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Remember Summer
New York Times bestselling author ELIZABETH LOWELL revisits the unerring passion of Summer Games to re-create an exquisite contemporary tale of danger, desire, and irresistible temptation.
REMEMBER SUMMER
DANGER
The most grueling challenge of Raine Smith's equestrian career looms before her - the Olympic Games. Little does she realise that she's about to face greater perils in the arms of a stranger than she's ever found on the back of her horse.
DESIRE
Cord Elliot is a man trained to deflect disaster and his mission is to ensure that Raine Smith remains untouched by sudden gunfire at the Summer Games. Yet from the moment Raine meets Cord's ice-blue glance, she knows he's more hazardous to her heart than a sniper's bullet. Falling for a man who answers to the call of intrigue and holds secrets that can never be shared is to endure the broken promises, unexplained absences, and constant danger that come with his profession.
TEMPTATION
But in the fiery passion of irresistible love, a summer to remember seems worth any risk.
REMEMBER SUMMER
DANGER
The most grueling challenge of Raine Smith's equestrian career looms before her - the Olympic Games. Little does she realise that she's about to face greater perils in the arms of a stranger than she's ever found on the back of her horse.
DESIRE
Cord Elliot is a man trained to deflect disaster and his mission is to ensure that Raine Smith remains untouched by sudden gunfire at the Summer Games. Yet from the moment Raine meets Cord's ice-blue glance, she knows he's more hazardous to her heart than a sniper's bullet. Falling for a man who answers to the call of intrigue and holds secrets that can never be shared is to endure the broken promises, unexplained absences, and constant danger that come with his profession.
TEMPTATION
But in the fiery passion of irresistible love, a summer to remember seems worth any risk.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1984
104 people are currently reading
504 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Lowell
208 books1,921 followersIndividually and with co-author/husband Evan, Ann Maxwell has written over 60 novels and one work of non-fiction. There are 30 million copies of these books in print, as well as reprints in 30 foreign languages. Her novels range from science fiction to historical fiction, from romance to mystery. After working in contemporary and historical romance, she became an innovator in the genre of romantic suspense.
In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994).
Since July of 1992, she has had over 30 novels on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1998 she began writing suspense with a passionate twist, capturing a new audience and generation of readers. Her new romance novel Perfect Touch will be available in July of 2015.
To get a full list of titles as well as read excerpts from her novels, visit www.elizabethlowell.com.
In 1982, Ann began publishing as Elizabeth Lowell. Under that name she has received numerous professional awards in the romance field, including a Lifetime Achievement award from the Romance Writers of America (1994).
Since July of 1992, she has had over 30 novels on the New York Times bestseller list. In 1998 she began writing suspense with a passionate twist, capturing a new audience and generation of readers. Her new romance novel Perfect Touch will be available in July of 2015.
To get a full list of titles as well as read excerpts from her novels, visit www.elizabethlowell.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
July 16, 2013
Terrible. And horribly, horribly dated. I picked this up after spotting a positive review online that mentioned the novel’s equestrian plotline. Equestrian plotlines being not so thick on the ground that I can chance to pass one up, I checked it out from the library with thoughts of horses! eventing! Olympics! running happily through my head.
It lost my interest by p. 17, or 10 pages into Chapter 1, which coincidentally is when the hero met the heroine. Those 10 pages establish the heroine as a dedicated professional gearing up for competition. Those 7 preceding pages establish the heroine’s father as a high-ranking anti-terrorist strategist who has set his most trusted agent to lead a protection team to keep the Games secure from an imminent terrorist attack. Yet somehow this crack strategist failed to provide the agent with an accurate photo ID of his daughter, leading to the introductory scene where he tackles the heroine face-down in the desert, convinced that she is planting bombs while she’s scoping out an early look at the eventing grounds. The heroine, whose crack strategist father never bothered to inform her of this security detail, reacts to this introduction not by screaming or fighting back with all her strength gained from years of controlling 1200 lb beasts in competitive riding, like a sane woman would, but by reflecting on how warm and juicy she feels being laid upon by a stranger who's just attacked her. The hero, who is going by a different name than the one by which he was introduced in preface, frisks, interrogates, engages in meaningful conversation, and kisses away her tears in the next 11 pages, while keeping her pinned to the dirt. And on that 11th page, the heroine apologizes for being such a weak child.
This is not how you introduce a hero. This is how you introduce a villain planning a Stockholm abduction.
The heroine doesn’t get to sit up until the 12th page, then spends the next 3 pages brushing her hair, then several pages after that having her bloody friction abrasion tended. Standing upright doesn’t get to happen until p. 37, and that’s the point where I began skipping through this book in 50-page chunks.
I still got to read such gems as the hero being better at handling the heroine’s wondrous, man-hating horse than the heroine herself is; the heroine taking until p. 172 to realize her involvement in professional sports could be used as a way to draw her father into the open for an assassination; the heroine failing to shed her childhood nickname of ‘Baby;’ the hero riding the Olympic-caliber stallion bareback with lasso in a fight for dominance that involves the hero being described as a ‘shaman’ and a ‘cougar;’ the heroine’s riding team taking the gold metal (apparently she wasn’t attempting any individual medals); the hero’s apparent death and re-entry upon a black helicopter; and the heroine deciding to retire and raise foals and babies.
Recommended instead: any Anne Stuart book, if you want to read about black-ops agents falling ill-timed into love, or Ride a Storm, if you want to read an equestrian-themed romance with believable and actually likeable characters. But for the love of god, pass on this one. One star.
Page numbers pulled from ISBN 0380767619.
It lost my interest by p. 17, or 10 pages into Chapter 1, which coincidentally is when the hero met the heroine. Those 10 pages establish the heroine as a dedicated professional gearing up for competition. Those 7 preceding pages establish the heroine’s father as a high-ranking anti-terrorist strategist who has set his most trusted agent to lead a protection team to keep the Games secure from an imminent terrorist attack. Yet somehow this crack strategist failed to provide the agent with an accurate photo ID of his daughter, leading to the introductory scene where he tackles the heroine face-down in the desert, convinced that she is planting bombs while she’s scoping out an early look at the eventing grounds. The heroine, whose crack strategist father never bothered to inform her of this security detail, reacts to this introduction not by screaming or fighting back with all her strength gained from years of controlling 1200 lb beasts in competitive riding, like a sane woman would, but by reflecting on how warm and juicy she feels being laid upon by a stranger who's just attacked her. The hero, who is going by a different name than the one by which he was introduced in preface, frisks, interrogates, engages in meaningful conversation, and kisses away her tears in the next 11 pages, while keeping her pinned to the dirt. And on that 11th page, the heroine apologizes for being such a weak child.
This is not how you introduce a hero. This is how you introduce a villain planning a Stockholm abduction.
The heroine doesn’t get to sit up until the 12th page, then spends the next 3 pages brushing her hair, then several pages after that having her bloody friction abrasion tended. Standing upright doesn’t get to happen until p. 37, and that’s the point where I began skipping through this book in 50-page chunks.
I still got to read such gems as the hero being better at handling the heroine’s wondrous, man-hating horse than the heroine herself is; the heroine taking until p. 172 to realize her involvement in professional sports could be used as a way to draw her father into the open for an assassination; the heroine failing to shed her childhood nickname of ‘Baby;’ the hero riding the Olympic-caliber stallion bareback with lasso in a fight for dominance that involves the hero being described as a ‘shaman’ and a ‘cougar;’ the heroine’s riding team taking the gold metal (apparently she wasn’t attempting any individual medals); the hero’s apparent death and re-entry upon a black helicopter; and the heroine deciding to retire and raise foals and babies.
Recommended instead: any Anne Stuart book, if you want to read about black-ops agents falling ill-timed into love, or Ride a Storm, if you want to read an equestrian-themed romance with believable and actually likeable characters. But for the love of god, pass on this one. One star.
Page numbers pulled from ISBN 0380767619.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2024
2.5 stars.
Not my favorite Lowell book. It’s clear this was written earlier on in her career and it shows. Raine is his job, the person he’s employed by the government to protect and it kinda shows. This book really meandered instead of having the hot chemistry I’m used to between her main characters.
Also… Raine annoyed the crap outta me. One second she wants him, then she doesn’t. His job is the worst, then she’s going to deal with it. Like, no wonder they can’t seem to figure things out.
Also, Raine’s dad is a colossal jerk. “Hey, I’m going to miss almost all the events in your life, except the Olympics and even then you’ll never see me there. PS I’m not going to tell you that the man you’re in love with was shot and almost killed.”
Like COME ON. Also, everyone else in his life seemed to know how proud of Raine he was EXCEPT apparently Raine? Like Jesus, did that man eff up when it came to parenting.
Honestly, the parts I liked best was when both Cord and Raine were interacting with her horse. The smoke bomb scene was especially good.
Not my favorite Lowell book. It’s clear this was written earlier on in her career and it shows. Raine is his job, the person he’s employed by the government to protect and it kinda shows. This book really meandered instead of having the hot chemistry I’m used to between her main characters.
Also… Raine annoyed the crap outta me. One second she wants him, then she doesn’t. His job is the worst, then she’s going to deal with it. Like, no wonder they can’t seem to figure things out.
Also, Raine’s dad is a colossal jerk. “Hey, I’m going to miss almost all the events in your life, except the Olympics and even then you’ll never see me there. PS I’m not going to tell you that the man you’re in love with was shot and almost killed.”
Like COME ON. Also, everyone else in his life seemed to know how proud of Raine he was EXCEPT apparently Raine? Like Jesus, did that man eff up when it came to parenting.
Honestly, the parts I liked best was when both Cord and Raine were interacting with her horse. The smoke bomb scene was especially good.
December 18, 2025
2.5 stars
This month's TBRChallenge theme was Celebrations!, fighting a cold, I reached into my garage sale book boxes and pulled out Summer Games. The 1984 LA Olympics count for celebrations I say! This book had a couple of reoccurring themes that just about drove me batty because of how hammered on they were. Our main male character Cord grew-up around horses and was a rodeo bronco buster before Vietnam called and he constantly is given a “shaman's” voice as he works to get our female main character's horse, Devlin's Waterloo, to trust him. If I had read this on an electronic device, I'd have done a count on how many times it was used, since I only had a paperback, you'll have to take my conservative estimate of one million times. There was also the discussion of coming in from the cold, the whole underlining women warm the hearth and home for the men coming in from cold of protecting and providing, the “queen” and “solider” analogy became a lot in it's repetitiveness.
She was a fool to be interested in a man who was like her father, so involved in his work that he lived his life at the end of an electronic leash. She had left that world behind once. She would never enter it again, no matter the lure.
At it's essence, Summer Games was a romantic suspense where retirement landing you in the soft thighs of a younger woman who also comes with a hot stallion sounds like a good idea and we're all destined to marry our fathers. Raine grew-up with a father that did super secret American government work and she hated how his family always came a distant second, he's never even seen her ride in her equestrian competitions. This has soured her on men of a certain cut of cloth, so when she's, literally, knocked out of her shoes by Cord, he has his work cut out for him. Cord came off a bit...intense. But I've never ran point on security for the Olympics, so who am I too judge? When Raine's looking over the course she'll run during the competition, he thinks she's a “Cuban or Lebanese commando” terrorist setting bombs. Their “meet-cute” has sparks flying and Cord instantly knowing he wants her while Raine only sees her father and tries to put up her walls. I say try because, lol, she be rubbing all up and down this man.
But she was so warm in his arms, and he was so cold inside.
The first half really focused on their romance and the pushing and pulling of their attraction with not wanting to get emotionally involved, Raine not wanting to get involved with a man she'll come second to and Cord knowing he lives too secretive and dangerous of a life. I went back and forth if I thought this was overwritten with remnants of purple prose or if we're losing the recipes. Example: He wanted to take Raine down to the golden grass and make love to her until nothing else was real, no past or future, no rights or wrongs, nothing but sunset sliding into night, a man and woman alone, two lovers turning and twining and blending intimately, two flames burning as one in a world of crimson silence.
Purple prose-y, can see the cringe but “nothing but sunset sliding into night” and “burning as one in a world of crimson silence.”. We're using our words!! But maybe we already had made rent and needed to settle down.
He wanted to seduce her in more than a merely physical way. He wanted her to trust him.
The later second half finally gives us a focus on Raine's equestrian trials and you'll learn about dressage, cross country racing, and jumping, which was interesting and I didn't think textbook-ed it to eye-glazing. The suspense part about the notorious “Barracuda” assassin that was hovering on the edges also comes to the forefront, sort of, when Cord's constantly called away to “monitor” and do super secret DIA anti-terrorism stuff. I wish we had gotten more with Raine and her family, we get a few scenes with her father (guy plays the lips zipped spy well, give her more info!) so that more resolution could have been had there.
“And you're an expert on love?” she said, her voice hard and dry.
“No,” he said softly. “I'm an expert on dying. On not loving. On being lonely. On looking at castles from the outside. On finding a woman worth having and then watching her bar the gate against me because I'm just a soldier, not a king.”
After all are protected (any violence of this kind is completely off page) and Raine wins her Olympic medal but Cord disappears, she ends up on a ranch in Arizona until her HEA choppers in. The repeated term use of shaman, queen, and soldier was super tiring but the backstory of how Cord grew-up around horses (family of Mesteñeros
) was brilliant because of how it then linked and gave a thread to him helping and connecting with her through her stallion, which was her family for all intents and purposes. The women providing warmth and succor for warrior men theme was meh, Cord wasn't the cardboard cut-out alpha man, he had layers and it didn't feel like a treatise on the ideal, but meh.
“I don't believe it anymore. Tomorrow will come for us. When it does, I want it to be right. I want to know that I didn't take you off-balance and more than a little afraid. I'm good at taking people that way. Too good. It's part of my job. But not you,” said Cord, his voice deep, a river running through moonlight and darkness down to a warm sea. “I want you in a very special way, Raine. I can wait one more day for that. I've already waited a lifetime.”
What stood out the most for me, was the touching and caressing between these two (let me Bat signal – washes her hair scene), they weren't just slot A slot B fucking, which, please, bring back caressing. There were more than one purple prose remnant scenes like this: Shirtless, barefoot, Cord rode the screaming blood-bay whirlwind. The man's muscles bunched and gleamed in the bright moonlight even as the stallion's did, two powerful, supremely conditioned males fighting for dominance.
Obviously can read a little goofball out of context but in this story and the contextual moment, it's also put a capital on that W-riting. So while I had fun with some of the scenery chewing going on here, I'm not sure I'd recommend for this to be one to go back and visit, but I'll give it up to the “I can wait one more day, I've already waited a lifetime” to it all.
This month's TBRChallenge theme was Celebrations!, fighting a cold, I reached into my garage sale book boxes and pulled out Summer Games. The 1984 LA Olympics count for celebrations I say! This book had a couple of reoccurring themes that just about drove me batty because of how hammered on they were. Our main male character Cord grew-up around horses and was a rodeo bronco buster before Vietnam called and he constantly is given a “shaman's” voice as he works to get our female main character's horse, Devlin's Waterloo, to trust him. If I had read this on an electronic device, I'd have done a count on how many times it was used, since I only had a paperback, you'll have to take my conservative estimate of one million times. There was also the discussion of coming in from the cold, the whole underlining women warm the hearth and home for the men coming in from cold of protecting and providing, the “queen” and “solider” analogy became a lot in it's repetitiveness.
She was a fool to be interested in a man who was like her father, so involved in his work that he lived his life at the end of an electronic leash. She had left that world behind once. She would never enter it again, no matter the lure.
At it's essence, Summer Games was a romantic suspense where retirement landing you in the soft thighs of a younger woman who also comes with a hot stallion sounds like a good idea and we're all destined to marry our fathers. Raine grew-up with a father that did super secret American government work and she hated how his family always came a distant second, he's never even seen her ride in her equestrian competitions. This has soured her on men of a certain cut of cloth, so when she's, literally, knocked out of her shoes by Cord, he has his work cut out for him. Cord came off a bit...intense. But I've never ran point on security for the Olympics, so who am I too judge? When Raine's looking over the course she'll run during the competition, he thinks she's a “Cuban or Lebanese commando” terrorist setting bombs. Their “meet-cute” has sparks flying and Cord instantly knowing he wants her while Raine only sees her father and tries to put up her walls. I say try because, lol, she be rubbing all up and down this man.
But she was so warm in his arms, and he was so cold inside.
The first half really focused on their romance and the pushing and pulling of their attraction with not wanting to get emotionally involved, Raine not wanting to get involved with a man she'll come second to and Cord knowing he lives too secretive and dangerous of a life. I went back and forth if I thought this was overwritten with remnants of purple prose or if we're losing the recipes. Example: He wanted to take Raine down to the golden grass and make love to her until nothing else was real, no past or future, no rights or wrongs, nothing but sunset sliding into night, a man and woman alone, two lovers turning and twining and blending intimately, two flames burning as one in a world of crimson silence.
Purple prose-y, can see the cringe but “nothing but sunset sliding into night” and “burning as one in a world of crimson silence.”. We're using our words!! But maybe we already had made rent and needed to settle down.
He wanted to seduce her in more than a merely physical way. He wanted her to trust him.
The later second half finally gives us a focus on Raine's equestrian trials and you'll learn about dressage, cross country racing, and jumping, which was interesting and I didn't think textbook-ed it to eye-glazing. The suspense part about the notorious “Barracuda” assassin that was hovering on the edges also comes to the forefront, sort of, when Cord's constantly called away to “monitor” and do super secret DIA anti-terrorism stuff. I wish we had gotten more with Raine and her family, we get a few scenes with her father (guy plays the lips zipped spy well, give her more info!) so that more resolution could have been had there.
“And you're an expert on love?” she said, her voice hard and dry.
“No,” he said softly. “I'm an expert on dying. On not loving. On being lonely. On looking at castles from the outside. On finding a woman worth having and then watching her bar the gate against me because I'm just a soldier, not a king.”
After all are protected (any violence of this kind is completely off page) and Raine wins her Olympic medal but Cord disappears, she ends up on a ranch in Arizona until her HEA choppers in. The repeated term use of shaman, queen, and soldier was super tiring but the backstory of how Cord grew-up around horses (family of Mesteñeros
) was brilliant because of how it then linked and gave a thread to him helping and connecting with her through her stallion, which was her family for all intents and purposes. The women providing warmth and succor for warrior men theme was meh, Cord wasn't the cardboard cut-out alpha man, he had layers and it didn't feel like a treatise on the ideal, but meh.
“I don't believe it anymore. Tomorrow will come for us. When it does, I want it to be right. I want to know that I didn't take you off-balance and more than a little afraid. I'm good at taking people that way. Too good. It's part of my job. But not you,” said Cord, his voice deep, a river running through moonlight and darkness down to a warm sea. “I want you in a very special way, Raine. I can wait one more day for that. I've already waited a lifetime.”
What stood out the most for me, was the touching and caressing between these two (let me Bat signal – washes her hair scene), they weren't just slot A slot B fucking, which, please, bring back caressing. There were more than one purple prose remnant scenes like this: Shirtless, barefoot, Cord rode the screaming blood-bay whirlwind. The man's muscles bunched and gleamed in the bright moonlight even as the stallion's did, two powerful, supremely conditioned males fighting for dominance.
Obviously can read a little goofball out of context but in this story and the contextual moment, it's also put a capital on that W-riting. So while I had fun with some of the scenery chewing going on here, I'm not sure I'd recommend for this to be one to go back and visit, but I'll give it up to the “I can wait one more day, I've already waited a lifetime” to it all.
March 18, 2016
I did like it. Its an easy read - the Olympic setting was interesting. And I gave leeway for when it was written. I could deal with the fact that it wasn't action packed, but I really wanted more background on the terrorist and what Cord was up to previously. My biggest peeve was the fact that her family seemingly has never told her anything at all about what Daddy does and seems to have little to no connection to her. Yes, her father is a senior diplomat secret agent person, but he really couldn't ever show up for any family thing previously? And mom and her brothers and sisters (in-laws, nieces, nephews etc.) also couldn't be at competitions? Seemed unlikely. And at the end Daddy still wouldn't tell her anything. sheesh.
November 22, 2021
Just okay.
This book had way too many details about the steeplechase, dressage, etc. I skipped I don't know how many pages, because it just went on and on and on about the same thing. Also, falling in love in one day is just so unrealistic to me. I'm not a prude by a long shot, but the sex scenarios went on and on as well. Too much of the same descriptive details, like there was no place else for the story to go. I'm being very generous with 3 stars. I don' t know if I'll read another one her books. I just wasn't that impressed.
This book had way too many details about the steeplechase, dressage, etc. I skipped I don't know how many pages, because it just went on and on and on about the same thing. Also, falling in love in one day is just so unrealistic to me. I'm not a prude by a long shot, but the sex scenarios went on and on as well. Too much of the same descriptive details, like there was no place else for the story to go. I'm being very generous with 3 stars. I don' t know if I'll read another one her books. I just wasn't that impressed.
July 26, 2020
Raine is a vivacious, stubborn and competitive rider competing at the Olympics. Her horse, Devlin’s
Waterloo is just as stubborn and just as competitive. A character in his own right. He loves his rider with a fierceness that people fear. Being the daughter of an important military official has made Raine pretty fearless when going after what she wants.
Along comes a man called Cord Elliot. A military man himself, he is hired by Raine’s father to keep her safe when a threat is made in her father’s life.
Obviously, sparks fly in more ways than one.
I was excited when I saw a book about two of my favorite things, the Olympics and Horses. As a huntseat competitor, I was thrilled to see a book about 3 day eventing. Sadly, I was not satisfied.
This book was ok. It had the potential to be something lovely and interesting. It wasn’t badly written, it just moved a little too quickly. There was too much emphasis on the relationship between the 2 main characters that moved far too quickly. Sometimes a slow burn is more exciting. In this case, it would have added to the drama and excitement.
The riding scenes were fairly well researched. But much of the writing was repetitive. The words “Shaman’s
Voice” were used so many times that I lost count.
Overall, it was sweet and light and ok.
Waterloo is just as stubborn and just as competitive. A character in his own right. He loves his rider with a fierceness that people fear. Being the daughter of an important military official has made Raine pretty fearless when going after what she wants.
Along comes a man called Cord Elliot. A military man himself, he is hired by Raine’s father to keep her safe when a threat is made in her father’s life.
Obviously, sparks fly in more ways than one.
I was excited when I saw a book about two of my favorite things, the Olympics and Horses. As a huntseat competitor, I was thrilled to see a book about 3 day eventing. Sadly, I was not satisfied.
This book was ok. It had the potential to be something lovely and interesting. It wasn’t badly written, it just moved a little too quickly. There was too much emphasis on the relationship between the 2 main characters that moved far too quickly. Sometimes a slow burn is more exciting. In this case, it would have added to the drama and excitement.
The riding scenes were fairly well researched. But much of the writing was repetitive. The words “Shaman’s
Voice” were used so many times that I lost count.
Overall, it was sweet and light and ok.
December 1, 2024
I actually give it 2.5.
If you like sex scenes that take up half the book, this book is for you. To me they were filler.
Secret Agent Cord Elliot is required to keep equestrian Raine Smith and her father safe from a terrorist attack. The two fall for each other instantaneously. It was ridiculous.
Raine hates that, just like her father, Cord needs to take off every time his beeper goes off. She doesn't want a marriage where her husband can never be counted on to be there for his family.
There are several stupid misunderstandings, the biggest one caused by Raine's father not telling Raine about Cord's situation. What was that about? I'd never talk to him again.
Raine is in the Olympics and, frankly, the description of the course and the danger these horses and riders are put in was disgusting. How many horses and riders are injured or killed for the sake of a sport?
I think this book could have been much better with a slower pace of falling for each other, less sex and more action.
If you like sex scenes that take up half the book, this book is for you. To me they were filler.
Secret Agent Cord Elliot is required to keep equestrian Raine Smith and her father safe from a terrorist attack. The two fall for each other instantaneously. It was ridiculous.
Raine hates that, just like her father, Cord needs to take off every time his beeper goes off. She doesn't want a marriage where her husband can never be counted on to be there for his family.
There are several stupid misunderstandings, the biggest one caused by Raine's father not telling Raine about Cord's situation. What was that about? I'd never talk to him again.
Raine is in the Olympics and, frankly, the description of the course and the danger these horses and riders are put in was disgusting. How many horses and riders are injured or killed for the sake of a sport?
I think this book could have been much better with a slower pace of falling for each other, less sex and more action.
August 18, 2022
MY RATING GUIDE: 4 Satisfied Stars. Steamy, intrigue, fast pace. A favorite standalone reread for me from an author I have enjoyed over the years.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I LIKED IT A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
FMC English horse jumping competitor and MMC undercover operative at an international competition with suspense and intrigue.
1= dnf/What was that?; 2= Nope, not for me; 3= This was okay/cute; 3.5= I enjoyed it; 4= I LIKED IT A LOT; 5= I Loved it, it was great! (I seldom give 5 Stars).
FMC English horse jumping competitor and MMC undercover operative at an international competition with suspense and intrigue.
July 9, 2019
I didn't know a re-issue of this book had been done I was re-reading it for the umpteenth time. I bought it as Summer Games, I didn't put it down the first time. It was even more interesting because my brother lived near the course site in San Diego at the time. It was easy to picture Dev and Raine streaking through the land. Emotional and filled with raw energy, it has been one of my favorites that I have picked up and enjoyed for years. It is well worth another read.
July 21, 2021
This book was written in 1984. No cell phones, just pagers. Raine seemed immature for her age. Whiny about her family and father. Time to grow up when you are 27 and start owning your decisions. This author is fun to read, however, I skimmed parts of each chapter as the characters were in their head too much. I need to start reviewing date of publication before buying.
June 23, 2024
Set at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles & environs and written with this author's trademark meticulous sensory details, this is the story of a romance developing between an Olympic equestrienne and an undercover agent working to prevent a terrorist attack there.
October 21, 2017
Slow. Not the best romance novel. it certainly never 'grabbed me.
October 30, 2018
Another of her early books, but my favorite, but shows the beginnings of the amazing author she came to be.
April 3, 2019
Riviting
Elizabeth Lowell does it again. Absolutely a masterpiece. Beautifully written. Fabulous characters. Made me want to jump on a horse and gallop away!
Elizabeth Lowell does it again. Absolutely a masterpiece. Beautifully written. Fabulous characters. Made me want to jump on a horse and gallop away!
April 9, 2019
An old Elizabeth Lowell story, but I enjoyed my vice.
April 28, 2020
Lowell always has good research behind stories. Utilize s figures of speech, other wording in line with main story subject.
I always learn new words and information. And about new places.
I always learn new words and information. And about new places.
July 1, 2020
I'm starting an Elizabeth Lowell binge and I love her stories. My one issue is that there's not much epilogue and I'm all for epilogues
March 15, 2021
Sorry had to give it any kind of star.
June 25, 2021
Good romance
Enjoyed this but the head hopping was distracting. Good suspense and the horse challenge- wow!
Overall, an okay read with more romance than suspense.
Enjoyed this but the head hopping was distracting. Good suspense and the horse challenge- wow!
Overall, an okay read with more romance than suspense.
June 27, 2021
Another old read from my book collection, this book was epic.
June 28, 2021
Sublime
The best love story I have read since I read Rebecca sixty years ago. The best horse story since The Black Stallion.
The best love story I have read since I read Rebecca sixty years ago. The best horse story since The Black Stallion.
March 1, 2022
I loved this book! Definitely will keep to read again some day!
April 16, 2022
This was a fun read but didn’t have the excitement of more current books.
January 27, 2025
Now,, this read keeps you on the edge of your seat....in a good way!
A good romance and a good tale....
A good romance and a good tale....
September 24, 2025
The characters can be frighteningly uncommunicative but the ending had me balling. I love this book! You can really feel the characters loneliness and isolation.
December 14, 2025
The suspense till the end kept me reading. I love the horse and the strength of the woman.
March 6, 2017
Good book
August 31, 2009
In the last of my Elizabeth Lowell Summer 2009 Marathon, I'm jumping out of the historicals and into a contemporary, Remember Summer. I was hoping that I'd get closer in general flavor to the sorts of suspense novels Lowell's been writing for much of her recent career, and at least in some ways, that's what I got; it was easy to see the progression from her historicals to this novel and on up to her later work. Still, this one's got its feet planted way more on the romance side of the fence than on the suspense one.
I'll give it props for the setting, though: it's the Summer Olympics, and our heroine Raine Chandler-Smith is on the US equestrian team, aiming for the gold. But OHNOEZ, her father is a government official of Unspecified but Incredibly High Rank, and there's an assassin on the loose! Our hero, the obligatory Operative of Unspecified Rank but Suitably Dangerous and Broody Competence, and who for purposes of this assignment is going by the name of Cord Elliott (side note: seriously? CORD? What kind of a name is CORD? A romance novel name, apparently), is on the case to keep Raine from getting shot right off her horse by way of being the appetizer for her father.
Definitely the sort of thing Lowell sank her teeth into with later work, but here, there's way less suspense than I like and way more angsting about how OHNOEZ, Cord's job is dangerous! And he's all tired of it and burned out and Raine is all beautiful and stuff! Which was acceptable character fodder as it went, but after pages and pages of it, I was all "ENOUGH ALREADY now get to the shootings and suspense and stuff".
Which the book did, eventually. With suitable suspenseful shootiness, and even a bit of a bittersweet ending that was appropriate given the Unspecified nature of Cord's secret-agenty job. All in all, though, for Lowell suspense? You'll really want to go to her later work. Two stars.
I'll give it props for the setting, though: it's the Summer Olympics, and our heroine Raine Chandler-Smith is on the US equestrian team, aiming for the gold. But OHNOEZ, her father is a government official of Unspecified but Incredibly High Rank, and there's an assassin on the loose! Our hero, the obligatory Operative of Unspecified Rank but Suitably Dangerous and Broody Competence, and who for purposes of this assignment is going by the name of Cord Elliott (side note: seriously? CORD? What kind of a name is CORD? A romance novel name, apparently), is on the case to keep Raine from getting shot right off her horse by way of being the appetizer for her father.
Definitely the sort of thing Lowell sank her teeth into with later work, but here, there's way less suspense than I like and way more angsting about how OHNOEZ, Cord's job is dangerous! And he's all tired of it and burned out and Raine is all beautiful and stuff! Which was acceptable character fodder as it went, but after pages and pages of it, I was all "ENOUGH ALREADY now get to the shootings and suspense and stuff".
Which the book did, eventually. With suitable suspenseful shootiness, and even a bit of a bittersweet ending that was appropriate given the Unspecified nature of Cord's secret-agenty job. All in all, though, for Lowell suspense? You'll really want to go to her later work. Two stars.
January 25, 2017
I think I had this confused with another story going in, so it was refreshingly not what I expected. Raine is an Olympic equestrian and her father is a big wig in espionage or something who is marked for death by an assassin - and Raine may be the assassin's ticket to his kill. So Cord Elliot is hired by her father to protect Raine. She's been subject to her father's lifestyle all her life and knows that it's not what she wants for her future. So when she finds herself falling in love with Cord, a man exactly like her father, she's terrified of the heartbreak that's sure to come. But Cord won't take no for an answer - he wants her to save a place for him, so he'll have someone to come home to after those dark days.
This author does very well with infusing just the right amount of angst to make this a page turner. It's very cliched and cheesy at times and it relies on a huge dose of insta-lust and auto-personality-click from the start, but that sort of thing doesn't bother me. It does take them a while to figure each other out and their sexual tension just keeps ratcheting up. The suspense angle with the assassin isn't that gripping, but it's the romance that kept me reading. I liked it quite a bit. And maybe I'm a sucker for figurative language in a genre that pretty much limits itself to similes, but this author is also pretty solid with infusing metaphors that run with a theme. In this case, you've got Raine, the queen of the castle, sitting by her hearthfire and Cord the lowly soldier trapped out in the rain who can't get through the gates to warm himself by Raine's fire. This metaphor is used repeatedly to illustrate the differences between them and it just added something to the narrative. I'm probably a sucker for figurative language... She's done this in other stories and I've enjoyed it as well.
This author does very well with infusing just the right amount of angst to make this a page turner. It's very cliched and cheesy at times and it relies on a huge dose of insta-lust and auto-personality-click from the start, but that sort of thing doesn't bother me. It does take them a while to figure each other out and their sexual tension just keeps ratcheting up. The suspense angle with the assassin isn't that gripping, but it's the romance that kept me reading. I liked it quite a bit. And maybe I'm a sucker for figurative language in a genre that pretty much limits itself to similes, but this author is also pretty solid with infusing metaphors that run with a theme. In this case, you've got Raine, the queen of the castle, sitting by her hearthfire and Cord the lowly soldier trapped out in the rain who can't get through the gates to warm himself by Raine's fire. This metaphor is used repeatedly to illustrate the differences between them and it just added something to the narrative. I'm probably a sucker for figurative language... She's done this in other stories and I've enjoyed it as well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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