Customer Reviews

Uneasy Alliance (Famous Firsts)

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

 

 

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This is a decent read, nothing special. Abby London is hiding a secret, a past with a stalker/jealous boyfriend and an almost affair with her cousin's husband when cousin was pregnant. Now someone is trying to blackmail her because of it.

Torr Latimer, is a man she meets in a flower arranging class. After 1 date is declaring he owns her etc....so dated. These are not bad reads. And I often like to catch the ones I missed, but I really resent very dated books being fostered off on us with high prices.

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Reprint, so check for it in your library--you won't want to spend for this one. Very tired plot involving male domination as the way to a woman's heart. It definitely shows it's '80's roots. Plot is somewhat contrived and it's obvious who the bad guy is early on. Very disappointing

I'm usually a big JAK fan, but this one was nothing to write home about. I couldn't help wondering why the heroine would want to end up with such an overbearing jerk. :) When the hero isn't someone you'd want to get to know, the book isn't enjoyable.

I've read many of Jayne Ann Krentz's books - especially the more recent ones, and have found them to be very enjoyable. However, I'd have to say this was the worst book I have ever read. The "possessive" theme, with the hero (although I'm not sure that I would call him that) continuously saying "You belong to me" or "You're mine" to the heroine, is completely disturbing. The author seems to be conveying the idea that as long as someone loves you it's okay to make these statements. Possessiveness is not romantic in any way shape or form.
It was a struggle just to finish the book. New readers should stick to her more recent books.

Abby and Torr are a reasonably good couple together; she's endearing, moral, and fairly amusing, and they have decent chemistry together. The rest of the plot is a fairly low-key mystery that suits Krentz's older books.

Here is what is strange about this book:

"I think," he whispered huskily, "I'd give you just about anything you wanted except..."
"Except what?"
Your freedom, Torr finished savagely in his head.

That is not comforting in any way, shape, or form for the male lead to say. Every once in awhile, into what is otherwise a perfectly average book, that type of overbearing, intimidating and excessively controlling alpha male attitude is inserted, and far from romantic, it results in being quite creepy. A degree of tolerance is greatly needed if one wants to round out the Krentz collection; otherwise, stick to her other books.

If you enjoy Jayne Ann Krentz for its spunky heroines and quirky heroes, then don't buy this book. I gave up after a few chapters. It's original copyright date of 1984 should have been a warning: Abby, the heroine, is ditzy, and Torr, the hero, is patronizing and sexist. I'm so glad Krentz's style grew, but I'll stick to her more recent titles.

This book is not a keeper or even a book I care to finish. The Hero goes around proclaiming 'she is his and what's to think about and it's a done deal', etc. As another reviewer stated, what a dated stale romance this is! I'm glad young girls today don't read this kind of tripe on a regular basis! Avoid this book, put the money in the church basket or give a big tip to a hard working server!

Good story, a little "dated" in the way the main characters interacted. Torr was overbearing in protecting Abby and she should have objected stronger given her past experience.

This novel is a bust. It's hard to get into the storyline when you don't even like the characters. Torr Latimer in a nutshell is a bully that makes every decisions like Abby London is 5 yrs old. Abby London is the ultimate pushover not able to directing her own affairs. Plus a plot that is so unlikely that you wonder how it was written. I love Jayne Ann Krantz but this is a pass.

I liked this book. However, there were lots of questions left in my mind after I read it.
Aby met Torr in a flower arranging class. And he fell in love with her right away, but she didn't trust men easily (due to her past with them). It isn't until she is being blackmailed and Torr wants to protect her that she starts trusting him. Then she falls in love with him. He hides her out at his house up in the woods until they figure out what to do and who is trying to blackmail her.
She was being blackmailed with some photos that someone had taken of her and her cousin's husband at a hotel. She is very close to her cousin. But my question is, is why on earth would she not tell her cousin right away anyway, because Aby swears up and down that nothing happened between herself and her cousin's husband that night. So, if nothing had happened then why try to hide it from her cousin? That didn't make any sense to me. Second, I still would like to know why Torr was taking a class on flower arranging? He was such a strong man in this story, I could NOT picture him in a flower class. Also, we hear all about Aby's past, but all we hear about Torr's is that he was married before and his wife was killed in a boating accident. The blackmailer's identity was so easy too guess from the start. I knew who it was throughout the whole book. Then Aby acted surprised to find out who it was. She was a little ditzy dumb in this book. Torr was GREAT! Maybe a little overbearring at times, but he made up for it.