Most Helpful Customer Reviews
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding!, April 6, 2003
I've been a big fan of Judith McNaught since her first book, Whitney, My Love, and impatiently look forward to reading anything she writes. This book was worth the wait. While there may be a few minor stretches when it comes to the plot, this is a very well-written and suspenseful book. **WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**
Personally, I don't find it that extraordinary, as some reviewers do, that a widow who had incontrovertible proof that her deceased husband was a louse would immediately fall for someone who had adored her for years and was everything she thought the louse was but wasn't. However much Leigh may have loved Logan, she knew he had betrayed her in the past, and while she may have chosen to stay with him, relationships are never quite the same after a partner strays. And the reader was given further clues about their lack of intimacy and how Leigh was the person doing all of the maintenance in the relationship. So all of the sudden, Leigh realizes that the person she was in love with didn't exist, and while she may grieve for her lost ideal, it wasn't real. Faced with that realization, love can vanish in an instant. So enter Michael Valente, one of McNaught's best heroes to date. In fact, while there are a great many things to like about McNaught's writing, I find her compelling male characters to be her best strength. She has the ability to capture what most women want in a man -- strong without being a bully, tender without being a wimp, and reliable without being a bore. In short, a real, fascinating man who is capable of completely loving and appreciating a strong, successful woman without trying to control her. Sigh. Add to this the excellent, vibrant, and well-developed secondary characters (the romance between the detectives was also quite good, and even the least-mentioned characters come alive) and the frequently humorous interplay between them, and you have a fine book. Yes, it takes a while to develop, and you don't know exactly where it's going in the beginning, but that's part of the enjoyment. In short, great read, and highly recommended!
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32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Judith McNaught's BEST contemporary to date, February 18, 2003
This book was (for me) nothing short of superb. I loved the characters and felt they were marvelously developed and incredibly believable. The secondary characters (highly important in my opinion) were terrific and added so much to this book. We were also treated to some secondary characters from previous books which is a considerable bonus to me. The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat and I literally screamed out loud more than once. One friend I spoke with said she was "standing up pacing the floor as she read" because she was so extremely anxious. Any novel that can evoke that kind of response is to be venerated. I laughed and cried, sometimes almost simultaneously, and was happily and on occasion frantically carried through the web of intrigue, cliffhangers, uncertainty, intoxication and rapture that I am sure this author wished for her readers. The plot was an intricate weaving of captivating suspense and electrifying relationships combined to keep you on a roller-coaster ride until the last fulfilling, climactic moment. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Although it is a slight departure from her previous work, I think Judith McNaught hit it "out of the park" with Someone To Watch Over Me. You will not be disappointed. Run, do not walk, to buy this book!!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
McNaught's best effort in years!, December 30, 2003
By A Customer
Judith McNaught is a classic romance writer. When I first started reading romance years ago, I read almost every one of her books. She wrote both contemporary and historical novels in the 80's and 90's and I have many favourites: Perfect, Kingdom of Dreams and Almost Heaven.. But her latest books like Night Whispers and Remember When have seemed stilted, awkward and unexciting. Well, I'm happy to report that Judith's "got her groove back" in Someone to Watch over Me. This book is an excellent page turner, full of warm, complex, wonderful characters and we get not just ONE love story but TWO! The plot has been explained by other reviewers so I won't repeat it. Just let it be said that I disagree with many of their opinions regarding the characters. First of all, I rate this book as highly as Perfect and Paradise, older McNaught novels where characterization was everything and romance permeated every page. One reviewer feels the heroine Leigh is "lacking in emotional maturity" - I found her to be warm, fragile and very sweet. Michael, her Knight in Shining Armour, is every romance reader's dream: a protective, helpful Bad Boy - cold on the outside but unbelievably caring towards his true love. The Sam and Mach story was very nicely done. Sam was amazing: smart as a whip, gorgeous but still vulnerable whereas Lieutenant Mitchell McCord was scarred, rugged and ever so capable. Both heroes and heroines have all the traits we expect as romance readers. McNaught's book did NOT disappoint. Bravo, Judith, we await more high quality books such as this one with great anticipation!
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