Heartbreaker (Buchanan / Renard / MacKenna Book 1)

I love Julie Garwood's books -- the honor she gives her characters, the sexual tension, the cute but determined women, the "hot shot" sexy men.... I thought I had not read this one but realized as I began reading it that I had put it down years ago as being not acceptable. Unfortunately, I bought it before coming to this realization.But, although I am sure there are others of this type of book out there beloved by their loyal followers, I I couldn't stand it.This book (at least as much as I read of it before I was sickened and had to stop) focuses on the deranged killer's perspective -- his glee at creatively torturing his victims. Not my thing. Sick.Not to say Garwood didn't depict the killer effectively. She certainly conveyed his sickness. But thank goodness she came to her senses later -- the other Buchannon brother books are lovely (if memory serves me). I may have to read one of her lovely ones again to get this horrible taste out of my mouth.

I adore JG historicals but I was very disappointed in this book. I put off reading it forever because its not a historical. I should have gone with my gut and not read it. The audio version was beyond bad. The woman sounded like a robot. I don't even think this book deserves 3 stars but there parts I really liked so I gave it a 3 star rating. There isn't another person in this world that can write historicals like JG and it's heartbreaking to see she has stopped writing them.What I didn't like about this book:Figured out who the unsub was immediatelyOnly 1 sexy time, and it was disappointingNo alpha maleDidn't feel the love between the H&h, and that shocks me because JG always makes the reader FEELI'll stick to her historicals. Even though I didn't like this book JG is still my favorite author.

Julie does contemporary with all the right stuff; mystery, thriller, who-done-it, suspense and romance in a story you have to start on Friday night. You won't want to put it down even to answer the phone. The spiteful actions of one man wanting to make a name for himself have repercussions that astound time and time again. Pay attention to the details because every word is woven intricately into the whole. The FBI, the psychiatrist, the churchman, the serial killer, the woman - everyone has a part. Obsessions, egoes, power, narcissism, competition, and the race to identify the killer before he gets to the heroine.It begins in the confessional and ends with a showdown. The best thing about it is that this is the book that begins the Buchanan / Renard series, so there are lots more to read. You will wonder why you haven't read Julie Garwood before.

This is a re-read for me and I loved it just as much this time. The author has such a descriptive way with words that the pages just flow. And the characters are amazing, I couldn't put the book down. I absolutely loved Nick and now I am looking forward to Noah, Theo and Zachary and of course his sisters cuz I intend to work my way through the series a second time. I heartily recommend this series. Enjoy! 💜💚💛💙

I normally love every book I read by Garwood. But the guarantee way to lose my interest is contradiction. Did she write half then come back years later to complete without re-reading what she wrote? First nick wants the family and Laurent does not. Laurent had the failed relationship and closeness issues whitening had large close family then 5 pages later nick wanted kids and was never close to anyone. Could not finish it changing personalities and back story within a few chapters.

I started this series (without knowing it was a series) with the 2nd book, Mercy (Heartbreaker being the 5th book in this series I've listened to). While that book worked out just fine as a stand-alone book and I was not confused having not listened to this 1st book yet. Listening to this one (the 1st), however, did help enrich my understanding of certain parts of Mercy. I had wondered, who is Laurant? Why does everybody like her so much? What is Theo talking about when he says/thinks that Laurant soothes everybody? How did she come to be part of the family? (As well as some questions about Nick, of course.) Heartbreaker answered those questions.This is a story by two people thrown together because of some imminent danger (again, but that's neither here nor there, each danger is somehow different anyway). Each knew who the other was, but neither knew what the other looked like (at this age). They are both apparently mouth-watering individuals. The fact that Tommy is a priest is an interesting twist, though there are some times that I felt he did things rather out of character (which happens to a lot, but these were subtle nuances, not big random acts).As much as I like a long book, I did feel that this one dragged a little. For the most part, there aren't any peaks of action throughout the book to keep you going. The reader waits until the very end for something to finally happen, for the danger to become real. This is not to say that the characters were stagnant, however. They did progress nicely through the novel and they were doing things that pertained to the threat of danger (just not the actual danger itself). The "heartbreaker" interacts with Tommy near the beginning of the novel and then doesn't do anything directly to Laurant, Tommy, or Nick until the end. There was nothing to really significantly increase the threat as the book went along. Sure, another woman was killed and that helps, but the increased threat did not come from heartbreaker somehow interacting with them directly or sending them a message. While Laurant and Nick's actions did make heartbreaker angrier and angrier until he made a mistake, their actions didn't change much. They were at a pretty even state of fear (even with things like the song being played at the community event) throughout the book. None of their actions in the middle of the book were all that exciting. It felt almost as though life was just completely normal (even with the threat). To me it ended up going beyond being suspenseful to being slightly dull. I would've loved to see more excitement in the middle of the book. In comparison to the rest of the book, the final 'showdown' at the end seems like a short thing in comparison to all of this time waiting. Since that danger is what's driving the book forward, it would've been great to see it more pronounced throughout the book. There were things that definitely could be cut from the book, such as the whole thing with the newspaper and Laurant never being able to keep a guy. I'm not entirely sure what it added to the story; it ended up just being plain irritating. I would've loved for the book to have been at a faster, more exciting/intriguing clip. I think getting rid of these unnecessary things, for example, would help a lot.One thing I found interesting (in a good way) was that Julie Garwood didn't use one of her signature phrases (so to speak): "...the big jerk." I've always found that phrasing very funny and pleasant. In a world full of swearing, I have found this a fantastic, light hearted, good natured description of each situation (in context). Before listening to Heartbreaker, I had already listened to 4 other (unabridged) books in this series including: #2 - Mercy, #3 - Killjoy, #4 - Murder List, and #5 - Slow Burn (I have also listened to the abridged versions of Killjoy and Murder List in Julie Garwood CD Collection: Killjoy, Murder List, and Slow Burn). All of them have used this phrase. It appears the phrase developed in the 2nd book (where it was used the most frequently) and it stuck. I can't say I mind entirely, as I do find the phrase entertaining. After hearing it in the 2nd book and thinking it was great, it stuck out to me in the 3rd book, making me think "That's funny. She used it again." I didn't think too much of it. When I listened to the 4th, however, I noticed it again. I think somewhere in the 3rd or 4th book I started actually listening for it specifically. It was almost like a game and it made me smile every time I heard it. Sometimes, however, I feel as though it somehow makes all of the female characters seem slightly unoriginal. Garwood makes up for this by creating such vivid (original) characters in each book that it seems like a mere coincidence (and perhaps it is; I do not know whether or not Garwood is aware of this trend). Now that I've come to look forward to when it's used in each book, I sincerely hope she does not stop using it. I have recently ordered Shadow Dance (again, as the 1st appears to have gotten lost in the mail) and will definitely be listening for it when it arrives (whether intentionally or not).Conclusion : I did on a whole enjoy the book. It really was enjoyable to listen to. It just didn't draw me in as much as some of the other books in the Buchanan-Renard series. Still, absolutely a fun read and I am looking forward to continuing the series!

Julie Garwood has not dispointed me yet & heartbreaker was another great read that i couldn't put down.i picked up  Murder List  while traveling in the states about 7 years ago for just something to read and couldn't put it down & thats where my love of her books started, and i'm still guess who done it right up to the end of ech book, def worth a read and you'll keep coming back to read them again and again. Murder List

Slow start, great middle, awesome finish. I like her stuff anyway but first time I reading the modern cop books.

Great read

The beginning of the book was dragging a lot. Only when Laurent & Nick moved back to Holy Oaks did the book and story started to take shape. Even though the beginning was dull and dragging, it's worth reading at least once. I wish I can rate this book a higher review but sadly a lot of areas needed to be tone down, like the over-embelishment of certain parts and area of the story.

Dies ist mein erstes Buch, das ich von Julie Garwood gelesen habe. Und es wird wohl auch mein einziges bleiben. Die Story hört sich vielversprechend an, leider ist dennoch nicht viel dran. Das Buch hat viele viele Seiten auf denen aber nichts passiert! Spannung kommt höchstens am Ende ein wenig auf als tatsächlich mal etwas richtiges passiert. Die Charaktere sind eher platt und haben nichts einzigartiges an sich. Die süße Laurant ist jedermanns Liebling und als richtige Person kaum überzeugend. FBI Agent Nick muss man auch einfach gern haben, aber auch er kann nicht überzeugen. Die ganze FBI Operation wirkt merkwürdig gestellt und man fragt sich die ganze Zeit was die da eigentlich machen. Die Liebesgeschichte ist sowas von vorhersehbar das es weh tut. Da ist nichts erfrischendes dran. Die Beiden sind ja ganz niedlich aber mehr auch nicht. Die ganzen Nebencharaktere sind sehr verwirrend. Es wird versucht, etwas aus dem Leben verschiedener Leute zu erzählen, was allerdings nicht besonders zur Charakerisierung beiträgt. Am enttäuschendsten von allen ist der Mörder, der am oberflächlichsten dargestellt wurde. Er wirkt keine Sekunde angsteinflößend sondenr nur lächerlich.Julie Garwood hat mit "Heartbreaker" einen armseeligen Versuch einer spannenden Story dargelegt. Ich würde dieses Buch nicht unbedingt als Zeitverschwendung ansehen. Es lässt sich ganz nett lesen. Aber ich hatte dauernd das Gefühl ein Buch für etwas dümmere zu lesen, weil jeder Schritt so erklärt wurde, das man auch ja mitkommt. Am Ende plötzlich kommt allerdings alles so schnell, das man erstmal "hä?" sagt. Die Indentität des Mörders war für mich eine Überraschung, aber ich konnte damit irgendwie nichts anfangen. Es scheint wie ein Versuch zwei ganz verschiedene Geschichten miteinander zu verknüpfen, was bei mir nur Verwirrung hinterlassen hat.Ich kann jedem nur empfehlen, sich lieber mal ein Buch von Nora Roberts zu kaufen. Ihre "..in death" Reihe ist um einiges besser ! Danach kommt einem "Heartbreaker" wirklich wie Kinderkram vor.

J'avais lu le résumé, et je n'avais pas envie de lire l'histoire. Après avoir lu un bouquin de Karen Rose sur un serial killer, j'étais un peu froide pour en lire un autre.Mais avec Julie Garwood, c'est surtout de la romance et de l'interaction entre les personnages. Attention, cela ne veut pas dire qu'il n'y a pas de suspense et d'histoire.Nick (policier FBI) et Laurant (victime annoncée d'un serial killer) sont obligés de se faire passer pour un couple. Ils sont attirés l'un par l'autre, mais parce que les événements les y obligent, ils ne veulent pas se laisser faire et luttent contre cette attraction.L'histoire est suffisamment mouvementée pour apporter du piment à la relation, et jusqu'au bout, on se sait pas qui est le serial killer qui s'en prend à Laurant. Les personnages secondaires sont très poussés, et la personnalité de chacun est très agréable. (Nick Buchanan - descendant de des Buchanan de la série des Highland) - (Noah Clayborme - descendant des Clayborne de la série Western) Julie s'amuse à faire une passerelle entre ses anciens héros et l'époque contemporaine.Bref un très bon livre, bien meilleur que Mercy ou Killjoy.On peut d'ailleurs facilement reconnaitre les bons livres de Julie :ils sont plus gros et plus long que les autres, car elle a eu le temps de pousser l'analyse des ses personnages. C'est le cas de Secret, Ransom, Heartbreaker. Ces autres livres sont aussi attrayants et agréables à lire, mais plus légers.

Great story line and added romance.Garwood never disappoints!!! The historical romances were my favourite but these are awesome!

Have enjoyed all Julie Garwood`s books. so far.

Julie Garwood is one of my favorite authors. I have read all her books several times and I love them all.

a thriller.. keeps u guessing till the end..

「殺人を犯すつもりです」という告解を聞いたとき、その告解を許すことができるだろうか？カトリックの司祭トーマスはそんな告解に愕然とし、さらには自分の妹ローランが次なるターゲットであることを聞くに及んで、友人でFBI捜査官のニコラスに助けを求める。アイオワ州の小さな町ホーリー・オークスを舞台に繰り広げられるFBI捜査官の必死の捜査。そして、ローランの身辺護衛の役についたニコラスとのラブ・ロマンス。どちらもページを追うにしたがって新たな展開が繰り広げられていくので、大変面白い。こういう恋なら何度してもいい？と思えてしまうけど、登場人物たちにしたら姿なき犯人の存在はたまらなく不気味であるし、親友の妹の身に何かあったらただでは済まないというニコラスにしてみれば、ストレスがたまるかも。でも、そこは生え抜きのエリート。大活躍してくれます。