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readlovereviewblog's review against another edition
4.0
This book is Juliet and Rafe's story, a complicated, twisted romantic suspense with many surprising moments and unexpected action scenes. I truly fell in love with the historical information, fact, or fiction; the legends, stories, and plot were captivating. This book took a while to get going, and I struggled to get into it, but it picked up in the second half, and a lot of the stuff started to make sense. I don't feel we have all the answers but enough to enjoy the happy ending. The romance is steamy, the action is intense, and the characters are quirky. By the end of this book, I was rooting for all the people that made a difference in the story. I especially loved Callum.
I find the map at the beginning of this book very helpful. Juliet is a military wife, and her man Rafe is deployed. It looks like she got the worst news ever. I would have loved to know what that letter contained.
We jump to Rafe pov, and I'm having trouble placing this in the timeline of this story. He is in a deep mess, and some clues start to be revealed but still more questions than answers. Their relationship seems covered in calamity, and Juliet and Rafe are waist-deep in this mess.
I do like Rafe's protective bad boy side, but I'm not sure what all he is involved in. Who this Prince is and what kind of trouble he is bringing home. The authenticity of the French wording for where the story takes place is lovely and unique to this storyline, maybe even this writer.
This book gets more profound, more twisted with a spider web spun of half-truths, murder mystery, and twisted plots, all interconnecting the characters together in this thrilling adventure. Rafe has so many secrets, Juliet is in trouble, and there is a whole host of deceit, killing, and historical clues to keep you hooked; add in the A-team issues, and this book is definitely intriguing. A modern-day Indiana Jones, but the treasure isn't the tangible item.
I admit the bowing man in this book is kind of weird, a strange visual for sure. I'm curious about the significance of the blue ribbon he wears and its meaning. This book gets steamy finally as we get a taste of this epic romance.
The bowing men have an interesting way of speaking, almost like reading a Shakespearean play. Interrupting the meaning of every conversation gets daunting but adds more suspense to the book.
Just as I thought this was going their way, it turns around unexpectedly and becomes much more action-packed. This book ends with a surprising twist you don't want to miss and finally gives me the romance I wanted all along.
I find the map at the beginning of this book very helpful. Juliet is a military wife, and her man Rafe is deployed. It looks like she got the worst news ever. I would have loved to know what that letter contained.
We jump to Rafe pov, and I'm having trouble placing this in the timeline of this story. He is in a deep mess, and some clues start to be revealed but still more questions than answers. Their relationship seems covered in calamity, and Juliet and Rafe are waist-deep in this mess.
I do like Rafe's protective bad boy side, but I'm not sure what all he is involved in. Who this Prince is and what kind of trouble he is bringing home. The authenticity of the French wording for where the story takes place is lovely and unique to this storyline, maybe even this writer.
This book gets more profound, more twisted with a spider web spun of half-truths, murder mystery, and twisted plots, all interconnecting the characters together in this thrilling adventure. Rafe has so many secrets, Juliet is in trouble, and there is a whole host of deceit, killing, and historical clues to keep you hooked; add in the A-team issues, and this book is definitely intriguing. A modern-day Indiana Jones, but the treasure isn't the tangible item.
I admit the bowing man in this book is kind of weird, a strange visual for sure. I'm curious about the significance of the blue ribbon he wears and its meaning. This book gets steamy finally as we get a taste of this epic romance.
The bowing men have an interesting way of speaking, almost like reading a Shakespearean play. Interrupting the meaning of every conversation gets daunting but adds more suspense to the book.
Just as I thought this was going their way, it turns around unexpectedly and becomes much more action-packed. This book ends with a surprising twist you don't want to miss and finally gives me the romance I wanted all along.
prgchrqltma's review against another edition
2.0
9/25/18: Nope. The 500 page book felt like it went on forever. At least one of the groups/situations was resolved in a way that was obvious sequel bait. The convoluted and messy plot would have been clearer without that group. There was a mystery person and relationship dropped in at the end. There was (euphemistic) sex without contraception in a situation where emotional dependents were in danger - they did discuss afterward, though. Former antagonists are willing to work with the hero suddenly at the end. I think if the whole mess had been pared down a lot, there could be something good there. I might check in with the author after several more books with stronger editing.
9/24/18: Gosh. I don't know about this book. At 30%, the plot is a hot mess with at least 4 groups/people with competing and shadowy interests, and I feel like I was dropped in the middle of the series. Also, since the heroine needs money, she goes to work in a strip club.
9/24/18: Gosh. I don't know about this book. At 30%, the plot is a hot mess with at least 4 groups/people with competing and shadowy interests, and I feel like I was dropped in the middle of the series. Also, since the heroine needs money, she goes to work in a strip club.
esquiredtoread's review against another edition
3.0
I find it really hard to review 3 starred books.
This book was interesting, that's for sure. I like the small town, the history, the plot-line being tied to ancestors, the imperfect secondary hero, the lore, and world building kept me interesting and obviously took a lot of time.
However: I don't think I liked Rafe, the hero? The entire point of the novel was that because his wife is his soulmate/love/his everything/the entire purpose for his existence he can do whatever he wants even if its morally grey and it's forgiven/okay because he did it to "protect their love." I am not a soulmate/your partner completes you type of person, so Rafe's actions thoroughly annoyed me.
I will give that Juliet was a strong character, and demanded that he include her in decision making once he came back. That was a nice addition and she pushed even when he ran away. I'm glad for that.
I will probably read the second book because I like Nate but the format and constantly changing POV (there were MANY POV....at least 5???) just added to the already confusing and twisted storyline and was a bit frustrating. Hopefully the next one will be a bit more linear.
This book was interesting, that's for sure. I like the small town, the history, the plot-line being tied to ancestors, the imperfect secondary hero, the lore, and world building kept me interesting and obviously took a lot of time.
However: I don't think I liked Rafe, the hero? The entire point of the novel was that because his wife is his soulmate/love/his everything/the entire purpose for his existence he can do whatever he wants even if its morally grey and it's forgiven/okay because he did it to "protect their love." I am not a soulmate/your partner completes you type of person, so Rafe's actions thoroughly annoyed me.
I will give that Juliet was a strong character, and demanded that he include her in decision making once he came back. That was a nice addition and she pushed even when he ran away. I'm glad for that.
I will probably read the second book because I like Nate but the format and constantly changing POV (there were MANY POV....at least 5???) just added to the already confusing and twisted storyline and was a bit frustrating. Hopefully the next one will be a bit more linear.
bract4813mypacksnet's review
4.0
Every Deep Desire is technically well-written in terms of word choice, phrasing, and command of the English language; however, the plotting seems rather over-wrought. I enjoy a good suspense novel and have read everything Daniel Silva has ever written; however, Every Deep Desire disappointed me. The novel purports to be romantic suspense—a contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet blended with Dan Brown-esque conspiracies.
There is so much going on plot-wise that it is often over-whelming. Choppy shifts of points of view add to the confusion. A sampling of plot threads running around this book: (1) Rafe and Juliet’s romance, (2) Pete and Samantha’s romance, (3) the ambush of two Green Beret teams, (4) the trials and future imprisonment of two—no, three—Green Beret teams, (5) the attacks on Juliet’s business, (6) her financial difficulties, (7) her exotic dancing career, (8) her interrogation after Rafe deserts her, (9) Nate’s seizures and illicit drug use to deal with them, (10) a secret society of assassins who bow before they execute their victims and speak in iambic pentameter—the Prince and his Fianna warriors, (9) a secret vial filled with something, (11) Rafe is a Green Beret who went AWOL and is also part of #8, (12) a relative of Juliet’s, a 17th century witch, who apparently murdered children and is somehow tied to #9, (13) a drug epidemic, (14) pirates, (15) global arms dealers, (16) a mysterious lily, (17) an exotic dance club, and on and on--enough to make a reader's head spin.
While this is supposed to be a series, and there are certainly enough plot elements to fill a series, all of them didn’t necessarily need to be introduced in the first book. A simplified cast of characters and a thinned-out forest of plot threads would greatly improve this book. Also, setting each POV shift in its own chapter would clarify the work. It brings to mind ODTAA, the 1926 novel by John Masefield. The letters in its title stand for "One Damn Thing After Another".
There is so much going on plot-wise that it is often over-whelming. Choppy shifts of points of view add to the confusion. A sampling of plot threads running around this book: (1) Rafe and Juliet’s romance, (2) Pete and Samantha’s romance, (3) the ambush of two Green Beret teams, (4) the trials and future imprisonment of two—no, three—Green Beret teams, (5) the attacks on Juliet’s business, (6) her financial difficulties, (7) her exotic dancing career, (8) her interrogation after Rafe deserts her, (9) Nate’s seizures and illicit drug use to deal with them, (10) a secret society of assassins who bow before they execute their victims and speak in iambic pentameter—the Prince and his Fianna warriors, (9) a secret vial filled with something, (11) Rafe is a Green Beret who went AWOL and is also part of #8, (12) a relative of Juliet’s, a 17th century witch, who apparently murdered children and is somehow tied to #9, (13) a drug epidemic, (14) pirates, (15) global arms dealers, (16) a mysterious lily, (17) an exotic dance club, and on and on--enough to make a reader's head spin.
While this is supposed to be a series, and there are certainly enough plot elements to fill a series, all of them didn’t necessarily need to be introduced in the first book. A simplified cast of characters and a thinned-out forest of plot threads would greatly improve this book. Also, setting each POV shift in its own chapter would clarify the work. It brings to mind ODTAA, the 1926 novel by John Masefield. The letters in its title stand for "One Damn Thing After Another".
llamareads's review
4.0
UPDATE 3/5/18: OK, so I read (and reviewed) this originally back in December/January. Since then, I haven't been able to get this book out of my head. I've literally talked about it in the Target checkout line with people. So, while I'm reiterating that the first third is confusing and difficult to get through, the rest of it is over-the-top awesomesauce. Upgrading review to 4 stars.
----------Original Review------------
I've read a few romantic suspense novels lately, and picked this up expecting it to be just another average ex-military macho dude trying to win back his ex-wife. Boy was I wrong! This is kind of a Dan Brown-ish romantic suspense, with centuries-old conspiracies and characters searching for secret clues. It's also absolute awesome crazysauce. Look at the first line of the book:
“Juliet’s daddy always told her to stay away from men who bow.”
Men.... who bow? What does that even mean? Yeah, so there's a sinister ancient society of "men who bow," but this book also contains, in no particular order: a bunch of Army Green Berets charged with treason, Zydeco, blackmailing, explosions, cryptic text messages in Shakespearean English, a drug epidemic, pirates, global arms-dealers, a strip club, murders, a 17th-century witch, and Cajun food, all packaged up in the frame of a "Romeo and Juliet" retelling. Because of that, some familiarity with Shakespeare's play would be a definite asset, as there's some pretty cool parallels (Easter eggs, almost?) that wouldn't be appreciated as much. If that list didn't clue you in, there is a LOT going on in this book, and it took until I was around 30% of my way through the book before I felt like I had an inkling of what was going on, and I still kept confusing the jumble of characters until the very end (in fact, the big villain reveal didn't hit me like it should because of it...). But, once I finally got a grasp on the plot, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying the book, crazysauce and all, and found it very hard to put down.
“She’d put up with a lot today. Two strikes of vandalism. A bank loan disaster matched by real estate issues. A narcissistic senator. A rogue ex-husband. A murder on her land. Crazy texts.”
Overall, I liked Juliet. After Rafe's apparent betrayal, she rebuilds her life, getting a graduate degree and founding her own successful floral/landscaping business. Until, of course, he reappears in her life unexpectedly, in the midst of a confluence of really bad luck (OR IS IT???), and she realizes that, despite her anger and mistrust, maybe her love for him isn't really dead... So, you'll understand when I say that my main issue with Juliet was how quickly she picked it back up with Rafe. I waffled back and forth with how I felt about him. While it's clear that he's doing what he thinks is best to protect Juliet, his choices lead to some pretty awful consequences for a whole lot of people. Their relationship, though, is very sweet and romantic, so I found myself warming to him as the book progressed. There's also a jumble of secondary characters, all of whom have histories with Juliet or Rafe (or sometimes both). For the most part, the main secondary characters (if that makes any sense) were well-written, but there was a case of insta-lust that was really odd and out of left field (and that's saying something for this book!).
If I liked Dan Brown-style thrillers or Romeo & Juliet more, this would easily be a 4-star read. As it is, the confusing first third of the book, followed by a thrilling remainder of the book, lead me to give it three stars. I will, however, definitely be picking up the next in the series, as I'm betting that it'll be easier to get into, since I'm already familiar with the characters and backstory.
“[W]e can’t live in the wreckage of the past and the wreckage of the future. We have to be present to each moment as it comes.”
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
----------Original Review------------
I've read a few romantic suspense novels lately, and picked this up expecting it to be just another average ex-military macho dude trying to win back his ex-wife. Boy was I wrong! This is kind of a Dan Brown-ish romantic suspense, with centuries-old conspiracies and characters searching for secret clues. It's also absolute awesome crazysauce. Look at the first line of the book:
“Juliet’s daddy always told her to stay away from men who bow.”
Men.... who bow? What does that even mean? Yeah, so there's a sinister ancient society of "men who bow," but this book also contains, in no particular order: a bunch of Army Green Berets charged with treason, Zydeco, blackmailing, explosions, cryptic text messages in Shakespearean English, a drug epidemic, pirates, global arms-dealers, a strip club, murders, a 17th-century witch, and Cajun food, all packaged up in the frame of a "Romeo and Juliet" retelling. Because of that, some familiarity with Shakespeare's play would be a definite asset, as there's some pretty cool parallels (Easter eggs, almost?) that wouldn't be appreciated as much. If that list didn't clue you in, there is a LOT going on in this book, and it took until I was around 30% of my way through the book before I felt like I had an inkling of what was going on, and I still kept confusing the jumble of characters until the very end (in fact, the big villain reveal didn't hit me like it should because of it...). But, once I finally got a grasp on the plot, I was surprised to find myself really enjoying the book, crazysauce and all, and found it very hard to put down.
“She’d put up with a lot today. Two strikes of vandalism. A bank loan disaster matched by real estate issues. A narcissistic senator. A rogue ex-husband. A murder on her land. Crazy texts.”
Overall, I liked Juliet. After Rafe's apparent betrayal, she rebuilds her life, getting a graduate degree and founding her own successful floral/landscaping business. Until, of course, he reappears in her life unexpectedly, in the midst of a confluence of really bad luck (OR IS IT???), and she realizes that, despite her anger and mistrust, maybe her love for him isn't really dead... So, you'll understand when I say that my main issue with Juliet was how quickly she picked it back up with Rafe. I waffled back and forth with how I felt about him. While it's clear that he's doing what he thinks is best to protect Juliet, his choices lead to some pretty awful consequences for a whole lot of people. Their relationship, though, is very sweet and romantic, so I found myself warming to him as the book progressed. There's also a jumble of secondary characters, all of whom have histories with Juliet or Rafe (or sometimes both). For the most part, the main secondary characters (if that makes any sense) were well-written, but there was a case of insta-lust that was really odd and out of left field (and that's saying something for this book!).
If I liked Dan Brown-style thrillers or Romeo & Juliet more, this would easily be a 4-star read. As it is, the confusing first third of the book, followed by a thrilling remainder of the book, lead me to give it three stars. I will, however, definitely be picking up the next in the series, as I'm betting that it'll be easier to get into, since I'm already familiar with the characters and backstory.
“[W]e can’t live in the wreckage of the past and the wreckage of the future. We have to be present to each moment as it comes.”
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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