Customer Reviews

Seeing Red (Signet Eclipse)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a teenager, Summer Abrams narrowly escaped death in a fire at a warehouse owned by her family; her father was not as fortunate and lost his life. Summer left town as quickly as she could after she recovered, never to return. Her best friend was Joe Walker; he had always loved Summer and wanted more than just friendship with her. When a second fire occurs in the same warehouse some twelve years later, Summer's mother asks her to come home to help her deal with the aftermath, leaving Summer to do some soul-searching. Joe still loves Summer, a fact that he cannot ignore once he sees her again. When the two of them team up in an attempt to solve the mystery of the fires, new flames are kindled. Joe is reluctant to trust Summer with his heart, out of fear that she will once again break it by leaving. Summer is equally reluctant to offer herself to completely to Joe.

Jill Shalvis pens the most amazing characters. She is always able to capture their joy and pain, and every emotion in between. This is an incredible series with great detail and creativity. These characters worm their way into your thoughts for a long time after you finish reading. Her characters are written with little quirks and imperfections that make it hard to remember that they are simply characters in a book. The cast surrounding Joe and Summer are equally wonderful and they are imperative to the story. A high recommendation for Seeing Red comes very easily.

I came across Jill Shalvis's work through her blog. Now, I know that blogging is different than writing a full-length novel, but she already had a few novels under her belt, and that's usually a good sign. So I picked up Seeing Red- because who, after all, doesn't like firefighters? And if you're looking for a hot hero and a good love story, the book certainly delivers despite a few problems.

Let's get the problems out of the way first. The heroine, Summer, is a little two-dimensional. We're told time and time again that she is a wilderness guide and that she's afraid of commitment, but we're hardly ever shown a woman who knows how to survive in the boonies or who is tough enough to go months without speaking to her family. A little more showing and a lot less telling about Summer would have been great, as well as some pruning of the dialogue, which in some cases is so clunky as to be alternately hysterical and jarring. Summer is a great character, but I get the feeling the author wasn't willing to let her come out and play, maybe afraid that she was an unsympathetic character.

Another problem is too many relationships. Summer, her mother, her cousin, etc., etc., everyone's falling in love. It would be nice to have a couple of separate books instead of all these relationships being jammed into o­ne. I get the idea that Shalvis has plenty more to say about this group of people, and hope she decides to explore them a little more in the future, in a more leisurely fashion.

Despite these flaws, the book is incredibly enjoyable. Shalvis has a sure ear for comedy and the impossible situation, as well as a believable window into the head of her hero, Joe, who more than makes the book. I was pleasurably surprised by quite a few demolished clichés. In the first place, Joe was a fat kid growing up- and how often do we hear of fat kids in romance novels, especially fat kids who grow up to be hunky heroes? Second, Joe restrains himself with almost superhuman patience, often turning down the heroine's advances as well as the advances of his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend. (Come o­n, a man who turns down a gorgeous woman flinging herself at him because it "wouldn't be right"? My knees turneth to liquid.) And to wrap up the deliciousness of this hero, Joe is not a billionaire or business tycoon; he's an fire investigator. Sha-pwing! Another cliché bites the dust. Joe's handling of the girlfriend who despises the demands of his job was extremely well-portrayed, so well-portrayed I will admit to wishing the book had been about that relationship ending happily o­nce or twice.

The mystery in the book is a little thin in places but satisfactorily resolved and twisty enough at the end to satisfy even me. I didn't feel that the heroine was in real danger through most of the book, since the accent was o­n her seeking to come to terms with her family's demands; however, this rings true in my experience of dealing with dangerous situations. Shalvis's portrayal of the delayed reaction most people feel after a dangerous or intense situation is dead-on, and earned my respect. Not to mention the fact that she has obviously done her homework about fire investigation- I was convinced by her detail.

All in all, Seeing Red gets four out of five BitchSmacks. A good hero, a mystery that I couldn't solve a quarter of the way through the book, and a few laugh-out-loud funny situations- hell, that's more than I get from most romances. A wonderful effort, and o­ne I don't feel sorry buying new, which is strange in and of itself for this usually used-book maven.

Heartbreak, loss, and a fire sent Summer on a flight away from home that was intended to be one way. It only took minutes for her to shatter her best friend's heart and lose her father in a fire. Twelve years pass before a second fire leads to her homecoming when her surviving family needs her. Yet, Summer holds herself aloof from her kin, determined not to become involved, and they are equally determined not to re-accept the woman who rejected them. Her best friend has transformed himself from a chubby teen into a veyr hot fire inspector, who happens to be in charge of the investigation. There's no way Summer can avoid seeing Joe now. Soon, flames of passion spring to life between them, but both fear being hurt again. Besides, Summer has no intention of staying in town. However, she keeps staying, even as the mystery heats up, and danger increases. If she's not careful, she'll leave in a casket.

*** Though at times, the plot is thin, this is a fairly enjoyable read. Summer does seem shallow for the majority of the book, but Joe is a complex, interesting hero. ***

Reviewed by Amanda Killgore, Freelance Reviewer.

Jill Shalvis is an amazing writer. This was my first book of hers, but certainly not the last. I already have Blue Flame and White Heat on order through Amazon.com.

Joe Walker and Summer Abrams are two characters that you'll remember for a duration.

Loved that they started out as best friends and grew into more after spending 12 years apart. I also love how Joe went from the fat kid to the hunk and kept himself humble. Love that Summer was the one falling for him after he'd loved her for many years when they were kids without her ever knowing it. And that when she admitted that she had feelings for him, she still remember the "fat" kid that was always there for her.

The mystery of the fires to the Abrams businesses was well-written, too.

I loved this book and sure you will, too.

I wracked my brain to come up with enough superlative adjectives to thoroughly describe my love for SEEING RED. I even relented and consulted my trusty thesaurus for the task, but in the end, I decided that "I loved, loved, loved this book" would have to be endorsement enough.

Ms. Shalvis has always been on my list as a queen of romantic suspense. With SEEING RED, the honorary title of queen was just upped to "oh supreme divine one." The characters in the book are so real, the scenes so vivid, and the dialogue so heartfelt and witty that I guarantee that once you pick up this book, you won't be able to put it down until the last word is read.

SEEING RED revolves around Summer Abrams and Joe Walker. Friends from childhood, their strong bond was held together by the glue of not-so-normal adolescent feelings. Summer loved Joe because of the emotions he wore on his sleeve, for the way he survived his father's beatings, and the way the two of them could talk about anything, anywhere, anytime, without worrying about what she could say and how she could say it. In turn, Joe loved Summer for her sense of purpose, for her never-failing smile and joy of life, for her strong family connections and ability to see who for who he was and love him anyway. But with Joe dubbed the fat-boy loser of the high school, and Summer in love with Danny the jock, their friendship was tested to the limit in a warehouse fire that took the life of Summer's father.

Twelve years later, fire is once again threatening to destroy the lives of Summer and her family. Called home by her mother, Summer "Red" Abrams returns to Ocean Beach, California, to discover that the warehouse that her father died in has once again burned down. Whether accident or arson, no one seems to know, but Joe Walker, now Fire Marshal of Ocean Beach, intends to find out.

As Summer brings up feelings in Joe that he thought had long since passed him by, and Red realizes that Joe isn't the same insecure, beaten-down boy that she left behind all those years ago, someone is trying to make sure that Summer leaves Ocean Beach-the quicker the better.

As more fires consume places where Summer has memories, and threatens her very life, Joe and Red are drawn deeper and deeper into a problem that could very well kill them both.

Ms. Shalvis has written an excellent story, full of powerful emotion and believable characters. SEEING RED will have you cheering for both Summer and Joe, as they come to terms with the fact that the past, present, and future may well be all bound together in a cord that can't be broken. As the two of them, along with Summer's family and Joe's coworker, Kenny, attempt to figure out what happened in that warehouse fire all those years ago, and who is intent on burning down buildings in the here and now, love and passion war with the necessity of keeping everyone safe.

SEEING RED is definitely not a book to be missed, and I promise that you won't be disappointed once you start reading.

Twelve years ago, a deadly fire led Summer Abrams to leave her home, her family and her best friend Joe Walker. Now another fire has brought her back to a place that is very much different than the place she left behind.

Everything has changed. Her family and the man she remembered as a teenager being the least of the changes. Her best friend Joe went from being a chubby teenage boy to a man as hot as the fires he now investigates for a living. The investigation of the fire at her family's warehouse brings these two together and sparks fly from the moment they reunite.

However, Summer has a problem. She can't seem to connect. In fact, she doesn't want to connect. Losing her father in the previous fire was hard enough. Losing anyone else close to her could only cause her more pain and hurt - neither of which she wants.

She wants Joe though. The boy she told her secrets to is now a man she wants in her bed. However, she wants no strings, and to Joe that is unacceptable. Will she realize she needs to reach out and trust before she loses him? Will they discover who is behind the tragic fires occurring before someone else loses their life?

Seeing Red is a May 2005 release by author Jill Shalvis published by Signet Eclipse. Shalvis has released over two dozen novels during her career, and she has three more set for release this year - including September's release Get a Clue.

This book is exciting and gripping from page one. We begin in the past and jump to the present with ease, and the characters of Summer and Joe seem to just leap off the page. On the pages of this book, you have the right mix of romance and suspense, which makes the reader want to keep turning page after page.

The story told here isn't just that of Summer and Joe, but of Summer's family. We have two secondary romances contained in this story's plot that are mentioned throughout the novel - one of them between Summer's mother Camille and Joe's partner, Kenny.

These secondary plots only add to the realism of the book, and they make this book a very well rounded read that I enjoyed a great deal. I highly recommend this novel by Jill Shalvis, as well as any others you might be able to pick up by this author.

This was my first book by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters were realistic and visual. The author has a great way of teasing your senses and putting your emotions on edge. She draws you in. In addition to the sensualness that abounds the novel, the author also offers a bit of mystery to keep you guessing. I have to admit that I thought I had it figured out, but found out I was wrong in the end. This was a very good read and I highly recommend it.

Seeing Red is the story of former high school friends, Summer Abrams and Joe Walker. They were inseparable until the day Summer is caught in a fire at her family's warehouse - the same fire that takes her father's life. Soon after, Summer puts as much distance between Ocean Beach and herself as possible, leaving Joe with hardly a goodbye. Now her family is facing another fire in the re-built warehouse and Joe, a fire marshal, is one of the investigators in charge. Summer comes home, determined to see her mother through the situation, and finds that her family expects her to flit in and then leave just as quickly, since that seems to be her modus-operandi. Summer wants to be a part of the family again and wants her mother to understand what made her leave in the first place. But first she has to deal with Joe - who has slimmed down and battened down his once expressive feelings - and the fire. Can she find the strength to stay and make peace with her family and Joe? Or will she run away, especially when her worst nightmare happens again - being caught in another fire?

I loved the main characters of this story. Summer is independent, but has a fragile side that she hates for people to see. She enjoys her `love `em and leave `em' lifestyle, but seeing Joe so many years later, begins to wonder if she can ever open up to her family or a man again. Joe loved Summer when they were in high school and believes that she never really saw him because he was chunky. She was his rock, his center, and her leaving without saying goodbye really hurt him. Now that he's lost weight, he finds it hard to believe when women are eager to date him. But sooner or later they always leave because he refuses to emotionally connect to them. Joe's sexy and has that `why can't I find a guy like him quality' that I love to encounter in romance novels.

The story is an easy read and had I been able to devote an entire evening to it, could have finished it in one sitting. I was pulled into the story right from the first paragraph and was content when I turned the last page. I highly recommend Seeing Red.

Chubby loner Joe escaped from his abusive father through the friendship of next-door neighbor Summer. She won his heart and then broke it when she left town after a tragedy. Years later, after a fire destroys her family business, Summer is back to reclaim what she threw away - her family and her friendship with Joe. But it doesn't take long for her to realize that it isn't just friendship she wants from Joe. Arson Investigator Joe, along with her family, is wary of her, hesitant to let her back in to their lives. While investigating the fire, the two slowly make their way back to each other. Jill Shalvis writes characters that are real, with emotions and problems that the reader can relate to. But she doesn't stop there. For some authors, secondary characters are just that, background,present only for the advancement of the main characters story. Ms. Shalvis' secondary characters are just as alive as the hero and heroine, just as full-bodied, so that you care about what happens to them also. The mystery is good, and, as romantic suspense should do, does not overwhelm the central love story. "Seeing Red" is a wonderful blend of romance and mystery, with just the right amount of humor thrown in to make it real. Jill Shalvis is undoubtedly a rising star in the romantic suspense genre.

Seeing Red by Jill Shalvis is an emotional, suspenseful, sexy and funny book.

Summer Abrams left town twelve years ago unable to face the traumatic death of her father in a fire. Now a new fire has happened in the same warehouse her mom still owns. Summer comes back home to help her mom get through another fire. She hadn't planned on running into her old best friend, who is not the fire marshal.

Joe Walker had given his heart and soul to Summer, she was the one bright spot in his troubled home life. But then she left without a word he vowed to move on. Summer is back and they most work together to find answers to these fires that are affecting her family.

Joe and Summer form a partnership of sorts that leads to a searing passion that neither can ignore. The struggles that they each face, makes you pull for them to succeed at love.

Seeing Red make you feel everything that is happening. It pulls you in and doesn't let go. Jill Shalvis writes with such compassion and compelling suspense that you can't put this book down.