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Into The Fire
A year ago Jamie learned that her beloved cousin, Nate, had been killed. Beaten to death in what police suspect was a drug deal gone wrong, he was found by his childhood friend Dillon Gaynor. Dillon had always been the baddest of the bad boys, leading Nate astray, and Jamie knows he has the answers to her questions about Nate's death. He's not about to volunteer any information, and Jamie's only choice is to head to the Wisconsin town where he lives to find the answers for herself.
Jamie shows up unannounced on Dillon's doorstep, only to find that Dillon is as dangerous and seductive as she remembers. But despite his silky hostility, she discovers she can't leave. Things start disappearing, strange accidents begin to happen and Jamie doesn't know whether Dillon is trying to seduce her or scare her away. And if she gives in to his predatory games, will she lose her soul? Or her life?
But something else—something evil and threatening—is going on. And Dillon knows more than he's saying. Is he the one behind the strange threats…or is he Jamie's only chance for survival?
Jamie shows up unannounced on Dillon's doorstep, only to find that Dillon is as dangerous and seductive as she remembers. But despite his silky hostility, she discovers she can't leave. Things start disappearing, strange accidents begin to happen and Jamie doesn't know whether Dillon is trying to seduce her or scare her away. And if she gives in to his predatory games, will she lose her soul? Or her life?
But something else—something evil and threatening—is going on. And Dillon knows more than he's saying. Is he the one behind the strange threats…or is he Jamie's only chance for survival?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
38 people are currently reading
932 people want to read
About the author
Anne Stuart
203 books2,062 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 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 29, 2023
4.25/5
**This review (probably) contains some spoilers.
This was another enthralling dark romantic thriller by one of my favorite authors. Anne Stuart can write antiheroes like no other. The best aspect of her male leads is that they are imperfect. Of course, they are complex characters—dark, bitter, ruthless, cold-blooded, dangerous, yet redeemable and likable somehow. And in this book, Dillon does have flaws and weaknesses. He is a hero you will love to hate (and hate to love) for certain!
Dillon Gaynor and Jamie Kincaid had a long history together. They knew each other through Nate who was Jamie’s cousin and also Dillon’s close friend way back when they were kids. Dillon was an irresistible bad boy whereas Jamie was a naïve good girl. Although she knew very well that Dillon and she were polar opposites and he was totally the wrong boy for her, she couldn’t get rid of her crush on him no matter what.
Until that night… One dreadful night that changed her life forever. The night Dillon completely disappeared from her life and she hadn’t seen him ever since.
Twelve years later, three months after Nate's death, they met again. They realized that every bit of fierce spark between them was still there, and it would be only a matter of time before they both surrendered to their own desires.
Love. Lies. Betrayal. Revenge. Regret.
Dillon thought that the past was gone, but he was wrong. Finally, when all the truth was revealed, it came as a shock to them to learn that there was ‘evil’ lurking in the dark and unfinished business awaiting them. They had no choice but to face it and end it once and for all.
The suspense part of this book was great. When the word ghost popped up on the page out of the blue, I was like—well, hell, is this book really about the ghost? I had no idea, but I must admit the author did a great job of making me believe that everything was exactly what I read, but at the same time, she made me doubt if I was wrong. My curiosity was raised to the highest pitch. The more I read, the more my feeling of unease grew. This villain really gave me a creepy feeling throughout the entire story.
And I can tell you that the romance part totally took me by surprise. I love it when the hero has got it bad for the heroine but has to keep it to himself. And in this case, not only was Dillon crazy about Jamie, but he was also consumed by passion for her and the memories of her. Aww… *sigh*
However, I have to say that there were some scenes where he drove me mad. He was deliberately mean to her and he hurt her feelings countless times. Oh yeah, I just hoped that someone would punch him in the face!
But well, please don’t worry. He redeemed himself eventually.
All in all, this was a dark, emotional, suspenseful, and heart-pounding read. I got a great deal of enjoyment out of it. If you’re looking for a good romantic thriller with a well-done antihero, I recommend this one to you.
**This book contains scenes that some sensitive readers may find disturbing.
**This review (probably) contains some spoilers.
This was another enthralling dark romantic thriller by one of my favorite authors. Anne Stuart can write antiheroes like no other. The best aspect of her male leads is that they are imperfect. Of course, they are complex characters—dark, bitter, ruthless, cold-blooded, dangerous, yet redeemable and likable somehow. And in this book, Dillon does have flaws and weaknesses. He is a hero you will love to hate (and hate to love) for certain!
Dillon Gaynor and Jamie Kincaid had a long history together. They knew each other through Nate who was Jamie’s cousin and also Dillon’s close friend way back when they were kids. Dillon was an irresistible bad boy whereas Jamie was a naïve good girl. Although she knew very well that Dillon and she were polar opposites and he was totally the wrong boy for her, she couldn’t get rid of her crush on him no matter what.
Until that night… One dreadful night that changed her life forever. The night Dillon completely disappeared from her life and she hadn’t seen him ever since.
Twelve years later, three months after Nate's death, they met again. They realized that every bit of fierce spark between them was still there, and it would be only a matter of time before they both surrendered to their own desires.
Love. Lies. Betrayal. Revenge. Regret.
Dillon thought that the past was gone, but he was wrong. Finally, when all the truth was revealed, it came as a shock to them to learn that there was ‘evil’ lurking in the dark and unfinished business awaiting them. They had no choice but to face it and end it once and for all.
The suspense part of this book was great. When the word ghost popped up on the page out of the blue, I was like—well, hell, is this book really about the ghost? I had no idea, but I must admit the author did a great job of making me believe that everything was exactly what I read, but at the same time, she made me doubt if I was wrong. My curiosity was raised to the highest pitch. The more I read, the more my feeling of unease grew. This villain really gave me a creepy feeling throughout the entire story.
And I can tell you that the romance part totally took me by surprise. I love it when the hero has got it bad for the heroine but has to keep it to himself. And in this case, not only was Dillon crazy about Jamie, but he was also consumed by passion for her and the memories of her. Aww… *sigh*
However, I have to say that there were some scenes where he drove me mad. He was deliberately mean to her and he hurt her feelings countless times. Oh yeah, I just hoped that someone would punch him in the face!
But well, please don’t worry. He redeemed himself eventually.
All in all, this was a dark, emotional, suspenseful, and heart-pounding read. I got a great deal of enjoyment out of it. If you’re looking for a good romantic thriller with a well-done antihero, I recommend this one to you.
**This book contains scenes that some sensitive readers may find disturbing.
January 2, 2009
Jamie Kincaid is the quintessential good girl. She does everything that's asked of her and what's she's supposed to do. Her life is moving along swimmingly until her young, adolescent eyes lock onto Dillon Gaynor. He's as bad as she is good and he knows it. He's brooding, tough and as Alpha as they come. Like any bad boy he's Kryptonite to the good girl and Jamie can't stay away. One night after her date stood her up, her cousin Nate invites her out with him and Dillon. She tags along, thinking she can handle it, but she quickly realizes she's in way over her head. Defiantly, she asks Dillon if he wants to make out. He laughs and declines, telling her, "I don't make out, I f***." She's shocked all the way to her good girl soul. Later that evening, things unravel and it becomes a night that will haunt both Jamie and Dillon for years to come. In fact, twelve years later, Jamie is still hiding from herself while Dillon is still running. Unfortunately, Nate finds him and the two hook up again, partying like the old days. Then police inform Jamie and her mother that Nate had been killed in Dillon's home, while Dillon was downstairs. Jamie's mother is heartbroken and sends her after him to get answers. She goes to please her mother, once again certain she can handle the confrontation. Well this time Dillon isn't about to let her go without a fight and he plans to fight dirty. He traps her in his home and slowly seduces her out of her mind. Both of them share a wild, new passion and the eerie sensation that they are being watched. Someone or something is stalking them. Dillon has his suspicions, but he doesn't share them with Jamie, until things spiral out of control and someone ends up dead. In a panic, he sends her back to her mother but Jamie has begun to solve the mystery for herself and heads out to face the ghosts of the past alone. Dillon realizes what she is doing too late and can only race after her, hoping that this time he can save her.
Anne Stuart has created another gripping, taut mystery that has a touch of the paranormal. There is a brooding, haunting quality to the story that reminds one of the mysterious film noirs of the thirties and forties. Dillon isn't what he seems, he's mysterious and quiet, watchful and ever present. He's not the fairy tale prince a young teenage girl would romanticize about. He's the gritty, dirty lover a grown woman fantasizes about late at night. The type of man that only Anne Stuart can write. Jamie is a little dull, she's not as interesting as Dillon but one could hardly blame the poor girl. She holds her own against him for the most part, but she's got a lot of hidden angst that's a little tiring and her devotion to her mother and cousin is a trifle overdone, but it's necessary for the plot.
I highly recommend Into The Fire for a glimpse of Dillon alone. He's fascinating and mysterious and you'll remember him long after you've finished reading.
Anne Stuart has created another gripping, taut mystery that has a touch of the paranormal. There is a brooding, haunting quality to the story that reminds one of the mysterious film noirs of the thirties and forties. Dillon isn't what he seems, he's mysterious and quiet, watchful and ever present. He's not the fairy tale prince a young teenage girl would romanticize about. He's the gritty, dirty lover a grown woman fantasizes about late at night. The type of man that only Anne Stuart can write. Jamie is a little dull, she's not as interesting as Dillon but one could hardly blame the poor girl. She holds her own against him for the most part, but she's got a lot of hidden angst that's a little tiring and her devotion to her mother and cousin is a trifle overdone, but it's necessary for the plot.
I highly recommend Into The Fire for a glimpse of Dillon alone. He's fascinating and mysterious and you'll remember him long after you've finished reading.
January 3, 2020
I did a reread on Audible over the past month. Here are my thoughts:
This book is a lot darker than I remembered. The villain is seriously twisted and sick. I didn't remember that person being so bad. I don't know if I blocked out some of it when I read it last time.
Dillon is edgy but from the beginning, I knew that there were hidden depths to him. I think his love for Jamie is fairly transparent throughout the book, although not to her. He is definitely a bad boy, and I think he predates the current trend of the uber-sexual gearhead hero. I love a hero who can fix things, so I was all on that.
I really hate what happened to Mouser. If there's one part of the story I could change, it would be that. It's just awful.
Jamie's character could have used more development. She seems kind of monotone. I would like to have seen more delving into her psychology, considering her issues, including the past assault and her tyrannical, unloving mother. As well as the clearly damaged relationship between her and Nate.
I would love to see a snapshot of Jamie and Dillon in the future and how they are doing. I believe they are making a successful go of things, with a few children, and Dillon continuing to fix vintage cars. I can imagine Jamie having a fun and creative job and being more expressive and open in her personality.
I downgraded this to a 4.5 rating because I feel that Jamie could have been more developed. Otherwise, it's a short and thrilling and very dark romantic suspense read. It's absolutely full of triggers, so be warned.
This book is a lot darker than I remembered. The villain is seriously twisted and sick. I didn't remember that person being so bad. I don't know if I blocked out some of it when I read it last time.
Dillon is edgy but from the beginning, I knew that there were hidden depths to him. I think his love for Jamie is fairly transparent throughout the book, although not to her. He is definitely a bad boy, and I think he predates the current trend of the uber-sexual gearhead hero. I love a hero who can fix things, so I was all on that.
I really hate what happened to Mouser. If there's one part of the story I could change, it would be that. It's just awful.
Jamie's character could have used more development. She seems kind of monotone. I would like to have seen more delving into her psychology, considering her issues, including the past assault and her tyrannical, unloving mother. As well as the clearly damaged relationship between her and Nate.
I would love to see a snapshot of Jamie and Dillon in the future and how they are doing. I believe they are making a successful go of things, with a few children, and Dillon continuing to fix vintage cars. I can imagine Jamie having a fun and creative job and being more expressive and open in her personality.
I downgraded this to a 4.5 rating because I feel that Jamie could have been more developed. Otherwise, it's a short and thrilling and very dark romantic suspense read. It's absolutely full of triggers, so be warned.
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February 6, 2021
⤅ This one's a serious mixed bag.
On the one hand, it's well-written, hot, and has some of my favourite tropes.
On the other hand, there's no epilogue, limited closure, and a plot that looks shakier the more I look at it.
So, yeah. Mixed bag. Thank God the three-star rating exists.
29-year-old Jamie Kincaid is on her way to see someone she thought she'd seen for last time 12 years ago. Her cousin/adoptive brother, Nathan, was beaten to death a few months ago, and his best friend - 32-year-old Dillon Gaynor - has a box of his stuff. Even though she really doesn't want to see Dillon again, she knows her mum badly wants that box, so she volunteers to get it like the sacrificial lamb she is.
When she rocks up at Dillon's place, she discovers that the years have been kind to him. (Of course they have, he's a romance novel hero). From a misspent youth dealing drugs and selling stolen cars, he's now a mostly law-abiding mechanic. Fortunate choice of profession, since her rental car has just breathed its last. Even though he's clearly irritated to see her, he doesn't really want to let her leave, and the two of them fall into a hot-and-heavy relationship fuelled by the pent-up desire of 14 years. There is, however, someone watching them who has no intention of letting them pass unscathed.
✔️ I'm quite a big fan of Dillon. I reckon he's one of Anne Stuart's more likeable heroes, in that he shows an explicit desire to keep the heroine with him (he steals her shoes so she can't leave! Swoon) and has basically been obsessing over her for years. Since she was 14, in fact, but he doesn't make a move until she's 16 and he's 19. He treats her to a typically alpha-style pushing of himself onto her, which may seem repellent in light of the fact that she has been raped in the past by someone else, but I think it's shown clearly enough that Jamie is interested in him.
✔️ Speaking of that move, I like that they have history behind them. It felt very raw.
✔️ The writing, as always, is good. Stuart has a real talent for the 'stifling' kind of writing, as if she's got her hero and heroine under a spotlight in a dark room and nothing else exists but them. It can feel a bit strangling sometimes, but it fits the story.
❌ In many ways, this is a very dark and depressing book. It's not a happy read at all. The main characters are heavily damaged, there's character death, heavy themes of rape/murder/lack of family affection... and only the barest ray of light at the end of the tunnel for our couple. Since Stuart doesn't believe in epilogues, there's no pasted-on happy ending. I'd even have ventured to call it a HFN, if I weren't so convinced of the couple's feelings for each other.
It's not my first Stuart read, and won't be my last, but I'm reminded of why I can only really take Stuart in small doses.
On the one hand, it's well-written, hot, and has some of my favourite tropes.
On the other hand, there's no epilogue, limited closure, and a plot that looks shakier the more I look at it.
So, yeah. Mixed bag. Thank God the three-star rating exists.
29-year-old Jamie Kincaid is on her way to see someone she thought she'd seen for last time 12 years ago. Her cousin/adoptive brother, Nathan, was beaten to death a few months ago, and his best friend - 32-year-old Dillon Gaynor - has a box of his stuff. Even though she really doesn't want to see Dillon again, she knows her mum badly wants that box, so she volunteers to get it like the sacrificial lamb she is.
When she rocks up at Dillon's place, she discovers that the years have been kind to him. (Of course they have, he's a romance novel hero). From a misspent youth dealing drugs and selling stolen cars, he's now a mostly law-abiding mechanic. Fortunate choice of profession, since her rental car has just breathed its last. Even though he's clearly irritated to see her, he doesn't really want to let her leave, and the two of them fall into a hot-and-heavy relationship fuelled by the pent-up desire of 14 years. There is, however, someone watching them who has no intention of letting them pass unscathed.
✔️ I'm quite a big fan of Dillon. I reckon he's one of Anne Stuart's more likeable heroes, in that he shows an explicit desire to keep the heroine with him (he steals her shoes so she can't leave! Swoon) and has basically been obsessing over her for years. Since she was 14, in fact, but he doesn't make a move until she's 16 and he's 19. He treats her to a typically alpha-style pushing of himself onto her, which may seem repellent in light of the fact that she has been raped in the past by someone else, but I think it's shown clearly enough that Jamie is interested in him.
✔️ Speaking of that move, I like that they have history behind them. It felt very raw.
✔️ The writing, as always, is good. Stuart has a real talent for the 'stifling' kind of writing, as if she's got her hero and heroine under a spotlight in a dark room and nothing else exists but them. It can feel a bit strangling sometimes, but it fits the story.
❌ In many ways, this is a very dark and depressing book. It's not a happy read at all. The main characters are heavily damaged, there's character death, heavy themes of rape/murder/lack of family affection... and only the barest ray of light at the end of the tunnel for our couple. Since Stuart doesn't believe in epilogues, there's no pasted-on happy ending. I'd even have ventured to call it a HFN, if I weren't so convinced of the couple's feelings for each other.
It's not my first Stuart read, and won't be my last, but I'm reminded of why I can only really take Stuart in small doses.
November 25, 2010
Hmm. What to say about this one that won't alienate every Anne Stuart fan out there (and don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE fan). **deep breath** Here goes.
Anne Stuart is an excellent writer. She can create an atmosphere, tone, whatever you want to call it like few romance authors out there. I don't know what it is about her, but she is very talented in that respect. Her books are instantly recognizable to me for the style of her writing alone. Dark doesn't begin to fully describe the world she creates in her novels, but it's all I can come up with.
She can create a Hero out of a thug, a reptilian criminal, a spy, a hitman, a drug dealer. Pick a rat-bastard type and she can make him so attractive, so compelling, so sexual, and so tortured that as a female you can't help falling for him. She pushes all of our girlie buttons every single time. YOU will be the one to change him, to soften him, to make him see that he IS redeemable, that he does deserve all of you. I say all of you because when you fall for one of these rat-bastards, it is with every fibre of your being. You lose yourself in feelings you have for him. You would do anything for him, throw yourself in front of a train for him, break the law, lie, cheat and/or steal for him.
Not that there is anything wrong with that. (In the context of romantic fiction, of course. IRL it isn't the slightest bit healthy, lol).
My problem with this book (and, I'm finding, with Anne Stuart's contemporary romantic suspense novels) is that as bad as the Heroes are, the heroines seem to be cardboard, borderline TSTL victim-types. And when an 'anti-hero' (my word for AS' men) has no one to play off of other than a cardboard cliche, his words/actions become cardboard as well. The story becomes all surface, shallow and trite, with no depth to the characters. They have nowhere to go other than the cliche they are written into.
That's how I feel about this book.
Jamie, the heroine seems to be uptight, repressed, a bit of a wimp with a domineering mother. She has a back story that makes her out to be damaged, but we're only given the story in pieces - which made her behaviour towards Dillon goofy enough that I immediately thought she was an idiot. Kind of like the girls in the Harlequin romances. "No one shall touch me!" That type of behaviour, all the while agonizing over how hot Dillon still is. She seems to be OTT embarrassed about getting together with him as a teenager. Now, call me easy, but if I had the opportunity to jump the bones of my first love 13 years later - with him obviously wanting me big time, and looking as gorgeous as ever - am I going to fuck it up by saying things like "I don't want you to touch me; I hate you"? *facepalm*
Ugh. Anyhow, we find out as the story progresses that after she goes to 3rd base with Dillon back when she was 16, he blows her off for a girl with big boobs at the party, and she hooks up with the captain of the insert-sport-here team, who we all know has gotta be a pig and a date-rapist. Check that off the trauma list -- virgin heroine sullied forever by rich kid with sense of entitlement. Next check on the list -- Dillon pounds ever-loving crap out of rich kid, goes to jail for 18mths, consumed by secret love for Jamie. He had blown her off because he had principles - didn't think he was good enough for her, or some such baloney. This cues another layer to the backstory involving the cousin and endless machinations that involved Dillon, Nate (the cousin) and Jamie.
We get the sense that Nate was not a very nice person, and that Dillon knows a lot of stuff that he isn't telling. And that Jamie is not especially perceptive about her parents and her cousin. Later in the book we find out that Jamie has been in love with Dillon since she was a teenager, and that Dillon has carried a torch for her since then as well. Unfortunately, it's a whole lot of telling us rather than showing us, which is part of what I mean when I say the story is shallow.
Of course, Jamie has spent years in therapy trying to overcome the rape. (I'm going to stop for a moment and apologize to anyone who has ever had anything like this happen to them. I don't meant to trivialize it with my snarkiness. What I don't like is when it is used in romance novels as a reason for ridiculous behaviour by a TSTL heroine.) What she doesn't seem to have dealt with are her feelings for Dillon (I mean really - you can't help who you love, isn't acceptance one of the steps toward moving on?), her parents - who loved her cousin more than they loved her, or her cousin - whose death in Dillon's garage is the lynchpin for the entire story. And she hasn't dealt with the whole sex thing either -- one minute she's saying no, not on your life, I don't want this, and the next she is whispering in his ear "I wanted you to come in my mouth".
The story here was ok, if not particularly inspired: Jamie travels to Wisconsin to see Dillon - he was the last to see her cousin before his horrible death and she wants answers. He was her cousin's best friend growing up, she's had the hots for him since she was 15. Once she gets there, some things happen that prevent her from leaving (only a secret to her, though - we are shown everything that is going on so there really is no suspense here at all) and she and Dillon get it on in any number of places - including the infamous Cadillac convertible of their youth.
To get back again to the problem I have with AS' heroines -- when Jamie travels to Wisconsin it's in a beat-up Volvo, in a snowstorm with no working wipers. She puts the car into the ditch, she later loses her purse (not really her fault as Dillon stole it), she loses her shoes, she is upset at seeing Dillon, she can't eat, she can't sleep, she falls through an attic floor, she steps on a rat and screams blue murder, she takes off to the villian's lair alone, in a snowstorm. She keeps asking Dillon if he was the one who pushed her through the attic floor, who wrote 'whore' on her chest with a knife, who started all of the vehicles in the garage to poison her with carbon dioxide, who slashed her tires. All of which makes me grit my teeth.
Where are the strong-willed, determined, WITTY, smart, self-sufficient heroines that populate AS' historical romance novels? This one screams, cries, needs someone to tell her to put on her big girl panties and deal. And it's these characters that I don't care for. I think the heroine is what wrecked the book for me. What does it leave the hero with other than to be a douchebag to her? He can't banter with her, she's got no wit. He can't tease her, she has no sense of ha-ha where he is concerned. He can't be tender with her, she says she hates him. The only thing he can do is fuck her. Forcefully, not particularly tenderly. At least in the beginning.
And while on that subject -- Anne Stuart does those parts mighty nicely. In fact, those are the best parts of the book. And right now, the only reason I'd re-read this one. ;)
3.5 stars
Anne Stuart is an excellent writer. She can create an atmosphere, tone, whatever you want to call it like few romance authors out there. I don't know what it is about her, but she is very talented in that respect. Her books are instantly recognizable to me for the style of her writing alone. Dark doesn't begin to fully describe the world she creates in her novels, but it's all I can come up with.
She can create a Hero out of a thug, a reptilian criminal, a spy, a hitman, a drug dealer. Pick a rat-bastard type and she can make him so attractive, so compelling, so sexual, and so tortured that as a female you can't help falling for him. She pushes all of our girlie buttons every single time. YOU will be the one to change him, to soften him, to make him see that he IS redeemable, that he does deserve all of you. I say all of you because when you fall for one of these rat-bastards, it is with every fibre of your being. You lose yourself in feelings you have for him. You would do anything for him, throw yourself in front of a train for him, break the law, lie, cheat and/or steal for him.
Not that there is anything wrong with that. (In the context of romantic fiction, of course. IRL it isn't the slightest bit healthy, lol).
My problem with this book (and, I'm finding, with Anne Stuart's contemporary romantic suspense novels) is that as bad as the Heroes are, the heroines seem to be cardboard, borderline TSTL victim-types. And when an 'anti-hero' (my word for AS' men) has no one to play off of other than a cardboard cliche, his words/actions become cardboard as well. The story becomes all surface, shallow and trite, with no depth to the characters. They have nowhere to go other than the cliche they are written into.
That's how I feel about this book.
Jamie, the heroine seems to be uptight, repressed, a bit of a wimp with a domineering mother. She has a back story that makes her out to be damaged, but we're only given the story in pieces - which made her behaviour towards Dillon goofy enough that I immediately thought she was an idiot. Kind of like the girls in the Harlequin romances. "No one shall touch me!" That type of behaviour, all the while agonizing over how hot Dillon still is. She seems to be OTT embarrassed about getting together with him as a teenager. Now, call me easy, but if I had the opportunity to jump the bones of my first love 13 years later - with him obviously wanting me big time, and looking as gorgeous as ever - am I going to fuck it up by saying things like "I don't want you to touch me; I hate you"? *facepalm*
Ugh. Anyhow, we find out as the story progresses that after she goes to 3rd base with Dillon back when she was 16, he blows her off for a girl with big boobs at the party, and she hooks up with the captain of the insert-sport-here team, who we all know has gotta be a pig and a date-rapist. Check that off the trauma list -- virgin heroine sullied forever by rich kid with sense of entitlement. Next check on the list -- Dillon pounds ever-loving crap out of rich kid, goes to jail for 18mths, consumed by secret love for Jamie. He had blown her off because he had principles - didn't think he was good enough for her, or some such baloney. This cues another layer to the backstory involving the cousin and endless machinations that involved Dillon, Nate (the cousin) and Jamie.
We get the sense that Nate was not a very nice person, and that Dillon knows a lot of stuff that he isn't telling. And that Jamie is not especially perceptive about her parents and her cousin. Later in the book we find out that Jamie has been in love with Dillon since she was a teenager, and that Dillon has carried a torch for her since then as well. Unfortunately, it's a whole lot of telling us rather than showing us, which is part of what I mean when I say the story is shallow.
Of course, Jamie has spent years in therapy trying to overcome the rape. (I'm going to stop for a moment and apologize to anyone who has ever had anything like this happen to them. I don't meant to trivialize it with my snarkiness. What I don't like is when it is used in romance novels as a reason for ridiculous behaviour by a TSTL heroine.) What she doesn't seem to have dealt with are her feelings for Dillon (I mean really - you can't help who you love, isn't acceptance one of the steps toward moving on?), her parents - who loved her cousin more than they loved her, or her cousin - whose death in Dillon's garage is the lynchpin for the entire story. And she hasn't dealt with the whole sex thing either -- one minute she's saying no, not on your life, I don't want this, and the next she is whispering in his ear "I wanted you to come in my mouth".
The story here was ok, if not particularly inspired: Jamie travels to Wisconsin to see Dillon - he was the last to see her cousin before his horrible death and she wants answers. He was her cousin's best friend growing up, she's had the hots for him since she was 15. Once she gets there, some things happen that prevent her from leaving (only a secret to her, though - we are shown everything that is going on so there really is no suspense here at all) and she and Dillon get it on in any number of places - including the infamous Cadillac convertible of their youth.
To get back again to the problem I have with AS' heroines -- when Jamie travels to Wisconsin it's in a beat-up Volvo, in a snowstorm with no working wipers. She puts the car into the ditch, she later loses her purse (not really her fault as Dillon stole it), she loses her shoes, she is upset at seeing Dillon, she can't eat, she can't sleep, she falls through an attic floor, she steps on a rat and screams blue murder, she takes off to the villian's lair alone, in a snowstorm. She keeps asking Dillon if he was the one who pushed her through the attic floor, who wrote 'whore' on her chest with a knife, who started all of the vehicles in the garage to poison her with carbon dioxide, who slashed her tires. All of which makes me grit my teeth.
Where are the strong-willed, determined, WITTY, smart, self-sufficient heroines that populate AS' historical romance novels? This one screams, cries, needs someone to tell her to put on her big girl panties and deal. And it's these characters that I don't care for. I think the heroine is what wrecked the book for me. What does it leave the hero with other than to be a douchebag to her? He can't banter with her, she's got no wit. He can't tease her, she has no sense of ha-ha where he is concerned. He can't be tender with her, she says she hates him. The only thing he can do is fuck her. Forcefully, not particularly tenderly. At least in the beginning.
And while on that subject -- Anne Stuart does those parts mighty nicely. In fact, those are the best parts of the book. And right now, the only reason I'd re-read this one. ;)
3.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2009
This one is a hard one to rate: on one hand, I love Anne Stuart's writing. On the other, her gamma heroes are, for me, hard to like, and her heroines sometimes come out as being more victims of the hero than as objects of affection. This is very true of this story.
Jamie Kincaid has just undertaken a long drive from Rhode Island to Wisconsin to find out, at the behest of her adopted mother, what exactly happened to result in the death of her cousin Nate. Unfortunately, the answers lie directly with the one man Jamie never wants to see again: Dillon Gaynor. Her adolescent crush led to the worst night of her life, and she's convinced that he was somehow involved in Nate's death.
Dillon is a bad boy who has reformed some of his ways: he's sober, he no longer steals or gets into fights, and he's making a quiet life for himself in Wisconsin. Until the object of his insane teenage obsession, his best friend's cousin, walks in the door demanding answers. Dillon is gamma all the way down to his toes, but he does have his redeeming moments where he shows tenderness. They are often outweighed, however, by the cruelty and mind games he plays with Jamie. Stealing her purse, hiding her shoes, letting the air out of her tires, just so she can't leave until he's done with her. Then there's his attitude about sex with Jamie: she owes him, and even if she is scared of men because of said horrible night and even if it was sort of his fault, she's his for the taking, whether she wants it or not. Oh, he gives her every chance to walk away, and she doesn't, but like most of Stuart's first sexual encounters between the innocent heroine and the gamma hero, it comes off more as uncomfortable and sad than sexy. And it skewed my vision of Dillon no matter how much (and it isn't a lot) he redeems himself later.
All in all, probably not a book I'd keep or really recommend to anyone who likes more alpha heroes (like I do), but if you like gamma heroes or you're willing to put up with it for Stuart's suspense writing, it's not a bad read. B-
Jamie Kincaid has just undertaken a long drive from Rhode Island to Wisconsin to find out, at the behest of her adopted mother, what exactly happened to result in the death of her cousin Nate. Unfortunately, the answers lie directly with the one man Jamie never wants to see again: Dillon Gaynor. Her adolescent crush led to the worst night of her life, and she's convinced that he was somehow involved in Nate's death.
Dillon is a bad boy who has reformed some of his ways: he's sober, he no longer steals or gets into fights, and he's making a quiet life for himself in Wisconsin. Until the object of his insane teenage obsession, his best friend's cousin, walks in the door demanding answers. Dillon is gamma all the way down to his toes, but he does have his redeeming moments where he shows tenderness. They are often outweighed, however, by the cruelty and mind games he plays with Jamie. Stealing her purse, hiding her shoes, letting the air out of her tires, just so she can't leave until he's done with her. Then there's his attitude about sex with Jamie: she owes him, and even if she is scared of men because of said horrible night and even if it was sort of his fault, she's his for the taking, whether she wants it or not. Oh, he gives her every chance to walk away, and she doesn't, but like most of Stuart's first sexual encounters between the innocent heroine and the gamma hero, it comes off more as uncomfortable and sad than sexy. And it skewed my vision of Dillon no matter how much (and it isn't a lot) he redeems himself later.
All in all, probably not a book I'd keep or really recommend to anyone who likes more alpha heroes (like I do), but if you like gamma heroes or you're willing to put up with it for Stuart's suspense writing, it's not a bad read. B-
October 29, 2014
Good romantic suspense with some twists and turns with likeable characters.
Enjoyed it but not one of my best from my favourite author.
Enjoyed it but not one of my best from my favourite author.
August 6, 2011
read the synopsis. go ahead. do it.
it all sounds fantastic rightt??
(RIGHT!)
a murder mystery...
...a bad boy and a good girl clashing in an eerie setting...
veryyy interesting premise for a thriller/romance
so you can see why i was excited to give it a shot, yes? (YES!)
but then i discovered that Anne Stuart -the lovely author- seems to have some unfulfilled fantasies involving rape.
and that REALLLLY worries me.
NOW LISTEN UP BOYS. IM GONNA GIVE YOU SOME GREAT ADVICE ON GETTING GIRLS AND AVOIDING JAIL-TIME!
----if a girl says no, then you BACK THE HELL off. got it? i don't care how "tempted" you are, or how you "know that she wants it. she's just scared". i don't care if you are trying to fulfill your bad-boy-good-girl desires. i dont care. IT DOESNT MATTER. she says no-- and no matter what the translates into in your twisted mind, you back off. when you don't back off, thats called rape.
R-A-P-E. look it up in the goddamn dictionary.
The main romance interest-- mind you i'm not even going to finish the book because i'm that disgusted, so i don't know how it ends--- basically rapes the main female character. We learn this in the flashbacks of the novel. AND --oh yeah there's more-- while we're in current times, he basically forces himself on her MORE THAN ONCE.
Look, people. buddies. pals. i know that sometimes when we say no, we mean something else. BUT i think in this situation, with the pretense of hatred and rape and all, if you are uncomfortable enough to say "NO" during whatever twisted foreplay (cringe)you partake in, then we are crossing the rape/sexual assault line.
i will not finish this book because romance and rape do not coincide in my mind.
does that make me weird?
i sincerely hope not.
it all sounds fantastic rightt??
(RIGHT!)
a murder mystery...
...a bad boy and a good girl clashing in an eerie setting...
veryyy interesting premise for a thriller/romance
so you can see why i was excited to give it a shot, yes? (YES!)
but then i discovered that Anne Stuart -the lovely author- seems to have some unfulfilled fantasies involving rape.
and that REALLLLY worries me.
NOW LISTEN UP BOYS. IM GONNA GIVE YOU SOME GREAT ADVICE ON GETTING GIRLS AND AVOIDING JAIL-TIME!
----if a girl says no, then you BACK THE HELL off. got it? i don't care how "tempted" you are, or how you "know that she wants it. she's just scared". i don't care if you are trying to fulfill your bad-boy-good-girl desires. i dont care. IT DOESNT MATTER. she says no-- and no matter what the translates into in your twisted mind, you back off. when you don't back off, thats called rape.
R-A-P-E. look it up in the goddamn dictionary.
The main romance interest-- mind you i'm not even going to finish the book because i'm that disgusted, so i don't know how it ends--- basically rapes the main female character. We learn this in the flashbacks of the novel. AND --oh yeah there's more-- while we're in current times, he basically forces himself on her MORE THAN ONCE.
Look, people. buddies. pals. i know that sometimes when we say no, we mean something else. BUT i think in this situation, with the pretense of hatred and rape and all, if you are uncomfortable enough to say "NO" during whatever twisted foreplay (cringe)you partake in, then we are crossing the rape/sexual assault line.
i will not finish this book because romance and rape do not coincide in my mind.
does that make me weird?
i sincerely hope not.
July 20, 2018
The setup for this is a little preposterous, but Into the Fire still succeeds in being a sexy, atmospheric romantic suspense. I really liked the angst and longing between the two leads. Jamie (h) and Dillon (H) are a bit f**ked up emotionally, but that makes them a good fit since they're both by haunted by the past.
The preposterousness comes into play mainly with the villain.
Despite these quibbles, I still enjoyed reading this. Anne Stuart knows how to write an engaging and entertaining story. An okay Stuart book is still head and shoulders above many others.
The preposterousness comes into play mainly with the villain.
Despite these quibbles, I still enjoyed reading this. Anne Stuart knows how to write an engaging and entertaining story. An okay Stuart book is still head and shoulders above many others.
February 28, 2016
2.5 stars.
Oh, where do I start with this one? Well, as one reviewer so succinctly put it, this book was "pretty rapey." Of course it was. Why would I have expected anything different?
"There was rape and there was rape." That's how the MC, Jamie, rationalizes her first penetrative sexual encounter with Dillon, the "love" interest. I'm not sure she really believes that, whatever it means, since romance novel heroines are pretty good at ignoring rape of any kind. And she does go on to have lots more sex with him, of course. But that first time she told him no in a variety of ways. And since she didn't walk away, she obviously invited him to keep going despite all those pesky nos. It's all right. He knew she really wanted it anyway.
This book started off really strong for me. I loved the flashback scenes. That's where we find out about the first time Dillon ignores Jamie's protests.
I thought Dillon was going to be the gamma hero of my dreams. He's a hot lowlife with a shady past, he works on cool cars for a living, and he's an emotionally unavailable asshole. It's too bad he listens to U2. Can't really get behind that. Oh, and he was just slightly too cruel to be lovable. Oh, and he totally rapes Jamie. Although we got into his head a little more at the very end, he was never redeemed enough for me to ignore how crappy he treated her.
There wasn't much going on in this book besides Jamie and Dillon interacting with each other, and the psychotic musings of the villain. And speaking of the villain.
So, yes, the characters needed more to them. Jamie was pretty fucking weak and I have no idea what she did with her life besides pine after Dillon. Dillon was developed as a character to my satisfaction, but too much of an asshole, like I said.
The ending happened way too quickly, and anticlimactically. And then suddenly Jamie and Dillon are together (not a spoiler, you knew it was going to happen). I have serious doubts about their relationship, though. In the middle of the novel, when they were having a bunch of sex, that's all they did. Seriously. Jamie didn't even eat. I'm imagining a future for them that consists of nothing but sex, cruel banter (with the occasional gesture of semi-love, like falling asleep in your man's arms), a bath here and there, Dillon working on cars every now and then so he can get money, and more sex. And more. And then they'll both die because they were too wrapped up in each other to eat.
I love a dark romance. I do. But while this one was easy to read, and pretty (shamefully) enjoyable at times, overall I didn't love it. Too much cruelty, too much rape apology. No hot gamma can convince me that's okay.
Oh, where do I start with this one? Well, as one reviewer so succinctly put it, this book was "pretty rapey." Of course it was. Why would I have expected anything different?
"There was rape and there was rape." That's how the MC, Jamie, rationalizes her first penetrative sexual encounter with Dillon, the "love" interest. I'm not sure she really believes that, whatever it means, since romance novel heroines are pretty good at ignoring rape of any kind. And she does go on to have lots more sex with him, of course. But that first time she told him no in a variety of ways. And since she didn't walk away, she obviously invited him to keep going despite all those pesky nos. It's all right. He knew she really wanted it anyway.
This book started off really strong for me. I loved the flashback scenes. That's where we find out about the first time Dillon ignores Jamie's protests.
I thought Dillon was going to be the gamma hero of my dreams. He's a hot lowlife with a shady past, he works on cool cars for a living, and he's an emotionally unavailable asshole. It's too bad he listens to U2. Can't really get behind that. Oh, and he was just slightly too cruel to be lovable. Oh, and he totally rapes Jamie. Although we got into his head a little more at the very end, he was never redeemed enough for me to ignore how crappy he treated her.
There wasn't much going on in this book besides Jamie and Dillon interacting with each other, and the psychotic musings of the villain. And speaking of the villain.
So, yes, the characters needed more to them. Jamie was pretty fucking weak and I have no idea what she did with her life besides pine after Dillon. Dillon was developed as a character to my satisfaction, but too much of an asshole, like I said.
The ending happened way too quickly, and anticlimactically. And then suddenly Jamie and Dillon are together (not a spoiler, you knew it was going to happen). I have serious doubts about their relationship, though. In the middle of the novel, when they were having a bunch of sex, that's all they did. Seriously. Jamie didn't even eat. I'm imagining a future for them that consists of nothing but sex, cruel banter (with the occasional gesture of semi-love, like falling asleep in your man's arms), a bath here and there, Dillon working on cars every now and then so he can get money, and more sex. And more. And then they'll both die because they were too wrapped up in each other to eat.
I love a dark romance. I do. But while this one was easy to read, and pretty (shamefully) enjoyable at times, overall I didn't love it. Too much cruelty, too much rape apology. No hot gamma can convince me that's okay.
February 10, 2011
Ahhhh, another book for my keeper shelf. Anne Stuart is quickly becoming one of my favorite Authors. I loved this book, and so far I think that it's a little different from some of the other ones that I've read. Dillon (H) isn't her typical anti-hero, I don't think he's "anti" at all just misunderstood. He was heading down the wrong road as a teenager but nobody seemed to notice that he had turned his life around. He also has a good heart, he cares for people he just doesn't want to show it.
Jamie (h), as a sixteen year old teenager, was dumped by her boyfriend right befor prom. Her cousin Nate who is more like a brother decides she should go with him and his friend Dillon to a party. She's always had a crush on Dillon, who was the towns bad boy, so was Nate but she sees it as Dillon leading Nate astray.Dillon has had a crush on Jamie too but knows he's no good for her, she needs some rich jock or something, someone who will make something of himself.The night ends in the worst way possiable and she doesn't see Dillon again until years later when Nate has been murdered and she goes to him looking for answers.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat,it didn't matter if I was reading what was happening in the present time or reading what had happend in the past through flashbacks, I just didn't want to put it down or for it to end. I know I will be rereading this one again soon.
Jamie (h), as a sixteen year old teenager, was dumped by her boyfriend right befor prom. Her cousin Nate who is more like a brother decides she should go with him and his friend Dillon to a party. She's always had a crush on Dillon, who was the towns bad boy, so was Nate but she sees it as Dillon leading Nate astray.Dillon has had a crush on Jamie too but knows he's no good for her, she needs some rich jock or something, someone who will make something of himself.The night ends in the worst way possiable and she doesn't see Dillon again until years later when Nate has been murdered and she goes to him looking for answers.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat,it didn't matter if I was reading what was happening in the present time or reading what had happend in the past through flashbacks, I just didn't want to put it down or for it to end. I know I will be rereading this one again soon.
January 24, 2008
Why did I like this book? Because the main male character is a bad boy and I guess I like bad boys that are good in spite of themselves. I like the reluctant hero...remember Elizabeth Peter's Vicky Bliss Series? I ADORED her anti-hero John-if that is his real name--Smythe. Anyway, this hero is nothing like the David Spade-like (to me, anyway) John, but has the same tendency to be brusque and well, rude. He was horny as hell and the sex, let me tell ya was HOT. But that is neither here nor there (yes it is), the book was fun, exciting, unpredictible-except for the fact that they would have sex...but we can allow for that. heh. What I didn't like about the book was that the heroine kept denying the attraction that this man obviously had for her. That irks me. I mean, if a guy is trying like HELL to bed you, that just might be an indication of some sort of attraction, yeah? The reason for her reluctance to believe becomes apparent later, so I mentally retracted that thought as I read on. Stuart worked in a sub-plot into the storyline that I enjoyed...(is a ghost always a ghost ?) that was well developed for the most part and played well into the drama and suspense of the work. Anne Stuart is a fun read and Im SO glad I have another author to consume.
Read and Enjoy!
March 1, 2016
4 Misunderstood Hero Stars!!
Anne Stuart's books are not for everybody. Her hero's are dark and gritty, very anti-Hero but...... as with all her hero's, there is more there than meets the eye.
I Loved Dillon and tolerated the heroine Jamie in this book. Her heroines are usually a bit stronger but Jamie choose to live with blinders her whole life, made snap judgements, and deemed Dillon aka Killer the bad seed (which he is) and her cousin Nate his misguided friend...she is about to find out that all is not as it seems......
January 4, 2019
3.5 stars rounded off
This book has been an eye opener; confusing, intriguing and suspenseful.
The H is one of Anne Stuart's bad boys; a sometime druggie and alcoholic boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
The h is a very confused young lady and clearly running from her past; she is not honest with herself as well and can be stupidly naive; she lets her adopted family use her for years.
The villain's identity is clear but shrouded in a different kind of suspense.
The intimate scenes are uncomfortable to start with and illustrates very clearly that H and h are messed up people.
Such is this author's magic that by the end, I fully believed that these 2 messed up people belonged together; she made him behave while he made her stop running and face the reality ...
This book has been an eye opener; confusing, intriguing and suspenseful.
The H is one of Anne Stuart's bad boys; a sometime druggie and alcoholic boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
The h is a very confused young lady and clearly running from her past; she is not honest with herself as well and can be stupidly naive; she lets her adopted family use her for years.
The villain's identity is clear but shrouded in a different kind of suspense.
The intimate scenes are uncomfortable to start with and illustrates very clearly that H and h are messed up people.
Such is this author's magic that by the end, I fully believed that these 2 messed up people belonged together; she made him behave while he made her stop running and face the reality ...
June 17, 2017
Este libro no tiene puta explicación.
Os lo voy a destripar porque es necesario y además sabéis cuánto me gusta hacer eso.
La historia comienza con que Jamie va a casa de Dillon a buscar las cosas de su recientemente muerto primo, Nate. Dillon era el mejor amigo de Nate y Jamie sospecha que fue quien lo mató. Al llegar allí las desgracias se suceden por doquier: el coche de Jamie muere, luego se estrella contra un árbol, acaba en casa de Dillon donde aparecen ratas muertas y hay ruidos extraños... etc. Todo muy fantasmagórico. He aquí la paranoia del libro: hay pequeños párrafos desde el punto de vista del supuesto fantasma de Nate (¿holaaaaa?) y el tío está majara perdido. Eso no lo describe lo suficiente. Hay que decir que Jamie siempre ha sentido una devoción absoluta por Nate, lo quería como un hermano aunque ella es adoptada y él en realidad es su primo pero vamos que ya sabéis, después de vivir tantos años juntos lo quería mucho. Ojo, que se lleva la sorpresa de que no era recíproco.
A los 13 años Jamie es violada en una fiesta a la que acude con Nate y Dillon. Y subrayo lo de VIOLADA porque la autora describió e hizo a Jamie hablar como que de violación nada de nada. Creo que es un tema que no debería jugarse con el así porque Jamie no hacía más que decir que la culpa había sido suya por subir voluntariamente al coche. NO ES NO Y PUNTO. Joder que rabia me dan estas cosas. Bueno el caso es que Dillon, al enterarse de lo que ha pasado le pega una paliza al violador de Jamie pero esta nunca se entera. Vemos aquí, y esto no se sabe hasta el final, que todo fue planeado por Nate. El le dijo a Dillon que Jamie estaba colada por el chico que la violó y por eso la dejaron sola con él. Increíble pero cierto.
Bueno os resumo rapidito que si lo destripo todo no me coge: Nate está vivo pero zumbado de todo porque cree que es un fantasma. Ha matado a un amigo de Dillon, a sus propios padres hace más de 14 años, ha matado a innumerables mujeres y ahora quiere matar a Jamie porque... redoble de tambores....¡está "enamorado de Dillon! Y cree que Jamie le quitó toda su atención. Así que llama a la madre de Jamie (una zorra que nunca se ha preocupado de Jamie pero a Nate lo amaba incluso sabiendo lo loco que estaba) y aún cuando lo encuentra apuntando con una pistola a Jamie lo intenta ayudar a él 🙄 así que el puto loco este le dispara a la madre de Jamie y sigue esperando a que venga Dillon a rescatar a Jamie para matar a esta delante de él para hacerlo sufrir y luego matarlo también.
Obviamente todo acaba bien. Nate muerto, la madre de Jamie sobrevive (pero sigue siendo igual de zorra) y Dillon y Jamie juntos.
PERDIDA DE TIEMPO ABSOLUTA. Odie este libro a muerte y no lo recomiendo. Y estoy siendo muy maja creedme. Vaya locura de libro.
Os lo voy a destripar porque es necesario y además sabéis cuánto me gusta hacer eso.
La historia comienza con que Jamie va a casa de Dillon a buscar las cosas de su recientemente muerto primo, Nate. Dillon era el mejor amigo de Nate y Jamie sospecha que fue quien lo mató. Al llegar allí las desgracias se suceden por doquier: el coche de Jamie muere, luego se estrella contra un árbol, acaba en casa de Dillon donde aparecen ratas muertas y hay ruidos extraños... etc. Todo muy fantasmagórico. He aquí la paranoia del libro: hay pequeños párrafos desde el punto de vista del supuesto fantasma de Nate (¿holaaaaa?) y el tío está majara perdido. Eso no lo describe lo suficiente. Hay que decir que Jamie siempre ha sentido una devoción absoluta por Nate, lo quería como un hermano aunque ella es adoptada y él en realidad es su primo pero vamos que ya sabéis, después de vivir tantos años juntos lo quería mucho. Ojo, que se lleva la sorpresa de que no era recíproco.
A los 13 años Jamie es violada en una fiesta a la que acude con Nate y Dillon. Y subrayo lo de VIOLADA porque la autora describió e hizo a Jamie hablar como que de violación nada de nada. Creo que es un tema que no debería jugarse con el así porque Jamie no hacía más que decir que la culpa había sido suya por subir voluntariamente al coche. NO ES NO Y PUNTO. Joder que rabia me dan estas cosas. Bueno el caso es que Dillon, al enterarse de lo que ha pasado le pega una paliza al violador de Jamie pero esta nunca se entera. Vemos aquí, y esto no se sabe hasta el final, que todo fue planeado por Nate. El le dijo a Dillon que Jamie estaba colada por el chico que la violó y por eso la dejaron sola con él. Increíble pero cierto.
Bueno os resumo rapidito que si lo destripo todo no me coge: Nate está vivo pero zumbado de todo porque cree que es un fantasma. Ha matado a un amigo de Dillon, a sus propios padres hace más de 14 años, ha matado a innumerables mujeres y ahora quiere matar a Jamie porque... redoble de tambores....¡está "enamorado de Dillon! Y cree que Jamie le quitó toda su atención. Así que llama a la madre de Jamie (una zorra que nunca se ha preocupado de Jamie pero a Nate lo amaba incluso sabiendo lo loco que estaba) y aún cuando lo encuentra apuntando con una pistola a Jamie lo intenta ayudar a él 🙄 así que el puto loco este le dispara a la madre de Jamie y sigue esperando a que venga Dillon a rescatar a Jamie para matar a esta delante de él para hacerlo sufrir y luego matarlo también.
Obviamente todo acaba bien. Nate muerto, la madre de Jamie sobrevive (pero sigue siendo igual de zorra) y Dillon y Jamie juntos.
PERDIDA DE TIEMPO ABSOLUTA. Odie este libro a muerte y no lo recomiendo. Y estoy siendo muy maja creedme. Vaya locura de libro.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2018
3/5 #RitaStuart #RetoRita2
Hay algo en este libro que no me ha terminado de convencer. El argumento me ha parecido poco desarrollado y los personajes igual. Ella es pava hasta decir basta, Dillon demasiado "padentro" y el personaje de Nate no está suficientemente justificado a mi modo de ver. Y todo el rollo del fantasma no tiene ni pies ni cabeza.
En realidad pesado no se me ha hecho, pero no es para echar cohetes. Quizá le debería dar un 2,5
Hay algo en este libro que no me ha terminado de convencer. El argumento me ha parecido poco desarrollado y los personajes igual. Ella es pava hasta decir basta, Dillon demasiado "padentro" y el personaje de Nate no está suficientemente justificado a mi modo de ver. Y todo el rollo del fantasma no tiene ni pies ni cabeza.
En realidad pesado no se me ha hecho, pero no es para echar cohetes. Quizá le debería dar un 2,5
June 18, 2018
Me sorprendio el libro…realmente la parte homoerótica muy bien trabajada a mi entender….la relación entre los protagonistas por fin tuvo un final feliz luego de tantos años de amor reprimido y de malos entendidos….su primito muy bien merecido que lo tuvo…yo lo hubiera torturado…era un ser vil y canalla…y la tía la hubiera dejado morir…así de mala soy….grrrrrr…no merecía seguir con su vida ni remordimientos tuvo hubiera intercambiado su vida por la del viejito inocente que fue asesinado viciosamente….
September 16, 2010
I did not like this story. Heroine did stupid things. Additional conflict was caused by hero not answering her questions.
Some examples of what I did not like are in the spoilers paragraph below. Story brief: Jamie and Dillon were drawn to each other in high school but didn't get together because she was raped and Dillon beat up the rapist. Dillon then went to jail for over a year. She didn't know why he went to jail (which I find hard to believe). Dillon gets out of jail and moves to Wisconsin. Several years later Jamie's cousin Nate who was Dillon's friend, gets killed in Dillon's garage. Jamie goes there to learn about Nate's death.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
Examples of things I did not like follow. Jamie loses her drivers license and wants Dillon to loan her his car so she can drive home from Wisc to Rhode Island - without a drivers license. I wouldn't loan my car to someone who had no license. She could have taken a bus, train or plane. She claimed she wanted to leave Dillon's place, but couldn't because she couldn't find her shoes. She kept being angry at Dillon for no reason that I could see. Someone tried to kill her and carved the name of a place in her skin. Then she travels to that place. She arrives there late at night, alone and with no weapon. She walks in the place and the killer is waiting for her and ties her up. Throughout the story, she would ask Dillon questions like "Did you kill Nate" and he wouldn't answer her.
DATA:
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: 12 years earlier and present day Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Connecticut. Copyright: 2003. Genre: romantic suspense.
Some examples of what I did not like are in the spoilers paragraph below. Story brief: Jamie and Dillon were drawn to each other in high school but didn't get together because she was raped and Dillon beat up the rapist. Dillon then went to jail for over a year. She didn't know why he went to jail (which I find hard to believe). Dillon gets out of jail and moves to Wisconsin. Several years later Jamie's cousin Nate who was Dillon's friend, gets killed in Dillon's garage. Jamie goes there to learn about Nate's death.
CAUTION SPOILERS:
Examples of things I did not like follow. Jamie loses her drivers license and wants Dillon to loan her his car so she can drive home from Wisc to Rhode Island - without a drivers license. I wouldn't loan my car to someone who had no license. She could have taken a bus, train or plane. She claimed she wanted to leave Dillon's place, but couldn't because she couldn't find her shoes. She kept being angry at Dillon for no reason that I could see. Someone tried to kill her and carved the name of a place in her skin. Then she travels to that place. She arrives there late at night, alone and with no weapon. She walks in the place and the killer is waiting for her and ties her up. Throughout the story, she would ask Dillon questions like "Did you kill Nate" and he wouldn't answer her.
DATA:
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: six. Setting: 12 years earlier and present day Rhode Island, Wisconsin and Connecticut. Copyright: 2003. Genre: romantic suspense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2012
Nobody does the modern gothic better than Anne Stuart and INTO THE FIRE is no exception. There are only a handful of authors who have me running into a bookstore to buy their new books and Anne has been one of them from way back. I literally read INTO THE FIRE in one sitting on a plane and I was afraid I was going to be next infamous case of spontaneous combustion. That's how hot Dillon and Jamie's relationship was. I loved their backstory and I'm so glad that Ms. Stuart isn't afraid to be politically incorrect and to write about fascinating, flawed characters who are redeemed during the course of the story. That's always been the mark of wonderful fiction. She's a writer who's not afraid to take chances and she definitely tapped into my primal fantasies with this book. An excellent read!
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August 18, 2019I'm not sure what to rate this RS. On one side it started with a ghost as a character and given I don't believe nor like that kind of Gothic stories, I was irritated. Leave ghosts to UF please 😁. On the other side the ghost was a good red herring and fooled me a bit.
Unfortunately all of this was marred by a rape that was 'cured' by a magical peen. And that is something that is difficult to accept. Yes it happened 13 years before and in those 13 years the heroine did suffer for it. Still. It smacked of a magical peen sorry.
So I don't really know. Some things were good, other meh.
Unfortunately all of this was marred by a rape that was 'cured' by a magical peen. And that is something that is difficult to accept. Yes it happened 13 years before and in those 13 years the heroine did suffer for it. Still. It smacked of a magical peen sorry.
So I don't really know. Some things were good, other meh.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2016
Definitely not for everyone. But I did like it. Not many authors can take such a hero as Dillon Gaynor and make you fall in love with him.
April 15, 2009
4 stars – Romantic Suspense
May 22, 2024
Registered on Bookcrossing - https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...
Great romantic suspense. I love that the main characters are flawed and interesting.
Great romantic suspense. I love that the main characters are flawed and interesting.
October 15, 2010
Where to begin with this one? Every time I read an Anne Stuart book I'm blown away, and this one was no different. I physically couldn't put it down.
The plot is actually relatively simple after you finish reading it and look back, but it's the way it unfolds, the way small things are revealed to you, and the way you get to understand the characters piece by piece, and then wham! something happens that kicks you in the gut. And before you know it, you are totally sucked in and can't put it down until you know everything.
Yes, the hero is a bad-ass bad-boy, and yes, the heroine is the honor roll student who can't break away from her bitch mother, but it is so much more complicated, intriguing and even a bit more gruesome than that.
Some parts verge on the distasteful for some readers, but it felt in sympathy with the plot and not unrealistic to me, so it provoked the right reaction (horror and disgust) but without making me want to shout out "That's not right! I'm reading for entertainment, for heaven's sake!"
Loved it.
The plot is actually relatively simple after you finish reading it and look back, but it's the way it unfolds, the way small things are revealed to you, and the way you get to understand the characters piece by piece, and then wham! something happens that kicks you in the gut. And before you know it, you are totally sucked in and can't put it down until you know everything.
Yes, the hero is a bad-ass bad-boy, and yes, the heroine is the honor roll student who can't break away from her bitch mother, but it is so much more complicated, intriguing and even a bit more gruesome than that.
Some parts verge on the distasteful for some readers, but it felt in sympathy with the plot and not unrealistic to me, so it provoked the right reaction (horror and disgust) but without making me want to shout out "That's not right! I'm reading for entertainment, for heaven's sake!"
Loved it.
January 18, 2016
Another classic tale of Anne Stuart and her infamous antihero boys.
She introduced Dillon Gaynor as a rebel, jackass, ex-convict, drug-junkie and womanizer since he was a little whelp. Something so bad you had your curiosity and lusts killing you. I don't know what kind of pheromone oozing out on the pores of those Bad guys that little girls want to smooch themselves up to them and to hell with caution and their brains. It's a formula to keep us wetting our panties and lay our selves to their feet. Must be our over-wired brain since dark ages where guys with more muscles, dark-foreboding aura than brain were available then. Though neanderthal guys were so extinct I don't think Dillon Gaynor still lives on today. But hoping he did so because, sad to say I'm a little girl who wants to have some piece of Dillon on my life right now.
She introduced Dillon Gaynor as a rebel, jackass, ex-convict, drug-junkie and womanizer since he was a little whelp. Something so bad you had your curiosity and lusts killing you. I don't know what kind of pheromone oozing out on the pores of those Bad guys that little girls want to smooch themselves up to them and to hell with caution and their brains. It's a formula to keep us wetting our panties and lay our selves to their feet. Must be our over-wired brain since dark ages where guys with more muscles, dark-foreboding aura than brain were available then. Though neanderthal guys were so extinct I don't think Dillon Gaynor still lives on today. But hoping he did so because, sad to say I'm a little girl who wants to have some piece of Dillon on my life right now.
April 6, 2012
This book was messed up, violent and horrid.I absolutely loved it! Definetely not romantic in traditional sense. The male protagonist was an ex-crim mechanic whose behaviour towards the female protagonist was borderline abusive (and we are talking the standing on the wrong side of the border) yet the thrill of this book! And the suspense is palpable. And as romance/obsessive behaviour goes you can see the attraction and unhealthy relationship growing.
May I re-iterate - messed up but good!
May I re-iterate - messed up but good!
June 29, 2009
Into the Fire was definitely a page-turner but not a favourite of mine. There wasn't much action until the end, and even then it wasn't much. I kind of enjoyed the budding romance between Jamie and Dillon but Nate's ghost put a damper on things and overall, this was a low-end kind of book. I won't be reading any more Anne Stuart books. 2.5/5 stars.
May 5, 2010
romantic suspensish. It was just okay. The plot was pretty thin. The heroine was pretty wimpish. I don't mind a bad boy hero but he never really redeemed himself. He never told her he loved her and I just like to have that in my romances especially when the suspense element is so light as it was here.
December 19, 2009
Book has a nice mystery/suspense element to it. Dillon and his past are the heart of this book. I loved the chracters and the plot kept you guessing.
January 30, 2010
I looved this book! The hero was to die for! I recommend it to anyone who love's to read about really bad boys!!!
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