TEST
One of the features the characters in Whispers on the Wind have is the ability to mind-meld (no, they’re not Vulcans). I have to tell you, though, that by the time I finished the book, my mind felt more melted than melded. Trying to figure out when it took place and just what the characters were talking about took a little too much effort to make this an enjoyable read.
Lenore Hanning is an accountant in her late thirties living in the mid-2000s. She’s got a life she likes well enough, but she’s lonely and stressed. She’s been plagued by dreams of a woman and child and has gone away to a cabin in the mountains for some R&R. Once there, she continues to be plagued by dreams, but these are of an erotic nature involving a strange man named Jon. When Lenore actually finds Jon and he tells her he’s from Aazoni, a planet unknown to her, she really thinks she’s losing it. Jon is trying to find the other members of his group so they can track down the criminal they’ve come to Earth to find. Gradually, Lenore comes to believe Jon and begins helping him search for his companions. She falls in love with him along the way, but she’s got to come to terms with who she is and who he is.
The hunt for Jon’s friends and the race to find them before the criminal finds them succeeds in adding suspense to the story. The criminal is an alien drug dealer who is holding Jon’s sister and niece hostage. The criminal has a device invented by Jon’s sister and her bond-mate that amplifies the aliens’ ability to travel through time.
Lenore is a prickly character at first. She’s obviously got a sensual side, but she doesn’t let Jon in easily. When she does finally let him in, she becomes a little softer, more trusting, and easier to like. As for Jon, he’s a pretty sweet guy. He takes care of Lenore, sticks to his promise to stay out of her mind and isn’t overbearing about it. Plus, he’s tall and gorgeous. His main focus is to catch the bad guy and help Lenore discover her true self.
Whispers on the Wind opens with a short four paragraph prologue that describes the alien group’s translation. I didn’t understand what that was until I finished the book. Actually, the whole first three-quarters of the book confused the heck out of me. I knew it was futuristic, but the clues as to the exact time were vague enough that it was difficult to get a sense of time and place. There’s also a lot of scene switching between sets of characters, and out of the blue, the aliens will start talking in their own words without enough explanation.
After the prologue, the book begins right off with what seems to be a love scene but is then revealed as an erotic dream. I’m no prude, but I do like to know the characters just a bit before I’m privy to their fantasies, so this was a problem. Reading on the third page of the story how Lenore wanted some man’s seed in her womb made me think, “Ick! Purple prose alert,” toss the book down and not pick it up again for a week or so. Not an auspicious beginning.
There are a host of secondary characters here. The other members of Jon’s octad, the criminal and his sidekick, and Jon’s sister and niece round out the cast. There are so many characters to keep straight that things got a little crowded.
The last quarter of the book, after everything is explained and all the characters are together, picked up. There’s a fast pace to the action throughout the book, and once all the relationships became clear, the book became enjoyable. I was actually interested in seeing how Jon rescued his sister and her child while capturing the criminal.
Overall, a decent last quarter of the book doesn’t redeem the first three quarters of this book. More clarity would have greatly helped Whispers on the Wind.
Grade: C-
Book Type: Futuristic Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 03/07/01
Publication Date: 2001
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.