SLOW BURN

Author: Julie Garwood ISBN: 0345453840 9/2005 CONTEMPORARY/SUSPENSE Publisher: BALLANTINE

Living a successful life in Charleston, South Carolina, Kate MacKenna has always been able to turn her challenges into triumphs. Put now the fates seem to be lining up against her ... in a lethal fashion. While attending a reception at a friend's estate for a controversial artist, Kate is nearly killed by an explosion. Once home, Kate is hit with the news that the prosperous fragrance company she has nurtured from the ground up is in jeopardy: It turns out that her late mother used the business as collateral for a huge loan, and full payment is due in three weeks. Kate's still reeling from this devastating news when her youngest sister's volatile ex-boyfriend shows up and threatens her. Then Kate receives a call from her best friend, Jordan Buchanan, who is hospitalized and scheduled for surgery in Boston. Though stretched to the limit, Kate immediately rushes to her side. Once she knows that Jordan is going to be fine, Kate abandons her calm facade and allows herself a major metldown, doing something that is totally uncharacteristic: She has a one-night stand with Jordan's brother Dylan. Coming to her senses, Kate returns home determined to get back on track and save her business. But the mishaps keep coming. At Jordan's insistence, Dylan checks up on Kate. He's convinced that she's merely having a spell of bad luck-until he discovers how many people want Kate MacKenna dead.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

SLOW BURN is more of a warm fizzle. It certainly isn't the pulse pounding and irresistible romantic suspense I was anticipating. Though it picks up in the middle with some lighthearted yet sexy banter between the hero and heroine, the mystery falls flat when it becomes obvious who is behind the murderous plot.

When I say obvious, I mean unless you don't really read the dialogue between the characters, you will guess who has a hand in the plot to do away the heroine. Without giving too much away to those of you that may not actually pick up on it (one in one-hundred, maybe), when the slip happens, I re-read the paragraph a few times and thought it was a typo in the timeline! It couldn't be right, because how on Earth would the other character the hero was talking to, know this information so soon?! I made an excuse that closer to the end I would find out that someone else informed the bad guy of the situation, but, alas, it is no typo. It really is an obvious clue that nearly gives the whole thing away. I still didn't know why the character was involved, so I decided to keep reading.

The best part of SLOW BURN is the romance between the hero and heroine. It gets a bit cutesy, like an old historical Garwood, about three fourths of the way through. The relationship works to take your mind off of the mediocre mystery. Fans who love to read Garwood's signature style of women thinking one way, but not saying out loud to the hero, will like it, too.

Shannon Johnson