Customer Reviews

Thunder Island

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

 

 

Though he hates the unpredictability and possible deaths, Kyle Parker enjoys being a civilian instructor teaching antiterrorist training to Navy SEALs. However, his current assignment leaves him a bit shocked as his superior Michael Dowd informs him the Navy has agreed to train civilian police departments on the latest anti-terrorism techniques. The first group to attend comes from the Miami-Dade police department and includes a woman, Jennifer Whitmore. She turns out to be Kyle's Jenny who he has not seen in over fifteen years. Now she is engaged to marry Chad Roberts.

As he provides instruction to her and her five classmates, their original attraction heats up even hotter than the Key West sun. However, neither expected to become partners in a murder investigation. Someone killed Chad at the Thunder Island resort where they are all staying, and the local police believe Jenny is that someone. As Jenny and Kyle investigate the murder, they fall in love, but will he allow her to walk like he did the first time they were together?

THUNDER ISLAND is a humorous romantic suspense that includes elements from a police procedural. The story line is fast-paced and filled with action that will please fans of both sub-genres. The lead couple is an attractive duo, but this plot is abducted by the support cast. This enchanting, eccentric array of individuals (and one set of twins) captures the audience. Meryl Sawyer provides her fans with a whimsical romantic police procedural that deserves a wide audience because it is an entertaining novel.

Harriet Klausner

After fifteen years Kyle Parker and Jennifer Whitmore never expected to ever see eachother again, but fate has brought them together.

Jennifer tried for fifteen years to get over her first love, and she has finally succeeded. Engaged to be married, Jennifer has gotten on with her life and has enrolled in the militarys anti-terrorism raining. The last person she expects to see if Kyle, the instructor.

Kyle can't believe his eyes. For fifteen years he had been trying to forget Jennifer, but unable to do so. When he first sees her he is shocked. Why did she never contact him all these years?

Eventually Jennifer and Kyle are forced to admit their true feelings, but there is a killer among them and Jennifer is falsly accused to murder. Is their love strong enough?

This was a pretty good book, but a weak storyline. There are parts of the book I just plain didn't understand why it was in the book. Why the scene in the beginning where Jennifer is "undercover" mudwresting? Overall, good book. I enjoyed being reunited with Matt and Amy from Half Moon Bay and especially Logan and Kelly from Tempting Fate.

Meryl Sawyer has been touted as one of the leading ladies of romantic suspense. In THUNDER ISLAND, her latest book, she brings together two former lovers whose lives have been made difficult by past misunderstandings and unexpected deaths.

Sawyer's characters were wholly realistic and believable. The secrets both kept from each other, and the inadvertant misunderstandings, strengthened their relationship. They could each sense the other's pain and rather than making fantastical accusations (as so often happens), they strove to find the source of the pain and to ease it.

I only took issue with Kyle's attitude and treatment of Jenny when she first joined his class. His condescending attitude really irked me, but of course, anti-terrorism is a male-dominated profession and part of that male bastion of careers that have little tolerance for women.

My only other problem with this book was that the "suspense" part of it didn't really build until the last 4 chapter or so (the part that the back blurb indicates is the main part of the book--"But the aftermath of their desire leads to murder--and Jennifer is the prime suspect in a crime that has its twisted roots in Thunder Island's maze of shocking secrets and dangerous lies..."). And it was easily solved, with little suspense. But the romance part was great. Based on this book, I've gone out to buy as much of Meryl Sawyer's backlist as possible!

I have been a big fan of Meryl Sawyer's other books, but I have to say from Page One I couldn't get past the simplistic writing style. Before you buy this book, read an excerpt or two and count how many times the character's names are mentioned (like the reader can't follow a conversation between two people for more than a line or two without re-identifying the characters). Skip this one!

As all of Meryl's books, this one has a unique setting and a great twist. I don't want to give it away, but I know you'll like it.
The romance is strong. It shows the strength of first love and the tragedy that can alter a life forever. Then your world can be put back together.
I liked the antiterrorist stuff. Very interesting after the events of 9-11.
Sadie, the dog was wonderful. Meryl always has a great animal in her book. A character, not just window dressing.
This book is truly a keeper.

This book was given to me by a friend and it was a fairly good read because of its Key West setting, but where were the editors and why didn't somebody check the book for accuracy before publication? I had a really hard time getting past the storm cellars (which are non-existant) in Key West and characters going underground (which is the LAST place you'd want to be) with a hurricane approaching. That being said, I'll probably give Merly Sawyer another chance and give "Half Moon Bay" a try.

I do feel that this novel was a tad more suspenseful than some of her others, but it did not have the emotional attachment as Tempting Fate or Half Moon Bay. I did notice though that this was the only one in the series that was labeled as a romantic suspense rather than a contemporary romance. I have a feeling the author was trying to expand yet did not do the best job. She tried to keep the suspense going throughout the book, and even tried shocking the reader with her surprise ending, but it was very anticlimactic as another reader mentioned. I have read books much worse, but do not believe that this particular novel is one of her best. It is just an okay read. Check it out from the library rather than buying it. That way you won't be too sorry that you spent the money.

I have loved Ms. Sawyer's stories of romantic suspense for years, and she didn't disappoint me for one second in this book. She always does something different from other writers, and I'm always fascinated by her excellent plots and settings. I think this book has more romance than her previous ones, which I loved. At times she reminds me of a female Sidney Sheldon. Once you start this book, you just can't put it down. She is a great storyteller!

This book was, for lack of a more appropriate word, lame. It had a lot of potential, but the characters were given no depth. Just mentioning in passing that a character has emotional complexity doesn't make the reader buy it. Also, it just didn't make enough sense that neither Jenny or Kyle EVER stopped thinking about the relationship they had when they were 15 years old. Give me a break, they're both 30! We're expected to believe that memories and feelings from adolescence are just as fresh, vivid, and automatic to them now - 15 years hasn't changed anything?? Kyle's traveled all over doing anti-terrorist work, yet his teenage liaison with Jenny haunts him daily...but somehow he NEVER got in touch with her again?? Please! And that "you moved and i didn't know your forwarding address" bit is weak enough, but after we've read pages & pages about all of Kyle's high tech electronic equipment - like omnicient laptops and voice-programmed uzis - we're expected to believe he knew of no resources that would help him locate Jenny's telephone number?? The sex (which was pretty minimal) was lackluster, and I couldn't help feeling that the 'sad secret' Jenny had kept hidden was just a manipulative plot device designed to provide the "tug-on-your-heart-strings" portion of the love story. And their ultimate resolution was anticlimactic.

For a light, quick read, I suppose that Thunder Island is an acceptable choice, but don't expect too much. Although it is the third in a series, the book stands on its own, with very little interaction of the preceding characters. (I'm not necessarily saying this is a good thing, we've met the other characters, and I would like to see them again.) I think the editor needed to be a little more astute while editing. There are many repetitive themes, such as observing the beautiful sunset or being told twice why the house is called Thunder Island.

There is also something missing in Kyle and Jenny's relationship. Here is a couple who loved each other while young, and now, after 15 years, almost half their lives apart, Kyle can't live without Jenny, and although powerfully attracted to him, Jenny can't accept a relationship with Kyle. In all that time they were apart, they never tried to find one another, call, hell even look through the internet. This is explained, but not to my satisfaction, especially if they really loved one another. Why was Jenny's number always busy, why didn't she leave a forwarding address? Without giving away the plot (which I figured out after 35 pages), I can't figure out why Jenny acted the way she did after everything that happened. Losing her lover, then her mother to suicide, being alone with a stepfather she barely knows, I should have strong feelings of sympathy towards her, but my emotions were never really aroused. I also had a problem believing Kyle's character. After seeing him as such a tough guy in the last books I can't believe his soft spot for Jenny. He basically sacrifices his life, giving up his livelihood for his love, uses no backbone, and not going after her the second time all contradict what I perceived as his character.

The plot devises used were also a bit convenient. In the story we are shown some top secret government equipment, and surprise surprise, that specific equipment is needed to break the case or to find the child. Way too convenient for my tastes. Everything is exactly where we need it, when we need it, corrupt police sheriff and all. There is some witty conversation, and I just loved Sadie, the rescue dog, but saw nothing special to recommend this story.