In Serena's Web

Hagen #1

by Kay Hooper

With her fallen-angel smile, Serena Jameson looked like a cross between a temptress and a teenager, but she could be gently ruthless when it came to getting Brian Ashford to make his move! The handsome industrialist was determined to play Galahad and protect her from danger--in the form of rakish playboy Joshua Long. But when Serena pleaded with Brian to teach her how to seduce a man, she ignited a primitive heat that shattered his controland hers. A captive of her own desires, could Serena escape the tangles of her bewitchingly woven web?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Romantic Suspense, Fiction, Mystery, Audiobook, Ebooks

192 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

About the author

Kay Hooper (aka Kay Robbins) was born in California, in an air force base hospital since her father was stationed there at the time. The family moved back to North Carolina shortly afterward, so she was raised and went to school there.

The oldest of three children, Kay has a brother two years younger and a sister seven years younger. Her father and brother are builders who own a highly respected construction company, and her mother worked for many years in personnel management before becoming Kay's personal assistant, a position she held until her untimely death in March 2002. Kay's sister Linda works as her Business Manager, Events Coordinator, and is playing a major role in the creation and operation of The Kay Hooper Foundation.

Kay graduated from East Rutherford High School and attended Isothermal Community College — where she quickly discovered that business classes did not in any way enthrall her. Switching to more involving courses such as history and literature, she also began to concentrate on writing, which had been a longtime interest. Very quickly hooked, she asked for a Christmas typewriter and began seriously working on her first novel. That book, a Regency romance titled Lady Thief, sold to Dell Publishing in 1980. She has since published more than 60 novels and four novellas.

Kay is single and lives in a very small town in North Carolina, not far from her father and siblings. Deigning to live with her are a flock of cats — Bonnie, Ginger, Oscar, Tuffy, Felix, Renny, and Isabel — of various personalities who all like sleeping on manuscripts and whatever research happens to be spread across Kay's desk. And living amongst the many felines are two cheerfully tolerant dogs, a shelter rescue, Bandit, who looks rather like a small sheepdog, and a Sheltie named Lizzie.

Reviews

[Helena · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the title you'd think Serena is some badass female character. Nope, not the case. She is as annoying as it gets and it's hard to enjoy the book when both protagonists are a pain to read about.

[*CJ* · Rating 3 out of 5]

"In Serena's Web" is the story of Serena and Brian
When Brian is entrusted to accompany Serena across the country and deliver it to her father, he never expects to be enchanted by her- or that she'd ask his help to seduce the enigmatic stranger Joshua!
Soon Brian learns he is deep in her tangled web of enigma, and being Serena's accomplice has much deeper ramifications than he can ever imagine..
An interesting book with a confused hero, a bewildering and manipulative heroine and many mysteries which are revealed gradually throughout the book. The strange behaviors keep you hooked, and I do admire a meddlesome heroine!
Kinda enjoyed it!
Safe
3/5

[DonutKnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.8

I couldn’t stop reading this book. Some people call it trashy romance, but I still enjoyed it 😂😂

I like the idea of a woman who holds all the cards, it was really fun to read from the guys perspective when dealing with that kind of situation (even though the author is a woman). It made me feel giddy.

Although I will note, that maybe it was Brian sense of responsibility that proved to be his downfall. Serena could handle herself- but hehe, looked where they ended up, right where Serena wanted him.

Technically I would give it a 4 for feels rendered, but yeah I think it’s still a 3.8.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zanimljiva pričica, brzo čitljiva.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the perfect h and it’s very unusual for me because I don’t like perfection. Lol

[Sheila Melo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncomplicated but Fun With Good Characters and a Plot that Moves

"In the sweet, gentle voice that sounded like satin and could stop and army in its tracks, Serena said, 'Teach me how to seduce a man.'"

FINAL DECISION: A light read, IN SERENA'S WEB is filled with likeable characters without deep dark secrets or traits that make them too complicated. The good guys and the bad guys are obvious. The story is fast paced. I enjoy this read as an uncomplicated quick read.

THE STORY: Brian Ashford is escorting Serena Jameson back home after a trip to Europe. Serena's father is working on a groundbreaking innovation for Brian's company. There are also threats from others who would like that work for themselves and want to use Serena as leverage. Serena is driving Brian crazy with her antics across the country. One night she tells Brian that she has decided on the man she wants to marry. The only problem is that he is a rake and Serena needs lessons on how to seduce him and wants Brian to help her. Brian is shocked and oh so tempted.

OPINION: I love the lightness and fun of this quick read. It is not a complex story and certainly the characters are simple, but I love how they are well defined and likeable. The relationship between Serena and Brian is bright and fun and doesn't really have dark places even when the story seems to turn serious. I especially like that the entire story makes me smile at the end and the pacing is so good that the story never has a slow point.

This is not the deepest romance but it is really clean in comparison with many more recent stories and I really like the characters.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book was written as a 1980s category romance which means that it is limited in its structure and content. Readers of Hooper's more recent paranormal suspense should be aware that this book is not in any way similar to those books and should not read this expecting similarities.

CONNECTED BOOKS: IN SERENA'S WEB is the first book in the Hagen series. It is actually a prequel as Hagen is not introduced in this book and the ongoing story doesn't start until the next book in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book needed the first half of the story. I felt cheated out of the start of this romance. Apparently Brian is asked by Serena's Father to escort her home from Europe. Brian is under the assumption that he's picking up a young flighty girl, and he just needs to keep her out of trouble while managing to get her home. However Serena is a grown woman with talents of her own who needs not a nanny, but some protection from a "Bad Unknown" wanting to use her as leverage against her father. What ticked me off most about this book is that it picks up way into the romance. Brian and Serena have already managed to make it back to the states from Europe, and have been traveling a little when the book picks up. She has managed to get into trouble that is only hinted at, and I felt was pivotal to the story. This book makes Brian look like a dumb ass, and Serena a cold hearted schemer. The suspense part of this book is so bad its not funny, there isn't much to the plot, very little reason for them to even believe Serena is actually in danger. And the worse part that I found was so hard to stomach was Brian's part. He is supposed to be a CEO of I think a tech company its not really explained a lot, but he has time to not only go to Europe and bring back a friends daughter, but spend extra time in the states doing nothing but hopping from hotel to hotel, never really making back it to her home. When he should have been able to get her home on flights in a couple of days. I find that so hard to believe it made this story not at all plausible for me. It a pretty lame, bad story from the 80 that shouldn't have been reprinted. That newer cover drew me in and I totally got played by it!

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This "novel" is a 250 page book of vague, incoherent dialog. From the description, I was expecting to follow a sociopath beauty representing feminine empowerment as she remorselessly uses and plays men in this so called "web." If that is what you too are expecting, I suggest you do not make any steps toward purchasing this book.
The characters in this book are entirely face. There are no depth to any of the three main characters although most of the novel is focused around their conversations. The main theme of the book is discovering Serena's depth. Unfortunately, the tale of her depth is, at most, hearsay. This character shows no outstanding characteristics that the audience is repeatedly reminded of. The lack of substance to the characters creates a bland, eventless feel as the "storyline" progresses. Trying to emerge myself in the novel was impossible because I couldn't suppress the thoughts of how poorly this was written.
As for this "storyline," there really isn't one. Serena falls in love with one man (the supposed "web") who is hired as a body guard. He accompanies her at a hotel in Denver where they have confusing, incoherent shades to their relationship. In the one chunk of the book that the storyline is apparent, the issue at hand is incredibly simplistic and overcome before it is ever really started.

Complete. Garbage.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only picked up this book because I was nervous about the minor earthquake here in NYC that I left my book at work. So when I got home and wanted to read I wanted to read something small and quick. I saw this book that someone had given me and I decided it looked small and easy and it was but it just wasn't a good story. It could have been if there were more details and excitement. It moved to quickly and I feel that there was a lot of parts left out. Serious parts. I just felt like I walked into a major story and was left confused and wanted more. I just don't think it really wasn't much of a read and I felt cheated.

[Melanie♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it was just the narrator's interpretation of the heroine, but Serena rubbed me the wrong way almost immediately. I listened to more than half before "skimming" to the end.

[Andrea · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to file this under "what was I thinking"?

I was hoping for a light read with a happy ending, but this was very shallow.

[Tessa]

That didn’t age well, but I don’t think it was spectacular by 80s standards, either. Only finished it because it was so short. I will stick with later series from Hooper.

[Romantic Intentions Quarterly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally published as Loveswept category romances but now reissued in both paperback and e-book versions, Kay Hooper’s Hagen series brings us ten stories of spies, sparring and slow burn seduction. 'In Serena’s Web' is where it all begins, in which our lovely and determined (but spoiled) heroine plays with two men’s emotions –while attempting to thwart an assassination attempt on her magnate father. True, the series is a little dated – the determined virginality of our heroines may grate on you, for example – but the stories are as entertaining and, yes, suspenseful as when first published. The humor also remains engaging and Hagen, the baleful mastermind behind so many of these couples’ HEAs, is the merrily cantankerous glue that holds the series together.

This review appears in Romantic Intentions Quarterly #1.

[Laura Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read a re-print of this serial romance. (a Loveswept Novel published in the 1980's). Keep that in mind if you read this book. It is over 30 years old. When I re-read or read these serial romance novels I keep in mind what I am getting. I get a short novel with fixed length for publication purposes. I get a book that is historical a true sense of the word, it is a book that is set in the 80's and all that entails. It is is a book that was written with a certain set of parameters that fit the particular publisher's series whether it be Loveswept, Harlequin Romance, Harlequin Blaze, Silhouette Romance, etc. With all the background in mind this was a nice romance of a girl who has chosen the boy of her dreams and schemes to get him. It was a nice trip down memory lane.

[Lori Svensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kay has been my absolute favorite romance writer thus far. She doesn't just write a romance, she weaves in a web of intrigue and revisits her characters later as an actual series which seems to be relatively unique in the romance world. Her characters are fun, funny, serious and realistic - and clever! (I hate stupid characters - and she doesn't have any!)

[Judith Ingersoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serena’s Webs

Such a great read. Loved it from beginning to end. Serena is as good as Charlotte is with webs. The mystery, the romance and the ending was all plotted wonderfully. Hope you enjoy this book and what follows as much as I did.

[Штрумпфета (Štrumpfeta) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2+

[Paula Letterman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great start to a good series.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stil a good read the fourth time around

[Ivana Antin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Playfully written, but a bit naive.

[Kylie Henn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smart heroine!!

[Kathryn A. Sievers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story

This is a reprint of an earlier serial romance. Good story for a quick escapism read. Not part of any other series.

[Angela]

5

[Angelfrog87 · Rating 3 out of 5]

audio

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun quick read

[Nicci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute quick easy read.

[Pet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used to collect these books back in the day and this was a favourite author, even after all this time a fun light read.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you know who you want go after them.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

The cover on this throwback from Ms. Hooper is very giggle worthy. How can you look at the cover and not giggle? I am a big fan of Kay Hooper and have read most of her books, both old and new. She is a great writer. So, I was a little disappointed in this first book in her Hagen series. In Serena's Web was a very underwhelming story. Not much happens. It had the great potential to be a good romantic suspense, but the suspense fell very flat. The reader never really has the sense that Serena is in any danger until the very end.

When I started the book, I felt like I was missing something. Almost like I had walked into a movie about 30 minutes after the opening credits. Eventually things are explained, but by then it was too late for me to even care. The characters were pretty boring. Serena is a smart woman, but came across to me like a spoiled debutante. She is in love with Brian, so she tries to make him jealous by flirting with another man. Really? She is 26, not a 16 and still in high school. Brian seems to want her but is ambivalent about it through most of the book. Even the HEA at the end was a bit boring. Honestly, I was more intrigued by Josh and his penchant for blondes than I was by Serena and Brian.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in what became to be known as the Hagan series (although Hagan is not present in this book). What I liked about the book. I kind of liked that the story began after Brian and Serena had been traveling for a while, but it did create a flaw in the tale. One of the reasons that I sometimes read romance novels is that I like the cast of supporting characters. Not a lot in this book, but I really liked Josh, and it was fun seeing the interplay between Serena and Josh. I thought that the story kind of held up and did not feel dated to me. Other than the phones and perhaps the description of her clothes (don't know about that), I could not tell that it did not take place in this century.

Problems with the book. I do not know if the format of a Loveswept Romance in which Hooper was limited to 180 pages led to the story feeling way underdeveloped. You did not really feel the tension of the threat. When something does happen, it is resolved way too easily and you did not feel any emotions from Serena. Also you kind of missed the point where the two main protagonists fall in love. That apparently happened before the story began.