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Obsessão
Um milagre da medicina proporciona à estrela de televisão Cat Delaney mais do que um novo coração. Com a sua segunda oportunidade de vida, Cat troca Hollywood por San Antonio, onde apresenta um programa de televisão em prol de crianças com necessidades especiais. É nesta cidade que conhece Alex Pierce, um antigo polícia que optou por escrever romances policiais - o primeiro homem a vê-la como uma mulher depois da sua cirurgia. Mas o novo mundo de Cat torna-se assustador quando «acidentes» fatais começam a ceifar a vida de outras pessoas que receberam transplantes do coração e alguém começa a seguir todos os seus movimentos. Cat não tarda a aperceber-se de que Alex talvez - ou talvez não - seja o seu aliado mais importante e que o seu novo coração lhe custa um preço terrível: uma teia de segredos e alguém determinado a acabar com a sua vida.
Com o seu novo mundo a tornar-se cada vez mais assustador e um perseguidor misterioso a seguir cada um dos seus movimentos, Cat é apanhada num labirinto sombrio de traição e segredos... e talvez veja demasiado tarde a máscara que esconde o rosto de um assassino.
Com o seu novo mundo a tornar-se cada vez mais assustador e um perseguidor misterioso a seguir cada um dos seus movimentos, Cat é apanhada num labirinto sombrio de traição e segredos... e talvez veja demasiado tarde a máscara que esconde o rosto de um assassino.
467 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
About the author
Sandra Brown
333 books18.3k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Sandra Brown is the author of more than sixty New York Times bestsellers, including STING (2016), FRICTION (2015), MEAN STREAK (2014), DEADLINE(2013), & LOW PRESSURE (2012), LETHAL (2011).
Brown began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into over thirty languages.
In 2009 Brown detoured from romantic suspense to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving historical fiction story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression.
Brown was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 480 reviews
November 17, 2014
I picked up my first Sandra Brown book early in October. It was Envy and I absolutely loved it. Charade is my 8th book and I guess it is safe to say she is now one of my favorite authors. She is so creative with her characters which lends to a captivating story.
In Charade we meet Cat Delaney. She has been given a second chance at life and wanting something more tangible, something that allows her to give back; she leaves her acting career behind and makes a move to San Antonio to lead a project that will give her just that.
We also meet Alex Pierce. He’s a writer now. I couldn’t quite figure him out. On the immediate surface he was a bit of a jerk. But I sensed there was more to him than met the eye.
When Cat and Alex first meet, both were equally attracted to the other. The sexual tension was palpable and what was to come was imminent.
For a good stretch of the book the plot really threw me for a loop. There was an apparent connection among the characters but there was so much mystery in the air I was always second guessing myself.
Sandra Brown always works in secondary characters that cause confusion, intrigue as well as adding depth to the plot. All so different yet somehow they were all connected.
Normally the romance is always secondary to the mystery, but this time I think SB gave us a bit more. There was something urging about the desire and temptation between Alex and Cat and I loved that.
I can’t tell you how happy I am that I stumbled upon Mo’s review of Envy. I’m hooked. ❤ I’m looking forward to reading many more books by Sandra Brown.
August 29, 2022
I've had quite a bad luck with the audiobooks I'm picking up lately. This book isn't an exception.
I started it looking forward to a mystery/romance book and while this book had both elements, the story itself wasn't gripping. The concept is interesting (someone killing heart-transplatees). But the book was unfortunately too long for such a plot. Around 500 pages are always way too long for any book focusing on romance.
The other issue with this book was the characters and while Cat grew on me, the romance didn't make me swoon. I was very indifferent about Alex and wary of him. The characters were completely forgettable. I wasn't also a fan of the different perspectives since they were very random. Its plot was very similar to Legacy by Nora Roberts, another audiobook I listened to recently. I couldn't but notice the similarities regarding the mystery aspect.
I don't think I'll be reading any other Brown books in the meantime. Or maybe, research her books more thoroughly before choosing what to read since I do believe she has good stories to offer, I just haven't found one I like yet (and hey, I've only read two of books). I’m glad I listened to the audiobook, however. Reading the novel would’ve bored me to tears. I believe if I wanted to read another one of her books, I’d go with the audio because whilst I won’t be up to date with the mystery trail of events, I’d go through the book faster this way.
I started it looking forward to a mystery/romance book and while this book had both elements, the story itself wasn't gripping. The concept is interesting (someone killing heart-transplatees). But the book was unfortunately too long for such a plot. Around 500 pages are always way too long for any book focusing on romance.
The other issue with this book was the characters and while Cat grew on me, the romance didn't make me swoon. I was very indifferent about Alex and wary of him. The characters were completely forgettable. I wasn't also a fan of the different perspectives since they were very random. Its plot was very similar to Legacy by Nora Roberts, another audiobook I listened to recently. I couldn't but notice the similarities regarding the mystery aspect.
I don't think I'll be reading any other Brown books in the meantime. Or maybe, research her books more thoroughly before choosing what to read since I do believe she has good stories to offer, I just haven't found one I like yet (and hey, I've only read two of books). I’m glad I listened to the audiobook, however. Reading the novel would’ve bored me to tears. I believe if I wanted to read another one of her books, I’d go with the audio because whilst I won’t be up to date with the mystery trail of events, I’d go through the book faster this way.
November 6, 2014
I must say since I read my first Sandra Brown book not so long ago, I have been hooked. She is a fantastic author. I am rarely disappointed.
A medical miracle gave TV personality Cat Delaney more than a new heart. It gave her a second chance at life. After leaving Hollywood to host a San Antonio TV show spotlighting children with special needs, Cat fights to gain respect as a newscaster. She meets Alex Pierce, an ex-cop turned crime writer, who regards her as a woman, not as a heart patient.
As with a lot of Ms Brown's heroes, he is a bit of an ass. Their first meeting is interesting. There is an attraction, there is sexual tension. She would be interested in a relationship. He is not.
As with most mystery/suspense books, I don't want to say too much. Up to the end of the book, I was still guessing. I had sort of an inkling about Alex's past, but only an inkling.
I so want to visit all the places Sandra Brown describes. San Antonio, Texas is up next for me.
Her attraction to him was too strong to be ignored. And it hadn't just begun tonight....
"We all have something we'd rather keep under lock and key."
There was an element of danger about him. His charm obscured a dark side that was both intriguing and frightening ...
"He's the bad boy no woman can resist.
You want a tough guy in tight jeans who makes your knees go weak ...
YES PLEASE!!
The light coming from the kitchen fell on his dark hair and cast his features in sharp relief. Dean had said he looked like a thug. He did indeed have rough-and-tumble demeanor. No doubt he was capable of inflicting pain. But he had also experienced it. Otherwise, how could he understand it so well? His steely eyes and hard mouth were the result of it.
His virile nakedness made her catch her breath
Just check this author out.
The chemistry had been instantaneous and explosive, something powerful and like nothing she'd experienced before
January 3, 2016
Good but not my favorite of Sandra Brown.
The beginning was slow and took me a while to get into the story because it was the setup for the main story to come, and that was fine. I was glued to the "pages" but I found myself upping the speed of the narration to get to reveals. It seems this Sandra Brown was slow in releasing them.
The last few chapters were a whirlwind of info and discoveries, one which I guessed and then set aside only to have it come true in the end. I have to say it colored the romance negatively for me. I was totally on board, loving it, until that reveal and the details that came with it.
Still, I want to pick up another of her mysteries. She is an excellent plotter for the most part and I loved every other story so far.
The beginning was slow and took me a while to get into the story because it was the setup for the main story to come, and that was fine. I was glued to the "pages" but I found myself upping the speed of the narration to get to reveals. It seems this Sandra Brown was slow in releasing them.
The last few chapters were a whirlwind of info and discoveries, one which I guessed and then set aside only to have it come true in the end. I have to say it colored the romance negatively for me. I was totally on board, loving it, until that reveal and the details that came with it.
Still, I want to pick up another of her mysteries. She is an excellent plotter for the most part and I loved every other story so far.
January 12, 2015
"The soul would search endlessly and in vain for its home, while the still beating heart continued to mock the sanctity of death."
Well, Ms. Brown never fails to entertain me and keep me on my toes. This was a really great read with a thrilling mystery, danger and romance. I was still figuring it out till practically the very end.
Cat Delaney famed soap opera star gets a new lease on life thanks to a heart transplant. With her new heart, she also has a change of heart about her life and up and leaves LA for San Antonio to be a TV host of a public service show for the good of children in need.
There she meets Alex Pierce, an ex-cop, now up and coming fictional crime writer. Alex is sexy, brooding and there's something rough and dark about him. When these two meet, there's no denying the chemistry and attraction.
While Alex certainly was a shit at times, I was easily drawn to him and his raw and demanding ways. Despite figuring out Alex around midway it didn't make unravelling of the clues any easier.
If you want a superbly written tale with a intricately detailed mystery with colourful and layered characters that keeps you guessing, you need to read this book. The fun of this book, like with most of SB's novels is said best by the lady herself..."Murderers come in all shapes and sizes."
January 25, 2016
Es el primer libro que leo de esta autora y con seguridad volveré a leer otro. Aunque el argumento no es original del todo, Sandra Brown a logrado enfocarlo desde un punto de vista muy interesante: ¿qué pasaría si alguien matara a aquellas personas que tal día recibieron un corazón nuevo? La manera en que la autora te sumerge en la historia es fascinante: te muestra los últimos minutos de vida que tuvieron los donantes de dichos corazones, y después juega con el lector para ver si es capaz de encontrar al asesino. La parte romántica esta muy bien, me a encantado Alex, su modo de ser, entre rudo y tierno.
March 19, 2020
lectura comodín para el #RetoRita4, seguramente soy yo, que en estos días soy incapaz de concentrarme para leer con gusto
ahora que lo he terminado creo que es una novela muy redonda, en la que solo me ha quedado una dudilla, pero normal, algo tenía que quedar abierto para que la autora despiste, sino sería demasiado fácil. el culpable tenía números y le ha tocado
Todo cierra muy bien y hay unas cuantas sorpresas.
Mi problema es que creo que le sobra la parte del romance, sí!!! Sorprendida hasta yo misma de lo que estoy escribiendo, pero es que si no le vas a dar más que un par de escenas de sexo, para qué te molestas en detallar algo que no has desarrollado?
La novela sin esa parte quizás estaría mejor, para mí, porque no hubiera estado esperando algo que no ha llegado.
Aún así, entretenido es y está bien escrito, todo atado y coherente y la trama está muy bien y original
Como todos los de Sandra Brown, lo recomiendo, pero no creo que sea de los mejores que he leído de ella
ahora que lo he terminado creo que es una novela muy redonda, en la que solo me ha quedado una dudilla, pero normal, algo tenía que quedar abierto para que la autora despiste, sino sería demasiado fácil. el culpable tenía números y le ha tocado
Todo cierra muy bien y hay unas cuantas sorpresas.
Mi problema es que creo que le sobra la parte del romance, sí!!! Sorprendida hasta yo misma de lo que estoy escribiendo, pero es que si no le vas a dar más que un par de escenas de sexo, para qué te molestas en detallar algo que no has desarrollado?
La novela sin esa parte quizás estaría mejor, para mí, porque no hubiera estado esperando algo que no ha llegado.
Aún así, entretenido es y está bien escrito, todo atado y coherente y la trama está muy bien y original
Como todos los de Sandra Brown, lo recomiendo, pero no creo que sea de los mejores que he leído de ella
May 27, 2019
4 stars
This one was pretty good - excellent red herrings setup. Had me guessing throughout the book. The romance aspect was very suspenseful. A great book to listen to for a long drive.
This one was pretty good - excellent red herrings setup. Had me guessing throughout the book. The romance aspect was very suspenseful. A great book to listen to for a long drive.
May 31, 2018
3.75 stars.
I like it but couldn’t help to think the story feels a bit dated!
Well, it was published in 1995 😬.
But the mystery is well kept and the messy romance was good eventhought I don’t like the hero much!
However I was glad that’s ended well.
Do you want a better review?
Here, check it out Mo’s review 😘
I like it but couldn’t help to think the story feels a bit dated!
Well, it was published in 1995 😬.
But the mystery is well kept and the messy romance was good eventhought I don’t like the hero much!
However I was glad that’s ended well.
Do you want a better review?
Here, check it out Mo’s review 😘
November 30, 2014
Loved it, review to come.
December 19, 2017
Leitura agradável mas sinceramente esperava mais suspense, mais mistério, mais ansiedade.
June 14, 2015
2.5-stars
I really love the premise of this book, and the pace is excellent. But I feel Cat character sometimes seems forced, irritated and exaggerated. Her backstory and a lot of difficulties she has gone through aren’t layered in a way that help me connect to the character. The romance between Alex and Cat goes from sizzle to fizzle. The plotline is crowded with many secondary characters that none of them stand out. Suspense, mystery, and romance all fall flat in Charade, imo.
I really love the premise of this book, and the pace is excellent. But I feel Cat character sometimes seems forced, irritated and exaggerated. Her backstory and a lot of difficulties she has gone through aren’t layered in a way that help me connect to the character. The romance between Alex and Cat goes from sizzle to fizzle. The plotline is crowded with many secondary characters that none of them stand out. Suspense, mystery, and romance all fall flat in Charade, imo.
September 28, 2021
5/5 estrellas
"—¿No has leído "El corazón delator de Poe?
—Ese corazón no está enterrado, sigue latiendo.
—Bueno, igual que el personaje del relato, la persona que te acecha lo escucha continuamente. Eso lo atormenta y lo está volviendo loco. No puede soportarlo y quiere silenciarlo para siempre".
Brutalmente espectacular, una novela adictiva que es para devorar. Es la segunda novela que leo de ésta autora y sin duda que tengo que leer más porque... es más thriller que romance, de hecho lo que se conoce como novela romántica de suspenso, para mi tiene poco porque besos hay al igual que relaciones sexuales pero el bruto de la trama está en: ¿qué pasara si de golpe todas las personas que han recibido un trasplante de corazón empiezan a ser amenazadas y/o asesinadas?
No voy a contar de qué va la historia porque quiero que conozcan uds a Alex, ex policia y escritor de novelas policíacas (y que está más bueno que el pan casero con manteca y miel jajajaja. Aclaro: soy argentina por si no entienden lo que digo) y a Cat que es una famosa actriz que está gravemente enferma y afectada por un severo problema de corazón. Estos personajes y los secundarios son complejos y están muy bien desarrollados. Y sí me sorprendió frases en forma de diálogos bien contundente que salen de la boca de Cat en referencia al feminismo. Cat se presenta como una mujer fuerte y que nadie la va a doblegar pese a que carga en sus espaldas con un pasado triste.
Es un libro independiente que recomiendo que lean porque la trama está perfectamente ajustada, bien estructurada (¿¡Dios! A Sandra Brown no se le escapó ningún detalle) y que empieza de una forma y se va hilvanando de tal manera que yo llegué al final, devorandome el libro pasada la medianoche porque NO me iba a dormir sin conocer el final. Es cierto, fue escrita en el año 1994 y para ésa época fue original, y quizás hoy y por tanta novela de thriller que abunda, pueda no "sorprender" al lector, pero conmigo lo hizo. El final te deja sin aliento y cuando crees que ya todo llegó a su fin, te sale con una sorpresita que te deja -por lo menos a mí- en shock.
Tengo muchas citas escritas a mano en un papel. Dejare un par de ella:
"El corazón seguía viviendo mientras el alma estaba injustamente condenada a quedar incompleta para toda a eternidad. El alma buscaría siempre, y en su caso, su hogar, al tiempo que el corazón, aún latiendo, seguiría burlándose de la inteligencia de la muerte".
"él intentaba reproducir sobre el papel las visiones, sonidos y olores de las atrocidades que un ser humano es capaz de infligir a otra y la psicología escondida de tales delitos".
"Sé que parece una extravagancia para otras personas pero dejar que alguien entre en mi lugar de creación sería como si violaran mi subconsciente. Nunca volvería a pertenecerme en exclusiva. Ni mis pensamientos."
"—¿No has leído "El corazón delator de Poe?
—Ese corazón no está enterrado, sigue latiendo.
—Bueno, igual que el personaje del relato, la persona que te acecha lo escucha continuamente. Eso lo atormenta y lo está volviendo loco. No puede soportarlo y quiere silenciarlo para siempre".
Brutalmente espectacular, una novela adictiva que es para devorar. Es la segunda novela que leo de ésta autora y sin duda que tengo que leer más porque... es más thriller que romance, de hecho lo que se conoce como novela romántica de suspenso, para mi tiene poco porque besos hay al igual que relaciones sexuales pero el bruto de la trama está en: ¿qué pasara si de golpe todas las personas que han recibido un trasplante de corazón empiezan a ser amenazadas y/o asesinadas?
No voy a contar de qué va la historia porque quiero que conozcan uds a Alex, ex policia y escritor de novelas policíacas (y que está más bueno que el pan casero con manteca y miel jajajaja. Aclaro: soy argentina por si no entienden lo que digo) y a Cat que es una famosa actriz que está gravemente enferma y afectada por un severo problema de corazón. Estos personajes y los secundarios son complejos y están muy bien desarrollados. Y sí me sorprendió frases en forma de diálogos bien contundente que salen de la boca de Cat en referencia al feminismo. Cat se presenta como una mujer fuerte y que nadie la va a doblegar pese a que carga en sus espaldas con un pasado triste.
Es un libro independiente que recomiendo que lean porque la trama está perfectamente ajustada, bien estructurada (¿¡Dios! A Sandra Brown no se le escapó ningún detalle) y que empieza de una forma y se va hilvanando de tal manera que yo llegué al final, devorandome el libro pasada la medianoche porque NO me iba a dormir sin conocer el final. Es cierto, fue escrita en el año 1994 y para ésa época fue original, y quizás hoy y por tanta novela de thriller que abunda, pueda no "sorprender" al lector, pero conmigo lo hizo. El final te deja sin aliento y cuando crees que ya todo llegó a su fin, te sale con una sorpresita que te deja -por lo menos a mí- en shock.
Tengo muchas citas escritas a mano en un papel. Dejare un par de ella:
"El corazón seguía viviendo mientras el alma estaba injustamente condenada a quedar incompleta para toda a eternidad. El alma buscaría siempre, y en su caso, su hogar, al tiempo que el corazón, aún latiendo, seguiría burlándose de la inteligencia de la muerte".
"él intentaba reproducir sobre el papel las visiones, sonidos y olores de las atrocidades que un ser humano es capaz de infligir a otra y la psicología escondida de tales delitos".
"Sé que parece una extravagancia para otras personas pero dejar que alguien entre en mi lugar de creación sería como si violaran mi subconsciente. Nunca volvería a pertenecerme en exclusiva. Ni mis pensamientos."
May 29, 2017
2.5 stars
The couple in this story could have been more interesting than it actually was, I guess, but beggars can't be choosers. The writing style with regard to characterisation has not aged well, but the energy of the plot (as it is the case in most Sandra Brown books) does make the reader turn the pages without putting the book down.
I guessed the identity of the killer almost from the word 'go' but could not identify the person until towards the end (if you read this book you'll know why guessing 'who' and identifying 'who' are not one and the same thing) a little before Sandra actually revealed the person. This, I suppose, is always a plus in a book of this kind. The background story of the hero could have been given more page space, for it is tragic, sad and interesting (and it would have been quite moving had more time been spent on it), but it was revealed far too late into the story and then only to be treated as a mere plot twist. What a waste of a good tragedy! It is always interesting to me to read, in the romance genre where the norm is for the heroine to but not so the hero.
Although the book held my interest throughout, I still have major objections to few of its key story elements. First, when your heroine has a heart transplant it is absolutely vital that you take a few minutes to research the subject and stick to what that research reveals to you. So that you don't end up in crappy representations of transplantee life-styles. You simply cannot merely state that the heroine follows a healthy diet and then show her shoving mountains of junk food down her gob (grease fried thick steaks, french fries, gloops of gravy on everything, fried bacon and eggs for breakfast, fried everything, soda, fizzy drinks and litters of black coffee at every opportunity). Given that in her condition no aerobic exercise is possible, she will be a roly-poly in no time, if a coronary does not kill her first. Second, you don't have your transplantee heroine work long hours in emotionally stressful situations day in day out without any danger to her health (and can you cut all that BS about work being 'therapy' out, please? a), If you have a heart transplant you tire much easier than before (and it is not up to you to decide how tired your body is) and b), those who brag about the therapeutic effects of work don't as a rule work in a supermarket check-out while being paid shit. Third, you don't have your heroine getting by with little sleep and being constantly on edge. Absolutely not. Fourth, you don't declare her contraception-free zone because she would like to have a baby with the hero (who just mentions that it might be dangerous for her. You'd think?). Fifth, if she sooooo wants to conceive naturally and at such great risk to herself and rejects the adoption suggestion then what the f*ck is she doing running an adoption agency? Also, you have to remember this book was written in the early 90s and heart transplants were not only riskier but the aftercare and the medication were not as effective as today's.
But the bewilderingly reckless way a heart transplantee's lifestyle is represented here is not the only faux pas. The heroine suspects she is stalked by someone who may have killed multiple times before, yet she takes no precautions. In fact she displays the familiar TSTL heroine attitude that passes as 'defiance' and 'strength' in the genre (but only in the minds of the writers. The rest of us bang our heads on the wall) and refuses to take even basic precautionary measures, like installing some secure effing locks and a decent alarm system in her house. Especially after the hero easily breaks into her house whenever he feels like it. Similarly, the hero who, supposedly, constantly worries about the heroine does not immediately answer the phone when it rings in the middle of the night (he is at his typewriter). After yet another source of threat to the heroine's life has been added to the list, the hero still debates with himself (for a page and a half) whether he should answer the bloody phone! This scene gets even more outrageous if you remember that the hero only knows two people who could be calling at an ungodly hour. Worse, the hero sees fit to break into the heroine's house in the middle of the night (for some nookie) creep up to her bedroom place his hand over her mouth and start whispering reassuring words to her! All this he does to a woman with a heart transplant and one who spends her days worrying sick about an unknown psycho-killer stalking her!!! I, who so far has not had any heart problems or psychotic stalkers, would have had a heart attack and kicked the bucket on that very spot.
In a funny way, it is to Sandra Brown's credit that although her book has many problems, many points that attract warranted negative criticism, it remains readable. It still gets 3 stars.
The couple in this story could have been more interesting than it actually was, I guess, but beggars can't be choosers. The writing style with regard to characterisation has not aged well, but the energy of the plot (as it is the case in most Sandra Brown books) does make the reader turn the pages without putting the book down.
I guessed the identity of the killer almost from the word 'go' but could not identify the person until towards the end (if you read this book you'll know why guessing 'who' and identifying 'who' are not one and the same thing) a little before Sandra actually revealed the person. This, I suppose, is always a plus in a book of this kind. The background story of the hero could have been given more page space, for it is tragic, sad and interesting (and it would have been quite moving had more time been spent on it), but it was revealed far too late into the story and then only to be treated as a mere plot twist. What a waste of a good tragedy! It is always interesting to me to read, in the romance genre where the norm is for the heroine to but not so the hero.
Although the book held my interest throughout, I still have major objections to few of its key story elements. First, when your heroine has a heart transplant it is absolutely vital that you take a few minutes to research the subject and stick to what that research reveals to you. So that you don't end up in crappy representations of transplantee life-styles. You simply cannot merely state that the heroine follows a healthy diet and then show her shoving mountains of junk food down her gob (grease fried thick steaks, french fries, gloops of gravy on everything, fried bacon and eggs for breakfast, fried everything, soda, fizzy drinks and litters of black coffee at every opportunity). Given that in her condition no aerobic exercise is possible, she will be a roly-poly in no time, if a coronary does not kill her first. Second, you don't have your transplantee heroine work long hours in emotionally stressful situations day in day out without any danger to her health (and can you cut all that BS about work being 'therapy' out, please? a), If you have a heart transplant you tire much easier than before (and it is not up to you to decide how tired your body is) and b), those who brag about the therapeutic effects of work don't as a rule work in a supermarket check-out while being paid shit. Third, you don't have your heroine getting by with little sleep and being constantly on edge. Absolutely not. Fourth, you don't declare her contraception-free zone because she would like to have a baby with the hero (who just mentions that it might be dangerous for her. You'd think?). Fifth, if she sooooo wants to conceive naturally and at such great risk to herself and rejects the adoption suggestion then what the f*ck is she doing running an adoption agency? Also, you have to remember this book was written in the early 90s and heart transplants were not only riskier but the aftercare and the medication were not as effective as today's.
But the bewilderingly reckless way a heart transplantee's lifestyle is represented here is not the only faux pas. The heroine suspects she is stalked by someone who may have killed multiple times before, yet she takes no precautions. In fact she displays the familiar TSTL heroine attitude that passes as 'defiance' and 'strength' in the genre (but only in the minds of the writers. The rest of us bang our heads on the wall) and refuses to take even basic precautionary measures, like installing some secure effing locks and a decent alarm system in her house. Especially after the hero easily breaks into her house whenever he feels like it. Similarly, the hero who, supposedly, constantly worries about the heroine does not immediately answer the phone when it rings in the middle of the night (he is at his typewriter). After yet another source of threat to the heroine's life has been added to the list, the hero still debates with himself (for a page and a half) whether he should answer the bloody phone! This scene gets even more outrageous if you remember that the hero only knows two people who could be calling at an ungodly hour. Worse, the hero sees fit to break into the heroine's house in the middle of the night (for some nookie) creep up to her bedroom place his hand over her mouth and start whispering reassuring words to her! All this he does to a woman with a heart transplant and one who spends her days worrying sick about an unknown psycho-killer stalking her!!! I, who so far has not had any heart problems or psychotic stalkers, would have had a heart attack and kicked the bucket on that very spot.
In a funny way, it is to Sandra Brown's credit that although her book has many problems, many points that attract warranted negative criticism, it remains readable. It still gets 3 stars.
February 2, 2017
What can I say? I love Sandra Brown!! Great book!!
January 24, 2014
Mais um livro da Sandra Brown que nos deixa o tempo todo em suspense, sempre a querer saber o que vai acontecer a seguir. Confesso que de todos os intervenientes na trama, não tinha imaginado nada que seria este o culpado, algo que eu gosto bastante no livro. O que me irritou um pouco é que a protagonista é boazinha demais, bolas ninguém é assim, que irritante. Mas gostei do livro, o balanço final é muito positivo
April 19, 2020
I'm a huge Sandra Brown fan. I've read a lot of her books and she manages to deliver suspence and hot romance again and again. I don't know why but I totally missed this book until recently. But it is now one of my favourite ones.
I was guessing and second guessing until the end. I had several suspects but I still was surprised at the end.
And the romance was wonderful.
Audio comment. Natalie Ross is one of my favourite narrators. I highly recommend the audiobook.
I was guessing and second guessing until the end. I had several suspects but I still was surprised at the end.
And the romance was wonderful.
Audio comment. Natalie Ross is one of my favourite narrators. I highly recommend the audiobook.
March 15, 2018
Heart transplants. Do you want to know who the donor is? There is a series of murders of heart transplant recipients. A good mystery.
March 31, 2018
I actually really liked this book. Although older, it still was a good one. I admit I was stumped at who the murderer was and why. As for the big boss of the tv station, he deserves a hard kick in the ass. His Mrs needs a kick too for turning the other way.
January 2, 2017
Esta no es la primera novela que leo de la autora y después de Imagen en el espejo tenía las expectativas altas, que por cierto, ha cumplido.
Es más una novela de suspense que de romance, al menos así lo veo yo. Me ha recordado a esas películas que echan por las tardes los fines de semana, pero lo digo como algo positivo. Hay que reconocer que es una lectura totalmente adictiva, de esas que tienes ganas de retomar en cada momento libro.
Se toca el tema de los trasplantes, del que no se mucho, y me ha parecido un tema muy interesante que puede dar mucho para reflexionar. Es verdad que me hubiera gustado que se tratase con más profundidad, pero bueno.
El romance posiblemente sea lo peor, no puedo decir mucho para no hacer spoilers, pero el protagonista masculino no me ha caído bien, me parece un chulo y no creo que se pueda llamar amor a lo que hay entre ellos, sino que tiene un toque enfermizo... Por eso no creo que sea una historia romántica, sino que es una historia en la que ese romance forma parte de ella y sirve para complementarla, así como el suspense, el tema de los niños en adopción, el de los trasplantes... un tema más.
El misterio de la historia me ha gustado mucho porque se mantiene bien y se ve la habilidad que tiene la autora a la hora de crear personajes y escenas que nos meten de lleno en la vida de todos los secundarios que aparecen. Es fácil visualizarlo, como si fuese una película. Hay momentos macabros y duros, personajes crueles y escenas sangrientas, pero todo ello hace que la ambientación sea buena.
Por mi parte, tenía varios sospechosos en mente pero es la autora sabe jugar muy bien y cuando parece que es uno, se pasa a otro, y cuando crees que ya lo tienes, te hace dudar. Esa parte creo que la maneja muy bien.
En general, una lectura adictiva, que me saca un poco de lo que suelo leer y que está muy bien llevada dentro de su estilo. Yo la recomiendo.
Es más una novela de suspense que de romance, al menos así lo veo yo. Me ha recordado a esas películas que echan por las tardes los fines de semana, pero lo digo como algo positivo. Hay que reconocer que es una lectura totalmente adictiva, de esas que tienes ganas de retomar en cada momento libro.
Se toca el tema de los trasplantes, del que no se mucho, y me ha parecido un tema muy interesante que puede dar mucho para reflexionar. Es verdad que me hubiera gustado que se tratase con más profundidad, pero bueno.
El romance posiblemente sea lo peor, no puedo decir mucho para no hacer spoilers, pero el protagonista masculino no me ha caído bien, me parece un chulo y no creo que se pueda llamar amor a lo que hay entre ellos, sino que tiene un toque enfermizo... Por eso no creo que sea una historia romántica, sino que es una historia en la que ese romance forma parte de ella y sirve para complementarla, así como el suspense, el tema de los niños en adopción, el de los trasplantes... un tema más.
El misterio de la historia me ha gustado mucho porque se mantiene bien y se ve la habilidad que tiene la autora a la hora de crear personajes y escenas que nos meten de lleno en la vida de todos los secundarios que aparecen. Es fácil visualizarlo, como si fuese una película. Hay momentos macabros y duros, personajes crueles y escenas sangrientas, pero todo ello hace que la ambientación sea buena.
Por mi parte, tenía varios sospechosos en mente pero es la autora sabe jugar muy bien y cuando parece que es uno, se pasa a otro, y cuando crees que ya lo tienes, te hace dudar. Esa parte creo que la maneja muy bien.
En general, una lectura adictiva, que me saca un poco de lo que suelo leer y que está muy bien llevada dentro de su estilo. Yo la recomiendo.
June 18, 2012
Soap opera star Cat Delaney receives a new heart, getting a new life while on the same day several others lost theirs. She's never wanted to know anything about her donor, content to move forward with her life unencumbered. Cat leaves her show and moves to St. Antonio, Texas to explore her new passion, finding permanent homes for kids in foster care. All goes well until she learns that other heart recipients who received their transplants on the same day are mysteriously dying from accidents. Around the same time, she meets crime fiction writer Alex Pearce and embarks on a relationship of sorts. Together they work to uncover who may be targeting Cat and why as the anniversary date of her transplant nears.
I enjoyed the story and the characters, even though I figured out the killer fairly early, red herrings and all. The multiple storylines running parallel with Cat's made this even more enjoyable as the case became more complex. The relationship between Alex and Cat was high octane, including their almost constant tension, made palatable because of her penchant for honesty and his for secrets.
It's a suspenseful story that kept my interest to the end. This is one of the better books by the author.
I enjoyed the story and the characters, even though I figured out the killer fairly early, red herrings and all. The multiple storylines running parallel with Cat's made this even more enjoyable as the case became more complex. The relationship between Alex and Cat was high octane, including their almost constant tension, made palatable because of her penchant for honesty and his for secrets.
It's a suspenseful story that kept my interest to the end. This is one of the better books by the author.
September 25, 2012
A estrela de televisão Cat Delaney precisa de um transplante de coração e um milagre da medicina permite-lhe conseguir uma nova vida. Agarrando esta oportunidade, Cat decide apresentar um programa de televisão para crianças especiais que se intitula "As crianças de Cat".
Mas Cat começa a receber recortes de jornais com "acidentes" fatais de pessoas que, tal como ela, receberam um transplante de coração e mais ainda... Cat apercebe-se de que morrem todas na mesma data... no dia do aniversário em que recebeu o seu transplante (10 de Outubro)!
Entretanto, na cidade de San Antonio Cat conhece Alex Pierce, um antigo polícia que acabou por se tornar escritor de policiais e que, pensa Cat, irá ajudá-la a descobrir quem lhe anda a enviar os recortes e a atormentá-la! Mas terá Cat a capacidade para ver para lá das aparências e descobrir quem tanto lhe quer mal??
"Obsessão" foi um livro que me deixou agarrada da primeira à última página e que me deu um imenso prazer ler!! :))
Gostei imenso!!
Mas Cat começa a receber recortes de jornais com "acidentes" fatais de pessoas que, tal como ela, receberam um transplante de coração e mais ainda... Cat apercebe-se de que morrem todas na mesma data... no dia do aniversário em que recebeu o seu transplante (10 de Outubro)!
Entretanto, na cidade de San Antonio Cat conhece Alex Pierce, um antigo polícia que acabou por se tornar escritor de policiais e que, pensa Cat, irá ajudá-la a descobrir quem lhe anda a enviar os recortes e a atormentá-la! Mas terá Cat a capacidade para ver para lá das aparências e descobrir quem tanto lhe quer mal??
"Obsessão" foi um livro que me deixou agarrada da primeira à última página e que me deu um imenso prazer ler!! :))
Gostei imenso!!
August 9, 2016
cha·rade [shuh-reyd; especially British shuh-rahd] noun
A blatant pretense or deception, especially something so full of pretense as to be a travesty.
October 10, 1990 was a very special day for Cat Delaney. The time had finally come when she was going to be given a new heart. Out with the old, in with the new.....
This older romantic suspense story was loaded with twists and turns. Originally published in 1995, it was re-released for a second time in 2010. This latest issue is the copy I read, though I am not sure if Ms. Brown made any changes to the original. There were quite a few characters to keep track of including an over-the-top heroine and a fractured cowboy writer. I had the villain pegged soon after the character's introduction but I still kept reading if only to figure out how everyone connected with Cat.
Oh, and the steamy scenes between Cat and Alex. One in particular, with Alex coming to Cat unexpectedly after an argument. Yum.
A blatant pretense or deception, especially something so full of pretense as to be a travesty.
October 10, 1990 was a very special day for Cat Delaney. The time had finally come when she was going to be given a new heart. Out with the old, in with the new.....
This older romantic suspense story was loaded with twists and turns. Originally published in 1995, it was re-released for a second time in 2010. This latest issue is the copy I read, though I am not sure if Ms. Brown made any changes to the original. There were quite a few characters to keep track of including an over-the-top heroine and a fractured cowboy writer. I had the villain pegged soon after the character's introduction but I still kept reading if only to figure out how everyone connected with Cat.
Oh, and the steamy scenes between Cat and Alex. One in particular, with Alex coming to Cat unexpectedly after an argument. Yum.
November 21, 2014
The one thing about some of the sandra brown books I have read is that you don't get the everything tied in a bow at 85%, not you get every last drop of the story up until the very last page. You are still questioning everything and everyone up until 98% and wondering who in your list of suspects is the real killer. Can't say again how much I love this woman's writing, but the proof is in the pudding.....
May 23, 2020
Cat Delaney, the star of a TV series, has to undergo a heart transplant and is practically a different person from then on. Suddenly, her former priorities are shifted, and not only her employee feels it, her friend, cardiologist Dr. Dean Spicer, is affected too. Several times he asks her to marry him, but Cat always refuses because she feels that she will always be the patient for him and never the woman she is. With passionate dedication, she seeks donations for organ transplants and takes care of patients waiting for an appropriate organ. One day, much to Dean´s misunderstanding, she decides to withdraw from the series and settle in San Antonio. To host a small broadcast on the local TV station WWSA. Who wants to try to find children who are not easy to adopt. On one appointment, she happens to meet the ex-police officer and writer Alex Pierce. She feels attracted to him and so it happens that the paths of the two crosses more often. His dark side is like a challenge for her. When she anonymously receives newspaper clippings in the mail about the fatal accidents involving several cardiac patients who were given a new life at around the same time as her, she begins to investigate. When a spotlight crashes off the ceiling in the studio and misses her by just a few centimeters, she reluctantly agrees to use his old connections to the police and tell him about the anonymously delivered newspaper clippings. Together, they continue to research and reveal more than just a well-kept secret. Cat is not only faced with the difficult decision to trust a person she hardly knows she also has to recognize that she has to give love a chance to continue living. A nifty cat and mouse game begins.
The story begins in October 1990 with her protagonist Cat shortly before her heart transplant. Even though a lot has happened, and the storyline is not boring, the thriller was almost a bit too long for me. Despite that, Sandra Brown has restricted herself in the act of using technical terms only to the extent that this gives her act credibility and reality. Without ending in technical jargon and complicated explanations. I highly appreciated that while reading and had some really wonderful reading hours.
In this thriller Sandra Brown characterizes her figures very convincingly, and as a reader you are not able to tell at first glance whether some of the characters are good or bad. The author skillfully shows the diversity of her personalities, and not only her protagonist Cat is full of unexpected surprises.
An exciting thriller that has it all. Although the first chapters read a bit lengthy, and in which the reader hovers in ignorance until the last chapter, which of the characters is now the murderous revenge angel.
The story begins in October 1990 with her protagonist Cat shortly before her heart transplant. Even though a lot has happened, and the storyline is not boring, the thriller was almost a bit too long for me. Despite that, Sandra Brown has restricted herself in the act of using technical terms only to the extent that this gives her act credibility and reality. Without ending in technical jargon and complicated explanations. I highly appreciated that while reading and had some really wonderful reading hours.
In this thriller Sandra Brown characterizes her figures very convincingly, and as a reader you are not able to tell at first glance whether some of the characters are good or bad. The author skillfully shows the diversity of her personalities, and not only her protagonist Cat is full of unexpected surprises.
An exciting thriller that has it all. Although the first chapters read a bit lengthy, and in which the reader hovers in ignorance until the last chapter, which of the characters is now the murderous revenge angel.
March 27, 2022
Llegó un momento en que Sandra Brown se centró en el suspense romántico. Publica una por año. Charade fue la de 1994.
A Cat, presentadora televisiva trasplantada, le llega la noticia de que están muriendo personas trasplantadas el mismo día que ella. Recurrirá entonces a Alex, que fue policía y ahora escribe novela negra. La parte romántica está más presente aquí que en otras de suspense de estas largas de Brown. Lo de estos es apasionado, muy físico, y se enamoran casi sin darse cuenta. Ahora, el suspense también es estupendo. Cuando leí este libro por primera vez me tuvo en vilo todo el rato y el giro final no me lo esperaba.
Cuento más cosas en la crítica que publiqué en mi blog, y como es propio de mi, me voy un poco por los cerros de Úbeda, llegando a comentar el liderazgo español en materia de trasplantes y a Mariló Montero, claro.
A Cat, presentadora televisiva trasplantada, le llega la noticia de que están muriendo personas trasplantadas el mismo día que ella. Recurrirá entonces a Alex, que fue policía y ahora escribe novela negra. La parte romántica está más presente aquí que en otras de suspense de estas largas de Brown. Lo de estos es apasionado, muy físico, y se enamoran casi sin darse cuenta. Ahora, el suspense también es estupendo. Cuando leí este libro por primera vez me tuvo en vilo todo el rato y el giro final no me lo esperaba.
Cuento más cosas en la crítica que publiqué en mi blog, y como es propio de mi, me voy un poco por los cerros de Úbeda, llegando a comentar el liderazgo español en materia de trasplantes y a Mariló Montero, claro.
October 14, 2021
5.0
The thrilling writing, characters, and plot will leave you endlessly entertained and gripping for more. The plot throws you for many loops, even if you have an idea who the murderer is. Everything ties together beautifully. The characters themselves are fleshed out and come across as real. The story keeps moving and pulling you different ways. I highly recommended for fans of mystery and drama. I just finished the book and there's already too much to review. I just recommend reading the book. If you are a review skimmer, read this line, "IT WAS FANTASTIC AND DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND READ IT."
The thrilling writing, characters, and plot will leave you endlessly entertained and gripping for more. The plot throws you for many loops, even if you have an idea who the murderer is. Everything ties together beautifully. The characters themselves are fleshed out and come across as real. The story keeps moving and pulling you different ways. I highly recommended for fans of mystery and drama. I just finished the book and there's already too much to review. I just recommend reading the book. If you are a review skimmer, read this line, "IT WAS FANTASTIC AND DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND READ IT."
March 5, 2019
Very unique story I enjoyed it a lot
February 14, 2020
Ако харесвате Сандра Браун не се колебайте да прочетете Шарада. Историята е много увлекателна, заплетена, а развръзката не по-малко изненадваща. Има любов, но не това е в основата на сюжета, а кой е убиеца от изобилието от заподозрени и чие сърце е присадено на Кет?
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