Exclusive

by Sandra Brown

A second-stringer with first-class talent, Barrie Travis is stuck at a low-budget independent television station struggling to survive among the giant networks. Then, suddenly, she receives an invitation from First Lady Vanessa Merritt for an off-the-record conversation. Barrie's reporter's instincts are instantly aroused. During a furtive, emotionally charged meeting, Barrie sees that the President's beautiful wife is stunned by grief after the crib death of her infant son. Vanessa's motive for meeting Barrie seems to be to share her heartache with another woman. What Barrie overlooks in her excitement at hearing the confidences of the First Lady are the questions she should be asking: Why would Vanessa Merritt call her? And why would the President's wife hint to an unknown reporter that her child may have been murdered? Blind to everything but getting her exclusive, Barrie is determined to investigate the death of the President's child. But she soon realizes that getting her story will test her ethics and her patriotism. Would she expose information that could topple the presidency? She confronts this problem when she tracks down Gray Bondurant, a former presidential aide and war hero who shunned the politics of Washington in favor of life on a remote Wyoming ranch. And when they both begin to follow a trail of lies and intrigue right to the White House door, Barrie's exclusive puts at least three people on the firing line: the First Lady, Gray, and herself - as crimes and ambitions combine to endanger their lives and the future of the nation.

Genres: Romance, Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

457 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).

Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.

In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.

Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Reviews

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 Stars

A good thriller with good characterization and disappointing romance that finally, finally blooms in the few final pages. It pissed me off because Brown led us to believe the hero was deeply in love with another woman right until the end.



I mean, I had my doubts, but still. I was afraid the whole time the heroine would be just a consolation prize.

Awesome secondary characters. The hero was an enigma for most of the book. I can't say I didn't like him, though. Taciturn, cold, dark, deadly, mysterious... Sandra Brown sure knows how to write them.

[Paul Weiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Credibility issues? No, I don’t think so!

Sandra Brown penned EXCLUSIVE in 1996 and, after its publication, many reviewers panned it as an entertaining story with characters utterly lacking in credibility. I mean, after all, who could buy into a story about a dysfunctional First Lady who hated her husband and cringed when he tried to touch her; a serial-adulterer president who considered himself to be above the law and considered his re-election to a second term to be a right and a foregone conclusion; a White House physician who lied through his teeth to the public and violated his Hippocratic Oath on the order of the President; a president who is impeached and charged with felonies and obstruction of justice; a president who presumes to censor the contents of media journalism with threats and force; a president who believes the FBI should be the strong-arm enforcers of his personal directives and who despises the Attorney General that he appointed at the outset of his term in office; a president who interprets criticism as a criminal threat; and a right-wing southern senator focused exclusively on re-election, retention of power and his personal legacy?

Huh? … Wait a minute now!

It would seem that the only part of all of that lacking in credibility these days is the use of the term “impeachment” to simultaneously reflect the act of impeaching and the Senate’s conviction and removal of the incumbent from office. And, of course, the belief that the Department of Justice and Congress would have the courage to actually charge a president with criminal offenses seems a taut stretch these days. But, beyond that, I think that Sandra Brown needs some kind of award for her astonishing level of prescience! Definitely an enjoyable novel. If the USA has any remaining wisdom, EXCLUSIVE is a cautionary tale to which they should pay considerable attention!

Paul Weiss

[Phrynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be completely honest I found this book to be a bit average which is a shame because I know lots of people who think this author is the best thing since sliced bread. The story was far fetched and the characters unbelievable. On the other hand it was very readable with plenty of action and a nice little twist at the end. A book to read on the beach or on a plane.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, can this woman write a bad book?


This quote is from the TV series, "The Newsroom" - it's not meant to insult anyone, especially Americans but I thought it was appropriate especially regarding the subject matter of the book.

No stars could be seen, of course, because of the city lights. But there was a pretty moon.

This one probably dropped a star as I really wanted some more one on one time for Barrie and Gray... where was it?

Barrie Travis is stuck at a low-budget independent television station struggling to survive among the giant networks. Then, suddenly, she receives an invitation from First Lady Vanessa Merritt for an off-the-record conversation. Barrie's reporter's instincts are instantly aroused. During a furtive, emotionally charged meeting, Barrie sees that the President's beautiful wife is stunned by grief after the crib death of her infant son.>

Vanessa's motive for meeting Barrie seems to be to share her heartache with another woman. What Barrie overlooks in her excitement at hearing the confidences of the First Lady are the questions she should be asking: Why would Vanessa Merritt call her? And why would the President's wife hint to an unknown reporter that her child may have been murdered? Blind to everything but getting her exclusive, Barrie is determined to investigate the death of the President's child. But she soon realizes that getting her story will test her ethics and her patriotism. Would she expose information that could topple the presidency?

This one left me seconding guessing to the end again - OK, I had an inkling of who might be the bad guy.... but still, SB can spin a tale and keep you captivated right until the final line.

She confronts this problem when she tracks down Gray Bondurant, a former presidential aide and war hero who shunned the politics of Washington in favor of life on a remote Wyoming ranch. And when they both begin to follow a trail of lies and intrigue right to the White House door, Barrie's exclusive puts at least three people on the firing line: the First Lady, Gray, and herself - as crimes and ambitions combine to endanger their lives and the future of the nation.

Not sure what the breed of dog in the book was but let's put Binky in there!


As with most SB books, go in blind. You are better off in case you see any spoilers.

And he stayed there.
And stayed.
Fucking her in his mind.
Sweet heaven and holy hell.
It was the most sustained, most intense, most intimate, most satisfying, most frustrating encounter he had even experienced.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

After having coffee with First Lady Vanessa Merritt, whose baby recently died from SIDS, TV reporter Barrie Travis decides - with just about zero evidence - that the baby was murdered and sets out to prove it.





This leads to big trouble because President David Merritt, who is as corrupt as they come and has his own hit squad, doesn't relish adverse publicity for his administration.



Looking for evidence Barrie tracks down Gray Bondurant, a former advisor to the President who allegedly had an affair with Vanessa. Barrie travels to Gray's ranch in Wyoming and falls into bed with the handsome hottie minutes after meeting him.



He is the strong silent type though, and refuses to give out much info. Nevertheless, the reporter becomes more and more convinced that something is rotten in the Merritt administration and continues to snoop; Gray, apparently smitten after sex with Barrie, follows her back to Washington to watch her back.

As the President scrambles to hide his past actions, protect himself from bad publicity, and win a second term he plans to kill off anyone who might expose him, including his wife.



This all plays out more or less as you might expect and leads to a conclusion that doesn't quite jive with all the characters' personalities.

To me the plot of this book was unbelievable, over the top, and full of clichés. There were also too many gratuitous, repetitive sex scenes. This might be an okay beach or plane read, but I wouldn't have missed anything by skipping it.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....

[S.M. West · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 'Hail the Chief' STARS

I gotta love SB for getting me out of my losing streak with the past couple books!! I really enjoyed this thriller that involved the Oval Office, The First couple and the tragic death of a baby. One of the many gifts Ms. Brown has is her characters and their development. There are a whole slue of characters and each of them were real, original, quirky, layered and some were down right devious and evil.

Barrie Travis is a smart yet impulsive reporter whose career is in the dumps thanks to a huge blunder on her part. Things are looking up for Barrie when the First lady contacts her to talk off the record. From there ensues a wild, dangerous and riveting mystery. Along the way, Barrie meets Gray Bondurant. He's the strong silent type, an ex-marine and ex-adviser to the President.



While this was certainly way on the back burner as this story unfolded, the chemistry between Gray and Barrie was so strong, and running through all of their scenes, that it was practically its own character!



"Surging through her was a rush of passion, of life, that could not be contained or even disciplined. She had never experienced anything like it, this assault of carnality, this all-encompassing, overwhelming, primal, unconscious instinct to mate-soon, quickly, now!"

I could hardly put this book down. And the ending...a couple of HUGE things are revealed at the end. One of which I had suspected for the majority of the book that Spence was the baby-daddyso while not surprising, it was great to have it confirmed. But, the kicker was how the book ended...BRILLIANT!!

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Investigative Reporter Barrie Travis works at a small market television station. She is shocked when she receives a call from First Lady Vanessa Merritt who wants to talk to her. During their face-to-face discussion, Barrie realizes that Vanessa is still grief stricken by the S.I.D.S. death of her infant son three months ago. Vanessa also alludes to the fact that the baby may have been murdered. Barrie decides to do some digging and begins to believe that the Merritt baby was murdered. But proving it will not be easy. Barrie approaches Gray Bondurant, a former Presidential Advisor who left Washington under a cloud of suspicion about his relationship with the First Lady.

I have mixed feelings about this romantic suspense book. The characters did not seem very realistic to me. Yes, the president has a lot of power, but I find it hard to believe that he could pull off some of the things that happen in this book. Still, I enjoyed the overall suspense story and kept turning the pages to see what would happen next. I didn't like the romance between Barrie and Gray. I think the story could have been much better without that element.

I loved how the story wrapped up, especially the little twist at the very end. Overall, an entertaining but problematic read. My rating: 4 Stars.

[Pepa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pues venía a decir que tenía pinta de ser de sus primeras publicaciones, pero mirando por internet, veo que no
No es de sus mejores novelas, al menos en mi opinión.
La temática es muy interesante, el tema del presidente, y la gran mayoría de personajes que aparecen tienen mucho potencial. Desde el primero al último
Pero es de esas novelas en las que desde el principio casi parece que la autora deja caer lo que será la trama del misterio y eso le resta mucho suspense, la verdad. Pensaba que al final l a autora iba a pegar un giro de 180 grados, pero si os soy sincera, no me ha quedado muy claro la forma en la que ha resuelto la historia
Sobre el romance, muy cabreada. No sé, tenía muy claro que esta novela era de la época en la que la autora tiende más al suspense o thriller que al romanticismo, por eso no entiendo por qué al final, la pareja tiene que quedar con el happy end. En serio (y me estoy quedando yo mismo muy sorprendida por estas palabras) pero a mí ya me estaba bien ese affair, esos dos momentos sexuales... y no le veo la necesidad de forzarlo todo al final de forma tan precipitada.
Ambos me han gustado por separado y como pareja, los he encontrado muy fríos y sin chispa y sin escenas que sustenten esos sentimientos
Eso sí, la escena en la que se conocen es ¡SUBLIME!
¿El suspense¿ Pues no voy a negar que es muy entretenido, esta mujer me gusta mucho y tiene un estilo tan ágil que, aunque la trama sea pausada y no sea muy de giros, es capaz de hacer que te leas una novela de casi quinientas páginas en apenas unos cuantos días. Pero, como ya he dicho, la estructura ha hecho que pierda mucho, es más bien la investigación que se va haciendo sobre el tema y los pequeños detalles que se van desvelando, muchos, justo los descubres unas cuantas páginas antes de que aparezcan
En definitiva, una lectura interesante que entretiene, mucho, pero que queda muy alejada de otras novelas que he leído de Sandra Brown y que me han gustado mucho más
Seguiré buscando más novelas, por suerte, me queda muchísimo todavía por leer de ella

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another prolific author that I will always read. I do like the romantic threads to her books, to be honest. The villains are always bad bad people, and the goodies end up on top, even if they have to try their damndest to get there! Love her male protags the best though, when it comes to Ms Brown. Barrie Travis is a go-getter in a dead end television job, approached by the First Lady, things get a bit hectic. An enjoyable read.

[-ya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can the nation be conned by men in absolute power?

It is the premise of Exclusive, I think and one I was curious to know how the story unfolded. But the interesting premise was followed by shallow characters, forced/alien romance and a disorganized storyline. It took me a while to finish this long book and evidently, I would not recommend:/

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favourite Sandra Brown... but even an average Ms Brown is better than a lot of other romantic suspense I read.

3.5 stars - but an extra half a star for the killer last paragraph!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exclusive by Sandra Brown.

Sandra Brown always writes the kind of book that you don't want to put down. Just as one chapter ends with loose ends, you can't help but turn the page to the next chapter. If you haven't read Sandra Brown and you like an realistic story lines that twist and turn, this is an amazing novel.

Exclusive is about a reporter who is trying to get an exclusive report when the First Lady contacts her and reveals hints about troubles in her life and troubles in the White House.

Did the baby really die of SIDS or was the president somehow involved. I have to say I was quite surprised by the ending.

I was so impressed with this novel,I ordered some more novels by this author.

[Ariannha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un buen thriller, que mantiene la intriga mezclada con la política y el manejo de la información de la casa blanca.
Aunque el comienzo ha sido un tanto brusco, y el caso resuelto de manera muy rápida, presenta una buena trama.

[Bona Caballero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trepidante thriller político, de esos que vas de sorpresa en sorpresa hasta el inesperado giro final. Es la de suspense de Brown en el año 1996. Sí, «la del epílogo». Que te dices tú, ¿para qué? Si esta mujer no suele hacer epílogos,… Pues para que todo lo que has creído que era de una manera durante 468 páginas en mi edición de bolsillo,… Pegue tal giro que en la 469 (y última) … Todo cobre un sentido diferente.
La parte romántica es reducidita. Entre Gray Bondurant y Barrie Travis hay mucha química y tensión, pero roce poquito. Ella es una periodista un poco botarate, que me crispó los nervios por fiarse más de sus intuiciones que de las evidencias. La primera dama de los EE. UU. contacta con ella y, a partir de ahí, una espiral de cosas que pasan, giros inesperados, mil preguntas que te haces, y más de una sorpresa.
Crítica extensa, en mi blog.

[Jane Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 ½ stars. At best OK, but forgettable. Nothing new or different.

Barrie is an investigative reporter looking into bad things done by the President. Gray used to be one of the President’s advisors. He is helping Barrie.

Gray is smart and always right. Barrie argues with him on almost everything. The effect is similar to “they are hiding, he tells her to be quiet, and she says loudly why.” She also assumes incorrect things, frequently. I was annoyed with some of her actions.

There is too much pondering and dragging out the story. The interesting parts would make a much shorter story. There is nothing new or special. It’s the kinds of things used in most suspense stories. There’s a twist at the end, but it raised a question about someone’s death instead of answering it. I did not like having this open ending.

Romance exists, but it wasn’t well done. It was barely there.

The narrator had a snippy smartalecky tone to her voice which was ok for Barrie. But it did not fit Gray.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Unabridged audiobook length: 13 hrs and 21 mins. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words, but rarely used. Sexual language: strong, but rarely used. Number of sex scenes: 6, most are brief. Setting: current day Washington D.C. area and a little Wyoming. Book copyright: 1996. Genre: romantic suspense thriller.

[Carol MacInnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this fabulous book from a contest on Goodreads! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Barrie Travis is holding down a job as a reporter at a low-budget television station. Barrie was a good broadcast journalist but unfortunately, the stations management (and her 'creepy' boss) blocked her ideas to produce feature stories and instead give her menial 'junk' to report. She just needs one big break. Then, the First Lady of the United States, Vanessa Merritt, called to meet Barrie not long after Vanessa lost her infant son to SIDS. But the meeting was more than 'unsettling' to Barrie. She knows she must delve further and get more facts and try to speak with Vanessa again. Barrie meets up with Gray Bondurant who was once the right hand man to the President of the U.S., David Merritt, and knows things about the White House and it's staff. With the help of Barrie's dearest friend, Daily, they begin to uncover what could be the most scandalous and horrific events ever to come out of the White House itself.

Just a riveting, nail biting story that once again has me put Sandra Brown at the top of my list of most amazing authors ever!

[Pamela(AllHoney) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barrie Travis is invited to meet the First Lady to interview her off the record. But the First Lady cuts it short. The President and first Lady recently lost their baby to SIDS. But Barrie is determined to help by doing a news segment on SIDS. But the more she learns, the more questions she has. She turns to former Presidential Aide, Gray Bondurant, to get answers but he doesn't want to get involved. But there are those who don't want those questions to be answered at all.

Not the best Sandra Brown novel I have read but it was still good. Interesting twists in the story!

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start but that ending was amazing

[vio ｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Crazy people can get away with just about anything. You'd be amazed.”

Anjir endingnya ngeselin, buat bingung😭 buku ini cenderung lambat alurnya tapi seruuu. Utk romance scenes gk banyak muncul tapi beh sekali muncul langsung capcipcup 😂😂😂 aku tadinya mau baca versi terjemahan tpi kurang sreg sama bahasanya (mungkin karena terjemahan lama) terus nyoba yg bahasa Inggris, gak nyesel aku bacanya.

[Gintarė · Rating 4 out of 5]

Įdomi istorija, neblogai išlaikyta įtampa iki pat pabaigos.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Dean Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite films is “The American President.”

This 1995 picture was directed by Rob Reiner, the script was written by Aaron Sorkin. In my opinion, the combined talents of these two exceptional men would almost guarantee a great film.

This was the case with “The American President.”

In the movie Michael Douglas portrays a character named Andrew Shepherd who is a sitting President of the United States of America. In one of the movie’s most pivotal scenes, Shepherd makes a declaration about the office of president that I’ve always found memorable:

“I can tell you without hesitation: Being President of this country is entirely about character.”

That statement got me thinking about Sandra Brown’s “President Character” in “Exclusive.” His name is David Merritt, and contrary to Shepherd’s assertion about the positive character traits that should be associated with the holder of America’s highest office, Merritt seems to be completely devoid of positive character traits of any kind.

Actually, in Merritt’s case it’s quite a bit worse than that. Despite his positive public image, he proves to be downright malevolent in his personal life.

And it’s here that Sandra Brown triumphed! Her President David Merritt is not only evil, but so smoothly and believably so. The same goes for the president’s closest advisor, one Spencer Martin, a character so conniving, cold and deceitful that the infamous Haldeman and Ehrlichman of the Nixon Administration look like patrons of the Missions of Charity by comparison.

Brown’s “White House of Horrors” finds itself pitted against the opposing forces of incorruptibility, honor, friendship and loyalty of the scrappy little tribe of Barry, Gray and Daily. I found myself smiling as I read about the way these three courageously stood up to the formidable White House. It made me think of a memorable tribe themed quote by Billy the Kid (played by Emilio Estevez), in the 1988 film, “Young Guns:”

“If you got three or four good pals…well then you got yourself a tribe. There ain’t nothing stronger than that.”

Brown has a reputation as a first-rate storyteller. “Exclusive” was a shining example of how she earned it.

[Sarah.Aldahas · Rating 4 out of 5]

There hasn't been a book written by Sandra Brown that I didn't like. I'm a huge fan of her and addicted got her genres and writing. She's the best in Thriller-Romance. I've read so many books for her and I wait for her books every year. Her writing style is just amazing.

Every now and then, I have to read a Thriller-Romane which is my favourite category/genre and who's better than Miss Brown?!

I had this on my shelf for over a year and thought it's time for some action and a lil bit of romance. This time, the action is taking place in the White House, when the baby boy of The United States President dies in his crib.

The First Lady contacts Barrie Travis, a TV host to signal for help and to find out who really killed her son. Barrie is eager to find out so she seeks the help of the former White House employee Gray Boundourant and from there, their journey begins.

I liked Gray's character, mysterious and tough, not the talkative guy who keeps many information to himself. Now, I felt overwhelmed with Barrie's character, one time I liked her, then I didn't like her, she irritated me in some ways. Now, the shocker is the First Lady's character, I loved how Sandra Brown built her complicated character.

The story was really good, I had a suspicion of my own on how the story will end but didn't see that coming in the last 3 pages of the book.

Loved it.

[kingshearte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thinking that this book was rather more like the ones of hers I enjoyed reading some years ago, and then I discovered that it was first published in 1996. That explains it, and does contribute to answering my wondering as to whether her writing has gone downhill or whether I've just outgrown it.

Don't get me wrong; it's still total not-especially-well-written fluff (Among other issues, it included the words "equally as." Automatic fail.). But this was vastly better fluff than the last few of hers I've read. I called most of the twists, but at least they were there and not totally lame, and this book did share a feature with an earlier one that I found very effective: the final-page twist. This one didn't leave me as unsettled as the other one, but it was still reasonably effective.

Also, I don't consider myself especially uptight or anything, but it was kind of nice that the romantic leads did not start the book married to other people. What can I say? It was a nice change from the last few of hers that I've read.

[Awilk -never sleeps- · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this on my shelf for a while. It was a book I picked up on sale and put away not sure when I would read it. That was a mistake. I loved this story. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I ignored everything and just read until it was finished, and now I am depressed that it is over. This makes it hard to decide what to read next, as it will have to be good to match up how much I enjoyed this.
Now I am going to find more stories by this author and continue to read more of her stories. I love when I find new to me authors that I enjoy. I can only hope I like her other books as mush as I enjoyed this one.

[Lynn Crouch · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, was only going to read books where I could learn something when I picked this up dusting the bookshelves a few days ago. Sadly, I learned nothing, but couldnt put it down. My husband is now reading it and he cant put it down. How do you rate a book with absolutely no literary value that stops you from doing anything else but read. This is a great mystery with a surprise ending and some romance thrown in. I probably wont remember it a month from now but it was a great afternoon.

[Rubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me encantaron los giros de la historia, el final y me ha disgustado la protagonista; al final ha sido una lectura muy entretenida y, fuera de teorías conspirativas, siempre he pensado que quienes buscan el poder no lo hacen por su deseo de servir sino porque son los criminales mas astutos, los que saben hacer que las ley les encubra.
I loved the twists of the story, the ending and I disliked the protagonist; In the end it was a very entertaining read and, aside from conspiracy theories, I have always thought that those who seek power don´t do so because of their desire to serve but because they are the most cunning criminals, those who know how to make the law cover them up.

[Lea Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Barrie Travis is a news reporter that comes across an exclusive with the First Lady on the lost of her baby to SIDS. She receives clues indicating the baby's demise was instead murder. Her investigation leads her to Gray Bondurant, a war hero that used to serve under the president. Together they work to find the truth, but with Barrie's credibility issues & the power of the presidential administration, they find themselves playing a dangerous game.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as I've liked her others. It was decent, with some good twists, but I guess I expected more.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars for me. Wow. What a rollercoaster ride! Early on, I really didn't anticipate giving this one more than 3 stars, largely because of how Brown had her characters reacting to a doggo (I'm a dog mom and a lover of all dogs, so anything less than reverence doesn't go over well with me). I feel she could really use some lessons from Dean Koontz on how to write dogs into her stories.

As I continued reading, I bumped my mental rating up to a 3.5 because the characters were so well-written and engaging. The plot was well-paced and kept me turning pages, eager for more. But I saw one of the big "surprises" coming from nearly the beginning of the book so, again, I felt like there was no way my rating would change.

Near the end, I was surprised and thought, okay, Sandra Brown has done it again - another 4-star rating from me! And then... dun dun dun... I was shocked in the epilogue! The freaking epilogue! That never happens!

So, 4.5 stars is my final rating - half a star deducted because of the dog. Seriously, if that had been handled a little differently, particularly the heroine's inner dialogue about it, this would have been a 5-star read for me. I've read a lot of Brown's works and this is one of my favorites.