10 August 2011
REVIEW: Cold Case Reunion by Kimberly Van Meter (Series RS)
cold
case reunion
Kimberly Van Meter
ISBN #: 978-0-373-27739-1
Publisher
Name: Harlequin Enterprises/Romantic Suspense
Date Released: July 2011
Genre: Series Romance –
Romantic Suspense
Book
Format: Print.
For
Angelo Tucker, every memory is proof of his failings. Not strong enough to lead
the tribe, not smart enough to catch his brother's killer… Coming back was the
last thing he wanted. Especially when he sees Mya—and feels a passion he'd long
since set aside. But when a fellow FBI agent is murdered and Mya's life is in
danger, Angelo knows he must track the killer whatever the cost.or risk losing
Mya forever…
FIRST LINES:
Angelo Tucker remembered stories told at his grandfather's knees of how their tribe used to walk on their hands and fished the mighty Hoh River with their feet until Creator came along to show them a better way.
LYNETTE'S TWO CENTS:
I
love series romantic suspense novels. Love, love, love. Probably because I like
that the series romantic suspense tend to focus on the character development
more than the plot and romance to me no matter the subgenre is all about the characters.
I
so wanted to love COLD CASE REUNION, after all it is a series romantic suspense
featuring non-white characters (Native Americans), but I could not. Despite
eagerly opening COLD CASE REUNION with great anticipation, I could not get into
it and ended up not finishing the novel after trying for almost a week.
I
am going to try to articulate why I didn't like COLD CASE REUNION. The major
reason is that I didn't connect with the characters. I didn't understand the
conflict. The main conflict between Angelo and Mya was that after Angelo's
little brother was murdered he skipped town and her (he was eighteen at the
time) when he was supposed to be the heredity chief, even though everyone and
their mother knew that was something he never wanted and something that was
foisted to him because of his birth order. His younger brother was the one that
really should have been the Chief.
I
didn't understand why that much pressure was put on a teenager (being head of
the tribe) to where now everyone hates him for a decision he made as an
eighteen year old. A decision that everyone knew that he didn't want. I didn't
get the resentment. He was eighteen people. Do you remember yourself at eighteen?
Everyone, everyone wants to get the hell out of dodge when they're eighteen and
skip town the first chance they get to exert a little bit of freedom. Or was
that just me and practically everyone that I've ever known?
I
didn't understand that he was being defined for leaving his high school
sweetheart to go to college and it was all that she could think about like
nothing happened in her life since he left. I mean, seriously. REALLY. I love a
good childhood sweetheart reunion story as much as anyone (really, I do) but I
just cannot understand a childhood sweetheart story where there is no growth,
no understanding that they were kids, that they are now not the same person
that they were. While I know that there are some people that marry their
childhood sweethearts are very happy, but the majority of teenage romances DO
NOT WORK OUT BECAUSE YOU ARE YOUNG AND IMMATURE AND DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT
WITH YOURSELF NO MATTER ANOTHER PERSON. So I don't get that Angelo was being
defined by this single relationship and that everyone hated him because his
family died under horrific circumstances and he just wanted to get the heck out
of Dodge. Normal behavior for a teenager.
I
understand that there may have been some cultural factors, but that was not
balanced enough with the reality of being a teenager at the time.
That
brings me to the lack of respect shown. Mya had no respect for Angelo. If the
heroine has no respect for the hero how am I supposed to buy into their romance
and believe that they should have a happily ever after?
I
just didn't like Mya. She was living in the past too much and never asserted
herself. She let herself be pushed by her brother and her best friend and their
resentment for Angelo added to her own. Despite being a doctor (and why hadn't
she had some character growth from going away to college and medical school)
she was not a strong individual.
I
also had a hard time with the writing. I felt like I was being told a story
instead of shown it. I think that the author was so focused on trying to
portray the reservation and the research effectively that it was at the expense
of the story and the characters.
I
really wish that I could've finished the story, but the above mentioned factors
made it too hard.
WHERE PURCHASED:
Received
copy from publisher for review.
RATING:
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3 people posted their 2 cents:
That's why I love blogger/reviewer like you. It helps me sift through this mass of romance novels.
You saved me time and money more than once. Of course I bought a book or two as well just because you said they're good :-)
Thanks.
You are making me blush!!! Thank you!
You're right the cover is nice but the characters sound drab. I kind of feel bad for Angelo that so much was expected of him at such a young age. As for Maya, I really hate woman characters like her. Those pathethic living in the past, still clinging to a man women make me sick. I think that's a big part of the reson I couldn't stand Bella. You were good to try and finish, but sometimes you just have to throw in the towel. Nice, honest review.