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ashezbookz's review against another edition
3.0
I think this book is a good way to get yourself very angry. I stayed mad throughout the entire book! The writing style was different than what I'm used to as well, I came off of two books that were all first person so having random other peoples thoughts mixed in with Hopes was confusing at first. Was eye opening though my aunt wanted me to read it as we have a relative that married someone like this, not on this big of a scale though it's still quite disgusting to read her thoughts as she goes through it. Have something to punch handy, or someone to yell at! I called my aunt constantly to yell at her for making me read the book, although I did enjoy it in the end ;P
divinereader's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
pilateschick's review against another edition
3.0
Some language and mild sexual scenes, but a good look at how an intelligent, confident woman can be deceived by a sociopath.
booklover4887's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
cipock's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was not one of my favorites from DS. There are so many red flags that Hope was actually annoying me so much in this book. It was just OK. I LOVED almost every DS book that I read, but this one just wasn't enjoyable for me.
mundinova's review against another edition
2.0
Story: 2 stars
Character Development: 3 stars
Prose/Language: 1 star
Let's get one thing straight: the writing is bad. Repetitive, simplistic, repetitive, and did I mention repetitive? Now that the writing has been addressed, let's place it aside and instead focus on what aspects of this book are appealing. This is my first Danielle Steel/dime-store romance and I had reservations and expressed out right mockery before starting reading. But I gotta say, I was entertained. Sure, it was fantastical and read like a "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" episode, but the interactions between these rich and famous people had moments that felt authentic.
Having read mostly fantasy and sci-fi, I appreciate believable "world building". What I discovered in Matters of the Heart was "relationship world building" - the meeting, the falling in love, the red flags, the escalation of involvement, the downfall - it was a romantic relationship with issues one might hear via neighborhood gossip or Dear Abby letters. Of course this story was horrific and scary, but some of the manipulations felt very real.
Lesson learned: Don't discount a book based purely on genera.
Character Development: 3 stars
Prose/Language: 1 star
Let's get one thing straight: the writing is bad. Repetitive, simplistic, repetitive, and did I mention repetitive? Now that the writing has been addressed, let's place it aside and instead focus on what aspects of this book are appealing. This is my first Danielle Steel/dime-store romance and I had reservations and expressed out right mockery before starting reading. But I gotta say, I was entertained. Sure, it was fantastical and read like a "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" episode, but the interactions between these rich and famous people had moments that felt authentic.
Having read mostly fantasy and sci-fi, I appreciate believable "world building". What I discovered in Matters of the Heart was "relationship world building" - the meeting, the falling in love, the red flags, the escalation of involvement, the downfall - it was a romantic relationship with issues one might hear via neighborhood gossip or Dear Abby letters. Of course this story was horrific and scary, but some of the manipulations felt very real.
Lesson learned: Don't discount a book based purely on genera.
amakaazie's review against another edition
3.0
Story was just okay. About Hope Dunne who fell in love with Finn, a psychopath who initially charmed her but later became a monster.
It started out very nicely but soon became a drag and very repetitive. I skipped a lot of pages to get to the end.
Hope was a tad naive and trusting but I guess one can be blinded by love. The only issue is that by 40 years old, it’s a bit odd to be that naive.
Anyway, this is not Danielle Steel’s best book. I usually enjoy her stories.
It started out very nicely but soon became a drag and very repetitive. I skipped a lot of pages to get to the end.
Hope was a tad naive and trusting but I guess one can be blinded by love. The only issue is that by 40 years old, it’s a bit odd to be that naive.
Anyway, this is not Danielle Steel’s best book. I usually enjoy her stories.
joannemcgrath's review against another edition
1.0
I find it hard to believe that any grown woman could be that stupid for so long. It was painful to read
whateverjeans23's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0