I was fortunate enough to be able to read this book while in New Orleans. I really liked it overall.

The dynamic between the 2 protaganists is good. I found the scenes where John is dealing with his families death to be very real. I had a hard time beleiving that in New Orleans they would be buried below ground and not entombed, but other than that it was beleivable, and that is why I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. There are very few places in the state where you can have a below ground grave, and I had just done several cemetary tours.

I also really liked the way they dealt w/the fact that Holly had been a prostitute. KS did not make it seem like it did not matter at all, and the way it was handled was great.

The murderer was obvious after they 1st interaction w/him. It was practically spelled out and delivered to you in the 1st 15 pages. This had some steamy love scenes, and I would consider it to be a romance and not a "mystery" or "romantic suspense".

I felt that it could have been longer and gone into more depth w/Patrick the nephew of John. He was set up by KS as a possible suspect and given a ton of mental and emotional problems that I did not feel were dealt with.

I would say overall it was a good book, and would read other books of hers, but it was not great. If you like this type of book, I would read Erica Spindler (alot more depth) and Helen Myers (also has things conveniently happen, but good reads)

This was my first Katherine Sutcliffe book and boy did i love it. It had everything I look for in a book and the only problem was didn't want to put it down but I had to!

Holly Jones is back in New Orleans after four years of living on the run to help her best friend/foster sister Melissa escape a serial killer who was targeting prostitutues. Supposedly the serial killer was captured, tried and put to death for the killings but suddenly, two prositutes have turned up dead and the serial killer's signature style is to strong to dismiss.

[...]P>If you like romantic suspense and/or Katherine Sutcliffe you will love this book. The chemistry between Holly and J.D. absolutely sizzles. The mystery of the killer's true identity (and many other secrets) is kept until the very end--there were so many possibilities but not one clear choice. The secondary characters are well defined and written into the story. I highly recommend this book--hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

"Darkling I Listen" intrigued me with its eery atmosphere and compelling characters, and now "Bad Moon Rising" has made me a loyal fan of Katherine Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe portrays her characters so passionately that the reader not only understands the forces that drive them but feels their hurt.

Holly Jones best friend is in trouble. Nothing else would draw her back to New Orleans. With noone left to turn to in the city from which she had barely escaped a few years ago Holly calls burnt out attorney J. D. Damascus. Damascus is fighting his own demons since the brutal murders of his wife and beloved children by the notorious French Quarter killer four years earlier. He reluctantly comes to the aid of this mysterious and beautiful former prostitute when he realizes that they might have a common goal- to find and stop the psychopath who murdered his family and several of Holly's former associates. The same person might now have abducted Holly's missing friend. Although a despicable child molester has been sentenced and put to death for the crime, Damascus is certain that for political purposes the wrong man has been punished. In the process of searching for a killer these two scarred souls find far more than they wanted to, but will their hidden secrets jeopardize their budding relationship as well as their lives?

Here is a story that is as well plotted as it is beautifully written. I was sorry to leave these characters. I certainly look forward to the next book by Katherine Sutcliffe.

Liked the story, though not one of her best. The historical accuracy is a bit off though. By the eighteen fifties, Sydney and Melbourne were extremely cosmopolitan towns and neither one were accepting England's convicts anymore. Ooops, Ms Sutcliffe.

I just finished this book & I loved it!! I believe that this is the first book I have read by Katherine Sutcliffe. The two main characters in this book, Bronte and Brandon, draw you into their lives. Bronte's father, William Haviland, is the warden for the prison in New South Wales. Bronte can't believe her eyes and ears when her father's assistant tells her that the prisoner before her is THE Captain Brandon Tremain and that he is in a New South Wales prison for treason and murder. This is the hero of her childhood, her knight in shining armor coming for her on his white stallion. This book will keep you guessing until the end!! It did for me!! I strongly recommend that anyone who loves Ms. Sutcliffe's books to read this one, especially if you haven't already!!

I just don't see what everyone finds so great about this novel. I like Sutcliffe and enjoyed NOTORIOUS, but this novel was disappointing. I guess I just don't like novels where the romance is somehow unequal. Summer chased after Nicolas despite his continual rejection of her. After a while, I just wanted her to say "adios" and leave him. Yes, I know he's tortured and that deep down he loves her, but it still got on my nerves.

Also, to be truthful, I didn't like Summer all that much. She actually got on my nerves with her constant Pollyanna attitude.

Oh, well, to each his own.

They don't get much better than this. A feisty heroine, a brooding emotionally scared hero, and an exotic location.

The story revolves around Mr. Nicholas Winston Saber Esquire (the youngest son of the Earl of Chesterfield) who was exiled to New Zealand after killing another man in a duel over a woman's honor. He spends the next five years in an emotional prison, bitter with the world (women in particular), resentful of his father, and despising himself and everyone around him. He is eking out an existence on an isolated sheep farm, and one night during a bout of drinking, he is tricked into marrying (by proxy) a woman he has never met. His mail-order bride ends up being feisty Summer O'Neile who was forced to flee England to escape the consequences of an act of self-defense.

Summer travel to New Zealand and explodes into Nicholas' solitary world. She shatters the walls he has built up around himself, and also battles the accepted prejudices (farmers/cattleman vs. sheep herders) of a community. Summer falls deeply in love with her brooding, bitter husband (who she learns never really wanted a wife), and the more Nicholas tries to push her away, the more she worms her way into his heart.

If you can find a copy, get it. This is truly a unique love story.

This was the most amazing book I have ever read! I am constantly in search of another book that meets the standards that this book has set. I look forward to many more of Ms. Sutcliffe's works if they are half as good as Dream Fever!

The hero is a brooding, temperamental artiste who is so pig-headed he refuses to take any sort of action to defend himself against accusations of a serious crime. The heroine is a well-meaning, would-be Florence Nightingale with a sordid past and an evil half-brother who brutalizes her. There are several supporting characters, some bland, some vivid, and a plot that is so tiresome in its attempts to be "mysterious" that I honestly can't tell you why I actually finished the story.

I never did see why the heroine was so hot to bed the hero. He gave her very little other than saving her from a wretched life. I suppose for some readers that would be enough, but it wasn't for me.

The book's big climax (which I won't reveal) just made me roll my eyes and say "Oh, puh-lease!" Yes, it was pretty unexpected, especially for a romance novel, but it was also absurdly unlikely and melodramatic.

On the positive side, I will say that Ms. Sutcliffe's actual writing ability (i.e., her descriptive passages, ability to set a mood and a scene, character development and consistancy, and other technical aspects of writing) is excellent. I found it a bit like admiring a painting for the exquisite colors and brushstrokes, but hating the overall picture.

All I can really say is that I'm glad I got this book from a "bargain" table sale. If I'd paid full price, I would have been sorely disappointed.

In my opinion, this opinion id for those people who likes long tradgedy plot. I've read Katherine Sutcliffe's first book and it was magnanimous and unbelievably written. This book is filled sadness. Emotions such as grief is necessary in a drama, but it doesnt have to take 3/4 of the whole book. Yes, you can buy this book to uplift you once in a while and trample you most to the ground.

This is the first book that I have read of Katherine Sutcliffe. It is a very unique book that will make readers want to name their children after the heroine or the hero.

A reader can tell that this book is like no other from the beginning, because the heroine looses her virginity to someone else and not the hero.To tell u the truth, that was a turn off for me, but as the story goes on it gets better and better.But no one can blame the heroine for making the wrong choices, because she was after all living in the slumbs of Victorian London.The hero is the person who will be the savior of the heroine.I must say this is the most captiviting, romantic, and sensual love story I have read from any romantic author.In my opinion, the most romantic and the climax is this:"Human" he repeated."God help me, how can I do that". I can materialize money, flowers, and birds with a snap of my fingers.I can turn water to wine and wine to water before your eyes, and I can levitate beautiful women in midair.I'll convice you that I can walk through walls, for God's sake, or dissapear into thin air,but how do I convince you that I'm human?".

After this, the hero went on to cut his palm to prove to his love that he is human and not a murderer.This part I also find very romantic:Staring down at her, his face bleak and still, he said sardonically, " Am I so vile? So terrifying that you cannot even pretend to tolerate my touch, Mercy?.Many women have before, for a price.For Abby it was rubies.For others it was diamonds or a chateau on the Riviera. What would you like, Mercy?.Obviously its not pearl and diamond brooches. Certainly there is something you want.Pwrhaps the tuition to nursing school?At her soft gasp , he smiled.Ah. I thought so. Everyone has a price, it seems. For you it shall be the opportunity to become the next Florence Nightingale."

This book will make you want to fall in love with the hero.Katherine Sutcliffe certainly done a great job with giving the main characters depth(especially the hero), not like many other romantic books I have read with characters so shallow and undeveloped u'll want to go asleep with boredom.Any reader who loves a sensual and romantic book with in depth characters u'll want to read this book.I have to say that Katherine Sutcliffe done so good of a job with developing the hero that I am in love with him.A 5 star plus for this book!

Sorry. I don't see what all the excitement is. I tried, I honestly tried to read this book. I tried to get into the characters. But I could see nothing appealing in Bonnie... yes, the author tried to make one sympathetic to her circumstances, but she was spiteful, vicious, dishonest, and frankly, all her anger against the "hero" made no sense at all. It's difficult to believe a gentleman would be attracted to her. You may account for lust, with a vivid stretch of the imagination, but it's a real stretch.

Maybe they were a match, after all; as a hero, Damien came up short. His reactions to other the characters are not consistant... one moment he's tolerant, the next he flies off the handle. Furthermore, and all the brooding just gets boring.

Perhaps it gets better. I don't know. There's only so much I could force myself to read before I gave up and put the book away. I think I made it to Part 2, but it was an effort.

My advice to anyone looking for a good read? Judith McNaught. Julia Quinn. Kathleen Woodiwiss. Shirley Busbee. Johanna Lindsey. Nora Roberts. Jennifer Crusie. Teresa Medeiros. Susan Sizemore. Ah, but my list could go on and on, and that's not my purpose here.

The only thing this book lacks is compelling characters, interesting dialogue, honest emotion, and a storyline.

I like many of Sutcliffe's novels, but when she writes a bad one, it is "very, very, bad." This novel is one of those. Where shall I begin? Shall I start with the annoying heroine or discuss the completely unrealistic plot details. I guess it doesn't matter:
1) It is not even remotely feasible that Bonny would be so ungrateful and bratty. She's an impovershiped, sickly (near death), workhouse occupant who runs away and is kindly sheltered by the our wealthy, titled hero. Any NORMAL person would be grateful not only to be sheltered and protected from the bad guys at the workhouse, but also immensely grateful for the clothing, shelter, and kindness she receives from her host. However, Bonny is a brat from the beginning. Not only does she not show gratitude, but she actually is spiteful (purposely throws and breaks things) and disdainful of the hero. Unbelievable! I wanted to slap her myself.
2) Why would the hero be even remotely interested in her? I can almost understand why he would lust after her (even though that was difficult to grasp because he did have another beautiful, willing woman at his disposal who he notes is the "best he's ever had" in bed), but why in heavens name does he fall in love with her so quickly? What's there to love? Sutcliffe does a poor job of showing readers what's so lovable about Bonnie.
3) It is completely unbelievable that the class-conscious English ton of that time would have welcomed an penniless, lower-class woman into their midst. Come on! She was actually being courted by gentlemen and invited to teas by the Duchess of Marlborough. Katherine, give readers a little credit!
4) It is even more unbelievable that when she's so obviously pregnant (she's showing) and so obviously UNmarried (even though she's engaged) that she would traipse around Hyde Park at midday with Damien's family and attend all other social functions as if nothing is different. Hello? We're talking about the Victorian era here. There's no way that an unmarried pregnant woman would gad about so openly and there's no way that the society in which she's circulating would accept her.

I know romance novels are not realistic in that the hero is always too good to be true. However, readers do like the other aspects of the novel to be realistic so that when we're escaping into the story we at least can maintain that illusion for a while without stumbling across so many blatantly obvious blunders. ...P>This is definitely not one of Sutcliffe's finer efforts.

The BEST book I have amongst my hundred collections of Diana Palmer, D. Macomber, J. Lindey, I. Johansen etc. This is absolutely fantastic. Page turning with moments of drama that will make your heart twist. You will never ever regret having this book. Its a definite MUST HAVE!

My first romance book was Barbara Cartland when I was in Grade 3. There will be a time that you'll be so exhausted reading the same old plot of. J. Lindsey, J. McNaught, J. Krentz, Nora Roberts, R. Rogers, K. Woodiwiss etc. After a while, you'll you'll get more adventurous to try books of Harold Robbins, J. Krantz or even, take an adventure with Sheldon, Anne Rice, L. Deighton or even Agatha Christie (one of my old time fave).

Apropos, Your romantic heart will be looking for romance in a new paradigm. THIS IS THE BOOK!. This is a BEST SELLER. Count on the experts.

This was a really seasonal book that helped me get into the holiday spirit. It was an emotional roller coaster that had me anxious to see what would happen next. Each story had a happy ending that made it worth reading. I would buy it again and I hope to see more like it soon.

As other reviewers have noted, the ending fell flat. Up until then, it was a good romance. Readers may remember the hero from the prequel, MIRACLE. He wasn't a likable character in that novel, but I'm glad Sutcliffe made him the hero of DEVOTION because I get so sick of perfect heroes. Trey was definitely a spoiled, rakehell who is changed by his injury and, finally, by Maria. I liked Maria as a heroine. She wouldn't give up on Trey. However, I'm very annoyed at Sutcliffe for the ending of this novel. How dare she leave readers hanging! I've never read a novel in this genre that didn't end with the hero and heroine in each other's arms. Of course Sutcliffe does indicate that the hero and heroine will get together, but romance novel readers what to SEE them together at the end. Another problem with this novel was the character of the Duchess. I realize she's supposed to be a tough woman, but I really think she would have shown a little more happiness at Trey's recovery, especially since she stood by his bed and cried when he was practically catatonic.

In short, this was a good novel, but I don't really know whether readers will what to read it because the ending is so disappointing.

A delightful tale along the lines of "Beauty and the Beast". This is an enchanting story about a young woman determined to fulfill her duty to take care of an injured and bitter man. I read this book in one go, late at night, and loved it...until the end of the story, which finishes unsatisfyingly. Despite a frustratingly awkward and blunt final few chapters, this book is still a refreshing read.

I enjoyed reading this book from begining to end. This is the first book I have ever read by Katherine Sutcliffe and would recommend it to anyone who likes a historical romance. At the begining of the book Maria is introduced and you see why she is so desprerate to do anything to get her and her mother out of her fathers house. This is when she becomes a companion to a person she has never meet thinking all would be well only to find out that things don't always happen the way you want them to.

Next you are introduced to Trey and you feel in him all the anger he has toward himself and what life has dished up to him. You want to yell with him and cry with him while he learns that no matter what happens that life will go on with or without you.

After Trey and Maria meet there is an extreme clash of wills and both realize that one is just as stuborn as the other....

I was so disappointed in this novel that I couldn't even finish it. I'm disappointed because I usually like Sutcliffe's work. Fever is simply too cliche and ridiculous. Sutcliffe doesn't present any reason why Juliette should fall in love with Chantz. They have a handful of conversations and all the sudden she'll do anything for him. This is the least of the novel's problems, however. Are readers really supposed to believe that Juliette would have such an open-minded, 21st century, politically correct viewpoint of slaves? Come-on! I can accept that she would be against slavery, but not to the extent that she berates her wealthy, white neighbor for not marrying his quadroon, slave mistress. Is she daft? Interracial marraige was against the law! Also, why in the world would Chantz refuse to marry Juliette because he feels he's being used? Hello? How is he being used when he would be getting exactly what he wants (Juliette and a nice piece of property)? What is SHE getting out of it? A good overseer? If she was really into using she would have done something smarter like marry a wealthy man to restore her plantation. However, realism is about as present in this novel as a science fiction book. It was just too stupid to finish.

The vivid descriptions and character details of this book kept me glued to the pages for three hours...when I reached the end with real tears in my eyes. Ms. Sutcliffe took the time to develop this book as few other historical authors do. I could actually feel the frustration of living in a time when it was forbidden for slaves to learn to read and people could be hung for doing it. I liked the heroine's resilience and determination to rebuild her plantation no matter what it took, even if her beloved rejected her along with everyone else. Kind of a like a nice Scarlett O'Hara.

Unfortunately, there are several inconsistencies and holes in the plot. For example, the plantation--Belle Jarod--had come from her father, Jack Broussard, yet bore the name of Juliette's mother, Maureen Jarod. One is led to believe in the beginning that Maureen was nothing but a prostitute who destroyed her husband's life with her affairs with other men. Then we find that she befriended slaves and worked side by side with them to make the plantation successful. We know for certain that she had one affair--with her husband's best friend--but that is supposedly because her husband neglected her because of his responsibilities on the plantation. So I'm confused. DID she have a lot of affairs? WAS she a prostitute? Or was that all blown out of proportion?

Maybe I read the book too quickly, but I am really fuzzy on how the house burned down the same day Jack found Maureen with his best friend. Jack must have done it, but since Maureen died in the fire, wouldn't that be murder? Such a thing is never suggested. And there are other fuzzy parts. Like how did Juliette end up in the river that day when Chance saved her? It didn't appear to be suicide. And when the five hooded monsters came to Belle Jarod and the black woman died trying to protect Juliette, what exactly did they do? Was it so horrible the author is trying to protect our sensibilities? More fuzzy parts and questions. And Tylor was a caricature of a villain. He didn't have one speck of good in him, so it was too easy to hate him. Ms. Sutcliffe could have given him a bit more depth.

But both Juliette and Chantz are well-drawn characters who are not easily forgotten. Some of the details may be unclear, but it IS clear that I was hooked from the first page, and by the middle of the story, even the thought of eating lunch could not draw me away from it. "Fever" is a much deeper, darker story than I am used to reading, and it left me reeling with strong emotions. I recommend it with these words of warning: don't ask too many questions and don't start reading it if you have a big project to finish.

This was my second Sutcliffe novel (Notorious being the first)and I have to say that this book blew me away! From the first page til the last I was simply captivated. This book has over 400 pages and I finished it in two, count them TWO days! Set in Louisiana, the author made me feel the intense heat of the bayou and made it come alive with her words. It was definitely not a light read. Very intense and a superbly written story with intriguing characters, some you couldn't help but love, others you couldn't help but hate. Thank you Ms. Sutcliffe for a superb story. This one will stay with me for days, the mark of a fantastic story and author.

Set in 1870 Texas, this book starts out when the hero, trapped by a snowstorm, stumbles upon the heroine's home while she is in midlabor (with her dead husband's child)! He's on the run, with a bounty on his head, but decides to stick around to help the poor babe survive since his mama is no shape to care for him. What started out as a fascinating story with compelling characters unfortunately soon turned into one of those "annoying heroine" books. Almost immediately the heroine began to rub me the wrong way because of her selfish and self-centered attitude and it only got worse from there. I continued to read the book because I thought the hero deserved a happy ending. His dark and tortured past was absolutely horrendous and the flash backs broke my heart but alas it was not meant to be because he got saddled with the unlikable heroine for life! If you don't mind abrasive heroines and adore sensitive, tortured guys you'll probably like this one more than I did.

I have been a Katherine Sutcliffe fan for a number of years--can't get enough of her books! However, I was disappointed with her latest work. The characters were strange and hard to embrace or identify with. The storyline did not have much depth to it either. My favorite book of hers is "Dream Fever" (would love to see it made into a movie!), so I guess I compare everything to that book. Thanks.

Frankly, I was shocked by the other comments about this wonderful book. I was hooked from page one. The heroine IS sympathetic. For heaven's sake she's been dumped in the middle of nowhere by a charlatan! And along comes the hero, tragic, no reason to live. Charity and her son give him a reason to live. I highly recommend this book and anything else Sutcliffe writes. Bravo!

This is the third book I've read of Katherine Sutcliffe and it cant compare with Desire and Surrender and definitely can't compare with Love's Illusion.

The story takes place during the Medieval times and starts off with the scene of the hero's father.Then the story moves to when the hero is all grown up.This is when the heroine is also introduced.When I first read many bad reviews on this book I thought the reviewers must be crazy to say the book to be so bad.However, if you read any more bad reviews on this book it is true, very true.

In this book, Katherine Sutcliffe just doesnt capture the depth of her earlier books.I admit I like heros to be cruel to make the story interesting, but the character of Roland just doesnt cut it for me. I mean, most of the time, Roland chains the heroine at her ankle and drags her around. And then eventually , the heroine, Hope, somehow falls in love with Roland after being dragged around like a dog by him.That just doesnt make sense.This book deserves a 0 for all I care..

I liked this book because it was different. Authors should be encouraged to occasionally gift their fans with fresh material that inspires us to suspend belief and applaud imagination. if we want to immerse ourselves in normality all the time, watch the news. I read for fun and enjoyment, and this book delivers on both counts. I hope Ms Sutcliffe writes more just like this one!

I appreciate books that are not run of the mill, and this one certainly isn't. The story is intense and I loved it.