Customer Reviews

The Rival

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

UGH!!! Are you kidding me?!? I don't expect much from romance novels, but this one was just the worst! The so called hero and heroine were so weak and sniveling I found myself rooting for the villains. Of course there's nothing wrong with a flawed hero, but this guy was just down right useless and boring. And, the most convoluted part was that the heroine held the key to her freedom all along and never utilized it to all their benefit. I hope the next novel takes a 180 degree turn for the better.

I agree with the reviewer that left the five star rating: the plot of this book is very well-worked out, very intricate.

And I thought that the character development was excellent, too. There were a lot of people in this novel, but it was never hard to tell them apart; Joyce manages to bring her characters to life quickly and vividly.

I, personally, just can't stand romances where the heroine is being abused for so much of the novel. So when the heroine, Olivia, was scared, insulted, humiliated, threatened, or beaten on every other page - the book just started to seem like a burden to me.

The hero has the same problem to a lesser extent; he is unfailingly wonderful to he heroine, but he is more or less constantly being insulted, threatened, or humiliated.

I really felt like all the fun and excitement of the romance itself was utterly crushed by the haze of self-sacrifice, embarassment, and hurt that the main characters lived in. And, really, what starts out bad just gets worse, and worse, and worse.

There's a good chance I'll pick up another Brenda Joyce - there's obvious talent here - but I found this one painful more than anything else.

What a book. I can't think of any thing good to say. Hannah was the only likeable character. The rest were weak and/or disgusting. The fact that I was 10 pages from the end and could put it down until the next day says something. Save your money. I have read a few others by this author and cannot really recommend her.

If you like light and airy romance, this AIN'T the book for you. If you want a dose of realism in your romance, then this is for you. The characters are flawed -- each and every one of them -- just like me and you. I found the story uplifting in the sense that Garrick and Olivia are obviously soul mates and were destined to meet and be together. The meat and potatoes are the villains -- yes, plural -- who are as twisted and warped as they come. What Garrick and Olivia have to overcome to be together is way beyond what most people would do in the name of love. Theirs is a selfless love that is determined to conquer all evil so that they can be together.

I have enjoyed all of her books, however, The Rival was exceptionally good, right up at the top of my list with the Conqueror and the Captive. I could not put down the book until I was finished. As usual, the relationship between the two main characters was extremely sensual. I loved it.

I felt this book was very boring. The subject matter was great! Yet, the book was to long for the subject and I actually skipped chapters just to finish the book. I was very disappointed because she is one of my favorite authors. This is not one of her best works.

This novel kept my interest partly because the hero was so non-heroic, so almost ordinary. Garrick is not the best looking, the strongest, or even the nicest man you want to meet. What he has, is heart. He feels strongly and in spite of his fears goes after that which his heart needs. Olivia is not pretty, not tall, nor petite, her uniqueness is in her character, which apparently developed from within. The two together make for a different kind of romance and an intriguing story. However, it was too long, and the ending was too abrupt with the handling of Richard, Lionel, Arlen and Elizabeth in the ending as an afterthought. Overall, I enjoyed the book and I will look for other Joyce novels in the Library. I bought this one, but I am not sure the others would hold my interest enough for re-reading.

Most of the negative reviews are from people who probably want a generic, standard, love story and thats fine. If you want something a little darker and more sensual, then this book is it. I found it well written and refreshingly different. I also read her book, Beyond Scandal and highly recommend it too.

This is not the typical romance novel in many important respects. The hero (Garrick) and heroine (Olivia)admit their mutual attraction from day one. Despite all the obstacles --his engagement, her abusive husband, her blind daughter, the suspicion that he's a murder, her husband's incestuous relationship, his brother's return from the dead, abduction, incarceration,separation, dysfunctional parents-- love triumphs. It doesn't triumph on the last page of the novel either. The love between Garrick and Olivia is a constant throughout the book. The author manages to bring them together for great diaglogue and touching as well as passionate love scenes throughout the novel. There are few of those annoying misunderstandings, and the few there are, are quickly resolved. The plot is not contrived but well developed and sustained. Most of the main characters are well-developed too. I could not put this book down. It's a page turner and a definite keeper.

I absolutely adore most everything written by Brenda Joyce...but I must say, while this was a good book...it is probably the most depressing angst-ridden book I have ever read.

While there is romance, it is dark, and filled with tragedy, betrayal, incest and countless other downers that by the end left me feeling completely wrung out.

The only bright spot in this tale was the young blind Hannah.

If you are in the mood for a tale that is at once gripping and nauseatingly cruel...this one is for you....