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The Reluctant Grooms #1
Lazarus Rising
On her way to order wedding announcements for her and her staid banker fiance's upcoming nuptials, Katharine come face-to-face with with her past--in the form of devilish good looks and deep blue eyes. There's no mistaking it. He is her Danny. The same Danny who had died 10 years ago, and had taken a piece of heart with him. Original.
217 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
About the author
Anne Stuart
205 books2,070 followersAnne Stuart is a grandmaster of the genre, winner of Romance Writers of America's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, survivor of more than thirty-five years in the romance business, and still just keeps getting better.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
Her first novel was Barrett's Hill, a gothic romance published by Ballantine in 1974 when Anne had just turned 25. Since then she's written more gothics, regencies, romantic suspense, romantic adventure, series romance, suspense, historical romance, paranormal and mainstream contemporary romance for publishers such as Doubleday, Harlequin, Silhouette, Avon, Zebra, St. Martins Press, Berkley, Dell, Pocket Books and Fawcett.
She’s won numerous awards, appeared on most bestseller lists, and speaks all over the country. Her general outrageousness has gotten her on Entertainment Tonight, as well as in Vogue, People, USA Today, Women’s Day and countless other national newspapers and magazines.
When she’s not traveling, she’s at home in Northern Vermont with her luscious husband of thirty-six years, an empty nest, three cats, four sewing machines, and one Springer Spaniel, and when she’s not working she’s watching movies, listening to rock and roll (preferably Japanese) and spending far too much time quilting.
Anne Stuart also writes as Kristina Douglas.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 26, 2018
4 Stars ~ Anne Stuart likes her bad boy heroes that skirt the law. Deep down they're decent men, but they've somehow gotten into a life of crime, be it burglary like in the Catspaw series, or bookie gambling like in this story. Their heroines tend to be innocents that are feisty but constantly bringing out their white knight tendencies.
This story begins with Katharine at 30, being told she doesn't know what heartache is by her 19 yr old self-absorbed future sister-in-law. That declaration sends her back into the deep depression of mourning; mourning the one true love lost when she was not yet 20. And the story then goes back to a younger Katharine, a university student taking business courses for practical reasons and also creative arts, her true passion. A sorority dare leads her to meet Danny, 24 yr old bookie in charge of the syndicate's gambling ring. For Katharine it's love a first sight, and though Danny knows she's trouble he can't afford, he can't keep away. After a passionate weekend and vows of love and marriage, Danny has to go look after some last business. When he doesn't come back, she seeks him out, and finds him bullet ridden, dying on a stretcher.
Ten years later, Katharine has been living a passionless unexciting life in small town Dexter, Washington. She's a workaholic with a stomach ulcer, and she's about to marry the banker she works for. When she stops in to the local newspaper-print shop to place their engagement notice and to order wedding cards, she has the shock of her life. The new managing editor, Mac MacDaniel, looks and sounds just like her Danny.
The man calling himself MacDaniels had a crescent-shaped scar by the side of his mouth. She remembered kissing that scar, tracing it with her finger, she remembered him telling her how he got it. She looked up then, into his suddenly wary eyes, and knew without question she was looking into the eyes of the man for whom she'd destroyed her life by mourning.
I really enjoyed this story. Katharine has learnt some hard lessons for loving Danny, and as a result she's shut her true self deep inside. Realizing she's mourned a man who had abandoned her, brings out all of her passionate emotions, and she vows to start living again. First, she dumps the fiancé; then she's after some revenge.
The screech of tearing metal echoed in his heart as she plowed into the side of the MGB. She hadn't been going fast enough to do any structural damage—she would have known that her car would suffer more punishment than his. It simply ripped and tore at the beautiful finish. For good measure she put the Toyota into reverse, backed up and then slammed into the MGB again. And then she drove away, waving cheerfully in his horrified direction...
It was quite fun, watching Katharine come back to life. Mac, aka Danny, has never truly forgotten her. He'd blocked his memory, for both their sakes. Being near her, brings back all the memories and with it that consuming passion he'd come to be afraid of. He's never truly stopped loving her either. There's some intrigue and danger that notches up the emotional intensity. Loved the HEA ending.
October 27, 2025
This had so much potential to be a five star rating.
But the last quarter of the book really downgraded the rating.
Two meet when the heroine is in college and hero is working an illegal business (nothing horrible but still criminal). Katharine, our heroine, was trying to join a sorority and was asked to flirt and ask a certain guy who hangs out at a Laundromat (suspiciously weird?). Well then Danny, our hero, is there when the "guy" tries to rape her and saves her.
She falls in love right away and pursues him. He takes a bit to be convinced, but falls in love as well. They get engaged and the day they are to run to Las Vegas and get married she see's him shoot and killed.
That was the first half of the book.
Ten years later Katherine is working at a bank, is engaged to the bankers son and living a dull and stale life. She has continued to morn Danny. She's diluted her life to the most plain, dull and simple life possible with hardly no emotions.
Her fiancee wants her to go take care of their announcements at the newspaper-print shop. And this is where the second half the this story begins. The editor is non other then Danny, her Danny. She faints and when she wakes up she say's he's her Danny or something like that. But he says he doesn't know her and isn't who she says he is.
Well in a nut shell this is the revealing and confronting of two souls that were lost or in denial. And isn't pretty or easy. And to be honest I didn't like how it all unfolded.
But the last quarter of the book really downgraded the rating.
Two meet when the heroine is in college and hero is working an illegal business (nothing horrible but still criminal). Katharine, our heroine, was trying to join a sorority and was asked to flirt and ask a certain guy who hangs out at a Laundromat (suspiciously weird?). Well then Danny, our hero, is there when the "guy" tries to rape her and saves her.
She falls in love right away and pursues him. He takes a bit to be convinced, but falls in love as well. They get engaged and the day they are to run to Las Vegas and get married she see's him shoot and killed.
That was the first half of the book.
Ten years later Katherine is working at a bank, is engaged to the bankers son and living a dull and stale life. She has continued to morn Danny. She's diluted her life to the most plain, dull and simple life possible with hardly no emotions.
Her fiancee wants her to go take care of their announcements at the newspaper-print shop. And this is where the second half the this story begins. The editor is non other then Danny, her Danny. She faints and when she wakes up she say's he's her Danny or something like that. But he says he doesn't know her and isn't who she says he is.
Well in a nut shell this is the revealing and confronting of two souls that were lost or in denial. And isn't pretty or easy. And to be honest I didn't like how it all unfolded.
April 25, 2018
3.25 stars
I really enjoyed the first half of the story, the h/H meeting 10 years before, even though the heroine was incredibly naive to fall in love so quickly without knowing a thing about the hero and knowing he was doing shady things. She was also TSTL when she followed him around like a lost puppy. Ten years later she is still grieving him even though she barely knew him!
Of course ten years later she is engaged and runs into an alive hero, who doesn't recognise her - so much for their grand love. I felt in this book the hero had shades of what the author later turned into her anti-hero Ice series (which I hate btw). The hero hasn't given heroine a thought in the past decade, has had affairs and even an ex-wife. Of course the poor besotted heroine hasn't gotten any, which I wish she had.
I felt their relationship if you can call it that was of unequals, she loved him more or should I say was obsessed with. I know my review makes it seem I hated the book, which I didn't but it had issues.
I really enjoyed the first half of the story, the h/H meeting 10 years before, even though the heroine was incredibly naive to fall in love so quickly without knowing a thing about the hero and knowing he was doing shady things. She was also TSTL when she followed him around like a lost puppy. Ten years later she is still grieving him even though she barely knew him!
Of course ten years later she is engaged and runs into an alive hero, who doesn't recognise her - so much for their grand love. I felt in this book the hero had shades of what the author later turned into her anti-hero Ice series (which I hate btw). The hero hasn't given heroine a thought in the past decade, has had affairs and even an ex-wife. Of course the poor besotted heroine hasn't gotten any, which I wish she had.
I felt their relationship if you can call it that was of unequals, she loved him more or should I say was obsessed with. I know my review makes it seem I hated the book, which I didn't but it had issues.
June 19, 2019
"Lazarus Rising" is the story of Katherine and Danny/Mac.
A strange second chance romance with an obsessed and heartbroken heroine, a mobster/undercover hero, amnesia, second engagements, tragedies, espionage, betrayals, weddings and a satisfying ending.
It was a genuine tearjerker, especially when the h and H meet again, and we realize what the h had gone through while the H forgot her and moved on. Even their reunion was tempestuous, filled with lies, callous behavior and betrayals. I don't think I was very happy with everything what happened- I even felt terrible for the OM- but these two were so twisted and dysfunctional in love, that they deserved each other.
Worth a one time read.
Unsafe
2.75/5
A strange second chance romance with an obsessed and heartbroken heroine, a mobster/undercover hero, amnesia, second engagements, tragedies, espionage, betrayals, weddings and a satisfying ending.
It was a genuine tearjerker, especially when the h and H meet again, and we realize what the h had gone through while the H forgot her and moved on. Even their reunion was tempestuous, filled with lies, callous behavior and betrayals. I don't think I was very happy with everything what happened- I even felt terrible for the OM- but these two were so twisted and dysfunctional in love, that they deserved each other.
Worth a one time read.
Unsafe
2.75/5
March 5, 2024
This review is full of spoilers. I'm hiding it because of this. If you haven't actually read this book, please don't read this review. It really will spoil the entire story and I would hate for that to happen to anyone as I truly love this book.
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I first read this book way back in 1990 right after it was published. I've read a ton of Anne's books and she's written a LOT of really great ones. I can't explain exactly why but this one, Lazarus Rising, is my favorite book of hers. I read the other reviews and was very surprised to find out not only do a lot of people not like it much but one reader claims Anne herself has stated she didn't either. I don't understand why.
Danny/Mac to me was the ultimate bad-boy hero who didn't believe in love or anything good in life and then fell in love with an innocent, naive optimist who made him believe he could have everything he never dared wish. Their love was so sweet it was almost like a fairy tale until it shattered. I cried my eyes out when he died. It literally broke my heart.
I loved the way Katharine reacted when she discovered Danny hadn't died and had instead taken a new identity and physiologically blocked her completely from his mind. As far as he was concerned she was lost to him forever and it makes sense that his mind would block the memory as a defense mechanism. The scene where she crashes into his car makes me laugh every time.
Most people assume the Lazarus that is referred to in the title is Danny and I agree. But I also think that Lazarus refers just as much to Katharine. In so many ways she died that day as well. Her life after she lost Danny was not much more than an existence, drab, unemotional and superficial. To be honest, it wasn't really much of a life at all. She was like the walking dead just existing each day. When she realizes Danny didn't die it's like she came back from the dead herself.
I knew, despite everything that had happened, deep down inside Katharine and Danny/Mac never really stopped loving each other and would never find true happiness without the other. Anne certainly kept me on pins and needles until the very last though. I felt relief when I turned the past page.
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I first read this book way back in 1990 right after it was published. I've read a ton of Anne's books and she's written a LOT of really great ones. I can't explain exactly why but this one, Lazarus Rising, is my favorite book of hers. I read the other reviews and was very surprised to find out not only do a lot of people not like it much but one reader claims Anne herself has stated she didn't either. I don't understand why.
Danny/Mac to me was the ultimate bad-boy hero who didn't believe in love or anything good in life and then fell in love with an innocent, naive optimist who made him believe he could have everything he never dared wish. Their love was so sweet it was almost like a fairy tale until it shattered. I cried my eyes out when he died. It literally broke my heart.
I loved the way Katharine reacted when she discovered Danny hadn't died and had instead taken a new identity and physiologically blocked her completely from his mind. As far as he was concerned she was lost to him forever and it makes sense that his mind would block the memory as a defense mechanism. The scene where she crashes into his car makes me laugh every time.
Most people assume the Lazarus that is referred to in the title is Danny and I agree. But I also think that Lazarus refers just as much to Katharine. In so many ways she died that day as well. Her life after she lost Danny was not much more than an existence, drab, unemotional and superficial. To be honest, it wasn't really much of a life at all. She was like the walking dead just existing each day. When she realizes Danny didn't die it's like she came back from the dead herself.
I knew, despite everything that had happened, deep down inside Katharine and Danny/Mac never really stopped loving each other and would never find true happiness without the other. Anne certainly kept me on pins and needles until the very last though. I felt relief when I turned the past page.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2008
Anne Stuart has a huge backlist and some of her earlier titles are impossible to find ... or they are too expensive... luckily I've been finding some of them through friends who don't mind loaning me their copies :-)
Today I read Lazarus Rising. I've been sitting here for the last 2 hours trying to decide what to make of it. The story has the usual Anne Stuart intensity and I really could not put it down but the chracters are not exactly likeable material.
The heroine starts out has terribly naive and reckless but intead of being irritated I actually felt sorry for her. The fact that she spent 10 years mourning a lost love sounds terribly unreal though.
The hero wasn't bad, I mean he was a bad boy but nothing as tortured and scarred as her latest male characters.I don't think she fully explained why he left the heroine in the first place. From how he reacts when meeting her again it almost sounds like he had amnesia but that is never said.
The thing is that after 10 years the heroine hasn't recovered from a 3 day romance. And when they meet again they don't spend time getting to know each other again. Things were not resolved, there were no explanations, just accusations that never really had an answer. I needed more psycological development before the happily ever after!
Because of that I give it a C+.
After reading it I went to the author's website just to see if she had some info about it and I found this:
I love all my work (well, maybe there are a few that could happily disappear forever, like Demonwood or Lazarus Rising) but mainly I just love my books. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t write.
Interesting, no?
Btw this is the cover of the 1996 edition and I read the 1991 one but I couldn't find a picture online.
Today I read Lazarus Rising. I've been sitting here for the last 2 hours trying to decide what to make of it. The story has the usual Anne Stuart intensity and I really could not put it down but the chracters are not exactly likeable material.
The heroine starts out has terribly naive and reckless but intead of being irritated I actually felt sorry for her. The fact that she spent 10 years mourning a lost love sounds terribly unreal though.
The hero wasn't bad, I mean he was a bad boy but nothing as tortured and scarred as her latest male characters.I don't think she fully explained why he left the heroine in the first place. From how he reacts when meeting her again it almost sounds like he had amnesia but that is never said.
The thing is that after 10 years the heroine hasn't recovered from a 3 day romance. And when they meet again they don't spend time getting to know each other again. Things were not resolved, there were no explanations, just accusations that never really had an answer. I needed more psycological development before the happily ever after!
Because of that I give it a C+.
After reading it I went to the author's website just to see if she had some info about it and I found this:
I love all my work (well, maybe there are a few that could happily disappear forever, like Demonwood or Lazarus Rising) but mainly I just love my books. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t write.
Interesting, no?
Btw this is the cover of the 1996 edition and I read the 1991 one but I couldn't find a picture online.
April 3, 2008
I haven't read very many books by Anne Stuart, but comparing Lazarus Rising with other books in the Romantic-Suspense genre, I'd have to say this is among the best.
In Lazarus Rising there are so many unexpected character traits and plot elements... including the fact that right up until the last 2 pages, you're not sure there's going to be a happy ending.
There aren't many romance novels where the hero is a criminal who contemplates killing the heroine...
The book starts unexpectedly in the present, then does a flashback to 10 years previous, then comes back to the present again. As a result, the beginning is kind of slow and a rather lengthy introduction to the flashback. Deal with it. The flashback is far too lengthy to set up in a prologue, but I think if I were writing this story, I'd put the flashback first, then do a "10 years later..." and move to the present. That's okay. I'll let Stuart tell her story her way. She's done it well enough in Lazarus Rising to have earned my 5 stars.
In Lazarus Rising there are so many unexpected character traits and plot elements... including the fact that right up until the last 2 pages, you're not sure there's going to be a happy ending.
There aren't many romance novels where the hero is a criminal who contemplates killing the heroine...
The book starts unexpectedly in the present, then does a flashback to 10 years previous, then comes back to the present again. As a result, the beginning is kind of slow and a rather lengthy introduction to the flashback. Deal with it. The flashback is far too lengthy to set up in a prologue, but I think if I were writing this story, I'd put the flashback first, then do a "10 years later..." and move to the present. That's okay. I'll let Stuart tell her story her way. She's done it well enough in Lazarus Rising to have earned my 5 stars.
April 7, 2016
I know a lot of readers found this book interesting but somehow I had a tough time accepting Mac as a hero.
He is juvenile to the extreme (First we are told he has forgotten the heroine understandable as he was almost killed then suddenly he is thinking he
remembers everything and he had only blocked her taking a conscious decision and still fails to recognise her when he sees her?)
Baaaah it's like the author has not decided what would be his reason for abandonment.
The heroine is TSTL and nobody is that naive in college and all the anger is gone I an instant after they have sex yuck.
The only one decent is the other guy whom the heroine uses shamelessly overall not one of my best Anne Stuart's books.
He is juvenile to the extreme (First we are told he has forgotten the heroine understandable as he was almost killed then suddenly he is thinking he
remembers everything and he had only blocked her taking a conscious decision and still fails to recognise her when he sees her?)
Baaaah it's like the author has not decided what would be his reason for abandonment.
The heroine is TSTL and nobody is that naive in college and all the anger is gone I an instant after they have sex yuck.
The only one decent is the other guy whom the heroine uses shamelessly overall not one of my best Anne Stuart's books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2011
reread
A corporate book of the type I don`t like
A corporate book of the type I don`t like
October 15, 2012
Heroes that forget they ever met the heroines, and that they even proposed, are not cool. That said, I actually enjoyed this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews