[.uk] The Waterfall (ISBN 077832396X)

Skip This One:
Sometimes when you try a new author you are wonderfully surprised. Sometimes when you try a new author it's a struggle to get through every page and you throw the book away without ever finishing. This book falls into the second category. When widow Lucy Swift's family is threatened, she won't go to the local Sheriff. (Sheriffs are usually the ones to see when you find bullet holes in your dining room walls.) Lucy somehow just "knows" the law can't help her. She has a father-in-law who is a senator. She won't go to him for help either. Why you ask. Her indecisive, wishy-washy parenting has brought criticism from the father-in-law in the past. She's too weak to risk more advise from the senator so she has to keep the threats a secret from him. Lucy takes a little trip to Wyoming to ask for help from Sebastian Redwing, a friend of her deceased husband. Sebastian ran a security company until he killed a bad guy. Later he finds he didn't really kill the bad guy, but just the thought has sent him into a neurotic state of seclusion. Anyway he's a surly, rude, misogamist who's hiding out in a hut without running water or electricity. (Seems like he could have used some of that money he was saving on electricity to see a psychiatrist about his social problems. Maybe going without bathing and wearing dirty underwear is his idea of psychic healing.) Turns out Sebastian wasn't such a good choice in the help department. First thing he does while skulking through the woods looking for evildoers is to tumble off a cliff. Of course this requires Lucy to take care of him. Ah, what woman could resist falling for a mean-mouthed guy with poor judgment, serious psychological issues, and a concussion? For everyone who thinks rude, uncommunicative macho-men are romantic as heck, get this book. Personally, I like my men with a deep appreciation of the finer things in life like hot showers, electric washing machines, and good reading lamps. Doesn't hurt if they actually want to say a few words to me now and then either.

One of my favorite books!:
I really enjoyed this book and had never read books from this particular author before. The book was so great, that I have been searching for some of her other titles. I would definitely recommend this book. I couldn't put it down!

Excellent Read:
Carla Neggers sometimes writes books that grab you from the first few lines of the first chapter. The Waterfall is one of those books. I am now ordering and looking forward to her next book "The Widow", read an excerpt of it in the back of The Waterfall, can't wait to read the book. I most always would recommend Carla's books to anyone who enjoys her type of writing, romantic suspense.

Bad, Bad Book:
**Disclaimer** My review is of the abridged audio version. Most of the time I can find something redeeming about a book. But there are exceptions . . . This book really re-defined "bad" in a whole new way. Histrionic women that give us girls a bad name, completely unbelieveable actions by the characters, phony affairs, odd revenge motives . . . the list is unending. And let's not forget the dead bat on the bed as an aphrodisiac????? Suspense is great, but it needs to be based on some plane of reality. (Anyone believe that the Senator wouldn't have requested at least one photo of the supposed "affair" before buying the whole thing, hook, line and sinker?) Romance is great, but it needs to be believable between the characters. (Barbara and the villain? Even the lead couple - what is the basis?) Women are emotional (hey, we could even be described as mercurial at times), but most of the time we need some provocation before going stark raving crazy and falling into the arms of the nearest available good-or-evil stud muffin. (Apparently none of the women in this book ever matured past Madison, the 15 year old.) So, fellow readers . . . pretend this book is a waterfall, pretend it's a psychotic good-guy-gone-bad, pretend it's a dead bat on your bed . . . STAY AWAY!

3 1/2 . . . Good Read.:
I enjoyed this book. I get tired of some reviewers who give every book a 5. To me it needs to be the best book you have ever read to be a 5. I really enjoyed this one. Some parts didn't ring true but I really enjoyed reading about parts of the country I know nothing about. Not a whole lot of romance in this book but I am tired of other books that throw in the "sex just to sell" angle. I really liked both leading characters. You leave the book with a good feeling. You really can't ask for more than that.