Review: C+ rated...
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 17, 2012
My Review:The way this story is written reminded me of a 50's suspense movie. Where the suave European local dazzles and manipulates the naive sweet heroine. There were slight differences...Tate isn't European... but overall the movie maintained that kind of feel. For me, that wasn't appealing, but if that kind of book appeals to you, you are going to love this one. The book is really well-written and the suspense definitely keeps you guessing. It took me forever to figure out what was happening at all and that definitely keeps you turning the page.Overall, I just found Ardis to be too naive and vulnerable and just couldn't understand why she was on this quest to recover this necklace by herself. But again, that idea plays into the old-fashioned style of suspense. It's not that she's dumb. She just continues to put herself into situations where she has no idea what is happening and puts herself into incredible danger. That's just not a sensible way to act...naive is the ONLY way to look at it...and no one is that naive.I liked Tate's character a lot, but felt like the story could have been served better if we had been able to see some of it through his point of view, rather than seeing everything through Ardis' eyes. I understand that you are supposed to wonder about his motives, but I just needed something more than Ardis' completely innocent and clueless view on the world.Like I said, if you like those old 50's movies where this dynamic is the norm, you will like this book. And I have to admit that Ardis did toughen up and become a bit more worldly by the end of the book. I definitely liked the last quarter much more than the middle of the book. By then she was becoming a bit more jaded and less trusting...finally!I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.