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Fatal #1
Lethal Attraction: An Anthology
Two worlds collide in these timeless stories of love and deception…Against the Rules by Linda HowardAt seventeen, Cathryn Ashe fought her attraction to Rule Jackson and lost. Humiliated, she fled to the anonymity of the city. Now she's back, independent and more sure of herself than ever—and ready to challenge him again.But Rule is raising the stakes, and what Cat stands to lose is something she's known all along is his for the taking—her heart.Fatal Affair by Marie ForceDetective Sergeant Sam Holland needs a big win to salvage her career—and her confidence—after a disastrous case. The perfect opportunity arises when she's assigned to the investigation of a senator's murder. But she has to team up with Nick Cappuano, the senator's friend and chief of staff…and the man she had a memorable one-night stand with years earlier. Their sexual chemistry still sizzles, but sleeping with a material witness is a mistake Sam can't afford—especially when the bodies keep piling up.
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First published April 4, 2013
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About the author
Linda Howard
225 books7,153 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 30, 2018
Both good stories. I did like Fatal Affair the best. I will look for more of the Fatal series now.
March 1, 2025
**MEDIUM SPOILERS**
The book I read contained two unrelated books. The first was Against the Rules by Linda Howard. The second was Fatal Affair by Marie Force. Both are reviewed here. I gave the book the higher of the two ratings. I do not recommend this compilation.
Against the Rules
Rating 2 stars
This is a standalone book. It was published in 1983 and reflects the social mores of the time as well as a standard romance story from that time period. For example, about halfway through the book, Cathryn thinks “If only David [her deceased husband] were still alive! He had been a warm, sheltering harbor, a quiet, strong man who had loved her and left her free to be herself, instead of demanding more than she had to give. Rule demanded more. He wanted all of her under his control, and the terrible thing about it was that she would glory in being his completely, if only she could be certain of him.” David sounds like a better choice than Rule.
This is one of the author’s earlier books and I believe I had read it before. Her earlier books tend to have very dominant men and women who put up with that attitude. That is true of this book from the start. Cathryn returns home after having been gone for years with only periodic visits. As soon as Rule sees her at the airport, he kisses her without permission. He confronts her on a variety of subjects as they fly home to the ranch that she owns. He demands that she move home to take care of some issues. He kisses her again to show that they still have an attraction but does it in such a way it feels disrespectful and dominating.
His arrogant tone continues through out and he is relentless in his judgmental attitude and statements towards Cathryn. He says things like “I’m not in the mood to put up with any of your tantrums right now. Is that clear?” Cathryn loses her temper quite often in the book. It was a bit tiresome, but the word tantrums implies someone who is childish and not in control. If he thought that way, why would he be attracted to her? Part of the reason he may have felt that way is because he is 11 years older but it was not respectful nor did it convey he saw her as an equal. In addition, there is a scene when she is a teenager where he spanks her. He is not her parent, and it is never ok for a man to hit a woman. He was probably jealous and the way he acted as a result is a red flag. In addition, when he is 28 and she is 17, they have sex and she is a virgin. He tells her later that he was gentle with her when he really wanted it a different way and negatively implies that she is inexperienced. Seriously, if you cannot value someone’s first time, then maybe you are not a good person. These issues resulted in the book losing several stars.
Cathryn’s father married a woman named Monica who has a stepdaughter named Ricky. Ricky is spoiled as well as insecure. It was not a good combination, and she tries to sabotage the relationship between Rule and Cathryn by telling Cathryn that Monica had an affair with Rule and that Rule is only interested in her because she owns the ranch. Ricky is not a sympathetic character. Monica was not fleshed out as a character.
Rule was drafted when he graduated high school and when he came back from Vietnam, he suffered from PTSD. Cathryn’s father helped him through the initial stages of transitioning back into the working world and Rule became unwaveringly loyal to him. The book mentions several times that Rule was with many women and had his pick even when he was drunk and suffering from PTSD. This is a bit surprising because the town they live in does not sound like it was all the big, but the author implies he has an endless supply of women. Rule pushes hard to establish a sexual relationship with Cathryn as soon as she arrives. He suggests having sex without leadup. Cathryn finds it difficult to resist. When they eventually do have s*x, he does not bother with protection and it seems like he would not mind if she gets pregnant so she could stay. She does not think of it either.
I agree with another reviewer who commented that Cathryn felt like she wanted to be in charge of the ranch she owned but did nothing to make it happen. She lived away for years, did not follow the ranch business, etc. In the second half of the book, she begins to try to do so.
The book improves a little in the second half as Rule begins to share some of what he is thinking, and it is a little more obvious that Rule cares about Cathryn and has for a long time. I did like when he finally admits that he loves her. He reveals he cares about her and is willing to do anything for her.
The book is told from Cathryn’s point of view, and I thought some of it should have been told from Rule’s point of view. I know the title of the book was a play on Rule’s name, but Against the Rules implies an adversarial relationship between Cathryn and Rule and that is not a way to success for a long term relationship.
At the end of the book, you find out that Rule has inherited his father’s ranch. It is surprising that this was not known.
I do not recommend this book.
Fatal Affair
Rating 3 stars
This is the first book in the Fatal series although there is a prequel novella. I have read books cowritten by this author and Linda Howard, but I do not think I have read any of the books written solely by her. After reading this book, I do not plan to continue reading her individual works.
Sam Holland is a detective for the DC police and is assigned to work on the murder of a US Senator. This happens just after she makes a decision in an investigation that resulted in a child’s death and has received much criticism for it. The senator’s chief of staff is Nick, a man with whom she had a one night stand several years prior. She decides to keep that former relationship to herself which could compromise the investigation as well as the ensuing criminal case. She does so because she wants to solve a high profile case and turn people’s opinion in her favor both within the department and publicly.
After Sam and Nick’s one night stand, Nick called Sam several times and her roommate, Peter, never gave her the messages. Peter was interested in Sam himself and eventually they got married. It seemed a little unlikely that Peter was the only one who received the messages as there were four people who lived together and any one of them could have gotten one of the calls. Sam and Peter divorced, and she now thinks of him as a jerk and that does not speak well for her ability to judge people. Everyone makes mistakes but her family did tell her that they thought he was a creep. Perhaps I should be more sympathetic on this issue, but it feeds into the larger issue of who she is. Between this and the decision to stay on the case, I was not ready to see her as a great detective or someone who had the greatest ethical standards. At one point, her superior asks her if there is anything he should be told, and she says no.
I found it hypocritical of Sam when she would ask Nick some personal questions and then when he would respond and try to continue into a more personal conversation, she would tell him to stop. She would say that they could not have this type of relationship yet and act as if it were his fault that the conversation began.
Sam’s boss does not like her for unspecified reasons. He is obnoxious and the author uses a fat stereotype to show that he is less than.
I did like the care and attention she gave her father who is wheelchair bound. They have a mutually loving and supportive relationship. When his nurse tells Sam that she and her father are getting married, I was surprised that Sam did not go downstairs to congratulate him.
The book is told mostly from Sam and Nick’s point of view. It is easy to tell when the POV changes.
In many places, Sam speaks with sarcasm. I did not care for that. Some of the dialogue was more descriptive than most people use. For example, Sam’s partner notices the looks and interest between Sam and Nick and says, “…Pregnant pauses, simmering gazes, and of course the entertaining innuendo.” Finally, Sam swears frequently, and I did not think it was necessary for it to be that much.
I did not care for the way Sam would use her badge at times. She had a perfect right to tell suspects that they should not leave town and that someone could speak with her immediately or be taken into the station and it seemed like she was happy to do so. However, at one point, she wants to talk to an employee at a restaurant and the manager protests because they are busy. After she gets him to back down, she says “So much as knock on that door and I’ll haul your skinny a** downtown and put you in a cage with some guys who’d love nothing more than to make you their b*tch.”
Nick, on the other hand, was a great guy. He was supportive, honest, and decent. I really liked him.
I read this book about a dozen years after it was published, and the technology references are dated.
The book should have had an editor. There were missing commas and some typos.
I do not plan to continue reading the series and I do not recommend this book.
The book I read contained two unrelated books. The first was Against the Rules by Linda Howard. The second was Fatal Affair by Marie Force. Both are reviewed here. I gave the book the higher of the two ratings. I do not recommend this compilation.
Against the Rules
Rating 2 stars
This is a standalone book. It was published in 1983 and reflects the social mores of the time as well as a standard romance story from that time period. For example, about halfway through the book, Cathryn thinks “If only David [her deceased husband] were still alive! He had been a warm, sheltering harbor, a quiet, strong man who had loved her and left her free to be herself, instead of demanding more than she had to give. Rule demanded more. He wanted all of her under his control, and the terrible thing about it was that she would glory in being his completely, if only she could be certain of him.” David sounds like a better choice than Rule.
This is one of the author’s earlier books and I believe I had read it before. Her earlier books tend to have very dominant men and women who put up with that attitude. That is true of this book from the start. Cathryn returns home after having been gone for years with only periodic visits. As soon as Rule sees her at the airport, he kisses her without permission. He confronts her on a variety of subjects as they fly home to the ranch that she owns. He demands that she move home to take care of some issues. He kisses her again to show that they still have an attraction but does it in such a way it feels disrespectful and dominating.
His arrogant tone continues through out and he is relentless in his judgmental attitude and statements towards Cathryn. He says things like “I’m not in the mood to put up with any of your tantrums right now. Is that clear?” Cathryn loses her temper quite often in the book. It was a bit tiresome, but the word tantrums implies someone who is childish and not in control. If he thought that way, why would he be attracted to her? Part of the reason he may have felt that way is because he is 11 years older but it was not respectful nor did it convey he saw her as an equal. In addition, there is a scene when she is a teenager where he spanks her. He is not her parent, and it is never ok for a man to hit a woman. He was probably jealous and the way he acted as a result is a red flag. In addition, when he is 28 and she is 17, they have sex and she is a virgin. He tells her later that he was gentle with her when he really wanted it a different way and negatively implies that she is inexperienced. Seriously, if you cannot value someone’s first time, then maybe you are not a good person. These issues resulted in the book losing several stars.
Cathryn’s father married a woman named Monica who has a stepdaughter named Ricky. Ricky is spoiled as well as insecure. It was not a good combination, and she tries to sabotage the relationship between Rule and Cathryn by telling Cathryn that Monica had an affair with Rule and that Rule is only interested in her because she owns the ranch. Ricky is not a sympathetic character. Monica was not fleshed out as a character.
Rule was drafted when he graduated high school and when he came back from Vietnam, he suffered from PTSD. Cathryn’s father helped him through the initial stages of transitioning back into the working world and Rule became unwaveringly loyal to him. The book mentions several times that Rule was with many women and had his pick even when he was drunk and suffering from PTSD. This is a bit surprising because the town they live in does not sound like it was all the big, but the author implies he has an endless supply of women. Rule pushes hard to establish a sexual relationship with Cathryn as soon as she arrives. He suggests having sex without leadup. Cathryn finds it difficult to resist. When they eventually do have s*x, he does not bother with protection and it seems like he would not mind if she gets pregnant so she could stay. She does not think of it either.
I agree with another reviewer who commented that Cathryn felt like she wanted to be in charge of the ranch she owned but did nothing to make it happen. She lived away for years, did not follow the ranch business, etc. In the second half of the book, she begins to try to do so.
The book improves a little in the second half as Rule begins to share some of what he is thinking, and it is a little more obvious that Rule cares about Cathryn and has for a long time. I did like when he finally admits that he loves her. He reveals he cares about her and is willing to do anything for her.
The book is told from Cathryn’s point of view, and I thought some of it should have been told from Rule’s point of view. I know the title of the book was a play on Rule’s name, but Against the Rules implies an adversarial relationship between Cathryn and Rule and that is not a way to success for a long term relationship.
At the end of the book, you find out that Rule has inherited his father’s ranch. It is surprising that this was not known.
I do not recommend this book.
Fatal Affair
Rating 3 stars
This is the first book in the Fatal series although there is a prequel novella. I have read books cowritten by this author and Linda Howard, but I do not think I have read any of the books written solely by her. After reading this book, I do not plan to continue reading her individual works.
Sam Holland is a detective for the DC police and is assigned to work on the murder of a US Senator. This happens just after she makes a decision in an investigation that resulted in a child’s death and has received much criticism for it. The senator’s chief of staff is Nick, a man with whom she had a one night stand several years prior. She decides to keep that former relationship to herself which could compromise the investigation as well as the ensuing criminal case. She does so because she wants to solve a high profile case and turn people’s opinion in her favor both within the department and publicly.
After Sam and Nick’s one night stand, Nick called Sam several times and her roommate, Peter, never gave her the messages. Peter was interested in Sam himself and eventually they got married. It seemed a little unlikely that Peter was the only one who received the messages as there were four people who lived together and any one of them could have gotten one of the calls. Sam and Peter divorced, and she now thinks of him as a jerk and that does not speak well for her ability to judge people. Everyone makes mistakes but her family did tell her that they thought he was a creep. Perhaps I should be more sympathetic on this issue, but it feeds into the larger issue of who she is. Between this and the decision to stay on the case, I was not ready to see her as a great detective or someone who had the greatest ethical standards. At one point, her superior asks her if there is anything he should be told, and she says no.
I found it hypocritical of Sam when she would ask Nick some personal questions and then when he would respond and try to continue into a more personal conversation, she would tell him to stop. She would say that they could not have this type of relationship yet and act as if it were his fault that the conversation began.
Sam’s boss does not like her for unspecified reasons. He is obnoxious and the author uses a fat stereotype to show that he is less than.
I did like the care and attention she gave her father who is wheelchair bound. They have a mutually loving and supportive relationship. When his nurse tells Sam that she and her father are getting married, I was surprised that Sam did not go downstairs to congratulate him.
The book is told mostly from Sam and Nick’s point of view. It is easy to tell when the POV changes.
In many places, Sam speaks with sarcasm. I did not care for that. Some of the dialogue was more descriptive than most people use. For example, Sam’s partner notices the looks and interest between Sam and Nick and says, “…Pregnant pauses, simmering gazes, and of course the entertaining innuendo.” Finally, Sam swears frequently, and I did not think it was necessary for it to be that much.
I did not care for the way Sam would use her badge at times. She had a perfect right to tell suspects that they should not leave town and that someone could speak with her immediately or be taken into the station and it seemed like she was happy to do so. However, at one point, she wants to talk to an employee at a restaurant and the manager protests because they are busy. After she gets him to back down, she says “So much as knock on that door and I’ll haul your skinny a** downtown and put you in a cage with some guys who’d love nothing more than to make you their b*tch.”
Nick, on the other hand, was a great guy. He was supportive, honest, and decent. I really liked him.
I read this book about a dozen years after it was published, and the technology references are dated.
The book should have had an editor. There were missing commas and some typos.
I do not plan to continue reading the series and I do not recommend this book.
December 13, 2013
Linda Howard's 1983 love story and Marie Force's 2010 suspense thriller...cannot figure out why these two are paired together. Enjoyed bith stories and found LH's earlier style of writing more draggy...heroes are more alpha and women were a bit more...dependent but that's a reflection of the times during which the story was set. I found MF's Fatal Affair surprisingly riveting as I have never read her books before. I cannot help but compare the main protagonists to JD Robb's In Death series...the witty repartee between Eve and Peabody is hard to beat but I'm happy to see Freddie has his own unique personality. As for Sam it came across as trying too hard to dound hardass like Eve, but if I have never read In Death I would never have made such comparisons. having said this I enjoyed the pace and witty dialogues very much. What I love best is the relationships Sam has with her loved ones, from her dad to sisters and Celia, and of cos Nick. But I'm finding it a bit hard to believe they fell in love after a one night stand...if Nick really loved Sam after that one night why did he not try harder to get in touch? They knew each other's name and profession. ..could he not erm call or hang around her office hoping to bump into her? Hmmm...all in a good book and looking forward to the next collection Dangerous Games. I love to read LH's older stories hehe!
December 30, 2013
Two stories in this e-book. I only read AGAINST THE RULES, by Linda Howard. It was originally written in 1983, published by Harlequin or Silhouette. I kept expecting some suspense, as we see in Howard's more recent publications, but no. The fire in the stable? No suspense there. The sinister horse buyer? Nope. The horseback riding "accident" and broken leg? Nope. Just nothing but melodrama, sex, horses, and a bitchy step-sister. Drama city.
Still, I liked the last fourth of the book, from the broken leg to the end. Rule was just soooo terribly in love with Cat. Sweet. Heartwrenching ending left me with a smile on my face.
Still, I liked the last fourth of the book, from the broken leg to the end. Rule was just soooo terribly in love with Cat. Sweet. Heartwrenching ending left me with a smile on my face.
October 29, 2020
Harlequin Romance type Book. Couldn’t
see a developing plot. Read numerous Harlequin romances when I was 11-13
Years old (am now a Sr. Citizen). Main characters were intimate before page 20 and personally saw no foreseeable plot so stopped reading. Sorry couldn’t finish. Later Linda Howard books are worth reading. That’s why I attempted This book. If
see a developing plot. Read numerous Harlequin romances when I was 11-13
Years old (am now a Sr. Citizen). Main characters were intimate before page 20 and personally saw no foreseeable plot so stopped reading. Sorry couldn’t finish. Later Linda Howard books are worth reading. That’s why I attempted This book. If
May 7, 2023
There are two stories in this book but I don’t know why they were put together in one as they were very different.
Book 1 -1 star. I have enjoyed this author in the past but did NOT like this story at all. When will stories of domineering, controlling, demanding older men telling younger, more naive women what to do stop being thought of as romantic. It’s abusive is what it is. Total domestic violence. I mean there was forced sex in this. Not enjoyable at all.
Book 2-3 stars. Very enjoyable although predictable as to who the killer was. I will look for more books by this author.
Book 1 -1 star. I have enjoyed this author in the past but did NOT like this story at all. When will stories of domineering, controlling, demanding older men telling younger, more naive women what to do stop being thought of as romantic. It’s abusive is what it is. Total domestic violence. I mean there was forced sex in this. Not enjoyable at all.
Book 2-3 stars. Very enjoyable although predictable as to who the killer was. I will look for more books by this author.
May 10, 2019
This edition has two stories. The first doesn’t even get a star! The 3 stars all belong to the second story.
July 9, 2025
I bought this book by mistake. I'm a big Linda Howard fan and purchased this book thinking it was a Linda Howard book I didn't have. Instead, it's an anthology of Linda Howard's Against the Rules and Marie Force's Fatal Affair.
Against the Rules - Another enjoyable romance from Linda Howard.
When she was seventeen Rule Jackson has a way of proving to her that she would follow his instructions, her solution to run as far away from him as possible. Now Cathryn's back, ready to challenge Rule's rules. Now she's a widow, now she owns the ranch, technically she's Rule's boss.
So, now they have to learn how to deal with each other and define their relationship or lack thereof.
Fatal Affair - I didn't make reading this a priority until I won another book by Marie Force from Goodreads and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I had to read this one. I fell in love with this book, the lovers, Nick and Sam, the crime that brings them together and the supporting characters. This is the first book in the Fatal series, 16 books and 2 novellas. Two lovers who first met 6 years before the events of this book. It was a momentaneous night, they'd planned to meet again, but events conspired against them. Now, they meet again on perhaps the worst day of Nick's life and Sam is there as the detective in charge of the case. Now they need to address the elephant in the room and the body in the room.
I'm definitely going to read the rest of this series!
P.S. If you're a fan of J.D. Robb's in Death series, you should love this series as well!
Against the Rules - Another enjoyable romance from Linda Howard.
When she was seventeen Rule Jackson has a way of proving to her that she would follow his instructions, her solution to run as far away from him as possible. Now Cathryn's back, ready to challenge Rule's rules. Now she's a widow, now she owns the ranch, technically she's Rule's boss.
So, now they have to learn how to deal with each other and define their relationship or lack thereof.
Fatal Affair - I didn't make reading this a priority until I won another book by Marie Force from Goodreads and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I had to read this one. I fell in love with this book, the lovers, Nick and Sam, the crime that brings them together and the supporting characters. This is the first book in the Fatal series, 16 books and 2 novellas. Two lovers who first met 6 years before the events of this book. It was a momentaneous night, they'd planned to meet again, but events conspired against them. Now, they meet again on perhaps the worst day of Nick's life and Sam is there as the detective in charge of the case. Now they need to address the elephant in the room and the body in the room.
I'm definitely going to read the rest of this series!
P.S. If you're a fan of J.D. Robb's in Death series, you should love this series as well!
August 30, 2015
This book is really two stories. The first Against the rules was just OK. at 17 Cathryn fled her fathers ranch whence fell in love with Rule. Rule has loved her all this time and has run the ranch after her father died hoping for her return.
Fatal Affair. Enjoyed much better. Det Sgt Sam Holland is a cop who is assigned to a Senators murder case and ends up teaming up with Nick the Senators Chief of Staff who she had a one night affair with 6 yrs ago and neither forgot, Will the affair heat up again or has too much time elapsed?
Fatal Affair. Enjoyed much better. Det Sgt Sam Holland is a cop who is assigned to a Senators murder case and ends up teaming up with Nick the Senators Chief of Staff who she had a one night affair with 6 yrs ago and neither forgot, Will the affair heat up again or has too much time elapsed?
July 1, 2013
It was easy to tell that Lethal Attraction was an older work by Howard, because her more recent writing is much tighter and the characters better developed, but I still liked the story.
I'd never read anything by Marie Force prior to this, and was very pleasantly surprised. Enjoyed the story, and plan to check my local library for other titles she's written.
I'd never read anything by Marie Force prior to this, and was very pleasantly surprised. Enjoyed the story, and plan to check my local library for other titles she's written.
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December 24, 2015i love it....
Want to read
June 19, 2016I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14038270
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14038270
May 19, 2018
Lethal Attraction: Against the Rules/ Fatal Affair The Fatal Series Book 1 is by Linda Howard and Marie Force. This is two books in one and by different authors.
Against the Rules is by Linda Howard. Cathryn Ashe had fought her attraction to Rule Jackson as a teenager. She had humiliated herself and fled. Now she is back and ready to face him again. However, Rule has changed the rules and she is facing losing him or her heart.
Fatal Affair is by Marie Force. Sam Holland needs something to help her career after a disastrous case. This comes in the form of a senator’s murder. She is teamed up with the senator’s oldest friend and chief of staff. Nick Cappuano is also the one who found him. Years ago, they had had a brief affair; but Sam is convinced she can work with him. But can she? Is their attraction to each other too much?
Against the Rules is by Linda Howard. Cathryn Ashe had fought her attraction to Rule Jackson as a teenager. She had humiliated herself and fled. Now she is back and ready to face him again. However, Rule has changed the rules and she is facing losing him or her heart.
Fatal Affair is by Marie Force. Sam Holland needs something to help her career after a disastrous case. This comes in the form of a senator’s murder. She is teamed up with the senator’s oldest friend and chief of staff. Nick Cappuano is also the one who found him. Years ago, they had had a brief affair; but Sam is convinced she can work with him. But can she? Is their attraction to each other too much?
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews