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naomilane's review against another edition
4.0
Edge of Sight is my first book by Roxanne St. Claire. I’m really picky with my Romantic Suspense books since Cynthia Eden, I guess, I expect a lot from authors and their stories and Roxanne did not disappoint. Edge of Sight was a great RS, I mean, there was suspense and romance: mission accomplished!
Samantha “Sam” Fairchild is a young woman who works at a famous restaurant, one night while she goes in the cellar to get some wine, she witnesses a murder. Thing is, she’s not the most reliable witness (years before she identified the wrong killer in another case and put an innocent guy in prison for like 10 years) and the police won’t give her any protection. She knows she’s in danger, so she goes to her friend’s house, Vivi, to ask for help. Vivi’s not here but her twin is: Zaccaria “Zach” Angelino.
Zach and Sam had a thing 3 years back. They met via Vivi, they were to.ge.ther for 3 weeks [19 days, I remember], non-stop fantastic sex, great talks, big deal you know. Sam fell in love, Zach left to go on a mission in Afghanistan and never called back. No letters, no phone calls, nothing. Like I said, Zach used to be military but he was relieved of his duties when he lost one of his eyes. Now, he’s back, scarred, with no real purpose and Sam needs his help. Will they be able to work together? Will they succumb, once more, to their desire? And, why did Zach never contacted Sam?
I loved Zach, he was a great MC. I loved the fact that he was scarred so badly, it changed and it was interesting to see Sam’s reaction to that and how Zach felt about himself. Underneath his tough demeanor, Zach was very vulnerable and unsure of himself. Roxanne did a great job with this. For once we have a MC who’s not invincible, he’s scared for Sam and he doesn’t think he can protect her. He thinks so badly of himself, it was actually quite sad to read.
But once Zach finally realized certain things, he was even better. Fierce, kind, sweet, protective… I loved it! I also liked how he was with Sam, he knows he made a big mistake in the past but he wants to make up for it, he’s just kind of insecure (because of his missing eye and scarred cheek). Might be a bit stupid but one thing I loved was when he felt relief when he rested his scarred cheek/eye on Sam’s hair. This was so freaking sweet and nice and heartwarming. It was just a tiny scene but I loved it!
Sam was not my cup of tea. I mean, I liked her but ugh, I don’t know, it’s confusing! She had her good moments where I liked her and then she would do something stupid or something that pissed me off and then, bam, I didn’t like her anymore. See? Confusing. She could be really sweet and understanding. I liked her for that, the fact that Zach’s scars didn’t faze her that much, I liked that she touched him, she wasn’t disgusted or anything. She was also courageous and strong when she wanted to be but at times she was doubting herself every 5 minutes and that pissed me off. When she went to do a line-up to identify the possible killer, she spent like 10 minutes on each guy stressing out because she didn’t know if it was the killer but then maybe, but then she wasn’t sure, she was scared, OMG WHAT TO DO. Just shut up, concentrate and try to remember! See? Infuriating. Agreed, it’s not much in the entire book but it’s all those little things that made me not like her.
The romance. It was good! Like Roxanne said to me when I complained about wanting sex: “No rushy. Enjoy the build-up!” and I did, I enjoyed it and it was so worth the wait! Roxanne did a great job with the build-up, she took her time but it was necessary because they had a past, their previous relationship didn’t end well and they both needed time (especially Sam) to trust the other once more. But let me tell you, once Roxanne decided that it was time for mister sex to appear it was great. I loved it, it was very well done and from this point forward the romance was even better.
The plot now, it’s a bit complicated because there isn’t just one killer. It was good though, it was surprising and well done. The suspense part was not forgotten and it was present throughout the book. There were some great scenes with lots of action and craziness, I loved it. Like I said, the plot was great because Roxanne made something interesting and a bit complicated, so it was impressive–for us–but also a job well done–for her!
In general the story was consistent and entertaining but I noticed that, at times (not a lot), there were some inconsistencies. Like, at one point the person was completely unable to talk because he/she was gagged but all of a sudden she could talk and then, two sentences after, she couldn’t. It was just little things like that, it wasn’t often but I noticed.
The secondary characters were nice! I loved Vivi, she was fun and an interesting character and I cannot wait to read her story! The rest of the family was awesome too. I would have wanted more about Gabe though, I hope I’ll be able to read more about him in the other two. Overall, a good story with a great romance, a great plot and an awesome hero! Read it!!!
Samantha “Sam” Fairchild is a young woman who works at a famous restaurant, one night while she goes in the cellar to get some wine, she witnesses a murder. Thing is, she’s not the most reliable witness (years before she identified the wrong killer in another case and put an innocent guy in prison for like 10 years) and the police won’t give her any protection. She knows she’s in danger, so she goes to her friend’s house, Vivi, to ask for help. Vivi’s not here but her twin is: Zaccaria “Zach” Angelino.
Zach and Sam had a thing 3 years back. They met via Vivi, they were to.ge.ther for 3 weeks [19 days, I remember], non-stop fantastic sex, great talks, big deal you know. Sam fell in love, Zach left to go on a mission in Afghanistan and never called back. No letters, no phone calls, nothing. Like I said, Zach used to be military but he was relieved of his duties when he lost one of his eyes. Now, he’s back, scarred, with no real purpose and Sam needs his help. Will they be able to work together? Will they succumb, once more, to their desire? And, why did Zach never contacted Sam?
I loved Zach, he was a great MC. I loved the fact that he was scarred so badly, it changed and it was interesting to see Sam’s reaction to that and how Zach felt about himself. Underneath his tough demeanor, Zach was very vulnerable and unsure of himself. Roxanne did a great job with this. For once we have a MC who’s not invincible, he’s scared for Sam and he doesn’t think he can protect her. He thinks so badly of himself, it was actually quite sad to read.
But once Zach finally realized certain things, he was even better. Fierce, kind, sweet, protective… I loved it! I also liked how he was with Sam, he knows he made a big mistake in the past but he wants to make up for it, he’s just kind of insecure (because of his missing eye and scarred cheek). Might be a bit stupid but one thing I loved was when he felt relief when he rested his scarred cheek/eye on Sam’s hair. This was so freaking sweet and nice and heartwarming. It was just a tiny scene but I loved it!
Sam was not my cup of tea. I mean, I liked her but ugh, I don’t know, it’s confusing! She had her good moments where I liked her and then she would do something stupid or something that pissed me off and then, bam, I didn’t like her anymore. See? Confusing. She could be really sweet and understanding. I liked her for that, the fact that Zach’s scars didn’t faze her that much, I liked that she touched him, she wasn’t disgusted or anything. She was also courageous and strong when she wanted to be but at times she was doubting herself every 5 minutes and that pissed me off. When she went to do a line-up to identify the possible killer, she spent like 10 minutes on each guy stressing out because she didn’t know if it was the killer but then maybe, but then she wasn’t sure, she was scared, OMG WHAT TO DO. Just shut up, concentrate and try to remember! See? Infuriating. Agreed, it’s not much in the entire book but it’s all those little things that made me not like her.
The romance. It was good! Like Roxanne said to me when I complained about wanting sex: “No rushy. Enjoy the build-up!” and I did, I enjoyed it and it was so worth the wait! Roxanne did a great job with the build-up, she took her time but it was necessary because they had a past, their previous relationship didn’t end well and they both needed time (especially Sam) to trust the other once more. But let me tell you, once Roxanne decided that it was time for mister sex to appear it was great. I loved it, it was very well done and from this point forward the romance was even better.
The plot now, it’s a bit complicated because there isn’t just one killer. It was good though, it was surprising and well done. The suspense part was not forgotten and it was present throughout the book. There were some great scenes with lots of action and craziness, I loved it. Like I said, the plot was great because Roxanne made something interesting and a bit complicated, so it was impressive–for us–but also a job well done–for her!
In general the story was consistent and entertaining but I noticed that, at times (not a lot), there were some inconsistencies. Like, at one point the person was completely unable to talk because he/she was gagged but all of a sudden she could talk and then, two sentences after, she couldn’t. It was just little things like that, it wasn’t often but I noticed.
The secondary characters were nice! I loved Vivi, she was fun and an interesting character and I cannot wait to read her story! The rest of the family was awesome too. I would have wanted more about Gabe though, I hope I’ll be able to read more about him in the other two. Overall, a good story with a great romance, a great plot and an awesome hero! Read it!!!
laurenjodi's review against another edition
4.0
Edge of Sight
4 Stars
Series note: The Guardian Angelinos is a spin-off of The Bullet Catchers. However, any connection between the series is superficial at best and mainly consists of some name dropping, which makes no difference to the plot.
Edge of Sight has a well-developed suspense story and a sweet romance although Zach and Sam aren't as compelling as some of St. Claire's other couples.
Zach is physically and emotionally scarred after his experiences as an army ranger. While his vulnerabilities do engage the reader on a certain level, the tortured hero vibe is lacking. Moreover, his behavior toward his adoptive family and toward Sam make him appear sullen and churlish. He does manage to recognize the error of his ways and redeem himself by the end.
Sam is also a conflicted heroine. On the one hand, she stands her ground with Zach and calls him on his past behavior rather than falling straight back into his arms after he broke her heart. On the other hand, she has lost confidence in herself and seems incapable of making any decisions whether right or wrong.
The best aspect of the book is the plot revolving around an assassin targeting Sam after she witnesses a murder. The action scenes are tense and exciting and the villains a diverse lot. St. Claire is skilled at misdirection and Edge of Sight is no exception. Apart from one or two co-conspirators, the villains caught me by surprise, especially the assassin. The motivation for the original crime is a little unclear but does not detract from the overall reading experience.
The Rossi/Angelino family dynamics is another highlight - they love, they fight and they eat. Zach's snarky sister Vivi and FBI cousin Marc each have their own books and I look forward to reading them soon.
4 Stars
Series note: The Guardian Angelinos is a spin-off of The Bullet Catchers. However, any connection between the series is superficial at best and mainly consists of some name dropping, which makes no difference to the plot.
Edge of Sight has a well-developed suspense story and a sweet romance although Zach and Sam aren't as compelling as some of St. Claire's other couples.
Zach is physically and emotionally scarred after his experiences as an army ranger. While his vulnerabilities do engage the reader on a certain level, the tortured hero vibe is lacking. Moreover, his behavior toward his adoptive family and toward Sam make him appear sullen and churlish. He does manage to recognize the error of his ways and redeem himself by the end.
Sam is also a conflicted heroine. On the one hand, she stands her ground with Zach and calls him on his past behavior rather than falling straight back into his arms after he broke her heart. On the other hand, she has lost confidence in herself and seems incapable of making any decisions whether right or wrong.
The best aspect of the book is the plot revolving around an assassin targeting Sam after she witnesses a murder. The action scenes are tense and exciting and the villains a diverse lot. St. Claire is skilled at misdirection and Edge of Sight is no exception. Apart from one or two co-conspirators, the villains caught me by surprise, especially the assassin. The motivation for the original crime is a little unclear but does not detract from the overall reading experience.
The Rossi/Angelino family dynamics is another highlight - they love, they fight and they eat. Zach's snarky sister Vivi and FBI cousin Marc each have their own books and I look forward to reading them soon.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
3.0
Narrated by Violet Gray
Originally published at Audiogals:
http://audiogals.net/2012/10/edge-of-sight-by-roxanne-st-claire/#more-5091
Story: C+
Narration: B+
In this first installment of St. Clair’s new series, the reader witnesses the birth of the Guardian Angelinos security firm. As with many first-in-series books, it feels top heavy with characters who will no doubt show up in subsequent books. The writing was serviceable but not great, with too much pondering by both main characters, and too much rehashing of past events. While the first half of the book dragged, the second half was much more interesting. The story’s slow beginning wasn’t helped by Violet Gray’s moderately-paced reading, but her narration worked well in the action-packed second half.
The story begins as Samantha witnesses a murder in the wine cellar of the restaurant where she’s a waitress. The killer doesn’t see her, but he takes the tape from the security camera. Sam realizes her face is on that video camera and is scared. The police aren’t interested in protecting her due to an old case where Sam made the department look bad. When she seeks out her old friend Vivi Angelino, she instead runs into Zach, Vivi’s brother and Sam’s former lover. Zach never contacted her after he went to Iraq, and Sam is still trying to get over the hurt and anger of his abandonment. Now, Zach is determined to protect Sam while still trying to keep her at arm’s length.
Samantha’s character is too wishy-washy for my tastes. Due to sending an innocent man to prison with her eyewitness account years earlier, Sam is unable to trust her judgement. But while her fear of big decisions fits the story, her reluctance to trust any of her own decisions is less believable. In every other way Sam feels a little too perfect. Even so, I appreciate that Sam doesn’t act “too stupid to live” when she does choose a course of action.
Zach comes across as a jerk for leaving Sam hanging the way he did. St. Clair fails to make a case for Zach decisions not to contact Sam after he left. And his “I’m not good enough for her” reaction now that he’s home from war feels overly dramatic. Zach also refuses to accept his adopted family’s love, making him appear even more obstinate and ungrateful. Zach redeems himself somewhat as the book progresses and he is forced to look at things from other perspectives besides his own. Gray manages to get across Zach’s conflicted feelings in the tone of her voice without sounding like a female reading a male part. Some readers may enjoy Zach’s tortured hero persona, but I found both Zach and Sam a little too self-absorbed for my tastes.
Violet Gray is a new-to-me narrator. I’m pleased to say her narration style is quite enjoyable, with solid male voices and good NY accents. There were a few minor problems, such as Zach’s cousin Mark’s voice, which is too slow and measured even during action scenes. But Ms. Gray’s strengths were also evident. The main characters in Edge of Sight spend a lot of time thinking as well as speaking, and Ms. Gray is able to keep that distinction clear for the listeners by changing the tone of her voice without actually changing the volume. I’ll be looking for more books narrated by Violet Gray.
Originally published at Audiogals:
http://audiogals.net/2012/10/edge-of-sight-by-roxanne-st-claire/#more-5091
Story: C+
Narration: B+
In this first installment of St. Clair’s new series, the reader witnesses the birth of the Guardian Angelinos security firm. As with many first-in-series books, it feels top heavy with characters who will no doubt show up in subsequent books. The writing was serviceable but not great, with too much pondering by both main characters, and too much rehashing of past events. While the first half of the book dragged, the second half was much more interesting. The story’s slow beginning wasn’t helped by Violet Gray’s moderately-paced reading, but her narration worked well in the action-packed second half.
The story begins as Samantha witnesses a murder in the wine cellar of the restaurant where she’s a waitress. The killer doesn’t see her, but he takes the tape from the security camera. Sam realizes her face is on that video camera and is scared. The police aren’t interested in protecting her due to an old case where Sam made the department look bad. When she seeks out her old friend Vivi Angelino, she instead runs into Zach, Vivi’s brother and Sam’s former lover. Zach never contacted her after he went to Iraq, and Sam is still trying to get over the hurt and anger of his abandonment. Now, Zach is determined to protect Sam while still trying to keep her at arm’s length.
Samantha’s character is too wishy-washy for my tastes. Due to sending an innocent man to prison with her eyewitness account years earlier, Sam is unable to trust her judgement. But while her fear of big decisions fits the story, her reluctance to trust any of her own decisions is less believable. In every other way Sam feels a little too perfect. Even so, I appreciate that Sam doesn’t act “too stupid to live” when she does choose a course of action.
Zach comes across as a jerk for leaving Sam hanging the way he did. St. Clair fails to make a case for Zach decisions not to contact Sam after he left. And his “I’m not good enough for her” reaction now that he’s home from war feels overly dramatic. Zach also refuses to accept his adopted family’s love, making him appear even more obstinate and ungrateful. Zach redeems himself somewhat as the book progresses and he is forced to look at things from other perspectives besides his own. Gray manages to get across Zach’s conflicted feelings in the tone of her voice without sounding like a female reading a male part. Some readers may enjoy Zach’s tortured hero persona, but I found both Zach and Sam a little too self-absorbed for my tastes.
Violet Gray is a new-to-me narrator. I’m pleased to say her narration style is quite enjoyable, with solid male voices and good NY accents. There were a few minor problems, such as Zach’s cousin Mark’s voice, which is too slow and measured even during action scenes. But Ms. Gray’s strengths were also evident. The main characters in Edge of Sight spend a lot of time thinking as well as speaking, and Ms. Gray is able to keep that distinction clear for the listeners by changing the tone of her voice without actually changing the volume. I’ll be looking for more books narrated by Violet Gray.
macwolf01's review against another edition
3.0
I wish Goodreads would allow 1/2 * as I'd give this book 3 1/2 *, it is my first book by Roxanne St. Claire and there are many things about this book I enjoyed there were also a few things that bugged me BUT 1 flaw above all else dropped this book from a 4* to 3 1/2 * was I found it too easy to put down at times.
I love that the hero Zach Angelinos was both physically and emotionally flawed, many times I find heros to be too perfect. St. Claire gave Zach the right amount of machismo, hunk and flaws to make him both loveable and believable.
As for the heroine Samantha, I'm a little less sure. I like some of her character quirks but I was annoyed by others.
I love that the hero Zach Angelinos was both physically and emotionally flawed, many times I find heros to be too perfect. St. Claire gave Zach the right amount of machismo, hunk and flaws to make him both loveable and believable.
As for the heroine Samantha, I'm a little less sure. I like some of her character quirks but I was annoyed by others.
yche09's review against another edition
5.0
What can i say? I love a good hero even with scars and without one eye.
The story line is great. Interesting that i never suspected who the culprit was or in this case, were. I was totally shocked. For me, this is a really strong start for a series. The characters were nicely introduced. I love it that the author did not ruin it with too much povs. To me, this is a satisfying read. I was mystified.
The story line is great. Interesting that i never suspected who the culprit was or in this case, were. I was totally shocked. For me, this is a really strong start for a series. The characters were nicely introduced. I love it that the author did not ruin it with too much povs. To me, this is a satisfying read. I was mystified.
samie_k3's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book... My only complaint, and maybe it's a petty one, was the fact that we get a declaration from Samantha, but not Zach on one particular aspect. Other than that, I enjoyed it.
Spoiler
Zach's all growly and jealous about the imagined boyfriends that Sam may have had while they were apart... Then she tells him, right before they have sex for the first time post-reunion that she hasn't been with *anyone* in three years. That she was waiting for him—and Zach says nothing. I really wanted to know if he'd been faithful to her or not. It's just one of those things I like to know.zinamae's review against another edition
4.0
You know those books that make you want to read everything else the author has written? This is one of them. This was my first Roxanne St. Claire book, and I LOVED it!
I thoroughly enjoyed Roxanne St. Claire's Edge of Sight, the first in the series, Guardian Angelinos. St. Claire is an amazing storyteller, with a knack for combining humorous banter and clever dialogue with sexy fun romance while telling a compelling suspenseful adventure.
This book had me turning pages anxiously as I tried to figure out "whodunit" - and even though I had a pretty good idea of the villian about halfway through, there was still an interesting twist at the end that made it totally worth it, to me. The main characters, Samantha and Zach, were believable, flawed, funny, and had some major chemistry.
I thoroughly enjoyed Roxanne St. Claire's Edge of Sight, the first in the series, Guardian Angelinos. St. Claire is an amazing storyteller, with a knack for combining humorous banter and clever dialogue with sexy fun romance while telling a compelling suspenseful adventure.
This book had me turning pages anxiously as I tried to figure out "whodunit" - and even though I had a pretty good idea of the villian about halfway through, there was still an interesting twist at the end that made it totally worth it, to me. The main characters, Samantha and Zach, were believable, flawed, funny, and had some major chemistry.
imbookingit's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed myself while I was reading Edge of Sight, but overall, it didn't make that much of an impression on me.
The best part of the book for me was a secondary character, Vivi. She was a very smart, kick-ass, get things done woman, and I might pick up her book if she gets one.
I definitely think this book felt like the setup for a series-- many characters were introduced,and most of them had minor roles in the story. The vast majority were single, and there are more than just Vivi that I'd enjoy knowing more about. JP (known by our hero (who doesn't get along with him) as Just Perfect)was also intriguing.
I really should say more about Samantha and Zach. I really liked Samantha's backstory, her history of why she was persona non grata with the local police and how she ended up heading to law school. Unfortunately, I felt that she spent much of the time in her current life hiding-- not just from the bad guys, which was a smart call, but from the actions she could take to change the situation with Zach, as well as with the overall ugly mess she was involved in.
I never saw Zach's appeal. He's a damaged, moody guy of action, but with a heart of gold, if he just stops protecting it. I know this works for many readers, and I rarely swoon over any romance hero.
The suspense aspects of the book were exciting but not mentally engaging.
Overall, the book flew by. I had fun, but don't miss it now that it's done.
The best part of the book for me was a secondary character, Vivi. She was a very smart, kick-ass, get things done woman, and I might pick up her book if she gets one.
I definitely think this book felt like the setup for a series-- many characters were introduced,and most of them had minor roles in the story. The vast majority were single, and there are more than just Vivi that I'd enjoy knowing more about. JP (known by our hero (who doesn't get along with him) as Just Perfect)was also intriguing.
I really should say more about Samantha and Zach. I really liked Samantha's backstory, her history of why she was persona non grata with the local police and how she ended up heading to law school. Unfortunately, I felt that she spent much of the time in her current life hiding-- not just from the bad guys, which was a smart call, but from the actions she could take to change the situation with Zach, as well as with the overall ugly mess she was involved in.
I never saw Zach's appeal. He's a damaged, moody guy of action, but with a heart of gold, if he just stops protecting it. I know this works for many readers, and I rarely swoon over any romance hero.
The suspense aspects of the book were exciting but not mentally engaging.
Overall, the book flew by. I had fun, but don't miss it now that it's done.