I’ve read Johanna Lindsay’s entire backlist- the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have her entire backlist in 1st printing even. When I heard there was a sale on some of her digital editions. I grabbed a few. Heart of Thunder was one of them. I decided a bit ago to work my way through some of my old favorite author’s backlist because I never got reviews up for them. Starting HoT, I realized I didn’t remember a thing about it. Now finished with my re-read, I realize why. I think subconsciously I must have wanted to forget it. Forget that an author who wrote some of my most beloved romances, could “go there” on so many levels. The heroine, Samantha Kingsley Blackstone is a rich girl making her way back home to the hacienda she was born to in Mexico. Along the way she runs into Hank Chavez who instantly falls for her. Only she’s in love with her bff’s brother. To bad for her because bff’s brother is, as Hank put it, an “hombres puta”, (no lie- man. whore. Literally). Samantha has no gaydar so she tries to use Hank to make him jealous. This causes deep resentment in Hank when he discovers it... because he was set to marry her. Enter forced seduction scene #1. Only it wasn’t so much. Because though Hank starts off angry, and okay headed into territory few like to see in their romance novels anymore- unless its your particular kink- he softens and she willingly joins in on her forced seduction. However she changes her mind afterward. She shoots him as he rides off and continues to refer to it as rape throughout the book. She confronts her bff and brother, then heads out for home. By this time I’m seriously not liking this spoiled, selfish, bitch. She's so pissed that Hank Chavez led her down the path of destruction, she sends out wanted posters up and down the territory. (Which is a thread left dangling for the record.) But For some reason, rather than rage at what happened to her, it just makes her out to be a brat throwing a temper tantrum. Samantha eventually makes it home to Mexico only to find out some bandido has been harassing her Dad and stealing from their land. She promptly finds herself kidnapped and held for ransom only to find out, surprise surprise Hank Chavez is the bandido- and even more bizarrely it has nothing to do with her and everything to do with the land.Hank? Well, him I could almost stand. He’s handsome and not as nasty as Samantha claims him to be- the “mystery” as to why he’s harassing her father is pretty obvious. But his dealings with her, and even the fact he still wants her even though SHE HATES him (but I want him!) makes him TSTL. Anyway, me thinks the lady protests too much. Plus Samantha is always reassuring the reader she’s brutally honest with herself (read, “I WANT HIS BOD”) but she certainly is with no one else in the story.The plot is contrived from her continued “You disgust me- but I waaaant you” to the reason he marries her. ::rolleyes:: (C’mon you wanted it all along, what came with the marriage was only the icing on the cake.)The last quarter of the book turned out to be a little more interesting as it moves to England and introduces a brother I don't believe was ever spoken of before in the novel and yet another side plot of his fiancé looking to harm Samantha. (Scratching my head as to why this was added as it's a plot line in and of itself.)sigh. Awful heroine. Cringe worthy relationship. Annoying dialogue. Disjointed plot. Wtf, JL. W.T.Fmeh.
Bintang 5Buku ke2 seri Southern.Hank Chavez a.k.a Enrique Antonio de Vega y Chavez. Dilidah penyebutannya sangat romantis. Aku jatuh cinta dengan Hank yg punya niat terpuji: menikahi wanita yg ingin dimilikinya (Angela dibuku pertama) Samantha, walau akhirnya berujung gagal dipertemuan pertama mereka. Samantha Blackstone Kingsley tak kalah karakternya dari Hank. Jago tembak,wanita yg bebas dan mandiri, tahu apa yg diinginkan dan tak ingin dikekang. Sangat cocok jadi pasangan Hank. Wonderfull Couple.Hank dan Samantha, salah satu pasangan yg kusuka. Kisah Love-Hate mereka menghebohkan dan sangat sangat manusiawi. Mereka menuruti kata hati dan perasaan mereka untuk mendapat apa yg mereka inginkan. Terutama ketika keadaan menjadi kacau dan tak mendukung mereka untuk menjalin hubungan cinta yg manis. Sepert halnya Hank yg mencintai Sam berbalik menyakiti Sam saat perasaan cinta Hank tak berbalas. Berniat luhur menikahi berakhir jadi perkosaan karena perasaan amarah dijadikan alat untuk menarik perhatian pria yg menjadi incaran Sam (padahal pria yg diincar Sam sangat tak patut untuk diperjuangkan). Dan Sam jadi membenci Hank karena pemaksaan dan cemoohan Hank terhadap pria yg dicintai Sam yg memang benar kenyataannya. Malu menghadapi kenyataan, Sam bersumpah kalau Hank akan mendapat ganjaran dari dirinya dengan cara menyewa orang untuk menghajar dan membunuh Hank.Keduanya bertemu kembali disaat yg tak tepat. Sam menjadi korban penculikan oleh Hank yg ingin memperoleh hak kepemilikan tanah milik keluarganya dari tangan ayah Sam. Walau memiliki catatan kriminal, Hank tak berniat curang dalam mendapatkan tanahnya. Hank berkeras membeli secara adil. Pengetahuannya akan identitas Sam dan keterkaitan Sam yg erat dengan tanah yg menjadi obsesi Hank membuat Hank sangat menyesali kejadian buruk yg telah ia lakukan terhadap Sam pada pertemuan pertama mereka. Dengan alasan yg salah Hank menikahi Sam yg masih dicintainya. Sam yg salah persepsi mengira Hank tak menghendaki pernikahan mereka. Sehingga kebencian diantara mereka terus berlanjut.Sampai ketika Sam menyaksikan Hank terikat, terluka, dan hampir mati seperti yg pernah diinginkannya. Perasaan benci berbalik arah. Sam sadar bahwa pada kenyatannya Sam tersakiti melihat keadaan itu. Pukulan terasa berkali lipat karena Sam pernah menginginkan keadaan itu terjadi dan atas perintah dirinya. Menyadari perasaannya yg sebenarnya pada Hank dan juga menyadari kalau perasaannya tak berjalan dua arah Sam menghindari Hank setelah memperbaiki keadaan yg kacau.
What do You think about Heart Of Thunder (1983)?
i love this Book !!!!!!!!!!! i love the sound of the Hero's name on my lips. and this was the first time i bought a book by the hero's name... Hank Chavez aka Enrique Antonio De Vega Y Chavez....i love Hank ( how many times i mentioned it ???? ) when he wanted something he would pursue it. he knew what he wanted and what to do. he wanted to be with Samantha but he knew when to push or when to stop.when he mad at Samantha and said something badly and out of control...it was humanly. and yes, i love the connection, the sparkle between Samantha and Hank. seemed they didn't have to touch each other to know that they had a strong bond... Johanna Lindsey... you did an Excellent Work ! there's no doubt about it !
—Esther Fanny
One of Johanna Lindsey's worst, and that's saying something!To be fair, I might have been in the wrong mood for one of Lindsey's books right now, but the heroine grated on me from the start. There was nothing likeable at all about the spoiled, selfish, naive, argumentative woman. I liked the hero pretty well, but I didn't believe the romance between the two at all. The chemistry was missing. I also thought the plot was forced, the dialog painful, and the author seemed to have skipped at least one scene near the end (just before I stopped reading ... I almost finished, but I couldn't quite make it). This author is hit and miss, and you really have to be in the mood for her over-the-top style. But this failed for me even where her books usually work, so I don't recommend.
—Christine
What the hell was that? I've found this book in mum's several old boxes and I thought I could have read it. It was a perfect guilty pleasure's book. But it was so far away from that. Starting from the stupid heroine without any common sense, I would have like to kill her. But the hero loved her anyway. I mean, whatever. Sadly this was not even a real problem. Because then there is the first sex scene and it's like a rape. Wait, it's totally a rape, and I don't care if the writer has tried to hide this fact with escamotage and the heroine incapability to fight against him until the very end. Because, came on!, he's totally handsome and strong and a real man to felt for! Did she really wanted him to stop? No! She was only pretend to, because it's what women do. According with this book.And then the second sex scene...and it's the same. And the plot was stupid and the dialogues bad built and...I couldn't even find one reason to finish it. I have one more question...what the hell I've read????
—Rebecca
