Fit for a King

Rating:
Summary: I have to defend this book!
Review: Did the others who trashed this book read the same one I did? I found it to be very sweet and romantic, and Kingston to be a terrific hero. Yes, he desires his sister-in-law, but I bet many men secretly do in the real world, too. She wanted him, too, so if he was that bad a guy he would have jumped at his chance with her. But he doesn't - he comes up with a plan to discourage her, and it leads to a wonderful romance with a dear friend. King is strong and sexy, yet so tender in the love scenes that he truly seems like the perfect man. If you don't want to buy this book because of the other reviews, fine, but if you are a Palmer fan at least look for it at the library and judge for yourself. If I loved this book, many others will, too.

Rating:
Summary: MY FAVOURITE!
Review: Fit for a King was the book that made me look out for Diana Palmer's other titles. It talks about the touching friendship between Kingston Rouper and Elissa Dean who started out as friendly neighbours for two years then started developing feelings for each other. Their chemistry was superb and the way Diana described their change in relationship from friends to lovers was fantastic - the confusion, the frustrations, the jealousy, the quarrels and the made-up.....! This book also mentioned the couple Meredith and Blake Donavan featured in Reluctant Father so you should read this book as well if you are the type who loves the 'connections' between couples featured in other titles!

Rating:
Summary: Please skip this book...
Review: I have read all of Diana Palmers books, but this one was terrible and not up to par with her other stories. I agree with some of the other reviewers that Kingston Roper stinks as any kind of romantic hero and his affair of the "mind and heart" with his own sister in law left a bitter taste in this readers mouth. I think what really made this so nasty and tacky was the fact that the sister in law Bess was married to his own brother! If I were Elissa, I would have steered clear of this obviously disturbed man and found a real one somewhere else. Also, I wanted to cringe during Kingstons reasonings for marrying Elissa so he could free his guilty conscience and keep away from Bess and her "unwanted" attentions. I say that loosely because he sure didn't put up much a fight or let Bess know he wanted nothing to do with her. I felt the sex scenes were forced and contrived and once again Kingston's way of proving that he could forget Bess and use Elissa instead. When I read a romance, I want to read about romance. This book lacked it and more.

Rating:
Summary: I agree, it's bad.
Review: I love Palmer's fun, romance, and wit in her stories. This one lacked all the above. First, what in the world does the picture on the cover have to do with this story? It was set in Jamaica, at times in Miami, and a little in Oklahoma where he was in oil. Never once was a ranch or farm mentioned. Second, Did King just wake up one day and decide he didn't love his sister-in-law anymore after years and years? Don't think so. Third, Our lovely heroine who's name I can't even recall even though I just read it is naive, a prissy, and in lust not love. She is also stupid for marrying King b/c she's pregnant and he says he decided he was now in love with her. Help us. I see this love story ending at a court alright, a divorce court.

Rating:
Summary: This is NOT romance!
Review: I was really disappointed in this book. It was a shame, too, because I really like romances about good friends falling in love. The beginning, when we see how the heroine coaxes her grumpy bear of a neighbor into friendship, is the only good part of this book, though. In this case, friendship was about all the jerk-hero deserved - and I wouldn't have been his friend after the way he treats the heroine, either.

Showing Kingston giving longing, wistful looks at his sister-in-law put me off right from the beginning, and he didn't endear himself to me one bit as the story unfolded - and only marginally during the last scene of the book.

This is not my idea of romance. There was no mention of the fact that this bizarre relationship with Bess (or is it Beth?) is not only adultery-in-the-making, but really sleezy behavior on both King's and Bess's parts. And King, although seemingly surprising himself when he feels desire for his "good friend," hung onto those lustful, longing feelings for his sister-in-law much too long for me.

IMO, to be a real romance, the heroine should've held a much bigger role in his thoughts than she did. King, though, simply used her for his own convenience ("Hey, honey, help me out here. Let's get married so I can't boink my brother's wife. I really care about her, but I kinda like you, and I'll bet the sex will be great, so surely that's enough for you, right?") He keeps up this form of "courtship" right up until they consumated the relationship, then - HEY, PRESTO! - instantly he's in love, and why doesn't she realize he now wants her instead of Bess, dammit?

King thinks what's-her-name should marry him, because that will definitely stop him from acting on his lust for his brother's wife. Really? Why should we believe that, when the fact that Bess is married to his own BROTHER doesn't seem to be a deterent?

Bess being catty to ...(what WAS her name?)... because she thinks she's taking her BROTHER-IN-LAW away from her (huh? what about your HUSBAND, dear?)-- and then later in the book we're supposed to like Bess simply because King's housekeeper did???

I'm sorry, but it will take more than the author using the housekeeper to tell me they're all good people for me to find anything likeable in any of these characters (and the heroine became such a doormat-twit in my eyes I seem to have erased her name from my memory!)

Rating:
Summary: This is bad, bad, bad....
Review: It is very hard for me to give a book a one star, but this was supposed to be a Palmer and I am a little angry. Usually her tales are sensual, emotional and witty (even if the main characters are frequently stuck in the fifties). This one is a major disappointment. It feels like an axe job, it is so choppy. While it started interestingly, it soon disintegrated into cheap genre standards. The heroine is prissy and ridiculously innossent for a 28 year old (and I am not talking about her "moral" virginity here). The hero is just plain ridiculous. I cannot recommend this book. If you wish to enjoy a Palmer try "Once in Paris" or "The Champain Girl".

Rating:
Summary: What is happening to Diana Palmer???
Review: Okai, I will tell you, I have read some outstanding books by Ms. Palmer. When I first read one of her books, Diamond Girl, I was hooked. The second and third ones, After the Music and Passion Flower, I thought were great! Then...I read Once in Paris and I had to force myself to finish it. So, I tried again and read this one. Major disappointment. What is happening to the wonderulf novels I have read before? Perhaps, she is running out of material. Although, I do not know in what order she wrote these books, so maybe she is getting BETTER before she is getting...not so good. For anyone who wants to read a Diana Palmer book, I recommend you start with a different one, perhaps one of the books I mentioned above. 'Fit For A King' is somewhat slow and lacking in excitement and reality. I like the main character for she is a strong independant woman, but only to a point. I can't really give you a synopsis of the story because if you have read one by Diana Palmer, than you have read this one, too. But...I am NOT giving up on her. I will try and try again!!

Rating:
Summary: Read it Yourself
Review: This was my first Diana Palmer Book and the writing was not A+. However the book was not that bad. In fact It introduced me to her writing. I agree that other books are better written but the is worth reading because it is a Palmer book.