Apr 10 2008
REVIEW: Blind Date from Hell by Anne Stuart
Dear Mrs. Stuart,
The description of this novella at Fictionwise caught my attention and induced me to buy it. Too bad that that description has F-all to do with the actual plot. I don’t blame you for that. But it’s lucky for Fictionwise that I enjoyed the story anyway.
The actual paranormal elements here are a little hazy. In the end, I didn’t care. Was Gideon in heaven or hell? Was he paying for past sins or getting a second chance at redemption? Was he supposed to succeed in seducing Sam out of her virginity at a demon’s behest or was his post seduction decision the main point of the whole setup? Gideon can’t remember his past in too great a detail but he knows that he’s finally fallen for the one woman he can’t have and who deserves better.
Sam’s casual acceptance of her world famous model beauty was refreshing. No false modesty from this girl. She knows she’s gorgeous, she realizes that this beauty won’t last so she’ll work it for what she can get then gracefully retire and go be happy doing something else. She’s kept her virginity by choice and only decides to yield it to someone she loves. But does she believe in love at first sight? Not really so she’ll go with her grouchy dog’s judgement on this stranger.
With the short length of the book, you need to make every scene count, every description meaningful and be able to convey the life altering emotions these two feel. “Blind Date from Hell” manages very nicely. B
~Jayne
available as an ebook (Just ignore the description here)
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Apr 10, 2008 @ 05:01:28
This was part of a short story collection (Date with a Devil) that came out a few years back. I actually picked it up at a dollar store a few weeks ago – I guess there were some copies still sitting in some warehouse? The Anne Stuart story was the best of the three stories, although I’d grade it about the same as you did.
Apr 10, 2008 @ 05:05:49
I bought it as a stand alone ebook at Fictionwise. I’m just curious, who were the other authors in your print copy?
Apr 10, 2008 @ 06:45:12
Yeah I read that book too! It was with Cherry Adair and Muriel Jensen and came out in 2004. Let’s see if I can find an email about it… OK here’s one (it seems we agree :)):
“I read this one too, and liked the Stuart a lot. However I found the last two stories practically unreadable. Stuart’s was funny and original even though she took a standard beautiful older virgin for her heroine. The hero was one of Stuart’s nicer bad boys.
The other two stories were annoying though. The second was split by an unlikely sex scene that I found extremely tedious, followed by a pretty ridiculous (as in eye rolling) chase scene.
The last I found kind of offensive by the attitude, accepted in the end, that women have to be protected, even if you have to lie to them and trick them to do it. The heroine works in a restaurant that’s to be the scene of a crime, and everyone has to get her out of the way on that day to keep her safe. Just her – all the men who work in the restaurant are capable of handling it and keep the place running and open. But that’s OK if they make her decisions for her because it’s done out of love. Not.”
I guess you’re better off being able to buy the short separate. :)
Apr 10, 2008 @ 07:11:02
I got this in the “valentine” package with my Sony reader and I loved it.