Customer Reviews

Winter Roses (Harlequin Romance: Long, Tall Texans)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Ms. Palmer has about beat this horse to death. Pick any one of her books and I can tell you the plot. Tall, dark, hairy alpha male, usually a smoker, usually in his mid to late 30s, angry at women and ready to take it out on the Mary Sue-ish heroine. The girl is usually late teens to early twenties, EXTREMELY naive and sheltered, virginal and fixated on the hero since she was a child. She's spunky, but crumbles under the continued verbal abuse the "hero" sends her way. Eventually they will overcome terrorists/drug dealers/corporate raiders to live happily ever after in the town of Jacobsville.

Honestly, this place has so many alpha males that tourists must smell the testosterone 5 miles away.

This story has plot holes so large, one could drive a Mac truck through them. The hero is SO willing to believe the lies of the evil sister, even though he knows what a lying, whoring, drug dealing bimbo she is. The secondary male lead (the sherriff) is equally ridiculous in his grudge against yet another young, spunky virgin, whom he blames for the death of his brother, even though there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary smacking him in his thick bone head. This book is just a fill in the slots, paint by number cheat to all of Diana Palmer's fans. It's been told, over and over and over and ...

C'mon, Ms. Palmer. PLEASE try a fresh plot. Pretty please? With hairy men on top?

So...I should begin by saying, I'm a fan. I know that at this point all her books are the same. A Blond, green eyed, plain faced, unsophisicated country girl head over heels in love with a dark, brooding, malboro man. Yet and still....she amuses me. I like the fights, I look forward to the break ups and make ups (even if theyre all the same)...but this book....was justt....not OKAY!
Its like shes not even trying any more. Like Norah Hess (another author who although shamlessly predictable is entertaining), Miss Palmer has seem to have lost the Love in the love story. I have read all of her books, and I really must say, this was soooo disapointing, and was way to short to reedeem itself.
Well....at least the covers pretty

I have read Diana Palmer books for years and some of her writing is really good and heartwarming. In the past few years, the quality of her work has steadily decreased. I rated this book three stars because it is right in line with her last 10 to 15 titles. I thought the one star reviews were a little harsh. Ivy and Stuart's romance starts off as most Palmer books do: a makeout session that allows the characters to realize they love each other, but it also inevitably tears them apart. Some sort of crisis (a death in her family and the notorious Jacobsville drug cartel - haha) brings them back together and then they get married. Yes, her plots, heroes, and heroines tend to be dated and hard to believe...but that's what makes her Diana Palmer. I guess I am always hoping that she will reclaim some of her former magic and really impress with the next book...or the next...or the next. Sigh.

I actually used to enjoy Diana Palmer's books. You knew what you're going to get - alpha jerk hero, innocent virgin heroine, etc. But usually enjoyable fun. Her last several books however, have been very thin on the romance plot. This one is worse than most. She spends more time introducing the characters for the next book than she does on the main characters' romance. Plus, the "intrigue/mystery" elements she puts in each book are laughable. I mean, with all the ex-mercenary, ex-special forces, super-stud cowboys in the town of Jacobsville, no self-respecting criminal would run an international drug ring out of that town!

Palmer's stories have links to her previous novels, bringing in familiar characters. Story lines are somewhat similar, but have enough variations to be interesting. Once again the hero is strong and righteous, and the heroine innocent and self-effacing, but spunky. Misunderstandings cause strife, but all comes out well in the ending. An okay book; I enjoyed it.

First, let me say that I am a Diana Palmer fan. I have usually felt a Diana Palmer book comes with a "guarantee" that it will be worth the read (and money!). Winter Roses just does not deliver. By the time I reached chapter 2, I was wondering if Ms. Palmer had really written the book (or proof read it). There are several instances where she contradicts herself in the story. It's horrible when an author can't remember what s/he wrote in the previous 10 pages. The plot and relationships are not well developed. I did not feel the connection at all! This book was a huge disappointment and difficult to even finish. I'll definitely read the reviews before I purchase another Diana Palmer book.

I wish I could rate this one as zero. Sure I knew that Ms Palmer's books are predictable. That's why I read them: a touching, comfort read with no surprises. Only this one completely left out the touching part. The characters were cardboard cutouts. An alpha male is not a staring, former rodeo jock who suffered child abuse if he NEVER acts like it! The heroine is not a love-struck virgin who suffered child abuse and wants to avoid bad alpha male if she DOESN'T MOVE out of the small town! Palmer fans, please avoid this one and read one of dogged-eared Jacobsville books.

Hey! Did you know that this book made the New York Times Bestsellers list?? Yep!! How did that happen? I'm not quite sure. Well, I will no longer trust the New York Times Bestseller's List. The Cole Facts are in and the verdict is: This was the WORST story that I've read this year. Read at your own risk!

I bought this book on impulse. I wish I had read the reviews first. This is truly one of the worst books I have ever read. I won't detail this book's many faults as they have been adequately described by other reviewers.

This book was so bad that I won't ever buy another book by this writer. I understand that she is quite popular. Why, I cannot fathom.

I'm giving Winter Roses a four star because it is almost classic Palmer, and Diana Palmer is one of my top five authors for delivering consistently readable romance. Almost classic because for once the hero treats the heroine with total respect. He never says or does anything cruel to her ever, throughout the entire book!! Diana Palmer gets bashed alot for her cruel heros, and I am surprised reviewers aren't giving her credit for creating one who isn't cruel at all. Frankly, I kept waiting for it and I did miss that element of heartache. I like Ivy Conley except for her continued devotion to her evil worthless sister, which adds an unbearable element to the story. Stuart York is too typical (among men in Jacobsville) and too nice with no new or interesting quirks.
This isn't the best of Palmer by any means, and will only be of future interest as it introduces (awkwardly!) future Long Tall Texans. If you like Diana Palmer and the Long Tall Texans, you will want to give this book a quick read -- and it is only 3.99 new at Amazon!