Love You to Death

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:03:00 +0000

Love You to Death raises many moral questions: How far would you go to have a loved one returned to you? Would you fly halfway around the world on a moments’ notice because you had a hunch something was wrong? Would you put your own life in danger to save a loved one?

Catching a last minute flight from Hong Kong to Illinois cost Elise McBride a fortune, but she would pay that numerous times over to make sure her sister came home safely. Ashley had only been missing a few days when Elise flew into town, a move thought as extreme by neighbors and local police. Ashley was a flighty twenty-one-year-old who they did not believe was missing until Elise persisted in the matter.

Doing everything she possibly can to track down Ashley under the unsolicited supervision of ex-cop Trent Brady, Elise finds a disturbing image on Ashley’s computer. Unbeknownst to Ashley, as she was snapping pictures of the animals outside, she caught the picture of a man hiding behind a tree in her yard. Ashley had become the object of desire by one very deranged maniac, Gary Maitland. As the days drag on and the body count rises, the search for Ashley becomes more frantic. Willing to do anything, including putting her own life in danger as bait, Elise wants her sister returned safely.

Maitland had lost his wife in a car accident many years before. Unable to let go of his perfect wife, he kept her body refrigerated in his basement, giving him access to her anytime her wanted. His need to keep his wife near sent him on a killing spree leaving many devastated families in his wake. Using body parts from the women that he kidnapped and murdered, Maitland was creating a new body for his beloved wife, whose was crushed in the accident. In his eyes, no other woman would ever measure up to Wendy.

Love You to Death brings together romance and murder in an expected way. Girl meets ruggedly hot neighbor, girl sleeps with ruggedly hot neighbor, well, you know how that goes. The plot itself seemed to lack the intrigue that made you want to know what happened next. The last seven chapters made the book. Love You to Death was a good casual read, but not something that gripped my undivided attention from start to finish.

Written by: Ryanick Paige, January 14th 2010

No Control

admin — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:17:00 +0000

By Shannon K. Butcher

Grand Central Publishing

While Shannon K. Butcher is definitely a good writer, if you’ve read one “Romantic Suspense” novel, you’ve read them all. This genre inspires books that are all basically the same (predictable) except the characters’ names and settings are different.

In this particular book, No Control, a woman named Lana Hancock is captured by a terrorist group only to be freed by a large man named Caleb Stone, an army guy who had infiltrated the terrorists’ ranks. Months after her recovery, the terrorist group is after her again because of what she witnessed through the slit in her head covering, and Caleb must protect her. Naturally, Lana hates Caleb, as she associates him with her awful ordeal and isn’t remotely interested in having him look out for her.

Don’t these books always start out with one main character hating the other, or the two main characters hate each other? Yet dramatic circumstances that never happen to anyone always somehow ensue, which of course always leads to mind-blowing sex. Amazing how that happens.

What’s always amazing is the sex in these types of books. It’s always the most amazing, bestest sex ever, despite the fact that it’s the first time! Everyone’s bodies are always perfect, smooth, and muscular in all the right places! Everyone always smells fantastic, and there’s no unsightly body hair or body acne! The guy’s package is always freakin’ huge! There’s almost never any mention of a condom, even though these people usually barely know each other! In this case, however, a condom is used. Characters always say ridiculous, dramatic things to each other! Seriously, if a guy said to me what Caleb says to Lana in this story I’d throw up. For hours.

Let’s also discuss how the guy in these stories is all about the woman and wants nothing except to protect her (old-fashioned and sexist!) and have sex with her for the rest of her life. Would he ever look at another woman or cheat on her?! Of course not! This is a Romantic Suspense novel! The two main characters are going to be together forever and ever. And ever. It’s just so realistic

I have never understood the appeal of books like No Control, except that there are unfortunate women out there who believe this kind of stuff actually happens, and hopefully, will happen to them. It’s absurd and sad. The sooner women give up the insane fantasies about men these books perpetuate, the better off all women will be!

Written by: Kent Page McGroarty, June 17th 2008