This is one of the funniest of Ms. Howard's since Mr.Perfect. I have to say since Mr. Perfect I have been diappointed by what has been out but this book has put Ms. Howard back on the top. I found the heroine too refreshing for words, I found myself agreeing for her logic and her attraction for her sexy hero. Both of them were fun, rude, loud and passionate. With statements like "I'm sure someone wants to kill you, you were a cheerleader" and his mother suggesting that she not sleep with him because he can't always get his way. You'll love this book. ( )

Back Cover Blurb
Blair Mallory lives the good life. She’s pretty, confident, and the owner of a thriving up-scale fitness center. But in the shadow of success, a troubled member of the club develops a strange fixation on Blair, imitating her style and dress. Matters take a darker turn when the look-alike is shot dead–and Blair witnesses the horror.

As the media speculates on the tawdry details of the homicide and pushes Blair into the harsh spotlight, she locks horns with police lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth. He wants to lead an investigation without interference, while Blair is determined to probe the dead woman’s life on her own. But when someone begins to menace Blair with mounting threats, Wyatt takes notice: Was this murder indeed a lethal case of mistaken identity–and was Blair the intended victim?

My Review

Okay, let me sum this up quickly for you.

Blair Mallory our heroine is annoying, snarky, self-delusional and pathetic. The worst part - you are stuck in this girls head for the entire book and have to listen to her constantly tell her self that she isn't going to sleep with Wyatt again because you know the Mallory girls are made of better stuff then that only to roll over and sleep with him again the next time he kisses her neck which is alot.

Wyatt Bloodsworth - our hero is a total jackass in every sense of the word. Don't get me wrong I like alpha heros but they have to have a redeeming quality among there many resemblance's to neanderthals. Not this guy.

The relationship - considering there isn't too much to like about either character do I actually believe in the relationship? Umm well they are both like totally hot so I guess considering the integrity of these two already is enough to build a relationship on. Maybe I'd have a better idea if the relationship actually grew or evolved through out this book but no - I'm supposed to believe that these two fell in love on three dates two years ago and when they get together again they are already in love with one another and just don't want to admit it.

The suspense plot - this was the only ok part of the book for me. I've read a thousand better plots but this one was okay enough to compel me to finish the book despite the irritating characters.

Over all it was not worth the aggravation those two caused me to get to the end of the book. I've read one other Howard and I hope most of her books are more like that one and not To Die For. Yeesh ( )

I love Linda Howard. I go out of my way to read each and every Linda Howard novel. But I must say, this is the STRANGEST Linda Howard book I have ever read! The plot sounded terrific: Blair Mallory, ex-cheerleader, all-American blonde owns a successful fitness club. A female customer, Nicole Goodwin, starts copying how Blair looks, dresses, acts, even buying a white car like Blair's. One night, Blair steps out of the Club and witnesses Nicole Goodwin's murder. Was it a case of mistaken identity? Was Blair the intended victim? The love interest comes in the form of police lieutenant Wyatt Bloodsworth, an ex-boyfriend of hers. All this sounds like an excellent kick-off point for an action-packed romantic suspense novel, right? Well, the problem is with Blair's personality and the tone that the story is written in: to put it bluntly, Blair is a DITZ or she sure likes to act like one! At first I thought author Howard was writing tongue-in-cheek. No romance heroine could be this superficial and dumb, could she? Then I realized that this was Blair's true nature and manner of speaking and thinking. Oh no! Who would take this woman seriously? Were we supposed to? Was it all supposed to be a comedy? Problem was it wasn't funny enough to be a really good comedy. Lines like: "Skin care is important even if a murderer is after you." Funny? Sort of. Ridiculous? Yes. Makes us empathetic to the heroine? Hardly. So I just don't know how to judge this book. If Howard's style stays like this, I won't be reading any more of her books. Too bad because she can be so good! ( )

Written in the first person by someone who is more used to using her looks and he fact that people underestimate her than using the smarts she was born with. Someone who knows that that's the way the world works and is willing to use it. Her name is Blair Mallory, she runs a health club, founded with the procedes from her divorce. The club is successful and she's happy with her life until Nicole Goodwin. Nicole decides that she wants to be Blair so she slowly makes herself over to be her, however she's not a nice woman and when several of Blair's clients approach her with complaints, Blair is only happy not to renew her membership. When Blair discovers Nicole's car in the parking lot as she's closing up she's sure it spells trouble, and it does, only not what Blair expects. There's shots, that Blair assumes are from Nicole only to discover that Nicole is dead. When Blair starts having more accidents that's when she wonders was it because of how she looked that Nicole died.



Lt Wyatt Bloodsworth enters the fray. An ex of Blair's he's used to being in charge, but Blair isn't having any of that. Having to live with him to keep her from harm doesn't suit her, particularly as they're both very attracted. He can turn her no's into yesses too easily.

It's fluffy and reminds me of early Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovich, only without some of the annoying tendencies to rush into danger. A fun character that I look forward to reading more about. ( )

I read this book a while back, and I remember thinking it was funny. I read the sequel recently and hated it. Maybe I've changed as a person and the result is less tolerance for women like Blaire, or maybe the first book was better. I'm not willing to re-read "To Die For" to find out, so it must not have been THAT good. ( )