Volcano of Love

Shattered by JoAnn Ross

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


As another reviewer said, a good read for fans of contemporary romantic suspense. Especially for those who like it military-style.



Ross' stories spend a good deal of time on the background of the characters and the action. This leads to a little more telling and a little less showing than I prefer.



Let us into the character's thoughts. Also have the action help propel those thoughts. Then let the thoughts develop into feelings and more action. In Romantic Suspense, the focus is, of course, on the growing relationship between the hero and the heroine. Action is used heighten the immediacy of the thoughts and feelings of the characters. The action, while present, was not particularly used as part of the emotional growth of the characters.



Kirby and Shane's instant attraction is believable under the emotional circumstances of war. That love can develop under such circumstances is plausible. While running into each other after Shane has been wounded and she's working in a medical relief camp is overly-convenient, it is illustrative of the push-and-pull of their growing relationship.



Good job of making points about the types of injuries our troops are receiving in Afghanistan and rehabilitation.



When the action does hit, it's almost too little too late. Here again, we have telling instead of showing. I must say, though, that the use of volcano was great fun.



This is part of the Phoenix Team series. It is written in a way that the books may be read out of order and still make sense. I may be too enamored of Suzanne Brockmann and her development of her teams, so that colors my feelings about the Phoenix Team. The comraderie between team members and the growth of the team is not well-explored. I'm hoping to see more of that as the series continues.



I will try another book or two in the series. I'd like to see if it improves as it goes along.



Would I recommend this book to a fan of Suzanne Brockmann's series? Yes



Would I recommend this to a volcanologist? No. I suspect the volcano scene, while exciting, might be a little unbelievable.



Would I recommend this to a recent military veteran? Unsure. I suspect there are incredibly unbelievable portions. The reader may find them ignorable or funny or irritating.



Would I recommend this to a man in a bear suit? No. Bears are neither mentioned nor objects of romance in this novel.







View all my reviews