Sting
By Sandra Brown
Genre: Romantic Suspense
APPEAL FACTORS:
Tone: Steamy, suspenseful
Pace: Fast-paced
Writing Style: Well-crafted dialog
Storyline: Plot-driven
Character: Well-developed
READ-A-LIKES:
A Cold Day in Hell by Stella Cameron: Cameron's books are also steamy and suspenseful, as well as set in the American South.
When You Dare by Lori Foster: Steamy and suspenseful. The hunky lead rescues a kidnap victim and must remember not to mix business and pleasure.
Thigh High by Christina Dodd: Steamy and suspenseful. Set in Louisiana, with a subject of "sexual attraction."
Death Angel by Linda Howard: Another foray into the underbelly of the crime world in which the heroine must work with the FBI to protect the defenseless from her ruthless crime lord ex-lover.
MY TAKE:
I don't usually read this type of fiction, and after reading this, I remember why! However, it was a page turner and I was held captive until the end, not knowing what would happen. I mean, it was obvious that the dreamy assassin would somehow end up with his gorgeous victim, but in the beginning, it was impossible to tell how that could happen. I like that. I chafe at stereotypical characters that are found in romantic suspense, but no matter. This was a fun, fast read, and I enjoyed it in spite of myself.
A Cold Day in Hell by Stella Cameron: Cameron's books are also steamy and suspenseful, as well as set in the American South.
When You Dare by Lori Foster: Steamy and suspenseful. The hunky lead rescues a kidnap victim and must remember not to mix business and pleasure.
Thigh High by Christina Dodd: Steamy and suspenseful. Set in Louisiana, with a subject of "sexual attraction."
Death Angel by Linda Howard: Another foray into the underbelly of the crime world in which the heroine must work with the FBI to protect the defenseless from her ruthless crime lord ex-lover.
MY TAKE:
I don't usually read this type of fiction, and after reading this, I remember why! However, it was a page turner and I was held captive until the end, not knowing what would happen. I mean, it was obvious that the dreamy assassin would somehow end up with his gorgeous victim, but in the beginning, it was impossible to tell how that could happen. I like that. I chafe at stereotypical characters that are found in romantic suspense, but no matter. This was a fun, fast read, and I enjoyed it in spite of myself.
Jeannine,
ReplyDeleteYour description of the book makes me think of the way fantasy and sci-fi subgenres are described in N. Holland's 'Understanding the Genre's' chapter (for Week 7)! Even though this isn't your particular kind of story, it was great that it kept you interested until the end. I just finished reading 'The Selection', which is the first in a YA series that is popular right now, and I ended up describing it in much the same way to a coworker. 'I basically know what's going to happen...because it's formulaic. But I'll read more of the series anyway, because I want to see how the author gets to the end I know is coming.' Sometimes, those are exactly the kinds of stories our readers are looking for, so it's great when you come across one which fits so firmly into that space! Would you put this on a 'sure bets' list for if you are ever asked for this particular kind of book? It sounds like it meets some of those criteria.
It's definitely standard romantic suspense fare. I think someone who likes the genre would like this book. Full disclosure, though, a woman I work with who loves Sandra Brown claims that this is not one of her favorites. Oh well, what are you going to do?
DeleteCan't get 'em every time!
DeleteHi, Jeannine-
ReplyDeleteOne thing I love about this class is that it is taking me out of my comfort zone! I tend to read the same genre every time I pick up a book to read, so it is nice to try out new things. I like that you said you liked it "despite myself." I think that is also a good reminder to get out of that comfort zone, and have more books/authors to recommend to patrons. Do you think you will pick up and read more books like this in the future?
I'm pretty sure I won't. Not because I hated it or anything, but there are way too many books I WANT to read to waste time on books that I'd rather not read, you know?
DeleteJeannine,
ReplyDeleteI like how honest you were in your review! Despite it not being your usual read, you still found some positives, even though you may not pick up another one anytime soon. You also picked some great read-a-likes, with each of them focusing on a few different features of the original book.
Jeannine,
ReplyDeleteI love your word choice with your plot summary! I have heard a lot about Sandra Brown and her books are popular at my library. This sounds like a fast read for someone who wants to get away for a while and deal with someone else’s problems. I agree with your take, you can just about always guess that the main character will fall in love with the bad boy, but I find, when the writing is good, I don’t mind as much if I can guess their future relationship. I like that you gave a brief synopsis of the read-alike books to help readers get a better understanding of why they are similar to Sting. I’m glad you enjoyed the book!
Hi Jeannine! I'm glad you enjoyed your pick, even if begrudgingly :) . I haven't been selecting very good books for my annotations. My romantic suspense choice was just okay and I'm really getting annoyed by my gentle read. I've heard about Sandra Brown for years, but I think she had a heroine who was wearing fur and that was a deal breaker for me. I find it interesting you picked Howard's Death Angel as a read-alike. I agree the plot sounds similar, but from your description of the Brown book I doubt they are similar in tone. Death Angel is about two very broken people and is very somber, not fun. Have you read that book or were you just looking for similar plots? I'm really curious how we figure out tone of books we have not read. When I worked as the full-time stocker of the children's section of the Evansville B&N (it was a huge store with an escalator to the 2nd story) my manager got me a subscription to a children's review magazine so I would be able to recommend books. I think I'm definitely going to have to start reading reviews for some of these genres I know little to nothing about.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the word "fun" was not the best choice for my take on the book. Although there were perhaps some moments of levity, they were few and far between. The similarities between this book and Death Angel were the crime aspects of the plot and the steamy suspense aspects. Further, our protagonists are not "broken", but they both carry baggage that affects their lives in important ways. So, "fun" was not really a good word. Thanks for pointing that out.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeannine! I'm sorry if my post came off as critical. I was just thinking out loud about how can determine tone. I do think you did an excellent job picking Death Angel based on plot.
DeleteNo worries! You made a good point!
ReplyDeleteFantastic annotation. I really love that you included your personal opinions after your review. Your summary, appeals, and read-alikes are pot on. Full points!
ReplyDelete