Breathless

Charisma Inc. #2

by Ruth Glick (creator), Eileen Buckholtz

"Sandy beaches, blue skies, and a boatload of boys...What more could a girl ask for? Amber Carson seems to be having fun in the sun, modeling for a fashion video on an island in the Flroida Keys. But there's more to Amber than sunglasses and bikinis. As an undercover agent for Charisma, Inc., she is searching for a coast guard ship which has mysteriously disappeared. A crew of young divers is helpful--especially Steve, a friendly blond diver who's got his eyes on her. But everyone is a suspect--even a gorgeous guy with a killer smile. Then a strange turn of events leaves Amber stranded on the island, surrounded by miles of ocean and dozens of suspects. There's trouble on Paradise Key--and Amber could be the next victim!"

Genres: Young Adult, Mystery

Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Ruth Glick is an American writer of cookbooks, romance and young adult novels. She has written novels under the pseudonym Rebecca York; until 1997 these were written in collaboration with Eileen Buckholtz.

Reviews

[Erica Leigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly fun. The Charisma teen models are staging a fashion shoot in the Bahamas…and taking down drug cartels. Scuba diving, explosives (!), AND guns in this one.

[Paula Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amber Carson and Samantha St James are on an island in the Florida Keys for a fake fashion shoot while they investigate the disappearance of a coast guard ship. Amber falls head over heels for Steven O'Neil, a diver doing an internship on a boat carrying out studies (or something) of the local reefs. After nearly being set alight during a photo shoot, it becomes apparent that someone wants Amber, or her team, off the island!

I enjoyed the first book in this series, but this book is a whole lot of...nothing. Nothing seems to happen. A coast guard ship and its crew have gone missing, but the story barely branches out from there. Amber and Samantha muse that Steven or one of the other people on the island could be "involved in what's going on"...but what's going on? The story remains vague for a very long time. I find suspense is developed when the reader is at least presented with a few options or motives for an entire ship being downed. This story is far more preoccupied with the insta-love story between Amber and Steven. We then get this bizarre moment when Steven completely loses his shit because Amber won't go meet him alone in an abandoned shed. He tracks her down, chases her, throws her to the ground and pins her there, then throws her over his shoulder to carry her himself to their rendezvous point. What the actual fuck? Not long after that, they're kissing!

There are a couple of decent moments as it hits its climax, and the whole affair has a slight goofy charm, but this very meh and lackluster.

[Kristin]

DNF page 25. This series is just doesn’t with the Nancy Drew Files.

[Reading with Cats · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, I was mostly enjoying the batshit crazy. Wondering whether TSTL Amber would grow a brain (spoiler: she doesn't) and if "hero" Steven (henceforth to be known as Shitbird) becomes any more of a weirdo creeper (spoiler: he truly outdoes himself).

Then we get to page 90 and mild irritation turns to full on hulksmash rage. Because here we have Shitbird crashing from the underbrush growling and charging at Amber because she refused to meet him in an isolated and abandoned shed. Amber is understandably freaked out and tries to run away. Steven then tackles her to the ground not once, but twice. He then throws her over his shoulder and begins to carry her away. She resists and he once again subdues her on the ground. He tells her "I'm sorry if I'm hurting you, but I have to." This is already squicky shit. But it gets worse...

Amber then thinks to herself that she "wants to trust him" and she "doesn't want to injure him." Shitbird is not the villain in this story; he's the "hero" and she can see herself starting a relationship with him. WTAF, Amber? You need to knee this asshole in the balls as hard as you can, not make googly eyes at him.

No, just no. This shit? It is not fucking okay.

I spent the rest of this book hoping that Shitbird perishes in the exploding boat pictured on the cover. No such luck, though.

[Tonileg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seriously loved this series when I was in high school.
I read almost all of them that I could buy or borrow from the library. The mixture of mystery, fun and adventure was just what I needed between AP Bio and American History classes when all I wanted to do was run away and be someone else for a while. These were written clearly for other young women who want to live as well as help other people.
This story is about a young woman who is investigating a disappearance while trying to figure out who to trust. There is some romance but it is totally clean.
I'm looking for the series to re-read for my kindle but why don't publishers bring these books back?! I'm sure they would be really dated (i.e. no cell phones, internet or twerking), but I would hardly put this in the 'historical' shelf since it is 90's clean fun.
I'm going to have to buy these used and wait through these terrible winter storms for the mailman to arrive safely...
3 stars for great memories, although I'll have to come back to this when I do my re-read.