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Cool Shade
Down on her luck and desperate to start over in a different place, Maddie Smith decides to visit her sister in Nebraska and learns that she has disappeared after a short interlude with Eddie Berlin, and to uncover the truth about her sister's whereabouts, Maddie must get close to the seductive Eddie
258 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
81 people are currently reading
682 people want to read
About the author
Theresa Weir
32 books314 followersTheresa Weir (a.k.a. Anne Frasier) is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of novels and numerous short stories that have spanned the genres of suspense, mystery, thriller, romantic suspense, paranormal, fantasy, and memoir. During her award-winning career, she's written for Penguin Putnam, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Bantam Books/Random House, Silhouette Books, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette, and Amazon's Thomas & Mercer. Her titles have been printed in both hardcover and paperback and translated into twenty languages.
Her first memoir, THE ORCHARD, was a 2011 Oprah Magazine Fall Pick, Number Two on the Indie Next list, a featured B+ review in Entertainment Weekly, and a Librarians’ Best Books of 2011. Her second memoir, THE MAN WHO LEFT, was a New York Times Bestseller. Going back to 1988, Weir’s debut title was the cult phenomenon AMAZON LILY, initially published by Pocket Books and later reissued by Bantam Books. Writing as Theresa Weir, she won a RITA for romantic suspense (COOL SHADE), and a year later the Daphne du Maurier for paranormal romance (BAD KARMA). In her more recent Anne Frasier career, her thriller and suspense titles hit the USA Today list (HUSH, SLEEP TIGHT, PLAY DEAD) and were featured in Mystery Guild, Literary Guild, and Book of the Month Club. HUSH was both a RITA and Daphne du Maurier finalist.
THE ORCHARD
An Oprah Magazine Fall Pick
Featured B+ Review in Entertainment Weekly
Number Two on October Indie Next List
BJ's Book Club Spotlight
LIbrarians' Best Books of 2011
Maclean's Top Books of 2011
On Point (NPR) Best Books of 2011
Abrams Best of 2011
Publishers Lunch (Publishers Weekly) Favorite Books of 2011
Eighth Annual One Book, One Community 2012, Excelsior, Minnesota
Target Book Club Pick, September 2012
www.theresaweir.com
Title List
Writing as ANNE FRASIER
Hush, USA Today bestseller, RITA finalist, Daphne du Maurier finalist (2002)
Sleep Tight, USA Today bestseller (2003)
Play Dead, USA Today bestseller (2004)
Before I Wake (2005)
Pale Immortal (2006)
Garden of Darkness, RITA finalist (2007)
Once Upon a Crime anthology, Santa’s Little Helper (2009)
The Lineup, Poems on Crime, Home (2010)
Discount Noir anthology, Crack House (2010)
Deadly Treats Halloween anthology, editor and contributor, The Replacement (September 2011)
Once Upon a Crime anthology, Red Cadillac (April 2012)
Woman in a Black Veil (July 2012)
Dark: Volume 1 (short stories, July 2012)
Dark: Volume 2 (short stories, July 2012)
Black Tupelo (short-story collection July 2012)
Girls from the North Country (short story, August 2012)
Made of Stars (short story, August 2012)
Stars (short story collection, August 2012)
Zero Plus Seven (anthology, 2013)
Stay Dead (April 2014)
Writing as THERESA WEIR
The Forever Man (1988)
Amazon Lily, RITA finalist, Best New Adventure Writer award, Romantic Times (1988)
Loving Jenny (1989)
Pictures of Emily (1990)
Iguana Bay (1990)
Forever (1991)
Last Summer (1992)
One Fine Day (1994)
Long Night Moon, Reviewer’s Choice Award, Romantic Times (1995)
American Dreamer (1997)
Some Kind of Magic (1998)
Cool Shade RITA winner, romantic suspense (1998)
Bad Karma, Daphne du Maurier award, paranormal (1999)
Max Under the Stars, short story (2010)
The Orchard, a memoir (September 2011)
The Man Who Left , a memoir and New York Times bestseller (April 2012)
The Girl with the Cat Tattoo (June 2012)
Made of Stars (August 2012)
Come As You Are (October 2013)
The Geek with the Cat Tattoo (December 2013)
Her first memoir, THE ORCHARD, was a 2011 Oprah Magazine Fall Pick, Number Two on the Indie Next list, a featured B+ review in Entertainment Weekly, and a Librarians’ Best Books of 2011. Her second memoir, THE MAN WHO LEFT, was a New York Times Bestseller. Going back to 1988, Weir’s debut title was the cult phenomenon AMAZON LILY, initially published by Pocket Books and later reissued by Bantam Books. Writing as Theresa Weir, she won a RITA for romantic suspense (COOL SHADE), and a year later the Daphne du Maurier for paranormal romance (BAD KARMA). In her more recent Anne Frasier career, her thriller and suspense titles hit the USA Today list (HUSH, SLEEP TIGHT, PLAY DEAD) and were featured in Mystery Guild, Literary Guild, and Book of the Month Club. HUSH was both a RITA and Daphne du Maurier finalist.
THE ORCHARD
An Oprah Magazine Fall Pick
Featured B+ Review in Entertainment Weekly
Number Two on October Indie Next List
BJ's Book Club Spotlight
LIbrarians' Best Books of 2011
Maclean's Top Books of 2011
On Point (NPR) Best Books of 2011
Abrams Best of 2011
Publishers Lunch (Publishers Weekly) Favorite Books of 2011
Eighth Annual One Book, One Community 2012, Excelsior, Minnesota
Target Book Club Pick, September 2012
www.theresaweir.com
Title List
Writing as ANNE FRASIER
Hush, USA Today bestseller, RITA finalist, Daphne du Maurier finalist (2002)
Sleep Tight, USA Today bestseller (2003)
Play Dead, USA Today bestseller (2004)
Before I Wake (2005)
Pale Immortal (2006)
Garden of Darkness, RITA finalist (2007)
Once Upon a Crime anthology, Santa’s Little Helper (2009)
The Lineup, Poems on Crime, Home (2010)
Discount Noir anthology, Crack House (2010)
Deadly Treats Halloween anthology, editor and contributor, The Replacement (September 2011)
Once Upon a Crime anthology, Red Cadillac (April 2012)
Woman in a Black Veil (July 2012)
Dark: Volume 1 (short stories, July 2012)
Dark: Volume 2 (short stories, July 2012)
Black Tupelo (short-story collection July 2012)
Girls from the North Country (short story, August 2012)
Made of Stars (short story, August 2012)
Stars (short story collection, August 2012)
Zero Plus Seven (anthology, 2013)
Stay Dead (April 2014)
Writing as THERESA WEIR
The Forever Man (1988)
Amazon Lily, RITA finalist, Best New Adventure Writer award, Romantic Times (1988)
Loving Jenny (1989)
Pictures of Emily (1990)
Iguana Bay (1990)
Forever (1991)
Last Summer (1992)
One Fine Day (1994)
Long Night Moon, Reviewer’s Choice Award, Romantic Times (1995)
American Dreamer (1997)
Some Kind of Magic (1998)
Cool Shade RITA winner, romantic suspense (1998)
Bad Karma, Daphne du Maurier award, paranormal (1999)
Max Under the Stars, short story (2010)
The Orchard, a memoir (September 2011)
The Man Who Left , a memoir and New York Times bestseller (April 2012)
The Girl with the Cat Tattoo (June 2012)
Made of Stars (August 2012)
Come As You Are (October 2013)
The Geek with the Cat Tattoo (December 2013)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 20, 2012
Rating 3.5
The thing about Theresa Weir books is that her characters are not perfect, they are damaged, with fears, problems and things don't start off in the best way but at the end you are left with a smile on your face.
When the book opens the heroine has lost her job and then she gets a call from her sister's neighbour that she hasn't been seen. The heroine doesn't share a good relationship with her sister, even as kids she was spoilt and entitled and that carried on to adulthood, she ripped Maddie off the last time they met, but at loose ends she takes her car and cat and goes, she is broke.
Once she reaches there she finds out her sister is a prostitute, her neighbour is nosy and she finds the name of a man who rejected her sister, so when her sister's pimp calls, she pretends to take a job and goes to meet the guy since intel tells her, he passes out without doing a thing.
The guy is Eddie and somehow she ends up losing her virginity and then a slew of misconceptions follow along with something stronger growing between them. Eddie is agoraphobic and his condition worsened four years ago, when his friend and famous singer Rick was shot.
We see their relationship also growing on air, where they don't know that they are talking to each other. I really liked the revelations we find at the end, that Eddie was the one who wrote the songs that made Rick famous.
Eddie was a quintessential Weir hero, sometimes you loved him, sometimes you didn't and he wasn't an alpha but I still enjoyed the book.
The thing about Theresa Weir books is that her characters are not perfect, they are damaged, with fears, problems and things don't start off in the best way but at the end you are left with a smile on your face.
When the book opens the heroine has lost her job and then she gets a call from her sister's neighbour that she hasn't been seen. The heroine doesn't share a good relationship with her sister, even as kids she was spoilt and entitled and that carried on to adulthood, she ripped Maddie off the last time they met, but at loose ends she takes her car and cat and goes, she is broke.
Once she reaches there she finds out her sister is a prostitute, her neighbour is nosy and she finds the name of a man who rejected her sister, so when her sister's pimp calls, she pretends to take a job and goes to meet the guy since intel tells her, he passes out without doing a thing.
The guy is Eddie and somehow she ends up losing her virginity and then a slew of misconceptions follow along with something stronger growing between them. Eddie is agoraphobic and his condition worsened four years ago, when his friend and famous singer Rick was shot.
We see their relationship also growing on air, where they don't know that they are talking to each other. I really liked the revelations we find at the end, that Eddie was the one who wrote the songs that made Rick famous.
Eddie was a quintessential Weir hero, sometimes you loved him, sometimes you didn't and he wasn't an alpha but I still enjoyed the book.
May 8, 2020
This author was recommended to me as someone who does character driven stories.. I could see a lot of potential in this story and want to try another one by Theresa Weir. This copy was borrowed from the Internet Archive and it was a real mess so it made it hard to read. The book seemed to have been badly converted so there were random weird symbols throughout, bad spacing and formatting.
That said, I thought the characters were flawed but interesting. The romance angle was poorly timed and unbelievable but the characters kept me reading.
That said, I thought the characters were flawed but interesting. The romance angle was poorly timed and unbelievable but the characters kept me reading.
August 13, 2025
Someone listed this as a favorite and I thought I'd try it out. It was different. A bit of a dark romance with the tortured hero. I found it hard to like Eddie at times and other times I almost loved him. The heroine, Maddie, was okay but didn't inspire any great feelings either. I don't regret reading it and if it wasn't for certain issues I would be tempted to give it 4 stars. I don't feel the characters were developed enough and the romance was a little weak for me. I had some issues with the ending too. It felt like the author got in a hurry to wrap it up and rushed the ending.
July 2, 2022
I love Theresa Weir's romances, at least those written in the 90ties (I read only three so far). I like their atmosphere. I like that each one had something different, and original. I like that from each one I got more and something deeper than just a nice time and HEA.
In this one, I loved especially the thread of "cool shade" and loneliness and letting somebody else live one's life. And the last twist got me totally by surprise, I don't remember when I was so surprised by a plot twist.
Of course, it was written in the 90ties so there was a motorbike, a big romantic gesture and, let's call it, "not matching to a modern standard of manly behaviours". Fortunately for me, I was raised (my teenage years) in the 90ties and understand those times and I can read such stories with sentiment and joy, and without a grimace.
In this one, I loved especially the thread of "cool shade" and loneliness and letting somebody else live one's life. And the last twist got me totally by surprise, I don't remember when I was so surprised by a plot twist.
Of course, it was written in the 90ties so there was a motorbike, a big romantic gesture and, let's call it, "not matching to a modern standard of manly behaviours". Fortunately for me, I was raised (my teenage years) in the 90ties and understand those times and I can read such stories with sentiment and joy, and without a grimace.
February 9, 2012
The beginning of this book feels a bit clunky, like it can't find it's center. The insta-heat between Maddie and Eddie didn't quite jibe, the characters felt forced, and a lot of the scenes were either implausible or disjointed.
But once it gets going, it finds it's voice. The second half of the book was much more believable and (for lack of a better word) interesting.
There were a few things I flat-out loved about the book. Weir's depiction of drug addiction, which is not a central plot, is dead-on. While Maddie's "flaws" are fairly standard, if somewhat more extreme, contemporary romance fair (she has an abandonment complex, she never stays in one place for long, etc), Eddie's flaws and struggles are both more debilitating and more well-developed.
Overall, Cool Shade feels like a romance/suspense experiment--one which kinda works. And it's almost as fun to see where and why it doesn't work as it is to see where and why it does.
But once it gets going, it finds it's voice. The second half of the book was much more believable and (for lack of a better word) interesting.
There were a few things I flat-out loved about the book. Weir's depiction of drug addiction, which is not a central plot, is dead-on. While Maddie's "flaws" are fairly standard, if somewhat more extreme, contemporary romance fair (she has an abandonment complex, she never stays in one place for long, etc), Eddie's flaws and struggles are both more debilitating and more well-developed.
Overall, Cool Shade feels like a romance/suspense experiment--one which kinda works. And it's almost as fun to see where and why it doesn't work as it is to see where and why it does.
December 14, 2011
Loved how wonky this book was -- one of the other reviewers didn't like the severely agoraphobic hero who utilized hookers, but that's the sort of thing that makes me perk right up and say "ooh! Weird hero for the win!" So that part was all good. I liked the atmosphere and loved what an offbeat story this was. On the down side, I didn't think the romance had enough depth, and I didn't like the alter ego DJ aspect of the story. It thrills me that this book won a Rita -- yay for wonkomance! -- and confuses me that it won it as romantic suspense. Suspense? Where?
Probably I'd rate this 3.5 stars, but the wonk factor tips it up to 4.
Probably I'd rate this 3.5 stars, but the wonk factor tips it up to 4.
January 12, 2012
I fell in love with this book almost instantly! It was dripping with witty humor, intrigue, and amazing story telling. It has claimed the title of "Most Favorite Read Ever" for me. It's hard to review since I was so captivated by the story that I didn't take many notes… and the ones I did take were gushy "squee" types. I did have a couple minor issues that were eventually eclipsed by the story itself though. Mainly some dialog tagging, or lack thereof, that caused some confusion at one point. And at the end there was a flashback to Eddie's past that I felt was too long. It challenged the pacing a little bit, but thankfully when the flashback ended the pacing resumed at it's normal speed.
I love these characters so much! Maddie was sarcastic, tough yet soft, and generally portrayed in a believable manner. Eddie was enthralling. One minute he was insanely hot, and the next he was just a man with real issues. I never understood the whole "wounded hero" thing before… I get it now though! Eddie still manages to come off as an alpha man in almost every situation. Together Maddie and Eddie are just electrifying. From the moment they meet the sparks fly, and the tension is palpable. Above that though, is the way they compliment each other. I love them as a couple and rooted for them from the time in the weeds to the HEA.
Overall, I loved this book a lot and can not wait to read again. I'm hoping to get this in hard copy for my bookshelf soon. When I first saw this free at amazon, I almost passed it up because of the cover… but I saw a review where someone had said it was a romance, so I figured I'd give it a try. So glad that I did!
I love these characters so much! Maddie was sarcastic, tough yet soft, and generally portrayed in a believable manner. Eddie was enthralling. One minute he was insanely hot, and the next he was just a man with real issues. I never understood the whole "wounded hero" thing before… I get it now though! Eddie still manages to come off as an alpha man in almost every situation. Together Maddie and Eddie are just electrifying. From the moment they meet the sparks fly, and the tension is palpable. Above that though, is the way they compliment each other. I love them as a couple and rooted for them from the time in the weeds to the HEA.
Overall, I loved this book a lot and can not wait to read again. I'm hoping to get this in hard copy for my bookshelf soon. When I first saw this free at amazon, I almost passed it up because of the cover… but I saw a review where someone had said it was a romance, so I figured I'd give it a try. So glad that I did!
January 25, 2012
I read this one on a whim--I think it was a free Kindle book or something. The blurb said something about it winning an award for Best Romance Mystery, or something like that; so I thought, what the heck... Well, what can I say? Obviously there's a reason why it was free. Actually, I'm being generous giving it two stars instead of a one star and "not worth finishing" because about 3/4 of the way through it surprised me by somewhat redeeming itself and turning into a pretty cute little romance. Up until that, though, it was just one silly situation after another where the main characters, despite the cliche of inexplicably starting out as mortal enemies, somehow keep ending up in situations where they simply have no choice (giggle, giggle) but to take their clothes off in front of each other....and, oh my, he's so infuriating and so evil, but he's just such a hunk...and so on and so on. This happened over and over again--easily a half a dozen times--before someone must have pointed out to Weir that she should probably have some kind of actual plot line to go with all that very hot but, of course, reluctant sex.
February 10, 2016
It pains me to add this to my Books bad enough for fire starting shelf.
I downloaded Cool Shade a very long time ago as a free book on my Nook.
Maddie, a dj in Tucson, finds out her sister is missing. She picks up and makes the trek to NE to figure out what happened. Mind you, they don't like each other, so the plot is already far fetched from the beginning.
She is practically assaulted into losing her virginity by a john her sister (who was a prostitute), used to see. I'm supposed to believe that she finds a guy who forces himself on her-is hot and attractive??
Not only is this ridiculous, but completely ridiculous for a female author to think that is an acceptable plot.
I read it about 3/4 of a way, and decided no..this is beyond ridiculous, and far fetched.
If it wasn't an ebook, I would have tossed it directly on the flames.
I downloaded Cool Shade a very long time ago as a free book on my Nook.
Maddie, a dj in Tucson, finds out her sister is missing. She picks up and makes the trek to NE to figure out what happened. Mind you, they don't like each other, so the plot is already far fetched from the beginning.
She is practically assaulted into losing her virginity by a john her sister (who was a prostitute), used to see. I'm supposed to believe that she finds a guy who forces himself on her-is hot and attractive??
Not only is this ridiculous, but completely ridiculous for a female author to think that is an acceptable plot.
I read it about 3/4 of a way, and decided no..this is beyond ridiculous, and far fetched.
If it wasn't an ebook, I would have tossed it directly on the flames.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2013
I had trouble with this one. I struggled to get into the story, and I struggled with the relationship/chemistry between Maddie and Eddie. I just don't really like the storyline of adult virgins having lusty but meaningless sex without emotional repercussions. Not that adult virgins can't choose to have sex and be empowered by it, but just becoming so overwhelmed with lust that Maddie has sex with a total stranger on the ground when he thinks she's a prostitute was a bit much for me. I just never really connected to Maddie or Eddie. The better story, about the tape and why Eddie shut himself off from society seemed slow-paced and disjointed. It just didn't tie the book together for me like I would have liked.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2013
Two-haiku review:
Her sister's missing
Goes to Nebraska to seek
Meets hot, crazy guy
Won RITA award
Odd, likable characters
Big surprise ending
Her sister's missing
Goes to Nebraska to seek
Meets hot, crazy guy
Won RITA award
Odd, likable characters
Big surprise ending
October 8, 2019
3.5 stars.
There were a couple issues in the book which had me sort of rolling my eyes (the landlady, Maddie’s actions the first time she meets Eddie). The storyline was good and had me turning the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen next. The ending was a big surprise and one I didn’t see coming.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. This is an older book, so I’m curious to see if her newer ones are better (not that this one was bad). Just realized I have 3 more books of hers on my Kindle, so I’ll be reading them sooner rather than later.
There were a couple issues in the book which had me sort of rolling my eyes (the landlady, Maddie’s actions the first time she meets Eddie). The storyline was good and had me turning the pages, wanting to know what was going to happen next. The ending was a big surprise and one I didn’t see coming.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. This is an older book, so I’m curious to see if her newer ones are better (not that this one was bad). Just realized I have 3 more books of hers on my Kindle, so I’ll be reading them sooner rather than later.
unfinished
February 16, 2022I quit when she decided to pose as a prostitute to go hit on the man who may have murdered her sister (just because she thought he was attractive I guess???) This made absolutely NO sense and I can't respect an insane MC. After this point, this book was a NOPE for me.
I mean, I realize this book is dated, but WHAT?!?!? Did this type of decision making ever make any sense even back in the 1980's? And if it ever did, I don't have much respect for reading about stupid women so...
I mean, I realize this book is dated, but WHAT?!?!? Did this type of decision making ever make any sense even back in the 1980's? And if it ever did, I don't have much respect for reading about stupid women so...
April 25, 2019
This is a very good modern romance novel, good enough to appeal even to people who tend to shun romance novels, I think. My main criticism would be that the erotic scenes could be better, but, honestly, they could also have just been left out as they are outside the romance genre. Anyway, I'm glad I read it and I suspect I will remember this one, which is really quite high praise.
February 11, 2019
I love Theresa Weir! Her stories are always so great! She's a bit graphic so be prepared for that but she always has the best stories! A bit of mystery, a pinch of humor and always a heap of romance. I had forgotten how much I loved the surprises she throws in! Loved this quick read!
February 15, 2018
Good read
Kept me guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the story. Would recommend you to read it
Kept me guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the story. Would recommend you to read it
June 3, 2019
It's been a while since I read a book in one sitting. Definitely recommended.
March 28, 2025
riveting
It just takes you in. I could not stop reading. This has been in my kindle for a while, glad I finally read it.
It just takes you in. I could not stop reading. This has been in my kindle for a while, glad I finally read it.
February 11, 2008
I had never read Theresa Weir before and approached this book with no expectations. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed it, I found it both original and interesting.
Maddie Smith has never been one to hang around any place too long. After losing her job as a late-night disc jockey, she has little reason to stay in Tucson. When she receives a message that her estranged sister has disappeared, she figures she might as well go to Nebraska and see what's up with her unreliable sibling. There she learns that her sister is linked to the mysterious Eddie Berlin, a recluse and a very sexy guy. Maddie takes a personal interest in Eddie as she searches for clues about the disappearance of her sister.
Meanwhile, Eddie is shouldering problems of his own. The former manager of a pop star killed by a crazed fan, Eddie feels responsible for the singer's death, and as a result, he hasn't wandered off his own property in more than four years. Still, he is attracted to Maddie, experiencing feelings he thought he would never know again. A stolen tape of a recording made by the late rock star and other clues bind the couple together. It soon becomes clear that these two deserve each other, and when they finally feel comfortable with the fit, they find they are greater as a pair than they could ever have been as individuals.
I really liked that they were both flawed characters. Maddie with her difficulty in staying in one place for long and with relationships and Eddie in getting out of his house. They are both insecure and when they first got involved I was wondering where the story was going from there. I was a bit worried but Weir pulls it off beautifully making them seem fragile and tentative in their dealings with each other. They are too afraid to admit their incipient feelings for each other, especially because they don't really know each other and it's very interesting how they end up knowing each other better without being aware of it.
Part of what makes the book work it that she created really unique and diferent characters, especially Eddie Berlin who really doesn't seem hero material with all his problems. Her characters seem human, their behaviour is real. There's a mystery as a secondary plot that I found was a nice touch and not taking too much space.
Grade: B
And many thanks Ro for sending this my way!
Maddie Smith has never been one to hang around any place too long. After losing her job as a late-night disc jockey, she has little reason to stay in Tucson. When she receives a message that her estranged sister has disappeared, she figures she might as well go to Nebraska and see what's up with her unreliable sibling. There she learns that her sister is linked to the mysterious Eddie Berlin, a recluse and a very sexy guy. Maddie takes a personal interest in Eddie as she searches for clues about the disappearance of her sister.
Meanwhile, Eddie is shouldering problems of his own. The former manager of a pop star killed by a crazed fan, Eddie feels responsible for the singer's death, and as a result, he hasn't wandered off his own property in more than four years. Still, he is attracted to Maddie, experiencing feelings he thought he would never know again. A stolen tape of a recording made by the late rock star and other clues bind the couple together. It soon becomes clear that these two deserve each other, and when they finally feel comfortable with the fit, they find they are greater as a pair than they could ever have been as individuals.
I really liked that they were both flawed characters. Maddie with her difficulty in staying in one place for long and with relationships and Eddie in getting out of his house. They are both insecure and when they first got involved I was wondering where the story was going from there. I was a bit worried but Weir pulls it off beautifully making them seem fragile and tentative in their dealings with each other. They are too afraid to admit their incipient feelings for each other, especially because they don't really know each other and it's very interesting how they end up knowing each other better without being aware of it.
Part of what makes the book work it that she created really unique and diferent characters, especially Eddie Berlin who really doesn't seem hero material with all his problems. Her characters seem human, their behaviour is real. There's a mystery as a secondary plot that I found was a nice touch and not taking too much space.
Grade: B
And many thanks Ro for sending this my way!
May 31, 2015
I was not expecting to like this, I admit for some stupid reason the title put me off. So it sat on my kindle unread for ages. Then I checked the enticing blurb again and realised why I had downloaded it.
I loved it. I loved all the characters. I liked the heroine from the moment she was clearing all the crap out of her car, she was believable, she was messy, she was normal. She was funny as well. Loved the way she ate the cat biscuits when she had no food (after checking the ingredients first).
The H had issues which were quite sad, they were inbuilt in to his character and did not totally come from PTSD which was different, he was alpha but sweet and caring and sexy and intriguing. I enjoyed the way the h read about him first in her sisters journal and then her thoughts when she first met him.
This was a great romance told in a easy to read and very readable way, with some humorous moments and quirky behaviour. It had some intrigue and some sadness. The way the H fought to overcome his issues were lovely. There were a few twists and one was, to be honest, slightly uncomfortable and dark. I will definitely search out more books by this author as I just loved it.
I loved it. I loved all the characters. I liked the heroine from the moment she was clearing all the crap out of her car, she was believable, she was messy, she was normal. She was funny as well. Loved the way she ate the cat biscuits when she had no food (after checking the ingredients first).
The H had issues which were quite sad, they were inbuilt in to his character and did not totally come from PTSD which was different, he was alpha but sweet and caring and sexy and intriguing. I enjoyed the way the h read about him first in her sisters journal and then her thoughts when she first met him.
This was a great romance told in a easy to read and very readable way, with some humorous moments and quirky behaviour. It had some intrigue and some sadness. The way the H fought to overcome his issues were lovely. There were a few twists and one was, to be honest, slightly uncomfortable and dark. I will definitely search out more books by this author as I just loved it.
January 5, 2013
When young DJ Maddie Smith finds herself jobless, broke and in need of a change, she heads to Nebraska after a mysterious call from her younger sister’s landlord. Although Maddie and her flaky sister have lost contact and were never close, her sudden disappearance has Maddie naturally concerned.
So, we’ve got young, innocent, self-reliant Maddie, concerned about her wacky sister and a landlady who’s as tacky in personality as she is in her gaudy lawn décor.
And then there’s Eddie Berlin, a recluse with a dangerously sexy allure who may have been the last person to see Maddie’s sister. Eddie once a manager in the music industry, hasn’t left his house in four years, not since that tragedy that haunts him to this day.
In the “chic-lit” category, but with a lot more depth than I expected. Lots of humor and some steamy romance (hope you don’t mind a couple explicit sex scenes). But that’s all tied in with secrets, mystery and a ginormous twist that I never saw coming!
This was actually my second read by Theresa Weir and I enjoyed it much more than the first.
So, we’ve got young, innocent, self-reliant Maddie, concerned about her wacky sister and a landlady who’s as tacky in personality as she is in her gaudy lawn décor.
And then there’s Eddie Berlin, a recluse with a dangerously sexy allure who may have been the last person to see Maddie’s sister. Eddie once a manager in the music industry, hasn’t left his house in four years, not since that tragedy that haunts him to this day.
In the “chic-lit” category, but with a lot more depth than I expected. Lots of humor and some steamy romance (hope you don’t mind a couple explicit sex scenes). But that’s all tied in with secrets, mystery and a ginormous twist that I never saw coming!
This was actually my second read by Theresa Weir and I enjoyed it much more than the first.
November 20, 2011
I generally don't read contempary romances written more than five or six years ago because they get so dated, especially if the author inserts a lot of pop culture, clothing or modern technology references. I'm happy to say that this book doesn't suffer from being dated despite being written in the 90's. Except for the noticeable absence of cell phones or laptops, the author kept it clean of dated references or clothing styles.
The book takes place in Nebraska (although I kept thinking it was in Lousiana due to all the humidity and mosquito references). The book had a slow easy pace without a lot of unnecessary secondary characters. The character development was good and I had a real sense of who both Maddie and Eddie were. I wasn't thrilled with the alter-ego aspect (Jonathan and Midnight Mary) and how they got to know each other beyond the physical. I didn't like how Maddie was falling in love with "Jonathan" yet she was having sex with Eddie.
The book takes place in Nebraska (although I kept thinking it was in Lousiana due to all the humidity and mosquito references). The book had a slow easy pace without a lot of unnecessary secondary characters. The character development was good and I had a real sense of who both Maddie and Eddie were. I wasn't thrilled with the alter-ego aspect (Jonathan and Midnight Mary) and how they got to know each other beyond the physical. I didn't like how Maddie was falling in love with "Jonathan" yet she was having sex with Eddie.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 21, 2015
My first Theresa Weir read. I liked the book. Some of the story line seemed very far fetched like a girl that had remained a virgin into her 20s would be so overcome by a man that she would give up her virginity almost unknowingly. And that neither of them would recognize the others voice on the late night phone calls. Even if a woman is sounding sexy it doesn't change her enunciation of words and even if a phone has static you are going to recognize a person's voice. And that once Jason told him he got the tape from a package the package, where it has been, or who sent it was never mentioned.
December 30, 2011
3.75 stars. Unexpectedly touching romance about a gruff isolated man and a woman down on her luck, looking for her missing sister (but that's not the major plot). Add some nice plot twists, deep character development, and some steaminess and you have quite a gratifying read. Kudos to Weir for dealing with family and mental health issues/demons in a realistic way that you can relate to.
January 8, 2012
Easy reads are the perfect way to entertain myself during busy times, such as the holiday season, which was the purpose of reading this *free* novel. The book served its purpose beautifully. I must warn readers that the story gets super sweet at the end, which almost made me give it two stars. A reader's cavity at its finest.
January 6, 2012
I liked this book. It had some interesting parts, but was not at all what I suspected. It was not a mystery at all, I don't know where I would classify it. As interesting as it was though, I'm not sure it was worth all the dirt to get there. Lots of sex and talk of sex, luckily it was easy to skip. If that doesn't bother you or you like it, then this is a good book for you.
February 27, 2013
I actually liked this book. It wasn't very long and easy to read but it had a great story. I liked Maddie and Eddie, they were good characters. They both were a little quirky, but nobody's perfect. I got this as a free kindle book but it was worth paying for. I would recommend it and would like to read other books by this author.
January 5, 2013
i've discovered some duds browsing the free books in the kindle store, but this wasnt one of them.
the author describes people and situations so well i could see them
i'm a sucker for a love story, and this one got me.
it got me because it wasnt overly cliched. the main characters have serious, not-typical-in-romance-stories flaws, and there as a twist i wasnt expecting.
the author describes people and situations so well i could see them
i'm a sucker for a love story, and this one got me.
it got me because it wasnt overly cliched. the main characters have serious, not-typical-in-romance-stories flaws, and there as a twist i wasnt expecting.
February 6, 2013
It was a very sweet story with Maddie and Eddie being an unusual couple finding each other. There was one element at the end that really surprised me, though maybe I should have seen it coming. But somehow it was so low key I didn't get as caught up in the emotional issues as much as I might have expected.
January 20, 2016
Okay, just finished this in record time, and it was enjoyable. However, I felt the ending felt a little rushed for my taste. Also, while I was reading this, I kept thinking to myself, Why do I see Norman Reedus from Walking Dead as Eddie Berlin? Things that make you go hmmm.
All in all, a great story with a nice twist near the end.
All in all, a great story with a nice twist near the end.
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