Big fan of Sandra Brown but this book was a huge disappointment. The heroine is a big, big fail. One of the most annoying heroine's I've ever come across who did not deserve the hero's attention, let alone his love. For a woman that is supposed to be a trauma surgeon (who worked all over the world), a former wild child turned Mother Teresa, she felt completely flat and empty and at times a spoiled bitch. Sandra Brown hangs many a description on her (brilliant surgeon, lend her services around the world, great with patients and their families) but these remain empty descriptions. Not once does her well guarded, sanitised and non-existent private life stirs any interest about this woman. What made her that way, how she suffers her own defence mechanisms. Instead of someone traumatised by the past we get a sterile, bitchy person. It is a complete mystery why her neighbours at the ranch and the hero are so enamoured of her. She failed to generate an ounce of interest in me even after I found out what happened to her. The only reason I kept reading was Wick, the hero. He and his friendship with his superior, Oren, made for the most interesting part of the book. Lozada, the villain, was not convincing. Nor was the fact that a well known paid assassin could not be closely monitored and beat the system so many times (given that the system can easily frame anyone that can remotely be framed). Also I don't know why the law would set up a round the clock survey of the heroine's home (taking pictures of her in the buff, which they knew were not admissible in court) but drew the line in tapping her phone!!! Silly things like that, plus the fact that the police show unbelievable incompetence in even so much as following the villain made me throw the book aside on numerous occasions. The denouement was particularly silly, to the point that it made roar with laughter -not the dramatic showdown our Sandra aimed for. Overall, since the main couple is never convincing as a couple, since there is not even a whiff of passion, no deep or touching connection between hero and heroine nor any great lust (there are only a couple of boring sex scenes crammed into the final chapters of the book), anything concerning them as a couple and their future rings false. Not once did I believed that what they had was anything more than a prolonged one night stand. I must also say that because of the annoying and tiresome heroine, the reader longed for the hero to find someone else to lust after and give her the two finger salute. As it is, this man who is gorgeous, charming, great fun and has great success with women, strangely chases after this zero-dimensional bitch who wants nothing to do with him for the vast majority of the book. Yet somehow within the last three pages we are to believe that she wants to share the rest of her life with Wick. The question is what does he want to spend another second in her company. Run Wick, run. The more I write this review the more I revisit the unpleasantness I felt while reading it, so I wills stop here. Readers new to Sandra Brown give this one a miss (and then some) and try 'Lethal', 'Envy' or 'Hello, Darkness', or from her earlier output, 'Mirror Image', 'Slow Heat in Heaven'.
A Texas "bad-girl-turns-good" story of a young woman destined to repulse and get even with her lying-cheating father, grows up to become an renowned surgeon. Sounds implausible but it is all logically justified by the time you turn the last page. Surgeon Rennie has built-up a life-time of courage, fearlessness and independence for a young person her age that she carries tightly with every experience. The book opens with another successful surgeon being lured to the hospital falsely in the middle of the night and then murdered in the hospital parking ramp. He is Rennie's competition for the Chief role they both are vying for. Flashback to Rennie being selected for jury duty only to find herself the leader of the group. She leads the group to an acquittal for a very dangerous and guilty man under the premise there just wasn't adequate proof. Lozado, the man acquitted for murdering Wick's brother develops an obsession for Rennie, hence "The Crush" title. He stalks her hoping to gain her attention. Wick is a Texas Ranger that was removed from his Ranger role after this incident gets involved in the investigation of the surgeon's murder, meets Rennie in the process and also develops a crush on this beautiful but totally self-enclosed, wall-around-her and her life, woman. Wick is obviously out to get justice for his brother's murder, solve the surgeon murder-case and get-the-girl. Ambitious. Rennie is caught in an ethical dilemma in getting too close to Wick...well that's a whole different element of the story. This isn't an Agatha Christie whodunnit. We all know from the get-go whodunnit. The suspense mounts however and at one point I had to stop reading, set the book aside, for I feared what was going to happen next, I was not going to like. It suspensefully led to a "cliff" but didn't go as I thought. Whew! It has enough complexity and suspense to keep you reading. This isn't my typical genre but I have to say, I have enjoyed both of the Sandra Brown books I've read. This is an enjoyable read for those who like obsession, murder, suspense and a little romantic tension.
What do You think about The Crush (2003)?
Dr. Rennie Newton, a skilled surgeon, is the foreman of the jury that acquits psychotic professional assassin Ricky Lozada of murder because of reasonable doubt. Unfortunately for Rennie, Lozada becomes infatuated with the pretty doctor during the trial and convinces himself that she returns his affections. So after his acquital Lozada decides to pursue a relationship with Rennie. He sends her flowers, stalks her, and goes so far as "to do her the favor" of murdering a rival doctor. Rennie becomes a suspect in the murder and Detective Oren Wesley - instead of doing any investigation whatsoever - starts a campaign of surveillance and harassment to convict Rennie. For assistance Oren calls in his suspended former partner, Detective Wick Threadgill. Here the book becomes a cliche romance novel. Wick (of course) is overwhelmingly attracted to Rennie who (of course) is a cold fish because of a difficult past. Lozada becomes enraged with Wick's attentions to Rennie and decides to take action. Though Brown is a skilled writer this is a completely predictable book with no surprises. In addition, the characters are not particularly likable. Wick is an an arrogant dude whose major goal is to have sex with Rennie; Oren is a lazy police officer who makes no attempt to find the real killer; and Rennie - though a little more sympathetic than the guys - is two-dimensional and hard to care about.If you're a hard core romance fan you might like this book. Otherwise, skip it.
—Barbara
Sandra Brown never fails to deliver an edge of the seat suspense thriller and The Crush is no exception. SB is my go to author for romantic-suspense and she rarely disappoints. Since the baddie, Lozada, is known from the beginning, the plot revolves around the cat and mouse game he is playing with heroine, Dr. Rennie Newton and the hero, on leave cop, Wick Threadgill.Lozada is a contract killer that, literally, does not leave a trace at any of his crime scenes. Rennie was on a jury and voted to acquit him due to lack of evidence. Lozada thinks she is hot for him and does her a little favor by killing a doctor who got the promotion she wanted. The cops recognize the MO and think she hired him to whack the doctor. Rennie is appalled that she is a suspect and doesn't tell the cops when Lozada contacts her.Three years ago Lozada killed Wick's brother, but no one could prove it. He has been on a leave of absence for about a year and is drawn into the case of the lady doctor and the hit man to try and bring down Lozada. Wick believes that Rennie has done nothing wrong, but the good doctor has secrets in her past and Wick has ghosts of his own.
—Anita
This suspense novel reads more like a Harlequin Romance gone worse (I didn't say "bad" because they are already bad). Laced with only-to-be heard in smaltzy movie one liners, the book is so predictable from the first chapter that you may actually think there is a twist at the end (there isn't). Crush is about a relationship between the broken cop and a troubled trauma surgeon and their banning together to fight an evil killer. It's kind of like a Bugs Bunny episode without the humor and animation.
—Renee
