5 STARSWow! Another fabulous story from Linda Howard. A crime/thriller with a very unusual heroine. I wasn’t sure at first I was going to like the storyline. It was much different than I had expected. But it wasn’t long before I was fully engrossed in the story. It does have a bit of an unrealistic quality to it, especially if you are skeptic of psychics. But the subject was handed quite well, almost scientifically. So we have our sexy detective, Dane Hollister, who is a committed bachelor, liking his life as a cop too much to ever bring a woman into his life. At least on a permanent basis. He is a bit rough around the edges, and he likes it that way. As opposed to his sleek and fashionable dandy of a partner Alex Trammel. But both men do agree on one thing, there is no room in there lives for a relationship. Their jobs will always come first.A brutal murder occurs, a woman is savagely attacked, raped and stabbed to death in her own home while her husband is at work. And there are absolutely no witnesses and no clues. The weapon, a knife from her own kitchen, and it is left at her side in her own bedroom. There is no discernible motive, and not one suspect. Then a few days into the investigation, a young attractive woman shows up at the station and tells her tale. A tale that describes the crime scene in such vivid detail, that she either had to be the murderer or at least had to be present to know. There was pain in those dark blue depths, and anger, but most of all he saw a desolation that punched him square in the chest."The detectives are livid.. but there is no evidence or motive against her. Her claim is that she is a psychic… an empath to be more accurate, and she is somehow connected to this particular killer when he strikes. And she is helpless to prevent it. Normal people never imagined that there were people like her out there, people with minds so sensitive that they could pick up the electrical signals of thought, read the lingering energy patterns of long-ago events, even divine the forming patterns of things that haven't yet happened.Dane is not impressed… in fact he is certain she must be connected to the crime somehow. So why is he so attracted to her. A possible suspect.And here we have our storyline. It is intriguing and addictive to read. And while this one wasn’t exactly love at first site… these two characters were drawn to each other from the moment they met. Emotions were almost volatile at times. But feelings of such intensity ride a fine line between love and hate. Our young woman, Marley Keen, has been through it all before. In fact, she has been set aside as a freak of nature since she was very young. And she has been used before. So much so, that she almost lost her life and her sanity. So it is not surprising that she is very reluctant to get involved all over again. This was really a compelling story. It involved several points of view, including that of the murderer. Which I always like. You get much more insight into the characters. True intimacy wasn't found in penetration and climax, but in the quiet time afterward, in the small ways that two lives meshed.The hero in this one was really kind of a dick… which I always like! The heroine gave in a little bit too quickly for me, but it didn’t really take away from the story. It was only the lack of really getting to know the characters that bothered me just a bit. Feelings were expressed but never spoken. There was never any commitment extended to Marley… in fact, it seemed to be more betrayal than anything else. I was not happy with our hero at the end of the book… He did redeem himself a bit, but to me it just wasn't quite enough.There was a beautiful epilogue that gave me what I was after, so all’s well and all that!I will be reading many more by this author!
Re-read April 2015First released in 1995, (when I probably first read it), Dream Man was the criterion to which all paranormal(ish) romantic suspense, (heck, rom-suspense. period.), I judged the glutted market with for many years. (I don’t know if it was a first, but it sure became the standard.)Marlie has a gift. Her strong empathic abilities, the source of great help for those in need, nearly destroyed her. But it’s been dormant for awhile now and she’s just fine with that. Until now. Now a psycho serial killer has become active and she seems to be so tuned to his frequency, it’s as if she’s right there with him while he commits the murders. She has to help the police catch him.Dane Hollister, the detective assigned to the case, does not believe for one moment she’s psychic- she has to be involved, she knows too much that only they know to be true. He also knows, she turns him inside out. She’s frail and his instinct is to protect her. Plus she turns him on like no woman ever has.But as the case proceeds, and he finds out more and more about her past, he begins to believe. Now he has to keep her safe, but the killer knows something's up and doesn’t want anyone to stop his fun- least of all a woman.Dane Hollister is archetypal alpha male in authority. He’s an ass in the beginning, strong arming the heroine, backing her against the wall. Of his body. ;) and once he’s assured of her involvement- or lack there of- in the series of murders happening in his precinct, he maneuvers himself right into her home- and bed. (Gotta love a man who isn’t afraid to take what he wants. )Marlie is vulnerable, especially after a particularly heinous incident with another serial killer/rapist, and she comes off almost ephemeral in the beginning, but she doesn’t stay away when she knows her gift can help- even though it debilitates her. That’s courage in my book. Dream Man is now typical romantic suspense territory- but back then? It was fresh- ground breaking even. So, though Dane could use some polish compared to most now-a-days,(he's pretty un pc), and the story feels a bit tired, I’m leaving the high marks.
What do You think about Dream Man (2005)?
I really enjoyed this story, only my second of this authors's work. The story is about a psychic woman who becomes aware of an evil serial killler when he moves into her area and begins his hunting. The hero is a tough nut, married-to-the-job cop who is a sexy but unrefined. I loved the strength of the heroine, especially given that she barely survived a horrendous experience six years ago. because she was a psychic, she was nearly crippled during the experience. Our hero, is a strong alpha male but succumbs early to our heroine and supports her following an initial rocky start. Near the end, he pulls a very nearly unforgivable stunt which I wanted to yell at him for, but he does grovel well (smiles). I definitely like this author's writing style, which I found to be clean and direct, and appreciate her skill in keeping the suspense plot clipping along. Initially, I thought the sex would be a bit old school, but I was disabused of this very quickly. A four point five read for me. I would recommend this for those looking for a good romantic suspense with a HEA.
—Steamywindows♥♫
No way, Marlee was definitely not a doormat! She stands up for herself when Dane tries to control her AND faces down a psychotic, twisted serial killer. That sure doesn’t scream doormat to me!
—MelissaB
I love Linda Howard. Her books are usually very good. But I had some major issues with this one. Granted, this is one of her earlier books. I get that. But it still doesn't make up for it. In a nutshell, Marlie is a psychic who sees murders as they happen. Dane is a homicide detective who thinks she's nuts. One thing leads to another and, of course, they get together. Dane has to be one of the worst characters I have read about in any book. Not only does he use her but he sets her up. He knows h
—Cindi
