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The New York Times bestselling Montgomery/Taggert Family series returns with a sizzling romance “packed full of warmth, humor, sensual tension, and exciting adventure” (RT Book Reviews) about a New York businesswoman on the run in Florida after being falsely accused of murder. A rising star at a Manhattan corporation, Fiona Burkenhalter is a New Yorker through and through and when her boss inexplicably sends her to handle a new account in the Florida Everglades, it may as well be another planet. But this is no ordinary business Fiona is to join her client on a rustic fishing expedition, accompanied by a guide with the larger-than-life name of Ace Montgomery. More than a little steamed at this detour from the executive fast track, Fiona never imagined that she’d embarked on the wildest adventure of her life—or that the rough-hewn, undeniably handsome Ace Montgomery from the Southern backwoods would become her closest ally. But hair-raising circumstances pull her deep into trouble from the moment she steps off the plane. Only in the heart of the swamplands could she get lost in a maze of intrigue and become the prime suspect for a shocking murder with Ace as her presumed accomplice. Suddenly, they discover that they have inherited the murder victim’s vast fortune and they are now Florida’s most wanted couple! Now, with their lives and hearts on the line, they turn up the heat in their desperate search for a killer.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1980
270 people are currently reading
1592 people want to read
About the author
Jude Deveraux
199 books7,043 followersJude Gilliam was born September 20, 1947 in Fairdale, Kentucky. She has a large extended family and is the elder sister of four brothers. She attended Murray State University and received a degree in Art. In 1967, Jude married and took her husband's surname of White, but four years later they divorced. For years, she worked as 5th-grade teacher.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
She began writing in 1976, and published her first book, The Enchanted Land (1977) under the name Jude Deveraux. Following the publication of her first novel, she resigned her teaching position. Now, she is the author of 31 New York Times bestsellers.
Jude won readers' hearts with the epic Velvet series, which revolves around the lives of the Montgomery family's irresistible men. Jude's early books are set largely in 15th- and 16th-century England; in them her fierce, impassioned protagonists find themselves in the midst of blood feuds and wars. Her heroines are equally scrappy -- medieval Scarlett O'Haras who often have a low regard for the men who eventually win them over. They're fighters, certainly, but they're also beauties who are preoccupied with survival and family preservation.
Jude has also stepped outside her milieu, with mixed results. Her James River trilogy (River Lady, Lost Lady, and Counterfeit Lady) is set mostly in post-Revolution America; the popular, softer-edged Twin of Fire/Twin of Ice moves to 19th-century Colorado and introduces another hunky-man clan, the Taggerts.
Deveraux manages to evoke a strong and convincing atmosphere for each of her books, but her dialogue and characters are as familiar as a modern-day soap opera's. "Historicals seem to be all I'm capable of," Jude once said in an interview, referring to a now out-of-print attempt at contemporary fiction, 1982's Casa Grande. "I don't want to write family sagas or occult books, and I have no intention of again trying to ruin the contemporary market." Still, Jude did later attempt modern-day romances, such as the lighthearted High Tide (her first murder caper), the contemporary female friendship story The Summerhouse, and the time-traveling Knight in Shining Armor. In fact, with 2002's The Mulberry Tree, Deveraux seems to be getting more comfortable setting stories in the present, which is a good thing, since the fans she won with her historical books are eager to follow her into the future.
Jude married Claude White, who she later divorced in 1993. Around the same time she met Mohammed Montassir with whom she had a son, Sam Alexander Montassir, in 1997. On Oct. 6th, 2005, Sam died at the age of eight in a motorcycle accident.
Jude has lived in several countries and all over the United States. She currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and has an additional home in the medieval city of Badolato, Italy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
August 31, 2012
This book is pretty much the dividing line between Jude Deveraux books that I enjoyed, and when her characterization really began to grate on me and the books became tedious to get through. In part, I think this is due to me changing as a reader. After all, what's entertaining to a girl of 16 does not necessarily satisfy her when she's 30. I can look back at some of the earlier Montgomery books and still be entertained, though, so High Tide really stands out as the first Jude Deveraux book I did not find worth the read.
June 18, 2009
Normally I like Jude Deveraux books, they're entertaining and are generally fun stories. Having said that I have to say I pretty much hated this book. Fiona is annoying, Ace is a jerk, and the story is so convoluted with supportive characters it's almost impossible to tell what is really going on. The scene in the airport with the bowling ball and the alligator was just plain stupid and I hated that it kept coming up in the "playful banter" and the ending was anticlimactic and just plain irritating. I did give the book two stars because through it all I still felt compelled to keep reading and find out who the killer was, but in the end I found myself disappointed. My advice is don't even bother to start reading this one, you'll wish you hadn't wasted your time.
August 7, 2012
I like Jude Deveraux, and all of her books I've read (except this one of course) are wonderful little fantastical ghost stories, or time traveling, or something to do with knights with a sweet little love story thrown in to keep it interesting, and the end.
First of all, I don't like how it took 2/3 of the book for me to figure out (or be told) who or what Kimberly is. I wasn't really even sure what Fiona did, but it was obviously something very important to her. She seemed like she was big-city spoiled, but then she didn't really act like it. I don't know if some heart-of-gold storyline was coming out, but I wasn't buying it. All she wanted to do was fight with Ace, who was actually a pretty endearing guy. And it wasn't HIS fault they were in their predicament.
Ace, though, still bored me somewhat. He's a bird-man. He studies birds. He has a bird sanctuary thingy in Flordia and he wants to attract tourists so he buys a giant fiberglass alligator. He's allegedly very good looking. Of course. Oh, and Fiona is six feet tall and looks like a famous movie star.
I'm not sure if 2012 is just the year of my picking books that just won't hold my interest, or if it's really me and these books are perfectly fine.
I like the idea of the two accused as murderers (Teddy Bear Killers) and then on the run. I like fugitive stories. But these guys are hiding out in a run-down Florida glades cabin (cool) and also a ritzy hotel (too obvious...won't work) and there isn't much chemistry between the two anyway. They won't stop arguing...about...nothing.
First of all, I don't like how it took 2/3 of the book for me to figure out (or be told) who or what Kimberly is. I wasn't really even sure what Fiona did, but it was obviously something very important to her. She seemed like she was big-city spoiled, but then she didn't really act like it. I don't know if some heart-of-gold storyline was coming out, but I wasn't buying it. All she wanted to do was fight with Ace, who was actually a pretty endearing guy. And it wasn't HIS fault they were in their predicament.
Ace, though, still bored me somewhat. He's a bird-man. He studies birds. He has a bird sanctuary thingy in Flordia and he wants to attract tourists so he buys a giant fiberglass alligator. He's allegedly very good looking. Of course. Oh, and Fiona is six feet tall and looks like a famous movie star.
I'm not sure if 2012 is just the year of my picking books that just won't hold my interest, or if it's really me and these books are perfectly fine.
I like the idea of the two accused as murderers (Teddy Bear Killers) and then on the run. I like fugitive stories. But these guys are hiding out in a run-down Florida glades cabin (cool) and also a ritzy hotel (too obvious...won't work) and there isn't much chemistry between the two anyway. They won't stop arguing...about...nothing.
April 24, 2011
I disliked the heroine who whinged most of the time and seemed to think the hero was required to fall in love with her despite being engaged to another woman.
I was put off by the unrealistic situation of the opening scene where the hero opens up a huge crate of air freight in the middle of a passenger terminal.
I found it annoying how the author tried to make a mystery of the identity of Kimberly, when it was obvious it was a doll.
Towards the middle of the book, I got completely lost and couldn't figure out what was going on. The plot just seemed to disintegrate, with all kinds of weird secondary characters suddenly popping up all over the place.
This was my second book by this hugely popular author. I'll give her one more try, and then I'll call it a day.
I was put off by the unrealistic situation of the opening scene where the hero opens up a huge crate of air freight in the middle of a passenger terminal.
I found it annoying how the author tried to make a mystery of the identity of Kimberly, when it was obvious it was a doll.
Towards the middle of the book, I got completely lost and couldn't figure out what was going on. The plot just seemed to disintegrate, with all kinds of weird secondary characters suddenly popping up all over the place.
This was my second book by this hugely popular author. I'll give her one more try, and then I'll call it a day.
February 25, 2010
Oh Jude D, I love that all your books are EXACTLY the same formula. If you changed something it would destroy my world. God forbid the man and woman who hate each other at the start aren't madly in love by the end.
October 19, 2014
It was hard and tiring.
The story was nice to read in the beginning but after a while somehow it became hard to move to the next page.
I love jude devaraux but this story certainly not her best one.
The story was nice to read in the beginning but after a while somehow it became hard to move to the next page.
I love jude devaraux but this story certainly not her best one.
September 10, 2020
I've never read anything else by this author and probably won't again. I don't know if I'm right to assume she's a romance writer who decided to try her hand at romantic suspense but really didn't know what the hell what she was doing. There's an incredible suspension of disbelief required here. She's crammed so much into the crime subplot and the book isn't anywhere near long enough to be able to juggle everything in a way that feels satisfying and complex. The section where Ace and Fiona are in hiding from the police, they act TSTL and in the real world they'd have been tracked down in a second - it's like the author did no research whatsoever about what actually goes into being a successful fugitive (they're staying in locations that Ace could be traced to on paper with family connections, making phone calls that could be tracked with minimal police effort, etc). The way they acted and talked about their predicament was so reactive and obvious, they read like teenagers. On top of that, Fiona was an irritating character who felt stock even though she was supposed to have this complicated backstory. The so-called 'witty' banter dialogue wasn't clever at all and felt like the author was trying too hard to insert humor without having a natural feel for it.
Then at one point, they're planning to turn themselves over to police, and Ace is so concerned that Fiona won't want to look grimy in her mug shot and arranges for her to get prettied up for it first, because an ugly mug shot would be such a psychological blow to her... HUH?!?
The whole book is just kind of ridiculous. The treasure hunt at the end bored me, and I ended up skimming it. And of course, they're married and she's pregnant by the end after a few months of knowing each other.
Dude, what?
The writing itself was lazy and not vivid. I can't really think of anything I liked about this book. Ace was alright as a male lead, but none of it made sense. Maybe the only thing that was handled well was the fact that he and Fiona developed sexual tension being trapped together with only each other to bounce off in a dysfunctional situation. Once they finally decided to sleep together, there was an extremely annoying drawn-out plot string that involved them getting constantly interrupted every time they were about to get it on. All that build-up and when they finally get each other alone, you get an unsatisfying PG-rated sex scene and you're told there's SO MUCH passion but you as a reader feel none. There was really no reason for them to end up together.
Also, the trope where the hero and heroine 'hate' each other but secretly want to smash and then end up soul mates by the end is SO CLICHE. This is the stuff of high school rom-coms.
Maybe Jude Deveraux has written decent books, but this just feels to me like she was trying to tackle something that was way beyond her scope as a writer. Oh well, it was her right to try. I'm just not sure how this got published.
Then at one point, they're planning to turn themselves over to police, and Ace is so concerned that Fiona won't want to look grimy in her mug shot and arranges for her to get prettied up for it first, because an ugly mug shot would be such a psychological blow to her... HUH?!?
The whole book is just kind of ridiculous. The treasure hunt at the end bored me, and I ended up skimming it. And of course, they're married and she's pregnant by the end after a few months of knowing each other.
Dude, what?
The writing itself was lazy and not vivid. I can't really think of anything I liked about this book. Ace was alright as a male lead, but none of it made sense. Maybe the only thing that was handled well was the fact that he and Fiona developed sexual tension being trapped together with only each other to bounce off in a dysfunctional situation. Once they finally decided to sleep together, there was an extremely annoying drawn-out plot string that involved them getting constantly interrupted every time they were about to get it on. All that build-up and when they finally get each other alone, you get an unsatisfying PG-rated sex scene and you're told there's SO MUCH passion but you as a reader feel none. There was really no reason for them to end up together.
Also, the trope where the hero and heroine 'hate' each other but secretly want to smash and then end up soul mates by the end is SO CLICHE. This is the stuff of high school rom-coms.
Maybe Jude Deveraux has written decent books, but this just feels to me like she was trying to tackle something that was way beyond her scope as a writer. Oh well, it was her right to try. I'm just not sure how this got published.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2018
The first time I tried to read this book was shortly after it came out. I had been on a Jude Deveraux binge, and had been reading book after book after book. When I started it, all of a sudden, my reading brakes came on. I thought I must have become jaded because all I could see when I read this book was the formula rather than the story. I did not finish the book and started reading not-romances for a long time.
I recently started reading all her books again, and they are just as good as they ever were. I don't get the same thrills that I did when I was younger, but the stories are compelling; the characters are whole.
Then I came to this one, and the brakes came right back on.
It wasn't me. It was the book.
Everything is flat. The story is complex, the characters are complex, but it is flat. It was just not as well-written as her other books. In fact, it feels as if she did not even write more than the outline.
I finished it and moved onto the next book. It is better. It is not classic Deveraux, but it is dramatically better than this one. I'm hoping that this one was just a fluke.
I don't know why this book is just wrong, but it is just wrong. I wish it had been written with the skill her other books were written with because the story would have been amazing if it had been in better hands.
I recently started reading all her books again, and they are just as good as they ever were. I don't get the same thrills that I did when I was younger, but the stories are compelling; the characters are whole.
Then I came to this one, and the brakes came right back on.
It wasn't me. It was the book.
Everything is flat. The story is complex, the characters are complex, but it is flat. It was just not as well-written as her other books. In fact, it feels as if she did not even write more than the outline.
I finished it and moved onto the next book. It is better. It is not classic Deveraux, but it is dramatically better than this one. I'm hoping that this one was just a fluke.
I don't know why this book is just wrong, but it is just wrong. I wish it had been written with the skill her other books were written with because the story would have been amazing if it had been in better hands.
February 22, 2019
Al principio el libro es entretenido, los protagonistas se encuentran, hay un asesinato y deben huir de la justicia, sin ser culpables. En su huida, siempre los encuentran de formas poco creíbles, y llega un momento en que empiezan a entrar nuevos personajes sin sentido y completamente forzados, la historia se convierte en la búsqueda de un tesoro donde no es claro quien es bueno y quien no lo es, y el final es completamente irreal.
Read
August 10, 2011As long as it's one of the Montgomerys and the Taggerts, I'm fascinated... Now, where can i get one? :-D If only they were real...
August 3, 2016
One of the worst books I've ever read. Boring, poorly written.
November 30, 2021
One of judes more confusing novels, and yet another murder mystery element involved. Fiona Burkenhalter is a New York executive, who gets personally invited on a fishing trip in Florida by a man named Roy Hudson. As far as Fiona knows she has no connection to this man and doesn’t know why she was invited. She arrives and discovers Ace Montgomery, owner of a wildlife conservatory park, is also personally invited on this trip as their Everglades tour guide. Fiona and Ace hate each other after an awkward run in at the airport. When they arrive Roy has yet to tell Fiona why he has invited her on this trip. Everything is fine until the first night on the boat, Fiona wakes up to find Roy Hudson’s dead body on top of her and a knife next to her. Ace helps Fiona escape arrest because he knows she’s innocent. The problem is now they’re on the run from the police. It’s very clear someone wanted to frame her for murder but why? They realize the only way to clear their names is to find the killer themselves.
I did enjoy this book a lot, but about halfway through it just got so confusing. I understood everything up until they discovered they both knew her father. Then after that it gets very convoluted. Instead of stretching out the information they found over the course of the book it was like they went from knowing nothing to everything at once. Like half of the book was trying to find a connection between Ace and Fiona then suddenly theres a bunch of family history to dive into. The motive for the murder was one of her fathers treasure stories he used to tell Fiona that turned out to be real. The problem is the reader never hears the bed time story in full detail so whenever a character like Gibby, Suzie or Kurt popped up you didn’t really understand their relation to the mystery. Her fathers maps also didn’t make much sense, and I still don’t understand how they got the map from the dolls toy suitcase that they printed out and pieces together. Also why did Ace have to get his a billion siblings to buy the toy suitcases couldn’t they just have bought a few or couldn’t Fionas friends just break into her office and get the maps?? They already broke into her apartment to help her. They never discussed what the gold nails signified when looking for the treasure. Ace would just just find gold nails with numbers on them and they never told us how that was leading them to the actual gold. Then why did Ace feel the need to lie about his family money, for no reason at all. You’re a Montgomery you’re not poor lol. He also like barley knew Fionas Dad at all, he just asked him advice on a loan. Then they had to disguise themselves in a retirement home to find out more information which did not make much sense either. There was so many faxes of map pages and story pages. Then in the end when we discovered the murderer was her brother that she didn’t know existed, it was kind of anticlimactic because it just turned out to be someone we never would’ve guessed. And they never really say why he wanted to kill her so bad? I guess because of jealousy and also she might have outed the treasure when the story came out as a tv show? But it still wasn’t super clear. And at the end when they were hunting for the treasure Ace was just like oh wait I know where it is lol, and just brings her right to it. He was like ‘oh yea I fell in here when I was kid I thought I imagined it’, that would’ve helped sooner!!! It was still a fun setting in the Everglades, I liked the enemies to lovers. Both Fiona and Ace did have partners that they just up and left for each other by the end of the book. It turned out suzie was actually Fionas mom which didn’t make much sense or add much to the storyline. I did like how Fiona was the creator of Kimberly, which was like the competitor of Barbie. The way that that just kept coming up over and over again made me laugh. It wasn’t really a serious story so I wasn’t expecting much. It made sense in a way, if I really sit here and think about all of the many loose ends. I liked it! But I definitely would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t as confusing.
I did enjoy this book a lot, but about halfway through it just got so confusing. I understood everything up until they discovered they both knew her father. Then after that it gets very convoluted. Instead of stretching out the information they found over the course of the book it was like they went from knowing nothing to everything at once. Like half of the book was trying to find a connection between Ace and Fiona then suddenly theres a bunch of family history to dive into. The motive for the murder was one of her fathers treasure stories he used to tell Fiona that turned out to be real. The problem is the reader never hears the bed time story in full detail so whenever a character like Gibby, Suzie or Kurt popped up you didn’t really understand their relation to the mystery. Her fathers maps also didn’t make much sense, and I still don’t understand how they got the map from the dolls toy suitcase that they printed out and pieces together. Also why did Ace have to get his a billion siblings to buy the toy suitcases couldn’t they just have bought a few or couldn’t Fionas friends just break into her office and get the maps?? They already broke into her apartment to help her. They never discussed what the gold nails signified when looking for the treasure. Ace would just just find gold nails with numbers on them and they never told us how that was leading them to the actual gold. Then why did Ace feel the need to lie about his family money, for no reason at all. You’re a Montgomery you’re not poor lol. He also like barley knew Fionas Dad at all, he just asked him advice on a loan. Then they had to disguise themselves in a retirement home to find out more information which did not make much sense either. There was so many faxes of map pages and story pages. Then in the end when we discovered the murderer was her brother that she didn’t know existed, it was kind of anticlimactic because it just turned out to be someone we never would’ve guessed. And they never really say why he wanted to kill her so bad? I guess because of jealousy and also she might have outed the treasure when the story came out as a tv show? But it still wasn’t super clear. And at the end when they were hunting for the treasure Ace was just like oh wait I know where it is lol, and just brings her right to it. He was like ‘oh yea I fell in here when I was kid I thought I imagined it’, that would’ve helped sooner!!! It was still a fun setting in the Everglades, I liked the enemies to lovers. Both Fiona and Ace did have partners that they just up and left for each other by the end of the book. It turned out suzie was actually Fionas mom which didn’t make much sense or add much to the storyline. I did like how Fiona was the creator of Kimberly, which was like the competitor of Barbie. The way that that just kept coming up over and over again made me laugh. It wasn’t really a serious story so I wasn’t expecting much. It made sense in a way, if I really sit here and think about all of the many loose ends. I liked it! But I definitely would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t as confusing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2022
High Tide
This is #24 in Montgomery/Taggert series. It fits the following tropes: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/ Romance, Proximity Romance, Rom/Com. Setting: 1999 NYC & Florida.
H Ace Montgomery aka Dr. Paul Montgomery ornithologist. Florida.Maine Montgomery’s cousins in book Frank and Mike Taggert.
h Fiona Burkenhalter creator of Kimberley a toy doll.NYC
Mystery
Ace and Fiona were both invited on a fishing trip in Florida with Roy Hudson creator of Raphael’s a TV series. The next day Fiona is awakened with Roy’s body on top of her. He had been stabbed to death. The man who travelled on the boat thought Kimberley killed Roy. Both Ace and Fiona were accused of killing Roy. They were on the run hiding. They have to figure out who is behind the killing and why. They ask for help from Ace’s family.
Mystery Solved
Fiona ‘s father was a cartographer (secretly an underworld figure who had a hidden treasure along with Aces Uncle who owned the property the treasure was on.) Fiona had a half brother who was jealous because their father wanted her to inherit the gold lions along with Ace. Her brother was trying to kill her. He also killed three people: Roy Hudson, the hired hand on the boat with Roy, Rosie a woman who knew who Fiona’s brother was.
Romance
Ace and Fiona don’t like each other because she thought he was being attacked by an alligator and threw a bowling ball at it and it exploded.
It was a robot worth thousands. She was arrested and put in jail. The charges were dropped.
Second meeting was when they went on the boat with Roy Hudson. They both were shocked and surprised. They continued disliking one another but secretly thought the other attractive. Once Fiona was reported to be a killer Ace decided to help clear his and her name. The more time they spent together the more they liked each other. They had to sleep together a few nights and their attraction grew. They both had relationships with other people. Ace was engaged to get married in two weeks to Lisa. Fiona boyfriend is Jeremy a lawyer. As they pieced the story together they were lead to a private community where they met Susie Fiona’s mom. Former hooker. She kept separating them. She could see their attraction for each other and purposely kept them apart. They finally could get away from everyone and Ace asked her to marry him as he was leading her to find the two Lions. They made love for the first time.
Epilogue
Ace and Fiona marry and they live in Florida. She is three months pregnant.
My take
This story was about the Montgomery/ Taggert families with members of both. Most of the stories are written as Romance Adventures. Sweet Liar and High Tide were similar as there were mysteries to solve from the past involving their ancestors and both mysteries brought the couples together to solve them. High Tide had present day murders and the H’s were falsely accused of the murders. I like how Jude writes each story with a feel for each time period in a variation of tropes in the romance genre: Historical R, Historical Fantasy Paranormal, Mystery/ Romance, Contemporary R, Historical Rom Com, Contemporary Rom Com, Proximity, Hate to Love. She is a talented writer. This is the longest romance series I have read written from the Middle Ages up to the present time. I gave this 4 stars.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
This is #24 in Montgomery/Taggert series. It fits the following tropes: Contemporary Romance, Mystery/ Romance, Proximity Romance, Rom/Com. Setting: 1999 NYC & Florida.
H Ace Montgomery aka Dr. Paul Montgomery ornithologist. Florida.Maine Montgomery’s cousins in book Frank and Mike Taggert.
h Fiona Burkenhalter creator of Kimberley a toy doll.NYC
Mystery
Ace and Fiona were both invited on a fishing trip in Florida with Roy Hudson creator of Raphael’s a TV series. The next day Fiona is awakened with Roy’s body on top of her. He had been stabbed to death. The man who travelled on the boat thought Kimberley killed Roy. Both Ace and Fiona were accused of killing Roy. They were on the run hiding. They have to figure out who is behind the killing and why. They ask for help from Ace’s family.
Mystery Solved
Fiona ‘s father was a cartographer (secretly an underworld figure who had a hidden treasure along with Aces Uncle who owned the property the treasure was on.) Fiona had a half brother who was jealous because their father wanted her to inherit the gold lions along with Ace. Her brother was trying to kill her. He also killed three people: Roy Hudson, the hired hand on the boat with Roy, Rosie a woman who knew who Fiona’s brother was.
Romance
Ace and Fiona don’t like each other because she thought he was being attacked by an alligator and threw a bowling ball at it and it exploded.
It was a robot worth thousands. She was arrested and put in jail. The charges were dropped.
Second meeting was when they went on the boat with Roy Hudson. They both were shocked and surprised. They continued disliking one another but secretly thought the other attractive. Once Fiona was reported to be a killer Ace decided to help clear his and her name. The more time they spent together the more they liked each other. They had to sleep together a few nights and their attraction grew. They both had relationships with other people. Ace was engaged to get married in two weeks to Lisa. Fiona boyfriend is Jeremy a lawyer. As they pieced the story together they were lead to a private community where they met Susie Fiona’s mom. Former hooker. She kept separating them. She could see their attraction for each other and purposely kept them apart. They finally could get away from everyone and Ace asked her to marry him as he was leading her to find the two Lions. They made love for the first time.
Epilogue
Ace and Fiona marry and they live in Florida. She is three months pregnant.
My take
This story was about the Montgomery/ Taggert families with members of both. Most of the stories are written as Romance Adventures. Sweet Liar and High Tide were similar as there were mysteries to solve from the past involving their ancestors and both mysteries brought the couples together to solve them. High Tide had present day murders and the H’s were falsely accused of the murders. I like how Jude writes each story with a feel for each time period in a variation of tropes in the romance genre: Historical R, Historical Fantasy Paranormal, Mystery/ Romance, Contemporary R, Historical Rom Com, Contemporary Rom Com, Proximity, Hate to Love. She is a talented writer. This is the longest romance series I have read written from the Middle Ages up to the present time. I gave this 4 stars.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.
April 9, 2019
Este ha sido mi primer libro de esta serie, evidentemente creo que he empezado por el final o casi, no obstante puedo señalar que aunque se puede leer de forma independiente a lo largo de la lectura da la sensación de que deberías conocer al protagonista masculino de otras historias, parece que falta información, se sobreentiende que hay otros libros anteriores. Por tanto es probable que un lector de la saga que haya seguido el orden correcto disfrute más de esta lectura que yo.
Aún así a la historia le falta algo, los personajes no acaban de gustarme mucho, sobre todo ella, no es nada coherente, por momentos es una mujer magnífica y por otros una tonta de capirote. Respecto a él , sinceramente tampoco es mi ideal de hombre en una novela de este tipo.
Por otro lado, la redacción es impecable, los diálogos son muy dinámicos y amenos, tanto que en ocasiones, me han hecho reír.
Ahora bien, la historia de amor en si ya es otro cantar, le falta mucha sustancia, mucha base, por difíciles que puedan ser los primeros días que pasan juntos no puede mantenerse el vuelco que dan sus vidas a largo plazo, si la autora hubiera planteado sólo una atracción física entre ellos, sin más consecuencias, hubiera sido más creíble.
En resumen, un libro ligero que se deja leer y que puede entretener en un día lluvioso en el que el lector no quiera pensar mucho.
Aún así a la historia le falta algo, los personajes no acaban de gustarme mucho, sobre todo ella, no es nada coherente, por momentos es una mujer magnífica y por otros una tonta de capirote. Respecto a él , sinceramente tampoco es mi ideal de hombre en una novela de este tipo.
Por otro lado, la redacción es impecable, los diálogos son muy dinámicos y amenos, tanto que en ocasiones, me han hecho reír.
Ahora bien, la historia de amor en si ya es otro cantar, le falta mucha sustancia, mucha base, por difíciles que puedan ser los primeros días que pasan juntos no puede mantenerse el vuelco que dan sus vidas a largo plazo, si la autora hubiera planteado sólo una atracción física entre ellos, sin más consecuencias, hubiera sido más creíble.
En resumen, un libro ligero que se deja leer y que puede entretener en un día lluvioso en el que el lector no quiera pensar mucho.
April 17, 2022
Don't start this one unless you have time to finish it. The rest of your life could suffer.
Our heroine is sent to Florida for a three-day fishing trip with a man she's never met. She's a marketing executive in the Big Apple. With a healthy fear of crocodiles. Or is that alligators? Do the red soles of your Louboutins protect you from snakes?
I'd say more, but the drama that begins in her Manhattan office will reach a peak before she collects her bag in Florida. (Or at least you'll think so.) Or is that just the humor? It's funny as hell! Later on you'll meet scary. As scary as only a trip through Florida's swamps with a guide you don't trust pursued by (a) murderer(s) who have killed before and are not done.
Later in her career, Deveraux will try everything from time-travel to pure murder mystery to semi-sweet romance. This is a total mashup of murder mystery and romance. Probably more mystery than romance but there's plenty of both. And sometimes it's really funny, too. Like in the airport.
Now, would someone please explain the title? TIA.
Our heroine is sent to Florida for a three-day fishing trip with a man she's never met. She's a marketing executive in the Big Apple. With a healthy fear of crocodiles. Or is that alligators? Do the red soles of your Louboutins protect you from snakes?
I'd say more, but the drama that begins in her Manhattan office will reach a peak before she collects her bag in Florida. (Or at least you'll think so.) Or is that just the humor? It's funny as hell! Later on you'll meet scary. As scary as only a trip through Florida's swamps with a guide you don't trust pursued by (a) murderer(s) who have killed before and are not done.
Later in her career, Deveraux will try everything from time-travel to pure murder mystery to semi-sweet romance. This is a total mashup of murder mystery and romance. Probably more mystery than romance but there's plenty of both. And sometimes it's really funny, too. Like in the airport.
Now, would someone please explain the title? TIA.
October 9, 2023
Rating: 3 Stars!!
Review:
This was only the 2nd Book ive read by Jude so i was optimistic even tho i did care for her other book last year but sadly this one was disappointing as well for 2 reasons:
1. This one had NO Romance in it and 2. It was so slow starting.
The Characters were fun and interesting to read about. Fiona was definately my favorite.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in The Florida Everglades while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall it was an OK Book but i would of liked it more if it had more Romance in it and if it hadnt started out so slow!! I will read more by Jude in the future but i just hope her other books arent as slow as this one was.
Review:
This was only the 2nd Book ive read by Jude so i was optimistic even tho i did care for her other book last year but sadly this one was disappointing as well for 2 reasons:
1. This one had NO Romance in it and 2. It was so slow starting.
The Characters were fun and interesting to read about. Fiona was definately my favorite.
The Setting was beautifully described which made me feel like i was actually in The Florida Everglades while reading, especially when the scenery was described.
Overall it was an OK Book but i would of liked it more if it had more Romance in it and if it hadnt started out so slow!! I will read more by Jude in the future but i just hope her other books arent as slow as this one was.
October 13, 2018
The beginning of the book has too much anger and I didn't like Fiona at all. She looked to be one of those "useless" women who know only one thing and her world centers around herself and that one thing. That soon started to change, but it took a while to get to the point where I could like her. Ace Montgomery was a puzzle. I couldn't figure him out until nearly the end, but I was happy to see Mike Montgomery again, even if only briefly. What a tangle Ace and Fiona found themselves in! At several points in the story, I had to wonder if what was happening was real or staged to test Fiona in some way.
February 13, 2019
Copyright 1999. This is #14 in the Montgomery/Taggert series, but is absolutely a standalone.
A reread for me, but only a couple of times if I remember right. I did remember the mechanical alligator & the H/h were on the run from bad guys. I didn't remember much of the plot after that.
Wow! this is a rollercoaster ride! If you like those Lifetime Channel movies, this is the book for you!
I've always said JD had a vivid imagination. This book proves it!
Ace (Paul) is a Montgomery, but I don't know who his parents are. Mike Taggert makes an appearance in this story & his brother, Frank is mentioned several times.
A reread for me, but only a couple of times if I remember right. I did remember the mechanical alligator & the H/h were on the run from bad guys. I didn't remember much of the plot after that.
Wow! this is a rollercoaster ride! If you like those Lifetime Channel movies, this is the book for you!
I've always said JD had a vivid imagination. This book proves it!
Ace (Paul) is a Montgomery, but I don't know who his parents are. Mike Taggert makes an appearance in this story & his brother, Frank is mentioned several times.
May 6, 2019
Maybe it makes a difference that this is #14 in a series, and i grabbed it as a stand alone. I usually really like Jude Deveraux, but didn't find this one quite so interesting. It is the story of Fiona Burkenhalter and her (as it turns out not such a good guy)father's stories and how they eventually lead to the finding of a treasure - and of course, true love. The book could have been about a hundred pages shorter, I think, and after about the middle of the book it kind of became a challenge NOT to skip ahead. I finished it though.
February 28, 2022
I was hesitant to continue reading the Montgomery series with this book because it was already set during modern times, the classic era have its charms. But since I couldn’t find any new book series yet, I decided to read it then. What got me hooked was the crime & mystery, a sure way to make me finish it to find out who did what. Then the story became more chaotic when more characters showed up and started dying, I was like what’s happening now?? Anyway, I still enjoyed Ace and Fee’s characters.
June 12, 2022
Florida Mayhem
Very cute story. Exciting, thrilling and just enough humor to lighten it up. Strong male/female characters who clash and bicker constantly which, of course, results in them falling in love. The murder mysteries just keep compounding and "who done it" was a character never suspected. I really enjoyed this story and didn't want to put it down. Jude doesn't disappoint and who doesn't love the Montgomery's and the Taggerts. I highly recommend this entertaining read.
Very cute story. Exciting, thrilling and just enough humor to lighten it up. Strong male/female characters who clash and bicker constantly which, of course, results in them falling in love. The murder mysteries just keep compounding and "who done it" was a character never suspected. I really enjoyed this story and didn't want to put it down. Jude doesn't disappoint and who doesn't love the Montgomery's and the Taggerts. I highly recommend this entertaining read.
August 12, 2018
2,5 stars
Loved the beginning, hilarious as it was, I loved the banter that was promised. I had a grin on my face during the first 30% or so.
And then... mwah. I read on trying to find the next good bits.. only to get swamped with more crazyness and never really finding out why Ace was part of the inheritance.
If you’re looking for a hilarious story with a mystery and a treasure hunt: go for this!
Loved the beginning, hilarious as it was, I loved the banter that was promised. I had a grin on my face during the first 30% or so.
And then... mwah. I read on trying to find the next good bits.. only to get swamped with more crazyness and never really finding out why Ace was part of the inheritance.
If you’re looking for a hilarious story with a mystery and a treasure hunt: go for this!
December 4, 2019
Not one of her best. A little slow moving, but an interesting plot. It all involves childhood stories told by her father, attempted murder of the main character, murder of various people around her, treasure hunting. It all takes place in the Florida swamps. And of course there is a sideline of love interest to boot.
Worth the read, just not as fast paced as her other books that I've enjoyed.
Worth the read, just not as fast paced as her other books that I've enjoyed.
August 8, 2020
To be kind I gave this two stars. It begins with a stupid scene in an airport during which the heroine (who doesn't deserve the name) tosses a bowling ball at a fiberglass alligator thinking it is chewing on a man's hand. The ensuing explosion destroys the alligator. How does that happen? Impossible. Then an ill advised fishing trip results in a murder that throws the heroine and hero together as they are pursued by police. Just plain dumb.
September 14, 2021
Como siempre me suele pasar con esta escritora, pienso que tiene ritmos muy distintos en una misma novela.
A ratos es muy lenta, contando todo lo que pasa, aunque no tenga mucha relevancia, y de pronto empieza a correr y el libro se ha terminado.
De todas formas, me ha gustado el libro. Tiene misterio, acción y romance.
También me ha encantado encontrarme con Michael Taggert, al que adoro por encima de todos los del clan.
A ratos es muy lenta, contando todo lo que pasa, aunque no tenga mucha relevancia, y de pronto empieza a correr y el libro se ha terminado.
De todas formas, me ha gustado el libro. Tiene misterio, acción y romance.
También me ha encantado encontrarme con Michael Taggert, al que adoro por encima de todos los del clan.
February 18, 2025
Light, eye rolling romance — you know exactly where the main couple is going from the get go, it’s just questionable about how they’re going to get there. Murder (a few!), anger, mystery, intrigue, family drama, science, history, the Everglades, and birds… lots of birds. More foreplay and mystery than sex romp, it’s fun, easy, and hard to put down. I haven’t read any of the other Montgomery Taggert novels so maybe it’s repetitive, but it’s a great stand alone read.
March 18, 2019
I’ve been trying to work through the books I’ve purchased at used book sales. This has been on my shelf for 15 years. I was determined to finish it for some odd reason, but sure wish I wouldn’t have. This has to be the most absurd, far fetched and discombobulated book I’ve ever, ever read. This is going straight to the recycling bin instead of donating it.
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June 8, 2022Another amazing novel ...
Another amazing novel from New York Times Best Selling author Jude Deveraux. Adventure, murder, mystery, romance, humor - this book has it all. The characters are strong, the plot fell of twists and turns, with surprise all the way to the end. I highly recommend this book.
Another amazing novel from New York Times Best Selling author Jude Deveraux. Adventure, murder, mystery, romance, humor - this book has it all. The characters are strong, the plot fell of twists and turns, with surprise all the way to the end. I highly recommend this book.
August 22, 2024
The murder mystery was interesting. So were the background stories of the characters. But somehow the whole thing did not gel together. The writing was not bad (when compared to so many other KU books), but the whole thing did not come together the way it does in her other novels. Wish it was better.
January 29, 2017
Very convoluted plot stemming from Fiona Burkenhalter's father finding gold lions and hiding them. Her life is not what she thought it was and neither is his. Interesting story. Very little sex. Lousy title for the story. Not quite what I expect from Deveraux.
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