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The Contestant
The Contestant by Stephanie Doyle released on Jul 12, 2005 is available now for purchase.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
1 person is currently reading
70 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Doyle
64 books50 followersIt all started with Shanna and Star Wars. An odd combination, I know, but what people don't appreciate about Star Wars is the deep romantic element between two of the lead characters. I wasn't seven years-old when I was able to clearly spot that Han and Leia were supposed to be a couple.
Sure most of my friends, who at the time weren't nearly as mature as I was – after all some of them were still six, thought that Leia loved Luke. But anyone really looking could see that Han and Leia were the couple to beat.
That's when I discovered romance.
Then at about fifteen or so I was babysitting one night, bored out of my mind – the children were fast asleep at this point – so I picked a book from the shelf. I wasn't much of a reader at the time, but I liked the orange cover. It was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
That's when I discovered romance novels.
Making up stories – that's just something I've always done. It's like breathing for me. But it wasn't until I began to read actively that I thought maybe I could actually write a book. The benefit of writing over reading is that I get to have everything just the way I like it. I should mention at this point that I'm a little bit of a control freak.
But I didn't go to school for writing. In fact I went to school to be the President of the United States - make that a power hungry control freak.
I attended Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. And no, that is not a school to learn how to become a nun. Although, since I'm not married yet, my mother believes that subliminal messages were piped into the dorm rooms through hidden speakers.
I strayed from the presidential track. Figured instead of running the country I would do something really meaningful. I became a school teacher and spent two amazing years in Seattle.
Eventually I came back home to South Jersey. I got a temp job to hold me over until I could find another teaching position and have been at my current company for eight years. I keep telling my boss that I'm only staying for a little while longer. But he has since stopped listening to me.
So what else is there to know about me? I write. I work. I exercise. I try not to eat. I fail. I beat myself up for not succeeding to not eat. Then I drink. It's a simple life I lead.
I date. But that's a whole other story….
Sure most of my friends, who at the time weren't nearly as mature as I was – after all some of them were still six, thought that Leia loved Luke. But anyone really looking could see that Han and Leia were the couple to beat.
That's when I discovered romance.
Then at about fifteen or so I was babysitting one night, bored out of my mind – the children were fast asleep at this point – so I picked a book from the shelf. I wasn't much of a reader at the time, but I liked the orange cover. It was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
That's when I discovered romance novels.
Making up stories – that's just something I've always done. It's like breathing for me. But it wasn't until I began to read actively that I thought maybe I could actually write a book. The benefit of writing over reading is that I get to have everything just the way I like it. I should mention at this point that I'm a little bit of a control freak.
But I didn't go to school for writing. In fact I went to school to be the President of the United States - make that a power hungry control freak.
I attended Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. And no, that is not a school to learn how to become a nun. Although, since I'm not married yet, my mother believes that subliminal messages were piped into the dorm rooms through hidden speakers.
I strayed from the presidential track. Figured instead of running the country I would do something really meaningful. I became a school teacher and spent two amazing years in Seattle.
Eventually I came back home to South Jersey. I got a temp job to hold me over until I could find another teaching position and have been at my current company for eight years. I keep telling my boss that I'm only staying for a little while longer. But he has since stopped listening to me.
So what else is there to know about me? I write. I work. I exercise. I try not to eat. I fail. I beat myself up for not succeeding to not eat. Then I drink. It's a simple life I lead.
I date. But that's a whole other story….
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 29, 2013
This was a very good suspense romance. The heroine was quite likable, she was strong and smart but also nice. The hero was interesting, he was smitten with the heroine very quickly. The background idea of the reality series was the weakest part of the story, a series like Survivor goes to way more effort to assure the safety of the contestants. The story itself was very suspenseful, I had no idea who the murderer was until the reveal. If you like suspense romance with a survival theme, this one is worth trying!
April 5, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, it was great especially the heroine who was so kick-ass, a former Olympian diver, she had spent four years in college studying to be an accountant, when her dreamer father got into trouble and needed money and she joined a reality show to make money, hating it since she never liked the camera.
She meets a mix up of people, some spoilt, some craving adventure and the hero who can't seem to keep his eyes of her and makes it clear he wants her and is there to win. The heroine was someone really helpful, she put people before competition, she was gutsy and resourceful and capable of survival in rough conditions because her mother taught her.
I actually think the romance worked pretty well, the heroine had huge plan for her life and the hero knew that they didn't fit her nature and that she was trying to mold herself into something she thought was normal. The hero as it turned out is a cop who after getting shot decided to do something new and earn money to open a bar.
I liked that the hero chased her and was not adverse to climbing her prickly boundaries and they have some really hot sex when everything goes to hell and there is a murder and everyone is suspicious of each other, they are stuck with no contact.
I even liked the ending it was hopeful, the hero knew what he wanted namely her while she was still dealing with the fact that what she had planned was wrong.
She meets a mix up of people, some spoilt, some craving adventure and the hero who can't seem to keep his eyes of her and makes it clear he wants her and is there to win. The heroine was someone really helpful, she put people before competition, she was gutsy and resourceful and capable of survival in rough conditions because her mother taught her.
I actually think the romance worked pretty well, the heroine had huge plan for her life and the hero knew that they didn't fit her nature and that she was trying to mold herself into something she thought was normal. The hero as it turned out is a cop who after getting shot decided to do something new and earn money to open a bar.
I liked that the hero chased her and was not adverse to climbing her prickly boundaries and they have some really hot sex when everything goes to hell and there is a murder and everyone is suspicious of each other, they are stuck with no contact.
I even liked the ending it was hopeful, the hero knew what he wanted namely her while she was still dealing with the fact that what she had planned was wrong.
April 12, 2011
This was part of a blogger bundle and it was fantastic! I loved the premise and the strength of the heroine. I loved the way the hero loves how powerful she is. This is a book that I wish was longer and that's the only reason I didn't give it 5 stars.
September 4, 2015
A quick read for me. I've enjoyed the show Survivor in the past and it was interesting to read a story based on that concept. The hero was a bit of a jerk at times but overall I enjoyed it.
February 16, 2018
Enjoyable read! There’s a decision toward the end of the book that seems like such an impossibility that I can’t imagine any sane person doing it, which is why I gave the book three stars. Suspension of disbelief is an important skill for romance readers, but this was just too much, and the reason the book got three stars instead of four.
Other than that, though, there’s a lot to like. Often, it seems Silhouette and Harlequin books have a small cast of characters. In contrast, this book had a whole reality TV show cast and crew, and the author did a great job humanizing each of the characters and using them in the plot. Impressive!
There’s a lot of action, and not much romance, IMO. The hero pretty much claims the heroine immediately. He is hot and alpha, we learn, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a personality. But, she’s a great heroine, and hey, if she likes the guy, I’m glad for her.
Good choice to satisfy a taste for action romance!
Other than that, though, there’s a lot to like. Often, it seems Silhouette and Harlequin books have a small cast of characters. In contrast, this book had a whole reality TV show cast and crew, and the author did a great job humanizing each of the characters and using them in the plot. Impressive!
There’s a lot of action, and not much romance, IMO. The hero pretty much claims the heroine immediately. He is hot and alpha, we learn, but he doesn’t seem to have much of a personality. But, she’s a great heroine, and hey, if she likes the guy, I’m glad for her.
Good choice to satisfy a taste for action romance!
July 16, 2020
I rate this a 4 for the mystery and suspense of the plot not so much the romance.
November 9, 2012
Four-and-a-half years ago, Talia Mooney was a diver set to win Olympic gold. When she broke fingers on her right hand during her first dive, however, the gold-and her father's dreams-came to an end. Although Talia still took home the silver medal, for her, diving for competition's sake was over. Now she could go back to doing what she loved best-swimming, diving, and being in the water for no other reason than because she loved it.
Now, though, there are problems in Mooney-land. Her father, Colin Mooney, who lives aboard a boat named Slainte and runs Mooney's Sport Fishing Tours, has always had big dreams. And when a con man by the name of Buck Rogers comes calling with maps and charts and diaries, with a story of a sunken Spanish galleon, of course Colin falls for it. The man who had raised his daughter alone ever since his wife's death now owes a wannabe-mobster named Rocco fifty-thousand dollars. So Talia heads back to her father's home in Islamorada in the Keys, and finds that her dear old dad already has a solution on how they can raise the money to pay back the loanshark. Talia's now signed up to compete on Ultimate Endurance, a reality-TV show where all she has to do is outlast her competitors on a remote island.
Colin figures it's a given. Having grown up on the water, and being an Olympic winner, Talia has a definite edge. All she has to do is make it through a few days of competition on some island, and they'll have enough money to pay off Rocco. Talia has nothing else to do with her time and energies, since finding a job as an accountant in Miami is turning out to be more of a chore than she thought it would be.
Once on the remote island, geared up for the contest, Talia is immediately attracted to another player-Reuben Serrano, a former cop with abs and thighs of steel. As Talia and Reuben fight their feelings, a body of one of the contestants washes up on shore, and suddenly Ultimate Endurance takes on an entirely new meaning. Someone is willing to take the ultimate step to make sure they're the winner of this competition. But which player is the killer? There are several people to choose from, and as the body count rises, Talia and Reuben will have to work together to solve the puzzle.
THE CONTESTANT is an entertaining addition to the Bombshell line. Full of action and adventure, passion and suspense, this is a great book for an enjoyable evening read.
Now, though, there are problems in Mooney-land. Her father, Colin Mooney, who lives aboard a boat named Slainte and runs Mooney's Sport Fishing Tours, has always had big dreams. And when a con man by the name of Buck Rogers comes calling with maps and charts and diaries, with a story of a sunken Spanish galleon, of course Colin falls for it. The man who had raised his daughter alone ever since his wife's death now owes a wannabe-mobster named Rocco fifty-thousand dollars. So Talia heads back to her father's home in Islamorada in the Keys, and finds that her dear old dad already has a solution on how they can raise the money to pay back the loanshark. Talia's now signed up to compete on Ultimate Endurance, a reality-TV show where all she has to do is outlast her competitors on a remote island.
Colin figures it's a given. Having grown up on the water, and being an Olympic winner, Talia has a definite edge. All she has to do is make it through a few days of competition on some island, and they'll have enough money to pay off Rocco. Talia has nothing else to do with her time and energies, since finding a job as an accountant in Miami is turning out to be more of a chore than she thought it would be.
Once on the remote island, geared up for the contest, Talia is immediately attracted to another player-Reuben Serrano, a former cop with abs and thighs of steel. As Talia and Reuben fight their feelings, a body of one of the contestants washes up on shore, and suddenly Ultimate Endurance takes on an entirely new meaning. Someone is willing to take the ultimate step to make sure they're the winner of this competition. But which player is the killer? There are several people to choose from, and as the body count rises, Talia and Reuben will have to work together to solve the puzzle.
THE CONTESTANT is an entertaining addition to the Bombshell line. Full of action and adventure, passion and suspense, this is a great book for an enjoyable evening read.
December 29, 2011
I watch Survivor so when I read the back of this book..It seemed interesting and it was..A body washes up on the island U are stuck on with the other contestants..Who is the killer? I liked the inside view of how a show like this could be..I enjoyed it!
January 8, 2012
i dont usually like these suspense mystery romances but the visuals i got from this book were good and lasting...she is a smooth writer..i surprisingly enjoyed it
July 20, 2012
Vanilla romance
February 11, 2011
Awesome book - awesome premise. Awesome actiona and romance - loved it!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews