Linda Howard Book Junkies discussion

For Morgan Yancy, an operative and team leader in a paramilitary group, nothing comes before his job. But when he’s ambushed and almost killed, his supervisor is determined to find out who’s after the members of his elite squad—and why. Due to worries that this unknown enemy will strike again, Morgan is sent to a remote location and told to lay low and stay vigilant. But between a tempting housemate he’s determined to protect and a deadly threat waiting in the shadows, keeping under the radar is proving to be his most dangerous mission yet.

The part-time police chief of a small West Virginian mountain town, Isabeau “Bo” Maran finally has her life figured out. She’s got friends, a dog, and a little money in the bank. Then Morgan Yancy shows up on her doorstep. Bo doesn’t need a mysterious man in her life—especially a troublemaker as enticing and secretive as Morgan.

The harder they fight the intense heat between them, the closer Morgan and Bo become, even though she knows he’s hiding from something. But discovering the truth could cost Bo more than she’s willing to give. And when Morgan’s cover is blown, it might just cost her life.

This is a great choice for the Book of the Month because LH's newest book starts with the Baddie from this one.

Don't remember much of Troublemaker, so look forward to re-reading it. Plan to start next week.

I enjoyed this one. Both Bo and Morgan are strong characters, neither of them TSTL. Tricks is a little much.

Ialso wanted to re-read before Woman Left Behind. I was surprised to see this at one of my library’s digital collection:

Troublemaker
by Linda Howard
The license for this title has expired. Your hold will start moving forward if the library purchases the title again. Manage your holds.
Your holds position: #3 of 3 holds
Library copies: 0
Note: Some copies of this title are owned by specific member libraries, and their users are given priority for holds on those copies. For this reason, users may move forward or backward on the overall wait list.


I’d heard publishers were doing this. I wonder if the license is time sensitive or only available for a preset no. of borrowers?

Janeiowa wrote: "Ialso wanted to re-read before Woman Left Behind. I was surprised to see this at one of my library’s digital collection:

Troublemaker
by Linda Howard
The license for this title has expired. Your h..."

That is so interesting. We don't have that at our library, in fact we don't even have to put it on hold. Don't know how it works, but one copy services all 5 million people in Phoenix, Unfortunately, my kindle is so old I cannot download it. I can my computer or my phone but that is ridiculous, I am blind without serious glasses, otherwise I have to sit at the computer. Not going to happen

Interesting....I’ve not seen a digital collection where one copy of a wanted book can serve that many people. I belong to three libraries...in three different states...and all three are parts of regional or state-wide digital collections. In all three, I’ve had to put a hold on a book that wasn’t available...and at one library I’m #175 on a list of 11copies. I was able to get it from another library’s digital collection since I’d recommend they buy it.

Jane, is your library e-book collection through Overdrive? I have not heard of that situation before. I have privileges with three different library districts in my area, two are on the Overdrive system and one is on an independent system that buys the books on an individual basis.

Two use Overdrive for searching their ebook collections and those two are regional digital collections of many small libraries in two different states. The third is a collection that serves the whole state (Ohio). I always choose the Kindle version of the book and get it through my Amazon account.

There is a lot of information on the the internet about this licensing. Some publishers give unlimited access. Others limit the access for one year and then the library has to buy it again .


https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org...


I can’t find what the cost is the library must pay for a digital copy.

I re-read Troublemaker, in preparation for reading Woman Left Behind.

It still, in my mind, falls short of the standard set in her early works. It was way too much centered, for me...and I’m a dog lover....on Tricks, the Wonder Dog.

Agree.

Janeiowa wrote: "There is a lot of information on the the internet about this licensing. Some publishers give unlimited access. Others limit the access for one year and then the library has to buy it again .


htt..."

I hope that the price for ebooks is cheaper, especially when they have limited access that needs to be renewed every year. Otherwise it isn't fair that you have to renew the licence and pay for a digital copy over and over again. When you buy paper version of book, then you don't have to buy it again and can read it unlimited number of times. But I wouldn't be surprised if publishers want to earn from the licence and force libraries to pay for the book again and again. But its not nice, if that's the case!

Janeiowa wrote: "I re-read Troublemaker, in preparation for reading Woman Left Behind.

It still, in my mind, falls short of the standard set in her early works. It was way too much centered, for me...and I’m a dog..."

Oh, how could I forget Tricks, all those ball catchings and posings.
I hate it when instead of developing the storyline author starts to sound repetitive as if she has lots of pages to fill but she's freshly out of new ideas and don't know how to move forward with the storyline, so she fill pages with lots of nonsens, till she can wrap up and finish.

Eve...I agree and somehow LH did so in Troublemaker with Tricks. I know she loves her dogs dearly, but the same thing seems to be happening with PT in WOMAN.

[One article says libraries pay 6 times what a user pays. That’s because, I assume, publishers are losing indiv, sales.

https://goodereader.com/blog/american... ]

Really interesting article, Jane. This whole e-publishing thing is a great unknown. I just spent the last half hour researching author Susan Stoker. She is with Montlake Publishing and I requested one of her ARC's. It was the 4th book in a series and I went looking for the other three. They are not available through Overdrive, though her other, older series are. But, my library has this latest series in paperback. I have noticed that there are several other authors that have popped up on Overdrive after the books have been out for about 2 years or so.

I will say that they can't lose something they wouldn't ever have, and that is me, as a bookstore, hardback or paperback customer. I can count on one hand the number of hardback books I've ever bought new and maybe twice that for paperbacks bought new. I am strictly a recycle reader.

Anita wrote: "I will say that they can't lose something they wouldn't ever have, and that is me, as a bookstore, hardback or paperback customer. I can count on one hand the number of hardback books I've ever bought new and maybe twice that for paperbacks bought new. I am strictly a recycle reader. ."

Totally agree with what you said, Anita.
Thanks to the libraries people discover new-to-them authors, they would have otherwise missed and in a way they grow customers to the publishers.
I simply refuse to spend 15-30$ on unknown author, especially if I don't know how her/his writing style suits me. You can read reviews, see high rating on the book but there's always a danger, that this book has something that I dislike in the books, so that will spoil my enjoyment. E.g. I just finished The Hookup. It has 4.24 rating and should be something really good...but I really diliked its writing style, crude language and characters. Yet, others like it, so we all have our likes and dislikes.
But we have to read and find out which are good books and which are not so good. But there are so many books out there and it would be impossible for us to buy them all, so thank God, there are other options available, like libraries, second-hand bookstores! BTW: Thanks to the library I discovered Linda Howard and now have bought her books.

One of my problems with owning books is that I run out of places to put these books, so unless I really love the book or I really can't find the book to borrow I don't want to buy a book even if it is 5 cents.

Eve, I have a great group of Goodreads friends and I take very seriously their opinions and read their reviews for any book or author I might want to read. Have I ever disagreed with some of them, yes. But for the most part they are a great resource.

Dee, that is a major reason I'm an e-reader now. I inherited a 3000 book paperback collection when my father-in-law died. Even after some serious garage sales and donations I still had several hundred books and entire collections by several authors. I just had no space so I decided that if the book was available as a library e-title I would donate the paperback. Since I'm not a re-reader this worked for me. That is why the libraries having to spend so much for an e-copy really distresses me.

I, too, am 100% ebook buyer/ borrower now. (This amazes me...a retired academic reference librarian!). I prefer having all my books in my purse, and I don’t have to store paper copies. I don’t much like the feel of paper books anymore, and many make me sneeze. Weird!

Like you, Jane, I like having a library in my purse and I never get upset at having to wait in line of for an appointment. I always have entertainment. I had a severe bout od tendinitis before I completely switched and it made holding a hardback very painful. That did it for me.

I got a mass market paperback of Troublemaker when it was released here in India but being massmarket, I didn't feel like picking it up at all. Then last summer, I found a gorgeous new hardcover for just $5 at The Last Bookstore in LA while on vacation in the US for a couple weeks and I've wanted to read it ever since but haven't gotten to it yet. So I'm really glad it's the book of the month and I'm really excited to pick it up. I should be able to start it by Monday or Wednesday. :)

Anita wrote: "Eve, I have a great group of Goodreads friends and I take very seriously their opinions and read their reviews for any book or author I might want to read. Have I ever disagreed with some of them, ..."
I feel the same way Anita about GR friends and their opinions. You and I have similar tastes in some genres. If I am debating reading it I usually read your reviews :)

Thanks Cheri! That is so good to hear.

Anita wrote: "Thanks Cheri! That is so good to hear."

:)

I'm reading Troublemaker
Its just as I remembered -- lots of Tricks time and her antics.
Could it be that her editor has changed? I.E. her previous editor edited out some of those long and dragging sentences, so the storyline was more smoother and fast paced. And I wish LH would show more and tell less.

I'm in the middle but haven't warmed up to Bo at all! And what kind of name is "Bo"??
I feel zero chemistry between Bo and Morgan.

I'm about a 100 pages in and I'm actually enjoying Bo and Morgan's interactions. And how everyone just stills and asks Bo what Tricks is expecting when she comes up to them and just sits and stares.. :D

I'm on page 157 and this is a reread for me. I like the characters of Bo and Morgan and I think Howard's characterization of them is good, but I feel as if Tricks is the main character of the book. I know that animals can have human-like qualities, but I think it has been carried a little far in this book. As I commented on my first read of the book, I felt it should be titled "Tricks the Wonder Dog".

I agree with Eve about her editor. Someone should have had the courage to tell LH that Tricks should not have been a primary focus for this book. It started out so good and ended great, the middle . . . should have had extensive editing.

I finished it last night. I loved it! I was just slightly disappointed with the lack of enough action towards the end but otherwise it was really entertaining and fun for me. I was laughing or blushing throughout the story. :)
I didn't mind that Tricks was the star of the book...but I do wish there had been a few more scenes of Morgan in action.

I also finished yesterday and this time I didn't mind Tricks so much as first time. I guess all dog owners think their dog is the smartest and cutest ;)
Bo isn't my favorite LH's heroine because she sounded tad too cranky for my tastes. The way she hated her ex stepbrother sounded kinda childish and immature. It was time to grow out of her teenage umbrage. But Morgan was very likeable and caring. I also wished to see him more in action.

I just got the book, but will start it right after I read Match Me...

Anita wrote: "This is a great choice for the Book of the Month because LH's newest book starts with the Baddie from this one."

Really? I can't wait for The Woman Left Behind to be available here! I love when LH writes the secret agents/covert ops type books! :)

Eve wrote: "I also finished yesterday and this time I didn't mind Tricks so much as first time. I guess all dog owners think their dog is the smartest and cutest ;)
Bo isn't my favorite LH's heroine because sh..."

Agreed, they acted like teenagers. I wish she'd expanded more on why Axel and Bo hate each other so much - she was just 13, he was, what, 17? What happened...
I've never had a pet but I'd sure want one as intelligent as Tricks..although maybe a little less fussy. :p

Dee wrote: "I just got the book, but will start it right after I read Match Me..."

That's great, Dee! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it! :)

Tanvi wrote: "Agreed, they acted like teenagers. I wish she'd expanded more on why Axel and Bo hate each other so much - she was just 13, he was, what, 17? What happened...
I've never had a pet but I'd sure want one as intelligent as Tricks..although maybe a little less fussy. :p .."

The only reason I could find why Bo hated Axel so much was The Stipes. Quote from the book:

No one else, not even her mother, had known that when Bo was thirteen, for some unknown reason she had decided having tiger stripes on her legs would be cool and make her stand out in a crowd. In retrospect, she could only wonder at herself, but maybe being thirteen was answer enough.

She had painted stripes of sunblock on her legs, then lain out in the sun. The resulting effect had made her look as if she had a skin disease. The only remedy then had been to paint the tanned portions of her legs with sunblock—which had taken a long time, which was why Axel, the stepbrother from hell, had caught her at it—and try to tan the pale stripes to their surrounding color. That had ended up being the summer she never wore shorts.

Have to tell that this sound like stupid and dramatic reason to hate someone for decades. Okay, Bo was embarrased but it wasn't Axel's fault that she wanted to do something so stupid methink **rolleye**

I finished Troublemaker yesterday and am really glad I reread it before I started The Woman Left Behind. I had forgotten about the Kingsleys and the GO-Team connection from Troublemaker. The main thing I remembered was Tricks.

Eve wrote: "Tanvi wrote: "Agreed, they acted like teenagers. I wish she'd expanded more on why Axel and Bo hate each other so much - she was just 13, he was, what, 17? What happened...
I've never had a pet but..."

Right..it doesn't seem enough for the amount of hatred/intolerance shown in the present. Why does he enjoy annoying her so much? Well, Axel's a jerk. Okay. But what else did he do? He may have teased her but he kept her secret right?

Judy wrote: "I finished Troublemaker yesterday and am really glad I reread it before I started The Woman Left Behind. I had forgotten about the Kingsleys and the GO-Team connection from Troublemaker. The main t..."

I just read the synopsis for The Woman Left Behind (I had been avoiding reading it before wanting to pick up the book and dive right in) but anyway, it sounds SO intriguing! And it makes much more sense now...I was kind of disappointed that Troublemaker ended without proper justice served to the deserving parties but now I'm happy!! And so excited!! And slightly angry that the book isn't releasing here anytime soon.. :/

I love the LH spy/secret agent books. I just wish that both Troublemaker and The Woman Left Behind could have been . . . more. Another think I disliked about both books, they had cranky heroines.