorite romance author. Other titles include: Guilty, Obsession, Vanished, Superstition, Wild Orchids, To Love A Man, and Dark Torment. She resides with her family in Louisville, Kentucky.

When romance writer Clara Winston has her home broken into and she's forced to put her safety into the hands of a stranger, her life suddenly becomes dangerously close to one of her sizzling novels. Especially when said stranger is CIA agent Jack McClain, a handsome and exciting man to a fault. A man with a past that is better left a secret. Now running from a deadly enemy, Jack and Clara must uncover the truth behind a lethal international conspiracy, one in which no one can be trusted and the body count is rising.

The original copyright publication for this book was 1987, with reissues in 1993 and 2009. Due to the time frame this was originally written, readers will have to take that into consideration because there are references to Vietnam, as well as current events that aren't fitting for now. Aside from those brief references, it should not be distracting or deterring to read.

The only drawback to the book was that I felt the epilogue was a bit rushed. After everything that happened between these two, it was a great ending, but rushing it felt anti-climactic.

It's no surprise why Karen Robards has captured her readers for as long as she has. Her writing style is both intelligent and alluring, blending both romance and suspense equally, while never losing sight of the real world. It makes for an engaging escape into her books without that little voice inside your head saying, "yeah, right." The setting for this book, looping through Virginia and North Carolina, are beautifully portrayed. The secondary characters, including the antagonists, are realistic and flawed, adding to the plot nicely. The action sequences were appropriately interesting, including a scene where Jack and Clara were in captivity, sparing no niceties you often see in romance. Most of all, the romance and heat between the hero and heroine was well-paced and not over-gushy, making you aware of place and time and getting lost regularly. Clara, at times, could be quite irritating the way she argued with Jack on every little thing, but it added tension and I reminded myself that she'd been through a lot. A highly recommended read from this brilliant author!

Kelly Moran,
Author and Reviewer