Customer Reviews

Rage of Passion (Silhouette desire)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I just discovered Diana Palmer and I can't stop raving about her. This is the 3rd book I've read of hers and I've enjoyed each and every one. I can't believe I missed out on this Author who's been writing since the 80's.

Gabe was 28 when he first met 15 year old Maggie. He knew she grew attached to him and he felt the same but never let Maggie know it since he knew desiring someone so young was wrong. To him, she was off limits.

The book starts about 10 years later and Maggie is just divorced with a six-year old daughter. Maggie runs into her Godmother Janet by accident. Janet suggests Maggie come stay at her ranch to recouperate from Maggie's recent ugly divorce. Maggie knows Janet is Gabe's mother and tries to refuse but Janet can be rather adamant. Thank goodness Janet got her way or I'd have missed out on a good story! <grin>

The heart of this story is about the love that never got a chance to blossom because of their age difference and a few other circumstances that the young Maggie never knew about. Now they have a 2nd chance to rediscover each other and the love they never got to share and missed out on. I love 2nd chance love stories like this. Not just the premise of the story itself but when the flow of the story is so flawless and so well-written, it's a story not to be missed.

I finished the book in 24-hours. The book looks thicker than it really is. They use a bigger font so you don't have to squint to read it and I loved that aspect as well. It made the reading experience that much better since I got to forgo the headache that sometimes accompanies the squinting from reading small fonts in other romances I've read. But don't get me wrong, big print or not, it's the story and the way the story is told that sells the book and I was sold; lock, stock, and barrel!

I have read "Rage of Passion" many times - it is a reliable comfort book when I need a guaranteed pick-me-up. Gabriel is a dream - 100% man and still tender with Maggie and gentle with her daughter. These two ladies needed someone to restore their faith in the male gender, and Gabe did it with patience and love. Honest, witty dialogue, steamy love scenes and just enough conflict to keep it from being unrealistic are what make this a prime example of DP's work, and shows why she is among the most beloved of romance writers. Give it a try, it is a real treat!

Palmer's novels usually follow the same path and this one starts out the same as many of her others. The leads grew up near each other in the past, but now they hate each other; yet they are so attracted by one another. Usually this describes the whole book up until the end where they realize they had misunderstandings and really do love each other.

However, Rage of Passion is different. The leads quit hating each other before half the book is over and are actually nice to one another. Instead, the conflict stems from the heroine's previous marriage and a custody battle with her vile ex.

This made for an interesting story and more of a romance. The hero is very likeable and the heroine, who was abused by her ex, is still a pretty strong woman despite the abuse. The hero helps to heal her and her little girl.

I thought Rage of Passion was a nice change for Palmer and I look forward to more novels by Palmer along these lines. It's nice to have some variation.

This is my third DP book and I liked it. The hero tends to come off a bit too-roughed for my taste, though. There were times when I found it hard to believe that the heroine would take to a man who would deliberately set out to hurt her. Aside from that, I found the story fast-paced and sensually charged, a book to stay up with. My only problem is that there are a lot of similiarities with her other books (Cattleman's Choice, The Case of the Mesmerizing Boss, etc.). The men are usually rugged, physically and emotionally; they're also many years older(on the shady side of thirty-five) than the heroine (who's usually in their early twenties or a few years older), and the heroine is a virgin or has had such a bad experience with sex that she's as close to being a virgin as one can get. I've found it hard to believe that a heroine coming straight out of college and has had no real love life can fall in love so quickly and know that's she'll feel this way the rest of her life, without ever dealing with the euphoria and pain of first love. I don't mind reading a story with a much older man every now and then, but after a while it gets redundant. I don't understand the author's fascination with rough, older man-vulnerable, younger woman romances. This will not stop me from reading DP books, however, I just hope the formula will change.

I enjoyed this book, as I have all Ms. Palmer's books. Yes, they involve fantasy, yet they also involve the very real issues in relationships: past wounds, pride, ego, despair - often followed by healing, humility, courage, humor, compassion. Oops, let's not forget passion. Tough guys have feelings too, and women don't have to be physically stronger to open a man's eyes to LOVE. Palmer book include's these elements and Rage of Passion, was no different. The problem is I have 3 small children, husband, and I work as a full-time RN, but I read this book in three hours, wishing it wouldn't end. Hurry with your next book please.

I am really starting to enjoy Diana Palmer books. For some reason I like the "virgin" or "almost virgin" storylines. They are corny but make the story more interesting. I especially liked the match between Gabe and Maggie. What a pair! Gabe is what you would call one of those "Cowboy, Hunks." And Maggie was crazy in love with him from the time she was a teenager. Gabe being a bit on the "rough" side in the the beginning of the story made it all the more interesting. If you like a good old fashion romance, with a little spice you will enjoy this one.

A very good book. Follows along her usual plots, with the woman being an abuse victim and the man being the rough opinionated man who can get her passed her fears.

While the book moves a little slowly, the basic Diana Palmer theme weaves throughtout the book. How does the reader know what she would do if confronted by Gabe on that sofa? She might change her mind about all the "scents" from the barnyard. Please, please, keep on writing Diana. I will keep on buying.

Diana Palmer use to be my favorite romance author, but now I think not. It is all because of this rash a recently bad books that she has been writing, so I have been sticking with the reprints of older books. But the problem is I am so disenchanted with her new books that I am now finding flaws with the older books.

The child in this book is so unbelievable, she got on my nerves; too cute for my taste. I normally avoid books with children because romance authors tend to make them out to be too childishly cute.

There is a great deal of sex scenes in this book, that only Palmer can write. Although there comes a point when I had to say, "Enough already!" Besides I do not think I would make love to a man on a couch when he has just come in from rounding up the cows, smelling like cow, horse and cigarettes, with dust and dirt clinging to him, not leather and the romantic sense of tobacco, as Palmer described. There were quite a few scenes where I wanted Gabe to take a shower, before he got with Maggie. All in all it was a good read to past the time. I hope the next book Paper Rose is a lot better.

I read everything Diana Palmer writes, but I'm starting to wonder why I bother. The male leads are jerks, the woman is always a terribly wronged doormat, and the child is usually too precocious. And if there's one thing I REALLY can't stand it's this author's insistance on making the guy's disgusting cigarette habit a prominent fixtue of every plot. I was literally saying out loud "Oh gross" each time she described him inhaling, or God forbid, the taste of tobacco when they kissed. Enough already!

For me, the final indication of how sloppily this book was put together (and edited) was the description of the puppy. It was a female when they picked it up, but later they kept referring to it as "he".

Better luck next time, Ms. Palmer, but I might not even buy it.