Series: Rescues

Sunday Spotlight: Diamond Bay by Linda Howard

Posted August 4, 2019 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 17 Comments

Sunday Spotlight is a feature we began in 2016. This year we’re spotlighting our favorite books, old and new. We’ll be raving about the books we love and being total fangirls. You’ve been warned. 🙂

This is an oldie, but goody. Kell Sabin is smokin’ hot and Rachel is a strong, capable heroine. This book has everything. Romance, suspense, hot sex. If y’all haven’t read this book, what are you waiting for? It’s a gem that you don’t want to miss out on!

Sunday Spotlight: Diamond Bay by Linda HowardDiamond Bay by Linda Howard
Series: Rescues #2
Also in this series: Heartbreaker, Midnight Rainbow (Rescues #1)
Publisher: MIRA
Publication Date: November 24, 1997
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 247
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Series Rating: four-stars

Rachel Jones wasn't looking for trouble, much less a man, but in Kell Sabin she found both. On a hot summer's night Kell is washed up - barely alive - on a Florida beach and into Rachel's life. Her instincts tell her to help him, and their love blossoms as he recovers from his injuries. But by falling in love with Kell, Rachel has put her own life in danger from the forces that want him dead. Once fate has brought them together, can they learn to live apart?


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Excerpt

“Have we been sleeping together?”

Her breasts had tightened painfully, begging for that touch to be transferred to them, for him to claim them as he had before.His question destroyed what little concentration she had left.”This… there’s only this one bed. I don’t have a couch, only the love seats – ”

“So we’ve been in the same bed for four days,” he interrupted, stopping a flow of words that she had felt edging toward incoherency. His eyes were glittering again, but this time with a different fire, and she couldn’t look away. “You’ve been taking care of me.”

She drew a deep, shuddering breath. “Yes.”

“All alone?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve been feeding me.”

“Yes.”

“Bathing me.”

“Yes. Your fever – I had to sponge you with cool water to keep it down.”

“You did everything that had to be done, took care of me like a baby.”She didn’t know what to say, what to do. His hand was still on her, his palm warm and hard against the softness of her flesh.

“You touched me,” he said. “All over.”

She swallowed. “It was necessary.”

“I remember your hands on me. I liked it, but when I woke up this morning I thought it was a dream.”

“You did dream,” she said.

“Have I seen you naked?”

“No!”

“Then how do I know what your breasts look like? How they feel in my hands? It wasn’t all a dream, Rachel. Was it?”

A hot, wild blush colored her face, giving him an answer even before she spoke. Her voice was stifled, and she looked away from him, her embarrassment at last freeing her from his gaze.

“Twice, when you woke up, you… uh…grabbed me.”

“Helped myself to the goodies?”

“Something like that.”

“And I saw you?”

She made a helpless gesture toward her neck. “My nightgown drooped when I bent over you. The neckline was hanging open….”

“Was I rough?”

“No,” she whispered.

“Did you like it?”

Rescues

Giveaway Alert

We’re giving one lucky winner their choice of one of our Sunday Spotlight books. Use the widget below to enter for one of this month’s features.

Sunday Spotlight: August 2019

Are you as excited for this release as we are? Let us know how excited you are and what other books you’re looking forward to this year!

About Linda Howard

Linda Howard is the award-winning author of many New York Times bestsellers, including Up Close and Dangerous, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Cover of Night, Killing Time, To Die For, Kiss Me While I Sleep, Cry No More, and Dying to Please. She lives in Alabama with her husband and two golden retrievers.


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Summer Reading Challenge Review: Midnight Rainbow by Linda Howard

Posted August 29, 2018 by Rowena in Reviews | 8 Comments

Summer Reading Challenge Review: Midnight Rainbow by Linda HowardReviewer: Rowena
Midnight Rainbow (Rescues #1) by Linda Howard
Series: Rescues #1
Also in this series: Heartbreaker
Publisher: Mira Books
Publication Date: February 1, 1986
Point-of-View: Third
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Pages: 256
Add It: Goodreads
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Series Rating: four-stars

Grant Sullivan had been one of the government's most effective agents, and he's agreed to rescue Jane Hamilton Greer, a wealthy socialite possibly engaged in espionage. In the time they spent together, questions of guilt and innocence began to fade against the undeniable reality that two people from such different worlds should never have met.

This is the second book that I read for our Summer Reading Challenge and while there were things that I didn’t like in the book, overall I really enjoyed the story.

So retired government agent Grant Sullivan is approached by a really rich guy with a job offer that he can’t exactly refuse. Grant just wants to be left alone so that he can work on his farm and live out the rest of his life in peace but when Jane Hamilton Greer needs to be rescued in Costa Rica, Grant knows that he’s the best person for the job because nobody can move in the jungle the same way that he can. The money from this job will pay off his mortgage and he’ll be set for life so why not?

Jane doesn’t make rescuing her easy. When Grant gets to her, she messes up his plans by attacking him and then trying to run away from him. When their escape plans go wrong, they are in each other’s company for longer than they anticipated and their relationship changes fast. They’re running from the man who kidnapped Jane in the first, the man with all kinds of bad guy connections and their ride off the island doesn’t work out so they’re on their own. Grant is grumpy, Jane feels guilty and emotions run high.

As far as characters go, I really liked Jane. She was smart, she was strong and she wasn’t one of those annoying heroines that spend most of the time in the jungle complaining about how much walking they did. She tried to help Grant with whatever she could help him with and she didn’t try to make things more difficult for the two of them. I really liked the person that she was and at times, I didn’t think Grant deserved her.

There were times when I wanted to kick Grant in his junk because he was so mean but boy did I end up loving the heck out of him in the end. I loved when he went to his Mom in the end and told her that he was getting married. I thought that was adorable.

I will say that a couple of things kept throwing me out of the story. The lack of protection, the lack of communication about protection (they just kept having unprotected sex after unprotected sex without any kind of discussion on anything) and how dated the story was. Also, Jane fell in love way too fast with Grant but despite those minor issues, I still really enjoyed this one. Haha, go figure. I read this one pretty fast and was invested in what was happening so I know that I’ll probably read this one again.

Overall, the story itself was pretty basic. Hero rescues heroine because heroine was taken by the bad guys, the bad guys chase hero and heroine all over Costa Rica, they make it out alive and fall in love but I really did come to love both Grant and Jane. Jane was my kind of heroine and Grant was gruff and tough but he didn’t have any afro puffs. Still, he rocked on with his bad self. This is classic Linda Howard and if you’re a fan of her older romantic suspenses then you’ll enjoy this one. Thanks for the recommendation, Holly & Casee.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Rescues


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Review: Heartbreaker by Linda Howard

Posted April 22, 2008 by Holly in Reviews | 5 Comments

Review: Heartbreaker by Linda HowardReviewer: Holly
Heartbreaker by Linda Howard
Series: Kell Sabin #3, Rescues #3
Also in this series: Midnight Rainbow (Rescues #1)

Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 384
Add It: Goodreads
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three-half-stars

Available digitally for the first time ever, Heartbreaker is a classic novel of romantic suspense from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Linda Howard
Michelle Cabot reluctantly returns home to central Florida, having inherited her father's cattle ranch—and the mountain of bills that go with it. But Michelle's determined to turn things around, even as she discovers she's heavily indebted to neighboring rancher John Rafferty, a man she's spent ten years trying to forget.
John has his own ideas for how the spoiled princess he remembers might pay him back—but when Michelle's secrets come to light, he'll do anything to protect her…including letting go of the past once and for all.
Featuring an excerpt from TROUBLEMAKER, Linda Howard’s new hardcover novel!

 

John Rafferty has been enamored of Michelle Cabot most of his adult life, even though he’s convinced she’s nothing but a spoiled little rich girl. But when opportunity knocks, he takes full advantage by roping Michelle in to a bargain she can’t refuse. After her father passed away, Michelle is left basically destitute and John holds a note against the property that he decides to call due, knowing she won’t be able to pay him off. His plan? To teach her a lesson..and to finally get his hands on her.

Michelle is determined, for once in her life, to prove she’s worth more than being some man’s trophy. Though it’s tough, she’s doing all that she can to keep her father’s ranch alive. When John Rafferty comes in to the picture, Michelle knows her heart is in trouble. Despite her feelings, she knows she can’t let him take away her newfound independence. When things outside of her control force her into moving in with John, she knows it’s only a matter of time before she completely loses herself to him. But then strange things start happening, and Michelle is terrified her past is finally catching up to her. When she turns to John for help she finally realizes she has to rely on herself.

I know a lot of people have issues with this book, because John is such an overbearing ass, and Michelle was one of those heroines that really skirts the TSTL line. John was an ass to Michelle. He thinks he’s got her figured out right from the beginning. Watching him realize she’s not at all what he thought is wonderful. Michelle holds herself back because she knows how John really feels about her and also because she’s been hurt in the past and doesn’t want to get hurt again. This annoys John greatly. And watching John be annoyed brought me great joy, because like I said, he really was an ass to Michelle.

But he was redeemed for me in the end, because I came to realize that what he does, he does out of love for her. Although Michelle can’t see it, the reader can, and that completely saved him for me.

I did get frustrated with him when he didn’t believe Michelle when she got run off the road, but I like that he realized he was wrong and admitted it (if only to himself). Still, the way he and Michelle skirted around things without actually discussing them was almost too much for me. Almost. In the end I enjoyed the book, even if it isn’t a favorite. I still say it’s somewhat underrated.

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Mira. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

three-half-stars


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