First up is Linda Howard's 'Duncan's Bride'. Mind you, this was written late in the 80's, so the content is 80's male chavanistic romance; which I am not complaining about by any means, its just a different style of writing, but some people are sensitive to it, so I thought I might warn those out there. But anyone who's read Howard knows even her older novels are amazing and worth the read.
Extremely heartwrenching and full of distrust and turmoil, the two characters worm themselves right into your heart. Mail-order bride Maddie moves to Montana answering an ad in the paper from divorced Reese Duncan who is looking for a hardworking wife to live on his failing ranch with him in name only.(note, this isnt a historical, its based in the 1980's) What he gets is a beautiful woman who drives him crazy and surprises him with her heart and devotion. Maddie makes it her mission to heal his bitter soul and to become more than his wife in name only. I give this story 5 Stars.....

The second is by Elizabeth Lowell called 'Chain Lightening'. A woman named Mandy has lost everyone she loved in a horrific plane crash over the ocean years ago and is still reeling from it. Her boss tricks her into taking a much needed vacation to the Great Barrier Reef hoping to heal her wounds, what she doesn't expect is to get shacked up with enigmatic Damon Sutter in the process. Good writing, but I couldn't get myself interested in the story, it moved too slowly for my tastes. The tale was riddled with angst and too much talking. In the end, I would give it three stars...

Third in the book and last was Kasey Michael's 'Popcorn and Kisses'. Not sure why this story was mixed in with the others since it really wasn't related plot-wise.
It was an 'okay' tale about an old drive-in theatre and two mismatched people trying to save it. It seemed to move very slow and I became bored instantly with the plot and dialog. The writing was decent, the plot was much to be desired. Very tame and I have to agree with another reviewer on this being very 'Sweet Valley Highish'. It did not fit in with Howard and Lowell's steamy stories. Not sure how the characters had to 'find home' again in this story either, but oh well. I gave this one two stars...

I did rate only three, not because they are not well written, but I do believe it is tricking the reader to put is "published in 2002 and writen by Lowel, etc. when in fact they just take old stories and put them together with a new title.

I would like to be sure when a book is writen, the style had changed and so the writer's skills too. When I buy an older of her book, it is because I want to compare. But I do want to know before I buy what is in it, when it is written.

Having read only a few novels so far by Nora Roberts and Linda Howard, I do not have the reservations about reading a compilation of novels already previously published that some of the other reviewers have. Since several of the novels I've read so far were originally published in the mid-1980s, I have learned to read the original published dates in the front pages of each book, to give myself some perspective on the time in which the book was written.
Even though I am new to reading romance novels, I greatly enjoy Linda Howard's work. Unfortunately, my last experience with Howard's work before "Duncan's Bride" was "Almost Forever," a real stinker as far as I'm concerned. So I was a little reserved about reading "Duncan's Bride." Now this is my favorite Howard book thus far.
Most romances I've read so far revolve around a couple meeting, finding that they each have reservations about one another. Then they have sex within a week or two of meeting, and are married within a couple of months. End of story. But "Duncan's Bride" is far different from the typical formula. It deals with the characters over the course of a year or so of their lives. Madelyn finds rancher Reese Duncan's personal ad both revolting and intriguing at the same time. She travels to Montana to meet him, and winds up marrying him after a few days- more a marriage of convenience than a soul match. She figures he will warm up to her soon, but he was very scarred by his previous marriage to a money-grubbing woman who took most of his ranch, along with his heart. Both characters are highly complicated, and Howard's character development is great for such a relatively short novel (only about 200 pages). The sex scenes, true to Howard's reputation, are very steamy, but the read leading up to the sex scenes are well worth the time as well.
"Chain Lightning" is also very well developed. As I had never read anything by Elizabeth Lowell, I had no idea what to expect, but this book was very well paired with "Duncan's Bride." Although neither character seems ready for any kind of relationship, they work together well. Mandy is severely traumatized from the deaths in an ocean plane crash of both her husband and her unborn baby, and she nearly drowned as well. Now the former oceanographer is terrified of the sea that she once loved.
Unwilling to tell anyone about her fears, she is sent on a surprise trip to the Great Barrier Reef with Damon Sutter by her boss, who does not know of Mandy's past. Sutter, an adventurer, feels that he will be terribly bored being forced to stay in a small tent with Mandy, the bundle of fears. But time brings them closer together, making for a heartwarming story, and some very hot sex scenes as well.
"Popcorn and Kisses" is seemingly mismatched with the other two books in this compilation. I won't say that Kasey Michaels is a bad writer, because she's not. I enjoyed reading about the seemingly mismatched Sharon and Zachary St. Clair. But after having read two very steamy novels, "Popcorn" was very tame- in movie rating terms, "Duncan's Bride" and "Chain Lightning" were rated-R (or perhaps even NC-17), while "Popcorn and Kisses" was PG. Perhaps this would have been better paired with similarly tame novels. Having just read the other two novels, "Popcorn" reminded me more of "Sweet Valley High" than an actual romance novel.
If you have not read any of these books in the past, this is a great deal to get all three at once. My recommendation, though, would be to read "Popcorn and Kisses" first rather than last. It really is a good book; it's just a let-down after the steaminess of its predecessors.

This collection of 3 stories was yet another attempt by Silhouette Books to recycle old stories, and it was fairly disappointing. (Stories are copyrighted 1992 and 1993).

Linda Howard's "Overload" is okay, but the plot is really thin (blackout throughout the South during a major heatwave) and not probable in that if a blackout of that magnitude had really happened, a lot of people would have been died from the heat -- ala Chicago in 1996. It's all I could think about while reading the story. It was also a lame and disappointing story from Linda Howard who has some really outstanding books under her belt.

Story 2, by Linda Lael Miller "The Leopard's Woman" was a tired, woman-is-kidnapped-and-male- lead-is-a son-of-a-gun-who-is-a-real-he-man. Give me a break! The woman was a ninny, and the plot was unbelievable, even for a fantasy. The only redeeming quality was the description of the Mexican countryside.

"Lonsome Rider" by Heather Graham Pozzessere was the best of the three, and the shortest. It wrapped up too conveniently, but the story was enjoyable.

It took me a whole week's worth of layover time in airports to get through this book, which is unusual for me. I bought this book because of Howard and Pozzessere, and I feel that it does not live up to their potential.

Courtesy of Love Romances

Overload by Linda Howard (originally published in 1993)

Elizabeth Major has her own interior design business in a sleek office building in downtown Dallas. Across the hall Tom Quinlan runs a Private Investigation office. Tom and Elizabeth had a passionate relationship not too long ago until Elizabeth suddenly cut it off for no apparent reason. One hot day in midsummer, they get stranded, alone together, from a severe blackout, trapping them within the building. They cannot resist the fire between them, so they indulge it. But can their passion for each other overcome the secrets keeping them apart? Or is there a chance beyond this one night together, in the summer heat?

Ms. Howard weaves yet another intense tale for which she is famous. This story is full of passion and sensuality. As always, her characters are skillfully rendered. The sparks between them fly off the page.

The Leopard's Woman by Linda Lael Miller (originally published in 1992)

Olivia Stillwell is in Mexico, researching details for her famous author uncle's next book. She is kidnapped and sold to Esteban Ramirez, and is confined to his ranch. Olivia is terrified of what she will be forced to do as his slave. However, from the moment she looks into his eyes, that fear slowly fades into an entirely different kind. She finds herself instead fearing losing her self, body and soul, in his embrace.

Ms. Miller has written many a passionate tale, and this is just one more. She manages to pack a lot of punch, and plot, into this short novella. The characters are intriguing, though they could stand to have a little more dimension to them. In spite of that, this was another pleasing read by her.

Lonesome Rider by Heather Graham Pozzessere (originally published in 1993)

Blade McKenna has but one desire...to avenge the horrible murders of his wife and their unborn child, and his father. Jessica Dylan is on a quest of her own. She only wishes to head west to claim the land of her late husband's ranch. From the moment these two meet on their entwined paths, they are drawn to each other. When Jessica gambles herself as the prize, and loses to Blade, they find it impossible to resist each other.

Ms. Pozzessere is an extremely talented author, a fact which is evident in this, one of her earlier works. The glimmer of her future stardom is found on every page. Her characters are beautifully created, and she delivers well on an often used plotline, making it her own.

This book is a hot one, to be enjoyed in the peak of the summer heat. Or perhaps, it should be saved for warming up a cold winter's night. This is one to be enjoyed several times over.

I really enjoyed the 3 stories. I was looking for light reading with a little spice and that was just what this book provided. Once I started a story it was difficult to put it down. A great poolside or beach book!

I really love all of Howard's most recent works, and many of her earlier works as well ("White Lies," "Diamond Bay," "Midnight Rainbow," even "Against the Rules"). This, however is not one of the ones I like.

Howard has always written about very Alpha Male heroes. In some of her earlier work, including this one, she takes that portrayal to an extreme. The "hero" in this work seems lacking in emotion and even leaning towards the emotionally abusive.

The "heroine," on the other hand, is written as an emotional wimp. It's written that she's "strong," but she lets the "hero" walk all over her, making herself totally emotionally available to a man who, quite frankly, seems unworthy of it.

I love most of Howard's work, but this is not a book I'm going to keep in my personal collection.

You have to remember that this book is one of Linda Howards earlier works and she was just staring out. The story does lack drama. But the main characters hold your attention. The plot is predictable. It's a good book to read on lazy afternoon. I think you will like it. P.S. Linda Howard other books are fantastic, she really grew into her work. Read all her books old and new ones if you want really great books.

Black sheep Cord Blackstone has returned to his family for revenge against his cousin, Preston, and Preston's mother. He doesn't plan to fall in love with Preston's widowed sister-in-law, Susan Blackstone. Susan loves Cord, but she has to help the family who was there for her after her husband's death, even if it tears her from Cord.

Howard's books wring your emotions dry, from laughter to tears. TEARS OF THE RENEGADE is no exception. By the end of the book, you feel deep satisfaction by the way every is tied up and the hero and heroine are united. You are also exhausted by the adventure, emotionally and physically. I have rarely seen an author whose every book is a keeper. Linda Howard is one of those rare individuals.

Am I the only hard core romance reader who resents paying extra for an "out-of-print" story by a favorite author because it is paired with a story by a new or less popular author?

I find myself visiting the used book stores and websites to get the book in which I am interested. This is, as one reviewer wrote, a pre-PC novel. I may be strange, but I enjoy tracking a favorite author's progress as it makes me believe that we all can grow, improve and produce better and better results.

The marketing strategy is obvious, but I think it costs (and irritates) loyal readers.

I loved this story and in this world full of everything including the kitchen sink being PC, I actually miss the old romances of the 80s with the dominent alpha males that took care of the heroines. The heroine was no push over, she had her own business, her own identity, her own life. She was just gun shy due to an extremely bad past relationship and was scared to give love a try again. Fortunately for the hero, they were both at the right place and the right time and the heroine with the hero's help faced her own demons. Every woman should have her own sense of self-worth and her own identity, but sometimes life's road is alot easier to travel with someone you can lean on when the going gets tough and alot more fun when they are hot in bed as well, LOL!

I searched forever to find a reprint of LH's Overload. The story of Tom and Elizabeth is great. I read their story a long time ago in a Summer Sizzler. I lost the book when my baggage was lost on a plane. I nearly cried. Elizabeth is strong but fragile, an interesting mix for the heroine. The trauma of her past has made her gun shy with men, especially Tom. If you like LH then this is must read. It is one of her earlier works so if your looking for something new then look elsewhere. Beware! You may already have this books floating around in your collection.

I haven't read the Lovelace story yet. It sounds interesting, but I only bought the book for LH.

I'm a huge Linda Howard fan, but this early effort is clearly not her best work. The characters are one dimensional and the plot is too obvious. Brett is a particularly unappealing hero. I have no idea what the heroine was supposedly attracted to. The one thing I did like about the book was the emotional reunion between the two leads where they try to figure out how to resume a their relationship despite their mistrust and guilt. This intense scene is indicative of some of Howard's better work. Basically, this is a semi-tolerable read if you are in serious Howard withdrawal, but most readers would be better served by picking one of her more mature works.

As most critics say you can't read just one Linda Howard. She knows how to blend a romantic story with strong lead characters in an intriguing storyline. I got hooked on her writings with "Mr. Perfect" a couple of years ago and have been actively searching and reading all her other books I can find. "The Cutting Edge" is one of her stories that will keep you turning pages late into the night because you have to find out how it will end. Brett's character is one you have to learn to appreciate, he doesn't show all his cards until he has no other choice. I don't want to give the story away, but you will love Tessa's strong will and deep sense of self-respect. She's a woman who's independence fights the challenges she faces. A good read.

Linda Howard asks the question: "Is there a limit to love, a point where it dies?" She believes there isn't and gives a very movingly works to make the case. I give this book 5 stars because of the powerfully move story (a wee bit dated and the whole book, since it was a series, is limited in scope).

Howard does more in a small book, than any writer outside of Anne Stuart, and has proved consistently to be one of my favourite writers, though I have not really been wowed by the writing in the last few years. It seems JAK, Howard and Roberts are suffering from a formula writing, that is taking the glitter off their craft, and in a move to go more mainstream is causing them to forget the romance roots, and ultimately betraying the very fans that built their careers.

What hurts this books, dating and limitations aside, is although you are carried along with her prose, the power of the relationship she creates, you get to the point where you just do not accept love forgives all. I am sorry, if the man I loved believe I was an embezzler, did not confront me with the evidence FIRST and give me a chance to prove my innocence, had me arrested without the first warning or preparation, refused to take my calls from jail or after I got out....well, I just don't see how I could forgive as easily as Howard's character did. And that in the end, it nearly cripples this book so much.

Tessa Conway is working in accounting of Carter Engineering. The firm is having the losses of large revenue, they bring in Brett Rutland the corporation's top troubleshooter. Brett has the reputation of a pitbull, has little respect for women, uses them and leaves them without a care. He is an emotionless hunter that shows no pity, and he goes after Tessa with the cutting edge of wanting sex and information. But he falls in love with her (or so Howard would try to make you believe). But he resents this so much, nearly hates her in his own way for taking away his control, that when he finds evidence showing Tessa guilty of stealing thousands and thousands of dollars, that he has her arrested. No warning, no chance to prove her innocence, no support. She is arrested and booked. She tries to call him, believing her lover, the man she loves desperately, will make everything all right. He refuses to take her calls. After she gets out of jail, he still refuses to take her calls. She finally goes to see him at his hotel and he cruels says he only slept with her to gain information. This nearly destroys her. All in an effort to save his pride.

Later, in an the middle of the night, he finally realises she could go to prison. He loves her (? sorry that is a big leap of faith for me at this point) and cannot stand to know the woman he loves will go to prison, so he goes to his boss and makes a deal to get the charges dropped. He tells the boss he will repay the money she stole himself, marry her. (nice of him!!). He arranges for the District Attorney to call her in, but she refuses to sign the agreement. She is innocent and will not sign a confession of guilt. It is only THEN he understands that she MIGHT be innocent. Now convinced she is innocent, he has the charges dropped, and suddenly moves in with her to take care of the fragile woman and hunt the real thief.

She shows a moment of fury and lashes out with her fists. But that is about all she does. I am sorry, this really hurt this book. She makes the point that she still loves him. Well, I love so I know you will forgive a lot in your life....but you do not forgive this easily.

Still, with all its faults, this is a powerfully written book. Howard weaves a spell that pulls you along, making you almost believe it...till you take a breath and reality check comes along.

I HIGHLY recommend it for the simple fact it is writing craft at it is highest peak, it is truly emotional...your heart will pound when she is arrested and finally comes to grips with the fact her lover is the one pressing charges. Just sorry, that the confined treatment of the series romance, pushed Howard to take the easy road in the solution.

This book is a re-issue of three classics. It contains "Tears of a Renegade" by Howard, "Golden Lasso" by Michaels, and "Baby Blessed" by Debbie Macomber.

This book has a cute pull out train, but my little train lover toddler was bored with this book in about two minutes.

My 3-year-old son knows all the names of the freight train cars, he was so excited to call out the car names as he unfolded each pages. When all the pages were unfolded, he made this 5-foot long train stand up then pushed and pulled and played with it for a very long time! Not much in learning, but great fun!

I love Linda Howard, but oh boy! was this a stinker. The other reviewers are right - the "hero" is so irredeemably awful and the heroine is so moistly ineffectual, that I wanted to throw up. This is not some post-feminist, can't-men-be-more-like-women rant. I love strong, capable heroes, but Nick is a spousal-abuse case waiting to happen.

And the heroine - what does it say that I don't even remember her *name*! She puts the "co" in co-dependent. She keeps saying she'll just turn Nick away and get him to leave her alone, but she never says "no" like she means it. Why not call the cops, refuse to answer the door, leak the story to the press, etc? It's not like this was feudal England and she had no options.

If you want to read a good romance with a strong, difficult hero, I'd recommend "Duncan's Bride" (Howard) or "These Old Shades" (Georgette Heyer).

What a Neanderthal! Usually romance novel heroes are so great (even with their one or two token flaws) that I imagine myself in the heroine's position. However, this is the one of the few romance novels where, if I were really in the heroine's position, I would have rejected the hero early on. I cringed in a couple of scenes (e.g., the scene where he's kissing his mistress as a way to forget the heroine; readers can just imagine that he'd burst a blood vessel if the heroine were to be caught kissing another man). I despise the way the heroine caves in to Nick's demands and consents to become his mistress (yes, I know she didn't follow through---which is another thing that got on my nerves: her perpetual vacillation).

I imagine this is a very early Linda Howard. It reminds me of some of those thin Harlequins I used to read as a teenager.

Even if you're a fan of Howard, skip this one.

Fellow Linda Howard fans, you certainly have a right to be angry about a heroine who has a backbone as rigid as a wet spaghetti noodle, and a hero who was not only domineering, but also downright sadistic, but that's what almost all the series romances were like then. This was the Harlequin formula at the time, and Silhouette, who originally published this book, was still following the Harlequin formula. Jayne Castle/Krentz/stephanie James, Nora Roberts, etc., were just beginning to change America's series romance readers views on doormat-ish women and psychotically possessive heroes. But even then, Linda Howard showed her talent; I did not like All That Glitters in 1982, but Linda's ability as a storyteller was very much in evidence, and boy, did she improve over the years. New writers have to start somewhere and if you love the Mackenzies, Dream Man , and Son of the Morning, then realize how far Linda has come since All That Glitters, and also how far we readers have come--in the 1970's and early 80's , we category-romance readers used to accept those kind of heros and heroines as the norm. My quarrel is with publishers who cash in on an author's popularity by republishing his/her older books without considering whether they deserve republishing (and, I might add, at a much higher price). If Ms. Howard wanted it reprinted, she might be thinking twice now . Those people who are just discovering her might not buy another book of hers if this is the first they read, but I hope they will try one of her more recent books (but not Now You See Her) and find out why we Linda Howard fans are so loyal.

This is absolutely the worst romance novel that I have ever read. Despite the usual high quality writing and editing that I have come to expect from Linda Howard, this is horrible. The male lead, Rhy, is far beyond the alpha male - he is just mean. Sallie/Sarah is so completely victimized by him that she cannot think her way out of a paper bag. It is incomprehensible that they make each other so angry but 'cannot help' but give in to their "love." This is the type of writing that leads women to think that being stalked and abused is something normal - that they have 'asked for it.' Linda Howard should be mortified to have written this book, and Mira should be ashamed for continuing to publish it. I know that I am disappointed and angry to have purchased and read it.

I give it one star because it is not possible to give it zero - or less.

I love Linda Howard's books. I've kept every copy of one I've come across - even this one completely despite myself because it's awful! Rhy is a stalker - and Sallie's mad to go anyhwere near him unarmed. The most positive thing I can think to say about this one is that clearly Ms Howard was practicing with variations of alpha male characters, and from the stone age Rhy's clearly living in, the wonderful Black Niall, Gray Roulliard and John Medina have evolved.

I know it was the 80's, but this became seriously painful to read. It needs a disclaimer like the ones Sandra Brown includes on her reissues of early works - something like "this book was written in a time when it was considered romanatic for men to harass women into exhaustion, admit having married them only because they felt sorry for the poor dears, bully them into leaving the work they enjoy, and stay at home where they belong - but only once the man figures out that's where he'd like to be too"

Sallie Baines had her heart broken by her husband Rhy and was determined to prove she wasn't the timid little miss he called her. As she grew up she realized she didn't need Rhy. But Rhy is back and has decided he needs her.

This is an annoying book. On every page, the only text is "honk honk" with a picture of traffic. On the first page, someone bumps someone else, on the next page, that second somebody bumps another person. The pictures aren't different enough that a small child will realize what's going on unless you take a lot of time to explain it. The entire book is four pages long. Stupid!