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Dream Man
Detective Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department has never met anyone quite like Marlie Keen. While he has doubts about her supposed clairvoyant powers, she sees crimes as they're being committed, there is no doubt about how much he desires her. To Marlie, Dane is all heat and hard muscle, and he makes her body come alive as it never has before. But not even she can foresee that their passion will lead them on a dangerous journey into the twisted mind of a madman who will threaten their happiness and their lives.
341 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
621 people are currently reading
8,791 people want to read
About the author
Linda Howard
270books7,061followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
Linda S. Howington is an American best-selling romance author writing under the pseudonym Linda Howard. After 21 years of penning stories for her own enjoyment, she submitted a novel for publication which was very successful. Her first work was published by Silhouette in 1982. She is a charter member of Romance Writers of America and in 2005 Howard was awarded their Career Achievement Award.
Linda Howard lives in Gadsden, Alabama with her husband, Gary F. Howington, and two golden retrievers. She has three grown stepchildren and three grandchildren.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 792 reviews
September 1, 2019
Re-read one million: 8/31/19
March 25, 2015
No review for this one even though I loved it because:
1. I am uber-lazy
2. I'd rather spend my free time reading another Linda Howard
3. I am obsessed with Linda Howard
4. Linda Howard!!!!!!!!
February 10, 2017
I've got mixed feeling about this one. I loved the heroine. The serial murderer plot kept me interested. The side characters were interesting. It was all really good.
Then we have the hero. He started out as a self-important douche noodle, and I was thinking "Man this dude is such a prick" But then he got better, and I warmed up to him. That's until we find out that he had been basically planning After everything the poor heroine had been through, this dick-face thought it was A-OK to WTF!? All my warm and fuzzy feelings dried up licky-split. Of course, the heroine forgives him WAY to easily. She should have stabbed his devious self-centered ass with a spork!
Overall I enjoyed most aspects of the book, but the hero dropped this down a star. I'll definitely read more books by this author, though.
Then we have the hero. He started out as a self-important douche noodle, and I was thinking "Man this dude is such a prick" But then he got better, and I warmed up to him. That's until we find out that he had been basically planning After everything the poor heroine had been through, this dick-face thought it was A-OK to WTF!? All my warm and fuzzy feelings dried up licky-split. Of course, the heroine forgives him WAY to easily. She should have stabbed his devious self-centered ass with a spork!
Overall I enjoyed most aspects of the book, but the hero dropped this down a star. I'll definitely read more books by this author, though.
December 15, 2021
5 dreamy stars had Dane been less of a douche.
August 27, 2016
Written April 25, 2015
3 Stars - A nice and thrilling suspense romance but the audio edition left me blank
I've been listened to the 11:15 hrs audiobook commuted back and forth to work this week. A lot of friends rated this one high and I usually enjoy a good "old" LH's story so it was with quite big expectation I first pushed the "play" button.
Sorry to say but...
Next to four solid star for the story but not more than two stars for this audio narration... I'm a bit dissapointed. It sucks!
**
Orlando, Florida U.S.
Marlie Keen is gifted with a ability to feel others peoples feelings. She is clairvoyance. It has earlier allowed her to witness crimes as they happened and help the police. After a horrible experience in Colorado a couple of years ago did Marlie move south. She wished to avoid everything in her old life and is now living a very lonely and quiet life in Orlando. ~ Then one night she once again feel something terrible; a very evil man is murdering a innocent woman, and Marlie can feel his thoughts.
Detective Dane Hollister has never met anyone like Marlie. He has big doubts about her 'so called' clairvoyance. She may be a fake but Dane is at once (hard & hot) interested in this woman, if not in her strange ability to start with, at least in her tempting curves and body (and soul...of course).
Dream Man starts with a raw nasty first murder, some mistrust and insults between the MC's but quite quickly it all changed to a hot romantic passion story mixed with more stabbed innocent women.
**
Dane and Marlie were simply perfect for each other. Their relationship wasn't completely conflict-free to start with and Dane did some very stupid things (and was rightly punished). It's steaming hot, sweet and enjoyable. I liked the crime case as well. We had a terrible cruel serial killer (with parts told from his point of view) and the case was solved in a reasonable credible manner. It was creepy, I was nervous, it was thrilling scary and there was a solid police work here. In all a good crime plot.
...Dream Man is good entertainment romance in the suspense genre. BUT I couldn't enjoy nearly as much as I wished.
**
The audiobook and narrator
Dream Man is narrated by whose voice I enjoyed a lot some weeks ago in a book in a totally different genre (a psychological thriller). Mr Gigante has a lot of qualities but he can't do good female voices in my opinion. I cringed every time the heroine said something. She sounded way too whiny, weak and shrill silly as a damsel in distress. I lacked the strong headstrong heroine she should appear. The sexy hero on the other hand was perfect husky.
I'll avoid Mr Gigante in the m/f romance genre from now on. It's hard and maybe unfair to say but he kind of destroyed a pretty good Linda Howard book for me.
**
It is with sadness I write: NO, this didn't work for me. It sucks but...
I LIKE - ...not so much
3 Stars - A nice and thrilling suspense romance but the audio edition left me blank
I've been listened to the 11:15 hrs audiobook commuted back and forth to work this week. A lot of friends rated this one high and I usually enjoy a good "old" LH's story so it was with quite big expectation I first pushed the "play" button.
Sorry to say but...
Next to four solid star for the story but not more than two stars for this audio narration... I'm a bit dissapointed. It sucks!
**
Orlando, Florida U.S.
Marlie Keen is gifted with a ability to feel others peoples feelings. She is clairvoyance. It has earlier allowed her to witness crimes as they happened and help the police. After a horrible experience in Colorado a couple of years ago did Marlie move south. She wished to avoid everything in her old life and is now living a very lonely and quiet life in Orlando. ~ Then one night she once again feel something terrible; a very evil man is murdering a innocent woman, and Marlie can feel his thoughts.
Detective Dane Hollister has never met anyone like Marlie. He has big doubts about her 'so called' clairvoyance. She may be a fake but Dane is at once (hard & hot) interested in this woman, if not in her strange ability to start with, at least in her tempting curves and body (and soul...of course).
“Minor detail. I’m going to kiss you, Marlie—�
“I’ll bite you again,� she swiftly warned.
He shrugged. “I always have had more guts than sense,� he said, and very gently brushed her mouth with his.�
Dream Man starts with a raw nasty first murder, some mistrust and insults between the MC's but quite quickly it all changed to a hot romantic passion story mixed with more stabbed innocent women.
**
Dane and Marlie were simply perfect for each other. Their relationship wasn't completely conflict-free to start with and Dane did some very stupid things (and was rightly punished). It's steaming hot, sweet and enjoyable. I liked the crime case as well. We had a terrible cruel serial killer (with parts told from his point of view) and the case was solved in a reasonable credible manner. It was creepy, I was nervous, it was thrilling scary and there was a solid police work here. In all a good crime plot.
...Dream Man is good entertainment romance in the suspense genre. BUT I couldn't enjoy nearly as much as I wished.
**
The audiobook and narrator
Dream Man is narrated by whose voice I enjoyed a lot some weeks ago in a book in a totally different genre (a psychological thriller). Mr Gigante has a lot of qualities but he can't do good female voices in my opinion. I cringed every time the heroine said something. She sounded way too whiny, weak and shrill silly as a damsel in distress. I lacked the strong headstrong heroine she should appear. The sexy hero on the other hand was perfect husky.
I'll avoid Mr Gigante in the m/f romance genre from now on. It's hard and maybe unfair to say but he kind of destroyed a pretty good Linda Howard book for me.
**
It is with sadness I write: NO, this didn't work for me. It sucks but...
I LIKE - ...not so much
March 15, 2015
This was a re-read and it was great.
4.5 stars.
Dane is a bit of an alpha ass! Yep, we sure do love them. He falls hard for Marlie. His physical reaction to her is instant.
Murders have been committed, there is a killer on the loose.
4.5 stars.
Detective Dane Hollister of the Orlando police department had never met anyone like Marlie. He had doubts about her clairvoyance, but there was no doubt how much he desired her. Her soft, sweet scent set his blood afire, and he wanted to wrap her in his arms and chase the sadness from her eyes. To Marlie, Dane was all heat and hard muscle, and he made her body come alive as it never had before.
Dane is a bit of an alpha ass! Yep, we sure do love them. He falls hard for Marlie. His physical reaction to her is instant.
He was restless and fractious as a stallion who could scent a mare in season but couldn't get to her.
Murders have been committed, there is a killer on the loose.
The noon sun forced its way through the closed slats of the blinds ...
"Go to hell, Detective."
She had more layers than an onion and she was determined to keep them hidden beneath that prickly shield she had developed.
She smoothed her hand over his chest, delighting in the roughness of the thick, curly hair under her palms
October 7, 2015
5 STARS
Wow! 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.
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.
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.
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!
Wow! 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!
September 15, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️ three stars -
Clearly I’m on a Linda Howard kick 😂
This story is yet another, “if it was written by anyone else”� I really struggled rating this and got hung up again trying to make my mind up between two or three stars. The stress this creates for me 😂
I’m settling on three due to the facts that this novel:
➡️ is well-written
➡️ entertained me with the crime drama
➡️ had a believable romantic story line
➡️ contained a hot and sexy Hero
This is a story where I actually prefer the Hero’s storyline over our heroine’s here. I really enjoyed the focus on the law and order plot, and especially the relationship between our Hero and his partner Trammell. I was getting serious Harry Bosch and Jerry Edgar vibes from these two, and I just loved that. Is Howard a Michael Connelly fan? I’m going to go out on a limb and say, “yes�. These scenes immediately triggered that comparison with me, and I was entertained by their relationship to the extent that I actually enjoyed this aspect of the story the most.
I really didn’t care for the arc of the heroine and the whole clairvoyant character aspect. It was just too out there for me, and I found it became annoying after the first few scenes of our h’s struggles as an unwilling participant in this crime drama.
Our h’s scenes were not enjoyable to me unless they involved romance with our Hero 💁♀�. After a point, I became tired of the repetitiveness of the h’s ESP drama, and nearly skipped over these parts to get to the action of the Hero at work. These parts of the story with our Hero shined, and I enjoyed the crime drama aspect displayed in those scenes more.
Overall, this is nowhere near my favorite Howard novel. As mentioned, I did enjoy our strong, crime solving, take-charge, law and order Hero lol. If Howard had incorporated more of this instead of sticking with her tried and true formula, I probably would have rate this higher, but that didn’t happen here. She stuck with the script, so this falls flat at three stars.
Would recommend only for die-hard Howard fans.
Anyone else:
➡️ if you’re looking to discover Howard, try “After The Night� or “Mr. Perfect�
➡️ if you’re looking for pure crime drama - go pick up Connelly 💁♀️�
Clearly I’m on a Linda Howard kick 😂
This story is yet another, “if it was written by anyone else”� I really struggled rating this and got hung up again trying to make my mind up between two or three stars. The stress this creates for me 😂
I’m settling on three due to the facts that this novel:
➡️ is well-written
➡️ entertained me with the crime drama
➡️ had a believable romantic story line
➡️ contained a hot and sexy Hero
This is a story where I actually prefer the Hero’s storyline over our heroine’s here. I really enjoyed the focus on the law and order plot, and especially the relationship between our Hero and his partner Trammell. I was getting serious Harry Bosch and Jerry Edgar vibes from these two, and I just loved that. Is Howard a Michael Connelly fan? I’m going to go out on a limb and say, “yes�. These scenes immediately triggered that comparison with me, and I was entertained by their relationship to the extent that I actually enjoyed this aspect of the story the most.
I really didn’t care for the arc of the heroine and the whole clairvoyant character aspect. It was just too out there for me, and I found it became annoying after the first few scenes of our h’s struggles as an unwilling participant in this crime drama.
Our h’s scenes were not enjoyable to me unless they involved romance with our Hero 💁♀�. After a point, I became tired of the repetitiveness of the h’s ESP drama, and nearly skipped over these parts to get to the action of the Hero at work. These parts of the story with our Hero shined, and I enjoyed the crime drama aspect displayed in those scenes more.
Overall, this is nowhere near my favorite Howard novel. As mentioned, I did enjoy our strong, crime solving, take-charge, law and order Hero lol. If Howard had incorporated more of this instead of sticking with her tried and true formula, I probably would have rate this higher, but that didn’t happen here. She stuck with the script, so this falls flat at three stars.
Would recommend only for die-hard Howard fans.
Anyone else:
➡️ if you’re looking to discover Howard, try “After The Night� or “Mr. Perfect�
➡️ if you’re looking for pure crime drama - go pick up Connelly 💁♀️�
December 6, 2013
●●●●●●CRIME FIGHTERS!●●●●●●
Suspense, Paranormal and Romance
♦Marlie’s � a psychic who after a six years of having no psychic episodes is now seeing horrific murders through the eyes of the murderer. After the first episode she contacts the Orlando police department with the goal of helping them but knowing she’ll be their number one suspect since she can describe in detail the whole murder scene. Marlie is empathetic; she sees and feels the emotions of other people.
♦Dane’s � an Orlando police detective who isn’t buying Marlie’s story that she is a psychic. He believes she is involved somehow in these murders. He finally realizes to solve this crime spree he needs to work with Marlie.
♦The Murderer � is meticulous in the details of the hunt. He studies his prey and learns their lifestyle. Mostly women are his prey but there are a few men who meet his criteria for needing to be taught a lesson. He has rules he follows to insure he won’t be caught and at the same time he still gets to enjoy the power he wields over his victims. These aren’t random murders …these are well thought out murders to right the world of rude people.
I’m not a fan of instant of love but I’m going to give this a pass because I really enjoyed the story. It had me on my edge of my seat at the end of the book.
Standalone
February 3, 2015
Dream Man was enjoyable but not nearly as good as or .
I liked Marlie a lot. She was strong and courageous in the face of a terrifying situation. Dane was gruff with no polished edges, but I loved that he was incredibly protective of Marlie. That is until the 87% mark where he does something so stupid and insensitive! I could've forgiven it more if Dane would've let Marlie know what he was going to do, but to make that decision without her input or consent, knowing her past, pissed me the heck off! Marlie should've made him grovel more. Appropriate groveling did not occur. Still, I love how this one ended.
I liked this story, but I think the narrator impaired my enjoyment. Phil Gigante's male voices are AWESOME! I love his narration in the Fever series, but I'd never heard his female voices. His performance made Marlie sound a juvenile. I believe Marlie had good reasons to be upset at times but the narration made her sound a little peevish when she was angry. I'd skip the audio version in this case.
I liked Marlie a lot. She was strong and courageous in the face of a terrifying situation. Dane was gruff with no polished edges, but I loved that he was incredibly protective of Marlie. That is until the 87% mark where he does something so stupid and insensitive! I could've forgiven it more if Dane would've let Marlie know what he was going to do, but to make that decision without her input or consent, knowing her past, pissed me the heck off! Marlie should've made him grovel more. Appropriate groveling did not occur. Still, I love how this one ended.
I liked this story, but I think the narrator impaired my enjoyment. Phil Gigante's male voices are AWESOME! I love his narration in the Fever series, but I'd never heard his female voices. His performance made Marlie sound a juvenile. I believe Marlie had good reasons to be upset at times but the narration made her sound a little peevish when she was angry. I'd skip the audio version in this case.
December 16, 2022
Reseña completa:
No le termino de coger el punto a esta autora
Es novela no ha sido para mí
Tengo muy claro que la parte romántica pasa a un segundo plano en este tipo de novelas y que la relación entre ellos suele ser algo secundario. No obstante, aquí es al revés, considero que la parte de suspense hay poca, más que nada porque poco se sabe del asesino y poco se termina sabiendo y la novela es, a parte de las visiones (sí la parte paranormal está cogida con pinzas) de ella... la relación (de cama) entre ellos es lo que se tercia
La relación no me ha gustado nada, me ha faltado química, pese a ese sexo que me ha dejado a cuadros... casi todas son un aquí te pillo aquí te mato, algo que no me entusiasma y, más cuando después de un día... sí.. un día, ya están enamorados! jajajaja
Dejando de lado que a mí ese rollo de la mujer que necesita ser protegida (algo muy de la época en la que está escrito) me tira muuuuuuy para atrás y, además, todos esos mensajes machistas, además del macho protector... vamos que hasta la declaración final me ha parecido horrible
¿dónde está el suspense? pues no hay. No sé cómo definir lo que he leído... policíaca, supongo porque hay investigación, aunque les lleve a poco, la verdad
Vamos, que no me ha gustado, le pongo 2 porque 1 me parece muy poco
No le termino de coger el punto a esta autora
Es novela no ha sido para mí
Tengo muy claro que la parte romántica pasa a un segundo plano en este tipo de novelas y que la relación entre ellos suele ser algo secundario. No obstante, aquí es al revés, considero que la parte de suspense hay poca, más que nada porque poco se sabe del asesino y poco se termina sabiendo y la novela es, a parte de las visiones (sí la parte paranormal está cogida con pinzas) de ella... la relación (de cama) entre ellos es lo que se tercia
La relación no me ha gustado nada, me ha faltado química, pese a ese sexo que me ha dejado a cuadros... casi todas son un aquí te pillo aquí te mato, algo que no me entusiasma y, más cuando después de un día... sí.. un día, ya están enamorados! jajajaja
Dejando de lado que a mí ese rollo de la mujer que necesita ser protegida (algo muy de la época en la que está escrito) me tira muuuuuuy para atrás y, además, todos esos mensajes machistas, además del macho protector... vamos que hasta la declaración final me ha parecido horrible
¿dónde está el suspense? pues no hay. No sé cómo definir lo que he leído... policíaca, supongo porque hay investigación, aunque les lleve a poco, la verdad
Vamos, que no me ha gustado, le pongo 2 porque 1 me parece muy poco
June 25, 2010
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 how she feels about the media attention but he sets her up to be exposed anyway. He doesn't deny using her and even implies that the relationship IS only about sex. And what does she do after all of this happens? She falls into bed with him anyway. Which makes her character just as bad as his. I had a hard time getting through this book and that never happens with Linda Howard's books. I know Dane was only "doing his job as a detective" but the way he went about all of it made him that much more unlikeable. I am glad this wasn't my first book by this author. I seriously wouldn't have read anything else of hers otherwise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 19, 2018
An enjoyable experience until 90%, then I had to force myself to get to the end. I really wanted to DNF it.
There is no way such a behaviour can be forgiven, he was beyond assh* material, he destroyed her life and her future. He never thought for a minute about her. And I lost any respect I had for the heroine. She has no brain nor self respect either. So at the end the romance was a great let down. And given that RS are romance, no real mystery, if the romance fails...
All the last 10% of the book was either rant or cringe worthy. And please let us avoid talking about the epilogue.. brrr.
Sorry, I can't recommend this book.
There is no way such a behaviour can be forgiven, he was beyond assh* material, he destroyed her life and her future. He never thought for a minute about her. And I lost any respect I had for the heroine. She has no brain nor self respect either. So at the end the romance was a great let down. And given that RS are romance, no real mystery, if the romance fails...
All the last 10% of the book was either rant or cringe worthy. And please let us avoid talking about the epilogue.. brrr.
Sorry, I can't recommend this book.
September 11, 2017
Words cannot express how angry this book made me.
Here's the deal: from the beginning to the 85% mark, it was a solid 5 star read. And at that point, it became a negative 11 billion star read.
The hero made a choice that is un-fucking-forgivable.
Fuck this book.
Here's the deal: from the beginning to the 85% mark, it was a solid 5 star read. And at that point, it became a negative 11 billion star read.
The hero made a choice that is un-fucking-forgivable.
Fuck this book.
March 2, 2016
Another FABULOUS Linda Howard re-re RE-read! LH does creepy so good... and her lead guys are always totally alpha, rugged, take what they want type of men. In this case.. it was a hot detective .. a little rugged around the edges .. but all M-A-N. No one does romantic suspense like Linda Howard. Period.
July 23, 2021
3 stars on reread.
April 7, 2017
Great suspense story with a touch of intense romantic/sexual tension, a strong and interesting heroine, and a tough guy hero with a sense of honor and a soft heart. Nice little bromance with his partner as well.
Marlie, a psychic, has a vision of a vicious murder and is compelled to go to the police while knowing it will open her up to ridicule. She was intimately involved in a vicious kidnapping/murder resulting in a 5 year old dying and her being stabbed as well. She has lived a quiet life since. Dane, hotshot detective, is both skeptical and wildly aroused by Marlie.
Once it becomes obvious that Marlie is the real deal and not a charlatan in search of the limelight, Dane is all in. All in as he moves his clothes in; tries to support her in the search for the killer, and jumps her at every opportunity. Marlie struggles with her visions, but has a nice backbone and a temper when needed. Dane is a total guy, an alpha male and unapologetic about it. This book precedes most if not all of the current macho alpha heroes: poor misunderstood billionaire living in their high-rise or the rough and tumble amoral (immoral?) motorcycle men, but Dane is the real deal. Sex scenes are erotic without being overly graphic.
The pyscho sexual killer has his own point of view. Not knowing much about serial killers, he seemed a little paint-by-the-numbers in how the police and FBI identify him. It could be accurate for all I know, but it seemed a little Hollywood slick to me.
Heading into at least a 3.5 rating, it sadly jumped the shark when it came time for the
Climactic scene.
Marlie, a psychic, has a vision of a vicious murder and is compelled to go to the police while knowing it will open her up to ridicule. She was intimately involved in a vicious kidnapping/murder resulting in a 5 year old dying and her being stabbed as well. She has lived a quiet life since. Dane, hotshot detective, is both skeptical and wildly aroused by Marlie.
Once it becomes obvious that Marlie is the real deal and not a charlatan in search of the limelight, Dane is all in. All in as he moves his clothes in; tries to support her in the search for the killer, and jumps her at every opportunity. Marlie struggles with her visions, but has a nice backbone and a temper when needed. Dane is a total guy, an alpha male and unapologetic about it. This book precedes most if not all of the current macho alpha heroes: poor misunderstood billionaire living in their high-rise or the rough and tumble amoral (immoral?) motorcycle men, but Dane is the real deal. Sex scenes are erotic without being overly graphic.
The pyscho sexual killer has his own point of view. Not knowing much about serial killers, he seemed a little paint-by-the-numbers in how the police and FBI identify him. It could be accurate for all I know, but it seemed a little Hollywood slick to me.
Heading into at least a 3.5 rating, it sadly jumped the shark when it came time for the
Climactic scene.
November 6, 2012
Whew! After reading this one I feel like I ran a marathon. The mystery part was creepy and tense. The violence is graphic, but not gory. The romance between Dane and Marlie was going alright after he finally believed in her abilities. But, I didn't trust Dane. I won't say too much, but even though I suspected him of using Marlie, I wasn't prepared for the curve ball that the author threw. I was stunned!!!! After that I couldn't back all those warm and fuzzy feelings for Dane. So, I gave the book three stars because the suspense was top notch, but the romance left me feeling dissatisfied. overall a C.
July 17, 2008
This is one of my favorite LH books. I love Dane and Marlee! Marlee is a psychic who sees a crime being committed. She goes to the police to help, where she meets Dane, a cynical homicide detective who thinks psychics are just people who forgot the "ot" in psychotic. The story is great and I loved the romance between Dane and Marlee. Highly recommended!
January 1, 2016
No time for a full review so just a one liner today.
Another Linda Howard book that I enjoyed so if you are a fan, then this one is definitely worth reading!! �
Another Linda Howard book that I enjoyed so if you are a fan, then this one is definitely worth reading!! �
February 1, 2016
3.75 stars
I can't believe I have never read DREAM MAN before now. It was a typical Linda Howard romance originally published in the mid 1990s with an uber alpha male. Dane Hollister would have been right at home with dominant cavemen if he had lived thousands of years ago.
But he didn't.
He was a police detective in the ever-growing city of Orlando, Florida, near Disney World. His partner, Alex Trammell, had known him for years. They were opposites in appearance but when push came to shove, they were always there for each other. I enjoyed reading about two guys that were co-workers and friends.
They first became involved with Marlie Keen when she walked into their police station and volunteered information about a murder. It needs to be said that she was a psychic in the truest sense of the word. Whether Dane believed her was another matter.
He didn't and they had words.
Unfortunately for him -he couldn't help himself- he was attracted to her. There was a good amount of chemistry between the two. Initially, Marlie put Dane in place because of his overbearing attitude but that was short-lived. . Finally, he managed to do something he shouldn't have done and gets himself into really hot water with Marlie.
I see by all the tags on this story (there are 156 of them) that many people thought this romance was awesome. I found the suspense engaging if not a bit disturbing. I especially enjoyed the byplay between most of the characters and one of the most unusual epilogues that I have read in quite awhile. All in all, Linda Howard gave me several hours of entertainment.
I can't believe I have never read DREAM MAN before now. It was a typical Linda Howard romance originally published in the mid 1990s with an uber alpha male. Dane Hollister would have been right at home with dominant cavemen if he had lived thousands of years ago.
But he didn't.
He was a police detective in the ever-growing city of Orlando, Florida, near Disney World. His partner, Alex Trammell, had known him for years. They were opposites in appearance but when push came to shove, they were always there for each other. I enjoyed reading about two guys that were co-workers and friends.
They first became involved with Marlie Keen when she walked into their police station and volunteered information about a murder. It needs to be said that she was a psychic in the truest sense of the word. Whether Dane believed her was another matter.
He didn't and they had words.
Unfortunately for him -he couldn't help himself- he was attracted to her. There was a good amount of chemistry between the two. Initially, Marlie put Dane in place because of his overbearing attitude but that was short-lived. . Finally, he managed to do something he shouldn't have done and gets himself into really hot water with Marlie.
I see by all the tags on this story (there are 156 of them) that many people thought this romance was awesome. I found the suspense engaging if not a bit disturbing. I especially enjoyed the byplay between most of the characters and one of the most unusual epilogues that I have read in quite awhile. All in all, Linda Howard gave me several hours of entertainment.
July 5, 2018
DNF Chapter 22
Hero is a jerk. Bossy. Doesn't trust the Heroine. Only wants sex. There's no romance. He moves in with her, without asking, after a few days. He uses her ability to find the killer. He doesn't care that the Heroine suffers. He's commanding, letting her iron his cloths, washing his clothes and making him breakfast. He doesn't feel anything for her. Only lust. And he betrays her, in hope to catch a killer.
So not Hero material. And I hated that after all the Heroine went through, he wants to sleep with her as soon as possible. They know each other a few days and he does the deed. He justifies it, telling himself that he's helping her with her trauma. So not cool dude.
The Heroine was weak. I really felt for her and wanted her to find some peace and somebody to love her. Sadly she falls in love with the Hero in a few days. He takes her life over, completely. She just nods and says yes and that's it. I don't understand her feelings. There's nothing alluring about the Hero. He's just big and has muscles and is good looking. She doesn't even know him.
I just don't see them together. And after the Hero betrays her trust and is outing her to the world, he lost all respect. I don't find him Hero worthy so I won't read on. It would only upset me.
Hero is a jerk. Bossy. Doesn't trust the Heroine. Only wants sex. There's no romance. He moves in with her, without asking, after a few days. He uses her ability to find the killer. He doesn't care that the Heroine suffers. He's commanding, letting her iron his cloths, washing his clothes and making him breakfast. He doesn't feel anything for her. Only lust. And he betrays her, in hope to catch a killer.
So not Hero material. And I hated that after all the Heroine went through, he wants to sleep with her as soon as possible. They know each other a few days and he does the deed. He justifies it, telling himself that he's helping her with her trauma. So not cool dude.
The Heroine was weak. I really felt for her and wanted her to find some peace and somebody to love her. Sadly she falls in love with the Hero in a few days. He takes her life over, completely. She just nods and says yes and that's it. I don't understand her feelings. There's nothing alluring about the Hero. He's just big and has muscles and is good looking. She doesn't even know him.
I just don't see them together. And after the Hero betrays her trust and is outing her to the world, he lost all respect. I don't find him Hero worthy so I won't read on. It would only upset me.
March 18, 2016
This book was not what I expected. It was a lot of a suspense / horror story. The murders were gruesome and I spent enough time in the killers head to be creeped out. But I thought that part of the story was really good. So scary parts aside, there was the "romance" side. But I found that totally lacking. Yes Dane fell into insta lust. Really, really uncomfortably weird. Like it should have been a shifter book kind of insta lust. He was rude, crude and a bully. I did not hate him, but I am nowhere near putting him on a BBF list. He totally bullied his way into Marlie's life and she had no experience to be able to handle him. For the most part I enjoyed the story even though it was really murder investigation and sex. No romance, dialogue about things other than the murders or anything else that would put heart and feeling into the relationship. But nonetheless this book was an easy 4 stars almost the entire book. But then...Dane pulls a totally disrespectful dick move, putting Marlie's life in danger and with zero regard for her feelings, and I just could not get over it by the end of the book. Marlie forgave way too quickly. Thanks to the magic preen. That event pissed me off so much I dropped it to 2 stars. However, there was a funny epilogue that pulled it back up a star.
Safety Gang safe
Safety Gang safe
September 16, 2018
Cuarto libro que leo este mes de esta autora para el #RetoRita2 #RitaHoward y, aunque es entretenido, quizá sea el que menos me ha convencido de los que llevo leídos. Vaya por delante que la protagonista, Marlie, me ha gustado mucho, pero la trama de suspense paranormal es de telefilm de sábado por la tarde y el prota masculino, Dane, me ha sacado de mis casillas en un momento concreto. Sé que algo así era inevitable, pero ¿había que hacerlo a espaldas de Marlie? Yo creo que no. Menos mal que el epílogo pone a todos en su lugar, jajaja, muy bueno eso Sra. Howard.
September 2, 2020
Get it here:
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*
July 12, 2020
Dane is a Detective, he is 100% a man who's totally clueless about relationships but isn't lacking in the ladies department. They fall for him, while he focuses on his job. Until Marlie. One look at her and he's instantly in lust. He's protective and takes good care of her, but he is also pushy, controlling, and completely take's over her life. The best part is he has no idea he is falling in love with her. I get such a kick of men like this.
I love how the story is based around Marlie's clairvoyant abilities. I find stuff like this fascinating and it was ultimately why I picked up the book to read. She has a fragility about her, but also steele when it's needed. These two were on fire together. The author did an outstanding job relating the chemistry between these two.
There was only one thing that disappointed me in this and it would be a spoiler so I won't say exactly what it was. I just felt like he did her wrong when he could have handled the situation differently. Nothing to do with another woman, just a choice that affected her life so he should have asked her. I obviously forgave it by the end of the book but I do wish he groveled more.
I'll give another reason to pick up this book. Any Kristen Ashley fans who haven't read Linda Howard? You might want to give this book a try. The KA hero vibes are strong in Dane. Now Linda Howard came before Kristen Ashley, and it's not a copycat, they just have similar male behavior. If you're like me and find a type that you love, you constantly search for more like it
I love how the story is based around Marlie's clairvoyant abilities. I find stuff like this fascinating and it was ultimately why I picked up the book to read. She has a fragility about her, but also steele when it's needed. These two were on fire together. The author did an outstanding job relating the chemistry between these two.
There was only one thing that disappointed me in this and it would be a spoiler so I won't say exactly what it was. I just felt like he did her wrong when he could have handled the situation differently. Nothing to do with another woman, just a choice that affected her life so he should have asked her. I obviously forgave it by the end of the book but I do wish he groveled more.
I'll give another reason to pick up this book. Any Kristen Ashley fans who haven't read Linda Howard? You might want to give this book a try. The KA hero vibes are strong in Dane. Now Linda Howard came before Kristen Ashley, and it's not a copycat, they just have similar male behavior. If you're like me and find a type that you love, you constantly search for more like it
March 23, 2017
3 ½ stars. Overall a pretty good story, but not as good as other books by this author.
I am not a fan of stories like this � using a partial psychic visions to create mystery. Marlie has psychic visions being in the head of the killer. These are partial visions and don’t give enough information to help the police. After each vision Marlie is weak and tired and must sleep for a long time � which gives the author more to talk about.
I was annoyed several times when Marlie was in the middle of a psychic vision. Dane talks to her trying to bring her out of it. My thinking was let her finish. She needs more time in the vision to get more info.
The relationship development between Marlie and Dane was pretty good.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Phil Gigante was very good with male voices. But he was awful doing females. He made Marlie sound wimpy, whiny, and effeminate. For example: “Then by all means if it will help her, throw me to the wolves she said, her voice flat.� The narrator read this in a whiny voice - not a flat tone. The narrator made other females sound like effeminate gay guys. Don’t get me wrong, I like listening to an effeminate gay guy. But I don’t want heterosexual female characters sounding that way - with elongated vowels or whatever it is. I was annoyed. The narrator is totally wrong reading women that way. He needs to learn how to do females.
On the positive, the narrator’s breathing noises were removed - yay.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: mild to moderate. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: current day Orlando, Florida. Copyright: 1994. Genre: romantic suspense.
I am not a fan of stories like this � using a partial psychic visions to create mystery. Marlie has psychic visions being in the head of the killer. These are partial visions and don’t give enough information to help the police. After each vision Marlie is weak and tired and must sleep for a long time � which gives the author more to talk about.
I was annoyed several times when Marlie was in the middle of a psychic vision. Dane talks to her trying to bring her out of it. My thinking was let her finish. She needs more time in the vision to get more info.
The relationship development between Marlie and Dane was pretty good.
AUDIOBOOK NARRATOR:
Phil Gigante was very good with male voices. But he was awful doing females. He made Marlie sound wimpy, whiny, and effeminate. For example: “Then by all means if it will help her, throw me to the wolves she said, her voice flat.� The narrator read this in a whiny voice - not a flat tone. The narrator made other females sound like effeminate gay guys. Don’t get me wrong, I like listening to an effeminate gay guy. But I don’t want heterosexual female characters sounding that way - with elongated vowels or whatever it is. I was annoyed. The narrator is totally wrong reading women that way. He needs to learn how to do females.
On the positive, the narrator’s breathing noises were removed - yay.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Swearing language: strong but rarely used. Sexual language: mild to moderate. Number of sex scenes: about 5. Setting: current day Orlando, Florida. Copyright: 1994. Genre: romantic suspense.
March 19, 2017
Dream Man
4 Stars
Marlie Keen is finally getting her life back on track following the loss of her psychic gift. But now her abilities have returned full force with an horrific twist - she has seen a murder through the eyes of the killer. Detective Dane Hollister is skeptical of Marlie and suspicious of her claims, but he finds himself irrevocably drawn to her and knows that she may be the only key to solving a series of terrifying crimes. Can Marlie and Dean put aside their differences to catch a monster?
A gripping serial killer plot and an intense romance make this a fantastic romantic suspense read. My one small caveat relates to the hero's actions toward the end, but more on that later.
Marlie is a very sympathetic heroine and Howard's portrayal of the physical and emotional toll that the visions have on her is exceptionally realistic, which makes it easy for the reader to empathize and suspend disbelief. Dane is a typical alpha male who finds it difficult to accept that psychic abilities exist and makes no bones about his views. The love/hate dynamic between Dane and Marlie ratchets up the sexual tension and makes for some very steamy scenes.
Now to the big problem with the story. Dane not only ; he also . Both of this acts are simply unforgivable, and if the suspense plot weren't so good, they would ruin the book. As it is, they put a huge damper on the romance.
Despite this issue, Dream Man is well worth the read for lovers of hot heroes, spunky heroines and bone-chilling serial killer tales.
4 Stars
Marlie Keen is finally getting her life back on track following the loss of her psychic gift. But now her abilities have returned full force with an horrific twist - she has seen a murder through the eyes of the killer. Detective Dane Hollister is skeptical of Marlie and suspicious of her claims, but he finds himself irrevocably drawn to her and knows that she may be the only key to solving a series of terrifying crimes. Can Marlie and Dean put aside their differences to catch a monster?
A gripping serial killer plot and an intense romance make this a fantastic romantic suspense read. My one small caveat relates to the hero's actions toward the end, but more on that later.
Marlie is a very sympathetic heroine and Howard's portrayal of the physical and emotional toll that the visions have on her is exceptionally realistic, which makes it easy for the reader to empathize and suspend disbelief. Dane is a typical alpha male who finds it difficult to accept that psychic abilities exist and makes no bones about his views. The love/hate dynamic between Dane and Marlie ratchets up the sexual tension and makes for some very steamy scenes.
Now to the big problem with the story. Dane not only ; he also . Both of this acts are simply unforgivable, and if the suspense plot weren't so good, they would ruin the book. As it is, they put a huge damper on the romance.
Despite this issue, Dream Man is well worth the read for lovers of hot heroes, spunky heroines and bone-chilling serial killer tales.
November 27, 2017
I love the premise of a psychic helping solve crimes and falling in love with the detective in charge. But this one falls short for me. First, let's meet the characters.
Marlie has visions since she was four years old. She helped find lost children but has been traumatized with the last case that her psychic abilities shut down. She has been living a normal life for six years until one fateful night, her abilities came back.
Dane is a cop who uses whatever source he could to solve a crime. He is grim, rough and intense.
They are thrown together in a crisis but they have this wildfire of attraction. He thought Marlie is different with the women from his past and easily accepted it.
What seems to be my problem with the book? Okay, I am reader who holds a mean grudge to a character if he/she has done something stupid. In this case, the H got on my nerves. Yeah, he was doing his job but still it's my right to hold a grudge.
1. They are after a serial killer. He used her as bait considering she was beaten and almost raped years ago. Bastard. "I barely lived through one attack from a maniac with a knife, so it bothers me to be set up as bait for another one."
2. She got fired in her job because of the media exposure that HE set up. Grrrrr....
Overall, I liked some parts of it.
Marlie has visions since she was four years old. She helped find lost children but has been traumatized with the last case that her psychic abilities shut down. She has been living a normal life for six years until one fateful night, her abilities came back.
Dane is a cop who uses whatever source he could to solve a crime. He is grim, rough and intense.
They are thrown together in a crisis but they have this wildfire of attraction. He thought Marlie is different with the women from his past and easily accepted it.
What seems to be my problem with the book? Okay, I am reader who holds a mean grudge to a character if he/she has done something stupid. In this case, the H got on my nerves. Yeah, he was doing his job but still it's my right to hold a grudge.
1. They are after a serial killer. He used her as bait considering she was beaten and almost raped years ago. Bastard. "I barely lived through one attack from a maniac with a knife, so it bothers me to be set up as bait for another one."
2. She got fired in her job because of the media exposure that HE set up. Grrrrr....
Overall, I liked some parts of it.
February 14, 2022
Romantic Suspense / Contemporary / Paranormal
Publication date : November 19, 2009
I enjoyed DREAM MAN a lot. Marlie Keen and Detective Dane Hollister were fun to watch together. The hell victims went through and Marlie due to her psychic "gift" was heartbreaking to read at times. Despite Marlie's vulnerability she was still strong, sassy, though and independent heroine. Good match to Dane.
I do not have proof of this psychic/paranormal stuff happening in real life, but Linda Howard did good job at making it work. It got grisly at times but author had balanced it well with some goodnatured bantering and interesting characters.
If you enjoyed DREAM MAN, then I think you will also enjoy .
Publication date : November 19, 2009
I enjoyed DREAM MAN a lot. Marlie Keen and Detective Dane Hollister were fun to watch together. The hell victims went through and Marlie due to her psychic "gift" was heartbreaking to read at times. Despite Marlie's vulnerability she was still strong, sassy, though and independent heroine. Good match to Dane.
I do not have proof of this psychic/paranormal stuff happening in real life, but Linda Howard did good job at making it work. It got grisly at times but author had balanced it well with some goodnatured bantering and interesting characters.
If you enjoyed DREAM MAN, then I think you will also enjoy .
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