Customer Reviews

Silent Confessions

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

 

 

This is my first Kenner book to read that is not one of the Blaze series. I had hoped this full-length novel without the Blaze trappings would prove she had moved beyond the stilted sameness of the Blaze books. However, that is not the case. Let me state, I am not a great fan of the Blaze series in that I like a lot of depth to a book. The sensual scenes don't offend me; however, I don't want them to overshadow all other aspects of the book. If you are a Blaze fan and really enjoy these light, sexy tales, you should add a star to my review.

A stalker is using quotes from what appears to be historical erotic literature to frighten his prey. Jack Parker, a detective with the sex crimes unit of the NYPD must seek out the source of the suggestive phrases. Jack hopes that once that source is found, he will be able to find the stalker before the situation becomes really dangerous.

Veronica (Ronnie) Archer owns a bookstore and specializes in historical erotic literature. She is currently working on her doctorate utilizing her specialty as her subject matter. She not only owns a bookstore that sells this sensual literature, but she also has a scholastic chat room for erotica, gives weekly talks about erotica at her shop, and has many graphic erotic antique images framed and hanging all around her apartment. Ronnie is very kind, beautiful, and relatively inexperienced sexually. This was one of my first problems with this book. Her character doesn't fit. I can accept everything about her image until the author attempts to cast this "innocence of actual sexual experience" on her. After all, she is in her late twenties and is exposed constantly to this subject matter. But we are to accept her as a relative innocent although it does not ring true.

Jack Parker is the usual contemporary cop hero - totally male, attractive, discerning, and great in bed. He approaches Ronnie for assistance in his stalker case. Both Jack and Ronnie are just too typical in this overused scenario of a detective that meets an irresistible woman through his police work. They are instantly attracted to one another and a physical relationship begins almost immediately. These sensual scenes will really grab most readers but I found them to be dry, reading as though the author is quoting the ABCs of sensual writing. A lot of pages are spent on these scenes and rate about a 4.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

One very pleasant aspect of this book is the time that Jack and Ronnie spend together. Although a lot of time is spent between the sheets, there is still a real love relationship developing between the leads and most of their time together is very tender and precious. They are both mature and not given to misunderstandings or arguments. The author allows us to experience their relationship as it evolves into an affair of the heart.

Although the plot was typical, there is a twist in the ending that surprised me a little. I have seen that others may have recognized the villain early on in the story. I did not. The villain, once uncovered, was not who I suspected.

While I did think that the leads were enjoyable characters, I found this book a bit boring. It was a book I could easily put down because the plot did not inspire me to keep reading to find out what happens next. Jack and Ronnie's relationship and story were sweet but too predictable.

Ronnie Archer has always been fascinated by erotic literature. Which is why she loves her bookstore so much, which specializes in hard to find erotic books. When a stalker starts preying on women in the city, Detective Jack Parker comes to Ronnie for help. For only she can give him insight to the stalkers choice of passages from the books she carries in her store. He also kindles her desire, which has been raging since she started working on her final paper to get her PHD.

Det. Jack Parker has never met anyone that could make him instantly think of sex. That changes the first time he lays eyes on Veronica Archer. She is everything he'd never had and always wanted. Then he finds out that she's been getting notes for two months. While they are sweet and seemingly innocent notes, he is convinced there is a connection between the stalker and Ronnie's admirerer (sp?).

Then two of the victims are murderered and Jack's now worried for Ronnie's safety. Now the woman he has fallen in love with may fall prey to the psysco that is walking the streets scaring women. Although the suspense isn't very original, I picked it up for the romance aspect, which definetly doesn't dissapoint. It is a highly steamy and erotic book which plenty of sex between the two main characters.

Except for the violated faces of the female victims and their spouses, and the Victorian erotica poems tat are taken, Sex Crimes Detective Jack Parker has no solid clues. However, Parker knows that the culprit has gotten incredibly bold having now broken into the homes of his chosen targets. The nineteenth century amorous poetry remains the sole lead so he asks that an expert on the subject be provided to help him understand the culprit.

Rare erotica bookstore owner Veronica Archer arrives at the police station to report someone broke into her shop and stole some of her merchandise. Parker thinks she is the professor from the nearby college so their first meeting goes awry until he realizes that he has confused a victim for an expert. However, she knows the Victorian Era quite well and assists Parker on his investigation. As they fall in love, the sexual stalker continues to raise the stakes until he commits homicide and has added Ronnie to his list of intended victims.

SILENT CONFESSIONS is an exhilarating, often heated serial killer romance with an ardent sub-theme to connect the triangle of the cop, the book store expert, and the murderer. The story line is loaded with action and heated with sexual tension between Jack and Ronnie and in an intriguing subtle way between the stalker and the heroine. Though the identity of the killer fits recent trends that feel standardized enabling certain insider information to happen fans will enjoy this taut thriller that hooks the audience from the moment a frustrated Parker meets an exasperated but frightened Archer.

Harriet Klausner

This was my first Kenner book and I thought it was pretty hot for a little paperback. Interesting way to introduce the reader to the history of erotica/romance novels. Would have been nice to have a bit more depth to the story (I figured out who the killer was really early) but otherwise a very nice book.

Although I highly enjoyed Ms. Kenner's story I can't help but feel that the story was rushed in places and as a result I felt a little cheated, and at times confused as to how different conclusions were arrived at by Jack.

The chemistry between Jack and Veronica was beyond steamy, and fun to read about, but I also like suspense in my romantic suspense books and that is the portion that I felt was rushed. Someone is stalking women and leaving erotic notes behind. All of a sudden the stalker starts to kill his victims. Why? Although that question is answered I still came away with big questions.

Still this was a fast paced (perhaps a little to fast paced) book with plenty of chemistry between the main characters. Ms. Kenner has great potential and I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

This book is quite sensual and perhaps erotic. If that's what you're looking for you've found it. There is however very little suspense and a weak story line as well. Most of the book involves either sex or thoughts of it. The culprit is evident from the start as is the outcome of the relationship between Ronnie and Jack. I really wanted to like this book because the idea intrigued me, but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed.

Fascinated by the idea of bridging erotic literature into a romantic suspense thriller, seasoned Harlequin writer Julie Kenner embarks on the steamy Silent Confessions where detective Jack Parker seeks to ferret out a stalker who ruined her cousin and murdered a trail of women leaving verses from Victorian erotic literature like Lady's Chatterley's Lover and The Bourdoir. Veronica Archer the scholar who opens an erotica bookshop is the link to the suspects. She helps him with the clues while Jack fulfils her passion. The sexual scenes stacked in a monotonous chain soon lose direction and even appear contrived, diminishing the development to the central characters. Ms. Kenner's latest lacks the chemistry sparks that her romances are lauded for and the denouement to the mystery seems far-fetched and perplexing. The romance just did not blossom smoothly with much details at hand - and also Ms. Kenner's obsession with the racy scenes. It proved too much of an overkill.

Julie Kenner is one versatile author. She writes quirky super-hero books, which is where I discovered her, and also wonderfully fun Harlequins. Now a rich, erotic romantic suspense. Wonderful! I enjoyed Jack and Ronnie's road to romance very much. I can't wait to read the follow-up book, which will be published as a Blaze. It can only get hotter! Yikes!

This book was worth reading. I enjoyed it very much. It is fast paced and keeps moving to an ending not unexpected but satisfying.I keep my reading of romance authors to a chosen few, and Julie Kenner will be added to my list.