Open Seasons
It's
almost humiliating to be caught up reading a romantic story when you
reach a certain age. However, original English romance is another
picture. Intimidated by those alphabetic strings, people usually would
forget about the context. They just throw you a
you-can’t-be-serious look and walk away. It does not mean that I like
that kind of attentions. I would be more comfortable if I could just
fade into the wallpaper and stick my nose into a book.
Yes, I love reading romance, detective stories, magic series, and
suspense. I know those things are easily branded as shallow and even
vulgar. However, why should I feel terrible about that? Since I am
pretty much a Jane Average, I guess it's OK for me to be a little
shallow and vulgar. In
many cases, my liking is often turned into a kind of obsession. From
Agatha Christie, J.K Rowling, James Patterson, Julia Quinn to my new
favorite Linda Howard. I could not stop until I am thoroughly finished
with them.
Opening Season is the twentieth book I read from Linda Howard. So far
it is one of my favorite. The hero, Jack Russo, is the typical hero in
Linda’s book. Linda really has a thing for muscular guy. Most of her
heroes are cops, federal agents, or military men---in her words the
Warriors--- strong, tough a bit chauvinistic and definitely possessive
in their personal life. They usually live in a kill-or-to-be-killed
world until they met their women in life and are immediately turned
into mush inside. However, in this book, before met his women in fate,
Jack already decided to quit from SWAT and chose to lead a quite life
as a police officer in a small town. The heroine, Daisy Ann Minor, is a
reserved old maid who follows up everything by rules. But one day she
woke up and found that she was already 34 years old. Driven by
a desperate need for a change, she decided to start a husband-hunting
venture. Perhaps the reason why I love this book is except I don't
blurt things out I have so much in common with Daisy ---always trying
to be a good girl, clumsy at social graces as well as women style.
Until now I still don't know how to wear a decent make-up. In fact I
could be another Daisy if I hadn't married myself off before 34.
Anyway those two are thrown together---not in a dangerous situation
which often being told in Linda's book--but in a rather boring daily
routine of a quiet down. And thank GOD, it’s not a love at the first
sight. Dear, I love Linda Howard, but if I read one more fast-deepening
attraction, I probably would throw away the book, period. At the first
time when they met, Daisy felt very
uncomfortable around Jack because he is crowding her personal space and
intimidating her with his size. Jack was not attracted to Daisy
either,--interested maybe, but nothing strong and definitely not the
attraction as a mare in heat felt in front of a stallion. So things
between them are carried away in a more light and easy way. They
teased, quarreled and made fun of each other---of course most of time
it is Jack who made fun of Daisy. The condom jokes really brought me
into a serious tearful laughter. Like
many other stories, murder, suspense and plots are always hand in hand
with a romance. Still you can easily find plot holes. Except the
romantic part the others really are not Linda’s strong suit. For example, as cautious as Mayor Temple
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