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Rescues #1
Midnight Rainbow
Grant Sullivan had been one of the government's most effective agents, and he's agreed to rescue Jane Hamilton Greer, a wealthy socialite possibly engaged in espionage. In the time they spent together, questions of guilt and innocence began to fade against the undeniable reality that two people from such different worlds should never have met.
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 1, 1986
521 people are currently reading
2424 people want to read
About the author
Linda Howard
223 books7,170 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 - 30 of 376 reviews
June 22, 2015
Ex-government agent Grant Sullivan is hired by a wealthy man to get his daughter, Jane Greer, out of the Costa Rican jungle where she is being held captive by a powerful man who thinks she has access to important microfilm that he wants. What follows is an exciting, suspenseful, and romantic story.
I really liked:
The heroine Jane Greer--29 and divorced, she was no TSTL (To Stupid To Live) heroine. She was quite brave and gutsy at times but also vulnerable and likable. She was a heroine who actually listened to the hero when he gave her instructions in the jungle when their lives were in danger.
The hero Grant Sullivan--a 38-year-old retired military expert. He was sexy, strong, and a bit of a loner. But was very sweet and thoughtful at times towards the heroine.
This couple had great chemistry and I enjoyed the sexy love scenes. I also liked the suspense and tension as they were being hunted in the jungle by the bad guys. And I loved the Costa Rica jungle setting!
This was a great read for anyone who loves a good jungle romance with a great main couple!
I really liked:
The heroine Jane Greer--29 and divorced, she was no TSTL (To Stupid To Live) heroine. She was quite brave and gutsy at times but also vulnerable and likable. She was a heroine who actually listened to the hero when he gave her instructions in the jungle when their lives were in danger.
The hero Grant Sullivan--a 38-year-old retired military expert. He was sexy, strong, and a bit of a loner. But was very sweet and thoughtful at times towards the heroine.
This couple had great chemistry and I enjoyed the sexy love scenes. I also liked the suspense and tension as they were being hunted in the jungle by the bad guys. And I loved the Costa Rica jungle setting!
This was a great read for anyone who loves a good jungle romance with a great main couple!
May 31, 2010
Midnight Rainbow was originally published as a Silhouette Intimate Moments in the '80's and is about 250 pages. It is more exciting, more action-packed, more romantic and plain more fabulous than many a longer mass market paperback published nowadays. In fact it is one of my top 5 favorite Linda Howard books. If only she still wrote like this! The plot is simple enough - burnt out special ops hero must rescue spoiled socialite from villain's Costa Rican lair. There's a microfilm involved, which the villain and other nefarious types are burning to get their hands on, but this is just the McGuffin. It's the well-developed leads and their sizzling chemistry that make this story special.
Without going into graphic details, Ms Howard paints a hero who's seen too much and done too much, both in his special ops work and previously in Vietnam. Grant is dead emotionally, unable to even relate to his family, and holed up on a remote Tennessee farm when he's called into action one last time. He's also tough, capable, manly, rugged, commanding, and sheer sex on a stick. One of the hottest heroes ever! Readers who love protective alpha men or Southern bad boys should run to get this book.
Jane Greer (don't call her Priscilla!) is far from the bubble-brained twit Grant expects, she's intelligent, resourceful and brave. Too often so-called "feisty" heroines turn out to be TSTL, putting themselves and the hero in repeated jeopardy because they think they know better than a trained warrior. Jane is refreshingly free of this, but she's quirky, zany and just unique. I've never read a heroine quite like her. I admired her too, no way could I trek uncomplainingly through jungles for days on end with little food or water, even with Grant's fine ass swaying in front of me.
Most of the book takes place in the jungle, which is painted so well that I could feel the steamy heat. And jump at the anaconda scene *shudder*. There's lots of steamy heat in the love scenes too, which are sensual and fairly graphic but tasteful (no anaconda jokes please). Grant and Jane's chemistry is amazing, rarely have I felt a hero and heroine to be so completely perfect for each other. 5 big fat juicy stars :-)
Without going into graphic details, Ms Howard paints a hero who's seen too much and done too much, both in his special ops work and previously in Vietnam. Grant is dead emotionally, unable to even relate to his family, and holed up on a remote Tennessee farm when he's called into action one last time. He's also tough, capable, manly, rugged, commanding, and sheer sex on a stick. One of the hottest heroes ever! Readers who love protective alpha men or Southern bad boys should run to get this book.
Jane Greer (don't call her Priscilla!) is far from the bubble-brained twit Grant expects, she's intelligent, resourceful and brave. Too often so-called "feisty" heroines turn out to be TSTL, putting themselves and the hero in repeated jeopardy because they think they know better than a trained warrior. Jane is refreshingly free of this, but she's quirky, zany and just unique. I've never read a heroine quite like her. I admired her too, no way could I trek uncomplainingly through jungles for days on end with little food or water, even with Grant's fine ass swaying in front of me.
Most of the book takes place in the jungle, which is painted so well that I could feel the steamy heat. And jump at the anaconda scene *shudder*. There's lots of steamy heat in the love scenes too, which are sensual and fairly graphic but tasteful (no anaconda jokes please). Grant and Jane's chemistry is amazing, rarely have I felt a hero and heroine to be so completely perfect for each other. 5 big fat juicy stars :-)
April 20, 2013
Grant Sullivan is an 'Original' Uber-Bad-Ass, dominating, possessive male!
Jane (Priscilla) Greer is charming, witty, sassy, and brilliant.
When the reader 'sees' things through her eyes, everything seems SO logical, but when it actually plays out... maybe her choices may not have been the best in her situation.
I absolutely LOVED this story!
Background
Grant Sullivan is a retired agent hired by Hamilton Greer, a wealthy, connected socialite to rescue his daughter (Jane) from being held captive in Costa Rica by a very powerful, dangerous man (Turego).
The intelligence Grant has been given can't confirm whether or not Jane is involved in espionage (the disappearance of a microfilm), or if she has the microfilm or knows of it's whereabouts. His mission is to go in and get Jane, and get out as efficiently, and quietly as possible.
The story was intense, and had me engaged through the whole story, to the point that at the end I was looking for more.
Don't get me wrong.. it's not that it ended abruptly. NO! I just wanted more Grant and Jane.
When Grant first meets Jane, she is not at all what he expected. He assumed she would be a spoiled, haughty, debutante.
What he got was a resourceful, intelligent, witty, fast-on-her feet adaptable woman.
Half the time he doesn't know whether he wants to strangle her or jump her bones.
Favorite part in the story is after Grant and Jane have been traveling through the jungle for two days. Their tired, dirty, hungry, and frustrated.
They finally come across a shallow 'safe' stream to wash in.
The sexual tension between the two of them is off the charts, and Jane is terrified of the feelings she's developed towards Grant.
"He stood very still in the stream, watching her as she watched him, letting her take in every detail of his body. Under her searching gaze, his body began to stir, harden, growing to full, heavy arousal.
"Jane," he said softly, but still she heard him. She was so attuned to him, so painfully sensitive to every move and sound he made, that she would have heard him if he'd whispered. "Do you want to come down here?"
Grant doesn't push Jane because eventually she'll give into her attraction and feelings towards him. He has no doubt that before they leave the jungle, Jane will be his.
We learn that Grant was drafted at 18 to go to Vietnam. Because he grew up in the swamps in Georgia, the jungles of Vietnam were second nature to him. So much so, that after the war, he was wild and no longer fit in anywhere. His own family didn't know how to reach him, so he went back and continued working 'Black-Ops' for the government. The Government trained him as a highly skilled weapon, and he was so good at his job that he lost sight of the 'light' of himself and was living in total darkness.
.. until he meets Jane
"She was his now, and her life was being threatened. He'd lost too much already; his youth, his laughter, his trust in others, even part of his own humanity. He couldn't afford to lose anything else. He was a desperate man trying to recapture his soul.
After they give into their desire for one another.
"She was his, as she'd never belonged to any other man. her safety hinged on how swiftly he could get her out of the country, for he sensed Turego closing in on them. That man would never give up, not while the microfilm was still missing. There was no way in hell, Grant vowed, that he would allow Turego ever to touch Jane again.
Lifting his mouth from hers, he muttered in harsh tone,
"Your mine now. I'll take care of you."
Jane rested her head against his chest. "I know," she whispered.
Jane has never been in love before, and she knows her time with Grant is running out as they draw closer to being rescued.
Her biggest fear is never seeing Grant again, and she knows that she can't convince him to give 'them' a chance because He thinks he's lived in the darkness too long to be able to have any light.
Grant has allowed Jane to get under his skin, but he knows that he can never give Jane what she needs in life, because he doesn't know how to live in love.
So when they spend their last night together it is passionate, and heartbreaking because Grant knows this will be their last night and he tries to savor every moment.
Jane walks away the next day without turning back, but she has a plan to get Grant to realize just how much he loves her and needs her as much as she loves and needs him.
Brilliant story, characters, and writing!
Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Thank you so much Jill for giving me the final nudge to give this story a try. Your the bomb!
Jane (Priscilla) Greer is charming, witty, sassy, and brilliant.
When the reader 'sees' things through her eyes, everything seems SO logical, but when it actually plays out... maybe her choices may not have been the best in her situation.
I absolutely LOVED this story!
Background
Grant Sullivan is a retired agent hired by Hamilton Greer, a wealthy, connected socialite to rescue his daughter (Jane) from being held captive in Costa Rica by a very powerful, dangerous man (Turego).
The intelligence Grant has been given can't confirm whether or not Jane is involved in espionage (the disappearance of a microfilm), or if she has the microfilm or knows of it's whereabouts. His mission is to go in and get Jane, and get out as efficiently, and quietly as possible.
The story was intense, and had me engaged through the whole story, to the point that at the end I was looking for more.
Don't get me wrong.. it's not that it ended abruptly. NO! I just wanted more Grant and Jane.
When Grant first meets Jane, she is not at all what he expected. He assumed she would be a spoiled, haughty, debutante.
What he got was a resourceful, intelligent, witty, fast-on-her feet adaptable woman.
Half the time he doesn't know whether he wants to strangle her or jump her bones.
Favorite part in the story is after Grant and Jane have been traveling through the jungle for two days. Their tired, dirty, hungry, and frustrated.
They finally come across a shallow 'safe' stream to wash in.
The sexual tension between the two of them is off the charts, and Jane is terrified of the feelings she's developed towards Grant.
"He stood very still in the stream, watching her as she watched him, letting her take in every detail of his body. Under her searching gaze, his body began to stir, harden, growing to full, heavy arousal.
"Jane," he said softly, but still she heard him. She was so attuned to him, so painfully sensitive to every move and sound he made, that she would have heard him if he'd whispered. "Do you want to come down here?"
Grant doesn't push Jane because eventually she'll give into her attraction and feelings towards him. He has no doubt that before they leave the jungle, Jane will be his.
We learn that Grant was drafted at 18 to go to Vietnam. Because he grew up in the swamps in Georgia, the jungles of Vietnam were second nature to him. So much so, that after the war, he was wild and no longer fit in anywhere. His own family didn't know how to reach him, so he went back and continued working 'Black-Ops' for the government. The Government trained him as a highly skilled weapon, and he was so good at his job that he lost sight of the 'light' of himself and was living in total darkness.
.. until he meets Jane
"She was his now, and her life was being threatened. He'd lost too much already; his youth, his laughter, his trust in others, even part of his own humanity. He couldn't afford to lose anything else. He was a desperate man trying to recapture his soul.
After they give into their desire for one another.
"She was his, as she'd never belonged to any other man. her safety hinged on how swiftly he could get her out of the country, for he sensed Turego closing in on them. That man would never give up, not while the microfilm was still missing. There was no way in hell, Grant vowed, that he would allow Turego ever to touch Jane again.
Lifting his mouth from hers, he muttered in harsh tone,
"Your mine now. I'll take care of you."
Jane rested her head against his chest. "I know," she whispered.
Jane has never been in love before, and she knows her time with Grant is running out as they draw closer to being rescued.
Her biggest fear is never seeing Grant again, and she knows that she can't convince him to give 'them' a chance because He thinks he's lived in the darkness too long to be able to have any light.
Grant has allowed Jane to get under his skin, but he knows that he can never give Jane what she needs in life, because he doesn't know how to live in love.
So when they spend their last night together it is passionate, and heartbreaking because Grant knows this will be their last night and he tries to savor every moment.
Jane walks away the next day without turning back, but she has a plan to get Grant to realize just how much he loves her and needs her as much as she loves and needs him.
Brilliant story, characters, and writing!
Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
Thank you so much Jill for giving me the final nudge to give this story a try. Your the bomb!
August 12, 2016
Hands down my favorite Linda Howard book and the only one that has earned a five star rating from me as of this date.
For 90% of the book, it was a lighthearted, humorous, romantic suspense reminiscent of those popular 80s capers that would pit a prim,proper, cool, city girl with a hawt and dirty adventurer in some exotic locale. Think Romancing the Stone or Crocodile Dundee. I enjoyed the banter and tension between the characters, the setting of the Costa Rican jungle, and the fast pacing. But what made me love it was the characterizations.
For an author who has written her fair share of dumb as post heroines and big fat jerk heroes, I am happy to report that her creations of Jane Greer and Grant Sullivan, two equally kick-ass, lovable characters, were the best that I have ever read from her. It is so rare for a writer to give the necessary care and development to both hero and heroine in the romance genre. One almost always ends up getting the short end of the stick and it is clear who the writer, and therefore the reader, ends up favoring. Not the case here.
As I approached the conclusion of the book, I cringed because so many great books that start with a bang end in a whimper and I have had my share of wimpy endings with this author. But wow! She did not drop the ball. The ending was perfect, true to the characters, and it added another layer to this otherwise lighthearted caper, becoming something more than just a humorous piece of fiction. It reflected on the factors that have to be in place to allow people who have had a trauma in their past to heal: time, willingness, willpower, and of course, love.
These characters will stay with me for a long time. Bravo, Ms. Howard!
For 90% of the book, it was a lighthearted, humorous, romantic suspense reminiscent of those popular 80s capers that would pit a prim,proper, cool, city girl with a hawt and dirty adventurer in some exotic locale. Think Romancing the Stone or Crocodile Dundee. I enjoyed the banter and tension between the characters, the setting of the Costa Rican jungle, and the fast pacing. But what made me love it was the characterizations.
For an author who has written her fair share of dumb as post heroines and big fat jerk heroes, I am happy to report that her creations of Jane Greer and Grant Sullivan, two equally kick-ass, lovable characters, were the best that I have ever read from her. It is so rare for a writer to give the necessary care and development to both hero and heroine in the romance genre. One almost always ends up getting the short end of the stick and it is clear who the writer, and therefore the reader, ends up favoring. Not the case here.
As I approached the conclusion of the book, I cringed because so many great books that start with a bang end in a whimper and I have had my share of wimpy endings with this author. But wow! She did not drop the ball. The ending was perfect, true to the characters, and it added another layer to this otherwise lighthearted caper, becoming something more than just a humorous piece of fiction. It reflected on the factors that have to be in place to allow people who have had a trauma in their past to heal: time, willingness, willpower, and of course, love.
These characters will stay with me for a long time. Bravo, Ms. Howard!
August 4, 2015
I had read this years ago but wanted to revisit some of Howard's stories. Namely the Kell Sabin series, as I recall loving him to absolute pieces. This was a jungle setting, nonstop action from page one, and the hero is the alpha male that I never knew the name for way back before realizing there was a name for the type of hero I liked. I admit, this story feels a little dated. The technology they talk about would have been okay ten years ago, but sadly, it seems archaic now. The romance was great. Super hot, of course...it's Linda Howard.
December 15, 2025
Sunshine 🖐️ beats grumpy ✊~~~
LH's heroes are always grumpy with varying degrees of surliness. This one was my first from LH with an actual reason for his harsh behavior and words;
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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LH's heroes are always grumpy with varying degrees of surliness. This one was my first from LH with an actual reason for his harsh behavior and words;
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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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May 6, 2015
As they would say in Ireland ... "It was grand." I had higher hopes for it but they fizzled out about halfway through. I felt it read like another LH book but cannot seem to remember the name of it right now. The next in the series is available for preorder on kindle at $10.00. No thanks. Not sure how an author/publisher can justify issuing an OLD book on kindle ... and then charging that much for it. Will have to scour the second hand bookshops at some stage.
Time disappeared as they stood in the water, the late afternoon sun dappling them with the shifting pattern of light created by sheltering trees ...
August 9, 2017
Plot? Who cares. There's the McGuffin aka microfiche that has to be smuggled out of Central America by heiress/natural born spy Jane who is rescued by ex-covert agent Grant Sullivan. Bad guys give chase while love blossoms. I jest. Fun, fun, fun. Tons of exciting action within a very short time period and off the charts sexiness.
Midnight Rainbow is an excellent example of suspense novel. Strong silent-type hero, smart and ingenious heroine, explosive chemistry, and non-stop action. Correction, action temporarily stopped for the apparent necessary steamy sex in the jungle where clothes magically fall off.
This couple would have made a great TV series. Jane's a great heroine as she's charming, open, strong and in love with the H and not afraid to show him. Grant, in way over his head with Jane, is going to have his job cut out for him as he tries to save her from one escapade after another.
Definitely going to continue with the series.
Why not 4 stars as it was so close? I'm being stingy.
Midnight Rainbow is an excellent example of suspense novel. Strong silent-type hero, smart and ingenious heroine, explosive chemistry, and non-stop action. Correction, action temporarily stopped for the apparent necessary steamy sex in the jungle where clothes magically fall off.
This couple would have made a great TV series. Jane's a great heroine as she's charming, open, strong and in love with the H and not afraid to show him. Grant, in way over his head with Jane, is going to have his job cut out for him as he tries to save her from one escapade after another.
Definitely going to continue with the series.
Why not 4 stars as it was so close? I'm being stingy.
August 10, 2011
I enjoyed Midnight Rainbow. Grant Sullivan lived in the shadows too long, covert operation and more that he found himself losing his humanity, so a year ago he quit and bought a farm trying to heal but now he's back because someone made him an irresistible offer, if he rescues a woman, his mortgage will be wiped clean.
The woman is Priscilla Jane, who is a hostage in Costa Rico. After observing her Grant thinks he has her pegged, she is rich, spoiled, pampered and woman who uses her feminine wiles, the reason she is in a fix is because her boss and her maybe lover got a microfilm which carries sensitive information.
Grant goes to rescue her at night and instead gets attacked, the attacker is Jane who is not an air-head and instead knows the danger she is in and made preparations to escape. Jane isn't sure she should trust him but doesn't know what alternative she has.
Jane is scared of the dark since she was kidnapped years ago and has worked hard to overcome her fears, she knows self defense and is far from helpless as she proves it countless times, marching on even when exhausted.
I loved seeing her surprise Grant at every turn and I loved their romance as well. Jane was a very good heroine and so was Grant, he was one of those silent types who didn't know what to make of Jane and puts up one hell of a fight on the road to a HEA.
The woman is Priscilla Jane, who is a hostage in Costa Rico. After observing her Grant thinks he has her pegged, she is rich, spoiled, pampered and woman who uses her feminine wiles, the reason she is in a fix is because her boss and her maybe lover got a microfilm which carries sensitive information.
Grant goes to rescue her at night and instead gets attacked, the attacker is Jane who is not an air-head and instead knows the danger she is in and made preparations to escape. Jane isn't sure she should trust him but doesn't know what alternative she has.
Jane is scared of the dark since she was kidnapped years ago and has worked hard to overcome her fears, she knows self defense and is far from helpless as she proves it countless times, marching on even when exhausted.
I loved seeing her surprise Grant at every turn and I loved their romance as well. Jane was a very good heroine and so was Grant, he was one of those silent types who didn't know what to make of Jane and puts up one hell of a fight on the road to a HEA.
August 17, 2015
This is a very fun adventure/romance. Definitely a lighter offering by LH as far as angst goes. The hero only has one small episode of asshattery where he falsely accuses the heroine, but it doesn't last very long.
This is basically a story of opposites attracting with some twists (the h isn't as opposite as most think at first glance).
Re: Audio - I am not a fan of the choice this narrator made for the heroine's voice. It honestly took me quite a while to be able to tune out my annoyance and just go with the flow of the book.
The narrator used a ditzy sounding little girl voice for the heroine. Perhaps she felt it fit the character, but it was grating to me. The heroine was a very cheerful, outgoing type who most saw as a sweet but dense/spoiled heiress. She's actually very smart and resourceful if a little quirky. I really liked her character, just not the voice characterization. Probably best to read this one the old fashioned way.
This is basically a story of opposites attracting with some twists (the h isn't as opposite as most think at first glance).
Re: Audio - I am not a fan of the choice this narrator made for the heroine's voice. It honestly took me quite a while to be able to tune out my annoyance and just go with the flow of the book.
The narrator used a ditzy sounding little girl voice for the heroine. Perhaps she felt it fit the character, but it was grating to me. The heroine was a very cheerful, outgoing type who most saw as a sweet but dense/spoiled heiress. She's actually very smart and resourceful if a little quirky. I really liked her character, just not the voice characterization. Probably best to read this one the old fashioned way.
August 31, 2019
This started out a bit rough, but ultimately it was a good story. The Hero wasn’t very nice to the heroine for a good portion of the beginning. It’s not what I prefer in my reads. The majority of the story is about these two running through the jungle trying to get away from her kidnappers. He was hired by her father to get her out safely. It is a pretty exciting story because of this. I think I had a harder time because of how the narrator chose to play out the heroines voice. It sounded way too girly and just kept throwing me off. I actually like how she did the heroes voice though.
October 31, 2025
"Come here and let me keep the dark away from you."
She felt his hand on her arm, urging her closer, then she was enfolded in arms so strong that nothing could ever make her afraid while they held her.
This is absolutely not my kind of book. I'm not a fan of romantic suspense or adventure books, I usually don't like unrealistic, exaggerated stories, and I hate head hopping (which is extreme here).
However, it was easy to see "Midnight Rainbow" as a kind of fantasy book in Indiana Jones style and to enjoy it anyway. It's just a highly entertaining story full of insane adventures and life-threatening events. Grant is a capable, swoon-worthy MMC, and the brave FMC is just as good, if not better. Their chemistry is off the charts, the steam is not too explicit but plentiful. Seeing these two heroes to get closer and overcome their demons together, is wonderful and very satisfying.
I need to read more Linda Howard.
She felt his hand on her arm, urging her closer, then she was enfolded in arms so strong that nothing could ever make her afraid while they held her.
This is absolutely not my kind of book. I'm not a fan of romantic suspense or adventure books, I usually don't like unrealistic, exaggerated stories, and I hate head hopping (which is extreme here).
However, it was easy to see "Midnight Rainbow" as a kind of fantasy book in Indiana Jones style and to enjoy it anyway. It's just a highly entertaining story full of insane adventures and life-threatening events. Grant is a capable, swoon-worthy MMC, and the brave FMC is just as good, if not better. Their chemistry is off the charts, the steam is not too explicit but plentiful. Seeing these two heroes to get closer and overcome their demons together, is wonderful and very satisfying.
I need to read more Linda Howard.
May 29, 2016
Extremely fast insta-love aside, this was such a brilliant book! THIS is why I love Linda so much. She's just amazing.
September 9, 2016
4.5 giddy stars for the book, and maybe 4 stars for Sweeney's narration. Her voice for the hero is great, but the heroine sounds both flakey and fake, high pitched.
Whoot!! Linda Howard's romantic adventure is decades old, but it stands the test of time. Fabulous story! Lots of action and adventure in the rain forests and villages of Costa Rica. Fast-paced page turner. Plenty of tension. Logical, coherent plot. All the characters were credible, with slowly-steaming sizzle between Grant and Jane. LOVED Grant. A cynical ex-spy, needing to believe in love again. Jane was perfect for him. Loved her, too.
However, the book is not quite perfect, for me. I felt there were too many sex scenes interrupting the action, even though the first big clinch didn't occur till half-way into the book.
PLOT A world-weary, soulsick, master spy (Grant Sullivan) is called from retirement to rescue the daughter of a wealthy American, stranded and in peril from villains in Costa Rica. Well, Grant thinks Priscilla (Prissy *chuckles*) Jane Hamilton Greer will be a spoiled, helpless, superficial socialite, but she surprises him. During their desperate race through the rain forest to reach the port city of Limón, they fall in love.
RELATIONSHIP: Grant the spy has learned to trust no one, and the two of them are in constant jeopardy, with the terrorists always on their heels. Grant fully expects Jane to sell him out in order to save her own hide. Eventually, he learns to believe in her, as she shows herself to be brave, loyal, stubborn, feisty, and fiercely protective. There is a point when he feels sure Jane has betrayed him. Maybe he should have trusted her, but he's only known her a week, and his past life as a spy is littered with deceptions. I felt for him -- he felt so hurt. Nice moments, when he cleans the blood off her, and when he realizes she's been dealing with her phobia so bravely. Howard portrays his gradually shifting feelings for her, from scorn to passionate, protective, devoted, entertained, and possessive.
Memorable scenes: The bloody boa snake attack. Afraid of the dark. Jane's ploy to trick the villain. The microfilm. The airport. The phone number. Jane's final ploy, to lure Grant.
Some humor in this book too. I chuckled several times. Jane is a kick.
As for the smexy times, no one does it better, and the eventual love scenes are delicious. Bold, passionate, and real, as with all Howard's work. Just too many of them. ;-)
The ending was a tagged-on adventure. Surprising, smexy, and fun.
This is part of a master spy series, but each book stands alone. It's my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed them all. We see plenty of Jane and Grant in Diamond Bay.
Whoot!! Linda Howard's romantic adventure is decades old, but it stands the test of time. Fabulous story! Lots of action and adventure in the rain forests and villages of Costa Rica. Fast-paced page turner. Plenty of tension. Logical, coherent plot. All the characters were credible, with slowly-steaming sizzle between Grant and Jane. LOVED Grant. A cynical ex-spy, needing to believe in love again. Jane was perfect for him. Loved her, too.
However, the book is not quite perfect, for me. I felt there were too many sex scenes interrupting the action, even though the first big clinch didn't occur till half-way into the book.
PLOT A world-weary, soulsick, master spy (Grant Sullivan) is called from retirement to rescue the daughter of a wealthy American, stranded and in peril from villains in Costa Rica. Well, Grant thinks Priscilla (Prissy *chuckles*) Jane Hamilton Greer will be a spoiled, helpless, superficial socialite, but she surprises him. During their desperate race through the rain forest to reach the port city of Limón, they fall in love.
RELATIONSHIP: Grant the spy has learned to trust no one, and the two of them are in constant jeopardy, with the terrorists always on their heels. Grant fully expects Jane to sell him out in order to save her own hide. Eventually, he learns to believe in her, as she shows herself to be brave, loyal, stubborn, feisty, and fiercely protective. There is a point when he feels sure Jane has betrayed him. Maybe he should have trusted her, but he's only known her a week, and his past life as a spy is littered with deceptions. I felt for him -- he felt so hurt. Nice moments, when he cleans the blood off her, and when he realizes she's been dealing with her phobia so bravely. Howard portrays his gradually shifting feelings for her, from scorn to passionate, protective, devoted, entertained, and possessive.
Memorable scenes: The bloody boa snake attack. Afraid of the dark. Jane's ploy to trick the villain. The microfilm. The airport. The phone number. Jane's final ploy, to lure Grant.
Some humor in this book too. I chuckled several times. Jane is a kick.
As for the smexy times, no one does it better, and the eventual love scenes are delicious. Bold, passionate, and real, as with all Howard's work. Just too many of them. ;-)
The ending was a tagged-on adventure. Surprising, smexy, and fun.
This is part of a master spy series, but each book stands alone. It's my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed them all. We see plenty of Jane and Grant in Diamond Bay.
April 30, 2021
Meet Grant – secret agent asshat.
- He looked like a lean, mean, fighting machine, every hard, muscled inch of him.
- He was clad in tiger-striped camouflage fatigues, and he wore the trappings of war.
Me thinks he is not quite right in the head.
- He realized that he was fondling his knife, his long, lean fingers sliding over the deadly blade with a lover's touch, and he shoved it into its sheath.
Meet Jane (also called Pris and Priscilla).
- She was a mass of contradictions. She was a jet-setter, so wild that her father had disinherited her, and she'd been George Persall's mistress, yet he couldn't detect any signs of hard living in her face. If anything, her face was as open and innocent as a child's, with a child's enthusiasm for life shining out of her dark brown eyes.
You had to go with the child reference, Linda H? Really??
Jane has spunk (or pluck as my grandmother would have called it).
- Her knee slashed upward; he was unguarded, totally vulnerable, and her knee crashed into his groin with a force that sent agony through his whole body. Red lights danced before his eyes, and he sagged to one side, gagging at the bitter bile that rose in his throat, his hands automatically cupping his agonized flesh as he ground his teeth to contain the groan that fought for release.
(His name is Grant, but I’ll let this one slide)
- Something snapped inside Jane, and she whirled on him, catching him by the shirt front and drawing back her fist. "If you call me 'Pris' just one more time, I'm going to feed you a knuckle sandwich!" she roared, unreasonably angry at his continued use of that hated name.
Grant is very good at manhandling her spunk.
- She began kicking and struggling to wake up, to end the dream, and abruptly a sharp slap stung her bottom. "Settle down," an ill-tempered voice said from somewhere above and behind her. The voice was that of a stranger, but there was something in that laconic drawl that made her obey instantly.
- He was on her tail, literally, his hard shoulder against the back of her thighs, pushing her onward whenever he thought she wasn't moving fast enough. Once he halted her by the simple method of grabbing her ankle and jerking her flat, his urgent grip warning her to be quiet.
Grant is also a soothing pillar of comfort when Jane needs it.
- Her fragile control broke and she reached out wildly, clawing for him, for reassurance that he was still there. Her outstretched fingers touched fabric, and she threw herself against him, gasping in mingled panic and relief.
The next second steely fingers grasped her shirt and she was hurled through the air to land flat on her back in the smelly, rotting vegetation. Before she could move, before she could suck air back into her lungs, her hair was pulled back and she felt the suffocating pressure of his knee on her chest again. His breath was a low rasp above her, his voice little more than a snarl "Don't ever—ever—come at me from behind again."
Jane has special skills.
- Jane had just reached for her bundle of supplies when some instinct left over from her cave-dwelling ancestors told her that someone was near.
Jane doesn’t do well with languages.
- His black eyes were narrowed, fastened on Sullivan. He said something, but Jane was too upset to translate the Spanish.
English is my second language, and I can assure you, I do not suddenly stop understanding English when I am scared, confused, stressed or upset.
The setting is the jungle – because the tropical jungle is sexy.
- Already he'd felt the jungle pulling at him, the heated, almost sexual excitement of danger.
Meet my trashcan
DNF 23%
- He looked like a lean, mean, fighting machine, every hard, muscled inch of him.
- He was clad in tiger-striped camouflage fatigues, and he wore the trappings of war.
Me thinks he is not quite right in the head.
- He realized that he was fondling his knife, his long, lean fingers sliding over the deadly blade with a lover's touch, and he shoved it into its sheath.
Meet Jane (also called Pris and Priscilla).
- She was a mass of contradictions. She was a jet-setter, so wild that her father had disinherited her, and she'd been George Persall's mistress, yet he couldn't detect any signs of hard living in her face. If anything, her face was as open and innocent as a child's, with a child's enthusiasm for life shining out of her dark brown eyes.
You had to go with the child reference, Linda H? Really??
Jane has spunk (or pluck as my grandmother would have called it).
- Her knee slashed upward; he was unguarded, totally vulnerable, and her knee crashed into his groin with a force that sent agony through his whole body. Red lights danced before his eyes, and he sagged to one side, gagging at the bitter bile that rose in his throat, his hands automatically cupping his agonized flesh as he ground his teeth to contain the groan that fought for release.
(His name is Grant, but I’ll let this one slide)
- Something snapped inside Jane, and she whirled on him, catching him by the shirt front and drawing back her fist. "If you call me 'Pris' just one more time, I'm going to feed you a knuckle sandwich!" she roared, unreasonably angry at his continued use of that hated name.
Grant is very good at manhandling her spunk.
- She began kicking and struggling to wake up, to end the dream, and abruptly a sharp slap stung her bottom. "Settle down," an ill-tempered voice said from somewhere above and behind her. The voice was that of a stranger, but there was something in that laconic drawl that made her obey instantly.
- He was on her tail, literally, his hard shoulder against the back of her thighs, pushing her onward whenever he thought she wasn't moving fast enough. Once he halted her by the simple method of grabbing her ankle and jerking her flat, his urgent grip warning her to be quiet.
Grant is also a soothing pillar of comfort when Jane needs it.
- Her fragile control broke and she reached out wildly, clawing for him, for reassurance that he was still there. Her outstretched fingers touched fabric, and she threw herself against him, gasping in mingled panic and relief.
The next second steely fingers grasped her shirt and she was hurled through the air to land flat on her back in the smelly, rotting vegetation. Before she could move, before she could suck air back into her lungs, her hair was pulled back and she felt the suffocating pressure of his knee on her chest again. His breath was a low rasp above her, his voice little more than a snarl "Don't ever—ever—come at me from behind again."
Jane has special skills.
- Jane had just reached for her bundle of supplies when some instinct left over from her cave-dwelling ancestors told her that someone was near.
Jane doesn’t do well with languages.
- His black eyes were narrowed, fastened on Sullivan. He said something, but Jane was too upset to translate the Spanish.
English is my second language, and I can assure you, I do not suddenly stop understanding English when I am scared, confused, stressed or upset.
The setting is the jungle – because the tropical jungle is sexy.
- Already he'd felt the jungle pulling at him, the heated, almost sexual excitement of danger.
Meet my trashcan
DNF 23%
April 3, 2017
This was a great book. I went into Midnight Rainbow feeling a little skeptical. The last five Linda Howard books I've read ranged from mediocre to bad, and the fact that this was a re-release of an older book made me worry that I was in for another abusive jerk hero like the one in The Cutting Edge. But all those worries were unfounded. Midnight Rainbow is a great story that still holds up under today's standards.
The story is that Jane Hamilton has been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Costa Rica. Grant Sullivan is a retired military man / mercenary who specialized in jungle ops and Jane's wealthy father hires him to rescue her. Jane was a very pleasant surprise to both the reader and Grant. Instead of finding a spoiled, empty-headed brat, Jane turns out to be strong, clever and able to use self-defense moves to bring grown men down. Once Grant has her out of the kidnapper's hideout, they spend days trekking through the unforgiving forest and Jane keeps up without ever complaining or slowing him down. Grant's character manages to hit that sweet spot of being manly and take-charge without coming across as an arrogant bully. Two gold stars for the hero and heroine!
As they spend more and more time together, Grant soon finds himself drawn to Jane in ways he never expected and she soon falls for him as well. The development of their relationship felt very natural and believable. When they start sleeping together it's very hot and that steaminess never really wears off. You really believe how irresistibly they're drawn to each other. The race to get away from the kidnapper keeps the tension high and the plot moving forward. And once they get back to civilization, their melancholy over having to part ways is also very sweet.
I can't say that I LOVED Jane's plan to get Grant to come to his senses and marry her at the very end. It made her seem kind of silly and like she was falling into the trap she'd managed to avoid for the whole book - becoming a TSTL heroine. But since the rest of the book was so great we'll let that slide.
However, one thing I did find weird was,
But, all in all it was an extremely enjoyable read.
Oh, and everyone who has commented on the audiobook narrator was totally right. The high-pitched little girl voice she used for Jane's dialogue was EXCRUCIATING to listen to. What on earth was she thinking???? Ugh. Definitely better to read this one in hard copy!
The story is that Jane Hamilton has been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Costa Rica. Grant Sullivan is a retired military man / mercenary who specialized in jungle ops and Jane's wealthy father hires him to rescue her. Jane was a very pleasant surprise to both the reader and Grant. Instead of finding a spoiled, empty-headed brat, Jane turns out to be strong, clever and able to use self-defense moves to bring grown men down. Once Grant has her out of the kidnapper's hideout, they spend days trekking through the unforgiving forest and Jane keeps up without ever complaining or slowing him down. Grant's character manages to hit that sweet spot of being manly and take-charge without coming across as an arrogant bully. Two gold stars for the hero and heroine!
As they spend more and more time together, Grant soon finds himself drawn to Jane in ways he never expected and she soon falls for him as well. The development of their relationship felt very natural and believable. When they start sleeping together it's very hot and that steaminess never really wears off. You really believe how irresistibly they're drawn to each other. The race to get away from the kidnapper keeps the tension high and the plot moving forward. And once they get back to civilization, their melancholy over having to part ways is also very sweet.
I can't say that I LOVED Jane's plan to get Grant to come to his senses and marry her at the very end. It made her seem kind of silly and like she was falling into the trap she'd managed to avoid for the whole book - becoming a TSTL heroine. But since the rest of the book was so great we'll let that slide.
However, one thing I did find weird was,
But, all in all it was an extremely enjoyable read.
Oh, and everyone who has commented on the audiobook narrator was totally right. The high-pitched little girl voice she used for Jane's dialogue was EXCRUCIATING to listen to. What on earth was she thinking???? Ugh. Definitely better to read this one in hard copy!
March 27, 2017
I wanted to buy the audiobook but the narrator Brenda Sweeney is terrible. There were many complaints on Audible about her and her breaths were annoying. My review of the paperback is below.
Fun, good story. Warrior-type saves smart, feisty, troublesome heroine - danger, suspense and love.
Setting is current day Central American jungle with former CIA-type agent. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: eight or more. Copyright: 1986. Genre: romantic suspense.
CAUTION SPOILER:
When the two were captured by Turego, she pretended to have missed Turego and kissed him as an act so he wouldn't tie her up so she could help Grant escape. Yet Grant got jealous and believed the act. Grant's anger was not believable, and I think Grant should have known what she was doing. This was the weakest part of the story. But, I still recommend it as a fun escape.
Fun, good story. Warrior-type saves smart, feisty, troublesome heroine - danger, suspense and love.
Setting is current day Central American jungle with former CIA-type agent. Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: eight or more. Copyright: 1986. Genre: romantic suspense.
CAUTION SPOILER:
When the two were captured by Turego, she pretended to have missed Turego and kissed him as an act so he wouldn't tie her up so she could help Grant escape. Yet Grant got jealous and believed the act. Grant's anger was not believable, and I think Grant should have known what she was doing. This was the weakest part of the story. But, I still recommend it as a fun escape.
April 5, 2016
Sexy and a lot of fun!
September 9, 2019
Audiobook: Narrator - Brenda Sweeney
I listened to Diamond Bay prior to this audio and fell in love with they way this narrator performed Grant and Jane. When I found this audio available on Escape, I instantly downloaded it. While Ms. Sweeney does a wonderful job, I think the accents didn’t hold as much charm when I had them throughout the entirety of the book rather than just the few scenes I’d had in Diamond Bay. Nevertheless, she does do a spectacular job of bringing the danger and excitement of this story into her performance.
As soon as I read the blurb on this book I recognized it as one of the first Linda Howard books I ever read, and fell in love with. That made digging in even more exciting but kinda scary because I had very fond memories of this book and I was afraid time would not be kind to them. I was thrilled to realize that it did not. This book held up to the changes in time because at the heart of it all is the romance between this couple.
This is action packed and romance laden and absolutely perfect. Grant is that country boy who knows how to kill with his hands and Jane is so much more than a glittering debutante. They are the type of characters that remained with me throughout the years and I love them now as much as I loved them then.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
I listened to Diamond Bay prior to this audio and fell in love with they way this narrator performed Grant and Jane. When I found this audio available on Escape, I instantly downloaded it. While Ms. Sweeney does a wonderful job, I think the accents didn’t hold as much charm when I had them throughout the entirety of the book rather than just the few scenes I’d had in Diamond Bay. Nevertheless, she does do a spectacular job of bringing the danger and excitement of this story into her performance.
As soon as I read the blurb on this book I recognized it as one of the first Linda Howard books I ever read, and fell in love with. That made digging in even more exciting but kinda scary because I had very fond memories of this book and I was afraid time would not be kind to them. I was thrilled to realize that it did not. This book held up to the changes in time because at the heart of it all is the romance between this couple.
This is action packed and romance laden and absolutely perfect. Grant is that country boy who knows how to kill with his hands and Jane is so much more than a glittering debutante. They are the type of characters that remained with me throughout the years and I love them now as much as I loved them then.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
April 22, 2025
3.5 stars
Good enough, but where is Joan Wilder when you need her?
Jane Greer is lounging poolside, sipping cool drinks, in a rogue Costa Rican official’s heavily guarded compound as Grant Sullivan watches through binoculars while sweating and slapping mosquitos. Whatever possessed him to allow the girl’s father to lure him out of retirement in order to rescue the frivolous socialite before her captors decide to torture and kill her for the location of a missing microfiche?
What follows is an expected snatch-and-run adventure through wild Costa Rican rain forests, complete with dirt and sweat and armed Sandinistas (this was written in 1986, so even pay phones made an appearance), squishy things and one ill-tempered boa constrictor. Jane was, of course, so much more intelligent, brave, and resourceful than expected and Grant was the epitome of the big, strong, indomitable male with mad jungle skills, so how could they possibly keep their hands off each other?
…it was time she knew. He removed his hand from hers, lifting it to cup her chin. His thumb rubbed lightly over her lips. “Soon,” he said, his voice guttural with need, “you’re going to lie down for me. Before I take you back to your daddy, I’m going to have you, and the way I feel now, I figure it’s going to take a long time before I’m finished with you.”
This was entertaining and occasionally exciting and hot, both weather-wise and spice-wise if you can get past the ick of two people badly needing a bath doing it in the dirt, but lacked the polish, light touch, and chemistry of Romancing the Stone, which no doubt inspired the writing of this book.
Good enough, but where is Joan Wilder when you need her?
Jane Greer is lounging poolside, sipping cool drinks, in a rogue Costa Rican official’s heavily guarded compound as Grant Sullivan watches through binoculars while sweating and slapping mosquitos. Whatever possessed him to allow the girl’s father to lure him out of retirement in order to rescue the frivolous socialite before her captors decide to torture and kill her for the location of a missing microfiche?
What follows is an expected snatch-and-run adventure through wild Costa Rican rain forests, complete with dirt and sweat and armed Sandinistas (this was written in 1986, so even pay phones made an appearance), squishy things and one ill-tempered boa constrictor. Jane was, of course, so much more intelligent, brave, and resourceful than expected and Grant was the epitome of the big, strong, indomitable male with mad jungle skills, so how could they possibly keep their hands off each other?
…it was time she knew. He removed his hand from hers, lifting it to cup her chin. His thumb rubbed lightly over her lips. “Soon,” he said, his voice guttural with need, “you’re going to lie down for me. Before I take you back to your daddy, I’m going to have you, and the way I feel now, I figure it’s going to take a long time before I’m finished with you.”
This was entertaining and occasionally exciting and hot, both weather-wise and spice-wise if you can get past the ick of two people badly needing a bath doing it in the dirt, but lacked the polish, light touch, and chemistry of Romancing the Stone, which no doubt inspired the writing of this book.
February 20, 2020
Bueno! Lo terminé de leer anoche y... no tengo palabras!! Creo que voy a decir algo antes de empezar esta reseña: por favor, es importante que la leáis con cierto tono de sarcasmo. No solo porque hoy me siento en ese modo, sino porque este libro me ha hecho reír de lo injusto que me ha parecido.
Honestamente: adoro a Linda Howard, creo que es una de las autoras romántica/suspense de renombre que todo el mundo que aprecie el género debería leer. Tiene libros muy entretenidos y otros no tanto, como todos los autores evidentemente. Sin embargo, este libro... pfff... no me ha impresionado mucho... Bueno, algunas cosas sí...
Y aquí empieza el sarcasmo. Y los SPOILERS. NO LEER! No quiero estropearos este libro XD
Reseña terminada. Podría decir tantas cosas..., pero me faltaría espacio.
Honestamente: adoro a Linda Howard, creo que es una de las autoras romántica/suspense de renombre que todo el mundo que aprecie el género debería leer. Tiene libros muy entretenidos y otros no tanto, como todos los autores evidentemente. Sin embargo, este libro... pfff... no me ha impresionado mucho... Bueno, algunas cosas sí...
Y aquí empieza el sarcasmo. Y los SPOILERS. NO LEER! No quiero estropearos este libro XD
Reseña terminada. Podría decir tantas cosas..., pero me faltaría espacio.
October 27, 2024
This is one of my favorite of Linda Howard's "oldies but goodies"! Linda Howard is perhaps best known for her MacKenzie series, but for my money, this series is her best.
Here's the order to read them in:
Midnight Rainbow
Diamond Bay
Heartbreaker
White Lies
Midnight Rainbow begins this awesome romantic suspense series as Grant Sullivan is hired to rescue Jane Greer from a compound deep in a South American jungle. I love a good jungle romance, and they don't get any better than this! With Linda Howard's skilled writing, you can feel the heat of the jungle as the action grips you and keeps the pages turning as fast as you can read them.
The romance in this book is simply awesome. Two seemingly opposite people are thrust into a dangerous circumstance and have to rely on each other to make it out of the jungle alive. Both have misconceptions about one another, and I loved reading as the walls and prejudices they share about one another come crashing down.
While Grant is a very sexy leading man, Jane is by far my favorite character. Tough, determined, brave, and loyal, she embodies all the characteristics of my favorite type of heroine. Her character is someone I respected and cared about.
If you haven't read this...please do!
Here's the order to read them in:
Midnight Rainbow
Diamond Bay
Heartbreaker
White Lies
Midnight Rainbow begins this awesome romantic suspense series as Grant Sullivan is hired to rescue Jane Greer from a compound deep in a South American jungle. I love a good jungle romance, and they don't get any better than this! With Linda Howard's skilled writing, you can feel the heat of the jungle as the action grips you and keeps the pages turning as fast as you can read them.
The romance in this book is simply awesome. Two seemingly opposite people are thrust into a dangerous circumstance and have to rely on each other to make it out of the jungle alive. Both have misconceptions about one another, and I loved reading as the walls and prejudices they share about one another come crashing down.
While Grant is a very sexy leading man, Jane is by far my favorite character. Tough, determined, brave, and loyal, she embodies all the characteristics of my favorite type of heroine. Her character is someone I respected and cared about.
If you haven't read this...please do!
October 2, 2021
Series: Kell Sabin Series, #1
Romantic Suspense / Contemporary Romance
One of Linda Howard's oldies (this book was first published in mid 80s!) but still enjoyable and interesting to read. I enjoyed the scenery, descriptions and the characters.
My Grant Sullivan:
Romantic Suspense / Contemporary Romance
One of Linda Howard's oldies (this book was first published in mid 80s!) but still enjoyable and interesting to read. I enjoyed the scenery, descriptions and the characters.
My Grant Sullivan:
September 8, 2013
4.5 stars
MIDNIGHT RAINBOW is the first of four books by Linda Howard about the U.S. government's most effective agents. Grant Sullivan thought he had permanently retired to a farm in Tennessee when he got called back to save a woman in Costa Rica. Under the impression that she was a spoiled bimbo, he was going to say no until he found out there was more involved than a simple extraction. The security of the United States was at stake.
Grant was an uber-alpha loner. Many who knew this former soldier preferred to keep their distance and that was fine by him. Jane Hamilton Greer was an enigma. And from the moment these two met, she was nothing like Grant had assumed. Plucky with spirit, she also had numerous insecurities. The more Grant learned, the more her personality tugged at him.
I enjoyed the suspenseful sections of this story as much as the romance. Nothing ever comes simple to Ms. Howard's protagonists. I appreciated that Grant and Jane were neither handsome nor beautiful. Most people aren't except in the eyes of their loved ones. And the author's written sexual situations are die-hard Linda Howard engagements: intense, impassioned and sentimental all rolled up in one.
I was over halfway through the book before I felt the need to search for the publication date. It originally came out in 1986. There is the mention of the Vietnam War, microfilm and a few other things but the dated material can easily be overlooked by older readers. I would recommend this romance to the 40 yrs. old and up age group unless you enjoy the uber-alpha genre.
Lastly, the ending had a twist that I relished. If you liked this story you might want to also read Linda Howard's HEART OF FIRE. Other older romances that I enjoyed and that contain alpha males with some steamy jungle love are Theresa Weir's AMAZON LILY, Dana Marton's CAMOUFLAGE HEART and Glenna McReynold's RIVER OF EDEN. Give one or all a try.
MIDNIGHT RAINBOW is the first of four books by Linda Howard about the U.S. government's most effective agents. Grant Sullivan thought he had permanently retired to a farm in Tennessee when he got called back to save a woman in Costa Rica. Under the impression that she was a spoiled bimbo, he was going to say no until he found out there was more involved than a simple extraction. The security of the United States was at stake.
Grant was an uber-alpha loner. Many who knew this former soldier preferred to keep their distance and that was fine by him. Jane Hamilton Greer was an enigma. And from the moment these two met, she was nothing like Grant had assumed. Plucky with spirit, she also had numerous insecurities. The more Grant learned, the more her personality tugged at him.
I enjoyed the suspenseful sections of this story as much as the romance. Nothing ever comes simple to Ms. Howard's protagonists. I appreciated that Grant and Jane were neither handsome nor beautiful. Most people aren't except in the eyes of their loved ones. And the author's written sexual situations are die-hard Linda Howard engagements: intense, impassioned and sentimental all rolled up in one.
I was over halfway through the book before I felt the need to search for the publication date. It originally came out in 1986. There is the mention of the Vietnam War, microfilm and a few other things but the dated material can easily be overlooked by older readers. I would recommend this romance to the 40 yrs. old and up age group unless you enjoy the uber-alpha genre.
Lastly, the ending had a twist that I relished. If you liked this story you might want to also read Linda Howard's HEART OF FIRE. Other older romances that I enjoyed and that contain alpha males with some steamy jungle love are Theresa Weir's AMAZON LILY, Dana Marton's CAMOUFLAGE HEART and Glenna McReynold's RIVER OF EDEN. Give one or all a try.
September 3, 2021
If you watched a recorded from TV, VHS copy of Romancing the Stone eleventy billion times as kid, like I did, you're totally gonna dig this book.
What delights does this book offer?
- h (29) who is a little bit quirky and a little bit princess - she's misunderstood and inexperienced - she's vulnerable, smart, capable, but not annoying
- H (38) - is an ALPHA - he's ex military and now a bit of a badass mercenary - he's gruff and tough and damaged - he's mean and rough, but can also be gentle and calls her "honey"
- jungle adventures
- intrigue and danger
- a little angst
- smexxy times - a little more descriptive than earlier LH books.
Drawbacks?
- well, they never use condoms (which, I like!) .... and they also never discuss it (which, I don't like.) - I find this odd behavior for grown adults
- it took me a few chapters to get into it
- maybe read this with your eyeballs? The narrator kinda botches the h's voice. I got used to it, but I noticed that it really bothered other reviewers.
Bottom Line? This was entertaining. You'd think after several LH reads, I'd be ready to move on, but I keep getting drawn back in. 4 stars!
FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD:
- no cheating/sharing
- no OW drama
- no dubcon
What delights does this book offer?
- h (29) who is a little bit quirky and a little bit princess - she's misunderstood and inexperienced - she's vulnerable, smart, capable, but not annoying
- H (38) - is an ALPHA - he's ex military and now a bit of a badass mercenary - he's gruff and tough and damaged - he's mean and rough, but can also be gentle and calls her "honey"
- jungle adventures
- intrigue and danger
- a little angst
- smexxy times - a little more descriptive than earlier LH books.
Drawbacks?
- well, they never use condoms (which, I like!) .... and they also never discuss it (which, I don't like.) - I find this odd behavior for grown adults
- it took me a few chapters to get into it
- maybe read this with your eyeballs? The narrator kinda botches the h's voice. I got used to it, but I noticed that it really bothered other reviewers.
Bottom Line? This was entertaining. You'd think after several LH reads, I'd be ready to move on, but I keep getting drawn back in. 4 stars!
FOR THE SAFETY SQUAD:
- no cheating/sharing
- no OW drama
- no dubcon
November 12, 2011
Just as lovely the second time around. Love this story. I am particularly fond of running through the jungle stories and this one is great. The alpha male all set to rescue the society princess but she is already in the process of rescuing herself. She's odd and quirky and smart but not hard and smart alecky. Moves fast, well written and well plotted. The hero and heroine spend almost the whole book on the page together. It had almost that old madcap comedy movie feel without being in anyway over the top or hokey.
January 3, 2018
"Midnight Rainbow" is the story of Jane and Grant.
When heiress Jane Greer is kidnapped and suspected of espionage, her father hires the famous government secret agent Grant Sullivan as the man to rescue her.
Grant thinks of Jane as the airheaded man-eating bimbo, but within moments of meeting her- realizes how mistaken he was, something that is proven yet again by her resourcefulness throughout the journey..
It was a pleasant read. The couple survives in the wild, fighting against nature and initially their wild attraction to each other- something that leads to violent bouts of lovemaking and soon they start falling for one another.
I liked the heroine pursuing the hero for once towards the end.
Enjoyed this one! Sweet ending.
Safe
3.5/5
When heiress Jane Greer is kidnapped and suspected of espionage, her father hires the famous government secret agent Grant Sullivan as the man to rescue her.
Grant thinks of Jane as the airheaded man-eating bimbo, but within moments of meeting her- realizes how mistaken he was, something that is proven yet again by her resourcefulness throughout the journey..
It was a pleasant read. The couple survives in the wild, fighting against nature and initially their wild attraction to each other- something that leads to violent bouts of lovemaking and soon they start falling for one another.
I liked the heroine pursuing the hero for once towards the end.
Enjoyed this one! Sweet ending.
Safe
3.5/5
August 27, 2019
Midnight Rainbow
4 Stars
Kidnapped by a corrupt Costa Rican politician who believes she is in possession of secret documents, Jane Greer is preparing for her escape when retired covert operative, Grant Sullivan arrives unannounced. Soon Jane and Grant are on the run in the jungle, forced to work together to survive both the harsh terrain and the men in pursuit.
Although originally published in 1986, the writing, plotting and romance are absolutely fabulous. Without Goodreads, I would never have known it was one of Howard's earliest works.
Grant and Jane have sizzling chemistry, and their interactions from initial animosity to attraction to intense intimacy and love are realistic and engaging. Both are appealing characters with compelling and well developed backstories, which is indicative of the quality of the writing given the relatively short number of pages (250).
The suspense plot is action-packed even though the villain is quite stereotypical, and the McGuffin is very cold-war era.
All in all, a satisfying read and I will continue with the next book.
4 Stars
Kidnapped by a corrupt Costa Rican politician who believes she is in possession of secret documents, Jane Greer is preparing for her escape when retired covert operative, Grant Sullivan arrives unannounced. Soon Jane and Grant are on the run in the jungle, forced to work together to survive both the harsh terrain and the men in pursuit.
Although originally published in 1986, the writing, plotting and romance are absolutely fabulous. Without Goodreads, I would never have known it was one of Howard's earliest works.
Grant and Jane have sizzling chemistry, and their interactions from initial animosity to attraction to intense intimacy and love are realistic and engaging. Both are appealing characters with compelling and well developed backstories, which is indicative of the quality of the writing given the relatively short number of pages (250).
The suspense plot is action-packed even though the villain is quite stereotypical, and the McGuffin is very cold-war era.
All in all, a satisfying read and I will continue with the next book.
March 22, 2021
Edit: I didn't realize this book was first published in 1986. I wondered how old this book was since the hero was mentioned in the army during the Vietnam war. This book is 35 years old and aged quite well.
I like it enough, I guess. As usual, Linda Howard always delivered; in this, you re dumped into an immersive environment where you're in the middle of Costa Rican jungle and having to escape from a guerrilla group.
I have only two critiques though. First, I kinda don't like how fast our girl fell in love. It was like literally two or three days (it was really fast!). Second, I don't feel like we got a satisfying pay off to the plot. It fell flat.
But since this is a start to a series, I wonder if the plot with the villain didn't end here. Maybe in future books?
I like it enough, I guess. As usual, Linda Howard always delivered; in this, you re dumped into an immersive environment where you're in the middle of Costa Rican jungle and having to escape from a guerrilla group.
I have only two critiques though. First, I kinda don't like how fast our girl fell in love. It was like literally two or three days (it was really fast!). Second, I don't feel like we got a satisfying pay off to the plot. It fell flat.
But since this is a start to a series, I wonder if the plot with the villain didn't end here. Maybe in future books?
April 22, 2017
I really liked this one. Tons of action!
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