When Passion Rules [Tapa dura]

I too, am a fan of Johanna Lindsey and have noticed these past few years that the books being written have not been up to par with the earlier books. I have stopped rushing to buy the books on the first day released and this book was no exception. Except that I chose to read the reviews on it which gave me hope that this book was going to be at least better than the past ones so I went ahead and bought it.
Possible SPOILERS:
Unfortunately, I disagree with the reviews that claim this book has a better storyline. This book COULD have had a better storyline. The ground work was all set up for it to be great. But the book felt completely rushed and had a lot of plot holes in the storyline. First off, you have this assassin who is so amazing that he's never failed and he teaches Alana to think like one but they never considered that she would be doubted as the princess?? Especially when she was without proof? They also gave her all this training to defend herself...for nothing. Maybe this is just me, but I really did not like Alana, who I thought had the mindset of an adolescent girl. The falling in love was too rushed...just a couple of days. The big reveal at the end was almost comical just for the fact that they accused the person, one person said "Couldn't be!" and then the accused admits and explains why. Like it's that easy to get a confession.
And the most annoying part of the whole book is when Alana is finally introduced to the king and they finally know that she is his daughter...that within a day he's already selected a groom for her to marry and she meekly accepts it like the dutiful daughter?! That's ridiculous. And this is after he knows she's slept with the captain of his guard whom he trusts above all other people, especially to take care of his own daughter. That she might actually be carrying Christoph's baby. But instead of saying she should go ahead and marry him...no, give her to the other guy before she shows if she is pregnant, even though it most likely is one of his family trying to kill her. And then after the "big ending" the king is basically like how could he be so blind to see that Alana and Christoph are in love with each other and of course they will be married now...that there is no one he trust more to take care of his daughter.

Basically, I dislike this book above all others previously written. If you are like me and have to read the book because it's by Johanna Lindsey, at least wait until it's in paper back.

I've read all of Johanna Lindsey's books at least once, some of them more than that, and her more recent releases have left me feeling disappointed in a more rushed style of writing that was not worthy of her other books. That being said this new book renewed my faith in her as a writer, even if, as another reviewer suggested, she is using a ghost writer now.

Alana has been gently reared in England by a man thought to be her uncle so it comes as a surprise to her when, upon her 18th birthday, her "uncle" informs her that he is an assassin that was hired to kill her as an infant but was unable to. In addition she is the sole heir to the throne in Lubinia and in order to stop a war there she must go back and assume her rightful place as the princess. Being naive, Alana thinks that the kingdom of Lubinia will believe her but since they have been confronted with imposter princesses since she left rather than meeting the king she is shown to the jail and only allowed to meet the head of the guards, Christoph Becker. Even though Christoph doesn't believe her he still vows to protect her since she seems to believe the lies and there is a lot of intrigue surrounding the disappearance of the real princess.

I liked all of the characters involved in this book but the way they were written just didn't seemed familiar to me when compared to Lindsey's other works. It had some hints of her book "Once a Princess" but not enough to make it seem like it was written by the same author. Christoph was a very handsome male hero which seems to be lacking in a lot of books of late. The only complaint I have is that the ending seemed a bit rushed and the conclusion of what happened when Alana was an infant was glossed over quite quickly in the last pages-especially when so much groundwork was laid to create an intriguing subplot. Overall I would recommend this book to those looking for a light, quick, read on an otherwise boring day, they won't be disappointed.

I have been reading Johanna Lindsey for over 20 years. I still think she is one of the best romance writers out there, but over the past 10 years or so, the books have gotten shorter, more watered down with a lackluster energy, and I found myself bracing for a subpar novel every time I bought one, hoping against hope that something had changed. So imagine my surprise when THIS book started off so beautifully! Well-written characters, fleshed out plot line, and such a solid foundation laid before the love interest is even introduced! I was shockingly thrilled, which then made me wonder, why now? And as I read a few more pages, I realized the answer. JL is using a ghost writer. It doesn't read like her style, I'm sorry to say. However, the book itself is so good, I don't mind. It just makes me yearn though for her past novels at the height of her writing prowess. I miss that Johanna Lindsey. But if THIS is the replacement, I think I can live with it.