Customer Reviews

The Senator's Wife

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I've enjoyed a number of Robbards' recent books such as Hunter's Moon and Walking After Midnight. I can't recommend The Senator's Wife with much enthuiasm, however. Robbard's heroines are usually strong women who deal admirably with responsibility, adversity and danger. Here she has created a heroine who has married into money and power for all the wrong reasons and is miserable because of it. In fact, her ways of dealing with her prediciment are to either lean on others or induldge in self-destructive behavior. It was difficult to have any sympathy at all for the heroine untill she is unjustly accused of a murder. A secondary character, a hooker and single mom (durring the novel becoming an ex-hooker) in danger because of what she knows is more like a typical, resourceful, Robbards heroine.

I read the reviews and then read the book afraid that this was going to be one that I put down before finishing. But I didn't come out with the same results as other reviewers. Ronnie was raised in a poor, torn-up family, with little love. She set the goals of marrying wealthy so she would never have to do without again. She was even careful with her reputation and didn't date just anybody. In her college years she met a wealthy older man that had it all. His first marriage had had problems and was in its final stage (all that was left was signing the papers). He offered Ronnie a job in his political arena and started pursuing her heavily. Finding out that it was going to take marriage before he could get her in bed he made the offer. Marriage! Thinking he would have a young, beautiful, "trophy" wife. He continued having other woman, though. By their third year Ronnie was on longer giving him rights to her bed due to his other affairs. Divorce wasn't a question, though, due to her husband's political career for re-election. A 2nd divorce would ruin his chance for re-election.

I do feel that KR made her characters rather shallow for the reader, not giving us enough information to feel some warm for them. But I did not come away feelig like other readers did about Ronnie and Tom. Ronnie was young & beautiful, with her guard up since she was the 2nd wife, accused of breaking up a marriage (though it was on the rocks before she even showed up). She thought having material things and money would feel the void of love until she found someone that showed her kindness and later on love. Remember (if you have already read it), that Ronnie had not reached out to any other man during her marriage until Tom came on the scene. So she was trying to deal with it.

Tom was hired by Ronnie's husband as a campaign adviser to help get his campaign back on track. He, himself, was in the process of rebuilding his business with his partner and was good at his business. He started working with Ronnie, seeing right off a woman that was being treated harshly by the public as well as being alone in her private life. He reached out to her with lust in his mind when they first got together sexually- but then it turned into love, realizing that they cared for each other. Doesn't that happen in a lot of relationships?

Then there is the murder of the senator and Ronnie is accused of doing it. It turns into a "who done it" story. It's not the best I have read, but it sure isn't the worse, either. I really wanted to judge it with a 3 1/2 stars but felt bad about all of the other low reviews that I went with a 4 stars. Read it for yourself and see what you think!

I automatically pick up any book with Ms. Robards name on it. This is one I should have left on the shelve. I didn't care for Ronnie at all. She married for money so you can't feel sorry for her. Too many extramarital affairs in this book (I guess that's the way of politics.) Bypass this book, but pick up "Sea Fire", "Island Flame", and "Tiger's Eye". You won't be disappointed.

IF YOU HAVE NEVER READ A BOOK BY KAREN ROBARDS - DO NOT BUY THIS ONE. BUY ANY OTHER ONE FIRST. I was terribly disappointed in this book. I always get Karen Robards new books usually without reading the blurb on the back because she has never yet disappointed me (UNTIL NOW!).

The main character is married and falls into an affair with the hero which she justifies by saying she hasn't slept with her husband in a year and her marriage hasn't turned out like she thought it would. Sorry but to me that just doesn't cut it.

The murder mystery isn't bad but I just couldn't get over the fact that the heroine was a cheating wife.

Come on Karen, you can do better & you have!

I usually like Karen Robard's books but this was simply awful. The characters were shallow and the lead female (definitely cannot be described as a heroine) was appalling - the type of woman who gives gold-digging a bad name! She was selfish, thoughtless, dislikable and most importantly STUPID, and the fact that the lead male couldn't resist her reflected even more badly on him. I am trying to think of a single character here who I can be positive about, but I can't find one. I started reading but ended up skimming through this in about an hour, it wasn't worth even that much time.

Borrow it if you must, but don't buy it.

When I started to read this book, I knew immediately that most women would have trouble with its moral issues. I figured that most women would dislike Ronnie, the main female character, for the very same reasons that her fictional contemporaries disliked her....she is an opportunist and, like most opportunists, will not hesitate to use her *ahem* assets to get what she wants. So, if that will bother you too much to enjoy the plot, then this book is not for you. If you can read it with an open mind, then it's a fine book and a huge commentary on politics, high society, and how easily we make moral judgments and allow those judgments to influence our ability to think independently and compassionately.

I loved this book! I really felt like I knew the characters and was happy that everything worked out well for Ronnie and Tom. I loved how it wasn't just some cheesy romance novel. It had lots of suspense, struggle, and emotion.

This is the first book I have ever read by this particular author and the LAST! The characters are so superficial that you don't care one wit what happens to them. I also have to say that I think the writing was amaturish. She uses the same words to describe certain things over and over. Has the author ever heard of a nifty little item called a thesaurus. Maybe she should invest in one. WHATEVER YOU DO PLEASE DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME READING THIS STUPID BOOK! I had to force myself to finish it.

Political consultant Tom Quinlan is hired by the father of his former college pal, a well-connected senator, to inject some life into his sagging campaign and make Ronnie, the senator's second and much younger wife more voter friendly. Ronnie lived a life of poverty with little love. When she grew up, she decided the only way to marry was to a powerful and wealthy man, so her sad childhood would not repeat itself. At first dazzled by he husband, she soon finds that his eye continues to wander, and they have fallen into a loveless marriage of convenience.

Tom immediately finds areas that they can improve Ronnie's image - in her style of clothing, speech delivery, and softening of her appearance. One thing he does not count on is falling for her, and being subsequently drawn into a dramatic murder investigation. After giving Ronnie an ultimatum, she considers giving up her wealth for love, but is it too little too late?

There is plenty of steamy romance, and a little suspense, but the bad guy is pretty apparent once he is introduced. Not Robard's greatest suspense novel, but still a good read nonetheless.

I fought the urge to return the book the first night I started reading it but once I got through the first 100 pages, I couldn't put it down. The passion between Ronnie and Tom kept me turning the pages.