Normally I don't like short stories - not enough about the characters background or time to really do anything. But this story of Michael Blackheart was really good. He is a noted cat burglar just out of a French prison and ready to retire at 27. He reminds me of Pierce Brosnan in The Thomas Crown Affair. Isabel Linden is ripe and ready to answer the call of her hormones, especially when she sees Michael. She is being lusted after by her employer, the art collector, nerdy Bill Helms. This man is running a hidden agenda and surrounded by his blond aryans. Helms has hired Blackheart, Inc. to provide security for his art display. Did I say that Helms was loaded with money? John Patrick Blackheart has a well deserved reputation as a cat burgler which he does not hide. I loved his wife's reaction after she met Michael. Boy was Blackheart in trouble. Michael was able to pull off the heist and collected Isabel along with the art. Great story lead-in to Wilson's ex-CIA agent Duncan of the Phoenix Brotherhood. A must read - definitely a keeper.
A GREAT CONCEPT AND GOOD STORIES
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 22 years ago
I really liked the idea that these two stories revolved around each other. A good concept for a two story novel. I LOVE Anne Stuart so, of course, I was sure her story would be the best. But once again Gayle Wilson surprised me. I read my first GW story in Lonesome Rider/The Heart's Desire by GW and Heather Graham. I thought HG's story would be the best. Wrong! GW's was much better. At any rate, this book is worth the money. The writing styles of AS and GW go well together. If you are looking for another alpha male story, please try LONE RIDER by Lauren Bach. It's HOT!
Night and Day
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 23 years ago
Two celebrated authors combine for two "editorially connected stories," as the ads say (because just saying "connected stories" would confuse people???) in "Night and Day." Anne Stuart offers the latest sequel in her classic Catspaw series, while Gayle Wilson brings her latest Man of Mystery. The result is a highly entertaining romp through a world of spine-tingling danger and romance. There's some irony in the title. Although Stuart is known for her "dark" heroes, she's no stranger to more light-hearted capers, while Wilson's tales are unerringly dark and humorless. In this collection, Wilson's "Day" is substantially darker than Stuart's "Night," something that shouldn't surprise readers of their Harlequins. In Stuart's tale, cat burglar Michael Blackheart decides to make his final heist by stealing a priceless collection protected by the father he never knew. He doesn't expect to meet Isabel Linden, a woman he would risk everything for, or to find himself facing a deadly conspiracy. In "Day," Duncan Cullhane agrees to help Andrea Sorrensen recover the music box her grandmother lost in World War II. Duncan has always loved Andrea, his best friend's widow. Can he protect her when the search leads them to a deadly plot that threatens the world? I must admit to dreading "Night," despite my love for "Catspaw" and "Catspaw II." The idea of Blackheart and his Francesca (Ferris to everyone else) being pushed into middle age to accommodate a new, younger generation held little appeal. I should have had more faith in the author. Stuart dodges the issue by producing an illegitimate son Blackheart never knew he had in Michael, who's been unwittingly following in his old man's footsteps. "Night" seems to take place in "real time," about thirteen years after "Catspaw II," appropriate since that book came out 13 years ago, keeping the couple from the earlier books in their prime of life. Ferris and the elder Blackheart are as delightful as ever, their chemistry is still potent on the few pages they appear, and I have to admit my favorite parts of the story were theirs. Some readers may have difficulty believing Michael and Isabel are able to fall in love for keeps in one night when they don't spend that much time together. However, the story is still loads of fun, packed with steamy romance, plenty of action and truly evil villains to keep you desperately turning the pages. This is one of the more purely "fun" stories Stuart has written, with one of her patented bad boy heroes. Readers will likely enjoy reading this short novella so much that any concerns about whether this love will last will pale compared to how entertaining the story is. Fans of Ms. Wilson should find that "Day" delivers what they've come to expect from her. Strong romance, a somewhat slow start, and a stunning finale in a world made plausibly real. "Day" actually takes place over several days, allowing Wilson to develop more of a full love story than Stuart could.
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