Rating:  Summary: Charming, with a twist of danger! Review: I really enjoyed reading The Countess. I liked the clean relationship between Andy and John, although I would have liked to read more about John, he seemed a mystery. I loved the little dog George, he stole the story! I will gladly recommend this book.
Rating:  Summary: Better than sleeping pills! Review: I've read every Coulter novel, and this was, by far, the worst. Written in a first person narrative you miss the romance and passion of the hero panting after the heroine. The romance is zero! There is no character development, with the exception of the heroine telling the tale. You just can't fall in love with the hero in this one...because you just don't get to know him! Also, the character seems to spend an inordinate amount of time patting herself on the back. Her accolades to her own wit are narcisistic, and, quite frankly, lame. (You don't take the time and effort to love her because she loves herself enough for the both of you.) As a mystery it did fairly well. Even I didn't suspect the villain until the very end. However, once the villain DOES show himself, its fast and furious with a very quick (and disappointing) ending.
Rating:  Summary: Not Coulter's Best Review: Normally I love Catherine Coulter, but this book was very disapointing. I read this book years ago when it was titled The Autumn Countess and remember enjoying the book. This time around, after it was re-written I could barely finish it. Young Andrea Jameson is determined to marry only for secuirty and position in society. After her father treated her mother horribly, she refuses to have a "regular" marriage. When an old man asks Andy to marry him, she agrees - as long as it is a marriage in name only. He agrees. Andy marries the old man only to find that she made a big mistake. She is drawn to his heir and nephew John, and he to her. The Countess is written in first person, which normally doesn't bother me, but this book was too wordy and I couldn't even begin to like Andy. Normally I'd give my thumbs up for a Catherine Coulter book, sorry, but this time I have to say pass. Save your money.
Rating:  Summary: Not one of her best.... Review: Since this is a rewrite of an earlier book, I am going to assume that Ms. Coulter has honed her writing skills as she has matured. I have always preferred historical romances over contemporaries, but Ms. Coulter's contemporaries have always seemed better written to me than her historicals. This book is no exception. I can appreciate what she is trying to do in writing this story as a Gothic novel, and actually applaud her attempt at innovation, but it falls somewhat flat. Written in the first person, we should then gain a thorough knowledge of everything that is going on in Andy's mind (our heroine). Although there are some insights, we mostly just see what she is seeing as opposed to feeling and living what she is living. We are also left adrift, looking for details about the other characters. One big criticism I have heard numerous times about this book is that we never really get to know John, our hero. This is true. There are one or two scenes where he is talking to Andy and reveals his feelings, and in a book written in the first person this is the only way Andy and the reader are going to be able to know these feelings, but there was so little interaction between these two characters that I felt we never got to know him. The way the story is set up, I am not sure if there could have been much more interaction, but it detracts from the overall plot. The plot itself is a little over melodramatic, though Gothic novels are supposed to be. I just found it hard to believe the villain did all that they did, in the single-minded purpose of exacting the revenge they craved. A long time had passed and what if things didn't turn out they way they had? It is easy to make things happen in a story, but in life, the steps that lead to the main plot could easily not have happened, then what would our villain have done? I think they would have/should have, extracted their revenge much earlier and in a different manner. Too many factors were just too coincidental for the story to be a comfortable read. All in all, this is not a bad story, I just recommend picking up ANY other Catherine Coulter book, preferably her contemporaries, over this story.
Rating:  Summary: Not one of her best.... Review: Since this is a rewrite of an earlier book, I am going to assume that Ms. Coulter has honed her writing skills as she has matured. I have always preferred historical romances over contemporaries, but Ms. Coulter's contemporaries have always seemed better written to me than her historicals. This book is no exception. I can appreciate what she is trying to do in writing this story as a Gothic novel, and actually applaud her attempt at innovation, but it falls somewhat flat. Written in the first person, we should then gain a thorough knowledge of everything that is going on in Andy's mind (our heroine). Although there are some insights, we mostly just see what she is seeing as opposed to feeling and living what she is living. We are also left adrift, looking for details about the other characters. One big criticism I have heard numerous times about this book is that we never really get to know John, our hero. This is true. There are one or two scenes where he is talking to Andy and reveals his feelings, and in a book written in the first person this is the only way Andy and the reader are going to be able to know these feelings, but there was so little interaction between these two characters that I felt we never got to know him. The way the story is set up, I am not sure if there could have been much more interaction, but it detracts from the overall plot. The plot itself is a little over melodramatic, though Gothic novels are supposed to be. I just found it hard to believe the villain did all that they did, in the single-minded purpose of exacting the revenge they craved. A long time had passed and what if things didn't turn out they way they had? It is easy to make things happen in a story, but in life, the steps that lead to the main plot could easily not have happened, then what would our villain have done? I think they would have/should have, extracted their revenge much earlier and in a different manner. Too many factors were just too coincidental for the story to be a comfortable read. All in all, this is not a bad story, I just recommend picking up ANY other Catherine Coulter book, preferably her contemporaries, over this story.
Rating:  Summary: tell me what is the name of her best book! Review: This is the first book I read by Ms.Coulter, after reading a few pages , I don't like her writing, she confuse me by jumping subject to subject, but I am a stubborn reader that I finished almost everybook which I began ,a few exceptinals exist.,so I did the same this one and on the middle of the book, I begin liking..I did really want to know how is ended.After finishing this one I decided to give her a chance, I want to read her very best book..
Rating:  Summary: A really fun read! Review: This one was an Ok romance but it was an even better mystery. I liked Andrea very much as a character and because of that the romance was a secondary sort of thing to me, as was the mystery. I was simply very interested in what was happening in her life because I liked her. Its a good read with an engaging plot. John the love interest is somewhat one dimensional but who cares - the heroine is so good you don't care much about John, you care about her as a person!
Rating:  Summary: Dazzling! ^-^ Review: This was my first Catherine Coulter book and I absolutley loved it! It gave me a deep, gothic-like feel to the book and I found the twists and character plots very sufficient. One thing that could've used some changes was the way the characters talked to the dog, George. I found that sort of weird. But other than that it was perfect! The sense of tension and lust between Andy and John was very romantic, but forbidding. I loved the quote from John "You see what you do to me? Jesus, it un-mans me," I found it desirable. I definatley reccomend this book. I would love it if it was adapted on screen. That would make a good movie.
Rating:  Summary: Was this a romance novel? Review: This was my first Catherine Coulter book and I haven't tried another one. It was unique to have a book written in first-person form. It was hard for me to understand why Andy insist on marrying an old man. It was even harder to understanding the hero John all throughout the book. Their relationship did not develop and the revelation at the end of the book was unrealistic and weird. I would not waste the time to read this book if you are thinking it... perhaps another one of her books.
Rating:  Summary: Was this a romance novel? Review: This was my first Catherine Coulter book and I haven't tried another one. It was unique to have a book written in first-person form. It was hard for me to understand why Andy insist on marrying an old man. It was even harder to understanding the hero John all throughout the book. Their relationship did not develop and the revelation at the end of the book was unrealistic and weird. I would not waste the time to read this book if you are thinking it... perhaps another one of her books.
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