Burn: A Novel

Really a page turner. Read it in 2 days. Linda Howard has been a favorite of mine since she put out the first novel.

I have read several of Linda Howard's books. This was one of her best. If you are looking for a funny read and not too much drama this is it. I found myself busting into laughter several times while reading it. I just enjoyed a very light read and hope she writes another sequel to it. I normally read romantic mysteries and this was just different. It reminded me of Karen Robard's writing who is a very funny author.

I don't understand why so many people didn't enjoy this book. I completely bonded with the main character Jenner who is a strong minded individual. And simply loved the way she managed her life after winning the lottery. I also enjoyed Cael, the main guy in the book and found him very interesting. My only complaint was that not enough time was spent on him. But that had to happen in order to concentrate on the plot. Linda also took time to develop Sydney many other secondary characters. I would love to see Sydney and the young blond hunk/agent working on the ship (His name escapes me right now) get their own stories and perhaps even fall for each other despite never having met in this book. Finally, I was very happy with the ending. Won't give it away but we now know what happened to Jenner and she did get her wish. Its not a typical romance story, but its a very fun and fast read. Perfect for a lazy weekend of reading.

In looking at the reviews of this book I was surprised to see so many one and two star reviews. I thought the story of blue collar Jenner Redwine, who wins a mega lottery and experiences massive life changes, and operative Cael Trayler was an engaging read. Jenner's friendship with the wealthy Sydney Hazlett is well written and believable as are her relationships with friends in the past and her struggle to be accepted as one of the newly rich. It appears Ms. Howard did her research as the changes that Jenner experiences after winning the lottery appear to be true-to-life based on articles I've read and a TLC show. The story is a little weak where the villan's brain tumor/cancer is concerned as there is not a lot of explanation for why Frank Larken acts the way he does. Much of the reasons behind his motives are left up to the reader--is it the tumor or is it a combination of his ruthless personality and the tumor. The action on board the luxury liner that Frank Larken plans to blow up is fast-paced and believable. Ms. Howard has thrown in a lot of laugh out loud humor along with a slow, but believable love story. Ms. Howard is a versatile writer and in my opinion this book is one of her best! I'm really looking forward to her November release: Ice: A Novel