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Cover of Night
For breathless action, gripping suspense, and intense romance, bestselling author Linda Howard never misses a beat–and her thrilling new novel will have your heart racing.
In the charming rural town of Trail Stop, Idaho, accessible to the outside world by only a single road, young widow Cate Nightingale lives peacefully with her four-year-old twin boys, running a bed-and-breakfast. Though the overnight guests are few and far between–occasional hunters and lake fishermen–Cate always manages to make ends meet with the help of the local jack-of-all-trades, Calvin Harris, who can handle everything from carpentry to plumbing. But Calvin is not what he seems, and Cate’s luck is about to run out.
One morning, the B&B’s only guest inexplicably vanishes, leaving behind his personal effects. A few days later Cate is shocked when armed men storm the house, demanding the mystery man’s belongings. Fearing for her children’s lives, Cate agrees to cooperate–until Calvin saves the day, forcing the intruders to scatter into the surrounding woods.
The nightmare, however, is just beginning. Cate, Calvin, and their entire community find themselves cut off and alone with no means to call for help as the threat gathers intensity and first blood is drawn.
With their fellow residents trapped and the entire town held hostage, Cate and Calvin have no choice but to take the fight to their enemies under the cover of night. While reticent Cal becomes a fearless protector, Cate makes the most daring move of her life . . . into the very heart of danger.
From the Hardcover edition.
In the charming rural town of Trail Stop, Idaho, accessible to the outside world by only a single road, young widow Cate Nightingale lives peacefully with her four-year-old twin boys, running a bed-and-breakfast. Though the overnight guests are few and far between–occasional hunters and lake fishermen–Cate always manages to make ends meet with the help of the local jack-of-all-trades, Calvin Harris, who can handle everything from carpentry to plumbing. But Calvin is not what he seems, and Cate’s luck is about to run out.
One morning, the B&B’s only guest inexplicably vanishes, leaving behind his personal effects. A few days later Cate is shocked when armed men storm the house, demanding the mystery man’s belongings. Fearing for her children’s lives, Cate agrees to cooperate–until Calvin saves the day, forcing the intruders to scatter into the surrounding woods.
The nightmare, however, is just beginning. Cate, Calvin, and their entire community find themselves cut off and alone with no means to call for help as the threat gathers intensity and first blood is drawn.
With their fellow residents trapped and the entire town held hostage, Cate and Calvin have no choice but to take the fight to their enemies under the cover of night. While reticent Cal becomes a fearless protector, Cate makes the most daring move of her life . . . into the very heart of danger.
From the Hardcover edition.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
799 people are currently reading
2489 people want to read
About the author
Linda Howard
223 books7,169 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 554 reviews
May 3, 2024
Reading the reviews here makes me wonder if it's the same book people are talking about because I, for one, freaking loved it!
A close knit town in the "edge" of nowhere, a quaint charming B&B, not one but two sexy Marines to save the day, a lovely widow and her adorable potty mouthed twins, hottie ex-nun, nosy matchmaking natives, pretty decent mob background and a solid plot. But most importantly, a LH hero who blushes!! What's not to like???!
A close knit town in the "edge" of nowhere, a quaint charming B&B, not one but two sexy Marines to save the day, a lovely widow and her adorable potty mouthed twins, hottie ex-nun, nosy matchmaking natives, pretty decent mob background and a solid plot. But most importantly, a LH hero who blushes!! What's not to like???!
January 6, 2017
3.5/5
“But I have a mouth like a duck!”
He blinked, and in complete seriousness said, “I like ducks.”
As an avid fan of Linda Howard's novels, I was so excited that I finally got my hands on this book and I was more than ready to dive into it. And when I already did, I found the story, for the most part, to be immensely gripping, thrilling, and fun to read. However, if compared to her other early works, I wouldn't say this is a stellar one.
While the romance part was perfectly delivered that I couldn't help but swoon over the hero, the suspense part, on the contrary, was fairly far-fetched and seemed to get in the way. I must admit, I didn't expect these bad guys to be so dumb, so much so that they came up with the stupidest and craziest plan ever. As far as I can see, there were many sensible alternatives for them to get what they wanted without dragging the whole town involved. Weren’t they supposed to be careful not to draw any attention to themselves? *Shakes head in disbelief*
Well, let’s get back to the best part of this book—the romance. You can’t go wrong with LH when it comes to sizzling chemistry and intense sexual tension between the main couples. Although there were only a few romantic scenes of Calvin and Cate together, they were all great! I loved how Cal patiently waited until Cate got over the grief of losing her husband and ready for a new relationship. It took her three long years to finally see him as a man, not just Mr. Harris, the community handyman. And for Cal, it was worth waiting for her no matter what because the outcome of his patience was very sweet!
“I’d been here a couple of weeks and was getting ready to move on when you moved in. I saw you, and stayed. Simple as that.”
*Loves*
Speaking of Cal, he was the most surprising surprise for me. I can tell he was the first LH’s hero who didn’t strike me as a pure alpha male. He was painfully shy, blushing and stuttering whenever Cate was around. That was so cute!
My actual rating is 3.5 stars but I rounded it up to 4. I might be a little biased, but what can I say? LH is one of my favorite authors and I absolutely loved both main characters in this book. Four stars then.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Recommended for fans of this author and fans of romantic suspense.
“But I have a mouth like a duck!”
He blinked, and in complete seriousness said, “I like ducks.”
As an avid fan of Linda Howard's novels, I was so excited that I finally got my hands on this book and I was more than ready to dive into it. And when I already did, I found the story, for the most part, to be immensely gripping, thrilling, and fun to read. However, if compared to her other early works, I wouldn't say this is a stellar one.
While the romance part was perfectly delivered that I couldn't help but swoon over the hero, the suspense part, on the contrary, was fairly far-fetched and seemed to get in the way. I must admit, I didn't expect these bad guys to be so dumb, so much so that they came up with the stupidest and craziest plan ever. As far as I can see, there were many sensible alternatives for them to get what they wanted without dragging the whole town involved. Weren’t they supposed to be careful not to draw any attention to themselves? *Shakes head in disbelief*
Well, let’s get back to the best part of this book—the romance. You can’t go wrong with LH when it comes to sizzling chemistry and intense sexual tension between the main couples. Although there were only a few romantic scenes of Calvin and Cate together, they were all great! I loved how Cal patiently waited until Cate got over the grief of losing her husband and ready for a new relationship. It took her three long years to finally see him as a man, not just Mr. Harris, the community handyman. And for Cal, it was worth waiting for her no matter what because the outcome of his patience was very sweet!
“I’d been here a couple of weeks and was getting ready to move on when you moved in. I saw you, and stayed. Simple as that.”
*Loves*
Speaking of Cal, he was the most surprising surprise for me. I can tell he was the first LH’s hero who didn’t strike me as a pure alpha male. He was painfully shy, blushing and stuttering whenever Cate was around. That was so cute!
My actual rating is 3.5 stars but I rounded it up to 4. I might be a little biased, but what can I say? LH is one of my favorite authors and I absolutely loved both main characters in this book. Four stars then.
All in all, this was an enjoyable read. Recommended for fans of this author and fans of romantic suspense.
March 23, 2024
For someone who loves to write romantic suspense, Linda Howard sure comes up with some dumb criminals.
The bumbling fools in Cover of Night decide that the only way to get their hands on a Very Important, Stolen, Macguffin-Flash-Drive, which they think is hidden in a quaint little Bed & Breakfast in the middle of Nowhere, America, is to blow up a bridge and machine gun their way through town. Talk about swatting a fly with a nuclear bomb!
And how many of these bumbling fools do you think it takes to screw in a light bulb, let alone carry out their shit-for-brains plan? Let's see. There's Teague aka Hawk, Billy aka Falcon, Troy aka Eagle, Blake aka Owl, Toxtel aka Mellor, and Goss aka Ferris aka Huxley. And there are more baddies too. Jeffrey Layton, the crooked accountant, Yuell Faulkner, the hit man middleman, and Salazar Bandini, the cartel leader who sounds like he is about to apparate a white rabbit out of his top hat in Caesar's Palace.
On the good guys side, we have Cal, Creed, and Cate. Cal and Creed are both bad ass ex marines. Cate runs the B&B with Sherry while Sheila is her mom. Or is the other way around? Let's not forget her adorable twins Tucker and Tanner, and of course about a dozen more townsfolk.
Though I have had my ups and down with LH, I recognize that she is one of better writers of this genre. But this was a dud all around :( Quel dommage!
The bumbling fools in Cover of Night decide that the only way to get their hands on a Very Important, Stolen, Macguffin-Flash-Drive, which they think is hidden in a quaint little Bed & Breakfast in the middle of Nowhere, America, is to blow up a bridge and machine gun their way through town. Talk about swatting a fly with a nuclear bomb!
And how many of these bumbling fools do you think it takes to screw in a light bulb, let alone carry out their shit-for-brains plan? Let's see. There's Teague aka Hawk, Billy aka Falcon, Troy aka Eagle, Blake aka Owl, Toxtel aka Mellor, and Goss aka Ferris aka Huxley. And there are more baddies too. Jeffrey Layton, the crooked accountant, Yuell Faulkner, the hit man middleman, and Salazar Bandini, the cartel leader who sounds like he is about to apparate a white rabbit out of his top hat in Caesar's Palace.
On the good guys side, we have Cal, Creed, and Cate. Cal and Creed are both bad ass ex marines. Cate runs the B&B with Sherry while Sheila is her mom. Or is the other way around? Let's not forget her adorable twins Tucker and Tanner, and of course about a dozen more townsfolk.
Though I have had my ups and down with LH, I recognize that she is one of better writers of this genre. But this was a dud all around :( Quel dommage!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2025
3.5 stars
Very enjoyable, in spite of a far-fetched plot and underwritten MMC. And drastically underwritten secondary romance. And overwritten bad guys. And too much information on infrared night scopes. And anticlimactic finale. And sex in a cave…AGAIN!
I swear it’s fun in spite of all that. I had work to do and kept taking frequent breaks to find out what happened next, which is exactly what a romantic suspense book should do.
An accountant for the mob puts incriminating evidence on a flash drive and tries to blackmail the mob boss for 20 million dollars to keep it out of the hands of the FBI. The mob boss hires a hitman to retrieve it, and the hitman sends two underling hitmen to a remote Idaho community to get the job done. Before they arrive, the accountant climbs out a window at Cate’s B and B and disappears, leaving his belongings, which puts Cate in the cross-hairs of the villains.
Foiled in their first attempt to retrieve the accountant’s possessions, the two supposedly competent hitman, instead of returning to the B and B in the middle of the night to subdue a lone woman and search the place, decide to (sorry, can’t help giggling) hire more hitmen, blow up the only bridge to the community, cut power and telephone lines, and shoot down anyone who comes into their rifle sights in order to force the community to force Cate to give them what they want. And Cate has no idea what they want.
What the hitmen didn’t factor into their insanely overblown plan: two former marines and the fact that one of them would give his life for Cate.
Cate’s twins were adorable, her finally “seeing” Cal after three years of dealing with the death of her husband felt very believable, Cal’s patience waiting for her was sweet and endearing, the emotions felt authentic, and the suspense was exciting. Ridiculous, yes, but still exciting. I have no idea why the author tried to shove a twofer romance into the story, as she gave it very little time and no care, and I didn’t care either.
This was my second Linda Howard romantic suspense novel, and the second novel where the MC’s get down and dirty in a cave, which is taking the caveman concept a little too far.
Very enjoyable, in spite of a far-fetched plot and underwritten MMC. And drastically underwritten secondary romance. And overwritten bad guys. And too much information on infrared night scopes. And anticlimactic finale. And sex in a cave…AGAIN!
I swear it’s fun in spite of all that. I had work to do and kept taking frequent breaks to find out what happened next, which is exactly what a romantic suspense book should do.
An accountant for the mob puts incriminating evidence on a flash drive and tries to blackmail the mob boss for 20 million dollars to keep it out of the hands of the FBI. The mob boss hires a hitman to retrieve it, and the hitman sends two underling hitmen to a remote Idaho community to get the job done. Before they arrive, the accountant climbs out a window at Cate’s B and B and disappears, leaving his belongings, which puts Cate in the cross-hairs of the villains.
Foiled in their first attempt to retrieve the accountant’s possessions, the two supposedly competent hitman, instead of returning to the B and B in the middle of the night to subdue a lone woman and search the place, decide to (sorry, can’t help giggling) hire more hitmen, blow up the only bridge to the community, cut power and telephone lines, and shoot down anyone who comes into their rifle sights in order to force the community to force Cate to give them what they want. And Cate has no idea what they want.
What the hitmen didn’t factor into their insanely overblown plan: two former marines and the fact that one of them would give his life for Cate.
Cate’s twins were adorable, her finally “seeing” Cal after three years of dealing with the death of her husband felt very believable, Cal’s patience waiting for her was sweet and endearing, the emotions felt authentic, and the suspense was exciting. Ridiculous, yes, but still exciting. I have no idea why the author tried to shove a twofer romance into the story, as she gave it very little time and no care, and I didn’t care either.
This was my second Linda Howard romantic suspense novel, and the second novel where the MC’s get down and dirty in a cave, which is taking the caveman concept a little too far.
March 13, 2021
Two words: Ham radio
Oy vey, this was boring.
I had to check the CD box three separate times to make sure this was really a Linda Howard book. This read like a how-to book on being any one of the following: a hired assassin, a beta Marine, mountain climber, a B&b owner and zzzzzz.
PLOT:
The h is the current owner of a B&b in a tiny town in the back of beyond mountains of Idaho. She is widow with twin boys. The H is a highly effective Marine that has had a crush on her since he first met her. THREE YEARS AGO. He has NO testosterone. Okay, she was a grieving widow, but by year three she's still calling him Mr. whatever his name is. He's the town mumbling handyman. This was an audio book so I can not tell you how many times I had to turn up the volume and shout "What did you say!" and return to the previous section just to hear Cal mumble some more. Her twins like his tool belt though.
The h ends up being the target of some of the worst assassins ever. An accountant to the mob has stolen a drive with financial info, and the hired goons think the h has it although the accountant has left the area. Instead they target the heroine and then target the WHOLE town. The bad guys knock out the bridge and electricity and kill random people from their position on the mountain. This drove me crazy. The town is in the mountains of Idaho, is isolated, small and populated by elder people. No one there has a Ham radio in case they are snowed in??????
Boring crap happens as the H and h hike out of the area to save the town. All that accomplishes is the H and h finally have sex. He has adored her for three plus years. After two days and being impressed by the way he held a shotgun, it's true love for the h. I think she just wanted sex.
Bad guys are shot. Little explanation as to why some of the locals got involved on the bad guys' side or why the bad guys were so bad at planning. Hint: Don't take an UZI to a knife fight.
Side romance with the potty mouth CO of the H and an ex-nun that never went anywhere.
Side issue: The mother put her 4 year old boys in time out for fifteen minutes a piece. Too long. It's usually a minute a year.
Side amusement: When the 4 year old boys bounce on the bed naked giggling. That was the only authentic part of the book.
Narration
The narration was ...interesting. It had both a man and woman which should be a good thing. The female narrator was matter of fact, but her grainy voice implied a woman older than the h. The male narrator...Hmm, okay. Imagine Paul Harvey as the narrator.
Oy vey, this was boring.
I had to check the CD box three separate times to make sure this was really a Linda Howard book. This read like a how-to book on being any one of the following: a hired assassin, a beta Marine, mountain climber, a B&b owner and zzzzzz.
PLOT:
The h is the current owner of a B&b in a tiny town in the back of beyond mountains of Idaho. She is widow with twin boys. The H is a highly effective Marine that has had a crush on her since he first met her. THREE YEARS AGO. He has NO testosterone. Okay, she was a grieving widow, but by year three she's still calling him Mr. whatever his name is. He's the town mumbling handyman. This was an audio book so I can not tell you how many times I had to turn up the volume and shout "What did you say!" and return to the previous section just to hear Cal mumble some more. Her twins like his tool belt though.
The h ends up being the target of some of the worst assassins ever. An accountant to the mob has stolen a drive with financial info, and the hired goons think the h has it although the accountant has left the area. Instead they target the heroine and then target the WHOLE town. The bad guys knock out the bridge and electricity and kill random people from their position on the mountain. This drove me crazy. The town is in the mountains of Idaho, is isolated, small and populated by elder people. No one there has a Ham radio in case they are snowed in??????
Boring crap happens as the H and h hike out of the area to save the town. All that accomplishes is the H and h finally have sex. He has adored her for three plus years. After two days and being impressed by the way he held a shotgun, it's true love for the h. I think she just wanted sex.
Bad guys are shot. Little explanation as to why some of the locals got involved on the bad guys' side or why the bad guys were so bad at planning. Hint: Don't take an UZI to a knife fight.
Side romance with the potty mouth CO of the H and an ex-nun that never went anywhere.
Side issue: The mother put her 4 year old boys in time out for fifteen minutes a piece. Too long. It's usually a minute a year.
Side amusement: When the 4 year old boys bounce on the bed naked giggling. That was the only authentic part of the book.
Narration
The narration was ...interesting. It had both a man and woman which should be a good thing. The female narrator was matter of fact, but her grainy voice implied a woman older than the h. The male narrator...Hmm, okay. Imagine Paul Harvey as the narrator.
December 12, 2015
This is me after reading this book:
So I created a pie chart because I'm lazy and I don't want to explain much.
I was a bit tired of reading too much hook ups and how dashing and manly the hero is in a book, or how beautiful is the heroine's eyes or how soft she looks. It's starting to get annoying. But Cover of Night is perfect for my mood.
Well class, as you can see on the fucking pie chart, the suspense and action trumps the romance which is wonderful. I can finally focus on the flying bullets, evil mercenaries, bomb explosions and shits without being distracted by the MC's longing looks to each other. Really, am I the only one who finds it annoying that in the middle of the shootouts, the hero and the heroine would suddenly kiss?
But thank you Linda Howard for making a book where lurve was put into its appropriate time. I get to enjoy the suspense properly in this one and still love the romance between the MCs..
Me gusta.
May 1, 2022
All of Linda Howard's stories seem to be filled with lots of dangerous people, hard-core emotions, and some really well-done writing. Oh, and let's not forget the sexy romance. This one was certainly no exception. The character of Cate was a strong heroine who holds her own when it comes to building a new life as a widow and getting out into the wilderness to help save the town. If you read many of this genre of books you will figure out fairly quick how it was going to end. You will laugh, maybe shed a few tears, but above all you'll cheer.
February 22, 2016
★★★★✩ I enjoyed this book, despite having to suspend belief in several situations. I was going to give it ★★★½✩, as it's not one of Howard's best; however, one of her “less-than-best” is soooooo much better than someone else's best. I chose to overlook those moments when I could have shook my head or set it aside, and instead went with the flow. There are a lot of little jewels in this book and I really enjoyed each of them. So easy for me to picture the bed & breakfast, the little town, and these characters.
A bit repetitive in parts and hard to believe the heroine, Cate, flips a switch -- just like that -- into "insta-love," since she was still grieving her husband a few pages ago. Widowed three years is a long time when you're that young, but still. I did like that the hero, Calvin, blushes and is quite bashful around Cate. Nice change, that. Even more fun when the tables turn.
Lots more action than romance and we get the backgrounds and thoughts of the villains. Good secondary characters in this one, with all the townspeople held hostage and banding together to overcome a threat. Some critics didn't believe that a small town in Idaho could be cut off like that in this day and age... but I don't know. Some little places are very isolated and I know how it feels when my Internet goes out - along with my cable & phone!
A bit repetitive in parts and hard to believe the heroine, Cate, flips a switch -- just like that -- into "insta-love," since she was still grieving her husband a few pages ago. Widowed three years is a long time when you're that young, but still. I did like that the hero, Calvin, blushes and is quite bashful around Cate. Nice change, that. Even more fun when the tables turn.
Lots more action than romance and we get the backgrounds and thoughts of the villains. Good secondary characters in this one, with all the townspeople held hostage and banding together to overcome a threat. Some critics didn't believe that a small town in Idaho could be cut off like that in this day and age... but I don't know. Some little places are very isolated and I know how it feels when my Internet goes out - along with my cable & phone!
March 18, 2017
Great. Exciting. I loved the character Cal - his shy side and then his Rambo side.
I read this book at least twice in the past and just now finished the audiobook. The audiobook was fantastic. It’s read by Joyce Bean and Dick Hill, with each of them narrating the female vs male parts. (And you don’t hear their breaths - yay!)
STORY BRIEF:
Layton is accountant for bad guy Bandini. Layton has a flash drive with evidence against Bandini and asks for blackmail money. Bandini hires two killers (Goss and Toxtel) to get the flash drive back. They follow Layton's trail to a small town in Idaho. They pull a gun on Cate. Cal saves her. They didn't get the flash drive and they want revenge on Cal. They hire more killers to help them. Cal and the town fight back against unbelievable odds.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: about two, plus one referred to. Setting: current day small mountain town called Trail Stop in Idaho. Copyright: 2006. Genre: romantic suspense.
I read this book at least twice in the past and just now finished the audiobook. The audiobook was fantastic. It’s read by Joyce Bean and Dick Hill, with each of them narrating the female vs male parts. (And you don’t hear their breaths - yay!)
STORY BRIEF:
Layton is accountant for bad guy Bandini. Layton has a flash drive with evidence against Bandini and asks for blackmail money. Bandini hires two killers (Goss and Toxtel) to get the flash drive back. They follow Layton's trail to a small town in Idaho. They pull a gun on Cate. Cal saves her. They didn't get the flash drive and they want revenge on Cal. They hire more killers to help them. Cal and the town fight back against unbelievable odds.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong including religious swear words but not often used. Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: about two, plus one referred to. Setting: current day small mountain town called Trail Stop in Idaho. Copyright: 2006. Genre: romantic suspense.
January 18, 2015
Read it first, and more recently listened to the narration by Dick Hill and Joyce Bean. The performance was okay, but not great. Joyce Bean's rendition of the toddler twins stole my heart, though.
3.5 or possibly 4 stars, mainly because I adored the toddlers and Cal Harris, the (seemingly) bashful handyman with the dual nature of a former Marine Force Recon hero. For three years he has been handling Cate's bed and breakfast repairs in the tiny mountain community of Trail Stop, Idaho. During those years, he's been developing a bond with Cate's little boys and waiting for her to get over her husband's death and notice him as more than "that nice Mr. Harris."
It was amusing to see the townsfolk throw the two together by deliberately causing things to need repair. They all knew that Cal adored Cate, even though she was clueless.
Cate noticed her handyman's hard body for the first time after two murderous thugs attacked. Next, she encountered his tough torso in T-shirt, without his coverall uniform. Is this her quiet handyman? With the town suddenly besieged like some old spaghetti western, Cate saw a very different Cal, the real Cal, the deadly "ghost" of military fame.
When they first kissed....yummy. She felt like he was slowly eating her up. That kiss was steamier than the love scene, which was a tad disappointing.
Loved the twins, too. Tucker and Tanner were adorable, how they swarmed all over their beloved handyman with his treasure chest of "dwills" and "hammaws."
I enjoyed the secondary romance between Neenah and Creed, too, but they diluted the main romance.
I wanted more time with Cal and Cate. Far too many pages were devoted to the bad guys! The story BEGAN and -- far worse -- even ENDED with them. I could care less about Goss. The book lost a full point for devoting nearly half the content to the antagonists.
The plot itself is totally ridiculous! Beyond far-fetched, and there are numerous improbabilities, which earned the book another demerit. Besides the obvious insanity of
An unlikely premise, but once the town was under siege, everyone's actions were fairly credible. I enjoyed seeing the townspeople pull together. Some engaging secondary characters.
Bottom line: Love this book, but also felt dissatisfied. Needed more time with Cal, Cate, and even the twins.
3.5 or possibly 4 stars, mainly because I adored the toddlers and Cal Harris, the (seemingly) bashful handyman with the dual nature of a former Marine Force Recon hero. For three years he has been handling Cate's bed and breakfast repairs in the tiny mountain community of Trail Stop, Idaho. During those years, he's been developing a bond with Cate's little boys and waiting for her to get over her husband's death and notice him as more than "that nice Mr. Harris."
It was amusing to see the townsfolk throw the two together by deliberately causing things to need repair. They all knew that Cal adored Cate, even though she was clueless.
Cate noticed her handyman's hard body for the first time after two murderous thugs attacked. Next, she encountered his tough torso in T-shirt, without his coverall uniform. Is this her quiet handyman? With the town suddenly besieged like some old spaghetti western, Cate saw a very different Cal, the real Cal, the deadly "ghost" of military fame.
When they first kissed....yummy. She felt like he was slowly eating her up. That kiss was steamier than the love scene, which was a tad disappointing.
Loved the twins, too. Tucker and Tanner were adorable, how they swarmed all over their beloved handyman with his treasure chest of "dwills" and "hammaws."
I enjoyed the secondary romance between Neenah and Creed, too, but they diluted the main romance.
I wanted more time with Cal and Cate. Far too many pages were devoted to the bad guys! The story BEGAN and -- far worse -- even ENDED with them. I could care less about Goss. The book lost a full point for devoting nearly half the content to the antagonists.
The plot itself is totally ridiculous! Beyond far-fetched, and there are numerous improbabilities, which earned the book another demerit. Besides the obvious insanity of
An unlikely premise, but once the town was under siege, everyone's actions were fairly credible. I enjoyed seeing the townspeople pull together. Some engaging secondary characters.
Bottom line: Love this book, but also felt dissatisfied. Needed more time with Cal, Cate, and even the twins.
October 31, 2017
I really did like the characters in this story from the H/h to the supporting cast of townspeople. I liked that our H, Calvin, became shy around Cate and waited until Cate was ready to have a relationship.
I did have to suspend disbelief a number of times with this plot and a number of scenes just didn't work for me. But I went with it and it was a fast enjoyable read.
I did have to suspend disbelief a number of times with this plot and a number of scenes just didn't work for me. But I went with it and it was a fast enjoyable read.
July 28, 2015
5 "Handyman" stars!!!
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate pasts:
OW/OM drama:
Push/pull:
HEA:
I won't say too much about this book because I think the blurb does this book enough justice. This is a suspenseful read full of multiple POVs. The romance is underlying and is between Cate and Cale. Cate moved to a small town following her husband's death to provide the best life for her and her twin boys. This small town holds a special place in her heart because her and her late husband had visited this area years ago where they shared rock climbing and happy times. Cale is the local handy man and that's all she really knew about him until she started to open her eyes to who he really is and what he really wants. He is great to her boys and her.
I loved the whole small town feel of this story and how everyone wanted to throw these two together. It was very sweet and the secondary romance was also sweet. The twins had me cracking up quite a few times. I wished I had more time to get to know them as well.
For fans of romantic suspense, this was a good read!
Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate pasts:
OW/OM drama:
Push/pull:
HEA:
I won't say too much about this book because I think the blurb does this book enough justice. This is a suspenseful read full of multiple POVs. The romance is underlying and is between Cate and Cale. Cate moved to a small town following her husband's death to provide the best life for her and her twin boys. This small town holds a special place in her heart because her and her late husband had visited this area years ago where they shared rock climbing and happy times. Cale is the local handy man and that's all she really knew about him until she started to open her eyes to who he really is and what he really wants. He is great to her boys and her.
I loved the whole small town feel of this story and how everyone wanted to throw these two together. It was very sweet and the secondary romance was also sweet. The twins had me cracking up quite a few times. I wished I had more time to get to know them as well.
For fans of romantic suspense, this was a good read!
"In that case," said Sheila, "I'll let you stay here with her. But no hanky-panky with my daughter under my roof."
Her dad looked as if he would choke with laughter. Cal was close to being choked by the twins. Cate thought she might choke on indignation. "I wouldn't think of it, ma'am," Cal assured her mother.
"Liar," Sheila said briskly.
Cal winked at his future mother-in-law, "Yes, ma'am," he said very definitely, and she grinned.
November 13, 2016
Si estás buscando un libro en el que prime el romance y el ambiente policíaco sea la historia secundaria, este no es tu libro. Prácticamente el 90% del libro es de acción.
Cal y Cate se conocen desde hace tres años. Ella es una madre viuda y con dos gemelos de cuatro años que regenta el hostal de un bonito y pintoresco pueblo y él es el "hombre arregla todo" delgaducho y tímido.
Cuando uno de los clientes de Cate desparece sin dejar rastro y empieza a sospechar que todo es muy raro, aparecen dos personas nada gratas a recuperar lo que es suyo a punta de amenazas. Es entonces cuando Cal muestra su verdadera cara. No solo no es tímido y delgaducho, sino que, retirado de los marines hace apenas tres años, está enamorado de Cate desde que llegó y solo estaba buscando la manera de poder acercarse a ella cuando ésta le diera alguna señal...y esa señal llega en medio de una guerra.
El pueblo en el que viven es sitiado por aquellos hombres que Cal había conseguido ahuyentar y desde entonces empezará una verdadera carrera por sobrevivir.
Como digo, desde el punto de vista policial es un libro redondo y Linda Howard en mi opinión es una maestra introduciéndonos la situación y los sentimientos de cada uno de los personajes, pero el ámbito romántico es muy acelerado y pasa sin pena ni gloria entre tanta escena de acción.
Hay escenas muy divertidas, dulces, traumáticas, desesperadas...para todos los gustos. Si hay que ponerle un pero, es que el final ha sido muy precipitado y sin darte cuenta.
Cal y Cate se conocen desde hace tres años. Ella es una madre viuda y con dos gemelos de cuatro años que regenta el hostal de un bonito y pintoresco pueblo y él es el "hombre arregla todo" delgaducho y tímido.
Cuando uno de los clientes de Cate desparece sin dejar rastro y empieza a sospechar que todo es muy raro, aparecen dos personas nada gratas a recuperar lo que es suyo a punta de amenazas. Es entonces cuando Cal muestra su verdadera cara. No solo no es tímido y delgaducho, sino que, retirado de los marines hace apenas tres años, está enamorado de Cate desde que llegó y solo estaba buscando la manera de poder acercarse a ella cuando ésta le diera alguna señal...y esa señal llega en medio de una guerra.
El pueblo en el que viven es sitiado por aquellos hombres que Cal había conseguido ahuyentar y desde entonces empezará una verdadera carrera por sobrevivir.
Como digo, desde el punto de vista policial es un libro redondo y Linda Howard en mi opinión es una maestra introduciéndonos la situación y los sentimientos de cada uno de los personajes, pero el ámbito romántico es muy acelerado y pasa sin pena ni gloria entre tanta escena de acción.
Hay escenas muy divertidas, dulces, traumáticas, desesperadas...para todos los gustos. Si hay que ponerle un pero, es que el final ha sido muy precipitado y sin darte cuenta.
December 10, 2010
This book is just so bad. I listened to it on audio while at work and during my walk to the train. I checked it out from the library and typically, I am okay with less than good audio books to keep my mind occupied during mindless admin stuff I have to do at work and the walk to the train. But wow, this book had some really really bad scenes. I should say that this book has a lot of what I love in stories and movies, it involves a woman (young widow, twin 4 year old boys) who has to start over again, so she moves to a very rugged and remote area in Idaho. She buys an old Bed and Breakfast in a remote area that gets random tourists who are there to hike, rock climb and hunt. I gotta say that I love this theme. I love the self reinvention storyline – but it is done so poorly here.
There are some good things about the story. There is a good inner dialogue from the heroine, a lot of great descriptions of small town life, of her life as an owner of a B&B and her life as a widow. There is decent set up for friendships and connections between the towns people. The location is described beautifully. Okay, that is the good stuff. Now the bad.
Some spoilers in the next section. Just by coincidence, there are two former elite marines retired in this same area (Cal and Creed). One of them (Cal) is secretly in love with the heroine, Kate. Much of the beginning of the book involves details of Kate’s parenting her twins. Her parenting style is so over the top and it left me wondering if the author has any kids at all. I do have kids, I have 4 kids and 3 are very close in age and the stuff the author had Kate disciplining her kids for is normal play stuff that all toddler/pre schoolers do – yet she is constantly punishing them and sending them to the “naughty chair” where of course the 4 year olds sit in the chair patiently for 10 minutes each. Sure, completely believable. These scenes made me want to shout – “just let the kids play!” and if the author really wanted to include details on punishment and discipline – then have the kids actually do something worth punishing for, not silly little preschool stuff that is completely normal every day stuff. There is a dramatic scene where everyone is upset because the twin 4 year old boys …… fought! They fought! The author treats this situation as if it is horrible, mind boggling and wow – just so stressful. Has the author ever been around young siblings – or any siblings before? They fight. Everyday. The discipline aspect of the first half of the book was just very heavy handed, over the top and not realistic.
The romance – so unbelievable. After being acquainted with each other for 3 years but never having any conversation or speaking beyond simple instructions that Kate gives Cal (her handyman), once the suspense and action begins Kate suddenly realizes that Cal is a MAN and realizes she is in love with him – but still they haven’t had a full conversation. I won’t spoil the fun if you plan to read this, but eventually Kate and Cal have to go off in the wilderness alone together in order to escape the bad guys. In order to keep warm, the couple decides to have sex, fine it is a romance novel there should be sex – but right before the sex Kate realizes that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Cal. What? Why? They have now had maybe 2 conversations – about climbing a huge mountain to escape the bad guys and to warm up after they are both wet and cold in the Idaho night. This is a widow who as of the previous chapter was still mourning her young dead husband – and now she wants to spend the rest of her life with a man she has never even conversed with? No personal conversations, nothing in depth and the author specifically mentions that they are unable to talk while hiking and climbing. Once Kate and Cal have sex, Cal admits to Kate that he has been in love with her for 3 years – even though he has never spoken to her. He admits that he was never a handyman before BUT he became a handyman so he could be close to her during the day and watch her. Oooookaaay ……. and then he admits that the locals in the village have been purposely sabotaging her house by cutting wires, loosening pipes to throw her (local B&B owner) and Cal (local handyman) together. Now in the beginning of the book Kate is constantly stressed about money, about the repairs to her B&B but she takes this very weird and freaky information in stride – and she laughs. This by the way, is Cal and Kate’s first personal conversation that is not about pipes, fixing a lock, climbing a rock, or drying cold wet feet. Suddenly the next morning after the sex – she talks about how Cal is a hero and how she is in love with him – where the heck did this come from?
This is my first Linda Howard book and I am not impressed – I spent much of the time either fast forwarding (I am listening to the audio) or laughing out loud. I am a fan of romantic suspense involving military men or former military men and I like self remade stories – but this is just a bad story.
There are some good things about the story. There is a good inner dialogue from the heroine, a lot of great descriptions of small town life, of her life as an owner of a B&B and her life as a widow. There is decent set up for friendships and connections between the towns people. The location is described beautifully. Okay, that is the good stuff. Now the bad.
Some spoilers in the next section. Just by coincidence, there are two former elite marines retired in this same area (Cal and Creed). One of them (Cal) is secretly in love with the heroine, Kate. Much of the beginning of the book involves details of Kate’s parenting her twins. Her parenting style is so over the top and it left me wondering if the author has any kids at all. I do have kids, I have 4 kids and 3 are very close in age and the stuff the author had Kate disciplining her kids for is normal play stuff that all toddler/pre schoolers do – yet she is constantly punishing them and sending them to the “naughty chair” where of course the 4 year olds sit in the chair patiently for 10 minutes each. Sure, completely believable. These scenes made me want to shout – “just let the kids play!” and if the author really wanted to include details on punishment and discipline – then have the kids actually do something worth punishing for, not silly little preschool stuff that is completely normal every day stuff. There is a dramatic scene where everyone is upset because the twin 4 year old boys …… fought! They fought! The author treats this situation as if it is horrible, mind boggling and wow – just so stressful. Has the author ever been around young siblings – or any siblings before? They fight. Everyday. The discipline aspect of the first half of the book was just very heavy handed, over the top and not realistic.
The romance – so unbelievable. After being acquainted with each other for 3 years but never having any conversation or speaking beyond simple instructions that Kate gives Cal (her handyman), once the suspense and action begins Kate suddenly realizes that Cal is a MAN and realizes she is in love with him – but still they haven’t had a full conversation. I won’t spoil the fun if you plan to read this, but eventually Kate and Cal have to go off in the wilderness alone together in order to escape the bad guys. In order to keep warm, the couple decides to have sex, fine it is a romance novel there should be sex – but right before the sex Kate realizes that she wants to spend the rest of her life with Cal. What? Why? They have now had maybe 2 conversations – about climbing a huge mountain to escape the bad guys and to warm up after they are both wet and cold in the Idaho night. This is a widow who as of the previous chapter was still mourning her young dead husband – and now she wants to spend the rest of her life with a man she has never even conversed with? No personal conversations, nothing in depth and the author specifically mentions that they are unable to talk while hiking and climbing. Once Kate and Cal have sex, Cal admits to Kate that he has been in love with her for 3 years – even though he has never spoken to her. He admits that he was never a handyman before BUT he became a handyman so he could be close to her during the day and watch her. Oooookaaay ……. and then he admits that the locals in the village have been purposely sabotaging her house by cutting wires, loosening pipes to throw her (local B&B owner) and Cal (local handyman) together. Now in the beginning of the book Kate is constantly stressed about money, about the repairs to her B&B but she takes this very weird and freaky information in stride – and she laughs. This by the way, is Cal and Kate’s first personal conversation that is not about pipes, fixing a lock, climbing a rock, or drying cold wet feet. Suddenly the next morning after the sex – she talks about how Cal is a hero and how she is in love with him – where the heck did this come from?
This is my first Linda Howard book and I am not impressed – I spent much of the time either fast forwarding (I am listening to the audio) or laughing out loud. I am a fan of romantic suspense involving military men or former military men and I like self remade stories – but this is just a bad story.
June 14, 2022
Image Friendly Version
Reread: Linda Howard wrote the fantasy handyman and gave him an extreme situation to show off his deadly skills. Good times.
Still the four star story of my memory but the audiobook let me down. I like the idea of both a man and a woman narrating but the man’s voice was unappealing.
Reread: Linda Howard wrote the fantasy handyman and gave him an extreme situation to show off his deadly skills. Good times.
Still the four star story of my memory but the audiobook let me down. I like the idea of both a man and a woman narrating but the man’s voice was unappealing.
June 17, 2008
UG. This one was tough to get through. It took me over a week to read it because it was not calling me back to it. The writing focused a lot on the bad guys and their plans, and not much on the relationship factor. That part seemed to be thrown in at the end in a quick attempt to end the book.
June 25, 2021
I rated this 5 stars way back when. After listening to it again, I don’t know why. This time around it was slow going. The main characters did not really spend much quality time together. The twins were adorable though😉. Not a fan of the male narrator.
June 11, 2017
I could do with less page time from the bad guys.
September 10, 2023
"He wanted her to be aware of him, but he didn't want her feeling uncomfortable."Cover of Night is a small town romantic suspense about a widowed and single mother and a former Marine. Cate Nightingale runs the Bed and Breakfast in the small town of Trail Stop and between running a business and raising twin boys, her life is very busy. Calvin Harris is the small town handyman and he is often at Cate's B&B fixing things. When a guest at the B&B mysteriously disappears, the small town of Trail Stop is held hostage by the men who are looking for an item this guest had in his possession.
Cover of Night is a simmering slow burn in terms of both romance and suspense. The story is told via multiple points of view, including that of the villains. The author takes time to set the small town setting and you get to know the town's inhabitants before the actual hostage situation happens. The romance is sooooooooo swoon-worthy. Cal has been in love with Cate for the past 3 years, but Cate has absolutely no idea because she was busy grieving her husband's death, raising her babies, and running a business. Everyone in town knows Cal is in love with Cate, except for Cate herself. The most surprising thing about Cal is that he is a SHY BETA HERO who BLUSHES and STAMMERS around the heroine. I was shocked that Linda Howard wrote a shy beta hero! If you've read Linda Howard before, then you know she usually writes Alpha heroes. And it turns out she can also write swoon-worthy beta heroes - I ADORE Cal. He is adorable, sweet, patient, and so sexy.
Not only is Cal a beta hero, but the romance itself is such a slow burn. Cal and Cate have such great chemistry. Every time I had to read about the villains formulating their plans, I was just waiting to get back to Cal and Cate. Considering Cate's situation as a parent and a widow, as well as the current predicament she and her neighbours fall into, the slow burn aspect of the romance makes perfect sense. I was dying for Cate to finally start seeing Cal. And I could not wait for them to finally kiss and get together. I don't think I have ever read such a slow burn romance from Linda Howard before. The steam level is not super high compared to other Linda Howard novels because there are a lot of chapters dedicated to the villains, one of whom was actually an interesting character. And that's where my complaint comes in...the villains' chapters could have been considerably shortened. I wish that we had more chapters from Cal's POV. I understand why the author wrote this story with multiple points of view - it makes the plot well-rounded and cohesive and the villains themselves are well characterized as a result. At the same time, it means that there is less time dedicated to the romance and I love Cal and Cate so much that I just wanted all of the attention on them.
There is also a secondary romance about a middle-aged couple and their romance was seamlessly added in the middle of all the chaos. We don't get to spend a lot of time with the secondary couple, but whatever time was dedicated to their romance is well worth it. The climax was fine...a bit anticlimactic to be honest. As for the ending, it is satisfying, but I really wanted an epilogue because I wanted to see Cal and Cate as a married couple. Overall, the romance was definitely my favourite part and the suspense was just okay and could have been cut down a bit.
Note: This book was published in 2006 and there are definitely some lines in here that did not age well.
December 27, 2014
2.5 stars/5
Usually Linda Howard's older contemporary romances take place somewhere in the south. In COVER OF NIGHT the setting is in a remote area of Idaho called Trail Stop and there is a reason for this. It is, literally, the end of the road. A dangerous river on one side and some difficult mountains to scale on the other, it is a tiny town where everyone knows each other. Many of the citizens grew up here. In addition, there were those who visited and stayed on for whatever reason.
Cal Harris had been infatuated with Cate Nightingale for several years. She came to Trail Stop after her husband had died leaving her with two nine-month old twin boys. Cate and her husband had a wonderful marriage and had vacationed in Trail Stop earlier on. This isolated community contained good memories for her. She needed to get away from the tragic reminders of the Seattle area so she bought the B and B where they had stayed and, with the townspeople's help, raised her boys.
Cal is the town's handyman. He fixes whatever needs to be done. He is also extremely shy around Cate. The author never gives his age but I figured he was somewhere around 40. Factor in his age, the idea that our hero can talk to others without difficulty but is actually nervous when he is near Cate and I thought this was fairly refreshing. Especially after you learn more about the real man that he is. The romance is slow to come but when it does it comes with a bang.
The story contains quite a bit of suspense. A misunderstanding brings some men to town who believe Cate is involved with a cover-up. Nothing could be further from the truth. These men will stop at nothing to recover a piece of evidence that their boss wants. But they have never come up against Trail Stop's residents before. The problem is, are you gullible enough to believe that professional hitmen would handle their dilemma the way they did? Unfortunately, it took away some of the edginess from the storyline.
Ms. Howard's first priority is Cate and her boys. She spends quite a bit of time delving into the heroine's past and explaining her current family life. Oftentimes contemporary romances dwell on the two main characters from the get-go. This is not the case here and it may be a deterrent for many readers. Cal is present but not really a main character until almost halfway into the story. I enjoyed Cal's reserved manner. He has his reasons and they were legitimate ones. I also enjoyed that he was in love with Cate long before they became a couple. It was nice to have it go the other way for a change.
This was not Ms. Howard's best romance nor was it her worse. Because of some repetitiveness, the silliness of the hitmen's answer on how to recoup a flash-drive, and not enough time spent with Cal, I am giving this 2.5 stars. I waffled between rating it OK and liking it. There were some strengths but these other issues caused the plot to suffer.
Usually Linda Howard's older contemporary romances take place somewhere in the south. In COVER OF NIGHT the setting is in a remote area of Idaho called Trail Stop and there is a reason for this. It is, literally, the end of the road. A dangerous river on one side and some difficult mountains to scale on the other, it is a tiny town where everyone knows each other. Many of the citizens grew up here. In addition, there were those who visited and stayed on for whatever reason.
Cal Harris had been infatuated with Cate Nightingale for several years. She came to Trail Stop after her husband had died leaving her with two nine-month old twin boys. Cate and her husband had a wonderful marriage and had vacationed in Trail Stop earlier on. This isolated community contained good memories for her. She needed to get away from the tragic reminders of the Seattle area so she bought the B and B where they had stayed and, with the townspeople's help, raised her boys.
Cal is the town's handyman. He fixes whatever needs to be done. He is also extremely shy around Cate. The author never gives his age but I figured he was somewhere around 40. Factor in his age, the idea that our hero can talk to others without difficulty but is actually nervous when he is near Cate and I thought this was fairly refreshing. Especially after you learn more about the real man that he is. The romance is slow to come but when it does it comes with a bang.
The story contains quite a bit of suspense. A misunderstanding brings some men to town who believe Cate is involved with a cover-up. Nothing could be further from the truth. These men will stop at nothing to recover a piece of evidence that their boss wants. But they have never come up against Trail Stop's residents before. The problem is, are you gullible enough to believe that professional hitmen would handle their dilemma the way they did? Unfortunately, it took away some of the edginess from the storyline.
Ms. Howard's first priority is Cate and her boys. She spends quite a bit of time delving into the heroine's past and explaining her current family life. Oftentimes contemporary romances dwell on the two main characters from the get-go. This is not the case here and it may be a deterrent for many readers. Cal is present but not really a main character until almost halfway into the story. I enjoyed Cal's reserved manner. He has his reasons and they were legitimate ones. I also enjoyed that he was in love with Cate long before they became a couple. It was nice to have it go the other way for a change.
This was not Ms. Howard's best romance nor was it her worse. Because of some repetitiveness, the silliness of the hitmen's answer on how to recoup a flash-drive, and not enough time spent with Cal, I am giving this 2.5 stars. I waffled between rating it OK and liking it. There were some strengths but these other issues caused the plot to suffer.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2022
First off, I love Linda Howard, however, some offenses just can't be forgiven. That is why this is only 4 stars. I do understand without that the whole book wouldn't have taken place, but, really, that assumption is just lame. What I think is great is the humor, romance and the suspense even when the foundation is flawed. When an author goes into the psyche of the baddies, that just ratchets up the suspense element up for me.
Cate is a widow with twin 4 year olds, who are just all boy, and she does an excellent job of owning and running a B&B in Trail Stop, Idaho. pop less than 50. It is truly the outback of nowhere that appeals to hunters and rock climbers. Cates husband died suddenly 4 years ago and she shut down romantically in order to cope with the boys and making the B&B work.
Cal Harris is the town handyman and a whole lot more, but, handyman is all Cate sees until now. It appears that he is quite shy and reticent around Cate, but, still waters run deep and when Cate needs him, he is there for her in a really big way. It is so sweet that he has waited for 3 years for her to finish grieving and turn to him romantically.
Cate is a widow with twin 4 year olds, who are just all boy, and she does an excellent job of owning and running a B&B in Trail Stop, Idaho. pop less than 50. It is truly the outback of nowhere that appeals to hunters and rock climbers. Cates husband died suddenly 4 years ago and she shut down romantically in order to cope with the boys and making the B&B work.
Cal Harris is the town handyman and a whole lot more, but, handyman is all Cate sees until now. It appears that he is quite shy and reticent around Cate, but, still waters run deep and when Cate needs him, he is there for her in a really big way. It is so sweet that he has waited for 3 years for her to finish grieving and turn to him romantically.
April 6, 2009
A great stand-alone novel.
After the small disappointment I felt when I had read Killing Time, I was a little hesitant to read another Howard novel so soon. I had read the synopsis and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did!
Cate, a regular widowed, single mom of twins, who owns and runs a B & B. I loved how she handled everything; from the normal, everyday worries about running your own business to raising her twins, four-year-old boys - especially how she handles her boys!
Cal, the handyman who can fix anything, who turns into a blushing, sputtering teenager around Cate; it was the cutest thing. Then learning about his fierce, strong other side, I loved him all the more for exactly who he was.
The other characters, added with the scenery, you felt like you were right there with them all, in the thick of it.
Even though I found their coming together (Cate and Cal) was a little rushed, it was understandable under the circumstances.
I liked the twist to the story, especially the very ending, and it makes me wonder if I may see a certain character in a futur novel. All in all, a good read.
After the small disappointment I felt when I had read Killing Time, I was a little hesitant to read another Howard novel so soon. I had read the synopsis and decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did!
Cate, a regular widowed, single mom of twins, who owns and runs a B & B. I loved how she handled everything; from the normal, everyday worries about running your own business to raising her twins, four-year-old boys - especially how she handles her boys!
Cal, the handyman who can fix anything, who turns into a blushing, sputtering teenager around Cate; it was the cutest thing. Then learning about his fierce, strong other side, I loved him all the more for exactly who he was.
The other characters, added with the scenery, you felt like you were right there with them all, in the thick of it.
Even though I found their coming together (Cate and Cal) was a little rushed, it was understandable under the circumstances.
I liked the twist to the story, especially the very ending, and it makes me wonder if I may see a certain character in a futur novel. All in all, a good read.
November 28, 2015
The plot in this book was so ridiculous that even in the book everybody wondered...what the hell is the villain doing? Why is he doing this? No matter the justifications, there was NO REASON to go to such extremes! Like all the other bad guys mentioned, there were like a million easy ways to accomplish what they wanted. I really don't know why the author went this way in this book.
I felt sad that the romance wasn't developed because a hero who's a wolf in sheep's clothing is one of my favorites and the romance was so blah. She barely noticed him one minute and was accepting his proposal the next. The best part of the story was the hero and the twins, which felt very real. They were cute in a "what are we going to do with them?" way.
This is one of the few dual narrations where the male narrator does all the male parts and the female does all the women's. I have to say I enjoyed it and wish there were more books that way. Joyce Bean and Dick Hill did a good job although I confess that both have become an acquired taste. I don't think they are for everyone.
Not recommended. There are better romantic suspense out there.
I felt sad that the romance wasn't developed because a hero who's a wolf in sheep's clothing is one of my favorites and the romance was so blah. She barely noticed him one minute and was accepting his proposal the next. The best part of the story was the hero and the twins, which felt very real. They were cute in a "what are we going to do with them?" way.
This is one of the few dual narrations where the male narrator does all the male parts and the female does all the women's. I have to say I enjoyed it and wish there were more books that way. Joyce Bean and Dick Hill did a good job although I confess that both have become an acquired taste. I don't think they are for everyone.
Not recommended. There are better romantic suspense out there.
August 22, 2025
Una novela de suspense romántico que es, sobre todo, acción. No hay un gran misterio que desentrañar, lo que te anima a seguir leyendo es saber qué pasará después.
La viuda Cate Nightingale (29) vive con dos mellizos de cuatro años en una localidad de montaña. La cosa se lía cuando uno de los huéspedes de su posada desaparece, y llegan los malotes, muy interesados en ese señor y sus cosas. Acabarán rodeando el pueblo y disparando a todo lo que se mueve.
El interés romántico será Calvin Harris (treinta y tantos), un manitas tímido que está por Cate y ella no tiene ni idea. Cate no descubrirá sus muchas cualidades hasta esta situación límite. La parte del romance es, lo advierto, pequeñita.
Un sólido tres estrellas, al que añado otra estrella por mi gusto particular: hay montañas, escalada, y un grupo que se reúne y organiza para sobrevivir antes una situación de crisis.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
La viuda Cate Nightingale (29) vive con dos mellizos de cuatro años en una localidad de montaña. La cosa se lía cuando uno de los huéspedes de su posada desaparece, y llegan los malotes, muy interesados en ese señor y sus cosas. Acabarán rodeando el pueblo y disparando a todo lo que se mueve.
El interés romántico será Calvin Harris (treinta y tantos), un manitas tímido que está por Cate y ella no tiene ni idea. Cate no descubrirá sus muchas cualidades hasta esta situación límite. La parte del romance es, lo advierto, pequeñita.
Un sólido tres estrellas, al que añado otra estrella por mi gusto particular: hay montañas, escalada, y un grupo que se reúne y organiza para sobrevivir antes una situación de crisis.
Reseña algo más extensa, en mi blog.
January 11, 2019
This was so fun.
I loved h's mother the best. She gave the funniest advice.
I loved h's mother the best. She gave the funniest advice.
November 1, 2017
You can find this review in English below.
Tan sólo puedo ponerle una pega a esta historia: el plan para recuperar el pen drive que los malos se sacan de la manga es, por decirlo suavemente, una completa estupidez.
Dicho esto la historia está bastante bien. Los buenos son listos y capaces. Los malos (obviando lo anterior) son interesantes y los protagonistas me han gustado mucho. Si bien no he podido tragarme el lado tímido de Cal, tampoco me ha importado demasiado.
Pero de verdad, de verdad, de verdad, que la que montan los malos para recuperar el pen…no tiene nombre. Lo más extraño de todo es que la autora hace a sus propios personajes preguntarse cómo a alguien en su sano juicio se le puede ocurrir llevar a cabo un plan tan descabellado, pero deja la pregunta sin resolver.
¿Estás de guasa?
En fin, que hoy me siento generosa: 2.5 stars.
;)
***
There is only one thing I found wrong with this story: the plan the bad guys conjure up to retrieve the flash drive is, to put it mildly, an utterly stupidity.
That said, the story is pretty good. The good guys are intelligent and capable. The bad guys are (leaving out the above said) interesting and I loved the MC´s a lot. And while that is true, I couldn´t believe Cal´s shy side, but neither bothered me too much.
But, for real, the way the bad guys wanted to retrieve the flash drive was so absurd and insane we need a new word in the dictionary to describe it. And what is weirdest of all is that the author made her own characters ask themselves how somebody in his right mind could have come up with a plan so loco but then left the question unanswered.
You have to be kidding me!
Well, I´m feeling generous right now: 2.5 stars.
;)
Tan sólo puedo ponerle una pega a esta historia: el plan para recuperar el pen drive que los malos se sacan de la manga es, por decirlo suavemente, una completa estupidez.
Dicho esto la historia está bastante bien. Los buenos son listos y capaces. Los malos (obviando lo anterior) son interesantes y los protagonistas me han gustado mucho. Si bien no he podido tragarme el lado tímido de Cal, tampoco me ha importado demasiado.
Pero de verdad, de verdad, de verdad, que la que montan los malos para recuperar el pen…no tiene nombre. Lo más extraño de todo es que la autora hace a sus propios personajes preguntarse cómo a alguien en su sano juicio se le puede ocurrir llevar a cabo un plan tan descabellado, pero deja la pregunta sin resolver.
¿Estás de guasa?
En fin, que hoy me siento generosa: 2.5 stars.
;)
***
There is only one thing I found wrong with this story: the plan the bad guys conjure up to retrieve the flash drive is, to put it mildly, an utterly stupidity.
That said, the story is pretty good. The good guys are intelligent and capable. The bad guys are (leaving out the above said) interesting and I loved the MC´s a lot. And while that is true, I couldn´t believe Cal´s shy side, but neither bothered me too much.
But, for real, the way the bad guys wanted to retrieve the flash drive was so absurd and insane we need a new word in the dictionary to describe it. And what is weirdest of all is that the author made her own characters ask themselves how somebody in his right mind could have come up with a plan so loco but then left the question unanswered.
You have to be kidding me!
Well, I´m feeling generous right now: 2.5 stars.
;)
June 1, 2010
The only thing that kept this book from being absolutely perfect is that it seemed a bit unrealistic to me that the heroine would be able to get her 4-year-old twins off the scene before the part of the action where she has to run for her life. The idiocy of the villians, highlighted by their interaction with their co-conspirators, was both entertaining and realistic. How did these guys make it so far as assassins without ending up shooting themselves in the foot? An excellent plot, the hero is adorable, a macho warrior who gets tongue-tied and shy every time the heroine looks his way. The heroine is sassy yet vulnerable. I like that the author, Linda Howard, shares the heroine's reflections on the burdens of single parenthood, and also the necessity of not laughing when little boys get into hilarious mischief and must be disciplined. It is also cute that the hero gets caught cursing by the little brats and must talk his way out of having them repeat his words.
I need to own a copy of this one.
I need to own a copy of this one.
January 10, 2010
This book needs to be re-done. There was little connection between the main characters. They went from knowing each other in town to a kiss towards the end that ended up with them wanting to get married. I often wondered how would they come together. I'm still confused. The plot was poorly conceived. The side romance with another set of characters went the same route as the main characters and I gave up. The end was too rushed. Overall, I would tell people don't even waste their time.
March 29, 2023
This book is one of the proofs why you should read kindle version before purchasing the physical copy.
December 5, 2017
What a struggle to finish this book! I don't know what happened but I did not enjoy it.
It bored me to tears and I didn't connect with the story which felt amateurish to me.
It bored me to tears and I didn't connect with the story which felt amateurish to me.
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