This miserable book started out with 32 pages of exposition, setting up a ludicrous situation with two dimensional characters, served with steaming piles of cliché. It only got worse in the second chapter. I gave this my minimum 50 pages and DNF'd on page 56 upon reading this from the main love interest's POV: "The women he liked were very understanding and tolerant of what he did for a living, but none of them were cooks. It seemed to be a law of life that women who took their clothes off for a living didn't cook, while women who went to church did." This while ogling her ass and grumbling about being ordered to seduce information out of her. ( )

A great romantic suspense novel. Murder, mystery, and mayhem abound. Lots of great plot twists and turns. A real page turner. Besides focusing on romance and mystery there is also a lot of humor, art, and gardening in this book. A great read! ( )

You will not be able to put in down! Read the entire book in one day! Jude is fantastic...make sure to read all her books! " ( )

First Impressions by Jude Deveraux
Eden Palmer was sent away when as a teen she became pregnant from a rape on her way home. She ended up filing papers for a woman in the Carolinas. When her son was released from jail, a sex pedophile, she had
to leave and journeyed to NY where she got a job in the publishing field and raised her 5 yo daughter. Now she's notified she owns the house as both the mother and her son are gone. Her daughter is pregnant and
expecting her first. Eden decides to check out the house and spend some time with the longtime residents still alive.
Jared McBride is sent to find out things about this woman as her name was on a paper that a spy swallowed before he died. He's been part of special ops for many years and is recuperating, taking things slow as his leg heals. He will take up residency in the 'washroom' where he will spend time fishing and relaxing.
Because she attacked him in her house when he was attempting to reset the breakers she felt bad and invited him to live in her house so it'd be easier to feed him.
Love how the garden helped solved some riddles and puzzles and mysteries in this book. Learned a few things about wisteria as well.
The history of the garden was fascinating and going to look awesome once planted. Excellent finish. ( )

When she was a teenager, Eden Palmer, was raped and got pregnant. Her family promptly threw her out of the house and let her make her own way. She was taken in as an employee by Mrs. Farrington until she had to leave in the middle of the night in fear for her daughter from Mrs. Farrington's son. Now, years later, Eden's daughter is married and pregant, and Eden finds that she has been left Farrington Manor in a will. She returns to the site and finds an FBI agent snooping through her house and beats the hell out of him. It only gets more interesting from there.

I liked this book. I didn't think that it was anything REALLY special, but I did enjoy the read. ( )