Crazy Love (Steele Street, #5) in Romance Series Lists

Mar 24, 2008 jenjn79 rated it liked it

Shelves: genre-romance-suspense, reviewed, info-full, stars-3, series-steele-st

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked Crazy Love, and enjoyed reading it, but at the same time, it was a bit of a let down and not what I wanted it to be. Janzen has been setting up this book for a while now, and it just wasn't what I expected it to be.

The plot of the book was pretty good. It wasn't as in-your-face action oriented and danger filled as the others, but it was a good storyline. There's really a two-prong plot in a way. Part of the story is getting the top-secret file, and the other part relates to a mission gon I liked Crazy Love, and enjoyed reading it, but at the same time, it was a bit of a let down and not what I wanted it to be. Janzen has been setting up this book for a while now, and it just wasn't what I expected it to be.

The plot of the book was pretty good. It wasn't as in-your-face action oriented and danger filled as the others, but it was a good storyline. There's really a two-prong plot in a way. Part of the story is getting the top-secret file, and the other part relates to a mission gone bad that Dylan has just returned from. In actuality, they are tied together. Overall, the storyline worked and I liked it.

I will say that I wish Janzen had summarized the bad guy's previous role in the series a little better. The antagonist first appeared in book 3 I believe, which was published last fall and by the time I read this book, the details were rather fuzzy. Janzen gave brief mentions of that, but not enough to bring it all back. It would have helped if she'd summarized a little more so that the antagonist's role was a little clearer.

Another detail that bugged me a bit was that at the beginning of the book, Dylan has just returned from a mission where you learn a little later that he was captured and tortured. Yet at the beginning, nothing is noticeable that he was tortured, no obvious bruises or the like. He did have injuries that he hid under his sleeves, but nothing outright. Considering that you learn that the man who tortured him is extremely sadistic, it was a little hard to buy that he had no outward injuries for others to notice right away. I guess it's possible that he didn't, but I didn't really buy it.

Where this book really suffered, though, was Dylan and Skeeter's relationship. There's definite chemistry between them, but I think Janzen relied a little too much on her buildup from the previous books. She just sort of jumped right into their story/relationship. I would have liked a little more lead-in, a little more of bringing them together and discovering their nuances. Aside from that, there was just something missing from the relationship somewhere along the line. It seemed as though too much of their interaction was based solely on the mission they were on, and not enough on just them together, figuring things out. Then when they did have more personal interactions, Dylan was out of his mind because of some heavy duty drugs he'd been given. And then at the end, there was this jump in progression where Dylan suddenly wants to marry Skeeter. At that point, it didn't quite fit. I wasn't feeling that they were ready for that step. There hadn't been enough to cement the relationship.

In the end, I was disappointed with the progression of Dylan and Skeeter's relationship. I mean, I did like them together, couldn't wait to read their story, and they definitely had chemistry, but their relationship throughout the book was poorly explored and rather superficial. There were things I expected, things I wanted, but Janzen didn't deliver. I couldn't help but be disappointed. It didn't ruin the book, but it kept me from absolutely loving it.

I liked Janzen's setup for the next (and last) book in the series, though, with Travis and Gillian. She gave them a good base and has made me interested in what their story will be. I'm looking forward to that book, though I wish I didn't have to wait till the fall for it to be published. And I also enjoyed the cameos from Christian, Katya, Creed and Cody. It was nice to revisit characters from the other books.

All in all, a decent book that could have been better. I liked it and I'm glad I read it, but it was lacking in areas. It didn't have that eroticism that the other books have had, and Dylan and Skeeter's relationship could have been much better. Even so, I still liked it. ...more

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Jul 09, 2008 Christa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-own

I thoroughly enjoyed this fifth book in the Steele Street series. It was fast paced, and was a very quick, enjoyable read. In this book, Dylan Hart, the lead agent for Special Defence Force, a clandestine government agency, is tasked with recovering a sensitive document from a Senator's house. Dylan has just returned from an overseas mission that went badly, and he is not functioning at his normal mental or physical level. The only operative available to be his backup is Skeeter Bangs, the girl I thoroughly enjoyed this fifth book in the Steele Street series. It was fast paced, and was a very quick, enjoyable read. In this book, Dylan Hart, the lead agent for Special Defence Force, a clandestine government agency, is tasked with recovering a sensitive document from a Senator's house. Dylan has just returned from an overseas mission that went badly, and he is not functioning at his normal mental or physical level. The only operative available to be his backup is Skeeter Bangs, the girl that another agent picked up off of the Denver streets three years ago. Since that time, Skeeter has made herself valuable to the agency as a mechanic, computer tech, and office manager of sorts. Dylan is strongly opposed to letting Skeeter come along as his backup. He feels very protective towards her, and for the past year has been fighting strong feelings for her due to her young age - Skeeeter's twenty-first birthday is the day after Dylan's mission. Dylan finally resigns himself to letting Skeeter come along, and after that nothing goes as he expected. Skeeter has to take charge and get both herself and Dylan out of a dangerous situation. As the mission heats up, so does the relationship between Dylan and Skeeter. Travis James, a new SDF agent who was a male model in previous books, comes to aid Dylan and Skeeter. While doing so, he has a romantic encounter with Gillian Pentycote, a woman who has just begun working for the man who gives SDF orders, General Grant. Gillian is consequently kidnapped and tortured, and suffers complete memory loss. The next book in the series is the story of Travis James and Gillian Pentycote.

I really enjoy the way that Janzen brings back so many characters from her previous novels and weaves them into the story. She also always sets the stage for upcoming novels, which makes it important to read them in order. If you started the series with Crazy Love, or even if it has been some time since you read the previous novel, the book wouldn't seem to flow smoothly. The relationship between Dylan and Skeeter hinged on their yearning for one another in the previous books, and this has been the same for most of this series. I have enjoyed Dylan's character in all of the books, and was ready to read his story. I had doubts about Skeeter as a heroine, as I found her more than somewhat outlandish in the previous books. While the book started off with her still seeming an unlikely heroine, when she had to step in and take care of Dylan, for me her eccentricities ceased to matter. This is a great series, and I am looking forward to reading the next books. ...more

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May 29, 2012 ♥ Vonda M. Reid ♥ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Overall Rating: 4.85 // Action: 5 / Emotion: 4.75 / Romance: 4 / Sensuous: 4 / Suspense: 4.5 // Humor: 12 / Tears: 0

Tara Janzen continues to enthrall Romantic Suspense enthusiasts. Book Five of "The Steele Street Series," Crazy Love, is another winner! It embodies all the elements that make it a keeper. {1} The romance starts on page one and gives the reader the requisite happily-ever-after at the end. {2} A sense of action and adventure seems to run through the whole book. {3} The suspense in a ...more

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Mar 05, 2010 Sara rated it liked it

Shelves: romantic-suspense, military-heroes

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Dec 09, 2014 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, favourite-series, funny, steele-street-janzen, contempory, 2015

Loved it -- Loved it

I have loved all of this series and Skeeter Bang is a fav character of mine...and so is Dylan Hart. Lots of action, fast sex, two 'loves' and it was fast paced. BUT the ending could have been better, a bit more between Bang and Hart would have made it perfect.

I loved seeing Superman with a baby! I loved seeing Angel Boy again and kinda miss the others. ...more

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