Customer Reviews

Where There's Smoke

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the best book she ever wrote......how to love someone you are supposed to hate....how to keep on living when you have lost your child......how to deal with a parent who favors your sibling and hurts you all the time....there are so many lines in this book...I have read all SB suspense novels and I like this one most of all.... I recommend it strongly.
Diana

I'm usually pretty good at figuring out the "whodunit" or the genteral gist of stories but with WHERE THERE'S SMOKE, I didn't see it coming! An excellent book that I couldn't put down!

This is another favorite by Sandra Brown. Deceit of a horrible situation yet you have to fight for what you feel and know is right. Some dangerous circumstances keep you on edge of seat and you don't know who to trust. Some may sound the same but nuances change and characters change. Thsi was a great read but prepare to stay up for the entirety.

This is my 4th Sandra Brown. The first three were Bittersweet Rain, 22 Indigo Place, and A Kiss to Remember. Anyway, I really like her as a writer. Something I've noticed is that she deals a lot with public opinion and gossip, and how it can be very negative or false. The plot is very good. Throughout this book, I kept thinking "I know that Lara couldn't have had an affair with Key's brother, it can't be." But Lara never denied it, so I was baffled. I kept on trying to find explanations for it, but could come up with nothing. I'm not going to say any more on that for fear of giving anything away, except when I got to an explanation, it was just "whoa... what?!"

on to the characters... I liked Lara. She was very competent and composed, and wasn't clingy. She also wasn't vindictive or mean, even when people acted incredibly badly towards her, but instead of making this look like she doesn't have a backbone, somehow it just makes her look stronger. And she is strong, she seems to take everything in stride no matter what. As for Key, I liked his little jokes and innuendos. If I met him in real life though, honestly, I'd probably think he was a jerk. He comes off as being really arrogant. He turns out to be an OK guy though. I wish some more time was spent on developing their relationship. What with all the action and plot twists, I sort of missed some of the chemistry between them. However, if you like Sandra Brown, you'll like this book, and it's worth reading.

I remember picking this book up for the first time because I thought it was cute that the main character Lara and I had the same first name. Plus, she was a dr. and for a long time I thought that was what I wanted to be. Decided on a stay at home mom, but onto the review. :)

This was my second Sandra Brown. The first I read was Silken Web, which is my favorite, but this is just as good. this book has twists and turns and just when you think that you have it all figured out you turn the page and think to yourself nevermind. ha ha

Lara is your typical self-righteous heroine and Key is your typical rough around the edges hero with a heart of gold. But that's where the typical part ends. Believe me when I say you'll never get enough, and this one like Silken Web will earn a permanent place on your bookshelf.

I have yet to read a Sandra Brown book that I didn't like. "Where Theres Smoke" is no exception. It was full of surprises and plot twists. So many great characters and subplots that really pull you into the story. Once I got started I couldn't put it down. I read until 2 am to see how it turned out. Classic Brown--once you start her books you can't stop. The romance between Laura and Key was great but I especially loved the connection between Janellen and Bowie.

I'm a fan of Sandra Brown, but I'm not a fan of this book. The hero was an immature jerk, plain and simple. Marriage between the heroine and the hero would be like a mother-son relationship. Brown tried to portray him as the proverbial "bad-boy" type, but he came off as a mama's boy (who didn't really stand up to his domineering mother) hypocrite (he slept around profusely, but accused the heroine of being a "whore" because of her publicized affair with his late brother). Also, I was very disappointed that he actually lied to the heroine at the end of the book, when [as all romance novel readers know] everyone's supposed to come clean. He claims that he only slept with the "other" woman in the novel once, which is technically correct; ... He conveniently doesn't mention that to the besotted heroine. That said, the heroine got on my nerves too, because of her overly goody-two-shoes manner and her suseptibility to the hero. These two had no chemistry between them. These character flaws combined with some absolutlely ridiculous plot twists, make this one of the most disappointing Brown novels I've read yet.

Though the book was written almost a decade ago, you won't feel like reading an old story. The plot was full of twists and surprises as well as adventures making the book full, not lopsided to sole romance. I also like the inclusion of the story about Janellen and Bowie. It made the storyline rich and ever more pleasant. The only thing that kept me from giving the book a full mark was Lara's reason for not telling the truth about the scandal. I understand she had a lot of integrity, but the explanation was so unconvincing.

This book was great! I couldn't put it down for long. Full of antagonists, twists, and adventure. The ending was definately a shocker. I loved Lara's determination and Key's struggle with his feelings for her.
If you like Brown's romantic mystery/suspenses, I also recommend "Slow Heat in Heaven" "Fat Tuesday" "French Silk" "Breath of Scandal" "Texas! Trilogy"

Yet another Sandra Brown that I could put down. I found this book to be exciting and definitely full of surprising twists at any given moment. I found myself right there in the story with the characters. Definitely one that I will come back to in the future!