Customer Reviews

Solitary Man (Zebra Bouquet)

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

 

 

A cop is killed and it turns the courses of the lives of the closest to him. Kevin Manning is consumed with guilt. As the partner of the deceased he blames himself for not being with Tony but most importantly he feels he was not doing his job to the utmost but tending to his alcoholic father while on the beat. To ease the hurt he turns to the bottle but a woman steps in to stop his self destruction.

Nicole Welles deeply grieves her brother's death but she knows it's not Kevin's fault. She had always been attracted to Kevin and valued his friendship over the passing years so she could not let Kevin throw his life away. That night they find comfort together in each other's arms and it is wonderful until she wakes up alone.

Two months later Kevin comes back to face Nikki. He feels guilty for leaving her after their wonderful night together but he felt unworthy of her love. He finds her working in a bar, exhausted but yet still very beautiful. And he soon suspects she is pregnant, even before she does herself.

Nikki does not want a man that she can not count on to stick around when he is truly needed. How can Kevin hope to be a good father when he himself was raised by such a poor father? A father that is still totally dependent on him financially and emotionally, draining his self worth with his verbal abuse.

Oh what a touching story! The hero captured my heart as even he does not realize how strong and truly wonderful he really is. This is a story of a man that life is determined to beat down but he over comes and deservingly he succeeds. A heart warming story that is definitely a keeper......I loved this book!!

Kevin Manning feels he's not reliable. He lets people down. Hadn't he proved this by not being there when his partner, Tony, died? To make things worse, when Tony's sister, Nikki, turns up at his doorstep seeking solace, he takes her in and they end up deriving comfort from each other in a more elemental way. Knowing he won't be able to face her when she wakes up, Kevin quietly leaves. A couple of months later he sees Nikki working in a yuppie bar and despite his best intentions to stay clear of her, he finds himself feeling responsible for her.

Nikki Wells is not totally thrilled about seeing Kevin again. While a part of her feels overjoyed to see him, another part realizes he's here only because of his sense of responsibility to her. Things are different now and Nikki's got something to hide. The last thing she wants is for Kevin to stay with her out of guilt. So, before he finds out what her secret is and takes over her life, she better push him out!

Karen Drogin's SOLITARY MAN is an excellent book full of deep and complex characters. You can't help but fall totally under their spell. Kevin's character is wonderfully defined. The reader can empathize with him for the guilt he suffers over his partner's death and the responsibility he feels for Nikki. A lovingly drawn hero who stole my heart from the moment I met him.

Nikki is a strong and independent woman and I enjoyed reading about her too. A woman with plenty of pride, she does an excellent job of resisting Kevin's attempts to win her over purely for the sake of satisfying his sense of responsibility. I also liked the maturity she displayed by putting pride aside when it came down to considering what was best for all concerned.

SOLITARY MAN is a novel that definitely leaves a lasting impression and stays with you for a long time. I highly recommend Karen Drogin's SOLITARY MAN. It's a novel not to be missed!

Kevin has always been the protector. As a young child, he protected his mother from his alcoholic father. As an adult, he is still trying to protect his alcoholic father from himself. When his hot dogging partner Tony goes off to a crime scene without him, Kevin feels guilty for taking care of his drunken father when his partner is gunned down. Tony's sister Nicole seeks solace from Kevin and they fall into bed. The next morning, guilt overtakes Kevin, and he flees.

Several months later, Tony's widow Janeane asks him to meet her at a local pub, where he runs into Nikki. Correctly deducing that she is pregnant, he does the honorable thing and goes into protection mode once again. The only problem is that Nikki is in love with Kevin and does not want to settle for anything less than his love. But she does move in with him and agrees to a marriage so he can help with her prenatal care, especially when she is forced into bed rest and needs medical coverage. The two once again fall into a sexual relationship until Nikki's heart becomes too involved, and she wants her happily ever after. The problem is that Kevin is convinced that he is no better than his drunken father, and tries to shield Nikki from that part of his life. He has never felt worthy of Nikki's love. Will they be able to meet halfway?

This was Carly Phillips first novel, and it shows some real promise of a new author. It is also her most emotionally fulfilling story. She draws you into Kevin and Nikki's relationship, as well as Janeane's grief over her loss of Tony, which is heart wrenching at times. Nikki's loss of her parents, her brother, and possibly the love of her life add further depth. Unfortunately this is a formula she no longer pursues. But it just goes to show how good some of her novels could have been if she opted for quality and not quantity...

Felt so stilted and contrived that I couldn't finish it. It's one thing to read a happy story written like that, but this one (as least as far as I got) was far from happy. I have liked some Carly Phillips books in the past, but this one just didn't do it for me.

The problem with reading a book like To Be Sung Underwater: A Novel is that it sets a pretty high bar for anything that follows, and I wonder if Phillips' Solitary Man suffered in my eyes for that reason.

This is Carly's first novel, she's written a fair few since then but is re-releasing her early work, hence the review copy. I have to admit that my heart sank when I saw the book cover, looks like a bodice ripping romance a la Mills and Boon, and those are the ones I usually leave on the shelf for others to read. (note the cover I had here is from the old paperback version - not so bodice-ripping - I think they must be changing the cover for the ebook release) I was however pleasantly surprised by this one (which does prove that age old adage never judge a book by it's cover!)

It's never going to be a literary classic, but if you take it at face value it's an interesting tale of girl meets boy, boy gets girl pregnant, boy and girl fight with their emotions as they try and work out whether they should stay together or not. And yes, there are some bodice ripping scenes!

There is also an interesting sub plot where Kevin (the boy) deals with his father's alcoholism.

All in all it was an alright read, if you're looking for a book that doesn't require too much brain power to pass away the hours a few hours while travelling or relaxing on a beach then Solitary Man is worth a look. I think if Phillips has taken the exact same issues and written a novel with more depth then I'd have awarded it with more stars and a stronger recommendation.

Independence, so long desired and worked toward, gets deferred for Nikki. She has always felt she was taken care of out of obligation rather than love. She doesn't want to be anybody else's responsibility. She wants to take care of herself and is well on her way to being able to so when her brother Tony, a policeman, is killed. She goes to see Kevin Manning, Tony's partner. In their grief, emotions run high and events of that one night change both their lives forever.

Kevin, the son of an alcoholic father, has all the classic hang-ups. He anticipates problems when life is going smoothly, isolates himself, blames himself when things go wrong, has trouble with intimate relationships, and feels responsible for others--even Max, his father. Guilt is a demon that weights him down. In his efforts to control situations, he creates barriers that seem impregnable. Yet, his need to find a way to reach Nikki demands he take emotional risks that scare him to death.

Common sense dictates that Nikki yield to Kevin's determination about doing "what's right" but she wants what he gives to be from love not obligation. She reaches and reaches and he pulls away and pulls away until she realizes she needs to plan for the future that may well be without Kevin. She knows "you can't base a lifetime on sex--no matter how good it is". Life with all its ups and downs and in-betweens must be shared to make a marriage work.

Tony's widow, Janine and Max, Kevin's alcoholic father, are strong influences that help propel Kevin and Nikki into an emotional storm that threatens to swamp them.

Carly Phillips takes Kevin and Nikki on a modern "hero's journey" that soars to emotional heights and traverses the depths of doubt and despair. The perils and the joys they experience bring to light some of modern society's problems that must be dealt with by many.

Ms. Phillips grabs the reader's attention at once and holds it captive with a story that takes the reader on an emotional rollercoaster ride. Good reading!

Originally posted at the Long and Short of It Romance Reviews

Solitary Man by Carly Phillips was a quick read for me as I was able to tackle it in only a few days. I always enjoy romance novels because the couple in the book must overcome obstacles to make it work. Every romance book is different and I love reading what each character is thinking in certain situations.

When one cop is killed in the line of duty, it changes the lives of 3 important people in his life. His partner, Kevin Manning takes the blame for Tony's death. He wasn't there to back up his partner while responding to a call.

Kevin and Nikki had one glorious night together. While Nikki didn't expect one night with Kevin, she was left abandoned and alone by Kevin the next day. Two months after their one night stand, Kevin returns home and runs into Nikki. Nikki doesn't want really want anything from Kevin while he feels he should still look after her. Just a few days after his return to town, Nikki finds out that she's pregnant with Kevin's baby.

Kevin wants to protect and care of Nikki so he invites her to move in with him. They soon rediscover their feelings for each other and try to make it work as friends and soon to be parents. As they become closer, Kevin only wants more of a relationship with her while keeping a distance. Nikki wants the fairytale, marriage, and family. She wants a man who loves her and not feel she is an obligation.

Kevin and Nikki decide to get married for the sake of the baby and getting adequate medical care. They soon discover that marriage is harder than it looks. Nikki tries to support Kevin emotionally but he keeps her at a distance. Kevin doesn't want to expose Nikki to his drunk father and it turn pushes her away. Kevin's memories growing up keeps him from moving forward and putting his family first. This only causes problems with their marriage.

They both love each other. They eventually learn to make the same goals and work together to achieve them. Love and marriage is about commitment to each other and supporting one another.

Solitary Man is a charming novel about adult child of alcoholic who is a police officer and after her partner was killed, he falls for his partner's sister. The characters were good and the message was important but it was not a pager turner.